Walking in His steps

What are the steps He directs me to take.....


I am sitting here looking at a beautiful purple and white flower; a gift from a sweet young woman who has blessed me. I think to the moment she presented me with this gift and realize how nice it is to be remembered. Selfishly indulging in the praise she encourages me with, and thanking God for the chance to touch her life....

The gift, a thank you for time spent with her. Time of preparation, time of teaching and encouragement.

And then she presents me with a book. A book, I smile, she took the time to think about what blessed me. I tell her thank you, give her a hug and rejoice that God has crossed my path so specifically in a unique and wonderful way that only He can.




Where are my steps taking me?


I look at the depth of the green now being revealed in the grass outside my window, spattered here and there with tiny bits of ice from the spring storms which are emblazoning a path upon the terrain of the Midwest. I remember to only days ago, driving through a storm and watching with amazement the awesome display of His wonder.


The divine appointment of a meeting of hearts. The journey only He could see before I even began to ponder the effect of its importance in my life. A glimpse of grace. A rare gift of knowing you are a part of His plan to leave a fingerprint on a life.


Where did my steps take me from?





I think of those so dear to me, walking a road only they can walk and bow my head in humility. Nothing can prepare us for the complexity of life, but oh how much joy we have in knowing nothing can separate us from His love. I ponder, I think, I pray...

Where will my steps take me to?

To my knees before the King in honor for WHO He alone is. To a place of humble surrender that in all my life, and in all my ways, He alone is to be honored. He is to be revered. He is to be viewed in awe.

Our steps lead us to our future, away from the past, through our present. His steps, however, show us the way. It is in His steps that we fulfill our destiny, our full calling to live and breathe and have our being completely altered by the presence of the Holy One.

Where have His steps lead me?

To hearts awakened by the whisper of his wind blowing through their lives. To the joy of seeing His magnificence displayed in the smile of a rare and beautiful gift. The eyes of a people who have seen a lifetime, walked through valleys and danced upon mountains. To hear the joy of His praise as others lift Him in joyful exultation. To know the connection of a soul on the same journey and feel His virtue splashing upon my life.

Isaiah 40:3 says " The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God."

In the wilderness of my life, as I cry unto my King, His steps prepare the path for me to walk. Looking neither to the right nor to the left but straight and sure. As I walk, I create a new path, a path that is touched by grace... one that is forged by faith... steps that are following yet solidly and persistently moving forward on this pilgrimage.

Steps of faith, bowing to mercy, shielded by grace and covered in the blood.

My steps are no longer my own but have become a path altered and tended by the true gardener. His light shining into the depths, pulling out the weeds which choke, pruning the wooden shoots that have aimlessly wandered, coaxing forth the bud hidden inside to reveal the bloom which magnifies His work.

The steps are a journey..... a grace-filled traveling sojourn directed by the King.

When I yield to His wisdom I see the beauty only the master can weave.

Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

We can walk securely, surely, boldly, with strength for the journey.... solidly in His steps.

This recipe was made for a sweet young woman who inspired me to create. I have named it Blessing Bars because of the blessings she has brought to others by her gentle spirit. However, it was suggested we name it after her so I am including in parentheses.

Blessing Bars( aka Braydyn's Bodacious Bars)

1 c. butter, softened

2 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla

2 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 c. chocolate chips

Topping:

Chocolate chips

Caramel

Extra:

Whipped Cream and Caramel

Cream the butter and brown sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in the chips. Spread in a 9 x 13 pan.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 min.

When you take the bars out, poke the top of the bars with a knife or fork to create holes. Sprinkle chocolate chips on the hot bars and then drizzle the caramel over the top of the chips. With a spatula, spread the caramel and chocolate together.

Drizzle more caramel over this and let sit.

When you are ready to serve, garnish with whipped cream and caramel topping.

YUMMY! This was so good and everyone really enjoyed the bars. I hope you'll find them just as enjoyable.

Blessings in Christ!

Cooking with Buttermilk ( Pancakes, brownies, and biscuits

What is a staple in your pantry? Is there something specific that you get every time you make your trip to the store?

I love creating in my kitchen and the convenience of having a well stocked pantry, yet I find some of my very best meals or most creative are the meals I make where I have to be inventive. If I don't have certain things on hand, it makes it very hard to be able to make a satisfying and appetizing meal for my family.

Items that are usually on hand in my pantry and refrigerator:

Butter
cream cheese
sour cream
chicken bouillon
beef bouillion
potatoes
rice/noodles
corn starch
buttermilk
flour
sugar
yeast


What do you keep on hand? Feel free to post a comment and share some of your must haves with me.

Now to my favorite staple of all ~ Buttermilk!... I love it. I love to cook with it. I love the flavor it lends to pancakes and biscuits,not to mention the way it makes cakes and baked goods rise. Have you ever watched the chemical reaction with buttermilk and baking soda? My grandmothers have used it as a marinade/soak for fried chicken.

My maternal grandmother, a precious gift in my life, would always tell me of the time her mom would save the buttermilk as a treat for her when they made the butter. I remember the first time she told me this, as I was making butter. I looked at the leftover milk and realized, this looks nothing like the buttermilk I buy at the store.

In reality, what we buy at the store is a cultured buttermilk, which has a lactic acid or something like a yogurt starter added to either a pasteurized milk or sweet milk. The culture is added to the milk, then left to sit till the milk becomes thick .

The milk my grandmother used to drink was thin and milky white. It was the left over liquid from the solids in the heavy cream. My grandmother drank it right away, but I have read that many like it chilled before consumed.

If you don't make your own butter or culture , but you are a frugal homemaker, you can make your own buttermilk at home using cultured buttermilk from the store. You can also purchase a starter and make buttermilk with fresh milk if you desire.

Basically, take 1 cup of cultured buttermilk then add 3 cups of milk. Seal, shake well, and let sit on the counter for 24 hours. ( 1 qt. of butter milk to 1 gallon of milk will make 5 qts of fresh buttermilk) The mixture should thicken in that time frame. Put in the refrigerator and use as you normally would.This website has a great tutorial on making buttermilk.
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/cheese/buttermilk.htm

Here are some links with awesome recipes.
http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blmisc46.htm
http://www.pinkofperfection.com/2009/10/ultimate-buttermilk-recipe-repository/
http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/05/raspberry-buttermilk-cake/


Some of my favorites are:

Buttermilk Pancakes

3 eggs, separated

1 2/3 c. buttermilk

1 tsp soda

1 3/4 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 Tbsp. sugar

3 Tbsp. soft butter

1. Whip the egg whites till foamy peaks are formed.

2. Whisk together the egg yolks, buttermilk and soda. Add in the flour, baking powder and sugar. Whip the butter into the mixture and then fold in the egg whites. Cook on a hot griddle. Tip I have found helps me to know when to flip. When the top of the pancake looks rubber and bubbles have popped, turn them over for just a bit. The heat of the griddle browns them quickly and they done w/in seconds.

Angel Biscuits

2 1/2 c flour

1/8 c. sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 pkg. yeast

1/4 c. warm water

1 stick butter

1 scant c. buttermilk

Sift flour, sugar, salt, soda and baking powder together in large mixing bowl. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Blend butter into flour mixture until the size of small peas. ( note: I put my flower in my kitchen aid and use the whisk attachment to do this! Easy !) Add buttermilk and yeast; mix until well blended. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 min. May be baked immediately or let rise before baking. ( This is a wet batter so I don't typically roll it out and cut the biscuits. Usually I drop them on the pan and bake like that.)

And this is my signature recipe. I take this to families when I bring food, I make it to take to potlucks or special gatherings and I often make it to take to holiday meals. My son has learned to make these because they are his absolute favorite. He decided the prerequisite for his future wife was to be able to make this brownie recipe. I informed him that "HE" needed to learn how to make this because I would not send him off to a new wife with an expectation to cook like his mom. He could bless them both by knowing how to make the brownies. :)

Buttermilk Brownies

2 c. flour

2 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. shortening

1 c. coffee or water

1/2 cocoa

3/4 c buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

Frosting:

1/2 c. butter

3 Tbsp. cocoa

1/2 c. buttermilk

3-4 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Mix sugar and flour in mixing bowl and set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, combine butter, shortening,( if I don't have shortening, I use 2 sticks of butter) coffee ( or water, but the coffee gives an awesome flavor) and cocoa. Stir and heat till boiling. ( tip. I start by melting the shortening and butter first then add the coffee and cocoa, whisking till mixture boils)

Pour boiling mixture over the flour/sugar in the bowl. Add the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla. ( Another tip: I mix the buttermilk and the soda together but do it in a bowl with extra room because it will create a chemical reaction which causes the buttermilk to rise.)

Mix well using a wooden spoon or high speed on mixer.

Pour into a greased or buttered jelly-roll pan. Bake at 400 for 20 min. or until done.

While brownies are baking make the frosting.

I use the same saucepan that I used above. When I dump the boiling liquid into the flour and sugar I then add the next stick of butter to the pan, w/o turning on the heat. The pan is already hot, so it melts while you are mixing the brownies. Then when I get them in the oven, I add the cocoa and buttermilk. Cook till it is heated through and take off heat. You don't really want this to boil, just till the cocoa is dissolved and changes to a dark brown color.

Rinse out your mixing bowl for the brownies ( I use my kitchen aid for everything but only have one so I have to keep up on keeping the bowl clean to use multiple times. It is so easy to just rinse it out well when first done and then it is ready for the next use) Put the powdered sugar in the bowl. Pour the warm mixture in and mix well. This should be of medium thickness, not too thin and not too thick. Add more powdered sugar if necessary. Then add the vanilla and mix well. By the time you are done, the brownies should be done.

Take the brownies out. Run a knife around the side and pour the frosting on the hot brownies. It will melt and make it like a glaze. It is phenomenal, almost like a fudge.

I found this on allrecipes.com.

Buttermilk Coleslaw

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 40 Minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients:
2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (16 ounce) packages shredded
coleslaw mix
Directions:
1.
In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, sugar, celery seed and black pepper. Fold in the coleslaw mix, and refrigerate until serving. This tastes best if it is refrigerated for a few hours before serving.

Enjoy your experiment with Buttermilk! :)

Blessings to you~

Just thinking

I have been spending a lot of time in my flowers this week. It has been such a gift of peace and comfort to my heart. Through the years I have found that I have such a joy in my heart when it is spring, an ability to roll with the punches a little easier than other times. I sincerely think that the time I spend in my garden, time I really try to spend with Jesus, thinking and praying... time well spent.

What is your love language? What is it you value most? The one thing that you find speaks to your heart in a real way?

One thing that truly has been a stumbling block for me is wasted time. The definition of wasted time can change from day to day, but if I feel as though I have really used my time wisely it is pleasing. If, however, I find that my day or my time has been wasted, it is a source of disappointment. Funny as that sounds, I think about the time I have wasted and felt was spent wisely. Time that perhaps would have been better spent in prayer, creating a memory, laughing with my children.

We are at the end of our school year here. We have the next 2 months to relax and enjoy the freedom to spend our time "as we wish", yet I find myself filling our day with "to do" lists and goals to achieve by the end of summer. It makes me laugh at my own little perfectionist heart, and this continual need to fill my time with important things.

Our youngest daughter is reminding me to stop and smile. She is reminding me of the contagious nature of laughter and how easily is spills forth when like a child we view the world around us. She sees summer as days filled with bike rides, swims in the pool and mom's homemade lemonade. She awakes to the day with no burden save the amount of time it will take for her to get outside to enjoy the warmth of the season. She flits about her day with a heart so free and a spirit unhindered from the tethers of life. She reminds me of the person who heeds the Word in 2 Peter 5:7... Casting all your cares upon the Lord for He cares for you. ~


Because pondering things has always been one of my favorite past times..... :) I have been pondering the beauty of resting in His grace and being graceful to those in my life, those in my sphere of influence, and those outside of my sphere. If we are willing God will open those doors for us to walk through.

And since this is summer and it is a much needed break for a homeschool mom to make herself take, especially someone who thinks she needs to fill every minute with something meaningful, here are some of the ways I have been spending my time:

Coffee on the Patio.... so nice because it is warm and quiet

A walk/run while the kids ride their bikes. This helps me get back into those shorts that used to fit last summer.

Working with the bees.... This in and of itself, is surprisingly one of the most relaxing things I do during the spring and summer. Even when I get stung. ;)

Pulling weeds... I love to pull weeds, it is the best therapy in the world. Plus, I have a flower bed that is in serious need of "recreating" so it fills in my little creative niche that all of us have in one way or the other. It is so fun to find new plants in the midst of the chaos of the overgrown weeds. I found 2 tiny lupine plants in my ever expanding Spearmint yesterday. I love it when I find those gems. Oh.... and the best... My rose bush bloomed. I took some pictures and if I can get them to work I will get them on my blog! There is a story with the rose bush that I will share one of these days.

Working in my garden. I love to plan the garden each year. Which plant goes where, what plant would do better next to my tomatoes( for those of you who really want to know.. Carrots Love Tomatoes and Basil is always a wise choice). Just to show my anal retentive nature, I make a map of my garden each year to remind me what was successful, what was a failure, etc. Plus, I usually forget what I plant because I never put the plant stakes in my garden. I tend to run them over and break them, so I just use twigs from the fallen branches. It works for me! ;)

And I think one of the sweetest and I find for me a big help, time with friends. During the summer it is nice to just take an afternoon to visit with our friends. It is so nice to connect, to fellowship and to encourage each other. To make relationships and carve that place in our lives for those important people. To take time for each other and instill in my children's hearts the desire to bless others. As I grow older I am learning to value more the preciousness of my God-friends. :) yes.. not just good friends but my friends in Jesus, those precious women who are sharpening me with the beauty of His light inside of them.

My husband is reminding me of the joy of just being still by encouraging me to not be so busy. I need that reminder, because taking a "break" is not second nature for me. Yet, when we stop... when we slow down... when we pause and think.. Selah.... We hear that still small voice in our ear saying.. " This is the way, walk in it.". ( Isaiah 30:21)




Here is a wonderful fried chicken recipe that I made tonight. Very easy and not so "fried" that it is too greasy.

Enjoy!

Oven Fried Chicken

Optional: Marinade your chicken in Buttermilk seasoned to your taste before you cook atleast 2-4 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a baking dish, I used a 9 x 13 pan and another small pan because it wasn't big enough.

In a shallow bowl combine:
2/3 c. graged parmesan
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
1/2 c . cornmeal
3 Tbsp. minced parsley
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Whisk 2 eggs and 2 Tbsp. melted butter together in shallwo bowl.

Dip chicken in egg and butter then coat in the cornmeal mixture. Arrange chicken, skin side up in baking pan. Drizzle 2-3 Tbsp. of melted butter or olive oil over chicken.

Bake 35-40 min. Serve hot or cold. :)

I served this with Buttery Garlic Green Beans, Cheddar smashed potatoes, and homemade coleslaw. Can't forget the lemonade.. a staple at my house. Here is my recipe:


Lemonade
1 c. sugar
1 c. lemon juice
2-3 quarts of water ( depends on my mood, sometimes I want it sweet, and other times I don't)

Mix well and serve with ice cubes and lemon slices!
** You can blend frozen berries, adding sugar and a little wather to this and make a flavored lemonade. Our favorite is Raspberry! Yummmm!


Blessings to you!