Nectar

 

Sometimes it's not about food for us, this is the time of year for our little feathered friends to make their way back.  Make sure you have a clean hummingbird feeder and fill it with nectar.  Here's an easy homemade recipe.

• ¼ cup white sugar
• 1 cup boiling water

Mix sugar and boiling water together until sugar is dissolved. Cool the mixture, then fill feeder. Refrigerate leftovers.  

Your feathered friends will thank you

This is part of the A-Z blogging challenge.  Don’t forget to visit some of the other bloggers in the challenge and also check out Crackerberries 

Granny Smith Peanut Butter Bars

2 Granny Smith apples(I'm sure any kind of apple is fine), grated/shredded (2 cups) 

1¼ cups rolled oats

2 eggs, beaten

¼ cup wheat germ

1 cup instant nonfat dry milk

¼ tsp. salt

2 tbsp. honey

¾ cup honey roasted peanut butter

Cooking oil spray

Preheat oven 375º

Combine all ingredients except the cooking spray in a medium and mix well.

Line an 8x11 inch baking dish with parchment paper and spray with cooking oil.

Spread bar mixture evenly into pan.

Bake 15-20 minutes.

Remove from oven and score bars, once completely cooled, cut all the way through.

Wrap bars individually and refrigerate leftovers, or freeze.

*These could be dolled up a little by adding raisins or maybe some chocolate chips.  They were not sweet enough for my tooth.  Tall Cool 😎ne says things that are good for you don't taste all that good.  These are definitely good for you. 😏

Enjoy ♥                            

This is part of the A-Z blogging challenge.  Don’t forget to visit some of the other 214 (so far- one more day to join) bloggers in the challenge and also check out Crackerberries!

 

Chili

 

BEANS:

16 oz. dry red kidney beans

½ cup sugar

½ ketchup

¼ cup molasses

2 tsp. dry mustard

½ cup chopped onion

¼ lb. salt pork

Salt and pepper.

Soak beans overnight, drain, rinse, and put in crock pot with just enough water to cover.  Add ingredients and cook on high for 3 hours (DO NOT TAKE COVER OFF DURING THIS COOKING TIME)  Turn down to low and cook 5-6 more hours.

CHILI

1¼ lb. chopped steak, (leftovers from Tall Cool ☺ne's grilling)

1 pkg. hot sausage links, removed from casing

1 qt. stewed tomatoes (from last year's garden)

1 can tomato paste

1 onion, chopped

2 tbsp. minced garlic

4 tbsp. chili powder

1-2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. basil

2 tbsp. paprika

Cook sausage and drain off grease. Add all other ingredients and let simmer for about 1½-2 hours.

The thing I like about chili is no matter how many times I make it, it always seems to get better.  Even when I follow my favorite recipe, I add something or change something and it always gets better. Recipes are like that.  They can always be improved upon.  

Do you have a favorite chili recipe?  Do share with me.

This is part of the A-Z blogging challenge.  Be sure to visit other players and don't forget to check out Crackerberries.

Enjoy!

Spirit Feeding • Flesh Starving † Theme Reveal

 

 

This year’s blog came way too fast. As every year I had all intentions of having my posts done and ready to go so that I have more time to visit other people’s blogs. OMG I’m such a procrastinator.

This is my tenth year participating in the A2Z Challenge. It’s so much fun. Hooking up with fellow bloggers is like a family reunion. I started this post on Valentine’s Day. I figured if I started then and wrote one post a day I’d have all of my posts completed by the time Theme Reveal came out and I could just enjoy reading others posts. Well, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Which brings me to my theme.

Similar to last year I will be in tandem with Crackerberries posting a blurb there and a recipe here.  When I first went to Culinary Arts back in the 80’s I learned to cook for institutions.  BIG! When I got married and had children and we always had a ton of family around so the cooking continued to be BIG!

Like the theme for the A-Z team, this year, Crackeberries Kitchen will be blogging about hope and positivity by starving the flesh. (Learning to cook for two instead of an army!)  

Tall Cool ☺ne and I have walked thousands of miles over the last 18 years.  I’ve shared some posts about it in the past on Joe & Ella’s blog.  We all need that encouragement to be better stewards of our bodies.  We committed to calorie counting again at the beginning of the year.  Unlike anyone else, starting a resolution is easy, sticking to it, not so much. The struggle is real, my friend, the struggle is real.

My friend, Beck asked me if I had any suggestions on how to cook for one or two. I never really gave it a thought until now.  So here's the challenge! Cooking for two and trust me when I say it's going to be a challenge.  Hope you’ll join me in the A2Z blogging challenge.

Cheers,

Reflections on Feeding the Flock 23

Another A-Z challenge completed. This is something I’ve been doing since 2015. I actually dabbled in it in 2014 but was not very successful.  It disciplines me to actually take the time to write. I always have full intentions of continuing to write throughout the year, but life seems to get in the way.  We all have priorities and each one takes a different precedence over someone else’s concerns. What is important to me is probably not important to you. My cousin Eric writes a newsletter every month about rocks.  For the life of me I don’t know what is so special about rocks? click here if you really want to know., But he loves it. I applaud him for all the work he puts into that newsletter every month, even though I don't understand most of what I read.

I enjoy this challenge very much. Every year I get to reconnect with the fellow blogger’s I’ve met over the years.  Every once in awhile I'll make a few new friends.  It’s like a family reunion online.

This year I stretched myself too far. My theme this year had to do with The Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all the nations…” FEEDING THE FLOCK 23 was my theme. Check out W-WAKE UP.  That’s where my theme idea originated.

I took on more than I should have by opting in to do both blogs. I learned a lot throughout this challenge.  I didn’t think I was going to be able to finish. I lost my stepdad on Earth Day and I still had seven days (14 posts) to go.  How was I going to function and go to work and post a blog each day? Do you know what God said to me?”…O you of little faith.” If GOD leads you to it, He will see you through it. (praise Lord!)

I was successful at posting to both blogs for every letter. I did slack at visiting others and I apologize for that.  I do want to say thank you to those who visited me. Kristin was consistent at leaving a comment on every recipe I posted. ☺ Little comments mean a great deal in bloggy world.

At this time, I don’t have any suggestions about improving the challenge.  I liked the graphics and KUDOS to whoever took the time to do them this year.  If anyone who is reading this post is interested in volunteering to get your talent out there…click here

 

Here are the links for each of the posts this year… the food was supposed to go with the devotion but somehow I meandered and got lost along the way.  It happens.  Hope to see you all next year. And you never know, I might come up with a post here and there.  Stay tuned.

 

DEVOTION

Anxiety, Allergies and Arthritis

Blessing Blitz

Cat Kisses

Dazbar’s Run

Embrace the Smooch

Friendship

Ground Meat

Halfway

Interpretation

Jake’s Cake

KISS: Keep it Simple Stupid

Letter Writing

Mason Jars

No Darkness

Old Pine Tree

Paper Cuts = Perilous Days

Quite Life

Raccoons

Step in Time

Today is the Day

User Friendly vs. Uncomfortable  

Victory

Wake UP!

X-Ray Vision

Yankees are Allowed

Zombie Apocalypse

THE FOOD

Asian Broccoli Salad

Banana Bread

Cookies

Diet Soup

Enchilada Chicken Dip

Fig Coffee Cake

Grits Casserole

Hushpuppy Griddle Cakes

Irish Sourdough Soda Bread

Jerking the Chicken

Jalapeño Muffins

Jalapeño Artichoke Spread

Kartoffelkloesse

Lemon Cake

Meal Magnificient

Naughty Sourdough Bread

Open-Faced Omelet

Penguins

Potato Sausage Casserole

Quick & Easy Pork Loin

Rosemary Lemon Cookies

Sourdough Starter

Tangerine Salad

Unleavened Bread

Veggie Pork Stir-Fry

Waffles

Xtreme Chicken

Yuppy Brownies

Zymurgy Biscuits 

Zymurgy Biscuits - Feeding the Flock 23

 

Zymurgy is technically referred to in beer making and wine fermentation.  But since I decided to use my beer sourdough starter, I figured it could work for the name of my new biscuit creation.

½ cup beer sourdough starter

¾ cup almond milk (only because I was out of regular)

½ cup jalapeño pimento cheese (I cheated and used store bought —didn't make my own)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. sugar

1 stick butter

¼ cup Crisco

Place dry ingredients in a bowl, mix to combine and then cut in the butter and the Crisco to make small round pea shaped crumbs.

Combine sourdough starter, milk and pimento cheese in another bowl and mix until well combined.  Pour into the dry bowl and mix.  Dough will be sticky.

Use an ice cream scoop and drop in globs onto ungreased cookie sheet.  I made 20 but you could make them bigger if you wanted to.

Bake in 450º oven for 11-14 minutes. 

Enjoy

Find out about the ZOMBIES in the writing studio.

Yuppy Brownies- Feeding the Flock 23

 

Preheat oven 350º

1 box supreme chocolate chunk brownie mix (prepared the way the box says: 1 egg, 1/3 cup vegetable oil and ¼ cup water)

1/3 cup trail mix (I used Great Value Indulgent Deluxe)

1 cup mini marshmallows

½ cup coconut

Mix all ingredients together and spread into a lightly greased 9X9 cake pan.

Bake at 350º for 35 minutes.  Let cool, remove from pan, slice.

Enjoy,

Find out if Yankees are allowed over in the writing studio.

X-treme Chicken - Feeding the Flock 23

2-3 chicken leg quarters (preferably thawed but mine were partially frozen)

16 oz. Brussels sprouts (I used frozen that I got at IGA marked down for $1)

3-4 tbsp. XTREMELY hot hot sauce (we got this hot sauce from Palmetto State Armory...it is so HOT)

1-2 tbsp. olive oil

Kosher salt and pepper

This was so easy.  A wing ding of a meal and Tall Cool ☺ne loved it.  Even the  cat loved the chicken (he's a junk food junky and eats everything cuz he thinks he's a dog).

Preheat oven 350º

Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Salt and pepper both sides.  Place on baking sheet.  Spread hot sauce over the chicken generously.  Bake for 1 hour.  Remove from oven and drain off greasy liquid.  Spread Brussel sprouts around the chicken and drizzle them with olive oil and a little pinch of Kosher salt.  Feel free to add more hot sauce to the chicken if you like it XTRA XTREMELY hot. 

Bake another 20-30 minutes and remove from oven.  Place aluminum foil over to keep warm until ready to serve.  It's best if it sits at least 15 minutes after removing from oven to incorporate all of the flavors.  With the olive oil and hot sauce, the Brussel sprouts did not need any other seasoning.

Enjoy.

Check out my X-Ray Vision over at Crackerberries

Waffles - Feeding the Flock 23

 

WAFFLE BATTER

1 cup beer sourdough starter

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

2 tbsp. baking powder

1/3 cup melted butter

2½ cups all-purpose flour

FILLING

4 oz. Jimmy Dean sausage cooked according to package instructions

2 eggs

2 tbsp. roasted red pepper cream cheese

Prepare the waffle batter.  Cook the sausage and then scramble in the eggs and cream cheese.  Place ½ cup batter in waffle maker, top with ¼ cup of egg mixture, then cover with ¼ cup more batter.  Close waffle maker and cook 8 minutes.

Using a PowerXL Stuffed Wafflizer

Makes 4 waffles.

Don't forget to find out about WAKING UP to smell the COFFEE!

Veggie (GREEN) Pork Stir-Fry - Feeding the Flock 23

14 oz. (just under 1 lb.) pork tenderloin, cubed

¼ cup flour

1½ tsp. salt

Canola cooking oil 

1 cup veggie stock

2½ cups broccoli florets

1 green pepper, chopped (I should have used red to add more color)

1 onion, peeled, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

½ cup soy sauce

2 tbsp. rice vinegar

Place the flour and salt in zip lock bag.  Add pork to the bag and shake to coat well.

In large skillet or WOK, add 2-3 tbsp. cooking oil and heat.  Add pork and cook until golden brown, stirring often. Remove pork and add more oil if needed.  Add the celery and onions and stir fry for about 2 minutes.  Add pepper and broccoli.  Stir fry a few more minutes. Add the pork, soy sauce, rice vinegar and veggie stock and cover to simmer about 5 minutes over medium to high heat.  Remove cover, stir until sauce thickens to desired consistency.

Enjoy,

  
 

Find out how to have VICTORY.

Unleavened Bread - Feeding the Flock 23

 

If you have been following a long,  you know I have been trying to come up with recipes for the sourdough starter that my friend gave me at Christmas time.  All of the recipes I could find have all included YEAST in the recipe.  Of course I've been working mine in the bread machine (because it's faster and easier). Any hoot, I did not use any yeast in these two loaves. 

SUNFLOWER SEED BREAD                                        BASIC UNLEAVENED

½ cup beer sourdough starter                                              ½ cup sourdough starter 

½ cup buttermilk                                                                 ½ cup buttermilk   

2 tbsp. grapeseed oil                                                            2 tbsp. melted butter

¼ cup brown sugar                                                              1½ tsp honey

2 cups all-purpose flour                                                       3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour                                                      1½ tsp. salt

2 tbsp. slivered almonds

¼ cup raw sunflower seeds

1½ tsp. salt

Place ingredients in bread machine in order listed. (Note there are two different loaves of bread there).  Set for the dough cycle.  Once cycle stops, remove from bread machine, create loaf and let rise 45-60 minutes.  (It will not rise much...it's unleavened).  Bake in 375º oven for 30-35 minutes.  This is a very dense bread.  I thought it was going out to the offering corner (where the wild animals feed), but I tried it as toast, and it makes really good toast.   Not one of my best recipes, but I couldn't find the Unicorn Kibbles that I wanted to make.

Enjoy,

Are you user-friendly or uncomfortable?

Tangerine Salad - Feeding the Flock 23

 

3 tangerines, peel and separated

1 apple, chopped

¾ cup vanilla yogurt

2 tbsp. cinnamon honey

1 tbsp. coconut

1 tbsp. dried cranberries

¼ tsp. poppy seed

Add the apple and tangerines in a bowl together. 

Combine the yogurt, honey and poppy seed and mix until smooth and the consistency of dressing.  

Pour over the fruit and mix.  

Sprinkle with coconut and cranberries.  

2 servings

Enjoy,

Read about what TODAY is.

Sourdough Starter - Feeding the Flock 23

 

BEER SOURDOUGH STARTER

1 cup Sam Adams Alpine lager

¾ cup all-purpose flour

2 tbsp. rice flour 

1 tbsp. whole wheat flour

Open bottle of beer 24 hours in advance of making dough and let it go flat.

Mix dry ingredients together.  Add beer and stir well to combine.

Cover with cheesecloth and then plastic wrap.  Let stand 24-48 hours, stirring every 12 hours. After the 48 hours, either refrigerate or feed.

It will be bubbly and smell strongly fermented.

You can find out how to "feed" and maintain your sourdough starter here.

I do not have the recipe for the white sourdough starter because it was given to me.  The recipes that I have found use a commercial dry sourdough starter (there must be a better way)!

I'm going to use my beer starter for the first time today.

Enjoy.

Don't forget to check out what's going on over at the Step in Time.

Rosemary Lemon Cookies - Feeding the Flock 23

½ cup butter flavored Crisco
1¼ cup sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. fresh lemon balm leaves
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves

Preheat oven to 375°.

Mince the lemon balm and rosemary leaves.

Cream together Crisco and sugar and beat until fluffy.  Add eggs, lemon juice and leaves and beat until well blended. 

Combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt, and mix well then add to creamed mixture and blend well.  Dough will be thick. 

Use a small ice cream scoop to drop on ungreased cookie sheets. 

Bake at 375º for 14 minutes.  YIELD: 4 dozen

YUM.

Check out the Raccoons

Lemon Cake - Feeding the Flock 23

 

1 cup al purpose flour

½ cup toasted chopped slivered almonds

¼ cup brown sugar

1 stick butter

1-15 oz. can crushed pineapple

2-3 oz. pkgs. lemon gelatin

1 cup boiling water

2 cups ice cubes

4 medium bananas, sliced

1 cup miniature marshmallows

½ cup sugar

2 tbsp. flour

2 eggs, beaten

1½ cups Cool Whip

1 cup coconut flakes (optional)

Drain pineapple, reserving the liquid.  In large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water.  Stir in ice cubes, stir until melted. Let chill in refrigerator while prepping other ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350º

Mix together 1 cup flour, brown sugar, and almonds in a bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Press into greased baking dish (13"x9") and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.

Combine pineapple juice and enough water to measure 1 cup.  In small sauce pan combine ½ cup sugar, 2 tbsp. flour and pineapple juice.  Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture becomes thick and bubbly. Reduce heat.  Stir a small amount of hot mixture into eggs and stir well.  Add back into sauce pan and stir and cook 2 minutes longer.  Remove from heat and cool.

Fold the bananas, marshmallows and pineapple into the chilled gelatin. Spoon over crust.  Refrigerate until firm (about 45 minutes).

Fold Cool Whip into pineapple mixture.  Spread over gelatin layer. Chill over night. Sprinkle with tinted coconut if desired. 

Okay so it's not really a cake, it's more like a lemon-nana-mallow-Jell-O treat.

Enjoy

Don't forget to check out the Letter Writing-devotional.

KartoffelKloesse - Feeding the Flock 23

 

6 small potatoes, peeled and halved

¼ tsp salt

1 egg 

¼-½ cup flour

¼ cup bread crumbs

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

½ cup butter

¼ cup chopped onion

2 tbsp. bread crumbs

(Optional- not German style) 

2 tbsp. bacon bits

¼ cup shredded cheddar

Boil potatoes about 20 minutes, drain, and mash, leaving them slightly lumpy.  Combine with salt, egg, flour, ¼ cup bread crumbs, and nutmeg.  Mix well and shape into small balls.  A small ice cream scoop works wonders.  If dough is too sticky, add a little more flour or bread crumbs.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Gently drop the dumplings into the water.   When they rise to the surface set the timer for 3 minutes and let them boil (uncovered) for 3 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon, place in serving dish and keep warm.

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat and add onions and the 2 tbsp. bread crumbs.  Cook, stirring often until the onions are tender and the sauce has thickened.

Pour sauce over dumplings and serve.

Add bacon bits and cheddar (optional) because they definitely need something to add a little flavor to them.  I also added some hot sauce and considered ketchup.

Enjoy,

Don't forget to check out the Kiss-devotional.