Remembering Hurriane Harvey

Hurricane Harvey. A name that has been uttered in every local newscast in southeast Texas for the past year. 

Hurricane Harvey impacted many people. And although our family emerged from Harvey’s wrath virtually unscathed, many in our small rural community are still suffering from the floods that showed no mercy. People are without homes or in the process of rebuilding.

Since Harvey has been in the forefront of many Texans' mind during this one-year anniversary, I thought I'd repost the images I shared with you all last year at this time. Images that will be forever seared into my memory. Because every time I cross the bridge into town, I can't help but think about those floodwaters.

At one point, our little town was cut off to the west, north and south, leaving only one way in and out.

Grocery stores and other businesses were forced to close because of the rapidly rising river and delivery trucks were unable to get in to restock the shelves. Mail delivery ceased for a few days because the post office was cut off by flood waters.

And, oh, how they rose, swallowing whatever lay in their path.

Wildlife found themselves trapped.

And people had to be rescued.

Quiet little hamlets that usually went unnoticed were completely under water.

Yet despite the devastation, it was Texas' shining hour. People came out in droves to help their neighbors. People with flat-bottom boats and airboats made their way to flooded areas to rescue those who were trapped. 

In the aftermath, residents donated food, water, clothing... And months later, prom dresses for those young girls whose families were still living through the nightmare created by Harvey.

People cared. They came together to help. No matter their race, religion or politics, we were united. And, Lord willing, it won't take another tragedy for that to happen again.

-----------------------------------------------

Three-time Carol Award finalist, Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com 

A Christmas Miracle!

Snow at the ranch!

I kid you not. Snow in South Central Texas.

It started Thursday night while myself and a bazillion other women were celebrating Ladies Night Out on the square.

I love it when God provides the ambiance.

At a little after midnight, the ground was covered with snow. And while my son woke us up to share in the spectacle, none of us got any pictures. 

So you will have to settle for my morning after pix.

Best sunrise I've seen in a long time.

And though there may not be much on the ground, that's more than just a heavy frost.

That's wet, white snowflakes clinging to life on anything colder than 32 degrees.

Some of the cows were rather curious.

As was our Dixie dog.

But my magnolia trees held the proof.

Most every day, I ask God to show me His glory. And on this day, He showed me something I never expected to see south of Waco. 

I know this may seem skimpy to my northern friends, but I am delighted to know that my God cared enough for me to bring snow to a place I thought I'd never see snow again. Okay, so a gal in my Sunday school class thinks He did it for her, but I know better.

This was just for me.

However, as I mentioned before, this is South Central Texas, so you know what that means.

SCHOOL WAS DELAYED TWO HOURS!!!!!

(Insert raucous laughter from anyone north of the Red River)

Now it's your turn.

Do you ever ask God to show you His glory?

It can come in any shape or form. We just have to be on the lookout.

How has God showed off for you?

  

Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com  

Food, Comforting Food

Mindy here, and as Harvey raged around us early last week, dumping 23 inches of rain on us here at our camphouse, all I wanted to do was cook. Bake. And since we never lost power, I was able to do just that. But it couldn’t be just any food. We needed comfort food. Homemade chicken noodle soup, beef stew…

Fresh baked bread…

So what do you suppose happened when I realized I had three over-ripe bananas on the counter? 

Yep.

Usually when I make banana nut bread, I use the recipe in my Betty Crocker Cookbook. But since that’s in storage, I had to find another recipe. Now you all know how much I love cakes with sour cream in them, how moist and delicious they are… So you can imagine how excited I was when I came across a banana nut bread recipe that used sour cream.

Score!

Here’s what you’ll need for this delicious version of a classic.

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

3 overly-ripe bananas, mashed, but still lumpy

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

½ cup sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

¾ cups chopped pecans

Preheat you oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour regular size loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk to flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Set aside.

In a second large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time.

Stir in the mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until moistened,

Then fold in pecans and pour batter into prepared pan.

Set that atop a baking sheet.

Place tray in the oven so that the top of the loaf is in the center of the oven.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto cooling rack.

Once cool, or maybe just a little warm, slice and enjoy.

 You can see not only the pecans, but those pieces of banana.

Once again, the sour cream did not disappoint. This has to be my favorite ingredient for adding moistness to baked goods. I love this new recipe and have already decided it will be my go-to from now on. Lord willing, we won’t have any more hurricanes, though.

Hurricane Harvey impacted many people. By now, I’m sure you’ve all seen pictures and video of the devastation in Houston, but I can’t help sharing another perspective. Although we personally emerged from Harvey’s wrath virtually unscathed, many in our small rural community are still suffering from the floods that showed no mercy.

At one point, our little town was cut off to the west, north and south, leaving only one way in and out of town.

Grocery stores and other businesses were forced to close because of the rapidly rising river and delivery trucks were unable to get in to restock the shelves. Mail delivery ceased for a few days because the post office was cut off by flood waters.

And, oh, how they rose, swallowing whatever lay in their path.

Wildlife found themselves trapped.

The scene that really broke my heart was after the rain had stopped. We had ventured away from the camphouse, through the pasture and past the flooded gate area onto the main road that took us down to the interstate. And there, just on the other side of the highway, not more than a quarter mile from our camphouse, was a rescue in process.

While we sat high and dry, just down the road the quiet little hamlet that usually goes unnoticed was completely under water.

Making us realize just how truly blessed we were.

Now we join with others to aid in the recovery process. Praying, delivering food to friends who’ve been displaced, donating cleaning supplies and whatever else is needed in the relief effort. In big cities and small towns alike, the outpouring of support has been overwhelming. People lending a hand to their neighbors. People they may have never met before.

Why?

Because we are Texans and we are Texas strong.

Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com 

Easy Casseroles - Revisiting a Fave

Mindy here, fresh off of a Texas A&M Aggie weekend.

Yes, our oldest son is a student and invited us down for the annual Boots and Bowties Gala.

Notice neither of my guys are wearing a bowtie, though we do all have our boots.

We also got to spend some time, roaming the HUGE campus that is Texas A&M University.

A school that is steeped in traditions, such as the 12th Man.

But all that time in Aggieland means I didn't do a lot of cooking, so today we're going to revisit one of my favorite casseroles. I shared this recipe way back in 2012. I was first introduced to it when my husband was recovering from surgery and a gal in our Sunday School class brought us dinner. This so good, versatile and the perfect thing to fix for your family or someone else's.

***

 There's nothing I love better than a versatile recipe. Make it easy and that's even better. Add a little bit of Tex-Mex and...well, you get the idea.

This easy Mexican casserole is one of my favorites. And I love that you can make with either chicken or beef to suit whatever you have on hand.

Okay, so here are the basic ingredients:

Corn tortillas (I'm not sure how many. I usually buy a pack of 20)

1 can of Ro-tel (diced tomatoes with green chilies-I use the milder version)

1 onion, chopped

1 packet enchilada seasoning

1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce

2 C shredded cheese (I use the Mexican blend or sharp cheddar)

Now, depending on which version you're making, you will also need:

1-1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (I used venison)  AND 1 can cream of mushroom soup

OR

Approx. 4-5 cups of cut up cooked chicken (if I'm really in a hurry I'll pick up a rotisserie chicken at the store, but this is also a good use of leftovers) AND 1 can cream of chicken soup

First, brown your ground beef with the onions. If you're making the chicken version, simply saute your onions in a little bit of olive oil before adding the chicken.

 

Drain the ground beef.

Next, add your Ro-tel and soup and stir to combine.

Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together enchilada seasoning, tomato sauce, and 1 1/2 C water (follow directions on seasoning packet, but you don't need to cook it). Add to meat mixture and mix well.

Cut tortillas into triangles. I usually get about 8 per tortilla.

Add a thin layer of sauce to bottom of greased 13 x 9 in. pan. Top sauce with tortilla wedges. I took this pic half way through, but you do cover the whole thing.

Cover tortillas with half of the sauce and top with half of the cheese.

Repeat the process with another layer of tortillas, followed by remaining sauce and cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until top is browned and sides are bubbling.

I can't tell you which version I prefer better, because I love them both. My guys scarf it up. Hubby likes to top his with jalapenos or salsa. Guess I don't make it spicy enough for him. 

Another bonus is that you can make this ahead and freeze it. Simply adjust your baking time. This is a great option when you're looking for a dish to take to someone in need. And if you take it unbaked, they have the option to freeze it or bake and eat it right away.

***

My mouth is watering, just thinking about this dish. So good, so easy.

Do you have a favorite/go-to casserole? Where did you get your recipe?