The Scroll #180 Italian Summer Soup, Sugar and Wow! He did the thing!

​ ​ Good afternoon you!!! How does this email find you? Here? I tried to get a few things done outside this morning because I had a feeling the weather might change. It did. So, now that it is raining (welcome), I'm trying to finish up some website things. It seems like Google did an update yesterday. That is always a nail-biting time for me. So, prayers to the heavens that we just keep rocking and rolling along like we have for a long time now. But, hey, what about the FOOD? Oh man, this week I began really experimenting with my holiday menu items so that I can go ahead and get them out to you. If you have a smoker, I've got a recipe for you. It isn't quite right for prime time yet though. I'll work on it over the weekend so that by next week it will be here. YOU WON'T be disappointed. If you don't have a smoker, just plan to come on over to my house for Thanksgiving! School is ready to start so, you will need some easy recipes that you can whip up in minutes! I love crock pot recipes and This Italian Summer Soup hits the spot every single time! You also can't go wrong with these Crockpot Carnitas! Kids LOVE mac and cheese and what could be better than rewarding them with some creamy mac on the weekends? (Adults love it too!) It's delicious on pizza and as the pasta in a soup when it's leftover too! My own family goes WILD over this easy casserole! Give this Buffalo Chicken tater tot casserole a go when you have guests coming over or need the perfect dish to take to a carry out! _______________________ HOT COOKING TIP OF THE WEEK I KNOW that grilling season is about over. I know it. That doesn't mean that I abide by a grilling season. If it's time to eat, I might be standing over the grill (even if it means I have to put on snow boots and a coat to do it). Do you know what gives a lovely sear and a delicious flavor to some meat? A little sugar. No joke. Sugar makes that delicious charred edge that I love so much. Do you love that too? Add a bit of sugar to whatever sauce you are saucing with or sprinkle a bit of sugar onto your meat just like you do some salt. Don't get crazy with it. Just a pinch. Put it onto a hot grill and watch those beautiful charred grill marks appear! BOOM! You are cooking with gas now! (or maybe propane, but who's counting?) __________________________ THREE LITTLE THINGS I'm always looking for the little things that I can love and enjoy. It helps to keep me humble and being appreciative for the larger things too. I'm mentioning this here so that you might be reminded to look for the little things in your own life. I'm so glad that I've had a few minutes each day to work on my back yard. I've been working on a fire-pit area since spring and it still isn't done but thankfully, I've had just a little bit of time to work on it and if it will stop raining, a few friends are gonna help me inaugurate it this pm. I saw a pileated woodpecker in my yard this week. They are always sooo magical. Wow. I have a large 35 year old plant that my mother gave back to me a few years ago. (I gave it to her for mothers day in about 1987). She brought it over one day (it's huge) and said, "here, I'm tired of taking care of this thing, take it back". So I did. It got a couple new leafs this week and that is always amazing to me. ___________________________ A FINAL WORD Last week when I wrote this newsletter, I was feeling kind of down and out and like the world is on my shoulders. So many of you reached out to me to offer words of encouragement about looking after our parents as they age. Thank you. Some of you offered to jump in and help. I am one of those people who often turns away help because I don't want to bother anyone or seem like I can't manage my affairs. My mother taught me that, I think, which is ironic. My friend Laura told me many years ago as she was suffering through a second bout with breast cancer, "sometimes you just have to let people help you because it is a blessing to them too and besides you can use the help". Here are some of the magical ways that God has humbled me with help this week. Words of encouragement on my email just when I needed it from angels. (You know who you are). My daughter arrived just exactly in time to remove the biggest darn black snake I've ever seen from my chicken coop. I am TERRIFIED of snakes and she will just pick one up like it is a little butterfly. We relocated him to a spot by the river. My friend Mo showed up right on time and helped me to get my lawnmower and bushhog to the repair shop so that they can be fixed. I could have never loaded them on the trailer by myself. The president of the local hospital (I'm not special, that's the kind of person she is) called me with lab results for my mother and gave me a kind word and a smile. My son called me early Saturday morning and wanted to know if he could come over and have a cup of coffee. It was so nice sharing a cup of coffee and the early morning air on the deck with my son. We don't often get to chat by ourselves. My friend Charlotte who does pet therapy is going to keep an eye out for my mom while she is doing her volunteer work at my mom's center. My friend Fran has offered to take at least one of the kittens that the stray cat showed up and birthed in my shed. My friend Judy helped me find a home for the mama cat once she has recovered from being spayed and she will get to live out her life as a mousing barn cat! I'm so excited. She certainly doesn't want to be handled, so it's a blessing. The same person says that if I don't find homes for the other two kittens, they can come with mama too. Several of my local friends offered to go visit my mom! Wow! Ya'll are actual angels. Thank you. My friend Ron offering me some advice and encouragement as he too is an only child. Several friends have called to ask me to do various things and I can't be more appreciative of that. No one loves to go do fun stuff more than me! I'm sharing all of this here because over the years I've had people respond to their newsletter to say how alone they felt. Please reach out. Let others know you are needing help. Sometimes they really show up. With that I'll leave you with a "Happy Friday Afternoon" and "Have a great weekend dear one!" Love and hugs until next week (or as soon as I can get to writing you again), God willing and the creeks don't rise, Wendi Jo ​ ​Unsubscribe | Update your profile | PO Box 82 , Danbury, NC 27016