Dessert was a simple pie, but a favorite recipe for summertime with only 3 ingredients that get poured into a graham cracker crust!  Frozen Lemonade Pie is a nice treat on a warm day.

Tomato-Feta Salad
1 1/2 Cups crumbled Feta Cheese
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped onion – I used a Red onion
1 1/2 tsp Olive Oil
1 tsp dried oregano
6 medium tomatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds), cut into wedges
Boston lettuce leaves

Combine first 5 ingredients; toss gently.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.  Spoon onto lettuce leaves to serve.  Yield 6 to 8 servings

Carrot-Pineapple Skillet

2 T margarine
7 carrots, cut in thin strips I used baby carrots until I had a couple of cups worth
1/2 C drained pineapple chunks
1/2 t salt
1 T chopped onion
1 T brown sugar
Melt margarine in skillet.  Add carrots, salt and onion.  Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.  I did the steps up to this point before going to church, then I finished the rest when I got home.  Add pineapple, sprinkle sugar; cover and simmer 10 minutes longer or until carrots are tender.   Sprinkle with parsley.
Makes 4 servings

Frozen Lemonade Pie

1 small tub Cool Whip
6 oz. Frozen Lemonade concentrate
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
You can add a little yellow food coloring, if desired.

Mix and pour into a graham cracker pie shell.  Freeze.

 I have lots of carrots left from my bargain bag, but have plans to grate and freeze them for some carrot cakes in the future.  How about you? What do you do when produce is expensive and you don’t have a garden in your backyard?

From my parsonage kitchen,

Okay, so you love to get in the kitchen and stir up some delicious recipe, but then you turn around and look at the sink and counter behind you, and you groan.  Dirty Dishes are piled everywhere! 

Then you think to yourself, “This is why I don’t like to cook!  There’s such a mess when I’m finished!” 

Here’s a simple way to refresh yourself instead of causing yourself grief when in the kitchen cooking:

• Fill the sink with hot soapy water. 

A sink of dishes in hot soapy water sure looks better than a counter full of a mess!

• As you’re working, put the dirty utensils in the hot water to be soaking. 
• When there’s a lull in the action (you’re waiting for the first batch of cookies to bake, or the water has to boil for spaghetti), go to the sink and wash up whatever is in the sink. 
• Keep doing that the whole time you’re in the kitchen, and by the time you’re finished baking or cooking, most of your prep dishes should be clean and in the dish drainer!
• Also, as you’re cooking/baking, put away each ingredient when you’re finished using it, rather than just setting it on the counter. 

A clean kitchen will even refresh you as you sit down to eat the meal you’ve prepared!

Now, fill that sink up and make this Baked French Toast for a breakfast for this weekend.  You’ll love it!

For 8 pieces of toast:

1/4 cup melted butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix and pour half into 8 x 8 pan.  Reserve other half of sugar mixture.

Bake at 350 30-35 minutes in the morning.

What are your tips for keeping things clean as you cook or bake?

See you in church Sunday!

Be refreshed,

What did we do before Google? 

• We ran to the store for taco seasoning instead of finding out how to make our own. 
• We used the encyclopedia to research the history of the pilgrims. 
• We flipped through magazines looking for a recipe to make for supper. 
• We called the a friend who knows a nurse to ask what to do for the rash our little one is wearing. 

Did you know that if you Google the word God, you will get 1,870,000,000 results?  That is mind-boggling!  I didn’t pull up even one of the sites, because the first one listed was from the Mormons, and one not far below it was supporting the idea that God is not real, but imaginary.  It’s not healthy to even look at sites or books that teach erroneous doctrine.  Steer clear.  Don’t even satisfy your curiosity!

I was just thinking about how wise it would be for us to “Google God” (what I mean is, PRAY) first in every situation we face.  Have an issue with your child and don’t know what to do?  Google God.  PRAY.  Wondering how to spend your vacation time this year?  Google God.  PRAY.  Need wisdom to teach that Sunday school class, serve in a ministry, or witness to a friend?  Google God.  PRAY.  Need a provision?  Google God. PRAY.  Want to see God at work in your home?  Google God. PRAY. 

Before we run to the computer, call a friend, consult a counselor, refuse a service opportunity, take out a loan or waste our time, let’s Google God by spending time on our knees praying and seeking His wisdom and grace to help in our time of need.  Hebrews 4:16 

Unlike Google, God will never give lead us astray!  Make Him your first source for every need today!

Do you keep a prayer journal?  What has it meant to you?

With love,

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Brush with water/sugar mixture and bake another 10 minutes.

2 Pie crusts
8 large ripe peaches
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup water
1 Tbl granulated sugar

1.  Prepare pie crusts.  Divide into 8 pieces.  On floured board, roll out each piece into a 7 inch circle.  cover with plastic wrap until ready to use.
2.  Wash peaches; dry carefully.  With small knife, cut unpeeled peach vertically down one side.  Pull out seed, keeping peach halves attached on other side, if possible.  Repeat with all peaches.  Peel peaches, if desired.
3.  Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease 13x 9 inch pan.  In soup plate or pie plate, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4.  Roll one peach in brown sugar mixture and sprinkle some of mixture into center.  Place peach in center of pastry circle.  Bring pastry up around peach and pinch together at top to form dumpling.  Trim off and reserve excess pastry.  Place peaches in greased pan.  Press together reserved pastry scraps; roll out.  Cut out 8 rounds with 1 inch cookie cutter (or melon baller).
5.  In small bowl, combine water and granulated sugar.  Brush over pastry-wrapped peaches.  Press pastry round on top of each peach to cover opening.  Brush with sugar-water mixture.  Sprinkle with any remaining brown-sugar mixture.
6.  Bake dumplings 30 minutes.  Brush with sugar-water mixture.  Bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until pastry is golden brown and peach feels tender when pierced with a toothpick.  Cool dumplings in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare Custard sauce, if desire.

Custard Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbl cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk
1 cup half and half
 3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

1.  In 3-quart saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt.  Stir in milk and half and half until blended.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and boiling.  Remove from heat.
2.  In small bowl, beat eggs until frothy; gradually beat in half of the hot milk mixture.  Then beat egg mixture into remaining hot milk mixture in saucepan.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened.  Do no boil!
3.  Remove custard from heat.  Fold in vanilla.  Serve warm or cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Stir before serving.

Is this a recipe you would try?  You could simplify it by purchasing a pre-made crust or puff pastry (in the freezer section), then serve the dumplings with ice cream. 

From my parsonage windows,

When I was raising my girls, I was always seeking ways to bring the Scripture into their daily lives.  I wanted them to see for themselves how applicational the Word of God is to everything we experience.  One tool that I used to accomplish that was kind of a “cheat sheet” of Bible verses.  The verses touched on sins that needed to be addressed when they happened – disobedience, lying,  rebellion, etc.  I also tried to look for examples in the Bible to help the girls understand how to handle problems.

Recently, I was reading a passage in  Numbers 12  that I wished I had shared when the girls were young and at each other’s throats fussing.   This is when Miriam and Aaron spoke out against their brother, Moses.  They basically snubbed their noses at the fact that he was the one in charge and they were not!  It never tells us that Moses raked them over the coals for their behaviour, rather, it was God who stepped in and God did not see it as a light thing.  Miriam was struck with leprosy (she received the harsh consequences instead of Aaron, I believe, because Aaron had a repentant heart). 

A couple of really good lessons are here:

• God doesn’t like it when families are at odds.  His desire is that we get along and glorify Him in our relationships.
• God can step into family problems.  We don’t need to take up issues with brother or sister (or for that matter mother or father-in-law, daughter or son-in-law, or our husband!).  We should be meek like Moses and let God decide who needs correcting and how.  This is a great truth to teach to children who have siblings.  Of course, you may snicker when you hear them praying for God to give their sister leprosy!  But the truth is here – we don’t need to step in.  God, Who hears everything,  can handle disagreements in our family.
• Another good truth is that when we have a repentant heart, it is also seen by God.  God wants us to glorify Him and have a relationship with Him.  His objective isn’t to simply “let us have it.”  Teach your children to have a tender heart when they sin; to confess it and make it right as soon as possible.  It doesn’t mean there won’t be discipline, but it might be less if they confess and forsake it. 

I’m thankful that God’s Word has the answer for each situation we face – as children or adults.  The principles are there for us to obey.  God is the same as He was in Moses’ day and He will handle those difficult situations, and he will give us wisdom to guide our children through them as well.

Oh dear, what’s that little white spot on my arm…(I love my sisters!  I really, truly do!) Oh, it’s just dry skin.  Whew. 

How do you deal with fussing between siblings?

With love,