A Proverbs 31 Kind of Day

We hosted a dinner for lots of friends this past weekend. I had planned an easy dinner and had pre-made the desserts. All I would have to do is take the cakes from the freezer and thaw. That's it! But!  When I opened one of my cakes, it didn't look pretty. Oopsie! What to do!?!?! 25 people for dinner in just a few hours and there's no time to make a brand new dessert! Trifle! I'll make a trifle! I have never made a trifle before! I didn't really know what cream stuff to put in with it, but I'd figure that out as I went along, right? My cake was a coconut pecan cake. Yummy! I found an easy Martha Steward recipe for a coconut cream filling. I adapted it only slightly and the result was fantastic! This is one of those recipes that you'll want to keep around because it's so versatile and easily adaptable to your recipe and only your imagination is the limit to what can be done with it! I made the cream and cooled it.  Th...

With the holidays in full swing, sometimes you need a fast, throw-together-appetizer for your guests . . . or dinner for your family! Sometimes, during the holiday, that's what my family gets to eat for dinner! Some quick appetizer! Hey!  Don't knock it!  At least they're getting food! You may even want to make it for your "family movie night!" It's that easy! Warm Jalapeno Popper Dip 1 package cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup mayonnaise 4-6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese 3-5 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped (depends on your jalapeno flavor "want!") 1/2 cup crushed ritz crackers or panko crumbs 2 TBSP melted butter Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix the cream cheese and mayonnaise together.  Stir in the cheddar cheese and jalapenos.  If you are wanting a bit of heat, leave some of the seeds in your cheese mixture. In a small bowl, mix the cracker crumbs and butter together.  Place the cream cheese mixtur...

Seriously, my kids are getting tired of sweet potatoes! We are having them at least once a week! First, it's the season for this great vegetable. Second, they're $0.25 a pound! That's practically free! Yesterday, I was trying to think of a vegetable to put with our lunch and I had one lonely sweet potato left. One! What a lonely number! What can one potato do for a family of 4? It can make us happy! I washed it, cubed it, tossed it with olive oil, roasted it, and then crowned it! We all devoured this delicious new side dish! Roasted Sweet Potatoes w/ Brown Sugar Glaze (Slightly Adapted from Pillsbury) 1-3 sweet potatoes, (depending on the number of people you are serving & the size of the potato)** olive oil 1/4 cup butter                         1/4 cup packed brown sugar     ...

Image from Pinterest . . . we finished our dip before I could snap a picture! Many years ago, I worked with some ladies from the church we attended. We started an event called "Seasonal Sensations." It was a little Winter get together -- just a time to have fun and raise money for mission work. Here was the hair-brain idea: invite some ladies in the church to cook and serve samples of one of their favorite holiday dish. Something easy -- something that's a family favorite! The event was promoted and tickets were sold -- more than 300 ladies attended that first event! That was nearly 15 years ago and they're still doing that event. It looks a little different now, but they're still raising money for missions! That first Seasonal Sensations, I made a pumpkin pie dip. I found the recipe the other day after telling my mother-in-law about it. It had been years since I had made it! Matter of fact, my cherubs don't even remember the la...