I'm so glad everyone so far is happy. It was fun hosting. Thank you to everyone. Even to the ones who had to drop out, they at least let me know. NOTE: Linda and Sue your seeds will be sent Monday 01/30. Sorry for the delay on sending them. I want to make sure on the postage. And I was not able to get to the postoffice before Monday. mkruby7

When I get home for Christmas I will find the house filled with every kind of rich, store bought sweet imaginable bought by my diabetic mom! She always buys way more than they need, and my dad is one of those people who wolfs down food so potato chips or italian wedding cakes all taste the same to him. What I try to do is pick one thing to savor with mom over afternoon tea. That tradition goes way back in her family and I grew up with it. So when I see something around that would pile on the calories if I ate it mindlessly, I tell myself "You can have this with afternoon tea, won't that be nice." You can do the same with some yummy dinner treat you love but is very rich, just eat light the rest of the day. It just takes planning. Mitchdesj, I totally hear you on that one!! That's why I love the holidays, lots of friends and family visits allow me to unload some of the goodies I love to bake. Also I now put a lot of stuff in the freezer. But I don't bake as much as I would like either. Luckily, my new obsession with the breadmaker and the 350 recipes in my new bread machine cookbook are filling the gap. It goes well with my jam obsession. So I don't miss the baking that much, lol! It takes a lot of willpower though for me to go to the farm market and pass by all the goodies. The only positive thing about being broke is it is a powerful incentive to avoid bakery and deli items! But I don't think people should beat themselves up about holiday treat eating, it takes all the enjoyment out of it. That's why I liked this post so much, I think it is a good recipe for truly enjoying food and traditions. Also I totally get stressed around the holidays sometimes and that is when I just grab something quick or available, which is usually not something I even WANT, and usually also not healthful. This year I'm trying to live by the mantra "Don't sweat the small stuff." (And almost ALL of it is small stuff when you get down to it.)

I forgot this recipe for leftover beef. As I say I don't like beef much and I sure don't like it morphed but I found this the exception. It's really good! Orange-Glazed Crispy Beef - Ricardo (FoodNTV) For the Beef 250 ml (1 cup) unbleached all purpose flour 125 ml (1/2 cup) tapioca starch or cornstarch 15 ml (1 tablespoon) sugar 1/2 ml (1/2 teaspoon) salt 180 ml (3/4 cup) lager or pale ale (could use club soda) 125 ml (1/2 cup) water 454 g (1 lb) cold leftover roast beef cut into strips 60 ml (1/4 cup) tapioca starch or cornstarch Oil for frying For the Sauce 60 ml (1/4 cup) soy sauce 10 ml (2 teaspoons) tapioca starch 125 ml (1/2 cup) sugar 30 ml (2 tablespoons) rice vinegar 3 cloves garlic minced Grated zest of 2 oranges 15 ml (1 tablespoon) chopped fresh ginger 1 ml (1/4 teaspoon) hot pepper flakes or cayenne Juice of 2 oranges Directions: For the Batter 1. Heat the oil to high in a deep sauce pan or fryer. Preheat the oven to 100C (200F). Line a baking sheet with paper towels.~ 2. In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Add the liquid ingredients, whisking until the batter is smooth. Set aside. 3. In another bowl, combine the beef and the starch.~ 4. Divide the beef strips into 5 equal portions. Coat 1 portion with batter. Drop the battered strips 1 by 1 into fryer to prevent them from sticking together. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, transfer to the baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat for the remaining portions. For the Sauce 1. In a bowl, combine the soy sauce and the starch. Set aside. 2. In a large skillet or wok, bring the sugar, vinegar,garlic, orange zest, ginger and hot pepper flakes to a boil. Simmer until the sugar begins turning gold. Add the orange juice and simmer for 1 minute. 3. Add the soy sauce mixture, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil. Off the heat, add the cooked beef strips and turn it gently with a spatula until well coated. 4. Serve immediately.

This is a potluck favorite around here. I have not made it but sure have eaten. When someone takes it to potluck, they always go home with an empty dish. ***You can add whatever your like but this is pretty much the basic Cornbread salad Ingredients: â¢1 recipe of cornbread â¢1 envelope ranch dressing mix â¢1 cup (8 oz) sour cream â¢1 cup mayonnaise â¢2 cans (16 oz each) pinto beans â¢2 cups shredded cheddar cheese â¢10 slices bacon, fried very crispy, and crumbled ⢠2 cans whole kernel corn, drained ⢠1/2 cup each of chopped red bell pepper, green bell pepper, green onions and several chopped tomatoes Preparation: Make up the cornbread, cool. Stir together salad dressing mix, sour cream and mayonnaise until blended; set aside. Combine tomatoes, bell peppers and onions. Toss gently. Crumble 1/2 of the cornbread into a large bowl. Top with half each of beans, tomato mixture, cheese, bacon, corn and dressing mixture. Repeat layers. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. When ready to serve, stir the whole mess together! This is also great without ranch dressing package mix. Plus, you may add any veggies you want