GF Recipes and Writings

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

God is so good! We are in our new home for just over two weeks now and have made great progress in setting up house. The kids have their beds. I have my sofa. The TV is in (a must with teenagers!) There’s a turkey in the fridge, just waiting to be buttered and slid into a paper bag to bake to perfection in just two-three hours.

Pies still need to be made, as I was way too tired to do so last night! Yes…I ramble. It isn’t even 6:30 in the morning, people! I’m tired, but thankful! 😊

What are we having today? Well, naturally, there’s the turkey. I am not a huge turkey fan, but it is traditional, and the kids won’t let me skip it, so here we are. I’ll also be making traditional mashed potatoes. This year we are having roasted garlic brussel sprouts. That recipe is below! Yum! Child #3 will also be making cheddar-garlic biscuits from a mix I bought at Aldi. Yeah, it’s a cheat, but too bad. How am I supposed to make everything from scratch?!!! I’m not superhuman! I know I’m awesome, but please…give me a break!

Roasted Garlic Brussel Sprouts

2 cups fresh brussel sprouts

Your favorite gf non-stick cooking spray

1 Tbsp. Minced garlic

1/2 tsp salt

7 Tbsp. Safflower oil

Spray your foil covered pan with your favorite gf non-stick cooking spray. Place your brussel sprouts on the foil and sprinkle the minced garlic and salt over the top. Drizzle the safflower oil over the top and bake at 375° F for 35 minutes or until the brussel sprouts are tender and fragrant. Enjoy!

More pies this year are going to be a bit different. We have sweet cherries which I’m going to pair with cranberries to balance out the sweet – sour thing. The pumpkin pie will be pumpkin – cheesecake pie. Both of these recipes I will be coming up with this morning. If they turn out like I think they will, I’ll be posting them soon.

Oh, and who can forget my fabulous cranberry sauce that takes the bitter away? So good! You can find that at this link:

/https://gfrecipesandwritings.com/2020/11/28/cranberry-sauce-solution/

So, that’s the plan for today. I better get moving or we won’t have any of it! No. That’s not true. One of the things I like best about Thanksgiving is how we all cook together. One person will be in charge of the biscuits; one in charge of the turkey; one in charge of the cranberry sauce; one in charge of the brussel sprouts. It works and then no one is stuck doing everything. Perfect!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, even if you do not specifically celebrate the holiday, there is much for which to be grateful! God bless you!

It’s Live!!! And it Goes Through Monday!!!!

The Best Young Living Sale of the Year!

Here’s the flyer for anyone who is interested:

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Please visit and get your great deals on these truly awesome products! You’ll never be disappointed with Young Living!

If you already know what you want to order, simply go through my link:https://www.youngliving.com/us/en/referral/31628184

https://www.youngliving.com/us/en/referral/31628184

Happy Shopping and may good health be with you always!

Rita

What Have I Been Cooking Lately?

I am so excited to have my own kitchen again and as we come down the homestretch to Thanksgiving and the whole holiday season, I am thoroughly enjoying it!

Cabbage, Garlic, and Onion Stuffed Pork Chops over Seasoned Potato Wedges

The above dish was one I tried out yesterday. You can see one of my red potato wedges peeking out of the cabbage, onion, and garlic mixture. I had such high hopes for this dish. Unfortunately, I only gave it an hour to cook, when it could have used one and a half. Oops! You, on the other hand, can learn from my mistake, and cook it awhile longer so that you can enjoy all the wonderful flavors!

Here is what you’ll need:

5-7 medium red potatoes washed and cut into wedges, salted and peppered to taste.

1/2 cup safflower (sunflower) oil drizzled on top of the potatoes

4 thick-cut boneless pork chops

1 tiny head of red cabbage (or use some from a big head and save the rest for beef soup!)

1 large, sweet onion

2 tsp. minced garlic in water, drained

The Night Before: Chop the cabbage and onion finely. Add the minced garlic and place in a container in the refrigerator overnight for the flavors to meld.

The Night of Dinner: Arrange your salt and pepper sprinkled potatoes in your 9″ x 13″ pan. Drizzle the oil over the potatoes. Slice the pork chops in half, flat wise, while leaving two sides still attached. Do the same to the other three pork chops. Stuff these with as much of the cabbage, onion, garlic mixture as you can fit. Salt and pepper to taste. Put the remainder of the mixture over your potato wedges.

Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 1.5 hours or until pork reaches 145°F and the potatoes are cooked through. Let rest for 3 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

No Extra Cloak or Pair of Sandals

Do you remember this advice from Jesus in the Gospel? He tells his disciples to go out and spread the good news, but not to bring any extra provisions. Why? Because God himself will provide for them. Wow! That’s a pretty amazing concept!

So, as most of you know, we have been on a long journey to find and move into our new home. We have stayed with family. We have stayed at a local homeless shelter. We are finally home. It’s an odd feeling having somewhere to call “home.” We spent so many months wandering that to have our own beds (or couch in my case!) is truly awesome. God is so very good! Not to mention, His plan was perfect. Was it always comfortable? Absolutely not! However, I can’t imagine how everything would have worked out so perfectly if we hadn’t been through each single step!

But I digress…what I wanted to blog about was the amount of stuff we accumulated over so many years of staying put and the direction in which I now feel such a calling. My oldest, Child #1, once called me a hoarder. I was so hurt (and honestly, she had more things than I did at her age, but not judging. Ok, maybe a little!!!)

As we were moving and packing the detritus of 25 years in the same house, I got super overwhelmed. There was just so much! So we culled our belongings. The resale shops had a complete boon from our donations. It was hard, and sometimes even impossible to get rid of enough, but eventually we were able to move anything we truly wanted to a storage unit or mom’s place, the Church, etc. Whew! Just thinking about it makes me tired!!!

So, now we’re in our new home, which is much smaller than our house was and we also have no garage or shed. Where does all the stuff go? I got to praying about this and realized that God didn’t want me weighed down by my belongings either. If I somehow gave away too much, He would provide me with what I did needed. Whoa! It opened my eyes. So, I don’t have to cart around all this stuff? Nope. I do not and neither do you!

One of the first things I did was to think about my friends from the shelter. When one of them told me that all she had was a mattress and a phone, I was like, oh heck no! I am not letting that happen. So, I dropped off a couple of things for her and then met her at the shelter to help her get a few things from their stock that they keep from donations to help former residents. They want the stuff to go to good homes (and help in cleaning out the shed!) and the former resident needed basic things like plates, cups, etc. to set up her new home! Perfect match!

I do not mind in the least donating to thrift stores, however, if I can help a friend in need, all the better! It also helped me and my kiddos. We get more space because, honestly, who needs all of this stuff? Also, the feeling of giving and less clutter is amazing! Just think…Jesus really knew what he was talking about when he gave those instructions! It took me a while to figure that out, but better late than never! Now, go give your belongings to someone who has nothing and can really use them!!! Ask yourself, “Do I really need this? Is it serving God to keep it?” Then go! Go! Go! Give! Give! Give!

Where I Stand…What Will You Do?

A few weeks ago I was discussing a delicate matter with a friend at the shelter. It was appalling to me that he had no real knowledge of the matter and yet had a very strong opinions on it! What?

So, I asked him if he was ok with pulling children apart. He was like, “Of course not! That’s barbaric!” I said to him, ” You do realize that that is what abortion is, right? The medical staff pulls out arms, legs, (attached or ripped off,) whatever they can get to until they get “it” all. Partial birth is worse. They pull out the baby until the head is out, then stab the neck to kill it, and then pull out the rest of the “tissue” (read baby.) All while refuting that the baby can feel pain.

Oh sure, if the baby is only a few weeks along, it may not quite look like a baby yet, but let me reassure you that at 18 days there is a beating heart. Now, can you tell me with certainty that that is not a person?

I find it totally interesting that if someone wants a child, a preborn child is a baby. While, if the child isn’t wanted, it’s “tissue.” Anything to make the baby with a beating heart seem not human.

This is especially difficult for me since losing a baby to miscarriage. People didn’t really know what to say since, according to the law at that point, Prudence wasn’t even a baby. Can you imagine my horror and pain? Especially after the doctor was so disappointed that I hadn’t brought her in for them to poke a prod. No. I think not.

I agree that we need work on help for those who need support for after the baby is born. Raising a child is expensive and there needs to be better resources for those who choose life. However, killing someone is never the answer. Do you know how many families desperately want children and can’t have them? This touched our family deeply as my own sister and her husband had this problem and ended up adopting from China. This was because of the laws regarding adoption in the U.S. which favor the biological parents.

Also, in reference to children conceived in rape, etc. I feel that it is not the baby’s fault so why should they pay the ultimate price? I have no wish to traumatize any mother, but I don’t feel that murder is the answer either. How can it be your “choice” when it is ending someone’s life?

So, this November, if you are in agreement, please make your vote count! Let’s tell everyone that a preborn baby is a baby!!!

A Note: I have decided to not have comments on this blog post. I know there are people who do not agree with me, but honestly, this is my blog and I feel that I am entitled to my beliefs. Please do not waste your time or mine by trying to refute my opinion. You won’t change it. Hate mail can stay in your corner. Please do not feel the need to share it with me!

God bless you all!

Rita

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Tomorrow we are leaving our temporary home at the shelter. It has been 90 days and we need to move on. We have made many friends here who we will be sad to leave. However, it is time.

Since our apartment is not ready until November 1st, we will be staying at a motel, through the generosity of many people and God’s good will. Yay! Cable TV and then our apartment!!!

Milo is one of the best people we’ve met. He belongs with our friend, Bruce. He is adorable and so very friendly. We will definitely miss him and many others that we met here. God bless you all!

One Day My Heart Just Opened Up

Praised be Jesus Christ Our Lord, now and forever. Amen.

If you have been following my blog for a while, you know that we have been having housing problems. Oh my goodness! That sounds so tame! No, really, we have been living in a homeless shelter! Our story is not the worst one here. It’s so terribly distressing how hard some of the nicest people you ever want to meet have had it.

Why does God allow this? I know at least one of my friends who would ask that question. Here is what I have learned:

All the platitudes and cute sayings in the world aren’t enough to explain it, no matter how apt they seem. I believe, and you most certainly do not have to agree, that God uses all things for good.

What do I mean by that? Well, for example, if I hadn’t married my ex, I would never have had my children. This is unthinkable to me. Was our marriage awful? Yes. Absolutely. But would I trade my children for it? Not in a million years!

If we hadn’t had to go to the shelter, I would never have met all the amazing people here. My heart would not have opened to Jesus and I would have continued in my misery. And yes, I was miserable, only paying lip service to God being in charge. Back a few weeks ago, I thought He was in charge. Now I know He is!

Praise Him in good times and bad. He is just taking the opportunity to teach us something.

For every little blessings, I will praise the Lord, from the socks on my feet to the roof over my head. I will also pray for you and ask that you pray for me.

God truly is so very good! I no longer have to worry. I will do the scut work and He will take care of the rest. Not only does He love us because we are His children, He is in love with us and delights in us! He tells us that He knows the count of the hairs on our heads! Now that’s up close and personal love! And He loves us without reservations, unlike some of our families! (No judgement here 🤗!) God loves them too!

We are all His children and no matter how we have screwed up, He will always take us back! He loves us that much!!! Yay, God!

How much more does your Heavenly Father love you?

Easy as Pie Filling: Apple, Raspberry, & Peach

I have wanted to make pie for quite a while now, but when you’re staying in a homeless shelter, well, it can be a challenge. I had some apples from the trees in the back. I then bought raspberries. I found a can of peaches in fruit juice in my canned goods and I was all set.

I had purchased gluten-free, frozen pie crusts, but you can make your own homemade ones if you choose. I just thought homemade pie crust at a shelter? No thank you! So, instead, I bought Kinnikinnick gluten-free pie crusts in the frozen food section of my local Woodman’s. They are 9″.

I also had a bit of a snafu. While making the pie filling, I discovered that the corn starch that I had bought for thickening the pie filling (I don’t have my tapioca starch right now) was missing. I prayed to find it and searched everywhere. No dice. So, I’m thinking this is what God wants – to have me use something else. Well…ok. You’re in charge here, God. So, you take it!

Did He answer? Oh yes He did! My eyes fell on our shoebox tote of gelatin and puddings. Hmmm… pudding? Ok, Lord. I’ll trust you and try it. This, I think, was the most delicious pie I’ve ever made! It was so very delectable, I can’t even use words to describe it. You’ll have to try it yourself! Here’s the recipe:

2, 9″ pie crusts, cooked to package (or homemade) instructions

5 medium cored, pealed, and sliced apples (I would use Johnathan or McIntosh)

1 can, 14 oz. peaches in fruit juice, drained (or, if in syrup, drained and rinsed thoroughly!)

1/2 cup sugar

1, 5 oz. vanilla pudding mix that is made on the stovetop (Not instant! This is an ingredient – don’t use according to package instructions!)

To your large saucepan add the apples, raspberries, and peaches. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the mixture breaks down and starts to boil add your sugar and stir in well. Add pudding mix and stir until incorporated.

Remove from heat and let cool slightly, for about five minutes. Pour evenly into the two prepared pie crusts. Let cool. Enjoy!

If you can’t wait to try this awesome pie, you could eat it right away. The filling won’t set up super well, but it will still taste awesome, and isn’t that what’s most important when it comes to pie?

Agony

Truth

Lies.

Two sides

One coin.

Good

Evil

Love

Hate

Together

Division

The other

Not one

Confusion

Where none.

One Simple Word

Did you ever think about how saying one nice thing to someone could change their whole day, their whole way of thinking around?

This happened to me. For the past couple of weeks I have really been struggling with housing. Ok… probably for a lot more than two weeks. It just really came to a head in the past two weeks. I was depressed…no getting around that. I just couldn’t see my way clear.

As I was struggling with my depression, and as a result, my faith and optimism to some extent, a friend said something that stopped me in my tracks. He said “God wouldn’t lead you this far to abandon you now.” Holy crud! He’s right! The devil was having a good old time with my doubts and I let him! I was also battling a cold/stomach bug and not winning.

That was that. I realized that I had been indulging in self-pity and had ceased to listen for God’s call. I had internalized something that another friend had said to me about life not being a movie. Maybe not, but here’s the thing: When you follow God’s Will, His Will gets done! So, no, life is not a freaking card company movie! It’s so much better than that if you just listen for His guiding voice!

Where will we live? No idea. How will we get all our stuff put into a small apartment? Not sure. I will do the scut work, but God will have to figure out the rest. He is in charge. This isn’t forever, it’s for now. Until He leads me on the next journey.