Monday, January 26, 2009

Hearty Chicken and Noodle Casserole


I just made this yummy casserole for a friend of mine and her hubby. She is going in for a procedure this morning and I don't expect she will be up to cooking tonight.

You can find the recipe here, though I left out the Parmesan cheese because I didn't have any and I used rotini noodles instead of egg noodles, I also used old white cheddar so you can't really see that melted on the top in the picture. It was really quick and easy and tastes so good! It's an easy recipe to make for someone who could use a meal brought to them whether they are ill, having a rough day or just had a new baby. It was made even easier for me since I had the chicken cooked, cubed and portioned in the freezer already.

Now I had best get on to the rest of my chores for today!

Happy Monday!
Blessings,
Liisa

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Pioneering Biblical Femininity in a Post Christian Culture

I just had to post a link to this incredible post by Mrs. June Fuentes at A Wise Woman Builds Her Home. Very well said.

Blessings,
Liisa

Friday, January 23, 2009

Today's Craft for the Littles


Today I have five little monkeys and we will be making a spiral snake craft . It is so cute! I am just loving the Enchanted Learning website. There are so many really neat crafts for children of all ages.

To tie in with the snake theme we will be looking at some snakes online here and reading some stories with snakes to tie into the theme for today. I checked these books out of the library....
Slithery Jake by Rose Marie Provencher Illustrated by Abby Carter. Very cute story, fun to read with wonderful pictures.
Sid's Surprise by Candace Carter Illustrated by Joung Un Kim. This is a story for beginning readers, a cute story with a neat page of questions after each section.
and
The Skipping Rope Snake by Carol Ann Duffy and Lydia Monks. A very silly story, very colorful.

Happy Friday!
Blessings,
Liisa

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Fried Rice Croquets Turned Rice Cakes


Well my attempt at making Fried Rice Croquets did not turn out as I had hoped. Bethany's looked so very yummy....mine? Not so much. I could not get the rice mixture to hold together at all. Not at all! I added more liquid...nope....I added another egg....nope. I just kept looking at the mess I was making thinking about how I would hate to waste all that food when I thought about Laine. What would Laine do? She would revamp it, call it by another name and pretend it was supposed to turn out that way all along.

Soooo.....

The rice cake was born. I dumped the seasoned bread crumbs into the rice mixture and it at last became sticky and held together. I formed it into little patties and fried them. My guys loved them so much they even ate them cold! ~smile~

Sometimes even a complete disaster can become something wonderful. Isn't that how it is with God as well. Even someone who feels they are a complete disaster and beyond saving can become something wonderful when they accept salvation. Thank you Lord for seeing the possibilities in even me and not tossing me away as beyond hope.

Happy Thursday!

Blessings,
Liisa

Picture from www.allposters.com

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Right Now


Right now I am cooking macaroni and cheese for the monkeys lunch which I then just have to reheat when we get home from playgroup. I am also cooking some rice to make these for dinner tonight. To go with it I am making stromboli. Right now I am cooking the filling which will be ground beef, onions, green peppers (still from our freezer) and garlic. Before baking I will sprinkle on some of the chipotle that my hubby made. I already grated the cheddar and have set it aside in the fridge until I assemble it this afternoon. For the dough I will be making this Pizza dough in the bread machine....

Pizza Dough
(makes 2 - 12" pizza crusts)

1 cup water
2 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. oil
3 cups flour
3 tsp. wheat gluten
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. yeast

Put in order in bread machine.
Select dough cycle.

I can't remember where I found this recipe so if it is yours please let me know so I can give you credit for it.

Yesterday I found a bag full of Polly Pocket toys, a large house with furniture, playground equipment, lots of little dolls, a horse and carriage and a mermaid play set with castle for $1.99 at the second hand store so I picked it up for the "big girls" One of them has been playing with it all morning!

Right now though she is "reading" some train books to the littles. So cute! I love, love, love our library! I can go online and select the books I would like from all of the branches in our county and they call me when they are there. It is a great source for movies as well and so very easy.

I have a white bread going in the bread machine right now, it is a rapid cycle one that is very good and I love that it is ready in half the time it normally takes.
You can find the recipe here.

Well I think the rice is done so I better finish that up. I still need to grate the dry bread for the bread crumbs I will be needing. Then it is off to playgroup!

Happy Wednesday!
Blessings,
Liisa

Monday, January 19, 2009

Busy Day!


Today I have had five little monkeys here and they have been playing really well together which is so nice, especially since I wanted to get so much done today. For craft today we made these cute frog puppets which they just loved especially when we sang the five little speckled frogs and they acted it out with their puppets.

I made tortillas again today because my hubby and son wanted Tortilla Roll ups for a snack tonight to use up a package of cream cheese we had. To make the roll ups I just softened the cream cheese then blended in about 2 tbsp. of mayonnaise, some shredded cheddar and enough salsa to make it a good consistency then spread it on tortillas rolled them up. Then I wrapped them in plastic wrap and popped them in the fridge - they need to sit in there for at least 2 hours. I have enough salsa left over to serve with the roll ups for dipping. That is the last of the salsa I made this summer. Normally we would have salsa into the late spring early summer but our tomato crop did not do well so I am looking forward to this summer and hopefully a better tomato harvest.

Since I had made tortillas I made bologna cheese whiz rolls for the littles for lunch. They LOVED them. I have learned even the ones who are super picky, will eat almost anything if I roll it up in a tortilla! ~smile~

I just finished making a blueberry pie - hubby's favorite. You can find the recipe I use here.

For dinner tonight I am making Sausage and Potato Casserole this is one of our family's favorite meals. I found the recipe years ago in a Country Woman magazine I believe. Here it is in case you would like to make it - very yummy!

Sausage Potato Casserole

1 lb. bulk sausage (I use normal sausage, I just cook it like normally would then when it is cool I cut it into slices.)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 cups sliced potatoes ( I have always had trouble getting the potatoes to cook soft in the casserole so I pre cook them either by boiling them whole or microwaving them then I peel and slice them when they have cooled.)
2 cups shredded cheese

Brown sausage, drain and set aside.
Combine soup, milk, onion, salt and pepper
In a greased 2 qt. casserole dish layer 1/2 of the potatoes, 1/2 the soup mixture and 1/2 the sausage. Repeat ending with sausage.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until potatoes are done.
Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven until cheese melts.

Note - I double the recipe and use a 9x13" pan. There are rarely leftovers!

Things have been quite stressful for my hubby lately since he just found out last week that his plant will be closing in the spring so I have been doing what I can to ease his stress - making sure things are running smoothly at home, making his favorite foods etc. I have also been trying harder to save money. I have been employing the old depression adage of use it up, wear it out, make do or do with out. I have repaired a skirt that I love by folding up and sewing a frayed hem and patching a tear in the back at the top of the slit and adding buttons to make the patch look like a buttoned on strap....kind of hard to explain but it ended up looking quite cute. I did not want to have to pay for a new skirt and hadn't been able to find one second hand so I made due however today I was blessed to find a long denim skirt in my size in like new condition at the second hand store for only $2.99. I was just thrilled! God is good and I have often found if I just wait I will be able to get what we need for a very good price.

We are not worried about the plant closing as we fully trust in the Lord and know that He will provide for our needs as we seek Him first. He is good!

Happy Monday!
Blessings,
Liisa

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Chewy Granola Bars

This morning I made another of our favorite recipes from Laines Letters - Chewy Granola Bars. They are so easy and so yummy! Here is a link to the recipe.

You can add whatever extras you like....this morning I added in some chopped dates and flax seeds.


You just mix all the ingredients together, spread into a pan and bake.


When they are done you cut them while they are warm. when they are cooled completely I remove them from the pan and wrap them individually in plastic wrap. They are even better than store bought granola bars and just as easy to pop in a lunch or take along for a snack.



Blessings,
Liisa