Thank you Vets!

Today we honor those who have served & sacrificed for our freedoms.

John 15:13 - Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

I'm SO proud to be the wife of a 20-yr. military man, and appreciate all those many spouses out there who have a mate who is currently serving, or has served, the United States of America in the Armed Forces.

I'm also the proud mama of a son, Dave, who served 9 years in the navy as a corpsman, (two tours overseas) and am the daughter of a sailor who served as a gunner's mate in the navy in WWII, Bob King, and a sister whose brother, Alan, served proudly in the United States Marine Corps!

PLEASE BE SURE TO THANK A VET TODAY!

I LOVE Getting and Giving Awards!!

Oh how tickled I am to have recently received this lovely award (a new one to me!) from Aunt Nubby's Kitchen Thanks a million Anita for thinking of me with this one.  I'm tickled down to my toes!

The "Triple Cute" Blog Award!

This award is to be passed on to seven other deserving bloggers by the recipient. I have chosen some favorites of mine with super cute blogs and lots of creativity, all wrapped up into one triple cute blog!

 Please visit these lovely ladies and check out their awesome blogs.

A'lil Country Sugar....who amazes me how she creates delectable dishes and uses leftovers to make something new! Ever the creative blogger!

Chocolate Covered Katie...who blows me away with all the incredible & healthy desserts she comes up with!

4littlefergusons...who keeps me in awe over all the things she accomplishes and the wisdom she has as a young mama to 4 precious wee ones. One terrific photographer too!

Flour Me With Love...who is so faithful to share the most delicious recipes and has a darling blog set up.

Cooking with Libby...who is not only a creative blogger & cook, but one I've been following the longest because she never fails to 'keep me on the edge of my seat' with her wonderful posts.

Lark's Country Heart ....who has fantastic recipes, but best of all, has a {country} heart that gives and gives herself away.  A lovely lady who never ceases to amaze me.
The Sweet Swiper - by Kirsten - a woman after my heart. She makes the same kind of foodie delights that I like to make...and eat too. I love the cute and simple crafts she shares also.

***********************************

Many thanks to my sweet daughter, Deb, AKA The Queen Mommy who bestowed me with this award a few weeks ago and I just haven't made time to pass it along, so figured I would include it in this post also.  She's the reason I began blogging and am ever grateful for her encouragement.

Liebster means "Beloved" in German..just lovely!

The Liebster is awarded to spotlight up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers (which may or not be true in every case!) . Here are the guidelines a recipient should follow:

Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog. Copy and paste the award on your blog. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers. And most of all – have fun!

Grandma Loy's Kitchen - a good email bud who inspires me and shares amazing recipes.  I especially love all the DIY ideas she shares!
Amee's Savory Dish - she shares lots of ways to make nutritious & healthy dishes and I so appreciate that.

Sneakers of Faith - by Heather - a fairly new blog (and a very new bride!) that is full of inspiration and encouragement.
The Cooking Blog - by Jessica, a young teenage gal who shares great recipes, simple crafts and her interesting life. 
(I was that young girl once upon a time=)
Live.Art.Fully - by Jennifer, who shares struggles with a chronic disease, is a homeschooling mom and is full of faith and inspiration.  A new blog to me, and I'm glad I crossed paths with this one.  

Butterscotch Apple Cake

I began making this awesome apple dessert a couple of years ago  after seeing it in a Taste of Home calendar.

I'll always remember the first time my sister-in-love, Susie,  tasted it.  She was hesitant as she said she doesn't care for butterscotch.

She surprised us both!  One bite and she was raving.  She said she couldn't wait to go home and make it for her husband. She has told me they enjoy it now too.

It's been a family favorite ever since.  I love that you can make a small pan of it or double the recipe and bake it in a 9" X 13".....

Or even make little 'grab 'n go' treats as I did this time when I baked them in muffin tins.

That's what I do when I'm in a rush...

They're nice and moist..and they say...

"M.O.R.E. Please" 

Serving with a drizzle of glaze or caramel is optional.

It's really very moist and doesn't need a topping.

BUTTERSCOTCH APPLE CAKE

1-1/4 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 c. white sugar

(I used half Splenda)

1/2 c. vegetable oil

(I use half applesauce)

2 eggs, beaten

2 c. peeled, chopped apple

1/2 c. pecans, chopped

1/2 c. butterscotch chips, divided

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8" square baking dish. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon.  Blend sugar, oil and eggs until smooth; stir wet mixture into dry and mix just until combined.  Stir in the apples, pecans and 1/4 cup butterscotch chips. 

Pour into prepared pan.  Sprinkle with remaining butterscotch chips.  Bake 40 - 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 4 - 6 good-sized servings

(Of course, if you bake them in muffin tins, the baking time will be shortened. I baked mine about 25 minutes...that's using Splenda, that bakes faster.) 

Linked to Made it on Monday
Sweets for a Saturday
Weekend Potluck
GBP Roundup - Fall 
Meal Plan Monday

Pumpkin Spice M-M-Mochaccino Mix

I was SO happy when I recently came across this awesome mix at Just a Pinch Recipe Club online.

I've already made 2 batches of it.  It's soooo yummy!

And have shared the recipe a few times as well.

Being able to enjoy a cup of hot tea or cocoa, especially during the winter months, really helps soothes my body and soul.

I love giving homemade gifts for the holidays and this one is very special. I've always loved a coffee/cocoa mixture. And I know the recipients will be very pleased this holiday season as well. 

This warm-your-insides drink is very tasty and oh-so creamy too.

When we went to visit our daughter Deb recently (The Queen Mommy) - I took some mix for her to try out. She's a coffee/tea/cocoa 'connoisseur' of sorts. {Check out her recent post here for numerous homemade coffee creamer recipes!}

I was a little leery as she is pretty particular about tastes/textures, but was so tickled when she called the next day to say she needed this recipe.  It was sooo good she didn't really want to share any with her hubby, but gave in to him...

I took a sample to my daughter-in-love and son to try, and he was NOT happy when he realized there wasn't more.

(So of course, I quickly took more over to them...along with the recipe).

Put some of this mix in a pretty bag inside a coffee mug - add a bow and the recipient will be very pleased. 

 I love that you can use lite or sugar free products to suit dietary needs, and the results are still out-of-this-world-yummy! 

PUMPKIN SPICE MOCHACCINO MIX

3 c. regular powdered creamer

2 c. plain hot cocoa mix

(I used sugar free)

1/2 c. vanilla creamer (I used sugar free)

(the original recipe used marshmallow mocha creamer - sometimes found at Aldi's - I couldn't find it)

4 TB. pumpkin pie spice

(I have a recipe for making your own here)

1 TB. ground nutmeg

1 rounded cup instant coffee

(I used decaf)

Mix all ingredients well until smooth and there are no lumps.  Store in air tight container.

In bottom of your mug, place 3 rounded Tablespoonsful of the mix.  Add 1 c. heated milk. Stir well until dissolved and enjoy.

It tastes great using hot water too, but milk gives it an extra boost.

Certainly feel free to drizzle with caramel syrup just to make yourself feel really pampered!

(If you want it to dissolve easier, try mixing a cup of mix at a time in the blender until it's becomes more powder-y, but I don't think it's necessary with this recipe.)

Linked to Ingredient Spotlight
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Recipe of the Week: Drinks
Homemade Holiday

Popular Butternut Squash Bake

                                                                

This is a family favorite recipe and is a great addition to any meal, but especially a holiday one.

Just a few years ago, I won $100 for it in an American Profile 'side dish' contest! Besides being in my own cookbook, It can also be found in two of the American Profile cookbooks -

Hometown Recipes for the Holidays and Blue Ribbon Winners! WOOOHOOO!!

(If you're not familiar with the American Profile...it's a paper-magazine-type publication that comes tucked inside newspapers across the country...similar to USA Weekend, etc. Not every newspaper carries it, but many do - from coast to coast).

I've been told this tastes like 'dessert'. 

One of my blogging buddies, Loy of Grandma Loy's Kitchen  tried it and she and her husband had a cold piece later with Cool Whip on top! Check out her page at the link above.

Whenever I take it to church potlucks, one of my friends hollers to the crowd "Marsha's squash dish is here"!

How fun is that???

Not only is this dish magnificent, butternut squash is just plain good for you!! It's full of fiber, but did you know that winter squash, like our friend the butternut, are also good sources of vitamins A and C, several B vitamins, potassium, and omega-3 fatty acids?

Squash rocks.  

I normally double the topping recipe and get raves about the crunchy topping! 

BUTTERNUT SQUASH BAKE

1/3 c. butter or margarine, softened

2/3 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 - 5-oz. can evaporated milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. mashed, cooked butternut squash

TOPPING:

1/2 c. crispy rice cereal (if using chex, crush slightly)

3 Tb. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. chopped pecans

2 Tb. melted butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 11" X 7" baking pan.

 Cream the butter, and granulated sugar in a bowl using a mixer. Beat in the eggs, evaporated milk, and vanilla. Stir in the squash. The mixture will be thin. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes, or until almost set.

For the topping, combine the cereal, brown sugar, pecans and melted butter in a bowl; mix well. Remove the casserole from oven and sprinkle on the topping. Return to the oven for 5 - 10 minutes or until bubbly.

{I normally double the topping recipe for added crunch and flavor}

(And I've reduced the amount of sugar from original recipe)

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Linked to Totally Tasty Tuesday

                Wonka Wednesday

                   Sunday Funday

                   Side Dish Saturday

                   Ingredient Spotlight

              Weekend Potluck
           Meal Plan Monday