Archives for September 2015

Easy Crockpot Pulled BBQ Chicken

September 29, 2015 · by · Leave a Comment

Close up of pulled chicken sandwich with coleslaw.

Hi Ladies! I don’t know about you, but Fall is a very busy season for me. Right now I am still going full steam ahead with graduate school (for those of you who don’t know, I’m going to be a Clinical Counselor when I grow up). So, the next few recipes I will be sharing will be crockpot recipes! Do I hear applause?

This BBQ Pulled Chicken is so moist and tender it literally flakes apart. If you’re leery about cooking chicken in the crockpot, don’t. This chicken isn’t dry at all. You’re going to love it, I promise.IMG_4857
Make your sauce by combining BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, and brown sugar.

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A shout out to Sweet Baby Ray-  my favorite prepared BBQ sauce.

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Place chicken breasts in crockpot. I actually use frozen and it works great. Then add your barbecue sauce.

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Cook on low heat for 6 hours and pull chicken apart. You can add more Sweet Baby Ray’s to it as well. Serve on a bun or alone with your sides.

Close up of pulled chicken sandwich with coleslaw.

Easy Crockpot Pulled BBQ Chicken
Author: Janelle Nehrenz
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 6-8 small chicken breasts (4 if larger in size)
  • 2 cups BBQ sauce
  • 1 cup Italian Dressing (prepared in a jar, not seasoning)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
Instructions
  1. Whisk together BBQ sauce, Italian dressing and brown sugar.
  2. Place chicken in the crockpot and add BBQ sauce mixture.
  3. Cover and let cook on low for 6 hours.
  4. Pull chicken apart and drain excess BBQ sauce if need be.
  5. Serve on buns with additional BBQ sauce.

 

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Filed Under: Entrees, Uncategorized · Tagged: , ,

How I Painted My Countertops!

September 15, 2015 · by · 5 Comments

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Hey Ladies! I’ve been taking a little time off of cooking because I’ve been giving my kitchen a much needed coat of paint. I even painted the countertops, can you believe it? My countertops were getting pretty beat up, especially because I have a bad habit of using the them as a cutting board (don’t tell). For a fraction of the cost of new granite, I was able to update these worn out countertops!

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So, this is where I have my coffee maker. As you can see there isn’t even a countertop where I place it, so I decided to create the illusion of one.

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In my Giani Granite Kit (I used Sicilian Sand), it said to edge, then paint the countertops with the black primer first. That was easy…

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Then I went to town sponging with the three different colors they supplied. There are tons of demonstrations online and on the Giani website.

I wanted so badly to crop out that crooked handle, but instead I’m going to say “me too”- my kitchen was falling apart!

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Then I added the glaze to the top.  It seals and gives a very shinny appearance, much like granite.

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I also made sure to caulk around the areas that needed it. It gave more of a finished look. Everything that I needed, besides the caulk, came in the Giani Kit.

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I also gave the cabinets a fresh coat of Behr Alkyd Semi-Gloss Enamel paint and boy, did that make a difference. And yes, I tightened up those loose handles 😉

For all of you who have been scared off by the new painting technique for countertops- don’t let it intimidate you! It’s super easy and I’m very pleased with the results. In fact, I think that it looks even better in person.

If you’re wondering what that basket is- it’s a meal ministry.  Gluten-free flour mix items and a mason jar for a dear friend. A great idea for the GF person in your life. 

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Filed Under: Comfy Talk, Organizing · Tagged: , , ,

7 Things I Say To God When I Don’t Choose To Wait On Him

September 13, 2015 · by · Leave a Comment

7 Things I Say to God

Hi Ladies,

I have a special guest posting today! Gina and I have worked along side one another for 5 years now and we finally were able to meet in person just last weekend (picture below). Gina is so down-to-earth and has such a heart for young women. It gives me so much hope to meet someone who is willing to be transparent, share biblical and life wisdom, and pour so much of herself into others. Her writing always touches home for me personally – I was just blessed by this very post this morning.

Gina writes:


I have many personal weaknesses, but I would say that my biggest one by far is that I don’t know when to leave people alone! If there is a conflict or misunderstanding, I can become almost obsessed with wanting to clarify and make things right. There’s something inside of me that thinks that if I just explain more clearly, am really honest with how I feel, or just explain things one more time, that the other person will understand, see my heart, and everything will be okay. Normally, that has not been the case.

 

When I continually try to fix things, I tend to make a pain of myself and drive people away. Then I feel foolish and sometimes I think I might even be perceived as being a crazy lady. I just want everything to be okay…

 

There’s something within me that just wants peace. I want to be understood. I want to take care of what I need to take care of. But I also want the other party to acknowledge their part in things. I wish it were an easy process, but unfortunately it isn’t. I’ve had it back fire on me too many times. You’d think I would have learned by now.

 

God has had to bring me back to the same place so many times. He has had to remind me that I am not in control, that He is the one who opens and closes the eyes of people, and that I need to let Him do His work in His time.

 

7 THINGS I SAY TO GOD WHEN I DON’T CHOOSE TO WAIT ON HIM:

  1. My glory is what is important.
  2. I want my name cleared.
  3. I want peace and for everything to be okay no matter what it takes.
  4. “God, you’re not working fast enough.”
  5. I don’t want anyone to be upset with me or think the wrong things about me.
  6. I am being driven by pride.
  7. “I can do a better job than You are doing.” (My frustration shows and I respond emotionally, and make things worse.)

 

8 THINGS I SAY TO GOD WHEN I CHOOSE TO WAIT ON HIM:

  1. “God, Your glory is what is important.”
  2. The good of the other person is what is important.
  3. “God, I trust You with my reputation.
  4. “Lord, I trust You and Your timing.”
  5. “I have faith that You know what is best God, even if I don’t see what You are doing.”
  6. I am being driven by humility. An ever present realization that I am utterly dependent on Him to make things right. It is completely out of my hands.
  7. “I am willing to die to myself for Your purposes God.”
  8. “I am a mess. God, You are not. I make bigger messes. You soften hearts and restore.”

 

The only thing harder than sitting back and waiting on God to do His work in others, is being sadly aware that I have rushed ahead of Him and made a mess, making His job of restoration harder!

But you know what else waiting on God does?

It gives time for God to show me my own heart more clearly.

When I rush ahead, I am focusing on what the other person needs to see. When I wait on God, I am praying for the person to see what they need to see, and God always reminds me to pray that for myself as well.

I am humbled at how impatient I can be, and I am praying that God would continue to do the work He has been doing all along, even though I sometimes am not able to see it.

Gina
{Gina and “Comfy”}

Gina Smith is a busy mom of two adult children, and wife to Brian. She and her husband have been in ministry together for over 20 years, working with college students and young married couples. Gina has recently authored her first book, entitled: “Grace Gifts: Celebrating Your Children Every Day”.

You can find Gina at her personal blog, and at her facebook author page.

A note about my book:

“Grace Gifts: Celebrating Your Children Every Day” is not just another book about “grace based parenting”. “Grace Gifts” is a short book, is perfect for busy moms, and is filled with ideas and practical ways in which you can show your kids and their friends love and grace, and how that can be used to point them to God.

Grace Gifts will help you learn how to offer your children the gift of grace by encouraging you to:

  • Tune in
  • Enter into their trials
  • Respect them
  • Celebrate their friends
  • Bless them

As parents, we can be tempted to grasp for methods of parenting, when what we really need is principles. There are no perfect parents and no parenting style is perfect. The principles found in “Grace Gifts” can be carried out a million different ways. They can actually custom-fit your particular family. I have described the grace gifts and what they looked like in my home, and my prayer is that it will encourage you to think about how it might look in your own home. The principles covered in “Grace Gifts” apply to any age. My hope is that you will reference it over and over again.

Read more about “Grace Gifts”, and where you can purchase it by going here:

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Filed Under: Devotionals, Finding Comfort · Tagged:

Bake Sale Ideas for Fundraisers

September 7, 2015 · by · 2 Comments

Vegetarian mini pizza with cherry tomatoes, paprika and olives

School is back in session and one of the simplest and the most fun ways to get your child involved with charity is by having a bake sale!

Children love to experiment in the kitchen, and with their innate sense of charity and compassion, as told by parenting expert Diane Harris, it’s time that you put two and two together and do something for the greater good, with something like a bake sale fundraiser.

There are lots of things that you and your little ones can make together, but instead of baking the customary chocolate chip cookies or lemon bars, here are three ideas that are easy to execute and will be enjoyed by everyone!

 

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Cake Pops
Cake pops are bite-sizes of joy and are a great alternative to cupcakes and cakes. The Kitchen Gift Co. say that they can be made in one of two ways: by either using a cake pop mold or the crumble method. If you’ve got any leftover sponge cake, you can crumble it up with buttercream and roll it into small balls. When cooled, you can dip them in melted chocolate and then add sprinkles.


Vegetarian mini pizza with cherry tomatoes, paprika and olives

Mini Pizzas
Instead of opting for only sweet goodies, try adding some savory snacks into the mix. Mini pizzas are a great addition to a bake sale that will be enjoyed by everyone. To make things easier for you and your kids, cut small pizza bases out of tortilla wraps and then experiment with all kinds of toppings.

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Cupcake Cones
Cupcakes are a must-have for bake sale, but if you’re looking for a unique spin, you can bake your cupcakes in wafer ice cream cones. They’re an adorable imitation of ice cream and can be customized to any flavor. Parents.com used banana cake with chocolate frosting and yellow sprinkles.

Choosing which charity to donate to
If your child’s school isn’t having a bake sale at the time, there are plenty of other charities that appreciate all sorts of contributions. If your family is animal-loving, your family’s passion for pets could benefit an animal shelter. If a family member is suffering from an illness, then you could send proceeds to medical research. Another option you have is sponsoring a child overseas, which can help give your child perspective on the world, especially if both your child and the sponsored child are the same age.

What are some other ideas that you have, have seen, or have baked in the past for bake sales? 

 

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Filed Under: Appetizers, Cooking For A Crowd, Kiddos, Meal Ministry ·

How to Make Homemade Jam

September 5, 2015 · by · Leave a Comment

jam
Hi Ladies! I’m so excited to introduce you to a very special guest on Comfy today. Back when I did link-up’s, Chels was one of my absolute favorite foodies who shared on the blog. She’s back today sharing a mouth-watering recipe that I’m sure you’ll just love. The best part about it is that it is easily adaptable to your taste preference and you don’t have to have experience with canning. 

Here is what Chels has to share:

I’ve been following Janelle in the blogosphere since she began sharing recipes at Women Living Well (one of the first Christian blogs I began reading & and one I still faithfully read) and then she launched her own blog and I quickly subscribed and began picking up tidbits of information and thinking about how to apply meal ministry to my own life.

My sweet Mother-in-Love has a motto she lives by whole-heartily.

“Never squelch a generous thought.”

I firmly believe that when these thoughts speak to you, you listen, because it is the voice of the Holy Spirit helping to guide you to be an encouragement and light to others.

The thing about ministry is that the act doesn’t have to be grand to be an encouragement to others. Something, like a card in the mail to cheer someone up, or dropping off ginger ale and some chicken noodle soup (homemade or from the grocery store) to someone whose sick goes a long way and dropping by a bouquet of flowers to a widow are just one of the many ways to minister to others.

Today, I thought I would share a simple jam recipe that boasts some of the wonderful flavors of summer. What I love about this recipe is that you don’t have to have any “canning” experience to make it, so anyone – regardless of cooking experience can make this recipe.

You can use any berry or herb you like, blackberries and rosemary, raspberries and basil, strawberry and thyme – all of these would go beautifully together, fresh or frozen.

The next time, you hear that whisper, don’t squelch it, encourage the thought so that you can encourage someone else.

 

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Psalm 34:8

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How to Make Jam
Author: Katz in the Kitchen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 1/2 cups
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
Ingredients
  • 2 cups marionberries or any berries of your choice, (thawed, if frozen and juices reserved)
  • 2 cups fresh mint leaves, chopped finely
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice – about 1 medium lemon
Instructions
  1. Place the marionberries and any juice in a medium pot and lightly mash with a potato masher or fork.
  2. In a food processor or a blender, combine the sugar, mint leaves, orange juice, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth.
  3. Pour the mixture into the pot and stir the berries into the mixture to combine and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
  4. Stir until the mixture thickens about 25-30 minutes stirring occasionally.
  5. Remove the pot from the heat and allow to rest and come to room temperature for one hour. (The jam will thicken as it cools.)
  6. Refrigerate and store for up to one week.

1e276f856c709bad62f686b87897d275Chels is a born-again believer who dreams of living
with all four seasons in Central Oregon. She’s a wife and stay at home
mom to her three vivacious kiddos whom she home schools. When she’s
not schooling or chasing after her munchkins, she enjoys reading,
bubble baths, and finding clothing/kitchen treasure at thrift stores.
But more than all of that, she finds refuge in her kitchen where she
and her husband can be found cooking and baking up a storm for their
family and friends. You can read more about her culinary endeavors at
Catzinthekitchen.com

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Filed Under: Breads, Breakfast, Comfy In My Jeans, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Kiddos, Learning the Basics, Meal Ministry, Uncategorized · Tagged: ,