Good (and cold!) afternoon! I've been missing in action while putting into motion plans for my immediate future. I turned in my resignation on Monday. Director refused to accept it. She's telling me that I'll be back. But, I had already decided to take time off from working, period, to finally have my knee replacement surgery. That is now scheduled for March 7th. Only one knee needs it. The other one has a kneecap problem which will be dealt with at another time. I need to drop a few pounds between now and the 7th to make recovery easier for myself. So, I've hit the SS way hard and heavy. I've been invited to a Girls' night out with some of the other teachers tonight at Gloria's, a Salvadoran and Tex-Mex restaurant. Wish me luck SS'ing there! lol Zig, it's so nice to see you here again. Jen, I'm glad your girls are on the mend. Winter is always a rough time on little ones. BJ, I admire you for being able to work in the funeral industry. It takes a very special person. Dee, sounds like you and your dh may have a very special evening coming up! Suzanne, I know the job is still hectic, but isn't it nice to have one you like? Maddie, sorry your dh is under the weather. Hope you manage to enjoy your enforced weekend at home. Raeanne, Marci, Donna, and Besh, it's always a pleasure to read your posts. Oh, Patti, where are you? Well, heading for a quick nap before my big night out on the town. I'll be up past my usual bedtime. LOL Take care and stay warm. It's supposed to drop to the 20's during the night here. Brrrr!

I so love a good squash croquette Squash Croquettes 2 cups cooked yellow squash 1 large onion 1 large bell pepper ***don't use 2 tablespoons sugar ***do less 2 eggs 1/2 stick butter 2 tablespoons flour salt and pepper Sauté onions & pepper in butter. Mix all ingredients (drain squash well). Form into balls about the size of an egg. Roll in breadcrumbs and fry in deep fat.

I love corn fritters...here's another fritter recipe...I had never heard of these and it is supposed to be a southern dish. I haven't made them yet but I know they will be good. Black-Eyed Pea Fritters with Hot Pepper Relish Yield: Makes about 36 fritters ingredients For fritters 1 cup dried black-eyed peas 1 medium onion, chopped 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh habanero chile, including seeds 1 large egg 1 teaspoon salt 3 to 4 tablespoons water 6 cups vegetable oil *note...habenero will light your fire so I would suggest a jalepeno instead. For relish 4 red bell peppers (1 1/2 lb), chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 2 plum tomatoes, chopped 1 tablespoon minced fresh habanero chile, including seeds 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil Special equipment: a deep-fat thermometer preparation Soak peas for fritters: Put peas in water to cover by 2 inches and soak 8 hours. Drain in a colander. Make relish: Purée bell peppers, onion, tomatoes, chile, and salt in 2 batches in a food processor. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then stir in purée (use caution as it will splatter). Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Make fritters: Purée peas, onion, and chile in food processor until as smooth as possible, then blend in egg and salt. With motor running, add 3 tablespoons water and blend until smooth and fluffy (add remaining tablespoon water if necessary to form a batter just thin enough to drop from a spoon). Fry fritters: Heat oil in a 4-quart heavy pot (preferably cast-iron) until thermometer registers 360°F. Working in batches of 8, gently drop tablespoons of batter into hot oil, using a small spoon to scrape batter from tablespoon. Fry, stirring constantly (to prevent fritters from browning too quickly), until golden, about 2 minutes, then transfer to paper towels to drain. Return oil to 360°F between batches.

It sounds a little labor intensive, but it has lots of good stuff in it. I may just have to give it a try myself.