remembering WHO we are giving thanks to

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
      Let the whole world know what he has done.

-1 chron 16:8-

I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonders.

-Psalm 9:1-

I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your loving kindness is great to the heavens
And Your truth to the clouds.
Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
Let Your glory be above all the earth. 

-Psalm 57:9-11-

I will praise the name of God with song
And magnify Him with thanksgiving. 

-Psalm 69:30-

It is good to give thanks to the LORD
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your loving kindness in the morning
And Your faithfulness by night, 

-Psalm 92:1-2-

With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the LORD;
And in the midst of many I will praise Him. 

-Psalm 109:30-

You are my God, and I give thanks to You;
You are my God, I extol You.
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting. 

-Psalm 118:28-29-

Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, 

to receive glory and honor and power; 

for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.

-Revelation 4:11-

Almond Bark Popcorn

An easy, yummy, salty, sweet, tasty snack.

Almond Bark Popcorn

6 T coconut oil

1 c popcorn kernels

salt

2-4 squares of almond bark, melted

1 c almonds

pop one half of your popcorn

(I put 3 T of coconut oil in a heavy pan with a lid. let it heat up for a minute, then add 1/2 a cup of popcorn kernels. Cover with a lid and shake until it is all popped)

dump into a large bowl and salt it to your liking

drizzle with melted almond bark (i only used 2 squares of almond bark because I just wanted a light coating)

add almonds and mix thoroughly until it is all coated

pop 2nd half of popcorn

salt it and mix in with previous batch

Chicken a la King

A savory way to use up Sunday's chicken dinner. 

Serve over puff pastry, english muffins, biscuits, or even toast.

Chicken a la King

 

1/4 c olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

3/4 c carrots, chopped

1 t garlic, chopped

1 t salt 

1/2 t pepper

1 T parsley

1/4 t thyme

dash cayenne pepper

1/2 c flour

30 oz box of chicken broth

2 c chicken, cooked and cubed

1 c corn

1 c peas

heat oil in large pot, add onion and carrots, cook until tender

add garlic and spices, cook another minute

add flour and stir well, cook for one minute

add broth and bring to a simmer

add chicken, corn and peas

serve over buttered biscuits

Pumpkin Bread

'Tis the season to bake all things pumpkin!

I love the smell when baking pumpkin, cinnamon, clove, and ginger together.  

So welcoming. So fall. So comforting.

This is a one bowl recipe that can be made into muffins or bread. 

You should make this this fall.

Pumpkin Bread

adapted from kitchenstewardship.com

3/4 c sugar

2 eggs

1 c pumpkin

1 T molasses

1/2 c coconut oil, melted

1/4 c cold water

1 2/3c flour

1/4 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1/2 t cloves

1/2 t ginger

1 t cinnamon

start by mixing all of the wet ingredients together until all incorporated

then add all the dry ingredients and mix together

put in a greased loaf pan or muffin tin

bake at 325 degrees

loaf = 45-50 minutes

muffins = 20ish minutes

I haven't made them as muffins yet so I'm guessing on the time. just keep an eye on them and check with a toothpick.

Apple Pickin' and Train Ride

Apple picking at Pleasant Valley Apple Orchard

                   __________________________________________________________

Train ride on the Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway

Smoked Chicken with White BBQ Sauce

I'd never heard of white BBQ sauce.
Have you?
This chicken is smoked on the grill over indirect heat with a pan of soaked wood chips.
The flavor is amazing!
best. chicken. ever.
And of course it's from America's Test Kitchen, so you know it's gonna be good, c'mon!

Alabama BBQ Chicken
Cook's Country - America's Test Kitchen

White BBQ Sauce

• 3/4 c mayo
• 2 T vinegar
• 2 t sugar
• 1/2 t horseradish *(I went w/o the horseradish and it was still good)
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Chicken

• 1 t salt
• 1 t pepper
• 1/2 t cayenne pepper
• 2 whole chickens (3 1/2- to 4-pound), patted dry and split
• 2 c hickory wood chips
• Vegetable oil for grill grate

Instructions

• 1. For the sauce: Mix all ingredients in blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Refrigerate sauce in airtight container for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
• 2. For the chicken: Mix salt, black pepper, and cayenne in small bowl. Rub spice mixture all over chicken.
• 3. Soak wood chips in bowl of water to cover for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, open bottom grill vents completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (about 90 coals) and burn until charcoal is covered with fine gray ash. Place 13 by 9-inch disposable aluminum roasting pan in center of grill. Pour half of coals into pile on each side of grill, leaving pan in center. Scatter wood chips evenly over coals and set cooking grate in place. Cover, with lid vents positioned over center of grill and opened halfway. Let grill heat for 5 minutes.
• 4. Dip wad of paper towels in oil and oil grate, holding paper towels with long-handled tongs. Place chicken skin side down on center of grill. Cover (with half-opened lid vents over chicken).
• 5. Grill chickens until skin is well browned, 35 to 45 minutes. Flip chickens skin side up and grill, covered, until breast meat registers 165 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes longer.
• 6. Transfer chickens to cutting board, brush with 2 tablespoons sauce, tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes. Remove foil and brush chicken with 1 tablespoon sauce. Carve and serve, passing remaining sauce at table.

Buttermilk Waffles

Look what I got for my birthday from my in-laws.....
Yeah! I love their recipes!!
Last night we tried the buttermilk waffles. They were great and easy.
I love how they try several methods to give you the best tasting recipe yet an easy process. For example, on the waffles they wanted an easier way to get the airyness that whipping egg whites gives traditional waffle recipes.
They figured most people wouldn't want the pre-breakfast workout of making a meringue. Solution: club soda! Club soda is what is used in most Japanese tempura batters to make it light and fluffy, so why not waffles! Brilliant!

Buttermilk Waffles
Americas Test Kitchen

2 c flour
1/2 c buttermilk powder*
1 T sugar
3/4 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 c sour cream
2 eggs
1/4 c oil
1/4 t vanilla
1 1/4 c seltzer water

whisk the dry ingredients.
in a seperate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients except the seltzer water.
gently stir the seltzer into the wet ingredients.
pour the wet into the dry and gently stir until just combined. (batter should remain slightly lumpy with streaks of flour.)

*if you dont have buttermilk powder you can do 1/2 c buttermilk and reduce the seltzer water to 1 cup.