Three Meals, Nine Ways

When I do my weekly grocery shopping I think about possibilities for dinner, but most of the time I decide in the morning of the day of, what I will make.
There have been times, however, when it was necessary to think ahead and freeze meals. If you work and want to prepare homemade meals, it’s probably a given. Even so, we go through phases and stages such as preparing for coming home from the hospital, baseball seasons, driving the kids all over town for various lessons and games, preparing for family coming home or going away and leaving part of the family at home. Sometimes you just need to be more organized than other times.
I thought I would share a tad about taking a few hours to make freezer meals. It takes a bit of planning, but in the end, you save money and time. Planning meals creates less waste, because your meals are divided out according to servings and it saves a lot of clean up on the days that you serve something that you just re-heat.

So here’s one idea. You will need about 5 – 10 lbs of lean ground beef, depending on the size of your family. In these photos I used 5 pounds. I like to go to a local butcher and get it fresh and then divide it into three parts.

Part #1 – Mix up a batch of mini meatballs (1 ½ - 2 lbs will make about 75) (recipe) Bake them for 20 minutes, cool and divide into three small ziplock bags. These can quickly be added to meals such as your favorite spaghetti sauce, mushroom sauce (recipe) or covered with an apricot glaze.

Part # 2 – Place meat in large cooking pot, brown and make your favorite chili sauce. Let this simmer on low, while you continue. Cool and divide chili into three containers. This can be used for a meal of soft tacos (recipe), cornbread with chili or chili soup (recipe).

For part #3 – Cook ½ cup – 1 cup brown or white rice and mix a meat filling that will be divided up for three meals – filled peppers, porcupine balls and cabbage rolls, (recipe). I use the same filling and sauce for all three recipes.

I add a can of tomato soup to the sauce in the recipe or if you like you can just used tomato soup. I cook all three meals in roasters for about 60 – 75 minutes at 350F. Then I divide them into foil or Pyrex dishes to freeze. When I freeze meals, I like to know that they are cooked and only need to be heated.

If you have more time, add a large lasagna. Intersperse these meals with a crockpot meal, pizza, stir fries or pailards - all of which can be on the table quickly if the ingredients are on hand.

Haitian Orphans Rescued

On Monday night, January 18, the Lord allowed 26 Haitian children from the Three Angels Orphanage to come home to their American and Canadian families. Kristal sent me this link, since several of these families attend the same church our kids do. I watched the video with tears of joy! The emotions attached to this miracle are almost indescribable! See the celebration by clicking on the site below and thank God as we continue to pray.

Missionary Flights International - Mission Aviation to Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas - "We Are Bringing Our Babies Home!"

The Second Mile

If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Matthew 5:41

Have you ever wondered where the term, going the extra mile, comes from? According to Frederick Bruner’s commentary on Matthew, during the time of the Roman Rule, a soldier could command a Jewish citizen to carry his load for one mile, and he was legally bound to do it. Now Jesus told his disciples that if this should happen, they should do an extra mile. In other words, “Do more than expected.”

In our town we've had church youth groups get involved in random acts of kindness. I’ve been in my car, maybe stopped at a light, and someone came running to my window to hand me a can of soda. We live in a funny world now where even acts of kindness are looked upon suspiciously. It’s not normal to show kindness, when nothing is expected in return.

Max Lucado, in talking about second milers, explains going the extra mile, as passing from slave to volunteer. “This is the joy of the second mile.” People who go the extra mile are not continually dreaming of Friday, the next holiday or even how they can reach top of the ladder first. They are not just trading favors. This takes self denial, but in doing so they find freedom.

How can I become a second miler? Jesus showed us by His example of a true servant’s attitude. Going the second mile involves doing something that is not expected of me and it may mean doing something for which I cannot get repaid.

A Little Visitor

The little Miss and her Daddy came by and stayed for lunch so Mommy could get a rest. I was thrilled! Daddy's big hands figured out the ins and outs of the carseat with belts that look too big for her, while she sat back with not a care in the world. She continued her good behaviour while I quickly put some sandwiches in the oven to grill and totally enjoyed her first visit at Grammy's. We had a little cuddle and then she nicely went back into her carseat.

Is this what it's like? No driving to the airport . No need to get a bedroom ready. Just a quick hello and an easy goodbye . . . because I will see her again tomorrow. I think I can get used to this.

Speaking of tomorrow . . . Happy Birthday, Kari! I wish you good nights and many sweet smiles and moments as a new Mom. May God bless you with the desires of your heart.

What Was It Like Back Then?

When we checked into the hospital to have our first baby, they set me up in the labor room, where they monitored my contractions and tried to keep me as comfortable as possible. A number of hours later, when it was time to push, they rushed me into the delivery room, telling me not to push, until I was set up there. This room was the “sterile room” – I think they called it the case room. Everyone, including the dad to be, wore gowns and hospital boots etc.

Once the baby was born, weighed, checked out and cuddled, they wheeled me out into the hall so that we could make our phonecalls on the payphone that was located there. Then they took me to a room on the maternity ward. A room shared with three other women. The shower was down the hall.

Babies were kept in the nursery during the night and during visiting hours. Visitors could see all the babies through the large nursery room window. The newest born would most likely be at the front and of course their names would be on their bassinets. By the time I had our third child, we could make special arrangements for the baby’s siblings to come and visit in the lounge, but not in the room.

There was a curfew as to how long the husband could stay. I think it was ten or eleven o’clock. During the night, the nurses watched all the babies and would bring them to their mom when they needed a feed.

I still remember the first morning when I woke up, seeing the bassinet beside my bed. In actuality I had hardly slept because I had expected her during the night. After a while, the nurse came in and asked if I’d fed her yet. I was startled. I was supposed to feed her? How? I had never picked up a newborn in my life; I had never even changed a diaper. This is where many “first times” came into my life.

At that time moms stayed in the hospital for three to four days, and longer if the baby got jaundiced. During this time nurses were there to help you with feeding and showed you how to bathe your baby if you wanted them to. When we checked out, we took our baby home, holding her in my arms or in a box.

I guess after that it was pretty well the same as it is now. Life revolved around a baby’s sleeping and eating for a while.

I didn’t realize how much things had changed until I sat down and started writing. When did our ways become old fashioned? I am not saying that it was better. Some things have definitely improved. Some things we did sound funny now. It just feels strange to be on this end now, the place where we talk about how we used to do it. I did not know it would come so quickly.

Yet, I am in awe of the love and sacrifice that a new mom and dad have and will always have for their little one, so dependent on them. The love of parents is an amazing gift, one that brings you through all the changes and challenges ahead. And at this point I can only add that becoming parents was a blessing beyond what I could have imagined and becoming grandparents truly is grand!

It's a Girl!

There is no call more precious than the one I got while on my walk this morning. The announcement of a healthy baby had me feeling like I was walking on air all day long.

This time it was the proud dad who got to give the details that make a Mom smile. He took her to the hospital during the night and she was born just after seven. She weighed in at 8 lbs, 6 oz. and her name is Lacey Danielle. She is tall for her age, 22 inches.

We got to go and hold her for a bit. She reminds me of the baby boy I held 26 years ago. I fell in love instantly with her pouty look. I love that she is a bit chubby and it looks like she will have dark curly hair just like her mom.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made . . . Psalm 139:13

I got out a crib that great-grandfather made for the girl’s dolls. It’s just the right size for a newborn and it may just be comforting to be able to carry the crib to where the action is. We’ll see. Maybe she will just want to play with dolls before we know it. I can hardly wait.