Easy Appetizers - Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

My mom taught me how to make this easy appetizer.  The name sounds horrible, but it's terribly addicting!

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

8 oz cream cheese, softened

½  c butter, softened

¼ t vanilla extract

¾ c confectioner’s sugar

2 T brown sugar

¾ c miniature semisweet chocolate chips

¾ c finely chopped pecans

cinnamon graham crackers

1.      In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla ‘til fluffy.  Gradually add sugars; beat just until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.

2.      Place mixture on a large piece of plastic wrap; shape into a ball.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

3.      Just before serving, roll cheese ball in pecans.  Serve with graham crackers.

 

Buttery Bread Machine Rolls

We made these for dinner tonight.  They were sooooo yummy!  They taste like Sister Shubert rolls, but they were much bigger.  Totally dangerous!

 

(Courtesy of Recipezaar.com)

1 cup warm milk (70 to 80 degrees F.)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

In bread machine pan, put all ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting. When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. 4. Divide dough into 24 portions. Shape dough into balls. Place in a greased 13 inch by 9 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes. Bake 12-15 minutes at 350.

 

Book Review: The 5 Money Personalities

This book is an easy conversational read.  It describes the 5 money personalities and gives you stories/tools to determine yours and your spouses.  They talk about the opposite dynamic - what happens when your secondary money personality kocks in and how you can balance your personal approach to money.  They talk about how money personalities blend and clash in marriages and how to work together on a financial plan.

It is full of practical stories and practical advice.  It is a great read for couples - dating, engaged, or hitting their fiftieth anniversary.  It's a great resource for counselors and pastors to have on hand.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers, in exchange for my honest review.

Easy Appetizers - Nuts and bolts

My mom makes this recipe during the holiday season.  We love it!  It takes a long time to bake, but it's really just taking time to stir it in the oven every 15 minutes.  Other than that, it's very easy!

Nuts and bolts

2 sticks butter or margarine

9t (3T) worcestershire sauce

3/4 +1/8 t garlic powder

3 c rice chex

3 c corn chex

4 c stick pretzels

3 c cheerios

cashews, mixed nuts or peanuts--a cup maybe.  whatever looks good

Bake at 250 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  I stir every 15-20 minutes and when the 2 hours is up, I may turn the oven off an dleave it in there.

God's Sovereignty - What a Blessing!

“What will befall us today, O God, we know not; we only know that nothing will happen which thou hast not forseen, determined, desired, ordered” Princess Elizabeth of France

God holds more power than we could ever imagine and He lovingly ordains our every footstep.  How great it is to know that he controls both the blessings and the pains in our lives…carefully chosen to mold us into the women he wants us to become.  As we praise Him for the work in our lives and ponder on His amazing sovereignty, peace will fill the very corners of our hearts.

"Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”  (Jeremiah 32:17)  “What a friend!  What a Savior!  What a blessing to have you molding and guiding our lives each day!”

Easy Appetizers - Southwestern Bean Dip

 

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law shared this recipe with us a few years ago.  It's super easy & super yummy!

 

Southwestern Bean Dip

 

1 lb. hamburger, browned/drained

1 16-oz. can refried beans

1 7-oz. bottle, green taco sauce

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1/2 pint sour cream

shredded cheese (enough to cover)

Mix hamburger, seasoning, and refried beans together

Separately, mix 2/3 bottle green taco sauce with sour cream

In pan (9x13 or 8x8 or whatever), layer the hamburger/bean mix first, then the sour cream mix

Sprinkle cheese over top to your liking

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes

Book Review: Bold as Love by Bob Roberts, Jr.

This is a good book about a Christian's calling to love people of other religions.  It's full of practical ideas for initiating, deepening, and sustaining multifaith relationships.

I appreciated his words about relational evangelism, with the emphasis being on relationships and sharing life, NOT simply conversion.

I also liked his challenge to love boldly, knowing that God's presence will strengthen and sustain us, even when we are afraid.

The serving others chapter has great wisdom for groups seeking to do social justice work.

It's an easy read for pastors, lay leaders and everyday people who want to bridge cultural gaps in a gospel-centered way.  This book is particularly relevant to people who live in urban areas, where people of multiple religous groups abide.

Disclosure: I received this book from Handlebar Marketing, in exchange for my honest review of the book.

Easy Appetizers - Artichoke Dip

shared by my friend Ed Dorris

Serves 8-12 people

2 cans of artichoke hearts

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 ½  cups hellman’s mayonnaise

1 ½ cups of Parmesan cheese, shredded

 

Chop or dice artichoke hearts. Combine all ingredients in a mixer

Until smooth. Place in one quart baking dish.

 Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Serve with melba toast slices

 

Enjoy!

 

Book Review: Twelve Unlikely Heroes by John MacArthur

I really enjoyed reading John MacArthur’s newest book, Twelve Unlikely Heroes.   I learned a lot about the historical context around his main characters.  I learned about the intense struggles that these men and women had – and I learned how God used them in spite of their weaknesses.   I used the book as my quiet devotional time for several weeks, and felt richly inspired by the way God used it to teach my mind and challenge my heart.  It is encouraging to be reminded that God can use me despite my flaws too.  I hope you will be equally encouraged by the read!  I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers, in exchange for my honest review.

 

In You Alone
“In You alone is where I find my comfort.
In You alone; You’re my only hope.
In You alone my heart has found a resting place.
In You alone, in You alone.
In You alone is promise I can cling to.
In You alone; You’re my security.
In You alone my soul has found a dwelling place.
Only in You alone.”
Kim Hill and Judie Lawson

Book Review - No Safe Harbor by Elizabeth Ludwig

No Safe Harbor by Elizabeth Ludwig

Description from amazon’s website – “The Thrill of Romantic Suspense Meets the Romance of 1800s America.  Lured by a handful of scribbled words across a faded letter, Cara Hamilton sets off from 1896 Ireland on a quest to find the brother she'd thought dead. Her search lands her in America, amidst a houseful of strangers and one man who claims to be a friend--Rourke Walsh.  Despite her brother's warning, Cara decides to trust Rourke and reveals the truth about her purpose in America. But he is not who he claims to be, and as rumors begin to circulate about an underground group of dangerous revolutionaries, Cara's desperation grows. Her questions lead her ever closer to her brother, but they also bring her closer to destruction as Rourke's true intentions come to light.”

I found it quite easy to lose myself in this historical fiction tale.  Ludwig does a good job with her character development, and I enjoyed the suspense with the surprising twists and turns.  I haven’t read much from this time period, so I enjoyed imaging the culture of early days in America.  I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

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When Does a Boy Become a Man?

I just read this article, and thought you might also enjoy it.  It's a great resource to help guide us as we train up our boys to become men.  Read through it, and evaluate where you are training well already, and where you need to do some additional training.  Pray over your boys in these 13 areas.  And make the list your own by adding other characteristics you see in Scripture and in the godly men around you.

When does a Boy Become a Man
 

 

1. SPIRITUAL MATURITY SUFFICIENT TO LEAD A WIFE AND CHILDREN.

2. PERSONAL MATURITY SUFFICIENT TO BE A RESPONSIBLE HUSBAND AND FATHER.

3. ECONOMIC MATURITY SUFFICIENT TO HOLD AN ADULT JOB AND HANDLE MONEY..

4. PHYSICAL MATURITY SUFFICIENT TO WORK AND PROTECT A FAMILY.

5. SEXUAL MATURITY SUFFICIENT TO MARRY AND FULFILL GOD'S PURPOSES.

6. MORAL MATURITY SUFFICIENT TO LEAD AS EXAMPLE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

7. ETHICAL MATURITY SUFFICIENT TO MAKE RESPONSIBLE DECISIONS.

8. WORLDVIEW MATURITY SUFFICIENT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

9. RELATIONAL MATURITY SUFFICIENT TO UNDERSTAND AND RESPECT OTHERS.

10. SOCIAL MATURITY SUFFICIENT TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY.

11. VERBAL MATURITY SUFFICIENT TO COMMUNICATE AND ARTICULATE AS A MAN.

12. CHARACTER MATURITY SUFFICIENT TO DEMONSTRATE COURAGE UNDER FIRE.

13. BIBLICAL MATURITY SUFFICIENT TO LEAD AT SOME LEVEL IN THE CHURCH.

Read the whole article here.