HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

My mother woke up in heaven today. She has lived there for 14 years now, and I wonder what she's doing and if she is watching me live a life without her down here on earth. Does she know how lost I am without her sometimes? Does she know how sad it can be? So many memories and so many traditions make it hard not to realize just how empty I am without her. Today is her birthday and this is the day I miss her most. This day is hard for me because it brings back memories of good times past and traditions that are no longer.

I was sent to the arms of an angel.  

When I was a teenager I can remember making a decision one day to take my allowance and spend it on my mother for MY birthday. I loved her so much that I wanted to make sure she knew how happy I was that God gave me to her on that day 14 years earlier. i wanted her to know that I wouldn't have wanted any other mother but her. I wanted to thank her for giving me life and for being the best mom ever. I wanted her to know beyond a shadow of a doubt how much I loved her and that it wasn't about me that day...it was all about her.

So I went out and bought her flowers....not just any flowers. I bought her pink roses...her favorite. And that day when there was cake and ice cream and presents for me to open.... I felt sheer delight when I handed her that bouquet of pink roses. And she cried. And she hugged me for the longest time and told me how good it made her feel. And I remember her taking one of the dried roses when they died and putting in the family album and writing under, "from my baby girl."

And so started a tradition. For the rest of her days with me here on earth, I bought her pink roses on my birthday to thank her for being my Mom. And each year she was just as surprised and cried just as hard as she had the year before.

Later, when she moved to heaven, and I had the heart breaking, gut wrenching miserable task of sorting out her things and going through it all...I found each and every pink rose that she had saved for all those years....all 37 of them...each taped carefully to those pages in that old torn album with the same message underneath and the year it was given. And I cried so hard because that tradition that meant so much to both of us had come to an end. 

My Mom the year before she Moved to Heaven

Oh, I still take her pink roses on my birthday and I sit by her grave and tell her how lucky I was that God chose her as my Mother. But the hug is not there and I can no longer dry her tears of joy as I hand them to her. And the sadness is so profound that it takes me a while to put on my happy face carry on for the rest of the day.

I know it's selfish of me to wish she was here because I know she is in a far better place than what this world could ever offer. I know that she is celebrating eternal life with no sorrow or tears or pain. I'm not sure what my mother is doing today in Heaven. I guess I won't know until I go there and find out myself. But here’s what I do know, whatever she’s doing, she’s home. That’s what Heaven is... Home.

~Marty

Hamburger Stroganoff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We all search for that recipe that is quick and easy but also filling and delicious.  It can’t get much easier than this my friends.  Perfect for a cold winter day and so comforting.  And no need for that can of mushroom soup…. With this recipe, you make your own sauce and stir in your own mushrooms.  So much better!  Enjoy!

Hamburger Stroganoff

1 pound ground chuck

1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh Bella mushrooms

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 (14.5-ounce) can beef broth

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

1 (12-ounce) package wide egg noodles, cooked according to package directions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cook ground beef in a large skillet, breaking it up as you stir. Cook until no longer pink; drain and return skillet to medium heat.  In same skillet, saute mushrooms, onion, and garlic over medium-high heat until tender.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stir in flour, and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stir in beef broth and the Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil. Add in the uncooked pasta and simmer for the next 20 minutes or until pasta is tender.  Stir well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reduce heat, and stir sour cream into beef mixture and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste. If it’s not the consistency you want or too thick, add more broth.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serve with a nice side salad and some hot crusty bread.

 

 

 

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Homemade Pot Roast with Savory Gravy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I woke up thinking about pot roast! There is nothing in this world better than a pot roast cooking all day in the Crock Pot with potatoes, carrots and celery along with those caramelized onions and that thick and savory beef gravy. The house is smelling heavenly and I am about to dive in. As soon as my buttermilk biscuits are out of the oven. Will you join me?  Want to see how I make it?

 Homemade Pot Roast with Savory Gravy

 1 (3-4 lb) chuck roast

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

2 envelopes Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix
1 cup water 

1 large onion, diced or sliced

16 ounces of beef broth

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Pat dry the roast and season with salt and pepper on both sides. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a large skillet over medium high heat, brown the onions and garlic for about 3 minutes or until translucent and tender.  Move the onions to a plate to add to your chuck roast later. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turn up the heat and sear your roast on both sides…about  2 minutes on each side.  Remove from heat and set inside the crockpot.  Add the onions on top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add in the celery and the carrots but not the potatoes yet. You will add those later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sprinkle both packs of soup mix on top of the roast and pour in beef broth. Make sure you pour on top and all around the sides to coat your vegetables.  Stir in sliced onion.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover with lid. Cook on low for 5 hours and then add your diced potatoes.  Continue to cook for another 3 hours on high until meat is fork tender and potatoes are cooked through. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Savory Gravy

 6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 to 4 cups juices/drippings from roast

1 cup cream

For the gravy, melt the butter in a medium skillet.  Stir in the flour and cook for about a minute until lightly browned. Gradually add 2 cups of beef juices to the flour mixture, whisking vigorously and constantly.  It will begin to thicken. Add in your cream and continue to whisk.  Add more beef juices until you get the desired consistency.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continue stirring quickly while the gravy comes to a simmer. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serve immediately with the pot roast and vegetables (and mashed potatoes, of course!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And don't forget tomorrow's hot roast beef sandwich!

NOTE:  You can cook on high for about 6 hours if desired.