Small Successes vol. 1

                                  

This is my first time "playing along" at Small Successes at Faith and Family Live.

1st Success:
I need to exercise more, read blogs less. I realized I could put my laptop on my treadmill and be able to walk and read blogs - double dipping and I love it.

2nd Success:
Two of my sisters have come the last several years and decorated my house for Christmas - they have a gift and do a fabulous job. This year they came but didn't do as much as usual - and so I finished it ON MY OWN!!! It looks very Christmasy around here and I love it!

3rd Success:
I have a Program of Life that I had misplaced for several months - I never realized how much I used it until it was gone. I was cleaning today and found it!! Hurray and thank you dear Jesus. I feel like I can get back on track.

Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

cookies:
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup raspberry jam

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
11/2 tsp almond extract
2-3 tsp water.

1. Heat oven to 350degrees. In mixing bowl combine sugar, butter and almond extract. Beat at medium until creamy. Reduce speed to low and add flour. Beat until well mixed.

2. Shape dough into 1" balls. Put 2" apart on cookie sheets. With thumb, make a dent in center of each cookie (edges may crack slightly) Fill indentation with a tiny amount of jam.

3. Bake for 14-18 minutes or until edges are lightly brown. Let stand for 1 minute.; remove from cookie sheet. Cool 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together powdered sugar, 11/2tsp almond extract and enough water to make a thin glaze. Drizzle over cookies. Cool completely.

Kara @ Kara's Kitchen Creation is having a cookie swap and I have joined. There are lots of yummy cookies - go check them out.

Adoro Te Devote

2 minute Motivational Speech

I am giving a talk on motivation - I really liked this.

Save Your Marriage

Mothers

"All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my Mother."

Abraham Lincoln

11 year old sings for Life

The girl in the video is only 11. She wrote the song and the music and performed it at the Allen County Right to Life Banquet before 700 people - it is AMAZING!!!!! I know her parents are very proud of her.

Dinner with Dougie, and the Best Ribs Ever

Tonight we had "pig" ribs. They were fantastic - the only problem is I used Pepsi instead of Coke to cook them. Yes, pop is my secret ingredient and WHO KNEW that it wouldn't be fall off the bone scrumptious with the competition???? So, if you make these, believe me when I say COKE is what you need and NEVER EVER EVER NEVER USE DIET!!! (Recipe at the end)

My son lives 2 houses away and works for his dad - they see each other ALL the time. He however rarely just comes over. I don't blame him, when I moved out at his age I lived 4 miles from home and didn't come home for like 3 months. I loved my parents, my little brothers and sisters - there were no hard feelings, I just had too much going on. And I started dating my husband to be and we spent all our time together.

HOWEVER now that the shoe is on the other foot I feel desperately lonely and neglected. "Stop in -I'll make you whatever your heart desires for breakfast, for lunch, for dinner." Part of the problem is I am a "luck of the draw" kinda cook. The last time I cooked for him and his fiance I dang near gave them salmonella (I followed the instructions but still undercooked the chicken by a LOT) So, I don't think she is willing to eat here anymore. Sigh. It makes me sad - but I totally understand - I have chicken issues myself.

TONIGHT I made The Best Ribs Ever and called and invited them over. I am confident in my ribs turning out. Unfortunately She had class but Dougie came, brought my sweet grandbaby and his roommate....YEA! I love me a full table! I love feeding my grandbaby. I love having guests and I especially love having all my children in the same room!!! I know these opportunities will become fewer and farther between and I am so glad I was able to see the gift it was and is.

Here is the recipe that made it all happen!

Best Ribs Ever

1-2 slabs of pig ribs
Steak seasoning
2 litre of COKE
BBQ Sauce

Put the ribs in a foil lined pan (for ease of clean up)
Sprinkle liberally with steak seasoning or just use salt, pepper and garlic
Pour COKE over - cover tightly with foil.
Cook at 270 degrees for 2 hours and 50 minutes.
Fire up the grill, put cooked ribs on grill, baste in BBQ sauce and cook for about 15 minutes - until the sauce gets all yummy!
That's it! Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!

I linked this to Chatting at the Sky's Tuesday's Unwrapped and Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday. and Heavenly Homemakers Gratituesday.

Crisp Cinnamon Cookies

Awhile back I thought someone in my house loved "corn flakes" for breakfast, and evidentally I went on a corn flake buying bonanza! It has taken us a lllloooooonnnnngggg time to get to the end of the boxes. On the side of the box of generic Meijer Corn Flakes was a recipe for crisp cinnamon cookies and so I gave them a try. They were very good! I am posting the recipe in case someone else has some end of the box cereal they want to use up. (and so I don't lose it, we really liked the cookies.)

Crisp Cinnamon Cookies
1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, softened
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon (OOOPS I put 2 TBS in - I think it is fabulous with the extra )
1tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups corn flakes, crushed to 1 1/4 cups.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat butter and shortening until smooth and creamy. Beat in sugar and eggs until fluffy. Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt (if desired and I didn't). Beat well. Stir in cereal, mix well. Drop by TBS onto ungreased cookie sheet about 2" apart. Bake 9-11 minutes. Let stand 1 minute before removing to wire racks to cool.

I used 3/4 cup whole wheat flour and 1 1/4 cup regular
I only used 1 1/4 cup sugar (next time try with only 1 cup)
I used 2 TBS cinnamon

I have some other "healthy cereal" that my kids hate, I think I will try this with them. Waste not, Want Not!

Queuing Up at the Grocery Store by Eddie Izzared

this is hysterical - There is some BAD LANGUAGE so beware!

I wanna win some Ugg Boots!

Seriously, I have 5 daughters and we only have generic uggs around here- we would love a pair to share or even better I can give it for Christmas!

Bang Bang Chicken

I bet you thought this was going to be a recipe. Nope. It is a method, a method for getting shredded chicken without using 2 forks, or a knife or even your hands. "What?! Impossible!" you say. No it is super dee dooper easy.





Cook chicken. Let cool, debone if necessary. Put in a ziploc bag be sure to let the extra air out. (Important step or your chicken will fly all over the kitchen, trust me) Get out your rolling pin. Now beat the tar out of your chicken in a bag. This flattens it, and shreds it nicely. You can now use it in any sort of recipe that calls for shredded chicken. I have not tried it but I bet it would work for pork or beef also.

You will want to use this to shred your chicken for Chicken Enchillada Lasagna.

I got the idea from a recipe for bang bang chicken.

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!




This totally Works for Me!
And because I think this is a great frugal idea - I have linked this to my other blog -Frugality and Crunchiness with Christy.

Au Gratin Potatoes

These are soooo yummy. Definitely worth the work and time.

Au Gratin Potatoes
6-7 potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
1lb Colby jack cheese - grated
1lb provolone - grated
1 white onion sliced into rings

Soak the potatoes in salt water for 15 minutes. Drain.

Spray (or grease) a pan. Layer potatoes and onions then cheese - repeat at least one more time. Cook at 450 degrees for one hour.

Quote on Forgiveness

“We ought to pity and love our enemies rather than hate and detest them, for they heap up evils on themselves but deserve well of us; they provoke God’s anger against themselves, but adorn us with the crown of eternal glory. We ought to pray for them; we should not be overcome by evil.”
- St Antony Mary Zaccaria

Biblical Art