Good news, Great joy!

Luke 2:9 "An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.' Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'" No other news that we can possibly receive in our lives can even compare to the good news the shepherds first received thousands of years ago. A savior came and still lives in us, one who saves us from our sin with a single drop of His precious blood! And like the angel said, this good news is for all people. Let us go out this Christmas season and spread the wonderful truth with those around us - God sent his Son to save each and every one of us! Glory to God!

Pesto Chicken Noodle Soup

from: blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen

6 cups low sodium chicken broth

3 Tbsp tomato sauce

1 heaping Tbsp pesto

1-2 cups egg noodles (I cooked mine prior to making this recipe)

1-2 cooked chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

Salt to taste

1. Bring broth, tomato sauce, and pesto to simmer in a large pot over medium heat.

2. Add noodles and chicken and simmer on medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

3. Add salt as needed (I didn't since I didn't have low sodium broth...mmmm salty).

4. Serve with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. I added black pepper as well.

THAT. IS IT. So tasty and comforting on a cold night!! The pesto really adds to it.

I had a tupperware of leftover canned pumpkin that I had no idea what to do with. Lucky for me, I found this incredible recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. O. M. G. The biggest, softest, moistest pumpkin bread-like cookies with gooey chocolate chips. Seriously, what could be better? Plus think of all the vitamin A you are getting! That means we can eat them for breakfast right....

Super Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

from: www.joythebaker.com

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 325. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Stir flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together in medium bowl and set aside.

3. In large bowl, beat eggs and sugar on medium speed until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute.

4. On low speed, mix oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended.

5. Mix in flour mixture to incorporate it. Mix in chocolate chips.

6. Using 1/4 measuring cup, scoop mounds of dough onto prepared cookie sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart. Smooth and flatten the rounds.

7. Bake about 16 minutes until top feels firm and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool complete.

8. Dust the cookies lightly with powdered sugar.

***NOTE: I used my sifter to sprinkle each with a beautiful dusting of powdered sugar....only to have that powdered sugar soak into the cookie and leave the top sticky. So, either skip this step or do it right before you enjoy them!

This next recipe we tried last night for dinner and oh my goodness, was it good. I got it off of one of my usual reads online but I believe it came originally from McCormick's recipe inspiration packets of spices. I didn't have one of those pre-portioned packets but luckily the blogger took a picture of the back and I could just make out the writing. Luckily I had everything! So cheesy, so warm, so delicious. Nothing is better than Mexican comfort food on a chilly night!

Quesadilla Casserole
from: pearls-handcuffs-happyhour.blogspot.com

Spices in the McCormick packet (or in your own pantry):
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8 3/4 oz.) can whole kernel corn, undrained
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles, undrained
6 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheese

*I halved the above amounts for James and myself and it worked out perfectly. We each got our fill and still had enough to take for lunch.

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Brown beef and onion, drain excess grease.
3. Add tomato sauce, beans, corn, and green chiles. Mix well.
4. Add all the spices except red pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Add red pepper to taste.
6. Layer half of the beef mixture on bottom of a baking dish (for the halved version I used an 8x8. If you're going full use a 9x13).
7. Top with half of your tortillas. Add half of the remaining beef mixture and top with half of the cheese.
8. Layer rest of the tortillas, followed by remaining beef mixture, then remaining cheese.
5. Bake for 15 minutes and enjoy!