Tag Archives: easy recipes

For Anna

21 Aug

I grieve so deeply for you and your children. I pray you have the strength you need to get through these very hard days and months to come. It’s a terrible weight you and your children have to bear and to do it under the magnifying glass of the  judging world is incomprehensible.

I pray you run to Jesus and He showers you with His tender mercy and you feel His loving presence so profoundly.
  As you grieve for a life that was built on great expectation, I pray you remember that this is not your fault and there is nothing you could have done to save him from his undoing.
You will feel inadequate, unattractive, confused, angry, foolish, and an array of other ways you couldn’t fathom unless you walk through this mine field.  But precious one,  you are enough, because you are who God says you are…nothing more nothing less.
This will undoubtedly be a season where you will feel alone in your despair, abandoned in a jungle of humiliation, all the while trying to discern sincerity from sin. This is a journey of time, even though time doesn’t really heal all wounds, it does help draw you closer to One that does.
This is not your sin even though the burden of it lies heavily on your heart.  Don’t hide away in shame and grief and don’t let bitterness own you.  In due time, when the world sees you again, let them see that your pain birthed strength, grace, perseverance, beauty, compassion and character….let them see Jesus…the Jesus you always intended for the world to see. Leave the shame and burden at the foot of the cross.
When the hot healing tears dry, lift your head high and remember who you belong to…..you will be OK and Joy will find you again!
My heart just aches for the magnitude of sin that is penetrating our culture under the guise of love, fun, opportunity and happiness.  The enemy knows how to romance us. He sees where our armor is weak (even if we don’t) and offers us snippets of our weakness and presents it to us in a pretty box labeled “curiosity”.  When we open that box the invisible seed of destruction is planted.  Then, he has you- and what was once romance is now burden and bondage.
This destroys seemingly good, faithful people and turns them into hypocrites, cheaters and liars.
Sin holds you in bondage and you will become a slave to it!
Friends, our sins are always seen (Jeremiah 16:17)  and when we chose to continue to water our seed of destruction our secret sins will eventually be brought to light (1 Corinthians 4:5) and when they do are you prepared for the consequences?
The world is out to destroy you but Jesus came to save you.  Real freedom and joy is found in Christ and Christ alone.
I leave you with Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca
 Image courtesy of [hohoholand] at FreeDigitalPhotos.net 

Copyright © 2015 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

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The Twilight of Childhood

4 Jun Twilight of Childhood

She wakes with an infectious smile that seems to chase away any lingering gloominess from my soul.  She rests her head with ease  in that little crook of my shoulder that always seems to fit no matter how she grows.  She reminds me what goodness, and loveliness, and kindness feels like and she freely shares it with anyone fortunate enough to cross her path.  She dreams of filling shelves at the book store with her writings and filling the stage with songs about her greatest love….Jesus.

Even though the twilight of her childhood is setting in she still clings to girlhood fiercely. She isn’t quite ready to let it go and I’m not quite ready to let her go. So for a moment I will relish in my little girl and all her little girl ways and I will keep loving her well. For these last few moments, I will be near, holding her hand as she dips her toes into adolescence, so when the sun sets for the last time on her childhood she will be ready to let go of me and pursue her own life with confidence. grace, tenderness, and passion. I pray that these gifts will be accepted well and would bring healing to a wounded world and hope to wounded souls.

But for now, I will enjoy her sleepy head on my shoulder with messy curls tickling my cheek. In a moment it will be over. Tonight she will say goodbye to ten and welcome eleven with great expectation…..just as she should.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

You can find me on Pinterest and YouTube!

Copyright © 2015 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

These Muffins are Bananas

31 May

*Updated*

Let me tell you, I fail miserably at banana bread.  Burnt on the bottom, raw in the middle, deflated..I am not kidding! If there was a way to ruin it, I would. I have been on a mission to find the right combination of ingredients to yield a moist flavorful banana bread that cooks evenly throughout.  After a lot of trial and error…. I got to mixing and……..Houston, we got ourselves a winner;) I am really excited to share this simple yet delicious recipe for chocolate chip banana muffins. Scroll down for printable recipe. Let’s get baking!

 

 

Printable Recipe

 

We would love to know what you’ve cookin’!  Leave us a message or link in the coments and let us know.  Thanks for visiting!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

Let’s be Pinterest friends!

Copyright © 2014 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

It’s a Wrap

13 Sep

When we are wanting to whip up something quick but delicious, you will usually find a wrap on our dinner plates. Tortillas are so versatile, you can’t go wrong (well except for that one time…but we won’t talk about here). With a little prep work you can have dinner ready in a jiffy! This recipe will make 6-8 wraps.

You are going to need 1 large green pepper, 1 large onion, 2-3 Roma tomatoes, 
 1 8oz package of fresh mushrooms and 3 cloves of garlic. Chop pepper, onion,
 tomato and mushrooms into bite size pieces and finely chop the garlic. Set aside.
 1 package (8-10) of your favorite tortillas. *You'll want to turn your oven on warm now
 and add your tortillas if you are not microwaving them*
I have chopped up 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts into bite sized pieces.
For spices you are going to need 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder,
1 tsp of black pepper and 1 tsp turmeric.
In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over med-high heat.
When pan is hot add your chicken breasts and seasonings. cook
6-8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
In the same pan heat another tablespoon of olive and heat over med-high heat.
Add the green peppers, and onions. Cook for about 4-5 minutes or until they are starting to get tender.
Add the mushrooms and tomatoes and cook another 2-3 minutes or until the veggies are
tender add the garlic and cook a minute longer. *Please note that you may have to adjust the cooking temperature of your
stove top*
Add the chicken back in and stir well.  Turn your heat down to low.
Get your tortillas ready.  *If microwaving your tortillas do it now. I add 2-3
at a time and heat for 15-20 seconds and repeat until all tortillas are warmed*
Add filling to center of tortilla and sprinkle on your favorite
cheese ( I used a Mexican 4 cheese blend).
Wrap up like a burrito and enjoy! Makes 6-8
burritos.

Ingredients
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 large green pepper
1 large onion
2-3 Roma tomatoes
1- 8 oz. package fresh mushrooms
3 garlic cloves
olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp turmeric
6-8 of your favorite tortillas (burrito size)
Your favorite shredded cheese
Instructions

-Chop green pepper, onion, mushrooms and tomatoes into bite sized pieces.Finely chop the garlic set aside
-Chop chicken breasts into bite sized pieces. In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of olive    oil     over 
med-high heat. When pan is hot add the chicken and spices. Cook 6-8 minutes or until cooked 
through. Remove from pan.
- In the same pan add another Tablespoon of olive oil and heat over med-high heat. Add the green pepper and onion. Cook 4-5 minutes or until they are starting to get tender. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes and cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Add garlic and cook a minute longer.
-Add the chicken back in the skillet and mix well. Turn heat down to low.
-Prepare your tortillas by heating them up a bit (if you desire) in the microwave 15-20 seconds
or in a warm oven for 5-10 minutes.
-Add a heaping spoonful in the center of the tortilla and sprinkle on your favorite shredded cheese.
-Wrap up like a burrito and enjoy! Makes 6-8 wraps.

Another great add to these wraps is fresh flat leaf Italian parsley. It gives it such a fresh summery taste! Have fun and experiment with different spices and ingredients. It is fun to get the little ones in the kitchen and let them "design" their own. Our children are more likely to try something new and enjoy it if they had a hand in helping to make it.  Thanks for visiting!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca
Follow me on Pinterest
~Luvmybebebugs~

Copyright © 2013 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

New Mama Chicken Casserole

2 Sep

I love, love, love bringing a meal to a new mama. It is such a nice stress reducer for a new family to not have to worry about dinner or having to spend a lot of money eating out the first few days and I’ll admit I kinda like getting my newborn fix! Blessing someone with a homemade meal can be quick, easy and budget friendly! I love this recipe because it can easily be put together and even easier for the recipient to throw it in an oven and serve. This is also a recipe my family loves and it is so easy to personalize it and make it your own!  Keep reading for the printable recipe.

The stars of the show.
mix together the soups, the milk and 1 Cup of cheese. Set aside.
Shred or cut chicken into bite sized pieces.
Add your drained egg noodles to a large bowl.
To the noodles add 1/2 the sauce mixture, the chicken, 1/2 C of cheese, and the peas. Mix well. Add more of the sauce mixture until you get a nice creamy moist consistency. I used all but about 1/8 of a cup of the mixture.
Add to your disposable baking dish and top with the last of the cheese.I brought this dish to the family unbaked so they could eat when they were ready. .
Have fun with this recipe! You can add potato chips on top to make a crunchy crust.  Try using mixed medley of vegetables or use leftover turkey instead of chicken.  I hope you enjoy this simple but yummy recipe. Thanks for stopping by!
 ~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca
Follow me on Pinterest

Copyright © 2013 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

Strawberry Cheesecake Salad

15 Aug

There is something about the words strawberry and cheesecake that just makes my day. So imagine my delight on a recent Pinterest pin-fest that I came across this little gem. So in my usual fashion I decided to make my sweet and sometimes brave family guinea pigs once again. If you are interested in this recipe keep on reading.

This and love is all you need.
Add the yogurt, cool whip, and pudding mix into a bowl and mix well. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
If you made it the whole hour-pat yourself on the back. Add all sliced strawberries, bananas, and marshmallows. Mix well.
Just for the sake of “science” I dished two little scoops on the plate. Portion 1-NO crushed graham crackers. Portion 2-With crushed graham crackers. So what’s the verdict?……..
  Two enthusiastic on camera thumbs up and three off camera thumbs up.   No graham crackers was the winner.

We really enjoyed it and it couldn’t of been easier!  It is best when served fresh . If you would like a little crunch-go ahead and get wild and add some crushed graham crackers on top.

Recipe:

12 oz whipped topping (Cool Whip)

3.4 oz box cheesecake flavored pudding ( don’t add the milk)

3-6 oz strawberry yogurt

1 lb fresh strawberries, sliced

3 bananas, sliced (do this right before serving to prevent browning)

Miniature marshmallows (I used 1/2 the bag)

Thaw whipped topping if frozen.  In a large bowl stir together whipped topping, yogurts, and pudding powder. Place in the refrigerator for at least an hour.   Wash and slice strawberries.  Before serving add strawberries, bananas, and marshmallows.  Add crushed graham crackers on top if desired.

Follow me on Pinterest. You know you wanna!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

Copyright © 2013 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

Fix it and Forget it Pork Chop Bake

30 Jul

It’s true…making homemade scalloped potatoes is not scary-in fact it is almost fool proof (trust me). This recipe was born out of my love for the potatoes but not of the strange looking dehydrated like potatoes you can buy in the box. This is a fix it a forget it meal. So versatile and you can easily add in extra ingredients and flavors to fit your likes. I will share the basic recipe and from there have fun making it your own!

Ingredients needed to get started.
First step add1-2 bouillon cube (s) to 1 3/4 C water and bring to a boil and remove from heat.
You want the bouillon cube to dissolve. Or go ahead and use equivalent already prepared stock (14 oz.)
In a large skillet  heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil over med-high heat.
Season your chops with salt and pepper.
Add pork chops to pan and brown both sides-3-4 minutes per side.
While chops are frying prep your potatoes.
Nice and golden on both sides.
Add your sliced onions to the same pan. Let the onions cook in the drippings
Remove onions from pan.
Melt 2 Tbsp butter in hot pan.
Add the flour and whisk to make a roux.
Add in the chicken broth and cream of chicken soup( and optional cheese.and any other veggie add ins).Add the onions back in and turn heat to low.
Butter a 13×9 (or whatever works for you) casserole dish. And arrange
potatoes in an overlapping stacking pattern (yes, it is OK to arrange the potatoes in 2 layers-
it will still cook evenly and thoroughly).
Pour sauce over potatoes-no need to mix.
Lay pork chops on top of potatoes. No need to press them down.
Cover with foil and bake in a 350 oven for 65-75 minutes or for extra tender chops bake in
a 300 degree oven for 2-2 1/2 hours.
Ta-Da! Remove foil and let sit for 10 minutes to give the sauce a chance to thicken.

 

Click Here For Printable Recipe

See-easy 🙂  You can also make this ahead of time and stick it in your fridge until you are ready to cook. Just remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking to allow the pork chop bake to come to room temperature (ensures even cooking time and keeps meat from being tough).
Try adding sauteed mushrooms, different cream soups such as cream of mushroom or cream of celery, or our favorite green beans. Season with your favorite herbs and spices to give it even more flavor.  Try adding some grated cheese to the sauce-makes the dish even more decadent! This is also an easy meal to put together to bring to a sick friend or a family with a new baby.
~ Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca
Come find me on Pinterest!
rhm

Copyright © 2013 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

These Muffins are Bananas!

24 Jul

Let me tell you, I fail miserably at banana bread.  Burnt on the bottom, raw in the middle, deflated..I am not kidding! If there was a way to ruin it, I would. I have been on a mission to find the right combination of ingredients to yield a moist flavorful banana bread that cooks evenly throughout.  After a lot of trial and error…. I got to mixing and……..Houston, we got ourselves a winner;) I am really excited to share this simple yet delicious recipe for chocolate chip banana muffins. Let’s get baking!

You will need:
To preheat your oven to 400 degrees
3 very ripe bananas-1/2 C vegetable oil- 1/2 C sugar- 2 eggs-
1 tsp. vanilla-1 tsp baking powder-1/2 tsp baking soda-1/2 tsp salt-
1/2 tsp cinnamon-1 2/3 C all purpose flour-3/4 C chocolate chips-
cupcake pan-12 cupcake liners
Start off by adding 2-3 heaping Tablespoons of your already
measured out flour and add them to the chocolate chips. Why?The flour coats the chocolate chips and keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the batter.

 

Peel your 3 ripe bananas and with a fork mash them down well.
It is OK for there to still be lumps in the bananas

 

Add the oil and the eggs to the mashed bananas and give it a quick whisk.
Next, add the vanilla extract and sugar and whisk well to combine.
Add in the baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and give it another whisk.
Whisk in the flour. Lastly gently fold in the chocolate chips.
Fill your cupcake liners with the muffin batter. If you use a 1/4 C
measuring cup you will get exactly 12 muffins. This is the first muffin
recipe that has ever worked out like that for me! YAY!
Bake 15-18 minutes at 400 degrees. Because ovens vary I would
check at about the 15 minute mark to see if they are cooked through.
If not continue to check at 2 minute intervals to be sure they don’t
over bake. They are finished when a toothpick inserted into the center of
the muffin comes out clean with no crumbs or batter stuck to it.
Remove from oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes before you bite into
these delicious muffins.
Recipe
3 very ripe bananas
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 2/3 C all purpose flour
3/4 C chocolate chips
12 cupcake liners
cupcake pan
and a sprinkle of love
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line your cupcake pan with the liners.
Add 2-3 heaping Tablespoons of your measured flour into the chocolate chips and mix well to coat the chips.
Peel bananas and mash well with a fork. Add oil and eggs to the banana mixture and whisk together.
Next, add vanilla extract and sugar and whisk to combine.
Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon: whisk well.
Add the all purpose flour and whisk well. Fold in the chocolate chips.
With a 1/4 C measuring cup start filling the liners with your batter (Remember, using a 1/4 C measuring cup will give you exactly 12 muffins).
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean. Cool 15-20 minutes and enjoy!
Makes 12 muffins
These muffins turned out moist and flavorful just as I had hoped. The balance of flavors is perfect. As always you can personalize this recipe to reflect the likes of you and your family. The muffins would also be delicious with some chopped walnuts mixed in the batter.
 
I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as my family did! Thanks for taking the time to stop by!
~ Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca

Copyright © 2013 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

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