Crockpot Tater Tot Casserole

I have made this casserole for years, but never added veggies...and never tried it in a crockpot...until today. It was a hit!

Crockpot Tater Tot Casserole

1 lb. ground beef (cooked & drained)
1 bag tater tots
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
1/2 soup can water
Frozen peas and carrots
Salt, pepper & garlic powder to taste
Shredded cheddar cheese

Mix ground beef, 1/2 bag tater tots, soup, water, peas and carrots. Pour mixture in 4 quart crockpot. Pour remaining 1/2 bag tater tots on top. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook on low about 4 hours. Top with shredded cheese and cook another 30 minutes.

Tuesday Tips

• If you have never heard of the Hillbilly Housewife website, you must check it out. There are so many money-saving tips and recipes...I have learned so much from the info there.

There is also a weekly newsletter that you can sign up for by email. This week's edition is here.

• My sister Diane sent me a great way to use leftover chicken tenders/nuggets.

Plantation Chicken:

Saute:
1/4 cup chopped (very small) white onion in 2 1/2 tablespoons of oil until onions are soft and clear.

Stir in:
2 tablespoon flour and mix until light brown

Add slowly:
2 cups water and 1 teaspoon liquid Gravy Master (to make the gravy brown) and whisk until smooth.

When the gravy is smooth and slightly thick, add the cold chicken tenders and you can also add leftover vegetables, such as carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, peas. Sprinkle with Season-All to taste and cook until heated. Serve over rice. This is so yummy and you would never know it is leftovers.

• My friend Elysa's daughter is going to Swaziland, Southern Africa, next July to serve as an Adventures in Missions ambassador missionary for one month. They are raising funds for this trip by making BEAUTIFUL hand-crafted jewelry. I personally know this family and I can assure you that the profits from these sales will be such a blessing, not only to Elysa's daughter, but also to all the little children in Swaziland that she will touch for the Kingdom.

Check out some samples of the jewelry here. These would make excellent gifts for anyone on your list...you know it's only 85 days until Christmas. : )

• Living on a Dime is offering their book Dining On A Dime Cookbook: Eat Better, Spend Less in an e-book form for $10. This is a great deal. I have this cookbook and there are so many great recipes and tips for eating frugally. Click here to read more about it.

A Good Deal

God-Sized Assignments

Several years ago, I worked through Henry Blackaby's study Experiencing God. I've been thinking about that study a lot lately. The overall theme was that God is always working in and around us. Instead of us coming up with a plan and asking God to bless it, we should find out what He is doing and join Him.

It is rather disconcerting when we realize that it's not all about us. I mean, as Christians, we know that...intellectually...but it is so easy to get caught up in our day-to-day "stuff" and lose sight of the big picture...kind of like not being able to see the forest for the trees. Not that we will every really know the big picture...only the Lord knows that. The best we can do is to seek Him and ask for His wisdom and guidance in all that we do.

We all know about super-sized...from drinks to fries...but the assignments that He has for us are God-sized. I don't think we are really living our lives in faith unless we are attempting to do something that we humanly cannot do on our own...something that if God doesn't show up, we will fail miserably. How exciting to be invited to join Him on an adventure! How incredibly scary as well.

Where is it that you sense God calling you to step out of the boat? Leave a comment and share your stories...we would love to join you in prayer for your adventure.

Chocolate Carrot Cake

I made this cake this morning and it's yummy!

Chocolate Carrot Cake

1 2/3 cups self-rising flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ cup Splenda Granular
¼ cup prune puree (I used a small jar of plum baby food)
¼ cup canola oil
1 large egg
3 large egg whites
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup orange juice
2 cups shredded carrots (about 3 medium)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with Pam. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and Splenda, then set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix prune puree (or baby food), canola oil, egg, egg whites, vanilla and orange juice. Add flour mixture to prune mixture ½ cup at a time and mix. When all the flour has been added, fold in the carrots and pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. (140 calories per serving)

Margins in Life

I once heard about a book called Margin, maybe on a Focus on the Family broadcast. That was a long time ago, but I've never forgotten what the author said because it rang so true in my own life.

I looked up the book on Amazon.com this morning and found it here. The product description reads, "Are you worn out? This book offers healthy living in four areas we all struggle with-emotional energy, physical energy, time, and finances-and will prepare you to live a balanced life."

I have not read the book yet, so this is not a review, merely a commentary on how full our lives are. The society in which we live does not allow for much down time. For some reason, we believe that we must be busy all the time.

We pack our lives with so much that we are living on the edge most of the time, not allowing time or energy for unexpected things that come up. Inevitably, those unexpected events do happen and many times we are pushed over the edge. Often the really important things are pushed to the background as we desperately try to just survive. Surely this can't be the way God wants us to live as Believers.

Here is an excerpt from a devotional that I wrote several years ago:

"Opening up our homes to invite those in who need to see God’s love in action must be pleasing to our Lord. There is an abundance of hurting, lonely people, both in the world and in our church, who are starving for fellowship and companionship. It does not matter to them if your furniture has been dusted or not, or whether you serve a gourmet dinner with all the proper utensils. What matters is that you took the initiative and cared enough to invite them into your home and into your life.

I have been guilty of neglecting to practice hospitality, and the reasons for this are probably the same ones that keep you from practicing it as well. We live in a very busy culture, and we sometimes measure our success by the number of appointments that we have on our calendars. We run from here to there, and by the time we get home, we are exhausted. So then the thought of having to clean the house “good enough for company” and plan a nice meal just seems way beyond my energy level.

When I hear people talk about the way life was in years gone by, it makes me long for a slower, more peaceful way of life. A time when people stopped by friends’ and families’ homes for a visit and a meal, and they knew that they were truly welcome. A time when people sat around a dinner table or a fireplace or on a front porch and talked, sharing problems, telling stories, dreaming dreams, being themselves and being accepted by their friends - feeling a part of a community - part of a family - connected.

My prayer for all of us this week is that our Father will give us a friendly, hospitable heart. That he will help us to set our priorities straight so that we have the time and energy to minister His love in a way that would be pleasing to Him. That He will open our eyes to the hurting and lonely who desperately need our friendship, and that He will flood us anew with His love so that we will not be afraid to open our homes and our hearts and share ourselves with each other."

Fireproof

It's a God thing.

Sherwood Baptist Church, located in the small town of Albany, Georgia, is daring to believe God once again. Their second movie Facing the Giants was a blockbuster hit at the box office and DVD sales. Armed with a low budget, one camera and an abundance of faith, they have released their latest movie, Fireproof, which is opening this weekend.

Focus on the Family has a very positive review here. Church members fill the cast, along with Kirk Cameron starring as the main character. The story is a very familiar one of marriage gone bad, but the difference is that in this story good triumphs over evil and the name of Jesus is honored.

This is one of those pro-family, pro-marriage movies that we should all support to send a message that we want more movies like this. Let your friends know about Fireproof and make plans to see it. Mike and I are going...maybe we'll see you there! : )

Is It Really Possible?

Lysa Terkeurst wrote an article for Proverbs 31 ministries telling about how, as a young, unmarried woman, she made the decision to have an abortion. She kept this secret for a long, long time, so afraid that her church friends would find out about it and reject her.

Here is a quote from her article:

"For one in three women within the church, it is one of the most painful parts of their life story. One for which they want to find forgiveness and healing, but are too afraid of being judged to share their secret with anyone. So they suffer in silence, wrapped in a cloak of shame."

Can this be true? One...in...three? If so, it is mind-boggling...and heartbreaking.

I have been sitting here for about five minutes just looking at the screen and reading what I have just typed...shaking my head...and trying to comprehend. It's impossible to make sense of it.

If those statistics are true, then there is a pretty good chance that someone who ends up reading this blog will fall into that category. Let me assure you that you will not find condemnation here. I don't agree with abortion, but I also know that the grief that those women live with every day is stronger than anything I can say.

My concern is not only for all the innocent lives that are lost through abortion, but also for the lives of these women who live bound by shame and regret...and I want to speak truth to you. There is forgiveness...there is love...there is healing...all waiting for you at the foot of the cross. Jesus died just for you...to take your sins so that you can be reconciled to God the Father.

Lysa is now sharing about this dark time in her life and God is using her testimony to touch others and bring glory to His name. Sisters, if we can make ourselves transparent to other Christians and share our struggles, perhaps they will be able to share their secrets with us. The Christian community should be a safe place to open our hearts without fear of rejection...but I know first-hand that it is not always that way.

Lord have mercy on us.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I have been wanting a KitchenAid mixer for years. I finally took the plunge and bought one. Being the frugal shopper that I am, I found a refurbished one on Amazon.com for $152 and I got an instant rebate of $20...so $132 is not bad for a mixer than retails for almost $400. I mainly bought it so I can start making wheat bread. But today, BK and I decided to try it on some oatmeal cookies.

I am learning how to convert my recipes to healthier versions. The verdict? See for yourself....

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

3/4 c. Splenda
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. Land-O-Lakes Light Butter (any kind is fine - this is just what I used)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
3 c. quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. raisins

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix sugars, butter, baking soda, salt, vanilla and eggs until well blended. Stir in oats, flour and raisins.

Spray cooking spray on cookie sheets and drop dough by rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart.

Bake about 10-13 minutes or until light brown. Cook 2 minutes and remove to racks to cool. (Makes 2 dozen - about 140 calories per cookie)

Comforting

I'm sitting here eating a bowl of rice and gravy. I just looked down into the bowl and the word "comfort" just floated back up to me.

According to Wikepedia, "Comfort food is typically inexpensive, uncomplicated, and easy to prepare. Many people turn to comfort food for familiarity, emotional security, or as a special reward. The reasons a dish becomes a comfort food are diverse but often include pleasant associations of childhood. Small children often seem to latch on to a specific food or drink (in a way similar to a security blanket) and will repeatedly request it in high stress situations. Adults eat comfort food for a sense of continuity."

I could have told you that.

What I don't get is why this forty-something year old woman feels the need to keep turning back to her security blanket over and over....and over and over.

Thankfully, I know in whom I believe and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I committed unto Him. My God isn't finished with me yet.

Not So Funny

I called my son last night on his cell phone. He was laughing when he answered and I asked him why. He said that he loves when I call him on his cell, because he has the ringer set to play the music from Psycho to let him know when I'm calling.

I was not amused.

Oh well, I raised him...and my side of his gene pool contributed greatly to his wacky sense of humor...so I guess it's my own fault, huh?

Friendship

Got this in an email this morning...funny...

Are you tired of those sissy 'friendship' poems that always sound good, but never actually come close to reality? Well, here is a series of promises that actually speak of True Friendship. You WON'T see cutesy little smiley faces on this card- Just the stone cold truth of our great friendship.

1. When you are sad, I will jump on the person who made you sad like a spider monkey jacked up on Mountain Dew!!!

2. When you are blue, I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile, I will know you are plotting something that I must be involved in.

4. When you're scared, we will high tail it out of here.

5. When you are worried, I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining, ya big baby!!!!

6. When you are confused, I will use little words.

7. When you are sick, Stay away from me until you are well again. I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall, I'll pick you up and dust you off-- After I laugh my rear off!!

9. This is my oath... I pledge it to the end. 'Why?' you may ask; -- because you are my FRIEND!

************Remember...friendship is like wetting your pants, everyone can see it, but only YOU can feel the true warmth.

Thoughts On The Shack

Recently, Mike and I facilitated a book discussion group on The Shack. I want to share a few of my thoughts about the book.

First of all, let me say that although I consider myself a conservative Christian, I do tend to have an open mind when it comes to thinking outside the box. There has been some controversy about the book. From what I've read, it seems that the folks who have negative things to say about the book are threatened by the very theme of the book...which is that it's more about relationship than rules.

In short, I LOVE THIS BOOK!

God has used this book to touch many people and it was one of those books that was hard to put down. The story is riveting and even though it's fiction, the characters are believable. It caused me to think...and then rethink...about many of my beliefs to see if they line up with scripture, or if they come from a lifetime of denominational teaching.

The main character is a man named Mack. Mack's daughter was kidnapped and presumed dead. He struggles to get past that tragedy. A few years later, he received a note asking him to come back to the shack in the woods where it is assumed that his daughter was killed. The note was signed "Papa," which is a name that Mack's wife calls God. Curiosity drove him back to the shack, where he does indeed meet God...in ways that surprise Mack...and I would imagine most readers as well.

One of my favorite parts of the book was when God talked to Mack about the pain that he had experienced. I think this is something that every Christian struggles with at some point: Where is God when I'm hurting? God assured Mack that He was right there with him...and He was with his daughter as well. He told Mack "Will you at least consider this: When all you can see is your pain, perhaps then you lose sight of me?"

Another very interesting part was when the Holy Spirit talked to Mack about his perceived "rights" and how in reality, God is the only one who has any real rights. "You must give up your right to decide what is good and evil on your own terms. That is a hard pill to swallow; choosing to only live in me. To do that you must know me enough to trust me and learn to rest in my inherent goodness."

I could go on and on about the book, but if you have not read it, please get a copy and see for yourself what all the talk is about.

Quote For The Day

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them to become what they are capable of being."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Divorce For Sale

I was driving home from a shopping trip this morning, minding my own business, when out of the corner of my eye I spotted a billboard with the giant words "DIVORCE $402." Underneath that it said something like "When your marriage is over" and then listed a telephone number.

Seriously...is this what our society has come to? It's wrong on so many levels.

First of all, let me just state the obvious. Marriage was created to be a sacred union between a man an a woman...for a lifetime. Having been divorced, I can personally tell you that once the idea of the possibility of divorce gets firmly planted in your mind, it is very difficult to work past that. So many couples saunter up to the alter these days with the idea already in their mind before they even say "I do." It's like they tell themselves that if it doesn't work out, then there is an easy way out...what the heck...let's give this thing a shot.

It is no secret that marriage is hard work. Sure, there are fun times. Remember the "honeymoon stage" when the things that drive us crazy later in the marriage seem cute in those early days? A marriage relationship is kind of like the little nursery rhyme about the little girl who had a little curl...right in the middle of her forehead. When it's good...then it's very, very good...but when it's bad...then it's horrid. On one of those horrid days, a billboard touting such an obviously good deal on a "solution to fix all our problems" might be just the catalyst to get the ball rolling.

Is the attorney who paid for that sign concerned about the heartache that divorce causes? Does he/she care that lives are torn apart, children are emotionally scarred or that more single mothers live in poverty than any other people group in our population? No. It's all about the buck.

We live in a fallen world and as long as there are imperfect people getting married, then there will be divorce. As I said, I have been divorced, so I'm not throwing stones. I just want to say that to even entertain the idea of divorce is usually not a very wise decision if in our hearts we sincerely want to honor the commitment that we made to each other on our special days.

Sale or no sale...I mean frugality only goes so far, you know?