Sisterly Love

My daughters Alison and Lauren have always been such blessings to my husband Wally and me. Not only are they wonderful daughters, they love Jesus, and it shows in the way they live, act, walk, and talk. They’re also extremely different, but they have a deep love for each other that amazes me. I’m blessed that my adult-women daughters respect each other and embrace their differences with good humor and love. Oh, Lauren's the one in front on the left, and Alison's behind her on the right.

Deadline Dinners – Chicken and Rice Casserole

This meal is a variation of what my mother used to cook when I was growing up. I love mixing flavors, and I recommend changing things out to make this recipe your own.*

Ingredients:
• Cooking spray
• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 package of frozen chopped spinach
• 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of uncooked rice
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce
• Paprika

Directions:
1. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. Spread the rice evenly over the bottom of the casserole dish.
3. Pour the water over the rice.
4. Thaw spinach and drain.
5. Using a sharp knife, butterfly the chicken.
6. Stuff each piece of chicken with 2 tbsp. of spinach and 2 tbsp. of cheese. Wrap the chicken tightly around the spinach and cheese.
7. After all the chicken pieces are stuffed, place them over the rice.
8. In a medium bowl, mix the condensed mushroom soup, milk, and Worcestershire sauce.
9. Pour the soup and milk mixture over the chicken. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover.
10. Cook in a 375 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes to an hour.

Serve with your favorite steamed veggie and tomato slices.

*Variations:
Substitute cheddar or provolone cheese.
Use chopped broccoli instead of spinach.

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Confidence

I’ve discovered that one of the most important things anyone can possess—after a relationship with Jesus—is confidence. With confidence, it’s so much easier to meet new people, maintain friendships, get great jobs, get promotions, and do almost anything we want to do. I’ve noticed that my granddaughter Emma exudes confidence, and it shows in the way she moves. Check out her runway-model strut across her backyard.

Heartsong Connection!

I'm the guest blogger at the Heartsong Connection. This is a blog for authors to share a bit about our books and ourselves with readers and other writers. I'd love for my friends to stop by and leave a comment.


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Deadline Dinners – Stuffed Hamburgers

Next time you cook hamburgers, surprise everyone with a little something extra. Here’s a recipe sure to make everyone smile after the first bite.

Ingredients:
• 1-1/2 pound of ground beef
• 4 slices of your favorite cheese
• 1/2 cup of diced green pepper
• 1/2 cup of diced onion
• 1 chopped jalapeno pepper (optional for people who can handle the heat)
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Sauté the green pepper and onion.
2. Sprinkle the ground beef with Worcestershire sauce then mix it well in a bowl. Use your hands to get it evenly distributed.
3. Make eight 4-inch balls out of the ground beef. Pat them flat until they are approximate 1/2 to 1/3 inch thick.
4. Place a slice of cheese on 4 of the ground beef patties.
5. Evenly distribute the sautéed green pepper, onion, and optional jalapeno pepper over the cheese.
6. Carefully place the plain patties over the filled ones. Seal the edges and make sure nothing peeks out from the middle.
7. Grill the stuffed hamburger patties until they are done.
8. Place the patties into hamburger buns. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mustard and mayonnaise.

Serve with oven baked potato wedges and coleslaw or salad.


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Everything Dora

Last time I visited my granddaughter, I was amazed by how much she’s changed. She’s much bigger, of course, and she communicates extremely well. Her vocabulary is amazing. Obnoxious nana that I am, I don’t mind saying Emma is extremely smart. She’s opinionated, and she lets everyone know what she likes—from food she prefers to her favorite cartoon character, who just happens to be Dora the Explorer.

No matter what else is going on, if Emma sees Dora’s picture or hears Dora's show on TV, Emma stops what she's doing and squeals with delight. So I went out and bought a bunch of Dora stuff to give her next time I see her. I got her a Dora the Explorer backpack, a pink Dora baseball cap, a Dora activity and food tray, and a Dora coloring book. I’m trying to decide whether or not she’ll use a Dora lunchbox, but she’s only 18 months old, so I’m not sure.

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Deadline Dinners – Quiche for the Family

Even the manliest of men should like this ham and veggie quiche. One of the best things about a quiche is you can make it with whatever you have on hand. I like adding lots of veggies to keep it healthy. Here's my basic quiche recipe.

Ingredients:
• Deep dish pie crust (uncooked)
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup of chopped vegetables (spinach or broccoli are my favorites)
• 1 cup of diced ham

Directions:
1. In a mixing bowl, whip the eggs with an electric mixer or wire whisk.
2. Add milk and whip some more.
3. Fold half the cheddar cheese into the egg and milk mixture.
4. Spread the vegetables over the bottom of the pie crust.
5. Pour the diced ham over the vegetables.
6. Sprinkle half the mozzarella cheese over the ham.
7. Pour the egg, milk, and cheese mixture into the crust.
8. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar and mozzarella cheese over the top.
9. Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 30 to 45 minutes, until the mixture is set.
10. If the edges of the pie crust start browning early, cover just the edges with aluminum foil.

Serve this with fruit, and you have a balanced meal almost anyone will love.


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Deadline Dinner – Quick and Easy Chicken Enchiladas

When you want to spice up mealtime, nothing hits the spot like Mexican food. These quick and easy enchiladas take practically no time to prepare, and they're delicious!

Ingredients:
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups of shredded, cooked chicken
• 8 whole wheat flour tortillas
• 2 cans of enchilada sauce
• 1 tbsp. of taco seasoning
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Spray an 8-inch by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Pour 1/2 can of enchilada sauce into the pan and spread it around to cover the bottom of the pan.
3. In a large bowl, mix the shredded, cooked chicken with the water and taco seasoning.
4. Scoop some of the chicken onto the middle each of the 8 tortillas, dividing it evenly among them.
5. Roll the tortillas and place them in a single layer in the baking pan.
6. Cover the pan with foil and bake in a 375 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes.
7. Remove the pan from the oven and remove the foil. Sprinkle the cheese over the tortillas and return to the oven until it melts and starts to bubble.

Serve your enchiladas with yellow rice and black beans.

Garnish each plate with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, dollops of sour cream, black olives, chives, salsa, and anything else that appeals to you.


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