In the end only kindness matters

In the year of abounding kindness I was reminded of it's importance through a song from the artist Jewel...in the end, only kindness matters...and we are God's hands...



Jewel - "Hands"

If I could tell the world just one thing
It would be that we're all OK
And not to worry 'cause worry is wasteful
And useless in times like these

I won't be made useless
I won't be idle with despair
I will gather myself around my faith
For light does the darkness most fear...

Poverty stole your golden shoes
It didn't steal your laughter
And heartache came to visit me
But I knew it wasn't ever after

We'll fight, not out of spite
For someone must stand up for what's right
'Cause where there's a man who has no voice
There ours shall go singing...


In the end only kindness matters...


I will get down on my knees, and I will pray...


My hands are small I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
We are never broken...

We are God's hands 

thank you cards

As part of our Thanksgiving celebration my friend had the brilliant idea of purchasing some thank you cards and having each person in the family write at least one to some body in their life that they are grateful for. 

I wrote more than one as there is no way I would be who I am today without the investment of many others.

Some of those who received them told me how much they meant. You don't have to wait for the Thanksgiving  holiday to roll around again before showing your gratitude to those who have given to you...I recommend you tell them immediately. Why later? Why not now?

Just Sheri, grateful...simply grateful

iCooked: Thanksgiving Dinner turkey and sides

In addition to cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes, I made fresh green bean salad, baked sweet potatoes and macaroni and cheese. I used olive oil, soy sauce and sliced ginger with the green beans for seasoning instead of butter or cream of mushroom soup due to the dairy limitations. With the baked sweet potatoes I substituted orange juice for butter - that worked nicely if I do say so myself. There is no substitute for dairy in mac and cheese, but this is a tradition in Kenyon's family so I made an exception with that one dish.

The pies were purchased, but a pecan pie was on the list so there was something for Angela to enjoy.

The real challenge for me was the turkey. I could live my life as a vegetarian. My interest in meat on a given day is pretty low...especially when I have to handle it in the raw form. Ugh, gag me! I've never handled a raw turkey before. I've never had to dig out the innards and pull out the neck bone. I had this brilliant idea to use a rosemary rub on the turkey as I had one like that before and it was one of the best turkey's EVER! The instructions said to separate the skin from the breast before cooking and put some of the aromatic rub inside.(Aromatic is my word, not theirs.) The process to do this took just about everything I had in me. I literally gagged. Thankfully no one in the family was up yet and didn't have to witness my dramatic displays in preparing the turkey. The finished product was pretty good and I was proud of myself for accomplishing the task.

Next year I might go with ham instead...

Just Sheri, relieved to have my first Turkey Day under my belt

iCooked: Thanksgiving Dinner mashed potatoes

Mashed potatoes with no dairy? Yup. It's possible. I substituted chicken broth for milk. 

The gravy was beyond me. So salt and pepper had to suffice. The kids wanted gravy. Oh well, can't please every body.

Just Sheri, still learning to cook

iCooked: Thanksgiving Dinner cranberry sauce

The Thanksgiving holiday is uniquely American...and it is one of the things I love about my homeland. A whole day devoted to gratitude is a wonderful thing. It is one of those holidays where the only agenda is good food and time with family and friends. It is one of the things I miss about my homeland when I am away.

Somehow in my 34 years of life I have escaped the responsibility of cooking a Thanksgiving dinner. Not this year. Nope. This year I was cooking for a family of seven. Added to that my friend has dietary restrictions such as no dairy. Have you ever had to make a large meal using zero dairy? No butter. No milk. It is an added challenge. Over the course of this week I am going to post some photos from our Thanksgiving meal.

I am going to start with the cranberry sauce.

My dad has always made cranberry sauce from scratch. No jelly stuff from a can...only the real stuff when my dad's the cook. I used to think this was a difficult process, then I did it myself and won't ever go back to the canned stuff. If you haven't done it before, I recommend you try.

What did I do?

one package of cranberries
one cup water
the juice from one orange

Boil the cranberries until they pop. My sister gave me a good tip to cover the pot as the popping can be messy.

Here is the finished product. It made for a very tasty side dish for our holiday meal.

I didn't try it, but a second option would be to blend the cranberries, then add chopped pecans. I would still add the orange juice, but not the water to option two.

Just Sheri, glad to participate in a holiday dedicated to gratitude