Here was my chicken that I made on Memorial weekend.  It was a huge hit! 

1 Cup brown sugar
3/4 Cup ketchup
3/4 C soy sauce
1/3 C chicken broth
2 tsp ginger
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
24 boneless skinless chicken thighs (I used a cut up fryer and additional chicken legs)

1.  Mix the marinade ingredients.  Reserve 1 1/3 Cups for basting; cover and refrigerate.  Add remaining marinade and chicken into a Ziploc bag and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. 
2.  Drain and discard marinade for chicken. 
3.  Grill chicken, covered over medium heat until no longer pink; baste occasionally with reserved marinade during the last 5 minutes. 

** I cook my chicken in the microwave for about 11 minutes to reduce the time on the grill.  It keeps the chicken from getting blackened.

This is a great tasting chicken!  It’s the finger-licking sort…really! 

With love and an extra napkin,

Last weekend my family and I headed to Jonesborough for an afternoon of browsing through the shops and walking the streets.  I love this little town! We had a great time “ooh-ing” and “aah-ing” over this and that.  Here we are resting on a bench in-between stores:

Our “moments” would be much better if we’d follow that advice, wouldn’t they?  Which moment are you in right now?  What can you thank God for?

From the parsonage windows,

Memorial weekend brought my family home and guests in for a quick visit.  I love to have everything ready ahead of time so I’m not working in the kitchen the whole time my company is here. On Friday  I made Sour Dough Cinnamon Rolls for our Saturday breakfast.  All we had to was pop one into the microwave and add a dish of yogurt and fruit for a yummy breakfast!

I’ve shared my sour dough recipe here (down in the comment section of the post).  There’s lots more than just plain bread that you can make with sour dough starter; Cinnamon Rolls being one extraordinary thing!  My husband told me that Cinnabon didn’t have anything on me.  I said, “Yes they do –  a couple million dollars!”  =)  These aren’t Cinnabon, but they’re super good – and are really easy to make!

I like to start my dough doing the first rise the night before.  I add all the ingredients in the bowl:

1 1/3 cup Starter
1/3 C warm water
1 egg
1 3/4  tsp yeast
2 T Melted butter
1/4 Cup Honey
1 tsp salt
4 cups Bread Flour

Mix well and roll out on floured surface.  Knead 8-10 times.  Place in greased bowl.  Cover and let rise overnight.

In the morning:

Roll dough into 12 x 18″ rectangle.  Brush with 3 Tbl. melted butter.

Mix:
1/2 C white sugar
3 Tbl brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 C chopped nuts

Spread sugar mixture over butter.

Slice into 1″ slices.  Place in greased 9 x 13″ pan, cut sides down.  Let rise approximately 30 minutes, or until nearly doubled.  Pour 1/3 Cup Whipping cream over rolls.  (This is the secret special ingredient!)

Bake at 375 degrees 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool 5 minutes, then invert onto cooling rack.  Top with glaze.

Glaze:
1 Cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 Tbl milk

I don’t make these very often…they’re dangerous (for the waistline)! =)

Are you cooking for Memorial Day?  Are you trying any new recipes?   I’m going to be sharing recipes with you most of this week, so be sure to check back.  Tomorrow’s recipe is for a Watermelon Salad.  Mmmm!

From my parsonage kitchen,

Last Saturday was a bad day.  Things had happened that made me hard to live with upset me. =) Then at 4:00 in the afternoon my husband and I headed to Kingsport to ride the Greenbelt bike path with church friends.  I was looking forward to going, but I wasn’t sure I would be very good company.  But you know what?  Getting on my bike and heading out that beautiful path did wonders for my heart…and my attitude! 

Do you want to refresh yourself after a wearisome week?  Get outside!  Enjoy the beauty of these early summer days.  Go get some exercise, be it walking, biking, swimming, or hiking.  Get out the badminton or croquet set and play a game in the backyard in the cool evening. 

Since this is Memorial Weekend perhaps you have a longer weekend – enjoy it outside. You will amazed at how it will refresh you!

Be refreshed!

I have been praying about something for many years.  It’s not a bad thing; it’s a need.  There are ways that I could make this come to be.  It would be a stretch financially, but I could do it.  However, the Lord has held me back at every turn. 

I’m thankful for reminders in Scripture of people who have taken things into their own hands, because as I read the consequences of them doing so, it reminds me to take my hands off of my devices and give my prayer request to God to answer in His way and in His time.

In Exodus 32 we read:
And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.

The Israelites thought Moses should have been down from that mountain by now!  Their thoughts were focused on their own needs – “What was he doing up there, anyway?  Shouldn’t he be down here leading the people?”  So, in their haste to get what they wanted, and in their time frame, they had Aaron make them a golden calf to be their god.  They took things into their hands and not only made an idol – they also made a mess! 

Whenever you and I get weary of waiting on God to answer and take things into our hands, we will be in the same boat.  How do we jump ahead of God?  By:

• going into debt to buy something we can’t afford
• having an immoral relationship before marriage
• using medication to escape reality
• quitting church because of a problem/person there
• ditching a relationship
• turning our back on God because we’re sure He’s never going to answer

May we instead be like the Sons of Levi who gathered themselves with Moses as those that repented of their sin of going their own way and declared that they “were on the Lord’s side.”

Waiting isn’t easy, but it will be worth it.  I often sigh in my waiting.  I get frustrated and have to ask God to help me be content while I let His timing be perfect.  If He says yes to my prayer, it will be a God-sized task and I will be ecstatic!  If He never allows it, I’m praying for contentment and a heart that says, “Not my will, but thine be done.”  Thanks for your prayers for me in this time of waiting.

Are you waiting for God to answer a request? I’d be happy to pray for you, too.

With love,