The BEST Side Dishes for Summer & a Sweet Frozen Treat

June 6, 2016June 3, 2016 RefreshHer1 Comment

On Memorial Day we planned, like a million others, to grill hamburgers at home. We invited our family that lives here and some dear friends of ours, from a town nearby. Now for a menu!

Of course we’d make the famous stuffed burgers I’ve shared here before, but the whole picnic is wrapped around the sides! If you don’t have something great, it’s just another picnic!

Alli offered to bring dessert – a Peach Crostata – yum! But she ~~begged~~ asked if I’d make the Triple-Bean Bake with Bacon that I’ve made for about five years now. I’m not a huge fan of Baked beans, but this recipe has changed that! Our whole family loves this dish, and our guests on Memorial Day raved, too! I also decided I had to make my favorite potato salad, which is Barefoot Contessa’s recipe. It’s sooo yummy!

Menu
Herb and Cheese Stuffed Burgers
Dill Potato Salad
Triple Bean Bake with Bacon
Deviled Eggs
Peach Crostata and Vanilla Ice Cream

Here’s a picture of the spread:

The Triple Bean Bake with Bacon ~

Triple Bean Bake with Bacon

Ingredients

1/2 pound bacon strips, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2/3 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1 can (15-1/2 ounces) great northern beans, undrained
1 can (16 ounces) butter beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon yellow mustard

Directions

In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels with a slotted spoon; drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Add onion to drippings; cook and stir over medium heat until tender.
Stir in the remaining ingredients; return bacon to pan. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 325° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Uncover and bake until desired consistency. Yield: 8 servings.

I put out small dishes for the beans to be put into…for all those that don’t like their food to mix. =)

I have to end with sharing one sweet frozen treat I made for our Bible Club this week. Since we were finishing the Wordless Book and talking about the Green page, I wanted a green snack. Well, it turned out yellow, but it tasted so good the children didn’t mind! Here’s my tweak on a recipe I found.

Lime Popsicles – Makes 6

1/2 Can Frozen Limeade concentrate
1 1/2 cups water
6 oz. Lemon lime soda
4 oz. Pineapple juice
1 tsp. Lime zest

Mix and pour into molds. Freeze until set. Enjoy!

The children and I really enjoyed these last week after having Bible club outside on a hot day! They’re so refreshing! They only took a few minutes to mix together the night before and they literally cost me pennies!

I’m anxious to try out some other recipes with my molds. Does anyone have a great frozen yogurt pop you’ve made and love?

With love from my country kitchen,

My Favorite Things

June 3, 2016June 2, 2016 RefreshHer4 Comments

Don’t you love it when you find something you’ve been searching for for a very long time? I want to share with you a couple of the items that had been on my search list and then one other fun item that is too good a deal not to share with you!

#1. I had purchased an outdoor rug some yers ago for my front porch that was only about 3 x 5 and cost me $65 – which is steep in my book. I really wanted to purchase a similar rug for my patio, but didn’t want to spend a fortune on it. My sister put me onto Lowe’s patio furniture area that had huge outdoor rugs for $30!

I made my way to Lowe’s as quick as I learned about this. Sure enough, there were several patterns and colors available and for only $30. Here’s the one I came home with. I’m loving it! I believe its size is 5×8.

#2. White jewelry for summertime is so perfect, but I had a really difficult time finding white earrings that weren’t either too huge, or too small. I was at Charming Charile’s on our vacation and came across their buy one get one free sale! I found the perfect set – a tassel necklace and matching earrings that were gold and WHITE! Chances are if you see me two days in a row, one of those days I’ll be wearing this duo!

Do you own a tassel necklace? I’m probably a bit behind the rage, but I’m glad I’m finally on board! I love this one.

#3. Lastly let me show you what I stumbled across at Big Lots this week. I’m a gonner when it comes to pretty dishes. I’ve really held myself back since we moved, but since we eat outside on the back porch so much I thought it would be nice to have some outdoor (unbreakable) plates. TJ Maax had a turquoise set I loved but they were more than I wanted to pay. Then when I ran into Big Lots for something else entirely I saw these for only $2.50 each.

I bought the lunch size and they’re also perfect for salad or dessert. I got four and my have to go back for four more so I’ll have enough to use when we entertain outside. They also had yellow, and I’m thinking I may do half and half. Pretty dishes can make even a simple meal more special!

So there you go! Who else is on the quest for a special item? I hope my recommendation helps someone with their search!

Stay refreshed,

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Marriage · Uncategorized

#Monday Marriage Matters Recap

June 2, 2016June 1, 2016 RefreshHer2 Comments

I have so enjoyed the #MondayMarriageMatters posts on Instagram. For me, it has helped to foster the intentional thought, “What have I done this week to show that my marriage matters?” Sometimes it gives me motivation to get after doing something – not for the sake of a post, but so that I can add the special touch that every marriage needs. After 35 years of marriage, I have learned that it’s all the little, everyday things that make a huge difference!

Here’s my recap of my week of #Mondaymarriagematters for the month of May:

While on vacation at the beach this week, my husband took the love note to a whole new level – he slipped out of our oceanfront room we were staying in, went down to the beach and wrote in HUGE letters, “I love Denise ❤” Then he came back up to the room with a sheepish expression. I looked out and saw it and I melted at his romantic expression. He didn’t have to do that, I mean we’re alone on vacation and we had said those words many times, but when marriage matters, you look for opportunities to take the simple and make it outrageous! I’ll never forget his gesture and expression of love! #mondaymarriagematters

We got home from our lovely vacation and hit the ground running. We haven’t stopped or really had time to catch up with one another…until today! Monday is “our day.” We don’t feel guilty for spending this day together, whether anything else gets accomplished or not. I am always grateful that no matter how busy the rest of the week is, I can look forward to the one day we’ve set aside for us!

Marriage is not about getting my way, but knowing how to serve my husband in a way that honors him. I was taught that the proper way to set the table was to put the drink on the right and the salad on the left, but my husband is strongly right-hand dominant and wants his salad on the right. For years I used to put it on the left and watch him move it every. Single. Time. Finally the Lord brought to my attention that the best thing to do was set it the way he wanted it and let it go! Marriage matters more than me getting my way.#mondaymarriagematters #whatdifferencedoesitmake #loveseeksnotherown

One of the best things I can do for my marriage is to bring it before God’s Throne. This year I have really zeroed in on praying verses for my husband. This book is full of nothing but Scriptures that I can pray for Dale. I’m watching God answer those requests; what a blessing! My marriage matters to God!
#marriagemattersmonday

I’m so thankful for a husband who will read scripture and pray with me. I never want to take it for granted. Saying thank you is a way to acknowledge it and let him know how much I appreciate it. #mondaymarriagematters

See what LITTLE gestures they all are? But they make a huge impact in daily marriage. I trust you’re pouring into your marriage each day – not just on the “biggie days” (anniversaries, birthdays, and Valentine’s Day). The seeds you plant now will grow tall in the long run!

What was the last little gesture you did to show that your marriage matters?

Check out Whitney’s recap that she posted yesterday!

Keep your marriage refreshed!

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Christian growth · Uncategorized

Give It Away

June 1, 2016June 1, 2016 RefreshHer2 Comments

Give Away your Bible.jpg

To a believer of the Lord Jesus Christ a Bible is a really precious Book, and your own personal Bible becomes a treasure as you read, study, underline, mark, highlight and make notes. You know just where your favorite verses are. You even know which side of the page it’s on! The worn, jagged pages welcome you, like an old friend, each time you sit down and open its cover.

open Bible.jpg

In 2015 my husband presented me with a new Bible for Valentine’s Day. How sweet! I knew I needed it. My current Bible was literally falling apart, but I had put off getting a new one because I hated the thought of parting with what had become my dearest earthly possession. Now, here laid its replacement, all stiff and unmarked with pages sticking together like staticky socks on knit pants.

Reluctant, but appreciative, I began using the new copy of God’s Word. It wasn’t long until I realized that I had become dependent on my old Bible. Because I was so familiar with it, I didn’t need to really know chapter and verse. I could locate it because of its highlighted color or placement on the page. I had become a bit of a lazy studier. Now with a new Bible, I was forced to search and dig – which of course was a really good thing!

It was then that I realized that I must not get into the lazy habit again. Now instead of holding onto my Bible until it was falling apart, I decided to use it for a couple of years, and then give it away. I would offer it to my daughters, or a young believer. Perhaps they could learn from my notes and be encouraged with a relatively new copy of the Scriptures.

At a ladies’ retreat this spring, I encouraged the ladies to share their Bibles with others. Were you at the retreat? Did you feel the Lord encouraging you to give your copy of God’s Word to someone? Have you obeyed?

Yesterday I took my own counsel and gave away my Bible Valentine’s present to my older daughter. It’s only a year and half old, but it’s time to mark up another one. Time to dig again – so that I might grow spiritually.

Don’t hoard God’s Word or become lazy as you read it. Share your copy of God’s Word with someone else so you can be a blessing to them, and also challenge yourself in your study of this Treasure!

To whom have you given your Bible? Have you been a recipient of one? What did it mean to you?

Lovingly,

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Christian Life

None To Help

May 31, 2016June 1, 2026 RefreshHerLeave a comment

When I think back to some of the hardest times in my life, I cannot say that I ever felt alone. As far as I can remember I’ve always had someone alongside me to encourage and pray for me. But yesterday as I was reading II Timothy 4, I read that Paul had been forsaken by Demas. Alexander had done him much evil. He then adds,

“No man stood with me; all men forsook me.”

I think it’s notable that he said all MEN forsook him. For even when we do feel like we are alone, we have to realize the truth that Paul states in the next verse…

Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me;

In other words, Paul says, “No matter that men may have forsaken me, the Lord never left me! He gave me strength!” He says that the Lord delivered him out of the mouth of lions. He’s likely referring to Nero and his wickedness. God protected Paul, even though there was no human help in sight!

What are you facing right now that makes you feel so alone? Don’t keep your mind there. Move on to this truth – the Lord is standing with you if you know Him as your Savior. He will give you strength! If you don’t know Him, then allow this trial to run you to Him as your Savior, then your Anchor in this trial!

We are never alone; the Lord is always present to help! Acknowledge Him and watch what He will do for you!

Lovingly,