Beans, Cornbread, & Snowcream

Nashville has enjoyed a few days of snow, but it sure has been cold!  

Here's a recipe to warm you up!

What do I do when I need some advice on how to cook something?  Call Mom.  When I asked her about making beans, she laughed and said that it took her 50 years to figure how to make a good pot of beans. 

 Here's how she does it.....(and my first attempt).

White Beans
1 bag of white beans
1 ham bone (I had one in the freezer leftover from Christmas dinner)
1 large carrot, shredded
1 onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste
water (I also used about two cups of chicken broth that I had leftover in the refrigerator that I used)
1 T bacon grease

Rinse beans and soak in water overnight.

Melt bacon grease over medium heat in a large pot or dutch oven.  Saute carrot and onion until tender.  Once tender, add chicken broth, beans, salt and pepper and ham bone.  Add enough water to just cover the ham bone.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cover.  Let simmer about 8 hours.  When it is ready, the meat should just fall off the ham bone.  Remove the ham bone and any fatty pieces.

Here's what it looks like when it's ready......

Cornbread

No secret.... I use the recipe off of the bag of Martha White Self Rising Cornbread Mix.  On the back of the package, there is two recipes.  I've tried both, but have decided we like the Country Cornbread recipe best.  

Snowcream

8 cups of snow

1 14 oz can of Eagle Brand (I used fat free)

1 t vanilla

Put above ingredients in a large bowl and mix with a hand mixer until creamy.

( I had to add about a cup of milk to get it creamy.)

YUMMY!!!  Elizabeth especially enjoyed this part of the meal!

Daniel and I were talking about how this meal made us feel like we should have been in a cabin in the woods somewhere.  Even though we were in this our little cottage in the city, it's ok to just imagine!

Stay warm!

A New Year & A Recipe

Well, it's already a few days into the new year.  I've spent the first days of the new year catching up on some things that I've put off during the holidays, enjoying some family time with just the three of us before Daniel went back to work, and doing some relaxing.  

The new year is a good time to look back at the year before and make plans for the year ahead.  I cringe at the word "resolutions" because I've resolved so many times, to lose weight, read my Bible daily, save more money, manage time better, and on and on and on.  

This year, instead of making resolutions, I'm going to practice goal setting.  I've always done better when I have goals. So, here are my goals for this year.....

1) Eat healthier- eat as "clean" as possible, lean meat, no "white stuff", drink more water

2) Personal Bible study - at least 3 times a week.  This doesn't include "couple study" time.

3) Blog at least 3 times a week.

4) Expand Etsy shop.

These are my personal goals for this year. Daniel and I also have some couple and family goals that we will be working towards.  I have more specific steps written out in a journal that I'm keeping.  I'll keep you all updated on how I'm doing.

What are your GOALS or resolutions for this year?

Ok.... now for the recipe!

We ate this for Breakfast on New Years Day.  (Before I technically started my "healthier eating" goal! :))

Overnight Caramel French Toast 

{Yummy!}

from Beth at Eat.Drink.Smile

originally from Cooking Light Magazine

photo borrowed from Beth at Eat.Drink.Smile

Ingredients:

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup light-colored corn syrup

1/4 cup butter

Cooking spray

10 (1-oz) slices French bread (soft bread such as Pepperidge Farm)

2 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk

1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until mixture is bubbly, stirring constantly. Pour mixture evenly into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Arrange bread slices in a single layer over syrup in dish.

Combine milk and next 4 ingredients (through eggs) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Pour egg mixture over bread slices. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over bread.

Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until golden. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

I recently came across Beth about a month or so ago when she was hosting a giveaway on her site.  She was giving away a City Saver (formerly City Pass) coupon book.   I WON!!!   We rarely eat out without a coupon, and always buy this book, so it was so exciting to win.  Thanks again Beth!   Be sure to head over to her blog for lots of yummy recipes and restaurant reviews.  She's local (Nashville) but reviews restaurants in other cities as she travels.

Pumpkin Pie Dump Cake

Does this time of year make you want to make pumpkin pie?  

Well, if so, you HAVE to try this recipe that my sweet friend, Jennifer, recently shared with me!

Pumpkin Pie Dump Cake

29 oz can pumpkin

1 c sugar

1/4 brown sugar

1/4 t each of all spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger

1/8 t cloves

Mix well and add:

4 eggs, beaten

13 oz evaporated milk

Pour into well greased 9x13 pan

Sprinkle the following on top:

1 yellow cake mix

1 c chopped pecans

Drizzle 2 sticks of melted butter

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean

Oh, it's so good just like this, but Jennifer suggested serving warm with vanilla ice cream.  

Enjoy!

Since I cut a piece to share with you, I guess I'll have to go eat it now! ;) 

Oh, here's a picture of my little helper

I was pretty impressed with those spice towers!

Tomorrow, I'll share another one of my favorite pumpkin recipes with you.

 

Cookies + Canvas= Lots of fun!

Tuesday night our church hosted a "Cookies & Canvas" night.  I had signed up to bring a sweet treat.  Since this was the first time I've brought a dish to an event at church (we've recently placed membership at a different church), so I wanted to be sure my treat was really yummy!  Silly isn't it?  Anyway, Monday, I was flipping through my new issue of Better Homes and Garden magazine and I found the perfect recipe... feminine, yet sophisticated.

Rosemary-Kissed Orange Thumbprint Cookies!

Here is the recipe....

1 c all purpose flour

1/2 c cornstarch

1 t snipped fresh rosemary

1/4 t salt

3/4 c butter, softened

1/3 c powdered sugar

Few drops of almond extract

1/4 c orange marmalade

powdered sugar for finishing touch

1.  In small bowl stir together flour, cornstarch, rosemary and salt.  Set aside. 

2.  In medium mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on med-high for 30 seconds.  Add 1/3 c powdered sugar and a few drops of almond extract.  Add flour mixture and beat until combined. 

3.  Wrap and chill dough 1 hour or until easy to handle.

4.  Preheat oven to 325.

5.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

6.  Shape dough into 24 1" balls.  Arrange 2" apart of baking sheets. 

7.  Use thumb to make indentions.

8.  Spoon 1/2 t of marmalade onto each cookie.

9.  Bake 14 minutes or until edges are lightly golden.

10.  Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets.  Remove and cool on wire racks. Sprinkle with additional powedered sugar to serve.

Yield: 24 cookies

Well, if you're wondering, they went over really well.  A friend of mine was telling me that I impressed the churches "resident cook"... an older lady that is a fabulous cook...  I felt so proud! 

Oh, and here is my painting! 

Now, let me tell you, I'm no artist!!!!  We had an awesome instructor who taught us some basic techniques as she went through the steps.  She let us use whatever colors we wanted.  I tried my best to match our living/ den area.  I think it will look perfect!  Now I just need to frame it.