Molasses Cookies

We love cookies!  Oatmeal, chocolate chip, snickerdoodles, sugar cookies, peanut butter.  They are all our favorites!   The above saying about the dark side gets repeated A LOT around here.

For several years my hubby has mentioned molasses cookies & I just shied away from them because I knew I didn’t like them—selfish of me I know.  The molasses cookies that I had didn’t have a very good flavor, almost bitter.  However we did a pretty low key Father’s Day this year and one of the gifts we gave to the daddy in our house was a batch of molasses cookies.

Can I say I WAS WRONG!  I love these cookies!!  I will say they are not as sweet as say chocolate chip, however, that is okay by me.  So if you need a classic spice cookie then this one may just be the one to add to your collection.
I went to a cookie exchange last night so this is all that is left from the batch I made yesterday.  Now we do have a wonderful collection to choose from for the next few days as we bake our goodies for Christmas.  However when I went for a cookie to have with my tea this morning guess what I chose?  One of mine!  They look crisp but they are actually pretty chewy which I really like in a cookie!

Molasses Cookies (48 cookies)

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Spectrum vegetable shortening(palm oil)
1/2 cup molasses
1 large egg
2 1/4 cups whole wheat or white wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 cup granulated sugar

Combine brown sugar and shortening in a large bowl; beat with mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add molasses and egg; beat well.  Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup; level with a knife.  combine flour and next 5 ingredients(through salt), stirring with a whisk.  Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed just until blended.  Cover and freeze 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 375.

Place granulated sugar in another bowl.  Lightly coat hands with cooking spray.  Shape dough in to 1-inch balls.  Roll ball in sugar & place on greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 375 for 8 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes & remove from pan.

Try not to eat them all at one sitting—they are addicting!  Enjoy!

Linked up at
Bloggy Progressive Dinner--Desserts!
Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday  @ At the Well

Friday Finer Things: Bible Quizzing

Addicting

Exciting

Challenging

It will change your life when you pour God’s word in to your life.

Have you ever heard of Bible Quizzing?  There are ministries all over the US.  We are part of Bible Quiz Fellowship nationally & locally Summit Bible Quizzing.

What is ‘Quizzing’ as it is commonly called?

One definition

Bible quizzing is a game that motivates Christian youth to study the Bible by making it fun and involving a group of teens.

The Basics

Kids memorize a portion(usually a chapter) of scripture.  At a quiz they are asked to quote a verse from their portion or they are asked to answer a question. 

The quizzers are sitting on pads that link to a quiz set which lights up.  Whoever jumps fastest—lights up and they get a chance to answer. 

Teams are formed of 7 quizzers.  5 members of the team are in at one time.  20 points are awarded when the question is answered correctly. 

5 questions right?  Quiz out!  3 answered incorrectly?  Error out

We’ve been part of this wonderful organization for 9 years.  My oldest has memorized large portions of the New Testament. 

The next two are working hard this year on the book of John.  Last night I listened to Chapter 5 from Elizabeth.  She quoted word for word each verse out of order. 

There were only two small mistakes. 

It doesn’t get much better than that.

Interested in find out more?  You can find a local ministry at Bible Quiz Fellowship.

Linked up at

Amy's Finer Things

Simple Lives Thursday: Making a Rag Rug

The new location of this post is

Making a Rag Rug.

This blog has moved.  Sorry for the inconvenience!!!

Part 2, Part 3 & Part 4

Bloggy Progressive Dinner: Sausage Quiche Squares

My favorite thing about Christmas is that we don’t have a huge dinner.  We lay around in our pjs and have cereal(from Santa) for breakfast.  So I get to enjoy Christmas too—just being with my family and not spending the day in the kitchen!  Yeah!  We make this all year too--it is my 8 year old sons favorite egg dish.

If Santa doesn’t bring you cereal then you might want to have this quiche ready to pop in the oven.   It can be made ahead of time and frozen.  Just put it in the refrigerator the night before & then bake for 30 minutes instead of 15-20.  If you pair this with cinnamon rolls & it is a breakfast that gets thumbs up from kids & adults alike.

Sausage Quiche Squares
1 lb sausage—cooked—I use turkey sausage
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup Monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion
10 eggs
1 Tbsp chili powder(use it all it isn’t spicy!)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 small can chopped green chilis

Mix eggs & spices in a medium bowl.  Layer sausage, onion, and cheese in a 9x13 casserole dish.  Pour egg mixture over sausage.  Sprinkle chilis evenly over eggs(or leave one side without chilis for kids/adults who don’t like them).  Bake on 375 for 18-22 minutes.

Linked up at
Bloggy Progressive Dinner @ Amy’s Finer Things
Tuesday Twister @ GNOWFGLINS
Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum 
Mouthwatering Monday @ Southern Fairy Tale
This Week's Craving  @ My Tiny Kitchen

Wordless Wednesday: Favorite Photos 2010 Part 2

            

Linked up at
Wordless Wednesday @ A Beautiful Mess
Wordless Wednesday  @ Michelle's Family Journal

Gratituesday: Power of Praying

One week ago

In an email to a friend I wrote about the trouble I have had with my hip:  “Pain is hard.  It sucker punches you when you don't expect it.  I am still learning how to deal with weakness and not being able to do EVERYTHING.  That verse you shared in Proverbs(see below) is actually one of my very favorites.
 
I often feel like I have gotten off the path of what God wants and that is so reassuring that he is directing my path.  You are right about the burden--he is so much better at carrying it than I am.  I just need to remember that.  My prayer is that I remember that he formed my hip this way.  He knew that I would walk(limp) this road and he's not shocked, scared or unprepared. 

He has a plan & I just need to acknowledge him in ALL my ways.  Not just the easy ways, ALL of them.”

A week ago I sent out a plea for prayers as I was to go get a cortisone shot in my hip joint on Friday.  To say the least I was a bit low and scared and hurting.  I don’t want an bum hip.  It is NOT fun.  I don’t WANT to have surgery to replace my hip joint.  So I was asking for prayers for a successful shot.

And oh the loving emails and phone calls that I received.  It just made me go week with tears as I felt the love pour out. 

Update

The power of love and prayers has proven itself by the peace I feel even as I still have pain in my hip.  This shot may or may not work but  I am so grateful to the prayers of loved ones on my behalf, so grateful that God has given me a few days without as much anxiety about what will happen.  I don’t know what tomorrow holds but HE does and all I need to do is not lean on myself but on Him.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
   and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Linking up to Gratituesday @ Heavenly Homemakers

Bloggy Progressive Dinner: Kim’s Pink Salad

I love recipes that are handed down.  There are a few that I make that are a direct “descendant” from my mom’s kitchen.

Today’s recipe is one of those!  This used to be Judy’s(my mom) Pink Salad.  Not when I take it to places it is Kim’s Pink Salad—but in my head I think no it is my mom’s.  Very strange.  Ranks up there with approaching 40 and feeling 25 still(except for the gray hairs and bum hip).
 
This salad is super easy & takes NO talent to make.  However, it is the one I get the most compliments on.  It is a very pretty salad when done & it would look beautiful in a clear dish for presentation.

Enjoy!

Kim’s Pink Salad

24 oz Cool Whip
1-12 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1-16 oz can cherry pie filling
1-4-6 oz can mandarin oranges, drained
1-16 oz can chunk pineapple, drained

Drain the oranges & pineapple.  Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until the cherry pie filling causes the Cool Whip to be uniformly pink.  Pour in to a 9x13 dish(or other large serving bowl) & refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight.

This post is linked up at 

Bloggy Progressive Dinner 
Tasty Tuesday @ Beauty and Bedlam 
Tasty Tuesday @ Beautiful Mess

Bloggy Progressive Dinner: Wellness Tea

I am not a holistic girl--just not there yet.  On the other hand I HATE being sick and going to the doctor.  So as we go in to Christmas season this is my defense against all those little bugs we often get to share with family.

A friend recommended to me to try taking Echinacea or drinking Echinacea tea.  She used it last winter to battle the little colds that came in their house.  She also has a house full of kids and realizes one little cold can last for a month or two once it makes the rounds to each little person.

Her method

Harvest the leaves from her plant and dry them.  At the first sign of sniffles, sore throat or runny nose start drinking the Echinacea “tea.”  It is much more effective if you can do this before the sickness takes hold.  It strengthens your immune system and helps it fight off the illness. 

How to make the tea.   Boil a mug of water.  Place a 1-2 teaspoons(estimate here) of leaves in a paper towel or coffee filter and place it in the water to steep for 2-3 minutes.  My friend’s kids would just drink this as their “tea” several times a day for about 7 days.  Don’t stop drinking the tea early or the cold may come back.

My method

Tea(real tea) with breakfast.  As we’ve had some sore throats and sniffles around here I have been faithfully making a pot of Echinacea “tea” each morning.  Sometimes we will have a pot later in the day but we have been pretty faithful to drink it at least 3-4 mornings a week.  Everyone, not just the sick one.
My favorite tea is French Vanilla from Bigelow.

I boil a kettle of water on the stove as we wait for muffins, oatmeal or eggs.  Then in this cute tea pot I have I put 3 tea bags & then put my mesh strainer in filled with dried Echinacea leaves.  

Pour the boiling water over the top of the leaves & steep for 2-3 minutes.  I add a teaspoon of honey to my kids mugs and I use a few drops of liquid Stevia.  However, you wouldn't need to do the sweetener because my kids claim that there is virtually no taste.  That is all there is to it.  My little people and I haven’t caught the bugs that Daddy and big brother have caught.  The guys don’t drink the tea as they are out of the house when we have breakfast.

Usually I post a money saving Monday tip so this is a two for one post!  This tea is saving me money because my mother-in-law has flower gardens full of Purple Coneflower(aka Echinacea) in the summer.  I went over there as all her plants were done flowering and harvested a TON(well not really) of leaves for our “wellness tea”—totally free.  It also has saved us at least one or two trips to the doctor.  Money saved!!!

Posted at
Cooking During Stolen Moments @ the Bloggy Progressive Dinner: Drinks/Appetizers