Meatloaf AGAIN

Left-overs will be Meatloaf with veggies.

Aint too proud to beg sweet, darlin.

My most recent recipe turned out a delicious Meatloaf.  The texture and density were like a tender steak to cut through.  It didn't melt in my mouth, but if I had been a dog, I would have barked for more.  Feed me.  I wasn't shy getting seconds.  Beaming with pride, I was boasting a full stomach and satisfied that this loaf turned out extra good.  Perhaps I should have put a feather in my hat.

The texture and density were the best I have ever created.  
T h e  b e s t.  The flavor was good as well.  Not too spicy, not too dry.  Moist and slightly sweet.

So today we will dine on more 

Beef Sirloin Meatloaf.

My memory slips from time to time.  If I can remember how I fixed it this time and not tweak my method next time, it will be a continuing adventure about fixing the perfect MEATLOAF before I venture out to fix THE BEST FRIED CHICKEN this side of the Mississippi.  

Around here it would be the MISSOURI.  THIS SIDE OF THE MISSOURI.  I have ate at some FINE RESTAURANTS that are known for their outstanding Fried Chicken.

Besides my Momma's...

In St. Louis, there's the LEMP MANSION which would be on the other side of Missouri, so that doesn't count.  Their Green Beans and Cucumber Salad were to wiggle for.  Their Fried Chicken was very goooood.  CRUNCHY GOOD and wasn't greasy.  

http://www.lempmansion.com/

In eastern Kansas, there's the BROOKVILLE HOTEL in Abilene.  Served Family Style and oh so crunchy good.  Their Cream Style Corn is good enough to drink.  Hard to beat. 

 http://www.brookvillehotel.com/

Abilene also has Mr. K's FARMHOUSE RESTAURANT where President Eisenhower ate which has very good Fried Chicken as well.  Kentucky Fried Chicken Restaurants are still out there so you can dine with the Colonel just about any time, but this isn't what I'm talkin' 'bout.

Down south, we stopped in at the Sam and Ella's CHICKEN PALACE in Talhequah, Oklahoma thinking we'd surely have delicious Fried Chicken.  Sounded good after traveling so far...but were surprised that it was a PIZZA PARLOR.  Welp, that was not to be expected.  Their PIZZA was really really good.  REALLY. 

https://www.yelp.com/biz/sam-and-ellas-chicken-palace-tahlequah 



SO the next time I say we're having Meatloaf AGAIN perhaps it will be something else, like SPAGHETTI with meat-ta balls.

Blessings to you!
d

Red and Gold CHRISTMAS Tree

~CHRISTMAS TREE~

Tree is up twinkling with red and clear lights.  

Red and gold ornaments on the branches.  

Gold beads.

Lovely Christmas Tree.

Oh Christmas Tree,

d

What is red and gold and sparkles all over?

Did you think I was going to answer,

"The Christmas Tree."

???

It's a given.

PAGAN CHRISTMAS TRADITION Bah Humbug

If you've known me for very long, you know that I occasionally misspell words.  My bad.  Grammar errors along the way.  One benefit about blogging is that I find myself searching the dictionary or asking my Husband how certain words are spelled.  Blogging has help keep my mind busy exercising my horizons on how words are spelt.  Grammar...well that's another animal.

Bah Humbug......

Current events are checked out from time to time.  Decorating and Baking ideas are a hit.  Much out there on the net.  Magazine sales have been hit hard as well as the Greeting Card makers sales due to access to the net.  I use internet as well as paper products like actual cards and magazines.  I still enjoy sitting alone in my Living room thumbing through magazines looking at images printed out of colored ink.  Holding the item in my physical hands and turning the pages.  Real greeting cards can sit out on the mantle for me to actually look at through out the day.  Requires no electricity or Wifi to call up.  Off the grid sort of.  

I have thinned out my old magazines, but have more piles to go through.  I had saved all my MARTHA STEWART LIVING mags through the years, VICTORIA, TEA TIME, VICTORIAN HOMES.  Pitched my TRADITIONAL, COUNTRY LIVING and THIS OLD HOUSE.  It was a BREAK THROUGH to do away with my magazines.  After our house fire so many of my saved magazines were smoked stained or got water logged by the firemen.  I had to pitch them and it wasn't that hard for me.

Before, it nearly took an act of Congress to depart from my stash of vintage mags.  I have continued to thin them out, but have more piles to conquer.  Now I tear the articles out of the mag and pitch the rest.  

I do have a few old magazines on the side that I like to thumb through as if it were 1955 again.  Fun.  In my humble opinion, I think Martha took ideas from old magazines and presented them again in her mags.  So much is SIMPLY THE SAME.

Life can be ohhhhhh so good.  

Bah Humbug!!!

Today, I have to make a run to the Cottage and pick up more CHRISTMAS goodies that are waiting to be used again this year.  I don't get too excited about getting out in the cold to run errands.  Tomorrow it is suppose to be 61!  A heat wave for this time of year.  I will need to clear out some things out of the car to keep it tidy.  Way too easy being a slob.

I come by it naturally...being a slob that is.  It is an labor of love to clean out the car.  Ha.  

As I have sat this morning figuring what needs to get done this week-end...I have hopes that our CHRISTMAS TREE will get her lights on and ornaments dangling from the branches.  We have been a little slow getting around to this.  Too much illness.  Still have time before CHRISTMAS is officially here.  This past week, we drug the large CHRISTMAS TREE box from the Cottage to our PRAIRIE HOME.  

Our CHRISTMAS TREE stand was too large so there was a hunt for a better fitting stand.  That took a few hours.  Husband put the tree together and she is standing proudly in front of the Living room window.  We've had this tree approximately 20 years.  It boggled my mind that we have had this artificial tree so long.  She is still in very good shape with a good shape.  I had been eye balling trees and think this one we have is beautiful and will do nicely.  No need for a new tree.

To save money this year, we are using what we have.  I can live with an artificial tree and ornaments from the past.  The lights was a different matter.  We had to get new lights.  Little expense and that makes the pocket book smile.   

The hunt for our tree lights came next.  Another few hours in the take.  New ones were purchased.  Hopefully TODAY they will migrate onto the branches to sparkle.  

If I only could put one item on the tree it would be the twinkle lights for it is this illumination that enamors and mesmerizes the childlike quality of my soul.  "Twinkle twinkle lights galore I know you're fake, but I want some more."

I really like seeing the sparkle.  This is the part of the indoor CHRISTMAS decorating that I like the best.  LOVE IT.

Many will say the Christmas Tree is a pagan tradition and shouldn't be a part of Christmas.  You can say that if you like, but I choose to repurpose what was meant for evil and turn it into good.  God made the trees in the first place.  Bringing nature indoors is not a sin to me.  CHRIST our SAVIOUR was born in Bethlehem and we are to think about HIM being the SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD.  The LIGHT of the WORLD.  Son of GOD.  It is HIS birthday.  Yes, it probably wasn't right on December 25th that HE was born, but the important thing to remember is we are focussing on HIS earthly birth.  The rest is HIStory.

Going from misspelled words to magazines, to what I need to get done this week-end to CHRISTMAS TREES is how I roll.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  Bah Humbug.

May you have a sweet week-end.
God bless,
d

'Life Just Got A Little Easier' Prairie Meatloaf

At it again.  Prepared a new Meatloaf recipe.  

Just pulled it of the miniature oven.  Let it cool a tad 

before slicing off an end piece to sample.

WINNER.

Like it  v e r y  much.  
Life just got a little easier with this dish.

Easy to prepare and tasty.

~PRAIRIE MEATLOAF~

Ingredients:

2#s of lean Kansas Ground Beef Sirloin (90/10)

2 eggs

Salt and Pepper

Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce

Ketchup

Half and Half

1/2 White Onion

Bread crumbs

Glaze:

Brown Sugar 

Tomato Soup 

(I ran out of Ketchup so I used a small can of Tomato Soup)

Here's the skinny:

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

Start preparing mixture in a oversized glass measuring cup.

Crack eggs into the cup.  Add Salt and Pepper.

Pour in about half a cup of Country's Bobs.

Same with Ketchup and Half and Half.

Mix.
Should look like a batter.

In a glass dish add 2 cups of Bread crumbs and onion then add batter.
Mix well.

Add 2#s of lean Hamburger.

Hand knead the mixture.

Add Ketchup to the bottom of glass baking dish before adding meatloaf mixture.

Shape loaf in dish.

Spread top of loaf with a little runny Ketchup.

Bake 1 hour.

Make Glaze with condensed Tomato Soup and 1/2 cup of Brown Sugar.  
Mix well.

Pour Glaze on top of Meatloaf and bake additional 20 minutes.

Take out of oven and let set 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve Meatloaf alongside sweet corn/green peas 
and apricot halves.  Water for beverage.

Please dine with me On The Prairie,

d

Wondering

A year has passed since my Dad passed away.  Thinking back...Our cars weren't running well.  We had returned from Amarillo with our daughter and her new husband to see my Mother-in-law in the Heart Hospital with a continuous heart attack lying in bed.  Was painful.  Heartbreaking.  We said our good-byes after our short visit.  We should have stayed longer and rented a car to return to Kansas, but we didn't.  We would have returned to see her, but had our hands full when our house caught fire.

Two weeks later our house burned where everything in it was either severely smoked damaged, water logged or burned to a crisp.  Everything.  As we worked on sorting through items, we spent the time in shock as we went through the motions of dealing with all that had to be dealt with.  We moved into a tiny cottage and grieved.

A month later, my Dad had a horrific stroke that would take him to HEAVEN.  Watching him die was awful.  Some comments were said that divides families.  Not sure where to go with what was said.  We buried Dad on a Saturday.

If that isn't enough, Christmas came and went as we continued to grieve.  January arrived and we found ourselves going to Oklahoma to bury my Husband's Mom.  Grieving.  Trying to keep a stiff upper lip isn't welcomed when you need to grieve.  Grieve.

A week after she was buried, my Father-in-law is told he has stage four lung cancer in both lungs.  Not given much hope.  Our WINTER was spent in this tiny cottage trying to figure out what to do next.  Still grieving.

The first day of Spring our textiles that were cleaned after the house fire are returned as well as what couldn't be salvaged.  Little returned smelling fresh.  Hours are spent going through the rubbish in boxes.  More hurts to mend.  More emotional healing needed.  Seeing what was labeled non-restorable made me weak in the knees and saddened.  Non-restorable.  I'm suppose to throw away things not memories.  I'll wash in jumbo washers what I can and say that Grandma's quilt she made me when I was a child is going to stay with me for awhile longer.  That Teddy bear my Hubby gave me will stay with me a while longer.  Those Baby blankets my Mom made my children will be stained, but will keep for a while longer.  Those pictures that are stained will be placed in new frames and be saved.  The list went on and on.

Yes, I know these things are just things and some can be replaced to some extent.  But these things are things we sacrificed to buy when it was a struggle to buy them.  Things my children made or gave me cannot be replaced.  A loss.  Things that my Grandparents gave me...destroyed.  Things that our Parents gave us as gifts destroyed and damaged.  Gifts gone.  These things that are things are our things.

I find myself still dealing with the fire recovery as our other home items that were cleaned are returned to us to a storage unit the end of April.  Overwhelmed by 675 boxes it will take a while to go through all the boxes to see what was saved and what wasn't.  Where's this and where's that?  Any bit of organization and order has disappeared as if someone completely tore up our HOME.  Molested our HOME.

We spied a house for sell that I had admired for years.  We bought her and started moving into the house the 675 boxes out of storage meaning a moving truck is in order to transport the goods.  Like another move.  Exhausting.  Already exhausted, but more to follow.

Some Living room furniture is ordered with more waiting taking place.  Then what furniture that the restorers could refinish begins to return to our new location.  Tears.  Whimpers of amazement.  Piecing HOME together has been a LABOR.

Not sure if I'll grow to be a very old woman to look back at this time and say it is good that this season is in the past.  My nerves are frayed.  Tired.  Weakened.  Wondering.

Life is short and more than not family and friends have died.

I still can find some laughter and joy in my soul, but I am praying to 'come back to life again' if you catch my drift.

Summer was busy with the piecing back together our HOME.  We took an October Vacation.  The first Vacation we've taken as an empty nester couple.  When the kids were HOME we only had a couple of Vacations.  A rare thing for us.

Even if you can't travel somewhere, time needs to be taken to VACATION.  Staycation.  Stay HOME, but make this time relaxing if possible.  Time apart of all of the outside world.  Time.  Quiet time.

We managed to tidy up most of the house before we had a houseful of company for THANKSGIVING.  Managed to make nutritious and delicious meals for all.  Managed to have a few laughs and lots of food with conversation.

Resting after the big HOLIDAY only to get ill.  Shaking my head and wondering.  After a few days on antibiotics I am feeling better.  Praise God.  Thankful.

The Christmas Tree will be put up soon with twinkling lights and beautiful Christmas ornaments.  We didn't have a tree last Christmas.  This year I hope to have two up.  One in front of the Living room window and another upstairs in one of the bedrooms.  Hours of enjoyment glancing at the trees.  A little garland above the fireplace mantle.  Some sprigs of greenery here and there.  Should be nice.  A couple of smaller trees on the porch.  A Nativity Scene for sure.  Hopefully some wreaths on the front door.  Hopefully.  My stash is migrating from the cottage to our new location.  This will be our first CHRISTMAS here across the river from Retirement Cottage.  TIME to decorate with what I have.  TIME to stop grieving.  Take a deep breath and move forward.

What a difficult Season it has been,
d

     

THAT's RIGHT

LIFE is short.

MAKE WISE CHOICES.

KNOW THE LORD and embrace HIS counsel.
Grateful attitude.
Appreciate what you have and be THANKFUL.

You'll be BLESSED.

Dad Passed

It has been a year since you went to heaven.

You are missed.

My Daddy. A very good man with much love. A hard worker and talented guy. He loved my Mom and was a fine example of a human being. Human, yet divine and heavenly minded. He was kind, considerate and honest. He was proud of this country and paid his taxes. Like God with skin on.

DAD, you are seriously missed and loved.
Deanna Fern

PieCaken

Daughter.in.law Shell 

made and brought a delicious layered dessert 
with her when visiting.

PieCaken.  Went fast.

This is the All-In-One Holiday Dessert that started it all, Original PieCaken: a Pecan Pie, a Pumpkin Pie, and an Apple Upside-Down Cake layered together with cinnamon buttercream. Why choose one dessert when you can have them all? (serves 12-16).

Delicious.  Wonderful for the HOLIDAYS.

WINNER,

d

  

Partying with
http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/2017/12/foodie-friday-and-everything-else.html#more

CHRISTMAS Is Coming

In the dark of the evening, we drove to see the Festival of Lights in Manhattan.  Did some quick shopping then went looking at some of the CHRISTMAS lights that decorated houses.  Saw  Santa.  There were horses and carriages waiting to take patrons on rides.  And as luck would have it, no camera.  My phone isn't my camera.  Twinkling lights and greenery on the sides of the carriages.  Charming.  The weather was so pleasant it seemed like OCTOBER.

It has become windy...reminds me of so much like a winter storm blowing in.  Nature's music to my ears.  A melody of wild open spaces with an orchestra of memories to harmonize what LIFE ON THE PRAIRIE is like.  Stay tuned. 

I woke up around 2 in the morning not well.  Stayed up for three hours then returned to bed.  Slept in as my sweet Husband moved the Living room sofa away from the window making preparations for our CHRISTMAS TREE that will stand in front of the window.  

Put a smile on my face as I walked down the stairs seeing the room being prepared for CHRISTMAS CHEER.  Last year we did not have a tree as my Father had passed away and we were still recovering from our house fire.  It just seemed to be the way things had to go that CHRISTMAS.    

Then got ready to go pick up our boxed artificial CHRISTMAS TREE and tree stand from the cottage along with storage boxes full of CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS.  A red and gold tree this year.  Drove onto to Manhattan to pick up a few groceries and new CHRISTMAS LIGHTS.  

This week the tree will go up and get decorated.  HOPEFULLY.  Rested last week after a busy THANKSGIVING and a full house.  The month leading up to the HOLIDAY was active prepping for company.  The towels are laundered, the dishes are put away and THANKSGIVING decorations are making their way back into storage.  TIME FOR A CHANGE as Christmas comes.

Last Friday both my Husband and self went to see the doctor as we were running fevers.  Both having sinus infections and my gut was extremely sore.  Taking it easy and eating soft foods as to hopefully rest my intestinal tract a tad.  Have been researching the NET to see what I might be dealing with.  Not sure what to think.

It's been one of those days,
d  

Made Well

Mom tried on my outfit 

from when I was about 25 years old.  

I had it hanging in my KEEPSAKE CLOSET.

Many moons ago, my Husband bought me this suit from JCPenney.  
Corduroy with a frilly blouse I no longer have.  

I hung onto it as it was made well 
and has held up through the years.

Long ago, it once fit me.

Whahhhhhh.

Not bad for a something bought in the 1980s.

Having fun,

d

CHRISTMAS Comfy

~CHRISTMAS 2017~

Are you ready?  I'm getting there.  

Lil Miss was comfy cozy,

Granny d Nanny

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....everywhere I go.

Well, it has started.

Ready.  Set.  Go.

Thanksgiving Dishes

Thankful for so much 

including THANKSGIVING dishes.

Thankful.

God bless.

Making HOME a priority,

d

Partying Hardy at Between Naps On The Porch:
https://betweennapsontheporch.net/12-days-of-christmas-holiday-table-setting/