VAL'S STUFFED CABBAGE HOUOVA POLEVKA; Ocean Park-WA

Val's Stuffed Cabbage Houbova Polevka;  Ocean Beach-WA

My husband and I both like cabbage - and I happened to have some on hand, so  …

My mother could make the most wonderful stuffed cabbage hot pot, called Halupki - if I close my eyes and think on those days, I can actually smell that wonderful aroma as it simmered on the back burner all day long.

This has been a difficult week for us, with sibling deaths on both sides of our union 😔: my baby brother 5 days ago … Holland's older brother, yesterday afternoon. And it has been raining here in Ocean Park-WA, since Wednesday evening: soul soothing is definitely needed, and today's supper fare fits the bill.

Betsy & Independence~2; Ocean Park-WA

The Archies - 'Sugar And Spice' song: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLhB4560-Y4&list=RDzLhB4560-Y4&start_radio=1)

My mother's Halupki hot pot was a simple undertaking (sometimes cinnamon was added if around holiday time), but I prefer more ingredients, more spice, & more color - all, of which, have their own special health benefits. My food is my "medicine"; so, I've jazzed my recipe up. The onion, carrot, & celery help eye health, & skeletal strength; and the spices used help improve immune function, reduce inflammation, protect against heart disease, and even boost brain function. Additionally, paprika & vinegar aid digestion, & help regulate blood sugar.

Thankfully, my husband, who also benefits from my healthy offerings … is appreciative of my kitchen concoctions 😘

9 Impressive Health Benefits of Cabbage: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-cabbage

Shiitake Mushrooms - Health Benefits, Nutrition, and Uses: https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-shiitake-mushrooms

9 Healthy Ways To Use White Rice~Dietitian: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ways-to-use-white-rice

This easy peasy healthy cabbage-mushroom-soup, has all the wonderful flavor of stuffed cabbage - without all the fuss (I never could keep my cabbage leaves from tearing - I've tried all the "tricks"); and as a bonus plus, delivers taste without the waist adage 😁

You pronounce {Houbova Polevka} as such: "Hoe-boo-vah Pa (soft a)-lev-kah".

Val's Stuffed Cabbage Houbova Polevka ~serves 4

1/2 lb. Hamburger, prebrowned (second 1/2 frozen for later use) * 1/4 head of med-size Cabbage, sliced * 2-1/2 c. Water * 1 c. Sweet Yellow Onion, chopped * 2 med. Carrot, shredded * 2 stalks Celery, chopped * 1 garlic, pressed * 1 TBSP Sugar * 1/2 TBSP Paprika * 1/8 tsp. Cinnamon powder * 1/4 tsp. Salt Substitute * 1/4 tsp. Himalayan Pink Salt * 1/4 tsp. grnd. Black Pepper * 1/8 tsp. Cayenne Pepper * 1/2 tsp. Dill Leaf, dried * 1/2 Bay Leaf * 5-ounce can V-8 Juice * 2 tsp. Beef Bouillon * 1/2 TBSP Cider Vinegar * 1/4 c. Shiitake mushrooms, chopped * 1/4 Rice, cooked * 1/2 TBSP Parsley flakes, dried * Lrg Cooking Pan * Measuring spoons & Measuring cups * 1 Cooking Spoon * 1 Ladle

Gather Ingredients:

Ingredients.

1) In a large soup pot, place the browned hamburger, onion-carrot-celery, garlic, mushrooms, rice, & V-8 juice …

2) Add the spice blend; pour the water & vinegar over all:

Spices added - bay leaf inside tea ball; then liquids.

3) Chop cabbage and place in the pot …

Cabbage added to pot … stir thoroughly to blend all ingredients.

4) Turn heat to medium-high, place pot over flame; bring to a boil:

When soup begins to boil, reduce heat to simmer.

5) When pot begins to boil, turn the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours …

Simmer flame.

Turn heat off & ladle up: YUMMY 😁

Husband liked this soup, a lot - it will be a requested repeat 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨

WAITING ON ELOHIM'S TIMING; Ocean Park-WA

The Simpson Family - 'In God's Perfect Time' song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0VOD3j06eI)

August 6th: The Day dawned cold and wet, here in Ocean Park-WA …

We were still waiting.

Praying 🙏

LIMBO~Scott Continued; Ocean Park-WA: (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2025/08/limboscott-continued-ocean-park-wa.html)

Anticipating.

Trusting in Elohim's perfect timing.

Hoping.

When there was a break in the weather, Holland drove to the Park Office to collect the box waiting for us there:

This love gift (ordered for me by my loving husband) was stored away until Winter Holiday time; it was ordered now because we have a physical address here for shipping and receiving.

Phone calls & texts flew back and forth from 9 AM 'til 3:55 PM:

Phone tag with various family members, was touch-n-go.

And then the call came that no one wanted to make - and no one wanted to receive 💔😪

I gave Holland some space to adjust his thoughts, feel the pain, and relax his heart, body, and mind. The past several days have been very hard for  him - and it hurt my heart to watch him struggle with the suffering 💕😢

I went on FB to thank my friends who have been holding us up in prayer; they are good friends ☝️❤️🤝 They are loving friends. I am fortunate, and very grateful to have them in my Life:

{{Thank you all for praying with … and for … us, and Scott's family. Your prayers were much appreciated and helped a lot in bearing this hard situation.

Scott's spirit is no longer this side of the blue. Holland & I both prayed that Yeshua was ministering to his spirit in that in-between time, and that Scott's spirit was receptive.

As I think on this, a {knowing} thought popped into my head, and I told Holland, "I believe Scott made it - I know in my spirit that he made it: the songs that came to mind after the first hospital visit a few days ago, were the exact same songs that were the ones that came to soothe me when Bob' spirit left Earth. And there was a new one, too, that I don't think I've heard before. A song by Jars of Clay. The lyrics were about resting in the Father's arms. These are confirmation songs Holland. I watched Bob's spirit leave his body; I know where his spirit lives … you prayed that Scott would not leave this Earth like your other siblings did, in the death grip of overdose - we both believed that Yeshua would minister to Scott's spirit and extend saving grace to him. The Psalm 91 passage you read at Scott's bedside yesterday, was the same exact passage of scripture that Elohim gave to Bob in 1981 after he died his 2nd death and came home to recover … it is the same exact scripture I quoted over laying Bob's cremains to rest in Eden Valley, on his BD, in 2019. These are confirmations. I believe that Scott will be waiting for us on the other side. You can rest easy tonight knowing he made it."

Holland is a strong man, but seeing his older brother laying in ICU hooked up to just about everything there was to hook him up to; just about did him in. He broke down at Scott's bedside and honestly declared war on the devil fighting for Scott. Holland grabbed his brother's hand and said, "I speak Life over you! You WILL LIVE and not die! You are not leaving here like the other's did - you will live and NOT die."

Yesterday, when we arrived at the hospital, Holland slid right into witnessing mode - I was momentarily surprised because Holland never presses anyone; especially when it comes to salvation necessity (I'm the fire & brimstone, he's the live & let live & don't get involved). Then, I was proud of him 👏😁 because it means he is letting go & letting Elohim work through him 😘}}

Life does come out of death.

In Elohim's perfect time.

My husband's older brother, Scott & his SIL, Lana.

Scott & Lana, with their son Jake - and his twins sons: dark-haired Jacob, & red-haired Levi.

This song showed up on FB a couple days ago … and wouldn't stay out of my thoughts, or off my lips -

Jars of Clay - 'All My Tears' song: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ic0Xx8hHvs&list=RD-ic0Xx8hHvs&start_radio=1)

This song is a song of deliverance. A particular favorite of mine - it's even underlined in my Bible …

Matthew Ward - 'Psalm 61' song: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM3zOBd3s5A&list=RDwM3zOBd3s5A&start_radio=1)

I bought this LP a year before Bob died his 2nd death … and then it was the only LP Bob listened to for about 6 months the Fall & Winter of 2018, following his miraculous resurrection and recoup at home. This song Bob claimed as his own testimonial song. It is the song I was singing in my head while speaking the Bible passage at his Celebration of Life gathering:

Maranatha! - 'Because He Has Loved Me (Psalm 91)' song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfm7vndIm2s&list=RDdfm7vndIm2s&start_radio=1)

This song kept running through my mind 2 nights ago, while cooking bacon for supper. And it never stopped until 3:55 PM this afternoon - 

Trace Adkins - 'Wayfaring Stranger' song: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPpV1Wcsgk0&list=RDiPpV1Wcsgk0&start_radio=1)

This song popped into my thoughts while I was making the bed yesterday, after we got back home. Also, first thing this morning:

Emmylou Harris - 'Beyond The Blue' song: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKY99siT8Qc)

Scott's passing is not the only grief we've known in our lives: we have both been through the mill several times over. We are survivors - we learned the hard way how to thrive. We cry … and we move forward. It's the only way we know to live this Life Elohim grants us, to it's fullest.

Holland & I ate a light supper …

Val's 4Patriots Mac, Cheese & Spam Hot Pot for 2: (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2025/08/vals-4patriots-mac-cheese-spam-hot-pot.html)

… and are now focused on just praying whatever Elohim has for us in the near future.

Relying on Elohim's perfect timing - it can be trusted even if it doesn't match up with what we think it should. He knows best what is best for us, in the long haul.

Of that, we can be sure of.

VAL'S 4Patriots MAC, CHEESE & SPAM HOT POT FOR 2 Recipe; Ocean Park-WA

Mac & Cheese is best made from scratch - but that is a lot of work, and there was no time for that today in my tiny kitchen; so, I relied on our ever present handy 4Patriots meals that my husband bought specifically for quick and easy RV meals on wheels 😉

Betsy & Independence~1; Ocean Park-WA

4Patriots Survival Food Packets.

The 4Patriots meal packets are very basic, but you can give them some oomph by adding spices, flavorings, meats, and veggies - and that's what I do. I have all that stuff on hand anyway because I like flavor. And I like color; combining the two is not a hardship for me.

The meat I added was Spam; we both like Spam, and we both needed the smooth soothe of a comfort food dish, tonight 🤗

This one-pot meal is a new taste for Holland - but it's not new to me … however, I've never made it with a 4Patriots meal packet, so tonight's combination is new to me too. Because the sauce is a dry mix base, it comes together quickly & easily - and the tasty ingredients make it delicious and satisfying: nothing will be left over 😁

The thing I do to keep the sauce smooth, is separate the noodles and dry sauce mixture; then I whisk it together with the water before I add it to the pot.

Val's 4Patriots Mac, Cheese, & Spam Hot Pot.

Val's 4Patriots Mac, Cheese, & Spam Hot Pot For 2 Recipe ~serves 3

1/2 pkt. 4Patriots America's Finest Mac & Cheese * 2 c Water * 1 10-ounce-can Cream of Mushroom Soup * 1/2 Onion, sliced * 3/4 c. Peas * 1 stalk Celery, chopped fine * 2 cloves garlic, pressed * 2 TBSP Butter (or 1 TBSP Butter & 1 TBSP Margarine) * 1/8 tsp. Mustard, powdered * 1/2 tsp. Celery Salt * 1/2 tsp. White Pepper, ground * pinch of Paprika * 1/2 TBSP Parsley, dried * 1 12-ounce-can Spam, cut into 1-inch cubes * 1 lrg. Cooking Pot * 1 Cutting Board & Knife * Measuring Cups & Spoons * 1 Small Whisk * 1 Cooking Spoon

1) Gather, and prepare your ingredients, so the process will flow smoothly …

HALF a 4Patriots Mac & Cheese Pkt.

Onion, celery, & garlic … peas.

Butter & spice blend; Spam.

2) Place butter in pot and add onion, celery, & garlic: sauté until onions are translucent.

Melt butter in pan … sauté onions, celery, & garlic until onion is translucent.

3) Add meat & soup - blend thoroughly.

Add spam cubes to sautéed veggies; stir in soup.

4) Whisk dry sauce mixture into water; pour over blended veggies, meat, & soup. Stir until mixture is smooth.

Whisk water & sauce together - pour over meat mixture. Add noodles; stir the mixture to thoroughly blend.

5) Add spice blend, & gently stir in peas.

Add spice blend … stir peas in.

6) Bring mixture to a boil; then lower heat to medium-high and cook until noodles are soft - about 20 minutes.

Turn heat off and let sit for about 5 minutes to allow sauce to thicken up.

Husband says this is a repeat quick meal 👌😘