It's not surprising that I love to cook. It is not a secret. And I love cooking for others. It's my gift to share with people.
Today I got to share a LOT. For months, I've known that I was cooking the main component of the meal to feed our football team for their weekly Thursday team meal. My son had requested lasagna. So I was prepared to make that, and garlic bread, for the 50 boys and men.
Yesterday my husband was talking with his cousin who was headed to town from Arkansas. After he got off the phone, he asked if we could do a lunch for him and his mother. Of course - no problem! By the time lunch came today, we had my mother-in-, father-in-law, husband's aunt and uncle, as well as the cousin. So I was making lunch for 7.
Up at 5:45, I finished baking the last four baguettes for the football team right away. Then I jumped into prep for lunch. I roasted a chicken, along with mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, apple pie, and peach cobbler. Had just enough time to clean up the kitchen before they arrived. And lunch was wonderful.
As soon as they were gone, around 1:30, I headed back into the kitchen to prep three large pans of lasagna and turn the 8 baguettes into garlic bread. At 5:30 pm I was on my way home with empty roasters and pans.
12 hours of cooking and cleaning and serving, makes for a long, but really wonderful day. I love being able to cook for others, if that makes them happy. Love being able to share. But I'll be happy to put my feet up for the rest of the night!
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Wonderful youth testimonies in Church! A God moment to start the week!~
Church this morning was such a treat. I look forward to it every week - to recharge my soul, reconnect with my church family - but today was SUCH a treat.
After church, I wandered into the fellowship hall to find 6 of our youth waiting with coffee, treats, and a presentation. They each took time to share in front of the rest of the church members there stories from their time at Camp Luther last summer.
They each told us how long they were there, what they liked, what they learned, etc.
Things they liked the most:
Not only was it wonderful to hear these testimonials about their experiences at camp. But it was wonderful to see young children standing up in front of a mixed audience - some peers, some other children, parents, and other adults - doing it. They did a fantastic job speaking. And that is not an easy thing for anyone, let alone young children (ranging from 3rd grade to 8th grade). And then, to speak on your Faith.... Oh, it was so heart warming to watch. What a wonderful group of children. What an amazing way to start the day.
After church, I wandered into the fellowship hall to find 6 of our youth waiting with coffee, treats, and a presentation. They each took time to share in front of the rest of the church members there stories from their time at Camp Luther last summer.
They each told us how long they were there, what they liked, what they learned, etc.
Things they liked the most:
- Making new Christian friends
- Playing games
- Devotions
- That it's ok to pray all the time, not just in church
- That God loves us no matter what
Not only was it wonderful to hear these testimonials about their experiences at camp. But it was wonderful to see young children standing up in front of a mixed audience - some peers, some other children, parents, and other adults - doing it. They did a fantastic job speaking. And that is not an easy thing for anyone, let alone young children (ranging from 3rd grade to 8th grade). And then, to speak on your Faith.... Oh, it was so heart warming to watch. What a wonderful group of children. What an amazing way to start the day.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Our crazy life...still full of Blessings!
We are coming to the end of this crazy week. I taught 3 days, catered 2. The hubby has been having 14 hour days since Tuesday, overnights, coming home only to sleep, shower, eat, and return to work. On top of that add two football games (one 2 hours away), one confirmation class, one Bible study, and one football meal. Yep, it's been that crazy. Today is my last full catering day, my son is off to hang out with friends, then off to a party, and my husband has another long night.
I've been very good about keeping up with the cooking all week, preparing enough for all to have three square meals (including one packed for the hubby). But this morning I opened the fridge and realized we had gone through EVERYTHING. Not a single thing of leftover food in there. And I have to be at the store by 10 for the day's catering.
So I dug out onion, pepper, garlic, and hamburger, and started to whip up a pot of Italian noodles - with white wine, tomatoes... (yes, the house smells amazing). My son got up (shocked to see him this early after the late game last night) and stood in the kitchen chatting, and cooking with me. We talked about the game, about the party today, about the upcoming homecoming... it was absolutely awesome. Just good old-fashioned mom/son time, over the cooking in the kitchen. A true gift, one to ground me today during a crazy, hectic time in life.
So even though he's now off to a friend's house, and my husband is sleeping, leaving just me to sit and ponder over my last cup of coffee before the day, that morning time with stay with me all day, making me so very thankful for the Blessings in my life.
I've been very good about keeping up with the cooking all week, preparing enough for all to have three square meals (including one packed for the hubby). But this morning I opened the fridge and realized we had gone through EVERYTHING. Not a single thing of leftover food in there. And I have to be at the store by 10 for the day's catering.
So I dug out onion, pepper, garlic, and hamburger, and started to whip up a pot of Italian noodles - with white wine, tomatoes... (yes, the house smells amazing). My son got up (shocked to see him this early after the late game last night) and stood in the kitchen chatting, and cooking with me. We talked about the game, about the party today, about the upcoming homecoming... it was absolutely awesome. Just good old-fashioned mom/son time, over the cooking in the kitchen. A true gift, one to ground me today during a crazy, hectic time in life.
So even though he's now off to a friend's house, and my husband is sleeping, leaving just me to sit and ponder over my last cup of coffee before the day, that morning time with stay with me all day, making me so very thankful for the Blessings in my life.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
a challenging schedule ahead!
My hubby is heading into 4 back to back 14 hour days at work. Overnights. So I need to have breakfast prepared when he gets home in the morning, something to eat for dinner around 5 before he heads back in, and something for him to take with him for his "lunch" at work. In addition, I am teaching, so I need lunches to take. And this week I provide bread for the football dinner, and next week the main course (lasagna) AND the bread. To say the least, I realized tonight I needed to do some planning to make sure the fridge was full and I have a plan in place!
My first go-to was my freezer, where I had pulled pork, minestrone, and Salisbury meatballs I could pull to use. Then, I started to play around on Pinterest, specifically on my "food to try" board, but was just not inspired by anything. I'm in a mood of trying to use what I have in my pantry, and most of those recipes have all kinds of crazy ingredients...
So I turned to my next source. I posted to all my facebook peeps - for their favs - for the simple ones - with simple ingredients. And my friends came through! I have written menus for the next two weeks, as well as a grocery list, and planned out each day what needs to be done when. I'm confident that I will not only provide for my family, but have fun trying some new recipes, along with some favorites, all on my budget.
To toast being prepared for the crazy weeks ahead, I made a decaf, non-fat, salted caramel mocha latte. (YUMMO). Cheers to an organizing night!
My first go-to was my freezer, where I had pulled pork, minestrone, and Salisbury meatballs I could pull to use. Then, I started to play around on Pinterest, specifically on my "food to try" board, but was just not inspired by anything. I'm in a mood of trying to use what I have in my pantry, and most of those recipes have all kinds of crazy ingredients...
So I turned to my next source. I posted to all my facebook peeps - for their favs - for the simple ones - with simple ingredients. And my friends came through! I have written menus for the next two weeks, as well as a grocery list, and planned out each day what needs to be done when. I'm confident that I will not only provide for my family, but have fun trying some new recipes, along with some favorites, all on my budget.
To toast being prepared for the crazy weeks ahead, I made a decaf, non-fat, salted caramel mocha latte. (YUMMO). Cheers to an organizing night!
Monday, September 16, 2013
a day in the life....
of a stay-at-home mom
While I am not a full-time SAHM, I only work part time - and today was one of my days home. So I embraced the day!
Woke up early (I choose NOT to allow myself to sleep in. I keep a schedule, getting up around 5:45 am every morning.) to a very cool fall morning - with temperatures in the upper 40s. I opened all the blinds and opened the windows to let the fresh, crisp air in. Oh, to fill your lungs with that beautiful cool fresh air... it's so good.
Made a pot of coffee and sat down to enjoy the morning news. Started a new crocheting project while I had my coffee and checked in with the world. I always cherish my quiet mornings, before my son and/or husband get up to start the day. Today was no different.
The morning was spent catching up from the weekend! By noon I had made breakfast oat bars for the week as well as a loaf of wheat bread. Two loads of laundry are hanging in the cool air outside. The dishes were unloaded, those from my baking washed, and the kitchen picked up.
I also took a walk of the gardens this morning, harvesting some tomatoes, zucchini, and summer squash. I will have to work them into the week's menus!
It is so nice to have a morning to catch up. Hoping to finish up laundry this afternoon and maybe get the floors all done. Before the football game tonight. NOTHING gets in the way of watching my boy play ball.
While I am not a full-time SAHM, I only work part time - and today was one of my days home. So I embraced the day!
Woke up early (I choose NOT to allow myself to sleep in. I keep a schedule, getting up around 5:45 am every morning.) to a very cool fall morning - with temperatures in the upper 40s. I opened all the blinds and opened the windows to let the fresh, crisp air in. Oh, to fill your lungs with that beautiful cool fresh air... it's so good.
Made a pot of coffee and sat down to enjoy the morning news. Started a new crocheting project while I had my coffee and checked in with the world. I always cherish my quiet mornings, before my son and/or husband get up to start the day. Today was no different.
The morning was spent catching up from the weekend! By noon I had made breakfast oat bars for the week as well as a loaf of wheat bread. Two loads of laundry are hanging in the cool air outside. The dishes were unloaded, those from my baking washed, and the kitchen picked up.
I also took a walk of the gardens this morning, harvesting some tomatoes, zucchini, and summer squash. I will have to work them into the week's menus!
It is so nice to have a morning to catch up. Hoping to finish up laundry this afternoon and maybe get the floors all done. Before the football game tonight. NOTHING gets in the way of watching my boy play ball.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
When it's ok to play with your food!
I played with my food today.
but I think it's ok.
because I was playing with veggies - and different ways to serve them to my family!
I've amassed quite a bit of produce this week, as well as a bowl of bluegill fillets from my son's fishing trip yesterday, and some thawed pork chops my dear husband pulled out yesterday (thinking he was helping.)
So today's mission was to design meals that used up as much as possible.
And I chose to accept, and embrace the challenge with gusto!
Lunch - I knew I wanted to fry up the bluegill. Protein - done. I had one small eggplant, and several small zucchini on the counter, so I sliced them up, and made a veggie parmesan with them to accompany the fish. A gift of a bag of pears was waiting to become a pear crisp for dessert. FOUR items on my list used!
On to dinner. The port went in the crock pot early in the day (it IS Packer Sunday!), so that was taken care of. On to veggies. I had a cabbage in the fridge, grabbed a few potatoes - and wedged both, tossed with olive oil and seasonings, and roasted them. A super simple dinner in the books!
So the family got four different veggies today - five if you count the tomatoes in the sauce - and a wonderful day of homemade food. And not a single recipe used, just my instinct, which is a victory for me.
but I think it's ok.
because I was playing with veggies - and different ways to serve them to my family!
I've amassed quite a bit of produce this week, as well as a bowl of bluegill fillets from my son's fishing trip yesterday, and some thawed pork chops my dear husband pulled out yesterday (thinking he was helping.)
So today's mission was to design meals that used up as much as possible.
And I chose to accept, and embrace the challenge with gusto!
Lunch - I knew I wanted to fry up the bluegill. Protein - done. I had one small eggplant, and several small zucchini on the counter, so I sliced them up, and made a veggie parmesan with them to accompany the fish. A gift of a bag of pears was waiting to become a pear crisp for dessert. FOUR items on my list used!
On to dinner. The port went in the crock pot early in the day (it IS Packer Sunday!), so that was taken care of. On to veggies. I had a cabbage in the fridge, grabbed a few potatoes - and wedged both, tossed with olive oil and seasonings, and roasted them. A super simple dinner in the books!
So the family got four different veggies today - five if you count the tomatoes in the sauce - and a wonderful day of homemade food. And not a single recipe used, just my instinct, which is a victory for me.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Living our lives on autopilot....
Something from Sunday's sermon is still on my mind this morning (great job Pastor Schneider!)... He talked about living life, and not living life on autopilot. Not becoming desensitized to our surroundings....
How often do we do that? Keep pushing forward on autopilot, day to day, all of a sudden realizing that weeks, months, even years have gone by? I have applauded myself over these last two years of my "second chapter" of life for NOT doing this. For taking time to enjoy life, the God moments, etc.. But Sunday as I sat and listened to Pastor, I realized that I too am STILL guilty of this.
Summer lasts for most of three months. And it flew by in a flash. I didn't do any of the "relaxing" I had planned on. And I'm so frustrated with myself. I ended up over committing (the peril of people knowing you have the summer "off" from teaching) for MONTHS. This first week of school has been the first time I've been able to really sit back and breathe.
how sad...
While we had a wonderful summer - visiting friends - having company here, etc., I am very frustrated that I've lived the 3 months on autopilot, not stopping each day to give thanks, to realize all that we are Blessed with, to hear the silence that is so important to hear.
Lucky for me, it was only a summer. And Pastor's message has hit me in the core. I need to remember to thank him for that next week, let him know how much it meant to me.
So here's to getting back on track - to learning to say no - to taking time to hear God's plan for us. I'm taking back the controls - no more autopilot for this chick!
How often do we do that? Keep pushing forward on autopilot, day to day, all of a sudden realizing that weeks, months, even years have gone by? I have applauded myself over these last two years of my "second chapter" of life for NOT doing this. For taking time to enjoy life, the God moments, etc.. But Sunday as I sat and listened to Pastor, I realized that I too am STILL guilty of this.
Summer lasts for most of three months. And it flew by in a flash. I didn't do any of the "relaxing" I had planned on. And I'm so frustrated with myself. I ended up over committing (the peril of people knowing you have the summer "off" from teaching) for MONTHS. This first week of school has been the first time I've been able to really sit back and breathe.
how sad...
While we had a wonderful summer - visiting friends - having company here, etc., I am very frustrated that I've lived the 3 months on autopilot, not stopping each day to give thanks, to realize all that we are Blessed with, to hear the silence that is so important to hear.
Lucky for me, it was only a summer. And Pastor's message has hit me in the core. I need to remember to thank him for that next week, let him know how much it meant to me.
So here's to getting back on track - to learning to say no - to taking time to hear God's plan for us. I'm taking back the controls - no more autopilot for this chick!
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