​This will be the first Thanksgiving in my life that I haven’t shared it with extended family, just Pa Lloyd and myself! Hopefully next year will be different. Since Jerrald isn’t too fond of turkey we are going to have ham but I am going to make cranberry relish and stuffing and try to make it as festive as I can. I ordered a table top 3 foot Christmas tree yesterday, usually when our family is here for Thanksgiving we have help with getting our tree down from the store room and setting it up but that won’t happen this year, I will miss decorating it but I will be able to use some of the decorations on the smaller version. This year will be year of compromise in hopes that we will have future holidays together!
 
Today I am sharing my cranberry relish recipe with you, sometimes I do leave it as relish and sometimes I add it to a large pkg. of Raspberry Jelly prepared with half the amount of water, add some chopped celery and pecans and call it a salad. Its easier to grind the cranberries if they are frozen or partially thawed and I now use a food processor.
 
Cranberry Relish
 
1 pkg. cranberries ( 4 cups)
4 apples, peeled
2 oranges, peeled with as much as the white removed as you can
1 20 oz, can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 1/2 cups to 2 cups sugar
 
Grind cranberries, apples and oranges, stir in pineapple and sugar. Chill so flavors blend. This freezes great.
 
Have a great Holiday and stay safe!

​Yes I am exhausted, its been a rough year and now this election, the most stressful ever! On election night I didn’t go to bed until 2:00 a.m. which was dumb because there was no news for another 3 days. I am much too old for this business, besides that the covid virus numbers are soaring both in our country and our county. I hope all of you are being really careful and are staying home as much as possible. I’m getting almost reclusive, staying home is beginning to be the normal for me! Pa Lloyd did head north to go deer hunting for a few days with our son and his family, so far the deer he’s seen have been too far away but both the teenage Grandchildren have gotten theirs, Maggie ( our dear dog) and I stay home.
 
Every once in awhile we are hungry for just a plain old hamburger, I like to find a new slant on them once in awhile so since I love fried onions I like to make the following recipe:
 
Fried Onion-burgers
 
1 large onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1 # hamburger
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
4-8 slices American cheese ( or the cheese of your choice)
Mayo, mustard and pickles, for serving
4 hamburger buns, toasted
 
Combine the onion slices and 1 tsp. salt in a bowl and toss to combine. Transfer the onions to a colander and let sit for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Transfer onions to a clean dish towel, gather the edges together and squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the onions. Divide the onions into 4 separate mounds on a rimmed baking sheet. Form the beef into 4 lightly packed balls. Place the balls on top of the onion mounds and flatten the beef firmly ( use your palm) so the onion adheres to the beef. The patties should measure 4 inches in diameter. season beef with salt and pepper. Melt the butter with the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Using a large spatula transfer the patties to the skillet, onion side down. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the onions turn a deep golden brown and begin to crisp around the edges. Flip the burgers, then increase the heat to high and cook until well browned on the second side about 2 minutes. Add 1 or 2 slices of cheese to each burger and allow to melt. Add mayo, mustard and pickles to the top buns, then place each burger on the bottom buns. Serve immediately. 
 
Have a great week and stay safe!

​A treat for me when we eat out is having sea food, I usually order some sort of shrimp. Since we aren’t eating out these days I’ve had to come up with ways to prepare it myself at home. This is a easy, fast and good shrimp recipe I make when I feel like splurging!
 
Buttery oven Shrimp
 
1-2 # raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 stick butter
2 lemons, sliced, thin
1/2 envelope pkg. dry Italian salad dressing or old bay seasoning
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, place one stick of butter in a glass 9x13 inch cake pan, place in oven until butter is melted. Take out of oven and place lemon slices in a single layer on top of melted butter, then in a single layer place raw shrimp on top of the lemon slices, sprinkle lightly with the dry Italian salad dressing mix or old bay seasoning. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink. I usually serve with a rice side dish, and veggie. It does take a little time to shell the shrimp but the dish is well worth it and its easy to do!
 
Stay warm and safe!