No Flour Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup Peanut Butter (Creamy)
1 cup Sugar
1 egg

That's it!

In a medium bowl, stir the Peanut Butter a bit first, then stir in the sugar, then the egg.  Spoon onto cookie sheet.  Bake 8-10 mins. @ 350 degrees.

Simple and Excellent!  Without the flour the flavor of the peanut butter really stands out.  The cookie is crisp on the outside with a soft inside.  Yummy Perfection!

I added some flax seed meal to my last batch to make them healthier. :o) It blended in nicely without changing the flavor or texture of the cookie. I wondered if it might make it a little dry.  It didn't. 

One time, I tried using honey in place of the sugar...don't do it!!  It sounds like a good idea but the taste and texture were both NASTY! Sad but true...

Try these...I guarantee you'll love them like we do - and then throw out that recipe with the flour in it... ;o)

Issues

For some reason the place for writing my blogs is all messed up. So, sorry for the last blog (Yellow Cake and Vanilla Buttercream Frosting) looking so horrible and smushed together. Hopefully, I'll get it all fixed soon.

Yellow Cake and Buttercream Frosting

Remember a few posts back when I mentioned finding a recipe for yellow cake - one that promised you would never need a box mix again. Well, I made it for my birthday. Yes, you read that right; when you're a mother of small children you have to orchestrate your own birthday. But no complaints, I had two lovely and very enthusiastic helpers (or taste testers, rather). Any-hoo, I made the cake and I think I agree that it's pretty great. My sister, who doesn't like cake, had a piece, devoured it and said she loved it. A box mix really is lighter but this recipe it the best I've tried to date. Here's the link for the recipe: http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/only-yellow-cake-recipe-youll-ever-135900849.html And here's a Bonus... A tried and true Vanilla Buttercream Frosting curtesy of Clueless in the Kitchen by Evelyn Raab. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together: 1 cup butter, softened 1 tsp vanilla 3 cups powdered sugar 2 tbsp milk Enjoy!!

Father's Day

I was so richly blessed in having a Papa who care so deeply for his girls.  He was a very private man but it was never a secret that we were loved.  I am so grateful for all he taught us; things that today I am teaching to my own children.  It's been over four years now since his passing and he is still greatly missed.

As a believer, I am doubly blessed to have a Heavenly Father who will "never leave me nor forsake me".  I may not have a physical hug from Him but daily know that His arms surround me.

As for the physical hug, I have been given the gift of a wonderful Father-in-law who is always at the ready to give me a "Daddy Hug".  Though no one will ever be able to take the place of my Papa, I know that my Father-in-Law cares for me as his own.  He loves me - I know because he's not shy in telling me so.

Last but not least, I have a husband that is a wonderful and loving father to our own little brood.  He's a compassionate man who would lay down his life for his family.  I love to watch him playing with our little ones, reading to them, encouraging them and giving them lots of cudddles.  He's a very gentle and patient Daddy.

How lucky can one girl be!

Psalm 139

O LORD, you have searched me and known me!

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

you discern my thoughts from afar.

You search out my path and my lying down

and are acquainted with all my ways.

Even before a word is on my tongue,

behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.

You hem me in, behind and before,

and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

it is high; I cannot attain it.

Where shall I go from your Spirit:

Or where shall I flee from your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, you are there!

If I take the wings of the morning

and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

even there your hand shall lead me,

and Your right hand shall hold me.

If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me,

and the light about me be night,"

even the darkness is not dark to you;

the night is bright as the day,

for darkness is as light with you.

For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are you works;

my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there were none of them.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O GOD!

How vast is the sum of them!

If I would count them, they are more than the sand.

I awake, and I and I am still with you.

O that you would slay the wicked, O God!

O men of blood, depart from me!

They speak against you with malicious intent;

your enemies take your name in vain!

 Do I not hate those who rise up against you?

I hat them wiht complete hatred;

I count them my enemies.

Search me, O GOD, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting!

Lemon Pound Cake

As promised, here is the best Lemon Pound Cake that I have found to date.  It's a great one for the summer time.  I've given you the link instead of writing it down here to: 1. save time, 2. they include more information and recipes (I only baked the cake) along with some mouth watering photos and 3. to give credit where credit is due.

When I made this cake, I baked just the lb cake; they add a lemon syrup and also a lemon glaze to their cake.  This would defiantly make it a very lemony cake since the plain cake has quite a lovely lemon flavor all it's own without the added syrup and glaze.

The recipe calls for 6-8 large lemons, I used 2-3 small to medium lemons and 2 tangerines and was pleased with the results.

Check out the link and try out the recipe!  If you try it let me know what you think.  Also, if you try the syrup and/or glaze let me know what you thought about the results, flavor, texture (I think the syrup would make the cake a bit soggy) etc.

http://happygoodtime.com/2013/02/19/buttery-meyer-lemon-bundt-cake/

For the future, I just found a recipe claiming to be the only yellow cake recipe you'll ever need.  I plan to test it out (perhaps for my birthday!) and I'll report back if it's all it's cracked up to be.  'Cause honestly, I'd rather do scratch then box!

"Beach Pants"

My niece, two and a half, is a great admirer of "Curious George".  One episode that has stood out most to her was one that told the story of George at the beach.  One day her mother had a box of clothes to go to the consignment shop, but my niece saw a pair of pants and declared them her "Beach Pants".  Therefore, she has had one main goal in life....to go to the beach like George in her beach pants.

This weekend she came to our house with her parents and baby brother.  We all spent a glorious day at the beach - and yes, she wore her special beach pants.  It was wonderful to watch the kids playing together in the sand - building sand castles, digging holes, chasing waves.

My sister and I remembered days gone by when we went to the beach with our cousins.  What a blessing for my sister and I to watch our children laughing and playing together; building memories to last a lifetime while she and I made new memories together with our growing families.

We all had a blast and my niece was finally able to wear her beach pants in their proper setting.  A day well spent!