Four Jewel Boxes

 

In England, they’d classify this as an onion chutney or onion pickle. Between the caramelized onion, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar, it’s definitely sweet enough to call “jam.” It’s a great accompaniment to almost any meat. Especially good with leftover turkey, in or out of a sandwich. But my favorite way to use it is over toasted baguette slices, with melted raclette on top.

 

Onion Jam

 

3 fairly large onions, quartered and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 – 4 tablespoons vegetable stock

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

Salt to taste (if the stock was salt-free)

 

Sauté onions in oil over medium-low heat, stirring, until they’re soft and golden. Add remaining ingredients. Continue cooking over low heat until dark and syrupy. Cover and refrigerate for up to a week.

Three-Inch Churn Dash Blocks

 

“Jesus’ compassionate acts were not based on a list of tasks to be completed but expressions of His pure love for God and His children. Jesus was able to identify people’s needs even at a distance. It is not surprising that immediately after healing a certain centurion’s servant, Jesus traveled from Capernaum to the city called Nain. There, Jesus performed one of the most tender miracles of His earthly ministry when He commanded a dead young man, only son of a widowed mother, to rise and live. Jesus sensed not only the intense suffering of that poor mother but also the difficult circumstances of her life, and He was moved by genuine compassion for her. Just like the widow of Nain, many people within our circle are seeking comfort, attention, inclusion, and any help that we can offer them. We all can be instruments in the Lord’s hands and act compassionately toward those in need, just as Jesus did.” – Elder Ulisses Soares

Economy Block

 

Last autumn, during post-season clean-up, park ranger Tom Mazzarisi found a soggy Teddy bear along the Hidden Lake Trail in Montana’s Glacier National Park. The tiny bear had seen better days. Items like this normally end up in the rubbish bin, but Tom couldn’t bring himself to toss Teddy. They spent the winter together, and come spring, Teddy rode the dashboard of Tom’s patrol truck. Teddy had been Naomi Pascal’s when she lived in an Ethiopian orphanage. Her new family sent him to her while she waited to be adopted. Teddy had been by her side through family trips to Rwanda, Croatia and Greece. When Naomi and Teddy lost each other, friends and family turned to social media to get them back together. A woman who’d seen their posts spotted Teddy in Tom’s truck, and the girl and her bear were soon reunited. Their family sent Tom a new bear who’ll ride in his truck next spring.

Three-Inch Nine-Patch Blocks

 

I once saw a kitchen plaque that said, “Today’s menu: Take it or Leave it!” It made me chuckle, but I’ve learned the secret to feeding a picky family is to offer lots of choices. One of my most successful dinners when my own kids were small was Hawaiian Haystacks: rice and chicken with gravy and a variety of toppings like Chow Mein noodles, pineapple, onion, olives, bell peppers, toasted almonds, cheese and tomatoes. A couple of weeks ago I served quesadillas. They’re essentially grilled cheese sandwiches using flour tortillas instead of bread. Along with shredded cheddar, I stuffed them with pulled rotisserie chicken (chopped very fine, because my granddaughter isn’t an avid meat eater). Once they were toasted on both sides, I sliced them and served them with do-it-yourself toppings: salsa, sour cream, guacamole, scallions, tomatoes, black olives, and bell peppers. Dinner was a hit, and the leftovers became a lovely Denver omelet the next morning.

Tom Turkey Table Runner

 

It was November 24, ten years ago. We were enjoying our last lovely autumn in North Yorkshire. Christmas decorations and lights had been up for several weeks already; a very good thing, as sunset was falling earlier every afternoon. It was one of John’s days off. Instead of running errands, we decided to spend the day in York – our very favorite place – doing some of our favorite things. We parked near the Viking Museum and wandered through Marks and Spencer on our way to the Shambles. We hiked the city wall. We visited the Disney Store and Bettys, and a Christmassy nutcracker shop. Tea time found us at Nando’s, munching on pita wedges with hummus, olives and Peri-Peri chicken. We were just wondering if we’d left room for dessert when it dawned on us it was Thursday. We’d completely forgotten it was Thanksgiving, and still managed to have the best Thanksgiving ever. Here’s wishing you a great Thanksgiving, too.

Flying Geese

 

Bessie Coleman was born in 1892 in Atlanta, Texas. She was one of 13 children born to Susan and George Coleman, who were both sharecroppers. Her father, who was of Native American and African American descent, left the family when Bessie was very young. Her mother did her best to support the family, and all the children pitched in as soon as they were old enough to help. It was Bessie’s dream to become a pilot, but no flying schools in the United States were open to her. Undeterred, Bessie learned French and moved to France, where her gender and the color of her skin didn’t hold her back. She earned her pilot’s license in just seven months. Bessie’s specialty was stunt flying; she earned a living barnstorming and performing high flying tricks. She was rehearsing for an aerial show when an accident took her life at the age of thirty-four.

Four Turkeys

 

Koko the Gorilla was born in the San Diego Zoo in 1971. Her trainer, Penny Patterson, taught her American Sign Language. At age four, she had a vocabulary of 170 words. Koko lived most of her life in Woodside, California, at The Gorilla Foundation's preserve in the Santa Cruz Mountains. She was a media darling, in spite of (or perhaps because of) a debate in scientific circles over whether she was actually “speaking,” or whether Dr. Patterson and others had simply trained a gorilla to perform like any circus animal. A variety of celebrities came to visit Koko at the preserve, including William Shatner, Leonardo DiCaprio, Betty White, Robin Williams and Sting. Perhaps Koko’s favorite visitor was Fred Rogers, who she seemed to recognize from his PBS show. She told him she loved him. Then, as she’d seen him do countless times on TV, Koko removed Mr. Rogers’ shoes. Koko died in her sleep in 2018. She was forty-six.