One of the best smells in the world is supper cooking in your own kitchen…and you didn’t do a thing!  I got a text from Alli on Friday that said, “Mom, can I make supper Saturday night?  I found a recipe I want to try.”  Of course my answer was, “Sure!”  It was a great idea for many reasons, but one being it was really delicious.  If there was no other good reason to teach your daughters to cook, here is one! My husband commented that this is like a meal you’d get at Carrabba’s or Olive Garden.  He’s right.  But this was not Carrabba’s – this was the parsonage kitchen, and boy, were we glad!

Spaghetti in Garlic Gravy with Herbs and Lemon Marinated Chicken and Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients:

500 grams spaghetti pasta (cooked al dente) Alli used shells instead of spaghetti and I thought it was great because it held little puddles of that wonderful sauce!  Mmmmm!
1 pound chicken breast fillets (sliced into 1 inch chunks)

For the chicken marinade:
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped (if using dried, use half of the amount)
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ a lemon
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt (not table salt)
½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (to sauté the marinated chicken)
– Add all the marinade ingredients into the chicken and marinade for 20 minutes (if making this dish in pronto) or over night (if making this dish the next day… much better).
– Saute the marinated chicken in extra virgin olive oil until cooked (about 4-5 minutes) then set aside.

For the garlic gravy:
½ stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup parsley, chopped (to sprinkle/finish the pasta)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups whole cherry tomatoes
– Place saute pan over medium heat and add butter and olive oil.
– Saute garlic until fragrant and soft.
– Add the flour and cook for a minute.
– Add chicken stock and simmer gravy until thickened then add the chopped basil.
– Season with salt and pepper.
– Add the sauteed chicken in the gravy then toss the cooked spaghetti into this sauce.
– Add the cherry tomatoes and finish the dish with the chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese (serve extra on the side).
Makes 5-6 servings.

Okay, it’s not the healthiest dish, but it is scrumptious! No wonder – she got the recipe from Goddess of Scrumptiousness Recipes!

For Sunday morning breakfast, I made Lemon Blueberry Biscuits – an old recipe I clipped from a Taste of Home Magazine.  These are soooo good, friends.  They’re great any time, but they seem like a summertime breakfast or brunch. These don’t require any “Biscuit-making skills.”  Just mix and drop onto a baking sheet!

Lemon Blueberry Biscuits

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (8 ounces) lemon yogurt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• GLAZE:
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Directions:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, egg, butter and lemon peel; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.
• Drop by tablespoonfuls 1 in. apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm biscuits. Yield: 1 dozen.

Enjoy!

What’s been cooking in your kitchen this week?

From my parsonage kitchen,

A few days ago I was seated on the ground.  After  a few minutes, I looked down and saw many ants scurrying around me.  Intrigued, I watched them.  They were moving very , very fast.  As they approached me on the their way to who knows where, they would not go over me (thank goodness); they went around me, their obstacle. 

Yesterday as I read Proverbs 6, I read this, Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.  How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man. My mind’s eye went back to watching the ants the other day.  They didn’t stop and say, “Oh, a little more sleep, please.  Just a few minutes more of my sweet slumber!”  They had a job to do, and they let nothing stop them. 

If we are told in Scripture to consider the ant’s ways, then I believe the Lord wants us to learn from the ants how to be good workers. 

• Keep moving.  Stopping for a little rest in-between jobs to check Facebook or what’s new on Pinterest will slow your progress.  Save those things for after the work is done.  If you’re working outside the home, keep moving until it’s time to clock out and go home.  Being lazy is a poor testimony.
• Don’t get distracted.  You’ll stay focused on what you need to do if you write down in the morning what your tasks are.  There’s a feeling of great accomplishment to cross off an item on a list and move on to the next one.  For years I used this planner by Linda Dillow.  I’m so sad that it’s out of print now. 
• Plan for the future.  Think ahead to what needs to be done by tomorrow or beyond and work ahead of time.  Rather than scurrying to finish things up tomorrow, get it done today.
• Prep food ahead of time
• Iron clothes for tomorrow
• Set out needed items such as library books, or items you borrowed from friends that you need to return. 
• Write out a few things that need to be done on tomorrow’s list.  If you have a few extra minutes today, start on that list.  When you get up in the morning, you’ll be a step ahead!  If you think this is too much work, you’ll be surprised to see how much lighter your load will feel! 

Stop and consider the little ant’s ways, then change some of your own habits if you see you’re not accomplishing as much as you could each day.

Do you have a system you use that helps you to organize your day, such as a planner of some sort?

With love,

Last week I found myself sitting on 250 acres of land in the mountains of East Tennessee surrounded by exotic animals, rolling hills, a beautiful estate and all the peace and quiet I needed. This came as an answer to my prayers!  However,  I didn’t realize I’d prayed that big (I didn’t, but I have a BIG God)!

A couple of months ago, I began asking the Lord to provide some extended time for me to dig into His Word in order to prepare for some upcoming speaking engagements.  I imagined a day or two at a cabin, but the Lord did what only He can do and sent me to this beautiful location for an entire week.

This is Elijah’s Harbor – a retreat place devoted this past week to encouraging pastors and their wives.  My husband and I were here by invitation in order that we might come away and rest and recharge.  Our way was paid by an anonymous giver.  That is amazing to me.

We were allowed the freedom to choose to be as active as we wanted, or as still as we liked.  We had a great mixture of both.  The activities included riding four-wheelers, swimming, playing table games, strolling around the property, ping pong, pool, and an auction in town (my first, but hopefully not my last!  I loved it!). 

 For the quiet part of the time there, I got to spend the entire morning of each day in a beautiful location studying, talking with the Lord and preparing for the upcoming events.  God was so good to speak to my heart and direct my thoughts in a much greater way than I’d even imagined!

Often we pray, and then act surprised when we see God answering that request.  That was certainly the case with me.  I’d asked God for this, yet last week as I sat there and realized that He had answered in such an awesome way, I was as stunned as a half dead fly on the end of the swatter! 

God loves us and wants us to bring our needs to Him.  He also delights in answering those requests and providing for us in amazing ways.  James 5:16 says, The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 

Be on the lookout for God’s work in your prayer life.  Watch like a keen bird watcher on the prowl of a rare species in the woods.  Oh, and keep praying.  Don’t give up.  The answer you’re waiting for could be just over the next hill.

Not sure why, but Blogger would not let me post today until this very minute.  Maybe the Lord wanted me to get some other things done instead.  At any rate, I will be posting tomorrow (Lord willing!).

Thanks for understanding.