Eucharisteo's

Counting my blessings one by one.....

* overcast rainy day 

* winter temps 

* warm blankets
* scarecrow cookies Annie helped me make for small group

* beautiful color on trees 

* feeling like I am driving through a painting when I go anywhere this time of year 

* leaves on ground
* my fall mantel

* surprise pancakes for breakfast from our neighbors 

* Christmas music on radio 

* Monday evenings with the family watching Dancing with the Stars 

* Rich Mullins music
* moon visible during the day

* safe travels for Bryan and the kids to regionals in Tennessee
* California friends who now live in Tennessee and opened their home to Bryan and the kids
* the kids placing 3rd at Regionals and bringing home medals!
* orange sunset in clouds

*my Thanksgiving play list of music on Grooveshark
* Thanksgiving table settings and decorations

* our small group Thanksgiving potluck here at our home 

* all of the amazing food that was brought to our potluck
* the Shirley's gumbo
* the kids putting on a Thanksgiving play for their parents at our potluck
* older kids helping the younger with the play
* Ally learning how to blow a bubble with bubble gum

* pictures of snow from friends and relatives in other states 

* reading Charlotte's Web to the kids 

* making crafts with Annie 

* cuddling with my Bear boy (our dog) 

* buying the first Christmas present

* first Chick fa-Li peppermint chocolate chip milkshake of the season 

* Pioneer Woman's meatloaf recipe- sooo yummy! 

* bath and body works fall scented candles
*candles lit
* warm broccoli and cheese soup on a cold day

* fall scented hand soap from Bath and Body works 

* peppermint and caramel hot chocolate 

* thrift store shopping with the girls 

* Annie starting a once a week bible study with our neighbors young girls 

* Houston cleaning out the microwave 

* Bryan cleaning out the stoves for me
* watching the Casey girls

{We took the girls on a nature walk and then made sun catchers with what we found} 

* Annie baking with the Casey girls

{salted caramel chocolate chip cookies} 

* fall family photo shoot at the waterfall (one of my favorite local places) 

* my friend Alli's gift of photography 

* a new sweater

*Annie's latest cross craft 

*free bell peppers from friends 

* healing lotion for dry skin 

* homemade tamales from neighbors 

"All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.  Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."

2 Corinthians 4:15-16

Recent Recipes ♨

So I've had these recipes sitting in my draft folder for months now. Finally getting around to writing them out and sharing. This first one is for my Sicilian Meat Roll which I have been making for quite a few years now. I just realized this past summer that I didn't have it listed here on the blog. I love to switch up our regular meat loaf recipe with this one at times. 

Sicilian Meat Roll 

3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs 

2 eggs 

1/4 cup tomato juice 

2 Tablespoons dry Italian seasoning 

2 pounds ground beef 

8 thin slices fully cooked deli ham 

shredded or sliced Mozzarella cheese 

In a large bowl, mix together bread crumbs, eggs, tomato juice, seasoning, and ground beef. Mix with your hands until well combined. On a 9x13 sheet of wax paper carefully pat out meat into a regular shape and to 1/4 inch thickness leaving a margin between meat and edge of wax paper. Once meat is evenly spread out, place your sliced ham on top of meat and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. 

Carefully use the wax paper to roll up your meat roll from long side, sealing all edges. 

Place in greased baking dish and bake for approx. 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Check to make sure meat is done. Sprinkle with additional mozzarella cheese on top and put back in oven for 5 minutes more until cheese melts. *Note- the inside of your meat roll will be pink colored from the ham. Serve with mashed potatoes and gravy. 

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This next recipe is one I found on Pinterest this past summer. We made it multiple times during the harvest of our strawberries from our garden this year. Everyone that I made it for loved it. 

Strawberry Pizza 

Crust:

1 C flour

1/4 C powdered sugar

1/2 C butter

Filling:

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 C granulated sugar

1/4 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Topping:

1 C fresh strawberries, mashed

4 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

8 - 10 strawberries sliced.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar and butter. Form into a ball with hands and press onto an un-greased pizza pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, vanilla, sugar and lemon juice. Spread on cooled crust. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine strawberries, sugar and cornstarch. Simmer until thick and glossy. Cool. Spread on top of cream cheese filling. Slice strawberries in half and place on pizza. Enjoy! 

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Throwing in a few more recent recipes that we have enjoyed this fall...........

Apple Dumplings 

This recipe is Pioneer Woman's. I made one slight change though....her original recipe calls for Mountain Dew and I hate Mountain Dew so I switched it to Sprite. 

4 whole Granny Smith Apples

2 cans (8 Oz. Cans) Crescent Rolls

2 sticks Butter

1-1/2 cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla

 Cinnamon, To Taste

1 can (12 Oz.) Sprite

Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over apples. Pour Sprite around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

These are soooo amazing! And I love that they are so quick and easy too. 

Meatball Stroganoff 

This was a Pinterest find that we have now enjoyed a couple of times.

Ingredients: 

Frozen meatballs- enough to cover (crowded like) into the bottom of a large skillet

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 

1 1/2-2 cans of beef broth 

1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning 

Salt & Pepper 

1 cup sour cream 

1 cup heavy whipping cream 

1- 1 1/2 bags of wide egg noodles 

Place your oil in skillet and swirl to cover the bottom of pan. Place all your meatballs (frozen) in pan. Saute in oil, turning meatballs every few minutes, until they have all browned. You will get some pieces from the meatballs that stick to your skillet despite the oil- don't worry- it all eventually blends and adds to the flavor. Once your meatballs are browned de-glaze them by pouring your beef broth over. Bring to a boil and add your seasonings (salt and pepper to taste). Boil for approx. 6-8 minutes until liquid starts to reduce a little. During this time start boiling your noodles in a separate pan of water. I also use this time of boiling to cut our meatballs in half. I do so with a spatula right in the pan as they are boiling. We prefer large pieces of meatballs rather than whole meatballs with our dish. Add your sour cream and heaving whipping cream. These act as a thickener and give the sauce its creaminess. When your noodles are done, drain, and add to meatball mixture. Stir to combine and serve hot. 

I have made several meatball stroganoffs through the years and the reason I really like this one is that it makes a lot of sauce to cover the noodles and that sauce has a real beefy flavor to it. It all just blends well and tastes so hearty. 

 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 

1 Corinthians 10:39

Halloween Pics

October 31st was a busy day for us this year. We had our usual ballroom dance classes that morning and that evening Emmy, Annie, and Natalie's Benei Aor group performed at a local neighborhood block party. It was their first performance for this school year. Everyone dressed up in costumes that morning at dance and after the Benei Aor performance that evening we went trick-or-treating through the neighborhood in which the kids performed. 

At ballroom that morning. Emmy, Natalie, Jessica, and Annie. 

Elton John meets Goth. (Asa & Abby) 

Frozen meets I Love Lucy. (Eli and our Ally girl) 

Camden and one of his buddies at dance. 

Sonic Drive-In's offered .50cent corn dogs on Halloween so we headed over there after dance class for some lunch. Our friends the Connors met us there and some friends from dance joined us too.

Krispy Kreme donuts was giving away free donuts on Halloween to all kids dressed up in costumes. We ran by on the way home so everyone could grab a free donut. 

I took a lot of video of the kids performance that evening and I will work on getting those uploaded to share but for now, here are the only two pictures I managed to get. 

Trick or Treat time.......

Emmy and Owen 

Ally, Mackenzie, and Natalie 

Logan and Camden 

The gang....

Camden with his loot from this year. :)