Breakfast Recipes and Breads

photo courtesy www.freedigitalphotos.net

Banana Bread
• 1 2/3 C. flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 C. plus 2 T. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C. oil
• 3 1/2 bananas, very ripe, mashed
• 2 T. sour cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2/3 C. walnuts, toasted and chopped

Set oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a loaf pan with parchment paper. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Beat sugar and eggs with a whisk until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Drizzle in oil. Add mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients and nuts. Pour into a lined loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Blueberry Muffins
• 2 cups flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 T milk

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 12-cup muffin pan with butter or cooking spray. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt. Add blueberries and toss until coated. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg. Add sugar, butter, sour cream and milk. Whisk until combined. Fold into dry ingredients until just combined. Do not over mix. Spoon into muffin cups. Bake for 25-30 mins.

Breakfast Stromboli
• 1 dough ball (I buy these at Sam's for really cheap, but sometimes I also make them in my bread machine. Either way, super easy!)
• 1 lb. spicy breakfast sausage
• 3 C. Colby Jack cheese, shredded
• 6 eggs, scrambled

Roll out dough in a rectangle on a greased and floured cookie sheet. Sprinkle cooked sausage on the rectangle, leaving a 1 inch border around the outside. Sprinkle eggs and cheese on top of the sausage. Roll up, pinching the ends together and placing the pinched side down on the cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Breakfast Taco Casserole
• 1 lb sausage, browned
• 8 eggs
• 1/2 bag of tator tots
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup grated cheese
• salt & pepper to taste

Beat eggs, milk and seasonings together. In greased 9x13 pyrex, layer half the tator tots, half the sausage, & sprinkle with half the cheese. Pour half of the egg mixture over layer. Repeat for second layer. Refrigerate overnight. Bake, uncovered for 45-60 minutes at 325 degrees. Serve with tortillas.

Chile-Cheese Bake
• 1 small can green chilies
• 2 C. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• 2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
• 10 large eggs
• ¼ C. flour
• 1 ½ C. milk
• ½ tsp. salt, pepper
• Dash of Tabasco and paprika

Grease 13 x 9 baking dish. Layer half of the chilies, half of Monterrey Jack cheese, half of cheddar cheese. Repeat layers. Blend the eggs, flour, milk, and spices. Pour mixture over top of the layers. Bake at 335 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, until firm and golden.

Cinnamon French Toast
• 8 slices of Texas Toast sliced diagonally
• 1 c. flour
• 1 1/2 T sugar
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1-3 T cinnamon - depending on how much you like cinnamon
• 1 c. milk
• 1 beaten egg

Combine all dry ingredients. Mix milk and egg together and add to dry ingredients.
Dip slices of bread into mixture and cook in skillet with lots of oil! Top with syrup and powdered sugar
Not your average French Toast!!!

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
• 1 pkg. dry yeast
• 1 C. warm milk
• ½ C. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 4 C. flour
Filling:
• 1 C. packed brown sugar
• 2 ½ tsp. cinnamon
• 1/3 C. margarine, softened
Icing:
• 8 T. margarine
• 1 ½ C. powdered sugar
• ¼ C. cream cheese
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Dissolve yeast in warm milk in a large bowl. Add sugar, margarine, salt, eggs, flour and mix well. Knead dough into a large ball, using hands lightly dusted with flour. Put in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about an hour or until dough has doubled in size. Roll dough out onto lightly floured surface, until approx. ¼” thick. Preheat to 400 degrees.

For filling, combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread softened margarine over the surface and then sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture over the surface. From the long edge, roll dough slowly down to the bottom edge. Cut dough into 1 ¾ “ slices and place in a lightly greased baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown.

Beat icing ingredients until fluffy. When rolls are done, cool and spread generously with icing.


Eggs in a Hole
• Sliced bread
• Butter
• Large eggs
• Salt and Pepper

With a biscuit cutter, cut a hole in the center of bread. Heat 2-3 T. butter in a skillet over medium to low heat. Place bread in the skillet and allow it to soak up the butter. After 1 minute, crack egg into the hole. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for another minute. With a spatula flip to the other side and sprinkle that side with salt and pepper. Take it out when its all good and buttery.

Friendship Bread
I keep these starters in my freezer. Did you know you can do that? Just so you know how much I despise waiting, I let these go until day 10 and then I freeze the extras. That way, I can make Friendship Bread whenever I want to without waiting for 10 days.

Do NOT refrigerate starter. Let air out of bag as the batter rises and ferments.

Day:
1. Do Nothing.
2-5 Mash the bag
6: ADD to the bag: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk - Mash the bag
7-9 Mash the bag
10. Follow instructions below:

Pour contents of the bag into a non-metal bowl. Add:
• 1 ½ C. sugar
• 1 ½ C. flour
• 1 ½ C. milk

Measure out 4 separate batters of 1 cup each into 4 Ziploc bags. Keep a starter for yourself and give the other 3 to friends with a copy of this recipe.

Baking Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325. To the remaining batter in the bowl (approx. 1 1/2 cups) ADD first:
• 3 eggs,
• ½ C. milk
• 1 C. oil
• ½ tsp vanilla

Hand mix with wooden spoon. Do NOT use electric mixer. Then add:
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 C. sugar
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 2 C. flour
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 lg. or 2 small boxes of instant vanilla pudding
• 1 C. raisins or chopped nuts (optional)

Hand mix with wooden spoon. Grease 2 large loaf pans or 1 bundt pan. In a separate bowl, mix an additional ¼ tsp cinnamon and ¼ cup sugar. Dust the greased pan(s) with half this mixture. Pour batter evenly in to pan(s). Sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture over the top. Bake 1 hour. Cool 5-10 minutes, then turn pan(s) upside down and gently ease the bread loaves out.

Make Ahead Country Breakfast Casserole
• 1 roll sausage
• 6 bread slices
• 6 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 C. water
• 1/2 C. milk
• 2 pkg. Gravy mix (Pioneer is the best)
• 2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 T. melted butter
• Paprika/Tony Chachere’s to taste

Brown sausage. Remove and drain on paper towel. Spread over bottom of greased 11x8 baking dish. Wisk together eggs, water, milk and gravy mix. Sprinkle cheese over sausage. Pour mixture over cheese. Cut bread into 1 inch cubes and arrange evenly over mixture. Drizzle butter over bread. Sprinkle with seasoning. May refrigerate up to 2 days. Bake at 325 degrees, uncovered for 40 min.

Make Ahead French Toast Casserole
• 1 loaf French bread
• 8 large eggs
• 2 C. whole milk
• 2 C. half and half
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 1/2 sticks of butter
• 1 1/2 C. brown sugar
• 3 T. corn syrup
• 1 1/2 C. pecans, chopped

Heat to 325 degrees. Arrange bread, slice 1/2 inch thick on baking sheets and bake until golden. Cool. Grease baking dish with butter. Layer 2 layers of bread in dish. Wisk eggs, milk, half and half, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and pour evenly over bread. Press to soak bread. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.

When ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees, and make topping. Mix butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup together and stir in pecans. Spoon topping evenly over casserole and bake 60 minutes, until golden.

Maple Cinnamon Rolls (makes a LOT, half if necessary)...this is the Pioneer Woman's
Dough:
• 1 Qt. Whole milk
• 1 C. vegetable oil
• 1 C. sugar
• 2 Pkgs. Active dry yeast (4 ½ teaspoons)
• 9 C. flour
• 1 heaping tsp. baking powder
• 1 scant tsp. baking soda
• 1 T. salt
Filling:
• 2 C. melted butter, plus more as needed
• ¼ C. ground cinnamon for sprinkling
• 2 C. sugar, plus more if needed
Maple Icing:
• 2 Lbs. powdered sugar
• ½ C. whole milk
• 6 T. butter, melted
• ¼ C. strongly brewed coffee
• Dash of salt
• 1 T. maple flavoring or maple extract

Heat milk, oil, sugar in saucepan over medium heat without boiling. Set aside and cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast on top and let sit on milk for 1 min. Add 8 C. of flour, stir until just combined, cover with towel and set aside to rise for an hour.

Remove towel and add baking powder, soda, salt and 1 C. flour. Stir thoroughly to combine. Roll out half of dough on floured surface to 10” X 30”. Pour 1 C. melted butter over surface of dough. Generously sprinkle half of cinnamon and 1 C. of sugar over the butter. Roll up the rectangle and when you reach the end, pinch the ends together. Cut with a sharp knife, making 1 ½” slices. Place sliced rolls in greased baking pan.

Repeat rolling/sugar/butter process with the other half of the dough. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Set pans aside to rise for 20 min. before baking. Bake for 13-17 minutes until golden brown.

For the icing, whisk together sugar, milk, butter, coffee, and salt. Splash in the maple flavoring. Whisk until very smooth. When rolls come out, drizzle icing over hte top and all around the edges.

Monkey Bread ( I make these whenever I don't have enough time to make homemade cinnamon rolls but want a similar yummy result)

• 3 packages biscuits
• 1 T. vanilla
• 3/4 C. sugar
• 1/2 C. brown sugar
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 8 T. butter, melted

Preheat to 350 degrees. Grease tube or bundt pan. Melt butter and vanilla on stovetop. Toss sugars, cinnamon and salt together in separate bowl. Cut biscuits in fourths and roll in butter mixture then sugar mixture to coat and arrange in pan. Drizzle remaining butter and sugar over the top. Bake until golden, 30 minutes or so. Top with drizzly cream cheese icing if you want to make it really special. Just heat the icing a bit to make it drizzly.

No Knead Knot Rolls
• 2 pkgs. Active dry yeast
• 2 C. warm water (110-115 degrees)
• ½ C. sugar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 6-6 ½ C. flour
• 1 egg
• ½ C. shortening
• ½ C. butter, softened

In bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, salt and 2 C. flour. Beat on medium speed for 2 min. Add egg and shortening; mix well. Stir in enough remaining flour to form soft dough (do not knead). Cover and refrigerate overnight. You can refrigerate for several days, freeze or use right away. I usually use one right away and freeze the other 3. This comes in handy on days that I am cooking a meal for company. Just pop it out of the freezer and focus on the rest of the meal.

After refrigerating, punch dough down and divide into 4 portions. Cover 3 with plastic wrap. Roll remaining portion into a 14x12 rectangle. Spread 2 T. butter over dough. Fold in half lengthwise; cut into 12 strips. Tie each strip into a knot; tuck and pinch ends under. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

Cover and let rise until doubled; about 1 hour. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until brown. Makes 4 dozen.

Orange Bread
• 3/4 C. of sugar
• 1/2 C. of chopped pecans
• 1 T. grated orange rind
• 2 cans of buttermilk biscuits (11oz can)
• 1 pack of cream cheese
• 1/2 C. of butter, melted
• 1 C. of sifted powdered sugar
• 2 T. of orange juice

Combine the first three ingredients in small bowl and set aside. Separate biscuits twice (take them apart first then half them- like you are buttering it). Cut cream cheese in 20 squares then put one square in between two halves of the biscuit and pinch edges. Dip in melted butter. Dip in small bowl mixture. Grease bundt pan then stand biscuits up beginning around the edges. Drizzle and sprinkle remaining butter and sugar over the biscuits. Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden. Flip onto serving plate then drizzle orange juice and powdered sugar mixture over the top.

Quiche Lorraine
• 1 pie pastry, deep dish
• 12 slices bacon
• 1 C. shredded Swiss cheese
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 C. cream
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. white sugar
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place bacon in a large skillet, and fry over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels, then chop coarsely. Sprinkle bacon and cheese into pastry shell. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, salt, sugar and cayenne pepper. Pour mixture into pastry shell.
Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean. Allow quiche to sit 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Sausage Egg Casserole
• 1 can crescent rolls
• 1 lb. sausage
• 2 C. mozzarella cheese
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 C. milk

Spray 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Press crescent rolls into bottom of pan. Brown and crumble sausage. Drain. Spread over crescent rolls. Add mozzarella cheese over sausage. Beat eggs with milk and pour over sausage and cheese. Bake 20 minutes at 365...or until the thing looks done.

Spicy Home Fries
• Yukon gold potatoes, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/4 C. vegetable oil
• 3 T. butter
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne to taste

In microwave-safe bow, toss potatoes with oil. Cover with Saran and microwave on high 5-10 minutes, shaking every 3 minutes. Drain. Melt butter in skillet over medium high heat, adding potatoes and cooking until golden on one side (about 5 minutes). Turn potatoes until well browned, 10 or 15 more minutes. Season and serve.

Sour Cream Pancakes ( I think this is Pioneer Woman, too. Even if you don't like sour cream, which we don't, this is very good and you can't taste it!)

• 1 C. sour cream
• 7 T. flour
• 1 T. sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 large eggs
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• Butter
• Syrup

Heat griddle. Place sour cream in a medium bowl. Dump in flour, sugar, soda and salt. Stir together gently. Whisk eggs in a separate bowl and add vanilla. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture. Stir together gently. Melt butter on the griddle. Pour batter ¼ C. at a time. Cook for 1-1 ½ min. then flip. Repeat with remaining batter.

Zucchini Bread (my husband still doesn't know that there is zucchini in this bread. He loves it!)

• 2 C. sugar
• 1 C. oil
• 3 eggs
• 3 C. flour
• ¼ tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. soda, salt, cinnamon
• 2 C. grated zucchini
• 1 C. chopped nuts
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Mix ingredients together as listed. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Makes 2 - 9x5 loaves.

A Little Church Planting Advice

My friend, Christine Hoover, over at the Hoover Household, has a wonderful blog that's catered to church-planting wives and has featured me on her blog today!

Hop over and check it out. Hang out awhile and check out all of her other great articles. Grab a cup of coffee. It's well worth foregoing naptime production.

Giveaway Winner!

Well, as promised, today is the day I announce the winner of the first giveaway. I just used an online random number picker and it picked the winner for me.

The winner of the Me Project book goes to:

Julie Arguello!

The winner of the Starbucks Basket went to:

Stephanie (steph4575)

at Carri Yu's Growing a Baby Reviews

http://www.growingababyreviews.com

Congratulations!

Yummy Soups

Photo courtesy nuchylee

 Baked Potato Soup

• 2 C. chicken broth
• 6 C. cooked potatoes, partially peeled
• ½ C. bacon, cooked and cut
• ½ C. sour cream
• 2 C. milk (or ½ and ½)
• 2 C. cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 stick butter
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, sage to taste

Boil potatoes and drain. Add the rest of the ingredients, adding the milk as needed at the end to make it soup-y. Garnish with more cheese and bacon.

Beef Stew
• 1 T. vegetable oil , beef bouillon granules
• 1 1/2 lb beef stew meat, cut into bite-size pieces if needed
• 4 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch slices (2 cups)
• 3 medium red potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (3 cups)
• 1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 medium stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces (1 cup)
• 3 C. vegetable juice
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. pepper, salt, basil, garlic to taste

In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 4 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned on all sides. Spray 4- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, mix browned beef and remaining ingredients. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 9 to 10 hours.

Broccoli Cheese Soup
• 3 cans chicken broth
• 1 can cream of chicken soup (or mushroom)
• ½ tsp. salt and pepper
• 10 oz. broccoli floret, cooked
• 2 C. milk
• 1/3 C. corn starch
• 1/4 C. water
• 3 C. cheddar cheese, shredded

In a large pot, combine broth, soup, and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer. Add milk and bring to a boil.
In a small bowl, mix water and cornstarch until dissolved. Gradually add to soup. Stir constantly and simmer 5 minutes. Add broccoli and cheese and mix until cheese is melted.

Chicken Chili
• 2 lbs. chicken, cooked and shredded
• 2 cans Great Northern beans
• 1 can Rotel
• 2 T. garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 4 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. oregano
• 5 C. chicken broth
• 3 C. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 C. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 C. sour cream

Bring broth to a boil. Add chicken, beans, tomatoes, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and cilantro. Gradually stir in cheese making sure it’s melted. After cheese has melted, add sour cream. Simmer 15 minutes. Serve topped with cheese and cilantro. Makes a TON! I often cut this recipe in half if it’s just our family.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
• 1 T. vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 T. chili powder
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 C. chicken broth
• 1 lb. boneless chicken breasts
• 2 T. lime juice
• Tortilla chips, broken up
• 1/2 C. cilantro leaves, whole

Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeno, chili powder and garlic. Cook until softened and stir in the broth until simmering. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Remove chicken and shred. Stir in lime juice and divide portions of chips and chicken among bowls. Ladle broth over each bowl and sprinkle with cilantro.

Cheesy Ham Corn Chowder
• 1 T. butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 T. flour
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 can chicken broth
• 4 red potatoes, cubed
• 1/2 tsp. sage
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 lb. cooked ham, cubed
• 1 1/2 C. milk
• Handful of frozen corn
• 1/4 block of Velveeta, cubed

Melt butter. Stir in onion. Cook over medium until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Add green pepper, broth, potatoes, sage, salt and pepper and stir. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender (15-20 min.). Add remaining ingredients. Stir and cook 8-10 minutes.

Chili
• 2 lbs. ground beef, browned
• 1/4 C. finely chopped onions
• 1 tsp. garlic
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can water
• LOTS of chili powder
• celery salt, cayenne, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin to taste

Brown beef, add onions, then rest of ingredients. Can eat right way, or better if you let it simmer in all of the spices for a couple of hours. Even better the next day.

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini
• 2 lbs. Italian sausage, diced
• ½ C. onion, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 80 oz. beef broth
• 1 C. water
• 1 C. red wine
• 58 oz. crushed tomatoes
• 2 C. sliced carrots
• 1 T. basil
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 16 oz. tomato sauce
• 3 C. sliced zucchini
• 16 oz. cheese tortellini pasta, frozen
• 6 T. parsley
In large skillet, brown sausage. Remove from pan. Saute onions and garlic in 2 T. of drippings. Place all ingredients (except tortellini, zucchini and parsley) in a large pot on the stovetop on high heat. After it begins boiling, turn to a simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in parsley and zucchini, continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Add tortellini and simmer another 30 minutes.

Salsa Corn Chowder
• 2 T. butter
• ¼ C. onion
• 1 T. chili powder
• 3 T. flour
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 can chicken broth
• 2 C. salsa with beans and corn
• 16 oz. corn, frozen
• 1 C. milk
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1 lb. chicken, cooked and cubed
• salt and pepper to taste

Saute butter and onion. Mix dry ingredients and add to butter mixture. Add broth and salsa. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Warm milk in microwave, add cream cheese and mix. Spoon in soup. Return to low heat until mixed.

Taco Soup
• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 small can green chilies
• 1 can refried beans
• 1 can Ranch style beans
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 can whole kernel corn
• 2 packages Taco seasoning
• 1 package Ranch dressing
• 6-8 C. water
• 2 C. Colby Jack cheese, shredded
• Sour Cream

Brown beef, stirring in green chilies. Drain. In a large pot, add meat and chili mixture. Drain all beans and tomatoes, add to pot. Pour in taco seasoning, ranch, and water. Stir well. Bring to a boil and stir for two minutes. Reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle cheese on the top.

Tomato Basil Soup
• 1 stick butter
• 7 leaves fresh basil
• 4 C. tomato juice
• 1 large can tomatoes, crushed
• 1 pint heavy cream
• salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

Mix all ingredients together and simmer at least 30 minutes. Serve with grilled cheese.

Tried and True Appetizers

So, I've been hearing that others want to get in on the "tried and true" recipe action. Since I already have them typed up, I will begin posting some of the recipes as I find an extra few minutes here and there. Here are some appetizers that will blow you away.

Apple Dip

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

• 3/4 C. brown sugar, packed

• 1/2 C. powdered sugar

• 1 tsp. vanilla

Mix until smooth. Stir in 1 C. Heath bits. (optional)

Bacon-Wrapped Smokies

• 1 pound sliced bacon, cut into thirds

• 1 (14 ounce) package beef cocktail wieners

• 3/4 cup brown sugar, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Refrigerate 2/3 of the bacon until needed. It is easier to wrap the wieners with cold bacon. Wrap each cocktail wiener with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle brown sugar generously over all.

Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until the sugar is bubbly. To serve, place the wieners in a slow cooker and keep on the low setting. 

BBQ Smokies 

• 2 pkgs. Lil’ smokies

• 1 bottle of Stubb’s BBQ sauce

• ½ Brown sugar

• ½ grape jelly

Dump all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low. Stir occasionally, until ready to serve.

Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas

• 1 lb. boneless chicken breasts

• Salt and pepper

• 2 T. vegetable oil

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 red pepper, chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tsp. cumin

• 1/4 C. cilantro, minced

• 1 1/2 tsp. Tabasco

• Flour tortillas

• Mexican cheese, shredded

Heat oven to 475 degrees. Heat skillet over medium with 1 T. oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in skillet. Cook until brown on both sides and remove from pan. Add 1 T. oil, onion, bell pepper, and salt to skillet and cook until softened. Stir in garlic, cumin, cilantro and Tabasco and toss with chicken. Spread 1/4 C. of filling over half of each tortilla, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Sprinkle cheese on top and sprinkle the plain half of the tortilla with vegetable spray and fold over. Press the edges to seal it and arrange on baking sheets. Spray the tops with vegetable spray to make them golden. Bake 10-15 minutes. 

Cocktail Meatballs

• 2 lbs of ground beef

• 1 cup breadcrumbs (seasoned)

• ½ cup milk

• 1/4 onion, minced

• Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:

• ½ cup dark Karo

• ½ cup ketchup

• ¼ cup mustard

Mix together all the ingredients for the meat (above) by hand. Roll into small

meatballs. Fry in a skillet with a little oil. Drain meatballs and set aside. Wisk

together all the ingredients for the sauce (above). Pour sauce over meatballs and

simmer for 10 minutes

Coffee Punch

• 3 C. strong coffee

• 2 C. sugar

• 1 pint heavy cream (or ½ and ½)

• 1 qt. milk

• 2 T. vanilla

Dissolve sugar in hot coffee. Cool and add other ingredients. Freeze. Remove from freezer 2 hours before serving. Mix and serve icy. 

Easy Salsa

• 1 Can Rotel (drained)

• 2 Cans Whole Peeled Tomatoes (drained)

• 1 jalapeno (if you use the canned kind, 2 T, more if you like it really hot)

• 1/4 C. diced onion

• 3/4 tsp. garlic salt (or chopped garlic)

• 1/2 tsp. cumin

• 1/4 tsp. sugar

• a good handful of cilantro

• spritz of lime juice

Blend together for a couple seconds. Serve with chips. Add sugar to cool it down if it’s too spicy. Also, simmer all ingredients on stovetop before blending for a more “roasted” flavor.

Sausage & Cream Cheese Goodness

• 2 cans crescent rolls

• 1 lb. sausage, browned

• 1 block cream cheese

Soften cream cheese in microwave and mix in sausage. On cookie sheet spread out crescent rolls to make 1 big rectangle, get rid of seams. Spread the sausage/cream cheese mixture over the pastry, leave a 1/2"-1" space along edge. Spread out the 2nd can of crescent rolls into 1 piece and lay it over top of the mixture. Press edges together all around the rectangle and bake according to the direction on crescents.

Spinach Dip

• 4 garlic cloves

• 1 pkg. frozen, chopped spinach (thawed and drained)

• 1 container Alfredo pasta sauce

• 1 C. shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1/3 C. grated Parmesan cheese

• ½ package cream cheese, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients and put in an oven safe serving dish. Cover with foil and bake in the oven 30 minutes or until cheese are hot and bubbly! Serve warm with chips.

Streamlining Project

If you are just now tuning in, I am in process of a week of blog posts concerning this book, this review and now turning my attention to the project I chose to embark upon.

After thinking through the goals that I have, there are many. I decided on a smaller one that will impact my daily life greatly and one that will be beneficial for many years to come. It largely has to do with my menu planning, once a month cooking, grocery store preparations and freezer inventory. I am in process of streamlining all of these processes in my home.

So, this means:

- sorting through my recipe box and recipe books to find ones I actually use (the "tried and true" recipes). COMPLETE!

- typing up the recipes I love and getting to the task of revising the recipes that need revision for our family's tastes. COMPLETE!

- organizing recipes by type, name and formatting them in a book. COMPLETE!

- revising my current "tried and true" recipes checklist with necessary ingredients for grocery store planning. COMPLETE!

- going through these favorite recipes and adding a section of the book for once a month cooking ( I got this book for Christmas and have been using it for the past month, but decided that for our family's tastes and for the long-term, coming up with my own once-a-month meals may prove more helpful and satisfying in the long run). My friend, Chelsea, is my partner in making this happen.
     Grocery Checklist for each cycle (1-6)
     Freezer supplies for each cycle (1-6)
     Processes for each cycle (1-6)

-Getting the whole thing printed and bound


- making a Freezer Inventory checklist since there will be many meals stored in there, it will help me to plan for the weeks accordingly. This is the image that you see at the top...COMPLETE!

If you want to keep me accountable, ask me how I am doing with finishing this project!

Me Project

When I first saw the title of this book, I thought, "no way! I am not reviewing a book with that title." It sounds like something Victoria Osteen would write, Your Best Life now kind of stuff. No thank you.

The more I read about it, the more interested I got. I read snippets about how my passions and dreams don't have to wait until my kids are grown to begin taking baby steps toward those things. I wanted to see what she said about that. Practical and realistic steps to take in achieving the things that God has uniquely created you to do. Okay, let's dig in!

You see, if you are anything like me, as a wife to a busy husband and mother to three very little and very needy children, I don't have much time to think about myself. It is very limited. And to be honest, when I do, I admit that often I feel guilty. I have talked to other moms who feel the same. I'm not saying all the time, but many times I will leave to go to a girl's night out or to go to Starbucks to be by myself and read and there is a sense of guilt and a warning within me not to be gone too long. The kids need me. Allen needs me. The guilt can hang over me and keep me from being "all there." Like I said, not all the time, but sometimes. So I was excited to read a book about me. Just being honest here...

As I went into reading this book, I was excited because for the first time in many years, I feel like I am in a season where I actually do have a little extra time and energy now that I am not nursing or pregnant, and not kept up at night with a baby to tend to. I actually have nap times to work with. This season may be short-lived...I should make the most of it!

She starts by making the point that your passions and dreams don't have to wait until your kids are grown and out of the house. You can start now, even if it's just baby steps toward that dream. Obviously not to the detriment of your children or your husband and keeping the home, but even if it's just one hour one day a week you set aside toward a particular goal, that's more than you were doing! And keeping up with writing, photography, culinary skills, whatever it is for you, will keep your mind sharper to the task and always learning rather than diminishing in that area for 18+ years.

Obviously the Lord has uniquely created all moms and wives for that special role and to make that their primary area of service, but the author doesn't quite explain the great value in those things as I wished she would have. I would hate for any mom or wife to read this and think that the greatest value wasn't found in that but in another area of their life! What a loss that would be if they gave up several nights a week with their family to invest in a hobby instead of investing in the little lives that God has entrusted to them! Nonetheless, her main emphasis is that besides the priceless role of being a wife or mom, what has God uniquely created you for, what is He impressing on your heart?

She mentions writing down goals for what you would want your next 50 years to look like and I immediately thought of the parable of the talents and God asking me what I had done with my time here. I want all that I do and work toward to be storing up treasures in heaven. That may sound selfish, but Jesus says to do it! I want to stockpile those treasures! So I am evaluating my goals with that stipulation. How can I honor God with this goal?

I thought of a few things that I could do in 21 days (shorter projects/goals) and then some more long-term goals. The book is intensely practical, laying out each day of your progress and helpful hints for each day. I didn't do all of them, but if I had, it would have been a good kickstart. The shorter goal that I chose wouldn't have required a lot of the ideas that she put forth. I am looking forward to finishing the shorter goal that I am tackling and future goals, asking the Lord to either affirm them or diminish them within me.

One of my favorite quotes from the book:

" The thing that is really hard, and really amazing is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself." -Anna Quindren-

All in all, I liked the book. Would I need to use it again to put together a goal or project? Probably not. Is it anything new that I didn't already know? Not too much falls into that category. But I will give it this: if you have a particular goal in mind and you are disciplined to go through the book and the actions steps each day, it would be a good self-discipline to getting the goal accomplished instead of just seeing it on your to-do list. So, I would recommend it in that regard.

If you haven't read Just Do Something, I would highly recommend this book as a primer to whatever goal you are looking to accomplish. It is the biblical outline of making decisions without "dreams, open doors, random bible verses, casting lots, liver shivers, writing in the sky, etc." If you have trouble sticking with it or being encouraged that you have a gift or unique goal that you could use to glorify God, pick up The Me Project as well. Or leave a comment and maybe you will win the book in our giveaway!

In the coming days I will be blogging about my 21-day goal, what it entailed and the results of it! Stay tuned!

{Giveaway} First One Ever (and a book preview)!

I was asked to do this blog tour with the understanding that I would get this book, be able to enter my readers into a {GIVEAWAY} and that I would be able to review this book as openly and honestly as I desired to. Having said that, I was interested in this book for several reasons:

1. It's hard being a mom of 3 littles to have time for thinking of myself. What is this little book about?
2. There is often guilt associated with doing projects outside the home sphere...I wondered what she would say in that regard.
3. There are many dreams and goals the Lord has put on my heart. I wanted to explore them...even if it's just baby steps now and larger plans later. It's okay to think about.

Read the following article and perhaps be inspired to pick up this book, or to follow up on something that you have wanted to do. Check out the book summary, the author bio and giveaway. If you want to be entered in the giveaways, leave a comment with your email address. The winner of the giveaway for the blog will receive the book, and the grand prize winner of the book tour giveaway will be given the Deluxe Starbucks gift basket. Over the next week I will be reviewing the book and letting you in on my 21 day project.


Kick Start Living Your Dream

Book Summary

(San Jose, CA) Has that rush to make (and break) New Year’s resolutions already waned? According to Daniel Pink, author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, taking small steps every day will not only help you stay committed to your goal, but will also help you ultimately achieve that goal when obstacles come up. Author Kathi Lipp wants you and your friends to live out those dreams—and have some fun along the way.

As women, we forget the goals and dreams of our younger years. The busyness of everyday life gets in the way. To-do lists replace goals. The Me Project provides women with fun and creative ways to bring back the sense of purpose and vitality that comes with living out the plans and dreams God has planted in our hearts. Kathi Lipp’s warm tone and laugh-out-loud humor motivates women to take daily steps toward intentional goals. The end result? We get back our lives and enjoy living in the confidence of a purposeful life in spite of our chaotic schedules.

This handy guide coaches women to do one simple thing toward achieving our goals each day for three weeks. A woman experiencing the exhilaration of a rediscovered life offers more as a wife, mother, friend, volunteer, career woman.

Finding the balance between living day-to-day with purpose while pursuing the passions God has placed in our hearts is a delicate pursuit. In this refreshing, insightful book, Kathi lays out a doable plan that makes sense and helps make our God-given dreams a reality. Never stop dreaming, because women who dare to dream do make the world a better place. 

—Jean Blackmer
    author of MomSense: A Common Sense Guide to Confident Mothering
   Publishing Manager, MOPS International www.MOPS.org 

Author Bio

Kathi Lipp is a busy conference and retreat speaker, currently speaking each year to thousands of women throughout the United States. She is the author of The Husband Project and The Marriage Project, serves as food writer for Nickelodeon, and has had articles published in several magazines, including Today’s Christian Woman and Discipleship Journal. Kathi and her husband, Roger, live in California and are the parents of four teenagers and young adults. For more information visit her website: www.kathilipp.com 

 

Grand Prize Giveaway:

Deluxe Starbucks Coffee Gift Basket

• Three 2.5-oz. bags of Starbucks coffee
    (Sumatra, House Blend, and French Roast)
• Tazo black tea
• Starbucks marshmallow cocoa
• Almond roca
• Almond roca buttercrunch toffee cookies
• White chocolate and raspberry cookies
• 2 Starbucks mugs
• Keepsake black bamboo basket

$62 value

Don't forget to comment if you want to be entered into the {GIVEAWAY}!

Lent Preparations

Now that Valentine's is over, I am beginning to think about Lent and how to celebrate it with my husband and little ones. There are several no-brainers that have worked so well that we will continue to use, such as:

• Lent Countdown with Resurrection Eggs, counting down each day with opening a new egg. To see how to make your own set of Resurrection Eggs, check this out. 

• Our Playdough Mountain, inspired by Noel Piper, where we bake a mountain-shaped piece of playdough together and follow the life, death and resurrection of Jesus by moving the little stick figures to where they need to go. For example, on Good Friday, we transfer Jesus to the cross, later that night he is buried in his tomb (which is on the opposite side) and we cover the opening with a stone. On Sunday morning, the kids wake up to see that the stone is gone and Jesus is alive. He is risen! We celebrate and even put out balloons, streamers and such to celebrate that He is Risen indeed! Here is the link to the origin of this:

Noel's Playdough Mountain

• And I am also thinking through making some sort of banner to put the contents of our resurrection eggs once we have opened them each day. Sort of a "display" so that we can walk past it, remember it and have the kids memorize the sequence of events leading up to Jesus' death and resurrection. I will let you know what I come up with once I brainstorm it some more. 

What Lent ideas do you have??? What readings to you go through during the season of Lent?

Mary's Portion

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."     Luke 10:38-42

Most people are super familiar with this passage of scripture, even to the point of writing it off. I can't say I didn't try. The Lord kept on and kept on putting it on my heart over Christmas break.

The two weeks leading up to Christmas were completely nuts. I was running around like a headless chicken most days: cooking, baking, making goodies, making gifts, wrapping gifts, hosting get-togethers, Advent activities with the kids...and truth be told, I was resenting all of it. Because of my bad planning and failure to say "no", not knowing my boundaries, I was getting all stressed out and Martha-like.

I prayed that God would slow me down. I knew that I was being Martha and far from being Mary, but I couldn't stop, there was too much to be done. Do you know that God answered my prayer? Not in the way I expected or wanted Him to, but nonetheless, He answered. He answered by completely slowing me down...to a stand still. First with a virus that swept through our family, taking me out first. Head in the toilet, yes, I'm listening, God?

And then He slowed us down with a difficult trial in our family. A time of grieving and restoration took place when following the two crazy weeks, we had two completely empty weeks to see God's activity, whereas before we had pushed Him aside. He allowed me to see Him in the little moments throughout the day - the song with the perfect words that ministered to me, the cuddly sick child who never cuddles otherwise, the random run-ins in the grocery store, the unexpected opportunities to minister. I began to notice and see His activity and realize that He was there all along, but the noise had been too loud to hear His soft whispers. 

I can relate well with Martha, as I trust you can too. I have yet to meet someone who has told me that they struggle with trying to be more like Martha, they are really a Mary at heart. I know they are out there, but I haven't met one. So I found myself asking, "How do I choose the good portion when there is so much to be done?" The Lord gently showed me that I was asking the wrong question. Martha was not doing a bad thing with her gifts of hospitality and cooking skills. The Lord had really gifted her in that! Jesus was addressing her heart when he gently rebuked her. He was not saying that what she was doing was sinful or even that it didn't need to be done, but that her heart in doing those things was sinful.

Jesus always went around addressing people's hearts even when they weren't getting it. People practically had their to-do lists out, wanting Jesus to add action items to it and Jesus just kept on telling people to trust and to believe and asking them to do things that He knew would address the idol in their hearts (see Mark 10:17-27 and John 6:28-40, to name a few). But when he rebuked Martha with all gentleness, she responded with much teachability.

Here's a teachability test for you: how would you feel if you woke up 30 years from now with the same habits, attitudes and sins that you have now? How about evaluating how your life is different from 10 years ago? Has there been change?  (let's hope!) But is that change based on the Gospel and its transforming power? When we belong to Jesus, staying where we are at is not an option. He wouldn't allow Martha to stay put in  her sin, He wouldn't allow me to and He won't allow you to if you belong to Him.

He came, lived a perfect life and died on the cross as the perfect payment for our sins not just so that we could have a ticket to heaven, but so that we could be made NEW! There is so much more to the Christian life than sitting in a pew every Sunday. There is so much more than the trip to the altar that you took when you were five years old. There is abundant life (John 10:10)! And it transforms! He can do this if we are teachable and respond to his rebukes and leading. In what ways are you pushing Him aside or failing to respond to His leading? Martha thought she had value because she was productive; she truly had value because she belonged to Jesus. Where do you seek value? Is it in all the "doing" like Martha? Be teachable and allow the Lord to show you that those things don't earn you anything. I am certainly learning and re-learning that.

Ephesians 2:10 says this:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Good works are a GOOD thing! We see that here as we understand that God prepared them for us and we were created for them, so what's the rub? Is it the "good portion" (the worship) or the service and good works, like it says here?

I definitely see balance in the Scriptures, and I see that without negating either worship or good works, we can find balance that Jesus offers as our foundation. On one side of the spectrum you have a completely overbooked schedule with good works and service filling it up and eventually you will see spiritual dryness (check! been there!) and on the other side of the spectrum you may see isolation and failure to engage community, failure to have accountability and meaningful relationships - people who care about you and will speak truth into your life. This is a must! If you don't have this, I will gladly help you find it.

Balance is possible, even if you are in a stage of life like me, with littles running around everywhere, needing your help with every little thing. I understand that every minute is occupied while they are awake. Plan better and try to do service opportunities with your kids. We have taken our children with us to nursing homes, canned food drives, hospitals for visitation, and delivering food to someone who is struggling. If you wait until your kids are in bed or your kids are older, you are putting off an opportunity to serve the Lord in this way and teach your children how to serve. If asked to serve and you can't do it joyfully, know your boundaries and decline. Don't fear people more than you fear God and certainly don't agree to make a meal for someone out of guilt when your schedule is already overloaded and you know you need to spend that night with your family or in the Word.

Remember what Jesus said about Mary? He said that she had chosen the "good portion" and that "it would not be taken away from her." It wouldn't be taken away from her then, so that she could go help Martha and it won't be taken away from her for all eternity. I have been asking myself the hard questions: is what I am choosing going to be taken away or am I choosing the "good portion" like Mary, the portion that is eternal? What about you?

The Amazingly Interchangeable Wreath

I have been loving this wreath! Main reason? I haven't had to make a new one for each season! Woo hoo! Can I get an amen for doing this thang once and for all?

Seriously, here is how I made it.

And since I first made the Halloween one, I have made a Fall one, a Christmas one, and my newest, a Valentine's one. Check them out:

I took these last 3 with my ipod touch and they ended up blurry/weird lighting...

It takes me hardly any time to make the fabric flowers (there are so many variations!), and I will only have to do that this year. I have been saving them with our seasonal boxes in the attic and can just attach them next year when it's time.

If you end up making one, enjoy the simplicity of it!

Week of Blessings

Sometimes I look at our week of events and I have a tendency to feel overwhelmed, the last thing I feel is thankfulness. It doesn't help that I forget what we are doing until 30 minutes before we are supposed to do it, Allen reminding me and then me feeling frustrated because it wasn't in my mental schedule or plan. So...I am removing complaints, ungratefulness and unpreparedness by making a cute reminder board. Check it out:

I have seen this one where she lists things that she is thankful for. Love it!

My friend, Chelsea, made this one very similarly with her weekly menu.

All brilliant ideas and fun to make too!

Here were my steps:

1. Buy a super-cheap (40%) frame at Hobby Lobby. I think mine was $2.50. Also pickup some burlap, fabric to match decor and epoxy brads (scrapbooking aisle). Pick up some coordinating acrylic paint while you are there, too.

2. Paint and distress.

3. Write your words with a dry-erase marker on the right side, flip over and paint backwards. If you aren't very good with a paintbrush, you can try paint pens or just go with stickers on the right side, like one of the above examples. The advantage to having it on the wrong side of the glass is that you won't have to worry about writing on it or wiping it when it's all said and done.

4. Cut two pieces of burlap the size of your frame to stick behind the glass. Two layers will make it less see-through. Close up the frame.

5. Embellish as you wish. I made some fabric flowers and simple layered flowers, like these, but you could buy embellishments or decorate it as your heart pleases.

Since creating this, I have been forced to remember that each day, each activity, each commitment is a blessing from God! Truly, it is! This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Dutyisms

Here's another round of Dutyisms. Enjoy!

Taylor Joyisms:

"Easy man just wanted up on the windshield, so I let him." (window sill)

"This heart (on her shirt)reminds me of my real heart inside of me. You'd have to crack me open to see it."

(after bumping into Beckett with a chair she was carrying) "Oh, I'm sorry, Buddy! You need to watch where I'm going."

(watching me make the bed) "Mommy! You are making the bed? I didn't know girls could make beds!" (this is very telling, I know. This is a much bigger deal to Allen than it is to me.)

Beckett-isms:

"Be end." (at the end of a story)

A conversation between the kids went like this,
B: "Tay-wer, do you member? James and the big pear?"
t: (cracking up) "Buddy! It's James and the Giant Peach!" (which by the way, do NOT watch with little ones. Scary!)

Another convo,
T: (about Beckett, 1st two words slurred together) "And-he's drinking it!"
B: "NO! I'm NOT Andy! I'm Beckett!"

Advent Activities

Making Salt Dough Ornaments

Ingredients:

1 C. flour

1 C. salt

1/2 C. water

Directions:

Mix the flour and salt together.

Add water gradually (I'm pretty sure ours got dumped and still turned out okay).

Knead into a flexible dough on a floured board.

Roll out and cut out shapes using a cookie cutter.

Use a skewer to poke a whole in each shape to thread string through.

Cook at 250 degrees for several hours (until shapes are hard).

Afterwards, paint the ornaments with water based paint. Varnish with a clear coat so they will last longer. Thread ribbons or string through the holes and add decorative glitter, bows, sequins, etc. Enjoy watching your children give a gift from the heart.

Living Nativity and Christmas in the Park

I enjoyed the live nativity as they presented the Christmas story and then we let the kids walk around petting the animals (as if going back to Bethlehem and the manger scene). I think it gave them better perspective of the story they know so well.

And then we headed across the street to enjoy the lights, cookies and hot chocolate (oh and Rudolph, of course!).

Graham Cracker Houses

We have done this for the past few years and it has been a hit! Not only do I not have to make gingerbread that will never get eaten, it is simple, fun and the whole family enjoys creating their own "house."

Even Easton attempted one...it got eaten, but he attempted nonetheless.

A little nativity, created by yours truly.

A sweet house by the sweetest girl I know.

A stacked house, made and destroyed by the same person...have any ideas?

A precious little church, created by Allen.

All together now...

These are just some of my favorite Advent activities.