Sunflowers & Sweet Tea

Hi Everyone - I've been canning and running this week -- you'd think I'd be skinny!  I made pear relish and pear honey.  If you've never had either, let me recommend both to you...they are just yummy.

Several people have asked me how to serve these two items and the obvious would be to put pear relish on fresh vegetables - such as peas and greens.  It's also great on grilled meats - especially pork and fish -- haven't tried it on chicken but I bet it'd be great!  I ventured out a little and put it on a deli type sandwich this week -- lightly toasted sub roll, a little lite mayo, fresh deli turkey/ham, a little lettuce, and pear relish -- the subtle sweet/hot in it -- whew!  delish!!

Pear honey tastes a lot like preserves but it's not quite as thick.  Pancakes, biscuits, and french toast would soak up this goodness - but what about putting it in baked sweet potatoes, over ice cream or topping warm pound cake!  Makes my mouth water just to think about it!

Next week is salsa week at the Drinkwater cantina...so excited!  I bought fresh cilantro, fresh jalepenos, and fresh organic garlic today -- hoping to go get tomatoes Monday or Tuesday -- yummmmmmmy!!

My dear friend, Leisa, forwarded a quick tip for removing ticks that I wanted to pass along -- I know that is a paradigm shift from preserves to salsa to pesty insects - but the ticks have been bad this year -- so here you go -- if a tick is "stuck" to your skin or pet's skin, put a drop of dishwashing liquid over the body of the tick to cover it.  Let it stand on there and the tick will remove it's stinger - he will be easy to remove when this happens and won't leave any dangerous residue in the skin.  Give it a try if you should happen to acquire one of this icky creatures!  :)  Thanks Leisa, for the great tip!

This week has been stressful and without going into a lot of detail, I would just like to ask you to pray for me and for my family.  We need direction, favor over our finances, protection on our journey and rest for our bodies.  I know very few people right now who are just having an easy, happy-go-lucky time and I know times are tough.  As Christians, we have always have a place to run and be safe -- The Name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run in and they are safe...Proverbs 18:10.  This whole chapter is a great commentary on the actions of the foolish and the wise and a reminder that we really can't find any security whatsoever in earthly addiction to "things, money or people".  I went to lunch and did a little window shopping with two of my favorite girlfriends today and in one of the stores we found ourselves surrounded by people who were just that...this store was filled with people grabbing at jewelry, showing off way more skin than necessary and rude to be first in line.  Very few people were friendly except the store staff and most were walking around completely oblivious to anyone else.  Outside the store, people were talking and had no consideration for anyone who might need to get by and weren't interested in offering help if necessary -- and when we walked to our cars, we were followed by vultures looking to swipe up our parking places as soon as we backed out into the mere 6 to 12 inches they gave us to get our cars out.  And yes...this is the SOUTH! 

I found myself claustrophobic in that store - it wasn't that it was crowded - it was the spirit of materialism pressing in on me so hard.  I'm not trying to be self-righteous - I'm sure I've been "those people" in my own life - but today it seemed heavier than usual for some reason.  I found myself wanting to run into my Strong Tower to be safe from that oppression.

Where do you run when you feel out of sorts?  Do you pick up your favorite comfort food or drink?  Do you disappear into the internet and ignore the world around you? Do you lean on the Lord, your Strong Tower?  Or do you feel overwhelmed, tired, and want to run as far as you can?  Maybe you're like me and do a little of all of the above...

Let's commit to run to the Lord when life presses in just a little too hard.  Let's remind ourselves to call out the Name of the Lord - YHWH - Jehovah Jirah, our provider, Jehovah Shalom - our peace - Jehovah Nissi, our banner, Jehovah Rapha - our healer...

May you run like Forest Gump (Run, Forest, Run!!) to your Strong Tower first rather than later as trouble comes your way....

I'll see y'all next week!! Love ya!  Amy

Roses & Chocolate Mint - feasting on God's Word

Well, it's that time again!  Hi friends, I truly hope that you are so blessed this week and that the Lord is shining His favor over your lives. 

I've been busy canning pear relish this week. It's such a beautiful relish.  The cooked pears are almost clear and the peppers look like confetti in the jars.  The pears are so sweet mixed with the tangy vinegar and the peppers add a little spicy kick making it just a lovely bouquet of flavors. 

As I was thinking about this wonderful combination, the Holy Spirit called to mind that this relish is a great physical example of the life of a Christian.  Our lives should be so clear that the sweetness of the Lord comes through.  It should be mixed with the confetti (color) of life in the good and the bad that falls along our paths.  As the vinegar cuts through the sweetness, so will the hard times in our lives.  It doesn't erase it, but it adds to the flavor and makes it richer and intriguing and interesting.  And the spice of our lives should come in the form of those people who add flavor to our lives as well - whether friends or family or both - the combination of it all makes for an interesting addition to the body of Christ and when the "meat" of God's Word is served - our lives become a great application of flavor.

I know this is an imaginative stretch - but it just seemed to be an interesting correlation - and I'm so surrounded by produce right now I guess that's the way my mind is geared.

God's Word tells us in Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men."

Just like salt adds flavor to food - relish adds flavor too.  My life has been mixed with good and bad, happy and sad, sweet and bitter, salty and spicy too.  I'm learning to be thankful and content regardless of my circumstances but it's not an easy lesson.  I'm eager to be on to better days but in these trying times, I'm learning to find the good in the small things.

I've had a challenging week with news that has come my way.  It's not been good news for the most part and I've found that there is not one single situation that I can remedy.  I'm trusting that God sees that I need more flavor in my life and maybe this vinegar is cutting through some of the heavy seasonings that have come my way.  But tonight, as I sit here typing this blog, there's a couple of sweet cats who are sleeping peacefully feeling safe and making me feel so loved.  As I shared dinner with my husband, he acted silly making me laugh until tears rolled down my cheeks.  I sought wise counsel from some friends on a purchase that needs to be made and they were so quick to offer sound advice and another dear friend has seen my weariness and has offered a place of rest if the timing becomes right.

We're all being tested and tried by fire right now.  May we be seasoned well and not become scorched in the process.  May we seek God daily for peace and comfort regardless of our surroundings and may our lips utter these words..."Lord, I'm going to trust You with the outcome of this situation."

We are a thread of much more than 1 strand.  If we join our hearts and minds together, intertwined with the Holy Spirit...we will NOT be easily broken.

You are a great people...and I love you -- Thank you for adding richness to the flavor of my life....Have an awesome day!!

Blessings!  Amy

Sunflowers & Sweet Tea

Hi Friends!  I hope you have had a lovely day.  I've had a busy couple of days with produce!  James and I picked pears and figs on Tuesday and today I made some homemade grape jelly and some fig preserves.  The pears are a little green so I'm going to work on them tomorrow.  Hopefully I can make some headway with at least getting them peeled and chopped and prepped for preserves (soaking them in sugar for 24 hours!)

The recipe I used for fig preserves today called for a baking soda soak before processing them into the actual product.  I did a little search for the reason behind this and found two reasons -- thought it was interesting enough to share with y'all!  You may already know this, but I didn't have a clue except from experience!  It seems that figs are cleansed by the baking soda and hot water and in some cases it can remove the bitterness that less ripe figs can bring into the mix.  It makes so much sense to me that it would "sweeten" the figs -- I made some preserves a couple of years ago with a different recipe and they were too bitter to eat.  Today, these were just terrific!  When I poured the hot water over the figs/baking soda - there was a chemical reaction of bubbling as if pouring vinegar over baking soda -- I didn't expect that either...

Food chemistry can be so much fun...making the preserves made the house smell so good and the sense of accomplishment made an otherwise kind of "down" day, end on a happy note.  Out of 7 quarts of figs, I now have a bounty of beautiful preserves and the grape jelly has come from grapes from our vines and the figs from the trees in our yard.  Such a meaningful thing to grow and preserve food like that...knowing that it's the rain, sun and God's love that has given us this beautiful fruit.

In life we have rainy days and sunny days ... and God's love is the fertilizer in our lives that causes our lives to produce beautiful "spiritual fruit" too.  If our days were always perfect like a warm spring day - without rain or cold or wind or storms, the ground would never be saturated with water good enough to be fertile.  My day today wasn't a happy day -- it was rainy and windy and stormy due to some "stuff" of life that is just going on here.  And yet, I am comforted in knowing that I'm not alone and that this rain, wind and storms is saturating my heart with compassion, faith, prayer and support and out of that the Lord will produce good fruit - an opportunity to share this experience with someone else or the opportunity to pray and fertilize the ground of someone else's heart. 

Today I posted on Facebook a request for prayer - no details - just prayer -- I was completely humbled by the number of people who committed to carry me before the Father today -- they sowed fertilizer into my life.  They fed my dry and weary soul with encouragement and love by their sacrifice of time on my behalf.  Never doubt that God was pleased by your care for one of His kids who was having a bad day.  When I couldn't sleep two dear sisters were online unable to sleep as well -- they breathed reason and encouragement to me to stay the course and trust God.   They fertilized my heart and soul, too.  To share a phone call with another dear sister and hear about her day gave me hope and an opportunity to encourage her and pray for her family. 

Friends, our Father is so faithful to provide for us exactly what we need.  It may not be a fancy car or big bank account - it may come in the form of a prayer warrior, encourager or a hug...as the song says, "He loves us way too much to give us lesser things". 

As we rise each morning, may we ask the Lord to help us look for ways that we can fill a need according to God's riches in glory.  May we be a drink offering to be poured out each day so that we are empty and ready to be filled again only as God can fill us.  May we be less focused on ourselves and the frustrations that come and more focused on our blessings and on blessing others in Jesus' Name.

One of my favorite verses is 1 Corinthians 15:58 - "Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for His Kingdom is a waste of time or effort." -- it is a reminder that large or small, great or insignificant - it's all important in God's economy. 

May the Lord bless you richly today and throughout the rest of the week...you are truly a blessing to me! 

Until next week....Love ya!  Amy

Roses & Chocolate Mint - feasting on God's Word

Hi Friends,

I hope you are having a great day today!  Since we are moving into the new schedule I've decided to split the blog name into 2 parts -- Roses and Chocolate Mint will be the devotional part and Sunflowers & Sweet Tea will be tips, tricks, recipes and ideas.  There's not a scientific or deep theological meaning or reason for this except that Roses and Chocolate Mint are really luxurious and fragrant as is the Word of God -- and Sunflowers and Sweet Tea just sound more casual and friendly as if we would be sitting down for a glass of tea and some cookies to chat at the kitchen table.

Today I'd like to spend sometime talking about forgiveness.  I know that we've been working through spiritual gifts and we'll get to that too, but today forgiveness seems to be something that just needs to be addressed.  Jesus tells us to "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" in the Lord's Prayer.  He tells us, "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven," in Luke 6:37. 

There are so many passages on forgiveness in the Bible.  And God warns us how the root of bitterness sprouts from a seed of unforgiveness.  Bitterness can rob our joy, destroy relationships, and destroy our lives and mental health if we don't forgive.  It can also carry over into future generations.  Do we really want to pass this "bad seed" down to our children, grand-children and their children?

What is forgiveness?  I used to think that forgiving others meant letting the deed that was done against me go away and make everything alright and "hunky dory".  But you know, that's not really what forgiveness is.

Forgiveness is giving up our right to punish the person for words said or deeds done.  Forgiveness doesn't mean that we have to be friends again.  It doesn't mean that we let the other person off the hook.  It doesn't even mean that the one who has hurt us escapes punishment.  When we refuse to forgive, we are telling God that we can punish that person better than He can - friends, that's pride -- God hates pride.  When we refuse to forgive, we become trapped and enslaved by our own feelings.  The person who has wounded us may not even know how we feel and are certainly not being held captive by our unforgiveness.  We are!  Unforgiveness makes us angry all the time.  Unforgiveness makes us focus on that person or the hurt all the time.  Unforgiveness causes us to relive hurt over and over again.  It causes us to focus on ourselves and our hurt all the time! 

When we make the choice to forgive - we release that person over to God to handle.  When we forgive, we are able to think about other things because we have allowed God to have control over that person and that situation.  When we forgive, we have the benefit of our prayers being heard again and our relationship with the Lord being restored and our lives becoming fruitful again.  When we forgive, we release the consequences of another person's crime, hurt or action over to God to do according to His Word and His Will.

Forgiveness really isn't a hard thing to do...holding a grudge takes much more energy and thought.  Forgiveness offers freedom if we'll allow it.

I think people make a much bigger deal out of not forgiving others because they make it much bigger than it is.  If we can just accept the real definition of forgiveness as "giving up our right to punish" and walk in the freedom of that meaning then it will help us to gain a better perspective on why God chooses to forgive us for our sins.

Remember, we will be forgiven according to the measure we forgive.  We will be judged according to the way we judge.  We will be blessed according to the way we bless others.  I don't know about you, but I am not perfect...I need forgiveness on a regular basis for my thoughts, words and actions.  I don't want to be judged according to the way I treat others when I act out of unforgiveness.  I'd much rather be blessed because I am a blessing to others.  My sins put Jesus on that cross - so did yours and so did the person who hurt you.  "All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23.

The older I get, the more I realize how imperfect I am.  I also realize how great God's grace is.  There have been too many times when I've said things I didn't mean, did things I didn't intend to and hurt others because I was hurting.  I don't deserve God's forgiveness, His favor, His mercy -- His Grace -- none of us do.  If God held a grudge, I'd be doomed.  But I'm not!  And none of us has to be! 

Dear sister or brother, if unforgiveness has wrapped it's chains around your heart and you've lost your joy -- whether you are in the best or the worst of circumstances, please relinquish your pride and choose, THIS DAY, to give up your right to punish those who have hurt you.  If you feel as though your prayers aren't being heard or answered, consider that there may be someone who needs to be forgiven -- and it may be yourself.  We're all so hard on ourselves and other people these days...Let's choose to Walk in the light as you are in the Light!  Grace, Mercy and Forgiveness are fruits of the Spirit and bring so much freedom into our own lives.

If God can forgive us for putting His Son on the cross because of our sin -- I believe we have the obligation to forgive others when they hurt us...

Matthew 5:44-48: But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.  If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.




Be blessed in Jesus' Name!  Love you!! Amy

New Blog Schedule for Summer

Hi Everyone -- These first few months of blogging have been trial and error to see how much I could do in a week and as you've probably noticed, I've been late or behind or have skipped days lately.  I'm so sorry for the inconsistent schedule -- Summer seems to have thrown me a curve ball... :)

I've decided to cut back to 2 days for a while...probably till the end of summer to see how it goes.  I'm going to do a devotional and/or continue the spiritual gifts study on 1 day and then I'll do recipes/tips/tricks, etc. on the other day. 

What I've run into now is that we have lots of stuff coming in from our garden and fruit trees and the heat and rain is making it ripen so fast that I can't get it canned or frozen.  We've also been attacked by sugar ants that are getting into the produce too and I just don't want this wonderful bounty to go bad...add that into my already crazy schedule and it's just gotten to be more than I can get done in a day.

I LOVE writing this blog though and the feedback I've gotten has been so positive so I'm not going to quit -- I just need to realign my schedule a little bit until I can get everything back on track.

I know you'll all understand -- you are all busy too!  I want to thank you for your continued support in reading the blog and sending me suggestions and comments.  I welcome your recipes, tips, tricks, etc. too!  You can either comment or email them to me at sunflwermin@aol.com and I'll give you credit in the posting.

I hope you enjoy the new layout and slideshow -- I just thought a change might be fun for awhile.

Have an awesome weekend.  I'll most likely post on Mondays and Wednesdays for a while -- there may be an occasional shift to another day if I'm out of pocket - but for sure I'm going to post 2 days a week.  Look for it on Twitter, Facebook and by email. 

Love y'all!!! Have a wonderful weekend!!! Amy

Wednesdays in the Word

Well, here we are - it's Wednesday!! Wow this week is hurrying by, isn't it! 

I'm afraid with my crazy schedule that I'm going to need to consolidate my blog.  I'm gonna pray about it and see where God leads, but I just don't want to throw something together for you guys to waste your time reading and I don't want to dishonor God's Word in doing so.   I'd ask that you join me in praying exactly how I should move forward with the blog postings.

Today's Scripture is Luke 22:31-34 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”  Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

This is part of a passage that I've been working through for the past couple of weeks.  I've kind of hung onto the words "Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat." and have been reading a lot of different translations and commentaries on this passage. 

What does it mean to be sifted like wheat and why would Satan have to ask to do so?  To be sifted like wheat means to get rid of the unusable parts of us - to peel away the layers of "life chaff" that have cloaked us that keep us from moving into the fullness of lives lived to glorify the Father.  When wheat is sifted it goes through several processes depending on it's future use.  If it's going to be used for feed for animals or for seed, the process isn't very long or tough.  If it's going to be used as a whole grain, it's not bleached and the fibrous grain remains more in tact.  If it's going to be made into flour, it is ground down to a fine powder and doesn't resemble it's original form at all.  Wheat berries have an eternal shelf life.  In fact, wheat berries have been found in tombs of rulers in Egypt and other ancient areas for the dead to carry food into the afterlife. Upon examination, the berries had not molded or decayed at all and were readily usable in their cleaned form.  Interesting parallel, don't you think! When Christians are sifted, we go through hard times.  We may endure seasons of loss, seasons of grief, seasons of financial hardship, fall away from our faith, etc. and we endure whatever it is in us that is impure or has a stronghold upon us that God wants to clear away to make us useful for eternity without decay or mold (pride or self-righteousness).  It's painful to be pressed and ground -- but the result produces such good fruit. 

Why would Satan have to ask God to sift Peter and the other disciples?  Because they were set apart as God's children.  Satan had no access to their lives without God's permission and direction and there were limitations placed on what he would be allowed to do.  Does it seem cruel that God would allow such pain to come into our lives or the lives of the disciples? 


If we believe that Jesus is God's Holy Son and have accepted Him as our Savior, we are sealed for all eternity as God's adopted children.  Because of this relationship, Satan no longer has access to us without God allowing it.  God sees into our hearts, thoughts, and motives and wants us to become more like Him - and pattern our lives to be like Christ.  When God sees that there is "junk" inside us that isn't useful or is a hindrance to this process, He allows us to be sifted by Satan in order to boil this stuff out of us.  Satan, however, sees this as an opportunity to steal us away or make us ineffective because our focus is disturbed.  If he can sift us hard enough, he can wear us down and make us ineffective at producing fruit for God's kingdom - which is part of his plan to steal, kill and destroy us in any way possible.  One comment I read was that Satan's motive in sifting Peter may have been to grind him into flour, thus rendering him no ability to reproduce or produce fruit again.  But God sets limits on Satan's sifting and keeps a close watch on His children during these seasons. 

James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." -- this follows James 1:2 that asks us to "Count it all joy when we encounter various trials, because these trials will produce perseverance...

Paul encourages us to "stay the course, finish the race".  Jesus tells us, "In this world you WILL have trouble, but take heart, for I have overcome the world."

Friends, I'm gonna say this and it's not easy - we need to find a way to avoid belly-aching when we are experiencing a little sifting season.  (I'm talking to myself too).  We need to dig deep and take a breath and praise God that He loves us enough to want to boil ourselves out of us.  We need to trust God when it seems there is no end in sight and things aren't getting any easier...and we need to rest in knowing that if God loved us enough to let His innocent son, endure poverty, humiliation, ridicule, pain and suffering and death in the worst form of execution known to man (see John 3:16), then a little sifting for us just doesn't compare, does it? 

I understand the frustration of it, I'm living right in the middle of a sifting season myself, and there are days I want to throw up my hands and scream.  But God always provides me with a reminder that there are others who are having it much worse than I am...and that I'm not made for this world - I'm made for eternity. 

If we're going to be sifted, let's be sure that the product that comes out is something that is useful and not the chaff that is taken away by the wind.  If God is interested in making us more like Jesus - then let's be sure that the Bread of Life doesn't grow stale in our temples...or that we store up the manna and let it sour and turn rancid.

Sifting is making us useful.  Sifting is making us pure.  Sifting is peeling away the layers of worldliness, selfishness, unforgiveness and ungodliness and what will remain will be tasty for the Father's table. 

Remember, God won't allow Satan to put more on you than you can endure - it may feel like it and you may argue that you won't make it -- but I bet you will...and so will I.  Mother Teresa once said, I know that God won't give me more than I can handle -- sometimes I just wish He didn't trust me so much!" --- Our ultimate goal should be to hear "Well Done, thou good and faithful servant - welcome home -- no enter into your rest!" -- and enduring this sifting season is part of the process.

If you are in a sifting season right now, let me encourage you to make a list of reasons why you are a miracle.  I did this as an exercise this week because I had gotten a little bit down.  When I put it on paper and saw it, I was truly amazed -- and I believe you will be as well.

I hope you have had a good Wednesday...and I pray that these words have blessed you this day.  You are so valuable and God loves you so much!!

See ya tomorrow....Amy

Kitchen Tuesday

Hi Friends!  Welcome to Kitchen Tuesday!  Hope you are having a great day!

I didn't cook much over the weekend, I'm sorry to say.  We were out and about so much that I didn't spend much time in the kitchen.  It was a welcomed break but I made up for lost time today.  I cooked my Mom a birthday dinner -- Roast with New potatoes, mushrooms, carrots and onions in a light sauce, corn pudding, fresh rolls and homemade peach cobbler and just a little bit of low fat ice cream on top!  It was mighty good.

I'm delighted to say that since I've been cutting back and trying to eat healthier, my appetite has gotten adjusted to smaller portions and that is such a good feeling!

I used a London Broil to roast and seared it in a hot pan to seal in the juices and then cooked it really slow in the oven with the potatoes and other veggies.

Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 pounds lean London Broil, trimmed of most all visible fat
rub with course sea salt and pepper and quick seer in a HOT iron skillet coated with about a Tablespoon of olive oil. 

While meat seers, chop veggies. 

5 or 6 new potatoes - quartered (washed)
2 stalks celery - cut into 1" pieces
1 large vidalia onion - quartered
2 garlic cloves  (you can leave these whole and just remove prior to serving)
3 or 4 carrots cut into 1" pieces
1 package of baby bella mushrooms or any of choice - sliced
1/3 cup or less white wine or beef stock

When meat is seared on both sides, remove and add another tablespoon of oil - place in a shallow roasting pan.  Toss in half the veggies and lightly saute -- just get the veggies to caramelize a little bit for taste and color.  Repeat the same process with the remainder of the veggies -- add just a little more oil if necessary but don't coat the pan - it should be hot enough now not to stick.  Put veggies around roast in roasting pan.  Deglaze the skillet with a little white wine or beef stock and pour over meat and veggies.

Place in oven that has been preheated to about 300 degrees.  Cover and Cook for about 2 1/2 hours.  Remove covering and test doneness of meat.  Return to oven uncovered and let the meat brown and the veggies continue to tenderize.

When done, remove meat and veggies to serving dish.  Place 1 tablespoon of butter in a small skillet along with 2 tablespoons flour.  Lightly brown flour and pour in pan juices (this should not be greasy at all - this meat is lean and the veggies will create more juice too).  Stir with a whisk to slightly thicken.  Pour over meat as a light sauce.

The corn pudding was just a simple country cook's recipe -- it's one of my favorite covered dish goodies and was great with this roast...I did use reduced fat sour cream to cut down on the fat content -- could not tell any difference!

Corn Pudding (preheat oven to 375 degrees)

1 can creamed corn
1 can whole corn kernels (do not drain)
2 eggs
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix

Mix all together and pour in lightly greased casserole dish.  Bake for about 45 minutes or till firm to touch -- don't over cook -- in fact, center may be slightly underdone but will continue to cook when removed from oven.  Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

Peach Cobbler

8 to 10 fresh peaches (peeled and sliced)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons white sugar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg

2 to 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Melt butter in iron skillet large enough to contain peach mixture.  Pour peach mixture into pan and cook until corn starch and sugars dissolve.  Let cool on stove.

Meanwhile, roll out refrigerated pie crust or make your favorite recipe for either 1 or 2 crusts...your choice!

If using 2 crusts - place the first crust in the bottom of a lightly greased casserole dish and bake at 375 until lightly browned.  Pour peach mixture over this crust.  Place the second rolled out crust over the peach mixture and place back in the oven.  Bake until this crust is lightly golden brown and peach mixture is bubbly.  Let stand about 10 minutes to cool.  Serve warm with low fat ice cream -- really delicious!

If you use only 1 crust - skip the first crust baking and just pour the peach mixture in to the casserole dish.  Be sure to lightly grease the dish.  Cooking time is approximately 30 to 45 minutes for a 1 or 2 crust pie once the first crust is cooked.

Enjoy!! Y'all stay as cool as you can....see ya tomorrow!! This week is flying by!

Verse of the Day: 



Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.‎1 Peter 3:3-4

Meaningful Mondays

Hello Friends!!! I hope today will be a good one for you. Mondays always seem to get away from me quicker than other days. But it's an honor and blessing to lead my precious girls in Bible study at noon at FBC Pell City. They bless me so much more than they'll ever know.


Ok...so we're back to our spiritual gifts breakdown and I think we'll take a look at the gift of Discernment. This gift can be both a blessing as a curse because the discerner has the ability to read motives and analyze people with uncanny accuracy. This can be difficult at times because this gift can be perceived as one of being judgmental.
There's a big difference in judging and discerning though. Someone who is gifted with discernment has an ability to feel and understand motives. They are able to read both sincerity and insincerity easily and have what seems to be "antennae" to know whether situations "feel" right or wrong. My husband has this gift and he truly amazes me with his ability to discern a situation. So many times I'm so quick to see the "good" in everyone and he will tell me to hold on and watch -- there's more to the situation than meets the eye -- and he's right! Makes me so mad -- not really -- it's a wonderful quality and a very special gift!

Those with a discerning gift are able to distinguish good from evil, truth from deception, right from wrong, motives, and recognize accuracy from inaccuracy with regard to Scripture and interpretation.

When operating in the Spirit, a gifted discerner can play such a vital role in the lives of other believers and in the church as a counselor, pastor, friend and confidante. They would do well to work with young people and in leading Bible studies. They are natural detectives and enjoy digging in to see if they can find an answer to a pressing problem or situation. Discerning saints should be careful to let their answer seeking come from God's Word first and other authors and texts second less they get mixed messages and fall into confusion.

If operating outside or away from the Spirit, they may struggle with confidence in speaking their perceptions, be highly critical, analytical and judgemental or may be harsh rather than speaking the truth in love. They may even begin to doubt their gifting if discouraged in this state. They become suspicious and even paranoid if not careful. Remember, outside the Holy Spirit's guidance, the spiritual gifts are always the direct opposite of what they are inside His direction. A wounded discerner has a hard time with forgiveness and trust and Satan will use that to "keep a good man down". Fight back with Scripture - which is Truth and the only way to resist the devil so he will flee.

Great career choices for someone with this gifting might be in areas of criminal investigation, law enforcement, teaching, military intelligence, legal or banking, counseling, youth ministry, pastoring. Medical diagnostics might be a good career choice too since it involves problem solving and asking questions.

In the church, someone with the gift of discernment would do well to serve on Nominating or Search committees, personnel committees, as counselors, teachers or in youth or children's ministries.

The ability to assess and analyze a situation is a wonderful gift and the body of Christ would benefit from listening carefully to what a person with this gift has to say about situations. They are the "wise friend" who just seems to understand the outcome of a situation as it should be - or seems to perceive something to be wrong before a full picture unfolds. They are able to predict outcomes by analyzing events and have great memories too.

If you have this gift, don't doubt your ability - trust the One who gave it to you and stay in the Word of God. It's so important to do so, because it keeps your senses clear and pure - the enemy will attack a discerner with confusion if not careful.

Some Scripture references for the Discerner include: 1 Corinthians 12:10, 1 John 4:1, 6 and Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 2:12-16 --

Peter had a gift of discernment - and Jesus actually used this gift to discern Satan speaking through Peter in Matthew 16:23.

As I said earlier though, it can be both a blessing and a curse -- be sure you check your motives and your heart before making a judgement call or else it might wound deeply if incorrect and out of the Spirit's direction. If someone lets you down or hurts you, don't hold a grudge - forgive. Remember all forgiveness is - is giving up your right to punish and giving the person or situation over to God. Withholding forgiveness is sin and rooted in pride because we are in essence saying that we can handle the situation better than God can. Holding a grudge or withholding forgiveness will separate us from God quickly...don't give the enemy a foothold.

Next Monday we'll continue with looking at prayer and intercession. Don't forget, if you haven't taken a gifts inventory in a while, please visit...http://www.teamministry.org/ and take the online spiritual gifts inventory there for free. They will email your results to you at no charge with a complete assessment of your primary and secondary gifts and where you can use them to build up the body of Christ...both inside and outside the walls of your local church.

I hope you have a wonderful day....see ya tomorrow for Kitchen Tuesday!!! Blessings! Amy

1 Corinthians 15:58 "Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for His Kingdom is a waste of time or effort."

Meaningful Mondays

Hello Friends!!! I hope today will be a good one for you.  Mondays always seem to get away from me quicker than other days.  But it's an honor and blessing to lead my precious girls in Bible study at noon at FBC Pell City.  They bless me so much more than they'll ever know.

Ok...so we're back to our spiritual gifts breakdown and I think we'll take a look at the gift of Discernment.  This gift can be both a blessing as a curse because the discerner has the ability to read motives and analyze people with uncanny accuracy.  This can be difficult at times because this gift can be perceived as one of being judgmental. 

There's a big difference in judging and discerning though.  Someone who is gifted with discernment has an ability to feel and understand motives.  They are able to read both sincerity and insincerity easily and have what seems to be "antennae" to know whether situations "feel" right or wrong.  My husband has this gift and he truly amazes me with his ability to discern a situation.  So many times I'm so quick to see the "good" in everyone and he will tell me to hold on and watch -- there's more to the situation than meets the eye -- and he's right!  Makes me so mad -- not really -- it's a wonderful quality and a very special gift!

Those with a discerning gift are able to distinguish good from evil, truth from deception, right from wrong, motives, and recognize accuracy from inaccuracy with regard to Scripture and interpretation. 

When operating in the Spirit, a gifted discerner can play such a vital role in the lives of other believers and in the church as a counselor, pastor, friend and confidante.  They would do well to work with young people and in leading Bible studies.  They are natural detectives and enjoy digging in to see if they can find an answer to a pressing problem or situation.  Discerning saints should be careful to let their answer seeking come from God's Word first and other authors and texts second less they get mixed messages and fall into confusion.

If operating outside or away from the Spirit, they may struggle with confidence in speaking their perceptions, be highly critical, analytical and judgemental or may be harsh rather than speaking the truth in love.  They may even begin to doubt their gifting if discouraged in this state.  They become suspicious and even paranoid if not careful.  Remember, outside the Holy Spirit's guidance, the spiritual gifts are always the direct opposite of what they are inside His direction.  A wounded discerner has a hard time with forgiveness and trust and Satan will use that to "keep a good man down".  Fight back with Scripture - which is Truth and the only way to resist the devil so he will flee. 

Great career choices for someone with this gifting might be in areas of criminal investigation, law enforcement, teaching, military intelligence, legal or banking, counseling, youth ministry, pastoring.  Medical diagnostics might be a good career choice too since it involves problem solving and asking questions.

In the church, someone with the gift of discernment would do well to serve on Nominating or Search committees, personnel committees, as counselors, teachers or in youth or children's ministries. 

The ability to assess and analyze a situation is a wonderful gift and the body of Christ would benefit from listening carefully to what a person with this gift has to say about situations.  They are the "wise friend" who just seems to understand the outcome of a situation as it should be - or seems to perceive something to be wrong before a full picture unfolds.  They are able to predict outcomes by analyzing events and have great memories too. 

If you have this gift, don't doubt your ability - trust the One who gave it to you and stay in the Word of God.  It's so important to do so, because it keeps your senses clear and pure - the enemy will attack a discerner with confusion if not careful. 

Some Scripture references for the Discerner include:  1 Corinthians 12:10, 1 John 4:1, 6 and Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 2:12-16 --

Peter had a gift of discernment - and Jesus actually used this gift to discern Satan speaking through Peter in Matthew 16:23.

As I said earlier though, it can be both a blessing and a curse -- be sure you check your motives and your heart before making a judgement call or else it might wound deeply if incorrect and out of the Spirit's direction.  If someone lets you down or hurts you, don't hold a grudge - forgive.  Remember all forgiveness is - is giving up your right to punish and giving the person or situation over to God.  Withholding forgiveness is sin and rooted in pride because we are in essence saying that we can handle the situation better than God can.  Holding a grudge or withholding forgiveness will separate us from God quickly...don't give the enemy a foothold.

Next Monday we'll continue with looking at prayer and intercession.  Don't forget, if you haven't taken a gifts inventory in a while, please visit...http://www.teamministry.org/ and take the online spiritual gifts inventory there for free.  They will email your results to you at no charge with a complete assessment of your primary and secondary gifts and where you can use them to build up the body of Christ...both inside and outside the walls of your local church.

I hope you have a wonderful day....see ya tomorrow for Kitchen Tuesday!!! Blessings!  Amy

1 Corinthians 15:58  "Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for His Kingdom is a waste of time or effort."

Tips and Tricks Thursday

It's Thursday!  It's Thursday!! It's Thursday!!!  I hope you have all had a good day!  I got my "roots" done and a good trim today and my teeth cleaned -- so I feel like a new woman!  Ha!!  The laugh therapy that comes with visiting my dentist's office and my hairstylists is so good for my soul -- they are dear friends and treasures to my life.  So Thank You for making me feel special today!

So, today is tips and tricks Thursday -- we have been attacked by ANTS!  I have been looking for a way to safely get rid of these little annoying creatures and read today that a spray bottle filled with dish washing liquid and water will not only keep them away but will kill them on contact.  I wish I had known that before my dear husband sprayed my good cutting board with ant spray!  Now I'm gonna have to get rid of that -- glad it was a yard sale find, huh!!  I'm gonna give it a shot -- these are the little bitty black ants that don't bite or sting but just hover around food and cooking areas -- pesty little things!

I saw a neat trick for baking Phyllo pastry on Ina Garten's show "Barefoot Contessa" yesterday that I thought I'd share.  Phyllo is a delicate pastry that is used in making lots of Greek pastry as well as many savory recipes too.  It can be found in most grocery stores in the freezer section and comes in a package that is sealed and in rolls.  For this recipe, Ina and a friend of hers (didn't catch her name) were making a lemon creme pastry that had sheets of phyllo in between the cream.  In order to bake and remove the pastry easily, they lightly coated a sheet of parchment paper the size of a half sheet baking pan with melted butter.  Then they placed a sheet of phyllo, buttered it and then added another and another to build to 4.  When the last sheet was coated in butter, they trimmed and then scored the pastry for ease in cutting and then coated another parchment sheet on one side with melted butter and added it to the top of the pastry.  The two sheets of parchment enabled them to transfer the pastry easily to the baking sheet.  Then they topped the pastry with another baking sheet and put in the oven -- They put the pastry in the oven and baked it like this for about 20 minutes.  When they removed the pastry from the oven, removed the baking sheet and then the parchment what remained was a beautifully browned pastry that was flat and easy to work with.  Then they allowed the pastry to cool and began to build the dessert.  I'll attach the link to the full recipe at the end of the post.  I was intrigued by this process because there are so many delicious uses for something like this.  Scoring this phyllo into triangles or large rectangles would make a delicious "stacked salad" layering or a unique vegetable lasagna with that could be assembled after the veggies and cheese cook and would have crunchy "noodles" in between the layers.  Or what about a crust topping for a chicken pie?  How about making layering this with softened ice cream for a delectable and impressive dessert.  The ideas are endless and I just thought it was a neat process -- so for you "foodies" - this would be a great thing to try!  :)

Here's the link to the full recipe:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/lemon-cream-fillo-napoleon-recipe/index.html -- looks so good!  :)  I'm gonna make this one for sure - may substitute chocolate for the lemon though!

This same show talked about adding dissolved unflavored gelatin to homemade custards -- they thicken better and are easier to handle if used in a layered dessert such as this.  Never had heard of that but thought it was a great tip.

My friend, Lisa, asked a question this afternoon about coating berries in flour before adding them to a wet mixture when making breads and muffins.  This is a great tip -- if you coat berries or nuts lightly with flour before adding them to your recipes, they will distribute evenly through your dough and won't sink to the bottom and burn.

For cobblers, I learned recently that if you will add two tablespoons of cornstarch to the sugar before adding it to your fruit it will coat the fruit and will make a smoother "sauce" in your cobbler filling. 

Decorating tip -- got more mint, basil, sage, thyme or dill than you can use for cooking?  Use it in your flower arrangements!  It's just lovely with daisies, sunflowers or roses and will add a fresh aroma to your home too!  If it blossoms, no worries, just add them to your cut flowers - so pretty!

Funny "Amy Adventure" before I go...most of you know that I drive a convertible.  I've found that people assume that someone who drives one has a carefree life with and that convertible driving is a luxurious thing....well, not always.  I drive a Saab.  Anyone who knows about these cars, knows that they are temperamental and quirky at best (sounds a lot like its owner).  Well, today as I was finishing up with getting my hair done, a lady came in and had her little girl with her -- Stacey was finishing up my hair and told me she was getting it all gorgeous to go mess it up with the wind in my hair in the convertible.  The lady said, "Oh, is that your car out there?  That's just gorgeous - it must be so great to have the option to drive with the top down all the time."  I smiled and told her absolutely it's a wonderful blessing to have that option -- right now, though, I don't have that option.  She looked at me funny.  I said, "Oh, I have a choice, but not an option."  She said, "What do you mean?"  I said, Well, right now I can't get the top up on my little cute car.  I have a choice - I can drive on sunny days...or not."  Someone else in there asked what I do on rainy days or if I get caught in the rain.  I said, "Well, I either stay at home or I pray."  And then I shared with them that I was at my Mother's house a couple of days ago and it was beginning to sprinkle.  I looked up at the Heavens and said, "Lord, you know my situation (situation being I couldn't get the top up on my car)...I'd so appreciate it if you could hold off this rain until I can get home."  I pulled out of my Mom's carport and began to drive home.  The rain got a little harder - still sprinkling though -- and I just knew I was gonna get caught by every light -- Not so...the lights were green and I was able to keep moving -- and when I got about halfway home...guess what?  The rain stopped and I got home, dry and just fine.  After I was safely parked and inside -- we got a wonderful rain shower.  So, I'm not sure if this little adventure is something that will happen every time I get caught in the rain, but I know that that night, God heard and answered my prayer...He really does listen! 

I need to get the car fixed, and will when the funds are available - but it's a trip to Atlanta and I have no idea how much it will cost -- but this redneck convertible IS fun to drive and gets me where I need to go -- I'm hot, have stringy hair, and a redneck tan when I get there...but it's almost paid for and it gets good gas mileage -- and I DO have the choice of driving with the top down on occasion -- right now the choice is made for me...I'm just glad it's not winter time!

Hope y'all have a great evening....Love ya!  Amy

"Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always."  Psalm 105:1-4

Wednesdays in the Word

Hi Friends,

In keeping with the rest of the week, I am posting tonight.  If you are all like me, the days seem to get busy and before you know it, the night is here and there's still a long list of things to do....

I spent this evening preparing for speaking engagement next week.  I had planned to attend our church's study on Revelation but got delayed in 3 different places and ended up arriving later than expected and would have missed too much of the study if I had gone on in -- and it would have been distracting as well.  So I chose to send my husband a text to let him know where I'd be and find a quiet place to study and see if I could make any headway on this speaking engagement.  To my amazement, God wanted an appointment with me because He had something really neat to show me in His Word!

If you read my post last week, you'll remember that I had been struggling with a song that I was preparing to sing at this same event.  I have been singing it over and over and have prayed over it and have sought God's direction in presenting something new about prayer to this sweet group of ladies -- something that they could grab onto and take with them as both a challenge and an encouragement to stay the course and maybe even dig a little deeper to find a new spark.

Little by little, Lord has begun to reveal to me that prayer isn't just one way communication.  It's not just about our requests, needs, cries, and pleadings -- it's truly communication -- and it requires two things of us -- attitude and action.  Our attitude should be of total dependence upon God -- and the action is to ask Him with a heart of faith.  The next step in this is to allow our spiritual eyes and ears to remain open to be ready to see and/or hear from God.  The song has a line in it that says, God loves us way too much to give us lesser things.  If our prayers are just a laundry list of needs or a wish list of hopes and dreams, then that's not true communication. 

Let's draw this out of the spiritual and into the physical for a moment...if we only spoke in lists to our spouses or children or co-workers everyday, would there be much of a relationship?  If we only asked for rewards and blessings from our parents without knowing them or loving them, would they be inclined to hear us?  What if we shared our hopes and dreams with our friends but really didn't care so much about theirs, would that be any kind of friendship?

I think that's what misses in our prayer lives.  So often, our prayers don't communicate a heart that wants much more than quick answers to selfish needs.  Oh sure, we have serious requests that we bring to our Father -- such as healing for those who are sick, salvation for the lost and restoration for those who have drifted away.  But sometimes we get so caught up in our habits of asking God to bless our food and listing our material needs that we end our prayers with "in Jesus' Name, Amen" and move on with our lives.  It's shallow communication at best with our Creator and Savior! 

 "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16)

This verse has followed me everywhere for the last week.  There are so many words in it that we, or at least I, don't use daily.  Effectual, Fervent, Availeth -- what do those words mean...and if the Bible says there is none righteous -- no not one...(Romans 3:10) then is it even possible for a human to pray this kind of prayer or in such a way?  Ok, so let's pull out the dictionary and define these words...

Effectual -- according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary -- this word means  "producing or able to produce a desired effect" 

Fervent -- is defined as:  1: very hot : glowing 2: exhibiting or marked by great intensity of feeling : zealous   (side note: there was an ad below this definition for Beyonce Knowles' new album -- I just thought that was kind of funny!)

Availeth -- is defined in 3 ways:  1.as an intransitive verb: to be of use or advantage : serve 2. as a transitive verb: to produce or result in as a benefit or advantage : gain — avail oneself of also avail of 3. general term: to make use of : take advantage of

So if we look at this verse according to these definitions then Productive, zealous prayers of the righteous man benefit, or make use of much --- hmmmm, it kind of talks in circles doesn't it. 

Productive, Intense Prayer produces benefits which are useful, productive and beneficial -- in other words, The more we pray, the more powerful we believe, the more powerful we believe, the more fervent or zealous our prayer life, the more powerful our prayer life becomes, the more productive our lives become -- the more productive our lives become, the more fruit our lives bear  -- the more fruit our lives bear - the more righteous we become -- the more righteous we become - the more glory we bring to God...

There is none righteous, no not one - except through the blood of Christ (Romans 3:21-24).  So if we go back and look at James 3:10 again -- we see that the "righteous man" is one who is under the blood of Christ -- the effective, fervent prayer life is a discipline and a gift that comes from a life devoted to Christ not for self-serving, self gratifying answers to prayer - but out of a heart that is passionately consumed with knowing God.  This type of personal relationship is so much more -- it's like Moses - a friend of God, it's like Abraham and Job, so trusting of God that in the face of losing all that they held dear believed that God was good regardless of circumstances.  Like John, so close to Jesus, that he could hear his heart beat at the Last Supper.  Like David, so zealous that he sought after God's heart with all his might.  Like Mary, willing to give up her life, her reputation, and her future out of her love and obedient servant's heart in bearing God's only Son, Jesus as a virgin.  Like Peter, so loyal to Christ that he gave up his livelihood, jumped out of a boat, cut off an ear, and died upside down on a cross.  Like Paul, whose life was so radically changed when he met Christ, that he changed his name, his direction, his mission and suffered greatly for the cause of Christ and wrote more books in the New Testament than any other...

So...the question lies in waiting -- are we praying effective, fervent prayers and are they availing much?  or are our prayers self-serving, done out of habit, or spoken eloquently for man's approval?

The truth lies in this -- if we are to become the person named in the message of James 3:10, all hell could rise up against us.  God bragged on his servant Job and Satan heard about it -- and things got much worse before they got better.  Are we up to the challenge - ready for the test?  Is Heaven noticing us?

Questions to ponder -- not easy ones to answer -- Heaven notices when our prayers are 2 way communication -- if answers don't come immediately, don't panic -- listen...look...watch...God speaks back to those who will.

I love you precious friends....see ya tomorrow...Amy

Kitchen Tuesday

Hello Friends -- I'm so sorry this is late -- I had to take my mom to the doctor today and am just now sitting down to the computer.  She's fine, just needed some adjustments made to her meds and a good talking to from her doctor about eating right. 

Speaking of eating right -- I've begun doing just that.  I'm so happy to report that I've lost about 15 pounds and my clothes feel so much better to wear.  I've given up sugar for the most part and have enjoyed eating more fruits and vegetables every day.  I was really worried about eating the BBQ foods of the 4th of July but made it through just fine.  I found that I really wanted the healthy stuff and not so much of the sweets and salty treats -- this is a major shift for me.  I will admit to having a little homemade "lowfat" ice cream and really enjoyed it -- but today the craving is gone -- I am just as happy with a cold piece of watermelon -- if not happier!  Thank you Lord for this major step in eating healthier!

I want to share a recipe for Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with you today.  It's really good if you make it a day in advance because it will give the flavors time to meld.  It's such an adaptable recipe that you can easily make more or less or thicken it or make it thinner depending on the type of pasta dish you plan to serve.  Here's the basic one:

1 pound of lean ground beef (ground turkey is fine too)
1 T. Olive oil
2 large cloves garlic - chopped finely
1 large or 2 medium shallots - chopped finely
2 bay leaves
3 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 t. dried oregano  (fresh oregano is wayyyy too strong)
5 or 6 leaves fresh basil
(If you don't like to use fresh herbs - use 1 heaping Tablespoon Italian Seasoning)
16 oz. chopped or crushed tomatoes
2 T. tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large iron skillet and place olive oil in to coat the pan lightly.  Brown and crumble ground beef.  Beef shouldn't be greasy if it's lean -- if you use a heavy meat, drain most of the fat off before adding the remainder of the ingredients.  Don't drain all the oil off or the sauce will stick and scorch.  Once meat begins to brown, add salt and pepper, garlic and shallots.  Mix and saute' until the shallots and garlic are tender.  Add all herbs except basil.  Pour in tomatoes and add tomato paste.  Let this simmer until the liquid reduces by about 1/3.  Chop or tear basil leaves and stir in.  Let simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes on low heat.  If you want to spice it up a little -- you can add red pepper flakes at this point.  If you are making this recipe ahead, allow it to cool and then place in the refrigerator. 

This sauce is good for canning if you'll just cook the sauce without the meat.  It will be thin though.  I have just found that canning the tomatoes and then making the sauce fresh is much easier and really tastes a lot fresher too.  

Suggestions for use:  Traditional spaghetti sauce -- great with Angel Hair pasta and garlic bread with a big fresh tossed salad.

Lasagna sauce -- double the recipe -- you'll need lots of sauce for this!  But its fabulous!!

Cheesy Mac -- cook the sauce, then add to macaroni and layer in slices of cheddar or fresh mozzarella cheese  --- so yummy -- but not low in fat!  :)

Spaghetti and Meatballs -- purchase an additional pound of ground beef and make small to medium sized meatballs by combining a small amount of buttermilk, some bread crumbs (1/3 cup or so), and some additional fresh herbs (basil, thyme, oregano) and salt and pepper.  Bake at 350 until golden brown.  MUCH easier than cooking on the stove!

Meatball hoagie -- use leftovers to make a great sandwich!!

Here's another good lowfat treat!

Lowfat Homemade Ice Cream

1 can fat free sweetened condensed milk
1 can low fat evaporated milk
6 cups organic low fat (2%) milk
1T. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs (optional)
1 1/2 t. vanilla

Mix eggs and sugar together until smooth.  Add milks, lemon juice and vanilla and mix until smooth -- mix will be thin.  Pour into freezer container (traditional ice cream freezer) and mix until frozen.  Let cure about 3 hours before eating and it will be light, cold and delicious!  Makes 1 gallon.

I hope you all have a great week!  I promise to do better with my 'BLOGGING' schedule.....

May the Lord bless you this week in your journey....Be strong in the Lord sweet friends!  He sure loves you!

Amy

Meaningful Mondays

Happy July 4th!!! I hope you've all had a great day and are celebrating our Nation's freedom with thankful hearts and with those you love!  I've grilled and cooked today and enjoyed a grand feast of BBQ, fixin's and homemade ice cream -- lots of fresh fruits and veggies too.  YUM!

I'm not going to write a long blog post today -- you won't have a lot of time to read it -- so go enjoy your friends and family and remember to thank the Lord for the blessing of freedom and live responsibly so as to not take this freedom for granted.  If you see a soldier or veteran - take a moment to thank them for their sacrifice -- if one is a family member or friend -- give them a big hug and thank them from me as well.

Be blessed - a blessing to someone and bless others in Jesus' Name....

Until tomorrow!  Praise God from Whom all blessings flow....Amy

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."  Galatians 5:1

"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love." Galatians 5:13