Gloria waits for baby

The last couple days I’ve been becoming keenly aware of the reality that not too much time will be elapsing until the arrival of our precious little one. Along with that my mind is trying to size up what I can do to make things flow as smoothly as possible during the time that I will have to step back and have others do my house work. Menus, weekly cleaning, laundry, little ones to feed and care for… the list goes on. “Will we manage everything smoothly?” I ask myself once more. But then my mind goes to my calm steady husband who is what I need, his advice rings in my ear, “We will take one day at a time, trusting God for each step; He will provide as we trust in Him.”

“That’s true,” I tell myself for the hundredth time, but then once more I come to the realization that just knowing this won’t be enough, I will have to apply it to my heart and simply accept God’s provision then certainly we will be covered in all areas of our busy lives.

Now the question still remains, “What can I do to simplify things for Daniel and my maud (maid)?” Daniel will be taking a week or two off work to help around the house then his evercapable sister Mary, who lives in Danville, Ohio, will be here for a few weeks to go on with the many mother duties around here. Besides her help I have three sisters and my mother that will be helping as needed.

I love planning and organizing things, I confess though, I don’t always have things down pat like I wish I would. Recently I took the time to make a list of things I’d like to do before baby’s arrival such as, wash off furniture, sweep down cobwebs, reorganize recipes, make a list of friends to send birth announcements, and such. Bit by bit I’ve been chiseling away on it. Yesterday the children and I were pleasantly surprised when someone came in our driveway, who could it be we wondered? No one but my dear mother! Not only did she come to spend time chatting, but with a plan to help chop off part of my list, read stories to the children, and have a tea party with us. Her homemade chocolate chip cookies with peppermint tea “took the cake.” Several hours later when she went out the door I was blessed with clean cupboards, a table and chairs minus the crusty build-up they had begun to accumulate, and happy children. Bless her heart, to me it just felt like God looking out for us in yet another way.

Of course the best part of getting ready for Baby is washing newborn clothes, fixing up the nursery, and simply watching the excitement of Julia and Austin as we talk about the new addition that is ready to fill our home with more love.

Another aspect I enjoy planning for is food. The last couple days I’ve had baking urges to stock up on an ample supply of baked goods to last us the days following baby’s birth. We’ve been blessed with a nice variety of cookies from friends who dropped some off for us simply because they knew I have my hands full right now, so we certainly won’t be lacking at all. Ready-made casseroles are another super simple option for days when things just don’t all click like I wish they would. We’ve also enjoyed many casseroles from people in church who made and shared these with us over the past months since we got our foster children. A simple yet ever tasty casserole that I’d like to make, enough for a meal now and plenty to put in the freezer is homemade lasagna.

My Mom is known for her good lasagna. When I was a young girl she would often make it for guests who came to our house for a meal. “They would never guess how simple it is,” she would say. My brothers weren’t fond of “that white stuff ” as they would call it, so Mom would always leave one side “plain” for those who didn’t care for the cream cheese mixture which is what I always thought made it so good. In fact if you’re like Mom and I, you will want to use a double batch of the cream cheese mixture.

I doubt that I will ever make lasagna without thinking of Mom, even if I’m cooking until 80 or 90 like some of you readers.

MOM’S HOMEMADE LASAGNA

12 uncooked lasagna

noodles

1 1/2 lbs. hamburger, fried 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoon oregano

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder,

opt.

3 cups pizza sauce, divided 2 1/2 cups water

4 oz. cream cheese

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup mozzarella cheese

Fry hamburger with seasonings, add 2 1/2 cup pizza sauce. Next layer noodles and meat mixture alternately in a 9x13 pan, beginning and ending with 4 noodles. Pour water over all, then spread with remaining 1/2 cup pizza sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hour or until noodles are tender.

Mix cream cheese, milk, and onions together and spread on top. Sprinkle with cheese then return to oven until cheese is melted.

Note: One cup sour cream may be used to replace the milk and cream cheese. Serves 8-12. Readers can write Gloria Yoder at 10437 E. 300th Ave., Flat Rock, Ill., 62427.

Garlic produces magic in many cuisines. With the Chinese New Year now underway, I mixed it with soy sauce, brown sugar and peanuts for this quick Chinese Garlic Steak.

Shortcut tip: To make the meal even faster, buy beef cut for stir-frying at the market.

For the Asian Noodles, look for fresh or steamed Chinese noodles in the produce section. Sesame oil gives it a nutty flavor.

Helpful hints

■ Dried Chinese noodles or angel hair pasta can be substituted for the fresh noodles.

■ Minced garlic can be found in jars in the produce section of the market or use 6 crushed garlic cloves.

Countdown

■ Marinate steak. ■ Prepare noodles. ■ Make steak.

Shopping list

To buy: 1/2-pound quick cooking steak (skirt, strip), 1 bottle low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 pound fresh snow peas, 1 small jar minced garlic, 1/4 pound fresh or steamed Chinese noodles, 1 small jar unsalted peanuts and 1 bottle sesame oil.

Staples: vegetable oil spray, brown sugar, salt and black peppercorns.

CHINESE GARLIC STEAK

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer 1/2 pound quick cooking steak (skirt or strip steak)

3 tablespoons low-sodium

soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar 3 teaspoons minced garlic Vegetable oil spray 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped peanuts Remove visible fat from steak and cut into 1/2- to 1-inch strips. Mix soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic together in a self-seal plastic bag. Add steak and set aside while making the noodles. Turn bag over once or twice during that time.

Heat a wok or skillet over high heat. Spray with vegetable oil spray. Remove steak from marinade, reserving marinade. Stir-fry steak 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to a plate. Add reserved marinade to the wok. Boil 1 minute. Spoon over steak. Sprinkle peanuts over steak.

Yield 2 servings. Per serving: 288 calories (53 percent from fat), 16.8 g fat (4.5 g saturated, 8.2 g monounsaturated), 72 mg cholesterol, 28.7 g protein, 8.9 g carbohydrates, 1.2 g fiber, 847 mg sodium.

ASIAN NOODLES

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer 1/4 pound fresh or steamed Chinese noodles (about 2 1/4 cups)

1/4 pound fresh snow peas,

trimmed (about 2 cups) 1 tablespoon sesame oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil. Add the noodles and snow peas. Bring back to a boil and cook 1 minute. Drain. Place in a bowl and add the sesame oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well. Serve with the steak.

Yield 2 servings. Per serving: 293 calories (29 percent from fat), 9.4 g fat (1.6 g saturated, 3.4 g monounsaturated), 48 mg cholesterol, 9.1 g protein, 43.3 g carbohydrates, 2.8 g fiber, 14 mg sodium. Linda Gassenheimer is the author, most recently, of "The 12-Week Diabetes Cookbook," "Delicious OnePot Dishes" and "Quick and Easy Chicken." Her website is dinnerinminutes.com. Follow her on Twitter @lgassenheimer.