.::Blessed::.

“The ship of my life may or may not be sailing on calm and amiable seas. The challenging days of my existence may or may not be bright and promising. Stormy or sunny days, glorious or lonely nights, I maintain an attitude of gratitude. If I insist on being pessimistic, there is always tomorrow. Today I am blessed.” --Maya Angelou

Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casserole

This was the best thing I ate last week.  It was quick and delicious!!  
You probably have everything you need to make this pasta dish in your pantry right now.  This can be made ahead of time and baked when you are ready. I love these kind of dishes.  The pasta was really creamy and wonderful!  Absolutely loved it.  It was even better the next day at lunch.

Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casserole

12 oz spaghetti
1 (28 ounce) jars prepared spaghetti sauce
1 lb lean ground beef
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

In a skillet, brown the ground beef until cooked through; drain fat and stir in spaghetti sauce.  Set aside.

Cook spaghetti according to directions on packet.  Drain and place cooked spaghetti in bowl.  Add cream cheese, Italian Seasoning and minced garlic.  Stir until cream cheese is melted and the spaghetti is thoroughly coated.

Lightly grease a 9x13" pan.  Spread a small amount of meat sauce in the bottom of the dish.  Put spaghetti on top of sauce and top with remaining meat sauce.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

Parmesan-Butternut Squash Gratin

Crispy bread crumbs add a bit of crunch to tender slices of butternut squash seasoned with garlic and Parmesan.

Prep Time 25 Minutes
Total Time 1:15 Hr

1 butternut squash (2 1/2 lb)

1/4 cup butter or margarine

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup Progresso® panko bread crumbs

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Peel, halve lengthwise and seed squash; cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange with slices overlapping slightly in bottom of baking dish.
2. In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Add garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft and butter is infused with garlic flavor. Do not let butter brown.
3. In small bowl, mix bread crumbs, cheese and 1 tablespoon of the butter-garlic mixture.
4. Brush squash slices with remaining butter-garlic mixture. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and bread crumb mixture.
5. Bake uncovered 30 to 40 minutes or until squash is tender when pierced with fork. Increase oven temperature to 425°F; bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Before serving, sprinkle parsley over top.

Makes 6 servings (1/2 cup each)

Bird's Nest Breakfast Cups

These have quickly become a weekend favorite. I make an entire pan full and then I have a yummy, wholesome breakfast to grab and take i'm running out the door to work. Yay for cooking once a week!  ;)

1 24 oz. bag of shredded hash browns
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbs oil (I use olive oil)
1/3 cup shredded cheddar
Bacon bits or 8=10 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled
Eggs
Extra shredded cheddar
Muffin tin

1. Take your bag of hash browns and mix in the salt, pepper, oil and 1/3 cup shredded cheese.
2. Divide amongst the cups in your muffin tin, making sure to grease tin beforehand.
3. Bake hash browns at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until toasty.
4. Once they're finished, take them out and lower the temp of the oven to 350 degrees.
5. Crack an egg into each of the cups
6. Top with bacon and a sprinkle of extra cheese
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 13-16 minutes (or until the eggs are as firm as you like them).
8. Slide a knife along the edges to remove from pan when cooled.

Notes:

• I like to break the yolks in my eggs a bit once I put them into the hash brown cups
• When I cheat on these, I use the Oscar Meyer Bacon pieces found in the "salad dressing" section of the grocery store. They're the closest thing to fresh bacon I can find, and all-natural. :)
• You can also experiment with ham, sausage, and veggies to make them your own!

Baked Oven Fries

Ingredients

• 3 russet potatoes (about 24 oz. total), peeled and cut lengthwise into even sized wedges
• 5 tbsp. vegetable, canola or peanut oil, divided

• ¾ tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Directions

·        Preheat the oven to 475˚ F. Place the potato wedges in a large mixing bowl. Cover with hot water; soak for 10-30 minutes. Put 4 tablespoons of the oil onto a heavy, rimmed baking sheet. Tilt the sheet side to side to evenly coat the pan with oil (a pastry brush can also help with this). Sprinkle the pan evenly with the salt and pepper. Set aside.

·        Drain the potatoes. Spread the wedges out on layers of paper towels or on clean kitchen towels. Pat dry with additional towels. Wipe out the now empty bowl so it is dry. Return the potatoes to the bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Arrange the potato wedges on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are spotty golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes. Using a metal spatula and tongs, flip each potato wedge keeping them in a single layer. Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 5 -15 minutes. Rotate the pan as needed to ensure even browning.

·        When the fries are finished baking, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain some of the grease. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Rotel Chicken Spaghetti

3-4 large boneless chicken breasts (or rotisserie chicken)
1 can (10 3/4 ounce) Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can (10 ounce) Rotel Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
1 clove garlic, minced or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tablespoon Margarine or butter
1 – 8 ounce Velveeta cheese, cubed
8 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained

Cut up chicken into bite size pieces.In a large skillet melt butter or margarine. Add cubed chicken, garlic & onion. Cook over medium-high heat until chicken is no longer pink and no liquid is left in skillet. Stir in soup, cheese and Rotel Tomatoes. Reduce heat to low, and cook until the cheese melts, stirring constantly. Stir in spaghetti and pour into a lightly greased 2 quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through.

The Best Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 pounds hamburger
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green Chiles
2 cans stewed tomatoes (include liquid in can)
1 can each chick peas and corn (15 oz. Each, include liquid in can)
1 cup water
1 cans pinto beans (15 oz. Each, include liquid in can)

1 can ranch beans
1 Package Taco Seasoning
1 Package ranch dressing mix (the dry stuff in a package)


Directions:
In a large soup kettle, brown hamburger.  Drain the grease.  Add the remaining ingredients to the pot.  (Do NOT drain the liquid from the cans.) 
Simmer all ingredients together for 15-20 minutes. Serves 8. 
Add cheese and sour cream if desired

Any type bean can be used.

Apple Pandowdy

Apple Pandowdy

Description
Very good and moist. It won't last long enough till you will want to make another. Requires no icing.

Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
Dash of salt
2 eggs
1 stick butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup chopped apples
1/2 cup raisins, if desired
3/4 cup pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Mix all dry ingredients. Chop apples. Mix eggs, butter, and vanilla with dry ingredients. Stir with spoon and add apples, pecans, and raisins if desired. Pour into an 8x8 greased pan and bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes.

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 25 Min
Total Time: 40 Min

Life is Short

Spring is Here :)

Had much needed rain all week so everything has greened up and it growing by the minute! The grass is really growing...will have to cut it over the weekend...that's a lot earlier than usual if I'm remembering right. Loving the green though! :-)) Spring is here for now!! This weekend it is suppose to be in the 80’s…not sure that is spring weather more like summer (in March really!!)
Ok, I'll shut up about spring now...least for today. Hope you are enjoying spring in your neck of the woods, although I know some of you have still been having some winter weather...gotta say...I'm glad we aren't! :-))

Adding a Photo to a Stacked Paper

The Way of Love

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.
If I speak God’s word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “jump”, and it jumps, but don’t love, I’m nothing.
If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere.
So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first”,
Doesn’t fly off the handle
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

LOVE NEVER DIES.

I Corinthians 13:1-13

Faith

A Time for Everything

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

Have an outstanding day, friends.

Twelve Days of Christmas

For our holiday facts today I thought it might be fun to learn a bit about the traditional 12 Days of Christmas since they are the inspiration for this event. So here we go!

The Twelve Days of Christmas are the festive days beginning Christmas Day (25 December). This period is also known as Christmastide and Twelvetide. The Twelfth Night of Christmas is always on the evening of 5 January, but the Twelfth Day can either precede or follow the Twelfth Night according to which Christian tradition is followed. Twelfth Night is followed by the Feast of the Epiphany on 6 January. In some traditions, the first day of Epiphany (6 January) and the twelfth day of Christmas overlap.

Over the centuries, differing churches and sects of Christianity have changed the actual traditions, time frame and their interpretations. St. Stephen’s Day (or Boxing Day), for example, is 26 December in the Western Church and 27 December in the Eastern Church. Boxing Day, the first weekday after Christmas, is observed as a legal holiday in parts of the Commonwealth of Nations; Boxing Day was traditionally marked by the giving of Christmas boxes to service workers (such as postal workers and trades people) in the United Kingdom. 28 December is Childermas or the Feast of the Innocents. Currently, the twelve days and nights are celebrated in widely varying ways around the world. For example, some give gifts only on Christmas Day, some only on Twelfth Night, and some each of the twelve nights.

With the onset of more Americanized and secular traditions over the past two centuries (such as the American “Santa Claus”), the rise in popularity of Christmas Eve itself as a holiday, and of New Year’s Eve parties, the traditions of the Twelve Days of Christmas have been largely forgotten in the U.S. This is also heightened by the commercial practice to have after-Christmas sales begin on 26 December and run usually until New Year’s Eve. Indeed, contemporary marketing and media tend to espouse the (erroneous) belief that the Twelve Days end on Christmas and thus begin 14 December. (Source: Wikipedia)

Holiday of Lights – Hanukkah

Today I thought we could touch on a non-Christmas Holiday Tradition. So, let’s talk about the Holiday of Lights – Hanukkah. I have always heard of Hanukkah but really know nothing about it. I thought this was a great opportunity to learn a little something about another religion and culture.

Significance of Hanukkah

According to Jewish law, Hanukkah is one of the less important Jewish holidays. However, Hanukkah has become much more popular in modern practice because of its proximity to Christmas. Hanukkah falls on the twenty-fifth day of the Jewish month of Kislev. Since the Jewish calendar is lunar based, every year the first day of Hanukkah falls on a different day – usually sometime between late November and late December. Because many Jews live in predominately Christian societies, over time Hanukkah has become much more festive and Christmas-like. Jewish children receive gifts for Hanukkah – often one gift for each of the eight nights of the holiday. Many parents hope that by making Hanukkah extra special their children won’t feel left out of all the Christmas festivities going on around them.

Lighting the hanukkiyah (menorah)

The hanukkiyah is used during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah and commemorates the miracle of the oil. According to the Hanukkah story, once Jewish revolutionaries had retaken the Temple from the Syrians they wanted to rededicate it to God and restore its ritual purity. Eight days worth of oil were needed to complete the ritual purification, but they were only able to find one day’s worth of oil. They lit the menorah anyway and miraculously the oil lasted for eight full days. In commemoration of this event Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days and a candle is lit on the hanukkiyah on each of those days. One candle is lit the first night, two the second, and so on, until the final night when all the candles are lit. Each of the eight candles is lit with a “helper” candle known as the shamash. The shamash is lit first, is used to light the other candles, and then is returned to the ninth candle spot, which is set apart from the others.

Spinning the dreidel
A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top with a Hebrew letter on each side. It is used during Hanukkah to play a popular children’s game that involves spinning the dreidel and betting on which Hebrew letter will be showing when the dreidel stops spinning. Children usually play for a pot of gelt, which are chocolate coins covered in gold colored tin foil, but they can also play for candy, nuts, raisins – anything really! A game similar to the dreidel game was popular during the rule of Antiochus. During this period Jews were not free to openly practice their religion, so when they gathered to study Torah they would bring a top with them. If soldiers appeared, they would quickly hide what they were studying and pretend to be playing a gambling game with the top.

Eating fried foods

Because Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of oil, it is traditional to eat fried foods such as latkes and sufganiyot during the holiday. Latkes are pancakes made out of potatoes and onions, which are fried in oil and then served with applesauce. Sufganiyot are jelly-filled donuts that are fried and sometimes dusted with confectioners’ sugar before eating.

Credits: About.com

Santa Claus

Today were going to take a look at Santas around the world in honor of Nikolaustag, or St. Nick’s Day!

Santa Claus is derived from Sinterklaas (Dutch), or St. Nicholas, who was a Greek Bishop of Myra (modern day Turkey) in the 4th Century AD. He gained a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as leaving coins in the shoes people left out for him, and became the model for Santa Claus. December 6th is his name-day and therefore the day celebrating him in many European Countries. In Germany, for example, he visits the evening of Dec. 5th and leaves gifts to be found on the morning of Dec. 6th (as long as you leave out your shoes!) As a bishop, he wore a Bishop’s Hat, golden Robes and had a white beard.

So how did Sinterklaas become Santa Claus? Word has it, the tradition of Sinterklaas was reinvited by a former Dutch colonial town who wanted a symbol of the city’s non-English past. In 1810, John Pintard published a pamphlet with illustrations where he calls for Saint Nicholas to be made the patron Saint of New York and to start a Sinterklaas tradition. His pamphlet included an old Dutch Sinterklaas poem in which Sinterklaas was referred to as “Sancta Claus”. Two years later, John Irving wrote his famous poem: The Night Before Christmas: where Santa Claus was first born as a red-suited, rosy-cheeked, Jolly old elf! Ultimately, Pintard’s initiative helped morph Sinterklaas into Santa Claus, but freed of his Bishop’s Robes. Source: Wikipedia

Sinterklaa visits children in the Netherlands, de Kerstman or le Père Noël comes bearing gifts for children in Belgium on Christmas day, Tomte comes to Scandanavian households, Papai Noel is known in Brazil, Mikulás comes to Hungarian Children, Croatian children expect a visit from Sveti_Nikola, Kleeschen comes to children in Luxembourg, in Slovenia, Miklavž comes with an angel and a devil (Krampus), Italy boasts Babbo Natale & La Befana & in Russia Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) comes visiting!

Feliz Navidad!

Today we travel to Mexico to learn about Las Posadas they’ll be celebrating Las Posadas for nine days! Unofficially, the holidays in Mexico begin with the saint’s day of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12, but decorations can appear any time after the Day of the Dead on November 2.

Starting on December16, the posadas start. Every evening until the 24th, Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem is reenacted. These are a novenario, or nine days of religious observance and are based on the nine months that Mary carried Jesus. The word posada means ‘lodging’ in Spanish:
“Traditionally, a party is held each night in a neighborhood home. At dusk, guests gather outside the house with children dressed as shepherds, angels and sometimes, Mary andJoseph. An angel leads the procession, followed by Mary and Joseph or by guestscarrying their images. The adults follow, carrying lighted candles. The“pilgrims” sing a song asking for shelter, and the hosts sing a reply, finallyopening the doors to the guests and offering hot ponche, fried rosette cookiesknown as buñuelos, steaming hot tamales and other festive foods.” –source mexconnect

In the U.S., the Posada is usually celebrated on one night only, but as in Mexico, ends with a piñata in the shape of the Christmas star!

In both counties, the procession marches to the different houses in the neighborhood and is turned down at each one until they reach the site of the night’s party where they are finally welcomed inside, and the party can start!

In Mexico, the last posada, on December24, is followed by a midnight mass.

History of Festive Decorations

There aren’t too many homes that escape the plethora of decorations used at this time of year and indeed much of the excitement of the season is thanks, in part, to the degree of decoration we create and see around us and the feelings it arouses in us. The history of the different decorations is as varied as the decorations themselves. Holly & mistletoe were significant to the Druids long before Christmas festivities were started.

The Christian faith incorporated these items, claiming that the sharp holly leaves symbolized the crown of thorns Christ wore and the red berries drops of his blood, and the white mistletoe berries symbolized the purity of the Virgin Mary. The Yule Log probably dates back to the Celts bringing a large log indoors to burn for warmth and later it was believed toward of the devil. The chocolate table top variety is a modern 19th century invention!

Nativity scenes are accredited to St. Francis of Assisi in1223 who wished to recreate the scene after his visit to the Holy Land. Tree decorations consisting of glass baubles and tinsel shards developed in Germany,with candles and later electric lights adding to the décor. Christmas crackers were apparently invented by Tom Smith, a baker in London in 1847, who filled his early attempts with sweets. Christmas cards are another Victorian invention and the concept to spread seasonal goodwill caught on quickly, no doubt aided and abetted by the postal systems in various countries.

Sources: h2g2. History.uk, Christmas Archives, Wikipedia

History of Festive Music

Music has played an important role in most religions throughout time, with chanting, mostly in Latin taking the earliest form in the Christian church. Carols as we know them now, written in the venacular, became popular from the 13th century first in Italy, then Germany & England. In 1426 an English priest, John Audelay, listed 25 “caroles of Cristemas” which were probably performed by wassailers, who went from door to door.

The tradition of carol singing for charity began in Britian during the 17th century. In Britain today, very few wassailers are seen and heard, but we still get the large scale charity arrangements including our local rotary club arriving on the back of the horse drawn brewery cart, complete with brass band, choir & amplification – Victoriana at its finest, 21st century style. Somewhat surprisingly, and despite the long heritage and tradition of carols, most carols we sing today date back no further than the 19th century.

Since the mid 20th century pop Christmas songs have come to the fore, thanks in a large part to “Christmas creep” starting earlier & earlier in malls and on radio shows the world over. These are not generally religious but are often infuriatingly catchy and we all have our favourites.

With thanks to Wikipedia