Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

Pumpkin Cheesecake

(I found this yummy recipe on http://thelongthread.com/?p=1332)
I haven't made it yet but I'm definitely going to soon!



This is not healthy, but it’s good for a special occasion. I love pumpkin cheesecake and can’t remember the recipe I have used in the past, so this is a combination of several recipes with some of my own ideas and preferences added. I am not afraid to fiddle with a recipe, which can lead to mixed results. But this one turned out pretty well, so here it is.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make Crust:

1 package of graham crackers (approximately 9 full crackers)
1/2 stick of butter

Combine in a food processor and press by hand into a greased 9″ springform pan. Set aside.

Make Filling:

3 packages cream cheese (8 oz. each), softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
1 can pumpkin (15 oz.)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

In a large bowl, combine first four ingredients with an electric mixer. Add remaining ingredients and mix on high speed until smooth and fluffy. Pour mixture into springform pan and tap to get out bubbles. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour and fifteen minutes (possibly longer) until set in the center. When it is set, turn off your oven and crack the oven door to let it cool slowly. I read somewhere that this helps prevent cracking, but mine cracked a bit anyway. The topping will hide any cracks!

Topping:

3 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup chopped walnuts

Mix together first three ingredients. Then add walnuts and pour over cooled cheesecake. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Serve with fresh cinnamon whipped cream. Now go for a jog. I usually omit that last part.

Mom's Night Out - This Friday!

Just a reminder....
This Friday, October 23rd, is our Mom's Night Out.
We'll be meeting at the church for the Praise and Worship scheduled at 7pm. Come and join Travis Laws, our Worship Leader, the choir, and band for an incredible night of music and ministry.

After the praise and worship we will head to Cracker Barrel for some dessert and fellowship!

Emotional 2nd Meeting

Last Friday was our 2nd MOPS meeting of the year and it was definitely an emotional one. Terri Phillips opened the morning with an incredible devotion. She spoke of how God has used this last year, since she was diagnosed with cancer, to draw her closer to Him and depend only on Him. She shared a great letter that a friend sent to her just when she needed it.

This is God. Today I will be handling ALL of your problems for you. I do NOT need your help. So, have a nice day. I love you.

P.S. And, remember . . .
If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do NOT attempt to resolve it yourself! Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. I will get to it in MY TIME. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours.

Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.

Now, you have a nice day.

God

(I tried to find out who wrote this so I could give them credit, but I didn't have any success)

Leah Hobbs shared her testimony about how God has used her to help other mothers after the loss of an infant. She also shared about International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. The Month of October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Month and a special day has been designated for families who have experienced loss: at 7pm on October 15th babies who have passed will be remembered all around the world by the lighting of candles for one hour in an International Wave of Light.

To close out the meeting Shelby Wolfe and Jennifer Grossman helped us put together "Giving Jars". The jars are meant to be passed on from friend to friend. Each time filling the jar with a treat and a prayer.

Thank you to all who were able to join us last Friday and we look forward to seeing you all again next month.


Pastor Kim Panzino praying for Melissa Phillips and her 9 day old daughter, Brooklyn


This cutie patootie is Ben, his mom Julie Lester a member of MOPS.


The "Dimensional Divas" working on their Giving Jars.


The "Cosmic Countesses" working on their Giving Jars.


The "Shooting Stars" working on their Giving Jars.

Recipe - Lasagna Rolls

One of our MOPS moms (Billee Jean Butcher) has this awesome blog (http://heartofmykitchen.blogspot.com/) where she posts different recipes she tries with pictures and detailed instructions. I asked her if she'd be willing to share one of her recipes and she was more than happy to do so.

If you're looking for something new to try for dinner (or breakfast or dessert), check out her blog.

Lasagna Rolls (for details and pictures click HERE)

*************
Cheese Mixture:
1 15 oz container of Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1 egg
garlic salt
Italian seasoning to taste

**************
10 lasagna noodles cooked and drained
pasta sauce

- Drain and cool noodles.
- Working on wax paper, spread cheese mixture 3/4th the way down the noodle.
- Roll and place in baking dish seam side down.
- Cover with your favorite pasta sauce, top with foil and bake in 425 degree oven for 20 mins or until sauce is bubbly.Top with more cheese and bake until golden brown.
- Let sit for 10 mins before serving.

Thanks for the Recipe Billee Jean!

October MOPS Meeting

We hope to see everyone at the October MOPS meeting this Friday, October 9th.
We'll be meeting in the Choir Room again (just follow the stars) at 9:30am.

Our topic of discussion will be....
My Galaxy or Yours?
Relationships with my friends
Come join us to recharge your "mom battery" with some food, fellowship and laughter.


Here's a picture of me (I'm in the middle... so now you know who is writing the blog) with some of my wonderful friends (Anita Bell and Kim Bennett)!

The Bible Through the Eyes of a Child

From Internet Cafe Devotions

A couple of months ago my three-year-old was obsessed with the biblical story of Daniel trapped in a den full of hungry lions. Our night time routine was not complete until we read this particular story. Many times it included some lion roaring thrown in for fun.

My husband and I read the story so frequently that we nearly had each word from the children's Bible memorized.

Before my son's recent obsession, I read this story countless times throughout my life. I heard it in church as a child. Somehow its familiarity over the years had not given me a reason to pause and reflect on such a magnificent story! Think about the lions, the den, and the fear Daniel must have had that night he spent down there.

The more I read the story, the more amazed I became. How could my heart have become so dull to such a testimony of God's mighty power?

Since then, I started to view the familiar Bible stories that I read to my boys differently. I don't read it to them as any other storybook and turn my heart and mind off to their message. Instead, I see God at work in magnificent ways that I had missed before simply because I wasn't looking. God's Word is always fresh when we allow it to be.

There are all kind of stories that will absolutely blow you away when you start to look at them from a fresh, child-like perspective.

Did you realize Jesus actually walked on the water? (See Matt. 14:22-33) You may have read that story many times but have you stopped to visualize what this event must have looked like? Put yourself in that boat. Feel the waves hitting your little boat and watch a Savior approach you as if you were sitting on dry land. Wow!

Have you ever been hungry but felt like there was noting in the house to eat? Put yourself in the sandals of the disciples when they realized Jesus wanted to feed over 5,000 people. (See John 6:1-14) The only food there was five loaves of bread and two fish. Talk about feeling like you need to go to the grocery store!

Yet, Jesus was not limited by a lack of food. When it was all over, everyone ate until their bellies were full and there were leftovers! (Who can't say a hearty "amen" for leftovers!) As I struggle to cook enough food for my family of four, I am affected by this event on an even deeper level.

As a parent, I want to help my children hide God's Word and principles in their hearts. Reading His Word and watching their little minds comprehend its magnificence is inspiring as a parent.

So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

Not only does God teach my children something about Himself each time we study it together, He teaches me something, as well.

If you have young children or grandchildren, spend time in God's Word with them. You will be amazed as you watch them grasp the incredible stories that you read. Don't be surprised, however, if God opens up His Word in a new and inspiring way to you like never before.

This article was written by Robyn and published on Internet Cafe Devotions

Would you like fries with that?

I found this recipe on Bakerella (<-- click there for the complete recipe) and it looked so cute I decided to give it a try. They weren't that hard to make but you have to make brownies, sugar cookies AND cupcakes. For some reason only about 5 of my cupcakes turned out. The rest of them fell in the middle. I'm not sure what happened but the same thing happened when I made Caleb's birthday cupcakes. It only happens when I make cupcakes with yellow cake mix and cook them in cupcake liners.

Oh well, my "burgers and fries" turned out really cute and Caleb enjoyed it!