Tagging Three with Three!

I am tagging Jamie, Ashley and Amberly for Three Recipes of Delightful Dinners they have had. Any Course will do! They in turn must tag Three and add the rule that those they tag must add one question or request to the tag. Great tagging Folks!
A Delicious Meal is an Easy Meal...
Use your crockery or stoneware and add thick cloth napkins and your everyday stainless utensils. Add ambiance with a centerpiece of fruits and veggies of the winter variety!

1.) Creamy Potato Soup for many:

A half a bag of Idaho taters- peeled and chopped bite size
Put them in a large pan covered with Cold Water & 2 tsp. salt then set them on the burner at medium heat
Meanwhile:
Chop finely one very large Vidalia Onion or 2 smaller sweet onions...
Chop one bunch of celery with the top leaves fairly small
Scrub and slice thin one small bag of full sized carrots
One Jennie-O Turkey Ham chopped in bite sized bits

Saute (in a large fry pan) the Onion/Celery and one or two cloves of garlic in a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle with Cayenne pepper lightly as you stir. When the onion gets a slight translucent look add to the potatoes. When the whole mess is nicely simmering add the Turkey Ham. When all is cooked through add one can of evaporated milk or soy milk ( original not vanilla) to make a creamy soup. You can then make a roue by putting 3 tbsp EVOO in that same fry pan and add enough flour to make a thick paste (can be soy/rice or spelt flour if need be) and brown it just a teensy then add while stirring vigorously with a wisk to the soup and it should thicken slightly. Taste and add more salt to suit and additional cayenne pepper. It should be slightly spicey but not overwhelm the palate. Serve this soup with crusty bread/biscuits or crackers even corn bread is nice.

2.) Venison Stew

Can use beef if need be...
Take small pieces of tenderloin ( 1+ pound) and dredge in flour then saute in EVOO at a medium heat.
Chop veggies that suit you but it must have 1 cup chopped onions and at least that much finely chopped celery. I like Carrots/butternut squash/Celery/Parsnips/zuchinni or whatever suits to equal 3 more cups veggies. {I prefer not adding cabbage type veggies to this particular stew. The flavor is just not compatible.} Cook the entire stew with plenty of liquid ( organic beef broth is nice) and spices to taste. A bay leaf is nice but pull it out before serving and salt pepper and cayenne in moderation. Garlic is so healthy and adds flavor as well. When veggies and meat simmering nicely add brown rice ( 1 cup or as it seems right. It will triple in size) and let simmer for 45-50 more minutes. Serve with home made whole grain bread and butter!

3.) Beef Roast with Veggies

This is great for cooking while at church or out for several hours. Choose a nice Chuck Roast of high quality about 3 pounds or a roast you particularly like and braise it in a bit of oil. It should be browned on all sides. (Note: Even round Steak can be pounded and rolled up to roast size but only braise after rolling and tying with string. Use your creativity!) Put in oven at 350 in a roaster with 1 1/2 cup hot water and pepper the top nicely. Cover, after 1 hour or more if roast is larger then add veggies. Red potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onion make a wonderful addition and the onions if smaller can be peeled and left whole or sliced in quarters if larger. Do not chop veggies unless they are very thick carrots then slice in half but leave long. (Don't ever use the baby carrots as they have little flavor for roasting.) Roast at 350 for 1 and 1/2 more hours or if you are to be gone longer this can all be put in the slow cooker and it will be tasty and nice. Pop in some rolls to serve with this meal and don't forget the horseradish on the side or Ketchup if you have kids! The broth makes a pleasant gravy to ladel over the veggies on your plate.

Hats I Have Worn...so to speak

so my daughter in law put up a list of 4 jobs she held and which she liked best; I am going for 14 minimum after all I am older: These are my for pay jobs...
1.) Avon Lady/Mary Kay Lady
2.) Model Home Hostess
3.) Go-Go Dancer
4.) Food Waitress
5.) Bar Maid
6.) Cleaning Lady
7.) Nanny/Housekeeper
8.) Assnt. Manager of Shoe store
9.) Giftshop/Coffeebar Attendant
10.) Grocery Clerk
11.) Factory Worker
12.) Church Secretary
13.) Mineral Spa Bath Attendant
14.) Cook/Bartender
I liked each job enough to keep it awhile but Church Secretary and Giftshop/Coffeebar attendant are my favorite ones to date...
Soon I may add a new one who can tell???

Sometimes Life Comes at You Hard!

I have been "ready" for almost anything but yesterday I found myself knocked flat. I have had every kind of thing happen to me this last year I thought. Oh how wrong I was. This one took my heart and pierced it though. I am bleeding inside. No sleep for me. Is it about me? Only that I want to honor God and see my kids honor God and know His character so much that they do not want to disappoint Him or be seperated from Him. I know the scriptures well from many years of studying and reading. It cannot be twisted to convince me to make black into white. I am sad and devestated but my love is even stronger than before...for Him and for them. The Lost is floundering in error and pain seeking pleasure of any kind to find relief and they need Jesus more than breath or money or sobriety or food or their hearts desire... and this thing I just went through teaches me again that it is all about the Kingdom of God. NOW!

A Contest and Great Food Blog!

A Cowboy’s Wife is having a contest on her food blog! You can win a Hamilton Beach® Stand Mixer and she’ll ship anywhere so everyone is eligible!

Go on and look see the whole deal and you will want to enter too!

Food and contests go together!

Rules for Entertaining from "4 Reluctant Entertainers"

MY TEN COMMANDMENTS
#1 Hospitality is not only a gift I have but a gift I give. Be passionate about it! #2 Organization and planning ahead: Know Thy Recipe! Have a plan! Makes lists! Experience the power of delegation! #3 Set the mood with your specific style of music, lighting or candles. When in doubt, ask your guests to bring their favorite music. #4 Perfectionism is a robber. Lower your expectations. Your guests do not expect perfection and neither should you. #5 Ignite conversation by planning ahead of time 2 or 3 specific questions and topics of conversation for your guests. #6 Transform your home or meal with thrifty ways and low-cost ideas. Make garage sales and thrift or dollar stores part of your errand ritual. #7 Apologizing for a perceived error in your meal just draws attention to you and pulls away from the enjoyment of the meal. #8 Be yourself. Don’t compare yourself to others, but create your own style. #9 Learning - always be willing to try new things. Use the Internet or library, along with your favorite cookbooks, for recipes and unique ideas. Try new recipes on your family first. #10 Expect life-changing impact! Those who feed people lead people.
Go to '4 Reluctant Entertainers' for examples on how to incorporate these commandments into a successful dinner party for 17 adults and 15 kids or just when unexpected company drops in at dinner time. Whee! This blog is excellent!
My house is too small to even hold many but I am having Pastor, Sue and their 4 kids over for a holiday time together delayed by our schedules and responsibilites but held in place by our caring for one another. Jenna may be present also for this time. So I have a few rearrangements to do when I find a minute (an evening actually should do it!) and I want to use these wonderful rules to capitalize on the opportunity to show hospitality and enjoy my guests.

Trying to Stay in the Resolute Mode

I made some resolutions and then all hell broke loose, so every temptation to let it all go has ocurred and to tell the truth it has kept me from living tight but not deterred me from the intentions or the goals. I have many things to consider as I try to walk a walk of self-discipline. I need to stay steady and focused even in the sight of my life. I am so grateful for God's help and the people around me as well. Every test has an end but it does seem there are a lot of tests. Jack is falling a lot and his memory is worse and worse. I wonder what would happen if Jenna was employed and away from the house for long stretches? He fell tonight (they always report in) and it took Heather and Jenna to get him up. He was pinned under the rocking chair and he said he just went to pick up his hankie off the floor next to his recliner. The rocker is across the room. It all seems a bit much but I don't want to put him in a nursing home if there is any way to keep him from it. He is happier at home being crabby than he is living in a nice nursing home and feeling lonely and rejected. I just hope it works. I resolve to keep trying to get healthy and make this mess work!

I am so Thankful!

Last night it was prophecied that some of the ones I have poured into and mentored over the years are thinking about some of the things I said to them, and that I am to keep praying and believing that they will return to Christ. I thought about some broken relationships, some of them my fault because I said too much and others from the aspect that they just didn't want to walk the walk.
Today I got a call from Anthony and it was a repair of the big breach and I cried and was so grateful for the restoration of the relationship. I am overjoyed and thanking God for hearing my prayers and healing our relationship. I hope to see him this summer and his little boy of 8 months...Xaiden. Rejoice! This is better than winning the lottery! I love that young man.

A Seldom Cry

I spent a while crying off and on today and still the tears are there. I am truly grieving the loss of LaValle. The space, the rooms to invite folks to stay or to just have privacy, the lack of expense each month but mostly the memories that rang from the walls going way back to my babyhood...I am trying not to be angry at the cause of the lost but it is sometimes hard again. Just when I thought I was over it something triggered a new wave of sadness. I also grieve that the people around me see me flat. Flat Lynda that is it. She will be there so just unfold her and ask her to be solid and the same. I fell not even misunderstood but more like wallpaper than ever. No one really knows what goes on and the pressures I am feeling but yet they say "Why didn't you try for that library job I gave you an application for?" and they say it in a public meeting as my insurance is taken away. They suggest that my choice of helping Suzanne with the kids is somehow inferior to another plan. Perhaps so but it is still my choice and my reasons are solid. I did say "I am unable to fit that type of inflexible job in at present with the demands on me and in making sure my husband is safe and cared for in my home." but WAAAAAAH! It is so hard to have someone you think is a friend try to manage you.

Swiss Cheese!

I forgot that I get bad headaches from too much swiss cheese and last night I ate just that...too much swiss cheese and a lot of ice cream too. Had to get rid of it so I could start my new healthy eating program...well I got the headache and a bellyache too. Serves me right for thinking it would be a fond farewell. I seem to remember getting nicotine poisoned before I quit smoking so maybe this is actually, 'groan'. a good thing...