Who is daylight saving?
I hibernate when it is dark, my body tells me it’s jammie time the minute the sun goes down. This time of year is a real struggle for me. After 5 p.m. I am useless. I don’t want to go out. I want to read and drink hot beverages and hunker down for the night. That means about 17 hours of my day is “down time” after daylight saving goes into effect. My question is this, who is daylight saving? It’s not saving us money because we have to use twice as much electricity. It’s not saving our health because I cannot be the only one who shuts down with the dark; and it’s definitely not saving our mental health because who likes to sit in the dark day after day?
This isn’t new. I remember getting on the school bus in the morning darkness and, if I had to ride the late bus, I would get home well after dark. It was depressing. The only upside was my mom’s homemade dinners of comfort foods, also called load up, it’s time to hibernate hotdishes. Walking into the cozy warm house to the smell of warm food and usually fresh bread of some kind only added to the sleepy nighttime feel, and that was at 5:15 p.m. With only one TV to watch for the rest of the night between four people, it’s no wonder I fell into the world of books. I would read for hours until it actually was bedtime at
10 p.m.
I think there should be a handbook to deal with this loss of light so here goes: At 4:45 p.m. turn on each and every light in your house with the highest wattage lightbulbs allowed. Trick yourself into believing it’s daylight. Eat salads and drink summer cocktails. Do fall for the cozy hotdishes and oven-baked breads. Turn on some summer music. Jimmy Buffet is a great go-to for a party atmosphere. Whatever you do, no soft meditation music and candlelight, or you will be asleep by 7:30. Most of all, enjoy each and every day like it was mid-July.
Peace, Sandy Holthaus
“When told the reason for Daylight Saving Time the old woman said, “Only a man would believe that you could cut a foot off the top of a blanket and sew it to the bottom of a blanket and have a longer blanket.” – Author unknown
Chicken and Potato Hot Dish
1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
8 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (such as cremini, button, or stemmed shiitake) (8 ounces)
2 medium leeks, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (2/3 cup)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 8-ounce package cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1 tablespoon snipped fresh dill or 2 teaspoons snipped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
One 2 to 2 1/4-pound purchased roasted chicken
In a 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven, cook potatoes, covered, in enough boiling water to cover for 8 minutes. Add green beans; return to boiling. Cook, covered, for 7 to 9 minutes more or until potatoes are tender and beans are crisp-tender. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a very large skillet, cook mushrooms and leeks in hot butter over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes or until tender and just starting to brown, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low. Add cream cheese; stir until melted. Add sour cream and stir until combined. Gradually stir in milk. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the dill and pepper.
Remove the meat from the chicken; discard skin and bones. Chop the chicken and add to the mushroom mixture along with the drained potato mixture. Stir gently to combine. Transfer to a greased 2 1/2- to 3-quart au gratin dish or shallow baking dish. Spread mixture evenly in dish.
Bake in a 350-degree oven, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake 5 minutes more or until heated through.
Creamed Corn Casserole
Nonstick cooking spray
2 16-ounce packages frozen whole-kernel corn
2 cups chopped red and/or green sweet pepper
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 10 3/4-ounce can condensed cream of celery soup
1 8-ounce tub cream cheese spread with chive and onion, or cream cheese spread with garden vegetables
1/4 cup milk
Lightly coat a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray; set aside. Place corn in a colander and thaw by running under cool water; drain. Set aside.
In a large saucepan cook sweet pepper and onion in 1 tablespoon hot butter until tender. Stir in corn and black pepper. In a medium bowl whisk together soup, cream cheese spread, and milk. Stir soup mixture into corn mixture. Transfer to prepared casserole dish.
Bake, covered, in a 375-degree oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until heated through, stirring once. Makes 12 servings.
Upside Down Pizza Hot Dish
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 15-oz. can Italian-style tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 ounces)
1 10-oz. package refrigerated biscuits (10 biscuits)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large skillet cook beef until no longer pink, stirring frequently. Drain off fat. Stir in tomato sauce; heat through. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Sprinkle mixture with cheese.
Flatten each biscuit with your hands; arrange the biscuits on top of the cheese. Bake in the preheated oven about 15 minutes or until biscuits are golden. Makes 5 servings.