WLW- Chapters 16-18 Making Your Home a Haven

Have you ever thought about how much you set the tone for your home?
I desire greatly for our home to be a haven. My husband has a tiresome job and that job comes home with him every night. I want him to be able to relax once he is home. To put work aside as much as he can and just rest. In order for that to be possible I have to help make it happen.

In Courtney's book she shares about her homemaking and her struggles with it.  Lately I have felt overwhelmed with taking care of our home. The weekends of the past few months have not been restful to me. Instead I am checking off my to do list and barely making time for friends or doing other things I enjoy.
I love the encouragement and ideas Courtney offers in her book. She doesn't just offer ideas on how to keep your home tidy but how to fill your home with peace and love.

In the fall Courtney also shares a Making Your Home a Haven challenge on her blog. The past few years I have tried to participate in it. She has a challenge to light a candle in your home each day and to pray for peace in your home as you walk by that candle. I love to do this not only for that time in prayer but also it is something my husband loves to come home to. I usually have a few more candles lit and just some lamps turned on. He says he loves how cozy the home feels and it makes him so happy to be home.

My desire is for him to feel that way about our home constantly. I help set the atmosphere for the way our home will be. Through the Lord's help I pray that I make our home a peaceful haven.

WLW- Your Marriage

 Chapters 6 & 7 in Courtney's book are about marriage. I have been so encouraged by Courtney's wisdom and marriage advice she has shared on her blog over the years.

Celebrating our 8 year anniversary this past December

I remember when I found her blog, it was right at the end of the school year and once school was out I spent those first summer days reading through her blog.  After reading through her posts and watching her many videos my eyes were opened.  Courtney showed me what being a helper to my husband means and gave examples and ideas on how to pursue that.

Courtney offers ideas on how to show respect to your husband. This is something I didn't realize I needed to be better about so many years ago.  I know for myself I try to daily encourage and show respect to Chad by thanking him for all he does in his work. Owning our own business and starting a new one keeps him pretty busy and he is always being pulled in a thousand directions. I also know he is working hard to make some of our dreams and my desires possible. I want him to continually know I understand and am so grateful for all he does.
Don't think that I or we have this marriage stuff figured out! We are still learning, but the journey to where we are has been wonderful and I know it will continue this way as we commit to putting God first in our marriage and following him.

Do you need some encouragement for your marriage? Here is a link to Courtney's posts on marriage.

Soup Swap

Last night one of my friends hosted a soup swap. It was so much fun and such a great idea.

Each of us made 6 quarts of one soup. Then we brought our soups in one quart containers. We used one quart to share with everyone for the night and then everybody took home one quart of each soup.

The soups each person brought were so good!

We all agreed this was such a great idea and we will have to do it again.

My friend that hosted has such a beautiful house and it was so cute all decorated in her winter decor. She set out mugs and bowls for us all to use for each soup.

I realized while I took this picture that I wrote 2013 for the date! 

The soup I made was Taco Soup. It is an easy soup and my husband loves it! That always makes it a winner.
Enjoy this soup and maybe try a soup swap with your friends!
Taco Soup
Source: Weight Watchers

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef or ground turkey breast
1 (15 ounce) can stewed tomatoes (any flavor)
1 (15 ounce) can stewed tomatoes (Mexican flavor)
1 large onion (chopped)
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package hidden valley ranch dressing mix
1 (15 ounce) can hot chili beans
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn

Preparation
1. Brown the the meat and onions and drain.
2. Mix the taco seasoning mix and ranch dressing mix into the meat.
3. Add all the other ingredients, without draining.
4. Simmer for about 1 hour.
5. Serve hot, topped with sour cream, cheese, avocado, raw onions, or nacho chips (optional).

WLW book club - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 was probably the best part of the book for me. Courtney discusses a woman-to-woman mentoring ministry she started at her church.  When I read about this I was almost in tears (good tears).The ministries she tells about in her book are exactly what I have been desiring to start in our church hopefully, this might encourage other women to start or become more involved in women's ministries.

In the Fall of 2012 I started a women's ministry at our church called Mugs and Muffins. I really wanted it to be a time of hearing testimonies and words of encouragement from ladies in our church. The first event we had a decent turn out even though we scheduled it the same weekend that a large women's conference was in town. So I thought the second event would have a better turn out since all those ladies could now come but it ended up being about the same amount of women but thankfully different ladies. Then the last event this past fall well the attendance was terrible! At the last minute a church event was scheduled at the same time and many of the ladies who would have come to Mugs and Muffins ended up having to go to the other event.

I still have problems with thinking that its just something silly and I shouldn't pursue it anymore but then I remember how much I felt like the Lord was leading me to start this ministry and I don't want to give up just because of a few silly things.

I was so encouraged to read about the ministries and bible studies Courtney started. Courtney reminded me with 1 Timothy 4:12 to not let others discourage me.

WLW- Chapter 2 Time for Quiet Time and Chapter 3 Your Prayer Time

Today's focus is on what you do for a quiet time and how you spend time in prayer.
Right now I am in a season where I can easily find time with the Lord. Lately I have had quiet times and prayer times that last for about an hour and I love it but in the back of my mind I think how will I do this once kids are in my life. I thirst and thrive for these times with God.

Courtney describes how in her journey finding a time and place to spend with God changed with each new season.  She gives some practical tips on how to find time to be in the word. Such as writing a passage of scripture on a note card and pulling it out to read through the week. Another idea I love that she suggests is to place your bible on the kitchen counter opened to that passage. Lately I have been writing verses I am working on memorizing or that I need to just remember daily on index cards and placing them on a ring.

 

 I put it in my purse and set it out on my desk at school and work to look at them through the day.

      Courtney starts chapter 3 off talking about prayer journals she has kept for many years.I love my prayer times!

 

These are my prayer journals. I cherish them and love to frequently look back through them.

Growing up my youth pastor taught us the PRAY model for our prayer times. Our youth pastor set aside one Sunday night a month as a prayer night. We would spend the night in prayer using this model. It is a great model to use when thinking of what to pray.
Praise- Praise God for who he is and what he has done
Repent- Ask for forgiveness for times you have strayed from following God
Ask- Lift up requests for others and yourself
Yield- Yield yourself to God and ask him to work in your life in whatever way he is leading you.

Feel free to  leave any tips or what you may have learned from these chapters as well!
Check out my thoughts on chapter 1 here.

 

WLW- Chapter 1

Walking with the King
Courtney always ends her blog posts and videos with her signature, Walk with the King!

How is my walk with the King? There are times when I can say my walk is great but many times I know I fail at carving out time to be fully devoted to my King. In this chapter Courtney talks about slowing down and taking the time to hear from God as well as spend time with him.

I need to strive each day to slow down and walk with my King.
How will I do this? I know I need to get up earlier and start my day with him. Lately I haven't been so great about this. I do a quick read through from a devotional book and a short prayer and that's it for the day. I desire to dive into the word and have a meaningful prayer time each day. This will be tough for me but I will pray for God to help me rise each morning  and start the day with him. I also need to make time each day to hear from God and find rest in him. That can be hard because once I'm at school and as soon as I get home I just start going and don't stop and then I don't take the time to listen for God.

Do you have any tips on how you walk with the King?
Check out Courtney's post on chapter 1

Women Living Well book club

Well hello again! It's been awhile but I'm hoping to keep this blog going. In my last few posts I discussed a book I had the privilege of helping launch!!

 

Courtney's book gave me such encouragement and new insight and I hope it does the same for you. Over the next 8 weeks Courtney will be leading a book club study through her book. I hope you'll join me as I discuss the chapters here. Join Courtney on her blog also.

A free companion study guide is also being offered to use as you go through the book. Check it out here.http://womenlivingwell.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/WLW_CompanionGuide.pdf

Grab the book and join us each week!

Women Living Well- Who will you listen to?

In the first section of the book Courtney opens with asking this question. Recently I have felt bombarded by all the information I receive; blog posts, twitters, photos, facebook etc... I enjoy checking all these things out, but do I enjoy receiving this worldly information as much as I enjoy receiving wisdom from God?

I makes me stop and think about the amount of time I spend in the word. I need to take the time to devote more time in the word than in the world.
Psalm 4:21 "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God."
I love how in chapter 2 Courtney addresses making the time for a quiet time with God each day. She gives some great practical tips you can put to use to help you get in the habit of having this time each day.

One thing I really admired that Courtney does is keeping a bible on the kitchen table. She models this after her own mother. What a great thing for my own children to see one day. God's word always being available to read and showing my children how important it is to take the time to be in God's word.

I hope this has encouraged you to think of how you are spending your time.

Pre-order Courtney's book here.

Check out her website for more information.

* I received a free copy of Courtney's book to share my personal thoughts and reviews of this book.

Women Living Well

I am so excited to have been asked to be a part of a new book launch. Courtney from http://womenlivingwell.org/ will be releasing her first book on Oct. 1. The book shares the title of her blog. It is a great book about "Finding your joy in God, Your Man, Your Kids and Your Home."

I will be sharing what I loved about this book  over the next few weeks.
I finished this book over the weekend and was so encouraged by it. I was also given many ideas on how to continue to serve God and my family. I hope through my writing you will be encouraged to check this book out.

Check back as I share what I have learned!
Courtney's book


* I was given a free copy of Courtney's book to share my personal thoughts and reviews of this book.

Caramel Stuffed Krispie Bars

I am so glad to say that it is Spring Break! I am going to spend the next two weeks taking it easy. This school year for the most part has gone by pretty fast. We only have 38 days of school left and I can only imagine how fast they will go.

On our last day of school before spring break we always have a big cookout/pitch-in. Our gym teacher spends all day grilling out brats and hot dogs for us and the rest of us bring in our favorite side dishes or dessert. You should see the lounge during lunch time. People come out of the woodwork to enjoy this day of food!

This year I decided to contribute a dessert because last year it seemed there were not many desserts.
I chose this recipe because it seemed easy and I had most of the things I needed.

These bars were delish! One of the other kindergarten teachers I work with made a comment that they were incredible!

If your looking for a way to change up plain rice krispie treats this is a delicious way to do it.

Caramel Stuffed Rice Krispie Bars

Source: Cookies and Cups

Ingredients

• Caramel Filling
• 14 oz caramel pieces, unwrapped
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup butter
Krispie Layer
• 12 Tbsp butter, divided in half
• 10 cups Rice Krispie cereal, divided in half
• 10 cups mini marshmallows, divided: 4 cups, 4 cups & 2 cups

How to Make

1. Grease a 9x13 pan, set aside
Caramel Filling
2. In a large microwave safe bowl combine caramel pieces, sweetened condensed milk and 1/2 cup butter. Microwave on high in 1 minutes increments (stirring after each) until caramels are melted, approx 3-4 minutes.
3. Stir until smooth, set aside.
Krispie Treats
4. Take 6 Tbsp butter and 4 cups marshmallows. Heat in microwave for 1 minute, stir, repeat if necessary in 20 second increments until marshmallows are melted. Stir until butter and marshmallow are combined.
5. Pour 5 cups Krispie Rice Cereal into marshmallow mixture, stir until coated. Press into the bottom of prepared pan.
6. Pour caramel over top Krispie layer and then sprinkle 2 cups mini marshmallows on top of that.
7. Refrigerate for 20 minutes until caramel has set.
8. When caramel has set repeat the krispie layer (step 4) with remaining ingredients. Press final krispie layer on top of caramel.
9. * TIP ~ Spray a piece of parchment or wax paper lightly with cooking spray and press the krispies lightly and evenly into pan.
10. Let krispies set up for at least 2 hours before cutting into squares. The caramel layer takes a bit of time to set up.

Meal Ministry

I absolutely love to cook and bake, more importantly though I love to do it for others. I enjoy getting to make dinner for my husband each night. He is not a foodie but always shows much appreciation for whatever I make. I also enjoy getting the opportunity to make meals for others. I was able to do this recently for a co-worker of mine.

  I took them Pizza Baked Spaghetti, green beans, bread sticks and snicker doodle bars.

I love to take meals or any special treats to anyone who might need something. I hope one day to be able to have more time and resources to be able to provide for more people.

Garlic Parmesan Pull Apart Bread

We love bread in this house! Did you know my husband grew up on bread and butter sandwiches? He can be very picky. :) My husband enjoys any time I make bread and he gave great reviews on this bread.

My aunt recently gave me these mini loaf pans and I hadn't used them yet. I thought this would be a perfect recipe to use them for. I halved this recipe and it was perfect for the two of us to have enough for dinner and leftovers.

Can you tell how much thse rolls rose? Once I put them in the oven they puffed up even more! I had to cover them up with foil pretty early on but they came out great!

 

 

 You can see it much better in this picture how much they poofed up out of the pan! These were simple to make but just make you sure allow the time for them to rise.  We enjoyed these with stuffed shells.

Garlic Parmesan Pull Apart Bread
Source: Melissa's Southern Style Kitchen

16 frozen white dinner rolls [I used Rhodes]
1 stick of melted butter
2/3 plus 1/4 cup of grated parmesan-romano cheese [divided]
1 tsp. dry parsley flakes
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp, dried basil/Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. onion powder


Remove the frozen dinner rolls from the freezer and place onto a plate. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow the rolls to sit on the counter for 45 minutes or so, until the rolls have thawed enough to cut.

Place the rolls onto a cutting board, and using a sharp knife, cut each roll into quarters. 

Melt one stick of butter in the microwave,  stir the melted butter and seasonings together until blended.

Add the quartered rolls to the butter, and toss gently to coat. Bread dough is sticky, so, you may need to use your hands to gently pull them apart if necessary. You don't want the dough to form clumps, or it will effect how it bakes. This is really the only way to mess-up this recipe....very important! Next, add 2/3 cup of grated parmesan-romano cheese reserving the rest for the top. Toss until each piece is coated.

 

You can bake this bread in any shape you like. Layer the dough quarters evenly in a 9x3x2 inch loaf pan sprayed with cooking spray. The dough pieces naturally stick together due to the butter and cheese, but, gently pull apart any clumps of dough. We want to be certain the bread bakes evenly. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese on top and a sprinkle of parsley for color.

Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray. This will keep the bread from sticking to the plastic wrap as it rises.  Allow to rise in a draft free, warm place for 2-2 1/2 hours. Then, remove the plastic wrap, and place into a 350 degree preheated oven.

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes, then check the top. If baking in a loaf, you may need to lay a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the bread to prevent the cheese and butter on top from over browning. Continue to bake the bread for another 5-7 minutes, until the center is completely done. Approximately, 23-25 minutes total, depending on your oven. Test the center of the rolls using a cake tester, or toothpick to be certain the bread is cooked all the way through before removing it from the oven.  

 Yield: one loaf or 16 servings [4 pieces]

 

Strawberry Sweet Rolls

These sweet little things are absolutely delicious!

For the the last few summers I have been making strawberry jam. I still have a few jars left to use before I make some again this summer. When I saw this recipe I knew it would be a perfect way to use some of the jam in a different way. This was super simple and oh so yummy.
I will be enjoying these during the week for breakast! Yumm!

Easy Strawberry Sweet Rolls
Source: Chocolate, Chocolate, and More

1 can Crescent dough (Pillsbury)
3-4 tablespoons strawberry jelly or jam

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1-2 teaspoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extracte

Place a sheet of plastic wrap over your work surface. Lightly dust it with flour. Unroll crescent dough onto plastic wrap. Spread jelly over entire dough leaving 1/2 inch along one long side. Roll dough starting on the long edge with the jelly. Use the plastic wrap to help roll. Seal roll in your plastic wrap and refrigerate for a least an hour. Remove from refrigerator, unwrap dough log and slice into sections about 3/4 inch. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated 375 degree over for about 12 minutes, just until golden brown. Remove from oven and drizzle with glaze. Serve warm.

To make glaze, combine sugar, milk and vanilla till smooth. If too thick add a few more drops of milk.

I'm linking up with Women Living Well!

Menu Plan

I loved having another three day weekend! I was able to accomplish so much around the house and spend some time in the kitchen. Now I'm sure when we have to make up the ice day on spring break  I won't be as excited but for now the extra time was much appreciated.

I have a few more meals planned this week than last. We actually had dinner on Sunday night which can sometimes be a hit or miss depending on what we had for Sunday lunch. There have been many Sundays where we just have popcorn for dinner!

I hope you can get some ideas to add to you meal plan for the week.

Sunday: Stuffed Shells, Garlic Parmesan pull apart bread (I will post the recipe this week), Green beans
Monday: Grilled Deli Sandwiches using my bread I made on my extra day off!
Tuesday: Unstuffed Peppers
Wednesday: Dinner at Church
Thursday: Chicken Tortilla Soup
Friday: Out

Breakfast for the week: Strawberry Sweet Rolls (I will also be adding the recipe later this week)

Sandwich Bread

Today we had a snow day! This is how much snow we got!

Actually we were out for ice. I think we could have just had a 2 hr. delay but I definitely did not let the extra day go to waste! The house is really clean, the menu plan is made and I also baked up some bread!

 

I found this recipe on Annie Eats. I love her site and have made many different things from her. 

I have made this bread before, actually it was the first recipe I have made with yeast. I was nervous to work with yeast but this recipe is so easy and proved to me I could do it. Since then I have made many other breads.

 

For dinner this week we will use the bread to make grilled deli sandwiches. Annie suggests to slice the bread, freeze it and take it out as needed. I will definitely do that as we won't go through the whole loaf this week.

 

If you have a fear of yeast I encourage you to try out this recipe. It is so easy and the results are quite delicious!

 

American Sandwich Bread

Source: Annie's Eats

 

Ingredients:

3¾ cups (18¾ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup warm whole milk (about 110 degrees)
1/3 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons honey
1 envelope (about 2¼ teaspoons) instant yeast

*I did not have an instant yeast. So I had to "proof" the yeast. I mixed it in the measuring cup with the liquid ingredients at the 110 degree temperature. I let it sit and get bubbly for about 5 minutes then added it to the flour.

Directions:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 200 degrees. Once the oven temperature reaches 200 degrees, maintain the heat for 10 minutes, then turn off the oven.

2. Mix 3½ cups of the flour and the salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix the milk, water, butter, honey, and yeast in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup. Turn the machine to low and slowly add the liquid. When the dough comes together, increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough is smooth and satiny, stopping the machine two or three times to scrape dough from hook, if necessary, about 10 minutes. (After 5 minutes of kneading, if the dough is still sticking to the sides of the bowl, add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time and up to ¼ cup total, until the dough is no longer sticky.) Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead to form a smooth, round ball, about 15 seconds.

3. Place the dough in a very lightly oiled large bowl, rubbing the dough around the bowl to coat lightly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the warmed oven until the dough doubles in size, 40 to 50 minutes.

4. Gently press the dough into a rectangle 1 inch thick and no longer than 9 inches. WIth a long side facing you, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, pressing with your fingers to make sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn the dough seam-side up and pinch it closed. Place the dough seam-side down in a greased 9 by 5-inch loaf pan and press it gently so it touches all four sides of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap; set aside in a warm spot until the dough almost doubles in size, 20 to 30 minutes.

5. Keep one oven rack at the lowest position and place the other at the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place an empty baking pan on the bottom rack. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour the boiling water into the empty pan on the bottom rack at set the loaf onto the middle rack. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted at an angle from the short end just above the pan rim into the center of the loaf read 195 degrees, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan, transfer to a wire rack, and cool to room temperature. Slice and serve.

 

Menu Plan

Thank goodness for three day weekends! I usually do my meal planning on Saturdays along with my grocery shopping but yesterday we took it easy around here. My husband was recovering earlier this week from being sick when all of a sudden he got a horrible ear infection. So, together we just chilled out and did a whole lot of nothing. For dinner we ordered pizza from one of our favorite places and watched a few movies.

I usually only plan for about 3-4 meals a week. I eat dinner at church on Wednesdays so I don't plan for that day and most Fridays we eat out or have something super simple like a frozen pizza. I will plan what I am having for Saturday nights on that day, before I head to the store. On Saturdays I enjoy cooking something that might take a little more time and  many times I do a lot of baking on Saturdays.

Here is what I have for this week:

Sunday: Taco Bake
Monday: I have the day off and Chad decided to take it off also. We are going to go to an early movie and have dinner out!
Tuesday: English Muffin Pizzas
Wedneday: Dinner at Church
Thursday: Zesty Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

Hopefully these give you some ideas to add to your weekly menu!

Valentine's Day Bundt Cake

 Valentine's Day is almost here. Do you have anything special planned? We usually keep it pretty simple around here. 

I was on the search for a special dessert to make this week so I jumped on Pinterest. The picture of this dessert definitely caught my eye. 
 For the last few weeks I have been taking a simple dessert to church on Wednesday nights for our dinner program. I took a half day today and thought since I had some extra time I would make something a little more special. This cake was pretty easy and even if I hadn't had the extra time today I still would have had time to make it after work. 

I can not wait to cut into this cake tomorrow. If you read the comments to the original link of this recipe you will see that many people left suggestions of other jello combinations you could use and other holidays you could use it for. 

Strawberries and Cream Bundt cake 
Source: Chocolate Chocolate and More
Makes 1 large bundt cake and 4-6 cupcakes

 2 boxes white cake mix (15.25 oz)
Ingredients called for on box

1 box strawberry JELL-O mix (3oz.)

1 can white frosting

Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray. Bake cake mix according to box directions. 

Pour 1/3 to 1/2 of the batter into prepared pan. 

Reserve 1 tbls. of JELL-O mix for frosting and add remaining to the rest of the cake batter. Stir well until just blended. Spoon batter into bundt pan to cover the white batter. Do not fill pan past 2/3 full. Place any remaining batter in cupcake tin.  Bake in a preheated oven for 45-55 minutes (19-22 for cupcakes). Using a toothpick test for doneness. Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes before inverting onto place to cool completely.

Frost the cupcakes first since you probably won't use the whole can of frosting. 

I melted my icing in the microwave for about 10 seconds. The original recipe says to melt it on the stove. 

Using the reserved JELL-O mix stir it into some of the frosting.

Place the frosting in a plastic bag and cut a very small hole in a corner.

Drizzle over the cake, alternating colors. 

Cheese and Corn Chowder + potatoes

Wow, it has been a while since I have posted huh? It has been on mind a lot lately to get this blog back up. I definitely haven't stopped cooking I just haven't taken the time to get on here and upload anything.




So, this weekend I was dying to get back in the kitchen after a busy week and easy dinners.
I have been craving soups lately! I jumped on my pinterest boards and noticed I had pinned The Pioneer Woman's corn and cheese chowder. I decided to make the soup and to also add some red potatoes to it as I knew it would get my husband more on board with eating it!
This recipe was super easy to put together. Besides chopping some veggies and potatoes, pretty much the rest was to just dump it in the pot! I love that! I would definitely make this on a weeknight especially if I had chopped all my veggies before. Enjoy this delicious soup!

I love the smell of onions cooking!

Corn and Cheese Chowder
Source: The Pioneer Woman
Ingredients
4 Tablespoons 1/2 Stick Butter
1 whole Onion, Chopped
3 slices Bacon, Cut Into Pieces
3 whole Bell Peppers, Finely Diced (red, Yellow, Orange) (I only used a green pepper)
5 ears Corn, Kernels Sliced Off (I used frozen corn)
1/4 cup All-purpose Flour 3 cups Chicken Stock Or Broth
2 cups Half-and-half 1 cup (heaping)
Grated Monterey Jack 1 cup (heaping)
 Pepper Jack 1/3 cup
Sliced Green Onions
Bread Bowls
Preparation Instructions In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat.
Cook onions for a couple of minutes. Add bacon and cook for another minute or so, then add diced bell peppers and cook for a couple of minutes.  Finally, add corn and cook for a minute.
  Sprinkle flour evenly over the top and stir to combine. Pour in broth and stir well. Allow this to thicken for 3 or 4 minutes, then reduce heat to low.
Stir in half-and-half, then cover and allow to simmer/thicken for 15 minutes or so.
Stir in cheeses and green onions. When cheese is melted and the soup is hot, check seasonings. Add salt and pepper as needed.
Ladle into hollowed out boules and serve immediately.(I did not serve mine in bread bowls).

http://thelarsonlingo.blogspot.com/search/label/soup'son

 

Brown Sugar- Cinnamon Peach Pie

I am loving all the time I have had to bake this summer. Now I'm sure I won't be loving my waistline after while but I love being in the kitchen. I received the July issue of Southern Living recently and on the front cover was a beautiful peach pie. As soon as I saw it I was dying to make it. Luckily peaches were on sale recently so I didn't have to wait to make this. We had an impromptu family dinner last night so luckily I could take this and not have to eat the whole thing myself! This pie was devoured. It is so delicious and I can't wait to make it again

I think this pie came out wonderful but unfortunately I forgot to take a picture at home and had to do so with my phone.

Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Peach Pie

1 1/3 cups cold butter
4 1/4 cups AP flour, divided
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup ice-cold water
8 large fresh, firm, ripe peaches (about 4lbs.)
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar

1. Cut 1 1/3 cups butter into small cubes, and chill 15 minutes. Stir together 4 cups flour and 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until mixture resembles small peas. Gradually stir in 1/2 cup ice water with a fork, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened and dough begins to form a ball and leaves sides of bowl, adding more ice water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, if necessary. Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap; press and shape dough into 2 flat disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes to 24 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 425. Place 1 dough disk on a lightly floured surface; sprinkle dough lightly with flour. Roll dough to about 1/2-inch thickness. Starting at 1 edge of dough, wrap dough around a rolling pin. Place rolling pin over a 9-inch pie plate, and unroll dough over pie plate. Press dough into pie plate.

3. Roll remaining dough disk to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.

4. Peel peaches, and cut into 1/2-inch slices; cut slices in half. Stir together brown sugar, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/4 cup flour in a bowl; add peaches, stirring to coat. Immediately spoon peach mixture into pie crust in pie plate and dot with 1 1/2 Tbsp. butter. (Do not make mixture ahead or it will become too juicy).

5. Carefully place remaining pie crust over filling; press edges of crusts together to seal. Cut off excess crust, and reserve. Crimp edges of pie. If desired roll excess dough to 1/4 inch thickness . Cut into 3-inch leaves using a knife. Brush top of pie with beaten egg; top with leaves. Brush leaves with egg; sprinkle with 1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar. Cut 4 to 5 slits in top of pie for steam to escape.

6. Freeze pie 15 minutes. Meanwhile heat a jelly-roll pan in oven 10 minutes. Place pie on hot jelly-roll pan.

7. Bake at 425 on lower oven rack 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375, bake 40 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning, and bake 25 more minutes or until juices are thick and bubbly. Transfer to a wire rack; cool 2 hours before serving.

Pioneer Woman Pancakes

My sister in law gave me the Pioneer Woman's cookbook for my birthday a few weeks ago. I have been so excited to break it open and get cooking. I started with these pancakes because I wanted to freeze some so I could have them during them during the school year. These were just as easy as any other pancakes and they came out perfectly. Light and fluffly and delicious! To go with my pancakes I made a cinnamon syrup since I don't really care for regular maple syrup. The syrup made them even better than they already were!


Edna Mae's Sour Cream Pancakes
Source: The Pioneer Woman

1 cup sour cream
7 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Butter

1. Place an iron skillet or griddle over medium-low heat.
2. Place the sour cream in a medium bowl. Dump in the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
3. Stir together very gently. Stop before being totally combined, it gives the pancakes an interesting texture.
4. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl.
5. Add the vanilla and stir to combine.
6. Pour the egg mixture into the sour cream/flour mixture
7. Stir together gently. Don't worry about the mixture being totally combined.
8. Melt a tablespoon of butter on the skillet. Pour the batter onto the skillet 1/4 cup at a time.
9. Cook for 1-11/2 minutes, then flip the pancake over. Cook for another 45 seconds and remove to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Cinnamon Syrup
Source: See Jane in the Kitchen
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water and cinnamon. Bring to a boil over medium heat stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk.