What a wonderful Easter weekend we had! The services at church were so special. As we sang some favorite songs, my heart swelled with thankfulness as we worshiped the Lord. We do serve a risen Savior, and because He lives, we can face tomorrow! We saw the Lord in His Word, as we read in Luke that He cares enough to clothe the lilies of the field and He cares even more for the needs of His children. I can trust Him today – the day after Easter, for every need of my life, and so can you!
After church I hosted just my family for dinner. It seems that our travels keep us so busy that we don’t get together nearly as often as we’d like. So it was special for it to be just us so we could chat and get caught up.
But now of course, we must talk about the food…Oh yes!
Corn, peas, green beans…repeat. Sometimes I feel that’s how my side dishes go. A bit boring and far too routine! So I set out looking for a couple new recipes to add to my menu. These are simple and delicious – tastes special enough to bump up any weekday menu.
I’ll never forget having dinner with Dale and his parents before we got married. It was a summer day in South Carolina and the fresh vegetable stands were brimming with fresh sweet corn from the fields. When we sat down to eat, there was no meat – there was a HUGE bowl of corn and another large platter of cantaloupe. Coming from a family of girls, and also parents
This weekend I had the joy of hosting a precious family for Sunday dinner. One of my guests was Gluten-free, so I set about finding a menu that everyone could eat and enjoy. Here’s what I made:
Taco Salad Bar
Lettuce
Grape tomatoes
Red onion
Cheddar Cheese
Corn
Avocado
Chicken Breast
Ground Beef
Dressing
Corn Tortilla Chips
Refried Beans – These are so much better than store bought!
When I seasoned my beef, I failed to check the packaged Taco seasoning and then realized it contained Wheat, so when I cooked the chicken, I made up my homemade Taco Seasoning so it would be safe for the Gluten-free person! It’s so easy to mix together and keep on hand.
In the past, I made a flourless cake, and it was good, but I came across another recipe that was amazing! It’s very rich, so it only takes a thin slice to satisfy the sweet tooth. There were a total of nine of us, and I was so busy hosting that I didn’t get a picture of the food! I was so disappointed when I realized it, but please go to JoyFoodSunshine.com and check out her delicious recipe for this GF cake and also LOTS of detailed instructions.
1 teaspoon Espresso Powder – This will boost the chocolate flavor!
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease one 9” round cake pan (or glass pie plate) and set aside. (Note: I always cut a piece of parchment paper into a circle with “handles” and place it on the bottom of the pan. Then I grease the pan with the parchment paper in it).
In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the water, salt and sugar. Whisk every 60 seconds until completely dissolved and set aside.
Melt the chocolate chips (in the microwave or in a double boiler) and pour into the bowl of a standing mixer.
Cut the butter into 1 Tablespoon pieces and beat it into the chocolate, 1 piece at a time.
Mix in the warm sugar/water mixture until combined.
Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time until completely smooth.
Add vanilla and espresso powder and mix until just combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Prepare the water bath
Put the 9″ cake pan in a larger pan then put the pans in the preheated oven.
Once in the oven, pour boiling water into the larger, bottom cake pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the 9″ cake pan that contains the flourless chocolate cake.
Bake
Bake the flourless chocolate cake in the water bath at 300 degrees F for 45 minutes. The center will still look a little wet, but the edge will look set and the cake should only jiggle slightly.
Remove the cake from the water bath and let it cool on a wire rack.
Chill overnight
Chill cake overnight (or for at least 6 hours) in the pan.
Serve Carefully lift the parchment paper out of the pan and the cake with it. Put it on a serving plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar! Serve with fresh berries, ice cream, etc!
Above is the first Flourless cake I made and this Truffle cake looks very similar, but the texture is much more creamy! However, it is a little bit lighter, though still a rich dessert.
I’m pretty sure everyone left the table full and happy! I was thankful to find a menu that suited the Gluten-free need, but also tasted delicious! I’ve added this menu to my Gluten-Free recipe Page.
Repetition isn’t my favorite in basically any area. Songs on repeat. Same outfit. Same restaurant. One kind of weather all year. Worship music that pounds out one phrase over and over. The same vegetables for every supper.
Can you relate to that last one? Peas, green beans and corn are all good, but if you just warm them up and serve them as is, they can be pretty repetitious and boring!
Enter the recipe for French Peas. Doesn’t that sound fancy? They taste fancy, but they’re so simple to make! I found this recipe on Taste of Home’s site. You might crinkle your nose when you read the ingredients and say, “Water chestnuts with peas?!” But trust me, it adds a nice crunchy texture. All these flavors meld perfectly together, taking the ordinary pea and turning it into a spectacular side dish!
RefreshHer 