Meal Planning with Connie

National Police Week May 9th - 15th Be sure to express your gratitude to your local police department with a card, a phone call, or a plate of goodies! Chunky Cashew Congo Bars I f you're not from the South, you might be wondering - “What are Congo Bars?”Well, they have absolutely nothing to do with Central Africa, where according to my brief research, wheat cannot be grown. Since flour can’t be produced there, the Congo region has no tradition of baked desserts such as cakes, cookies or Congo Bars. Interestingly, it seems that most of the African continent has little to no tradition of sweet desserts. Congo Bars are a popular dessert in the southeastern United States, where we have created a million versions of this delectable treat. They are also known as Blonde Brownies or Blondies. Congo Bars are basically brownies without cocoa powder. They can be made with or without chopped nuts. Our nut of choice is, of course, the pecan. Walnuts will do, too. Because most So...

I found this yummy recipe at Me and My Pink Mixer . I knew when I saw it, it would be a winner with the “Lost Crew.” Sure enough, it was hit! I hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday! God bless! Notes: Be sure to watch these closely. I slightly over baked mine by about 2 -3 minutes. The next time I make these, I will take them out while a few crumbs still stick to the toothpick. The frosting is just as yummy as the cookie part of this recipe, but I do think these bars would be great plain, too. When pressed for time, canned frosting will provide a quicker, easier option. A few drops of food coloring could be added to the frosting for a pretty, colored icing. Allowing the frosting to dry just a bit before adding the sprinkles will help prevent the sprinkles melting and "staining" the frosting. I think this would make a great decorated cookie for a birthday party or other occasion. Line the baking sheet with foil, leaving a 2-inch overlap of foil. Coat the foil w...

Don't knock the weather;  nine-tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while.   ~Kin Hubbard We're experiencing uncharacteristically cool weather for May here in our area. I’ve been reaching back into my closet for shirts I didn't expect to wear again until October! Here's an easy recipe for "fancying up" canned baked beans. Larry is really fond of this dish! Many blessing and best wishes for a terrific Tuesday! We like Bush's Best Country Style Baked Beans. I drain the sauce from one can of the beans.  If you prefer "soupier" baked beans, leave both cans undrained. I use kitchen shears to cut the bacon. You can reduce the brown sugar for a less sweet dish. Time to add the beans! Stir beans into bacon and sugar mixture  and pop in the oven! Iron Skillet Baked Beans, Smoked Baby Back Ribs, Potato Salad and Drop Biscuits with Herbed Butter Iron Skillet Baked Beans I use my cast iron Dut...

Happy Monday! It looks like it's going to be a chilly, wet one for us.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day. Mine was really nice! Larry smoked some baby back ribs for our lunch. They were out-of-this world delicious! He is the best! I am so blessed to be married to this wonderful man, with whom I share two terrific kids.  They all made me feel extra special yesterday! Thanks, Guys! Momma loves you! Smoked Baby Back Ribs, Iron Skillet Baked Bean,  Potato Salad and Drop Biscuits with Herbed Butter I also baked a Fresh Apple Cake using  Wayne and Barbara's recipe. It is super moist and delicious!  Do yourself a favor and bake this cake soon! S ee why I am always needing to lose weight?! I asked for a pair of those newfangled walking/toning shoes for Mother's Day. My sweet family obliged. I wonder how many miles I will have to walk in my new shoes to work off all the calories on these plates?! Oh well, it was delicious, and Mondays ...

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan Since it's Mother's Day, I wanted to share a few of my favorite recipes from my momma’s kitchen. Although she has been with the Lord for more than 20 years, in my mind’s eye, I can still see her making biscuits, baking cookies, and frying fresh-from-the-garden okra. All these things were a labor of love for her. I now feel the same joy as I prepare food for my own husband and children. Some of these recipes will be very familiar. I hope they will bring back sweet memories for you, as they do for me.  Happy Mother’s Day!  No-bake  Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies My siblings and I used to literally beg my momma to make us a batch of these cookie! Now my kids plead with me to do the same! 1 stick butter 4 tablespoons cocoa 2 cups sugar ½ cup milk Melt butter. Whisk in cocoa. Add sugar and milk. Bring to a boil and boil...

Weighing In... Just holdin' this week!  I did walk more, but I just ate too much this week to lose anything!  Maybe I'll do better next week.... I am sure most of you are aware of the  National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive Campaign. It's a great cause and participating is so easy! Simply place non-perishable food items, such as canned goods, in a bag. Place the bag in your mail box tomorrow -  Saturday, May 8th. Your letter carrier will pick up your donation and carry it to your local food pantry. How simple is that?  Romans 12:13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. It's "Finger-lickin' Good Recipes Friday!"  I am enjoying all the recipes that have been share in the past few weeks.  Thank you all for participating!! I think a great recipe is one of the best little gifts you can give! If you like (it's not "required"), you can add a link back to this page so your readers can join in our lit...

Happy Cinco de Mayo ! Restaurant-style Salsa  with Homemade Baked Tortilla Chips Many thanks to my buddy, Susieloulou, for  sharing  Pioneer Woman's Salsa recipe! It is absolutely delicious! Thank you, Susieloulou! As PW Ree suggested, I tweaked the recipe to our taste (and to use ingredients I had in the pantry!) This recipe makes about 6 cups of salsa - enough to share! Larry took some to work, and we polished off the rest. You could cut this recipe in half, if you like. Play around with these ingredients and make this salsa your own! I also made good use of some corn tortillas in my fridge by making baked tortilla chips. We love these, and they're much more healthful than the commercially prepared version!  Be sure to check out Pioneer Woman's site (I am sure most of you already have!) and recipe book, which contains great recipes and beautiful photos! Ree has a way of making homemaking, cooking and homeschooling look and sound much more interesting than I...