Meal Planning with Connie

Cinnamon is a tree native to the region from India to China. Traders made it available in Israel very early in Bible history. Today, cinnamon is best-known as a baking ingredient. However, in ancient times, it was used either as a perfume or in oils. Cinnamon was one of the ingredients God commanded Moses to use in the making of the holy anointing oil. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon , 250 shekels of fragrant cane, 500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil. Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil.” Exodus 30:22-25 Chef Sarah I just have to give a shout out to my buddy, Sarah!! Her Cinnamon Cake won first place at the county fair!! I am so proud of her!! She was invited to a local restaurant, Vainisi's , to demonstrate her cooking skills! W...

"Change is inevitable - except from a vending machine." ~ Robert C. Gallagher, retired banking CEO More changes to our meal plans! Constantly needing to change and adjust seems to be the only constant this time of year! Larry stuck a couple of chicken breast on the smoker while it was hot from cooking the pork ribs the other night. Because these needed eating, we had the pizza tonight. I substituted the smoked chicken breasts for the turkey called for in the recipe. The smoked chicken added a really nice little flavor to the pizza! I used one of Judy's big, juicy homegrown tomatoes! I love this pizza!! I also made some Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread this afternoon. I had bananas and oats that needed using. This recipe was a great way to use them both! Here's a re-post and photo of the pizza. The Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bread recipe is below. Turkey (or Chicken) Club Pizza Turkey Club Pizza 1 refrigerated pizza crust, baked and slight...

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread I had bananas and oats I needed to use. This recipe was a perfect to use some of them! Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread 2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cups dry oats, quick or old fashioned 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar 2/3 cup sugar 1 tbsp. baking powder 1 cup chocolate chips 1/2 c. milk (add a bit more if needed) 1/2 c. peanut butter 2 ripe bananas, mashed 2 eggs 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bread pans with cooking spray. Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, sugar and baking powder. Add chocolate chips, stirring to coat. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, peanut butter, banana, egg, oil and vanilla; add to dry ingredients, mixing just until moistened. Fill prepared pans 3/4 full. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Psalm 119:103a Peanut Butter Balls We'll continue with our desserts that combine two of my favorites: chocolate and peanut butter! This is one of the homemade desserts on the menu at The Veranda in Starkville, MS. I like their presentation! The plate is drizzled with Hershey’s chocolate syrup, chopped Snickers bar and topped with the Peanut Butter Balls. My momma probably made a million of these tiny treasures over the years. She filled tin after tin for friends and relatives each Christmas! There are tons of recipe variations for these delectable little treats. Momma’s, and the version at The Veranda, are similar to the recipe below: Peanut Butter Balls 2 c. smooth or chunky peanut butter 1/2 c. butter 1 1/2 tbsp. vanilla 5 c. powdered sugar 12 oz. chocolate chips 3/4 bar paraffin Mix first 4 ingredients, roll into small balls. Melt chocolate and paraffin in double boiler. Dip balls into chocolate and cool on wax pap...

Apple Walnut Muffins Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings. Psalm 17:8 This is always a hectic time of year, as we get started back with our school work. Although this often brings about a good many changes in our planned menu, I have found it better to not exactly follow the plan, as to have no clue what's for supper. We had enough leftovers for supper tonight, so I didn't cook. I may make the pizza I had planned for tonight for our lunch one day. I did make these Apple Walnut Muffins for Larry to take to "The Crew" this morning. There were enough for our breakfast, too. We all liked them, and it was a great way to use more of Mr. Willie's apples! I didn't add the cinnamon, because Larry doesn't care for it. They were still very yummy - and moist! Apple Walnut Muffins 2 cups chopped apples 3/4 cup sugar 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 2 large eggs, ...

Smoked Pork Ribs, Very Easy Baked Bean, Ro*tel Cheese Grits, and Quick Cheese Bread "Patience is the companion of wisdom." ~Saint Augustine, philosopher and theologian (November 13, 354 – August 28, 430) Augustine of Hippo is one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity. Although he received a Christian education, he resisted his mother's pleas to become a Christian, choosing instead to live as a pagan intellectual. His mother never stopped praying for his salvation, and later he converted to Christianity and opposed heresies in the church. His two greatest writings are Confessions and City of God . (We really enjoyed learning about St. Augustine last year in church history. My brain is slowly getting back into school mode! ) Larry was off and was ready to smoke something!! He's like a kid with a new toy after he's shored up his old smoker! Smoked Pork Ribs He smoked some pork ribs for our supper. They were really good! Like I...

Very Easy Baked Beans Very Easy Baked Beans 1 (28 ounce)can Bush's Country Style Baked Beans 1/4 - 1/3 cup of ketchup 2 slices pre-cooked bacon. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Open the beans and drain them in a colander. Add ketchup. Pour the beans into a small casserole dish. Top with bacon and bake uncovered until hot and bubbly, usually about 20 minutes. While they're not as good a homemade baked beans, they're the best substitute I've found. These are the only baked beans M.C. likes!