For the last few days I’ve been singing “Jesus Loves Me” to Rebecca a lot. She loves it 🙂 Always puts a smile on her face. I usually do it during a diaper change. I did it today before her nap, as usual. And had it running through my head…as usual 🙂 Then I sat down to finish my lunch and to read. I read some scripture. Then I opened “Confessions of an Irritable Mother”…and the title of the chapter was “For the Bible Tells Me So.” And it started out talking about the song “Jesus Loves Me.” God has his own ways of speaking to us…and over the last few days, and even weeks, He’s been reminding me over and over how much He loves me. I’ve had a couple sessions with a new psychologist lately and she helped me realize I need to accept myself, and love myself. I’m not perfect. And then our MOPS speaker last week (the author of the book I’m reading) drove it home again. And reading this book God is really speaking to me. He loves me no matter what. I can’t do anything to make Him love me more or less. And I don’t have to earn it. I don’t have to be perfect! It’s so simple and yet so profound. It’s amazing how God uses just the right people and just the right timing to teach us things. He is working to transform me and refine me. And He is using all of my struggles (those I’ve mentioned in my previous post and those I have yet to post about) to do so. God is teaching me all about love…for myself and others. Just this afternoon I could already sense a change. Some days Rebecca goes down for her afternoon nap well, others not so well. And in the past my initial reaction when she starts fussing/crying when she should be sleeping is frustration. I know she’s tired, I know she needs to sleep…so why doesn’t she? It’s not necessarily a good reaction, but it’s just my instinct. I’m logical, so that is logical to me…if she’s tired she should sleep. But today it was different. She squirmed for a bit and then started crying. Instead of feeling frustrated and thinking, it’s one of those days, I immediately felt sorry for her. I thought, you poor thing, you’re so tired, you’re teething. It must feel awful to not be able to get to sleep. And instead of moving her to her swing (the gauranteed napper 🙂 and putting her in as quickly as possible and getting back to what I was doing, I was able to comfort her, be calm, and even get her to smile and cheer up before putting her in the swing. And once she was strapped in she was out in minutes. And I felt better too. God doesn’t get frustrated with me when I do things He doesn’t like. He loves me anyway and is calm and gentle with me. I need to do the same for others, especially my daughter. Jesus loves me this I know! I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me in this refining process!
Author: Mary | Just Take A Bite
Turkey Noodle Bake
I got this recipe from my mother-in-law. It’s simple and delicious. I’ve made it with turkey, chicken and ham. They all work well.
It’s a good casserole for using up leftover meat after a big holiday meal. I made this batch for a family from church. I doubled the recipe since the original only makes an 8×8 pan…and I have to make this for 7 people 🙂
It would also be good with peas or green beans added to it to make it more of a one dish. You can add any seasoning you like.
Turkey (chicken, ham) Noodle Bake
Ingredients:
3/4 cup milk or milk substitute
1/2 can cream of mushroom soup or homemade dairy-free cream sauce
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 – 2 cups egg noodles, or brown rice noodles, cooked
1 cup turkey (chicken or ham), cooked, cubed
1 slice bread, ripped into chunks
1/2 cup cheddar cheese or dairy-free cheese, cubed
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
Directions:
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch glass pan.
- Blend the milk and soup.
- Stir in the egg.
- Add the noodles, turkey, bread, cheese, and butter. Stir well.
- Spread in the prepared baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes, until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
My Body…Part 1
Over the last 10 years (at least) God has shown me many things by using my frail, human body. I could probably write a book about it, so I’ll try not to add too much detail. I guess I’ll start with my digestive issues. They became noticeable in college (even though looking back I had had minor problems for years). And they seemed to coincide with increased anxiety…leaving home, starting college, not knowing anyone, trying out for the soccer team, starting the engineering program, taking honors classes. It was a lot at once, especially for a very shy person. I left a group of friends that I knew and loved and started a life where I didn’t know anyone. Freshman year came and went. I enjoyed it, but I still didn’t feel like I fit in/hadn’t made many close friends. Sophomore year came with it’s own challenges…not being 1st string on the soccer team anymore and wondering where I stood, going potluck for a roommate again…and starting the year off horribly with her, classes getting more challenging, starting a job in the engineering department. That summer I had my first internship at Delphi. Being a 20 year old woman working with all middle age men is not the easiest thing. Especially when you lack confidence in the work you’re doing. So again, the anxiety increased…and the digestive issues intensified. Junior year I started dating Justin (now my husband:). Boys can be a source of anxiety for anyone 🙂 To add to that pressure, I did not make the soccer team. Another event that made me question my abilities/my worth. And again, classes started getting more challenging. That summer I had my 2nd internship. It was at Delphi, but a different facility…all new people and products to work with. Senior year Justin and I were dating very seriously. School was as challenging as ever. I was still working in the engineering office (which I loved, by the way). I was the president of IEEE (electrical engineering society). I had a lot going. But was still unsure of myself. And my digestive issues and anxiety continued to increase. After graduation I started working at Smiths Aerospace. Now I was a real engineer, not just an intern. I had no clue what I was doing. And I was living 100% on my own for the first time. I’m sure you can guess where this is going. Year after year I was faced with challenges that made me less and less confident, gave me more and more anxiety, and made my health issues worse. I got married in 2003, which was one of the best things to happen to me. But I was still so insecure that I worried about every little thing…was I being a good wife, did I make good meals, is Justin happy. And one of my biggest worries was that my digestive problems were limiting my life…what I could do, where I could go. I finally got the courage to see my doctor. We tried various drugs…anti-depressants, anti-spasmodics, Zelnorm, fiber supplements, I had various tests done. None of it seemed to help. So I went to a gastroenterologist. I went through more tests (colonoscopy, endoscopy, etc.)…and found nothing. That doctor basically told me I was young and healthy and had a little IBS and pushed me out the door. So I felt even worse…I felt sick…and nobody would listen or help. I decided to take things into my own hands. I researched IBS and started to change the way I ate. I gradually cut out all red meat, all dairy, almost all wheat, raw fruits and veggies, all caffeine, all carbonation, all artificial sweeteners, all kinds of stuff. I started to lose weight (not wanting to). But I continued to feel sick. And it became more and more consuming. I was afraid to leave the house half of the time. I had to bring my own food wherever I went. I started having panic attacks. Things just got worse and worse. In 2005 I started seeing a psychologist (thanks to the suggestion of my in-laws). I think that was the first step in things changing…and in seeing that God was still in control, even if it didn’t feel like it. I realized there was a connection between my stomach and my anxiety. So I continued therapy and felt a little better mentally. But physically things were still bad. I knew therapy wouldn’t totally change that. I did more and more research and finally diagnosed myself (since my doctors weren’t much help). I managed to get a referral to a colon surgeon who confirmed my diagnosis (after more unpleasant tests). In September of 2006 I had major surgery to fix the problem (feel free to ask me about it if you want to know more details, but I won’t gross everyone out that doesn’t care to know:). It was one of the toughest things I’ve had to go through. After 5 days in the hospital I came home. I then went through 2 months of initial recovery. I slept on the living room floor for 5 weeks so I didn’t have to go upstairs and so I could get up as much as I needed to in the night without bothering Justin. I had to go very slowly with increasing food quantities at one sitting. It was difficult. The full recovery probably took a good year. I gradually started trying “forbidden” food again…and doing fine. I was seeing the change I had dreamed of for years. Looking back I can see God’s hands and God’s timing in it all, as strange as that sounds. And I realize that sometimes you have to get to a low point to truly see God and his love…and to hear Him. God continually has to tell me I can’t do it all on my own. He is in control, not me. I still struggle daily with digestive issues…my body will never be totally “normal.” But it is so much better than it was. Sometimes I don’t even know how I managed before. I have limitations, but they remind me daily that this body is frail and human. And gives me the longing for a perfect body someday. And I am learning each day to accept myself the way I am. God made me just the way He wants me to be. I may have to do more planning than other people or stick to a more rigid schedule so my body can work well. I may have to be more careful about what I eat, how much I eat and when I eat. I may have times of the day when I just don’t feel all that great. But that’s ok. God can still use me. He is renewing me and refining me each and every day.
I guess I’ll stop there for now. Be on the lookout for Part 2, what came after recovery from surgery.
Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Soup
I got this recipe from Elaine at church. It is really good!! It does take a little bit of work, but it makes a huge batch of soup, so it’s worth it. I managed to use up another squash (only half was necessary for the soup…that’s how big they are!). Two to go yet 🙂 Gotta find more squash recipes. I was trying to make a half batch of soup since it makes so much, but ended up making closer to a full batch since our squash is so big. I did cut down on the beans and tomatoes (I only had 1 can of beans, and Justin isn’t crazy about tomatoes). And I used sweet Italian turkey sausage (removed meat from casing). I didn’t get the best picture. The soup has great color and looks quite fancy 🙂
Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Soup
8-10 servings
1 Tbsp. evoo or lard (I skipped this…the sausage has plenty of fat to cook on its own)
16 oz. Italian sausage (I used turkey sausage)
1 red or yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tsp. finely diced garlic
1 large butternut squash (a/b 3 lbs.), peeled, halved, seeds removed (1 lb. = 1 cup mashed)
1 (15 oz.) can corn kernels, drained and rinsed (I used frozen corn)
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
2 (15 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
2 (15 oz.) cans northern beans, drained and rinsed (or dried beans soaked and cooked)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or whole milk
salt and pepper to taste
fresh, chopped parsley for garnish
In stockpot heat oil. Add sausage. Brown and remove from pan, leaving grease to saute onions (I drained the grease). Transfer sausage to a plate lined with paper towel. In stockpot add onion and saute until translucent. Add peppers and garlic and saute a couple minutes. Meanwhile, cut squash into 1″ dice. Add to pot. Add 1/2 of corn. Cover with water (6-8 cups), depending on how thick you want your soup. Add seasoning. Cook squash until soft, about 20 minutes (I cooked mine for at least 30 minutes).
In batches in food process or blender, puree soup (I used an immersion blender). Return to stockpot. Add tomatoes, remaining corn, beans and sausage. Add cream and adjust seasoning to taste. Garnish with parsley.
*If you don’t like sausage (or don’t have any on hand) this would still be great without meat. Or chicken or some kind of seafood would work really well in it too.
Shepherd’s Pie
I’ve never made shepherd’s pie before…I don’t think I’ve ever actually had it before. And neither had Justin. But I decided to make it with our leftover mashed potatoes. I looked up quite a few recipes…they are all a little different. So I decided to not use a recipe and make my own 🙂 I didn’t eat it (I was using up other leftovers). But Justin did. He really liked it. So I guess I’ll try to create a recipe based on what I did. We didn’t have that many potatoes left, so there wasn’t a very thick layer on top.
Shepherd’s Pie
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, sliced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup ketchup
salt
pepper
2 cups mashed potatoes
Heat oven to 375. Cook beef, onion and carrot in skillet. Drain. Add peas, corn, broth, ketchup, salt and pepper. Simmer 5 min. Put in 8″ baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake 25 min.
Thanksgiving Feast
We had quite a spread for Thanksgiving yesterday. I hosted, so I provided all of the hot dishes. I’ll post the recipes for a few of them. I made a 20 lb. turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, squash and green bean casserole. Family members brought corn souffle, pink salad, applesauce, rolls, pumpkin pie, apple pie and cheesecake. Everything was delicious. I didn’t take individual pictures of everything. But I got a picture of the table. I took a couple pics when I made leftovers, not as good as the original picture would have been, but better than nothing. I’ll post the recipes I haven’t shared on my blog yet. Now it’s time to decide how to use my leftovers 🙂
And I have to debone the turkey (no time last night).
Roast turkey
*This isn’t so much a recipe, just the method I used after doing lots of reading and wanting to do something simple for my first attempt.
1 turkey (mine was about 20 lbs.) butter
salt
pepper
garlic powder
chicken broth (or turkey if you can find it)
Remove neck, gizzard, etc. from turkey. Wash insided and out. Dry. Place on roasting rack. Sprinkle inside with salt and pepper (and any spices you wish). Tie with kitchen twine. Rub skin with butter. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Pour broth into bottom of pan (enough to cover bottom) Roast at 325 for about 5 hours. I roasted it for about 1 hour, then covered it with foil. I removed the foil for the last half hour to brown. Add more broth or water to pan as it cooks. I used 4 cups broth plus some water throughout the cooking. Remove from oven and let rest for 30 min. Cover with foil. Make gravy with pan drippings.
Crockpot Stuffing (from A Year of Crockpotting)
1 loaf bread, cubed and lightly toasted in oven
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup celery diced
1 cup tart apple, peeled and diced
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups chicken broth (or more)
1 Tbsp. sage (I left this out b/c I didn’t have any)
1 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. savory
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup raisins (my addition)
Add onion, celery, raisins and apple to crockpot. Add seasoning and butter. Mix well. Add bread. Mix well. Add broth and stir. Cook on high 2 hours. Stir. Add more broth if too dry.
*I stirred the stuffing after an hour or so and added more broth then. I also turned the crockpot to low after 2 hours to let it cook a little longer and stay warm until dinner.
*If you like the celery and onions super soft you could cook them in a skillet first.
*This stuffing was so good. Never would have guessed it came out of the crockpot. But it was nice to not have to take up more room in the oven. And I prepped all the ingredients the day before.
Green Bean Casserole (classic French’s or Campbell’s recipe)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
pepper
4 cups cut green beans (frozen, thawed or fresh, cooked) or 2 can french style green beans drained
1 1/3 cup french fried onions
Mix soup and milk in 1 1/2 qt. casserole. Add beans, pepper and 2/3 cup onions. Mix well. Bake at 350 for 25 min. Sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake 5-10 min. more.
Pink Salad (family recipe)
1 small pkg. cottage cheese
1 small pkg. dry red jello
1 can drained pineapple (cubes, tidbits or crushed)
1 pkg. dream whip, prepared
Mix all together. Chill.
*This sounds like an odd combination, but it’s really good! You should try it.
Corn Souffle (got this from my sister)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 pkg. (8oz.) cream cheese
1 can (15 1/4 oz.) whole kernel corn (drained)
1 can cream style corn
1 pkg. (8.5 oz.) corn muffin mix (like Jiffy)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 pkg. (8oz.) cream cheese
1 can (15 1/4 oz.) whole kernel corn (drained)
1 can cream style corn
1 pkg. (8.5 oz.) corn muffin mix (like Jiffy)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350. Microwave butter until melted. Add cream cheese, microwave for about 15 seconds or until cream cheese is softened. Stir until blended. Add corns and muffin mix and eggs. Mix well. Pour into greased 9×13 pan; sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool.
Hugs and Chips Cheesecake (got this from my mom…I think it’s a Hershey’s or Nestle recipe)
2 (3 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (6 oz.) ready made chocolate pie crust
Chocolate glaze:
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup whipping cream
Heat oven to 350. With mixer beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in milk until smooth. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well. Toss chips with flour. Stir into cheese mixture. Pour into pie crust. Bake 35 min., or until center springs back when lightly touched. Cool and top with glaze. Serve chilled.
Glaze:
Melt chips with whipping cream. Cook and stir until thickened and smooth. Immediately spread over pie.
Hungarian Cabbage Rolls
Saturday we visited my BIL and SIL in Webberville. They have spent quite a bit of time in Eastern Europe over the last few years and have learned to cook some traditional Hungarian food. They made cabbage rolls for us on Saturday. They were really good! Maybe I’ll have to try making them myself someday.
Hungarian Cabbage Rolls
(Serves 6)
28 oz sauerkraut
1 large green cabbage
2 Tbsp oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 lb ground pork
1/4 cup rice
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp sweet paprika
1/4 tsp marjoram
1 tsp salt
ground pepper
1 large can tomato puree
1/2 cup sour cream (+ more to taste)
3 Tbsp milk
1 heaping Tbsp flour
1. In a large pot, bring to boil enough salted water to cover the cabbage. Add the cabbage, turn heat to low and simmer ~8 minutes. Remove the cabbage and let it drain until cool enough to handle. Pull off 16 large unbroken leaves and lay them on paper towels to cool and drain further.
2. Wash the sauerkraut in cold water, then soak in cold water 10-20 minutes to reduce sourness (this is important since we don’t have real Hungarian sour cabbage in the US!). Squeeze dry and set aside.
3. Parboil the rice in water for 10 minutes, then drain the water off. In a skillet, saute onions over med-low heat and garlic in oil until onions become translucent. In a large mixing bowl, combine pork, rice, egg, paprika, marjoram, and the onion-garlic mixture, salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Mix well.
4. Place 2 tablespoons of the stuffing in the center of one of the wilted cabbage leaves and, beginning with the thick end of the leaf, fold over the sides, then roll the whole leaf tightly, as you would a small bundle. Repeat with more leaves until all the stuffing has been used.
5. You may put the spare or largest unusable cabbage leaves on the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching. Spread the sauerkraut on the bottom of the pot and bury the cabbage rolls amongst it. Add the tomato puree and a couple of cans of water. Bring the liquid gently to a boil, then cover the pan and cook over simmering heat for 1-2 hours. Transfer the rolls from the casserole to a warm plate. Mix the sour cream, milk, flour, and a little of the cooked kraut, stir into the sauerkraut. Simmer another 5 minutes. Lift the kraut onto a serving platter with a slotted spoon. Arrange the rolls on the kraut. Serve with additional sour cream as desired.
*One of the secrets of good stuffed cabbage is to cook it long enough – more gentle cooking does not harm it, especially if you like tender cabbage. They tend to get better each time they’re reheated, so making them a day or two ahead of time is not undesirable. They can also freeze well.
Vegetable Soup Stock
This recipe is from Justin’s mom. I’ve never made it myself, but have used some stock she gave us. It’s very good.
Vegetable Soup Stock
2 quarts green beans
12 large carrots
5 stalks celery
3 green peppers
9 medium onions
1 peck tomatoes (enough to fill roaster)
1/4 cup salt
Chop veggies fine. Cook until tender in large roaster. Process 40 minutes in boiling water bath.
When ready to make soup: Add enough broth/water w/ bouillion to consistency you like. You can add cooked meat, beans and/or 1/2 cup rice or barley.
Au Gratin Potatoes
I made au gratin potatoes with our pork roast. I got this recipe from Velveeta a while ago. I’ve made them several times. I didn’t have any…I don’t eat a ton of potatoes. But Justin likes them. Although he says a lot less onion would be good.
Au Gratin Potatoes
4 cups sliced potatoes (4-5 medium potatoes)
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) Velveeta, cut up
1/2 cup chopped onion (less than 1/4 cup is sufficient)
1 tsp. dry mustard (0ptional)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
Cook potatoes in boiling water 8-10 min., until fork tender. Drain. Toss potatoes with remaining ingredients in greased 2 qt. round casserole. Cover. Bake at 350 for 25 min. Stir gently (I didn’t do this…just served them right out of the oven).
Cornbread
I’m serving corn muffins with the corn chowder tonight. I got this recipe a long time ago from All Recipes. And I’ve never tried another one since then. It’s so good. And so easy. You don’t even need to use a mixer. I usually make it in a 9″ round pan. But I’m doing muffins tonight…easier to serve to guests. I’ll add a pic later.
*Edited 1/13/11 to be NT compatible.
Golden Sweet Cornbread
3/4 – 1 cup all purpose flour whole wheat flour (sprouted or regular)
1 cup yellow cornmeal (preferably organic)
2/3 cup white sugar organic cane sugar
1 tsp. unrefined sea salt
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder (aluminum free)
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil melted coconut oil
Heat oven to 400. Butter a 9″ round cake pan or 12 cup muffin pan. In a large bowl combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in egg, milk and oil until well combined. Pour batter into pan. Bake 20 – 25 min. (for bread) 15 – 20 min. (for muffins), until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
* We eat it with butter, syrup, jelly, jam or just plain.
*It goes really well with chili.
*This recipe works very well for corn dog muffins.