An awesome after school snack!!!

Hey all!!!! Several months ago I got this cookbook called Deceptively Delicious.I don`t know if you all are familiar with the book,but it has alot of yummy recipes with hidden veggies in them!! You get to add some extra nutrients to your meals AND DESSERTS and no one will be grumbling at the table because no one will know they`re in there!! I promise you!!! Anyway,this afternoon I made this dip for the kids to have when they get home from school with some fruit.I had a very hard time practicing self control and not taking out a big spoon and eating the entire bowl myself!! It tastes exactly like a chocolate peanut butter cheesecake:) Yum-o!!! Okay,now here`s the recipe:
Chocolate Peanut butter Dip

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup carrot puree(I`ll explain how to make this following the recipe!) 1/2 tsp. salt
6 tbs.chocolate syrup
fruit for dipping

Blend all ingredients together except the fruit of coarse and serve with fruit slices!



Please let me know if you guys try this!
Now onto the veggie puree.All you do is steam or boil the carrots until they are tender and then put them in a blender or food processor with a few Tbs.of water and puree them.You can put the rest of the puree into zipper bags and freeze it so you have it on hand for other recipes.This is also good idea to do if you either have a young baby or frequently babysit for a child that eats baby food. Just cook up a bunch of different veggies and puree and freeze them and you have baby food on hand!

In other news,things in general have been going great in our lives lately!! I`ve had alot of time at home getting caught up on housework.Joe is still home and he is helping out soooo much!! The house is getting really organized.It`s such a blessing to have my hubby working along side of me!! I am truly thankful for that!!
I`ve been reading some wonderful books as well.One is called Amish Grace.It`s about how the Amish forgave the man who was responsible for shooting the ten girls in 2006 at Nickle Mines.What an awesome story it is.It has really been helping me examine my own heart.Also I`m reading another book called Secret Believers by Brother Andrews. It`s about christians in the Muslum community and how God is using them to spread the Gospel of Christ. I highly recommend this book.

I plan on posting alot more often.I really miss the blog world!! I have so many ideas for future posts!! I want to do an article on bread baking. I also have alot of ideas about saving money on groceries and also frugal home decorating.I`ve been looking through this one magazine I got in the mail.It has alot of really cute shelves and little country pictures and all sorts of stuff.I started thinking how easy it would be to make some things at home.I plan on trying a few ideas out and posting about them over the next few weeks,as time and money permit.
Now,I think I will get going!! I hope you all are having a truly wonderful day and are feeling the love of God in your life today:)

Hot Cross buns anyone?

Hello everyone! Just a quick post.I tried Cathy Jean`s recipe for hot cross buns and they were very yummy!The kids ate them for breakfast and they loved them. Thanks again for the recipe Cathy Jean!!Have a blessed day everone!!!

What I`ve been doing and plans for the upcoming week

Hi all my wonderful readers!! I am so thrilled you stopped by to visit!!!
Not too many new things going on since my last post.One HUGE answer to prayer about my friends aunt.She is out of the coma and showing emotion wich is a mirical.She still doesn`t respond to commands.They will start speach therapy today wich will probably give them a better idea of the degree of brain damage.Also,there is a blood clot in her leg that is dangerious and they cannot give her medication to shrink it because of the bleeding in her brain.Much prayer is needed that God will shrink this blood clot.So,that`s the update on her condition.Thanks to all of you who have been praying for her.
This weekend was fun.Saturday I took the kids to an Easter celebration in town which was cute.Then on the way home we stopped at a yard sale and I got the cutest country shelves!! The 2 wooden ones,I plan on attempting to prim up a bit,but the little black one is just perfect the way it is.I`ve never redone anything before so I hope I don`t mess it up.I`ll post pictures to let you all know how they turn out.For the big one with the hearts,I plan on buying a dowel from the craft store and attaching it for a towel rack.It already has the holes.Not sure wher I`m going to put it yet.
So,my next project for the week is to make some sandwich bread to freeze.I did this last summer and it was so convenient.I`ll be sure to do a post about it with a recipe.
Speaking of recipes,if anyone els fell in love with the Heritage of Lancaster County series by Beverly Lewis you guys have to buy her cookbook as well.It has all authentic Amish recipes that have been in her family for years.I can`t wit to try some out.Another recipe I plan on trying is from Cathy Jean over at Because Nice Matters.It`s for Hot Cross Buns and if you want the recipe just click on Hot Cross Buns and you`ll be directed to her site!! They look so yummy:)
Anyway,so I guess that`s all for now.Gotta get back to my chores!!Blessings everyone!!!

Homemade noodles and more!

Hey everyone!!Boy,I don`t know what`s been wrong with me latly!I have definatly been slacking with updating my blog!
Alot has been going on around here latly.First,I`ll share with all of you a yummy recipe that I just tried tonight.I give full credit for the idea and recipe to Katy from The Country Blossom.If you would like the recipe just click on her name and you will be directed to her post!
Above is a picture of the noodles drying and Emily helping me cut them.The giant red bowl is where I mixed the dough.I also knead the dough right in my bowl.I`ve been kneading dough like this for a while now.It really cuts down on the mess!
I don`t have any pictures of the finished product,but they were very yummy!! I made a really easy recipe with chicken breasts to go with the noodles.All you do is take a few pieces of chicken and put them in a deep skillet or even a medium pot will do.Next,you take a can of condenced tomato soup and a can of cheddar cheese soup and pour it over the chicken.Cover and leave until chicken is cooked through.Then you just break it up and serve it ver the noodles! I though it was very good.The kids didn`t eat tonight.For they`re Valentine`s parties today we donated Longo`s pizza for Anthony`s class.It`s a local pizza that comes boxed and is sold at room temp.It`s very popular here in Pa.So anyway there was alot left over and he got to bring it home and they all ended up eating that for their supper tonight.Hubby didn`t feel well,so he just had cereal.That`s okay though becase we have a ton of leftovers that we will save for after church on Sunday:)
The next thing I want to share with you is the scarf I crocheted for Joey.I am so excited about it!!
Today, I went to Olly`s and got some great deals.Above I have a picture of a very cute box I got with a chicken on it.The picture does not do it justice.It looks hand panted.Then I got the kids two books.The first one is a Quilting book wich I am sooo thrilled about!!! I`ve wanted to learn how to quilt and sew for the longest time!!!!Now I can learn right along side of the kids!!I love how simple everything is explained in this book.I plan on getting some material and batting and starting a quilting project with the kids hopefully sometime this week!!! I cannot wait!! I will definatly post about it! The next book I got for the kids is a Veggie Tails book that is an encyclopedia and atlas for the Bible.I think this will be so great for helping teach the kids and even myself more about God`s Word!! I also got two more balls of yarn.Only $1.99 for mohair!! I have an obsession with yarn now.Where ever I go I have tp check out the yarn section!Lol!!
In other news I was able to participate in a swap hosted by Angie over at Seasons of The Past and that`s really all I can say about that!Lol!Just in case my swap buddy is a reader of my blog I don`t want o give away any surprises before she gets them.I`ll be mailing the package out tomorrow and before I do I`ll be sure to take some pictures and I`ll do a post next week:)
Another hobbie I`ve taken up is card making! I`m excited about it.I still have more supplies to buy,but I did make one for my swap buddy today. I don`t have a picture right now though. I did make something for my secret sister last week(i know she doesn`t read my blog,so I can post about it!Lol!!)that I invented myself called hyme of encouragement cards.What they are is just your favorite hyme printed from the computer and then cut and glued onto craft paper.I should of used card stock to make it sturdy but I didn`t have any last week.I thought about making up a bunch of theses for poeople to keep in their purses or whateve. The hyms have been so encourgeing to me latly!!There is a picture above of the hyme card I made.I also decorated the envelope with craft paper as well. I know it`s not perfect but I pray it encouraged her nonetheless.
Well,I guess I`ll go now.It`s getting very late.My time is`nt se right on my blog.I have no idea how to fix it.If anyone does,please let me know.It`s 11:45pm right now.
Thanks so much for reading my blog!!Please,leave a comment so I know you visited and can give you a proper thank you!!! Blessings my sweet friends:)

Being frugal with recycled jars and homemade cream cheese

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day today!!So,a few months ago I started saving glass jars from jelly,spaghtetti sauce,and things like that.My origional intention was to use them for a craft project I had in mind.Then,I was reading a post over at Heavenly Homemakers(I have the link on my sidebar under blogs I visit)about jars.She uses jars to store things that she keeps in her cupboard,like corn starch and sugar.This was a great idea I thought!Then,I thought of all the jars I`d been saving,and instead of buying mason jars I could use thoes instead! Alot of the things I buy come in bags and once I open them I try to store them in zipper bags,but this way saves some money,helps with recycling,and also saves room.So little by little I`ve been trying to put my dried goods into jars,then lableing them.I wanted to share this idea with all of you!It has helped me out alot!
Another thing that I have discovered over the past few months is homemade cream cheese:) I know you guys are probably thinking that I`m wacky... making my own cheese!!Really,it takes about five minutes of prep work... and then in 24 hours... vola!..homemade cream cheese:) All you need is 1 32 ounce container of full fat plain yogurt,and a cheesecloth.You will also need a strainer and a pitcher or bowl the stainer will fit on top of.Now,you place the strainer on top of the pitcher. Line the strainer with a cheese cloth.Pour the yogurt into the cloth and twist it closed and give it a few good squeezes.Leave the whole thing in the refrigerator for about 24 hours.Durring that time twist and squeeze the cloth from time to time until the yogurt becomes firm like cream cheese.Store it in a container.The yellowish liquid you have is called whey.The whey is also very good for you and can be used for a number of things.I will talk more about that another time though:)So,there you have it!Homemade cream cheese.My kids like this on wheat toast with strawberry jelly:)Okay,they really would prefer white toast,but I can persuade them to eat the wheat also. Okay...they will only eat the wheat when we are out of white bread!!What can I say? Lol!Have a blessed evening everyone!!

A Turkey dinner and a yummy apple crisp for dessert!

Good morning everyone!!I hope you all are having a great day!!I just wanted to tell everyone what a great dinner we had last night!I made a turkey dinner with all the trimmings(not stuffing though)We have one of thoes Showtime rotisseries.I got it for Christmas several years ago.It is worth every penney!!I highly recommend everyone buying one!!Anyway,I brushed the turkey with olive oil,sage,and sea salt.I cooked it in the rotissary.It took only 2 hours for a 9 pound turkey to roast to perfection!We also had mashed potatoes,oven roasted asparagus,buttered carrots,homemade biscuits,and for dessert apple crisp.It only took about 2 hours from start to finish which wasn`t long at all for all that food!It was so nice to eat a meal with my family and not have anyone complainin that they don`t like this or that:)Ihave included recipes below.
The turkey,mashed potatoes,and carrots were just basic recipes,but I never roasted asparagus in the oven before.It was so good this way!All you do is preheat your oven to 350 then lay the asparagus flat on a cookie sheet.Coat them with salt and olive oil.Roast them for about 30 minutes or until they are tender enough to suit your taste.That`s it.they taste so much sweeter in the oven!
Now for the Apple crisp:
Keep the oven at 350 after you take the asparagus out.yOU WILL NEED A 9x13 inch casserole dish.Take about 6 regular firm and crisp apples like red delicious or granny smith.Peel and slice them.Place in baking dish.Sprinkle with cinnamon and about 1/2 cup o brown sugar.Cube about two Tablespoons of butter up and dot the apple mixture with it.Bake for about 15 minutes.While it`s baking make your crumb topping.You will need:!/2 cup brown sugar,1/2 cup flour,1/4 cup cold butter.In a small bowl,blend all ingredients with a fork or your fingers until it becomes crumb like.When the 15 minutes are up top apples with the crumbs and bake another 30 minutes.Remove from oven and let cool a while.It will be very hot!!

The biscuits were good,but I need to perfect the recipe a bit more before I post it:)
I hope you enjoyed these recipes and I hope they will be a blessing to you and your families!!Have a wonderful day!!!

Lemon chicken

Here is my recipe for lemon chicken.I don`t really measure things but it`s pretty easy to follow:

You will need:
flour
eggs
about 2 pounds of boneless,skinless chicken breasts,either pounded out thin or sliced thin
about a stick of butter(sorry,this is not a low fat meal!)
one or two lemons depending on your personal taste
oil for sauteing(I use coconut oil because it is healthier for you)

First you preheat a 10 inch skillet on medium heat.Next you scramble 2 eggs in a bowl.Then you put some flour into another bowl.Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the flour and eggs.Now you bread the chicken pieces.When the pan is hot add about two Tablespoons of butter and some oil,just to coat the bottom of the pan.Add your breaded chicken pieces and saute until browned.When both sides are browned transfer them to a serving plate.Add the lemon juice and more butter to the pan and scrape up all the brown bits.Pour the mixture over the chicken.There you have it!We like this dish with rice or egg noodles.What we usually do is serve the chicken over top so that the sauce seeps down into the rice or noodles.It`s very good that way.Then my favorite veggie with this is asparagus,because I think it is very good with the lemon butter sauce.We had broccoli the other night though because we didn`t have asparagus.

I hope this recipe will be a blessing to everyone that tries it!If any of you have any questions or if the directions are not clear,please either e-mail me or leave a comment here and I will do my best to help!

Daily Ramblings

Hey guys!I hope everyone`s having a great Monday!!I see the doctor tomorrow,not today!I guess I thought March only had 30 days!Lol!!Anyway,the weekend was very buisy,so I didn`t get a chance to post.
Yesterday,I was so nervous,because I had the interview with the elders for church membership.Everything went really well though!
Friday night, the kids and I had a very good supper.I`d like to share the recipe with all of you!Here it is:
1 pound of pasta
a jar of pasta sauce
extra virgin olive oil
a can of chick peas(garbanzo beans)
garlic powder,Italian seasoning,basil,salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic,minced

All you do is cook the pasta.Then while the pasta is cooking drain the can of beans and add them to a preheated pan with some oil.Saute for a few minutes,add your garlic,and a sprinkle or so of spices.Let garlic cook for about a minute,then add sauce.When the pasta is done save a ladle or two of the water to add to the sauce.Mix everything together and serve!The kiddos really loved it.I usually make this with cannilini beans but my daughter loves chick peas so I thought I`d try it that way and everyone really enjoyed it.Hubby ventured out,so it was just the kids and I.I don`t measure things,so just add the spices in the quantities to suit your taste!Also,If you crush the spices in your hand before adding them it releases the oils and makes them more flavorful.

I want to thank all of you for your prayers for my family and I!I am sending huge hugs to all of you:)Have a Blessed Monday everyone!!

Mexican Pizza

Here is an awesome recipe that I made up last night.I hope you all will give it a try!

Ingredients:(this is a basic pizza dough recipe.It was my moms)
4 cups flour
1-3/4 cups water
1-1/2 tsp.salt
2T sugar
2t.yeast
1/4 cup oil

First preheat your oven to 200.This is a trick I learned to help your dough to rise.Next pour the water(about110 degree's)into a large bowl.Add your yeast and whisk well.Add oil and mix again.Mix together the rest of the dry ingredients and then add them to the water and oil.Mix well.Knead for about 10 minutes.Shut the oven off,and place the dough mixture in there covered with either a wet towel,or greased plastic wrap.Let it rise about 40 minutes.
Punch down the dough.Dust your pizza pans with cornmeal.Preheat oven to 450.Shape the dough.I topped mine with a small amount of spaghetti sauce,a few Tbs. of salsa,garlic powder,and oregano.Then I put cheddar cheese on top.Bake for 10 minutes.Enjoy!Black olives would be a good addition too.Also you could add some red and green peppers and onions sliced thin and sauteed in some olive oil with salt and pepper!I also doubled the dough and froze some :)

Laundry soap,and an icky day

Hey everyone.Well here is my recipe for homemade laundry soap:
1 cup of baking soda
1-1/2 cups borax
16 cups of boiling water
a bar of any kind of soap,grated

Okay,first you get the water boiling on the stove in a big pot.Next you grate the soap(alot of people use the fells napathia,but I use anything I can grab quick.It all works well.)When the water is boiling,add your grated soap and whisk continuously until it dissolves.Next get a large bucket(I use a 5 gallon)Pour the soap mixture in and add your borax and baking soda.Whisk and your done!It will gel over the next 24 hours.Whisk throughout the day.You don`t need to wait for it to gel to use it.I use a 1/2 cup per load.It saves big bucks and is very easy to do!I encourage all of you to give it a try:)I got the ideas form christian homekeeper and keeping the home. It`s kind of a combination of the two recipes.
My icky day part of this post is just that I`m having very bad cramps.They are actually running down my legs.Not fun.Work must be done though!I do need to run,but have a blessed day.Please comment if you stop by:)

A very yummy and cheap meal

Hey guys!I made a really fantastic supper tonight:)First I took some frozen ground beef and added it to a hot skillet.I let it brown.When you are using beef that is frozen it is important to keep turning it and scraping it as it cooks so it doesn`t burn.As it was cooking I peeled and chopped some potatoes and boiled them.Next I added a bag of frozen veggies to the pan with the meat.I added salt,pepper,and garlic powder.When the meat was cooked I transferred it to another bowl.Then I made a roux with coconut oil and whole wheat flour.(fyi:coconut oil is very healthy for you and the kind I buy from Walmart has no flavor,so it`s very versatile)Next I added some beef bouillon(I prefer to use stock,but this is all I had)and made some gravy.I mixed everything up and added the mashed potatoes to the top.I baked it for about a half an hour at 350,then for the last few minutes I put the oven on broil so the top would get brown and crispy. All I have to say is .....WOW!!It was very good.I highly recommend this meal.I got the idea from a recipe in the kraft food magazine(which is free.You can sign up for one at www.kraftfoods.com )I changed the recipe alot because we`re out of alot of things.Oh,you can also put some cheddar cheese on top and put garlic and cheddar into the mashed potatoes.I wish I had some pictures,but I`m still working on camera issues.Let me know if you try this though.I`d love to hear how it turned out!