Monday

Well its Monday and of course the routine has already started!

Chandler is sick with coughing and a small fever, chuck has either food poisning or a stomach virus and me? I am suffering from not enough coffee.

This morning as we start out our day lets take a moment to say thanks for God for the ability to wake up this morning and get up out of bed.

I hope your Monday morning is filled with blessings and wonderfulness! I know that sounds corney, but if you start out with a positive though...your outlook will be positive!

2011 Greetings

Coupons- Grocery Game, ETC

Ok so this year we need to be more frugal, I know I know everyone says that at the start of every year and your right we all do but I decided to give the grocery game, coupon game or what ever they call it a try. I mean why not?

CVS has Palmolive Dish Soap for 0.88 each, with a coupon that saves me 0.75 it only cost me 0.13. I also have a coupon that saves me 2.00 on two! So I get those for free.

I told my hubby we may not save at the first and it may take a while, but I am going to stock up on stuff I can get for free or next to nothing and eventually it will pay out. I mean....why not??

I will let ya know how this goes

Heifer

Resolutions

Why do we the start of every year make promises we can never really keep? Why do we drink champane with friends, kiss our loved ones at midnight and eat ham, cabbage and black eyed peas? Because we as humans believe that these things will bring us good luck and fortune in the new year, but do they? I did all of those things last year and this past year was one that not only suprised me but at times made me question my self. I cried, wept, lossed and even rejoyced this year.

2011 is still brand new, full of promise and adventure. While some of use are suffering a hangover others are working on their resolutions. I made no resolutions...well I take that back...I told my self I would enjoy the "new me" this year and not look back. No regrets, regrets they just lead to heartache and the "what if's" if we think about them hard enough. I told my self this year I am going to do for my family, be more frugal and do the things I want to do for a change. Dont get me wrong I am plently selfish, I read all the time,Facebook buy the purses and things I love but honestly I am going to take more time for me. I am not going to take so much on this year, I am going to try and let go and let God.

So enjoy your new year rituals this year...I know I am...I hope 2011 brings you everything you hope it will and then some.

With Love

Heifer

A time for Reflecting

While thinking about Christmas and awaiting its arrival it made me realize how close we are to the end of 2010. Another year gone and another year older right? While that maybe true i have to say that durring this year we have gained an emotional bond with each other that is stronger than anything else, we have suffered through storms with faith and came though the other side stronger than we thought we were. We have wept for hurt feelings, times lost and awful words from unknowing strangers. Most importantly durring the bad times, we stuck together and stood strong. We have/had faith that God will pull us though and if we keep looking to him he will show us the path that we must take.

Having a friend write our "reflection" letter that was sent out to friends and family we havent seen or herd from in a while it made us realize all we have been though this year, espically when you have a 3rd party writting your lives!

Below is our newest family photo and we hope that this holiday season brings you and your family as much love, joy and happiness possible. Wishing you and years a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year

Love,
The Gifts

30 Days of Gratitude...Follow Up

Spending the last 30 days being grateful for something every day gave me lots to think about. I didnt want to repeat a "Thankful For" post because I have so much to be grateful for and wanted to make sure I listed them all, I found my self thinking about it everyday and then somedays trying to find something to write about. On those days I had so much to be thankful for, just a bad day where I wanted to scream and yell and cuss.

Now that the days are over, I found my self asking "Why does it have to end?" Just because November will offically come to a close in 2.5 hours doesnt mean I cant do something for the month of December. Hummmm Something to think about! Maybe...I can do the 25 days of Christmas, each day something I love about this time of year and it cant include presents.

We will see....

Pork Chop...Yummm

A wonderful new way to make pork chops


Boneless Pork Chops (cheap ones will work fine)
8oz Tomato Sauce
3/4 Instant Rice -Uncooked
1 pkg Taco Seasoning
1 1/2 Cups of Water
9x13 Pan
Foil
Skillet
Salt & Pepper or your seasoning
Sherredded Cheese


Take your Skillet and brown each side of the pork chops, season each side BEFORE browning. Once Done Set Aside

Turn on Oven to 350

Now in a 9x13 pan mix your rice, water, seasoning and tomato sauce.

Once throughly mixed, place pork chops into mixture. Some may sink and others may stay on top. Cover with foil and place in oven for 30-45 mins.

Once they are done, turn oven off and take off top foil. Sprinkle with Cheese and put back in cooling oven to to melt the cheese.

Then Enjoy!!

It is simply wonderful and should be served with mexican beans and a tossed salad.

Catlina Chicken -Crock Pot Recipe

4-5 Boneless Skinles Chicken breast
(depending on how much your crock pot will hold)
1 Bottle Fat Free Catlina Dressing
1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
1/2 Cup Chopped Green bell pepper
1 Can diced tomatos, drained

Place chicken in crock pot, cook on low for 4-6 hours

Enjoy!

Meme's Famous CornBread Dressing

My Meme gave me a cook book she made when I got married, its chopped full of old family recipes, ones she made, my dads fav and of course mine. I treasure this more than the most expensive thing in my home. It was made for me, with love with generations of womens traditons written on those pages. Its living history if you ask me. I love and adore each and every one of them and I feel the love and history when i make one. One in particular is Meme's Cornbread Dressing...a simple fav of mine I use to call her "Famous Dressing" at the end of the recipe she wrote
"Carolyn you said I was famous for my dressing - prehaps I was only famous to you, for you loved my dressing"

My meme has Alztimhers now and yes can still remember me, but to her I am a little girl, who always asked for tea cakes and dressing. Thanksgiving hasnt been the same in many years because she isnt there making the dressing. Sure the dressing is still there, by recipe, but not by her.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did

3 cups CornBread Crumbs, make cornbread per box instructions and then crumble up
3 cups Biscuit Crumbs - same as above
5 teaspoons of Sage
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
2 cans cream of chicken soup
Chicken or Turkey broth

Combine all ingridients using enough broth to make a moist dressing, sorry no exact measurement listed.
Pour into casserole dish and bake at 400 until tick and browned on the sides.

Ribollita Soup & Garlic Sourdough Crutons

Ribollita is Italian for "Remade"
The soup was usually made a day after a big family feast with all the left overs, and on the second day the soup was reheated and additional things were added to make it a meal. Below is the best version I could find that didnt have to be made after a large meal, its yummo, filling and most importantly its one of my hubbys fav dishes. So grab your large stock pot, wooden spoon and prepare to make the best "Stoup" you have ever had.

Incase your wondering "Stoup" is a word I made up for something that was thicker than soup but thinner than stew / chili.

4 Can Northern / Cannellni Beans
1pkg Panchetta or Smoke Bacon cut into little pieces
1pgk of Eckerde Sausage (I use the turkey) cut into small child bite size pieces
1 Cup chopped Onion
1 cup Chopped Celery
3 tbs Minced Garlic / Fresh or Jar is fine
28oz Can of diced tomatos - I use two Cans
4c Chopped Cabbage
6c Chicken Stock
1pkg Frozen Carrots
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Celery Salt
Basil Leaf

In a large stock pot put 2tbs olive oil, panchetta / bacon, onions. Cook on high for 7-10 mins, until panchetta is done and onions are clear. Add Carrots, celery, garlic and seasoning, generally 1tsp of each. Cook over medium until veggies are tender
Once veggies are tender add tomatos, cabbage for 7-10 mins, then add 6 cups of stock for 15 mins let simmer, stiring occassionally. Then add beans with the juice

Let simmer with lid on for 20-30 mins, additional seasoning may be needed.

Garlic Sourdough Crutons

1large boule of Sourdough bread
2tsp oil oil
Garlic Salt

Cut sourdough into small crutons pieces, place in a freezer size ziplock baggie, add oil and salt. Shake bag to coat all pieces (this step maybe done several times to insure all pieces get same mixture), then place on baking sheet put in oven at 350 until hard and crispy.

When soup is served into bowls besure to put small amounts of crutons on soup. The purpose of the crutons is to add flavor, and if the person desires more salt to the soup they simply add more crutons.

Enjoy