January Kitchenettes

Birthday Girls

Jordan & Victoria

Magnificent Mini Party

Our January Kitchenettes' meeting was all about giving HONOR.

Proverbs 11:16a

A gracious woman retains honor...

Proverbs 21:21

He who follows righteousness and mercy

finds life, righteousness, and honor.

Romans 12:10

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love,

in honor giving preference to one another;

Jordan and Victoria were "Queens for the Day" as we celebrated and honored them for their birthdays! The girls were able to put so many of their skills and talents to work as we prepared for a sumptuous feast. They followed recipes, measured, chopped, diced, mixed, sauteed, baked, grated, prepared batter and then enjoyed the fruits of their labor by dining on some fabulous food!

The Menu

Smallest Shirley Temples

Itty-Bitty Rootbeer Floats

Baby Quiches

Mini Hamburgers

Tiny Tacos

Pigs-in-Blankets

Macaroni and Cheese Cups

Little Lemon Drop Cakes

Chocolate Baby Cakes

It was all so good! What a beautiful gift God has placed in each one of these girls. I am so honored to have them in my life.

Presents!!

What is inside this prize bag?

Name Legacies!
The meaning of their names ~
lovingly handcrafted by Aunt Connie!
Party Table

Table Centerpiece
Party Place Settings

Goody Box of Wonders

Peek inside the goody box.

Victoria sauteing meat for the Tiny Tacos.

Andrea~Bryn~Queenie~D'Lisa~Ashley~Jordan

Preparing Little Lemon Drop Cakes

D'Lisa mixing batter.

Ashley~Bryn~Victoria

Preparing Chocolate Baby Cakes

Ashley~Jordan

Grating cheese for our recipes!

Yum...Chocolate Baby Cakes

Little Lemon Drop Cakes

Homemade Goodness in the Oven!

Mini Hamburgers and Buns on the grill.

Adorable Mini Hamburgers

Macaroni & Cheese Cups

Pigs-In-Blankets

Baby Quiches

Tiny Tacos

Chocolate Baby Cakes

Itty-Bitty Root Beer Floats

The Kitchenettes toasting the party.

D'Lisa & Queenie

Andrea~Bryn~Ashley

The Kitchenettes

D'Lisa~Queenie~Victoria

Andrea~Ashley~Bryn~Jordan

Little Ettes

Gabriella~Giana

LIFE SCRIPTS

Job 8:7

Your beginnings will seem humble,

so prosperous will your future be!

FAVORITE THINGS FRIDAY

Vintage Kitchen Rack

One of my favorite things is this beautiful handmade kitchen rack. My beloved friend, Ronna Stanley, crafted this out of an old-fashioned wooden playpen. I love this vintage rack -

not only because it is beautiful in my kitchen and displays adorable collectibles - I love it because it was made especially for me by one of my most treasured friends. I love you Ronna!

Thank you for your lovely gift - and your gift of friendship.

THANKSGIVING THURSDAY

SISTERS

Mara ~ Concetta ~ Kimberly

Today I would like to share with you something I am so thankful for - one of the greatest joys of my life - my 2 sisters. I am the oldest of the three, Mara is monkey-in-the-middle and Kim is our little baby! Words can never express the love I have for them or how they make my world brighter by being part of my family. They are more than my sisters - they are my very best friends - apart from my husband - they are my closest and most intimate friends. I am so proud of them and what they have accomplished - these are fabulous women with vast talents and incredible qualities.

Growing up we did not have brothers - it was just us 3 girls - and that is the way our Dad liked it! Even our pets were always girls!!! Our Dad loved having his little "honeybees" swarming all around him - as well as the love of his life - our Mama. He would come home from work and say "You girls are the bees, and I am the honey - come and give me a hug and kiss!" We did! We had so much fun as little girls - but, I did always miss not having a brother. Well, one of the best perks of having sisters is that eventually you get to have some brothers! I adore my sister's husbands - I could not be closer to these men if they were my own blood! Mara is married to Eric and Kim is married to Keith - the most magnificent brothers any sister could ever hope for - and they are mine!! Thank you sisters! I love you Mara and Kim - you have my heart always!

What are you thankful for on this beautiful Thursday that the Lord has given to us?


Psalm 18:24
This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

LIFE SCRIPTS

HANDS
hand ~ yad (Strong's #3027)

means by which a work is accomplished

strength - power

Our Whole Life Is Yours

We Give It All

Surrendered To Your Name

And Forever We Will Pray

Have Your Way

Have Your Way

Psalm 90:16-17

Let Your work appear to Your servants,

And Your glory to their children.
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us,

And establish the work of our hands for us;

Yes, establish the work of our hands.

Angel Biscuits

Rich...Decadent...Buttery...

Melt-In-Your-Mouth...Bites of Heaven!

Angel Biscuits

2 sticks butter, soft

2 c self-rising flour

8 oz. sour cream

Mix all together with a fork until blended.

Spoon into a 12-cup buttered muffin tin.

Bake @ 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Taco Chili Soup

This is one of my go-to meals and a favorite in our home. I love to have this simmering away on my stove when it is cold outside ~ and I love to hear "Mmmmm, something smells so good!" when the kids come bursting in the door after school! This is a wonderful soup to prepare because it is so versatile and there are so many topping options! It is great for big crowds - just double or triple the recipe - it is excellent for a fast week night meal - and it is the best dish to bring to pot-lucks! I hope you enjoy this delicious soup as much as we do!

Taco Chili Soup

2 lbs. chopped meat
1 onion (chopped fine)
1-2 cloves garlic (minced)
4 cans Italian-style stewed tomatoes (I blend mine in the food processor)
1 can chili beans (with sauce)
1 can black beans (drain)
1 can white corn (drain)
1 pkg. taco seasoning
2 pkg. ranch dressing (dry)

Saute chopped meat with onions and garlic ~ season with Italian spices, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 1 hour.

Top soup with chopped cilantro, cheese, sour cream or oven-browned tortilla strips. It is also excellent served with tortilla scoops for dipping!

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Come join Soup-a-Palooza
with TidyMom and Dine and Dish
sponsored by Bush’s Beans, Hip Hostess,
Pillsbury and Westminster Crackers.

November Kitchenettes & Recipe

Turkey Turnovers

These delectable treats are usually made with chicken - but, we adapted them to honor the star of a Thanksgiving table - the turkey! This delicious recipe is courtesy of Susan Garces - one of the Kitchenette Mamas!

2 c Turkey Meat - shredded
4 oz. Cream Cheese - softened (plain or w/ onions)
1 T Sour Cream
Salt, Pepper, Rosemary (to taste)
2 pkg. Crescent Rolls
2 c Stuffing Mix - coarsely crushed
Melted Butter

Mix together turkey, cream cheese, sour cream and seasonings.
Fill each crescent roll with 1 T mixture.
Fold up crescent rolls and pinch closed to seal.
Dip each turnover in melted butter and roll in stuffing mix.
Place on a cookie sheet and bake @ 375 for 12 minutes. (or until nicely golden brown)
Serve with gravy.

Gravy
Melt 1/2 stick butter in a saucepan - add 3-5 T flour and brown in butter. Slowly add 1-2 cans chicken broth, whisking continuously to melt away any lumps - simmer until thickened.

Thanksgiving Table

The theme for November's Hospitality Club Meeting was Thanksgiving! We celebrated the holiday by cooking a scrumptious feast and then enjoying the fruits of our labor gathered together around the table. This was a meal worthy of candlelight, my favorite harvest china, crystal, fine cutlery and cloth napkins.

Our menu was all homemade delights that each girl prepped, cooked, baked and presented to make our day very memorable.

Thanksgiving Menu
Turkey Turnovers w/ Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Buttered Corn
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Baby Pumpkin Pies w/ Whipped Cream

We spent time talking about the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon our club and how we are using what God has put inside of us to reach out to others. The Kitchenettes shared what they are thankful for and the importance of always having an attitude of gratitude.

The highlight of the day was making our "thank you" gift for Mr. Henry who so graciously treated us to the best day at his restaurant in October. We hand painted an apron with all of our names to present as appreciation for his generosity.

Psalm 107:1
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 100:4
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

Victoria~Jordan~Ashley

Bryn~Charissa~Ashley~Andrea

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Turkey Turnovers

Homemade Mashed Potatoes & Buttered Corn

Thanksgiving Feast

Turkey Turnovers & Cranberry Sauce

The Kitchenettes

The Kitchenettes

Ashley~Bryn~Jordan~Charissa

Victoria~Andrea~D'Lisa~Arianah

Thanksgiving Toast

Jordan~Charissa~Victoria

D'Lisa~Arianah

I wish they would have liked the turnovers better...

Thanksgiving for Mr. Henry

Homemade Apron by The Kitchenettes

Thank You Present

Mr. Henry ~ We Love You!

The Art of Giving

Concetta's Coconut Cake

(given as a gift to one of my favorite

co-workers for his birthday ~ Ray)

I love to give gifts. It is my greatest pleasure to find something special for someone, or as my sisters like to say, "screams their name". Of course, these very same sisters of mine thought they were very clever during our Family Christmas Celebration ~ they passed me a beautifully wrapped box all the while clacking about how much they knew I would love it! Turns out my darling sisters gave re-gifting a whole new meaning as they snatched sconces and candles off of my bedroom wall and packaged them up as my present! I, on the other hand, do not subscribe to their shenanigans!
Don't you feel so delighted when you receive a little treasure? I do. Maybe it is something to add to one of your collections ~ or an exquisite handmade item ~ it could be a delicious homemade treat ~ or a token of love found while traveling. Acts of kindness are also wonderful gifts to bestow upon someone you care about ~ offering home cooked meals, yard work, house cleaning, babysitting or running errands can brighten some one's day more than we can imagine.
Gifts do not have to be extravagant or expensive - it truly is the thought that counts. When I give a gift it is always something that I would love to have myself (in some form or another). I may not necessarily display a Star Wars Yoda Bobble-Head in my china cabinet, but for my son who is an avid collector of anything Star Wars this turned out to be the perfect prize tucked into his stocking! I knew if I did collect Star Wars paraphernalia I would have to possess that bobble-head!
My beloved grandmother - the original Concetta - truly was the Queen Giver of Gifts. It was a special gift God put inside of her. She knew what we all enjoyed and continuously lavished us with priceless reminders of her never-ending love. It was not unusual for a package to arrive in the mail for me to open ~ one day I would receive a set of casserole dishes and another day a cozy blanket. She demonstrated the art of giving every day - whether it was baking a scrumptious dessert for her church, picking out the perfect surprise for one of her grandchildren, ordering a collector's angel for her daughter, washing and taking special care of my father's uniforms, renewing a magazine subscription, inscribing a cookbook, crocheting yet another masterpiece or cooking one of our favorite meals! She was amazing.
The last gift my Nana sent to me arrived after she had already gone home to be with the Lord. It was a spiral-cut holiday ham for us to serve at Christmas. I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to sit down with my family and my sisters with their families for our feast showcasing Nanny's ham. That ham and the thoughtfulness behind it made her a part of our day even if she was not there physically. She was able to give us the gift of comfort during our time of sorrow. You never know how your gifts and heart of giving can touch a person - even change a life forever.

Nanny was our gift and she is imprinted deep in our hearts.

James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Heavenly Lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Here is a little sampling of magnificent gifts I have received recently from people I love dearly and gifts I have bestowed on others.

A lovely hand crocheted stocking from Jordan Parsons.

Jordan is always using her talents to bless others!

The Victorian Friendship Ball

This is a tradition started by my dearest friend

in Vermont ~ Tonya. We tuck tiny little treasures inside and

they travel across the miles to bring great joy and love.

We have been exchanging our friendship

ball for many, many years and it is still a thrill when it arrives!

My Christmas Cow

(now what can I send back to my beloved Tonya?)

Fried Venison
My brother Keith - the great white hunter - has mastered
the fine art of cooking venison - he makes it many different
ways, but this is one of our favorite dishes.
This delectable meat was his gift to our Christmas brunch.

Tiny Christmas Tree
A gift from 2 of my favorite boys - John & Tim -
the day they came over for a paintball extravaganza.

Name Legacy
For Christmas this year, without the other knowing, my husband and I handmade these treasures featuring our last name. This is the legacy of our names:

Thomas & Concetta Young.

Young
What a beautiful name - my name and the name of my love.

Forever Young Farm
My husband made me this awesome
wooden sign for our farm!

Itty-Bitty Measuring Spoons
Dash-Pinch-Smidgin
These spoons of love were a present from
Laurel ~ my closest sister-friend.

Nanny's Ham
The holiday ham Nanny ordered for our Christmas.

Holiday Ham of our Life

Savannah Marie's Bassinet
This is my gift of love to my niece, Ashley, who
is about to give birth to my great-niece, Savannah.
A royal bed for the little princess to sleep in
when she arrives home!
Nanny's Nutcracker
My grandmother collected nutcrackers and every year
I searched for charming ones to add to her collection.
This was a nutcracker I bought for her several months ago -
I have it displayed in my bathroom and forgot about it when I
packed up all the Christmas decorations. It is staying in my
bathroom - I cannot bring myself to put it away.