Explaining God's Grace and Mercy

Even though I have been in church my entire life, singing "Amazing Grace" and hearing about how God is merciful..... I never really understood what God's Grace and Mercy meant in a real way, until I heard it explained to me like this....

A killer terrorized a certain community for many years, brutally raping and killed a certain bright and beautiful young woman, after he stalked and then tortured her before killing her. After many years of investigation, where DNA experts and specialized police investigation teams were called in, he was finally captured and is now coming to the end of his trial. He has confessed to the brutal killing, the evidence is overwhelming, there are many eye witnesses, and the jury has found him guilty. When the penalty phase rolls around, the judge is more than happy to give him the death penalty that he deserves, but before he can... the young woman's mother stands up in court and begs the judge not to sentence the killer. The mother begs the judge to let the killer go free.....and for some reason.... the judge agrees... the killer is set free.... this is God's Mercy.

Now imagine the same situation..... but this time when the mother stands up, she begs the judge to set the killer free.... so that she can take him in and adopt him as her child.... and the judge does just that... The killer goes to live with the family of the young woman he killed.... he eats dinner with them each night.... he gets his own room, new clothes, a warm bed, maybe he gets an allowance... his birthdays are celebrated... there is Christmas gifts under the tree for him....the family takes vacations together....the same man who brutally killed their only daughter..... he is now, in every way, a part of that family and they deeply love him, want only the best for him, and take care of him... .. this is God's Grace. It really is amazing.....

Menu Planning Monday

Sunday; My best friend called me after church today and told me not to cook, that she was bringing dinner over for us. An unexpected blessing! We had BBQ chicken and sausage, rolls, spinach dip and chips, and cake! I even have enough left over for lunch tomorrow! Who can I give an unexpected blessing to this week?

Monday: Baked Chicken (bake two and freeze leftovers), Baked Potatoes and veggies

Tuesday: Taco Soup, Brown one pound ground meat, drain, add to crock pot with one envelope taco seasoning mix, one envelope dry ranch dressing mix, one can of corn (drained), one can of red beans (drained), one can of black beans (drained) and a very large can of diced tomatoes and one can of water. Stir well. Cook on low for 8 hours. Serve with shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream and corn chips. (makes VERY big pot- freezes well)

Wednesday: BBQ Ribs. Salt and pepper ribs, add BBQ sauce on top. wrap ribs in tin foil and lay on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 2 hours.

Thursday: Mexican Cornbread (recipe below) and green salad

Friday: Left overs
You can see more weekly menus here.

See! I do more than cook and spray paint!

When I was growing up, I was shipped off to spend my summers with my Aunt in New Orleans, giving my grandma a little summer break, too. The tradition lived on with me spending nights at her house on into my adult years, and anytime I had a business function to attend in New Orleans or I wanted to do some serious shopping.

During my younger years, she would take me shopping for school clothes and we would eat lunch at the Restaurant on the second floor of Dillard's (probably the only department store with a restaurant in it), and set me up with an extra fridge in the garage full of Coke.... in my adult years, we would go shopping for work clothes and to lunch at the Restaurant on the second floor of Dillard's... and she would set me up with the extra fridge full of Diet Coke. On one such visit... she taught me how to make what has become known as my favorite Fall decoration.

I cant go spend the night with her anymore. She died last year. Her house has been sold. The Restaurant at Dillard's closed. But... each Fall, I still make this wreath:

As an added bonus..... its also thrifty... so you can make it each year.

Materials needed: Indian Corn ($2.99 for three at grocery store); Fall ribbon ($1.98 at Wal-Mart); glue ($.88 at Wal-Mart) and one stem of fall leaves ($.99 at Wal-Mart)

Finished product hanging on my kitchen door

Mexican Cornbread.... its delicious!

Preheat oven to 350.

Prepare one box of cornbread as directed on package

Add one can cream style corn.

Add 1/2 chopped onion and handful of chopped green onions.

Add 1/2 pound ground beef cooked well.

Add handful of chopped jalapenos (to taste)

Add 3 Oz's of shredded Cheddar cheese.

Mix well and bake according to package directions.

Perfect fall dessert to share with the neighbors

Preheat oven to 350.

Peel and slice 3-4 apples and place in 9 x 13 baking dish.

In another bowl, cream 1/2 cup soft butter and 1 cup brown sugar.

Add 1 cup flour, 3 packages of instant maple and brown sugar oatmeal and a pinch of salt. Stir well.

Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I use pecans)

Spoon mixture evenly over apples.

Add 1/4 cup of maple syrup on top

Bake 60 minutes until apples tender and topping is golden

Serve with ice cream

Recipe from Allrecipes. com

Christ has no body now on earth but yours. Yours are the only hands he has to do his work. Yours are the only feet in which he can walk the earth. Yours are the only eyes in which his compassion can shine forth on a troubled world. No other woman on earth can do what you alone are called to do or can give what you alone were sent to give. - Author unknown-

Look what I did this weekend

Before, it was once gold... now everything is rusted and only half working.... My front porch had seen it's better days:

And one lamp had been abandoned to the birds....

After, everything is freshly painted and bright... I have been standing in the driveway admiring the new look!

Menu Planning Monday

Monday: Pork chops with stuffing and baked apples. Make any flavor stuffing mix. put can of apple pie filling in baking dish, put boneless pork chops on top and prepared stuffing on top of that. Cover with foil and Bake 30 minutes or so.

Tuesday: Grilled chicken breast (make extra), roasted red potatoes and Asparagus (put on cookie sheet, drizzle with Olive oil, minced garlic and salt and pepper, bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until tender)

Wednesday: Cut up left over chicken and add to big salad.

Thursday: Left overs

Friday: Pancakes and sausage

You can see more weekly menus here.

20 little things I love about Fall

Fall is my favorite time of the year....

1. Gets darker earlier in the evening- excuse to stay in.
2. Candles lit everywhere.
3. early mornings crawling back in the warm bed with my hot oatmeal.
4. Going to the high school homecoming football game with my best friend.
5. Boots!
6. visiting with neighbors who are out trick or treating.
7. Cool crisp air.
8. Casseroles.
9. Electric blanket.
10. Hot chocolate
11. Craft shows.
12. My favorite wool pants come out of storage.
13. Hurricane season is over.
14. Wendy's Chili for lunch.
15. Hot baths.
16. Vacation at gulf Shores, Alabama Thanksgiving week.
17. Gumbo throwdown.
18. Beautiful sunsets.
19. Fall wreaths on doors.
20. Baked sweet potatoes.

See what others love about Fall here

Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies

Got some extra butterscotch chips laying around begging to be cooked?

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In large bowl beat 1 cup soft butter and 1 3/4 cup packed brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Add two eggs one at a time, beating well after each.

Add 1 tablespoon vanilla, 2 cups flour, 2 cups oats, 1 tablespoon baking soda and 3/4 tablespoon salt, and 1/4 cup water. Mix well.

Stir in 1 cup butterscotch chips (and 1 cup nuts if you want them- I don't).

Drop by heaping teaspoons onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake 10-14 minutes until edges are browned.

Recipe from www.cooks.com

My style.....My history..... My home.....

My style.............. patiently (and sometimes not so patiently) waiting through renovations.

In the past nine months, we've got the wood floors in upstairs.... but haven't got them sanded or stained yet. (Maybe this weekend?)

We got the brick floors in downstairs (I love my table and my breakfast nook!).... but no curtains or pictures up. (See the dog sneaking into the photo? He is such a ham)

My history..... Someone recently asked me if I collect antiques. No, I just use the furniture that others have given me. The sofa table in the foyer belonged to my husband's Grandfather.

That little yellow chair in the foyer was mine when I was a little girl my mother was a little girl.

My home.....Is that duct tape on the door? The hurricane winds were blowing rain through the door. The door was already on the list of things to be replaced (maybe its next?)

AND....my favorite spot in the house is....

Is that mattresses in the foyer? Left overs from last week when I had beds in the dining room and the living room. Just keeping it real, sisters.

My dog..... looks like he is a guard dog, but he is really a cream puff.....


Visit others home style at Kari and Kijsas

Menu Planning Monday

You can see more weekly menus here.

Trying to get back to normal around here....

Sunday: Spaghetti (freeze half of meat sauce for easy meal later)

Monday: Chicken breast with green beans

Tuesday: Pork Loin

Wednesday: Chicken Breast Sandwich (cook extra chicken for Fri.)

Thursday: BBQ Pork Sandwich (left over pork mixed with BBQ sauce)

Friday: Chicken Pillows: Chop left over chicken and mix with 4 oz cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon dry ranch dressing mix, 2 stalks chopped celery and 1/2 chopped onion. Mix well and place in a crescent roll. Cook at 375 for 20 minutes.

And what was the dog doing while Ike's winds were howling and I was washing sheets?

An unexpected day off

Are you tired of hearing about hurricane Gus?

Me, too.

So, lets talk about Hurricane Ike.... the reason for my unexpected day off.... because you cant run a generator in 50 MPH winds and rains.

So what have I done this unexpected day at home?

Three loads of laundry, changed sheets on all beds, including the two airbeds upstairs (just in case the crowds come back), braved the wind for groceries and gas, because I needed only a few basics that we could not do without:



cleaned all bathrooms, re-arranged storage cabinets to keep all candles in same spot, and.... you get the idea....

Whew!

I am so ready for my normal routine, which appears to be no where in sight.

Meat Loaf in crockpot
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (1976 edition)

Combine two slightly beaten eggs with 1/2 cup milk, 1 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1 10 Oz's package of frozen spinach (thawed, chopped and drained), 2 tbsp soy sauce, salt and pepper and 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce. Mix well with two pounds of lean ground beef.

Spray the inside of crockpot with Pam. Shape meatloaf to fit in bottom of crockpot.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Remove meatloaf and drain excess fat. Serve with mushroom sauce.

In a sauce pan, mix one can of undrained sliced mushrooms with 2 tbsp flour, add 1 cup sour cream and 2 tbsp chopped chives. Cook, stirring constantly until mushroom mixture is thick. Do not boil.

You can either eat what you want or wear what you want.

-My Weight Watcher Leader-

Lessons Learned During and After the Storm

No matter how many times you flick the switch, lights don't work without electricity.... including the one in the closet.

Lovebugs and mosquitos do not disappear in 80mph wind gusts.

There are/were a lot of really big trees around here!

Just because you're 18 doesn't mean you can stay out as late as youwant. The Mayor said curfew.

It is impossible to count calories consumed during a hurricane or power outage.

Telemarketers function no matter what the weather is doing.

Most popular text message after September 1: do u hve pwr

Twenty-seven of your neighbors are fed from a different transformers

Crickets and cicadas can increase their volume to overcome the sound of 14 generators.

Dirty clothes in an unsupervised hamper multiply at an exponential rate.

Coffee, spaghetti and frozen pizzas can be made on a grill.

He who has the biggest generator wins.

Tree service companies are under-appreciated.

If you owned a store that sold only ice, chain saws, gas and generators,you would be very rich.

Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
Psalms 100:1-5 (New Living Translation).

My mother in law's back yard

What I am cooking today...

I have always liked the kitchen, loved to shop for kitchen items and generally like to cook dinner, but about three years ago, while working at a very stressful job, my love for the kitchen really took off.

I would drag myself through a 70+ hour work week, then instead of collapsing on Friday evening and sleeping in on Saturday mornings, I started cooking elaborate meals and desserts. It was during this time that I perfected making cheesecake in every imaginable way possible (Oreo cheesecake, pumpkin cheesecake, turtle cheesecake, strawberry cheesecake.... I can go on and on...).

Thank goodness I do not have that job anymore... but the stress of it turned me to the kitchen and began an even deeper love of cooking, especially new things.

So when I find myself with a little extra time (like when a hurricane keeps you home for more than a week), I get in the kitchen. Today I made these:


Blondies
Recipe from Katie

Pre-heat oven to 350 and grease a 8x8 pan.
melt 4 Tbsp of butter, add 2 Tbsp oil and 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter and mix until smooth.

Add 1 cup packed brown sugar and stir well
Add 1 egg and stir well
Add 1/8 cup of milk and 2 tsp vanilla extract, stir well

Add 1/4 tsp salt, 1 cup flour (I only had wheat flour), 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1/3 cup chopped peanuts- stir well. Mixture will be thick.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set in the middle.

Oh! The excitement of it all!!

Today has been a good day... I can slowly see some of my old routine coming back... very slowly... except I still have a houseful of guests, a bed in the dining room, I have yet to return to work and I have two more dogs over.

I was up early cooking breakfast for my husband as usual, but also handing out granola bars to the other house guests who were too late for work to stop and eat some eggs and toast.

Butch (the dog) and I took our morning walk around the neighborhood while it was still cool. Everyone is busy cleaning up the debris, putting the uprooted trees back in the yard, cutting up the downed trees that are destroyed and, for one unfortunate home in my neighborhood, taking the neighbor's tree off the roof and getting a new roof.

... as a side note... this poor house also had another of the same neighbor's tree on its roof three years ago during Katrina and got a new roof then too. If it were my house, I'm pretty sure the neighbor would not have any more trees, because he would have woke up this morning to the sound of my chainsaw in his back yard.

And today... I actually got in the car and went somewhere! For the first time in a week! Many of the roads are blocked due to high water and down trees, but I made my way to the Outback burger place and found it open with a limited menu, so I enjoyed some fast food for lunch.... yes, for the first time in a week.

The small neighborhood grocery store was also open (without any national guard troops stationed at the door like the other larger stores) where I bought toilet paper, diet coke and one loaf of bread. The store did not have one cold thing for sale, no eggs, cheese, meat, fruit, only can items and paper items, and then had limits on the quantity that you could purchase. But I am thankful for the diet coke and the one loaf of white bread (no variety to chose from), because I was out of both and the grocery situation is a lot better than it was after Katrina.

Another wonderful thing that happened today was that I found myself alone in my house, but my joy was short lived. Just as I was settling in for a nap... you guessed it...

I am still cooking for a crowd. Dinner tonight is pork roast, baked potatoes, left over black eye peas, Broccoli with cheese, cornbread and Squash casserole (I got the recipe from Harrington House). There might be some chocolate chip cookies involved, depending on how energetic I feel without a nap, right now, it is not looking very promising.

Somehow, one of the angel trumpets I got from Aunt Dot in Mississippi survived the hurricane to bloom for the first time today!! Such a sweet thing to find in my otherwise destroyed back yard.

We have POWER!!

Which is quite the big deal since 98% of those around me do not.

People are waiting in two hour lines to get gas at the handful of stations that are open. People are waiting in four to six hour lines to get food, water and ice from the National Guard. There is a dusk to dawn curfew. There are no working traffic lights. The few grocery stores that have opened are so crowded there is a waiting line to get into the parking lot, then a waiting line to get into the door. Those who are travelling around tell me that the City looks like a war has hit.

So, I have not got out this week. We have a house full of family and friends... and beds set up in the living room and dining room and people sleeping on both couches..... the washing machine has not stopped (and liquid laundry detergent has become much sought after).....the phone is constantly ringing... and I have not gone back to work yet...and I am cooking three meals a day for an army of people.

But I love the hum of the house running smoothly... and so thankful to have a home to share. I visited with my neighbor at the end of the driveway tonight, and she is doing the exact same thing.

Dinner tonight for the crowd will be black eyed peas (cooked in the crock pot), corn bread (made by my mother in law), green onion sausage and BBQ Ribs, mash potatoes, BBQ beans, and chocolate bundt cake.

Here is the recipe for the cake:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray bundt pan with Pam.

Mix together:
1 box devil food cake mix
1 small box jello fat free sugar free instant chocolate pudding
1 small box jello fat free sugar free instant white chocolate pudding
1 cup chocolate chips

add

1 cup water
1 cup applesauce
1 cup egg beaters

mix well. It will be thick.
pour into bundt pan
bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

I don't know who to credit for this recipe- its a weight watcher recipe I have been making for years.... and everyone loves it.

The worst is over

Thank God, he has brought us through another one safe. The worst is over, and it was a scary one. There was a lot of rain and wind gusts (up to 70 MPH), and we lost power, of course. Several of my windows and front door leak, (and my neighbors' windows blew in), but it could have been so much worse!!

I am blessed with a generator (for 10 hours at a time...), a window AC unit and cable TV! Now I am just waiting for power (days or weeks?) to start cleaning up.

Roof was a little damaged and we lost some shingles:

The Leland Cypress trees cant stand up straight anymore:

Look how the banana tree leaves are just shredded:



This is my back yard, full of shingles from the roof, branches and limbs:

This banana tree got uprooted:

This Crepe Myrtle may not make it:


There are trees down in the wooded area behind my house- I am so thankful that it was not worse and I thank you again for all your prayers and concerns for us!