Tree "on the P l a z a" ~~ Christmas Trees for 2021 -- Number Three of ???

MERRY 

CHRISTMAS 

Rockefeller Plaza and NBC 

Lit up their annual tree this week !! 

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I will be posting Christmas trees and other Christmas decorations here as I take pictures to show.  

The blog is mostly Christmas oriented but also has recipes and other items that I don't put on my other blogs.

Jim's Little Blog 

Jim's Little Photo and Poem Place 

Ask Dr. Jim (blog) 

Jim's Little Happy Place 

• 
  
• Those are my main blogs, there are others if you can find them.  Only the first two of the above are regularly posted weekly. 

I will post pictures of readers or their photo finds if you will email them to me at " jhovendic at yahoo.com ".  I will give you credit by name and/or URL of your blog or other if have these where you wish my readers to read. 

Please do not be anonymous.  

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Our Cardiologist's Christmas Tree for 2021 -- Number Two of ???

MERRY 

CHRISTMAS!!! 

This is the tree in our cardiologist doctor's waiting room.  I am changing blood pressure medicine and Mrs. Jim also had an appointment. 

Mrs. Jim is at the check in window.  It's all prettied up too.  

                   Also the TV stand.

 - - - 

I will be posting Christmas trees and other Christmas decorations here as I take pictures to show.  

The blog is mostly Christmas oriented but also has recipes and other items that I don't put on my other blogs.

Jim's Little Blog 

Jim's Little Photo and Poem Place 

Ask Dr. Jim (blog) 

Jim's Little Happy Place 

• 
  
• Those are my main blogs, there are others if you can find them.  Only the first two of the above are regularly posted weekly. 

I will post pictures of readers or their photo finds if you will email them to me at " jhovendic at yahoo.com ".  I will give you credit by name and/or URL of your blog or other if have these where you wish my readers to read. 

Please do not be anonymous.  

 - - - 

Our Christmas Tree for 2021 -- Number One of ???

 MERRY 

 CHRISTMAS!!! 

The only thing we downsized when we moved to Katy (Texas).  This tree is a seven-foot one, we are getting too old to be up on ladders decorating trees anymore.

Mrs. Jim had this angel at the top before we were married, 48+ years ago.  She has been a tradition guest here with us for all these years. 

This is a Fisher Price toy Christmas Manger Set. [click on the picture for a larger view, click that picture for a larger still version.  This works for most of my photos.  Go back to get here again.] 

I will be posting Christmas trees and other Christmas decorations here as I take pictures to show.  

The blog is mostly Christmas oriented but also has recipes and other items that I don't put on my other blogs.

Jim's Little Blog 

Jim's Little Photo and Poem Place 

Ask Dr. Jim (blog) 

Jim's Little Happy Place 

• 
  
• Those are my main blogs, there are others if you can find them.  Only the first two of the above are regularly posted weekly. 

I will post pictures of readers or their photo finds if you will email them to me at " jhovendic at yahoo.com ".  I will give you credit by name and/or URL of your blog or other if have these where you wish my readers to read. 

Please do not be anonymous.  

 - - - 

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Recipe - Jim's Quick and Easy Chili

Jim's Quick and Easy Chili

INGREDIENTS:

Two pounds lean hamburger
One medium onion
One green pepper
4-6 stocks celery (you may want none or ten or more!!)
One potato (optional)
One small can tomato paste
Two regular cans tomato sauce
One large can or bottle tomato juice
One can pinto beans
One can red beans (or kidney beans are okay)
One package McCormick Chili Mix (if you double the mix the second package can be a store brand)
One teaspoon of sugar (takes the bite out of all the tomato acid)

Note:  There is nothing critical about the ingredients and amounts.  Some like more meat, some less; some like it thick or others more like soup; more or less vegetables; etc.

COOKING DIRECTIONS:

In the bottom of the pot cook the hamburger until it all is brown in it's own grease.  Break up the hamburger into small pieces with a cooking/stirring spoon.

Meantime cook the onions, peppers, and celery which you have cut up before hand.  Melt a small amount of butter in the bottom of another pot.  Start with the peppers and celery and later add the onions.  You may wish to save the diced potato and add it with the beans as they will cook in the simmering soup.

Drain the cooked meat of fat into a disposable container (some wash with hot water).  Add a package of Chili mix, then add the cooked vegetables and let all cook together for a few more minutes.  Stir as needed so it doesn't burn on the bottom.

Divide the meat and veg mix between the two pots and add half the liquids into each pot. Simmer for about an hour (add a large pinch of sugar to each pot and add the potato now if you haven't before).  Most times when I use tomato paste I add an equal amount of water.  Before serving, drain most of the bean juice and add the beans.  They need to heat up.

You can add water to make the desired consistency.   For leftovers more water may be needed again.

Serves 8-10 +/- as main course

View some of my other Recipes here, Recipe Search 

 

Recipe -- Jim's Quick and Easy Chocolate Bird's Nest

 Jim's Quick and Easy Chocolate Bird's Nest

Ingredients are:
Molten chocolate, half to a whole package
Six or so candy chocolate candy coated bird eggs
Ample amount of corn flakes cereal, one to two cups depending on how much chocolate you have melted
Lots of love, make it for a friend

You will need a nine inch square or round cake pan or plastic container

Directions follow:
Melt molten chocolate in double boiler
or in microwave. Be careful not to over cook.

Pour into pan

Stir in corn flakes until flakes to chocolate
ratio is about even.  In other words about
the same amounts of chocolate as corn flakes

Before mixture cools and hardens
place your six eggs where you want them
Like maybe a hen had laid them there 

You may study birds nests
to make this realistic. I find placing
them equidistant around over the nest
but random looking looks best.

Artistic touch will rule here

The more love you put into this
the sweeter your little nest will be

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Recipe -- OATMEAL SCONES -- Not My, Jim's, Recipe

Note:  This is not MY, Jim's, recipe

Oatmeal Scone Recipe (from http://www.epicurious.com/gourmet/last_touch/recipes/233001)

OATMEAL SCONES
.
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups plus 2 tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
2/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk plus additional for brushing
.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
Sift together flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a food processor.
Add 1 1/3 cups oats and pulse 15 times.
Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size lumps.
Transfer to a bowl.
Add buttermilk and stir with a fork until a dough just forms. Gently knead on a floured surface 6 times.
.
Pat into a 9-inch square (1/2 inch thick). Cut into 9 (3-inch) squares. Cut each square diagonally to form 2 triangles. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet.
.
Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with remaining brown sugar and oats. Bake until golden brown, about 16 minutes.Makes 18 scones.

Gourmet Last Touch
November 2005

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100% would makethis recipe again

Recipe -- tasty homemade meat loaf, not my, Jim's, recipe

 tasty homemade meat loaf, not my, Jim's, recipe.

 

After reading this article in the H O U S T O N ... C H R O N I C L E .food section we talked a little about Meat Loaf and its making.  Mrs. Jim said it is hard to make a consistent meat loaf, time after time. She would like a good recipe, one that she likes.  So we will try this one. 

Do you remember eating at those old cafeterias owned and operated by a local entrepreneur?  Not the ones most common now, chains and/or franchise enterprises. Cleburne recently closed their doors after opening in 1975.  They will be missed, even so they have shared three of their favorite recipes with the public.  Our paper ran them in the May 4th edition, food section.

 

I mentioned that my mom made the best meat loaf that I have ever tasted.  Mrs. Jim agreed that it was super delicious.  We don't have her recipe though.  This was so close to Mothers Day that I was reminded of a lot of things about Mom.  She died in 1999 at age 88.

Recipe - "Jim's Quick and Easy Apple Pie Recipe"

 Apple pie and cheese my favorite 

I'd have a slice of American Cheese warmed on top 

over a large slice of still warm apple pie.

What could be better than that?

[large picture] [super sized]

.

What is to follow here will be my 

"Jim's Quick and Easy Apple Pie Recipe" 

This apple pie will be really good once I get it baked.

.

But first I have to get dressed.

My Saturday morning rule,

be dressed by noon.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Okay, I didn't dress. Instead I typed up my recipe:

Jim’s Quick and Easy Apple Pie

Ingredients:
1 Box pastry shells for two 9-inch two-crust pies
(Kroger frozen Pie Crusts-unroll & bake or equivalent)
6 cups sliced pared tart apples
1 can prepared Apple Pie Filling (Comstock or equivalent)
¼ teaspoon cinnamon – optional*
¼ teaspoon nutmeg – optional*
2 tablespoons butter or margarine.

Check off "things to do list"

___ Heat oven to 425°. Prepare pastry using directions on the box.
___ Stir together optional spices, sliced apples, and prepared pie filling mix.
___ Turn into pastry-lined pans, dot with butter
___ Cover with top crust using fluting and design of your choice. 

___ Be sure there are a few opening slits in the crust covering for the steam to escape.

___ Place strip of aluminum foil covering the edges. Otherwise "the crusts" will bake first and may even burn.
___ Remove foil for the last 15 minutes.

___ Bake 45 minutes, more or less. Pie is done when crust is brown and 
___ the pie liquids begin to ease or bubble through the crust openings.

Makes eight servings per pie. 

More if cut into smaller slices.

* I generally do not add additional spices. Remember the seasoning
in the prepared mix is for one pie in the eyes of the manufacturer. This
may not be strong enough flavor for two pies to suit your taste.
I hope you try making this, it really is quick and easy. And good!