Strawberry Crisp

It's Springtime in the south... that means it's strawberry pickin' time! My little family went strawberry picking earlier this week. We came home with 2 gallons of delicious ripe strawberries. Now we're eating strawberry this and strawberry that. I came up with the idea for this recipe, and boy did it turn out well! Give it a shot, hot strawberries are SO good!

Uh, How cute is she?! Nothing like strawberries with a tad of dirt!

Strawberry Cobbler

Ingredients

Topping:
1 C. oats, old fashioned
1/2 C. flour
1/4 C. sugar
1/4 C. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 C. butter, softened
scant 1/4 C. water

Filling
5 C. stawberries, washed hulled, sliced in half
1 T. sugar

Directions
1. Prepare strawberries by washing and slicing. Toss in sugar.
2. Combine all ingredients (except for water) for the topping. Use a pastry cutter to blend.
3. Pour topping over strawberries. Pour water over topping.
4. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes. The sides should bubble and the strawberries should be tender.

Greek Style Vinaigrette

 I originally found this recipe about 6 years ago, here.

I was pregnant at the time and had been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Therefore, I eliminated the orzo and just made the salad. Now, it has become one of my favorite dressings. I make a batch and use it throughout the week. I love to use spinach, feta, kalamata olives and cucumber. You can also add tomatoes, artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, or whatever suits your fancy. I also add chicken to make it a meal.

Greek Style Vinaigrette

3 T. lemon juice

1 T. red wine vinegar

2 T. honey

1/2 t. oregano

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t. kosher salt

1/4 t. freshly cracked black pepper

1 t. lemon zest (optional-but I always add it-so yummy)

1/3 c. olive oil

Combine first eight ingredients in bowl or mason jar. Add oil and emulsify! Shake before using because the honey settles on the bottom if not fully incorporated.

Easy Cookie Bars

These are quick, easy, gooey, and delicious!

Ingredients:
2/3 cup Butter (softened)
2 cups Brown Sugar
3 Eggs
2 1/2 cups Bread Flour
2 tsps Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 cup semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

Optional Topping:
Sweet and Condensed Milk
Chopped Walnuts
Shredded Coconut

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl.  Mix the eggs into the sugar and butter.  Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Grease a 11X7 pan with butter.  Press dough into the pan.  Bake for 25-30 min or until lightly browned.  Allow bars to cool and top with toppings.

Recipe Source:  I Heart Naptime

Grandma's Biscuits

I really love these biscuits....they're great with butter and jam, butter and honey, or just butter!  (Can you tell I like butter?)  And they remind my of my Grandma.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 tsp. dry active yeast
1 cup warm water
2 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
7 cups all-purpose flour

1.  Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Combine yeast and water and stir till dissolved.
2.  Add remaining ingredients and stir until well blended.
3.  Pat/roll out 3/4" thick and cut with biscuit cutter OR place in greased bowl and place in fridge until needed (will keep a week in the fridge).
4.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Makes about 30, depending on your cutter

Notes:

• If you buy yeast in the little envelopes, then use one envelope for this recipe.
• If you don't have buttermilk, put 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar in a 2-cup measure.  Fill to the 2-cup line with milk and allow to sit for 5 minutes.  
• I like my biscuits tall and thick.  If you like yours thinner, roll or pat them out to the thickness you like.

Source:  my Grandma Davis

Mormon Morsels: The Gift of Choice

In an effort to be more effective parent, I've been reading a book about discipline.  The premise is "Giving your Child the Gift of Inner Discipline."  I'd love my children to become more resilient, responsible and to chose to do so of their own volition and not because they are afraid of a time out, etc.  My father-in-law raised 13 successful kids.  He didn't force them to be obedient but taught them that their choices have consequences and let them experience those.  At times it may be hard to let children experience the heartache that comes from poor choices.   I hope I can help my children want to make good choices and experiences both the happy consequences that come from those as well as help them experience unpleasant consequences that come from poor choices.  I am really working on not shaming or blaming when they do something wrong but helping them learn from it.

What a great blessing to have agency and to live in a country where we can exercise our ability to make choices.  I love the above quote from For the Strength of Youth.  I do believe that "true freedom comes from using your agency to chose obedience."  

Similarly, I think we can chose to have a good attitude even when life is hard and not ideal.  Being in control of my attitude and reaction to trials and other people is something I have not yet mastered.  Our attitude plays a big role in our ability to progress and meet our challenges.  A positive and cheerful attitude is a indeed a blessing.

In Alma 34:34, we read “for that same spirit which doth ^bpossess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.”

When my maternal Grandmother Olive was a young girl, she read this scripture and it had a profound effect on her.  She determined to be positive and happy tno matter what trials and challenges she experienced.  She had many challenges in her life.  When she died she weighed only 40 pounds having been crimpled from arthritis.  She had a fracture in almost every bone in her body.  She would sneeze and get a fracture.  However, she maintained a positive and cheerful attitude throughout her life despite her challenges.   She left such an impression on me.  She was always patient, positive and cheerful.  I never remember hearing her complain even though she was bedridden for the last 13 years of her life and never felt well.

My dear brother-in-law recently passed away after a very difficult battle with cancer.  He is also a great example of self-mastery.  At his funeral, I learned that he had a temper that he worked very hard to overcome.  I never would have guessed that as he was the most patient and even-tempered man I know.  As I struggle with my own temper and other shortcomings, both of their examples are a tremendous blessing to me.  I can chose to be better and not let my faults be the master of me.  And I can keep trying and repent even after I fail.

I hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day as you remember and honor your loved ones who have passed away

Homemade Fruit & Cream Instant Oatmeal

For several years now I have been saying that I wanted to make my own instant oatmeal packets. Years now.  And finally, thanks to our dear friend PINTEREST, I have found a recipe that I like and have tried it and have fulfilled a dream!  Yay me!  There are many variations to the basic recipe, but I chose the fruit and cream version.  I have a lot of fruit in my food storage that I want to use and this is a perfect way to do that.  I used peach this time, but next time I am trying mango.  Yeah, that fruit.

Ingredients:
3 cups quick-cooking oats
Salt
Small (snack-size) zip baggies
Non Dairy Creamer (I used the non-fat and it is delicious!)
Sugar
Dried or dehydrated fruit

1.  Put 1 cup oats in a food processor and process until powdery.  Set aside in a small bowl.
2.  Put the following in each baggie:  1/4 cup un-powdered oats, 2 T. powdered oats, 1/8 t. salt,
     1 T. creamer, 1 T. Sugar, 2 T. fruit.

3.  Store baggies in an air-tight container.
4.  To serve:  Empty packet into a bowl and add 3/4 cup boiling water.  Stir and let stand for
     2 minutes.  For thicker oatmeal, use less water--for thinner, use more water.

Source: Kaylin Cherry via Pinterest 

Chicken Pillows

     This is one of our all-time favorite go-to recipes. My hubby loves it, my kids love it, and anything with 'pillow' in the name is delightful. It is very easy to put together and freezes well. It is very warm and comfort-foody. When I ask my kids what they want for dinner, this is one that always comes up.

Chicken Pillows

Ingredients:

About 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 Tbsp butter, softened
3-4 green onions, finely chopped
3 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls
1 box chicken or turkey stuffing
Melted butter, for dipping

Gravy:

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can evaporated milk

Directions:
     Heat oven to 325 degrees. For filling: cream together cream cheese and butter. Add in chicken and green onions. I use a hand mixer to mix it all together, which shreds the chicken nicely.
     Open roll dough. Separate each roll. You will have triangle shapes. With a rolling pin, slightly widen and flatten the wide end of the triangle to make more room to put your filling in. Put about 1 Tbsp of filling in center of wide end. Roll toward point as you would a regular crescent roll. Take open side ends and fold toward center and pinch down so you have a nice little pillow.
     Crush stuffing mix a little bit until it is as fine as you would like, I leave mine a little coarse. (Make sure the seasoning and bread crumbs are mixed together) and put in a bowl. Dip chicken pillows in melted butter, then stuffing mix. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
     Meanwhile, for gravy, heat soup thinned with milk to desired consistency over medium heat in a saucepan.  Serve over hot rolls.

Source: College Roomate :)