for a change

 

I thought I would show you that I do not only make desserts around here.  Today I decided supper would be based upon this recipe:

Zucchini Casserole from Country Woman Magazine ~ which gave credit to Linda Pottinger of Florida when I copied it down in 1996.   (The kids are asking if I’ve ever made it, so it’s been about that long maybe?  If you follow the link, you can see it was originally published in 1987.  It’s almost an antique!) 

Since I must always be tweaking recipes to suit me and my cooking preferences (and what I have on hand), here’s today’s list of ingredients:

~ 5 cups cooked chicken

1 medium zucchini, chopped (which is a far cry from 6 cups the recipe calls for)

1/2 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 lonely mushroom, chopped

~ 2 cups of homemade chicken gravy

(2-3T butter, 1/2 tsp Better Than Bouillon chicken base, 1/2 c water, 1/3 c whole wheat flour, 1 cup milk ~ with most of these just poured in until I thought it good)

1/3? cup sour cream

dash or two of garlic salt

1+ cup leftover cooked brown Basmati rice

2 slices homemade bread toasted and chopped, remnants of salad croutons, and about 8 saltines crunched up ~ the “topping” with another 2 T butter drizzled unevenly over the top.

Remind me to add some shredded cheddar cheese in another 20 minutes or so, please.

Okay, the pictures!

Gravy with sour cream added…

 

The veggies, which I prefer to saute in a little butter and olive oil…

 

And, finally, the casserole before it went in the oven!

I suppose it will look better with some melted cheese?

 

Well, due to technical difficulties with the internet service, it is now out of the oven ~ Ta da!

daybook October 26, 2010

FOR TODAY  

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Outside my window...
we’ve had rain and wind ~ temps in the mid-40’s today (9 C) ~ maybe 50 F?
The other day I saw my men taking turns swinging at the log pile:

 
I am thinking...
maybe God is answering my desire to be a Morning Person with the new habit of waking up early (cold crud prevents oversleeping) ~ It seems sort of backwards when the time will soon change back to standard time, so 5:30am will be 4:30am.  That would be an EARLY Morning Person.  :o  (or at least a dairy farmer)

I am thankful for.…
...live streaming ~ I was able to watch/listen to my family sing as well as Pastor’s sermon on Sunday night
…selling apple pies and lots of rolls at the antique mall on Saturday
 
… Miss Artist’s love of peeling apples for her mom’s pies
… Miss Music Box selling lots of her bread too (and manning the table for both of us!)

I am praying for...
... the Rettigs and the church in Prague 
… my dad who is out today at meetings, then leaves for AZ again tomorrow
… my mom who is baking up a storm before she has surgery on her finger Thursday
… Amber’s new little one (Matthew)
…Diane and family
…Chloe and her family

From the learning rooms...
We are trying (okay, this mom is wanting) to get back on track after last week’s craziness.   The Popper is almost finished with her piano book – yay!  but is struggling with some tough spelling words.  The Cattleman worked hard at making his first book report interesting  :-)  The Cowgirl is ahead in Literature for sure ~ I heard her say she will begin her Christmas unit soon!  The Computer Geek took his first Chemistry test this morning ~ I should be checking that.  He and Miss Artist are almost through with Silas Marner ~ Then they will write a book review on it.  Miss Music Box is having good discussions with her dad about her reading for government.  And we should be listening to Jan Mickelson for school credit too!  One week until Election Day 2010.



From the kitchen...
We were busy in the kitchen Friday and Saturday, so I sort of took yesterday off ~ almost.  I did make a pot of chili for supper.
Tonight should be the egg rolls I wasn’t up to working with last night.  :-\
And yes, more than one of you have asked about recipes lately…  I’m listening, really.
Oh, I almost forgot!  I made granola yesterday with yogurt-soaked oats – Yum!  And since I was finishing off the last of our Brown Cow plain yogurt, I also made a batch of homemade yogurt.   Wow, I did do something besides laundry yesterday.

I am creating...
hmmm, not much?  Or does coating candy with chocolate count?

Almond Joy, anyone?

I’ve never coated with Baker’s semi-sweet chocolate before ~

Oh my.  Dark chocolate.  Oh Me.  The Price!

 
I am going...
to get the older girls when they are finished with cleaning at the office ~ I suppose I should get more eggs while I’m out
 
I am reading...
I’m almost finished with the Gospel of John
I picked up the Beechick books again this week ~ trying to get finished so we can move on!

 
I am hoping...
the weather will improve so Tim can work on siding again

I am hearing...
the wind as it whistles through the open garage door

(60mph = whistling?)

 
Around the house...
Yesterday was a Major Laundry Day, which means I have clothes to iron laying in my room…  And the bathrooms are still needing attention beyond the lick & promise, if you know what I mean…
 
One of my favorite things...
happy cows

No, she’s not ours.  But isn’t she cute?!

 
Pondering these words...

I am the vine, ye are the branches:

He that abideth in me, and I in him,

the same bringeth forth much fruit:

for without me ye can do nothing.

John 15:5

 

A few plans for the rest of the week:
Just the usual?  (We need to stay home and accomplish school!)
Wed eve ~ church
Thurs ~ violin lesson for Miss Music Box 
Fri ~ piano, groceries


Here is a picture for thought...

the cupcake I should NOT have eaten this weekend

but it surely did taste delicious!

~ Find more Daybooks at Peggy's ~

Choosing Gratitude #8

Revive Our Hearts calendar ~ July 2010 ~

True gratitude is not an incidental 

                          ingredient.  It is one of the chief ways 

that God infuses joy and resilience into the 

daily struggle of life.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, 

and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. 

Psalm 95:2

Nancy Leigh DeMoss ~ Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy

 

 

 

 

 

Lamb of God, for sinners wounded

Stricken, smitten, and afflicted,

See him dying on the tree!

'Tis the Christ by man rejected;

Yes, my soul, 'tis he, 'tis he.

'Tis the long-expected Prophet,

David's Son, yet David's Lord;

By his Son God now has spoken:

'Tis the true and faithful Word.

Tell me, ye who hear him groaning,

Was there ever grief like his?

Friends thro' fear his cause disowning,

Foes insulting his distress;

Many hands were raised to wound him,

None would interpose to save;

But the deepest stroke that pierced him

Was the stroke that Justice gave.

Ye who think of sin but lightly

Nor suppose the evil great

Here may view its nature rightly,

Here its guilt may estimate.

Mark the Sacrifice appointed,

See who bears the awful load;

'Tis the Word, the Lord's Anointed,

Son of Man and Son of God.

Here we have a firm foundation,

Here the refuge of the lost;

Christ's the Rock of our salvation,

His the name of which we boast.

Lamb of God, for sinners wounded,

Sacrifice to cancel guilt!

None shall ever be confounded

Who on him their hope have built.

~Thomas Kelly, 1804

go to the ant

 

….which surely would gather wood along with food in the harvest?

Well, maybe if she had a house to heat through another long Iowa winter.

The boys wanted me to take some pictures of Robb and his crew since they have all been so helpful and friendly in our quest for firewood.  So here’s our morning:

 

                     

 

   

 

                    

 

   

 

 

 

   

 

We brought a full load home ~

and hired Robb to deliver the rest with his dump trailer!  =)

Life is good!

belated and wordless (almost) daybook

 

It’s Thursday already!

FOR TODAY  

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Outside my window...

I am thinking...

I need to order more garlic.

This is my arsenal for the cold crud I am fighting.

 

I am thankful for...

 

 

the growing wood piles!

 

 

 

I am praying for...

our missionaries. 

Monday night Kate spoke to the church ladies about the ministry in Prague.

 

From the learning rooms...

We were supposed to do school this week??  Riding with Tim in the combine, chasing the footloose steers, hauling six loads of wood, serving two huge meals to the field crew… I’m sure that in between all that I heard and saw some book work going on here.  This all counts, right?!

 

From the kitchen...

   tonight: “Easy Beef & Bean Salsa Burritios”

   Monday was a whirl!

Buns for hot roast beef sandwiches

and pizza crusts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am creating...

a stuffed and sleepy field crew (Tuesday was Tim’s birthday)

Sorry!  No pics of their desserts  ~ my version of Perkins pie and cherry bars with ice cream  ~ or the completed entrees and sides.   I was thankful for  help from all four girls getting those supreme pizzas done so supremely!

 

I am going...

for more wood with the boys first thing tomorrow!

 

I am reading...

Gospel of John and a few blogs mostly ~ not much time this week!

 

I am hoping...

that Tim enjoyed his birthday.

 

I am hearing...

“Dad’s home!”

because the corn fields are E>M>P>T>Y>

 

Around the house...

I’ve even done laundry this week.  Are you impressed?  =)

No? Then here’s some more handiwork from Miss Artist  =)

…and you thought a glass of spilled water was just a mess!

 

One of my favorite things...

 

(or two or three) ~ all from my brother Mark and his sweet wife Cathy.

 

 

 

 

I trust you all are having a grrreat week!

 

~ Find more Daybooks at Peggy's ~

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