Roots of Bitterness

This is the first season I have really had time to garden since I moved back to Ohio.  The home I bought has a wide variety of plantings, some I recognize and some, not so much.  I was weeding a border last week that had been ignored for most of the Spring.

The smaller newer sprouted weeds came up with minimal effort, but those that had taken deep root, and grown a while really required some digging and pulling to get them out.  Some of them are still there because I was too weak to get out those deep roots.  I will surely need some help for those.

I was reminded that bitterness is just like those weeds.  Those weeds spring up easily on their own.  They serve no purpose other than to choke out the good plantings and steal the nutrition from the soil.   If not rooted out, they can simply take over the beautiful plantings over time.

I purposed early on in my widowhood that I needed to focus on seeds of bitterness springing up and root them out as fast as I could.  My daily quiet time with the Lord helps me so much with this.  Things I can’t handle or feel overwhelmed about, I lay at Jesus feet.  I repeat scripture promises to the Lord as I pray reminding myself of His provision for me.  I admit to God when bitterness creeps in because He is the master gardener that can root it out before it takes a strong hold in my life.

I have also found that a spirit of gratitude is a natural bitter weed killer.  Bitterness just can’t live in the same place as Gratefulness. 

I am trying to bloom where I have been planted, so to speak.  I hope you are, too.

When I think of gardens, tomatoes always come to mind.  I LOVE fresh tomatoes...and salads with everything but the kitchen sink added to them.  :-)

Today's recipe is for Thousand Island dressing.  Before the days of Hidden Valley Ranch, Thousand Island reigned supreme.  It is the perfect topping for Taco Salad.  

THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING

1-1/2 c. mayo
2-3 T. pickle relish, drained OR 2-3 sweet pickles, finely chopped
6 T. chili sauce
1 egg, hard-boiled and finely chopped

Mix mayo and chili sauce. Add a little milk if too thick. Add the rest of the ingredients. Yield 2 cups

Note: Homemade tastes so much better than the bottled kind. Don't leave out the egg, it really makes a difference. Chili sauce is found in the ketchup aisle and keeps in fridge indefinitely.

HOMEMADE CROUTONS

1 loaf french bread                            1/3-1/2 c. parmesan cheese

1/2 c. butter, melted                         Italian seasoning, to taste

garlic salt, to taste

Cut bread into cubes. Place on cookie sheet in a single layer. Preheat oven to 350°.

Toast bread, stirring every 10 minutes, until bread is firm on all sides. Move bread to a large bowl. Mix butter and seasonings. Pour over the dry bread cubes and stir gently to coat.

Sprinkle with the parmesan. Taste for seasonings. You might need to add more butter/seasoning mixture, season with salt, or cheese. Return croutons to oven

and heat until crisp, about 10-20 minutes. Be sure to stir every 5 minutes or so.

Allow to cool, then store in airtight container.  These may also be placed into the freezer for 2-3 months.

Note: These are so good. I have even used leftover garlic bread, cut up and toasted for this recipe with great results. Even the most plain salad is special. You could also sprinkle ranch dressing mix in place of the Italian seasoning for a different flavor.

Confectionately  Yours,

Sue

Hospitality 101

Hi WEEC listeners.....today's Segment.  Happy Monday!!

A Pastor was coming for Sunday dinner.  The lady of the house planned her menu, shopped, cleaned, and prepared all week for this event.  She wanted everything to be just perfect for her guest.

She could hardly sit through Sunday school and the Worship hour as she ran these last minute preparations through her mind.  The family left as soon as the last amen was uttered to put the final touches on this special dinner.

As they sat down to ask the blessing on the meal, the pastor asked the youngest child, a boy, to say “Grace.”  The child looked down shyly, not saying a word, but the kindly pastor gently prodded him, “Go ahead, son, just say what you hear your mother pray.”

The little boy bowed his head and said, “Dear Lord, WHY did I invite all these people over for dinner??”

Does this sound like your actual thoughts when you entertain??  I confess, I’ve have these same feelings!!!  And I really do love having company over.  But it CAN be stressful!!!

In my younger days, I could cook, clean, and entertain in the same day.  As I have grown older, I plan my menu and cleaning schedule so that I can spread out the preparation over time.  As much as I love to cook, a fussy menu adds extra stresses that makes me wonder WHY did I ever invite all these people over for dinner.

Truly, I have learned that it is the sharing of oneself and the fellowship with those you love that make the time together enjoyable.  And simpler really is better!! Some of the best times I’ve ever had were over delivery pizza and a bottle of pop.  You don’t have to be a good cook or love to cook to entertain.

If YOU are comfortable with what you serve, your guest will be, too.  Figure out what is your style-paper plates, fine china, or somewhere in between, then relax, and have someone over for dinner soon.  You just can’t get to know folks until you make time for them.

Here is one of my "go-to" recipes for company.  Everything can be made in advance & assembled just before popping in the oven.  Add a salad & some rice and you have a complete meal.


ENCHILADAS
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced 1 c. sour cream
3/4 c. onion, diced 
5 c. chicken broth 

1/2 c. flour
1 (4-oz.) can green chilies

10 flour tortillas
chicken soup base
3 c. Monterey Jack cheese,
grated cilantro,dried

Cook chicken until tender in 6 cups water and enough soup base to make a rich broth.
Allow to cool. Cut up chicken in small chunks. Save broth.

Whisk flour and sour 

cream into 5 cups broth until smooth. Add chilies and heat, stirring constantly until 

thickened. Set aside. 

Mix chicken, 2 cups cheese and onion together. Heat tortillas in 

microwave, a few at a time, to soften. Place a generous tablespoonful of mixture in 

tortilla and roll up.

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick spray. Place filled tortillas seam 

side down in dish. Pour sauce over, making sure you cover all the tortilla. Top with 

cheese and any filling left over. Sprinkle cilantro on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 

minutes until sauce is bubbly and cheese is lightly browned. Serve with rice. Yield: 10 

enchiladas

Note: It's amazing that such simple ingredients yield such delicious results. You can
make all of this ahead of time by filling tortillas and covering with plastic wrap. Make
sauce and refrigerate until time to bake. Do not add sauce until just before baking. Do
these freeze well? Yes, they do...but keep sauce & filled tortillas separate until baking time. Leftovers reheat 

well in microwave.

I’m Sue Murphy….and I am Confectionately Yours.

Mother Moments

I recently had one of those proud mother moments while observing my son Andrew interacting with a little child. She was crying broken-heartedly after being called out by her mother and told to sit down.

My son leaned over and patted little Grace on the shoulder, talking softly to her.  She looked up and smiled at him with teardrops still glistening on her lashes. 

 I was told later by my son that Grace had been trying to round up a rowdy little brother and help her mom who was in charge of the children’s church that evening, but SHE was the one who seemingly got in trouble while trying to be helpful.

Andrew noticed her actions and gave her confirmation that HE knew what she was trying to do even though her busy distracted mommy hadn’t seen the situation fully.  I immediately thought of the verse, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”  How beautiful that must be, and how beautiful it was to see this fine young man I had the privilege of raising respond so tenderly to a little child.

Today’s recipe is one of Andrew’s favorites.  It is a Pantry Salsa easily assembled mostly from canned pantry staples.

PANTRY SALSA
2 (16-oz.) cans stewed tomatoes 
1/2 med. onion, roughly chopped
4-5 slices jalapeno's(the jarred kind found in the ethnic section of grocery store) 
2-3 T. lime juice
2-3 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder,to taste
1-1/2 tsp. salt, to taste
1-1/2 tsp. sugar


Pulse tomatoes, jalapeno's,and onion in food processor to get the consistency you like.
Pour into a bowl and add sugar, salt, and garlic powder to taste. Add lime juice and
vinegar. The flavors will become more developed if made in advance to serving.
Yield: 1 quart
Note: I got this recipe from a caterer friend who found commercial salsas were
expensive to use for large crowds. My kid's eyes light up when this salsa is on the
menu & I always have the ingredients on hand. I keep whole limes in freezer bags and
defrost one in microwave for 30 seconds for the juice

Leaving a Legacy

As a kid, my family moved across the road from an older couple.   Miss Doris and Mr. Lewis became our favorite neighbors.  They loved to sit on their porch and watch us kids laugh and play outside.  I have several brothers and sisters, so I am sure our antics were more entertaining than TV at times.

Miss Doris was a good ole country cook.  She used no fancy ingredients, just pantry staples, and made a chocolate cake I still dream about today.  I can’t tell you how many times I sat in her tiny kitchen watching her mix up cocoa, sugar, flour, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla for a chocolate cake she baked in 2 black iron skillets. 

While the cakes were cooling, she proceeded to take sugar, cocoa, evaporated milk and butter, boiling it on the stove until it reached a soft ball stage.  On a candy thermometer, that’s 234 degrees. But Miss Doris knew by sight when the wonderful boiled icing was nearing ready.  She drop a spoonful into a cup of cold water and dip out the soft ball of fudgy goodness which she would give to me and my little sister to share.

She would remove the icing from the heat and let it sit a few minutes as she placed the first layer on a plate. Then she would beat that frosting by hand until it thickened a bit and pour just enough on the first layer to cover the top.  The second layer was placed and the process repeated, but this time she would smooth the frosting she poured on top to the edges and around the side. 

The frosting was liquid fudge, and as it is spread, it would cool and cling to the side of the cake.  She would keep adding warm gooey frosting until that cake was completely covered.  She might also notice that sometimes the frosting would ease down the cake a bit and puddle on the plate, but with some patience and coaxing, she would spread it back onto the side of the cake until it hardened.

Now, the finished product probably wouldn’t win a beauty contest, but that kitchen smelled like chocolate heaven.  The cake was moist and chocolate-y, and the fudge frosting shiny with a slight grainy crust that was actually soft underneath.

Sadly, when Miss Doris died…her recipe died with her.  No one ever took the time to write it down.  Now, before you despair, I have recreated that wonderful cake in honor of Miss Doris.  I call it Childhood Chocolate Cake.

I never think of Miss Doris that I don’t remember her generosity toward my family.  She used what she had to be a blessing to others. That is a wonderful legacy.

I am Sue Murphy, and I am Confectonately Yours

Childhood Chocolate Cake

The following is a recipe shared on my early morning segment at the best radio station EVER!! Love WEEC @ 100.7 FM in Springfield, OH.

CHILDHOOD CHOCOLATE
BUTTERMILK CAKE
Chocolate cake
2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. buttermilk
2 c. sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
14 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1 c. water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. unsalted butter

Mix water, butter, and cocoa in a saucepan and heat until butter is melted. Combine
flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in mixing bowl.

Add eggs and buttermilk, then the hot cocoa mixture. Combine with mixer until well incorporated.

Grease and flour two 8 or 9" cake pans and preheat oven to 350°. Pour batter into
prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until they test done. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.

Icing should not be made until cake is cooled. Lay first layer on plate with strips of wax paper under it
before starting to make the frosting. This will keep the plate edge neat.

Cooked Chocolate Icing
1-1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. cocoa powder

Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add sugar, cocoa, and evaporated milk. Stirring constantly over medium high heat, cook mixture.
When it reaches a rolling boil, cook for 3-5 minutes until it reaches 234° on a candy thermometer or a spoonful of mixture dropped into a cup of cold water forms a "soft ball."

Remove from heat, add vanilla and beat for 1-2 minutes. Pour enough on the first layer to just cover it, then place the second layer on top. Pour the rest of the icing mixture on top and smooth icing quickly over the sides.
It should set up rather quickly, so work fast. Icing should form a slight grainy "crust," but remain soft underneath. Remove wax paper strips. Store covered at room temp.

Laundry Baskets & Carrying Burdens

 Laundry Baskets & Carrying Burdens

    This might sound excessive, but I have 8 laundry baskets!!  Over time, I have realized the advantage of this.  On laundry day, I can separate out each load.

    When my kids were little, I had them do this.  They learn to help mommy, & it is a task even the toddler can accomplish when you tell them where each piece goes. Praise them for their progress, & you will see over time that you have trained them up to do their own laundry.

     As each load is placed in the washer, the empty basket goes in front of the dryer & awaits its next job.  Those baskets have helped me organize closets holding the contents as I determine what goes where.  They help me as I decide what goes to the missions closet when it becomes evident that I have more than I really need.

    They have held potluck dishes for transportation in my car preventing spills & keeping everything decently & in order.

    One of the great things about my laundry baskets is that they match, fitting one inside the other, taking up minimal space when emptied.

    Spiritually speaking, I find sometimes as prayer requests are shared, I’m a lot like those baskets.  I gather burdens, feeling overwhelmed for myself & others.  As I go in prayer to the One that washes whiter than snow, my load is lightened, & the stain of my personal sin is no more.  I stand clean before my Lord.

    Here is a recipe for Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap.  It is easy to make & economical, too.  I love a bargain!!!

 The Recipe

Now that you have assembled all the needed ingredients here is the recipe:

Homemade Laundry Soap

1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of soap, as listed above

½ cup washing soda

½ cup borax powder 

~You will also need a small bucket, about 2 gallon size~

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan.  Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts.  Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved.  Remove from heat.  Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket.   Now add your soap mixture and stir.  Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir.  Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel.  You use ½ cup per load.

**A few things to note about the soap** 

~The finished soap will not be a solid gel.  It will be more of a watery gel that has been accurately described as an "egg noodle soup" look.

~The soap is a low-suds soap.  So if you don’t see suds, that is ok.  Suds are not what does the cleaning, it is the ingredients in the soap.

I'm Sue Murphy.....& I am 

Confectionately  Yours

Today's Confectionately Yours Segment

Hi!!!  Today's segment was a repeat from April.  Scroll on down & you will find those bread machine rolls!!!  Happy Baking...

Confectionately Yours,


Sue

O Taste & See the Lord is Good

I have been thinking a lot lately about the senses-touch, hearing, sight, but especially, taste and smell

.

We are invited from David in the Psalms-“O taste and see, the Lord is good.”  We are told our prayers are “a sweet smelling savor unto the Lord.” 

Often before a delicious meal is consumed, it is our sense of smell that invites us to taste and enjoy.

Have you ever come home from a long day to have something you threw in the crockpot earlier in the day greet you as you stepped inside?

Isn’t it kind of amazing that those ingredients that barely had a fragrance when raw, slow cook and become something special?  The delicious smell is a promise of the good things to come. 

It is when my prayer-a sweet smell in the nostrils of God-releases His Spirit & floods my being with His Presence that I am overwhelmed and know that I have tasted, and found that, yes indeed, the Lord is good.

As a young Christian, my prayers were kind of a laundry list of wants and needs. They were like those raw ingredients in my crockpot.

 I hadn’t yet learned the art of slowing down, being still, listening rather than talking, enjoying God, praising Him, and simply reveling in Him as the great ‘I Am.’  I often pray that I see God’s intervention in my daily life. 

When I discover the tire that just looks a little low to me and I’m able to get it inflated-THEN I’m told by the mechanic that it was almost flat, I acknowledge with gratitude God’s observable presence in this situation.

Beth Moore, one of my favorite writers and speakers calls these interventions “God-stops.”  S-T-O-P Savoring The Observable Presence of God.

I encourage you today to Savor God’s Observable Presence in your life.  Taste and see, the Lord is good.

CROCKPOT ROAST BEEF
3-4 lb. roast beef, trimmed of excess fat
 3-4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 env. onion soup mix 
1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
3-4 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (or more to taste)
 3-4 stalks celery, cut into bite size pieces
Place roast, soup mix, cream soup, and seasonings into crock pot. Add 1-1/2 cups
water. Cook on high for 3 hours, then add vegetables.

Continue to cook for another 3-4 hours until meat is tender and vegetables are done. If you won't be home all day, place all in crock pot with the vegetables on top and cook on low setting for 8 hours.
Serve with hot cornbread, butter, and sweet tea.

Note: I know this recipe seems simplistic, but most good recipes really are the result
of good seasoning and proper cooking times. I use the leftovers for the base of my
vegetable soup. Add a can of green beans, diced tomatoes, corn, pinto beans and/or
frozen lima beans(I like their texture better), and additional liquid with some beef
soup base and simmer for 30 minutes.