I’m terrible sorry that we haven’t been posting in a couple of week.
It’s November and everybody is busy. Powerline Productions is no exception. The test kitchens are going full tilt and the employees are running around nonstop. Meredith is gearing up for a talk at a local homeschool support group and I am preparing for a family trip to Virginia. Our college students are finishing up classes with big projects and starting to prepare for finals and our homeschool students are straining to get their work done among the distractions. This morning has been beautiful. I was able to swim a mile, enjoying the sunshine all the while. I’ve enjoyed a delicious lunch of steam asparagus and leftover baked ham roll-ups. (If you’re interested in trying them, the recipe is at the end of this blog.)
In between making a batch of chocolate turtles and a batch of truffles I had a moment to look out the window at Big Daddy, our 300 year live old oak tree and his leaves were still. I was enthralled. I couldn’t take my eyes off those beautiful green, still leaves. (Yes, I realize that an oak tree with green leaves in November might be shocking to some of you. I don’t know if it’s because we’re in Florida or because he’s a Live Oak Tree, but Big Daddy doesn’t shed his leaves until March when the new ones force the old ones out.) We are experiencing a great deal of wind in Florida today as Tropical storm/depression/whatever-their-calling-it-now Ida is wreaking havoc on the gulf. They haven’t been strong winds, just constant. I don’t think there has been a moment in days that Big Daddy has been still. The air has been some-what like my life, busy. Big Daddy and his still leaves reminded me to take a moment.
We take time to homeschool our kids and that’s good. We take time to feed our families and if you have teenage boys like me that’s very good. We take time to study The Word or Praise the Lord and that’s extremely good. How much time do we take to just be with Him? How much time do we take to consciously appreciate the gifts He has given us? It’s time to prepare a Thanksgiving feast. Then it will be time to buy gifts for everybody to show how thankful we are for the gift of God’s son. Don’t be stressed by it. Take the time you need to really be thankful, even while you’re making the preparations. Enjoy the smells of the food while it’s still cooking. Enjoy the bright colors, lights, and music of the holiday season. Keep your eyes open to see and appreciate when the wind stops blowing.
Baked Ham Roll-Ups
Ingredients
- 2 (10oz.) pkg. chopped spinach
- 2 cups corn bread stuffing mix
- 2 cups sour cream
- 24 slice ham lunchmeat
- 4 cups milk
- 4 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 2 cups sharp grated cheese
- pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Cook frozen spinach as directed on package and drain. Combine with stuffing mix and sour cream; mix well. Spread each ham slice with about ½ cup spinach mixture. Roll and place seam side down in 9×13 inch Pyrex dish. Dissolve cornstarch and milk well in saucepan and heat. Add butter, cheese, and pepper; cook till thickened. Pour over ham rolls. Bake, covered, 15 minutes, uncovered, 15 minutes.