ItsPat59

I dare anyone to not cry at the end of White Christmas when all the soldiers are saluting their former General. About as schmaltzy as it gets but it gets me every time. My more modern and favorite Christmas movie that gets the tears rolling is Love Actually. Actually, I still cry at the Folger's Home for Christmas coffee commercial and that sucker is probably 20 years old. Proctor and Gamble must love my kind.

The similarities among many of us is freaking amazing. 1. I I too had a crazy mother but it was acknowledged and treated. I have bivid memories of playing in the waiting room during her weekly psych appointments. Realized as an adult it's affected more than I ever realized. 2. Sugared cereal! Ha! In our house anything wS allowed but my mom drew the line at any chocolate cereal. It was before nutrition labels so it never occurred to her that Captain Crunch with crunchberries probably had 10x more sugar. 3. Books. I could read whatever I wanted. Read t The Exorcist at 12 and spent the next week sleeping on the floor of my parent's bedroom. I too, love true crime novels but only if they're well written. Will really miss Ann Rule. Anyone read Echoes in the Darkness by Joseph Wambaugh? When I've had too much of death and gore I do a 180 and feast on anything Jane Austen or knockoffs.

I worked as a food service manager at a nursing home. " Under the Sea" salad which used lime jello as it's base was a staple. The elderly residents loved it. My MIL even gave me a "Jello," (™) cookbook. I didn't have the heart to tell her gelatin anything makes me gag ;~)

IOU Payne: P'tcheh! I had no idea that's how it's spelled. 35 years ago I went to my friends' house for her birthday dinner. Her mother was a fabulous Kosher cook and that was what the birthday girl requested. I politely declined. As the daughter of a Convert, I wasn't raised with too much traditional Jewish food. But anything "jellied" makes me gag. p'tcheh, souse, head cheese. Blurg! But I have discovered goetta, which is a local treat here in the Midwest.

All this canned food talk is bringing back such fond memories. As a child of the 60's and the daughter of a mediocre cook I grew up hating veggies! It wasn't until I lived on my own that I realized how tasty properly cooked fresh veggies (or even better,raw) taste. And, personally, canned asparagus IS THE WORST! At least I can used canned peas in tuna casserole. Made with potato chips, of course.

Long,long,long time lurker but too inept to register til now. Finally have to post since we're discussing food. Our Thanksgiving is just one carbohydrate orgasm. Turkey, of course. Then we usually have 4 different starches. I made my kids choose 2 for Thanksgiving and 2 for Chrismakuh last year. That didn't go over well, so this year it's: mashed potato casserole, stuffing, corn casserole and noodle kugel. Oh, and tofurkey for my newly vegetarian son. 2 veggie dishes, the trimmings and dessert. The only reason I'm agreeing to this is because I don't have to follow up with Chrismakuh a month later. I've been enjoying all the posts for all the threads for 19kac. You all make me realize there are many like-minded, sane people in the universe.