I grew up in a fortress. I spent many years on Air Force Strategic Air Command bases surrounded by fences with armed guards on the gates. Guards stopped non-military guests at the gate and called to see if we were expecting them before allowing them …
Christmas
Aunt Nettie’s Sour Cream Pound Cake
Pat Hopkins 2 sticks butter, 3 cups sugar, 1 cup of sour cream, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 6 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cream butter and sugar, add sour cream. Sift dry ingredients together. Alternate adding dry ingredients with eggs, beat after …
Hummingbird Cake
This is one of my favorite cakes and one of the most simple to make. My dear friend Kathy Wyantt shared this recipe with me twenty-years ago when I got married. Cake: 3 cups self-rising flour, 2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup oil, 1/2 cup chopped …
Patchen’s Holiday Salad
Pat Hopkins My mother has served this salad every Christmas for as long as I can remember, the holiday menu is not complete without it. 1 large can crushed pineapple, 3 medium cans mandarin oranges, 1 can jellied cranberry sauce, 2 large boxes of cherry …
Chocolate Dipped Spoons & Pretzels
Chocolate melting spoons paired with a coffee mug and a hot cocoa mix make a nice gift for friends and teachers. To make, purchase heavy-duty plastic spoons. Party City has a wide variety of colors such as gold, silver, red, and green in packs of …
God’s Gifts
Karin Wieland “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him.” Matthew 7:11 NIV I love shopping and find particular enjoyment when shopping for …
A Present to Bless Others
Making a donation in honor of a loved one is a nice gift for someone who has everything. Samaritan’s Purse International Relief. Check out their Christmas catalog that has everything from sponsoring the drilling of a well to buying chickens or sports gear. Wellspring Living. …
Helping Others by Listening
I recently read a short devotion to my children that impacted me greatly. The devotion was about a poem that was comprised of two short stanzas written by a man who had buried several of his sons. In the first stanza a man came to …
Chuck’s Favorite Cheesecake
Crust: 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup melted butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Blend the crust ingredients together and press into a spring-form cheesecake pan. Place in the refrigerator while you are making the filling. Filling: 16 oz softened-to-room-temperature cream cheese, 3 eggs, 1 cup …
Frozen Cranberry Salad
2 cans whole berry cranberry sauce, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 pint whipped whipping cream, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 8 oz softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 cup chopped pecans. Mix cranberry sauce and lemon juice together. Pour into 11x 17 dish and freeze. …