Hopeful

Mashed Potatoes

2012-02-21T20:05:00.000-05:00

Eating healthy is still my new year's

resolution and I am trying to stick to it.

So I made mashed potatoes tonight

without sour cream or cream cheese.

I asked Josh his thoughts and

he said they were better than

the regular, loaded mashed potatoes.

The recipe is not in measurements.

Just follow the photos.

Cook 4 large red potatoes (diced) until tender.

Drain and return to your burner on low heat.

Add a nice chunk of butter.

Get out a mashing device of some kind and mash away.

Lumps are okay. I promise.

Grab your milk from the fridge and pour in a nice amount.

Sprinkle in some, salt, pepper, garlic powder (lightly)
and dried chives.

I am in love with this cheese. It's delicious.
It's the only mozzarella I buy.

You will need to know this for the next step.

Then add a few clumps of mozzarella cheese.

Stir until melted.

The cheese adds a new flavor. It's delicious.

Accompany with steak and some greens.

Duke amused me as I was washing dishes.

He just kept looking up, not sure if he saw a squirrel or what.

What a great metaphor for us, keep gazing heavenward,

and remember why God has placed you on this earth.

Blessings,

Hope

Roast Beef and Spinach Wraps

2012-02-15T21:59:00.000-05:00

We had small group tonight and

I had very little time to plan

what kind of snack to take.

So I stopped by the store and grabbed some

wheat tortillas, roast beef, spinach and mozzarella cheese.

Heat tortillas in the microwave so they are pliable.

Spread a little mayo on one half of the tortilla.

Top with two slices of roast beef, a slice of mozzarella cheese,

sprinkle on a little feta cheese, drizzle with Sweet Baby Ray's,

and top with a handful of spinach.

Fold in both sides and...

... and roll like... well a roll...

... secure both ends with a tooth pick, and slice down the middle.

Tadaa you have a colorful, flavor filled wrap.

Repeat this process as many times and necessary.

The possibilities are endless with this kind of snack.

Enjoy,

Hope

Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T10:39:00.002-05:00

Valentine's day is a special day for me.

Not just because of the warm fuzzy

feelings from flowers and cards.

It's the day, two years ago, Josh proposed

to me and asked me to be his wife.

Those of you who are tired of my

stories- don't feel like you have to

read the rest. I enjoy reading proposal

stories and such, but I know it's boring to some.

It had snowed and Josh wanted to have

me over for dinner on Sunday. I didn't

suspect much until I got there.

He had set up a table just for us

in front of the fireplace, and

he was dressed to kill.

We enjoyed a lovely dinner together.

Fine dining indeed.

Created by the chef, Josh.

After dinner he gave me this map...

... and a big pair of camo boots to wear.

The first treasure...

... the second treasure...

... the third treasure.

I looked at the tree and looked at him...

and gobbled him up with a "yes!"

Little did we know his family was

watching through the binoculars.

He also gave me a lovely engagement watch.

Today I love him even more! I feel so blessed.

The tree is on our land and we hope to go

visit it today and take the chisel with us

to make sure the letters are still readable.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope

Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches

2012-02-11T13:36:00.003-05:00

My husband is a chocolate chip cookie lover.

If I make any cookie other than chocolate chip,

I ask him if he likes them.

His reply is always,

"They are not as good as chocolate chip."

In some ways it frustrates me

because I think he should branch out.

In other ways it makes me happy

because he knows what he likes.

So last night I made him chocolate chip

cookies and froze them in bags for his lunches.

Here is a new creation I came up with

so he can enjoy his cookies in another way.

A wonderful Valentine's idea.

You could shape the cookies into hearts.

Here is the cookie recipe I have posted before.

Simply add vanilla ice cream between two cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup lard or Crisco

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

3 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup chocolate chips

Cream butter, lard and sugars. Add ingredients as listed.

Set in the fridge to chill for 20-30 minutes.

Scoop on tray and bake for 8-9 minutes.

p.s. You must use the lard or Crisco,

it's what makes these cookies soft.

Enjoy,

Hope

Easy Chicken Quesadilla's

2012-02-09T21:57:00.000-05:00

Need a quick and tasty meal?

Here is the recipe for you.

I bought wheat tortillas and topped

them with chicken, veggies and cheese.

Lay tortillas on a tray a top with toppings of your choice.

I would have preferred mozzarella cheese but

cheddar and feta worked.

Top with another tortilla and flatten together with your hands.

Broil on 400 for 8-10 minutes.

Waa-laa you have a meal!

Chicken Quesadilla's

1 lb. chicken, cooked and diced

wheat tortillas

green pepper slices

onion slices

black olives

cheese

sour cream

fresh salsa

Lay tortillas on tray. Sprinkle on toppings. Top with another

tortilla and press with hands. Broil at 400 for 8-10 minutes,

or until cheese is melted and top is crispy.

Slice and serve with sour cream and fresh salsa.

You could also fry one tortilla in a skillet

with the toppings on one side and fold it over

like a omelet once the cheese is melted.

The disadvantage to broiling them is that the

underneath side isn't crispy. You could

flip them half-way through if you are

crazy about both sides being crispy.

Add lots of cheese- this helps to

hold both sides together.

Blessings,

Hope

Sewing Retreat 2012

2012-02-04T23:39:00.006-05:00

It's that wonderful time of year again.

The time when all of Joshua's Aunts

get together for a week and sew.

Here are some photos to document

what all happened this week.

Claire with a princess backpack she made for her niece.

The most detailed backpack you will ever find.

It's equipped with a zip out carriage and the lost slipper.

She made the doll from scratch- a work of art indeed.

The princess has three hats to choose from,

and the backpack has a wind-up music box.

Too many bells and whistles to list.

Aunt Barbara with another intricate star quilt.

Aunt Emily creating a wall hanging for her mother-in-law.

Mom cutting a border for her quilt she pieced a few years ago.

Aunt Polly's wedding quilt for her son Timmy.

What a special gift.

Aunt Julia's creations- the striped quilt

is made from Grandfather's shirts.

Aunt Coleen's beautiful quilt blocks.

Aunt Cheryl's Valentine's quilt she is giving to herself.

I think it's a wonderful gift.

Aunt June's velvet fans.

Julian sewing on her last border.

Polly ad Jolene talking 'quilt' talk.

Some of the great Aunt's came to visit.

Grandmother taking a break the right way.

This morning everyone came up to our house for a brunch.

Hannah and the other Hope helped me with the food.

I fixed stromboli and filled it with all different kinds

of breakfast meats: bacon, ham, sausage.

Fried apples like Cracker Barrel's.

Delicious crepes made by my sister-in-law, Hope.

Sorry Hannah, I missed your yummy hash browns.

I was able to sew some summer dresses.

What a wonderful week of fellowship.

I feel blessed to be a part of this family.

Blessings,

Hope

Stromboli

2012-01-26T20:18:00.001-05:00

My husband picked the dinner menu

this evening and he chose stromboli.

I googled stromboli to see how the

Italian folks made stromboli.

I grew up on Mennonite stromboli,

which is delicious also. It's stuffed with salami,

ham, sausage, mozzarella cheese and american cheese

and often has a layer of mustard on the bottom.

I wanted to try the original stromboli

and we really enjoyed this kind too.

Mix together dough and let rise until almost doubled.

Roll out and top with salami, sausage, pepperonis,

fresh mushrooms, black olives, onions, and jalapeno peppers.
Use your own discretion on the amounts there is no
right or wrong way. Add toppings as you please.

Pour on the cheeses... mozzarella, feta and fresh grated parmesan.

Fold in sides and ends and brush with egg wash

and sprinkle with oregano.

Sliced and ready to be dipped in marinara sauce.

Stromboli

1 cup water, warm

1 Tbsp. yeast

1 tsp. sugar

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. oil

A few shakes of

basil

oregano

parsley flakes

10 slices of salami

1 lb. sausage, browned

pepperonis

fresh mushrooms, sliced

onion slices

1 small can of black olives

1/2 jalapeno pepper, sliced thin

mozzarella cheese

feta cheese

fresh Parmesan cheese

pepper

1 egg, beaten with a little water

marinara sauce for dipping

Combine warm water, yeast, sugar and oil. In another bowl

mix together flour, salt and spices. Make a well in your flour

mixture and pour in the yeast mixture. Mix together with fork until

it starts sticking together and then knead together with hands and
form into a ball. You may need to add a little more flour
while kneading. Place in your mixing bowl and cover. I usually turn
the burner on very low for a little until it's warm and then turn it off.

Set your bowl on warm burner (that's off) and this helps hurry

up the raising process. Let raise until almost doubled.

Sprinkle flour on the surface where you will be rolling out the dough.

Knead the dough a little and sprinkle the top with flour.

Roll out into a 12" x 20" rectangle. Top with

meats, vegetables and cheeses. I used mostly mozzarella
and sprinkled a light layer of feta and parmesan.
Sprinkle with pepper. Fold in one side and wet the edges
with water. Fold the other side over top and seal ends.

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with oregano.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Cover with foil for
a few minutes after removing from the oven.
This helps soften the dough. Slice and serve.

Enjoy,

Hope

Cream Cheese Icing

2012-01-25T22:02:00.004-05:00

Any cream cheese icing lovers out there?

I love cream cheese icing but I am

not fond of most recipes that

call for 2 cups of 10x sugar

and a 1/2 cup of butter.

This is a recipe I make often from

memory and thought I would share

it with you. It does have a whole cup

of whipping cream but to me it's

a 'good fat' meaning it's not processed

to be kept fresh in a plastic tub for weeks.

Here is some Cool Whip education for you from Wikipedia:

Cool Whip Original is made of water, hydrogenated vegetable oil

(including coconut and palm oils), high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup,

skim milk, light cream, and less than 2% sodium caseinate (a milk derivative),

natural and artificial flavor, xanthan and guar gums, polysorbate 60, sorbitan monostearate,

and beta carotene (as a coloring).^[5] In some markets, such as Canada and the

United States, Cool Whip is available in an aerosol can using nitrous oxide

as a propellant. Cool Whip was formerly marketed as non-dairy, but in

Jewish dietary traditions, Cool Whip was classified as dairy rather than parve

(non-meat and non-dairy) because of the sodium caseinate (which is derived from milk).

Cool Whip now contains milk and cream.

Posted in Health, Health Archive

Hydrogenated Vegetable (or any) oil – In a nutshell, are transfats.

They lower HDL (good) cholesterol and an increase LDL (bad) cholesterol.

They are added to foods in order to make them solid at room temperature and to

extend their shelf life. The problem is they turn to sludge in your body for the same

reason, and transfats clog arteries and lead to high-blood pressure,

circulation problems, and heart attacks!

High fructose Corn Syrup – It extends the shelf life of processed foods and

is cheaper than sugar (that’s why it’s found everywhere). It’s basically made by

turning the natural glucose found in corn starch into fructose. Fructose contains no

enzymes, vitamins or minerals and robs the body of micronutrients in order

to be assimilated into the body. Glucose, a natural occurring sugar found in nature,

is easily digested by every cell in the body. But High fructose corn syrup is ONLY

digestible by the liver, and too much of it causes it to be expelled back out into the body.

Causing everything from gastrointestinal problems, to diahrrea. It also messes with

the liver’s ability to produce insulin properly! (Diabetes anyone?)

Sorbitan monostearate - is basically a wax. Waxes are used as an emulsifying agents.

Sorbitan monostearate is also used in hemorrhoid creams, and creams to treat dry skin.

Polysorbate 60 – another type of emulsifying agent and member of the Sorbitan monostearate family that makes essential oils water soluble. Also found in lotions and creams.

Xantham Gum – a thickening agent and stabilizer derived from naturally occuring bacteria that functions similarly to gelatin in recipes, but it is completely vegan

Now back to the recipe...

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup 10x sugar
1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla

Whip cream into soft peaks. In another bowl beat cream cheese,
and 10x sugar. Beat until smooth. Add yogurt and vanilla.
Add to whipped cream and beat until combined.
This generously ices a 2 layer cake.
Refrigerate after icing.

Here are some rustic Valentine's Day or party ideas.
These flowers were for my sister, Faith's, birthday party.

Another fire wood creation of mine.
If you get tired of it you can just throw it in the stove.

The basket was my gift to her. I love chicken wire baskets.

I collect old glass bottles from thrift stores for vases.

Blessings,
Hope

Spicy Peach Glazed Chicken

2012-01-23T20:36:00.000-05:00

It's January and I am getting the spring

fever... we grilled two times last week.

I had been wanting to create a peach

glazed chicken that wasn't too peachy and sweet.

I have made this recipe twice and we love it.

The peach is there but isn't overwhelming.

Chicken for me and steak for my hubby.

Spicy Peach Glazed Chicken

4 lbs. chicken tenders (can use chicken of your choice)

1 cup peach preserves

1 large garlic clove, crushed

6 Tbsp. olive oil

4 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 cup of Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (add seeds too)

2 tsp. vinegar

1/2 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

Mix together and pour most of it over your chicken.

Leave a little out for basting while grilling.

Stir well to make sure all the chicken is coated.

Let set for 3-4 hours. While grilling baste on

each side. Grill until done.

p.s. Don't be scared to add the jalapeno pepper,
it wasn't too hot, if you like hot food add
a half of another pepper.

Enjoy,

Hope

Parmesan and Chive Potatoes

2012-01-18T20:02:00.001-05:00

Now that I have a clean and dust free

home, I can finally cook again.

It felt so good to cook again.

You can call me weird but it truly

made my heart happy.

Is there anyone else out there

who gets tired of making the same

potato recipes over and over again?

Here is a new one for you.

It's thin, it's crispy, it's delicious and easy!

Slice large baking potatoes a quarter inch thick.

Brush with butter and chives.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with

fresh grated Romano or Parmesan cheese.

Pick up with your hands and eat or be polite and use a fork.

Parmesan and Chive Potatoes

2 large baking potatoes

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

2 tsp. chives, dried

salt and pepper

fresh grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Slice potatoes length wise about a quarter inch think.

Lay on tray sprayed with oil. Melt butter and stir in chives.

Lay potato slices on tray and brush with butter and chives.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grate cheese on top.

Bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes, or until starting

to brown and the skins wrinkle.

Enjoy,

Hope

Yogurt and Dust

2012-01-09T23:08:00.005-05:00

Sorry about the title,

but that is what I am feeling right now.

I want to tell you how good yogurt is

for you and I also want to show you

how much dust is in our house.

We are in the middle of re-painting our house.

We were just going to paint over our ceiling texture,

but it started to pull up when we rolled over it.

So we decided to scrape the texture off our

ceilings in the downstairs and upstairs rooms.

Dust is everywhere. My dear hubby worked

all day on it and is finally done scraping the texture off.

We also hired someone to help us with it.

My knight in shining white.

Our living room.

The plastic between the kitchen and living room...

it keeps most of the dust out but keeps our heat

from going upstairs to our bedroom.

This stuff is what is causing the problem.

We are just happy we are doing it now and getting it over with.

Need a healthy snack?

This is a great snack to help curb a sweet craving.

It's simply granola, homemade yogurt,

and fresh fruit drizzled with some honey.

The May issue of Mayo Clinic

Women's HealthSource covers the benefits:

- One 8-ounce cup of plain low-fat yogurt provides around 400
milligrams of calcium, more than the 300 mg in an 8-ounce glass of milk.

- Yogurt also has as much potassium as a banana and as much

protein as an egg or ounce of meat.

- The live bacteria in yogurt help in digestion and protect

you against other harmful bacteria.

I also use yogurt in cream cheese fillings
so they are not as rich. Fresh whipped
cream also keeps it light.

I may not be posting as much this week,

due to circumstances of the dust.

I hope to post after photos of the house.

Blessings,

Hope

Austy's 4th Birthday

2012-01-07T19:42:00.000-05:00

When I asked Austin what kind

of cake he wanted for his birthday

I knew it would be Thomas.

It was one of Thomas's friends, Gordon.

So today he had another Thomas party.

I called the other day to ask who was

coming to his party, he politely replied,

"All of my little friends."

So a bunch of his sweet, little

friends came and we had a grand time.

His mom made these super-cool party hats.

The birthday boy and his mom.

This is Gordon, Austy informed me that it's not two

smoke stacks, one is to let the steam out.

He is a walking dictionary for Thomas and his friends.

All of his little friends.

Salty pulling a load of fruit.

Favor bags filled with goodies.

We drew on the table cloth and then...

... and played pin the tail on the donkey.

Happy 4th birthday Austy.

Blessings,

Hope

Mexican Gumbo Soup

2012-01-05T22:36:00.003-05:00

Well folks I'm back...

happy new year to all.

What are your new year's resolutions?

Mine is to eat healthier,

the first meal I cooked after my

new year's resolution was so healthy

my husband asked for barbeque sauce.

I guess I will have to find a happy medium.

I received my Christmas gift from Josh on Monday.

Somehow it was lost in the mail, and did not

come until a week after Christmas.

It was the newest Kitchen Aid food processor.

A beauty indeed. I've used it every night this week.

Tonight for dinner I tried to re-create Qdoba's gumbo soup.

I used a recipe online as a bounce board.

It tasted similar minus the cilantro- which I can live without.

Serve over brown rice and top with guacamole.

Mexican Gumbo Soup

3 large chicken breasts, cubed

2 T. butter

2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 tsp. cumin

1- 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1- 4 oz. can chopped green chilies

1/2 lime, juiced

1- 15.5 oz. can black beans

1- 15.25 oz. can whole kernal corn

1/4 tsp. chili powder

1 sprig of fresh parsley, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in pot. Cube chicken with scissors and add to butter.

Top chicken with garlic, onion and cumin. Cover and cook until done.

Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Serve over brown rice and top with guacamole.

Delicious and healthy at the same time.

Now for some food processor fun. Go here to see how cool it is.

To make guacamole use 2 ripe avocados, 1/4 onion,

a few cherry tomatoes, l/2 juice of a lime, salt and pepper.

Turn on high and taa daaa... you have nice, smooth guacamole.

Or if you like hummus you can quick make a bowl of that.

Hummus

1- 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans, drained

1/2 juice of a lime

1 garlic clove

2 T. olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

dash of paprika

Add to food processor and turn on high until smooth.

Enjoy on pita chips or crackers.

Many more food processor recipes to come!

Blessings,

Hope

Christmas Part 1

2011-12-24T16:11:00.002-05:00

Our Christmas festivities started

last night with Joshua's family.

Sheri came home for Christmas

so all of us were at Dad and Mom's.

We had a delicious meal and a

wonderful evening of fellowship

that lasted until 1:00 a.m.

Here are a few photos

of our Helmuth Christmas.

Carving the cake. It was special to have Grandmother with us.

Mike opened up salt and pepper shakers and said "thanks".

Mom looked over and said,"That's Hannah's gift!"

Mike's 25 suckers he put on his wish list.

Dad and his tree stand seat from Caleb.

Mom in her cool socks from Hannah.

Caleb's helicopter from Josh.

Sheri with her box of goodies from Hannah.

My gift to Hope that included a broken dish.

Don't put too many things in one box!

Ryan and his helicopter from his wife.

It must have been a helicopter year.

Josh and his gun snake and shells from Mike.

Watching crazy "Jib Jab" movies Mike created

with our faces. Go here for a sample.

Louise hidden amongst the aftermath.

A super intense game of Life going on here.

I am so thankful for the blessing of family.

Blessings to you as you spend time

with your family this weekend.

Remember, you can't take all these

things with you to heaven- but your

family is one thing you can take with you.

Merry Christmas!

Hope

Chocolate Cake Ideas

2011-12-23T16:25:00.008-05:00

Looking for a special cake

for your Christmas dinner?

A chocolate cake is one

of the funnest and easiest

cakes to dress up.

Today I used my basic chocolate cake

recipe and whipped up some

icing with some of the same

ingredients as tiramisu.

Slice the two cake layers in half.

Simple, easy and delicious.

For this one I just used creamy white icing and topped it with

seedless raspberry's and drizzled chocolate.

Chocolate Cake

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup cocoa

1 cup oil

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup half and half

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup of hot coffee*

*I heat 1 cup of water in microwave and add 1 very

rounded table spoon of instant coffee.

Mix together in order listed. I usually have the mixer on slow the

whole time I mix up this cake. Pour batter into 2 greased

and floured 9 in. cake pans. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes,

or until center springs back when touched.

Cool cakes and slice each layer in half.

Then you know how to do the rest.

I don't think you need directions for icing a cake.

Tiramisu Icing

1- 8 oz. container of Mascarpone Cheese

2/3 cup 10x sugar

2 tsp. coffee liquor

2 tsp. tiramisu syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups whipping cream, whipped

Mix together Mascarpone Cheese, 10x sugar, coffee liquor,

tiramisu syrup and vanilla. In a separate bowl whip whipping cream

until it holds light peaks. Add too Mascarpone Cheese mixture and

beat until combined. Don't over whip- the texture will get funny.

Creamy White Icing

1 cup Crisco

4 cups 10x sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

4 Tbsp. milk

Mix until creamy.

Enjoy,

Hope

Christmas Centerpiece

2011-12-19T23:37:00.001-05:00

Looking for an inexpensive centerpiece

to grace your Christmas table?

Go to your fire wood pile and pick

out a nice piece of wood.

Have your husband cut out the center for you.

Cut a block of floral oasis in half and lay in the center.

Fill it with moss, pine, pine cones and berries.

Taaa daa... a Christmas centerpiece for almost free.

Blessings,

Hope

Merry Christmas ...

2011-12-16T19:34:00.000-05:00

... to all of you who are visitors here.

I enjoy interacting with each one of you

and hearing your feedback.

I really enjoy blogging...

not for the attention or whatever you

you would call it- I blog because I have

a passion for cooking and like

sharing my recipes with others.

May your Christmas be restful.

Blessings,

Hope

2011 Cookie Bake

2011-12-13T20:33:00.000-05:00

Today was the 5th annual cookie bake/exchange

with Noel farm ladies and my friend Karana.

This years total topped all-

1,500 cookies baked.

We each usually mix up 2 - 3

turns of cookies. It's so nice

because you get all your Christmas

cookies and candies in one day.

I am so blessed to have a family

I can do things like this with.

Here are some photos from our day.

Karana's Peanut Butter Blossom's

Brenda's Spice Cookies

Faith's Praline Cookies

Beth's Spritz Cookies

My Sugar Cookies with Orange Marmalade

JoAnn's Gingerbread Men

Maggie's Cranberry Nut Cookies

Mom's Reese's Cookies

Aunt Shirley's Chocolate Crinkles

Meredith and Trenton's Pretzel Sticks

Good ol' Dad counting out Mom's candy.

Danielle helping her mom.

Sweet baby Riley.

I'm ready for the long hard winter-

my freezer is full of cookies.

Blessings,

Hope

Christmas Photos

2011-12-11T15:38:00.000-05:00

I took my nephews Chistmas photos

this afternoon. A two year old will

not sit still for photos until you give him candy.

So... they both have candy in their mouths,

at least it's a festive candy.

Blessings,

Hope

It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Chirstmas...

2011-12-07T00:03:00.005-05:00

Well folks, it's that time of year.

When we bring pine trimmings in to decorate,

and baking aromas fill the air.

I made turtles with a good friend

on Saturday and had a wreath

making today with some friends.

Then made party mix and sugar cookies.

When I take off work I try to

pack in as much as possible.

Here are some festive photos

documenting the last couple days.

No recipe needed. Just over cook my carmel apple recipe

and you have caramel brickle. Delicious.

My best friend, Karana, wrapping caramel

around the pecans.

Friends since second grade. Oh, the stories we could tell.

Ready to exchange at our cookie bake this Tuesday.

Gathering pine for our wreaths.

What character a tool filled basement adds to a backdrop.

The finished product.
Part of the group. Suetta and Faith are missing.

Then around 8:00pm my dear sister-in-law Hannah

helped me with my sugar cookies.

Aunt Hope has retired Sawyer from decorating cookies-

at least until next year.

Hannah has taken his place and does a lovely job.

She doesn't even mix sprinkles.

Ready to grace our cookie plates.

Blessings,

Hope

Orange Glazed Chicken

2011-12-01T20:08:00.003-05:00

How many of you like Chinese food?

I love it but every time I eat

orange or general tso's chicken

it seems so sweet and heavy.

Here is my creation of

a healthy orange chicken.

Instead of the chicken being coated

in cornstarch you only have 1 Tbsp.

of cornstarch in the sauce.

You will walk away feeling

light as a feather.

No heavy gut feelings here.

Saute chicken breast pieces in butter. Then add onion slices

and saute until partly soft. Add sauce ingredients and

simmer until thickened.

Taaa daaaa.... light, delicious, orange chicken.

Pair with cooked potatoes and salad.

Orange Glazed Chicken

3 large chicken breast, cut into pieces

3 Tbsp. butter

salt and pepper

1 small onion, sliced

3/4 cup orange juice

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. fresh orange peel

2 Tbsp. vinegar

3 Tbsp. honey

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

Cut chicken into pieces. Melt butter in skillet and add chicken.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fry uncovered on low heat until done.

Add onions and saute until partly soft. Whisk together orange juice

and cornstarch. Pour into skillet and mix in orange peel, vinegar,

soy sauce and honey. Simmer until thickened.

p.s. I really enjoyed this tonight.

I guess I was hungry for orange chicken.

Blessings,

Hope

Beef Stroganoff

2011-11-29T21:04:00.001-05:00

This is a dish I remember mom

fixing at home. I wanted to fix

it for dinner but didn't want to

make the kind that has cream

of mushroom soup in it.

So I created a version with fresh

mushrooms and made a white sauce with

milk and thickened it with flour.

Brown hamburger, add garlic, onions and mushrooms.

Wisk together milk, flour and seasonings then pour into skillet.

Simmer until thickened. Stir in sour cream.

Serve on a bed of noodles.

Creamy and delicious.

Beef Stroganoff

1 lb. hamburger

1/2 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed or minced

18 - 20 fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 1/4 tsp. salt

2 cups milk

3 T. flour

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/2 cup sour cream

Brown hamburger. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms.

Cover and saute until mushrooms are slightly soft.

In a another bowl wisk together flour, salt, pepper and paprika.

Add to skillet and simmer until thickened. Stir in

sour cream and simmer until heated through.

Serve on a bed of noodles. Sprinkle with parsley.

Blessings,

Hope

Thanksgiving

2011-11-28T22:27:00.003-05:00

Anyone out there tired of turkey?

I can actually say that I am.

We had turkey Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

And... I had turkey for lunch today.

So how was your Thanksgiving weekend?

Ours was a blessed one filled

with family and food.

Thanksgiving day we had a dinner

at Joshua's parents and Friday evening

I had my family for a meal.

We are a blessed people who have

been given much. A rich heritage,

a land of plenty and the freedom of worship.

What are we doing with our blessings?

These verses came to my mind...

Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”

The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager,

whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give

them their food allowance at the proper time?

It will be good for that servant whom the master

finds doing so when he returns.

I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is

taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat

the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk.

The master of that servant will come on a day when he does

not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.

He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

“That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or

does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows.

But the one who does not know and does things deserving

punishment will be beaten with few blows.

From everyone who has been given much,

much will be demanded;

and from the one who has been entrusted

with much, much more will be asked.

Luke 12:41-48

We have been given much...

are we following the Master's will?

I managed to take a few photos

of the dinner I had at my house.

I was too busy to take photos of the food.

Favor boxes I found in the clearance aisle at Walmart.

I made personalized tags with a bible verse about

being thankful- then each guest read their verse.

I bought the children a ginger bread house kit and

let them decorate it all by them selves.

I'm Thankful,

Hope

Chicken Parmesan

2011-11-22T20:01:00.005-05:00

I bought a box of mushrooms at

Costco and was in the mood for

an Italian dish.

When we go to the Olive Garden

Restaurant Josh always gets a platter

that has chicken parmesan on it.

So... here is a quick version

of chicken Parmesan that is delicious.

Coat chicken in seasoned bread crumbs and fry in butter until done.

Add wine to pan drippings and reduce to half.

Add mushrooms and saute.

Add tomatoes and seasonings and simmer.

Return chicken to skillet and top chicken with mozzarella cheese.

Serve on a bed of pasta.

Top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

p.s. This is not my plate of food, the photo above was.

Chicken Parmesan

4 large chicken breast

seasoned bread crumbs

3 Tbsp. butter

12 fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup white cooking wine

2 garlic cloves, crushed or minced

1- 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes

1/2 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. parsley

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. brown sugar

1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

fresh grated parmesan cheese

Coat chicken in bread crumbs and fry in butter until done.

If chicken breast are large, cook on low heat so they won't dry out.

Remove chicken from skillet. Add wine to pan drippings and reduce

to half. Add mushrooms and saute until partly soft. Add tomatoes

and seasonings. Simmer for a few minutes. Add chicken back to

skillet and top with mozzarella cheese. Cover and simmer

for 8 minutes. This gives the chicken time to soak up some juice.

Serve over pasta and top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy,

Hope

Gingerbread Men

2011-11-19T19:18:00.004-05:00

I knew my nephews were coming

over today so I quick mixed up

a recipe of gingerbread men.

I was thinking how much fun

it would be for Austin and Sawyer

to cut out cookies and then ice

and decorate them.

Have any of you every thought

it would be a great idea to decorate

cookies with a 4 year old and a 2 year old?

Half way through decorating I

was regretting my idea of fun.

I was standing in sprinkles,

watching boys load cookies with sprinkles,

mixing colors of sprinkles together and

licking their fingers to get the sprinkles off.

I was hollering at Faith to come see how

cute it was at first, then I was hollering

because I needed help. As soon as I had

one reigned in on how many sprinkles

to use the other one was mixing handfuls

of sprinkles. Faith just laughed and said,

"I decorated cookies with them last week."

She was already seasoned in this area.

Then she starts taking photos
of them making a mess.

The cookies really are delicious,

even though all you can see is sprinkles.

Austy cutting out his cookies.

Sweet imperfection.

Cookies ready to be layered in sprinkles.

It started out fine with Austy until Sawyer woke up.
Then it looked like this...

No caption needed.

Why not add some red to the white?

He dumped a pile of sprinkles on and I told

him it was way too much. He happily grabbed

the dish cloth and wiped some off.

The finished product! I really did have fun.

Gingerbread Men

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup molasses

1 Tbsp. vinegar

1 egg, beaten

4 3/4 cup flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

Cream butter and sugar. In the microwave, heat molasses until

almost boiling. Pour molasses over sugar mixture and add vinegar.

Mix well and cool mixture to lukewarm. Mix in egg.

Sift dry ingredients and mix together.

Chill dough for several hours.

Roll out to about 1/4 in. thick and cut into men.

Bake at 350 for 8 minutes.

Do not over bake. If you do they

are more like gingersnaps. Top with icing.

Decorate as desired.

*this cookie recipe is from Esther Shank

Creamy White Icing

1 cup Crisco

4 cups 10x sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

4 Tbsp. milk

Mix until creamy.

Have fun,

Hope