You are probably wondering what a Fruitcake Friendship might be! Last night before I fell asleep I kept thinking how fortunate people are who have those friendships that, like the “fruitcake that goes back and forth between families every year” seem to keep on keeping on!

This past week I received an envelope that had 3 cards enclosed! The first card was sent several years ago from a dear friend who has been nothing but a blessing to me through the years! She has loved me, encouraged me, accepted me even though she knew “the real me” and has been the one who has continually told me to “put your big girl panties on and deal with it”, when necessary! Isn’t it so weird how we can hear peoples voices when we hear certain phrases spoken? Years ago when we had moved to California and we were trying to find a Sunday school class at the church we were visiting, I got discouraged after trying several classes only to find myself running to the bathroom one Sunday with tears in my eyes thinking that we would never find a good one. As I dried my face off I kept hearing her voice telling me just that …”put your big girl panties on and get back in there”. Well guess what.. I did and that was the class that became our greatest gift to us both while living there! That class gave us friends that are still like family to us and continue to bless our lives even now, no matter the distance between us! And another voice I always hear is Debbie Stuart’s voice when I hear “for I am Your handmaiden, let it be as You desire.” Or Dr Criswell voice when “the grass withers, the flowers fade but the Word of God will never pass away!” ,

Ok back to my story. When I had first received that first card a few years back, there was a sweet note she had written to me that was needed at the time as a source of encouragement! It was then that I decided to just add a note to her and mail the same card back telling her how much her words meant to me! Well that began a Fruitcake Friendship! Both of us seemed to know just when the card needed to appear in the others mailbox and on it went. When we would run out of room on a card, a new one would be added and included along with the original card! This past week the envelope appeared and I was just so blessed to read precious words from her that put a smile in my heart! I began to think about this and what it has meant to both of us through the years of knowing that some days we all need just a little lift in our spirits! Yes, texts are nice and so are phone calls, but going to the mailbox and opening up an envelope and reading words that somehow tend to be just what we are needing that day, are better than any fruitcake!

We all have different types of friends throughout our lives. Some are just there for a season, some are there to teach us and guide us during a difficult time! Some that keep us on our toes because they expect accountability, others seem to be gifted as giving us joy and encouragement! But other friends are like the Christmas fruitcake! They are filled with (spiritual)fruit for teaching us how to grow in our faith, making us learn how to laugh at ourselves, allowing us to vent when needed or just going back and forth with a desire to give back to each other what was given to us from the other, no matter the season! How sweet it is to go back and read all the encouraging notes in each card! Friendships are a blessing from God….much better than any fruitcake, no matter what recipe is used!

Proverbs 18:24 “there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother”

You know those nights when you are sitting in front of the TV and there is something that you begin to think about but you don’t know exactly what it is you want! You just know that it needs to something sweet and chocolatey (is that a word?) These little gems are made for those nights! Quick, easy and oh so chocolatey!!!! If you don’t have Rodelle baking chocolate on hand, use whatever is in your pantry but do yourself a favor and order some from Amazon! It will change the way you bake!!! I still use my clear Mexico vanilla because simply said ….it is the best vanilla in the world! Well I can’t say in the world because I have no idea what else is out there but on this side of the ocean, I think it is tops!!!! So put your computer down and go to the kitchen and make these. Recipe makes 6, just enough for you to have to get you through all 3 FBI shows tonight! Unless there are two of you then maybe you need to double the recipe!

Recipe copied from Rodelle Recipes

For Cupcakes

• ½ cup (63 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 3 tablespoons Rodelle Gourmet Dutch Process Baking Cocoa, sifted
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons vegetable (canola) oil
• ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• ½ teaspoon Rodelle Gourmet Vanilla
• ⅓ cup buttermilk, room temperature

For Dark Chocolate Frosting

• 6 ounces (168 g) full fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups (240 g) confectioners sugar, sifted
• ⅓ cup Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa, Dutch Process, sifted
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• Pinch of salt
• Cupcakes
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 6 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the oil and sugars together until well combined. Add the egg and mix well. Add the vanilla.
  4. Stir in the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Stir only until combined. Do not over mix.
  5. Scoop or pour the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling ⅔ full.
  6. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the cupcakes have risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs remaining.
  7. Remove from the oven and cool completely before frosting.For Dark Chocolate Frosting
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese on medium high speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  2. Add the butter and mix until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
  3. Sift in the confectioners sugar and Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa, mixing on low speed until incorporated. Add the heavy cream and mix until combined well.
  4. Increase the speed to medium and beat the frosting for 1 to 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
  5. Transfer the frosting to a large piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe swirls of frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. If frosting is too warm and begins to soften, place it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to firm up.
  6. Store cupcakes tightly covered in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

This is the filling I used for the Gob Cake that I posted on FB and YouTube yesterday. I used a French Vanilla cake mix and used green food coloring for St Patrick’s Day. Feel free to use any flavor of cake mix following the directions on back of the box! Bake in jelly roll pan and cut in half or 4ths (vertically) depending on how many layers you want, spreading filling in between each layer
FILLING:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1-1/4 cups sugar( granulated not powdered)
4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix flour with milk whisking to combine and cook in small saucepan until mixture thickens! About 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cook to room temperature! While mixture is cooling, mix butter, shortening with sugar and beat for about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and cooled flour mixture and beat for about 10-15 minutes until it is very light and fluffy and sugar is completely dissolved assured that no gritty sugar remains! place filling between cake layers. Keep covered in fridge!

This frosting/filling is less sweet than typical buttercream frosting. Is excellent on red velvet cakes or carrot cake as well!

Last night I couldn’t sleep. Maybe it was the Dr Pepper I drank around 9 p.m. along with a brownie. Maybe it is all the agenda that was on my mind as I laid there and tried so hard to turn off the things that filled my “to do list” for today. As I laid there and tossed and turned, I found myself thinking of the words to the song, we often sing in church, “oh God, the battle belongs to You. Every fear I lay at Your feet, I’ll sing through the night, the battle belongs to you. I’ll get on my knees with my hands lifted high, O God, the battle belongs to You.” That song just kept repeating over and over in my mind. So I prayed and gave the desires of my heart to Him, as He tells us to do. It was then that I remembered that just yesterday, Randy and I stood in the living room and looked out the window at the tree we planted last spring. Among the dead looking branches were small, yet ever so green little sprouts of new life were beginning to sprout. We had wondered if the roots had gone down deep enough to allow this tree to survive the ice storms we have had this winter. It was then that I realized that the same was true of me this year. Has my roots in God’s Word gone down deep so that despite the storms that have come, my faith has little shoots of new growth? I can just imagine hearing the Lord say, “Trudy, delight yourself in me because, ” Psa 18:19 ” HE brought me out into a broad place, He rescued me, because He delighted in me.”

When I think back over the last few years, there were days when it was sometimes hard to see the sunshine of hope and light. But, through it all, God’s promise of always walking through difficult days, with us was so evident. In light of the circumstances all around us, some days it is hard to remember that God is in control, but it is on those days, that we have to stand on His promises and keep our eyes on Him. That grows our dependence on Him , our love for Him, and to lean into His mercy and grace. But it also allows us to see the new growth in us, spiritually. It is not only exciting to see that on those hard days now, my first reaction is different from what it use to be. That God has taught me that He is always there for me. No matter what. Instead of the worry that use to fill my soul, I give it to Him. Instead of anger and bitterness that use to come as my first response to an harsh word directed to me, it is easier now to just pray for that person and ask the Lord to help me reflect His love to them. Am I saying that I always do the right thing, of course not, but I can see that my reactions to things are slowly changing. Are those closest to me seeing new growth in my spirit and has New growth taken place among the hard ground of my heart? If so, it is all because of Christ and the new life that He promises to us. This Spring, may we all be reminded to look for the new growth that can be ours and allow the Son to shine through us to draw others to Him.

Ephesians 1:18 ” Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.”

Last Wednesday before having to stay in the house for a couple of days due to some icy weather, a friend of mine gave me some almond cookies while we were up at church that morning! Patsy had bought them from a bakery over off 75 and was sharing them with us. I put them in my purse (yes that is why I carry a large purse so I can carry cookies or chocolates if needed) to take them home to have that night! While Randy and I were about to decide on what we wanted for a snack around 8 O Clock, I remembered the cookies! I ran to get them and opened the bag. Patsy had told me about how amazing they were and that I would love them! But I figured, “ how good can a bought cookie really be” but….after one bite I was so sorry I had already told Randy about them instead of making up an excuse to go sit in the car so I could have them both! They were delicious! The almond flavor the white chocolate chips, the soft cake like texture. They tasters like wedding cake which is my favorite cake in the world (if it is almond flavored). Because of the weather I had to wait until Saturday to get to the store and buy white chocolate chips! I had a package of sugar cookie mix and almond flavoring already. And because we were having company for dinner last night I made pies first. After all I had learned my lesson and I wasn’t going to share these little gems with anyone! I just took them out of the oven. They will go beautifully with my Blue Bell Brides Cake flavored ice cream tonight! They aren’t quite the same texture as the ones from the bakery but the flavors is exactly the same. Because I used a cookie mix I followed the directions on the back of the package plus added 2 teas of almond extract and half of the 12 oz package of chips. Next time I will add an extra egg and I think that will be more like the bakery cookie texture. But these are great and so easy! Had to add some bling to them!

A coupe of weeks ago Rita Heisey brought this salad to a ladies dinner/bible study and everyone went crazy over it. In fact, we had several people for SuperBowl game last week and a couple of the ladies decided that we needed Rita to just bring this as her “appetizer”. So bring she did. After everyone left (after Randy switched off the lights around 9 p,m,) Randy even said, “that salad was amazing” if you know Randy very well, he just doesn’t use that word very much. This morning after church we went to have lunch before coming home and as we left the restaurant, we ran into friends from church just going in. One of them ask me who had brought the salad to the ladies dinner a couple weeks ago. Because of so many folks requesting the recipe I thought it best if I just post it. Thanks Rita for showing us just how good a salad can be, with just a few ingredients. The dressing is delicious and you will fall in love with this salad, I promise! If you don’t like cashews, substitute almonds or pecans. I’m not a cashew fan, but in this salad, I ate them all.

10 cups romaine lettuce, cleaned and chopped

1 cup (4 oz) shredded swiss cheese

1 medium gala apple, chopped to bite size

1 medium pear, chopped to bite size

3/4 cup dried cranberries (Crazins)

1/2 to 1 cup cashews

Dressing

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

2 Tables lemon juice

2 Tables chopped red onion

1/2 teas salt

2/3 cup salad oil

1 1/2 teas poppy seeds

Easy to fix salad ahead of time and just have ready to toss with dressing which you have blended well right before serving.

Squeeze a little lemon juice on the chopped pear and apple to prevent from turning brown. Leave skin on apples for color

Serves 8 to 10.

Thanks Rita for sharing this recipe. IT is a WINNER!

A few posts ago I had mentioned these awesome little cookbooks from Laurel Mississippi written with recipes from Ben and Erin from Hometown on HGTV. Made this for our lunch today and it was great. You will love these wonderful little books with stories and family recipes! $15 plus shipping. You will be so glad you did!

When We Have Days That Seem Like One Big Question Mark

Am I the only one who has days when you find yourself waking up to a day of wondering what is your purpose for the day and what if I don’t fulfill the purpose that God is leaving me here for? Do you have days when your mind is so distracted that it seems impossible to focus on the here and now? And the questions like…what can I do to bring light and truth to someone when I feel so inundated with all “my stuff!”

Am I living a life that is glorifying to God? A friend posted a wonderful heartfelt letter today on FB that made me stop and think about the storms In our lives and what we should be doing in the midst of the storms that come to us and how to come out on the other side, with more faith having grown into more of Christs’ likeness than when we entered the storm. Some days just pass by so quickly because of business or so bogged down with commitments that I hardly give these questions a thought. Other days find me having more time to think and ponder (I love that word….makes me feel so educated when I use it) only to;

• find that I try to fill my time with matters that don’t bless anyone or give of my time to someone that might need something! This is not a post to cause guilt or discourage others. It is just something that has been on my mind to put into words. Did God give us days in which to just enjoy without heavy thinking or having to always be “on” and look for ways in which to be a lighthouse for Him? Of course! But I pray that even in those ordinary days my life will reflect Him. But sometimes (and yes you can tell I’m an only child) I try to make too many days all about me and resist the nudging of the Holy Spirit to use me in ways that seem like a new opportunity for me to give of my time or talent God has given to me!

• Yesterday our guest preacher, Levi Lusko, told us “you don’t get to choose your storms but you can choose how you respond to them “!

When our “question mark”days come, and so many times these question mark days come in the middle of a storm and yes they do come to all of us, may we all look to our Creator God to give us His wisdom, His guidance but most of all His love for others so that we will bring glory to Him no matter what He ask of us or where He takes us