National Peeps Day

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

The day after Easter is National Peeps Day, dedicated to those sugar coated marshmallows shaped like chicks and bunnies this time of year. I had bought several packages in different colors, thinking I’d have a weekend with my granddaughter and we would make those cute little bunnies-in-Twinkies-with-chocolate-dipped-miniature-pretzels-for-steering -wheels-and-halved-tiny-sandwich-cookies-for-wheels-race cars. You can look on Pinterest and find them. So, I had all of these bunny peeps; what to do with them?

Well, it’s coffee time. Floating a few on top is cheering, after a long day at work. Waste not want not goes the old adage. Of course, I don’t believe Peeps ever really go bad.

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Twin Peeps in my afternoon cup of coffee.

Springtime blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.

Candy Carrots or Easy Easter Favors

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

Clear disposable pastry bags, filled with seasonal candy make easy Easter favors. Jelly beans go in first, then marshmallow bunnies and chicks. Miniature assorted chocolate bars make the top layer. Twist closed and tie with curly ribbon.

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Disposable piping bags can be found in the cake decorating section of your local craft store.
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These are extra Candy Carrots, dressing up a bowl. Handy for guests who pop in.

Trying To Spark An Appetite

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

Not only am I recovering from the flu, my mother is getting over pneumonia. We have both been wiped out, no energy and neither of us has had much of an appetite. Mom says she’s hungry, but half way through her meals she tells me that she just doesn’t feel like eating.

So, tonight I’m cooking one of my favorite side dishes on her, to try to spark her appetite. Apples, butter, honey, cinnamon, pecans and raisins stewed down till the apples are tender. Great with pork or chicken. I sometimes top my oatmeal with this simple side.

Keep your fingers crossed that Mom cleans her plate.

Stewed Apples w/ raisins and pecans

Ingredients:

3 medium Gala apples, cored and cut into even pieces

5 pats of butter

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons raisins

2 tablespoons pecans

What to do:

Sauté everything in a  small skillet over medium heat. Once the butter melts, turn the fire down to low and cover. Stir every few minutes; won’t take long for the apples to soften. This makes a light sauce that’s great over pork chops. Tasty sitting next to a buttery biscuit, too. If you’re not a fan of raisins or nuts, just omit them.

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Place everything in sauté pan. Cook over medium heat till butter melts, then turn fire on low and cover.

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Great as a supper side or topping a buttery biscuit.

Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.

Dead Eggs

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

I haven’t posted anything for a couple of weeks. I have had the flu; and I took the flu shot! Never do I remember feeling as badly as I have the last two weeks. I am ready for influenza to be outfluenza.

It’s close to Easter and Easter is a little early this year. A memory of my oldest son greeted me this morning.

We had been visiting at my former in-law’s one weekend nearing Easter and my son was about 3 years old. His gran told him to go to her kitchen. She had a surprise for him on the counter. In the center of the blue laminate was a bowl of brightly colored Easter eggs.

My then three year old looked shocked at what he saw.

“Mama,” he asked me, “did the Easter Bunny come to Gran’s house?”

“No,” I answered. ” The Easter Bunny hasn’t come early. Gran dyed these eggs herself.”

“Well, can I have one?”

“You need to go ask Gran,” I told him.

Down the short set of stairs he flew to the den where his grandparents were.

“Gran! Gran, can I have a dead egg?”

Dyed eggs/dead eggs. To a three year old they’re the same thing. My oldest loves this story and so do I.

Easter blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.20160318_183828-1

Something Simple and Familiar

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

Spring break has officially started in our part of the country. College man made it home this afternoon, full laundry basket in tow. Some things are never changing; college students always have dit…

Source: Something Simple and Familiar

Something Simple and Familiar

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

Spring break has officially started in our part of the country. College man made it home this afternoon, full laundry basket in tow. Some things are never changing; college students always have ditry clothes that need washing. And boys are always hungry.

I try to cook my son’s favorites when he is home and this evening I began to list what I could put together for supper. A beautiful pot of homemade chicken soup, leftovers from last night, was suggested.

He considered it, but asked, “What else ya got?”

“Well, I’ve got hot dogs,” was my answer, half expecting him to wrinkle up his nose.

“Yeah!” was his enthusiastic reply. “I haven’t had a hot dog in about three months. I missed Hot Dog Nite at the caff, because of night classes.”

Easy to please, he is. So, hot dogs it was. Tator tots graced the plates for the side. Simple and familiar and hard to beat for a college student home for spring break.

The buns were put in a pie plate and then on top of the pot of the boiling hot dogs to steam. A skillet of chopped onion, cooked down in a little olive oil, would garnish the franks.20160304_174203

Loaded dogs and tots. Chili, onions, sweet relish, mustard. 20160304_175158

Mom’s dog had mustard, chili and look, Trina. Your sour crout!20160304_174739

Next Step Took Me To Nawlins

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

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The jewelry had been sitting in a drawer at my mother’s house for the last 18 months.  Engagement ring, wedding ring, diamond anniversary band, a right hand ring, a 21 stone tennis bracelet: I enjoyed wearing them when I was still connected to the giver, but that connection no longer exists, so I took a road trip yesterday.

At a place filled with high quality diamonds, a bride’s dream, the stones in the pieces I brought were popped out, the gold tested for weight and quality and a check was handed to me. It’s amazing how tiny a loose diamond really is outside of its setting. Puts a 30 year marriage damaged beyond repair into perspective.

The ones who were with me yesterday were concerned that I would be upset of letting go of the pieces of jewelry. Nah! As I’ve said  I loved wearing them while I was loved by their giver. That’s changed and I’m good.

Proverbs 25:4 talks about silver being refined and the dross removed so the silversmith can turn it into a worthy vessel. The jewelry was dross in my life. God is the refiner. I want to be a vessel that can be used for His glory. I let go of the last bit of the past.

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My birthday is Monday. My first grandson arrived  last Tuesday. We celebrated everything at Dragos in Meterie, Louisiana. Go! Go! Go! Beautiful meal. Great service. If you love oysters, it’s your place.  I had the Lobster Mac and Cheese appetizer, the Shrimp and Grits entre and Bread pudding for dessert.

Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.

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Brentlee Gabriel

 

 

 

Isaiah 54:5 and 6

Posted on by theexileskitchen by Amanda Ellison Anglin

I read a blog last night called God is in the Parking Spaces: A guest post by Joanne Camis Cain. She had trouble finding a parking  spot and asked God to have one open up for her and He did.

The post got me to thinking. Trials in our lives are like parking spaces. We’re often not going anywhere, during episodes of transition, thus we are parked, waiting for something to happen.

If any of you have read my earlier posts on theexileskitchen, you know that I am recently divorced. It took 18 months to go through all of the process and I have been parked.  During this time, I have had to learn to do things, handle things for the first time in my life: buying a car, preparing taxes, looking for a place to live, etc.

Being overwhelmed has often flooded my life. These were things that my exhusband had taken care of. I read a verse of Scripture about a year ago. Isaiah 54:5-6 described my situation.

‘For your Maker is your husband-

the Lord Almighty is his name-

the Holy One of Isreal is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.

The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit-

a wife who married young, only to be rejected, says your God.’

That’s me. Deserted and distressed. That’s me. Married young and was rejected. Coping with everyday life was beyond me some days.

I began to ask God to be my husband- protection, provision which should have come from the man who pledged to be my husband till death, started coming to me in mini miraculous ways. I would pray the simple prayer: “Lord, be my husband. I don’t know what to do (insert whatever situation I was coping with). You are going to have handle this for me.”

Paths were cleared. Difficult decisions were resolved. Godly men of true integrity handled some of my problems or  just simply helped me, protected me.

I praise God for working through these people and situations. His glory alone. Parked. God has been in the parking spaces. And with Him guiding me, I am ready to put it in gear and drive into my future.

(This is a homework assignment for blogging 101)