Pea Picking Good

Did you watch the Hallmark movie "The Lost Valentine"?  Betty White and Jennifer Love Hewitt were awesome. They drew the tears, the romance, and the love straight from the past into the present. If you missed it Sunday night be looking for the encore…it is a must see.

If this movie does not touch your heart, you are made of cold hard stone. Love at its best and I’m not speaking of Jennifer, although she was great. Sean Faris…well he added a little eye candy for every one of any age…And Betty…what can I say…she is just plain awesome in every way!

We had a beautiful weekend here in the south…temps in the seventies on Saturday…such a tease…so what did we do? Gardening. Yep…after much prep work which involved some horse poo compost, knee bending, back aching work; our end result was 80 feet of planted sweet English peas and 24 feet of sweet onions. I can’t wait to see them do their thing and reap the harvest. If you have never eaten fresh picked and shelled English peas, you are being deprived! Le Sueur has nothing on fresh!

Speaking of picking….

I have been picked! Yep me, out if thousands of bloggers in bloggerville world, to review a Gooseberry Patch cookbook. The reviews will be from their newest not-yet-released cookbooks. I get a first sneak peek at the book and get to try, play, and prepare the recipes…then I get to tell you all about it! You will be among the first to find out what’s in the book, see a prepared recipe, and find out how to get it first! So stay tuned for some fab recipes with photos, my thoughts straight from the taste buds and most of all a SPECIAL surprise. I am so excited. I have the honor and privilege of wearing this special badge on my blog...

 along with having the opportunity to test out some of the recipes before the book hits the shelves!
Stay with me and be looking for my first review coming up sometime in February… There will be something in it for you!   The excitement mounts…

BTW…tomorrow begins February, the LOVE month…ready or not!

What’s up?

Made some homemade cinnamon rolls yesterday, yumo :b

Doing that dreaded tax prep thing

Listening to some music

Paying some bills

Sending some love overseas

Praying for so many sick and hurting people

Reading more Fannie Flagg…she’s so funny

Fighting cabin fever…nasty weather

Playing Scrabble online with someone I dearly love

Hearing the dryer tumble

Watching the sun try to find its way to me

Eating some warmed up potato soup

Waiting anxiously for some news

Snapping a few pix

Creating art…

Cora

J.O.Y.

J.O.Y

Jesus first.  Others second.  Yourself last.

We are called to love one another. To love one another is to put them above your self. You will find true JOY in doing so. An act of love has the power to change lives, yours as well as theirs. Show some love…

You can show some love by sharing some homemade goodies.

Milk and Cookies soothe the soul…warm the heart…pacify the sweet tooth. They excite the inner child in us. Grow yourself a milk mustache and eat a cookie with a friend on this cold, rainy, wet day…Share some loving and reap the JOY.

Happy Monday!

Roller~Coaster Ride

While we are all trying to figure out what life is all about; I like Fannie Flagg’s explanation in the book I’m reading; "Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven".  Here's a little excerpt from the book where Elner Shimfissle asks God the ultimate question about life:  

"What is life all about?"   "It’s a gift!"   He tells her…plain and simply.

We should all consider this answer and view life as the gift in which it was intended…something given in love and it is up to us to take it, cherish it, live it, and make it the best ever.  God goes on further to explain to Elner that life is not nearly as complicated as people think… "Life is like one big roller-coaster ride, with all kinds of bumps and twists and turns, and ups and downs along the way."  We just need to sit back and enjoy the ride. "The problem is most people think they are steering and get so busy trying to control it that they miss all the fun parts."  We should not be the ones in control…I know that is hard for some to grasp, but it is true. We have the free will to make our own choices but we need to let God be in control of them.

Sooooo… I’m going to enjoy the ride with God as my pilot and let Him steer. That way I get to take in all the scenery, the fun, the excitement, and not miss a thing. I also get to take lots of photos because my hands are free of the steering wheel ~sweet love! 

*the song "Jesus Take the Wheel" comes to mind here…smiling*

Thanks Fannie for this perspective on life, I think it is one I can live with.

I Hope you enjoy the ride. Eat some oatmeal along the way…

 
Excerpts from the book, "Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven" by Fannie Flagg.

Papa Bear Oatmeal

After watching Paula Deen and her son make Papa Bear Oatmeal the other day, I had to try this. This recipe makes oatmeal taste outstanding!! Here you will find her recipe and below is how I made it with a few minor adjustments. YumO!

My version of Paula’s recipe for
Papa Bear Oatmeal

• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 cup water or milk…I use skim milk
• Approximately 1/8 cup raisins
• Approximately 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 small banana, sliced
• Approximately 1/8 cup heavy cream
• Approximately 2 tbsp. Brown sugar
• Small amount of glazed or toasted pecans, chopped

In a medium saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil. (If using milk do not bring to a boil, just stir in oats when it starts to steam). Stir in the oats and raisins. Simmer until desired thickness.
Spoon the oatmeal into individual bowls. Top with butter cut into several pieces, the brown sugar, banana, pecans and DO Not Stir. Pour cream over all. Enjoy! When the brown sugar and the butter melt together over the warm oatmeal…it is awesome!

If you are not a fan of oatmeal….you will love this.

If you are not a fan of raisins…you will love this.

It is wholesome and hearty…a stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal. We eat supper early at my house most nights and on occasion I sometimes wake in the middle of the night a little hungry. I fixed this one night for supper and nope, I did not wake up hungry that night. During these cold winter months it will warm you to the bone with its pleasant taste. Try it…you will love it!

I hope you all are warm and toasty in your homes…it is cold! I think winter should officially end and stop when the Christmas holidays are over and the New Year has arrived! The year should start out with a warming up and the rebirth of spring. Bringing forth the flowers, blossoms, and buds! All snow should be gone; even though we rarely have any in the south…winter is just too dark, dreary, and ugly some days, so I officially call an end to it! Bring on the spring…

I really do not believe I have the powers to be of making the cold go away… so in the meantime I will try to stay warm and safe until the warmer weather arrives. Please remember to pray for those who are out in the cold and do not live as fortunate as we do.

What I'm reading: Can't Wait To Get To Heaven by Fannie Flagg.  A comedy-mystery of a small town trying to answer the age old question of "Why are we here?" and "What is life all about anyway?".....It is so funny good!

Bright balloons and Play dates

My word for 2011 is simple…HOPE

Yes that old familiar, simple word and the one thing we all do…Hope.

Hope is defined as a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Don’t you think hope should be an optimistic and much needed element of life? The feeling that, what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best. Oh yeah I am so in favor of that... An attitude of spiritual grace...A longing and desire for all things good, certain, unquestionable, and sanguine.

When hope enters the soul it makes all things new.

 ~ James Freeman Clarke

hope is the rope we hang onto to keep from falling,
hope is a wish upon a star,
hope is a dream not yet found
hope is a promise offered
hope is a vision of something unseen
hope is the faith that mountains will move
hope is the lullaby that rocks our world
hope is a hunger in a place gone mad.

Hope is constructive and practical for our well being. It is the peace we fill ourselves with while we hope for peace here on earth. Hope is what we trust, like an anticipated dream with many expectations. Let us decorate our world with hope…

I hope you dance till you drop

I hope you laugh while crying

I hope you sing out in the rain

I hope you love…

I hope you live out loud

I hope you fly over the rainbow

I hope you give it all

I hope life gives to you silly,

fanciful wonder, cupcakes, and chewy taffy…

          an Oreo cookie dunked in cold milk,
warm sand to dig your toes in, bright balloons, play dates,
          and lots of naps.
I hope your life is as sweet as pink sugar and
          on occasion when it turns tart and tainted remember…

             there is always HOPE and no one can take that away from you.

For 2011… Hope is my word.