Wednesday, October 26, 2011

My Most Embarrassing Recipe

I'm cooking with a lot of potatoes and onions at our house this week because we seem to have acquired  an excess of them.  I forgot I had onions and bought more, then, when I opened up my "new" bag of potatoes I found they were past the peak of freshness. Waaaay past, not even in the review mirror.  In fact, I swear, one of them had varicose veins!  Varicose veins don’t look any better on a potato than they do on me.

 So yesterday I made soup with beef soup with potatoes and onions and veggies and gave most of it away. (BTW, I want you to know that I did NOT use the potato with bad veins in the soup I made for someone else.   I have my standards.) 

Today I’m making “Simple Cheese Soup” which also uses potatoes and onions, and is generally pretty yummy and one of my dear hubby’s favorites.

There are, however, a couple of problems with my “Simple Cheese Soup.” I’m very sorry to have to tell you this, but it addition to potatoes and onions, it uses Campbell’s Cream of Chicken soup—TWO cans!  Oh, the shame! 

That is not the worst of it.  It also uses... (dare I confess it?)... VELVEETA. “Cheese product.”  Or as it’s know in the homes of my children “The Yellow Menace.”

 Even now it sits on my kitchen table in its innocuous yellow box, just waiting to clog my arteries, destroy my intestines and generally wreak havoc on my entire system.  I suppose between the sodium in the cream of chicken soup and the Velveeta I may swell up after dinner like a Thanksgiving Parade balloon!

 Yet, use it I will, because that’s what makes my Simple Cheese Soup simple.  Or maybe “Simple” refers to the cook.  I'm hoping there is some redemption in the fact that I add massive amounts of veggies to the soup.  That will remove all the bad stuff, right?

(Just added the cream of chicken soup—all that creaminess and salt in just one easy ingredient, although it did make a rather rude noise plooping, I mean plopping, out of the can.  Mmm—mmm good, as those fat little Campbell's kids used to say.)

 Now that I have embarrassed my family and myself by admitting to the use of not ONE, but TWO horrible, un-foodie, un-healthy (but tasty) ingredients in my dinner tonight I leave you with the ultimate insult—the recipe.  If you think you’re woman/man enough to bear the ridicule, go ahead and give it a try.


 If not, that’s okay. Don’t forget to wave at me as I float by, blimpy, but happy.



SIMPLE CHEESE SOUP



Dissolve 4 chicken bouillon cubes in 4 cups boiling water.

Add:

1 C. chopped onion

4 C. potatoes, cut up

20 oz. pkg. frozen mixed vegetables*

Reduce heat and cook about 15 minutes ('til potatoes are done).

Add:

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 lb. Velveeta, cubed

Stir over low heat until cheese is melted.



See, I told you it was easy.  Anything that you can cook while writing a blog post is okay by me.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Five Things Monday?

I know it's Monday and many of us are tempted to give in to those post-weekend blues--let the whining begin!  But before you get all excited about complaining (heh, heh) here's a little list of five things I noticed about griping and God's reaction to our whining.  Just a little food for thought for the next time you're in the mood to fuss about something.

Five Things From the Bible About Complainers

1. Fire fell on them  Numbers 11:1

2. A plague fell on them.  Num. 11:33

3. God heard Moses' complaints about the people's whining and gave them so much of what they asked for that got sick of it--literally.  Num. 11:11-21

4.  Marion, Moses' sister, wound up a leper.

5. Gentle words bring life and health.  Griping leads to discouragement.  Proverbs 15:4 NLB

So hey, have a happy Monday and don't forget to rejoice in the Lord today!





Friday, October 14, 2011

Five Blessing Friday--Hooray!

2 Corinthians 4:15-18--The Message (MSG)
13-15
We're not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, "I believed it, so I said it," we say what we believe. And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your advantage and to God's glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise.


85.  YOU, my readers, are a true blessing and gift.  (and a comment would be wonderful gift as well, hint, hint ;-D.

86. What a gift it is to have my own home to take care of, clean and decorate. Thank you Lord for my little nest!

87.  It isn't every family that has a Fairy Princess!

88. Giving away a dresser to someone who has never had one and didn't even know what it was used for.

89.  For Jesus, my Cornerstone, "the Peg on which all hope hangs, the Bow that wins the battle, the Ruler over all the earth." (Zach 10)

90.   A wonderful visit from Penny, Mike & Cuki!


16-18So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

The Most Glorious Month of the Year

Ah, it's October, the most beautiful month of the year, in my humble opinion!  Let others brag about those rare spring days and moon over June.  For me, there is nothing like a glimpse of crystal blue sky through leaves of gold, orange, yellow and red.  It's a month for crisp morning walks and roasted marshmallows over a campfire, raking up leaves and jumping into the piles! Squirrels are nosily gathering supplies while the bunnies bustle about their business. Autumn days are clearer, nights are colder and colors are brighter. The whole season just makes me glad to be alive.

For today's post, I want share a delightful poem that daughter Christal brought it home one day when she was in second grade (many years ago.)  It's become a part of my autumn joy ever since and I love to share it!  (Thank you Mrs. Wiser!)

May you find it as delightful as I do, and may you find a well-loved child with which to share it.



COME, LITTLE LEAVES

George Cooper


“Come, little leaves,” said the wind one day,
“Come o’er the meadows with me and play;
Put on your dresses of red and gold,
For summer is gone and the days grow cold.”

Soon as the leaves heard the wind’s loud call,
Down they came fluttering, one and all;
Over the brown fields they danced and flew,
Singing the glad little songs they knew.
 
“Cricket, good-by, we’ve been friends so long,
Little brook, sing us your farewell song;
Say you are sorry to see us go;
Ah, you will miss us, right well we know.


“Dear little lambs in your fleecy fold,
Mother will keep you from harm and cold;
Fondly we watched you in vale and glade,
Say will you dream of our loving shade?”

Dancing and whirling, the little leaves went,
Winter had called them, and they were content;
Soon, fast asleep in their earthy beds,
The snow laid a coverlid over their heads.