Taste and see Thursday

Welcome back to Taste and see that the Lord is good Thursday!

Today's recipe is my favorite breakfast casserole. This is one that is always super delish and easy to do. It could be a meal for supper too if you decide to do breakfast for supper. I got this recipe from a lady in our Church named Candy. Candy is a super busy mom of 11. I have known her all my life and she makes every opportunity to love all her "children" me included.... just not one of the 11. Candy always makes things fun and loves to entertain, She is certainly a big encourager to all she comes in contact with. She loves God with all her heart, soul and strength. I would say she is a good example of the Proverbs 31 woman, especially lines like this

Her children (11 of them) arise and call her blessed; her husband also as he praised her.

She speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

She is worth far more than rubies!!


Thank you Candy for all the encouragement you have been to me and a great leader, and someone I look up to. Thanks for all the cinnamon rolls too... I should post that recipe... but first I have to learn how to make them.

Candy's Breakfast Casserole

2 1/2 C seasoned croutons
2 C shredded cheese
2 lbs Pork sausage
1 can crm mushroom soup
4 eggs 3/4 tsp dried mustard
2 1/2 C milk
1/2 C milk

Place croutons in greased 9x 13 pan. Place cheese on top of croutons. Fry and drain sausage. Place on top of cheese. Beat eggs, mustard and 2 1/2 Cup of milk together. Pour over meat mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In morning, pour 1/2 Cup milk mixed with soup on top. Bake in slow oven, 300 *, for 1 1/2 hrs.

Enjoy your company or family will want this recipe... guaranteed!

I think I've become a farmer

Drew and Felicia on the combine at a farm in Nauvoo, Ill.

I've decided that I'm a green tractor girl! Drew was so excited to see all the tractors.. he squealed so much!

Drew got a ear of corn that didn't make it to to the combine.

Brandon on his little drive

I even got to ride the combine while drew and farmer lady drove. Felicia sat on my lap and loved it too. Drew kept wanting to turn the wheel, our farmer lady was so patient with Drew and told him he did a great job and that he could come back.

I like it!

This is my drew in yellow, Brandon and Chris Ralph. I watch the Ralph kids on Wednesdays and Jill (the mom) had a great idea to take the kids to see the big tractors. It was such a great morning, nice weather, a bit windy.

This is Lindsey and her friends from church on our way to the horse around farm. Lindsey earned this trip from Kids Rock, our church's Wednesday night program.

I helped Lindsey lead the horse (well I attempted to lead the horse) Mrs. Kircher was trying to tell me what to do, I tried but beauty ( horse's name) had her own agenda, she accidentally stepped on my toe also... ouch!!! Next time I'm not wearing my sandals, I wore them because the are so comfortable and with the weather being so great I'm not about to give them up yet.

Lindsey's horse kept kicking it's back legs to swat off a fly, she got really nervous and needed me to then come in the horse pen and help her.

Lot of treats not much tricks

Lindsey and me at our church "Light the Night". The kids had so much fun.. of course every year for the past three years Lindsey wins a cake the very first time she plays the cake walk game. This year she picked mini cupcakes. It was fun, Mr. Drew even played by himself.



Mommy and Dragon Drew




My little sweet girl

My sweet little boy... he is in schock as we gave him the entire cotton candy.

Lindsey in the bounce house

Overall a great night, lots of fun, food and way to much candy at the bible trunk or treat. Wish Lindsey would of wore her princess cone hat.. only got one pic of it and it was so cute. It's on my neighbor's camera (of course). I found both their costumes at garage sales this year. I think they were pretty cute. At the end of the night Lindsey already started talking about what she wants to be next year...... a Keokuk cheerleader like Kaylee.

Drew went down the slide by himself!

Neighborhood kids
London the boxer, Drew the Dragon, Kaylee the Keokuk cheerleader and Lindsey the Princess

Okay so I love the shots from the back... they are so fun! This is Drew going "tick or tweet"

My princess and her lil sidekick dragon and Chad

Ah so sweet!

Overall we had a great night. Lots of fun had by all. I wish I could of got a picture of Lindsey with her princess cone hat on, my neighbor did so that's good. Lindsey and Drew were most excited for their new movies Grandma got them. Lindsey got her Barbie diamond castle and Drew got a Thomas movie, we loved the sugar cookies most that grandma gave us.. I could ditch all the Halloween candy and just live on sugar cookies.

Lindsey said the best thing of Halloween was her friends. I think I never saw her except to give me tickets she won. Lindsey won 10 tickets and bought a lollipop with it, she of course knew what everyone had for tickets and what they got. Isn't that funny how kids love to know what other kids get.

My Thankful LIst

Wow I've been missing my Bloggity Blog Blog. It's been a great week, fun filled activities and fun times with family and friends. Here is my thankful list for this week:

1. I'm thankful for a refreshing week filled with friends over, great talks and good memories!

2. For the extra hour due to the time change.. I am loving it!

3. That I can use my gifts/ talents for God's glory, and not need affirmation from others but from God.

4. I am thankful I only hurt my toe (skin all came off) but that it didn't break, due to a horse stepping on it at our Kids Church activity.

5. I am thankful that I can run and swim and have a great spiritual time with God.

6. I am thankful for my divine appointment person I met at the park this week, what an awesome God we have to put the right person in our paths at the right moment. I'm always amazed/ surprised.

Taste and See Thursday

Fiesta Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe is from Kraft Magazine

It's Taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps 34:8) Thursday. Wow, I can't believe it's been three whole weeks already... that means I've actually continued this taste and see recipe thing for that long. Okay I'm excited about it and I hope some of you are too.

This is one of those recipes that I tried on a whim to make for the family. It ended up being so much better than I thought and now it's our new favorite for enchiladas.

In fact as I'm writing this I wish this is what I was making today instead of my chicken pot pie, oh well .

Prep Time:15 min
Total Time:35 min

Marinate chicken with 1 cup of Kraft Sun dried Tomato Dressing (it really helps) Then grill chicken or cook it in oven in shallow baking pan at 400 F for 20 minutes.

PS.. I use 1 whole thing of cream cheese rather that 1/2 of it!

Makes:4 servings, two enchiladas each
What You Need
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cooked small chicken breasts (about 1 lb.), shredded
1 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa, divided
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar & Monterey Jack Cheese, divided
8 TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Flour Tortillas
Make It
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Heat large skillet spayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir 2 min. Add chicken, 1/4 cup of the salsa, cream cheese, cilantro and cumin; mix well. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese; mix well.
SPOON about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture onto each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam-side down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with remaining 3/4 cup salsa and remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese.
BAKE 15 to 20 min. or until heated through.

This is super yummy with shredded lettuce on it and salsa and sour cream !!!

Enjoy

Tara

My thankful list

It's Sunday.... time to put my list up..

I'm thankful for......


1. That I haven't had to cook all weekend as Chad is at class ... we miss him though.

2. For God always knowing my deepest desire, every moment need ( I have lots, tend to be sensitive) and is always there when I feel He is not.

3. A great 20 minute conversation with a stranger at Mc D's this week and how that has prompted me to give.

4. Lindsey and her enthusiasm for school and learning. She is such a little sweetheart and I'm glad God knew she would be the perfect fit for our family.

5. I'm thankful for fun fall comfort food, my creme brulee (Paula Dean) candle, Comfy cotton sweat sets ( I own like 5 sets at least). My smaller jeans fitting ( one pair).

6. I'm thankful for wanting to set a goal... not sure what to do or what cause to support but that it's a desire of my heart to do a race again. Any one interested?

Looking forward to what your thankful for, Please post . .. I know you have one.

Hugs,
Tara

I am reading this book called Looking for God by Nancy Ortberg. I am enjoying it and recommend it. Of course someone gave it to me to read and I am thankful. This lady is a great storyteller, her stories will touch you and challenge you.

Here's an excerpt from her book.

"We all have black holes in our souls that keep anything from filling us up for too long. They keep us in a constant state of neediness, always seeking reinforcement through pleasure and comfort and busyness. But if we allow ourselves to experience the longing, refusing easy answers for the aches and pains, we'll slowly build solid bedrock of God in our souls. Those alone places create a foundation that closes up the black hole for good. We all need to hear God's voice. Our longings, aches, and pains are thin threads to that voice. Stay long enough in the aloneness, and you'll find that the silence of God becomes a whisper, and then the whisper becomes the voice that you recognize."

The Psalmist shows God's voice break through in

(46:10)-" Be still and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.
In my own life I am trying to be still, that's hard but so much needed.

Thank you Lord for always encouraging me when I'm not feeling the best. I am reminded that that I need not rely on my feelings for my failures today. I am so glad there will be day where there will be no more tears or pain. I am thankful for how you provide so much comfort.