Reflections on Feeding the Flock 23

Another A-Z challenge completed. This is something I’ve been doing since 2015. I actually dabbled in it in 2014 but was not very successful.  It disciplines me to actually take the time to write. I always have full intentions of continuing to write throughout the year, but life seems to get in the way.  We all have priorities and each one takes a different precedence over someone else’s concerns. What is important to me is probably not important to you. My cousin Eric writes a newsletter every month about rocks.  For the life of me I don’t know what is so special about rocks? click here if you really want to know., But he loves it. I applaud him for all the work he puts into that newsletter every month, even though I don't understand most of what I read.

I enjoy this challenge very much. Every year I get to reconnect with the fellow blogger’s I’ve met over the years.  Every once in awhile I'll make a few new friends.  It’s like a family reunion online.

This year I stretched myself too far. My theme this year had to do with The Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all the nations…” FEEDING THE FLOCK 23 was my theme. Check out W-WAKE UP.  That’s where my theme idea originated.

I took on more than I should have by opting in to do both blogs. I learned a lot throughout this challenge.  I didn’t think I was going to be able to finish. I lost my stepdad on Earth Day and I still had seven days (14 posts) to go.  How was I going to function and go to work and post a blog each day? Do you know what God said to me?”…O you of little faith.” If GOD leads you to it, He will see you through it. (praise Lord!)

I was successful at posting to both blogs for every letter. I did slack at visiting others and I apologize for that.  I do want to say thank you to those who visited me. Kristin was consistent at leaving a comment on every recipe I posted. ☺ Little comments mean a great deal in bloggy world.

At this time, I don’t have any suggestions about improving the challenge.  I liked the graphics and KUDOS to whoever took the time to do them this year.  If anyone who is reading this post is interested in volunteering to get your talent out there…click here

 

Here are the links for each of the posts this year… the food was supposed to go with the devotion but somehow I meandered and got lost along the way.  It happens.  Hope to see you all next year. And you never know, I might come up with a post here and there.  Stay tuned.

 

DEVOTION

Anxiety, Allergies and Arthritis

Blessing Blitz

Cat Kisses

Dazbar’s Run

Embrace the Smooch

Friendship

Ground Meat

Halfway

Interpretation

Jake’s Cake

KISS: Keep it Simple Stupid

Letter Writing

Mason Jars

No Darkness

Old Pine Tree

Paper Cuts = Perilous Days

Quite Life

Raccoons

Step in Time

Today is the Day

User Friendly vs. Uncomfortable  

Victory

Wake UP!

X-Ray Vision

Yankees are Allowed

Zombie Apocalypse

THE FOOD

Asian Broccoli Salad

Banana Bread

Cookies

Diet Soup

Enchilada Chicken Dip

Fig Coffee Cake

Grits Casserole

Hushpuppy Griddle Cakes

Irish Sourdough Soda Bread

Jerking the Chicken

Jalapeño Muffins

Jalapeño Artichoke Spread

Kartoffelkloesse

Lemon Cake

Meal Magnificient

Naughty Sourdough Bread

Open-Faced Omelet

Penguins

Potato Sausage Casserole

Quick & Easy Pork Loin

Rosemary Lemon Cookies

Sourdough Starter

Tangerine Salad

Unleavened Bread

Veggie Pork Stir-Fry

Waffles

Xtreme Chicken

Yuppy Brownies

Zymurgy Biscuits 

X-treme Chicken - Feeding the Flock 23

2-3 chicken leg quarters (preferably thawed but mine were partially frozen)

16 oz. Brussels sprouts (I used frozen that I got at IGA marked down for $1)

3-4 tbsp. XTREMELY hot hot sauce (we got this hot sauce from Palmetto State Armory...it is so HOT)

1-2 tbsp. olive oil

Kosher salt and pepper

This was so easy.  A wing ding of a meal and Tall Cool ☺ne loved it.  Even the  cat loved the chicken (he's a junk food junky and eats everything cuz he thinks he's a dog).

Preheat oven 350º

Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Salt and pepper both sides.  Place on baking sheet.  Spread hot sauce over the chicken generously.  Bake for 1 hour.  Remove from oven and drain off greasy liquid.  Spread Brussel sprouts around the chicken and drizzle them with olive oil and a little pinch of Kosher salt.  Feel free to add more hot sauce to the chicken if you like it XTRA XTREMELY hot. 

Bake another 20-30 minutes and remove from oven.  Place aluminum foil over to keep warm until ready to serve.  It's best if it sits at least 15 minutes after removing from oven to incorporate all of the flavors.  With the olive oil and hot sauce, the Brussel sprouts did not need any other seasoning.

Enjoy.

Check out my X-Ray Vision over at Crackerberries

Potato and Sausage Casserole - Feeding the Flock 23

 

I just want to thank my daughter for sharing this recipe with me, she is helping me out again in the challenge.  If you click on the picture you can visit her website.  Here's her recipe. 

10 unpeeled brown potatoes

Jimmy Dean regular sausage roll

1 yellow pepper, diced

1 red pepper, diced 

½ block cream cheese

½ container sour cream

1 stick butter

Generous amount of cheddar cheese

Preheat oven 375º

Slice potatoes and boil until almost soft.

Sauté sausage and peppers together until cooked.

Mix cream cheese and sour cream together with drained potatoes and place in casserole dish. 

Cut slices of butter over top of potatoes. 

Top with sausage and peppers mixture.

Sprinkle with generous amount of cheddar cheese and bake about 30 minutes.

Enough for leftovers.

Enjoy,

Don't forget to check out Paper Cuts.

 

Penguins - Feeding the Flock 23

 

I made these at Christmas time but never got around to posting.  They were so much fun.

1 box of chocolate cake

1 container of chocolate frosting

1 container of white frosting

1 sleeve of Ritz crackers

Peanut butter, creamy or chunky

Mix cake according to box instructions.  

Make peanut butter crackers (placing peanut butter between two Ritz crackers)

Using half of the cake batter, divide amongst cupcake tins.  Place one peanut butter cracker in the center of each cup cake.  Cover with remaining batter.  Bake according to box instructions.  Let cool.  

Frost with white frosting, saving some for feet and beak.  Using the chocolate, frost around the outside of each cake, creating a forehead for the penguin.  Then using food coloring, create orange for beak and feet and using the picture, create little penguins.  

These were so tasty with the peanut butter cracker inside the cup cake.

Enjoy.

Check out Paper Cuts.

Open Faced Omelet - Feeding the Flock 23

 

2 small potatoes, scrubbed and diced

1 tbsp. butter

3 oz. breakfast sausage

½ green pepper, diced

½ onion, diced

3 large mushrooms, sliced

1 cup chopped mustard greens

4 cherry tomatoes

4 sliced, candied tomatoes

4 eggs, beaten

Add butter and potatoes to cast iron skillet and cook, stirring often for 10 minutes.  Add sausage and cook 5 minutes or until no pink remains.  Toss in peppers, onions, greens and mushrooms and sauté for about 3-5 more minutes.  Pour in eggs and cover.  Let steam and cook 3 minutes or so.  Top with tomatoes and jalapeños.  Serves 2.

Enjoy,

Don't forget to check out the Old Pine Tree.

Magnificent Meal - Feeding the Flock 23

This recipe idea came to me from remembering when I was a Brownie. We made (what was then called Mulligan Stew) where all the girls brought a can of soup and we mixed it all together to be on big soup.  Tall Cool ☺ne says it's called Stone Soup. Basically I took all the leftovers in the the fridge and sautèd them together to make a big ole magnificent stir fry.  

Canola oil

1 lb. onion sausage, casing removed

1 lg. zucchini, chopped

8 oz. whole mushrooms, halved

1 lg. onion, chopped

1 head broccoli florets, separated

8 oz. bag fresh baby spinach

8 oz. shredded carrots

1 large tomato, chopped

1 cup artichoke spread

2 tbsp. corn starch

3 tbsp. soy sauce

¼ tabasco sauce (sweet & spicy)

¼ cup water, (more or less)

In WOK add 1-2 tbsp. cooking oil.  Cook the sausage until no longer pink, remove from pan, cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Drain grease from pan.

Add 1 tbsp. oil to pan and heat 1 minute.  Add zucchini, onion, broccoli, carrots and sauté for about 5 minutes.  Add mushrooms, tomato and spinach and cover.  Cook another 2-3 minutes.  Add tomato and artichoke spread and cook 2-3 more minutes, covered.  

Uncover and stir in sausage.

In measuring cup, combine corn starch, soy sauce and tabasco sauce and mix well.  Make well in center of WOK by pushing veggies up against sides.  Pour sauce into center and stir until thickened.  Mix into veggies and sausage.  Stir and simmer 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve.

Serve as is, or with a side of rice or muffin.

Enjoy,

Don't forget to check out the M-devotional.

 

Fig Coffee Cake - Feeding the Flock 23

 

 

¾ cup sourdough

2 eggs

1-1/3 cup buttermilk

2½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

½ cup slivered toasted almonds

¼ cup candied ginger

½ cup fig preserves

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp, baking soda

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

 

Preheat oven to 350º

 

In large bowl, combine flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Make a well in the center and set aside.

 

Mix together candied ginger, toasted almonds and fig preserves in a small bowl.

 

In another bowl combine sourdough starter, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Add mixture to well in flour mixture all at once.  Stir just until moistened. Batter will be lumpy.

Spoon half of the mixture into a greased Bundt pan.  Spoon mounds of fig mixture over the batter, then cover with remaining batter.  Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown.  Let cool for about 10 minutes and then remove from Bundt pan and let cool completely.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Enjoy,

Don't forget to check out the devotional.