Have you ever felt strongly about something, but weren't sure how to proceed with expressing your thoughts? It happens to me often, and what I most often do is simply ignore the prompting and go about my daily day.

Why?

That's a question I have been trying to figure out for some time.

Is it laziness? A spirit of lazy? Well, I think some of it most certainly is, and I pray so greatly that He rid me of this sin that seems to control some aspects of what He is trying to do in my life. 

Is it confusion? A spirit of uncertainity? Well, again, I think some of it most cetainly is, and I pray, again, that He rid me of this sin. 

Is it fear? A spirit of fear? Nailed it. I think, unfortunately, this is where most of my unrest comes from. It's so much easier to just pray, quietly to Him, than write and express how what He is saying to me. 

I read a blog post, or saw an Instagram picture, not sure which, where there was a picture that pretty  much stung my heart. It basically said, if there is a gift that God has given you, and YOU choose not to use it, that's on you. You have squandered His gift. No one else can be blamed, only you. 

I do that. This spirit that I have, of fear, one in which what others will say, or how I will be tested by man, it stops me clear in my tracks. 

The truth is, I am not biblically sound yet. I do not know the Scriptures like the back of my hand. I cannot recite a ton of Scriptures out of memory yet. I cannot use Scripture to back what I have to say often. And, in the legalistic world I grew up in, that is a must, a prerequisite to whether you are taken seriously. So, I don't share my gift often, because I know that there is inevitably someone who is more knowlegable in the Word, and I don't know how to respond appropriately. 

I think it's unfrotunate though, when the Holy Spirit is pushed out or denied, simply because someone with a legalist mind set thinks they have "figured it all out" because they know the Scriptures to and fro. 

Which brings me to today's post. And MORE posts, if I can continue pushing out the voice of the world and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. 

You see, if someone's only basis for their belief is Scripture, and no prompting from the Holy Spirit, I think there's a big problem. 

Am I saying that there is no use or validity in the Scriptures? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Let me make that abundantly clear. I am in no way, shape or form stating that I don't find truth in the Scriptures. 

I DO. 

Very much! 

But, I was also taught, and am trying very much to break that teaching, that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are dead. I was taught for a long time, that there are not gifts anymore. Speaking in tongues, healing, prophesying, they were gifts of ancient days and they are dead....now we have the Scriptures and that is all we need now. 

I believed that for a long time. 

I believed for a long time that the Holy Spirit only worked through the Scriputres, that you could only hear Him through the Word. 

I think that is wrong. I know, without a doubt, that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are very much alive, and active, and we have got to use them, accept them, and listen to them MORE. 

MORE. 

MORE. 

We cannot turn away from the gifts and use His Word as our basis. The law abiding Jews did this in the time of Jesus. The Pharisees did this. 

Heavily. 

And to the detriment of Jesus' ministry. Miracle after miracle Jesus performed, and time after time He was questioned because it didn't line up with what THEY believed Scriptures stated. They added, they took away from the OT and when Jesus came, they didn't pay any attention to His ministry. 

I see this so much today. I see our society, our generation, holding on to these Words on a page far greater than they are holding onto the Man that the Word points to. That Man, Jesus, He GAVE US HIS SPIRIT, not for us to abuse or ignore, but for us to use and use greatly. 

Why? Why did He pour out His Spirit at Antioch? 

To bring the Kingdom of God HERE. So we could experience Him after His ascension to heaven. So that we, as His followers, could work WITH Him to draw souls to His kingdom. 

2 words sum up why we need the Holy Sirit--Kingdom Work. 

It's easy....we are to work with Him in Kingdom work, bringing men and women to the knowledge, the saving grace, of Jesus Christ. That His love, and His Spirit, would be so mighty and so powerful that there would be no doubt that He offered something different than this world. 

This world is dark. This world offers something that is contrary to what He offers. But, people don't know this. And if they have heard it, they ignore it. Sometimes out of selfish motives, but I think a lot of time becase the people they see claiming to believe in this power, this Jesus, are cruel, judgemental, and quite often, mean. 

It's a lot to swallow, I know, and maybe I'm striking a nerve inside of you. But, there is such a difference between having convictions and wanting to live a life consecrated to Jesus and pointing an accusatory finger at people and making them feel absolutely terrible about their life. 

I'm not promoting turning a blind eye to someone's sin, but I am promoting loving someone despite their sin. What do we think Jesus' ENTIRE ministry was about? Loving US despite our sins. 

There is no degree of sin in God's eyes. There is simply those who have made His Son their Lord, and those who He is waiting to accept His Son as their Lord. Those that He is waiting for, He loves them just as much as those who already have. 

We cannot ever forget that. We MUST not forget that. 

It's a must. 

We have got to love those people--the broken, lost, living in the dark people--so that they may come to have understanding and knoweldge of who Jesus is and what He offers. 

People get that most greatly through us, His disciples. We are part of a great commision. Go, make disciples. But, I think we far too often choose who is unworthy and who we don't think would make good disciples. 

But, it's not about us. It's about the Kingdom. And God, Jesus, His Spirit, they don't want ANYONE to miss out. Not one, single person. 

NONE. 

So, why do we? Why aren't we speaking to the poorest, most broken people and inspiring, uplifting and encouraging? Why do I see so many grounded Christian men and women instead pointing the finger at those they deem "vile", "unworthy", "messed up"? I was that person. Without question, without doubt, I was the lowest of low. 

I am humble enough to admit that I wasn't chosen to be a disciple because I have all the answers. I was chosen to be a disciple because Jesus loves me. I was chosen because He has a plan for me. I was chosen because His plan is far greater than what I think of myself, or what anyone else thinks of me. 

It's what Jesus says about us. THAT has to be what we share with the world, with one another. 

I encourage you, friend, (and I truly mean that, FRIEND) to encourage someone today. And, if you are the one that needs encouraging--know, without any question, that you are so loved by the Creator of this Universe, that He sent His Son to pay the penalty for every single thing you have ever done in your entire life. If you accept Jesus as your Lord, you will never experience a Spiritual death. You will live, forever, with a King, that LOVES you! 

YES, YOU!

Go-To Cheesecake

Crust:

About 15 graham crackers

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1.     Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a food processor, grind graham crackers to crumbs. Add sugar and salt and pulse to combine. With motor running, add butter through feed tube. Process until combined.

2.     Transfer the mixture to a spring foam pan OR a 8x8 Casserole dish, which is what I had on hand when I made this. Spread the mixture on the bottom and up the sides.

3.     Bake crust until slightly brown. You’ll just be able to smell it. This will take anywhere from 10-12 minutes. Remove crust from the oven and allow to cool on a rack. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Cheesecake Filling

3 8oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature (use Philadelphia, it works alot better than store brand)

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 ¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1.     In a stand mixture fitted with the paddle attachment beat cream cheese until smooth/

2.     Add flour and salt, beat to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Beat until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. There should be no lumps.

3.     Add the sugar and beat to combine.

4.     Add the vanilla, and then beat in the eggs one at a time until just combined, about 30 seconds each. Do not overbeat once the eggs are added; the cheesecake will puff up too much while baking, and the top will crack.

5.     Pour the cream cheese mixture into the cooled crust and smooth the top.

6.     Bake at 300 degrees F for 55 – 65 minutes. The center will seem to be only slightly set, and will be wobbly if you nudge it. The sides will puff slightly.

7.     Cool completely on a rack (took mine about 5 hours to cool,) then cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. DO NOT skip the cooling step, it is essential to making a perfect cheesecake.

 

With this recipe, as I stated in my other post, can be used for nearly ANY cheesecake you want to make.

Here are a few suggestions :

Salted Caramel Cheesecake
add 1 1/4 tsp of sea salt to the crust
add 1 can of Dulce de Leche and 3 tsp sea salt to the cheesecake filling
Top with Caramel Sauce (Hershey's works fine), Sprinkle with sea salt

Candy Bar Cheesecake
Add 1.5 cup of your favorite chopped up candy bar to the filling. 
(IE: Snickers, Milky Way, Baby Ruth, Reese's.)
Top with the same candy

Fruit Preserves/Jam
After you fill your pan, add 1 tsp of fruit preserves about half an inch apart throughout the whole cheesecake. Then take a knife and swirl it. Preserves come in a wide variety of flavors, so the possibilities are endless. (Raspberry, Cherry, Strawberry, Mango, Pineapple, Blackberry, Peach)

This is what it should look like before you swirl it





Fruit Topped
You can leave the base alone, and add your favorite fruit on top before you slice & serve. (Strawberry, Kiwi, Blackberries, Raspberries)

As you can see, the possibilities are endless! Be creative and try the things that you love most!

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cheesecake

I was on the search for a Go-To cheesecake recipe, and this is it! You can change it and construct it anyway you need to, to make an awesome delicious dessert that the whole family is sure to love.

Crust:

About 15 graham crackers

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1.     Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a food processor, grind graham crackers to crumbs. Add sugar and salt and pulse to combine. With motor running, add butter through feed tube. Process until combined.

2.     Transfer the mixture to a spring foam pan OR a 8x8 Casserole dish, which is what I had on hand when I made this. Spread the mixture on the bottom and up the sides.

3.     Bake crust until slightly brown. You’ll just be able to smell it. This will take anywhere from 10-12 minutes. Remove crust from the oven and allow to cool on a rack. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Cheesecake Filling

2 8oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature (use Philadelphia, it works alot better than store brand)

1 8oz package Philadelphia White Chocolate Indulgence

1/2 cup of melted white chocolate chips

1 cup Macadamia Nuts

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 ¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1.     In a stand mixture fitted with the paddle attachment beat cream cheese until smooth, add the white chocolate and mix for about 1 minute.

2.     Add flour and salt, beat to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Beat until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. There should be no lumps.

3.     Add the sugar and beat to combine.

4.     Add the vanilla, and then beat in the eggs one at a time until just combined, about 30 seconds each. Do not overbeat once the eggs are added; the cheesecake will puff up too much while baking, and the top will crack. Fold in the macadamia nuts (do not use mixer)

5.     Pour the cream cheese mixture into the cooled crust and smooth the top.

6.     Bake at 300 degrees F for 55 – 65 minutes. The center will seem to be only slightly set, and will be wobbly if you nudge it. The sides will puff slightly.

7.     Cool completely on a rack (took mine about 5 hours to cool,) then cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. DO NOT skip the cooling step, it is essential to making a perfect cheesecake.

You can eat this plain or you can add whipped cream and caramel sauce. It tastes amazing either way. Enjoy!

If you want to make a "simple cheesecake"... Here is the ingredient list:

3 8oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 ¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs, at room temperature

You can add chocolate chips, raspberries, strawberries,... Anything you need to make it an amazing cheesecake

Homemade Crock Pot Meatballs

Homemade meatballs have got to be a million times better than store bought ones. Here is what you will need.


 l lb Hamburger meat
2 tbsp Ketchup
1/4 c italian breadcrumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (grated or shredded)

Your favorite pasta sauce (I used Food Lion brand because there are no chunks of tomatoes in it)


First start by putting your sauce into your crockpot and turn it on low.


Combine all ingredients. Then form into about 1 inch balls. Place the meatballs into the sauce. (I made 22)

Cover, and cook for about 6-8 hours. I cooked mine for 6 hours on low, and they turned out amazing. If you like your meatballs to "fall apart" then I would cook between 8-12 hours, stirring about every 2 hours.

Serve alone or over your favorite pasta!

Bacon Wrapped, Cheese Stuffed, Hotdogs!

3 of my favorite foods, wrapped into one? Yes please! :-)

First slice your hotdogs length wise, but not all the way thru. 

 I used medium cheddar here, and cut pieces off a block of cheese I had in the fridge already. Place these pieces inside the hotdogs.

 Take a piece of bacon and a toothpick, place the toothpick thru the bacon, into the hotdog. Then wrap the bacon all the way down, securing with another toothpick

 Place them on a pre heated grill, and cook for about 3 minutes on each sides (turning to crisp all the bacon)

These are the finished product. I made ours a little crispy, because that is how we like ours! Make sure you remove the toothpicks. You can eat these on buns, or not, totally up to you!

Amazing Baked Mac & Cheese!

There really aren't many words to describe this mac & cheese, but pure deliciousness in a pan. The quantity I use, usually feeds my whole family, (aunts, uncles, cousins), so you can definitely reduce this if you need to.


1.5 lbs elbow or small shell macaroni 
1/4 cup butter
1 lb Velveeta (regular)
1 lb Queso Blanco Velveeta 
1 lb Sharp Chedder Cheese
3 eggs
about 2-3 cups of milk (this can vary)
1 bag (2.5 cups) shredded cheddar cheese


First, make sure you cube all of you cheese. This can be a very tedious task, so I normally do this the night before I plan on making this dish.

 

Cook the macaroni on the stovetop. Drain and then add the butter to keep from sticking together. Now, this is where you need to layer you noodles & your cheese. 

Mix your eggs & 2 cups of milk together. Pour this over your noodles. Now, you should be able to see the milk about halfway up your pan, if you can't add more until you do. This helps keep the noodles from drying out.


Put this in the oven at 350 for about 30-45 minutes. At about 20 minutes, add the shredded cheese on top. It is finished when it starts to brown on top. 

(The picture posted here is when I doubled the recipe for Thanksgiving.)

Easy Peezy Cupcakes

So, did you ever remember at the last minute that you needed to bake something for an event? Not to mention that the normal boxed mixed are sometimes entirely toooo much for what you need it for? Well, here is a simple solution for you. 

1/2 box cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp water
1 tbsp of vegetable oil


Mix, and you have about a dozen big cupcakes. I normally make mini cupcakes, and this makes about 36-48 minis, which can still be entirely too many. So, here is another halfing recipe for you.


1/4 box cake mix
1 egg
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp water
3 tsp of vegetable oil


Mix and you have about 6 big cupcakes, and about 12-18 mini cupcakes. 


I hope this helps meet your cupcake needs!!!

White Chocolate Cherry Almond Cookies

First let me start by saying that these cookies were a HUGE hit with my family. Needless to say, there were none left over!

White Chocolate Cherry Almond Cookies

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and finely chopped

2 Tablespoons of liquid from cherries

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cold butter
12 ounces white chocolate baking squares, finely chopped
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 drops red food coloring 
2 teaspoons vegetable oil (if needed)
White nonpareils, sprinkles, and/or red edible glitter (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spread cherries on paper towels to drain well reserving 2 Tablespoons of cherry liquid for the batter later\.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in drained and chopped cherries and 4 ounces (2/3 cup) of the chopped white chocolate. Stir in the 2 Tablespoons reserved cherry liquid, almond extract, and food coloring. Mixture will be very dry and look like crumbs. Don't worry. That's normal. Using your hands, knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball.

3. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. The cookies do not spread much so make sure your balls are well formed. Having slightly damp hands helps here. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar, flatten balls to 1-1/2-inch rounds.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until centers are set. Do not overbake! Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

5. Microwave the white chocolate; melting in 30 second intervals stirring in 
 between. Dip half of each cookie into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. If desired, roll dipped edge in sprinkles and/or edible glitter. (I didn't add any sprinkles to the cookies, but I did add a red chocolate drizzled over them, and they were amazing!) Place cookies on waxed paper until chocolate is set. Makes about 48 cookies.

Here is a picture of my dessert spread I had for my family.

Breakfast Cupcakes

I found this recipe on Martha Stewarts website. I made it the way she did, but after having these gorgeous breakfast treats, I would do one thing different. I would not use the flattened bread, and I would use a flakey biscuit. I think this would make the recipe sooooo much more worth it!

Now, for the ingredients, there really isn't a set number, it just depends on how many of these you depend on making. Plan on making 6, you need 6 of everything. 12-you need 12 of everything. Now, in my pix, you will notice 2 pieces of bacon, I LOVE bacon, so I doubled that! :-)

First, preheat your oven to 350. Then, fry your bacon...just a little bit, you don't want it too crispy when you put it in the oven... Or you will have burnt bacon.

So, take your bread (I used potato bread) and flatten it nice & flat! Then you place it in your greased cupcake pan, making sure the ends of the bread come up over the edge of the cupcake holder.

Place a piece of bacon (or 2 !) on top of the bread. Then crack open an egg on top of the bacon. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Place in the over for about 20-25 minutes. Depending on your oven. Make sure the egg is completely set, you don't want a runny egg cupcake!

There ya go! Yummy breakfast! This is a good night before meal. Make them, and put them in the fridge. Pop them in the microwave, and viola! Meal! :-)

Fool Proof Caramel Sauce

 (This is 2 batches of this recipe)

 

This is virtually a fool proof homemade caramel sauce! I have tried dozens of different recipes, & all of them seemed to fail; either they were too runny or it turned into a brick. But this one will work every time!

What you will need:

1/2 Cup of Sugar

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp butter (room temp)

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (warmed)

 

Combine the sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a medium saucepan with high sides. Do not stir. 

 

 

 

Cook over medium-high heat to a dark caramel color, swirling the pan as it begins to brown to distribute the sugar. While the sugar and water are bubbling up, heat up the cream in the microwave just until warm.

 

 This is the color you want the mixture when you remove from heat and add the butter.

Take sugar off the heat and add your room temperature butter. Whisk the butter in, being sure it’s totally combined. 

 

 

 

Add your warmed cream and whisk vigorously

 

 

 

Mixture will bubble, (I suggest wearing oven mitts, as this can produce alot of steam) then settle down to a velvety caramel.

 

 

 

 This recipe can be doubled for larger recipes. 

For a salted caramel sauce: Add 1/8 tsp of Sea Salt.

Crescent Cheddar Bacon Chicken

I got this idea from a recipe I saw the other day. I changed a few things, and added a few things to make it fit my family's taste better. 

What you will need:

3 cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts (shredded or cubed)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup of milk

2 cans of whole new potatoes

1 pkg crescent rolls

8 pieces of bacon

First you want to start by actually making your cream of chicken soup, using the 1 cup of milk. 

While you're doing this, you can bake your bacon. I find this to be easier than frying it, there is less you have to do, pop it in (at 350 F) for about 10-15 minutes. Be sure to check it, oven settings vary.

Take the crescent rolls and add some chicken & cheese. Roll them up like a burrito, pinching the edges together to keep it all inside.

Then add your potatoes (drained). You can use 1 or 2 cans, depending on how much you think your family will actually eat.

Pour your soup over top & then adding the bacon & cheese. 

Then back at 350 F for 40 minutes, or until the rolls looks crispy on top.

Finished meal! :-) 

Hope you enjoy!

Jalapeno Cheddar Au Gratin Potatoes

This is a really simple meal when you don't have much time to prepare something. What you will need:

1 pkg Johnsonville Jalapeno Cheddar Sausage (14 oz)

1 box Au Gratin Potatoes

2 1/2 Cups of water

3 tbsp cheddar cheese powder (optional)

3 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Take the sausage and cut length wise then in pieces. Put them in a frying pan & fry till they are golden brown.

Drain. Then add the rest of the ingredients (except the shredded cheese). (DO NOT USE the ingredients that the box calls for.)

Bring to a boil, then cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender.

You can add veggies if you would like, just cook an extra 5-8 minutes.

Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese, and viola! A delicious meal!