SUNDAY December 24th 2023 through SATURDAY December 30th CHERRY COFFEE CAKE RECIPE

 Sunday the 24th:   I slept pretty good last night, but woke up with a small headache.  It was too late to go to the service at FREEDOM NORTH, so I decided to change my plans and go visit Carrie in the morning rather than in the afternoon.  We had a nice visit and I gave her four presents.  She really liked the small round red pillow with an emogi on it, but was not very interested in here other gifts.  On the way home after leaving the Hoover Road house, I stopped and called Peggy.  I told her I would be going right by the TOPS in Sanborn and asked if she needed anything for tomorrow (Christmas Day).  David said he needed some SAGE, so I agreed to stop and get it and deliver it to them.  The TOPS store was very busy!   I got the sage and a package of Entenmanns Italian Wedding Cake cookies and dropped both of them off to them.  

I spent the rest of the day at home.   I frosted the rest of the Christmas cutouts and decorated them.  I found a recipe for a cherry coffee cake that I will make for the 26th.  I had a nice nap on the living room couch.  In the evening, I found the episode of FBI True that Peggy told me about, and watched it.  I decided to NOT go to the five p.m. Christmas Eve service at Freedom South.   I started getting out the ingredients for the coffee cake.  

https://www.giftofhospitality.com/wprm_print/8531

 coffee cake with cherry filling

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1¾ cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling

For the icing:

• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• 3 teaspoons milk

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 10x15 inch pan with cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until soft and fluffy using a hand mixer. Add eggs, almond extract, and vanilla extract, and beat until combined.
• Stir in the flour, salt, and baking powder just until combined.
• Reserve 1 cup of dough. Spread the remaining dough in an even layer in the greased 10x15 inch pan. I find that an offset spatula helps to do this easily.
• Pour the cherry pie filling on top and spread it evenly over the dough.
• Take tablespoons of the reserved dough and dot it over the top of the pie filling.
• Bake for 35–38 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges and cooked through. Let sit until cool.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk. Transfer it to a small plastic storage bag, and snip off a very small corner of the bag with a pair of kitchen scissors to create a makeshift pastry bag.
• Drizzle the icing over the coffee cake using the pastry bag. 

CHRISTMAS DAY 2023  (Monday the 25th of December:  I slept great last night and was woke up first by Betty (she was wondering why I missed church yesterday) and then Peggy who wanted to confirm plans for today and also wanted me to look for a folding chair in the garage.  When I got up, I went out and found the chair.  I started slicing the fruitcake which I took out of the freezer in the middle of the night, and then I started making the CHERRY FILLED COFFEE CAKE, according to the recipe above.  It turned out very good. About the time I took that out of the oven, it was time to put the squash in the oven, and then it was time to load up the car with the chair, the cookies, the fruitcake, the cranberry sauce, the squash and gifts for Scott Belfield's two daughters, MacKenzie and McKaylin.

  I arrived a couple of minutes before one p.m.  Scott came out and helped me take stuff inside.  It wasn't long before Becky and her son Scott

(yes, two Scotts today) arrived and shortly after that MacKenzie and McKaylin arrived, and then Catherine (David's youngest daughter) arrived.   David prepared a Butterball turkey, stuffing and gravy, Peggy heated up Bob Evans mashed potatoes and we added in my cranberry sauce and squash.  Peg had two tables set up, one for David and his two kids and the two girls, and another table for Peggy, me, Becky and her son Scott.  This worked well with a minimum of moving back and forth between tables to share items.  Everything was absolutely scrumptious.  When we were done, I helped Peggy in the kitchen while she loaded up the dishwasher and we put items away and set the deserts out.  The deserts were fruitcake, cookies and the birthday cake for Jesus that Peggy brought. 

 Most of the cake was eaten and Becky took the remaining two pieces home with her.  After Becky and her son left, Peggy and I passed out gifts.  I left before Scott's former wife came to pick up her daughters.  This is Peggy and David's Christmas tree:  

Shortly after I got home, Connie called and we talked for about a half an hour.  I called Jan and we talked for a bit, and then I called  Christa.  She did not answer, so I left a message.   She called back a little bit later on.  I watched the CALL THE MIDWIFE Christmas special on TV in the evening.  

TUESDAY the 26th:   I had an appointment with Dr. Guntrum and then went to WalMart to check out the post Christmas sales.  I purchase a few small items. Then I went to Peggy's house for their annual Christmas brunch. Everything offered was really good, especially Davi's sausage gravy (made from scratch) and Mark's breakfast casserole. They all exchanged gifts while I cleaned the kitchen.  Things closed down around two thirty.  David and Catherine were going shopping together while Peggy took Scott home.  I spent the rest of the day at home, relaxing.

WEDNESDAY: I slept great last night!   When I got up, I started taking turkey meat off of the carcass Peggy gave me yesterday.  I went ahead and made a HUGE batch of turkey soup.  I called Elaine and offered to bring some over for her and her sister.  Elaine had knee replacement surgery six days ago and her sister Marsha is staying with her for the first couple weeks of her recovery.  I took the soup over in the early afternoon and visited with Elaine and Marsha for about an hour.  I think Elaine is doing well, she is walking with a walker and she looks good!  In the evening, I found the movie FOUR GOOD DAYS. 

While watching it, I was very thankful that both Christa and Megan were able to leave the drug culture without having to go to detox, rehab, etc.  The reason for this is the prayers of her grandpa, Aunt Peggy and me, and most lilkely their Dad prayed, also.

THURDAY the 28th:   I was puttering around the house doing small things when Linda called. We talked for close to an hour.  Her Aunt Penny is doing well, for being 90 years old.  Linda has retired.  We agreed that we need to try to talk on the phone once a month from now on.  

I went to the library and picked up a book I had requested and then to RiteAid and picked up my Viberzi.  I had a great turkey sandwich for lunch along with a cup of turkey soup!  I wrapped Betty's Christmas gift and got Peg's gift ready. I found the movie TWELVE ANGRY MEN on Hoopla. 

I liked this movie!

FRIDAY the 29th:  I had my first and only PT appointment at Body Mechanics with Caitlin.  She gave me some printed exercises to do at home and I do not have to return.  I went to the Y and walked the track for a bit and used the recumbent bike.  Shortly after having lunch at home, I got a message from Lori that she thinks she might have Covid.  I agreed to take two Covid test kits to her if she could drive to Freedom South.  She agreed and I met her there and gave them to her.   After that I tried to take a nap on the couch, but Peg called.  Ginny Kirkpatrick is in Mercy Hospital.  Peggy asked if we can change our plans and she will drive and we will go to Mercy so Peg can visit her, and then we will have lunch at a nearby restaurant.  I found info. online for four nearby restaurants that sound suitable. Lori msg'd me that she tested positive.  I encouraged her to call her heart doctor tomorrow morning, and she agreed to that.  I talked to Betty on the phone and told her about tomorrow's plan.  I found a recipe for Impossible Pie online so I can make it for New Years Eve at Peggy and David's house.  

SATURDAY the 30th. I had a really good night's sleep last night.  Peg called to tell me that Ginny is not still in the hospital, that she is home now.  I talked to Betty, and she vetoed the idea of going to WIND, so we decided to go to Cracker Barrell.  I walked over to Betty's place at noon and Peggy picked us up there.  Betty noticed that we had Christmas presents for her and she said that we all three had agreed, a couple of years ago, to stop giving Christmas gifts to each other.  Neither Peggy or I remember a conversation like that.  When we got to CRACKER BARREL, the parking lot was very full.  However, we were given a table right away.  Peggy and I both had the grilled catfish with three sides.  I chose coleslaw, steamed broccoli and loaded hashbrown casserole.  Betty had the chicken and dumplings.  Peggy and I loved our meals, but Betty was not thrilled with hers.  On the way back to Lockport, we stopped at Aldi's.  I purchased cheese and crackers to take to Peggy's house tomorrow night.  I spent the rest of the day at home after I returned a phone call to Michaelina, a woman I met at the library a few weeks ago.  Elaine's sister Marsha called to tell me that they loved the turkey soup I took over, and they put the second bowl in the freezer since a lot of other food has been delivered.