A Hopeful Hodgepodge

Hodgepodge Fun!

1. When you think about your future what do you fear most?

Being alone and not able to take care of myself.
Hope for the most?
That Jesus will return soon. And, if He doesn't come in my lifetime, that our kids will be able to live quiet and peaceable lives and enjoy life!

2. September is National Chicken Month. How often is chicken on the menu at your house?
Maybe once a week.

What's a favorite dish made with chicken?
Chicken Pot Pie. (Recipe below.)

What's something you're a 'chicken' about doing or trying?

Scuba diving! I always passed on this one even though I did take the brief course. My fear was that I would panic under the water if I saw anything scary. "So you guys have fun. I'll just wait here on the beach!"

Jason

Sara

DH

Also probably chicken to do some of the things I used to do like riding a motorcycle, snow or water-skiing or roller skating. At this stage of life, I really don't want to risk breaking any bones. And I won't be getting into any more helicopters ... hopefully. (Truth be told, I always was a little chicken on the motorcycle riding thing!!)

The day I rode this snowmobile I was following the guide on the trail. He had a big dog named Blue that ran behind us trying to catch up. As he came up on my right, he surprised me by jumping up on my snowmobile right in front of me to go along for the ride! My girlfriend was so distracted by this, she overturned her snowmobile because she was laughing so hard!

3. What are three things you don't own but wish you did?

• A dog
• A smart TV
• A smaller one-story house

4. Would you rather be a jack of all trades or a master of one?
Being a jack of all trades right now would be a good thing.
Elaborate.
There are lots of small jobs around the house that I could be doing.
If you answered one, which one? But seriously, if I could master one thing, it would be the piano.

5. Ketchup or mustard? On what?

Mustard, on a burger or corn dog.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Kate and Jack were here this weekend. 

Kate loves the dollhouses and now we have four.

Jack wearing his dad's wrestling medals.

We played Bingo, Candy Land and

drop the clothespin in the bottle.

Remember that?

Jack thought it was pretty fun.

Prizes were $1, hugs or ice cream.

(They got all of it, of course.)

It's been so wonderful to see the way everybody has pulled together to help Hurricane Harvey survivors and to be able to help in so many different ways. 

Chicken Pot Pie
notes at the end of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe homemade pie crust (step-by-step photos included)¹
• 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast, cubed
• 1 cup sliced carrots (about 2 carrots)
• 1/2 cup sliced celery (about 1 stalk)
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 and 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 2/3 cup half-and-half²
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 large egg, beaten
• sprigs of fresh thyme for garnish, optional

Directions:

1. Prepare the pie crust as directed in my recipe, including chilling for at least 2 hours. I usually make the crust the night before. The pie crust recipe makes 2 crusts and you'll be using both crusts.
2. In a large saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 12 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.
3. In a large skillet, cook the butter, onions, and garlic over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until the onions are translucent and the butter is lightly browning. Whisk in the flour, salt, black pepper, thyme, chicken broth, and half-and-half. Cook and whisk until no flour lumps remain, then simmer over medium-low heat until thick. I simmer mine for 10 minutes. You want it to be a very thick gravy; simmer longer if necessary. Taste and add more seasonings if you prefer. Sometimes I add more thyme. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
5. After the pie dough has chilled: On a floured work surface, roll out 1 half of the chilled pie dough. Turn the pie crust dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. With a small and sharp knife, trim the extra overhang of dough and discard. Place the chicken mixture on top. Top with frozen peas. Pour gravy over top. Roll out 2nd half of pie crust dough just as you did the first. Cover the pie with the 2nd crust and trim the extra overhang off the sides. Seal the edges by crimping with a fork or your fingers. With a small and sharp knife, slice a few small slits in the top crust for steam to escape. Using a pastry brush, brush crust and edges with beaten egg.
6. Bake for 32 - 38 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. I use a pie crust shield to protect the edges from browning too much too soon. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Makes amazing leftovers-- the filling is so thick on the next day! Reheat as desired. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Make ahead tip: Filling and gravy can be prepared 1 day in advance, cover and chill in the refrigerator. Assemble, fill, and bake the next day as directed. The pie crust dough can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using. The unbaked OR baked pot pie freezes well for up to 2-3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed or bake to warm through.

Recipe Notes:

1. Two 9-inch frozen (and then thawed) store-bought pie crusts are just fine instead of homemade. Puff pastry works too.
2. Heavy cream or whole milk works instead of half-and-half to make an extra rich filling. I wouldn't use lower fat milks; the gravy will be too thin.

This is a wonderful recipe if you have extra meat or leftover veggies to use up. Turkey works wonderfully instead of chicken. You can use precooked meat. Simply skip the boiling and cook the carrots and celery with the onion and butter. Add some corn (frozen or fresh) when you add the peas. Feel free to add 1-2 Yukon gold potatoes, diced. You can cook them until soft with the onion and butter. Mushrooms are great too; you can add 1 cup sliced mushrooms when you cook the onion and butter. I wouldn't add ALL of these veggies though; you will weigh down the pie.
Feel free to add fresh chopped parsley, a pinch of celery seed, or even a little rosemary. As long as there is salt and pepper (definitely thyme too), the extra seasoning in the pot pie is up to you. Taste and season how you like.

Liz Flies!

I have written several times about my admiration for two of my close friends, Victoria, and her daughter, Liz. The story and testimony of Liz is truly amazing and continues to be more so with every achievement she makes in her journey since suffering a stroke at the age of 22 eleven years ago. She has gone through so many stages and as she has progressed, she has done things that I would probably have given up on long before. At the time of her stroke, she was very overweight, but as she went through her rehabilitation, she saw the effect her weight was having on those who helped her ... especially her parents. So she went on a weight loss plan and through her self-discipline lost weight with no exercise at all since she was unable to move in any way.

She has matured in her Christian walk by leaps and bounds. Not being able to move on her own or speak has not stopped her from listening and learning from what God has to say through His Word or the pastors and teachers at church. She is perfectly able to communicate with the Lord because He knows her every thought and desire.

Speaking of desires, it has been her desire to walk someday and this past year her mother and her discovered a physical trainer who works with people who have special needs. She has been working faithfully all year and now is able to lift not only her legs, but her legs with 15 pounds on them. She is truly working out and though it hurts, you know what they say! No pain, no gain! She is gaining strength and has more courage than anyone I know (that is, excepting her Mama!)

Recently, Liz had an adventure at a place here in town called iFly. It is a simulated skydiving experience and one we gave as Christmas gifts to our grandsons a couple of years ago. Well, I guess she had so much fun at iFly, she made the decision to actually sky-dive from a plane at 14,000 feet!! Say what?? Are you crazy, Liz? She. Absolutely. Loved. It!

I truly believe one day Liz will get out of that special chair and walk!

Just so you can see the difference ...

from a few years ago with her Mama

More recently on our annual outing to the Arboretum

And now! More exciting things than a walk around the park!

Strapped in and ready to go! 

Look at that beautiful smile!

She is strapped to this gentleman.

The video of this took my breath away!

Liz, you are truly one of my heroes for what I

think is called intestinal fortitude, or better than that ...

YOUR FAITH!

Her testimony is tattooed on her wrist.

"This is my comfort in my affliction,
For Your word has given me life."

And I bet she would be the first to tell you that her mother is the wind beneath her wings!

Minnie's Boots on the Ground Project

On Friday, I received an email asking for help in reaching the goal of packing 1,000 grocery bags for Hurricane Harvey recipients! On Saturday morning, I headed over to Minnie's Food Pantry to be a part of reaching this goal. Minnie's is a local non-profit organization whose goal is for a hunger free community. Minnie's stems from a personal experience of a family being in need and wanting to share with those who face the same circumstances. I love volunteering here because of the passion in what they do, their love for people, and the teamwork ethic that exists in this place.

This lady is the daughter of Minnie, the

founder of the food pantry.

This lady has a passion and enthusiasm 

with energy to match!

Race, religion, divisions don't exist here!

The motto here is "If you can't feed 100, feed just one!"

One truck loaded and ready to go!

Loved this day! Giving is what life is about

and where life rewards can be found!

I like the way the Message puts it:

"Give away your life; you’ll find life given back,

but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing.

Giving, not getting, is the way.

Generosity begets generosity.”

Luke 6:38

Later on Saturday, I met my dear friend and sister-in-love, RuthAnn, for the annual event Rejuvenate led by our Pastor's wife, Ms. Geni Brooks and her daughter, Kayci. We didn't take any pictures last night, but the memories will remain of the time spent together in the presence of God with about 300 other ladies as we sang, prayed, talk about gratitude and all the ways to express it was truly refreshing. RuthAnn has already committed to returning for Rejuvenate next year! It's a date!

from another good time of fellowship with RuthAnn

Friday Foto Friends

Friday Foto Friends!

I am sharing the sunset from a couple of nights ago ... August 29 to be exact. As I was reading, I just happened to glance out the window and behold! This beautiful sky!

(My neighbor's gutter always gets in the way though!)

And, of course, one of my favorite Psalms fits here as

I love to look to the heavens!

Speaking of Heaven, our Tuesday morning Bible study will be reading and discussing Randy Alcorn's book about Heaven.

It's a lot to absorb and think about as you ponder what awaits us! It will be more magnificent than anything we can imagine. Won't it be wonderful there?

"You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Psalm 73:24-26

This past weekend my sister and I were looking at old pictures. They're a little fuzzy, however, they are memories of a day my brother and sister and I spent with our Dad in Arkansas at a place he liked to visit. Withrow Springs State Park. 

We very seldom wore slacks or shorts back then. It was always dresses! It was cold that day, too. You notice both my Dad and brother are wearing jackets!

I don't remember if my brother got to shoot that new gun or if he just got to pose.

Here is a nice colorful picture of the Withrow Springs State Park taken from their website.

And below is a picture of my Dad in front of the school he attended. I think this school was from first grade to eighth, but I'm not positive about that. He lived up in the hills outside of Huntsville, Arkansas. When he was eight years old, he contracted typhoid fever and each day his dad would walk down to the town in Huntsville to get medicine for Daddy. I'm so thankful to my Grandpa for his commitment to his children in those hard circumstances as this would have been 1932, during the Great Depression.

I have a love for Northwest Arkansas that my brother and sister don't share with me. It's a beautiful part of the country and my memories of time spent there with my parents and grandparents are very special ones.

Thirty years ago this week, my precious Mom passed away. Although she had fought a hard battle with cancer and its ups and downs, you could just bet that every time the doctor told us she wouldn't make it through the night, she would stubbornly show him. And the night he told us once again, I didn't believe it. My brother and his family and I were living in Seattle because my brother was also fighting his own battle with cancer having just undergone a bone marrow transplant. I was there because I was his donor and giving him my platelets following the transplant. The news about my mother was shocking and I remember crying out to God to save her and let her make it again. She did not. The sadness of our not being able to be with her was almost too much to bear, but as He always does, the Lord brings us through in His faithfulness and love.

I’ll meet you in the morning by the bright riverside.

This week I've tried to cook from what we have in the freezer and the pantry, along with the beautiful zucchini and tomatoes we picked up on our way home from Tulsa. Tuesday night we had a mix of roasted vegetables, Wednesday night a mix of vegetables stir-fried in butter and ginger, and tonight we had crescent chicken roll-ups, along with a zucchini chocolate cake!!! Yum, yum!

photo credit and recipe

And DH really surprised me by loving the chicken roll-ups, which seemed a cross between chicken pot pie and chicken and dumplings. We ate the whole thing!!!!! In three weeks, we will be attending my 50th Class Reunion. You would think I would be trying to lose a few pounds rather than putting some on!

Mama's Chicken Roll Ups

Ingredients

• 2 large chicken breasts (can also use chicken thighs)
• 1 can crescent rolls
• 1 10.5 oz. can cream of chicken soup
• ½ soup can of broth (use what the chicken cooked in)
• ½ soup can milk
• 1 T. all purpose flour
• 6 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• pinch of salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Place the chicken in a pot and cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook till chicken is cooked through.
2. Remove chicken (save broth).
3. When cooled enough to handle remove the chicken from the bone and shred, set aside. Whisk together the soup, broth, milk, flour, salt and pepper.
4. Unroll the crescent dough and separate into the triangles.
5. Place a little cheese over the dough and at the larger end place a good heaping of the chicken.
6. Roll up and place in a 9x13 casserole dish. Repeat with remaining.
7. Once all are in the dish, pour the soup mix around each one and then drizzle a little over the tops (not too much).
8. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes, remove and top with a little more cheese and return to the oven for 5 minutes.
9. Let sit for a couple of minutes before serving, the soup mixture will thicken up like a gravy.

Recipe by Intelligent Substance at https://intelligentsubstance.com/mamas-chicken-roll-ups/

A Southern Hodgepodge

Hodgepodge Fun!

1. Can you believe we're rolling in to the Labor Day weekend?

No, I cannot! What happened to this year? 

I know that technically summer isn't over until later in September, however, for kids who are back in school, vacations, and water parks, it is bye-bye Summer!

What's a project you'll labor over this fall?

I don't have any projects lined up here at home, but I would like to get serious about clearing out closets and getting rid of unnecessary items in our house, attic and garage.

2. Tell us about the best perks you ever had in a job?

Aside from my insurance and vacations, I enjoyed the comp meals when I worked for Brinker International, but I think my favorite perks were when I worked in the home of the founder/CSO for a ministry in Dallas. My work area in my office was surrounded by Christian books all of which I had free access. Also, being so close with my boss over the years I learned much about ministering and counseling gently to other people ... I still have a long ways to go!

3. August 31st is National South Carolina Day. Have you ever been to SC? Yes. Any desire to go? According to Southern Living, these are the top ten things to do in South Carolina...

Explore Charleston, bike, golf or relax on Hilton Head Island, see the beach and the boardwalk at Myrtle Beach, visit the state museum in the capital city Columbia, observe the wildlife and natural beauty of the Ace Basin, take a walk or hop on a trolley and check out Greenville's charming main street, visit Fort Sumter where the Civil War began, stroll through Pearl Fryar's Topiary Garden in Bishopville leaving time to check out The Button Museum, also in Bishopville, see Morgan Island (also known as Monkey Island)-home to nearly 4000 Rhesus monkeys.

We visited South Carolina a few years ago. One of my favorite places we visited was Middleton Place. It was beautiful, interesting, and a very tranquil place.

Which is most appealing to you today? If you're a SC native, resident, or frequent visitor what would you add to the list?

Nothing could be finer than to return and visit the places on your list which we did not see. Our trip there was much too brief.  

4. Beef, pork, country-style, barbecued, baby back, spare or short...your favorite kind of rib? Barbecued baby back ribs. I don't eat ribs but maybe once a year.

What's a dish you enjoy that really 'sticks to your ribs'?
A bowl of oatmeal loaded with walnuts, raisins, butter and brown sugar!

5. What's one important skill you think every person should have? Listening.
Why? Everybody can talk. Listening carefully makes you a much better communicator when you do speak.

"Don't ever forget that it is best to listen much, speak little, and not become angry."

James 1:19 TLB

6. Insert your own random thought here.

What can anybody say that hasn't been said about Hurricane Harvey? I read carefully the ways to help and I have done what I can. It just isn't enough. Praying for the people of Houston and those who have gone there personally to help. God bless them and protect them.

Heroes

When our son isn't on duty as firefighter, he teaches and trains the ones who do water rescue. He said two task forces were deployed a week ago from Dallas and that one team pulled over 800 people out yesterday alone. 

Here they are training.

The Gathering

Our weekend adventure was one we had been eagerly awaiting - the baby shower for my nephew Chase and his lovely wife, Julie. So my DH and I traveled to Oklahoma once again for another happy event.

The theme was a golden books shower to help build the library Julie has planned for Tenley.There were books everywhere and each of us brought books as well.

The shortbread cookies were decorated as little golden books.

My nephew Chase. He is an amazing young man and I guess it's perfectly fine for me to brag about him as he is a man of many accomplishments. A football player for a high school team that took state championship, West Point graduate who also played football for Army, Army Ranger, Green Beret, Captain, and now a Dad to be! 

My brother and his wife, Susan with their son, Chase and daughter-in-law, Julie.

The very exuberant hostesses!

I think all of the ladies have been close friends with Phil and Susan and

so part of Chase's life since he was born.

Lincoln making the rounds waiting for this party to begin.

Patiently waiting.

Some waited with a smile. My sister

and her daughter, Robyn.

Come on!

Finally! Let's open presents!

Julie's helpers, Robyn and Hunter.

Hunter took a real liking to Flappy the Elephant,

but she did give it up after a while!

I think that's a good sign that Hunter approved, so

I'm sure Tenley will like Flappy, too.

Flappy's ears wiggle and cover his eyes as

the song plays "Do your ears hang low, do

they wiggle to and fro."

Back at my brother's house, Susan prepared dinner for all 12 of the family.

While we waited, Hunter showed me the bed Susan had fixed for her.

It was so pretty with Peppa Pig sheets and comforter and

a net canopy which reached to the ceiling.

So adorable.

See? That is how a princess sleeps.

Hunter is quite the performer, too

and sang Let It Go (with all motions included) for all of us!

What an absolutely wonderful time we had together and I know my brother, Phil, and Susan had very full hearts as they felt and enjoyed the love from all who sat at their table this weekend. And all of us felt the love that Susan put into a fabulous meal! After dinner, Susan and Billy serenaded us with their ukulele talents and we all had fun singing silly songs.

Chase got in some good practice playing

with niece Hunter and nephew Lincoln

Crystal enjoying a little free time as Chase

entertained Hunter and Lincoln!

DH and I stayed the weekend with my sister and her husband, Don. We had a nice visit together, enjoyed looking at old pictures. She pulled out a few albums for me to look through and I think I will be posting some of those later. This one below she posted on Facebook this week and so I am sharing now.

My parents with me, my sister, Roberta, and my brother Phil in 1958!

They would have loved being part of the gathering this weekend.