Pinto Bean and Ham Soup. The right way!

Pinto bean and ham soup done "the right way!" is probably one of my all-time favorite soups. Nothing can be more frustrating after Christmas than being left with an enormous amount of ham leftovers and nothing to do with them. 

This is where Pinto and ham soup comes in! All the ingredients are easy to find at your local grocery store and most times you already have them in your cupboards and fridge. 

I will also show you a couple other ways I like to use my leftover ham! So let's get started! 

To make this recipe I used Kroger Brand Pinto Beans. The package looks like the picture below. 

Empty and rinse beans in a colander. Make sure to remove any floating or weird misformed beans. They are no good. 

Transfer beans to a large bowl with a lid. Add enough water to generously cover beans, they will soak up most of this water overnight. 

Let beans sit overnight covered or about 6-8 hours.  The next morning, I rinse the beans again and sort them. I'm looking for any beans that float or look deformed. I discard all beans that are wrong and set the rest aside. 

For a quick soak, method brings 8 cups of water to a boil. Empty 1lb or 2 cups clean rinsed beans into the pot and let boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand one hour. 

Ingredients you'll need:

1 package of 1lb Pinto Beans 

Half an Onion

3 Cloves of Garlic

1 1/2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes

12 Cups of Water

Directions:

After your beans have soaked with whatever method you prefer, I set those aside. 

I take a large cooking pot with a lid. Fill it with 12 cups of water and get that starting to warm on the stove over medium-high heat. 

Next, I added my chicken bouillon. I used one full cube and a half of another. This is how I make homemade chicken broth. It works really great for me but can leave your dishes a tad bit salty, so be careful to avoid adding more salt than what is needed. 

After the bouillon has had a chance to warm in the water and begin to break up, I'll start cutting my onion and garlic. Using three cloves and chopped finely, add that to the water. Cut up half an onion and add as well. 

Finely chop garlic and add to water. 

Once the garlic, onion, and bouillon have had a chance to warm I'll start cutting up my leftover ham. 

I used quite a bit of ham but I like to have the correct bean to ham ratio. This is important in making the perfect Pinto Bean and Ham soup! 

Now, what makes this soup the "right way" and others not so much? Well, for me I don't like anything added. Sure carrots, maybe a few potatoes would be good but I just don't prefer it that way. Yes, I'm well aware that Campbell's soup has tiny slivers of carrots. Which is fine. However, when making my own soup I just prefer some things done the right way. Ha ha ha!! I'm sorry, I can't help it! 

Ham was cut into small bite size pieces and adding to the boiling water. After all, ingredients have been added. I'll add a few shakes of pepper, turn down the heat to medium. Cover with a lid slightly, letting one end have a slight opening. Cook for 2 hours or until beans is tender. 

Good bean and ham ratio!! 

Want another fun idea for leftover ham?

I have a couple you should try! Serve with your favorite Corelle dinner setting, I get all my table setting from here! 

Homemade Pizza with ham and Jalapenos!

Homemade pizza is super easy to make and can be better than most delivery joints you order from now. Plus it is fun to add your own toppings and spices. Oregano is a must when making a pizza at home. Top with 2 tsp of Oregano finely ground all over the pizza. This really brings out the Italian taste! 

Breakfast Ham with Silver Dollar Pancakes! 

Take thin slices of ham, and brown over medium heat. Remove. 

Make silver dollar pancakes, serve ham wrapped around pancakes. Top with whipped butter and yummy syrup! 

Check back often for family friendly recipes and yummy desserts! 

Take Care,

Jenny 

Marshmallow Snow Buddies With Homemade Hot Chocolate!

Hot Chocolate is always a part of the winter season. Nothing is better than a warm, steamy cup of hot cocoa! Except maybe these cute little snowman buddies I found on Pinterest! 

They are an easy fun craft for you and the kids! I've also included below an amazing recipe for homemade hot chocolate. 

Marshmallow Snow Buddies

Hot Cocoa Snowman:

3 large marshmallows
4 pretzel sticks
Candy corn nose
Chocolate frosting for face and buttons.

• Take your marshmallows and gently add pretzel sticks. Set aside. 
• Add candy corn to face. 
• Draw buttons and face with melted chocolate.
• Make hot chocolate, recipe below. 
• Add your bottom body, middle, and head. Gently. The pretzels help to keep it from rolling over. 

Serve and Enjoy!

Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe

Ingredients:

Makes 4 servings

3 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder

3 Cups Whole Milk

6 oz semisweet chocolate chips, finely chopped.

3 Tbsp. granulated sugar

Whip Cream for serving, optional. 

Directions:

• Bring 3/4 cup water to a medium simmer in a medium saucepan. Using a whisk to mix in 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder. Making sure no lumps are remaining. 
• Add milk and return to a low simmer. 
• Whisk in finely chopped chocolate and sugar. 
• Cook over medium-high heat whisking frequently. The milk will burn if left for too long. 
• Stirring for about 5 minutes or until chocolate is melted and the mixture is creamy. 
• Divide mix among 4 servings in mugs.
• Add Whip cream to top or a friendly marshmallow buddy! 

• 
  

Happy New Year's from my family to yours! 

Must See Sugar Cookie Recipe!!

"This is a must see sugar cookie recipe!!" 

I have finally stumbled upon the ultimate sugar cookie recipe. Well, unless you are one of those big batch bakers!! However, if you are like me and every year you absolutely dread making them. Like I'd rather chew my own arm off then spend hours in the kitchen cutting, and baking, and frosting all those cookies. Especially if you made the mistake and doubled or even tripled the recipe. 

Ha, Ha!! Not this year! I found the holy grail of sugar cookie recipes, to me at least. And before I continue I do have a confession to make...."I did it, I tripled this recipe when I made it! I know, I know!!"  

How could I, right? After just talking smack about all those crazy bakers! And in my defense, I'd say to you that once you see how small this recipe really is, you'll understand why I broke the code. 

So this recipe for sugar cookies makes only...are you ready for this? SIX. Yes, you read that correctly, just six little ole cookies. My heart danced, my spirit sang when I first saw this glorious recipe!! You mean I won't be in the kitchen all night, til early morning baking and frosting?? Oh, life is so grand! 

Now you can understand why I tripled the recipe. Having kids in the house and trying to get by with making just six cookies? Ha! You'd be asking for trouble there!! So I was smart and made about 18 instead. 

The best part is that only takes two oven rounds and about a half hour in frosting them. BOOM! I no longer dread making these lovely cookies I enjoy so much. 

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes.
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk, from a large egg. 
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder

Frosting:

• 3 Tbsp cold salted butter, cut into cubes. 
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 tsp milk
• assorted sprinkles (your choice)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Measure and cut butter into cubes. Add sugar, egg, and vanilla. 
3. Mix together with a hand mixer or kitchen mixer until smooth. 
4. In a small bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. 
5. Using a mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the wet. 
6. Stir together until it starts to form a ball of dough. 
7. Remove from bowl, divide dough into six equal pieces, roll into balls, flatten slightly with your palm and place on cookie sheet. 
8. Another method is to roll the dough out as normal and use cookie cutters to cut out the shapes you desire. That is what I choose to do. I like to have fun trees and snowmen. 
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and cool before frosting or it will melt off. 

Frosting:

1. Combine butter, cut into cubes. Powered sugar, and vanilla extract together with milk in a small mixing bowl. 
2. Mix together until smooth. The butter will come together as you mix the frosting. Just be patient! 
3. Frost cookie and enjoy!! 

Is it a sin, to talk about sin?

"Is it a sin, to talk about sin?"

The question everyone avoids and one nobody wants to answer. Many people don't like to talk about sin. Either they feel bad, or they wear it on their sleeve as if to say "I'm proud of who I am." We don't want to think of ourselves as sinners. Right? We are good people. And what is a good person to you? Maybe someone who is moral, someone who does the right thing? Maybe you believe that sin, really is just a mistakes people can make? 

Today, I'd like to discuss the issues of sin. What is it exactly and where it came from. So sit back, grab some popcorn because I'm going to tell you a story. A story that happened long, long ago before Christ ever came to this Earth. 

Who is Lucifer, really? 

Now, imagine if you will, a Kingdom. A Kingdom so great with mighty angels that number in the tens of thousands. Angles so devoted to their Holy God, that they worshiped and sang to Him day and night. 

They were created by Him and they loved serving Him. All but one! This beautiful angel was in charge of many angels and worship itself. Sitting among the top angels God had made, but they too had some free will.  Not satisfied and feeling as though he should be receiving some of this worship himself, he defected. While convincing a third of the angels to agree with him. A great war broke out in heaven. 

Satan Thrown Out of Heaven

7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them[a] in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

Revelation 12:7-9 describes this war. After losing horribly, Lucifer is cast out of heaven with 1/3 of the angels that chose to go against God, go with him. Verse 12 says that the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time. 

Now, he roams the Earth like a lion seeking those he can destroy. He sits near the throne of God, accusing us day and night. He has made it his life's mission to turn as many followers away from God as he can. 

You may be thinking to yourself, "Ah, yeah and you believe that?" 

My simple answer to you is absolute, I do. I believe it because it is the truth from God. I believe it because He has opened my eyes to the truth. You don't just believe stories like this, they have to be revealed to you. So, let's pause and pray. 

"Lord, I come to you today and ask that you reveal your truth. That you open their eyes to see and their ears to hear what the spirit is saying to them. Reveal yourself to them, and call them. Lord, I ask that you help me write this in a way that is pleasing to you. In Jesus Name Amen."

It is imperative that you pray and ask that God helps you to see the truth. As we just went over Lucifer aka the Devil is not a happy camper about being thrown out of Heaven. He wants revenge, and he plans on doing it with your soul. Every person he can get to go against God is a score for him. My goal in writing this is to get you to understand sin for what it truly is. It is going against God, it is lead by Satan, and it is done so to steal your eternal life in Heaven with God. 

This is serious stuff!! We are talking about someone coming and trying to take your last piece of cake or your favorite pair of shoes. This is your soul!! You know? That thing that lives inside you, that never dies?!! 

I hate to break the news to you if this all comes as a shock, but it is true. We don't just live here on Earth and then die. And we certainly don't have past lives or other lives to lead after this one. God has granted you one life on this Earth, with an eternal soul that lives forever and ever. So the decisions we make here count. Not only do they count, but you have an invisible army that is fighting you daily. 

Back to my first initial question, is it a sin to talk about sin? 

No, and I'll tell you why. In my opinion, we don't talk about it enough. We should be thinking about it every day, confronting it, and choosing differently. Not to better ourselves or to make us appear as "Good People", but to please God. 

To solidify my convictions to you, I'll go through a few examples. 

How does Satan operate?  

Early, I told you who Lucifer was, how he began, and who he became. Now, I'd like to talk about some of his clever skills he uses to deceive you and me. 

There is No GOD! 

By far this is one of his favorites and has proven over the years to be very effective. All he has to do if convince you that there in no God, and you can live as you please. No harm, no foul! 

From the Big Bang Theory, Evolution, the numerous different religions. He has been a busy dude. It seems a new crazy though gets introduced every other day. Or the old ones really raise their ugly heads with new profound power. 

Nevertheless, there he is, day and night working hard to trick, deceive, manipulate, and convince you that. "You are living just fine. Don't change a thing!" 

"There is no God to repent to, there is no God that has standards that must be followed or people parish! No way!!"

Convinced yet? Trust me, he is a much better liar than I am. He'll use anything he can, any open door you give him. 

There is a saying in my house that my Dad used to say when I was a kid. I have fondly adopted it as my own. It goes like this.....

"If you open the door, I'm coming through it!" 

Which basically means, I won't start the fight, and I won't go there but if you open the door...well, then....You asked for it. It's not the nicest way of thinking but it has served me well over the years. And just like Satan, if you give him an opening. Look out behind you, because he is coming in..every single time. He can't help it. He is filled with hate. Evil and doesn't care about your eternal soul. All he can see is his anger and revenge. 

Ever been that mad? I know I have! Well, maybe not take your soul mad but I've been pretty mad. Normally I'd just take it out on myself. Another marvelous trick of his. Too many people are stolen from this Earth through Suicide. 

Heck, I'm sure as you've been reading this, he has already come to you. Telling you how crazy I am and how crazy this sounds. He sounds just like you do, not some evil inner voice. As if you thought of it yourself. 

"He sounds just like you do, not some evil inner voice."

A sin is an immoral act against the law of a moral God. Plain and simple. 

God created a world of laws, His laws. And as a Holy God, He expects His laws to be followed or there is a repercussion. 

Not because He is bad or harsh. Its just the way He created it and as the created He can make that decision. Just like if you made a pot out of clay. If you weren't satisfied with the results, you could just make a new one or change it as you see fit. You as the pot can't say to the potter, "Why did you make me this way?" That isn't your place. 

Same is the position of God. He is the created the mastermind behind it all. If He wanted to crush us all and start over, He has that right. And by you thinking that is wrong or harsh is a sin itself. Satan doesn't want you to believe in a higher power. Let alone have you bow down and worship someone else. He wants his glory. He wants to be praised, that is how it all started in motion. By you agreeing with him, you are doing exactly as he wants you to do. All the while, you think you thought of this grand scheme yourself. Aren't you wise! 

The Master Deceiver! 

When God created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, He would walk with them every day. Talking with them, sharing with them. He did everything for them. Nothing was of need or worry. A complete and Holy land created just for them by God. 

Satan, on the other hand, had other plans. Once thrown down to Earth he began to develop a plan to deceive man and cause sin to come upon the world. God gave them all they ever needed. There was one request that He demanded, "Don't eat from the tree of good and evil or you shall surely die!" 

That was all the open door Satan needed. He began to trick Eve into eating the fruit and when nothing bad arose. She headed straight to Adam to convince him that God had lied and she was still alive after eating the forbidden fruit. She did not die like they were told. Believing his wife, Adam took a bite. 

A Bite that Changed life forever! 

Once Adam took that frightful bite, it was over. The both for the first time felt sin, and shame for being naked. They were eventually banned from the Garden and were told that they would now have to work hard for their food. The women will have painful labor and childbirth and sin has come to the Earth. 

Now, Satan from that day has been here attacking us. Turning us into God with our sins. The Bible says he accuses them before the Lord day and night. Revelations 12:10. 

You don't have to believe this. It doesn't matter what you think really because it's going to happen no matter what. That is how it was created to be and until Jesus' return, it is how it will be. Your belief in God has no impact what so ever. So don't feel that you are winning by making a protest. You are not! 

Exactly where Satan wants you! 

Being a master manipulator that he is, he can use anything against you. The good the bad and the ugly. Sometimes it can be a new promotion, a new love interest, and even the death of a loved one. All it takes is you agreeing with him and not God and he has won the battle. 

You may be thinking how can a new job or love interest be a bad thing? Let me answer that for you. There are certain aspects of each of our personalities that are good and some that are bad. Like it is good to feel bad about yourself but that can lead to pride. A new love life is fun and exciting but can lead to fornication and lust. See where I'm going? It's like we are in that darn Labyrinth game ...oops another hole. And down we fall again. 

Having to be on constant guard can really be exhausting but for your soul's sake, it is worth every minute defending. This is your eternal soul, would you rather spend that time with a God who has loved you from the beginning of time? Or an evil angel that wants nothing more to destroy you and take you to hell with him and the rest of his cronies? 

It's your choice?

The choice is yours, my friend. Believe me? Don't believe me? The price is yours to pay but for the sake of choosing, I'd choose God. IT doesn't hurt you to believe now, does it? What if I am right and you are wrong? Hell is a not so cool place. All that gnashing and fire stuff, not a cool place man!! You don't get any gold stickers for holding your ground. There is no reward for going to hell, it is just eternal misery. Forever without God. Something even now you don't know because whether you believe in God or not, He is there for you right now. You can call on Him anytime. He is right there to save you. When the end comes that time is forever lost. You won't have the choice anymore. It will have been made. 

Not making a choice is making a choice! 

Choosing to not follow God now is a choice. You have evidence that God is real. The sunset, the mountains, the trees, the ocean, how the world works and was created. It was all done by God. 

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 

Romans 1:20

There is no excuse you will have that will save your soul. You are given that time now. I urge all of you to challenge what you believe in. Challenge what you have been taught. Do your own research and look into the matter for yourself. Don't just take my word for it or your pastor's word for it. Ask God to show you Himself and He will do it. 

Sin has corrupted us all from birth. 

From the moment that you were born, you have been a sinner. This is not some trait that you developed over time or got from a bad childhood. We are all born this way. And each of us has our own weaknesses and strengths. All which can be used for our good or used against us to lead us astray. 

When you were two and your parents said "Don't touch that!" and you did, that was a sin. Every evil thought and wrongful deed. Even some of our best gifts and good jestures can be a sin if done for sinful reasons. 

It's a battlefield! 

There is a battle waging and we need you! Put on your armor of God, stand and fight the good fight. Be an overcomer. You will very pleased with your reward and eternal life afterward. 

I could literally talk all day and night on this subject. Not only does it fascinate the heck out of me, I believe it with my whole heart and soul. I know that God is real and have seen real evidence in my own life, as well as others. He is a good God, no a Great and Holy God that deserves our praise and worship. 

And as scary as it may be for some of you to give up control and trust a higher power. I urge you to do so and do it before it is too late. We are not promised tommorrow. Don't think "Well, that is nice and all but I'll get to it later." You may not have later. Ask today. Ask because I asked you to. It means a lot to me if you are saved. Not because I'm some weirdo but because I truly care about your eternal soul. I care about your family and friends. I care about your communities and your jobs. By you serving God, you are changing the world around you. You are showing people what real hope and change looks like. You are the one that has the answers to the meaning of life. And that is to serve a wonderfully great God who loves you and wants you for His own. 

We will be talking more about this in the coming weeks, months, and years if I'm given that opportunity. It is a passion of mine that runs deeper than the ocean in me. Take care my dear friends and pray about what you've read. Ask Him to show you the truth and He will. He wants to so badly. His wish is that not one person perish but have eternal life with Him in Heaven. 

Take care and thanks for sticking through to the end! You are an OVERCOMER!! :)

Jenny

Say Necklace Product Review

Every year there is a new, cool social product that comes out and changes everything! This just might be that product!! 

Today, I'll take you through a complete and honest review of the NEW Say Wearable Necklace. 

For those of you that may not be familiar with this new device and just for conversation purposes, you aren't the only one. I hadn't heard of it either, until a few weeks ago. 

What is the Say necklace?

Sit back, and get ready for a new way to interact socially....you can wear GIF's on the go or create your own short video clip. 

Let me explain! 

When I first got my Say in the mail, I had no idea what it was or how to use it. Being the social junkie that I am, I was a little offended that I had not heard of such a device...ah such is life. 

After reading their website, and still feeling confused...I thought there must be an app for this thing. 

Squaring the Google Play Store, I finally found it but now what??!! 

Say App

Once I entered all my information, I began to look around. There were tons of funny GIF's or cool pictures that can be applied to your new Say. 

To begin adding the GIF's to your Say, you must connect the device first. 

Make sure you fully charge the necklace before adding any images or videos. The battery lasts a really long time in between charges, which is really nice. I get about two days out of mine before having to charge it again. They come with their own charger. A computer or wall charger can be used to re-juice your battery when it gets low or the screen is black. 

The Say does have a sleep feature. If the device is not being worn or left on the counter, it will activate sleep mode. This can be easily undone by simply grabbing the device and moving it slightly. When wearing the Say necklace, your motion will keep it active and on. Once the battery dies, the screen goes black and a gentle shake won't wake it. It must be charged. 

How to add images to your new Say necklace? 

Adding images and short videos is super easy!! 

You can find lots of different GIF's and Videos that have been created by other users in the Say App. 

After installing the app, creating a login and password, your screen should look like this. 

The Wall Tab, towards the top, is where you'll find all the people you have followed and their recent Say creations. You're also able to view how many people are wearing each GIF, as well as, how many likes or comments they have.

This makes it helpful if you like to wear trending GIF's, or what to see what is most popular. 

The Discover Tab is next. Here you can discover all the uploads based off of categories such as People, Nature, Animals, and Sports. 

Which is helpful, sometimes you don't know what you are in the mood to wear until you see it. I like to search the Discover Tab. That is where I mostly find all the Say Gifs. 

My Say is just that....YOURS! This is where all of your Say's are stored. Let's say you want to go back and wear a GIF from last week? Go to your My Say tab, and you can simply apply it by clicking the three dots on the right side of the image. Next, click the Wear it. 

The News Tab is for people you follow. Their recent posts or creations/uploads will be seen here. 

It takes only a few seconds for your new GIF to load. Now, you can impress all your friends with this new little social craze. 

Creating your own GIF is super easy as well! 

 Click on the red camera button, you'll be brought to a screen that looks like the one above. You can toggle your screen to shoot you or from your camera lens view. 

Tap the white button near the bottom with the red dot. The video will begin a short recording. Once it has reached the record time in full the video will begin to process. 

Once processed, you can apply that to your Say necklace or it will go to your wall tab for later use. Make sure and save a creative title and description for each Say you create. This makes them easily found. Which makes it better for other users to find and wear as well. 

If you are a more private person? All the GIFS can be shared to your privacy setting. This can be applied when making posts and picking a share feature such as public, friends, or followers. 

I have included a video below of my Say necklace. One of the nice features is that you can create a playlist, so your images change every few seconds. Depending on the setting you create or you can create a burst of images to wear. 

Below is a playlist I made today, the first image is a shiny Christmas Tree. Then it switches to a Minion coming out of the water with starfish on his chest. 

If you want to connect with me on the Say app? You can find me under the name Jennyd. I follow everyone back, as I do on all my social platforms. So, if you want to see what I've created or my recent GIFS they can be viewed there from the app only. At the moment they don't have a desktop site. 

To purchase your own Say necklace, you can do so by clicking on the link below. 

Say Wearables

Overall, I am really happy with the necklace and would recommend it to my friends that enjoy being social. It is fun to create new GIFS, that you can wear and share with your friends and followers. Just another clever way to stay connected. 

The price is kinda heavy, at $119 dollars. Not sure I'd want to fork out that much for one but as a cool gift, it might be worth the extra money. 

I have not been paid or asked to supply a written review of this product. However, the device was giving to me to try and test for three weeks. I am giving my honest, unbiased opinion. 

If you have any questions or comments or would like to share your experience? I'd love to read them in the comments below!! 

Thanks for reading and take care!