Cozy Cottage

caramel apple cupcakes

I made these cupcakes a couple of weeks ago, and they were a BIG hit!  I gave some to a couple of people i work with, and I gave a few to my mom and sent 1 along for my grandmother.  I got the recipe out of a cookbook called Cupcakes and Other Goodies by Publications International.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

1 package (18 1/4 ounces) yellow or butter cake mix, plus ingredients to prepare mix

1 cup chopped dried apples

Caramel Frosting (recipe follows)

Chopped nuts

     Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line 24 standard muffin pan cups with paper baking cups.

     Prepare cake mix according to package directions.  Stir in apples.  Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 full.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpicks inserted into centers come out clean.  Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.  Remove cupcakes to racks; cool completely. 

     Prepare Caramel Frosting.  Frost cupcakes; sprinkle with nuts.

     Caramel Frosting:  Melt 3 tablespoons butter in 2-quart saucepan.  Stir in 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup evaporated milk and 1/8 teaspoon salt.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat; cool to lukewarm.  Add 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar; beat until frosting is of spreading consistency.  Add 3/4 teaspoon vanilla; beat until smooth.  Makes about 5 cups.

Todays Quote....Alphonse de Lamartine

Concerning Self Denial

Concerning Self Denial

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 16:24-26 NIV

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For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Titus 2:11-13 KJV

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Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Galatians 5:24,25 NASB

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Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

Romans 6:16-18 ESV

Some photos taken in last couple of days

I just took a couple of photos and I had some friends ask me what a gas hob was, we had one fitted this morning.  We had wedding gift vouchers from a store called John Lewis over here which is an upmarket department store in the U.K. We had to get a new gas hob we were able to get a stainless steel one in the sale at the above store.

Below are photos of our cat Bizkit, canning/bottling I have done in the last few weeks. Last but not least socks that my DH bought home for me yesterday - aren't they just too cute :)

I have a beef casserole cooking in the crockpot which should be ready within an hour.  I finish work at 6pm so will go and peel & cook potatoes - so we will have mashed potatoes with our stew.

The weather today has been just delightful and so warm

DH & I are going to have supper and watch Strictly Come Dancing, just basically have a nice relaxing evening.

Emily's goat story

Todays Great Quote......George Müller

God delights to increase the faith of his children. We ought,
instead of wanting no trials before victory, no exercise for
patience, to be willing to take them from God's hands as a
means. Trials, obstacles, difficulties, and sometimes defeats,
are the very food of faith.

      -- George Müller

Hubby Found a Job

Tasty Turnips

I am crazy about turnips. My kids think I am odd!

Tasty Turnips
4 strips bacon
2 cups diced white turnips
1 cup diced potatoes
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup cream
Fry bacon until crisp; chop and set aside. Combine vegetables, 1 tbsp
bacon drippings, seasonings and sugar; add water just to cover. Cook
until tender, then drain. Add cream; mash. Add chopped bacon; mix well.
Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings

submitted by Mrs Walter Sager
Orchard Park Grange, No 1335
Orchard Park, New York
National Grange
Bicentennial Year Cookbook (1976)

Funny Stuff My Kids Have Said

I am going to try to remember as many as possible, but my kids have said some really funny stuff over the years. 

One time we were in Altoona, and we got behind a car with one of those Penn State paw print magnets on the back.  Cameron was about 2 at the time, and he yelled, "Look!  A clue!"

One Sunday, Dave was getting ready to take the kids to Sunday School and he put Emily in his truck and buckled her in.  When he shut the door, the window on the side of his cap shattered.  Cameron looked down at all the glass and then looked and Dave and said, "That sucks."

Here is a conversation I overheard toward the end of last month:  Emily said, "Cameron, when is my birthday?"  Cameron said, "I think it's in Secember.  Hey, TODAY is Secember!"  She said, "Is TODAY my birthday or is it on the 26th like yours?"  He answered, "I'm not sure, but I think it's on a weekend."  By the way, her birthday is in December...

One night, Dave was trying to do something and I overheard him saying, "Damn!"  Cameron said, "D-A-M"

The other day, I packed Cameron's lunch and I gave him an apple, a pudding cup and a sandwich.  Dave asked him if he ate his lunch and he said, "I forgot to eat my sandwich and my apple."

Ok, apparently, I need to think about this some more.  I can't remember any more.  I'm sure more will come to me later, so I'll do another post...

***I now feel I need to say something****

I need to ask that readers leaving comments on my blog re: Candy at Keeping The Home, need to stop as I will not tolerate this any further. 

Everyone has a free will and a right to express their opinions on the internet as long as both blogs and comments do not offend anyone else.

Tell me, what is the purpose to putting anti blogs against a fellow blogger on the internet? What are you trying to achieve? Don't you also realise that posting/putting up "anti"blogs or anything similar for this matter is upsetting Jesus - has this crossed your mind?

By posting statements/blogs against someone is not only upsetting for that person but upsetting for friends, family and more importantly Our Father...............

If you have something to say then you need to tell the person directly to do other than this is not only very offensive but also childish and it is about time frankly that you guys out there grew up and fast and to think about what you are doing........

I will also add here that I enjoy Candy's blogs and besides which she speaks as she sees fit - not only that this woman speaks her mind and she makes it clear that she is not offending anyone but she is trying her best to reach out to the lost out there and those that do not know the Lord.

Candy like all of us is not perfect but she has a lot to offer all of us and I certainly am learning a lot from her.  Candy also does not spend "all her time" on the computer but posts once maybe twice a day. Candy moderates all her comments of which I am not surprised and quite frankly don't blame her for doing so considering the anti Candy blogs out there.  This very Godly woman is very much within her rights to post the kind of posts she does and has experience.  Ok, this lady may only be in her early 30's but she is a lady who can reach out to younger women and teach them.  Give her a break and get a life.

I will finally say here that I also may not agree with everything that Candy writes but on the whole I do agree with her posts and this lady follows the bible through and through and does her utmost to live a very Godly life (and yes this lady makes mistakes like all of us). She does her utmost to serve her husband and to teach her children the correct way to live - good for her but everything she does is is for the Lord and if you have a problem and/or fail to see that then go to your maker our Father.

I am not going to apologise for the harshness of this post but quite frankly I can not and will not deal with childishness especially in Adults.  Oh and for my comment from my last post you also have no right whatsoever to put up a blog in the manner you are doing and if you fail to see the hurt etc you are causing then perhaps you need to go back to the Word of God and to back off completely.

If any more childish or anti comments are left against Candy or anyone else then these will be deleted straight away without fail.  For goodness sake get a life and grow up.

I also pray that the Lord will bring your destructive ways to your attention and that you pray for forgiveness and move forward from what you are doing -

I have said my piece and that is that!