Friday dinners during Lent

Beginning March 9, Ash Wednesday, we started the season of Lent. It's a time of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us for Christ's Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which we attain redemption. (www.catholic.org)

Traditionally during Lent we abstain from meat on Fridays. This can be challenging when it comes to preparing meals, especially when you have meat lovers in the house!

Michael thinks if there is no meat, he will starve. I think he might have been a caveman in a previous life!

I decided to try and make something filling that everyone would enjoy, without meat.

Brianna likes pasta and spinach and Michael likes garlic bread. When I prepared this dish Michael said it was good and he would eat it. But I think he's glad it's only one day without meat!

It's a great way to sneak in veggies for those picky eaters and it's fairly inexpensive to make.

Creamy Bowtie Pasta with Spinach

1 box bowtie pasta
1 small box frozen spinach, thawed
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 jar alfredo sauce
2 tbls. parsley
dash pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Add thawed spinach to pasta water. Turn off heat. Let stand 2-3 minutes. (This gets the spinach hot without cooking out all the nutrients.) Drain pasta and spinach in colander and place in large bowl. Add diced tomatoes, alfredo sauce, parsley and pepper. Stir to combine. Serve with garlic bread.

Easy Chicken Quesadillas

When you work all day and you come home tired and hungry, the last thing you want to do is stand in front of a stove. And if you're like me, you really can't afford to go out and eat.

I have learned to cut a few corners and still make pretty good food. These quesadillas are super easy and taste great.

Some of you have asked for the recipe, so here it is:

Easy Chicken Quesadillas

1 can black beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
1 large can chunk chicken breast, drained
1 package taco seasoning
1 package shredded taco blend cheese
flour tortillas
oil for frying

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
Heat about 1 tbl. oil in skillet over medium heat. Place flour tortilla in skillet. Spoon mixture over half of the tortilla. Immediately fold other half over. Cook about 1-2 minutes. Flip quesadilla over and cook 1-2 more minutes.

That's it. You can serve it with a dollop of sour cream and chopped green onion if you want.

This can also be made with cooked ground beef.

This makes a lot! If you have a big family, great! If not, you can eat leftovers the next night, or take the mixture and add chicken broth in a large stockpot (enough to cover) and make taco soup.

Enjoy!

My Irish Connection

An Irish Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

 Today is St. Patrick's Day. The day that everyone is Irish for the day.

Almost everyone I meet has a little Irish in them. My Irish roots run deep. I am very proud of my Irish heritage. Here is a brief history of my Irish family:

Somewhere around 1865-1868 my grandparents emigrated from County Limerick, Ireland. They were married right here in Meridian in 1868. The 1870 census listed my great-grandfather as an engineer with the railroad and my great-grandmother as a milliner. They had one son at the time, Frankie, who later died. By the 1880 census, they had five more children, four girls and one boy, and my great-grandfather was listed as deceased. He died in January of 1880 and is buried in St. Patrick Cemetery. My grandfather was only 6 months old.

The story goes that soon after that my great-grandmother passed away. Most of the girls were away at school. I believe two of them became nuns and one married. I'm not sure about the fourth. My grandfather, James T. Crowe, was raised by Father Louis Valley, the priest at St. Patrick Catholic Church. He was going to become a priest until he met my grandmother, Serena Rose. They married, had six children and he passed away in 1925 due to injuries sustained in a car accident. My dad was only 10.

Below is a picture of some of the family, circa 1913. John Seaborn Rose, Walter Rose, Serena Rose Crowe, James T Crowe Sr, unknown girl, James T Crowe Jr., Martina Crowe, puppy

My dad, John B. Crowe, passed away in April of 1992. Seeing some of the pictures when he was young, he looked like what you would expect an Irishman to look like — red hair and freckles. My mom told me once he grew a beard for the centennial of Meridian and it was three different colors — red, black and gray!

I did get a little of that Irishness. I have freckles and when the sunlight hits my hair it has a red tint.

One day I plan to take a trip to Ireland. I don't know when I will get the chance, but it is definitely on my bucket list.

I've also been reading one of my favorite books, Angela's Ashes. It's about a poor Irish family that grew up in County Limerick, Ireland. It's by Frank McCourt and I highly recommend it.

So here's to all things Irish. Don't forget to wear something green today or you might get pinched!

Erin go bragh! Ireland Forever!

Great shrimp!

After years of trying to find the perfect recipe for fried shrimp I think I may have finally found it.

You would think a fried shrimp recipe would be easy. Not for me. Every one I tried was either too doughy, too crispy, too spicy. You get the idea.

I experimented with a lot of different mixes — pre-made and on my own. The recipe that follows is the best so far.

The coating isn't too thick or too crispy. And it's just the right amount of seasoning.

The onion ring batter is something I just tried today. It turned out pretty good, but these are still a work in progress. Try them both and let me know what you think.

This goes great with a side of coleslaw or green salad.

Helen's Fried Shrimp

1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1-2 lbs. raw, peeled and deviened shrimp
oil for frying

Combine egg and milk and mix well. Add shrimp and let sit for 10 minutes.
Combine dry ingredients. Heat oil in large fry pot.
Dredge shrimp in dry mix. Shake off excess coating and drop into hot oil. Fry until golden brown (approximately 3-5 minutes)

Beer-battered Onion Rings

1/4 cup flour
1 onion, sliced into rings
1 cup flour
2 tbl. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 beer (I used Miller Lite)

Place sliced onion rings in 1/4 cup flour to coat

In a separate bowl combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt and pepper. Add enough beer to make a thin batter (not too thin). Dip onion rings in batter and shake off excess. Fry in hot oil about 5-7 minutes or until golden.

Enjoy!

It takes a village ...

    We have all heard the phrase "It takes a village to raise a child."
    How true this is, especially when it comes to their education.
    When it comes to the children in Meridian and Lauderdale County we are all responsible for their education. If there is something wrong in our schools, we should all be raising our voices. And it seems to me there is definitely something wrong.
    According to the Mississippi Department of Education website, out of the 10 schools in Meridian, all but two were on academic watch or at risk of failing in 2010. To me this is unacceptable.
    Recently in a story about state testing at Meridian High School, it was stated that intervention specialists had been working with students and that five after-school teachers had been hired to tutor students in the four core areas that are on the tests. In order to graduate, students must pass all required Subject Area Tests in U.S. History from 1877, English II, Biology I and Algebra I.
    I don't understand why they need all this "extra help" just to pass this test. Is it too much to think these students — the future leaders of this community — should be smart enough to pass?
    I had to ask myself: Is it the teachers? Are they not doing their jobs adequately?
    Is it the students? Don't they care about their future?
    Or is it the parents? Are they doing everything possible to help their children be the best they can be?
    I don't think it's just one of the above, but all three.
    Teachers can't teach a child who doesn't want to learn. I'm sure it's very frustrating for teachers when students act like they don't care. I know all students are not like that, but the few that are can make it difficult for everyone.
    Parents need to be parents — not friends — to their children. They need to enforce rules. They need to not give up and say "I can't do anything with them." They need to spend time with them and give them the tools to want to learn.
    When my oldest daughter was little I tried to read to her every night. She is 23 now and still has a love for books. With my youngest, we make learning games out of everything. We count the peas on her plate and I ask her things like "What letter does milk start with?" I am not the perfect parent. I have made my share of mistakes, but I think I have learned from those mistakes.
    Children learn from example. If the parents or teachers act as if they don't care about anything, then why should the child. It is up to us, the adults, to be good role models for our children.
    Parents should be involved with the school and their children's activities. They should get to know the teachers. Teachers should love to teach. It should not be just a job. And they should make every effort to get to know the parents. It may take a little extra time out of our busy lives, but isn't our children's future worth it?
    Teachers only have our kids for about 7 hours a day. It is the parents responsibility to make sure the children spend the other 17 hours in a positive and productive way. It takes teachers and parents working together to raise a smart, well-rounded child and prepare them for the future.

GERMS! They're everywhere!

For the past two days I have been cleaning, cleaning, cleaning! Why? Germs!

I have become a germophobe.

Last week I went to the doctor and he said I had pneumonia. Yesterday I took Brianna to the doctor and he said she had pneumonia. Michael has it as well.

I feel like I need to be in a plastic bubble to keep away from all the germs.

I wash my hands 20 times a day. I use hand sanitizer. I wipe everything down. Yet everyone in my house gets sick. What gives?

I don't like being sick. And I really don't like one of my kids being sick.

Not only have I spent money on doctors and medicines, but I have spent WAY too much on cleaning supplies.

I guess there is no way of avoiding all the germs and living in a plastic bubble is not possible. So what to do?

Get some Clorox wipes. They are easy to use and it only takes a few minutes to walk through the house. Make sure to wipe down phones, door knobs, light switches, commodes and sinks and anything else you touch frequently.

For the sofa and other things that won't fit in the washing machine: Lysol spray. I get the unscented because I am very sensitive to certain odors.

And if you still get sick like my family did, make a big pot of chicken noodle soup. It's a cure-all for just about anything.

Keeping it sweet and simple. (And germ-free!)

The power of prayer

It seems I have been going through a rough patch the last few weeks. But what keeps me going is my faith of God and knowing He is there for me and will give me what I need.

The power of prayer is truly an amazing thing.  "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." — Matthew 7:7

Now, does this mean if I ask God for a million dollars I will receive? Not likely!

Prayer keeps me focused on the positive things and not to dwell on the things that hurt or make me angry.

When I pray I ask God to forgive me, to have mercy on me and to give me the strength to get through the day. He has always answered my prayers.

You see, it's not that God doesn't answer our prayers, it's what we ask for.

When my mother died, I didn't ask God to spare her. I knew if it was her time, no amount of prayer was going to change that. I did pray that her death was easy and quick. I didn't want her to suffer.

 I can't imagine what her quality of life would be now if she had survived.

So, yes, God answered my prayers.

It still hurt deeply when she died and I miss her very much and if it wasn't for my faith in God I probably would have lost my mind. Every day I asked God to be with me and help through that day. And every day became a little easier.

God does answer our prayers. Sometimes it may not be what we want or expect, but it is what God wants for us. And if we believe and trust in God then what He gives us will always be exactly what we need.