Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday filled with happy memories.

Freezer Meals

I was so excited when I heard that our church was looking for cooks to help fill our church freezer with meals. I love cooking and real enjoy making meals in bulk from my Fix, Freeze, and Feast cookbook. The purpose of the church freezer is to store meals so that when a family is in need of a meal, we can provide them one quickly. Mostly, the freezer is used if someone has an illness in the family or a death in the family. I love this idea and am excited to help out with it. I recently made mashed potatoes and pork roasts for the freezer. If we get a call that someone is in need for food, I have labeled my dishes so that someone will be able to take them from the freezer, warm them, and take a hot meal to a family.
Freezer meals are a great idea for any church. Many people are willing to help fill the freezer with premade meals for a help a family in need. Making freezer meals Works for Me.

-Robin

The Ability To Stay Calm

I'll admit it. I didn't always possess this ability. Things like I have pictured here would have, at one point in my life, made me pretty angry. Now, it made me laugh.

A recent order of children's art supplies arrived at my home. I wasn't able to open it until late in the evening. A smaller box was inside the larger one and I lifted it out and placed it on my cream colored carpet. THIS is what I saw below it. Yes, it was on the box I put on the floor. Yes, it was now on my carpet. Yes, I laughed out loud.

I am happy that I have been able to teach my children that we can't always control the situation we find ourselves in, but we CAN control our reaction. Getting angry wasn't going to do any good. It wouldn't lift the red stain from my floor or repair the damaged product in the box. It would only make things worse for me and set a bad example for my kids.

I am grateful that I have the proper perspective in most situations now. This Gratituesday, I hope that you are able to laugh, no matter what life brings you.

-Julie

Cabbage Rolls

One of my favorite family recipes past down from my mom is her cabbage roll recipe. It is quick, easy to make, and delicious.

Cabbage Rolls
1 Head of cabbage
1 Large tomato juice
1 lb. hamburger
1 cup rice

Salt and Pepper

Cut 7 to 8 cabbage leaves at the stalk. Place the cabbage leaves in a pot with a small amout of water. Steam cabbage for 3-4 minutes or until soft. Drain water.
Mix rice and hamburger in a bowl, add 1/4 cup of tomato juice, add salt and pepper as desired, and mix together.
Divide the hamburger mixture into equal portions in the leaves and wrap. In a large stock pot, pour a cup of the tomato juice in the bottom and add cabbage rolls seam down. After you have added all the cabbage rolls to the pot, pour the remaining tomato juice on top. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Then, reduce to medium heat and cook the cabbage rolls for 45 minutes.

We like to eat cabbage rolls with cole slaw and mashed potatoes. Yum!

For other Menu Plan Monday recipes click here!

-Robin

Happy Sunday!

Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin. Proverbs 10: 14 NIV

Photo Books

My husband had a wonderful idea for a gift for me for Christmas the year we had our first daughter. He made me a photo storybook of our love story and included our new daughter. It is a book to read to her at bedtime. The book includes pictures of family members and dog. Our daughter loves to see and read about all of these familiar faces in our storybook.

Photo books are an excellent gift. You can make them with your digital photos on the Kodak Gallery, Shutterfly, or you could make a scrapbook using the same idea. Your loved ones will be so happy with their personalized gift.

For more homemade Christmas gift ideas click here!

-Robin

Simple Time With The Family

I realize that my favorite times with my family are the simplest ones. We enjoy a vacation together now and then, but an afternoon spent walking around our neighborhood or reading together are just as fun. Those times build the best memories that I hope my children will take with them as well.

In these trying financial times, it is so nice to know that we don't have to do elaborate things to have fun together.

I love to let those great memories just happen by us being ourselves together. The best things in life truly are free.

-Julie