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From Susan Merrill

The Blog

Encouragement

Worth Far More than Rubies: Marlene Nikolich

Have you ever known somebody so delightful, so precious, so kind, so loving that just the image of their face brings you a pang of joy? That is a noble woman. That is a woman who has loved well, served well, lived well. I want to be that kind of woman. To think that the image of my face might give someone joy–not because of how I look or because I am their mother–but because the way I loved them was a blessing. Ahh, I have some work to do. I want to be for others what this face represents to me: Just look at that face! Just the image speaks volumes of love to me. This is a noble face. And Marlene Nikolich is my nomination for a Noble woman. I really hope she wins and this is why: First. For being such a passionate wife that she desired for every wife to love as she does. So what did she do? Volunteered thousands of hours for Worldwide Marriage Encounters….actually, for 15 years. The Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend is a positive and personal experience offering married couples an opportunity to learn a technique of loving communication that they can …

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Sunday Suppers

Breakfast for Dinner

Breakfast for dinner! Enough said. Mom on a Mission’s Jackie Brown is sharing her amazing Breakfast Casserole recipe which is perfect for those cooks who like to be creative (or a little daring) with their ingredients. And what serves as a better “side dish” than Starbucks Low-Fat Blueberry Muffins? I’m hungry for breakfast right now! Conversation Starters: 1. What 3 words best describe you? 2. When do you sometimes feel understood by grown-ups? 3. What can we pray about for you this week? Main Dish Have you ever craved a quiche, but thought it would be too much work to make? I have the perfect, easy quiche recipe you’ll ever make and it is created in a blender. I always double this recipe and freeze an extra or give one away. Side Dish

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Sunday Suppers

Homemade Pasta For Kids

What is it about kids and dough? It’s just so fun to play with and to eat. My daughter, Emily, got in trouble at the age 5 for eating the Play Dough at school. Probably my fault as I am a big fan of eating cookie dough and my kids are too. Poor Emily, she assumed all dough was edible. My sister Kathie’s kids are still in the “dough is fun” age. They’ve had a lot of snow and she was desperate for indoor family fun. So she decided to do something with her kids that our Italian grandmother did with us–make pasta dough from scratch. They had a blast rolling, cutting and shaping — and it is so much easier than you might think. Even better, no fancy equipment required. You can make different traditional pasta types such as cavatelli, vermicelli or gnocchi. Or use cookie cutters and create your own special family pasta shape — with the help of your kids! Easy Fresh Tomato Sauce and Meatball Recipe Conversation Starters 1. Can you name the favorite color, movie, and food of everyone at the table? 2. If you could snap your fingers and be anywhere in the world right now, where …

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Encouragement

A Noble Woman

Super exciting update: My friend Pat Layton has been chosen as a candidate for the She is Noble contest. And I am thrilled. Praying she gets the $10,000 for her ministry. Congrats Pat! Just last week a friend sent me a preview for a new movie called Noble. The movie tells the story of a passionate and noble woman who just happens to be named Christina Noble. Christina overcame a terrible childhood in Ireland – homelessness, the death of her mother, an alcoholic father – and traveled a nontraditional path to South Asia, where she was inspired to take up the cause for hundreds of abandoned and orphaned children. The movie has already won six awards, a best foreign film award and two audience awards. Noble is good story and a story for good–and I love movies like that. So I am jumping on the bandwagon. The movie producers are doing something noble and want it to be a celebration of noble woman everywhere who are making a positive difference in the world. They are asking women to nominate noble women to be featured (they are going to video some of them) and entered to win $10,000 for their charity. So today, I am …

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Sunday Suppers

Korean Beef and Rice Dinner

Jackie Brown, from Mom on a Mission, has provided two distinct dishes for us to enjoy: Bulgogi Korean Beef and No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars. So enjoy a little tasty…and a little tangy. Conversation Starters 1. What do you think will be the best thing about getting older? 2. Do you feel ready for middle school or high school? Why or why not? 3. What one things makes you excited about what is to come? Main Dish My homeland food has just turned Southern! It’s crockin’ and it’s delish’. I’ve taken my original family recipe and made it into a freezer friendly crock pot meal. If you haven’t tried bulgogi, a Korean beef dish, you have got to try this super easy recipe even if you don’t have an Asian hair on your head. I’m blessed to have this tradition continuing in our family thanks to my wonderful American mother who turned it into a family heritage night. Look at all that amazing gravy it crocks up with the marinade. Put plenty of it on your brown rice. Grab some chop sticks (even if you have to rubber band them together) and make some family memories with this crock pot meal. Dessert …

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Encouragement

Are You So Overwhelmed You Can’t Move?

Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Kind of stuck? Like you just can’t move? I rolled to a stop last year. My list of responsibilities had accumulated so much weight that no matter how hard I pushed to keep it all going, I was losing momentum. I felt so…heavy. And so I had to stop–not everything. I have a family, after all. But I took inventory and dropped what I could. I couldn’t stop my pacemaker surgery and a heart ablation. I couldn’t stop my daughter’s graduation. I couldn’t stop going to work, cooking, and laundry. But there was a lot I could stop, including blogging. The last blog that I posted other than Sunday Suppers posts was in September, four months ago. And I confess Libby and my sister, Kathie, helped me with Sunday Suppers. This is not the first time in my life that I have put myself under the pile. And I am sure it won’t be the last. I have an optimistic bent that induces me to overcommit. Do you suffer from this malady? It is prone to infect women more then men — and moms most of all. We are excellent multitaskers. So what is just …

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Sunday Suppers

Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs Dinner

Spaghetti and meatballs. Are you visualizing a little Italian restaurant with red and white checkered tablecloths? A flickering candle in an old bottle with colored wax dripping down the side? Or do you picture Lady and The Tramp? Either way, we have a fabulous Meatballs with Tomato Sauce recipe for you. The twist: Cheese in the meatballs. And for those chefs in need of a little extra flair, use our Spaghetti Squash recipe to accompany the Meatballs with Tomato Sauce. Delizioso! Conversation Starters 1. What was the most fun time we ever had together as a family? 2. What makes you laugh and why? 3. Which would you rather play and why? A sport, a game or music? Main Dish

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Sunday Suppers

Crock Pot Loaded Potato Soup Dinner

So it is a weeknight, the air is crisp and you are…exhausted. Jackie Brown from Mom on a Mission has a simple, yet hearty dinner for you and your family. Her Crock Pot Loaded Potato Soup can be prepped in advance and waiting for you at the end of a long day. It is all over, but the mashing…of the potatoes. Add some bacon, green onions, or chives to taste and, of course, more cheese! Toss a quick salad and enjoy! Conversation Starters 1. What do you think it means to be someone’s Valentine? 2. Do you think it’s easy to love other people or hard? 3. Do you know anyone who might not get a Valentine this year and how we can make them feel special? Main Dish Subscribe to the blog for Sunday Supper recipes and more.

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Sunday Suppers

Pan Fried Pork Chops Dinner

My sister, Kathie, has shared another one of her fabulous recipes with us: Pan Fried Pork Chops with Milk Gravy. But the pièce de résistance in this dinner is the dessert: Say, “Hello Dollies!” Imagine a buttery, graham cracker foundation layered with not one, but two, kinds of chips: chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. Add some pecans and coconut. Then say, “Yes, please!” Conversation Starters: 1. Tell your children how you learned they were a boy or girl. 2. Tell your children what your husband did when he realized you were in labor. 3. Tell your children how you felt when you held them for the first time. Main Dish Dessert Subscribe to the blog for Sunday Supper recipes and more.

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Sunday Suppers

Simple Super Bowl Appetizers

So what is the most well-known, unofficial holiday in America? Super Bowl Sunday! That’s right. It’s that time again. And do I have some great appetizers for you…and your family and friends. If the game is a little dull (and we hope not!), add a “pop” to the evening with this Jalapeno Popper Dip. And for the kids, try these Soft Pretzel Bites with cheese sauce for dipping. Or for your sweeter side, sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the bites and dip in our vanilla cream cheese. Touchdown! And, if you want to work off these appetizers during the commercial breaks, try this Super Bowl Game Couch Potato Kickoff. But, if you want to take the day off and just enjoy the game (minus the exercise) with the kids, that’s good too. For more fun appetizers, choose from Cheesy Bacon Oven Chips, Mini Mexican Chili Bites, and Football Rice Krispies. Conversation Starters: 1. What is your favorite team to cheer for? 2. What makes a good team? 3. In what kind of tasks does your family team do well? Appetizers 1. Jalapeno Popper Dip {Courtesy of The Country Cook} 2. Soft Pretzel Bites {Courtesy of Two Peas and Their Pod} 3. Cheesy …

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