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A Voice for
Dealing with Darkness
Battling anger in the midst of tragic circumstances a reVision publication
A conversation with Laura Richcreek of Laura’s Voice
Thanksgiving: Wow ‘em with great recipes November 2015
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From the editor
rePeatedly reVised It’s the season of Thanksgiving. The leaves are starting to form in piles on the ground and sandals have been switched out for fun boots. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love the smells, colors and scents that accompany the holiday. Many anxiously await for the arrival of Santa and Christmas celebrations, but I love Thanksgiving. One of my great memories is spending time at my grandparent’s house for the Thanksgiving holiday. My grandmother, who we all called “Nanny,” would make the best food. Her kitchen would be packed with my Pictured is Christie (right) with her sisters-in-law (from left) Jennifer, Lindsay and Jennifer. mom, aunt and great aunts all working to prepare the great feast. My uncle tackled the bird and my dad suffered a few slaps on the hand while sneaking a bite here and there. My most favorite dish was my Nanny’s southern cornbread stuffing (see page 26). I loved it so much, I demanded she give me her recipe so that I could make it on my own for my family in the north! Now I spend Thanksgiving with the Browning family and we have enjoyed a whole new menu. My brother-in-law makes prime rib in place of turkey and my husband, who is an amazing cook, spoils us with homemade green bean casserole — we’re talking all from scratch!!! One thing I am really thankful for is family. And I love that being married means I have a whole new group of family members to love — especially my sisters-in-law. Among the many calories we consume, we burn off more in laughter and a rigorous game of Chicken Foot, a domino game that can get pretty ruthless. How are you choosing to spend this Thanksgiving holiday? What special foods do you look forward to most? Are you a parade watcher? Do the kiddos in your house make paper turkeys out of their handprints? Oh I almost forgot… a very special Thanksgiving song was part of my childhood traditions. My mom would sing this to me each and every year. Sung to the tune of “The More We Get Together,” the song goes: Oh gobble, gobble, gobble fat turkeys, fat turkeys Oh gobble, gobble, gobble fat turkeys are we We’re not here for living, we’re here for Thanksgiving Oh gobble, gobble, gobble fat turkeys are we
Christie Browning — Editor, Speaker, Entrepreneur, Success Coach
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Christie shares a personal and intimate look at Thanksgiving with her family.
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On the cover: Laura Richcreek is a voice-over talent and this month’s business woman feature. Photo courtesy of Laura’s Voice.
13 Your hydration questions answered
15 How to bring gratitude to your attitude
8 Fall fashion: Mix your feathers and plaid!
21 Holiday recipes & helps!
Home
Make dining a feast for the eyes courtesy of The Apron Gal (www.theaprongal.com)
We’re excited for Thanksgiving!! However, if the holiday prep leaves you stressed and somewhat overwhelmed, take some table decorating tips from The Apron Gal. “We are usually with our parents or extended family, but this time it's just us and we are staying in town,” said The Apron Gal. “Since a bunch of our friends are also in town and ‘family-less’ we are having a big ‘Friends-giving’ and I couldn't be more excited.” A friend agreed to host the dinner, but The Apron Gal agreed to tackle the decorating.
“I could decorate the tables and that would take the stress off of her for having a clean house, making the turkey AND doing the tables. She lovingly agreed to let my creative juices flow!” Here’s photos of what she put together:
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You put it together... So now it’s your turn. Time to get your own creative juices flowing to make a table masterpiece. Here’s some helpful tips from The Apron Gal: Show off the table “Since I have a beautiful wood table I inherited from my grandmother, I prefer for more formal gatherings (with adults) to not use a tablecloth. It lets the beautiful wood show through and I trust adults to not drag things across the table and damage it.” Easy cleanup “For my Thanksgiving crew, we will be using paper goods. It will make for easier cleanup, and since I'm not hosting at my own home, I wouldn't want to drag all my dishes over anyways! You could also use just plain colored paper plates. Definitely plan for larger plates since it's such a big meal and for a separate dessert plate.” Varied decor “Using different colors, textures and styles on your table makes it so much more pleasing to the eye! I love using fresh gourds because they are inexpensive and add fun colors and textures. Look for those at the pumpkin patch.”
Get creative
“Use items in different ways! Side dishes that aren’t part of a set can be used for candles for a more elegant affair. You could also do the same thing with real pumpkins if you are dedicated enough to hollow them out! The possibilities are endless!”
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Ad pricing start as low as $25 and include both our print publication and free-to-read online magazine! Email christiebrowning@outlook.com for more information.
Fashion
Flannel & Fur By Kennedy Slavicek Fall fashion is all about the two “f’s” — flannels and fur. The casual look of the flannel combined with the fun look of the fur vest is what makes this outfit perfect for any occasion. From walking to class to running errands during the day to a family Thanksgiving in the evening, this outfit works! Of course, no outfit is complete without a pair of riding boots. You can find all different colors, shapes and styles at various prices. Buy these staple pieces and you’ll have multiple outfits for the chilly fall months! Kennedy Slavicek is reVision magazine’s fashion contributor. You can learn more about Kennedy by visiting her at her online clothing store, kennedynoellescloset.com and her blog, kennedynoelle.com .
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Feature
A Voice for
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By Christie Browning
a magnetic energy that leaves you smiling. Spending time with her, your inner child will be prompted to emerge. Her voice drips with warm invitation that makes you feel as if she’s a long-time friend. That quality is what makes Laura so good at her job as a voice-over talent in her own business, Laura’s Voice (www.laurasvoice.com). ollow Laura Richcreek on Facebook and you will be prompted for a little gratitude each Monday. Laura’s Gratitude Monday posts are designed to make her followers start the work week with a positive nudge. “It started with wanting regular postings on my business page,” Laura says. “I thought something positive would be a good place to start.” Laura intended the postings to be positive for her online crowd, but found the exercise had an effect on her as well. “It has helped me more than I thought it would! There are Monday mornings that have been pretty difficult to face. When I make myself come up with something to mention for Gratitude Monday, I discover there is always something for which I am grateful. Since I started this, my Facebook friends have mentioned looking forward to it and responding to it. They’ve even said when they hear the word ‘gratitude,’ they automatically think "Gratitude Monday.’ Pretty cool!” Laura is a free spirit. She’s a creative woman who has
“Most of my work is in audio books. I connect with authors and publishers to bring books to life,” Laura shares. “I've done short stories, novels and nonfiction. Another small part of my work is in the commercial and video production realm. I just finished up a project with Your Company Resource out of Fort Wayne, narrating a series of training videos for truck drivers.” As a little girl, Laura performed in her church’s choir and was involved in the Thespian Club in high school and in college. Another aspect that contributed to her voice-over work was her love for reading. “I was an avid reader, thanks to my parents, and when audio books became available at the library, I was hooked! Since I'd always enjoyed reading aloud with my parents and also acting, voice-over was a natural projection of those pastimes.” When commercial photographer John Burkett, of RedTide Productions, saw Laura’s big, black dog Atticus, he wanted the canine for a commercial.
“After filming, I mentioned if he ever needed a voice over, I'd love to give it a shot,” recalls Laura. “It wasn't too much later that he started using my voice in a number of commercials he
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was working on! At the time, Laura was working for Habitat for Humanity of Whitley County, but was laid off when her program area was coming to a close. She thought the transition into voice-over acting was kismet. “It seemed like a perfect time to pursue voice over acting as a business!” Now Laura works mostly from her home studio with Atticus nearby as well as a few other four-legged family members. She is also a mom to two children. Laura describes family-work balance as “someone trying to stand in a hammock.” “There was a time I wasn't sure I wanted children, but my then-husband said he did, so I figured I ought to change my mind,” Laura says. “I felt strongly that if I were to have children, I really wanted to be a stay-athome mom.” Even after going through a divorce, Laura still believed her children needed her to be home as much as possible. “I was very thankful for the great job I had at Habitat and my boss worked with me to be able to work during school hours. The voice over opportunity lends itself to working from my home office and studio.” Laura now sets up her schedule around her kids’ school hours and ends the work day just in time for them to walk in the door, book bags in hand.
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“When the kids get off the bus, I can visit with them, hang out, do chores together, or whatever we feel like doing! At times, I need to work through that time to complete a project, but I just let the kids know and they work with me on that. I also use the time they are with their dad to focus on work to be able to take that time off with them when they are home.
So back to this attitude of gratitude Laura feels inspired to promote. She says the concept is fueled by her children.
“ I see it in my daughter. Upon waking, she's usually quick to smile or even laugh, even if she's sleepy. My son is more serious, but I think humor goes along with gratitude and that kid knows how to tickle my funny bone,” Laura laughs.
for the joy of
Laura is pictured with her two kids, Bennett and Evelyn.
“And when it comes to making it all work… I also pray. A LOT.”
In addition to Laura’s time spent on running her own business and being a mother, she is also very active in her community. “My community is very important to me. We have a wonderful town that has so much potential. I want to be a part of making it spectacular!” Attending a small church means Laura chips in when needed to keep all systems go.
“There is so much negativity in the world, and I really hope my kids will learn to find the positive things in life — sunrise, a fresh breeze, a sparrow that is so close you could almost touch it, the smell of tomatoes fresh from the garden, your favorite song coming on the radio so you turn it up and dance in the driveway!” Get to know Laura by visiting Laura’s Voice online at www.laurasvoice.com.
“Maybe I've just grown up with that idea--where help is needed, pitch in. I am currently trying to cut back on some of the things I'm doing, not to take it easy, but instead to focus more on being available for my children and to increase the success of my business.” Of all the adjectives used to describe Laura, “normal” isn’t one of them. She’s the mother who taps into imagination sometimes more than her kids. For example, when she hosted a holiday open house, Laura opted for flames on her TV screen generated from a Call of Duty video game rather than your typical yuletide log scene.
“ I don't think I've ever wanted to be normal. I also resent being told I have to do something because it's what is done...or because I'm a woman ...or because I am this type of person or that type of person... or have these limitations or these skills and am good at it,” Laura says with confidence. “I start with what's important to me--what my values and principles are--and decide my plan of action. It may take me longer to get places, but if my gut tells me I'm heading in the right direction, I keep heading that way.”
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Health
By Kim Waggoner Your body consists of 60-to-70 percent water. Your body depends on it to maintain life. It helps your organs function properly, flushes toxins and waste, and keeps skin looking you and healthy. Water helps regulate your body temperature, and it is an essential part of a healthy life.
How do you lose water? Your body will lose its hydration with normal functions. Breathing, sweating and using the bathroom cause you to lose water. However there are situations where your body loses its hydration more than normal. Excessive hot temperatures, exercising, and illness can cause you to become dehydrated quicker. Some medications used for chronic health conditions, such as high blood pressure, can also cause you to lose more fluids faster.
Are you dehydrated? Dehydration can be considered mild to severe. It depends on the signs you exhibit. If you are mildly dehydrated you will experience things such as headaches, thirst, muscle cramps, dry mouth and noticing your urine is a darker color. More severe cases of dehydration can include dizziness, very little urine output, confusion or irritability, and rapid breathing or heartbeat.
What can you do to maintain normal levels of hydration? You first need to be aware of how quickly dehydration can occur. With as little as a one-to-two percent decrease in hydration, you can feel the effects of dehydration. Daily living requires you to be well hydrated. Make it a habit to drink at least half your weight in ounces of water. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, you would drink 75 ounces of water a day. You will want to drink clean, filtered water. To cut costs, consider getting a water pitcher that filters contaminants such as lead, pesticides and other chemicals. You can also consume some of your water through foods. Grapes, watermelon, cucumber, celery, berries, oranges and apples all have a high level of water content. Eating these foods daily can make the water needed to satisfy your body a bit easier to swallow.
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Plan ahead If you know you will be working out in the garden, playing at the beach or exercising, pack water and waterrich foods. Be proactive in hydrating yourself before your workout or time outdoors in the sun. Since high temperatures and strenuous activity can cause you to lose water quicker, add extra water to your daily drinking ounces to replenish what you are losing. If you don’t like the taste of water, be creative. Add a lime, lemon, berries or mint leaves to flavor your water and make drinking it more enjoyable. You can even treat yourself by pouring your water into a fancy glass for a spa-like experience. Whatever it is, do what it takes to get that water down! If you experience signs of mild dehydration, take action. Stop what you’re doing, rest and rehydrate immediately. Many people choose sport drinks to rehydrate, but some can do more harm than good. When choosing a sport drink, there are a few things to consider:
Look for drinks without artificial coloring, sugars, or preservatives.
Choose drinks that have three sources of carbohydrates and that equal 20-28 grams
Choose fructose instead of sucrose
Find a drink that provides several electrolyte replacements
Avoid sodas or highly caffeinated beverages
If you or a loved one experiences more severe signs of dehydration, seek immediate medical attention. Don’t try to manage it on your own. Remember, hydration is a life-source for your body. Be hydrated, be healthy!
Kim Waggoner is a nurse, mom, health and wellness coach and Shaklee representative. Follow Kim online at www.kimwaggoner.com
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Faith
Thoughts on Thanksgiving with Toni Ryan By Toni Ryan Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. It’s a day of celebrating how thankful I am for those I love and the love so freely given back. Most of us are thankful for many things on a daily basis, but this one, very special day, we have an opportunity as a nation to all give thanks in unison. Just think, on this one day, millions of people gather together to intentionally show gratitude for blessings and love. I realize for many, this is a day of simply gorging on turkey with all the trimmings and watching football. I like that part too! Go Broncos! But what about the thankful part of Thanksgiving? When I was a child, I did not know to thank God for my blessings. I hadn't been taught it was God the pilgrims were thanking for the feast before them. In my young mind it was simply a day of food, football and two extra days away from School; all of which I was very thankful for. When I became a Christian and learned that all good things are from God, Thanksgiving Day became more
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about focusing on gratitude for my blessings and making sure those I love know just how much they mean to me. Sharing the day with other grateful hearts makes the day all the more special. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His loving kindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the God of gods, for His loving kindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His loving kindness is everlasting. To Him who alone does great wonders, For His loving kindness is everlasting. Psalm 136:1-4 I am fully aware some of you reading these words may be in a season where you don't feel you have much to be thankful for. You may feel you'd rather opt out of the festivities and order a pizza to eat all by yourself. I, like you, have had my share of disappointments and tragedy. Times when life just doesn’t seem fair and times when I’d just as soon opt out of life and crawl in a hole than celebrate anything with anyone. We've all been there. It's okay. But lonely pizza eating should only be a short term comfort, not a permanent life strategy.
So how do we opt back in? What gets me out of my lonely pizza eating is in knowing the opt out period is only temporary as is the situation. Unfortunately, life is filled with ups and downs where we feel we have no control or say so in the outcome. I’m a fan of the ups, not so much of the downs. Unfortunately we seem to learn more from the downs than we do from the ups. Sigh... If you are in a “hide away hole” of sorts right now and would rather eat pizza all by yourself instead of feasting with others, may I encourage you to take a peak outside of your hole? I promise, you will only hurt yourself and those who love you by avoiding a day of food, family and fun.
Tell God Once you take a peak outside your hole, the first and best thing to do is tell God. Tell Him about your troubles. Tell Him you have absolutely no enthusiasm for celebrating anything with anyone. Ask Him for a solution. He'll listen! He always does! Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me. Psalm 86:6-7
Tell a trusted friend Sometimes we just need to pour our hearts out to someone we trust. Someone we know will listen and understand. Someone who is brave enough to tell us to get over our pity party if that's what it turns out to be. Someone who will pray with and for us; asking for wisdom in how to handle the situation. After all, you'd do the same for that person too right!?
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1 Before you get upset with me and stop reading, please give me just a moment more of your time. I ask you simply this; what do you have to be thankful for? Nothing you say? I don’t believe you. We all have many things to be thankful for even in the midst of despair.
Make a gratitude list Make a list, yes a list. Whom do you love? Who loves you? Do you have a warm bed to sleep in? Do you have food to eat? Do you have a roof over your head? You get the point. We all have something to be grateful for even if we can’t see beyond our sadness because of difficult circumstances. Ask God and your friend to remind you of your blessings. Now start your gratitude list. I promise it will make you feel better. As your list grows, so will your joy. Gratitude is one of the strongest medicines for curing
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an aching heart. Please try it. And anytime you are feeling down, go back and re-read your list. Add to it from time to time. It’s amazing how it helps! "He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has." Epictetus If you are living in peace and harmony right now, I thank God with you for a peaceful time. Please share this with those you know that may need some encouragement. If you are struggling just to hang on one more day, I pray this becomes a bright spot in a dismal day. Hang on to the promises of God. He will never leave you or forsake you. Father God, I thank You so very much for the blessings in my life. I pray each day I am not falling short in showing just how thankful I am for Your constant love and direction. I pray for those reading this who may be experiencing tragedy or difficulty in their lives. Please give them peace and comfort as You lead them through and see them safe to the other side of the storm. Please help them recall goodness and blessings the enemy of this world would rather they forget. Please bless our service men and women and keep them safe from harm. I love You more than words can say.
In the matchless name of Jesus, our Lord, Savior and Friend, Amen. May the Lord of all creation bless you and yours abundantly today and always. Happy Thanksgiving! Toni Ryan is a mom, a Christian, and business woman with a heart to write and speak about the love of God. Insurance agent by day,
speaker and writer by night, Toni has a deep connection to her faith and shares her writing online at In His Embrace (www.inhisembrace.com)
When darkness
Faith
consumes faith By Christie Browning We all know someone who has gone through a tragedy. Someone who banked on their faith and their God even when life ripped them to shreds. I have watched these strong believers in my church, in my family and around me in various capacities with awe — applauding their steadfast spirit to hang onto what they believed in.
duties as a wife and a business woman. Between keeping the house, I also was left to manage all the finances. The nature of my relationship was not healthy and I walked on eggshells hoping to fix any problems, big or small, that might upset my husband. The pressure was great, and with great pressure the mind gets clouded with fear, and decisions are easily discolored.
Growing up watching these spiritual pillars, I envisioned I would respond much the same. However, when life smacked me, I fought … and screamed… and threw a fit … and blamed God.
Fear was the pure motivator when it came to making dollars stretch. Fear led me to justify using the “rob Peter to pay Paul” method and I soon found myself in financial trouble.
If you know the Bible or remember stories from church services and classes, you probably know of Job. A servant of God, he had a deep connection with his faith. When put to the test, Job went through just about every emotion you can imagine. Who would blame him? He had lost everyone he loved, all that he owned and even his health. In the end, Job’s faith wins out and he is strong in his beliefs.
Consequences meant I was slapped with criminal charges and sentenced to time in prison. Prison! For a girl who never experimented with drugs or alcohol and grew up singing in the church choir, this was a shock.
But I am not Job.
Three weeks I stewed as my heart spewed hateful conversation to God. I shook my finger and stomped my foot. Tears full of bitterness would sting my cheeks and my chest was heavy with anger.
Several years ago, I was working hard to build a life I thought was meant for me. I was married and worked from home in order to perfectly balance my
Needless to say I felt as if I had lost everything. My pride, my dignity, my identity even — it was all gone or at the very least tarnished in the worst way.
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I knew scripture. I could recite numerous passages and sing several hymns, but I wasn’t Job. I wasn’t interested in finding God’s hand in this. I was consumed with blaming God for it all. After almost two months, I gave up the hate. I was exhausted and emotionally worn down. Being incarcerated was hard enough without also fighting a spiritual battle at the same time. The shift happened during a weekend church service hosted by a local congregation that came to visit the women in prison.
I stood in a dirty gym, dark and damp while the pastor went on about his sermon. I don’t remember what he spoke on, but I remember when he ended, he asked for anyone who wanted to be prayed for to come forward. A mass of women inmates made their way to the front. I chose a different route. As much as I would have appreciated the pastor’s prayers, I knew God didn’t need him to get to me. I felt my heart melting right there in my seat. I took a step into the isle and made my way to the side of the gym. There I knelt with my face smashed into the dirty floor and cried tears of surrender. I physically shook with sobs of hurt and pain and anger, all of which spilled out and flooded the floor beneath me. I don’t know for sure how long I knelt there. But when I stood up, I felt like I could fly. I was completely different, restored, redeemed and forgiven. In that moment, the darkness in my heart once fueled by bitterness and anger was swept away in a faith-filled conversation that allowed God to bring
His light to my tragedy. It was then that I began to let God revise what my prison stay would mean. No longer would it mean punishment. From then, it meant God was working on me to do something bigger than myself. It meant that my steps, although encaged within the walls of a prison, were free to live out His purpose even then. Darkness only has power until the light comes in. Walk into a lit room with a flashlight and the effect is minimal. Step into the darkest place imaginable and shine a light. The illumination is transformational. Sometimes the darkness has to be there in order for us to recognize the power of the light…. God’s light. What sort of darkness is consuming you? What circumstance or tragedy is filling you with dark emotions, hopeless thoughts and overwhelming dread? There is a chance for a light to be turned on. It is bigger and brighter than you could ever expect. It only comes from God. He is the one with the power. Take a step to unload, pour out and dump on Him the darkness eating at your soul. Let it out. Shout it, scream it, write it, cry it all out and let Him fill you with His light and His love.
Christie Browning is an inspirational speaker and writer. In addition, Christie works with women to overcome boundaries and setbacks to live a more abundant and fulfilling life both professionally and personally. Follow her blog at www.revisionforwomen.com.
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How about a speaker that encourages, empower and inspires your audience to become a better version of themselves? What if conferences were interactive, impactful and applicable? Christie Browning is something different. Engaging and compelling she speaks to women armed with a variety of topics for spiritual growth, personal development, and professional betterment. Visit www.revisionforwomen.com to learn more!!!
Holiday Feature
Does your
Baking Measure Up? By Rae Bates Baking season has begun!! While measuring ingredients for cooking is important, it’s critical when you’re baking. A delicate chemical balance is in play when cakes and breads rise and cookies become chewy or crunchy. It’s important to use the right measuring tools and use them correctly.
Tools There are three basic measuring tools—liquid cups, dry cups, and spoons. While, to a certain extent, a cup is a cup, these tools are not interchangeable. Liquid measuring cups have a spout for pouring and a bit of space above the top measurement. Use these for liquids only. Never use them for dry ingredients like flour and sugar. For flour, sugar, and other dry ingredients use dry (or standard) measuring cups. Spoons can be used for both. Creamy ingredients such as mayonnaise, sour cream, and such should be measured in dry measuring cups. Gooey things like honey and molasses can be measured in either.
How to measure When you’re using a liquid measuring cup you should bend down to eye level with the marking you want to use. Fill the cup to that line. If you’re using a read-from-above liquid measuring cup, you can skip bending down. When you’re using a dry measuring cup there are two basic methods—scoop and sweep vs fill and sweep. For the scoop and sweep method you dip your cup into whatever you’re measuring, then sweep the extra off
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the top with a straight-edged knife, spreader, or spatula. (I use a chopstick. I keep one in my flour container and another within easy reach on my counter.) For the fill and sweep method you use a spoon to dump the ingredient into the cup, then sweep the extra off the top. Both methods work well. If you’re using an established cookbook such as “The Joy of Cooking” or “The Fannie Farmer Cookbook” you will often find information in the front telling you which method they suggest. Measuring spoons are pretty simple. The important thing to remember is that you need to sweep the excess off the top when you’re measuring dry ingredients.
The Exceptions Of course, every set of rules has exceptions. Brown sugar is one. To measure brown sugar you need to press it firmly into the measuring cup. Another exception is when the instructions call for a heaping measure (e.g. 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon). In that case you don’t sweep the excess off the top. If you’d like to know more tips and information on how to make your baking more successful, visit Rae Bates online at http://www.pamperedchef.biz/rae or on Facebook at http:// www.facebook.com/CookWithRae for regular hints, tips, and fun stuff.
Donut holes, donut holes for everyone! All this shouting is necessary. When there’s apple cider in donut holes, it’s guaranteed to shout! And we’re shouting with joy because no hot oil baths were necessary in the making of these apple cider donut holes! That deserves a double donut thumbs up. Or you could simply say they were baked. But that’s totally not as fun to say. Or as dramatic. These pillowy, cute little munchkins are almost good for you (mainly because they’re not fried) but they also can be made with coconut oil instead of butter, have apple sauce and apple cider for a pow-pow apple flavor and the best part, rolled around in cinnamon sugar goodness! Check out all the steps to make this treat for you and yours!!!
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These donut holes are ridiculously easy to make and the batter is mixed together by hand in a matter of minutes! That’s right, no mixer required. Once you’ve mixed the donut batter together just pour it into a mini muffin pan. These donut holes are most definitely the perfect way to start a lazy Saturday morning. They’re fall perfect and pair wonderfully with a steaming cup o’joe and belong with a good book. Pajamas are absolutely mandatory and consuming a whole plate is totally acceptable.
Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 10 minsServes: 40 donut holes or 16 donuts
Delicious donut holes that are loaded with the flavors of apple cider and rolled around in cinnamon sugar. Use this recipe to make donut holes or donuts, either way, they’re super moist and soft. They’re baked not fried which makes them totally waistline friendly! Ingredients: For the baked apple cider donut hole:
For the cinnamon sugar coating:
2 cups apple cider
3 tbsp butter, melted
2 whole cloves
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
2 tbsp salted butter, melted
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp apple sauce, naturally sweetened—no sugar added
1 tsp vanilla extract
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Instructions: For the backed apple cider donut holes: 1. Start by simmering the apple cider with the 2 cloves in a small saucepan over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until the apple cider reduces down to 1/2 cup. Remove the cloves from the concentrate and pour the apple cider into a container and refrigerate while you prepare the donut batter. 2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a mini muffin pan, a super mini muffin pan or donut pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. 3. In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the egg, melted butter and brown sugar, whisk until smooth. Then, add in the apple sauce, vanilla, buttermilk, and the apple cider concentrate. 4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. It’s OK if a few small lumps remain.
5. Pour the batter by the teaspoon into the prepared muffin pans about three-quarters of the way full. Make sure to not overfill. Bake the donut holes for 9 to 11 minutes. Super mini donut holes take between 8 and 11 minutes. If making donuts, bake for 9 to 12 minutes.
For the cinnamon coating: 1. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon together. Dip the tops of each donut hole into the melted butter then coat with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat with all the donut holes. Depending on how long you dip the donuts not the batter, you may need more butter and more cinnamon sugar. Donuts taste best the same day, but can be stored up to two days if tightly wrapped and kept at room temperature.
Call it a recipe, but it ‘ain’t fit to eat’ by Christie Browning (Workman) Holiday traditions aren’t complete without our favorite foods and desserts. For the Workman household, my family and I enjoyed eating several holiday foods that my “Nanny” made. Nanny is my dad’s mother. She is a unique lady and I guarantee there’s not another grandmother like her. In addition to her yummy delicacies, she always made us laugh, sang great songs, told entertaining stories and wrote short stories that always pointed the reader to God. Even now at almost 93 years of age, she still finds inspiration and joy in God’s creation. But at Thanksgiving there was one item I looked forward to consuming all year long...Nanny’s cornbread dressing. I don’t know what it is about this Louise Workman is Christie’s grand- dish, but I am sure I could eat my entire body weight in dressing. It is that mother and pictured with her dog, good! In fact, I was caught many times sneaking cold bites of dressing out Buddy. of the leftovers the next morning instead of eating a proper breakfast. When I moved to Indiana, I quickly learned that southern-made cornbread dressing wasn’t duplicated in Indiana… at least not to my liking. So I wrote my Nanny and asked her if she could send me the recipe for her dressing. Now, two things you should know about Nanny. First, she didn’t use much of a recipe. She just used her cook’s intuition and taste buds. Secondly, no matter how mouthwatering her food was, she would always declare in a booming voice, “it’s ready, but it ain’t fit to eat!” The “ain’t fit to eat” disclosure became a Workman joke and now all of us use it on a regular basis. When I received Nanny’s recipe in the mail, she also sent me a few others, including her recipe for fried potatoes. Here’s the caveat she included: “I am honored that you would ask me for recipes, but you already know I don’t have recipes. I just do it. On the fried potatoes, no one could equal Lou’s (short for Louise, my Nanny’s given name) fried potatoes. I was famous for them, but to tell someone just how to do it is pretty impossible. No
Christie pictured with her Nanny on the night of her high school graduation in 1995.
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one but me had a tatter boiler in the fridge (spelled ‘frig’ in her letter) ready to go at all times. I am very serious — this is true. Happy cooking. I don’t want to hear the outcome. I love you, Nanny.” As I share this with you, I am typing this verbatim from the letter she sent me. I’ve kept it all these years. She typed it on an old upright, black metal typewriter that weighed a 100 pounds if it weighed 10. The ink is fading, but the memories sure aren’t. Considering Thanksgiving is approaching, I’d like to share her cornbread dressing recipe with you… but know, it won’t be fit to eat! As explained by my Nanny, Ila Louise Workman, here’s how to make Chicken and Dressing, otherwise known as cornbread dressing: Make cornbread a day or so ahead of serving time — Boil a hen to get the broth. Use lots of water and season with salt and pepper, and if you have some celery, drop a few sprigs in the water you are cooking the chicken in. When tender, let cool. Drain broth off of chicken and set aside. You can do this ahead of time also, but be sure you refrigerate everything.
Louise is pictured with her son Randy, Christie’s father, earlier this spring.
Now — gosh — this is gonna be something —
On day of wanting to serve — Crumble the cornbread along with a few slices of stale bread or I use a bag of the dressing croutons — ‘cause bread ain’t fit to eat anymore — it’s gummy. To the crumbled cornbread, etc., add 1 cup of chopped green onions and 1 cup of chopped celery or more — I like a lot of celery. Many people like different seasonings, like poultry seasoning and sage, but I prefer just salt and pepper. Pour hot broth over this and stir. You can judge how much broth. You want it to be a little thicker than cornbread batter. Set aside for an hour or so to let the flavors blend together, then pour into greased pan and bake as you would biscuits. You can add the deboned chicken on top of the dressing or mix it in, but our preference was to leave it separated and heat the chicken with a little butter spread over it. Hint: You can buy frozen dressing or dressing in a box, but my family likes the kind I make and won’t eat the other kind! Do you best to train your family better, as this is anyone’s guess how all this will turn out. Here’s wishing you and your family a most blessed Thanksgiving! May your dressing be fit to eat!
Contributors Kennedy Slavicek
Kim Waggoner
Kennedy Slavicek is reVision magazine’s fashion contributor. You can learn more about Kennedy by visiting her at her online clothing store, kennedynoellescloset.com a nd her blog, kennedynoelle.com.
Kim Waggoner is a nurse, mom, health and wellness coach and Shaklee representative. Follow Kim online at www.kimwaggoner.com
Toni Ryan Toni Ryan is business woman with a heart to write and speak about the love of God. Insurance agent by day, speaker and writer by night, Toni has a deep connection to her faith and shares her writing online at In His Embrace (www.inhisembrace.com)
Rae Bates
Christie Browning
Visit Rae Bates online at www.pamperedchef.biz/rae or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ CookWithRae for regular hints, tips, and fun stuff.
Christie Browning is an inspirational speaker and writer. In addition, Christie works with women to overcome boundaries and setbacks to live a more abundant and fulfilling life both professionally and personally. Follow her blog at www.revisionforwomen.com.
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