Top ten list includes favorites old and new

Peggy’s Top Ten Favorite Things:

1.Watching a Christmas movie in bed with a 4-year old grandchild.

2. An old dog. He loves me so. I’m so thankful for his 12+ years of total devotion to our family.

3. The Sound of Music, live! The movie mesmerized me in 1965 and the Broadway production was just as captivating. Oh, those beautiful voices.

4. Four grandchildren. One is great but four is four times even greater! The more the merrier.

5. My Grandmother’s boiled custard. A holiday tradition that I miss even more today.

6. Batesville, best small town ever. Leave it and you’ll understand. Be thankful for all the good things going on there and the people working hard to make it so.

7. A microplane. Best kitchen tool in the drawer for grating lemons, oranges, etc. and even whole spices.

8. My Tennessee home. Home is where the heart is and this is it!

9. This little poem: The ocean’s wide, my boat is small, but God, who watches over all, will bless me with a gentle breeze and guide me safely through the seas.

10. Grandchild number 5! Coming in July!

With love and holiday greetings from DW and me to all of you! Merry Christmas!

Holiday Recipes of the Week

GaGa’s Boiled Custard
Best to use whole milk and be sure to store in glass container with lid in refrigerator.

6 eggs
2 cups sugar
15 ounce can evaporated milk
4 cups “sweet milk”

Beat all together and cook slowly over boiling water in double boiler until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool slowly. Then chill in refrigerator. Add vanilla flavoring to taste per cup. (Mine is a whole teaspoonful in each thick and creamy cup!)

Hot Fruit
Perfect for Christmas brunch.

1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks
1 29-ounce can sliced peaches
3 15-ounce cans apricot halves
1 small jar maraschino cherries
¾ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
½ stick butter or margarine
1 sleeve Ritz crackers crushed finely

Drain all the fruit. Pat maraschino cherries dry and cut in half. Mix all together and arrange in a buttered 9×13 inch casserole dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar, Ritz cracker crumbs, then dot with butter. Bake in 350-degree oven for 40 – 45 minutes. Can assemble the night before, then bake in the morning.

Gingerbread
I’ll be baking a pan for my mother!

½ cup brown sugar
½ cup shortening
2 eggs
¼ cup molasses
1 ¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1¼ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup hot water

In large bowl, combine brown sugar, shortening, eggs and molasses; blending well. Combine flour, salt, soda, baking powder, spices; gradually blend into molasses mixture. Blend in hot water; pour batter into greased and floured 9x9x2 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes. Serve warm with Citrus Fluff: In small saucepan, beat 1 egg; add ½ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon grated orange peel, 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Cook and stir over low heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Cool thoroughly. Fold in 1 cup whipping cream, whipped. Chill. Spoon onto squares of warm gingerbread. Yum.