To freshen up your Friday, how about refreshment for your home and your wardrobe? My girls have both recently started blogs concerning these subjects! Whitney’s is about comforts at home. She posted yesterday about creating an inviting front door. It’s true that sometimes people can be confused about which door they should come to when they arrive at your house. Whitney had some good suggestions about your front door making a little announcement that will help guests know where to enter. Check out her good ideas and pretty pictures.

Dressing is an area of life that can be a chore and a bore. We get into a rut of wearing the same pieces with the same other pieces in the same old way. Can you relate?  Alli is writing a blog about creating a Cheerful Closet! Now, who wouldn’t welcome that?! She has some great suggestions about accessories, and also adding items to your wardrobe on a budget.

Could I encourage you about one other area of refreshment? It’s called hospitality. Think back to the last time you had folks over (other than family members) for a time of fellowship. Maybe it was recently; if so, I applaud you! If it’s been a while, can I remind you about what a blessing it is to invite people in for fun, food, and fellowship? It’s great!

Fall is an easy time to plan a simple entertaining menu and have folks over. Fry up canned biscuits in oil, then toss in granulated sugar and you’ll have a doughnut that is worth licking your fingers to finish! Pull out the Uno cards (after everyone has washed the sugar off their hands) and laugh and enjoy some great fun. Keep it simple and everyone will want to come again. The point is, you don’t need a beautiful home that’s magazine-worthy. You just need a simple menu and a heart for others. Obey the command to show hospitality. You’ll be refreshed as you refresh others!

If you need a great recipe for a fall dessert, I have a perfect tasting and perfectly simple one for you:

Pumpkin Crunch Cake
Ingredients

 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
 4 eggs
 1 1/2 cups white sugar
 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
 1 teaspoon salt
 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
 1 cup chopped pecans
 1 cup margarine, melted, (I reduced this to 1/2 cup and it was great)
 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9×13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix well, and spread into the prepared pan.
Sprinkle cake mix over the top of the pumpkin mixture, and pat down. Sprinkle chopped pecans evenly over the cake mix, then drizzle with melted margarine.
Bake for 60 to 80 minutes, ( I baked mine about 40 -45 minutes!) or until done. Top with whipped topping when ready to serve.

Now for some encouragement you can serve up…

Pastor Encouragement: Pray that your pastor will be a man of worship and prayer, and that he will lead by example – teaching the congregation how to walk in a close relationship with the Father.

Husband Encouragement: When you look at your husband, what do you see? Strong arms? Hairy chest? Firm hands? Big feet? Rugged chin? Wide shoulders? Compassionate eyes? Broad smile? Whatever his physical size, shape, or characteristics may be, the way you see him has a profound affect. Almost nothing is as devastating to a man as the belief that his wife finds him repulsive. Sadly, many women unwisely criticize their husbands’ bodies.

Have you ever considered how wonderfully God designed men and women? No matter how a man looks—by the standards of the world — a loving God designed them all, and they are all beautiful in His sight. Encourage your husband today by praising his uniqueness.

As you look over your husband’s body, from the tip of his toes to his bald or bushy head, thank God that your husband is “wonderfully made,” then admire your husband verbally.

See you in church!

Be refreshed,

I got to do some baking this weekend – something I don’t do nearly as much as I’d like.  Now that it’s just the two of us here, I try to only bake when I’m having company.  In Sunday’s case, we weren’t having company – we were the company.  How nice that was!  I’m always reminded of the blessing people receive when we open our homes.  It was a blessing for us, and I need to remember to not just receive the blessing, but also to extend it to others. 

When I asked what I could bring, our hostess suggested dessert.  Yay!  Here was an opportunity to try a couple new recipes.  (Yep, I did it again!) 

Since there were going to be ten at the meal, I decided to make two desserts so there would be plenty, and everyone could have a choice.  I opted on a pie and a cake.  One was from Cooking Light and one from Taste of Home.

I wanted to try a “light” pie, so I opted for a Lemon Cream Pie.  Instead of the bright yellow filling, this is a light yellow, because of it being a cream.  It’s not a super lemony flavor, but a mild one.  I found this at Cooking Light, where I get tons of great recipes.  Rather than making the link to the recipe I’m posting it here so you’re only a click away from the recipe if/when you come back to find it in the recipe tab.

Lemon Cream Pie

1/2 (14.1-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury) – I used homemade

Cooking spray

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind, divided

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups fat-free milk – I used 2% milk

1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 1/2 cups frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed

Preparation

1. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle; fit into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Fold edges under, and flute. Bake piecrust according to package directions. Cool completely on a wire rack.

2. Combine sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons rind, and the next 4 ingredients (through eggs) in a large bowl, stirring well. Combine milk and cheese in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until mixture reaches 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge (do not boil). Gradually add the hot milk mixture to sugar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return milk mixture to pan, and cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in butter.

3. Place pan in a large ice-filled bowl for 10 minutes or until the mixture cools to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Spoon filling into prepared crust, and cover surface of filling with plastic wrap. Chill for 3 hours or until set, and remove plastic wrap. Spread the whipped topping evenly over chilled pie, and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind.

For the second dessert, I decided on chocolate.  This cake originally was to have a cherry filling, but that is a story I’ll share later. ~Sigh~ Cherry wasn’t an option, but after remembering a new flavor of ice cream Blue Bell has – Chocolate Covered Strawberry, I figured strawberry filling on a chocolate cake might not be a bad idea.  =)  So, that’s what I went with!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake – Or Black Forest Cake
This cake gets better as it sits in the fridge.  Next time, I’ll make it a couple days ahead! 
•1 package (9 ounces) chocolate cake mix – You can also use half of a cake mix

•1/2 cup water

•1 egg

•1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened

•2 tablespoons sugar

•1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

•1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling – Or Strawberry Pie Filling

Directions

•In a small bowl, beat the cake mix, water and egg on medium speed for 3-4 minutes. Pour into a greased 9-in. springform pan; place pan on a baking sheet.

• Bake at 350° for 23-25 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack.

• In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy; fold in whipped topping. Spread pie filling over cake; top with cream cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Remove sides of pan. Yield: 6-8 servings.

What was cooking/baking in your kitchen this week?

From my parsonage kitchen,