November's Grace

First Monday counting....
                        when I share entries from my Gratitude Journal

3241- listening to music by Mozart in a beautiful concert hall

3242- warming my hands over the toaster

3243- afternoon tea with a cup of rooibus

3244- listening to TED talks

3245- fresh sage

3246- pizza party

3247-birthday cake, candles and balloons

3248- celebrating Mark's birthday with all the kids

3249- a crescent moon

3250- standing at the window watching the leaves float by

3251- peering through clean windows

3252- a hand made card from a friend

3253- an answered prayer

3254- news from a missionary friend serving in the Philippines

3255- medication

3256- clean water

3257- new shoes for exercising

3258- happy conversation in the knitting shop

3259-  flowers growing in unkempt gutters

3260- chunky guacamole made with plenty of jalapeños and limes

3261- a square on the calendar, with no writing!

3262- good health

3263- a full moon

3264- luscious desserts in tiny portions

3265- knitting on a rainy day

3266- afternoon tea with Kenzie

3267- hot chocolate in a favorite mug

3268- kitchen time with Tara

3269- fresh eggs from laying boxes

3270- roast chicken one night, chicken soup the next

3271- a little elf who picks out gifts her brothers would like and 

bookmarks them on my computer

3272- studying conference talks

3273- pictures of a happy couple

3274- the aroma of onions, celery and sage sautéing in butter

on Thanksgiving morning

3275- deep dish pumpkin pie with whipped cream

3276- snow on mountain peaks

3277- pumpkin waffles

3278- holding hands as we walk into church together

3279- preparing for Advent

3280- birds flying in formation southward

3281- dinner waiting in the crockpot after a long day

3282- carving the turkey

3283- a table ready for the feast

3284- Carol's christmas cactus in bloom

3285- a long weekend to spend with Mark

"When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things

for granted or take them with gratitude."

G. K. Chesterton

Vision Therapy and Looking Ahead With Eyes Wide Open

This week of Thanksgiving has been nice.  I've enjoyed thinking about my blessings and even though I try to have an attitude of gratitude every day, a few days, set aside for this very purpose lends itself to greater appreciation for the gifts I've been given. 

I know I am very blessed, but sometimes my heart aches for those blessings that I desire that haven't been realized.  The Lord knows all about them, even if I hadn't wearied Him with my pleading.  Over the past years, as I've struggled with understanding and patience, I've learned a few things about "expected" or "longed for blessings" and acceptance of the Lord's will, which is very often different from my own.  

One of my favorite religion teachers, Michael Wilcox, gave a talk once where he mentioned the concept of the given good vs. the expected good. (Here's the talk in it's entirety, if you'd like to read it).  I think of it often.  The basic gist of that message was this, we get so caught up in desiring blessings that we want and think we should have, that we don't open our eyes to the ones that the Lord already  has given and continues to give us.  In our sorrow and disappointment our vision becomes far sighted, we look in the distance for the good we desire and miss the wonderful gifts that are right in front of us.  I've been guilty of this so many times.

Even though I know without a doubt that God knows better than I do what I need in life, and is in control, I often slip into periods of sadness when I once again become fixated on those blessings in the far distance and if I'm not careful, can throw quite a pity party with myself as the guest of honor.  Holidays are perfect for partying and this kind is no exception.  


Over time though, I'm learning, that the key to 20/20 vision is keeping my eyes focused on Christ.  It's when I let my sight wander, that I begin to weaken and feel vulnerable to comparison and discontent.  And then I'm caught up in that expected good vs. given good dilemma.  

But today, the first day of December and the first Sunday of Advent, has been a very good day.  You might remember that I'm big on beginnings and this is the beginning of one of the happiest times of the year.   I'm ready to bask in the spirit of the celebration of Christ's birth.  Today was also Fast and Testimony meeting at our church and I dabbed my eyes with tissues throughout the meeting.   I was touched by the words of my friends and so thankful for their example and encouragement to me as I walk life's path.  I have been given many good gifts, and top of the list is Christ, and his atoning sacrifice, and the restored gospel.  I hope I can keep my eyes firmly focused on Him this Christmas.  I want it to be all about worshipping and serving and feeling His joy.  I want all of that to spill over into every relationship and family gathering.  I have plans to stay out of the malls, to enjoy quiet time at home and to keep as many blank spaces on my calendar as possible.   I want to be available for the things that really matter and so much of what happens at this time of year doesn't fit into that category.  I want to have near perfect vision, looking for Him in every person that I meet.  I love this thought from Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

"Jesus stands at the door knocking.  In total reality, he comes in the form of the beggar, of the dissolute human child in ragged clothes, asking for help.  He confronts you in every person that you meet.  As long as there are people, Christ will walk the earth as your neighbor, as the one through whom God calls you, speaks to you, makes a demand on you.  That is the great seriousness and great blessedness of the Advent message. Christ is standing at the door; he lives in the human being among us.  Do you want to close the door or open it?" 

Yep.  This is what really matters.  I want to be standing at the door, waiting to open when He knocks.  I can only do this, if I'm looking away from myself (and my perceived lack) and towards Him.  I've got to keep my eyes wide open for the "given good," because it's all around me.  In fact, there's a lot of "good" being given this time of year and I hope to be a part of it.  It's the very least I can do for the One who's given me the greatest gift of all.  

"If the Savior Stood Beside Me" - An Experiment

Artist: Liz Swindle

One of the nicest things about my calling in church is the opportunity I have to watch the children present their Sacrament Meeting Presentations.  One Sunday a year (the date varies, but it's always in the fall), in Mormon churches all over the world, the primary leaders and children are given time during the worship service to present a beautiful program, based on the theme for the year.  Through song and spoken words, the adults learn the gospel from the children.  Every child is given a part, from the littlest Sunbeams to the Valiants who are just getting ready to graduate from primary and move into the youth programs.  In the Asheville Stake (which covers thirteen congregations throughout western NC and just over the line into GA),  we have primaries of all sizes, from seventy children, all the way down to four.  Every program is wonderful though, because the children are wonderful.  And the adults who are blessed to be in attendance on that day, are always amazed at how well they sing, give talks (that they've written themselves) and recite scripture.  It's a really big day for the children, who stand in front of all those adults and speak into a microphone with conviction! 

Our theme this year has been "I am a Child of God" and these are some of the things the children have learned:

* I am a Child of God and He Has a Plan for Me

*The Earth Was Created for Heavenly Father's Children

*Jesus Christ is Our Savior

*Jesus Christ Restored His Church in the Latter Days

*Prophets Teach Us to Live the Gospel

*Families are Part of Heavenly Father's Plan

*Heavenly Father Hears and Answers My Prayers

*I Will Serve God with all My Heart, Might, Mind and Strength

If you step into a primary room on any given Sunday, you will see happy children learning about Jesus and his gospel.  It's a great place to be.  The prayer of each teacher and leader is that the children will learn how much God loves them and how valuable they are to Him.  Because this testimony brings power into the life of each person who believes it, we want the children to gain this knowledge for themselves.  It's essential that we understand our worth, because when we do, we "act" like a Child of God.  When that knowledge moves from our heads to our hearts then we are well on our way to a lifelong pursuit of becoming like Christ. 

 My favorite song from the program this year is, "If the Savior Stood Beside Me".  Read the words below and then listen to the melody.  I bet you will be touched by the message.

If the Savior stood beside me,

would I do the things I do?

Would I think of his commandments and

try harder to be true?

Would I follow His example?

Would I live more righteously

if I could see the Savior standing nigh,

watching over me?

If the Savior stood beside me, would I say the

things I say?

Would my words be true and kind if He

were never far away?

Would I try to share the gospel?

Would I speak more reverently

if I could see the Savior standing nigh,

watching over me?

He is always near me though I do not see Him there,

And because He loves me dearly, 

I am in His watchful care.

So I'll be the kind of person that I know I'd

like to be if I could see the Savior standing 

nigh, watching over me.

You can listen here.http://broadcast.lds.org/churchmusic/Primary/PR_IfTheSavior_eng.mp3 

A couple of weeks ago, as I was listening to the children sing this song, I heard a quiet whisper from the spirit that asked the question, "Could you do this? Could you live your life this week as if the Savior were standing next to you?  Every day, all day long?"  I knew I needed to accept the challenge and see how this experiment might affect me, and those around me. 

So on Monday morning, I began my experiment by making a concerted effort to think about Jesus standing next to me as I went through my daily round.  Doing laundry, cleaning house, exercising and working in the yard, cooking, etc.   All of these chores feel different when you imagine the Savior standing beside you.  I noticed a lightness of heart and a desire to do my very best, for Him. 

The beginning of the week went pretty well, because it was new and I was motivated.  When I'm working on a new goal, the first day is always the easiest.  I noticed that my prayers were more thoughtful and at night while I would too often slip into bed without taking the time to pray, I remembered my experiment and knew that if Jesus were standing near me, I would take time to talk with God.  Even if I was tired.   

I was more careful with the food I ate, knowing that my body is a temple and if Jesus were eating with me, I wouldn't binge or skip the healthy stuff and go straight for dessert.  My eating habits felt controlled and peaceful.  And I would pause to thank the Giver for the gift of good food.  I even caught myself rationing the last glass of milk one morning, because I knew Kenzie would be getting up and I wanted her to have some for her breakfast.  This is huge.  I love my milk!  But with the thought of Jesus standing near me, I was more considerate of her needs than my own.

It seemed to be a week of noticing the little things, shifting my thoughts a bit and trying to speak and act as Jesus would.  One of the biggest things I noticed was my ability to hold my tongue, when I wanted to say something that wasn't kind.  Even though I completely botched this on Tuesday morning.   I wrote this in my journal that day:

" Mark and I had a "discussion" this morning before he left for work.  I tried to hold my tongue, but it only worked for about five minutes.  It turned ugly and I cried and it was a terrible way to start a day. And this is the week I'm doing my "if the Savior stood beside me" experiment!  Ugh.  I blew it!"

Of course I felt miserable about my behavior, but because I imagined the Savior standing beside me, I was eager to be the first to apologize and ask for forgiveness.  My pride usually gets in the way and I drag my feet when it comes to saying "sorry", but this time it was easier.

As the week moved on, it was the small things that I caught myself doing, things I thought would please the Savior if he were near me.  I let people in front of me in the checkout line.  I was patient with other drivers on the road.  I took more of an interest in people who were around me, even some that I didn't know.  My focus was "others" centered instead of "me and my "get it done" list".  I was able to sit with a friend and share my beliefs, shop for gifts for poverty stricken children, pray intensely for the people in the Philippines who were without the basic necessities of life.   I did my mundane work with a good attitude, grateful for work to do. I found joy in serving my family.  

I wasn't perfect, oh no, far from it.  But when I struggled I felt the Savior's love and patience and mostly, His grace.  That might have been the best part of the experiment.  I felt His love dearly, and that made me want to be the kind of person that would please Him.  

It was a good week and it was a hard week.  But  I'm glad for the experiment, which yielded interesting results.   It gave me lots of time to reflect on what it means to be a disciple of Christ.  And even though the experiment is over, I hope it's not.  I may not be focusing as intently on the words to this song every day, but I do think more about how I would act, speak and treat myself and others if the Savior stood beside me, because He is always near me.  What a blessing it is to know that truth.

A Grain Flaker- My New Preparedness Tool

Looks like wheat kernels, doesn't it?  It's not.  It's whole oat groats. This is how your morning bowl of oatmeal begins.  It's a far cry from what we usually buy in the grocery store though.  Steel cut oats would be the closest thing you could get to it.  Next in line would be old fashioned rolled oats, followed by quick cooking and then instant, each one becoming more and more processed.  Quick cooking and instant are popular because we are a society that wants everything in a hurry.  Unfortunately, the more processed a food becomes, the worse it seems to be for our bodies.  A bowl of good old fashioned oatmeal, with a little sweetener and fruit is one of the healthiest breakfasts you can eat.  But have you taken a look lately at all the flavors of instant oatmeal available?  Apple crisp, cinnamon roll and banana bread... I mean are we having breakfast or dessert?  Flavored is usually a code word for lots of sugar.  It's so easy to flavor your own, with real fruit and stevia, I'm not sure why anyone would want to buy the imitation (you do know that's not real fruit, right?) stuff.  The real thing always tastes better.  My favorite combinations are canned apples with nuts and cinnamon or peaches, strawberries or blueberries and cream (not really- it's just milk), or dried fruit, like raisins, cranberries, apricots or cherries. Yum!!!  My oatmeal is not boring!

For the past few years, I've been eating steel cut oats.  You can go here to see an easy way to let them cook overnight, so all you have to do is reheat in the morning. (There's also a nice recipe for granola and a killer oatmeal cookie recipe on the same post.)  Steel cut is my favorite way to eat oats, but I also like old fashioned rolled oats too.  And here's where my new kitchen toy comes in.  I found a resource for a grain flaker.  I never imagined that I could roll my own oats at home, but with this tool I can.  I put the oat groats into the top of the flaker

and start turning the handle.  Yes, it's manual, but it didn't take very long for me to roll a bowl of oats, and my arms got a nice little work out in the process.

Pretty neat, huh?  It almost looks like store bought.  The flakes aren't as perfectly shaped as Quakers, but hey, these are one of a kind, homemade rolled oats.   They're not supposed to look like they've been processed on commercial machines.

With a little help from Kenzie and Mark, we refilled my oatmeal container with our own freshly flaked oats in about ten minutes.  I had a nice big bowl for breakfast the next day and it was delicious. I thought it was better than any I've bought in the store, but I might be biased, seeing as how I put a little effort into working for my breakfast.  The things we work for bring extra satisfaction and enjoyment, right?

So here's why I'm really excited about having my own grain flaker. If I wanted to store oatmeal as part of my food storage preparedness program (and I do), the shelf life on processed oats is less than whole grains that I process myself.  For short term storage, oats purchased in the grocery store are fine. In time, the quality will deteriorate though.  They need to be used and rotated regularly.  I've had some rolled oats in large buckets (that weren't nitrogen packed) that had a funny smell when I opened them and I didn't use them.  Okay, if I'd been starving, I would have eaten them, but this was not the case.  When properly packaged, long term storage items can sit in my pantry and I don't have to worry about using them for years, if I don't want to.  We live in uncertain times and may not always have access to the abundance of food that we now enjoy.  It's a good idea to store food for your family.  You can go here if you'd like to learn more about starting your own food storage program.

Pear Crostata

As the lucky recipient of some re-gifted pears (thanks Cindy), I was able to try out a new recipe this weekend.  This tasty treat comes from the Joy of Cooking cookbook.  If you're in France it would be called a Galette, in Italy a Crostata.  I was feeling Italian, so mine was the latter.  Either way, it's a very simple fruit dessert that is delicious.   

To begin with, I peeled and sliced my pears.

To the sliced pears, I added a little sugar, flour and cinnamon.

The night before, I had made a recipe of perfect pie crust and it was waiting for me in the refrigerator.  After ten minutes at room temperature, it was ready to roll.   Have I told you how perfect this pie crust is?  I know, I know... I have, and you're probably getting tired of hearing my seemingly endless praise of this pie crust recipe, but really, after years of working with finicky pie crust, I can't get over how much I LOVE this one!

Crostata's are normally round.  Mine was "roundish".  With rustic desserts like this, each one looks different.  There's no pressure to create a dessert that looks "just so".  I like that!

Once I had my shape, I spread apricot jam on the pastry, stopping about an inch from the edge.

I spread the pear mixture on top of the jam.

I folded the border over the fruit to form a rim.

This is what it looked like after baking for about 40 minutes.

So easy.  So seasonal.  So fruity.  So delicious!

I will be making this again.

Fruit Crostata

Prepare pastry dough for a single crust pie

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven.  Preheat oven to to

375 degrees.  Roll the dough into a round.  Lift the dough onto a 

large baking sheet.  Leaving a one inch border at the edges, spread

evenly over the dough:

1/4 cup jam (if you were making a  berry crostata, such as strawberries or raspberries,

 you would use raspberry jam)

Toss together fruit, 2 T. sugar and 4 t. plain flour.  Distribute

the fruit over the jam.  Fold over the dough to form a border.

Bake until the crust is golden brown and the fruit juices have

thickened - 30 to 40 minutes.  Serve warm.

Every Good Gift

First Monday counting....
                          when I share entries from my Gratitude Journal

"And  I would  exhort you that ye would ... lay hold upon every good gift." 

Moroni 10:30

3211-snuggling up to my sweetie listening to the rain

3212- warm dough shaped into loaves

3213- clicking of knitting needles while watching conference

3214- Beauty Berries

3215- apple butter bubbling in the crock pot

3216-watching a grown man skip across the parking lot 

while holding hands with his little girl

3217- oven roasted sweet potatoes

3218- Grandma's Apple Dumplings

3219- a picnic lunch on a lakeside bench

3220- my favorite Halloween candy

3221- new toothbrush

3222- the smell of the forest in October

3223- tights and boots on a cool day

3224- mani pedi with Kenzie

3225- a very patient knitting instructor

3226- overalls and garden boots

3227- learning something new in photography class

3228- Stake Conference

3228- new thoughts to consider

3229- parking lot visit with Cindy

3230- watching mom feed her chickens

3231- Sunday roast

3232- pickled beets

3233- an extra hour to rest

3234- guitar strumming by the fireplace

3235- fortune cookies

3236- dinner with Travis and Rebecca

3237- mums from Tara

3238- candle light dinner

3239- exploring the pond with the boys

3240- colored leaves

 "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it? Look at these maple branches, Marilla.  Don't they give you a thrill? " 

― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Crock Pot Apple Butter

The smell of simmering apple butter screams fall.  It's the best potpourri around and once it's finished cooking,  I love it smeared on a slice of homemade bread.  Yum!  Pure comfort food. 

I've made apple butter for years, but never have I made a recipe that's this easy.  I'm thankful to j'Nae for sending this my way.  In fact, it's so good and so easy, I've lost count of how many pots of this I've made in the past three weeks.  Let's just say, I have a nice stash put away for winter and for sharing with very special people.  Before I move on to apple pie filling, I wanted to share this recipe with you, just in case you'd like to make some apple butter for yourself.  Don't be nervous if you've never canned before.  This is the perfect project for beginners, with no pressure canners involved. 

Before going to bed, I slice my apples and fill up the crockpot.  I dump my sugar, cinnamon, cloves and allspice on top of the apples.  I don't even bother to stir, because with all those apples, it would just make a mess.  I set the crock pot on low, cover and forget about it until morning.  Be prepared to wake up to a wonderful aroma.

As soon as I wake up in the morning, I give the apples a stir and then turn the temperature up to high and take off the lid, so it will thicken a little more.  I take my clean canning jars and put them in the oven to warm on the lowest temperature.

New, canning flats go into a pan of water and are brought to a boil.  Then I turn them down on low and keep them hot.

Now it's time to work with the apple butter.  The apples have cooked down by almost half and are still nice and chunky.  If that's the way you like you're apple butter, you can skip the next step.

I take my stick (immersion) blender and blend on low to give the apple butter a smooth consistency.  Be very careful with the stick blender.  This thing works like a charm, but if you accidentally lift it too far out of the apples, you will likely spray it all over your kitchen, burning yourself in the process.  I might know this from experience.  Really, just be careful with the stick blender!

I love the way the blade pops off for easy cleanup.  Don't let my warning scare you away from one of these.  They really are great.

After the blending process, my apple butter looks like this.  If you don't have a stick blender, you could mash it with a potato masher or use a food processor or regular blender.  If you end up taking it out of the crock pot and working with it, you might need to reheat it in a big pot on the stove before putting into canning jars.  With the method I've been using, the apple butter stays hot enough to go straight from the crock pot to the jars.  That's another thing I love about this recipe, one less thing to wash.

With hot apple butter, jars and lids, it's time to put it into the jars.  At this point, I've already filled my hot water bath canner with water and let it start getting hot.  I will admit that I don't always do this step, but it's a good idea.  My nana taught me how to can and she never used a water bath canner for her jams, jellies, pickles and tomato products.  I don't think anyone ever got sick from her home canned foods, but the current guidelines for canning suggest water bath canners as a precautionary step.  So, it's your call.  

After filling the jars, I wiped the rims of each jar with a clean towel, to clean up any spills.   If it's not clean, the lid probably won't seal.  And you want the lids to seal, or you will be eating a lot of apple butter in a short amount of time.

I use my magnetic lid lifter (what a clever tool, that I should have bought years ago) to move the flat lid from the hot water onto the jar.

Then screw on the bands and move it to the hot water bath.

The water should completely cover the jars and come to a rolling boil before you start timing.  After putting the lid on the canner, I left these in the water bath for ten minutes.

Nothing is as satisfying as seeing all these jars lined up on your cabinet and hearing the "plink" of the lids as each one seals.  The only job left is loading them up and carrying them to the basement pantry.  But I leave them on the counter for a few days, just so I can admire the fruits of my labor.

Crock Pot Apple Butter

Slice and fill your crock pot with a good cooking apple.

( I used a mixture of Rome and Winesap)

Add 4 cups sugar (I've reduced this to 3 cups with good results)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon allspice

Cook on low overnight or adjust heat and time to your

schedule.  Apples will reduce by almost half.  Mash

or blend to desired consistency and put into hot jars.

Process for ten minutes for pint jars.