Miss Spenser's Blog

Cottage Turkey Pot Pie Cold Weather, Comfort Food & Left Over Turkey This dish is a perfect way to use leftover turkey from your holiday meals...it delicious, filling and comforting. Filling: 3 TBSP butter 1/2 C finely diced Celery 1/2 C finely diced Onion 1 small Bay Leaf 3 TBSP Flour 1 1/2 C Chicken Stock 1 1/2 C Milk or Cream Dash or two of Tabasco Sauce Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste 1 1/2 to 2 C of Diced Cooked Turkey 4 small Potatoes, diced and cooked 3 small Carrots, diced and cooked 1 C green peas, cooked 1 C corn, cooked Herbs for flavoring (i.e. dill, parsley, thyme) Melt the butter over low heat in a large saucepan. Add the celery, onion and bay leaf, cover and cook about 10 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Sprinkle the flour over the butter mixture, stir well to incorporate, then cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock and the milk or cream. Cook the sauce over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally....

From our House to Yours,  w e hope that you are enjoying this holiday season with Family and Friends! May 2010 be a year filled with much joy and happiness! 

"The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...." These Christmas stockings are very special to our family members; they are one of the much anticipated items to be pulled out of the Christmas box every holiday season. Having time on my hands when I only had one little munchkin, I thought it would be so much fun to make her a stocking like the one I had when I was a child. My stocking, unfortunately from all the moves, has been misplaced...it was carefully crafted by my mother, who actually had no kit...she made it all on her own...and it was the sweetest thing ever! I purchased this kit for Spenser and began stitching away on it...to my surprise, it took longer than I thought, but I managed to have it finished for Christmas Day when Spenser was 3 years old. As you can see, it's a bit worn from all the handling over the years (17 yrs. to be exact!) What started out as some "extra time" on my hands turned out to be a huge project with each subsequ...

Who can resist a really good children’s Christmas Story? Here’s one of our all time favorites: The Little Fir Tree by Margaret Wise Brown The story starts out with a tiny seed blown through the air, out of the forest and into the field…where it dropped on the ground…the seasons past and the seed sprouted and took root and grew… Seven springs, summers, autumns and winters passed…the little tree felt lonely as it gazed upon the great dark forest nearby...it was growing alone in the big empty field. One winter day a man came out and told the little tree it would be perfect for his boy to grow strong with. He tenderly dug it up and brought it to his little lame boy, “And you will grow with my little boy who cannot come to you…You shall be his living tree.” He became a Christmas tree that year… Seasons passed, and when the snow fell over the still, quiet fields, the little fir tree would once again be carried to the bright lights of the Christmas Celebration…the boy and the t...

A Cup of Cheer Why not spread a Cup of Cheer to those in need this Holiday Season? Miss Spenser and I had an opportunity to do so this past November. Our friend, Doris, had invited us to over to see her hats. Doris used to own a very classy women's clothing store in the Storm Lake, Iowa area before settling down in the Des Moines area. As you can see from the photo, Doris is a lady of grace and beauty. At the last minute we decided to put together a quick tea party in a basket, we are so glad we did...it was easy to do and it really brightened Doris' day! Here's what we did... Find a basket, fill it with a pretty linen napkin, pretty teacups or teacup mugs, bring a caraffe of tea, add pretty seasonal paper plates and napkins. We made a a couple of tea sandwiches before leaving home, and then on the way in to Des Moines, we stopped at the grocery store and purchased a little package of fruit and cheese cubes, a jello salad, and a half of a bundt cake. It was very s...

On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me... A Package of Fine Loose Tea On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me...   Two Jars of Jelly, And A Package of Fine Loose Tea On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me... Three Scone Mixes, Two Jars of Jelly, And A Package of Fine Loose Tea On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me...   Four Silver Teaspoons, Three Scone Mixes, Two Jars of Jelly, And A Package of Fine Loose Tea On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me... Five Tea Cozies, Four Silver Teaspoons, Three Scone Mixes, Two Jars of Jelly, And A Package of Fine Loose Tea On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me... Six Tea-pot Drippers, Five Tea Cozies, Four Silver Teaspoons, Three Scone Mixes, Two Jars of Jelly, And A Package of Fine Loose Tea On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me... Seven Steaming Teapots, Six...

Christmas Banana Bread ~Teatime with Miss Spenser's Vol. 1~ 1 Stick of Butter 1 C Sugar 2 Eggs, beaten well 2 C Flour 1 tsp. Soda 3 TBSP Sour Milk* 3 Bananas, mashed 1/3 C Chocolate Chips 1/3 C Marchino Cherries, chopped 1/4 C Green Candied Cherries, chopped 1/4 C Pecans, chopped Glaze: 1 C Powdered Sugar and just enough Cherry Juice to make a glaze. Beat the softened butter with sugar; add eggs, beat until creamy. Stir in dry ingredients, alternating with milk to sugar mixture. Add bananas, blend slightly until moistened. Add chips, cherries, and nuts, stirring gently to incorporate. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes, or until wooden pick comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes; pour glaze on top; let cool 20 minutes, remove from pan...makes 1 large loaf. Delicious. Baking tips: *Sour Milk: To make sour milk; and 2 drops of vinegar to regular milk; let stand 5 to 10 minutes until it thickens. Also...After 50 minutes bakin...