Colleen James

Blog

  • Stories of Redemption and Smashed Rings

    Picture of the ring after it was repaired

    I fumbled around with the bag of sweaty clothes that I had just thrown into the trunk of my car as I looked for the ring I had been wearing before I went for a jog.

    I didn’t know the exact time, but I knew I had to get to the school library soon so that I wouldn’t be late for my evening shift. The ring seemed to be nowhere in sight, unfortunately, so I made the short trip to my job in resignation and promptly told a friend sitting outside of the library about my loss.

    The ring wasn’t very expensive, and perhaps some people would find it silly for me to be so sad about it. But I hate losing things, and it was also one of two rings that I had bought while living in Mexico, so it was sentimental to me.

    Looking at the clock, my friend suggested I retrace my steps. He was certain I could search a few more minutes and even offered to help. So, we raced back to the other side of campus and soon found the ring, shining in the sunlight and smashed upon the road.

    Neither of us were able to undo the damage that had been done, but then my friend remembered a mutual friend that specialized in jewelry making. So, soon after, I contacted her, and she gladly agreed to help. 

    Days turned into weeks, and my friend contacted me at one point to let me know that this particular piece of jewelry was proving to be a bit challenging. She would need more time, which was fine by me. 

    Weeks turned into months, and there was still no word on the ring. Soon, I had graduated and was moving down south for a job at a Spanish speaking seminary. Still, I had not forgotten about the ring. Several months into my stay, I contacted her about my jewelry.

    At this point, my friend kindly responded by letting me know that she felt a bit irritated that I had never offered to pay for her services. The ring was taking more of her time and resources than she ever expected it to, and that, in turn was keeping her from other projects that could be making her money.

    It was an embarrassing email to receive, most of all because I was mortified by how ignorant and ill-mannered I had been. But I apologized for my naivete and offered to pay, and she sent me the bill, agreeing to finish repairs soon and ship me the ring.

    I sent the check, and she sent the ring, adjusting it to fit me even better. And I wish I could say it was that easy. However, the whole ordeal was a bit painful to me because the cost to repair it was nearly three times its actual purchase price! But I started to understand something after mailing that check and waiting for that ring. I started to see the gospel more clearly. 

    The truth is, we’re all like that ring. We were created to be used by God for His good purposes and to walk closely with Him as we glorify His name, but the sin that entered the world through Adam and Eve has marred us all and has separated us from Him. Our sin separates us from Him.

    And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.”

    Ephesians 2:1-2 ESV

    But God, being rich in mercy, provided a way.

    But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5] even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.”

    Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV

    He purchased us back through the blood of His own Son. Jesus paid the price so that we who were dead in our sins could believe and be redeemed.

    Although my ring was relatively inexpensive when I bought it, it held much more worth to me when I paid so much more  for it to be restored. How much more value must we have, then, that Jesus would pay for us with His own blood!

    We were created by Him, and now He has given us a way to be restored and redeemed by Him, too. There is no greater love than this! We are so precious to Him, and I’m glad to have a physical object that reminds me of just that.

    Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 

    John 15:13 ESV

  • Stories of Redemption: Rachel Most

    Rachel with her biggest supporter–her husband Paul

    I believe God is sovereign over the lives of every individual, but I see Him orchestrating some stories more clearly than others.  Take my friend Rachel,  for instance. Rachel and I met in 2010 at seminary. A nurse by trade,  she had decided  to pursue a second degree in counseling so that she could better provide care to her medical patients. I admired her commitment.

    We lost touch with each other shortly after that first semester when I switched schools to study linguistics, but ten years later, she contacted me to share a faith-based podcast she had started for mothers called “Momming on the Go” (https://mommingonthego.buzzsprout.com/).

    At this point, I had begun blogging, so I shared my blogsite with her as well, and we renewed our friendship over comments on each other’s content and occasional texts to each other.

    In 2021, Rachel experienced her hardest year yet. She gave birth to a precious stillborn baby boy on Valentine’s day, and then, just five months later, she gave birth to another precious stillborn baby boy. Still, she looked to God in the pain, naming her second stillborn baby Emmanuel–God is with us.

    When I experienced my own miscarriage the following year, she was one of the first people I wanted to tell.

    Having experienced 3 miscarriages prior to the births of her stillborn sons, Rachel was sure to understand the grief of such a loss even more than I could.

    What impressed me most about sharing my experience with her was how much compassion she had for me. I lost my baby very early in pregnancy, so I could only imagine how much worse she had suffered through her multiple losses. Nonetheless,  she never compared my pain to hers, and she grieved with me in my loss, acknowledging and thus honoring the precious life that, for such a brief time, had lived within me. Our friendship only deepened as a result. 

    Fast forward to the summer of 2022, and Rachel shared with me one day about a non-profit organization she was gearing to set up thanks to a series of events that God had orchestrated in her life.

    One of the things God used was the kindness of a nurse that was able to relate to and encourage Rachel from the depths of her grief. Another instrumental moment was hearing about the experience of a close friend who gave birth to a stillborn son with a nurse at her side who was specifically equipped for that moment. This friend told Rachel how it made an awful experience feel less lonely, and Rachel desired to give other women experiencing loss a less lonely experience too.

    Unfortunately, she was unable to find a way to do so with her own OB/GYN or other doctors, midwives,  and nurse managers in the area. These closed doors, however,  only opened the door to beginning her own non-profit organization where she could minister to women experiencing miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant loss.

    When Rachel first told me of her plans, I wanted to cry for joy. I could see how God was bringing together all the pieces of her story—her education,  profession, passions, and experiences–for His good purpose. Even the broken areas of her life were being masterfully crafted into this story of redemption that God was writing. The shattered pieces, in fact, were some of the most vital ones.

    Rachel didn’t quite have a name for her non-profit at that time,  but when she finally decided to name it, she couldnt have chosen a better fit. Unspoken Motherhood. Unspoken,  because the babies who die may never be spoken of. To others, their names may never be known. And Motherhood, because these women still are very much moms, even if they never have the blessing of being called by that title. Nonetheless,  regardless of how “unspoken” motherhood may be for some, these women and the precious babies they lose are certainly not unseen. The God who sees is not blind to our grief, and He is equipping people like Rachel to be His hands and feet to those who are suffering.

    As much as I wish Rachel’s own story did not include such devastating loss, I am amazed by the beauty that God has brought from ashes when I see the restorative work He has done in her, and I am in awe when I think of the other stories of loss and grief that He can redeem as He uses Rachel to be a source of comfort to others from the same comfort that she herself received. Let’s pray it is so!

    Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, [4] who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 

    2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ESV

    Link to Unspoken Motherhood:

    https://www.unspokenmotherhood.org/

  • A Lasting Legacy

    A picture of my grandmother, presumably taken around the time she graduated.

    My grandma passed away several days ago. Had she lived another month, she would have been 93.

    Although she lived a long life physically, she had been absent mentally for quite some time–a prisoner in her own body as Alzheimers preyed upon her and eventually ravaged her mind.

    In light of her passing, I’ve been remembering her for the beautiful woman of faith she was and the ways in which that shone through. Even after she was diagnosed with Alzheimers, one visit with her over a decade ago left a lasting impression on me. She was still coherently speaking at that time, and her compliments and words of encouragement over me freely overflowed from the sweet kindness of her soul.  It’s a memory that I’ll always associate with the verse below:

    The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

    Luke 6:45 ESV

    She had a lot of good treasure in her heart; the fruit of the Spirit was manifest in her. It’s something I had seen about her all my life, but that fruit only seemed to ripen as she drew nearer to the end. God’s light was evident in her although the rest of her was growing dim.

    My last picture with my grandma

    I only got to see my grandma three more times after that visit, and by then, the disease had claimed her ability to speak. I’m not sure what all my grandma could understand in those last years, but I told her through tears on one visit just how much she meant to our family and me. She raised her children taking them to church and telling them about Jesus, and her prayers for them and example of faith undoubtedly had an impact on them, which has blessed us grandchildren and our families in turn. Many others were impacted by her as well through her years teaching children in Sunday school and her involvement in church in general. I hope she understood what a blessing she was to so many of us. If she didn’t here on earth, she surely knows that now!

    I have felt so nostalgic these past few days as I have relived moments with her in my mind and have heard of fond memories that other family members had of her. It is bittersweet to know she is gone. I miss her and the life she had before Alzheimers claimed her mind. But now the disease has lost its grip on her,  and she is more alive than she has ever been!

    Although we have had to say goodbye to this precious, beautiful woman this side of heaven, this is not the end. We will see her again! But until then, I will forever be grateful to God for the life of my sweet grandma and her legacy that will continue to impact the generations to come.

  • Trust God in the Process

    My first artisan (non-sandwich) sourdough loaf

    I never thought I would be one of those people. It’s not that I had anything against them. I just viewed them as an exclusive group that seemed nearly impossible to join. For one thing, I couldn’t imagine ever knowing anyone within that circle. But even if I did, I had some semblance of understanding that it would take some work to stay in the club, and I wasn’t sure I was up for the task. But then a friend had me over last year, and as we caught up on each other’s lives, I realized she was part of this group. And soon, without me even asking, she was giving me a slice of fresh baked bread to eat, a loaf of bread to take home, and a starter to begin making the bread on my own. Before I knew it, I had been inducted into the club–the elite club of all things sourdough.

    About a week later, after reading information on the website to which my friend directed me and texting her a handful of times throughout the process, I had produced my first loaves of sourdough sandwich bread, and my family and I were hooked!

    As we ate the slightly sweet, chewy bread, I knew this needed to become a permanent part of our lives. Somehow, I kept up with making it even after the baby was born, but my sourdough making skills took a turn for the worse by that summer. The starter seemed to be deteriorating in health.

    I took it out of the refrigerator one day with the intention of feeding it every day and nursing it back to health. But instead, I forgot about it most days until I realized that the dreaded red mold,  which I had read so much about, had claimed my precious starter.

    This could have become the end to my sourdough journey, but by now this bread had become a staple to my family and me, so I decided I would simply make my own starter.

    Doing so proved to be simple enough. Add filtered water and unbleached flour to a jar each day, discarding some of the starter as it started to grow.

    There was nothing difficult about this process per se, but when I had to start feeding the starter twice a day, laziness and a lack of motivation set in. Fortunately,  I was nearly done with the process, so I mustered up what little sense of determination I had left and saw the process through. Today, my family and I enjoy fresh baked sourdough bread because of that starter I made back in July.

    Shortly after making more sourdough starter, I told a good friend in El Paso about the blogpost I was hoping to write about the experience (some writing projects sit in my head for a long time), and as I told her about all the steps and how I had to trust the process despite my own laziness, her response to me made all the difference. She simply spoke about trusting God in the process.

    The truth is, we can follow a process in order to see certain results, but even then, the results are not always guaranteed.

    Since joining several sourdough groups online, I’ve seen this to be the case with a few individuals who have followed the sourdough “rules” to a T. Their process has been perfect, but it hasn’t produced the intended results.

    This, of course, extends way beyond making sourdough.  We can “trust the process ” as far as relationships are concerned, or dieting,  or finding a job or being successful in life. And following a reliable process for any goal is certainly better than not trying anything at all. But if all our hopes and expectations are in what the end results of that process should be, then we could be setting ourselves up for potential disappointment,  because even the best processes can fail. They can fail, but God won’t.

    Lately, I find myself in the middle of a process that brings angst to my heart when I fail to surrender the end results to Him. I’m trying to self-publish a children’s book, and as I read various information about the process, nothing seems too clear cut to me. This, in turn, leaves me uncertain about what to do and how to proceed at times, and it’s easy to give into fear that this daunting process will only lead to disappointing results. But the idea of trusting God in this process brings a sense of calmness to my heart. I know I can honor Him by seeking His guidance and believing He will show me what to do. I can also ease my fears by asking God to make my primary motive to please Him and then seek to do so as I proceed.

    The end result to this process may not be all that I hope for it to be. But to know that God walks with me in it, ready to guide and teach me and bring further healing to my heart changes how I view the process. I don’t walk this path alone, and there will be plenty of adventures and treasures to unearth as I walk through the process with Him.

    Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

    Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

  • Birthday Letters and Symphonies

    Picture of some roses my husband gave me and my birthday letter

    When I was in high school, I often worked on assignments in advance, sometimes having up to three days’ worth of homework done at a time. I liked getting ahead and knowing I wouldn’t fall behind in school if I were to get sick and had to miss a day. The further ahead I got, the better I felt.

    Nowadays, I don’t seem to get much done with little ones in the house, much less things in advance. Nonetheless, I still have that mentality of work before play, and I value productivity probably more than I should, causing me to continue to struggle, in part, with God’s timing for me.

    Recently, I finished a project, and as I think of the possibilities of this finished task and other projects I’d like to start this year, I wonder why I didn’t do some of these things until now. A large part of me feels like I’m lagging behind. But then I think about how pride and the pressure to consistently exceed peoples’ expectations would have become a pattern in my life had I accomplished these things at a younger age. That, or I would have believed myself to be a failure early on when things didn’t go well, so I’m thankful that God graciously protected me against either of these thought patterns for all these years.  I’m also encouraged in knowing that God has hand selected the specific assignments He has for me to be completed at specific, God-ordained times.

    For, as we know,

    …we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

    Ephesians 2:10 ESV

    I recently read a letter that I wrote to myself over a year ago. It’s something I’ve been doing for more than a decade. I write a letter within the first three weeks of January, considering the possibilities of that year and encouraging myself to have a godly perspective regardless of what may come. Then, on my birthday the following year, I read that letter and reminisce over all that transpired throughout those twelve months.

    This year, as I have been considering God’s timing regarding the good works He has prepared for me, I was encouraged by the following words that I penned to myself last year:

    God knows the timing, and He makes no mistake. Just like each note belongs where it does in a symphony,  each God-ordained moment of your life belongs where it does too. Just trust and pray.”

    I especially like this idea of a symphony when I think of what Paul wrote in Romans, as follows:

    Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.

    Romans 6:13 ESV

    Although I don’t believe that Paul was speaking about musical instruments here, the idea certainly holds true for music too. We truly are instruments that can be used for righteousness or unrighteousness,  and when we place ourselves in God’s hands as instruments to be used for His glory, He creates such beautiful music out of our lives.  It’s not to say that the musical notes won’t sound dissonant to us at times or that the timing won’t seem quite right to our ears. Nonetheless, if we can trust Him as the composer and master conductor, we will be confident that the part we play in this great symphony will blend beautifully with all the other instruments and all the other parts when all is said and done. We might not hear the symphony with our own human ears right now, but someday we will. And we will see why each note and each rest in every measure was necessary, resulting in praise to God. In the meantime, let’s trust Him with each note, living in worship to Him.

  • Farewell to 2023

    Pictures above: birthday cupcakes for Liam’s class (with mustaches, of course), bridal shower decor, baby shower cake, CJ’s little feet, and my dress for the wedding

    It has been bittersweet to bid 2023 farewell. Personally, it was such a good year. It wasn’t without its challenges and hardships, but the good outweighed the bad by far.

    The first half of the year was full of celebrations. Liam had his first birthday party with friends his age early in the year, then I hosted a bridal shower for my younger sister alongside my older sister and mother the following month in Fort Worth.

    The month after that, some dear friends threw me a baby shower, and exactly a week later, our baby boy decided to surprise us by making his debut, over two weeks before his due date! Although life slowed down a little bit after CJ’s birth, we still took a couple of trips to San Antonio to get Liam’s suit tailored for his role as ringbearer in my sister’s upcoming wedding, and I fretted over yet somehow managed to write a toast for my role as matron of honor.

    Seven weeks after CJ was born, we traveled back to Fort Worth as a family of four and had a fabulous albeit tiring weekend celebrating my sister and her groom as they tied the knot. The biggest events were now behind us, and I was relieved that each one went so smoothly.

    Since then, we have taken a trip to a nearby beach as a family, Liam started school, and we have visited JJ’s family out of town. This last year, Liam also initiated many spiritual conversations with me and prayed with me to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior. And although I am unsure that he fully understands the gospel yet when I have later talked to him about his decision, I am so encouraged by each step toward faith that he is making.

    God’s generosity overflowed into every aspect of an eventful 2023, and I’m so grateful for all of it.

    In light of such a beautiful past year, it has been sad to me to begin a new one. But then I remind myself that His mercies are new every morning, and I think of God’s goodness and how it has preceded me into this year. Surely there will be challenges and hardships this year like there were in 2023, but God will be with me in them. He will teach me things through them and strengthen my faith. And He will continue to be the same generous God, deepening friendships this year, granting me new experiences, delighting me with new songs I’ll hear and special moments with Him and with family and friends. I do not have to fear the uncertainty of this new year because my future is certain in Him, and He will guide me. His love will carry me through. So, here’s to the adventure that God has for each and every one of us this 2024! May we seek to walk with Him closely this year and enjoy everything in this year that He has in store!

    You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance.”

    Psalm 65:11 NKJV

  • Grandma’s Wassail

    Picture of my grandma’s wassail drink on a pretty cloth

    I don’t have many memories of going to my grandparents’ house for Christmas when I was young,  but I do succinctly remember what their house smelled like one Christmas that I did.

    As soon as my family and I walked through the front door one year, we were embraced by a warm citrus and cinnamon scent, and I instantly knew that that’s what Christmas should smell like.

    Soon we discovered that this wonderful scent was coming from Grandma’s stove, from a mixture of juices and other ingredients, which she called wassail. It was my first time to try such a delightful drink, but I quickly decided it couldn’t be my last! I wrote down the recipe over that visit and have been making it ever since living on my own.
    Ironically, I recently discovered I was making it wrong after talking to my aunt (my grandma’s only daughter) about it. I’m not sure how I was missing one of the main ingredients. All I can think of is that I was young when I copied the original. I’m glad I have the true one now.

    My grandma is still around but hasn’t made this drink for years. She’s here in body, but her memory has been gone for quite some time, so having her recipe is extra special to me. It’s one of many ways that her memory will live on for me of days when she had her memory and made Christmas and every visit so special for us. I can’t help but think of her when I make it, and I hope to pass this recipe onto my boys when they get older and tell them about her too. She was a devout Christian that served as a role model to my dad and his siblings of what it meant to live a godly life, and I’m so grateful to her for that. She left them a spiritual legacy which has been passed down to me and many of her other grandchildren, and it’s the best gift she could have ever given anyone. Making this recipe is just a way of remembering her impact with a grateful heart. It’s a way of honoring her and the legacy she has left behind. She may not be earth-bound much longer, but the ways she made an eternal impact will last forever, so I’ll make this drink every Christmas and remember her and pray that God will allow that legacy to continue to the following generations until the day He returns.

    GRANDMA’S WASSAIL

    Ingredients:

    • 2 quarts (8 cups) water
    • Black tea (3 tea bags or 3 teaspoons instant. I used decaf)
    • 2 c sugar (see NOTES)
    • 1 c water (see NOTES)
    • 2 quarts apple juice or cider
    • 2 c grapefruit juice
    • 2 c pineapple juice
    • 2 c orange juice
    • 1 c lemon juice
    • 3 t ground cloves
    • 2 to 3 cinnamon sticks
    • Optional garnish: fresh cranberries, cloves, and/or grapefruit, orange, or lemon slices.

    Instructions:

    Bring water to boil over the stove, then add the tea and let steep for five to ten minutes. Add sugar and additional water and stir until dissolved, then add the apple juice (or cider) grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, orange juice, and lemon juice. Simmer for three hours, adding the cloves and cinnamon sticks within the last hour. Garnish with fresh cranberries, cloves, and/or grapefruit, orange, or lemon slices.

    NOTES: I do not personally add two cups of sugar to my wassail, as that is an exorbitant amount. I did want to include this recipe as close to how my grandma made it in her honor, however. So, here it is. Please feel free to add less sugar according to your own taste. The last time I made this, I used only a quarter cup. The amount of water added should roughly be half of the amount of sugar. Also, all the juices used here are either from the bottle or a can.

    On a separate note, this will most likely be my last post before Christmas, so I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! May Jesus be celebrated most of all this season!

    For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

    Isaiah 9:6

  • Soft Gingerbread Cookies with Nutella Buttercream

    The gingerbread cookies with Nutella buttercream

    Recipe number three is very similar to the last recipe I posted, but in cookie form! This recipe actually came about before the gingerbread loaf did, mainly because I had a Christmas cookie competition to enter and needed some good cookie creations to do so!

    This cookie is soft and chewy, combining the warm flavors of gingerbread with rich, creamy Nutella. Good as a simple cookie with frosting or made as whoopie cookies, these are sure to become a Christmas family favorite in the years to come! Here’s the recipe:

    The three images are different angles of the gingerbread cookies with Nutella buttercream

    SOFT GINGERBREAD COOKIES WITH NUTELLA BUTTERCREAM

    Ingredients

    For the cookie:

    • 1 c salted butter, softened
    • 1 c light brown sugar
    • 1 egg
    • 1/3 c molasses
    • 2 1/3 c all-purpose flour
    • 2 t baking soda
    • 2 t ground cinnamon
    • 1 t ginger
    • ½ t cloves
    • ½ c granulated sugar (for coating)

    For the filling:

    • ½ c butter, softened
    • ½ c Nutella
    • 1 ½ c powdered sugar
    • 1 T milk

    In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar with an electric hand mixer. Add the egg and molasses and beat together.

    In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Once combined, add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and thoroughly mix together. Refrigerate the dough for two hours.

    Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then form the dough into tablespoon-sized balls and coat each ball with the granulated sugar. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

    Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet.

    In the meantime, make the buttercream by beating together the butter and Nutella, then add the powdered sugar and milk and continue to beat with the electric mixer until all ingredients are well incorporated. Frost the tops of the cookies or frost the bottom of one cookie and stick it together with another cookie to form the whoopie cookie. Makes 36 individual cookies.

    Wanting more Christmas cookie inspiration? Be sure to check out these recipes from years past!

  • Mini Nutella Swirl Gingerbread Loaves with Nutella Buttercream

    Warm and spicy flavors of gingerbread mingle with rich, creamy Nutella in every bite. Perfect to give away as gifts this Christmas season, to share at a holiday party, or to simply enjoy with loved ones at home. Picture of four mini loaves

    Recipe #2 for this Christmas season is Nutella swirl gingerbread loaf with Nutella buttercream frosting. But before we get to the recipe, let me tell you the back story to this creation.

    Over the summer, Liam begged me to make gingerbread cookies, and I kept resisting the idea because it’s such a seasonal, Christmas treat. But he kept asking, and then we ended up attending a Christmas in July event in town, so I figured, why not?

    I bought the few ingredients lacking to make the cookies, and Liam and I quickly whipped up a batch of cut-out cookies just a few days later, pulling out the sprinkles and other cookie decorations while they baked. But then I realized my grave error—I hadn’t bought frosting or ingredients to make any! Fortunately, I vaguely remembered having a tub of frosting in a cupboard, so I scrummaged around for the only thing I had—store-bought strawberry frosting. The combination was definitely not ideal, but Liam was happy, so I was too. As we went about spreading pink frosting over the gingerbread, it dawned on me that I had also bought a container of Nutella months earlier, so I got that out and began to spread it over one of the cookies and then promptly ate it.

    I might as well preface this story right now by telling you that I am not a big fan of gingerbread (although I do like to decorate gingerbread houses!). Or better put, I wasn’t until then. The Nutella gingerbread combination was so, so good! I easily ate three cookies in a row and had to fight off the temptation to eat another!

    Ever since unintentionally pairing those two flavors together, I’ve been obsessed with the idea of creating a recipe involving the two and was determined to make it a bread recipe with a Nutella swirl. Well, this combination was definitely easier said than done! But after a lot of persistence and many failed, albeit delicious attempts, I stumbled upon a Nutella banana bread recipe that led me in the right direction to come to the recipe I am presenting to you all today. So without further ado, here is the recipe:

    Ingredients:

    • ½ c butter, softened
    • ½ c brown sugar
    • ½ c granulated sugar
    • ½ c apple sauce
    • ½ c molasses
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 c flour
    • 2 t cinnamon
    • 2 t ginger
    • ½ t cloves
    • 1 t salt
    • 1 t baking soda
    • 1 t baking powder
    • ¾ c Nutella

    For the Buttercream:

    • ½ c Nutella
    • ½ c butter, softened
    • 1 ½ c powdered sugar
    • 1 T milk

    Instructions:

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease 4 mini loaf pans.

    In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and both sugars with an electric mixer, then add the apple sauce, molasses, and eggs and mix thoroughly.

     In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, baking soda, and baking powder, then mix the dry ingredients in with the wet. For the Nutella mixture, mix together 1 cup of the bread batter with the ¾ c Nutella in a separate mixing bowl.

    Alternate between the gingerbread and Nutella mixture, adding both batters by the spoonful to each bread loaf (the spoonful of gingerbread batter should be slightly larger than the Nutella one).  Continue to do so until each loaf pan is filled halfway full. Gently shake down to get rid of any air bubbles, then smooth out the top of each loaf with a butter knife. Place the mini loaf pans on a baking sheet in the middle rack of the oven and bake around 20 minutes or until the loaves have risen and look firm when looking in through the oven door. Do NOT open the oven to check, as this may cause the bread to fall. Once baked, turn off the oven and keep the mini loaves inside to continue to bake and then slightly cool. The loaves can be transferred out of the oven after about fifteen minutes and set aside to continue to cool.

    For the Nutella buttercream, beat together the Nutella and butter, then add the powdered sugar and milk and beat until smooth. Once the mini loaves are completely cooled, they can be removed from the loaf pan and frosted with the buttercream according to taste (I had leftover buttercream once I finished frosting mine). Or, if giving as a gift, place in disposable loaf pans and frost. Makes four mini loaves.

  • Christmas Pie Cookie Cups

    Picture of the Christmas cookies

    ‘Tis the season for holiday baking, and I have created quite a few new recipes I’m excited to share with you all! The first one is what I like to call Christmas Pie Cookie Cups. These cookies combine the sweet, tart, and tangy flavors of strawberries and cranberries with the spicy warmth of cinnamon and cloves in a chewy, cinnamon cookie cup. They really do taste like Christmas in a perfect, bite sized cookie! Added bonus? The process of preparing them will make your house smell like Christmas too!

    More pictures of the Christmas pie cookie cups

    CHRISTMAS PIE COOKIE CUPS

    Ingredients

    • 1 c butter, softened
    • ½ c brown sugar
    • ¼ c granulated sugar
    • 1 egg
    • 1 t vanilla
    • 1 ¾ c all-purpose flour
    • 1 ½ T cinnamon
    • ¼ t salt
    • ½ t baking soda
    • 1 c cinnamon chips (can substitute with white chocolate chips if necessary)

    For the compote:

    • 16 oz strawberries, diced
    • 1 c dried cranberries*
    • 1/3 c sugar
    • 1 lemon, juice of (divided)
    • 1 ½ t cinnamon
    • ¼ t cloves
    • 2 T cornstarch

    Instructions

    Make the strawberry cranberry compote ahead of time by mixing the diced strawberries, cranberries, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice together. Simmer over medium heat for five to seven minutes, stirring often to break down the fruit. Stir in the cinnamon and cloves and place on low heat for another minute. In the meantime, stir the cornstarch into the remaining lemon juice one tablespoon at a time until combined. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the fruit sauce, stirring constantly. Once combined, remove from heat and then refrigerate until chilled.

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.

    Beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer.  Add the egg and vanilla and mix together. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda, then add to the butter mixture and mix together until smooth.

    In a microwavable bowl, melt the cinnamon chips in 20 second increments, stirring between heating, until the cinnamon chips are completely melted, then add to the cookie dough and mix in.**

    Press the cookie dough into each muffin tin until right below the surface level, then bake for 8-12 minutes until the cookie dough is baked through. Remove from the oven and use the back of a ½ tablespoon to make an indent in each cookie. Allow the cookies to cool completely before gently prying each cookie out of each muffin slot, then fill each cookie cup with a spoonful of strawberry cranberry sauce and serve. Makes around 2 ½ dozen cookies.

    *I used dried cranberries when I originally created this recipe because fresh cranberries were not yet in season. I have since used fresh cranberries to make this recipe again and added 2 more tablespoons of sugar to make up for the tartness of fresh cranberries.** The cinnamon chips can be added to the batter without melting, if desired.