{"id":1610,"date":"2012-08-16T19:11:05","date_gmt":"2012-08-16T23:11:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/smalltownamerica\/?p=1610"},"modified":"2012-08-16T20:28:47","modified_gmt":"2012-08-17T00:28:47","slug":"homemade-is-always-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/smalltownamerica\/2012\/08\/homemade-is-always-best.html","title":{"rendered":"Homemade is Always Best"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever gone to a family reunion or church potluck and found that half of the food came straight from the store?\u00a0 These occasions used to be a time to share and taste each other’s recipes.\u00a0 We had a picnic here a few weeks ago and ended up with potato salad from Krogers, baked beans right out of the can and s store bought birthday cake.\u00a0 Why?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>It isn’t that people don’t know how to cook and bake for themselves.\u00a0 We have just become so lazy that we won’t take the time to make it ourselves.\u00a0 I have a friend that makes the best baked beans ever.\u00a0 They start in\u00a0 a can, but when she adds ham, onions, mustard, and molasses and bakes them for a couple of hours……Oh my, are they good!<\/p>\n

My niece makes a wonderful red velvet cake with frosting to die for.\u00a0 My potato salad and deviled eggs are always a hit.\u00a0 I also bake all my own Christmas, Valentine, and Easter cookies.\u00a0 One of doctors begs me to bring him cookies because his wife won’t bake for him.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>When I was on the east coast this summer I found a cafe’ that actually made home made potato chips.\u00a0 They were so fresh and crispy; nothing like those out of a bag.\u00a0 Texas sheet cake is something you don’t\u00a0find in the store, at least not a good one.\u00a0 It calls for cooked frosting, NOT out of a can.\u00a0 What about fresh tapioca pudding, is there anything better?<\/p>\n

My point is that we should slow down and take the time to make home made things.\u00a0 People enjoy them all the more because they know you cared enough to make instead of buy.\u00a0 Everything is better if it is made with love and care.<\/p>\n

Sometimes we try this approach with God.\u00a0 He asks us to spend time with a lonely old lady, but we send her flowers instead.\u00a0 Flowers aren’t bad, they just aren’t the best.\u00a0 God says help feed the hungry by working at the soup kitchen, we give an extra offering to the food pantry.\u00a0 God tells us to go pray for a friend, but we decide a phone call will work just as well.\u00a0 It seems we are too busy to do things God’s way.<\/p>\n

Whether it’s cookies or conversation, it’s always best to give from your heart and put love and effort into what you are doing.\u00a0 People appreciate it more and it pleases God.\u00a0 So, no more excuses!\u00a0 I want some Texas sheet cake.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you ever gone to a family reunion or church potluck and found that half of the food came straight from the store?\u00a0 These occasions used to be a time to share and taste each other’s recipes.\u00a0 We had a picnic here a few weeks ago and ended up with potato salad from Krogers, baked…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":420,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,36],"tags":[29,44,50],"class_list":["post-1610","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-encouragement","category-just-for-fun","tag-family","tag-food","tag-hearing-god"],"yoast_head":"\nHomemade is Always Best - Small Town America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/smalltownamerica\/2012\/08\/homemade-is-always-best.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Homemade is Always Best - 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