Amish Cooking

Sunday night I decided to surprise my family with a homemade dessert, with the help of my little sister, we made homemade Whoopie Pies using the "Amish Cooking for Kids" cook book.  Let me tell you, they were SO good!  And not hard to make at all. 

With just these few ingredients,

you can make this.

Ok, so if you ever decide you would like to try this recipe, this is how:

What you will need:

1/2 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Shortening(I used Olive Oil and they still turned out fine)

1 small Egg

1 cup Flour

1/4 cup baking Cocoa

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/4 cup Milk

3/4 tsp. Lemon Juice

1/2 tsp. Vanilla

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1/4 cup Hot Water

No-stick cooking spray or Shortening

1. Put sugar and shortening into a large mixing bowl.  Beat with electric mixer for one minute on medium speed.

2. Add the egg and beat again on medium speed for 1/2 minute.

3. Place a flour sifter in a medium-sized bowl.  Measure in the flour, cocoa, and salt.  Sift. Let sit until you need it.

4. Pour milk into a small bowl.  Stir in the lemon juice.  Set it aside until you need it.

5. Add half of the mixture to the creamed sugar-shortening-egg mixture.  Mix on low speed for about 1/2 minute.

6. Pour in half of the milk/lemon juice mixture.  Beat all ingredients until it is smooth.

7. Add the rest of the flour mixture and beat until batter is smooth.

8. Add the rest of the milk and lemon juice.  When it is mixed well, add the vanilla.

9. Put the hot water into a small mixing bowl.  Stir in the soda and keep stirring until it disappears.  Pour this mixture into the batter and beat at medium speed until the mixture is smooth.

10. Turn on the oven too 400 degrees.  Grease the cookie sheet with shortening or no-stick cooking spray.

12. Drop rounded teaspoons of the batter onto the cookie sheet.  Keep about 2 inches between the cookies- and between the sides of the cookie sheet.

13. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until they are a little browned around the edges, but still soft.  Let cool for about 3 minutes before you lift them off the sheet.

For the filling..

What you need:

1 egg white

1 Tbsp. Milk

1/2 tsp. Vanilla

1/2 cup Confectioners' Sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. Shortening

1/2 cup Confectioners' Sugar

1. Seperate egg white from the egg yolk.  Beat the egg white in a medium bowl until it is foamy and light.

2. Add the milk, vanilla, and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar.  Mix together on low speed.

3.  Add the shortening and beat until fluffy.

4. Add the other 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar.  Mix until smooth.

5. With a table knife, spread a dab of the filling on the flat side of a cooled cookie.  Top with another cookie to form a "sandwich" Whoopie Pie!

Enjoy!

Shades of Orange(with more to come)

I know that this has nothing to do with my faith, but it is something that I enjoy and I would like to be able to share all different things about myself.

About three weeks ago I had the crazy idea that I wanted to redo my bedroom into something new and fun. It's been BRIGHT lime green for the past six years and, although it was very bright and exciting, I was ready for a change. (I will be putting pictures on here soon of the before and after.)

I wanted to be able to put some original and one-of-a-kind pieces in my new and improved room.  Thankfully, with help from my wonderful mom, I was able to do just that!

First is my new lamp shade:

I took the lamp shades I already had and spray painted them orange.  My mom found clear, beaded garland at Old Time Pottery for about $1.50 per pack. 

After it was spray painted.

About ten minutes into wrapping the beads around the shade, this is what it looked like.

Almost finished!

Finally done!  I love the way this turned out!

This is what it looks like on the lamp!  It goes perfect with my new room! :)  Thanks mom for the idea!

The other project I did was: 

 

I already had the canvases and didn't want to paint over them, so I used a plain white pillow case and covered them.  I put cardboard in between the canvas and the pillow case to makes sure it was smooth and you couldn't see the stripes.  My mom also found the very cute orange and white polka dot ribbon at Hobby Lobby. 

This was fun, I've only covered something in fabric when I was helping my mom, so this was my first time covering anything like this alone.

The end result!  Can you see a theme with the color I'm using? 

Sanctity of Life Sunday

Once a year, there is one day set aside to recognize the importance of life.  Sadly, a lot of people either have never heard about this day or just don't take the time to stop and think about all the unborn babies in the world that will never have the chance to live. 

ABORTION IS WRONG, NO MATTER WHAT; it's as simple as that.  The baby inside the mother's womb IS real.  From the day of conception, the Lord starts working on the characteristics of the child.  I know for a fact this is true, not only because the Bible says so, but also because I've seen what a baby looks like at 16 weeks old.

In 2001 my mom was pregnant with my little brother, Little Donnie.  My mom was going to have an ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby when the doctor realized that the baby, my brother, had no heartbeat.  As devastating as this was, it truly changed all of my family.  My mom got involved with the Coffee County Right to Life organization and through that I was able to learn a lot about the importance of being ANTI-Abortion/PRO-Life.  It was a real "Eye Opener".  It's crazy to think all the lives that are lost because of abortion!  Over 4,000 innocent babies are murdered each day because of abortions.

On February 10, 2001, my mom gave birth to Little Donnie.  He was so small that he could fit in the palm of my daddy's hand.  We could see his little fingers and toes, the slots where his eyes and mouth were, and his little ears.  It was such an amazing sight! God's creation was right in front of me at only 16 weeks old!

Yes, it was hard, but it was something that I know happened for a reason.  God's will is always the best even though we might not always know it right away.

One year exactly from the day my mom gave birth to Little Donnie, my parents gave me and my older brother the great news that my mom was pregnant with my little sister, Faith!  I don't think they could've picked a better name for her, because it was only through Faith in Christ Jesus that we were able to see the good out of a situation that was intended to make us hurt.  Thank You Jesus!

The Calling on my Life..

 For my first post, I want to write about something that is very important to me and something that helps ya'll know the reason behind the title, "The Making of a Missionary".

 Let's start from the beginning..
     I have been homeschooled my whole life, well except for 6th grade.  Being homeschooled has very many advantages, including being able to have family Bible study in the middle of school time! 
 October 25, 2000, was a day that I will not soon forget!  Me, my mom, and my brother had all gone into the living room to do our daily Bible Study.  We were reading in a book called, "Hero Tales II", which talks about missionaries and how they showed others the love of Jesus Christ.
 That particular day, we were reading about Dwight L. Moody's work in Chicago, IL.  When the Great Chicago Fire took place, his Church was destroyed along with his home and the homes of most of the congregation.  Moody wanted to use this as a time to tell other's about God.  He told them that "Today is the day of salvation".
   That quote really stuck with me for the rest of the story, "Today is the day of salvation".  Very simple, but right to the point.
 I started aking my mom questions about what salvation is and how to become saved.  I am so thankful for how she answered my question, she was very clear and did a good job making sure I understood what she was saying.  (It's hard to believe that it has been almost 10 years since that day. Wow, time sure does go by fast.)

    I've always said that I want to be a missionary when get out of college, like as long as I can remember I've wanted to be nothing else.  The children's church leader at my church, would teach a lesson every Wednesday night on a missionay over in another Country.  It was always so exciting and I always hated when the stories were over with.  I believe it was the stories that she told that first put the desire in my heart to become a missionary. (Thanks Mrs. Cheryl!)

I can remember the day like it was yesterday, August 27, 2006.  I was sitting in church, listening to the music play, crying, wondering what the Lord was telling me.  That was not the first time though, that  had been happening for several weeks.  I knew the Lord was talking to me, but I wasn't sure what He was saying.  I walked up to the altar and began praying for His will to be done in my life.  The band was playing "Pour My Love on You", when I heard the Lord say to me, "Serve Me, by serving others". 
  I knew right then what He had been telling me all along.  And what an amazing feeling it was!  It was THE peace that the Bible talks about, the peace that passes all understanding.  There was no doubt in my mind what the Lord was calling me to do.. He was calling me to be a missionary!
 I'm still not sure what kind of mission work He wants me to do, or where it will be.  All I can do is wait and listen to His will, and listen to and obey what He has to say.