Perfectly Imperfect Women Retreat

Ah.....a couple of days just for ME -- and my friends -- and other women from throughout Ohio.....to celebrate nothing more than being the very best imperfect women we can be......

I spent last evening and this morning at a retreat at the Spiritual Center of Maria Stein at a retreat titled "The Perfectly Imperfect Woman".....what a wonderful retreat!

I have always loved retreats -- you take a few things out of your life for a bit and focus on a few other key areas -- this weekend it was removing husbands and kids and replacing them (temporarily!) with prayer, reflection, and laughter!

I was asked a few months ago to be a speaker at this weekend's retreat.  I was thrilled!  I love to talk (lol) -- especially in front of groups -- I enjoy helping people find the best version of themselves! 

I have to admit that last night I was shaking in my shoes for a bit!  I was speaking directly (and I mean directly!) after my friend Kimi, and as she was speaking I was trying to figure out ways to get out of speaking.  I thought of holding up a sign and saying, "Keep going Kimi!" -- or leaving the room :) -- or any number of other ways I thought of to get out of speaking. 

Why did I want out?  Because as Kimi was speaking, I watched her shine shine shine -- she is such an eloquent speaker who was really getting her points across -- she knows the bible inside and out and was quoting scripture verse after scripture verse, reading from her very organized index cards (which were clipped together in order.....as I sat and held my few scraps of paper I had scribbled a few notes on.  The more she spoke -- I kept reorganizing my talk --- still trying to hatch my escape plan.

But -- I was foiled again -- because, before I could get the heck out of dodge, she introduced me and it was my time.  Yikes!  I was so worried I was going to fall flat on my face.  I even pointed out Kimi's beautiful note cards aside of my scraps of paper!   LOL

I love speaking at retreats, though, because women are there to listen -- to whatever you have to say.  They are eager to listen, and to learn, and to grow from their experience.  Might I even say they are hungry for their fairth -- and to nurture it.

So I didn't get booed out of the room and everyone seemed to enjoy it -- even the part where I told everyone about my sister-in-law taking my young children to their very first bar!

The other parts of the evening were just as wonderful -- with mass, celebrated by my friend, Rev. John Tonkin, always a beautiful way to celebrate any occasion - -but even more beautiful last night.  I had the gift of getting a "communion/sign of peace" hug from my friend, Mary, who had come in from Cleveland for the weekend -- and who brought me to tears by the sight of her.  Mary and I were Resident Assistants together at Ohio State, and then lived together for several years after college.  Since that time, our only really chances to be together are when we run into each other at the Ohio State Fair when our kids are competing, so we really only have a few minutes until one or the other needs to get to be with our kids.

I have said it before and I will say it again -- the true test of friendship is when you can be absent from one another for long periods of time and still pick up without missing a beat.  We were able to do that this weekend.  And we laughed.  Boy, did we laugh.  (I'm pretty sure the wine we were "tasting" helped out a bit, too!)  Our friend, Joyce, was there as well, and she had some fun memories to share, too!  I truly have not laughed that hard and that long for a long time......and it felt so good!

I told everyone during my talk that it occurred to me that Mary was one of those people I sought out at the beginning of one of my years at school to go to church with me -- I tell my kids, and also my CCD kids to do the same -- find other Catholic kids at the beginning of the year to go to church with you and "keep you honest" :) -- so it was an amazing thought to me to think how far we've come -- from going to church and breakfast during college, to celebrating this weekend.  What a wonderful gift!

I "roomed" with my friend Melissa, so we got to chat at other times.  I love sharing my faith with my friends -- it really brings your relationship to a whole other level.   She is such a gift in my life and I appreciate her so much!

When we finally rolled into bed (around 2 am, which is late for this girl!) -- we set our alarms for 7 am -- breakfast was at 8!  I wondered how this was going to work -- I'm not used to these hours!  But, I was on autopilot because it was a "special" time -- and hit the snooze once until Melissa yelled at me to get out of bed......and we were on our way!  Dressed and in search of coffee to start the day!

A couple of speakers in the am -- my friend Jamie Schmiesing, who has such a brilliant way of making her super busy family life seem so doable for anyone (I couldn't do it!) spent a few minutes reflecting on morning times at her home; and Joan Kiser, whom I have written of before -- she runs the Neurological Center in Fort Recovery -- brought her client, Rick, with her to share their story of how God sometimes has other plans for your life.

All in all, a super spectacular weekend celebrating with friends old a new.  I can't wait for November 1 & 2 next year, when we will do it all over again!  I hope that you will take time now to mark your calendar and join us!

Exciting Announcement!

I am THRILLED to announce to you that I have been asked to be a keynote speaker at the upcoming Perfectly Imperfect Woman Retreat to be held at the Spiritual Center in Maria Stein on November 9-10.

Last year was the first year this retreat was held and the organizers were overwhelmed with the number of registrations they received.  They thought they would be happy if 50 women came out.  I remember Robin Goettemoeller texting me more than once telling me the registrations were coming out of the woodwork!  Women were hungry to be fed the word of God -- and titling it Perfectly Imperfect Women was "perfect"!!!

My friend Kimi Brown and I will be discussing "Modern Day Imperfect Women"......hmmmm.....why were we chosen?  LOL  It's not like I just threw my clothes in the hamper because I had spaghetti sauce all over them.  LOL

The evening will start with mass -- I have heard the presider is "awesome" and cannot wait to experience his mass.  Kimi and I will speak directly afterwards, and then I will be doing a presentation on "four ingredient meals" -- probably with samples.  Fr. Dan Schmitmeyer has fed directly into my recipe selection this year -- so we are good to go with recipes!

Of course wine is on the agenda for the evening!!!

In the morning, I will be sitting on a panel discussing "tweens" -- the fun times in life!!!  :)  Women looking for  someone to discuss their "woes" with -- and there will be panels for all age groups!  My friend Jamie Schmiesing is also speaking first thing in the morning -- can't wait to hear what she cooks up to talk about -- she is amazing!

I've attached the flyer in a new section I made up above called "upcoming events".  Click on that and then you can click on the flyer to see times, etc.  I'm really impressed at the price of this event -- it includes an overnight stay if you want -- and meals while you are there....so come join us if  you can!!!

(And, I've called it upcoming events plural because maybe, just maybe, you'll be seeing me speak other places.)  God is so freaking good sometimes!!!  :)

Are you coming?  Let me know if I should look for you!

Attitude of Gratitude

My thankfulness today is directed at my sisters in Christ.  What I saw tonight was amazing -- 200 women coming together to share their love of the Lord, and to share with one another their triumphs and their struggles.  It was wonderful to see old friends, meet some new friends, all the while watching friends be with one another. 

Jamie Schmiesing -- you are amazing.  You have such a wonderful peaceful presence, and tell such a beautiful story like no other.  Your family is so lucky to have you as their wife, mother, and center of their lives!

To the women who planned this -- Robin, Tess, and Kim -- amazing foresight on your part.  People want this and need this -- thank you for taking the time to put it together.  What a gift.

To my friend, Melissa -- thanks for your help tonight.  I truly couldn't have done it without you!

Alicia -- thanks for bringing your wine.  That was so fun!  You are such a great friend.

I am already looking forward to next year's program.  Can't wait to see what it holds!

Many people asked me tonight for a copy of my handouts at the retreat.  Here they are, copied and pasted from a Word document (so you could copy and paste them right back into a word document and print them!)  Sorry, I can't attach a word document here.

Had a great time tonight -- will write more later (may be Sunday, as tomorrow is an extremely busy and exciting day!).

Quick, Easy Meals for Busy Moms!

                                                                                                                  

Pam Kaiser

www.roamincatholicmom.blogspot.com

Pantry Basics:

Group 1:

Pasta (noodles, spaghetti, etc.)

Stuffing

Rice (white, long grain, wild)

Vegetables (frozen, canned)

Group 2:

Spaghetti Sauce

Creamy soups (mushroom, chicken, celery, cheese)

Ranch Dressing

Group 3:

Chicken

Hamburger

Tuna

Sausage

Group 4 (optional):

Add any spices that may enhance the meal, or special tastes that your family might like.

To make an easy casserole, pick one item from each list.  Mix together – may want to add cheese or top with cheese.  Bake at 350 (if meat is already cooked) for 30 mins.  Add a salad or fruit and dinner is ready!

Entrees

To Die for Crock Pot Roast

• 1 (4 -5 lb) beef roast, any kind
• 1 (1 1/4 ounce) package brown gravy mix, dry
• 1 (1 1/4 ounce) package dried Italian salad dressing mix
• 1 (1 1/4 ounce) package ranch dressing mix, dry
• 1/2 cup water

Directions:

Place beef roast in crock pot.

Mix the dried mixes together in a bowl and sprinkle over the roast.

Pour the water around the roast.

Cook on low for 7-9 hours.

Easy Cheese Soup

2 cans Nacho Cheese Soup

2 ½ c milk

½ pkg hash browns

Mix soup and milk together in crock pot.  Add potatoes.  Cook on low 2-3 hours.  Serve with chopped onions, bacon bits.

Sausage Apple Bake

Ingredients

• 6 Granny Smith or Jonathan apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 2 pounds pre-cooked bratwurst or kielbasa
• 2 teaspoons butter, or to taste
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled, sliced thin
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded, diced
• 2 zucchini, sliced thin
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella or Jack cheese (optional)

Directions

Peel, core and slice apples. Layer apples and sausage on the bottom of a 9 by 13 by 2-inch casserole dish and dot with butter. Then layer the onions, potatoes, bell peppers and zucchini. Bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 1 hour. Once casserole is cooked, cover the top with cheese and bake until melted.

Cream Cheese Chicken

--1 can cream-of-something soup

--1/2 cup chicken broth

--frozen chicken pieces

--packet of Italian salad dressing mix

--2 cloves minced garlic

--block of cream cheese (to add later)

Directions.

Put everything except for the cream cheese into the crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and begins to shred. Shred the chicken with two large forks, and mix in the block of cream cheese. Switch the crock to high and cook for another 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese is fully melted.

Serve over pasta.

Chicken Pammy

1 box chicken Stuffing

½ c. butter or margarine

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1 c. sour cream

Swiss Cheese slices

Fresh mushrooms (optional)

·         Heat the oven to 350°F.  Melt butter and mix with contents of stuffing mix.  Set aside.

·         Lay chicken in pan (may want to cut in smaller pieces to help bake faster).

·         Lay swiss cheese slices over the top of the chicken.

·         Slice mushrooms over the top (if wanted).

·         Stir the soup and sour cream in a small bowl. Pour the soup mixture over the chicken. 

·         Spoon stuffing over the top of all

·         Cover the baking dish with foil.

·         Bake for 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked through.  I like to remove the foil the last 10 minutes or so so the stuffing gets a little crunchy.  Let sit for 5 minutes or so before serving.

Pulled Pork

1 pork loin (or any cut of pork roast)

1 bottle of Barbecue sauce (your choice – we like Sweet Baby Ray’s)

Roast meat until done (160 degrees) – about 1 ½ hours at 350 depending, on size of roast.  Remove any fatty pieces.  Shred with two forks.  Pour barbecue sauce over and mix.  Add a little of the juices from the roasting pan, or chicken broth to make a little soupy, especially if you are adding to crock pot.  Serve on buns. 

Italian Dressing Chicken (Amy Fullenkamp)

Chicken breast for each family member

Pour most of a bottle of Italian dressing

1/4 - 1 cup of soy sauce (to taste)

- this recipe can be put in a crock pot or marinaded and cooked over the grill.  Serve with baked potatoes in the microwave and too easy!

Beer Marinade.

I like this better with Beef.

Add most of a bottle of Italian dressing.

1 can of beer.

Marinade and grill.

Tator Tot Casserole (Amy Fullenkamp)

 (This is Fullenkamp recipe. For some reason, it tastes even better when reheated)

- Mix together one bag of tator tots, 1 bag (2 cans drained) of green beans, 1 can of mushroom soup, 1 lb cooked ground beef, and 1/2 a bag of mozzarella cheese.  Place in 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle rest of cheese on top and bake. 350 for 30ish(till warm and bubbly).

Fiesta Chicken (Amy Fullenkamp)

(This recipe has A LOT of room to play with.) Any chicken pieces - enough for family

1 bag frozen corn

1 bag frozen peppers&onions

1 Jar salsa/ 1/2 can rotel / 1 can rotel (started with salsa when the girls were young and ryan just added hot sauce to his.  Switched to rotel to please Ryan as the girls got older and could handle more

heat)

OPTIONAL:   (I have left these out to save prep time)

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp pepper

Shredded Cheese (place over top of the dish at the end)

Variations:

1)Can be made in crock pot or in 9x13 pan

2) make above and serve over rice

3) Double corn and serve as chicken with corn/salsa side dish

3) Mince up the chicken and return to the mix. Serve with Tortilla chips as a hearty dip

4) Substitute chicken or add black beans to make it heartier and cheaper

5) make in crock pot. Dice chicken and return to crock.  Place cheese in everyone's individual bowl.  Pour mixture over top and stir together to melt cheese.  Makes a tasty quick take on tortilla soup.

Italian Potatoes (Amy Fullenkamp)

 (This tastes amazing like you put a lot of work into it.  However it is really easy. TONS of flavor with little prep work)

- Slice 1 onion and a potato and 1/2 for each person.  Layer potatoes, onions, and Italian dressing into a skillet till full.  Cook on medium heat for about 45 min, flipping as needed, until cooked through.

STEWS! (Amy Fullenkamp)

Probably my easiest, heartiest, stand by meals.

Add a protein - chicken, beef, sausage

Add several bags of frozen veggies

Add water, tomato juice/sauce/paste, or stocks ADD A GRILL MATE MARINADE.  Montreal chicken, garlic and herb, mesquite, etc.  Sure you use half a bottle that costs $2-$3.  However by the time you add all the other spices or bottles of flavors it is really not that expensive.  Plus you know that the spices will taste good.

Also, all you have to do is change one of the things in the lists above to totally change a recipe. Take a soup from broth-based to tomato-based to totally change the taste!  Lots of room to play which makes it hard to get in a rut.

Whenever Kroger has frozen bags of veggies on sale for $1, I stock up!

Skillet Barbecue Meal. (Amy Fullenkamp)

This is the best easiest "homemade" BBQ sauce we have found.  It is a GREAT base and then depending on how you like your sauce (hot, sweet, tangy), it is easy to add a little more of an ingredient to tweak the whole thing.  Family favorite for something a little different.

2 tbs minced onion

2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup tomato paste (one of those little cans)

2 tbs brown sugar

1 tbs soy sauce

2 tsp lime juice

dash of salt

Coat skillet with cooking spray; place over medium heat till hot. Add onion and garlic. Saute 1 minute.  Add remaining ingredients to skillet and stire well.  Add a protein (chicken, pork chops) and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until tender.  (20 minute for pork chops, longer for chicken) *this also works great in the crock pot. Just mix everything in the crock and set on low for the day.  AWESOME!  Add some quick microwaved baked potatoes and you have a full meal.

Also free of all top 8 allergens except Soy.

--From Light Cooking for Two.

Another barbecue sauce:

1 can tomato soup

½ c. brown sugar

2 T vinegar

Onion to taste

Dash of Worcestershire Sauce

Mix all together.  I like to put this over leftover hamburgers the next day.  Bake. 

This combination also makes an excellent topping for meatloaf.

Beef and Noodle Toss (Amy Fullenkamp)

Shocking flavor for so few ingredients. I usually make this whenever I see a manager's special on Mushrooms.

8 oz Noodles of choice

1 lb ground beef

1 cup crushed or diced tomatoes

8 oz mushrooms (they suggest crimini or button. I use whatever)

2 tsp minced garlic

1 14 oz can beef broth

1. Cooked noodles and drain.

2. Heat skillet and add meat; cook and drain.  Add tomatoes, mushrooms and garlic.  Cook 5 minutes.  Add broth cook 3 to 4 minutes more until beef is done and liquid is slightly thickened.

3. add cooked noodles to skillet and stir gently to coat.  Heat through and Serve!

--With Gluten Free noodles and the right broth this is free of all top

8 allergens

-- from Better homes and garden but I tweaked the heck out of it to price it lower.  Wasn't going to use excellent cuts of beef or pints of grape tomatoes on my little mouths. :)

Summer Corn Chowder (Amy Fullenkamp)

I make this when corn is in season.  It adds so much flavor I was shocked at the difference the corn stock made!  If I am making this for my family, I make it a bit easier than the recipe calls for.  We have corn on the cob and I save all the cobs.  I make this soup the next day and then add corn that I have in the freezer.  It is all the same I guess but then I don't have to sit in the kitchen cutting corn off the cob - bleh! too busy for that!

6 ears of corn

4 slices of bacon (or chopped ham)

1 onion chopped

4 cups milk

1 tbs cornstarch

1. Put the cobs in waters and sprinkle salt and pepper in a pot with a tight fitting lid over medium-high heat.  Bring to boil, then turn to low, cover and cook for 20 min.

2. In a separate skillet cook bacon/ham and onions until soft.

3. Remove cobs from stock and discard.  Add milk, corn kernels, ham, and onion to the stock and bring to boil.  Lower the heat so the soup bubbles gently.  Cook uncovered stirring frequently until the corn is tender.  About 10 minutes.

4. Whisk the cornstarch in a small bowl with 2 tbs water until smooth.

 Add to the soup; stir until soup thickens, about a minute.  Adjust seasoning as needed and serve!

Egg Casserole

Ingredients

• 12 eggs, beaten
• 2 c. milk
• 1 1/2 pounds ground breakfast sausage
• 16 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
• 7 slices white bread, torn into pieces

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.      Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain off grease, and set aside to cool. Pour the eggs into a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

3.      In a separate large bowl, combine the sausage, bread and 12 ounces of the cheese. Mix well and pour this into the egg mixture. Top with the remaining 4 ounces of cheese and cover with foil.

4.      Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 minutes, uncover, and bake until casserole is golden brown and bubbly.

***you can substitute other meats if you want (bacon, ham, etc.) and cheese as well (swiss, provolone) as your family likes.

Dessert

Brownie Bites

1 pkg. brownie mix, mixed according to package directions

Minitature Reese Cups, unwrapped, frozen

Mix brownie batter according to package directions.  Fill mini muffin pans about ½ - 2/3 full.  Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.  Immediately upon removing from oven, insert a Reese cup in the center.  Let sit for 10 minutes or so until cool.  Using a plastic knife, circle around the cup to remove.

Father’s “Salad”

A priest friend shared with me that his mom always told him salad was good for him because it was colorful, and colorful was good!  So, he started to volunteer to bring salad to gatherings – he thought it was easy to make, and everyone seemed to like it.  It IS colorful!!!  J

1 pkg. plain M&Ms

1 pkg. peanut M&Ms

1 pkg. peanut butter M&Ms

Any other flavors of M&Ms that you can find and enjoy – add a bag of them!

Pour all into a bowl and toss gently.  Serve and enjoy!

My favorite cooking websites:

www.allrecipes.com (they have an area where you can put in ingredients you want to use and it will come up with recipes that you might like – I love this!)

www.tasteofhome.com

www.crockpotgirls.com

crockpot365.blogspot.com/

A favorite family prayer:

God is great, God is good, and we thank him for our food!  Amen.

Enjoy your mealtimes together!!!  Make memories!  Make the dinner table an argument free zone, so that everyone enjoys the time together.  Instead, make memories!

Attitude of Gratitude Thursday, November 3

Today I am thankful for........little red gas cans!  You know, the kind that you fill up at the gas station so you can fill up your lawnmower?  Well, tonight it came in very handy......as I was out of gas in my own driveway!!!  I had seen the light come on earlier in the day (much earlier!) but kept putting it off until I was done with the next errand......obviously I waited one errand too long!

Thank goodness there was some in there -- enough to get me to the gas station so I could fill up before our full day tomorrow!

It's at times like that I am thankful that someone, somewhere had the foresight to invent a gas container.  Just as I'm thankful for the person who invented the little plastic ends on shoelaces!  What a genius!

(I guess I should also thank the person who invented the light on my car that indicates my gas is low, too, although apparently I don't pay attention to their invention!)

If you have it in your heart, say a little prayer for me tomorrow night.  I am giving a presentation to a group of women at a women's retreat.  It seemed easy when I said yes, but now the nerves are kicking in!  I'm excited to be talking about faith filled meals and gathering around our tables for dinner!

Hope your week is going well!