Two Steps Forward...and Recipes!

Hello Dear Ones!  Do you ever have those days...where you feel like it is two steps forward and at least three steps back??  But you really know that you are actually going forward the whole time??  Well, okay..maybe you don't really know that you are going forward, you are just trusting in God's plan--doing your very best to keep your eyes on Him and His Glory, and avoid all the noise and chaos that is around you, trying to distract you from your Beloved Saviour and His instructions for you. 

Okay, so I was looking back over previous blogs, and I don't think that I ever shared Cousin P's special spaghetti recipe with you.  Since tomorrow is his birthday, it is appropriate that I go ahead and share it with you today!

Cousin P's Special Spaghetti

1 - 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground meat
1/2 - 3/4 lbs. hot (spicy) Jimmy Dean (or whichever brand you prefer) breakfast sausage
1 can Hunt's garlic and herb spaghetti sauce
1 can stewed tomatoes italian style (ok--this is my addition to the recipe)
Italian seasoning to taste
1/3 - 1/2 chopped onion OR minced onion to taste
garlic powder to taste
spaghetti--I never measure, I just put in how much looks right for our family

First in a frying pan (with a bit of olive oil, if you wish), cook the ground meat and the spicy sausage thoroughly-mixing them together and into bite sized bits.  If you are choosing the fresh onion, then definitely put it in with the meat.  It smells delish!  This is what my cousin always uses, but sometimes you don't always have an onion on hand, you know?  Go ahead and put the spaghetti water on to boil.  This is a pretty fast recipe (love those!), and if you like your pasta al dente (it is better for you that way, by the way)..then you will be closer to having everything finished all at once (love it when that happens, too!).  After meat is done--no pink inside (you don't want any monsters living inside you--like that show on the animal planet), then add the rest of your ingredients right to the frying pan.  Instead of a frying pan, my cousin uses a 4 quart saucepan--so that would work as well. 

Drain the pasta when it is done.  Keep it in a separate pot.  Don't mix together--like I sometimes mix together my other sauces with rice or pasta.  This is just extra good if you keep them separate.

Okay, now at your store, in freezer section, look for the STORE BRAND garlic toasts.  They will come 8 to a box.  (definitely not if you are trying to diet-this is a wonderful delight splurge...delish!)  He always uses the store brand on these, I have never tried any other brands, they are cheaper....  anyway.  Now he just stops with his meal here.  Meat and bread for guys, right??  ;)  I love him--it is super delicious like this!  I like to add a salad when I make it at home.  That's it!

Ok....now for another recipe.  This is a funny recipe that I made up after seeing something in a magazine that got me to thinking...(be careful when that happen's, right??).  My sweet RoseFlower was just diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.  My sweet KingBee daddy has Type 2 Diabetes, as well.  Now he is fine with the fake sweeteners like NutraSweet and all of those, but they make my RoseFlower throwup and have a headache.  And of course, RoseFlower thinks she is going to die if she doesn't have something sweet!  (And fruit doesn't count for her--no way!!)  Ok..you are saying "Shut Up already and get to the dang recipe!!".  Ok...here it is.

Fairy Pies

store bought pie crust (I use the WalMart generic brand that comes 2 uncooked crusts to a box-by the bisquits in a can in refrig section)
fresh fruit or berries
all fruit preserves (I use the Smucker's brand-only have Strawberry now, I'm going to look for other flavors though)

get out one of the pie crusts.  unroll it onto some wax paper on your counter or table --- your kiddos might even want to help you make this one!  now cut your pie crust so that the circle turns into a square---but the edges that you cut off need to be big enough so that they can be doubled upon themselves with a bit of filling inside.

preheat oven to 425 farenheit.   spray cookie sheet with butter flavored pam---definitely do this unles you have a non stick  sheet, you still may want to spray even then--the filling will leak out and be hard to get off.

I experimented on different fruits just to see what worked best.  I only had the strawberry flavor of the all fruit, but it worked out great anyway. 

so you cut up your berries into quarters (I used blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries).  It worked out to 1 blackberry and 1 raspberry in 1 fairy pie.  OR 1 strawberry in 1 fairy pie.  I would smooth about 1/4 a spoonful of the strawberry all fruit preserves on the pie crust in the middle, the put the cut up pieces of berries, then fold the side up around--no particular pattern--then poke holes in top of each pie with end of fork that I cut up the berries with.  I also tried tiny bits of a pear with some spray "I can't believe it's not butter" spritzed on the fruit instead of the preserves.  I got 8 little fairy pies from one pie crust.  Just the right amount for a dessert after dinner for a family of 4..and they were definitely NOT overly sweet...in fact they were on the light side of sweet..but not bitter...just right.  Oh yes...I baked them (covered with a bit of aluminum foil for part of the time so they wouldn't get too brown) for about 20 minutes.  But your oven might be different.

Ok...so the results!!!!!
RoseFlower's Top Pick was strawberry with the strawberry preserves
she didn't like the raspberry/blackberry with strawberry preserves because of the little dotties on the berries--
she didn't try the pear--it was good, but a bit dry, needed something else (maybe apple all fruit next time)  but the baked pear was really good!  I can't wait to try some other fruits--already thinking about apple and adding a touch of cinnamon!
KingBee very much liked the raspberry/blackberry
QueenBee and MamaRose liked them all.  So I will definitely be making those again soon.

I was thinking, those little fairy pies, you could add anything you wanted inside of them, you know??  A bit of ham and cheese, cream cheese and chives, ...possibilities are endless!

And these would make a great tea party treat!  We like to have tea parties with little snacks and drinks (homemake pink lemonade) and have read alouds.  Especially on rainy afternoons like today!!  And of course, RosePig, our guinea pig, is always included with her own snacks!

Have a blessed weekend and know that I am praying for you!
MamaRose

Sounds of Silence and a Recipe

So yes, you have been hearing only the "Sounds of Silence" from this end of the world.  Life got crazy there for a while, as it tends to do at times.  I didn't forget you, and I have been praying for you..even though we have never met...and if you only glance at the title of my blog one day...you get prayed for!  So there!  I am trying to figure out how to fix my comments so you can actually leave me a comment (that would be nice, wouldn't it??).  But please do email me if you need a special prayer request, wanna say hello, have an idea...or whatever.  That would be wonderful!


Okay, going to give you a very easy, quick and delish meal to make today for your family.  I love to cook.  And I love to make up new recipes.  Most of them turn out pretty good!  I will share from time to time on here.  And I would love to hear recipes from y'all out there, as well!!  Most all of my recipes are quick, cheap, and relatively simple.  Some are healthier than others, but they do get dinner taken care of....and my family likes them.  First one...


Beef Pot Pie

• 1 package of WalMart brand package of two (2) pie crusts - in the refrigerator section next to the canned biscuits - they come rolled up in a box, very inexpensive, but they taste just like the ones my mama makes from scratch!  ;)
• 2 (I believe they are like 15 1/2 oz) cans of Dinty Moore beef stew
• 1 (regular sized, you know the size of a soup can) can of peas--if your family hates peas, then by all means--please just don't add this!  We like peas in our family..and it gives the dish more color and extra little pops when you bite into the peas plus more flavor and I'm sure some added vitamins in there somewhere, right??)
• Pam spray-I use the butter flavor, you could use whatever flavor you like or have, you could even try skipping this if you have a non-stick pan

Okay, first turn your oven on to about 425-450 degrees Fahrenheit.  We have these old glass Pyrex baking dishes.  I use the circular clear one.  I believe it is about 2 1/2 - 3 quarts maybe??  I have looked all over it trying to find the size.  I'm sure you could improvise with another shape, just as long as it is deep enough to hold all of the beef stew, peas.

Spray the baking dish with your Pam or non-stick (ours is WalMart brand--don't you just love how they have lowered their prices so much since the recession??  Their store brands are very good we have found on just about everything!)  okay..sorry for the bunny trail..back on track now...spray the Pam spray on the bottom and sides of the dish liberally.

Take the first pie crust out of the wrapper and just lay it in the baking dish.  Now in our dish it comes maybe about 4/5 ths up the side, not completely to the top of the dish.  Don't worry, you can come bake down with the top crust at the end and fix that.

Pour in your first can of beef stew.  Then drain the peas (if you are using them) pour those in--sometimes I stir just a bit, if I have time, but that is if I'm really lucky!  Next goes in your second (final) can of beef stew.

Now, take out your second pie crust from the little plastic wrapper.  Unroll it and just lay it on top.  This is where you can kind of push it down and squeeze the edges together to seal the sides.  Now just poke some holes in the top with a fork for the steam to come out and you are ready to throw it in the oven!  Whew!   Hard work, huh??  I know it!

I put aluminum foil under it just in case it boils over (mine never has-but you may want to for the first couple of times until you get familiar with your baking dish).  And I just make a little tent out of foil--nothing fancy, just a bit crumpled on top so it isn't squishing down the top crust--- so the top crust won't get too brown.

In our oven, I check it at about 40-45 minutes.  Depending if that was the first thing that we have cooked that day, I may be able to take off the foil and let the crust brown for about 10-15 more minutes.  Sometimes the first bit takes a bit longer.  Everything is already cooked, so you really don't have to worry about any internal temperature that you have to reach or anything like that.

We are a cheese family at my house.  I serve cubed mild cheddar cheese with it and we put the cheese cubes in the bowl when we scoop some in while it is still hot and it gets all melted and gooey.  Shredded also works when you don't have any cubed.  It is also great without cheese if you happen to be out!

A salad with this (maybe green leaf, some cucumber slices, tomatoes-if they are a good price that week)...and you have a hearty meal for 4 hungry people.

I have no idea about calorie information, fat grams, or any of that sort of thing.  I believe there might be somewhere on the internet where you can go and enter recipe ingredients to get that info.  Not sure of the website, though.

Enjoy!!  And please email me if you decide to try this with your family!!  I would love to hear if you liked it, or what changes you made!  I have also used crescent rolls (2 cans) instead of pie crust, but my family liked the pie crust hands down 20 times better..so we don't do the crescent rolls anymore.

Hugs to all....you are in my prayers...

remember that Jesus loves you and has forgiven you for everything...don't let the devil try and tell you otherwise!

We've been having a rough go in our home school lately.  My daughter has some more healing to do (emotionally).  That is the blessing of home school for us--we can go at just the right pace for my sweet little RoseFlower!  And with her being home with us..we are right there when she needs us to talk, hug, listen...whatever.  God is so GOOD!

When life gets overwhelming sometimes (and believe me...it definitely does!!)...I have to keep reminding myself that we are in the palm of His hands, He is keeping us safe, protecting us from the evil, just as He has all along.  Just take it moment by moment sometimes.  It doesn't matter if the legal system is broken.  Because God will NEVER leave you or forsake you!  And He will never let you down!!  The Mighty Comforter, Healer, Protector, Defender, Physician, Everything!  We just have to GIVE it all to Him...completely...completely...completely.  And that means NOT taking it back on ourselves as a burden after we have given it to Him to carry for us.  I'm really good at that...taking it back!  Are you??  I've been working on letting God keep it....asking His help on it, too.


May God Bless you and your family with whatever your needs are right now....He knows them.


I will write sooner.  We have been creating alot of art lately.  It is so healing.  I will post some pics as soon as my RoseFlower shows me how to use the camera!


Much love and many hugs.....
la.femme.de.Dieu@gmail.com