Our Back To School Revival began yesterday with Brother Jerry Sivnksty preaching. It was a wonderful beginning to the week and we’re excited about hearing the preaching of the Word and being changed by it!

It was my privilege to meet the Sivnksty’s for the first time, then have them in my home for our Sunday dinner. They are a precious couple and we shared a sweet time around the table. I love entertaining because it allows people to share a bit of our heart. When they enter our doors they learn more of who we are and I pray they can feel at home. When Brother Jerry asked if he could take his shoes off shortly after entering, it made me glad that he could feel at home with us. We’re no different than anyone else and we want our guests to feel comfortable and at ease.

So, take your shoes off, get comfy on the sofa, and join me for a review of the meal!

Rather than serving the fresh corn on the cob, I decided to cut it off. I saw this clever trick on the Food network. Place the cooked and cooled corn on the middle of a bundt pan to make cutting it easier. The corn stays put and the cut kernels fall into the pan instead of all over the floor!

I knew the Sivnksty’s are health conscious, so I made two desserts – a light one and a not-so-light one so they could have a choice. This was my first attempt at making angel food. It was very good, and you can eat a piece and not feel guilty with only .5 grams of fat!

I failed to take a picture of the whole caramel ice cream dessert, but here’s a picture of a slice. My husband calls it “a killer.” When I asked if that was good or bad, he assured me it was good! It’s like a giant ice cream sandwich made in a springform pan. The cookie part is oatmeal and goes so well with the homemade caramel sauce that you serve with it!

Caramel Ice Cream Dessert

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup quick-cooking oats, uncooked

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

2/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup evaporated milk

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened

(I like any vanilla based ice cream with this – pralines and cream is super good)

• Combine first 4 ingredients, and stir in melted butter; press mixture firmly into a lightly greased 15 x 10 x 1 inch jellyroll pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until lightly browned; remove cookie to wire rack. Cool and crumble.
• Combine 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, and evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil 3 minutes. Cool caramel sauce.
• Sprinkle half of crumbs into bottom of a lightly greased 10-inch springform pan. Drizzle with half of caramel sauce. Spread ice cream over sauce. sprinkle with remaining crumbs.
• Cover and freeze until firm.
• Pour remaining warmed sauce over each slice at serving time.

Yield: 12 servings

If you’re able, please come join us for our meetings this week. I know you’ll be blessed!

What was cooking in your kitchen this week?

With love,

Ever wish someone would snatch you away and give you a makeover? I got an email from Real Simple and you can get a virtual makeover on their website! It’s very easy (and quite entertaining!). Go here if you’re interested in seeing yourself with a new style!

Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. Proverbs 14:1

I’m the world’s worst at mucking up my nail polish because I’ve been too impatient! So here’s another tip on helping polish to dry faster. Put on color, wait 10 minutes, then dip fingers in a bowl of ice-cold water to harden the polish quickly.

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Eccl. 7:8

This past Sunday night my husband preached about disciplining our children. A good follow up on his message are several broadcasts on Revive our Hearts this week. Denise Glenn is the guest and is speaking about setting boundaries for our children. You can hear all the messages on Revive Our Hearts.

Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. Proverbs 19:18

With love,

Sharing group was an anticipated time in my week. Reading over the diary I kept during those years I often wrote about being thankful my work schedule allowed me to attend. I also remarked about how good the meeting was that night. I never forgot how much I loved attending and what a blessing it was to me during my teen years. It kept me connected with those in my youth group, it gave me a place to share my burdens, it encouraged me to share my faith as I heard my friends talking about witnessing, and it taught me how to pray.

Another huge blessing was the dear friends it brought into my life. It’s not often that you can be away from people for 35 years and be able to reconnect with them as though you’d only be apart a short time. However, when this reunion took place last weekend, that’s exactly what happened. We picked right back up. We shared. We prayed. We cried. We sang. That’s what Christian friends can do.

I’m sure Dr. Bill had no idea what an impact he was having on those teenagers. He had no clue what a difference the sacrifice of his time every Wednesday evening meant to us. He didn’t know that he was influencing many that were headed to full-time ministry. Only eternity will reveal what an impact Sharing Group had on all of us.

If you are ministering to youth, be it children or teens, take heart. You are making a difference in their lives. You may not see the fruit now, but the investment you’re making will be a blessing to them now as well as in the years to come. They will eventually say to you what I’m saying now to Dr. Bill – Thank you for investing your time in me!

With a grateful heart,

I am enjoying some time away in my parent’s lovely and quiet home in Kentucky. I’ve come to visit, have a rest, and learn to quilt! I’ve really wanted to learn to quilt for some time. This seems to be a great time for a lesson, and who better than the quilting pros (my parents) to teach me? I’ve come with a small stash of fabrics to get me started on a nine patch quilt. If it takes me a year, that will be okay. “Little by little” so they say!

Dinner at my mom’s table is always a treat. When I told her I was going to feature her meal on my blog post, she said, “This is no fancy dinner; no recipes – it’s just home cooking.” Um, I think that’s the whole point! It was wonderful.

Southern iced tea – sweet and strong. Perfect on a summer day! My mom got me started adding Black Current Tea bags to my iced tea. It adds great flavor to the tea. Use three regular family-sized tea bags and two black current for a half a gallon of tea.

The meal was perfect summer foods – ribs, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and fresh baked biscuits.

The ribs were seasoned with salt, pepper and paprika and then baked at 325 for an hour and a half in a pan with a little water. Then the temperature was brought up to 400 degrees for 25 minutes to brown. They were tender and so tasty!

The biscuits were cut with a tiny little cutter – so cute.

Here’s me and my dear Mom – she’s a wonderfully talented lady and the best cook!

My dad…the man who taught me to love ice cream!

Dessert was homemade jam cake with homemade peach ice cream. This was the best ice cream recipe I’ve ever had. All the cream and sugar was worth it. It was smooth and delicious! If you like homemade ice cream you must try this recipe! It came from Country Living.

I guess you can see how I’m suffering here this week. 🙂 God is good to allow me this privilege, and I’m so thankful!

What memories do you have of eating in your mother’s kitchen?