Thanksgiving Dinner

Corn Bread Stuffing

Cornbread                                                       
    1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal                                     
    4 slices bacon                                                 
    1 tablespoon sugar                                             
    1 teaspoon baking powder                                       
    1 teaspoon baking soda                                         
    1 teaspoon salt                                                
    1 1/2 cups milk                                                
    1/2 cup heavy cream                                             
    Stuffing                                                        
    2 large eggs                                                    
    *1 pound Hot Italian sausage                                    
    2 cups chopped onions                                          
    1 1/2 cups celery chopped finely                               
    1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced                          
    1/2 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced (orange bell pepper)  
    1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced                        
    1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped                                  
    1 teaspoon fresh sage, minced                                  
    1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced                                 
    1 teaspoon salt                                                
    1/8 teaspoon black pepper                                      
    1/2 cup orange juice                                           
    2 eggs                                                         

For cornbread, heat oven to 450 degrees.  Cook bacon until crisp, chop & set aside. Reserve Bacon grease and use to grease 8" baking pan.  In large bowl, combine bacon, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda & salt, mix well.  In separate bowl, whisk together milk, cream & eggs.  Add the milk mixture to the cornmeal and blend.  Place the empty baking pan in oven, heating until grease just begins to smoke.  Pour in the batter and bake until top is brown, 20 to 25 minutes.  Cool completely.

In skillet, cook sausage (*1 pound ground pork shoulder, 3 1/2 tsp. Migliore Medium Hot Italian seasoning & 2 tsp. white wine - mixed thoroughly) until slightly brown, breaking it up with a spoon, about 3 min.  Add onions, celery and peppers, reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes more.  Cut the corn bread into cubes and transfer to a large bowl.  Stir in sausage mixture until well combined.  Add parsley, sage, thyme, salt and pepper and mix well.  In a cup, whisk orange juice and eggs until well blended, then stir into stuffing.

Refrigerate stuffing before placing in turkey cavity.  Once the stuffing is cold - stuff turkey and roast.

Remaining stuffing can be cooked in oven at 350° .  Spoon remaining stuffing into well-buttered 13 x 9 inch glass baking dishes.  Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.  Uncover dish and bake until crisp , approximately 10 minutes more. Serves 20 people

Benefits of Hydrogen Peroxide

 *excerpt taken from article by Becky Ransey

 1. Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily, then spit it out.  No more canker sores and your teeth will be whiter without expensive pastes. Use it instead of mouthwash, however limited use!

2. Clean your counters, table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters.

4. You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of
whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and
rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.

The effectiveness of this method is a matter of experimentation, but the principle is sound.  Some of the so called "oxygen" bleaches contain hydrogen peroxide.  Be careful about the suggestion to use it on spots.  Hydrogen peroxide is a bleach!

5. Use as a vegetable wash or soak to kill bacteria. Research published by the Journal of Food and Science in 2003 showed effective results of using hydrogen peroxide to decontaminate apples and melons that were infected with strains of E.coli.

6. Clean with hydrogen peroxide when your house becomes a biohazard after its invaded by toxic mold, such as those with water damage.

In a publication about "Healthy Homes," the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) listed hydrogen peroxide as among the substances that can be used against mold, but also said there had not been enough research to recommend its use.  It is not known what molds hydrogen peroxide is most effective against or what the human health hazards may be from using it so extensively. Also, since hydrogen peroxide is a bleach, be careful where you use it in terms of preserving the colors in your home.

Caring for your Fruit Trees

Young trees are pruned to train them to become structurally sound, to make them easy to care for and to ensure the production of high quality fruit. Pruning will:

• Control size for easier care in maintaining and picking fruit
• Increase strength - develop strong limb structure
• Distribute sunlight evenly throughout tree
• Regulate fruit bearing - removes excess fruitwood
• Renew fruitwood - to continue strong buds and flowers
• Remove undesirable wood- dead, broken, and crossing branches.

The optimum time of year to prune fruit trees is the dormant season, December, January (best) and until the middle of February, but note summer schedule for Apricots.