Second Chance Mac N' Cheese

Ok. So this dish is not going to win any awards or make you go WOW! But today is the day after Christmas, I am exhausted and ended up with a crazy amount of left over macaroni and cheese. Now one thing you must understand is I have inherited this gene from my memaw that won't allow me to waste things. I can be a real pack rat too. "Ooh! That would be a good (insert item here) to use some day to (insert use here)." I fight this constantly lest TV cameras show up at my door one day with a smiling TV host saying," Your family sent us, they are concerned about you and think you need help". So thus the second chance mac and cheese was born. Now the thing about left overs is you just use what you have so my dish may be a lot different than another person. My goal was to make a creamy cheesy one skillet dish. So here goes nothing.

First I sauteed onions and garlic in olive oil. I had some left over mushrooms that needed to be cooked so I dumped those in the skillet too. I cooked this until it was soft, then added salt, pepper, basil, and oregano. Then in with a can of diced tomatoes, the mac and cheese, dry mustard and a little Worcestershire sauce. I then added some sharp cheddar and some Parmesan. You could leave out the tomatoes, or add chicken or beef, or what ever sounds good. Like I said, the thing is to use whatever you like and you have on hand.

So not 5 star, but a quick yummy supper that didn't waste the mac and cheese. Memaw would be proud.

I started thinking about second chances when I gave the mac and cheese a new "life" tonight. I am thankful for second chances. Our God is the God of second chances. Sometimes we screw things up, basically because we are human and these things happen. No matter how hard we try, we will always make mistakes. Sometimes I know there are things that God would like for me to do, but I don't listen and don't do them. He forgives my faults and helps me to forgive myself. He certainly gives me many second chances. I hope that you too can find your second chances.

"Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22, 23

Wishing you much love and many blessings,
Stace

The Simple Things

This afternoon I am reminded of how much I love the simple things in life. It is good to have dreams, goal and ambitions, but it is the day to day little things that I think are the most important somehow. Simple things like hugging our children and family, smiles and laughter, sitting on the porch and enjoying God's creation. Even a Saturday morning trip to the market is a wonderful time. It is not the things we buy, although I enjoy the fresh veggies, milk and eggs, but it is more the relationships that we have started with the people there. It is a simple thing to say hello and share a smile and a thanks. Another simple thing that I love is making a pot of soup. Not a fancy soup with a name that is difficult to pronounce and unusual ingredients, but a simple pot of wholesome hearty soup. Today's was Lentil Soup. Nothing fancy here, just wonderfully simple goodness. I am also glad that our God is simple. We don't have to do anything fancy to impress Him. I think all he wants really is our love and devotion, to put Him first in our lives and serve and worship Him. Of course when we do this, he blesses us and wonderful things come of it, like opportunities to serve and share our blessings and His love with others. So in keeping with the simple things in life. I give you my Lentil Soup recipe.

Lentil Soup

1 Lg onion chopped
4 cloves garlic slivered
4 small carrots or 2 larger ones chopped

Saute these in the bottom of a dutch oven in olive oil til tender.
Add in salt to taste, approx. 1 tsp Cumin, a sprinkle of Coriander and Turmeric. ( I add to taste)
1 -28oz can of diced tomatoes and about 4 cups of vegetable stock, and 1 to 1 1/2 cups of lentils. (red or brown are my favorites) Let cook til lentils are tender, about 30 minutes; then add in fresh chopped cilantro and about 1 tbsp of lemon juice. You may need to add in some water if your soup gets thick while the lentils cook.

I like to serve this with nice crusty bread and add a little feta cheese to my bowl of soup. It is simple, but oh so good. Not too expensive either which is a plus as well.

My hope is that as this week progresses, I can enjoy the simple things and focus on the things that God would have me to. It is simple really. Believe in Him, love Him and fix my eyes on Him. Everything else will all fall into place with these. I hope you too have a blessed week full of simple things.

John 3 : 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Much Love and Many Blessings,
Stace

Beautiful Brussels Sprouts!

There are some veggies out there that just simply get a bad reputation and it seems it never changes. Most of the people I have discussed brussels sprouts with do not like them. Some are very open minded vegetarians when it comes to food. I personally love a good brussels sprout. I fear these individuals have horrible memories of steamed bland brussels sprouts from a freezer bag, perhaps drowned in processed cheese, that have no flavor and are no fun whatsoever. When prepared with imagination, these healthy little tidbits are fabulous. I found this recipe in January's edition of Vegetarian Times and it is really quite tasty. I used frozen veg instead of fresh simply for price and convenience, and it worked out quite well. I also had some hamburger I needed to use, so I made hamburger patties with onion, garlic and feta cheese. Turned out to be a pretty great supper for one since my favorite vegetarian was visiting his parents. (He is one of those open minded vegetarians who doesn't really care for brussels sprouts. I figured what better time? )

Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Dried Cranberries
adapted from Vegetarian Times magazine.

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tsp olive oil
1lb bag frozen brussels sprouts thawed and halved
2 shallots chopped (sweet or yellow onions would work, aprox 1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic slivered
1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries ( I accidentally bought cherries, worked out pretty well.)
1 Tbs Honey

In a dry skillet toast the walnuts over med high heat, about 3-4 minutes. You don't want them too brown, only lightly toasted to give them some great flavor. Set these aside til later. Take the shallots and garlic and saute them in the olive oil over med heat til they are beginning to soften and become translucent. Add in the brussels sprouts and cranberries and saute until tender, add a bit of water (aprox 1/4 to 1/2 cup) to keep them from sticking. When they are soft and most of the liquid is gone, let this cook until the onions and garlic and brussels sprouts begin to caramelize, (you will see browning on the edges, use a lower heat if needed to prevent burning) which gives it a sweeter flavor. I like my veg a little more firm than some, so cook til you are satisfied. Remove from heat. Add in the honey and walnuts, toss together and serve.

During this past week, Chris has been to visit his parents and things were very lonely around here. I have really enjoyed having him back home. I truly have a blessed life, in so many ways, but it is not complete when we are apart. I am thankful for my friend and husband that God has given me. He is the peanut butter and I am the jelly in this world we live in. Both of those apart are good, but put them together and it is fabulous!

1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Thank you Lord, for your undying love, and the love you have given to me.

Many Blessings and Much Love!
Stace

New Year, New You?

It's that time again. New Year resolutions have been made, and now we have to try and follow through. The beginning of a new year provides an opportunity to try and make things "new", make a change, become a better person. Funny how the change of date can motivate so many. There are few ideas about where New Year resolutions originated, some from Roman and Babylonian cultures. The new year has not always begun on January 1st, so these traditions have changed over the years as cultures and ideas changed. We start out with good intentions and by the second or third month many of us have become less motivated to keep our resolutions.

I usually don't make a New Year Resolution, just try to make the best things as they come. Today I was looking at a cookbook a friend had given me and realized that I have a huge collection of recipes and I have gotten into a rut and cook most of the same things over and over. I resolved to cook at least one new recipe each week to take advantage of all these recipes. Why have them if I am not going to use them, right? So, for my friends who have asked to know what I am cooking, here you go. Tonight's meal was not new, but not something we have everyday. I used a black bean recipe from a Vegetarian Times cookbook (Thanks Patty!) and tweaked things to my liking.

Black Bean Burritos:

In a tiny bit of olive oil saute' 1 large onion diced, 2-4 cloves of garlic slivered. When this is nice and tender add in: 1 can black beans drained and rinsed, about 1/2 t. cumin, 1 t. cilantro, 1/2 t. turmeric and salt and pepper to taste. (adjust these to your taste, I don't really measure, just toss it in.) You could also add in some chilies if you wanted some heat. Cook til tender, add in a bit of stock or water if needed to keep from sticking.

Use whatever tortillas float your boat, we had large flour tortillas, I layered the bean mixture with some 2% cheddar cheese, salsa, lettuce and fat free Greek yogurt (good alternative to sour cream) and sliced avocado that had been sprinkled with lemon to prevent browning. Roll all this up and Voila'! Quick, easy, pretty healthy supper. Good protein and plenty of veg. You can adjust the portions of things to suit your needs, I am using weight watchers so I use the point system. Very filling and not too pricey. You can also add in whatever yummy veggies you prefer. That is the beauty of this kind of supper. Use what you have! We finished ours up with a sweet delicious orange for dessert.

As for me, all those resolutions that are tempting to make, I am giving to God this year. He is really the only one who can make me a better person. You see, I know the REAL me. The one not many people get to see because of social etiquette and pride. He knows the real me too, and even though I can be a really nasty person inside sometimes, He loves me still the same and makes all things new. Thank you Lord.

And he that sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new".Revelation 21:5

Many Blessings and Much Love,
Stace