Robin Gail's Blog

2 pounds frozen hashbrown potatoes
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
4 Tbsp. melted margarine
1/2 cup grated onion
2 cups sour cream
2 cups crushed Corn Flakes
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Mix all ingredients together and place in 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Top with 2 cups slightly crushed Corn Flakes mixed with 1/4 cup melted margarine.  Bake at 350 degrees, 1 hour.

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I learned the hard way that what someone else thinks of you is their business, not yours.  Can’t control what others think about you, but you can control the way you react to it.  Happiness comes when you realize you do not need anyone else’s approval.  Many times, even your best will not be good enough.
When someone sees they cannot control you, they may try to control how others see you.  I have seen this many times in my career as a court reporter, especially in family law cases.  Then they get totally frustrated when they can’t control what others think.  Trying to control another person is often a no-win situation.  It is emotional extortion that usually does not work.
It seems that most of us have a bit, maybe a teeny bit, of the need to control.  Most times, though, it is not an in-your-face need.  Those that have the actual NEED to control are likely obsessed with trying to force people to think and behave as they want them to.  And when you don’t, you may be thrown away, discarded, no longer needed by that person. They do not have the ability to agree to disagree.
There are people who believe they know everything, that no one else is ever right or ever knows what they are talking about.  You are disposable to them when you do not let them control you.  But that’s okay.  The only person you can really control is yourself.  Control how you think, what you think, how you act.  You can choose to be happy and live your life with dignity, respect and honor.  Sure, sometimes we fail at this, but we can always pick ourselves back up, get back on the right track.

 

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1 pound uncooked sausage
2 cups Bisquick
1 10 oz. package Cracker Barrel cheese, grated (this brand of cheese has a bit more oil in it and holds the balls together well).
Using hands, mix all ingredients together.  Form into 1 inch balls and bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.
Makes about 30 sausage balls.

 

The post Sausage Balls (Not sure where this easy recipe started. I make it every holiday season.) appeared first on Give Thanks, Have Faith, the Best is Yet to Come.

We all say the words….shoulda, coulda, wish I woulda.  If you’re breathing, you have likely said those words many times.  That’s because we sometimes make the wrong choices.  We all do it, even those who think they do not.  But our choices do not have to define who we are.  It is possible to regret a bad choice, and you do not have to be held accountable for it the rest of your life.  Not talking about criminals and people who are just plain mean.  Talking about regular people who are good people, contribute good to society, live an honorable life and are filled with kindness and love.  If you fail at something, be proud that you have at least tried.  That failure could lead to the best time in your life heading your way.

 

You have a choice to free yourself from the self-defeating shoulda, coulda, wish I woulda.  Regrets from your past, shame from your past is taking up space in your mind that could otherwise be filled with joy and happiness.  You may have to search for it, but it is there.  Look around you.  Look at all the things you have to be thankful for.  How about  the space that you live in?  Many people do not have a house.  How about your spouse, your children, your health?  Look around and you will find a vast array of reasons to be thankful.

 

We should stop beating ourselves up.  Live for the moment, not for the past.  The moment is all that is guaranteed to us.  If you failed in the past, that does not mean you will fail now or in the future.  Appreciate the beauty that is in your life right now.  Only you can make that choice!

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3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
5 large eggs
2 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin
1/4 cup dark rum
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tsp. dark rum
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sifted brown sugar


Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; stir in 1/4 cup melted butter.  Use fingers to pinch streusel into big clumps.  Set aside.


Beat 1 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer about 2 minutes or until creamy.  Gradually add 2 cups each granulated and dark brown sugar, beating at medium speed 5 to 7 minutes.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.


Stir together pumpkin and 1/4 cup rum in a bowl.  Combine flour and next 7 ingredients in a medium bowl.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with pumpkin, beginning and ending with flour.


Pour half of batter into a well-greased (with shortening) and floured 12-cup Bundt pan.  Sprinkle batter with streusel.  Top with remaining batter.


Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 28 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and let cool completely.


Combine 3/4 cup brown sugar, whipping cream, and 1/4 cup unsalted butter in a medium saucepan.  Cook, stirring constantly over medium-low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves.  Increase heat to medium-high, and stir in 1 tsp. rum.


Place powdered sugar in a bowl.  Pour brown sugar mixture over powdered sugar, stirring with a wire whisk 1 minute or until smooth.  Let cool 20 to 25 minutes or until lukewarm.  Spoon icing over cooled cake, and let stand until icing is firm.  Yield:  12 servings.

 

The post Pumpkin-Rum Cake with Brown Sugar Icing – make this every year during the holidays (MyRecipes.com) appeared first on Give Thanks, Have Faith, the Best is Yet to Come.

Am I Your Mother is a personal look inside the daunting reality of dementia and Alzheimer’s.  This enlightening book offers support and encouragement for those who find themselves in the role of caregiver for a loved one, as I did.

I have shared my tried and true methods that aided me and my husband in our quest to provide the best quality of life for my beloved mother.  This book will help you face and navigate the issues and hard decisions that caregivers face on a daily basis, whether your ill loved one is at their home, your home, or any other place.  This book will open your eyes to the importance of entering your loved one’s new reality and providing them with compassionate care and unconditional love as you honor their life.

You will discover there can be immense moments of joy, countless good times and wonderful memories made as you go through this journey with your loved one.

There are limited books provided by hands-on caregivers who are family members.  I have put my insights, practical suggestions and solutions into an informative book designed to inspire and uplift caregivers.

Available at link below:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B075HNBT91

 

 

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2 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. cocoa
1 cup chopped pecans
3 Tbsp. corn syrup
1/4 cup rum
Mix wafers, sugar, cocoa, and pecans.  Add corn syrup and rum.  Mix and roll into balls.

The post Rum Balls (my aunt’s recipe, delicious!) appeared first on Give Thanks, Have Faith, the Best is Yet to Come.

2 (1-pound) bunches thin asparagus, trimmed
4 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. lemon juice


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.


Drizzle asparagus with oil in a large bowl and toss to coat.  Sprinkle with Parmesan, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Toss again.


Bake until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness.  Sprinkle with lemon juice just before serving.


Serve hot or at room temperature.

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1/2 cup honey
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. finely grated orange zest
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 cup cornstarch
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
24 to 30 extra large shrimp (1 1/2 pounds of 16-20 count), peeled, deveined, rinsed, and drained
1/2 cup canola oil
Pinch crushed red pepper


Bring honey, juice, zest, and cayenne to a boil in a small saucepan.  Remove from heat and keep warm, covered.


Put cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag or bowl with a tight-fitting lid.  Seal and shake well to mix.  Put half of shrimp in bag, seal, and shake until coated.  Transfer to a platter.  Repeat with remaining shrimp.


Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Shake off excess coating from shrimp.  Then pan-fry in 3 batches until lightly browned and crisp, 1 to 3 minutes per side.  Drain on paper towels.  Serve immediately, drizzled with warm honey mixture and sprinkled with crushed red pepper.

 

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penumbra – something that covers, surrounds or obscures; shroud
mea culpa – acknowledgment of personal fault or error

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