Well, football season is finally over. At the time I’m writing this, the game has not yet started. I have no plans to go anywhere to watch the game, as anyone who knows me, knows that I’m not particularly a sports fan. The game will be on and from all I’ve heard the commercials are going to be something to enjoy! In particular, there will be a singer who is from the Victoria area and also Spoetzel Brewery will be showcasing their Shiner® Bock Beer! From what I was told this morning at church, the ad will only be shown in the state of Texas and not nationally.
Last week, my trip to Devine was great, my lunches and/or coffee with various friends and family was terrific, seeing my friends at bunco and catching up on gossip/news was as much fun as ever. The time I get to spend with my family while I am there is also always a pleasure and we manage to cover a lot of ground. We got to see the lunar eclipse, in spite of the fog when we went to Castroville on Wednesday morning. It was truly awesome, as we managed to see the reddish tint before we changed directions and the moon was once again behind us. And, is there a need to mention that playing with a certain precious great-granddaughter is one of the main things to do.
In reading the Parade section of my Sunday paper, it seems to me as if beginning on the 8th and continuing through the 25th, we will be seeing a lot of the 23rd Winter Olympics, beginning with the opening ceremonies on February 9th at 8:00 p.m., eastern time on NBC. (Note: the events will be broadcast live across all time zones so Americans can watch the games at the same time.)
The games are in Pyeongchang, South Korea and according to the article I was reading, skiing and sliding events will be at the Pyeongchang Mountain Cluster, with figure skating, ice hockey, curling (the curling rocks weigh 38-44 pounds), and short track speed skating being at the Gangneung Coastal Cluster. Curling was first introduced in the Olympics in 1924 and the 2018 Olympics is the first year that coed curling teams will compete.
It is estimated that about 76% of Americans watch the Winter Olympics. One of my favorites has always been the figure skating and it seems as if I share this with 35% of the folks who watch the programs, while there are approximately 16% who like ice hockey.
A couple of tid-bits of information that I came across include the fact that two young ladies who are sisters will be competing. The one will be hockey for Team USA, while her sister, who was adopted from South Korea as a baby, will play for the host country. To me this is amazing. The other bit of information concerns the medals; they are the heaviest in the history: gold, 1.29 pounds, silver, 1.28 pounds and bronze, 1.09 pounds. The front of the medals show the Olympic logo of rings and includes diagonal lines that symbolize discipline and determination; the reverse side shows the emblem of the games and the name of the event. The ribbons are teal and red and are a traditional textile that is embroidered with the patterns of the host country.
A couple of weeks ago, I gave you a recipe so you could make treats for the dogs in your life. My furry friends, Shadow and Lola, loved the treats I made for them.
Today, I’m going to include one to make for the precious feathered friends you may have at your feeders. Food for our winged friends is scarce at this time of the year, and my son-in-law gave me several similar recipes he found online for a treat for them. As he took it out of the freezer, I wondered what kind of treat he was planning to share with me, only to find out it was a birdie treat! He has a wonderful feeder set up that can be observed from their kitchen window and sometimes they have a large variety of birds there eating the grain he provides. Right now, however, all he has is an occasional ring-neck dove and lots of sparrows.
Version 1
1 part peanut butter (crunchy or regular)
1 part shortening
1 part flour
3 parts cornmeal
1 part cracked corn (chicken scratch grain is what he used)
1 cup black oil sunflower seeds
Mix all together and chill until firm.
Version 2
Homemade Peanut Butter Suet
1 cup shortening
16 to 20-oz crunchy peanut butter
Heat and stir together until melted.
Add the following:
1 cup raisins
1 cup black oil sunflower seeds
6 cups cornmeal
4 cups flour
Mix together with the shortening/peanut butter mixture and spoon into a 9×13-inch pan and chill until firm. Cut into chunks for suet feeders or do as he does and just cut the chunks and place on the feeder itself.
Here is a little treat to make if you need something to take to a breakfast or a brunch, or if you just want to treat your family.
Miniature Cinnamon Rolls
You will need:
2 cans (8 count each) cinnamon rolls (I use the HEB brand)
Miniature muffin tin liners.
Miniature muffin tin.
Place the liners in the muffin pan and spray lightly with non-stick spray.
Open one can of cinnamon rolls, and divide into 4 stacks, each containing 2 cinnamon rolls. Cut each stack into 4 pieces (cut in half and then half again the other way). You now have 4 stacks of 4…place 1 piece each into the muffin tins (each piece is actually 2 pieces and this is what you want). This will use 16 of the 24 cups. Now, open the other can of rolls, cut 2 of these stacks into 4 pieces each to fill the remaining muffin liners. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until done. Cool three or four minutes and then drizzle the frosting that is in the can with the rolls over them. Bake the remaining 6 rolls on a flat sheet. You can also refrigerate the remaining rolls and when the first batch is finished bake the other six rolls in the same pan.
(I have a regular mini-muffin pan, and then I have a couple of antique metal pans (they hold 8 each) that are not quite as small but work well, and I can make three cans at a time).
A friend just called and told me that there was no frosting in the recipe for Mississippi Mud cake that was published last week. Here is the recipe for the frosting. Sorry if I caused anyone any inconvenience!
Frosting
1 box (16-oz) powdered sugar
½ cup milk
1/3 cup cocoa
¼ cup softened butter
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat at medium speed until smooth, adding 1 more tablespoon of milk if it is too stiff. Makes 2 cups.