Martha Washington

Books are a major part of my life. They occupy several book shelves in my house; some are in the trunk of my car to be carried to the half-price store, several of my friends have one or more of them, I receive them as gifts from both my sons and others, some have been lost because I forgot who I lent them to, and there are little stacks in several rooms to be read soon. Reading is one of my favorite things, needless to say.

Recently a friend lent me a book called FIRST LADY OF LIBERTY, MARTHA WASHINGTON, by Helen Bryan. I had it for several months before I began reading it, but when I did, it occupied every spare minute I had. This author was very honest; she included descriptions of both good and bad circumstances which this lady faced, and trust me...it was not all parties and dancing the minuet. She was an amazing help to her husband, even visiting several of the battle sites during the revolution to help with the troops. She lived in a time when many of the babies died in infancy; medical care was primitive and inadequate; she moved many relatives to her home so she could take care of them, etc., etc., etc.

Reading about the colonial time during which our country was born increased my realization of how blessed we are. And to Joyce: thank you for allowing me to read your book.

And what is next? Finishing the book about George Washington which I started months ago!

Chicken Surprise

Bill and I like to cook, and this hobby is growing. We have dozens of recipes for chicken dishes, but our friend Alice Strickland has shared one which we made yesterday for company, and it is the absolute best ever. Since most of you will not be coming to my house for dinner any time soon, I decided to share it....and here it is.

One rotisserie chicken fr0m the market, cut into chunks (the whole thing)
3 cups chopped celery
1 can water chestnuts, sliced
1 can cream of celery soup
8 ounces of sliced fresh mushrooms, sauteed in a little butter
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup of cheese whiz
1 can French-fried onion rings (for garnish)

Mix the first three ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the soup, mayo and cheese whiz together. Then combine the two mixtures and put in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Bake covered at 350 for 45 minutes. Remove cover and spread onion rings on top and bake another 15 minutes. Bon Appetit!

Cooking is best when it is shared with friends and/or family. We shared this dinner with Ken and Betty Cothron, and it was better than the food!!