Escape from the Kitchen

Last night I had the opportunity to hear the Freed-Hardeman University Chorale give a performance. Freed-Hardeman is a private University in Tennessee that is supported by members of the Church of Christ. The college students who sang were representing Churches of Christ from all over the country. What a talented and wonderful group of young people. As I sat in the audience, I felt the pride that parents feel when they watch their own children's accomplishments. These young people are the future of our church and our nation. I noticed how cordial and well-mannered they were before and after the concert, giving special attention to the elderly in the audience, as well as the small children in attendance. At one point in the program, they invited the children to come fill the front row for a special medley of familiar Bible and VBS favorites. It was a hit with the little ones as they sang the books of the Bible and "marched in the infantry"! Those kids are on a bus today headed for a chorale event being held at Oklahoma Christian University (another Church of Christ school) in Oklahoma City; I wish them all the best as they finish their tour and travel back to school.

Because I spent my evening at a concert, my review today is brief. The book Escape from the Kitchen, however, is one that you will want to have in your collection. It is written by a home organizer named Deniece Schofield, and what a wealth of information is crammed into this paperback! There are charts and lists to help you organize both your space and time in the kitchen. She provides a master grocery list, along with tips for simplifying your grocery trips. The book is from 1986 and was published by Writer's Digest Books; ISBN is o-89879-231-2. I love the practical way that she offers her tools of organization; they are all easy things that anyone can do to make the ongoing tasks of grocery shopping and cooking more hassle-free. She mentions the best times to shop, and that setting up work stations for baking, prepping food and stove-top cooking will save time and steps in your kitchen. These may be ideas that are simple, but what a great idea to have them altogether in one place -a handy, "reminder book". I hope you can find a copy-you'll be glad that you looked for this book! Hey, Ms. Schofield even throws in some easy recipes in a chapter called, "The One Minute Gourmet"; here's one from page 123.

Hawaiian Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts
2 C barbecue sauce
1 (16 oz.) can crushed pineapple with juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken in greased or sprayed baking dish. Bake chicken for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, mix BBQ sauce, pineapple and juice. Pour mixture over chicken and cook 15 minutes more. Serves 4-6.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

I will be at these swaps today:
-DesignsbyGollum
-LifeasMom
-Grocerycartchallenge
-Momtrends
-AnnKroeker