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Friday, April 29, 2011

Winner of the Shabby Apple Dress is.....

We have a winner!!!    The winner of the (uber gorgeous) dress from Shabby Apple is...
 ~~~~~   drum roll ~~~~~

Megan Sutliff

Congrats!!!  As soon as I get your mailing address Megan, I will email Shabby Apple so they can send you your dress!

I wish I could have told everyone who entered that they're getting this dress, but don't forget, Shabby Apple is offering 10% off for all Sweet Jeanette readers.

Thanks again to Shabby Apple for this great giveaway!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

I posted a new recipe on Real Women Eat

This was tonight's dinner.  You won't find the recipe here, but you will find it on Real Women Eat

My other blog.  I must admit I've been neglecting that one.  So, in an effort to build that one up, would you do me a favor and go there?  (Click here) RealWomenEat.


Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Prayer Request Tuesday

This is the day set aside for prayer for you.


If you have a prayer request, please list it in the comments below. You don't have to give any information you don't feel comfortable with (a simple "unspoken" comment is sufficient).

If you would like to pray, please pray for the comment above yours.

Also, if you would like to share a "praise" for a blessing you have received, please feel free to list those also! I'd love to hear of it so I can rejoice with you.


Saturday, April 23, 2011

If Easter never happened,  then Christmas would mean nothing.

God's son diminished Himself to become man and be my sacrifice.  I am so thankful for that amazing love.   But it didn't end in death.  The grave could not hold him.  He is my precious redeemer and friend.   One day I will stand in His presence, and see face to face the one who loved me enough to take my place!

Wishing you all a blessed Resurrection Sunday. 

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Shabby Apple Give-Away!

I'm super excited to announce a new giveaway!!!



Shabby Apple offers attire that is stylish, affordable and easy to accessorize and guess what???  They are offering my readers a chance to win a Shabby Apple dress, along with a 10% coupon!

I have a big problem with this though...They let me pick out the prize from a group of possibilities! If you've ever been to their site, then you know just how difficult that was! If you haven't visited Shabby Apple before, then you really should.  They offer not only women's dresses (sizes XS to Plus Sizes) and little girls dresses, but some great-to-gawk-at jewelry and accessories...oh and maternity...and swimsuits....

I picked this one...


One lucky reader will win this awesome dress.  But if you don't win, you stil can win because...get this...  they're giving 10% off to everyone who reads my blog!   All you have to do is enter the code:  sweetjeanette10off  !    I know!  Totally awesome, right?

Now, here's how to enter for Shabby Apple's giveaway:

1.  Obviously you want to leave a comment.

2.  You really want to "like" them on facebook, so go now, and "like" them and tell them SweetJeanette sent you!  Come back here and leave another comment that you did. 

3.  Tweet about it with a link back here.  Leave another comment to let me know you did.

4.  Let your facebook friends know about this.  Leave another comment to let me know you did.

5.  Sit back, relax and wait until April 29th to see if you won!

6.  Oh, and (totally optional) if you'd like to follow my blog, well... I'd love ya fo-evah!

Note:  I have received no monies or gifts for my opinion and post about Shabby Apple or this giveaway.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

No-Bake Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bars

No-Bake Peanut Butter & Chocolate Bars


 Do you remember the the recipe I shared (Milky Way Cake) with instructions to say your prayers first  and ask the Good Lord for willpower?

Well, if you make this, then you'd better be "prayed-up" too!  It's easy (no bake) so that's a double threat. We don't make difficult recipes that often, do we?  I knew I'd better send this batch to work with my husband the very next day...or else!   I promised the recipe would be on my blog, so y'all, enjoy!

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light-color corn syrup
2 cups peanut butter
3 cups rise cereal
3 cups cornflakes
3/4 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
two 4-serving size pkgs vanilla instant pudding mix
1/4 cup milk
1 12-oz pkg semisweet chocolate pieces
1/2 cup butter

(are you dizzy yet???)

Line a 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan.  Set pan aside.

In a large saucepan combine granulated sugar and corn syrup.  Heat and stir just until mixture boils around the edges.  Heat and stir for 1 minute more.

Remove saucepan from heat.   Stir in peanut butter until melted.  Stir in rice cereal and cornflakes until coated.  Press mixture into the bottom of prepared pan.  (For this, I used my impeccably clean hands)

For pudding layer:  in a medium saucepan melt the 3/4 cup butter.  Stir in powdered sugar, dry vanilla pudding mixes and milk.  Spread this mixture evenly over the cereal layer; set aside.

For Frosting:  In a small saucepan combine the chocolate pieces and 1/2 cup butter.  Heat and stir over low heat until melted and smooth.  Spread on frosting over pudding layer.  Cover and chill until set.

To Serve:  Lift the foil out of pan, (I put mine on my glass cutting board) and cut into bars.   You'll need a good knife, or butcher knife/cleaver for this job.

For some reason, even though it's a "no bake" treat, I sure did mess up a lot of dishes...but that's probably just me.

ok, one more parting shot of these goodies...



So there you have it.  I would love to hear if you tried this and what the reaction was!  Please let me know because...I read every comment you leave!


Today is Prayer Request Tuesday


This is the day set aside for prayer for you.

If you have a prayer request, please list it in the comments below. You don't have to give any information you don't feel comfortable with (a simple "unspoken" comment is sufficient).

If you would like to pray, please pray for the comment above yours.

Also, if you would like to share a "praise" for a blessing you have received, please feel free to list those also! I'd love to hear of it so I can rejoice with you.




Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Come to the Dark Side...of Chocolate.

Dark Chocolate Cake with Ganache

If you're not a fan of dark chocolate, then this cake is probably not for you.  It's deep, dark and chocolate!    I call these types of cakes "cheater cakes", because the base is a boxed mix.  I know!  Shudder the thought and my sweet, southern mama would be so disappointed in me, but that'll be our secret, right?

First off, you're going to need:
Cake:
1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix (or if you can find it, Swiss chocolate!)
1 box (3.9 oz) instant chocoloate pudding mix
1 cup water
4 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup (4 oz) semisweet chocolate morsels

Ganache:
1 cup heavy cream
1 pkg (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Cake:
Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Spray bundt pan with Baker's Secret, or other type of oil and flour mixture.
Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, water, eggs and oil in a bowl and beat for 2 minutes, or until well blended.
Stir in the 1/2 cup chocolate chips.  Transfer batter to prepared Bundt pan. 
Bake 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
Cool cake in the pan on cooling rack for 15 minutes.
Invert cake onto cooling rack.  Place cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet.  Cool cake completely.

Ganache
Pour cream into saucepan, whisk the powdered sugar into the cream.  Heat until small bubbles appear.  Remove from heat and add the 12 oz. chocolate chips.  Stir until smooth.  Cool until just slightly warm.  Pour ganache over the cooled cake.  Transfer to serving platter.  (I used a couple of BBQ spatulas to do this - worked great!)

Note:  We're pretty much milk chocolate fans in this household, but this is a nice change.  It's not too sweet, but it feels dark and rich (huh?!)  I sent the cake to work with hubby, so we'll see what the consensus is when he comes home.   I'd love to hear your impression of it if you decide to bake this cake!

Monday, April 11, 2011

PRAYER REQUEST TUESDAY

Today is Prayer Request Tuesday


This is the day set aside for prayer for you.

If you have a prayer request, please list it in the comments below. You don't have to give any information you don't feel comfortable with (a simple "unspoken" comment is sufficient).

If you would like to pray, please pray for the comment above yours.

Also, if you would like to share a "praise" for a blessing you have received, please feel free to list those also! I'd love to hear of it so I can rejoice with you.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Onions and Memories

(family run farmers washing zucchini for the market)

One of the best things about living in a rural community (not too far from the "big city") is the farms and fresh produce.  I had the good fortune to belong to a country family.  A large country family!  Granted, I only had one sibling...a sister, but many, many cousins, aunts and uncles.  And we all lived next door to each other.   Sydney is a very small community, no traffic lights, but for as long as I remember always had a post office.   In fact, that community still only has a post office...and a convenience store. 

But I digress... (whoever came up with that phrase anyway?)  I was given some onions by one of my family members.  So many onions that I knew I wasn't going to use them all before then "went bad", (because two weeks before an aunt gave me a bunch also) so I decided the best thing to do with these was to "put them up"... or freeze 'em. 

When someone asked me, "do you have a food processor?"  "Yep" I say, "two hands and a knife".   They felt sorry for me.  They shouldn't have.  Onion cuttin' gives me a chance to sit and think.   And so I did. 

I thought about growing up in small town, USA.  My life as a child and what I learned from those "farmers".   First, I learned that a farmer is really a gambler.   You never know what the prices, elements or just economy will do to, or for, you and your livelihood.  You learn that there are a lot of sleepless nights, watching the weather reports, sitting with your field either trying to freeze the crops (i.e., strawberries) with water if the temperature dips to try to insulate them for a brief bit so you don't lose your whole crop, and then finding out that your irrigation couldn't do it's job because it was so windy that it blew the water right off the plants. 
(Florida orange groves)

Or worrying about your orange trees in a freeze (you can't water them). So many hardships.  Life isn't glamerous.

But I also learned from farmers, generosity.  Many times we would have a basket or bushel of some vegetable or another at our front door.  No note.  Nothing.  Just the bounty.  Mom would say, or that must've been so-n-so's doing, or "I wonder who this was".  My parents used to love to drive to family or friend's fields and see the progress.
As a child, I would ride along with them for something to do. Chances were, the owner was present at the field too (this is a definite hand's on business!) and they would give my folks whatever they were picking for the day.  The "number one's", not the culls. 
"Number 1's" bring the top dollar at market.  When my mom would offer to pay, they would act offended that she would even suggest such a thing.  "Now, go on.  Don't you even talk such nonsense" I would hear them say. 

There were times, when one relative's tractor or other equipment would break down.  Up would ride another farmer with his to let him use.  Other times, they would just show up and do the job for them and leave.  Not a word said.   I know this might sound like the movies.  But I had the good pleasure of seeing it first-hand.  I know.  

Maybe it's because the farmer's life is hard that they are so free with their charity.  Or maybe their mama and daddy just raised 'em right.  I don't know, but they are a special breed and I'm proud to know some farmers and, most of all, blessed to have them in my life.

See, putting up onions without a food processor has lots of benefits.  And oh, look how much I put up:

The chopped ones for sauces, stews and other dishes.
The "petals" for grilling and saute.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

PRAYER REQUEST TUESDAY

Today is Prayer Request Tuesday


This is the day set aside for prayer for you.

If you have a prayer request, please list it in the comments below. You don't have to give any information you don't feel comfortable with (a simple "unspoken" comment is sufficient).

If you would like to pray, please pray for the comment above yours.

Also, if you would like to share a "praise" for a blessing you have received, please feel free to list those also! I'd love to hear of it so I can rejoice with you.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

We have a winner!!!  

Rose from TodaysWomanCo won the Parris Charm Necklace!  Congrats Rose!

Thank you everyone who entered.  I wish I could make you ALL winners, but, If you really like it, please check my etsy shop on Tuesday!

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Shrimp and Crab Bisque

So last night was supposed to be Surf-N-Turf night.  I did my part.  I made the Shrimp & Crab Bisque, and hubby was supposed to grill some filets.  (I can't, for the life of me, cook a good steak! Honest!)   He got home  from work way too late so dinner was...just surf.   Turns out that was a good thing.  This is a hearty soup and pretty good on its own.   Remember the post I did about using Pesto?  Well, this one uses Pesto in the soup!  Yummmmm!   Oh, and just remember:  I never said this was low fat!  LOL

Shrimp and Crab Bisque
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cans (14 oz each) chicken broth
4 cups (1 qt) half and half
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chopped, drained, roasted red bell peppers
12 oz -1 lb crab meat (claw is best)  OR that "fake" crab meat - hubby calls it Krab with a "K" LOL
1 lb. shrimp - I used already cooked, frozen shrimp
1/2 to 3/4 cup basil pesto
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a 4-quart dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Stir in flour.  Gradually add broth, half and half and water.
Stir in bell peppers and crab.  Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.
Stir in shrimp.  Simmer, uncovered 2-3 minutes. 
Stir in pesto, salt and pepper.

 Enjoy!

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