Freedom from Want

This Sunday afternoon I'll be returning to Shore Pointe Assisted Living for their monthly tea and program.  Since it's the Sunday before Thanksgiving, the theme will be Celebrating Thanksgiving.

I'll be talking about things associated with Thanksgiving - songs, movies, parades, foods, and Norman Rockwell's 1943 Saturday Evening Post painting, Freedom from Want, also known as The Thanksgiving Picture, and sometimes, "I'll be Home for Christmas."

I ordered a print [below] to display on Sunday.

The research on this painting was very interesting. It's the third painting in the Four Freedoms series, that were inspired by Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1941 State of the Union address, also known as the Four Freedoms, delivered to the 77th United States Congress on January 6, 1941.   

The painting [along with the other three in the series] gave a tremendous lift to American morale during a critical point in the war.  It was Rockwell's gift that he translated into positive terms the very principles for which the war was being fought, and is one of his most famous works.  The painting is permanently displayed at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

And speaking of turkey... I'm providing the recipe for the turkey casserole in puff pastry that I served at my girlfriends' luncheon yesterday. It's perfect for leftover Thanksgiving turkey. I usually make it as a casserole instead of individual servings in puff pastry, so that's the recipe I'm providing, but you have the option of preparing it either way. 

Turkey [or Chicken] Casserole

4 cups diced turkey 

2 boxes Uncle Ben's "Country Inn" Rice Mixes 

[Chicken & Wild Rice, Rice Pilaf, or Chicken & Broccoli]

2 cans Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup [undiluted]

3 heaping Tbsp. Cheese Whiz

1 bunch green onions, finely sliced

1 cup finely diced celery 

1 small can of water chestnuts

[I substitute a small package of slivered almonds for water chestnuts]

1 can mushrooms, drained

Topping: 1 stick butter or margarine, melted

2 cups crushed Ritz crackers 

Cook rice according to package directions.  Mix first eight ingredients together, and pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish.   Mix cracker crumbs and melted butter together and sprinkle over top of casserole. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, uncovering the last 15 minutes of baking.  Enjoy!

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I'm enjoying the bouquet of autumn flowers the girls brought me yesterday. Aren't they beautiful? Thanks, girls!