Recipe Review: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins

Hi! Today's recipe for Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins comes to you from the beautiful blog of The Novice Chef.

Of course, I couldn't just MAKE the recipe, not with all my dietary restrictions now. But I LOVE pumpkin. :) 

These are beautiful muffins! Here's how I modified them: I used applesauce instead of oil. And Neufchatel cream cheese instead of regular. I also used homemade pumpkin puree instead of canned.

:D

 I'm giving them a "Yes, please", although I have no need to make them again. They are delicious, very moist and flavorful. I have a dozen in the freezer; I got 18 muffins from the recipe.



Let me know if you try these! :D

Have a great day! Be blessed, my friends!

Recipe Review: Best Ever Southern Peach Cobbler

 Good morning, friends!!! I'm so glad you came to check out my review this morning! I *almost* have everything on this new computer ready to blog, so here's a start. :)

Today, I'm going to review The Slow-Roasted Italian's recipe for Best Ever Southern Peach Cobbler.

I halved this recipe, since my little family was the only group eating it. :) I also changed the recipe up a bit (of course!); we bought peaches from The Peach Truck this year, and we froze the whole box in 4-cup portions. So, I used ONE package, juice and all. Also, we LOVE cinnamon around here, so I probably used 2 teaspoons. Use it to YOUR taste, always. :D

We all gave this recipe a YES, PLEASE - even my husband, who really couldn't care about sweets less. I enjoyed it most warm, but it was great at room  temperature, too!

Let me know if you try this simple, yummy recipe. :) Have a wonderful day, my friend. Be blessed!!

BOOK REVIEW: Trillium by Amber Nguyen

Hi, everyone!!! I know it's been a REALLY long time since I was here; life has thrown some unexpected curves my way, but I'm back right now! :D

Today's review is the first book in what will be a trilogy by new author AMBER NGUYEN. At just over 300 pages in the book, one might think it was long. It may look that way, but it's a very quick read! I got captivated by this YA novel, reading whenever I had a moment to do so.

With great character development and a strong drive, Amber's story about  these four main characters coming of age and making decisions about their futures quickly becomes a journey through time and space, asking if we have a choice, or if fate is set in stone?

The ONE thing I didn't enjoy about this book was the fact that the last chapter set up the next book. Anyone who knows me, knows that I want a book, even in a series, to stand alone. :) If I read it again before the second book comes out, I won't read that last chapter. :D

I highly recommend this book. From plot to character development to themes, this book will pull the reader right along - and actually give one something to think about!

Book Review - LOVED BABY by Sarah Philpott, PhD

Miscarriage has been an unspoken, pain-filled topic for so long - not just in the church, but in all of our society. Sarah has written a beautiful book, from her own grief and brave vulnerability, to help the one-in-four of us that are dealing with miscarriage. It's such a wonderful, hopeful, beautiful resource for woman and MEN who have suffered a miscarriage.

The truth: one in four women have or will have a miscarriage. The rest of us probably love one of them. This book is not only a great resource for us - to learn a little about their grief and pain - but I would highly recommend it as a gift to those who have lost a baby during  pregnancy.

This book deserves a YES, PLEASE. Use it, share it, gift it - just get it!

Book Review: LOVING MY ACTUAL CHRISTMAS

Today's the day! LOVING MY ACTUAL CHRISTMAS is available! And if you have trouble with Christmas, you will WANT to order your book!!!!

The author had already signed her contract to do this book during last Christmas season - and it ended up being a very difficult one. Her father-in-law passed away, and this was their first Christmas without him. But Alex knew that her family needed to celebrate, so she set herself tasks as she did in LOVING MY ACTUAL LIFE - which was her book we launched last year.

I recommend this book for anyone who's tired of the same ol' Christmas games, who's looking for a deeper, simpler celebration. She talks about the entire Advent season, and using the days between Christmas and New Years as days of cushion for your family and senses. It ALL makes sense!

Get this book. Read it. Follow its direction. Maybe not everything you can use, but I'm willing to bet a lot of it will be useful for you! (And if not, you have a fantastic book to gift!) :D

Book Review: TABLE MENTORING: A Simple Guide to Coming Alongside

This is an excellent resource for individuals and/or women's groups! Sue Moore Donaldson (the author of the book) has a true heart for mentoring. This is a post she wrote just for you!

A growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

That’s it. That’s the main thing.

I didn’t say a perfect relationship or sinless existence. Perfection and sinlessness is for later on when none of us will need to mentor or be mentored.

But qualified mentoring does take a pressing on mentality. Pressing on to know and love Christ better and deeper. As Paul, again the model mentor, cried out passionately to the Philippians:

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Philippians 3:f1f2-16 ESV

Paul put himself in the mature camp, but he knew he needed to keep pressing. And he did. “I press on to make it my own.” To mentor well means we keep on pressing to make it our own. We share our own stories, our own walk with Christ, our own victories and losses and pressings to know and love Him more. That’s all. A going-on-with God til He comes or we go.

Yesterday a conference director called about the possibility of my speaking and she asked me: “Tell me when you first fell in love with Jesus. When did He grip your heart?” She went on: “Tell me how He is entering your world right now and making a difference in your life?”

Both great questions and I loved answering them. I know I love Jesus more today than fifty years ago, but that’s when it started. I can tell you right now how He’s leading and training and teaching and loving me. Today. Right now. He keeps after me, and--by His mercy and grace, I’m keeping after Him. Not perfectly. I’m not finished loving Him. He still has mounds of work to do in me. But He doesn’t want me to wait til Glory to share my walk with Him with someone else.

Same with you.

If you feel God leading you to mentor, ask yourself:

1. Do I love Jesus more today than ten years ago? One year ago?

2. Do I trust Him for the unknowns in my future?

3. Do I know some of His promises in His Word?

4. Do I live like I trust in those promises?

If you answered: “Sort of. I’m working on it.” You are ready to mentor. Paul wasn’t perfect, just pressing.

If you think you know everything, think again.

If you know one promise in God’s Word, you are ready to mentor that one promise. Ask God for someone to share it with today.

Book Review: OF MESS AND MOXIE by Jen Hatmaker

 Happy day - I'm posting!!!! :D I'm feeling much better these days - if you don't know what's been going on with me, feel free to reach out to me, and I'll catch you up. :)

ANYWAY. This new book by Jen Hatmaker, called OF MESS AND MOXIE, is officially releasing Tuesday, August 8!!!!! If you preorder from now until AUGUST 7 (Hello! It's already in a lot of bookstores!!!!!), you can get great freebies - check out the book's website by clicking on this clause! :D (And there's NEW NEWS at the end of this blog post about something else fun you can get in on MONDAY!!!)

This book is another great series of essays, more than a chapter book - each chapter is another essay. It's easy to read, and ranges from hysterically funny to grab-a-tissue levels. :)

Here's a fun video where Jen shares a bit from this brand-new book! :)

And I'm going to give you some of my favorite quotes from it, too; I can't do long sections because legalese, but you'll get a taste of more of the book (assuming you watched Jen's video, that is... :D )

This is from "It's Just Paint":
Dear one, may I say something? It is not shallow or empty or frivolous to create a beautiful space to live in. It's not silly, not vainglorious, not a waste of time and energy. It doesn't make you superficial nor slide you down the godly scale. We spend the majority of our hours in our homes with our people. Creating beauty and nurture under your roof with colors that soothe, art that inspires, furniture that invites, and textures that thrill  is a wonderful use of your small space on the planet.
I do not mean this in a trite, cliche' we in the slightest: how could we imagine that a God who created wildflowers and waterfalls and pine trees and hummingbirds and warm sand and mountain ranges and tulips thinks beauty is nonsense? He made a gorgeous, over-the-top earth wild with colors and textures and breathtaking landscapes. And He loved it. He said it was good, so good. He made it for our pleasure as a testament to His character. He created a sensual, aesthetic, jaw-dropping world and asked us to enjoy it. If God decided to make his whole earth pretty, we can choose to make our little homes pretty without tension, guilt, or shame.

SO good!

Here's some from "Sanctuary":
He told of his [her father-in-law, Bob]  small church in Tennessee where he and his buddies were surrounded by deacons, pressed in on all sides, and terrified into receiving salvation during a church service. Strong-willed and resistant to spiritual bullying, Bob alone refused to "walk the aisle." The pastor threw his hands up and proclaimed, "Well, I've done all I can do with this one. I guess he's going to hell." Bob walked out that door and never looked back.
It was the last time he went to church regularly - more than sixty years ago.
Who could blame him?
Sometimes the one place we should all be most welcomed is the very place we are most rejected; the house of healing becomes the inflicter of pain. Much like any betrayal, the more considerable the source, the harder the loss. No one can wound us more than those supposed to nurture: our parents, our spouses, out churches. The chasm between expectation and reality is particularly grim in supposed safe places.

I don't know about you, but I've found this to be more truthful than I wanted it to be. I might have become another person who left the organized church (NEVER Jesus!), if it had been up to me. But GOD...!

This last excerpt is from my favorite essay, simply called "Fangirl":
Four years ago or so, one of the questions [at their Supper Club] was this:
Would you rather be rich or famous?
The answers were absolutely hilarious, and along with half of SC, I said, "Famous." I know. Gross. In my defense, my reasoning was that our life was happy as is, and money wasn't that motivating, so I defaulted to fame, which seemed harmless, intangible, almost like a fake paradigm with no real effect. I guess I pick famous! Tra la la.
Girls, forget that noise. I've since had a small taste of that, and it is the oddest, most bizarre alternate universe ever. Being low-grade Christian famous is straight-up crazy. I only occupy a very minor corner of this zip code, enough to know what I'm talking about but not enough to make me a weirdo. I am regularly confused by my life.

The whole book is filled with Jen's talking to us like she would if we were sitting on her porch, drinking iced tea. Breaths of fresh air, giggles, and tears - I PROMISE you'll find something in this book that you will relate to. :)

Now, then, the news I mentioned at the beginning of this post. The following is straight from Jen's communication with the launch team (edited a little bit):
Monday at 8:00pm CT, I am doing a live stream from my backyard as the Day Before Launch Big Deal. Rachel Hollis and Jessica Honneger will be my special guests, and I invited the women from my church. I'll be doing live readings and taking questions from the internet and doing some giveaways. It will stream live on my page for around 45 minutes, and you can direct people to it.
 
You DEFINITELY won't want to miss it! It gets a YES, PLEASE from me!

Book Review - NO MORE FAKING FINE

Good morning! I actually have a few reviews I need to catch up on - and one will entail a giveaway! :) But today's review is for Esther Fleece's book, released TODAY, called NO MORE FAKING FINE.

This book. Wow. Most books I read that are nonfiction are books I think, "Wow. I needed to hear that!" and then put into my lending library. This one is different.

Esther talks about how we've lost the knowledge of how lamenting brings us closer to God, and allows us to know Him truthfully. She starts out talking about "coping mechanisms" versus true lament, and it truly startled me; we always hear about coping mechanisms being GOOD things, right? Esther challenged that in me; I put the book down after the first chapter, to digest what she had to say, and to sift through the Scripture (which she uses with each and every point she makes!!!!) to figure out what belief was true and Godly. Then I picked the book back up.

I finished it this morning. There's a LOT to chew on in here. And it's not going on my shelf right away. God and I have a lot more to work through together. There are things in my past I haven't lamented that I need to. And I'm lamenting for our world, and our country, for the pain and division. I'm asking, "How long, God?" And I'm finding that He wants to meet me in that pain, to give me comfort. He's teaching me a new thing, and is using Esther's vulnerability and own journey to do it.

On one of the last few pages of her book, Esther writes the following - and the ring of truth was a clarion call to me:
  Suffering has the ability to transform us into compassionate people. Without suffering, it would be far too easy to become entitled, stuck-up, self-centered people. We can choose to cling to a "fine" and comfortable life, but it will compromise authentic relationships with God and others. We can accompany people on their journeys only as far as we are willing to go ourselves."

I recommend this book. I recommend it to people of ANY age - especially if you're hungry for community but don't know what's holding you back. If you've EVER been told to "suck it up", you NEED this book. If you want to help others, read it. If something's been holding you back in sharing your own story, read it.

Read this book. :)
Edited to add: It's less than $10 on Amazon, y'all - and you can get it by Thursday if you're a Prime member! https://www.amazon.com/No-More-Faking-Fine-Pretending/dp/0310344751/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484074646&sr=8-1&keywords=esther+fleece+no+more+faking+fine

Book Review: THE POWER OF THE OTHER

Good evening, friends! :)

I told you I had another book to launch today, and here it is.

Dr. Henry Cloud is a prolific author; he's got over twenty titles to his credit. THE POWER OF THE OTHER is an interesting addition to his bibliography.

I'm not going to say this book is for everyone. There's pertinent information for everyone, but in my opinion, there's a lot to filter through. When I was teaching leadership development MANY years ago, I definitely would have used this book as a tool. If you're looking on information on how other people can connect with you for mutual support and stretching, it's definitely a resource I'd recommend.

There's just something nagging me in the back of my brain, and I can't quite figure out what it is. Dr. Cloud is a follower of Christ, and mentions it a couple of times in this book. Maybe what's missing for me is the completeness that would come from having that factor in with the power others have in our lives. Maybe my brain thinks he's writing to such a broad audience it's too simplified. I don't know. :D

I do know I'm glad I read this book. The last few chapters I found more helpful, and will refer back to them as touchstones of guidance for growth in my life.

f you think of me in the next few days, I'm having cataract surgery Wednesday morning. I won't be online too much for a couple of days; just pray if God brings me to mind. :) Have a wonderful day, friend - BE BLESSED!!!!

Book Review: LOVING MY ACTUAL LIFE

Good morning, friends!!!!! This is an easy book recommendation - YOU NEED IT. :) I've ordered a hard copy to have to loan, and ordered another copy to be sent to a friend. Yes, it's that important of a book.

Alexandra is a busy, BUSY mom. But don't let that stop you from reading her book! :) Even if you've NEVER been a mom, you'll get something from this one - I was convicted several times, and it's already changed my thinking about some things I do or don't do.

For instance, last week I had told Kenn that I might go to a movie by myself while he worked. When I woke up the next morning, I just wasn't feelin' the whole going-out thing - but got a SHOCK when he walked into our room! He was supposed to be gone (in my mind)! :D He'd decided to change his schedule so he had most of the day off, so he could go to the movies with his wife. I told him I'd talked myself out of it, so he wandered away to go back to working on files on his computer. The more I woke up and thought about it - and this book that I was reading for a launch team! - the more I thought, "He made time to spend with me. I need to encourage that, and go for it!" So we DID go out, and had a wonderful day together that wouldn't have happened if he hadn't changed his schedule and I hadn't changed my thinking. :)

This is a very readable book. I really like Alexandra's writing style - I feel like she's sitting on the sun porch with me, just sharing her life. And each chapter (you can read the synopsis HERE!) she ends with "What I Learned" and "Practices I'll Continue", and then "Questions for Reflection", for you to answer. I *really* appreciate life application steps! :D

 It's not "Do what ONLY you can do," it's "Do what only YOU can do!" Such a great way of giving yourself a guideline for priorities in this society where EVERYTHING and EVERYONE is demanding your attention, your energy, your money, your time...!!!


This quote also speaks volumes to me. I don't know about you, but I find myself (if I'm not careful!) doing things because I feel like I SHOULD, not doing them because my heart has the right attitude...

So. Go to the book's link on Amazon, and ORDER YOURS. It started out today, launch day, at #1 bestseller on the Christian Personal Growth list! I'm not the only one who's HIGHLY recommending it. Get on the waiting list, people - or find another bookseller who has it in stock! :D

I'll have another launch team post later today. Have a WONDERFUL day, and be BLESSED!!!!!!!!!!

Book Review: THE LONGING IN ME by Sheila Walsh

(This new book by Sheila Walsh is also available as a Bible study.)

Sheila Walsh has been a "Christian celebrity" for many years. This is the first book of hers I've read - and I'm so glad I was accepted for the launch team. This book spoke to many different areas of my heart - one of the chapters had me repenting and apologizing to my husband for my lack of grace toward him at times.

There are 10 chapters in this book, each dealing with a certain longing that could possibly be carried in one's heart. As with any book, some spoke more to me personally than others. The book parallels David's life and heart with what we go through.

There are LAYERS of truth in this book. I really want to lead this Bible study, because there's so much there that *I* need, and I know my group would get great things from it. Between stories of Sheila's past that an ordinary observer would never know to David's lifelong struggle to seek God's heart, the book gives the reader space and direction to really look at her own heart. This isn't a book of Sheila's history or biography, so the reason for reading THE LONGING IN ME would really be to seek the truths of each chapter and how it applies to each reader's heart.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has some life experience. Unfortunately, living life usually means experiencing hurt, and this book will truly help look at that hurt and start healing.

Be blessed!

Book Review: LOOKING FOR LOVELY by Annie F. Downs

Good morning! Today's a big launch day in the book world - I'll have another review today for another book! :)

First, I appreciated that the publisher got the book into our hands early. Sometimes, we don't even GET the book - we're asked to recommend the product on past successes, and that's not too fun. But getting to read the book in one's own time, ask questions if necessary, and really understand the content - THAT'S why I read! :)

Second, let me tell you about the author. This is Annie F. Downs' fifth book, so she's been doing this for a little while. I had the chance to hear her speak Friday night; Annie's a "local", but she travels three weekends out of four to speak to girls and women across the country. I also got the privilege of getting to meet her afterward. Annie speaks just like a sister; she's caring, warm, funny, laughs at herself and her quirks, and her heart is to point to Jesus.

This book, LOOKING FOR LOVELY, does just that. From beginning to end, the book is a vulnerable sharing of Annie's own struggles and looking to find the lovely little things in everyday life that God puts there for us to find. (If you know me, you know that's one of the things I seek, too, so I spent a lot of time while reading it saying, "Exactly!" "Yes!" and "Oh, do I agree!!!" :D )

This is a relatively easy read - at least *I* thought so. Some of the girls have commented that it was hitting close to home, and that they were taking a lot of time to read each chapter. I also liked the way Annie had a suggestion, at the end of each chapter in Section Two, on a way to "Look For Lovely" that related to the chapter just read. They were easy tasks, but they help apply the ideas discussed to an individual's life.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It would make a great gift book, because it has life applications for any age and any level of maturity. And learning to collect "the moments that matter" is a life skill that it's never too early to start!

You can find LOOKING FOR LOVELY at major retailers or online!

Pecan Sticky Buns from ABM Sweet Dough

Hi! I'm trying something new today; I wrote down some things I noticed while making the recipe, instead of trying to remember what issues I may have had during cooking. :D

Today's review is a recipe of Pecan Sticky Buns from an ABM sweet dough recipe, from With a Grateful Prayer and a Thankful Heart.

First, this isn't like my sweet dough recipe; it uses water and powdered milk. Mine uses half water, half milk (and 've been known to use half-and-half instead of skim milk... :D) I used this recipe, but added approximately 1-1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. I just like that extra richness in the dough.

Second, it was too dry. I ended up adding almost 1/4 extra cup of water to the bread machine during the mixing process. It came out perfectly, but I really had to watch it for the first part, to make sure I'd added enough/not too much water.

It made a really pretty dough. The other components came together well, but I was really unsure about the filling; it's ALL dry. There's nothing to keep it sticking to the dough. And sure enough, even though I patted it in before I rolled and cut it, it almost all fell out when I cut them. So, I dumped it all on the top (which became the bottom) of the rolls.

They came out of the pans quite easily. I like the fact that it made two separate pans; eight rolls at one time is more than enough for our household. I put the second one in the freezer; I'll let you know how it thaws, but I expect it to be as good as fresh.

This is a YES, PLEASE for my husband! :D He really liked them, thought they had a lot of flavor. I still think there's something lacking, but I'm not sure WHAT. However, since he's the one that will eat them... :D

When I do these again, I'll use what is basically my own recipe now, with the tweaks I added. If you try them, do let me know what you think!

Have a wonderful week! Be BLESSED!

Lo Mein

Happy Monday! :)

I don't know if you've heard, but the Southeast has had a little weather lately. :D So, this was my lunch one of those days - it's vegetable lo mein from Mandy's Recipe Box.

The prep work is the biggest part of this recipe, honestly - and most of it's taken care of with using cole slaw mix for the veggies! :) It was good; I would go a little lighter on the red pepper flakes the next time, because it was a BIT spicy - but Kenn loved it, too. He finished off the lo mein for me. :D

This is a YES, PLEASE. It's easy and tasty - oh, and I used Dreamfield's spaghetti instead of the egg noodles, so the carbohydrate impact wouldn't be so big. We love Asian food, so I know I'll be making this again SOON. :)

Have a wonderful week, friend. Be BLESSED!

Perfect Pizza Crust

Happy Monday!! I don't know about y'all, but we've been cooking in SOOO much the last week, with the ice and snow! I made this early last week for lunch, and was in the process of making it again on Saturday to put two crusts in the freezer - and ended up using them that night. Do you know how crazy expensive ordering pizza is?!?!??! Kenn likes mine better, anyway. :D

SO. This is Perfect Pizza Crust, from Carlsbad Cravings.

I will tell you right off: this is a YES, PLEASE!!!! - from me and my family. Crispy and chewy - and I made the dough in my bread machine. Oh, yeah I did. :D I halved the recipe the first time; we were only doing it for one meal, and my dad is gluten-free, so he wasn't going to share this one. :) This is half veggie, half mushroom, onion, and ground beef.

I will also tell you this: do NOT cook two pizas at the same time. That's what I did the second time, and the top one ended up almost steamed on the bottom, not with the crunch we expected - but the bottom pizza was perfect. I do recommend the broiling step, to brown up the cheese; we don't tend to use our broiler much, and I'm not sure why. It added the perfect touch to this lovely pizza! :)

I can't tell you if the dough freezes well yet; I have yet to be able to get a batch made and in the freezer! :) (Yes, it's because I'm lazy, and I know it. :D )

I really hope you'll try this recipe - either the long way by hand, or short-cutting with your bread machine. :D

Have a wonderful day! Be BLESSED, dear friend!

Baked Vanilla Donuts with Chocolate Frosting

Happy weekend! :) I hope you're staying warm and DRY - things around here are getting interesting, with another round of snow and ice followed by RAIN all day Saturday. It's going to be a MESS. I haven't left the house since last Sunday, so we've been doing lots of baking and cooking. :)

These Vanilla Donuts with Chocolate Frosting are one of the things I've made, brought to you from Call Me PMC,

Now, because it's snow/ice, there is no running to the store to get one or two things, as you well know. :) So I didn't have any Greek yogurt; I used lemon juice in my milk, as the recipe says you can. And I didn't use any canned frosting - YUCK! - but some chocolate frosting I've been saving from a past cake recipe to use. :)

I don't think any of us were knocked out with the TEXTURE of these. They were a LOT like sponge cake, which is okay when that's what I'm EXPECTING in my donut. :) And Kenn said they were very filling. :D I'm keeping the recipe in my "Good Recipes to Have" file, but it probably won't be one I go back to. (I'm trying another baked donut recipe this weekend, I THINK, so I'm excited about it. :D )

OK, I'm leaving you alone now. :) Have a WONDERFUL weekend, and may you be richly blessed!

Hearty Chicken Soup

Good Monday Morning! :)

I thought, since many of us are in this ice/snow belt, chicken soup would be a great thing to share today. :)

This recipe for Hearty Chicken Soup is from Recipe.com.

Now, I will tell you right away that I more used the METHOD than the direct recipe, because I didn't HAVE everything the recipe called for. :D For instance, my chicken thighs were boneless, so the stock wasn't as good for us as it could have been. <sigh> I made this for Kenn when he first started coming down with this respiratory stuff, and we all know chicken soup is good for the soul, healthy or ill though the person may be, correct? :D

With that said, this was good soup. I tend to not like soups too much, because they're SO liquidy. :D I'd rather have a stew or a chowder any day of the week! (Or something with lots of cheese in it... :D ) But I think it was a comfort to Kenn, and it said, "I love you" to him, and we ate it for dinner. :D I'm saving it in my "Good Recipes to Have" folder.

OK, everyone! Stay safe and warm, and enjoy your day! :) Be BLESSED!

Double Fudge Brownies

Welcome to Wednesday! Having a great week? I hope so! Today's been really pretty and sunny; tomorrow's high is 30. :D Ahhh, weather in the South...

Anyway. Today's recipe review is for these Double Fudge Brownies from Crazy for Crust.

First of all, there's a link in the recipe for homemade brownie mix. It's the easiest mix EVER, and it was fun to have it on hand. (Actually, I'm keeping some on hand! :D )

Then there's the fact that I made a batch of these brownies one day when I wanted a taste of chocolate, and wanted to try a new recipe - and Kenn and Mom benefited from my desire, too. :) I did NOT frost them the first time I made them, and they stored easily, were easy to get out of the pan, and didn't last too long. :D

I made THIS batch to take to a friend who'd been in the hospital - actually, the brownies went for her husband and kids. :D She's not supposed to be eating a bunch of sugar, either!

I loved the unfrosted brownies. I really thought the frosting was way too dark chocolate, and took the brownies to a level where I didn't want to eat them. Some people thought they were wonderful, but some really thought they were too dark, too. If you LOVE dark chocolate, try them frosted. If you're looking for a great brownie, try them unfrosted. :D

OK, I'm outta here! Have a wonderful day! Be BLESSED!

Baked Apple French Toast

Happy Monday! Did you have a good weekend? Are you staying warm? Today's recipe might help; it's Baked Apple French Toast from Work It, Mom!

I made this for breakfast with a friend. We had a great time, and I liked this because it was ready to throw in the oven early when I wasn't up to thinking very clearly. :D Plus, it was good - not too sweet, which I appreciate. I added extra cinnamon to the apples. :) The crusts on the baguette were a little difficult to cut through, so if I want to do a bit more prep work, I MIGHT cube all the bread, instead of just slicing it.

I served some bacon on the side, and it was a warming, comforting, easy breakfast! :)

OK, I'm outta here. Have a WONDERFUL day! Be blessed, friend!

Ham and Cheese Gnocchi

Happy Friday! Have you had a good week? I sure hope so! And that you can stay warm this weekend - I'm cold today! :)

Today's recipe is for Ham and Cheese Gnocchi from Kevin & Amanda. (Just click on the website's name, on any post, to go to the recipe! :) )

This is a YES, PLEASE! It's good, warming comfort food - and I thought it was even better warmed up for lunch the next day. :) I cut back on the cheese on top, because Kenn has an issue with cheese. :) I also used about half of the onion - and it was PLENTY!

It's easy to put together. I try to keep a package of gnocchi in the freezer, and we had ham in the freezer from an earlier meal. Poof! :D

OK, I'm outta here! Have a wonderful weekend, dear friend. BE BLESSED!