Dee

I had left over broth and didn't know what to do with it. I couldn't toss it! I added canned chicken and canned chicken broth and thickened it. I peeled and boiled some potatoes and carrots. Then added frozen peas and corn. I also added onion and seasonings and ended up with 9 individual pot pies in the freezer for later eating. My freezers were too full to hold them w/o spilling the sloppy mess, so I froze them on the deck railing. It was 4 degrees, and it didn't take a long time to get them frozen and packed up to the freezer. Please post what you do in the kitchen for prepping. We could all use more ideas.

Lucky you!!! Those will be soooooooooooo good!!!

What a nice surprise this evening as I opened Mrs. S. Thank you all so much. I had a very nice day. We didn't do one thing! DH is feeling better today and I couldn't ask for a better gift than that. Thank you all again!!!

Have you ever made a single serving of cake using the microwave? When my kids were in school, I often had a piece of fresh cake waiting for them as they came in the door. If you've never made it, it's so simple and so good. Using a boxed cake mix, fill a Styrofoam cup 1/2 full. Add enough water to make it the consistency of cake batter. Put it uncovered in the microwave for 1 minute. I don't buy Styrofoam cups anymore, so I use cereal bowls for DH and me. Proceed the same as above. However, it may take 1 1/2 minutes to cook if you use a little extra mix. For us, I put a little butter on top. When the kids were home, I made up some frosting and froze it in individual packets to top theirs with. I store the opened cake mix in the freezer where it will stay fresh long past the best buy date.

Merry Christmas Midnightmom, Becca and everyone.

I used to do that and forgot all about it. Thanks for reminding me/us Mikki!

Good ideas, Euphrasyne! Next?

Today I made a custard pie for lunch. As I made it, I was thinking about all you could do with this filling. To begin with if you have milk and eggs, you could make this basic mixture. I, of course, for pie added a little sugar, nutmeg and vanilla. I also made a crust which you wouldn't have to do. A greased casserole dish or 8x8 pan would work too. If you want to make a one dish meal you could make the filling and add meat, pre-cooked potatoes, cheese, vegetables, peppers, onions, etc. Anything, you have on hand. What you have on hand is the key theme here. We don't want to always have to run to the grocery store.....especially, if there's no longer a grocery store. I can picture this pie with cheese and veggies, as a quiche. Maybe even a can of peaches or pineapple baked in as a dessert. Would that work and taste good? I have no idea, but I do know if you're trying to feed a family and have to use what's on hand it just might be delicious. Who has more ideas? Let's get a discussion going on things you can fix with what you have on hand. A homestead with a cow and chickens can really make a difference, BUT, we're not all out in the country. Even if we are, like me you may be old enough to think, "I don't want all that work of livestock anymore". Ok, your turn!

Thanks for your kind words Joyfilled. Hope you can get something going in your small town. It's well worth it! I think I'd have taken it out of the garbage and rinsed it off Momo. But, then again, maybe not with a DIL. Mine isn't real crazy about me to begin with.

You will have tons of turkey canned and ready to go Littlesister. Great work!

LIttlesister, DH, DS and his friends used to spend the weekend snowmobiling. I always had a pot of stew and a pan of hot chocolate on the woodstove for when they came in freezing cold. I just added to it all weekend long. DD and I didn't want to stay home, never knowing when they'd be in so, it worked out well for all of us.

Wow Littlesister, that's great. Yes, that will all keep you busy but what joy!

Thanks, Jeepers. You're right Littlesister. NO ONE wanted those bones and meat but me. Their loss! I didn't make turkey potpies. My husband is not crazy about them, and I ended up with way too much broth to make just a very few. Sooooo, I froze 8 quarts of broth. There was enough turkey that I added it to 6 of the quarts. The others are plain. No matter how often I make bone broth I'm amazed at how good it is and how much it makes. I probably could have made another quart, but I probably drank that much in the couple days of cooking and freezing. On Saturday I cooked ham and bean soup. Yum! I gave some to DH for dinner yesterday and froze the rest. I ended up with 7 Grabit size bowls to put in the freezer. With the 8 quarts of turkey broth and 7 bowls of ham and bean soup, I have quite a few more meals in the freezer. Of course, with just DH and I the broth will be made into more than one meal. Love this! Who's next? What have you all been working at???

I guess I should have added he's crippled up with arthritis too BUT he wasn't that bad when he quit doing wood 30 years ago. He was just tired of it.

I've always wanted a wood cookstove. We used to burn wood for heat that had a flat top so I could warm up and cook a few things but my that oven etc. is to die for. DH says he cut and worked wood for 10 years and is NOT going to do it any longer. I do understand as he's 78 years old, but I sure wish we still had some kind of woodstove for heating with IF needed. Enjoy your stove and know I'm drooling!

And you don't realize how much until they're gone. I miss my folks too!

Most of the time there's a can for free will offering sitting somewhere for those who want to contribute. This Thanksgiving dinner there was enough money on hand to not put a can out. We have 3 churches in town, Baptist, Lutheran and Methodist. The ecumenical minister's group put it on this year and paid for the turkey and side dishes. Turkey, potatoes, dressing, gravy and canned cranberry. Of course, many of us work and contribute. This year the Lutheran church did the cooking, serving and clean-up. The Baptist brought salads and the Methodist did the bars. It rotates yearly from church to church. Our time and goodies are volunteered so no bills are handed in. Our local grain elevator and the soybean plant in town donate the paper products. Plates, napkins, plastic silverware, placemats, hot/cold cups. Someone will print the words to Christmas carols on the placemats and we'll raise the rafters with our "beautiful" voices. We aren't a choir, but we do make a loud noise! The men set up (and take down) the tables and chairs. The women set the tables and really do most of the work BUT there are always men there to help us when needed. Lifting heavy things, running after things we forgot, etc. As is with most endeavors the same few do the work year after year but it's such a happy time that no one seems to mind. This year our Lutheran confirmand kids put on a skit. It was kind of serious and yet fun and they had a good time doing it. We adults loved it and laughed right along with them. For our Christmas party some of us will gather early and make tons of ham and turkey sandwiches. The meat is bought in the deli at a grocery store that will also bake the buns. Some will bring a gallon of either chicken noodle, chili or Oyster soup. Each kind will be added to a roaster. Some will make bars and some with bring carrots sticks and celery. There again, it's all freely given and done. Some of the free will offering will be spent by a group buying children's Christmas gifts and other supplies at after Christmas sales. Money is also saved until next year to buy hams, turkeys, etc. for the drawings. We've done it enough through the years it's become a well-oiled machine. It's great fun, most of the community looks forward to it but, of course, there are always some old curmudgeons that don't. We ignore them! If you have questions Joyfilled, just ask! I hope you can get something coordinated in your town because it's so rewarding.

Isn't it just fun to have something that tastes so very good that most people consider trash? I just love it!

This evening was our, free to everyone, community Thanksgiving supper. It was delicious and just downright fun catching up with everyone! December 10th will be our community Christmas supper and Party. Santa comes on the fire engine with the siren blaring. There's a gift for every child. There are also drawings for this and that for the adults. I love our little town! Back to this evening. As they were deboning the turkey, I found no one wanted the bones. I did! So, I have the bones to boil down into delicious turkey broth and a pan of turkey too. Tomorrow I'll make turkey pot pies for the freezer and good eating all winter. Yum! How many of you cook down your turkey carcass to make broth? Oh, it's so easy and soooooooooo good.

When my raspberries were ready last summer, I made 9 half pints of raspberry jelly. Not jam, as I know some can't eat the seeds, and I wanted to give them as Christmas gifts. Well, it didn't set up. I put all 9 jars in the freezer and a couple days ago I decided it was time to thaw a jar and see what I could do with it. Using Google, I found a recipe and made a raspberry jelly dessert for my bridge group. It turned out delicious! So, even when your original project doesn't work, don't throw it out. It just might work as well another way. Next, I plan on thawing jar to use as syrup on waffles. Sounds good, doesn't it? How have you salvaged your mistakes?

I use a Betty Crocker cookbook recipe for my meringue. The mother of an old boyfriend gave me the cookbook for Christmas in 1965 telling me, "If you're going to marry my son (yes, we were engaged at the time) you better learn to cook." Thankfully, I never married her son, but my husband has appreciated recipes from it for 56 years. I've been asked for a coconut pie next Wednesday so we'll see if I can do better with the meringue on it. My fingers are crossed!

I've never used new lids for freezing. I save lids from the jars I've already canned and opened. I use them for everything other than canning.

Thanks, euphrasyne. My eggs weren't the freshest so that was probably it. I'll know better next time!

I've had it weep and pull away too Jeepers, but this was ridiculous. I wondered about the weather, but it was a beautiful fall day in the low 60's. No rain, or extremes of any kind.

By the time I got the pies to the auction the meringue on both was close to flat. I didn't even take them in. I gave them to the 2 friends who had asked that I make butterscotch and lemon because it was their favorite. They were happy and donated to the sale. Can't ask for better friends than that. Never had such a thing happen. Hope it doesn't happen again. No idea what happened. P.S. In church this morning they told me they were delicious......what else could they say?