My Favorite Crock Pot Recipe!

I wish I could make all our dinners in the Crock Pot! The problem is our children and our dietary restrictions make it difficult to find recipes. So here's one the kids will sometimes eat.

Hamburger Casserole (from the Rival Crock-Ette Slow Cooker Manual)

I have adapted this recipe and added some things.

3 potatoes (sliced)

3 carrots (sliced)

1 can corn (drained) or a cup of frozen corn

1 can peas (drained) or a cup of frozen peas

2 onions (sliced)

2 stalks of celery (sliced)

1 1/2 lbs. Ground Beef (browned)

1 can tomato soup

1 can water

Place layers of vegetables in Slow Cooker in order given. Season with salt and pepper. Place ground beef on top. Mix soup and water. Pour soup mixture over top. 16 ounces of Tomato sauce can be substituted for soup and water.

I don't measure the vegetables. I just make sure there is a layer of each item.

Cover and Cook on Low 8 to 10 hours

I hope you all enjoy it. My mother made it when I was a kid although she doesn't remember:)

Breathe

I am coming up for air after months of preparation for and the execution of Vacation Bible School at our church. The Nu Yu Network made it's premier and hundreds of children were taught about the miracles of Jesus. It was a booming success!

We talk about breathing a lot in my home. We have one daughter who is, for lack of better words, a "mouth breather". We are constantly reminding her to breathe through her nose while she is eating. It is a tough battle.

But when I remind her to breathe it is a clue for me to breathe. I tend to hold my breathe and then have to take deep breathes which make it sound like there is something wrong with me--sighing like I am totally depressed! So that is another clue to me to breath. I don't know if it's a stress thing--what am I saying of course it is! It doesn't really matter. I know I just need to get still and breathe.

I also tend to go, go, go. So I need to take some time and sit and be still. Awareness is half the battle. I have known for a LONG time that I need to do this and haven't. I am too busy and tired...Ha!

Here's a bible verse that will help.

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

Here's some lyrics from a song that I love.

Let every thing that, every thing that, every thing that has breath praise the Lord.

Check out this song by Pearl Jam called Just Breathe (Eddie's singing about God!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuq7RYQ8Wa0

God is Good! All the time.

Okay, so yesterday we were going to take it easy before the big Vacation Bible School week. We did our usual Saturday morning routine--bath the kids, cut the grass and then we went to our favorite AA meeting. We were on on our way back and almost home when our oldest says "we could go eat free Poke jo's BBQ at that thing". That thing was the grand opening of a credit union in our neighborhood. We debated for a minute-my husband wanted to go home and eat pb&j! But we decided we would drive by and see how crowded it was. For some reason we stayed even though we had to park in an adjacent parking lot. Let me tell you that that is not like us...we don't like to work hard at things.

So we walk over and decide to get food first because we are all starving at 12:30pm. We sat down and observed. We ate our free lunch which was quite good I might add--yummy potato salad. Then we had a free water ice--also very good--from Jim Jim's. We noticed that some people were getting a chance to stand in this inflatable play bank vault. So we watched and watched. Then we decided we needed to go do some activities because we had to get my husband to a hair appointment. So we goo spin a wheel for a chance to win prizes. On the wheel it says "cash vault". So now we know how we can get in the vault. One child spins and wins a pen and a pencil. The next child spins and wins a pen and pencil. The other child wants nothing to do with the wheel. So I am up. I spin it and have 2 fleeting thoughts of "I'll never hit it-I'm not that lucky" and "wouldn't it be great to get the cash vault". The wheel stops on cash vault! Cool! I just heard someone say they got $136 bucks. My husband is exited and takes his spin. Cash vault for him, too! I say to the attendant "do we really get cash or is there some other catch?" Yes, I am ever the skeptic. He assures me we get actual money.

I am a bit in shock and trying to act cool because I am not the type to do silly things like this. Then the guy right in front of me comes out and they count his money and he got $186. Incredible. The attendants are giving me pointers and telling me how others have done it which I find intriguing because don't they want to me to lose? So, I step in and do exactly how I've seen others catch the money. I am thinking I am not doing so well but I stay on course. I step out and they start counting. $167!!!!! I am quite happy.

My husband goes in and we are watching him. He steps out after his 20 seconds and we are waiting for the tally. $211!!! Holy cow! Unbelievable. So we walk inside the bank and the teller gives us $167 + $211. $378!!! In 40 seconds! And all because of a free lunch! What a great deal.

I'd like to point out that this was not our doing. GOD had his hand in this at every step. We were almost home. We ended up staying. We spun a wheel and God had it land in the right spot. We just stood there while money dropped from HIM. We do not take any of the credit for this. God is our provider. He provided us with food, family time, fun and funds yesterday. We are so blessed. And we are so grateful and give God the glory.

Oh and by the way, we got home and the phone rang--twice. All three of our children had entered coloring contests at a local natural foods store and 2 had won prizes! So we went to pick them up and in addition to the prizes, they gave the third child something so she wouldn't feel left out and they gave us some additional free cookies and juice. I told you God is good and He is the ultimate gift giver.