In the kitchen with Charla.....
            This is such a hilarious statement.... but to really understand you have to really know me..... A bit of background.... 
            My mom... Her name is Lena Jewel Braswell Teel, aka "Judy".  Sadly we lost her to cancer in 1988.  But between the years of 1918 and 1988, she truly lived.  There is a poem entitled "The Dash"... and it is about the life lived between the year a person is born and the year they die. Here is a glimpse of her dash and how it has influenced me in just one small minute way.
       Judy  was one of 6 daughters.  Only 4 grew to adulthood.  But the 4 Braswell girls could C O O K!   And everything they did was by "scratch".  Now this is not so unique to the era of which they were born and raised.  But it is unique to me.  I was  and still am, the baby of the family.  (I use this to my advantage quite often...ask my brother...)  I would rather play outside in the dirt... ride horses and mow the grass as to learn any type of good housekeeping skills.  My mom tried to teach me to cook... but opening a can of Campbell's chicken noodle soup was fine with me. And you would think with a family of my own, I would be more interested in cooking... but no... I would rather play in the dirt (or the playground at school with my students), ride horses or mow the grass...... 
           Then 1988 rolled around and Mom was diagnosed with a type of lymphoma cancer.   I wanted to keep her.... and now I wish I had paid closer attention to the things she wanted to pass down to me.  I did pay attention to the most important things, the love of God, the love of family.... but the cooking thing.... sadly no.... and now my family and friends have SUFFERED through my dismal efforts in the kitchen.
           So now for the quest of improving my  culinary skills...(It is a bucket list thing...)  Tonight I attempted to make "Shepherd's Pie".   The original recipe is from a Southern Living cookbook (and if you could see all my cookbooks...that's another story) and as I am famous for substituting and bombing a recipe... I still substituted.... One of the ingredients was lamb.... I do NOT eat "Mary's favorite pet...you know.. he followed her to school one day.... how would I ever exsplain that to my Pre K class???   I used hamburger... Not just any hamburger...but lean 93% fat free from Ridley's in Duncan, Oklahoma.  I'll post my revised recipe a bit later.  I also do not care for peas.... so I substituted again.... but the rest of the recipe remain the same..  oh wait..no it doesn't.. I didn't put carrots in it either.... I love fresh carrots... I love carrots cooked with a roast (momma style) and that's it...  so the rest is original to Southern Living's authors.  
           It looked really good coming out of the oven.... It looked good on the plate.....and according to Rick... it is something I can make again!  Success!

           So here is the "In the kitchen with Charla" version of Shepherd's Pie

1 pound of very lean ground beef             1/2 chopped onion (or dried minced onion)
2 T butter                                                3 T flour
1 (14.5 oz) can Beef Broth                       1 large egg slightly beaten
1/3 Cup bread crumbs                              1 can sliced green beans drained
1 can corn  drained                                  1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper                                  2 packages of "loaded' mashed potatoes
                                                                   (yes the instant stuff!)
Finely shredded Cheddar Cheese ... probably about a cup and a half.... Oh and a really important ingredient...GARLIC!  I use Tone's Minced Garlic.. I like fresh better but Tone's is great in a pinch!

1.)  Brown the ground beef, onion and garlic...drain (if it is Ridley['s...you won't have anything to drain)
2.)  In a separate pan, melt the butter and add the flour... Wisk constantly till flour and butter is smooth and browns.
3.)   Add the beef broth to the flour/butter mixture and cook for about 10 - 15 minutes.This should thicken up. It did for me... if It doesn't for you... I don't know what to tell ya!
4.)  In a large bowl, combine the hamburger mixture, the broth misxture, the slightly beaten egg, the vegetables, bread crumbs, salt, pepper.. in other words... everyting else EXCEPT  for the mashed potatoes.
5.)  Make the potatoes according to the package directions. I made mine in the microwave....
6.)   In a 9 x 11 pan, spread half the potato mixture on the bottom.  I first sprayed the pan with olive oil.... 
7.)  Pour the beef mixture in, spreading evenly..... top with the rest of the mashed potatoes.
8.)  Add the cheddar cheese to the top....AND BAKE!

I baked mine in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 45 minutes.... till the cheese is all nice and bubbly.... let it set up about 10 minutes before cutting into it... 

And as a side note...after I calculated this recipe... if you divide it into 8 pieces... it is about 7 WW points per serving!!!!   
 For a picture, check out my Facebook page... I will try to learn how to post pics to this... but not tonight...

And by the way..... If you visit Ridley's in Duncan... tell them that Elton Teel's daughter sent you.... Mr. Ridley used to call on my dad when he was in the grocery business,.  Mr. Ridley and I had a nice walk down memory lane about how things used to be... and he remembered my dad and mom... 

And that is the first edition to "In the kitchen with"...... 
                

A New Beginning

It's the first Sunday of 2013....spent some wonderful time with my church family this morning and evening .... Can't think of a nicer way to start a new year off!

School starts tomorrow ... Which means we are half way thru this school year! Things are going fast!

Some new things to look forward to on this rambling blog of mine....
1). The results of an accidental cook
2). Glimpses of Redstone Images
I just know you are so pumped !!!

Hopefully you will like what you see and will be so kind as to comment.

That's all for this "First Sunday in 2013

Happy Trails!

Reflections

It's the last Sunday of 2012..... What have I accomplished this year? Sometimes it's hard to remember what all I did get finished or even started.... But I do know one thing..... I was loved. By my husband , my children (maybe not every day) by my grandbabies (all 5 of them) by my sweet brother, my mother in law and by my sweet wonderful friends. Most importantly I hope each of them knows that they were and are loved by me!

I have a bucket list. I crossed one item off just last week. That was to successfully make from scratch a chocolate merengue pie (made 2!). Another item in my list is to go zip line . But that will have to wait till this summer .

The most important thing for me personally has been rediscovering my absolute faith in The Lord . My faith has always been there, but it's sort of been a back burner item, I am ashamed to say. Many occurrences have led up to my understanding of "it's time" to put The Lord as the center of my life. One occurrences has been the question that keeps running through my mind, have I set the best example I could for my children and are they setting the best example for their children...... I know the answer.... And I am going to work at improving that.

Music.... I love music. Really all kinds. From Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Etta James, the 60's and 70's pop,
To Reba and George, Garth and Trisha. I love listening to my friend, Diana Wood...who could be a star.. She really is that good (and she is a star in my mind)....

Horses.... I love horses. The good, the not so good.... Their soul which can be seen and heard without them ever making a sound. Have you ever really looked into their eyes? You can learn so much by just spending time with them.....and looking into their eyes....

I hope each of you takes time to reflect on your 2012.... Figure out what is most important to you and make priorities for 2013. Remembering some words from a 1976 song from the Steve Miller Band, "time keeps on slipping into the future"... Let us all strive to "fly like an eagle" and make a difference.

I hope you will join the conversation in 2013 and let's make a difference.

From the heart of Redstone Farm...
Happy New Year and may the good Lord smile upon you.

I am so excited.... it's the eve of my new life!  Yes! My life begins again tomorrow (October 10)..... Now what changes do I want to make?  First I'd like to commit to praying more often.  I somehow feel that once or twice a day just isn't enough. My conversations with the Lord will be continuous and never ending (big expectations I know)  I want to be kinder, more considerate and more patient.  I want my skills as a teacher to improve, along with my skills as a photographer (also known as a professional camera owner).... I want to help others.  But most of all, I want my family and friends to know that I truly love them...ALL OF THEM! So... as I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep... If I should die, before I wake, I pray the Lord, my soul to take..... 
So if I am so fortunate to see the sun rise in the morning, I will celebrate another day on this earth with all of you, I will begin with a joyous heart and I will strive to make my 57th new beginning better than all of the others.

A Blessing

I remember being 17. I remember being happy, scared and just 17. I remember my sweet Aunt Betty walking quickly across the street to my mom's house with a stop watch in her hand... And going to the doctor to see if labor had really begun. And I remember everyone who came to the hospital to wait with us for the arrival. 10:17pm came and so did a beautiful baby girl names Holly SuzAnne.... And my world changed... No regrets just the reality of a tiny, beautiful soul, relying and trusting in me... And I was 17 and her life had just begun.... Happy Birthday sweet Holly... Your momma loves you more with each passing day....(and I'm not 17 anymore)

Change of Season

It's that time of year.... summer is nearly over and fall is just around the corner!  It's hot weather one day, and cool the next.... it's waiting for football season to start and being disappointed in the first loss of the season... and jubilant with the first win! It's crickets and grasshoppers invading your world....and waiting for the first frost.... And it's my favorite time of year, when the leaves start changing from green to red, gold and brown..... Lots to look forward to.... and many precious memories to reflect on.... And wondering how on earth I have lived 56 years and been so blessed with such a wonderful family. 

Wow!  Have you ever forgotten your password and could not get into your ..... whatever?  I do it a lot!  I keep thinking I will remember and then finally give up and go through the reset process.  So here I am again! Finally!   
Thoughts for today................. I just celebrated my 36th  4th of July with the Chief.   A lot has changed since that first one.... it was spent on the back of a Honda 750 motorcycle.  Lots of fun with lifelong friends... Our family has grown from 1daughter to 3 and now 2 son in laws and 5 grandbabies!  We have been blessed.  Our next addition to our family will be  another son in law.   And we are so happy to have Steven join our family!