meatless monday

humbly i'm on the lookout for some tasty plant-based meals...  this is a hard quest for an 8-member-family of carnivorous tastebuds...  (actually, thankfully 1 member doesn't have carnivorous tastebuds yet and is an absolute delight to cook veggies for!)  this being said, my kids love veggies too, so that's not really the hardest part... it's just making a whole meal taste pleasant without adding animal to it.

there are lots of families that take one day a week to prepare a meatless meal.  we're taking the opposite approach to wean ourselves away from animal products.  we're having 1-2 meat nights...  here's my attempt this week:

• a new taco salad with a meat-substitute this time:  layered raw taco salad for two
• veggie fajitas sounds good and easy
• burritos
• mac and cheeseless was suggested for me...  ???  i don't even know what nutritional yeast or yellow miso paste is, so hopefully those links will help with that...  wish me luck on that 'ne. i'll serve it with some good old steamed broccoli and baked beans just in case.  :)
• taco soup without meat (brilliant and super easy since the meat in taco soup is kinda weirdly weird.)
• spaghetti (didn't make one of my meat dishes from last week!  go me!  except the reason being we had SO MANY leftovers because people didn't like the meals so much...  not so much cheerable "go me")
• enchiladas with rice and beans

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31

menu #3 for 2013

boy howdy i haven't been very good about posting this year.  sorry 'bout that.
here's my menu.  you'll most likely notice that we're changin' our diet a bit... but if you don't, that's fine.  we're still considering ourselves to be humans.

• spaghetti
• tortilla soup
• pasta primavera
• sloppy lentil joes
• spicy teriaki chickpeas
• aztec corn salad

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31

RAMEN SOUP!

Ramen soup by Rox  (thanks Rox!)

 Dice up carrot, celery, & water chestnut. I usually put in a handful  of frozen peas too. Dice up a chicken breast. --or beef
Simmer all of this in chicken (or beef) broth and seasoning packets from 2-3 packs of either ramen noodles or rice noodles. (depending on the size of the batch)
About 10 minutes before serving whip up one egg and “drop” into the broth.
I also put in a handful of shrimp at this time.
Put the noodles in and cook until they are done.
Heat some potstickers in the microwave and drop them in for a few minutes (too long and they will fall apart)
Spice up with chili paste or sriracha .

I had to post this so I didn't lose it again.
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31

Saeed

there's this American pastor tats one over to Iran to visit family and been arrested for being a Christian.  that's the sort of the story. 

I was in the car and the local radio station was talking about him (Saeed).  I started explaining to my 3 youngest children what was going on with him and his condition and such.  I was telling them that we need to pray not only for him, but those that he has influence on.
in explanation I enforced that he was a father and has a couple of children back here waiting and hoping for their father to come home.
boo exclaimed, "wait... you mean he's a dad?!  why doesn't he use is muscles???

I love the innocence of youth.  I love them!!!

interesting dialogue following...  I love that kids think that dads can do ANYTHING!!!

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31

dear readers,

i'd kinda be amazed if I even have any readers, but if I do:
dear readers,
I am sorry for the unexcused break.  I have been traveling a new journey in life and have been extremely busy.  I think since I posted last, we've had at least 4 birthdays... 
it seems like if I were to catch you up, it would take all day, so i'm just going to pretend like I've been posting all along and you all are going to just be lost for a few months.  I will try and do quick re-caps, but i'm not promising anything extensive. 
I've learned a TON, experienced great things, and have journeyed to a new chapter in our family.  I want to make sure that all glory goes to God in every area...  He is good and He is faithful.  on that note though, we didn't move.  we're still here.  praying for His will in this area for shizzy.
please keep us in your prayers and stay faithful. 
In Christ,
MamaT


"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31

monday menu for this beautiful first full week of march in 2013

• ribs, rice, and corn
• BLTs w/ a side salad
• chicken tortilla soup
• chicken enchilladas w/ rice, and refried beans
• beef stew (new recipe) with rolls
• sloppy joes with oven fried potato-wedges

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31

shepherd's pie recipe spelled correctly

Shepherds Pie

recipe from Lori Gammon, thanks Lori!

2 1/2 lbs. of pototoes, peeled and cooked(we leave the skins on and just boil them and mash them. This is especially okay if you use red potatoes or yellow yukon ones)

1 to 1 1/2 cups (8 to 12 ounces) sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

2 lbs. ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion (we use a large whole onion, chopped)

1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped (we love red pepper, so we use a really big one or two med. ones)

1 tsp. garlic salt (we use garlic powder or fresh minced garlic)

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 can (16 oz.) whole kernal corn, drained (you can use frozen as well. I would just cook before adding it to the casserole)

1/2 cup milk

2 Tab. butter, melted

chopped fresh parsley, optional (we don't use this)

Mash potatoes with sour cream. Add salt and pepper; set aside. In a skillet, cook beef, onion and red pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir garlic salt into meat mixture. Add soup, corn and milk; mix well. Spread meat mixture in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish. top with mashed potatoes in a ring formation around the edge of the baking dish...so that meat mixture can still be seen in the middle; drizzle potatoes with butter. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. For additional browning, place under the broiler for a few minutes....keep watch so it doesn't burn or brown too much. Sprinkle with parsley if desired. Yield 8 to 10 servings.

i had to google how to correctly spell shepherd... it just doesn't look right to me.  :)

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31