Sunday, April 01, 2018

Custom Cookbook and Green Bean Casserole

After Jill and I married in 1987, my mom made us a custom cookbook of my favorite recipes. She typed most if not all of them. Those pages are yellowing now. Over the years, Jill has added some in her own handwriting.

I've been trying to cook more lately and realized that I've forgotten about this cookbook, locating recipes online and saving them in my private storage. Preparing to cook Easter dinner tomorrow, I located this recipe for green bean casserole. It's one of Jill's all-time favorites. So I'm going to give it a go.

And I had the idea of saving these recipes here on the blog so anyone or everyone could enjoy them, especially those who would appreciate seeing my mom's handiwork.



Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:
2 cans green beans
1 stick margarine
2 onions, chopped
1/3 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 tube Ritz crackers
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Instructions:
Saute onion in margarine until tender. Drain. Save margarin. Cook beans until water is almost gone. Crumble crackers and mix in reserved margarine. (Save a few to sprinkle on top of casserole.) Mix onions, beans, soup, crackers and part of the cheese. Put in a casserole dish and top with remainder of cheese and crackers. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

Credit:
"What's Cooking at Cook" Cookbook, Ruston, La.
My aunt Joanne Taylor must have shared the recipe with my mom. She was a member of Cook Baptist Church


UPDATE:
We prepared this for Easter 2018 and it was delicious. We probably cooked the onions just a little too long and they didn't give off much margarine when we drained them. It left the dish oily. But it tasted oh so good.

Saturday, March 31, 2018

How we do Easter

We've been making Easter eggs. They'll decorate them all, then boil more eggs. Lather, rinse, repeat.


The Easter Bunny Tracker has been the focal point for this bunch. They are so excited.

We did pause for a talk about the real meaning of Easter, which is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

What does the Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs have to do with the Resurrection? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I am fully aware that some Christians don't celebrate Easter. And I am fully aware that kids get way more excited about candy, gifts and hunting for eggs than they do about the resurrection or about Christ himself. The same is true of adults sometimes.

You can google the origination of the bunny, the eggs and all that. It matters more to me what we do with the holiday today in our own lives than how it began or what it meant or means to others. We do the bunny and the eggs. We also do Jesus and the Cross, the Burial and the Resurrection.

That's just how we do it.

Not looking for anyone's approval, agreement or anything like that. You're free to celebrate in your own way. You're free to not celebrate at all.

Not celebrating at all. What does that look like?

Unless your kids live in a closed culture, they may resent being forced to abstain from the fun they see others enjoying. But that's hard to define, isn't it? What's harmless and healthy fun versus what's harmful and unhealthy. We could even use the S word here - sin. We don't justify sin by the fact that others are doing it.

Just be careful where you draw the line.

Happy Easter.

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Matthew 28:6 NIV

Sunday, June 04, 2017

#12 Smiling and Dialing


Episode # 12, “Smiling and Dialing”

 

 

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Wednesday, May 03, 2017

Wednesday, March 08, 2017

#9 Pure and Ordinary


Episode # 9, “Pure and Ordinary”

 



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Wednesday, March 01, 2017

#8 I'd Live with You in a Box


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  • Conversation with Daniel Sandlin
  • Mustard Seed Landscaping and Lawncare
  • Facebook Page
  • Phone (865) 850-3940
  • Landscaping, mowing, leaf removal, mulch, retaining walls, pressure washing, planting, and more.

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Wednesday, February 22, 2017

#7 All of the Above


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Tuesday, February 14, 2017

#6 Break the Silence


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  • A Lot Like Fishing
  • Break the Silence
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Friday, January 20, 2017

Dadofmykids Podcast #4 - Boycot-Not

On this episode:
  • “3 of 7” (The Star Trek Voyager character is “7 of 9”, Dummy!)
  • NFL: to watch or not to watch.
  • Phil. 4:8 “Think on these things”

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Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Dadofmykids Podcast Episode #3 - "What do you want me to do about it?"

On this episode:
  • From the Beehive: How I became bee-less this year.
  • On Social Media: Facebook: the difference between hacked and duped.
  • Business (networking, management, etc.): Seven ways to say yes to customers. “What do you want me to do about it?”

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Tuesday, January 03, 2017

Dadofmykids Podcast - Gay Men at a Lesbian Bar behind Chick-fil-A

Gay Men at a Lesbian Bar behind Chick-fil-A

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Monday, September 05, 2016

Rocket slide reunion

Labor Day + Family Reunion + Cookout + Rocket Slide = Great Memories

Labor Day 2016 we met at the famous Rocket Slide at Burns Park, North Little Rock, Arkansas. The Rocket Slide was a childhood favorite attraction of mine. I had at least a couple birthday parties there.

It's not the same now. My Rocket Slide was all metal - no plastic for us first generations. I read an article where the second generation space ship burned. Someone told me they remember it contained both wood and plastic.

Today's space shuttle is third generation I suppose. It's a fun design with a couple fast slides. I'm glad they didn't slow it down.

Enjoy these photos from our day. Maybe later I will add some details about the people in them.

Woo Pig Sooie!

KK and me with the 3rd Generation Rocket Slide in the background.
Drake and me.
Levi
KK
James, my great-nephew.
Colten



Camp Robinson is nearby. I reckon that's why the tank.
"Look like soldiers!"
Levi in front. Jojo in the wagon. Tiffany holding Amaya, in green. Mindy with Abigail in pink. Jackson in white toddling toward Amber. Pilar and Ashley in the background.

My mom.
O'Neal
My cousin, Barry and me.
My brother, Mark.

My nephew, Robert.

My nephew, Jack.
Asher
"How do you get inside this thing?"
Levi chose the safe zone.

Wednesday, April 06, 2016

Something happened to me at choir practice tonight.


The creation story doesn't mention music, but God created it. Music is like the wind. It is invisible yet real. You can feel it but you can't touch it or hold it. It can be gentle and it can be powerful.

Tonight I find myself having been moved by music. A song, inspired. It Is Well is an old hymn. You have most likely heard it. I grew up singing it with my fellow Baptists. I didn't really like it. The song lacks the tempo and syncopation that I normally require - something that makes me tap my foot - something with a groove.

Then, when our baby Georgia died, our dear friends sang It Is Well at her memorial service. They did a beautiful job with the song, but the sorrowful occasion turned me even more against the song. From that day till this one I have not been able to listen to the song or sing it with any amount of joy or comfort.

Hear me when I say, the song brought me no comfort. None. In fact, it often made me either sad or angry. I really could not agree with the premise that it was indeed well. I understand the man who wrote the words had endured much greater loss than I. That didn't matter to me.

Until tonight.

FBC: It Is Well With My Soul - Concord Worship from First Baptist Concord on Vimeo.

As a new member of the choir at First Baptist Concord, I was not aware that this song was in their repertoire. Then we practiced the song. Thankfully, it was arranged by Tim Paul. Classically arranged under the influence of the Holy Spirit. While we were rehearsing the song, my dread began to turn. It was simply beautiful.

And the memories of our sweet Georgia Rose swept my mind. I saw her once again lying on the kitchen table, lifeless as I pushed air into her lungs with little puffs. Again, I regretted obeying the police officer who told me to stand back. I had touched her for the last time and didn't realize it. I wish I would have told him where to go, and picked her up to hold her one last time.

But the beauty of this song and the Holy Spirit who inspired it washed away those horrible things while I sang.

It is well. It is well with my soul.

I still feel the grief, but I have been touch by the Holy Spirit of God. He has given me a measure of healing, whether great or small I cannot tell. I am ready to sing this song. Thank you LORD for music. 

God bless you,
Dadofmykids

Sunday, December 06, 2015

Photo Album v1

I've been cleaning and reorganizing the basement lately. I decided to go through some of the thousands of photos we have down there, and put a few of them on my blog for preservation. Enjoy.
I love this photo with all the personalities and Tilley's bare feet. I think this was in Alabama or Florida in 2002. Left to right, Sean, Tilley, Tucker, Asher and Riley.
When we go to the beach, Tucker totes around a bucket and fills it with critters. That's Tucker with the bucket and Tilley sitting nearby.
Aunt Debbie with Riley and Tilley, 1997.


Brittany and Riley at Johnny and Debbie's house. Tucker in the background.
Baby Tilley in a toy stroller. I think the stroller was for Brittany or Fallon's baby doll.
Sean, 1997 in front of our garage on Silo Dr.
Tilley, Laken and Asher, at Silo Drive. Notice the handle-less mug.
Tucker, 1997 I think.
Left to right, Tilley, Riley, Tucker, Sean, Daniel and Asher at Lenoir City Park.
Tilley, Sean, Riley, Asher, Daniel and Tucker at Lenoir City Park. I think this is one of the photos I used in Jilly's Mother's Day gift that year. I took a lot of photos that day and framed some of them as her gift.


My handsome brother Mark with Jack, Daniel, Mindy and Sean. Jack is son of my brother Scott. Mindy is Mark's daughter.
This is Sean at Mamaw Mason's, before we adopted him. Isn't he cute? I don't know who the little girl is.
Fallon and Tilley.
Miss Tilley has always had an attitude. I blame it on her mother. Riley in the background overlooking our pool on Silo Drive. I built the deck around that pool out of recycled lumber. It took about a year, but it was huge.
Asher helping on the piano on Silo Drive.
What a performance!
Riley, we used to call him Smiley Riley.
Tucker and Asher on the back porch at Silo Drive.
Tilley. I think this is Rock Springs Park in Lenoir City. Notice the dirty knees and feet.
Riley and Tilley. Again, I think this is at Rock Springs Park
Tucker and Riley. Same location.
Tucker, piloting the pontoon boat with me as the co-pilot. This is on Fort Loudon Lake near Lauderdale Cove.
Riley's turn. It sometimes took us forever to go through all the turns. Still does.
I would buy five boats for this beauty. It must have been early in the season with all the coats.
Tucker and Tilley, dyeing Easter eggs. This must be Tucker's Hulk impersonation.
Tilley at the NASA museum in Pensacola FL.
Tucker. Calm down.
Riley tries to comfort Tilley on her birthday. I don't remember why she was upset. 2001
Tilley doesn't seem too happy about this dress. It's a pretty dress.
But she is very happy about these pig tails. In our camper.
Riley and Tucker are still inseperable. They even work at the same place.
Tilley really likes the beach.
Tucker, clowning around in the camper tub. We used to camp on the weekends. Saturday nights, we bathed everybody in preparation for church on Sunday.
Mawmaw Hardy (my mom), me and Asher in our camper about 2002-2003. I think we were camping in Shelby Forest near Memphis. We dragged that camper all over the place, from Tennessee to Texas to Ohio to South Carolina.
Riley and Asher enjoy some popcorn on Silo Drive.
Papaw Tilley helps Asher with his Christmas present.
The Scott Brasfield Family, maybe around 2002. Sandra and Scott on the back row. Jason, Jack and Tiffany on front row.
Smiley Riley
Asher in The Chair.
I hope you enjoy these photos. Maybe I will post some more in time.

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