A Story - "The Christmas Exchange" and Poinsettia

 Story

The Christmas Exchange

The Christmas gift exchange for the adults was organized by the efficient oldest daughter using a random selection program that ensured that no one received a gift from someone they were giving to.  The creative son got mixed up and gave a gift to the wrong couple who then fretted that they were expected to reciprocate.  But what about the exchange rules? It was discovered that younger daughter didn't get a gift.  Quick! An e-gift card for her favourite store.  "Are these my chocolates?"

Christmas is always full of fruitcake.

I bought this bright poinsettia a couple of weeks ago.  One year, I kept a poinsettia growing over the summer and then did several weeks of short days by covering it with a garbage bag to trigger the formation of the red bracts.  It did make some red bracts but all in all it was disappointing.  I had a big awkward plant and not much colour.  So I have decided to let the greenhouse growers do their magic and I simply buy a fresh plant each Christmas and throw it out when the red bracts are finished.  Lovely pink and cream coloured ones are also available. A collection of all three colours, if you have room for that many plants, makes a nice decorative arrangement. 

A Story - "The Next Chapter". and Beet Carrot Corn Salad

 This story is a Covid-time story inspired by outside church services that took place when people were not allowed to gather inside a church.

The Next Chapter

Puffed clouds nestled in the cerulean sky.  A breeze wafted by, uplifting a monarch butterfly and a sparkler of plant fluff.  Mrs. Graves sat in the shade of an ornamental crab apple tree polka-dotted with crimson fruit.  Spaced out around were her fellow church members.  The pastor's mellow voice blended with melodic bird songs.

Suddenly Mrs. Graves' chair crashed over; the pastor froze mid-word.

A few days later, Mrs. Graves was buried in the graveyard across the road among the mossy crooked tombstones that she had gazed at for weeks of Sundays, the next chapter of her life beginning.

Beet Carrot Corn Salad

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cups cooked (boiled or baked) diced beets

1 1/2 cups cooked (boiled or baked) diced carrots. Only cook carrots until they are lightly softened - boil    5  min.

1 cup cooked corn. I used frozen.  Fresh or canned would work, too.

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp black pepper

Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together and top with salad dressing such as ranch or vinaigrette.

This blend of vegetables is also tasty heated up and served as a warm vegetable mix.

A Story - "Waves" - Spiced Carrot Sweet Potato Soup , dried Parsley

 A Story:

Waves

Life was so grey.  Work so dull.

Alicia hoped a Maine seaside holiday would recharge her.  Today the ocean, at high tide, was calm, and the hot sand had warmed the water enough to make it swimmable.  She swam lazily, the gentle waves rocking her, the saltwater buoying her.  But she didn't want to be lulled, she wanted excitement.

A plastic bottle, something inside, slowly drifted near her.  Curious she grabbed it and swam to shore.  She extracted a note: "The waves will find you, my special love.  Call:  Liam, 222-333-444

Alicia gasped and whipped out her phone.

Spiced Carrot Sweet Potato Soup

1/2 medium onion, chopped

3 medium large carrots

1 sweet potato

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese

Saute the chopped onion in oil or butter.

Add 3 cups water, carrots (peeled and diced), and sweet potato ( peeled and diced)

Simmer until the carrots and sweet potato are soft - about 20 min.

Add the ginger and cinnamon, salt and pepper, and simmer for another 10 min.

Blend with a hand blender or mash with a potato masher.

Ladle into bowl and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

This soup is creamy and smooth and taste a lot like pumpkin pie.

I like to dry my parsley in the refrigerator.  After rinsing it, I place it in a paper lunch bag or, in this case, some paper towel.  The parsley keeps its dark green colour while it dries. I find if I try to dry parsley just by hanging it in the air, it gets yellow.  In the fridge, it will take the parsley a couple of weeks to be fully dry. When I use a paper bag, I make sure that I don't overfill it. If I have lots of parsley, I use multiple bags.