Week of December 22 through December December 28, 2024 Recipe for GIFT OF THE MAGI BREAD

 SUNDAY:  I woke up very early this morning, around five a.m. and could not get back to sleep.. Church was very good this morning but I struggled to stay awake. After it was over, Glenda and I went to LaPorts for lunch.  Andrea met us there, after she dropped her twin granddaughters off at home.  I ordered the large turkey dinner, but I think they gave me the small one instead, but I was charged or the large one.  I don't think I will order it again.  I have had it many times and usually bring home enough slices of turkey for one, maybe two turkey  sandwiches.  Not this time.  I spent the rest of the day at home.  I slept on the couch for an hour or so, then decided to do a load of laundry.  I looked for movies with Hilary Swank on HULU, it seems they only offer a couple of them.  I watched THE GOOD MOTHER.  I saw an interesting recipe on facebook so am saving it here.  I might make it for Christmas day.   Gift of the Maji Bread

1⁄2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1 cup mashed banana (about 2 medium)

1( 11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2⁄3 cup sliced almonds, divided

1⁄2 cup maraschino cherry, chopped

1⁄2 cup dates, chopped

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with bananas.

Stir in the oranges, coconut, chocolate chips, 1/2 cup almonds, cherries and dates.

Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. x 2-in. loaf pans. Sprinkle with remaining almonds.

Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool 

MONDAY:  In the morning I started the butternut squash casserole, and now it is ready to bake in a casserole dish.  I also made the raisin sauce for the ham.  I rested in the afternoon, showered and washed my hair and got ready to go to the Christmas Eve service at Freedom South. 

                                                    The choir.

Pastor Craig looked SO sharp.  

                                     Addie Campbell did a great job!

Tomorrow is really Christmas Eve but they are offering two service: the one tonight and another one tomorrow evening.  I arrived at the church a minute or so after five thirty p.m. for the six p.m. service, but the parking lot was VERY FULL already.  I went in and started saving extra seats for Pam, Jan, Andrea and my sister Gail.  Things did not work as I had planned.  Jan was not interested in going, Pam decided to stay home because she did not feel well, and Gail came with her husband Bob.  I gave a seat to Sue because I saw her looking for a seat, and she and Gail know each other.  I did not see Andrea when she came in, she must have come in close to starting time and we saw each other after the service ended.  Anyways, the service was really good.  I stopped at Lil Caesers and asked if they had anything "hot and ready" and they had several items and I purchased a stuffed crust pizza before going home.  The pizza was pretty good.  I checked on HULU to see if they offer the tv show called 24 and since they do, I started watching it.  Peggy and David have been watching it on DVD and they both like it.  I was watching TV in the evening and thought I saw something in the front yard.  It was three full grown deer wandering around and walking towards the school.

TUESDAY December 24th, 2024    First thing this morning I decided to make GIFT OF THE MAJI BREAD.  I was intrigued at how it might taste, considering that the recipe calls for bananas, cherries, dates and mandarin oranges, as well as coconut, chocolate chips and a couple more ingredients.  By the time I put it in the oven, the kitchen was an absolute mess.  I took a break and watched part of an episode of 24, which I am really enjoying.  I boiled the remaining "salt" potatoes in order to make a small potato salad, which I will do later on today.  I continued watching 24 off and on all day.  I napped on the couch.  I made the potato salad.  I started dozing off around ten p.m. (while watching 24), so I decided to go to bed early.  

WEDNESDAY:  I got a good amount of sleep last night.  I woke up once and used the bathroom, but I got back to sleep fairly quickly and slept until eight a.m.  When I got up, I threw together the ingredients for the coconut custard pie and got it into the oven. I called Peggy to see what time she would like me to arrive at her house, and she said three p.m. will work best.  While it baked, I called Megan and talked with her and Tyler for a couple of minutes.  I also called Betty to wish her a Merry Christmas, she was getting ready to go over to her son in laws mother's house for breakfast.  I watched more of 24.  I sliced some of the GIFT OF THE MAJI bread to take to David and Peggy's house.  I uploaded pictures from the SOUND OF CHRISTMAS program at church, to flickr and recharged my camera.  I paid a couple of bills online.  

Christmas dinner at Peggy's house was very good.  The ham was scrumptious and I brought the hambone and lots of ham home with me.  My squash was better than usual.  We also had mashed potatoes, and Luis's mother had made rice with something like peas (but not peas) in it and it was very good.  I contributed the squash, raisin sauce for the ham, a coconut cream pie, and most of a loaf of the GIFT OF THE MAGI BREAD.  Besides David, Peggy and I were Scott and his three kids and the mother of his son, and Katherine.  Katherine had just finished working a double shift so she was tired and did not stay long.  I was terribly tired when I got home.  I tried to reach both Christa and Leslie by phone but was not successful.  I watched some of 24, and was dozing off a lot.  

Thursday, December 26th:  In the morning I started soaking and then cooking the dried green peas and I took most of the ham off of the hambone.  I started soup in the crockpot and added the bone.  I met up with Pam at the PALACE so we could watch the movie ELF.

  She had never seen it before and she laughed a lot.  I am glad I went, I saw some things I have never seen before.  I spent the rest of the day at home.  My split pea soup with ham was ready for supper.  I talked with Leslie for a half hour or more in the evening.  

FRIDAY the 27th:  I needed a few items for myself and also for New Years Eve dinner at Peggy's house.  So, I went to RiteAid first, then to Aldi, and then to WalMart for the last couple of items.  I spent the rest of the day at home, mostly finishing up watching Season One of 24.  I finished it early in the evening.  I decided to make a batch of raisin sauce to use with some of the leftover ham.  I tried to reach Christa by phone, but she did not answer.  I left her a message.  I am beginning to think that she may be deliberately avoiding me.  I talked with Leslie on the phone for about a half an hour.  

SATURDAY:   In the morning, I took a pair of sneakers over to Carrie that I think will work for her on days when she does not wear her braces.  I explained it to Zoie and the fellow who also works there.  After that, since it was a nice day I felt like taking a short drive.  I opened my navigation system and asked for directions to the LITTLE BAKERY and followed them.  They took me to LaSalle.  I did see a building, a very strange looking place without any parking, that did not look open, and it had a sign THE LITTLE BAKERY.  I think maybe it was an earlier location and maybe they moved to a new, better and different building somewhere else.  This colorful restaurant is just down the street from The Little Bakery, I turned around at a business across the street and was able to take this picture before I got back onto the street.  

  I spent the rest of the day at home.  I did some vacuuming.  I watched a couple of episodes of 24.  I called Elaine in the evening to see how she is doing.  Her sister, Marsha, left earlier today to go back to Syracuse.  Elaine says she is doing well, her sore throat is much better.  She has an appointment with her surgeon on Monday, and a friend from her church will be taking her.