mhmm monday

Another super yum dessert to try from this website.

Raspberry Lemonade Pound Cake

Ingredients:
3 cups granulated sugar
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup fresh grated lemon zest (about 3-4 large lemons)
5 large eggs, room temperature
¾ cup fresh lemon juice (about 3-4 large lemons)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
12 ounces fresh raspberries, washed and drained

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine lemon zest and sugar. The sugar will become yellow and the mixture will smell aromatic when it is ready. Add butter, mix until mixed. Add eggs beat until well combined. Sprinkle salt and baking powder into batter and beat until combined. Add flour 1 cup at a time, alternating with ½ of lemon juice. Add ½ of the raspberries (about 6 ounces), stir to combine.
Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan. Sprinkle the reserved raspberries over top and gently press into the batter with a spatula (this will help keep the raspberries from all ending up on the top). Tap pan on the counter several times to release air bubbles. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes or until a thin sharp knife comes out of the center clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Place a plate over the pan and flip cake onto plate to continue cooling completely. You may have to tap pan a few times with a knife to release from pan.

GLAZE
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh grated lemon zest
12 ounces fresh raspberries, washed and drained

While cake is cooling prepare the glaze. Combine sugar, lemon juice and zest. Beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Glaze should be the consistency of corn syrup, add more powdered sugar (a tablespoon at a time) if necessary to thicken glaze. I added about 10 raspberries to the icing to make it pink, reserved the rest for garnish.
Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake. Garnish with reserved raspberries.
Enjoy!

Blessings

Beautiful Thing ~ week # 39

On Sunday, we were in Toronto supporting our daughter as she ran the Island Girl Half-Marathon. 
 
The road was long, with the bends and curves that hid the end from view and despite the rain and the wind, our island girl gave it her best and ran the race in 2:01:38... WOW!   Folks that’s 21.1K in just over 2 hours…

These moments ~ these are the snapshots of life that are the treasures that I cherish.

Life happens, and it happens quick! And if we’re not careful we can miss the moments, both big and small. 

“Enjoy the little things,

for one day you may look back

and realize they were the big things.”

~ Robert Brault

Too often, I've allowed too many other things to clutter my mind and have therefore lost my focus on what is truly important.

As you to take some time this week, may you be encouraged to take notice of the many blessings that are in your life.

What was your beautiful thing this week?

Blessings

Listen to God...

YOU SAY...                                                                      GOD SAYS...

I am afraid …                                                                                        2 Timothy 1:7

I am no longer useful because I am weak and broken...         2 Corinthians 12:9

If I had enough faith, I would be healed...                                   John 16:33

I am alone…                                                                                         Matthew 28:20

My situation is hopeless...                                                             Hebrews 6:19-20

It is impossible to live like this...                                                 Luke 18:27  

There is no good that can come from this…                             2  Corinthians 1:4  
 
I can no longer showcase Christ...                                                2 Corinthians 4:6-7   

I don't know how to pray anymore...                                             Romans 8:26
 
I'm too tired to keep fighting…                                                    Exodus 14:14   

God doesn't love me…                                                                       John 3:16    
 
I have no one who understands...                                                 Hebrews 4:15  

I need to understand why this is happening...                         Proverbs 3:5-6 
 
I am no longer beautiful...                                                            1 Samuel 16:7   

I need help...                                                                                       Hebrews 4:16

I can't do this...                                                                                   Philippians 4:13

What does the fture hold...                                                         Jeremiah 29:11

{all scriptures are NIV from biblegateway.com}

Too often I find myself listening to what I say or even the what the world has to say, I need to remember listen to what God says.

Who do you listen to?

Blessings

Perhaps

Last week was a challenging week for me.  I was hurting all over.  Life with a chronic illness is always hard, but there are some days when it is particularly difficult to face life with courage and joy. I'm physically tired and it wears me down, and sometimess, I grow so weary from the fight. It’s been a real struggle.

If you have an invisible illness you have likely heard people say, “well, you look fine” or “you just need to keep pushing yourself”, or “we all have health issues” and quite possibly the worst one is “you’re just lucky that you can afford to not work”.  I'm sorry ~ what? Despite the cliché sayings about “sticks and stones” ~ words can hurt.

Sharp, cutting words can wound us deeply. And sadly, the deepest wounds often come from those we love and care about. When we are already sinking low from illness, and a sharp tongue stabs us through the heart, we can be brought even lower. Why do simple, even well-intentioned words hurt so much?

As my chronic illness stays, well... chronic... people start to question the validity of it. I want to be able to share the ups and downs but not sound like I am complaining, but sometimes it’s all just too much, you know?

I guess there will always be people who will be sceptical about how much my life is impacted by my condition. We are each on a life journey and that journey may take us in many directions; our paths will cross with many people ~ some we will value and others we may wish we haven’t met at all. 

Life can be tough and sometimes we feel like we are facing it alone. May we remember that that is when Christ carries us.

One thing I am sure of, however, is that God does want us to have friends on this journey. Perhaps we should remind ourselves to be more helpful, walking alongside each other as we travel this journey together. 

Blessings

mhmm monday

Muffins are always great to have on hand. So when the Mennonite Girls can Cook posted this recipe, I knew it one to add to the list to help welcome the autumn season
Whole wheat Carrot Applesauce Muffins 

Ingredients:
¾ cups of brown sugar
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
2 cups grated carrots
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 ¼ cups milk
½ cup oil
4 beaten eggs

Directions:
Combine the first 9 ingredients coating the raisins and carrots well with the flour mixture.
In a separate bowl combine all the wet ingredients.
Mix well but do not over mix.
Bake in a preheated oven at 375 for 15-20 minutes. {makes 18}
Enjoy!

Blessings

Beautiful Thing ~ week # 38

It started last Saturday when my daughter and I spent most of the day making salsa.   We found ourselves with time at the end of the day to take a walk through the park trail and with the beautiful weather we took advantage of it.

On Tuesday, “the kids” needed some help moving furniture from one place to another and of course we were willing to loan them our truck and one able body {her dad}.  After enjoying a sumptuous dinner, our evening concluded with… that’s right, taking another walk together, this time through town.

Thursday found the two of us together again, when I worked at the centre for her. She then treated me with a trip to Costco and no trip to there is complete without Starbucks.

Spending time together is always fun. These are moments that are the real treasures in life.

What was your beautiful thing this week?

Blessings

{not} a party

there are some days, like today, the pain flare ups still get to me and i sit here and have my own little pity party.  

pain wouldn’t be so bad, if it didn’t hurt so much.

i am a type-a person, and a planner {shocking, i know}. despite those qualities, i still had no idea that these were headed my way! having been diagnosed with a chronic illness reminded me that i, alone can not control what happens in my life. but being the control freak that i am, it still wreaked havoc in my head. i was afraid because i had no idea how to deal with it all.

my life journey took a turn i never expected, or one i had planned for.  i stressed and worried; i created alternate endings in my mind. i dreamt of how different it could be if only…

it’s hard to let go.

but since there is nothing i can do. i must learn to accept the limitations that i have and only do what it is that i can do and to stop comparing myself to others. when i am tempted to overdo to prove that i am just as capable as other people, i need to remind myself it is okay to say no. it doesn’t make it easier, but it is affecting me less; and my trust in God is growing.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” {Proverbs 3:5&6 New International Version {NIV}}.

there will be circumstances beyond our control, decisions that we will make ~ both right and wrong. we think that our lives will work out in a certain way, but then things change and the reality is far different it can be hard to accept.  while i may not know what the future holds, i do know the one who holds my future.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 {New International Version {NIV}}

Blessings

Salsa Making 101

First you start with the best recipe

Aunt Ginny's Salsa

8 cups peeled, chopped tomatoes {scald in boiling water for 10 seconds, put in cold water and peel}
1 cup each chopped green and yellow pepper
6 jalepeno peppers, no seeds
2 jalepeno pepperss, with seeds
2 cups chopped cooking onion
3-4 cloves of minced garlic
Mix together and add
3/4 cup vinegar
2 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp basil
3/4 tsp pepper
3/4 Tbsp parsley
3/4 Tbsp sugar
Combine and cook uncovered for 1 - 1 1/2 hours until thickened.
Remove from heat and stir in 2 samll tins of tomato paste.
Pour into jars and seal.

then find an amazing partner...

I,  we find it difficult to convert bushels to cups, and even how many cups you'll get from 1 pepper and such, so we bought ...

1/2 bushel of tomatoes
9 large green peppers
9 medium yellow peppers
6 large cooking onions
60 jalepeno peppers

and we kinda guessed that from that we would get 10 "batches".

After we spent over two hours chopping all the vegetables, and dividing them into cooking pots, we quickly realized that we would only get 7 batches and so, we then had to adapt the recipe to what we had bought...

then make up your own recipe:
6 cups tomatoes
2 cups green peppers
1 cup yellow peppers
2 1/4 cups onions
1 1/2 cups jalepeno peppers {all with seeds}....
5 - 6 cloves of minced garlic

everything else we followed to the letter, well except we didn't add the sugar, but other than that... and you know what?, it turned out quite good.

And that my friends is how you make salsa!

Blessings

mhmm monday

With strawberry season winding down, I knew I wanted to make one more dessert before all the Ontario grown berries are done. 

Frozen Strawberry Crunch Cake 

Ingredients: 
1 box Nature Valley Granola Bars
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
6 tablespoons melted butter
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 lemon
4 ounces cream cheese
1 1/2 cups freshly chopped strawberries

Directions:
Put the Nature Valley granola bars in a food processor and process until you achieve a course crumb.
In a large bowl, add the crumbs, brown sugar, flour and melted butter and mix together. Then spread into an 8x8-inch pan that has been covered with parchment paper. Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes. Let cool. Then divide in half and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine eggs whites and sugar and mix on high. Add the heavy cream and continue mixing for another 5 minutes.
Continue to add the fresh squeezed lemon juice and softened cream cheese. Mix on low speed until incorporated.
Fold the fresh strawberries into the cream mixture.
In a buttered glass cake pan, press half of the crumb crust mixture on the bottom. Top with strawberry mix and then add the remaining crumbs to the top.
Cover and freeze for three hours or more and enjoy!
Enjoy!

Blessings

Beautiful Thing ~ week # 37

Autumn is perhaps my favourite of all the seasons.

I love the warm days and cooler nights, pumpkin spice lattes, the garden sharing the bounty of what we planted in the early spring, cozy sweaters, the leaves changing colours, and the smell … ooh I love the smell of all things fall.

So when Krystle and Gerard gave me this gift from Bath & Body Works,

as a way of saying thank - you for “working” at the centre, I was overjoyed.

Cinnamon, Pecan and Pumpkin, oh my! ~ it really doens't get much better than that! 

 

What was your beautiful thing this week?

 

Blessings

Seriously?!?

“Could you just not do it that way?” I blurted out.

I could blame it all on being tired, I guess. I’m an introvert, which means sometimes I run out of words completely. When I’m tired, even forming words into sentences seems like too much effort. Being kind and explaining my ideas gently is nearly impossible when I’m running low on energy.

He wanted me to make him a quick snack, but I was simply too tired to make it. And so he decided to make it for himself.

And that’s when I snapped at him.

Could you

Just

Not

Do it

That way.

So while I could blame it on being tired, really I was just angry.

And then I realized, just how selfish I was being. There isn’t one right way to do it…not really.  In fact, there isn't one right way to anything.

Why then, is it something we fight about? 

Seriously, we should be more understanding to each other and explain ourselves rather than presume to think that they know how we’d like it to be done. Developing a deeper/closer relationship is all about communication. 

Blessings

With Intention

One thing I’ve been trying to do this year is be intentional with my life. By that I mean, I am intentionally making choices about who I spend my days with, what come out of my mouth, and especially what I do with my time.  There are only so many hours in the day. So how do we decide what to do with those hours? Or do we just let life happen to us?

Usually we think of a balanced life in terms of how much time we have {or don’t have} for fun, relaxation, or how we can juggle our to-do lists. But what if we thought of a balanced life in terms of how effective we are in serving God in all the ways He calls us? Are we putting “first things first” or are we doing life all backwards and then wondering why it feels out of balance?

“But, seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 {New International Version {NIV}}

How I organize my time or where I focus my attention definitely impacts whether I feel like my days were well-spent or if I was running too fast in the wrong direction. I can exhaust myself when I make choices that are inconsistent with God’s ultimate purpose.

There are a million things I could do with my time. I can let a day get away from me by simply letting life happen.  Yet my desire is to intentionally make choices in my life so I can avoid the unnecessary distractions that pull me away from what God has called me to.

How do you find a Godly balance in life?

Blessings

mhmm monday

Do you ever tire of making the same thing over and over and over again? … yah, me too. So I decided to use the google on the internet machine and entered “bbq, ranch, chicken” into the search engine and this is one of many recipes that I found.

Ranch BBQ Chicken 

Ingredients:
1 cup Orange Juice
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup Ranch Light Dressing
1/4 cup Barbecue Sauce
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, add the chicken and orange juice. Chill covered for 2 hours, turning once or twice.
In a small bowl, combine barbecue sauce and dressing and stir until smooth.
Arrange the chicken on a parchment-lined baking sheet and discard any remaining marinade. Brush the chicken evenly with the sauce mixture.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the juices run clear.
Enjoy!

Blessings

Anniversary

Yesterday marked 28 years for us.

When I got married I could have never foreseen the hills and valleys of the next nearly three decades of living and breathing daily life with someone. In fact, I could have never even foreseen being almost fifty {gasp!} and living the life that I have.

“They” say that two middle-born children do not make good partners for each other, that they have too much of the same characteristics. Spending the last 28 years together we’ve sure said a lot of things to each other, some nice, and some, well not so nice. We’ve certainly have had our quota of disagreements, arguments and differs in opinions.  We’ve gone through times of better or worse, richer or poorer, sickness and health and have definitely had our share of changes.

God likely enjoyed Himself when he matched the two of us, opposites in so many ways, except that we’re both strong-willed and opinionated. I’d say we’re lovers and fighters. 

It’s been just the two of us for the past few years now. And I'd to like to think we’ve settled into this new lifestyle. One with its share of ups and downs, good times and bad times, and one I wouldn’t change for the world.

For us, we’ve raised three amazing kids, each who have moved out on their own ~ one of whom is happily married.  And when I look at our amazing children I have no doubt that he was and is The One.

Because when we said “I do” it meant that we will for the end of all time stay faithful and true ~ not until we no longer feel like being together or no longer “love” each other. 

Blessings

Beautiful Thing ~ week # 36

It's been a week of getting back into routine around here.  With school back in full swing, we both find ourselves trying to adjust to new routines and changes.  Since the Farmer hubs is also a bus driver for the St. Anne's Catholic highschool, we find that our morning routines have been somewhat more challenging. 

But it's been good too.

 

While the farming season does have its seasons of being super busy, there are also many times that we find ourselves with much more time on our hands than he knows what to do with.  Which ironically starts to drive me crazy...  so when the bus pulled into the farmyard last week, I knew that things would soon start to change and we'd find ourselves in a new normal.

 

What was your beautiful thing this week?

 

Blessings

Daily Routine

OK, it’s confession time!

I’m not a very good Christian.

I struggle to trust in God at times and frequently choose to go my own way, rather than patiently wait on God.

I often feel completely inadequate when it comes to sharing the Gospel with others. Because too often, I have doubts, and have more questions than I have answers.

I constantly allow busyness and distractions to crowd God out of my life.

Normally, I don’t play many games online, but am on the computer to read, write, watch movies and chat with my son and since I’m being honest here, I check in with the world via Facebook.

At the beginning of the year I set for myself 14 goals to achieve in 2014 one of which is to “Develop a better discipline in my life by spending time in God’s Word each day”.  And I’d been doing really good until about 8 weeks ago when we took a summer vacation and I got out of routine.

 

After we came home, I found it difficult to get back at it. And then one morning, as I sat the computer I went to a gaming site and started playing “Family Barn”. Each and every morning, I’d find myself sitting at the computer playing this stupid game for hours on end.

I felt horrible. Each morning as the game opened I realized that this was NOT a good use of my time and yet... there I sat. It’s easy to see how addictive these games can be, just one more life, just one more friend request, one more try. So I’ve deleted the link and pulled out my Bible and said a little prayer asking God to forgive me for choosing a game first. Our routines should include reading God’s Word and sharing it with friends or family, praying and developing a closer relationship with God.

We often hear or even say that we don’t have time to study the Bible, we don’t have time for God. Yet, millions of people are playing these games every single day, time that could be used to read a verse, or two verses or answer a few questions on what they have learned. But to say you don’t have time for God when you have time for games, stopping for a coffee, waiting in a drive- thru line, window shopping, watching t.v., online browsing etc., etc., etc., is a bold faced lie.  You mean, you don’t have fifteen minutes at any point in your day, even if its three five minute breaks to pull up scripture and read?

We need God.

We need to put God first.

If we don’t put God first we won’t have a relationship with God and if we don’t have a relationship with God then HOW is He supposed to be able to help us in our times of need?

So as I wake each day this had become my prayer, that before I sit at the computer and open up my email, play a game, check Facebook, write a blogpost, or get busy doing something else, that I pick up God’s Word and take the time to get to know Him. That I’ll seek Him throughout the day as other things come along.  As we make these activities a priority, we realize that we need them in order to have the peace, patience and enough for everything we do.

What’s your daily routine?

Blessings

mhmm monday

er, I mean Tuesday. Because yesterday was his birthday and my OCD really struggled with whether or not to publish two posts on one day or pick which post to be a day late on and so I went with the latter...  

From another one of my favourite recipe websites comes this yummy and unique twist to a scrumptious new dessert.

Margarita Cupcakes with Lime Buttercream

For the Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 package white cake mix
1 c thawed frozen margarita mix
juice of 1 medium lime
zest of 1 medium lime
3 large egg whites
3 T vegetable oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Line a standard cupcake pan with cupcake papers.
Mix all the ingredients together until well combined.
Place about 1/3 a c of cupcake batter into each cupcake paper.
Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool completely before frosting.

For the Buttercream
Ingredients:
1 c of softened butter
6 c confectioners sugar
2t vanilla
Juice of 2 small limes
Zest of 2 small limes
Candied fruits for topping.

Directions:
Cream the butter until light and fluffy.
Add the sugar a little at a time until butter and sugar are combined.
Add the vanilla and then lime juice, continue to mix.
Add the lime zest at the last minute of mixing.
Pipe on cupcakes and then place candied fruit on top.
Enjoy!

Blessings

Spike

A quick shout-out to our middle born, oldest son, Kyle, who celebrates his birthday today!

 

Happy Birthday, Spike!  What a blessing you are!  With your great sense of humour, and quick wit, and your willingness to lend a hand to those around you.  You have a towering and somewhat intimidating stature and yet you have an immensely gracious heart.  You are more than willing to see the best in those you come into contact with and you are passionate about what you do.  Wishing you many more birthday blessings.  Love Mom & Dad

 

Blessings