Move over Johnny Appleseed...........

Classic Apple Pie

Ingredients

7 apples peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup Sugar - adjust according to the variety of apples you use

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely grated 2 tablespoons butter, softened
Pastry for double crust pie
2 cups flour 2/3 cup lard or butter or shortening

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cold water

Directions
1-Pastry for double crust pie

2-Combine flour, lard and salt with a pastry blender or fork until balls are the size of a large pea. 3-Add cold water by the spoonful and blend until the bowl starts to clean itself as you work the dough.
4-Then it is ready for rolling.
5-Preheat oven to 450°F.
6-Combine sliced apples with sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon rind.
7-Line pie plate with unbaked pie crust, trim pastry, crimp to edge of pie plate. Fill pie crust with apple mixture and dot with softened butter.
8-Brush crust edge with water and place pie crust top on top of pie, crimp to the bottom crust. Make some slits in the top crust for steam to escape. Bake for 10 minutes.
9- Turn oven down to 350°F and bake for 45 minutes longer.

Enjoy-

Hugs & Prayers, GG

God makes himself known..........

He can still move a mountain for you.

He can still part a sea.

He can still feed 5,000.

He can still send you a letter.

He can still let us know, that He knows, exactly where we are , He is never far. He wraps His arms around us and my tears touch His heart of mercy and grace.

My Precious Lord is still bringing me through the healing process of grieving for a loved one who was taken from us so suddenly and still with little answers.

I had and have so many questions. God does not scold me for the questions or dismiss my need to "know"...............to be "assured" . He has gently walked us through these days.


Two days ago I got a letter from a major ministry, the director of the major donor division. Addressed to my husband and I , The letter began.............Dear Jonathan and Ella , We have recently learned of the death of your..............and they named my loved one by name.

They expressed their love for us and their warmest condolences and let us know they were praying for us and our family.

To me , it was as if the God of the universe sat Miss B down and had her pen to us the words that He knew I needed to hear.

The contents were "personal" as if they knew our loved one. The words of encouragement answers to some of my questions. I knew that although this letter was written and sent by humans hands.

It was loving dictated and directed by My Lord and God. He knows me, He loves me and He uses anything to get our attention to minister to us exactly what we need.

He knows you! He knows exactly where you are. He knows the answers that you need.

And He loves you beyond what you can ever think or imagine!

Hugs & Prayers, GG

The Sheep and the Goats............

Really not what we hear much from the many pulpits anymore........But the truth nevertheless. God richly bless, keep and protect your servants. Who are boldy declaring the truth of your word. May we be the sheep of your pasture, ready to do what you would have us.



M't:25:31: When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
M't:25:32: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
M't:25:33: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
M't:25:34: Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
M't:25:35: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
M't:25:36: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
M't:25:37: Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
M't:25:38: When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
M't:25:39: Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
M't:25:40: And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
M't:25:41: Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
M't:25:42: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
M't:25:43: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
M't:25:44: Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
M't:25:45: Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
M't:25:46: And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.






God may we ever be ready to follow after you. Living the will of God by faith. Keep and strengthen us in these days we walk, in Jesus' Name.
Hugs & Prayers, GG

A day of refreshing...................

A very beautiful day with my incredible husband Jonathan.

I do not think that the Father could have given me a more wonderful husband.

I appreciate the giftings and annointings that God has placed in him to minister to me in a way that no one else save the precious Holy Spirit can.

We needed today to relax, refresh, and restore our Spirits, Souls and Bodies.

Thank you Jesus for our beautiful day together!

My Best Buddy..........I love you always!

Hugs & Prayers, GG

I can only imagine..................

I had such a time of peacefulness in God's presence today............... I must have sang this song to Jesus for what seemed like forever..........


I can only imagine............
Hugs & Prayers, GG

Thankful..................

I am thankful to know that I have eternal life in Christ Jesus.

I am thankful for an incredible husband .

I am ever so thankful for my immediate family, kids, grand kids...........

I am so very thankful today for the wonderful extended family and friends that God has put into my life.

I am thankful for the brothers and sisters in Christ , that have spoken faith and life into my life.

Life is good.

Psalms:100:4: Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Hugs & Prayers, GG

Fall has arrived in New England................

or so it would appear.

I promised my little grand-daughter when they went back to school, I would make one of her favorites . New England Clam Chowder. It seems appropiate for this cool, damp September day.

My family does put the word "comfort" in comfort foods and while we are all together we have been enjoying foods that we ate as children and foods that we find 'Comforting".

I lost my tried and true recipe during the move back home in June. But my dear friend Miss Laurie, was so sweet and shared this one with me which I will make for the family tonight.

New England Clam Chowder

1 medium onion, choppped (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup cut-up bacon or lean salt pork (we always used bacon)
2 cans (8 ounces) minced clams, drained (reserve liquid)
1 cup finely chopped potato
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
2 cups milk
Notations (we also added a slight bit of celery with the onion as it was cooking with the bacon)Cook and stir onion and bacon in 2-quart saucepan until onion is tender and bacon is crisp. Add enough water, if necessary, to reserved clam liquid to measure 1 cup. Stir clams, liquid, potato, salt and pepper into onion mixture. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until potato is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in milk; heat through, stirring occasionally. (6 servings)This is a light, wholesome, yet creamy soup! Not too heavy!

Now, Grammy, we used to have over 50 people (with 10 children, just immediate family was 50 people) at the family get-togethers, so we quadrupled this recipe! Yummmy!Enjoy!

I think I will have to quadruple this recipe too! Your a dear for sharing it with me sweetie.

Check out Laurie's blog: http://maybeillblog.blogspot.com

Hugs & Prayers, GG

Boston Baked Beans

It feels like Fall here in New England.........A Fall Favorite:


Boston baked beans.

2 cups navy beans
1/2 pound bacon
1/2 onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar

Soak beans overnight in cold water. Simmer the beans in the same water until tender, approximately 1 to 2 hours. Drain and reserve the liquid.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Arrange the beans in a 2 quart bean pot or casserole dish by placing a portion of the beans in the bottom of dish, and layering them with bacon and onion. In a saucepan, combine molasses, salt, pepper, dry mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour over beans. Pour in just enough of the reserved bean water to cover the beans. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 3 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until beans are tender. Remove the lid about halfway through cooking, and add more liquid if necessary to prevent the beans from getting too dry.


Hugs, GG

The Broken Chain

The Broken Chain

We little knew that morning that God was going to call your name,

In life we loved you dearly, in death we do the same.

It broke our hearts to lose you, you did not go alone,

For part of us went with you, the day God called you home.

You left us peaceful memories, His love is still our guide,

And though we cannot see you, you are always at our side.

Our family chain is broken, and nothing seems the same,

But as God calls us one by one, the chain will link again.

-Author Unknown

Love you and miss you already.

Please pray for our family as we mourn the loss of our treasured family member.

Love & Hugs, GG

Re:21:4: And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

First Day of School...................

Well, it was a busy morning as the girls went back to school today. 2nd and 4th grade respectively. They looked totally beautiful in their "special" back to school outfits, their lunchbags and backpacks. Even Baby Brother was looking pretty spiffy this morning, his baby curls all slicked down like a big boy. They even put a little back pack on him ..........too cute.

Of course I took tons of new pictures of them this morning out on the steps . So I have plenty of new screen savers. It was a long , lonely and quiet day without the girls in the house. Baby brother missed his big sisters. They are his constant companions and he never tires of them.

But ..............at 2:24 pm. GG, Mom and Baby brother went and picked them up from school and everyone was smiling again. We celebrated the 1st day of school with Pizza for dinner and watermelon cups for dessert. We all heard about their new teachers and what everyone was wearing.

I can't wait for the weekend already and it is only the first day of school..........

Hugs & Prayers, GG

Intercession- part 2

I recently shared with a friend , That I take great comfort in knowing that others may be stepping up for me and my family to interceded before God.

Prayer is important. It is important when you tell someone that your praying for them , that you actually do pray for them . Our private devotions are not just for our own benefit.

I shared with this same friend , that when the love of Jesus Christ is at work in us, we will care about others, and recognize prayer as a privilege and a great a purposeful ministry to the saints of God in the Body of Christ.

When we first become committed to pray, we may not even know what to pray. The Holy Spirit will help you and bring to your heart and mind what you should say.

Often times in prayer we may begin to pray for God to lift a burden in for someone.

Sometimes God may be using that burden to prepare them for God's service or to speak into their life Faith. Or, our prayer might be what God wants to happen. It is vital to be listening for the Spirit, and pray that God's will be done.

You may find if the Spirit speaks to your heart to intervene a matter you're praying about, that you may be part of the answer .

That does not give you free reign however to step into some one's private lives like some sort of spiritual hero. But, if God's Spirit is asking you to go beyond prayer, be ready for it. God is Faithful. Sometimes God has us put hands and feet to our prayers .

Hugs & Prayers, GG