Merry Christmas!

It is Christmas Eve and I have been thinking about Mary and Joseph. What it took for them to walk in faith in spite of the world’s viewpoint. They each had to make a choice and then walk it out daily. Just as I do. The assignment they were given was humanly impossible, yet they chose to accept it in spite of the fact they could not explain it.

Drawn into the story of Jesus. I think about my own faith walk. It is a tough thing for me to wrap my mind around the birth and life of Jesus. My human mind dissects things from an earthly perspective.

And then it hit me. It is a natural tendency for us humans to try to figure things out. To break them down to see how they work. I want an explanation that I can see, touch, hear.

But God is too big for me to analyze like that. I simply cannot do it!

When I study the story of Jesus and God’s plan for the redemption of man, from a human perspective it is preposterous. It just couldn’t happen on a human level.

And…

That is exactly why it had to be so impossible and unlikely from a human standpoint.

I realize it has to be from God. Only He could orchestrate and fulfill a story so great – the fulfillment of His promise to send a Savior – in such a way that it would touch a humble heart. A way that would require me to set aside my natural inclination to want concrete proof and to simply believe. Allowing my heart to become humble as a little child in order to accept His gift.

And so on this day before Christmas, as I prepare to once again celebrate the birth of Jesus, I say to you

            “Joy to the world,

                        The Lord has come

                                    Let earth receive its King

            Let every heart

                        Prepare Him room”

May we all make room in our hearts for Him.

Hugs,

Molly

Tasty Tuesday - Squash Casserole

 Thanksgiving is almost here and I’ll bet a lot of you are already planning your menu like I am. We are the hub of all things family when Thanksgiving rolls around and I absolutely LOVE it! Deep fried is the only way to go with turkey for us and to be sure we have plenty of leftovers this year we’ll be cooking an extra turkey breast (or small turkey). After all, isn’t the best part of Thanksgiving having turkey sandwiches with a steaming bowl of turkey vegetable soup the day after?!

One of the dishes I’m gonna add this year is squash casserole. It is one of those foods I love but my hubby detests so I only attempt to put it on the table when I know I have other veggie loving folks around to help me eat it.

Squash Casserole

Ingredients:

2 lb. yellow or zucchini squash            ½ cup onion, chopped

½ tsp salt                                           ½ cup water

1 cup sour cream                                1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup shredded carrots                       8 oz pkg herb stuffing mix

½ cup butter, melted

Slice squash into ¼ - ½ inch rounds. Bring water and salt to a boil, then add squash and onion. Cook over medium high until squash is just tender, approximately 10 minutes. Drain well. In a medium bowl combine soup, sour cream, and carrots. Fold in drained squash and onion. In a separate bowl combine the stuffing mix and melted butter. Spread half of the stuffing mixture in the bottom of a 7 x 12 x 2 baking dish. Spoon vegetable mixture on top of stuffing, then spread remaining half of the stuffing mix on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the casserole is heated through.

This recipe came from my aunt June Evans and is in a 1979 cookbook from the East Kermit Freewill Baptist Ladies Auxiliary. This is the church I remember attending as a child with my Mother when we visited my Grandparents and other extended family. My brother got married there and later was their Pastor for a few years. When I look through this cookbook I am reminded of the family history that is woven through the people represented in its pages and the legacy handed down by the women who shared their recipes. All a part of the fabric of my life.

Happy Cooking,

Molly

Tasty Tuesday - Aiden's Banana Bread

I never have to worry about throwing out bananas now as this has become Aiden’s second favorite recipe! (Fave is chocolate dipped rice crispy treats.)

I substituted butterscotch chips once when we had it partially mixed up before we discovered we did not have the chocolate and it was quite tasty. Gonna try peanut butter chips as soon as I can find some…)

Aiden’s Banana Bread

Ingredients:

4 ripe bananas

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 egg

¾ cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups self rising flour (or use all purpose flour, adding 1 tsp baking soda & ¼ tsp salt)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 4 x 8 inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray. Peal and slice bananas into chunks, then mash. (The mashing part is Aiden’s job!) Stir in melted butter. In a small bowl, beat the egg until well mixed. Add the egg, sugar, and vanilla and stir until blended. Add flour and mix well. Add ½ cup chocolate chips and ½ cup chopped nuts.

Pour into loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.

This is a great recipe for cooking with your kids (or grandkids!) I chop the bananas and melt the butter…Aiden does the rest, including helping to measure the ingredients. He doesn't realize he is learning math skills while he's cooking with Mama!

What do you cook with your kids? Share your treats by posting a comment and let’s continue making lasting family memories!

Happy Cooking,

Molly

Tasty Tuesday - Uncle Ted's Apple Butter

When Larry & I go on vacation one of our favorite things to do is find ‘mom & pop’ restaurants where we can experience the local fare. Last week in Michigan we hit a winner three times! We were in search of apples and found the best of both worlds when we stopped at Crane’s Pie Pantry & Restaurant AND Crane’s U-Pick Orchard. Lunch was homemade vegetable beef soup with a slice of fresh from the oven, made from scratch, bread! Served alongside that warm and yummy bread was the most delectable apple butter I think I have ever, ever tasted. (Made from scratch right there in their kitchen, of course!!) I’ve been thinking about that apple butter ever since. (BIG smile).

So I’m thinking that the next best thing would be to cook up a small batch of my Uncle Ted’s Apple Butter. I haven’t made it in years but with the weather turning cooler and the memory of Crane’s still making my mouth water, I plan to cook up a batch this weekend. (By the way, this would be a great recipe to get your kids to help with!)

Uncle Ted’s Apple Butter

Ingredients:

2 cups unsweetened applesauce         

¼ - ½ cup sugar (depends on your taste for sweet!)

1 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. all spice

1/8 tsp. cloves

1/8 tsp. ginger

Put applesauce in a medium saucepan. Add spices and stir well to make sure they are blended. Bring to boil over medium high, reduce to medium. Allow to cook for 30 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking.

Makes approximately 1 ½ cups apple butter.

Uncle Ted was my Dad’s younger brother. He lived on the New Jersey shore, yet he still managed to come back home to W. Va. for regular visits. Although I call this his apple butter, the original recipe actually came from his mother-in-law. Just goes to show you that cooking gets passed down through the generations no matter who the original ‘cooker’ was!

Happy Cooking,

Molly

A Tasty Tuesday "Extra" - Taco/Fajita Seasoning

As I mentioned in last week’s Tasty Tuesday, here is the recipe for homemade seasoning. (Figured I'd better get it out to ya while it was still on my mind! Funny, but things just don't stick there like they used to.) This mix is tasty plus has much less sodium than the packaged kind.

Taco/Fajita Seasoning

Ingredients:

¼ cup chili powder                             2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. red (cayenne) pepper                 2 Tbsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano                            1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp. sea salt

1 ½ tsp. garlic powder                        1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. black pepper

1 ½ tsp. onion powder                        1 1/3 Tbsp. cornstarch

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix with a whisk to ensure spices blend well. Store in an air tight container.

Use 1 Tablespoon season mix and ½ cup water per 1 lb. meat.

I could not track down the source of this recipe but will be sure to give credit where credit is due as soon as I can.  

Happy Cooking,

Molly

Tasty Tuesday - Sticky Buns

This recipe came to me from a dear friend I met in church a few years ago. She fixed this at a brunch I attended and I thought she had spent HOURS making it. When she shared how easy it was to put together I was shocked. A favorite of both family and friends, it frequently shows up on my table and at potluck brunches.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped pecans

24 frozen yeast rolls (I buy Rhodes and they only come in packages of 36. I use 24 for this and save the rest for dinner.)

1 small pkg ‘cook & serve’ butterscotch pudding

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 stick REAL butter (Hey, I never said this was diet friendly! BIG smile)

Instructions:

Spray a bundt (or tube) pan with cooking spray. Place chopped pecans in the bottom of the pan. Add frozen roll dough. Sprinkle pudding mix evenly over rolls, then the brown sugar. Top with chunks of chopped butter.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap which has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray and place in COLD oven overnight. The next morning, REMOVE from cold over and then preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Return rolls to oven and bake for approximately 25 minutes. ENJOY!!

See, I told you it was easy. But the taste?  OMGosh, my mouth waters just thinking about them. If you like ooey gooey, sticky caramel rolls then you will think you have landed in the middle of breakfast heaven when you sink your teeth into this. The only negative I’ve found is that I just can’t seem to stop eating them.

Happy Cooking,

Molly

One Call Away - a review

ONE CALL AWAY

Answering Life’s Challenges with Unshakable Faith

Brenda Warner with Jennifer Schuchmann

Like many of us I find it easy to look at people in high profile positions and think they have it made. Whether it is a politician, musician, actor, or professional athlete, I am prone to believe they don’t know what life is like for the rest of us. I confess that when it comes to highly paid athletes my bias is too often vocalized without thought to what their life is really like.

Then Brenda Warner walked into my life through the pages of her memoir, One Call Away. She tells her story with open honesty, revealing the good and the bad. Instead of hiding or glossing over her past, she instead reveals each struggle, each challenge, each pitfall with candor. Far from being simply a tell all book about her life, One Call Away is a story of faith grown through the trials and tragedies of life. It is a reminder for each of us that while we are living in the moment we will all, at one time or another, find ourselves one call away from a life changing situation. 

The question is what will we do when we come to that crossroad where life and faith intersect. Each time Brenda has chosen to keep going, to ‘press forward and survive’. In doing just that, she reveals a richness of life that goes far beyond any monetary gain. A richness forged through the valleys of adversity and the mountain of Grace.

I am thankful that Brenda had the courage to share her life story for it has given me a new perspective of the lives of the perceived rich and famous. By getting to know the real Brenda, I find that we do indeed share a lot in common as fellow travelers along the journey of life. She inspires me to share my story as well with those who I encounter. For it is in the sharing that we give encouragement and hope to others.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

Hugs,

Molly

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://booksneeze®.com/> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Tasty Tuesday - Taco Soup

At the request of some of my Facebook friends, today’s recipe is Taco Soup. There are several versions of this out there so you may already have something similar in your recipe box. I can’t exactly claim this one to be from my family archives but I can say that it is a current family favorite. Easy to put together and a fast fix after work. Of course crackers are always good with soup but we like to switch things up a bit and substitute tortilla chips or corn chips. Some of the more adventurous even add grated cheese and sour cream. Whatever floats your boat….or fills up your soup bowl!

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

2 lb. ground beef

1 envelope taco seasoning * 

1 ½ cups water (I add a bit more ‘cause I like lots of broth!)

1 15 oz can mild chili beans

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 can pinto beans

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 can Rotel (I use the mild, but use original if you like your stuff spicier)

1 envelope Ranch salad dressing

Brown ground beef and drain off excess grease. Put beef and remaining ingredients in a large dutch oven, stir to mix well and bring to boil at medium high. Reduce heat to simmer and allow to simmer for 30-45 minutes.

*I recently found a recipe for homemade seasoning. I'll post it in a day or so once I track down the source so I can give proper credit!

Hmmm….no blast from the past memories with this one. (Guess we are making tomorrow’s memories.) Who knows, perhaps one of my grandchildren will one day share their memories about our family times triggered by a steaming bowl of Taco Soup!

Hugs and Happy cooking,

Molly

Disappointed With God

The words pierced my heart. I had been diligently working through the Jonah study by Priscilla Shirer. I was learning. I was absorbing the teaching. All good stuff but up nothing life stopping.

Until that day.

“Have you ever been disappointed with God about an outcome He has allowed?”

Oh my, yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Like a flash flood that sends roaring waters downstream, all of the emotions from the past several months came crashing over me. I felt like I was drowning yet again.

It had been hard - no, actually impossible - to understand why He allowed another marriage to fall apart leaving precious children in the fallout. Yet, even as I wrote those words in my journal that day I was reminded that there are thousands upon thousands of broken relationships with even more children suffering in the aftermath. How else could I truly understand the pain and consequences unless I experience that pain as well?

There were logical reasons why I was disappointed with God. A betrayal brought pain to those I love the most. Children are now forced to live the broken lifestyle of sharing time with parents and bouncing from one home to another. Their stability was shattered due to the actions of others.

But my human logic does not equal God’s ways.

I must remember God still gives us the free will to do what we want, even when it grieves His heart and causes pain for us and others. Yet He is gracious, kind and compassionate, abundant in steadfast love. He is willing and waiting to bring about His good in spite of our poor choices.

With desire for comfort, for things to go smoothly, for good health and harmonious relationships deeply imbedded in our human psyche and living in a society where entitlement is preached until we are brainwashed, it is difficult to come to terms with our trials and heartaches. God’s ways are so far above ours that most of the time it is impossible for us to understand.

However, when we trust Him and lean into Him for our strength during the difficult times, not only does He help us walk through it, He uses the trial and our faith walk to reach and encourage others.

That day became a turning point in my journey through and out of this particular disappointment with God. I knew I had a choice to make. Was I going to continue to moan and whine, consumed by the loss of the dream? Or was I going to choose to look for how God will use these events to mold each of us into the person He desires us to be?

 

I made the choice to accept His truth that I must let go of the why. After all, I know that I will never be satisfied with His answer to that one because I want comfort, happiness and the happy ever after fairy tale. I must let go of the what might have been thoughts, the dream of a solid marriage and secure family unit and trust Him to redeem what was lost. Trust Him to bring beauty from the ashes.

Not simply to trust Him but to actively look for His love at work. After all, He is the Redeemer!

...But He said, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That’s why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor 12:9-10 (NIV)

Hugs from a wounded but victorious sojourner,

Molly

Tasty Tuesday - Chewy Peanut Butter Bars

My family and friends will tell you that I am crazy about anything and everything peanut butter. I mean, does it get any better?! I found this recipe in a magazine over thirty years ago and it quickly became a favorite treat. Somehow over the years as my collection of recipes has grown, this one seems to have fallen to the back of the box. I’m glad I rediscovered it and can’t wait to bake a pan of these yummy and moist treats.

Chewy Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter, softened (yep, I use the REAL thing! Everything’s better with butter.)
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
½ cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

Cream butter, sugar, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs, beating well. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; stir into sugar mixture until just blended. Stir in the coconut. Spread dough evenly in a greased 13 x 9 baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.

You know I am all about the memories that are made when I cook. So I can’t leave a recipe post without sharing a bit. I found this recipe during the first months after we moved away from all of our family for my husband to start a new job. I had never lived more than an hour away from my parents and was truly a ‘mountain girl’! Needless to say I had more than one bout of being homesick that first winter.

However, I have many more memories of happy times exploring our new community, making new friends, and taking care of my family. When I think about baking Chewy Peanut Butter Bars, I think about two little boys with big smiles and crumbs on their faces. About my husband’s hugs and quiet thank you after a long day at work. About the many ways God’s faithfulness was revealed to us during a time of little money and lots of bills.

A long time ago, yet it seems like just yesterday. All because of a recipe.

Hugs and Happy cooking,
Molly

Tasty Tuesday - Mexican Cornbread

Fall is in the air and I am ready to get back in the kitchen! For me, a big pot of chili is the official kickoff to the season. Many times we simply eat crackers, corn chips or tortilla chips with our chili. However, when I have more time in the kitchen this cornbread with a Mexican twist is our must have side dish. It is more like a spoon bread than regular cornbread but I guarantee you won’t mind not being able to hold it in your hand! As we Viars like to say, “It is SOME kind of good!”

Mexican Corn Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup yellow corn meal                         1 small can green chilies, chopped and drained

2 eggs                                                  1 can cream style corn

1 tsp baking soda                                 ½ tsp salt

4 oz grated cheese                                ½ cup buttermilk

½ cup vegetable oil

In a medium bowl stir together corn meal, baking soda & salt. (You could also use a corn meal mix that already has those ingredients. I done both with good results.) In a separate bowl beat eggs, then add corn, buttermilk, oil, and chilies. Mix well, then stir in grated cheese. Pour into a well greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

*I inherited this recipe from my husband’s Aunt Helena. We had dropped by for a visit when she shared some with us and, like many good cooks, she was happy to pass along the recipe. I still have the original small slip of paper I scribbled it on and think of her every time I pull it out of my recipe box. It’s like I can go back to her kitchen and feel the love. That piece of paper somehow connects me to her and that precious memory which probably explains why I have never written it down anyplace else.

For me, that’s what cooking is all about….making memories and sharing life and love.

Happy cooking,

Molly

A Reflection of 9/11 (one of thousands)

Everywhere I turn this week I am bombarded with reminders of 9/11/2001. Television, radio, internet, newspapers….it seems to be the only topic covered in the news. I admit I have mixed feelings about the media blitz of that catastrophic event. While I agree that it is important to remember those lost in the tragedy and the thousands of people impacted by the event and the aftermath, I wonder if it is fulfilling the intended purpose. (Do I really know the intended purpose or is it another of my false perceptions?) We should pause to reflect on sacrifices made and the price paid for our freedom, whether it is on September 11 or December 7, Veterans Day or Memorial Day. I believe it helps us keep things in a proper perspective, remembering what the most important part of life is truly. However, I also realize that too much reflection on a past tragedy can have the opposite effect. Instead of allowing it to pull me back to center I can let it lead me to negative emotions as I relive the event over and over again through the images I see and words I hear. This week I have seen both reactions in myself and others. So what do we do with these conflicting emotions and thoughts? What do we do as Christians? What do we do as Americans? One thing is certain. We will face trying times in the future. There is no get out of jail free card in life. And even though we Americans seem to live our lives with the ill conceived idea that we are somehow more special and should never have to face bad times or attacks on our country and our way of life, we are no more immune from tragedy than are the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, or the Sudan. I was struck by this quote by Daniel Darling in his article “Leadership Lesson from 9/11” posted yesterday morning on www.crosswalk.com And so as we think back on 9/11 and move forward, we should be wise to vote for leaders who we’d want leading us in a time of trouble and we’d be wise to allow Christ to develop in us the character necessary to lead well where we are called. I believe at least one of the answers to the question of what to do is wrapped up well here. When the next time of extreme trouble hits America, we need leaders who can guide us in and through it. We need to look for those traits when choosing who to vote for. On the other hand, we can’t depend on one or more leaders to get us through. He or she cannot possibly be everywhere. God may place one of us in a position of leadership, whether it is in our community, our church, or maybe simply in our family. The time of preparation is before trouble hits. May we be learning our lessons well and developing the character needed to lead when called. Hugs, Molly

Where I'm From

I am from an Appalachian mountain hollow, from Duz detergent with free glasses, and from dirt roads.

I am from a 1900 clapboard farmhouse, a Warm Morning stove for winter heat and open windows in the summer where I fell asleep listening to the sound of whippoorwills and an occasional barking dog.

I am from day lilies (we called them flags), rose of sharon, butterfly bushes and mountain laurel.

I am from a Viars breakfast, from a place where it was unheard of not to have potatoes at nearly every meal.

I am from the Viars and the Evans – frugal and hardworking folks, where love was found both in hugs and their provision.

I am from sitting up late listening to the grownups talk about their childhood days, where I learned more about my heritage from those conversations than I would have from a thousand questions I may have asked.

I am from ‘salt will dry your blood’ and ‘if you look at that centipede all your teeth will fall out’. From ‘come on over and sit a spell’. From a neighbor who would chop down a hundred year old tree with nothing but an ax because he thought it was preventing your mobile home from getting to your land.

I am from a country church where the Holy Ghost was as welcome as the preacher, from the community/family cemetery where Decoration Day was the annual family reunion.

From a one room school, a hand pump where we drew our drinking water, from making cups from a sheet of notebook paper.

I am from born at home in a three room house, catching crawdads in the creek, and fishing with a stick pole, string and a bent safety pin.

From a place where mountain people stuck together just because that’s the way we were. Where ‘outsiders’ were not easily accepted but had to earn our trust, just because that’s the way we were.

Where I’m from is a place where I will probably never go back to live but will live forever in my heart. For it is the place that helped to form me into the person I am today.


Where are you from?



Hugs,
Molly

Share or Hoard?

O.K., so it has been a long time since my last post. Over two months! Did I simply vanish like Howard Hughes? Or find myself stranded in a remote location without access to computers and internet?

No glamorous or mysterious circumstances pulled me away. No excuse other than I simply found other things to occupy my time.

Granted, some of those things were happy occasions, celebrating achievement and milestones with my family. Others were simply thieves of time.

I’ve had plenty of nudges during my time away from the blogging world. Things I felt that needed to be shared, that I wanted to share. But I did not respond to those nudges. Instead, as time went on I found it easier to ignore them.


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


Today, I am choosing to return to my world of blogging, trusting God to help me be faithful in sharing what He is doing in my life. For life is meant to be shared, not hoarded.

Uncommon – Webster’s Dictionary defines it as ‘Not common; unusual. Far beyond the usual, normal, or customary. Remarkable.’

If I want to write about my unCommon life, I must first live it. An unCommon life is not one of ease, nor is it a bed of roses. Trials and thorns, delays and disease, sacrifice and servant hood are all required, all part of this world.

You may be thinking, ‘so, what’s so uncommon about that? Everyone faces those issues!’

This is true. But when I respond to the hard, the ugly, and the painful circumstances by leaning into God - trusting Him, obeying Him, and seeking Him - I find answers.

Sharing my journey can be another way of becoming unCommon. Perhaps sharing my faith walk will encourage another woman to persevere in hers as well.

And so, dear friends (I do consider each one of you reading this as a dear friend, though we may never meet face to face), I am back. I commit to sharing with you through this medium until God chooses to direct me elsewhere. I will be working on several posts over the next few weeks describing a recent valley of life, prayerfully considering how to share a message of hope while protecting those who have been traveling through the valley with me. Please pray with me that He will use my life to bring hope and encouragement to others.


Love and Hugs,
Molly

Tasty Tuesday - Hamburger Baked Beans

My activity level has cranked into high gear which explains my absence here at my bloggy home. I’ve made a trip to Indy to visit my grandsons (and their Mom & Dad of course!), attended a preschool musical and graduation for grandson here, hosted the photo shoot for my granddaughter’s senior prom….and that is just the beginning! Graduation is coming up Friday with a big joint cookout on Saturday to celebrate with Marilyn and her boyfriend. Burgers, dogs, brats and all the usual side dishes will be on the table.

One of my contributions will be baked beans. Since my family prefers a bit of meat in their beans, this is the recipe I will be using. Guess I’d better make a double batch!


Hamburger Baked Beans


Ingredients:

4 slices bacon 1 cup ketchup
1 lb. lean ground beef ½ cup molasses
1 med. Onion, chopped 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp dry mustard
1 (16 oz) cans pork and beans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium skillet, cook bacon until crisp; set aside. Add onion and ground beef to bacon drippings and sauté until beef is brown. With slotted spoon, remove ground beef and onion and place in bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish which has been sprayed with Pam cooking spray.

In same skillet add remaining ingredients and heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Add to meat & onion mixture, stir well. Bake, uncovered, for 60 minutes.


Bet you’ll be either hosting or attending a cookout or two yourself during the coming weeks. Hope you’ll be inspired to try this version of a classic side dish.



Happy cooking,
Molly

Tasty Tuesday - Tropical Pork Chops

I am sitting here in my home office with the windows open and ceiling fan at full speed. I must tell you I LOVE summer! I realize I have a few more weeks before summer officially arrives, but this brief time of 90 degree weather warms me down to my toes! I feel the urge to put away those stick to your ribs kind of meals that require using my oven to prepare. I am ready for our grill to be in nearly full time use and my mouth is already watering just thinking about fresh sweet corn and home grown tomatoes. (Hey a gal can dream can’t she?!)

In honor of this hint of summer, this week’s recipe is a quick and tasty way to spice up pork chops. Served with a simple tossed salad on the side, you’ll have supper on the table in less than 30 minutes. Now doesn’t that put a smile on your face?!

Tropical Pork Chops


Ingredients:

6 pork chops
1 cup orange juice
1 ¼ cups Minute© rice
1 can condensed chicken & rice soup

In a large skillet, brown chops in a small amount of cooking oil. Remove chops and sprinkle rice in the same pan. Pour orange juice over the rice, then place chops on top. Pour soup over chops and rice, being sure you cover all the surface. Cover and simmer until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and the chops are tender.


Happy cooking,
Molly

Letting Go of Guilt

I sat on the side of the bed with my mother as she folded the last things to put into her suitcase. She could barely hold back the tears. I knew she didn’t want to leave, but what choice did I have? A job change was making it necessary for my husband and me to move to a new town. We had already purchased a new home there and our current house was for sale. It was becoming increasingly difficult for Mom to be alone with strangers coming in and out at odd times. My emotions were a tangled mess. Hurting to see her pain yet excited about ‘getting my life back’.

Mom had spent the previous eight months with us while my brother recovered from a serious construction accident. Although she had her own apartment and had been living independently, she was not able to drive herself to the doctor, grocery, etc. During her time with us, there had been signs of increasing forgetfulness and confusion. Signs I chose to ignore for fear it would mean she would have to stay with me.

I dearly loved my mother. It’s just that I didn’t like living with her. In fact, during those eight months there were times I thought I would lose my mind.

So now, here we were. As she recalled all the things she would miss about being with us, I simply sat there saying, “I know. I know. But we have to get the house sold and get this move behind us.”

I could have stopped her pain with a few words…all I had to do was to tell her she could stay. I didn’t and the guilt began.

Shortly after she returned to her apartment in W. Va. It was evident she could not live alone. My brother found an excellent caretaker with whom she could live. I let him take care of all the arrangements, guilt continuing to gnaw at me. When I visited, there were times when she seemed happy, others she spent accusing her caretaker of being mean. I always came away feeling even guiltier. Even though we had been given the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, that only explained her behavior. It did nothing to alleviate my thoughts of how I had abandoned her.

My mother passed away in September 1999. After the funeral my brother and I picked up the few possessions she had remaining at her caretaker’s home. On top of the box was a painting my husband had given her during the time she stayed with us. Beverly, her caretaker, told us there were times she would find Mom sitting on her bed with the painting in her lap, gazing at it and talking to herself. My heart broke again.

During those last years of Mom’s illness, I told myself over and over that I should be a better daughter. I should quit my job and bring her to live with me. Deep down I knew I couldn’t handle it but that didn’t stop the guilt. After she was gone, my guilt was as painful as the loss. I wondered if she knew how much I really loved her. Did she forgive me for making her leave my home? Would God forgive me for being so selfish to the one person in this world who loved me unconditionally?

I wish I could say that I found forgiveness and peace right away, but that would be a lie. I know that God has forgiven me for things I’ve done wrong and for things left undone that I should have done. What has taken much longer is finding a way to forgive myself. Only because of His unconditional love, His mercy and grace am I able to do that.

It still hurts to think about it. I still cry when I think about her last night in my home. But I know from my own heart as a mother that if she was able to speak to me right now from her home in heaven, she would say, “I love you. I forgive you. I’ll see you when you come home.” That is exactly what my Heavenly Father says.

One glorious day that will become a reality when I step into Heaven. Until then, I focus on the good memories of my mother and our life together.

Tasty Tuesday - West Virginia Fresh Strawberry Cake

A friend who lives in a warmer climate posted on Facebook this week about getting fresh strawberries from a local farm and it made my mouth water. We are still about 3 weeks away from the beginning of the strawberry harvest here in western Kentucky so I will have to wait a bit before satisfying my taste buds. This week’s recipe is an original from my grandmother (using shortening might have tipped you off that it is an older recipe!).

West Virginia Fresh Strawberry Cake


Cake Ingredients:

½ cup shortening
½ cup milk
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 quart fresh strawberries
1 tsp strawberry extract

Icing Ingredients:

1 box confectioner’s sugar
½ stick butter
Evaporated milk (canned cream)

Cake: Combine dry ingredients. Add shortening, eggs and ¼ cup strawberries and mix on low speed until blended. Add milk, slowly increasing speed to high. Beat 3 minutes. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Tap sides of pan lightly to insure batter is evenly distributed. Bake in a 350 degree oven 35-45 minutes. Do not disturb the caked for the first 20 minutes as any disturbance will cause the cake to fall.

Icing: Clean remainder of strawberries, leave small ones whole and slice the larger ones. Put aside in a colander to drain thoroughly. Melt butter over low heat; add confectioner’s sugar and stir. Add milk sparingly, mixing thoroughly after each addition, until icing is creamy. (A maximum of 2 teaspoons should be enough.) Work lumps out of icing by beating vigorously.

When cake is done, allow to cool for 20 minutes. Frost with icing and then top with fresh strawberries.

This cake takes a bit of time to prepare but is definitely worth it. Like so many things in today’s world, cooking has evolved into what can be fixed fast. If you want to bring a bit of the past into your kitchen and on your family’s table, I think this would be a great way to start.



Happy cooking,
Molly

A Good Friday Reflection

Good Friday…

I have a difficult time accepting the word good as a description of what happened on that pivotal day in human history. Yes, it is good that God’s plan of redemption was fulfilled. But the magnitude of sacrifice that Jesus willingly made is almost too much for my heart to bear.

The hatred…the ridicule…the 'to the brink of death' scourging.

The incomprehensible pain and suffering of death by crucifixion.

Even more horrific, the time when God the Father turned away from the Son because He bore the sin of mankind.

All punishment that I should bear.

Because I, not Jesus, am the sinner.

I am the one who deserves separation from God.

Yet His love for me, for all of us, was and is so great that He could not, and would not, let us continue to be estranged from Him.

Honestly, I try not to dwell on what happened on the Friday before the Resurrection. Because the weight of it smothers me. The darkness consumes me.

I look forward to Sunday when I celebrate with all the saints the wonder of His resurrection. The moment when death was conquered and mankind was redeemed.

And I am again reminded of the supreme sacrifice He made for me.

May I never take it for granted.

I realize that there may be readers of this blog who may be still questioning the authenticity of the claims of Jesus. I invite you to read "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel. His one question when he began his journey in writing this book was ‘Is there credible evidence that Jesus of Nazareth really is the Son of God?” What will your answer be?

Humbly,
Molly

Tasty Tuesday - Crockpot Pork Roast & Gravy

Yeah, I know. The weather is warming up and soon we’ll be putting away the ‘stick to your ribs’ kind of recipes that we typically serve during the winter months, opting instead for those quick & easy meals that don’t require heating up the kitchen! Before you skip off into the land of summer cookery, give this one a try. If you have kids or grandkids getting ready for a busy ball season, you’ll love coming home from the game to this enticing aroma.

Crockpot Pork Roast & Gravy


Ingredients:

Pork Roast (3 ½-4 ½ lb.)
1 can Cream of Celery soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 pkg. dried onion soup mix
¼ cup water


In a medium bowl, mix all three soups together until well blended. Pour water in bottom of your crockpot. Place roast in pot, and then pour blended soups over. Cook on low 8 hours. The combination of soup and juices from the meat result in a gravy that is simply delicious!

I usually serve mashed potatoes and a green veggie on the side with either rolls or thick slices of French bread. I use the same mix of soups for beef roast and have even poured it over pork chops before baking. (With the chops, I mix a cup of water with the soup, cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 300 degrees for about an hour.)



Happy cooking,
Molly