I enjoy the challenge of using leftover meat and vegetables, adding other ingredients to make something delicious that is entirely different than the original dishes. It is good stewardship of our grocery money, as well.
Consider this illustration from Priscilla Shirer, "God's good at taking our messes, our leftovers, and doing something good with them. Parts of all of our lives we'd just as soon forget, yet in the hands of a Master, our mess can become the greatest miracle of all. He has a way of chopping, dicing, and reconfiguring the parts that we thought were of no use. He's got a knack for pouring on His Spirit and sprinkling on a bit of grace and mercy. Then, voila! Fresh out of the oven of a trial or two, there's something delicious from your life that you never thought possible."
Encouraging, isn't it?!
Decorating for Thanksgiving
Now is the time to buy fall decorations at Walmart or Hobby Lobby. Everything is on sale or on clearance and you can get some great deals. I used some things I already had to decorate the front porch - fake mini pumpkins and gourds I bought on sale two years ago, a silk fall leaf "bush" that I had taken apart, several sprigs of fake berries, a large glass vase, a brown candle in a clear votive holder, leftover transparent gold Christmas ribbon and a bag of hazelnuts. I hit the clearance aisle at Walmart this year and found the rug ($12) and two fall wreaths ($5 each). I paid $8 for the two pumpkins. I plan on checking out large fake pumpkins at Hobby Lobby to see if I can get them on clearance so I won't have to buy pumpkins each year. Maybe I will spray them with a little bit of metallic paint to give them some character...
I also have a metal basket that hangs on the wall to the left of the door. Most of the year it has plants or flowers in it and occasionally a robin's nest complete with eggs, but during the holiday season it gets decorated.
I put the wreaths on two plant stands that I already had and then put the pumpkin in the middle. Easy as pie! You could put a pot of mums inside each wreath instead of the pumpkins. They are inexpensive this time of year and can usually be found at Walmart or home improvement stores. I always forget to water them so I went with pumpkins this year.
For nighttime ambiance, I put a candle in a clear votive holder into a large clear glass vase (I'll have to find out if there is a way to make this vase amber...that would be lovely) and poured in a bag of hazelnuts, tying the ribbon around the neck of the vase. So pretty at night!
You can have more elaborate decorations like my friend, Pam, has at Jitters (listed under followers). Check out her pictures! She has some great ideas for stacking pumpkins in urns.
Today's Recipe - Red Beans and Rice
Our family was first introduced to this simple tasty dish when our oldest daughter went to seminary in New Orleans. You can use leftover rice or leftover beans to make this recipe for something delicious for dinner.
2 - 25 oz cans organic red kidney beans
2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Tony's Creole Seasoning
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
hot cooked rice
Put beans, water, chicken broth, garlic and bay leaves in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; then simmer for 20 - 30 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the rice, cover and simmer for 1 hour until thickened. Remove the bay leaves. Serve over hot rice. It is something delicious!
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