Bread Stuffing (Master Recipe) – from the Mary Margaret McBride Cookbook

Bread Stuffing (Master Recipe) – from the Mary Margaret McBride Cookbook

4 cups stale bread cubes

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon thyme or marjoram

½ to 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning 

¼ cup finely chopped onion

¼ cup melted fat

Combine bread, seasonings, and onion.  Slowly add fat, tossing lightly with a fork until blended. 

For a more moist stuffing slowly add up to 1/3 cup hot water or stock.  Makes about 4 cups stuffing.  Allow 1 cup for each pound of poultry.

Bread Stuffing Varations:

Celery stuffing: to master recipe add 1 cup finely chopped celery.

Sage Stuffing: in master recipe, omit thyme or marjoram.  Add 1 Tablespoon crumbled sage leaves.

Crabtree variation of this recipe:

Omit the following:

Thyme or marjoram

Poultry seasoning

salt

Add celery and sage 

The “melted fat” is a stick of butter, not margarine

Use Swanson Chicken Broth with less salt – enough to make moist (typically about 2 ½ cans)

Use 2-3 bags of fresh bread torn into cubes

Mix the celery, onion, chicken stock and meted better together until it is hot, enough to soften the celery.  Pour this mixture over the bread crumbs and cook in 2 8” square aluminum pans covered or in the turkey.  We typically cook it for about 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Some Favorite Disney movie quotes

 

Trades of Hope

 

Trades of Hope is an opportunity to buy fair trade ethically made products.  This company is giving people a chance to a job, get out of poverty, out of the depths of Human Trafficking.

My business link is  https://tradesofhope.com/barbracrabtree

There are beautiful pieces of jewelry, home decor, purses, etc.  

I love my Trades of Hope pieces.  I feel that I am able to give a piece of hope to someone on the other side of the world by giving them an income from my purchases.

Wisdom Wednesday

 Today I had my mammogram.  The appointment was scheduled a couple different times.  I wasn't really sure why we needed to keep rescheduling on the same day, but you run with it and trust the Lord.  After my mammogram, waiting to see if I would be having an ultrasound as well I was in the waiting room at the Breast Center of South Florida Baptist Hospital and met a dear lady whose name is Miriam.  

Miriam was there for her mammogram as well as ultrasound for a mass on her thyroid.  She was filled with anxiety.  I spoke with her for a bit to get her story.  She has a family history of cancer and was extremely nervous today.  Not knowing if she was a Christian or not, I asked her if I could pray WITH her, not FOR her.  There is a difference.  Many times we say we will pray for someone and yet forget.  I don't want to forget.  I want to be used by God in every moment of my life.  When she said yes to prayer, I got up from what I was working on and went to hold her hand and pray with her right then.  I continued to pray for her throughout the day as she came to my mind.  Will I know her outcome, no.  That is not the purpose.  My appointment was changed so that I could pray with her and offer a bit of peace and encouragement for her.

After coming  home and working for a bit, I received a call back from Lisa at the Breast Center indicating that the radiologist has stated that we should do an MRI with contrast first before a biopsy, the MRI may determine that a biopsy is not needed.  Lisa was going to get with the doctor office to have them send over a script for the MRI and trying to get that scheduled prior to the scheduled biopsy on May 31, 2023 at 8:00 am.  Lisa said it might be a good idea to reach out to the office to help speed the process along.  She wanted to keep the biopsy appointment just to be on the safe side in case anything on the MRI determines that the biopsy is needed.  

All this may have been just to meet Miriam and pray with her.  In my spirit I have been at peace the entire day and have not felt anxious once.  I know many would be at wits end with the thought of needing a biopsy.  I trust the Lord so much, that I know he has everything in his hands and that no matter what I will be alright.  

I do not know what the Lord has planned, I know he has me through anything that I go through.

Until next time....

Random thoughts for a Tuesday

 Today, as I went to work I was THRILLED with the fact that I had left a little later than typical and I had ZERO traffic on I-4.  That is a miracle.  It only took me about 30 minutes to get to the office.  YEAH!

Then I went to Publix to get some lunch and the total came to $14.01 (I was buying excess stuff as well).  When I went to check out I didn't have any change and the cashier didn't want to count out .99 cents so she said don't worry about it.  I thanked her and as I was walking out I looked down and saw a penny on the ground.  

I picked it up and promptly went back to the same cashier and handed it to her.  She said "thank you, the next customer left a penny as well."  Touches of heaven is what I see there.  You see, as a former retail worker I know what it means to have your cash drawer check out properly at the end of the evening, yes the cashier probably has a couple dollars of wiggle room.  But, if she continues to let people off with a penny all day, those add up fast.  This is what integrity is about to me.  See, I could have picked up that penny and went my merry way.  I could have left the penny for the next person.  Nope.  I picked it up because I didn't want her drawer to be off when her shift ended. 

This month  has been so busy with different things to prepare for, go to or get done.  I want to encourage everyone to find the Lord in all the details of your life.  The big, the small, the unexpected.  God is always with us, if we are His child.  If we are not His child, he is calling out to you to come and have a relationship with him.

A year ago during routine mammography I was told they are watching a spot and to come back in 6 months.  I went back again after 6 months and they said all was good see you in another 6 months for follow-up.  Tomorrow is the yearly follow-up exam.  I have zero concerns and I will praise God for upcoming test results, whether they be good or bad.  

I know He has my life in His hands and He will guide me every day.  

We must remember to praise Him in the good times, in the middle of times and in the bad times.  

Every once in a while I chose to praise Him for something that may be coming down the road.  That is what I chose today.  What about you?

I saw this image above of the girl with the umbrella and it spoke to me, then I saw it was from a purposeful singleness website.  Now, I have not looked at that site, but my singleness is very purposeful in all that I do, I want to make sure that I am honoring the Lord and following His plan for my life.  

Until next time...

Mammogram News

April 26, 2022 I received a phone call regarding my mammogram that I had in April 6.  The radiologist didn't like what he saw and said he wants me to come back in for another mammogram and ultrasound.  This has been scheduled for May 5 at 8:30 am.  I also go to the doctor the following Monday, so hopefully they will have all the results in at that time.  A snipit from the mammogram report from 2022 is: 

The 2021 report was: 

I seriously don't think it is anything but a bunch of cysts, but will find out more later this next week.  I would have thought it they were more concerned about the images that they would not have waited almost an entire month to contact me for more images.

Great News is only cysts and we go back in 6 months for followup.

What is your Discipline Focus in 2022?

 The leadership in my church is focusing on a different discipline over this next year.  The different disciplines are:

1. Prayer
2. Faith
3. Discipline
4. Gratitude
5. Forgiveness
6. Remembering
7. Abiding
8. Friendship
9. Fullness of God

Honestly, I could be more disciplined in all these areas, who couldn't, right?  

I felt led to focus on the discipline of friendship.  Alex at church wrote these out with some amazing information to follow.  He states: The goal is "building a Christ-Centered Disciplines into our lives".

What does the bible say about Friendship?

A true friend has two characteristics known in the Jewish culture and which Christ demonstrated, found in John 15:12-15.  One is to sacrifice and the second is openness and meek speech.  That is one I truly need to work on.  I have been told I need to be a velvet brick.  

These biblical friendships will be studied so I can learn what a true friendship looks like

• Jonathan and David (1 Samuel 20)
• Elijah and Elisha (2 Kings 2)
• Paul and Timothy (2 Timothy 1)
• Ruth and Naomi (Ruth 1)

Do I have friendships or am I a friend who shows more worldly characteristics or Christ-centered friendship?  

Examples to dwell on

Worldly vs Christ-Centered

• abandon you in a challenge or load-bearing
• focused on success only or shares, encourages in defeats
• concerned with impressions or "while we were yet"
• seek position or humble, shared footing
• exploitive or always speaks well
• surface deep or sees it all

How can I measure friendship?

• Spreads truth (Ephesians 4:15)
• Builds community (Acts 2:42-47; Proverbs 17:7)
• Lightens the load (Galatians 6:2; Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
• Reflects God (John 13:35)
• Refines you (Hebrews 3:13; Proverbs 27:17)
• Provides counsel (Proverbs 27:9)

Hold me accountable, if you see my not acting Christlike or not being a friend.  I want to grow in Christ as I learn to be more of a Godly friend.

Blessings,

Barbra