Potato Soup for Valerie

My daughter, Valerie, has been very sick this past week, and I took some potato soup to her yesterday. She is much better today and insists that the potato soup is what helped her so much. (I think she loves me.)Anyway, she has insisted that I put the recipe on my blog to share. It is not too hard, as I use a lot of help from the store and Campbell's! I add Campbell's soup for all the flavor they have, and they compliment the fresh potatoes and carrots so well. This recipe looks long at first glance but is easy as can be. I will say, that if you have someone who cannot tolerate MSG (Mono sodium Glutamate), you will need to go to Campbell's Healthy Choice or other brand soups rather than the regular red and white labeled Campbell Soups. (MSG is known to cause migraine headaches.)

Alice's Potato Soup

2-3 lb Yukon Gold potatoes

Sliced Carrots

Organic Chicken Broth 32 oz. box

Water, approximately 2 cups

2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 cloves fresh Garlic

Sea Salt, and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

Cook together until potatoes and carrots are tender.

Add the following:

Campbell's Cream of Cheddar Soup

Campbell's Cream of Asparagus Soup

Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup

Campbell's Cream of Celery Soup

(do not add water to these cans of soup)

Simmer for about 30 minutes after adding extra soups, to blend flavors

Serve with hot cornbread

HOT DONUTS

This recipe is for a recipe exchange for breakfast items over at Pams Recipe Exchange ! Hop on over there and join in the fun!

Fast and Easy Hot Donuts

1 Can Biscuits
Vegetable oil
Confectioner's Sugar
Milk ( just enough to make the confectioner's sugar a little runny)

Heat canola or vegetable oil in small fry pan. Amount of vegetable oil will depend on size of pan. You want your donuts to float on top of oil when cooking.
Open your favorite brand of canned biscuits. Pull hole in the middle of the biscuit, drop carefully into hot oil. Turn when brown on one side and brown the other side.
Remove from pan. Place on paper towel, quickly remove and dip in confectioner's sugar that is mixed with milk to just coat, or sprinkle confectioners sugar on top.
Serve immediately while warm.

Mama's Bird Quilt

This is the last quilt my dear Mother made. It is what she called "The Bird Quilt". There are birds embroidered on the blocks with the state names. She worked hard on the embroider work, as at the time of her life when she did this, she was no longer able to handle the weight of the quilt itself, and had a friend to do the quilting on it.

She was so proud of this quilt, and it is the only one she kept for herself, and one day told me it was mine. She is gone now, but I look at the work of her hands and I can see her in my mind's eye as she worked diligently on each bird.

Mama did quilts, crochet, and embroidery. It was something she loved to do more than any other things. I am proud to have inherited the work of her hands and I cherish this quilt so much.

I've Been Tagged!

I have been tagged by valerie !

Rules:
1.Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.
2.Post THE RULES on your blog.
3.Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.
4.Tag 7 people and link to them.
5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

Seven Wierd or Random facts about me.

1.I am a Mother, Grandmother, and Great Grandmother to some wonderful people whom I love very much.

2.I am very devoted to Jesus Christ as my Saviour and try to live in the way that He would be pleased with me.

3.I am a "wanna-be" quilter! I am working toward finishing my first quilt!

4.I surf the blogs for the wonderful quilt artists in the hope that I can gain some knowledge about quilting and gardening. I am a lover of flowers and gardening blogs.

5.I love my new hobby of blogging, and cherish the comments I receive, and wish I had more.

6.The most wierd thing about me is that altho I am past the retirement age, I still work at a job about 46 hours per week. (not too many people understand that), but I like being active and keeping my skills up on office work. I think it keeps life interesting. (Although I do love to be home too, to do all my "wanna-be" desires.)

7.I am serious about being frugal, but do not mind spending for the things I care about most.

Well, can't do #4 because I do not know enough bloggers to tag. My daughter, valerie and I love some of the same blogs, and she has tagged some of them. If someone reads this and hasn't been tagged consider it done. Lets hear from you...please!!

Happy Valentine's Day

A Valentine memory of my Mother

Proverbs:31;10

Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.

Proverbs: 31;30

Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

My Mother married my Dad when she was 16 years old.

She was born on Valentine's day 1896. She always felt so special because she was born on this special day of love. She was very dovoted to the Lord Jesus Christ, and is now in His Presence. I was the last of her 11 children. I was born when she was in her forties. She passed away at the age of 97 years old. She was active right up until the last year of her life, and was so interested in all that was going on in the world. She was a perfect Mother, a perfect Grandmother and a perfect friend to all who knew her.

Mom, you have given me so much to be thankful for, it's hard to know where to begin. Through your wonderful strength and courage throughout your life, I learned to meet life's challenges with confidence. Through your understanding and caring, I learned to accept life's disappointments. Through your wisdom and advice, I learned lessons that can only come from years of experience. Thank you, God, for blessing me and my family with our wonderful Mother.

We miss her so very much, our Special Valentine.

Sunday Afternoon Cooking

Today I was in the mood to cook. I had purchased a new crockpot and had not yet used it. Not that I needed another one, but this one was special in that I can carry it in the car without it spilling. I decided to use many of the fresh and canned vegetables I had on hand. My soup is made up of the following items:

Fresh organic carrots

Red potatoes and Yukon Gold potatoes

Large yellow onion, chopped

Organic vegetable broth

Green beans

Corn

Large can diced tomatoes

Canned black beans

Canned Chicken broth plus water to cover vegetables

Sea Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pinch of nutmeg

Simmer for 6 hours and serve with fresh cornbread.

This may be one of the best vegetable soups I have made. I think the nutmeg made the difference.

Birthday Letters

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today while I was at work, a beautiful basket was delivered to me for my birthday! I was so happily surprised! It turns out that my darling daughter, Valerie, had secretly delivered the basket full of goodies and gifts from her and her family. There were happy birthday letters from each of them, and many many gifts. It was very wonderful. My Grandson, Nathan, had made a video of family photos with music for me, there was candy, two lovely cups for my tea, some tea, some coffee, some crocheted dishcloths, some creamy body wash from Bath and Body Works, a bracelet, a lovely journal, a large photo album, a small picture album, a dvd of Ruth Graham's life, a lavendar Grow Kit, and art drawn by Alyssa, my Great-granddaughter, a gorgeous birthday letter from Triston, my other Great-granddaughter, and some vintage letters from my Aunt that were mailed so long ago that the stamps were only 4 and 6 cents each! (How long ago was that!)

Also, many cards in the mail, and a gift card from my daughter, Brenda, who lives near Nashville. My other daughter, Karen came by after work and spent an hour cutting my hair. They all have honored me so by showing their love, but it is not unusual for them to show their love all the time. And I love them all so much! Thanks!

We Are Thankful

Last night, tornados hit several states, taking many lives. My lovely granddaughter, Jami, was at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, when tornados hit her school. She is safe, and most students are fine, although a few students were injured. Union University suffered major damage, but due to the excellent leadership there, students were warned and told what to do in this very major emergency evacuation.

We praise the Lord that she is safe and we appreciate Union University for their excellent emergency measures that no doubt saved many lives.

So, today, our family and friends are just thanking God that He watched over our little darling and her fellow students.

We praise God for His wonderful protection and care. He IS all powerful.

A Love Story

This story was told to me through the years, and I felt it was beautiful enough to share. It was somewhere around 1939 when the story begins.
Irene was a soft spoken, beautiful young woman. She was working in a restaurant that her father owned. She and her whole family had grown up in the Blue Ridge Mountains, but she was the only child left at home, and became the caregiver for her dear Mother until she passed away.
After that, she and her father moved to a small town in Tennessee and opened the restaurant, where she was the cook and waitress. She was the ultimate country cook, making biscuits from scratch daily, gravy, ham, eggs and all the vegetables and desserts that are so prevalent still in country restaurants in the South.
Her father was the business manager. His career as a younger man had been a school teacher in a one-room school, where he taught all the children in the area, as well as his own children at many times in their lives. He was a man well respected and honored as a fine upstanding dignified southern gentleman. I always love looking at some of his handwriting. It was the most beautiful handwriting I have ever seen, real calligraphy, but it was an everyday writing to him. That is the way they taught them in those days. Great handwriting was essential. My Grandfather died when I was a baby, so I actually never knew him, but I heard all about him from my Mother as I grew up.Ah, but I digress from my original subject.
Irene worked hard and diligently in the restaurant. In those days there were no fine cookstoves and work-saving appliances that we have today. From time to time, she would get on the train to Nashville, and visit one of her brothers and his family. It was a way to get away from the drudgery of the kitchen work and give her a little time to rest.
Across the road from the restaurant were the train tracks where trains travelled several times a day. It was a most popular mode of travel for many, especially those who could not afford automobiles, or could not drive.
Irene took the train as often as she could. The trip from the small Tennessee town where she lived to Nashville is not a long way to travel, but it was her only transportation and she loved riding the train. She always said there was just something about the sound of the train, and the scenery flying by that was so relaxing to her.
The conductor on the train began to notice this lovely woman riding his train often. Soon they began to have conversations and a friendship evolved. They would watch for each other every weekend as she would board the train for the short trip.
She soon found out that he was married and that his wife was totally disabled in mind and body. Their friendship and conversations were their only outlet for the emotions that both began to feel for each other. Many times when she could not make the train trip, he would throw out a note as the train passed and she would run out and get it.
Finally, her father passed away and the restaurant had to be sold. Irene moved away and lived with her brother and his family. Then they began to write letters to each other. As far as I ever knew that was the extent of their love story, as both of them had too much integrity to pursue the relationship.She was my best friend. I remember her coming to my house when my children were small and my youngest child and I both were in bed with a severe case of the mumps. She took care of us all while we were sick. She was such a quiet spirit, never complaining about her life or the lack of love. I never understood in those days when she heard a train whistle blow, she would always say, "oh, how I love that low mournful sound".
There is no doubt in my mind that as beautiful as she was, there was someone out there that would have loved and cherished her as she deserved, but she had no interest in looking.
I noticed a change in her the last two years of her life. I found out later that her friend had passed away. She left us with a sudden heart attack two years later at the age of 64.Where I now live, I am about 2 miles from a train track, and if I listen closely about 7 AM every day, I hear that low mournful sound of the train whistle, and I have learned to love it. I think of my dear Irene every time I hear it.