Scribble and Scrambles - Just a Few Post-Thanksgiving Hints...

I've always dreamed of writing for Martha Stewart's Living....

You think this article might make the cut?

uhhh. Don't try these at home. And if you do, don't sue me.

Don't Throw That Out:
Uses for Leftover Thanksgiving Yummies.

After a week of eating home-grown sage stuffing and organic cranberry compote you may need a culinary break. But the good news is that none of the food needs to go to waste. If you are very creative, you too, can sleep guilt free tonight, bothered only by the residual reflux from your Thanksgiving gorging.


If you live in one of the cooler regions of the world you may discover that air seeps in around tiny cracks. This is where stuffing and mashed potatoes come in handy. By now they are likely the consistency of paste (yes, the kind you used to eat in kindergarten). Simply get out your spackle knife from your color-coordinated tool chest, scrape the right amount into the offending crack and voila!; money in your pocket and toasty toes.

One note. You will want to scrape this out before the spring thaw.

Are you getting low on toothpaste? Simple. Carve out your pumpkin pie filling (no, don't toss that shell) and mix it with equal parts of baking soda. Your smile will be festive through the remaining days of the holiday celebrations.

Looking for creative and inexpensive decorations? Simple. Get waxed paper and clear off a countertop. Now, melt the remainder of the cranberries. Then simply "paint" holiday shapes onto the waxed paper, I suggest Christmas balls, candy canes, Santa hats and gumdrops. Let your art dry completely and instant "earth friendly" window clings.

We can't leave out the turkey, can we? By now you've probably exhausted any edible use for turkey including pancakes and ravioli. Not all uses! Shred the remainders into a bowl. Now in an additional bowl pull together a simple pancake recipe. Mix in the turkey dregs and enough additional flour to create a cookie dough texture. Now, roll it into balls and smash onto a greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle the "cookies" with garlic salt. Bake them at 350 for 25 minutes. Let them cool and you have just turned into Fido's fairy godmother. Keep away from humans. Turkey addicts may smell the cookies baking and line up for the next serving of turkey, but these are for Fido.

Finally, I know you've been wondering about that soggy pie shell. Wonder no more. Sprinkle it will cinnamon, sugar, a hint of nutmeg, butter and crushed nuts.Bake at 350 until browned. Let cool and crush. Scoop ice cream into bowls, drizzle with caramel sauce mixed with a little leftover egg nog and top with pie crust crumbles.

Happy Holidays -- next month I'll tell you what you can do with the gross of candy canes you got at the post-Christmas clearance.

Serials and Scenarios - Christmas Books #1

I have several Christmas books that I'm reviewing. Some of you may be looking for just such a thing. I'm going to drop in with a book review and Amazon link periodically throughout the next couple of weeks. My goal is to read every book I've committed to read and review for 2007 in 2007. I see the end in sight.

I suppose I'll post a few times a day on really crazy days. Join me. I plan to actually create a Top Ten (suppose I can narrow it down to ten? oy vey!) list of my very favorite books of 2007. Look for that over the change of year.

Since Advent in right around the corner. Here's a review of a devotional book for the Advent season. Click on the book cover should this interest you.

I'm not organized enough to participate in advent. But I like the idea. I'm all for anything that can help me to focus on Jesus and His blessings in my life and the reordering of my priorities in this busy season. If you actually participate in Advent devotions and are looking for a devotional series,you might want to look into The Miraculous Journey: Anticipating God in the Christmas Season.

I don't think think this study is appropriate for families with young children because of the subjects and vocabulary, so if you are looking for family friendly, you might want to look elsewhere. Need material for your personal study, for older children who are ready for meaty discussions on what Christ in us means and how we should respond to His birth in 2007, or small group study, keep reading.

Denomination detail: The prayer within the chapters, prior to the daily journaling section, is the same liturgical prayer. Theologically, there could be a conflict in that Bullis twice mentions receiving the Holy Spirit upon baptism. If neither of these are issues for you, keep reading.

According to a Google search Advent 2007 begins on December 2nd.

Marty Bullis has provided a slightly different slant than what I've seen in other Advent materials. His focus is less on the baby Jesus and more on the man and the God. Taking each of the twenty-eight days and tackling passages from the four gospels, Bullis gives thoughtful reflections regarding our response to Christ's coming. He covers Jesus and His relationships with His F/fathers, the time of His wilderness testing, the political climate of the day, Jesus' family tree and our humanity, among other topics.

To get even more out of this study, and it has elements of study because Bullis is obviously a teacher as he uses tools to teach and help the reader understand, commit to digging further into the Bible to enhance the short lessons. I didn't begin to grow in the Word until I began to read it. For years I fell into the trap of reading pretty words written about God's Word, but failed to read His Word on my own.