~Good Coffee, Good Food and Great Friends~

Growing up I remember always spending the holidays with my family.  There were so many kids running in and out of my Grandma's big house on the lake, adults and young people laughing, joking and sharing memories. My Daddy always went hunting early the morning of Thanksgiving and more times than not, brought home the deer that would last us several months of great meals. Oh, we always had turkey with the trimmings and would sit around my Grandma's huge table eating, talking and just being together. My Mama could always make the best creamed (mashed) potatoes ever! I loved it and have the best memories in my heart.  I will treasure them all my days.
After I married my beloved husband, I moved to another state.  One thing I couldn't bring with me was my sweet family.  Traveling back every year to visit with them, especially during the holidays was something my husband made a point to do for me. In the last 4 years it has been very difficult for us financially, to be able to travel. My heart breaks any time I even think about it. 
But with trials come victories!  And God will bring joy to those seeking Him!  Over the last 10 years the Lord has brought a very special family into our lives. Every holiday that we are both home, we spend it together.  Either at our house or at theirs.  God has a way of easing the heartache and bringing happiness at the same time.  I'm not sure if they know how much they mean to our family, but I think they're getting a pretty good idea of how truly special they are.  

Thanks Jeff, Bridget, Tanner & Jody for becoming our family.  We love you!

What a great time we had for Thanksgiving! Did you say we're coming to your house for Christmas? 

TESTIMONY!!!

How about this?!!!  Here where we live, surrounded by mountains, it can get very cold, very quickly. The forecast has been calling for freeze warnings along with dry spells(which means fires).  

Now, everyone has been touched by the decline of our economy here in the US.  I don't know anyone who hasn't been affected. Other nations are seemingly facing economic difficulties also.  Well, we are going through yet another job loss with my husbands career and are literally making it day by day...
BUT, "I HAVE A TESTIMONY!"

God is on HIS throne and takes care of his people.  I'm so thankful I know HIM! 

There are a few other choices besides electric that someone could use for heating their home: natural gas, wood log fireplace, or propane.  Here we have propane, which means that we have to schedule the propane company to come out and deliver the fuel from their huge truck and fill up the tank that sits to the side of our house. It isn't something that would go unnoticed by anyone, including the neighbors.  

Well, for the last 4 weeks, we have had some pretty cold temperatures.  It has fallen down into the lower 30's at night and we have had to keep the heating lamps going for the fowl.  I remember about a month ago, my husband said we were going to NEED to get the tank re-fueled for winter, because it was on '0'.  We weren't sure how we were going to do that.  It costs about $2.50-$3.00 per pound to get fuel.  And the company will NOT come out and re-fuel for less than 100 POUNDS. Ok. Do you see where this is going?  And to top it off, you need to re-fuel at least 1 time during the winter months if you only get 100 #'s.  Are you getting the picture...

HERE'S THE GAUGE...IT'S ON ZERO  
I just took this pic early this morning--Ha!

BUT WE KNOW A GOD!!!  THE ONE TRUE GOD OF ALL CREATION!  HE CARES ABOUT US IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE KNOW IT CAN ONLY BE HIM WHO PERFORMS THE MIRACLES!!  

On the night that we were getting some super cold weather, my husband went over to the fireplace (it's a gas log f/p, and heats the entire house), and began to light the pilot light.  We asked him what he was doing and he just said, "I'm gonna light this thing and see what happens." Just as calm as he always is.  The kids and I all smiled big and said, "In Jesus Name!" It just seemed natural for us all to say that.  That was the end of that and we sat down to eat dinner together.  In a minute, flames came up out of the logs (gas logs have a thermostat, my husband set the thermostat as he lit the pilot light). We all began to laugh and clap hands and thank God for what HE just did!  We knew God had done it.   But that's only the start...

YES!  WE KNOW A GOD!!  THE ONE TRUE GOD!

 It's been about 4 weeks and that fire is still burning!  We have had temperatures down into the lower 30's and this house can get very cold.  We haven't had one single night (or day) that it has been cold in this house and we have all slept warm, and snug and toasty every night.

HERE'S THE FIRE...STILL BURNING AND WARM AND COZY

What a powerful GOD we serve!  
Ok. For those of you who may DOUBT...fyi:when the gauge gets down to about '5', EVERYONE knows YOU MUST HAVE IT RE-FUELED--A.S.A.P.!!!   It will not run when it's lower than that.  You just don't take that chance. WE all know to get the thing filled back up.  Only this time God's the one who took care of it..and just to kick that 'ole serpent in the face...
...When the f/p kicks itself off, sometimes I'll just go over to the thermostat and turn it up a little bit just to see the flames...and say to myself, "Ha!!!  Look at that! My God is sooooo GOOD!"

Football Fun With The Boys

Our sons really like to have fun with their friends.  So for Austin's birthday, we had a "FOOTBALL PARTY" at  a nearby park that had lots and lots of room for lots and lots of boys to run and play football. 

Here are some pics of the day...Thanks guys for coming...you made the day!

Well, it seemed to me like they all had a great time and we're looking forward to doing it again...just for the fun of it. 

Baked Pumpkin Dinner

Hello there!  Wow, I have an excellent dinner idea for you that is just about one of the best I've tried in a very, very long time!  While we were visiting our family last week, we also celebrated a special young lady's 14th birthday.  She requested to have her favorite dinner prepared and it was called, "Dinner In A Pumpkin".  Now, I must give credit to the one who shared it with me. Thank You, my sweet, bestestestest friend and sister (ITL)Tammy for an excellent dinner, fun and laughter along with puttin' up with our 'hurricane', :)!! 

  We enjoyed it so much that I wanted to make it this week for my family here at home. I just know you're going to love it as much as we did!  I wasn't planning to post on this recipe, but I've had a few requests to share it, so here it is.

Start with :

• 1  5-6# pumpkin
• 2 #'s ground chuck/turkey
• 2-3 cloves garlic/minced
• 1 green bell pepper/chop't
• 1/2 yellow onion/chop't
• 3 C cooked, brown rice, cook as directed
  
• 1/4 C soy sauce
• 1 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 2 T brown sugar
• 1/2 C fresh mushrooms
• 1 can cream of chicken(recipe below)

Here is our gorgeous pumpkin along with some ingredients

clean your pumpkin good and save the seeds for roasting later

making the roux for the home made cream of chicken

browned meat with garlic, peppers, mushrooms, soy sauce, onions, brown sugar, salt & pepper and homemade cream of chicken and the cooked brown rice

cleaned out pumpkin, it looks so nice

pour the meat into the pumpkin 

place the pumpkin on a cookie sheet and put into the heated oven

Mmmm.....it looks delicious and the outer skin is browned while the inside is tender and ready to scoop out

Serve with your favorite veggies; the yellow is part of the actual pumpkin..very soft in texture, similar to vermicelli pasta

Directions:
*start your rice 1st
*while it's cooking, clean out your pumpkin/set the insides and seeds aside
*after that, begin cooking your meat, drain and return to skillet. Add the chopt peppers, soy sauce, mushrooms, onions, brown sugar, garlic, S & P; stir and allow to simmer until veg are tender
*While meat is simmering, continue to stir rice and,
*begin your roux mixture for the homemade cream of chicken
****Cream of Chicken Recipe****

• 2 T real butter
• 3 T flour-I used wheat flour
• 1 C chicken broth-I used organic 
• 1 C milk
• S & P to taste

In saucepan, heat the butter on medium till it sizzles.  Add the flour, S & P.  Stir with a whisk till it begins to thicken. Slowly pour in, the broth and then the milk, stirring well and constantly.  It will slowly begin to thicken. You may need to turn up the heat.  When it is as thick as white country gravy, turn off heat and set aside.  No need to cover, you'll be using it in a moment.   

*Preheat oven to 350
*In large pot, place 3 cups of the cooked rice, all the meat mixture and the cream of chicken.  Blend thoroughly, but DON'T OVER STIR. You'll make your rice mushy and that won't be tasty. Save the extra rice for later.
*Place your pumpkin on a sturdy cookie sheet. Pour the meat and rice mixture into the pumpkin. Remember to put the 'LID' on it. 
*Set the whole pumpkin into your oven on the lowest rack. 
*Bake on 350 for 1 1/2 hours (- or +, depending on your oven)
*When done, remove from oven and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. 
*Scoop out meat and also lots of the pumpkin, serve with your favorite veggies, bread and drink.

Enjoy~Kimi

It's a brisk, cool morning!

Well, last night the cool temperatures came through...the low was about 50 here in our part of the woods and I had to get the warming light for my little chickens so they wouldn't catch a cold.  Here's how the morning looked as I walked out and we began our chores. Horses are grazing, until they hear our voices...

...then they come running...they are such social creatures and enjoy being with 'their people'. 

Then over to my little chickens. They are all waiting to be given their favorite feed. Patiently waiting for me at the their little gate, they squawk and move about happily... 

Now, they're perfectly happy with their favorite food. Even our duck is content.  They're so funny as they peck their way to the feeder. 

It was such a gorgeous morning here on the farm that I had to share it.  The sun is warm, the breeze is cool and the air is so fresh!  

Well, time to get started on school and breakfast, and laundry and all that.  We must be finished in time to go into town and then we have church tonight.  Plus, I have a test to take in science and then one to take tomorrow in history too-since I went back to college my time is even more precious...I need to get at it!~Have a great day~