Meal Planning with Connie

Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established. The LORD has made everything for its purpose... Proverbs 16:3-4a We had a visiting preacher speak at church tonight. He brought a great message! He challenged us with this verse: Acts 13:36 (New International Version) "For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation , he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed." The message centered on our serving God's purpose for the time He has given us. How do we serve God's purpose? What is our purpose? I agree with our speaker that our purpose is to glorify God. How do we glorify God? I believe Jesus gives us the answer in Matthew 22: 37-38 when He quotes from Deuteronomy: Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'...

It was a Baptism Sunday at our church this morning. We dedicate the entire service to this ordinance and celebration. It is always a very special day at our church. We always have a great time of fellowship in our Sunday School class. We are all blessed by this weekly time of encouragement and Bible study. I made a variation of my regular Sausage Balls for today. Here are the recipes and the process I use to make them: Sausage Balls Sausage Balls 1 pound sausage 2 cups Bisquick 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1/4 water Brown sausage. Drain well. Cool. In food processor , gently combine sausage and cheese - just for a bit. (This step is optional. We just like the texture this produces. I don't really know why I started do this, but I do.) Mix the sausage/cheese mixture with other ingredients. Shape into bite-sized balls. (Freeze here, if freezing.) Bake at 400 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes. It will take about 15 - 20 minutes if they are frozen. Thes...

Easy Red Beans and Rice We decided to eat at home last night. I threw together this quick version of Red Beans and Rice. It really is pretty good - especially for the time and effort expended. If you have the spices already on hand, it's inexpensive, too! Serve with garlic bread or corn muffins. Easy Red Beans and Rice 1 (16 ounce) package Lite Cajun-style sausage, sliced in 1/4" slices 1 onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 clove chopped garlic 2 (15 ounce) cans canned kidney beans, drained 1 (16 ounce) can chicken broth 2 bay leaves 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning salt and pepper, to taste 2 cups water 1 cup uncooked rice In a large skillet over low heat, cook sausage for 5 minutes. Stir in onion, green pepper and garlic; sauté until tender. Pour in beans and broth; add bay leaves. Season with cayenne, Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, while rice is cooking. Add rice and water to sauce pan; stir. Bring to ...

Omit and substitute! That's how recipes should be written. Please don't ever get so hung up on published recipes that you forget that you can omit and substitute. ~ Jeff Smith, the Frugal Gourmet Mr. Willie's Apples and Judy's Tomatoes and Beautiful Red Pepper Although Larry and I were busy trying to accomplish some much need cleaning and clearing around the house and yard yesterday, I did manage to get in a bit of cooking, mainly because I had fresh produce that needed using. The problem was, I kept not having something I needed. Determined not to go to the grocery, I forged on, making omissions and substitutions as I went! I had let Judy know at church the other day that I was out of tomatoes. For those of you who may be lifting an eyebrow and questioning my good Southern manners, she had told me to let her know if I wanted more, which makes my asking completely acceptable. (Is it any wonder Northerners have such a hard time learning all the nuances of the Southern...

Visit Tammy's In-season Recipe Swap for more great ideas for using fresh tomatoes!! Homemade Tomato Soup Homemade Tomato Soup This really is a Southern delicacy. It is made in the summer using fresh tomatoes. In the winter, folks use a quart or two of their home-canned tomatoes for this delicious soup. 3 - 4 fresh tomatoes per person (peeled and diced) Or a quart or two of home-canned tomatoes a few slices of bacon Chopped white or green onions, to taste salt, sugar and pepper, to taste In a soup pot, cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan. Set aside and crumble when cooled. Saute onions where bacon was cooked. Add tomatoes. If using fresh tomatoes, bring pot to a boil, reduce heat to a slow boil and let tomatoes cook until they have pretty much disintegrate. It will take a little while for the tomatoes to "cook down." Maybe 45 minutes to and hour. (If using home-canned tomatoes, just heat tomatoes through, add seasonings, and simmer a few minutes.)...

Simple Cornbread for Four Simple Cornbread for Four 1 cup self-rising cornmeal (I use White Lily.) 1/2 cup self-rising flour (I use White Lily.) 2 tablespoons melted butter, cooking oil OR bacon drippings 1 egg 1 cup milk, more or less Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together meal and flour. Make a well. Add oil and egg to well. Whisk these two just a bit in the well with a fork. Stir in milk a little at a time until desired consistency is reached. Pour into a cast iron skillet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes.

Emily's Apple Nut Bread I Emily's Apple Nut Bread II We were able to share these batches of bread with a few friends and family members. Everyone said they loved it!! Many thanks to Emily at Marvelous Recipes for this great recipe!! I knew Larry would love this when I saw it had no cinnamon! He said it was great!! Emily's Apple Nut Bread I Enjoy this wonderful bread with your morning coffee! ~ Emily 2 eggs 1 cup granulated sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup canola oil 1/4 cup sour cream 1 cup peeled chopped apples 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract In a large mixer bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt; blend well. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, alternately with the oil and sour cream. Beat well after each addition; batter will be stiff. Stir in the chopped apples, pecans and vanilla extract. Spoon ...