Leftovers Will Be First!

The title for tonight's blog has nothing to do with tonight's picture. I thought that you would like to see a behind the scene picture of Nathan and Kathy's "It's a Family Christmas" program. I took this during one of their practices. Elijah is missing as he hadn't been brought in from the nursery yet. Very good program! Once again God has given Nathan an inspiration for a new meaningful program with lots of entertainment and spiritual value! I went to four of their six programs. I stayed home tonight so I can be ready for our family Christmas in the morning.

Now about tonight's title...we really enjoy leftovers from a turkey dinner and usually don't get to have very many of our favorites. So this Christmas I decided that we would start with the leftovers! I have cooked several turkey breasts and they are turning into some of our favorite things...turkey sandwiches, hot turkey sandwiches, Turkey Ole (one of my mother's recipes and a big favorite of both Nathan's and Melany's families), Creamed Turkey on Toast Points (something that I remember Mother serving...so a childhood memory for me), and Turkey and Rice Soup (Mother always made soup from the very last of the turkey as we do also.) Then there will be lots of sides: Fresh Cranberry Relish (a dear friend shared this recipe with me just this week...I had eaten hers but had never made it myself...yum!), Sweet Potato Casserole (again, a dear friend's recipe and part of our traditional Thanksgiving meal), Cranberry Dressing (new recipe that we are trying from a cookbook that Woody's sister gave us many years ago (our token new recipe for this Christmas)), Zucchini Tomato Casserole (a recipe that we got from Southern Living magazine and have made several times and "most" all like...plus its red and green color just "says" Christmas!), pumpkin cranberry bread (gift from a dear friend), and Pineapple Casserole (recipe shared at a Sunday School class meeting years ago...definitely a family favorite!). All above recipes are oven or stove top ready except for the creamed turkey and the zucchini casserole. The refrigerator is getting rather full! But it holds an amazing amount...especially when I have Woody making space for each item (He said that if I made it, he would get it in the refrigerator!)! I'm tired but hoping that the fact that most of these dishes just have to be popped into a 350 deg. oven an hour or less prior to our lunch or heated on the stove...well, that "should" free me up to enjoy the festivities. I'm so glad that I had our class party here as there isn't a lot to do to get the house "ready"...at least what gets done will be only minimal...too tired to do more than minimal! I do still have to arrange the presents under the tree and there is a bit of vacuuming...just hitting the traffic areas. Oh, and mop the kitchen floor...after all this cooking!

Woody walked his four-mile route this morning and he has been walking behind me helping to keep the kitchen clean. He also ran an errand to the grocery store for me...he said that it is very crowded "out there!" He said that the traffic is much more than usual, that the lines in grocery store are much longer than usual, and that people just seemed to be every where! (Glad that I have stayed home all day!) After our rain yesterday, we have cooled down quite a bit. It is now in the upper 30's and is supposed to get into the upper 20's during the night.

Well, big day for us tomorrow. Guess I had better get back to "whatever!"