TheKitchenCookie

So a few weeks ago we braved Shelf Road. What an intense place! In the heart of the mountain. Rugged, beautiful, and just a tad terrifying but not something you want to miss if you have even one adventurous bone in your body!   And yes, whoever gave it its name wasn't kidding! Shelf . Road. Definitely fits!      An above ground Gold Mine just outside the town of Cripple Creek that looks like a small "hill" on the side of the mountain when viewed from our front windows but up close and personal it is much, MUCH larger than it appears from said windows!     Happy Monday!  Be Blessed!

  So thankful for The Word!   It brings PEACE and worries fade, It breathes TRUTH and lies dispel It is LIGHT and makes darkness cease To BELIEVE and TRUST it means TO CHANGE!   ♥Blessings!♥  

  Need a quickie dessert for the weekend that will disappear before the Monday diet begins again? lol   I was in my kitchen yesterday thinking I really should bake something but not in the mood for the usual chocolate chip whatever when I had a flash of brilliance. Why not use the strawberries in the fridge for something besides pie (as easy as it is, I'm not a huge fan of crust making) but for something quick and yummy that I don't normally make?   Delights are quick and easy but that center part in all of it's sugary glory is always somewhat of a downer. So I had the idea to try it with an extra block cream cheese and dry instant white chocolate pudding. Still a far cry from healthy but not super sweet like usual. It was delicious and yes they, notice I said THEY, ate most of it for supper! Okaay! I had some too, because the cook always needs to taste new things, right? but in this case I could have avoided it because it tasted just like I thought it would. N

Because of His great mercies we are not consumed      they are new every morning, great is His Faithfulness!                                                                                                We are coming up on two months since our move from PA to CO. We are enjoying it very much! Lack of humidity, "rat race," (that's usually a choice btw) less traffic, (Serena and I laugh when we go to town and meet 5 vehicles on the road that leads to civilization we comment that 'it's really busy today!) peace and quiet, God's AMAZING unaltered Creation! We feel blessed to be here at this time in our lives.   Some of you have expressed an interest in 'seeing your house'. We live in a lovely house high in the mountains and we'd love to play host to you and introduce you to some real, raw beauty if you should care to visit. I guess a house parade isn't really my thing and seems unimportant and materialistic to me

  Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Psalm 107:8&9

New to the line up of cheesecakes is this simple but tasty one. No peanut butter like the other Snickers one I have made. Just a lovely, lighter caramel-y cake with chopped Snickers Bars. What's not to like about that?! For a 10 inch size: Turn oven to 300°. Place a small pan of water on the bottom oven rack. Prepare Spring Form pan lining the bottom with Parchment Paper, trimming the excess around the outside and lightly spraying the pan sides and bottom with non stick spray. Set aside Crust:  2½ cups crushed chocolate cookie crumbs 6 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into chunks Place into food processor and process until completely incorporated. Press onto the bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 7-8 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. For the cheesecake: 48 oz. cream cheese, room temp. 1½ cups brown sugar 6 large eggs ½ cup sour cream 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour 4-5 fun size Snickers candy bars, cut into s

    I reached into the bag of potatoes and was greeted by this gal! Ha I thought of Betsy immediately! It's been a while since she 'met someone' in her kitchen. :)                                                                                           Yes, I adore them!! After several weeks of absence they are back... and just as beautiful as ever! And the perky little sparrow is pretty cute too! Newsboy - His Eye Is On Sparrow - YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crq18bnfBpA And a new favorite song to go with the photo.☺     And the moon! That moon was really cool tonight! Just a 'fingernail' but with the whole moon visible as a shadow? With a planet? and a Star? for company? Yes, very nifty!     Stay warm - and be Blessed! ♥       

Last week Nuts.com   asked, "Would I like to create a recipe using almonds or almond flour to promote the health benefits of one of my favorite on-the-go snacks?" Yes! How could I say no? I love almonds in a lot of things like desserts, salads, snacks, granolas, or just by themselves roasted or raw. They're just yummy. Turns out they are good for you too! I wanted to keep the recipe simple so I decided to use a shortbread crust highlighting almond flour as the main ingredient and using a mousse to cut down on time in the kitchen. The combination of slightly salty, crumbly crust paired with the sweet mousse is perfect. I kept the mocha flavor very mild to accommodate my husbands taste buds. (he likes the smell of coffee but not the taste) so if you like a chocolate mousse without a mocha flavor this is a good one for you as well. Crust: 1-1/3 cups Almond Meal(flour) 1 cup all purpose flour 6 Tablespoons cane sugar ½ teaspoon salt 8 Tablespoons cold butte

Who likes a great strawberry lemonade? (raises hand) Who thinks boiling water and sugar for a simple syrup is a waste of time? (raises both hands) I've been trying to use up the frozen berries in my freezers and found some crushed strawberries from a while ago and decided to make a kind of Copycat Speckled Lemonade like the kids always get at Red Robin. It's super easy. Super yummy. And takes almost no time to make. For 2 gallons of lemonade place 3 pints of thawed, crushed berries into a high speed blender (I used a Ninja) and blend until smooth. Using the Country Time Lemonade mix, measure according to directions adding 2 extra scoops per gallon. Fill half full with water. Stir. Divide the blended berries among the two gallon containers then fill completely with water. Stir and enjoy. ♥♥♥ Be Blessed! 

Happy 16th Birthday to Anthony!     Where, exactly, has the time been going?! I must say that I am enjoying our teen boys immensely and love the stage of life we are in!   A few weeks ago I asked Anthony what kind of party he wanted and gave him a few days to think about it and offered 3 different scenarios. After thinking about it he said he doesn't want a party. I will admit I was rather deflated. I mean, what 16 year old doesn't want a party...all about them... but alas he was adamant. No party!   So this morning I tried a different tactic. I still couldn't quite let it go. I'm a Mom, after all! I love to celebrate my kids! :)   Me: what are you doing at 2:30 at school today? Him: Study Hall. Me: How many kids are in there with you? Him: There's actually quite a few at that time.   S udden realization hits him.   Him: You're not thinking of bringing something are you? Me: Oh it crossed my mind. Him: No Mom, don't!