mhmm monday

Especially in winter, there’s nothing better than dunking crusty bread into a big bowl of creamy pumpkin soup. This recipe is ridiculously easy, and if you have an immersion blender it's a one-pot-wonder.

Classic Pumpkin Soup

{photo credit and recipe website}

Ingredients
2lb/1 kg pumpkin (any), chopped into large chunks (remove skin and seeds)

2 medium onions, sliced

2 cloves of garlic

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup milk 

Salt and pepper

Directions:
Combine all ingredients (except salt and pepper) in a saucepan and bring to boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until pumpkin is tender.
Remove from heat and use a stick blender to blend until smooth. If you don't have a stick blender, use a blender.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve with crusty bread.
Variations: For a richer finish, substitute the milk with cream, but add after blending and do not bring to boil.
Garnishes: Dollop of yogurt, sour cream or creme fraiche goes wonderfully.
Enjoy!

Take Care

His Grace

It's the end of a long day and I'm staring at the list of what I had hoped to do... let's just say that there are more things still on the list than what I could get accomplished.

And the things I did get done? Well, the one load of laundry that made it to the washing machine finally did get put into the dryer, after sitting in the washer ALL DAY. The muffins I planned to bake are waiting for the hubs to go and get me eggs, so I can finish. And {gulp} I spent more time than possibly needed sitting at the computer lost in the virtual world. 
Not one thing went according to plan. Not one meaningful thing got accomplished. I feel defeated. I feel like I had failed. Again.

Please tell me you’ve had a day, week, month, like that, too?

Now if any one of my friends experienced something like this and was brave enough to share it, I would immediately tell them that they're not expected to be Superwoman.

She doesn’t need to have it all together all the time. She should give herself a little grace.

But when I'm talking to myself it usually sounds more like this: "Why can't you get your act together? How difficult is it to do laundry, make dessert or spend your time a little more wisely? When will you ever get it right?"

Grace is for everyone. Well, except for me.   At least that's how it plays out in my mind, time and time again. I’m a mess. I screw things up. A lot. Things in my life are far from perfect. And because of all that, I tell myself, I don't deserve grace.

But can I let you in on a secret?

None of us “deserves“ it. That's why it's called grace. It's lesson I'm learning every day, albeit a bit slowly. But I'm trying to!

So, can we help each other out? 

Can we remind each other that even though we don’t deserve grace, we are worthy of it. And can we remind ourselves that although our imperfections won't ever go away, neither will God and His never ending grace.

'But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.' 2 Corinthians 12:9 {New International Version {NIV}}  

I don't know about you, but that's enough for me to take another look at today's list . . . tomorrow!

Take Care

Thankful Thursdays

…and so we continue counting the things we are thankful for…

326. flannel blankets

327. christmas lights 

328. christmas parades

329. freshly fallen snow

330. game nights 

331. text messages from “the kids”

332. grandson's smiles 

Will you join me as we begin to be truly thankful for each day, and for each opportunity given to us, and who knows? we might just see how truly blessed we really are.

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart!

Take Care

tasty tuesday

With a bit of brownie, a smidge of peanut butter and double decker stack of Oreos, these little treats are naughty but oh so necessary.  

Hope you enjoy this ultra sweet little cake!

Oreo and Peanut Butter Brownie Cakes

{photo credit and recipe website}

Ingredients:
1 box brownie mix, 8×8 inch size 
 24 Oreo Cookies 
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a 12 muffin cup baker with paper liners. 
Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. 
For each cupcake cup spread 1 teaspoon of peanut butter over 2 Oreo cookies and stack them on top of each other. 
Spoon 2 Tablespoons of brownie batter over each stacked oreos and let it run down the sides of the cookies. 
If you have left over brownie batter, bake separately in a separate baker or muffin tin. 
Bake cookies and brownies for 18 to 20 minutes, until brownies are cooked through. Let cool completely then serve. Makes 12 servings
Enjoy!

Take Care

Writing

I had a great blog post all ready to go today. When I finally sat down to type it, I went blank.

Some days it is so tempting to quit blogging all together. There are days when I am overwhelmed with all the thoughts than run amok through my head.  Sometimes I think it would be easier to just pack it all in.

Some days the words just flow and other days I just sit and think and think and think...

Why is it so hard? 

Some days I find that my mind is so distracted, and it can be extremely difficult to write something... anything...

I've put so much pressure on myself that I sometimes wonder why I continue blogging. But then, someone will leave a comment that I've encouraged them with the words I've written.

I plan to continue blogging even/especially on days like today when I have to dig deep to find something to say.

There is just something about sharing my thoughts, imperfect as they are. 

Take Care

A thankful reminder

Today, in my “Jesus Calling” devotional by Sarah Young, I read:

Thank me throughout this day for My Presence and my Peace. These are gifts of supernatural proportions.  Ever since the resurrection, I have comforted My followers with these messages: Peace be with you, and I will with you always. 
Listen as I offer you My peace and Presence  in full measure.  The best way to receive these glorious gifts is to thank me for them.
It is impossible to spend too much time thanking and praising Me.  I created you first and foremost to glorify Me.  Thanksgiving and praise put you in proper relationship with Me, opening the way for My riches to flow into you. As you thank Me for My Presence and Peace you appropriate My richest gifts. 

Luke 24:36 {New International Version {NIV}}

While they were still talking about his, 

Jesus himself stood among them 

and said to them, "Please be with you." 

Matthew 28: 20 {New International Version {NIV}}

"And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. 

And surely I am will you always, to the very end of the age.

Hebrews 13:35 {New International Version {NIV}}

Through Jesus, therefore,

 let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - 

the fruit of lips that confess his name.

Take Care

Thankful Thursdays

…and so we continue counting the things we are thankful for…

319. mittens

320. christmas craft shows

321. firefighters

322. poinsettias

323. homemade popcorn

324. pumpkin muffins

325. winter boots

Will you join me as we begin to be truly thankful for each day, and for each opportunity given to us, and who knows? we might just see how truly blessed we really are.

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart!

Take Care

Book Review ~ Justice

Having not read the first book in this series, I wasn't sure how well I'd like this one, or if I would be able to follow the story line..  not to fear though, I still liked this one very much and it wasn't difficult to follow the storyline.

From the inside cover:
Feisty criminal attorney Jessica Ford has done her best to comply with the orders of the Secret Service's unofficial witness protection program ever since she became the lone witness to the First Lady's murder. She changed her name, dyed her dark hair blonde, and traded her sturdy black-rimmed glasses for contact lenses. Unfortunately, winning her first high-profile case for prestigious Washington, D.C., law firm Ellis Hayes, and subsequently landing her face all over the news, is not exactly "keeping a low profile." Or so says hunky Secret Service agent Mark Ryan, whose newest assignment—despite Jess's stubborn protests—is keeping her safe at all costs. It just so happens he's also her ex-boyfriend.
As Jess hurtles closer to the truth ~ and the sexual tension between her and Mark grows hotter than ever~ she finds herself in a race against the clock to find the answers before what she doesn't know gets them both killed.

Justice is Karen Robards at her very best, which is simply outstanding. Terrific characters, clever and witty repartee, titillating romance, and white knuckle danger combine to make this book another readerlicious treat for fans of romantic suspense.

Take Care

mhmm monday

This Lemon Raspberry Chia Pudding makes a refreshing and healthy snack recipe made with fresh or frozen berries and sweetened with a just a touch of honey!  It is also a great dessert for you or for guests!

Lemon Raspberry Chia Pudding

{photo credit and recipe website}

Ingredients:
2 cups milk (or any kind of milk would work)
4 1/2 T chia seeds
zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1 T honey (or agave or maple syrup if vegan)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large, sealable container. 
Make sure all chia seeds are mixed in.
Let sit overnight or for at least 8 hours.
Serve cold with toppings of choice (I added additional raspberries and honey)
Enjoy! 

Take Care

Autumn rest

Autumn has always been my favourite time of year. 

I love the crunching leaves and the warm days and cooler nights. The air seems to have the scent of brisk. 

It’s all so refreshing. 

I love the colours, 

and the flannel and everything fall.

Lately I’ve come to love autumn for an entirely different reason. Maybe it’s because I can get out less, or maybe it’s because I have such a hard time getting any real sleep. For whatever reason, I am recognizing fall as an invitation to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n.

An invitation to rest.

I see the layer of leaves as a comforting blankets that muffles footfalls and brings a hush to the forest. I recognize the brisk wind as the signal to hunker down and bundle up. The natural world is gathering and storing away. The animals are preparing their dens for a long season of slumber. The skies are gathering clouds to soften the sun. Even the trees are shedding their foliage in order to silently withstand winter’s coming bite.

Autumn... is calling me to rest.

Perhaps you need this invitation too? Give yourself some grace today. It’s okay to rest.

Take Care

Thankful Thursdays

…and so we continue counting the things we are thankful for… 

312. blankets

313. sunflowers

314. butternut squash soup

315. those who serve in the military

316. battery operated candles

317. autumn walks through the trail

318. the smell of a newborn

Will you join me as we begin to be truly thankful for each day, and for each opportunity given to us, and who knows? we might just see how truly blessed we really are.

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart! 

Take Care

tasty tuesday

This is it! The classic monkey bread recipe, oozing with warm caramel and cinnamon. Monkey bread is irresistible!

Pillsbury Monkey Bread

{photo credit and recipe website}

Ingredients:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cans (16.3 oz each) Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Flaky Layers refrigerated biscuits
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, if desired
1/2 cup raisins, if desired
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. 
Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube pan with shortening or cooking spray. 
In large -storage plastic food bag, mix granulated sugar and cinnamon.
Separate dough into 16 biscuits; cut each into quarters. 
Shake in bag to coat. 
Arrange in pan, adding walnuts and raisins among the biscuit pieces.
In small bowl, mix brown sugar and butter; pour over biscuit pieces.
Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center. 
Cool in pan 10 minutes. 
Turn upside down onto serving plate; pull apart to serve. 
Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Take Care

It's up to you

It’s a beautiful Monday.

That kind of sounds like an oxymoron ~ “(rhetoric) an epigrammatic effect, by which contradictory terms are used in conjunction: living death, fiend angelical”

Mondays for most people are the start of another long week of work, the day that most people dread. After the amazingly beautiful week of Indian summer weather we've had, it's hard to find any beauty in today. It's a cooler, no sun-shining, chillier-than-we've had, cloudy, stay-indoors kind of day. Some would say it’s an ugly day. A depressing day. A day to stay in bed.

The saying “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” has much truth to it. The beauty I see today might not be beauty to you at all. And that’s okay if we don’t see it in the same way.

Monday is a good day to begin small-moment living in a fast-moving world. To be thankful for the real-life moments of my day to day life.  This is where real life happens. On Monday afternoon. In the midst of laundry baskets, dirty dishes and desks covered with paperwork.

No longer do we have to choose between an ordinary life and an extraordinary one, because they are the same thing.

Take Care

November is...

Diabetes awareness month...

and I'd like to take a moment to honour our youngest son who was diagnosed 12 years ago, I've written a little about our journey here and here and here.

To my son;
I closed my eyes for but a moment and suddenly a man stood where a boy used to be.
I may not carry you now in my arms, but I will always carry you in my heart.
You have given me so many reasons to be proud of the man you have become,
but the proudest moment for me is telling others you are my son..

Sons are a blessing - especially mine!

Take Care

Thankful Thursdays

…and so we continue counting the things we are thankful for…

305. pecan pie

306. bacon

307. erasers

308. indian summer

309. yoga pants

310. daylight saving time ends

311. central vac

Will you join me as we begin to be truly thankful for each day, and for each opportunity given to us, and who knows? we might just see how truly blessed we really are.

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart!

Take Care

Book Review ~ Finding Sanctuary

A couple of months ago, we dived in and bought an iPad, for various reasons. One of them was that, I wanted to be able to download e books from my public library.

As I started to peruse the different titles and authors, “Gathering Shadows” by Nancy Mehl caught my attention.

From the cover; 
Wynter Evans is a promising young reporter for a television station in St. Louis, but even a bright future doesn't take away her pain over the disappearance of her brother nine years ago. So when she stumbles across a photograph of a boy with an eerie resemblance to him, she can't pass up the chance to track him down. With research for work as her cover, she sets out with one of the station's photogs for the place where the picture was taken: the town of Sanctuary. Almost as soon as she arrives, she meets the town's handsome young mayor, Rueben King, and together they begin to uncover long held secrets that could tear the small town apart and change everything Wynter thought she knew about her life. As the truth of her family's past hides in the shadows, it's clear someone will stop at nothing to keep the answers she's searching for hidden forever--even if the cost is Wynter's very life. 

Gathering Shadows is built on such an interesting premise. Investigate reporter, missing brother, quiet “Mennonite” community. The story started out a little slow, but I liked how we learned a little bit here and there from Wynter, and eventually from her father about their family life. Every piece of information the author allows us to discover, slowly places the pieces of this puzzle together.

Naturally, there is light romance in the novel between our heroine and the honorary mayor of Sanctuary. However, their romance, although sweet, was not the driving force in the story for me. As I passed the halfway point in the book, the action and suspense in the story began to pick up and the romance begins to feel like a good fit.

I really enjoyed this story from start to finish. The author did a great job of creating a suspenseful story that kept me guessing over portions of the mystery until the very end. I definitely look forward to reading more books in the “Finding Sanctuary” series. 

How about you? Have you read any of Nancy Mehl's books?

This was the first time I've read this author and I really enjoyed the story. I love books with a mystery or a little suspense attached to them. Definitely a page turner from the first chapter. For once I didn't figure out “whodunit” until it was revealed. I had my ideas but, oh boy, was I wrong!

Take Care

mhmm monday

This crisp buttery crust mixed with the creamy eggs and cheesy filling is fabulous add in some ham, broccoli and lots of cheese and you've got yourself a scrumptious dinner. Or add any fillings you like ... mushrooms, sausage, peppers spinach the choices are endless.

Easy Ham and Broccoli Quiche 

{photo credit and recipe website}

Ingredients: 
1 (9-inch) Deep-Dish frozen pie crust
1 Tbl. butter or olive oil
½ c. onion, finely chopped
2 c. fresh broccoli, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 c. diced cooked ham (leftover or deli ham)
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
¼ c. Feta cheese
4 eggs
1 c. milk
salt and pepper
1 tsp. smoked paprika

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. 
Add the onion and broccoli and saute for a few minutes or until tender. 
Add the garlic and saute for 30 more seconds. 
Stir in the ham and pour mixture into frozen pie crust. 
Top with Cheddar and Feta.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper and pour over fillings in the crust. Sprinkle with smoked paprika. 
Place pie crust over a cookie sheet and bake for around 45 minutes or until center is set. 
Cool for 30 minutes before slicing. 
Slice into 6 wedges.
Enjoy!

Take Care

Happy November

a new month - for new beginnings

one doesn't need to wait for a new year to start again... each month, in fact each day can be a new beginning

here's to another day!

take care