New Recipe (for me)

Those who know me well, know I love trying new recipes. I love sharing the new recipes when I think they're worth everyone trying, so here goes. This is not the original recipe, as I had to tweak it to work for my 6-person family. You will have leftovers, more than likely.

Meatball Stew (for the Crock Pot)

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 package (16 ounces) fresh baby carrots, cut up

1 large onion, chopped

3 celery ribs, sliced

1 package (32 ounces) frozen fully cooked meatballs (homestyle or original, not Italian)

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed tomato soup, undiluted

2 packages brown gravy mix, prepared as directed and combined

1 cup water

1 envelope onion soup mix

Place the potatoes, carrots, onion, celery and meatballs in a crock pot. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl, and pour over meatball mixture. Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or until the vegetables are done.

Not many in my family like celery, so I left that out. Green beans would also be good in this stew. Upon eating the stew, Ron and I agreed that green pepper chunks would be excellent in this recipe, so I'll give that a try next time. I bought some fancy bread at Panera to go with the stew, and that was just perfect. If you try it, let me know how you liked it!

Second Time Around

It's been quite a while since I last blogged. I've been rather. . . . busy. My friend, Alana, suggested that I should start blogging again, and that I'd have a lot to blog about considering all the events in the last year.

A year ago on New Year's Eve, Ron and I were married. 'Twas wonderful, and still is. Of course, true married life didn't really kick in until the kids and I moved to JC six months after the wedding. Here we are, nearly seven months after moving, and I can honestly say, married life is grand. Oh, don't get me wrong, it's not all sunshine and roses (we do still own the house in Branson - it's not sold). We have four children, all busy with their activities, our jobs, church, unpacking boxes (yes, still). Then there's the whole getting used to living with each other. For years, I've been accustomed to being the sole adult in a house with three children. Now, I've got back up, and four wonderful blessings running around.

I'd forgotten what it was like to have someone to back me up. Someone to bolster me when I wasn't quite sure what to do next. Someone who loves me in spite of what I look like when I awake (it's not always pretty, especially when I'm sick with a cold). He's very gracious and kind, and he still makes me giggle and blush. Nice to know I can still do that at nearly 43 years of age. Anyway, I can't tell you what it means to me to finally have a traditional family again. I can't tell you the difference it's made in my children. They've always been good, but now they're beyond good. They're relaxed. I'm not sure if that makes sense to anyone but me.

Something else about the second time around: I know what to expect in marriage, and what my role is. I don't think anyone really clearly outlines that for the bride and groom who are brand new to marriage. It's a serious thing, and I don't think people take marriage all that seriously any more (just look at the tabloids). I'm so glad that Ron and I take it seriously. We've both had marriages fail, so we have a greater appreciation and reverence for our marriage. There's no taking the marriage or our spouse for granted this time around because we both know how fragile things can get. We both know the nurturing that has to be done so that the marriage will thrive and prosper. I'm so very thankful for him, every single day. Thankful for the God-fearing man that he is; a man whose heart was so loving and big that he could love three children who aren't his biologically, but whom he treats as if they are; a man who overlooks my faults and sees me as God sees me, and loves me in spite of myself.

So things are transitioning well. A huge burden will be lifted from both our shoulders once the Branson house sells, and then I'll feel like we can really get on with things. It's that one dark cloud on an otherwise sunshiny day, but like all clouds, they do pass on by. Luckily, it's just a cloud and not a storm, although if it were a storm, I have quite the wonderful fella with whom to weather it.