Tasty Tuesday: Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Blondies

I made these on Saturday and served them to my best culinary critics -- my sisters -- on Sunday.  The recipe is from Averie Cooks Blog and is in her upcoming cookbook that includes only pumpkin recipes.

Recipe first -- then my thoughts.

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 large egg

1 cup brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (I made my own sans nutmeg)

1-1/4 cup flour

3 Tablespoons sugar, for sprinking

2 Teaspoons cinnamon, for sprinking (I actually cheated her and used a cinnamon sugar blend that I keep on hand for toast)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.  Line an 8x8 pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray and set aside.

2.  In a large microwaveable bowl, melt the butter (about 1 minute) and set aside.

3.  Wait a little while for the butter to cool -- this is key, y'all.  You don't want scrambled eggs in your pastries!.  I actually whisked my egg before pouring into the mixture and stirred continuously while adding it.  It worked!  Then add brown sugar, pumpkin, vanilla and pie spice, and whisk until smooth.

4.  Add the flour and stir until just combined.

5.  Pour into prepared pan, smooth (I didn't do that very well because I didn't care) and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

6.  Bake 25-27 minutes or until done (toothpick comes out cleanish).

Overall, this makes a yummy dessert.  I must say, however, that I was slightly disappointed with the texture and I think the "Blondie" in the name was misleading.  I just didn't get that wonderful blondie taste and texture in this.  I'm not sure if it needed more butter, more flour or what.  Maybe it's just that the pumpkin makes it very moist and spongy/rubbery.  It just isn't what I expected but was still yummy.  I would just prefer that they'd been named "Pumpkin Snickerdoodle BARS" and there wouldn't have been such a let down for me personally.

They do, however, get the Mock girls' stamp of approval.

Divine Love

A friend shared this Spurgeon devotional below on Facebook a few days ago.  These words are such comfort, both to her, who is walking the road of a mother whose child is gravely ill, and to me.  While I face nothing so severe, I spend much time wishing my life was different.  Praying for dreams to finally come to fruition.  Wondering why, if He loves me, He has not given me the life I've hoped for since I was a small girl.

But this is the truth: if any other circumstance were better, I would be there.  I must trust that this is best.

Psalm 47:4 -- "He shall choose our inheritance for us."

Believer, if your inheritance be a lowly one you should be satisfied with your earthly portion; for you may rest assured that it is the fittest for you.  Unerring wisdom ordained your lot, and selected for you the safest and best condition.  A ship of large tonnage is to be brought up the river; now, in one part of the stream there is a sandbank; should some one ask, "Why does the captain steer through the deep part of the channel and deviate so much from a straight line?" His answer would be, "Because I should not get my vessel into harbour at all if I did not keep to the deep channel."  So, it may be, you would run into the depths of affliction where waves of trouble follow each other in quick succession.  Some plants die if they have too much sunshine.  It may be that you are planted where you get but little, you are put there by the loving Husbandman, because only in that situation you will bring forth fruit unto perfection.  Remember this, had any other condition been better for you than the one in which you are, divine love would have put you there.  You are placed by God in the most suitable circumstances, and if you had the choosing of your lot, you would soon cry, "Lord, choose my inheritance for me, for by my self-will I am pierced through with many sorrows."  Be content with such things as you have, since the Lord has ordered all things for your good.  Take up your own daily cross; it is the burden best suited for your shoulder, and will prove most effective to make you perfect in every good word and work to the glory of God.  Down busy self, and proud impatience, it is not for you to choose, but for the Lord of Love!

"Trials must and will befall--

But with humble faith to see

Love inscribed upon them all; 

This is happiness to me."

**Copied from Spurgeon's Evening by Evening, November 11, emphasis mine**

Tasty Tuesday: Salsa Chicken

I actually don't really have a name for this, but it's good.  A friend served me this several years ago, and I've been making (and adapting it) ever since.

Here's the recipe, but understand that you can add whatever you want to this and it will be good.

Ingredients:
1-2 pounds frozen chicken breasts
1 24oz jar of Pace picante sauce (I use medium)
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of corn, drained
4-8 oz cream cheese

**The pictures here show that I also added a can of Pinto beans....like I said, do whatever you want.

Directions:
Add chicken, beans, corn, and Picante sauce to a slow cooker.  Cook on low for about 8 hours.  About 30 minutes before dinner, shred chicken and add cream cheese.  After half an hour, stir and serve.

This time I just ate it like soup, but you can do it however you want.  Add shredded cheddar, avocado, and sour cream...serve over rice....scoop up with tortilla chips.....easy and versatile! :)

Also, did anybody know that celery looks like this when you cut the stalks off the bunch? So cool!

Tasty Tuesday: Orange Dreamsicle Pound Cake

Hey! Remember that time I was going to blog multiple times per week and have themed days?
HA!

Well, I do remember Tasty Tuesdays.  Once a week I will share a recipe that I loved and have used recently.  Today, I am sharing a recipe for Orange Dreamsicle Pound Cake, that I found on Positively Splendid.  I made it this weekend for my Mom's birthday, and it is AMAZING!

Orange Dreamsicle Pound Cake

Ingredients for Cake:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (I used 2%, because if you have that much fat and eggs, why not?)
2 teaspoons orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup orange juice

For Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
4 teaspoons orange juice
2 teaspoons orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 325.  Cream butter and shortening together at medium speed until creamy.  Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Stir in orange zest, lemon zest, and 1/4 cup orange juice.  Pour batter into a greased and floured Bundt pan.

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes (took my over 75) or until a long wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely.

To make the glaze, whisk together 2 cups powdered sugar, vanilla, 4 teaspoons of orange juice, 2 teaspoons of orange zest and 1 teaspoon lemon zest until smooth.  If necessary, play around with powdered sugar and orange juice until the glazing is a pouring consistency (but not too watery).  Garnish with orange slices and powdered sugar, if desired.

Here's mine!

We Win

Note: I actually wrote the post below over two years ago, after chaperoning a bus trip to watch our school play in the state basketball tournament.  I never shared it, but found it this afternoon while deleting old files on my computer.  After a week of feeling like I've lost many battles, it is comforting for me to remember that we will not lose the war. He's fighting for me, and the outcome is not in doubt.  

“I believe that we will win.”  Together….united….hoping against all hope that Hoosiers was about to play out in our favor.  Knowing this chance won’t come again in their “lifetime”

He has set eternity in the hearts of men.  The epic battle of good and evil – of men of courage slaying monsters….it has been written on our hearts.  We all know it, embrace it.  That is why we cheer for the underdog.  For the one we know can’t really win, but somehow our hearts tell us it can happen.

David vs. Goliath

A baby in a stable one day conquers a dragon.

Life defeats death.

Light drives our darkness.

Love overcomes hate.

The meek inherit the earth.

Mary is the first to see Jesus after he rises from the dead.

A little boy is used to feed 5000+ by faithfully giving all he has.

A widow’s pennies are cherished by the God of the universe.

Moses stuttered but set a nation free.

Joseph was sold as a slave…falsely accused of a crime…yet honored by a king as a prisoner.

Esther risked her very life for the sake of a nation.

Because we’ve had more than our fair share of things not going right.  Just in the past 10 years we’ve witnessed 9/11, Katrina, tsunami disasters, the earthquake in Haiti.  So much pain and we all know this is not the way things should be.  All of humanity can agree that something is gravely wrong with this world.

Even my students have suffered more than I believe they should.  Over and over we’ve seen it.  Suicide, car accidents, loss of parents, hunting trips gone horribly, horribly wrong.  Even in the short time I’ve been here we’ve lost two students.  Just this past week I witnessed two come terribly close.

So here we were.  Tied at 56 and going into overtime.  We weren’t supposed to have come this far.  Yes, the kids talked about a state championship, but we adults knew the truth.  

We were not supposed to win this game.  The other team was too big, too strong, too experienced.  They’ve played in the big games before….6 years in a row, in fact.  This game should haven’t even been close.

But even so, overtime.  And there they were – over two hundred of our kids standing together, cheering on their classmates as they played in one of the greatest high school basketball games I have ever witnessed.  One turned to the others and began this cheer…

“I….I believe….I believe that….I believe that we….I believe that we will win!”

Such hope, optimism, excitement.  I heard one person say the cheer was stupid.  A reporter later tweeted that it was the most cliché cheer in high school basketball and it needed to go.  I disagree.  For me, this was the most beautiful and precious moment of the whole game.  Let’s not underestimate the power of teenagers united together for a cause, even if this time it was “just a game.”  Let’s remember that they are far more likely to engage in raucous “hate the other team” chants than this simple, innocent creed.  Let’s thank the Lord that their hearts are still convinced that good can conquer evil in this world…and they expect it.

Sometimes it doesn’t go like it should….in basketball or in life.  Stephen was martyred.  Moses never entered the Promised Land.  David was unable to rebuild the temple.  The prophets were tortured; Paul imprisoned.  I could go on and on, but you can find it all in Hebrews 11. Sometimes, in basketball, size and skill have their way.  Shots that fell in the third quarter suddenly won’t drop the last thirty seconds of overtime.  Officials make questionable calls. The final buzzer sounds.  It shouldn’t have ended this way, but it did.

We may not always see the promise come to fruition.

But we still believe.  We don’t lose heart.  We tuck our heads down and head straight for the rim, knowing the prize is worth any scar.  We give up our rights and obey our Father’s commands because the outcome is not in doubt.  He is more than worthy of all we have to give. 

I believe…

….more than that, I KNOW….

I believe that we will win!

“Then it will come to pass, the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory.”