Stuffed Biscuits

I am always searching for quick, homemade recipes for supper. We have our main meal at lunch, so I cook light meals for supper. I saw several similar ideas for this on Pinterest, and so decided to create my own version based on the ingredients that are easily available to me. This recipe is definitely one of my favorites and is on a regular menu schedule!



You start by making a biscuit dough. Use your favorite recipe. I've included mine below. It come from a vintage Better Homes and Gardens Homemade Bread Cookbook that my mom gifted to me from her cookbook stash when I got married. I love this book!

Next, gather your filling ingredients and cut into cubes or pieces. I used ham and mozzarella cheese in this particular batch, but honestly, the variations on this recipe are endless. Just use what you have on hand.















Cut or form your biscuits by hand and flatten them a little. Put on your desired ingredients. You can add a small amount of the condiment of your choice or just serve the biscuits with the condiments later. I've done both, but I think I prefer leaving them dryer to bake because they can get messy pretty quickly if you go overboard on the condiments inside the biscuit. Fold up the sides of the biscuit to cover the insides and pinch together at the top to seal. Place the sealed side down on a baking sheet.



When all are assembled, bake your stuffed biscuits according to your biscuit recipe instructions.



Enjoy the yummy warm goodness when they are done! I've served these with mustard and mayonnaise most often, but depending on how you seasoned them, you could serve them with marinara sauce, ranch dressing, or anything else! One time I brushed the tops of the biscuits with a creamy Italian dressing I mixed up on the fly. After baking them, I brushed them again with the mixture and that was also fantastic.




Stuffed Biscuit Recipe

Baking Powder Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour (can use 1/2 cup whole wheat, 1 1/2 cups all-purpose)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk

Stir thoroughly the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in shortening till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in dry mixture; add milk all at once. Stir just till dough clings together. Knead gently on lightly floured surface (10-12 strokes). Roll or pat dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter; dip cutter in flour between cuts. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees till golden, 10-12 minutes. Makes 10 biscuits (usually makes 12 if using whole wheat).

To make the stuffed biscuits:
Cube or cut meat and cheese of choice, sufficient to fill 10-12 biscuits. Cut or form your biscuits by hand and flatten them a little. Put on your desired ingredients. Fold up the sides of the biscuit to cover the insides and pinch together at the top to seal. Place the sealed side down on a baking sheet. Bake according to biscuit recipe instructions.

Children Are Sanctifying

“Having children is very sanctifying,” said a friend to me, a mother of seven children. She said it to me often in those days when I was single, getting older, and longing for a family of my own. I understood what she was saying to me, but I never experienced it until I, too, became a mother.

But boy did I find out. I realized later how true her statement really was. How my children help me view all the sins that I could hide so masterfully (at least in my mind) before then. And some days, my children seem to be experts in bringing out all my sins: anger, wrath, impatience, selfishness, laziness, discontentment, pride . . . the list goes on and on. I am appalled at my own sin. I am horrified at how easily it bubbles to the surface when my children push my buttons. And it seems that the more children I have, the easier it is for those buttons to be pushed.

I’ve always heard the charming analogy that a tea cup will spill over its contents when it’s tipped. And I would pray glibly that the Lord would fill me so that I would spill over His love and grace and virtue when I was “tipped.” I prayed it glibly then . . . I pray it desperately now. I pray it with my whole being and cling to the cross and to the Lord, pleading with Him to fill me with Himself. With all His fullness and richness and the perfect character that He lived out each and every day as He was pushed to the limits in His humanity.

And I learn to be grateful once again for the bubbly, bouncy blessings that continue to help me see myself in the severest light. They help me see my sin and my need for my Savior. And they help me run to the cross of Jesus, where the sanctifying process continues. So, yes, I’m here to reaffirm this truth: children are sanctifying. And it can be a very hard thing at times. But it’s a good thing, a very good thing. And I praise the Lord that I’ve been chosen to experience His sanctification in this way.

Just the Facts

*Sigh*

Okay, I just have to say this out of desperation and frustration at all the hype and nonsense floating around out there on the Internet. For those of you who post political articles, I urge you to please think before you post and research a little, no matter which candidate you stand for.

Make sure your articles hold up to scrutiny by checking:

1. Are they factual? Do they use actual quotes from the candidates and are the quotes taken in the right context.
2. Do the articles come from reliable, reputable sources? Steer clear of sites that will post anything and everything for the thrill factor or simply to make a political statement regardless of the truth.
3. Are they just conspiracy theories? Conspiracy theories are good at taking a small amount of truth and twisting them into a huge (false) story. Conspiracy theories are:

• unverifiable by any hard evidence 
• slanderous and hurtful
• based on a little truth and expanded into a huge falsehood

Just post the facts, please, people. If the facts alone aren’t enough to justify your support of a candidate, then maybe you should change to a new candidate. Thank you.

The Joy in Suffering

I’m not going to lie to you, folks. Being laid up in bed for weeks on end because of severe morning sickness is not easy, for me or my family.

Perhaps you, too, are going through some type of suffering. Nancy Leigh DeMoss once wisely observed, “Most of the time in life you're either just coming through a storm or you're in the middle of a storm or (you don't know but) you're getting ready to go into a storm.” How true that is. And how we respond to these storms, this suffering, marks the difference between those living in the flesh and those living in the Spirit.

Now, you may argue that my type of pain and suffering is not as bad as others. I mean, yeah, I can hardly stand up without a gagging reflex, but in the end, I know that a wonderful bundle of joy is coming my way. There is a purpose and joyful end to the current short-lived suffering I am going through. And you would be right. But when looking at suffering through the lens of Scripture, isn’t that exactly what all suffering is about?

James 1:2-4 says this: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” The book of James was written to “the twelve tribes scattered abroad.” Why were they scattered everywhere? Because of intense persecution. These were not happy go lucky Christians experiencing peace and prosperity. And yet, in the face of cruelty, privation, pain, injustice, and severe attack on liberty, James insists that those Christians “count it all joy.” Why? He equates going through suffering with the testing of our faith. And this testing, if correctly responded to, leads to patience which then leads to a perfecting and completing work of grace in our lives. Is that not a worthy and joyful end to our suffering?

How many of you have prayed to become more Christlike? I certainly have, many times. And God answers that prayer every day by sending me trials. Some harder than others. But all of them designed to continue that work of perfecting and completing me in Christ.

No matter how hard the trial is that you’re facing today, it is meant for your good, to continue the good work that God has begun in you. And that knowledge should elicit a deep joy from your heart, no matter what your circumstance may be. My prayer is that I, and each of you, would learn more patience and respond in joy to each trial the Lord lovingly deems us worthy to partake of.

If you are going through an intense time of testing, make this passage your theme verses: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal,” II Corinthians 4:16-18.

Beware of the Danger of Pinterest

I've been thinking a lot on this subject recently and wanted to share my thoughts with you.

Now to start this article, let me just say that I love Pinterest. I have over 6500 pins and I've only had the account for about two years. I believe that Pinterest has been a useful tool and even a blessing in my life. Here are some quick reasons why I love it:

1. I have very few cookbooks here on the mission field. I find most of my new recipes from Pinterest and am always looking for more to add to my repertoire.

2. I love all the idea boards I've been able to build over the past couple years, all without taking up any space in my filing cabinet. Easily added to, readily accessed. It's a dream!

3. I've learned a lot about myself. By collecting items that I like I've created many boards that express my personality: my clothing style, my home decor style, my nutrition philosophy, etc.

4. I've branched out into a lot of creative avenues and built some new skills that I otherwise probably never would have. I love browsing all the creative diy ideas there are out there, and I've been brave enough to try a few of them. Like this tree Advent calendar I made one year.

Or the Bible quiet book that I made. I saw a few ideas that I liked and that spurred me on to create a lot of new things and build a lot of confidence in sewing and crafting projects.

So with all these good things to say about Pinterest, you may be wondering what the big deal is. What's the danger?

The danger, clear and simple, is this: beware of the discontentment Pinterest can give. I say this in all seriousness. Nothing can rob a Christian's joy faster than discontentment. I've found myself falling into this sad state of heart more than once, so I thought I'd offer some warning to my fellow sisters in Christ. Pinterest is a great tool, but don't let it rob you of your joy.

If you see that your kitchen is usually much less than Pinterest worthy, don't worry! If you haven't done a single creative project the entire month, don't sweat it. Don't let the guilt of having less than blog worthy moments in your life let you become depressed.

I firmly believe that women have an innate, God-given desire to create beauty around us (and to make ourselves beautiful as well). Within balance this is a beautiful quality and can bring much richness and blessing to ourselves and those around us. However, it can be overemphasized or abused, as most good qualities can. If we find ourselves constantly focusing on fulfilling that desire and feeling disappointed when we don’t measure up to our perfect “idea,” that’s where it becomes a big problem.

The Bible says in I Timothy 6:6 that “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” And Paul talked about learning the necessary quality of contentment in Philippians 4. Contentment is being happy and at peace with what the Lord has provided. The opposite of contentment is covetousness, and that is a serious offense in God’s eyes (See Ephesians 5:3 and Exodus 20:17).

So how does this work out practically in our lives? It involves learning to have balance between creating a beautiful world and yet not being consumed by covetousness and discontent for the here and now. It’s a challenge, and there’s not just one simple answer. But I do believe it comes down to the attitude of the heart. You can, by all means, collect your ideas and dream of doing new and wonderful projects. However, maintain at all times your peaceful contentment for the way things are, for what God has so graciously provided for you. Your home doesn’t have to look like the perfectly decorated magazine model display in order for you to be happy (and indeed, such things promise happiness and never truly deliver). Sometimes it means just looking for the beauty that already exists in your surroundings and learning to focus on those bright areas instead of on the areas that are not so beautiful. Sometimes it means changing our perspective on what is beautiful.

Most importantly, we can have a heart attitude of peace and contentment because of what Christ did for us, no matter what our outward circumstances are like. Take the words of Hebrews 13:5 to heart: “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'” Christ’s presence is our source of true joy and happiness and everything else pales by comparison.

So by all means, enjoy Pinterest and collect your awesome ideas. But amongst all your learning and growing, learn to be content!

Scripture Writing Plans

I have been blessed recently by Shannon from her Sweet Blessings blog. On there, she offers monthly Scripture writing plans. Here is the one for the month of April. She offers it in multiple formats: English, Spanish, Men's (non frilly) version, and a shortened version as well.

I have really enjoyed writing down a passage of Scripture each day, in addition to what I read for my devotions. I look on this as a chance to meditate and glean more carefully from the Bible. I would like to start including my thoughts and reactions to the Scripture passage I just wrote as well.

Check out her website and these wonderful, free resources!

The Resident Expert

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5

If we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that it can feel quite flattering and gratifying to have people come to us for advice and counsel. But sometimes, especially on the mission field, I get treated as the resident expert . . . on just about every issue. Needless to say, this can be quite intimidating. Young women will come to me with questions ranging from child training to pregnancy symptoms, from labor and birth coaching techniques to forms of birth control, from what to do for this child’s rash to what to do for that child’s sleeping problem. The list is daunting! While it’s true that I’ve had three children naturally, that doesn’t make me the expert on labor and birth, and so on.

I always wonder as I’m stating my opinion if this is sufficient. While it may be what I would have done, does it mean that it’s right for this person? Should I have spent hours in research before giving advice? My doubt continues to plague me long after the conversation ceases . . .

It’s at those moments (both in counseling and afterwards) that I cry out to the Lord of wisdom, who promises to give wisdom to all who lack it. Obviously, this wisdom is first spiritual in nature. Wisdom is Biblical knowledge applied in our everyday lives. This should be our heart’s cry each day, that we would better learn how to live out God’s Word in our lives. But this wisdom can also apply to physical things. As I seek to encourage these women to apply Scripture in their daily lives, I give advice and counsel based on what I see are Biblical principles and then use common sense and experience to fill in the rest.

I am so thankful that I have a Heavenly Father who generously gives me wisdom each and every time I call upon Him. I am not an expert on anything, but He is, and I have 24/7 access to Him! May each of you, too, run to God for every decision you make, trying as best as you can to honor the principles in His Word in your daily lives.

Bible Quiet Book: Armor of God

Well, this is my last blog post about my Bible quiet book! I'm glad you came along with me on this journey, and I hope you are inspired to make your own sometime soon.

The last page we'll look at is the Armor of God. I saw a lot of ideas on the internet for this particular theme, but I still chose to create my own template.

This was one of my last pages, and I must say I was getting a little lazy and hurried in my production. I ended up mostly gluing the pieces together and not doing much sewing. However, I've already had some issues with the pieces coming apart, so I encourage you to take the time to do it right. Just a few well placed stitches can make a huge difference on the long-term durability of the pieces.

Here are my templates.

ArmorofGod1

ArmorofGod2

Here are the coloring pages I used to make my templates. I used the pieces of armor I liked best from a couple different coloring pages.

Boy

Armor1

Armor2

Blessings!

Bible Quiet Book: Peter Fishing

Hello again!

Here's another page that my children adore. I didn't create the original template. I got it here. However, I added Jesus watching on the shore to my page, so I will include the Jesus template at the bottom of this post.

My kids are really into fish, so this page is a lot of fun for them. I used some mesh ribbon for the net. It is starting to really stretch out though, so I recommend that if you do the same, weave some thread through the upper edge to make it a bit more sturdy.

Here is the Jesus template. (I have to apologize on this template. It blew up to take up the whole page when I scanned it. You'll need to shrink it in order for it to be the right size. Again, sorry!)

Jesus

Bible Quiet Book: Ruth

This was another Bible story page that I created on my own.

Here is Ruth gleaning grain in the field and Boaz is watching from a distance.

Ruth can come free from the page and walk around gathering sheaths from the field.

Here are my templates.

Ruth1

Ruth2

Ruth3

I cannot find the original coloring page I used as inspiration. Sorry!

This page was fairly simple to make. Hope you try it!

Bible Quiet Book: the Samaritan Woman and Jesus

I was very pleased with how this page turned out. The details are really nice. This page depicts the scene of Jesus talking with the Samaritan woman at the well.

A basket of water can be lifted from inside the well.

I added the bird at the last minute and decided to make it snap off for additional play.

Here are my templates.
SamaritanWoman1
SamaritanWoman2

And yes, I used some coloring pages to help create this template.
Coloring page of well
Coloring page of whole scene

Bible Quiet Book: Baby Moses

Here is another page from my quiet book featuring baby Moses in the basket and Pharaoh's daughter.

This picture shows the details on the basket.

The baby snaps out of the basket. I left the Pharaoh's daughter's hand unglued so she could hold the baby. My little daughter especially likes to play with this page.

For the reeds, I just made block templates. After cutting out the block, you can then finely cut the individual grasses. Here are my templates. 

BabyMoses1

BabyMoses2

Here is the original coloring page. 

Bible Quiet Book: Rahab and the Spies

Hello again! Yes, I'm going all out on the posts today. :)

I'm excited to share with you this next quiet book page. Again, I saw no ideas on the internet for this, so just created my own template from a coloring page. (Have I mentioned how helpful coloring pages were to me for creating this whole project? They were invaluable, which is why I always try to share the ones that helped me. You can either use the templates I created from them or use the coloring pages to make your own designs!)

So here is my Rahab and the spies page.

She can hide the spies under the straw on the roof.

All hidden! They can escape out the window with the red cord. 

I didn't include templates for simple things like the moon and the torch. They were pretty easy to design and make on your own. Here are my templates.

RahabSpies1

RahabSpies2

RahabSpies3

Here is the coloring page. 

Bible Quiet Book: Jesus' Death, Burial, and Resurrection

Here is the last two page spread I designed. I really wanted to include this theme in my quiet book but couldn't find any ideas, so I just created them myself based off coloring pages for the tomb and ascension and my own imagination for the rest.

As a last minute addition, I sewed in three flower buttons behind the bush by the tomb. I tell my children that it signifies the three days Jesus was in the grave, but they are flowers because of God's promise that He would raise His Son from the dead!

I sewed in a strip of white cloth for the grave clothes that Jesus was wrapped in at His burial.

Here is the tomb closed up with the rock. I thought about creating a soldier that would be uncovered when you moved the rock, but it felt like a lot of additional work and I was anxious to keep moving on this project, so that idea eventually got ruled out. Maybe you can add it to yours!

Here is the resurrection page. Jesus ascends into Heaven on a cord. I should have created more disciples, but again, time restraints kept these details to a minimum.

I was grateful for the many opportunities I had to share about Jesus with my children as they watched me work on these pages. It was well worth the effort to create these pages just for that blessing alone.

Here are my templates.
JesusDeath1
JesusDeath2
JesusDeath3
JesusResurrection

Here are the coloring pages that started my creative juices flowing.
Tomb
Ascension

Bible Quiet Book: Noah's Ark

Well, it's been awhile since I posted here. I know... I'm sorry. Life got really busy for us for a time, but we are settled into routine again and I am starting to clean off the projects piled on my desk. One of those projects is to finish blogging about my Bible quiet book and to share my templates with you.

So here comes another great page . . . Noah's Ark!

This was the last page I did and it was one of the easiest. I have access to some really cute, really cheap hand crocheted animals here, so I didn't bother creating any animals for the inside of the Ark. My kids LOVE this page...

Here are the templates I created for the page... pretty basic stuff. My husband had a great suggestion for installing the zipper on the Ark. I actually just sewed it to the back of my fabric and then cut the slit for the zipper after stitching it all the way around. It worked great!

NoahArk1
NoahArk2

For the life of me, I cannot find the original coloring sheet that inspired my design of this page. I have it pinned on my Pinterest board here, but it doesn't take me directly to the picture anymore. Hope you enjoy these templates!