Grateful Prayer | Thankful Heart

A week with Shaela

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We spent a long weekend visiting our daughter in upstate NY while her husband, Brad was in Massachusetts doing a two-week intense study as he works toward his school administration certificate.  The five hour drive can become boring but not with a spectacular sunset.

 Jill and her family are outdoorsy people but the kids were sweet to accommodate Abbey and my passion for museums and cities.
 We drove to Utica to The Munson Williams Proctor Art Institute (previous post).
After the art institute we headed to a really fun place for lunch. Tramontane Cafe (or Tram for short) is an eclectic and funky neighborhood cafe and coffee house filled with kitschy decor that serves up really good sandwiches and baked items. Friendly service and so fun to be in an atmosphere full of 50’s and 60’s memorabilia.
While the exterior of the building was a little run down, the nearby telephone poles displayed much creativity. Yarn bombing, kniffiti, urban knitting or graffiti knitting is a type of graffiti or street art that employs colorful displays of knitted or crocheted yarn or fibre rather than paint or chalk. source
 While waiting for food, there is a game area and if you are there in the evening, a stage for live entertainment. 

Hawaiian Pasta Salad

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Hawaiian Pasta Salad, brightly colored with an abundance of crisp veggies is a perfect summer salad. It is a hearty one too, with the tortellini and diced ham. A great entree served with crusty bread (and maybe a glass of wine) for a lovely summer supper.
Hawaiian Pasta Salad, brightly colored with an abundance of crisp veggies makes this a perfect summer salad. It is a hearty one too, with the tortellini and diced ham. I served it at Jared’s graduation party as a side dish but it would be a great entree served with crusty bread (and maybe a glass of wine) for a lovely summer supper.Continue Reading

Old Fashioned Potato & Ham Soup and Family Pics

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When plans to be out for the day suddenly changed and I found I had nothing pressing to do, I knew immediately what I wanted.  I called my sister and was thrilled she was able to come for a visit. We chatted, caught up on family, laughed and ate a light lunch while Jared, Abbey, Erin and John popped in and out.

I was in the mood for soup. A soup to use the Easter ham leftovers, but, not a heavy soup. Bean soup wouldn’t work because I hadn’t soaked beans and didn’t have canned. I’d make potato soup and though I love thick, rich, cheesy potato soup, this time I wanted something lighter. This potato and ham soup with carrots, celery and onion is in a thinner broth and just slightly thickened with milk and flour.
Perfect for an unplanned, spontaneous and delightful sistertime.

Old Fashioned Potato & Ham Soup

PRINT RECIPE

Ingredients
2 Tbs butter
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups chicken broth (reduced sodium if you prefer to add your own salt)
2 large potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
small sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped or 1⁄4 teaspoon dried rosemary
hefty dash pepper
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups ham, cooked and diced
1 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
salt

Directions
In a Dutch oven or pot, melt butter over medium heat; add celery, carrot and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes.

Stir in chicken broth, potatoes, rosemary and pepper.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat, cover and simmer gently until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

In a measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the milk and flour.  Pour into the soup, whisking to combine. Gently simmer and stir 5 minutes more. Stir in ham and parsley and heat through. Adjust seasoning.

…and the blessings that fill our lives to overflowing
(posting photos is the part of my blog our grandkids love the best. It truly warms my heart to know they visit and it is the main reason I blog) 
 bundle of sweetness
 Jamie and Josh with their kiddos
 Our oldest and our youngest grandchildren
Jared and Joelle 
 Aunt Abbey captivated with this little peanut
Keri with her baby sister
(none of us can resist kissing those incredibly soft cheeks) 
 our grandson, Braden in the hospital with pneumonia 
 home in time to celebrate Easter
 and color eggs with siblings Brenna, Ryan and Shaela
 Braden and our daughter, Jill
Grandson Ryan, accepting a basketball award from his dad, Brad
 Coloring Easter eggs together after school
 making chocolate coconut buttercream eggs
Noah and PopPop
Once a week John and I make a point to spend one-on-one time with a grandchild. During that time, we have dinner and chat, asking them five questions to spur conversation on a deeper level, always ending with how we can be praying for them. Their answers are varied and all so precious and it amazes us to see a side of them that isn’t so apparent as they interact when they are all together.
MomMom and Keri Jill
Our first granddaughter who will be entering her teen years this summer, sweet, artistic and loves all things Paris!
PopPop and Silas. See that cracked front tooth?  He is proud to say he acquired it while at our house and thinks it makes him look like a hockey player!
During a weekend stay-over, we cheered on Jared’s Robotics team at competition
Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children
Proverbs 17:6

Make-Ahead Breakfast Burritos

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I wanted to send my daughter and family and their sweet friends off with a hearty breakfast before their long drive home but I didn’t want to waste moments in the kitchen that could be spent enjoying their visit. A make-ahead breakfast helped out.

Jill, Brad and kids along with their good friends and their three sons drove here from upstate New York, spent the night, then flew to Florida for their dream vacation at Disney. After their return flight, they all stayed over again. Because they are not able to get (real) Philly cheese steaks and pizza at home, their request was to get take-out for dinner from our favorite restaurant. It took a trek through eight-inches of fresh snow and freezing temperatures to pick up three pizza’s and ten cheese steaks to fill up the twenty-four people gathered together.
Breakfast the next morning included Breakfast Burritos, Blueberry Boy Bait cake and Baked Oatmeal. 
The Breakfast Burritos, made the day before, were stacked in a dish, covered with plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator.  At serving time, I removed the plastic wrap and warmed them in the microwave at 60% power until heated through.

Leftover burritos were wrapped individually and placed in the freezer. Directions below for reheating instructions.

Make-Ahead Breakfast Burritos
source: Taste of Home

PRINT RECIPE

Ingredients
 
1 pound Jimmy Dean® Premium Pork Sausage Roll
1-1/2 cups frozen cubed hash brown potatoes
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green or red pepper
4 eggs, lightly beaten
12 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Picante sauce or salsa (optional)
sour cream (optional)

Directions
In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the potatoes, onion and pepper; cook and stir for 6-8 minutes or until tender. Add eggs; cook and stir until set.

Spoon filling off center on each tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Fold sides and ends over filling and roll up. Serve with picante sauce or salsa and sour cream, if desired.

To freeze and reheat burritos: Wrap each burrito in waxed paper and foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. To use, remove foil and waxed paper. Place one burrito on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high for 2 to 2-1/4 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165°, turning burrito over once. Let stand for 20 seconds.
Yield: 12 burritos.

Blueberry Boy Bait  is a yummy cake any time and it also freezes well. I baked one the day before and refrigerated. Here is the link for the Blueberry Boy Bait recipe.
I didn’t make the Baked Oatmeal ahead but did gather the ingredients together for quicker preparation in the morning.  Here is the link for the Baked Oatmeal recipe. 
After a long drive, a week of non-stop vacation, running and playing with cousins, the kids spent some less physical time on their devices as the grown-ups chatted. No doubt this generation is connected, comfortable and capable using technology! 
After breakfast, they were off on the last leg of their journey.  They arrived home safe and sound but not quite ready for…

Family Recap

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I have been so busy this past month that I am just now catching up on family photos. These are the posts the little ones love best ~ the ones filled with their sweet faces.
These are my favorite posts too.
  ♥ ♥ ♥  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥  ♥ ♥ ♥

It doesn’t happen often that everyone is together but it did happen this Thanksgiving.

Top left: Jamie and family
Top right:  Jill and family
Bottom left:  sweet friends from church
Bottom right: our daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren 
 Top left: Erin and Jared
Top right: Me with our four daughters
Bottom left:  AJ and Erin
Bottom right:  Jamie, me, Abbey and Jill (waiting for Erin and family to arrive) 
 While Shaela and Brenna were here from New York, I needed to get their photos in the crocheted robe my mom made before they out-grow it.  Mommy made the green robe for my wedding shower gift in 1975 and the pink one for our oldest daughter, Erin when she was about 7 years old.
Baby Erin (photo taken when  we lived in Ohio); my parents with Erin; our youngest daughter, Abbey; and Keri Jill a couple years ago. 
 Early in December we had our Community Group Bible study Christmas dinner.
Such a dear group and extra special as everyone was able to attend.
A few days later it was John’s annual company Christmas party
And before I could blink, it was Christmas Eve! Last minute, Jamie and family weren’t feeling well and decided it best not to venture out.  So John, Abbey and I went to early candlelight service then home to get cozy, nibble goodies and watch Christmas movies until we zonked on the sofa.
Even big kids like silly hats! Christmas morning with our youngest big kid!
 then to Jamie and Josh’s.
Aunt Abbey helps Jethro
 Caleb quite pleased with his gift 🙂
 sweet Cambrie Noelle
 Jet, Caleb, Keri Noah and Silas
 Oh, the thrill of Christmas in a little one’s heart!
 pulling on his fox hat
my beloved, who {still} makes my ♥sing!

Cousins Camp ~ Part 3

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~ DAY 4 ~
John took a vacation day on Monday to join us at Sahara Sam’s Oasis Indoor/Outdoor Water Park.
This place is less than 15 minutes from home so we saved travel time and gas mileage plus we qualified for discount tickets using our AAA card.  No one was happier to officially be a senior than John that day as his ticket was FREE!  And, FREE makes him very happy 🙂

 After the girls had their early morning tea on the patio, we all met at the water park and it was off to cross the crocodile flats on swaying lily pads. 
Here Jared convinces his PopPop he will not get drenched along the Lazy River Congo Bongo.
Would you had believed that boy?!?
One of us preferred to stay alert and avoid most of the deluges 😉
 For the kids, getting waterlogged was the goal.
 Silas, the youngest stuck close by Jared who kindly accompanied him throughout the day.
 over and over and over they climbed the steps, hopped into their tubes and zoomed down the winding shoots to be deposited in a pool of water at the bottom
 There are four slides and the kids made use of them all. A 350-feet body slide, Snake Eyes for a single person tube or a double person tube and the Kilimanjaro that is family size.   
 Jared accompanied the girls many times 
And you didn’t think he would let me off the hook, did you?
That first curve was quite jolting so I prayed, relaxed (sort of) and looped and swirled to the bottom.
All of the colorful slides wind around the outside of the building.
We saved a bundle of money by bringing lunch.  There is NO food or drinks allowed to be brought into the park so I packed hoagies I made in the morning, orange slices, chips, cookies and drinks.  We headed to the parking lot to have our tailgate lunch.  Not very elegant but the kids devoured it all, even the ones who usually have small appetites!
After lunch, they wanted to return to the inside park.  Then they saw the awesome wave pool.
After watching some really amazing people on the FlowRider Surfing Simulator, Noah and Ryan wanted to give it a try.  We had to sign a special waiver before they could and we weren’t sure how they would do. We’d been watching a lot of people and it looked quite challenging.
I love their faces of determination as they rode the waves and managed to stay on their boards for the duration!
  It was hard to end the day.
“Just once more on the…. 
just once more?
We stayed to nearly closing.

Cousins Camp ~ Part 2

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~  DAY 3 ~
Sunday morning was spent at church with cousins Keri, Noah, Silas, Caleb, Cambrie, Chloe and baby Jet.
Afterward, the girls went with me to Aunt Erin’s Salon to learn some hair styling techniques. Ryan tagged along to hang out with his oldest cousin, Jared.

 Aunt Erin showed us great blow-drying and curling iron techniques, gave the girls goody bags and served amazing appetizers
Beee-U-T-ful girls 
Early evening, their request was for me to take “TRICKY PICS” of them.
And, here they are being “TRICKY”! 

Cousins Camp ~ Part 1

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We had an action packed July with grandkids and I know they are looking forward to seeing photos of our adventures together.  It will probably take me all of August just to recap July!
I guess I will start with this week and work backwards 😉
~ DAY 1 ~
Cousins Camp began by meeting at a halfway point (Clarks Summit, PA) to pick up our New York grandchildren.
We had lunch with their parents then piled the kids and luggage into our car for a week long adventure.

I peeked in the back seat and saw these two snoozing and thought of doing the same as we crawled/stopped/crawled during the 2.5 hour traffic delay heading home.
(the delay, for miles and miles was due to construction ~ curiously, we did not see any construction) 
But, after stretching a bit, unloading the car and tending to a lonely Raider, we drove to Aunt Jamie’s for pizza and playtime with New Jersey cousins  
~ DAY 2 ~
In the car again, this time headed east and with Aunt Abbey
While at LBI (Long Beach Island) last weekend with another granddaughter, we decided it would be a perfect day trip for Ryan, Brenna and Shae as well.
{sweet Keri, MomMom will post the photos of your day at LBI very soon}
The bright, sunshine changed to cloud-cover by the time we reached the island but it did not stop us from enjoying a picnic lunch and exploring the rocks on the jetty. 
Back up the 217 spiral steps of the Barnegat Lighthouse with these enthusiastic climbers.
To the windy and scenic top of the lighthouse with a gorgeous, panoramic view.
This is such a fun place to visit ~ just little over an hours drive away and very relaxing.
It was the first time Abbey was there as well and we all had such a great time.  There are trails to explore, picnic tables for eating or sitting to watch the boats or take in the beautiful bay, as well as fishing. There are often wedding parties being photographed and always people walking their dogs. (we got to say hello to an adorable Scotty dog and a Great Dane)
On the drive from the lighthouse to the beach, heavy rain threatened to ruin our splash in the ocean.
so we made a stop for ice-cream!
The rain turned to a light drizzle,  so we drove to the beach and the kids made a beeline through the sand.
Such fun! 

 

the beach was nearly empty except for a couple surfers and…
seagulls
Back home for a late dinner at the family room coffee table and watch a movie with PopPop.
Finally, off to bed to rest up for Sunday activities!

Cherry or Blueberry Fruit Bars

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Cherry or blueberry fruit bars are easy and quick to prepare, bake in a sheet pan and are so pretty and appealing. Perfect for breakfast and dessert. I first saw a recipe for fruit bars on Taste of home and then on my friend, Sandi’s blog, Wayside Treasures.  My son-in-law’s mom makes something similar. So, I made it for a special dinner with our family.

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Baked Sweet Potatoes and a Week with the Kids

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simple * delicious * nutritious
I can make a meal of a baked sweet potato.
Oh, when the sugars ooze from the cuts in the skin, I know they are just perfect.
Cut open and give a squeeze to fluff, then top with a little butter, salt and (lots of) pepper and sprinkle of brown sugar.  So delicious and satisfying.  I love the skins too!


Sweet potatoes are a Native American plant.  These tuberous roots rank very high in nutritional value. They are packed with calcium, potassium, and vitamins A and C, and have a high  fiber content,
 To dress up sweet potatoes I do just a little bit more.

You could peel and cut the sweet potatoes and boil in water, but I think it is easier to bake them.

Lightly Candied Sweet Potatoes
  • Begin by scrubbing and drying the sweet potatoes.
  • Arrange on a silicone or foil covered shallow baking pan.
  • Apply a light mist of baking spray or rub each potato with shortening or olive oil.
  • Using a sharp pairing knife, poke through the skins on the top of the potatoes.
  • Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for about 30 minutes (depending of the size) until just barely tender.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool until easy to handle.
  • Make a small slit in the skin; remove and discard.
  • Cut each potato into uniform slices.
  • Heat a large frying pan (or two if making a large amount as I did) over medium heat.
  • Melt a teaspoon of butter; add the potato slices and cook until the the edges get a nice browned edge and are tender but not mushy.
  • Reduce heat; season with salt and pepper, grated nutmeg and sprinkle with brown sugar.
  • Add a splash of orange juice and gently turn until brown sugar is melted and potatoes have a thin glaze.
  • Transfer to a serving dish and top with snipped parsley.

If you like a thicker glaze with more juice coating your sweet potatoes, you can add additional butter and brown sugar.

 Last week flew by!  Jill and family were here and left for home on Friday.  I did managed to gather a few photos from the week.

 Jamie & Josh with their children
No, it was not warm enough for a sleeveless top but this summer/beach-loving mom cannot wait for hot weather ~ She soon put her sweater back on.

 AJ and Erin went to Longwood Gardens for the day

 Abbey went with Keri on a school trip this week

 Brad and Jill relaxing a moment

 Ryan’s birthday is earlier in April but we always celebrate here during his Easter visit

Shaela, Ryan and Brenna just being silly

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