Cookies!

I have to say, these are probably THEEE best oatmeal cookies I've every had!! I tweaked a recipe I found in a Cookie cookbook I have! delicious!! It's the first time I've made these!

Oatmeal Cranberry Crispies

1 stick butter

1/2 C. Shortening

1 C. packed brown sugar

1 C. white granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 ts. vanilla

2 1/2 C. old fashioned oats

2 C. flour

1 ts. baking soda

1 ts. baking powder

1/2 ts. salt

1 C. Craisins

1/2 C. chopped walnuts

1/4 C. shredded coconut

In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Beat in vanilla. Place oats in blender or food processor until slightly ground. (I think this was key to the texture of the cookie, you wouldn't have to do this but like I said, I think it really made the recipe and you could fool anyone into thinking it wasn't oatmeal if they don't like it). Combine oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in Craisins, nuts and coconut. You may have to stir these in by hand, since it's stiff by this point.

(Bake at 350* for 12-14 mins.)

Place in balls/or scoops 2" apart, flatten with fork in criss cross design. Remove to wire racks. Makes 4+ dozen

I was thinking these would be fabulous with 1/2 dipped in white chocolate and dipped in crushed Pistachios at the holidays! "MMM I LOVE ME A GOOD OATMEAL COOKIE, as Paula would say! "

This was so cool!!

I got this in an email today and thought it was SO cool and encouraging!! enjoy!

CHEROKEE LEGENDDo you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage?His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone.He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until, the rays of the morning sun, shine through it.He cannot cry out for help to anyone.Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.
He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.
The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm.The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man!Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold.It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, God is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.If you liked this story, pass it on. Moral of the story: Just because you can't see God, doesn't mean He is not there. 'For we walk by faith, not by sight.'

And again apples!

Are you all starting to figure out I love APPLE stuff? the funny thing is I don't really enjoy an apple all on it's own very much! I like a wedged up apple with CARAMEL dip! As a matter of fact I remember the year I was pregnant with Jordan I ate a ridiculous amount of apples and caramel dip at a Harvest party we went to at a friend's house! I was SOOO sick in the night I don't think I ate an apple for a long time after that! haha Apples are just one of my families favorite things to eat in Fall especially!!! mmm mmm Today it's apple crisp with Vanilla butter sauce! of course the sauce is Optional, you can always just eat it plain...less fat that way! ha Or icecream is a favorite too!

Apple Crisp

6-7 apples, cored, peeled and cut into chunks

1/2 C. packed brown sugar

1 ts. Cinnamon

1/2 ts. Nutmeg

1/4 ts. Pumpkin pie spice (if you have it!)

Toss the apples in brown sugar and spices and pour into sprayed 9x13 baking dish

In same bowl cut in:

1 stick butter

1/2 C. flour

1/2 C. Sugar

1/2 C. dried oatmeal

1/2 T. cinnamon

1/2 C. chopped nuts, walnuts or pecan are good

Cut all these ingredients together in the bowl and sprinkle over apple mixture! Bake 40 mins. at 375*.

Vanilla Sauce:

1 stick butter

1/3 C. sugar

3 T. cornstarch

1 1/2 C. water

1 T. Vanilla

Melt butter in saucepan, add sugar and cornstarch, water and Vanilla, and stir occasionally for 5-7 minutes until it comes to a boil. Boil 1 minute, serve over apple crisp!! ENJOY!!

Daybook!

I am thinking...About Fall things and holidays coming up particularly Thanksgiving and Christmas

I am thankful for...being a mom and wife!

From the learning rooms...to pray for someone daily we normally might not think of

From the kitchen...Funfetti Vanilla Cake!

I am wearing...Pink sweater and jeans

I am creating...bookmarks

I am going...to church tonight to teach 1st-5th grade

I am reading...Parenting your teen: Being the Mom your kids need/311 Pelican ct. by Debbie Macomber

I am hoping...the weekend is great! and relaxing!

I am hearing...Kirk Cameron pledge a renewed love to his wife, a GREAT movie!!

Around the house...lots of clean clothes piled up ha

One of my favorite things...Fall and holidays and holiday music!!

A few plans for the rest of the week: Making Apple Crisp, going to the movies, making steak, making cards, lovin on my family!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/ This the website where you can join in the fun for the Daybook!!

Prayer

I heard a man speak yesterday on Prayer and he said so many great things but one thing that stuck out was how when we pray we forget the times He's been so faithful to us and we forgot to keep on praying! So I hope to find more time and just "pray!" When the day gets so busy it seems that prayer and time in the word is what goes on the end of the list sometimes! The man also said "God LOVES to hear us pray!"










Through every pain every tear there's a God Who's been faithful to me
When my strength was all gone when my heart had no song Still in love he's provided
Faithful to me
Every word He's promised is true What I thought was impossible I've seen my God do
He's been faithful to me, faithful to me
Looking back He's the love and Mercy I see
Though in my heart I have questioned and failed to believe
He's been Faithful to me, Faithful to me
when my heart looked away

The Many Times I could not pray
Still my God was faithful to me










The days are spent so selfishly
Reaching out for what pleased me
Even when God was faithful to me










Every time I come back to Him
He is waiting for open arms
and I see once again










He's been Faithful to me
Faithful to me









These are a few of my Fall decorations! I love the relaxing feeling of Fall!

Calzone!!

Stuffed Calzones....just the word sounds yummy! This was so good, I saw it on Food network so I tweaked a bit to fit our family!

1 loaf frozen whole wheat bread dough (thawed) OR any pizza dough you like (keep in mind it takes several hours to thaw frozen dough!) we loved the Whole wheat bread dough!

1-16 oz. container of Ricotta (a cheaper idea here that I use: Put a 16 oz. container of low fat Cottage Cheese in a food processor and it

will thicken it up like Ricotta in just a few seconds)

1 bag reduced fat Mozzarella cheese

1 bag frozen broccoli

Olive Oil

Parm. cheese

1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce

Roll dough out into a large circle like you would for a pizza, place on baking stone or pizza tray. Steam Broc. for 3-4 mins. in the microwave. Mix Ricotta cheese, Mozzarella cheese and steamed Broccoli together in a large bowl. Spread this cheese mixture over half of the crust. Fold the crust up to meet the other side, like a half circle. Pinch edges together and seal with a fork. Cut 3-4 slits in the top to let steam escape, brush the top with Olive oil and sprinkle with Parm. cheese. Bake at 400* for 20-25 mins. until golden brown. Let sit for 5 mins. before cutting!! Serve with Marinara over the top or on the side!

This just oozed cheesy bubbly goodness and reminded us of stuffed shells or stuffed pizza......definitely what we call a 5 for 5 meal...which doesn't happen often! meaning 5 out of 5 of us liked it!! This served us for dinner with 2 pcs. leftover! MMM MMM GOOD!

Apple Butter!

Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. James 5:7

This recipe is making it's rounds....I got it from my friend Danielle, her blog is at the right of my page on my blog list! http://yelliepooh.blogspot.com/ It smelled so great in here all day! This is how it looks after a few hours!

In a crock pot place: 9 apples peeled, cored and chunked. Add 2 C. sugar, 2 ts. cinnamon, 1/4 ts. salt, 1/4 ts. ground cloves. Cook on High setting for 2 hours and then turn to low up to 12 hours. (Mine took from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. to look just right! mmm) Set a timer and stir every hour.....So be sure to make this on a day you're home during the day. I think if you missed one stirring you would be ok!

Here's how it looks when it's done!

I hear this is delicious spread on a piece of buttered toast.....Knowing how much we love apples dipped in peanut butter I think this is going to be great on a good old PB & J......and served over oatmeal and best of all.....would be served with pork of some type!! mmm mmm good stuff.....Put on a pot of this luscious goodness and lose yourself in a book, and let the spicy scents of Autumn mesmerize you !! Can't wait until breakfast!!

A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Proverbs 25:11