Growing up I often heard an expression about good food or being a good cook, something like that, was the way to a man's heart. It takes a lot more than that but I do love to cook and bake for my husband and our family! My blog is full of memories! Family times, celebrations, get togethers, laughter, tears and lots of meals! Since June is the month of weddings I am going to share some of my recipe and anniversary stories!
I only make banana pudding on very special occasions because I use the original recipe that is on the box of Nilla Wafers and that requires a make shift double boiler to thicken the pudding! I beat the egg whites into a white fluffy meringue to go on top! This year, I baked the banana pudding the day before our anniversary. I made some brownies too but that mix came from a box! I had just taken everything out of the oven when Jim walked in with a bouquet of flowers (a day early - I laughed because we both think so much alike). They are beautiful!
Thirty-eight years ago I promised to love my husband for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, through the good times and the bad times until death do us part. I often think about the vows we made, so many years ago. A wedding is just a day - but a marriage is a lifetime and it takes work. Like a garden, you have to lovingly tend to it. Love, patience, kindness, forgiveness, and communication are a must - but most important - you need to make sure that God is right in the center, right there with you so that through the ups and downs, your faith in God will keep you on the right path.
The following are a couple of stories from anniversaries past: In this first story I am adding additional baking tweaks to my beer bread recipe! Follow the recipe as I've written below or make two loaves of bread by using the medium size loaf pans. Bake these for forty minutes and after you add the melted butter only bake an additional five minutes. During the Christmas Season I love to give baked items as gifts. The beer bread recipe works well in the mini loaf pans. One batch will fill four of the aluminum mini loaf pans. Bake for thirty minutes and then add the melted butter! You can gauge the time yourself by looking at the tops - if they are lightly browned, the bread is ready! The mini loaf pans work great for bake sales also!
Thursday, June 2, 2016
COOKIES, BEER BREAD, AND 33 YEARS OF MARRIAGE - IT'S ALL GOOD!
raining on and off all week. Right now it is overcast and a little cool outside,
70 degrees to be exact. For this time of year, 70 degrees is awesome! The only thing
negative about this kind of weather is it makes me want to bake! I saw some chocolate
chips in the pantry and so I decided to check and see what other ingredients I have on
hand. I have everything I need to make a big batch of chocolate chip oatmeal cookies
with pecans! Doesn't that sound great? I also have the ingredients to make beer bread.
I haven't made beer bread since the Christmas season because I sure don't need
to eat it, but it sounds really good today! AND it is so easy to make! I will share the
recipe will y'all! Easy peasy and only 4 ingredients!
3 1/4 cups self rising flour
1/2 cup sugar
stir together
add 1 can (12 oz.) of room temperature beer (I use Lone Star because that is what Jim
drinks and so I have it on hand).
Stir dry ingredients until well blended, add beer and stir until mixed in, batter will be kind of lumpy.
Spoon into a greased (I use the Crisco spray stuff) loaf / bread pan. My loaf pans
are glass but the aluminum / metal pans work just as well.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes. This bread smells so good when
it is baking!
Melt 1/2 stick of butter (the recipe calls for 1 stick, but 1/2 is a little less fattening!)
Melt the butter and pour it all over the top of the bread and then put the
bread back into the oven for another 5 - 10 minutes.
Wait as long as you can and then slice and enjoy! Add more butter if you want, but
it really doesn't need it. This bread is great with soups, stews, a big pot of red beans
and as toast! I haven't tried it as garlic bread but I bet that is would be great that way
too! There is also a really good biscuit recipe on the back of the self-rising flour.
This reminds me of another baking tip to pass along. If you want to make Buttermilk
biscuits and don't have or keep buttermilk on hand this tip will work.
Use 1 teaspoon of vinegar for each 1/3 cup of milk. If your recipe calls for 1 cup of
buttermilk, add (3) teaspoons or (1) tablespoon of vinegar to your milk and let it sit for
at least 5 minutes. I usually add the vinegar to the milk first thing and then by the time
I get to that step it has already been plenty of time for the milk to sour.
I really had not planned on writing about recipes or cooking tips today but sometimes
that is what happens! I have something serious I want to talk about but I think I will
post it on another page. I want this page to be about happy things! No downers after
this fun yummy recipe swap!
On Saturday, Jim and I will be married for 33 years! I can't believe it! The years have
flown by. I thank God everyday for blessing me with such a wonderful husband. One
of my favorite scriptures from the bible is from Genesis, when Adam sees Eve for the
first time -
Genesis 2:21-24
So the Lord God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was
asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
The Lord God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man.
When he brought her to the man, the man said:
"This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;
This one shall be called 'woman,' for out of 'her man' this one has been taken."
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and
the two of them become one body.
Another one of my favorite scriptures that I think is so important for a happy
marriage and a loving family is this one -
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient; love is kind. Love is not jealous, it does not put on airs,
it is not snobbish. Love is never rude, it is not self-seeking,
it is not prone to anger; neither does it brood over injuries.
Love does not rejoice in what is wrong but rejoices with the truth.
There is no limit to love's forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure.
I hope you all have a wonderful day. If you try the beer bread recipe let me know
if you like it. I hope the vinegar substitution helps also! God bless you all!
Bye for now, Sharla
Friday, June 8, 2018
Red Roses, Lemon Bars, and 35 Years of Marriage - Pretty Awesome!
marriage earlier this week. We were so blessed at Mass on Sunday night. One couple,
some good friends of ours, asked for Anniversary prayers (Mass Intentions) for us.
Another couple, and also dear friends of ours, prayed for us after Mass. Both couples
have been married a lot longer than we have! We visited with another couple (also
friends) as we were walking to our vehicles and we talked about how important
it is for married couples to have God in their lives. I shared the peanut butter story.
I'll repost it in case y'all haven't read it! On Monday we received a very special
anniversary card in the mail from a wonderful friend. Our hearts are full from all
the warm wishes, prayers, and blessings we have received from our family and
friends. We have had a great week.
Our anniversary was on Monday. Jim and I are simple people, thankful for what we
have, and we celebrate special days the same way. I am always baking something
because Jim has a sweet tooth. I haven't made Lemon Bars since Easter and I decided
to bake some for him on Monday. He came home with two beautiful red roses for me.
I fixed dinner and we sat at the kitchen table, ate and had a nice visit. We went out
to eat on Tuesday evening with five other couples from our parish and the Associate
Pastor (whom we all love) and will be transferring to another parish at the end of this
month. Tonight we are going out with another couple, who were married on the same
date, seventeen years before us. They are some of our closest friends and we have
celebrated many anniversaries together. I told our daughter that we were celebrating
the "Big 35" all week long - seems appropriate!
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