At Considerable Cost

Our Thanksgiving mantle this year.   The candlesticks, metal pumpkins, and pilgrims belonged to my mother.   The iron cross was a gift from my friend Amber when my father passed away last year. Our sweet girls.   I wish we could have found the brown shirt in both sizes! Our Thanksgiving plate this year: oven roasted turkey, sweet potatoes and apples , buttermilk mashed potatoes, corn, peas, cornbread dressing , cranberry sauce, and green bean casserole (which I never ate until after I was married), and homemade rolls--Mama's recipe .   I got a phone call from a woman in another state this morning about these rolls.   She saw the recipe in Taste of Home and had a question about how I formed them in the muffin tins.   We do a full meal even though it's "just us."   I look forward to cooking this meal all year! One of my cherry pies this year. Too much Thanksgiving!   Poor baby boy f...

T hree children, beautiful, happy and healthy H usband, faithful and loving, and provider A nswered prayers, not always in my time or to my understanding, but always toward good in the end N eeds--most basic--comfort, shelter, food--met by the grace of God & those not basic, but still necessary--good books, conversation, beauty in creation, art, music and recreation to refresh body and mind K indness, in the forms of the most simple and the most profound acts by relatives, friends, and strangers F aith--a complete gift, unmerited U niversal, or Catholic, Church, where I can meet Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament L ife, given me by God, nourished and tended by my parents, brightened and enriched by family and friends

My sweet baby boy caught at nap time "night night" with his dogs.   He doesn't like to sleep without both dogs and his Aunt Amber blanket.   He raises his arms to me and says, "Night, night," when he's sleepy and as I carry him to his crib, he pats my back with his sweet little hand.   Such perfect sweetness.   Such a blessing; my heart overflows.

My children did this the past two years, so I guess it's on its way to becoming a family tradition.   It's super easy and gives everyone a chance to have a turn.   They are so proud to pass "their" butter around the table.   I could go into the details, but one of the blogs I follow, My Montessori Journey , has a post with directions and pictures.   Why reinvent the wheel?   Enjoy and I hope this becomes a tradition in your home, too! http://mymontessorijourney.typepad.com/my_montessori_journey/2010/11/shakin-up-some-yum.html

My mother did not have a stuffing, or dressing, recipe.   She just made it, without written directions.   After she passed away, I wanted to find a recipe that tasted like hers.   This one not only tastes like hers, but it has the added benefit of freeing up space in the oven on Thanksgiving day.   Use a disposable liner in your slow-cooker and clean-up is easy. SLOW-COOKER CORNBREAD DRESSING from Southern Living, November 2005 4 1/2 cups cornbread crumbs 1 (16 oz.) pkg. herb stuffing mix 2 (10 3/4 oz.) cans cream of chicken soup 2 (14 oz.) cans low-sodium chicken broth 1 med. onion, chopped 1/2 cup chopped celery 4 eggs 1 Tbsp. rubbed sage 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. black pepper 2 Tbsp. butter, cut up Stir together cornbread crumbs, stuffing mix, and next 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Pour cornbread mixture into a lightly greased 5 1/2 - 6 quart slow cooker.   Dot with butter.   Cook, covered, on LOW 4 hours or ...

I am up late, writing this just- barely- late- Tuesday Folder post.   If this week had a theme, it was Blessed Simplicity. The past week was busy and wonderful.   The weather at the beginning of the week was gorgeous--skies that were so pretty they did not even look real and perfect temperatures with no need for a jacket and a much welcomed and appreciated reprieve from the heat.   So, all conditions were right for park days--just our family and playdates with friends.   How perfectly lovely and refreshing to visit with a like-minded mom while watching happy children play together in God's creation.   Thank you, Lord for such simple blessings! Playing horse races! He's so loved that he doesn't get to slide alone that often. Lord, help me to stop, slow down and enjoy these precious moments instead of rushing about to the next task. The latter part of the week was all about PIE.   Women of our paris...

Yesterday was a nice Saturday morning.   The kids spent fun time with Daddy (and hot Shipley's donuts) while I headed off to garage sales.   Being the first Saturday of the month, the front page of the classifieds section was full of sales.   Friday night, I picked those that looked most promising and entered them into the GPS (bought with profit from our own garage sale).   I didn't find much, but what I did find was worth my time.   One garage sale was held at the home of a friend, Ann, who passed away in March.   I was happy to find a coffee pot there; now I will think of her whenever I pour coffee for my guests.    All this for $35. A Tiffany-style lamp, a glass and silver-plate coffee pot and warmer/serving stand, 4 science books for the kids, Dr. Dobson's book I've wanted to buy, and a Southern Living Quick Meals recipe book We needed a new bedside lamp and this was perfect.  It even came with a l...