Rice Quinoa Pilaf with Chia

1/2 TSP THYME

1/2 TSP BASIL LEAVES

1 TSP PAPRIKA

2 CHICKEN BOUILLON CUBES

1 CUP RICE

1 CUP QUINOA

1 LARGE SPOONFUL OF CHIA SEEDS

BRING 2 cups of water and 2 chicken bouillon cubes to a boil, add rice, quinoa and spices.  Cover and lower heat.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes fluff and stir in large spoonful of chia seeds. 

Easy Spanish Rice

Ingredients

2 cups of water
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1 cup rice
1 TBL butter


Bring all ingredients to a boil.  reduce heat, simmer covered 20 minutes.  remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes.

Baby lasagna

Last night my middle child wanted spaghetti but we didn’t have noodles so we created something new.  With stuff we had laying around.

1.5 pounds ground hamburger meat
1 block of Philadelphia cream cheese
1 jar spaghetti sauce traditional
1 cup of shedded Colby jack
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 box of bow tie  pasta


Cook pasta as directed on box.  pre heat oven to 400.

Brown hamburger meat.  Pour in sauce, melte in cream cheese and coby jack.

Once noodles are done, drain and pour pasta into a 13x9 Pyrex dish.  Pour sauce mixture over pasta and mix well.  Top with Mozzarella and bake until,cheese is melted and bubbly!

Serve with salad and garlic toast.

Ranger Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups quick oats
2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups corn flakes
1 cup coconut

Cream sugar and butter, mix in eggs and vanilla.  Then mix in oats. Then mix flour, soda, and salt.  Once we’ll mixed stir in cornflakes and coconut

Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes

From the kitchen of Catherine Ford, by way of John’s Grandma Anola Lancaster

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed Bell peppers

1 pound of hamburger meat
1/3 onion
5 bell peppers
1 cup of rice
5 oz of pizza sauce
1 can Black beans
Cheddar cheese
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder


Wash 5 bell peppers (I used red and yellow peppers). Remove tops and clean out inside.  Set aside. Cook rice, meanwhile brown hamburger meat with diced onions, add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.  When rice is done stir into meat mixture, drain beans and stir in, stir in pizza sauce, stir in about a 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.   Stuff bell peppers with meat mixture. Add about 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of my instata pot, and stood all 5 peppers in the pot.  cooked for 10 minutes.  I added cheese to the top and let it melt then served.



 I had a little left over meat mixture so I filled tortillas and topped with cheese and baked for 10 minutes.  The kids loved these!

Mexican CornBread

2 packages of Corn Kits
2 eggs
1 and 1/3 cup milk
1 can of cream style corn (14.75 oz)

Mix together and set aside

1lb hamburger
1/2 cup jalapeño peppers
1/2 onion

Chop veggies and brown with meat.  Drain juices.

Pour 1/2 cornbread mix in pan.  Put meat mixture and 8oz of shredded cheese then pour other 1/2 of corn bread mixtures.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees until done (about 35 minutes)

Blessings

6 years ago today this beautiful, funny, sweet, amazingly tough little girl was hospitalized for a very very high fever.  She was 30 days old and the doctors couldn't explain what was wrong with her.  She endured 4 lumbar punctures, multiple IV's, and finally a PICC line.  She was treated with Tamaflu (special FDA approval was required because of her age), she was treated with multiple antibiotics. This was an incredibly scary time for me.  We had only lived in CLarksville for about 2 months and I only had 1 friend, John was away at Ranger school and Tyler was 2.

This was the most terrifying and probably hardest day of my life.  During this horrible time God was with me.  He sent me blessing after blessing.

The first blessing came in the form of Alisha, she had only known me a couple of weeks, and it was the 1st day of her new job, but she came to the hospital and took Tyler home with her so the nurses weren't forced to call the foster care system to place him until a family member could pick him up, since I was required to be there with Caylee.  Alisha, I will never forget what you did for me, you were a blessing straight from God and I still thank him for putting you in my path.

The 2nd blessing was my mother in law, Peggy, was able to get a flight to Nashville the next morning and was at the hospital in less than 24 hours.  I am truly blessed with the best in laws in the world.

The 3rd blessing was my in the form of my dear sweet life long friend Cassondra Fuller,  Cassondra went to her Dad, my childhood pastor, and told him that she felt like they needed to come to TN and pray for Caylee.   She called my mom and asked if she wanted to go.  You see we had decided that since I may need help for awhile, Peggy would come first, then when she had to leave my mom would come.  Cassondra, my mom, and Bro. Fuller all hoped in the car and drove the 12+ hours to TN, they surprised me when they walked into the hospital room.  I couldn't believe it.  It was just what I needed.  I felt wrapped in Love and support.  They prayed for Caylee, and after a quick lunch, drove the 12 hours home again.  To me it will always be a great act of love and friendship.  I miss Cassie everyday and wish that she could see Caylee today.

The 4th blessing was in the form of a new friend.  You see when Caylee was born, my mom and Tyler had my a couple at a Chinese restaurant.  They had exchanged numbers and my mom told the wife that she would give her number to me and hopefully we would be great friends.  I told my mom that I wasn't going to call a complete stranger and be like, "let's hang out."  So I didn't take the number.  Well my mom still had the number and she called the lady and told her what was going on.  Being in a hospital room is lonely, especially when you don't know anyone local and don't have visitors, so when this stranger and her husband walked in I was surprised and pleased to have the company.  Tabitha Sue and Chris are 2 of the best people we know.  They became more than friends to us, they became family.  John and I talk all the time about how much we miss them and wish that we were able to live close to them.

And of course his biggest blessing was healing Caylee completely.  She is a healthy, happy 6 year old girl.

Today always reminds me to never forget that even in the darkest times, the scary, pain filled times, I must remember that I am never alone.  He will never leave me, and even though I may not realize it at the time, some of my greatest blessing have come out of my darkest and hardest moments.

Thank you Jesus for all of your blessings on me.