Menu Plan Monday - November 29, 2010

Good Morning!

It's a little hard to plan this menu after all the cooking and eating that took place in the last week...but here goes...be sure to stop by Orgjunkie.com for more great menu ideas. 


Monday:  Farmhouse Chicken (I'm using leftover turkey)

Tuesday:  Dinner with Friends (I provide the dessert) Cranberry Crumb Bars

Wednesday:  Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork (new recipe), Baked Beans, Salad

Thursday:  Slow-Cooker Scalloped Potatoes and leftover pulled pork

Friday:   Taco Night!


Saturday: Baked Buffalo Wings with Veggies and Dip

Sunday:  Baked Chicken Parmesan, Salad and Buttery Bread Machine Rolls


Thanks for stopping by,

Jackie

And Now The Christmas Season Can Begin...

Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart."
~ Washington Irving (1783-1859), American short-story writer and essayist.

 

 

 

My Christmas Season Will Begin By Enjoying A Cup of This...

While Reading One of These...

Thanks For Stopping By,

Jackie

Favorite Thanksgiving Prayers and Traditions...

One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving, besides all the great food, is our Thanksgiving Tablecloth!  I spread out a white tablecloth and everyone who has dinner with us or stops by on Thanksgiving signs the tablecloth and records what they are thankful for.  It is a treasure!! I don't have mine out yet...so no photo...but here is an example.

I've also collected a few simple prayers for Thanksgiving. 

My prayer for you this holiday is that your Thanksgiving is filled with warmth, food, good health, family and friends. 

O God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a home,
help me to remember those who have no home at all;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer,
And remembering,
help me to destroy my complacency;
bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed,
those who cry out for what we take for granted.
Amen.

- Samuel F. Pugh

Thank you for the food we eat,

Thank you for the world so sweet,

Thank you for the birds that sing,

Thank you God for everything.

Thanksgiving Prayer

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jackie

Menu Plan Monday - November 22, 2010

Hello Blog Friends!

Thanksgiving Week is here!  I'm participating in Menu Plan Monday sponsored by OrgJunkie.  Head over there for more great menus for this wonderful week of cooking and eating.

Monday: Baked Potato Soup with Salad and Rolls

Tuesday:  Slow Cooker French Dip with Sweet Potato Fries (frozen)

Wednesday:  Kobe's 10th Birthday!!  His favorite Brown Sugar Meatloaf with Salad and Cheesy Cauliflower

Thursday:  Thanksgiving Day (menu below)

Friday:  Leftover Buffet/Eating Out/Shopping/Visiting

Saturday:  Leftover Buffet/Eating Out/Shopping/Visiting

Sunday: Taco Night!

Thanksgiving Day Menu

Appetizers

Veggie Tray

Chopped Mediterranean Salad with Pita Chips

Main

Turkey

Stuffing

Mashed Potatoes

Noodles

Cranberry Sauce

Sweet Potato Casserole

Broccoli/Rice Casserole

Sweet Dinner Rolls

Cranberry Waldorf Salad

Desserts

Caramel Pecan Cheesecake Pie

Pumpkin Pie

Thanks For Stopping By!

Jackie

Thoughts On A Cold, November Missouri Morning...

November.  The Month of Being Thankful.  This gratitude thing is what I try to do all year round.  When I Embrace My Blessings on a daily basis...my life changes. The month of November brings those blessings into the forefront of my thoughts.

This cold morning I saw a thin layer of ice on my deck chairs.  I'm thankful the changing seasons.  Each new season can be seen a new beginning.  As we're about to enter into a busy season of preparing our homes for the holidays and days filled with wrapping gifts and baking I want to take the next few days before Thanksgiving to reflect on my own gratitude.  To Slow Down and take note of my Blessings and to prepare my heart for the Spiritual Journey I will take in the next month with Following The Star: The Advent Devotional.  I invite you to take part in the devotional journey along with me. This year will mark the 3rd time that I have taken this journey during the Advent Season...you won't be disappointed...

A few of my Multitude of Blessings...

~~Knowing I Can Start Fresh This Morning and God's Mercies Are New Each Day~~

~~My Husband Dealing With a Long-Lived Issue and Working So Hard On It...will you pray for him?~~

~~Hearing Kyler, my 4-year Old, Say To His Brother, "Jesus Was On Earth and He Loves Us"~~

~~Celebrating 10 years Of Being a Mom In A Few Days.  One of The Two Best Gifts I've Ever Been Given...Being Kobe's Mom~~

~~Kyler hugging Kobe When We Pick Him Up From School and Hearing Him Say, "I Missed You Big Brother"~~

~~Candle-Light, Conversation with God and Steaming Coffee On A Cold, November Missouri Morning~~

Jackie

**photo - view from my deck on a very cold January morning in 2009.

Menu Plan Monday - November 15, 2010

Happy Monday Blog Friends!

I'm back for another Menu Planning Monday sponsored by OrgJunkie.  Head over there for more great meal ideas!

In addition to the menu below, I plan to make Pumpkin Bread and Banana Cranberry Bread for snacks and quick breakfasts this week.

Monday:  Slow Cooker Pork and Beans with Salad and Rolls

Tuesday:  Spaghetti with Salad

Wednesday:  Honey Mustard Lime Chicken with Rice and Broccoli

Thursday:  Aunt Fannie's Dinner with Salad

Friday:  Taco Night!

Saturday:  Baked Ziti with Salad and Sweet Dinner Rolls

Sunday:  Slow Cooker Green Beans, Ham and New Potatoes



Thanks For Stopping By,

Jackie

Book Review - Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury

From the Product Description... 

Holden Harris is an eighteen-year-old locked in a prison of autism. Despite his quiet ways and quirky behaviors, Holden is very happy and socially normal---on the inside, in a private world all his own. In reality, he is bullied at school by kids who only see that he is very different. Ella Reynolds is part of the 'in' crowd. A cheerleader and star of the high school drama production, her life seems perfect. When she catches Holden listening to her rehearse for the school play, she is drawn to him ... the way he is drawn to the music. Then, Ella makes a dramatic discovery---she and Holden were best friends as children. Frustrated by the way Holden is bullied, and horrified at the indifference of her peers, Ella decides to take a stand against the most privileged and popular kids at school. Including her boyfriend, Jake. Ella believes miracles can happen in the unlikeliest places, and that just maybe an entire community might celebrate from the sidelines. But will Holden's praying mother and the efforts of Ella and a cast of theater kids be enough to unlock the prison that contains Holden? This time, friendship, faith, and the power of a song must be strong enough to open the doors to the miracle Holden needs. 

My Review...
Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury was enjoyable to read and hard to put down.  Karen has a way of drawing me into her stories and her books never fail to inspire me to continually strengthen my faith.  While the main themes of this book are Autism, Teen Suicide and Bullying, all relevant topics for today's teenagers, I found myself drawn to the character of Ella and her relationship with her mother.  Ella is a strong girl who won't take no for an answer when she is trying to help Holden, yet she has her own struggles at home.  The theme of bullying was so interesting to me and I felt myself rooting for the characters who were seen as different and didn't fit in.  The ability to see into Holden's locked up world of Autism was fascinating, especially when I read about the research Karen had done to prepare for writing this book.  Although the book is fairly predictable, it is an inspirational story filled with hope and it will warm your heart.  I recommend this for teenagers to adults.  Tissues Needed!

Thanks to Zondervan for sending me this book in exchange for my review!




Jackie

Christmas Is A State of Mind...

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.  ~Harlan Miller

 

Christmas Carols, Snowmen and Holiday Cheer were enjoyed by all this past weekend at the Holiday Open Houses we attended.  I had a great visit with my Mom and enjoyed seeing my cousin and Aunt as well.  We missed the girls who couldn't be with us.  I can hardly even believe that I'm almost ready to start my Christmas preparations.  I'm not in any hurry to by-pass my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, but I'm in the Christmas Spirit this year.  I have a lot to be Thankful for and I enjoy making my home a warm and inviting place for family and friends to find comfort in.  I look forward to sharing some of my decorating and our family traditions with you this season.

My Cute Shopping Partner...

Christmas Trees on The Old Truck Set the Mood...

The New Winter Sign For My Foyer Will Replace...

...this Fall Sign...

Ice Skating Cuteness...

Thanks For Stopping By,

Jackie

Menu Plan Monday...

Happy Monday Blog Friends!


I'm joining the OrgJunkie this week and participating in Menu Plan Monday.  For the last several months I have been planning our menus every two weeks.  I do the bulk of our grocery shopping every two weeks,  because that is when I am paid, and I do a quick run in between for bread, milk, etc.  This schedule works well for us.  To help me keep track of our meals, and since I use so many of the other participating blogs to plan my own meals, I've decided to give Menu Plan Mondays a try.  I will only be posting our dinner menus because we're gone during lunch and breakfast at our house is quick (toast, cereal, muffins).  It will be a short week for us because we will be out of town Friday-Sunday so I'm off the hook for those meals.  Here is the plan for this week...

Monday: Broccoli Cheese Soup and Sweet Dinner Rolls
The broccoli cheese soup will be doubled and 1 portion will go in the freezer


Tuesday: Easy Chicken Enchilada Crescent Bake with carrots and dip


Wednesday:  Sloppy Joe's (from the freezer), Tater Tots, Corn


Thursday:  Beef Stew with Potato Dumplings (gnocchi)


Friday:  Out of town


Saturday:  Out of town


Sunday:  Out of town until early evening...sandwiches and chips for dinner


Thanks for Stopping By,


Jackie

There's a Chill in the Air...

Whew...those last two posts were a bit on the heavy side...even for me. Let's move on to something a little more fun! It's chilly today and I'm in the mood for some comfort...

It's a perfect day for some leftover Baked Ziti. I made this last night and it was a hit with all the boys.  It was an easy weeknight meal and next time I'm going to double the recipe and freeze.  The only change I made to the recipe was adding cream cheese and omitting the sour cream.  It's what I had on hand and it worked great.

Next on my list is grabbing one of these when I'm out today.  It's really on my list folks...and yes I have a problem...I'm aware of it.  It's a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. 

And finally, my Mom is coming to spend the weekend!  I'm looking forward to seeing her and snagging some goodies on our little road-trip to the best store in Missouri, Randolph Mercantile!  Here is a sampling of what we might see tomorrow...

 

Have a great weekend!

Until Next Time,

Jackie

Knowing Who My Father Is...Part 2

And so the story continues.  To read the part 1 click here.

Forgiveness.

Forgiveness was a conscious choice.  It didn't come easy for me but it did come...about 10 years ago.  I had to forgive my Dad to move on in my journey.  If I didn't forgive him I would have been stuck...stalled...and bitter.  Corrie ten Boom says it best,  "Forgiveness is to set a prisoner free, and to realize the prisoner was you."

For me, forgiveness was deciding that I couldn't change the past or change who my Dad was.  What I could do was accept the facts and move forward.  Forgiveness was part of the journey and took a long time before it was settled in my heart.  Forgiveness is what has helped me to be grateful for my experiences and to know that those experiences have shaped who I am today. 


Finding my true Father.  My Heavenly Father.


In the middle of the worst times of my journey...in the early years...I decided that there had to be something more than what I was feeling.  I kept searching and I found my Heavenly Father.  I didn't have a conversion experience.  I made a decision and decided to trust that there must be something more out there.  My faith came alive as I studied and prayed and my relationship with God flourished.  It continues to this day. 

After I examined my feelings of sadness that day that I had lunch with my friend, I was reminded that I have a Father who loves me.  That father is God. 

My earthly father...my Dad...may not be what I would hope for and that's okay.   God desires a relationship with me and that's all I need.

I also know that my Heavenly Father is my Strength (Isaiah 12:2), my Guide (Proverbs 3:6), my Counselor (Psalm 16:7) and my Strong Tower (Proverbs 18:10).  Just as a Father should be.

Until Next Time,
Jackie

*photo courtesy of flickr.com

Knowing Who My Father Is...Part 1

"Heavenly Father, You are my Restorer.  You restore all that has been taken, destroyed, devoured, or lost from my life"  (Adapted from Psalm 23:3)

As my friend Julie and I sat down to lunch a few weeks ago, she began telling me that she had met her Dad for coffee earlier that morning.  They'd had a nice, long chat and he had helped her with a decision she needed to make about a house repair.  She was full of love for her Dad and was thankful he is in her life today.  As she was telling me about her morning I felt a tug on my heart.  I dismissed the feeling.  I wasn't even sure what it was.  We went on with our lunch and had an enjoyable time, as usual.  On my way back to work I realized what the feeling was...what the tug on my heart meant...it was Sadness.  I was surprised at this feeling because I came to terms years ago about the relationship (or lack thereof) I have with my Dad.  I'll probably never be able to call him to meet me for coffee or to ask his advice about something.  I haven't written much about my Dad on this blog...on purpose.  There really isn't much to say.  As I grew into adult-hood 20+ years ago I began my journey of figuring out who I was...in spite of who my father was...and what he had led me to believe about myself.  That journey was hard in the early years.  I had to come to terms with shame, self image, sadness, anger and many other emotions.

I haven't spoken more than a handful of words to my Dad in the last 5 years.  I did see him at my Grandmothers funeral earlier this year and you can read about that here.  I can't say what my Dad's life is like now.  I can't tell you where he lives or if he is even alive.  I can tell you what I know about him from my past.  He could strike up a conversation with just about anyone.  He was an entrepreneur.  He was a gardener.  He was was also an Alcoholic, Abusive, Manipulative and a Master of Mind Control.

Those are the facts.

I don't write them here to slander my Dad.  I write them so you understand where I come from and why I had to take that journey to...Knowing Who My Father is...

We all have stories and I invite you to share one of mine.  Stay tuned for Part 2.

*Photo courtesy of flickr.com

Trick or Treat...

Wind Blowing,

Jack-O-Lanterns Glowing,

Witches, Ghosts, Ninjas and Soldiers,

Characters Out and About,

Candy And Fun Throughout,

Halloween Fright,

Oh, What a Magical Night.

Until Next Time,

Jackie