Strawberry Season! A Jam Fundraiser

It's Strawberry season, and it will be short so you need to act quickly!

We just froze and made some jam out of 5 flats of Strawberries last night.

As a fundraiser for all you local friends I will make your freezer jam for you for a donation to our adoption.

If you are interested send me a message and I will e-mail you what supplies I will need. Then all you need to do is drop off and I will make you the best strawberry jam you have ever tasted. The great thing is this keeps for well over a year in the freezer! carriestamm@gmail.com

Here are some pics to get your taste buds going!

Snap Shot Update

Well a lot of time has passed and life has been crazy busy, but hopefully after next week I will be able to post more frequently. I feel big things in store for our family!

Cutenss I witness every day...so blessed!



Dance Fest in the Kitchen...



Another blessing in church to raise our daughter for the kingdom....



Blessed w/Tickets to Beauty and the Beast...awesome time with my girl.



Surprising the Hubby after the fact w/a cake for his birthday (shh he turned 40)



New Tradition...making resurrection rolls



Easter







Someone needs a sister...nuff said



Our little man, whose smile lights up a room, turned 3! Seriously...where does the time go.





More photos caught on the camera, but enjoy!

Want to help?

Want to help a starving street child in Uganda have food for a day?

Read the link below first. I will be doing this with my children in the next week or so to mail off. If you want to help or give us items to put in the bags, let me know. Thanks!

LINK

Ground Beef Enchilada's

Ingredients:

1 lb Ground Beef
Black Beans (I freeze my own, so as much as you like; prob equiv to 1 can)
Bell Pepper (Red, Yellow, or Orange)
Small Onion
1 Large can Enchilada Sauce
Corn Tortillas -Made 16 Enchilada's
1 bag shredded Cheddar Cheese

1. Fry Ground Beef, Chopped Pepper and Onion, When cooked through turn off burner and mix in black beans (I put some onion salt in as I was Frying)

2. While your meat mixture is frying, heat a small fry pan of olive oil on Med/Low setting. When Hot begin frying your corn tortillas...just a few seconds on each side to soften.

You could probably make the meat mixture ahead of time if you want to do this during the week after work or a busy day. I started making this about 5 last night and we were ready to eat about 6:20 which works for us. The kids snack on fruit while this is baking.

3. Pour 1/2 can or less of Enchilada Sauce in Beef mixture; enough to coat and flavor



4. Begin putting meat mixture in tortillas, roll, and place in pan. The pan I use is bigger than a 9x13 because we like leftovers in our house.




5. Once all the tortillas are in the pan, cover with the rest of the enchilada sauce. Make sure all the tops have sauce on them to keep from getting to crunchy while baking.



6. Cover with cheese.




7. Put in 350 degree oven and bake until golden brown and bubbly. About 30-45 minutes. (I forgot a pic of the final product...I was hungry. He He)

**Side Tips and Variations**

1. Ever wonder what to do with that left over Pot Roast Meat...Shred it and put it in This recipe...instead of the pepper and onion just mix some salsa in with the enchilada sauce--Yummers!

2. Sometimes when I make this I will also use a small can of chicken meat too and have both, which you will need more shells. When I do this my pan is a lot fuller and the enchilada's are pushed together more.

3. If you have left over meat mixture you didn't use; freeze it and put in in Velveeta cheese w/salsa for a dip, or put it on a salad for a taco salad.

Weird Weather makes for fun outside!

We have had a strange March...unusually warm to the normal temps for here...Just check it out in the pics...love being outside with the kiddos no matter what temp..

What's it going to take???

(I am posting this on both blogs, because I feel that strongly about it...)

Yesterday I read THIS written by my friend Linny and I kept saying AMEN over and over in my head while I read it. She was saying the things that have been on my heart for a couple years now and even more so in the last year. (Please take a moment to read her post)

So, what is it going to take?

What is it going to take for more of us God Fearing, God Loving Christians to Do more?

How can we ignore the needs of 163 million orphans???

How can we continue to live with our excess and feel good about that?

Like most nights, I went to bed last night thinking about this. I am restless with thinking about the children of the world who are suffering, being abused, living in cribs, living in the street, starving, and most importantly searching; searching for love. A great Love we can only know through God, but a Love that you and I can physically give them here on earth.

I mean, how do we expect to spread the gospel if we aren’t showing them the gospel.

Every day I think about this and I plead to God to show me what more can I do. This isn’t just about adoption folks, because unfortunately adoption isn’t the answer or option for all these children, but this is about spreading the love of Christ.

This morning I was reading in Matthew 6: 25-34. The short version of these verses is DO NOT WORRY. Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body and what you will wear. God provides us with what we need for today, and tomorrow will worry about itself. We plan and we save and we worry about our families and providing for them when in all truth we have more than enough and we should be sharing more; GIVING more. Giving more of our things, and giving more of ourselves.

I have to be honest and say that I get angry. I get angry when people brush off 163 million, or use excuses as to why they haven’t done anything, but it’s because I am so passionate and I want you to be too! If you say you love Jesus then allow God to show you what he wants you to do! He will tell you and he will direct your paths. He will show you things you could have never imagined.

We all are way too comfortable in our lives and we need to let God wreck us for the things his heart desires.

I could take all day and tell you stories, and show you pictures, but if you haven’t gone and seen it with your own eyes or allowed just one to touch you then my words mean nothing. They may touch you for a moment, but all too soon that moment is forgotten.

I was oblivious at one time. I lived my comfortable life, and still do in many ways that I want to change. I did what I wanted when I wanted and then I adopted and I saw what the Lord wanted me to see and I am forever changed and broken. The things I saw in Guatemala and Ethiopia are forever etched in my mind and on my heart, and the things I have seen in my own back yard too.

I know I am supposed to be doing more and I know God has big things in store. Things that will be scary to do, but all will be done in faith and that’s what he wants us to do.

He wants us to trust him with all our hearts, and lean not on our own understanding, but acknowledge him in all our ways, and HE will direct our paths…. (See Proverbs)

I no longer want the perfect life for me or my family….ever

The perfect life, the American Dream if you will…not for me and not for my kids…

What I want is an imperfect life for them made perfect by God.

I want my family to be in the center of his will, no matter how hard it is, all the time and I want us to serve and show the ones he wants us to his Love.

So, How about you?

What will it take for you to be broken for the least of these?

Are you willing to find out? I am, and I hope you are too.

Love Coffee??

Please click Here to go to our adoption blog and learn about our new fundraiser or go directly HERE to check out and purchase. Thanks!