Wednesday, January 8, 2014 | MyConnection 3
Recipe/Community Connection
The Ziifles will now have time to prepare for the loss, and plan to fully enjoy the time remaining with Lady.
lady
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were clea r a nd they just cou ld not believe t he improvement.” “I told them besides good medical care, Lady had Santa and she had God,” Helen said, “I’m sure some of the improvement was just being back with Brian. Lady felt so safe and secure and loved,” she said. “I think she healed better.” Today, Lady’s health continues to improve. “She’s getting feisty again, barking and wagging her tail,” Helen said. Lady is doing well enough that she was given the OK from the vet to travel with the family to New Orleans to celebrate the New Year. Helen said she is impressed by the staff of the animal hospital and the veterinarian. “I’m sure she continuously loses patients … you would think she would get a little calloused about it,” Helen said. “But when I told her the story of Brian speaking to Santa at the restaurant and writing him the letter, she cried her eyes out.” And then there were all the
people on the prayer chain who kept checking on Lady, even during the hustle and bustle of Christmas. “It just amazed me, we have wonderful friends and people who believe in the power of prayer,” Helen said. “That is the only thing I can attribute Lady’s recovery to. Medically, it was not what anybody anticipated.” L ady i s st i l l su f fer i ng f rom k id ney fa i lu re a nd an enlarged heart. She will have to take medicine for the remainder of her life, but doctors estimate Lady will live another year. The Ziifles will now have time to prepare for the loss, and plan to fully enjoy the time remaining with Lady. “For Brian, it’s huge,” Helen said. “We honestly feel like it is a miracle, that is the only explanation we can give.” Helen said when people ask her what Lady is like, she tells them she’s just like Brian, only with fur. “She just loves everybody. Everybody loves her,” she said. “Lady is one of those sweet, loving dogs that everybody falls in love with. Brian and Lady are so much alike; they are the perfect pair.”
Turkey Green Bean Chili with Cheesy Corn Fritters
For Chili, cook turkey, onion, bell pepper and garlic over medium heat in a large pot for 8 to 10 minutes or until meat is brown and vegetables are tender; drain. Stir in tomatoes, water Prep Time: 30 minutes and cumin. Bring to a Serves: 6 boil; reduce heat. SimChili ingredients: mer, uncovered, 15 min 1 pound ground turkey utes, stirring occasion breast* ally. Stir in green beans. 1 cup chopped onion Serve with Cheesy Corn Fritters. 1 cup chopped red bell pepper For Cheesy Corn Fritters, 2 cloves garlic, minced combine muffin mix, egg, 2 (14.5 oz. each) cans milk, corn and cheese in Del Monte Zesty a large bowl. Heat oil in Chili Style Diced a very large skillet over Tomatoes, undrained medium heat. For each 1 cup water fritter, pour about 3 table 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin spoons of batter into hot 1 (14.5 oz.) can Del Monte skillet. Cook 4 minutes or Cut Green Beans, drained until golden brown, turning once.** Corn Fritters ingredients: 1 (8.5 oz.) package corn muffin mix 1 large egg, beaten 2/3 cup milk 1 (8.75 oz.) can Del Monte Whole Kernel Corn, drained 1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
Please let this Christmas end I think we will just wrap this past Christmas up in a box and hide it somewhere in the attic, never to be remembered. The intent was all there, but the execution was, shall we say, different. Where to begin? Probably a couple of days before Christmas, as the Little Black Dress was at Youngest SON’s school delivering little gifts to the teachers, I get a call at work. Apparently the car won’t start. Being the dutiful husband, I head to the school to jumpstart the now dead vehicle. Won’t start. Radio works, windows go up and down. Engine will not turn over. And I start to think this probably is going to be something other than a battery. So we get the car towed, and the mechanic calls and says it was the starter. Do you have any idea how much a starter costs and to get it installed? Later I turn to The Dress and say “Mer r y Ch rist ma s.” She responds that she’s “always wanted a starter for Christmas.” I believe it was the same day, after dropping me off at work, that the LBD
JOHN WINTERS
returned home to find that one of her rescue mutts had somehow climbed up on the table and got into the brownies she had painstakingly cooked for the staff here. An aside. Dear staff: The dog literally ate the brownies. Will try again next year. Not content with merely eating the brownies, said mutt also decided to vomit said brownie intake all over the house. It was somewhere around this time that The Dress and I both got hit with some rather painful issues. She got a fever blister that was, as one of the SONs called it, the size of a meteor. No kissing for Christmas even with bounties of mistletoe. It hurt to eat. For my part, I got a pinched nerve in my back. It hurt to walk. Trying to sit down was like getting hit by a arrow,
Many happy returns They are the two most overused words of the holiday season. Not “Merry Christmas. Not “Happy Hanukkah.” Not “Kwanzaa Rocks.” The other two: “Give Back.” If I hear those words one more time this year I’m liable to throw up my hands — and my last meal. I keep my guilt muscle in great shape all by myself. I bet I’m not alone. You can’t sit through an hour of the annual “It’s a Wonderful Life” marathon without seeing a heart-tugging pitch featuring sad-eyed pets, hollow-cheeked children or pajama-clad twentysomethings not yet enrolled in Obamacare. I get it. ‘Tis the season when heartstrings and purse strings are never closer, when those most likely to give don’t think twice about mailing a check or visiting a website to “give back” to a worthwhile cause. No complaints about the concept. I do it myself. Mostly because I realize many worthwhile causes and organizations could not survive without what Tennessee Williams (via Blanche DuBois) called “the kindness of strangers.” Give away. Just make sure you’re giving to those who are willing to receive. And always remember there are certain people that are not receptive to the “Give Back” gospel. Especially this time of year. Those people are called retailers. And
ALEX mcrae
between Christmas and New Year’s Day there is nothing they like less than cranky crowds knocking down the doors determined to “give back” gifts that were too large, small, tacky, thoughtless, useless or just plain stupid. Sadly, most of the unwanted items were given with the best of intentions. The problem is, they were given by people who should never be allowed to shop alone. For example, teenage boys should be banned from purchasing perfume for young ladies. Girls want Chanel No. 5. Adolescent males are turned on by eau de WD-40. Likewise, bachelors should be barred from Victoria’s Secret. Luckily, help for lousy shoppers is here. Retailers have compiled a list of the most-returned gift items. If you find yourself eyeing one of these gift bombs next year, you might want to step back. Way back. Clothing is the item most likely to be returned. One look explains why so
NOTE: * If desired, substitute 3 cups chopped cooked turkey for cooked ground turkey breast. Add with tomatoes in Step 2.
Heat oven to 400 degrees In large saucepan, Melt butter. Add onion, Prep Time: under 15 minutes potato, peas and carServes: 4 rots and celery; sautee 5 minutes. 3 tablespoons butter or In bowl, combine margarine soup, chicken, rosemary, 1/2 cup diced onion sage and white pepper; 1/2 cup diced potato stir into vegetables. 1 (8.5-ounce) can peas Unfold 1 pie crust; fit and carrots, drained into 9-inch pie plate. Fill with chicken mix1/4 cup sliced celery ture; cover with second 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can pie crust. Trim crust if cream of chicken soup needed; press edge with 1 (10-ounce) can fork. Brush top crust VALLEY FRESH with egg wash (1 egg Chunk Chicken, beaten with 1 tablespoon drained water) to create glossy 1/4 teaspoon dried crust, if desired. rosemary leaves, Bake pie 10 minutes. crumbled Reduce oven tempera 1/4 teaspoon ground ture to 350 degrees. Bake sage 25 minutes longer. Cover 1/8 teaspoon white pepper crust with aluminum 1 (15-ounce) box refrigerated foil to prevent browning. Bake 15 minutes more. pie crusts (2 crusts)
Home-Style Chicken Pot Pie
** Keep cooked fritters warm in a 200 degree oven while cooking the remaining fritters.
a very sharp arrow complete with pain poison. The SONS had to push and pull me to help get me out of a chair. And even in and out of the car. Lord help me if I coughed. What else? Oh yes. Youngest SON of Thunder has had a silver tooth for quite some time. While The Dress was helping him floss that night, it popped out — hitting her in the eye. We are ready for this blessed holiday to be over. The Dress will not show herself in public. I can’t move. We agree we are just going to do a little “re-gifting” for each other this year. Fortunately, we already had the SONS covered. Christmas rolls around. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a big bow to wrap the SUV with — to remind her about her new starter. So I just reminded her. Repeatedly. Not to worry. In that whole re-gifting motif, she hands me a present. It’s a beautifully framed photo of us — at our wedding. Middle SON of Thunder bursts out laughing. “That’s not a gift.” The LBD tells him to shut up. Not to be outdone, I grab the aforementioned vomiting dog and a bow and say, “Here. Merry Christmas.” I can’t wait to see what New Year’s Day brings.
many items go back. What I don’t understand is some of the things people keep. And wear in public. It’s easy to go wrong with toys, games and electronics, and retailers say even savvy dudes make a mess of perfume and cosmetic choices. Speaking of guys, when it comes to jewelry, experts say you can’t go wrong by surprising that special lady with a big, shiny gift certificate. I suggest a mood ring. At least you’ll know when to duck. Certain gifts are inappropriate — or just plain tacky — at any time of year. L e ad i n g t he 2 01 3 l i st i s “ D uc k Dynasty” chia pets. These are swell as office party gags, but if you know someone who would love a chia garden featuring the likeness of Uncle Si, maybe you should “give back” some of your acquaintances. This year, I even saw an ad pushing miniature vacuum cleaners. Who gives this to a child? And why? Even presents from your nearest and dearest can break your heart. Not long after I was grown and gone and out of the house, my mother sent me two Christmas gifts in the same box. Both were unforgettable. I wore the handmade f lannel shirt until the stitching came loose. The other? Well, how many parents do you know that have given their children Odor-Eaters foot deodorant for Christmas? Every time I talked to mother, I raved about the shirt. The Odor Eaters? She didn’t ask and I didn’t tell. Sometimes, silence is the best thanks of all.
2014
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