Recipe: Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

I made these this morning and Jackson and I haven't been able to keep our hands out of them. Jack calls them Pumpkin chips. It will take some restraint to leave some for Mike - he loves them too! I might have to go buy another pumpkin, just for the seeds! This is the first time I added pepper & garlic powder - and I will never make it again without them!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (adapted from Allrecipes)

1 1/2 c fresh pumpkin seeds
1 Tbs margarine, melted
1 Tbs olive oil
salt, garlic powder, pepper (to taste) - I use 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper & 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Rinse seeds well in colander and remove all pumpkin flesh. Boil in heavily salted water for 20 minutes. Remove & dry them with paper towel. Move to cookie sheet and allow them to dry completely overnight. Mix melted butter, olive oil & salt/pepper/garlic powder until evenly coated. Lay on cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake them at 300 degrees. Stir every 8-10 minutes (mine took a total of 25 minutes). WATCH CAREFULLY so not to let them burn. They are done when golden brown and crunchy. Store in airtight container.

Learning who's who - getting political

Clinton, McCain, Obama, Romney, Richardson, Huckabee, Guiliani, Thompson, Edwards, Keyes, Paul & more..... Do you know all of these names? I've been doing a little bit of reading about the individuals running for President in '08. Mostly because I feel completely in the dark about who's running. It seems to me that a few names keep circulating in the media and, frankly, most of them are a quite scary to me. So, I wondered about those that I was not hearing much about... and I felt guilty that I didn't know much about any of the candidates (Red or Blue) & the issues for which they stand.

Here's part of the reason to why I was uneducated about the candidates (according to this article).... Around the US, presidential hopefuls are soliciting the votes of Americans - but not in NC. Since the primary is not until the late date of May 6th, NC is basically overlooked by candidates at this point, who focus on those battle states of SC, New Hampshire, Iowa and the like. Which means that by the time we North Carolinians get our say, many candidates have dropped out - possibly some that could have best represented the needs of our state. There have been people trying to get the primary moved up to February, but I don't think it has been changed at this time.

So, I'm reading up and learning about who is out there and what they are "selling". What about you?? Next year will be an interesting election year, and I challenge you, friends, to go into the election year with accurate facts before the heinous commercials hit NC, or wherever you are.

Escape from Men's Town

My hubby had his fantasy football league over for a wing-fest today. Which means my furniture was re-arranged so that every seat had optimal viewing of the TVs (yes, he had 2 going inside and one in the garage). In addition, my house was filled with testosterone and the smell of grease. He & a friend had 2 deep fryers going and made a ton of wings with 5-6 different sauces (3 traditional wing sauces, teriyaki, honey barbecue, etc). And, he attempted to deep fry candy bars, like at the fair.

All this to say... after making sure Jack was kept away from the fryers and tucked away for a nap, I left! I started the Christmas shopping. Whoo-hoo!

Also, since I am not a wing kind of girl, I got "chick food". I went to Roly Poly - my new FAVORITE - and got the kind of food that my husband would gag over.... Pesto Chicken with sauteed onions, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes & fabulous pesto sauce. Oh, and I didn't stop there! I used a buy one get one free coupon and got another wrap for dinner! (An incredible chicken salad wrap). Ya'll, it was heavenly!!

Heading into Holiday Haze...

I've got 2 months. Actually, less than 2 months since we'll be traveling some the weekend before Christmas. I'm way behind this year... probably has something to do with the 90 degree weather in October. It's crunch time. I have a very long Christmas list - a topic for another post- so I have to start early and work hard in order to enjoy some of Christmas. And, don't worry, I plan to enjoy the holiday and celebrate the birth of my Savior!

My sanity is tied to my Excel spreadsheet. I have used this for the past 2 years and it has made all the difference. I've got the list of names, gift ideas, budget, item purchased, a running sum of actual expenditures, and columns to check off when it is bought & wrapped. And, I pull up last year's list to make sure I don't duplicate gifts. Anal? Maybe. Needed? Absolutely. Yeah, the list is THAT LONG.

All this to say... I need help. I need creative gift ideas - on a budget. I need dummy-proof, non-artistic crafts that I can make. I need ideas for all ages. Come on, bloggy buddies... help me out! Got any suggestions??

Finding a New Normal

So, my son has gone from a very consistent 4 hour nap, to barely napping at all. The major contributor to this is giving up the pacifier - I think. I also think he is willfully trying to stay awake, even when he is completely exhausted.

The hard part is the inconsistency -- some days he'll sleep, others he'll stay awake the whole time. Sometimes he falls asleep right away, others he goofs off for 2-3 hours and then falls asleep (but is very upset when I wake him at 5pm because he is still wanting to sleep). I am still making him go to his room to rest... but he has been getting into a lot of mischief and I have to keep a listening ear! The other day he unplugged a lamp and had it in bed with him.

The bottom line is that he still needs sleep - he is such a grouch in the evenings when he doesn't nap. And, well, I need the "off time". :) I'm hoping that he'll settle into a new pattern so that I can find a new normalcy to my days.

Linkage

• My friend's The Wells and my neice, Elliott Kate, have gotten into the bloggy-craze. Check out their sites.
  
• I found my cooking alter-ego. Check out MOMMY COOKS, a great recipe blog, for some really good recipes. I have PAGES worth of her recipes that I can't wait to try. In fact, I think I'll try the Potato Soup tonight.
  
• There's a new morning cartoon that I love for my son - "Super Why" on PBS (9am for us). It's targeted for preschoolers ages 3 - 6 to "help with the critical skills they need to read," using favorite fairytales. And, the have a website (see here) with incredible stuff! It has lesson plans, activities, and more that follow along with the the episodes. I haven't used it yet, but plan to soon. Jackson is absolutely mesmerized by the show.
  

Recipe: Breakfast Casserole

This can fall in with the holiday/fall recipes that I've been sharing. It is great to make for overnight company - easy, fast, & yummy! This is actually a recipe that I shared with my mom (as opposed to her giving me all the recipes) and it has become a Christmas morning hit!

Breakfast Casserole

1 lb. bulk sausage
1 (8ct) can crescent rolls
2 C shredded cheddar cheese
4-5 eggs, beaten
3/4 C milk
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425. Brown sausage until crumbly & drain. Line the bottom of a greased 9x13 dish with crescent rolls - pressing the perforations to seal. Layer the sausage & cheese on top. Combine eggs, milk, salt & pepper in a separate bowl and mix well. Pour over the sausage & cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 min. (Can add other omelet-like ingredients, if desired). Serve with fresh fruit & coffee (of course!).

bye-bye, baby

It's been a big couple of weeks in our family. My almost 3 year-old son decided to finally give up on the pacifier that we have be weaning for some time, AND he made HUGE strides in potty training (read more here). Both are events that I have been very anxious for (the thought of how much we can save by not forking out the bucks on diapers!)...and yet, now I look around for some trace of an infant with a heavy heart. I look at his growth chart marks on the wall and can hardly believe he is that big! Big beds, real cups, talking my ears off....One of his favorite phrases lately is "No, I can do it by myself".

As I am reflecting all of this earlier today, Jack came up and randomly said, "Oh, I love you, mommy. Hug, please. Kiss me". His arms reaching up to me. And, he sat in my lap and laid his head on my shoulder for a while. It is like he read my mind.

I think I can handle all this growing up stuff as long as he still pauses to love on his mommy!

survivorman???

My husband loves the TV shows on survival...you know the "I'm stranded in the Canadian tundra in the snow with the moose and I'll show you how to survive here for 5 days" kind of shows. They are a regular on our DVR. He says he wants to do something like that. Right.

He is currently preparing for a little spiritual retreat for himself (a must for pastors!). Tomorrow he leaves to brave the wild woods by a nearby lake... in the campground...with pottys nearby... probably with an air mattress....and just a short drive from our house. But, by himself. Of course, when I say "preparing" I mean he is sitting in his recliner and asking me to think of things he'll need for his "survivorman" trip. I am actually the more experienced camper in our family. :)

Enjoy your trip, honey! I know he'll have some great alone time with God and come back refreshed.

Recipe: Pumpkin Dessert Dip

Part 4 of my holiday recipe series...make sure you check out Overwhelmed by Joy for tons more great recipes for the holidays. I'm really into pumpkin recipes lately - breads, rolls, muffins, lattes... and I made this last year and loved it!

Pumpkin Dessert Dip

1 (8oz) pkg of Cream cheese, softened
1 jar (7oz) Jet-puffed marshmallow crème
½ cup canned pumpkin (can substitute pumpkin pie filling for increased sweetness)
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

Mix all the ingredients until well blended. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled. Serve with apple slices, ginger snaps, or vanilla wafers.

Catalyst '07 - what reverberates within me...

Attending a powerful conference, such a Catalyst, leaves me a little awestruck, convicted, and revved up to serve at The Bridge. There was so much wealth of insight. So much that I think it will take time to fully process all of it. It was easy to sit and take notes of the great quotes and thoughts... but this is far insufficient until I explore the many facets that I need to apply to me (& my ministry & my church).

So, while I digest all of this, I thought I would at least highlight some of the "nuggets" from the conference that struck me:

• Its time for churches to move away from promoting "moral legislation", and focus more on changing the hearts & lives. A pastor shouldn't preach a message without having an avenue for people to respond. It is the role of the church to help people take next steps. Christians are not hated for being righteous, but for our self-righteousness. [ouch] We must redeem the word "Christian". It has a bad connotation today. (from authors of UNchristian - the book next on my reading list...more on this later)
• You can be successful in ministry or building a church without truly loving God or the people of your church. (Francis Chan)
• Practical Atheism -- defn.=believes God exists, but does life as if He doesn't. Happens even to those in ministry at times. We start to believe our efforts are greater than God's power. We believe our private life doesn't effect our public ministry. We feel we must please people more than we please God. The way I do the work of God can destroy the work of God in me. (Craig Groeshel)
• Intentionally add value to people everyday. (John Maxwell)

In addition, I was challenged to pursue more social injustice outlets for The Bridge. And, maybe ways that we can be "green" (no, tim, I am not a tree hugger).

I found out about this company that is doing an incredible thing - they sell these shoes, and for every pair bought they provide shoes for someone in an impoverished country that cannot afford them. Great story and concept. I bought a pair of TOMS. Check out their site and story.

Perhaps you will be hearing more as I am able to process it all. :)

Road trip with the boys

So, what do you get when you combine 4 laid back and goofy guys and one, well...ME for a long roadtrip including a huge traffic jam?? Boy banter, sports talk, boy food, no romantic comedies on the DVD player, and getting slung all around the backseat from Tim's wild driving. All in all, it has been interesting. ;)

Greetings from Atlanta! The church staff is here for Catalyst '07, a huge church leadership conference. The conference has been pretty good, for the most part. Some great challenges and insight. Today we heard from some "big wigs" in church leadership - Rick Warren, Andy Stanley, and others. One fantastic talk by a guy named Francis Chan... who I had never heard of, but he gave the best talk of the day by far. A cool quote that made me chuckle - "Church is like Noah's Ark... it stinks sometimes, but if you get out you'll drown" (Shane Clairborne). Tomorrow continues with more Andy Stanley, John Maxwell, Dave Ramsey, Erwin McManus and some others. Looking forward to it. And then, we'll take the late and long travel home.

Got to see my brother, sister-in-law and beautiful neice for dinner while we were in town. She is getting so big! It was GREAT to see them.

Jackson is doing great with granddaddy and grandDee. He went to pullen park & Cici's today, which is close to heaven for him. I miss him like crazy!! It's been much harder on me than on him.

Recipe: Cranberry Apple Casserole

Part 3 in my fall recipe series. It's sweet like a dessert.

Cranberry Apple Casserole

3 c apples (chopped & peeled)
3 c cranberries (not frozen - whole, raw, washed & drained)
2 c sugar, divided
1 stick margarine, melted
1 1/2 c quick oatmeal
1/3 c flour
1/2 c pecans

Mix apples & cranberries in a dish. Pour 1 1/2 c sugar over and toss lightly. Spread fruit mixture in bottom of cooking dish.

In a separate bowl, melt margarine and mix with 1 1/2 c quick oatmeal, 1/2 c sugar and 1/3 c flour. Crumble loosely over fruit. Sprinkle with 1/2 c pecans. Bake for 1 hour uncovered at 325 degrees.

life in fast-forward

Last week was very hectic. I spent almost all free time running around town getting ready for the Bridge Family Fun Day we had on Saturday. It turned out GREAT. I was so pleased. The kids had a blast with all the inflatables! And, we had a ton of people from the community come enjoy the food and activities. Lots of connections made.

It seems like every time life gets way crazy... a speed bump comes along to slow me down and ground me.... Jackson is sick. Nothing bad - just enough to stay at home and rest until this bug passes. Hopefully by Wednesday, since I am supposed to go to a conference with the church staff and he's scheduled to have some quality time with Granddaddy and GrandDee. We'll see. In the meantime, I am enjoying a super snugly little one....I love that part! :)

Holy Cow - - it's October.