Recipies, Recipies and maybe some thoughts..

Around the holidays lets face it there is pressure to cook and cook well. I have been asked for a few recipes that some have come to enjoy. I must say that some of these I copied out of cookbooks while visiting my Aunt H. Others just plain looked good. So here are a few that I quiet enjoy.

• How to Roast a pumpkin. Since Goosie started bringing home pumpkins I have wanted to do something with them. I checked around the web and found this website the most helpful http://www.pickyourown.org/pumpkincooking.php

Also on this web page you can access just about any pumpkin patch in your state along with tree farms and just about any other family fun on the farm activity. It is a great resource and I recommend putting it on your favorites list.
After making your own pumpkin I doubt you will go back to the canned variety as fresh is best in my opinion. You can use your fresh pumpkin in any recipe that calls for canned. A plus is that your frozen fresh pumpkin is good in the freezer for a year! So here is to fresh pumpkin year round!
****The first recipe is one I have been making quiet frequently lately. Soft chocolate chip pumpkin nut cookies..
you will need:
1 cup sugar 1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup shortening 1 tablespoon orange zest or orange extract
2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup each chocolate chips and chopped nuts (nuts are optional)
Preheat oven to 375* F
Mix sugar, shortening, pumpkin, and orange zest until almost creamed. Slowly add flour, baking soda, baking powder, pie spice and salt.When fully mixed fold in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoon on un-greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Cool and enjoy!
I must note that if you bake the cookies for too long they will not melt in your mouth, nor will they be as satisfying!
****Cranberry Orange Relish
you will need:
1 12 oz bag frozen cranberries 1 medium orange
3/4 to 1 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)
Slice unpeeled orange into eighths and remove seeds. Place 6 oz of cranberries and 1/2 the orange slices into a blender or food processor. Process until evenly chopped. Transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining orange and cranberries. Stir in sweetener as desired and allow to sit covered in the fridge for at least 1 hour. This recipe makes 2 1/2 cups. Serve and enjoy! You can put this relish on Turkey, sweet breads, Ice cream or even sandwiches!
This next one is one that has been asked for more then a few times. I hope you enjoy making and eating them as much as I do. I have found that this recipe makes a moister scone and is more easily enjoyed as it is not dry nor crumbly. Some would argue that these are not true scones.. I digress and refer them to the JOY of Cooking cookbook for the original recipe!
*****Cream Scones
you will need
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream (the heaver the cream the moister the scone)
Preheat oven to 450* F
Blend dry ingredients together then slowly add the wet ingredients. Pour out scone mixture onto floured surface. Pat down to the width of your finger. Then cut like a pizza and bake for 15 minutes or until golden. If you want to make flavored scones you can add these..
For Orange Chocolate Scones
add to wet mixture 1 tablespoon orange extract ( you can use the zest of one orange but it won't be the same flavor) after pouring the mixture onto a floured surface add 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Prepare as mentioned above.
For Lemon Blueberry Scones
you will need to add 1 tablespoon lemon extract and when on a floured surface gently fold in 1/2 cup fresh blueberries.
I hope you enjoy making and eating these as much as I do! Enjoy my dear readers and as we are visiting family for the holiday I will post again when I have time! Be blessed!

Just For Minute Go There With Me..

Lately on Facebook my friends have been telling everyone what they are thankful for. Today I stated that I am thankful for death, because without accepting it you cannot have an exceptional life. I didn't get too many likes or kudos for it. I rather think it might have been either too deep or too morbid. So I thought I would expand my view point here.
Death to me is a part of life. It cannot be escaped, nor can it be avoided. We can each choose our view of death and weather or not we accept it as a part of life. Some like the character Voldomort in the popular Harry Potter series will do anything to escape death. They fear it and are not afraid to hurt others in their quest to rid themselves of morality. There are others like the character Harry Potter who come to accept death. If you would like a more religious view I would refer you to Esther. Esther faced death to put it mildly. She honestly stared it down and instead of running to save herself, found valor and stood up to death. She knew that going into the Kings court unbidden would only lead to her death. But she fasted, prayed and accepted the courage of the Lord. She went unbidden into the kings courts (where everyone was present) and knew that the moment she stepped in she was dead. She didn't die, as many of us know. Instead of the death that certainly awaited her and her people, she lived.

There are some who go through this life and think that death is the worst thing that could happen to them. There are others who in the face of death find courage. Many men and women in uniform know about this. Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the knowledge that there is something worth more. Our country was founded and continues to be kept free because there are those who see the price of our freedoms and are willing to find hope in the sudden silence of death, that others are still free. Christians should not fear death because the sacrificial death of a sinless savior broke the power death had on mankind. Because Christ died, I can live. I can live without fear. If death is the worst that can happen, I say bring it. Because of Christ my death would just be the passing of my spirit into the heavenly realms. Where I can praise my savior.
Think about it what is the worst that can happen in your life right now.. if that happens and you have a relationship with Christ, he will take care of you. He never says that being a Christian will be easy. Ask the believers in China if it is easy to follow Christ. What he does say is that you will never go though something that he can't handle. You don't have to be super anything, you just have to be willing. God will do the rest.

So what does if mean anyway? I fear (if). For some they say " I fear not being accepted by my peers" so instead of putting themselves out there, they stay shut in and aren't accepted by their peer. Or " I fear I will not fit in" " I fear I will die" " I fear my spouse will be unfaithful to me". What is your fear. I can honestly say that my fear was that I would see my children die, my spouse would find interest in another's arms or that I would die. I can honestly say that I have come to the conclusion that if my fears come to pass then my God will take care of me. If I die I know that Hubby will find in God the strength he needs to get through it. If my children die, I have confidence knowing that God will care for them and carry Hubby and I through. If Hubby does find interest in another's arms.. God will care for me. For me if _____ then God!

When you look at life and death as I do you may find yourself feeling free. That freedom comes from God. With that freedom you have life and life more abundantly. Because I know that my father in heaven will care for me and supply all my needs I am not left wanting for anything. I realize that for some of you dear readers I may sound quite out of mind. Let me assure you that all of my thoughts are sane. I am rational, I just have what some would call " Big Faith". I like to think of it as simple faith. So now I leave to your own thoughts.. thank you for going there with me. I am sure you learned something about me and I hope something more about yourself.

Busy Busy Busy.. Wait am I a Bee?

So sorry readers, time once again has gotten in the way and I have fallen behind on my blog posts. My parents were up for a visit this past week and we had an enjoyable time together, unfortunately Hubby had to work late almost every night, but that is really nothing new. Mom and Dad were actually warm in the room I made up in my basement. Dad actually joked that menopausal women could heat entire cities if there were some way to harness the hormonal heat! They are visiting other family for the weekend and will possibly be back on Monday or Tuesday.

Goosie is doing well at school. She gets upset with me if I forget to sign her homework and place it back in her folder. Miniman is also doing well at school. He has taken to calling himself "Duckie" and will say it as a type of mantra as he goes about his day. His teacher Mrs. C asked me about this last Wednesday. In all honesty since we call our oldest Goosie, I started calling him Duckie. I guess he wanted a fowl name too. I don't know what I will come up with if Bubbles wants to be called something else. But for all blogging purposes Miniman will still be Miniman. But speaking of Bubbles. She has decided that she wants to be potty trained. Mom has already spoken to me sternly about this as have some of my friends. Bubbles is ready, she can even go on demand. However when I get too caught up in what I am doing and forget to take her to the potty there is an accident. Or when big brother or sister are taking too long and I am admittedly too lazy to run her up the stairs, there is an accident. She can keep herself dry it is just a matter of her learning to stop the flow... I will try to work with her on this, in the coming week.

The month of November is looking like a fairly busy one. My parents are visiting the 3rd through the 8th and then again the following week for a few days. Veterans Day is on the 11th and Hubby has speaking engagements (some of which the kids and I can attend). Then the 13-15th we have the annual training conference with the ARMY. So I need to make sure my dress is ready for that and Hubby's dress blues are in order. My dress I am very proud to say that I am wearing for the second time. The first time I wore it was just before I got pregnant with Goosie and now after the breast reduction and weight loss I am able to fit into it again (although now it has to be taken in instead of let out). A penny saved is a penny earned! No worries readers I will post pictures when I have them. The week following the training conference we will be taking a trip down to see family. That's right, we won't be home for Christmas, but we will be there for Thanksgiving. I would like to see some of my friends who are interested in seeing me while we are down there. So send me an email and we can work something out! After we get back to our house on the hill from Thanksgiving, things I hope will settle down until it is time to head to N.Y. for Christmas..! Then the new year..wow, to think I will be thirty in 7 months (yes, I still count down to my birthday)! I am looking forward to it, there is so much to learn and at times I think I am falling behind the learning curve!

Well, Dear readers I have typed enough that the kids are all asleep, and Hubby too. Now to work on a hat I am knitting, and a shawl I am crocheting... a busy bee never has a dull moment! Be blessed dear readers!