Homemade Strawberry Pies For Valentines Day

For my Valentine of almost 27 years (2 yrs. dating and almost 25 married), I decided to make one of his favorites...Strawberry Pie! <3

Here's the recipe:  Ingredients:

                                   2 tablespoons of Cornstarch

                                   1 cup of Sugar

                                   1 cup of Water

                                   1/2 of a small package of strawberry jello

                                   1 baked 9 inch Pie Shell

                                   and of course...Strawberries <3












                                                                   



I started out by washing my berries...

Then in a saucepan, blend your cornstarch, sugar and water with a whisk, over medium heat, until it boils and turns thick.

When the mixture is thick and has cooked for about 3-5 minutes total, remove it from the heat and whisk in the jello.

Set the jello mixture aside to cool.

Now, cap and slice your washed strawberries and blot with a paper towel to remove any excess water from your fruit.   Then place your strawberries into your baked and cooled  pie shell.

When your jello mixture has cooled, pour the mixture onto your strawberries in the baked shell.  Allow to set in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before cutting. 

YUM!!!!!

This recipe only makes one pie, but I made two so my Valentine could have his very own!! <3

Happy Valentines Day Anthony!! I love you!

This weeks tips and favorites...

Favorite #1

I LOVE keeping these types of containers!  Years ago, on vacation, I bought the sugar inside the container to keep it from spilling and getting wet on our trip.  I decided to keep it and refill it each time I buy sugar.  Now, I look for products that have the reusable containers and just buy the container once and refill as I buy more product!  This is so handy!



Favorite # 2

Wax paper sandwich bags!!  I love using these!  I remember in elementary school on picnic days they would put raisins and peanuts mixed together inside of these and put them in our sack lunch!  I love packing Anthony's biscuits in these  when he goes to work and I use a sharpie marker to mark which biscuit is jelly (JB) and which is sausage (SB)!  (Makes me feel like I have a restaurant!!)  ;)  I know that's crazy!!  It's ok! :) I get these for $1.00 at the Dollar General!!


My kitchen tip for this week comes from my Mother-in-law, Wanda Hackney. <3

She saw this on a cooking show and told me about it. I decided to give it a try and blog about it!

If you don't have an egg slicer a cooling rack works just fine!  Watch this...

You'll need a cooling rack, a hard boiled egg at room temperature  and a bowl.

Place your peeled, hard boiled egg on top of the rack with the bowl underneath it all.

Then use your hand to press the egg through the holes in the rack.

It's as easy as that!! 

Great tip!!

<3 I John 4:7-8

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."

<3 I John 4:11

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."

Happiness Is Homemade Banana Muffins And Cinnamon Rolls From Scratch

I hope everyone has had a beautiful week so far!  Tomorrow's Friday, so it's almost time for your weekend to begin!  I want to share two recipes that are sure to put some HAPPY  into any day that you make them!  <3

As most of you know, my BIG DREAM is to one day have my own bakery!  If it ever does happen, you will for sure see these two recipes behind the glass case!! 

I'm starting with my own recipe for Banana Muffins.  These are so moist!  You won't believe it!!  Here's what you'll need:

                                                    Ingredients:
                                                   
                                                    6 ripe mashed  bananas

                                                    1 and 3/4 cups  of self rising flour
                                                 
                                                    2 teaspoons of baking powder
 
                                                     1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

                                                     1/2 teaspoon of salt

                                                     3/4 cup of sugar

                                                     1/2 cup of oil

                                                     1 large egg

                                                     1 stick of melted butter

                                                     2 splashes of vanilla extract

First, use Crisco or cooking spray to "grease your muffin tins".  You'll  need enough pans for 24  muffins. 


Now, begin by mashing your bananas, egg, oil and sugar in a bowl...

 

 

 

 

 

In another bowl, mix your flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

 

 

 

 

 

Combine the two bowls of ingredients and add the melted butter and vanilla last. 

 

Bake at 325 degrees until done

 

Be careful not to overcook.

 

These are soooo yummy!!

 

 

 

Okay, now I'm going to share my recipe for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls.  These will knock your socks off!! ;)

 

Ingredients:

 

 

 

For the dough:

 

1 cup of warm water

 

2 teaspoons of active dry yeast

 

1 large egg

 

2 tablespoons of canola oil

 

1 teaspoon of salt

 

3 cups of self rising flour

 

3 tablespoons of sugar

 

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

 

 

 

For the Filling:

 

About 3/4 stick of softened butter

 

1/2 cup sugar mixed with 3 tablespoons of cinnamon

 

 

 

For the Icing: 

 

 1 pound of Powdered Sugar

 

A few splashes of milk

 

A splash of vanilla extract

 

 

 

 

 

First, mix all of your ingredients for the dough in a large bowl. 

 

 

 

Transfer this mixture onto a floured surface and knead into a smooth ball of dough.

 

 

 

Then place the smooth dough ball into a greased bowl to allow it to rise to double it's size.  You will need to cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or tea cloth while it's rising.

 

*I heat my oven then turn it off and place my bowl on the open oven door to rise.  The heat from the oven helps, but the dough is not actually in the oven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the dough has risen to double it's original size, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead it again just enough to remove any air bubbles from your dough.

 

Then use a rolling pin to roll your dough out  as close to a large rectangle as you can. Mine looks more like a large oval! :)

 

 

 

 

Now you need to make your filling...

 

In a bowl combine your sugar and cinnamon with a fork until it's all mixed together.

 

 

 

Spread your dough with a thin coating of softened butter and sprinkle your dough liberally with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. 

 

 

Start at one end of your dough and roll to make a log.  Try to tighten the roll as you go...

 

 

 

Now, cut your cinnamon rolls out.  These will rise so don't cut them too big. I use a serrated knife.

 

 

 

 

Place your cut rolls, very close together onto greased or sprayed pans.

 

 

 

Allow these to rise just like you did with the dough ball in the beginning.

 

 

 

You are now ready to bake!!  :)

 

Bake these at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  Watch them carefully so you don't over bake!!

 

While they are baking, mix up your icing. 

 

Add the milk into the powdered sugar stirring with a whisk or a fork, one splash at a time.  A little milk goes a long way!  Add your vanilla and your ready to ice!! 

 

 

 

 TIPS: **If your icing is too thick add more milk.  If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar.  Only add the milk a splash at a time!

 

When the rolls are done.  Take them out of the oven and pour your icing over the tops and spread evenly! 

 

 

 

You just made Cinnamon Rolls From Scratch!!  If that ain't HAPPINESS, what is?!?! ;)

Hope you enjoy!! 


This Thursday's favorite:

My potato masher!!  As you can tell by it's mauve handle, I've had this since I got married in 1989!!  I LOVE this thing!  I use it to crush fruit when I make jam, banana bread... I use it when cooking ground meat to break up the meat in the skillet and sometimes I even use it to mash my potatoes!! ;)  If you don't have one, get one!!  They are very handy!!


<3 Colossians 4:6

"Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."

Fun In The Snow And Recipes To Warm You Up

It snowed at my house!!  Yay!  I LOVE the snow!!  I was cooking in the kitchen around 10:00 a.m last week  when I noticed the first flakes falling!  By 11:00 everything was covered!  I snapped this picture from my kitchen window as it was coming down...

Then I ran out to do what all true Southerners do , I went to buy Milk and Bread!! :)

It snowed and snowed and snowed!!  Then, Anthony, Austin and I decided to go play in it!  (We couldn't get Avery to join us) :(

It was so much fun! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had too much fun playing outside, but by the time that was over we needed something to warm us up!  Here are a couple of recipes that I use to warm my family!

 

 

Our Favorite Potato Soup

 

Ingredients:

 

5 pounds of Potatoes

Carrot

1/4 cup of Onion

Water

About 2 cups of Chicken Broth

a splash of Dales Seasoning

3 Tablespoons of Butter

Salt and Pepper

Cornstarch

Milk

 

Begin by washing your carrots and potatoes. Then peel and chop your veggies and put into a large stock pot...

 

 

Add enough Water to cover the vegetables, Chicken Broth, Dales Seasoning, Butter, Salt and Pepper to the veggies and bring to a boil.  Cook until the vegetables are tender.

 

 

 

I freeze my own Chicken Broth.  When you boil chicken for recipes, let it cool and then put into freezer bags for your next recipe that calls for chicken broth!  I learned that from my Mama! :)

 

 

Okay your pot of vegetables and other ingredients should look like this...

 

 

 

Now, in a separate bowl, mix a few tablespoons of corn starch with about a half cup of milk with a whisk to remove all lumps.  You need a smooth consistency of milk and cornstarch.

 

 

Stir this mixture quickly into the boiling pot of veggies and your soup will immediately thicken!  This is how it will look now!

 

 

Continue to stir in additional milk, salt and pepper to your taste and consistency. 

 

 

 

This will warm your body and soul!!  YUM!!! <3

 

 

 

Another favorite at our house is my Homemade Chili!

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Ground meat (I like to use ground turkey)

1 small onion

3 cans of chili hot beans

1 can of light red kidney beans

2 large cans of diced tomatoes

1 small can of tomato paste

About 1/2 cup of ketchup

1 splash of Dale's Seasoning

1/3 cup of light brown sugar

1 splash of hot sauce

2 cups of water

Salt, Pepper and Chili Powder

 

Brown your meat and onions in a large soup pot.  Add all other ingredients.  Bring to a boil. Transfer to a crock pot on low for several hours.  The longer it simmers, the better it will be.

 

We eat this with corn chips, sour cream and cheese!  Hope you enjoy this recipe! <3

 

 

Here are a few tips and favorites that I want to share this week...

 

 

I like to buy frozen diced onions instead of whole fresh onions.  This saves me money and time!  I just take out what I need and put the rest back in the freezer!  Always be sure you store them inside  freezer bags so that your ice and other things that may be exposed in the freezer don't take on the onion taste.

 

 

 

I LOVE to use the Knorr Bouillon Cubes! They make chicken and beef!  I add them to soups and they can even be added to your broth for extra flavor.  They cost $1.00 or less per package! I also tried this Herbox brand chicken bouillon granulated form and added it to my homemade broth and it worked nicely. It was $1.00 at Winn Dixie!

 

Last but not least...

 

 

I LOVE these little soup crocks!!  I am collecting them so that I will eventually have enough for 12!  I just think they are super cute! ;)

 

 

 

Philippians 4:8 <3

 

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue  and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things."