Friday Favorites- Countdown To Christmas

December 23, 2016December 23, 2016 RefreshHerLeave a comment

In this week before Christmas, I was blessed to do some things that I LOVE. Let’s start with the pictures in the left column below:

My husband and I got to go to Abington, VA to the Barter Theatre to see A Christmas Carol. Before the play, we went to a favorite restaurant, Rain. We shared a bowl of their fabulous Butternut Squash Soup, and their Grilled Chicken Sandwich. Outstanding.
We picked up our tickets and made our way to the play. Abington is a charming town!
This fountain is across the street from the theatre. What a fun date this was! My husband, who isn’t a book or movie fan, really wasn’t sure he’d ever read or seen the story we were about to see, so he saw it all through new eyes. One of the young actors is a member of our church, so it was especially fun to see him on stage! He did a wonderful job!
Having a daughter who lives in my town and goes to my church is a blessing! Sometimes our lives are so busy that we don’t get to spend a great deal of time together. We made a lunch date this week in our little town and caught up on one another’s lives. She makes me laugh. She encourages my heart, and she always picks the best desserts for us to share!
Now the pictures on the right side:
Liza cuddled up on my lap one morning this week while I was having my Bible study. That’s a special treat from a normally not-so-cuddly kitty!
I had a baking day that included making these Cream Cheese Danishes. The recipe makes four at a time, plenty for us and for sharing. The dough is soft and sweet and the filling makes them irresistible. I like to also add a little bit of fruit preserves to the cream cheese filling. Mmmm, these will be good for breakfast this Christmas weekend! You could ask my husband who already enjoyed a couple slices when they were warm from the oven. He washes most all of my baking dishes, so I’m happy to give him a taste of anything I’ve baked!
We went caroling Wednesday night. It’s a blessing to sing the songs of Christ’s birth and wish the folks at the door a Merry Christmas. We are singing the Gospel and it doesn’t get any better than that!

The last picture above is a weekly event at my house- Bible Club. What a blessing to pull out my flannel graph (yes, it’s an antiquated teaching tool, but the kids love it!) and remind the children of the reason for Christmas, starting with the fall of man. They had fun adding the flannel graph pieces as I told the story. My heart is full as I pour into my young pupils each week the Truth of God’s Word. They are like sponges, listening, asking questions and responding with tender hearts. I thank the Lord for this rich privilege!

Now here we are at the end of the week, just days away from Christmas. Our whole family will be together, and I’m excited to celebrate with my girls and their husbands! There will be worship together, lots of good food, laughter, more laughter and probably some music!

I pray that your Christmas will be simple, special, and full of talking about and worshiping the Savior. He came to die for each of us, and that makes every day worth celebrating!

John 1:29 Behold the Lamb of God,

which taketh away the sin of the world.

Merry Christmas!

Denise Signature 150 px

baking · Bread · breakfast · Cooking · dessert · Gifts

(L)Oven Monday – The Best Food Gifts from Your Kitchen

December 5, 2016November 29, 2022 RefreshHer2 Comments

As I make my preparations for a more “simple” Christmas this year, I’m reminded that giving gifts from what you love is the best kind of gift to share. If I do what I love – I bake and the receiver knows that it was prepared especially for them with lots of (L)oven from my oven!

I have many recipes on my blog that I have given away, and I’m going to compile a short list of some of my favorites for you today. These are simple to make and are LOVED by those that receive them. Let’s get shopping/baking…

Nutty Orange Coffee Cake – – This is a fancier form of Monkey Bread. It’s made from canned biscuits, cream cheese and cinnamon and sugar. It’s pretty, it’s easy to make and is so good it became a Christmas tradition for our breakfast!
Cranberry Crumble – Another great coffee cake that anyone would LOVE to receive!
French Bread Loaves – A good old crusty bread tied up in a linen kitchen towel is as lovely as it is delicious!
Homemade Granola – Gifted in a jar with a pretty ribbon, this granola is perfect for any breakfast lover!
Cream Cheese Coffee Cakes – These are more like Danishes and who doesn’t love a Cream Cheese Danish???? This recipe makes four, so it really makes great use of your time in the kitchen!
Deep Dish Hershey Brownies – This is my family’s favorite brownie recipe and I’ve made them for years. Any chocolate lover will be delighted to receive a plate of these!
Microwave Caramel Popcorn – This is the easiest caramel popcorn! It makes a nice pile of popcorn for the snacker on your list!

You can also go here for a list of some fabulous cookies to bake up and place in cellophane bags or pretty Christmas tins.

Food is a wonderful gift of love from your oven to the recipient. Get baking and finish your gift list!

Which of these recipes will you make and give away?

With love from my country kitchen,

breakfast · Cooking · Lunch · Uncategorized

(L)ovin’ Monday

November 28, 2016November 27, 2016 RefreshHerLeave a comment

Every Monday I’m showing you what’s been in my Oven that I’m lovin’! Ready?

omelets2

This was Thanksgiving Dinner at my mom’s last Thursday at 1:00. Don’t you wish every day’s lunch looked like this…

Ha, well, maybe not that much food, but tell me, is it just me, or do others find lunch a difficulty? I’m usually well into a busy day and just need a quick bite to eat, but I find it hard to stop my day and fix something that’s tasty and quick.

As a matter of fact, even breakfast poses problems. I’m not ready to eat when I first get up, and by the time I’m ready for a bite, it’s too late to want to get into any big cooking ordeal to accomplish what I need to give me energy for the rest of the morning!

Recently I prepared these Make-Ahead Omelets and froze them. I made tiny ones for the shower I hosted. I took the leftovers and froze them in a plastic container, putting sheets of waxed paper in between the rows of omelets.

Then I popped a frozen muffin into the microwave and it made the perfect breakfast! In a matter of about 4 minutes everything was hot and ready to eat. That’s better than instant oatmeal – and a lot tastier!

omelets1

Then another help came for lunch. I had made Sloppy Joe’s for our meal after Sunday night church, and had plenty left over. Wrapping them individually in waxed paper, I warmed them at about 80% power for about 45 seconds.

It dawned on me then – why don’t I make up something like this at the beginning of each week and have it prepared in the fridge? Lunch could be less than a minute away each day! If you take your lunch to work, it would be so easy to have it packed and ready in the morning before you head out the door.

I’ve come up with a few ideas of things that would be made ahead and ready. Here’s my starter list:

Breakfast:

Omelets

Waffles

Baked Oatmeal

Lunch:

Sloppy Joes

Broccoli Soup

Salad in a jar – Like this one (I haven’t made this particular recipe, but I made one similar and they are great do-ahead salads!)

Chicken Salad – Ready for sandwiches, or to eat alone.

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I hope this encourages you to prepare ahead for your busy mornings and lunchtimes. When you’re heading into Christmas, why not take away a little stress by having some nutritious breakfasts and lunches all ready to serve?

What quick tips do you have for breakfast and lunch?

With love from my country kitchen,

8E63C63AC0BC189BF1C68B03C74DBB5F

baking · breakfast · Uncategorized

Week-Long Muffin Batter

September 5, 2016September 2, 2016 RefreshHer4 Comments

Muffin batter - Copy

Coming up with a great breakfast is difficult to me. Oh, I know there are lots of options – French Toast, waffles, omelets, etc., but most people don’t have time to be stirring up great recipes first thing in the morning, myself included. The best way to have a something good is to prepare ahead.

Years ago, I found a Bran muffin recipe that you stir together and put in the fridge. I call them Morning Glory Muffins because they make the morning glorious!!!! The batter stays fresh for a week! During that week, you can heat up the oven, bake up as many as you need without having the work and mess first thing in the morning. These are healthy and delicious! This month during Sabbatical, I mixed up the batter and it was a great addition to my yogurt and fruit. I took some batter with us when we went to Pigeon Forge for a few days, and it was great to have it all ready to bake!

muffin batter1 - Copy

Here’s the simple recipe:

Morning Glory Muffins

Ingredients

1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup bran cereal (not flakes, preferably a wheat bran)
1/3 cup (vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup raisins
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups bran cereal – not flakes. (Though they say “not flakes” that’s what I had on hand and used, and they turned out great!)
1 – 2 tsp Grated Orange peel

Instructions

In a small mixing bowl, pour the boiling water over the half cup of cereal. When cooled, mix in the vegetable oil and egg.
While the water/bran mixture cools, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the raisins.
In a large measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and brown sugar, and stir into the dry ingredients. Stir in remaining cereal, then the softened bran mixture and orange zest. Cover the batter and refrigerate it overnight.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F for 15 minutes. Line a muffin tin with papers, and spray the insides of the papers. Or just grease the muffin cups themselves, if you like a crustier muffin edge.
Stir the batter once or twice, then scoop a heaping 1/4-cup of batter into each prepared muffin cup.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven, cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before removing the muffins from the pan.

muffins

If you want a nice hot muffin without having to be in the kitchen more than a few minutes, this recipe will be your morning glory, too!

With love from my country kitchen,

Denise Signature 150 px

breakfast

An Ocean of Waffles

May 2, 2016November 22, 2024 RefreshHer7 Comments

Waffles 2a

Breakfast cravings can be difficult to deliver. It’s early, you’re busy. Who has time to make waffles on a regular workday? My solution to this is to find a day that’s not as busy and make up a whole recipe of waffles and freeze them for those busy days! I know, I know, you’re saying, “You can buy these in the store already frozen!” But it’s hard to beat a homemade waffle that has egg whites beaten into it that make them light and fluffy!

This recipe is one I’ve made for years; it’s our very favorite. My husband will even eat them plain! They’re that good! This made up an ocean of waffles; about 20 individual squares. They smell so good you might have a hard time saving some for the freezer, but try to resist!

Everyday Waffles

1 ³⁄₄cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
¹⁄2 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
1 ³⁄₄cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
¹⁄₂cup cooking oil (I used 1/4)
2 egg whites, beaten stiff

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
In another bowl, beat the egg yolks, slightly; stir in the milk, oil and the vanilla.
Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir until just moistened (the batter should still be slightly lumpy).
Beat 2 egg whites until stiff. Fold into batter, leaving some fluffs of egg.
Pour 1 to 1 1/4 cups batter onto the grids of a preheated, lightly greased waffle iron . Close the lid quickly and do not open until done.
When done lift the waffles of the iron with a fork.
Repeat the procedure with the remaining batter.