It's that time of year. The season is changing. The air is fresh and clean. There seems no end to the possibilities before us. February is almost past, and March is fast approaching. Already this year is speeding by!
I have been busy the past few weeks since my parents returned to the mission field. When my dad leaves, I handle anything that comes up on this end of all his business/financial "stuff." Normally, this hardly changes anything for me. Well, not so this time around!!! It's been a learning experience for me to juggle everything that's needed my attention. It's been fun though...fun to stay so busy, fun to be able to help my dad so much!
I've also been helping my hubby by running interference with the mortgage company and the real estate agents! YEP!!! We finally found a house that will work for us. I'm so excited! It's been nearly nine months since we sold our house, and I've been impatiently, patiently waiting for what the Lord would provide.
It still may be some time before we move because Brandon is due a month and a half after the closing date. I'm just not sure I'll be up to all that moving requires at that point! But we still have a comfortable place to live until we're absolutely ready to leave. I'm just so happy that I'll actually have a home to call my own again.
I've been struck lately by how very blessed I am!
The Lord has given me a wonderful husband who cares for me and our children. He provides for us and works so hard to give us what we need and so much more. He loves me so completely and is a wonderful father to our sons!
I have a beautiful little boy who is so precious to me and a constant reminder of God's grace in my life. He's not always easy to deal with, but the love I have for him is indescribable! His little declarations of love--"Mommy, I love you."--are so worth every time of trial and frustration! His hugs and kisses are constant blessings showered upon me.
And I have another baby on the way! This little boy inside of me is growing and moving and changing so much every day. It's amazing to see the changes in my body as Brandon develops. The Lord has so far blessed us with a healthy pregnancy. I've had my share of pregnancy woes, but really, I'm doing very well. I'm so thankful for the doctors that I have to take care of me and the husband I have to help and comfort me when the going gets rough. I've lost count of the back, leg and foot massages he's showered on me to relieve my aches and pains.
The Lord is just so good to me...and I am so undeserving! I find myself getting caught up in all the "what if's" and the "could be's" when I'm surrounded everyday by tokens of my Father's care and provision for me. How I want to learn to be a constantly thankful person! Thankful for all my physical blessings, my family and my home. Thankful for the life that the Lord has given me...physical and spiritual.
Well, blogworld, I have to sign off for now.
By the way, for all of you out there who noticed our lack of a middle name, we have finally settled! :) This new baby boy will be named after his Grandpa Horner. The Lord willing, Brandon Patrick Walker will join our family sometime the first weeks of May.
Thank you all for your friendship and your prayers and your love for my family and for me! Blessings!!!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Friday, February 02, 2007
Hungry, anyone??
Has anyone else been in a cooking/baking mode lately???? I certainly have!
As I've perused the blog world this past week, it seems like everyone out there is posting something about cooking or recipes or something!!! I've copied some amazing sounding recipes from Biblical Womanhood, Dawson's Delights and other blogs! Y'all should check them out!
I have been baking...fresh yeast cinnamon rolls, banana pudding made with homemade vanilla pudding, layered cherry chocolate cake...yum, yum!!
I've also been trying out some new chicken recipes. You see, chicken is about the cheapest meat I can get these days--that means, I have a freezer full of it. Everything from 10 lbs. of leg quarters to packages of chicken legs at $0.69/lb. Needless to say, I need some creative, but inexpensive, already-have-the-ingredients-in-the-house ideas!
This week, we've tried a new and yummy recipe for oven-fried chicken and a recipe for Chicken Tetrazzini that I changed up. It actually all came out really yummy!!!
So, all that to say this...
Here's the Oven-fried Chicken recipe. It's super simple and easy. Best of all, the ingredients are inexpensive; and normally, we all have them laying around the kitchen anyway!!!
OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Prep: 20 min
Bake:45 min
Ingredients--
1 egg, beaten
3 T. milk
1-1/4 cups crushed cornflakes or finely crushed rich round crackers (I made it with corn flakes.)
1 t. dried thyme, crushed
1/2 t. paprika
1/4 t. salt (honestly, it's chicken! M ore salt was needed, I thought)
1/8 t. pepper
I also added some Garlic powder to this mix because we enjoy that garlicky taste...your choice...add whatever seems good to you!
2 T. butter, melted
2-1/2 to 3 lbs meaty chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs and/or drumsticks)
Directions--
1. In a small bowl, combine egg and milk. For coating, in a shallow dish, combine cornflakes, thyme, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic powder; stir in melted butter. Set aside. Skin chicken. Dip chicken pieces, 1 at a time, into egg mixture; coat with crumb mixture.
2. In a greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan, arrange chicken, bone side down, so the pieces don't touch. Sprinkle the chicken with any remaining crumb mixture so they are generously coated.
3. Bake uncovered in a 375 degree F oven for 45 -55 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Do not turn chicken while baking. Makes 6 servings.
4. NOTE: To make your own tenders, simple cut 1-1/2 lbs of boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves lengthwise into 1-in strips.
5. Oven-fried Parmesan Chicken: Prepare as above, except omit thyme and salt and reduce the corn flakes to 1/2 cup. For coating, combine cornflakes, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 t. dried oregano, crushed, the paprika and pepper. Stir in melted butter. Continue as above.
6. Oven fried chicken breast tenders: Prepare as above, except substitute 1-1/2 lbs chicken tenders for meaty chicken pieces. Increase crushed cornflakes to 1-3/4 cups and place tenders in a single layer on baking pan. Do not turn tenders while baking.
I hope that you enjoy this as much as my family did! My husband is a fan of all those home-cooked, Southern style meals! Since I don't have a deep fryer, I've had to learn to pan fry and over fry chicken for him. This is definitely the best recipe for oven fried that I've tried yet! We enjoyed it with home-made mashed potatoes, green beans and steamed carrots.
Happy cooking everyone!
As I've perused the blog world this past week, it seems like everyone out there is posting something about cooking or recipes or something!!! I've copied some amazing sounding recipes from Biblical Womanhood, Dawson's Delights and other blogs! Y'all should check them out!
I have been baking...fresh yeast cinnamon rolls, banana pudding made with homemade vanilla pudding, layered cherry chocolate cake...yum, yum!!
I've also been trying out some new chicken recipes. You see, chicken is about the cheapest meat I can get these days--that means, I have a freezer full of it. Everything from 10 lbs. of leg quarters to packages of chicken legs at $0.69/lb. Needless to say, I need some creative, but inexpensive, already-have-the-ingredients-in-the-house ideas!
This week, we've tried a new and yummy recipe for oven-fried chicken and a recipe for Chicken Tetrazzini that I changed up. It actually all came out really yummy!!!
So, all that to say this...
Here's the Oven-fried Chicken recipe. It's super simple and easy. Best of all, the ingredients are inexpensive; and normally, we all have them laying around the kitchen anyway!!!
OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Prep: 20 min
Bake:45 min
Ingredients--
1 egg, beaten
3 T. milk
1-1/4 cups crushed cornflakes or finely crushed rich round crackers (I made it with corn flakes.)
1 t. dried thyme, crushed
1/2 t. paprika
1/4 t. salt (honestly, it's chicken! M ore salt was needed, I thought)
1/8 t. pepper
I also added some Garlic powder to this mix because we enjoy that garlicky taste...your choice...add whatever seems good to you!
2 T. butter, melted
2-1/2 to 3 lbs meaty chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs and/or drumsticks)
Directions--
1. In a small bowl, combine egg and milk. For coating, in a shallow dish, combine cornflakes, thyme, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic powder; stir in melted butter. Set aside. Skin chicken. Dip chicken pieces, 1 at a time, into egg mixture; coat with crumb mixture.
2. In a greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan, arrange chicken, bone side down, so the pieces don't touch. Sprinkle the chicken with any remaining crumb mixture so they are generously coated.
3. Bake uncovered in a 375 degree F oven for 45 -55 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Do not turn chicken while baking. Makes 6 servings.
4. NOTE: To make your own tenders, simple cut 1-1/2 lbs of boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves lengthwise into 1-in strips.
5. Oven-fried Parmesan Chicken: Prepare as above, except omit thyme and salt and reduce the corn flakes to 1/2 cup. For coating, combine cornflakes, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 t. dried oregano, crushed, the paprika and pepper. Stir in melted butter. Continue as above.
6. Oven fried chicken breast tenders: Prepare as above, except substitute 1-1/2 lbs chicken tenders for meaty chicken pieces. Increase crushed cornflakes to 1-3/4 cups and place tenders in a single layer on baking pan. Do not turn tenders while baking.
I hope that you enjoy this as much as my family did! My husband is a fan of all those home-cooked, Southern style meals! Since I don't have a deep fryer, I've had to learn to pan fry and over fry chicken for him. This is definitely the best recipe for oven fried that I've tried yet! We enjoyed it with home-made mashed potatoes, green beans and steamed carrots.
Happy cooking everyone!
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