an interesting recipe

So, my little brother has less than a year left on his jail sentence.  He now gets to communicate via email which has been SO fun cuz we can share quick little blips here and there throughout the week.  He's doing really well and lately has been working hard with the other men in his unit to decorate their building....amazing!  2,500 feet of paper chain!!!!  Crazy!  I get tired after 10....10 links!!!  Anyway, he and a friend are becoming quite the chefs using food they buy at the commissary and only a microwave to cook it.  Some of it (fish burritos????) scares me, but then there's some that I may try (he did say that most of this stuff he wouldn't even consider eating "on the outside")  Anyway, here's a pie recipe (following his brief comment about it) he and  his friend are making for Christmas:

Yeah, the chocolate mint mocha pie? It's not bad -- not something I'd eat out in the world, but surprisingly, not bad. Here's the recipe, if you've ever a mind to try such a thing.


Matt's Chocolate Mint Mocha Pie
8-10 peppermints, finely crushed

1 chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast packet

1/2 chocolate bar, diced or crushed

1 teaspoon instant coffee (or more or less to taste)

1 container non-dairy creamer (in our case, about 7 oz)

chocolate chip cookies, Nilla Wafers, or any cookie you'd like (crust)



Put peppermint dust in a microwave-safe bowl, add hot water, nuke for 2 minutes, stir -- working towards making a peppermint syrup. Nuke and stir, nuke and stir. A thin syrup is ideal.

Pour half the creamer into a slightly larger bowl, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water, stir. Should be fairly thin, but stir for consistency. Warm water works best. Gradually add the rest of the creamer, adding water if needed, to make a mix the consistency of thick gravy. Add Instant Breakfast packet, coffee and mint syrup. Stir, then let stand for 10-15 minutes. Should stiffen to the consistency of toothpaste (or marshmallow fluff).

In another bowl, crush the cookies and add a few drops of cold water, mix to make a dough. More water as needed, but not so much the dough goes soup.

In ice cream dishes (y'know those glass dessert cups?), or if you go prison-style a bunch of empty Philly cream cheese 8-oz style tubs, coat the sides with a layer of crust evenly, and pour in some of the marshmallow mix. Should make seven or eight. Top with chocolate chunks, let stand in ice or a 'fridge to cool.



Try 'em -- they're pretty good!

Just a reminder...

Amos 5:4 "For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: Seek me [inquire for and of Me and require Me as you require food] and you shall live!" (Amplified Bible)

See also II Chronicles 15:2 and Jeremiah 29:13

"FALL" Into Jesus Giveaway

"FALL" Into Jesus Giveaway

Pina Coladas?

Remember this song by Jimmy Buffet?

I was tired of my lady
We'd been together too long
Like a worn-out recording
Of a favorite song
So while she lay there sleepin
I read the paper in bed
And in the personal columns
There was this letter I read:

If you like pina coladas
And getting caught in the rain
If you're not into yoga
If you have half a brain
If you like making love at midnight
In the dunes on the cape
Then I'm the love that you've looked for
Write to me and escape

I didn't think about my lady
I know that sounds kinda mean
But me and my old lady
Had fallen into the same old dull routine
So I wrote to the paper
Took out a personal ad
And though I'm nobody's poet
I thought it wasn't half bad

Yes I like pina coladas
And getting caught in the rain
I'm not much into health food
I am into champagne
I've got to meet you by tomorrow noon
And cut through all this red tape
At a bar called O'Malleys
Where we'll plan our escape

So I waited with high hopes
And she walked in the place
I knew her smile in an instant
I knew the curve of her face
It was my own lovely lady
And she said, oh it's you
Then we laughed for a moment
And I said, I never knew

That you liked pina coladas
And getting caught in the rain
And the feel of the ocean
And the taste of the champagne
If you like making love at midnight
In the dunes on the cape
You're the lady I've looked for
Come with me and escape

If you like pina coladas
And getting caught in the rain
If you're not into yoga
If you have half a brain
If you like making love at midnight
In the dunes on the summer cape
Then I'm the love that you've looked for
Write to me and escape
Yes I like pina coladas
And getting caught in the rain
I'm not much into health food
I am into champagne
I've got to meet you by tomorrow noon
And cut through all this red tape
At a bar called O'Malleys
Where we'll plan our escape...

So WHY am I posting THAT song here? Well, please go check out my friend, Sue Cramer's blog post at Praise and Coffee. Then check out that studly man you call your husband! :)

Wow, I needed that

I have the comments on this blog set so that I have to approve them, and that's a good thing because I get a lot of spam comments (have nothing to do with what I wrote, but are simply ads). Well tonight I had another one of those that I had to go and delete. Thinking 'yaddy-yada, here we go AGAIN' Ah,but God had other things in mind...

Lately we've been kind of struggling because of Glenn's health issues. He's depressed about it too, and I just kind of feel like I've lost my best friend, we don't really have a lot of fun together as he's always tired or not feeling well or what have you. I was really thinking about it today, missing the fun, missing the team. And as I sat here to check emails, there was a notice about a new comment added to "Top 10 Reasons Why I Love YOU". I don't even remember writing that, and even double checked the address to be sure it wasn't some kind of spam thing taking me somewhere I didn't want to be. So I go here, to my blog, and yes, indeed it is a post I wrote. It was written in Sept. 2007, while my SuperHero was away at war, in Iraq. So then I think, "Oh, I guess I wrote out 10 reasons why I love Glenn." No,that is not what the list was at all!!! It was a list of the top 10 reasons GLENN gave for why he loves ME!! And reading through that list took my breath away! Those are the things he loves about me!! And I also realized that maybe, in this difficult time, I have let those things slip to the wayside. I don't laugh at his jokes because I'm tired and stressed, I'm not patient and gentle cuz I'm tired of waiting! God has surely blessed me this evening, with a reminder of who I am, what I need to be as a helpmeet to my Beloved. How I can help us both through this tough time. Wow!! I was just going to leave a comment at that post, but it's too important to be kept hidden way back in the archives of this blog, so here is this list again:

Many of the things I thought bothered him about me, he has turned a different light on and are thankful for them. I couldn't help thinking it was more of a thanksgiving list to God than a love note to me. Many of you have known us for a long time, so I am sharing this so you can get a further glimpse of the great miracle God has wrought in our marriage....

Top 10 Reasons Why I Love YOU......

1. You laugh at my silly jokes, you have a great sense of humor.
2. You are very sensitive, you have the biggest heart of anyone I have every known.
3. You are unselfish, you give of yourself and don't like saying "no" to anyone.
4. You are kind and gentile, you have a spirit greater than any queen, princess, or royalty.
5. I love your elegant manners, you are never rude or crass.
6. You are not impulsive, you think about every aspect of a decision.
7. I love the mischievous side of you, it can be very fun.
8. You are slow to change, but have accepted coffee in, so I know you love me.
9. You love to be surprised in life, you enjoy the simple beauty in things.
10. You are artistic and very imaginative, you see the good that is in everything.

Mashed Potato Bread recipe

I found this recipe online, but now can't find it to give it it's proper credit. Sorry!!!

1 medium potato
2 1/2 c boiling water
1/4 c. warm milk
2 pkg yeast
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs sugar
5-6 c flour
2 tsp salt

Wash, scrub, and boil potato (leave skins on, you can get the vitamins from the skin too!) Once potato is cooked, reserve potato water, and remove skins from potato (now you can discard the skin). Mash up the potato and let it cool slightly. In large bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm milk, stir to dissolve. Mix cooled potato and butter and then add it to the bowl, along with 2 cups of the reserved potato water. Add remaining ingredients and mix well (will be a tad sticky). Knead 10 min (thank you, Lord, for my KitchenAid mixer!!)Transfer to an oiled bowl, turn to coat with oil. Cover with oiled plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled. Punch down, cut dough in half, shape into 2 balls and let it rest for 10 min. Press each ball down and shape into loaf pans. LLet rise until dough is above sides of pan. Slash tops. Bake at 375 for about 50 min (tap bottom to listen for hollow sound). If it's not quite done, you can finish cooking it on a flat stone.

Yummy! It's summer

Trying to think up something simple and light for dinner. I know, I know, I had my menu all made up, but there's always room for tweaking it, and I'm so glad I did. A couple summers ago, my friend Kim M introduced me to Greek Salad. Yeah, I know, there's ALL kinds of Greek Salad. So we'll call this Kim's Greek Salad. So simple, and yet SO yummy!! Now, I'm going to give you the recipe just like she gave it to me......I'll tell you some ingredients that taste good in it, but not how much....that all depends on you and your fridge or garden. Okay? So don't panic, just do it!

Kim's Greek Salad
chop up the following:
green pepper
tomato
red onion
English cucumber

Toss all of that together with the following:
Feta cheese
olive oil
oregano
salt and pepper
And really, you can substitute veggies or add veggies, what have you. Tonight I added a chopped up raw summer squash and some black olives (which are NOT from my garden, btw)

That's all there is to it! So yummy, so easy.....go making some.......go.....