Another devastating diagnosis

 Friday July 31 another specialist appointment. Another devastating diagnosis.

Cameron has had so many devastating diagnoses in the last 18 months.

Schizencephaly, in which we found out 25% of his brain is missing. This is the big one. You can read more about this very very rare condition at we are rare.

Also diagnosed with Polymicrogyria. Many small wrinkles on the brain. More information about this condition can be found here.

And now, we get the Cerebal Palsy diagnosis. I'm still processing this information. I don't know what this means for our little guy, but I do know this, he will continue to move mountains to reach those stars and God has very special plans for him! I still need to process this information more before I can grasp it, come to term with it, and get another plan of action together!

Any and all prayers are very welcomed for our sweet lil boy!

Our beautiful sweet boy enjoying his frozen candy at big brothers football practice.

Yep, he loves his candy!

Until next post, Have a very blessed day,

Shelly

Summer Fun

 Summer has been sorta blah around here this year. It rained the entire month of June. The boys were stuck inside the house the whole month. Thank goodness July and August have been a bit better! And with that, we now have PeeWee football to look forward to!

This is our first year with Braedan and football. He is loving it, we are loving it! He plays quarterback on offense and safety on defense! It's been quite interesting to watch these littles come together to play as team and learn everything about the game.

This is a fantastic organization, who believes in the boys showing respect at all times and doing what is necessary, including homework. School doesn't start here for a couple of weeks, but the coach has already told the players, if they get a color change in school, they will be running laps. And they are very serious about it. Already, if the boys are all hyped up and aren't listening, they are made to run laps.

I think this is going to be a very good thing for Braedan. It's teaching him teamwork, listening skills, and making him feel like he is a part of something much bigger than himself! And who knows, he may just love it so much that he decides football is his calling!

What organized sports do your children participate in? Have you noticed changes in their behavior or attitude? Let me know your story below!



Until next post, Have a very blessed day,

Shelly

Beef Pot Pie Freezer Meal

Now I couldn't leave out beef for pot pies. I swear my husband thinks there is no other meat than beef. This is as simple as the chicken pot pie meal and tastes just as good.

This recipe makes one pot pie, so you will want to double, triple, or even quadruple for your freezer cooking session.

You'll need:
1 pound sirloin steak (stew meat or cubed roast works well also)
salt and pepper to taste
1 can beef broth
3 large carrots, diced
3 potatoes, cubed
1 cup frozen peas or green beans
1 cup frozen corn
1/3 cup water
Pie crusts (I use a deep dish frozen crust for the bottom and the pre-made crusts found in the dairy section for the top)

Directions:
In a saucepan over medium heat, brown the beef on all sides. Pour in some water to almost cover. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer until meat is tender and falls apart easily, about 2-3 hours. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and shred slightly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
In another saucepan over medium heat, pour in broth and add carrots and potatoes. Cook until almost tender, about 15-20 minutes.
Transfer these to the mixing bowl with the beef, leaving the liquid in the pan. Add the peas (beans)  and corn.
Dissolve the cornstarch with the 1/3 cup water. Pour into the sauce pan of beef broth, stirring constantly. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat, cook for 5 minutes.
Pour the gravy over the beef/vegetable mixture in the bowl.
 Add this to your pie crust, top with top crust, trim, and seal.
Place in zip lock bag or seal with your seal a meal.
To bake:
Thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Add a salad and some crusty bread and you've got a wonderful hot, quick meal!



Until next post, Have a very blessed day,

Shelly

Chicken Pot Pie Freezer Meal

This is probably my all time favorite freezer meal to fix. A large version of one of our favorite quick to go meals. This one is very inexpensive to make and will go along way. It's one of those stick to your ribs kind of meals that will not leave anyone hungry!

The original recipe I found said this yielded 2 pies per recipe, but I get 4 pies out of each batch!

What you'll need:
4 cups cooked chicken, cubed
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups carrots, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup butter
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup frozen peas or green beans
1 cup frozen corn
Pie crust for 4 9" double crust pies. (I use 4 deep dish frozen crusts for the bottoms and the already made pie crust from the dairy section for my top crusts.)

Directions:
Boil potatoes and carrots in large stockpot. In another pot, boil chicken for 8 minutes or until done. Drain vegetables and chicken and set aside.
In a large skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, salt, thyme, and pepper until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil and stir for 2 minutes until thickened.  Add chicken, peas (or beans), corn, potatoes, and carrots. Remove from heat.

Add 1/4 mixture to each bottom crust. Top with top crust and trim and seal. I then use my seal a meal to individually wrap each pie. You can use a gallon size zip lock bag for each one if you do not have a seal a meal system.

To cook: Bake one pie at 425 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Let stand for about 15 minutes before slicing.

Add in a nice side salad and some fruit for a well balanced meal.

What is your favorite pot pie meal/recipe? Leave me a comment below!


Until next post, Have a very blessed day,

Shelly

Hearty Beef Stew Freezer Meal

 We love to have a really good, thick, rich, and hearty beef stew on those very cold winter nights. This one I found has been a tremendous hit! (Shhh don't tell the hubs there is mushroom soup in here, he would refuse to eat it even though this is his favorite stew!)

Very simple to throw together and cook!

Recipe makes one stew:
1 pound stew beef (you can also take a nice rump roast and cube it up if you find a really great deal)
4 carrots, sliced
4 potatoes, cut into large cubes
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 pkg frozen green beans
1 pkg frozen corn

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a zip lock gallon size freezer bag. Mix in the bag. Label and freeze. When ready to cook, remove from freezer and thaw for 24 hours ( I've placed mine frozen in the crock pot same day and still have the same great results). Place in crock pot and cook on low for 7-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.

This is great when served with a nice crusty Italian or French bread along side!

I normally make 3-4 of these for my freezer.

Do you have a favorite beef stew, soup or other stew recipe? Leave me a comment and tell me all about it!


Until next post, Have a very blessed day,


 Shelly

Twice Baked Potates Freezer Meal

This has quickly become one of my favorite recipes for side dishes for the freezer. I can take out just the amount of potatoes I need for the meal and have a very satisfying side dish!

You will need the following:

8 large baking potatoes, baked
2 Tbsp butter, softened
3/4 c. milk
1 egg, beaten
1 c. of your favorite shredded cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
4 green onions, sliced

Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the center of each one. You want to leave a nice shell with some potato still attached to the skin.
Place scooped potato in a large bowl, add butter, milk, and egg and beat with mixer until smooth. Add some of your cheese to this mixture.
Heap this potato mixture back into your shells, top with more cheese, bacon, and green onions.
Flash freeze by placing potatoes on baking sheet into freezer for at least 30 minutes. After this time, take out and place each potato in a zip lock baggie. You can then place all of these in a larger gallon size baggie to keep them all together.

To serve: Take out the number of potatoes needed for the meal, thaw completely and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Top with sour cream if you would like. Enjoy!

Until next post, Have a Blessed day,

Shelly

Chicken and Wild Rice Freezer Meal

This is one of my favorite meals to prep for the freezer. So simple and very delicious. I usually make 2-4 of these at one time so I have plenty on hand in the freezer for a quick dinner idea. Pair this with a favorite bread and a beautiful salad and you have a great meal.

You will want to double, triple or quadruple this recipe depending on how many you need to make. This recipe makes one casserole.

1 box wild rice with seasoning packet. (4.3 oz size)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 soup can of water
1 small can of mushrooms, drained
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (you can use thighs also if you like) uncooked

1. Mix rice, seasoning, soups, and water together in a bowl. Add mushrooms.
2. Pour this mixture into an 8x8 aluminum baking pan. Top with the chicken pieces.

Top with the lid, and if you like, double wrap in foil and label. Place in the freezer.

To cook: Thaw and bake uncovered at 350 for 1 hour or until chicken juices run clear.

Note: I have adapted this recipe from one found here.

If you try this let me know how you like it! Have you made changes that you just love? Leave me a comment below!

Have a Blessed day,

Shelly