**gUmBo**

gumbo (gum′bō)

a soup made thick with unripe okra pods,

 usually made with tomatoes, vegetables,

 and chicken, ham, or seafood

flavorful & freezable

~a few of the necessities~

let's get this out of the way first thing - see the jar to the right?

that's right it says brown flour (that will be your roux)

Roux:-A mixture of flour and fat cooked together & used as a thickening.

The browned flour offers a more healthy version of roux!

Recipe for Browned flour

preheat oven to 400-450 degrees

  Place 1-1/2 cups of white flour in an iron skillet.

put in oven, stirring often, when it begins to brown.

It will turn the color of cinnamon.

You will need to turn vent fan on!

This flour will be used to thicken your gumbo.

(you can keep this on hand if your make excess)

 ~~~

The following recipe belongs to my father-in-law.

He shared the recipe in our previous church's cookbook.

We moved away from the convenience

of eating from "his pot" so I was forced

to master the "concoction".

~~~

Chicken Gumbo

North LA makes more poultry & pork gumbo

whereas South LA makes more seafood

(you can add shrimp, sausage, duck, & squirrel)

Finally the original recipe!

1 gallon water, 1 onion chopped, 1 Tablespoon salt,

1 Tablespoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning

1 whole chicken cut in half with skin and fat removed

~put water in a large pot, bring to boil, add onions & seasonings~

Add chicken and boil until done.  (I put mine in a pressure cooker)

Let chicken cool down, for taking off bone.

Ok, chicken is out of pot. Leave broth in pot.

 Let's start adding ingredients to

the broth that was left over from the chicken.

1 can of Chicken Broth added to the broth in pot

1 cup Tomato Sauce

1 can Cut okra & tomatoes (mashed)

1 can Ro-tel

1 package of Lipton Onion Soup Mix

1-1/2 cups of Browned flour

Add chicken to mixture.

Let simmer.

Serve over rice & sprinkle some File' on top

Better the next day.

Did I say you need one of these to make it?

I also thought you might like to know

 what we eat with our gumbo.

Spicy Crackers

1-1/3 cups of canola oil

1 Tablespoon of Red pepper

1 pkg. original Ranch dressing mix

blend together oil, pepper, & dressing mix

Using a large mouth gallon jar or container,

place one sleeve of crackers in jar,

pour 1/4th of mixture over crackers,

add next sleeve and pour mixture over those,

continue repeating layers.

You will need a jar that seals off tightly.

Rotate jar occasionally, so mixture will

disperse over all crackers.

Crisp and long-lasting.

You can't just eat one!

Linking to:
Shelly's Fabulous Food Fridays

&

Vanessa's Soup Exchange

~run to THE LIGHT~

 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying,

 I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,

 but shall have the light of life.

John 8:12

Saturday afternoon, my husband and I went

 on a small drive in our "neck of the woods".

 I was so excited, to be spending this time with him,

 but at the same time seeing the changing of the leaves,

 looking at beautiful harvested hay meadows,

 and visiting one of my favorite places.

  It was just the right time of day for the sun to be

 streaming into the windows of the old church house.

~doors were unlocked, so we had the joy of sitting and pondering~

I immediately came home and posted the pictures.

I remembered what Dianne said "run to light" when taking pictures.

I am definitely an amateur when it comes to picture taking,

but oh, what a life lesson was

to be learned as I viewed the light pouring

into the windows of the old church house.

We are so prone to want to find our spot and be comfortable.

He wants us moving, allowing for growth in our walk with HIM.

Did He not promise to light our path?

...come and let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Isaiah 2:5

We may be in a new season of life,

 unfamiliar territory, one that is

making us doubt and question,

our next step...

but, He desires to take us down new paths

to teach dependence for that next step.

Total dependence is not restricting to us,

it should be freeing.

Knowing that Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, 

 is charting the course and guiding the way,

should allow for rest and relief.

The only way to rest in HIM

 is to lay it all down at the altar

 and surrender to

 stepping into His light.

The chorus to the precious old hymn,

is fitting to close this post.

How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior,

Stepping in the light,

Stepping in the light,

Stepping in the light,

How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior,

Led in paths of light.

copyright 1917 by Wm. J. Kirkpatrick

~~~

Lord, I do not want to take one step without You.   Please lead me in Your light.

No matter where I may be in this time of my life, if I've strayed from the light

and have veered off the path, I'm reaching my hand for yours,

 guide my way, lead me to where You want me to go.

  I may not be able to see where You are taking me, but I am trusting You.

~~~

You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness and joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11



~pleasing to the heart~

I would rather have

Moments

 filled with  lasting joys

 and not

 empty pleasure

As I prepared this post, I searched for photos, go ahead and admit it

we prefer pictures over words.  As the pictures came together I began thinking about the beauty of them,

 pleasing to the eye.  I almost entitled the post

 eye-pleasers. 

 But, as I started writing and looking at verses of scripture HE reminded me

 that all of these beautiful things he has graced me with this season... will fade.  They are not lasting.

Isa 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth:

 but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

  Sure I may be able to winter some of the plants, but the blooms and leaves are going to wither and fall. 

On Mondays I share my heart by letting you read my

~ jotted down list~ of the wonderful gifts HE has

given me over the past week. 

These joys are:

 lasting

those that make the heart smile

sense activators

contentment givers

worship causing

memory keepers

heart warmers

my list reads simple

141.  surprise from husband and son's grocery shopping trip

142.  vaccuumed van

143.  reminders of His controlling hands

144.  peace when I'm at His feet

145.  prayer & coffee time with a wonderful Southern Lady

146.  planned in home Bible Study (Lord prepare our hearts)

147.  successful surgery for Granny

148.  laughter with two Senior Citizen sisters

149.  extra time the dishwasher allows

150.  Saturday am alarm clock "bird" outside my window  

151.  the sound of the leaves rustling with the wind

152.  the glow of the new bedroom lamp

153.  no fear at night time when husband is away

154.  communion shared with believers on Sunday morning

155.  those who minister faithfully to the congregation

156.  Saturday afternoon drive with my sweetheart

157.  comments from Katie

158.  Tuesday morning ladies Bible study & prayer time

159.  answered prayer for son's job

160.  "little boy laughter" from a 21 yr. old

Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return,
 and come with singing unto Zion;
 and everlasting joy shall be upon their head:
 they shall obtain gladness and joy;
 and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
Isa 51:11

Joining the others in the Gratitude Community

Your heart will be pleased as you read the others.

~I AM~

I pray your Sunday is filled with

 praise and glory to 

 Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Joining the others at Spiritual Sundays

&

Scripture & A Snapshot

~Saturday eye-pleaser~

Botanical name: Bougainvillea 'Royal Purple'

Common name: paper flower

 

And no, I'm not a gardner!

Check out the little white center (bloom)

never knew it had those until this year.

 

This hanging basket was given to me by my
 next door neighbor

before she went to the nursing home.
I shared her on an earlier post.
You may want to click on neighbor and read
about her.

 

The "paper flower" is still blooming in October.

I am joining the others at

~fresh encounter~

Lately, the desire for a fresh and a clear mind has been one of mine.

You ever feel as though you are in a.....

fog or everything is not crystal clear?

Things are stale and not fresh?

The Lord gave me those thoughts as I tried to rest the body.

Along with clearing the mind and gaining a focus......

we need a fresh and current testimony of what the Lord is doing in our lives.


What is my Lord and Saviour teaching me at the present time?
We need to be able to share a current lesson.

Have you had someone ask you the question,

what is the Lord doing in your life right now?

How would you answer?

I do not want to be put on the spot and ramble for an answer.

If we are true believers and are seeking after God

we will want to answer this question.

This is not a privacy issue.

Sure, every detail does not have to be given,

 but we would definitely want to have an answer of

 His faithfulness and teaching.

If all we have to share is what He done for us 10 or 20 years ago,

we need to do some investigation.

Those 10 or 20 year ago experiences are memorial stones
and are of great value.  Joshua 4:1-7

They are significant reminders of the Lord's faithfulness.

We don't abandon the past learning experiences,
but build on them as He moves us to the future.


We update things in this day and age!
By the time you get a new phone
or a new computer learned,
yours is out of date. 

Know what I mean?

Is my encounter with the Lord
up-to-date?

Self - Evaluation Test
fill in blanks with the appropriate 
amount of time spent in these areas 

Prayer Time ______minutes of continual conversational prayer

Be Still Time_____minutes  of letting the feet rest and sit at His feet

Bible Study Time______minutes of reading and studying His Word

Listening Time_____minutes of waiting for Him to speak, reveal Himself

Share Time________minutes of letting others know what the Lord is doing

These areas listed above can enable us to have a
clear and fresh testimony
 of how Jesus Christ is working
 in our

lives yesterday and today!

Isa 43:19 KJV
 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth;
 shall ye not know it?
 I will even make a way in the wilderness,
 and rivers in the desert.

Joining the others at

~Tilt the Head~

Take a few moments to tilt the head upward;

He has painted a beautiful picture for us!

What a wonderful reminder of the
 Mighty God we serve.

I am joining the others today at

Scripture and a Snapshot

&

Spiritual Sundays.

~pArTy DeCoR~

Wow wee!!! 

I've been busy this week,

I have slowed down some,

but just thought

I would share

what the girl

has been

up to.

We hosted a World Crafts Party at our church Monday Night,

if you are not familiar with World Crafts, I've created

a link so you can see what it is all about.

I thought I would share the fall centerpiece

that I made for the event.

(These pheasants are from my guest bedroom - I shared on an earlier post)

 (he's munching on an acorn)

We served food at the party (of course)

the food tables were placed in a L shape

and this centerpiece was placed in the

corner of the L.

AHHHHHHH!!!!

BURLAP

The blogging girls best friend.  ;<)

Square burlap toppers were placed over the top of

 white tablecloths on the food tables and the tables

 where the ladies sat to eat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The round tables where the ladies sat had mums

 (based covered in dark brown burlap-tied up with a plaid bow)

 in the center of the round table atop the tan square topper.

I AM VERY SORRY

THAT I DID NOT TAKE PICTURES

OF EVERYTHING.

  MY CAMERA IS ON THE BLINK!!!

--

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS

E-MAIL ME

I'm joining the others over at Vanessa's for

Inspiration Friday

&

Feathered Nest Friday

Centerpiece Wednesday
over at Style Sisters

~telling it the way it is~

I need to linger here...

My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation. 

Psalm 62:1

with His Word



and be reminded

He is my source and strength.

He only is my rock and my salvation,

my stronghold, I shall not be greatly shaken.

Psalm 62:2

Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

Psalm 96:6

I pray my openness with you,

 makes you aware that we all

 are in need of renewal from time to time.

Please take the time to listen
to the song
At Your Feet
 by Mark Hall with
Casting Crowns

at YOUR feet
there is NO where else for me!

~His Word~

And He changes the times and the seasons....

He gives wisdom to the wise

And knowledge to those who have understanding.

He reveals deep and secret things;

He knows what is in the darkness,

And light dwells with Him.

I thank and praise You,

O God of my fathers;

You have given me wisdom and might,

and have made known to me what we asked of You....

Daniel 2:21-23

 

Joining the others at Spiritual Sundays.

~hearts~

                                                                    

What a Sim    ple Pleasure

to find last Thursday morning.

I was preparing the coffee pot

and looked out the window,

and right before my eyes

was a simple reminder

that He is mine

and I am

His.

Please excuse the space in the word but, how could I not resist.

The thought come to me to create a heart with the words,

but, I hope you believe me when I say it happened

right before my eyes with hardly no effort at all.

I only had to add the space between simple.

Is that not precious are what?

Most of the time I think

 someone else is typing

 the words and giving

them to me.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

After, almost 24 years with my sweetheart the spark is still there!

I still get butterflies sometimes and he still blushes!

The spark may have dimmed at times and we had to blow

 the ember to make it light up again, but we never let it sit

and smolder long. There is where the danger lies.

I've been waiting to share this and I believe this is the perfect time.

A true older southern lady shared with me some ageless advice

from her Home Economics teacher (remember Home Ec.?)

It went something like this-

girls when he comes in from work

have his pipe ready, his coffee cup out, and his slippers waiting

and you have yourself fixed, because he has been at work

all day with pretty girls! 

I know things have changed since those days,

but men have not, they still desire the

same attention and respect.

THE KEY

It's not hard doing (that word most women don't like) submitting

when he loves me like Jesus Christ loves His children.

Ephesians 5:25

It just saddens me that wonderful
 girls and ladies

 have not had the opportunity

 and are not experiencing the way

 God intended a marriage to work.

  Hearts have been broken and lives have

been re-routed.  Not what you expected and

 not what God intended.

 But, HE is your hope!

O Lord, you alone are my hope.

  I've trusted you,

O Lord, from childhood. 

Psalm 71:5 NLT

I'm sharing with the others over at
 A Collection of This and That
for Simple Pleasure Day.

Sharing my Home

I'm sharing my home with you today,

usually I share my heart through words.

But, today I will share some photos.

Most of them you have already seen.

We enjoy sharing our home with family & friends.

- Please come in -

(I've added some yellow mums to the wagon)

the foyer

a little closer view of the foyer table

the metal tin the dog treat canister is on,

came from some friends years ago with

Christmas cookies inside

a dear friend made this church house for me

the post it sits on was from her grandmother's home

you are seeing a peek into the kitchen & dining area

the rooster is sitting on the bar

a few glass pumpkins in a crystal bowl atop the china cabinet

see those two - hiding inside the china cabinet

here's my mantel/TV entertainment center

I love mixing crystal in groupings.

just a small vignette in the kitchen

those are the boys (love this-when they were younger)

simplicity on the table

sweet gum balls come in handy for something

you've toured my fall open house

so exit out the back door

onto the deck

this planter sits right as you enter the back door

under my dining room windows

I enjoy the view out the window

aren't the colors beautiful

I mixed real - plastic- silk and dried

who would have guessed?

it is a free-standing iron planter (decided against planting mums)

I'm joining the others at  Southern Hospitality

 for  Fall Inspiration

and First A Dream

for Weekend Porch and Garden Party

Lasting Joys

My heart is full today,

I hope the fingers can write the words

on the screen.

lasting joys ~ bring contentment

I want to become the one

 who always lets others know

 of something that brings me joy?

I want to be excited over simple things. 

~ Simple-minded ~

I want to be able to face life's circumstances

with a heart that is looking for the good.

~~~~

lots of

"I wants"

but

I believe

these

"I wants"

align

with

 His wants.

~~~~

(Saturday, my husband & I went to his garden and picked these together)

"I've kept my feet on the ground,

I've cultivated a quiet heart.

Like a baby content in its mother's arms,

my soul is a baby content."

Psalms 131:2 MSG

If we are looking for the simple that brings us joy,

we will not become weary of the ordinary!

(those words are from HIM and you may use them)

my journey of gratitude continues....

121.  the croton plant showing the colors of fall
122.  lines drawn through the to-do list
123.  God's nearness (I asked for this)
124.  assurance of living forever with my Saviour
125.  Quietness
126. flickering of the fire on a cool autumn evening
127.  the smell of pumpkin pound cake baking
128.  relaxing atmosphere with first-time visitors in our home
129.  picking zinnas with my sweetheart (see the pic)
130.  eye sight to see the changing colors of God's creation
131.  footed pjs found for a little boy in Honduras
132.  safe football game for the youngest
133.  comments affirming that the Lord is using me through HIM
134.  laughter over the phone from the oldest
135. the experience of sharing my heart
136.  learning private is sometimes wrapped in a package of pride
137.  ears to hear my husband share God's word in Bible Study
138.  glow from the lamp in my kitchen window
139.  warm sun in the cool breeze
140. sweet text messages from a new mother

The reason contentment is not had,
 is our lack of gratefulness for what we have.

I'm joining the others
in the Gratitude Community
at Holy Experience.



Reluctant to Change

"When you are reluctant to change,

 think of the beauty of Autumn. "

 — V.B. Brown

To make a change is not easy and not common.

We like our routines and develop comfortable ruts.

(Max Lucado)

Are you needing a change ?

Lord, only you can change me.

  I realize the power to make a change comes from the Holy Spirit who is living within me.

I pray for a deep and more intimate relationship with

 God through you, Jesus Christ.

 

 

John 14:16-17

16 and I will pray the Father,

 and He will give you another Helper,

 that He may abide with you forever--

17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive,

 because it neither sees Him nor knows Him;

 but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

What a beautiful day to worship our

 Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

It is Sunday and I'm joining the others at

Spiritual Sundays.