Revisiting Good Enough today. I knew when the words formed in my mind and the words tumbled out of my mouth, I have said this before - many times. Something drew me back to this idea of good enough the last couple of weeks. It was probably the fact that I was tired of fighting the mental battle of constantly striving for an unreachable goal. It’s not that the goal is entirely unreasonable, it’s that the goal isn’t practical for my current season in life. It’s not even about p

Two things happen on my best days - I get out of bed at the butt-crack of dawn, and I spend an hour to an hour and a half reading the tall stacks of books that I have come to love. They are filled with good reminders how to go about my day and keep my sanity intact and be a decent human being for the most part. I read lots of blogs these days - so glad to see they are making a come back. Who needs social media and all the drama and yucky feelings it brings on? Not me, and pro

Dad's favorite cookie! And as usual, Rachel is the best cookie-maker ever :-) 2 cups quick rolled oats 1 cup light brown sugar 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 egg whites 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix oats, sugar and oil in large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl beat egg whites until frothy, and add to oat mixture. Stir in salt, almond extract, and walnuts. Use teaspoon size scoop to drop on cookie sheet prepared

I have practiced the discipline of daily readings for about nine years. What I include in the readings is varied, and changes sometimes according to a season I might be experiencing. No matter what the season, gleaning encouragement and wisdom from powerful, edifying words has saved my life, literally. Whether it be the bible, daily recovery readings, devotions- both secular and faith based, etc., words hold immense power. They are my first and most frequently used tool to ma

My-oh-my-oh-my! I can't even. I found a new foodie blog and this recipe. You'll have to go check it out yourself to get the recipe. But here's a photo of how mine turned out. I'm taking them to my bestie's home tomorrow for a long overdue visit. The daughter who claims not to like pumpkin just asked if she could eat the rest LOL. Um, no. But there are some hidden, because I know my family :-)

This is the chili that my kids and their friends claim could win the local chili cook-off.  I’m not so sure about that, but I haven’t found another that I prefer over my own - yet. But I don’t think using a store bought seasoning packet qualifies me for an original chili recipe. LOL The key is the Carroll Shelby’s Chili Kit. It used to be sold in a little brown paper bag. A couple years ago, they changed it to a box. I don’t even use everything in the kit. I use only the seas

Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef (or whatever ground meat you prefer) 1/2 cup onion, diced fine Taco seasoning packet 1 can diced green chilies 2 cans (or 1 if large) red enchilada sauce 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1 can refried beans Optional for topping Sour cream Scallions (green onions) chopped Black olives, sliced Pico de Gallo (see my homemade recipe if you like) Brown ground meat and onion until cooked well and onions are transparent; drain. Add enough of the enchilada

Sorry if I offend those who are very health oriented, but the truth is that my daughter changed my life when she served me the best darned chicken I'd had in a very long time. You see, I had developed the habit of using strictly boneless, skinless chicken breasts for every chicken dish I prepared. But I was rummaging in my deep freeze one day and aggravated my back to the point that I was laid up for a little while healing. The whole family immediately arrived to take care of

Marinade: 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1/3 cup water 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil 1 large clove garlic, pressed 3 teaspoons vinegar 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper dash onion powder Meat and  Vegetables for filling those fajitas: 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves OR 1 pound sirloin or flank steak OR a combination of both chicken and beef 1 spanish onion,

A favorite we were introduced to while we lived in Puerto Rico! Ingredients: 1 1/2 to 2 lbs Beef tenderloin or sirloin, partially frozen and sliced thinly across the grain 2 or 3 Scallions, minced 2 tablespoons Sugar 2-3 cloves Garlic, minced 1 tablespoon Sesame seeds 1 teaspoon Pepper 1/2 cup Soy sauce 1 tablespoon Sesame oil 1 head Lettuce, separated into whole leaves 4 cups Hot cooked sticky rice Directions: Toss all the ingredients except for the lettuce and rice together

Sorry if I offend those who are very health oriented, but the truth is that my daughter changed my life when she served me the best darned chicken I'd had in a very long time. You see, I had developed the habit of using strictly boneless, skinless chicken breasts for every chicken dish I prepared. But I was rummaging in my deep freeze one day and aggravated my back to the point that I was laid up for a little while healing. The whole family immediately arrived to take care of

I took the risk, finally. And you know what? It didn't kill me! It didn't even hurt. It actually felt really good. It still feels really good! I started just putting it out there, my words in the form of a blog. Yeah, I've been blogging for years, but I have very seldom shared a post on social media to link back to it. I'll be the first to say they are not grand words, nothing profound and not even eloquent. It's a start. The title of the blog really does say it all, my goal