ICEBOX CAKE???

I have been hearing about an old fashioned dessert called "Icebox cake"...made of graham crackers and pudding and I guess it tastes fantastic. So I thought I would hunt down a recipe and give it a try. To be honest it didn't sound like it would be that great...but was I wrong! I made this dessert on Sunday night ( recipe suggested to keep in fridge for 2-3 days) and on Tuesday we had it with everyone..they loved it and so did I!

THELMA'S CHOCOLATE ECLAIR

1/2 box (8 oz.) graham crackers

2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) instant vanilla pudding

3 1/2 cups milk

1 (8oz.) cool whip

2 squares (1 oz. each) semisweet chocolate

2 T. butter

1 tsp. light corn syrup

3 T. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 -1/2 cups confections sugar

Cover bottom of 13x 9 baking pan with whole graham crackers, set aside. Combine pudding mixes and milk. fold in cool whip. Spread over graham crackers. Top with another layer of crackers. In a saucepan, melt chocolate and butter. Remove from the heat and add remaining ingredients. Spread over top graham cracker layer. Cover and refrigerate. Dessert is best made 2-3 days ahead of time. Yield: 12-15 servings.

My Upbringing.... quite the Adventure!! Part 1

Several weeks ago I was visiting with my mom and we got on the subject of all the places we moved throughout my childhood. I grabbed a piece of paper and began to scribble down everything she and I could remember about where we started and little details of what we did there.
You see my dad and mom were called into the ministry shortly after I was born. My dad decided to go to Bible College in Springfield , Missouri for 3 years and then the Adventure began!
I thought it would be kind of fun to make a log of where I have lived . You would not believe how many times I moved as a child!! I have a most unique childhood. A lot of my memories are of being in the car traveling to another destination...in our brown paneled Station Wagon.

It all started when I was about five years old...we moved to Vancouver, Washington. My parents were supported by a missionary board to be church starters. We were there about 8 months moved to another small town close by to start another church but could not start one.
So we moved on to Everett, Washington to start a church in Richmond, Canada. We lived in a Big White house but were only there 3-4 months...the people were very non receptive to a new church. At that point my folks moved us to Sunnyside, Washington. It was a small established church and my parents really liked the area...the fresh fruit and vegetables. I have a funny memory of us three kids regularly walking down the block to a local restaurant and inside the lobby taking advantage of their "free" peppermint toothpicks! Apparently we did not have too many snacks at home! Did my mom know we did this??
Anyway, we lived in Sunnyside for about 3 years. The church could barely support us financially at this point so we moved on to Pueblo, Colorado and my dad and mom helped a large church with their childrens ministry along with the bus ministry. I am about 9 years old at this point and one important thing I remember here is I made my first profession of faith during a VBS my parents were leading. So we were here maybe one year and then back in the car we go to.....
Mobile, Alabama. My dad got a lead from a friend of a small church there that needed a Pastor, so we kind of just showed up...the way my mom described. I guess there was another man there also trying to take the church but my dad was able to take possession of the church.
We lived in the actual church building...it was very interesting. My sister and I slept in the nursery in bunk beds, my parents had a room across the auditorium to sleep in as the Master bedroom. Oh, but this is the funny part, we actually made a living room off of the church auditorium and they put a curtain around it to block it off..it consisted of a couch and television.
My parents meet a very dear woman here, Mrs. Bradford. She was very generous to us in the years after we left, God used this woman to meet our needs time and time again. She will receive a very big reward in heaven for her givingness! We only stayed a year. Once again financially could not stay.
On to Keokuk, Iowa. What I remember most about this church was watching the movie "The Burning Hell". Wow, it was scary! How come we don't show movies like that anymore??? They had many people saved on one Sunday. I also remember making another profession of faith...assuring myself that I was making the decision to follow Christ. Well, we were there only a year and then on to....? part 2 coming up!

This was pretty tasty...it isn't too sweet ( so you could really pig out if you want)! Nothing tastes so good as peanut butter and chocolate. It reminded me of a granola bar.

PEANUT BUTTER BARS

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup quick oats
1 bag chocolate chips (2 cups)

Grease a 13X 9 pan. Combine butter, peanut butter, egg, and vanilla. Add in brown sugar, flour, salt and baking soda. Mix in oats. Spread and press down in pan. Bake at 375* for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and pour chocolate chips over the top. Put back in oven for just a minute to soften the chips. Spread the chocolate with spatula. Cool completely before cutting.

My dad...Ward Clemmons

This was taken in Long Beach, California.

Last week was the 18th anniversary of my fathers death. I can't believe it has been that long.

I was pregnant with Kellory when he died from colon cancer. He was 51 years old. He got very sick December of 1991 and was taken to the hospital for internal pain. He was then diagnosed wtih colon cancer, that was so advanced, they gave him 6 months to live. He lived for 4 months after the diagnoses. He was a different man for the those 4 months, I remember him being very at peace with it all. He was so ready to go to heaven. He was a quiet sort of man, and I was so very young when it all happened. The only thing I regret is talking more with him during those last days. I look forward to seeing him again!

My dad was called into the ministry when I was just a baby. He was a pastor for 20 years to many small churches around the United States. I will post more on that later. I had a very interesting childhood!

My dad loved to sing and play his guitar(picture). I have good memories watching old movies or shows with him late at night and snacking on candy (his favorite thing to eat). I particularly remember watching the "Twilight Zone" with him and being scared silly! My dad taught me how to drive stick shift in my first car, a Volkswagon Bug. That was quite the adventure.

I miss my dad very much! I am so thankful for his example of faithfulness to the Lord. Looking back, he didn't have an easy life, but a sacrifical life given for the Lord.

GOODY GOODY GUM DROP!

Have you ever heard that phrase?? Isn't it funny? My mom was one that would say that...when excited about something! It just makes me laugh hearing it. Anyway, I think this is what I will call my once a week dessert post. So here is an easy brownie dessert to dress up a box brownie mix.

Rocky Road Brownies

1 brownie mix (13 X9)

1 c. mini marshmallows ( I used more to cover the entire top)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven 350*. Prepare brownies as directed for fudge-like brownies. Bake 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle marshmallows enenly over surface. Let cool.

In small saucepan, melt chocolate chips over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in condensed milk. Blend well. Stir in pecans. pour evenly over marshmallows. Let cool for several hours.

Sweet Tuesday!

Okay...this was yummy! but as you will see in the list of ingredients a little fattening. But hey,you only live once and a little indulgence won't hurt. Strawberries are getting cheaper and tastier...you won't be disappointed with this one. It is easy to make too!

Strawberry Cream Pie

Pastry:

1 c. flour

2 T. powdered sugar

1/2 c. butter, cut in pieces

pinch of salt

Filling:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. sugar

1 c. heavy cream, whipped until it holds soft peaks

1 T. fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350*. Mix all ingredients together and pat into a buttered 9 in. pie pan.

Prick crust in several places. Bake 12-15 minutes until light golden brown. cool.

whip together filling until thoroughly combined. Pour into cooled crust and chill 1 hour.

Topping:

1 qt. frsh stawberries, sliced

1/2 c. currant jelly, melted ( I found it at Yoke's)

Arrange berries on filling and carefully paint the berries with the jelly.

Chill 3 hours before serving.

THE INFLUENCE OF BOOKS

Books , books, and more books! I have the horrible habit of starting a book and then I find interest in another book and start it! I am in about 5 different books right now! My favorite books are practical learning books..."How to"... I want to know how to be a better woman for God, and I want to be able to help others. My learning is slow because I do not retain much from my reading. I have tried to right down things that mean much to me and that helps tremendously! Also telling others what I learn from a book can help me remember. I want to share a book that has been such a blessing to me. "Knowing God" by J.I. Packer. This is a book everyone should read. Each chapter focus's on an attribute of God. The first few chapters are just captivating...because he talks about why we should study God and the people who know their God. The difference of knowing about God and knowing of God is clearly stated in the book. Which is so challenging to me in my mind! He states some evidences of knowing God from the book of Daniel.
* Those who know God have great energy for God.
* Those who know God have great thoughts of God.
* Those who know God show great boldness for God.
* Those who know God have great contentment in God.
At the end of each chapter the author gives some wonderful questions to think about personally.
One last quote from the book... "We must learn to measure ourselves, not by our knowledge about God, not by our gifts and responsibilities in the church, but by how we pray and what goes on in our hearts."
What are you all reading lately?