These Pretzels Are Making Me Thirsty

The Drummer Guy has been looking through the pantry over and over for a tasty snack.  I don't think he is seeing much to his liking -  the primary contents in there right now are granola bars, quite a few boxes of cereal (good sale - great coupons!), and flour.  I seem to have a lot of flour.  I found a bag of pretzels hiding away in the back, so I whipped him up a little treat today. 

Ranch Pretzels

- 16 oz. pkg. twisted mini pretzels

- 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

- 1 pkg. dry ranch dressing mix

- 1/2 c. oil

Mix together garlic powder, dressing mix, and oil.  (I'm always trying to cut down the fat in recipes so I only used 1/3 cup - they turned out fine.)  Place pretzels a large roasting pan.  Pour oil mixture over pretzels and stir well, until all pretzels are well coated.  Bake in 225 degree oven for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.

I think the Drummer Guy will be a happy snacker tonight!

Easy Pumpkin Muffins

Today I was searching online for a quick and easy muffin recipe and ran across this one on the All Recipes site.  When I first read this recipe I thought that there was no way this would work - no eggs, no oil. If I had not read on down further into the comments section of the post I probably would have passed on this recipe.  Several of the comments voiced my same skepticism, but offered assurances that the recipe was fantastic and to just trust that it would work.  So I gave it a whirl.

Easy Pumpkin Muffins

Table of Contents:

- 1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. yellow cake mix

- 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree

- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves

How To:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.  In a large bowl mix together the cake mix, pumpkin puree, and spices until smooth.  Spoon equal amounts of batter into the muffin cups.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.

The Outcome:

I changed up the recipe just a little.  I used a spice cake mix and 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice.  I also made them as mini-muffins and baked them for about 18 minutes.  (It made 3 dozen.)  The Drummer Guy and I both loved these.  They are so moist and full of pumpkin flavor.  And so easy that even The Drummer Guy could make them!

I heart pumpkin recipes!

Grand Finale

This is it - the culmination, the completion, the achievement of a goal.

But something unexpected happened along the journey.  I have discovered that I like dicing, slicing, and chopping.  Stirring, kneading, and sautéing have become therapeutic.  I have found that it is OK to cook with a little butter once in awhile.  (But I still will NOT use heavy cream – just can’t do it!)  I love looking through cookbooks, online recipe sites, and blogs for great new goodies for us to try.  Who knew – this project has led me to really like to cook.

So – I did it!  The Resolution has been fulfilled.  But it is not the end of the road.  I still have several recipes that we have tried that I will eventually get around to posting.  And I have probably a dozen new recipes that I can hardly wait to try.

But for now, here it is - the big finish.  Recipe #22:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Table of Contents:

-          2 ½ c. white flour

-          1 c. whole wheat flour

-          3 c. granulated sugar

-           2 tsp. baking soda

-          2 tsp. ground cinnamon

-          1 tsp. ground nutmeg

-          1 tsp. salt

-          1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

-          1 c. canola or vegetable oil

-          4 large eggs

-          2/3 c. water

-          1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

How To:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans or three 8x4-inch loaf pans.  In a large bowl, mix flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together canned pumpkin, oil, eggs, and 2/3 cup water until well combined and stir into dry ingredients, just until the dry ingredients are moistened and no dry streaks remain.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake the bread for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove the bread from the oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes.  Run a knife gently around the edge of the bread and turn the bread out, right side up, onto a wire rack to cool completely.

The Outcome:

The Drummer Guy does not generally get too excited about baked goods.  He likes them, but he’s more of a meat and potatoes or salty snack type of guy.  He loved this bread.  Frequently when I make cakes, cookies, or this type of bread, we will eat on it a few days, then it gets forgotten in the bread drawer and I end up throwing it out.  We finished every bite of this one.  I love pumpkin bread anyway, but there is something wonderful about the blending of the pumpkin and chocolate chip flavors.  I will probably be making this bread again soon.

(In)Security Blanket

I'm pretty good about keeping the clutter at bay in our house.  At any given time you can usually find a box in the basement where I put things we no longer have a use for.  When it is full, I make a Goodwill run. 

But I have a had a hard time letting go of this:

And this:

And this:

That's not even all of it.  My clothes have invaded our entire house - most every closet, drawer, and flat space. They range in size from too big, down to the size 8 "I Have a Dream" collection.  My insecurity has kept me from letting them go.

I've finally decided my security cannot be wrapped up in clothes that don't fit me anymore.  I have to do something about it -  it's time to let go.  I think it's OK to do it.

Obedience

"For MY thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways MY ways,” declares the LORD.      Isaiah 55:8

I have been experiencing a struggle with faith.  I believed God had shown me that I was to do something.  I took some action steps that I thought were what I was supposed to do in order to accomplish this task.  But nothing happened; the doors all seemed to be closed.  I did not understand and had pretty much decided that I had not heard God correctly.  I was prepared to let it go.

But once again I strongly felt that God was telling me I was supposed to do something.  However, this time, He showed me that the way I had envisioned carrying out this task was not what He had in mind at all.  What He was showing me was way out of my comfort zone.  I asked Mark, who I consider spiritually wise, if he thought I was capable of doing it.  He told me that it did not matter what he or I (or for that matter anyone else) thought.  If God wanted it done by me, He would accomplish it through me.

The project is in motion.  In some ways I have felt blessed by what has happened so far, but in other ways frustrated and not understanding.  Mark encouraged me to think about Psalm 62:8:  “Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge."  So I did just that.  I cried out to God and told him the things on my heart - about my thoughts, my feelings of inadequacy, my frustrations.

But then something incredible happened.  I experienced a quietness in my soul.  I felt I was hearing something - like a whisper - come from deep within me.  I know it has to be the Holy Spirit moving in me.  This is not the kind of thought that I come up with on my own!  I understand now that this has never been about what the task is, or if the project even moves forward.   It doesn’t even matter if the project outcome is what I (or the world) would call a success.   This is about obedience – and being willing to do what God told me to do.

Following God’s leading does not happen automatically – at least not for me.  It is a matter of continual choice.  Having a desire to be what God wants me to be and do what He wants me to do is good, but it requires action on my part.  I want to be obedient to God’s will.

A Walk in the Park

We walked out of church today to a perfect Autumn day.  It was too nice to be indoors, so we headed to our local nature center.  Come take a walk with us!!

 

"De-vine" Design - Revisited

Back early in garden season 2010 my pursuit of a "de-vined" yard began.  About 5 big bottles of Round-up later I still can't declare victory in the war, but I have won a few major battles!

Here are a few pictures taken back in the Spring:

 South side of house - front yard side of fence

North side of yard, back yard side of fence

And here are some pictures taken this month:

South side of house - front yard side of fence!!!  I pulled a little burmudagrass out of this area today, but no vines in sight!  Ready to plant something in this space.

 North side of yard, back yard side of fence - I think it will take another season of chemical warfare on that trumpet vine back in the corner.

 

North side of yard, back yard side of fence - "de-vined"  - at least for today!

It has been a productive garden season.  There is still so much to do, but I'm trying to focus on what has been accomplished.  I worked for about 3 hours out there today doing some fall clean-up.  Then I allowed myself a little time to just sit and enjoy some of the beauty.

Here are some divine photos from the fall garden:

I guess I don't already have enough to do in the garden so decided to lay a path out in my daylily bed!  Thanks to The Drummer Guy for carting 25 HEAVY stones out here for me.  Still need to sink them in the ground.

 Found a few blooms in the forsythia today.  I've never seen that in October before.

The End Is Near

The Resolution finish line is in sight!!!!!!  

Here is recipe #21 that I made yesterday and an extra old standby recipe:

Hearty White Chili

Table of Contents:

- 3 c. cooked, shredded chicken (I used a package of 5 chicken thighs)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large can chopped green chiles
- 1 pound dried Great Northern beans, rinsed
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 whole Jalapeno, sliced (I did not use)
- 1-½ T. ground cumin
- ½ teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoons Cayenne pepper
- Salt to taste
- white pepper, to taste
-1 c. milk
- 2 T. Masa (corn flour) OR cornmeal ( I actually had some Masa)
- grated Monterey Jack cheese

How To:
Cook and debone chicken.  In a large stock pot  saute onions and garlic over medium heat for 2 minutes; add chopped green chiles.  Pour chicken broth into the pan and add rinsed beans.  Add sliced jalapenos. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Cover and reduce heat to low.  Cook for 2 hours or until beans are done. Halfway through the cooking add cooked chicken.  When beans are tender, mix milk with masa (or cornmeal) and pour into the chili. Cook for an additional ten minutes to thicken. Check seasoning and adjust to taste, adding cayenne pepper and paprika if desired.  Add some Monterey Jack cheese to the pot and stir to melt. Garnish with cilantro, sour cream, extra cheese—even pico de gallo and guacamole, if desired. 

The Outcome:
As I was cooking this and tasted the broth, I thought I was not going to like the seasonings in this chili.  But in the end, as all of the spice flavors blended, it was delicious and we will definitely have this soup again. (Probably tomorrow - lots of leftovers!) I ate mine just topped with a little cheese, but The Drummer Guy likes a little extra kick.  He added a little Cayenne red pepper to his.  I had to refill his drink when I refilled his bowl.

 

I served this up with my favorite cornbread recipe:

Quick and Easy Cornbread

- 1 pkg. Jiffy cornbread muffin mix

- 1/2 pkg. yellow cake mix (whatever is cheapest works fine)

- 3 eggs

- 3/4 c. milk

Mix all ingredients together until well blended.  Pour into greased 2 quart baking dish.  Bake 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  (May need to cover with foil for last 10 minutes to prevent top from over-browning.)  This is a delicious cake-like texture cornbread.