Author: RefreshHer

Thanksgiving

Three Simple Ways To Keep Guests Happy

RefreshHer4 Comments

When the smell of the Thanksgiving turkey is wafting through the house and you have a boatload of people who are starving, it’s really helpful (and maybe even life-saving) to have some easy appetizers on hand to ward off their hunger pains and keep them from nibbling on the “real food!”  Hungry guests aren’t happy guests, so let’s fill them up!

A relish tray is pretty standard for an appetizer, but I thought I’d share some other ideas –  three easy, fast and inexpensive appetizer ideas with you today!  Oh, I forgot to mention these are all sooo yummy, which to most of us is the most important part of any recipe!  These recipes include sweet, salty and savory – wait aren’t those three of the food groups?  😉

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  1.  Candy corn and salted peanuts.  Mix half of each in a dish, stick in a spoon and you’re done!  You won’t believe how delicious this is!  I’m not really a candy corn fan, but mixed with peanuts, it’s just the right amount of sweetness!  Grab a bag of candy corn on sale in the post-Halloween candy deals right now!

    Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels:

  2. Sugar and spice pretzels.
    1 (16 oz) bag pretzel twists
    ⅔ cup vegetable oil
    ½ cup sugar
    2 tsp cinnamon
    Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Pour pretzels into a roasting pan. In a medium sized bowl mix together vegetable oil, cinnamon and sugar. Pour over pretzels and stir to coat. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, removing twice to stir.

    Party Cheese Ball Image 1
    Picture from Kraft
  3. My Favorite Cheese Ball & Crackers
    8 oz. Cream cheese
    1 Cup grated Cheddar cheese
    2 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
    1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
    1/4 Cup Green onions, diced
    Chopped Walnuts of Pecans

    Soften Cream cheese.  Add all ingredients, except nuts.  Stir to combine.  Place on waxed paper or saran wrap.  Wrap paper around to roll into a ball.  Refrigerate until firm.  Roll cheese ball in chopped nuts.  Serve with a variety of crackers.

Aldi’s has had cream cheese on sale for .89 the last several weeks.  Grab several and keep it on hand for the holiday season. You can be ready to whip up a cheese ball at a moment’s notice!

I hope this will help your Thanksgiving guests to be happy and satisfied while dinner’s cooking!

With love from my country kitchen,

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Thanksgiving

Early Thanksgiving Preparations

RefreshHer9 Comments

Two weeks from yesterday I have will have the privilege of hosting Thanksgiving for my family.  There will be at least eight of us here, with the possible addition of other non-family guests.  I’m excited about getting to host this holiday that is the beginning of a wonderful season of the year!

Though I’m not having twenty or forty people, like many of you may be hosting, I’m still trying to plan out my preparations in these weeks before so I can enjoy my family and not be scurrying about the kitchen all day.  Here’s what I’m working on getting done before Thanksgiving week arrives.  Maybe this will give you a few ideas of things you can do beforehand, so your stress level will be diminished!

House:

  • Clean summer dust off windows
  • Wipe down baseboards
  • Polish hardwood floors
  • Have sofa upholstery professionally cleaned
  • Wipe out fridge and freezer
  • Get rid of any unnecessary containers in fridge so there will be plenty of room for all the food
  • Clean oven
  • Wipe down cabinets

Table Prep:

  • Iron  linens – napkins and tablecloths
  • Clean/polish silver
  • Plan centerpiece
  • Purchase any candles needed
  • Make place cards

Food Prep:

  • Plan dinner menu
  • Ask guests who have volunteered what items they’d like to bring
  • Purchase any pantry items that aren’t perishable
  • Purchase/order turkey
  • Bake cookies and freeze
  • Make pie crusts and freeze

Those are the things I’ve thought of so far.  My mind will wake me up at night sometimes, with a thought of something I need to add to my list.  It’s good to have a pad and pencil by my bedside for those nighttime ideas!

Who else is hosting Thanksgiving at their house?  How do you prepare ahead of time?

Stay refreshed,

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Parenting

Developing Thankfulness in Your Child’s Heart – Part 2

RefreshHer6 Comments

There’s hardly a day that passes that I don’t stop and thank the Lord for the gift of my home. You see, I prayed for ten years that the Lord would provide a house that was our own; one that would allow us to serve Him as we served others, where we could hold lots of people, and also a home in which we could build some equity. Now, here we are! It’s such a blessing because we waited what seemed to be a fairly long time. It’s God’s wonderful gift to us, and we are so thankful!  I can also say,  it was worth the wait!

As parents who want to build thankfulness in their child’s heart, I believe it’s wise to follow our heavenly Father’s example and sometimes let our child wait to receive the thing that they’re desiring. Our society today has the attitude of, “I-must-have-it-now!”. We’re not willing to wait for a hamburger, much less a pair of jeans or a car!

Proverbs 13:19 says, “The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul.”

It’s a greater blessing and causes greater gratitude when we have to wait for something. A child will be more thankful for a toy, the bike or the new outfit if they’ve

  • prayed about it – Asked God for His will in this
  • saved for it – To help cover the expense
  • waited upon it – Because the first two take time!

So, even if you have the means to grant every desire of your child’s, if you want them to learn to be really thankful, apply the principle of Waiting makes you more thankful, and you will be helping your child to develop a grateful heart!

What do you have from the Lord that you had to wait for?

With love,

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Marriage

The Best Date that Costs Nothing!

RefreshHer9 Comments

bookstore ALast Friday night my husband and I went on a date called The Bookstore Date.  Here’s how it goes:

We headed to our local Barnes & Nobles Bookstore with a small list that I’d put on my phone.  We headed to the back of the store where they have little tables and chairs, perfect for two.  I pulled out the list.  The object of the date is to find the suggested books, one at a time, bring them back and read whatever was asked.  Then, you return the book and proceed to the next one until either your date time is up, or you finish the list.  Here are the books we were to find:

  • #1 – Visit the COOKING section & chose a recipe that you would like to make for your spouse.

  • #2 – Visit the MAGAZINE section & find a quiz in a magazine that you and your spouse could do together.

  • #3 – Visit the CHILDREN’S section & find a book that was a favorite when you were a child or that holds a special memory for you…and read them to each other when you meet back up.

  • #4 – Visit the JOKE section and pick out a HI-LA-RI-OUS joke to share with your spouse.

  • #5– Visit the TRAVEL section and find a picture or information on a place you would like to visit someday.

  • #6 – Visit the POEM section and find a poem that describes the way you feel about your spouse.

We were at the bookstore for about an hour and a half and we only finished up to #4.  Why?  Because this date is so much fun and creates so much conversation that you don’t stop at reading just a part of the story, or one joke – you can’t resist reading more and laughing or talking or crying.  If you decide to try this, you could do the first three on one night and the second three another time.

This is the best date, ladies.  It costs nothing.  It creates conversation.  It’s so much fun! It will knit your heart to your husband’s as you spend some really special minutes reading together and to one another. Even non-readers would love this, because it’s not like you have to read a whole book – or even a chapter of anything.  They’re just fun topics that help you to know one another even deeper.

What free date do you and your husband do to create memories and build your relationship?

Lovingly,

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