HAPPY 2010
Well, here it is 2010! I'm told that this is the appropriate way to say it: Twenty Ten, as opposed to Two Thousand and Ten! Whatever! Seems it has been a mere few months since we were all in a twit over Y2K and the impending dangers that would befall us and upset our entire way of life as we know it! Thankfully, those predictions were just hearsay and did not happen. Amazingly, life went on: the sun still rises in the east and sets in the west; we did not all starve to death, nor were we deprived of our tethers to the Internet; the banks still managed my overdrafts with the same proficiency, and the storehouses that were filled to the brim with life’s essentials were not needed after all! Were you among those who created a Wal-Mart East in your own home, just in case the predictions did come true? So much for doomsday prophets and prophetesses!
Looking back over the last ten years I recount a plethora of blessings, don’t you? Sure, there were some disappointments along the way, some heartache here and there. Some loved ones close to us are now enjoying the beauties of Heaven and we miss them. But for the most part we are a very blessed people. God is still a good God and is faithful and is still in charge of our lives and the universe and beyond.
I trust your 2009 was a good year for you and your family. We enjoyed some good times, for sure, with our immediate family. Precious memories were made. Our family met in Nashville this summer and that was a blast; we spent Christmas in Arkansas and God painted everything snowy white! Spectacular! Brilliant white diamonds danced on the ground and rooftops and tree branches, on our camper, everywhere! How special it was to truly have a white Christmas, surrounded by family and friends. Amazingly, we were snug and warm in our RV which is parked very near Andy’s home in Springdale. Even though the water lines froze to the camper, we still had enough in our reserve tank to take care of the essentials of daily grooming! After all, isn’t “enough” all we ever really need in life? More than enough is too much. This is a lesson I’m learning as I grow older. Excess is for sharing with others less fortunate who do not yet have enough.
I’m sure you all got some great gifts for Christmas and other occasions. I know I did. Speaking of enough, can a woman ever have enough cookbooks? I'm still working on this lesson and this just might be an exception to my new rule! I received for my birthday a wonderful book written totally about tomatoes! A subject close to my heart, having grown up in rural East Texas, and being the daughter of a genuine tomato farmer! Early on I learned the value of setting out small seedlings, protecting them from harsh cold weather by placing them in long wooden frames which were covered in a soft cloth. Next came actually planting them in the prepared ground where they would grow to maturity and then be harvested and sold in the local markets. My daddy always took great pride in his produce and was always among the first farmers to have tomatoes ready for shipping to other areas. I went right with him, helping to deliver the lugs (crates) of tomatoes. And, when time and money permitted, I was treated to ice cream at the Safeway store, one of our delivery stops. So the tomato cookbook is a treasure and I will enjoy perusing it and learning about the many varieties and ways of cooking one of my favorite fruits! Yes, it is a fruit, I’m told! Thank you, Art and Merritt! This is way TMI, but here is an interesting observation by some smart person: To really figure out if a tomato is a fruit or vegetable, you need to know what makes a fruit a fruit, and a vegetable a vegetable. The big question to ask is, DOES IT HAVE SEEDS? If the answer is yes, then technically, (botanically) you have a FRUIT. This, of course, makes your tomato a fruit. So, now you know.
Another favorite gift was a another cookbook from my husband. It is by the Pioneer Woman! She is one you will really enjoy reading about, for sure! Ree Drummond was a corporate gal who turned cowgirl when she met her Marlboro man! She says she went from black heels to tractor wheels. Great website, and she was recently featured in Southern Living. Here’s the site: http://thepioneerwoman.com/ Great recipes and photos about her and her family. She adjusted beautifully to life Outwest and writes from the heart when creating her recipes (with descriptive photos of every step), using ordinary ingredients which are widely available in most any locale.
We were treated to an early Christmas present by Stacy who arranged for us to hear Handel’s Messiah presented by the Charleston Symphony and Chorale. There’s nothing like this music to enrich, inspire, and bring to mind the Scriptures relating to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His birth, death and resurrection! Hallelujah, indeed!
Back to cooking, Stacy introduced me to her scrumptious Chicken Burrito Soup which is so good for the soul on these frigid days. It will warm your heart - guaranteed - and impress your friends. I will share that recipe with you. It is yummy, easy, very crockpot friendly, and can be stretched any way you choose. If it’s too thick, just increase the broth, etc. It is similar to the taco soup recipes that are so good. If you are fortunate to have leftovers, then it’s your lucky day because it is even better on subsequent warm-ups.
Here goes: Slow-Cooker Chicken Burrito Soup (Stacy has tweaked her original recipe just a bit, and here’s the tweaked version. I can attest it is very good and flexible-friendly!)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 cans of Rotel (store brand is fine)
2 cans of kidney beans
1 can of black beans
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 can of chicken broth, or enough to cover everything
2 tsp. chili powder (or more)
salt and pepper
2 tsp. oregano
1 packet of taco seasoning
2-3 tsp. cumin
red pepper flakes and Tabasco to your liking
3-4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Drain and rinse the beans. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Put everything in the slow cooker and cook on high (original recipe said low) for 6 hours.
Feel free to top off the soup with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped green onions or other favorite toppings. A necessity to accompany the soup, in my opinion, is a hefty fistful or two of fresh, crisp Frito Scoops! - the best chip ever created! (Don’t dare let your cardiovascular doctor even get a hint that you might be ingesting such delightful cuisine!)
Our new year got off to a wonderful start by a great visit with our friends, Sam and Elisa Chaney of Mt. Pleasant, SC. We first met the Chaneys in Greenville, but they hail from Louisiana, too, so of course we were drawn to each other immediately. And, upon arrival we immediately navigated to the heartbeat of their home: their beautiful kitchen where preparations were underway for turkey gumbo and shrimp and corn chowder! Yum! These folks know how to put it together, let me tell you, and the presentation is always THE BEST! After the feast, and joined by other friends of theirs, we enjoyed a long game of Mexican Train! As usual, I almost won (yeah, right) by having the next to last most points! Someone has to lose, so I usually volunteer for that position.
In closing, let me wish you and your loved ones a wonderful new year, full of love, joy, happiness and health. As I write these words, my own heart is sad because of the death yesterday of a precious friend in Kentwood - Wanzie Williams - whose loving personality brightened the lives of everyone she touched. To remember Wanzie is to remember her effervescent, contagious smile. No matter the circumstances, the always lived above them and always smiled and blessed me by her response to life and all it brings. She had her own heartaches, but kept trusting God. Although I seldom saw Wanzie after we moved to the Carolinas, I will miss just knowing that she is no longer brightening that corner of her world. But we know she is a shining star in Heaven and is welcomed by her Savior and others of her precious family who are already there.
Hopefully, I will be a more faithful blogger this year! Blessings and love to each of you! And, now I would like to leave you with favorite verses from Ephesians 3:20-21:
Looking back over the last ten years I recount a plethora of blessings, don’t you? Sure, there were some disappointments along the way, some heartache here and there. Some loved ones close to us are now enjoying the beauties of Heaven and we miss them. But for the most part we are a very blessed people. God is still a good God and is faithful and is still in charge of our lives and the universe and beyond.
I trust your 2009 was a good year for you and your family. We enjoyed some good times, for sure, with our immediate family. Precious memories were made. Our family met in Nashville this summer and that was a blast; we spent Christmas in Arkansas and God painted everything snowy white! Spectacular! Brilliant white diamonds danced on the ground and rooftops and tree branches, on our camper, everywhere! How special it was to truly have a white Christmas, surrounded by family and friends. Amazingly, we were snug and warm in our RV which is parked very near Andy’s home in Springdale. Even though the water lines froze to the camper, we still had enough in our reserve tank to take care of the essentials of daily grooming! After all, isn’t “enough” all we ever really need in life? More than enough is too much. This is a lesson I’m learning as I grow older. Excess is for sharing with others less fortunate who do not yet have enough.
I’m sure you all got some great gifts for Christmas and other occasions. I know I did. Speaking of enough, can a woman ever have enough cookbooks? I'm still working on this lesson and this just might be an exception to my new rule! I received for my birthday a wonderful book written totally about tomatoes! A subject close to my heart, having grown up in rural East Texas, and being the daughter of a genuine tomato farmer! Early on I learned the value of setting out small seedlings, protecting them from harsh cold weather by placing them in long wooden frames which were covered in a soft cloth. Next came actually planting them in the prepared ground where they would grow to maturity and then be harvested and sold in the local markets. My daddy always took great pride in his produce and was always among the first farmers to have tomatoes ready for shipping to other areas. I went right with him, helping to deliver the lugs (crates) of tomatoes. And, when time and money permitted, I was treated to ice cream at the Safeway store, one of our delivery stops. So the tomato cookbook is a treasure and I will enjoy perusing it and learning about the many varieties and ways of cooking one of my favorite fruits! Yes, it is a fruit, I’m told! Thank you, Art and Merritt! This is way TMI, but here is an interesting observation by some smart person: To really figure out if a tomato is a fruit or vegetable, you need to know what makes a fruit a fruit, and a vegetable a vegetable. The big question to ask is, DOES IT HAVE SEEDS? If the answer is yes, then technically, (botanically) you have a FRUIT. This, of course, makes your tomato a fruit. So, now you know.
Another favorite gift was a another cookbook from my husband. It is by the Pioneer Woman! She is one you will really enjoy reading about, for sure! Ree Drummond was a corporate gal who turned cowgirl when she met her Marlboro man! She says she went from black heels to tractor wheels. Great website, and she was recently featured in Southern Living. Here’s the site: http://thepioneerwoman.com/ Great recipes and photos about her and her family. She adjusted beautifully to life Outwest and writes from the heart when creating her recipes (with descriptive photos of every step), using ordinary ingredients which are widely available in most any locale.
We were treated to an early Christmas present by Stacy who arranged for us to hear Handel’s Messiah presented by the Charleston Symphony and Chorale. There’s nothing like this music to enrich, inspire, and bring to mind the Scriptures relating to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His birth, death and resurrection! Hallelujah, indeed!
Back to cooking, Stacy introduced me to her scrumptious Chicken Burrito Soup which is so good for the soul on these frigid days. It will warm your heart - guaranteed - and impress your friends. I will share that recipe with you. It is yummy, easy, very crockpot friendly, and can be stretched any way you choose. If it’s too thick, just increase the broth, etc. It is similar to the taco soup recipes that are so good. If you are fortunate to have leftovers, then it’s your lucky day because it is even better on subsequent warm-ups.
Here goes: Slow-Cooker Chicken Burrito Soup (Stacy has tweaked her original recipe just a bit, and here’s the tweaked version. I can attest it is very good and flexible-friendly!)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 cans of Rotel (store brand is fine)
2 cans of kidney beans
1 can of black beans
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 can of chicken broth, or enough to cover everything
2 tsp. chili powder (or more)
salt and pepper
2 tsp. oregano
1 packet of taco seasoning
2-3 tsp. cumin
red pepper flakes and Tabasco to your liking
3-4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Drain and rinse the beans. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Put everything in the slow cooker and cook on high (original recipe said low) for 6 hours.
Feel free to top off the soup with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped green onions or other favorite toppings. A necessity to accompany the soup, in my opinion, is a hefty fistful or two of fresh, crisp Frito Scoops! - the best chip ever created! (Don’t dare let your cardiovascular doctor even get a hint that you might be ingesting such delightful cuisine!)
Our new year got off to a wonderful start by a great visit with our friends, Sam and Elisa Chaney of Mt. Pleasant, SC. We first met the Chaneys in Greenville, but they hail from Louisiana, too, so of course we were drawn to each other immediately. And, upon arrival we immediately navigated to the heartbeat of their home: their beautiful kitchen where preparations were underway for turkey gumbo and shrimp and corn chowder! Yum! These folks know how to put it together, let me tell you, and the presentation is always THE BEST! After the feast, and joined by other friends of theirs, we enjoyed a long game of Mexican Train! As usual, I almost won (yeah, right) by having the next to last most points! Someone has to lose, so I usually volunteer for that position.
In closing, let me wish you and your loved ones a wonderful new year, full of love, joy, happiness and health. As I write these words, my own heart is sad because of the death yesterday of a precious friend in Kentwood - Wanzie Williams - whose loving personality brightened the lives of everyone she touched. To remember Wanzie is to remember her effervescent, contagious smile. No matter the circumstances, the always lived above them and always smiled and blessed me by her response to life and all it brings. She had her own heartaches, but kept trusting God. Although I seldom saw Wanzie after we moved to the Carolinas, I will miss just knowing that she is no longer brightening that corner of her world. But we know she is a shining star in Heaven and is welcomed by her Savior and others of her precious family who are already there.
Hopefully, I will be a more faithful blogger this year! Blessings and love to each of you! And, now I would like to leave you with favorite verses from Ephesians 3:20-21:
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3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, |
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3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. |
Hey Miss Velta! Sorry we missed you in Arkansas--maybe next time.
Don't you just love the Pioneer Woman cookbook? I made the cinnamon rolls as Christmas gifts this year (teachers, neighbors, etc.) and they were a hit. Did you see the Dulce de Leche coffee recipe on her site yesterday? I made some dulce de leche from sweetened condensed milk and enjoyed a cup of the coffee yesterday--a very cold winter day (oh, and I had mine sans Kahlua!).
It great to "hear" from you.
Hugs & kisses from cold Arkansas!
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Hi Lynette! We hated that we missed you too! Bill said we had to get down off that slippery mountain or we would still be iced in!
Love you!
"Miss" Velta
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I'm just happy y'all were able to come see the "opera" with me! That was a great night and a sweet memory for sure. Oh and I'm so glad you're sharing the recipe--it has been a hit with everyone I know who has tried it! It really is so simple!
Love you MMV!
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That soup is definitely a keeper! Easy and you can really feel the love in it!
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