The Whole Foods Story of the Twelve Days of Cookies shared by A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

The Whole Story of Twelve Days of Cookies 
with Whole Foods


Most of you know Terry and I are almost exclusively Whole Foods shoppers, so I stay abreast on their websites to new recipes weekly. I was thrilled to see this feature.

Twelve Days of Cookies

by Kate Rowe, December 6th, 2011 CLICK HERE.

‘Tis the season for holiday baking! Whether you’re baking for a holiday cookie swap, crafting homemade gifts from the kitchen, making goodies for Santa or simply treating family and friends, here are 12 of our favorite cookies for the holidays. For seasonal baking tips, check out our holiday baking guide.



For health and strength and daily Bread,  We give you thanks, O Lord.

Check in tomorrow for another tasty treat.

Stacey Beth and Laurie

 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 –

Carrot Pineapple Salad from Whole Foods and Eat Right American share by A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Carrot Pineapple Salad

From   www.EatRightAmerica.com  and Whole Foods.

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
4 cups (440 g) grated carrots
1 1/2 cups (369 g) crushed pineapple, in own juice
3/4 cup (123 g) currants
1/2 cup (55 g) chopped pecans, reserving 1/4 cup
1/4 cup (20 g) unsweetened shredded coconut, reserving 2 tablespoons
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup (37 g) Goji berries (optional)
1 teaspoon date sugar (optional)
Instructions: Combine all ingredients. Sprinkle with reserved pecans and coconut.

I am thinking ahead for holiday cooking and staying healthy as I can with new recipes. This looked really yummy and I will be printing this one out and trying it this next week. We love carrots of course and I keep crushed pineapple in the pantry... always have raisins and cranberries which will substitute for the currents, but I have to buy some new pecans.  We keep walnuts and almonds only.
Seems simple enough! 
 

For health and strength and daily Bread,  We give you thanks, O Lord.

Check in tomorrow for another tasty treat.

Stacey Beth  and Laurie

 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 –

Pumpkin Chocolate Brownies from the kitchen of Whole Foods share by A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

We had left over Chili today... his had meat in it, mine was Vegan chili I made... and we had to have something sweet tonight, so I logged onto Whole Foods site and found this wonderful recipe. I had made Terry a pumpkin pie two days ago and split it between him and friends. He finished it off and was thinking of making another until I found this recipe.
They are very moist and perfect for our cooler fall weather. Terry says they are perfect to match up to his chili and is already on this third one. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Brownies 
from Whole Foods
 

 Serves 12

Chocolate cake gets a fall update with pumpkin and warm spices.

Ingredients

1/4 cup canola oil, plus more for greasing
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an (8-inch) square baking pan with oil and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, eggs, pumpkin and vanilla. Whisk flour mixture into pumpkin mixture until well combined then transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake until the cakes pulls away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Set aside to let cool then cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar, if you like.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 piece/79g-wt.): 180 calories (50 from fat), 6g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 35mg cholesterol, 160mg sodium, 29g total carbohydrate (3g dietary fiber, 18g sugar), 3g protein

For health and strength and daily Bread,  We give you thanks, O Lord.

Check in tomorrow for another tasty treat.

Stacey Beth and Laurie

 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 –

Whole Wheat Almond Butter Cookies from Whole Foods Recipes posted by A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Recipe from Whole Foods

Whole Wheat-Almond Butter Cookies

These are wonderful!  Just made a batch for Paul and Vicki.

Makes about 24 cookies

This easy cookie dough is rich and wonderfully flavorful. You can use it to make either simple hand-shaped round cookies, or roll it out and use cookie cutters or a small sharp knife to cut it into fun seasonal shapes.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2/3 cup almond butter
3/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons brown sugar, divided
1/4 cup So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk beverage or plain unsweetened almondmilk
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Use an electric mixer to beat together almond butter and 3/4 cup brown sugar until slightly fluffy. Beat in the coconut milk, followed by the ginger and vanilla. Turn the mixer to low speed and stir in the flour mixture just until combined. If you'd like to make round cookies you can bake them immediately. If you'd like to make rolled cookies, gather the dough into 2 balls, knead each once or twice, and flatten each into a disk; cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. For round cookies, use your hands to roll the dough into balls about the size of walnuts and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Use the back of a fork to press down and flatten the cookies slightly. For rolled cookies, on a lightly floured surface use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll one disk of the dough at a time until it is about 1/6-inch thick. (If the dough cracks, simply press it back together with your fingers.) Cut out shapes with cookie cutters or with a paring knife. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the baking sheets; reroll the scraps.

Sprinkle the top of each cookie with a pinch of the remaining 2 teaspoons brown sugar. Bake until just dried on top and lightly browned on the bottom, about 12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes and then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 cookie): 100 calories (35 from fat), 4g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 40mg sodium, 13g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 8g sugar), 2g protein

Tags: Portable and Picnic, Gifts, Family Friendly, American, Dairy Free, Low Sodium, Vegan, Vegetarian

For health and strength and daily Bread,  We give you thanks, O Lord.

Check in tomorrow for another tasty treat.

Stacey Beth and Laurie

 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 –

Chia Muffins Via Dr Oz Show shared by a Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Dr Oz Recipe for Chia Muffins

Chia Muffins

Chia seeds are the new superfood health experts are talking about. These nutrient-packed seeds have been shown to fight cancer and suppress appetite while providing mega amounts of calcium and omega-3s. How can you incorporate chia into your diet? This muffin recipe is a tasty and delicious way to get your dose.

Ingredients



1 tbsp ground chia seeds      

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sweet potato purée

1 cup unsweetened apple sauce 

2 egg whites

1/2 cup agave syrup

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions

Mix together wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients.

Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients.

Scoop into muffin tins and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350˚F. 

Okay, we had to go in search of agave syrup. It does not exist in Mount Vernon TX.
So I had to substitute and I looked online and we chose to use a bit of honey and some organic molasses I had. I could have used organic maple syrup.  I keep a large container of Chia seeds in my refrigerator and I shake it on almost anything coming out of the kitchen.

I also substituted Organic Pumpkin in place of Sweet potato puree.  I have sweet potatoes but did not want to cook them and puree them. Once we make a run into Dallas I will have some in my pantry as these were delicious.   You could substitute raisins for the dried cranberries or you might even use fresh blueberries. I had dried cranberries here to use.


These are only suppose to be under 150 calories per muffin.

 
For health and strength and daily Bread,  We give you thanks, O Lord.

Check in tomorrow for another tasty treat.

Stacey Beth and Laurie

 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 –

Egg Scramble from Eat Right America and Whole Foods posted by A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Egg and Vegetable Scramble

www.wholefoodswellnessclub.com

aka Eat Right America 

Serves: 1
Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 tablespoons unsweetened soy or almond milk (I use almond milk)
1/2 medium bell pepper, diced
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup (90 g) diced fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup (36 g) diced fresh mushrooms
Any other vegetables to your taste
1 tablespoon Dr. Fuhrman’s VegiZest or other no salt seasoning
1 teaspoon Spike or other no salt seasoning
4 ounces (113 g) organic spinach, coarsely chopped or baby spinach

Instructions: Beat eggs with soy milk. Water sauté* the peppers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, VegiZest, and Spike until vegetables are tender. Add spinach to wilt. Cook most water out of vegetables, then add eggs and scramble until cooked through.

*To water sauté: heat 1/8 cup (31 mL) water in sauté pan and add vegetables. Cook until tender, adding more water if needed.

This morning Terry and I had this recipe altered slightly and doubled to feed the two of us. We added some yellow summer squash and green zucchini diced up. Also good with a hand full of black beans. YUM!! We have been adding Chia on top of almost everything we fix. Dr Oz had a good program on Chia yesterday with a recipe for breakfast muffins. We will try it tomorrow.

For health and strength and daily Bread,  We give you thanks, O Lord.

Check in tomorrow for another tasty treat.

Stacey Beth and Laurie

 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 –

Whole Foods Wellness Club Banana Cashew Lettuce Wrap enjoyed by A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Terry was hungry late morning, so I just prepared this as a morning snack or energy booster.  He rolls the lettuce up and we use Crunch Almond Butter in place of the Cashew butter because that is all I had!

Banana Cashew Lettuce Wrap

www.WholeFoodsWellnessClub.com

Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons raw cashew butter
12 romaine lettuce leaves
2 bananas, thinly sliced

Instructions: Spread cashew butter on lettuce leaf (1 teaspoon per leaf). Lay banana slices on cashew butter and wrap lettuce around.

For health and strength and daily Bread,  We give you thanks, O Lord.

Check in tomorrow for another tasty treat.

Stacey Beth and Laurie

 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 –

Apple Surprise from Eat Right America posted by A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Terry and I had this for dessert this week and we loved it!

Featured Recipe: Apple Surprise

EATRIGHTAMERICA.com

 

Apple Surprise
Serves: 6 — Prep Time: 12 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup water
• 8 apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 4 tablespoons ground flax seeds
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

*THIS RECIPE KEEPS WELL IN THE REFRIGERATOR FOR SEVERAL DAYS.

DIRECTIONS

1. Place raisins in bottom of pot and cover with 1/4 cup water.
2. Place diced apples on top. Cover and steam over very low heat for 7 minutes.
3. Transfer apple/raisin mixture to a bowl and mix well with remaining ingredients.

One Serving Contains:

• CALORIES:  259.6
• PROTEIN:  7.3 g
• CARBOHYDRATE:  48.1g
• FAT: 8.8g
• SODIUM:  6.7mg

For health and strength and daily Bread,  We give you thanks, O Lord.

Check in tomorrow for another tasty treat.

Stacey Beth and Laurie

 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 –

Tilapia Tacos YUM by A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Tilapia Tacos

Can I say YUM???

Tilapia Tacos for Two or Three depending how many you eat.

2-3 Tilapia Filets

1/4 cup Olive oil

Sweet White Onion (1/2 of a large one diced)

Red Bell Pepper (1 diced)

Green Bell Pepper (1 diced)

1 can of black beans rinsed

Touch of fresh garlic to taste

Cumin to taste

Red Pepper to taste 

2/3 cup plain yogurt

1/3 cup Mayonnaise

1/2 Lemon squeezed

1/2 Tsp honey

1 large diced tomato

homemade guacamole

shredded lettuce

shredded cheese of choice

Tommy's Salsa our Preference  CLICK HERE to choose your favorite

or use what you have at home!

Your favorite Corn Tortillas or Flour Tortillas

Using the olive oil in the pan, saute the onion, peppers and garlic until slightly cooked. Add the rinsed black beans and cumin, red pepper and any additional spices you like.  (picture is missing the red peppers, Terry was still chopping them.)

As the veggies begin to soften, cut up the Tilapia into bite size chunks and add to the mixture stirring as it begins to brown slighly on the edges and cook through solid white.

Premix the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon and honey. This is your 'sauce'.

Heat up your tortillas and then fill them first with the hot Tilapia mixture. Follow through building your favorite taco using tomato, guacamole, lettuce cheese and the special sauce.  My hubby likes to add a touch of Tommy's salsa on top of everything.   Terry can pack away three or four of these as can our son-in-law.  I can only make one and maybe a half more.  

We eat them once a week.  A healthy alternative to beef tacos for sure.

For health and strength and daily Bread,  We give you thanks, O Lord.

Check in tomorrow for another tasty treat.

Stacey Beth and Laurie

 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 –

Portobello and Red Pepper Sandwiches from Eat Right America and Whole Foods prepared and eaten by A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Portobello and Red Pepper Sandwiches

from 

www.eatrightamerica.com

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
SANDWICH
1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
4 large Portobello mushrooms, stems removed
4 whole wheat pitas
2 cups (40 g) large arugula leaves
2 medium drained roasted red bell peppers, from jar, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) thick slices
TAHINI SPREAD
3/4 cup (187.5 mL) raw tahini (pureed sesame seeds)
1/2 cup (125 mL) water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dr. Fuhrman's VegiZest
1 teaspoon Bragg Liquid Aminos or low sodium soy sauce
1 large pitted medjool date, chopped or 2 deglet noor
1 small clove garlic, chopped

Instructions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange mushrooms and onions on baking sheet and roast until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make tahini spread by blending all spread ingredients together. When mushrooms/onions are done, split pitas in half horizontally and warm slightly. Spread generous amount of tahini spread on top half of split pita. Place 1/2 cup arugula on bottom half and then, 1 mushroom cap (pat dry with paper towels to absorb liquid), sliced onion and roasted red pepper.

Terry and I were debating lunch today.  I always consult my ERA cookbook or hop on line to find something good.  This is what we are eating! YUMMM I cannot wait. I have to substitute Romaine for the Arugula leaves and I do not use the Bragg Liquid Aminos as I cannot do SOY products.  I love how they incorporate dates in so many recipes so I keep them handy.  Tonight is Salmon and sweet potatoes. So lunch is light.

For health and strength and daily Bread,  We give you thanks, O Lord.

Check in tomorrow for another tasty treat.

Stacey Beth  and Laurie

 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 –

Easy Vegetable Pizza from Eat Right America shared by A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Easy Vegetable Pizza
Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
 

Ingredients:
4 large whole wheat pitas
2 cups (500 mL) pasta sauce, no or low salt
1/2 cup (35 g) chopped shiitake mushrooms
1/2 cup (80 g) chopped red onions
10 ounces (285 g) frozen broccoli florets, thawed and finely chopped
1 cup (113 g) shredded mozzarella soy cheese (Soya Kaas is a good one)
Instructions: Bake pitas in oven at 200 degrees for 15 minutes. Lay flat on baking tray and spoon on the pasta sauce. Sprinkle evenly with the mushrooms, onions, and broccoli and cover lightly with soy cheese. Bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes.

I cannot use soy so I use real cheese...but it is soo good.




For health and strength and daily Bread,  We give you thanks, O Lord.

Check in tomorrow for another tasty treat.

Stacey Beth and Laurie

 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 –

New Prescription for Life Recipe Vegetable Shish Kebabas

New Prescription for Life - Vegetable Shish Kebabs

I received an email from Whole Foods. They had decided to buy the site... www.eatrightamerica.com  and join it to their help for America to be more healthy. Most of you know I joined Eat Right America in January.

From their guidance, videos on healthy eating and their fabulous recipes, I have lost 20 lbs and my cholesterol has dropped almost 20 percent.  

The new site is now entitled....Whole Foods Wellness Club.    It is simply a subscription to better eating and better health.  

ON this blog I will be sharing some of the fabulous recipes as well as adaptations Stacey and Terry and I have made along the way.

This is the Day that the Lord hath made...let us Eat Right America...and give Thanks to Him.

Vegetarian Shish Kebabs

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups (390 g) brown rice, cooked (optional)
MARINADE
1/4 cup (63 mL) pineapple juice
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup (63 mL) Dr. Fuhrman's Riesling Raisin Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Bragg Liquid Aminos
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
VEGETABLES
1 large red pepper, cut in large pieces
1 large green pepper, cut in large pieces
1 medium onion, cut in large wedges
10 large grape tomatoes
1 large yellow squash, sliced in 1-inch (2.5 cm) slices
1 large zucchini, slilced into 1-inch (2.5 cm) slices
1 cup (165 g) fresh pineapple chunks

Instructions: If using brown rice, cook according to package directions. Whisk marinade ingredients thoroughly. Place vegetables in a large ziplock bag and pour marinade over vegetables. Close bag and allow to marinade, in refrigerator overnight, or at least 4 hours. Thread vegetables alternately onto skewers and grill at low temperature. Turn skewers when first side is done. Brush on any additional marinade while grilling. May be served over a bed of brown rice.

Note: The longer this marinates the better the flavor!

For health and strength and daily Bread,  We give you thanks, O Lord.

Check in tomorrow for another tasty recipe.

                                   Stacey Beth and Laurie 

 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 –

CHANGE OF LIFESTYLE... Eating healthy, join EatRightAmerica.com

Life is Just Plain Sweet!

It was last January that Terry and I changed our lives.  There is no bread in our house. There are no cookies in our house. We do keep saltine crackers for emergencies...but we changed our diet.

We cleaned out the cabinets and pantry.  We cleaned out the refrigerator.  He did keep ice cream in the freezer and I put in lots of frozen blueberries.   

It was an email from Whole Foods.  I was invited to join www.EatRightAmerica.com   I did it because I love joining things and filling out forms and there were definitely a lot of those.  They wanted to know everything off my last blood work and they wanted to know what I had been eating.  I decided honesty was the best policy and I took two hours and filled it all out.  The next few days I watched a small 3 to 4 min video here and there and I learned a bunch.

We eat till we are full, but we eat correctly.  The pyramid is different.  Raw veggies and salads are on the top and you can have as much as you want. Next would be nuts and whole grains and lastly was chicken, beef, pasta etc.  Milk was not a good thing... actually dairy...but we kept our 1/4 cup of plain yogurt each day.

I like taking the yogurt and adding my Fish oil (lemon flavored) to it and shaking in my vitamin D Drops.  We cut up a banana between us and a 1/4 cup of walnuts and wow... it is the best.

If you want to try this journey...first give up sweet things and white breads and white pasta.  Make that your goal for about two to three weeks.

One recipe we changed up a bit that we love:

 1 large avocado

1 can drained and rinsed black beans or pinto beans

1/2 cup of your favorite salsa

1/4 cup chopped fresh onion

Dash of Cilantro

You mash all this up together. I use my pastry masher... and enjoy. If you do not finish it all, place plastic on it over the surface and freeze it. You can defrost it the next day to finish it off.  We love to wrap it in lettuce leaves. You will be full!

For health and strength and daily Bread,  We give you thanks, O Lord.

Laurie Pace

 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 –

Just Plain Sweet Pantry Clean Out Day from the kitchen of Stacey Beth

Let it ice, let it freeze and then let it snow! We had a major ice storm come through and freezing temperatures for 4 days along with a lot of snow. We are in the south and this is just not something that we are fully ever prepared for. So I was limited on baking last week and also entertaining an almost two year old who could not go outside and burn energy made for an exhausting week. We were VERY blessed that we did not lose power (with the 15 minute exception on the rolling blackout) and only lost gas heat for about 8 hours.

A project that I decided to take on was to clean out our pantry, refrigerator & freezer. Here in North Texas, 1 in 3 children do not have enough to eat on a daily basis. It is very humbling to me. I could not imagine not being able to feed my child.

The picture below is one of the several tubs that will be dropped off at the food bank. Our local food bank takes frozen and refrigerated items too. Sometimes it is hard to decide what to donate. I think oh we will use it one day. Sadly that one day never comes so this time I decided to donated everything that I had that thought on. I would rather know that it actually feeds someone than sits in my pantry and expires.

When you think of your local food pantry you think of donating food. There is so much more that they need. They need personal items like deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, shampoos and soaps. Our local Food Pantry is also in desperate need of feminine products. Another thing is baby food, formula and diapers.

My husband looked at our cleaned out, organized pantry and said that it met his standards of organization (in high school he stocked shelves at a grocery store and constantly is rearranging things I put in the pantry).......wheew....I guess I did a good job!

My challenge to everyone is to go through your pantry and make a donation. No donation is to small. Also if you get a local paper get the coupons out of it and clip them. There are numerous websites (that are free) that will tell you where the best place and time to match up your coupon. A lot of items end up being FREE or very little cost. You might not use these items, but someone else will. If you would like a list of websites that I use to help me match up mine, please send me an email and I will send you the links that I use.


For health and strength and daily Bread, We give you thanks, O Lord.

Check in tomorrow for another tasty treat.

Stacey Beth

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 –

Just Plain Sweet Chocolate Chip Blondies from the kitchen of Stacey Beth

Happy Birthday to my WONDERFUL stepmother, Darlena. I am so blessed that you chose to marry my Father and to accept me as your daughter. In honor of your birthday I have made Chocolate Chip Blondies. They are super simple and are always a crowd pleaser!



Here is what you will need to make Blondies:

1 1/2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter

1 1/2 Cups Gold Medal All Purpose Flour

1 Teaspoon of Rumford Baking Powder

1/4 Teaspoon of Morton Sea Salt

1 Cup Imperial Light Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Imperial Dark Brown Sugar

2 Large Egglands Best Eggs

1 1/2 Teaspoon McCormicks Vanilla Extract

1/2 Cup Nestle Semi Sweet Chocolate Chip Morsels



1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8X8 baking an with foil and spray with cooking spray.



2. Melt your butter in coffee cup (or a microwaveable safe dish) in the microwave and then combine with the sugars. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds.

3. Add the eggs and the vanilla to the sugar mixture and mix on low for 1 minute.

4. Add the flour, salt and baking soda and mix on low for 2 minutes or until well incorporated.

5. Fold in the Chocolate Chips with a spoon.

6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish and place into the oven. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes. Insert a knife or toothpick in the middle of the Blondies. If it comes out clean, then they are ready.

7. Once the Blondies are out of the oven, remove the foil from the pan and set them on the counter to cool. Remember to put them on an oven mit or something that is heat resistant so you will not damage your counter.

8. Once completely cool (about 45 minutes) cut into 9 squares and enjoy!

For health and strength and daily Bread, We give you thanks, O Lord.

Check in tomorrow for another tasty treat.

Stacey Beth

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 –

Just Plain Sweet Sweet Deals from the Kitchen of Stacey Beth

There is a joke in my family about how coupon savvy I attempt to be and how I am always seeking a good deal. I am not an expert in couponing, but I do try when I find the products that we use. I love when a stumbled across a good deal when I am not looking and I thought that I would share it with you.

My 2 year old and I were walking around our local Walgreens so I could do some coupon shopping when I noticed a cart in the back of the store that was full of baking goods, including the the Nestle Toll House Semi Sweet Morsels in the picture below. I use these in all of my recipes that require chocolate chips.

As I picked up the first bag I looked at the orange sticker that said reduced and .82 cents on it. My heart rate sped up and I got a little giddy as I looked at expiration date thinking that they were probably close to expiring. I was wrong.....these have a long way to go and I got them super cheap!

Lesson learned - always be on the look out. I personally bought all that they had and have stocked the shelves of my pantry.

For health and strength and daily Bread, We give you thanks, O Lord.

Check in tomorrow for another tasty treat.

Stacey Beth

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 –

Just Plain Sweet Happy Birthday Cupcakes from the Kitchen of Stacey Beth

Happy 30th Birthday to my little brother. Welcome to the 30's club! My life would not be the same without you.

My 2 year old was a big helper today (so please excuse the really bad photos as I was trying to balance her along with with camera and the ingredients).. I love this recipe for so many reasons. The biggest reason is that you can cut the entire thing in half (even the frosting recipe) and have half as many delicious cupcakes. This recipe as is yields 24 Cupcakes.

Here is what you will need for the cupcakes:
1 3/4 Cups Cake Flour (non rising)
1 1/4 Cups Gold Medal All Purpose Flour
2 Cups of Imperial Sugar
1 Tablespoon of Rumford Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Morton Sea Salt
2 sticks of unsalted butter (cut and cubed at room temperature)
4 Large Egglands Best Eggs
1 Cup of Horizon Whole Milk
1 Teaspoon of McCormick Vanilla Extract

Here is what you will need for the frosting:
2 Sticks of butter soften at room temperature
8 Cups of confectioners' sugar
1/2 Cup Horizon Whole milk
2 Teaspoons of McCormick Vanilla Extract


1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line your cupcake pans with cupcake liners.

2. Combine the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Combine well with a spoon.
3. Add in the cubed butter and the eggs. Mix on a low speed for about 1 1/2 minutes.

4. Slowly add the milk and vanilla as you continue to mix for another minute until fully incorporated.

5. Fill the cupcake pans until they are about 2/3 full and bake for about 20 minutes. Pull them out and let them completely cool before icing.

6. While the cupcakes are baking, Cream your butter, 4 cups of you sugar, your milk & vanilla. Slowly add the remainder of the sugar until the frosting is the consistency you want it to be.

I added blue food coloring to my icing in celebration of my brothers birthday.

7. A great icing tip that I learned is to take a ziplock bag and place it into a large cup with the edges folder over. Spoon your icing into the bag, seal it up and then cup off the tip to pipe out the icing.

8. Enjoy these yummy cupcakes and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

For health and strength and daily Bread, We give you thanks, O Lord.

Check in tomorrow for another tasty treat.

Stacey Beth

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 –

Just Plain Sweet Peanut Butter Kisses from the Kitchen of Stacey Beth

The combination of peanut butter and chocolate is one of the best. I love any type of dessert that has both. Normally for most baking I will use my hand held mixer, but when mixing with peanut butter I have found that my big standing mixer is easier and less messy to use.

Here are the ingredients that you will need:
24-30 Hersey Kisses (frozen)
1/2 Cup Crisco Shortening
3/4 Cup Jif Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 Cup Imperial Sugar
1/3 Cup Imperial Light Brown Sugar
1 Egglands Best Egg
2 Tablespoons of Horizon Whole Milk
1 Teaspoon McCormick Vanilla
1 1/2 Cup Gold Medal Flour
1 Teaspoon of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon of Morton Sea Salt
1 Cup Sugar in the Raw

This will yield between 24-30 cookies.


1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line your cookie sheets with Reynolds Parchment Paper.

2. Beat the shortening and peanut butter on low for 1 minute

3. Add the sugars, egg, milk and vanilla and beat for another 45 seconds.

4. Slowly add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix for another 1 minute.

5. Scoop out your mixture with your ice cream scoop into a 1 inch ball and then roll in your Sugar in the Raw.

6. Line up 8 balls on 1 cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

7. While the cookies are baking, remove the kisses from the freezer and unwrap them. Once you remove the cookies from the oven immediately press the kisses into the center. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes and then move to a cooling rack.

For health and strength and daily Bread, We give you thanks, O Lord.

Check in tomorrow for another tasty treat.

Stacey Beth

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 –

Just Plain Sweet Tiger Butter from the Kitchen of Stacey Beth

There are some days that I dream about peanut butter. I love easy recipes that incorporate it that are sweet and extra yummy! This recipe calls for just 3 ingredients.

Here is what you will need:
1 pound of Almond Bark
1/2 Cup of Jif Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup of Nestle Semi Sweet Morsels

1. Line a cookies sheet with foil so all of the edges are covered.

2. Cut the almond bark into squares (so it melts faster) and add the peanut butter. Place all of this in a bowl that can go into the microwave.

3. Measure out the chocolate chips into a microwavable bowl.

4. Melt the almond bark and peanut butter in the microwave for 4 minutes. Be careful when you take it out. It will be hot.

5. Melt the chocolate chip morsels in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Be careful when you take the bowl out. It will be hot.

6. As the chocolate chips are melting, spread the peanut butter almond bark mixture in the foil lined cookie sheet.

7. Take a spoon and spread the melted chocolate throughout the peanut butter almond bark mixture.

8. Allow the pan to completely cool and harden on the counter for 45 minutes. Lift the foil out of the cookie sheet and cut the tiger butter into squares.


9. Enjoy the Tiger Butter! I store in the freezer in a ziplock bag because I like it really cold. If you would like store in an air tight container for up to 3 days.

For health and strength and daily Bread, We give you thanks, O Lord.

Check in tomorrow for another tasty treat.

Stacey Beth

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 –

Just Plain Sweet Pound Cake from the kitchen of Stacey Beth

Truth be told........I am a picky eater. I do not eat mashed potatoes, but I will eat a baked potato. I will not eat corn nibblets or corn on the cob, but will eat anything that has corn in it. So it is no surprise when my mother told me that when I was little that the only thing that she could get me to eat was this pound cake with peanut butter (for protein) on it. To this day it is still a favorite and I will use peanut butter or drizzle icing on it. It is a rich, dense pound cake that I cannot do justice to describing. You must make it and taste it for yourself.

Here is what you need:
3 Cups of All Purpose Flour
3 Cups of Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Rumford baking powder
1 Cup of Crisco Shortening
1 stick of butter
5 Egglands Best eggs
2 Tablespoons of McCormick Imitation Butter flavoring
1 Tablespoon of McCormick Almond Extract
1 Cup of Horizon Milk

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease your bunt pan with a cooking spray.

2. Melt the butter and the shortening until it is liquid (about a minute). Find the largest mixing bowl that you have (mine is a 4 quart) and pour the mixture into the bowl.

3. Add the sugar and then mix in the eggs 1 at a time. Once fully combined, here is what you will get.

4. Add the baking powder to the mixture and then add 1/3 of the flour and milk and mix. Add another 1/3 of the flour and milk and mix. Add the last 1/3 of the flour and milk, then the almond extract and the imitation butter, mix thoroughly (about 1 1/2 minutes) and this is what you will have.

5. Pour into a greased bunt pan and bake at 325 for 45 minutes. After the 45 minutes increase the temperature to 350 degrees and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

6. Remove the Pound Cake from the Oven and allow to cool completely. The top will be a light golden color and the sides a darker golden brown.

I am sorry that I do not have a picture of the finished product. My camera stopped working - I think that it may be time for a new one!

For health and strength and daily Bread, We give you thanks, O Lord.

Check in tomorrow for another tasty treat.

Stacey Beth

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 –