The Neely Team

Here we are, in Indianapolis… two days down and one to go…

Recording our patriotic program at Aire Born Studios has been a lot of fun, even with all the “bloopers” and sleepy sillies! Here are a few pictures for those of you who might wonder what’s been happening. (We will try to post more details later… but for now, we need some sleep. :)  Also, please keep in mind that it’s a little difficult to get good quality photos or videos through double panes of glass… ) If you think of it, we would appreciate your prayers as we wrap up the recording tomorrow.

Jesus, my Savior, my God, my King,

I surrender everything.

Take my life, my heart, my all,

And on thee I’ll always call.

Hear me, Lord, and use me now

And before thee in heaven I’ll ever bow.

Send me always where you will

And I’ll forever follow still.

Deliver me from mine enemy swift,

And in Thine loving arms me lift.

Always, Gentle Shepherd, keep

Me ever from those waters deep.

All to Thee, my Savior, Friend,

Keep me always to the end.

And when I take my final breath,

Lead me through the vale of death.

I know the gentle life you gave

Has kept me from a wretched grave.

When hanging on that cross you died,

Your love for me was testified.

Rose of Sharon, blooming flow’r

Saved me with His matchless pow’r.

Just recently, some dear friends facetiously told us that our blog is their only entertainment! If that was really the case, we would think they were very deprived! However, for their sakes, we decided that we should post some more “entertaining” things!! This video was taken a few months ago…

End note: What a blessing it is that my younger siblings love to sing together - I love it when they play “church”!!!

This last week, at the generous invitation of a business colleague of Daddy’s (as well as a family friend!), Mr. Glen Traylor, we were able to take a trip to Charlotte, NC, for the annual dinner held by Illinois Tool Works (ITW). This year it was held in none other place than the NASCAR Hall of Fame! The whole place was amazing, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there, even getting to “race” in the simulators. The main room, where the actual dinner was held, was uniquely fringed by a short track lined with full-sized models of the numerous types of cars that have raced throughout the years. Beneath each model was a square sample of the type of pavement the tracks are/were made from, details for where that particular track was/is located, as well as the slant of that track. (We actually stood – or attempted to stand – on the “current” slope that racers are using, which was a tilt of 36 degrees! Sounds pretty easy, but was kind-of painful on the ankles!) As I sat in that gigantic hall, though, and I contemplated the situation we were in, and tried in vain to “soak it all up,” – for, after all, it was probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience – the thought fleeted across my mind that none of this, in light of eternity, really matters. How easy it is for us to lose sight of our goal and become consumed with things that are temporal! The question comes to mind: If I were faced with the choice today, would I choose to have my name remembered and glorified in this Hall of Fame because I gave my life, my very all, for a sport that’s as neat as racing, or to  have my Creator’s Name magnified and exalted because, by His matchless grace, my name was among that “great cloud of witnesses,” – and present in the “Hall of  Faith”?? What would YOU choose?

The opportunity to visit NASCAR is something we will probably never forget! It was a ton of FUN, and we are all incredibly grateful for the opportunity and privilege of attending. Thank you, Mr. Traylor!

But today, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God…” (Colossians 3:1-3)

“Oh no! Dad’s on his way home, and we don’t have supper started yet!!!”

Although we TRY to keep our menu planned in advance and meals prepared in plenty of time, these words do ring through our house occasionally – normally on days when we’ve been exceptionally busy with school or other projects, such as spring cleaning, produce-preserving, etc. Dad’s commute from work is only about fifteen minutes, so that doesn’t leave much time for food prep, much less checking the pantry to see if we even have all the ingredients! So when a situation like this occurs, what can we do???

For times like this, it’s always good to have a backup plan – easy meals that use staple foods from your pantry.

I’m sure that you have certain “staple” foods at your house – things that you generally always have in the pantry or freezer. Yours are probably different from ours, and ours are different from the next person’s. At our home, we almost ALWAYS have grits, sugar, eggs, cheddar cheese, salt, peanut butter, and “baby” carrots. We also keep milk and flour and pasta, green beans, salsa, and applesauce. Furthermore (for those of you who want to know what REALLY makes the Neelys panic), it is an officially declared State of Emergency when we use up the last of the chocolate chips!!! (Hmmm……maybe I shouldn’t have just admitted that……)

Anyway, back to my point…

Keep a mental (or if you’re more organized, a written) list of “backup meals” – those things that you keep the ingredients for and can efficiently pull out of your barns and storehouses for a quick and delicious repast. We have a few of those, one of which I’m going to share here. It only has three main ingredients – the sauce has a few more – and these items are all staple foods at our house, making this recipe great for a quick fix. (I think it was actually developed on one of those rushed-prep nights…)

Easy Chicken Quesadillas

10 10” flour tortillas

4 c. chopped or shredded cooked chicken*

4 c. grated cheddar cheese

   Hot sauce:** (I invented this while trying to copy a restaurant sauce that I like. I was unsuccessful at duplication, but our people love it anyway!)

3/4 c. sour cream

2 T. salsa

1 t. hot sauce (like Tabasco or Texas Pete)

1/4 t. red pepper

1/4 t. salt (optional)

Lay out five tortillas on baking trays. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of chicken on each tortilla, then sprinkle 3/4 cup of cheese on top of the chicken. (Use all the chicken and cheese.) Mix together all hot sauce ingredients; spread the remaining tortillas with sauce (as much or as little as you prefer). Place each tortilla, sauce side down, on chicken tortillas. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are golden and cheese is melted. Cut and serve with sour cream, salsa, and remaining hot sauce. Enjoy!

*Anytime we are cooking chicken in any form – grilled, boiled, baked, etc. – we try to make some extra. Then we chop the leftovers and freeze them in plastic bags, ready for spur-of-the-moment meals like this one. It is also extremely handy for recipes that only call for “1/2 cup of cooked chicken” or some other small increment.

**This makes a mildly hot sauce which our whole family enjoys. You can adjust the amounts of pepper or Tabasco sauce to suit your taste. It also makes a good dip for tortilla chips.