How about a little twist on Apple Pie to freshen Up your Friday?!  This is a pie that’s inside out because you put the ice cream in a baked tortilla, then pour the filling over the ice cream!  It’s easy, quick and has less calories.

Now, I have to be honest, the tortilla wasn’t easy to eat.  It was hard to cut or bite into, but once you got it into your mouth it was yummy!  Maybe I didn’t bake it long enough, but I was afraid of getting it too brown.  Next time I’ll crisp it a little more.

Inside Out Apple Pie

Ingredients

Pie Shells

6 Flour Tortillas (6-inch)

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

Apple Pie Filling

3 small Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, diced

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Vanilla Ice Cream

Caramel Topping, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease a 6-cup muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.

Brush each tortilla with butter and generously sprinkle with cinnamon sugar; reserve butter and cinnamon-sugar

Carefully fit tortilla cut outs in prepared muffin tin.

Bake for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the apples.

Pour the remaining of the butter in a frying pan and place over medium-high heat.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the diced apples with the remaining cinnamon-sugar (use less if you don’t like too much spice), and mix in the nutmeg.

Add the apple mixture to the frying pan and cook for about 10 minutes, or until tender, stirring frequently.

Remove tortilla shells from the oven and cool completely.

Assemble

Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to each tortilla shell.

Top with warm apple pie mixture.

Drizzle with caramel topping.  I used my homemade caramel from this Apple cake recipe.

Serve immediately.

This Sunday I hope you’ll be in a Bible preaching church so you can
Stay refreshed,

Seldom does my South Carolinian daughter come home to Tennessee for a visit that she doesn’t make a comment about how nice the people in Johnson City are!  Every time she says that I am reminded that it really is important to put our best mannered foot forward whenever we’re with others.

Included in “others” is our own family.  Children need to be taught manners while they’re young so it’s second nature.  Manners isn’t just southern culture – it should be a part of a Christian’s reputation.  We should be the most thoughtful people – putting others before ourselves.

That being said, what are some of the manners a child should be learning?

A Peek into my life this week

Last Saturday we decided to take a drive to an Amish store nearby (well, I asked my husband if we could go!).  It was a lovely afternoon for a little thirty minute drive in the country!  We headed out so I could pick up some bulk spices and baking ingredients I like to get there.  After making that stop, we headed to an old general store my husband had heard about.  It was so beautiful that I had to snap a bunch of pictures.  I can’t wait for you to see the beauty of our drive and the store itself!  Ready?

Breathtaking views on our way!

Old Pilot Hill General Store, Limestone, TN

Front Porch greeter =)

I love the looks of the counter and behind it. They serve lunch and dinner here; they also sell general merchandise.

Front porch of store

 I love taking drives in the country on a Saturday afternoon!  What do you enjoy doing if you have a little free time?

With love from my country porch,

“How have you seen God at work in your life this week?” is a question my husband asks people all the time.  I wonder how many times we miss what He is doing?  Too often, I’m afraid.  Maybe it’s because we just don’t give the Lord credit for what is going on around us.  We chalk it up as coincidence or something else humanistic, rather than Divine.

I saw and heard of God at work at least three times yesterday (aside from my quiet time when He spoke to me in His Word)!  The first time was when someone wanted to share a handmade gift  ~ so beautiful and so thoughtful.  It was an early Christmas present!  Who but the Lord would prompt someone so early?!  Her touch of kindness came when I was pretty low, and it meant more than I could even tell her.  I considered her thoughtfulness a hug from the Lord.

A little later I spoke with someone on the phone and they shared a blessing with me, and I witnessed God at work in her life!  It seems that she’d gotten a card in the mail that contained all the elements needed to send her and her husband on a date!  The sender said “the Lord put them on her heart and wanted to send this gift to them to be obedient.” How thoughtful!  Look at what God did!

The third time I saw God at work was when I came home from grocery shopping to find most of what is in this picture above sitting on my front porch.  There was also a tub FULL of blackberries!  What a sweet, thoughtful gesture for a friend from church to stop and leave that produce for us!  We will enjoy it all!

My first thought when I saw the treasure trove of produce was to burst out in tears – happy ones, thankful ones, rejoicing ones.  God is so good to put it on the heart of someone to be a blessing to us in this way!  They may have had cucumbers coming out their ears, but they didn’t have to take the time to share them with us, but they did because God was at work!  

These gifts brought encouragement on days when they were needed.  How special just to be thought of! Just for someone to take the time to say they wanted to be a blessing.  Just to know that the Lord had put us on their hearts was a reminder that our God is at work in our lives every single day!  Sometimes He uses His children to reach out in a simple, thoughtful way to communicate His love.  I’m already thinking about what I can do to be a blessing tomorrow!

With whom would the Lord have you demonstrate His care?  Take a look around you.  What do you have that you could share with a friend?

I’m linking up with OrgJunkie today on her Monday Menu planning.

You know, when you plan ahead of time, meal prep is soooo much easier.  What are some of the benefits of planning out a weekly menu?

• Sunday – Balsamic Roast (See recipe below), Potato Wedges, Fried Okra, Cucumber Salad w/Dill, Wheat, Feta, Dill biscuits
• Monday – Leftovers from Sunday
• Tuesday – Dollywood!
• Wednesday – Italian Meat Loaves, Roasted Potatoes, Tomato slices
• Thursday – BBQ Pork Ribs, Oven “fried” Onion Rings, Strawberry Salad, Inside Out Apple Pies (Come back later this week for recipe!)
• Friday – Leftovers
• Saturday – Grilled Pizza, Salad

The Balsamic Roast was a new recipe for me and we LOVED it!  It’s a great crock pot recipe for a Sunday dinner – or anytime you are going to be away from home and want to come home to a tender, juicy roast!

With love from my country kitchen,