tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post7768876880707462741..comments2024-03-27T14:18:47.272-04:00Comments on Blue House Journal: Coffee Chat: Cusp of Christmasterricheneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06865436021565986224noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-63501341306641462922016-12-28T11:52:57.799-05:002016-12-28T11:52:57.799-05:00What a nice, thought-filled posts. I love the insp...What a nice, thought-filled posts. I love the inspiration!<br /><br />It sounds like our book tastes are very similar. One thing I do regret culling is my collection of Nancy Drew, Little House and Miss Read books. What was I thinking? Oh well.<br /><br />I, too, have started making bread homemade more often. I was given a bread machine last year and tend to use that for bread, cinnamon roll dough and other things. My biggest struggle is the slicing of the bread! Any tips on getting nice, even slices?!<br /><br />Karlahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07251936768042830801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-2431922431608645802016-12-21T20:58:13.565-05:002016-12-21T20:58:13.565-05:00Teri, I had a little giggle when I read that your ...Teri, I had a little giggle when I read that your husband didn't like It's a Wonderful Life. I've been irritated by that movie for decades! Why? Because it should've been called It's a Wonderful Life if You're Harry Bailey! That guy dumped on George and got everything easily while George stayed behind, always doing the right thing. Harry was a stinker!<br /><br /><br />Debby in KShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10678580135625880717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-40423167769196335472016-12-21T19:46:32.327-05:002016-12-21T19:46:32.327-05:00Oh Terri, I really like Miss Read too! But I have ...Oh Terri, I really like Miss Read too! But I have never met anyone who has read her. I found about her from my all time favorite author Jan Karon. She wrote the Mitford series and I love these books.<br />Jennifer from OhioAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-65179625244714070882016-12-21T18:38:36.867-05:002016-12-21T18:38:36.867-05:00Any pot that is high enough so that there is at le...Any pot that is high enough so that there is at least 1" of water at all times is over the canning lids when cooking is ok to use for a water bath canner. You do need a towel or something on the bottom as jars should not sit right on the bottom. Also watch they do not clink together when processing if just using a towel on the bottom and they are not sitting on a rack like in a water bath canner. I know you now do have a canner.<br />TMC is showing many of the older holiday movies this year if you check their sight for times. Last year they left out most of the holiday shows. :( Over the years I have gotten many of the older movies and I am glad as now you only find them on line to buy. <br />We make a lot of the no-knead type breads. You can add things to the recipes and change it out so many ways and it is so easy. Now we are making many more types of breads. The New York Times No knead bread recipe is one of the first that makes a loaf at a time and it is also on U-tube. That one is our favorite.<br />I am looking forward to the new year and going forward with life. :-) Have a blessed Christmas Terri. SarahAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-37416530110394387302016-12-21T17:00:22.139-05:002016-12-21T17:00:22.139-05:00I, too, love Miss Read and was sorry to hear that ...I, too, love Miss Read and was sorry to hear that she had died a few years ago because it meant no new stories. Rebecca Shaw, who started publishing when she was in her 60s, is another author I enjoyed and grieved when she died. Her stories are set in the present England but have the flavor of Miss Read, so you may want to try her. She had two series. <br /><br />Did you know that the latest recommendation from Ball is that if you are processing your food for 10 minutes or more, you do not need to sterilize the jars before you fill them? Obviously they still need to be clean but it saves the step of fumbling around with hot empty jars.<br /><br />I hope you have a terrific holiday, even though you have already celebrated much of it with family. Mablehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13889546378268171918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-5065391490228224402016-12-21T16:43:48.475-05:002016-12-21T16:43:48.475-05:00Kathy, canning meat is so easy. I just cut it in ...Kathy, canning meat is so easy. I just cut it in cubes and fill the jars and cap them and into the pressure canner they go. I mostly do pork as it is the easiest and it is delicious. The first few times you use the canner it is scary but you gain confidence. I stick around the kitchen the entire time it is at pressure though since it scares me to walk away. I really feel like I accomplished something when my jars are lined up on the counter cooling on a towel.Lanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09380649410508372279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-6756399978631393182016-12-21T16:39:43.604-05:002016-12-21T16:39:43.604-05:00Over the years hubby has collected many Christmas ...Over the years hubby has collected many Christmas movies and animated cartoons and has them all in a DVD keeper sort of like a book. He brings those down from his office Thanksgiving evening and we take turns choosing. That way we both get to see what we like and I have found that his favorites have grown on me over the years. I check PBS regularly for music programming and last night we watched the Boston Pops Holiday Special which was wonderful. Last week we watched the Raleigh Ringers, handbells, and we love that every year. Just some thoughts. <br /><br />I am looking at 16 here for the weekend and am already so tired. Hubby said I am not to cook dinner all week. We are going out and I am to just decide where each day. What a relief. I am blessed. We do have a stack of gift cards so those will be used a good bit.<br /><br />Please post how if you make good English muffins. They just do not turn out well for me. By the time I get them done through the middles they are too brown on the outsides ad still taste doughy. Everything else is easily doable for me with the machine to make the dough. Lanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09380649410508372279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-36960265148837507972016-12-21T16:30:28.251-05:002016-12-21T16:30:28.251-05:00Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas...Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas!<br />The casserole sounds good; I should have some leftover chicken tomorrow so hope I can make it soon.<br />Thanks for the info about the apple jelly. I remember Mom making jelly by putting wax over the top instead of water bath canning...best jelly, and we survived. :D Maybe I will try making jelly next year, but I think I will use the water bath method. Let us know how the pressure canning goes; for some reason that scares me and as my garden doesn't produce a lot, I haven't attempted it yet, but I have been reading about canning meat which would be good in case of power outages.<br />We are behing in our Christmas movie watching, so far we have watched A Christmas Carol (my favorite with George C Scott) and a Muppet Christmas Carol which my teens like. We usually watch a Christmas Story every year too. Kathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16710629007170091862noreply@blogger.com