Archives
Dessert Empanadas {Guest Post by Karen Gentry}
Karen Gentry is back from Where Flours Bloom with another great recipe for fall! Karen filled her empanadas with Apple Butter which seems like a great idea and is plentiful just now, but they can be filled with any kind of pie filling you’d like. The title claims they are “dessert”, but I think they might make a nice treat on a Sunday morning too!
Found this wonderful recipe on Baked by Joanna. These sweet little pies are prefect! You can fry them, but I baked them like Joanna did. Use any filling you like, she used a peach filling. I was fixing to make biscuits for breakfast and apple butter then decided I would make these and fill with apple butter. So glad I did! Yummy!!!
Note: If you use apple butter be sure to refrigerate after they cool.
12 Servings
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup sifted, all-purpose flour
1 cup fruit preserves
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Directions
Day Before: Cream butter and cream cheese together until smoothly blended. Beat in the flour. Shape dough into a smooth ball, wrap in foil or cling wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to a week.
At Baking Time: Remove dough from refrigerator 30 minutes before using. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll chilled dough thin. Cut with a 3 or 4-inch round cookie cutter. Place small spoonful of jam in the center of each round and moisten the edges with water. Fold the round over and press the edges together. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet 15 to 20 minutes. Immediately roll in sugar mixed with cinnamon.
Thanks again Karen! How many of you went out and bought King Arthur’s Flour this week for your homemade bread? My bread is cooling while I type 
I’ve really been enjoying all of Karen’s tips and recipes and I think the family has been too! 
If you’d like to see some of Karen’s other recipes, you can visit her at, Where Flours Bloom.
‘Til next time, sue
The BEST Potty-trainer!!
The World’s Greatest Potty-trainer!
I used to think the worst job of any parent was potty-training!! I dreaded it when my children were growing up and still did when it was our grandchildren’s turn, that was however, until we found the world’s best potty-trainer!!
Several years ago now, John and I were traveling home from vacation and decided to stop for lunch. Just next door from the restaurant was an antique store, so we decided to go in and take a look around before getting started again, and there it was!! All shiny and in great workng condition. At that time our third grandchild was just getting to the age when we would have to start potty-training and so I hit upon the idea to turn this antique gumball machine into the potty-trainer!! After all, I’d tried just about everything else at that point.
It not only worked, it worked in just ONE day!!
The next child in line took just a few days!!
I haven’t read all the expert have to say on it. We may be breaking a few rules, but as long as it works, I’m going to keep on using it! I would recommend you wait until they’re ready and then give it a shot!
- Reaching in for a Quarter
Once their business is done they head for the drawer with the quarters.
Place the quarter into the slot.
Turn the handle until they hear their treasure fall.
Lift the lid and collect their reward.
AND…
Celebrate! “WE DID IT!!”
(Aaah.. success is definitely sweet!)
’Til next time, sue
Linked to: Far Above Rubies,
When At Wit’s End …Start Giving Thanks!
Disney’s Interpretation of Eeyore
I’m sure you must know who this guy is. This is actually Disney’s interpretation of Eeyore from A. A. Milne’s famous book, Winnie-the-Pooh. They’ve cleaned him up a bit, changed his coloring and actually have him smiling. The image on the right, however, is more like how Ernest Howard Shepard actually depicted him in the original book. According to Mr. Shepard, he was supposed to be an old, gloomy, grey donkey.
More like the Original Depiction of Eeyore
Eeyore was always my favorite character from the story. I’m not exactly sure why, but I’ve always found myself rooting for the underdogs and maybe I just felt Eeyore needed to be loved. Though in real life, if I’m honest, I tend to avoid people who are forever gloomy, down, constantly complaining and can never find anything in their lives to be thankful for. From all my observations, these types of people don’t tend to be super popular, so I imagine I’m not the only person who prefers to be around people who are for the most part upbeat, positive and grateful for everyone and everything! I’ve also recently discovered that God feels the same way!
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “God inhabits the praise of His people.” It comes from Psalm 22:3; “And thou art holy, thou that dwells amid the praises of Israel.” I looked up the word, “thanks” and found over 100 references in the Bible! Way too many to include here, so I picked a few of my favorites to share.
Psalms 100:4; “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” This is how we are to come into His presence.
I’d like to show you an incredible example of God inhabiting the praises of His people here in 2 Chronicles. This is when Solomon and the Israelite nation have completed building the temple, and they are dedicating it to God:
2 Chronicles 5:13-14; “ The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang: “He is good; His love endures forever.” Then the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud, 14 and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.”
And again just two chapters later, at the end of Solomon’s prayer and dedication:
2 Chron 7:1-3; “When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 2 The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled it. 3 When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “He is good; His love endures forever.”
Imagine the priest not being able to enter or do the work required of them because God’s presence filled the temple. Do you need to see God at work in your life, especially over a particular situation? I’m beginning to learn that when we want God to be in the midst of our lives or especially a particular situation the best way is NOT to grumble and complain and feel sorry for yourself (Phil 2:14; Jude 1:16). The best way is to start praising Him and giving thanks in the midst of it!! The New Testament is also full of Scriptures encouraging us to give thanks:
Ephesians 5:15; “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Paul was one who could speak from experience! Acts 16 speaks of a time when Paul and Silas had caused a spirit to leave a slave girl, but once her owners realized that the spirit was gone and she would no longer be able to make any money predicting the future, they decided to drag Paul and Silas off to the magistrates of that day. While on the way, the crowd joined the men in beating Paul and Silas, and then again, once before the magistrates, they were ordered to be stripped, severely beaten and flogged and thrown into prison.
To be honest, it would have taken a whole lot less for me to begin to cry out to God that I hadn’t bargained on this kind of treatment when I agreed to dedicate my life to serving Him. I think I would have given Him an earful of my whining at that moment, yet notice how Paul decided to spend their night of captivity:
Acts 16:24-26; “When he received these orders, he put them [Paul & Silas] in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.”
What are you dealing with today? What appears to be out of your control, yet impacts your life everyday? How about finances, loss of a job or salary, chronic illness, wayward or disobedient child? Are there relationships in your life that cause you to lose sleep? Family members, co-workers, neighbors? How have you handled it thus far and how has that been working for you?
There has been something in my life that I have no control over, and for over a year I’ve prayed and whined and have repeatedly asked God to change things more to my liking, until finally the Lord reminded me of these truths. Since, I’ve been praising God that He is so much bigger than the situation and finding the things I can give thanks for, and so far, the situation hasn’t change, but my attitude and my ability to deal with it absolutely has! No more losing sleep. My whole outlook has changed! My heart is light as though it no longer matters, and life as a whole is so much better. I can praise Him and sense His presence much more clearly these days. I love where I’m at, whether He changes things or not. It no longer seems to make a difference on my countenance.
Paul’s final exhortation to the Philippians are ringing true in my life : “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will [mount] guard [over] your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
I want to encourage you, to start praising God and giving thanks for ALL things, and you too will be amazed by the peace that will mount guard over your heart so that though your circumstances don’t change your outlook will.
‘Til next time, sue
Linked To:
A Holy Experience, Women Living Well, Good Morning Girls, Far Above Rubie, Deep Roots at Home, Time Warped Wife
Simply Helping Him, What Joy is Mine
And The Winner To Our First Giveaway Is…
…GENA GOODMAN!!
(Gena, If you would email your address to [email protected] we will mail the book right out to you so that you can have it in time to help plan your holiday parties!
Congratulations & Thank you!!
In truth I wanted to say:
“And the winner is … me and the others connected to the T2 Women! It has been an amazing journey thus far, and we are so grateful you’ve joined us!! It began last spring with a call to start a blog. At the time I didn’t know the first thing about blogging or how many blogs there were already out there. I think if I knew then what I know now, I probably would have found some way to talk myself out of this, but now, after just two months from launching The T2 Women, I wouldn’t give it up for anything!!
It has been an incredible journey so far! I’ve already met and made some new friends from across the country and look forward to meeting many more. I’m still learning how all this works and am so thankful for JD, who designed the blog and keeps it running for us; and my husband, John, who is my photographer and greatest encourager; and the rest of women who help write.
I am also thankful for you, our readers! I’m humbled to know others would actually want to take the time out of their busy lives to read what we’ve posted!!
Most of all, I’m grateful to our Lord Jesus, who pushed me to start this and has encouraged and taught me so much about myself and Him since. What started out for me as an act of obedience has turned into an incredible blessing and isn’t that just like Him?! You think you are doing Him a favor and somehow you end up being the most blessed by it all!
The verses that He has given me since T2 Women’s conception have been Psalm 37: 3-6
3Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
These hold such great promises and I can’t wait to see all He has in store for us in the future!!
Thanks again for joining us!!
God bless you, sue