Cranberry-orange with walnut muffins

I made these for the first time the other day. I need to tweak the recipe for me to say they are fabulous but they are not to bad for now. So in case you want to give a go..here you go.


Cranberry-orange with walnut muffin

Wet ingredients:

2/3 c fresh orange juice

2 eggs slightly beaten

3 tbsp butter melted

1 1/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw if frozen)

2 tsp finely grated orange rind (optional) 

Dry ingredients:

2 cup unbleached flour

1/2 cup evaporated cane juice (you can replace with sugar)

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 cup walnuts (chopped)

1/4 tsp salt

Mix dry ingredients to make sure all blended together

Mix wet ingredients in separate bowl

Pour wet into dry and gently blend together to no over mix

Batter will be lumpy

Pour into muffin tins

Bake 20 mins in preheated oven 400 degrees. Place muffins tin on rack to cool off, about 5 mins, then remove muffins and cool on rack.

Will be experimenting to perfect them.

Encouragement to chew on:

Life can be challenging and sometimes our spirits need more than a little encouragement. ...And if there is one thing we can count on to lift our spirits, it is the Word of God.

Proverbs 16:3
" Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."
There the promise to succeed, how can you not be excited when you have God on your side. All things are possible, no matter what the world tells you about yourself...with God you WILL succeed. I'm sold!

Beautiful soap basket giveaway winner annoucement

I am so excited over the response towards my first giveaway. We placed all the names in the random selector and the winner came out.......The winner is.....


christinethecurious


Please be sure to contact me with details of address for shipping.

If you are interested in purchasing your own from "Perfectly Natural Family Soaps" please take a look, they really have wonderful items and so reasonable priced. Here is their link. 

	http://www.perfectlynaturalfamilysoaps.com

Be sure to keep visiting my blog ..more recipes coming, homeschooling adventures or misadventures, and on my search for a new giveaway....wonder what's next.

Last day to enter my giveaway

Today is the last day to enter my  giveaway....Here is the link http://joyfulmelody.blogspot.com/2011/11/giveaway-announcement-yayare-you.html

Be sure to read over the rules, and enter. The basket is beautiful filled with  6 soaps (gingerbread, cherry almond, sweet harvest berry, spiced pumpkin pie, eucalyptus aloe, sweet honey almond) 2 salts (moon dance,crystal blue waters), and 3 lip cream (blueberry, grand marnier apricot, bubble gum)

So come join the fun

Bacon-Cheddar loaf...savory treat

Bacon cheddar loaf recipe

Dry ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon of baking powder

2 teaspoons of salt

8 slices bacon, cooked, and chopped

1 tbsp of onion powder

3 cups of cheddar cheese (grated)

Wet Ingredients:

4 large eggs

1 cup of milk

6 tbsp melted butter

Mix wet ingredients together

Now mix in dry

pour into greased bread pan

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 mins...until skewer tests clean. Let cool on wire rack before cutting.

Ready to enjoy

Can you see the bacon bits in there?

Encouragement to chew on:

Every moment you get is a gift. Spend it on things that matter. Don’t spend it by dwelling on unhappy things

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."
Proverbs 16:3

Chicken lemon rice soup and crusty french bread

My household has been all under the weather..some crazy virus that I caught first and kindly seemed to of passed on to the rest of the crew (isn't that precious of me). Well with hubby home sick, kids sniffling, snorting and coughing away, me just getting over it and pregnant, trying to fit in school, taking the baby to the doctor, along with cleaning this bomb of a mess in my house. Tada my life is not perfect but I love my chao's because I know some day when all are married and living in their homes I will miss my wonderful craziness, and wish it back. So to help us fight this nasty virus today we had green smoothies (except my husband..he wouldn't touch them with a ten foot poll) and I made Chicken lemon rice soup with homemade french bread. Hit the spot along with the broth and lemon help in combating the virus and build immune system back up. After saying prayers, reading our devotions, and tucking each cutiepie into bed. My night ends with my sweet child saying "Mommy thank you for taking good care of us and daddy, sometimes I don't like bedtime because I wish you were with me all the time." That's makes all my wonderful chaos worth it. Enjoy the recipe friends

Greek chicken lemon rice soup

1 lb. chicken breast, chopped
1 med. onion, chopped
3/4 c. chopped celery
1 carrot, chopped
3 qts. water
1/2 c. uncooked rice
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. seasoning salt or seasoned salt substitute

1. Cook chicken in water with onion, celery and carrot until tender. Add rice. Cook for 30 minutes.2. Beat egg yolks in a bowl; add lemon juice and salt. Add some of the hot stock, beating constantly to keep from curdling.
3. Stir egg mixture into soup and heat. DO NOT BOIL

French Bread Recipe

4 cups bread flour
2 teaspoon active quick rising dry yeast
2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
1. Put 1/4 cup of bread flour on your clean counter top and reserve. Place remaining 3 3/4 cups bread flour in your mixer bowl. Spoon the yeast on one side of the bowl, and the salt on the other side. Pour in the warm water and with your regular mixer paddle, mix on low speed until the dough comes together in a mass. Switch to the dough hook. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Dough should clear the sides but stick to the bottom. If it is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time. If too dry, add 1 tablespoon of water to dough to adjust.
Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
The dough should look like this during the rest:

2. Turn the mixer on again and mix for 3 minutes. Take the dough out and place on the counter. Remember that 1/4 cup of flour that you reserved? You’ll use it now. As you knead the dough by hand, incorporate more flour as you need.
Knead by hand until the dough is very satiny, smooth, tight and formed into a nice, compact ball:

Place this dough in a large lightly oiled bowl (I use Pam spray). Turn dough over so that all sides have a thin coating of oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set in warm place for 1 1/2 hours to let rest and rise. Dough should almost double in size. While the dough is rising, about 1 hour into the rising stage, preheat your oven to 450F and place your pizza stone, inverted baking sheet or covered cast iron pot into the oven to heat up.
4. After the dough has risen fully, punch dough down and form back into a ball. Poke your finger on the surface – the dough should give into the pressure and slowly creep back up.
5. Ok, here’s the fun part. Cut the dough into half – you’ll shape one half at a time (keep the other piece under wraps) Pick up the dough – stretch it out until it forms a big rectangle. Dust your work surface with flour and fold over the ends of the dough like this:

Now do a little “karate chop” lengthwise down the middle of the bread and stretch out the long ends again. Fold over in half. The karate chop helps get the middle tucked inside. Pinch all sides shut. This is important – you want to make sure that all ends including the short ends are pinched tightly to create a seal. This allows the bread to rise & expand up and out evenly. If the bread looks a little lopsided, you can try to fix it by letting it rest 5 minutes and gently stretching it out again. Just don’t knead the dough again – you’ll pop all the beautiful gas that took 1.5 hours to create!
Here’s what it should look like:

6. Turn the bread over so that it is seam side down. Cover the loaf with a damp kitchen towel. Repeat with the other dough ball. Leave the loaves to rest on your well-floured cutting board for 30 minutes. After resting, take a sharp paring knife and make 3-4 shallow, diagonal slashes on the surface of the loaf. This allows the steam in the bread to escape so that it expands evenly during the baking process:

7. When you are ready to bake, remove your baking vessel from oven. Carefully slide the gorgeous loaf into or onto your baking vessel.  You can probably fit both loaves on it at the same time if you wish. -> Get a 1/2 cup of water ready next to the stove. Open the stove, put your bread in the oven and throw the water on the oven floor. Immediately close the oven door. This creates your steam. -> Bake 20-25 minutes. Check temperature of the bread – internal should be 190-210F. Remove and let cool before cutting into it...butter and the dip into soup..mmmmmmm heaven on a spoon.

Encouragement to chew on:

If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of God, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle. Vincent van Gogh

Hold your children dear you, they apart from salvation are one of God's sweetest gifts given to us. In tough parenting moments never overlook their  need for direction and desire for love.

What are we teaching our children?

(photo courtesy of D's Photography)

 I was laying in bed thinking about my newest blessing and okay so by the summer I will have 5 peanuts. How God will equip me to be able to do everything that is needed for them to grow properly. That they will have everything they need to be successful in this life. No I don't mean that they have the nicest clothes or latest toys, or even the most friends. I mean making sure that I train them up in the way of the Lord and that they learn to love serving others with a gentle heart. That they learn to stand up for truth when no one else does. That when they see someone hurting they share love with them not judgment. To be entrusted with precious children is one of life's sweetest joys, great privileges, and heaviest responsibilities. My children can have no greater heritage from me then to be taught to read the Word, to pray, and to look at Jesus as the One who knows and understands each problem and has a solution. It's never too early to start teaching my children that God loves them completely and unconditionally and that they need never be afraid to come to Him. I am teaching my children the Bible stories, the scripture for them to memorize so when times or things come against them they have a foundation to stand on a firm one.. I am teaching them that the promises of God are as much for them as they were for the people in the Bible. I am trying to build a sense of God's goodness in my children's lives. I am teaching them that God is a good God, that everybody is somebody in God's eyes, and that He is concerned about every part of their lives. No need is to big or to small. Children pick up what we say and do even when we don't realize they are listening or observing us. I want to be sure that what they see in me and observe is that mommy has a heart of Christ.

"What is your greatest joy? 3 John 4 says, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." Is this your greatest joy and longing? Not pursuing your own agenda, not getting a bigger house, not aiming for the best college for your children, BUT, earnestly longing that they will walk in God's truth. If this is our greatest joy, we will give our time and order our household to make it happen. It won't automatically happen. It takes your WHOLE LIFE to ensure that your children walk in truth, especially in the midst of this deceived world. Make it your greatest joy." (A quote from Above Rubies)

                      Encouragement to chew on:
Not only are your children special to you, but they are even more important to God. Today, think if a specific way in which God has shown that He considers each of them to be somebody in His eyes. Then share your thoughts with them.

Giveaway Announcement!!!! Yay...Are you entered?

So it's here Monday and I am announcing the give away. I have mentioned this soap company before in a previous post http://joyfulmelody.blogspot.com/2011/11/fantastic-soapsperfectly-natural-family.html . I love them, love they way they feel, smell, and look. So much I want to share it with you. So they have specifically put together a special basket for my giveaway. Here it is

They did a wonderful job putting together. In the basket it includes  6 soaps (gingerbread, cherry almond, sweet harvest berry, spiced pumpkin pie, eucalyptus aloe, sweet honey almond) 2 salts (moon dance,crystal blue waters), and 3 lip cream (blueberry, grand marnier apricot, bubble gum)

So win it for yourself, for a gift (Christmas is coming) or share the wealth with others, trust me you will be glad you have it. So you want to enter the giveaway. Here's how

1. Follow the my blog and leave a comment.

2. Due to Facebook's new regulations I am unable to offer entries for Facebook likes, but I'd love it if you'd like my Facebook page {http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Joyfulmelody/176433765780276} anyway

3. Share the wealth...share the giveaway on your blog, and/or you page let peole know how great it is.

Here's the page link to the Facebook page... http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Joyfulmelody/176433765780276

I will be annoucing the winner Friday Dec 2nd, and then will be sending you your special basket.

Can't wait to give...so much fun. Good luck.

Happy Birthday to the man who holds my heart.

Happy Birthday to the most handsome, clever, sexy (oh that's right I went there) funny, witty, dedicated, determined, loving, sweet, thoughtful, kind, great shrimp dish chef, smart, best daddy ever, my husband Michael. You are God's great gift in my life, and blessed is the day that you noticed me. I love you Mr. West more now then ever.

"One of the greatest illusions of our time is that love is self sustaining. It is not. Love must be fed and nurtured, constantly renewed. That demands ingenuity and consideration, but first and foremost, it demands time." DM

Over this past weekend my husband asked me to sit and watch the movie Rocky Balboa (which in all honesty I had no desire) so I did. I was pleasantly surprised over the underline message and being me took that message of character and turned it towards marriage (where character seems to lack in many). Where this seems to be a  day and age where people consider their happiness over their character, and forget that character produces long-term joy and peace, which is a goal that God set. Sure I have had some moments in my life where I prayed that they would pass, they were hard, and I wanted them to be different, but looking back on them I realize that those were the moments when God was growing me. I was being conformed to the image of Christ.

Choosing character over happiness means:

*God gave you your mate to make you holy, not happy (happiness flows from holiness)

*Marriage is the best tool I know for making you more like Jesus.

*Marriage builds character through patience and endurance.

*Character is not built overnight and neither is your marriage. It takes more than just a couple of years; it takes a lifetime.

*No one will ever know you better then your spouse. They are a partner in character development and can help you quickly identify chinks in your armor.

Always choose character even when it leads you down a difficult, painful, or hard road. The person who is constantly looking for the easy way out is not going to become all they are created to be. Don't try to change your husband, the worst thing about trying to change him is that those attempts create a unsafe place in your marriage, insecurity within him, and can create walls to push you and your attempts of change away. Trying to change your marriage  could make your marriage worse and open the opportunity to failure. What I have learned is that we influence change in others far more powerfully by our own changes, ones they can see have really worked on us. Focusing your husband to change any area is going to be a conflict. Promise that you are through beating your husband to change, and from now on you work on yourself. As God starts a shaping your character , you will be at peace. That will bring the happiness and joy you are craving. Change begins with in us, not him, and by our actions of love, respect, and nurturing our husbands, they will be drawn and God will work on their character not us.

Homemade melt in your mouth rolls

Roll recipe:
1 cup warm water 90 degrees
2 tablespoon butter melted
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 1/4 cups of bread flour
2 1/4 tsp dry yeast

dissolve sugar in water then add yeast...set aside for 15 mins, then pour onto large mixing bowl, add butter, egg, flour and salt mix together when big ball of dough formed, set aside covered in a warm spot let rise for 1 hour, the work out air, on a baking sheet divide dough into round balls cover let rise in warm spot again covered for 30 mins, bake at 375 for 13-14 mins. When done I brush melted butter on each one then sprinkle parm cheese with salt on each.

***side note....these are great also if you bake them with a little pepperoni and cheese in them

Don't forget to visit Joyful Melody's facebook page...click "like" and be entered for the upcoming giveaway.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/pages/Joyfulmelody/176433765780276