Friday, December 13, 2013

This and That for the Holidays


Missy, here. Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season and having fun getting ready for Christmas! I was excited to see the church decorated and snapped a shot of the doors leading into the chapel. So pretty with the greenery and red bows!

But now, backing up to Thanksgiving at the Posey's (my brother-in-law's family) in south Georgia... I wanted to share my new favorite fruit. Persimmons! These are Japanese persimmons and are about the size of a tomato. I'd never had persimmons at all until two years ago when we spent Thanksgiving there. This year, they had them again. They're very sweet! My brother-in-law's mother grows them and had a large basket of them on the back porch staying cool.


She'd also prepared a bowl to serve at Thanksgiving, and I swear I think I ate most of them! (This is what's left after I got hold of them. I eventually finished them!


When she found out how much I loved them, she sent some home with me. I got to experiment and see what they look like inside.


 I just cut them in half and then peeled them. YUM!


Oh, and this one has more of a seed. If you get a chance to try one of these, be sure you don't miss it!


Now, switching gears back to Christmas... look at these cute fellows…



This is the table at my United Methodist Women's circle Christmas luncheon. The cute table decorations were by my friend Jan David, and she made one for each of us to take home. Now, look at the spread! That's before the chicken fingers and some of the other dishes arrived.


Isn't this a pretty way to do a Jello salad?


One of my favorites, a broccoli salad.


And finally, the chicken fingers arrived! Amazing, southern fried.


Here's the little Christmas owl that came home with me. So cute. Thank you, Jan David!


Look how pretty the center pieces were. Inside was a candle lighting a gold wire tree.


We had a wonderful lunch together. What's your favorite dish to take to a covered-dish dinner (potluck dinner). And! What do you call it?? Covered dish or potluck?

Quickly, before I go, I want to give you a shopping list with the ingredients you'll need for next week when I share my cranberry-raspberry Jello salad with the cream cheese/sour cream topping like I promised.

Large box (or 2 small boxes) raspberry gelatin
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 can crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
chopped pecans
8 oz. package cream cheese
small container sour cream
sugar

And one last thing. I'm going to pull a Jan Drexler and show a couple of gratuitous dog photos. :) In this case, it's my grand-dog

Here I am holding my precious baby while he saws logs (snores). :)


And here he is looking so handsome perched in the back seat of my son's truck. (Yes, one ear stays up and one stays down.) He's such a good traveler, and I'm so excited to get to see him again soon!


And one last one just for Julie Steele. :)


Cameron Crazie dog!

22 comments:

  1. cute doggy! thought at first you'd gotten a dog!
    those jello salads make their way to my family's dinners - nasty miracle whip in them and I think only 2 people eat any unless my aunt dumps a spoonful on my uncle's plate as he walks by. they're decoration to me 'cause I ain't wasting space on jello when there's a counter full of pies! :-) maybe this year I'll try it (minus the miracle whip)
    only tasted a persimmon once and it was NOT sweet - you don't ever wanna make that mistake! hoo boy still shudder remembering the taste!
    love that broccoli salad--liked it the first time I tried it.
    Susanna. Methodist women sure know how to cook! the church I grew up in was like that - prayer requests during the service I think were so the women knew who needed food! preacher probably thought all the writing was so they could remember in their private praying but I think it was them making lists of what was needed food-wise...bad of me huh?!
    Susanna

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL, Susanna. My grandmother used to do the Miracle Whip thing too. With carrots and celery and nuts. Used to make me shiver! Lol

      Apparently the small persimmons don't taste good. These are Japanese and so tasty!

      Delete
    2. they look good! will have to try them if I see them at the store.
      I'm not a fan of the miracle whip - one of my cousins is lucky to have gotten married- another cousin yelled to the guy that the white stuff probably ain't cool whip and she was a tad too late..nothing like a mouth full of miracle whip when you're expecting sweet.
      Susanna

      Delete
  2. Oh, those owls are adorable!! I love seeing inside your church and who is making what.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Our circle sure does put out a nice spread! And Jan always decorates beautifully.

      Delete
  3. I don't have a favorite dish yet - I'm usually the one to grab fruit and/or veggie trays :-( this weekend I have 2 functions and I'm bringing something I actually made! Mary's cranberry bread (from here!), and 2 dips with green chilies- one with whole berry cranberry sauce and the other with mayo/sour cream/mexicorn/onion/cheese..the cranberry one I can put over cream cheese as well as use as a dip with tortillas..hopefully they will come out ok - have to make them a day ahead so the flavors mix in - my finger test of the corn dip tasted like mayo but it had just been mixed up...wish me luck!
    I've always heard them called potluck but usually in print they'd say covered dish..and I sure miss them at the church I grew up in - there were some good cooks when Iw as a kid- then it started shifting a bit with my generation to convenient though my parents started buying fried chicken at the local grocery and my mom would usually make cornbread and either pinto beans or great northern and sometimes she'd do that broccoli salad like in your pic...
    the old generation would make chicken and dumplings and all kids of good homemade dishes! last time I was there for 2nd Sunday lunch there were still a few actually cooking but others would chip in and get pizzas so the kids would be happy!
    does your church have 'specialties' like so and so does this dish and no one else better steip in her territory?!
    Susanna
    Susanna

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, Susanna, there are some people who always bring their specialties that I look forward to. :)

      I think your dips sound good! If you end up liking them, get some photos and you can share them with us. Would be fun!

      Yay on Mary's cranberry bread! I'm sure it'll be good.

      Delete
    2. the first loaf tastes like cake LOL coworker said it was 'rich' - funny I've had no problem LOL! the other batch I split into 2 loaves since I found out my friend was right about not filling the pan - thought it was close enough.was lucky I had just a little fall over the sides (and I was smart and had them on a cookie sheet!)

      I'm hoping the dips turn out- I've had the cranberry one before but it's been a while and I've never made it (also added 3 tsp lime juice instead of 2..ooops!)

      Susanna

      Delete
  4. not sure how my name keeps appearing LOL! even in the middle..but it IS friday the 13th though I've never held much stock in that superstition...
    Susanna hopefully one of me this time!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm howling with laughter over that last picture! I do love me so gratuitous doggie pics. :-)

    I have never tried persimmons...just the name sounds fun! I don't think I've ever seen them up here. Bet they don't travel well.

    And the owls -- way toooooo cute. I'm trying to figure out how they're made and it looks to me like it's just two pieces of fabric cut into a cone shape -- well Santa hat shape -- and sewn together with the tip folded down? Am I right? I want to make some to decorate my library...I'll make wintery snowy owl ones though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kav, I'll have to ask Jan next time I see her. I heard her talking about it but didn't catch most of what she was saying.

      The doggie shot with the blue wig... My son and Julie are both alum of Duke University and big sports fans. That wig was worn to basketball games over his four years. I think the dog wore it for the recent football championship game while they watched on tv. Unfortunately, it didn't pull them through!

      Delete
  6. Nothing better than a church potluck unless it is a UMW Christmas party! All the good old fashioned treats come out!

    Love your granddog! And my goodness, those owls are so cute.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Julie, you're right! Although I have to say my Bible study ladies put out quite a spread too! We have ladies in our group from several churches in town so I get to see favorites from all the churches. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. By the way, someone had a birthday yesterday! We should celebrate Julie today! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have never had a persimmon before!! Wow. You know this year owls have taken over as the American of choice. So adorable.

    The dog in the wig. Interesting.

    Where are those doors with the wreaths located???'

    ReplyDelete
  10. Okay, just re read it. Sorry. I slept in. They are the doors leading into the chapel.

    Drinking coffee faster.

    ReplyDelete
  11. It let me comment! Yay! Happy traveler!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I swinging by late today! Blame Christmas. And flat tires that have to be fixed on FRIDAY when everything is busy!

    You'd think since I spend most of my time at home, I'd be happy to get out once in awhile, but today even a trip to Sam's couldn't get me excited. I'm such a homebody. :)

    Love the dog. I don't think it would take much convincing on his part for him to stay at your house full-time. I'm sure you spoil him rotten!

    I love the owls, too.

    And now I'm off to the grocery store. Can I stay home tomorrow? Please?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Laughing my head off on that last doggie pic. Aren't grand pups wonderful?

    Love the decorations. Especially the centerpieces. Gorgeous.

    My MIL had a persimmon tree in her back yard. She loves them, but I can't recall if I sampled them or not. Must rectify that. :)

    ReplyDelete