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progresso panko winner
Congratulations to our Progresso Lemon Pepper Giveaway winner, Aimee! Aimee will receive, courtesy of MyBlogSpark and Progresso, a complimentary box of Progresso’s Lemon Pepper Panko and a copy of Michael Chiarello’s Bottega.
a little more info
**This is a sticky post and will remain at the top of my blog for a while. Scroll down to see the newest post.**
The launch of my new venture is getting closer and closer! 
The new site (what I’ve been calling my new venture) will be called A Martha Heart.
I wrote a brief explanation of the name of the new site (see quote below) in this post:
God had been using Martha (sister to Mary and Lazarus, not that other Martha) as an example to me. She was organized, she was prepared, she felt overwhelmed at times, and yet she was the one who, after her brother died, went out to the road to meet Jesus. It is Martha who opened her home to Jesus and His disciples when they came through town. It is Martha who is recorded for all time as the one who said to Jesus, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” (John 11:27) And wouldn’t you know, God found another way to emphasize the heart change Martha experienced after her previous encounter with Jesus in her home (see Luke 10:38-42).
Holly and I have been working diligently on A Martha Heart, getting it all set up to go live September 1st. We have some really fantastic lady authors/contributors to introduce to you (some you may already know!). I’m really looking forward to this launch ~ I think you’re going to love A Martha Heart!
good sites
I discovered a few really good websites over the past week or so. You may have already heard of or even visited these sites, but I wanted to share them anyway in case there are some who haven’t seen them yet. Here’s the list ~ they’re all live links, just click on the website’s name and the site should open in another window or tab:
- Food with Kid Appeal (Attison is an extremely difficult/picky eater ~ this site has some great ideas for encouraging little ones to eat good foods)
- Grass Point Farms
- Kellogg Valley Farm ~ this family-owned organic farm is local to me, and they don’t have a website as far as I can tell so this is a link to their Facebook page
- Cascadian Farm
- Natural Pantry/Wholeliving.com
- Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms
- Whole Foods Market
- Wheat Montana
- Sunfood
I have a lot more links to share, but I’m going to try to list them in groups ~ so more link lists are forthcoming. Enjoy these for now.
If you have any good links you would like to share that are relevant to topics I like to write about here on my blog ~ organic food/living, kid-friendly things (foods, coloring pages, games, websites, clothes, etc.), mommy interests, Christian interests, couponing/simple/frugal living, homeschooling, etc., please send them to me. I’ll choose some good ones and add them to my future posts.
sidebar changes and a prize
Over the next little while, you’ll probably notice that the items in my sidebars will be changing. I have some new items to offer you as well as a little cleaning up to do on those sidebars. I will always have my Archives link available, so don’t worry if you’ve missed some posts. You’ll always be able to access my previous posts.
I’m excited to get going on this project, and I’m uber excited (yes, I used the word uber ~ my kids will think I’m a dork, but that’s okay) to introduce some new items. 
One thing I’ll be unveiling is this:
UPS delivered a box from MyBlogSpark the other day. I’m thrilled with its contents ~ and I will be telling you all about it in the very near future (next week).
And, there will be an opportunity for you to win an INCREDIBLE prize ~ think spa in a box. More details will be in that post next week, so stay tuned!
secret recipe for meatballs
This recipe for meatballs comes from a friend who married into an old Italian family ~ you know, the kind that lives on the east coast and can proudly say they have several generations of policemen and/or fire fighters who have faithfully served the residents of their city. The recipe has been passed down from generation to generation and family legend holds it was brought over “on the boat” by great-great-etc., etc. grandma when she immigrated to the US. This recipe was never to be given to anyone outside the family. Well, never ended when my friend and her old Italian family husband got a divorce. Then my friend couldn’t give it out fast enough or to enough people! Despite the fact that this is more of a revenge recipe than a secret one at this point, it makes the best meatballs I have ever had ~ and it makes a pretty good meatloaf, too!
1 – 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
seasoned bread crumbs (enough to hold consistence)
salt & pepper to taste
1/4c. Romano cheese, shredded
1/4 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon each ~ garlic powder, oregano, basil & parsley
2 – 3 eggs
2 handfuls water
Mix all ingredients; shape into balls. Place meatballs in skillet; add ingredients for sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover. Cook at light simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour or until meatballs are cooked through.
Of course the original recipe calls for homemade seasoned bread crumbs (made from toasted Italian bread with herbs ~ like the bread you get at Carino’s), freshly grated cheeses, fresh oregano, basil and parsley, and homemade spaghetti sauce. But I’m lazy and cheat by using packaged Italian bread crumbs, packaged grated cheese, dried herbs and spaghetti sauce from a jar. The meatballs still taste amazing.
Enjoy!
Edited later to add: Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I don’t eat pork, so I honestly don’t know how this would taste or do with some Italian sausage thrown in. I’ve only ever made it with beef. Come to think of it, when my friend wrote out the recipe for me it didn’t mention anything about Italian sausage…
thanksgiving dinner
We’re pretty traditional when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner. Roger isn’t a HUGE fan of turkey, so I usually only make it for Thanksgiving. That way it’s still special and unique enough that he’ll eat it and enjoy it.
Our menu generally consists of turkey, dressing, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, gravy, dinner rolls, green beans, green salad and cherry cream cheese pie. I also make sparkling raspberry lemonade and hot cranberry apple cider. At times there are other additions, but these items are always present. This year I’m adding pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting (I got the recipe from a friend on Facebook).
Several years ago I discovered a recipe for a poultry brine that sounded so good I wanted to try it. We loved it, and have used it every year since. It’s a very simple brine: 1 cup kosher salt, 1 lemon cut into wedges, 1 organge cut into wedges, 1 medium white onion cut into wedges, 3 cloves garlic, 4 bay leaves, 1 Tbs. dried thyme, 1 Tbs. black pepper and 1 1/2 gallons (or more if needed) of water. Rub the salt into the turkey, and place remaining salt, lemons, oranges, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and pepper into a large pot. Place turkey in the pot, then fill pot with water. Refrigerate overnight. Discard brine after removing turkey. Do not rinse turkey before raosting.
Another trick to make your turkey moist and flavorful: roast it breast-side down. I know, I know ~ all of the cookbooks and online cooking sites say you should tie up the turkey and roast it breast up. It does make for a pretty turkey, if presentation is what you’re going for. Personally, I don’t care about the presentation. We have always carved up the turkey in the kitchen, put the meat on a platter and put the platter on the dinner table. So presentation is not even in the equation for me. I want moist, flavorful turkey. Even without brining your turkey can be yummy, if you roast it breast-side down. That way all of the juices from the dark meat run down into the breast. You can even get away with NOT basting your turkey if you roast it breast-side down. That makes the turkey a snap ~ I’m all about easy Thanksgiving turkeys! I’m just sayin’…
One more recipe I’ll share today ~ cranberry apple cider. Yuummmm. This is another one of those items I save for the holidays, which only serves to make it all the more yummy! It’s simple, too: 2 quarts apple cider, 2 quarts cranberry juice, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 4 seedless oranges cut in half, 2 teaspoons whole cloves, 8 cinnamon sticks, 2 teaspoons whole allspice. Mix the apple cider, cranberry juice and brown sugar in a large pot or crock pot. Add the oranges. Put cloves, cinnamon, and allspice in a spice bag and add to juice. Simmer on stovetop for about 30 minutes or warm in crock pot for at least 2 hours (up to 6 hours).
I love to make special foods during the holiday season. My family seems to look forward to them just as much as I do. They’ve become part of our holiday traditions ~ traditions I hope will be passed down through more generations in the years to come.
chicken with basil cream sauce
Here’s an easy recipe that tastes amazing!
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup dry Italian seasoned bread crumbs
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream (half & half will do in a pinch)
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
freshly ground sea salt and black pepper to taste
8 oz. angel hair pasta, cooked al dente
fresh lemon wedges
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place milk and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Dip chicken in milk, then coat with bread crumbs.
In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter; add olive oil. Brown chicken on both sides in butter/olive oil. Remove chicken and place in glass casserole dish. Bake in preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.
Saute mushrooms in skillet.
Add broth to skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat and stir to loosen browned bits from pan bottom. Stir in whipping cream; boil and stir for 1 minute. Reduce heat. Stir in Parmesan, basil, salt and pepper, and cook until heated through. If necessary, mix 1 teaspoon corn starch with 1/4 cup chicken broth and stir into skillet to thicken sauce.
Pour sauce over chicken, reserving about half. Pour reserved sauce over angel hair pasta. Serve chicken and pasta with lemon wedges ~ squeeze lemon over chicken and pasta just before eating. Enjoy!
the american frugal housewife
My sweet friend Joanne (http://thesimplewife.typepad.com) has been writing about economy in the home and using the resources available to you. Frugality, simple living, economizing, downsizing and want vs need are things that have been on my mind and heart for well over a year now. We’ve had a couple of additions to our family within that time, and a lot of other things going on, so I haven’t had time to explore this topic (or is it more likely that I’ve been ignoring the call God has put on my heart??).
Joanne’s writing always inspires me. I enjoyed her book Living Simply and I’m looking forward to the release of her new book Misplacing God in February. She plans to continue writing about economy in the home and in our lives on her blog every Friday.
I asked Joanne’s permission to copy the I’m An American Frugal Housewife. Are You? button from her sidebar. I’ve linked the button to her original post about economy. It’s a wonderful post; if you haven’t read it yet, you’ll find it here.
Joanne asked me if I would like to join her in posting on Fridays about economy in our homes and in our lives. I think that’s a great idea. I was raised in a home where I was the only child, so just about anything I wanted I was given. When Roger asked my dad’s permission to marry me, my dad said very plainly, “She’s very spoiled, you know. Are you ready to handle that?”
Economy in our home will be a new and strange topic. I was not taught to be frugal, to save money, to use coupons or even to shop the sales racks at department or grocery stores. Simply making sure we use what we have, including eating leftovers (gasp!), will be a challenge for us (at least in the beginning).
The “economy” Joanne is writing about is so much more than clipping coupons or saving a few cents by making your own laundry detergent. I do believe that being a good shepherd of what the Lord blesses us with is a responsibility He gives us. But living a life where nothing is wasted, and understanding that where God is concerned everything, e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. is used to the fullest (and for our good) goes infinitely deeper than eating leftovers.
Joanne has given her permission for you to “steal” her button, too. She would like for you to link it back to her original post, but she won’t send the cyber button police after you if you don’t.
I think there are things about God’s economy that we can all learn, whether you’re new to the idea of economy or an old hand at it. I’m going to start a new category here on A Joyful Heart titled joyful economy. I plan to join Joanne in writing about joyful economy every Friday.
Would you like to join us?
coach
Look what my mom-in-law gave me for Christmas :
Do you know how much I love purses? For some women it’s shoes ~ but for me it’s purses. And one can never have too many Coach purses as far as I’m concerned!
Roger’s mom got the exact right thing for me. Thanks, Mom!!
new driver, new car
We celebrated Sawyer’s 16th birthday on Sunday. He went to the DMV on Monday and traded in his learner’s permit for a driver’s license. And he bought himself a car. It has been a big week for Sawyer!
Here he is with his driver’s license and his new car (the car is new to him, it’s not a “new” car; but it’s his, and that’s all that matters to him! He used some of the money from his savings account to pay for the car and the repairs it needed to be in good drivable condition.)
