Magnificent Monday

Oh the magnificence of our heavenly Father, how he cares for his children, and how he draws them near to himself to give them reassurance in his love.

Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
- Joshua 1:9

What a wonderful day it is, I am up, and I have had no pain medicine since yesterday when I went to church.


I did take one then, just in case I needed some extra help while there. It was great, and I surely got my cup filled, my husband rewarded me for my first day back to church with a Dairy Queen Chile Dog, it was so good, then we went over to McDonald's and got a hot fudge Sunday, and split it, I really still cannot eat much, makes my stomach uneasy, I have lost 13 pounds since I had the surgery, and I was worried that I gained some in that steel ball joint they put in my knee, heehee, doing good, only have about 25 pounds to go to be where I need to be. So all in all I am great, doing good, getting better daily, and praising God for his blessings on me. 

Be content with what you have, for God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid."
- Hebrews 13:5,6

have you missed my Recipes? Here is a good quick one for you to use while I still cannot cook.

Tried and Tested Pumpkin Recipes

Cooking Pumpkin


Boiling/Steaming Method: Cut the pumpkin into rather large chunks. Rinse in cold water. Place pieces in a large pot with about a cup of water. The water does not need to cover the pumpkin pieces. Cover the pot and boil for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender, or steam for 10 to 12 minutes. Check for doneness by poking with a fork. Drain the cooked pumpkin in a colander. Reserve the liquid to use as a base for soup. Follow the steps outlined below in Preparing the Puree.


Oven Method: Cut pumpkin in half, scraping away stringy mass and seeds. Rinse under cold water. Place pumpkin, cut side down on a large cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F for one hour or until fork tender. Then follow the procedure outlined below in Preparing the Puree.


Microwave Method: Cut pumpkin in half, place cut side down on a microwave safe plate or tray. Microwave on high for 15 minutes, check for doneness. If necessary continue cooking at 1-2 minute intervals until fork tender. Continue as outlined below in Preparing the Puree.  Source: USDA

Beef and Pork Baked in a Pumpkin



1 whole fresh pumpkin, med. size
1 lg. lean finely ground pork
1 lb. lean finely ground beef
1 lg. finely chopped onion
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground sage
Salt and pepper to taste
1 to 1-1/2 c. fresh mashed potatoes


Cut a hat (or lid) in the top of pumpkin and clean all seeds out of the interior. Rinse out the interior and dry with a paper towel. Set pumpkin aside. Saute beef and pork slowly until cooked. Remove from the pan and drain the fat from the meat. Saut?the onion in butter until golden. Add the meat and spices together and heat. Add enough mashed potatoes to meat mixture to hold it together, and place mixture in the pumpkin cavity. Place filled pumpkin in a pie pan with 1/4 inch of water in the bottom of the pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes, or until the pumpkin sinks or contracts somewhat. A toothpick should come out clean when done. My mouth is just watering for this, hope you enjoy it, perhaps my dh can prepare it, we will see, I sure would love it.