Christmas Goodies: Peppermint Fudge

For the best Peppermint Fudge I've ever made I use the Eagle Brand recipe which you can find here.  But to make things simple, I'll type out the recipe too...


Ingredients:

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
• dash of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract
• 1/4 cup peppermint candy (I use Andes Peppermint Crunch bits which you can find at Wal-Mart)

Directions:

1. Line an 8 or 9 inch square pan with wax paper. 
2. Melt chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt in heavy saucepan over low heat. While melting chocolate do not stop stirring, you might burn the chocolate and thus ruin the fudge. 
3. Remove from heat; stir in peppermint extract. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with peppermint candy. (Make sure to lightly press the peppermint bits into the fudge because otherwise once the fudge is hard the peppermint bits will fall right off!)
4. Chill in fridge for 2 hours or until hardened. Remove from pan by lifting the edges of the wax paper, and remove the wax paper.  Cut into small squares.

 Enjoy!

A fun lunch from my childhood: Pizza!

Now doesn't that look DELICIOUS?!

When I was a kid my Mom made some creative lunches for us.  This one was especially fun because we could help, and it didn't take very long.

Ingredients:

• English muffins, split
• Marinara sauce or Pizza sauce
• Mozerella cheese, grated
• Pepperoni (or whatever pizza toppings you like)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350.
2. Place english muffin halves on a baking sheet.
3. Spread sauce on each half of the english muffin.
4. Top with cheese and pizza toppings.
5. Bake for about 7-10 minutes.
6. Cool for 2 minutes and serve!

Kids and adults alike with love these!

A comfort meal: Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

I'm a big fan of meatloaf and mashed potatoes.  I don't make it often because ground beef can be expensive, but on the occasion that I do make it I always make both, you can't have meatloaf without some fluffy mashed potatoes!

Meatloaf

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (80/20, or 90/10)
• 3/4 cups quick cook oats
• 1 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 small onion, diced (optional)
• 1 Tblsp Italian seasoning (or 1/2 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp sage, 1/2 tsp garlic salt or pepper)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375.
2. In a large bowl mix together all ingredients.
3. Scoop meat mixture into a baking dish.  You can use a casserole dish, or a loaf pan.
4. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until meat is cooked all the way through.  Don't worry if there is a little bit of a pink tint (a tiny bit) because it may be caused by the onion and Worcestershire sauce.
5. Serve after cooling for about 5 minutes.

Mashed Potatoes

Recipe can be adjusted to your preferences.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium or large potatoes
• Whole milk
• 1/2 cup salted, or sweet cream butter
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 clove garlic, mashed or finely diced (optional)

Directions:

1. Rinse and peel potatoes (wet potatoes are easier to peel than dry ones).
2. Slice potatoes into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Place in a large pot.  Fill pot with water until potatoes are covered, but not more than just covered.
3. Bring to a boil on high heat. Turn heat down to medium high and boil for 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft enough to mash.
4. Drain water and place potato slices into a large bowl.
5. Begin mashing.  Add butter, sour cream, and garlic.  Continue mashing.
6. Add in milk 1/4 cup at a time while mashing until you achieve preferred consistency.
7. Serve immediately.

A Prayer and Praise

Turn to me and be gracious to me,
For I am lonely and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
Bring me out of my distresses.
Look upon my affliction and my trouble,
And forgive all my sins. 

Psalms 25:16-18

I wept today. I wept because of a mistake I made, because of sins I needed to confess to God, because I felt overwhelmed with frustration... I wept until the tears dried up.  Then, I begged God for forgiveness.

I still want to curl up into a little ball and hide, and I still feel like I've let some people down especially Andrew and Oliver.  So I searched Psalms to find a prayer that said what I needed to say and the Psalms above did.

Before I found that one though I found Psalms 8.  Psalms 8 is all about praising God.

O LORD, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! 

It reminded me of why we should praise God, even when we are having a bad day, or our troubles are weighing us down... we praise God simply because of who He is!  So even when it feels like our world is just tumbling down around us, we can still praise God... no matter what we can praise Him just because of who He is and what He did for us.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
What is man that You take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
All sheep and oxen,
And also the beasts of the field,
The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. 

O LORD, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

The absolute best way to cook chicken!

The other day I tried something new.  It was an idea I'd had for a while, and had just never been brave enough to try.  A few of Andrew's favorite meals consist of chicken marinated in either terriyaki sauce, a lemon marinade, or barbeque sauce, with rice on the side.  It can be quite delicious, but not one of those has been a favorite of mine.  So, my idea was to cook the chicken with the marinade in the slow cooker, but I'd never tried it before.

Oh my goodness!  I don't think I'll ever cook chicken in the oven or on the stove again!!!  Slow cooker chicken is so tender and juicy and absolutely delicious!

So, here's what to do for the absolute best chicken you'll ever taste...

You'll need:

• a slow cooker
• boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• a marinade of your choosing
• olive oil

Directions:

1. Prep the chicken.  I normally rinse it and cut of any fat I don't want on there.
2. Place the chicken in the slow cooker.  Drizzle olive oil over the chicken, then add about 1 1/2 cups marinade.
3. Cook on high for 3-4 hours.

Voila!  Delicious chicken, and you only took a few minutes to get it going.

Pulled pork sandwiches: an easy breazy dinner

I'm a mom... a pregnant mommy right now, and easy, quick dinners are essential.  I don't have much time or energy sometimes to make something that takes more than the most minimal effort.  This is why my slow cooker is used many times a week.  One of our favorite slow cooker meals is pulled pork sandwiches.


What you need:

• a slow cooker
• a pork shoulder (it's best if you find one that has netting around it), pork roast can work too but it's not as good
• barbeque sauce
• a small onion
• Worcestershire sauce
• hamburger buns

You'll want to give the pork several hours to cook.  Depending on your slow cooker it can take between 4-8 hours before the meat is just falling apart, which is how you want it to be.  It's best if you give it more time than you think you'll need and just check it every few hours, you can always warm it again if it gets done too early.

Directions: (All amounts are according to personal preference, you can use less or more of everything depending on your own preferences.)

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 4-8 hours

• Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker.  Leave the netting on the pork.
• Cover the pork in about 1 1/2 cups barbeque sauce.
• Add about 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce.
• Slice up half the onion and place on top the pork shoulder.
• Put the lid on the slow cooker and turn on High.  Cook for 4-8 hours, or until meat is tender and falling apart.
• When it is done cooking you'll cut off the netting, and use two forks to pull apart the meat.
• Serve on hamburger buns.

Consider my groaning...

 Give ear to my words, O LORD,
Consider my groaning.
Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God,
For to You I pray. 

Psalm 5: 1-2

Normally I put a verse at the end of a post, but this time the verse is word for word the cry of my heart, the groaning of my soul.  

 

Yesterday was a difficult day for me.  I have been in a lot of pain for the past few days, since Sunday evening actually.  There hasn't been much relief, if any.  It's hard to describe what I'm going through right now, but because the ligaments are too loose and soft in the area of my pubic joint (did you know that was a joint?  I sure didn't!) I experience almost consistent pain with any movement.  Sitting brings the most relief, but I cannot sit on the couch all day, I have a son to care for. 

 

So, back to yesterday, I was in a lot of pain, and poor Oliver is teething and he deals with that by either being cranky and needy, or by being obnoxious and difficult.  Yesterday he decided to be obnoxious and difficult.  Both of us had a bad day as far as moods go.  He was into everything and not listening to me at all, and I was frustrated both with him and with my own pain.  I lost my patience several times.

Last night, after Oliver was sound asleep, and about the time I should have been falling asleep too, I burst into tears.  This was my desperate prayer:

God, please forgive me for not being the mother to Oliver today that I should have been.  I am so tired of this pain.  I miss being able to play with my son, chase him, and tickle him, and wrestle with him.  I miss making him laugh and smile.  There isn't much I can do with him right now, it's even hard for me to walk to the kitchen and make him breakfast or lunch or dinner or snacks.  I beg You, God, I beg You to send me into labor, to end this pain.  I love my son so much, but I feel like it's so hard to show him this right now.  Please, either help me to work through this pain, or send me into labor so that I can get back to playing with Oliver like I used to.

I begged, cried, and sobbed, until there were no words left to say.  I repeated several times my earnest desire for this pregnancy to be over so that I could go back to being Oliver's mommy the way I had been.  I expressed my love for both my children, but my grief over what Oliver is missing from me right now.  I begged for labor so I could begin to heal, and I also said that if it wasn't time for Wynter to be born that God would either take away the pain, or help me find ways to show Oliver how much I love him in new ways.

I have not begun labor, and the pain has actually gotten worse, so for today I shall find ways to shower Oliver with love that do not involve me moving much, and I pray it is enough.

Festive Snowballs

One of my favorite Christmas cookies:

Festive Snowballs

Ingredients:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup dates, cut into quarters (maraschino cherries, or dried cranberries can be used instead)
• 2 cups mini marshmellows
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (almonds can be used instead)
• 3 cups flaked coconut

Instructions:

1. Line cookie sheets with wax paper. Combine sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, dates, marshmallows, walnuts and graham cracker crumbs. Mix well. 
2. Place coconut in a shallow bowl. Roll cookie mixture into 3/4-inch balls; roll in coconut. Place onto prepared cookie sheets. Chill 4 hours or until set.

Struggling with trust

Wynter is going to come soon.  Her due date is Christmas Day, but I think she'll come before then.  Her arrival is not in my control, no matter what I do, it is all God.  I know that.  I'm trying to accept that.

Right now I think that if she comes any day it won't be good timing for us financially.  Andrew gets a week off from December 25th (plus the Friday and Saturday before) to January 1st, unpaid.  We've already planned for this.  What we didn't plan for was any extra time he might take off if Wynter is early or late.  So I worry that one or the other will happen and we'll struggle financially and it will be a stressful time instead of a joyful time.  I also worry that in order to avoid the financial struggle Andrew won't take any time off, which would be difficult on both of us emotionally.  So I try to remind myself that whatever God's timing is, it will be perfect... but I don't really believe that.  I am trying so hard, because I know it is the truth, but the part of me that worries and plans and needs to be in control keeps telling me that my timing is better than God's.

I know there are other areas of my life in which I have done this before, or still do it.  It's arrogant, and sinful, to think that I know better than God.  I mean, He is GOD!  His plan is perfect, even when it doesn't line up with what we think is perfect, God's plan is always perfect.  I think I'm afraid to trust Him with the timing of Wynter's birth.  I need to remember that God is the one who formed Wynter inside me.  He knows every breath that she will take, every movement she will make, every thought she will have.  Even bigger than that He created this world and me and you, placed every molecule where it should be, designed everything perfectly according to His PLAN.  I need to rest in the knowledge that God will bring Wynter into this world when it is time, and not a moment too soon or too late.  And He will take care of the rest too, I need to rest in the knowledge that He sees us not as pawns that He just moves around at a whim, but as precious children who He will take care of... this alone will give me peace, is giving me peace as I write this.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.  

In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight. 

Proverbs 3:5-6