Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

 

If you are looking for a quick and easy dessert to make this Labor Day weekend that looks like you have spent a long time making it and put great effort into it try my mom's recipe for Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.  Yes, it is a good as it looks and it is super easy to make!

Ingredients:
1 stick of melted butter (I melt it right in the bottom of my 9x13" cake pan in the preheated oven for a few minutes)
Brown Sugar - probably 1 cup
Pineapples - rings or crushed
Maraschino cherries
1 box of Yellow Cake Mix (any brand)

Directions:
**  Prepare cake mix as directed on box
**  In bottom of 9x13" cake pan put butter, brown sugar (enough to cover the entire bottom of pan), pineapple (and a small amount of juice - probably 1/4 - 1/2 cup), and cherries then pour your cake mix batter over it and bake it according to box instructions.
**  When cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan then flip it upside-down onto your cake board and enjoy!

Note:
In the picture above I used both pineapple rings and crushed pineapple around the rings.  I have used only crushed pineapple with and without cherries and I have used rings without putting the crushed pineapple around them and it all tastes great.  Just experiment and see what you like.  Personally I think this version "Looks" the best but like I said they all taste delicious!

I am wandering, if this type of cake is specific to my location (South Eastern United States) or do any of you have a similar cake to this that you make and love? 

A Day in the Life of a CrAzY Stay-at-Home Soccer Mom

My alarm is set for 5 am each week day morning.  After a couple slaps of the snooze button my husband and I role out of bed around 5:20 am.  First thing I do is head to the kitchen to pack my husbands lunch for work and fix his breakfast.  I would like to say that breakfast is some huge spread of gravy, biscuits, fried apples, bacon, eggs, etc... and occasionally it is BUT more often than not it is a sausage biscuit I throw together, a piece of banana bread or even a Little Debbie oatmeal cake.  LOL 

My husband leaves for work and I wake my boys up for school at 6 - sometimes by spritzing them with the water bottle (mean, I know!), sometimes by tickling their feet or yelling at them but I try to always be very chipper and wake them up by singing silly wake up songs that usually annoy them enough that they get up just so I will STOP singing.  Hey, whatever works!  :) 

My boys hurry through their getting dressed, eating (usually a bowl of cereal for them), brushing their teeth routine hopefully leaving enough time to read a verse or two in their bibles before heading out the door to catch the bus at the early time of 6:30.  I walk my boys outside and wait with them where I love on them, snuggle on cold mornings and we pray together for God's blessings and protection on their day. 

Now my REAL day begins.  Depending on the day of the week I may be grocery shopping, running errands, working at one of my boys schools, doing laundry, cleaning my house, etc... but before I get busy doing that I try to have my morning bible reading and devotion time and some breakfast for myself.  Most days I eat a granola bar and drink a diet Pepsi driving myself to the days destination spot and read my bible while waiting on one of the boys to finish with their soccer practice or before falling asleep late at night. 

Our evenings are a blur of homework, soccer games, soccer practices, feeding our animals, church and eating dinner (sometimes right before bed - at least through soccer season) and before we know it is time for showers, to pack back packs, read and head to bed so we can be ready for another CrAzY day tomorrow.  Do you know what?  I would not change this season of my life right now for anything because while it is a challenge as we are going through it I know that it will be over entirely too soon and I will long for CrAzY soccer mom days. 

You can check out what some other mom's days look like in this series "A Day in the Life" over at www.day2dayjoys.com and www.thepurposefulmom.com

 

 

 

Spend Time With God

                 
This past week for our family has been super full and super busy.  Besides all of the normal running and things that need tended to on a daily and weekly basis my oldest sons soccer games and practice have us running seriously all the time and my youngest son's hasn't even started yet.  YIKES!!! 

I know that as the next few weeks move forward it is going to continue to be somewhat crazy around here which makes this stay at home mom really have to be on her toes to get all the laundry done, house cleaned, food prepared, help with homework, etc... and I really have to believe God to help me make the most of my time that I have.  Ephesians 5:16  says making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 

I also have to remember not to fall into the trap that Satan would like me to by forgetting to spend my personal time with God.  We can get so busy that we forget all about reading our bible or praying and that my friends is not good.  I am speaking from experience here, our days and weeks will run more smoothly if we just stop, sit down with a good cup of coffee and our bible and make some time to read God's Word and Pray.

We need to remember to put first things first.  Turn your day over to Him and He will help you accomplish all that you need to get done and will bless it in the process.

I have been reading and meditating on Matthew 6:25-34 lately, why don't you join with me this week and read along?

                          


Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)
²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Friendship Bread Baking Day

I have spent a big portion of today baking Friendship Bread.  It is so yummy and delicious.  I baked 6 loaves.  Two of each of the following - Plain (which is more like a cinnamon bread), Apple Cinnamon and Cinnamon Streusal and I have one starter to keep for myself and one to pass along to a friend.  You can freeze the bread (which is what I am doing with some) and have it anytime you want a snack. 



                                      Left side is the Plain Batch and Right side is the Cinnamon Streusal
                                                            Apple Cinnamon is still baking.

Here is the direct link to the recipe and all the different variations you can make.  Thank you Ma Bacon for sharing!

Friendship Bread Recipe and Baking Variations

Enjoy!

My Version of Zuppa Toscana Soup

Zuppa Toscana Soup from Olive Garden  (My Version)

1 pound Italian sausage
1 pound bacon
5 pounds of potato’s
Water
5 or 6 chicken bouillon cubes
3 or 4 cloves of garlic
1 large onion
Kale
Heavy whipping cream (at least 2 cups)
Salt and pepper
Red pepper flakes

** Cook sausage until done breaking it into small crumbles as it cooks. Drain and set aside.

** Cook bacon, drain and set aside.

** Chop potato’s and onion and put in a large pot with water. Add in bouillon cubes and garlic cloves and cook until potato’s are tender but not mushy.

** Add crumbled sausage and bacon into soup mixture. Simmer about 10 minutes.

** Add Kale and cream to pot.

** Season with salt and pepper and red pepper flakes if you want to add a little heat.

** Heat thoroughly and enjoy!

This is great served with a salad and breadsticks for a complete meal.

You can also make this in your crockpot so it is ready for you when you get home. Just make the bacon and sausage ahead of time and refrigerate. Add in your bacon, sausage, cream, kale about 30 minutes before you are ready to eat.

Best EVER Banana Bread

Several years ago a friend shared her yummy banana bread recipe with me and our family LOVES it!  It has cream cheese in it and if you want my opinion anything with cream cheese is delicious.  I hope you enjoy it as well. 

3/4 cups butter, softened

1 - 8 oz. block cream cheese

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

3 cups flour

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 medium)

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

**Cream together butter and cream cheese, gradually add sugar beating until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time beating just until blended.

**Gradually add flour to sugar mixture, beating at low speed just until blended.  Stir in bananas, nuts and vanilla. 

**Spoon into 2 greased and floured loaf pans.

**Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a knife inserted comes out clean.  Shield during last 20 minutes of baking to prevent over browning the top. 

(If using all purpose flour - add in 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp baking soda)

Each batch will make enough for either 2 loaves or 1 loaf and a dozen muffins.

 

Addition to the Recipe:

 

Ok, I didn't think this bread could get any better than it already was but I was wrong.  I made up a batch today to use up some ripe banana's and I added 1/2 cup of applesauce and 1 small box of vanilla pudding which made it even more moist and soft.  YUMMO!

I Want Them to See Jesus in Us

One of the absolute sweetest memories I have of Joey, my oldest son playing soccer when he was little was that when he was on the field playing and I mean really playing - he could be in the process of running the ball down the field to score a goal but if he caught a glimpse of me on the sidelines with my camera in hand he would STOP dead in his tracks and smile for the photo.  Cute?  Yes.  Did everyone think it was sweet?  Of course.  Was it a good thing for him to do while playing a game?  Not at all!  He did that because I like to take a lot of pictures especially of my family and I have had a camera in his face since he was born.  For him it was natural - see camera - stop and smile for mom.  Needless to say we had to explain to him that when he was playing ball he should focus on that and not me.

Anyway, as I was reminiscing of times gone by and of all the pictures I have of the boys I began to think about what picture I want people to see.  Outside people and family when they look at my life, at my kids, my husband, our family life and our home.  When people look at or think of us I want them more than anything else to see JESUS! 

I want them to feel at peace in our presence and to feel loved in a great way.  I want our attitudes, appearance, actions and home to reflect God and His Love.  I have always wanted our house to be "safe place" for my children, family and my kids friends.  A place where we can have fun and pray through issues they may be facing.  A place where we sometimes suffer the consequences for our actions but a place that love, unconditional love is always flowing out to them. 

Ephesians 5:1  Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

Genesis 1:27  So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them. 

Romans 5:5  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Philippians 4:7  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I want this not so people will think we are anything special because by ourselves we are nothing but because we have God in our hearts and because we live each day for Him we are special.

He says so in 1 Peter 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

What about you?  What image do you want people to see when they think of you and your family?  Or better yet - What image are they seeing right now that we all might need to work on? 

Ready, Set, Go!

Do you ever just feel like your in a race and life is speeding by so fast that you barely have time to breathe?

Lately, that is how things have been for me.  I am feeling more scatter brained with each passing day. 

Our normal daily routine is about to kick into high gear as the new school year quickly rushes towards us. 

As I have said before I am a stay-at-home mom but I will be volunteering one day a week in the high school office and at the middle school where my youngest will be attending I am starting my fourth year as the Parent Volunteer Coordinator which is basically a volunteer that works closely with the county, school and parents. 

Each year at this time I begin to think about my new daily and weekly routine and I try to map out our school year.  This time my oldest son is playing high school sports so that adds a lot of extra running to the mix.  Until now both boys have played on youth and recreational leagues which take up way less time than school sports. 

I am praying for God to help me make the most of each day and to get everything completed that I need to.  Ephesians 5:16 says  making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

My brain works best with organization so this week before school starts back here are some things that I am working on to get our school year off and running with a great start:

1. Making a master list(s) of things I need to do both at home and at the school
2. Writing in my personal planner and also our family calendar - adding things like the school calendar, sports schedules and other misc. things I know will be coming up such as family gatherings and church events
3. Sitting down with paper and pen and jotting down my basic weekly cleaning plan and my basic weekly routine for example what day I will clean, grocery shop and run errands, etc...
4. I am making a detailed prayer list for this school year for each child like Stormie Omartian talks about in her book The Power of a Praying Parent.

What kind of things do you do as the fall approaches and the new school year starts to get you organized and help you to stay on top of things?