Pumpkin Fudge Winner!

Announcing our Pumpkin Fudge Winner...
Officially selected from the trusty Random Integer Generator...
Entry #5 Sister Joycelyn. Congratulations! I will be making that fresh as soon as you let me know if you want it with or without walnuts. Joyce was our costume creator for our play and did a beautiful job. I will post a picture of the fudge when it is finished. Thanks to everyone one who showed their support and left me a comment on my blog!

Baking Stomboli

Monday night Sherry and her kids, Chris and my family all went out to get our Christmas trees. We had a lot of fun. Amber made everyone hot cocoa to take along and when we got back to Sherry's house we enjoyed hot apple pie from Apple Hill with ice cream. So now we are working on getting our tree decorated. It is our tradition to have Sausage Stromboli when we decorate the tree. This is the only time I make it and it is so good. The original recipe came from a Taste of Home magazine. I have modified it somewhat in that I use my dough from Three loaves of Bread which is part whole wheat flour. I also use a preservative free sausage. Try it! I have my own kneading technique. I beat the dough mixture adding one cup flour at a time until it is too thick to beat. Then I stir in as much more as possible before turnig out onto floured surface. Here I used freezer wrap paper to knead on. I dampened the table underneath to keep the paper from sliding around. After each fold I press the dough out flat using a rocking motion with my knuckle. I have better success getting to the smooth surface with this method. It cuts my kneading time at least in half.

Ahhhh... the grand finale! Want a piece? Here is the recipe *wink*

Recipe:

Dough from Three Loaves of Bread divided in half or 3 loaves of frozen Bridgeford bread

2 lbs of bulk sausage, cooked, drained and cooled

16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

2 eggs plus one more

1/2 tsp dried basil

2 Tbs Parmesan cheese

1. Mix together in large bowl, cooked sausage, 2 eggs, basil and cheese.
2. After first rising of bread dough, roll out into two rectangle shapes.
3. Spoon sausage mixture down one side of dough within one inch of edges.
4. Fold dough over filling and pinch edges to seal.
5. Cut four diagonal slits across top of Stromboli.
6. Beat remaining eggs and brush onto top of Stromboli.
7. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
8. Cover (I never cover mine) and let rise until doubled, about 45 min.
9. Bake at 375 for 20 min or until golden brown.
10. Slice; serve warm.

Yield: 2 loaves

***Don't forget to enter my first give away of 1 lb of my secret recipe for Pumpkin fudge:
Autumn Give-Away

Autumn Give-Away!

I love Autumn! It is my favorite time of year. Beautiful golden colors against blue skies. California sunsets are incredible. I see God, how wonderful he is in blessing us with such a feast for the eyes. The aroma's of spiced baked goods, the chilly nip in the air, the frosty mornings and cozy evening by a warm fire. I even love the rain. I love to hear the raindrops and wind and smell the fresh fragrant air, and feel the cool water splashing on my face. Everything about fall is beautiful.

So I am in baking mode. Busting at the seams with busyness. Its a wonder I have time to even post this. Some of the things I have already made are my homemade pumpkin pie~

pumpkin cookies with maple frosting~

I made tons of these luscious cookies. We passed them out to the kids at BST last week.

And a Cranberry, Pear and Walnut Torte with Cream Cheese-Orange Frosting~


This year I plan on making several varieties of fudge and giving plates of them as gifts. I have been working the last several years at perfecting different fudge recipes. I just made Coconut Creme fudge for the first time the other night and WOW! It is so YUMMY! I will also be making Butterscotch Fudge and Chocolate Mint Fudge, and my secret recipe Pumpkin Fudge. YES, it is a secret recipe as it took me awhile to develop it to the way I like it. So, since I cannot share the recipe with you, I have decided to do a random give-away for 1 lb. of Pumpkin Fudge. I will be using the Random Integer Generator to pick a winner. Simply leave a comment to this blog entry to be automatically entered into the contest. I will pick a winner Monday morning, December 15, 2008. No anonymous comments please! Have fun, and Happy Autumn!



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Post Note: I will mail fudge anywhere in USA. Sorry, no out of the country entries will be accepted this time. Also, winner will be given the option of choosing to have their fudge with or without walnuts.
***to answer post #7, yes there is free shipping... for the winner that is :-)

Here is a sobering reminder that we have so much to be thankful for... and even more to be praying for!

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the 1 million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If your parents are still alive and still married, you are very rare,

even for the United States and Canada.
If you can read this message,

you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you, and furthermore,

you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.

So remember as you are celebrating "THANKS GIVING"....

Enjoying that 20 lb turkey with all the trimmings...

Surrounded by your family and/or friends...

That you are among the few persons in this world to be so privileged.

Don't fail to truly give thanks from your heart.

Remember those that are less fortunate.

Take them before the throne of God and ask our dear Lord Jesus,

"please show me how I can use our blessings to help the lost and dying world. I am not my own. I am bought with a price; with the precious blood of Jesus. Lord, take my life and use it to carry on your work and purpose... the salvation of souls!"

"Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am, If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:" (Isaiah 58:6-10)

HAPPY THANKS GIVING!

Six Random Things...

Ok, I was tagged again, this time by my sister Amanda. I am supposed to write six random things about myself. Hmmm.... not an easy task. But for the fun of the game I will give it a try. Here are the given rules:

Link to the person who tagged you. Post the rules on your blog.Write six random things about yourself.Tag six people at the end of your post.Let each person know he or she has been tagged.Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

#1 I LOVE Winnie the Pooh. I love his song "Up down, touch the ground puts me in the mood,Up down touch the ground in the mood, for food.I am short fat, poud of that thinking poundage wise, I improve my appetite when I excersize!" which leads to random thing...

#2 I LOVE food! I love to eat it, prepare it, and I love to feed people.

#3 I have a crooked nose. It slid to the side of my face in the year 2000, when I passed out and hit a hutch on the way down. The plastic surgeon was never able to put it back right again. SIGH!

#4 My two favorite Bible characters are King David, because he was so brave and he also has a passionate nature that I can relate to and then Joseph, because he was so upright in the midst of extreme adversity. I often pray "LORD, make me a "fruitful bough" like Joseph. That is what his father Issaac called him when he blessed him.

#5 I have always related to men better than women for the most part. Although I do have some really true and close girlfriends, I tend to be drawn to men in conversations more often. When I was a young girl, I was always hanging out with my brothers much more than my sisters although I was in no way a tom-boy. I just liked being with them better. I was never into the frilly girl stuff.

#6 I've always wanted to go live in another country and help needy people especially little children. I used to call up on those telethons to raise money for starving children and donate a whole .50 (thats how much I made an hour babysitting) Sometimes I think I will live the second half of my life in some foriegn land. But that is completely up to God now, and so far....

Ok, I am tagging... Brittney, Kassidy, Shirley, Joyce, Priscilla, Sherry

A PRAYER FOR COMFORT!

"I am determined, to live victorious

till He has finished His purpose in me

And nothing shall shake me,

for He'll never forsake me

and I am determined to live for the King!"

Dear Lord,

I bow before you, with a humbled heart

at how great you are, and how insignificant I am.

And yet you see me, you care about me,

Nothing that I pray is too small, or too big for you.

You are almighty, all powerful, and able to do

over and above all that we ask.

You have NEVER failed me yet, and you NEVER will.

I trust you LORD! I count it an honor to trust you,

to know you, and to seek you even to know you more.

Someday, I will see you Jesus. Yes, someday soon,

all my aching heart will melt away, and I will feel my tear stained face

cupped between the palms of your nail-scarred hands,

and you will look into my eyes, my eyes that haved turned away in mistrust from so many

but I will look into your precious loving, crystal clear eyes and I will know forever,

that everything is all right.

I already know in my heart, that everything is alright;

but when I, like the apostle Thomas, can touch you,

and like the other apostle, can lean on your breast, I will be so comforted.

I long for that comfort. Sometimes I get a taste of it when I pray

and read from your precious word.

Sometimes I think to find it here in some important work

or in the heart of some special person.

O, foolish heart, only in Jesus, only in Him can we ever be satisfied.

Lord, I commit my life and heart into your capable hands, for I know

that is a safe place to put them...eternally safe.

Be my light, broaden my steps before me.

Go before me and make those crooked places straight.

Help my heart, my passionate heart. May it ever be passionate for you,

My God, my Abba Father.

Banana Pancakes with PB and Honey Sauce

I made these this morning for breakfast. Everyone liked them and they were so filling. They are a meal in one- bread, protien, dairy and fruit. Another great way to use up those over-ripe bananas. Try 'em! Don't be afraid of the fat content. Just read up a little on Why Butter is Better, and go ahead and use that butter!

I doubled the recipe for my family of five and we have enough for the kids tomorrow. I will assume that you know how to fry a pancake-

In a large bowl, mix together and let stand 15 minutes (while you prepare remainder ingredients) :

1/2 cup oats

1 cup buttermilk

Meanwhile in another bowl, sift together:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour plus 1/3 cup white (I use King Arthurs white whole wheat)

2 Tbs. raw, shelled, sunflower seeds

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp nutmeg

lightly beat into oatmeal mixture:

2 eggs

1 TBS peanut oil

1 Tbs. Honey

1/2 cup mashed ripe banana

1/3 cup milk

Genlty fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just incorporated. Fry as you would other pancakes although these should be a little lower setting on the heat -325 and they take a little longer to cook because of their density. Top with-

Peanut Butter and Honey Sauce

Warm and stir together over low heat:

1 cup all-natural chunky peanut butter

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 cup honey