End of November 2012

The closer we come to the holiday's the faster time seems to leave us behind. One of the young families in our branch invited us to Thanksgiving dinner. With four little one around, it was a lively and enjoyable afternoon. The food was very festive and delicious.

My brother and sister-in-law had planned to come up the Monday after Thanksgiving. Plans changes due his having just been hired at the hospital in Aurora as a part-time physical therapist assistant. He will be filling in for the physical therapist when she has days off and vacation. Needless to say he ended up working then.They do plan to come up but it won't be for a couple of weeks now.

Looking back over the past month, all I can say, it was busy. On the nineteenth, the Ya Ya Gang Relay for Life time, had our annual Holiday Happenings. This year, we decided we needed a larger place and held it in the back room of Skippy Finns, the old VFW in Badger. It was a great room and even with all that room we were crowded. Our hours were from five to eight pm.

This year we added a "Ya Ya Gang U-Pik Cookies" sale with cookies sold by the pound, this was very successful. All cookies were donated and we had a wonderful variety. There wasn't much left at the end of the night. Micky Slater, Gwen Gross, and I were in charge of the "Cookie by the Pound" and the "Broken Cookie Cafe."

There baskets galore for the Silent Auction!

We noticed the vendors were busy all evening.

As well as those working with the bake sale.

 

Our group is a winner, we raised over $4,000!

Everyone  made the same cookie and I baked eight dozen Pecan Tassies. Yesterday, I baked the same recipe again for next week's Christmas Tea for the doctors, their spoused, the staff and anyone who chooses to stop at the hospital for coffee an' to visit with the staff and doctors.

This is the recipe for the Pecan Tassies. I put a few photos at the end to give one an idea of how to prepare them.

PECAN TASSIES    

SHELLS:

1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c. flour

Using a food processor or a mixer, blend the cream cheese and butter then add the flour. I like my cream cheese and butter to start out a little on the cool side. Chill the dough for about a 1/2 hour if you start with softened butter and cream cheese. Roll into balls about the size of a walnut in the shell, and press into miniature muffin tins. I have put photos after the recipe so one can see how they are pressed into the pan.

Chop 2/3 c. pecans  and place about 3/4 to a teaspoon of pecans in the shells.

Top with this FILLING:

Mix together:

1 egg, beaten

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tbsp. butter, softened

Pinch of salt

 Spoon filling into shells to about 3/4 full and bake in a 325 degree oven for 25 minutes or until the shells are light brown. When done, let cool a bit in the pan, then carefully run a knife around the edge prior to removing the tassies. These freeze well. 

Makes 24 Pecan Tassies.

Press cream cheese base into miniature muffin pan.

Up close example!

Place the pecans in the bottom and then top with the brown sugar mixture and bake.

 Our adorable little grandson, Lance Bjorn, is walking up a storm now. So cute to see him walk like his cousins. He is such a peaceable little boy. Very seldom do I hear that he is crying about something. I haven't seen him on Skype lately but Ashley has been wonderful to put videos and photos on Facebook for us to see.

For the past month I have been suffering with trigger finger in my right hand pinky and ring finger. I had Dr. Schall, my orthopedic doctor about two weeks ago and he told me to try anti inflammatory medication and if that wasn't helping to call his office and he would see me and give me a cortisone shot. After continuing to suffer and having sleepless nights, I called last Friday,when they were closed. On Tuesday, his nurse, Shona called to tell me he would see me on Wednesday the Bone and Joint Clinic in Grand Forks. I had made appointments for Visiting Teaching with two sisters and ended up canceling one so I could get there in time. He gave me shots in both fingers. The ring finger gave me the most grief as it stayed numb and tingled until sometime early morning. Today was like a new day. I could quilt and do anything I had done before the problem. I am hoping it will last for several months. Thank you for seeing me Dr. Schall and for all you do to make my life so much better than it was physically almost five year ago.

Bedtime is calling. The electric mattress pad is on and my feet are cold so that bed is going to feel like heaven!