Almost just like Skyline Chili

November 25, 2015 melodyanndayLeave a comment

This ol’ girl is my favorite. She’s a workhorse, but the best for soups and stews. I hope she never dies.

Here are the secret ingredients. I understand your fears. But they are fantastic in this recipe. I promise.

Not the best photo, but doesn’t that chili look fantastic!?!?

Because it is fall now, and it is cold out (and by cold I do mean it is getting down into the 40’s) – I figured it was time to share this recipe. After all, you may need to put on a big pot of some kind of hot and steamy soup or stew for the family over the holidays! If you like the flavors of Skyline Chili, you should definitely try this! If you don’t know what Skyline Chili is, you should definitely try this. It is a good diversion from the normal chili, consisting of chili powder and peppers and kidney beans. Please don’t let the cocoa and cinnamon scare you away – it really is super yummy!

Almost just like Skyline Chili

(this recipe was found on the chewnibblenosh blog, but I edited it for my purposes! )

Ingredients:

3 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 1/2 (16 oz.) can tomato sauce
3/4 cup tomato paste
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. chili powder
3 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. ground allspice
salt and pepper to taste
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 lbs. lean ground beef
1 large can of pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can of red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)

Instructions:

Brown the beef, then add and cook onion. drain the fat from the beef. Stir together the rest of the ingredients (only half of the beans), then combine with beef and onion mixture in a large pot. after cooking a short time, use a “magic wand” and mash up the ingredients until there’s no chunks. Add the rest of the beans and simmer for a while.

the latest stop on my journey to the perfect brownie…

November 8, 2015January 7, 2017 melodyanndayLeave a comment

It is true that I’ve made a lot of brownies in my life time. It is also true that I’ve posted several brownie recipes here on the Daily Portion blog. But most of all, it is true that I’ve never made brownies this good before.

I’m not one to say crazy things like, “This is the only brownie recipe I’ll ever use from now on…” nothing like that for goodness sake. But, it will be hard to beat these. very hard.

If you enjoy a gooey, dense, fudgey brownie – this recipe is definitely for you! If you enjoy a fluffy, cake-like brownie, well then, you should just go make chocolate cake.

Anyway… here it is, just in case you need a little chocolate this rainy weekend. The recipe includes inordinate amounts of chocolate, sugar and butter culminating in the glossiest, smoothest batter I’ve ever witnessed. Like I said, it is the closest I’ve come to perfection.

Doubly Decadent Fudgey Brownie.

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter (I used kerry gold butter.)
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder (I used 3/4 cup nestle cocoa and 1/2 cup hershey’s dark cocoa)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tbs. vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups of chopped semi-sweet chocolate. (I used a large bar of Ghirardelli and a cup of Nestle’s mini chips.)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º F.
Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with shortening; set aside.
In a medium saucepan melt butter over low heat.
Once butter is completely melted add in sugar and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour sugar mixture into a large bowl.
Whisk in cocoa, salt, baking powder, vanilla, eggs.
Mix until combined.
Stir in the flour and chopped chocolate until well combined.
Spread brownie batter into prepared pan (batter will be very thick).
Bake for approximately 30 minutes.

(Just to be sure I give credit where it is due, I found this recipe on sweetasacookie.com)

in my kitchen

Over the Top…

October 29, 2015September 16, 2022 melodyannday2 Comments

It’s Thursday, the day after I became a 37 yr old. Now, I know, I know. Some of you are a little upset because you thought I was closer to 40 than that. In an effort to make it up to you, who have this grievance, I am giving you a favorite recipe.

Thirty Seven, after being thirty five and thirty six for so long felt, well, over the top. So, I thought it was appropriate to share a recipe for these cookies that I made for an event recently. They are called “Over the Top Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies.” Proportionally they are about as over the top as it felt to turn 37, which was a lot.

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Yesterday someone mentioned to me that, “It’s all down hill from here…” Oh yes, thank you ever so much for that encouragement. I guess it was more over the top than I knew…Once you’re up and over there’s not anywhere else to go than down. oh dear.

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These cookies seem to feel right for the Fall season, too. Although, truthfully when does chocolate and peanut butter not feel right? I wouldn’t know – I have an unconditional love for Reese’s cups or anything of the sort. YUM!

So, here is the recipe for you. If you felt deceived about my age, please accept this as a token of my sincere apology. And, I hope this makes things okay between us now.

Over the Top Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
32 mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, each cut into 4 pieces

1. Mix the ingredients down to the vanilla. Add soda, salt & flour. Fold in chocolate chips.

2. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop dough (these are big cookies!). place 6 scoops of dough on ungreased cookie sheets. use your hand & slightly flatten each scoop of dough. Cook for 12 minutes at 350.

3. Remove cookies from oven & lightly press 8 cut up pieces of the Reese’s peanut butter cups over the top of each cookie. Return to the oven for 2 more minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before placing on cooling rack.

Makes 18 cookies

Notes: I’ve used semi sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks. In place of the Reese’s pb cups, you could also use mini or regular M & M’s or Reese’s pieces. The photos here show my cookies with a combo of the mini cups and Reese’s pieces.

Also, I do make smaller cookies – using a scant 1/4 cup scoop. and by scant I mean I only fill the scoop about 2/3 full. – just be sure to watch the baking time if you make the smaller cookie – takes about 12 minutes, add the toppers, then bake another 3 or so…

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Enjoy! This recipe was given to me by my lovely and talented sister, Marilyn. 🙂

Originally posted October 4, 2012.

a bit of history · in my kitchen

Grandma B’s Pumpkin Pie…

October 14, 2015October 11, 2022 melodyannday5 Comments

My dear Grandma, and my mum, celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving together in Strathroy ONT yesterday!

(This post was originally written on American Thanksgiving in 2009, but after making my pumpkin pie yesterday I’m thinking of my dear Grandma! I’m just a bit home sick I suppose, for all of my friends and family who do not live close by… To all of my loved ones, while you are miles away from Chattanooga, TN – you are always close to my heart!)

Its thanksgiving tomorrow. I’m prepared, I think. I’ve got gingerbread dough chilling in the refrigerator, ready to roll, cut, bake and decorate. I’ve got the filling for my pumpkin pie mixed up, ready to bake in the morning so it will be fresh. Sweet potatoes are roasting in the oven as we speak so I can make my souffle. My food preparation is well on the way.

But there’s a problem that no amount of preparation or planning can solve. Its a geographical dilemma. I’m a northerner. Yes, I am from the north – and I’m not just a yankee. I’m half canadian. For me, this means that distance is not the only problem. My canadian family already had their Thanksgiving celebrations 6 weeks ago.

My biological family – is very spread out. I have american family as far out west as Oklahoma City, OK and Canadian family as far north as Huntsville, Ontario. I have cousins spread out all across the fruited plain. My own sister is 8 ours away in South Carolina and my parents are in Grand Rapids Michigan.

This is not a new situation, to be sure. I can count on my hands the amount of times I’ve been able to celebrate Thanksgiving with extended family. Because the times are few and far between, that makes the memories that much more sweet.

I remember specifically a canadian Thanksgiving when I was in grade five. We were living in London at the time and so we were privileged to celebrate with the Brubacher clan. That’s my mom’s family, and its big. We are so big we have to meet in church fellowship halls when we get together. On this particular occasion, I was 10. I recall 2 very specific things about this Thanksgiving. The Brubacher family was large enough, even then, for the cousins to form 2 teams for a floor hockey game in the church gym. The game was underway when I was the recipient of my cousin, Lee’s, high sticking – slap shot, across my face. Ah – good times.

There’s another memory from that particular Thanksgiving. It was my first taste of my Grandma Brubacher’s pumpkin pie that I really remember. From that first taste, I knew. That is what Thanksgiving should taste like – it was fluffy and soft, pumpkin-y and spicey all at the same time. I will never forget that little bite of heaven.

There have been other Thanksgivings, and other delicious foods but none can compare to my Grandma B’s pumpkin pie.

This year on thanksgiving we will spend the day with my husband’s parents. Once again my family is too far away to be able to celebrate together. This is my ninth Thanksgiving with the Day family and I have made many wonderful memories. My daughter takes a hike with her grandaddy every year on Thanksgiving before dinner and that is so special. My mother in law, Ellavene, makes a pumpkin roll that’s ‘to die for’. Some day I secretly hope I’ll be able to make it as well as she does for my grandkids. One year she tried to sneak in a store-bought pumpkin roll. It didn’t work – hers is way too good to try to replace it with a Bi-Lo version.

Old memories and new memories alike bring great joy to me. As I think about what Thanksgiving is truly about, I know that I can take part in this holiday with a full heart. Though near and far, I have a family that loves me. I am so blessed in every aspect of my life! And I am very grateful for God’s goodness.

It goes without saying I will miss all of my family tomorrow. But this year, I’m taking Canadian Thanksgiving with me. I’m baking my Grandma Brubacher’s pumpkin pie. If it turns out half as good as hers, it will be delicious! And while I eat those bites of pumpkin pie, I will be celebrating with all of my family whether they are in Ottumwa, Iowa; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Charleston, South Carolina or Toronto, Ontario.

And to Grandma B, I love you – all the way up there in Huntsville! I thank you for the special memory (and the recipe)! This pie’s for you!

(written November 25, 2009)

a bit of history · in my kitchen

a tale of two cakes

August 20, 2015August 20, 2015 melodyanndayLeave a comment

This week, two opportunities came up to bake, so I spent a little time browsing thru recipes, old favorites and new ideas on pinterest. And I found a recipe for strawberry buttermilk bundt cake.

I decided to make two – One, to give to a friend as a thank you gift. And the other to take to a meeting to share. I got started last evening, early so that I’d have plenty of time.

I got the first mixed up and into the oven quickly, and the second mixed up ready to go in the oven as soon as my bundt was available.

Now, I can admit that it is rare for me to make a recipe that I’m going to give as a gift or take into public without testing it out first. But, I felt confident this was going to be pretty wonderful, so I jumped in with both feet – two cakes for two occasions!

The first bundt came out of the oven looking and smelling amazing. But, in my hurry, I did not wait quite long enough for it to cool – and so, the cake did not come out of the pan well. I cringed when I pulled the pan away to see many craters where there should have been the top of the cake. It truly is the bain of the bundt pans existence, especially when dealing with a hurried baker.

Well, I didn’t give up and wallow in my sorrow. I persevered and tried the second cake, prepared to wait the required amount before shaking it from the pan. Guess what!?! It turned out, quite literally, perfectly! The good news is that since the first cake was not good enough to give as a gift, we got to taste test it for breakfast! I’m telling you the truth: it is super yummy!

Here’s a photo of the cakes side-by-side – totally shattering any positive reputation as a baker I might have enjoyed. But, I’m okay with it.

Mistakes teach us. I’ve learned something again, my Great Grandmother taught me long ago. She used to say, when opportunity arose, “Patience is a virtue. Possess it if you can.” And that’s partly true. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit – which the Holy Spirit longs to grow in each of us as believers. I’m not sure I even have a bud of patience yet. Truly, it is a fruit that I am lacking. (proof: last night) But, maybe I’m closer than I was before…

Well, here is the recipe – I hope you can enjoy it! Remember, even when it smells amazing you must wait to flip it out of the pan! Cool it and then try it. (I’ve just now realized why people say “cool it!” when telling someone to wait…)

Strawberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup sour cream
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups diced strawberries
1/2 cup strawberry jam
Confectioners sugar for dusting.

Place rack in center of oven, and preheat oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour inside of 10 inch bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour inside of 10 inch bundt pan. Beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and beat at medium-high speed until the mixture is light in texture and color, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating for 30 to 40 seconds after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
Mix together sour cream, buttermilk and vanilla extract. add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with sour cream/buttermilk mixture. Carefully fold in by hand the diced strawberries. Warm the 1/2 cup of jam in the microwave. Place half of the batter into the pan, then swirl the jam into the batter in the pan. Then cover with the second half of the batter. Bake the cake for 55-65 minutes.

(I’m not exactly sure where this recipe came from. There appear to be many versions of the same cake online. Even I altered this recipe to my liking… But, the recipe I began with was from weekofmenus.blogspot.com )

a bit of history · friends and loved ones · in my kitchen

the great cookie mix-up of 2015

June 3, 2015 melodyannday2 Comments

Well, there’s been some confusion in my kitchen. Actually, a major upset in my baking life. And I knew you’d want to know.

My whole life I’ve eaten oatmeal cookies, fresh from the oven, that my mom made. On the recipe card that she used, the cookie recipe is titled “Grandma Gingrich’s oatmeal cookies.” This has been the go-to cookie for as long as I can remember.

You may remember that last year my cousin and I completed a huge project: a family cookbook entitled “The Brubacher Family Table.” In that book we made sure that Grandma’s oatmeal cookie recipe was included. Our conversation went something like this:

Ang: No one’s submitted the oatmeal cookie recipe yet. I’ll make sure it gets in the dessert section.

Me: Okay. sounds good. And I’ll be sure Aunt Kay’s chocolate chip cookie recipe is included. That’s the other favorite we can’t forget…

It was that simple.

Until I opened our family cookbook the other day, and looked up the oatmeal cookie recipe so that I could make Grandma’s oatmeal cookies. Do you know what I found? Well, I’ll tell you. The recipe in the cookbook was different than the recipe my mom had written down for me, which we both have been using for time and eternity. And I realized for the first time…

There are two “favorite” oatmeal cookie recipes in our family! And the one that I thought was the favorite all this time wasn’t even in the book!

It was a cookie scandal, I tell you! I was out of sorts for quite some time over the whole ordeal!

Okay, maybe its not that big of a deal to most people, but still… I didn’t know what to do! Which recipe should I make? What if I like the new recipe better? What if my old favorite isn’t the real favorite?

After some thought, I decided to make the new-to-me oatmeal cookie recipe and do you know? I did not regret it one bit!

They were sooooo good. No wonder half of my Brubacher family thought that recipe was Grandma’s favorite. I may not go back to the old oatmeal cookie recipe…

Obviously, you’ll want to try these cookies. soon. They are fantastically delicious!

PS: one quick note: I used 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup crisco.

a bit of history · friends and loved ones · in my kitchen

better late than never

April 17, 2015 melodyannday2 Comments

The truth is I’ve been avoiding writing this post. I’ve done everything I know to do instead of putting my thoughts here. Which, all things considered, is not that hard since this house keeps me terribly busy and our schedule keeps me moving, often too busy to blog, too busy to think.

But the time has come.

Tuesday afternoon I decided to get dinner prep rolling. Pork chops, mixed veggies and mashed sweet potatoes. The pork chops were marinating, the veggies were ready to be steamed and I pricked the sweet potatoes and popped them in the oven to bake.

Even as I did it, I knew. He wasn’t going to eat it.

The afternoon went on and things in my heart did not progress well. While the sweet potatoes were in the oven baking I felt myself become a touch irritated – I knew the heat was on. By the time I was pulling them out and slicing them open to cool, my frustration was simmering. Dinner was just about ready and I found myself mashing those sweet potatoes with so much vigor, my anger was at a full rolling boil.

Why am I bothering? No one likes what I make for dinner anyway! Pouting ensued here – before the food was even on the table.

Before I go any further, you need to know a little bit about the situation. Isaac – my sweet boy- he struggles with food textures. He has since he was little. Anything with a mushy or squishy texture was terribly hard for him to swallow. There was a time in our family history when Isaac would throw up during dinner at least twice a week.

Which brings us to the painful truth of why I was in avoidance mode about this blog post: Back then I was a terrible mom. I would get so frustrated and I would raise my voice at my little boy if he gagged during the meal. Because who wants to clean up puke at the supper table? (At least that was my excuse.)

We’ve moved on mostly from those kind of dinners – and Isaac has made huge strides towards eating so many new and different kinds of foods. But every once in a while he has a struggle – and sweet potatoes is one of those foods that he can’t negotiate yet.

As we sat at the table – he stared at the tiny little spoonful of mashed sweet potatoes on his plate. He knew it was gonna be hard to get down – and he begged me to not. But, I suggested he try – we have to keep attempting new foods. So he tried. And he gagged. And I yelled at him to stop it.

yep. that’s how it went down.

ugly, right?

I apologized to my sweet Isaac afterwords – many times over. and I hugged him and kissed him. and I told him we wouldn’t try any kind of mashed potatoes for a long time.

Later I cried when I talked to God about it because I desperately don’t want to have an angry heart. And though I can feel the Holy Spirit massaging my hard heart, every time He gives me the opportunity to respond without anger, I miss it!

I’ve thought about it over and over again since then – and this is the thing : this life of following Christ is about sanctification. My anger keeps me focused on myself, my rights, and how I’ve been insulted (even if we’re talking about my children refusing to eat my cooking). All of the rough edges of sin and darkness must be rubbed away. When I focus on my Savior, and glory in His righteousness and His presence – there is NO ROOM for that anger. He is my helper in those moments – if I will take a deep breath and hear Him.

The Good News from Hebrews 2: I love reading about The Savior – who calls Himself my brother, who knows and understands that I need His help!

10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying: “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.” 13 And again: “I will put My trust in Him.”And again: “Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”

14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

a bit of history · friends and loved ones · in my kitchen

Aunt Belva’s pound cake

April 2, 2015 melodyanndayLeave a comment

Aunt Belva’s home was situated on one of the main streets of Danville, Illinois. Next door was her antique shop. It seems like we dropped by for a visit just yesterday. Truly, its been more than 30 years ago.

In my mind’s eye I see the little heart shaped pink soap perched on a footed dish in her front bathroom- it is funny what I remember from my childhood. But mostly I remember her cozy little kitchen where she prepared the best food. What did she make, you’re wondering? Anything your little heart desired, that’s what. She was not held hostage by the ideals of my mother who said, “You’ll eat what I make.” Oh no. Aunt Belva was always welcoming and made whatever you requested, if she had it on hand.

We were often the recipients of her hospitality. It was warm and refreshing – just like springtime.

Near easter, I’m reminded of her because of the pound cake she was known for – and pound cake with fresh strawberries is the perfect Easter treat. (at least in my mind anyway) But, also because of the life she lived. A life of hospitality is a life that is Christ-like: it is warm and welcoming, offering refreshment, joyful and giving. Being hospitable to those around us is the embodiment of Christ’s love.

Even a fresh pound cake, given to one in need, can be a reminder of His goodness and lovingkindness.

So, for this Easter weekend – I thought I’d share this precious family recipe – that truly is so much more than directions for a yummy cake. It is a reminder, for me, to share Christ’s love thru my time in the kitchen. And even tho Aunt Belva passed away several years ago, her gift for hospitality lives on.

Aunt Belva’s Pound Cake

ingredients:
3 sticks of butter
8 oz cream cheese
6 eggs
3 cups of cake flour, sifted 2 x’s
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla

instructions:

Preheat oven to 325. Beat butter, cream cheese until light & fluffy. Add sugar slowly and continue to beat until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and add in vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together then gradually mix into butter mixture. Pour batter into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. test doneness with a toothpick. cool – then serve with whipped cream and strawberries.

(FYI: this batter had so much volume, I took a few spoonfuls out of the pan before baking so that it wouldn’t overflow.)

Enjoy this cake with loved ones this weekend and Happy Easter!

in my kitchen

food rebellion (and a Monday morning recipe)

February 16, 2015January 8, 2017 melodyanndayLeave a comment

I can be honest with you, here, can’t I? I’ve been in a bit of a funk, and I’m not talking about an uptown funk. It has been a full-scale rebellion. That’s the only word I can think of to describe it…

A month or so ago, after Christmas, I had a visit with my nutritionist. At that appointment, he told me it would be best if I could try to avoid dairy and processed white sugar. He proceeded to tell me about a few studies that he had read, which indicate that those foods in the dairy and sugar categories can lead to some cell inflammation. Cell inflammation is not good for someone with my diagnosis of t-cell lymphoma.

If you know me at all, you know I love to bake. I don’t always bake for my own self gratification – I most often find myself baking to give away to others. It is how I know to show love, especially to my family. cookies, cakes, pies, bread, cupcakes, brownies – It is an extensive list of favorites. And guess what? No dairy and no sugar takes a lot of these items off the table.

And so, I’ve been pouting.

When I left my nutritionist’s office, I felt a nudge that it was okay. I could learn to bake differently in order to improve and maintain my health. But, instead of embracing those thoughts, I scorned them. And I refused. Because I love my baking, with all of the butter and sugar I can possibly find in my kitchen, I didn’t want to learn new. I wanted my life to be the old way – no diagnosis. no need for change. no need for different.

pout. pout. pout.

Well, on this cold, sleety, “the-snow-storm’s-a-coming,” kind of Monday morning, I felt myself cave and repent of my terrible attitude. This is my life – and I need to deal with it, the healthiest way I can. Okay, maybe no dairy or sugar. But, I can find a way to bake for my people. And so, I began this journey – weird and strange as it is. I looked up a recipe for Oatmeal bake, and made it my own.

Now my kids, based on our history, are used to yumminess coming out of my oven. So, I didn’t tell them I was baking anything – because I didn’t want to disappoint them. Guess what? They loved it! And I did too! I believe it is a miracle. A snow-day miracle!

It is true – even in the simplest, every day, sense – that with God all things are possible. When he hands us circumstances, He also makes a way through what seems hard or complicated. Listen, I know that there are much more difficult and terrible things happening around the world than this. I get that. But, I also believe that He ministers to each of us in our individual struggles no matter what they are. He is so merciful!

So – I thought I’d share my half made up recipe for Healthy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bake. Its worth the time and ingredients!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup apple sauce
1 egg
1 1/4 cup oatmeal
1/3 oatbran
mini semi sweet chips sprinkled on top, or mixed in – optional

Instructions:

Beat egg, then mix together all ingredients but the oatmeal and oat bran. Stir in oatmeal, oat bran and mini chocolate chips. Pour batter into greased 8×8 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Admittedly there was a tiny bit of sugar – but not near what I would have baked with in the past. and no dairy at all! I’m fairly proud of this first attempt – especially since my kiddos loved it and begged me to make it again tomorrow! 🙂

Thankfully, the baking rebellion is over.

(This recipe is from Gooseberry Patch, but edited significantly for my purposes. )

in my kitchen · who knows?

Aldi’s pride

February 7, 2015February 7, 2015 melodyanndayLeave a comment

It was only a few weeks ago that I went for the first time to Aldi’s, that is, for my groceries. We had only been home from our Christmas trip for a day, and I needed to stalk up after being away for twelve days.

In a moment of sanity, I thought, you know, I should try Aldi : I have extra time, I need to save back some cash in the budget, and it seems like now would be a good time.

So I did it.

I’d heard from the experts to go slowly so that I could find what I needed – Aldi’s has a lot of their own store brand, which doesn’t always look familiar at first glance. There were plenty of produce selections and other options that I normally would buy – just not in the popular brands you see in commercials.

I left the store with twice the groceries for half the price. My cart filled to the brim, and my heart a little happy, I thought to myself, “Why didn’t I do this sooner!? What a great way to save money! I’m such a good housewife.”

After loading up my car, I walked my cart back to the store front: I even left the quarter behind in the cart’s slot for someone else to use. My step was light walking thru the parking lot, my ego just a little swollen from all the good deeds of the day.

As I drove away, I heard a voice chiding me quietly. I turned up my worship music and sang along so I didn’t have to listen, but it didn’t matter. I knew what it was saying.

Of course I knew WHY I hadn’t gone to Aldi’s before.

You know, I have loved going to Publix for groceries… the store is shiny, spotless, clean. The produce is sparkly and the selection is enormous. The store clerks are super friendly and help you to your car. They know how to make you feel fantastic, even slightly spoiled! But those aren’t the only reasons I went to Publix and not Aldi…

The truth is, I wanted to buy what I wanted without counting the cost. I wanted to shop somewhere that made me feel important. and I wanted everyone to think that we had enough money that saving cash at the grocery store wasn’t necessary.

(As I type this, my thought processes seem a bit foolish and terribly immature… )

Over the last year, as groceries sky-rocketed in cost, I came to realize my idealism (*read pride*) had to end. I needed to be humble ; I had to stop blowing up my grocery budget every week! Do you know what I found? Humility is REALLY HARD when pride is in the way.

So, that’s WHY it took so long for me to start shopping at Aldi’s.

After that first afternoon of bargain shopping, I realized something important ; It is really freeing to not be held hostage by what people think, or what you believe they might think.

Pride is a terrible sin that manipulates our hearts. It might be about trivial things like clothes, body weight or shape, education, workouts, success, performance at work, a well decorated home, – or any other number of important things like our marriage, or our children, spirituality or in my case, where you grocery shop… actions with pride as a motivator – continuing for the sake of what other people think, is a trap. a sinful trap.

There is good news. His name is Jesus. With great love He came to earth, lived and died – and claimed victory over sin and death. That includes victory over one of the most sins to deal with: pride. But His love is strong enough to convince the most prideful, (that would be me) for my need of Him. And his grace extends to forgive me of the ugliest sins.

And guess what?!? Even more good news! This same Jesus frees me from pride by promising that I don’t have to contend with “others”- no matter who that might be! My need to please others or “keep up appearances” can be set aside- and I can do that when I realize just how much He loves me.

Thank you Heavenly Father for being a God who frees me by the power of your Love! Give me grace to live humbly before you because of that love. amen.