Category: Commentary

A Story and Recipes for Christmas!

Christmas is truly creeping up on my one day at a time, and as is usually true the first week of the month was busy beyond measure. On Monday, I helped at the Annual Betty Powell mean that is served to anyone who cares to pick up a plate. It is drive through only and we served about 1,200 plates. I opted out of serving food this year and instead carried plates to be filled at the food line.
Tuesday, we had Auxiliary meeting and discussed what had to be finished for our annual Christmas sale and bake sale that would be on Friday. After the meeting, several of us went to our workshop and finished most of the tray favors that needed to be done to finish December. We generally make tray favors for the hospital patients each month, but in December try to make one for each week of December! The patients seem to enjoy the little extra attention and we really like doing it. And as usual, Wednesday found me behind the desk in the gift shop. It was a busy day and there were lots of people in and out, with most of them buying something they needed for a gift.
Thursday was a day for baking, and I started early in the morning and was finished with everything I planned to make. However, I had decided Wednesday afternoon on the way home from work that I didn’t need anything at the grocery store. Wrong. I had decided earlier in the day to make something that they could buy and take back to their office and eat…not going to the store, this didn’t happen! I guess since no one knew about it, no one missed it and I got a few minutes more sleep. Friday was a horrible morning to be out early as the fog was thicker than it had been so far this year. I had to be really careful driving town and on to the hospital, but we did really well on our sale, and the work and worry was worth it.
Remember during these stressful days to take care of yourself, your family would rather have a few things not done, a few less cookies baked and have time with you in good health, both mentally and physically instead!
The Story of Cookies for Santa
Almost as much fun as the toys under the tree for a young boy and girl are the other signs that Santa Claus really did come to visit during the night—the glass of milk is empty and all the cookies are gone, nothing left but a few crumbs.
Nobody seems to know just who first came up with the idea of leaving a snack to keep Santa’s energy up during his whirlwind Christmas voyage. One researcher has traced the tradition as far back as 1908 to an article that appeared in a New York newspaper.
The story reported that children in one family left a meal of sandwiches, cake and coffee for Santa. To their delight, the next morning the food was gone and in its place was a note from Santa thanking them for their kindness.
It wasn’t unusual in the early 1900s for thoughtful children to remember Santa’s reindeer. Accounts of children leaving carrots for the team, and of rural youngsters, leaving piles of salt on their windowsills.
The reindeer probably have not fared so well in recent years, although Santa may be sharing some of his milk and cookies. It is a wonderfully whimsical food tradition; the stuff a child’s dreams are made of.
This cookie recipe is one that I’ve made since the mid ‘60s when I first got it, the combination is great. If  I’ve already given you this recently, please forgive me, but, it is a great recipe.
 Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
¾ cup butter or margarine
½ cup granulated sugar
1½ cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2½ cups quick cooking oatmeal (not instant)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup coconut (optional)

Cream together thoroughly, the butter or margarine and the sugars, add the eggs and vanilla, and mix well. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir in. By hand, stir in the oatmeal, pecans and coconut if used. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets and bake at 375ºF  for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes 4 to 5 dozen, depending on size spoon used.
 
Fudge
1 jar marshmallow cream
1½ cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
¼ cup butter
¼ teaspoon salt
12-ounce package chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup chopped pecans

Combine marshmallow cream, sugar, milk, butter and salt in saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips, vanilla and pecans. Spread into 9-inch square pan. Chill until firm. Cut into 1-inch squares. Store in airtight container.

 Margaret’s Pecan Pralines
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup buttermilk or clabber
1 level teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans (can use halves or chopped)

Use a large pot and slowly boil to soft ball stage (240º to 250ºF), the sugar, buttermilk and baking soda. This mixture turns brown as it cooks and needs to be stirred constantly. Take off heat when it reaches soft ball stage and stir in vanilla and pecans. Stir and beat with a spoon (wooden is best) until it looks as if it is going to turn to sugar. Drop by spoonsful onto waxed paper or foil Cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Peanut Brittle
Before you start making this, cover a cookie sheet with foil, butter well, and sprinkle with granulated sugar to coat. Set aside.

1 cup sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
2 cups shelled, raw peanuts
1 teaspoon baking soda

Combine sugar, peanuts and syrup. Cooking stirring constantly until it is light brown in color, about 16 to 20 minutes.

When mixture is light brown, remove from heat and stir in baking soda. This will cause mixture to foam up. Immediately pour onto prepared cookie sheet and spread to sides of pan. Allow to cool completely, break into pieces and store in airtight container.

The “100” Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup softened margarine or butter
1 cup oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup crisp Rice Krispies®
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped nuts (any kind)
½ teaspoon salt
3½ cups all-purpose flour (not necessary to sift)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
In large mixing bowl, mix together first six ingredients.  Stir in next four ingredients, mixing well. Sift together salt, flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Add to previous mixture and mix well. Drop by spoonsful onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350º for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

 
Have a great weekend, and don’t worry if you don’t get everything done on time. The world will not stop spinning on its axis if you don’t have everything perfect. Take time to spend with your family, they would rather have your time than have everything picture book perfect, and you completely worn out. Over the years, I have learned this, sometimes the hard way. If you expect perfection from yourself and those around you, you are going to be disappointed person many times more than you would like.

Your Brain on Green Tea

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”
-C. S. Lewis

There are few things better for our bodies than green tea. I am a dedicated coffee drinker and often write about the many health benefits of fresh coffee, but I drink tea as well. It has become my habit to brew and enjoy a big cup of green tea first thing in the morning, before I make my coffee. And the more I learn about green tea, the more committed I become to continuing this practice. Green tea is good for the entire body, but it is especially good for our decaying brains. We all need better brains. New research is showing that your brain on green tea will be calmer, more focused, better functioning, and less likely to develop dreaded diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and dementia.

There are a number of good- for-you neuroactive compounds in green tea. Chief among them is caffeine. Moderate caffeine consumption is very beneficial for the brain. Caffeine can improve mood and cognitive performance, increasing the ability to concentrate and focus and find your keys. Caffeine has been shown to provide neuroprotective effects against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, functioning as a brain antioxidant. The key to caffeine’s benefits are moderate and regular consumption. Consume as much caffeine as you can handle without disrupting your sleep. You are going to have to test this.

Another beneficial compound we get from green tea is the amino acid L-theanine. The many benefits of L-theanine include enhanced memory and learning ability, decreased risk of neurodegenerative diseases, improved sleep quality, and relief from stress, anxiety, and depression. L-theanine has been shown to seriously reduce stress. Drinking green tea can calm you and keep you from swearing. Over time, brain exposure to L-theanine fosters increased neurogenesis, or serious brain cell growth. When super smart scientists in the lab squirt L-theanine on brain cells in petri dishes the cells grow thicker and bigger. The same thing happens in your head when you drink green tea.

Another group of healthy compounds that can be found in your morning cup are green tea catechins. And the most abundant of these catechins is epigallocatechin gallate-EGCG.

EGCG acts as a free radical scavenger. Free radicals are tiny little jerk molecules that roam through your body, fostering oxidation and destroying things. They rip electrons off your DNA, promote mutations, cultivate cancer, and cause trouble wherever they go. The catechins in your green tea, especially EGCGs, neutralize these little boogers so they can’t destroy your cells. Catechins also reduce inflammation in your brain. Inflammation is considered the link between toxin exposure and the development of disease. And catechins promote healthy mitochondria, increasing ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and energy in your brain cells.
Recent studies also show evidence that the interaction between beneficial compounds in tea and intestinal microorganisms in your gut may provide an effective way to prevent psychiatric disorders. The tea-brain-gut connection reveals that tea drinking can promote mental health and a sense of calm, well-being, and happiness. We all need to drink more green tea.
If you decide to bless your brain with the goodness of green tea, here are a few tips. Start with higher quality loose-leaf green tea (you might have to buy this online). Do not surrender to the convenience of grocery store tea bags. These bags contain lesser quality tea, along with perhaps floor sweepings and rodent hair, and maybe even plastic. Bags steeped in hot water can leach out all sorts of putrid organisms and bad stuff. It is best to stick with quality loose-leaf organic tea.
To brew your tea, all you need is a large glass measuring cup or pot, a kitchen strainer, hot water, and tea leaves. Heat water and take off boil for a minute (ideal temp for brewing green tea is about 160 – 185 degrees F). Place tea leaves in your container (approx. 1-2 tablespoons per cup). Add water and gently stir. Let steep for 2-4 minutes. Then use your strainer and pour into your cup. I like adding freshly squeezed lemon to my tea. Vitamin C and citric

It’s on the way, Christmas, that is

As usual, it’s been a busy week, and this coming week is going to be busier, between getting my house ready for company, I also have to do a couple of things that will take me away from the house, on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday! Also, we’re doing work shop getting some things ready for our bake sale, that will be on the 12th. Last week I gave you directions for cinnamon ornaments and sugar cookies. I have used the sugar cookie recipe for more years than I can remember, it is simple and does not have to be refrigerated overnight, and that makes it number one for me! The “cookie paint’ makes decorating super simple and my children, grandchildren, and the older great-grandchildren all love decorating cookies and using it.
Today’s recipe is very simple as you use cooking oil rather than shortening or butter and just put the dough on the baking sheet, no rolling nor cutting!
This week, I’m going to give you a recipe for mini-muffins. This is easy to make for a bake sale, as you get twice the muffins that you get from a regular recipe!
Here’s a bit of Christmas trivia for you. It appeared several years ago during Christmas week in the Victoria Advocate. They stated that is from Old Icelandic tales that give the following as the names of Santa’s elves: Askasleikir, Bjugnakraekir, Faldafeykir, Stekjarstaur, Gattathefur, Giljagaur, Gluggagaegir, Ketkrokur, Og Ketasnikir, Pottaslekir, Skyjarmur, Stufur and last but not least, Thvorusleikir! (This is the source that was listed at the end of the article: Source didyouknow.cd).

Peanut Butter Mini-muffins

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup butter (do not substitute), softened (1/2 stick)
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 large egg
¾ cup buttermilk*
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 1/3 cups “M&M’s® Milk Cho9colate Mini Baking Bits

Chocolate Glaze

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 36 mini-muffin cups with foil or paper liners and spray lightly non-stick spray, (I put my liners on a cookie sheet and spray so I don’t get so much spray on the muffin tins.
In large mixing bowl, cream together peanut butter, and butter and sugars util light and fluffy; beat in egg. Add buttermilk, oil and vanilla and mix to combine. In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and gradually blend into creamed mixture. Divide batter evenly among prepare cups, filling 2/3 full. Sprinkle evenly with ¾ cup of the “M&M’s”. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks.
Glaze: In top of double boiler, over hot (not boiling) water, melt two squares of semi-sweet chocolate with 1-tablespoon butter. Stir until smooth, allow to cool slightly and drizzle over the muffins from the tip of an ice-tea spoon or regular teaspoon and decorate with with the remaining “M&M’s”. *If you don’t have buttermilk, pour 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into your measuring cup and add milk to make ¾ cup. Stir to mix and allow to stand about 5 minutes before using.

Stir and Drop Cookies

2 eggs
2/3 cup cooking oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon zest
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Beat eggs with a fork until blended. Stir in oil, vanilla, and lemon rind, blend in sugar until mixture thickens. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to egg mixture. Dough will be soft, drop by teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each cookie slightly by pressing lightly with a glass dipped in sugar. (Lightly spray or oil glass, dip in sugar, flatten a couple of cookies, continue dipping sugar as you do each cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet immediately. Cool completely.

Cookies and ornaments

Ready or not, Christmas is only three weeks away! Thanksgiving is a wonderful memory, and some new memories were made. As it has been for several years, we celebrated Thanksgiving at my sons’ home. Also as is usual, there was plenty of food, lots of desserts and my daughter even brought that perennial favorite “Death by Chocolate”. Cherry Cheesecake, pecan and apple pies had their spot on the table until there wasn’t room for much more.
Since I now have a grandson living in Natalia, his parents picked me up at my home and we took both cars, so I would have mine if needed. It worked out beautifully and we did it in reverse coming home.
This week will start with a Christmas party and meeting Monday evening, followed on Tuesday by the Hospital Auxiliary meeting, and then Wednesday, I’ll work in the gift shop and that evening attend yet another meeting and party. For the party on Monday evening, I baked an interesting appetizer. It is in the current issue of Taste of Home, and is made with pimento cheese, flour and a little salt, you form the mixture into balls and make an indentation that you fill with jalapeno jelly. My sister and I tried them at noon and they’re pretty tasty!

The first of today’s recipes is actually a couple of different types of ornaments you either bake or just allow to air dry. I have used both of them and they work really well. The ones made with cinnamon smell great and two or three of them in a box would work well as a teacher gift or something like that.
Christmas Ornaments (Non-edible)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup salt (non-iodized)
1 cup water
Food coloring, optional
OTHER ITEMS NEEDED:
Aluminum foil
Heavy-duty mixer (If you don’t have one, mix by hand, it just takes a little longer).
Plastic drinking straw
Cookie sheets
Christmas cookie cutters
Acrylic paints or watercolors
Polyurethane varnish
School glue (i.e. Elmer’s® or that type)
Craft paint brushes (i.e. like kids use for water coloring)
Glitter, if desired
Preheat oven to 325º to 350º. Cover the bottoms of baking sides with foil and set aside upside down.
Combine the flour and salt in a large (flat inside bottom) mixing bowl. Mix a small amount of water at a time, stirring with a spoon to form a ball of dough. Knead the dough in your heavy-duty mixer for 4 minutes or by hand for 7 to 10 minutes. It should have a firm and smooth texture. (Since I don’t have a heavy-duty mixer, I kneaded it by hand, just as you would knead bread. It takes a while and some muscle!). Place the dough in a plastic bag to prevent drying. This will keep in the fridge for 5 or 6 days, so you can make the dough and then make the ornaments later.
Roll the dough out, just as you cookie dough, on the bottom of the prepared pans to ¼ to ½-inch thickness and cot out with the Christmas cookie cutters and just remove the excess scraps of dough from between the cookies. Use the straw to make a hole at the top end of the cookie so you can hang them. Bake the ‘cookies’ for 20 minutes if you rolled them ¼-inch thick and for 40 minutes if you rolled them ½-inch thick, until they are golden brown. Remove from pans and cool completely. Now, you are ready to decorate the cookies using the watercolors or acrylic paints. Once the paint is dry, apply a coat of the polyurethane varnish. It will work best if you paint one side, allow it to dry and then turn the cookie over and paint the other side.
Cinnamon Christmas Ornaments (non-edible)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 ½ cups cinnamon
1 to 2 teaspoons cinnamon oil
Mix together in bowl with hands. Knead and roll out to about ½-inch thickness. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. (Gingerbread boy shapes are cute with this.) Poke hole on top with drinking straw. Dry flat for 2 days, turning 3 to 4 times. Makes about 25 ornaments (3-inch diameter.)
Kids love to help with holiday preparations, especially those that let them use their creativity.
Baking up some tasty holiday treats together delivers the gift of memories and a delicious gift to share with family and friends.
So, here is my favorite Sugar Cookie recipe. It has been made more times than almost any other kind at my house, most especially because my grandchildren and I used to bake and decorate them together at my house, sometimes with neighborhood children helping also; and when the great-grandchildren got old enough, I started the tradition with them too. Everyone seems to have a great time when we do this and my one complaint is that almost all of them now live too far away for me to do this with them. We have, in the past, made them up at Easter or Valentine’s Day just so we could have the fun and make the memories.
The good thing about this recipe is that the dough does not have to be chilled before using, the second thing is that we basically decorate before we bake, as we “paint” the cookies using evaporated milk and food coloring, then sprinkle with sugar that matches or just enhances the design.
(The measurements in ( ) are to make a double batch of the recipe.
Sugar Cookies
2/3 (1 1/3 cups shortening)
1¼ (2½ cups granulated sugar)
2 (4 eggs)
1 (2 tablespoons milk)
1 (2 teaspoons vanilla)
3 (6 cups sifted flour)
½ (1 teaspoon salt)
2 (4 teaspoons baking powder)
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Combine dry ingredients and set aside.  Thoroughly cream together shortening, sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla; add combined dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Roll out 1/8 to ¼-inch thick on lightly floured* board and cut with cookie cutters into desired shapes. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, sprinkle with granulated sugar (if you did not previously paint them,) and bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
This cookie paint is used after you cut the cookies out and before you bake them. Just follow the directions.
Cookie Paint
Evaporated milk (i.e. Pet Milk, Carnation Milk)
Liquid, paste, or gel food coloring
Plastic egg carton
Small, inexpensive craft paint brushes
Decorative sugars, nonpareils, and any other types of decoration you desire.
Pour about 1 to 1½ tablespoons of the milk into each of several of the cups in the egg carton. Add a few drops of coloring or paste to each on until desired color is reached. Paint unbaked cookies, decorate as desired and bake in preheated oven. Remove from sheets and cool thoroughly. *The paste or gel food coloring gives you the brightest colors.

Red Light Rescue – Healing at Home

“Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.”
-Mark Twain

The pursuit of good health has always been big business. From the snake oil salesman and quack doctors in years past to the biohackers and industrial medicine of today, there have always been “experts” ready to heal you for money. Today, with new drugs and treatments galore for every malady known to man, this health pursuit continues and can get confusing.
Most of us are sharp enough to know the bare basics of maintaining good health. Proper nutrition (eating whole and healing foods – quality meats, fruits and vegetables – avoiding highly processed factory food from a box), drinking plenty of water (staying hydrated so you don’t look and feel like a piece of leather), deep restorative sleep (only possible when we put our stupid phones down well before bedtime – screen time ruins slumber), these are all part of keeping our bodies alive and well. But the basics are not always fun. You may forget about them as you scroll through your phone with a bowl of ice cream in your lap at two in the morning. But at the risk of adding more to the pile of “should do” health advice rattling around in your head, let me share some solid info. It relates to a recent helpful discovery that I have made that is frankly too compelling not to share with my readers. This might be a game changer for those who are aging and often find themselves sick and “stove up” as the old timers used to say. And what is this great discovery? It is red light therapy.
A word of caution here – do your own research and consult your doctor before embarking on this restorative health journey. Don’t take my word for it. I am just an old, bearded guy in a ball cap, slumped over my typewriter with a cup of coffee most mornings trying to stay healthy and out of trouble. Learn about the benefits of red light for yourself.
Red light therapy has been around since the 1990s, beginning when our astronauts tried their hand at cosmic farming. At that time NASA introduced red-light omitting diode (LED) devices to help grow potatoes in space. When astronauts were tending their plants, they noticed that the red light helped heal wounds on their hands. This prompted further research, revealing that this red light fostered healing on a cellular level. The light seemed to supercharge the body’s natural healing ability.
Today both red light and NIR (near infrared light) therapy are producing massive benefits. Red light therapy is non-invasive, doesn’t burn, and is considered completely safe. When the light hits your skin, it is absorbed by your mitochondria (the energy factory within your cells) significantly boosting the production of ATP (helpful adenosine triphosphate). Simply stated, this greatly increases your body’s ability to produce energy and repair cellular damage, and in the process essentially healing itself. It’s like charging your body’s battery. Red light therapy is commonly used to promote skin care, but can also support muscle recovery, brain health, and provide serious relief from chronic pain and disease.
My personal experience with red light therapy has been overwhelmingly positive. Plagued with skin issues and the normal aches and pains of a well-seasoned old guy, we purchased a simple red-light pad recently. Concerned about some strange spots on my aging face, after using the pad for a few months, those spots are gone. In the process my beard has started to grow darker, so something strange is working. Most surprisingly, the pain in my aching shoulder, which used to keep me up at night, is now completely gone after using my pad for a short time. I now use my pad anytime and anywhere I have pain or a problem (esp. occasional knee and foot pain – gone usually after a few sessions). I think I’ll go ahead and invest in a larger full-body red light blanket to cover and heal all my parts at once.
If you would like to try red light therapy, here are a few things to consider. First, do your own research before buying anything. And see your doctor if you have any potentially serious issues that need medical attention.
There are a variety of red-light devices available. Find what works for you. I started with a small pad (17” x 24”) that could be used anywhere needed. And make sure your device offers both red light (for skin deep healing) and NIR – near infrared light (for deeper healing in muscles and joints). My little pad is rated at 660nm for red light and 850nm NIR (this seems standard) and can run both wavelengths at the same time for optimum benefit with a treatment time of 20 minutes with automatic shut-off.
It is best to test your device and use it in the morning to start. If treating muscle or bone issues you may experience initial discomfort or irritation that might keep you awake at night, so better to use early in the day to avoid compromising sleep.
If you are not as spry as you used to be, red light therapy might be just what you need as you stagger back to good health and vitality. Try it today!

© 2025 Jody Dyer
typewriterweekly.com

Let us give thanks

My week was fairly busy, and since the Auxiliary will be sponsoring a “Bake Sale” in just a few weeks, after we finished our monthly meeting, a group of us got together and put together some Christmas cups with hot cocoa mix, a peppermint spoon, and a small bag of mini-marshmallows in Christmas type gift bags and closed them with a bow. Then, two of the ladies poured a package of gravy mixture into pint jars while several of us measured the spice mixtures into containers, which were then added to the jars, and while that was being done, the pasta and tortilla chips were being measured to complete the ingredients for a batch of “Tortilla Soup in a Jar”. They sold well enough several years ago, that we had to fill more jars! It’s fun, companion ship and work all in one!
Wednesday, my workday was busy as people have begun shopping for Christmas gifts and we have a nice assortment in our gift shop. After the Bake Sale, whatever doesn’t sell, of the soup mix and the hot cocoa cups, will be placed in our gift shop. It amazes me how quickly some things sell. We had several little ornaments that were made of felt and had stitching around the edges that I purchased and used for little gifts for my Pokeno group. I loved them because they looked handmade, and the ladies seemed to like them as well. As usual, my son is hosting Thanksgiving for our family and friends, so I will be with them. I know that two or three families won’t be able to be there, one grandson is at sea, and his family lives off, another grandson and his family also live off and won’t be able to share with us. We will miss them and pray that they may have a wonderful day.
Let us give thanks…for our families; for our friends, for our schools and their teachers; for our churches and synagogues, where we can worship freely; for our service men and women who are fighting to keep our country a free place; for the fact that we live in a country that is still free; and last, but by no means least, that we have lived to see another Thanksgiving! For the families among us who have members missing from the holiday table this year, we pray that they have the strength and courage to make it through these coming holidays, with perhaps a little lessening of the pain in their hearts. Just as HE is the “reason for the season”, at Christmas, THANKS is the first word in the name of this feast we are celebrating.
Now, as I promised here is an easy dessert for your Thanksgiving dinner. Last week, I mixed up the Pineapple Angel Food Cake and baked it…it came out of the pan just fine, but stuck to the plate and in moving it, got messed up. As my daughter told me years ago when that happened, “When God gives you a lemon, you make lemonade”. Here’s my version of the lemonade. Note: I cheated a bit; my cherries were already chopped, probably in a food processor to be used for something else.
Ingredients:
2 packages of instant vanilla pudding, milk to make pudding, (make the pudding)
1 large container of thawed whipped topping,
1 jar (10 oz) of cherries (There are about + – 30 cherries in a jar. Save about 10 to use later.
Using a large serving bowl, break/tear 1/2 of the cake into pieces and place in the bowl, finely chop a small bottle of well drained maraschino cherries and sprinkle about 1/3 on top of cake, cover cake with 1 box of mixed pudding, cover with ½ of the whipped topping, repeat using the other 1/2 of the cake, the second box of pudding and the remaining whipped topping. For decoration, cut about eight cherries into halves and place on top of whipped topping in a decorative pattern.
May all of you have as great as possible Thanksgiving, hopefully with family and/or friends.

Could You Teach School in Oklahoma?

“I had a terrible education. I attended a school for emotionally disturbed teachers.”
-Woody Allen

Much has been said in recent years about the lack of civics education in our public schools. Students, and even teachers it seems, often exhibit a lack of understanding as to how our government and country work. An interesting news story broke recently related to this very topic, and I was intrigued. Apparently, the fine state of Oklahoma has decided to tackle this problem head on, now requiring teachers to pass a general knowledge and civics exam before being employed and deployed in the classroom. Questions are primarily focused on civics, but included are questions regarding parental rights, biology, recent Supreme Court decisions, Constitutional freedoms, politics, and the proper role of education. Test questions are multiple choice, so most applicants could probably pass. Sorry, there are no essay questions.
For fun this week I thought I’d share some of this test with you. If you pass, you could probably teach school in Oklahoma. I passed the test but might not maintain employment if called by the Sooners for service based on my substandard social skills and suspect academic behavior in a former life. Here is a sampling of the exact questions from the test…
1- What are the first three words of the Constitution?
In God We Trust
We the People
Life/Liberty/Happiness
The United States
2- Why is freedom of religion important to America’s identity?
It protects religious choice from control of government
It makes Christianity the national religion
It bans all forms of public worship
It limits religious teaching in the public square
3- What are the two parts of the U. S. Congress?
The House of Lords and the House of Commons
The Judiciary and the Senate
The Executive and the Legislature
The Senate and House of Representatives
4- How many U. S. Senators are there?
435 b. 535
100 d. 50
5- Why do some states have more Representatives than others in Congress?
Representation is allocated by population
They cover a larger geographic area
They have held statehood for a longer period
Number is determined by Congress
6- Who signs bills into law?
The Vice President
The Chief Justice
The President
Speaker of the House
7- What is the highest court in the United States?
The Federal Court
The Court of Appeals
The District Court
The Supreme Court
8- Which of the following is explicitly listed in the Bill of Rights?
Freedom of Speech and Religion
Voting and public education
Reproductive rights & healthcare
Freedom from data collection / surveillance
9- What right does the Second Amendment protect?
The right to hunt & fish
The right to arm the military
The right to restrict certain kinds of speech
The right to keep and bear arms
10- What is the supreme law of the United States?
Presidential Executive Orders
Laws passed by Congress
Laws passed by state legislatures
The Constitution
11- When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
July 4, 1778
July 4, 1787
July 4, 1776
July 4, 1619
12- What was the primary reason the colonists fought the British?
To resist expansion of British Empire
To maintain slavery
To resist taxation without representation
To resist forced military service
13- Who is called the “Father of Our Country”?
Benjamin Franklin
Abraham Lincoln
Martin Luther King, Jr.
George Washington
14- What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
Ended Prohibition
Freed Confederate Generals
Freed slaves in the North
Ended slavery in the rebelling Confederate states
15- From whom does the United States government derive its power?
The Supreme Court
The American people
The President
The military
*If you need help, here are correct answers: 1-b, 2-a, 3-d, 4-c, 5-a, 6-c, 7-d, 8-a, 9-d, 10-d, 11-c, 12-c, 13-d, 14-d, 15-b.
© 2025 Jody Dyer
typewriterweekly.com

Desserts for Thanksgiving

Last week, we talked “turkey” and I told you that this week I’d give you desserts for Thanksgiving. There is no point in giving you recipes for side dishes, as you probably have family favorites that you’ve made for years, or your mother or grandmother has made, and you will use them. The same thing is true of dressing or stuffing recipes, the one that was in my column is the favorite of my family and I’ve used it for years!
Cinnamon Pie
Cream together:
1/2 c. (1stick) butter or margarine
1 1/2 c. sugar
Add and beat in until well mixed:
6 egg yolks
3 T. flour
4 tablespoons cinnamon (yes, this is the correct amount)
2 c. milk
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake for about 40 minutes or until firm.       
6 egg whites
10 tablespoons sugar
Beat the 6 egg whites until peaks form. Gradually add 10 T. sugar and beat until stiff.
Spread on pie and brown under the broiler.
Aunt Joyce’s Green Jell-O Salad
1 large or 2 small boxes lime gelatin
1 large can crushed pineapple in juice
1 carton (8-oz) small curd cottage cheese
1 carton whipped topping (thawed)
Pour pineapple into pot; add gelatin, cook and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and chill for about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the cottage cheese. Place whipped topping into serving bowl and gently fold gelatin mixture into whipped topping. (This seems to work better than trying to fold the topping into the Jell-o mixture, don’t know why, but works better for me!) Some people add miniature marshmallows and pecans to the mixture also.
Now, here’s a light and less filling dessert, in case you ate too much turkey:
Pineapple Angel Food Cake
1 box Angel Food Cake mix, (one-step type only)
1 can 20-oz crushed pineapple, (do not drain)
Pour cake mix into large bowl, add undrained pineapple, and stir until well mixed. It will foam up, then pour into either a tube pan or a 9×13 baking pan). Bake at 350º until golden brown. (If you use the tube pan, turn upside down just as you would with an angel food cake, no need to turn the 9×13 pan upside down.)

The Girl Who Knew Too Much

“Kilgallen was the greatest female writer in the world.”
-Ernest Hemingway

Few people today know the name of one of the most remarkable Americans ever to live. She was an intrepid journalist, gifted writer, and popular TV personality. The New York Post once described her as “the most powerful female voice in America.” As a fearless crime reporter, she was involved in many high-profile investigations, including the famous Sam Sheppard murder trial and the JFK assassination. In November of 1965, she died mysteriously, but authorities refused to investigate. Her name was Dorothy Kilgallen.
Dorothy Kilgallen was born in Chicago on July 3, 1913. Her family moved to New York City in 1920, and she grew up in Brooklyn. After graduating high school, she briefly attended New Rochelle College but dropped out at the age of 17 to become a crime reporter.
In September of 1936, while working for the New York Evening Journal, she convinced her editors to send her on a “Race Around the World” – competing against reporters from two other newspapers. Dorothy was just 23 years old. She had two days to get her passport and 16 Visas. Off and running, she traveled by plane, dirigible, train, and ship, reporting on her adventures from such places as Germany, Manila, Hong Kong, and Hawaii. The trip took her 24 days, and she came in second place. When she returned home, every house on her block was decorated with her picture and an American flag. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt even wrote to congratulate her. Dorothy later published a memoir of her trip entitled Girl Around the World.
Ever the hardworking journalist, in 1938 Dorothy launched a newspaper column, the Voice of Broadway, for the New York Journal-American. In it she documented the shenanigans of the social elite, and more. Her writing style was a mixture of juicy gossip, dark politics, and crime, peppered with odd tidbits of trivial and fun information. Dorothy cruised New York nightspots like Delmonico’s and the Copacabana, picking up story tips, writing them on matchbooks and napkins, and tossing them in her purse.
By 1950, Dorothy’s column was running in 146 newspapers earning 20 million readers. Not everyone though was enamored with her take on the celebrity world. Dishing dirt sometimes brought her enemies. Frank Sinatra was one of them. In a running feud with Dorothy, he often referred to her as the “chinless wonder.” She responded by writing about his ties to organized crime and the mob.
In 1950, along with her column and a morning live radio program, Dorothy became a regular panelist on the new game show What’s My Line?
The show was broadcast live from New York on Sunday nights and had the panelists interview contestants with unusual occupations, with contestants winning $5 for every “no” answer. Dorothy was intelligent, quick witted, and fun, more often than not correctly guessing her way through the game. During this time, Dorothy became a celebrity herself, often outshining the stars she wrote about. But writing was her gift.
Dorothy’s father, James Kilgallen, a journalist himself recalled “she had an unerring instinct for news. She had a brilliant style of writing. She was accurate and had a flair for the apt phrase. She had an uncanny ability to produce scoops and an inordinate speed in turning out copy.” And readers devoured what she wrote.
In her column on August 3, 1962, Dorothy broke the story of President Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe’s romantic relationship. She didn’t directly identify Kennedy, but readers were able to read between the lines. One day later, Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her Los Angeles home – under suspicious circumstances.
On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, and life for America changed forever. Dorothy was devasted, having met the President weeks earlier on a White House visit with her young son. And as a crime reporter, she started asking questions.
Contacts within the Dallas Police Department began feeding her information. Dorothy was soon convinced that the assassination was a conspiracy, with many involved. Things got western after the man arrested for the crime, Lee Harvey Oswald, was gunned down on live TV by nightclub owner Jack Ruby. Dorothy soon obtained and published the transcript of Ruby’s testimony before the Warren Commission tasked with investigating the crime. The FBI interrogated Dorothy in an effort to discover her source. She informed the FBI that she “would rather die than reveal his identity.”
Dorothy later interviewed Jack Ruby (she was the only reporter to do so) and began carrying a file of documents with her at all times – believed to be material she was compiling for a book. She told friends that she was “going to break this case.” She believed it would be the biggest scoop of the century.
On the evening of November 7, 1965, Dorothy made her last appearance on What’s My Line? She was later spotted in the bar at the Regency Hotel having drinks with a mystery man, and then leaving the bar at about 2 a.m.
Monday morning, November 8, 1965, Dorothy had an appointment with her hairdresser Marc Sinclaire. Sinclaire arrived at her Manhattan townhouse at approximately 8:45 a.m. He found her dead.
Dorothy was found by her hairdresser in a bedroom she never slept in, dressed in clothes she would never wear to bed, with makeup, hairpiece, and false eyelashes still on, reading a book she had finished and disliked, without her reading glasses, with the lights on and A/C running full blast in the cold of November. Eight days after her death, the New York City Medical Examiners report, signed by a doctor who claimed he was never there and didn’t sign it, stated that Dorothy died of “acute barbiturate and alcohol intoxication – circumstances undetermined.” Her death was never investigated by the authorities.
The file carrying all of Dorothy’s JFK papers has never been found.
© 2025 Jody Dyer
typewriterweekly.com

It’s nearly Thanksgiving

It’s nearly Thanksgiving, and next week our work will begin. Thanks to my son and his family, they have taken on a lot of the work usually associated with this holiday and have gotten to be experts at celebrating it! They sort of have open house as they invite friends, and relatives and friends of friends…truly sharers of the season. In fact, one year, we had several young men who were in basic training at Lackland who were able to come with a relative who also was in basic in San Antonio. We always have a wonderful crowd who seem to be able to get along with one another even with sometimes generation gaps and everything that goes with having a large crowd. And, besides all this, his yard is large enough for a crowd, and they always have enough tables and chairs. When we do have part of the group indoors, there are always table games going on in the dining room and may have anywhere from four or five people playing to ten or twelve, depending on what game is in progress.
My latest rant for the year is that once again “they” have changed the size of cake mixes and are telling us that we get the same size cake from a 13.25 box of cake mix as we used to get from the 15.25 size, and they told us that same phrase, when the box size changed from 18.25!!! Yes, you get the same amount of servings, but they are much smaller and thinner than they used to be. Ladies, watch your cake mix sizes this year or you may have a big mess on your hands! Personally, I’m about ready to go back to getting out my old favorite, “Betty Crocker Cookbook” and start making cakes from ‘scratch’ like I did in the good old days.
Even though the turkey is the largest of the game birds native to North America, we no longer must depend on our husbands, fathers, sons or brothers (or ourselves) to go out and shoot a turkey for us for Thanksgiving, with all the attendant work. Nor, do we have to raise one in a pen or flock and then have to worry about getting a husband, son or other male in the family (or ourselves), to set about the task of butchering it for Thanksgiving as our grandmothers had to do. Have you ever cleaned a turkey? Believe me, it is a tremendous amount of work, been there, done that! And, if the amount of work you have already done isn’t enough, you still have to determine how long to cook the bird to get it tender.
The turkey was domesticated and bred by the Aztec and Zuni Indians, and turkeys were used not only for food, but also for sacrifice. These Indians used the feathers for adornment and for charms.
The Spanish conquerors first saw the turkey around 1492 and by 1530, the Mexican species was introduced to Europe. Any and all of the varieties bred today are descendants of the original North American wild turkey, Meleagris gallopava. There are several subspecies of wild turkey that have been recognized, and their range is from Mexico to northern New England.
When the colonists arrived in New England, they discovered an abundant supply of food in the form of the wild turkey. Since the first American Thanksgiving, (at which, I am told, they really did not serve turkey), the turkey has become the traditional symbol of this holiday.
The wild turkey has diminished in numbers since those times. However, here in Texas, it is hunted every year during the regular hunting season and in some areas during a spring turkey season. Most usually it is only the male turkey, or a turkey with a “beard” that can be shot, and you must have a hunting license to do so.
The turkeys available in our grocery stores are commercially raised ones that are raised with special feeds, etc. Almost all the time, the commercially raised turkeys are a white variety. They are also almost listed as ‘broad-breasted’.
It was formerly believed that a Tom turkey was not as tender as a hen, but now, it really doesn’t matter as they are all raised the same way. The main difference I have found is in the matter of weight. A Tom will most always be heavier than a hen.
One of the better inventions of the past few years has been the built-in timer! This surely is a big help for novice cooks (or older ones also for that matter). Another great stride is the self-basting or pre-basted turkey. This type of turkey has oil or butter injected into it so that no basting is necessary while it is baking. If you do not care for the idea of the extra fat this brings to a turkey, do not buy that type. You can compensate for that extra oil or butter by either baking your turkey in an oven bag, or, you can saturate a clean piece of cloth (muslin, a large square from an old sheet or half of a tee shirt, (no writing or pictures on it, please), with melted margarine and after placing your turkey in a pan, cover it with the cloth. You will still have to baste with pan juices occasionally, but not as frequently as if you didn’t do this. Of course, if you used the baking bag, you do not have to do any basting at all!
As for the size turkey you need, one pound of meat per person should be allowed, or one and one-half pounds if you want leftovers. Next, you need to know that a 12 to 15 pound bird will take no less than three whole days to thaw in the refrigerator, and if your refrigerator is really cold, you will need more thawing time. You should estimate one full day (24 hours) for each five pounds of turkey, and ALL defrosting should be done in the refrigerator. Once the turkey is thawed, remove the neck and giblets from the body cavities. Thoroughly rinse the inside and outside of the turkey. Drain well and pat the outside dry. Season the inside with salt and pepper and stuff with dressing if this is what you are going to do. If you elect not to stuff the bird, several slices of onion and a couple ribs of celery, or an apple cut into quarters, will help season the turkey.
Bake the turkey at 325ºF until a meat thermometer registers 170ºF to 175ºF. The inside juices should be clear when you pierce the skin and the joints should move freely. The average cooking time for a 10 to 18 pound, un-stuffed turkey 3 to 3½ hours.
Do not roast at too low a temperature and do not partially cook, intending to finish cooking later, as this will allow bacteria to grow. When baking a turkey with the timer/thermometer, follow the instructions on the wrapper from the turkey, and if you would feel safer, go ahead and test with a meat thermometer.
There are probably as many dressing/stuffing recipes as there are cooks making Thanksgiving dinner. You can buy a packaged mix, or make your own. The main thing to remember is do not mix the dressing up the day before! You can chop and sauté the onions/celery you use in it and refrigerate, you can break up the cornbread or bread and season it with the salt and pepper and other spices, but DO NOT add the liquid ingredients, such as eggs or broth until just before you are ready to bake it.
Cornbread Dressing
4½ cups crumbled corn bread
2½ cups day old French bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium chopped onion
1½ cups chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 lightly beaten eggs
2 to 3 tablespoons poultry seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
2 to 3 cups broth or milk
Turkey giblets and neck or 1 pack chicken giblets and hearts, or 1/2 pound ground meat or pan sausage (if desired)
Boil turkey or chicken parts until tender. Chop or grind and set aside. If using ground meat or pan sausage, cook  in a skillet until nicely browned, drain well and set aside. (Some people prefer to keep the giblets and use them in the gravy; I like to grind them and use in the dressing).
Make cornbread using 2 cups cornmeal/flour, or use one or two of the packages that need only milk and added to them and bake according to package directions in and 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan. This can be done a couple days ahead of time. When cool, crumble and place in bowl in fridge.
Allow bread to dry out slightly, crumble and add to cornbread. When ready to assemble, add meat (if used), sauté onions and celery in margarine until tender. Add to cornbread mixture. Add parsley and seasonings. Add beaten eggs and broth and mix well. If it does not seem moist enough, add more broth. Place in baking pan and bake at 350ºF until golden brown and set. If it looks dry while baking, add more broth or milk. Dressing can be made using canned vegetable or chicken broth instead of the turkey broth from cooking the giblets if you want to save that for the gravy. And, though I prefer homemade gravy, the packages of turkey gravy mix from Pioneer® are really tasty.
Desserts and sides next week!