Very occasionally, procrastination actually pays off

 

 Those are words I may never have expected to hear myself say.  I fight procrastination every day of my life.  I guess it may be a common character flaw to many people.  But this time it did work in my favor.  I'll explain.

For many years I've had a large collection of Taste of Home magazines.  You can read about my Christmas issues here.  Every couple of months, I like to get out part of my stash of older Taste of Home magazines -- the ones for the particular season we're in-- and browse through them.  (I often do this with my Cook & Tell newsletters as well.)  Invariably I find some neat recipes that I had forgotten about, or ones I had meant to try and never got around to.  I keep most of the out-of-season magazines neatly stacked in a bookcase, and transfer the ones for the current season to a bakers rack in the dining area where they are handy for browsing.

I was thinking in mid-October that I needed to get out the Thanksgiving and Christmas issues.  It's been such a busy year for us and I couldn't even remember the last seasonal issues I had brought out.  (I keep a folder of healthy recipes and one of slow cooker recipes stacked atop my seasonal magazines in the bakers rack.)  So I reached under those folders to see what season was there.

Lo and behold!  Thanksgiving, starting with the very issue you see at the top of this post!  And, stacked just beneath them, the Christmas issues!  There was no need to change out the issues, as I had apparently never changed them out at any point in 2023.  They were just as they'd been left in 2022.   And rather than being disgusted with myself for procrastinating, I am actually very thankful for it, as it has saved me some work at a very busy time.  Now I can browse Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes at my leisure.

Our Labor Day

 

 

 On Monday, September 6, we enjoyed a fun Labor Day with friends and family at our little camp.  I sure wish I had gotten more photos -- but  I actually didn't take any.  My daughter Carrie got a few which I am borrowing.

Our friends S. and C. mostly have only postal holidays off, and live in a neighboring state, so we don't get to see them as often as we would like.  When it does work out, we like to spend an entire day together.

So they came for breakfast on Labor Day, and stayed for a late lunch, not leaving until after 6 pm.

I enjoy the challenge of figuring out meals for an entire day.  For this breakfast, I made homemade breakfast sandwiches.  We split English muffins, buttered the cut sides, and toasted them in the oven.  Meanwhile, I fried eggs and Canadian bacon.   I then layered these with cheese inside the English muffins and wrapped each sandwich in foil.  We did this at home and stacked the foil-wrapped sandwiches inside a slow cooker set on low to take to the camp.  It kept them nice and warm until we were ready to eat.  I also served a Hash Brown Casserole and C. brought a sumptuous fruit salad to serve with a choice of lemon sorbet or maple yogurt.  With plenty of coffee, this made a very satisfying breakfast!

We had such fun visiting around the table and sharing our hearts with one another.

For our late lunch, our daughter Carrie, hubby Jim, and their four kids joined us.  What a delight!  They live next door, so it's easy for them to run through the woods or speed over on their bikes.  (I had told Carrie not to bring any food, since they were leaving for vacation the next day.)

We grilled hot dogs and sausages over a campfire, and also had pasta salad, corn on the cob, and more.  The grandkids, even the littlest one, are pros at husking corn, leaving not a strand of silk behind!

While lunch cooked, the men and grandson Sam enjoyed fellowship by the fire.

C. brought some wonderful toffee shortbread squares for dessert,  and I also made a peanut butter cookie s'mores dessert pizza.  So yummy!  I prefer the mini marshmallows as I think they make the dessert easier to cut.

 

Photo and recipe from Five Heart Home

 

We took our time over lunch, enjoying the fellowship so much.  Later, C. (who has a special bond with 6-year old Arielle) helped Ari plant some wildflowers called Maiden Tears (or bladder campion,  but I much prefer the prettier name).  

 Carrie, Jim, and family left in the late afternoon to go back and finish packing, hooking up the pop-up camper, and more.  S. and C. stayed later and before they left, we all walked next door to look at the work Jim has been doing on their addition.

 

What a wonderful day it had been!  So thankful for family, friends, food, and fellowship!

A blessed and glorious Fourth of July to you!

Lovely photo and graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

 (If you think this post seems a little familiar,  as if you've seen it before -- well, you probably have.  Nearly all of it.  I've updated it just a little.  This was last year's Independence Day post, and it seems even more appropriate today.)

From 2019: We're wishing all of you a most blessed and glorious Fourth of July!  I spent a busy few hours in the kitchen while Mr. T worked on his woodpile. Then we headed off to a favorite picnic spot by a river.  But we are near the lakes, you say.  Yes, yes we are.  But no local in their right mind would be trying to picnic anywhere near a lake today.  Hordes of people!  We enjoyed our time by a rushing river instead, with only one other family at a picnic table nearby.  They told us they'd been planning to go to the state park, but weren't able to get in (those hordes of people again) so they decided to go exploring and found this nice spot with picnic tables beside the river.

Taken at the riverside picnic spot last Saturday.  The water was rushing much more that day.

May we all take time to thank the Lord today for the blessings that are ours living in a free country, and to pray for those brave and committed men and women who are serving right now to protect our land and keep our nation free.  May we take a moment to pray for our country, so deeply divided and so much in need of the healing that only God can truly bring.

Do you pray for our nation regularly?  I take some time every Thursday to pray for some specific requests -- very appropriate as the Fourth of July is on Thursday this year!  (Of course, I pray for America on other days too when the news is particularly bad or there is an urgent need.)

I begin by thanking God for the blessing of living in a free country.  I thank Him for the freedom to worship, the freedom to share my faith with others, the privilege of voting, and the privilege of living in a country with so many natural resources, such natural beauty, and a high standard of living.    I then pray for our president and other leaders, our men and women in the military, our judges and courts, and my state and governor.

The printed page you see across the bottom of my prayer journal is from a pdf titled How to Pray for America.  It's a free download at Revive Our Hearts, and I have found it very helpful in praying for our country as a whole.  If you are not in the habit of praying for America, may I encourage you to do so?

Later today we will be attending a Fourth of July gathering at the home of friends.  There will be food, fellowship, and very likely fireworks as well.  Hope all of you will also enjoy a blessed day celebrating with family or friends!  Happy Fourth of July!

Time to fire up those slow cookers!

Yes, and not just because it's winter!  I rely on my slow cooker so much during any busy season, but I find it invaluable in the weeks leading up to Christmas.  I can put supper in the cooker on any busy day, even if I plan to be home all day.  I can then spend my day crafting, cleaning, decorating, or whatever happens to be on my agenda, while supper cooks all by itself.

If sides are needed, I might -- depending upon what the main course is -- bake a loaf of bread in the bread machine,  use a bagged salad mix, scrub and pierce a few potatoes or sweet potatoes and bake them,  or quickly cook a bag of frozen vegetables in the microwave.

Yesterday we had company for Sunday lunch and I left this favorite in the slow cooker: Rosemary Chicken with White Beans. The recipe, and the photo above, are from Taste of Home, a valuable resource for all cooks.

  I change this recipe up slightly in that I use less rosemary than called for, less Italian dressing (I used about 1/3 cup of homemade Italian dressing), and I use more carrots and celery than called for -- probably at least twice as much.  I don't usually brown the chicken, but I did this time since it was for company and I wanted it to look as appetizing as possible.

We found that all we needed for a side was the cornbread I had baked early that morning.  Speaking of cornbread,  when I serve it for Sunday lunch, I have recently taken to sifting together all the dry ingredients the night before and transferring to a quart size zip top bag.  Then in the morning, all I need to do is grease a square pan or a muffin tin, whisk together the wet ingredients in a bowl, whisk in the combined dry ingredients, and transfer to the prepared pan or tin, then bake.  It makes the process so quick and easy.

If you need inspiration for slow cooker recipes, please do click the "Slow cooker recipes" link in the label cloud at right.  You will find pages of good ideas!

I hope that you seriously will get out your slow cooker and put it to work for you in this busy, festive season.  It really will make life easier!

My nearly-annual Thanksgiving Dinner recipes post

Nearly every year I try to post a few recipes and helps for Thanksgiving dinner.  This is pretty much a repost of last year's, with a few additions, but I imagine that some of my newer readers have missed the ones I've done previously.  So, if you need a little help with the Thanksgiving feast, you are invited to borrow whatever you may need from these tried-and-true ideas and recipes.

Thanksgiving is this coming Thursday -- so if you still have some planning to do, grab a pen and paper and make some lists.  Then head to the grocery store -- today, or maybe tonight -- and avoid the rush as much as possible.  (I did my Thanksgiving shopping last Thursday.

I posted the following in 2012, and it includes a lot of the same links I'm sharing today, but it might be helpful to someone:  A Gathering of Thanksgiving Tips and Recipes.

For today's post, I'll start with some ideas for pies, which one might be baking a day or two ahead of time.  Pies are the most intimidating part of the meal for many people, so I offer you these Helpful Tips for Thanksgiving Pies.  If pie crust intimidates you (as it does many others), then don't stress about it.  I give you a recipe for an easy oil pastry, but if you don't want to go that route, then the sheets of refrigerated pie crust one can buy (I've even seen them in store brands!) work very well.  You can even buy frozen pie shells that aren't half bad.  Or if you just don't want to make pies, you can buy some very nice pies from bakeries that specialize in them.

Some of our Favorite Thanksgiving Pie Recipes are included in this post.  Maybe you will find a new family favorite!

But what if you are avoiding wheat, or a family member who'll be at your table is eating gluten free?  No worries.  This Gluten Free Pie Crust is easy to make and very good.  It's a simple press-in-pan crust and so it really won't work for a double crust pie.  But anyone who has lived without wheat for any length of time will be so happy to have a pie they can eat that they won't care if it's just a single crust pie.  It works perfectly for pumpkin pie, for example.


Probably the next most intimidating part of the meal is the turkey itself.  

Photo from Pixabay

If you have, or are buying,  a frozen turkey, the rule of thumb for thawing it is to allow 24 hours in the fridge for each 5 pounds of the turkey's weight.  I find this not quite enough, so allowing an extra day would be my advice.  Invariably if I follow that rule of thumb, the giblets are still frozen in place.  Last year I bought my frozen turkey (21 pounds) on the Thursday before Thanksgiving and put it right into the fridge to start thawing.  So if you have a large turkey like that one and it's frozen -- well, I hope that you don't, because it's pretty much too late to thaw it.  You can put it in the fridge now if you like, but you will probably have to go the thawing in cold water route to finish the job.  That's something I prefer to avoid.

Thus, if you need a large turkey and the one you bought is still frozen, my advice is to leave it in the freezer -- it was cheap, right? -- and buy a fresh turkey in the size you need.  You can cook the other one later, maybe at Christmas time or anytime you're in the mood for turkey.

Cooking it in an oven bag is my best advice on roasting a turkey.  It shortens the time considerably and produces tender, juicy meat.

From my Autumn in the Air booklet (Cracker Barrel, 2001)

Then there is gravy, which can also be intimidating and which I stressed about for many years.  People love it and expect it, but making it at the last minute can be very stressful.  Usually there are other people in the kitchen, helping out with other things, and that complicates matters (even though they are truly trying to help when they watch over your shoulder and give advice).  So for a few years I then turned to canned or jarred gravy, transferring it to a saucepan and removing the evidence of the cans and jars well ahead of the guests' arrival.

That was great, but I found that the gravy packets one can buy actually made even better gravy.

And then finally, I found this recipe:  Easy Turkey Gravy.  It truly is easy and it makes lots and lots of gravy.  If you are feeding people who think there is never enough gravy, try this.  For once they will be satisfied and there may even be some gravy left to serve with the leftovers or to make hot turkey sandwiches.

 So there are a number of good options for gravy: jars, packets, or the above great recipe.

Stuffing (or dressing) can also be a source of discouragement.  I usually use a bag of Pepperidge Farm cornbread stuffing mix, prepare it with celery and onion as the package instructions suggest, and also add dried cranberries.  In my tips and recipes post ( the first link at top) I detail how I cook it in a slow cooker.  Just don't leave it in there for too long, as it will burn and dry out.

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes is my go-to recipe for making mashed potatoes for a lot of people.  One year I was seriously thinking of using the Idahoan instant mashed potatoes, which are actually very good and are only $1 per packet, but my hubby urged me not to because he loves the make-ahead mashed potatoes so much!

Sweet Potato Casserole is our family's festive sweet potato recipe.  I've made it with canned sweet potatoes and it comes out just fine.  I don't make it every year because personally, my husband and I prefer buttercup squash.  But if we are having a lot of people, I'll usually do the sweet potatoes as well.  (For sweet potatoes as a general rule, we prefer them roasted.)

Broccoli Casserole is another great side dish that always goes over well.  This is a recipe from my sister-in-law Dawn.

I tend to skip serving rolls when there is so much other good food on the table, but if your family won't let you, then try these: Homemade Dinner Rolls.  They're a homemade crescent roll and are really delicious.  My daughter Carrie has a recipe for Honey Rolls that her family loves at Thanksgiving.  You can find that recipe here: Carrie’s Honey Rolls.  They are a pan type roll and a must-have for her family's Thanksgiving dinner.

If your family insists on creamed onions (as mine does), here's the recipe I use:  Scalloped Onions.  It uses the frozen small onions.  Life is far too short to peel those little pearl onions.  I always buy the frozen (unsauced) ones and make my own sauce.

Cranberry sauce or relish can be purchased and is just fine.  If you want to make your own, try the Taste of Home site for some good recipes, or you may be able to find one here.  Cran-Apple Sauce is one delicious option.  Some of the bags of fresh cranberries also feature a cranberry sauce recipe, and I have made those, often substituting brown sugar for white, which gives a nicer flavor in my opinion.

For a memory of my childhood Thanksgivings at my grandmother's farmhouse,  you might like to read A Thanksgiving Memory for a little nostalgia.

By the way, that's my grandmother in the photo above, and the recipe is for my great-grandmother's Date Cake, which was somewhat of a tradition at our holiday dinners.  It was served thickly frosted with white frosting and with walnut or pecan halves pressed into the frosting.  It was never a favorite of mine and I haven't made it since, but every year I think I may make one for either Thanksgiving or Christmas -- just for old time's sake!

And if you enjoy vintage things, you might like to take a peek at this Children's Book of Thanksgiving Prayers.  This was actually sold as a greeting card, I believe. 

 Setting the Thanksgiving table is always an enjoyable task, and I like to get it taken care of well ahead of time.  I've made a few Thanksgiving table toppers, hot mats, and so on over the years.  These Thanksgiving Candle Mats always make an appearance on our Thanksgiving table!

Some years I bring out the cornucopia!

  I have very few photos that show our actual Thanksgiving table; in fact, I could only find this one below, from 2010.  That one was more of a "Friendsgiving", as most of our guests were friends rather than family.  That cloth looks like a peach color, but it's a faded orange.  I put one of my simple homemade table runners on it and you can easily see that I mixed patterns of dishes and glassware since we don't own a full set of anything (other than Christmas dishes).  Just proof that you can have a lovely and festive table just using what you have!

For more Thanksgiving posts, click on the "Thanksgiving" label in the word cloud of labels in the right sidebar.  You may find some surprises I've forgotten about!


Lastly, I want to mention my my Thanksgiving Pinterest Board.

If you could use some new recipes, printables, or other Thanksgiving ideas, you will want to visit this board for inspiration.  I plan to revisit it myself soon!
I hope that this oft-repeated advice is helpful to someone this holiday and that it might make your celebration a little more delicious.  Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Memorial Day

Delightful graphic from Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

Mr. T and I would like to wish all of you a very blessed and meaningful Memorial Day.  Celebrated on the last Monday in May, this is a day to honor all who have died in service to our country.  Our Sunday newspaper yesterday showed an editorial cartoon depicting the tomb of the unknowns and a phrase something like this: "We don't know them all ... but we owe them all."  So very, very true.  This way of life that we enjoy ... this privilege of living "a quiet and peaceable life" ... is due to their sacrifice.

Here in New Hampshire, we often take some time on this day to visit our cemeteries,  taking plants or silk flowers, or even a jar of lilacs, to decorate the graves of our loved ones.  This morning, Mr. T and I took a hanging plant and a shepherd's hook to place at the grave site of my parents and siblings.  There was a lot of coming and going at the cemetery today.  In fact, heading out toward the gate, we met my aunt and uncle coming in.

Later today, we will be enjoying a cookout with our daughter and family.  I'm bringing a roasted sweet potato salad and a strawberry rhubarb pie.

We hope that you've been enjoying the day with your family and friends, with parades, picnics, cookouts, or other activities, but that you'll take a moment sometime today, and remember the brave men and women who gave their all so that we could be free.  If you have young children, take time to remind them of what this holiday is really all about. 

And don't forget to pray for those equally brave men and women who are serving our country in difficult places right now. 

On Labor Day

Image shared by Gooseberry Patch

 On this Labor Day weekend, why not take a few minutes to pray for our nation?   We've been busy today and I didn't get this posted when I hoped to, but the day isn't over yet -- and prayer for our nation is always timely.  I read this at Dayspring this morning from a writer named Gini:

"We live in an ever-changing world - one that, at times,  just makes no sense. From natural disasters to terrorist attacks, hate crimes and unmentionable acts of violence, we get the in-depth report from every news outlet in the United States. And, we watch these special reports, trying to find some kind of reason for the craziness, some perfect explanation for why these things happen and who is responsible and how can we make a difference. And, while we will never get all the answers on this side of eternity, we know that as Christians, we are called to trust God, share His love and pray."

I so appreciate Gini's words.  This is just what I have been thinking about as I see the media trying to find some cause, any cause for Hurricane Harvey.  We are not going to get all the answers.  We cannot conveniently blame this on our president.  We realize that God has allowed this for some purposes of His own.   His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways.  Truly, we are called to trust God, share His love, and pray. 

Here is the link to the full post:
 A prayer for our nation
Hope it is a blessing and encouragement to someone else today.

May you celebrate a meaningful Memorial Day!

 Today our country is celebrating Memorial Day.  The lovely vintage graphic above is generously shared by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings.

We enjoyed a delicious cookout with our daughter, son-in-law and family on Saturday evening and that was our basic Memorial Day observance, since Mr. T is working today.

 From what I have read of history, this day got its start after the Civil War in April 1866 when a small group of young women decorated the graves of their lost loved ones at a cemetery near Columbus, Mississippi.  Both Union and Confederate soldiers who died at the Battle of Shiloh are buried here, and these young women, after tending the graves of the Confederate soldiers, walked over and scattered magnolia blossoms on the Union graves as well.

News of their compassionate act spread quickly  -- imagine that!  Without radio, television, the internet, or social media! -- and soon Decoration Day, as it was then called, became an important American holiday.  Today, Memorial Day, celebrated on the last Monday in May, is a day to honor all who have died in service to our country.  Here in New Hampshire, we often take some time on this day to visit our cemeteries,  taking plants or silk flowers, or even a jar of lilacs, to decorate the graves of our loved ones. 

So enjoy the day with your family and friends, with parades, picnics, cookouts, or whatever other activities you may have planned, but take a moment sometime today, and remember the brave men and women who gave their all so that we could be free.  If you have young children, take time to remind them of what this holiday is really all about.  And don't forget to pray for those equally brave men and women who are serving our country in difficult places right now. 

This lovely photo is also by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings.

Today, a particular man who served his country in World War II is very much on my heart and mind.  Although he did not die in the service of his country (so "his" holiday would actually be Veteran's Day) he did sacrifice much in the course of the years he served.

This past Friday, my wonderful dad went to be with his Lord and Savior quite unexpectedly.  His truly was the greatest generation, which sounds trite but, as our funeral director commented when we met with him on Saturday, it is actually a complete understatement.  I'm so thankful to have had a godly man of such sterling character in my life, and particularly blessed to have had him as my dad.

The May bees have all gone south Hodgepodge

Wednesday again -- and time for the first Hodgepodge in May.  To join in, head over to From This Side of the Pond and get the questions from Joyce, then answer them on your own blog.

Guess I should quickly explain the title I gave my hodgepodge post.  When in conversation with my Great-Aunt Bessie, if there was too much "maybe this" or "maybe that" speculation, she would invariably interject, "The May bees have all gone south."  That phrase just jumped, or maybe I should say buzzed, its way into my mind as I looked over the questions Joyce is posing this week.  She begins:

1. Can you tell I'm embracing a Cinco de Mayo theme here this week? Do you like Mexican food? What's your favorite dish? How about on the side-black beans, pinto beans, refried beans, rice? What about heat-mild, medium, hot? Will you celebrate with Mexican food and drink on May 5th aka Cinco de Mayo?

We love Mexican food.  I would be hard-pressed to choose a favorite dish, but one of the favorite ones that I make is this Chicken Chili Lasagna

Photo from Taste of Home

which is not a lasagna at all but just a wonderful layered chicken, sauce, and tortilla dish.  On the side, I like this Southwestern Rice Bake.

Or, if there's not time to make that, then a purchased yellow rice mix (the one below is my favorite)

works well.  And with any Mexican meal I love to serve this Fruit and Nut Tossed Salad

Photo from Taste of Home

which to me is just perfect with the spicy flavors.

As for level of heat, I like my salsa no hotter than medium.  And as to whether I will serve Mexican food on May 5, I really have no idea.  I haven't planned my meals yet.  It's possible, I guess, but this isn't a holiday I usually celebrate.

2. Ever been to Mexico? For work or holiday? Love it or no? If you haven't been is this a place you'd like to visit? Can you speak Spanish?

Haven't been there, never learned Spanish, although like most people I can recognize a few words and phrases.  I think I would probably enjoy visiting Mexico, but it's not on my bucket list or anything.

3. What's one thing you may accomplish this month?

Finally getting our trip to Nevada planned, finalizing dates and getting airline tickets.  I said I may accomplish this.

4. If you were mayor of your village, city, or town, what's one thing you'd like to see changed, done away with, revamped, or accomplished? Is serving in public office something you've ever seriously considered?

We don't have a mayor.  Cities, even small ones, here in New Hampshire, have mayors, but towns have selectmen: usually a board of three men and/or women.  If I had the power (which I wouldn't necessarily have even as a selectperson), I would do away with that stupid roundabout at one end of town.  Nope, never seriously considered running for/serving in public office.

5. What's something that may be popular, but that you just don't get?

Image from Pinterest

That men's hairstyle that looks like a combination of Dracula and a kewpie doll. Tintin's style (from 1929, I think) isn't exactly like it, but close enough for my purposes.

6. Can't let this week slip by without mentioning Thursday May 4th is Star Wars Day. As in 'May the 4th be with you' ahem. Are you a fan of the Star Wars series? Exactly how much of a fan are you? On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being 'I've seen every film, own the action figures, might have dressed as Darth Vader for Halloween one year', and 1 being, 'what's a Vader?' -where do you land?

I guess I would give myself around a 3.  I'm not really what one would call a fan, although I've seen some of the films,  am aware of the general story line and could recognize a number of the characters.  I have grandkids who love Star Wars, as evidenced by an answering machine message at their home very like this one:

"Reached the Smiths you have.  Come to the phone we cannot.  Leave a message you will."

7. Scroll back through your blog posts and in three sentences or less tell us the general theme of your fourth blog post. Does it still ring true today? Is it a topic you re-visit on your blog from time to time?

The general theme of my fourth blog post, written in August 2005, can be summed up by its title: Saving money in the kitchen, and other thoughts.

 Yes, it still rings true today and I still use all of the recipes in it.  And it is definitely a topic I revisit on my blog from time to time.  Check out the "frugality" label in the label cloud to see how often.

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

Question 7 prompted me to look at the general theme of my fourth post on my Christmas blog.  It is: The story of my Christmas hutch, which tells how we acquired our hutch.

It still rings true today, of course, and I often revisit the general topic as I decorate the hutch for the seasons.

And that wraps it up for this week's Hodgepodge.  Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This sweet graphic is by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

For this St. Patrick's Day, I decided to do something a little different.

Many readers know that every year I write (or update) a kids' summer devotional book for our church's children's ministry, Patch the Pirate Club.  (You can learn more about Patch the Pirate Clubs here.)

Back in 2005, the songs and lessons the kids studied were from the Patch the Pirate adventure Limerick the Leprechaun, so I wrote a devotional book for our church kids featuring an Irish theme and also including information about sheep and shepherds.  One of many things I wrote about was the topic of "Irish Blessings."  Of course, when sharing these with the kids, I steered clear of those that emphasized luck.  For, as Abby reminds us in this post, No Luck Here, we are blessed, not lucky.

So today I am simply going to share the devotional page I wrote concerning one "Irish Blessing".

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart."  

(Psalm 37:4)

Today we will learn about another "Irish blessing".  You may remember that these "Irish blessings" are good things that one person might wish for another.  Here is the one for today:

May you always have

Walls for the winds,

A roof for the rain,

Tea beside the fire.

Laughter to cheer you,

Those you love near you,

And all that your heart might desire!

These are good things to wish for your friends. "Walls for the winds" and "a roof for the rain" mean that you hope your friends will always have shelter from the weather.  

"Tea beside the fire" reminds us of a warm, cozy home.  Tea warms us up on the inside and a fire warms us up on the outside!

"Laughter to cheer you" is a good thing to have.  The Bible tells us in Proverbs 17:22 that "a merry heart doeth good like a medicine."

Of course, "those you love near you" is a wish to always have friends and family nearby.  We like to have our loved ones near.

The last wish is "for all that your heart might desire."  Our Bible verse today tells us that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts.  Delighting in God means that He is more important to us than anything else in our lives.  If we delight in God, we will love to spend time with Him, reading His Word, and talking to Him in prayer.  If we truly delight in God, the things we desire, or really want, will be things that please Him.  When we delight in God, He will give us the desires of our hearts.

*  Thank God for the promises in His Word, the Bible.  Ask God to help you delight in Him more each day.  *

And there you have it!  Hope you've enjoyed this glimpse into my devotional book In Green Pastures.  This particular Irish blessing strikes me as one that I would wish for all of my friends.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  And remember, we are blessed -- not lucky.

My Valentine's Day Pinterest board

It will soon be time to think about Valentine's Day -- and, indeed, some have been posting Valentine ideas for weeks.  I am not one of them, but today I thought I would share the Pinterest board that I have created for Valentine ideas.

You can find it here:  My Valentine’s Day Pinterest board. 

I thought it might be fun to share a few of my pins with you.

Photo from A Little Sweetness

 This Little Patchwork Heart is from Tasha at A Little Sweetness.  Of the ideas I've pinned, this looks like it might be the most time-consuming, but it is sweet so I'm sharing it.

Photo from Clean and Scentsible

 The Valentine Chalkboard with Photo Banner from Jenn at Clean and Scentsible looks very doable.  I love it.  The chalkboard message is lovely and looks not too difficult even for a non-artist type like me.  The photo banner is adorable.

Photo from Amy J. Delightful

 Here's another banner, this one super-simple.  It's a Mini Vintage Valentine’s Garland which is put together with a sewing machine.  Amy J. Delightful even provides the vintage Valentines for you to download and print out!

Image from Brown Sugar Toast

Lastly, here are 21 Valentine Breakfast Ideas from Christa at Brown Sugar Toast.  Since Valentine's Day is on a Tuesday this year, you might want to make one of these breakfasts on the weekend either before or after. 

You will probably want to check out the board for yourself, as there are over a hundred more ideas.   Many look quick and easy and so you could still utilize them for the upcoming holiday.

Have you done any decorating or crafting yet for Valentine's Day?

Happy Fourth of July!

I hope that all of my readers will enjoy a great day of celebrating the Glorious Fourth with family and/or friends!  We will be attending a 4th of July picnic later in the day, with fireworks to follow in the evening. 

For something a little different today, I am going to share the July 4 page from my summer devotional book for kids, This Land is Our Land.  This book has a patriotic theme and also allows kids to "visit" each state of the USA to learn a few interesting facts about each one.  So here's today's page:

 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."  (Galatians 5:1)

It's the Fourth of July -- America's Independence Day!  On this day, we celebrate the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.  This important paper was signed on July 4, 1776, and it declared our country to be free and independent from being ruled by England. Because our independence was won by way of war with England, we celebrate with fireworks, which remind us of gunfire and "bombs bursting in air" as our national anthem says. 
 
We are thinking today about the state of Michigan, and it’s a great place to celebrate July 4th. One of the neatest places to celebrate is on Mackinac Island, where they have an Old Fashioned Fourth of July.  An old Revolutionary War fort is on this island. At the fort, there will be military demonstrations, gun salutes, and patriotic music all day long.  

At 10 a.m., every 4th of July, there is a stone-skipping tournament on Mackinac Island. This year is the 48th one. You can watch this interesting contest or even skip stones yourself. If you get hungry, there will be an All-American Picnic served on the Fort Mackinac parade ground. The food will be served by the Grand Hotel and will include barbecued ribs, grilled chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, salads, and desserts. At dusk, you will be able to watch spectacular fireworks over the Round Island Lighthouse. What a wonderful way to celebrate our country’s independence!
 
Our verse today is a good reminder that as Christians, we have been set free from sin. How were we set free? We were set free from sin by the death of Jesus on the cross. He paid the price for our sins, but it cost Him His life. Are we thankful and grateful to Jesus for dying so that we could be free? If we are, we will want to live in a way that pleases Him. We will not want to get tangled up with our old sins again.

* Thank Jesus for dying on the cross for you. Thank Him that he has made you free from sin.  Ask God to help you live in ways that please Him and are a good testimony to others.  Ask Him to help you not to get tangled up with your old sins. *

Hope you have enjoyed this somewhat different post.  Happy Independence Day!

Happy Memorial Day

Today I'm wishing a meaningful Memorial Day to all.  I trust that many of my readers and friends are enjoying, or have enjoyed, a wonderful weekend with family and/or friends.  I know that some are sorrowing today, and my heart goes out to those friends who are overwhelmed with grief and sadness. 

This morning I was reading a post from my blog friend Barbara H. who blogs at Stray Thoughts. She used a graphic which pointed out the meanings of Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, and Armed Forces Day.  I am often confused about these holidays, so I appreciated her sharing the information.  Memorial Day honors those who died in service to our nation.  Veteran's Day honors the living who have served in our armed forces.  And Armed Forces Day honors those who are currently serving in the military.

Barbara also included a quote from Franklin D. Roosevelt, who noted: "Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them."  This idea is something that has been on my heart often as I care for my elderly dad, a World War II veteran.  The men and women who gave up so much, and in many cases, their very lives, for the cause of freedom, are such an inspiration,  and we owe them much.  We should never take our freedom for granted, though many do.  Let's be sure we are showing our appreciation to our veterans, thanking God for the freedoms we enjoy, and praying faithfully for our nation.

My favorite hints and recipes for Thanksgiving

 (or for any holiday meal that involves a turkey dinner!  I know that my Canadian readers have already celebrated Thanksgiving, but perhaps you might like to try some of these ideas for your Christmas dinner.)

With Thanksgiving coming up soon in the U.S., I thought I would post this again.  In this post from a few years back,  I  shared a few links to some of my older posts which are filled with recipes and tips for Thanksgiving dinner.  If you are a new visitor to my kitchen table, you may want to check out these links.  Here goes!

I posted the following in 2012, and it includes a lot of the same links I'm sharing today, but it might be helpful to someone:  A Gathering of Thanksgiving Tips and Recipes.

For pies, which are the most intimidating part of the meal for many people, I offer these Helpful Tips for Thanksgiving Pies.  If pie crust intimidates you (as it does many others), then don't stress about it.  I give you a recipe for an easy oil pastry, but if you don't want to go that route, then the sheets of refrigerated pie crust one can buy (I've even seen them in store brands!) work very well.  You can even buy frozen pie shells that aren't half bad.  Or if you just don't want to make pies, you can buy some very nice pies from bakeries that specialize in them.

From my antique card collection

Some of our Favorite Thanksgiving Pie Recipes are included in this post.  Maybe you will find a new family favorite!

But what if you are avoiding wheat, or a family member who'll be at your table is eating gluten free?  No worries.  This Gluten Free Pie Crust is easy to make and very good.  It's a simple press-in-pan crust and so it really won't work for a double crust pie.  But anyone who has lived without wheat for any length of time will be so happy to have a pie they can eat that they won't care if it's just a single crust pie.  It works perfectly for pumpkin pie, for example.

Probably the next most intimidating part of the meal is the turkey itself.  If you have, or are buying a frozen turkey, the rule of thumb for thawing it is to allow 24 hours in the fridge for each 5 pounds of the turkey's weight.  I find this not quite enough, so allowing an extra day would be my advice.  Invariably if I follow that rule of thumb, the giblets are still frozen in place.  Last year I bought my frozen turkey (21 pounds) on the Thursday before Thanksgiving and put it right into the fridge to start thawing.

Cooking it in an oven bag is my best advice on roasting a turkey.  It shortens the time considerably and produces tender, juicy meat.

From my Autumn in the Air booklet (Cracker Barrel, 2001)

For years, I stressed about gravy.  People love it and expect it, but making it at the last minute can be very stressful.  Usually there are other people in the kitchen, helping out with other things, and that complicates matters (even though they are truly trying to help when they watch over your shoulder and give advice).  So for a few years I then turned to canned or jarred gravy, transferring it to a saucepan and removing the evidence of the cans and jars well ahead of the guests' arrival.  That was great, but I found the gravy packets made even better gravy.  And then finally, I found this recipe:  Easy Turkey Gravy.  It truly is easy and it makes lots and lots of gravy.  If you are feeding people who think there is never enough gravy, try this.  For once they will be satisfied and there may even be some gravy left to serve with the leftovers or to make hot turkey sandwiches.

Stuffing, too, can be a source of discouragement.  I usually use a bag of Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix, prepare it with celery and onion as the package instructions suggest, and also add dried cranberries.  In my tips and recipes post ( the first link at top) I detail how I cook it in a slow cooker.  Just don't leave it in there for too long, as it will burn and dry out.

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes are my go-to recipe for making mashed potatoes for a lot of people.  This year I was seriously thinking of using the Idahoan instant mashed potatoes, which are actually very good and are only $1 per packet, but my hubby won't let me because he loves the make-ahead mashed potatoes so much!

Sweet Potato Casserole is our family's favorite sweet potato recipe.  I've made it with canned sweet potatoes and it comes out just fine.

Broccoli Casserole is another great side dish that always goes over well.

I tend to skip serving rolls when there is so much other good food on the table, but if your family won't let you, then try these: Homemade Dinner Rolls.  They're a homemade crescent roll and are really delicious.

If your family insists on creamed onions (as mine does), here's the recipe I use:  Scalloped Onions.  It uses the frozen small onions.  Life is far too short to peel those little pearl onions.  I always buy the frozen (unsauced) ones and make my own sauce.

Cranberry sauce or relish can be purchased and is just fine.  If you want to make your own, try the Taste of Home site for some good recipes, or you may be able to find one here.

For a memory of my childhood Thanksgivings, you might like to read A Thanksgiving Memory for a little nostalgia.  By the way, that's my grandmother in the photo at top, and the recipe is for my great-grandmother's Date Cake, which was somewhat of a tradition at our holiday dinners.  It was served thickly frosted with white frosting and with walnut or pecan halves pressed into the frosting.

And if you enjoy vintage things, you might like to take a peek at this Children's Book of Thanksgiving Prayers.  This was actually sold as a greeting card, I believe. 

For more Thanksgiving posts, click on the "Thanksgiving" label in the word cloud of labels in the right sidebar.  You may find some surprises I've forgotten about!

Today I am linking up with Sandi's No Place Like Home at Rose Chintz Cottage. And I am also linking to Gooseberry Patch's Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup.