Indiana – then there's two…Morgie & Me

July 31, 2021August 1, 2021 thentherestwo.com LIFE, Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups and Stews

Corn Chowder

Even though it’s been so incredibly hot this month, this recipe caught my eye. I decided this chowder recipe looked good enough to try even though I’d been sweating bullets lately.

I usually only make soups in the fall and winter. However, my daughter came up from GA with her 4 month old to stay a month. Having been on prednisone for 3 weeks (for my 3 ongoing, herniated discs) well, as usual, it made me SO hyper, able to stand long hours again and cook to my heart’s content. 😜 I really miss doing things pain free and cooking being one of them. Getting old can really stink!

In Indiana, the fresh corn 🌽 is becoming abundant and it just sounded so yummy to add some right off the cob to complete this recipe.

I actually tweaked a recipe from Natashaskitchen.com this time and let me tell you the family absolutely loved it! My husband said it’s one of his new favorites now. Mine too!🤗

Do you love corn? Try it out for yourself?

Here’s the direct link to her recipe:

https://natashaskitchen.com/corn-chowder-recipe/

Note: Hayes never had clothes on because it’s been so hot around here. 🔥 😓

Here’s a picture of our first granddaughter Chloe enjoying her first corn on the cob, too!

October 28, 2019November 9, 2022 thentherestwo.com Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups and Stews

A Quick White Chicken Chili Recipe

Today, my husband came home early from work because he was down in the back, again. 😞 He had a long drive home, and then I heated up a water bottle and sent him off to bed. Poor guy! I know all about horrible back pain. It ain’t no fun!

Meanwhile, I got busy on a cozy fall meal. A quick white chicken chili for when he woke up. 😊

I had previously shopped at ALDI and this was a last minute dinner idea, but I had everything I needed already on hand. (ALDI is our favorite store!👍🏼)

Here’s what you’ll need:

Olive oil & butter

2 large skinless chicken breasts or 8 tenderloins-cubed

3 stalks of green onions-chopped (I like to use scissors) or 1/2 a sweet onion cubed

*8 small sweet peppers-from ALDI-cubed (adds variety of color & sweetness. But this is optional.)

Seasonings to your taste: garlic powder or garlic cloves, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, cumin, basil & thyme (basically anything you personally like😁) You could even add a taco seasoning packet.

1 T chicken base (optional)

2- 15.5 oz. cans of great northern beans drained (Any white bean will do.)

2 cans of chicken broth

1/2 can of corn

1 C water (add water according to how thick or thin you like your chili)

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1 block of cream cheese (cubed)

1 T lime juice (optional)

1 small bunch of cilantro chopped (optional)

*And if you want it a little spicy, add some chili flakes, jalapeño or green chilis. 🌶

Directions:

Season the cubed chicken very well.

Cook the chicken in a skillet with olive oil and butter. Slightly undercook it so that when you continue cooking it with all the vegetables, it doesn’t get tough.

Remove from skillet and sauté peppers and onions adding a little more oil and butter.

Add the chicken back with water along with the remainder of the ingredients except the heavy whipping cream & cream cheese.

You’re going to bring everything to a boil, and you don’t want the cream to curdle. Once roughy to boil, and the chicken is completely done, add in the cream and cubed cream cheese then bring it to a slow simmer.

Now you’re ready to serve!

Top it with sour cream, avocado and a slice of lime. 🤗

It is so yummy!👌🏼

I must admit, I went back for a couple bowls. 😉 It was a perfect meal for this cozy, fall day. And hopefully it will help the hubby feel better too!

I also made my favorite cornbread recipe to go along with this yummy chili.

Here is the link to that recipe: 👉🏼cornbread

Do you like a white chili? **************************Here’s a little fall video I made for ya to put you in the cozy mood. 🤗🍁

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August 26, 2019August 26, 2019 thentherestwo.com Education, Family, Home, Kids, Landscapes, LIFE, Photography, Reflections on Life, Skies, Spiritual Thoughts, Travel & Vacation

College Bound

The Indiana University students are back! We observed many a mom and dad walking alongside their new college student. Boy, that sure brought back memories of me choking up all the way home from Missouri and Georgia.

My kids both left home within a year of each other and I found myself walking by their bedrooms to say something then would quickly realize they weren’t there.

I ended up just shutting their doors. 🗣😭

Leaving our babies behind, wondering when we’ll see them next is a difficult transition. And many of us are/were going through menopause at the same time! 😳 I always said it was God’s cruel joke! We put in all these years of hard work, making lunches, sewing costumes, throwing parties, working in their classrooms, for all of it to come down to moments like this. This is when we do double duty praying that our kids meet professors that align with their upbringing, meet encouraging friends that have the same morals, that their minds only be open to things that will help them grow and become the people they were destined to be.

We’ve worked with college ministries as well as international students. And can you imagine leaving your child in another country? 🙀

We pray our young people come to know God and make a change in this world just by being who God always intended them to be.🙏 .

August 11, 2019August 11, 2019 thentherestwo.com Landscapes, LIFE, Posters/Quotes, Reflections on Life, Spiritual Thoughts

Do I Represent God Well?

I took this photo on one of our walks nearby.

I have always loved Francis Chan and this quote came from reading his book “Crazy Love”.

My other Instagram acct deals with fashion, food, home decor and faith. @Morgie_and_Me

May 24, 2019May 24, 2019 thentherestwo.com Landscapes, LIFE, Photography, Posters/Quotes, Reflections on Life, Skies, Spiritual Thoughts

Big Sky

I pulled over to take this pic after going up to an appointment for my mom. I call it “Big Sky”.😍

April 20, 2019April 25, 2019 thentherestwo.com Holidays & Celebrations, Kids, LIFE, People, Reflections on Life, Spiritual Thoughts

Easter is My Favorite Holiday

If anyone knows me well, they know I love Easter!

No I mean I really LOVE Easter!💗

I was thinking about this the other day as we had a few sunny days and all this spring decor had me thinking about Easter and why I liked it so much. 🐥🐇

Well for one, I grew up in southern California where it was always WARM and SUNNY, 😎 so Easter had us buying new, spring clothes with all the beautiful colors.

My mom sewed almost all my clothes and Easter was extra special as we browsed through huge pattern books and admired all the pretty pastel fabrics.

Then, what followed was looking for the accessories: white shoes, purse and little white gloves, with lace.

I loved my little, white gloves so much that I wouldn’t take them off when eating chocolate in Sunday school. 😂

And occasionally I had a “bonnet” or kerchief.

We had so much fun coloring Easter eggs.

And then there were the HUGE, SEE’S Chocolate Easter eggs beautifully decorated with pastel flowers. They were almost the size of an ostrich egg and usually filled with a rich creamy filling. That big ol’ egg would be rationed to last me 2 weeks HA.

Oh, I just loved waking up to big, stuffed Easter baskets, putting on my Easter best, going to church with the family, singing all the special music, smelling the flowers in the air, then enjoying a big Easter spread.

Just lots of really warm memories.

Now, compare that to my first Easter in Indiana.

I was so bummed when I realized my pretty, new sun dress was going to be covered by a winter coat, and it was way too cold ❄️ to even want to take it off for any pictures.😒

Year after year.

Why did we even bother getting new clothes for Easter?🤷🏻‍♀️

Yep, Easter in the midwest has pretty much always been cold, rainy or overcast. Sometimes it even snows! Just makes you feel all cheery inside when looking forward to spring. (Insert sarcasm) 😒

Then, I grew up and my own kids came along.

SAME STORY.

I’d try to dress them in cute, little outfits but worried their little legs would freeze off, so I added tights, a sweater,

a parka. 😞

And we still tried to provide an Easter egg hunt…most were INDOORS.

But I mean, who wants to hunt Easter eggs INDOORS? 👎🏼

And guess who else likes little, white gloves?👇🏻

He just had to have a suit.

So, my thoughts going way back to sunny California have always brought fond memories. ☀️

As I reflect, I can say one constant has remained.

That Easter really has NOTHING to do with any of this.

Not weather, not new clothes, or a big yummy meal, not even another “holiday”…

That it’s all really only been about Jesus.

Easter always caused me to reflect on what Christ has done for me, personally.

Rereading the resurrection story and the hours Christ submitted to his father’s will just grips my heart every time. I try to slow down taking in each detail of what really took place.

The torture, the betrayal, the extreme love and sacrifice for all mankind.

Every year of my life, even as a kid, I tried to imagine the scene, and it always moved me to tears.

No matter how I try to contain myself, the tears always flow.

Because I know no one could ever love me that much, nor willingly sacrifice their life for me.

And so it’s not the new clothes, the candy, the sunshine…not even being with family.

It’s about pure love. Unimaginable tenderness for ALL mankind.

You never have to earn this love nor question his love for you.

Bottom line…

He came as a baby

to die as a young man.

For you and for me. ❤️

He created us and He wants to see us again with Him someday.

Hope you have a very blessed Easter!

What are your traditions on Easter Sunday? Please tell me in the comments.

January 28, 2019January 28, 2019 thentherestwo.com Landscapes, LIFE, Photography

Fall in the Midwest

This past fall was some of the most beautiful scenery we’ve had here in Indiana for a few years. I did a lot more driving up through southern Indianapolis, Danville, Mooresville, and Plainfield due to the sad fact my mom had a stroke in October. She is fairly young and went in for a rather routine heart cath and stroked. (The odds were less than 1/2 percent.) All our lives changed that day.

I still have a hard time wrapping my head around it completely. When you see someone go from totally functional, driving, etc.. to needing help with everything and their mind just not all there…well, I still think I’m in shock. It all happened within an hour. It wasn’t a slow degredation, nor something we saw coming and could attempt to prepare ourselves for as we did with my husband’s father. He dealt with Parkinsons. It has just been a lot in such a short time with sudden adjustments.

Not only is mom dealing with a severe stroke, but they also found her heart to only be working at 25%. (According to her doctors, this heart thing could’ve been going on for years.) She had already been dealing with severe, undetermined pain for decades, along with pain from fibromyalgia. So, my poor mom has been through A LOT, and having entered that arena of severe pain, especially these last ten years myself, I am realizing just how REALLY TOUGH my mom truly is!!

Mom was over an hour away from us; first in the hospital, ICU, then went on to a rehab facility. So, I had a lot of time to drive and think. As I drove (and prayed), I thought of how much my mom would’ve loved these vibrant colors. She LOVES fall. She used to paint, and I thought she would’ve loved painting all this beautiful color!

While on the road, I positioned my camera to catch some of the fall foilage. (You may have already seen some of my IG photos.)

But here’s some of my video links: Driving through the Indiana countryside.

Driving the new I69 from Bloomington, IN up through Martinsville.

AND my YouTube channel: thentherestwo

I’m not a professional by any means but someday maybe my grandkids will see the clips along with everything the grandparents were up to. 😉