Cooking Thursday #4

I've been doing the Slow Cooking Thursday for so long now, years actually, and it's had a good run but I've noticed lately that everyone seems to be running out of crockpot recipes to share and I don't want to completely do away with the feature, so I thought it time to change it up a bit.

Cooking Thursday will now replace our weekly crockpot feature to include not only those recipes but also any kind you may wish to share......breakfast, main dishes, desserts etc.

So won't you join me and share with us one of your new recipes, or an old family favorite, you can even throw in a recipe for homemade soaps or detergents (just remember to specify).

For the guidelines, you can go here.

CHICKEN POULET

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2 C Mayo
1/4 C Green Onions
2 Cups Chicken Broth
1 stick margarine
1 cup water
16 ounce pkg Peppridge Farm corn bread stuffing mix
1 cup milk
4 eggs
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Sprinkling of salt
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese


Butter casserole dish. Make chicken mixture in one bowl and set aside.

Melt water and butter together in the microwave. In a large bowl, add stuffing mix, butter and water mixture, chicken broth and 2 eggs. Stir until well combined.

Add half of the stuffing mix to the bottom of the casserole dish....layer with chicken mixture and then top with the remaining stuffing.

Beat 2 remaining eggs and add milk. Pour over casserole (do not pack or smooth down, leave loose). Let chill in refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.

Before baking, pour cream of mushroom soup over top and bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Take out and sprinkle cheese over top of casserole. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

A love to last forever by Tracie Peterson

All Beth Gallatin has really wanted out of life is to settle down in one town, with one man, and raise a family. But with her father's roaming ways, she's always been denied that dream; instead, she found solace in reading romantic books. With her father's passing, she can, for the first time, dare to claim the rugged Montana frontier as her home. Nick Lassiter has loved Beth since she first came to town, but she's always seemed to think of him more as a brother. Just when he finally gets Beth to consider him, however, a challenger threatens the affection growing between them. But neither Nick nor Beth is prepared when they must face the consequences of Nick's complicated past. As a past fraught with unwise choices and guilt invades their world, can Nick and Beth find a love that will last forever?

If I'm looking for a good book to sit down with, this is it. Little did I know that my very first Tracie Peterson book would result in an immediate love for the writer.......I can safely say that she's quickly climbed to the top of my list for favorite authors.

One of my favorite book genres are historicals and Christian fiction and this one brings both of those together.

The main character is Beth and from the get go she had me smiling, she's a huge book lover, dime novels to be exact. She's also a dreamer and a hopeless romantic, dreaming of the day Prince Charming will come into her life and sweep her off her feet.

Along the way we will watch as Beth comes to realize she's in love with Nick Lassiter while having to discourage the advances of Adrian Murphy.

Set in 1870's, the book is full of exciting characters, I really could not put it down and even though I read it out of order this being #2 of the Brides of Gallatin County, Ms Peterson writes in a way that you don't get lost or wonder who is who and what is what.

I can not wait to get my hands on book #1 - A Promise to Believe in and #3 - A dream to call my own of this series. Have you read any Tracie Peterson books, can you suggest any that you think I would enjoy?

What's Cooking?

Why don't you go on over to my Food Blog and take a look at some of the things we've been munching down on and drinking over the past few days.

There will be more recipes up tonight but for now:

CHAI TEA CONCENTRATE - Let me tell you, it's SO good and much cheaper than having to get a Chai Tea at Starbucks.

FUDGE BROWNIES - My first run with the KitchenAid Mixer....oh we're going to be really good friends I can already tell.

ROAST BEEF & MOZZARELLA SANDWICHES - Quick, easy and just what the kids and hubby like, a good ol' meat sandwich with cheese. YUM!

Happy Homemaker Monday!

<a href="http://familycorner.blogspot.com" title="hhm by jasnicmommy, on Flickr"><img width="150" alt="hhm" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3362/3608789834_4d1bac04e0.jpg" height="150" /></a>

The weather in my neck of the woods:
Raining, raining and more raining. It's the reason this post is so late getting up, because there's no school or work and with the sound of the rain I completely overslept. Feels good though :)


One of my simple pleasures:
Listening to the rain, I could stand near my bedroom window and watch and listen to the pitter patter all day long.


On my bedside table:
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
Kleenex


On my TV:
Stargate SG1 Season 10
Stargate Atlantis


On the menu for tonight:
Chicken Poulet (recipe will be up on food blog tonight)


On my To Do List:
Laundry
Sweep and Mop floors
Dust
Ironing
Baking with my KitchenAid *snicker*


New Recipe I tried last week:
Bama Sandwiches (will have the recipe up this morning)

In the craft basket:
Granny Square blanket - It's been in there forever, I need to get back to it.


Looking forward to:
Watching some movies this afternoon, after all the housework is done, I want to get on the couch with a big thick blanket, a cup of hot chocolate and a good movie.


Homemaking Tip for this week:
I know most of us ladies have pierced ears, but how many of you sometimes go long periods of time without wearing any earrings only to find that when you do want to put some on, it's a bit of a pain to get the earring through?
I have this problem especially with Jasmine and I hate hurting her, so I started using a little dab of antibiotic ointment on the tip and they slide right through while also keeping it nice and clean and disinfected.


Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
"She deserves some TLC" from Sandra at Sister Faith. Such a good post :)


Favorite photo from last week:

My new baby

Lesson learned the past few days:
That sometimes it's ok to have your kids miss one day of school even if they're not sick. Why? Because Friday we all needed that extra time together, that bonding, that TLC and it's exactly what we got. I used to get so upset when the kids missed a day of school even if they were sick, I just didn't like doing that but I quickly realized that I'm the mom and I know better than anyone if a day at home whether due to sickness OR not, is what is best for them.


On my Prayer List:
Family and Friends


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
1 Corinthians 12:12-13

The Best Husband in the World!

Oh I know some of you are reading this and going "whatever, MINE is the best in the world", but, I think mine is. Hahah

I have one of the most unselfish, thoughtful husbands there could ever be and it makes me smile and thank the Lord every day for him.

Since we've been married, going on 12 years this year, there are a few things that I've always wanted but due to circumstances or financial obstacles, I just couldn't get, and it was fine I mean having children has immediately shifted my priorities and made everything about them and their happiness and well being.

I very rarely, if ever, go to a store and buy something for me and when I do I get that guilty feeling, like "did I really need that? I'm sure I could have used that money for something for the house".

My husband has always been behind me saying "Buy it, spoil yourself, you deserve it" but I just never did.

Anyway, one of the things I've always wanted seeing that I spend most of my time in the kitchen, was a KitchenAid Stand Mixer. That was like my dream.

You know how some guys dream of that shiny sports car with all the bells and whistles? Well this was my dream sports car.

Imagine my surprise yesterday when my husband bought me one? I about died, you could have sworn someone handed me a check for a million dollars, I was THAT happy. Then the silly man apologizes because he bought me a white one instead of a red one to match my kitchen, saying he looked through every single one he could find and there were no red. Are you kidding me? It could have been a purple with yellow polka dots and I wouldn't have minded either.

Isn't she beautiful? There she sits waiting patiently for me to plug her in and take her for a ride, which I plan on doing this afternoon. What to make, What to make? I'm actually a little nervous, how funny is that?

Oh I know a lot of you already have one and are probably laughing at me right now. LOL

But if that little gem in itself wasn't enough, he bought me KitchenAid utensils and all kinds of gadgets, the man knows what I love and he loves me which in turn just makes me love him even more. It's a big ol' circle of love which I'm so happy to be a part of. *snicker*

Wanna laugh a little more?

See that big ladle? Well since we moved here from Idaho which his going on 3 years in July, I lost my ladle and it was one of those "I'll buy a new one next week, I'll buy a new one next week" kinda thing. Well here we are a gazillion weeks later (don't ask me to do the math, I still count on my fingers and toes and that would take f.o.r.e.v.e.r) and I still didn't have one.

So guess what he got me? A ladle. LOL

Now maybe another woman would take the said ladle and whack him upside the head and ask what kind of a gift that is, but again, I grabbed it and screamed "AHHHH a ladle, I love you honey". I think at this point he was just staring at me, shaking his head and laughing.

But that's not all, because by now I was literally feeling like I hit the jackpot in kitchen items AND husband wise.

Little did I know that I was about to get 2 more things that I've been wanting forever.

Back in Idaho, the base we were stationed at had yard sales every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here NOTHING.

They recently started having one, at one of the parking lots near the Commissary, the first Saturday of every month. Kinda lame, but whatever LOL

So we went to get groceries and decided to just walk across to the Yard Sale and I came face to face with two items I've been coveting for a while.

I've been wanting white and blue dishes but can never seem to find them. I found these two for a dollar, I mean....ONE DOLLAR!

I think I may have snatched them out of the seller's hand and muttered something along the lines of "MINE". I don't know, the details are kinda hazy LOL

But I love them, they are so beautiful and they only make me want more, oh and if you know of a place I can get some please let me know.

I was walking back to the truck with these safely tucked under my arm and then suddenly BAM, I see a lady starting to pack her stuff away and in her hand she had something else that I have really really wanted for a while but couldn't bring myself to buy because they do tend to be a little expensive.

Apothecary Jars. Oh yeah, I said APOTHECARY JARS, big, tall, fat, beautiful jars, for $10 for a set of 3. When I say big, believe me, you could fit a puppy in there or a newborn baby, they are THAT big.

Oh the possibilities with these. Throughout the year I'm going to fill them with items according to the holidays. I'm thinking hearts and candy for Valentine's day, all sorts of eggs for Easter....yeah, this will be fun.

I wish I could stay and chat but my KitchenAid is glaring from the counter and raring to go, so I'll go and make it happy just like it made me, I'll let you know later what I made.