Good (middle of the night) morning out there! Hello everyone - I hope you are all
doing well. I am going to start posting on a more regular basis. I really am!
Time goes by so quickly. The 40 Days for Life Fall Campaign ended yesterday.
Please continue to pray for the unborn babies and their parents.
November is National Adoption Month. I'm thinking of ways to share the
"Adoption is a loving option" message. Hey, did y'all know I was adopted? I
guess the title to my blog might give you that idea. Seriously, I'm really
thankful for my life. I'm thankful for my family who came and picked me up
when I was three days old, and loved me and took care of me and did all the things
that moms and dads do. I was blessed with loving parents, an older brother, grand-
parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins too!
I'm also thankful for my biological mom and I pray that she is happy and loved and
that God has let her know that I'm okay if she ever wonders about me.
Adoption IS a loving and self less option. Please remember to pray for the
biological mothers who have to make that decision - because they are doing
what they think is best for their baby.
I'm moving on to another subject now.
I have so much to share so this will be one of those "a little bit of this and a little
bit of that" kind of posts.
Feed the hungry. Who do you think of when you hear that phrase? I have always
thought of the homeless, those less fortunate, families on limited incomes, people
in poor countries, etc. And yes, we do need to do what we can to help the people
in the situations I've listed and I am honored to know many giving and kind
people who reach out to others. I now think of my own family as well. Let me
explain - As a homemaker, wife, mother, and grandmother I spend a lot of
time in my kitchen. I love to bake and cook for my family. But there are times
when I am busy doing something else and have to stop right in the middle to
go and prepare a meal. Feed the hungry - prepare meals for your family with love.
Here are some quick, tummy filling and heart warming meals for this time of
year. They are also inexpensive and easy on the grocery budget.
Full disclosure - this is NOT diet food!
Creamy tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches and Fritos if you have them on
hand. Any chips will do but I like to put Fritos in my soup!
Grilled ham n cheese sandwiches and some fresh fruit is another quick meal.
Mac n Cheese (Kraft Macaroni - I'm picky on this one!)
Red beans (pinto beans) and corn bread. We cook a big pot of beans once a week.
Re-fry some of the beans and make bean and cheese quesadillas and cut up some
fruit or Avocados to go on the side. If you have time - make some Pico de Gallo.
Last week I ate something I haven't eaten in years and it was so good!
Here is a short story that goes with this. When we would go and visit my grand-
parents my cousin and I would stay up late and watch tv. We would also raid the
kitchen late at night. We would make chocolate pudding cooked on the stove
top and then eat it warm. That was really good. Or, if there was leftover cornbread,
we would crumble a piece in a glass and pour milk over it and then eat it with a
spoon. If you haven't tried that - you need to! Last week I cooked a double batch
of cornbread to go with a big pot of goulash. We had plenty of cornbread leftover.
The next day I ate a late breakfast and had skipped lunch. I was getting "Hangry"
and knew I needed to eat a snack. I cut a big piece of cornbread and crumbled it
into a glass and poured just enough milk to cover it. I sat down at the bar to enjoy
my cornbread milk. It tasted so good, just like I remembered it. I only wish my
cousin had been here to enjoy it too. Feed your family! Cook and bake and make
some yummy memories. I want to share another thing I make that is quick
and great for breakfast. Jim's mom used to make this when he was little.
Pan Loco - Biscuit mix from scratch, Pioneer Biscuit and Baking Mix or Bisquick
work fine too. Follow the recipe for making biscuits and add just a little extra
milk ( a couple of tablespoons). Spray your cookie sheet and then spoon the biscuit
mixture right in the middle of the pan and spread it out where it looks kind of like
a rectangle - just make sure the mixture is about the same thickness. Bake in
a preheated oven. Cook about 3-4 minutes longer then regular biscuits. Let the
Pan Loco cool a few minutes before you slice it into big thick squares. This makes
great biscuits and you don't have to use a rolling pin or a biscuit cutter!
Another quick cooking tip. Cook a large package of hamburger meat. I like to
add dried minced onions and lots of garlic powder and of course salt and pepper.
I buy the lean hamburger meat and after it is cooked all the way through I blot
it with paper towels to get rid of any excess grease. Take half of the cooked
hamburger meat and put into another container and after it cools a little bit cover
the top and place it in the fridge and you can use it for another meal in the next
day or two. This works great for burritos, goulash, taco soup, etc.
Cool temperatures means it is time to cook a pot of soup in our home: Potato Soup,
Chicken N Dumplings, Spicy Chicken N Dumplings, Stew, Chicken Noodle -
soup tastes good and I think it is good for the soul! Maybe it's just all that love
I add in! So the next time your husband, (or your wife - men cook too) your kids,
or your grandkids say "I'm hungry!" Feed them! And better yet, get them to help
out - make some fun and yummy memories for the years ahead.
Blessings to you and yours,
Sharla
Pictures of some of the
"Definitely Not Diet Desserts"
Made from scratch with lots of love
in my kitchen!
1. Banana Nut Bread
and Banana Nut Bread with
Chocolate Chips
2. Cinnamon Coffee Cake and a cup of coffee!
3. The Original Banana Pudding
(the kind you make from scratch) because that is the one Jim likes!
