Tag: trust God

Food

Magic Bars

meghanewhite

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If you are looking for a super easy and decadent dessert, or even if you are not looking, I’ve got a great one for you. These amazing bar cookies will satisfy your sweet tooth, and your neighbor’s too. There are countless versions of these awesome cookies, Hello Dolly Bars, Seven Layer Bars, and a few others. I went with the Disney inspired Magic Bars because I like the name. Call them whatever you like.

The fun thing about cookies like Magic Bars is you can customize them to your preferences. If you don’t like coconut, don’t add it. Use this recipe as your base and tweak it to your liking. Have fun with it. I added sprinkles because why not. 

Magic Bars are effortless yet scrumptious. These uncomplicated cookies are soft and chewy like caramel with just the right amount of crunch. Your hunger for something sweet will be gratified with this lovely treat. Enjoy!

Happy Eating!

I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. Psalm 9:1

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Magic Bars 

Ingredients 

1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (approximately 9 graham crackers or 1 full sleeve)

1/2 cup melted butter (4 oz.)

6 oz. chocolate chips 

6 oz. butterscotch chips 

1 cup sweetened coconut flakes 

14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 Tbsp. Jimmies sprinkles (optional)

Instructions 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment or aluminum foil, or spray with cooking spray.
  2. In a small bowl mix the graham crackers and melted butter. Dump the mixture into the prepared baking dish and press into place with a measuring cup.
  3. Spread chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and flaked coconut evenly on the crust. Pour entire can of sweetened condensed milk on top over everything.
  4. Add walnuts and sprinkles on top.
  5. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the edges are golden brown, and the filling is bubbly. Cool completely and cut into bars. Enjoy!

Notes: 

  • Cool by placing the bars in the fridge or freezer. They will be easier to cut if cool.
  • Use parchment or foil to easily remove from the pan and cut.
  • Magic Bars are very soft, especially when they first come out of the oven.
  • Use more or less coconut, or nuts to your preference.

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Faith, Jesus

Out With the Old in With the New

meghanewhite

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Another Christmas tree tossed to the curb. It’s just a tree but I like them. They each have their own personalities. This tree had a huge crack in the trunk, so about three feet had to be chopped off. It leaned to the right, but still so pretty. And there were no complaints about the smell. That wondrous fresh pine aroma filled our house.

This lovely tree, with all its memories, is gone. If it were up to me I’d probably have a fresh tree year round loaded with Christmas decorations. Trees eventually die so it wouldn’t be ideal to have one all year in my living room. It would look like a cactus by the time the next holiday season arrived. As much as I love fresh trees, I look forward to cleaning everything up from Christmas and putting it all away. It’s a fresh start.

Throwing out our old tree makes me think about throwing out some bad habits, and bad attitudes that need to go in my life. Like a dried up tired tree, so is my attitude at times. I say I’m going to change yet I still fall back into bad habits that need to go. I know what it takes to bring real lasting change, surrender.

Only Jesus can help me let go of whatever is destructive in my life, and He can make something new and beautiful from it. But I have to let go, and I don’t always want to. I think my old ways are better, when they clearly are not. It doesn’t stop me from going back to them like an old familiar shiny Christmas tree that dulls over time. I think it’s working, but it’s not. 

Jesus is calling me to trust Him with the old, and He’ll replace it with new. I’ll take what He’s handing out any day, even if it involves death to my old ways. His ways are the best. I’m looking forward to the new things that Jesus wants to do in me. It will be difficult to throw out the old bad stuff that I cling to, but I’m ready for the new stuff from my Savior. 

Complaining can be replaced with gratitude.

Worry can be transformed into faith.

Fear can be destroyed with peace.

Out with the old, in with the new.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17, BSB 

Love you all,

Meghan 

Christmas, Food

Grinch Cookies

meghanewhite

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That mean ol’ Grinch inspired some really fun cookies. I can’t help but think of watching the classic Christmas cartoon special each year. The book is even better. In honor of the grumpy one you can enjoy this delightful cookie. It’s soft, chewy, and easy to make. The red hot is to represent the Grinch’s heart. You can use heart shaped sprinkles, or even M&M’s. I could not find the heart shaped sprinkles so red hots worked great.

Grinch cookies are a nice way to add something new to your holiday baking. They are delicious and a great conversation piece. These would be fun to make with kids. You could make a whole theme with the cookies, book, and cartoon, or movie. Or just make them to share with your friends and family. Have fun with these adorable cookies.

Happy baking!

“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29

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Grinch Cookies

Yield: 40 cookies

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup (4 oz.) softened butter

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

green food coloring

1/2 cup powdered sugar

cinnamon red hots or heart-shaped sprinkles

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment.
  2. In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar until well combined and creamy. Add eggs one at a time and blend until combined. Add the vanilla and almond extract. Add the green food coloring creating the color you desire. I used 12 drops.
  4. Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture until combined. Don’t over mix.
  5. In a small bowl add the powdered sugar. Roll the cookie dough into 1 inch balls and evenly coat in the powdered sugar. Place on the baking sheet.
  6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges and bottoms are slightly golden brown, and the cookies are crinkled on top.
  7. While the cookies are still hot place a candy at the center and gently press. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes:

  • These cookies puff up while baking.
  • Make sure to place the candies on the cookies immediately after the cookies are out of the oven.
  • Be generous with the powdered sugar to ensure it sticks while baking.

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Christmas

My Favorite Things

meghanewhite

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As a little girl, I would lay on the floor next to our Christmas tree looking up at all the lights and decorations. It was so wonderful and exciting to me, all of it. The stereo console would be playing an Elvis, or Gene Autry Christmas record, creating the perfect dreamy atmosphere.

Years later, and I still love Christmas. I love the decorations, music, silly movies, baking and giving. That’s one of the best parts, giving gifts to loved ones, and sharing my baked goods with neighbors and family. And, I absolutely love going to Christmas Eve service at church, especially if it’s candle lit.

I love the old ornaments we’ve got on our tree. Little brightly colored pieces of glass that are slightly tarnished and holding so many memories. They reflect the light so beautifully. They’re just things, but to me they represent so much more. It’s about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

I will celebrate my Savior and it’s a privilege to be able to do so. This is the only month we can say Christ every single day to complete strangers as we wish them a “Merry Christmas”. I say it as often as I can.

We are not guaranteed tomorrow, we only have today. So, today I choose to be grateful for right now. I am grateful to have the opportunity to celebrate the most amazing gift the world has ever received, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. It’s worth celebrating, and is my most favorite thing. I will light the lights, hang the ornaments, and bless my loved ones with some homemade cookies to say, “Hallelujah!, The Savior was born!”.

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6, NKJV

Love you all,

Meghan

Waiting

God Has Not Forgotten You

meghanewhite

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Waiting on God can be quite difficult. At first, our faith is strong and unwavering. Then, as time goes by, our faith gets a little tired. Our patience gets exhausted, and we start to think that God may have forgotten us in our suffering. That could not be farther from the truth.

When we don’t get an immediate answer to our prayers, the wait begins. The longer the wait, the more fear and doubt come in to our minds. It’s a faith test that no one wants to take, definitely not me. Delay does not mean denial. It can sure feel like it though.

I can wait a few hours, a few days, maybe even a few weeks. When weeks turn to months, and months turn to years, I start to wonder what is God doing. “God, do you see me?” “Do you care that I’m in pain?” “How long will this go on?” The truth is that God sees us, and is with us in our pain, and He has a plan for our good, in all of it.

Recently, I watched a talk given by an elderly woman who was part of the Dutch Resistance in the Netherlands during the Nazi occupation of WWII. I can’t recall her name, but she was a friend of Corrie ten Boom. Her story was filled with danger, and suffering, and a lot of faith. She mentioned the length of the war, and how they did not know the Nazi occupation would last for five years. They were always hoping and praying for the terrible war to end, but it took five long years for the Germans to surrender in 1945. Her nightmare ended, but they had no way of knowing how long it was going to last.

We don’t know how long we have to wait for that promise from God, but He does. He is with you as you wait. He is with you when you can’t take it another minute. He is with you when you hurt. He is the God of all comfort. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 2 Corinthians 1:3, NIV

God is having you wait for a reason and a season. Keep trusting Him when you don’t know, and don’t understand. God is sovereign and loves you. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. Colossians 1:16, NIV

“Is there something you are waiting for, something you are trusting God to do, to perform, to fulfill, and He hasn’t done it yet? You are probably waiting longer than you thought you would have to wait. But that doesn’t mean God’s provision is canceled, it just means His promise is delayed. Our timetable is different from His, and on occasion He will say, “Wait.” I repeat, the delay doesn’t mean He has canceled it, it simply means He’s building our character through the process of waiting.”

Charles R. Swindoll, Bedside Blessings

I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1, NIV

Love you all,

Meghan

Photo credit of forget-me-not flower: Meghan E. White