Thankful Thursday

Is that a thing?

Well, I just made it one.

I'm so thankful for the cans of food that fell out of the full (disorganized) pantry and almost onto my foot.  What a blessing to have abundant food.

I'm so thankful for the piles of laundry.  7 bodies can be clothed and cared for around here.

I'm grateful for my husband's job.  I always know that our home is taken care of.  I can turn on the heat or do 8 loads of laundry without worrying.  Lots of things on my wish list have to wait, but the essentials are in place and I'm thankful for that peace of mind.

I'm thankful to be home, at home and with my family, instead of working every day.  My physical and emotional resources are not bottomless.  I'm thankful I can give a large portion of my creative energy to my family and their needs.

I'm thankful for requests for help from others.  I love to serve but am often wrapped up in my own self.  Other people needing me is a huge help in training me to think of the needs of others.

I'm thankful for the snow.  It may be cold, but it's beautiful.  And it cleaned off my very filthy van.

I'm thankful for my visiting teachers. They are 77 and 89 years old!!  I love them!  They are faithful in visiting every month and are great examples to me of diligence.

I'm thankful for the scriptures.  They are the words that God uses to talk to me.  I feel empty when I miss a day of studying them.

I'm thankful for this life I get to live.

Recent recipe favorites

Before too much time passes I want to record some yummy eats around here. I for sure want to be able to refer to them later!

We were too busy inhaling the good food that we don't have any pictures. But maybe the next time I make them...

Zesty Italian soup

Garlic Knots

Butterscotch Banana Bread

Perfect Cheeseball

Sweet and Sour Meatballs by Wendy Sparrow

I use this double recipe of sauce on two small packages of frozen meatballs.  If you don't have a large family, halve these amounts.

2-20 oz cans pineapple tidbits or chunks
2 1/2 cups liquid (combination of pineapple juice + water)
1/4 c vinegar (or up to 1/2 c if you prefer it tangy)
1 1/4 - 1 1/2c brown sugar (I use 1 1/4)
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c cornstarch

Make or heat meatballs, set aside.  Drain canned pineapple into a liquid measuring cup and add water to equal 2 1/2 cups.

Whisk together juice + water liquid, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce.  Add in cornstarch and cook several minutes over med-high heat till thickened.  Add pineapple and meatballs.  We only add one of the cans of tidbits into the sauce; both is too much.  We just serve that can separately.

Serve over rice and with lots of sautéed peppers and onions.