Joyfull Living

 Nothing brings out fall like a baked pumpkin treat and an October Saturday is the perfect time to give this recipe a try!  Pumpkin bars are easy and delicious and a treat for family and friends.  Pumpkin Bars 4 large eggs, room temperature 1-2/3 cups sugar 1 cup canola oil * 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt ICING: 6 ounces cream cheese, softened 2 cups confectioners' sugar 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk Directions In a bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until well blended. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour into an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until set. Cool completely. For icing, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, butter and vanilla in a sm...

Through the years and seasons of life, I've been a 'Suzy Homemaker", "Fitness Fanny", embraced and loved the home-school, natural mama life and an outside the home working woman.  The underling theme to each of those passion was family, health and seeking the best for those I love. In this current season of life, the children are almost grown. The days of preparing a huge meal for supper are rare. Evenings spent at the ball field are past, even the laundry load is lighter and I'm enjoying a slower pace of life. It is a change of pace we like but run the risk of leaning toward laziness!   This weekend was rainy and dreary and I was perfectly content to stay at home. The thought occurred since I had time, to make a homemade cake that I found a recipe for. It just never happened and then when sweet hubby had to run an errand, he called me to see if I wanted him to pick up a pie for dessert. This has rarely happened in our 25+ years since most of our ...

Early mornings and coffee are a perfect pair.  Mid morning coffee breaks are a true delight. but an after work relaxing cup of coffee will bring a miserable night of sleeplessness. But there is nothing so cozy and comfortable than a quick break with a mug of a hot beverage.  Hot tea: includes all the ingredients I crave,a time to relax, warmth but I just don't like black tea...or green tea!  I'm experimenting a have found some flavors that are favored and always on the lookout for something new. Dandelion tea is one I read about which has fabulous benefits.  Benefits include: It improves digestion and aids weight loss. It helps to purify the bladder and kidneys. It reduces the risk of urinary tract infections. It contains calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium, vitamins B and C. It helps to purify the blood, regulate blood sugar and improves blood circulation. It helps to ease bloating and aching joints. It helps to cure...

Meal prep is one of the most successful ingredients to eating healthy. I have unintentionally lost the opportunity to eat healthy with this scenario:  In the midst of the morning routine, decide to take a healthy lunch to work. Scrounge through the fridge, look at the clock and realize there is only enough time to get ready to leave, not to prepare a lunch.  In the emotion of that moment, eating out sounds like a good plan.  But with a little foresight and planning, a meal can be put together the night before and grabbed out of the fridge on the way out the door. While preparing dinner, think ahead to the next day. Plan to make extra while cooking to take through the week.  Then using a simple four-step formula you can plan an infinite number of easy, healthy meals in minutes without a singe recipe! 1. Pick a protein. It's a good idea to start with protein because  most of us do not get enough of it and protein is vital to weight loss and ...

Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes 1/2 cup  all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice pinch stevia, or 2 tbsp liquid sweetener of choice  1/2 cup milk 1/2 tsp white or apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp pumpkin or sweet potato puree 2 tsp oil or 1 extra tbsp pumpkin puree 1 tsp pure vanilla extract Instructions In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir well. In a separate bowl, whisk together all liquid ingredients. Pour dry ingredients into wet, and stir together to form a batter. Lightly grease a skillet, then place the skillet over medium heat. When pan is hot, drop small ladles of batter onto the skillet. Flip pancakes, using a spatula, when the edges begin to look dry. Allow to cook one minute longer, then remove from heat. Makes about 16 pancakes. Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies 3/4 cup quick oats 1/2 cup oat flour - or you can finely blend oats until they turn into flo...

It's pumpkin season!!  That calls for some time in the kitchen baking.  I've found a few new pumpkin recipes to try this month.  Here is one with a healthy spin on pumpkin bread. Pumpkin Banana Bread 2 cups flour - a healthy choice is oat flour 1 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp each: cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin pie spice 1 1/2 cup mashed, overripe banana 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave 1/16 tsp uncut stevia Or 2 tbsp sweetener of choice 1/3 cup oil OR milk of choice 2 tsp pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional Instructions Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan, and set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Whisk all liquid ingredients in a separate bowl, then pour wet into dry and stir to form a batter. Smooth into the prepared pan. If desired, press some extra chocolate chips into the top. Bake on the center rack 30 minutes, then do not op...

Have you seen the cute graphic floating around - "only 2 more months til its pumpkin everything? Yes, that is me!  My favorite home decorating store - Kirklands, released their new fall collection today, it's way too early, but I feel fall fever coming on! A recipe caught my eye , Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies. ..wow!  There's a lot of goodness in just the title!  Here is the recipe: Preheat over to 350F Degrees 2 1/2 c. all purpose flour* 2 tsp. baking soda 1 (3.4-3.56 oz) box of pumpkin spice pudding (dry) 1 1/2 stick of butter, softened 1/2 c. granulated sugar 1 c. brown sugar 2 large eggs, room temperature 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tbsp. honey 1 1/2 c. of chocolate chunks In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and pumpkin spice pudding mix- set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, cream together (on medium speed) butter and both sugars until fluffy (about 5 minutes). Then add eggs, one a...

When choosing breakfast for a busy morning, it must be something that will last for a few hours. A key component that will keep you fueled longer is protein.  Eggs, breakfast meats, yogurt, nuts, cottage cheese are all good sources of protein, but every now and then, I long for some of that breakfast comfort food- french toast, waffles and pancakes.  Here is a recipe for those carb craving mornings that also include the protein needed to keep me going! Protein-Packed Pancakes Ingredients 1/2 cup (63 grams) all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs (50 grams per egg) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup (245 grams) 2% fat Greek yogurt 1/3 cup (50 grams) fresh blueberries (for garnish) Directions Add dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt) to a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients (eggs, vanilla extract and Greek yogurt) until well mixed. Add the dr...

Breakfast at our home has to be quick!  Some of the favorites with my son are Toaster Strudels, Pop Tarts and things like that.  Not the healthiest options around!  Recently Mr. Food posted a recipe for homemade fruit pockets.  Similar to what my boys like, but EASY!  You use a pie crust and some fruit or jelly or the filling.  I used some pear butter and they turned out delicious!  You can add a glaze or leave them plain.  Here's the recipe! 1 (14.1-ounce) box rolled refrigerated pie crust 1/4 cup strawberry preserves or your favorite flavor 1 cup confectioners' sugar 1 tablespoon milk Decorative sugar for garnish (optional) Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. 2. Unroll one pie crust and using a knife, square the edges. Cut into 12 rectangles 2 inches wide by 3 inches long. Place a teaspoon of preserves in center of 6 rectangles and top with remaining rectangles. Using a fork, ...

Spring has sprung in our area!  Trees are blooming, grass is becoming greener and new life is springing up all over!  I always get garden fever about this time.  The desire to prepare the ground and plant things that will eventually come to harvest and bring a bounty of vegetables to our table starts strong. but once the summer heat comes, my garden fantasies quickly pass.   I found some information that some vegetables may actually regrow themselves from the parts usually thrown away. Imagine, fresh vegetables with no weeds, no hoeing, just quick reproduction from what we already are using! Got to give this a try!   Here is a list I'm excited to try.  CELERY Take the bottom of the celery and place in a shallow saucer in the sun. After about 3 days, transfer to soil. SCALLIONS Take the discarded roots and place them in a glass of water in a well lit room. Watch them grow! GARLIC SPROUTS When the garlic gloves begin to sprout, pl...

I thought I made good cream of broccoli soup, but recently came upon a recipe that was a copycat Panera Bread Co. Broccoli Cheese Soup .  Since I had all the ingredients one Sunday night, decided to give it a try. Oh my, this was the best broccoli soup ever!  Sweet hubby and I had bowls and I was looking forward to taking some of the leftovers for lunch the following day.  On the stove was the pot of broccoli soup remains along with a pan of gravy left over from lunch.  I asked our son to take the scraps out to the dogs, then walked away. (don't do that to a teenager!).  When I walked back in, he was returning the EMPTY soup pot, he gave the soup leftovers to the dogs!  Trying to make a motherly point, I asked..."There is a dish of leftover gravy and a pot of freshly made soup, which one looks like it should go to the dogs?"  He answered typically of a teenage boy, 'both".   One day surely he will appreciate a great pot of soup!...

When fall finally arrives...I'll be ready!  House is decorated, autumn scented candles are lit every night and all that is left is to find some delicious things to bake! Our local produce stand (the only one) recently closed down.  It was locally owned with mostly local produce. There was always a good price on apples and they were delicious.  Since its closing, I've refrained from buying any apples since it is hard to buy a good apple from the chain grocery stores. Finally since I wanted to try a recipe, bought a bag of apples.  The prices were so high, it was easier to buy a big bag rather than a few individual apples.  Well, they are awful!  No rich, sweet apple taste.  But, with a few added ingredients, they do make delicious homemade applesauce and muffins.   Fall baking is something I love to do when the weather cools down.  The smells and taste of pumpkin are my favorite, but due to our overabundance of apples, fall baki...

      This rarely happens, but Saturday found me with a day to spend at home, no place I needed to be AND...all the housework was done!  Laundry caught up, supper in crock pot and a day ready to do what I wanted to do!  Sweet hubby had some outside work to do, so once Gunsmoke was over and he headed outside, I grabbed the remote, hit the couch and took in an hour of The Pioneer Women on the cooking channel!   Would you believe that The Pioneer Woman is trying to eat healthier?  Right up my ally!  I found  a few 'have to try' recipes that will be happening this week at our home.   Then another show came on - Farmhouse Rules  with more delicious recipes to try!    This little blog of mine was started many years ago as an effort to be an encouragement to Christian women.  Not from one who has it all together, but to invite others to come along on the journey towards being a godly woman....

Breakfast is an area of epic failure for me as a homemaker. My hard working husband is up way early and headed to work just as I'm getting up Through the years my sons have learned that breakfast can be quick and easy (if they want any!). On a good morning, I can whip up a bowl of oatmeal or some fabulous cinnamon toast! But it's nowhere near the grits, eggs and bacon my guys love on the weekends.   So...this week I saw and new recipe and am sharing (to be accountable to do it!) it! It sounds easy and delicious and is made with tater tots, a favorite at my house.  Ingredients:   1 lb. ground sausage  1/2 of a 32-oz. bag of tater tots  1/4 tsp. garlic powder  1/4 tsp. onion powder  Salt and pepper to taste  1 c. grated cheddar cheese  4 eggs  1 c. milk  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown sausage in a large skillet, drain fat. Combine sausage, tater tots, and cheese in a large bowl. Pour into a...

Have you ever listened to the noises that come from your home?  When our home had 3 sons living in it, things could get pretty noisy!  Wrestling, bouncing balls, video games, television sports and the occasional competitive 'discussion' were what was heard most of all day, every day! Now that 2 of the sons have left the nest, things are much quieter.  I was recently outside watering flowers and heard a humming sound.  Realizing it was the sound of the dryer, I smiled, never paying much attention to quiet hums of the home before! There is something comforting about some of the hums of home.  The washer and dryer, dishwasher, refrigerator, mixer etc.  All these sounds represent a method of 'making a home'.  Most are tools we use to care for the family.  Every home 'hums', whether it is a house full, an empty nest couple or a single living alone.  Home-hums bring comfort and warmth and can be carried with us where we go.  A...

Every Monday morning I get this newsletter in my inbox from Creative Homemaking.   It is a short email usually containing no more than 5 fantastic tips/articles on keeping a home.  Today's edition contained two do it yourself projects I couldn't resist sharing.    Since being creative isn't one of my talents, projects that require much effort usually get overlooked...but, these two were easy, can save a few dollars and are things you can use.   DIY Vicks VapoRub   I remember as a child my mom rubbing VapoRub on my neck and chest when I had a cold.  Even today, if I go to bed stuffy, a little Vicks under my nose helps me breathe much better.  Two simple ingredients can produce a DI 1/2 c. coconut oil and 10 drops or so of eucalyptus oil in a half pint sized canning jar mixed  together. Use just as you would Vick's VapoRub. It smells exactly like it!   DIY Homemade Ranch Dressing   I use the dry ra...

Cranberry sauce is a staple at Thanksgiving!  Seems like it has been around forever. I can remember as a child the unappealing round, can lined, red  blob on a plate next to the turkey. Although I never touched it back then, the older I get, the more it has grown on me.  Now, turkey doesn't taste the same without it.    Being older and wiser, I've learned that unappealing look of canned cranberry sauce can be replaced with a rich, beautiful, homemade sauce and it can be easily prepared!  Here are three different cranberry sauce recipes to practice on before Thanksgiving! Easy:  Cranberry Celebration Salad 1 can jellied cranberry sauce 1 can whole cranberries 1 small can crushed pineapple 1/4 c chopped walnuts Mix together, chill, and serve! Found at Raising Arrows Medium: Pioneer Woman's Homemade Cranberry Sauce If you have ever tried a Pioneer Woman recipe, you know it will be good! Ingredients 1 bag (12 Oz. Ba...

Although it has taken us years to appreciate the taste of onions, my husband and I now absolutely love them!  I cook everything with onions!  We have found grilled onions are the perfect topping for many of our favorite foods - hamburgers, steak, smoked sausages, gravy etc.  There is nothing more disappointing that to have one of our favorite dishes almost ready and then realize that I forgot to get the onions cooked!  Today, I found the solution:  Caramelized Onions in a Crock Pot!   Onions can be cooked in the crock pot (takes 5 minutes to get them ready), slow simmered all day, then portioned into small containers for the freezer, ready to pull out at a moment's notice. Here are the directions with some fabulous tips found at Shockingly Delicious Dorothy’s Crock-Pot Caramelized Onions 6 large regular yellow onions (3-4 pounds) 2-3 tablespoons good quality olive oil Peel onions and cut them into thin slices; you should have about 6 cups...

Around here it a time of harvest!  Local gardens are coming in and although we didn’t plant one this year, there has been family and friends who have blessed us with lots of fresh produce. Gardens come in full force and all at once!  With the abundance of fresh food, I found something neat to try to get the most out of it. Over at Kojos , I found some great recipes for crock pot freezer cooking.  The plan is to put all the ingredients into a freezer bag and when you’re ready to use it, you simply dump it all into a crock pot, add a few simple ingredients and let it cook in the slow cooker.  I have used up my onions, peppers, zucchini and carrots and have some ready to cook meals in the freezer!  Check out this page for the how to’s and some great recipes.

I love my kitchen!!  Not because it's glamorous, spacious or efficient.  In fact, it is 23 years old, with not many improvements made in it!  Same wallpaper, same cabinets, same appliances.  I love it because it is the heart of the home and it enables me to bless my family through it. As I write this, the kitchen is multi tasking!  There is bread being kneaded in the bread machine, strawberry oatmeal bars baking, beans soaking for dinner and tea steeping for an afternoon treat! My relationship with my kitchen has not always been so intimate.  My visits there were short, sweet and completed.  Cooking hasn't always been so important to me.  Get em fed and move em out was my attitude.  But, alas, with three sons, they have to eat...alot! Since I have been a stay at home mom, there is more time available for cooking.  But some of the age old techniques can be used today, with great results, even for those with li...