Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cranberries and White Chocolate Chips

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cranberries and White Chocolate Chips

1 1/2 sticks of butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add brown sugar. Mix in eggs one at a time until smooth. In a separate bowl mix flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add in to butter mixture alternately with pumpkin. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips. Spoon into greased muffin tin. Bake at 370 degrees for 15 minutes. 

Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle Bars

Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle Bars:

Crust:

1 box of yellow cake mix

1 stick of butter, melted

1 egg

Filling:

1 ½ cups of canned pumpkin puree

1 cup of white sugar

1 cup of all purpose flour

3 tablespoons apple pie spice

2 eggs

Combine the cake mix, melted butter and egg until a soft dough forms. Press into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Set aside. Combine pumpkin, sugar flour, spices and eggs until smooth. Pour over cake mix mixture. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool completely. Cut into squares and serve!

(PS: I topped mine with a crumble layer I made out of melted white chocolate, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon but most people like it better without.)

Pumpkin Spice Bagel Cream Cheese Spread

In case y'all haven't heard, PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES ARE BACK AT STARBUCKS!! It may still be 98 degrees here in the shade but you better believe I've had 2 already. I am a summer girl at heart, but I can hear fall calling my name. Boot, flannel shirts, falling leaves, cool weather, apple pie, and punkin flavored everything. BLISS. As I have said in the past, I have made fixing breakfast an Olympic event. I'm a busy girl so breakfast has to be a thermos of coffee and something I can eat in the car. Since I don't have time to run to Starbucks every morning and get a pumpkin spice latte IV, I decided to make an edible version... the punkin spice bagel.... and it is FANTASTIC! I eat mine on a cinnamon raisin thin sliced bagel but it would be wonderful on just about any kind!

Pumpkin Spice Bagel Cream Cheese Spread: 
1 8oz  block of cream cheese (you can use low fat or whipped if you like)
3/4 cup canned pureed pumpkin (not canned pumpkin pie filling)
2 1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice (I usually add a little more cinnamon also, just because I like mine with a bolder spice flavor)
pinch of ground cloves (be careful not to add too much- its a strong flavor)
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon brown sugar (you can add or subtract to this to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

With an electric mixer, cream on high until smooth, fluffy and creamy! Shmear it all over a bagel or just eat it with a spoon like I did! 

-Ada Grey

Learning to Live Within God's Will.

Lately Ada and I have been talking about learning to live within God's will and accepting His timing. In this life I have learned that as humans we are expecting instant gratification. We want what we want, and once we decide what that "want" is, we want it NOW.   Wouldn't that be cool if we could just snap our fingers and get whatever it is we wish for?------  Or maybe not... What if getting everything easily made us less appreciative? Less willing to wait for THE GOOD THINGS, THE IMPORTANT THINGS, THE PRECIOUS THINGS. 

I have struggled in recent years with understanding God's perfect timing.  God has perfect timing for everything.  Perfect timing for your job, perfect timing for your marriage, perfect timing for procreation.  Sometimes we question Him.  WHY ARE YOU MAKING ME WAIT? WHY? We get mad at God...We get angry. We've waited enough. We are sick of waiting. We just want what we think can make us happy.  

In reality, He is the only thing that can ever make us completely and wholely happy within our souls. Our true happiness from other things only comes THROUGH Him.  He is the ultimate giver of everything that is truly good and joyful! 

I have married friends who have suffered multiple miscarriages, and after the miscarriages suffered through several months of not being able to get pregnant.  Once they were finally pregnant again, my friend felt as if she could not enjoy the pregnancy.  She was fearful every moment for what might happen.  She had been traumatized by the loss of previous babies that she wanted so badly.  Of course she was terrified.  What woman wouldn't be?  In conversation with her one day she spoke candidly about this fear.  This was an almost debilitating fear that her pregnancy was too good to be true.  She feared that something she might do could harm the baby.  She feared that God wouldn't let her dreams come to fruition... that He would take this baby too, this baby that she had longed for. 

When she spoke of these fears, I felt called to speak.  I rarely have "moments", but this was a "moment" for me.   I felt like someone else was speaking through me. Like HE was speaking through me.   

I spoke about my journey to understanding God's perfect timing and my struggle with it.  I have been down several times in life, and felt like I had been kicked at my lowest and couldn't go on, and questioned WHY ME? WHAT DID I DO?  God, why cant you just give me what I want?  

When this happens, I have learned to think of someone I know personally or someone in the Bible who went through something far worse than the storm I am going through.  For me, that really hits home; It puts into perspective that God has a perfect plan for my life, and even though I may not understand that plan, it is HIS and it is perfect.  I should be still and trust HIM.  He makes us face our troubles for a reason.  We may NEVER understand our path, but it is our path regardless, and one day we will get our reward in the kingdom of heaven for trusting in His will over our wants.  

All of those times that we are fearful and feel sorry for ourselves Satan wants us to falter and question why God would put us on this path or let us go through something so bad. Stop questioning your path! Do not let Satan and fear rob you of the happiness that Jesus has for you!  Satan wants you to stop believing that God is there with you every step of the way.  Satan wants you to believe that Jesus will never make you happy. Do not fall victim to this fear that Satan puts on you. 

This brought me to scripture that  I have read a hundred times.  

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for peace not evil, and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

The context is especially important for this verse.  The Lord doesn't give us what we want, but what is necessary for doing His work. Trust that your trials are an opportunity to become closer to Him and that you can ultimately share your testimony and lead others to Christ. Once you think about it, isn't leading others to Jesus one of the most magnificent thing you could ever do?  So stop worrying about those other things you want in life.  

You must enjoy the day.  Enjoy every day that is given to you.  They are each a precious gift to do His works! Enjoy the blessings that God has in store for you and use them to bless others.  Trust that God will give us what we are supposed to have, when we are supposed to have it, but that it is his timing that is followed, not our own!

For my friends, I pray for their journey, the journey that God has created for them.  May they learn to live within God's will, wherever it may take them.  Learning to trust and live within His will is arguably one of the hardest things we as humans can ever acomplish.    And may we all learn to wait for THE GOOD THINGS, THE IMPORTANT THINGS, THE PRECIOUS THINGS.  Sometimes waiting and trusting God's will makes the precious things that much sweeter, and makes the story of our journey a testimony and a blessing for others. 

-Caroline

Is that a deal breaker?

    Let me start this by saying patience is not my superpower. I'm the woman who will put something in the microwave for 1 minute and opens the door with 2 seconds left on the timer because I just can't wait that one instant longer. I tell you this so that you will understand my mindset with this post. In essence, I can be an impatient control freak. There I said it. So imagine my frustration when discussing my future with friends or family and I hear "Well, you'll get there one day." That does not make me a happy camper because that is just telling me that I don't have control over what is happening and that I have to wait. But the real reason I hate being told that "It'll happen one day" is that there is no guarantee that it will. What if what I want doesn't happen? What then?
     I think one of the biggest sins that we face today is the sin of idolatry. Now you may read that and think "Wait, I'm not bowing down to a golden statue in my living room. What in the sam hill are you talking about?" Idols are anything that takes us away from God. Idols can be things like our jobs and our relationships or they can be our desires. My preacher gave a sermon on this subject a while back. He asked the congregation to think of the thing we loved the most or the thing we wanted the most- whatever takes up the majority of our thoughts. For some it may have been their school work and others it may have been someone in their life. Still others may have thought about the things they were working towards like finding the right job or finding a spouse. After everyone had taken a moment to get a clear picture of what they spent the most time in a day thinking about or working towards the preacher said this "Imagine you woke up in the morning and got a call that whatever it is you love or want was taken away for ever or that you would never achieve it. Would that affect how you feel about God? If losing something you love or not getting what you want pulls you away from God, that is your idol."
     Now stop and think about that. That can be a tough pill to swallow. There is no guarantee that the people we love will be there tomorrow. We may never become CEO of the company. We may never be able to have that child we've always dreamed of. Maybe we won't have the relationship we always thought we'd have. 

Is God's love enough?

     I'm not saying that having desires or goals is a bad thing. In fact, I think they are necessary. But they should not take God's place in our hearts. They should not come first. In the end, whether or not we build that dream house or we make it through medical school should not alter our love for Christ. We have a calling. And that is to show and share the Gospel to others. We were put on this earth to show and tell others that as humans we are vilely sinful and therefore unworthy to be in God's presence but God loved us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die the death that we deserve and live the perfect life we are incapable of so that as believers we may spend eternity with God. No matter what happens to us here on earth, we should be joyful that we have been redeemed and adopted as sons and daughters of the King. God will give us what we need to fullfill our mission. That's where trust comes in. Live each day knowing you are loved beyond all imagining and be joyful. 

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
- Galatians 2:20

 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
- Romans 12: 9-16

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him.
- Psalm 28:7

Need You Now- Plumb

Love and blessings,
Ada Grey

Easy Peach Muffins

I have an abundance of peaches right now so I used those but you can easy make these with strawberries, blueberries or whatever fruit you have on hand.

Peach Muffins:
6 ounces of yogurt (I used vanilla but you can use plain or peach)
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups baking mix
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup chopped peaches

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Beat yogurt, eggs and oil until combined. Slowly add in baking mix and sugar. Mix well. Gently stir in peaches. Spoon into greased muffin tin. Bake for 15-20 minutes. 

-Ada Grey

Cheesecake Stuffed Peaches

My sweet Mama has been making cheesecake stuffed peaches for years and Caroline and I can single handedly eat an entire batch at once. Now, I rarely contradict anything my Mama says or does but I have tweeked her traditional cheesecake stuffed peaches to make them just a little richer. I just pulled a big batch out of the oven and they smell heavenly. This is a summertime must- especially in Georgia. 

Cheesecake stuffed peaches:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons white sugar
5 peaches, cut in half and pitted
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar

In a bowl cream together cream cheese, egg yolk and white sugar. Dip the peach halves (cut side only) in butter. Place in a lightly grease baking dish and sprinkle with cinnamon. After all peaches have been dipped in butter and sprinkled with cinnamon, put a dollop of the cream cheese mixture in the hole where the pit was removed. Then, sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Enjoy!

- Ada Grey