Thanksgiving dinner casserole

This recipe is great for using Thanksgiving dinner leftovers. I'm not sure where we got it, but my Mom has used it for years now. We like it so much that we eat it year-round with chicken instead of turkey.

I meant to post this sooner, since most people have probably eaten most of their Thanksgiving leftovers by now. I guess you can save this recipe for next year, or use it as your last desperate effort to use up your turkey. You can modify the amounts of the ingredients to use up more or less of the leftovers you have.

Thanksgiving Dinner Casserole

2 c. cooked cubed turkey
1 can or 2 c. green beans
1 1/2 c. turkey gravy
3 c. stuffing
4-5 c. mashed potatoes
1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese

Put the turkey and green beans in the bottom of an 9x9 pan. Pour the gravy over the top. Sprinkle the stuffing over that, and spread mashed potatoes over it all. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-50 minutes.

Makes: 6-9 servings

Book review: 1776

I just finished a great book: 1776, by David McCullough. McCullough, a well-known historian and writer, does a masterful job of detailing critical points in the American war for independence. He shows George Washington and the Continental Army as being critical to American emancipation, and shows how they were vital to upholding the Declaration of Independence and its signers.

One of the greatest aspects of thus book is all the in depth research that McCullough did. He knows the period and he knows the characters. He has a great command of the language and uses it brilliantly to portray America's defining hour.

The book is 294 pages long--and it's not a difficult read. I found his descriptions of some of the battles more understandable than what I've read of the same battles in some historical fiction novels. It's not a comprehensive history of the war--it only covers the last part of 1775 through the Battle of Princeton. But sometimes the more focused books are the best!

Carrot salad

A month ago I bought a big bag of carrots on sale. Since then it has been an adventure trying to find recipes that use carrots. I have found a few that I liked. One is a great low fat, low sugar salad. The recipe said to chill it for one hour, but I liked it best when it had chilled overnight.

Carrot Salad

4-6 carrots
1 c. crushed pineapple
1/4 c. raisins
3 T. orange juice concentrate

Peel and grate the carrots. Then combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Chill until flavors have mixed together.

Makes: 4 servings

Tragedy turned into a blessing

This is one of the most incredible stories I've ever heard. This man lost half his family to an accident, but by relying on God he came to know Christ through this tragedy. And then he was able to forgive and help the teenager who had caused the accident.

Breeder"s Cup Races

This past weekend was the Breeder's Cup races! Fort Larned battled with Mucho Macho Man to win the Classic, the biggest race of them all on Saturday. The Classic and the Ladies' Classic are my favorites, where the best of them all show their stuff. Here is a link to a NY Times article describing the Breeder's Cup as being equal to the Triple Crown races.

Unfortunately I didn't get to watch the races myself. I just got to read about them afterwards. But Friday night, to celebrate the races, I watched Dreamer. It's one of my all-time favorite movies! This has to be the umpteenth time that I've watched it. And the race at the end still gets me excited! ;)

While I own the video, I found the whole thing on youtube.com for anyone else who wants to see it:



Just for interest's sake, here is an article about the Melbourne Cup, a very famous race in Australia. While the Breeder's Cup has a purse of $5 million, this race has a $6.4 million purse. It's a big race! :)