Monday, November 24, 2008

Just A Few Days To Go...

Thanksgiving is almost here...

The American holiday of feasting and family gatherings actually jump-starts the official holiday season. Along with the family gatherings come the responsiblities of crowd control! You know what I mean, don't you?

You are going to have some relatives around that you may not have seen for a long, long time. After about two or three hours, you'll remember why you haven't made the effort to get together more often over the last year. Take your cousin Charlie...you know, the one that makes it hard for anyone to tell whether he is sitting or laying down where ever he is? Takes up at least three spaces on the couch if he lands there, ya know?

And what about your uncle, who's name you can't even remember? The one that smells like he hasn't seen the inside of a shower since last year, and like he has seen the bottom of way too many beer glasses today? The one that has to turn sideways to get in the door, you know?

And let's not forget the darling little ankle bitters. The little neices and nephews that come in the back door at a dead run, screaming like a banshee in a pitch that doesn't seem humanly possible. The kids that start eating anything and everything they can get their grubby little paws on from the time they show up till the time they leave. The ones that only know two speeds, full out and passed out still.

Anyway, part of the reason some of these folks show up is because of the quality and quantity of the food that Mom always seem to magically make appear on the buffet and the formal dining table, complete with real cloth napkins, prized silver service, and special china settings that have been in the family for a long time. That's a part of the magic of mothers that only gets stronger as they become grandmothers.

To help with providing some of this special menu, I am putting an unusual recipe on here today. It's for a special bread, a peanut butter bread! It's the kind of recipe that some will like and some will not. However, I think that most will! Just be sure to keep it out of the reach of the curtain climbers...the ones that can eat and scream at the same time, OK? OK.

Peanut Butter Bread
Put into bowl, in order given. (Do not mix until all ingredients are added.)
2 c. sifted flour
3 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
3/4 c. peanut butter
2/3 c.sugar
1 c. milk
1 egg
4 Tbs. melted shortening
Now mix all well. Pour in greased loaf pan and bake in 350* oven for 1 hour.

The aroma of this bread baking will absolutely drive your taste buds into a drooling frenzy! To help control this unfortunate condition, may I suggest that we get a fresh cup of coffee, retire to the patio where we are sure to have some measure of freedom from our smelly uncle, our sprawling cousin...and most of all, from the screaming,eating house apes running around like tomcats with a closepin on their tail!

I'll see ya outside, OK?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope everybody enjoys the bread as much as we do. The coffee is especially good this a.m.. After being so sick yesterday it is just what I needed today. Thanks for sharing and have a blessed day.
Love ya.

Anonymous said...

Bubba -
You can't POSSIBLY be talking about anyone in OUR family with those descriptions! Yeah, right! I can see visuals as I read them! We will be walking in the parade about the time you sit down to eat, so have a turkey leg for me. And B - I'm off to make some PB bread for Wednesday nite's church social! Thanks! Love you....

HermitJim said...

Hey B...sure am glad you are feeling better today and hope you continue to get well. Glad you could take the time to stop by...

You take care, OK?


Hey Sis...I'm happy to see ya this morning. You'll have to let me know how folks at the social like the PB bread.

I'm gonna try and watch you on TV...not everyday someone I know is a STAR!!

Hey I love both you guys...a lot!
Thanks for dropping by!

Anonymous said...

Hi Jim,
I must say I am so very fortunate.
None of the character types you have described form part of our family gatherings. The younger kids are actually quite well behaved, yet still manage to have lots of fun ( possibly because several of the older folks take turns and get involved with them at their level ?).
The older teens actually get involved in conversations with " the older folks"; listen to and get listened to.
Each person attending tries hard to spend some time with every other person there. It really is quite something.
Our Canadian Thanksgiving occurred at the same time as your Columbus Day. I wish you all to have the same wonderful time with your families at your Thanksgiving that we had with ours. That would make a GREAT day for all of you.
Regards
danish

HermitJim said...

Hey Danish...thanks for stopping by. I hope you understand that this post was written all in fun, and was not meant to imply that any of us actually had relatives like this. If I was trying to describe my actual relatives, I would have had to post a lot different description indeed.

Call it creative license if you will...thanks again.

Anonymous said...

Well, I don't think Uncle Charlie will be here this year. . .

As for the curtain climbers, I"m sorry to say there won't be any, unless you want to put your grandaughter in that category - - -

I know ot was all in fun, and I am really sorry so many of our bunch are so far away, or otherwise occupied (such as working (Tara) ) but we will still enjoy and be thankful - we have so much, don't we? Love you, Mom