All posts by ps127mama@gmail.com

When Love Takes You In

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beZ5hF-qZDY

This song has touched my heart ever since the first time I heard it.  I remember sitting at a Steven Curtis Chapman concert, and hearing it for the first time, watching this video.  The words spoke to my heart and I began to cry.  I knew deep in my heart that God would call us to adopt someday.  I had no idea how the story would unfold.

We are just a few days away from our departure date!  I have so much to do, I can’t even think straight half the time, but I am so excited!  I can’t believe it’s already time, but then again it seems like forever since we began this process.

I am filled with different emotions: excitement, joy, apprehension… I can’t wait to get there and bring these two children into our family.  I know that it is going to be a process for them to feel that they belong with us.  I am praying that they will feel loved and accepted and safe.  I’m praying that they will know that they are now forever home with their family who loves them.  I pray that they will come to know our awesome God.

The last couple of weeks have been filled with a lot of things that have challenged and grown our faith.  Two weeks ago, while I was at Nationals with our speech kids, Todd found out that his position at Intel had been eliminated.  I felt awful that I wasn’t home when he found out.  We were in a bit of shock, wondering what God was doing.  We were just about to leave for China to adopt two special needs children, which we are doing out of faithfulness to the call we have felt from God Himself.  What is up with the timing of this?

After a difficult couple of weeks, full of interviews and prayer, Todd was offered two different jobs yesterday morning!  He actually gets to choose between two good positions (still at Intel)!  What a blessing.  God has grown our faith and renewed our certainty that God is calling us to all of this, and that HE will take care of us.  What a blessing!

We felt blessed and at peace yesterday as we booked our airplane tickets, and we finalized our decision to bring two of our children (who are closest in age to Eden and Daniel) along with us for this incredible journey!  Simeon, our 9-year-old, was so happy he leapt into his daddy’s arms and kept saying, “Thank you!  Thank you!” over and over.  What an adventure awaits us all!

Right before we leave for China, I have a family matter regarding my father happening in Florida. I will be flying to Destin Tuesday evening, then flying to Dallas Wednesday evening.  I will meet Todd there, where our youngest 3 boys will get to spend a couple of weeks with their Mammy and Graddaddy.  Please pray that my flight to Dallas Wednesday is on time.  The older kids have various things going on, and different people will be helping out with them.  Pray for us all as we will be apart for a couple of weeks.  This is the part of the journey about which I am not very excited.  I will miss everyone so much.  My little 2-year-old is such a Mama’s boy!  This is going to be hard on him.

We are so excited about our journey, and we know it is going to be exciting and hard.  I will be posting updates as things go along, and I’m hoping to be able to add posts while we are in China.  Please pray for us as we embark on this journey and adjust to life with our new children.

“A Father of the fatherless…God makes a home for the lonely.”
Psalm 68:5-6

ChenYuQing newsletter

xiao newsletter

Recipe of the Week: Crock Pot Cabbage Casserole

Recipe of the Week: Crock Pot Cabbage Casserole

You may be thinking, there is no way my kids will eat something with the word “cabbage” in it, but I’m here to tell you that this meal is so delicious we ran out the last time I made it (I didn’t double the recipe because I thought maybe the children wouldn’t like this one).  It’s on the menu again this week, and I am planning to double it and most likely use two crock pots.  I want to make sure I have enough this time. Cabbage is a surprisingly tasty vegetable!  We use it in a soup that my kids rave about and ask for as well.  It’s nutritious, and has a smooth, buttery taste that is very pleasing.  One added bonus (a very important bonus for any busy mom!) is that this dish is both easy to make and very inexpensive: a killer combination in my book.  So, without further ado, I will share the recipe below.

 

Crockpot Cabbage Casserole
(Makes 6 servings)

1 large head cabbage, chopped
2 cups water (or enough to cover chopped cabbage in saucepan)
1 Tbsp. salt
1/3 cup butter
¼ cup flour
½-1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 1/3 cups milk
1 1/3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

  1. Cook cabbage in saucepan in boiling water and 1 Tbsp. salt for 5 minutes.   Place in slow cooker.
  2. In saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper.  Add milk, stirring constantly on low heat for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in cheese.  Pour over cabbage in slow cooker.
  3. Cook on Low 4-5 hours.

Serve with fresh, warm bread.

Sparrows

We have had a whirlwind of activity this spring, including 6 Speech and Debate tournaments!  All of the paperwork for our adoption is completed, and our dossier was sent in mid-February.  We have been officially approved by China to adopt our two children!  Our children have been approved by immigration to become US citizens upon their adoption.  We are now in the process of applying for our visas.   The next step after that is that we will receive travel approval, and make our plans to fly to China and get our boy and girl to bring them home!  It’s all very exciting and very overwhelming at the same time.  I am so excited, and I have so many hopes and dreams for these children to become part of our family, to come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and to live happy and fulfilling lives.  I am so excited that they will now belong in a family.  At the same time, I am trying to maintain realistic expectations of how difficult this process is going to be.  I have spent hours praying over all of this.  I am not really worried, just feeling overwhelmed by all that is to come in the next couple of months.

On top of the overwhelming feelings regarding the adoption, I have been dealing with issues surrounding my dad, who has Alzheimer’s and is now living here in Austin.  There are issues regarding his estate that my sisters and I are having to deal with, which have been shocking and infuriating.  I won’t go into details about all of that right now, but it has been consuming a good amount of time and thought in the last few months.  Of course, now that he is here in Austin, I try to see my dad a few times per week.  Seeing him the way he is now is so heartbreaking.  There are a lot of emotions related to watching my father decline, and going through everything we are dealing with regarding his estate.  It kills me to watch him slowly lose his independence, his vocabulary, even his memory of how to use eating utensils properly.  I feel really torn between wanting to see him more and realizing I do have a young family that needs me.  Realistically, I have to limit the time we spend with my dad.  I don’t think I myself truly grasp just how draining experiencing all of this has been on me this past year.

Of course, there are my responsibilities at home and homeschool.  We are finishing school, and a few kids have things left over to work on during the summer.  Speech and debate is finished for the year in terms of regular club meetings, but we have Nationals coming in late June, and two of our kids qualified to Nationals (yay!).  There are meetings for debate prep and remembering to exit “summer mode” to practice speeches.  Then I am thinking about the club that my friend and I started two years ago, and the responsibility of planning and preparing for the coming year.  There are changes happening with that, too, leading me to have mixed emotions.  I have hopes and plans for a great place for students to come, learn and fellowship together in a Christ-like manner, learning to communicate with excellence for His glory.  Lately, I have been allowing myself to be overly worried or concerned about what will happen with the club next year, who will be in the club, what it all means for my own kids as this has been such an important part of their education for the last few years, and I hope for it to continue for years to come.

Also, recently there was some question of whether my husband’s job would be there for him in the next year or two.  The company he works for announced major layoffs, and there was a bit of uncertainty there for a few days.  Tension arose regarding finances, and how quickly we are spending money.  Adoption costs, home and auto maintenance expenses, as well as just every day expenses weighed heavily on us as we thought about the possibility that the job we have depended on for over two decades may not be there to provide for us anymore.  Everyone can relate to the fact that this kind of financial stress can cause at least a little conflict in a marriage, and I was feeling the effects of that recently as well.  Things seem to be OK for now with the job, by the way, so that is very good news.

All of these things have caused me to be a little bit down lately.  I am usually a very optimistic person, always able to see the “bright side” or the “silver lining.”  Honestly, I have been struggling with that lately.  Instead of my normally cheerful heart, I feel an unfamiliar weight in my heart.  I realize that this is something that many people walk around with all the time.  Life is full of burdens, heartache, pressure, stress, and disappointment.  How can we make it through?  When our hearts are troubled, when we are experiencing sadness, disappointment, even depression, where do we turn?

I am so thankful that I have a relationship with God, and that I know Jesus as my Lord and Savior.  In the light of His glory and grace, all else fades away.  I was out running a few weeks ago.  Running has become a great outlet for me.  I can just lose myself in it, and it is a great time to pray and listen to uplifting music.  While I was running, I heard a song entitled, “Sparrows” by Jason Gray.  The words of this song really capture what I have been learning lately.  All of the things that are building up, creating a perfect environment for stress and worry—all of these things HE holds in His hands.

Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.  And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31).

It’s hard to imagine that our heavenly Father knows even the tiniest little bird in a nest.  He clothes the fields with beautiful flowers.  He feeds the birds of the air, who neither sow nor reap, so why should I worry.  Worry adds not a single hour to my life (Matthew 6:25-34), and worry certainly won’t help accomplish anything helpful or even practical.  The Lord holds everything in His hands—every created thing, even time is in His hands.  He holds tomorrow.  Each moment, full of concern or worries as they may be, are in His keeping.

Here are all the words to the song, “Sparrows.”  And I’ll include the music video also.  I love this song.  Music speaks to my heart in such a profound way, and I am thankful that the Lord gave us music to encourage our hearts as well as to praise Him.  Just listening to these words (which really come from the Bible) and singing along helps me to feel better.  I love the words that remind me that I don’t walk alone.  So many times, when we are going through difficult times, we feel alone.  I know I’m not alone.  He is always with me.  May you also be encouraged today, whatever you may be going through.

Sparrows

You can’t add a single day by worrying
You’ll worry your life away
Oh don’t worry your life away
You can’t change a single thing by freaking out
It’s just gonna close you in
Oh don’t let the trouble win

You may feel alone
But you’re not on your own

(chorus)
(Lalala) if He can hold the world He can hold this moment
(Lalala) not a field nor flower escapes His notice
Oh even the sparrow
Knows He holds tomorrow

Lean in and it’s hard to miss
Everything can change
When you make it His
Oh He wants to carry it
Carefree in the care of God
When you let it go
You’ll find that He’s enough
Oh you never leave His love

You don’t walk alone

(chorus)
(Lalala) if He can hold the world He can hold this moment
(Lalala) not a field nor flower escapes His notice
Oh even the sparrow
Knows He holds tomorrow

There’s not a single star that’s out of place
There’s nothing broken He can’t remake
If you long for hope when you’re afraid
Oh look at the sparrow
Look at the sparrow

(chorus)
(Lalala) if He can hold the world He can hold this moment
(Lalala) not a field nor flower escapes His notice
Oh even the sparrow
Knows He holds tomorrow
(Lalala) even the sparrow knows
He holds tomorrow

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! (Er, Valentine’s Day! Um, St. Patrick’s Day!)

Happy New Year! Happy Valentine’s Day!  Happy St. Patrick’s Day (yeah!)!!  We missed the Holiday Card rush, so now maybe you have time to read our yearly update since you are no longer inundated with Christmas Cards.  🙂

Family Photo 2016

2015 was a great year for the Erdner family.  It seems like there is always something happening around here, and this year was full of changes and surprises.

web-a1085 (1)The biggest change in 2015 was that Abby, who is now 18, graduated from high school!  We are so proud and excited!  We actually successfully educated a child from preK through high school!  It can be done!  Abby, being the oldest, has always been the “experiment.”  We now can answer questions about whether we will homeschool all the way through high school, “Yes!  And we even have an undamaged grown child to prove we have actually done it!”  Abby graduated with a whole year’s worth of college credit under her belt.  She entered Texas State as a sophomore, and is now applying to nursing schools around Texas. Her first choice is Texas State’s nursing school, which is located in Round Rock.  It is through St. David’s hospital and is an excellent program.  She is looking at a couple of other options as well.  Abby has enjoyed her first year of college so much, and is excited to see what is next.  She has been playing intramural soccer and is involved in CRU.  Wherever she goes, she will no longer be on campus at Texas State, as the nursing school is not on the main campus.  So, we are praying that God directs her to the right place, with all the details worked out.

Datiya Nina Boat2Datiya is 17 and a junior in high school.  She is vibrant and fun and a favorite among her younger siblings, whom she spoils by bringing them frozen yogurt from work.  She got a job at TCBY last summer, and she is now a manager at the store in Dripping Springs.  Datiya continues to compete in speech and debate, and has qualified (at the first three tournaments) to Regionals (which will be in May) in 7 speech events and debate, placing 2nd in Biographical Narrative, 6th in Informative, 6th in Original Interpretation, and 4th in Persuasive at the last tournament, among other accomplishments.  She and her debate partner have done well so far.  Datiya is also really busy right now with work and school (home, One Day Academy and ACC), but she has found time to play on a soccer team this year.  She is really enjoying that.

David is 15, a sophomore, and just got his driver’s permit.  So, our The Davids Semifinalstrips to town are once again way more interesting.  So far, every time we make it to our destination, he says, “Well, at least I didn’t crash.”  David is an excellent student, never needing to be nagged about doing his work.  He does well in his classes.  David competes in speech and debate, and recently had a “huge” tournament, placing 1st with his informative, on which he worked very hard.  He made it to finals in Extemporaneous speaking, placing 8th.  He also qualified to Regionals in impromptu.  He and his Team Policy debate partner went to finals (one of two teams to do so) and placed 2nd overall!  It was pretty exciting.  He has developed into an excellent speaker, and it is so exciting to see him excelling in this area. Sometimes, if I can get away from the Timer Table and have an opportunity to hear him speak at a tournament, I can’t believe I’m listening to my David!  He’s so eloquent!  He is, of course, still playing soccer, and is on a Premier team, which means more practices far from our house and more out-of-town games.  It also means that David is getting some good opportunities to possibly get to play in college, which is what he would like to do.  Last summer, he had the opportunity to travel to Sweden with the US Revolution Soccer team (made up of players from all over the US).  David scored 5 out of 6 total goals for his team during the Gothia Cup tournament in Stockholm.   He has been invited to play again with the Revolution this summer.  They will be traveling to Spain to play in a tournament there.  David also continues to excel at piano, and I love hearing his music in our home.

Nina is now 14, but still going on 25.  This girl can’t wait to grow up.  Nina Ellis IO AwardsShe is constantly asking to take classes at ACC, which will happen eventually, but not while she is still in 8th grade.  She has, however, been taking World History and World Literature at One Day Academy, which are 12th grade classes.  And she is doing quite well in those classes.  Nina also competes in speech and debate, and is qualified to Regionals in Illustrated Oratory, Impromptu, Biographical Narrative, and Persuasive.  At a recent tournament, she placed 2nd in Illustrated Oratory (4th at a different tournament).  At another recent tournament, she placed 4th in Persuasive, 4th in Biographical Narrative, and 7th in impromptu.  She and Datiya partnered for Team Policy debate at the last tournament, and they made it to quarter finals and placed 7th! Nina participates in 4H and is still quite the little chef.  I can always depend on her if I need help in the kitchen.  She pretty much makes all the desserts now.  She  is playing soccer again this year, too.  Nina is a funny girl.  This year, she started saying that when she grows up, she wants to be a “trash guy.”  I’m pretty sure she’s kidding.  She keeps us and everyone around her laughing.

Enoch is 12 and in 6th grade.  When he turns 13 this summer, 5 out Enoch and Joseph debateof our 10 children will be teenagers!  He still loves soccer, and is playing select again this year.  This boy is very social and always looking for opportunities to “hang out” with friends.  It is Enoch’s first year competing in speech and debate (as a Senior competitor), and everyone already knows who he is (did I mention that he is very social?).  The fun news about that is that he and Datiya placed 1st at the last tournament with their adorable duo on Peter Pan!  Pretty exciting.  Enoch also made it to finals with his Open Interpretation, and placed 6th!  Not bad for a young first-year competitor.  Enoch is a good student as well, and progressing in school. He began taking martial arts last May along with Simeon and Jed.  He is now a blue belt in Kuk Sool Won, working towards the next belt, which is red belt.

Lillah is 10 (11 in April), and HORSE CRAZY!!  She basically just draws horses, reads about horses, and thinks about horses all the lillah newsletter photo2time.  Lillah reads and reads and reads.  The librarians know her by name, and she insists our local library is going to run out of books she hasn’t read.  I often have to take away whatever book she is reading in order to get her to do her schoolwork.  I guess there could be worse problems.  She is playing basketball with Nina on the same Upward team, which seems crazy given their difference in age and height.  However, Lillah has proven herself to be one of the best scorers for the team!  Lillah has participated in 4H, and won a couple of blue ribbons for her cooking creations.  Lillah wrote two speeches all by herself for Junior competition in speech and debate.  As far as activity level, she keeps up with her brothers, but she is also girly and feminine at the same time.  Don’t let that fool you into thinking she isn’t tough.  With 6 brothers surrounding her, she is definitely tough.  Lillah is bright and sweet and a blessing to our family.

Simeon is 8 and in 3rd grade.  He always gets up and does his school Sim newsletterwithout needing to be reminded.  He is sweet and loving, and always runs to give us hugs and kisses when we leave the house.  Simeon plays soccer and tears up the field with his speed.  He is also currently playing basketball.  He is also taking martial arts with Enoch and Jed and is working towards his red belt.  Simeon wrote an informative about dogs for Junior speech competition without any help from me.  He has been to every tournament so far this year so that he can time rounds and win timer prizes.  Simeon won top timer award at two tournaments and 2nd place at another.  This means he timed 11 or 12 rounds (12 is the maximum they can time) the first two days of the tournaments, which is hours and hours of timing.  It is so good for the kids to be in that activity.  So many great lessons, and it’s great to have the younger ones able to be involved because when they are old enough to compete at the Senior level, they will have some experience.  Simeon loves to encourage others and writes sweet notes to us all the time.  He is the most generous child, often giving all his money to a sibling, parent or grandparent for their birthday or other occasion.  Simeon used all his tickets from Timer Table at the last tournament to buy prizes to bring home to his siblings who didn’t go with us.  He is a delight.

Jed is our spunky little sweetheart at 6 years old.  I love his mischievous little face.  He is a joy and a challenge and gives us lots Jed newsletterof great stories to tell. In fact, Jed has made it into many of the older kids’ speeches and original interpretation pieces for competition.  Because he is hilarious.  He tells great stories, too!   Jed is super busy all the time.  Running here, running there.  He hardly ever slows down.  I do get him to stop and do school with me, and he is very bright.  I’m so so thankful I can homeschool him so he can get the school time he needs with lots of play time and running, jumping on the trampoline, etc. that he needs as an active little boy.  Jed has a sweet and tender side to him that sometimes people miss because of his active personality.  He hugs and kisses and is really sweet with his younger brothers.  Jed plays soccer and basketball and he also takes martial arts, working on his yellow belt.

Hezekiah is 4 years old, and precious as can be.  He has enormous brown eyes that will melt anyone’s heart.  Hezi got a little teddy bear for his birthday, and he named him “Bear Walker.”  I’m not sure HEZI newsletterwhere that came from.  Maybe a Star Wars reference?  But he’s never seen Star Wars.  He says it’s because he walks.  I guess that makes sense.  Bear Walker often joins Hezi at meals, and he asks for milk sometimes.  He will sit with his nose in the top of the cup while Hezi eats.  I love this because none of my other children have had little stuffed animals that they have carried around like this.  Every morning, Hezi comes out into the kitchen and says, “I’m hung-a-ry.”  Most evenings, he can be heard asking Daddy for “tickle time.”  I love still having little ones around.  Hezi can play independently for hours with his cars, in the sand box, etc.  He also loves to play with his brothers.  Hezi is just starting to learn to write his name and show interest in doing a little bit of school.  He is a sweet, happy little boy and a blessing to our family.

Toviel (Tovi) is a delightful, sweet and happy toddler.  I always call him “the baby,” but, sadly, he really isn’t a baby anymore.  Tovi runs Tovi newsletteraround all day, pushing cars and trucks, or kicking a ball.  He already has been indoctrinated by big bro David to KICK the ball, and not really touch it with his hands.  However, I think he may grow up to be a soccer goalie because when he does touch the ball, he drop kicks it.  This kid has killer drop kicking skills.  Tovi usually doesn’t slow down much during the day.  Now he can talk, too.  He says things like, “I outside…. I need the ball….I want the waffle….Tickle Time, Daddy!” He gets his point across.  He also runs around following various siblings saying, “_(insert name of given sibling)__, WAIT!”  We are all completely smitten with him, which basically means he may end up quite spoiled.  I’m trying hard to prevent this, but I can only do so much.

Todd is doing great as rancher/Intel engineer and manager/soccer and basketball toddmichelle newslettercoach/general contractor/best hubby.  I stay very busy, of course, managing the household and teaching the kids at home.  I ran my first half marathon in March 2015, and I loved it!  My goal was just to finish, and I came in 5th place overall, 3rd place overall female, and 1st place female for my age group.  Running is a great outlet for me.  I wouldkuk sool mom and boys kuk sa nym love to train for another half marathon or even a full marathon sometime.  After sitting and watching the boys take martial arts classes for 4 months, I decided to join in on the fun.  It’s a neat way for me to bond with those boys, and I really enjoy it.  I have my yellow belt right now–blue is next.

Another big change for our family was moving my dad here from his home in Florida.  As many of you know, a couple of years ago, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.  We moved him into a very nice papi newslettermemory care community about 25 minutes from our home, in Bee Cave.  It’s a great community, and now seeing “Papi” is part of our weekly routine a couple of times per week.  It’s really nice to have him close to one of his daughters and many of his grandchildren.

The biggest news this year is that God has called us to adopt two children from China.  This past summer, we had the opportunity to xiao newslettermeet a sweet little boy who was here being hosted by a family in Lubbock.  We knew he was meant to be our little boy.  A little ways into the process of adopting him, we were led to a young lady, who is 12.  We felt God nudge us that we were to adopt her as well.  ChenYuQing newsletterWe have been gathering all the documents for the last several months, and our dossier was just sent to China!  Timeline can vary, but we should travel to get our son and daughter sometime this summer.  We know there will be many challenges ahead, and we are prepared to walk through those with God.  He has called us to do this, and we will depend fully on Him to equip us and give us strength through it all.

If you are interested in helping support our adoption financially, there are a couple of ways to do so.  We have set up a YouCaring website where you can donate and all the money will go to support our adoption.  The link to our YouCaring fundraising site is: https://www.youcaring.com/my-fundraisers.aspx.  We also have put the t-shirts back online (we are wearing these in the photo above), and if you want a t-shirt, your purchase of one of these awesome t-shirts will donate over $10 per t-shirt to support our adoption.  This is a great way to support us, and if you have any friends who love adoption and want a cute adoption themed t-shirt, you can direct them to the website as well.  The t-shirts will be for sale through March 31st, so be sure to go to the website soon if you would like one.  https://www.bonfirefunds.com/erdner-family-adoption

We enjoyed reading all the updates we received from many of you, and we pray that your 2016 is off to a great start!

Blessings from all of the Erdners,

Todd, Michelle, Abby, Datiya, David, Nina, Enoch, Lillah, Simeon, Jed, Hezi, and Tovi

Days 30 & 31: Overnight Apple Oatmeal and Layered Taco Appetizer PLUS Bonus Recipe!

What a busy few days!  We hit the ground running when we returned from Dallas, taking down our live Christmas tree that held all of our family and personal ornaments.  We also have a new, prelit 15-ft. tall tree that stands in our new living area in our home addition.  It was quite grand, but it will take me a few years to be able to decorate it the way I would like to!  Those large ornaments are expensive!  So, we had about 15 ornaments on that tall tree, three or four of which became victims of little boys throwing soccer balls at the tree.  They say “shatter proof” but that doesn’t mean they won’t break.  Trust me, if it can break, my four little men will figure out how to break it.  But I digress.

With all of the busyness, I decided for my last two days of crock pot cooking (for the blog series) would consist of a yummy breakfast we always enjoy as well as a couple of appetizers I made in the crock pots for our New Year’s Eve party!

Day 30:  Overnight Apple Oatmeal
I’ll say it again: there’s nothing like waking up to your hot breakfast already made and waiting for you.  It’s even better if it’s a delicious breakfast the whole family enjoys!  This recipe is tried and true, and pretty easy to make.  The worst part is peeling the apples, but if you have certain kitchen gadgets to help you (apple peeler, corer and slicer), then it’s not too bad.  I double this, so I have to peel 4 apples.  But if you are making the single recipe, it’s only 2 apples.  So, no big deal.  The rest is just dumping everything in the greased crock pot, setting your crock pot on low, and you will have your reward in the morning!

Ingredients:
4 cups Milk
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 T. Melted Butter
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
2 cups Oats (not quick oats)
2 cups Apples, peeled and chopped
1 cup Dates or Raisins (optional)
Instructions:
1.  Spray a large crock pot with nonstick spray.
2.  Combine and mix well.
3.  Cook on low overnight or 8-9 hours. Stir well before serving.  Serves about 8 (I always double this, and we don’t have any leftovers with our family of 12)
Day 31: Two Appetizers that will be a hit!
We were so happy that all our older kids decided they wanted to stay home and ring in the New Year with us.  They had been talking about going to different friends’ houses, and I was a little bummed.  But in the end, everyone stayed home.  So, we had a few friends over here, and made LOTS of food!  Yay!  There were cheese balls with crackers, desserts dips, and meatballs!  Not to mention what our friends brought.  We played games, set off fireworks, and watched the ball drop at 11 (midnight in New York) and then celebrated at midnight, central time!  It was a blast!  This taco appetizer was really  good.  I think I’ll make it again when there is less food to compete with it.  The final recipe is kind of a “bonus.”  I realized I had posted the same recipe–Calico Beans–twice during my 31-day series.  So, I’m adding another appetizer to make up for it.
Layered Taco Appetizer:
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. hot Italian sausage
1 large onion, finely chopped
salt to taste
2 tsp. hot pepper sauce, or more or less to taste
2 16-oz. cans refried beans
4-oz. can chopped green chilies, drained
2-3 cups (8-12 oz.) grated Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup hot, or mild, taco sauce
tortilla chips or corn chips
garnishes: chopped tomatoes, chopped ripe olives, chopped green onions, smashed ripe avocado, cilantro, sour cream
Instructions:
1. In skillet, saute meats with onion until browned.  Drain off drippings.  Season meat with salt and hot pepper sauce to taste.
2.  Meanwhile, spread refried beans in lightly greased slow cooker.
3.  Spoon browned meat over refried beans.
4.  Top with chopped chilies.
5.  Sprinkle with grated cheese.
6.  Pour taco sauce on top of cheese.  (Do not stir).
7.  Heat in slow cooker for 30-60 minutes on High or until dip is heated through.
8.  Serve with chips and garnishes.
Cranberry Meatballs
My family will eat meat balls with any variety of sauces.  This one has a light, sweet holiday flavor because of the cranberries.  I couldn’t find two bottles of chili sauce (I think everyone else in Austin was making meatballs also), so I found a chili sauce that was a little spicy, but it worked well.  I used one regular and one of that sweet hot chili sauce, and it was really good!  I doubled this to go in my 7-qt. crock pot.
Ingredients:
1 bag frozen meatballs OR make homemade meatballs (see recipes below)
1 can jellied cranberries
12-oz. bottle chili sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp.  lemon juice
Instructions:
1.  Put frozen meatballs into crock pot.
2.  In a saucepan, combine cranberry, chili sauce, brown sugar and lemon juice.  Heat over medium-high heat until jellied sauce and brown sugar melt.  There should be no more chunks in the sauce, and it should be smooth.
3.  Pour sauce over meatballs, and stir to make sure all meatballs are coated in the sauce.
4.  Cover.  Cook on low for 3-4 hours or High for 2 hours.  Keep slow cooker on warm while serving.
Meatball Recipe:
2 lbs. ground beef
1/3 cup parsley flakes
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. minced onion
1 cup cornflake crumbs
2 eggs
1/2 cup ketchup
1.  In  large mixing bowl, combine ingredients until well mixed.
2.  Form into 50-60 meatballs and put in lightly greased 9×13 baking pan.  (You may need to do a couple of batches, or use a couple of pans).
3.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through (cut one open to check).
Variations on meatball and sauce recipe:
1. Use 1 lb. ground beef and 1 lb. ground pork instead of 2 lbs. ground beef.
2.  Use 10 3/4 can condensed tomato soup, mixed with 1 tsp. prepared mustard, instead of chili sauce for sauce.
Turkey Meatball recipe:
2 egg whites
2 lbs. ground turkey
2 green onions with tops, sliced
4 tsp. grated orange peel
2 tsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
Follow the steps for making  and baking meatballs, then add the sauce in crock pot.
If you choose to make your own meatballs, you can cook on Low for 2 hours, or high for 30 min to an hour, or until meatballs are heated through, and sauce is bubbly.
I pray that you all have a happy and healthy 2016!  Check in with me for adoption updates as well as more recipes and other content this year!  Looking forward to an amazing 2016.

Days 28 & 29: Old Fashioned Wassail and Spice Cake

We stayed in Dallas through Tuesday night, which was my mother-in-law’s birthday.  We had so much food, I decided to make a wonderful hot spiced drink I have made in the past.  My children always loved Wassail, and we have had it most years during the chilly days around Christmas.  This new recipe was a big hit!  Most of the people who tried it loved this, and we heated up the leftovers yesterday, and finished it off.  One recipe fills a 6-qt. crock pot.

Christmas Wassail
Ingredients:
1 gallon cider
6-oz. container frozen Orange Juice Concentrate
6-oz. container frozen lemonade concentrate
1/2-1 cup brown sugar, depending on how sweet you want it
1 tsp. whole nutmeg (I used about 3-4 pieces–they are large)
1 Tbsp. whole cloves
1 Tbsp. whole allspice
orange slices (optional)
cinnamon sticks

Instructions:
1. Combine cider, orange juice and lemonade concentrates, and brown sugar in slow cooker.  Mix well.
2.  Place nutmeg, cloves, and allspice in a piece of cheese cloth.  Tie shut with string (may sound funny, but I always use plain unwaxed dental floss to tie off).  Add to juice in slow cooker.
3.  Cover.  Cook on low 2-8 hours, until the wassail is as hot as you like it.  I think it needs to simmer longer rather than shorter in order for the spices to seep into the juices well.  I always just simmer it all day.
4.  Float orange slices, if desired, and cinnamon sticks in the wassail, once it is ready to be served.  Ladle from slow cooker to serve.

Day 29:  Gingerbread Pudding Cake
We needed a little extra dessert for the birthday festivities, so I made a spice cake that cooks right in the crock pot.  This was well-received by everyone who tried it.  Definitely one I will make again.  This is best made in a smaller crock pot.

Ingredients:
half a stick (4 Tbsp.) butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg white
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp.  baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp.  ground ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp.  ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I used more like 1/4 cup)
6 Tbsp. brown sugar

Instructions:
1. Spray interior of slow cooker with cooking spray.
2.  In a large mixing bowl, cream 4 Tbsp. butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg white and vanilla.
3.  In a separate bowl, combine molasses and water until blended.
4.  In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and spices.  Add to creamed mixture alternately with molasses mixture, beating well after each addition.
5.  Fold in pecans.  Spoon into slow cooker.  Sprinkle with brown sugar.
6.  In a small bowl, combine hot water and 5 2/3 Tbsp. butter. Pour over batter.  Do not stir.
7.  Cover.  Cook on High 2 – 2 1/2 hours, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.  There will be a pool of buttery sauce in the center.
8.  Turn off slow cooker.  Let stand 15 minutes.  Serve cake warm.

Day 27: Green Bean Casserole

Still in Dallas, so I made a side dish that would compliment any meat main dish well.  It calls for French-fried onions, which are supposed to be divided and layered into the casserole.  Next time I make this, I will use only 1/4 of the onions per layer, and then put the remaining 1/2 of the French-fied onions into the pot towards the end of cooking so that they stay crunchy.  I found them a bit soggy layered into the dish.  Otherwise, this was a good side dish.  People enjoyed this addition to our main dish of pork loin.  I doubled this, and actually used two 6-oz. bags of the french fried onions for my double recipe

Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients:
14 1/2-oz. can green beans, drained, divided
3 1/2-oz. can French-fried onions, divided
8-oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained, divided
10 3/4-oz. can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. pepper

Instructions:
1.  Alternate layers of half beans, 1/4 of the onions, half the cheese, and half the water chestnuts in slow cooker.  Repeat.
2.  Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl.  Pour over vegetables in slow cooker.
3.  Cover and cook on Low 3-4 hours.
4.  A few minutes before serving, sprinkle remaining French-fried onions over the top of the casserole.

Days 24, 25, and 26: Sweet Potato side dish, Western Breakfast Casserole, and Broccoli-Cheese side dish

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!  I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas, as we did.  What a fun, busy time!  We begin celebrating on Christmas Eve, attending Christmas Eve service and having our nice dinner that evening.  We always open one gift on Christmas Eve as well.  Some of the older kids even go to Midnight Mass with some friends of our family.

This year, with my dad living in Austin in a Memory Care Community, we wanted him to be part of our celebration on Christmas Eve.  We left for Dallas Christmas Day, so we knew it wasn’t going to work for us to go get him that morning and bring him back.  With all of that in mind, we needed to have a really early dinner, so we could eat a relatively relaxing meal with my dad, then head to church, where a few of us would be performing a song.  I had planned for an easy dinner of ham, green bean casserole and a wonderful sweet potato and apple dish that is cooked in the crock pot.  It was an easy meal, but really delicious, too.  Christmas Eve service was beautiful, we survived performing our song, and we were also able to enjoy some time with friends after the service over sweet and salty treats.  I’m so glad we were able to include my dad in these festivities, and give him a Christmas with family.

Sweet Potatoes with Apples (Makes 8-10 servings)
Ingredients:
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 large tart and firm apples peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2-3/4 tsp. salt
1/8-1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sage
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
Toasted sliced almonds or chopped pecans, optional

Instructions: 
1. Place half the sweet potatoes in slow cooker.  Layer in half the apple slices.
2. Mix together seasonings. Sprinkle half over apples.
3. Mix together butter and maple syrup.  Spoon half over seasonings.
4. Repeat layers.
5. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours or until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally.
6. To add a bit of crunch, sprinkle with toasted almonds or pecans when serving.
7. Serve with pork or poultry.

Every other year, after reading the Christmas story, eating our traditional breakfast foods, and opening gifts at our house, we drive up to Dallas to spend a few days with Todd’s family.  The years in between, we stay at home, and my mom is usually visiting us.  This year is our year to be in Dallas.  So, I wanted to make something in the crock pot that we could eat for breakfast.  We usually have cinnamon rolls (I used to make them homemade, but I abandoned that practice once I had so many little children to manage that it was way to stressful) and crustless breakfast quiche.  These are the breakfast foods our kids want and expect every year.  I decided to add Western Omelet Casserole to the breakfast repertoire.  I thought it was really good, and most of it was eaten up quickly along with the cinnamon rolls.  I was up really late wrapping gifts, so I was able to start this late enough for it to be ready by 7:30.  On a normal night, I would prepare it and set an alarm to start it.

Western Omelet Casserole  (I doubled to feed my crew)
Ingredients: 
32-oz. bag frozen hash brown potatoes, divided
1 lb. cooked ham, cubed, divided
1 medium onion, diced, divided
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
18 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Instructions:
1. Layer one-third each of frozen potatoes, ham, onion, and cheese in bottom of slow cooker.  Repeat 2 times.
2. Beat together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl.  Pour over mixture in slow cooker.
3. Cover.  Cook on Low 4-6 hours.

Yesterday we were at my sister-in-law’s house for the day, so I decided to make a side dish to complement the baked potato bar she was making for dinner.  I made a broccoli casserole that was great as a side dish or served as a topping for the baked potatoes.

Crock Pot Broccoli and Cheese
Ingredients:
6 cups frozen chopped broccoli, partially thawed
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup crushed butter-flavored crackers (about 25)
2 tablespoons butter

Instructions:
1.  In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, soup, 1 cup cheese, onion, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Pour into a greased 3-qt. slow cooker. Sprinkle crackers on top; dot with butter.
2.  Cover and cook on high for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cook 10 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.

Days 21, 22, & 23: Super Easy Chili, Yummy Hot Cocoa, and Amazing Chicken Tortilla Soup

The busy days of the Holidays are upon us, and I continue to adore using my crock pot to help ease my load when it comes to cooking for my family and making yummy treats to enjoy during this special time.

Day 21: Chili for Twenty

Monday evening, we hosted a White Elephant Christmas party for our speech and debate club.  A fabulous time was had by all.  I made my huge recipe of crock pot chili, and it was good.  This can be a little spicy, but you can easily make it less spicy by cutting down on the chili powder or using mild tomatoes and green chilies instead of original.  It makes a ton, so I always have to use my 7-quart crock pot, with the overflow going into my 4-qt. crock pot.  If you have multiple crock pots, you can divide it up among a couple of medium-sized pots and it works great.

Chili for Twenty
Ingredients:
4 lbs. ground beef
3 onions, finely chopped
3 green peppers, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 16-oz. cans Italian-style tomatoes
4 16-oz. cans kidney beans, drained
1 10-oz. can diced tomatoes and chilies (use mild if you want it less spicy)
2 6-oz. cans tomato paste
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
3 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. chili powder (or less if you want it less spicy)

Instructions:
1. Brown meat, with onions and pepper, in soup pot on stove top.  Drain.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, Divide among several medium-sized crock pots, or use a very large crock pot (8-quart would probably work).
3.  Cover.  Cook on Low 3-4 hours.

Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

Day 22: Amazingly Delicious Triple Chocolate Hot Cocoa
Tuesday night we had tons of leftovers, of course, so we ate that for dinner.  We watched a Christmas movie as a family and topped the evening off with a reading from our Advent book along with steamy, yummy scratch-made hot cocoa that had been simmered in our crock pot.  It was perfect!  I doubled this and used my 4-qt. crock pot.  It was a great size for the doubled recipe.  I would use a 2-qt. crock pot for a single recipe.

Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3 cups milk, divided
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1 cup heavy cream
1 square (1 oz.) bittersweet chocolate
1 square (1 oz) white chocolate
3/4 cup whipped topping
6 tsp. mini-chocolate chips, or shaved bittersweet chocolate, for garnish
mini-marshmallows, if desired, for garnish

Instructions:
1. Combine sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and 1/2 cup milk in medium-sized bowl.  Stir until smooth. Pour into slow cooker.
2.  Add remaining 2 1/2 cups milk and vanilla to slow cooker.  Cook on Low 2 hours.
3.  Stir in cream.  Cover.  Cook on Low 10 minutes.
4.  Stir in bittersweet chocolate and white chocolate until melted.
5.  Pour hot chocolate into 6 mugs.  Top each with 2 Tbsp. whipped topping and 1 tsp. mini chocolate chips (or chocolate shavings) and few mini marshmallows.

Day 23:  Delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup
Yesterday, we went to a sweet small-town trail of lights we visit every year.  They have hot dogs to roast over the fire and marshmallows and hot cocoa.  We usually feed everyone there, but many people come home still hungry.  I made this easy Chicken Tortilla Soup to have when we returned for anyone who was still hungry.  We are eating the leftovers for lunch today.  I doubled this and had to put the overflow into a 4-qt. crock pot.

Super Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:
4 chicken breast halves, uncooked
2 15-oz. cans black beans, undrained
2 15-oz. cans Mexican stewed tomatoes, or Rotel tomatoes (mild for less spicy)
1 cup salsa (mild, medium, or hot, depending on how spicy you like things)
4-oz. can chopped green chilies
1 14 1/2-oz. can tomato sauce
tortilla chips, for serving
2 cups grated cheese, for serving

Instructions:
1. Combine all ingredients except chips and cheese in large slow cooker.
2.  Cover.  Cook on Low 8 hours.
3.  Just before serving, take and knife and shred chicken right in the crock pot.  It is easy to do and less of a pain than taking it out and cutting then replacing.  It took a few minutes to shred this way, but it was so easy.  You could also take two forks and shred the meat that way.  The chicken comes out so tender, it is super easy to shred.
4.  To serve, put a handful of chips into each individual soup bowl.  Ladle soup over the chips.  Top with cheese.

Note:  You can also add sour cream and sliced avocado or guacamole to top it off.

Merry Christmas!  I will  be continuing with my 31 days of crock pot cooking, so stay tuned for posts after Christmas.  I plan to do mostly sides and desserts as we will be traveling to visit family, so those recipes will be posted starting December 26th.  Have a wonderful Christmas!

Days 19 & 20: Festive Holiday Crock Pot Cherry Cobbler and Vanilla Steamer Holiday Drink

We had a garage sale fundraiser on Saturday, so we were busy all day from early morning until late afternoon.  Our friends graciously hosted our sale for us at their house (where there is a lot more traffic than there is here in the country).  That evening, they were also hosting a big dessert party at their house.  We only had a couple of hours in between to clean up and haul all the remnants of the garage sale away.  I wanted to bring a dessert to the party, so I chose this simple dessert.  It was super easy to make, and it was a big hit. It is definitely a cobbler, with a bread-like cake.  The difference is that the spices added give it that holiday flavor.  We served this with vanilla ice cream at the party, and it was delicious.

Holiday Cherry Cobbler
Ingredients:
16-oz. can cherry filling (light or regular)
1 pckg. cake mix for white or yellow layer cake
2 eggs
6 Tbsp. evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Instructions:
1. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray.
2.  Spread pie filling in bottom of cooker.
3.  Cover.  Cook on High 30 minutes.
4.  Meanwhile, in a medium-sized mixing bowl mix together cake mix, egg, evaporated milk, cinnamon, and walnuts.
5.  Spoon over hot pie filling.  Do not stir.
6.  Cover.  Cook on Low 2-3 hours, or until toothpick inserted in cake layer comes out clean.

IMG_20151220_212023750 (1)

Last night, we went to a little live nativity that is held just down the street from us every year.  It is really a sweet time, with a hike through the woods on the grounds of a lovely piece of land that has a management training school and a beautiful wedding chapel on the property.  They do a great job of acting and leading people along a “journey” to find the baby Messiah.  Along the way, we encounter an innkeeper, a Centurion, a scribe of King Herod, some Shepherds, and finally, Mary, Joseph and the Baby.  It’s so sweet, and we can literally walk there from our house.  I did make a dinner in the crock pot, but it’s one I’ve shared already.  So, I also made a nice holiday hot drink as an alternative to hot chocolate.  It’s a bit different, and not really sweet, but very soothing.  If you wanted to make this sweeter, I’m sure you could, but I found it very good just the way it is in the recipe.  Everyone seemed to enjoy it. I doubled it so I would have some left over, which can be reheated or used as a coffee creamer (I tried that this morning, and it was good).

Vanilla Steamer (makes 8 servings)
8 cups milk
1/8 tsp. cinnamon, or 2 3″-long cinnamon sticks
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
pinch of nutmeg

Ideas for garnish to serve:
whipped topping
sprinkling of ground cinnamon
mini marshmallows
candy cane stirrers
white chocolate shavings

Instructions:
1.  Put all ingredients except whipped topping and sprinkling of ground cinnamon in slow cooker.
2.  Cover.  Cook on Low 2-3 hours, taking care to make sure it doesn’t boil.
3.  Garnish individual servings with whipped topping and a sprinkling if you wish.  Other serving options include mini-marshmallows, candy cane stirrers, white chocolate shavings, etc.