Forever Beloved

Faith, Love & Truth

One Little Word | 2021

And here we are, at the beginning of a new year.

Going into a fresh, new year has always brought a little excitement to my heart.  Even with as unexpected as 2020 was, I’m still excited about 2021.

For years, I’ve picked a word to be my “one little word” for the year.  I choose one word to be my driving force for the year.

While I was thinking and praying for my one little word, I spent some time reading Ali Edwards blog.  She is the creator of one little word.  There are some amazing, inspiring words to chose from!  Inspire, calm, believe, still, thrive, whole and forward are just a few of the words others have chosen.  

Today as I was walking through my quiet house having a little chat with God, He kept bringing one word to my mind.  I sat at my desk and spent some more time pouring over lists of words.  Over and over again, God kept calling me to that same word.  

And with that, I give you my word for 2021.

Contentment.

I’ve claimed this word as my theme for the next 365 days.  I’m going to post it where I can see it daily and meditate on it often.  This one little word is something shared between God and I (well, and all of y’all now).  I have a little feeling it’s something I might need to do some heart work over.

I did a quick search to read some Bible verses on contentment.

Job 36:11  If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.

Proverbs 19:23  The fear of the LORD leads to life;  then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

Hebrews 13:5  Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

What stands out to me the most from the verses above is that they all have a common thread.  You can only find contentment in Christ.

How can you be joyful when your bank account is creamed-corn-on-toast-for-days low?  Christ in me.  How can you love people that are downright rotten to you?  Christ in me.  How can you withstand the days of chronic pain?  Christ in me.  How can you not be overwhelmed with the ridiculous pressures in life?  Christ in me.

I have a feeling my God and I are going to have lots of chats about having contentment in my heart.

I have plans to make a contentment journal to write in daily.  In my daily “God talk” time, I’ll ask God to show me what He has to teach me about the word in my life.  I’ll collect quotes and verses and sermon notes and conversation tidbits, tucking them all away in my journal.

As we head into the New Year, would you want to join me and consider claiming a word for the year?  I’m sure He has a special one just for you.  Write the word down, pray about it, journal about it and open your heart for whatever lessons God has in store for you.

English Muffins Recipe

Once you taste homemade english muffins, you’ll never go back to store bought.  I’m serious as a heart attack.  They are light, fluffy, airy and have all the nooks and crannies you could ever want.

If I’m being honest there is really no better vehicle for melted butter than an english muffin.  I think we can all agree on this.  Have you ever tried making them yourself?  They’re surprisingly easy!  My husband loves them, and making them seems to win me extra points.  And I try to not pass up any opportunity for extra points!

If you give these a try, I’d love to hear what your family thought of them!

English Muffins Recipe

These english muffins are light, fluffy, airy and all the nooks and crannies you could ever want.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Breakfast
Servings 18 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • 6 cups flour
  • 2 tbs white sugar
  • 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup warm water around 105°
  • 3 tbs lard
  • cornmeal for dusting

Instructions
 

  • In the bowl of your KitchenAid add the water and yeast. Allow this to bloom for 10-15 minutes, until foamy.
  • Warm the buttermilk on the stove on low heat. You only want it warm (around 105°). Dissolve the sugar in the buttermilk. Set this aside to cool.
  • In the KitchenAid, with your dough hook attached, to your yeast mixture add 3 cups flour, salt, lard, egg and buttermilk mixture. Beat on low speed until smooth. Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time. Once the ingredients come together, and a soft dough forms, knead for an additional 5 minutes in your stand mixer.
  • Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel, place it in a warm spot and allow it to rise until doubled in size (1-2 hours).
  • Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Dust the parchment with cornmeal.
  • Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 18 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into a ball. Place your hand over the dough ball and pull it towards you, the tension will create a perfect circular ball. Gently press and flatten the dough ball down until it's around 3" wide. Place each piece of dough on the parchment paper and dust the tops with cornmeal. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
  • Warm a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Melt a small pat of butter or lard in the pan. You only want enough grease to just coat the bottom of the pan and prevent sticking.
  • Working in batches, transfer a few of the muffins to the skillet. Allow an inch or so of space between muffins and do not crowd the pan. Cook until the bottoms of the muffins are golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip the muffins and cook the other side until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer cooked muffins to a cooling rack.
  • These split very easy with a fork, are great toasted or untoasted and will keep for several days in an air tight container.

Baked Chili Cheese Dogs

There’s something magical that happens when you bake chili cheese dogs in the oven.  I can’t explain it, just trust me.  You’ll know what I mean as soon as you try this!

The type of chili you use is completely up to you.  But to take these babies to the next level, I highly suggest making my homemade chili to take these bundles of joy to the next level.  You could make your chili the day before and pop it in the fridge.  Or what I sometimes do is make a pot of it and once it’s cool, separate it into serving sizes in freezer bags.  Just pull out a bag from the freezer in the morning and it will be thawed by dinner time.

I also slathered a little mayo on the bun before I started building them.  If you don’t like mayo, skip that step.  I unfortunately have a few anti-mayo people in my house and they still loved them, even without the mayo.

Baked Chili Cheese Dogs

This recipe for Baked Chili Cheese Dogs is delicious and would be a great for a quick meal or even game day food.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 8 hotdogs

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 sweet onion finely chopped
  • 1/2 clove fresh garlic
  • 6 oz tomato paste
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 tbs brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 8 hotdogs
  • 8 hotdog buns
  • 1 can nacho cheese
  • mayo
  • cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions
 

  • For the chili sauce: Brown the ground beef, onions and garlic. Drain the grease. Add the paprika, cinnamon, chili powder and cumin. Stir well and cook about 1 minute. Add in the ketchup, tomato paste, brown sugar and water. Mix well. Cook 3-4 hours on low heat, stirring occasionally. Add more water if needed. Once the chili sauce is done, use a stick blender to make the consistency you want.
  • To assemble the chili cheese dogs: Preheat the oven to 350°.
  • Spread a small amount of mayo in each bun. Place the hotdog inside the bun and set each one in a casserole dish.
  • Spread the top of each hotdog with nacho cheese.
  • Spoon the chili sauce on top of the nacho cheese.
  • Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top of each hotdog.
  • Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Serve and savor each bite!