A Proverbs 31 Kind of Day

For my birthday this year, my mom gave me this beautiful sign. A friend that she works with made it! It's on an old cabinet door -- it weights a ton! I was so excited for the holiday season to come around so that I could put it on my dining room tablescape! That's why we have a dining room table -- to decorate, not to eat at! Matter of fact, sad truth is, we haven't sat at this table in 2 years! Really! Look at all the stuff on the table -- it'd be such a hassle to move! So instead, we just decorate it every season and look at it! I just LOVE  this sign and knowing me I'll be using it in different ways all throughout the year -- not just at Christmas! My great grandmother simply loved birds, especially cardinals. I remember as a young girl, going to her house and in her backyard were lots and lots of bird feeders and we'd watch the cardinals peck away at the food. My grandmother has been in heaven for nearly 2...

Candied Bacon Bites It sounds strange, I know.  But keep an open mind and give it a try before you rule it out! Please! Some call it "Pig Candy," others call it "Sugared Bacon," but most call it "Candied Bacon." It's versatile, I think. "I think" is what I've been doing while I am making this appetizer. "I think" is what you do when you are cooking 11 pounds of Candied Bacon! I am cooking enough "Candied Bacon Bites" so that 300 women sample this treat at a holiday event tomorrow night! "I think" candied bacon will be good: crumbled into a salad a twist for a BLT a toast point with a small scoop of pimento cheese and a garnish of candied bacon cream cheese with a bit of blue cheese mixed in, spread on a cracker with a bite of bacon on top on a turkey, Swiss cheese, and candied bacon sandwich a cream cheese, candied bacon, and apple dip.  I don't know how to make that yet, but...

Image of basket of eggs used from the internet The other day I walked into the library at school and they were having a breakfast birthday party for the librarian. It was a very cute idea -- there was coffee, a breakfast casserole and a donut birthday cake!  I resisted everything at the moment . . . then! A friend of mine told me, after the party, that the breakfast casserole was absolutely yummy and I needed to take a bite. So I did. I don't like hurting people's feelings! She was right -- it was so yummy! So I asked the girl who made it for the recipe. And you know what? She doesn't like hurting people's feelings either! She gave me the recipe! Yeah, her! She said it's from a Gooseberry Patch cookbook.  Those are usually good cookbooks, if you haven't heard of them before.  I know the name of the casserole has got be be something different -- but I don't remember, so I renamed it! Speaking of Gooseberry Patch, here is the ...

Psalm 145:7 "They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness."

Not long ago I was doing a lunch for a group of ladies and I wanted to serve a cranberry wild rice side dish. I was researching how to keep rice warm and discovered that it's not really safe to keep rice warm! Warm rice encourages bacterial growth. I know -- try not to think about all the times you've eaten "kept warm" rice.  Proof that it was OK is that you're still living -- but I didn't want to be responsible for ladies getting sick! So I changed the plan and made a cold wild rice salad. I've never eaten anything like it before and I was kind of creating as I was going. It actually turned out to be a nice side dish with the chicken. Later that evening, I even topped a spinach salad with a scoop of the wild rice salad and drizzle poppyseed dressing over it.  I surprised myself there too!  I liked the way the rice changed the texture of the salad! Wild Rice  Harvest Salad 1 box of wild rice (no seasoning packet needed) craisins, to...

The other day I cooked lunch for a meeting of a small group of women. When I do this, I usually go with my "stand-bys."  Those tried and true recipes that are easy to prepare and taste great! But this time, I went out on a limb and made a new casserole . . . and a new side . . . it was a whole new day! Actually, I'm not afraid to try a new recipe on unsuspecting guests -- it's a great way to see if it's a hit or not!  If you think about it -- when you're having company over, just about anything you make for them is "new."  So whether it's tried and true to you -- it makes no difference to them!  This casserole, when I was making it, I kept thinking, "ummm, I don't know.  I'm not so sure this is going to be good."  It's a Paula Deen recipe, and normally those are great.  Granted, I often make minor adjustments to them after the first time I cook them, but over-all, they're trustworthy. But I was...

I've said it before . . . I am not ashamed . . . I  L.O.V.E bread! I love to make bread -- but that's not the only way to have "good" bread!  You can find some great breads at a local bakery or the deli section of your grocery store . . . or in the freezer section! That's right!  The freezer section! I love these rolls: You can bake them off and serve them hot, which, by the way, melts your butter just perfectly!  Or, if you need to, you can thaw them out in the bag and dump them into your serving bowl and serve them room temperature. Which is exactly what I did today! They are great!  They're moist.  They're tasty.  And the best part of all -- they're easy! Right now, I've got 2 thawing out and I'm going to make my cherubs little grilled chicken sliders for their lunch tomorrow!  That's lunch-box envy, don't you think?

My family knows that it's time for me to go to the store when we start having "made up meals!" We're to that point again this month! It comes around so often! I had to take my boy cherub to an activity -- but before we left, he ran back in the house.  When he got back in the car he said,  "Dad's gone.  Where is he?" "Oh, he ran to the store for me." "Yeah!"  My boy cherub said! "Oh!  Don't get too excited, he had to get stuff for me to take to lunch tomorrow!" So, that was my first clue that we're needing stuff -- the boy cherub is noticing! The second clue is tonight, we're getting a "made up meal."  But using our trusty rating system at dinner, I decided this was worthy to post -- in case you're needing a "made up meal" too this week! This recipe will drive some of you crazy!  I just started mixing things in, without measuring, going by looks and taste.  You'l...

I heart cranberries! I've already bought my first three pound bag of cranberries of the season!  It's so exciting! I've already thought of the many "cranberry" things to make -- and wondered about new recipes! This is a new recipe.  I'm taking a salad to lunch tomorrow with new friends and wanted something that wasn't expected -- what better than a tart dressing on beautiful spinach greens!  I'm already excited! The original recipe called for 1/4 cup of cranberries.  Really!?!?!  Only 1/4 of a cup -- you could hardly taste that!  So, I went a little wild and added more!  The recipe also called for 1 cup of oil -- but I wanted to add cranberry juice -- one for a little extra punch of tartness and also for color.  So, I reduced the oil significantly and added the juice.  I'm pleased with the changes.  But if you want to fiddle with the recipe -- go ahead, it won't hurt my feelings! Remember, this has cranberries i...

Image taken from Taste of Home A very long time ago, when we were celebrating the arrival of our youngest cherub, I had this hot chicken salad for the very first time at our baby shower! I love this recipe!  I love the unique taste that the onion juice gives.  I also like that it's "big" enough for a man!  It doesn't look like "sissy salad on a croisant!"  It makes alot, so if your feeding a hungry crowd, it's a no-brainer!  But, if you just want an easy lunch for your family, it can easily be halved. With the holidays just around the corner . . .and the hassle  hustle of company coming and going, this just might be a life-saver for you!  Deborah's Hot Chicken Salad 8 cups diced cooked chicken 1/2 cup lemon juice 2 tsp. salt 4 cups mayonnaise 5 cups diced celery 3 8oz cans water chestnuts, chopped 1 TBSP onion juice (found on the spice aisle; this is the "secret" ingredient!) 3 cups grated sharp chedda...

This thick batter turns out to be one delicious cake! YUM! This is a recipe from my mother-in-law. When the Mr. and I got married . . . a long time ago . . . my mom gathered family favorite recipes from both sides of the families and put together a cookbook for me! It's one of my favorite go-to cookbooks because it has all of the delicious recipes from our family and friends! This cake is one of the Mr's favorite! Poppyseed Cake 1 yellow cake mix 3/4 cup of oil 2 TBSP poppyseeds 1/2 cup of sugar 1 8oz container sour cream 4 eggs Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray bundt pan with pam and sprinkle with sugar, shaking out excess. Mix  all of the ingredients together, until well incorporated. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until cake passes the toothpick test! Cool for 15 minutes and then release from pan. Cool completely on rack.

Image taken from the internet Once a month, different ladies from our church  host all of the minister's wives for a luncheon in their home.  It's a treat and I look forward to it every month.  The ladies who host us treat us to such generous kindness and incredible food.  Because our church staff is so large, sometimes this is the only time some of the wives get to see each other!  The other day we had our luncheon for November.  As always, the food was delicious!  This particular day, though, I had something that I had never heard of  . . .pineapple pickles! I put a small spoonful on my plate, next to the chicken.  After one bite I knew I hadn't gotten enough!  It was delicious!  I think this would be good with poultry, ham, grilled shrimp or salmon, or pork loin.  It would be a nice addition to a holiday meal as well! Pineapple Pickles 1 teaspoon olive oil 2 tablespoons diced r...

Who doesn't love caramel popcorn? Not the gross kind -- that's just kind of all brown color with no flavor? I'm talking the caramel corn that's perfectly, buttery-vanillay-crunchy popcorn! The kind that you pour the melted caramel mix over the popcorn, toss to coat, and pop it in the oven on a low temperature to bring out the crunch AND the color! The kind that you say, "Oh, I'll have just a bit . . . and a bit again . . .and a bit again!" That's this popcorn recipe! Caramel Popcorn 2 bags microwaved popcorn, popped and kernels removed 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. vanilla (or Vanilla Nut OR Buttered Rum from King Arthur!) 1/2 tsp. baking soda Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place popped corn in a large pan, such as a roasting pan. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Stir together sugar, butter, syrup, and salt in a sauce pan.  Bring to a boil over me...

My cherub and his friend, Coleman. My cherub went to the Fall festival as a middle schooler . .  . creative! Our little friend went as a "plain cowboy." "Plain Cowboy" is 5 years old! There you go! My cherub and her friend; "plain cowboy's" big sister! My cherub has worn this skeleton outfit since she made it in kindergarten ! I'm going to say that this was the last year of sporting it out in public! Her friend was "Princess Elizabeth." Elizabeth isn't her name  . . .but she said if she were a Princess, then she'd be "Elizabeth!"   After the Fall Festival at church we came home and changed into different costumes and went trick-or-treating in the neighborhood! Someone asked my cherub if she was a housewife! "No, I'm a girl who just got up!" Walking down the sidewalk, my cherub said, "I don't even know what a housewife is!" My cherub s...