What I am Thankful For and Cooking for a Cause Salmon Patties

As Thanksgiving approaches, I have so much to be thankful for, and I know you do too. 

Today I was thankful for the Roto-Rooter Man because, for some reason, our old faucet in one of the showers decided it would not turn off.  It was spewing mega hot water everywhere.  Husband Fred tried to turn the water off at the street but, and I quote,  "I don't have the right tool, and I am going to be late for work!"  So that leaves me to greet Roto-Rooter Man at the door at 7:00 am this morning.  $125.00 later, the faucet was fixed. 

I am thankful for Husband Fred who gets up every morning at 5:00 am and works himself to the bone to provide for us.  Even though he could not find the right tool today, has not finished the Christmas lights, and still has not moved the building (inside joke), I love him with all my heart.  I am thankful for all he does!

I am thankful for Food Police.  She is the best daughter a Mama could ask for.  She is one of the most caring and honest people I know.  I wish you could all meet her.  I also am thankful for her side-kick - Son-in-Law.  He makes me laugh when no one else can and will get me to do things that I thought I never could like laying sod in the yard and getting me in the ocean during the sharks' feeding time.  I still have not recovered from that one!

I am thankful for my Dad and the fact that he is still getting it done at 78 years of age.  I am thankful when I call him every morning that he answers the phone, and I ask "What are you doing?" and he always has the same answer   "I am reading the paper, drinking my coffee, and eating an orange!"  That is music to my ears.   

I am thankful for all of my friends.  They bring peace to an otherwise crazy world.  For instance, I want to tell you what my work buddy Kim did today.  She brought me a WHOLE Sweet Potato Pie. Yes Food Police - a WHOLE pie.  It is her grand-mother's recipe, and Thanksgiving would not be complete without it.  She also buys me Babaganoush because I cannot find it at my local grocery store.  She rescues me when I cannot get the technology to work in my classroom.  What is so funny though is when she is not there I can make it work myself.  Hmmmmm.........  My other work buddy - Lynne - is cut from the very same cloth as me.  She throws the best birthday party for me every year at her pool.  Fun times can I say!!  She always has a funny joke, saying, or YouTube video to help us take it down a notch.  In fact, last night she made an "Office Max Elf Yourself" video of the three work buddies as elves dancing to an 80's song.  The program takes your face and puts it on a little elf.  Can I say I laughed hysterically for 30 minutes and released enough endorphins to get me through the week!!!!  I really wish I could dance like that and was that skinny!!

Speaking of skinny, I am thankful for my Body Pump Instructor - Amber - who tried to kill me yesterday with these new push-ups!! Horrors!! But between she and Food Police, I have lost over 10 pounds.

I am thankful for my Aunt Susie.  She, like Son-in-Law, can make me laugh like no other.  The best story lately from her was when her Mother made 6 year old Susie play the song "500 Miles" by Peter, Paul and Mary on her little ukelele for her grandfather when he was on his deathbed.  I don't know why that made us laugh, but I think it was the mental picture thing!!  She is the one who coined the phrase "Horror of horrors!"  That ukelele story is a horror of horrors. 

I am thankful for my sweet animals.   They bring such fun and life to an empty nest.  However, one of my dear friends Sara, who I am thankful for as well and who knows my weaknesses, has offered me a cat named Jackie.  She is a brown tabby and looks like a cat I met at the beach one year.  I am thankful for Sara but why are you doing this to me??  You know me!!  I will keep you updated.

I am thankful for Food Police's In-laws.  They are some of the sweetest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, and she is the best cook known to man.  I am thankful I get to share Thanksgiving with them. 

I am thankful for my students.  They keep me young and on my toes.  They make me laugh and give me a captive audience to try out my different accents and new jokes on. 

I am thankful that I get to watch "Christmas Vacation" this week.  We kick off the Christmas season with this movie to get us pumped to get those Christmas lights done. 

I am thankful that Alabama is number 2 in the BCS standings and that when they annihilate Auburn Saturday and Arkansas beats LSU on Friday, they will be number 1 as they deserve.  RTR!!!!!!!

I am thankful for the restaurant Little Rosie's. I crave their Chicken Fajita Salad. I want one right now!! I am getting hungry!

I am thankful for my blog experiment and all the opportunities it has afforded me.  I am thankful for all of y'all that read it religiously and ask "When are you going to post another story and recipe?"  Thank you for indulging me. 

On to the recipe.....This is the last recipe I am cooking out of the Cooking for a Cause cookbook.  I will turn my sights to my various Christmas cookbooks for here on out until we hit the New Year.  The Eeny game chose Salmon Patties.  I have made these 1000 different ways but I really really liked these.  They held together better than any other, and they make for a quick week-night meal.   I will definitely make these again and again.

You will need a can of salmon, corn meal, crackers, an egg, and salt and pepper.

Drain the salmon reserving the liquid.  Add the crackers to the liquid and in another bowl, flake the salmon.

This is what the crackers absorbing the juice looks like!!  WOW!!

Add your other ingredients to the salmon.  WOW!!

Mix it all together.  This is riveting!

Brown them on each side.  I used Pam spray instead of oil.  Food Police was here helping me!!  Hey it worked!!

Plate and you are done!!  I got this simple but yummy meal on the table in under 30 minutes Rachael Ray!!

Here is your recipe......

Salmon Patties

Cooking for a Cause

Sandy Cross

1 (16-oz) can pink salmon

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/4 C cornmeal

1/2 C saltine crackers crumbs

1/4 tsp pepper

Oil or Pam for browning

Drain the salmon, reserving liquid.  Flake the salmon.  Combine liquid with cracker crumbs in bowl.  Mix this well.  Wait a little while and add your salmon, cornmeal, egg, salt and pepper.  Mix well and shape into patties.  Brown on both sides in Pam or oil in large skillet.  Drain on paper towels.  Serves 4

Now go have a great day and Thanksgiving!!!

An Ode to Lucy and Cooking for A Cause Smoked Sausage Casserole

Lucy...Lucille...Lubird...Birdie...Lucifer...LucyBird...Berber Carpet (Don't Ask!)  Those were a few of the names that we gave our first ever cat.  We are those people that go cuckoo over animals.  We have 3 Rescue animals now - 2 cats and a dog.  I have always been prejudiced toward dogs until Food Police was in middle school, and her best friend's cat was pregnant.  We were summoned one Saturday morning to watch her deliver her kittens.  Of course Food Police was begging for one of the kitties.  I thought I was so smart and answered the constant nagging with "If she has a calico kitten, you can have one!"  I thought calicos were as rare as albino tigers, but lo and behold, the third one out was a calico.  She was claimed, and her given name was Lucy.  We took her home at 6 weeks, and it became Food Police's mission to make her "FEISTY"!  Oh believe me, Food Police succeeded!!  That cat would bite, scratch, climb the walls, tear up the horrible grasscloth wallpaper (I was secretly happy about that!), shredded toilet paper, and clawed the furniture.  One time, she actually stood up on her hind legs and walked across the den at my poor mother hissing all the way.  It was out of a horror movie. 

But you know what, I loved that darn cat with all my heart.   She was the ultimate SnuggleBunny.  Anytime, I would lie down on the couch, she would appear, and get in the crook of my arm.  She took turns sleeping with Food Police and me.  Son-in-law was so taken with her that he bought her a leash and collar so he could take her outside.  She had her own Christmas stocking and sweater.  She would even go on car rides with us.  She was what we called the "WatchCat"!  She knew immediately when someone would pull up in the driveway and would come and alert us.  She was always waiting at the door when I came home. 

She lived a good 16 years, and this past week, we had to make that horrible decision to put her to sleep.  She was in kidney failure and was miserable.   I know we did the right thing.  There will never be another one like her!!!  She is sorely missed!

In my Snow Village....we called her Godzilla!!  The little miniature people were always afraid of when she would appear!

Here is Son-in-Law with Lucy on her leash.  You thought I was kidding!

Her favorite spot in the whole world. 

She loved getting into tight places.  She loved that Tupperware bowl!!

Now on to the recipe.  I am still cooking out of the cookbook Cooking for A Cause.  The Eeny Game chose Smoked Sausage Casserole, and believe you me, I would have never picked this one. I am glad the game did though.  This experiement is working.  It was one of the best dishes I have had in a while.  It is one of those comfort dishes that you can pull out after a hard day at work or a cold winter night.  It was quick and easy, and I served it with a salad.  Perfect!!

You will need Smoked Sausage (I used Turkey Food Police), potatoes, an onion, tomatoes, butter, Dijon mustard and whipping cream.

Cube 4 medium potatoes, and cook until tender.

Chop up a medium onion and saute in the butter (I used Smart Balance) until tender.

Cut the Smoked Sausage into 1/4 inch slices.

Add the smoked sausage to the onions, and brown the sausage.

While that is cooking chop up 2 medium tomatoes.

Mix together 1/2 cup of whipping cream, a tablespoon of dijon mustard and 1/2 tsp of salt and add to the sausage and onion.  Bring to a boil and then add the cooked potatoes and the tomatoes.

Serve it up, add some parsley, and you are good to go.  It is FANTASTIC!!

Here is the recipe....

Smoked Sausage Casserole

Cooking for A Cause

Elisha Dawn Davis

4 med potatoes, cubed

1 large onion, diced

2 T butter

1 lb. smoked sausage

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c whipping cream

2 med tomatoes, chopped

1 T Dijon mustard

Parsley to garnish

Cook potatoes in salted water, drain.  Brown onion in a large pan in butter until soft.  Add sausage (cut into 1/4 inch slices).  Cook stirring often until lightly browned.  Mix in mustard, salt, and cream.  Bring to a boil.  Lightly mix potatoes and tomatoes.  Add to rest of ingredients.  Cover and cook over medium heat until potatoes are heated through usually 3-5 minutes.  Sprinkle with parsley. 

Serves 4.

Now go have a great day.....

Quick Announcement, and No I am not going to be a Grandmother!

Hello all--

I just had to share the good news.  My blog and I were selected to be a featured publisher on Foodbuzz.com.  I am sooooooooooooooo excited.  With that said, you will be seeing some changes to the blog in a few days or so.  I will keep you posted!!  Thanks for reading, and hope you are having a wonderful Veteran's Day. 

Older Folks and Cooking for a Cause Shrimp Linguine

When I was a teenager, I thought that anyone over the age of 30 was an "older" person.  Now that I am way over 30 almost times 2, I have a different perspective.  But as I have gone through the decades, I have come up with a list of commandments that I will follow when I, God willing, join the ranks of those "older folks".  A recent trip to the grocery store reminded me of those guidelines.  Here is the list so far:

1.  I shalt not go the grocery store on "Senior Day Wednesday".  It is way too crowded.
2.  I shalt not drive my scooter down the middle of the aisle where no one can pass me on the left, or as a matter of fact, on the right.
3.  I shalt not back up my scooter so that it makes that horrible beeping noise that puts everyone on edge.
4.  I shalt not stop my buggy in the middle of the aisle and stay there for what seems like 10 minutes looking for that sale item.
5.  I shalt not pay for my groceries with a check but with my debit card to speed things along.
6.  I shalt not tell the bag boy or girl how to bag my groceries.
7.  I shalt not hold up the check-out line perusing my receipt to make sure I got my Senior Discount.

Postscript.....Husband Fred just this minute got back from the grocery store to pick up one item for our sick kitty.  He wanted me to add one more commandment after his adventure.

8.  When only one check-out lane is open, I shalt not write a check for cash over my purchase, and then count my cash in front of the long line that is waiting behind me.  Then I shalt not decide that I want change for the cash that I just received only to count it all again in front of the even longer line.

Another thing that happened to make me think of older folks this week is that I have started my geriatric unit in one of my classes.  The first rule that I give the students is that, from this point on, they will not refer to the older folk as that "old woman" or that "old man".  They say "Yes Ma'am", and we move on.  I set up an "Effects of Aging" lab where the students go through 10 different stations to get to experience the effects of aging.  They experience everything from arthritis to cataracts.  Then they get to play "Geriatric Bingo" where they have to come up with a "geriatric name" for themselves.  The names they choose like Albert and Ethel crack me up.  I think I make a point with them because they will tell me things like "I think I am going to be more patient with old - whoops older - people from now on!"  Mission accomplished!!!  Hmmm...Maybe I should follow the students' lead.

Now on to the recipe.  I am still cooking out of the Cooking for a Cause cookbook.  I am liking the recipes that the Eeny Game has been choosing lately.  I have had no urges to cheat.  HAHA!!  The Game chose Shrimp Linguine.  It is absolutely the best ever.  This would make for a wonderful dinner for company or a special occasion.  YUM!!

You will need shrimp, linguine, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, green onions, parsley, lemon, garlic, Zesty Italian dressing and cayenne pepper.  You can't go wrong with that list of ingredients.

Look at the rainbow of goodness.  You julienne the carrots and the squash, and chop the green onions and garlic.  Food Police is smiling right now.

You heat the salad dressing in a large skillet and then add your vegetables plus the cayenne pepper and salt to taste.  It is smelling wonderful at this point.

While that is cooking, you chop up parsley and juice your lemon.

You then add your shrimp, parsley, and lemon juice, and cook for 10 more minutes.  I used frozen already cooked shrimp so I added it the last 3 or 4 minutes.  It worked very well.

You cook the linguine and then mix the wonderful stuff all together and this is what you get.  I added a little fresh parsley to the top, and we were good to go.

Here is your recipe....Sonja said this recipe got her a marriage proposal.  I can see why.

Shrimp Linguine

Cooking for a Cause

Sonja Langham, Nurse Anesthetist

16 oz pkg linguine pasta

1 C Zesty Italian dressing

2 med yellow squash, julienned

2 med zucchini, julienned

2 carrots, julienned

3 green onions, cut into strips

1 clove garlic, minced

Dash of cayenne pepper

Salt to taste

1 tsp lemon juice

1 1/4 c parsley, chopped

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

Prepare linguine per directions; drain well.  Heat salad dressing in a large skillet.  Add squash, zucchini, carrots, green onion, garlic, cayenne pepper and salt.  Mix will.  Saute for 10 minutes.  Add lemon juice, parsley and shrimp.  Cook for 10 minutes.  Combine linguine and shrimp mixture in a large bowl and toss.  Serve immediately.

Yield:  6 servings

Now go enjoy the day.....