• I pinned a recipe for a Spicy Cuban Flank Steak Sandwich some time ago that I was really anxious to try.  Saturday night supper this past weekend gave me that opportunity.  I got a good sized piece of flank steak on sale at Ingles and I knew the time was right!  Saturday night suppers can be a bit more relaxed, and with a recipe that’s cooked in the crock pot, I simply got the meat seasoned and turned the crock pot on right after breakfast so it could cook all day.  The meat gets so tender, and the beef broth and lime juice keep it moist and delicious while it’s cooking slowly all day.  This was a great meal!  Here’s the whole menu:

• Sweet potato fries are a nice change in a menu.  If you buy them frozen, they can be really pricey.  I made these fresh ones for less than $1.50!  Crispy, sweet, and salty.  What a great combination!  

• Fresh Broccoli Salad
• 4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 head)
• 1/4 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
• 1/4 cup (1-inch-thick) slices red bell pepper 
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 2 1/2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 center-cut bacon slice, cooked and crumbled (drained) 
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil 
• 
  
• Preparation
• Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine vinegar, sugar, and oil in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk to combine. Pour vinegar mixture over broccoli mixture; toss gently to coat.

This homemade Chocolate Sauce is yummy and quick to whip up.  I haven’t tried it, but I’m pretty sure it would mix well into milk for a great glass of chocolate milk, if your kids are so inclined. =)

Chocolate Sauce
2 cups sugar
4 cups water
 4 squares unsweetened chocolate
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tsp vanilla
Boil sugar and water 5 minutes to make a syrup; add chocolate, salt, and cornstarch dissolved in a little cold water.  Cook slowly and stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth (5-8 minutes).  Cool; add vanilla.  Keep in jar in refrigerator.

I hope you’ll try these recipes soon!  Goooooood stuff!

What have you cooked recently?

With love from my country kitchen,

Sometimes relieving the smallest frustration will allow you to do your normal tasks with ease and refresh your routines!  My aggravation was the paper inside the box of cornstarch!  Every time I needed a couple tablespoons from the box, I’d open the paper, and cornstarch would inevitably go everywhere!  Grrrr. Does anyone else hate that?

Then one day last week as I was making my coconut pie, I had the bright idea to pour the whole box into a jar with a label!

Why did I never think of this before?  It’s so wonderful to simply lift the lid and scoop out what I need without getting

Every Thursday on Instagram, folks post pictures of people and events from their past and they call it, “Throwback Thursday.”  My post on this Thursday is a throwback of quotes from this week of meetings.  These are things written in my journal that I don’t want to forget.  Let’s take a look back, shall we?

This has been a wonderful and very busy week for us.  The FBF conference regional meeting was held at our church and ended last night.  It was a blessing from beginning to end!  Our revival meetings continue until this evening.  Please join us if you can.  The messages have been powerful, the music heavenly, and the fellowship encouraging.

Here’s what I’ve done so far:

The front door has a forsythia wreath on it

 The entryway:

Did you know they make green M&M’s for spring?  

Me either…the ones in my dish are from the Christmas bag I had left!  =)

(Please don’t tell Wayne Stykes!)

My little chalkboard:

The dining room only has one touch, but I love these silk tulips:

The living room mantle:

A little closer look at my chalkboard drawing:

My daughter shared her spring touches on her blog this week.  Do you have any spring touches out yet?  

With love from my country porch,

Yesterday I stepped outside my door to do a simple task – fetch the mail from the mailbox at the end of our long driveway.  My ears caught hold of a wonderful sound – nothingness!  No cars.  No trucks.  No people.  Nothing.  All was quiet.  The only sound was the crow of a rooster in the distance, and the wind blowing through the yard.  It was delightful.  It was like a beautiful melody singing in my heart.  Why?  Because for so long whenever I stepped outside my door the very opposite was true – there were cars, trucks, people, sirens, motorcycles…noise.

As I walked back inside, mail in tow, I thought about the gift of the quiet and why I appreciated it so much.  The folks that have lived out in this area all their lives are used to it, but for me, it’s a new pleasure that is such a delight, that I can’t even describe what my heart feels when I experience it each day!  After being used to noise, the quiet is a gift.

The Lord whispered in my heart then, a sweet truth that I pondered on the rest of the afternoon.  You and I will not appreciate the peace until you’ve gone through the storm.  We would become so complacent and dependent on ourselves if He didn’t allow the thunder of trials to reach our ears, or the splash of the rough waves to spill into our boat.  The disciples  on the Sea of Galilee appreciated the peace that Jesus brought because they’d experienced the rage of the waters.

If you’re going through a storm right now and are hearing the roar of the waves, know that there will be a day in the future when the sea is calm, and you will bask in the sunshine and relishing its quiet because you have learned that times of peace are a gift from God.  While you’re in the midst of it, remember Jesus’ words to the frightened disciples – “It is I, be not afraid.”  He is near.  Then also remember – Storms don’t last forever.

With love,