Quick Chicken & Dumplings

1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup frozen green peas and carrots
1 cup cut-up cooked chicken
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup Bisquick mix
1/2 cup milk
Paprika, if desired

1.  Heat 1/12 cups milk, the peas and carrots, chicken and soup to boiling in 3-quart saucepan, stirring frequently.
2.  Stir Bisquick mix and 1/3 cup milk until soft dough forms.  Drop dough by small spoonfuls onto chicken mixture (do not drop into liquid).  Sprinkle with paprika.
3.  Cook uncovered over low heat 10 minutes.  Cover and cook 10 minutes longer. 

I served this over rice with cut up fruit.  Next time I will add some seasonings to the Bisquick though. 

Seven-Layer Rigatoni

Not the best picture in the world...but you get the idea!

3 cups uncooked rigatoni pasta
1 lb bulk Italian sausage
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, undrained (I will drain them next time)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I used garlic powder)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh or 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
1 package (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms (3 cups) (I didn't include these)
1 jar roasted red bell peppers, drained, chopped (I forgot these at the store)
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (I used grated)
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray 13x9 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.  Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

2.  Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink; drain.  In small bowl, mix tomatoes, garlic and basil.

3.  In baking dish, layer half each of the pasta, sausage, mushrooms, bell peppers, Parmesan cheese, tomato mixture and mozzarella cheese.  Repeat layers.

4.  Bake uncovered 35-40 minutes or until hot and cheese is golden brown. 

*I added a jar of pizza sauce since there really wasn't a lot of "juice" to bake everything in.  I should have drained the tomatoes...that was just really runny and didn't do much.  As you can tell also, I omitted a lot of the veggies in hopes my kids would eat it. 

Country Salisbury Steak

 (This is all that was left after the kids attacked them!  Landon at 1 3/4 patties himself)

1 1/2 pound extra lean ground beef
1 pkg. Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 1/2 cups water, divided
3/4 cup chopped onions
1 pkg. fresh mushroom, sliced (I didn't use these)
1/2 cup Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix meat, stuffing mix, 1 1/4 cup of the water and the onions until well blended. Shape into six 1/2 inch thick oval patties.  Place on 15x10x1 inch baking pan. 

Bake 25 min. or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray.  Add mushrooms; cook on medium-high heat 5 min or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.  Add barbecue sauce and remaining 1/4 cup water.  Reduce heat to low, simmer 1 to 2 min or until sauce is heated through.  Serve over the patties. 

Chicken and Asian Rice

1 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
1 cup baby-cut carrots (I used matchstick cut)
1 medium stalk celery, thinly sliced-1/2 cup (I didn't put this in mine)
1 small red bell pepper, chopped- 1/2 cup (I used a green pepper)
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup water
4 boneless chicken breasts- 1 pound (I used chicken tenders)
3 tablespoons teriyaki baste and glaze (I used more per judgement)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (I didn't put this in mine)
1/2 cup cashew pieces



1.  Heat oven to 374 degrees F.  In ungreased 11x7 inch (2 quart) glass baking dish, mix rice, carrots, celery, bell pepper, broth, teriyaki sauce and water.  Arrange chicken on rice mixture.

2.  In small bowl, mix teriyaki basted and glaze, and ginger.  Brush over chicken, using all of mixture.  Cover baking dish with foil.

3.  Bake 45 minutes.  Sprinkle with cashews.  Bake uncovered 10 to 15 minutes longer or until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut and rice is tender. 

Reflections of Haiti Part IV

Day 4 in Haiti was Sunday, which meant one thing... church!  My experience at church was astounding!  While I didn't understand a single word said the entire 2+ hours we were there, it was a very moving service. The songs and preaching were absolutely beautiful.  The emotion and effort put into church was something I have rarely experienced here at home.  Church began at 7 in the morning and like I said, was a little over 2 hours long.  The people who were in attendance appeared to be dressed in their best clothes and all came on foot!  When was the last time you put on your best outfit and walked to church down a "street" covered with filth and mud puddles?  During one of the songs, the Haitian people lifted their arms and swayed them back and forth.  This represents their freedom from the bondage of Voodooism.  While Christianity can be found in Haiti, Voodooism is the dominating religion.  What a great thing that these people have been saved from Voodooism and will be in Heaven with me!

Sunday afternoon we began making cookies for our luau party that night with the girls.  What a challenge!  Much like the brownies, making cookies was not an easy thing to do.  I had to laugh when the back of the package said to soften the butter in the microwave...obviously that cookie company has never made cookies in Haiti! 

We actually ended up making chocolate chip brownie bar type things because the cookies were just too runny.  We had to use the eggs and some other things in the Pastor's house but we didn't have a key for it so...Walt just broke into the Pastor's house.  What's a mission trip without a little breaking and entering?

That night we headed to the girls' house and had the luau party.  The girls seemed to have warmed up to us a bit and seemed to have fun.  For their dinner, they were treated to fruit cocktail (a rarity) and teriyaki chicken sandwiches. 

What a HUGE blessing this night was to the girls and us!  I think this successful event was able to give us all much needed energy and encouragement. 

Reflections of Haiti Part III

Day 3 in Haiti brought about some realization of needing to focus more on God.  We had power from 6 pm- 6 am thanks to a generator everyday.  I woke up this morning wanting to send out a quick e-mail to a family member.  Not paying attention to the time, the generator cut off before I was able to complete the e-mail and send it.  At first I was disappointed but then I quickly reminded myself that my family knew I was okay and what I had typed was insignificant compared to the fact that I was letting God's beauty of the Hatian people go on around me unnoticed. 

The biggest thing we did was clean Pastor Andy's house this day.  Cleaning a house in Haiti is not an easy process.  In order to clean the floor, we had the opportunity to use a handmade broom.  No vacuum was available, but we didn't seem to notice.  In order to mop and clean the bathroom, we had to go out and get buckets of water from the faucet located outside.  We were thankful for the breeze coming through the limited number of windows because that was our only ventilation since A/C is nonexistent in Haitian homes. 

The big thing I take away from this day is the fact that the children here have very little but make the best with what they do have.  Some of the boys have mastered the art of making kites out of trash.  I was amazed at how they could look all over the compound for materials and after a short period of time craft something that actually worked.  I took this situation and thought about how spoiled my own children are.  I am sure Landon would not be able to make a toy to play with if I gave him a pile of what looks like trash.  I am challenging myself as a parent to downsize the amount of "stuff" my children have and make them more appreciative of what they do have. 

Reflections of Haiti Part II

Our 2nd day in Haiti was an awesome experience!  One of the big things we did this day was have a slumber party for the girls at the girls' home.  We had the experience of making brownies for all of the girls. 

That wasn't an easy feat considering the stove was gas and we weren't sure how it would cook.  We also had to go get the water to wash dishes with and make the brownies.  We are so fortunate in America to have running water that is safe for us to consume!  The slumber party went great.  We were able to paint fingernails and toenails. 

The girls also made tons of bracelets and necklaces with the beads we were able to bring. 

Even though it was incredibly hot inside the girl's house, it was a great way to interact and spend time with these girls.  Before bed, the younger girls sang and said prayers.  Even though I wasn't able to understand any of it, it was absolutely beautiful.  What an amazing reminder that people from all over the world with be in Heaven and it will be a great mix of the nations! 

Since Haiti is considered a tropical place, the water was beautiful...as long as you didn't look down.  Some of us had the opportunity to go swimming in the afternoon. 

The water in some spots was almost too hot to stand in.  This was a great opportunity to bond with some of the boys.

This day was also the day when we experienced several rain/thunderstorms.  After one rain storm, we were able to see an amazing double rainbow.  What a great reminder of God's promise! 

The sunset is absolutely amazing as well!  What a picture to capture God's work!

Reflections of Haiti Part I

Wow!  First, let me saw how amazing my trip to Haiti was.  I am so pumped by the way I have seen how God works.  While I have a lot of questions about things, I have a better sense of how mighty God truly is.  I hope to be able to reflect on here over the next couple of days about my experience in Haiti.  I went on this trip with little to no expectations other than just to help however I could.

My first reaction to Haiti was surprise at the level of poverty.  While I had read news articles and seen pictures about it, it didn't seem all that real until I had seen it first hand.  When we got to Port de Paix, I was immediately greeted by people who are working just to survive.  With no infrastructure, running water and electricity is scarce.  At night, we could look across our part of the city and few lights were seen.  Once the sun goes down, Port de Paix becomes an even darker place.

 
The biggest thing I took away from the first day in Haiti was the story about Steven.  When I first met Steven, I found him to be a precious little boy who was seeking love.  I quickly learned about his fight early on in his first few years of his short little life.  Steven has Autism...which really pulled on my heart strings.  His parents did not know about Autism or what was wrong with their child but did believe there was something wrong.  Voodoo is very strong in the country of Haiti so Steven's parents immediately thought that was the cause for Steven's oddities.  They proceeded to set his arm of fire in hopes to burn the problems away.  By the grace of God, he was taken in by the Lashbrooks and is living a much happier life than ever before.

Mini Meatball Sandwiches

I got this recipe originally from the Pioneer Woman.  I changed it a bit by using frozen meatballs and cooking them in the crock pot.  When you have two little boys running around, you are always looking to cut corners!  Head on over to the above link for the recipe!

Choices

As I was leaving Wal-Mart today with the boys, I had a local radio station on and the DJ was thanking the listeners for making the choice to listen to them this morning.  He said "When you woke up this morning, you had many choices and I am glad you chose to spend some time with us."  While this was such a simple statement, it got me thinking.

We have so many choices in life.  Through the Bible study I have been doing for the past couple of weeks, we have been looking at the choices women have made in the Bible.  It makes me think about a very important choice that changed the way God intended the world to be.  When God created Adam and Eve, the one thing asked of them was to not eat the fruit...well we all know the story...Eve ate the fruit and had Adam do the same.  Such a simple choice that had so many consequences so many years later. 

Every time we make a choice in life, there is a consequence.  This is something I am trying to instill in Landon right now.  Even as adults, we are faced with different choices everyday.  While some are easy like choosing what to eat for breakfast, some are more complicated that will have huge consequences to those around us. 
So, I ask you, what choices have you made today and what consequences (good or bad) have you seen come of them?  Are these choices that have made you proud, or even more, choices that would make God smile?