Mountain Bars

Mountain Mama's Mountain Bars

Watch the Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24WFL6DBs1A

Ingredients

1 & 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers

1/2 cup melted butter

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 & 1/2 cups oats

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions

Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Spray 9"x13" pan with vegetable spray.  Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and spread evenly in pan.  Gently press with a fork. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over graham cracker layer. Cover with oats. Sprinkle chocolate chips on 1/2 side of the oats.  Sprinkle butterscotch chips on the other half of the oats.  Press chips firmly into the bars.  (I use a flat spatula.) Bake for 25 minutes.  Do NOT overtake.  You are not cooking these bars, just letting everything melt and blend together. Let cool and cut into bars. Enjoy.

Bridal Shower Devotion

This is the devotion that I gave at a bridal shower for a lovely, young lady who is now my daughter-in-law. 

Watch Video for more info on the Shower:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jlc7GVzHv-M

I opened by welcoming everyone and thanking them all for coming. Then I introduced myself.  I explained that I used 10 verses from the Bible.  Some were specifically about marriage, and some had an application towards marriage.  I paired each Bible verse with a quote from various individuals.

#1 Galatians 6:2

"Bear ye one another's burden, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

-Cardinal Point- "Marriage is NOT 50/50. Divorce is 50/50.  It isn't dividing everything in 1/2, but giving everything you've got."

#2 Ephesians 5:33

"Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband."

-Cyndi Kane (Pioneer Woman's Friend)- "I once heard that a woman's greatest need in marriage is to be cherished and a man's need is for respect."

#3 Malachi 2:16      God hates divorce.

"For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that He hateth the putting away." "Putting away" is referring to divorce.

-Tom Baker (Preacher in Los Angelos. This is a paraphrase as I remember it)- "When a man and a woman are getting married, they should have an agreement between them that divorce is not an option. Agree today that you will never even say the word "divorce" when speaking of your marriage."

#4 Ephesians 4:29

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."

-Joni Eareckson Tada- "With our words we either beat the life out of our marriage or we cultivate, feed and water it to ensure happy years ahead."

#5 Romans 12:15

"Rejoice with them that do rejoice and weep with them that weep."

"Sharing joys and sorrows with your spouse is a great pleasure and a great comfort. Not only rejoicing together, but sorrowing together will bring you closer."

#6 Hebrews 13:5.    Contentment

"... Be content with such things as ye have; for He saith, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee."

1 Timothy 6:6

"Godliness with contentment is great gain."

-Elizabeth Elliot-" If you are married, then accept that.  Accept the husband that god has given you.  If you are single, accept your singleness and take it as if today was the last day of your life.  Don't be looking constantly to the future."

#7 Galatians 6:2

"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

-C.H. Spurgeon- "It should be the husband's pleasure to please his wife, and the wife's care to care for her husband."

#8 Love.  There are many verses in the Bible on love.  The book of Titus tells us that the older women are to teach the younger women to love their husbands and to love their children.

1 Peter commands us to, "Love one another."

Romans 13 also commands us to, "Love one another: for love is the fulfilling of the law."

-J.R. Miller- "Love is always ready to deny itself, to give, to sacrifice, just in the measure of its sincerity and intensity. Perfect love is perfect self forgetfulness.  Hence where there is love in a home, unselfishness is the law.  Each forgets self and lives for others."

#9 Hospitality. There are several verses in the Bible on hospitality.

1 Peter 4:9 "Use hospitality one to another without grudging".

Hebrews 13:5 "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

Romans 13 commands us to be, "given to hospitality." Which brings me to a quote from last week's sermon by our guest preacher. (This was at Highland Bible Church in Woodland Park, CO. I don't remember his name, but I did write down his quote.)

"Hospitality is NOT a dinner party for your friends."

By that I think he means that hospitality is not always easy, fun or inexpensive, that we should be hospitable, even when it's inconvenient.

#10 Prayer     James 5:16

"Pray for one another.  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

-Elizabeth Elliott- "Pray when you feel like praying.  Pray when you don't feel like praying."

Then I closed in prayer.

Pumpkin Cream Pie (no bake)

Mountain Mama's

Pumpkin Cream Pie

Watch the video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD_F1vdWfB4&t=1s

8” prepared graham cracker pie crust

4 oz. cream cheese (softened to room temperature)

2 heaping tablespoons sugar 

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix

1 cup cold milk

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice + some to sprinkle on top

1 - 16 oz. tub whipped topping

Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Beat in 1/3 tub of the whipped topping (no need to be exact, just eyeball it).  Spread evenly in graham cracker pie crust.  Disolve brown sugar in milk.  Pour pudding mix into mixing bowl. Add pumpkin pie spice. Add milk mixture. Beat until well blended. Mix in canned pumpkin.  Fold in 1/3 tub whipped topping.  Spread evenly on top of the cream cheese layer.  Place in fridge for about 30 minutes to set. Top with the remaining 1/3 tub of whipped topping.  Refrigerate all day or over night before serving.  Sprinkle each piece with a light dusting of pumpkin pie spice.  Enjoy!

I use the left over canned pumpkin to make pumpkin bread.

Mountain Mama's Best Lasagna

 Lasagna

Watch the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW-hFJaHSK8

Ingredients

14 lasagna noodles

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

66 oz. Ragu traditional spaghetti sauce

1 - lb. ground sausage

1 - 1b. bacon

15 oz. ricotta cheese

3 cups, shredded colby & monterey jack cheese

3 cups, shredded mozzarella cheese

parmesan cheese

salt

vegetable spray

Directions

Place lasagna noodles in boiling water with vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon salt.  Boil for 15 minutes.  Drain noodles and rinse with cold water. Sauté ground sausage over medium/low heat until done.  Sauté bacon over medium/low heat until done. Drain sausage.  Drain bacon. Mix sausage, bacon and spaghetti sauce together in a pan or bowl. Spray 9"x13" pan with vegetable spray. Layer 3 lasagna noodles plus 1/2 of a noodle, cut into 3 parts, to make one complete lasagna noodle layer.  See picture below. Spoon 1/3 of the ricotta cheese on lasagna layer.  Spread out ricotta cheese with forks. Lightly salt this layer. Sprinkle with 1 cup of shredded colby & monterey jack cheese. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Spoon 1/4 of spaghetti sauce mixture evenly over this layer. Repeat these layers 2 more times. Top with final layer of lasagna noodles and remaining 1/4 of spaghetti sauce mixture.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese on this top layer. Bake, uncovered for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.  Let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

 

7 Layer Salad

Watch the Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pGaSDI_ALk

1 large bag, iceberg lettuce 4 stalks celery, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 cup frozen peas 1 can sliced water chestnuts, cut in 1/2

1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped 2 tbs sugar 1 & 1/2 cups whipped salad dressing (I use the Wal-Mart brand) 3 cups sharp, shredded cheddar cheese 2 cups bacon crumbles

Arrange lettuce on bottom of large bowl Add layer of chopped celery

Add layer of chopped green pepper

Add layer of frozen peas

Add layer of sliced water chestnuts

Add layer of chopped onion

Add layer of sugar ~ It's very important to sprinkle the sugar on the onion Spoon on layer of whipped salad dressing Add layer of shredded cheese Top with bacon Seal and store in fridge overnight or all day

Mix very well before serving

Mountain Mama's, Banana Cream Pie

 Banana Cream Pie

Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-cPTYWzsYE

8” prepared graham cracker pie crust

4 oz. cream cheese (softened to room temperature)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 small box instant, banana, pudding mix

1 cup milk

1 - 16 oz. tub whipped topping

8 small bananas or 4 large bananas

Vanilla Wafers

Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Beat in 1/3 tub of the whipped topping (no need to be exact, just eyeball it).  Spread evenly in graham cracker pie crust.  Beat together banana pudding mix and milk until well blended.  Fold in 1/3 tub whipped topping.  Spread evenly on top of the cream cheese layer.  Top with the remaining 1/3 tub of whipped topping. Refrigerate all day or over night before serving.  When ready to serve, cut each piece, and top with a sliced, small banana and 3 vanilla wafers. Enjoy!

Tips:

I like to super chill this pie before serving, and place the pie in the freezer for an hour or two, just before serving.  Do NOT completely freeze, or the pie will be rock hard solid, and you will have to let it thaw before eating.

It's the fresh banana that makes this pie, over-the-top delicious.  Add banana only when serving each piece.  One, small banana works great for each piece, or one, large banana for two pieces.

Add vanilla wafers only when ready to serve.  Otherwise, they will get soggy and they are meant to be crunchy fresh.

Mountain Mama's Baked Beans

 Mountain Mama's ~ Best Baked Beans

Watch the video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xiuu8vQ9-Q&t=206s

Ingredients:

1 - lb. ground beef, cooked & drained

1 & 1/2 - lbs. cut up, cooked & drained bacon

1 - lb. Costco, Kirkland brand, fully cooked, smoked, pulled pork

4 - 28 oz. cans, Bush's, original baked beans

1 - large, chopped, orange (or red) bell pepper

4 - Tablespoons chopped, dried onion

1 & 1/2 - cups light brown sugar

1 - cup dark, Karo syrup

1 - 45 oz. bottle, KC Masterpiece, original BBQ sauce

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.  I need to use my large roasting pan, because it's the only thing in my kitchen that is big enough.  Bake in a roasting pan at 350 degrees for 2 & 1/2 hours.  Let stand for 10 - 15 minutes before serving.  Or ... Most of the beans will fit into a large crock pot.  Bake on low for 2 -3 hours before serving.  The rest of the baked beans will fit into an empty, large, cool whip container.  These can be frozen for use at a later date.