Tried and True recipes - DESERTS -

Today over at Kims you will be able to find some really wonderful deserts!! I have gotten soo many wonderful recipes this week and I just sooo appreciate Kim for hosting this wonderful Tried and True Recipe week! So without further ado...adue...aadoo?? however, you spell that word LOL here is our family's tried and true favorite desert(s).

This Apple Pie is AWESOME and it is sooo pretty but trust me it doesn't last long! My DH makes this for every holiday not just Thanksgiving. Our kids ask for it on birthdays as well. I must give honor to my late Mother-in-law ~ for this is her awesome and amazing recipe.

Apple Pie

5 -7 Granny Smith apples
3/4 to 1 c. sugar
2 T flour
3 T. red hots
2 t butter
dash of salt
pie crust ~ store bought or make your own

Peel and Core apples and slice thinly. Combine flour, sugar, red hots, salt and mix with apples. Line 9" pie plate w/ bottom of pie crust and fill w/ apple mixture. Dot with butter. Put on top of the pie crust pinching the sides. Save the extra crust and put aside. Slit top of the crust and sprinkle with a bit of sugar. Take the extra pie crust and use cookie cutters according to the holiday and cut out cute pie toppers and place on edge or in center according to how much extra dough you have. It makes such a cute added touch! Leaves for Thanksgiving, Trees for Christmas, Hearts for Valentines ~ you get the idea
Cook for 45-50 min @ 400' or until golden brown on top.

NOTE:::: LINE OVEN WITH TINFOIL BC THIS OOZES OUT BIGTIME! if you don't use a really deep pie pan

This is our other favorite desert and from my Nana. It is a classic but I just received this recipe last year so it is so very precious to me!

Classic Chocolate Sheet Cake

2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
2 sticks butter or margarine
1 c water
3 T Cocoa
2 eggs beaten
1 t. soda
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
stir flour, sugar, add salt. Combine butter, water and cocoa and bring to a boil. Mix with dry ingredients. Combine eggs, soda, vanilla and buttermilk and beat into mixture.

Grease and lightly flour 10x15 cookie sheet and pour in cake mixture.
Place in Oven 15-20 min @ 350'

While the cake is baking prepare the Icing!
1 stick butter
4 T cocoa
4 T buttermilk

Place butter is pan and melt then add cocoa and buttermilk and bring to boil. Remove and add 1 t. vanilla and 16 oz powder sugar.
Pour on cake as soon as it comes out of oven.

This is the BEST AND MOISTEST CAKE you will EVER eat!!!!

I want to thank all of you for your prayers yesterday while I attended my first rehab for my shoulder. Let's just say it was tough and it's gonna take a bit before they can start to strengthen my arm because my range of motion is no where near where I should be BUT we will get there.

I wanted to ask for prayers for my dad. I talked to him last night and he has been experiencing some chest pain and is very weak from the round of chemo already. He slept most of the day on Wednesday and unfortunately his doctor did not call in regards to this chest pain. My stepmom is concerned as am I, but I know the Lord is on the Throne and is hearing the cry of my heart and the prayers of each one of you! Thankyou Lord for what you are doing in my daddys body, heart, mind, soul, and Spirit!


Love and Blessings

Main Dish Recipe with Kim and Thanks to those who Serve

At our house we love a Turkey but one year we finally tried deep frying it and OH MY....It is the juiciest, most tender Turkey you could imagine! So for us we are hooked on cooking ours this way:

Deep Fried Turkey ~ McGhee style

Prepare the turkey removing everything from the inside and wash the bird well, inside and out patting it completely dry so this will reduce the intense splattering that could occur when lowering turkey into the oil.

Injecting the Turkey:

There are many choices for injections. Store bought or homemade. If you opt to make your own homemade version just be careful that you don't put something in the marinade that won't pass through the syringe. Make sure that you purchase a syringe that is made for injecting marinade :) If you purchase store bought marinade you pretty much can choose any type and if you have a "specialty meat market" they are sure to have special marinades and great advise from their employees as well.

You must use a turkey fryer. We fill ours with peanut oil to the proper level as per instructions. They fryer will also give you the proper cook time as per poundage of turkey. Lower very slowly into fryer and make sure to NOT OVER FILL with oil. OIL BURNS.
Most fryers come with a thermometer to ensure that the inside of your turkey is properly cooked so we tend to go by that more than the exact time. It will be golden brown and cooked perfectly. Let stand for 15 min. or so before carving. ENJOY

NOTE: typical cooking time for an avg. size (15lb) turkey is 45 min. ~ Just so you know and can cook according to all the other dishes you are preparing. Instructions will be included but again use thermometer and it will tell you when inside is done.


Also today is Veterans Day and I just want to thank each and every member of the Armed Forces who are serving or have served for their protection, dedication, and sacrifice for our Freedom and to all of their families as well. Our prayers are with each of you.

Love and Blessings

Cooking with Clara

OK.... If you are Rosel and you are here again .....I promise this is my last post for the day ~ LOL


As I said, I have been in the kitchen ALOT and this is part of what I have been doing. I found this sweet grandma Clara on of all places .....YOUTUBE :) and from my great friend and fellow blogger MIKKI




Mikki was given permission from Clara's family to start a little club "Cooking with Clara" and I wanted to share what I have learned and cooked from Clara's cookbook.

This cookbook has some wonderful stories and shares what growing up in the Depression was like. She has such a joyfilled heart and such a wonderful family. I love being able to hear and share in her memories, and with each recipe you learn the story behind it. In Cooking with Clara her ingredients are typically very few and relatively easy. This week I chose Clara's Sugar Cookies




You will need:
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c (1 1/2 stick butter)
3 large eggs
3 c. all purpose flour
pinch of salt

preheat oven 350'

Cream the sugar and butter together. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and then add them to the sugar mixture.
Add about 1 1/2 c. flour and mix it into the batter until flour disappears. Work the batter into a dough, adding the rest of the flour.

On a clean work surface spread out an even coating of flour. Take a handful of dough and roll it out in the flour, shaping it into a roll.

Cut each of the rolls into 3 in. sections, giving the smaller sections each a couple of small cuts in the middle and then curling the sections into half moons. NOTE: I chose to use cookie cutters and make them festive using leaves, pumpkins etc.





Place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake @ 350' for 13 to 15 min.

Remove the cookies and let cool for at least 30 min. before eating them

Clara was always excited to receive these cookies and would divide them with her brother, if there was one remaining they would cut this one in half. The kids were able to have coffee (not alot) and would dip these cookies into their coffee and in her words "We had our cookies day and night, so we were happy."

So in honor of Clara I made a pot of coffee and sat down and enjoyed her Sugar Cookies


Clara's book is available at Amazon.com

Love and Blessings

Tried and True recipes - SIDES -

Today Kim is sharing tried and true recipes for the side dishes. If you would like to join or just find some new recipes please go HERE.

Today I am going to share our families favorite and MUST HAVE side dish....

Potato Casserole by Loren

2lb. thawed frozen hashbrowns
1/2 c. melted butter NOTE LATER: you will also need 1 stick of butter for topping
1 t. salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 c. chopped onions or I use Onion Powder (1 t.) if you aren't an onion lover
1 can cream of chicken
1 pt. lite sour cream
10 oz. or 2 c. monterey jack shredded cheddar cheese

Mix in a large bowl and put ing. into 9x13 baking dish

now take that other stick of butter and place on stove to melt. Once it has melted pour Cornflake crumbs (found on baking aisle by cornbread mix) into saucepan .....You need enought to cover the 9x13 dish, so I am guessing 2 1/2c. Stir, mixing and soaking up the butter. Spead onto casserole dish making sure to cover every square inch of casserole.

Bake uncovered 350' for 1 1/2 hours


This recipe is a favorite and a MUST HAVE on my daddy's side of the family. I remember many a fights for the uncooked noodles! These are simply divine!

Homemade NOODLES

4 eggs
1/4 c milk
1 1/2 t salt
3 c flour
3-4 cans chicken broth

Mix first 4 ing. thoroughly. Will be "tacky" Make into 3 parts. Flour surface and rolling pin. Roll each one as thin as you can get them. If you put them together to roll and cut put flour in between it makes a cylinder. Slice noodles and unroll each to place on surface to dry. Sprinkle with flour. When dry, shake and dispose of excess flour or it will thicken broth too much. You can freeze them now or if you are ready then it's time to cook. Pour chicken broth into pan and bring to boil. Pour in noodles and cook until done.

Happy Cooking :)

My Daybook

Outside my window... So FOGGY!!! Rain is in the forecast and I can feel it in my bones!

I am thinking... what a wonderful evening we had with our daughter, son-in-law and that precious Grandbaby of ours!! What a JOY she is!


I am thankful for... the teamwork that my family has. We work together so that no one feels overloaded

I am wearing...workout clothes so I can get on the elyptical when I am done with my many posts today :)


I am going...to be starting re-hab this week on my shoulder....I am so nervous and hope it doesn't cause too much pain and inflamation

I am reading...What the Bayou Saw ~ Patti Lacy (my new CFBA review book) Shades of Blue ~ Karen Kingsbury, Schooled (for my son and I am almost done) just finished my Thomas Nelson review book "Finding Purpose Beyond Our Pain and will be posting today or tomorrow

I am hoping...that my Dad does not get as weak as he did after his last chemo treatment. That Kat(heart2Heart) and Beth (At HIS Feet) are both feeling better today!

On my mind... How quickly time is going and how I'm sooo not ready for my sweet daughter to be moving out and going to college ....it is going to come way to quickly


Noticing that... I really love learning new recipes and being in the kitchen (which is where I have been so much lately) I hope to be half as good a cook as my mother and grandmother because THEY ARE/WERE AMAZING! But my husband is still way better than I......HANDS DOWN

Pondering these words... Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans5:3-5

From the kitchen... Alot of crock pot meals this week: French Dip Sandwiches, Pork chops, ~ it is a busy week


One of my favorite things~ the friendship of my children......my heart just swells seeing them just enjoy spending time together and laughing, being so silly! They so "GET" each other


From my picture journal... My sweet Rylee ~ she is getting so big!


Love and Blessings

Want a NEW "tried and true" Recipe??

I am joining Kim who us sharing from her cooking blog today and this week is going to be sooo much fun PLUS if you want to get some new recipes for your thanksgiving week, this will be the place for you!!

Today is APPETIZERS sooooo. If you need something for your church bible study thanksgiving luncheon, or something to take to work or send to DH's work for that thanksgiving celebration, or just something to make before your own thanksgiving dinner, today is that day. If you would like to add your own recipe you can link up here and at the end of the week our Sweet friend Kim is going to be giving away a Gooseberry Patch booklet. Who doesn't love Gooseberry!

I love Appetizers don't you :) Here are some of my & my family's VERY FAVORITE:


Green Bean Bundles from Loren McGhee

3 cans LONG green beans
1/2 lb bacon cut in half

1 c. bean juice
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
salt & pepper

mix together the bean juice, brown sugar, dry mustard and a little salt and pepper.

take 2-3 green beans and wrap uncooked bacon around the green beans (remember to cut it in half) and fasten together with a toothpick. Continue to do this placing them close together in a shallow dish. Pour juice mixture onto green bean bundles and cook at 400' for 25 min. turning the bundles over about half way.

Note: This is a great recipe for those little ones who want to HELP! :)


Pizza Sticks from Loren McGhee

I can of Bread Sticks
24 thin slices of pepperoni

2 T grated parmesan cheese
1/2 t Italian seasoning
1/4 t garlic powder MIX these 3 ing. together and set aside

1 jar of your favorite Pizza Sauce


Separate bread sticks. Place 3 pepperonis on top 1/2 of breadstick now fold bottom 1/2 of the breadstick over the top & pinch them together and begin twisting the pepperoni stick.

Sprinkle the spice mixture onto each pepperoni stick and bake according to the breadstick directions.

Warm 1/2 c. Pizza sauce and pour into bowl for dipping.

NOTE: this recipe is super easy and you may wish to double or triple because these DO NOT LAST LONG AT ALL!! Especially if you have kids around


HOT PECAN SPREAD by Loren McGhee...this one is my personal FAVORITE!

2 T. milk
8 oz. cream cheese softened (whatever version you desire ~ fat free, low fat, all of them work)
1 ~ 2 1/2 oz. jar dried beef
2 T. onion flakes
1/4 t pepper
1/4 c Bell Pepper (chopped finely) ~ red and green
1/8 t garlic powder
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c chopped pecans


Blend milk w/cream cheese. cut up dried beef and add onion, seasonings and bell pepper. Fold in sour cream. Spread into a 2 QT baking dish. Sprinkle pecans on top and bake at 350' for 30 minutes. Serve with Pita chips or melba rounds.

Have a Jesus Filled Monday my friends

Love and Blessings

Spiritual Sundays

When I was 30, I was married and had 3 kids. Two were "ours" and then my stepdaughter was just like mine from the beginning because she was 2 when I came into her life. I fell TOTALLY in love with her and have never known a difference but I always feel I should clarify that because I never want to take place of her mother. I grew up with a stepmom (or 2) and it is always something that was clarified for me so anyway.... :) this is far from the point.

I had always been a stay at home mom and lived in a safe quiet circle of Christian friends and people. It was at this point that I began going to beauty college to get a cosmetologist license and OH MY was my mind blown away. I was in a school with a group of people from all walks of life. But every morning I would stand outside of my car, I would literally do this exercise......I would act like I was zipping out of my body and from my head to my toes I would zip all the way down, I would step forward, and then zip all the way back up saying "Lord, I walk out of myself and walk into your Spirit, may YOU lead and guide me and my Words and may these people see YOU and YOU Only" I was in a mission field to say the least. But you know what the biggest comment I heard while there.....

"You read the Bible Loren, WHY???? It is so irrelevant today!!! Honestly I was AGHAST! and overtime I saw that these people I was going to school with on a daily basis were broken wounded people who needed JESUS. Some were drug addicts, some were dealing with homosexuality. Some were still just kids living in a home who just didn't want to go to church or be among what they called "those hypocrites."

As i was in the Word this week and in reading specifically about this particular book here is what it says:

This book describes the characteristic social conditions of his day: corrupt leaders, unstable family life, widespread immorality, class hatred, and poverty. Though people continued a form of worship, idolatry was more and more accepted and the priests were failing to guide the people into ways of righteousness. In spite of the darkness of these days, he holds out hope to inspire his people to turn back to God.

This book is about people who needed to hear the love of God, a God who wanted to tell them, and the unique way God chose to demonstrate HIS Love to HIS people.

I don't know about you, but this sounds ALOT like where we are TODAY, and not only that but also where the hearts of the people of today are. This book is in the Bible. It is HOSEA and was written in approximately 750 B.C.

I would encourage those who read this and think that the Bible isn't relevant to today.....please pick it up.....whisper a prayer to the Lord and ask for HIS Spirit to speak to you because GODS Word is ALIVE AND ACTIVE. It CANNOT return VOID!!
It truly is a LAMP UNTO YOUR FEET, A LIGHT UNTO YOUR PATH.

For other Spiritual Sunday post I also encourage you to spend some time HERE and read what others have to say or to share about our Father and how HE demonstrates HIS Love to each and every one of us....TODAY

IN HIM

Friday Funnies Turkey Style

Enjoy my friends




For other Funnies go visit Kim at Homesteaders Heart and HEY!! anyone out there who wants to join in and find some new recipes come with us next week to Kims where she will be sharing them with us each day! Come on.....It's ALWAYS fun over at Kims place!




Happy Friday everyone!! Love you

Thankful for your trial? Really Lord?

For the month of November Iris at Grace Alone is hosting Thankful Thursdays. Today's thankfulness is about trials!

I think a vast majority of Americans ~ Believers and non-believers alike ~ would say they are in the middle of a trial right now.
Everywhere we turn......TV. RADIO. INTERNET. NEWSPAPER. BLOGS. we read about someone in a trial


Trials are no respecter of persons. They affect everyone BUT it is in HOW we choose to face them that is the difference! As a believer I am thankful for so many things during the trials that I face.

* The Lord ~ my Heavenly Father who so lovingly provided for each trial that I would surely face ~ even before I was born. It is in these trails that HE shows HIMSELF strong!!

* Jesus ~ who faced trial after trial and has compassion for me in every one of my trials. He can share an example of those times for me when I am down, or mourning, or frustrated ....He gives me the HOPE, the PEACE, the PERSEVERANCE and so much more in EVERY one of my trials.

* the HOLY SPIRIT ~ who Comforts me and Guides me in my trials. HE prays for me when I don't know what or how to pray. HE leads into all TRUTH so that when I am having any "stinkin thinkin" goin on HE corrects me!

* the WORD ~ all I EVER have to do in a trial is look in the WORD and there I will find any and every trial imaginable and how to face those trials. Here I will find HOPE. Here I will find how to renew my mind in this trial. Here I will find answers, examples, and encouragement to continue on.

A cloud of witnesses ~ friends who love and support me during the trial. They point me to our Father, to JESUS. They lay me and my trial at the altar knowing and trusting that the answer is coming! The pray over me, anointing me with oil, or call with an encouraging word. They share a scripture the Lord has given them in regards to that trial. They listen, they love. They pray. It is such a gift to be surrounded by these precious people the Lord has so graciously given to you during these difficult days! I love and appreciate each and every one of you!! In Blogland and those at home ~ I wouldn't want to even try to make it without any of you!


Yes I am very thankful for trials because I know that as I face them and as I grow stronger because of them...... Everytime I am victorious and on the other side of that trial.... I can rest assured that ...... a healing took place and more of who I am became more of what Christ designed for me to be. Because of this trial I can share and encourage others who are dealing with the same. Isn't this what Christ longs for us to do....to have mercy, to share grace, to be kind and loving to those who are going through a trial and prayerfully while we are ministering out of our experience, the Lord will be glorfied!

What about you ~ are you thankful for you trials?

Are you still teachable?

As I sat having coffee with friends yesterday it just amazed me how we were all going through or should I say, God was "dealing" with each of us in a similar manner. Each of us had been repenting from "pride," "selfishness," "allowing our flesh to win instead of walking in love." I love these friends, why? because every time I am with them I am encouraged to be less then I (my flesh) am and MORE of what God wants me to be!

As a group, with our husbands we have all been on the same path for many years now. We have all fought HARD for our marriages but through Christ we WON

We have all ministered together and have seen the hand of God move through each and every one of us. When certain people said it wouldn't work we cried out to the Lord and through HIM..... it DID

What I love about our friendships is that first, Christ is the Head. Along with that, you have a group of people who are firm believers that God is the Same Yesterday, Today and Forevermore but that HE loves us way to much to leave us where we are and is forever changing us from glory to glory. God desires for us to remind HIM of his Word. He watches over it to perform it! Isn't that AWESOME

I'm going to take a rabbit trail here for just a minute :) so bear with me....When I did hair, I had a customer who came in, an older gentleman who had been in my church at the time for years and years! He had made 3 moves with the church from when it began on Main Street to the Huge building it is today standing on a very busy corner. But he would come in and EVERY SINGLE TIME he would share the story with me about how the Lord saved him back in 1964. Everytime I would ask him what the LORD was doing today? You see, I loved this old man dearly and never meant anything bad by asking this question but what I am trying to say today is the same thing I was trying to say then. God wants to move in our lives NEW and FRESH today and EVERYDAY!

What we have to ask ourselves is this ~ Have we allowed pride to get in our way of growing in HIM? I have.
Have we allowed other things to become more important the HE is? I have.
Are we still teachable? Do we still desire to learn everytime we come before our Heavenly Father (in prayer) or read HIS Word?
Are we allowing God to increase as we (our flesh) decrease?


Yesterday as we girls were ending our fellowship time and going on about our lives we gathered together and prayed as we normally would but we all were crying out for the Lord to use us to Love those who hurt us, to die to our flesh and love our enemies as HIS word so clearly tells us to do, to walk according to the Power of the Holy Spirit and for people to see God in us.

As I went throughout my day and into the evening I was able to share with my daughter some of how the Lord is dealing with me. And how when we confess and repent from being prideful and/or selfish it isn't easy but that in doing it, that it feels so much better than the feeling of living life knowing that you are far away from your Father or having to do things in your own strength. Because, I know this ~ If I am not teachable on a daily basis ~ my kids will miss out on the blessing of seeing Gods hand move daily in the lives of this home. Teaching, Moving, Loving, Giving Grace and Mercy, and Disciplining those HE Loves.



Love and Blessings