Favorite Ingredients Friday--Fourth of July Edition--Blueberry Lemon Pie

Blueberry Lemon Pie
(From Kraftfood.com)

1-1/4 cups HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup each: sugar and milk
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
3 cups blueberries

COMBINE cracker crumbs and butter in 9-inch pie plate; press firmly onto bottom and up side of pie plate.

BEAT cream cheese, sugar, milk and juice in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spread onto bottom of crust; top with blueberries.

REFRIGERATE at least 30 min. before serving. Store any leftover pie in refrigerator.

Visit Overwhelmed With Joy for more Favorite Ingredients Friday recipes.

When I Grow Up...

I have been looking at what people I am drawn to, inspired by. I see those people with gentle manners and kind, quiet voices as people I want to sit with and absorb their peace. I hear people with strong, noble convictions and powerful faiths that they are willing to share—I want to draw strength from them. People who can say positive words make me want to be like them. People who have humor in their veins make me laugh and bring sunshine to my heart.

The thing I think I see in common with all these people is that they never try to show me where I am wrong. (I know, well enough, I am wrong too often.) They are too busy showing me how they live and don’t even need to explain why—they are living it. People who are excited about their own lives are infectious. If they write, it is full of them and their overflow—they are too busy ”being” to worry about trying to make me feel bad about me and my choices.

Who have I been steering clear of these days? Negative people. People who want to burden, belittle, tear down. I think maybe they are insecure and they feel built up if others are wrong. Rigid people, who are set in ruts and not open-minded, are people I don’t want to be around. They will never be open to their humanity and the possibility that they are wrong. At the same time, I have been trying to avoid people who lack moral compasses. They confuse me—not that I want to follow their off kilter course, but in trying to offer compassion and friendship to them, my values have taken a few hits. People like this are never wrong in their mind either—but then to them, there is little that is really wrong.

Why am I stewing on this topic?

I want to become someone who impacts others just by my being me. I want to be kind, I want to be compassionate, quiet, gentle, enthusiastic and full of joy. I want to be busy without busy owning me. I want to be able to stop and set all else aside if I am needed. I want to be Mary AND Martha, sitting at His feet and feeding His friends.

As it stands…I have a long way to go.

Book Giveaway Alert

Overwhelmed With Joy is giving away a copy of The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. I keep reading that other bloggers are reading this. I want to read it!! Go visit Overwhelmed With Joy and sign up on Mr. Linky. Tell her I sent you.

Doo-Doo Bread, the Secret Recipe

I'm tickled that so many are wondering what the recipe is for Doo-Doo bread. Because it just shows what an awful person I am--it has little or no nutritional value and it is so simple to make there must be a law against that. But it does taste good. So here you go--please come visit me again after you read this, I really am not always so lame.

Ingredients:
1 loaf frozen bread dough
vegetable oil in a skillet

Instructions:
Thaw bread dough, but don't let it rise
Tear or cut (if you want to be neat about it) the dough into six to eight sections
Shape into flat, round shapes
Fry in the oil until golden

Serve with butter, sugar, cinnamon, or parmesean cheese and garlic seasoning. I am sure other toppings would go quite nicely.

Somewhere, back in the good old days when I was a kid, my family called this "Poor Man's Bread" or "Dough Dobbers." My very mature husband, when he first ate this at my parents' house, referred to it as "Doo-Doo" bread. And the name stuck. Like glue. My children have attempted boy-humor variations of this, but I refuse to allow them to demean such haute cuisine any further.

As I said there is little value in this other than it is tasty and it is just a tradition at my house. I promise to offer a "real" recipe on Friday if Overwhelmed will still let me play after this sample of my cooking genius.

Children's Book Monday

The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco

The history of a family is bound up in this beautiful story of the beautiful quilt. The story begins with the Russian imigrant Anna who has a red babushka. As Anna outgrows the babushka, it is made into a quilt that will be handed down through many generations. The quilt is used for welcoming babies, sleeping with, getting married under, a tablecloth. It is an heirloom that tells the story of Polacco's family.

This is a true story and is simple but rich. There is also a movie (we were lucky to borrow from the library) that we watched and it is narrated by the author. At the end she shows the beautiful quilt and shares a couple of family members. It is simply and nicely done. I found out there is also an audio-cassette, which we have not checked out.

I wasn't sure how two boys would respond to such a quiet, gently told story, but my guys asked for us to read it again!! A winner.

Something from Nothing by Phoebe Gilman

A folk tale retold, not a true story, but told with such joy that it is an enchanting read. Young Joseph has a blanket made by his grandfather a tailor. As Joseph grows and the blanket becomes worn it is remade into smaller and smaller items, until all that is left is the story. A Yiddish tale illustrated in image and words, Gilman draws the reader closer, impatiently wanting to see what Grandfather will create next.

There is also a lovely short movie that follows the book. Again we checked it out from the library to watch after we had read the book. Wonderful.

Children's Book Monday is hosted by Elise at A Path Made Straight.

Thank You Sheryl!!

Sheryl at Taking the Challenge blessed me with a "Thank You" after she received her winnings from the Book Giveaway. I was not expecting that. She sent me a lovely card and a sweet magnet frame that already has a home on my fridge!! How sweet Sheryl!

Menu Plan Monday

In the good old summer time it never hurts to keep it simple. There were days last week when we were eating between 8:30 and 9 p.m. Just enough time to tie up loose ends and go to bed. Not the boys idea of fun (the bed part), but time slips away with the sun up so long.

Now we are on the down hill slide--just past the longest day of the year--but it is still summer. This is my simple menu for this week.

Monday—baked chicken breasts, steamed vegetables
Tuesday—manicotti & salad
Wednesday—teriyaki chicken and vegetable fried rice
Thursday—goulash and doo-doo bread
Friday—grilling


For some fancier menus, go visit all the ladies who join Laura (I'm an Organizing Junkie) at her Menu Plan Monday.

Grains of Gratitude

We are halfway through our main summer activity!! While I am ever so grateful the boys were able to be part of it, I am ready for a little slower pace. I’ve learned that we should work hard up until the start of the program and then take a break instead of taking a break before, leaving things that need to get done for when we are all tired. Happy but tired. Live and learn. I’m grateful for the midway point.

Pool is up!! Oh we are all grateful for this. Step out and jump in. Pretend we don’t have the lovely view of Sonic. And for my part, pretend Sonic patrons don’t have the lovely view of me. But water = FUN!!!

Spring Reading Thing is over!! It was so much fun while it lasted—but now my summer reading will be at a little more leisurely pace. It is nice to have challenges, but nice to have time to regroup and putter at my reading.

I am grateful for a teacher who has been frank, open, honest and encouraging about my boys. She only sees them once a year during our Summer Intensive, but she has a good eye, a gentle method and a willingness to talk to parents.

This week I am grateful for challenges that have served to strengthen me. While the easy times are just that, easy and often peaceful, it is in the challenges that we are forged, tempered and made stronger.

Prayers for you for a week filled with blessings to be grateful for.

Grains of Gratitude started with Christine at Brady’s Bunch. Such a good idea!!