broccoli casserole

My mother-in-law gave me a Paula Deen cookbook a few years ago for Christmas. The past couple of weeks I've been looking through it and trying out a few of the yummy recipes in it. One of my favorites so far has to be the broccoli casserole, so I thought I'd share it with all of you. Since I didn't have all the ingredients the recipe asked for, I had to tweek the recipe just a bit. So this is the "tweeked" version, but still just as yummy!

Ingredients:
Bunch of broccoli, chopped
1/2 can of cream of chicken soup
1/4 onion, diced
1/2 stick butter
4-5 crushed Club crackers
1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
French's friend onions

Pre-heat oven to 350. Chop the broccoli and steam it for 5 minutes or until tender. In the meantime, saute the onion in the butter. In a small casserole dish, combine the broccoli, sauteed onions, cream of chicken soup, cheddar cheese, and crushed crackers. Mix well. Top with the French's friend onions. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

lower lights burning

ratatouille (not the movie!)

This recipe is one I recently discovered while looking for some healthy alternatives to what I normally eat. It's full of yummy veggies, is low-cal, and low-fat. I've also tweeked the recipe just a bit and turned it into a more Indian-style dish rather than the Mediterranean/French cuisine it is supposed to be. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 eggplant, peeled & cubed
1 zucchini, halved length-wise & sliced
1 container of sliced mushrooms
1 can of diced tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger

In a large skillet, saute the onion & garlic in olive oil on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, and spices. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer covered for 10 minutes, or until veggies are soft. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes until most of the liquid is evaporated. Serve with rice.

a couple of my favorite super bowl 44 commercials

seasons

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven" Ecclesiastes 3:1

As a winter storm is fast approaching central Ohio, most Ohioans are anticipating spring's arrival. Not me. I love winter. Actually, I don't love winter as much as I love SNOW! There's something about snow that simply makes my heart happy. Maybe it's the way it sparkles like diamonds under the night sky. Or maybe it's because it is so white, so pure. Or maybe it's because of all the great memories I have of building snow forts with my brothers as a kid. Either way, snow is wonderful, and I hope that we get a ton of it tomorrow!

Even as I think about all the snow that we may get tomorrow, I can't help but think that spring is right around the corner. Not long after spring arrives, summer will follow, then fall. Before you know it, winter will be here all over again. Seasons.

Not only do we experience seasonal weather patterns, we also experience seasons of life. We experience seasons in our careers, families, friendships, etc. For me, I am going through of season of change in my friendships. To be honest, for the last several years I haven't had any close friendships. I have two best friends, but I don't talk to them on a regular basis. I haven't actually hung out with either of them in years. And to be honest, I've been lonely and longing for true friendships these past couple of years. But that is slowly changing. It's been hard, but I am putting myself out there and risking rejection in order to make new friends. There is a group of girls that I am developing friendships with, and I truly believe God has placed them in my life at just the right time!

What season of life are you experiencing right now? How are you responding to that season?

when it rains, it pours

Most of you have probably heard the saying, "when it rains, it pours." This saying pretty much sums up my life this week. First, my mom falls resulting in several broken ribs and a fractured knee. Second, my husband, Josh, gets sick and spends most of the night and morning in the bathroom. It's only Wednesday, and I can either anticipate something else bad happening or hope that it is going to get better.

Either way, I have a choice as to how I'm going to respond to the events in my life. Today, I choose to hope that things will get better by the end of the week. I also choose to praise God despite my circumstances. In all circumstances, I want to respond with praise. Just as Mercy Me sings:

"Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings
You glory And I know there'll
be days When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to
praise You Jesus, bring the rain"

How is your life going today? What has your response been to your circumstances?