As I sit this morning, sipping on the first cup of coffee, it seems it was just last week that I looked out this window and enjoyed the rose-colored blooms of fuchsia and greens of grass and trees. Time passes quicker the older we get. That doesn’t sound possible, as time flows the same everywhere, for all time.

But, it is true because for generations we humans have said so. It is our perspective. Flowing hours surrounding a child of ten years is a greater part of their life-a solid block if you will, holding them into a now position.

For a person of sixty-five years, a day is but a fragment of their lives. It flows away quickly like an autumn leaf hitting the stream below its tree. An older person has a sense of before the leaf turned yellow, as the leaf started to fall and when it touched the flowing water, all together as a fleeting moment.

Now, through this window we watch the annual murmurations of grackles and starlings. Black dots swirl in the deep blue of a cold morning sky. As their one body of many bodies moves through from west to east, they fly together, almost joyously it seems, from night’s roost to morning field of breakfast.

Members are added at a moment’s notice. Flocks from afar find their way into the center of the murmuration even as it moves up, down, around for miles. For these creatures, time has no speed. Whether it goes slow or fast, their days are centered on food, water and a place of safety come nightfall.

Really, that’s what every person in the world is looking for: food, water and a place of safety come nightfall. It puts all humans in the same boat. When everything else is stripped away-the arguments, the stresses of life, the outcries for everything one thinks one does not have and yet is owed, the wants and the must-haves plastered all over social media-it boils down to just three basic things.

So with that thought, here are a couple of recipes with just three ingredients. Less ingredients means more free time, time that perhaps will not seem to fly by, oh so quickly.

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Green Beans & Mushrooms

  • One quart green beans or two 15 oz. cans
  • One can small or large mushrooms, whole or pieces
  • One jar Prego or Ragu Alfredo sauce
In 1 ½ quart casserole, mix beans and mushrooms, both of which have been drained. Mix in a cup of the sauce. Toss together till all is coated. Use more sauce if necessary. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. If desired, a crumbled cracker topping or crushed potato chip topping or crumbled fried onion topping can be added.

Baked Barbecue

  • Chicken & Onions
  • One bottle favorite barbecue sauce
  • Four sweet onions such as Vidalia
  • Fresh, cut chicken pieces, bone-in
In 13 x 9-inch casserole dish, place onions that have been peeled and sliced. Spread evenly over bottom of dish. Place chicken pieces which have been washed and patted dry with paper towels on top of onions. Pour barbecue sauce over all. Cover with foil and bake 350 degrees for one hour.

Fried SweetPotatoes

  • Two medium size sweet potatoes
  • Butter
  • Sugar and cinnamon mixed together
Wash potatoes and then peel them. Slice into long ¼ inch slab slices or ¼ inch round slices, whichever is easy. Melt a generous amount of butter in large non-stick skillet. Fry potatoes until soft and browned. Immediately sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon mix. Serve hot. The sugar/cinnamon mix is up to you whether you like more sweet or more spice in it.

Marinated Salad Vegetables

  • One large red onion
  • One medium cucumber
  • One avocado
  • One or two medium tomatoes
  • One bell pepper, any color
  • One bottle 16 oz. Wishbone or Kraft Zesty Italian salad dressing
  • Fresh raw spinach leaves or romaine lettuce
Yes this is more than three ingredients. You can choose three or use whichever you have on hand. Peel, seed and cube veggies. Place in large bowl. Pour dressing over all and toss to coat well. Cover and chill a couple of hours. Wash, drain and chop spinach leaves or romaine lettuce. Place in individual serving bowls. Top with marinated vegetables. Fresh broccoli flowerets or cauliflower, shredded cabbage or drained cans of chick peas or cooked lentils will work too.
First Group 2x2
First Group 2x2
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