November 17, 2024

Easy Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Bars

When I was baking recently, I made two pumpkin pies for my family. I tend to forget that there is always a little batter left over until I am in the midst of pie-making! When I discovered this yet again, I began to think about what I could do with the leftovers. I ended up preparing 4 mini gluten-free pumpkin pies. I simply placed the leftover batter atop some leftover oatmeal from that morning, then baked in the oven.

They turned out pretty tasty, and I was inspired to consider other delights I could create using my pumpkin pie mixture. The result is this recipe for Easy Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Bars. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Easy Dairy-Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars www.girlfriendscoffeehour.com #dairyfree

Recipe for Easy Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Bars

  • Prepare Libby’s Famous Pumpkin Pie mixture. (I did substitute almond milk for the evaporated milk due to dairy sensitivities in our family.) Or, if you have your own delicious pumpkin pie mixture, prepare that!
  • Add 3 cups of Old Fashioned Oats to the mixture and stir well.
  • Coat rectangular cookie sheet with about 2 tablespoons of oil.
  • Measure out 5 cups of your mixture onto the cookie sheet.
  • Spread evenly on pan.
  • Bak in oven at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until golden and slightly crisp around the edges.
  • Let cool for about 10 mintues, then cut into squares.
  • Serve warm, or allow to cool completely before serving.

These bars make a lovely dessert when served with a dollop of (dairy free) ice cream on the side.  Also delicious with a bit of almond milk poured over top for breakfast!

Do you make a lot of homemade items?  Do your get your kids into the kitchen with you to bake?  Do you make cooking a part of your homeschooling?  Tell us how this works in your family!  Leave a comment below.

Christmas Ornaments

amyornaments01

It’s that time of year again, when Christmas decorations go up and we begin to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. On our tree, we have ornaments with different sayings, initials, or ones with our names on them but I realized this year we didn’t have any Christian themed ornaments. So I decided to make some. Here is a way to do just that:

amyornamentsphoto3

  • Round Ornaments
  • Paint Markers – various colors.

 Directions:

First decide what you want to write or draw on your ornament. I made two different ones. The first one I wrote: “Glory to God in the highest and Peace to His people on Earth.”  The second one I made an ornament just for Jesus with His name on it.

Take your paint marker and shake well. If it is new, you will have to prime it to make sure the paint is all the way to the tip. You do so, by placing the tip on a piece of paper and push it up and down until the paint colors the tip. Now, you know you are ready.

Now just write your bible verse or Jesus’ name on the ornament with the paint marker. You can paint other things on your ornaments as well. I did polka dots on one of mine, but you could add stars, swirls, or whatever you like. The great thing is that the paint markers dry really quickly.

Hang it on the tree. Instead of using a hook, you can use a tiny ribbon and tie it together to make a loop. You can purchase these premade in the store as well.

amyornamentsphoto2

Happy Crafting!

Amy

Hot Cocoa Mix (and more!)

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year
There’ll be much mistletoe-ing
And hearts will be glowing when loved ones are near
It’s the most wonderful time, it’s the most wonderful time
It’s the most wonderful time, ♫ ♪ ♫ it’s the most wonderful time of the year!”

Oh, don’t you know it!  There’s all that AND the celebration of God’s love come to earth—Jesus’ birth!  Oh, yes, and baking and cooking and gift-making! Lots of joy and fun and happiness!
This week I am sharing a homemade Hot Cocoa mix with you. This would be great kept in your own pantry!  However, one of my favorite things to do with it is to package them up in cute little jars with handmade labels and gift them to loved ones. They pack up nicely, too, to be mailed.  If you really want to go over the top, google a recipe for ‘Chocolate Dipped Spoons’…easy-peasy!  Also here is a quick link.

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Next week, I will share a recipe for a ‘Cream of Just-About-Anything’ Soup and Sauce Mix.  What makes me happiest with these mixes is that they are all gluten-free and all fall well within our healthy but oh-so-yummy point of view!  Try them!  Gift them!  Enjoy them!

Hot Cocoa Mix

Ingredients: 2013-12-02 14.16.18
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup dehydrated nonfat powdered milk
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup baking stevia OR 1+1/2 cup “measures like sugar” sweetener (I used Truvia) * of course you can choose to use plain old sugar
Add-ins:
small peppermint candies
mini chocolate chips
tiny marshmallows
Options:
Mocha: substitute 2 tablespoons of instant coffee crystals for a like amount of cocoa powder
Peppermint: include a small jar of peppermint extract (“add 1-3 drops to each prepared cup”)

Directions (for preparing mix):
Mix everything together in a medium mixing bowl until ingredients are well combined. Pour mixture into a closed container, such as a mason jar for a beautiful and festive gift! If you are ‘adding’ anything, just pour onto the top of the mix and cover.

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Directions (print on a tag to attach):
To enjoy hot cocoa, mix 1 tablespoon dry mix with your choice of: 1 cup HOT almond milk, OR skim milk, OR water. Stir until hot cocoa mix is completely dissolved and well combined.  Add additional sweetener (if necessary).

 ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

Chicken with Fennel and Olives

.Chicken with Fennel and Olives resize

 

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving yesterday!  If you have leftovers, by all means, eat those first!  Once you finish off your turkey, ham, or whatever else you had, try this recipe for Chicken with Fennel and Olives.

Fennel is in season now and has a delicious anise flavor.  When you are shopping for the olives, buy the biggest green olives in a jar you can find – sometimes they’re called Queen olives – and make sure they’re pitted.  You can find them plain, but I used a jar of large green olives stuffed with cloves of garlic.  Amazing!  You can also find them stuffed with almonds (but for this recipe, I would avoid the ones stuffed with blue cheese or hot peppers!)  This recipe also calls for a cup of white wine.  Use a chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, or pinot grigio – these are dry white wines that will pair perfectly with the chicken.  If you prefer, you can substitute chicken broth.

This is a healthy, light recipe that will warm your house and keep you from feeling like a slug after all the Thanksgiving feasting is over.  (But feel free to have that last piece of pie for dessert!)

Chicken with Fennel and Olives

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole chicken, or a package of skin-on chicken thighs, or skin-on chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or bacon fat for cooking
  • 1 large fennel bulb
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 jar large green pitted olives
  • 1 cup dry white wine (or substitute chicken broth)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375F.  If you are using a whole chicken, remove the legs and breasts – you should have 4 pieces.  Reserve the rest of the chicken for soup or another use.  Season the skin with salt.
  2. In a very large oven-proof pan, heat the olive oil or bacon fat.  When very hot, add the chicken pieces skin-side down and cook over medium heat for about ten minutes.  When chicken skin is crisp, remove the chicken pieces from the pan and place skin-side up on a platter and set aside.  Set the pan aside – do not drain!
  3. While the chicken is cooking, slice the onion into thin strings.  Cut off the stalks of the fennel, but keep a few green fronds for garnish.  Cut the fennel into very thin rings or slices, about the same size as the onion.  Drain the jar of olives and slice the olives in half.
  4. Heat the pan again and add the wine, stirring to scrap up any stuck-on bits of chicken.  Add the onion, fennel and olives and stir to combine.  Remove from heat.  Place the chicken pieces skin-side up (so it stays crispy) on top of the bed of vegetables and place in the oven.
  5. Cook for 30 minutes.  Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.  To serve, make a bed of vegetables, place a chicken piece on top, and add a sprig of fennel frond.  Season with salt and pepper

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana


To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

What Does Thankfulness Mean to You?

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Children are out of school for a few days, many people do not have to go to work (though some do), and most of us spend at least some portion of the day with extended family members. As we are in the midst of this celebration, it is a really good thing to stop and consider what it is we are celebrating.

What does thankfulness mean to you? www.girlfriendscoffeehour.com #homeschool #thanksgiving

We all know a bit about the first Thanksgiving and how the settlers joined with the natives to enjoy a meal together. That is something to celebrate. It was how those settlers survived and how our country found its beginning! But shouldn’t we be celebrating something more?

Bible verses about thankfulness

Psalms 95: 2-3  says Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.  For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.

1 Timothy 4: 4-5 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,  because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

Our God is great, and above all other gods. His Creation is good! We are to receive it with Thanksgiving, as it has been consecrated by Him.

What does thankfulness mean to you?

I asked some of my friends what thankfulness means to them. Here are some of the things they had to say.

Crystal says, “To me, thankfulness is about choosing to focus on our blessings and not our troubles. It’s a way of life.” Get these free printable gratitude cards to use with your children.

Stephanie offers two of her favorite quotes from others.

“If you never learned the lesson of thankfulness, begin now. Sum up your mercies; see what provision God has made for your happiness, what opportunities for your usefulness, and what advantages for your success.” ~Ida S. Taylor

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. “ ~ W. T. Purkiser

Learn more about Stephanie’s thoughts on thankfulness via  her post 30 Quotes About Thanksgiving and Gratitude.

Michelle is thankful for,”The closeness in my family and the dogs that drive me crazy.” Be sure to head over to visit with Michelle and read Thanksgiving Grace.

Pattis says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, and sometimes the best medicine for a complaining spirit is speaking thanks.” Read her entire post, When the Complaining Creeps Back In.

For me, thankfulness is walked out in how I react to my children and family. It is in the way I serve others. Am I thankful for the opportunity I have to teach my children to be thankful through my actions? Am I serving with a thankful heart?

Here are some quotes from others that I found online.

O Lord, that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness.
~ William Shakespeare

We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is “good,” because is it good, if “bad” because it works in us patience, humility, and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country.
~ C. S. Lewis

No people on earth have more cause to be thankful than ours, and this is said reverently, in no spirit of boastfulness in our own strength, but with the gratitude to the Giver of good who has blessed us.
~ Theodore Roosevelt

Thankfulness Resources & Activities

Encouraging an Attitude of Gratitude

Last Minute Thanksgiving Fun with the Kids

one thousand gifts, about being thankful, gratitude, Eucharisteo. Ann gives a wonderful new perspective in her book; a practical view of how to remain on our knees and thank God, even through the most difficult things in our lives.

What is it that you are thankful for? Share in the comments!

 

Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

The countdown has begun!  The lists are made…the shopping for groceries is happening…maybe the forks and knives, plates and napkins have been counted out, too! Just a few days now ‘til we will celebrate Thanksgiving with our loved ones recognizing the goodness of our great God (and eating some yummy food, too)!

For the past few weeks, we have been sharing some of the dishes that we will be preparing to serve and share; did you take a peek at that scrump-diddly-umptious Mocha Brownie Torte that Dana gave us her recipe for?  Today I am sharing my recipe for an equally delicious dish that is in a totally different category: Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad. This recipe keeps within the parameters of our healthy but oh-so-yummy point of view.  A very light vinaigrette is served on this salad.

I hope you each have a wonderful, thanks-filled, counting your blessings kind of Thanksgiving Day!  May we each always remember how very, very much we have to be thankful for and give thanks to the One Who so mercifully and abundantly and graciously provides for our every need!

Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and lovingkindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!
Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and rehearse His deeds with shouts of joy and singing!
Psalms 107:21 and 22

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Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3-4 medium beets, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
6 cups fresh arugula (or your favorite lettuce blend)
1/2 cup pistachios
3 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled

Directions:
Line a baking sheet with foil. Preheat oven to 450.
Whisk the balsamic vinegar and honey together in a small bowl to blend.
Slowly whisk in the oil. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
In a different bowl, toss the beets with just enough of the vinaigrette to coat.
Place the beets on the foil-lined baking sheet and roast ‘til the beets are slightly caramelized, stirring once or twice, for about 30 minutes.  Set aside and cool.
Toss the arugula (and/or other lettuces) along with a small amount of the remaining vinaigrette in a large bowl ‘til lightly coated.
Season the salad, to taste, with additional salt and pepper. Place the dressed salad onto a large serving plate.
Arrange the beets around the salad.
Sprinkle with the nuts and small dollops of the goat cheese.
Serve the balance of the vinaigrette alongside in a small pitcher.

 ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

Mocha Brownie Torte

mocha brownie torte
I remember the first time I had something other than pumpkin pie for dessert at Thanksgiving, and it BLEW MY MIND.  We spent the holiday with another family when I was 12, and for dessert they had pumpkin pie and a chocolate silk pie.  It was inconceivable to me that there could even be anything else for dessert besides the standard pumpkin pie, yet here was chocolate! It was a game-changer for me.  So while I always look forward to pumpkin pie, I like to make a second dessert too.  Believe it or not, there might be someone at your table who doesn’t adore pumpkin pie.  For a change of pace, and for those non-pumpkin people, may I suggest Mocha Brownie Torte?
You can, of course, omit the nuts if you have an allergic family member, but I really recommend you leave them in – the walnuts add crunch amidst the dense and chewy brownie. And the frosting? Heck, I’d happily mix up a batch right now to eat with a spoon. I dare say I like the frosting more than ice cream. Yes, it’s that good!  To simplify your Thanksgiving day, bake the cakes the night before, cool on racks, and wrap in plastic wrap overnight.  The morning of Thanksgiving, frost the cake and let it chill in the fridge while you make the rest of your dinner.
Mocha Brownie Torte
(recipe is courtesy of my Mom’s battered and splattered 1970’s Betty Crocker Cookbook)
Ingredients:
  • 1 package (15 oz.) fudge brownie mix
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (pecans would be nice too)
  • 1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon powdered instant coffee or espresso
  • Shaved chocolate for garnish
Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix brownie mix, water and eggs. Stir in the nuts. Grease and flour (2) 8-inch cake pans. Divide the brownie mix evenly in the pans.
2.) Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and let them cool completely on a baking rack.
3.) Chill a big metal bowl and your beaters in the freezer for a while. Pour the whipping cream into the cold bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Gradually add the brown sugar and powdered coffee. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
4.) Put one cake down on a serving tray, flattest side down. Top with one cup of the whipped cream frosting. Put the other cake on top of the frosting, so the flattest side is up, and use the rest of the frosting to cover the top and sides of the torte. Grate or shave some dark chocolate over the torte and chill for at least an hour before serving.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana


To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

Encouraging Thankfulness in Our Children

Encouraging Thankfulness in Our Children www.girlfriendscoffeehour.com #thankfulness #homeschool

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, and many of us plan themed studies for our homeschool during this time. We take care to teach our children about our country’s history, and also encourage them to appreciate our freedoms. Being thankful for what we have, and for who God made each of us to be, is the key to gaining that appreciation.

Today I wanted to share with you some resources that you may want to use in your homeschool that will help to foster an attitude of thanksgiving, as well as a few scriptures upon which to meditate.

Resources for Cultivating Thankfulness

FREE Thanksgiving Coloring Sheets

Thanksgiving Printables: Preschool Handwriting Worksheet

“I am thankful for” Free Thanksgiving Printable

Thankful Turkey Box Tutorial

Gratitude Rolls: Special Food Tradition

Encourage Thankfulness with Scripture

O give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known His doings among the peoples! 1 Chronicles 16: 8

I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His rightness and justice, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. Psalm 7: 17

At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. Ephesians 5: 20

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. Philippians 4: 6

For everything God has created is good, and nothing is to be thrown away or refused if it is received with thanksgiving. 1 Timothy 4: 4

You may choose to memorize some of these verses with your children as a family. Perhaps each of you could choose a favorite among these verses, commit them to memory, and then recite them for one another on Thanksgiving Day. Another idea is to have your child use one, or several, of these verses as copy work each day leading up to Thanksgiving, and even beyond.

Did you find these resources helpful? Do you have other tips for encouraging thankfulness in our children? Please do share in the comments!

Are you a blogger? We invite you to add your thankfulness posts to our linky party below!

Cornbread Stuffing with Apples, Sausage, and Cranberries

So…how are your Thanksgiving plans progressing? Do you have your menu for the big feast set yet? (I don’t…still trying out a few recipes.) Here on At Home w/ GCH, we have been featuring a few recipes that would make good candidates to serve as side dishes for your Thanksgiving meal.

Today’s recipe is for Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage, Apples and Cranberries. OK, here’s the big question: do you call yours ‘stuffing’ or ‘dressing?’ Oh, and another question: to cook inside the bird or as a casserole? I’d love to hear your replies in the comments below!

The recipe I prepared included gluten-free cornbread but can be made in the same manner with traditional cornbread which is made with wheat flour. Also, this could be made without the sausage 🙁 to make a vegetarian side dish (as a suggestion, increase the liquids slightly and add some melted butter, too). Enjoy!

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Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage, Apples and Cranberries

Ingredients:
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed 2013-11-17 18.17.16
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 cups sliced leeks, white and pale green parts only, cleaned well (about 2 large leeks)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-3 apples, cored and chopped coarsely
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning *
1/2 cup apple cider
1 cup dried cranberries, soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes
2 cups turkey or chicken stock (or broth)
2 eggs, beaten
Cornbread croutons (see below)

Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 375.
  • A day or so beforehand, prepare a 9×13 pan of cornbread. After cooling in pan, cut into smallish cubes (croutons) and set aside to dry on a large baking sheet. (I left mine out overnight.)  About an hour or so prior to preparing the stuffing, place cornbread croutons into a 350 oven and bake, to dry even further, for 20-30 minutes. (Alternately, you could purchase cubed and dried cornbread stuffing cubes.)
  • Saute the sausage in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until cooked through, breaking up with a spoon, about 10-15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon to drain, remove the cooked sausage to a very large bowl.
  • Meantime, beat the eggs lightly and then mix with the cider and 1 cup of stock or broth.
  • Add the butter to the sausage drippings, and melt over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and onions and celery to the skillet and saute until the leeks are just getting soft, about 5-6 minutes.
  • Add the chopped apples and continue to cook for 5 more minutes.
  • Mix in the soaked cranberries (with their liquid) and the poultry seasoning.
  • Add this mixture to the sausage in the bowl. Then stir in the cornbread croutons.
  • Next add the additional 1 cup of stock, 1/4 cup at a time, until the stuffing is very moist. Be careful not to overdo it; it should not be mushy. Season with salt and pepper as you are adding the stock.
  • Bake in a glass 14-inch oval or 9×13  casserole dish, uncovered, in the oven for 30 minutes ‘til the top is crispy and the middle is piping hot. Remove and serve immediately (or cover loosely with aluminum foil).

To make your own Homemade Poultry Seasoning, combine:2013-11-17 18.11.27

1 tablespoon ground sage
1/2 tablespoon ground thyme
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
1 tablespoon dried marjoram
1/2 tablespoon ground rosemary
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

 

 

 ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

Layered Greek Dip

Layered Greek DipThis month I am focusing on side dishes and things you can bring to your Thanksgiving table.  When my family gets together, we all commit to bringing a piece of the dinner puzzle:  whichever family member is hosting usually makes the main dish, and the other family members decide on who is going to make dessert, salad, vegetable, and appetizer.  My sister brought an appetizer called Layered Greek Dip – and I was hooked!

This dish is easy to put together and is healthy to boot!  Assemble it right before your guests come, or make ahead and covered in the fridge until you are ready to serve.  Offer a variety of dippers:  I like pita chips, tortilla chips, Triscuits (my favorite cracker of all time!) and veggies like carrot sticks and red pepper slices.  This will take the edge off people’s hunger long enough for you to finish up your last-minute dinner duties.  Offer some white wine with this appetizer and your guests may forget all about the main course!

I should have taken a photo of my sister’s dish when she  made it, but it slipped my mind, and before I remembered, we had all smeared it all over the plate and eaten half of it!  I made it again this morning, so the photo is of a “personal-sized” serving.  And you know what?  It makes a yummy, unusual breakfast too!  I used sundried tomatoes because I didn’t have any cherry tomatoes (and I don’t care for them anyway.)  Try it and let me know if you love it like I do!

 

Layered Greek Dip

Serves 8 as an appetizer

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounce container of hummus (or make your own!)
  • 4 ounces crumbled Feta cheese
  • 6 ounce container of plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
  • 4 ounces cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 4 ounces Kalamata olives (or other black olives)
  • 2 green onions, diced
  • handful of parsley, minced

Directions:

  1. On a large plate, spread out the hummus.  Cover with a layer of Feta, then cover that with the Greek yogurt.  Arrange the cucumber, tomatoes, and olives over the top in any way you find aesthetically pleasing.  Sprinkle with green onion and parsley.  Serve with chips or veggie sticks.  Keep refrigerated until ready to eat.

 

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana


To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!