It Only Takes A Sparks

Ressurrection Rolls

2011-04-24T10:55:00.008-04:00

In celebration of Easter, this year we made Ressurrection Rolls as a family on Saturday night before Easter morning. Not only was it a great teaching lesson, they are soooo yummy!

Ressurrections Rolls

Ingredients:

1 can refrigerated cresent roll dough

8 large marshmallows

melted butter

cinnamon sugar

Directions:

- Give each person one triangle shaped section of the cresent roll.

This represents the tomb

- Each person takes one marshmallow.

This represents the Body of Christ

-Dip the marshmallows in the butter and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

This represents the oils and spices the Body of Christ was annointed with upon burial.

-Lay the marshamallow on the dough and carefully wrap it around the marshmallow. Make sure all the seams are pinches together well. (This is very important, otherwise the marshmallow will "ooze" out of the seams.)

-We put the rolls in the cold, dark oven

Which represents the tomb in which they placed the Body of Christ

-Bake according to package directions on Easter morning.

-When ready to eat, break open the tomb and the Body of Christ is no longer there!!!

We pray that each of you had a wonderful Resurrection Day!

We're Still Cookin'

2011-04-19T08:28:00.001-04:00

If you are wondering if The Sparks are still out there, yes we are. We're just very busy with school, work, church and with life in general. Not to mention, me trying to pass a kidney stone.

I have serveral post I want to share and I pray I can get to them soon.

But in the meantime, don't worry...

We're still cookin'!

Teddy Graham Dip

2011-04-04T11:24:00.009-04:00

We celebrated the marriage to two very special people in our lives, Tyler and Danae. Tyler is serving in the US Army and we are so proud of him. We have know Danae for many years and it has been a joy to see the wonderful Christian young women, now wife, that she has become.

Before the wedding, we had a some fun at a lingerie shower for the Bride-to-be. On the menu for the shower was Teddy Graham Dip, get it, "Teddy" graham dip...

Anyway, oh my goodness, this is best dip ever!!! Thanks Ginger for sharing it!

Teddy Graham Dip
2 packages 8oz, soften cream cheese
2 cups powered sugar
2 sticks soften butter (don't skip the real stuff
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 small tub cool whip topping
1 bag mini chocolate chips

*please note - you can cut this down half, but I always make a big batch*

Mix soften cream cheese, powered sugar, soften butter, vanilla and cool whip well (I use my stand mixer.) Once mixed well, add mini chocolate chips and mix well. Refrigerate and serve with Teddy Graham cookies. I found generic cookies at the Dollar Store that we actually like better because the "double bears" and you can get more dip!

Our girls had the honor of being part of their beautiful wedding. It will be a day that they long forget.

Congratulations Tyler and Danae!

Grandmom Cool's Peanut Butter Pie

2011-03-28T10:17:00.010-04:00

Today is my Grandmom Cool's 86th Birthday. So in honor of her, I want to share her recipe for the most wonderful Peanut Butter Pie.

Grandmom Cool's Peanut Butter Pie

1 baked deep dish pie shell

1 cup powered sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 c. cornstarch

2/3 c. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2 cups scaled milk (just put it in the microwave to heat)

3 eggs yolks beaten

2 Tbsp butter

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Combine powdered sugar and peanut butter. Blend until the appearance of biscuit mix; spread 3/4 of this mixture in baked pie shell. Set aside.

Combine cornstarch, sugar and salt; add scalded milk and mix well. Pour small amount over beaten egg yolks; mix well. Then return to milk mixture. Cook in top of double boiler until mixture thickens to the consistency of pudding or custard.

Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla and pour into prepared pie shell. Top with meringue. Sprinkle remainder of peanut butter mixture over meringue. Bake at 325 degrees until meingue browns.

Meringue:

3 eggs whites

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp vanilla

6 Tbsp sugar

Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla and add sugar until peaks form.

Girl Scout Cookie Banana Pudding

2011-03-15T09:27:00.006-04:00

It's March and in March it's Girl Scout Cookie time and when it's Girl Scout Cookie time it means I can make Girl Scout Cookie Banana Pudding. The recipe is Nannie Ford's Banana Pudding recipe, which you will probably see on here again, but today I will share the recipe using Shortbread Girl Scout Cookies.

*Our sweet niece, Lydia, who sold cookies for the first time this year as Daisy.*

Girl Scout Cookie Banana Pudding

2 boxes Shortbread Girl Scout Cookies

4-5 large bananas, sliced

1 large container whipped topping (cool whip)

1 large box instant vanilla pudding

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix pudding according to directions. Add vanilla and whipped topping. Mix well. Then add shortbread cookies and bananas. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Girl Scout Cookies freeze well, so if you have enough self-control, put a couple of boxes of the cookies in the freezer and save for later.

I hope you enjoy this yummy Springtime treat...

Happy Spring!

Green Eggs and Ham

2011-03-02T11:32:00.004-05:00

Last night in honor of Dr. Seuss we had some friends over (OK, the real reason we had our friends over was for him to help Travis fix the washing machine.) But, whatever the reason, we had a blast and made wonderful memories with our kids. They are such wonderful friends and got into the spirit of the night and came as Dr. Seuss books. We had, Hop on Pop, Fox in Socks, There's a Wocket in my Pocket, And to Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, Ten Apples Up On Top! and sweet little Cindy Lou Who tagged along with them.

We made Cat In The Hat hats while the guys were working on the washing machine. With five little "whos" running around, this was the best picture I could get.

The recipe to share is not much, all I did was add green food coloring to my scrambled eggs to give them their green color. Everyone ate their green eggs except for Hannah Grace, she did not like green eggs.

We are so blessed to have these "Whos" as friends...who will come help with a broken washing machine, who can come over on a week night and it doesn't stress me out how my house looks, who are intentional in the time they spend with their family and the memories they make with their kids, who are great friends!

Sugar Cookies

2011-02-14T10:27:00.005-05:00

For Valentine's Day treats and gifts we got in the kitchen and made yummy sugar cookies. I got this recipe from a friend of a friend and it is the only sugar cookie I make anymore (unless it's cut and bake).

Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 large egg

2 tsp. baking powder

3 cups all-purpose flour

(I doubled the recipe for this batch of cookies).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream butter and sugar in mixer. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix baking powder and flour, add one cup at a time, mixing after each addition.

DO NOT CHILL DOUGH.

Divide dough into 2 balls. On a floured surface, roll dough into 12-inch circle 1/8th of a inch thick. Cut into desired shapes.

Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet on top rack of oven 6-7 minutes or until lightly browned.

Once cookies have cooled, ice the cookies with a cookie glaze.

Sugar Cookie Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tablespoon corn syrup

2 Tablespoons water

a splash (1/2 tsp.) of almond extract, or whatever flavoring you desire)

Divide the mixture into smaller containers and stir in 2-3 drops of desired food coloring per container. You may need to add more sugar or water to get it to the consistency to spread on the cookies without it being too runny. Use paintbrushes or spoon to apply icing to cookies (we used spoons). Add sprinkles if desired.

Apple Dip

2011-02-10T09:50:00.007-05:00

I have posted the recipe for this Apple Dip before but I made it again this past week-end for Seth's 5th Buzz Lightyear Birthday Celebration.

Apple Dip

2 pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup while sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 pkg. Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits

Mix together and serve with sliced apples.

Note: It is better if you make the dip the night before you plan to serve it and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for over a week (if it last that long.)

Granny Hill's Dried Apple Stack Cake

2011-02-02T09:57:00.007-05:00

This past week-end, Daddy and Candy came down for a visit. While they were here, they got to go to our Upward Games on Saturday and we painted the living room and two front hallways. They are always so wonderful to help us out around the house.

Candy brought me several old recipes from her, her mom, Nannie Ray and Daddy's mom, Granny Hill. I look forward to trying and sharing those over the next few months. Along with the recipes, Candy brought Granny Hill's Dried Apple Stack Cake. She said she remembers having this cake at Christmas each year with Granny Hill. We enjoyed this yummy cake for dessert while they were visiting.

Granny Hill's 90th Birthday Celebration

Granny Hill's Dried Apple Stack Cake

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup molasses

1/2 cup buttermilk

3 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream shortening and sugar; add egg, molasses, buttermilk and mix well. Stir in flour, ginger, and vanilla. Roll out dough as you would for a pie crust or spoon into greased pan and pat out to edge. This should make six thin layers. Bake layers for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Stack layers with cooked apples and end with cooked apples on top. Slice in thin layers to serve.

Cooked Dried Apples

Put 1 pound of dried apples in heavy pan and cover with cold water. Cook until soft enough to mash. While still hot, mash apples and add 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup white sugar, 4 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp cloves and 1 tsp. allspice. Cook down until apples turn dark color like apple butter.

If dried apples are not available, cook several pounds of cooking apples in enough water to cover apples and add spice and sugars. Cook until mixture is very thick.

Notes: The cake is better made up in thin layers sandwiches with apple filling. It is also better to make ahead and let it set for a few days before eating.

Bubba's Key Lime Pie

2011-01-25T18:46:00.011-05:00

For Christmas, Travis got me tickets to see Paula Deen, so this past week-end he and traveled to Cherokee, NC with my Christmas gift for an early Valentine's Day get-away. We had a great time away and Paula Deen was very funny. She didn't really "cook" she talked about what her Chef was cooking and interacted with the audience and told stories with her son, Bobby, her husband, her Aunt Peggy and her brother "Bubba" and his daughter.

The dessert they served with the meal they were cooking was Key lime Pie. I had never made Key Lime Pie before Mama and Eddie brought me some Key lime Juice back from their trip to Key West. I have made Key lime Pie several times since then, until I ran out of the Key lime juice. Well, just the other day I saw that same Key lime juice at Ingles. So, when the pie was served on Saturday night I thought that would be the perfect recipe to put with this post. I searched Paula Deen's website and found a recipe for "Bubba's Key Lime Pie" and I adapted it a little bit.

Ingredients:

2 eggs yolks

2 teaspoon grated lime zest(not pictured)

1/2 cup Key lime juice

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

You can make your own crust, but I buy the package of 6 mini-ready graham cracker crust. My family loves "little pies". You can also use a ready made 9-inch graham cracker crust.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, beat 2 eggs yolks. Add condensed milk, Key lime juice and zest. Blend together.

Pour filling in crust and bake for 15 minutes, recipe will make six "little pies".

Refrigerate pies for several hours before serving to let set.

Once set, serve with a dollop of cool whip.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

2011-01-21T09:05:00.009-05:00

When Samuel or Travis go on a trip, I usually try to make them so kind of treat to take and share. A lot of times, I make Rice Krispy Treats. Well, since Samuel got his braces on this week, he can't eat yummy marshmallow goodness. I went ahead and made some for him to share but he asked me to make him some Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies.

I'm sure most of reading this, know how to make these super easy and supper yummy cookies, but since this will be passed down to my kids, I thought I would share the recipe.

The recipe for chocolate oatmeal cookies, sometime called "No Bake Cookies" is in just about every cookbook that I have on my shelf, but when I'm making them, I always go for my Seasoned Love cookbook from the Lincoln Inn Restaurant. I helped compile this cookbook when Daddy and Candy owned and ran the Lincoln Inn Restaurant in Stanford, Kentucky. I have many wonderful memories from the Lincoln Inn, from waiting tables and getting a tip of a quarter to learning to cook so many things. Every time I use the griddle at church, I think about my Daddy standing at the griddle at the Lincoln Inn frying up a "Mike's Special", but that's another post!

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

2 cups sugar

dash of salt

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup milk

4 Tablespoons cocoa

Mix together in a cooking pot and bring to a boil.

Once the mixture comes to a rapid boil, boil for one (1) minute.

After the one minute, add:

3 cups oatmeal

1/4 cup peanut butter

(and I add a splash of vanilla)

Mix together well and drop by spoonsfuls onto was paper.

Let dry and enjoy!

Thankful and Blessed

2011-01-15T10:47:00.004-05:00

We were blessed to receive money for Christmas from our parents to help us buy a new refrigerator and stove. They were delivered on Friday and I cooked our first meal on Saturday night.

We are very thankful and blessed!

Taste and see that the Lord is GOOD!

Snow Cream

2011-01-10T19:42:00.008-05:00

Here in South Carolina we are snowed in with about 7 inches of snow on the ground. We have had a wonderful day to home together resting and playing. The snow was not so great for making a snowman, but it was perfect for making SNOW CREAM.

What you need:

Snow
(When we are expecting snow, I usually put a big bowl out on the picnic table to collect the snow for our snow cream.)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla flavoring

milk (not pictured)

Mix the sugar, vanilla and sweetened condensed milk well.

Once mixed, pour that mixture over your bowl of snow. Begin stirring the snow and sugar mixture adding milk as needed to make it smooth and creamy.

Mix well and then enjoy this yummy winter time treat with your family. As you can see, I made a big batch of snow cream today to share with our neighbors and to put in the freezer. Travis and I are getting ready to enjoy another bowl once the kids go to bed.

I have to give credit to my mother-in-law for teaching me how to make snow cream. I don't remember having it growing up and I don't think we did since my sister called me this afternoon to ask me how to make it...

Enjoy!!!!!

Ranch Potatoes

2011-01-05T19:23:00.001-05:00

My mom gave me this receipe for Ranch Potatoes; it's one of my families favorite potato dishes. Somehow, the ranch dressing and cheese melt into the potatoes to make them very, very yummy.

Things you need:

2 cups ranch salad dressing

2 cups shredded chedder cheese

5 pounds of potatoes

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Peel, dice and wash the potatoes.

Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray and put diced potatoes in the dish. Pour the ranch dressing and shredded cheese over the potatoes and mix well until all the potatoes are coated with ranch dressing.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until the potatoes are tender, stirring several times during baking..

Taste And See

2011-01-01T15:50:00.001-05:00

Even though I have posted everyday (but one, when I was sick) over the last year, this is the first time I have typed on here in a while. I really enjoyed "A Year In Pictures" and just recently realized why I love taking pictures so much. For some reason, I don't really remember much from my childhood, don't really know why, but I don't. Most of my memories of are from pictures and I remember things from the pictures that I have seen and hear stories about. I guess that's why I take so many pictures of everything and why I love to take pictures.

But, this is a new year and while I enjoyed the past year and taking a picture EVERY DAY, I won't be continuing it in 2011. Looking back at "A Year In Pictures", Wow - we were very busy. That is something I already new had already resolved to not be that busy in 2011.

But....I didn't just want to stop the blog at all. I had several ideas swirling in my head on what to do. I continue things and do better when they have a theme and wanted to come up with a theme for our family blog.

This is what I have come up with:

For the next year, I hope to post a recipe at least once a week. It may be a old family recipe or a new one I found or something I have made up. I hope that the kids will join me in the kitchen on some days. Then, at the end of the year, I want to print them out and it will be a wonderful "cookbook" to give my kids.

I just finished reading Choosing to SEE by Mary Beth Chapman and in her book she tells of "seeing" God and His work all around us, no matter the situation. So, in thinking about the blog, Psalm 34:8 came to mind, Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him. So, I hope that in the coming year, as I am in the kitchen doing what I love for my family - COOKING - I can SEE that He is good and take refuge in Him. And then share that happiness on here and then pass it along to my kids one day.

I hope you enjoy the year to come and I pray that you will SEE Him each day.

Good-Bye 2010...Hello 2011

2010-12-31T23:59:00.001-05:00

Bowl Game

2010-12-31T17:23:00.001-05:00

Ring-Around-The-Rosey...All-Fall-Down

2010-12-30T17:29:00.000-05:00

Tooth Fairy's Night Off

2010-12-29T17:31:00.001-05:00

12/24/10

Three of the Sweetest Kids

2010-12-28T09:24:00.001-05:00

12/26/10

Lydia's Umbrella

2010-12-27T09:55:00.000-05:00

Snowy Sparks

2010-12-26T18:00:00.000-05:00

Merry White Christmas

2010-12-25T18:29:00.002-05:00

Christmas Dinner

2010-12-25T18:28:00.000-05:00

Sparks Family Christmas

2010-12-24T18:27:00.000-05:00

Ready For Some Christmas Shopping

2010-12-23T09:17:00.001-05:00

12/22/2010

Santa Cow

2010-12-22T09:16:00.000-05:00

Fourteen Years

2010-12-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

Gift Card Swap

2010-12-20T19:00:00.000-05:00

8th Birthday Lunch

2010-12-19T12:00:00.001-05:00

8th Birthday Morning

2010-12-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Let It Snow

2010-12-18T11:18:00.001-05:00

Christmas At Memama's

2010-12-17T19:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome Home For Christmas Tyler

2010-12-17T15:00:00.001-05:00

Chorus Christmas Concert

2010-12-16T19:00:00.002-05:00

7th Birthday Phone Messages

2010-12-15T21:45:00.001-05:00

7th Birthday Supper

2010-12-15T17:30:00.000-05:00

7th Birthday Snack

2010-12-15T12:30:00.000-05:00

7th Birthday Morning

2010-12-15T06:30:00.001-05:00

Beary Christmas

2010-12-14T10:15:00.001-05:00

8th Birthday Snack

2010-12-13T11:09:00.003-05:00

Finding The Christmas Star

2010-12-12T10:10:00.001-05:00

Operation Christmas Child Processing Center

2010-12-11T10:08:00.001-05:00

Irish Dance

2010-12-11T10:04:00.002-05:00

Grinch Night

2010-12-10T10:02:00.000-05:00

The Original Grinch

2010-12-09T10:01:00.000-05:00

Practice Driving

2010-12-08T09:59:00.001-05:00

International Choir

2010-12-07T09:57:00.000-05:00

Nutcrackers

2010-12-06T10:30:00.001-05:00

The Nutcracker Ballet

2010-12-05T10:23:00.002-05:00

Funny Sisters

2010-12-04T10:09:00.000-05:00

Light-Up Inman

2010-12-03T10:05:00.002-05:00

Remembrance Service

2010-12-02T10:01:00.002-05:00

Hannah Grace's Family Tree

2010-12-01T09:34:00.001-05:00

Art Show for Mom's Christmas Gift

2010-11-30T09:32:00.001-05:00

Thunderhead

2010-11-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

11/27/2010

A Visit With Santa

2010-11-28T00:00:00.002-05:00

11/27/2010

48 inches

2010-11-27T21:11:00.001-05:00

The Hills

2010-11-26T21:09:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-25T21:05:00.000-05:00

Papa Red

2010-11-24T21:03:00.001-05:00

"Twas The Night Before Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T21:02:00.000-05:00

P'Jammin

2010-11-23T08:47:00.002-05:00

http://www.pjammin.org/

Mom's Ornament

2010-11-22T09:27:00.001-05:00

Delivering Shoeboxes

2010-11-21T11:45:00.002-05:00

Passing The Pilgrim

2010-11-20T11:44:00.000-05:00

Our Bedroom Tree

2010-11-19T11:43:00.000-05:00

Handmade Ornaments Tree

2010-11-18T11:41:00.001-05:00

Samuel's Sports Tree

2010-11-17T11:39:00.001-05:00

Girl's Room Tree

2010-11-16T11:38:00.000-05:00

Living Room Tree

2010-11-15T11:36:00.001-05:00

New Christmas Music

2010-11-14T11:35:00.001-05:00

Packing Shoeboxes

2010-11-13T15:17:00.000-05:00

Fall Sports Banquet

2010-11-12T11:17:00.002-05:00

11/11/10

Veteran's Day Programs

2010-11-11T11:14:00.001-05:00

2010 Ornaments

2010-11-10T11:11:00.002-05:00

Faith's Ornament - "Kissmass Cottage" Samuel's Ornament: "Green Eggs And Ham"
Hannah Grace's Ornament: "Checking It Twice:
Her name is on the list!!!

Put A Hat On Drugs

2010-11-09T10:50:00.003-05:00

Beta Club Inductions

2010-11-08T10:48:00.001-05:00

Big C

2010-11-07T10:38:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday Memama!

2010-11-06T10:36:00.002-04:00

Ready For Some Cold Football

2010-11-05T10:33:00.000-04:00

Our First Box Of The Season

2010-11-04T11:08:00.002-04:00

Music Ornaments

2010-11-03T11:24:00.001-04:00

$6 each, comment or message me if you would like to order. Thanks!

Welcome

2010-11-02T11:22:00.003-04:00

God Of This City

2010-11-01T11:14:00.000-04:00

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T11:59:00.002-04:00

Big Daddy's Birthday Celebration

2010-10-30T08:48:00.002-04:00

Red for Red Ribbion Week

2010-10-29T09:19:00.000-04:00

BSJH vs Rainbow Lake Middle

2010-10-28T09:18:00.001-04:00

Terrific Kid

2010-10-27T09:06:00.001-04:00

New Hair-Do

2010-10-26T09:04:00.001-04:00

It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

2010-10-25T10:22:00.001-04:00

Scarecrow Choir

2010-10-24T10:19:00.001-04:00

Harvest Festival at Dollywood

2010-10-23T10:17:00.000-04:00

Senior Night

2010-10-22T10:16:00.000-04:00

Great Friends!!!

2010-10-21T10:14:00.000-04:00

The Boys of Fall

2010-10-20T10:24:00.000-04:00

10/22/10

Great Christmas Gifts!

2010-10-19T00:00:00.003-04:00

These would make great Christmas gifts!

If you would like to get one, please leave me a comment or message and I will get back to you. The ribbons shown will be available until I run out of the them and can't find them anymore. For those of you in Kentucky, I will be in Stanford at Thanksgiving and will be happy to deliver them.

Each ornament is a 4 inch glass ornament with your personalization and ribbon.

Each ornament is $6.00 each.

Personalization Available:

Red and green ribbon with snowflakes

a (lowercase), C, e (lowercase), f (lowercase), G, H, i (lowercase), J, K, M, R, S, t (lowercase)

Black and Red

A, B, C, E G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, p (lowercase), R, S, T

Thanks so much!!!

*Please note, I can add snowflakes to the black and red ornaments also*

Saying Good-Bye

2010-10-18T10:29:00.000-04:00

When Did She Grow Up?

2010-10-17T10:28:00.000-04:00