meghanewhite

Streams in the Desert

January 22, 2022 meghanewhite

Hello everyone! I haven’t blogged for a few weeks and wanted you to know that I’m still here, just been busy. We went to Arizona for a week to visit my sweet in-laws. The pictures are from our trip. We went through Sabino Canyon for the first time and it was incredible. There are numerous hiking trails, waterfalls, all kinds of trees, and of course, cactus.

I loved seeing the contrast of the vibrant yellow cottonwood trees against the brown desert terrain. It was stunning and so peaceful. This spectacular canyon is an oasis in the desert. Since I love my metaphors, this canyon spoke right to my soul.

I’ve experienced a few deserts in my life. Everything is brown and all hope seems gone. There’s no way to parch your thirst. You cry out to God for help, for some sort of respite in such harsh conditions. You wonder if He sees you and your suffering as you wait for an answer.

Then something incredible happens right in the middle of your desert, a stream appears seemingly out of nowhere. God provides water for your thirsty soul, and gives you rest for your weariness. He gives you the strength to keep going, and the courage to press on in the wilderness.

God has been faithful to me in every one of my desert experiences. If you are in the desert right now He is with you. He’s not going to leave you there. Keep following Jesus and He will get you where you need to go. And along the way He will provide streams for you right smack dab in the middle of the desert.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19, NIV

Stay encouraged. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. You are going to make it.

I love you and I’m praying for you.

A little side note. I got a super fun case of food poisoning right after we got back home from our trip. I don’t recommend it, but I survived by the grace of God.

If you need prayer just leave your request in the comments, or drop me an email. meghanewhiteauthor@gmail.com

Love you all,

Meghan

Faith

Look at the Butterflies

January 3, 2022 meghanewhite

Living in a warm climate has its advantages. We still have flowers blooming, and butterflies are still showing up to eat nectar. Monarch butterflies swarmed our garden in early November during their migration to Mexico. There were dozens of monarch’s all over our Mexican sunflowers. It was amazing!

There is something so peaceful and beautiful about butterflies. I love nature. I love being outside. I see God everywhere I look. The sky, flowers, birds, insects, trees, and all of it. He made everything. There is no denying a Creator when you stand in His creation.

Here is a short video of the butterflies that were in the garden on Saturday, January 1, 2022.

What an incredible way to start off the new year. Butterflies happily feeding on my sunflowers in the middle of winter. It makes me smile. Those butterflies have not a single concern. They do exactly what they were designed to do. Eat nectar, and get to Mexico for the winter. Sounds pretty good to me.

God takes care of the butterflies. He provides flowers with nectar for them. He also gave monarch’s the instinct to migrate south for the winter. Monarch’s use environmental cues to know when it’s time to make the migration to Mexico and California. Amazing! If God cares for butterflies, then He is definitely going to care for us too.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26, NIV

You are much more valuable than a butterfly, or a bird. God loves you. He loves caring for you. Take a deep breath in, and know God is watching over you. Trust Him. Now get outside, if it’s not too cold, and watch how He cares for all of creation. You are worth more than that. He’s got you.

Love you all,

Meghan

If you need prayer leave your request in the comments, or send it to meghanewhiteauthor@gmail.com

Perseverance

Be Strong and Do Not Give Up

December 30, 2021 meghanewhite

The other morning I grabbed my Bible not knowing what to read. I opened it up and found myself in 2 Chronicles. A verse popped right off the page that I had highlighted a long time ago.

But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded. 2 Chronicles 15:7, NIV

I don’t normally go to 2 Chronicles. I’ve read it before, but it’s not a book that comes to mind when I am looking to study something in the Bible. I know that was not a coincidence. God spoke to me through this verse. It’s His holy word, and He speaks through it.

These incredible words were spoken to Asa. He was king of Judah and he loved God. It was a tumultuous, dangerous time. There were wars and battles between nations. The people were disobedient and worshipped idols. The prophet Azariah said, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you” (2 Chronicles 15:2, NIV).

Asa loved the Lord, and for most of his life he did right. “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God” (2 Chronicles 14:2, NIV). He removed all the foreign altars, told Judah to seek the Lord and obey His laws and commandments. “Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life.” (2 Chronicles 15:17b, NIV)

In verse 8 we are told that Asa took courage after hearing what the prophet said. Praise God for that. Asa did listen to the prophet and he was encouraged. We can be encouraged too. Those words were spoken to Asa but they are for us as well. They apply today. God does not change.

Be Strong

Whatever you are going through, be strong. It’s not your strength you are relying on, it’s God’s. He has infinite strength, and infinite power. As His children we get full access to Him, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. He will be your strength.

Do Not Give Up

Your circumstances may look hopeless. There is always hope with Jesus. Sometimes we have to wait for God’s perfect timing. In the meantime keep doing what He asked of you. Be obedient and He will take care of every single thing you need. It may not be easy, but He will make a way. Never give up!

God Will Reward You

After Asa removed all the detestable idols, and repaired the altar of the Lord, he gathered all the people. They sacrificed to God and they sought after Him with all their heart and soul. “So the Lord gave them rest on every side” (2 Chronicles 15:15b, NIV). God is a rewarder of those who seek Him, and those who obey Him. We obey out of love, reverence, and awe of God. He knows the motives of our hearts, and He is a rewarder of the pure in heart. That’s how good God is.

Be strong and do not give up!

Love you all,

Meghan

Christmas, Food

Hot Chocolate Bombs

December 17, 2021November 3, 2023 meghanewhite

Hot chocolate bombs are the bomb. Pun intended. These gorgeous spheres of hot cocoa goodness explode with marshmallows and chocolate when hot milk is poured over them. It’s satisfying to watch the chocolate melt and reveal all the deliciousness from inside the bomb.

I’m late to the game with this fun treat. Hot chocolate bombs are so 2020. I say better late than never. I love trying new things, and I was determined to make these bombs. It was trial and error for me. I made some mistakes with my first batch, and improved my technique with my second go round.

I am not an expert on making hot chocolate bombs. I am a complete novice. If I can make them, you can make them too! The one thing you absolutely need is a silicone mold. I got mine from Amazon. There are ways to make bombs without molds, but I don’t have experience with that. I’m sharing the simple way I made them.

Hot chocolate bombs are delicious. The milk makes the cocoa extra creamy and flavorful. They make lovely homemade gifts. Who wouldn’t enjoy a ball of chocolate filled with hot cocoa and marshmallows that you made for them? Hot chocolate bombs are a fun unique treat to make and share. Make some today!

Happy Eating!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4

Hot Chocolate Bombs

Yield: 3 hot chocolate bombs (2 ½ inch sized)

Equipment

silicone 2 ½ inch semi sphere mold

parchment paper

pastry brush

latex gloves (optional)

saucepan

heat proof bowl

cupcake liners

rubber spatula

measuring cups

measuring spoons

Ingredients

6 ounces chocolate almond bark

3 tablespoons hot cocoa mix

¾ cup mini marshmallows

sprinkles, crushed candy canes, chocolate chips (for filling)

3 cups hot milk for serving

Instructions

Melt the chocolate in the microwave, or use a double boiler.
Add one tablespoon of the melted chocolate to each silicone sphere. Use the back of a spoon to spread the chocolate evenly in each mold, or use a small brush to paint the chocolate in the mold. Another method is to take the silicone mold with the melted chocolate and rotate it around until each sphere is evenly coated. Then place the mold upside down on parchment to let the excess chocolate run out.
Place the chocolate filled molds in the refrigerator for 5 minutes.
Repeat the process with one more layer of melted chocolate. Place in the refrigerator for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
Carefully remove each sphere from the silicone mold.
Heat a small teflon coated pan over medium heat for a couple minutes. Take the pan off the heat. Place each sphere on the surface of the warmed pan for a few seconds to smooth out the edges. This will help when you seal up your bombs.
Using a measuring cup, place one chocolate sphere on top to hold it in place as you fill it. Add 1 tablespoon of hot chocolate mix in the sphere. Then add about ¼ cup of mini marshmallows. You can also add crushed candy canes, or sprinkles. Just keep the edges clear so you can seal up your bomb.
To seal the hot chocolate bomb heat the small frying pan again, just enough to warm it. Place the chocolate sphere in the pan for a few seconds and then carefully place it on top of the filled sphere. Gently press down to seal the edges. Put the completed bomb on the backside of a muffin pan to let it set up. Muffin pans turned over are great holders for hot chocolate bombs.
Decorate with drizzled chocolate and sprinkles.
Heat 1 cup of milk just until hot, not boiling. Place one bomb in a large mug. Pour hot milk over the top of your hot chocolate bomb and watch it open up with marshmallows. Stir and enjoy!

Storage of Hot Chocolate Bombs

Keep your bombs in an airtight container at room temperature. They last for several weeks.

Use Gloves

To keep fingerprints off your chocolate use latex gloves when handling your chocolate bombs.

Tips on Chocolate

Baking chocolate bars, and chips can be used. These will need to be tempered.

The easiest chocolate to use is compound chocolate (almond bark, chocolate candy melts). You just melt the compound chocolate in the microwave, or in a double boiler and it’s ready. No tempering.

How to Temper Chocolate

Microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between. Do this several times. It should be mostly melted, but there will still be pieces that are unmelted. Take it out of the microwave and stir until smooth and melted. To test if your chocolate is tempered pour a small amount of chocolate on a piece of parchment and place in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. If it’s shiny and breaks in half easily, it’s tempered. If it’s soft or dull it’s not tempered. To fix this, add a bit more chocolate and stir until it’s melted, or re-heat for a few seconds in the microwave until melted and smooth.

How to Use a Double Boiler

Place a small heatproof bowl filled with chocolate over a simmering pot of water. The bowl should not touch the water, but fit over the opening of the pot. The steam will melt the chocolate beautifully. Stir as the chocolate begins to melt until smooth.

I hope you make these fun, yummy hot chocolate bombs.

Merry Christmas!

All photos by Meghan E. White.

Christmas, Food

Russian Tea Cakes

December 15, 2021 meghanewhite

When I was a kid my mom called these delightful little cookies snowballs. It’s a cute name that perfectly describes these bite sized treats. Years later I was given this recipe for Russian tea cakes, and I’ve been making them ever since.

These are a favorite of my family at Christmas time. With a few simple ingredients you’ve got a wonderful buttery, crunchy cookie. They look so festive, like snow. A perfect holiday goody.

Walnuts add a delectable crunch. I highly recommend toasting the walnuts. This will add another depth of flavor to the tea cakes. Savory nuts and sweet powdered sugar come together perfectly in Russian tea cakes. These marvelous cookies will make a lovely addition to your holiday desserts.

Happy Eating!

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

Russian Tea Cakes

Ingredients

1 cup softened butter

½ cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ¼ cups flour

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cupped chopped walnuts

2 cups of powdered sugar for rolling the cookies

To Toast Nuts

Preheat oven to 350°
Spread nuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
Toast until browned. Keep a close eye on them as nuts can burn easily.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°
Line baking sheets with parchment, or leave them ungreased.
In a medium sized mixing bowl use a hand mixer to cream butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla thoroughly.
Add the flour and salt. Mix until combined.
Stir in the chopped walnuts.
Cover and chill the dough for 20 minutes, or up to overnight.
Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place on a baking sheet.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
In a small bowl place the 2 cups of powdered sugar.
While still warm, roll the cookies in powdered sugar.
Cool the cookies, and roll one more time in the powdered sugar.

Notes

Pecans, and almonds can be used.
Russian tea cakes can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Coat with powdered sugar before serving.