Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Mama's Sauce








My sauce is a happy sauce!
It is a recipe that combines the tricks and tips
of many chefs! It is a recipe that has most definitely 
evolved as I have aged. Most importantly I have learned
that the longer I leave it alone, and let it do it's own thing,
the better it comes out! So as you take a look at the ingredients
and instructions, remember to "make it your own" by adding/subtracting,
tossing and turning it all up so it becomes YOUR sauce.
Just enjoy the process and have fun feeding your people.




Ingredients
2  14.5 oz cans of good diced tomatoes (San Marzano is my choice)
3  14.5 oz cans of crushed tomatoes                        "
1  14.5 oz can of tomato sauce                                 "
1  empty tomato can filled with red wine          
5  cloves of garlic peeled and crushed
1/2 of a bell pepper cleaned of seeds - do not chop
1 cup of fresh basil and more for garnish
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon of white sugar
sea salt and pepper to taste
freshly grated Parmesan  



Start with a great pot. A pot that is heavy like a dutch oven.
Your going to cook this all day so you don't want to have to 
babysit your sauce in a pot that will easily burn food.
Add all of your ingredients except basil into you pot and bring to a low boil.
Stir it well, cover and reduce heat to a low simmer.
Simmer all day if you can or at least 5 hours. In the last hour add the basil.
Ladle over your favorite pasta with fresh basil and parmesan and you are GOLD!
If you want to add Italian sausage links to this sauce then you will want to 
first sear the sausage links first in the same pot with a little amount of olive oil.
Do not cook the sausage all the way through just brown outside and then 
add all of the remaining ingredients to the pot and simmer all day. 
Meatball lesson will be on another day! 


Last tip!

Do not underestimate the amount of entertainment 
a small human in a high chair can bring when presented
with a plate of pasta and a LOT of red sauce!


Isabella Louise enjoying spaghetti!

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Too Much To Pray About

 


My mind is weary.
It will not silence, decompress, pause, coast,
relax, suspend or even simply idle long enough
for my thoughts to slow down for me
to process them. So they land all over me covering 
me like a heavy, wool, not so comfortable blanket.
The kind of blanket that you bring out for those
 last minute camping trips where everyone ends up 
sleeping in the car sitting up or those slumber parties when 
you were 12 and everyone brought fancy sleeping bags but
the basement was so cold the blanket was grabbed from
the closet in desperation at 2 in the morning when we were
 too lazy to run upstairs and turn the dial on the heater to make
 it kick on. The scratchy, heavy, musty and disliked but
necessary blanket. You don't want it but kicking it off means
you have to deal with the uncomfortable situation. 
That about some up how I have been dealing with my thoughts
for the last 6 almost 7 months now. And I can tell you it's not fun yet
I am still not ready to kick the blanket off. So how do I handle this?
How does anyone handle "THIS"? 
It's hard to say really.
We are traveling down roads most have never traveled.
There is no blueprint, no booklet of instructions and yet we
are forced to create a new "normal" and in a very short period
of time everything, well almost everything, has reluctantly changed.
We adapt, alter, about face, change course, shift gears, and just put 
it all in reverse. And for most of us change can be challenging.
So it's hard and we rebel a little and then we rebel a lot.
I can only rebel so much and then I tend to let it all cover me like
 the dreaded blanket. I can tolerate it more than the usual person due to my
stubbornness and strong will and then at some point I start to get annoyed 
and I am forced to make a move so I begin by throwing one foot outside 
of the blanket.Then the other foot and then one big kick and the 
flood gates open. Yep, that's me. The bound up and wound up
 thoughts rapidly and violently break the damn and I am forced to swim. 
First I let the rushing thoughts take me. I give in but my head stays afloat.
Next I grab a broken branch so I can rest a little while I tread from time to time.
Then when I am finally ready and mad and strong enough I start to go against 
the current, fighting my way back to the riverbank. It may take awhile and I will surely 
need many breaks and may even have a few setbacks but I know where I am headed 
and put forth the effort to get there. Once I am there I rest. I rest and rest knowing
I am okay. Knowing someone and something greater has me and I let go.
I give "THIS" to God.
I finally give ALL of "THIS" to God.

But until I am ready to kick the blanket off, I pray.
I pray for my own healing and for every single person who is doing
 the very best they can to deal with "THIS".
We will ALL be okay.
We will ALL get to the riverbank in our own time
and in our own way.
But in the meantime pray with me.
Pray for yourself first so you can then be strong
enough to be there for your family and others.
Pray desperately for our world.
Give "THIS" to God.

God Bless you all so very very much!

If you are looking for a safe, beautiful and loving community
to pray with please join our community at 
We welcome you with open arms!

There is something very special planned for the month of October!

Share with us your prayer intentions  HERE!

We pray the rosary live every day at 6:45am central time @manyhailmarysatatime .  
If you cannot make the live time we will be posting the rosary we pray every day on Instagram and also on our YouTube channel. We have so many great guests scheduled for you to learn more about how to pray, how to meditate and share the power of the rosary. ~Kristin














Saturday, August 29, 2020

Sprite / 7Up Biscuits









2 cups of Bisquick Baking Mix
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Sprite or 7Up
1 stick of melted butter


  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Mix by hand sour cream into your biscuit mix in a medium bowl. 
  • Stir in 1/2 cup 7 Up (any clear carbonated drink will work). Dough will be very wet, don't worry. If dough is too stiff add a few more tablespoons of Sprite. (see photo above) 
  • Melt butter in a 9 inch pan. It can be round or square. I stick my pan and butter in the oven for a few minutes to melt the butter. Don't burn the butter.
  • Drop dough by a huge spoon on top of melted butter (see photo above).
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.



Sunday, July 12, 2020

Popeye's Stew




My grandfather, Popeye, named by me, a couple of times a year 
in the winter months would set up in his workshop a cooking station.
He would bring in a big cast iron pit where he would build a fire
and hang his huge black pot over it in which he would cook stew.
He would let this stew simmer all morning while he and his
invited crew of menfolk would sit in the garage and play 
dominoes and drink Shiner beer just long enough
for the stew meat to be tender enough to melt in your mouth.
As young children we would bop into the garage to snuggle up 
next to Popeye and or my Dad to watch the game and then scurry
off back into Granny's house to run in the kitchen so we would not miss
what was happening in there either. It was a constant back and forth.
Inside the "women", done with aprons, cooked potatoes, maybe some green beans, 
some sort of salad, homemade pickles, white bread and possibly some 
cornbread but not always. Of course there were way too many 
desserts to count. Each dessert brought in proudly by the owner 
already sliced for sharing and covered with Saran Wrap so no one 
would steal a pinch before after supper. It was truly delightful and 
some of my fondest memories of my childhood. 
Here is my version of Popeye's Stew. It is not exact as he never wrote it down
but we think we have duplicated it pretty close to perfection.
I make mine in a big pot on the stove, in MY KITCHEN!

Popeye's Stew
5 pounds of Stew Meat
2 Tablespoons of Chili Powder (Less if you prefer it milder, more if you like it HOT)
1 large yellow onion chopped
2 Tablespoons of minced fresh garlic
1 Bay Leaf
1 Tablespoon of Bacon Drippings or Lard (Yikes!)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Water - enough to nicely cover meat and add when it evaporates

Cook meat and 1/2 onions in Bacon Drippings over medium heat until half done and still pink inside. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a low simmer. Cover, venting slightly, and simmer on low for 3-4 hours. Stir every 30 minutes and check liquid level. You don't want liquid to evaporate and burn the stew. The liquid level is important as you always want to have enough covering the meat. Once you have reached your desired tenderness serve it up with your favorite bread and enjoy!





Monday, June 22, 2020

Jesus I Trust In You



Jesus 
I
Trust 
In
You

The Bible tells us we need to leave all of our
fears, concerns, difficulties, sorrows and hardships
at the feet of Jesus our Savior.
We are taught to trust that Jesus will protect us,
love us and grant us everything we need
to allow us to successfully navigate this life here on earth.
And yet to do this, really do this, hand it over to Him,
walk away and move forward knowing He has this, He has us,
is a very challenging thing for most of us to do.
I personally want to try to fix "it". 
I want to do everything I can to make things okay.
But sometimes no matter what you do it may
never be okay. And that is when we are forced to
relinquish control to The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.
Jesus I trust in you.
This is what I should recite from the moment I awake 
and then again just before I close my eyes at night.
Why is it so hard to trust, truly trust that God will 
provide for us all that we need so that we may do all that is necessary 
to live our life in such a way as to glorify Him, bring others to Him 
and upon our death, return to Him for eternity.

Please know that living on this earth is hard hard work. 
It is sometimes difficult to trust, and leave it all at the 
feet of Jesus. It is even more difficult when our world is out 
of control as it is right now. When we are in pain, suffering 
or confused by the acts of those surrounding us it is even
more challenging to trust. It is in these times, these frightening
times, where we MUST trust in Jesus. It is in these times we are 
experiencing right now where we must pray for God's mercy
on our world. Pray for our leaders and pray that people will 
turn back to God. That all men and women will love themselves 
and each other. Our prayers need to be direct and frequent.
We must pray with urgency and determination.
And above all we must trust that the Holy Spirit will 
dwell inside us, that Jesus will never abandon us and 
God our Father will protect us and call us home when
our life mission here is complete.

God bless each of you in a very special way today so 
that you may feel God's loving presence in your life.

I apologize for the ads in the middle of my post.
I am trying desperately to figure out the code to remove them. 





Friday, June 5, 2020

Mama Holli's Southern Pimento Cheese


In Texas we can get fancy and serve this up on special crackers at 
Baby and Wedding Showers,  or we just slap it on some bread while we
sit in the shade watching our kids yell "Mama, look at me!" for the 100th time
in the swimming pool, all while pretending that it really isn't
Hotter than H-E double hockey sticks!
Wherever you are when you consume this southern staple
you will be sure to enjoy it and your hot summer days will just melt away!
Also throwing a cold long neck in the picnic basket will help!


Pimento Cheese

4 ounces of cream cheese softened
1- 8oz bag of shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1- 8oz bag of shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
1- 4oz jar of pimentos drained and chopped
1 jalapeno finely chopped
1/4 Cup of Mayo
Black Pepper to taste
1/4 Cup of Pecan Pieces (optional)
1/4 Cup of chopped Cilantro (optional)

In a medium size bowl mix together cream cheese and mayo.
Add cheese, pimento and jalapeño and mix together until combined.
At this point you may add pecans and or cilantro if you wish.
Sprinkle with black pepper and give it a final toss around the bowl. 
Refrigerate covered for at least an hour before serving.
Serve it up on some yummy bread as a sandwich or as a dip with crackers or FRITOS!
Yes I said Fritos! 😆

More Cheese Please?
Go Here for the Marinated Cheese Appetizer!








Monday, May 25, 2020

Marinated Shrimp Appetizer

Marinated Shrimp Appetizer!




My sister, Mama Joy makes a
mean shrimp appetizer!
This is her special recipe!
It is served cold with crackers, bread, chips
or some just use a big fat spoon to
make sure all the yummy
marinade makes it to their mouth!

Ingredients
2 pounds of medium shrimp
(boiled using a shrimp boil mix
peeled and cooled)
We use Old Bay Shrimp Boil
1/2 cup olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Worcesterhire Sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp tabasco sauce
3 green onions minced
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 sweet red bell pepper diced
1/2 green bell pepper diced
1 celery stalk diced
In a bowl whisk oil and vinegar together.
Add remaining ingredients and stir.
Place shrimp in your serving bowl.
Cover shrimp with marinade and
chill covered for about 2 hours before serving.
Bring to room temperature and serve
assorted crackers and breads.
Thanks Mama Joy!

More Recipes HERE!

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Drunken Rum Cake









This is my son, Jake's all-time favorite cake!
Hands Down!
He just loves this cake and usually gets
to dig into one pretty much whenever 
he comes home for a visit.
It really is easy and the longer you can 
keep your peeps from cutting into it 
the more moist it will be.  No, you can't get
drunk from this cake but you will double in weight 
if you make a habit of baking this puppy!

Ingredients



  • For the Cake
  • 1 1/4  cup pecans or walnuts (chopped and toasted)
  • 1 (18 1/2-ounce) yellow cake mix
  • 1 package instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 ounces)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup cold organic whole milk
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup  dark rum (I use Bacardi)
  • For the Glaze
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark rum (I use Bacardi)
To make the cake, preheat oven to 325 F. Grease and flour 12-cup bundt pan.
Sprinkle nuts on the bottom of a pan. Combine all cake ingredients 
into a mixing bowl.
Beat on high for 2 minutes with electric mixer. 
Pour into prepared bundt pan. Bake for 1 hour. Insert a toothpick to make sure it is ready.
Cool in pan. Invert onto serving plate. Prick top with a fork many times. The more holes the more spaces the rum sauce can hide!

Melt butter in a saucepan.
Stir in water and sugar. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and stir in rum. 
Spoon glaze over top of  cake. Use a spoon to put 
extra dripping back on the cake. Repeat this until almost all of the 
rum sauce is on the cake.

Let it set up for a few hours or dig right in, no one will tell!



Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Coleslaw with Cilantro, Peach, Jalapeño and White Wine Vinaigrette



I love this coleslaw!
It is perfect for summer meals and will compliment
pretty much just about anything!
Serve it up with grilled seafood, fajitas,
burgers or dump it  all over your fried shrimp tacos!
Yes I said dump!
YUM!


Citrus Summer Coleslaw
1 head of fresh organic cabbage finely sliced
or in the bag already prepped
1/2 cup of cilantro diced
1 medium jalapeno finely diced
2 medium peaches diced
1 carrot thinly shaved
2 green onions chopped
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts (optional)

Dressing
1/2 C white wine vinegar
1/2 C olive oil
3 Tbls fresh squeezed juice from an orange
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp white sugar

In a small bowl whisk all dressing ingredients until blended. Pour over the slaw, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. If adding the walnuts do so just before serving. 




Saturday, April 4, 2020

Calling All Angels




Do you believe in angels?

I do
I truly do

I believe that we are surrounded by angels 
as we navigate this life here on earth.
I believe we each have guardian angels.
Multiple angels who stand guard for us daily.
I also believe we can command our angels
to go to those who need them in critical moments.
Several days ago I commanded my guardian angels
to go be with my sweet Dad who is battling this
horrific COVID virus miles away from me
and all alone. He is alone just like so many
others who are battling this virus without
the support of loved ones by their side.
So I sent my angels.
You can do the same.
Just tell them where to go and just like that
they GO.

The angels can be with my Dad while I cannot.
He will feel their peaceful presence.
He will know he is not alone.
My angels will join his and together
they will create an army around him.
An army of love and light.
God's love
God's light

Angel of God 
My guardian dear 
To Whom His love 
Commits me here 
Ever this day 
Be at my side 
To light and guard 
To rule and guide. 
Amen

God bless those who are suffering from this
virus and may you feel God's perfect love
for you now and in the difficult days ahead.


Beautiful Angel Card
Compliments of The Graphics Fairy



Monday, March 23, 2020

Beautiful Bountiful Beets


I have to admit I have a love/hate relationship with beets.
I want to really love them but I kinda just like them.
I hate them when I peel them after a nice bake in the oven 
and the dark purple shades of color end up on 
my fingers and everywhere else in the kitchen.
But once all the work is done, and I do mean work, 
then I really love them!



If you are smart you will pick out the golden colored beets or 
the slightly pink beautiful beets and plop those babies in your 
buggy instead of the dark purple ones.
I really do not taste the difference and my 
hands and towels are cleaner for it.




Wash them under cold water, pat dry and wrap each individually
in foil and place them on a metal pan and send them
to the oven for about an hour at 375 degrees.
Check for doneness with a fork and let them cool before
handling. Once they are cool then carefully 
peel off the skin and discard.
The fun part is slicing them and discovering 
the beautiful spirals of color inside.
What you do with them next is really your preference.
You can throw them into a salad, add them to a charcuterie board,
eat them right then or toss them in a beet salad pictured below.
However you decide to serve them up you will
surely not be disappointed.


Beet Salad

3 Beets baked, peeled and diced
2 chopped green onions
1/2 cup of mayo
1 Tbs of white wine vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Toss and cool covered in the refrigerator for one hour before serving.

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Prayer of Spiritual Communion


My Jesus,
I believe that You
are present in the Most Holy
Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You
into my soul.
Since I cannot at this
moment receive You
sacramentally, come at least
spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You
were already there and unite
myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be 
separated from You.
Amen



Saturday, December 28, 2019

Big Momma's Roast



Big Momma's Roast is AMAZING!
It is cooked all day in this crazy good sauce she throws on top
of it and it just soaks it all up!
The sauce is not a barbecue sauce but more of a rich brown sugar 
mixed with tomato sauce creation!
I literally crave it in the winter time.
It has to be served with mashed potatoes and it has to have 
veggies cooked with it.

Big Momma is the BEST!
She has some super talented grandchildren 
from all over the country. She travels around to watch their sporting
events, witness their talented works and support each of them through
their high school and college careers.

Thank you Big Momma for allowing me to share this yummy recipe!





Friday, December 20, 2019

What I Know About Heaven


What I know about heaven. 
I know my soul began there and that I will return there once 
my work is completed here on earth.
I know my loved ones who have already left this earth will be waiting for me.
I know it is beyond beautiful and fulfills every dream we could imagine as
God's prescence, love and light floods far and wide.
I know there is only love in heaven.
There are no negative thoughts, no pain and no suffering.
Everything is renewed and everything is good.
I know I will learn when I go home to heaven.
I will learn by viewing my life on earth.
I will learn by seeing how my actions effected others both negatively and positively.
I know I will continue to do my soul work in heaven.
I will continue to love and pray for those still on earth and I will begin preparing for my loved ones to arrive. I know I will dance with the angels, bask in the light and delight 
in the wonder of the prescence of Jesus. 
It will be amazingly beautiful and spectacular beyond my imagination. 
But until I return, I will do my best to live my life to honor God.
I will continue to be perpetually grateful for all of the coutless blessings 
God has given to me.
This is what I know about heaven.