Busy in the Kitchen

6 Jan posted by

Today has been a kitchen day here! We have been quite busy and got a lot accomplished. We are so proud to look back on what we’ve gotten done!

This morning, my middle daughter (my baker!) made Coffee-Glazed Italian Doughnuts (Zeppole), shown on Giada at Home. Oh, my, were they delicious! I’m crazy over Krispy Kreme doughnuts and never thought I’d find a homemade doughnut to be even half-good, but these were fantastic! They were so unbelievably light and lemony on the inside. We are not fans of coffee, so my daughter made a simple glaze with powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. They were easy to make and easy to eat. All of them are gone!:)

The dryer lady (yes, lady!) came and fixed the dryer, which is in the kitchen behind folding doors. She also brought replacement parts for my refrigerator and dishwasher. It was so good to get these little things fixed that had been annoying and limiting us for so long!

This afternoon, my middle daughter, youngest daughter, and I tackled a section of cabinets in the kitchen that had been irritating us. Everything was removed, washed or wiped down, and the entire inside of the cabinets was washed down with Murphy’s Oil Soap. My middle daughter loves to organize, so I let her go through everything and decide what to give away, throw away, or keep. She then reorganized everything so lovely! Everything is more accessible and makes you want to create something in the kitchen. I love going back and looking at everything now!

My daughter labeled our canisters with these wonderful labels by Ball. They are pretty to see, but they are also easy to clean off because they are dissolvable. They literally dissolve within 30 seconds!

For supper tonight, my daughter made Bread Machine Buttery Rolls topped with honey butter. They were scrumptious, and fit in wonderfully with our meal of shrimp, green beans (I use a variation based on this recipe), and macaroni and cheese.:)

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Homemaking, Recipes

A Rainy Monday

28 Nov posted by

“She went about the familiar task of making biscuits. The feel of the flour and golden butter as she worked them together the big mixing bowl was good again . . . .

She smiled dreamily as she measured the water, ice cold from the spring in the back yard, and stirred her batter daintily with a silver knife, touching it lightly as if she were weaving a charm over it.”
–Grace Livingston Hill, Blue Ruin
(Quote found at Pleasant View Schoolhouse, I think!)

Making Biscuits

Today we girls have been very busy at home. It was a cool, rainy day which made it so comfortable to be inside. My middle daughter baked Chewy Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies, my youngest daughter made a double-batch of Chocolate Sauce for chocolate milk and hot chocolate, and I made 4 dozen of Paula Deen’s Basic Biscuits. My oldest daughter swept the entire house (minus the 2 rooms that are carpeted) so that I could mop every room. It feels good to have accomplished so much today.

For the last several months, I’ve been having a lot of trouble with my thumb. I have been unable to do simple things, like writing or turning doorknobs without severe, intense pain. My chiropractor had adjusted it a couple of times, but last week found it was out of joint. He yanked it so hard, I cried, but knew it had to be done. It’s gradually gotten better and better. I thank the Lord for this vast improvement! It truly feels like a miracle to be able to function without pain. I’m still having a lot of trouble with my back, and still cannot sit in the pews at church. I pray that it will get well for good!

Tomorrow a friend is taking me out for my birthday. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve seen my friend and I’m looking forward to spending some time with her. She is a like-minded woman; she believes in being a keeper of her home. It will be a joy to have some godly edification.

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Encouraging Quotes, Homemaking, Life at Hidden Pines, Recipes

A Wonderful Fall

25 Nov posted by

It is good to be up in the quiet this morning, after such a busy Thanksgiving Day yesterday. I have been longing to get up before my family to have some time to think and just be. Although my children are not young and as needy as they once were, I find that I still do better as a mother when I get a head start on the day alone. I’m an introvert and need a lot of time to myself.

Autumn Overpass

It’s cool this morning, and the sun has come up beautifully to greet the blue sky. I’m so glad to be home today. I’ve made a list of things I need to get done. I’ve not been getting much done lately, and I’m hoping getting up before everyone else will help remedy that. There will be no Black Friday shopping for me. I’d much rather pay a bit more for something, and get it in peace, than to have to fight crowds and traffic.:)

Flaming Trees of Autumn

I’m excited for all the goodness my Lord has bestowed on us in the last few months. It looks like I will not be a single woman for much longer. I’ve been on my own for 11 years now. I’m so weary. (Sometimes I wonder if that may be why I don’t feel as motivated as I used to.) The man I have loved for many years now is preparing for our future. He lives in another state, and it’s been very hard not to see each other often like “normal” couples. We will not know how to act, to be able to see each other every day. It can’t happen soon enough. Holidays have been the worst. I cannot wait to spend a normal holiday season with him. My girls are so excited. They love him dearly. He’s done so much for them in so many ways. He is a wise man that they respect and can seek advice from and Christian counsel. The rest of my family, along with my friends, is very excited, too.

Fall Leaves on Pavement

I recently visited my Tim for my birthday. Even though it was late in the season, I was just mesmerized by the beauty of the foliage there. We have some autumn beauty here, but nothing like what I saw there. What a gift God has given us in the different seasons! All of the pictures on this entry are from my trip there. Click on them for a larger view.:)

Autumn Bridge

For my birthday, Tim took me to see the Titanic Artifact Exhibition. I’ve been very interested in the story of Titanic for many years, so it was so fascinating to see actual artifacts brought up from so deep in the ocean. Tim and I were given tickets with actual passenger names and information. I was a Miss Jean in first class, while Tim was a Mr. Richard in second class. After the tour, you could check the passenger list to see if you survived or not. I survived, while Tim did not. After the tour, we got to visit a zoo. I loved seeing the animals, but enjoyed the leaves so much more. I took so many pictures and am awaiting my printed photos to be delivered so I can work on my scrapbook.

Fall Tree Closeup

What did you have on your Thanksgiving menu? My parents made a ham, butter beans, stuffing, and sweet tea. My sister-in-law made her wonderful mashed potatoes (My youngest daughter and I can make a meal off them!), and some ready-made key lime pie and cheesecake and lemonade. My middle daughter made homemade yeast rolls with honey butter and a Honey Bun Cake (We use a recipe similar to this one.). My youngest daughter made 2 Hershey Bar Pies. I roasted the turkey and made Sweet Potato Soufflé, and bought a ready-made pecan pie. We ate so much that many of us could not eat supper! We had a blessed time with our dear family. My girls will be having another Thanksgiving feast with their father and his family tomorrow. I will take the advice of my friend, Mary Jo Tate at Single Parents At Home, and will not be sad, but make the most of it and enjoy myself.

2 Comments
Filed Under: Life at Hidden Pines, My Life, Recipes, Single Mothers, Thanksgiving

A Special Breakfast

8 Jul posted by

We have kept up with the case that has dominated the media for the last few weeks, but I’m finding it wearing on me and have had to step back from the coverage. It was good to listen to encouraging preaching on Christian radio instead of the news this morning as I made a special breakfast for a very special young lady. She requested French toast and bacon, and I added sliced strawberries and orange juice.

“‘It is I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them in my arms… and I BENT DOWN and fed them’ (Hosea 11:3-4). What a beautiful picture of our God, who in His mercy, bends down to feed us and comfort us. In the same way, mothers can reveal the heart of God. When a mother bends down to her baby or little ones to feed them and tend to their needs, she is being like God. What a privilege! Delight in it!”
–Nancy Campbell, Above Rubies

2 Comments
Filed Under: Current Events, Encouraging Quotes, Mothers, Recipes

Listings 7/7/11

7 Jul posted by

Listings: Recommended Listing of Links
Finally Feeling at Home Again. . .
Susan, who formerly wrote at High Desert Home (If you haven’t read that blog, I urge you to stop by with a favorite beverage and really absorb Susan’s writings.), writes about embracing a home that is not permanent. It was an encouragement to me, because we lost the last 2 homes due to no fault of our own (one home was sold by our landlord), and sometimes I’m fearful of it happening again. Here are my favorite quotes that really touched my heart.

“I think I’ve subconsciously held off entirely embracing this little house as home, even though I like it so well, and even though I recognize it as a gift from the Lord, because I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay here. Maybe I haven’t wanted to start setting down roots only to have to pull them up again.

“But suddenly, I don’t feel that way. Rather, I feel certain that the Lord gave this home to me—even if for only six months or a year—and if He has put me here, it is where I belong. This is where He wants me to live, so I shouldn’t hold back, gun-shy about another possible uprooting. If the Lord sees fit to move me somewhere else tomorrow, that’s His business, and, really, it’s only another chance to press hard into Him, to know Him better, and to trust Him more.

“So, I’m ready to settle into this place.”

Not a Morning Person? Rise With the Sun!
I enjoyed this second post by Susan about rising with the sun. I have been a night owl for years, but am trying to break that pattern. I know my days go better the earlier I rise, especially if I rise as the sun is just peaking over the woodlands.

Are You Washed in the Blood?
Michele at A Quiet Gracious Life shares a beautiful arrangement of the hymn, “Are You Washed in the Blood?”

Five Bible Verse Bookmarks Digital Download by Karla Dornacher
Karla Dornacher is one of my favorite modern artists. She is a Christian and offers much encouragement with her artwork.

YOUR Fireworks Shots!
I love looking at photos and was just amazed at the firework shots featured at Pioneer Woman Photography.

Free ebook: Best of Betty Crocker 2011 Summer cookbook
I love my hardback Betty Crocker cookbook and just know these recipes will be wonderful, too!

National Blueberry Month
July is National Blueberry Month! Blissfully Domestic has a lot of great info on the nutritional value of blueberries, how to freeze them, etc. I wash my blueberries, but do not flash freeze them before bagging them up. I never have a major problem with them sticking together.

If Leonardo DiCaprio Got Saved
I love the movie Titanic, so this post caught my eye. “God doesn’t gravitate toward the people that the world gravitates toward. He gravitates toward the weak, the lowly, the ordinary, and the unimpressive. He calls those whom the world ignores. If God primarily saved rich, powerful, and beautiful people, those people might have some reason to boast before God. But God saves unimpressive, weak people, so that there might not be any boasting in his presence. And when God saves these people and uses them to spread the gospel, it demonstrates the power of God, not the power of the people.”

Are You Holding The Art Of Homemaking Sacred?
This new-to-me blog has been very encouraging to me, especially the post “Are You Holding The Art Of Homemaking Sacred?” As a single mother, there is no one to come home to me at the end of the day to show appreciation to me, and that can get really discouraging. This post has helped me to endeavor harder in my role as mother and homemaker. Here are some favorite quotes (emphasis by the author).

“We should approach every task as a blessing to be received, never as a chore to get done.”

“In homemaking there is no such thing as ‘small work‘. We are to find the sacred in the everyday, strive to see the goodness or usefulness in ALL things, taking nothing for granted.

“The housewife makes the home, and the home makes the family. This is a tremendous responsibility that God has called the woman to do. A responsibility that we can NOT accomplish by ourselves, we MUST rely on God to see us through our journey. So never let the world make small of what being a homemaker is all about.”

Give Them What They Really Need
This post reminds mothers what is most important as we rear our children. “We mamas tend to major on the minors. At least that is what this mama has done. We strive to make sure our children are well educated and well rounded. We push them to potty train by two, write cursive by four, and read by five. We are deceived into thinking more is better. More life experiences, more lessons. We fret over having not done enough for our children. Did they learn what they needed to be successful adults? Whose definition of success are we living by anyway?”

2 Comments
Filed Under: Christian Life, Encouraging Quotes, Homemaking, Homeschooling, July 4th, Listings, Mothers, Photography, Recipes, Single Mothers

Recipes We Love

20 Apr posted by
We love trying new recipes, and I try to cook from scratch as much as possible. I have tried many recipes that did not work for us, but are some of our favorites online recipes.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Lemon Blueberry Muffins
I found this recipe originally on Michele’s old blog, Cherish the Home. These are delicious! I like to serve them with sausages, fruit, and juice. Leftovers can be frozen or eaten as snacks later on during the day.

Early Spring Fruit Salad
We have been loving this fruity salad made with lots of bananas and strawberries, but we don’t use grapefruit. The lime taste is a wonderful surprise! Leftovers are delicious with breakfast.

Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix Copycat
We make these corn muffins often, baking them in one pan rather that in muffin cups so we have cornbread. Sliced into wedges and drizzled with real butter, these are whoofed down pretty quick at our house!

Seasoned Baked Potato Wedges
These are quite easy to make and less messy than homemade fries. We love these! I really love playing around with different spices, too.:)

Schoolhouse Chocolate Sauce
We love this sauce mainly for making chocolate milk. It tastes just like Hershey’s chocolate syrup and is incredibly easy to prepare!

Schoolhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies
My middle daughter makes a double batch of these very often. I’ve never had such delicious chocolate chip cookies. I absolutely cannot resist them!

Quincy's Yeast Rolls Copycat Recipe

Quincy’s Yeast Rolls Copycat Recipe
A friend at church made these for supper one evening, and we just had to have the recipe! I don’t have a bread machine right now, so I make these up using my Kitchenaid mixer. We make honey butter (real butter) to top these. They are wonderful and taste really close to the rolls you get from Quincy’s restaurants.

Schoolhouse Vegetable-Beef Soup
I’ve not made this in a while, but this is one soup that I actually can make with success. It’s delicious!

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Recipes

Hershey Bar Pie

9 Oct posted by
Hershey Bar Pie

Hershey Bar Pie
From Aunt Carolynn

3 large Hershey bars with almonds (you can also use a multi-pack of regular-sized bars)
1 12-oz pkg Cool Whip
1 8-oz pkg Cool Whip
2 pie shells (any kind…I use graham cracker)

Melt Hershey bars in double boiler, then mix with the 12-oz pkg of Cool Whip. Pour into 2 pie shells and top with the remaining pkg Cool Whip. Chill several hours. Note: For a richer pie, use more chocolate or less Cool Whip.

This is my favorite pie!! It never lasts long at our house. It is a favorite at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Recipes

Banana Layer Cake

11 Aug posted by

Banana Layer Cake

Banana Layer Cake
Janice Livelsberger
Los Angeles County Fair
Prep time: 30 minutes plus cooling
Baking time: 25 to 30 minutes

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut

CREAMY NUT FILLING
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup half and half cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

WHITE SNOW FROSTING
1 egg white
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In mixer bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat 2 minutes. Add bananas and beat 2 minutes more. Beat in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pans. Sprinkle 1/2 cup coconut on each layer. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on rack, coconut side up.

CREAMY NUT FILLING: Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, combine sugar, flour, cream, and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Stir in pecans, salt, and vanilla. Cool.

Place 1 cake layer, coconut side down, on a serving plate; spread with filling. Top with second cake layer, coconut side up. Spread 3/4 of the frosting on sides of cake. Decoratively pipe top edge of with remaining frosting. Makes 16 servings, 445 calories each.

WHITE SNOW FROSTING: In mixer bowl, cream egg white, shortening, butter, and vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar; continue beating until light and fluffy.

Note: I cut this recipe out of a magazine years ago. This is my all-time favorite cake! I sometimes do not use the filling and have never used the coconut. Because I don’t use the coconut, I double the frosting to cover the entire top of the cake. This cake is scrumptious!

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Recipes

Chicken Pie

1 Jul posted by
This recipe was given to me by my friend, Debbie. It is very easy to make and very delicious!

Chicken Pie

1 cooked chicken deboned and cut up into small pieces
1 cup chicken broth (or as much as you like)
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use homemade)
1 can mixed vegetables, drained, or frozen mixed veggies
2 boiled eggs, chopped (optional)

Place chicken in bottom of casserole dish. In bowl, mix soup, both eggs, and vegetables. Pour over chicken.

Topping:

1 cup milk
1 cup self-rising flour
1 stick butter (melted)

Mix together and pour on top of pie. Make sure it is covered completely. Bake at 350° about 1 hour until crust is brown.

*You can also just use 2 already-made pie crusts. Just break apart and put on top of pie. Dot with butter.

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Recipes

Pear Honey

28 May posted by
Pear Honey

YIELDS 12-16 HALF-PINT JARS


One 20-ounce can crushed pineapple with syrup
8 cups (about 3 pounds) peeled, cored, and chopped pears		 10 cups sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix all ingredients and cook until pears are tender and mixture thickens, approximately 30 minutes. Place in sterilized jars and seal while still hot.

From The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook by Paula H. Deen


~~~***~~~

I purchased a jar of pear honey from a church friend. She suggested to eat pear honey on top of hot biscuits because this honey is very sweet. She was right- it’s SO GOOD on hot biscuits. My friend is going to show me how to make preserves, something I’ve always wanted to do, but have been so afraid of trying! She loaned me her cookbook, so I plan to spend some time copying recipes to try.
Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Recipes
« Older Posts