Dec 1 - Advent Activity

Have dinner with our Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching families.

We invited the families we Home Teach and Visit Teach to our home for dinner.  It was wonderful to be together.  It was fun to have the home decorated - it was festive!

12 foot tree with the ornaments I have painted of the years
... I just got my sister, Cara, addicted to painting too!

Family Memory Tree - with our yearly memory ornaments

My Grandma's (Bama) favorite tree.
Each year she would give me a new ornament to hang on the tree

The tree in our eating area - sweets tree

I love the picture of Santa looking at the nativity

I love Christmas a little

My nephew-in-law was counting how many trees I had and got up to 44 and realized that
he forgot to count some trees in rooms he already counted.  I love trees.  I love nativities.
I love Christmas

Menu for tonight:
Soup.  Salad.  Rolls/Bread/Biscuits.  Dessert.

19 people total (We missed having 2 other families over - that would have been 10 more).

My favorite soups I made:
Beef Picante
1 cheap roast
1 lg jar of picante sauce (any brand)  - 16 oz - 24 oz
1 jar of water (the same amount of salsa you put in)
4-5 cans of chili beans (I pressure cook 3 cups dry kidney beans and add chili powder)
Onion - chopped (if you want)
Cook in crock pot until meat shreds (at least 4 hours on high).
I pressure cook this recipe (meat too).

Chicken Pot Pie Soup/Stew - from Sweet Tomatoes Restaurant ... homemade is even better!
This recipe may seem long, but you can combine steps (or cook items at same time in different pans) ... FYI - You don't want to overcook the potatoes.
Yields:  1 gallon

Ingredients:
8 cups water
1 1/4 lbs 3/4" cubed red potatoes
1 lb raw chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
2 tbsp canola oil (to sauté  veggies)
3/4 lb carrots - 1/4" sliced
1/2 lb celery - 1/4" sliced
1/2 lb pearl onions (remove skins according to instructions)
2 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 lb margarine or butter
1 TBSP garlic - finely minced
3/4 cup flour
5 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 lb peas (frozen)

1.  In a large pot bring the water to a rapid boil.  Place potatoes in the water and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain potatoes (place in ice bath and set aside for later ... I just drained them and set them aside)
2.  Saute oil, carrots, celery, onions and thyme over medium heat for 10 min (or until tender).  Set aside for later.
3.  In 5 quart pot melt margarine/butter.  Add garlic and saute over medium heat for 2 min.
4.  Set heat to low and add in flour - stirring constantly.
5.  Whisk in broth, salt and white and black pepper.  Bring up the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes until mixture has thickened - stirring constantly.
6.  Slowly stir in milk and cream.  Simmer for 3 minutes.
7.  Add peas, parsley, cooked potatoes, cooked vegetable mixture and chicken. Stir and bring soup to desired temperature.
8. Enjoy with a side of Butter milk Biscuits!