My Life Through Food

Crafts, Recipes and Other Weekend Plans

2012-01-27T12:08:00.000-05:00

Tonight I have a Ladies Craft Night at church, we are making waterless snow globes. I'm looking forward to it, and I think that I might also bring my knitting with me. I really need to get that finished, I don't have long until my friend is due. I also need to force myself to find the time to go through pictures so that I can scrapbook.

I'm trying at least two new recipes this weekend. One is a soup that I'm testing for someone that is writing a book and the other is a new chocolate cake recipe. I'm still deciding if the soup is going to be my lunch for the week, or if I want to make a stew to bring instead. The stew recipe is the one that I was supposed to test last weekend, but I didn't find garam masala until Wednesday (well at least not reasonably priced).

My mom is coming for dinner tomorrow night - but I'm using tried and true recipes there :-)

What are your plans for the weekend? Whatever they are I hope that you have a blessed weekend!

This post is part of the Company Girl Coffee Blog Hop

over at Home Sanctuary

Must See Movies

2012-01-26T12:09:00.001-05:00

We watched two great movies recently. The first is The Runner from Ravenshead. Talk about a cute movie - the entire cast is played by 5 kids (4 brothers and their sister).

The movie is an allegory for salvation. It follows Sam as she escapes from Ravenshead Prison. The Guide Service sends someone to help her get to the City of Refuge before the warden gets her.

The second movie that we saw recently was Courageous. If you saw Fireproof, it's by the same group. While the main point of the movie is these men trying to be the father that God called them to be, it's a movie that the whole family can enjoy - and learn from.

The Chicken That Just Keeps Going

2012-01-24T10:54:00.000-05:00

Or The Many Meal Chicken.

This past weekend I cooked up a chicken. Actually, the main point was to make stock with the chicken. Neither Jim nor I are big fans of roast chicken, so it's not like I have bones hanging around in my freezer from previous meals. I also didn't want to take the time to roast one up just to make stock. Instead I bought a whole chicken, cut the thighs and drumsticks off and threw all into a pot with some chunked onion and carrot. I added 4 quarts of water and a couple of tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar.

I didn't want to waste the meat though, so after a few hours I pulled out each section of chicken and removed the meat. The dark meat was removed in pieces (I recommend letting it cool first) and then the breast meat was removed in two sections. I put the bones back in the pot and continued to let it simmer.

The breast meat will become dinner for us some night next week. The dark meat was divided into two portions, one of which was added to some veggies for lunch this week, the rest was put into the freezer.

This means I've ended up with two weeks worth of lunch, 1 dinner and 8 pints of chicken stock to be used in various cooking. Not bad for one chicken.

This post is part of Traditional Tuesdays at Cooking Traditional Foods, Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Healthy 2day Wednesday at day2day joys, and the Homemaking Link-Up at Raising Homemakers.

Menu Plan Monday - January 23

2012-01-23T12:16:00.000-05:00

My menu plan starts on Saturday. For the most part, sides are figured out during the week. I always have plenty of starchy side dishes and frozen veggies to choose from.

Saturday night we watch Courageous with people from church. Talk about a great movie!

This is going to be a busy week. Jim and I have dentist appointments tonight, and he has an appointment for a haircut on Wednesday. And of course, our usual mid-week service on Thursday, with a drive afterwards to our home church for a business meeting, but before we can go to the service, I'm getting my eyebrows down, so we'll probably just stop by home for 5 minutes.

Saturday - movie night

Sunday - spaghetti with homemade meat sauce

Monday - pizza

Tuesday - steak

Wednesday - beefy mac

Thursday - fast food

Friday - raviolli

For more menu plans, please visit Organizing Junkie.

Chicken Stock, Winter and Other Weekend Plans

2012-01-20T12:09:00.001-05:00

Winter has decided to make another appearance here. We had snow yesterday evening and we'll get more snow tonight and tomorrow morning, with some wintery mix thrown in to keep life interesting. Oh well, we've had an overall mild winter, so I won't complain - at least not too much.

At some point, either this evening or tomorrow we do need to get the grocery shopping done. It all depends on the weather. I plan on making chicken stock tomorrow, and if I can find reasonably priced garam masala, I have been asked to test a stew recipe. The stew will be my lunch next week.

I only have a couple of weeks left to finish knitting the blanket if I want it done before my friend has her baby, so I'll probably spend a lot of time working on it this weekend. We're also getting together with people from church to watch the movie Courageous on Saturday night. I think that I might bring my knitting and work on it while we watch it.

I also want to tackle at least one drawer this weekend and declutter it.

What are your plans for the weekend? Whatever they are I hope that you have a blessed weekend!

This post is part of the Company Girl Coffee Blog Hop

over at Home Sanctuary

Too Busy Gets You Sick And How I Treated My Cold

2012-01-19T14:16:00.000-05:00

What do you get when you combine a crazy, busy week at work with being out every evening and battling insomnia? Well, if you are me, you end up with that cold that had been hanging around taking full hold.

I had been battling a the start of a cold. By the end of last week, I was out and out sick. Not leaving the recliner and napping all day sick.

I knew that I didn't want to take the normal, over the counter stuff to treat it, so that left relying on herbs and vitamins. (I will admit that I took a decongestant at one point in desperation, but it didn't help). I immediately increased my intake of both vitamin D3 and vitamin C and I started drinking herbal teas.

The herbal tea brand that I tend to use is Traditional Medicinals. What I like about them is that they offer a variety of different blends, and they are readily available. Because trust me, the last thing that I want to do while I'm sick is to make a trip to the local food co-op. Wal Mart even carries them.

I alternated between two teas, the Echinacea Elder and the Breath Easy. I added local honey to both. While I'm still not completely over my cold, but it never did go into my chest (even though it tried) and I am no longer achy and tired.

I wish I had been better prepared for getting sick, but I am so glad that I was able to use natural products to treat it.

Italian Skillet Chicken

2012-01-17T12:14:00.001-05:00

Chicken is one of those foods that we have a love - hate relationship with. When it's good we love it, but so often it can be flavorless and dry. It's also expensive around here, at least for chicken breasts, and since my husband does not like dark meat, breasts are what we buy.

The other week, we were able to find chicken breasts for a decent price, and needed something to fill out our menu for the week so we bought it. Since we do our meat shopping on Friday evenings and our regular grocery shopping on Saturdays, we had the evening to figure out what to do with it. Thankfully, my husband loves to cook and create recipes, so I had someone to brainstorm with.

We knew that we wanted to be able to cook it in liquid, but I'm not a fan of chicken gravy. Next we decided to do a thicker sauce, so diced tomatoes was what we picked and Italian Chicken Skillet was born.

2 chicken breast halves, pounded until uniform thickness
Flour of choice for dredging
Oil of choice for browning (we used olive)
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 an onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon garlic, plus more for flour
salt & pepper to taste

Season the flour with salt, pepper and garlic. Dredge chicken in flour and then brown in oil on both sides. Remove from skillet and add onion and carrot, saute until softened. Return chicken to skillet and add tomatoes and spices. Cook on medium until chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes (will vary based on thickness).

Serve over noodles or rice.

This post is part of Traditional Tuesdays at Cooking Traditional Foods, Real Food Wednesdays at Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Healthy 2day Wednesdays at day2day joys

Menu Plan Monday - January 16

2012-01-16T06:46:00.001-05:00

My menu plan starts on Saturday. For the most part, sides are figured out during the week. I always have plenty of starchy side dishes and frozen veggies to choose from.

I am hoping for a nice quiet week where I can continue to try and get over this cold. Other than our normal mid-week service, we don't have any plans for the evenings. Though I know that can change in a heartbeat.

A few dinners were carried over from last week. One, was Saturday's chicken (though that had already changed before I did my menu post). The other was the beef patties and gravy from Friday, we opted for chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese since I was feeling so poorly.

Saturday - Italian chicken skillet

Sunday - meat loaf, mac and cheese

Monday - pasta

Tuesday - beef patties in gravy

Wednesday - pork chops

Thursday - upside down shepherd's pie

Friday -breakfast. We'll probably do bacon and some homemade buttermilk pancakes

For more menu plans, please visit Organizing Junkie.

A Head Cold and Other Weekend Plans

2012-01-13T12:40:00.000-05:00

I am so glad that it is finally the weekend. This has been a long and hectic week. Unfortunately, I have come down with a head cold. So I'm not sure what all I'll actually get done this weekend.

I want to continue with my decluttering and do at least one drawer. I also want to go through pictures on my computer and decide which to print for my scrapbook.

I don't think that I'm going to do any out of the ordinary cooking this weekend. Just my lunch for next week and the bread for the week. Though I am tempted to make a big ole pot of chicken noodle soup.

Other than that, I plan on resting and maybe knitting.

Have a blessed weekend!

This post is part of the Company Girl Coffee Blog Hop

over at Home Sanctuary

New Year - New Me

2012-01-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Or at least a start at a new me :) I wouldn't say that these are New Year's Resolutions, as they were actually made in December. However, I figured that trying to make changes in my life during the hectic time between Thanksgiving and New Year's wasn't exactly a recipe for success.

There are a number of areas of my life that I want to focus on this year, each with goals that are big enough to make me stretch, but small enough to be attainable. All of them are designed to help me be healthier and happier. I'm hoping to loose a number of dress sizes in the process :)

1. Bible Reading.
For the past couple of years I've been using a Bible reading plan that has you reading the Old Testament each year and the New Testament and the Psalms twice a year. This is a great plan, but I felt that too often I was rushing through my reading to get it done and not letting what I was reading really sink in. So this year I started a plan that will have me read through the Old Testament in two years and the New Testament in one year. It's allowing me to not rush through my reading each day and to ponder what I read.

2. Eating
This year my goal is to limit the amount of processed food that I eat. I really want to go whole hog into a traditional foods diet, but I know that's just not practical, especially since my husband isn't completely on board. But I can make small changes, and limiting the processed food that I eat is a change that I can make. To that end, I want to begin making more of the snacks that I take to work each day.

I also am trying to limit the amount of carbs from grains that I eat. I know that will go a long way for me to reach my weight goal.

3. Exercising
Which brings me to my next area, exercise. With money that I received at Christmas, I purchased the T-Tapp tape. I probably won't be able to do much with it until next week. But, just focusing on proper posture that I learned the one time that I watched it, really helped my back not hurt this weekend.

4. Decluttering
My house does not look cluttered, but that's because it all lives in drawers and cabinets. I want to go through a number of drawers in my bedroom and I want to go through my entire kitchen. If I'm not using it, it's going.

This post is part of Traditional Tuesdays at Cooking Traditional Food, Real Food Wednesdays at Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Homemaking Link Up at A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, and Healthy 2day Wednesday at day2day joys.

Menu Plan Monday - January 9

2012-01-09T11:57:00.004-05:00

My menu plan starts on Saturday. For the most part, sides are figured out during the week. I always have plenty of starchy side dishes and frozen veggies to choose from.

This week is going to be a busy one. We are having special meetings at church Monday - Wednesday evenings and we'll have our regular mid-week service on Thursday. That means that most meals need to be quick. Though we are off on Tuesday, so that one will take a bit longer to cook.

Saturday - we ate out

Sunday - pulled pork, potato salad

Monday - pizza

Tuesday - pork and rice skillet - I'll post the recipe once I figure it out

Wednesday - burgers

Thursday - pasta

Friday - beef patties in gravy

Lunch this week is veggies and some hot Italian style sausage

For more menu plans, please visit Organizing Junkie.

Pork and Veggie Skillet

2012-01-03T12:58:00.001-05:00

Sometimes the best meals come not from careful planning, but instead they arise out of a need to use what you have on hand and what is inexpensive. That pretty much sums up this recipe. Pork was on sale and I had accidentally ended up with a plethora of frozen broccoli. I also had found a baggie with about a handful of frozen peas.

I knew I didn't want an Asian flavored lunch, but couldn't figure out what to. I finally decided to use my dry rub mix. So I guess this has more of a Tex-Mex flavor to it. Though to be honest, I'm not really sure what I'd categorize this as - other than good.

2 boneless pork chops cut into cubes
Veggies of your choice
Coconut oil for sauteeing
1/2 cup of broth
1 Tablespoon Dry Rub

Saute pork and veggies. Stir in dry rub and broth and simmer until pork is cooked through.

This dish has a slight kick to it and could be served over rice, but I'm trying to limit my grain consumption.

This post is part of Traditional Tuesdays at Cooking Traditional Foods, Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Healthy 2day Wednesdays at day2day joys, and the Homemaking Link-Up at Raising Homemakers.

End of the Holidays and Other Weekend Plans

2011-12-30T10:25:00.002-05:00

The holidays were great this year, but in a way I'm looking forward to things returning to normal.

Cooking will be the usual getting ready for the week (bread, lunch) plus I want to attempt to make a snack to take with me. We'll also have the annual New Year's Day stuffed pork chops - the one time of year that we make them. My in-laws will join us for it.

Monday we'll undecorate from Christmas, but won't completely redecorate. We're in the middle of a partial redo of our living room. We've already gotten the new tables, but the shelves won't arrive until sometime next week. Since the old shelves are already down for the Christmas tree, it just doesn't make sense to put them up just to take them back down. So the house won't be "done" until possibly next weekend.

I'm still knitting away at the baby blanket. I'm about halfway done and have a little over a month to finish it. I'm really looking forward to doing a project without a deadline so that I can set it aside to work on other crafts as the mood strikes me. Projects for this year are scrapbooking and some hand piecing of quilts. I've not done this before and actually bought a small kit (designed for kids) to get me started.

That about sums up the plans for the coming weekend. I hope that you have a blessed and enjoyable one.

This post is part of the Company Girl Coffee Blog Hop

over at Home Sanctuary

Dry Rub

2011-12-27T08:15:00.001-05:00

I'm pretty sure that this will be my last post in this series concerning seasoning packets. Mainly because I'll have covered what we do :) I've talked about getting rid of the store bought ones, our taco seasoning mix, and rice side dishes.

Today's post, and recipe, is our dry rub mix. We use our dry rub as a rub when we put meat on the smoker, as a seasoning for meat cooked on either the grill or a skillet, and sometimes as the basis for pulled pork in the crock pot. It's a pretty versatile mix.

It's also has salt. Since the primary purpose of it is to rub on meat the night before we smoke it, salt is a necessity. However, with that said, we still use only a small amount compared to commercial rubs, and it's free of nasty additives.

As with the taco seasoning, I'm giving this to you in parts - that way you can increase or decrease the amount that you make. For this mix, I usually use a half teaspoon as the unit of measurement, but adjust however you see fit.

6 parts paprika
4 parts succanat
2 parts onion powder
2 parts garlic powder
2 parts cayenne powder
1 part black pepper
1 part sea salt

Mix ingredients together and store in an air tight container. To use, sprinkle on meat and massage in.

This post is part of Traditional Tuesdays at Cooking Traditional Foods, Healthy 2day Wednesdays over at day2day joys, Real Food Wednesdays over at Kelly the Kitchen Kop, and the Homemaking Linkup over at Raising Homemakers.

Joy To The Wold

2011-12-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Words: Isaac Watts, The Psalms of David, 1719.

Music: Antioch, arranged by Lowell Mason, 1836. The city of Antioch, Syria, is where believers were first called Christians (Acts 11:26).

Christmas and Other Weekend Plans

2011-12-23T13:00:00.004-05:00

Well, not too many plans other than Christmas this weekend. I'll have the usual bread baking and laundry. But everything else will revolve around Christmas.

Today my husband and I are making Christmas cookies. We make cutouts, chocolate chips and forgotten cookies.

Tomorrow we will go and deliver gifts to my little cousins and then my Father-in-law and Sister-in-law will come over for dinner. Since Christmas is on a Sunday, no Christmas Eve service this year.

On Christmas we will go to church, then off to celebrate with my Dad's side of the family and then my Mom's side. Christmas night will be spent with Jim's side. So basically a day of running around. Thankfully, both items that we have to bring can be made tomorrow. We're making a breakfast version of corn something and a yam and apple dish.

May you have not only a blessed weekend, but a blessed Christmas as well.

Taco Seasoning Mix

2011-12-20T13:29:00.002-05:00

When I first posted about seasoning mixes, it wasn't my intent to do a mini series on them, but it looks like I am :). I've already talked about how we do our pulled pork barbecue and a bit about rice side dishes. Neither of the posts had an actual recipe with them, just guidelines for what I do, which, since I don't use recipes for either, is about all I could offer.

This week, however, I have an actual seasoning mix recipe for you. Tacos (or some form of Tex-Mex type food) frequently appear on our menus and I don't like using the packets. I don't like the salt and I don't like the icky weird things that you find. So we make our own. I have a small glass container that I store this in so it's always on hand.

This recipe is a combo recipe. KerryAnn over at Cooking Traditional Foods publishes hers in her menu mailer and on her blog. It was part one of my inspiration. The other part of my inspiration came from my Pastor's wife's recipe. I took what I liked from each and made my own.

This recipe is an easy one to double or triple, or to make smaller. I usually use Tablespoons as my unit of measurement. You can use whatever you like, just keep the ratios the same. The other great thing about this recipe is that it uses spices that most of us have on hand.

4 parts chili powder
2 parts crushed red pepper
2 parts garlic powder
2 parts onion powder
2 parts cumin
1 part oregano

Mix well and store in an airtight container.

I use one to two teaspoons to replace a seasoning packet. You'll notice that there isn't any salt in the recipe, so you'll what to add some to whatever you are making.

This post is part of Traditional Tuesdays over at Cooking Traditional Foods.

Menu Plan Monday - December 19

2011-12-19T12:05:00.002-05:00

My menu plan starts on Saturday. For the most part, sides are figured out during the week. I always have plenty of starchy side dishes and frozen veggies to choose from.

This weekend we decorated for Christmas and wrapped the presents. Yesterday we also tried our hand at beef stew in the crockpot. It turned out quite well.

This is a short week at work for us, we'll be done at some point on Thursday and we don't come back until January 3rd. We're planning on spending Friday baking cookies

Saturday - steak, mac & cheese, carrots

Sunday - beef stew

Monday - pizza

Tuesday - pasta

Wednesday - hillbilly goulash

Thursday - shake n bake pork chops

Friday - pancakes

Lunch this week is just various frozen lunches

For more menu plans, please visit Organizing Junkie.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

2011-12-18T07:00:00.005-05:00

Listen here

Hark! The herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem!

Refrain

Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King!

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.

Refrain

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Refrain

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

Refrain

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.

Refrain

Words: Charles Wesley, Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1739, alt.

Music: Mendelssohn, Felix Mendelssohn, in his cantata Festgesang an die Künstler, 1840 (second movement, Vaterland, in deinem Gauen); the cantata celebrated the 400th anniversary of Johann Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press. This arrangement, by William H. Cummings, appeared in the Congregational Hymn and Tune Book, by Richard R. Chope, 1857

Decorating, Wrapping and Other Weekend Plans

2011-12-16T09:24:00.000-05:00

This weekend we are putting up the Christmas tree. I always look forward to putting it up. The ornaments on it are onset that have been given to us over the years, including when we were both children, and ones that we've gotten each other. So there is a good amount of reminiscing going on while we decorate.

Not sure what all cooking is going to be done this weekend. I still have to figure out what to make for my lunch next week. I'll of course make bread, and I am currently working on a new one loaf recipe.

Crafting is still the blanket that I am knitting, not much work was done on it this week. I also have to frame the counted cross stitch birth announcement that I made for my nephew.

So that's my weekend. What are your plans?

This post is part of the Company Girl Coffee Blog Hop

over at Home Sanctuary

What's In Your Side Dish?

2011-12-13T12:09:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday I blogged about getting rid of seasoning packets. This week's post is on a similar theme - side dishes. We used to buy the various flavored rice mixes, but they can be pricey, and to be honest, while I menu plan my main dish, I like to be able to choose my side dishes depending on what I'm in the mood for then, not what I was in the mood for a week ago. So, once I figured out that with some bouillon and some spices, you could make your own, we switched to that. Then we started to look at what we were eating, and out when the bouillon and in came the stock.

Making flavored rice could not be simpler. A pinch of this and that, and you're well on your way. Usually, I'll start with broth as the base, using it in place of most or all of the water. If we're having beef, I use beef broth. If we're having chicken or pork, I'll use chicken broth. Then I decide what I'm in the mood for. Dried onions, garlic and thyme pair great with a bold flavored main dish. Garlic and basil go great with Italian. Sometime I go with a butter and herb rice, using no broth, but subbing a bit of milk for some of the water. (I also add the butter at the end).

If I'm making Mexican rice, I saute the rice in a bit of oil first, add some homemade taco sauce and then my liquid. Sometimes I add a bit of cilantro.

Really, your imagination (and your spice supply) is the limit for ideas.

This post is part of Traditional Tuesdays at Cooking Traditional Foods, Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Healthy 2day Wednesday at day2day joys and Homemaking Linkup at Raising Homemakers.

Menu Plan Monday - December 12

2011-12-12T12:05:00.001-05:00

My menu plan starts on Saturday. For the most part, sides are figured out during the week. I always have plenty of starchy side dishes and frozen veggies to choose from.

I am desperately trying to rein in the amount of running around that we do during the week. This last week, we were out every night. We do need to do some errands, but they should hopefully be limited to today. In all of the running around last week, the quick chicken parm got bumped (we grabbed fast food), so it's appearing again this week.

We did have some time to play in the kitchen and came up with a recipe for baked pasta.

Saturday - Christmas banquet.

Sunday - Baked pasta

Monday - soup and grilled cheese

Tuesday - pork chops in gravy

Wednesday -quick chicken parm

Thursday - sloppy joe's

Friday - cube steaks

Lunch this week is Chicken Adobo from the Menu Mailer

For more menu plans, please visit Organizing Junkie.

A Party, A Banquet, and Other Weekend Plans

2011-12-09T11:52:00.001-05:00

This has been a crazy, whirlwind week this week. Between running errands two nights, working late on Wednesday, and class last night, I haven't spent much time at home. Thankfully, the weekend should be nice and relaxing - well at least after tonight.

Tonight after work is my work party. We'll stop by for a bit and visit with everyone. Tomorrow is the church Christmas Banquet. I am very much looking forward to it. I'm sure that it's going to be a wonderful time of fellowship.

Cooking this weekend will probably be limited to bread and lunch (though I am loving my new mixer). On Sunday we will be experimenting with a baked pasta recipe.

Christmas plans this weekend (other than the get-togethers) are Christmas cards and figuring out what we still need to buy people.

On the craft front, my nephew's baby sampler is done other than framing. Hopefully we'll do that this weekend. I'm about halfway done with the baby afghan. And my quilt kit is calling to me. As is my scrapbooking, however I need pictures printed for that.

Have a blessed weekend and don't forget to link up over at the Company Girl Coffee Blog Hopover at Home Sanctuary.

Compromise Lunch

2011-12-08T12:14:00.001-05:00

I try and make sure that I eat well at lunch, making sure that what I eat is free of processed foods and high in the veggie and protein categories. I usually make my lunch for the week on Saturdays and then pack it in individual containers so that I can grab and go during the week. However, sometimes life gets in the way and I don't have a lot of time or energy to cook. I knew that this past Saturday was going to be one of those times. I just didn't have a lot of time at home on Saturday, and the time that I was at home, I was busy. So I did a bit of compromising.

I had a ladies tea that day, where we were each supposed to bring an appetizer. I had shopped at Trader Joe's the day before and picked up some frozen ones that were Asian flavored, along with a bottle of dipping sauce. I decided to use this dipping sauce as the stir-fry sauce for my lunch this week.

While this lunch might not be ideal, the sauce was better than anything that I could have bought at a regular grocery store. Also, I'm still eating plenty of veggies and protein (in the form of mushrooms). So while it is a processed sauce and the noodles make it slightly higher carb than I might normally like, it is filling and not all that bad. And after a whirlwind Saturday, it was the perfect thing to make.

Getting Rid of the Seasoning Packets

2011-12-06T12:01:00.001-05:00

You know the ones that I'm talking about, the ones that are over near the gravy section of your local grocery stores. The ones that make crock pot cooking pretty much brainless. But they are also the ones so full of sodium, chemicals and other nastiness, that you have to wonder if the trade-off is worth it.

Well wonder no more :) The seasoning packets are generally pretty easy to replicate. You really just need to copy down what other things you have to add. Like the pulled pork that we had on Saturday. It used to be that we'd buy the seasoning packet, follow the directions and viola - a wonderful pulled pork. Then we realized that we could easily do it ourselves.

The standard seasoning packet calls for you to mix it with 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup brown sugar (I recommend substituting succanat), 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar. Once you decide on spices, that's all you really need to know (or measure for that matter). Sometimes we'll use our dry rub mix, but other times (including Saturday) we just add what seems like a good idea.

You can use whatever sounds good to you, in whatever quantities taste good to you. Just remember to start with a little and increase as necessary. For us, the spice that has to go in is paprika, it just wouldn't be the same without it. We also added onion powder, salt (another must), freshly ground black pepper and just a bit of cayenne. Once we were satisfied with how it tasted, we poured it over the pork shoulder that was in the crock pot and cooked it on low for 8 hours

This post is part of Traditional Tuesdays over at Cooking Traditional Foods, Real Food Wednesdays over at Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Healthy 2day Wednesdays over at day2day joys, Homemaking Linkup over at Raising Homemakers and Pennywise Platter over at The Nourishing Gourmet.

Menu Plan Monday - December 5

2011-12-05T11:21:00.001-05:00

My menu plan starts on Saturday. For the most part, sides are figured out during the week. I always have plenty of starchy side dishes and frozen veggies to choose from.

Sunday evening, we had friends stop by for dinner as they traveled from Indiana to West Virgina. We had such a wonderful visit with them.

Every other month I have a meeting on a Wednesday evening, and it happens to fall this week. That means that we won't get home until 6:30 - 7:00, so we're going to order pizza. I also have my work party this weekend, which I have to at least make an appearance at.

Saturday - pulled pork

Sunday - roast, roasted potatoes, salad

Monday - ham and mac & cheese

Tuesday - quick chicken parm

Wednesday - pizza

Thursday -Hillbilly Rice skillet

Friday - holiday party

Lunch this week is a udon noodle and vegetable stir fry

For more menu plans, please visit Organizing Junkie.

The Value of One

2011-12-04T07:03:00.001-05:00

Something a little bit different.

Tea, Dinner, and Other Weekend Plans

2011-12-02T10:20:00.001-05:00

This weekend is going to be a busy one for us. Tomorrow I have a Ladies Tea at church and then on Sunday, we have friends coming for dinner and a visit. Tonight I'll make the cookies for the cookie exchange part of the Ladies Tea (using my new Kitchen Aid mixer) and tomorrow evening I'll make bread for the week and then dinner on Sunday.

On the craft front, I have two stitches, a knot, and some stuffing to do on my craft exchange craft. I'll get that done tonight and mail it off tomorrow. Then it's back to the baby blanket that I'm knitting. One nice thing about the craft project is that I'm now halfway decent at hand sewing. I think that will come in handy for two quilt kits that I have.

As for cooking, I'm going to do something Asian inspired for lunch next week, I'm just not entirely sure what. I do think that it will involve noodles, I just have to remember to pick them up. I also have to figure out what to serve on Sunday for dinner. Jim and I have some ideas in our heads, we just need to see what we can find at the store tonight.

The linkytools was giving Rachel issues over at Home Sanctuary, so the link up is in her comments section. Just pop on over to her blog to participate in the Hop (link is below).

This post is part of the Company Girl Coffee Blog Hop

over at Home Sanctuary

My Bean Adventure

2011-12-01T11:56:00.001-05:00

One area of traditional food cooking that I've yet to transition has been beans, I just use canned ones. When we stopped at a farmers market while we were on vacation I bought some dried ones to use - and ended up having a bean adventure :)

First off, I couldn't remember what they were (getting them in unmarked brown paper bags are good for that). My best guess is that they are/were baby lima beans. But I could be wrong :)

I needed the equivalent of two cans of beans for the Souvenir Soup. Not bothering to check on that first, I dumped all of the beans into a bowl and filled it with water. All 1 pound 9 ounces of dried beans. Come morning and my checking on the recipe that I was jumping off from, I realize that I have way, way, way, more beans soaked than I needed.

I ended up cooking them all, though I think I had the temperature too high, and I froze what I didn't need for the soup. Tonight we are trying them as a side dish. Wish me luck :)

Roast Vegetable and Chick Pea Salad

2011-11-29T12:11:00.001-05:00

I could not decide what I wanted to make for lunch this week. I wanted something easy, but had no clue. Then I remembered that I had turnips and carrots that needed to be used. So I knew that it was going to be something with roasted turnips. But I didn't want to do just roasted veg and a meat. I wanted something different. The something different ended up being a Mediterranean inspired salad.

Roast Vegetable and Chick Pea Salad
1 turnip, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 eggplant, peeled and chopped
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
Oil of choice for roasting
Plenty of salt, pepper and dried basil

Preheat your oven to 350. Place your eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let sit over a bowl or in the sink. Mix the remainder of the vegetables with oil, salt, pepper and basil. Dump onto a baking sheet, arranging in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes, then add your eggplant (tossing to coat with oil) and pack for an additional 40 - 50 minutes. When done, remove from oven and let cool a bit.

Mix olive oil and red wine vinegar together, seasoning with salt, pepper and basil. Once the vegetables are slightly cool, toss with the chickpeas and vinaigrette.

Menu Plan Monday - November 28

2011-11-28T12:10:00.001-05:00

My menu plan starts on Saturday. For the most part, sides are figured out during the week. I always have plenty of starchy side dishes and frozen veggies to choose from.

This was a weekend of celebrations. Friday we welcomed my nephew into the world, Saturday was my sister-in-law's birthday and Sunday was Thanksgiving with my mom.

I'm hoping for a quiet week this week - though any time I say that it gets crazy.

Saturday - Dinner with my in-laws

Sunday - Thanksgiving with my mom - I brought a sweet potato and apple dish from Southern Living

Monday - ravioli

Tuesday - beef and bean burritos

Wednesday - soup and grilled cheese

Thursday - steak

Friday - skillet chops

Lunch this week is a roasted vegetable and chick pea salad.

For more menu plans, please visit Organizing Junkie.

Celebrations and Other Weekend Plans

2011-11-25T10:40:00.001-05:00

This will be a weekend of celebrations, and boy do we have a lot to celebrate.

My nephew was born this morning at 9:35, tomorrow is my sister-in-law's birthday, and Sunday we will celebrate Thanksgiving with my mom.

In other weekend plans, I need to bake bread, and possibly a snack for the week. I also need to figure out what to do with a pound of ground meat and what to cook for my lunch.

On the craft side, I finally have the pattern figured out for my craft swap. Now I just have to sew the real thing :) I'm hoping to get it done by the end of the weekend.

One thing that I didn't do - and won't be doing - is Black Friday shopping. At least not at an actual store - online is a different story.

Have a blessed weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving & A Recipe

2011-11-24T11:20:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my readers. I pray that you have a blessed time with family and friends.

Today we will celebrate my my dad's side of the family. I am bringing the corn something. Years ago, I was at a church potluck and one of the ladies had brought a corn casserole. I loved it and she wrote down the recipe for it. I decided to bring it to a family gathering and when my mom asked what I was bringing I responded "corn something" since the lady hadn't written down a name for it. The family has called it that ever since.

It's a more processed recipe, but it's perfect for a potluck. It can be made a few days in advance. And it can be served cold, hot, or room temperature.

Corn Something
1 box corn bread mix
8 oz sour cream
2 eggs, beaten
1 can corn, drained, liquid reserved
1 can cream-style corn
1 stick margarine or butter, softened.

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together, adding reserved corn liquid if the batter is too dry. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.

Two Giveaways to Vision Forum

2011-11-23T11:50:00.001-05:00

Unfortunately, neither from my blog.

Two of my favorite blogs to read, The Modest Mom and A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, are doing a give away from Vision Forum. Vision Forum specializes in godly resources for the entire family. From toys to Christian books, they have such a great selection.

My nephew is not quite old enough for me to order from there for him yet (especially since he has yet to decide to join us), but in the future, I can see myself ordering for him from them.

They also have a number of books and DVDs that I want for myself and Jim.

Souvenir Soup

2011-11-22T12:00:00.001-05:00

I know, weird title for a soup, but there is a reason for the name.

Jim and I went on vacation in September, we went to Nashville and then to the Smoky Mountains. While we were in Nashville, we went to this great farmer's market and I wanted to buy something from there to bring home. Since that was the beginning part of the trip, I needed something that would survive being in the car (and temps were about 90) and in the hotel for the rest of the week. So I bought dried beans. Except I never wrote on the bag what they were and at this point my best guess is baby lima beans. At any rate, they're tasty.

Anytime we head south we always stop at a grocery store to buy country ham as it is not something readily available here. I know that most don't view ham as being a part of a Traditional Foods diet, but country ham is a treat for us, something that we have only a couple of times a year.

So without further ado - here is the recipe for Souvenir Soup (otherwise known as Ham, Beans and Collard Greens Soup).

3 cups cooked beans
Diced ham - country is best (or you could use a ham bone which is what I did)
1 bunch collards or other greens
1 medium to large onion diced
2 cloves garlic diced
Bit of oil
6 cups chicken stock
Dried thyme and pepper to taste

In a large pot heat the oil and saute the onions. When the onions are softened add the garlic and stir. Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 - 30 minutes.

This post is part of Traditional Tuesdays over at Cooking Traditional Foods, Real Food Wednesdays over at Kelly the Kitchen Kop, What's Cooking Wednesday over at The King's Court IV, the Homemaking Link-Up at Raising Homemakers and Sunday Night Soup Night at Easy Natural Food.

Menu Monday - November 21

2011-11-21T11:19:00.001-05:00

My menu plan starts on Saturday. For the most part, sides are figured out during the week. I always have plenty of starchy side dishes and frozen veggies to choose from.

It's Thanksgiving this week, which means family and food :) It also means time off of work to spend sewing. Granted this year all of our plans are slightly tentative while we wait for my nephew to make his appearance.

Saturday - ham, collard and bean soup (otherwise known as Souvenir soup - you'll have to stop back tomorrow for an explanation of that)

Sunday - pizza

Monday -beef patties in gravy
Tuesday - upside down shepherd's pie

Wednesday - chicken fajitas

Thursday -Thanksgiving - I'm making Corn Something (and yes, there is a story behind the name

Friday - pork chops in gravy

For more menu plans, please visit Organizing Junkie.

Nothing But the Blood

2011-11-20T07:07:00.001-05:00

Listen here.

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Refrain

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Refrain

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Refrain

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Refrain

Now by this I’ll overcome—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
Now by this I’ll reach my home—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Refrain

Glory! Glory! This I sing—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
All my praise for this I bring—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Refrain

Words & Music: Robert Lowry, in Gospel Music, by Howard Doane & Robert Lowry (New York: Biglow & Main, 1876)

Wordless Wednesday - Fall Table

2011-11-09T11:07:00.000-05:00

Autumn Apple & Lentil Bake

2011-11-08T11:04:00.000-05:00

I'm still on my lentil kick :) I think it's a fall thing. This time I decided to partner the lentils with another favorite fall food, apples. Carrots and onion compliment the apples perfectly and turmeric and curry spice it so nice (and also give it a unique color). This is based off of the Baked Lentils recipe from Cooking Traditional Foods.

1 cup lentils
2 cups chicken stock
3 apples diced
2 carrots diced
1 onion diced
4 Tablespoons coconut oil
3 Tablespoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all of the ingredients in a dutch oven and bake for an hour and a half.

Easy and oh so good :)

This post is part of Traditional Tuesdays: Nutritious and Delicious over at Cooking Traditional Foods, Real Food Wednesdays over at Kelly the Kitchen Kop, What's Cooking Wednesday over at The King's Court IV and the Homemaking Linkup at Raising Homemakers.

Menu Monday - November 7

2011-11-07T09:40:00.003-05:00

My menu plan starts on Saturday. For the most part, sides are figured out during the week. I always have plenty of starchy side dishes and frozen veggies to choose from.

This should hopefully be a nice, quiet week, but we'll see :) We didn't end up having breakfast for dinner last week. It was scheduled for Friday and I was battling a migraine.

Saturday - chili

Sunday - fried chicken and baked beans

Monday - pasta

Tuesday - steak

Wednesday -beef patties in gravy

Thursday -out

Friday - breakfast

Lunch this week is Autumn Apple and Lentil Bake

For more menu plans, please visit Organizing Junkie.

Where You There?

2011-11-06T07:09:00.000-05:00

Listen here.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?

Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?

Words & Music: African-American spiritual

Crafts, Football & Racing and Other Weekend Plans

2011-11-04T15:54:00.001-04:00

This weekend I have very little cooking to do. Well at least not a lot that takes a bunch of time. So the plan is to spend as much time as I can on various craft type projects. I have a skirt pattern to design (I'll use a cheap sheet) and I want to work on my knitting and get my scrapbook started. Thankfully, with there being a big football game on Saturday night (LSU vs Alabama) and the Sprint Cup NASCAR race on Sunday, there will be plenty of time to craft.

Even our dinners this weekend will be not too time inclusive. I'll put a big pot of chili on for Saturday (with some cornbread) and Sunday will be fried chicken and baked beans :)

Other than that, not much is going on this weekend. What are your plans?

Cell Phones

2011-11-03T12:18:00.000-04:00

Do you eat as a family? We do. I was raised that you had dinner as a family, and its a practice that Jim and I have maintained since we were married. It's nice to have that time to sit and enjoy a meal together and discuss whatever comes to mind. Plenty of times the conversation continues on during clean-up too.

I have to wonder though, if it's a practice that is dying out, especially with everyone so tied to their cell phones. I think that people are slowly forgetting how to have a conversation with people.

As I walk around campus, I'm constantly having to dodge people who are walking and texting. Then you have the people that you are trying to have a conversation with and all they do is keep checking their phone. Jim and I were at a wedding recently, and were one of the few at the table not constantly checking their phone Whether they texting, playing a game, or checking the scores, the cell phones were pretty much continually out.

Now don't get me wrong, I have a cell phone, and I do text. But I try and keep it to appropriate times and uses. I wouldn't go to a restaurant with someone and then spend the whole time talking to the person at the next table, so why would I have dinner with someone and talk to someone else via texting?

It seems that as a society we're so focused on me and my wants and likes, that we've stopped even considering what others think or feel. And the cell phone obsession is just another example of the problem.

Listening To Your Body

2011-11-01T12:18:00.003-04:00

Listening to my body is something that I am trying to get better at. Especially when it comes to food. Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about giving in to cravings for junk, but rather listening to what my body needs as far as food so that I feel my best. What I've learned is that certain times a day I need protein and fat and few carbs, and other times I need carbs more than anything.

First thing in the morning I need protein. So on weekdays, I have bacon and eggs and a piece of toast. I also have orange juice. Since I eat breakfast so early (6 am) and I don't go to lunch until 12:30, I do have a mid-morning snack, which is high in protein and fat. Right now I'm eating yogurt. Because I don't want all of the chemicals, HFCS and stuff in my yogurt, I get an all natural, full fat, plain yogurt and flavor it myself. Sometimes I add dried fruit and other times I add preserves. I package them up on the weekend and just have to grab one in the morning.

This week I added strawberry preserves.

Lunch is another time that I need protein, but I also need more carbs. Sometimes it's as simple as adding some cooked chicken to a vegetarian style meal. Other times the protein is the focus. This week I'm eating baked lentils. I got the recipe from my friend KerryAnn over at Cooking Traditional Foods. I couldn't believe how easy it was to make, or how good it is, or how filling :)

As the day progresses, I start to need more carbs and less protein. My afternoon snack right now is corn chips, not the healthiest, but I haven't had time to figure out a new snack, let alone make one. So that's my next project.

So, my question to you is, how well do you know what your body needs?

This post is part of Traditional Tuesdays: Nutritious and Delicious over at Cooking Traditional Foods, Real Food Wednesdays over at Kelly the Kitchen Kop, and What's Cooking Wednesday over at The King's Court IV

Menu Monday - October 31

2011-10-31T12:07:00.000-04:00

My menu plan starts on Saturday. For the most part, sides are figured out during the week. I always have plenty of starchy side dishes and frozen veggies to choose from.

The grill is put away for the season which means it's time for all of the cold weather, comfort type foods.

Saturday - quick chicken and dumplings

Sunday - meatloaf and mac & cheese

Monday - out

Tuesday - pasta

Wednesday - beefy mac

Thursday - pork chops

Friday - breakfast

Lunch this week is baked lentils

This post is also part of Plan It-Don't Panic over at Keeper of the Home

For more menu plans, please visit Organizing Junkie.

At The Cross

2011-10-30T06:57:00.002-04:00

Listen here

Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?

Refrain

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

Refrain

Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine—
And bathed in its own blood—
While the firm mark of wrath divine,
His Soul in anguish stood.

Refrain

Was it for crimes that I had done

He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

Refrain

Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
For man the creature’s sin.

Refrain

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.

Refrain

But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give my self away
’Tis all that I can do.

Refrain

Words: Isaac Watts, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, 1707-9, Book II, number 9; Ralph E. Hudson wrote the refrain in 1885.

Music: Martyrdom, Hugh Wilson, 1800 (does not use the refrain).

Lentils, Apples and Other Weekend Plans

2011-10-28T12:23:00.001-04:00

I have been craving lentils lately, not quite sure why, especially since they are a new to me food that I'm not all that familiar with cooking. My friend KerryAnn over at Cooking Traditional Foods came to my rescue and was kind enough to give me what looks to be a super easy recipe for baked lentils. I'll make it tomorrow and it will be my lunch for the upcoming week. And, since it's fall, that means apples and apple pies and apple cider, and, and, and :) I still have some apple cider at home and I'm going to make an apple pie this weekend. Not sure what kind though. I'm leaning towards Swiss Apple Pie. If I get time to leaf through my Health Snacks To Go e-book, I may make something different for my afternoon snack next week, but we'll have to see.

On the craft front, I have finished with the sampler for my sister's baby. Well, all but the name and the date of birth. But, he's not here yet, so that will have to wait. I've also come to the conclusion that I don't like crocheting blankets and have given that up for now. Instead, I started knitting one for a friend's baby. I also have to start my Christmas Craft Swap project. I know what I want to make, just have to make it :)

I think that this is going to be another laid back weekend. Though laid back sure has a lot of work in it :) Hope yours is blessed!

This post is part of the Company Girl Coffee Blog Hop

over at Home Sanctuary

My Big Blue Bowl

2011-10-27T12:17:00.003-04:00

Meet my big, blue bowl (she's next to a pint canning jar so you can see how big she is).

I'm not sure where she even came from, or how she came to be mine. But mine she is. I use her all of the time and would be lost without her. She's perfect for serving pasta out of and for mixing large amounts of food in to be served in smaller, prettier bowls. And, best of all, she's perfect for making bread in - including the kneading.

I make my breads by hand and don't use a mixer. My big, blue bowl is perfect for not only mixing the dough in, but she's wide enough that I can knead the dough in her, which makes clean-up a breeze.

I think other than appliances, she is one of the kitchen things that I could not do without.

Do you have a kitchen thing that you would be lost if anything happened to it?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T12:16:00.000-04:00

Roasted Vegetable & Spinach Salad

2011-10-25T11:56:00.000-04:00

Last week I blogged about roasting vegetables for the first time. And, thanks to Google, recipes to use them in have been swirling through my brain, and that's just from looking at titles of recipes :) One recipe that I came across was for a salad with spinach. I decided that it sounded like a good combination and set about coming up with a recipe.

To start with, I wanted to figure out a dressing to use, and I knew the exact place to start. I pulled out my copy of Fresh Nourishing Salads for All Seasons by Kimberly Harris. Flipping through her section on dressings, I decided that the Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette would pair perfectly with the spinach. Granted, I changed it up a bit, using a roasted garlic clove and omitting the salt. I also only made enough to very lightly dress the salad.

So I had the spinach and I had the dressing in my ingredient list, now to figure out the rest of the vegetables. I knew that I wanted to use the last two turnips that I had, and I figured potatoes would make a nice filling addition. But neither of that had the yum factor that I was looking for. Then it hit me, tomatoes :) I grabbed some grape tomatoes and since I had carrots on hand to make stock with, I decided that they would round out the roasted vegetable portion. I chopped up the turnips and potatoes, halved the tomatoes and sliced the carrots on the diagonal. I tossed everything in coconut oil and salt & pepper and then spread it in an even layer on a baking sheet and baked them at 400 degrees for an hour.

Once they came out of the oven, I cooled them a bit and tossed with the spinach and dressing. The salad would have been fine just like that, but I decided to add some diced chicken thighs and drumsticks from the chicken that I roasted for broth.

This post is part of Traditional Tuesdays: Nutritious and Delicious over at Cooking Traditional Foods, Tasty Tuesdays over at 33 Shades of Green, Real Food Wednesdays over at Kelly the Kitchen Kop, What's Cooking Wednesday over at The King's Court IV and Pennywise Platter Thursday over at The Nourishing Gourmet.

Menu Monday - October 24

2011-10-24T15:10:00.003-04:00

My menu plan starts on Saturday. For the most part, sides are figured out during the week. I always have plenty of starchy side dishes and frozen veggies to choose from.

This week looks to be the last of the grilling for us for the season. We'll give it a good cleaning and put it away next weekend. I'm kind of sad about it. I think that my dream house would have a covered area to house the grill so that we could use it any time of year that the weather cooperated.

Saturday -cheeseburgers

Sunday - ham and mac & cheese

Monday - food on the run

Tuesday - steak

Wednesday -pasta

Thursday - upside down shepherd's pie

Friday - pork chops

Lunch this week is a roasted vegetables and spinach salad

This post is also part of Plan It-Don't Panic over at Keeper of the Home

For more menu plans, please visit Organizing Junkie.

Immortal, Invisible

2011-10-23T06:48:00.001-04:00

Listen here

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish—but naught changeth Thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
Of all Thy rich graces this grace, Lord, impart
Take the veil from our faces, the vile from our heart.

All laud we would render; O help us to see
’Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee,
And so let Thy glory, almighty, impart,
Through Christ in His story, Thy Christ to the heart.

Words: Walter C. Smith, Hymns of Christ and the Christian Life, 1876.

Music: St. Denio, Welsh melody, from Canaidau y Cyssegr, by John Roberts, 1839.

This hymn was sung in Westminster Abbey, London, England, at the 2002 funeral of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

A Day At Home and Other Weekend Plans

2011-10-21T09:10:00.000-04:00

Jim and I took today off of work, we don't have much planned, though we may go shopping for a bit. I do know that we have some movies to watch that friends of ours lent us. They lent us the three movies that Sherwood Pictures has put out (Fly Wheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof). I'm looking forward to watching them (though not all three today).

Tomorrow I am spending the entire day at home - for the first time in I don't know how long. Granted I'll go out in the morning to grocery shop, but the rest of the day will be spent here. I'm planning on making some chicken stock, lunch for next week (not sure what that will be yet) and maybe some chocolate chip cookies. I also want to spend some time crafting.

On Sunday we will be going to a 13th birthday party.

All in all, a pretty laid back weekend. Hope you have a blessed one!

This post is part of the Company Girl Coffee Blog Hop

over at Home Sanctuary

Roasted Vegetables - Who Knew

2011-10-18T12:20:00.001-04:00

I have never roasted vegetables before - well at least not before this weekend. Why, oh why, have I not tried this before? I cannot believe how something so simple can so completely turn a drab veggie into something so extraordinary.

This was so simple to do. I had a carrot in the fridge, so that got cut into chunks on the diagonal. I also had some turnips that I had no clue what to do with, so I peeled and chopped them. Red peppers bought as seconds were the next to get chopped. Finally I quartered some small red potatoes and a medium sized onion. All got tossed into a big ole bowl and drizzled with some melted coconut oil and sprinkled with some Himalayan Pink Sea Salt (it's pretty coarse) and some fresh ground black pepper. I mixed it all together and spread it out on a baking sheet. I remember that I had a small amount of thyme and basil drying in the basement, so I grabbed them and added them on top. Then it was off to a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Now since I'm eating this as my lunch this week, and not as a side, I sauteed some shitake mushrooms in a bit of butter and added them to my containers of roasted veg.

The only thing that I would do differently next time is to skip the bowl part and just mix with my hands on the baking sheet. But that's only so that I have less dishes to wash :)

This post is part of Traditional Tuesdays: Nutritious and Delicious over at Cooking Traditional Foods, Tasty Tuesdays over at 33 Shades of Green, Real Food Wednesdays over at Kelly the Kitchen Kop, and What's Cooking Wednesday over at The King's Court IV.

Menu Monday - October 17

2011-10-17T12:06:00.003-04:00

My menu plan starts on Saturday. For the most part, sides are figured out during the week. I always have plenty of starchy side dishes and frozen veggies to choose from.

This week has started out very busy. We decided to take advantage of the great weather yesterday, which meant that we were too tired to cook once we were done (I also was getting caught up from being away on Saturday). Thankfully, we can order hoagies pretty cheap :)

Saturday - pizza

Sunday - hoagies

Monday - food on the run

Tuesday - pork chops

Wednesday - tacos

Thursday - breakfast for dinner (which we didn't have last week)

Friday - steak

Lunch this week is roasted vegetables and sauteed shitake mushrooms

This post is also part of Plan It-Don't Panic over at Keeper of the Home

For more menu plans, please visit Organizing Junkie.

2011-10-16T07:01:00.000-04:00

Listen here

There’s a land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we can see it afar;
For the Father waits over the way
To prepare us a dwelling place there.

Refrain

In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.

We shall sing on that beautiful shore
The melodious songs of the blessed;
And our spirits shall sorrow no more,
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.

Refrain

To our bountiful Father above,
We will offer our tribute of praise
For the glorious gift of His love
And the blessings that hallow our days.

Refrain

Words: Sanford F. Bennett, 1868.

Music: Joseph P. Webster

Off to Ohio and Other Weekend Plans

2011-10-14T12:09:00.002-04:00

This weekend I am going on a Ladies Outing with some of the ladies from church. We are headed over to Holmes County, Ohio to shop and sight see. For those of you that don't know, Holmes County has a very large Amish population. Jim and I usually drive over there around my birthday. I'm not sure where all we are going, but I do know that we are going to Lehman's and the Heini's. Lehman's specializes in all things non-electric and Heini's is a cheese store where you can watch them make cheese and sample it too :)

Saturday night is the NASCAR race in Charlotte and Jim and I will be watching it. I'll try and get a good bit of counted cross stitch done for my soon-to-be-here nephew. I'm almost to the home stretch. Just need to get through this last background section.

Sunday, other than church, should be a quiet day. I think that I might roast off some veggies to bring for my lunch next week.

Hope you have a blessed and enjoyable weekend :)

This post is part of the Company Girl Coffee Blog Hop

over at Home Sanctuary

Baby Shower

2011-10-13T12:22:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday we had my sister's baby shower. Everyone seemed to have a good time, and while it was a lot of work, it was so much fun. She received a lot of gifts, but to me, the ones that stand out the most, were the homemade gifts that she received. She received a number of crocheted blankets, including one from Grandma where the pattern was one that our Great-Grandmother always used. My mom crocheted a blanket too, but she also made her a quilt.

Each table had a small diaper cake on it, as well as two of the games. One was a nursery rhyme game and the other one you had to guess what was in each baggy, without opening it up. The favors are in the envelopes and were a packet of microwave popcorn.

We also did a larger diaper cake for the cookie table.

I think that my sister enjoyed herself. And I am looking forward to my nephew showing up :)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T12:23:00.000-04:00

Menu Monday - October 10

2011-10-10T12:21:00.000-04:00

My menu plan starts on Saturday. For the most part, sides are figured out during the week. I always have plenty of starchy side dishes and frozen veggies to choose from.

This is a week of running around and very little cooking. Thankfully all of the eating out was able to be budgeted for :)

Saturday - beefy mac

Sunday - Anniversary

Monday - food on the run

Tuesday - cheeseburgers

Wednesday - out to dinner with friends

Thursday - pasta or pork chops - I have both and haven't decided yet which one I want

Friday - breakfast for dinner

Lunch this week is salad

This post is also part of Plan It-Don't Panic over at Keeper of the Home

For more menu plans, please visit Organizing Junkie.

He Keeps Me Singing

2011-10-09T07:15:00.004-04:00

Listen here.

There’s within my heart a melody
Jesus whispers sweet and low,
Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still,
In all of life’s ebb and flow.

Refrain

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
Sweetest name I know,
Fills my every longing,
Keeps me singing as I go.

All my life was wrecked by sin and strife,
Discord filled my heart with pain,
Jesus swept across the broken strings,
Stirred the slumbering chords again.

Refrain

Feasting on the riches of His grace,
Resting ’neath His sheltering wing,
Always looking on His smiling face,
That is why I shout and sing.

Refrain

Though sometimes He leads through waters deep,
Trials fall across the way,
Though sometimes the path seems rough and steep,
See His footprints all the way.

Refrain

Soon He’s coming back to welcome me,
Far beyond the starry sky;
I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown,
I shall reign with Him on high.

Refrain

Words & Music: Luther B. Bridgers, in The Revival No. 6, by Charles D. Tillman (Atlanta, Georgia: 1910), number 21. Bridgers wrote this song after a fire killed his wife and three sons.

Baby Shower and Other Weekend Plans

2011-10-07T14:09:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is my sister's baby shower. I'm looking forward to it. But I'm more looking forward to meeting my new nephew. Unfortunately, I have to wait until Thanksgiving (her due date) for that.

In other weekend plans, I have the usual chores to do and I'm going to a baby class with my sister in the morning before the shower.

Sunday is mine and Jim's 12th anniversary. Where does the time go?! I'm not quite sure what we'll do, but I do know that it will involve dinner - just not sure where yet :)

Not much else going on this weekend - not that I have time for anything more.

Oh, and I did get the pantry organized last weekend. Here's a peek

We've since used some stuff out of it (mainly soup from when we were sick). But it's organized and neat and ready for more stuff :)

This post is part of the Company Girl Coffee Blog Hop

over at Home Sanctuary

2011-10-06T14:36:00.000-04:00

The Church and the World walked far apart

On the changing shores of time,

The World was singing a giddy song,

And the Church a hymn sublime.

“Come, give me your hand,” said the merry World,

“And walk with me this way!”

But the faithful Church hid her gentle hands

And solemnly answered “Nay!

I will not give you my hand at all,

And I will not walk with you;

Your way is the way that leads to death;

Your words are all untrue.”

“Nay, walk with me but a little space,”

Said the World with a kindly air;

“The road I walk is a pleasant road,

And the sun shines always there.

Your path is thorny and rough and rude,

But mine is broad and plain;

My way is paved with flowers and dews,

And yours with tears and pain.

The sky to me is always blue,

No want, no toil I know;

The sky above you is always dark,

Your lot is a lot of woe.

There’s room enough for you and me

To travel side by side.”

Half shyly the Church approached the World

And gave him her hand of snow;

And the old World grasped it and walked along,

Saying, in accents low:

“Your dress is too simple to please my taste;

I will give you pearls to wear,

Rich velvets and silks for your graceful form,

And diamonds to deck your hair.”

The Church looked down at her plain white robes,

And then at the dazzling World,

And blushed as she saw his handsome lip

With a smile contemptuous curled.

“I will change my dress for a costlier one,”

Said the Church, with a smile of grace;

Then her pure white garments drifted away,

And the World gave, in their place,

Beautiful satins and shining silks,

Roses and gems and costly pearls;

While over her forehead her bright hair fell

Crisped in a thousand curls.

“Your house is too plain,” said the proud old World,

“I’ll build you one like mine;

With walls of marble and towers of gold,

And furniture ever so fine.”

So he built her a costly and beautiful house;

Most splendid it was to behold;

Her sons and her beautiful daughters dwelt there

Gleaming in purple and gold.

Rich fairs and shows in the halls were held,

And the World and his children were there.

Laughter and music and feasts were heard

In the place that was meant for prayer.

There-were cushioned seats for the rich and the gay,

To sit in their pomp and pride;

But the poor who were clad in shabby array,

Sat meekly down outside.

“You give too much to the poor,” said the World.

“Far more than you ought to do;

If they are in need of shelter and food,

Why need it trouble you?

Go, take your money and buy rich robes,

Buy horses and carriages fine;

Buy pearls and jewels and dainty food,

Buy the rarest and costliest wine.

My children, they dote on all these things,

And if you their love would win

You must do as they do, and walk in the ways

That they are walking in.”

So the poor were turned from her door in scorn,

And she heard not the orphan’s cry;

But she drew her beautiful robes aside,

As the widows went weeping by.

Then the sons of the World and the Sons of the Church

Walked closely hand and heart,

And only the Master, who knoweth all,

Could tell the two apart.

Then the Church sat down at her ease, and said,

“I am rich and my goods increase;

I have need of nothing, or aught to do,

But to laugh, and dance, and feast.”

The sly World heard, and he laughed in his sleeve,

And mockingly said, aside:

“The Church is fallen, the beautiful Church;

And her shame is her boast and her pride.”

The angel drew near to the mercy seat,

And whispered in sighs her name;

Then the loud anthems of rapture were hushed,

And heads were covered with shame.

And a voice was heard at last by the Church

From Him who sat on the throne:

“I know thy works, and how thou hast said,

‘I am rich, and hast not known

That thou art naked, poor and blind,

And wretched before my face;’

Therefore from my presence cast I thee out,

And blot thy name from its place.”

by Matilda C. Edwards

BestLoved Poems (Garden City, NY: Garden City Publishing, 1936), pages 345-347

Wordless Wednesday - Sorghum Molasses Making

2011-10-05T12:28:00.002-04:00

The Humble Rice

2011-10-04T12:21:00.000-04:00

Rice is a humble grain, not particularly exciting and often overlooked. Rice is a quick and easy side dish. It's also frugal and versatile. It's also can be pretty bland and boring. But it doesn't have to be. Rice can be flavorful and maybe a little bit fun. And have you ever looked at it as a means of getting good, healthy bone broth into yourself and your family?

KerryAnn over at Cooking Traditional Foods is hosting Winter Real Food Challenge: Bone Broth Marathon. Basically, the challenge is to consume 1 cup of bone broth each day between now and Valentines Day. Not just any broth, but high quality, homemade bone broth.

One of the ways that we consume bone broth in my house is to use it to cook our rice in. All I do is substitute the broth in for the water and add some spices that compliment our main dish. Quick, easy, and very little thought needed - but the end result raises rice to a whole new level. It becomes less of a wall flower and more of a focus. Something to savor and not just something to use to stretch a meal with. It becomes something less humble than it was.

This post is part of Traditional Tuesdays: Nutritious and Delicious

This post is also a part of Healthy 2day Wednesdays

Menu Monday - October 3rd

2011-10-03T11:15:00.001-04:00

My menu plan starts on Saturday. For the most part, sides are figured out during the week. I always have plenty of starchy side dishes and frozen veggies to choose from.

I can't believe that it's October already. This year is really flying by. This week we're starting out cold, and are supposed to warm up, so grilling meals will be making an appearance on the menu. I'm hoping it's not the last time for the year, but it's getting close.

This is going to be another busy week. Between errands, and a work meeting that will keep me at work almost 2 hours late, I have some quick meals planned (and one night of grabbing fast food).

Sunday's dinner was supposed to be ham and macaroni and cheese, but got replaced by chicken noodle due to a bit of illness hitting the house.

Saturday - birthday party

Sunday - chicken noodle soup

Monday - fast food

Tuesday - quick and easy chicken parm

Wednesday - pork chops

Thursday - steak

Friday - beefy mac

Lunch this week is another take on baked butternut squash

This post is also part of Plan It-Don't Panic over at Keeper of the Home

For more menu plans, please visit Organizing Junkie.

Shall We Gather At the River

2011-10-02T09:23:00.001-04:00

Listen here

Shall we gather at the river,
Where bright angel feet have trod,
With its crystal tide forever
Flowing by the throne of God?

Refrain

Yes, we’ll gather at the river,
The beautiful, the beautiful river;
Gather with the saints at the river
That flows by the throne of God.

On the margin of the river,
Washing up its silver spray,
We will talk and worship ever,
All the happy golden day.

Refrain

Ere we reach the shining river,
Lay we every burden down;
Grace our spirits will deliver,
And provide a robe and crown.

Refrain

At the smiling of the river,
Mirror of the Savior’s face,
Saints, whom death will never sever,
Lift their songs of saving grace.

Refrain

Soon we’ll reach the silver river,
Soon our pilgrimage will cease;
Soon our happy hearts will quiver
With the melody of peace.

Refrain

Words & Music: Robert Lowry, 1864; first published in Happy Voices, 1865, number 220

Apple Pie and Other Weekend Plans

2011-09-30T12:10:00.001-04:00

It is finally cool enough to put me in an apple pie mood. It's one of my all-time favorite fall foods. That and warm apple cider. When I go to the farmers market this afternoon, apples are on my list of things to buy and I need to start keeping my eyes out for apple cider from Soergels. I love that its local and it's also yummy.

Other cooking adventures are stuffed baked squash and of course bread. As cucumbers are no longer in season, it doesn't appear that I'll get relish made this year. Oh well, there's always next year. Oh and the bread will be one of the loaves of dough that I froze last weekend. I think that I'm going to like this way of making bread :)

We'll also be celebrating my little cousin's birthday on Saturday. She's such a cutie pie and continues to be easy to shop for (which I appreciate greatly).

The big project this weekend, however, is one of those daunting ones, tackling the downstairs pantry. Joy - not! I may take before and after pictures, that is if I remember to.

This post is part of the Company Girl Coffee Blog Hop

over at Home Sanctuary

Fall Decorating

2011-09-29T14:59:00.000-04:00

I switched the decorations last weekend from spring/summer to fall. While I'm sad to see summer go, I have to admit that I love my fall decorations. The colors, the shapes, everything about fall decorations make me happy. I don't put out much, but I did get something new while we were on vacation.

Bread and Taco Sauce

2011-09-27T12:17:00.002-04:00

And no, not together. This past Saturday, besides making my lunch for the week, my kitchen focus was on finally getting the taco sauce made and canned and getting bread made.

I'm still using Mary Yoder's bread recipe (with my tweaks of course), but this time instead of halving the recipe, I went ahead and made the whole thing. After the second rise I divided it into the four loaves, and froze two and finished two. Normally I would have only have let one finish rising and bake, but, I wanted one for celebrating my father-in-law's birthday (I sent the rest of the loaf home with him). For the two that are frozen, when I'm ready to use one, I'll start it thawing in the refrigerator. Then I'll punch it down and let it do a "real" third rise, punch it down again, form it into a loaf, let it rise a bit and then I'll bake it. The nice thing about freezing the dough is that I can make it whenever I have time and then bake it as needed (and wanted).

If you're curious as to what my tweaks are, they are:

Substitute sucanant for the white sugar
Substitute sorghum molasses for the brown sugar
Leave the flour out of the yeast mixture
Add the salt when you add the flour
Add the oil to the yeast mixture

For the taco sauce, I used the recipe for Tomato / Tomato Paste Salsa at the National Center for Home Food Preservation. It's the one that I used last year. This year I decided to add the cumin and use lime juice instead of lemon juice. I also only did a half recipe, which yielded 4 1/2 pints. This will be enough for us for the year.

I know that some foodies shy away from canning, but for me, I want the convenience of having stuff ready made, with in season produce, that I've controlled the ingredients of.

This post is part of Traditional Tuesdays: Nutritious and Delicious

Menu Monday - September 26

2011-09-26T11:55:00.004-04:00

My menu plan starts on Saturday. For the most part, sides are figured out during the week. I always have plenty of starchy side dishes and frozen veggies to choose from.

This past weekend we celebrated FIL's 77th birthday. His choice for dinner was pasta and meatballs. We made the meatballs on Friday night and then cooked them in the sauce on Saturday.

Anytime we're down south we pick up country ham, and that's on the menu for this week. Paired with potato salad, it makes for a very quick meal. Monday is errand day, so we'll have it then. I'm hoping that we'll have a few dry evenings this week, we're hoping to grill out a bit more before the grill gets put away for the winter (we don't have a covered deck to keep it on).

Saturday - rigatoni with homemade meatballs and sauce

Sunday - crock pot roast, mashed potatoes, mixed veggies

Monday - country ham and potato salad

Tuesday -steak

Wednesday - pork chops

Thursday - cheeseburgers

Friday - pasta

Lunch this week is alternating between a Country French Chicken dish over rice and a Baked Butternut Squash dish.

This post is also part of Plan It-Don't Panic over at Keeper of the Home

For more menu plans, please visit Organizing Junkie.

I'm Back, a Birthday and Other Weekend Plans

2011-09-23T12:31:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I have posted. Life got very crazy around here and then we went on vacation. But I am back, and will be posting regularly again.

This weekend we will celebrate my FIL's birthday. He has requested pasta and meatballs for his birthday dinner. That works out very well since I've been wanting to make some and the weather is cool enough to simmer the sauce.

Other plans for this weekend include canning taco sauce and changing over my living room decorations to fall ones. I bought a great fall decoration while on vacation and can't wait to show it to you. We also need to get some seed down on the bare spots in the front yard.

I'm making progress on my sister's picture, but not the baby blanket that I'm crocheting for a friend. I really need to get back to working on them more, not just on the weekend, but during the week as well.

This post is part of the Company Girl Coffee Blog Hop

over at Home Sanctuary

Perfect Pairing

2011-08-30T12:34:00.000-04:00

There's something to be said for the pairing of slightly bitter with slightly sweet. Like this week's lunch. It's a salad (though one with very little lettuce) that pairs slightly bitter peppers with sweet cucumbers and mild zucchini and all of it dressed with the Sweet Apple Cinder Vinaigrette. All in all it is heaven on my taste buds.

Menu Monday - August 29

2011-08-29T12:25:00.000-04:00

My menu plan starts on Saturday. For the most part, sides are figured out during the week. I always have plenty of starchy side dishes and frozen veggies to choose from.

Jim was craving noodles with gravy (usually served with beef patties in gravy) and I was craving roast, so yesterday we had both. I'm really getting a hankering for more fall foods, but yet still craving salads.

Friday I purchased Kimi Harris' book Fresh: Nourishing Salad for All Seasons. I am in love with this book :) For lunch this week I'm having a veggie other than lettuce heavy salad with her Sweet Apple Cider Vinaigrette. It is delish!

Saturday - Family Reunion

Sunday - crock pot roast, noodles & gravy, steamed green beans from the garden, cornbread

Monday - ham and potato salad

Tuesday -pizza

Wednesday - pork chops

Thursday - steak

Friday - cheeseburgers

For more menu plans, please visit Organizing Junkie.

Till the Storm Passes Over

2011-08-28T07:10:00.000-04:00

Listen here

In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face,
While the storm howls above me, and there's no hiding place.
'Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.

Chorus
Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more,
Till the clouds roll forever from the sky;
Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.

Many times Satan whispered, "There is no need to try,
For there's no end of sorrow, there's no hope by and by"
But I know Thou art with me, and tomorrow I'll rise
Where the storms never darken the skies.

Chorus

When the long night has ended and the storms come no more,
Let me stand in Thy presence on the bright peaceful shore;
In that land where the tempest, never comes, Lord, may I
Dwell with Thee when the storm passes by.

Chorus

Words and Music by Mosie Lister
copyright 1958

Family Reunion and Other Weekend Plans

2011-08-26T15:35:00.000-04:00

This weekend will be spent continuing canvassing, attending a family reunion, watching Bristol and watching Irene.

This is week two of the canvassing. We won't be able to stay the whole time, but we'll get a few hours in.

The family reunion is for my mom's mom's side of the family. It should be a lot of fun. It will be at the house of one of the cousins and we're all bringing food. Jim and I will bring a desert, and my mom, sister and I made stuffed cabbage (with help from my nana).

Saturday night is the Cup race at Bristol - always a favorite race for us to watch.

Jim and I are also big weather buffs. We've been watching the coverage of Hurricane Irene thus far and will continue to watch it all weekend. It fascinates us to no end. Yes, I know, we're slightly odd.

Dill Pickles

2011-08-25T12:01:00.000-04:00

We tried the dill pickles last night and I am very pleased with how they turned out. I used the recipe from the National Center for Home Food Preservation, with some minor adjustments. Here's the recipe with my adjustments

8 lbs of 3- to 5-inch pickling cucumbers
1¼ cups canning or pickling salt
1½ qts vinegar (5 percent)
¼ cup sugar
2 quarts water
2 tbsp whole mixed pickling spice
4½ tbsp dried dill (1 tbsp to 1½ tsp per pint jar)

Yield: 7 to 9 pints

Procedure: Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16-inch slice off blossom end and discard, but leave ¼-inch of stem attached. Pour 3/4 cup salt over cucumbers and cover with ice. Refrigerate overnight. Drain. Combine vinegar, ½ cup salt, sugar and 2 quarts water. Add mixed pickling spices tied in a clean white cloth. Heat to boiling. Fill jars with cucumbers. Add 1 1/2 tsp dill per pint. Cover with boiling pickling solution, leaving ½-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-24T14:14:00.001-04:00

post signature

Chickpea and Veggie Curry

2011-08-23T15:42:00.002-04:00

I'm not quite sure why I ended up with a hankering for curry, but I did. So I made my version of a chickpea and veggie curry. I'm sure it's not quite "traditional" but I think that it tastes good, and in the end, that's all that matters.

It's not vegetarian because of the chicken stock. They do make a vegetarian chicken stock (not sure how it tastes and I am sure it's very highly processed).

You could also sub out the veggies to be whatever you have on hand.

Chickpea and Veggie Curry
1 yellow zucchini, quartered and sliced
3 carrots, diced
3 gloves of garlic, diced
Coconut oil
1 can coconut milk
2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or you could sprout some)
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder
Salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste.

In a pot heat the oil and saute the carrots. When they begin to soften, add the garlic and zucchini. Stir for 30 seconds or until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve over rice.

This post is part of Traditional Tuesdays: Nutritious and Delicious

This post is also a part of Healthy 2day Wednesdays

Cling To The Bible

2011-08-21T07:50:00.000-04:00

Listen here

Cling to the Bible, though all else be taken;
Lose not its precepts, so precious and pure;
Souls that are sleeping its tidings awaken;
Life from the dead in its promises sure.

Refrain

Cling to the Bible!
Cling to the Bible!
Cling to the Bible—
Our Lamp and our Guide!

Cling to the Bible! This jewel and treasure
Brings life eternal, and saves fallen man;
Surely its value no mortal can measure:
Seek for its blessing, O soul, while you can!

Refrain

Lamp for the feet that in byways have wandered,
Guide for the youth that would otherwise fall;
Hope for the sinner whose life has been squandered,
Staff for the agèd, and best book of all.

Refrain

Words: M. J. Smith
Music: James R. Murray

Let the Blitz Begin and Other Weekend Plans

2011-08-19T16:07:00.001-04:00

The church that Jim and I attend is reproducing itself by starting a church plant to the north of where it is located. Tomorrow we start working on passing out the 10,000 packets that we want to pass out before the first service. Pastor has taken to calling it the Cranberry Blitz (though I think we'll be south of Cranberry). It should be fun, a lot of work, and it also means that I'm limited at home on the weekends.

No canning this week, but I am going to make a Chickpea and Vegetable Curry. I'll have to let you know how it goes.

Crocheting has been set aside in favor of a cross-stitch project for my sister's baby. I wouldn't mind getting to spend some time scrapbooking on Sunday. :)

This post is part of the Company Girl Coffee Blog Hop

over at Home Sanctuary

Tuna and White Bean Salad over Collards

2011-08-17T12:28:00.001-04:00

I was really wanting something different for lunch this week and so I decided to try and make a tuna and white bean salad. I didn't want it on bread, or on lettuce, so I decided to cook up some collards and add them. It turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. It's also a nice change of pace and a little different. I didn't cook the collards too long, just enough so that they didn't taste raw, but I still wanted them to have a bit of crunch. Collards can be bitter, and the salad is a bit sweet, so it ends up being a great combination.

Tuna and White Bean Salad over Collards

Collards (I used probably a half a bunch, but you can adjust the amount)
2 slices salt pork (something that I always have in my freezer), diced
Coconut Oil
1 can tuna, drained
1 can cannellini beans
1 cucumber, seeded and diced
1 green pepper, diced
1/4 cup mayonnaise - or enough to get you the consistency you want
1 teaspoon cilantro
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin

Add some coconut oil and the salt pork to a skillet and add your collards, turning regularly to wilt and coat with oil. Add water, cover and simmer until they are to a consistency that you like.

Meanwhile, combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Mix to combine.

Serve tuna and beans over collards.

This post is also a part of Healthy 2day Wednesdays

Menu Monday - August 15

2011-08-15T12:25:00.000-04:00

My menu plan starts on Saturday. For the most part, sides are figured out during the week. I always have plenty of starchy side dishes and frozen veggies to choose from.

Slightly cooler temperatures meant that we were able to have pasta on Sunday (boiling the water for pasta heats the house up something fierce). We did our quick sauce since it was still to warm to simmer sauce all day.

Saturday - pulled pork & cornbread

Sunday - pasta with quick tomato sauce

Monday - pizza

Tuesday -steak

Wednesday - beef and bean burritos

Thursday - smoked pork chops

Friday - cheeseburgers

Lunch this week is a tuna and white bean salad over collards. I'll be posting the recipe tomorrow.

For more menu plans, please visit Organizing Junkie.

Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus

2011-08-14T08:02:00.000-04:00

Listen here

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
And to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, Thus says the Lord!

Refrain

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Refrain

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

Refrain

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

Refrain

Words: Louisa M. R. Stead, in Songs of Triumph, 1882. These words are said to have written been after Stead witnessed her husband drown.

Music: William J. Kirkpatrick

Pickles and Other Weekend Plans

2011-08-12T10:26:00.000-04:00

It is finally time to start canning :) I am so looking forward to it. This weekend I am going to make dill pickles and possibily some zucchini pickles too. I'll actually start them tonight, and finish them tomorrow. Basically, I put the cumcumber slices in ice and salt overnight, it keeps them crisp.
I also am going to attempt to design a recipe for a tuna and bean salad over cooked collard greens. If it turns out I'll blog about it next week.

I'll make extra bread dough tomorrow also, so that I can continue with my frozen dough experiments.

Sunday should be a nice, quiet afternoon. Though we may bring packets home to start assembly. These packets will be handed out to advertise the new church plant that is starting in September.

This post is part of the Company Girl Coffee Blog Hop

over at Home Sanctuary

Sometimes You Have To Compromise . . .

2011-08-09T12:17:00.000-04:00

At least with respect to food. There are definitely foods that I eat that aren't the healthiest (boxed macaroni and cheese comes to mind), but for my weekday lunches, I do try and eat traditional foods (or at least somewhat traditional) and I am usually heavy on the veggies.

Unfortunately, there are some weeks where that just isn't possible. Take this week for example. We were away for a long weekend last weekend, and I just didn't have time to make my lunch for the week. So I bought frozen lunches for the week (I'm also only packing my lunch for three of the five days). While not the healthiest, I did try and choose ones that are better, with limited preservatives.

Sometimes food that is just "okay" has to do. Next week, I'll go back to my regular lunches. Actually, I'm planning on making a tuna and white bean salad and having it over some cooked collards.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

2011-08-07T07:38:00.000-04:00

Listen here

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!

Refrain

His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Refrain

Words & Music: Helen H. Lemmel, 1922. This hymn was first published in Glad Songs, by the British National Sunday School Union. Its lyrics were inspired by the Gospel tract Focused, by Lilias Trotter, which included these words: So then, turn your eyes upon Him, look full into His face and you will find that the things of earth will acquire a strange new dimness.

Bread Experiment Update

2011-08-04T12:31:00.000-04:00

Well, the experiment didn't work. It was nice and brown on the outside, but doughy in the middle. I don't think that I left it to rise long enough the first time. So next time I'll adjust the first out of the fridge rise. Here's the timing that I did.

10 hours thawing in fridge
Punch down
1/2 hour rise on counter
Punch down and shape into loaf
1/2 hour rise in the loaf pan

The whole point of this is to figure out how I can bake bread at night after work using frozen dough. Hence the 10 hours in the fridge. This would allow me to put it down as we leave in the morning and then work with it as soon as we get home.

Geese have goslings, ducks have ducklings, and turkeys have . . .

2011-08-03T11:57:00.000-04:00

. . . poults!?!! I thought for sure it would be turklings :)

We have a family of turkeys over our hillside. A mom and some poults. In the mornings and evenings she likes to take them on walks in our yard and the yards on either side of us. Two nights ago, she was giving flying lessons into the trees over the hillside.

Tuna Salad

2011-08-02T15:34:00.001-04:00

Do you remember the cottage cheese salads that restaurants used to serve? The ones with the lettuce on the plate and then the cottage cheese ball and some fruit? Maybe they still do serve them {shudder}. I decided to do tuna salad for lunch this week, and wouldn't you know, plated up in my bowl, it kinda reminded me of the cottage cheese salad.

Just in case you are curious, the reason that I didn't do the traditional tuna salad on bread is that by the time I eat lunch, the bread would be soggy and I cannot stand soggy bread. This is based on the Salmon Salad recipe that was in this weeks menu mailer.

Tuna Salad
1 can tuna (but not the chunk light stuff, get the good stuff) in water
1 cucumber seeded and diced
Mayonnaise (2 soup spoons full)
Squirt of lime juice
Cilantro
Onion Powder
Salt & Pepper

Drain the tuna and dump it and the cucumber into a bowl. Add the mayonnaise and lime juice and season to taste with the spices. Put on top of salad greens and top with carrot ribbons (basically carrots attacked with a veggie peeler).

This post is part of Traditional Tuesdays: Nutritious and Delicious

This post is also a part of Healthy 2day Wednesdays

Just As I Am

2011-07-31T08:14:00.000-04:00

Listen here

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Words: Charlotte Elliott, 1835

Music: Woodworth, William B. Bradbury, Mendelssohn Collection, or Third Book of Psalmody (New York: 1849)

Company's Coming, Bread Experiments and Other Weekend Plans

2011-07-29T11:57:00.000-04:00

Tonight Jim and I are having our Pastor and his family over for dinner. I'm looking forward to it immensely. I am praying that we don't get the rain that they are calling for and that we'll be able to grill. Besides the fact that we love to grill, it also means that we won't have to do any cooking in the house today. We're having grilled pork chops, grilled corn on the cob and pasta salad (made yesterday). We'll have ice cream for desert.

Last weekend when I made bread, I made two loaves. Instead of baking off both, I froze a portion of the dough after the second rise. I'll thaw it, punch it down and put it in the pan for it's final rise and bake it tomorrow. What I'm most curious about is the timing for the thaw and rise, the timing for the rise in the pan (since it will be chilled) and how it tastes. If it works, it will mean that I can make bread midweek, in the evenings.

The only other definite plans that I have are to hem my slip.

I hope that you have a blessed weekend!

This post is part of the Company Girl Coffee Blog Hop

over at Home Sanctuary

Our Office

2011-07-28T15:12:00.000-04:00

We finally found a printer stand that we liked, so we were able to finish the office. We ordered it from Target. That's also where we got the bookshelves. They were on sale for I think $15 each. While I did purge some books, these new shelves give us more room than we had before.

No before pictures, but I do have after ones.

The Perfect Drink For a Hot Summer Day

2011-07-26T13:30:00.000-04:00

Growing up, I didn't particularly like to drink iced tea unless it was from a mix. It seemed that if it was brewed from tea bags, even if you added sugar to your glass, it was still bitter.

As an adult, I began to travel to the South. And there I discovered a love of tea - Sweet Tea that is. See there is a definite difference between tea that you add sugar in to cold and tea that has had sugar dissolved in it while still hot. Sweet tea doesn't have that bitter note to it that unsweetened tea with sugar added does.

Now sweet tea isn't something that we make often. It's a treat for us. And one of these days I'll experiment with better sugars, but for now, here is the recipe that I use for sweet tea.

1/2 gallon water
6 tea bags
1 scant cup of sugar (can use less sugar)

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat and immediately add teabags. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and add sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Put remaining 4 cups of water in serving container (this water should be cold). Add tea mixture and stir. Refrigerate until cold.

Menu Monday - July 25

2011-07-25T12:03:00.000-04:00

My menu plan starts on Saturday. For the most part, sides are figured out during the week. I always have plenty of starchy side dishes and frozen veggies to choose from.

This week is going to be a busy week, finding us out every evening, so dinners are going to be quick. We're also having company on Friday night (which I am looking forward to immensely)

Saturday - we ate out while running errands

Sunday - cheeseburgers

Monday - pizza

Tuesday - beefy mac

Wednesday - steak

Thursday - beef and rice tacos

Friday - pork chops, pasta salad and corn on the cob

Lunch this week is chicken satay salad

For more menu plans, please visit Organizing Junkie.

I'll Fly Away

2011-07-24T08:16:00.001-04:00

Listen here

Some glad morning when this life is o'er,
I'll fly away;
To a home on God's celestial shore,
I'll fly away (I'll fly away).

Refrain

I'll fly away, Oh Glory
I'll fly away; (in the morning)
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by,
I'll fly away (I'll fly away).

When the shadows of this life have gone,
I'll fly away;
Like a bird from prison bars has flown,
I'll fly away (I'll fly away)

Refrain

Just a few more weary days and then,
I'll fly away;
To a land where joy shall never end,
I'll fly away (I'll fly away)

Refrain

Lyrics by Albert E. Brumley

Finishing Up Spring Cleaning and Other Weekend Plans

2011-07-22T14:32:00.000-04:00

Yes I know, it's the end of July and spring is long over, but hey, better late than never. Actually, when we did our spring cleaning this year, we didn't do the office, other than the windows, because we were planning on getting a new printer stand and new bookcases. Unfortunately, it has taken us this long to find a printer stand that we like. So tonight we're getting the bookcases and tomorrow we will assemble furniture and finally do the spring cleaning of the office.

In other plans for the weekend, I need to order new reading glasses and I want to work some in my craft room. Depending on the temperature tomorrow morning I may also make some macaroni salad. And I'll be doing the normal lunch prep and bread making.

This post is part of the Company Girl Coffee Blog Hop

over at Home Sanctuary

Adventures in Brownie Making . . .

2011-07-21T12:23:00.000-04:00

. . . or what happens when you forget to measure the handles.

I finally got around to making the brownies last night. All was going well, just a minor bit of tweaking was occurring, and then I tried to put the brownies in the toaster oven. While yes, the toaster oven will fit a 9x13 pan, if said pan has handles, it won't fit. Not to be deterred we (meaning Jim and I) poured the brownie mix into a 2 1/2 quart oval dish. This caused the chocolate chips that were supposed to be sprinkled on top, to be mixed in. We also had to increase the cooking time a bit. However, even with all of that, we still ended up with great brownies with a molten chocolate center.

As for the minor tweaks that I started out with, I didn't have unsweetened chocolate, so I used semi-sweet chocolate chips instead. I also didn't have quite 2 cups of sugar. I figured the semi-sweet chips more than made up for the slight lack of sugar. Like I said, minor tweaks :)

Here's the recipe, as originally written:

* Exported from MasterCook *

Scout's Brownies

Recipe By :

Serving Size : 32 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Sweet Tooth

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 cup unsalted butter

3 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 each egg

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

Melt unsalted butter and unsweetened chocolate together in glass bowl in microwave - let cool.

Sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Beat eggs until creaming, then gradually add sugar, beating constantly. Add vanilla and cooled chocolate-butter mix. Stir in dry ingredient until just combined. Spread batter in buttered 9 x 13" pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips over surface.

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes at 350, or until center no longer jiggles when shaken. Cool, then cut into 32 pieces.

Zucchini Ribbons with Mushrooms and Tomatoes

2011-07-19T12:01:00.000-04:00

This is a recipe that I adapted from last week's menu mailer. I was a bit skeptical of how it would turn out, but figured the worst thing that could happen was that I had to bring peanut butter sandwiches the rest of the week. Turns out, I had nothing to worry about. It's yummy and filling.

3 - 4 medium zucchini peeled
8 oz sliced mushrooms - I used baby bellas
Handful of pear tomatoes sliced in half
Olive oil
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Salt to taste

Use a vegetable peeler to peal the zucchini into ribbons, making sure to stop when you get to the seeds. I put mine on my cutting board and rolled it as needed. Cook in boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain.

While you are waiting for the water to boil, in a large skillet saute the mushrooms and tomatoes until done.

Toss the mushroom mixture with the drained zucchini and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and salt to taste.

Just As I Am

2011-07-17T08:07:00.000-04:00

Listen here

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Words: Charlotte Elliott, 1835; first appeared in The Christian Remembrancer, whose editor Elliott became in 1836. The last verse is from Elliott’s Hours of Sorrow Cheered and Comforted, 1836.

Music: Woodworth, William B. Bradbury, Mendelssohn Collection, or Third Book of Psalmody (New York: 1849)