Removing Ink Stains

I accidentally washed an ink pen in the pocket of my work clothes.  Thankfully, it was black & my clothes were, too.  No harm done it seemed. However, I didn’t discover my mistake until I opened the dryer & found inky streaks all along the inside that would not come off easily.

After trying several cleaning solutions on the ink, I had success with plain old rubbing alcohol & some elbow grease. 

You would think from this point on, I would be more careful, but I did the exact same thing a few days later!!  Boy, did I feel like a doofus!!

I was reminded that the Lord blots out those sins that stain our life when we confess them to Him.  He remembers them no more, but I need to sometimes remember the pain of my sins so I do not commit them over & over.

The rubbing alcohol removed all but a tiny bit of the ink on the inside of my dryer.  Every time I take out my laundry, I’m reminded to once again check my pockets before washing.  Thankfully, to date, I haven’t washed another pen.

Hopefully, you won’t need the household tip provided today, but we all need to be reminded that a daily renewing & refreshing is necessary if we are to be clean before our Lord.

Confectionately  Yours,

Sue

Sandy & the Green Beans

My friend Sandy is the kind of SS teacher you want for your daughter.  She is full of humor and  enthusiasm for her calling.  She loves those 2^nd grade girls so much, she even gives up a Sunday afternoon often to spend with her girls.  They roast hot dogs & play games. 

 

I have watched with amusement & tenderness on “graduation” Sunday when the kids progress to the next grade level.  Sandy heads to the front of the church at the invitation time to pray a blessing over her girls.  They cling to her like cockle burrs. Tears flow. They don’t want to move on if it means not having Miss Sandy as their SS teacher anymore.

As for me, I don’t think I’ve ever talked with Sandy that we don’t find something to laugh about.   She is full of humor. 

She is also the caregiver for her 98 year old Mother, Miss Mallie.  She too, was a faithful SS teacher & she attends our church as much as health allows, holding the title of our oldest charter member.

When I think of Sandy & Miss Mallie, their fresh green beans always come to mind.  They grow their own beans & can jars & jars of them, often sharing them at the numerous potlucks & funeral meals we have.

Sandy came to my home recently for a birthday party for my son, Andrew.  She loved the pecan tarts I made for the dessert buffet.  So today you will find the recipe for Sandy & Miss Mallie’s green beans & my recipe for Pecan Tarts. 

It has been my Circle of Friends & Family that help me make it through this life. They are a blessing from God.   I’m grateful to share a laugh or two as we joyfully serve the Lord together.

 Pecan Tarts

Good morning WEEC listeners!!


I've yet to obtain Sandy's Green Bean Recipe. I will try to post it this week, but here is the Pecan Tart recipe mentioned in today's segment.




PECAN TARTS


Crust:
1/2 c. margarine 
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (3-oz.) pkg. cream cheese 
1 c. all purpose flour


Filling:
2 T. margarine, melted
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg 
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. chopped pecans
Combine 1/2 cup margarine, cream cheese, and flour. Mix well and shape into 24
balls. Press balls into mini muffin pans to form crust. 


Combine remaining ingredients, except nuts. Divide nuts into the 24 tarts. Pour filling ingredients into a zip top plastic bag and seal. Snip the bottom of the bag and squirt the filling into the tart shells.  Pinch the bottom of the bag between each tart to prevent drips. You can also just spoon the filling, but the bag method makes it a bit easier.


Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Tarts are done when crust is golden brown. Cool for a few minutes before removing from pan. 


Run the tip of a knife around the edge immediately after taking out of oven to ease removal of tarts when they have cooled a bit. Yield: 2 dozen
.
Note: These little pecan pies may be frozen for 2-3 months but they are delicious frozen, so they will not stay there that long!!


I've also made these in larger muffin tins and/or tart pans.  Baking time is about the same.

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