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Page 12A, Wednesday, December 23, 2020 — The True Citizen
Whew! What a year! I am glad to be getting back in the swing of things and apologize for my
hiatus from sharing recipes. It has been quite the adjustment navigating the waters of teaching
virtually and learning a new way to go about usual daily routines. I want to share this recipe that
is a favorite at Thanksgiving and Christmas meals with my mother’s side of the family. I am un
sure if I have shared it before, but just in case I haven’t, here ya go! My Aunt Phyllis introduced
us to this recipe, and it quickly became a favorite! I see no need to save it just for Thanksgiving
or Christmas, as this is a great side dish for any meal throughout the year! The great thing about
this particular recipe is that it is easily adjusted to make as little or as much as you want or need.
Schhimbergen truncate Schhanbergem brirtrjesff
Thftnksqivinq Cactus Christmas Cactus
Hatfotagaertnert
Easter Cactus
KICKIN' SQUASH CASSEROLE
Holiday cactus identification
INGREDIENTS:
Stewed squash
Chopped onion
Chopped bell pepper
Sliced jalapenos, chopped as rough or as fine as you like
(I use the ones pre-sliced from the jar and chop fine)
Grated Cheddar and mozzarella
1 beef bouillon cube
Ritz crackers crumbled
Margarine/butter
1 can of cream of chicken soup
2 eggs slightly beaten
1TBSP mayonnaise
1 TBSP sour cream
Pepper jack cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
My aunt makes this casserole in a ridiculously large baking dish most of the time. When I first
started making this recipe, I called to ask her how much squash to use. Her instructions were based
on how she decides. She chooses her dish size and then slices her squash and fills the baking dish
up and then adds a little more since the squash will condense after cooking. Most of the ingredi
ents can be adjusted based on your preferences. For example, she uses almost 5 cups of cheese
in her big one (and because we like it cheesy)! Your pepper jack cheese and the sliced jalapenos
determine the amount of kick you give your casserole.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Once you have decided what size pan you want, her instruc
tions are to cook the squash, onion, pepper and jalapeno in water seasoned with the bouillon, salt
and pepper. I cheated a little and used some stewed squash I had put up in the freezer, so I sauteed
my pepper and onions, then added them, the squash and beef bouillon paste to a mixing bowl.
Then I added my mayonnaise, sour cream, jalapenos and cream of chicken and gave it a good stir.
You can taste at this point and adjust anything you like. Keep in mind your pepper jack cheese will
add some heat, too. Then add your pepper jack (I used 2 cups), mozzarella and half of the cheddar
cheese. (I used about 1.5 cups of mozzarella and cheddar).
Stir again and you can also give it another taste to decide if you want to add anything. Pour the
mixture into a greased casserole (I just spray with Pam cooking spray). Add the other half of your
cheddar cheese (I used a cup) and the crumbled Ritz crackers to the top. You can melt your butter/
margarine and pour over it or you can do like me and add slices all around before baking. Bake at
350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown. There is also a variation to this recipe where
you add crumbled seasoned sausage to the casserole. I haven’t tried it like that yet, but it sounds
tasty! You can also vary your bell pepper colors to match the seasons, too!
I hope that you and your family enjoy this recipe as much as mine does! I would like to wish
everyone a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
ALLIE CROCKETT
Young Farmer Teacher
Burke County High School
Around this time of year
it’s common to see blooming
holiday cacti or receive one as
a gift. Some people have one
that has been handed down
from generation to generation.
Sometimes there can be some
confusion as to which cactus
it really is. These three spe
cies of holiday cacti are a part
of the leaf cacti group. Their
leaves are actually segmented
stems. Their flowers come
from notches on the stem seg
ments or tips. While there used
to be a few common colors,
today’s plant breeding prac
tices have expanded the color
options available.
If you know what to look
for, it’s easy to tell them apart.
Bloom time is the first indi
cator. Thanksgiving cactus
usually bloom in late fall usu
ally about a month before the
Christmas cactus while the
Easter cactus starts to develop
buds in February. Proper care
ensures bloom time as well as
an abundance of blooms. It is
important to note that if condi
tions required by the plant are
met during other times of the
year, it can induce blooming.
A better indicator as to the
type of cactus is the leaf shape.
The Thanksgiving cactus has
very pointy projections on the
tips of the leaves. The Christ-
State of Georgia
County of Burke
PUBLIC NOTICE
INTENT TO PROCESS OR TABULATE EARLY
JANUARY 5, 2021 GENERAL AND SPECIAL
ELECTION RUNOF For Burke County
Pursuant to O.G.C.A. 21 -2-386(a)(3), this is to notify the citizens of Burke
County, Georgia, that the Burke County Board of Elections and Registration
will begin PROCESSING (mail-out) absentee ballots cast in the JANUARY
5, 2021 General/Special Election Runoff. Processing will be done in the
Burke County Board of Elections Office 602 N. Liberty St. Waynesboro, Ga
30830. For more information please contact Laverne Sello at 706-554-7457.
Processing will begin December 28, 2020 at 1:00 PM.
Laverne Sello, Burke County Board of Elections and Registration
December 18,2020
mas cactus has more rounded
or scalloped shaped projec
tions , and the Easter cactus has
the most rounded projections.
Proper care for your holiday
cacti is important for the health
of the plant and to ensure you
have plenty of blooms to en
joy. These cacti are all short
day plants and both Thanks
giving and Christmas cacti
require 6 weeks of 12 to 24
hours of darkness and cooler
temperatures. The Easter cac
tus requires 8 to 12 weeks of
short days to set blooms. Once
blooms have set, they can be
moved to a warmer room for
you to enjoy, but moving it
can cause some buds to drop.
Drafty areas, too much water
or too much direct sunlight can
also cause buds to drop. These
plants enjoy sunlight but need
more indirect sunlight. Let the
soil dry down one inch before
watering. Do not fertilize or
re-pot while the plant is bloom
ing. These plants actually do
best when they are root bound.
Overwatering is probably the
most common problem with
these plants. It is easy to en
courage blooming during other
times of the year by creating
the proper conditions.
These plants are beautiful to
enjoy and one of the easiest to
care for. The following picture
is one of the best references I
have seen to help identify these
plants. I hope that this article
proves to be a good reference
to you. I would like to wish ev
eryone a very Merry Christmas
and Happy New Year!!!
To the Community of
Waynesboro and Burke
County. We the Ark
Victory Apostolic Church
thank you so wry much
for a wonderful
Installation Service for our
new Pastor
Rev. Doris Green, Tongo.
To Minister Elaine Stokes Installation Vows, to |udge
Rmmanual Firkins. Hand of Fellowship, Pastor I imothy
Kirkland Installation Sermon, President Habersham. Pastor
tting charge to the church and charge to the ministers.
To the City of Waynesboro. Burke County Improvement
Association. Burke County Black Churches Benevolence
Association, Burke County Sunday School Union. To Noah
Ebeneztrr Central Baptist Association, your participation
and your kindness is so much appreciated. Please call on
us and wc will be ever so grateful to respond to your call.
Minister Elaine Stokes
Judge Emmanual Larkins
Pastor Timothy Kirkland