Good Eats for Christmas

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What's For Dinner?

Crockpot Barbecue Chicken

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I'll let you all know how it tastes! :)

Advent

Do you all have Advent Calendars? Do you do special activities or read special books or selected passages from the Christmas story? We started our Advent tradition this year with an Advent wreath. Each Sunday, starting last Sunday and for the next four Sundays, we will light a candle and read a selected passage from the Christmas story. I want our family to remember the true meaning of Christmas and look forward to Jesus' birthday! I found this excellent resource on the Desiring God website. It is an Advent Guide from the Village Church in Texas. Take a look and use it for yourself and/or your family.

Free Advent Devotional Guide

Happy Turkey Day!

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My Heart is Filled With Thankfulness

Verse 1

My heart is filled with thankfulness

To Him who bore my pain

Who plumbed the depths of my disgrace

And gave me life again

Who crushed my curse of sinfulness

And clothed me with His light

And wrote His law of righteousness

With pow'r upon my heart

Verse 2

My heart is filled with thankfulness

To Him who walks beside

Who floods my weaknesses with strength

And causes fears to fly

Whose every promise is enough

For every step I take

Sustaining me with arms of love

And crowning me with grace

Verse 3

My heart is filled with thankfulness

To Him who reigns above

Whose wisdom is my perfect peace

Whose every thought is love

For every day I have on earth

Is given by the King

So I will give my life my all

To love and follow Him

Copyright © 2006 Thankyou Music

My prayer is that God would give me this heart of thankfulness today and everyday. Whatever He gives me, may I see it as a gift from my loving Heavenly Father.

Made especially for 3 little girls....

Cake Batter Rice Krispy Treats - YUM!

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Thoughts for the Day....

"Rest will never come by trying to figure it all out. It only comes by trusting the One who has it all figured out for you." - Paul David Tripp 


"A true Christian is one who has not only peace of conscience, but war within." - J.C. Ryle


"Spiritual progress is not first measured by what we do and don't do, but how free we are to admit that we are weak and needy beggars." - Pastor Tullian

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Tuesday Treats

Ingredients: 

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 Tbs. heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Caramel sauce (recipe below) or store bought
Heath milk chocolate pieces
mini chocolate chips
2-4 Granny Smith or other crisp tart apples, sliced and soaking in lemon juice/water until ready to serve

Method:

This is the method is to make a layered dip, for a quick method see note below. 

Line a six inch cake pan or springform pan with plastic wrap. Use enough plastic wrap to hang over the sides of the pan about 2 inches.Place softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth. Scrap down the sides of the bowl. Add the heavy cream and powdered sugar, mix well, until smooth. Place half of the cream cheese mixture in the lined pan and smooth with the back of a spoon. (If you dip the spoon into warm water before you start to smooth the cream cheese, it will be much easier to spread.) Spoon on a layer of caramel. Sprinkle with a layer of chocolate chips and the Health pieces. How much you use is up to you but don't go to overboard or you may have trouble spreading the top layer of cream cheese.

Place in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. This will let the caramel set up a bit and make topping it with the remaining cream cheese much easier. Scoop the remaining cream cheese on top and smooth out using the back of a dampened spoon, like you did for the first layer. Fold the overhanging plastic wrap over the top and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to overnight. Pull back the plastic wrap so that the top of the cheesecake is exposed. Place a serving plate on top of the pan and invert. Remove the pan and the plastic wrap. Spoon caramel sauce over the top of you cheese cake and top with more of the Heath pieces and chocolate chips. Place the sliced apples around the dip and serve.

*Note: If you want to throw this together super fast, just spread all the cream cheese on a serving platter and top with the caramel, Heath bits, and the mini chocolate chips.

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{Current} Favorite Fall Crafts!

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Apple Time!

 I love eating apples, especially this time of year! Honeycrisp is my favorite variety! Here are a few (new to me) apple treat ideas I have found on Pinterest this season. Enjoy!

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Autumn Art

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God Does Not Fail You

I needed this reminder and encouragement tonight. Maybe you do, too.


“Why yield to gloomy anticipations? Who told you that the night would never end in day?.... Who told you that the winter of your discontent would proceed from frost to frost, from snow and ice and hail to deeper snow and yet more heavy tempest of despair? Don’t you know that day follows night, that flood comes after ebb, that spring and summer succeed winter? Be full of hope! Hope forever! For God does not fail you. Do you know that God loves you in the midst of all this?.... You will yet, midst the splendors of eternity, forget the trials of time, or only remember them to bless the God who led you through them and works your lasting good by them. Come, sing in the midst of tribulation. Rejoice even while passing through the furnace. Cause the desert to ring with your exulting joys, for these light afflictions will soon be over, and then forever with the Lord, your bliss shall never wane.”
~Charles Spurgeon, Morning & Evening revised and edited by Alistair Begg, July 21, evening.

(via girltalk blog)

Happy Fall!

Thanks for stopping by!

I hope to be more regular in posting creative ideas, yummy recipes, and encouraging articles!

Friday FOOD!

Grandgirl’s Fresh Apple Cake from Georgia

From Paula's Home Cooking/Lady and Sons Too! 

Ingredients

Cake:
Butter, for greasing pan
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups peeled and finely chopped apples
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Sauce:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease a tube pan.

For the cake: in a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, oil, orange juice, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract; and mix well. Fold apples, coconut, and pecans into batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours.

Shortly before the cake is done, make the sauce: Melt the butter in a large saucepan, stir in the sugar, buttermilk, and baking soda, and bring to a good rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Pour the sauce over the hot cake in the pan as soon as you remove it from the oven. Let stand 1 hour, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

The Path of Peace

YOU WILL NOT FIND MY PEACE by engaging in excessive planning: attempting to control what will happen to you in the future. That is a commonly practiced form of unbelief. When your mind spins with multiple plans, Peace may sometimes seem to be within your grasp; yet it always eludes you. Just when you think you have prepared for all possibilities, something unexpected pops up and throws things into confusion.
I did not design the human mind to figure out the future. That is beyond your capability. I crafted your mind for continual communication with Me. Bring me all your needs, your hopes and fears. Commit everything into My care. Turn from the path of planning to the path of Peace. 


I Peter 5:6-7; Proverbs 16:9; Psalm 37:5


{from JESUS CALLING, September 17}

Tuesday Treats

Best Carrot Cake of All Time

Ingredients

• CARROT CAKE:
• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• 3 whole Large Eggs
• 2 cups Sugar
• ¾ cups Vegetable Oil
• ¾ cups Buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups Grated Carrot
• 1 can (8 Oz. Can) Crushed Pineapple, Drained
• 3-½ ounces, weight Flaked Coconut
• 1 cup Chopped Pecans
• _____
• BUTTERMILK GLAZE:
• ½ cups Sugar
• ¾ teaspoons Baking Soda
• ¼ cups Buttermilk
• ¼ cups Butter Or Margarine
• ½ Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
• ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• _____
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• ¾ cups Butter Or Margarine, Softened
• 11 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, softened
• 3 cups Sifted Powdered Sugar
• 1-½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Preparation Instructions

CAKE:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 8-inch (or 9-inch) round cakepans with waxed paper. Lightly grease and flour the waxed paper. Set pans aside.

Stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Beat eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in grated carrot, pineapple, coconut, and pecans. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center come out clean. Drizzle Buttermilk Glaze evenly over layers; cool in pans on wire racks for 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on the top and sides of cake.

BUTTERMILK GLAZE:

Bring sugar, baking soda, buttermilk, butter or margarine, and light corn syrup to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often, for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.

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