Of prayer to heal the nation, who would buy this?, hints, & a pasta recipe

AN EPISCOPALIAN PRAYER, NICE FOR AFTER THE ELECTION:

The country needs to heal after the bitterly-contested election. Here is a prayer used in the Episcopal Church that might help:

O L-rd, show Thy mercy upon us;
And grant us Thy salvation.
Endue Thy ministers with righteousness;
And make Thy chosen people joyful.
Give peace, O L-rd, in all the world;
For only in Thee can we live in safety.
L-rd, keep this nation under Thy care;
And guide us in the way of justice & truth.
Let Thy way be known upon earth;
Thy saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O L-rd, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O G-d;
& sustain us with Thy Holy Spirit.









THIS WEEK’S HINTS:

To save energy, preheat your oven when making baked goods only when you are halfway through with preparing the mix or dough.

If your child is of car seat age, put a plastic dishpan on the carpet in front of his feet. It will pick up all sorts of spills, making “less work for Mommy and Daddy.”

VERY IMPORTANT: New banking regulations regarding your checking account make it possible & highly likely that any company to which you issue a check will debit it from your account as an electronic transfer the moment the company opens your envelope. So, you can no longer count on any time for “float” of your money.

For those who sew on a machine, here are 2 hints:
(a) keep the foot of your machine from wandering by placing it in a plastic bag, closed with a tie & taped in place.
(b) for portable machines, use a rubber mat such as a mouse or even a jar opening doohickey underneath your machine to keep it in place. You may need to use more than one.

Use thimbles on your thumb & forefinger to keep from grating yourself when you’re trying to grate carrots, cheese, or what-have-you.









WHAT YOU DON’T NEED & CAN MAKE YOURSELF IN A CINCH ANYHOW:

Originally priced at $24, on sale for $14.99, are brooches (pins with several stones in them – made with acetate, according to the revealing details) that are attached to satin ribbon in a coordinating color. The catalogue copy is enthusiastic about how you can wear this jewelry with or without the ribbon ….









RECIPE OF THE WEEK:

SPAGHETTI WITH BEANS, PEAS, AND TUNA:

3 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
1 medium onion, chopped
2 T canola oil
8 oz spaghetti, broken into thirds before cooking
1 can (6 oz) chunk light tuna, NOT drained
2 c peas, frozen & thawed or fresh
1-3/4 c beans from your freezer stock (see the blog dated September 10, 2004) or one 15-oz can of beans (I used red kidney beans)
28 oz crushed tomatoes
1 tsp EACH salt, dried basil, & dried oregano
freshly ground black pepper to taste

(To save on washing, cook the spaghetti in the same Dutch oven that you’ll make the recipe in.) Prepare spaghetti & drain it in a colander. Heat oil in the Dutch oven, add onion & garlic, cover, & lower the flame. Saute. Stir at the 10 minutes mark, then sauté for an additional 10 minutes. Stir. Add tuna, beans, & seasonings. Stir thoroughly & bring to a simmer (you’ll be able to see some bubbles at the sides of the Dutch oven.). Cover, lower heat, & cook for 15 minutes. Stir, & continue cooking for another 15 minutes. During that time, run cold water over the spaghetti in the colander, & use your hand to break up any clumps. Stir into the Dutch oven the peas & spaghetti, & cook on medium until heated through. Serves 4 as an entrée.