Peace and Quiet

 

When you think about peace, peaceful, rest, and or quiet what comes to mind? Do you think of still waters? A pond, a brook or creek? Or do you picture sitting in the woods on a cold winters day? There is nothing like a walk in the woods after a snowfall. Everything is quiet and peaceful. The birds are snuggled into their nests, the squirrels are high up in their tree nests, the deer are in the thicket huddled together. The peace that winter brings is why I love living in New York. 

Walking outside after the snowfall is just what my mind needs. Our minds are always going, thinking, worrying and filled with all kinds of troubles. If you don't live where there is snow you can still experience much of the same kind of thing. Go out right after the rain, walk around, go to a park, walk in the woods. There is nothing like it. Going out and becoming one with nature as God intended it to be. 

"The work of righteousness will be peace. And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet rest places." Isaiah 32:17-18

For many years now I have had a focus word for the year. The past 2 years have been horrible for my family. From the death of loved ones to tragic events involving my children I was craving peace! It was the word my mind kept going back to. I craved a quiet life, a peaceful life. I felt as if life was just full of chaos for 2 years. What I really craved was to be home again. I wanted to be able to do the work the Lord had created me to do. Financially at this time that is not possible. But I was blessed to be able to change jobs this past year. Which has now led to me being able to work remote most of the week. I am only required to be in the office 2 days a week! Because we live so far out my commutes were taking close to an hour one way. If the weather was back it was closer to 2 hours one way. So now that my new job has blessed me in ways only God knew was possible I have a lot of freed up time. I am able to keep my home clean and organized, cook supper, do some baking, do more ministry work and so much more. Plus I am able to assist with the finances. We have almost paid off our mortgage so maybe I will be able to stop working outside the home altogether one day soon!

One of ways I am trying to bring more peace into my life is by reading. I saw the book, Holy Hygge: Creating a Place for People to Gather and the Gospel to Grow, by Jamie Erickson. Hygge pronounced HYOO-gah is a Danish practice that brings a sense of peace and coziness into your home and life. It is about doing with what you have, and living a life of minimal items. I have found that the less I have the more peaceful I am internally. This is so far a fantastic book! 

One of the major things that always brought peace into my life was being in the kitchen creating goodies for my family. Instead of wishing I was home to do so again, I put my phone down, limited my time on social media and hit the kitchen when I had the opportunity to do so. Social media has become such a time waster for me. Endless scrolling of a bunch of drama and fake posts really started to get to me. 

I never really had the patience for pie making. But with store purchased pie crust, I decided to attempt it. Perhaps one day I will conquer my fear of making my own crust. But for now I am taking baby steps! The above pies were for Christmas. One was the pumpkin and the other was pecan. YUM! They turned out really good! Even if I say so myself. :-)

What do you do to create peace in your life? Are you able to just sit in the quiet? We have so much noise all around us. Even if it is not audible noise our brains are full of it. We are constantly thinking about what's next. I challenge you to just sit in the quiet, listen, what are you hearing?

Cheese Crackers

 

My friend who blogs at Walking-the-Walk was talking about these crackers the other day.  I asked her for the recipe and she said it came with her cookie press.  I've been in the market for one and I found one on Amazon for less than $20!  So I ordered it and it came yesterday!  I couldn't wait to try this out.  Of course the first thing I made was the cheese crackers.  SO easy especially with a stand mixer.

 

This is the recipe that came with the press.  I just adapted it to what I had on hand.  Original recipe from Wilton calls for salt but I left it out.  Cheese is very salty anyway.

 

1 block (8 ounces) of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 stick of butter softened

2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon paprika

 

Cream the butter, cheese and Worcestershire sauce until well blended.  In a separate bowl mix flour, cayenne pepper and paprika with a whisk.  Gradually add it to the butter/cheese mixture.

 

Load up the cookie press and press away.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  They are done when the edges are lightly browned.

 

If you do not have a cookie press, just roll the dough out thin and cut into any shape you wish.  As you can see we used our pumpkin disc to celebrate the first day of fall here in NY!

 

Next time I'm going to use pepper jack cheese!  Or how about Parmesan and herb.  Oh the possibilities!

Homemade Frappe

It has been pretty warm and humid here this week.  One of my favorite summertime drinks is the frozen coffee drinks from various coffee shops.  What I don't like is spending the money on them.  So I came up with my own variation today.

Carmel Frappe

12 ounces of strong coffee brewed over ice

1/4 cup vanilla ice cream

1-2 tablespoons Carmel

Place all the ingredients in a blender and enjoy!

Fruit Puree Pops

It has been pretty warm here for a few days.  We reached 92 degrees yesterday.  I believe it was 90 today.  For this part of the country it is hot! 

We had a few bags of frozen fruit in the freezer that needed to be used up.  So I let the kids go for it.  How else are they going to learn unless I let them experiment in the kitchen.

We used raspberries, but any fruit would work.

1 bag of frozen fruit

small amount of water (unless your blender is pretty powerful)

small amount of sugar (if you want)

Place everything in the blender.

Blend until you have the desired consistency.

Fill your ice cube trays.

Cover the tray with plastic wrap..or in our case wax paper.  Place a toothpick into each cube.  Place them into the freezer until frozen.  Such a wonderful treat on a hot day.  If you make some with peach you can toss it into a nice glass of iced tea!

Cooking Thursday~~Endless Hot Mocha Mix

Our kids love hot chocolate, but I hate buying the little packets for a number of reason.  So here is a recipe that my kids love.  Called endless because you will forever be making more!!

Endless Hot Mocha Mix

1 cup instant coffee granules

6 cups powdered coffee creamer (use a flavored type if you like)

5 cups dry milk powder

1 cup powdered sugar

3 cups instant chocolate milk mix powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Mix well until all is thoroughly combined.

Place mix in your canister with lid.  I keep ours in a canning jar.

To make a cup of mocha:

Add 1/3 cup dry mocha mix

to one mug of hot water.

Stir and enjoy!

To see other Cooking Thursday posts visit Diary of a SAHM.

In a LARGE bowl or LARGE zipper bag place ingredients:

Cooking Thursday~~Cream of....soup

Now that we are changing our lifestyle here and eating better.  I've been searching for recipes that will help us in that journey without sacrificing taste.  Not only is this fat free but also lower in sodium.  This is just one of these recipes I want to share.  I know many have already seen this recipe.

Cream of...soup

2 cups powdered milk
3/4 cups cornstarch
1/4 cups chicken, beef, bouillon granules (I just crushed the cubes)
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon black or white pepper

Combine all ingredients and blend until mixed. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 1 year. This recipe makes 3 cups and is enough for 9 cans of soup.

To substitute for one can of condensed cream soup:
In a 1-quart saucepan combine 1/3 cup of soup mix
and 1 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil stirring
occasionally.

You can make this into many different types of soups.  Broccoli, potato, vegetable or whatever you can come up with.  I love this soup mix.  We keep it on hand all the time now.

Go on over to Diary of a SAHM to see more delicious recipes!

Gooseberry Patch!!

Look what came in the mail!!  It's the new Gooseberry Patch cookbook....one of which I have a recipe in it!!  I have been waiting a long time to get this.  The recipe that is in there is one my Mother in Law use to make all the time.  It is also my husband's favorite.  Since I never had the pleasure of meeting my Mother in Law I've used her recipes as a way to get to know her.

My children were completely thrilled when they saw my name on the page.  These cookies are great!!  I'm hoping to make them this weekend.  I just need to grab a couple of ingredients from the store.  Then I plan on posting the recipe.

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

I got this recipe from the Weight Watchers website.   ENJOY!

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

2 tsp. canola oil

3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove minced (i used granulated garlic)

4 (4 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 cups mushrooms sliced

1/3 cup chicken broth

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

Mix 2 tablespoons of vinegar, mustard and garlic in a bowl.  Add chicken and turn to coat. 

Heat one teaspoon of oil in a non stick skillet.  Put chicken and vinegar mixture into hot pan.  Saute chicken until cooked through.  Transfer to platter and keep warm.

Saute mushrooms for 1 minute.  Add chicken stock, thyme and other tablespoon of vinegar.  Cook stirring occasionally until mushrooms are deep brown.  Pour sauce and mushrooms over chicken.

Weight Watchers Pita Bread

These are actually very good.  I have a number of ways I plan on using them.  I'm not quite sure why they have them pictured on the front with strawberries but ok.

Just a word of caution when using them...they are very thin.  They do break at the seam very easy.  I used them with my tuna salad today.

Tuna Salad

1 can of tuna (packed in water) drain well

2 tsp. light mayo

granulated garlic or one clove of garlic minced

one small onion diced or onion flakes

1 small cucumber diced

any other seasonings you might want...I use dill or red pepper flakes

Mix it all together and enjoy.  For those who are on Weight Watchers this meal is 7 points!!

The next thing I'm going to make with these is a pizza.  Then I might do a taco pizza with it.

Cooking Thursday~~

I LOVE making bread.  When I heard about Artisan Bread in 5 a day I thought it was complicated.  Not in the least bit!!  I make up a batch of dough and cut off a piece and bake.  I've even done cinnamon rolls with this dough.  After a while I'm just able to do it very quickly without measuring.  I got this recipe from their website.

The dough will be pretty wet.  But this is how it's supposed to look.

Artisan Bread in Five a Day!

3 cups lukewarm water

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast

1 1/2 tablespoons Morton’s Kosher Salt

6 1/2 cups (2-pounds) unbleached all-purpose flour

In a 5 or 6 quart bowl or lidded Food Storage Container, dump in the water and add the yeast and salt. Because we are mixing in the flour so quickly it doesn’t matter that the salt and yeast are thrown in together.

Dump in the flour all at once and stir with a long handled wooden spoon.

Stir it until all of the flour is incorporated into the dough, as you can see it will be a wet rough dough.

Let it sit on the counter for about 2 hours.  It will look something like this...

At this point you can place a vented cover on it and place in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.  You can use it right away, but it's better the next day.

I used an ice cream bucket container, I probably could use a bigger container but I like to use what I have.

Go HERE to see recipes on using this dough.  I've been doing it for a while now I just grab and go!

Cooking Thursday~~Cocktail Meatballs

When I first had these meatballs I was anxious to get the recipe.  When i saw the list of ingredients I thought...hmmm interesting!!

1 bag frozen cooked meatballs

1 (12 oz) bottle chili sauce

1 1/4 cups grape jelly

Place all in the crockpot and cook on low about 6 hours.  Stir frequently. 

I'm telling you these are the BEST meatballs I've ever had.  Serve over rice for a complete meal.  You'll never look at grape jelly the same again!!

To read more CHRISTmas cooking Thursday recipes visit Diary of a SAHM.

Homemade Peppermint Patties

I LOVE peppermint patties.  Although I do not like chocolate the mint flavor really covers up the chocolate.  When I was looking through some of my Taste of Home books I found this one.  It looked too complicated for me...well not complicated, but too much work.  I don't like to work for my food!!  Especially my treats.  So I changed it a little.  You can see the original HERE.

Peppermint Patties

3 3/4 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons softened butter

3 teaspoons peppermint extract (or less if you don't like a lot of mint)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup evaporated milk

2 cups chocolate chips

2 tablespoons shortening

In a large bowl combine sugar, butter, peppermint extract and vanilla mix well.  Add milk stir until combined.  Spread onto a cookie sheet covered with wax paper.  Place in the freezer until firm.

Melt half of the chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of shortening in the microwave.  I did 30 seconds and stirred.  I did this until the chips were all melted.  Spread over the mint layer and pop back in the freezer until firm.

Melt remaining chips and shortening the same as above.  Flip the chocolate and mint layers over.  Spread melted chocolate on mint layer.  Pop back in the freezer until firm.  Let set out at room temperature and cut into sizes you like.

Cooking Thursday~~Peppermint Bark

This recipe is one I've seen many times, but I often shy away from recipes that "sound" too complicated.  I mean come on it's candy...It HAS to be difficult to make.  This could not be any easier!!

Peppermint Bark

1 bag of white chocolate chips

1 tablespoon shortening (you don't have to use this but I find the chocolate melts better)

10 or more candy canes

Place white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for 30 seconds...stir.  Microwave for another 30 seconds...stir again.  Repeat until white chocolate is melted.

Crush candy canes (I think most of you know to unwrap them first right?!).  Leave some big pieces.  I then place the candy cane pieces in a metal strainer and shake the candy cane dust into melted white chocolate.

Line a cookie sheet (jelly roll pan) with wax paper.  Pour the white chocolate onto cookie sheet...I tap the sheet on the counter a few times to make it smooth on top.  Sprinkle the remaining candy cane pieces on top of the white chocolate.

Place in the refrigerator until firm.  Break into chunks. 

To see more recipes go on over to Diary of a SAHM.

It snowed....which means Gingerbread!!

We didn't get this much but I forgot to take a picture this morning of the snow.  It wasn't much but enough to say we got some.  The reason everyone in our family is excited about this is because we bake gingerbread on the first snow of the season!!  This is a tradition we started 5 years ago when we started homeschooling.  It is now something everyone looks forward to.  Even my parents who stop by for some warm gingerbread after work.  This is a recipe I got from Laura Ingalls Wilder's cookbook.  I love old recipes!!  If you are not familiar with recipes from the 1800's and early 1900's you might be a bit confused.  As well as the way they are written out.  They are written in paragraph form rather than in recipe forms we know today.



LAURA'S GINGERBREAD
 

1 cup brown sugar blended with 1/2 cup lard or shortening.
 

1 cup molasses mixed well with this.

Dissolve 2 teaspoons of baking soda in 1 cup boiling water mix well.  Do not worry about the way it looks in this step.  The first time I made it I thought something went wrong.  When you add the baking soda it will foam up...it's OK.  That's a good thing.

In a separate bowl mix 3 cups of flour and one teaspoon each of the following spices: ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves; and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sift all into molasses mixture and mix well.

Add lastly 2 well-beaten eggs. 

The mixture should be quite thin. Raisins and, or, candied fruit may be added.  Personally I like it just the way it is!

Bake in a moderate oven (I set my oven for 350) for thirty minutes.

I hope you enjoyed your visit!  Let me tell you it is GOOD!!!

Cooking Thursday~~Breakfast Casserole

When it comes to the holidays (or any day for that matter) I'm always looking for a quick breakfast dish.  This one is great because it can be made in so many different ways.  You could use bacon or ham in place of the sausage.

Breakfast Casserole

8 slices of bread, (white or wheat) crumbled
1 pound of sausage, fried and drained
6 eggs
2 cups of milk
1 onion, diced (sometimes I've substituted onion powder)
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard
1 pound of grated Colby cheese
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Put bread in the bottom of a casserole dish. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and
add milk, onion, salt, and mustard. Sprinkle sausage and cheese over the bread.
Slice margarine over the cheese, and pour the egg mixture over all. Bake 45
minutes to one hour at 325 degrees until golden brown.

To see other Cooking Thursday posts visit Diary of a SAHM.

Cooking Thursday~~Chocolate Chip Pie

I'll admit it...I'd rather eat a pie than make one.  Katrina has been asking me to make a pie with her...UGH!  I'm just not a fan of that.  Give me a 3 course meal to make and I'm happy.....but pies are just not my cup of tea.  I think it's because I'm intimidated by the crust part of it.  I know you can buy ready made pie crust but to me that defeats the purpose of making pies.  So today we got out a cookbook and searched for a recipe we both would enjoy making.  I've made Shoofly Pie before and really enjoyed making that.  So we went back to the Amish cookbook I have.  In the cookbook there is a recipe for a pat-a-pan pie crust! WOOHOO I think I finally found a pie crust I can embrace!

Chocolate Chip Pie

1 pie crust (I'm using the Pat-a-Pan pie crust below)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

2 large eggs

1/2 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pat the dough into the 9 inch pie plate first at the sides then across the bottom.  Flute the edges if desired.

In a large bowl combine the sugar and flour.  Stir in eggs and butter until the batter is well-blended and smooth.  Add chocolate chips and vanilla.  Mix until well mixed.  Pour into pie plate.  Bake for 40-45 minutes.  Cool on wire rack until the pie is firm around 45 minutes.

Pat-a-pan Pie crust

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 tablespoons cold milk

Place dry ingredients into 9 inch pie plate.  Mix well with a fork.  In separate bowl add wet ingredients and mix until creamy.  Pour over dry ingredients and mix with a fork until well incorporated.  Pat up the sides of the pie plate and then onto the bottom.

To see other Cooking Thursday posts visit Diary of a SAHM.

Cooking Thursday~Old Fashioned Sponge Candy

This is my dad's favorite candy!  It has become so expensive but not that bad cost wise to make.

Old Fashioned Sponge Candy

1 cup sugar

1 cup dark corn syrup

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 Tbsp baking soda

Heat sugar, corn syrup, and vinegar to boiling in sauce pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Boil without stirring, until candy thermometer registers 300F. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda quickly and thoroughly. Pour mixture in ungreased baking pan,13x9x2 inches. Do not spread. Cool; break candy into pieces. Dip into melted chocolate.

Visit Diary of a SAHM for more recipes.

Cooking Thursday~~Halloween Fun Food

Halloween Fun Recipes

Although we do not go all out with Halloween, I do like to make a fun meal for us.  So Saturday we are having Wormy Sandwiches, Fiery Potato Chips and Ghostly Custards to end our meal.  I will post about our meal when we actually eat it.

All these recipes and photos I got from Taste of Home.  You have to love them!!

Squirmy Wormy Sandwiches

1 package (16 ounces) hot dogs

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon spicy brown mustard

Dash Liquid Smoke, optional

6 hamburger buns, split

Cut each hot dog into eight strips. In a large skillet, saute hot dogs in oil until golden brown.

Stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and Liquid Smoke if desired; heat through. Serve on buns.  6 servings.

Fiery Potato Chips

4 medium unpeeled potatoes

4 teaspoons salt, divided

4 cups ice water

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Oil for deep-fat frying

Slice potatoes into very thin lengthwise strips. Place in a large bowl; add 3 teaspoons salt and ice water. Soak for 30 minutes; drain.  Place potatoes on paper towels and pat dry. In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, garlic salt, parsley, cayenne and remaining salt; set aside.

In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Cook potatoes in oil in batches for 2-3 minutes or until deep golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Immediately sprinkle with reserved seasoning mixture. Store in an airtight container. 10 cups.

Ghostly Custard

1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground allspice

2 eggs

2 cups whipped topping

Miniature semisweet chocolate chips

In a bowl, combine the first seven ingredients; beat on low until smooth. Place eight ungreased custard cups in two 8-in. square baking pans. Fill each cup with 1/2 cup of pumpkin mixture. Pour hot water around cups into the pans to a depth of 1 in. Bake at 325° for 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove from pans to cool on wire racks. Before serving, top each with dollops of whipped topping in the shape of a ghost; add chocolate chips for eyes. 8 servings.

To see other Cooking Thursday posts visit Diary of a SAHM.

Cooking Thursday~~Homemade Ketchup

We go through a lot of ketchup here!  I was looking through some old recipes I had written down and came across this one.  I think it's one I found in my husband's family cookbook.  I remember my mom making ketchup before and (sorry mom) it really didn't taste very good.  I made this one and our kids LOVED it, they request this instead of the bottled stuff now.

Homemade Ketchup

6 oz can tomato paste

1/4 - 1/3 cup water (I use 1/3 cup)

2 T apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 pinch cloves

1 pinch allspice

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1/4 cup brown sugar

Add all ingredients to a bowl whisk to combine.  Chill overnight.

I'm telling you this is the best recipe for ketchup!!  We had this yesterday on our hamburgers.  Andrew took the picture of his supper.

To see other recipes go on over to Diary of a SAHM.