Chicken Potpie Turnovers

5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into bite-size pieces; 3 celery stalks sliced ;
6 oz mushrooms, chopped; frozen peas; 2 carrots, sliced;
cream of celery and cream of potato soups*; 4 packages crescent rolls;
salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme.

Add oil and butter to a hot skillet, add vegetables to saute. Season with salt and pepper.  Add chicken, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Cook for about 10 minutes until chicken is fully cooked through.  Add soups*, a half cup of water, and a 1/2c frozen peas*.  Stir well and cover.

Each turnover is two crescent halves pinched together.  Put a large scoop of the mixture on one triangle, press a second triangle to cover the mixture.  Press the sides together to form a seal.  Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

These are delicious hot or cold.  If served cold, you can pick it up and eat it without any mess.  Served warm, it's a dinner the kids raved over.

*the cream of potato and frozen peas didn't make it into the top photo - sorry!

Loving Your Man with PURPOSE

Purpose is the word of the day.  This ONLINE BOOK STUDY is for all wives who want to strengthen their marriage and build up their man.  Here's a glimpse at today's project.  Head on over to Kathi's Book Club to get the full scoop!


Project #1: 30 Minutes Is All It Takes: Create Some Free Time When He Gets Home 

 October 17th, 2011  kathilipp

Your Project: Focus on your husband’s transitional 30 minutes today.  Would he like to be left alone to rest and rejuvenate, or does he want some undivided attention from you?  The point is to let your husband know you value what he does out in the world, and that he has a safe, loving place to come home to and get refreshed at the end of the day.

This is Kathi and I want to personally welcome you to the Projects! Here is the meat of the whole Husband Project – day to day, loving your husband on purpose and with a plan.


You may think, what about MY TRANSITION?  Yeah, what about it?  This isn't about you.  Sometimes we receive the greatest refreshment by providing refreshment for someone else.  Serve him first and you'll be bowled-over at his response for you.  Our men need us to give them a safe haven.

Purposeful

It's time to buckle down and get purposeful about what's going on around here. You know, when you've made one too many trips to the school to deliver overlooked items to your child. When the admin staff knows how you look without makeup.  When your car becomes a storage locker.  It's time.

Each child sat with me yesterday to carve out their own schedule of what they need and what day they need it.  While I'm helping to remind them, it's their job to check their calendar in the morning.  My reminder today was, "Check your calendar."  And Day One was a success.  Water bottles were packed for afterschool sports, musical instruments left with the kids, library books were remembered, field trip forms were packed.  We even had time for a yummy, warm breakfast (waffles with Nutella/Jif and apples/bananas).

I have to wonder, though, if the success for the morning should be attributed to something I did even before the calendar reminder.  I let the dog out, stepped out into the crisp morning with my hot coffee, looked up at the wakening sky and lifted praise to my God.  "Thank you for this day, Lord.  Bless my husband and my children. Bless me and direct my footsteps.  Let my words be yours today.  Filter my thoughts and actions.  And let all I do be in glory to You."  Then the dog yipped at my feet and we went back in.  Purposeful.  Perhaps praying this morning was the most purposeful thing I accomplished.

I encourage you today to be purposeful in your every moment.  Really be where you are, in mind and spirit.

Nudged into Obedience

Have you ever been nudged?

I have. Sometimes it's a gentle nudge with someone trying to get my attention. Sometimes it's more persistent, like that of a toddler wanting more, more, more. Today I find myself submitting to the nudge that's been poking me for more than a year. I confided in a friend yesterday how hard it is to admit when you're excited about something where you could fail so publicly. How hard it is to tell people, "Hey, I'm going to do ...," and stare into their stunned face silently judging me. Ridiculing me. Waiting to hear me fail.

"That's not for you to worry about, Stephanie," she said. "It's for you to be obedient to your calling - whether you fail or not." Wow. She's right.

So here I go! Nudged into action. Intentionally moving forward. I'll let you know how it goes!

I'm Bad at Returning Phone Calls

I really do believe that when someone doesn't return your call, they are not listening to your message and choosing not to pick up the phone.  They are not choosing not to call you back - they simply haven't received your message or had sufficient time to return the call.  I'm okay with that when it happens to me.  I don't mind leaving you a couple messages because I know how bad I am about messages.  But I do disappoint others.

Pitfall One:  No time to retrieve messages.  While I might see the small VM on my phone display, I do not have time to pick up the messages.  A few days could pass before I retrieve the messages (if I'm even in town!).  Then, I must have time to act on it.

Pitfall Two:  I have time to return the call - but it's too late at night or too early in the day.  The opposite can occur, too (time without real opportunity):  it will be the right time, but my schedule doesn't allow me to be on the phone.  Usually this is due to work issues, children's schedules/squabbles, etc.  I could call on my cell from the car - but that's not giving the caller the attention deserved (not to mention, unsafe).

And so, the caller waits.  Sometimes even calling again (and again - especially if I haven't picked up the messages).  While I have told friends and family that I'm really not ignoring them, I'm not sure they believe me.  I've said, "if I haven't returned your call, I haven't gotten your message."  Funny thing about all this, those that call my cell always get a hold of me - even if I couldn't take the call that moment.  

Seems odd?  Not really.  In a day where I can check email, FaceBook, and text message from my phone - that's the best way to reach me ... and consequently, for me to reach you.  I can send or receive a text any time and it's never intrusive.  Same with email, FaceBook posts, or FaceBook messages.

There are a few callers I have forwarded from my home to my cell so I don't miss their calls anymore, and listen to their messages (each one more pathetic than the last), when I can finally devote the time to it emptying my phone queue.

You might wonder how I could be so busy as to not pick up messages - well my time is not my own.  Shuttling kiddos to and fro, having their friends over, dentist appointments, random ear infections, feeding the masses, doing copious amounts of laundry, keeping a humbly clean home, etc., etc., etc..  It really does all add up, overlap, and make you want to relish the moments at home instead of tackling the "to do's."

I encourage you to give others the benefit of the doubt - extend grace ... you never know when you might need some in return.