Menu ideas. . . .

My girlfriend, B, said that she would love to read what I plan to make for dinner each day along with my daily devotions.  Many days, I don’t plan very far ahead- maybe an hour or two before the meal.   So, in case I don’t have a clue when I sit down each morning, here’s some ideas of basic things that I have made recently.  Some menus, some snacks, etc.

Beef Stew (Package of stew meat, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, onions- Cooked slow with small amount of water until done)

Grilled Steak w/ Mac N Cheese and Peas

Grilled Brats and Watermelon

Lunch Meat Sandwiches, chips, apples

Chocolate Peanut Butter Milk Shakes

Sausage Scrambled Eggs, Toast, and Fried potatoes

Bread Pudding

Lemon Bars

Fruit Punch (take the last little bit of juice and pour into a batch of koolaid)

Grilled Chicken Legs and Corn on the Cob

Orange Soda Floats

Oatmeal made with raisins, walnuts, and coconut

Pizza

Blue-Ribbon Biscuits

Another recipe suggestion from T!!

3 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 Tbl sugar

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cream of tartar

3/4 c butter (butter is imperative for best flavor, but margarine is acceptable)

1 c. milk (or 1 1/4 c buttermilk)

Preheat oven to 450.  Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Using the side of a fork, cut in the butter until it looks like  crumbs the size of peas.  Add milk and stir only enough to wet the dry ingredients.  Lightly flour (1-2 Tbl) your table or countertop.  Turn dough out onto floured surface.  Fold the dough in half 4 times, pressing slightly and turning the dough one half turn each time.  Using your hands or rolling pin, pat/roll the dough until it is 3/4 in. thick.  Cut into squares or use a plastic cup to cut round biscuits.  Bake 10-12 minutes.

Enjoy!  If making them for shortcake, double the amount of sugar.

Amish Peanut Butter

My girlfriend, K, loves the Amish Peanut Butter that is served at a world class amish restaurant near my home.  This recipe was taken from Heritage Country Harvest Cookbook, published in 2001 by Ray and Malinda Yutzy- All Rights Reserved.

7 (1lb 2 oz) jars peanut butter

3 c. butter

3 c. brown sugar

1 1/2 gallons marshmallow topping

3 c. light Karo or maple syrup

4 1/2 c hot water

In 3 qt saucepan, melt butter and dissolve sugar.  Meanwhile, in 13 qt. bowl, combine peanut butter, marshmallow topping, and syrup.  Add sugar mixture, then water.

Best stored in fridge to keep it from expanding in warm temps but is shelf stable.  Good luck making the calculations/division so this will become a small batch instead of a huge one!  LOL

Potato Soup

This is one of those recipes where there are not any exact measurements.  My girlfriend, T, asked me to put the recipe on my blog and she will love the fact that there are no exact measurements for anything (not)

To serve 4-6 people (approximately)

4 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 carrot, peeled and sliced thin (optional)

1 small onion, diced (optional)

1 stalk celery, diced (optional)

Ham  or Bacon crumbles – a handful or two

2 eggs

flour

broth- chicken broth or a little ham broth with chicken broth (2-3 cups)

milk

salt/pepper

Boil your veggies until the potatoes are nearly done but not quite.   While these are cooking,  beat eggs in a shallow, small pan like a pie plate or something similar.  Add a couple handfuls of flour and mix with a fork, smashing and stiring to combine the two ingredients.  This dough should be slightly sticky but you should be able to remove the dough from your fingers by rubbing your hands together.  The drier the dough, the tougher the “rivels” will be.  Add more flour as needed to get the sticky but not “snot” texture.  Set this glob aside.

When the veggies are nearly done, drain the water off.  Return them to the stove and add enough broth to cover them twice.  Throw in your meat and salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  When boiling, reduce heat slightly.  Get your glob of “rivels” and drop them into the boiling broth one glob at at time.  the globs should be about the size of grapes but can be smaller or larger depending on how you like it.  BTW- “rivels” are really just homemade noodles.  Whatever crumbs or flour remain in your pie plate should be scraped into the boiling broth as well (if there is no flour remaining, sprinkle a tablespoon or so into the broth).  This will thicken it as the rivels cook.  When the rivels are cooked through (10 min or so- test them by cutting one in half and tasting it) or when the broth gets too thick, add milk to make it the consistancy you prefer.  Serve with shredded cheese if you’d like.

There you go T!  Enjoy!

Cooking doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive

My niece called the other day.  She’s a newly-wed (aaaah- isn’t that special!!!) and trying to figure out what kinds of things that her husband will enjoy and what is simple and inexpensive.  I answered her questions the best I could and I did a lot of listening.  When I got off the phone I remembered more of my own days as a newlywed.  I would work so hard at preparing these wonderful meals and then find out that they were not what my husband was used to eating or that he didn’t like it.  My husband kept telling me to just make him plain food.  I kept thinking that it sounded totally boring and not “good enough” to make him just plain old food.  Then something happened.  . . . . . .our church was called upon to do an after funeral meal for a family in the church.  I needed to make a dessert for it but I really didn’t have much of anything on hand and I didn’t want the expense of another trip to town.  I had a box of jello and a container of cool whip and my husband insisted that it would be good enough- to send plain jello with cool whip on top.  So, I did just that.  Well, I was also a volunteer server at the meal and after everyone ate, many of them (as is tradition) came up to our kitchen serving window to thank us.   Time after time people stopped by and complimented the jello!!  Questions like, “who made that wonderful jello?” and comments like, “that jello just hit the spot” poured in through that window.  I was amazed that something so simple could be soooo impressive!!!  So often when we visit other people’s homes for a meal we are greeted with their best food cooked to the fanciest of their ability.  This is all fine and good but it is not expected that every meal in every home in America be fancy or the best cuts.  Family is about spending time together not about having to do the absolute perfect meal at every opportunity.  Just regular, plain food is good and good for you!

And that’s what it’s really all about.  Meals like a fried ham sandwich with a bowl of fruit sometimes just hit the spot.  Or what about plain grilled cheese with tomato soup?  Here’s some ideas of just plain good cooking that are served often in our home.  If you need recipes, just comment on my blog and I will be happy to add them for you at a later time!

1. Crunchy or Soft Tacos made with beef, lettuce, cheese, and taco sauce.  Served with a bowl of fruit.
2. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato Soup (or Chicken Noodle)
3. Ham and egg sandwiches on toast with fruit and raw veggies
4. Macaroni and Cheese (Kraft really is the best box brand- homemade is always better though!)
5. Sunday Dinner – Beef Roast with potatoes and carrots and onions (optional) baked in same pan in oven.
6. Boiled Dinner- Smoked Sausage (cut in slices), potatoes, green beans, and onions boiled together until done
7. BLT’s with a hearty side of cheese and a nice dessert of ice cream or pudding
8. Chicken and Biscuits with Jello for dessert
9. Potato Soup with Corn Muffins and raw veggies
10. Chili
11. Lunchmeat Sandwich served with lettuce, cheese, and mayo with chips and dill pickle
12. Stew served with hearty bread and butter
13. Egg Salad Sandwich with fresh veggies and an apple
14. Hash
15. Salmon patties with boiled potatoes and green beans
16. Beef and noodles with broccoli cheese
17. Creamed Beef, Tuna, or Eggs on Toast served with mashed potatoes and corn
18. Hamburgers, potatoes, and baked beans
19. Broiled pork chops with rice and peas
20. Stir Fry

It’s a sure thing! Stick it Out!!

Hebrews 10: 32-39 (The Message Translation)

Remember those early days after you first saw the light?  Those were the hard times!  Kicked around in public, targets of every kind of abuse- some days it was you, other days your friends.  If some friends went to prison, you stuck by them.  If some enemies broke in and seized your goods, you let them go with a smile, knowing they couldn’t touch your real treasure.  Nothing they did bothered you, nothing set back.  So don’t throw it all away now.  You were sure of yourselves then.  It’s still a sure thing!  But you need to stick it out, staying with God’s plan so you’ll be there for the promised completion.  It won’t be long now, he’s on the way; he’ll show up most any minute.  But anyone who is right with me thrives on loyal trust; if he cuts and runs, I won’t be very happy.  But we’re not quitters who lose out.  OH, no!  We’ll stay with it and survive, trusting all the way.

Don’t lose focus, folks!   The book of Hebrews was written to people who were losing focus on what truly was.  They had lost sight of God is God, Faith, Hope because they had started making the “religiousness” of Christianity more important than God and Jesus.  God is God.  Jesus took care of everything.  There is no religious ritual or rule that can change those facts or make those facts better than are.

So, today as you go about your business- if discouragement blurs your vision or if someone tells you your not good enough, don’t lose heart!    The New Living Translation for verse 36 says, Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God’s will.  Then you will receive all that he has promised.  The focus is simple and if you stay focused you will truly acquire patient endurance and it will help you follow God’s will. 

God is a sure thing!  It’s a sure thing that Jesus covered all our wrongs!  Stick with what you know!   Follow God’s lead!

Dear Heavenly Father-  Thank you again for your wisdom in you word!  Help us today to not get frustrated with life’s pit falls but to keep our eye on the prize- You!  Give us the courage and the strength to press on.  Thank you! In Jesus’ name, amen

Be Real!

Ecclesiastes 5: 18-20 (The Message Translation)

After looking at the way things are on this earth, here’s what I’ve decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life.  And that’s about it.  That’s the human lot.  Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work.  It’s God’s gift!  God deals out joy in the present, the now.  It’s uselss to brood over how long we might live.

Just the good ole’ boys!  Never meanin no harm. . . . . . .

 

When I read this Bible passage, I immediately thought of the “good ole boy” terminology.  Not the drunk, fist -fighting kind but the blue collar, old pick up truck, blue jeans and friends over on Saturday and blue jeans and a Bible on Sunday morning.   There is always something comfortable and welcoming about hanging around a good ole boy.  They do the best with what they have, they have a good time, and the typically work the same ole’  job for years.  Their yard is messy, theirs dirty dishes in the sink, they are a payment late on their mortgage, the kids have dirty knees and a tore up yard to drive their ATV in.  Most notably, they are Happy!!  They are comfortable in their own skin.  They don’t put on “aires” about who they are or are not.  These good ole’ boys (and girls) have delighted in God’s gift!  They don’t look back with regret, they are happy with where they are in life!

 

My brother, Tim, was a good ole boy- through and through. 

 

Dear Heavenly Father-   Thank you for showing me a glimpse of what you hopefully meant by Solomon’s wisdom in Ecclesiastes 5: 18-20.  It’s nice to know that it’s okay to settle for who I am and not be expected to be someone I’m not.  Help me to not look back but to look at today and be thankful for your gift of hard work, food in my belly, clothes on my back, and most importantly the gift of joy that I have because of it. Thank you Jesus.  In your name, Amen

The greatest joy in life

I looked up the word “garden” in the concordance of my Bible to see what God had to say about my garden that I plan to go work in here in a little bit.  He sent me to Ecclesiastes 2.  Funny, it really didn’t have much to do with gardening but it was really interesting and I read Chap 2 and 3 before reminding myself that I could read more tomorrow! 

 

Anyway, the story goes the Solomon decided to do a scientific experiment of sorts.  He decided to give himself the “good life”.  Everything that he thought would make him happy he acquired.  He even got drunk and did some stupid things that he thought the average person would believe made them happy. He built a huge home, huge garden (hmm, must be where the concordance meant), slaves, concubines, money, animals, activities directors (entertainers).  Anything his heart desired, he got it for himself.  Throughout this time he remained clear headed (so he says- lol) so he could evaluate his experiment. 

 

After doing this, he decided that it all was really quite meaningless.  He also concluded that being wise was better than “the good life” but he couldn’t figure out why it was because both kinds of people just die in the end anyway.  He then got quite frustrated as he thought about what would happen to all his hard work in the end.  In 2:18+ he said, “I am disgusted that I must leave the fruits of my hard work to others.  Who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish?  Yet they will control everything. . . .” 

 

He then went into a depression trying to figure out what the point was in all the hard work if it really was for nothing.  He drug himself out of his depression by concluding that pleasure is from the hand of God and there is no better pleasure than that of  enjoying food and drink that you earn through the satisfaction of hard work.  God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please Him!

 

How interesting it is. . . . I find myself thinking of  people I know who are in that sort of depression.  The  depression Solomon speaks of where people do nothing to make their lives better or pleasing to God because it’s all for nothing- meaningless.  I often hear  similar statements like “what’s the point”.  Thinking about myself and how this relates, I often finding myself wanting it all but being unwilling to get off my butt and go get it.  That makes no sense really because I know as well as anyone else that enjoying the fruits of my labor truly is the greatest joy in life! 

 

Dear Heavenly Father,   Thank you for writing down the wisdom of Solomon.  Thank you for the “poke” reminder that my life will not be a joy if I don’t work to make it so!  I want to please You.  You made joy and pleasure and happiness and it truly only makes sense that the only way to have those for myself is to do what You want me to do.  Remind me throughout the week and be with my friends and help them to do the same.  In your name, amen

Tip for Bread Pudding

I made muffins the other day and no one seemed to be eating them so I decided that I needed to do something with them before they got moldy.  I made bread pudding with them!!!  It turned out, even!

These particular muffins were the raisin bran muffins – the ones you can store the batter in the fridge for several weeks and use as needed.  I did not have quite enough for the recipe so I added enough regular bread to make it work.

Not bad!

What odd tips do you have today?

YOU are lovable and capable!!!

I AM LOVABLE AND CAPABLE- (repeat out loud as necessary)

Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world. -Helen Keller