Happy 2018 ////…//// It Is Going to be Our Best Year Yet!

Happy 2018, my friends!! May this year burst with new life, hope, peace, and amazing surprises. ☺️

Easy Pie Crust (I mean it!!) Grandma Jane’s Pie Crust

Crafting pie crust scares some people, and I can see why: If it fails, you have a crumbly mess on your hands. I’ve only made lard pie crust a couple of times, and the other dozens of times, I’ve used an easy, almost fail-safe recipe from my Grandma Jane.

Grandma Jane would make mincemeat pies and tarts (Bambury tarts) at Christmas time. She taught my Mom how to make this recipe, and my Mom taught me. Someday I hope to teach my future daughter how to make this recipe. For now, I can teach you!

Easy Pie Crust Recipe for a two-crust pie:

2 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cup oil

1/3 cup milk (it can be almond or regular)

California for Christmastide Part Two

Walking with family and running on a misty morning gave me some colorful shots:

Celtic Knot: Becoming More Interconnected

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Celtic knots and crosses delight my artistic side because of the slope of the lines and the beautiful interconnectedness that is shown.
The last two St. Patrick’s Days I’ve worked with kids and gotten to teach them about the Celtic knot and teach them how to draw them. Now I teach adults, but I can share a few interesting points about Celtic art.

You Are Wanted — Song Review

You can hear the confidence in her voice when someone sings what she believes about herself, and in a song I heard recently, the singer does just that. “Wanted” by Dara Maclean reminds you of the truth: You are wanted. Even if you don’t have a Valentine to take you out for Valentine’s Day, or if you feel like people just put up you, there IS someone who wants you.

In this song, Dara sings the words with such confidence and authority that it helps you believe the truth: You are wanted! The music throbs along with her strong, vigorous vocals, and it sticks in your head. It’s a fine song to blast in your car and dance to.

Let the truth soak into you:

 

2015 has So Much Potential…

I’m full of hope and excited to see what will happen in this new year!

This photo is from Napa Valley, CA.

By M. H. Campbell Copyright 2015

2014: A Growing Year

2014: A Year of Leaping Ahead, Falling on my face, and getting back up again: A beautiful year

Second graders singing, with me playing the piano. This year I got a keyboard and started playing piano again!
A chocolate and flower birthday with friends.
Flying to North Carolina for spring break, getting so sick, and celebrating about a friend having a baby (that arrived a few weeks ago).

Getting hired as a Bible/Writing teacher, moving to the city and getting a wonderful apartment. Moving in on the hottest day of the year!

My nephew’s first birthday (I made him his cake).

My sister married her best friend, Danny! A city wedding full of cream colored roses…

School started and the students learned, and I learned a lot. Then that job ended unexpectedly, and I rested, healed, and connected with lots of loving people. Now I’m tutoring at a community college! I hope soon I can be an adjunct professor…

Forgiveness works! God knows how to direct life well. I’m so thankful nephew knows my name, and I’m dating a great guy.

I never thought my year would end in Napa Valley, California meeting a great guy’s family and who I’m falling in love with…life gives you lots of challenges, but if you trust that God is guiding you, life may hurt for a while, but you heal and grow stronger.

2015 is going to be amazing! I wish you the best 2015–full of hope, joy, and lots of love.

By M. H. Campbell Copyright 2014

French Silk Pie

French Silk Pie

This velvety pie takes a lot of beating, so if you have a stand mixer, use it, but a hand mixer works well too.

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 Tblsp. sugar
5 Tblsp. butter, melted

Filling:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix together the crust ingredients and then press evenly into a nine-inch pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes and then cool completely.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes).

Melt the chocolate chips either over a bowl of hot water or in the microwave. (Put it in for 1 1/2 minutes, check and do 30 seconds more until you can stir them). Add the chocolate to the butter mixture and stir until mixed.

Add one egg in at a time and beat with a mixer 3 minutes or until it get’s very fluffy, then add the next egg until you add all 3 eggs

Mix in the vanilla and then put into the cooled pie shell.

Chill for 3-4 hours before serving, and then enjoy.

Enjoy This Season of Lights

Enjoying Christmastime in my little nook of the city.

By M. H. Campbell Copyright 2014

Candy Making Apprentice

I got to learn how to make chocolates this morning from a lady whose family has made this candy every Christmas since 1914!
By M. H. Campbell Copyright 2014