Food Friday: Cassoulet...

I recently acquired this recipe from the man who was our best man for our wedding... he posted a pictorial recipe on his Facebook page, and it looked so amazing, I just had to try it. I snapped some photos along the way too, and so here they are... along with the recipe...

Start by soaking beans overnight, or bringing to a boil and allowing ample time to sit in the hot water, 1 hour is recommended but I think the overnight method yields more tender beans, if that is important to you.

Sear and season, chicken, pork, bacon, sausage (didn't use that this time, but will next time) Remove from pan, conserving the grease for the vegetables.

Saute vegetables, onion, celery and carrots, until translucent...deglaze pan with white wine. Combine all ingredients back together, in an oven-safe dutch oven or crockpot. Add chicken broth, and preferred spices... I used a bay leaf, a can of tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, orange peel, salt and pepper.

Cook for 2- 2 1/2 hrs at 350* Allow the dish to rest for 30 minutes before serving. Best served with crusty bread, and a glass of white wine.

thankful tuesdays

Going to try something new...

Today, I am thankful for...

My Children!

Joshua, has begun to have very deep conversations with me about life and God. I love learning scriptures with him, and he is so motivated to keep learning. Like any other kid, he struggles with the sin nature that we are born with. He has been learning about Adam, Eve and Noah. While learning about these first humans in the Bible, he is beginning to understand the corelation between the relationship with a Holy God and how our sin nature gets in the way. As a mom, I enjoy reading Bible stories with him, and hearing his thoughts and insights. I'm reminded of what it says in Deuteronomy 6:5-9 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." This verse commands parents that their everyday lives reflect their own relationship with God. Its so easy to get swallowed up in all the distractions that our lives offer. I love technology, but its also my greatest enemy.

My youngest son, Caleb, is very much in the toddler stage of his life. He speaks new words every single day. Yesterday, he impressed us with his ability to say "spungbb" which is short for Spongebob... and today it was "Biblstdy" short for Bible Study. He's sometimes irrational, and other times the most loving little boy. He may not understand all the Bible stories that I am reading to his big brother and he may not fully participate in our conversations, but he's observing our reactions, and responses. He watches closely as I respond to his big brother in challenging situations. He waits to see how I will respond when he doesn't get his way. These are all moments where I am leaving a valuable imprint on his heart, and showing him how much he's loved by me and ultimately by God. I am thankful for all the differences in Caleb's personality. I am thankful for the way he pulls my face to his and kisses me.

I am a blessed mama, who is thankful for these little boys that I get to raise! What an honor! I will return to this post later when things get a little chaotic, reminders of the good are important!