Lavender Pear Muffins for Monet...

"Faith never knows where it is being led,

But it knows and loves the One who is leading"

~Oswald Chambers

There are times in our lives when we are caught between moments that we wish would never end,

and moments that we wish had never begun.

When our hearts are most unguarded,

and we least expect it,

it comes...

a tender touch...

a glimpse of hope and a reminder of all that's good and true in our world.

It sneaks on up, reaches right in and

awakens something deep within us.

When I first heard that Liz from "That Skinny Chick can Bake" and

Kate from "Kate is Cooking"

were compiling a scrapbook to be filled

with sentiments and recipes from bloggers across the blogosphere

that was intended to spread a little sunshine

to someone very dear to my heart,

I was overjoyed at the chance to participate.

Monet from "Anecdotes and Applecores"

has won over the hearts of everyone who has crossed her path

in the most memorable way, through her thoughts and

contemplations, her stories, and her delightful recipes.

The prayers continue for her and her family

as they press through this especially difficult season of their lives...

a season that has been eclipsed with numerous tragedies and heartache;

And the hope is

that this small token of love

from those who adore her

will be a healing salve at such a time as this...

And that sweet bellas, is how we impact the world....one moment at a time....one person at a time....ONE MUFFIN AT A TIME.....

Thank you Liz & Kate for including me in this project...this is my contribution to Monet's scrapbook:

Monet, may you feel my heart and hands wrapping around your soul today. Not a day goes by that you and your beautiful family aren't in my prayers, and that you will soon be entering a new season of new hope...and in that spirit, I hope to brighten your day by delivering a kiss of spring time that is sure to leave behind a freshness that will fill your soul with the sweet fragrance of new beginnings. I created this muffin recipe to combine the gentle sweetness of a juicy pear with the provocative aroma of lavender allowing it to waltz with your taste buds in the most magical way - harmoniously topped off with a delicate vanilla glaze - need I say more?

Pear Muffins

2 - 15 oz. cans of Pears in natural juices, drained, and gently pureed

3 Cups of Flour

1 tsp of baking soda

1 tsp of salt

1/2 tsp of baking powder

2 cups of sugar

1 cup of canola oil

1 tsp of vanilla extract

3 eggs

1) In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt & baking powder, set aside dry ingredients.

2 ) In another mixing bowl, mix 2 cups of sugar with canola oil, vanilla extract and 3 eggs.

3) add dry ingredients mix slowly, little by little, and whisk until fully incorporated

4) add pears and incorporate

5) scoop into lined muffin pan

6) Bake @ 325 degrees for appx 20-22 minutes

Lavendar Vanilla Glaze

1 1/2 cup of powdered sugar

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1 tbsp of softened butter

2 tsp of dried lavender

3 tbsp of milk

mix all ingredients together until glaze is smooth

spoon over each muffin,

allow glaze to set before serving...

Mangia

As Iron Sharpens Iron...

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17

Once in a while, perhaps even once in a lifetime, are you surprised with a gift that is so rare, so special, that you never cease to marvel at how your life has changed since the very day you stumbled upon it.

I don't think I'll ever be able to truly express in all it's fullness how blessed I feel that such a gift was given to me, and it all began in the strangest of places....

It was just about this time last year that I entered a recipe contest. And through that recipe contest, a community of kindred spirits began to form. And within that community, a certain thread was birthed. And within that thread, friendships emerged. And through those friendships, one particular friendship became a sisterhood.

Sweet Bella Lorraine, I thank God continually for bringing you into my life. You know and understand me better than some who have known me for years. You sharpen my iron....fiercely. Your wisdom, beauty, grace, and strength proceed you. Your kindness, compassion, and encouragement refresh my soul. Your light shines BRIGHTLY, and my world is enriched in every way because of it. You are, and forever will be, woven into the tapestry of my life.

Happy Birthday Lorraine!

What a thrill it is to celebrate the day you were created.

Fearfully and Wonderfully made for a Divine purpose,

and with a destiny that only you can fulfill.

Won't you help me celebrate Lorraine today....stop by her beautiful blog

"A Multi-Dimensional Life"

You will be so very glad that you did. She will inspire you with incredible meals, poignant poetry, and her heart of gold. Beauty drips from her fingertips and her words....truly....are a GIFT.

As a special tribute to Lorraine, I would like to share two of her amazing recipes that I have personally made, and they are absolutely magnificent. The first, Meatballs Mafaldine w/Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce *pictured above*. Click HERE for the recipe complete with step by step video instructions.

The second, Pepper Rice Sautee w/Bacon & Cheese....to die for....click HERE for the recipe complete with step by step video instructions.

The next three dishes of hers that I simply cannot wait to make are her Cream Cheese Asparagus Souffle, Thai Infused Polenta Muffins, and Peaches n Cream Baked Alaska. sigh. Such a delectable repertoire of recipes under her belt. Keep shining Sweet Bella!!

May I also take this opportunity to wish my other sis, Sweet Bella Kelly, a very Happy Birthday today as well...you are an absolute treasure to me. It's difficult to describe with human words what a blessing you are to me....YOU ARE THE ONE AND ONLY EVER YOU!

On a final note, an early shout out to all those special women out there:

Happy Mother's Day !!!

"She walks in beauty like the night

Of cloudless climes and starry skies,

And all that's best of dark and bright

Meet in her aspect and her eyes; ~ Lord Byron

‎"She's clothed with strength and dignity and she laughs at the days to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her Blessed..." Proverbs 31:25-28

Happy Rez Day!!!

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18

buenas dias! buonguorno! guten morgen! bonjour! GOOD MORNING!!!! what a GLORIOUS day to reflect on

how GREAT a love the LORD has LAVISHED upon us!!!!

I'm still in my pajamas on this "Good Friday" - a steaming cup of hot tea by my side - the kids are still sleeping and there is a most peaceful melody of both birdsong and distant wind chimes in the air.

Came across this in quiet time this morning: "No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded." ~ John 10:18

It made me think about the very reason God became flesh and dwelt among us - His sole purpose was to go to the cross so that a way could be made for us to be with Him - so that sacred romance could continue -

Today is the day that we celebrate the greatest sacrifice imaginable. Today is the day we celebrate the greatest love story ever told.

And Sunday we will celebrate the hope we have in HIM -

Resurrection Sunday is my favorite "holiday" (holy-day)...i mean don't get me wrong, I love Christmas and all the marvelous things that accompany that time of year, but Rez Day, it's the foundation of all that I believe, everything that matters, all the hope that I have is because of that empty tomb.

Wishing you a most wonderful Resurrection Sunday Celebration this weekend.

Or as I like to say,

Happy Rez Day!

new blossoms, new hope...

"Expect to have hope rekindled.

Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways.

The dry seasons in life do not last.

The spring rains will come again."

~Sarah Ban Breathnach

Although Fall is my favorite season of the year,

Spring is my 2nd favorite,

or maybe it's tied for first -

I don't know...

but there is something

so powerful

so profound

about the way new life sprouts from the ground...

how new birth is all around.

one day the trees are barren and stripped from that season of gray,

the next it is bursting with new color and new life ~

and it causes me think about

that painfully beautiful process of metamorphosis -

and the hope that maybe i, too, am entering

a season of Spring in my own life -

and yet that season of gray has its place, its time and its purpose,

for without it the Spring wouldn't be so glorious...

and that very thing is what was on my mind today as i noticed

new spring blossoms on the bush in my front yard in place of those skeleton branches...

oh how I love when it something "new" emerges.

Tonight I am praying

for all of my friends

who are in the midst of a season of gray in their lives.

There are so many who are struggling right now...

so much loss this past year...

Oh how I am praying for this

cold dark season to pass,

and for them to be ushered into a

new season

of new life

and new beginnings.

My heart is hopeful.

Expectant.

"No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. " - Hal Borlan

ONE!

“Birthdays are life's way of telling us

to eat more cake.”

~ Anonymous

Linguine & Meatballs.

Salad & Bread.

Family & Friends.

Face painting & inflatable guitars.

One Candle.

And all the trifle, cupcakes and chocolate cake you can handle.

58 people crammed into our humble abode to celebrate my "little man's" birthday....what a party!

One years old.

Boy that year flew by fast...my head is still spinning!

I still find myself marveling....staring at him in wonder...amazed..in awe of this little soul, this precious gift that's been bestowed upon me.

Joshua Levi....his very name means "God is Salvation" and "joined" as in "joined with God"

Oh son, may you hear His voice at an early age, and obey. May you be strong and courageous as you walk the path set before you. And as my friend Mary would say, may you grow to be wise, because there are already too many foolish boys in this world....

Happy Birthday chicken nugget, you are delicious!

“Your birthday is a special time to celebrate

the gift of 'you' to the world.”

~ Anonymous

love love love

"We were created in love

to live in love

for the sake of love"

~ don't know who said it, but I like it

Today didn't start out as planned.

A grey cloud in the form of strep has loomed over our household. The cough and scratchy throat of one 2 1/2 year old will be needing some attention. Amoxicillin is involved. Lots of kleenex too. And one super fluffy corner on the couch stacked with princess blankets and extra pillows. Ice cream is sure to work it's way into the equation, one must be armed with leverage to offset the whining.

The upside was being greeted with one super big toothy grin, several open mouthed kisses and one high five from my soon to be one year old upon his wakening. Definitely a silver lining.

Sometimes things don't go as planned. Sometimes the year gets off to a rough start with too much sickness and very full schedules that have you doing a balancing act that would put even the most skilled acrobat to shame.

But in spite of it all, this heart is happy.

If someone could look "under the hood," and listen to your heart, what would it say?

Thought this two minute clip would bring a smile to your face today :)

I'll leave you with this Sweet Bellas, it's easy to love the people we love, but today I challenge you to love those that aren't so easy to love....

"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" ~ Matthew 5:44

No Greater Love...

Delicious Distractions...

"Eating and reading are two pleasures that combine admirably."

~C.S. Lewis

A new year has begun, and life rambles on…or does it?

Anthony and I both feel changed in more ways than we know how to describe. Paradigms have shifted within as we swim in a sea of thoughts about the world changing around us. Fresh perspective has influenced how we ponder life, love and the pursuit of happiness. We are being stretched gloriously.

Anthony continues to pray and discover as his next chapter unfolds… and I am continuing to delight in being romanced by the lavishness of simple pleasures.

And so here I sit, the blackness of night has unfolded like a velvet cloak, a pile of books and blankets by my side, ready to cozy up for the next few days while the cold weather sweeps on through my corner of the world, and I am filled with gratitude.

Thankful for home. For warmth. For comfort. For the sound of children's playful laughter rising in the air. And, for the luxury of participating in relaxation while other parts of the world are in a state of unrest. Grateful for a tank full of gas, a fridge full of food, and a closet full of clothing. For the conveniences that we often take for granted, and the freedom to enjoy all of the above without fear.

So.Very.Grateful.

Stay cozy Sweet Bellas…and if you're looking for a few delicious distractions to snuggle up with these next few days, may I suggest a plate full of my favorite pasta *recipe below* alongside "The Sacred Romance" by John Eldredge … indeed "two pleasures that combine admirably"

Ditalini Pomodoro with Fresh Mozzarella

This is the epitome of comfort food for me, sort of like an italian version of mac n cheese. Simply sauté 2 cloves of minced garlic with 1/4 cup of olive oil for about a minute over medium heat, add appx. 4-6 large diced roma tomatoes (or you may use halfed cherry or grape tomatoes, appx. a pound) along with salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste. Toss appx. 6 oz. of cooked ditalini (al dente)and remove from heat. You may also substitute any short pasta or even penne :)Toss in a handful of slivered fresh basil with appx. 6 oz. of fresh cubed mozzarella.

Mangia!

Perseverance, Green Chile Chicken Cheese Soup & Quick Peanut Butter Cookies

"The real voyage of discovery consists

not in seeking new landscapes,

but in having new eyes."

~ Marcel Proust

The last day of the year.

I could write about how year after year this season has me in a cooking and baking frenzy expanding the waistbands of everyone that crosses my path. Dinner party after glorious dinner party. Delectable treat after treat. Until I join with the rest of America on the yearly pilgrimage to....sigh.....The Muffin-Top Crossroads: that terrifying place where one must choose their fate....do we buy bigger jeans??? or do we bust out the Fluidity Bar, wipe the dust off of the protein shake container, and let P-90X awaken us from our sugar comas and exercise our hearts and bodies into cardiovascular oblivion. Yes!

Or...I could write about how my husband drove white knuckled through a blizzard in his attempt to reach his love on time for New Years Eve, only to arrive with the onset of a nasty cold. How two coughing, runny nosed children in Pittsburgh Steelers pajamas and one wife with a sore throat were there, waiting and ready to join him by his side for a camp out on the living room floor. How we have been swimming in a sea of blankets and a mountain of pillows in our cave-like atmosphere, only the twinkling lights of the christmas tree illuminating our path...a pile of movies,Twizzlers, M&Ms and left over baked goodies in hand. How I let my daughter eat yogurt and golfishies for dinner....does that make me the worst mom on the planet.....or the coolest mom on the planet? It is a holiday, right?

I could write about how I whipped up a pot of green chile chicken cheese soup *recipe below* to warm our colds and our spirits. How I threw together a quick nosh of pepperoni, fresh basil and mozzarella cheese wrapped in puff pastry and ready to be dipped in marinara sauce for our movie watching and snacking pleasure. And...drum roll please....how I made a batch of "the easiest Peanut Butter Cookies in the universe" *recipe below* so we would have no fear of stepping off of our sugar highs any time soon.

Yes, I could write about all of those things.....

But what I really want to write about, what I really want to share, is my gratitude for all this year has ushered in, through both the joy and the pain. What a full year it has been...

We started this year off with lots of "new"....enjoying all of the changes that our move from where we had spent the last decade of our lives had brought us, the birth of our son, connecting with family and reveling in new friendships that were beginning to forge, appreciating the thrill of stepping outside of our comfort zones, allowing ourselves to be stretched...experiencing great enthusiasms and great losses.....I never could have anticipated all that this year would bring, all of the unexpected "gifts" we would receive even amidst great trial.

I am reminded yet again of the necessity and sheer beauty of letting go, 

going with the flow, enjoying "the journey"with all of it's twists and turns,

discovering the hidden treasures along the way.

I have been thinking much on what it is I'd like to purpose in my heart to do this coming year. And it all comes down to perseverance. Perseverance is defined as "Continuing in a course of action without regard to discouragement, opposition or previous failure.”

Tragedy can strike at any moment, yes? Whether it is our health, or the health of a loved one, sudden financial instability, a broken relationship, death, prodigal children.... And yet through these trials we can either become bitter - or better. We can give up - or grow up.

Lenya Heitzig shared the comment by famous television personality Arthur Godfrey of how he recounts a lesson he learned while watching a local blacksmith separate scrap metal into two piles. She tells the story like this: "After carefully examining each piece, the blacksmith would cast some metal into a pile on his right, while the other scraps were thrown into a heap on his left. Godfrey asked the blacksmith what the two piles represented. The smithy replied, "I can see that some of the metal will be useful when it's put through the fire. There is something in it that will let it go through the fire and come out refined and perfected. But the other metal is useless, it cannot take the fire, so I have to toss it into the junk heap." That experience forged a favorite prayer that Godfrey uttered throughout his life. Whenever a difficult circumstance turned up the heat in his life, he knew that God was using that fiery trial to refine him. Believing that God's ultimate plan was to make him a better man, Arthur would pray "Lord, fire! (not the junk heap!)" "

Oh let that be our prayer! "Lord, Fire! Not the junk heap!" I re-read Hebrews 11 (the great "hall of faith") to be reminded of those who went before us. Let us have patience that produces staying power! Let us abide, continue, endure, tarry so that we can be mature and complete and lacking nothing!

Perseverance: "Continuing in a course of action without regard to discouragement, opposition or previous failure.”

May this coming year be filled with lots of "new" for each of you...new awareness...new significance...new perspective...new purpose...

Green Chile Chicken Cheese Soup

This soup has been a comfort through many snow storms and chilly days. While I am not generally a fan of "canned soup," this recipe was taught to me from an old friend Anthony used to work with many many moons ago. Mark & Brandy Murray taught me how to make this soup, and I have since adapted it. Although we seem to have lost touch over the years, every time I make it, it reminds me of late nights sipping tonics, listening to great music, and playing Pente in Ranchos de Taos/Llano Quemado with our old friends.

Ingredients:

1 Can of Cream of Chicken Soup

1 Can of Cheddar Cheese Soup

1 soup can of milk

1/4 cup - 1/2 cup of green chile sauce - or - chopped green chile, roasted and peeled

1/4 cup - 1/2 cup of cooked rice

1/2 cup of chicken, cooked and cubed or shredded

shredded cheddar and green onions for garnish

pour the first 4 ingredients into a pot, bring to a boil

add the rice and chicken

*you may even add some cooked mushrooms if you'd like :)

plate, and garnish with cheddar cheese and green onions

serve with a hot tortilla

Quick Peanut Butter Cookies

My Aunt Debra shared this recipe while chatting during her last visit, and it reminded me that this recipe was emailed to me by Richard Copple's Wife through a recipe exchange the month before. This recipe should come with a warning label....they are too easy to make and you can't eat just one.....

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Peanut Butter

1 Cup of Sugar

1 egg

*yes that is it!!! No flour in this recipe, you only need these three things!!!!

Mix ingredients together, form into balls, put onto greased cookie sheet (or parchment paper lined baking sheet)

you may use a fork to smash them if you desire

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes

*add a topping such as a hershey's kiss or a mini peanut butter cup in the center of each one after it comes out of the oven if you so desire

Mangia!

Praying for a very peaceful and blessed New Year to you all....