Warm and pleasant greetings to all. We hope you are enjoying a pleasant week.
The Retired Teachers Association met virtually last Monday, due to voting day Tuesday, for its regular monthly meeting. President Sevelda Taylor always makes opening remarks with cheerful greetings and recognizes each member online. A special Thanksgiving devotional was given with prayer. The meeting was fruitful. Committee reports were given and plans for upcoming activities were discussed and confirmed.
RTA accepts the invitation to Thanksgiving luncheon at Charleston High School this week. The group wants to stay vigilant and sounding in the community.
Last Tuesday was election day. Yes, you did vote! Blue Cane Little Hubbard Community Center, as a voting site, attracts individuals in and out of the community on this day. There was a bit more traffic in and around the community. The rain settled the dust and the weather was perfect for voting day. It was a pleasure to see those we greeted at the center.
The holidays are fast approaching. Excitement is in the air as family and friends look forward to being together. Hopefully, you have your shopping list, grocery list and gift list almost at final check.
Remember to keep safety in mind as you plan, prepare and serve food. You want your guests to enjoy the visit with you. Wash your hands. Sanitize food surfaces often. Transport food safely, keeping cold foods cold and hot foods hot.
Leftover turkey and stuffing should be stored separately in a shallow dish. This allows for quicker cooling. Reheat turkey and stuffing back to 165 degrees.
When in doubt, throw it out. If you are not sure how long a certain food item has been left at room temperature, the best thing to do is discard it. Protect your family. As guests, you, too, want to stay safe, so carefully handle the serving utensils and eating utensils. If you are sick, stay out of the kitchen!
If you should have leftover homemade rolls or store-bought, turn your rolls into delicious garlic bread. I do this all the time with sliced French and Italian bread and any type rolls. The ingredients are mainstay; use the amount you like.
The following recipe is enough for one 16-ounce loaf of bread:
1 stick of softened butter (or1/2 c. olive oil)
4 garlic cloves crushed (or 1 tsp. garlic powder)
¼ cup fresh parsley (or 2 tsp. dried parsley)
¼ cup graded Parmesan cheese.
Mozzarella cheese is also good. I like to grate the cheese.
Mix butter, parsley and garlic, spread on bread and top with cheese. Bake 350 for 8-10 minutes or broil 1-2 minutes, if you like it toasty.
If you need to shred a batch of cheese for a recipe, put cheese in the freezer for about 30 minutes before grating. It will shred quicker, smoother and won’t clog up the blade. Easy clean-up!
Now, I know I’m not the only one who likes or makes homemade cake. I enjoy the results of my homemade cake. As some say, “If I have to stir, it’s homemade.”
If you want your cake to taste like you made it from scratch, here’s a hack. Boxed cake mix doesn’t stand a chance when compared to the real thing, but if you’re going to make it from a package, use real butter instead of oil, milk instead of water and add one extra egg. There you have it. Let me know what you think .
The ACS Rally for a Cure Board will have its annual bake sale Saturday, Nov. 19, from 8:30 a.m. until noon, outside the NAPA Auto Parts store on West Main Street in Charleston. Thank you for your support.
Take time to reflect and give thanks for the love of family and friends.
We know Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate the harvest and the many blessings we have enjoyed and shared.
With the unprecedented pandemic years, it is certainly a time to show gratitude this day and everyday.
“For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with Thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” (I Timothy 4:4-5)
Have a happy, safe and blessed Thanksgiving!
