Grains of Gratitude

This is my eighth week of participating in Grains of Gratitude. I am grateful to Christine for starting this. It has given me the opportunity to start the week out with an attitude of thankfulness and looking forward.

I am grateful that perception is not always reality. Especially my perceptions. Sometimes I tend to be a “half empty” kind of person. God is a “full and overflowing Father.” Even when I perceive things incorrectly, He remains, giving abundantly and passionately. It usually takes less than 24 hours to readjust my attitude, but the reality of God’s goodness it there—whether I acknowledge it or not.

I am grateful for the twenty-something year old young man who is teaching my boys PE class. He is amazingly patient and very organized and given my boys a chance to have an opportunity that cannot be created with a creaking mommy (me) and two little boys, no matter how energetic.

I am grateful for the lovely young woman who is teaching the drama class my boys are also taking. She is creative and gentle and thoughtful. She, too, provides a setting that I could not, no matter how I tried.

And I am grateful to the other homeschooling parents and children who participate in the group we meet with. It is a wonderful thing for me to look around and see so many other families who are on parallel paths as ours, unique, but with similar goals. It is a little lonely sometimes. A couple weeks ago, during one of the boys activities, I spent a half hour or so talking with an engaging, older boy. He asked if I minded if he worked on his project near me. (It wasn’t a quiet project.) I didn’t and he immediately shared his goal for the project and walked through the process with me. He was funny and articulate and I was just impressed with his maturity and insight. I was grateful for his company and a glimpse of someone my boys might be growing up to be like. I am grateful that I live where homeschooling is an option for my family. We have been blessed by the journey.

What are you grateful for?

Grains of Gratitude was started by Christine at Brady’s Bunch.

Revelations 3:17-22

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.



Softly and Tenderly

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

Refrain

Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me?

Refrain

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
Coming for you and for me.

Refrain

O for the wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.

Refrain

Words and Music by Will Thomp­son

Favorite Ingredients Friday--Three Pumpkin Cheesecakes

My favorite dessert is cheesecake. Any kind of cheesecake. Boo and I have been partial to pumpkin flavored cheesecake lately. Maybe not the right season...but there's no accounting for taste.

Here are some cheesecake recipes courtesy of Kraft Foods.

PHILADELPHIA® No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

1 HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)

BEAT cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar and pumpkin pie spice with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gently stir in 2-1/2 cups of the whipped topping. Cover and refrigerate remaining whipped topping for later use. SPOON cream cheese mixture into crust.

REFRIGERATE 3 hours or overnight. Serve topped with remaining whipped topping. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

PHILADELPHIA® 3-STEP® Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs 1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Dash of ground cloves

Dash of ground nutmeg

1 HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)

PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Remove 1 cup of the batter; stir in pumpkin and spices.

POUR remaining plain batter into crust. Top with pumpkin batter.

BAKE 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

Almond-Crunch Pumpkin Cheesecake

1-2/3 cups HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs

1 cup sugar, divided

1/4 cup PLANTERS Sliced Almonds, chopped

5 Tbsp. margarine or butter, melted

3 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup solid pack canned pumpkin

1/2 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

4 eggs

Almond Crunch Topping

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1/2 cup BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut

1/2 cup PLANTERS Sliced Almonds

PLACE sugar and butter in small saucepan; cook on medium heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally.

ADD coconut and almonds; mix well.

PREHEAT oven to 350°F if using a silver 9-inch springform pan (or to 325°F if using a dark nonstick springform pan). Mix graham cracker crumbs, 1/3 cup of the sugar, almonds and margarine until well blended. Press firmly onto bottom and 2 inches up side of pan; set aside.

BEAT cream cheese and remaining 2/3 cup sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add pumpkin, sour cream and spice; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour into crust.

BAKE 1 hour. Turn off oven. Open door slightly; let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes.

PREHEAT broiler. Spread Almond Crunch Topping over warm cheesecake. Broil 6 inches from heat for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Run small knife or spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

More cheesecake recipes are available at Kraft Food's site. For more Favorite Ingredient Friday participants visit Overwhelmed With Joy.

Friday Favorites

Amberly over at Moments Amid Messes is hosting Friday Favorites. So this week I am posting my favorite weakness.

My favorite dessert—cheesecake.

There is no substitute.

It doesn’t matter what flavor, although Boo and I are quite partial to pumpkin cheesecake. Recipes for three variations posted in my Favorite Ingredient Friday post. It doesn’t matter what style, New York, French, no-bake, Philadelphia…I love cheesecake.

Wikipedia has a nice section on cheesecake.

Family Adventure--Wal-Mart

I love my DarlingCaveGeek. I really do. But to take him to Wal-Mart with me is not my favorite thing. Going to Wal-Mart in general is torture to the poor man and am not sure why we ever do it. Possibly that our minds are slipping and we forget the last hundred times before were rarely a good idea.

What is the problem shopping as a family? For starters, he parks in the wrong place. I have my own parking place at Wal-Mart don’tcha know. I am there so much that there is a parking spot just for me. And they told me that if I will make just one more visit each week, they will name an aisle after me. Okay…I exaggerate. Just a bit. But I do always park in almost the same exact place.

I don’t want the parking spot by the door. I don’t mind walking a little bit. What I want is that parking spot near the cart return.

This odd little quirk was born when the boys were infants and toddlers. It was fed by the terrifying stories of cars being stolen with children in them. So I always park by the cart returns.

When they were younger, I would not put the children in until the groceries were loaded and I would put the cart in the return and carrying Boo and holding Roo’s hand I would then buckle the boys in.

Now they get in, I have auto-locks on both vehicles I load the groceries and keep the alarm on the remote handy. I am prepared if nothing else. But I digress, as I am wont to do. The point is I park by the cart return. The one by the garden center. That way I can tour the seasonal items when I first get there. Every. Time. I. Go. It’s one of my small pleasures. Humor me. If I can’t go to Hobby Lobby I go through the garden center. A good day is going alone, stopping at Hobby Lobby on the way and then going through the garden center. I am digressing again, aren’t I?

DCG drives around looking for the closest parking spot to the front door. The front door. This might take twenty years minutes. What is wrong with that man??? Then he makes a mad dash in and the race is on. I have purposely ambled slowly. Slower and slower until he is so far ahead of me that he cannot possibly hear me and then stopped. And stood there. Just to wait to see if he will notice that the boys and I are not with him. He’s gotten quite far without noticing.

Now what is odd is that not only does he lose the fact that he has traveling companions, but also he rarely has a clue why we are going there. He never has the list. The list is my department.

Where is it that the man is headed in such a hurry? Well to the only place in Wal-Mart I avoid like the plague. The electronics section. Forget that we came for soup and crackers. Forget that we need milk and cheese. Health and beauty aids? Pshaw. It is the electronics aisle for him.

So usually we make a deal. He takes the boys and checks out all the techno-geek cheap stuff, the movies, the games and takes the boys to the toy section. And I do the dirty work OOooops get the groceries. Then we use our cell phones to find each other and discuss the fact that we really don’t need anything else and wind our way to the checkout.

That would be where one of us usually takes the boys to the car and the other purchases the life-sustaining merchandise from this acreage of retail. If I get the joy of taking the boys to argue incessantly wait patiently in the car…I have to remember where it is that he parked. And what vehicle we took. If I get to stand in line for ten hours ten minutes waiting to pay, then at least I can put the cell phone to good use once again and ask him to stand up by the car and wave at me so I can get out of the place.

There is nothing that says "family adventure" like a trip to Wal-Mart.

Works for Me Wednesday & Wordless Wednesday

This week my WFMW & WW are the same.

STRESS RELIEFWhen life gets to be too much just hit your head here.

For more Works for Me Wednesdays visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer.

For more Wordless Wednesdays visit the official WW Site.

Menu Plan Monday

I’ve gotten in the habit of pondering it on Fridays, writing the post in Word and then just doing a copy and paste Sunday night or early Monday morning. But I just couldn’t come up with anything interesting. And so this morning I was still I was trying to figure out what to post for this week’s menu and went to visit Jenny at Home Is Where You Start From and she had this post up. So maybe it's not just me.

I left a comment complaining to the effect that that everyone here has something I make that they are “bored” (or worse) with. Sadly they can’t agree what they are bored with or what they do in fact want. (We live in a bountiful place and time to have that as a problem. I’m just saying.) I also commented that I have a habit of getting stuck repeating the same meals over and causing the situation.

But…this is what I’ve come up with for this week:

Monday—Sadly, it will most likely be Hamburger Helpers (Mondays we are gone for Boo and rush in hungry) we will veg it up and have salad too.

Tuesday—Tacos because it is my DCG’s birthday and that was what he requested. I am going to try to come up with a strawberry dessert for then too.

Wednesday—Rotisserie chicken with vegetables & rice (another activity night but not as late as the others)

Thursday—pizza (this is just becoming a tradition because Roo and I don’t get home until 7:30 at least—Boo stays home with Daddy)

Friday—something on the grill (hopefully I will find a sale & it will be payday so I can have a little splurge) salad & bread.

I also left a note in my comment to Jenny that Kraft has a good quarterly recipe magazine and Bisquick’s site has some good recipes too. Now…to take my own advice and get a jump on next week.

Visit Laura at I'm an Organinzing Junkie for more Menu Plan Monday ideas.

Eat well!!

Grains of Gratitude

This week has been one of ups and downs.

I am grateful for the relationship I have with my husband. We are friends and we are family. He is excedingly patient with me, and I need to share that that is not always an easy thing to do because I am just a bit intense and moody at times. My DCG (DarlingCaveGeek) knows just the things to say and do to help ease my heart and mind and return me to level. He's had his work cut out for him this week.

DCG has been a "regular" employee at his new job for just over a week now. The company rolled his contract over so he is no longer a contractor/consultant but really one of the team. This was a blessing. I would be remiss not to share how this job came about after the over 50 day period spent without income. So this is the condensed version:

While unemployed, DCG put out hundreds of resumes, sometimes over a hundred a day. For over 50 days. That is a lot of resumes. He got a lot of responses, but roadblocks were all over the place.

The job he got came at the last minute. We could not have continued waiting without some income in sight past that week.

Two other very firm possibilities were being considered in other cities. A couple of less firm opportunities had been presented nearer home.

DCG never sent a resume to this headhunter/recruiter or this company.

The recruiter remembered his resume from a year before and called him and talked to me initially.

The first interview was scheduled the day of the first call on a Friday.

DCG was warned that while the company wanted to move fast the next interview would likely be the following week sometime probably late in the week—it was on Tuesday. He met the recruiter on Monday the offer came on Wednesday he signed papers on Thursday and started on Friday.

They never considered another candidate for the job.

While I am truly grateful for this job the LORD has provided and I know deep in my heart THIS was where my DCG was supposed to be, I am anxious because real life has set in. The rose color glasses and novelty have worn thin and there are some concerns about this job. I believe that the issues could be roadblocks from the enemy to steal our joy or worse. But we are holding on to the fact that this job seems to be exactly where he/we should be, that it is of God and we are praying to clear these hurdles with grace and good testimony that would only bring glory to the LORD.

I am grateful because even when I doubt and waver, God doesn't.

I was grateful this week to see how the blogging community blessed Heather and her family. And I have been so blessed by Heather's honest and human sharing since she found out she has a brain tumor. Heather will be at Mayo this week--I am sure she wouldn't mind a few extra prayers.

I am grateful my mother is at home and improved from Thursday night. Thursday evening I was in a parking lot getting ready to leave my son's activity and got a call from my dad saying Mom had passed out, fallen and hit her head, but was refusing to go to the hospital. The next day my father did get her to go to the doctor and they found that the likely cause of her issue was seriously low bloodpressure. She was not so happy that she was on bedrest, but I know she could be in the hospital or worse. She is extremely tired from the chemo and the toll it has taken on her. She has taken a leave of absence from work, finally, after two and a half years. I think she deserves to and I think her body needs it. But she is frustrated. Anyone wanting to send up a prayer for my mom would be greatly appreciated.

Grains of Gratitude was started by Christine at Brady's Bunch. I am always grateful to go visit her lovely blog and it is just not possible to see that handsome Brady and not fall head over heels for him. He is a joy!

What are you grateful for?

Friday Favorites

Amberly over at Moments Amid Messes is starting a Friday Favorites. Sounds like a nice start to the weekend. Since I wasn't prepared, but thought it was a great idea, I am posting Scripture, which I almost always do on Fridays and a favorite song that is taken from that Scripture.

Great idea, Amberly. Next week I will have something different for my "favorite" offering.

Peaceful, joyful, wonderful weekend wishes!

Psalm 91

1He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

3Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

4He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

5Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

6Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

7A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

8Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

9Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

10There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

14Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
1
6With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

On Eagles' Wings
(Michael Joncas)

You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,
Who abide in His shadow for life,
Say to the Lord: "My refuge,My rock in whom I trust!"

Chos: And he will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His hand.

The snare of the fowler will never capture you,
And famine will bring you no fear:
Under His wings your refuge,
His faithfulness your shield.

You need not fear the terror of the night,
Nor the arrow that flies by day;
Though thousands fall about you,
Near you it shall not come.

For to His angels He's given a command
To guard you in all of your ways;
Upon their hands they will bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

Adaptation of Psalm 91Michael Joncas,
(c)1979, New Dawn Music

Favorite Ingredients Friday--Spinich Lasagna

This week Overwhelmed With Joy is hosting the Vegetarian Edition of Favorite Ingredients Friday

Spinach Lasagna

by the Editors of Easy Home Cooking Magazine

Ingredients:
5 uncooked lasagna noodles
Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1 can (8 ounces) no-salt-added tomato sauce, divided
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil or 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1-1/2 cups low-fat (1%) cottage cheese or reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
2 egg whites
3 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained*
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley


Preparation:
1.Prepare noodles according to package directions, omitting salt; drain. Rinse under cold water; drain.

2.Coat large skillet with cooking spray. Add mushrooms, onion, bell pepper and garlic; cook and stir over medium heat until vegetables are tender. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano and red pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine cottage cheese, Romano cheese, egg whites and bread crumbs in medium bowl. Stir spinach into cottage cheese mixture. Cut noodles in half crosswise. To prevent sticking, spread 2 tablespoons tomato sauce in bottom of ungreased 8-inch square baking dish. Layer 4 noodles over sauce, overlapping slightly. Top with half of spinach-cottage cheese mixture. Layer 4 more noodles over top, slightly overlapping noodles. Top with half of tomato mixture. Repeat layers, ending with tomato sauce mixture.

4.Cover and bake 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, 2 to 3 minutes more or until cheese melts. Sprinkle with parsley. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut into 4 pieces before serving.

For more wonderful recipes every Friday and for vegetarian recipes today go visit Favorite Ingredients Friday hosted by Overwhelmed With Joy