Is There a Need?

"He who sees a need

and waits to be asked for help

is as unkind as if he had refused it."

~ Dante Alighien

I've been chewing on this quote for over a week now.

It really is so profound, and so relevant to me at this season of my life.

I feel it's truth speaking to me in the deep places within.

Maybe it's because this is the first time I have found myself

in a place of weariness, overwhelmed with lack of energy

and my body's inability to do things it needs to do.

How often are we surrounded by people who are quick to say,

"Give me a call if you need anything!"

And perhaps

with good intention.

Or perhaps it's just their stock response,

and in reality they hope you don't need anything.

And perhaps you have been the one behind those words.

I confess I have been the one behind those words at one time or another.

But I acknowledge that so many of us, especially women, will never ask for help,

even when we so desperately need it.

 

And then there are those people who just show up.

They don't ask, and they don't wait for you to ask.

They just show up.

They bring you a meal.

Or they rescue you from your towering pile of laundry.

They take your kids off of your hands for the day.

They send an encouraging note/email/text.

Or an unexpected package.

They offer a prayer over the phone.

The simplest gestures truly do make all the difference.

This is the kind of person I want to be. That I long to be. That I am determined to be.

The kind of person who simply responds.

The kind of person who just shows up.

Perhaps when we find ourselves in our greatest need,

our solace can be found in offering ourselves to someone else that we see in need.

 

Since I tend to speak my love through food, tomorrow I plan to make some surprise deliveries.

What about you?

Know anyone in need?

 

Keep Shining Sweet Bellas!

15 years!

LOL ~ 

I suspect there are a few people out there who can appreciate the humor of that cartoon :)

But seriously, all laughs and idiosyncrasies aside, 

we're celebrating 15 years of marriage *!!!* 

and the journey has been nothing short of 

beautiful...surprising...adventurous...rich.

15 years of 

conversations that never ran dry, 

sharing laughter, 

spontaneous excursions,

crazzzzy ideas 

and dreaming out loud.

15 years of

growing together

learning together

discovering, living, loving

 and savoring every moment along the way.

Happy Anniversary Baby....what a wonderful world it is with you by my side...

Cinnamon Sugar Dusted Mango Wontons with Mixed Berry Sauce & Almond Whipped Cream

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out.

It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being.

We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."

~ Albert Schweitzer

I've been "off the grid" to some extent. Not entirely. But certainly in my corner of the blogosphere. Forgive the time-conscious overtones, but life truly has been spinning at the speed of light these days and my soul has been a little weary from the bustling pace, yet continually thankful at the same time to be enjoying a life so full.

The countdown to baby #3's arrival is in fully swing *31 weeks down, 9 (or less) to go (preferably less!!!)* and there is a palpable eustress floating in the air...a glint of excitement in my eyes one moment, followed by a glazed stupor the next. There's no doubt I'm slowing down even amidst the parts of my life that never slow down. I'm not really feeling the urge to nest, rather I find myself fighting the overwhelming desire to hibernate. But as I chuckle to myself, acknowledging the vain fantasy, I tarry... knowing that the time will soon be at hand to usher this new life into the world and begin yet another chapter in our riveting adventure.

As the hum of the dishwasher crescendos, I'm thankful to be a soul at rest tonight.

Thankful for friends who speak life and refreshment into my spirit.

For encouraging emails.

And girlfriend lunches.

Definitely girlfriend lunches.

With lots of tasty nibbles.

And cinnamon sugar dusted mango wontons with mixed berry sauce & almond whipped cream.

The menu:

Chicken Salad Croissants

Broccoli Mushroom & 3 Cheese Quiche

Italian Style Pasta Salad with Salami, Peas, Carrot Slivers, Red Bell Pepper, and Snazzy Vinaigrette

Spinach Fontina & Manchego Puff Pastry Pinwheels

Tortilla Chips w/Cowboy Caviar

and Cinnamon Sugar Dusted Mango Wontons with Mixed Berry Sauce & Almond Whipped Cream

The recipes:

Thank you Venessa for bringing the delicious Chicken Salad Croissants :)

Due to time constraints I used lots of short cuts to throw together a simple but tasty menu starting with a frozen pie crust to make the Broccoli Mushroom & 3 Cheese Quiche. I began by chopping a handful of fresh broccoli, destemming and chopping a handful of cremini mushrooms and then sauteing them in olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper. I beat 4 eggs in a medium bowl with 1 cup of 1/2 & 1/2 cream, then added the broccoli mixture to the egg mixture and 1/3 cup each of shredded Manchego, Fontina and Sharp Cheddar Cheese and then poured the entire mixture into the pie shell. I baked at 375 for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

For the Italian Style Pasta Salad I simply boiled two handfuls of mini farfalle in salted water, drained and rinsed, then tossed with diced Salami, a handful of Peas, a handful of Carrot Slivers, a diced mini Red Bell Pepper, and mixed with a Snazzy Vinaigrette I had on hand - topped with freshly grated parmiggano reggiano and cracked black pepper.

For the Spinach Fontina & Manchego Puff Pastry Pinwheels I used a recipe that was given to me in a recipe exchange by an anonymous person, but have noticed the recipe on the back of some puff pastry packages as well - I simply rolled out one puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface, brushed lightly with an eggwash, topped with shredded Manchego, Fontina and Parmiggano Reggiano, a handful of diced green onion, a sprinkle of garlic powder & freshly ground black pepper, and appx. 8-10 oz. of defrosted (previously frozen) spinach that has had all of the liquid extracted as much as possible (Since I don't have a cheese cloth, I squeezed the liquid out by putting the spinach in a few heavy duty paper towels and twisting & squeezing in the sink until all the liquid was gone). I sprinkled the spinach over the cheese, then I rolled the puff pastry up like a jelly roll, cut into slices (the spinach and cheeses spiraled so beautlfully) and arranged on a greased baking sheet. I baked it at 375 for appx. 15-20 minutes.

Tortilla Chips w/Cowboy Caviar - for the recipe click here

and lastly for my Cinnamon Sugar Dusted Mango Wontons with Mixed Berry Sauce & Almond Whipped Cream - I had one package of wonton wrappers, but since there was just two of us, I used only two sheets, cut each sheet into 4 squares, dabbed a smidge of softened cream cheese in the center of each square along with a teaspoon of pureed mangos. I brushed an eggwash on the sides of each square and folded into a triangle. I deep fried them for just about 30 seconds or so on each side, tossed them in cinnamon & sugar, and served with a mixed berry sauce (I simply pureed blackberries, raspberries and blueberries) and almond whipped cream (Using my electric beater in a medium bowl I beat 1/4 cup of powdered sugar with 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 teaspoon of almond extract).

A complete success!

Southwestern Stuffed Puff Pastry...and Perspective!

"You and I do not see things as they are. We see things as we are;

because it is the "I" behind the "eye" that does the seeing."

~ Anais Nin

I can't remember who told me this true story, very likely Skip Heitzig and I think I was about 16 when I first heard it, but I remember the story well. It goes something like this:

"There was a man who was once robbed of his purse. He wrote in his diary: 'Let me be thankful. First, I was never robbed before. Second, although they took my purse, they did not take my life. Third, although they took my all, it was not much. Fourth, let me be thankful because it was I who was robbed, and not I who did the robbing.' "

What a perspective!!!!!!

Webster's dictionary defines perspective as: one's "point of view", the choice of a context for opinions, beliefs and experiences.

I LOVE how that's worded.

"the CHOICE of a context for opinions, beliefs, and experiences."

Every day when we wake up we have a choice.

We can choose how our attitude and perspective will be for that day!

It sure takes a concentrated effort though, doesn't it?

But WE have the choice...I love that!

What if we chose to have a different perspective then our usual stock response?

What if we purposed it in our hearts to deliberately see the joy over the pain?

What would change? Who would be impacted?

I'd like to leave you with one final thought today.

I know we're all experiencing the ripple effect of a tough economy.

And so in the spirit of perspective, this statistic that I came across in the Live Faithfully homework series by Lenya Heitzig and Penny Rose is worth reflecting on:

"If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead, and a place to sleep,

you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have never experienced war, imprisonment, torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million other people.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy."

Sweet Bellas, it all comes down to perspective...

What will YOU choose today?

On that note, I have the perfect dish to turn that frown upside down, and trust me, you don't have to slave in the kitchen all day to serve this elegant meal. This recipe is perfect to serve to guests and the presentation is fantastic. Enjoy, and keep shining Sweet Bellas...

Southwestern Stuffed Puff Pastry

*picture shown above

Ingredients:

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed

6 oz. of cooked chicken, shredded or diced

*shortcut: you can used rotisserie chicken or one of those prepackaged cooked and diced chicken packages that they carry in the lunch meat section of your grocery store :)

10 cremini mushrooms, rinsed, de-stemmed, and diced

1/2 small yellow onion

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 Tbsp of olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

6 oz of cream cheese, softened

2-3 Tbsp of chopped green chile

1 tsp of garlic powder

3/4 cup of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 egg

splash of water

Directions:

1)Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet out to a 12 x 8 inch rectangle. Cut into six 4 x 4 inch squares.

2) In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, green chile, and garlic powder. spread appx 1 oz. in the center of each square.

3)Meanwhile, in a small frying pan over medium heat, saute olive oil, garlic clove onion salt and pepper for one minute, add cremini mushrooms and cook until onions are translucent. Turn off heat.

4) top each square with 1 oz. of cooked chicken

5)Spoon 1 Tbsp of mushroom/onion saute mixture on top of chicken on each square

6) Top each square with a good pinch of sharp cheddar cheese.

7) Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork or whisk to create an egg wash. Brush the edges of the pastry squares with the egg wash. Fold the corners of the pastry squares to the center over the stuffing mixture and press to seal. Place the filled pastries seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Brush the pastries with the egg wash.

8)Bake @ 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serves 6.

I like to serve this with a caprese salad and roasted asparagus.

Mangia!

Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore & The Power of Words...

"Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body"

~Proverbs 16:24

As I was thinking more on the topic of listening this past week,

I couldn't help but contemplate the other side of the coin...our speech, and the power of those words.

Do you know someone who will often speak before they think? Someone who has no filter in their speech whatsoever, they just blurt out whatever whenever without a second thought? Have you ever been hurt by their words, whether directly or indirectly?

Or perhaps YOU have been that person, knowingly or unknowingly.

I think it's easy for us to shift our thinking to others we know guilty of such, but what about ourselves?

Have you ever said something to someone that you instantly regretted? Why? Was it retaliation? Pride? Frustration?

Maybe you've never intentionally meant to hurt another with your words, but it happened.

The good news? It's never to late to make a change!

Words.

Simple words.

In the time it takes to speak them,

those words have the power

to build someone up,

or tear someone down.

Consider for just a moment the sweet effect of gracious words.

They can rescue people from despair, bring encouragement, life.

Gracious words can bring comfort, they can compliment, show our attentiveness,

bring positivity, be helpful, bring laughter, express gratitude, and be a blessing.

No eloquence required.

Sweet Bellas, let your words be a gift.

Let each and every one of us make every effort

to keep the law of kindness on our lips

now and always.

And while your at it, bring a dish over to someone who could use break.

Are there any tired mommies you know?

If not you can bring it to me :)

How about making this...

Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

Need a fantastic meal that literally cooks itself while you're at work or busy at home, with only 5 minutes prep time...this is it!

The chicken is so juicy it just falls apart. No frills...No fuss...Fabulous flavor!

Ingredients:

4 frozen chicken breasts (bone in has that extra flavor, but boneless is fine)

1 28 oz. can of Crushed Tomatoes with basil

1 Teaspoon of Chile Pequin (a.k.a. crushed red pepper flakes)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Green Bell Pepper, sliced and chopped

A large handful of baby carrots

a handful of mushrooms, sliced (I used cremini)

salt and pepper to taste

Layer in the crock pot in order of ingredients listed above, starting with frozen chicken breasts.

close the lid

cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Serve over rice or pasta, sprinkle with parmiggano reggiano on top. A green salad and some garlic bread are the perfect accompaniment.

Mangia!

Roasted Asparagus Salad & The Art of Listening...

"If speaking is silver, then listening is gold."

~ Turkish Proverb

For so many of us, talking is easy. Listening...not so much. Why is that? Perhaps it's your child recounting every single detail of their favorite movie *for the umpteenth time.* Or your friend explaining every single gritty detail of her messy break up. A relative offering their unsolicited advice on fill in the blank . A stranger rambling on about their political opinions. A spouse describing every single detail as they give you the long version of "the story."

Sweet Bellas, never forget the sheer beauty, wisdom and importance of listening....

Listening can be laborious and require lots of patience, but I firmly believe it demonstrates our love. Anytime we do something for someone that doesn't come naturally to us, it exemplifies our love for them. If listening were effortless, it would also be a lot less loving, yes? We also demonstrate our love for God by listening to Him, not just through obedience, but by really focusing on His words to us, by striving to understand its implications, and being intentional about responding.

As with anything else, listening gets easier with repetition. It may start out as a challenge, and you may find your thoughts wandering at first, but it does get easier with practice. In this situation, I'm convinced that nothing else says “I love you” like speaking less and listening more.

This salad is the last of 3 meals I had a chance to make both of my Grandmothers. It's another dish that screams Summer. It's light and crisp and a beautiful compliment to any main dish but also bold enough to stand alone, perfect to bring to a BBQ or girlfriend lunch.

For the complete recipe to this scrumptious Roasted Asparagus Salad, click HERE and visit the wonderfully talented Velva at Tomatoes on the Vine. She turned me on to this salad and you will love her presentation! She's a special soul and you will enjoy every moment discovering her world.

Mangia!