The Light at the End....

I had just walked in the glass door of my workplace & was heading down the hall.  I had dreaded coming in that day.  I just didn’t feel like being there!!  Halfway down this long hall, I encountered an elderly lady hunched over a walker with wheels on it.  She greeted me with a smile, huffing & puffing as she walked toward the door.

I jokingly said, “It’s a long hallway, isn’t it?”  And she replied cheerfully, “It is, but I see the light at the end.  I’m almost there.” 

Her smile & positive attitude affected me that day.  Here I was, walking upright with no shortness of breath, dreading the day ahead & this dear lady looked on her circumstances with a smile.  There was light at the end of her "tunnel."

I was instantly reminded how Jesus is our Light.  There will be no need for sun, moon, or stars in heaven because the glory of our Savior & Lord will be so bright that there will be no more night, no more stress, no more sickness, no more death.  

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.

 There will be no need for sun, moon, or stars in heaven because the glory of our Savior & Lord will be so bright that there will be no more night, no more stress, no more sickness, no more death. 

When we think positively, it shows in our attitudes, even when things are difficult!!

Today, I’m sharing a positively delicious recipe for Strawberry Salad.  It is a good recipe for any season because it uses frozen strawberries, canned crushed pineapple, & fresh bananas.  Sugar free gelatin can be substituted for those watching their sugar intake.  I often serve this at the end of the meal for a light dessert. 

STRAWBERRY SALAD
1 (6-oz.) pkg. strawberry gelatin
1 c. boiling water
1 (20-oz.) can crushed pineapple

3 med. bananas, chopped
2 (10-oz.) pkgs. frozen sliced strawberries, in syrup
 2 c. sour cream


In a medium bowl, combine gelatin and boiling water. Stir until completely dissolved.

Add un-drained 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. 

Confectionately  Yours,

Sue

Christiana & The Artist

I’m not generally envious of others, but I found myself feeling so the morning my Pastor related a story about my friend Christiana.  You see, she thought up a positively brilliant way to encourage Preacher & his family.  He shared it with us that Sunday morning.

One of the greatest joys in Preacher’s life are his grandchildren.  His grandson Bo has Down’s Syndrome & is an extra special blessing to them. 

When I first met Bo, he was 6 months old with many health problems.  His condition was a shock to the family initially, but every accomplishment these past 18 years has been celebrated as blessing from the Lord.

Bo loves to sing & draw.  One day a letter arrived at his home with a check inside.  My friend Christiana had commissioned Bo for some artwork.  Her letter to him requested a drawing of his choice, stating that she wanted it before He became famous & she wouldn’t be able to afford his work.  Christiana has a quirky sense of humor I just love!!

Bo was so excited about this.  He spent days working on the piece.  His mom, Tina, told me that even now, Bo will refer to his commissioned work stating, “I can’t believe someone would pay me for my art.”

Christiana saw Bo’s giftedness & valued it.  She affirmed him, & in turn, blessed his parents & grandparents, too. She has inspired me to look for creative ways to encourage.

We are told in scripture to bless others, ESPECIALLY in the household of faith.

I have asked Christiana to share one of her favorite recipes with me.  

This is the promised recipe from my friend Christiana, in her own words.   :-)  She is an avid gardener, and is one of the few women I know that hunts & fishes with enthusiasm.   I love how we can find common ground as believers in Christ, but how we are as different as night & day-enjoying & celebrating those differences in each other. Christiana........ Okay, this is one of my 'camping' fish recipes. I swallowed a fish bone last year, so I only use skinned/filleted fish now. Vegetable oil (expect to spend $3-$5 for a small bottle at a typical bait-shop store) 1-3 fresh fish fillets, cut into 1 inch strips Flour (1-2 cups or about 4 handsful) 1 lemon (best to pack a sack of lemons to take) 1 egg, beaten Salt/Pepper Paper plates Paper towels Frying pan Tongs Stove (or electric hot plate) Line up four paper plates in a row. Place fish on 1st plate, flour on 2nd plate, beaten eggs on 3rd plate, and more flour on 4th plate. Cut lemon into good sized wedges and squeeze juice over both sides of fish. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Dredge fish in flour on 2nd plate, roll fish in beaten egg on 3rd plate, and carefully place fish on flour in 4th plate. Sprinkle flour over both sides of fish, carefully so you don't rub off all the good stuff. Repeat steps until all the fish is coated. I usually just leave the fish on the 4th plate until it's all ready to fry. Wipe hands on paper towel (trust me, you can't skip this step). Heat frying pan and about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of oil until it's hot. Add prepared fish and fry, turning once, until browned on each side (usually a few minutes per side). When done, put fish on a paper towel-lined plate or two. Enjoy! Confectionately  Yours, Sue

Removing Silly Putty

Hi, this is Sue Murphy, and I have a Circle of Friends household hint for you.

Have you ever had a good intention backfire on you?  I recently removed the cushions on my less-than-a-year-old sofa to discover a wad of something I couldn’t readily identify.  It would not come off.  I couldn’t imagine what it was. 

I racked my brain!! It suddenly dawned on me that the silly putty I had given a child in a Christmas stocking was now cemented to my sofa and a cushion, too!!  My first thought was that old grim saying, “No good deed goes unpunished.”  Isn’t that a lie Satan wants us to believe to keep us from doing good things?

Our first Christmas without my husband was a miserable experience.  My kids and I tried to have our normal holiday, but the traditions of the past hurt too much without Greg.

 

The next year we decided to find a family to minister to.  We had a ball finding just the right toys and games for each child.  It was a help to them, and joyful for me and my children.  However, I digress.  There was a gob of silly putty attached to my sofa to contend with!!

I gently scraped as much of it as I could, then applied a coating of WD-40.  It softened the putty, and using the edge of a dull knife, I was able to scrape the once hardened goo off the fabric.  It took some patience, and more than one application of WD-40, but I kept at it.  Once the putty was gone, I cleaned the area with rubbing alcohol to remove the residue of the WD-40, then cleaned it with a grease removing dish-washing soap, and rinsed with a damp cloth.

My sofa was good as new!!

This whole episode reminded me that just like that silly putty, sin is pleasurable for a season.  When the fun is gone though, it leaves a hardened shell around our hearts that is impossible to remove on our own…just like that Silly Putty.  But when God’s WD-40, the Holy Spirit, is applied to that hardened heart, it softens, sin is confessed, forgiven, and behold we are new again.

I am so grateful for God’s unfailing love and patience with this sometimes wayward child of His.

I am Sue Murphy,Silly Putty free, and..... 

Confectionately  Yours

Recipes Can Be a Legacy

Childhood Chocolate Cake Recipe

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.  I never think of her 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.

CHILDHOOD CHOCOLATE  BUTTERMILK 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.

Note: Test your candy thermometer by placing in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes.  Don't let the tip touch the bottom of the pan.  Water boils at 212 degrees, so whatever the thermometer registers in the boiling water IS 212 degrees.  SO, if it registers say, 210, simply adjust your cooking time by 2 degrees lower than 234.  (I hope that is not "clear as mud."  :-)

Confectionately  Yours,

Sue

Full of Beans

WE have a saying down South for a person full of energy, fun & mischief.  We say…they are “full of beans.”

This reminds me of my pastor, whom we affectionately refer to as simply, “Preacher.”  His energy seems boundless, & his sense of fun, never-ending. 

I had the opportunity to see him in action firsthand the year my entire family attended Junior camp when we returned to the Midwest. 

Preacher set up an elaborate scheme, pitting the Junior boy & girl campers against one another.   The boys had flour bombs & the girls, water balloons, hidden behind their backs.  Each group thought they were ambushing the other.

In actuality, Preacher, with the skill of a major general, positioned each group for attack, then sat back & watched the battle. 

It was hysterical to see the outcome!  Flour & water together make a gluey mess, & the kids realized too late they had been “had.” 

Over the years, my family has enjoyed many meals with him & his sweet wife, Kay, around the table sharing funny stories.  His recent birthday reminded me that even as a 70 + year old, Preacher is still “full of beans.”

It is encouraging to me to see a man of God still full of faith and enthusiasm for the Gospel after 40+ years of following his calling.  I am sharing today my recipe for what else?  Beans, of course.

I made a big pot of soup beans seasoned with onion, garlic, & a meaty ham bone.  This and some crusty cornbread baked in a black iron skillet, with some lemon sugar cookies will be my birthday gift to Preacher this year.  He literally will be “full of beans.”  

Ham & Beans

HAM AND BEAN SOUP

1 lb. dried beans (pinto or navy) 

1 c. chopped celery

A meaty ham bone or smoked ham hocks

 1 large onion, finely chopped

1 T. chicken soup base or to taste

1-2 c. ham, chopped

1 tsp. ham soup base or drippings leftover ham

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 T. dried parsley

1/2 c. shredded carrot 

2 cloves garlic, minced

Wash and pick through beans discarding any blemished or shriveled ones. Place in a 

large bowl and cover beans with water, about 3 quarts. Allow to sit overnight.

For a 

quicker method, you may also place beans in pot, cover with water and  bring to a boil.  

Remove from heat and allow to sit for 2 hours.

 

Drain soaked beans and cover with 

fresh water, about 2 inches higher than level of beans. Add the ham bone, vegetables, 

 

and seasonings. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender, 

 

about 1-2 hours.

 

Taste the broth and adjust seasonings during cooking by adding 

 

additional soup base or garlic to taste. Add additional water, if needed. Soup should 

be salty enough due to the soup base and ham. Serve with hot corn bread.   

This soup 

 

may also be cooked for several hours in a crockpot and it also freezes well.

 

Note: I purposefully buy ham with a bone just for this dish. The little bits of meat left

over from a ham dinner also find their way into the soup pot along with the 

 

concentrated drippings in the bottom of the pan. This is what I consider real comfort 

 

food.

 

A Cord Not easily Broken

A $10 label maker has become my best friend in this process of organizing my life a little better. I highly recommend them.  I actually bought 2-one for upstairs and one for downstairs.  Organization is an ongoing process & I needed tools at hand and easily accessible if I was to make headway.

There was a particular incident that precipitated this ongoing to desire to get organized.

About 4 weeks after the death of my husband, I began the daunting task of going through his things.  I was so overwhelmed with all that had to be done, but I had to start SOMEWHERE.

I got 3 large snap top plastic boxes and labeled them “Keep” “Donate” and “Toss.”  The “Keep” pile I would divide and conquer another day.  However, I began finding black cords to electronic gizmos.  There were electronic devices, too, but I had no idea what went with what.  Many of the cords were a tangled MESS.

I started a new box & all cords and electronics  went into it.  One night while watching a movie, I tackled THAT box.   Each individual cord was painstakingly untangled and placed in a plastic bag.  I do not exaggerate when I say there were over 60 cords!!

 

As I worked on that project, I was reminded of Ecc 4:12 that speaks of a three fold cord not easily broken.

There were friends in my life that stood in the gap for me during this time of crisis were like this three-fold cord. Their simple presence showed me cared & I was not alone. They hugged, they listened, they prayed for me.  There is strength in numbers. :-)

When life is disorganized and chaotic, if you feel alone in your hurt today, turn to that Three-fold cord that cannot be broken-the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit.   I am confident of comfort, provision, and a peace that passes understanding.  God’s Word promises!! & our God always delivers.

Confectionately  Yours,

Sue

Eccl 4:9 Two [are] better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

¹⁰ For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him [that is] alone when he falleth; for [he hath] not another to help him up.

¹¹ Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm [alone]?

¹² And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Stuff

With 20 years as a military wife to my credit, I have seen the advantages of going through our belongings on a regular basis and purging the excess or unused items.  A military family is allotted just so much weight allowance for their household goods.  Any excess and they pay the difference.

When my husband took a civilian job, we did this less frequently because we moved less often.  It is still a good idea to go through closets and storage at least once a year.

Lately, I have been praying God’s help with organizing my life better.  This has been foremost in my heart since I began the process of downsizing 32 years of accumulating stuff.  Finding what I need when I need it prevents extra stresses in my life & getting rid of stuff I do NOT need clears clutter, also stress reducing.

Spiritually speaking, I also think one needs to evaluate the clutter of emotions & irritations with others or situations in life that can prevent us from seeing the blessings from God.  We can lay our burdens at His feet & praise Him for His willingness to lift them from our shoulders.  God can bring peace of mind even when things are weighing us down, & He LOVES to hear our praise.

Today  I will share a slow cooker recipe for chili that can cook all day while you tackle just one clutter filled area of your home.  A good dinner & the satisfaction of job completed and a life just a little more organized will be your reward.

Confectionately  Yours,

Sue

CHILI
2 lbs. ground beef 
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (omit if you don't like it hot)
2 (16-oz.) cans tomato sauce 
4 (16-oz.) cans pinto beans
1-1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 med. onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 c. water
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 can diced green chilies
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced
2 tsp. cumin
3 T. chili powder
Salt, to taste
Sharp cheddar, grated
Fritos Corn Chips
Brown ground beef over medium heat and drain fat. 

Add the rest of the ingredients in a large pot and simmer over low heat. Stir every 15 minutes for 2-3 hours(the longer,the better) or place in crockpot on high for 6 hours or low for 8 hours. Top with fritos
and cheese when serving.  Makes at least 3 quarts.

Note: A chipotle pepper is a smoked jalapeno and is usually in an adobo sauce. There are several in one can and I divide out the peppers with sauce into snack size plastic bags (enough for this recipe). I place the tiny bags into a freezer bag and you got it...I freeze them for future chili. Be sure to date and label bag so you can find it when you need a chili fix.