My mother was not politically correct
My mother was not politically correct
Being politically correct means avoiding language that might offend someone.
Much emphasis has been put on it by politicos in the campaign race for president in 2016. And so far it has not been practiced by many of the candidates.
But politics aside, long before it became a by-word for the candidates, my mother practiced political incorrectness in her later years. I guess it was the result of the suppression of holding her tongue while raising a large family through difficult times.
Looking back, I would say she deserved the emancipation of feeling free to say what she was thinking. To my way of thinking, old age is a person’s prerogative in expressing his or her opinion.
In her declining years she unleashed her opinions on her children who laughed and said “that’s just the way Mama is” and usually found her remarks amusing. Example:
Like one day when sister Pat asked her if she liked the meatloaf she had fixed. Mama’s reply was “If I were you Pat, I wouldn’t give out that recipe to anybody.” It was a meatloaf that didn’t quite come up to Pat’s usual standards.
Let one of her daughters change their hairstyle, she would admonish them with “What in the world have you done to your hair?” And don’t ask what she would say when one of us put on a little weight.
In extolling the virtues of her children, or lack thereof, she gave brother Don a free pass. He was the cleanest, most well-behaved child in the whole world.
“But Mama,” we said when it seemed she had come to the end of the list, “what about Wanda?”
“Oh, Wanda,” she said throwing her hands up in the air. “The devil wouldn’t have had her.”
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I like to buy rotisserie chicken. It’s convenient, saves time, cheap, and very tasty. This recipe does it up nicely.
Chicken Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
1 package of egg noodles (I used medium)
6 tablespoons butter
½ small onion, chopped
1-10 ounce package of mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup flour
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 – 16 ounce container of sour cream
4 cups chicken, cubed
(1 rotisserie chicken, meat picked
off the bone, shredded)
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
salt
pepper
Topping
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup breadcrumbs (I used Panko)
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350. Bring water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add salt and cook noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside in colander.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, ½ teaspoons salt and some pepper. Cook until most of the water has evaporated out of the mushrooms. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and let it melt. Add the flour and stir until it becomes lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds.
Gradually whisk in broth and sour cream. Let it cook 5 to 7 minutes, but don’t let it boil, you just want it to thicken. Stir in the chicken, noodles, parsley & thyme. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
Transfer the filling into a greased 3-quart baking dish while you prepare the topping.
To make the topping:
Mix all the topping ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle on top of the casserole.
Bake until browned and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.