Your Well-Being: Ages 60 Plus

Life in mid IL is a mish-mash of happenings. Plenty of "shoulds" on my list, but I don't seem to be getting around to them. Mostly because the weather is cool & bright and I have been outdoors raking leaves, putting the garden to bed & sitting on the deck reading in the afternoon. The Fall afternoon deck sitting is something I really missed before I retired. Nothing like a steaming cup of Dunkins cinnamon hazelnut coffee, a sweatshirt & a good book. Been reading the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson. We enjoyed the brief stint it had on TV last year.

After a week of laying around feeling exhausted, I got back to tutoring on Tues. There have been so many sick little ones at recent birthday parties lately that I think I was fighting off a virus. Two of the DGrDs have had H1, one who seldom gets sick is in the end of the first week and still has fever & bad cough. DDIL asked me to sit one morning while she went for job training, but I had to say no. Just don't want to take chances. Not a big deal, because DS is working in area near their home and will check in regularly with DGrD. She's almost 9 and has assured everyone she will be fine.

I'm joining a local quilt group and going on a road trip Thurs. to fabric sale in nearby Amish community on Thurs. Haven't met the ladies in person, but like us here, I've gotten to know one through the Internet. We'll stop for lunch at an Amish buffet while we're out.

Thanksgiving plans are shaping up. I always cook a turkey dinner because DH complains about the "strange things" people put in dressing. I make my DGrMs "depression" dressing - stale bread, onions, celery & poultry seasoning. Who attends the dinner is always iffy, depending on what the 2 DDILs have planned. Also, depends on the work schedule at the power plant of eldest DS. Most years youngest DS & family have early meal with us, visit, then go to DDILs parents for 2nd meal. As the parents are going out of town this year, our dinner will be later in the day to accommodate both schedules. It's an open invitation to whoever wants to stop by - dinner, dessert, snack, whatever. The Grands tend to wander in & out all evening. I did get a bargain at WalMart - 20 lb Honeysuckle White (our fav) for .60/lb. It's sitting the freezer awaiting the big day. BTW - does anyone else find it gruesome to decorate with pix of smiling turkeys and then put a dead one on the table - LOL. I just go for a Fall motif.

Weather next week will be back in mid-60s, so it's time to tackle washing the windows (they tilt in), getting the summer grime off the blinds & washing drapes.

Jacquie

I agree with your DH...that dressing is the best! I add a little more ground sage than there is in the poultry seasoning, butter & a bit of broth...yum. Thanksgiving dinner is my favorite holiday meal & we have all of the side dishes that are traditional in our family.

Hope you're having a nice afternoon on your deck today. The weather is great here. Cal

As there is a division between those that like stuffing cooked in cavity of turkey and not, I make another batch and put in my slow-cooker. This keeps it way more moist than baking a pan of it, plus I just serve right out of the cooker on the counter. Yes - I also like more sage.

Temp was up to 60 today, so I got about 20 minutes of deck reading before clouds dropped the temp. I figured I deserved it, as I'd dug a big pile of leaves into my raised garden bed.

Am busy cleaning curtains/blinds/windows to get rid of the grime from windows being opened. Also rearranging my sewing/PC/exercise room to better facilitate new quilt projects. Going to get these ready for when the days are long and dark. If the projects are started, I'll get at them. But - come January, I have no ambition and all creativity is out the window.

Off to make spaghetti sauce with turkey Italian sausage. We love the punch the sausage gives the sauce, compared to making it with beef.

Jacquie

I learned 2 things from your post, Jacquie. For some reason I'd never thought to make stuffing in a slow cooker...what a good idea! I always make so much (my family loves it) & put an extra pan in the oven, which dries out.

The turkey Italian sausage spaghetti sauce sounds delicious & the next time I make it I'll try it. I told DH last night that I wish he liked spaghetti so I could make it more often. Maybe the Italian sausage will accomplish that! Cal

Cal,
There are several recipes on the Internet for slow cooker stuffing. Here's the one I like best because it has the ingredients I always use. Note that you can vary the quantity and the cooker size is at the bottom of the recipe.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Stuffing/Detail.aspx

I often squeeze the turkey sausage out of the casing into balls and brown them before adding the rest of the sauce ingredients. DH has yet to figure out I didn't mix my own meatballs. I think men like seeing a chunk of meat in the sauce - LOL.

Jacquie