Who's a "Meat and Potato" kind of person

I said it before...but its so true so I'm gonna say it again...

I LOVE COMFORT FOOD!!!  

Really I do!! 

I love eating the foods I grew up with, even the most basic dishes, you know like Meat Loaf!!  

So the other night when I was flipping through my old recipes, 

(the ones my mom gave me before I got married with all the family favorites), 

I saw this recipe and decided this was WHAT WAS GONNA BE FOR DINNER!!  

An old family favorite....Simple MEAT AND POTATO PIE

Meat and Potato Pie 

Ingredients

2 pie crust (store kind works great) 

1 pound ground beef or ground turkey (I use turkey) 

1/2 cup milk 

1/2 envelope dry onion soup mix 

Dash pepper

Dash allspice 

1- 12oz package lose-pack frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed

Prepare pie crust.  Line 9 in pie plate with pastry.  Combine meat, milk, soup mix, pepper and allspice, mix gently.  Lightly pat into pie plate.  Top with potatoes.  Adjust top crust, seal and flute edge.  Cut design in top pastry.  Bake at 350' about one hour or till browned.  Serve with warm with catsup.  Makes 6 to 8 servings. 

Prepare pie crust.  Line 9 in pie plate with pastry

Combine meat, soup mix, milk, pepper and allspice, mix gently

Lightly pat into pie plate 

Top with potatoes

Add a little pepper on top of potatoes 

Adjust top crust, seal and flute edge

Bake at 350' about an hour or till browned.  

Serve warm  

If choosing to freeze, allow to cool and then seal 

Cut and serve 

With or without catsup 

Growing up this was one of our family favorite!  There was NEVER leftovers when we had this!!  

Simple and GOOD...what more could you ask for!! 

Enjoy!!  

Washington and Overnight Pumpkin French Toast...

Yes I'm at it again...another PUMPKIN RECIPE...

Keep reading...its at the end of my blog! 

Also, I know the pictures that I'm posting today aren't too great from my trip...all of these pics were taken with my phone...my camera is upstairs and right now I'm sitting with my laptop typing away listening to the rain outside and I'll be honest...I'm just too too lazy to go upstairs and get the camera with all my pics.  I'll post better pictures, maybe later!  LOL 

 Its just one of those lazy kind of days out right bow.  

At the beginning of February I went to Gig Harbor, Washington to visit my brother, Dan and nephew, Caleb.  

I have to tell you I was really nervous about going...why you ask...

Cuz everyone had me believe I was going to FREEZE!!!  

Anyone who knows me knows I don't do COLD...ANY WAY...SHAPE...OR FORM!!!  

So I had to prepare...So because of this I OVER PACKED!!!  

2 coats, 3 sweaters (ok maybe 4 or more), 4 pairs of shoes (need different shoes for different activities in the cold), and of course lots and lots of long sleeve shirts and sweaters! 

 I DID NOT WANT TO BE COLD AT ALL!!!!

Well, was I in for a surprise...it wasn't too bad at all!!  Now it rained everyday I was there...lots and lots of rain, more than Washington normally gets and you know I was OK with that.  I really do LOVE the rain!!  It didn't get any colder than in Phoenix when it gets really cold!  It was in the 50's and 60's the whole time!  Kinda perfect weather if you ask me!!  

I had a GREAT TIME!!

Dan showed me Seattle...

I've never been to Washington before and it was beautiful!!

Dan lives in Gig Harbor which is about 30 minutes from Seattle.  It was like a combination of green mountains, lots of pine trees and grass and the ocean and the city all rolled into one place!!  

Our first stop was of course the Space Needle.  I don't think you can visit Seattle without making a trip to the Space Needle!  It was pretty neat but it was crazy windy and rainy at the top!  

Our next stop that day was to the EMP Museum, which was really cool.  Lots of music and movie memorabilia but what was really cool about the Museum was the special STAR WARS costume exhibit they had...I think Dan and I were totally geeking about about this!!! I'm pretty sure Caleb thought we had lost our minds!!  Now seeing the costumes from the PRINCESS BRIDE came in a close second on the coolness scale!!!  

 The next day we took a Ferry ride...My first ferry ride and it was pretty cool. Theres lots of islands all round the Seattle area and it was pretty nice going by each one.  

 I think by far the coolest place we went was to the Underground Seattle...the stories and history that was shared was so amazing!!!  What a crazy history Seattle has!!! I could do this trip again!!

While there we went to Pike Place Market...Oh the food and the shopping...its a good thing we didn't stay too long there, I could of done so much damage to my check book!!  As it was I had a hard time getting everything I bought home in my bags!!  

Dan also took me to my very first Cirque de Soleil show and can I just say...I AM A FAN!!!  The show, the music, the costumes...way way amazing!!!  

Over all I had a terrific trip to see my brother and I really can't wait to go back and see them and more of their town!!  

Thanks for a great time Dan and Caleb!!!  

Now I'm sure your wondering how my trip to Washington to see Dan has to do with PUMPKIN FRENCH TOAST...well now I'm gonna tell you!   Over the years my brother has become quite the cook!  In fact for Christmas my mom got him a subscription to a cooking magazine "Taste of Home."  Love this magazine a tone.  I've been getting it for years!!  

So of course while I was there we had to make some of the recipes and this one was so good I had to remake it when I got home for the family!!

 HELLO IT'S PUMPKIN!!!   

OVERNIGHT PUMPKIN FRENCH TOAST

from Taste of Home

~1 loaf (1 lb) cinnamon-raisn bread  (I've also used cinnamon swirl)

~1 pkg (8 oz) reduced fat cream cheese, cut into small cubes 

~8 eggs

1 can (12oz) evaporated milk 

~1 cup pumpkin  (I use fresh but you can use can) 

~2/3 cup packed brown sugar 

~1/2 cup milk 

~2 tsp ground cinnamon 

~1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 

~1/4 tsp ground ginger 

~1/8 tsp ground cloves 

~1/2 tsp salt 

~1/2 cup chopped pecans 

~Confectioners' sugar 

~Maple syrup 

 ~Cut each slice of bread into quarters.

 ~Arrange half of the bread in a greased 13x9 in backing dish. 

~Layer with cubed cream cheese

~Add remaining bread, press down slightly.  

~In a large bowl, whisk eggs, evaporated milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, milk, spices and salt.

~Pour over top and refrigerate, covered, overnight.  

~Preheat oven to 350'.  Remove casserole from refrigerator while oven heats.  Bake, covered, 40 minutes.  Uncover; sprinkle with pecans.  Bake, uncovered 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. 

~Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.   

  ~Dust with confectioners' sugar.  Serve with maple syrup!!

I think the next time I make this I might melt the cream cheese a bit and pour it in so that the cream cheese will be evenly in it.  

This was super good and hit the spot just right!!  ENJOY!!!

When do you have the spirit....

Today in Sunday School our teacher, Jay Jankowski, taught a about the Sermon on the Mount as well as a few other things.  

He shared with the class a handout 

"How to Discern When You Do and Do Not Have the Spirit".

As always it got me thinking...(I know its a scary thought...me thinking again!)

As I went through this list it gave me a lot of food for thought.  

I've felt a lot of the things on this list over the years...I hate to say on both list.  In fact I'm sure I'm not alone...I think we all have our struggles at times when it comes to having the spirit in our lives and recognizing when we do.  

Heres the list...

WHEN YOU HAVE THE SPIRIT: 

~You feel happy and Calm. 

~You feel full of light.  Your mind is clear. 

~Your bosom burns.  You feel generous.  Nobody could offend you.  

~You feel confident in everything you do. 

~You wouldn't mind if everyone is seeing what you are doing. 

~You are outgoing, anxious to be with people. 

~You are glad when others succeed. 

~You want to make others happy.  You bring out the best and see the best in others. 

~You gladly and willingly perform church ordinances.  You'd like to be in the temple everyday. 

~You feel you can magnify your church calling. 

~You feel like praying. 

~You wish you could keep all the Lord's commandments. 

~You feel you have control of your appetites and emotions; food and sleep in moderation, diversion that is wholesome and moderate; calm and controlled speech; no anger, etc. 

~You're generally just glad to be alive. 

WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE SPIRIT:

~When Satin is prompting you, you feel unhappy, depressed, confused, frustrated. 

~You feel heavy, full of darkness, your mind is muddled. 

~You feel empty, hollow, cold inside.  You feel selfish, self centered, possessive. 

~Everything anyone does bothers you.  You are always on the defensive. 

~You easily become discouraged. 

~You become secretive, sneaky, evasive. 

~You want to be alone.  You avoid people, especially members of your family. 

~You are envious of what others do and of what they have. 

~You are critical of what others, especially of family members and of authority. 

~You feel hesitant, unworthy to perform church ordinances; you don't want to go to the temple. 

~You wish you had another church job, or no job at all.  You don't want to pray. 

~You find the commandments bothersome, restricting, or senseless. 

~You become a slave to your appetites:  your emotions become passionate; overindulgence in food, sleep, stimulating entertainment, strong anger, outspokenness, etc.  

~You wonder if life is really worth it.  

Now that we have a list to help us recognize when we DO or DON'T have the Spirit, lets start being aware of when feelings or things might be affecting you...I know I will be!!