Welcome to the Path Less Traveled

Over the weekend, I found a little sign that stood out to me while shopping at Dillon's Country Treasures. It's a simple, green, rustic looking sign with the phrase, "Welcome to the path less traveled." I put it above my kitchen window, and pondered why it stood out to me so much, beyond the fact that it references a Robert Frost poem, and I am an English literature buff.
I have been struggling a lot lately, wanting desperately to make changes in my life. I want to repair our financial situation and work on whittling down debt. I want to be a more productive and loving wife and mother. I want to become more frugal and really work toward making our family more self-reliant and provident. And when you work toward making those changes, it can be really difficult. I watch friends spending tons of money on their families at Christmas, and I worry about our modest budget and gifts and what others will think of them. When I shop with friends, I think about every purchase as I watch them buy what tickles their fancy. I feel like the only person who struggles with motivation after cleaning up the same messes day after day. I feel like the only parent who loses their patience with their kids so often.
And it can be really difficult sometimes, wanting to be like other people, feeling like the only one who is saying no to stupid little purchases, or who can't do this or that because we're trying to pay down debt. Sometimes, friends do look at you funny when you say you don't want to do this or that, or can't spend the money right now. But, the thing is, beside this sign is another little one that says, "Forever and always, no matter what." I am doing these things for my family. Sure, maybe I can't keep up with my friends when it comes to shopping, and maybe we aren't spending as much as another family is at Christmas, and maybe I am cleaning the same stuff time after time, but I'm doing these things for my family, who is mine forever, and who really matter. Sometimes, keeping up with everyone else is "the path most traveled," but it's going to be "the path less traveled" that will the best for my family and those who are truly important to me. And if they are walking it with me, it's not a bad road to be on.

Why I am Grateful, #24 and #25

I am grateful for the fact that, minus buying some small gifts for a few friends, we have most of our Christmas shopping done...all of the family shopping is complete! And I'm really excited about that because now I can tune out the Black Friday commercials and sale ads and focus on the season itself. (I really, really, really hate the commercialism of Christmas and Black Friday, but that's a rant for another day...let's just say, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it is essentially Christmas without the materialism, and now the retailers want to take that away from us via Black Friday hell.)
Today, I am also grateful that we had a Thanksgiving meal large enough to supply us with ample leftovers, which I will be turning into pot pies a la Paula Deen today.

TURKEY POT PIE

Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 sheet frozen puff pastry
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
2 11-ounce cans condensed cheddar cheese soup
2 10 3/4-ounce cans cream of celery soup
1 large Turkey skinned, cooked, boned and cubed
2 medium onions, diced
2 cup cooked butternut squash, diced (I'm just gonna use a can or two of canned veggies...corn, maybe peas, or mixed vegetables, or whatever is frozen downstairs)
2 cup cranberry sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the crust, dust surface with flour. Cut 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry into 1-inch strips, 8 inches long. On a large cookie sheet, weave strips into a lattice large enough to cover each pot pie. Mix egg and milk together and brush onto each lattice square. Bake for 5 minutes. Dough will rise and turn light golden brown. Set aside until ready to assemble pies.

In a large saucepan heat the milk and soups. Stir in turkey, onion, squash, cranberries and salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil. In an oven-proof pot, fill with mixture and top with the pre-cooked lattice square. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes until bubbly and puff pastry is deep golden brown.

Cook’s Note:
Cutting the puff pastry with a fluted-wheel creates elegant edges.

Good substitutions for cheddar cheese soup are cream of chicken soup and cream of mushroom soup.

Recipe Courtesy Paula Deen

Should This Be Our Christmas Card This Year?

So, now, we actually have to, you know, SEND Christmas cards this year? ;)