Country Life

Country Life is an awesome experience! We love the 'quietness' of our country home! After spending the day in the city, we all enjoy the peace that our country life gives to us! :-)

I love the story about the 'Country Mouse and the City Mouse'. I relate to both. I am a 'country mouse' at heart. I live the simple life as a 'country girl'. I work as a 'city mouse' in our Shoppe in the city. I enjoy both worlds. Here is a portion from a version of the story that I enjoy:

"I don’t mind admitting that I’m a simple sort of mouse. I live inside a nice cozy log by the side of a field. My needs are not great. A few sunflower seeds or wheat stalks will do me for a meal. For a special treat, the farmer sometimes leaves me a some crumbs of bread and cheese from his lunch. When I am thirsty, I drink from the bubbling stream. And I swear that that pure cold water is the freshest, most delicious taste in the world."
Oh, to live such a simple life with a heart of thanksgiving! I love it!

We are about to celebrate one of my favorite Holidays: Thanksgiving! We have much to be thankful for! Family, friends, jobs, warm homes, food on the table, health....so much more!

We will be traveling to Oklahoma to be with family. It is always a grand time to catch up. One of our favorite things to do is the meal preparation! My sisters and mom and I spend hours cooking together...laughing and telling stories as we go along. I love it!

I have a recipe from one of my favorite people on the web: Sue Gregg. Check out her website: http://www.suegregg.com/


Holiday Cranberry Mold
The most frequently requested holiday salad in the Gregg household, this
recipe has now become a tradition. Sue purchases several packages fresh
cranberries in-season to freeze for off-season use. Delicious served with
a dollop of sour cream, or sour cream blended with plain yogurt.
AMOUNT: 8 - 10 Servings
1. Drain pineapple, reserving juice; peel and cut orange into chunks;
dice celery, grate apple, chop walnuts:
20 oz. can crushed pineapple, unsweetened
1 orange
1 cup diced celery
1 grated unpeeled tart green apple (as Pippin or Granny Smith)
¹⁄₂ cup chopped walnuts
2. Withhold ¹⁄₄ cup of the juice for step 3; add cranberries to
remaining juice in saucepan, bring to boil over moderately
high heat; cook about 5 minutes until cranberry skins begin to
pop: remaining pineapple juice
3¹⁄₂ - 4 cups whole cranberries
3. Blend gelatine into ¹⁄₄ cup juice; let stand for 1 minute to
soften gelatine:
¹⁄₄ cup drained pineapple juice
3 pkg. unflavored gelatine (2 tablespoons)
4. Blend softened gelatine into cranberries; cook 1 minute longer
to dissolve gelatine; remove from heat; blend in honey:
softened gelatine
¹⁄₂ cup honey
5. In blender, pulverize the orange chunks with 1 cup cranberry
mixture.
6. Add remaining cranberry mixture to blender; blend just a second
or two to break up cranberries.
7. Pour cranberry mixture into mixing bowl; evenly stir in:
drained crushed pineapple
grated apple
chopped walnuts
8. Pour into a mold or an attractive glass bowl; chill until set.
9. To serve: Garnish glass bowl, as desired, with:
fresh orange slices, cut in half (peeled or unpeeled)
kiwi slices (peeled; cut in half, if desired)
fresh mint leaves

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Country Mouse ~ Dee