My Word For The New Year

I've discovered that I like to choose a word for the new year, a word that helps me organize my thoughts and goals around an important theme.  You can read about some of my other "words" here.  This year my word is FAMILY.  

When I think of things I hope to accomplish in the next twelve months, spending time with family and making memories are top of my list.  Time flies by and it takes real effort and planning to slow down long enough to be with the ones who matter most.  I don't want to come to the end of 2014 with regrets concerning how I've spent my time.  I hope to be intentional with my plans and create opportunities to make some wonderful memories.  As I've thought about FAMILY, lot's of other words have come to mind and I've created a word cloud from them.  Have you ever done this?  I made mine here.  It was a lot of fun.

My word for 2014 will include goals for myself in regards to my immediate family, my extended family and my church family.  I hope to work on strengthening my marriage and my relationship with my adult children. These people are my priority and I want my choices to reflect that.  I plan to enjoy more time with my extended family.  I'm ready for some road trips and hopefully a visit to Utah this summer.  I look forward to learning and growing with my friends, encouraging each other as we walk the gospel path.  

My plan is to set some goals each month that will help me stay focused on  FAMILY.  I'm excited about this, even though I know some goals will be easier than others.  Relationships can be tricky and in choosing this word, I realize that success will lie in my attempts to improve.  After all, I can only change myself.  But I hope we might all benefit.  

The scriptures that I've chosen to support my word come from the New Testament and will help me as I memorize them this year.

" A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you..."

John 13:34

"  Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. " 

 1 Timothy 4:12

"And let us not be weary in well doing:... as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."

Galations 6: 9-10

Life is busy and often monotonous, but this year, I want to step out of the ordinary and enjoy precious time with FAMILY.   I look forward to the moments (small and large) that can make a difference in my relationships.  I want to laugh, play, explore, celebrate, rediscover and most of all love "my family" and I'm praying for God's grace and his blessings on my efforts. 

2013 - My Year in Pictures

Winston and Parker Join The Family

Winter Wonder

Spring Is In The Air

First Asparagus Crop

Celebrating my Birthday Month in Beautiful Places

Utah Vacation

A Beautiful Wedding

Creating Kitchen Memories With j'Nae

Learning How to Make Calzones From Ken

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Delighting in My Garden Goodies 

Summer Beauty

Travis and Rebecca Announce Their Engagement

Visiting and Cooking with Dad and Sherri

Building Scarecrows With Tara

Time Out Weekend With Dearest Friends

Fall

Singing Along With My Boys

Knitted My First Pair of Socks

Love, Love, Love, My New Little Car

Christmas

Christmas With Family

Love My Kiddos

Merry Christmas from the Wrays

So many blessings.  So grateful!

O, Bring Us Some Figgy Pudding!

Figgy pudding.  We sing about it in that fun Christmas carol, but who knows what it really is?  This year I decided to find out and make some myself.  In my research I found that this famous pudding is really not a pudding at all, but a glorified Christmas cake.  With wonderful spices, dried fruits and nuts.  And don't forget the booze.  Most recipes include brandy, either in the cake itself or the cake is soaked in the alcohol and then lit before serving to oohs and aahs, I'm sure.  No wonder those persistent carolers weren't going to leave until they got some!  

The recipe I tried isn't super authentic.  For starters, no alcohol.  And then there's the steaming process that's supposed to take three to four hours.  My cakes were baked.  I did find a nice recipe here, for a steamed pudding that I think I will try next year.  Oh, and there's the chocolate, which I didn't find in any other recipe, but how can you go wrong with some grated scharffen berger?  The holidays deserve the best chocolate around!  The recipe I tried is called Warm Sticky Figgy Pudding and I found it here.  Authentic or not, I was pleased with the results.

I loved working with these beautiful dried figs and dates.

I chopped them into small pieces and put them to soak in boiling water for about ten minutes.

When I added the baking soda, wow, the whole thing became a mass of bubbly liquid.  That was fun and reminded me of being in a chemistry class.... years ago. 

After the dried fruit "soup" cooled a little, I put it into a blender and pureed it into a thick liquid.  That was then added to the other ingredients and mixed to form a nice cake batter.

Although I've had these mini bundt pans for some time, I hadn't used them, but this recipe seemed perfect for breaking them in. You could also use ramekins or muffin tins.

How cute is that? 

I whipped up the warm caramel sauce while they baked.  

Served on a plate with whipped cream ( you know, I mean the real thing, right?), they were delicious.  Oh, yummy!  Now, you know what figgy pudding is (well, my version, anyway), and if you come caroling to my house, you just might get some.