FLOUR-- I know this is party time, event time, and fun time.  But if you are still preparing an evening meal for your family during this busy time, please use as many shortcuts as possible.  Not every meal has to be freshly made.  My household consists of only two people now and I like to cook, but we still eat leftovers.  I also use those leftovers to help make a not-so-new meal, seem like it is.  

     For example, cooked chicken is often a leftover.  This means that last night's baked chicken, smoked chicken, or rotisserie chicken grabbed while making a last minute stop at the grocery store can now become something else.  Take the meat off the bone (Your own hands and fingers are the best tools for this job!) and chop it to include in a pot pie, chicken noodle soup, tacos, or add to a salad.  Yes indeed, turkey can be used the same way.

     Another versatile ingredient is rice.  Add it to fried rice or a chicken and rice soup.  One time a relative said she forgot to put the rice in her broccoli and rice casserole.  If she had leftover rice in her refrigerator, it could have gone into the casserole.  Who's going to know?  My friend's mom used to make salmon croquettes adding leftover rice as a filler.  Rice is also good cold adding to vanilla pudding, cinnamon, and raisins.  Of course to be a dessert, it should not have any initial savory flavors.

     Now bread and cheese are very adaptable.  I used to make croutons a lot with bread that had grown stale.  I have made them with loaf bread and different yeast breads.  Get out your food processor and make some crumbs with leftover bread.  You could choose to toast it or not.  The crumbs can be frozen, but need to be used within a three month period.  Bread pudding is a good option for using up stale rolls or part of a random loaf.  Cheese is also ready for melding with macaroni or other pastas.  It's great as a topping, in a sandwich, as part of a salad, or melted in a pot of broccoli cheese soup, as an example.   

BLACK FRIDAY BREAD

     Those leftover veggies can be added to omelets, frittatas, pasta dishes, quick breads (zucchini bread), and even those morning smoothies.  While visiting a relative once, I saw her walk out the door going to work drinking a green smoothie.  Later on that day I asked how she achieved the green color.  She said the spinach that wasn't used in her previous night's dinner was put in her blender that morning.  Wonders never cease! Speaking of wonders.  Recently I tried following King Arthur Flour's Black Friday Bread which called for adding some leftover vegetables from Thanksgiving dinner.  I added carrot, mashed potato, and cranberries, along with a spoonful of my dressing.  It was great!.  This yeast bread was soft with the added veggies and included the earthy and herb-y taste of my dressing.  Oh I love gaining knowledge by trying things!  (If you are interested, the recipe is easily found on the internet.) 

     Enjoy the holidays!  Use a few tips to help you get your meals together without feeling stressed.  When you hear the compliments, who needs to know they were made with the help of leftovers?

& FLOWER -- We've had a cold snap recently.  I've only just now let myself believe we are approaching winter considering the type of Fall we've had.  A few days of cool would turn us back to summer's short sleeves and then we'd go back to cold with wind and no rain.  Bbrrrr! My daily walk becomes challenging when presented with cold and wind.  However lately, with the right outer wear (with me that's a heavier lined jacket with hood, scarf, sock cap, and gloves) and the willingness to get outside and move while I still can, has been enjoyable.  How, you ask?  I've made it into a walking Christmas decorations tour.

     When I was walking one afternoon last week I suddenly noticed the strong smell of burning wood.  It was a cold breezy day and I thought about how comforting that woodsy, earthy smell was.  The wafting smoke made me think of how cozy a roaring fire is when one is cold.  I actually started looking around to see if I could tell which chimney had the billowing smoke and there were more than just a few.  While looking around I began really noticing the festive green garlands and red ribbons tied to wreaths.  Then I realized I forgot about being cold.  The brightly colored and decorated porches and windows were spirit lifting and beautiful.  

     Decorating on the outside can be more involved when one considers what is available to do so.  During the Christmas season, many people choose to display festive lights along their driveways, sidewalks, doorways, and windows.  Garlands and wreaths decorate windows and doors.  Lighted inflatable characters sit happily in front and side yards.  And -- all of this is welcoming and beautiful if that is your choice.  We have lights and decorations at our house.

     But, holiday decor can be as simple as displaying a simple green wreath on your front door.  One could also cut pine branches and arrange them in a container on your front porch.  One of the outdoor shrubs I noticed on my walk last week was the older Nandina variety (Domestica Nandina) as seen in the picture below.  It is a vivid green plant in winter and its berries are bright red.  What better time to display it than Christmas?

    
     As far as decorating goes, if you want to "go all out" and can do that, then go for it.  If you want to display a more basic touch, by all means.  Do all your decorative items have to be purchased?  That is your choice.  At my house we are probably 50/50 with lights and wreaths purchased (some on their last leg this year) and the other half natural elements (including what is planted in our yard).

  
    If it is your choice to decorate outdoors for this time of year, just make it your own.  Have fun with it and enjoy!