Sew God's Grace

I used to be intimidated by the thought of making scones.  However, once I tried it I discovered that they are relatively easy.  The few tips that I will offer include keeping your ingredients cold and using the food processor to cut the butter into the flour.  (I have never been one for doing this step by hand!)  So grab your ingredients, and you can have fresh, homemade scones on the table for breakfast in about half and hour! Chocolate Chip Scones (adapted from this recipe) 2 cups all purpose flour 2 Tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup butter, chilled 1/2 to 1 cup miniature chocolate chips 1 egg, beaten 1/2 cup half and half (the original recipe calls for milk, so go for it if you don't have half and half on hand!) Course sugar, optional Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and prepare a large baking sheet by placing parchment paper on top or lightly greasing.  Whisk egg and half and half in a small bowl and place in the fr...

I've made these brownies quite a bit, especially since my oldest has started eating grain and dairy free.  They are quick to throw together and are even enjoyed by my non-Paleo eaters.  Here's the recipe (slightly modified from this recipe ): Paleo Brownies 6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted 3 eggs, room temperature 3/4 cup cocoa powder 3/4 almond butter (we use no sugar added) 2/3 cup honey 3/8 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 1/4 cup mini enjoy life chocolate chips, optional Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease a 7 by 10 inch pan with coconut oil.   Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips in food processor and mix until well-blended.  Spread into prepared pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips if desired. Bake 28 to 30 minutes or until center is almost set.  Let cool, and store in the fridge until devoured!  Enjoy!

This year, our school did not have an official eighth grade promotion celebration due to COVID-19 restrictions.  However, I wanted to have a small celebration with close family at our house to celebrate my oldest son's eighth grade promotion.  I asked him what kind of cake he wanted, and he requested a chocolate chip cookie dough cake.  My sister-in-law had made one for my nephew's birthday a while back, and it was a hit!  I made the recipe that my sister-in-law used with a few tweaks.  Since some of my other children have already asked me to make it again, I wanted to get everything down in my blog for future reference. The original recipe can be found here , and it uses a boxed cake mix.  I have no problem with that, but I decided to use my friend's homemade chocolate cake recipe.  I think it produces a little denser cake that holds up better to that thick cookie dough layer.  I also used the option to bake two 9 inch round cakes instead ...

Sometimes the best recipes happen a little by accident.  In my family, my grandma was legendary for having to make substitutions in recipes because she was out of something.  Once when making jam, she didn't have enough wild grape juice or sand hill plum juice left to make a batch of jelly.  She and my brother decided to combine the remaining juices together to make one last batch.  They called it "grum," and it was a family favorite. Another time, when making a chocolate pie, she had to improvise.  She always said that it was the best pie she ever made.  The problem was, she couldn't remember what she had done differently, so she was never able to recreate it. Fast forward several years to my kitchen. . . My husband was getting ready to take my older kids in to the high school basketball games one night.  My oldest son, ever the sweets connoisseur, happened to mention, "They have the best scotcheroos there.  And they're really big!" My...

I have made this recipe so many times that I have it memorized!  The kids love these granola bars, and they are relatively easy.  I have adapted the recipe to make a large batch so that it lasts at least a week in my house.  You can halve it for a 9 by 13 sized pan or quarter it for an 8 by 8. Our Favorite Granola Bars (adapted from this recipe ) 2 cups honey 3 cups creamy peanut butter 1 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 8 cups quick oats 6 cups rice crispies or Cheerios or a combination of both 1/2 to 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips, place in freezer preferably the night before (use Enjoy Life brand to keep dairy free) Combine honey, peanut butter, and brown sugar in a large microwave--safe bowl or pitcher.  Microwave for two minutes, stir, then microwave 2 minutes again and stir to combine.  (My microwave is 900 watts, so you may need to adjust your microwave times.  You want a nice, consistent mixture with the sugar dissolved.).  Stir ...

I have made a lot of different chocolate chip cookie recipes over the years, but these are by far my family's favorite!  I have made them so many times that I have the recipe memorized.  Recently, we were in Colorado at my husband's parents' vacation home, and of course we had the need for some homemade cookies.  They looked so pretty on the counter that I thought I'd better get a picture so that I could share the recipe here. Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, slightly softened  (see note) 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup white sugar 1 small box instant vanilla pudding (3.4 ounce size) 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 1/4 cups flour (see note) 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt, optional 2 cups chocolate chips Cream butter, sugars, and pudding mix for 2-3 minutes in electric mixer.  Meanwhile, mix flour, baking soda, and salt if using.  Crack eggs into a separate container and add vanilla.  Add to butter mixt...

Do any of you remember the cartoon Fat Albert?  "Hey, Hey, Hey. . It's Faaat Albert!"  Probably not too politically correct today.  Anyway, I don't remember much about the cartoon show, but I do remember watching the Halloween special for Fat Albert and eating chocolate peanut butter chip cookies that my mom had made.  I started thinking about that when I was making these cookies.  It's funny how our memories can be tied into food, isn't it? I am still working on fall-themed cookies for the baby shower that I am helping with for this weekend.  I thought these would be a neat addition, and I was really happy with how they turned out.  My littlest, Grant, obviously thought they looked tasty, because he started asking for one as soon as they came out of the oven! Here's the recipe (adapted from  this recipe ): Candy Corn M&M Cookies (Yield:  approximately 20-24 cookies) 1 16.5 ounce box chocolate cake mix  (I used Duncan ...

Since my sister-in-law had a baby in December, she has cut out dairy from her diet because he seems to get fussy when she eats it.  This means--gasp!!--she can't have chocolate.  So, of course, I thought I should help her out by making her some homemade, dairy-free dark chocolate.  Homemade Dark Chocolate (Adapted from this recipe ) 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted 1/4 cup coconut butter, softened 1/2 cup cocoa Approximately 2 tablespoons honey 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Hefty shake cinnamon Melt your coconut oil over low heat in a small skillet while you assemble the rest of your ingredients.  Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl or pitcher.  I just eyeball the amount of honey.  Taste and add more honey if needed.  Don't freak out at the texture--it is much better when it sets up!  Pour into lined mini muffin cups or use a silicon tray.  I like this one from Amazon. Place in the refrigerator or freezer and allow...

For Evan's eighth birthday, he wanted a tractor and grain cart cake.  This is what I came up with.  Though I didn't take pictures as I was making it, I think I can describe the steps for it. You will need: 1 Funfetti (or your favorite) cake mix, prepared and baked as directed in a 9 by 13 pan 2 batches  one bowl chocolate cake .  Fill 9 by 13 pan 2/3 - 3/4 full.  You will have a little bit of batter left over. 2 mini donuts--use chocolate covered if you don't want to cover them with modeling chocolate. 4 large donuts.  I could not find large chocolate-covered donuts, so I ended up baking my own. Candy corn 3 batches Wilton Buttercream frosting (or 9 cups of your favorite cake-decorating frosting.) Gel food coloring--leaf green, orange, lemon yellow, and black 1 batch semisweet modeling chocolate , colored black # 3 and #16 decorating tips Frosting bags and couplers--make it easy on yourself and use disposable! 8 inch 2 by 4 board 6 inch 2...

This was one of my favorite candies that we would make around Christmas when I was growing up.  It is so easy and delicious.  It combines peanut butter and chocolate, so need I say more? Tiger Butter 2 pounds almond bark 1 cup peanut butter (you can use smooth or crunchy) 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips Grease a 9 by 13 or 10 by 15 inch pan, depending on how thick you want the candy to be.  I usually make it in a 9 by 13 so that it is about an inch thick.  Melt almond bark in microwave or on stove top according to package directions.  Add peanut butter and stir until smooth.  Spread into prepared pan.  Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips on top.  Let sit for a few minutes or until chips soften and begin to melt.  Use a knife to swirl the chocolate into the candy.  Cool until firm, then cut or break into bit-sized chunks. Note:  sometimes my chocolate chips don't melt.  When that happens, I just pop the pan into th...

I had seen this idea on Pinterest, so when I saw these darling folk star cookies cutters at our local general store, I knew I had to give it a try. After I washed and dried the cookie cutters, I made up a batch of Grandma's recipe for easy fudge (recipe below).  I sprayed a small glass dish (since I was only making three of these) with cooking spray and also sprayed the insides of the cookie cutters. I carefully spooned the fudge into the cutters and used the spoon to level it out and make sure that the corners were filled. Yes, a little will come out of the bottom, but it will clean up easily later.  Then I covered these and refrigerated them overnight.  (The remaining fudge I placed in a greased 8 by 8 inch pan.) I removed the excess fudge from the bottom and used a paper towel to wipe the outsides of the cookie cutters clean. Then I placed them in a clear treat bag and tied it up with a raffia bow.  Easy enough.  I originally started with ...

What's better than a big bowl of ice cream? Some ice cream with hot fudge on top! We would have this recipe often growing up. My grandma had an old-fashioned fondue pot that she would heat it up in. I usually use the microwave now, but you can throw the ingredients into a crock pot to have ready whenever the meal is over. When you have guests, setting up a sundae bar is a simple and yummy dessert that everyone enjoys!  I served this the other night to my kids with their choice of sprinkles, M & M's, and/or mini Reeces Pieces to put on top.  They each choose all of them!  You should have seen the looks on their faces when I piled it all on and handed it to them.  Yum in a bowl!  Here's the recipe: Super Simple Hot Fudge Sauce 1 cup chocolate chips 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vanilla Place chocolate chips and butter into microwave-safe container. Microwave about 45 seconds, stirring after 30 second...

I found this recipe on Six Sisters' Stuff.  I love their blog!  I have probably made at least two dozen of their recipes, if not more.  Not to mention the massive amount of ideas/recipes from them that I have on my Pinterest Boards!  I love this recipe because you don't have to run the mixer--it just stirs up easily.  (aka, we can whip these out during nap time without making too much noise!)  Plus they are just so fun!  You could easily add seasonal sprinkles to fit any holiday you could imagine.  Anna, my five year old, was pretty excited to show Daddy the cookies that she made "all by herself"! Here's the recipe (modified slightly from here .) Funfetti Cake Batter Cookies 1 box, 18.25 ounces, Funfetti Cake Mix 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 eggs 1/2 cup canola oil 1 cup white chocolate chips (chocolate chips are also delicious in these!) 1/2 cup sprinkles Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place cake mix in large bowl.  S...

I was discussing cookie recipes recently with a friend, and she mentioned that Chip & Putter Cookies were one of her family's favorites.  I, of course, requested the recipe.  I mean, what a great name!  So she graciously shared the recipe for these delicious peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies. "Chip & Putter" Cookies (Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies) 2 1/2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup peanut butter 1 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 12 ounce dark chocolate chips (or any flavor chocolate chips that you like!) Stir flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.  Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Blend in flour mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Cover and refrigerate dough for at least three hours or overnight.  Shape into large balls (around two tablespoons) and place...

When I asked Anna what she would like to do to help celebrate her fifth birthday, she said that she wanted a tea party.  So, once school was out for the summer, that is what we did!  Though it's not my strong suit, I actually managed to do some decorating!  I found some great free printables online.  I used the banner and place cards for our guests.  You can find them  here.   I also made some  tissue paper flowers .  I was trying to figure out how to hang them without putting pushpins in our ceiling.  My husband and I came up with the idea of hanging them from the ceiling fan blades. I got out my good china and everything! When the girls arrived at 10:00 that morning, they all went downstairs to decorate foam crowns.  (I found them at Walmart in the kids' crafts section.) Then we came upstairs for tea! I've served my girls tea before.  I've put ice cubes in it so it won't be too hot and put in lots of ho...

Who doesn't love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate?  I came up with this recipe by combining my recipe for Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars and this one found here . Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars For the Cookie Dough: 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup shortening 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 1/2 cups flour 1/3 cup cocoa 1 cup Reese's peanut butter chips 1 cup Nestle Dark Chocolate Chips For the Cheesecake: 2 package cream cheese (8 oz.) 1 cup sugar 2 egg 1/2 cups peanut butter For the topping: 1/4 cup Reese's peanut butter chips 1/4 cup chocolate chips 1 teaspoon shortening In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening, and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and salt and cream again. Sift together the baking soda, flour, and cocoa. Slowly add to the butter mixture until incorporated. St...

Every now and again, I like to do something over the top. Last Saturday night was one of those times. I was taking suggestions for ideas what to make for supper for Valentine's Day (I'm serving Matt and the kids a candlelight dinner!) and Matt suggested chocolate waffles. Well, I already had something in mind for a special dessert, and, since chocolate waffles are basically a dessert in itself, I didn't want to make them for Valentine's Day supper. However, I couldn't get chocolate waffles out of my head, so I whipped some up for supper on Saturday night. Before you begin, please know that this is not exactly a quick and easy recipe like many of the recipes I post. While not that hard, it is a bit more time consuming, and you will need to use several bowls. When I was growing up, my grandma would make these waffles for dessert. We would eat them with vanilla ice cream and homemade caramel sauce (recipe to come soon!). Yum! Just thinking about it ma...

I had to publish this picture because, well, I don't make cookies often. And, when I make cookies, I usually don't make ones that have several steps to prepare. Well, for Christmas this year, I did! I think these are one of the prettiest cookies that I have ever made. They were delicious, too! My brother thought they reminded him of a Girl Scout Samoa cookie minus the coconut. I think these cookies would perfectly grace a Christmas cookie plate. They would also be a great addition to a baby or bridal shower. What I love about these cookies: 1. They're yummy! 2. They're pretty! 3. Though it recipe had several steps, they were not that hard to do. 4. It made a small batch, so it did not take that long. I did not need that many for my family Christmas gathering. You may need to double or triple this recipe if you need lots of cookies! Here's the recipe from The Kitchen is My Playground (I love the name of this blog!) Cookie: 1 c. all-pu...

The kids and I made this delicious popcorn for Christmas gifts this year. My eight year old spent a lot of time learning to curl ribbon with a scissors as we packaged various homemade gifts. This recipe contains one of my favorite combinations--chocolate and mint. Except for a few years after I was pregnant with Maddie and developed an extreme aversion to peppermint (I was so thankful for cinnamon-flavored toothpaste or I would have been concocting my own blend!), my favorite flavor of ice cream has been mint chocolate chip. So, what better way to improve on oreo popcorn than by adding a little peppermint flavor? I was completely into peppermint this Christmas season! (You should have seen all the recipes I was collecting on my Pinterest boards!) Here's the recipe: Oreo Peppermint Popcorn (adapted from Plain Chicken) 18 cups air-popped popcorn 1 24 ounce package almond bark 20 oreos, crushed 1/2 cup finely crushed candy canes or other peppermint candy Place po...

Growing up, I never had anything but the Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa packets.  I always wanted to get the ones with the mini marshmallows in it even though by the time I got my cocoa mixed up they had almost melted away.  So, when I tasted my mother-in-law's deliciously-creamy cocoa, I had to have the recipe for the mix! My kids often request this after they come in from playing outdoors.  Put it in a cute container or bag, and it makes a great Christmas gift!  I packaged mine up with some homemade peppermint marshmallows this year! I have recently updated this recipe with homemade versions of the powdered Nesquik and creamer.  My kids and I like it even better than the original--it's cheaper, too! World's Best Hot Cocoa Mix (adapted from Gloria Woodmancy's recipe in Sharon Springs United Methodist Cookbook) 1 (2.54 pound) canister Nesquik chocolate powder  (Use this recipe for homemade.  I think it took about a quadruple batch to equal 2 1/2 po...