It's Relative

(No.  This is NOT a Christmas post.)

He sat at the puzzle table and said,

"Boy!  It's hard finding all these border pieces..."

Meanwhile, I was at the kitchen counter

perusing a favorite cookbook in search of something to make for dinner.

"It's hard coming up with meals all the time," I said.

Then, under my breath--

"Hard is relative."

(Very relative!)

I Approve of this Cake

Copied from Facebook post (sorry, I can't remember when/whose, etc.)

and approved by me and my in-house test group!

It could also be appropriately titled "Cake That Doesn't Last".

Yes.  That's all I have to blog about on this cold, laid-back Saturday afternoon

except for the book I'm reading, Everybody Was Young,

and the puzzle going on at our kitchen table.

When finished it should look like this!

The good smell of beans cooking in the crock-pot with ham, onions and garlic

wafts lazily through our house.

Thankful for all the good things I'm enjoying.

Energy

I needed to pick up some granola and honey to make *Energy Snacks this morning, so I headed cross country to a neighboring small town's Save-A-Lot to purchase them.  I enjoyed the sights along the way on this cool, clear, crisp morning. 

I took this stealth photo out of a window of my slow-moving car.  For some reason, the old hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness came to my mind as I passed this scene.  I think it was the lines "Summer and winter, springtime and harvest; Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide.  STRENGTH for today and bright hope for tomorrow...."

It was then that I realized energy is one of the blessings I'm enjoying today...

along with ten thousand besides!

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak

...those who hope in the Lord  will renew their strength. 

 (Isaiah 40:29, 31)

 ENERGY SNACKS

1 c. peanut butter

1 c. honey

1 c. granola

1 1/2 c. powdered milk

1 c. unsweetened coconut.

Mix ingredients  in order.  Form balls (I make mine about 3/4" in diameter).  

Roll in sesame seed or coconut.  Makes between 2-3 dozen depending on size.  SO good!

Last to Know

I'm sure everyone already knows about Asian Slaw.  (I'm usually the last to know!)   I've had the recipe for a couple of years now.  It's a hit just about anywhere I serve/ take it.  Yesterday was no exception.  This is the largest of my glass mixing bowls.  It was pretty full.  It came back from the potluck empty.  Well, empty of slaw, anyway.  Sitting inside it is a jar of homemade zucchini relish.  It's the BEST!  A friend sent it home with me.

Asian Slaw

3 pkg. beef flavored raimen noodle soup, break up noodles

1 pkg. 16 oz. slaw mixture

1 c. salted, roasted sunflower seeds

1 c. sliced almonds

1 bunch green onions, chopped

Layer those ingredients.

Whisk together:

1/2 sugar

3/4 c. oil

1/4 c. white vinegar

3 of the flavor packs from the raimen noodles.

Pour over the slaw & cover tightly.

Chill 24 hours before serving.

Toss & serve.

 An outdoor worship service and baptisms...

 food and conversation...

swimming & fishing.

All in the company of our wonderful church friends.

It was a great Sunday.

Bananas...Bread...Baking

My husband and I attended this country church 

during our college years and early married lives.

I treasure this cookbook not just because of the wonderful recipes,

but because every page conjures up a special memory in my mind.

You may know that you can click on these pictures to enlarge...

 This morning I used up 3 "black" bananas and followed

my great-aunt Pearl's recipe for banana bread.

(I didn't add a cup of nuts.)
I baked the bread in this Corning Ware bread pan.
We received several casserole dishes in this pattern
as wedding gifts in 1971.
I've added other pieces such as this one throughout the years
while shopping in thrift stores and at garage sales.

 

As I stirred up the batter, I thought of this Chip Ingram quote... 

"God gives us the ingredients for our daily bread, but he expects us to do the baking!"

How does YOUR favorite banana bread recipe

compare with my Great-Aunt-Pearl's?

First We Study; Then We Eat

Grandmother's Salad Bowl

I took Peach Salad to our Ladies' Bible Study this morning.  I served it in my grandmother's salad bowl.  It was a huge hit!  I got the recipe on the internet.  It was simply:

Spinach

1/4-1/2 cup chopped pecans (you can roast them; I didn't)

3.5 ounces of goat cheese

Fresh peaches (I sliced 4 of them)

Toss the above ingredients together with:

Poppy Seed Dressing

1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup of sugar  (recipe calls for 3/4 cup but I only used  1/2 cup  and it was fine)
2 tsp. dried minced onions
(recipe called for 1/2 red onion coarsely chopped since I didn't have red onion I improvised)
1/2 tsp. dried mustard powder (I have used 1 Tbs. regular mustard) 
1 /4 tsp. of salt
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1 tsp. of poppy seeds
Place vinegar, sugar, onion, mustard and salt into a blender.  Cover and puree until smooth.  Add in the vegetable oil and blend till it is creamy, then stir in the poppy seeds. 

A friend gave me a bag of fresh peaches.  Yum!

We're studying Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.  This week we looked at the lies we (women) often believe about ourselves.  After prayer time and the study, we enjoy a meal together.  I love these times I spend with my sisters!

Are you currently in a Bible study? What are you studying?  

An Old-Fashioned Chili Supper

Linda at Mocha with Linda said, "...megachurches are often in the forefront, yet half of the evangelical churches in America have less than 75 attendees, and 90% of churches have less than 350 members."

Our church falls very close to that "less than 75 attendees".  Planning and executing activities is always a challenge when people are as busy as everybody seems to be.  But last night, Dana and Carole DID it!

A lineup of 13 chilies filled the tables!  Everyone got two tickets to vote for their favorite.  The tickets were placed in the blue-lidded containers, and the three top chilies were awarded prizes.

This is Carole (but not Dana)

 

This was my personal favorite!  It WAS even better than it looks.  I think Dave said it was the first time he'd made it - and he got the recipe out of a cookbook or off the internet.  I'm going to track it down!  (I was interested to note that at least as many men entered their chili as did women...)

The Bible records the early Christians "breaking bread...and eating together with glad and sincere hearts".  (Acts 2:46)  We did that last night--and it was good!

How many people attend YOUR church?  

Do you have time to participate in any "church" activities outside of Sunday morning (or Saturday night, etc.) worship?

How important is it to you to have personal contact with your church friends outside of that Sunday morning experience?

Crazy about Cranberries

Several years ago, I prepared a sweet potato casserole with cranberries on top for a Thanksgiving meal.  It was a hit!  But I've both lost the recipe AND  recently discovered the joys of crockpot cooking.   So...this is the recipe I found on google.  I plan to modifiy it using brown sugar instead of white.  I will cut the washed sweet potatoes into 1" pieces and will NOT peel them.  I'll combine the sugar, orange juice, salt, melted butter and cranberries and layer that mixture with layers of sweet potatoes in the crock pot.  I'll probably set it on 6 hours and top it with the granola at the end.  If I have room in my oven, I'll pop the covered crock into it.  If not, I'll just let it "crock" a little longer.  I KNOW it will turn out wonderfully!

Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter

1 1/2 cup granola cereal

Directions:  In a large saucepan, cover sweet potatoes with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool. Peel potatoes; cut into 1-in. pieces. Combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice and salt; place half in a greased 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Top with half of the sweet potatoes. Repeat layers. Dot with butter. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until cranberries are tender. Uncover and sprinkle with granola; return to the oven for 10 minutes. 

What's YOUR favorite way to use cranberries at Thanksgiving?  (Or don't you?)

How I Found My Pumpkin

Read more about the pumpkin shortage HERE.

There was no pumpkin to be found at the two major grocery stores nearest me.  Then I went to Save-A-Lot in a small town nearby.  At all stores, I was informed either that pumpkin was a seasonal item not yet in stock OR that there was a shortage and they didn't know WHEN/IF they would receive it this year.

That's when Facebook kicked in.  I posted about my dilemma. Don noticed and told me that his father who lives in the Pumpkin Capital and home of Libbey Cannery (Morton, IL) said that the fields were too wet to harvest the crop last year and a shortage exists. In fact, he wrote:   There was an article last year about the shortage and it featured a picture of one of Libbey's marketing execs hugging about 6 cans of pumpkin! It was all that was left of 2009 production! I heard rumors that cans were going on ebay for quite a bit of money!  Brenda (Chicago area) told me: Our local grocery stores had been out of pumpkin for months but now I have seen again--just last week in Jewel and Aldi. A friend of mine had missed it and went and bought two cases from Aldi.  

My husband was at work in a neighboring town, close to an Aldi.  I texted him, and he agreed to check it out.  He came home with 4 cans.  (I should have told him to buy two cases!  I might have been able to sell them to WalMart!) 

More pumpkin recipes on my recipe page--thanks to Jacquelyn!

This afternoon, I made these pumpkin muffins.  I didn't have the maple flavoring to put in the frosting or the toffee bits to sprinkle on top....but here is how they turned out.

Thank you, Facebook Friends!

Have YOU had any trouble finding pumpkin this year - or is it too early?
What will YOU do with YOUR pumpkin?

When was the last time YOU got help from a Facebook Friend?

Use It Up

...and I've usually heard "or do without" added to the lines on this WW II poster.

Yesterday I applied this principle to my dinner preparation. At the urging of a friend while eating at the Peking Buffet on Tuesday, I tried some chicken in a peanut sauce.  I KNEW I would like it--and I did! So yesterday, I wanted to give my husband a taste of it.  I put chicken breast in my crock pot and then mixed some peanut butter with some ricotta cheese I had left from preparing a weekend dish. I put the mixture over the chicken breast and, because time was short, turned the heat to high. Four hours later, we enjoyed the meal with Asian cabbage slaw (a leftover).  The slaw recipe is under the Recipe Tag at the top of my blog. We are not picky eaters, and using leftovers creatively is a great adventure for me.  The crock pot is a HUGE help!

Do YOU have a favorite way to use leftovers?

I'm Preparing

 One of our daughters and three grandchildren are coming to visit for a few days.  So I'm preparing!  This morning we rolled out this rug on the unfinished wood floor (we're still trying to decide whether to paint them or have new laminate floors installed).  The rug will make it a little safer for the children to walk in their bare feet!  It looks cozier, too!

 This is the sight looking from the living room door toward the windows in the dining part of our kitchen...

 This evening the table will be set and we'll enjoy the BarBQ beef sandwiches with the new crock pot recipe I'm trying (2 lb. chuck roast, 1 jar BarBQ sauce, a can of Coke, and 2 t. garlic salt all cooked on low for 7-9 hours).  I also made a broccoli salad and we'll have corn on the cob. 

I baked the baked oatmeal this morning while it was a little cooler in the kitchen.  It's a family favorite.  I'll just microwave it in the morning to heat it and serve with raisins, nuts, dates, and milk.  The recipe is in the recipe link found at the top of my blog.

It's been a rare morning of domestic activity for me today.  The sun is shining and I hear that the humidity is going to be much lower the next couple of days.  What a pleasant reprieve!

Pancakes - Easy & Nutritious

I learned this trick from our daughter earlier this week and made them this morning for our breakfast...

Use pancake mix that only requires the addition of water; add some oatmeal and flaxseed meal and water to desired consistency.  We had maple syrup on hand.  I can't tell you how DELICIOUS these were!  AND I found another way to add flaxseed to our diet!  (I didn't measure, but personally, I like plenty of oatmeal - I don't usually use "quick" oats - and flaxseed.  It adds great texture to the cakes.)

"She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls" (Proverbs 31:15).

Unsung Heroes

Can I tell you what a pleasure it was to host this lady and her husband overnight on Tuesday?  Colin and Dot are Bible translators with Wycliffe Bible Translators.  They have analyzed the language of a people group in Burkina Faso, West Africa and have and have put it into written form.  The Turka people have never seen their everyday words written on a page!  That boggles my mind!  (Of course, this is true of multiple languages yet today.)

This couple and others like them are real heroes in my opinion.  In some ways, they are like the Old Testament saints who were praised for their obedience and faith in Hebrews 11:39,40:  These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.  God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect."

Here's the recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu that I served for our dinner that evening.  I'm absolutely reckless when it comes to trying new recipes on company.  This one worked and was relatively easy.  (I'm sure some of you seasoned cooks are rolling your eyes at my enthusiasm here.)  This is how I wrote the instructions down.  I'm sorry I can't remember the source.

Pound 4 chicken breasts to 1/4" thick.  Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.  Place 1 slice of Swiss cheese and a bit of of thinly sliced ham on each breast.  Roll up.  Then roll each in flour (1/4 cup total).  Dip each roll in 1 beaten egg and then coat in Italian bread crumbs (1 cup total).  Fasten with toothpicks and place seam side down in a sprayed baking pan.  Dot each with 1 tablespoon (I used less) of butter and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or until juice runs clear.  While they are baking, combine 1 cup whipping cream with 1/2 cup of chicken broth.  Simmer until thick.  Pour this over the breasts to serve. 

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU APPLES...

The recipe is really too long to post, but if you like apples, this recipe is worth trying.  I found it when I googled "Apple Sheet Cake".

I baked it on Tuesday and set it out on the back porch to chill until I took it to our community Lenten luncheon.  I cut it to serve 32 people and served it chilled.  It really was delicious.  The term "cake" is deceiving.  As I made it, I thought it was more like apple dumplings, but it cut nicely into bars.  The frosting (yes, there is frosting!) was a great topping for an already tasty dessert.

By the way, I cored and diced the apples but didn't peel them.  Seeing red, some people thought it was rhubarb and didn't take it at first.  But once the word spread that it was "apple", it went quickly!  And don't worry about perfection when rolling out the dough.  Mine definitely wasn't perfect but came out just fine.

You'll notice I'm not talking about this on my healthy living blog! 

We're Back! By Popular Request - TaDa!

Sugar Cream Pie
There are many recipes on internet. This is the one I used and it turned out wonderfully. This recipe is for one (1) pie...

1 1/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. all-purpose flour, unsifted
1/2 pint (1 cup) whipping cream
3/4 c. milk (I used 1%)
2 Tbs. butter, cut into small pieces
Pinch nutmeg.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Combine sugar, flour, cream, and milk in a mixing bowl. Pour into pie shell (I used a store-bought crust-the kind that is rolled up in refrigerated section). Dot butter bits all around top of pie. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for approximately 35 more minutes. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until chilled. Serve chilled. The pies will be just a bit runny. Don't worry. If using glass baking dish, lower oven temp. by 25 degrees.

If you missed the lake pictures, they are on the previous post...