The Scroll #189 Smoked Olives, Patience and Broth

​ ​ Good morning sweet one! How is your morning going so far? Did you wake up smiling, grouchy, happy, impatient? I hope that this short note will improve whatever state you find yourself in because, hey, it's about FOOD! We can all get behind that notion, right? This week at Loaves and Dishes, we found that folks were loving Yeast Rolls and Scalloped Potatoes. (For whatever reason, this newsletter form isn't allowing me to add links to these recipes, but they are available on the Loaves and Dishes YouTube Channel I smoked some Olives and then showed you how to do it on YouTube. (If you want a cold smoker like mine which you can use to smoke cheeses, drinks and things like olives), there's a link on the website article and below the video on YouTUbe. Everyone is also loving the Baked Macaroni and Cheese. I guess this sounds like Thanksgiving love but hey, we have many more holidays coming up that require indulgent foods so tuck these away for later. ____________________ HOT COOKING TIP OF THE WEEK Boy did I get to enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving with some new friends and the food, oh wow, the FOOD! Everything had lots of flavor and was cooked to perfection. Do you know what I saw repeatedly with lots of recipes (because you KNOW I posted up in the kitchen to help, watch and learn). It's a tip I put into a lot of my recipes, but I'm not sure if I've shared here before. Even if I have, it's worth repeating. Use broth instead of water where you can. For example, use broth in your green beans instead of water. Use broth to make your McCormicks Gravy instead of water. Use broth to cook your collards in instead of water. Do you see a theme here? Broth adds flavor that you just can't get with plain water. Don't have or can't afford broth? I recommend "Better than Bouillon" (you simply mix a tsp of it into some water). If you don't have that, use bouillon but be careful with adding salt to your recipe because it is already very salty. When making your holiday turkey, remember to save the neck, wing tips and other unused parts of the bird to make some fresh broth with, its so simple to throw it in a pot with a carrot, celery and an onion for great added flavor. _______________________ THREE LITTLE THINGS I'm trying to be more thankful in my day to day life and sharing some of that here . I find that it helps me to remember the larger things I'm thankful for when I remember the small things. Perhaps I can remind you to be grateful too by sharing? I am grateful for the cold weather. What a gift to feel the brisk cold air on my face as I walk outside. It's a healthy reminder that time marches on, seasons change and nothing is constant except change. Thank God I get the challenge of a new day. I am thankful for small things that help remind me to be patient. Just this morning I texted a friend of mine and I would really like a response but I haven't had one. I have no idea why. I tried to use my online banking this morning and their website is down and there is a notice that they are working on it, so I have to wait till later. I need to talk to my tax person and I called yesterday and continue to wait for a response. Lots of opportunities for patience. I am so grateful to have spent the day with my smallest grandson yesterday. His mother and I took him to the science center and he RAN over the entire place. We were all exhausted when we left but it was so fun to see him enjoy himself, make a few new friends and to run like the wind. I am also grateful that his mother was there to chase him because frankly, I wouldn't have been able to keep up with him by myself. ______________________ A FINAL WORD Have the holidays been hard for you? Is the change of seasons difficult for you? Does the news of the world weigh heavily upon your shoulders? It does mine too. I just want to encourage you to find some peace in whatever healthy way you can. Walking. Cooking. Talking. Writing. Breathing. Stretching. Sometimes helping someone else is the best thing to help yourself. You have helped me just by subscribing to this newsletter and by clicking over to look at the website. Thank you so much. You are a super special person and I appreciate you so much! Without your special being, what would I do? I would just be sitting here with my three little dogs and my two foster dogs twiddling my thumbs. (Yes, there are three dogs sitting with me in my chair and two on the floor at my feet, please don't judge me). (By the way, do you have a home for two Maltese dogs? I'm fostering an adorable pair right now but they need to find their forever home. They are available through Crisis Dogs NC. They lost their home through no fault of their own and have had a soft landing here while we find a permanent home for them. They would love to be home for Christmas). (You can write me simply by clicking "reply" to this email, it comes straight to my inbox and no one sees it but me, I try to answer all emails and sometimes it takes me a little bit, but I do eventually get to them all). Home - CrisisDogsNC Anyway, Thank you so much for loving me and I want you to know that I love you too! Until next week, God willing and the creeks don't rise. Love you! Wendi ​ ​Unsubscribe | Update your profile | PO Box 82 , Danbury, NC 27016