Green Beans in your Apron

This is a poem I wrote in memory of my "Papa and Granny." Papa always worked in his garden and grew apple trees; and Granny always worked hard preparing some of the best meals I have ever eaten. She would wear an apron, and the green beans I mention in the poem are the ones that had just been collected from the garden. Mealtime was always a time to gather with family, and friends were always welcome too. The seed I mention in the poem is the Word of God and the Bible was worn out - not from misuse, but from constant use. Papa lived to be 94 years old.

Green beans in your apron on a summer day,
Bread dough in your wooden bowl - the biscuits for this day.
Apple pies are baking; the coffee's on to boil.
Papa's outside digging putting seeds into the soil.

Though these are not the only seeds that were planted there that day.
The seeds you planted in my heart are still growing here this day.
God told you to plant them, and He would make them grow.
You did the things He told you because you loved Him so!

What grace the Savior showed me to let me hear His voice
through a worn out, tattered Bible and Papa was His choice.
These memories are sweeter as each day passes by,
And now I finally realize I saw Jesus in your eyes.

You lived each day to serve Him, and you did this faithfully.
How thankful I did witness how one's life ought to be:
Giving, caring, sharing - leaving self behind,
So others could see Jesus and not be left behind.

Granny told us not to waste our time going to her grave,
or spend our money on flowers - that money we could save.
"I will not be there," she said, and I knew that was true.
She was going home to Jesus and I wanted to go there too!

These were two simple people - not rich in human eyes,
But imagine them in heaven - I know we'll be surprised!

Easy Cajun Shrimp Boil

16 oz. package of fully cooked peel and eat frozen shrimp
1 to 2 packages of Kielbasa (I buy the lowfat kind.)
Red potatoes (No need to peel, just wash and cut into large chunks - I usually cut the potatoes in half and then cut the halves into four pieces.)
Corn on the cob (I used 8 small frozen ears of corn)
1 Sweet onion quartered
1 Teaspoon of Cajun seasoning

Put a large pot of water on the stove. Add to the pot the Kielbasa, cut into individual serving sizes, the red potatoes, corn on the cob, sweet onion and teaspoon of Cajun seasoning.

Bring water to a boil and set timer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, add the frozen shrimp that has been rinsed and thawed, and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

Drain water and put in a large serving tray or bowl.
I have sweet mustard on the side for the Kielbasa and Cocktail Sauce for the shrimp.
Enjoy your food!

Baked Barbecue Chicken Wings

3 pounds of chicken wings
salt and pepper to taste
1 and 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
2 teaspoons mustard
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
*hot sauce to taste if you like them spicy

Add salt and pepper to wings. Put in a broiling pan lined with aluminum foil and broil 10 minutes each side (or until brown). Take wings out of oven. Reduce heat to 375 degrees. Cover chicken with barbecue sauce ingredients and return to oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. (Although putting aluminum foil in the pan is not absolutely necessary, it makes cleaning the pan much easier!)
Enjoy your food!

"Gran Gran's" Spaghetti

2 to 3 lbs. lean ground beef
1 sweet onion chopped
4 stalks of celery chopped

In a skillet or large pot brown the hamburger meat. Drain grease. Then, add the chopped onion and celery and cook until softened. Add the following ingredients to the pot, or put all ingredients in a crockpot and cook until bubbly or you are ready to eat!

One 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
One 6 oz. can tomato paste
One 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 26 oz. jar Classico Spaghetti Sauce with mushrooms and black olives
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons mustard
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Also, fill the Classico jar with water and add to the sauce.

Serve over pasta. I usually buy a 16 oz. package of Angel Hair pasta.

My sister watched her mother-in-law make this spaghetti and wrote the recipe down. She didn't realize it at the time, but this was the last time her mother-in-law would make this for their family.

Enjoy your food! and don't forget to enjoy your family as well!

Enjoy your food!

You will notice at the end of my recipes I usually put enjoy your food! My inspiration for doing that was from a dear senior pastor and volunteer chaplain at a local hospital. He had seen much suffering in people's lives and made the comment one Sunday, "If you can get out of bed and enjoy your food, it's a good day!"

Have a great day!

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

4 chicken breasts boiled (thin pieces about 20 minutes - thicker pieces up to 40 minutes)
2 cans Veg All canned vegetables drained (I use the 15 oz. size - no salt added)
1 can cream of celery soup (I use Campbell's Healthy Request)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can filled with chicken broth (the water you boil the chicken in)

Boil chicken until done. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and place in the bottom of a 9 by 13 baking dish sprayed with canola oil. Put the 2 cans of Veg All on top. Next, mix together the two cans of soup and one can of chicken broth. Pour over chicken.

For bread topping mix together the following:

2 cups self-rising flour
2 cups milk (I use skim milk)
1/2 cup canola oil

Pour on top of chicken mixture and bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes.

Enjoy your food!

Quick and Easy Taco Burgers

1 to 2 pounds of ground beef
1 package of Old Elpaso taco seasoning mix

Mix meat and seasoning mix and form into patties. Grill until done. (I grill 7 minutes on each side.)

Serve with Taco Bell Salsa con Queso cheese dip and Food Lion Thick & Chunky Salsa.
Your other traditional sides such as lettuce and sliced onion goes great too.

Don't forget the hamburger buns!
Enjoy!

Mom's Hawaiian Meatballs

1 and 1/2 lbs. of lean ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 egg slightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 green and/or red pepper cut in chunks

Toss together above ingredients (except green/red pepper) and then form into meatballs. (Can be made ahead and chilled in refrigerator.)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place meatballs and pepper chunks in foil lined baking dish and bake 25 minutes.
Remove meatballs and green pepper (discard grease) and put in large skillet to warm or put in crockpot and add the following sauce:

1 bottle Heinz chili sauce
1 bottle water
1 cup of Smucker's grape jelly

Right before serving add a 20 oz. can of Dole pineapple chunks (drained) and serve over Comet rice.
Enjoy your food!