Fresh Strawberries out of season

 

How many of you love to pick strawberries? If you’re like me you love to go and pick them fresh off the plants but then you you feel you have to eat them within a couple of days or they all go bad. So you find yourself making strawberry shortcake, strawberry pie, strawberries & cream, And just about anything strawberry you can think of. My mother-in-law taught me a trick years ago and it’s become my favorite of ours. 

When you purchase or pick your strawberries fresh from the strawberry patch, cap them all then rinse. Divide them & place them in quart size freezer bags with 1/2 cup to 3/4 cups of sugar. I usually divide them in small portions so that I can pull them out for single servings. Then place in the freezer. 

When ready to eat pull them out and let them thaw in the refrigerator 6 to 8 hours where on the countertop two hours.

You’ll be so surprised how fresh and delicious they taste just as if you just picked them😊

A marriage for keeps

 

This morning as I was getting ready for work God spoke to me and laid on my heart that I had a word I needed to share.  You see it’s a sensitive subject to many but one that I feel I need to speak about.  Let me start by prefacing that I am NOT a gifted writer.  There will be many grammatical errors so just overlook those nowJ Let me also say I am NOT a marriage counselor or expert but I do feel that because of my personal experiences I can help someone who is seeking answers on how to enjoy a healthy relationship that is on fire with love & passion even after 16 years(and that’s no lie). 

I am a woman, a wife, and a mother.  As I enjoyed a little time with my husband this morning I realized how thankful I am for the relationship I have with this man I get to call my husband.  That title is not a title to be taken lightly or for granted.  I am always very careful to say God blessed me with anything but I can truly say God has blessed our marriage. Not because we are special. Not because we are perfect. But because we strive to seek Him first then make sure our marriage is our first priority under our relationship with God. 

As a kids minister, I have been given the opportunity to have many conversations with some of my sweet moms.  Moms with kids all ages and So often I hear them say…. I love my husband but my kids take up our time. Our kids are our priority. Our kids and their events are whats important to us.  Let me tell you in as much love as I can type…..You are WRONG!!!  Your relationship will never succeed unless you change your priorities. 

Our kids are important. God has entrusted them to us to raise them in his knowledge. But we are failing if they get our complete attention while our marriages suffer. Your children need to see a healthy marriage. They need to see love. Even if it grosses them out sometimes hehe. Moms it’s OK for your children to understand that they are not first priority in your life. In turn if you teach them where they line up in what is the most important you are doing them a huge favor on how they will one day treat their spouses. 

Ladies your husbands need to know the importance they have in your life. They need to hear the words of affirmation. But not only words they need to feell the words of affirmation in your actions. I get it we all are exhausted by the end of the day from taking care of our kids. However there’s many simple things you can do to continue that spark that every marriage needs. I thought I would share a few tips that might be helpful.

 

1. Pray above all things! First and foremost shower your marriage with prayer and devotion every single day. Pray together with your spouse but also have intimate time with God daily praying FOR your spouse. Pray for protection as well as strength. For so long I poured so much into my husband and I realized I had made him my top priority. I had to back away and fall in love with Jesus over again and only at that point was I able to truly love my husband with everything I had. 

2. DATE YOUR SPOUSE!!!! I cannot emphasize this enough… Get dressed up, make dinner plans, even if you have to call your kids minister to babysit your kids. We have date night at least once a month & lunch or breakfast dates weekly.  Don’t have a babysitter that’s OK… if your kids are old enough, Put a movie on in one room and tell your kids you’ll be in the next room enjoying an in home date night! Or stay up one night a week (even if it takes lots of caffeine) and watch a movie with your hubby after you get the kids in bed.  

 3. Take care: Ladies men are visual so take care of yourself. If your spouse works outside of the home make an effort to spruce yourself up a little bit each night so when he comes home so that he’s not meeting a ragged exhausted mom but rather is welcomed by a woman who loves him and is trying to give him her best. Ladies this one is important because majority of men are in work places where there’s lots of ladies. When they come home to a spouse in their pajamas & unwashed hair on a daily basis it’s very easy for them, because they’re (men) visual to begin to have feelings of longing for something else.  

 4. Be romantic!!! Although this is something most women love not all man are romantic people so don’t always expect something in return. Send love notes in your husbands lunchbox. Random love text through the day can really speaks volumes. Write a love note on your husband‘s pillow. By his favorite candy bar and leave it by the coffee pot for him to receive in the morning when he wakes up. Be creative but also MAKE TIME TO BE INTIMATE!!! While intimacy can look many different ways its super duper important that you share intimacy in all ways. From love notes, to pillow talks, to love making with your spouse.  MAKE it happen because ladies truth is if you don’t give them intimacy there are many ladies out there on the prowl willing to give it to them.  Don’t let that happen!

5. Affection is affirmation. Get in the habit of kissing each other before either of you leave home. My husband works in the basement now but he always kisses me every single morning before he goes to work. We NEVER leave home without a kiss and those times are so very dear to my heart.

6. Be careful of the company you keep! While friendship is wonderful, going out on a regular basis with friends can be dangerous. No I’m not talking going out for dinner with a girlfriend or going shopping. I’m talking weekly night outs with ladies. It’s very easy to get caught up in that lifestyle and can only lead to destruction. It’s also very important that when you have marital problems you do not discuss this with ladies who are having similar marital problems or those going through messy relationships at the time. You will be told exactly what your ears want to hear for an easy fix. But it’s not a God fix.

7. Listen & Live life together! Take an interest in what your husband says. I know sometimes we may have zero interest in hearing about their work or business opportunities that happen during their day but that’s important to them to share with you. We often say our husbands never listen to us but women are just as guilty. Its also important to find a way to love the things they love.  For instance I am a city girl but it was really important to my husband years ago that I understand his love for hunting and so I got involved in the sport.  Its amazing the experiences we have had together from just that and he LOVES taking every chance he can to brag about meJ

8. Guard your heart! Ladies what do you watch on TV? What kind of books are you pouring into your mind? What music do you listen to? Ask yourself is this something that will help my marriage or make me have more expectations of a unbiblical ideas about love. Many of these things are fanaticized, made up , and unrealistic and they CAN destroy your union.

 9. Parent together!!!! This does not mean you say “wait till your daddy gets home”. And as soon as they walk in the door we bombard them with discipline issues they need to take care of from your children. We have a rule at our house if our sons have disciplinary issues while they’re in front of me I handle the issues then. And vice versa. Support each other( unless it’s an abusive situation) when disciplining your kids. Children will quickly know how to play one parent or the other so it’s so important to be on the same page.

10. Live as ONE!! From worship to home we should live as one body.  As we are commanded in Mark 10:7-8  “Therefore a man shall leave his mother and father and hold fast to his wife and the two will become ONE FLESH!!” Its very easy to get caught up in you do your thing and I will do mine but that’s a direct defiance of what Gods desire is for a husband & wife. We are in this together  and meant to be ONE!

 

Ladies I’m not asking you to be Stepford wives. I’m asking you to be a faithful loving servant of God. We are called to be helpmates. In Genesis 2:18 it says “ Then the Lord God said it is not good that a man should be alone. I will make him a HELPER fit for him.“ We were created to be a helper that is what I want to urge you to do daily. 

Marriage is hard!  Marriage is tricky! Its not always candlelight & roses.  But it’s also the greatest joy that I have been given besides my salvation.

I mess up often.  I have many annoying habits like most of us. I can be a bit obsessively jealous at times, I tend to keep a messy car that truly bugs my husband.  But he has a few things as well that drive me insane.   We ARENT perfect people but we serve a PERFECT God together and we BOTH have committed to follow our Heavenly Fathers guide and keep our marriage set on the firm foundation from HIS ROCK!!!My desire is that you as well will strive to build your marriage on the ROCK because it will NEVER crumble.

 

 For years I have eaten my Mother in Laws no bake cookies and wondered why mine never turned out perfect like hers.  During quarantine this year I decided to perfect my recipe so here it is. Tried and true. Always turns out and never runny or dry and crumbly.

Ingredients

2 cups sugar               1/2 Cup milk(2%)              1/4 cup cocoa              1 stick of butter(i use blue bonnett)

3/4 cups peanut butter        1 teas vanilla            3 cups of oats

Bring sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa to a boil. Boil hard for 2 minutes(no less or they wont turn out perfect). After boiling remove from heat and add your vanilla, peanut butter, and oats.  Stir well then drop by spoonfuls on wax paper. Will set up in 10 minutes.  

*Important note you will usually have to make multiple batches of these because they are gone instantly

Boiled Cabbage

As a Southern Girl you might be surprised to here that I am NOT a fan of boiled cabbage.However, my husband loves it. I decided to perfect a recipe that would knock his socks off and compliment his bowl of pintos an cornbread.  I would like to state that my husband enjoys everything I usually cook but for the first time ever my husband said its the BEST hes ever had.  I thought I would share :

1.  Cut Cabbage removing the hard stem. Slice each quarter into 1-inch wide strips.
2.  In a large pot, add 2 tbsp butter, 2 TBSP olive oil, 1/2 tea. seasoning salt, 1/2 teas salt & pepper, & cabbage.
3. Stir in 2 cups of chicken broth and mix until coated.
4. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce heat to medium low.
5. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until cabbage is tender. Do not overcook.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

Tis the season for yummy pumpkin recipes so each year.  Here is an easy recipe for the most moist delicious pumpkin spice cupcakes topped with a delectable Cinnamon Cream Cheese icing.

Cupcake Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1 tsp. pumpkin spice pie mix
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup Pure Pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs


Frosting recipe:
1 1/2 stick softened butter
1 block cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar (more as needed for desired consistency)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon


Preheat oven to 350.
Mix flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cnnamon, pumpkin pie spiceand stir until well blended. I large mixing bowl blend together remaining ingredients beating in eggs one at a time.  When combined mix in dry ingredients until blended.  Scoop into muffin pan filling 3/4 full and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely before adding frosting.

In small bowl blend cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar until desired frosting consistency. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon.  Add frosting to cooled cupcakes and enjoy!

Mexican Lasagna

This delicious recipe can be made in the crock pot or in the oven if you prefer.  Its simply delicious and so easy. It can be made with lasagna noodles or tortilla shells. My boys prefer the tortilla shells.

Ingredients:
Ground Beef (2 lbs)
3 packs Taco seasoning
1 jar cheese con queso
1 jar salsa
1 block cream cheese
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 pack of flour tortilla shells ( or 1 box lasagna noodles)

Topping
Lettuce
Sour cream
Tomatoes

In preparation for layers, brown ground beef and mix with 2 packs of taco seasoning and 1 cup of water. Add 2 heaping spoons of the cheese con queso and Let simmer on oven while preparing your other layers.  Mix 1 block of cream cheese with 1 pack of taco seasoning and stir until well mixed.

Spread small layer of salsa across bottom of crock pot.
Lay 2 round tortilla shells on top of salsa (or cooked lasagna noodles if you prefer)
Spread thin layer of cream cheese/taco seasoning on top of shells.
Spoon layer of meat mixture.
Spread small layer of salsa on top of meat.
Top with a layer of shredded cheese (last 30 minutes of cooking).

Continue layers (as with any lasagna~I usually get 4 layers out of mix)
After final layer of meat and salsa add top tortilla shell layer. SPread layer of cheese con queso and cover with remaining shredded cheese. Best results to top with the shredded cheese the last 30 minutes in the crock so it doesnt get too overcooked.

Cook on low for 3 hours or high for 1-2 hours.
If cooking in oven, prepare in casserole dish and back covered for 25 minutes then top with shredded cheese and bake uncovered an additional 10 minutes until cheese has melted completely. Cut and top with favorite taco toppings:)

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

So a friend of mine posted an easy recipe for Pumpkin Spice cupcakes that were only 3 ingredients and lowfat as well/. I added my own cinnamon cream cheese frosting and it made for a perfect taste.  I thought I would share the recipe with those of you looking for a yummy easy fall treat:)  (sorry I didn't get a picture of them before they were devoured).

Cupcakes
Spice Cake Mix
2 cans pumpkin
2 tbsp. vanilla

Mix all three ingredients until well blended. Batter will be a little thick. Spoon into cupcake pan and bake on 350 for 25 minutes.  (Note:  these tend to be very dense so may not appear done but they are)

Allow to cool then add frosting.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 stick of butter (softened)
1 block of cream cheese (softened)
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tea. vanilla
2 teas. ground cinnamon

In stand up mixer beat butter and cream cheese until blended. gradually add powdered sugar until desired texture is reached.  stir in cinnamon and vanilla. Let set up in fridge for 30 minutes then apply generously to cupcakes:)

These were so much better the 2nd day after they had set over night.

Happy Fall Yall