Yummy Recipe

🎄 With the holidays fast approaching, the calendar fills with parties, gatherings, and joyful moments galore! And where there’s celebration, there must be good food. This delicious appetizer is not only a treat for the taste buds—it’s a cheerful, festive addition to your buffet or snack table that’s sure to delight your guests!

Mr D and I certainly don't party or gather much anymore, but I will be making these for us to enjoy.

Ritz Cracker Party Sandwiches

Ingredients:

- 1 box Ritz crackers

Mix together:

- 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened

- 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, finely shredded

- 1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped

- 1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely diced

Spread on the crackers♥

Recipe By: Mia Awwa 

Patsy Clairmont always has something nice to share:

Holy One, enter my heart's sanctuary. Purify my intentions. Inspect my thoughts. Create an acceptable place within me for Your Spirit to dwell. Amen

♥     ♥     ♥     ♥     ♥

My sweet girls and hubbies enjoying Central Park in October.  They enjoyed so many sights before they set sail for Nova Scotia. 

 Blessings to All

Until Next Time

Thursday Thoughts

  I have been making scripture cards about thankfulness, which I took from one of my scripture writing plans, and posting one a day on facebook.  It's a little thing that I enjoy, and it's putting God's Word out there for all to see.  Maybe they will touch someone's heart.

Just a few of my favorites.

For the past few years Denney's has had pumpkin pancakes on their menu this time of year. Mr D and I were reminded of this fact when we saw a Denney's commercial and decided a trip to Denney's was in order.  Today was the day, off to Denney's we went, all ready to enjoy those scrumptious pancakes only to discover our Denney's don't have them this year.   WHAT??  I sure was disappointed.  Mr D enjoyed the  9 grain pancakes instead and  I opted for eggs, sunny side up with toast and bacon.  All wasn't lost, we enjoyed our meal and getting out of the house for a while.  We had a nice sunny day, a good day for a ride about town.

 Pumpkin Pancakes

You will need:

Large Skillet or griddle

Large mixing bowl

Whisk

Spatula

Ingredients:

Pancake Mix -  Use the "original recipe" flavored mix for this recipe. The buttermilk mix dulls the pumpkin spice flavor.

Brown sugar - Adds sweetness, browning, and brings out the flavor of the pumpkin and spices.

Pumpkin Puree (not pumpkin pie filling)- use canned pumpkin puree.  

Water

Vanilla extract

Pumpkin pie spice

Vegetable oil - To prevent the pancakes from sticking.

In a large bowl, add the pancake mix. Make a well in the center of the mix and add the brown sugar, pumpkin, water, vanilla, pumpkin spice, and vegetable oil.

Use a whisk to mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk the pumpkin mixture until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil or a little butter to a 10" skillet or griddle and heat over medium heat.

Once heated, spoon ¼ cup of pancake batter onto the hot skillet. I can usually fit about three pancakes in my 10" cast iron skillet.

Cook over medium heat for two minutes until the edges of the pancakes have started to set and bubble. Flip the pancakes over and cook for another two minutes on the other side until fluffy, golden brown, and cooked through.

FYI - I haven't tested this recipe, although it sounds very good.  I was just thinking about missing out on the pumpkin pancakes from Denney's and thought maybe I would make my own.  

Blessings to All

Until Next Time

Cowboy Caviar

Oh So Good

We went to Merica's third birthday party on Saturday.  Maegan had enough food to feed an army!!  (well almost!)  Barbecue ribs, chopped brisket, baked beans, veggie tray, chips, salsa and cowboy caviar.  It was wonderful.

Recipe:

1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained

1 (15.5 ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained

1 tomato, diced

2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed 

½ medium onion, chopped

¼ green bell pepper, finely chopped

½ cup chopped pickled jalapeno peppers

½ teaspoon garlic salt

1 cup Italian salad dressing

¾ cup chopped cilantro

Mix beans, peas, tomatoes, corn, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno peppers in a large bowl. Season with garlic salt. Add dressing and cilantro; toss to coat. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until ready to serve.

Make ahead: 

If you’re cooking ahead of time, a few of the vegetables might soften a bit in the dressing, but the beans can be dressed ahead of time without a problem. One day in advance should be fine.

Storage:

 This recipe keeps about 3-4 days in the refrigerator. It doesn’t freeze well.

Leftovers: Enjoy the leftovers inside an omelet, spooned over a grilled steak, or tossed with fresh greens for a quick lunch.

Here are some pictures from Merica's party.  She wouldn't let her Momma read her cards because she informed us all she could read them by herself.  So she did, every card she opened she read, Happy Birthday to me!

Until Next Time

Hope your days are happy and blessed.

Salmon Gravy

When I married Mr D and became a member of the Hutchins family I was delighted.  His family welcomed me and I felt comfortable with them.

We were there for a visit and my sweet mother-in-love was making salmon gravy.  I had never heard of such a thing, it really sounded yukky to me, and it looked yukky too. Mr D and his siblings love it and it was a stable in their house, so I held my nose and life went on!!

I have made it for Mr D, not very often because it's not a pretty dish to make.  I just let him visit his MoM and she would make it for him.

Fast forward fifty-seven years!

Mom has gone to heaven and Mr D hasn't had any salmon gravy in a long time.

  Yesterday Mr D ask me if I would make some for him.  Well what's a good wife supposed to do?

I made it!!

It's not hard to make,  just make a normal milk gravy, add a can of salmon (drained) then put in lots of curry, enough to make the gravy mixture a bright yellow.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve over saltine crackers.

 I didn't have any crackers so I served it over toast.

Mr D was a happy hubby!

We've had a lot of rain today, sure hope the sun comes out tomorrow.

Until Next Time

Cranberry Celebration

I really don't care for cranberries!!  

At the GLOW Christmas Party I was introduced to something new ~ Cranberry Celebration ~ and it is delicious.  I am so surprised because I really don't care for cranberries. 

You can find this deliciousness in the deli section of Kroger.  I was curious about the ingredients so I went online and look what I found.

Cranberry Celebration Salad: 

Kroger's Recipe

WoW Kroger, thanks for sharing!

Ingredients

15 oz. pineapple, crushed
1 can (15 oz.) cranberry sauce with whole cranberries
½ cup cranberry juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 package (3 oz.) raspberry (or cherry) JELL-O gelatin
½ cup walnuts, chopped medium fine

Instructions

Drain the pineapple and reserve juice.
In a pot, blend pineapple juice, cranberry juice and lemon juice together. Bring to a boil and add Jell-O powder, stirring thoroughly!

Add the can of cranberry sauce and combine well.

Transfer to a bowl and set in the fridge for approximately 1.5 hours or until the mixture begins to set. 

Add walnuts and pineapple. Stir well. 

Return to the fridge to set. The mixture will not set up as firm as regular gelatin does.
Before serving, give mixture a good stir.

You never know, I might want some one day and it might be sold out. 😀😀😀

AND, some of you might not have a Kroger Store in your area.

Until Next Time

Morning Morning Coffee Chat

WoW, what a great holiday this has been.

It has been a wonderful few days and this lady is pooped.  It takes a lot of air to talk and laugh and eat and play games, even when the game was just sitting at the table rolling dice.  We played a game called TENZI...each player has 10 dice of the same color, the object is to roll all ten and get the same number.  When you do that you yell out TENZI!  Easy enough that Ava got to play too! 😀😀😀

It was a very active Thanksgiving, we rested on Friday and I went to GLOW on Saturday.  Another 3 hours of talking and laughing and eating!.

I don't think I rested enough on Friday.

When I got home Saturday afternoon my oxygen level was 77, that is just too low.  My mobile tank just doesn't always do the job, I got on my base unit and it didn't take long for the level to come up.  When it drops that low it makes me very tired and it's not good for my heart.

Needless to say, I'll be staying home for a few days getting lots of rest.  But that's okay, I just started a new cross stitch and a new book.  

God's still on His Throne and everything is going to be okay.

I don't remember ever doing any Christmas decorations before December 1st...well, as you can see, that's changed.  I've done just a couple of things, I guess I better wait until late next week to do it all.  I have been ready for Christmas for over a month, I'm so glad it's HERE!! (well almost)

My grandchildren call me 'Granny' ~ I was scrolling on facebook this morning when I saw a recipe for a Granny Cake!  Oh yes, I'm going to make this one. 

Granny Cake Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapples, with juice
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped

Icing:
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon 

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350º F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
  In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, baking soda and salt, then mix in eggs and pineapple.
  Pour batter into your pan and top with an even layer of pecans and brown sugar.

Place baking dish in oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

While cake cooks, combine evaporated milk, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.  Remove from heart and stir in vanilla extract, then pour over hot cake.

Let cake cool so it absorbs icing, then slice, serve and enjoy.
I'll let you know if it's as good as it sounds and looks!

Christmas Trivia

Source: Love and Blessings Facebook Page

Did ya know ~ 

The red cardinal bird holds special spiritual meaning for Christians as they symbolize everlasting vitality (the faith in the blood of Christ as the birds are red in color), Christmas (the birth of Christ) and are also considered a creative force (the red color equals vitality and creativity). 

The word cardinal comes from the Latin word cardo, which means hinge, so something that has cardinal qualities is of the utmost importance and other things hinge around it.

Hope you enjoyed your visit today!

Until Next Time

Isaiah 7:14

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.[a] 

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Monday Morning Coffee Chat

WoW...hard to believe the year is half over!!  It will be Christmas before we know it!!

☺☺☺

Mr D and I live close enough to Sylvan Beach that we're able to watch the fireworks from our back porch.  It's great that we don't have to fight the crowds!

My daughter gave me this plumeria plant that she started from seed.  I sure hope it continues to do good in my care.

This is a plumeria bloom I found online.  Beautiful flower and smells so good, I sure hope mine grows and gets this pretty.

I have a recipe to share with you, it is so good.  I haven't had any in a while but thinking I might have to make some soon.

Cowboy Caviar

DRESSING

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Tabasco to taste

SALSA

4 cups cooked black-eyed peas

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 large red onion, diced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Directions

Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Add hot sauce to taste.

Combine salsa ingredients in a large bowl and toss thoroughly.

Pour dressing over salsa and mix gently. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Serve as a side dish or with chips as an appetizer.

Today's Daily Bread

Following God is not a solo endeavor.  He did not create us to run the race of life alone.  Companions can help us persevere through difficulty as we do what God has called us to do.

Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses. . . . let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Hebrews 12:1

Until Next Time

White Texas Sheet Cake

Sharing some 'yummyness' today!

Of course, when I saw 'Texas' I had to check out this recipe. 

I haven't made it yet but it's on my 'to-do' list!

White Texas Sheet Cake

"This cake is good to make a day ahead, and is very popular at potlucks."

Ingredients
       1 cup butter...
       1 cup water
       2 cups all-purpose flour
       2 cups white sugar
       2 eggs
       1/2 cup sour cream
       1 teaspoon almond extract
       1/2 teaspoon salt
       1 teaspoon baking soda
       1/2 cup butter
       1/4 cup milk
       4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
       1/2 teaspoon almond extract
       1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
In a large saucepan, bring 1 cup butter or margarine and water to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in flour, sugar, eggs, sour cream, 1 teaspoon almond extract, salt, and baking soda until smooth. Pour batter into a greased 10 x 15 x 1 inch baking pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 22 minutes, or until cake is golden brown. Cool for 20 minutes.

Frosting

Combine 1/2 cup butter or margarine and milk in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Mix in sugar and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Stir in pecans. Spread frosting over warm cake.

I can just see myself now,

a large piece of Texas cake and a tall glass of milk,

or a cup of hot coffee!

Until Next Time

Let's eat!!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Icebox Cake

I have to admit, I haven't made this....yet.
And I have to admit, I will be making this, SOON !
Looks so yummy!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Icebox Cake

2 pounds strawberries

2 sleeves graham crackers

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, at room temperature......
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 3.4-oz. (4-serving) packages instant cheesecake flavored pudding
3 cups milk

1 12-ounce carton cool whip, divided

Clean and slice strawberries (about 1/4 inch thick); set aside. You have to do this first because the cream cheese mixture will start to set up quickly once it’s mixed up.

Line the bottom of a 3-quart 13x9 baking dish with graham crackers; set aside. Mine easily fit 6 whole crackers then I had to break up a 7th one to fill in the rest.

Combine cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add pudding mixes and milk and continue mixing on low for 4-5 minutes or until mixture starts to thicken. Fold in 2 cups cool whip until smooth.

Pour half of cream cheese mixture over graham crackers. Arrange a single layer of strawberry slices over cream cheese mixture. Top strawberries with another layer of graham crackers then cover with remaining cream cheese mixture. Top cream cheese mixture with another layer of strawberries. Cover and refrigerate for 6-8 hours.

When ready to serve, top with remaining cool whip. Crush remaining graham crackers and sprinkle crumbs over cool whip.

Until Next Time

Enjoy Life ~ Eat Dessert !

Irish Stew

March always makes me think 'Irish' and 'Green.'

My heritage is Irish as you can tell my by maiden name, Killough.

Killough is a northern Irish variant of a Scottish surname, probably Killock, which is from the village of Killoch in Ayrshire. 

My ancestors left Ireland in the 1600's, coming to America and settling in Pennsylvania.  In the 1800's my 3 times great grandfather brought his family to East Texas.

I guess that explains why I love everything Irish and Texan!

This Irish Stew simply looks delicious!  I haven't tried it yet, but it's on my to do list.

Ingredients

1 pound lean stew meat, round steak or london broil, cut bite sized
1 medium onion, chopped
4 medium potatoes, cut into chunks
12 baby carrots, cut in half
1 can (28 ounce size) crushed tomatoes
1 15oz can diced tomatoes, juice and all
white flour
onion powder
garlic powder
salt and pepper
small amount of oil
cooking spray

Directions

Spray the inside of the crock pot with the cooking spray.

Dredge the stew meat in white flour seasoned with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder (to taste for your family). Brown the seasoned meat in large skillet in hot oil and drain well.

Put the onion, carrots and potatoes into the crock pot. Place the drained meat on top of the raw veggies. Put the diced tomatoes on top of the meat. Pour the crushed tomatoes over the dices tomatoes.

Cook on high for 2 hours, stir quickly to blend, cover and cook on low for about 6 hours more, until the veggies are tender. (If your crock pot gets really hot, just cook 1 hour on high, then stir and turn it to low for 7 hours or so)

Yummy!

Recipe was found on CDKitchen.com

Until Next Time
May the sun always shine on your windowpane,
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain,
May the hand of a friend always be near you,
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you!

Heavenly Hash

At the GLOW Christmas party one of the ladies brought this scrumptious dessert! 

It was so good, of course I had to get her recipe.

I made some for our family Christmas get-together and was so glad when there was some left over.  I brought it home and ate every bit of it !

(Picture from the internet)

Heavenly Hash

1 carton cool whip

3 cups mini marshmallows

1 can crushed pineapple (drain well)

1 can cherry pie filling

1 can condensed milk

8oz pkg cream cheese (room temp)

pecans - optional

Mix together milk and cream cheese,
fold in other ingredients.

Chill and serve

It's good, good, good !

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend.

Those of you hit by the freezing weather, snow and blizzards...

hope your snuggled up, warm and cozy, with a hot cup of chocolate, coffee or tea!

My daughter and her hubby flew to NYC yesterday.  I was so happy when I finally heard from her.  Their flight landed safely and they were in their hotel room safe, warm and comfortable.

Sure made this Momma breathe easier.

I'm sharing a scripture that I call on almost everyday.  It's so important to me to be pleasing to God...

Create in me a pure heart,

O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10

Until Next Time,

Live, Laugh, and Love the Lord!

AND EAT SOME HEAVENLY HASH !!