Prayer Request: Schuhmacher Family

You know how sometimes you need to see the grace with which someone else handles their challenges to give you perspective on your own?  Well.  Meri Schuhmacher has always done that for me.  I don't know Meri, but I have been a faithful reader of her blog, Our Diabetic Life, for quite some time now.  If you're not familiar with her, she is the mother of four boys, three of whom have Type 1 Diabetes.  She can guesstimate carb counts by phone, mentally keep track of the basals of all three boys, and more... your basic Superwoman D-mom.  

Right now, this Supermom's family needs our prayers. Meri's husband Ryan recently received a diagnosis of brain cancer.  He has numerous brain tumors and it's a grave situation.  

The DOC  (*Diabetic Online Community) is wrapping it's arms around the Schuhmacher family. You can follow the Schuhmacher Family's Miracle on Facebook.  You can donate money to help with their medical bills.  And most importantly, you can lift this family up in prayer.  They are a family of strong faith, and Meri has written that they are already feeling a sense of calm and choosing to focus on hope. 

I am cross posting this post on both of my blogs because I want to spread the word and prayerfully support the Schuhmachers as much as possible. 

 

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Soupapalooza: My Potato Soup

I love soup.  In fact, I could probably eat some kind of soup every single day, but sadly, the rest of my family would not go for that.  

Potato soup is one of my very favorites. I like to make a big pot on the weekend and eat it for lunch all week. This is my very own recipe, put together after much trial and error. I've also published it on Food.com, so it's possible that you may have seen it there... it's gotten rave reviews!

Amy's Potato Soup:

5-6 large potatoes, cubed
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons margarine
3 chicken bouillon cubes (I prefer bouillon paste when I have it, about 2-3 TBSP)
3 tablespoons parsley
2 tablespoons cilantro
3 cups water

Place all of the above ingredients into the crockpot, cook on low all day.

OR: chop potatoes, boil on stove top with water & chicken bouillon until tender, then simmer with the rest of the ingredients for 10-15 minutes. 

About an hour before serving time, add in :
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1/4 cup flour

OR: as I more often do, add in about a cup of skim milk and a sprinkle of instant potato flakes.

Garnish with:
shredded sharp cheddar cheese 

or French-fried onions 

or croutons

or all three :)

Enjoy!

Since I've already told you that I've published this recipe before, you might be wondering why I chose to post it again today.  It's for SoupaPalooza - a place to share our favorite soup recipes and have a chance to win some awesome prizes, like this Kitchenaid 7 Qt. Stand Mixer, valued at $650!  

Come join SoupaPalooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by KitchenAid, Red Star Yeast and Le Creuset.  You can enter through Monday! 

 

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links- see my policy here.

Recent Reads: Sinner

Sinner- The Catholic Guy's Funny, Feeble Attempts to Be a Faithful Catholic

Lino Rulli (aka The Catholic Guy) shares his life stories as a guy who is trying his best to follow the church... but sometimes life gets in his way. He's not a straight-laced, by-the-book kind of Catholic, but more of what he perceives as an average guy, just trying to do his best.   

I found his stories to be cute... the kind of thing I'd hear from a friend about their own life.  The book didn't hold my attention, though- I'd read a chapter or two, switch off and read another entire book, and then pick this up again for a bit.

According to his bio, Rulli hosts The Catholic Guy, a three-hour show heard daily on SiriusXM Radio.  I don't subscribe to that radio service, myself, but if I did, I have a feeling I'd enjoy his show. 

Disclaimer: This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Sinner.

 

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links- see my policy here.

Menu Plan, week of 2/27

My buttons still aren't working, but the correct links are at the bottom of this post.  

I'm going for "quick and easy" family favorites this week... it's another busy one!  I also just got a huge bag of potatoes, so they're on the menu nearly every night. 

• MONDAY:  "Make Your Own Sub Night"  and baked potato wedges 
• Subs: we'll be using a loaf of French Bread I found on clearance and various toppings-- ham, salami, pepperoni, lettuce, tomatoes, Italian dressing, pizza sauce, etc. 
• Potato Wedges: I drizzle on a bit of oil and ranch dressing mix before baking.
• TUESDAY: Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing Dinner (includes green beans)
• WEDNESDAY:  broiled pork chops, steamed mixed vegetables
• THURSDAY:  Crockpot Italian Roast, mini corn on the cob
• FRIDAY: chili for DH & DS , my Potato Soup recipe for DD & I   
• This was also on the menu for last week, but I ran out of potatoes!  Instead we had super-easy Bean Burritos: I take a can of Fat-Free Refried Beans and heat those in a saucepan with about 3/4 cup salsa, then spread on warmed tortillas, top with cheese, and roll up.  This also works well to make "loaded nachos" with cheese, sour cream, olives, etc.  These Bean Burritos are usually just a quick lunch for us, but they worked fine for supper along with chips/salsa and tossed salad.
• SATURDAY: homemade pizza using this recipe for Pizza Hut Style Dough in the Bread Maker

Share your menu and get ideas from others at Menu Plan Monday and Lenten Meal Link-Up.

 

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Ash Wednesday & Lent 2012

Lent is one of those seasons that seems to slip by me many years.  I have great intentions of doing something "big", something to take me out of the ordinary, but then life gets in the way and I lose focus.

This year, I'm already in the midst of a "Bible in 90 Days" reading challenge.  I think Lent is the perfect time to focus on this.  I'm behind on my reading schedule, mostly due to my recent surgery-- it turns out that trying to focus on 12 pages of Bible reading per day is pretty hard when you're medicated!  Anyways, my Lenten challenge to myself is to get caught up on my reading and finish on time with my group.  

This will mean giving up more computer time than I already have, and I'm glad... the computer is SUCH a temptation and time waster for me!  I can't completely break away from the computer, as my calendar and menu planning resources are online, but I can definitely make a conscious choice to limit my online "play" time.

I'm also trying some things with the kids.  For one, I printed out these fun Lenten Calendar for Kids from Catholic Icing.  The kids are excited about coloring them each day. We've also signed up for the FREE Lenten Adventure emails, which will deliver daily puzzles, videos, games, etc. for the kids.  (I am in no way affiliated with this program but I've heard that it's good, so I'm trying it!) 

I love the idea of  Three Sided Wheel's  Bean Jar, where one family adds beans to the jar each time a child does some small sacrifice.  On Easter, the beans are switched out for jelly beans, to signify the sweet reward that we will one day receive.  Isn't that beautiful?  I'm not sure my family will do that this year, but I'm filing the idea away for another time. 

What about you?   Are you doing anything different to observe Lent this year?

..................................... This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links. You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions & do not accept review items that ask for only positive reviews.