Tell Me a Story:: Justine from Here Where I Have Landed

It's my favorite day of the week! Tuesday! 

I am really grateful to have Justine with us today to talk about Gratitude. I stumbled upon her blog quite some time ago and I just love it. I find her funny and real, sarcastic and sincere. 


Welcome Justine, tell us a story. 

Where do you live (be as specific or vague as you feel led)?
Chicago, IL

Tell me about your family? My partner and I have a daughter together. She’ll be turning two in November.

What activity or circumstance makes you feel most alive? Being in the water with my family, be it a pool or a lake. All three of us love the water. My Guy and I have fond memories of it from our own childhood, which we hope to create for our daughter as swell.

What gratitude did you feel today? What gave you peace? Any ah-ha moments?
I was so happy and thankful for the leftovers from a great lunch on Friday. My a-ha moment happened when I remembered that it was in the fridge waiting for me! Is that sad?

How do you see gratitude or mindfulness? Is this a daily practice?
Being a mom with a full-time job, I don’t see my family as much as I’d like so when we are together, I try to focus solely on them and in so doing, I think I am conveying just how grateful I am for them. Unless they drive me crazy of course.

Does being a mother help you to see things differently? Does your gratitude and 'thank yous' change as she grows? Yes, absolutely. The perspective changes – things that were once important no longer are, and conversely, things that didn’t matter before I absolute cherish now. Like sleep. And time alone. Or date nights. But as she blossoms, I think my gratitude list will just grow with her although the nature of it may change a little by the time she’s a teenager, i.e. so glad she’s mad at her dad and not me for being grounded from breaking curfew.

You are living far away from family, how do you show gratitude to them living so far away? Is the distance from family a source of strength for you or do you long to have them close by?
I miss my family every day and while it isn’t easy, I show them my gratitude for being the best person I can be. Near or far, I continue to want to be the kind of person they can be proud of. The experience of being away from my childhood home has also taught me to broaden my definition of family and open up to people. These days, friends we see regularly and especially those who care about our daughter are those we consider family.

In reading your blog, I've noticed that you view life as a journey... things are just a step on the road. How has that road changed for you, are you grateful for where you are now and what you've been through? It is a journey and so far the paths that led me here had many surprise bumps and steep climbs. But it’s the unpredictability that makes it so exciting. Sure, you don’t always like everything you find in your path – but one person’s roadkill is another person’s dinner on the table (just ask Rachel). As stated above, it’s a matter of perspective. The journey may seem arduous at times but when you look at the road ahead and see the one behind you, it humbles you. The world is unfathomably vast, and the possibilities are endless. And to be given the chance to experience even an infinitesimal portion of that, I will always, always be grateful.

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Justine blogs at Here Where I have Landed, where, as chief memory keeper, she chronicles her life with her family and reflects upon her roles as a mom who juggles a full-time career and motherhood; as a woman who hopes to contribute to the world but often forgets the reusable grocery bags at home and as a Chinese-Indian immigrant from Malaysia who tries to reconcile her pride in her cultural heritage with her love for her new country. And sometimes it’s about okra or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. You know, normal people stuff.

You can find Justine on the web in a variety of places:
Blog: Here Where I Have Landed
Twitter: @IHaveLanded

Tell Me a Story:: Rebekah from Elder Family

Today, I would love to introduce you to Rebekah, my dear dear friend.

We met my freshman year of college (and her sophomore). And though we lived about as far a part as possible on our 'wing' in the dorm, we shared clothes. Lots of clothes. Because we were exactly the same size. Down to our shoes. And we had very similar taste in clothes. Which made this sharing-of-closet useful when we were all still going on dates.

Rebekah and her little family have moved from the Great State of Texas back to our area and I am loving it. She is the kind of girl you want over for a cup of tea, to laugh and cry with, to bake and to scrapbook with (even if, like me you don't really scrap book. Gasp, I know.).

She's my blogging buddy and our husbands have this eerie um... connection to all things gross and inappropriate.... funny we have matching eye-rolls as well.

Without further ado...

Welcome, Rebekah, Tell Us a Story. 

Where do you live?
We are in the great midwest, a little more specifically Northwest Iowa. I purchased our very own home this year and have enjoyed filling it up and making it our own.

Tell me about your family?
My family consists of myself, my husband and best friend, David our 2 year old going on 16 year old son, Noah and our lazy, lovable beagle, Molly. We have 'adopted' so to speak a new member of our family, Jim, who rent out our basement but has been a long time friend since college.

What activity or circumstance makes you feel most alive?
Most recently and as part of the everyday, discovering new places and my 'adventures' with Noah. I have recently became a stay at home mom (by choice) and I love being at home with Noah but I am not very good at the staying home part - and I really think I am starting to rub off on Noah. Plus we have very recently moved to NW Iowa so there are always new things to discover. We like getting outside: parks, libraries, going for walks, museums, apple orchards, pumpkin patches, the farmers market.

Another part of my life that has made be feel most alive is making our new home, ours! After years of living in apartments and not being able to put our own 'stamp' on our home it has been nice to play with paint colors, create paintings, refinish furniture, make curtains, and the countless other ideas I / we have.



What gratitude did you feel today? What gave you peace? Any ah-ha moments?
For my husband. He has been very patient with me with me adjusting to staying at home and when he can and when he is home he reminds me that he is here now and I don't have to take care of everything.

Peace came several times today; this morning waking up to our son curled up beside me after he got up at 6 am and came to our room asking to crawl in with us. This morning during our church service a part of our service is to Pass the Peace, Noah turns to those around us and says, 'Peace be with you'! And this evening when the same exhausted little boy sat in my lap, both of us cuddled under a blanket and read stories until he turned around hugged me and feel asleep as I say Amazing Grace.

How do you see gratitude or mindfulness? Is this a daily practice?
I unfortunatly find myself missing the 'mindfulness' or being able to see the gratitude all too often. Like many people I get through the day, prepare for the next - it is something I strive to do daily. Those times and days I see gratitude usually come when there is a quiet moment and I can step back and see all of the blessings I have in my life: my family, health, a warm home, friends the list goes on and on and I wonder how to I miss seeing it.

You've just moved to a new city, with a new home and a new job-- has your 'thank yous' changed in this new stage? Have you been thankful for things you haven't thought of before?
I think now that David and I have had a change of roles I realize how I took him for granted at times. Many more thank yous to family that are now more of a everyday part of Noah's life because of our move.



I know you love cooking, decorating and caring for Mr. Noah. How do you live out your daily gratitude in small tasks as well as big ones?
I think the big part is sharing them with Noah! I do enjoy cooking and baking but always feel like I can't but I now find ways for Noah to help me in the kitchen: stirring, pouring, using cookie cutters, etc. There is always something for little hands to do you just have to think outside the box. Decorating too, we have been choosing paint colors for the playroom wall - I let Noah paint a spot on the wall or purchase a canvas for him to create his own art. And even though it takes a bit more planning or thinking these moments with Noah are priceless and lots of fun.

*********

Rebekah is a wife, mommy, educator and as much as her husband laughs at her, she will always be a country girl. She loves to scrapbook, bake, sew, travel, read, dream up 'adventures' for her family to enjoy and the Fall season.

You can find Rebekah on the Web in a variety of places:
http://drelderspot.blogspot.com
http://sweetelder.blogspot.com

Tell me a Story: Valarie From Jump Into a Book

I am excited to welcome today's guest. Valarie and I have been in a variety of projects together around the web. Her blogs are a place to get lost in beauty, learn some thing new and appreciate the world around you. So today, take sometime to deeply listen to what she has to say about gratitude. 

Welcome, Valarie, tell us a story.

Where do you live?
We live in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains in Tennesse.

Tell me about your family?

My husband and I live together with our three children. My husband is a surgeon and from the country of Lebanon, I’m a music teacher and composer, as well as a blogger, writer, and photographer. Our eldest daughter is a senior at the University studying public relations and communications. Currently she is producing a TV show for a local TV station. Our second daughter is a freshman at the University studying music as a second major and discovering what her first major will be. Joining the girls is their younger brother, who is 11. He is an inventor, animator, and future farmer. Currently, he’s wanting to turn our lawn into a wheat field. All together we live with our cat Oscar.

What activity or circumstance makes you feel most alive?
I love to walk and do so every morning by a stream near the house. Traveling can also get my blood going as well as a good bookstore.

What gratitude did you feel today?
I feel most thankful for having good health, and being able to watch my children grow up and explore their world around them.

What gave you peace? Autumn is arriving here very quickly now. When I was washing the dishes this morning I looked out of the window over the sink and there was the most beautiful poppy waving in the wind. It was so exquisite and so unusual this time of year.

Any A-ha moments?
The more things I find to be thankful for, the more things I have to be thankful for.

How do you see gratitude or mindfulness? Is this a daily practice?
About four years ago I hit a really hard spell that completely absorbed my heart, mind, and soul. I felt so weary and just wanted that pain to go away , to stop droning over and over in my mind. I was reading a book which mentioned that you can complain all you want to but until you change what you are doing, the result will be the same. This person suggested starting a gratitude practice, mentioning just 4 things you are thankful for at the end of the day. So I started a gratitude journal listing 4 things a day for about two weeks. After that time I moved my gratitude practice to the morning and let myself write as many things as I could think of that I was thankful for. The practice has continued and has evolved into my written practice but also a daily practice of being thankful as I see things come up, during the day. In the evening as I’m lying in bed, I give it one more layer of gratitude for the day I have just lived before I hit the lights.

Valarie, I know gratitude is a something you strive for, practice and philosophize about? Can you share what it means to you and your family? Has this changed over the years, as you have older and younger children?

This is such an interesting question because I really can pinpoint when gratitude became absolutely apparent in my life. The year was 1990. It was my first trip to Lebanon with my new husband and our 7 month old daughter. The civil war was still continuing and as we were landing on the runway, bombs were dropping in the mountains. There was no electricity, no water; it was being shipped in from Syria, and limited times of day to buy food. The country was completely ravaged by 20 years of war. There wasn’t a building where a bomb or bullet holes didn’t exist. When asked why I was in Lebanon at such a time? My response was always the same, “I’m here for a family vacation to meet my in-laws.” People would look at me like I was mad. Maybe I was, but the lesson that was to be learned on that trip has lasted a lifetime in parenting, and just being human on this planet.

Regardless of religion, ( in Lebanon alone there are over 18 religions and sects) the Arabic language has several words of gratitude. The two that you hear constantly are humdillah and n’shukar allah. Both mean thank god. It didn’t matter what circumstances I found people in: 4 families living in a one room house, no legs, no arms, a gardener with a garden, no bread to sell, etc., all of these people would say thank god. They lived life so fully, simply, and filled with complete gratitude for everything in their life good and bad.

There was a man who sat in a wheelchair on the corner. From his little place he would have boxes surrounding him filled with different sorts of chocolate and candy. All the kids would buy their chocolate from him. When asked how he was and what had happened to him he said, “It doesn’t matter. Humdillah (thank god) that I’m here and that I am learning patience. Humdillah, humdillah. Isn’t today beautiful? “

As we have traveled around the world we have met many people and the people who have the least always seem to be the most thankful. As a family we are always thankful. It is our mode of operation.



Does your love of nature, and the natural world help you to live in gratitude? How does this shape who you are as a family?
As a family we have a great respect and love of nature. In nature one can see the boundaries slip away and have an awareness of how interconnected everything is. Recently, there has been a lot of talk in our home about sustainable living and nature preservation. How our survival as a human race and as a planet depend on it.

::::::::::::

Valarie Budayr from Jump Into a Book, derives the greatest pleasure from taking the books she reads and helping them come alive with her family, book club, friends, and workshops. An advocate for literacy, Valarie spends many quality hours helping at risk readers. She spends her days with her husband, three creative children, and one adored cat. Together they live in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. You can also visit Valerie on her blog, A Place Like This.

You can find Valarie on the web in a variety of places:

A Place Like This

Jump Into A Book

LearnSweden

Twitter: @bookjumper
Facebook: Valarie Budayr

Tell Me a Story: Molly of Mommycoddle

It's Tuesday and that means it's time for Tell Me a Story, stories about gratitude. I am honored to welcome Molly from Mommycoddle. When I discovered blogs about three years ago, Molly's blog was one of my first-reads. Her honesty about farm, family and life open my eyes to so many new things-- and I'm grateful to call her my friend.

Please help me welcome Molly.




Where do you live? We live in a rural valley in north central Maryland.

Tell me about your family? My husband and I have 4 girls from 8 years old all the way down to five months. Dan and I are hoping the trend will shift to potluck weddings by the time they're all walking down the aisle. We live in a farmhouse on several acres that we've been slowly returning to its roots, little by little. It is a long process and requires lots of patience. Currently we're saving our pennies and mapping out plans for some fencing, a few lambs and maybe even a milk cow. But for now, our chickens, mallard ducklings, barn cats and labrador retrievers keep us entertained.

 What activity or circumstance makes you feel most alive? There are three things that get me every time. The landscape. My faith. And a good song. When I can combine all three, it's magical.

Most of my family live in this valley and it's not uncommon that I find us heading home from dinner at someone's house just as the sun is setting. The drive home, back down into the valley, windows down, music playing, little arms out the car windows, fields of hay and corn and beans flashing past... It gets me every time and makes me grateful for where I live, who I love and that I know the Creator who made it all.


What gratitude did you feel today? What gave you peace? Any ah-ha moments? Today I felt gratitude for some very basic things. For the change in weather which has recharged my spirit. For a clean house and a mopped kitchen floor. For the sounds of my girls and husband playing together outside. The hum of the mower. A few stolen moments in a quiet house. The squeal of surprise and joy over a special dessert served on my nice china.

How do you see gratitude or mindfulness? Is this a daily practice? I think both gratitude and mindfulness cause me to slow down. And often to re-evaluate. When they are absent from my life it feels like time is slipping away. I feel wanty. And long for things that I think everyone else has. I feel sorry for myself. But when my heart and mind are rooted in gratitude, my perspective, my peace and my attitude changes. And I'm suddenly struck by all the goodness that I have.


Molly, you took a break from blogging at mommycoddle for the season, were you able to accomplish your goals with Habit, your family? What insight or perspective did you gain in your time away? Well, in a way, I felt like my break didn't really begin until August. We had a wonderful, but busy July-month at habit and it required more computer time than I was hoping to have during my break. But the time away was really good for me. I created another blog for myself on tumblr. I kept it completely private and told no one about it because I wanted to be sure that I still enjoyed the medium of blogging. I wanted to be sure that if no one were reading, it would still be an important part of my life. And I found that, yes, I did still enjoy having a space. And I feel like I was able to return to some of the roots of blogging. And while I don't mind opening up the windows of my life for others to see and sharing in the community of blogging, when I began to feel like I was blogging for everyone else, instead of for myself, I knew I needed to step back for a bit. The break really brought back perspective, and renewed and changed my vision for mommycoddle.

 As you look forward into the school year, what do you have planned for the girls? Is gratitude part of your day as a family? As I sit here and type our school year will begin in EXACTLY 12 hours. I am really looking forward to this year. I have taken a completely new approach from what I've done in the past. And I feel like I've made a shift and commitment to homeschooling that was somewhat absent in the past. I still remain open-minded, but committed and inspired. The girls have been keeping gratitude journals for the past two years. Each day the begin by writing a few sentences about something they are thankful for. Sometimes they draw a few pictures, sometimes only words. They have been treasures to look back on and they have helped me instill a heart of gratitude in them.

__________

Molly is a writer, mother, homeschooling mama, and part-time farm girl. She believes in the marking of time and that every day holds a story all its own. She writes at her personal blog, mommycoddle.com and is co-creator of habit, a collaborative photography + words project with Emily of shining egg.

You can find Molly on the web in a variety of places:
mommycoddle.com, http://habitblog.com
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mommycoddle/
Twitter: @mommycoddle

Tell Me a Story: Hip Mountain Mama

Today we're starting a new series called Tell Me a Story, stories about gratitude. I want to examine with other women how they stay positive, keep balance and above all have daily gratitude.







Today's guest is Suzy from Hip Mountain Mama, she has a popular online store and blogs. She's the spear head behind the One Small Change movement. I got acquainted with Suzy though twitter and her advocacy for safe baby wearing. She's busy, but balanced, passionate and thoughtful-- with a beautiful family.



Welcome Suzy.








Where do you live?


At the base of the beautiful Rocky Mountains in Colorado



Tell me about your family?


I am married to my best friend and business partner Andy. My children are my sweet, shy, caring 6 year old daughter Magnolia and my crazy, excited, always laughing 3 year old daughter Sienna



What activity makes you feel most alive?


Anything that involves being in nature. Feeling the sun on my face, walking on leaves, putting my feet in a river...



What gratitude did you feel today? What gave you peace? Any ah-ha moments?

Today I feel gratitude for my family, friends, and environment. My daily meditation gave me much peace today and my ah ha moment was to learn to lighten up and let go of the baggage.







How do you see gratitude or mindfulness? Is this a daily practice?

I actually practice gratitude several times a day. For me, it is a thought like "oh wow, I am so glad I have such an amazing daughter" or "so and so is having a rough time with her husband, I feel so blessed to have such a great husband".


We also say out loud what we are thankful for each night at dinner.



As a work at home Mom you are required to balance a great deal of things. How do you run a creative business, participate in your community, make family time, spend time out doors and basically juggle it all? What are your tools? What are your compromises? How do you seek gratitude or slow time in your busy season?


After 2 years of being a work at home mom, it is all finally coming together. Since my husband is also working at home for the business it really works nicely. Such as right now, Andy took Sienna to the pool so I can get to my emails. Later I will play with the kids outside so Andy can get some work done. We just take things as they come and things always seem to work out and get accomplished. My main tool is to let things go. I had several loads of laundry that needed to get put away last night, but instead of doing this we played in the front yard, rode bikes, hung out with neighbors...and I got to the laundry today. Learning to let the laundry/dishes/beds slide for however long they need to slide for is what frees up time for fun! Andy and I also always make sure to set aside 10 minutes each (preferably in the morning) to meditate. This gets us in a great and relaxed mood to tackle the day ahead. Making time for ourselves is crucial in making this all work.









I know you meditate, does that help you have more daily gratitude?
Ahhh, yes. Absolutely!! I actually feel gratitude that I am allowing myself and that my situation allows me to meditate for 10-15 minutes each morning. It helps me be more mindful of everything and to really appreciate the beauty in everything around me!



How has the success of One Small Change made an impact on you? On your family? Does gratitude play a part in those One Small Change decisions?
One Small Change was such a little idea that has had such an amazing result. My family and I have made 7 small change in our lives that have impacted the environment in a positive way and this makes us all feel great. We feel like we are doing our part to create a beautiful earth to live on and to leave on to others. We are so grateful for our earth and all she does for us. I was just thinking this morning about how perfect nature is...it gives us all we need and we really need to give back!



_________



Suzy is a fun loving, 30 something, nature lover, dreamer, music fan, Mama, and Wife. She spends her days running Hip Mountain Mama, hanging out with her 2 children, and dreaming of ways to walk hand in hand with Mother Nature.

You can find Suzy on the web in a variety of places:

http://www.hipmountainmamablog.com/

http://1smallchangeblog.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/hipmountainmama

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hipmountainmama

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WEEKENDhospitality: Perfect Partners

Chocolate and Coffee.

Need I say more?

This week I’m going to discuss the process of creating a delicious espresso. If you have an espresso maker or other fancy device this post isn’t for you. If you’re lacking in the $1000 to buy a new espresso maker with steam wand, and stainless steel body, etc etc etc. (I dream), then this post is so for you. If you don’t already have a stove top espresso maker, go buy one for a much cheaper $30+. Or do what Mary did for me a few years ago and buy one on ebay for $15+ shipping.

All good espressos start with good espresso beans. Our favorite is an organic fair trade espresso we get from the CO-OP Natural Foods in Sioux Falls, SD. We’ve tried other more famous brands before and have been disappointed with the results, so we try to stay away from those as often as possible. We’ve also done regular and decaf coffee in the pots and they’ve turned out pretty good too, especially if you only want one cup of coffee.

The process starts-- of course-- with your grind. We only have a small blade grinder we got when we got married and it takes about 30-50 seconds to get a fine grind. Trust me, to get the flavor you want a fine grind, not coarse like you’d use for drip coffee or French Press.

After you grind your coffee. Follow the assembly instructions, filling with good quality water, etc. Next you’ll need to practice a good amount of patience. I like to turn my burner to really low. 

For a good cup it takes about 10-15 minutes, but trust me it’s well worth the wait. The aromas that will fill your kitchen as you’re preparing the coffee are amazing! I love to watch the dark brown thick espresso ooze out of the spouts. (mmm I’m getting thirsty describing it)

While the coffee is taking longer to get ready than I do in the morning-- I get the milk going. I pour about 1-2 cups of milk into my small pot. I add about 2  teaspoons of sugar just to give it a little more sweetness and then turn the heat up (not too high you don’t want to scorch the milk, you want to heat it slowly). Taking a whisk I start whisking. I’ll start and stop as my heart pleases. Then once I get the right consistency of foam on top I turn the heat off and hopefully by this point the coffee is done, if not, just let it sit, it won’t hurt anything.

Then I add the shot or two of espresso and then desired amount of milk and foam to the desired coffee mugs. I like my lattes to taste like espresso and not milk. For me the milk is more of a medium through which to enjoy the espresso not overpower it. 

Use the wisk to hold the foam back as you’re pouring and then plop a bit of it on top and enjoy. If you have extra milk and have a kitty in the house (ie. Isabel) pour the remainder into a little mug and let them enjoy the warm milk. (If it’s too hot, just add some cold milk, they’ll love it!)

Now for the chocolate. Chocolate Friands from the Tartine cookbook.

Yesterday we celebrated our normal Sunday afternoon lunch, but added some delicious chocolate treats for a good friends birthday. We even had a candle that Truman helped blow out.

These “small mouthfuls” are simply delicious and super easy to make. What treat doesn’t taste good when you use chocolate, butter, sugar and flour? Oh and there’s a yummy ganache (cream and chocolate) topping. Mine didn’t turn out quite as nice looking as the picture, but they were delicious none the less.

Hope you had a great weekend and enjoy making espresso and chocolaty treats.

--Eric

WEEKENDhospitality: Cheesecake

From Eric:


Cheesecake is such an easy dessert to make but such a difficult one to master. For me, cheesecake was the first dessert that I ever created my own recipe. My dad loves peanut butter so one night I decided to play around with different peanut butter filled items: Reese's pieces, peanut butter chips, peanut butter, etc. I had noticed that the afore mentioned cheesecake cookbook had certain ratios of cream cheese, eggs, etc so I decided to try my ratio and it turned out perfect! 

Ever since then I have tried time and again to create the "Great Cheesecake."

I never repeat a recipe that I've made before, mostly because I can never remember what I've done previously. I never write down my recipes, I know the ratio and just add other ingredients as I see fit. I've made Pumpkin, Chocolate Swirl, Plain and many other variations. 

This week I went with my normal Plain recipe and it was all going well. I had to use cereal for the crust, which as one friend explained was kind of like a cookie. I used my food processor to get the right consistency of crust (Cheerios and Special K). I mixed in my desired flavors, vanilla, cloves, freshly ground nutmeg, butter, salt, sugar and placed it all into my springform and baked it. 

 After cooling I added the cheesecake base and baked it at 400 for a while. I don't remember how long it was, 15-20 minutes probably, then I turned the heat down to 325 and baked it there for another 30-45 minutes.

The next day unsatisfied with the appearance I tried making a chocolate glaze. Taking the buttermilk and sour cream we had on hand and mixing in some 1% milk I warmed that and then poured over chocolate. The consistency was good and the flavor was actually really good. The only problem was that it never set up properly so there was chocolate oozing all over the place. 

Needless to say, this wasn't my best cheesecake, in fact I didn't particularly care for it. I did like the cheesecake but the chocolate was a bit disappointing. But that won't detour me from trying again!

Have you ever tried cheesecake? If so what do you think? If not, try it, it's simple and very diverse and you never know you may discover your own Great Cheesecake.
--Eric

*For the record, the cheese cake tasted delicious, the sauce was runny, and it was hard to cut. Who doesn't love chocolate oozing all over the place? But the cheesecake itself was pitch perfect. Thanks Eric for joining us for a weekly post!

WEEKENDhospitality: Donuts

Last week we made the dulce de leche chocolate cake.

This week it was time for something new. Raised donuts, something I hadn’t made since childhood. Well technically-- I never made them, then, and don't even remember eating them. I remember cutting them and watching them fry. But still...

Borrowing the recipe from Sherry Yard's Desserts by the Yard--I found a donut recipe that I knew wouldn't disappoint.
 

So early on Sunday morning the process began. Warming milk, adding yeast, waiting. Adding flour, sugar, etc etc, waiting.

Kneading and more waiting. 

Rolling and freezing and more waiting. 

Cutting and more waiting. Then, they were ready. 

The oil was warmed (though I'm sure it was too hot as I didn't have a thermometer to check it with) and the first one was dropped in. It was working, though very large and continuing to expand it was flipped and I could see it was going to be good. 

After it was pulled out of the oil it was doused in espresso sugar I made by putting regular sugar in my coffee grinder and pulsed away. I added more sugar to the mixture that wasn't pulsed to get the preferred consistency of sugar. 

Then the waiting was over and it didn't take long for them to be devoured. They were delicious with just the sugar topping, but we added an espresso whipped cream (with a shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream!).  

The only problem that I found with this recipe? It didn’t make nearly enough. The batch did make approximately 14-16 donuts but between the 6 adults and 2 little people. Maybe next time I'll double the batch, or just not eat so many myself (I think I had 3 or 4).

Thanks and stay tuned to next week when we make something new and share it with friends. 

Guest Blogger: Eric!

Hello friends, in his blogging debut, here is my husband, Eric. I am so glad to have him visit with us today sharing his story of cooking and family— as you can see his love of the kitchen is deep rooted and gift of practicing hospitality is so evident...

 
Food...eating, making, enjoying. Food is such an integral part of our lives. For me, I don't necessarily remember the food or the tastes, I remember the people the food was shared with.

As a child we would go to my Abuelita's (grandma's) house on Sunday afternoon for lunch. My dad and tios would sit at her table and eat salsa and chiles until they were sweating and hiccupping uncontrollably.
 
When I would wake up in the middle of the night after a nightmare my dad walk me to the kitchen where he would pull a pot (always the same one) out of the cupboard, pour milk in and warm it for me. I don't remember ever drinking the milk, but I remember the time he would take to make it just right. 

While on vacation with family in Florida I remember going to a seafood restaurant and seeing my first live lobster. More importantly I learned one of my favorite food phrases. After the meal my aunt taught me in her southern drawl, "That was good I ENJOYED it!"

My mom didn't bake a lot, but for some reason one year she decided to try cheesecake. She would follow the recipe in a cookbook-- I would later inherit and they would turn out delicious. They would crack inevitably, but they were always so lovingly made.

_________

Food for me is less about the tastes or smells, though they peek my interest and excite me, I am more likely to remember the shared experience of the meal. The experience of picking out the ingredients, thinking about the process they have already gone through to arrive in my local grocery to be picked by me and later prepared into something magnificent. I enjoy the early preparation tasks of chopping and reading the recipe. Making sure everything is just right and then to begin the process of making. Whether I'm baking a cake for a party or just for fun or making eggs and potatoes for breakfast. And then after the preparation and making, however long it takes, sitting together with friends and family and enjoying the meal.

I love making and sharing food. It's part of my gift set and it comes naturally.  I love our weekends as a family. We take it easy, enjoy time together, eat well and just share family time. We have recently started having lunch on Sundays with friends and this has provided a new venue for my creativity and baking prowess. Having the time to create on Sundays is so relaxing for me and sharing food, conversation makes the sweets taste sweeter.

30 Days of Happiness:: Purpose

If you believe in what you are doing. Then let nothing stand in your way. The best work of the world has been done against seeming impossibilities. 

   -- Dale Carnegie

(Day 9) Last week Mary posted a tidbit about purpose and questioning. What are we here for? What is God’s larger purpose for us? Weren’t we put on this earth to do more?

I know these questions have plagued my mind lately. Is this a generational craze or a sign of the changing times? Unfortunately, I don’t have the answer. I can only speak to what has been happening for me lately.

I get the pleasure of working next to Mary daily and while we convene daily in each other’s cubicles to chat about life, we often find ourselves coming back to the questions above. We both feel this boiling urge inside to do more and be more for our families, friends and our earth. I feel as if God as answered my prayer with inconspicuous little blessings, signs and quotes and has begun pointing me in the right direction.

All of these blessings have made me take a step back in my life recently and have truly helped me discover my passion. I believe that it is without a doubt… junking! Huh? You ask?

But it is for so many more reasons than the fact that it’s a fun, creative outlet. Junking gives my partner Jamie Rae and I the ability to do well for our earth (keeping junk out of our landfills), for our families (teaching her adorable two girls the joy and freedom of crafting as well as following our passion), for others (reasonably priced super-cute home décor!) and most of all for our own strength and confidence. Armed with this newfound confidence and strength, I find myself able to help others through trying times in their lives. Could it be possible? Is it my purpose to speak and connect to others through…junk?! I’m still working on that answer.

A thought to take with you:

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." 

-- Mark Twain

Make waves friends. Make waves!

Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in a world they’ve been given than explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact – it’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration – it’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing. 

-- adidas commercial

Have you discovered your passion? If you were blessed tomorrow and your dreams became a reality, what would you do?

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A big thanks to Mary for letting me be her guest blogger while she’s on her fantastic anniversary trip to Chicago! 

I appreciate you.

DinnerTime, Again? Bounty of Zucchini

Hello friends! I’m Alicia from Rae Rae Sisters. I currently reside in Sheldon, a small town in Northwest Iowa and have the pleasure of working with Mary on a daily basis. When I am not at work, I can often be found at local auctions, garage sales and second hand stores looking for my next project.

Staying busy is no problem for me and my husband, (and we don’t even have children yet!) so easy and quick meals with few ingredients tend to be our pace.

It just so happened that we found ourselves with an abundance of zucchini this year. We haven’t started our own garden yet, but the generosity of our friends supplied us many fresh fruits and vegetables, especially zucchini. After multiple loaves of zucchini bread, zucchini cake and zucchini muffins…we were burnt out on the idea of more bread.

Enter Melinda…an old friend who came to the rescue with this super-delicious, super easy zucchini casserole recipe!
(You can even make up a couple casseroles and freeze them for use on one of those busy nights.)

Chicken Zucchini Casserole

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded carrots
5 tbsp melted butter, divided
8oz carton sour cream (Can substitute 8oz plain yogurt)
1 can cream of chicken soup (Can substitute low sodium cream of chicken soup)
1.5 chicken breasts, cooked and cut up
2 medium (or one large) zucchini, cubed
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup seasoned whole croutons
1-1/2 cup seasoned crushed croutons

Saute onion and carrots in 2 tbsp melted butter.
Boil cubed zucchini in salted water until slightly tender.

In a large bowl, mix together sour cream, cream of chicken soup, chicken breast.
Add sautéed mixture and drained zucchini and stir well.
Add 1/2 cup seasoned whole croutons and stir all together.

Spread in greased (with butter) 9x9 inch casserole dish.

Top with:
1-1/2 cup crushed croutons (spread over top of casserole and drizzle 3 tbsp melted butter over croutons).

Bake at 350 for approximately 40 minutes

Enjoy!

Image from sxc.hu