Thursday, August 29, 2013

  ~Kim's daily word~

 

When certain things happen in your life, just remember that God never leaves you empty. He will replace what you’ve lost. When He asks you to put something down, it's because He wants you to pick up something even Greater!

 

Have a blessed day, and remember-you are where God wants you!!

Angie

 


 

 

 


Wednesday, August 28, 2013

My Mom's cake (our favorite family recipe)

This is one of my family's favorite recipes-bar none!!!   My mom always made this cake for special occasions- birthdays, family reunions and Easter and Christmas.  We request it as often as we can!!!  It's not anything new, actually it's commonly called 'Texas Sheet cake'.  We call it Cookie sheet cake.

I made it for my daughters birthday recently and wanted to share it with you, my friends!
(I have birthday cake leftovers,  YAY)  ( I can't stop eating it) 

The one difference between how everyone else makes this cake and how we make it is that we Don't add nuts or cinnamon. (usually people add nuts to the frosting, cinnamon to the cake)   The nuts would be fine by me, but I think the cinnamon takes away from this delicious buttermilk cake!!!

*Here's our family jewel- 


Cookie Sheet Cake

1 stick butter                                                        
1/2 cup oil                                                               
1 cup water
4 TBSP cocoa
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk


Icing
1 stick butter
4 tsp. cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
4 TBSP buttermilk
1 box (3 3/4) cups powdered sugar 


Cake-   Pour flour, sugar, salt, soda, & eggs in bowl (don't mix yet).
Bring butter, oil, water & cocoa to boil over low/med heat stirring constantly, let boil for a 1 min. pour over flour mixture adding buttermilk last,  beat for 2-3 minutes.  Pour into a greased and floured cookie sheet. Bake 350 for 20-22 min. 

Frosting -   melt butter, cocoa, and vanilla, pour over powdered sugar, then add buttermilk (add more than 4 tablespoon if needed)  Mix well, frost cake- yummy!!!


melt ingredients slowly
bring to a soft boil



add buttermilk

stir well
pour in cookie sheet pan


bake 20-22 min.

done, time to frost!
melt frosting ingredients

add to powered sugar
delicious!!

You will want some milk with this cake!!!

The best chocolate cake, ever!!!!   
Angie

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Be thankful & faithfull

~Kim's daily word~

When you are THANKFUL for what you have, you are always rewarded with more. Have a blessed assurance that God will provide you with favor, mercy, and grace because of His faithfulness!

 

 *words by Kim, picture by Angie

Monday, August 26, 2013

Kim's Daily word

You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. Faith, hope, and belief in Him are what God wants to see in you so that you can receive all that He has promised you!

-Kim


 


Have a blessed day, and remember- you are loved by a KING!!   Do amazing things with what God gave you!!-Angie

Backyard Beauty

I was kinda bored yesterday (doesn't happen often) and decided to take a walk- around my backyard!  It's not a huge backyard by any means, pretty average, but a nice enough space!  I also took my camera with me, just to capture the everyday things I walk by.  There is so much life going on in that backyard!!!  I'm sure Joe (the dog) gets to witness most of what goes on out in that backyard, but until he starts talking (well he does bark at squirrels)  we just have to slow down for a few minutes to see (or hear) a tiny bit of it!!!

Joe aka 'mess'


my, not so used wood pile

fallen, but so pretty

Rose of Sharon

White Rose of Sharon

New life

my husband made this for me!!



pollinate baby, pollinate!!!

stuck

grows like a weed


he was busy!!

in memory of my cat!

hosta flower

resting post

buds

I love that God made bugs that look like leaves!

soon to be mums

liriope grass

Thank you Willis Carrier for the condensing unit!!!  AC
 Willis Carrier story

shriveled lilacs

that busy bee again.  I couldn't get enough of him/her
 Why pollination is so important!!!

Angie

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Chicken, the next day

Nothing better than left over Grilled chicken, cold the next day......Yummy!!  I hope you all get out and grill up some great food this weekend!!  Have an awesome day and feel blessed!!!  
Yes, I eat it just like that!

(make enough for some leftovers)  :)

~Daily Inspiration~

I have a wonderful facebook friend who posts words of inspiration and hope everyday.  When I check my facebook first thing in the morning, she has already been there sharing her words of wisdom.  I not only look forward to seeing her post's, but am always encouraged, enlightened and completed touched!!!!   I am starting a new piece everyday on my blog, it's going to be called " Kim's Daily Word." I can't tell you how much it has helped me, and I am excited to be able to share it with you!!

"Kim's Daily Word"-

 "In happy moments, praise God. In difficult moments, seek God. In quiet moments, worship God. In painful moments, trust God. In every moment, thank God."

  Angie

Friday, August 23, 2013

Our ever changing skin

I have some products that I want to share for various reasons.  I had acne as a teen (total bummer)!  I tried everything, from many different facial washes & cleansers, to rubbing alcohol, to facial masks, to lava soap,  to no avail!!  I suffered (alongside many other hormonal teens) in agony.  It was so embarrassing for me to have to try and hide those hideous zits!!!  I mean, I broke out at 'that time of the month' worse, but seemed to be broke out all the time.

I remember trying things you have around the house like, brewed tea as a astringent, or honey and yogurt as a mask, or hanging my head over the sink full of steaming hot water with a towel as an enclosure to 'open the pores'........Nothing!  I think I tried everything out there, the problem was, I tried them all at the same time! So, probably just mixing these product chemicals was irritating enough without the hormonal disturbances!!  I finally started using one line, Bonnie Bell, 10-0-6. My skin didn't clear up over night but it greatly improved!!  I used it for a while, then moved on the Mary Kay. (I used MK for a while, then found some other stuff for cheaper)

So the skin was clear for some 10 years or more, until I hit my thirties!  BAM, again, hormonal adult acne.   This time around it was different, stubborn and mostly around my chin area.  Again I tried everything, but finally stumbled onto Clearasil, it worked beautifully!!  (I think a teenager actually told me to try it)  I used it through my thirties until the acne got to be less and less. Clearasil Stayclear Daily Facial Scrub

Now I'm well into my forties and the acne is pretty much gone (thank God), and just have an occasional occurrence.  But I now have a teenage daughter who is experiencing the same thing I did when I was her age, except hers isn't nearly as bad as mine was. (another 'thank God').
She has tried many different products until I heard that Ten-O-Six was back on the market.
(10-0-6 was discontinued in 1998, but has been relaunched as "Ten-O-Six")  
She loves it and two great things about it are:
a. it's cheap  ($5.99)
b. it's available at Ulta or online  ( we live close to an Ulta store)   **check snip snap for coupons


  
I love that my daughter is using the same stuff I used (they did change the formula a bit) back in the day.  And, that I had the experience to help her find the right stuff.     Hopefully she won't suffer with adult acne like I did, but if so I will be there to help her find the right product.   You don't have to use high end products to have beautiful skin, just find one line for your cleanser, astringent, moisturizer & night cream.  That way it keeps the chemicals working together not against each other.   I  believe in taking good care of the skin on your face starting at a young age.  If you take care of it when you are young it will look great for you when you are old(er).    It's never too late to start!!!  Begin with some cleanser, day moisturizer and a decent night cream. - I use Olay cleanser, (age defying daily renewal) Olay Complete all day moistureizer & Olay- Regenerist, or  Roc- Multi Correction Lift.   Both are great night creams!!!




I am not getting paid to 'advertise' these products, just wanting to share with you what has worked for me!!
Me.....No make-up.  (kinda scary, baring my soul, but fairly clear skin)  age 46
Angie






Thursday, August 22, 2013

Peach Pandowdy

(Pandowdy - It is a deep-dish dessert that can be made with a variety of fruit, but is most commonly made with apples sweetened with molasses or brown sugar.  The crust is broken up during baking and pushed down into the fruit to allow the juices to come through. Sometimes the crust is on the bottom and the desert is inverted before serving. The exact origin of the name Pandowdy is unknown, but it is thought to refer to the deserts plain or dowdy appearance)
Whats cooking America 


 Peach Pandowdy is a old recipe of sorts.  I found it long ago in a older (1980) 'Betty Crocker's Cooking American Style' cookbook.  It's actually called 'Apple Pandowdy', but since I had some fresh peaches, I changed it!   Oh, the Apple version is awesome, but with peaches in season right now and the fact that I love cobblers I tweeked it!  I love pies, but I think what I love most about pies is the crust!   This is a nice crusty fruity dessert.    I actually combined two different recipes for this one. Since the original recipe calls for apples and how to make the apple filling, I had to find a way to make the peach filling, and I don't like it runny.  I like it thick and bubbly, so I found a recipe for peach cobbler and used it combined with the crust part of the 'pandowdy'.

This recipe only took about 20 or so min. to make, so it's not a difficult recipe.  But let me tell you, if you want to impress your mother-in-law,  try it, (she will think you spent hours!!!)     It's amazing!!!!!!

Peach filling-
8 fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, sliced into thin pieces
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons corn starch

In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish.


Crust-
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 c. shortening
3 Tablespoons milk
3 Tablespoons melted butter

Mix flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Cut in shortening.  Sprinkle milk, 1 Tablespoon at a time, mixing until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl.
Gather pastry into ball, roll out on flour surface into shape of pan (square or round), pick up with rolling pin and lay over peaches. 
Brush with 3 Tablespoons of melted butter.
Bake at 350 for 30 min; remove from oven.  Cut crust into pieces with sharp knife; mixing pieces into peaches.  Bake another 15 min or until crust is golden and peaches tender.  

 Serve a la mode or simply by itself! 

Peach filling


mixing crust

roll crust out

lay crust over peaches

before baking

take out of oven and cut crust up
mix crust and peach filling

bake an additional 15-20 min.

a la mode!!!!  warm and yummy!

OK, I only had choc chip ice-cream, but it worked!

Impress the guests!