Sew God's Grace

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 ...

My friend Michelle gave me this recipe several years ago.  I forgot about it until I found it in a bin in my kitchen recently.  I decided I needed to get it on my blog so that I wouldn't lose it again.  My second daughter, Anna, is a big fan of oatmeal raisin cookies, so we made them today.  Here's the recipe. Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies 4 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups old fashioned oats 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon salt (I omit) 1 cup butter 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup brown sugar 4 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup raisins Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  In a medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients--flour through salt.  In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and eggs and mix until incorporated.  Gradually mix in flour.  Then stir in the raisins. Bake on greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet for ...

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 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...

I was planning to make some cookies for a fall-themed baby shower this weekend, so when I saw some Candy Apple Flavored M&M's, I knew I wanted to try them out in a cookie. Here's the recipe (adapted from this recipe ): Candy Apple M&M Cookies (Yield:  approximately 20-24 cookies) 1 16.5 ounce box yellow cake mix 2 eggs 5 tablespoons butter, melted 1 cup butterscotch chips 1 bag Candy Apple M&M's Beat cake mix, eggs, and butter until blended.  Add butterscotch chips and M&M's.  Refrigerate overnight.  Meanwhile, place remaining M&M's in freezer if you are going to do the optional step below.  Drop by two tablespoon-sized balls on parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes.  Let sit on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Optional:  After the cookies have been baking for 8 minutes, remove from oven and press 2-3 M&M's on top.  This is st...

This recipe takes me back.  When I was growing up, it was a special day when Grandma would make chocolate waffles .  We would eat them with vanilla ice cream drizzled with this caramel sauce. Please note that this makes a very thin sauce.  If you want it thicker, double the cornstarch. Here's the recipe: 1/4 cup butter 1 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 cup cold water 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Melt butter in heavy sauce pan.  Add brown sugar, then cornstarch and water mixture.  Bring slowly to a boil, stirring often.  Remove from heat and add vanilla before serving.  Serve warm. I let mine cool a bit and then put it in a plastic container and stored in the refrigerator.  The butter will separate upon refrigerating.  Simply warm it up in the microwave before serving. Serve this over chocolate waffles and/or some homemade vanilla ice cream ! Looking for other ice cream toppings?  Check out thi...

My daughter Maddie just turned 10, and she really likes horses.  So, when I saw a picture of a cake like this on Pinterest, I knew that I wanted to make one for her birthday party.  I couldn't find any tutorials online for how much frosting to make, etc., so I thought I would post how I did it. It was a pretty easy cake.  Maddie and I baked the cupcakes and had it frosted in an afternoon! You will need: 26 cupcakes (see my recipe below or use your favorite!) 2 recipes  this chocolate frosting 1 recipe this buttercream frosting (you will have extra left over) Cake board (I use a piece of cardboard covered with aluminum foil) Wilton 1 M cupcake frosting tip Frosting bags (Use disposable--you will thank me later at clean up time!) Wilton size 3 tip or larger What to do: 1.  Bake your cupcakes.  I used this recipe from pinterest for modifying a white cake mix.  I used a Funfetti cake mix. To a white cake mix add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sug...

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...

Last year, the kids and I made this to give to their swim teacher after they completed their lessons.  Judging by the number of hits that post got, I thought others might be interested to see what we did for their swim teachers this year. Having just finished two weeks worth of lessons (three hours each morning since I had three in different levels!) we definitely felt like celebrating with some cupcakes.  Since we were finishing up on July 4th, we baked cupcakes in star-spangled cupcake liners.  (Local people, check out the cupcake liners at the General Store in Sharon Springs--I love them!) I put the cupcakes into clear plastic cups after frosting them with red frosting.  The kids were more than happy to help with 4th of July-themed sprinkles (The sprinkles were also from the General Store, just FYI.)  I wrapped the cups in cellophane because I was out of clear plastic treat bags.  I will be stocking up on those because the cellophane was much ha...

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...

Wow!  It has been a while since I last posted anything.  I have lots of pictures taken, but I haven't taken the time to sit down and get anything written out.  Update:  I said that I was going to try a mixed berry filling also.  I made it the other day, and the kids gave it rave reviews also.  Check out the recipe for that as well! My kids love Apple Cinnamon Nutrigrain Bars.  Recently, I have been searching for a homemade substitute to those bars that isn't super labor-intensive and that doesn't involve a ton of butter.  Also, I wanted one that wasn't too crumbly.  By combining two recipes, I think I have come up with just the ticket!  When my kids each had one for snack, they scarfed them down and requested seconds! Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bars Filling:  (From Loving life, one meal at a time ) 2 apples, peeled, cored, and diced 1 tablespoon of butter 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon of cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon...

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...

Our church was preparing care packages for the college students for finals week, and I wanted to make something special to include in them.  I had been wanting to try making pies in mason jars for a long time, so I finally decided to give it a try.  I was inspired by this post here . First wash 12 four ounce mason jars, lids, and rims and dry. Then make one recipe of Aunt Joyce's Pie Crust.  Find the recipe here . Roll out half the dough into a circle and use the ring from your mason jar to cut the tops for your pies. Then press dough on bottom and up the sides of the mason jars.  Place on a baking sheet. Fill with filling of choice.  The recipe I was following recommended 1/2 cup pie filling per pie, but I found that I did not need that much.  I made the apple pie filling adapted slightly from Betty Crocker--8 Granny Smith apples, peeled & chopped, 1/4 cup flour, 2/3 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon each nutmeg & cinnamon.  ...

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 ...

So, my three year old and one year old are napping.  My other three are downstairs watching a movie.  I should be folding laundry, but I wanted to get this post up.  It has been forever since I have added anything to my blog, and I decided that it was time! One of the reasons that I haven't posted anything for a while is because we have been busy working on a project.  My kids love to make pies, and we had been talking about the idea of selling pies around Thanksgiving.  So, we decided to give it a try this year.  We have a young man from our church who is currently in Kolkata, India, doing mission work.  He left this August and will be staying there for three years.  We decided to donate our proceeds to supporting him. We spread the word through our church and through facebook, and this Tuesday we delivered the last of our 65 pie orders!  I was so proud of my kids' hard work and determination. When we first started this project, w...

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...

We are getting ready to make some harvest meals next week, which means that everything needs to be able to be eaten with one hand while operating machinery. One of my husband's favorite desserts is apple pie, so I wanted to make apple pie that could be eaten on the go. I combined a couple of recipes that I found on the web to come up with these tasty little treats. Here's the recipe: Apple Pie Pockets 1 recipe Aunt Joyce's Pie Crust 2 1/2 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and finely chopped 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1 tablespoon flour Approximately 2 tablespoons butter 1 egg white, beaten 2 tablespoons water cinnamon sugar While you are waiting for the oil and water to cool for the pie crust, mix sugar, spices, and flour together in a bowl. Add apples and mix well. Roll out dough between wax paper and cut out circles of dough. I used a plastic container that was nearly five inches in diameter to cut mine out.   I put...

I can't believe that Anna is five already!  I know I say it every year, but where does the time go?  Somehow, when they hit five, they seem so much older than four.  I mean, it's going to be time for kindergarten! For this cake, I made the inside to look like zebra stripes.  You can find the tutorial here .  Then I simply frosted it with white buttercream frosting and put zebra-striped sugar paper around the sides.  (You can find sugar paper at Walmart.  I used my rotary cutter and ruler to cut it instead of buying the fancy tools in the cake aisle.  Then I used a glass as a template to cut a circle for the top of the cake.)  I piped on some pink stars and added a happy birthday wish, and I was done.  It only took my an hour to put together that morning!  I had used the extra batter from making to cakes to bake up a few cupcakes, so I iced those with pink frosting and used the leftover sugar paper to decorate them. Best of...

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...