Month: February 2015

Daily Thoughts

Be Still & Know

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It is snowing today. Beautiful, peaceful and just the perfect weather to bake. As I was leafing through a basket with old recipes that I have collected through the years from different places and magazines, I came across a story that I had written back in 2002. Randy has been asking me to make cinnamon rolls and there is nothing easier that the recipe that I have used since the early 70’s for cinnamon rolls. Which I will post after I finish with the story.
As I have written about in previous posts, both Randy and I are in a new season of life…retirement. Not by his choosing, but circumstances out of his control. So we find ourselves home much more than we have ever been. When I think about Randy and how well he has adjusted to not working, it was so amazing to find this story that I had long ago forgot. It is just as applicable today as it was back in 2002. Here it is.

“Wow, what a seemingly hard, almost impossible, for so many, myself included to do..to sit and be still. The world we live in today is so fast paced, so busy, that we have a hard time just sitting and doing nothing. It seems that we have to have some noise around us at all times. We just do not know what to do with the quiet.
A couple of years ago a dear friend of mine told me that I was addicted to business. I laughed and said that I probably was, but just didn’t think too much about what she had just told me.
One day, while having a quiet time and praying to the Lord, I thought of what my friend had told me. In the deepest part of my soul, I felt that God was telling me that what Simone had told me was true. I had been so busy with things. I was in the habit of telling the Lord what I wanted to do and then wondered why He was not speaking to me or using me like I felt He should. It was then that I realized that as soon as I finished telling God what I thought my day should look like and what I needed from Him, I would hurry off and proceed with my day; never giving Him a chance to speak to me or showing me through His Word what He might have for me. Guessing that He would send me a message via billboard, text message or hear something through a radio message, I would quickly go about my busy day. Yes, He can speak to us anyway He chooses, but what if He was wanting to speak to us in the quiet? Would He have a chance to do that?
After years of running kids around, working, spending time with friends for lunch, hobbies, it has been hard to stay home, after being in the habit of staying gone all day.
But moving to California, took so many things away that for the first time in years, I had time on my hands. no more friends until I had the chance to make some. No church activities to keep me busy until we found a church and got involved.
I fought it, I griped about it and tried to tell the Lord that this was not going to work. I needed lots of things to do and I wanted Him to keep me busy…NOW! When He didn’t answer in the way I felt He should, I began to look at my life and realize that for so many years, I was asking Him to walk with me in the paths that I wanted to go, doing what I wanted and expecting Him to bless me. Now, I realized that when I didn’t give Him the chance to work in my life, or give Him a chance to speak to me, He “helped” me find the quiet times. Slowly and finally in surrender I began to see that when we give Him the opportunity to speak, He is more than willing. He did create us for His pleasure. He doesn’t need anything from us, but he desires things from us..a humble, quiet and surrendered heart. I began to pray each day that I will be willing to “be still and know” that He is God and then allow His truths and light to flow through me to others He places in my path.”
Even though that story was written back in 2002, I read it and realize how easy it is to once again fall into business of life.
With both of us home now, we have to try a little harder to spend some alone time with God each day.
We think that the older we get that we will have more time to spend with the Lord, but somehow, we seem to always find other things to do. My prayer for 2015 is that I will give Him more of my time and more of my heart. That each day I will “Be still and know that He is God.” And then trust Him for His timing, leading and guidance in my life. He is always faithful, I pray that He will be able to say that about me one day.

Chocolate · Desserts · Ray High School

Chocolate Yumminess….Miles of Chocolate

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I just posted a almost flourless cake and wanted to share something that will save you time and energy. Because sometimes there is nothing that will do except chocolate, but we are either not in the mood to bake or simply don’t like to bake, here is a great little secret.
At Whole Foods there is a little gem of a chocolate dessert called Miles of Chocolate. It is gluten free and probably one of the most delectable chocolate desserts I have ever had. I have written about it before, so this is just a little reminder. It is in the bakery part of Whole Foods and you might have to ask the bakery attendant to show you where it is located. It is in the cold prepared bakery items part and is individually wrapped like a brownie. But trust me on this. It is so much better than a brownie. It is part brownie and part chocolate truffle. They are a little pricey but oh so worth it. You could buy as many as needed for each guest you are having. Serve them either straight out of the fridge or room temp on a plate with a raspberry or strawberry sauce, topped with whipped cream and your guest will think you have been in the kitchen for days. Trust me on this one. These little Miles of Chocolate are the best thing since disposable diapers. I read that they have them at Central Market also, but have not been there to see. We have bought ours at Whole Foods each time. Let me know what you think of them. If you are curious about them, just google Miles of Chocolate and see all the comments written about them. They truly are a little slice of heaven and the best chocolate dessert around. The man who introduced these to the world use to sit by me in high school, but I don’t think we ever talked. Darn, I should have paid more attention to the people sitting by me instead of what outfit I was going to wear the next day.

Cakes · Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit

Chocolate Decadence

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Since we have friends coming in from California next week, I have been looking through different recipes to see what I will be making while they are here. This one will be the one to welcome them in Saturday evening. Isn’t it always just the best to walk in and smell chocolate? They will feel at home instantly when they sit down and share their road trip experience while spooning up this most delicious chocolate dessert. The dessert is made ahead so all you need do is serve it as all of us will have our feet up, ready to hear their road trip stories. (if they are anything like ours, I’m sure there will be some blog stories that will be written.) This is almost flourless, using just 2 tables flour..
2 (8 oz) packages semisweet chocolate baking squares
2/3 cup butter
5 large eggs
2 tables sugar
2 tables flour
Raspberry Sauce
Whipping cream
Line bottom of a 9″ springform pan with parchment paper; set pan aside.
Cook chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat until chocolate is completely melted, stirring occasionally. Beat eggs at medium speed with mixer until blended, gradually add the chocolate mixture, beating 10 minutes. Fold in sugar and flour. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Cake will not be set in center. Cool 30 minutes. Cover loosely and chill 8 hours. Spoon about 2 1/2 Tables Raspberry sauce on each dessert plate. Place wedge of chocolate dessert on sauce. Garnish with whipped cream and a fresh raspberry.
Raspberry Sauce
2 cups fresh raspberry sauce
2 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tables cornstarch
2 tables water
Combine raspberries, 2 cups water and 1/4 cup sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered about 30 minutes. Press raspberry mixture through a wire mesh strainer, using the back of a spoon to squeeze out juice. Discard pulp and seeds. Return raspberry mixture to saucepan; set aside.
Combine cornstarch and 2 tables water in a small measuring cup, stir until smooth. Stir into raspberry mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Cook 2 more minute; stirring. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Chocolate · Cookies · Desserts

Chocolate Chip Cookies Ah La TKbakesalot

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Because we are still stuck at home because of the weather and I wanted to get in the kitchen and bake. What perfect weather to keep the fireplace going and get the chocolate chips out and get some cookies in the oven.
Because I have had so many friends tell me that they love my chocolate chip cookies. I thought I would post the changes I make to the recipe which is on the back of Nestle’s semi-sweet chocolate chips. I follow the recipe except for two things.
I use half butter and half Crisco shortening.
I only use 1 large egg instead of 2.
Today I used 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and ground up with a food processor, Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate truffle bars. The cookies are amazing.
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teas vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teas baking soda
1/2 teas salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup of grated dark chocolate
1 cup chopped pecans (if desired)
Cream the softened butter and Crisco with both sugars. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Mix flour, baking soda and salt together. Beat in the flour mixture with the creamed mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans (if you are using pecans)
Bake on ungreased cookie sheets in a preheated 375 oven for 9-12 minutes depending on the size of the cookies.
I cool them on paper towels. Then I wrap in waxed paper and freeze while still just a little warm. They freeze beautifully and stay very moist. Or just keep them out and watch them disappear.

Chocolate · Cookies · Desserts

Chocolate Cookie Pudding

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Being at our daughter’s house last week, I began to look for simple desserts since my son-in-law had informed me before I got there that I was expected to make at least 3 of them while there. This one caught my eye since it would be simple, not many food items to purchase and even the 3 year old would love it. To change it up, feel free to change out the Oreo cookies for Double Delight Oreo Peanut Butter & Chocolate cookies.
1 (5.9 oz) package chocolate instant pudding mix
2 cups milk
1 (3 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip
16 double stuffed cream-filled chocolate Oreo cookies, crushed (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Whisk together the chocolate instant pudding mix and 2 cups milk for 2 mins. Cover pudding and chill 5 min.
Stir together cream cheese and Cool Whip; blend well.
Place 1 cup crushed cookies in an 8 cup bowl. Spread half of cream cheese mixture over crushed cookies; sprinkle with half of pecans if using. Spread all of the pudding evenly over top; spread remaining cream cheese mixture evenly over pudding. Sprinkle with remaining cookies and pecans. Chill for about 2-4 hours until ready to serve.

Daily Thoughts

Yoga Van

Chocolate Castles5 Comments

2015-02-20 11.03.54
Just coming back from visiting our daughter and family in Phoenix, I am still trying to figure out why I gained weight over the last week. The entire week I was there, Jodi kept trying to inspire me with her new tales of what exercise class was doing for her and how, if I, would just go with her to class, I would feel better and have more energy, with less cravings. As I drank the awful shake she had made me try of flax seed, kale and cucumbers, I began to ponder that she might be right. she immediately tells me that I would probably need to crawl to the back of the van as we were headed to pick up her mother-in-law for lunch and she is not able to crawl to the back. (Has Jodi remembered that I am not still 35?)Mind you there are 2 baby seats with wires in the middle seats so it takes great agility to step up over wires to the DVD’s and with nothing to hold on to but the baby seats, all the while stepping over school backpacks, discarded McDonald, Chick Fila sacks and water bottles on the floor van.
When I thought about it, I informed little miss, “Yoga Guru” that I didn’t need to pay to exercise, I got all the muscle stretching that I could stand right there in the van. I also reminded her about the quick trips to the back of the van to grab Kleenex to wipe the little darling’s noses got me in a position that took me hours to get out of, made my case in point.
During the week in Phoenix, there were times that I would go in to potty (I know, TMI) only to discover that the toilet paper that was there just a few minutes earlier had been yanked and carried off by the 3 year old to take to his mom for wiping his nose. So there I would sit, trying to figure out if I should yell for help, drip dry, or use one of the used pull ups that was in the trash can (NO IT WAS NOT MY PULL UP).
The visits they are achanging. With them now having one teenager and 1 elementary child, plus a VERY strong willed 3 year old, our mother-daughter times were now complex. We use to be able to put them down for a nap while Eric stayed home with them and we would escape. Now, because there are no more naps, and because the school age kids go and get out at different times and the 3 year old only falls asleep while watching videos while she drives around in the van, our mother-daughter time is limited to van riding. We kidding about finding a drive thru salon for pedicures, and found ourselves riding around eating salads from our laps, so Noah wouldn’t wake up. It made me realize that I have to find something here in Dallas to keep me in shape so my body will stay in shape for the next visit of crawling back and forth in the van. As soon as Noah would wake up, he would cry for a certain toy which we would see had been thrown in the very back and guess who got the joy of crawling back over the seats to retrieve it..?
My idea for a mini-van commercial:
“No time for exercise? No extra money to join a gym? Buy our van, your body will thank you! Stretching and muscle building while you carpool. Great way for grannies to keep up muscle tones while visiting their grandkids. Plenty of door pockets to hold Depends for times when you sneeze as you are crawling over the seats to wipe those little precious noses”.
Mini-Van’s….buy them for your health.

Uncategorized

Happy Valentines Day

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Randy gave me the best present ever!!! Today has been just a perfect day so far. It began when he presented me with a gift certificate for a facial and massage and then took me to In & Out. Then…here comes the best part, he let me rearrange the furniture, bringing down our chairs from in our bedroom and taking the chairs that we have been glued to this past year, upstairs. In case you don’t know me well, one of my favorite things is to rearrange furniture and I am married to a guy that when he sees “THAT LOOK” in my eye, he knows just to go ahead and give in because he knows that until I rearrange what I am thinking about, there will be no sleep for the weary. I just cannot turn it off; I will keep going over and over in my mind, how I want it to look, what I think it will look like and what I will do if it doesn’t turn out like I thought. So…he just goes ahead when he sees the look and goes out to the garage for our sliders and pours a glass of tea and says, “we might as well get started” so we will be finished and you will be able to sleep.”
We just finished. Of course, rearranging means having to change the pictures on the wall and all the little knick knacks, but that makes me dust, which also makes us vacuum, which now means I have a clean house to wake up to in the morning. I just remembered that I am leaving town next week and Randy will be the only one here to enjoy the clean house. But, maybe that can be one of his Valentines presents. Ouch! I got a massage and facial and he gets a clean house, (after moving chairs, couches, lamps, pictures). Poor guy. But at least when he is sitting here next week wondering why I didn’t make some frozen meals for him, he will look around and at least be glad he is getting to watch TV from the new lazy boy chair (which we hauled downstairs, knocking a few paint chips off the wall going down the stairs) in a clean house. Am I a good wife or what? I’m so glad I made chocolate cake for tonight. Maybe that will get me out of the dog house.2015-02-14 11.31.40
Actually I baked the cake for a party we are going to tonight, with a few favorite sayings of the birthday person, but I will be sure Randy gets a slice. Happy Valentines Day from Valentino and TKBakesalot

Chicken · Chocolate · Desserts

Red Velvet Whoppie Pies Via Duncan Hines

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Tomorrow I am baking these little gems for a lady who has requested them for friends coming in from out of town. I am using my favorite Cream Cheese Frosting for the filling instead of the canned frosting that this says to use. If you want to make your own, all it is is:
1 (8 oz) softened cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 box of powdered sugar
Enough whipping cream or milk to get it to spreading consistency.

Whoppie Pies
1 package Duncan Hines® Signature Red Velvet Cake Mix
• 2 large eggs
• 6 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Baking Instructions

1.Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease baking sheets.
2.Combine cake mix, eggs, butter and vanilla in large bowl with wooden spoon until dough forms.
3.Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2-inches apart on prepared pans.
4.Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until edges are set. Cool cookies 1 minute on pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
5.Spread frosting on flat side of 20 cookies. Top with remaining cookies.
6.Baking Tip: Use a 1 to 1-1/4 inch scoop to form dough into balls. For best results, bake one baking sheet at a time. If baking two sheets together, rotate pans halfway through baking.