Christmas and the Military

 

     This post has special meaning to me because both of my sons are active military- younger one is Navy, older one is Army.  Over the years, my Navy son has been on three deployments (all three during the holiday season) and he has told me of troops that don't get anything from home during the holidays.  It's heartbreaking to hear this. I always sent packages to my son and he shared with those who didn't get any, so I always tried to send extra.  I don't know if their families didn't know they could send packages or that they couldn't afford it.

     I did not grow up in a military family. I had no concept of the sacrifices these military families make!  The worry, the loneliness, the empty chair at the table, sending packages, waiting for that phone call just to hear that they are okay.....

     There are so may ways to make a difference to these men and women.  To let them know that they aren't forgotten at this time:

1. Thank a veteran when you meet one.

2. If there is a military family in your neighborhood, bring them a care package or mail them a card.

3. Say a prayer for them all.

4. If you have a relative in your family deployed, get their address and send them a package or card- mail before December 10, 2012.  They should get it in time for the holidays.   (I have a nephew in Afghanistan now- he'll be getting a package too)

5. I found this website that has many more ways to show your support.    http://www.dcmilitaryfamlife.com/profiles/blog/show?id=6500790%3ABlogPost%3A6142

    
     My son looked forward to getting those packages.  Being on a ship or in a desert for months at a time is hard and they look forward to anything from home!  Can you imagine the joy that a simple card could bring to any of them? 

Chocolate Praline Cake

     OK, I'll admit it, this recipe came about because of a botched praline recipe!  I found a recipe in my mother's box and thought I'd give it a try.  It didn't turn out like I'd hoped, so I was trying to figure out what to do with it.  I couldn't in good consciousness throw it all out.  They tasted great, they just wouldn't harden! Since chocolate is a family favorite, this is the result.....


Chocolate Praline Cake
1 box chocolate cake mix- any kind
1 container of chocolate icing

Bake cake as usual, let cool.  Top with chocolate icing.  While the cake is baking, make praline topping.


Praline Topping:
1 pound box brown sugar
1 pint whipping cream
2 cups pecans - chopped
2 tablespoons margarine

Mix brown sugar and cream well in 4 quart pyrex dish, microwave at full power for 15 minutes.  Remove from microwave and immediately stir in pecan and margarine.  Let cool until cake is iced.  Pour over cake.  Be careful, it will be really hot!!!

I left the cake in the baking pan to make it easier!

 You could also use this praline recipe as an ice cream topping if you let it cool to room temperature


Rich and delicious....Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Dinner

     I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday!  I was able to spend it with one of my military sons, he has lived on the west coast for six years and recently got stationed closer to home.  My other military son and his family are stationed on the east coast, but we were able to Skype in the morning.  I don't know how we ever did without Skype!

     I thought I'd share some of the recipes of our Thanksgiving dinner with you and some secrets and shortcuts...  On the menu was turkey, rice dressing, green bean casserole, yams, french bread and pumpkin pie.  We all ate so much we practically couldn't breathe!  Oh, well back to eating healthy today...

First, the turkey

I had a 12 pound turkey- The day before Thanksgiving, we just seasoned the outside with Zatarains seasoning (or Tony Chachere), and we used Cajun Injector to insert into the breast meat, legs and thighs.  Let that marinate overnight.  Bake the turkey at 350 degrees for 4 hours in a large covered pan.  Periodically, I'd baste it with the drippings in the pot from the turkey.  It was moist and seasoned well!

 

 

 

Green Bean Casserole

2 cans drained green beans
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 chopped bell pepper
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
1" thick slice of block velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
1-2 teaspoons Zatarains (or Tony Chachere)
1 cup dried onion rings

Brown onion and bell pepper in oil and butter for 5-10 minutes.  Add milk, cheese and seasoning until blended well.  Put green beans in casserole dish.  Add cheese mixture to beans and stir.  Top with onion rings.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Delicious! Even my niece went back for seconds!!

Yams
1 large can drained yams - approximately 40 ounces
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup mini marshmallows

Put yams in casserole dish.  In small bowl, mix sugar, butter, and cinnamon.  Pour over yams.  Top with chopped pecans and then marshmallows.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  This is one of our favorites!

    

Rice Dressing
This is one of the shortcuts for yesterday's lunch! 

2 pound container of Savoie's Dressing Mix
2cups cooked white rice

Heat up the dressing mix in a pot and add rice! Doesn't get any easier than this!!!

Blessings to you all and on a personal note, please keep all of our military in your prayers.....Enjoy!

Weekend at the Camp

 

  This past weekend was spent at our campsite near the Atchafalaya Basin.  I'm sure you've heard of it because of the television show... Swamp People!  It's a great place to get away from it all and step back in time somewhat.  There you can sit and watch the wildlife, roast marshmallows on the fire, and just hear yourself think!


Here's the view across from our camp:

 

Here's a photo from the highway on the way to the camp!

 

 

 

      If ever you get a chance to come to Louisiana, I'd recommend that you cross the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge on I-10 between Baton Rouge and Lafayette. The scenery is just beautiful! 

 

      If you'd like to see more photos of our area, click on the link to experience it!                   www.atchafalaya.org/page.php?name=Atchafalaya-Basin

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 







Concrete Staining

     After spending so much time on the patio since we built the house a couple of years ago, we kept looking at the plain concrete...surely there's something we can do to liven it up a little!  We came up with an easy solution.   First, we dug through all of the leftover paint and supplies we had and I found two gallons of concrete stain (different colors).  We used a couple of handheld lawn and garden sprayers.  We had enough stain to do the porch also. 

So here's what we did:

 Put one gallon of one color stain in one sprayer. (We used a dark brown)

 Put the other gallon of colored stain in the other.  (This one was reddish in color)

 You will also need a large piece of cardboard to put against the wall of the house, not to get stain on it.

  I held the cardboard against the bricks of the house while my husband sprayed a random pattern  of stain on the entire patio.  It doesn't have to be perfect!

 Wait 5-10 minutes then get the other sprayer and repeat the above process.  Walk carefully not to leave footprints. 

 Wait 24 hrs. to walk on it, and that's it!

Now, I would recommend that you do this BEFORE putting the bricks and posts on the house, if you happen to be building a new one! 

This project has made the patio so much easier to clean too!


Before:

 

 

 

 

After:



 

 



 

 

The picture above is the front porch.  I had extra stain, so I just touched up around the post with a brush the next day to blend it in with the rest of the stain.  

 

One thing we always try to do is use what we already have, so look around your house and think about what you can use all of those leftover items for! 

 

 

Patio Blooms

     We spend  a LOT of time outside on our patio!  We've tried to make it as peaceful and tranquil as possible to balance out the craziness of everyday life.  I hope these photos help you to unwind and relax.....

 
   The pond is still a work in progress.  If anyone has any ideas how to surround it with something inexpensive and easy to walk on, I'd love to hear them! 

     I hope you have a wonderful day!

Sweet Potato Pancakes

     This morning I thought it would be a great day to make these pancakes. They are so easy and delicious! You can buy the sweet potato pancake mix, but I find that there aren't enough sweet potato in them. This is another way to get the kids to eat their veges!


Sweet Potato Pancakes

1 cup complete pancake mix - any brand
1 cup drained, canned yams
3/4 - 1 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix all ingredients together and add enough water for desired consistency. Spray skillet with cooking spray and make desired size pancakes. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side. These are delicious as they are, or you can drizzle syrup or sprinkle powdered sugar on them. Enjoy!

Louisiana Showcase of Marching Bands

     Today is the annual Showcase of Marching Bands at Ragin Cajun Field in Lafayette!  If you have never experienced this event, it is a must see.  There are over thirty high school marching bands that perform starting at 8 o'clock a.m.  and it doesn't end until late tonight with an award ceremony.
    
     These high school students have put in a lot of hard work and determination to put on an approximate ten minute show.  They have spent many hours practicing in the hot sun, marching even though they had blisters on their feet. They learn teamwork and discipline.  The outcome is amazing! 

     I was able to go and watch about half of the bands perform. These pictures don't do it justice, but you will have an idea of what this event is.   It's wonderful to see the support and pride from all of the band parents in the stands.  Both of my sons were in marching band, so this brings back many wonderful memories!