Quotable Quotes, My Favorite Things RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE, Pioneer Woman's Fish Sticks, Pinterest Stuff (Gratitude Pumpkin), Hoots and Howls, Fall Festival, Melia's Birthday Celebration AND Maine - Part One

Good Wednesday morn!

Quotable Quotes - “Hospitality seeks to minister. It says, ‘This home is not mine. It is truly a gift from my Master. I am His servant, and I use it as He desires.’ Hospitality does not try to impress, but to serve.” Karen Mains, Open Heart, Open Home

My Favorite Things RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE - If you go to wherever it is you watch YouTube and search for Amy Hannon (author of the Love Welcome Serve cookbook), you will find a lot of Cooking Today videos...

But that's not what you're looking for right now.

Scroll through until you see her YouTube Video entitled Love Welcome Serve, Dinner and Fellowship with Amy Hannon. You will notice it is a Bellevue Women's Ministry video.

She is an excellent speaker, and this is a wonderful, inspiring lesson on "authentic Biblical hospitality." I think this will be one of my favorite things for much longer than a minute!

Pioneer Woman's Parmesan Fish Sticks

You will need the following:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds cod or haddock fillets
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
3 large eggs
Ketchup, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Grease a sheet pan with the olive oil.

2. Cut the fish fillets into 2 1/2-inch-long and 1-inch-wide strips.

3. Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Set aside.

4. Combine the breadcrumbs, parsley and butter with a fork in a separate shallow bowl. Add the Parmesan and stir to combine.

5. Beat the eggs in a third bowl.

6. Bread the fish by giving the strips a good coating of the seasoned flour. Tap off any excess. Dip in the beaten eggs until coated. Roll the egg-coated fish in the crumb mixture. If need be, press the breadcrumbs into the fish. Place on the oiled sheet pan.

7. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip the fish sticks and continue cooking until the breading is deep golden and the fish is cooked through, about another 8 minutes.

8. Serve with ketchup.

NOTE FROM ENCHANTING BELINDA - This was SO good. A grown-up fish stick!

Pinterest Stuff

Gratitude Pumpkin

This isn't a new idea...

Or a difficult idea...

Or a time-consuming idea.

But it is a perfect Thanksgiving centerpiece idea!

(Picture from Pinterest)

RANDOMNESS #1 - Hoots and Howls - Our first trip to Hoots and Howls at the Birmingham Zoo was cancelled due to rain...

And when the second opportunity came around, Melia, RT, ME and I were the only ones able to attend.

It was a fun afternoon, and while we skipped the VERY LONG candy line and the VERY, VERY LONG train ride line, I am happy to report the NONEXISTENT LUNCH LINE (thanks to a handy, dandy APP) and the NOT SHORT, BUT NOT EXTRA LONG carousel line suited us just fine.

Just fine, indeed.

Allow me to introduce you to Rosie the Riveter...

And Lightning McQueen!

RANDOMNESS #2 - Fall Festival - Later that same afternoon, Mike and I met Josh, Courtney, Judith and Eden (also known as "Hunter and Cute Herd of Deer") at their church's outdoor Candy Trail.

Again, not the original plan, but very much fun!

Eden wasn't too sure about the two graham crackers and marshmallow who came up to talk to her.

I believe she was trying to figure out where the Hershey bar was hiding.

RANDOMNESS #3 - Melia's Birthday Celebration - Melia had a birthday the first of November, and with hot dogs, chicken strips, unicorn plates, unicorn hats and a fire...

We celebrated her milestone with birthday smore's.

RANDOMNESS #4 - Maine - Part One - Mike and I went to Bangor, Maine for a week in October. It is my 22nd state to visit thus far, and just between you and me (and every Mainer I talked to the entire week of our visit), it is my favorite.

We flew to Charlotte, North Carolina for a short layover, and then flew straight to tiny Bangor International Airport. The flight time was less than three and a half hours total, and we arrived a little after noon on a Friday.

It was a dreary, gray day (my most favorite kind of day God ever created), and as we walked out of the airport to catch our shuttle to the car rental place, a very brisk, one might even say "blustery," wind hit me square in the face...

And I knew I was home.

I won't go on and on, but I will say I didn't experience one drop of neck sweat the entire time I was in Maine.

NOT ONE!

And it was beyond lovely.

A few weeks earlier, I found a newly-renovated loft on Airbnb located on Main Street in Downtown Bangor, and I booked it for our stay.

I've always wanted to stay in a loft, and it wasn't until we arrived in MAINE that it hit me...

Maybe we should have stayed in a CABIN...

In the WOODS...

Since Maine is known far and wide as an OUTDOORSY/WOODSY kinda state.

But as soon as we walked into our super chic, super modern, super urban loft, I was very happy with the decision.

Mike was a trooper, and if we ever go back (and we will GO BACK), we're staying in a log cabin WAY BACK in the woods.

This is the view of the back of our building. Our loft was on the second floor.

And this was by far my favorite room in the loft.

That bench covering was made out of some kind of wild animal fur.

Maybe fox.

Maybe albino moose.

We may never know. One of life's great mysteries.

This is the view from our wall of windows in the living room. We were directly across from an attorney's office and some more lofts.

I could post 25 more pics of houses in Bangor neighborhoods, but this is a good go-by.

There are a lot of two story, white homes in the neighborhoods. You will see other colors, but by and large, white is the most popular.

Also, there are not many brick homes. Mike and I were surprised because of the harsh winters, but wood houses and a lot of firewood make up the norm.

DAY ONE - We explored Bangor in our car (it had started raining), ate a lovely dinner and went back to the loft to get ready for DAY TWO!

We awoke to sunshine and cool, crisp autumnal temps on our second day, and we drove 42 minutes (more or less) to Acadia National Park. Once in the Park, we drove directly to Jordan's Pond House which overlooks Jordan's Pond and a three-mile trail (divided into three different trail types).

We started on the raised platform trail which, as you can see, was not a hard hike at all.

However, the raised platform trail ended and the giant boulder trail began.

It was a little more "challenging," but still enjoyable.

And just when we thought we never wanted to see another boulder again, we reached the perfectly smooth and lovely EASY TRAIL.

Guess which one was our fav?

Yeah.

No competition!

DAY TWO - After our little hike around the pond, we leisurely drove back to Bangor (stopping at an epic roadside antique store), ate dinner and called it a wonderful day.

It would have been easy to stay two or three hours in this one store and still not see everything.

I'll hit the highlights of Days Three and Four in the next post.

In other news, Roxie and I were able to go on a quick, but exciting, 2020 Mother/Daughter Trip...

And it might be my favorite one to date!

We kinda took a two-hour sailing lesson into a smallish storm.

I'll talk about that a little more in the next post, too.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

"I don't understand why people 'get ready' for bed. I am ALWAYS ready for bed!"

Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken, Pinterest Stuff (September Bucket List), THE SPIN-OFF of I DIDN'T FALL AGAIN, BUT I'M TELLING THE STORY ABOUT THE FIRST TIME I FELL TWO YEARS AGO... Just Because, Celebrating with Bev, Labor Day Choices, A Little Extra AND A Little Teaser

Good Wednesday morning!

It's officially the second day of Autumn, so that means I am in a particularly good mood.

Join me, won't you?

Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken

You will need the following:

3 to 4 boneless chicken breasts
1 bottle Kraft Sweet Honey Barbecue Sauce
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks
1 teaspoon soy sauce

1. Put chicken breasts into the crockpot.

2. Add the barbeque sauce, pineapple chunks and soy sauce.

3. Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.

NOTE FROM ENCHANTING BELINDA - I served the chicken on a bed of rice (adding a couple of spoonfuls of "juice" to the rice), as well as several chunks of pineapple placed around the chicken and rice. Hawaiian rolls and a giant fruit salad finished the very simple meal.

Pinterest Stuff

NOTE FROM ENCHANTING BELINDA - I went through about a dozen Bucket Lists, and I found ten things that might not be the "norm" for your family. I've done a couple of these in the past...

And I plan on doing a couple more.

September Bucket List

1. Try a new-to-you pumpkin recipe.
2. Make caramel apples.
3. Have an apple bobbing competition.
4. Make your own family scarecrow using things from your closets.
5. Make a donation to a local food bank.
6. Pay for the car behind you in the Starbucks drive-thru. (Chances are there will be a "pumpkin spice" something in their order!)
7. Plant bulbs. (Something to look forward to in the Spring.)
8. Take a Family Fall Bike Ride.
9. Create your own Family Trail Mix recipe... and make it around the same time every year.
10. Make a no-sew blanket. Just Google "no-sew blankets" for several fun ideas.

RANDOMNESS #1 - Without further ado... The Spin-Off - Two weeks before I fell in the middle of the street in front of Gardendale's First Baptist Church (see September 1, 2020 re-post), I dropped a can of baked beans on my toe.

Specifically, one of the little toes on my left foot closest to the smallest piggy.

A day or two after it happened, I had a pedicure, and sure enough, my toenail was black.

My solution...

THREE coats of bright orange nail polish, and I was good to go.

Now flash forward to one week AFTER the Enormous Fall.

Three weeks had gone by since the can incident, and I was sitting in the pedicure chair once again...

But this time, I also had the scraped knee, elbows, ankle, wrists, etc., etc.

And I was sore.

Really, really sore.

I wouldn't have gone to the nail place at all except I wanted to do something fun with Roxie before she moved to Auburn.

Roxie was getting her manicure when they called me to a pedi-chair directly behind her.

When the pedicurist sat down to start, he couldn't help but notice all of my bandages.

"I can't have a normal pedicure today. No lotion. No scrubbing. No exfoliating. Just removal of old polish and addition of new polish," I told him.

He just stared at me.

"And I can't have the massage chair turned on for my relaxing pleasure," I added. "I'm pretty sure it would kill me."

Then I told him the entire story of the Enormous Fall of 2017.

When I finished, he looked down, picked up my left foot in both hands and ever-so-gently placed it on the stand. He started removing the old toenail polish, and then I remembered the black toenail.

"Oh, yes! And I dropped a can on the toe you're about to start working on. It is very black and very sore and very loose. What we're trying to do with that is just keep the black toenail, but I'll need three heavy coats of the bright orange nail polish... just like the last time I was here," I explained.

He sat back and just looked at my bandaged knees, ankles and yucky feet.

I was overcome with pity for him, and I decided to give him a way out.

"If I am just too gross to even be here, just say the word and I'll go home now."

That's when I heard a dull thud, thud, thud coming from the direction of Roxie's manicure chair. She had put her head down on the manicure table and was quietly and methodically beating her head against it.

One might have thought she had had enough of The Enchanting Belinda for one day.

It's hard to imagine, but Mike assures me it is possible.

The pedicurist didn't answer verbally, but he lowered his head and went to work.

He finished my toes and stood up. "Hot towels?" he asked.

Ahhh. Hot towels. I love the hot towels. I thought for a minute trying to figure out if the hot towels were indeed doable, and much to my pleasure, I could think of no reason they would harm me in any way, shape or form.

"Yes! Hot towels would be lovely!"

And they were.

My little black toenail fell off yesterday. It just gave up, and I don't blame it.

Not even a little bit.

I'm going to get a pedicure sometime this week, and while I am missing a toenail and I have seven big scars here and there, I don't feel as gross as I did three weeks ago.

Hey...

I might even let him turn the massage chair on HIGH because that's how good I'm feeling about my 56 year-old self right now.

That's right!

I said HIGH!

RANDOMNESS #1 - Celebrating with Bev - My sister, Beverly, and I have a little birthday tradition. I like to take her to a new-to-her restaurant and then shopping at unique shops I think she would love.

The flip-side of the tradition...

She does the same for me.

She really outdid herself this year.

Bev has moved to a more rural part of our state, and she and Tommy are loving it.

That being said, she planned my entire birthday tradition around her new locale, and it was pretty awesome.

First stop...


The Greasy Cove General Store in Gallant, Alabama.

It was rustic, quaint and a fun place to shop.

I would have been pretty content with just the one little General Store, but wait!

There was more!


Gargus Market was also a great place to browse and shop. I thought we were going to eat lunch there (since it had a place for that, too), but nope.

Just down the road was our lunch spot for the day.


And it totally fit my mood.


I'm not sure if I've ever frquented a Trading Post before, but I plan on visiting as many as I can in the foreseeable future.

The food was great, and the desserts were all homemade.

Loved it!


Something you may or may not know about me...

When in a rural area, I like to drive around and take pictures of farm animals.

On this particular day, we saw horses and cows galore, but I understand not everyone is a lover of the domesticated animal photo, so I'll just share one of those.

Also, I'm planning on showing you the birthday gift Bev gave me in the next post.

It deserves it's own spot, I think.

RANDOMNESS #2 - Labor Day Choices - We had the following choices on Labor Day...

The Zoo...

Let's Play...

Or have a Driveway Day which would include riding the bikes and/or swimming.


Let's Play won out because when I called The Zoo, I was told it hadn't hit capacity yet, but it was definitely the biggest crowd since the Pandemic started...

And people were still walking up to the gate.

When I called Let's Play, they had a total of four children and eight adults...


And when we arrived, that hadn't changed.


We played for a good 90 minutes before eating pizza for lunch and heading back for the Driveway Day activities.


It was a pretty nice Labor Day.


Pretty nice, indeed.

RANDOMNESS #3 - A Little Extra - This little lady turned six months old a few days ago, and she is crawling and scooting and rolling up a storm.


And drooling.

She's also drooling up a storm, too.



RANDOMNESS #4 - A Little Teaser - We celebrate Courtney, Roxie and Josh's birthdays ALL together in September OR October each year because their days of birth are so close together. I'll leave you with one pic and post the rest before the end of the month!

Have a fantastic Wednesday. I'll be back with some FALL stuff in just a few days.

Until then...

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

Being a parent is literally just changing the toilet paper roll and cleaning up messes that don't belong to you repeatedly until you die.