Menu Planning Monday

I haven't done this in a while, but I'm trying to get back into the swing of planning, and eventually freezing, meals more than a day or two in advance, so here goes:

Monday--White Chicken Chili
Tuesday--Bourbon Chicken
Wednesday--Fish
Thursday--Spinach and Cheese Strata
Friday--Baked Ziti
Saturday--Eating out
Sunday--pancakes/leftovers

Have a great week!

Pumpkin Dessert Squares

These bars are delicious!! They taste like a pumpkin version of gooey butter cake, and the best part of all is that they are easy to make.  The original recipe is from Williams-Sonoma and calls for their pumpkin pecan butter.  I substituted regular pumpkin butter and the results were wonderful.  


Pumpkin Dessert Squares

• 1 (18 ounce) box yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 13 ounces pumpkin butter 
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter softened
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. 
   
   Reserve 1 cup of cake mix and set aside.
3. 
   
   Mix remaining cake with with 1/2 cup melted butter and 1 egg. Press mixture lightly into the bottom of a 13" x 9" baking dish.
4. 
   
   Mix one jar of pumpkin pecan butter with remaining two eggs and milk, and pour over cake mixture in pan.
5. 
   
   Mix remaining 1 cup cake mix with flour, sugar, remaining 1/4 cup butter, and cinnamon, and crumble over the top of the pumpkin layer.
6. 
   
   Bake 35-40 minutes, or until golden.
7. 
   
   Cool to room temp and serve.

Movie Review: The Least Among You

The Least Among You, starring Louis Gossett, Jr., relates the true story of a young black man, Richard Kelly (Cedric Sanders), who is arrested during race riots in the 1960s and as a result finds himself enrolled in an all-white seminary according to the terms of his probation.  Although the seminary president (William Devane)--for political reasons--encourages Kelly to take a leadership role at the school, Kelly faces hostility from his classmates and professors.  Only when Kelly forges a relationship with the older black custodian of the school, Samuel Benton (Louis Gosset, Jr.), does Kelly begin to develop the spiritual depth required for him to truly step out in leadership at the seminary.

This movie provides an interesting portrait of the racial turbulence that pervaded even the religious institutions of the period. Although at times, the storyline was complicated and distracted from the overall message of the movie, Kelly's story of personal growth and conviction is truly inspiring.

Thomas Nelson provided a complimentary copy of this DVD for review, but the opinions expressed here are my own.

Recent Recipes

Ok, instead of grading papers, I decided that I really, really needed to bake some cookies--[for my next-door neighbor who just had surgery, of course!!  Not for us--;)  ]   This is my newest favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe--I'm making the pretzel/chocolate chip variety with some toffee bits thrown in for good measure.  I love the salty/sweet combination, and these are delicious!

Another yummy recipe I've tried lately is Sloppy Chicken.  It's a great crockpot dinner and is super easy:

Take 1 lb. of chicken, 2 cans of chicken broth and 2 cans of reduced sodium/low fat cream of chicken soup and throw it in the crockpot on high for 4-5 hours.  Just before serving, shred chicken; then crumble a sleeve of crackers and toss in with the chicken.  This can be served on buns or with rice, noodles or potatoes.  

Finally, here's a recipe that I've promised to send to several people:

Poppyseed Ham and Cheese Melts

1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 packet Lipton onion soup
1 1/2 lbs.  thinly sliced deli ham (turkey works well, too)
1 lb. Provolone cheese, sliced
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
pinch of salt and pepper
1 package Hawaiian sweet rolls

Poppyseed sauce:  Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.  Stir in brown sugar, poppy seeds, garlic powder, soup mix, salt/pepper and Worcestershire sauce.  Layer meat and cheese on buns and place in baking dish.  Top with poppy seed sauce and bake uncovered for 20 minutes.  Uncover and broil for 1 minute.

These are so good.  They would be perfect for a luncheon or shower.

Book Review: Fearless by Max Lucado

In Max Lucado's book Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear, Lucado examines thirteen of the most common causes of fear for Christians and provides a Biblical perspective for dealing with them.  In characteristic Lucado style, the book deals head on with issues such as "Fear of Disappointing God" to "Fear of Worst-Case Scenarios." Although the book is not terribly in-depth, I appreciate Lucado's reminders to turn my eyes back on the Savior in times of distress.  Lucado also emphasizes that while Jesus never promised Christians a comfortable life, "[w]e can trust Him.  'Everything will work out in the end.  If it's not working out, it's not the end'" (160).


Thanks to Thomas Nelson for providing a review copy of this book.

Book Review: The Devil in Pew Number Seven

In this book Rebecca Nichols Alonzo relates the harrowing account of the terrorism she and her family encountered when her pastor father was targeted by a controlling church attendee who disliked the direction in which her father was guiding the church.  As Mr. Watts’s anger increased, he escalated his attacks on the Nichols family:  prank phone calls gave way to bombs and snipers.  Through all of the terrifying attacks, Rebecca’s parents, Robert and Ramona Nichols, held tightly to their faith in God and refused to compromise.  They even taught their children to pray for and forgive their attackers.  When an armed gunman entered the Nichols’s home, the family was shattered, and Rebecca, her brother and their extended family had to learn to rely on the forgiveness Rebecca's parents modeled.  

This is a remarkable book.  Alonzo openly and honestly describes the heartache and difficulties she experienced as she picked up the broken pieces of her life.  Her heart for the Lord and her spirit of forgiveness weave an amazing tapestry of beauty and strength out of immense suffering and loss.  Her testimony is powerfully instructive; this is a book I didn’t want to put down.





Thanks to Tyndale House for a review copy of this book.

The First Day and a Meal Plan

Well, today was a day of firsts: our middle son's first day of kindergarten and my first day of teaching a class of high school literature.  There is something tangibly exciting about the first day of a new school year; something that seems to promise a fresh start: a new routine, new knowledge, and new relationships.  I love the freshness of books waiting to be read and people waiting to be known.  It's very exciting.  My sweet little redhead enjoyed his first day of school and I survived mine.  NoBro, our third grader is a seasoned pro at school who tolerated his day with a laid back enthusiasm.  Tinkerbell jumped in with both feet, packing her lunch box and begging to be left at school with her brothers.  Even the weather cooperated with a break in the oppressive humidity we've had for weeks.  Yay for a fun summer and for the routine of fall.

Part of my revised routine is to jump back on the meal planning bandwagon.  Having a plan makes dinner so much less stressful around our house.  So, here it is, the back-to-school, let's-get-organized, weekly menu plan.  Enjoy!


Monday--Fresh Tomato Pasta
Tuesday--Turkey Breast Tenderloin
Wednesday--Stir fry
Thursday--Eating out
Friday--Tomato, Basil Pizza
Saturday--Grilled Chicken with Pine Nuts


This Fresh Tomato Pasta is excellent.  It comes from a Bible study I did this summer called Ruth: Loss, Love and Legacy by Kelly Minter.  I highly recommend both the recipes and the study!

Fresh Tomato Pasta
1 (12oz) package dried linguine
4 large tomatoes, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
6 big leaves of fresh basil, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 (2 1/2 oz.) can sliced ripe olives, drained  (We don't care for olives, so I omitted these.)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

While pasta water is boiling, combine tomatoes and next 5 ingredients.  Salt the mixture and let the tomatoes soak up the salt for a few minutes, this will bring out the flavor of the tomatoes.  Drain pasta and place in a large bowl.  Top with tomato mixture, and sprinkle with olives and cheese.