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Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Dairy & Egg Free Meatballs

Dairy and Egg Free
MEATBALLS

  • 1 pound ground beef (lean)
  • 1/2 cup crushed crackers
  • 1 tsp Italian seasonings 
  • 1/2 tsp parsley
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
Directions
  1. Preheat to 400°
  2. Combine all the ingredients (I like to add the meat last)
  3. Using a spoon, make small balls and place on greased pan, lined with aluminum foil.
  4. When done, place cooked meatballs onto paper towel.
  5. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes.
You can freeze these easily, then pop back into the oven to warm them and crisp them a little bit.






Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Depression Era Chocolate Cake- Dairy & Egg Free



I love the history and science behind this cake recipe.  Many say it originated during the depression, when eggs, butter, and milk were hard to come by for the average family, and is also known as Crazy Cake. I also didn't use vanilla, because of an allergy, and it was still delicious!

The science behind the vinegar and baking soda is also very cool. You may see small air bubbles on the top of your beautifully risen cake, but you can't taste the vinegar at all!!! I have used applesauce to substitute for eggs in cakes, but this was more light and fluffy than any applesauce cake I've made.  It is probably the best cake I've ever eaten, very moist and light; everyone went for a second piece.


Depression Chocolate Cake a.k.a Crazy Cake
Egg Free and Dairy Free

Ingredients

Cake
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
  • 2 cups cold water
Dairy Free Strawberry Icing 
  • 1/3 cup vegetable shortening (I prefer Crisco)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2.5 tbsp non-dairy strawberry yogurt ( I prefer Silk ) (you can just use oat or almond milk, but you won't get the strawberry flavor)


Directions

1. Sift flour, sugar, salt, soda, and cocoa together into a bowl. Combine until fully mixed.

2. Make two small compression in dry mixture. Pour oil into one, and vinegar into other. Pour in cold water & stir. You will see some bubbling as the vinegar reacts with the baking soda.  Stir until completely combined. 

3. Bake
  • FOR CAKE- Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 45 minutes, or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean.  I used two greased & floured 8 inch round cake pans, but you could also use a 9x13 pan
  • FOR CUPCAKES- Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes (about 1/3 cup of batter for each cupcake).  Use cupcake liners.  
4. While cools, make icing.  Combine ingredients and whip using mixer until smooth and fluffy.  Ice when completely cooled. 

Variation: If you don't like icing, you can also top with powdered sugar JUST before serving.  Don't put powdered sugar on early or it will melt.


Thursday, May 3, 2018

Satan is a Mean Girl



Raise your hand if you think being friends with women is hard! I can just imagine all your hands raised on the other side of the screen!

Jesus was a great example of how important friendships were, but maybe you’re thinking Jesus was closest with men, so I should be friends with only men!   I’ve lost count how many women have shared that it’s just easier to be friends with men because WOMEN ARE HARD. I admit I've been there before with girlfriends.  It didn’t seem worth it. Men can be simpler (I mean that in the nicest of ways fellas).  I am a mother of boys, and I was honestly really frightened that God might make me a mom of girls.  Like a legitimate fear.  I didn't know how to relate to girls, and I had years and years of baggage from girl warfare.

And boys are great.  No male bashing here.  We need to have Godly men in our lives for countless reasons.  I LOVE that my husband is my best friend, but he can’t be my only friend.  As a woman, having only male friends isn’t realistic or appropriate.

There is one simple fact that I have learned the past three years; Godly Female friendships are not hard just because women are hard, but because they are under attack by our enemy.


In war, the biggest battles are planned for the biggest threats.  If that is true, WE KNOW female friendships have to be a threat to Satan’s plans for our lives. I would like to propose that  GODLY female friendships are being attacked with a similar ferocity that he he attacks marriages, because Satan knows that healthy female friendships grow the church, and he is scared of us.

Think of that, Satan is scared of us!  Females are powerful in God’s church.   Satan chose Eve not because she was the weaker sex, but because of the powerful influence she had over the heart of Adam.  Satan thought he could subtly exploit that power and influence.  Women can drastically affect the moods and directions of our homes through our actions and attitudes. Women are the heart of the family, and in turn the church.


Anybody have a mean girl in their school?

We think of Satan as a man, but he is going to come at us with mean girl tactics, not boy tactics.  He knows how to divide women and make you feel less than enough. He specializes in creating cliches where woman feel either superior or left out.  And Satan’s motivation is NOT the same as the mean girl you knew.  That poor girl bullied because because she was afraid of being left out, or loosing her spot in the group. His motives are much more sinister..

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10  Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

 He wants you fighting your battle alone so that WHEN, not IF, you stumble, you won’t have anyone to pull you back up. He wants you isolated. 




A females’ life can change drastically for God when she is surrounded by other Godly women.  Godly women can spur her on and encourage her in life's struggles.  Through friendships,  can see new intimacy in our marriages, find healing from old wounds, or seek genuine growth in our parenting.

On the other hand, Satan can also try to destroy a woman, a family, and eventually the church through the divisions between women. I saw first hand how Satan tried to tear my extended family apart through spiritual warfare in female relationships.  The bitterness and divisiveness between the women of my extended family has had years of consequences that ripple though the lives of every male, female, and child.

Just because we’re women, doesn’t mean we are not on the front lines of a spiritual battle.  Satan wouldn’t be attacking female friendships if we weren’t important to God’s plan.

ANYTHING WORTHWHILE IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR.

So…how do we fight? We must become aware of our enemies' tactics, see the landmines he plants as just that, an attack of an enemy trying to to divide you from those who would have your back in battle.


This is an excerpt from what I hope becomes an e-book I am writing.  Let me know your thoughts, and if you'd be interested in reading more of the specific mean girl tactics Satan's uses to divide us.