Hi Lillian's daughter. I don't really know what you have in mind but I'm in. How is this different from Maggie's QT?

Glad to join in Leslie....so pleased that you have started this....looking forward to hearing joining you every now and then.

Donna, TX

Did I make a mess of my last message, but hope you got the meaning....thanks for taking your time to "keep us together."

Donna

Hi Everyone,

I'm so happy that Leslie started this QT for us to continue our friendships and just have fun together. I'll join in tomorrow with a recipe and a word or two about out lunch with Maxine, Lee and Richard. We did have fun!

Happy New Year to ALL!

Lillian

I didn't realize Maggie was stopping hers. Where have I been? I think a lot of Lillian and am glad to keep contact. Leslie where do you live?
Found a really good upside down cake for these holidays.

Pear Gingerbread Cake

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 box Gingerbread cake mix
2 cans sliced pears, drained and patted dry
1/3 cup sugar (which I omitted)

Melt butter in 9-in square baking dish. Arrange pear slices in rows over the butter. Sprinkle sugar if using. Make cake according to package directions and carefully pour over pears. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Mine took a little longer to cook. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.
Yield 9 servings.

Drain pears

Hi Pats,

We received an e-mail yesterday that the QT was being discontinued by Maggie. She also unsubscribed me, along with a FEW others, from the A2Z newsletter. Funny, in so many of her messages, she told us tha she can not unsubscribe anyone, you must do that yourself. It is a long story, and if you were able to get your last few e-mails for QT, you will see her message to Maxine, Richard and me and MY response to her. I was not nasty, I was factual and I told her that I still love the archives, comparing her early years and HOW MUCH she has grown in her publication and her style. I meant that and I have always complimented her on her newsletter. QT was a wonderful way to reach out to others, exchange ideas and just chat. We could talk of silly things or swap great recipes. How I shall miss that. But, we can start it here again, hopefully.

Leslie is working on a web site for those of us who want to read and enjoy another newsletter. She builds web sites in her spare time and I am so proud of her. She is doing a good job.

Your Pear Gingerbread Cake sounds delicious! I love gingerbread and also pears. What a nice combination. I'm sending a recipe in the next posting, very soon. I just did my mid-morning exercises and Bill even joined me this morning to do some with me. I have to do them before I can even think of getting out of bed. Actually, I can't stand up, if I don't exercise and stretch first. It is helping, though, and that is what counts. Today is a rough day and I really hurt a lot, but I am looking at this new year as a new beginning for us. I WILL feel better and we shall all enjoy better health, great friendships and the circle of family love that we are so blessed with.

Happy New Year and thank you for joining us to chat.

Lillian

Pats,
Hi again. I'm sorry but that senior moment thing kicked in again on me. I forgot to tell you that you can pass this QT address along to friends and neighbors, if you'd like. It should be fun having more and more friends and learning more of them and their world, their local.

I have always loved history and geography, and we learned as much as possible about wherever we lived. What a diverse country we live in; our terrain, our accents, our cooking techniques and tastes, our traditions all make this country so wonderful. Hopefully, we shall all have the opportunity to learn even more.

Thanks for taking time, again, for this message.

Lillian

Hi Lillian and Leslie

I'm so happy to be included in your new venture thanks for the invite. I haven't read any of Maggie's QT messages since Friday - today is Monday - it's holiday time here in New Zealand so we've been out and about every day.

Leslie, you are amazing to do this and a website too. My youngest son designs websites in his spare time as well, but he seems to have less of that nowadays as he's just bought a quarter share of the business he has worked for for about the past 6 years.

I have a busy month ahead, our youngest son is getting married on 5th February then my husband Malcolm and I are heading off to Singapore for 2 weeks 'shopping' and relaxation.

Happy New Year to everyone.

Robyn

Hi All,

I promised a recipe today and this is a gem from my sister. I hope that you like it.

CARROTS A LA ORANGE

1 lb carrots
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch

Whoops, hit the wrong button. I'll try again.

CARROTS A LA ORANGE

1 lb carrots, pared
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
Snipped parsley

Slice carrots crosswise on the bias, about 1 inch thick. Cook, covered in boiling water until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and ginger. Add orange juice. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook 1 minute more. Stir in butter until melted. Pour over carrots, tossing to coat evenly. Turn into serving dish. Sprinkle with snipped parsley. Makes 4 servings.

Lillian

Hi,

I wanted to tell you of our lunch yesterday with Maxine, Lee and Richard. Bill, Leslie and I met them at our local Olive Garden and what a nice visit we had. I held up pretty well; did some squirming and twithcing in the chair and had to stand up, but only ONCE! These exercises are working pretty well.

We laughed so hard at our own silly jokes, talked of plans for the new year (don't we all make those? How many do you think that we will manage to keep?). Maxine and Lee will probably be here for a couple of weeks and maybe Richard can hang around for awhile, too. If so, we can meet for another lunch or something.

These are such great people! It is so easy to talk to them and to listen to them. They are funny and I am trying to talk Maxine into writing a sit-com for TV or, at least, a book.

If any of you are ever in our area, please let us know and we will try to meet with you for lunch or a cup of coffee/tea.

I hope that everyone's New Year's Eve afternoon was as much fun as ours was.

Lillian