The Kitty Cat's Birthday

Hi, WEEC  listeners,

I was frosting some sugar cookies recently.  The green food coloring swirled into the white frosting created a marbled effect.  I was instantly reminded of a 6 inch mini cake delivered to our home by an elderly neighbor.

Apparently, the 5 y.o. “me” that I was at the time, informed her that my cat was having a birthday.  Our neighbor must have had a God-given sense of fun.  I can imagine her delight in making this little cake, and her smile as she delivered it to our door.

I’m quite sure she used what she had to bake and decorate a tiny cake with white frosting that had swirls of green color artistically added.  My whole family commented on it as we cut into the cake and celebrated the kitty cat’s birthday.

I do not even remember the name of our neighbor, but her kindness and the joy her baking brought to my 5 yr old self has stayed in my head for almost 50 years now.  It taught me how a small random act of kindness can help someone celebrate the little things in life.

Even one sugar cookie, carefully wrapped & presented to a friend with a note of encouragement lets them know you care.  

I like to pray specifically for whomever I am baking for at the time….& I often tell them this.  I consider it an honor when someone mentions MY NAME to the throne of Grace.

It gives me strength to just keep on going!!

Today's recipe is a sugar cookie that is good frosted..or not.  Celebrate today.  :-)


                                  SUGAR COOKIE
1 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. granulated sugar
5c. flour
1 c. butter
1 tsp. soda
1 c. vegetable shortening
1 tsp. cream of tartar
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
In a bowl, sift together all dry ingredients; set aside. In a separate bowl, cream butter, granulated sugar, and shortening until light and fluffy.
Slowly add powdered sugar and mix well. Add eggs in, one at a time, mixing after each one. Add vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients, 1 cup at a time, until all is incorporated.
 Roll into small balls, place on cookie sheet, press down with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. bake 10-15 minutes in 350° oven.


You may also roll out this dough for a frosted cookie.


                 Softer than Royal icing...icing
1 c. confectioners sugar
1/4 tsp. almond extract
2 tsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. light corn syrup
paste or gel food color
In a mixer bowl, stir together confectioner' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and extracts until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup. You may also add other extracts such as strawberry, etc. Frost cookies by placing icing in piping bag, outlining cookies, and filling in the rest of the cookie.


Yield: Will decorate 1 dozen cookies, so adjust amount according to your needs. Store in refrigerator and stir before using.

Note: You can make cutout cookies with this dough, but it does spread out a bit, although not terribly. I've also given another recipe for sugar cookie frosting that is softer than royal icing but tastes like buttercream. After it dries overnight, cookies can be stacked with no smears.

                                         Confectionately  Yours,

Sue

Keep Your Fork

Woman and the Fork There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things 'in order,' she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. 'There's one more thing,' she said excitedly.. 'What's that?' came the Pastor's reply? 'This is very important,' the young woman continued. 'I want to be buried with a fork in my Right hand.' The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say. That surprises you, doesn't it?' the young woman asked. 'Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request,' said the Pastor. The young woman explained. 'My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part- Because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!' So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?' Then I want you to tell them: 'Keep your fork ..the best is yet to come.' The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did- more than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming. At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, 'What's with the fork?' And over and over he smiled. During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about The fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come.

Today’s recipe I will share is for Velvet Chocolate Cheesecake…another wonderful reason to keep your fork. 

CHOCOLATE VELVET
CHEESECAKE
8 oz. chocolate wafers or Oreo cookies 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
with filling removed speck of salt
1/3 c. butter, melted

Place cookies in a Ziploc bag and crush very fine with a rolling pin or place in food
processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and press into the bottom and up the sides of
a 10" springform pan. Pour filling into the crust and bake in a preheated 350° oven.

Filling
12 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips 
2 T. butter
 2 c. heavy cream or half &half
3 (8-oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
3 eggs 
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 c. sugar 
speck of salt
Heat cream in microwave or on stovetop until very warm. Add chocolate chips and
stir until melted. Set aside. 
Beat cream cheese until soft and there are no lumps. Add sugar and beat well. Add eggs, one at a time incorporating well before adding the next. Pour the chocolate/cream mixture in, then the vanilla and tiny pinch of salt. Pour into cookie crust and bake for 1 hour.

 The filling will be soft when you take it out of the oven, but will become firm when completely cool. Cool completely before covering and storing in refrigerator overnight. This cheesecake can be done in foil cupcake liners and muffin tins. 

Lower the heat to 300° and bake for 15-20 minutes. A higher temp will cause the mini cheesecakes to rise quickly and then fall. A whole Oreo half when fit into the muffin tin, so the crust instructions can be ignored.

Garnish with whipped cream. Yield-32 cupcake size,
8-9 mini 4" cheesecakes or 15 servings from 10" pan. Can be frozen well wrapped for
2-3 months.

Note: Cheesecakes are among the easiest of desserts to make. I often freeze the cake
before removing it from the pan, making it easier to transfer to a serving platter. Run a
knife around the edge first, remove the sides, then slide a knife under the crust and run
it around the bottom to loosen if from the bottom and slid it onto the serving platter.

                                         Confectionately  Yours,

Sue

Not so secret recipes

 Hi WEEC listeners,

Below is the soup & cookie  recipe mentioned on today's segment.  

Cheesy Tortilla Soup 1/4 cup butter OR margarine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 3 cups chicken broth 1 cup milk 8 oz. Velveeta process cheese food - cubed 10 oz. can Ro*Tel® tomatoes and chilies 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken 1 tsp. cumin 1 tsp. chili powder 1-3 tsp. chicken soup base, to taste pepper – to taste Dried cilantro, to taste flour tortillas – as needed, about 4 - 6 shredded Colby Jack cheese OR Mexican blend cheese – as needed

-In a pot, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. -Slowly whisk in small amounts of chicken broth at a time, then whisk in milk. -Reduce heat to low and stir in Velveeta cubes; stir until melted. -Stir in Ro*Tel, chicken, and spices. -Once soup is heated through, it is ready to serve at this point. However, if you wish to make tortilla strips, it can sit over low heat while they are made. Stir the soup occasionally. -For tortilla strips, cut tortillas into strips and deep-fry in 350 degree vegetable or peanut oil until golden, then drain on cooling racks. -Spoon a ladleful of soup into a bowl, add a handful of shredded cheese, then spoon another ladleful of soup over cheese. Sprinkle tortilla strips over top. Repeat for remaining servings. Note-I did not use the butter and I increased the flour a bit.  I whisked it into the chicken broth and heated until boiling, stirring constantly.  When mixture was thickened, I added the Rotel, and cheese (I had actually made cheese sauce with Velvetta and cream cheese & I used that.) (See pretzels and cheese sauce recipe inBaking a Memory. (my cookbook)  Turn down the heat to very low, add the milk, and chili powder and cumin.  Taste and add enough soup base to taste along with the pepper and cilantro.  It was wonderful! Not-so secret Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies Twenty-three years ago these cookies were delivered to my door after the birth of my daughter.  My friend would not share the recipe as it was a family recipe, BUT with a little perseverance, I finally discovered a recipe that leads me to believe the secret is out!!                 Enjoy!! Crispy CC Cookies Ingredients: ·                     1/2 cup butter ·                     1 cup sugar ·                     1 egg ·                     1 teaspoon vanilla ·                     1 1/4 cup flour ·                     1/2 teaspoon baking soda ·                     1/4 teaspoon salt ·                     2 cups Rice Krispies or Special K cereal ·                     1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ·                     1 cup chopped nuts, optional   Method: 1.            Beat butter and sugar together until well blended. 2.            Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. 3.            Combine flour, soda and salt.   4.            Add to creamed sugar mixture and mix until combined. 5.            Stir in rice cereal and chocolate chips (and nuts).  6.            Drop by tablespoon onto parchment lined cookie sheets. 7.            Bake at 350° F for  10-12 minutes...or until lightly browned. 8.            Allow to cool for several minutes, and then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.  Or better still...eat them warm!           Yield: about 3 dozen fair-sized cookies. Confectionately  Yours, Sue

Leftovers

As I ponder these segments on food, friends, & hospitality…the idea of leftovers came to mind.  We all have them, and they are not all food related either.

The idea is what to do with life that is LEFT after the life you knew is OVER.   Life is not stagnant.  It is constantly changing, & we humans do NOT like change unless it is OUR choice. 

After the sudden death of my husband, I had to totally regroup & figure out who I was, & where to begin from that point on.  I’m still not sure of this some days*grin* but, what I am sure of is that the truth is God’s Word, the bible is a lamp unto my feet, & a light unto my path.

I have also learned that people & activity DO help us get through this life!!  Finding something to do & someone understanding to do it with make a difference.  If you can find something to do for someone else, that is even better. 

I recently invited 3 couples over for dinner after the Thanksgiving holiday for a “leftover” party.  They had all extended hospitality to me at one time or another & I wanted to reciprocate. 

Now I could have argued with myself that being widowed & having couples over might be a little odd, BUT in entertaining folks in my home for years, I have observed that the menfolk usually gravitate to subjects & locale such as the big game on TV, while the women group and gab away at things that interest them. 

That is exactly what happened that fun evening.  Now my purpose was twofold.  I love company & I had lots of leftovers from that Thanksgiving meal.  

I served a Turkey Pot Pie soup that used up all of the turkey, gravy, green beans, corn & mashed potatoes from our Thanksgiving meal.  Cranberry apple relish complimented it perfectly.

I cut out little shapes from a frozen pie crust, baking it as the garnish scattered over the top of the soup.  They were very easy & a conversation starter for sure.  People do notice those little details I love so much.

Here is the recipe mentioned on today's segment from WEEC 100.7 FM in the Springfield, OH area.  You can even listen online to this wonderful Christian radio station!!  :-)

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Ingredients

4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 quarts water
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, split
1 tablespoon bouillon flavoring
2 T. vegetable oil
1/2 small white onion, diced (1/4 cup)
2 stalks celery (1/2 cup), diced
2 carrots diced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1-2 tsp poultry seasoning, to taste
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 1/2 pounds frozen mixed vegetables (I used the leftover green bean, mashed potatoes & corn)
1 cup heavy cream
Pinch sea salt
1 store-bought pie crust
Directions
Add diced potatoes to a large bowl filled with cold water. Set aside.

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add chicken, reduce heat to a simmer and allow to poach; about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate to cool. Continue to simmer the broth, adding the bouillon until reduced by half, about 10 more minutes. Dice the chicken when cooled.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the celery cooking until translucent, 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and whisk until it forms a roux. Add the Italian seasoning and pepper; cook for 3 more minutes.

Whisk the roux into the broth and bring back up to a boil. Drain the potatoes. Add the potatoes and the chicken to the broth over low heat. Stir in the frozen vegetables. Place a lid on top and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in cream and a pinch of sea salt and cook for 5 more minutes.

Preheat the oven as directed on the pie crust package.

Lay the pie crust on a baking sheet and place into the oven. Cook according to package instructions, or until the pie crust is golden brown. When the crust has cooled, break up into pieces. (I used little cookie cutters to make shapes.)

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the pie crust.

A Big Cover-up & Cranberry Coffeecake

. 

I’m currently in a rearranging frenzy at my home.  This tendency seems to have a domino effect.  One project leads to another, with my mind focused on the finished goal.  I get rid of things I do not need, put things I DO need where I can find them, & simply enjoy an organized usable space when it is all said & done.

Sometimes when I am knee deep in a reorganizing project, packing up the house for what seems like the hundredth time, & simply poop out in the middle of it all, I throw a sheet or blanket over the whole mess & walk away for a time.  If I throw a BLACK sheet over the mess, it is surprising how that pile of stuff seems to fade into the background.

While this might temporarily prevent me from becoming distracted by the clutter, it is NOT a permanent solution.  Clutter must be dealt with sooner rather than later, or the house would be overtaken by black cloth covered lumpy piles of stuff every which way.

The bible tells us if we cover our sins we will not prosper.  It seems the Enemy uses our personal “stuff” against us bringing it to mind to steal our joy in serving the Lord & paralyzing our service to our Redeemer.

I have to remind myself that as a believer in Christ, I am forgiven of my sin, past, present, & future.  I must confess my daily sin of course, so that it does not hinder the work Jesus wants to do in me.  As I enjoy my quiet moments early in the morning with a cup of coffee & my Lord, & Savior, the “black cloth” I have thrown over my “stuff” is uncovered to reveal the clutter of my life.  His Word helps me sift through the mess I have made, allowing the Lord to restore order & peace in my troubled heart.

Here is a recipe for Cranberry Coffeecake.  It uses up that bit of leftover cranberry sauce from our holiday meal, & goes perfectly with that cup of coffee I mentioned earlier.

CRANBERRY SWIRL COFFEE
CAKE
1/4 c. butter
 1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. sugar 
1 c. sour cream
2 eggs, well beaten 
1 tsp. almond extract
2 c. all purpose flour 
8 oz. whole berry cranberry sauce
1 tsp. baking soda 
1/2 c. walnuts, chopped
Cream butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, beat well. Mix together the dry ingredients and add alternately with sour cream. Add almond extract. 
Place 1/2 of the batter on the bottom of a well greased and floured tube pan. Spoon 1/2 of the cranberry sauce over batter, keeping it away from the inner and outer edges. Sprinkle
with 1/2 of the nuts. 
Spoon 1/2 of the remaining batter on top of the fruit; then spoon
the rest of the cranberry sauce and nuts on top. Finish by spooning the rest of the batter over the fruit. Bake in a 350° oven for 45-60 minutes. 
Test for done-ness at the 45 minutes point by sticking a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, it's done.
Allow to sit for 10 minutes in pan, then gently shake pan to loosen cake. Remove to a
rack and cool completely. Drizzle with glaze.

Glaze
1-2 T. milk
 1 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. butter 
1/2 T. almond extract
Heat milk and butter briefly in microwave. Stir in powdered sugar and extracts. If too thick to drizzle, add enough milk to reach desire consistency.

                                         Confectionately  Yours,

Sue

Trusting your Feelings-(You can't) :-)

Trusting Your Feelings

I was watching an old movie on Saturday afternoon.  It is now a classic, but I remember the year it burst on the scene and became a hit.  It was 1977 & I was on a date with my Air-Force navigator fiancée.

This movie appealed to my adventurous young husband-to-be.  It had flying action, a beautiful princess in distress, and a bunch of bad guys that needed to be shown that Good always wins out over evil.  I enjoyed the story-line, too, but we had a serious talk afterward about the underlying message of the movie.

Hollywood doesn’t often acknowledge God for who He really is, and this movie didn’t either, but in our youthful optimism, Greg & I were able to personally equivocate the “Force” the movie referenced as the Almighty God who loves us, & died for us.  Our access to Him through prayer would be our source of power to face the days ahead in our married life.

Jesus wants us to lead others to Him by living a victorious life on this earth, and telling of his sacrifice on our behalf.   He is the “Force of the Universe” that will never leave us or forsake us, a very Present help in times of trouble as the scriptures tell us.

There were many other things about Star Wars that were, of course, the antithesis of a victorious Christian life.  I was reminded of this as I watched Young Luke Skywalker crawl into the cockpit preparing for a life or death situation.  He heard a voice saying…“Luke, Trust your feelings.”

Now if there is anything more fickle than my feelings, I don’t what it is.  Some days when I do not FEEL God is there for me, I literally have to tell him, based on His Word that I trust Him.   There is victory when I choose to believe even when my circumstances seem hopeless, & God counts my belief in Him as righteousness.

God has always come through for me.  He will for you, too.

Here is a recipe that came to me in 1977.  It is a layered strawberry salad that I have served many times over the years.  Serve it with the meal or as a light dessert.

I’m Sue Murphy…..and I am Confection-ately Yours.

 STRAWBERRY SALAD
1 (6-oz.) pkg. strawberry gelatin 
1 c. boiling water
 2 c. sour cream
3 med. bananas, chopped
1 (20-oz.) can crushed pineapple
2 (10-oz.) pkgs. frozen sliced strawberries, in syrup

In a medium bowl, combine gelatin and boiling water. Stir until completely dissolved.
Add undrained pineapple, strawberries, and chopped bananas stirring to combine.
Divide in half. Pour half of the gelatin mixture into a 9 x 13 dish. Leave the rest of the gelatin at room temp. 

Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Spread sour cream over the
set gelatin and spoon the rest of the gelatin over the sour cream. Cover and return to refrigerator until set, about 90 minutes. Yield: 12-15 servings.
Note: Sugar free gelatin (6 serving size) and plain frozen strawberries with the addition of sugar free sweetener may be substituted to lower sugar for those who need to watch their intake for health reasons. 

I like to make this in individual footed dishes and garnish with whipped cream, mint leaves and fresh strawberries.