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Apron Strings & Blessings Weekly Newsletter Vol. 27

Thanks for joining me for this week’s, “Apron Strings & Blessings.” Let’s take a look at all things faith, family, and home!

A banner featuring "Apron Strings & Blessings - Tying Faith, Family, and Home Together One Blessing at a Time" with a circular "Home with Grace and Joy" logo. Celebrate the strength of apron strings at www.homewithgraceandjoy.com.

Happy Monday!

I hope you had a great weekend! It was great to be back in church again after being “iced in” last weekend. It is always great to be in worship and fellowship with other believers!

I heard from a few that the cold weather also had them in a cooking mood. Mine kept going into this past week as well. Besides the regular meals, I made:

  • Pralines – I am going to make them again with the new candy thermometer.
  • Banana Pudding (See my new method below.)
  • Percolator Coffee (That was fun! I need to do this more often.)
  • Chicken and Dumplings (I helped Jay with this.)

We have eaten all of the chicken and dumplings but still have extra broth. It is so delicious, so I may cook biscuits and make some more.

Well, on to this week’s thoughts.

Faith

Saturday Morning Devotional

Saturday’s Post – Gifts for Our Heavenly Father

A delicate crown and two wedding rings in a box, set on an ornate surface. Text above reads, "Gifts for Our Heavenly Father—discover what God truly wants from us." Website: homewithgraceandjoy.com.
read it here

February’s Scripture

A quote reads, "'In everything he did, he had great success, because the Lord was with him.' I Samuel 18:14" on a background of a cloudy sky with a white bird illustration. Embrace this scripture for success in the new year. The website "Homewithgraceandjoy.com" is at the bottom.

YouTube Scriptures

I have started to post video clips on YouTube. You can follow me here. For now, all of the clips (8-10 seconds) are of nature or animals (which are nature) 🙂 based with a scripture to go along with it.

See the latest video here.

Home & Family

Home Tip – Banana Pudding Tip

This may not be a new tip to you at all – I don’t know why I had never thought of it before!

We were wanting some banana pudding this weekend, but with it just being the two of us, we felt like we couldn’t eat it before the bananas got brown and the cookies got soggy.

A hand holds a spoon, scooping creamy pudding from a dish—a classic treat reminiscent of Apron Strings. Nearby are a bowl of banana slices and a plastic bag with vanilla wafer cookies on a brown countertop.
A hand holds a vanilla wafer over a bowl of creamy dessert, evoking memories tied to Apron Strings. Above is a larger dish filled with more of the creamy mixture and a spoon resting inside, all set on a brown countertop.


We decided the keep all of the parts separate and put them together each time we were ready to eat it. I made the pudding and kept everything else separate. We only peeled one banana at a time, so it didn’t have time to turn brown. The cookies were fresh also. I ate a bite of cookie with each bite of banana/pudding, and Jay put his Nilla Wafers inside the pudding.

Has anyone else done this?

Drinks

I have been feeling very nostalgic lately. I had to break out the percolator!!!

A hand pours coffee from a white, floral Corning Ware stovetop percolator into a mug on a fringed cloth—proof you don’t need skunk spray-strength coffee for a bold brew. Text overlay: "How to make coffee in a Corning Ware Stovetop Percolator.
read about it here

You might also like:

A coffee machine crafting a fresh cup, capturing what is so great about coffee—the irresistible aroma and rich, bold flavor in every pour.
read about it here

If you are not a coffee drinker, you might like this one! It is absolutely delicious!!!

A hand holds a steaming mug of white mint hot chocolate, crowned with whipped cream. Behind it, a table is elegantly adorned with white candles, a runner, and a floral centerpiece. Text on the image reads "Mint White Hot Chocolate!.
get the recipe here

February’s Monthly Menu

Quick and Easy Meal Ideas for February

Ceramic plates with green leaf designs sit on a white surface. A striped cloth napkin and sprigs of greenery surround them. The top plate, proudly displaying the "Monthly Menu" for February, adds an elegant touch to this charming table setting.
click here to see the menu

This Week’s Menu

  • Monday – Chicken Spaghetti
  • Tuesday – Homemade Chili
  • Wednesday – Tostadas
  • Thursday – Baked Potato Bar (Use and lefter tostada meat as a topping.)
  • Friday – Chili Dogs (Use homemade chili.)

Links and Finds

A square image with text disclosing affiliate links—clicking may earn a small commission at no extra charge. Only favorite new finds for busy seasons of life or personally used products are ever recommended.
Red heart-shaped aluminum baking cups with clear plastic lids are stacked, with one cup holding a frosted cupcake decorated with a pink rose—perfect for moments tied to Apron Strings. Red rose petals are scattered in the foreground.
A hand holds a digital thermometer above a large empty metal pot on the stove, apron strings trailing nearby. A kettle, kitchen utensils, and a decorative sign complete the cozy kitchen scene.

I tried to make pralines with a broken candy thermometer at Christmas. The pralines turned out to be candied pecans. I finally ordered this digital candy thermometer.

While I was waiting for the candy thermometer to come in (delayed because of the ice and snow), I got impatient! I tried the pralines again with the same old thermometer. They weren’t as bad as the ones I made in December. They tasted great, but if you’re weren’t careful, you would break a tooth!!!

I am going to give it another shot without over-cooking them. This candy thermometer is digital and has a longer stem. I will keep you posted.

Here are a couple more items from Walmart:

A hand holding a green-handled metal ice cream scoop above a black stovetop with white knobs and a white kettle in the background, perfectly capturing those cozy Apron Strings moments in the kitchen.
A woman wears a pink and black plaid button-up shirt over a white crop top and light blue ripped jeans. With long, wavy blonde hair and a gold necklace, she exudes casual charm—apron strings nowhere in sight, just effortless style.

The Top Links People Ask For

I feel like I share these links all of the time. However, when people have asked me for them, I have had a hard time finding them in a post or newsletter.

A collage features a floral Eiffel Tower mug on a warmer, a woman in an olive green loungewear set holding coffee, and a beige devotional book with a rose gold notebook on the table. Text: "Most Asked for Links." Cozy moments tied together like apron strings.

Upcoming Posts and Events

Posts

  • Legacy Tours
  • Making a Family Recipe Book
  • When the missionaries came for dinner (the funny story & the recipe)
  • Gizmo’s Story
  • A New Bible Reading Plan for 2026
  • Homemade Chimichangas

Events

So many people ask me about the Bibles I am making for my grandchildren for their graduation, so I thought I would pull together a little webinar to show how to do them. This would be a free online event, either by Zoom or social media.

An open Bible with handwritten notes on life applications in the margins sits on a wooden table, decorated with greenery, gold candlesticks, and a pink ornament labeled “Joy.”.

I am still working on the upcoming webinar to share what I have learned about taking notes in Bibles and making them personalized for my grandchildren. It really is a fun project. I hope you will join me this February. The date and time will be announced soon. Please let me know if you are interested.

Someone sent me a question asking exactly what a webinar was, so I thought other people may have the same question. If you let me know that you are interested, I will send a link by email for you to join me for an online meeting. I will go through what I do and give ideas. Afterward, I will open it up for questions and other ideas that you may have.

I would love to see how many people are interested in joining me for this. If you would be interested, please let me know either by commenting below or emailing me at susan@homewithgraceandjoy.com.

I hope you will grab a Bible and join me.

Let’s Connect

I would love to stay connected. Subscribe below to receive posts and updates sent directly to your inbox.

We can also connect on social media. Click the icons below to connect with me. You will find pictures and ideas along with scriptures on these platforms each day.

I am planning to start a video Bible Study series that will be on these social media channels. I would love it if you would follow along. Just click on the icon for the social media platform you like best and follow.

Related Posts

Apron Strings & Blessings – Vol. 28
Apron Strings & Blessings – Vol. 26
Apron Strings & Blessings – Vol. 25
Apron Strings & Blessings – Vol. 24

I have enjoyed sharing this week!

A delicate circular floral wreath encircles the message "have a grace & joy-filled day—controlling the tongue!" with the name "susan" below, all depicted in soft brown and green
disclosure

disclosure: Amazon affiliate advertising program and other affiliate links may be used on this page. Thank you for supporting Home with Grace and Joy. When you purchase an item, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. See my full disclosure and privacy policy on the website. 

“How sweet Your Word is to my taste – sweeter than honey in my mouth.”
Psalm 119:103

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3 Comments

  1. Percolated coffee is the best

    Reply

  2. I haven’t had percolated coffee, chicken and dumplings, or pralines in forever, Susan! I love all of them, though, so this post definitely brings me back. Can’t wait to hear about your candy thermometer and thanks for the banana pudding tip! Hugs, CoCo

    Reply

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