The wonder cf comiort foo LIKE EVERYONE else, | save limes when gloom hangs around like a bloody great cloud. Jarpara MeCGreadie BUDGET BEATERS There’s a classic poster that starts, ‘You know it’s going to be a bad day when ...”’ and it carries on to mention dire possibilities such as having your horn stick as you motor down the highway behind a motorcycle gang. Uh-huh. That oughta do it. ’ For most of us, though, it's not the big stuff that puts us over the edge. It’s the small irritations that seem to pile up on those days. You get up to a sinall kitchen littered with dirty dishes. You’re out of coffee, or worse, cat food. You miss the garbage pickup. You head for the washing machine ‘and discover a load you forgot to dry — three days ago. Have you noticed? Once it starts, it just doesn’t quit. ‘If your car starts at all (on ugly day) it will quit cold halfway up the cut. ‘If-you’re already threc minutes ‘late, the closest parking is three blocks away. And then there’s the phone call department. How about a cheery voice, ‘‘Hi, Barb. Just called to see if you wanted me to bring ‘anything. . Now, doesn’t that get you thinking! Especially if you don’t ‘recognize the voice and your only pians for the vest of the week centre on having a root canal. And then there’s the call from one of your kids, starting, ‘‘Now, Mom, don't panic but... .”” Or the bank, ‘‘About your overdraft... .”” I just love getting the mail on ugly days. The phone bill will have $80 worth of !ong distance calls to some number you've never heard of. Rest assured — at least one bill will be stamped, ‘*Past due.” You'll find the unmailed cheque filed in your purse, right behind the expired discount coupons. Give up. Re-cycle the washing machine, make yourself a cup of tea and bake up a batch of com- fort food. GINGERBREAD If you're really feeling down, foad each giant slice with whipped cream. Otherwise, wash it down, hot from the oven, with a big glass of cold milk. Ya c. margarine, suftened 2 ¢, sugar legg 1c. molasses 2% ¢. flour 1% (sp. baking soda V2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ginger T tsp. cinnamon V2 tsp. cloves lc. hot water Whip the margarinz and sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and beat well. Sift the dry ingredients together and stir in. Beat until smooth. Add the hot water last — stir in and then beat well. Bake jn an 11”? x 7” cake pan — 350° F, about 35 minutes. Comfort food is usually old- fashioned stuff. It can be apple pie, chocolate cake or baked beans. Or fried chicken. It’s more apt to smell like vanilla than Grand Marnier. Here are a couple more sugges- tions for comfort food. BEAN CROCK BEANS These won’t be ready until tomorrow but that’s OK. After a day like today, won’t it be nice to start tomorrow with dinner taken care of? 2c. dried beans (wisite ones are traditional) 6c. water Y% Ib. lean salt pork KL tsp, salt _ ¥2 tsp. dry mustard 1Tbsp. brown sugar Pick over the beans and ;yinse _ them. MON. - FRI. 10 -& SAT. 10 - 6 SUN. 12 - 5 Cover with water, bring 10 a boil and turn off the burner. Let them sit for an hour or so then bring back to the boil and simmer until tender, Drain, reserving liquid. Turn beans into crock with lid. Dice up the pork aad stir in. Combine | cup of the reserved liquid with remaining ingredients and add to beans. Pour in enough of the remain- ing liquid to cover. Put the lid on the crock and bake in a stow oven -~- 300°F about 8 hours. Peek after about 4 hours and add more reserved liquid if it fooks a bit dry. Serve with hot bread and a salad — coleslaw goes well. So does corn on the cob. How about gingerbread for dessert? I get the beans all ready to bake and refrigerate overnight. Next morning, put them in the oven and they will be done by dinner- time. 1 admire people who make pies. Pastry-making frustrates me — for every good batch ! make, three others are awful. No one ever complained when 1 made this instead. APPLE CRISP 4 very large apples or 6 medium ones Ya ¢. white sugar Yc. packed brown sugar % ¢. flour Y2 tsp. nutmeg Y, tsp. cinnamon Ya c. softened margarine. Peel, core and slice apples. Place in a deep casserole dish. Combine the sugar, flour and spices. Bake at 350°F about 45 minutes or until apples are tender and top is browned. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Some people like it served with a wedge of sharp cheddar cheese. e@eo Comfort food is different for . everyone. I can become quite pleasant over a loaf of hot crusty bread and some unsalted butter. If there’s a fresh jar of peanut butter handy, so much the better, Brian loves Safeway doughnuts — the ones dripping with chocolate icing. MONTESSORI MES PETITS OPEN HOUSE Saturitay, Sept. 11 liam — 29m L it jae eB 9% eons" Ans! French! Gymt usd Registration for September 1993 Mes Petits: 980-1102 440 Hendry Avenue lower Grand Blvd. lerbs in the Market, Park Royal, South Mall . Visit our exciting new store. 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