The Welcome Home
Good Things and Recipes
May 19, 2004
Good evening dear
sisters!
It’s sure a lovely
spring we’re having. I pray things are well with all of you in your
homes. Thank you all for the inspiring letters you’ve written and
for the encouragement they’ve been to me. Well, I do have a
***correction to last week’s Good Things---the sauce that you
prepare from the left over marinade (that didn’t touch raw meat) you
cook up and brush it over the meat during and after cooking.
(Thanks again to my friend, Katherine)
Another sister
wrote: “I take boneless skinless chicken and marinate it overnight
in Italian Dressing. Any kind will do; we like Good Seasons or
Wishbone best but I've even combined vinegar, oil, oregano, thyme,
parsley, and garlic salt when I didn't have the money to go buy the
store-bought. I then line a pan with foil I sprayed so my chicken
won't stick then I bake at 325 until done. The great thing about
this recipe is you can also Grill the chicken breasts and they are
even better. I usually have parsley potatoes, a jar of my home
canned green beans and baked tomatoes [a southern specialty].“
Thank you, Debbie!
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If you’ll write a Bible verse on a 3x5 card (and then another, then
another) and place it in your kitchen window sill, you’ll be able to
memorize it and remember it while you’re drifting off to sleep.
Remember: the only Word you can read in the dark is the one you’ve
written on your heart.
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~Cookies in a Jar~
For Chocolate Chip Cookies you will need: A (*wide mouth*) quart
mason jar, fabric and ribbon.
Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Jar
1 C. Brown sugar, 1/2 C. sugar, 1 1/2 C. chocolate chips, 2 C.
flour, 1 tsp. Baking soda, 1 tsp. Salt
Very firmly pack the brown sugar into the jar, add the sugar and the
layer of chocolate chips. Mix the four, soda & salt together. And
then put this mixture into the jar. Put a lid on the jar and a
5"circle or square of pretty fabric (It’s nice to try and match the
kitchen décor of the receiver of this gift---but any fabric will do)
and then place the band on a screw it on tightly. I tie or glue a
ribbon around the band. Make a tag (handwritten or on the printer),
with the following instructions:
In a mixing bowl, cream 1 Cup of butter, 1 egg and 1 1/2 tsp.
Vanilla. Empty the contents of this jar into the bowl and quickly
mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet and bake at 360
for 8-10 minutes.
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How ‘bout this: A Bar in a Jar
Butterscotch Brownie Bar in a Jar
Butterscotch Brownie Bar Mix
Layer in this order in a wide-mouth quart canning jar: 1/2 cup
firmly packed flaked coconut, 3/4 cup chopped pecans, 2 cups firmly
packed brown sugar, 2 cups flour mixed with 1 1/2 Tbsp. baking
powder and 1/4 tsp. salt.
Be sure to press each layer firmly in place before adding next layer
of ingredients. Make a pretty instruction tag and tie around the
jar:
Butterscotch Brownie Bars
Empty jar of brownie mix into large mixing bowl. Using your hands,
mix the contents of the jar and then add to the mix: 3/4 cup (1 1/2
sticks) softened butter, 2 eggs, slightly beaten, 2 tsp. vanilla
(opt.). Continue to mix until completely blended. Spread batter into
a sprayed 9x13 metal pan. Bake at 375º (350º if using a glass pan)
for 20-25 minutes. Cool 15 minutes in baking pan. Cut brownies into
1 1/2 inch squares. Makes 2 dozen brownies
I have a reason for sending you “Jar recipes” this time of year… in
addition to “hostess gifts” or wedding gifts or whatever, it’s a
good idea to think about Thanksgiving/Christmas gifts this time of
year. Yes! When the jars are plentiful! It’s difficult to find
Mason jars sometimes, especially in the middle of winter! So… watch
for the sales. There are many, many neat things to do with jars!
Unique bottles and other odd sized jars can be found at thrift
stores and garage sales, too.
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Pretty soon stores will be having back to school sales… I know!
already! and school’s not out yet. I share this idea with you to
encourage you to space out your supply shopping. As you shop, if
you buy a package of pencils one time and a package of pens another
time, paper another time and so on, you’ll have the supplies you
need for home and school and it will be at a better price, thus
saving you money.
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One last thing for today. I’ve had a few inquiries regarding
rolling carts of drawers that I’ve used here in our home for many
years. I use them because they force order. I tend to be so random
that I must have systems in place to force me to stay orderly! I
have purchased these carts (plastic stacked 7-9 drawers on wheels)
at Costco, Wal*Mart and Office Depot. I believe they cost around
25-27 dollars apiece ( watch for them to go on sale). I use them
for different things--- a set of drawers for stamping/craft/card
making supplies; one for sewing (each drawer holds specific items:
thread, buttons, zippers & trims & bias tape, scissors and cutting
tools pin/needles/etc. other sewing supplies and so on. I can bring
the cart to the table when I am sewing and have the supplies right
at hand---the same goes for craft supplies which can sit right near
the table the drawers even set on the table for crafting. Another
cart has small hand tools, batteries, light bulbs, vacuum supplies,
household hardware, etc. See, these carts just make ordering things
up a bit easier. This old farm house doesn’t have lots of room or
lots of storage---plus--- there are many of us living here, so I
must find ways to bring a bit of order to the messes of the masses.
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Keep on to those weeds in the garden! They’ll win if you don’t keep
after them! ;-) I have a plan with my older children: they each
pull a wheel barrow full of weeds/grass each afternoon… before snack
time. This way we make a good attempt at keeping the weeds under
control. I have black plastic down in some areas and that helps.
Pull a bunch of weeds, drink some water, pull some more weeds, make
a bouquet of flowers… drink some more water. Have a nice time in
the garden. Great conversations can be held in the garden---your
children won’t forget the working together---that’s why I try to
make it a fun job! Like childhood, summer is a sweet season---but
it passes too soon!
Love to you this evening… and for your tomorrows, may the LORD be
with you, to guide and direct you and to give you His peace and hope
for the journey.
---pamela
The Welcome Home http://www.achristianhome.org
