Just Desserts

I was reminded that it didn't matter if the truffles turn out looking perfect so let the kids help. Despite the final presentation they are still yummy, yummy! Enjoy!!

SIMPLE OREO TRUFFLES

16 oz package of Oreos

8 oz package cream cheese, softened

16 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

Directions

Completely crush Oreos and place in a bowl. Add cream cheese. Mix until blended. Roll cookie mixture into 1-inch balls. Dip in chocolate and place on wax paper to cool. Decorate truffles as desired.

Refrigerate until firm, about one hour. Eat them all. Or refrigerate again.

Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl

Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl Bible Study is going to be offered on Monday mornings beginning March 15 at NCC from 9am until 11:30am and on Monday evenings from 6pm until 7:30pm at NCC. Both offerings will have childcare provided. The cost of the the book and the participant's guide is $14. If you are interested in joining this 6 week study or would like more information about the study, call Mary Lynn or email her at nccmops@gmail.com. Below is a brief introduction to the study by Lysa. (More information posted below on February 18.) Don't forget to turn down the playlist at the bottom of this page. Check out Lysa's blog now for some great thoughts and scriptures to lead into this study. www.lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com

What's For Dinner, Mommy?

Baked Potato Haystacks

Ingredients:

10 potatoes, baked
1 head lettuce, shredded
1 lg. onion, chopped fine
1-16 oz. bag of baby carrots, finely chopped
2 lb. lean ground beef, browned and drained
1-18 oz. can sloppy joe sauce
1 -28 oz. can pork and beans
1 - 13 oz. bag Doritos, crushed
2-10 ¾ oz. cans cream mushroom soup
1 lb. Velveeta cheese
2 T. milk

Directions:
1. Bake your potatoes in the oven at 350 for about an hour until tender.
2. Shred your lettuce; chop onions and carrots fine. Put each in a separate serving bowl with a spoon. Set aside.
3. Place crushed Doritos in a separate serving bowl with a spoon. Set aside.
4. In a saucepan, combine sloppy joe sauce, ground beef and pork and beans; heat until bubbly. Keep warm.
5. In a separate saucepan, dilute cream of mushroom soup with milk and Velveeta cheese on low heat until well blended. Keep warm.
6. At serving time, have guests begin with their baked potato on a large plate, sliced open and mashed with a fork. As they walk down the buffet line, they top their potato with the toppings of their choice in this order: sloppy joe; lettuce; onions; carrots; cheese sauce; ending with Doritos.
Serves 10.

Golden Burger Spirals

Ingredients:

•1 pound ground beef
•1 medium onion, chopped
•1 medium green pepper, chopped
•1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed golden mushroom soup, undiluted
•1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
•1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1 package (8 ounces) spiral pasta, cooked and drained

Directions:

In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the soup, tomato sauce, 1 cup cheese and salt. Stir in pasta.
Transfer to a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
Yield: 4-6 servings.

Train Up a Child

February is the month we focus on love and showing love to family and friends. But have you ever thought about love involving sacrifices? You know as a mom that you sacrifice sleep, girlish figure, time for reading or other interests, etc. all for the love of your kids. You probably have sacrificed your own interests, careers, etc. for your husband. If you think honestly about it, you can probably name quite a few things he has sacrificed for you and the kids as well. Love is great in that we get the benefit of loving someone, but it also is great in that we get to give up something for someone else. Kids are naturally self-centered and self-serving. Here are a few ideas to get the conversation started about sacrificing for the ones we love. Ultimately, our greatest example is God in that He sacrificed His only Son, Jesus for us- the ones He loves most dearly.

Made With Love

Make a special dessert (heart shaped cookies or Rice Krispie treats or brownies cut out with a heart-shaped cutter) for someone that could use a little extra love. Make homemade cards to take with you and surprise them.

Secret Sacrifice

Write each person's name on a slip of paper and put them all in a bag. Let each person draw a name, but tell them to keep it a secret. Choose one day for each person to sacrifice and to do acts of kindness for the person whose name they drew. Remind them to do it SECRETLY!

Brainstorm for ideas—do their chores, make their bed, write them a note, give them a small gift, play a game with them, etc.

At the end of the special day, let each person to guess who was secretly showing them kindness.

Ask:
How did you feel when someone else sacrificed his or her time and did something for you?
How did you feel when you sacrificed for someone else?

Read 1John 3:16 (By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.)

Ask:
How did God sacrifice for us? (He gave His only Son, Jesus, to die for us.)
HE is the example for us to follow.

Someone's Trash is Another Kid's Treasure

If you haven't done any cleaning out after the holidays, it's not too late. Ask your children to look through their toys and find one or two toys (still in good shape) to give to someone in need. Donate them to a shelter, a rescue mission, or a family that could use them.

More than a Good Bible Study Girl

I could write a book about Lysa TerKeurst and her amazing talent as a speaker and writer. She is absolutely one of my favorite people! But I will simply tell you that she is a real woman dealing with the same real issues as you and I and that she wants to help other women grow in a relationship with Christ. Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl is her newest book. I have read it two times and every time I walk away with my sides hurting from laughing, tissues on the floor from crying and my toes smarting a bit. She writes with Southern wit and the wisdom of someone who has baggage from past choices and situations. But she is a daughter of God and is passionate for Him and other women to know Him. It doesn't matter if you already are in relationship with Christ or just searching for something, she is authentic and open about where she has been, why and where she is now and wanting to be.

I am going to conduct a 6 week Bible study based on this book beginning in March. The book itself and the companion study guide are $14 before March 1. I am willing to offer the study in the mornings and/or on Monday evening. If you are interested in the study, email or call me and let me know that you are interested and which time (morning or evening) you are interested in joining. I will have the exact specifics within the week. Check out the video of Lysa talking about the Bible study. (This is her 3rd video I have posted on this blog- Did I mention she is one of my absolute favs? and her husband owns a Chic-Fil-A! Girls,need I say more?!)

Marriage Can Be Hard

Valentine's is a wonderful holiday to focus on loving and expressing love to our darling husbands and sweet children. But loving them is not a once a year option. It is a daily choice. Sometimes loving them is easy. But sometimes it is really hard. Marriage, in particular, can be challenging. My bloggy friend, Lysa TerKerust, has some thoughts about this that I thought some of us might find encouraging. Remember to mute the playlist at the bottom of the page before listening to her.

Parenting Tips

Anger Confuses Correction

A good correction routine teaches children that they must change. Their current course of action will not work. It's unacceptable and needs adjusting. Unfortunately the clear message that the child has a problem and needs to work on it is sometimes missed because of parental anger. A parent's harshness can confuse the learning process. Instead of thinking, "I'm here taking a Break because I did something wrong," the child thinks, "I'm here taking a Break because I made Mom mad."

The child's focus changes from correcting what he or she did wrong to avoiding parental anger. It's important to remember that your anger is good for identifying problems but not good for solving them. When you're tempted to respond harshly, be careful to take a moment and think about what you need to teach in the situation. It's easy to react with anger when your kids do the wrong thing but it's more helpful to move into a constructive correction routine.

For example, Dad yells, "I've had it! I called you five times and you didn't come, so I'm not taking you to the party!" The child gets a mixed message. Is missing the party the consequence for not coming when called, or is it the consequence for making Dad angry?

Children who grow up with explosive parents learn to focus more on pleasing people than on living with convictions about right and wrong. They may learn to make changes in life, but not because they're determined to do what's right. Rather, they make changes to avoid upsetting people; they become people pleasers or just plain sneaky. Kids then believe that what they did was okay as long as Mom or Dad didn't find out. As long as no one gets angry, then there's no problem.

When you make a mistake and correct in anger, it's important to come back to your child and talk about it afterwards. Clarify what was wrong, why the consequence was given, and apologize for your harshness.

Taken from "Good and Angry: Exchanging Frustration for Character in You and Your Kids,” by Dr Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller.

Parenting Tips

"But My Anger is Justified"

Some view their anger as justified because they are right and others are wrong. They believe that being right is the only ticket required to launch into an adult temper tantrum. But saying "He made me angry" implies that external events require emotional intensity. The dad who links the trigger (what "made" him angry) and response (what he does with his anger) too closely ends up believing that others have made him the way he is.

When parents do this, they often blame their kids for problems and rarely take responsibility for their own emotions. In many cases, of course, the child is indeed wrong. It isn't helpful, though, to expect our children to bear the responsibility of our anger in addition to what they did wrong. The mom who says, "I wouldn't have to get angry if my kids would listen the first time," has fallen into the trap of blaming her children for her angry responses.

The truth of the matter is that it doesn't take much intelligence to see something wrong, but it takes wisdom to know how to respond to it. There's a big difference between a button that pops up on a turkey to announce that it's done and a cook who knows how to make a great dinner. Some people are like those little turkey buttons—whenever something goes wrong they pop up with angry reactions and they try to justify abusiveness because they see a problem.

It's not enough to be right in life; parents also need to be wise. Real wisdom knows how to respond in a way that brings change, not revenge. As parents, we don't just want to punish our kids for doing something wrong; we want to help them change their hearts. Anger may reveal what's wrong, but it's rarely a good solution to a problem. Once you identify an offense, it's best to consider how to motivate change.

This parenting tip comes from the book Good and Angry, Exchanging Frustration for Character in You and Your Kids by Dr Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN,BSN.

How to Show Your Man You Love Him

The best way to show love for someone is to simply and intentionally pray for them.
If you are happily married and especially, if you are struggling in your marriage, the man you married should be the first one you pray for daily. Even if you are no longer married, praying for the father of your children is very important as he probably still has some influence in their lives.
Let’s Pray:
Dear Lord, I pray for my husband, from head to toe.
His Head –That he will look to You as Lord of his life. (1 Corinthians 11:3)
His Mind – That he will have the mind of Christ and think as the Holy Spirit would lead him and not the flesh. (1 Corinthians 2:16)
His Eyes –That You will keep his eyes from temptation and that he will turn his eyes from sin. (Matthew 6:13, Mark 9:47)
His Ears – That he will hear Your still small voice instructing him. (1 Kings 19:1, Psalm 32:8)
His Mouth – That his words will be pleasing to You. (Proverbs 19:1)
His Neck – That he will humble himself before You and be strong, courageous, and careful to do everything written in Your Word so that he will be prosperous and successful. (James 4:10, Joshua 1:8-9)
His Heart – That he will love and trust You with his whole heart. (Deuteronomy 6:5, Proverbs 3:5)
His Arms – That You will be his strength. (Psalm 73:26)
His Hands – That he will enjoy the work of his hands and see it as a gift from You. (Ecclesiastes 3:13, 5:19)
His Feet – That You will order his steps and that he will walk in Your truth. (Proverbs 4:25, Psalm 26:3)
-Sharon Jaynes

An additional idea is to write out the verses on an index card and add picture of your husband to back.

Good Morning, Family!

Yankee Spoiler

1 cup cooked grits (1 cup water and 3 Tablespoons of "Quick Grits")
1 3/4 cup milk, heated in the microwave
1 stick of butter, melted
4 eggs, beaten
1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1 lb. Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage, browned with grease drained off
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients except cheese. Pour into a greased casserole dish. Top with cheese. Bake at 325 for 45-50 minutes. YUM!!!

Family Style French Toast

INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup butter, melted
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
6-8 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups milk
1 loaf Texas toast bread
Jelly-Roll Pan

DIRECTIONS:
Combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread evenly over the bottom of a greased jelly roll pan. Drizzle melted butter over top of the sugar mixture. Combine milk and eggs in mixing bowl. Dip each slice of bread in and soak, then lay on top of sugar mixture in single layer of entire pan. Pour any remaining egg mixture over top of slices. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.


Pecan Pie Muffins

1 c light brown sugar
1 c pecans, chopped
1/2 c flour
2/3 c butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten

Spray 20 mini muffin cups with nonstick spray (I used butter); set aside. Preheat the oven to 350.
In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients together. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups evenly.
Don’t overfill the cups!

Bake for 18-20 minutes. The edges will be crispy. Do not over bake. Remove the muffins and cool on a wire rack.

~Freeze~
When the muffins are completely cool, place them in a freezer bag and freeze up to 2 months.

What's For Dinner, Mommy?

Sunni's Cheesy Enchiladas
Ingredients:
(I always half this recipe)
24 flour tortillas
2 lbs. ground beef
2 lbs. Velveeta, cubed
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
4 (8-oz.) cartons sour cream
¼ cup butter
2 med. onions, chopped
1 dash garlic salt
Salt & pepper to taste

Brown meat with one chopped onion. Add garlic salt and salt and pepper. Drain. Coat large sauce pan with non-stick spray. Add sour cream and tomatoes, mix well. Add butter and heat on medium heat. Add Velveeta, stirring constantly. Add the remaining chopped onion. Turn heat to low and simmer for about 5 min. The cheese/butter should be melted by this point. Add a portion of the sauce to meat. Spoon meat mixture into tortillas. Lay in casserole dish, seam down. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. Cover and bake for 15 min. at 350 degrees.

*I like to save a little bit of the cheese sauce to have with tortilla chips. Yum!

HAMBURGER GRAVY
Ingredients
2 pounds lean ground beef
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 small onion, chopped (optional)

Directions
1.Place hamburger in a large, deep skillet. Crumble and cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Remove from heat and sprinkle flour over cooked hamburger. Stir until evenly coated and all fat is absorbed.

2.Place skillet over medium heat, add 1/2 of milk and stir until gravy begins to thicken. Add remaining milk until desired consistency has been reached and gravy comes to a boil. Season with salt, pepper and onion salt.

3.Serve over mashed or boiled potatoes, toast or biscuits. Add fresh chopped onion if desired.

Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans.