I unsuccessfully made Christmas candy again.

It looked so easy in the recipe.   But my finished product looks nothing like it does in the magazine.

I prefer to say that I'm a terrible cook, but I'd be glossing over the real problems I have that result in my less than delectable grub.

I don't follow directions.  I basically skim over the recipe. Directions saying to cook something for 1 to 1 1/2 hours are viewed as a suggestion.  It's perfectly fine to cook your dish 38 minutes at a higher temperature when you're in a hurry.  Things like sifting, double broiling and blanching are really unnecessary....which brings me to my next point.

I omit ingredients. Does that hamburger casserole really need onions? I don't want to cry...or chop.  Onions don't make me happy.  Seasonings are expensive. Does the 1/8 teaspoon of coriander really make a difference?

I substitute.  Dried cherries aren't that different than Craisins are they?  They're both dried, red fruits.

I add.  Red Pepper makes most any dish better.  Salt is a given whether the recipe calls for it or not.

I don't measure either.

The iphone has advanced my recipe library. I simply take a screen-shot of the ingredients, ignoring the instructions. Things like the order of the ingredients and cooking time can be figured out well enough by guessing.  I generally cook everything at 350 degrees.

And then I wonder.  Why didn't things turn out? Today as I look at the Peppermint Pretzel Candies renamed (for obvious reasons) "Christmas Trash", I'm wondering if this little problem of mine might apply more broadly than simply to my cooking, if that's what you call it.

Transparently speaking, I treat the Bible like I do recipes. I follow it only as it's convenient for me.  I omit the parts that are too much work or the parts that don't make me happy. And boy do I substitute; adding in ingredients not mentioned in the recipe.

I'm notorious for reading a single verse, ignoring the context or making up my own. It's little wonder why some of the promises in scripture don't seem to be reality in my life. I'm following some hybrid recipe for Christian living; God's recipe with my own special touch.

(Delight yourself in a bag of miniature chocolates and that cute flannel shirt at Target and).........delight yourself also in the LORD. -Psalm 37:4

I'm thankful, that in yet another example of grace, the "Christmas Trash" is edible.  Oh, how I'm thankful for grace. But one thing is becoming clear.

The sweet is sweeter when you actually follow the directions.

One more thing.

I'll share the short, incomplete version of the recipe (for Peppermint Pretzel Candies or the recipe to life).  But you better bet you'll do better to go straight to the source.

The thing about directions....is that they're meant to be followed.

All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16