The Lifegiving Woman

A Miracle You Choose

 Several years ago I conducted a television interview with a man who was struggling with cancer. I asked him a fairly typical Christian interview question: “Are you trusting God for a miracle?” And I have never forgotten his reply: “Tammy I’ve learned that sometimes the greatest miracle is just a perspective change.”

That man said a lot of insightful things that day, but it was that one phrase that kept echoing in my mind. It’s still echoing, in fact, because it has proven true so often in my life. I’ve learned never to underestimate the power of changing the way I see. And I’ve come to believe that often in our lives, we won’t be able to perceive the God who sees us until we’re willing to see things differently.

I believe it’s perfectly possible to spend an entire lifetime looking at ordinary things and events—family, friends, fear, and disappointments—and never have the smallest hint that God is there or that He is active in our lives.

It’s easy. Happens all the time.

It’s possible to look back on a life—all the things that have happened up till now—and not see any kind of pattern. It’s also possible to look into the future and see more of the same. It’s even possible to have an occasional glimpse into another dimension, a one-time spiritual awakening, then lapse back into the ordinary and never really be changed.

But here’s the alternative: We can choose to spend life in the same circumstances, the same places, among all the same people, and continually be struck by the wonderful truth that God is there, that He’s in control, that He loves us and is aware of us and wants us to be part of what He’s doing in the world.

There’s a kind a miracle, in other words, that we can choose. We can choose the miracle of a perspective change.

Does that mean that seeing God is just a matter of personal choice?

Not exactly.

It’s always a little difficult to sort out what we can choose and what we can’t choose in this life. Theologians have been trying to sort it out for centuries, juggling concepts of God’s sovereignty and human free will, delving into the mysteries of what is up to us and what is up to God.

It’s a mystery, a paradox—that God is in control of the entire universe, yet He gives us freedom of will. And that paradox is fully in play when it comes to seeing God.

Because ultimately, it is God’s choice to reveal Himself to us.

But we must choose to see what God reveals. We must have what the Bible calls eyes to see and ears to hear and a heart to perceive what the God who sees us is doing in our lives.

 

Adapted from The God Who Sees You by Tammy Maltby (with Anne Christian Buchanan). Copyright 2012 David C. Cook. Used with permission. Permission required to reproduce. All rights reserved.

 

Coconut Cream Easter Cake

You will either love or hate me for this one!

This cake is just the best thing around. And a easy dessert for this Easter.

Ready for this?

You start with a boxed cake mix...and yes it is that easy. This cake is moist, rich and feeds a crowd! I top the cake with malted chocolate Easter Eggs! It is an easy and beautiful Easter Dessert!

As told by Tammy Maltby on Focus on the Family’s Your Family Live! webcast 
http://www.focusonlinecommunities.com/docs/DOC-1934 

Coconut Cream Cake
1 pkg. white or yellow cake mix 
1 pkg. (4 serving size) cheese cake flavored instant pudding  
1 1/3 cups water 
1/2 cup vegetable oil 
4 large eggs 
2 tea vanilla 
1 1/3 cups Baker’s angel flake coconut 
1 cup chopped nuts 
Berries of all kinds
 
Combine cake mix, pudding mix, water, eggs and oil in large mixer bowl. Blend; beat 
at medium speed for 4 minutes. Stir in coconut and nuts and vanilla. (You can omit 
the nuts and added ½ cup more coconut.) Pour into greased and floured 8 or 9 inch 
cake rounds. Bake at 325 degrees for 35‐40 minutes. Cool 15 minutes in pan. 
Remove from pan. Fully cool on rack.    

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting: Cream 1/3 cup butter; blend in 2 pkg. of 3 oz cream 
cheese, Add 1 box (16 oz) confectioners’ sugar, alternately with 4 tsp milk, beating 
well after each addition. Add ½ tsp vanilla or almond extract. Spread frosting over 
top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with 2 cups Baker’s Angel Flake Coconut over frosting. 
  

The God Who Sees You...Gets It

“You just don’t get it!”

Ever hear that from the mouth of a teenager? Back when I had four of them in the house at once, I heard it a lot—often punctuated with the slam of a door or a toss of the head. My son and daughters all had times when they were convinced I had no clue what they were going through or what their lives were like.

And you know what? In a way, they were right. I had forgotten a lot about what it was like to be young—to obsess over grades, walk the popularity gauntlet at school, and experience my first heartbreak. Plus, some of the things my kids experienced were just not part of my world when I was their age. Drugs and alcohol did not figure into my daily school reality. I had no cell phone, no pressure to be bone thin, no parents walking through divorce. Internet porn didn’t even exist when I was a kid.

The truth is, understanding what my kids’ lives were like required a huge effort of imagination on my part, plus a fair amount of research. Sometimes I succeeded in “getting it,” but often I didn’t—and my kids knew that.

Have you ever felt that way about God? Have you ever suspected that He just doesn’t get what it’s like to be you?

It’s one thing to be seen. It’s another thing—a wonderful thing—to be loved. But can an all-powerful, purely good God truly appreciate what it’s like to be human—subject to sin and sniffles, dirt and disease, pushed around by our hormones and our families, vulnerable to grief and pain?

Can a perfect Being understand what it’s like to be far from perfect?

He certainly understands the limitations of our bodies because He made us in the first place. “He knows our frame,” the psalmist insists. “He remembers that we are dust” (Ps. 103:14)—or, as Eugene Petersen translates, “that we’re made of mud.” God’s well aware of our physical limitations, our emotional shortcomings, the way our histories and our choices have limited or even crippled us. And somehow, under it all, He sees potential. . . .

But God did so much more than understand our limitations. . . . God actually chose to become human—which means He really gets it.

He actually put on skin and flesh and became what we are. We call it the incarnation. The coming of Jesus.

When God chose to be born on earth as Jesus, He accepted the reality of nerve endings. He learned what it was like to need sleep, to be hungry, to be lonely and disappointed. He experienced life through the five senses. He heard children laughing and maniacs screaming. He gazed at dancing flowers and leprous feet. He reveled in clean, smooth linen and felt the stab of thorns on His brow. He enjoyed the salty tang of fresh-caught fish and tasted vinegar from a sponge. He inhaled the smell of bread baking and the unmistakable stench of death.

Jesus laughed. He wept. He knew what it was like to live in a human family, to be held in a mother’s arms and looked up to by little brothers and sisters and supported by loving friends. He also knew what it was like to be hated and rejected by others for doing good. He knew what it was like to feel forgotten and ignored and invisible.

And yes, He knew temptation, too. The Bible says Jesus was “tempted in every way, just as we are” (Heb. 4:15). He knew what it was like to feel the pull of the flesh, to want to give in to selfishness or pride or lust or just plain weariness, to want to take the easy route instead of the right one. Even, perhaps, to be disobedient to His calling.

“Tempted,” the Bible says, “in every way.” Jesus’ decision to turn away from temptation, to show the world it was possible to be human and not sin, came with a mighty struggle. He knows firsthand what it means to wrestle with weakness.

And if God didn’t get suffering before the incarnation, He certainly understood it once He became human. Fear, anger, hunger, thirst, suffering, even death—because He chose to become human, God has experienced it all.

He’s the God who gets it, who can love us from a place of true understanding.

Adapted from The God Who Sees You by Tammy Maltby (with Anne Christian Buchanan). Copyright 2012 David C. Cook. Used with permission. Permission required to reproduce. All rights reserved.

 

Why We Long for God to See Us

Not long ago, I accompanied a friend to the hospital for surgery.  After she was wheeled away, I began talking with one of the nurses. Somehow the conversation came around to the nurse’s brother, who had been killed in an accident three years earlier.

Like most untimely losses, the brother’s death had dramatically disrupted this woman’s family. Her mother still struggled with bitterness. Her parents’ marriage had faltered. Her baby son, born two weeks after her brother’s death, would never know his uncle.

Soon my new friend was pouring out her heart to me. And at some point I shared with her something I had been thinking about a lot.

“Do you understand that God sees you in all this?” I said. “He really sees—”

I hadn’t even finished the sentence before she started to weep. She cried so hard that another nurse walked over to see if she was okay. She was completely undone at the thought that God saw her pain, her fear, her broken heart. She kept saying through deep sobs, “He sees me? He really sees me?”

That was just one simple encounter, one more reminder that the message of the God who sees you is one that needs to be shared again and again—with those who don’t know the Lord and with those who do. There’s a reason we hunger to be recognized, acknowledged, appreciated, and cared for. There’s a reason our hide-and-seek life—yearning to be found by God, yet fearing it at the same time—leaves us feeling so bruised and unsatisfied. It’s because God has intentionally and wonderfully created us to see and be seen, to live in intimate and joyful relationship with Him and with others.

More important, He put that need in us because He wants to meet it. He’s put the longing there to draw us closer to His heart.

We hunger to be seen—because He really does see us.

The challenge is to really believe it … to live in the confidence that we are recognized and accepted and included and, most of all, loved.

Can you do that? Can I?

I’ll admit I’ve had my struggles, but I can honestly say I believe it with all my heart. Here’s why.

First, the Bible tells me so, and the Bible has proven a reliable guide in my life. The whole sweep of the Bible can be understood as the story of a God who saw His people, even when they couldn’t see Him. A God who came to earth and paid special attention to the unnoticed—the meek and the mourning, the children everyone turned away, the powerless rather than the ones on top. A God who cared so much about what He saw that He came to earth in human form, turning hide-and-seek into the ultimate show-and-tell.

But I also believe because God has shown me, again and again, in the circumstances of my life. He has shown me through the whisper of His Holy Spirit, through the timing of my experiences, through the love and example of other people and the mysterious provision of what I have needed most.

I’ve seen too much evidence not to believe God sees me. I’ve been loved too much not to make it the story of my life.

I want it to be the story of your life as well. I want it to change everything, including the way you look at God and yourself and other people. I want you to live in confidence that when God looks at you, He sees beauty. He sees value. He sees hope. And even when you’re hiding, even when you’re so beaten down you can’t see anything clearly, He’s still hard at work, crafting a beautiful future of relationship with Him and with others. . . .

That’s . . . my personal witness as someone who at times has felt forgotten, uncared for, unloved, invisible. I truly believe I have a word from God for those lonely, aching times in your life.

The message is this: Regardless of how you may feel, God does see you.

He knows your name, and He loves you—passionately and tenderly.

He sees your needs, and He yearns to fill them.

At any given moment, even when you feel most alone, He is working out a plan for your future. . . .

One way or another, one day soon, you . . . will be able to say, thankfully, “I have seen the God who sees me.”



Adapted from The God Who Sees You by Tammy Maltby (with Anne Christian Buchanan). Copyright 2012 David C. Cook. Used with permission. Permission required to reproduce. All rights reserved.

What God Sees in You

There’s a scene in the movie The Joy Luck Club that I have always found very moving. Based on a novel by Amy Tan, this film tells the story of four Chinese-born women and their American-born daughters.

One of the daughters, June, has always felt she’s a disappointment to her mother, Suyuan, who suffered greatly as a young woman in China and made many sacrifices to give her daughter every advantage. June feels especially uncomfortable when compared to Waverly, the brilliant, confident, and highly successful daughter of Suyuan’s best friend.

These feelings come to a head one evening at a dinner party where Suyuan serves her famous steamed crab dish. During the dinner, Waverly openly belittles June, and Suyuan fails to come to her daughter’s defense. Later, when June and her mother are cleaning up in the kitchen, June finally blurts out her pain: “I’m just sorry that you got stuck with such a loser, that I’ve always been so disappointing…. My grades, my job. Not getting married. Everything you expected of me.”

“Not expect anything,” her mother answers. “Only hoping best for you. That’s not wrong, to hope.”

Then June’s pain just overflows. “Well, it hurts. Because every time you hoped for something I couldn’t deliver, it hurt. It hurt me, Mommy. And no matter what you hoped for, I’ll never be more than what I am. And you never see that, what I really am.”

Her mother just looks at her for a long minute, then removes a jade pendant from around her neck and hands it to her daughter. “June, since your baby time, I wear this next to my heart. Now you wear next to yours. It will help you know: I see you. I see you.”

Then she goes on to talk about the dinner they just enjoyed: “That bad crab. Only you tried to take it. Everybody else want best quality. You, you thinking different. Waverly took best-quality crab. You took worst. Because you have best-quality heart. You have style no one can teach. Must be born this way.”

She looks deep into her daughter’s eyes and repeats: “I see you.”

And by that point, any mother would be weeping, any daughter moved—because that scene so beautifully depicts the transformative power of being seen. You can see it on June’s face—the powerful internal shift as she begins to see herself and her relationships differently.

There’s something about being seen, really seen, that changes everything, because it changes the way we see ourselves—just as knowing we are seen by God makes all the difference … unless we, like June, get the wrong idea about how our heavenly Parent looks at us.

It’s so easy to do. We get mistaken ideas and feelings about what God expects of us and about the way we measure up to those expectations. And those mistaken ideas and feelings hurt us. We feel forgotten, or worthless, or like failures. We’re sure we don’t measure up, that we’re not enough for God or anyone else. We may know we’re loved and forgiven, but we still feel like a disappointment to God.

That’s why we need the powerful message of how our heavenly Father really sees us. We need to open our eyes and hearts to the person God sees when He looks at us. Because the more we come to see ourselves through God’s eyes, the closer we’ll move toward becoming who we were really meant to be.

 

Coming soon...to be released April 1 2010! Adapted from The God Who Sees You by Tammy Maltby with Anne Christian Buchanan. Copyright 2012 David C. Cook. Used with permission. Permission required to reproduce. All rights reserved.

Simple Tips for a Orchestrating a Stress-Free Christmas Dinner

Always Room at Our Table

Cooking up a fun and festive Christmas Day

Christmas Day is the Christmas Kitchen is in its glory!

First, it supplies something wonderful for waking up . . . coffee to sip at the crack of dawn, savory cinnamon rolls for munching while children check their stockings, maybe something more substantial (scrambled eggs, anyone?) for sustenance while your family’s Christmas morning gets underway.

Perhaps you hear squeals of delight as little ones discover what Santa has left.

Perhaps your morning begins with a gentle stirring as teens or housemates gradually awaken to the big day.

Maybe there’s a scurry to get ready for church.

Or your Christmas Kitchen might welcome the excitement of one relative or friend after another arriving—big hugs, warm greetings, gifts changing hands.

No matter what the morning holds, eventually the preparation for Christmas dinner must begin.

It’s the best meal of the year . . . and I believe it’s meant to be shared. With family of course, and I’ve always had a big one. But even if your household is tiny, I urge you to approach Christmas dinner with a spirit of “the more the merrier.”

Open your eyes: the possibilities for sharing the best meal of the year are endless. Look for students who can’t go home, young people on their own, single parents and their kids …anyone in need of a little extended family. Or if you happen to be at loose ends yourself, make a point to join forces with others for a Christmas Kitchen extravaganza—a lavish potluck or a shared kitchen.

Don’t forget to share the preparation—that’s part of the fun too. The joys of the Christmas Kitchen begin long before the loaded platters reach the table, and as the saying goes, many hands make light work. In fact, I urge you to include a game plan for delegating tasks as part of your Christmas-morning strategy.

• Choose a menu that can be made ahead as much as possible! (I will be posting a killer Christmas breakfast wreath soon!)

• Clean out your refrigerator several days ahead, using up leftovers and throwing away old food to make room for Christmas dishes. If refrigerator space is limited, perhaps a neighbor who is leaving town will let you use his or her fridge. Or if it’s cold outside, store food outside or in the garage or unheated storage room (in animal-proof containers...hey I live in Colorado!).

• Run your dishwasher early in the day, hand-wash any remaining dishes, then empty the dishwasher and put all the dishes away. Starting dinner with an empty dishwasher simplifies after-dinner cleanup enormously.

• Slow cookers are your friend. Many dishes (mashed potatoes, carrots, gravy, even ham or turkey slices) can be made well ahead of time and kept warm in the cookers until serving time. Borrow extras from friends if you need to. Many have removable inserts that can come to the table as serving dishes.

• If you weren’t able to set the table the day before, do it as early in the day as possible—and delegate the job if you can.

• As soon as breakfast is over, get everything ready for after-dinner coffee—water, filter, and coffee in the pot, sugar dishes and creamers filled, teabags ready if you’re offering tea as well, cups and saucers and spoons ready. (For an afternoon or early evening dinner, I simplify things by serving only decaf rather than offering a choice.) When the time comes to serve, ask someone else to distribute the cups and saucers while you start the coffee and prepare to serve dessert.

• Prepare a list (even if it’s just a mental list) of tasks you are willing and able to delegate so that when people ask, “What can I do?” you’ll know how to answer. Some ideas: taking guests’ coats and putting them away, setting the table, lighting candles, filling beverage glasses, transferring food to serving dishes, serving dessert.

• Place pitchers of water on or near the tables before the meal starts so glasses will be easy to refill. I like to add sliced lemons or oranges and fresh mint to the pitchers—or for a refreshing change, try a combination of sliced cucumbers and citrus.

• After dinner, you don’t have to clean up everything right away. Put away the leftovers, set the pots to soak, and get the first dishwasher load started, but then linger over dessert, enjoying the glow of yet another beautiful Christmas meal, complements of the Christmas Kitchen.

And more than anything enjoy the moment! Celebrate the joy of God's greatest gift to us!

Merry Christmas dear friends...

From The Christmas Kitchen a Gathering Place for Making Memories by Tammy Maltby and Anne Chrstian Buchanan. All rights reserved.

 

The Gazette and The Christmas Kitchen

The Gazette featured The Christmas Kitchen today...YES on the front cover! Thank you to Teresa Farney Food Editor for this great read.

Recipes featured are The Maltby Cake, Baked Brie and The Pinecone Cheese Ball!

Enjoy my friends and Merry Christmas!

Turkey and Black Bean Creamy Enchiladas (with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and baby spinach)!

This is one of my favorite make-ahead recipes—and a fabulous way to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey or chicken.

You are going to LOVE this!

Recipe from The Christmas Kitchen by Tammy Maltby. All rights reserved.*

Originally this recipe came from Beverly Wendt by way of her daughter, my friend Susan Kennedy, but I’ve changed it to suit my tastes. I like to use disposable foil pans for easy freezing, cleanup, and gift giving.

Simple Variations

...Because my dear friend they are fantastic! You can add a 4-ounce can of chopped jalapeños in addition to green chilies, 1 can of marinated artichoke hearts, chopped, and 1 can of sun-dried tomatoes. Or roll several leaves of baby spinach into each enchilada. Perfect!

A perfect Holiday meal to double and freeze!

Turkey and Black Bean Creamy Enchiladas

6 cups cooked turkey or chicken, shredded

4 cups chicken or turkey broth

Nonstick cooking spray

1 can condensed cream-of-chicken soup, undiluted

1 8-ounce carton sour cream (low-fat or nonfat works fine)

1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies, juice included

4 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

4 cups Mexican shredded-cheese mix

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large Tbsp. garlic, minced

1 6-ounce can sliced black olives or 1 14½-ounce can black beans, rinsed well (optional)

2 Tbsp. cumin

One bunch cilantro, chopped

1 10-inch package flour tortillas (try sun-dried tomato or pesto flavors for a green or red Christmasy look)

To make filling, combine shredded meat, soup, sour cream, green chilies, Monterey Jack cheese, 2 cups of Mexican cheese, onion, garlic, black olives or beans (if desired), cumin, cilantro, and 4 Tbsp. of the broth to form a firm mixture. Spray 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray. Fill each tortilla with approximately 2 heaping Tbsp. chicken mixture, roll, and place seam down in pan. Mix remaining filling with chicken broth until filling is runny. Spread over top of tortilla rolls and sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of Mexican cheese mix over the top. Freeze at this point if desired or cook uncovered in the oven 25–30 min at 350º, until bubbly. To cook the frozen enchiladas, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as above or bake the frozen casserole for about 75 minutes, until bubbly.

Top with fresh tomatoes, chopped avocados and cilantro.

Makes 10–12 servings.

*From The Christmas Kitchen a gathering place for making memories by Tammy Maltby and Anne Christian Buchanan. All rights reserved. This holiday contact Tammy at Tammymaltby@gmail.com or facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tammy-Maltby/183239621709608 to order personally signed copies of The Christmas Kitchen for yourself and those you love.

Simple Variations

Add a 4-ounce can of chopped jalapeños in addition to green chilies. Add 1 can of marinated artichoke hearts, chopped, and 1 can of sun-dried tomatoes. Roll several leaves of baby spinach into each enchilada. For vegetarian enchiladas, omit turkey, use vegetable broth, and use 2 cans of black beans.

The Maltbys’ Famous Spinach Artichoke Dip

This is no ordinary dip I'm telling you.

This dip is an act of love.

My friends Steve and Lynn Brown actually stop talking when they are eating it. They just make lots of deep sighs. Try it this holiday season and you'll know why.

The Maltbys’ Famous Spinach Artichoke Dip

Here’s our family’s special take on a favorite dip—everyone loves it. Serve with sliced bell peppers (red, green, and yellow), carrots, celery, crackers, chips, or homemade pita crisps (recipe below).

3 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (such as Rotel), drained well

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream (low-fat is fine)

1 cup mayonnaise-type salad dressing (such as Miracle Whip—low-fat is fine)

½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped well before measuring

4 cups (2 8-ounce packages) shredded jalapeño jack cheese

1 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

1 10-ounce box frozen spinach, thawed and drained well

Bottled hot sauce to taste (I use about four shakes)

½ cup chopped green onion

2 tsp. minced garlic

½ cup chopped cilantro or parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Nonstick cooking spray

Mix all ingredients well. Spray generously with cooking spray a 2-quart baking dish or a 9x13-inch pan. Add ingredients and bake at 400º for 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly. To make ahead, prepare artichoke heart mixture, place in pan, cover, and chill up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, allow 10 minutes additional cooking time. Place in cold oven, set to 400º, and bake about 45 minutes.

Simple Idea

To make pita crisps, cut 6 pita bread rounds in half horizontally (separate the layers), and cut each half into 6 wedges. Place pita wedges in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet, spray with olive-oil cooking spray, and sprinkle with garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake uncovered in a 350º oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until crisp. You can bake these ahead and store in a plastic bag for up to 24 hours or freeze up to 2 weeks. Reheat in the oven until warm. Makes 72 wedges.

From The Christmas Kitchen a gathering place for making memories by Tammy Maltby and Anne Christian Buchanan. All rights reserved. This holiday season contact Tammy at Tammymaltby@gmail.com or facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tammy-Maltby/183239621709608 to order personally signed copies of The Christmas Kitchen for yourself and those you love.

The Christmas Kitchen and Chilled Cranberry Soup

The Heart of the Home

I am happy to say the holiday season is soon upon us! I would love to suggest my Christmas Kitchen Cookbook to your family and friends! I am offering special discounts for the purchase of 10 or more copies...and I am happy to personally sign them.

Contact me at tammymaltby@gmail.com or message me on my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tammy-Maltby/183239621709608

Even in today's busy times, the kitchen is the heart of the home. Author Tammy Maltby believes the true meaning of Christmas is realized when families gather to share activities that make Christmas "the most wonderful time of the year." More than any other holiday, Christmas is when family and friends gather for a cup of hot chocolate, fresh-baked cookies, and lots of laughter.

Look inside this holiday treasure for:

- Easy-to-do holiday recipes

- Hints for new traditions

- Personal gift ideas

- Kid-friendly activities

- Simple decorating tips

The Christmas Kitchen is more than a recipe book, it's a book designed to help you enjoy the holiday season, not be burdened by it. Take a few minutes each day to browse these pages for the help you've been looking for.

Merry Christmas and may your kitchen be filled, first, with the sweet aroma of love, and then with the spices of the season.

From  The Christmas Kitchen with Tammy Maltby

Chilled Cranberry Soup

I’ve served this fruity soup to kick off Christmas dinner for many years now. It’s cool, refreshing, and festive. Best of all, it can be made days ahead and served directly from the refrigerator.

4 cups fresh cranberries

3 cups water

1½ cups sugar

4 inches stick cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground cloves

½ tsp. allspice

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. finely shredded lemon peel

1 Tbsp. finely shredded orange peel

2 large cans mandarin oranges—1 for soup and 1 for garnish

Mint leaves (optional)

In a 3-quart saucepan, combine cranberries, water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered about 5 minutes or until about half of the cranberries are popped. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice, lemon peel, orange peel, and 1 can mandarin oranges, drained. Cool. Cover and chill 4 to 24 hours. To serve, ladle into soup bowls. Top each serving with mandarin oranges in flower/star shape with a mint leaf in the center. Makes 6 to 8 side-dish servings.

 

Three Pies for The Birthday Bear

I am preparing for a wonderful Happy Birthday party for The Bear. 

As is our family custom the birthday boy gets to choose any meal he would desire.  As is HIS custom he smiled and said, “Oh honey anything you make would be wonderful.” I don’t let things like that slide.  Surprised? He wasn’t either. “Okay honey I would like Chicken Pot Pie, blueberry pie or peach pie. “ Gosh I love that man. Three pies…sounds like my kind of birthday.

So as he has been enjoying a day of football at the Air Force Academy with his son and grandsons, I have been making some happy food for soon to be a very happy husband.

This house smells downright…well heavenly. ( I know they have pie in heaven…trust me on this one.)

This blueberry pie recipe is amazing. I have made it for years…and the total secret of its profound success is the Pate Brisee (and the butter…who am I kidding).  If you want a little more information on Pate Brisee and how to make it ck out… http://www.joyofbaking.com/PateBrisee.html

You will be VERY glad you did.

I have already posted the Chicken Pot Pie recipe here….total comfort food. http://tammymaltby.typepad.com/tammyhansonmaltby/2011/01/yummy-chicken-and-dumplings-baby-its-cold-outside.html

Happy Birthday to my Bear. My Boaz. My dearest friend.

Three pies for you baby!

Pate Brisee Recipe:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon  salt

1 tablespoon granulated white sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small
• 1/4 cup ice water, plus more if needed

Directions

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds. (To mix by hand, combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then cut in butter with a pastry blender.)
2. With machine running, add ice water through feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of dough together; if it is still too crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Turn out dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened disks. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Pie filling:

• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• Pate Brisee
• 8 cups (about 4 pints) blueberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Directions

1. On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll out one disk of dough to a 12-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour; fit dough into a 9-inch glass pie plate, pressing it into edges. Trim dough to a 1/2-inch overhang all around. Fold edge of dough over or under, and crimp as desired. Roll out remaining dough in the same manner; transfer dough (on parchment) to a baking sheet. Chill pie shell and dough until firm, about 30 minutes.
2. Place blueberries in a large bowl; with your hands, crush about 1/2 cup of berries, letting them fall into the bowl as you work. Add sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice; stir to combine. Spoon mixture into chilled pie shell, mounding berries slightly in the center. Dot with butter. Remove dough from refrigerator, and place over blueberry filling. Tuck edge of top dough between edge of bottom dough and rim of pan. Using your fingers, gently press both layers of dough along the edge to seal, and crimp as desired.

   Using a paring knife, cut several vents in top of dough to allow steam to escape. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and cream. Brush surface with egg wash, being careful not to let it pool. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in lower third.

3. Place pie on a foil baking sheet. Bake until crust begins to turn golden, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking, rotating sheet halfway through, until crust is deep golden brown and juices are bubbling and have thickened, 40 to 50 minutes more. Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool completely. The pie is best eaten the day it is baked, but it can be kept at room temperature, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.

 

Obsession

I woke up this morning with one question on my heart. What is my obsession? And how is it going?

Just read this devotional by James Ryle . Fantastic perspective on why our obsession is such hard work. I needed this. I bet you do too.

The Triumphant Trudge

June 29th, 2011 James Ryle

“They shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
 
Deep in the heart of every person is a passionate desire to know that he or she is fulfilling the purpose for which they have been placed here on this earth.
 
Have you found it? Found that one thing that is worthy of your one life?
 

 
Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “We succeed in life as in war, only as we are able to identify a single, over-riding objective, and then bend all other considerations to that one thing.”
 
What one thing overrides all other considerations in your life? What noble purpose has captured your spirit? What deep resolve beats in your heart? What great decision has won your full allegiance in life?
 
Assuming that you have indeed found it, let me now ask — how’s it going? If you’ve been at it for any appreciable length of time then you know by now that the journey is no cake walk.
 
It is not a stroll through the park on a blissful Sunday afternoon. No. The path has many turns – up turns and down turns, ditches on both sides, potholes aplenty, and mounds of debris inconveniently strewn all about.
 
There are setbacks that stall you, and obstacles that intimidate you. There are bystanders that deride you, backsliders that dismay you, and back-stabbers that dishearten you. There are days when you walk with a company of passionate pilgrims who buoy your spirit with renewed aspiration, and then there are the days when you walk the lonesome valley all by yourself. Alone.
 
You, my friend, are on the Triumphant Trudge! To trudge, according to Webster, is “to walk steadily, and sometimes laboriously; but ever onward.” Isaiah’s poetry says it best, “They shall walk, and not faint.” That is, they shall not tire though the way at times be wearisome.
 
This will always be the case in every soul who follows Christ up Calvary’s mountain. Despite the trudge of each deliberate step, an unmistakable tone of triumph attends their every move – for each move is always onward, and ever upward. And the Lord who has gone victorious before us will welcome us with open arms on the day we cross over the finish line.

Lemon-Raspberry Muffins

I made these for a "Deck dinner" tonight. I called my friend Lynn Brown and asked "If I bring dinner can we eat on your deck? " Happy to report...it worked!

These are killers...I am telling you...

I am baking them up right now. 

I am serving them with Spicy Pasta Salad with Smoked Gouda, Tomatoes, and Basil (http://tammymaltby.typepad.com/tammyhansonmaltby/2011/06/spicy-pasta-salad-with-smoked-gouda-tomatoes-and-basil.html)

That woman has a beautiful view of Pikes Peak . It's wonderful to have friends in beautiful places!

Mix up the dry ingredients and the streusel topping for these up to two days before you bake them, and store in zip-top plastic bags. They also freeze great.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (8-ounce) container lemon yogurt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 large eggs
• two grated lemon rinds
• 1 (6-ounce) package fresh raspberries (about 1 1/4 cups) or 1 (6-ounce) package frozen raspberries, unthawed*
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon cold butter

• Combine 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.
• Stir together yogurt and next 3 ingredients; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.
• Toss together 2 tablespoons flour and raspberries; fold into batter. Spoon into lightly greased muffin pans, filling two-thirds full.
• Combine remaining 2 tablespoons flour and 3 tablespoons sugar; cut butter into mixture with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Spoon evenly over batter in muffin pans.

• Bake at 375° for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Remove muffins from pans immediately, and cool on wire racks.

 

How can I forgive this?

I don't know of anything more difficult then the on going issue of forgiveness.

I must say the more I read and live, the more I am learning true forgivness is a daily choice.

And it is a choice to live free.

Seth Barnes sent out this ariticle tonight from the Mayo Clinic. (http://www.sethbarnes.com/?filename=fighting-pure-evil-finding-grace)  It focuses on the reality of how to let go of anger, resentment and thoughts of revenge to how to embrace forgiveness and move forward. 

It is not only practical in nature it is powerful in spirit.

I hope it will encourage you as much as it did me.

Forgiveness: How to let go of grudges and bitterness

When someone you care about hurts you, you can hold on to anger, resentment and thoughts of revenge or embrace forgiveness and move forward.

Katherine M. Piderman, Ph.D.

---

Nearly everyone has been hurt by the actions or words of another. Your mother criticized your parenting skills. Your friend gossiped about you. Your partner had an affair. These wounds can leave you with lasting feelings of anger, bitterness and even vengeance. But when you don’t practice forgiveness, you may be the one who pays most dearly. By embracing forgiveness, you embrace peace, hope, gratitude and joy. Here, Katherine M. Piderman, Ph.D., staff chaplain at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., discusses forgiveness and how it can lead you down the path of physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.What is forgiveness?

There’s no one definition of forgiveness. But in general, forgiveness is a decision to let go of resentments and thoughts of revenge. Forgiveness is the act of untying yourself from thoughts and feelings that bind you to the offense committed against you. This can reduce the power these feelings otherwise have over you, so that you can a live freer and happier life in the present. Forgiveness can even lead to feelings of understanding, empathy and compassion for the one who hurt you.

Doesn’t forgiving someone mean you’re forgetting or condoning what happened?

Absolutely not! Forgiving isn’t the same as forgetting what happened to you. The act that hurt or offended you may always remain a part of your life. But forgiveness can lessen its grip on you and help you focus on other, positive parts of your life. Forgiveness also doesn’t mean that you deny the other person’s responsibility for hurting you, and it doesn’t minimize or justify the wrong. You can forgive the person without excusing the act.

What are the benefits of forgiving someone?

Researchers have recently become interested in studying the effects of being unforgiving and being forgiving. Evidence is mounting that holding on to grudges and bitterness results in long-term health problems. Forgiveness, on the other hand, offers numerous benefits, including:

• Lower blood pressure
• Stress reduction
• Less hostility
• Better anger management skills
• Lower heart rate
• Lower risk of alcohol or substance abuse
• Fewer depression symptoms
• Fewer anxiety symptoms
• Reduction in chronic pain
• More friendships
• Healthier relationships
• Greater religious or spiritual well-being
• Improved psychological well-being

Why do we hold grudges and become resentful and unforgiving?

The people most likely to hurt us are those closest to us — our partners, friends, siblings and parents. When we’re hurt by someone we love and trust — whether it’s a lie, betrayal, rejection, abuse or insult — it can be extremely difficult to overcome. And even minor offenses can turn into huge conflicts. When you experience hurt or harm from someone’s actions or words, whether this is intended or not, you may begin experiencing negative feelings such as anger, confusion or sadness, especially when it’s someone close to you. These feelings may start out small. But if you don’t deal with them quickly, they can grow bigger and more powerful. They may even begin to crowd out positive feelings. Grudges filled with resentment, vengeance and hostility take root when you dwell on hurtful events or situations, replaying them in your mind many times. Soon, you may find yourself swallowed up by your own bitterness or sense of injustice. You may feel trapped and may not see a way out. It’s very hard to let go of grudges at this point and instead you may remain resentful and unforgiving.

How do I know it’s time to try to embrace forgiveness?

When we hold on to pain, old grudges, bitterness and even hatred, many areas of our lives can suffer. When we’re unforgiving, it’s we who pay the price over and over. We may bring our anger and bitterness into every relationship and new experience. Our lives may be so wrapped up in the wrong that we can’t enjoy the present. Other signs that it may be time to consider forgiveness include:

• Dwelling on the events surrounding the offense
• Hearing from others that you have a chip on your shoulder or that you’re wallowing in self-pity
• Being avoided by family and friends because they don’t enjoy being around you
• Having angry outbursts at the smallest perceived slights
• Often feeling misunderstood
• Drinking excessively, smoking or using drugs to try to cope with your pain
• Having symptoms of depression or anxiety
• Being consumed by a desire for revenge or punishment
• Automatically thinking the worst about people or situations
• Regretting the loss of a valued relationship
• Feeling like your life lacks meaning or purpose
• Feeling at odds with your religious or spiritual beliefs

The bottom line is that you may often feel miserable in your current life.

How do I reach a state of forgiveness?

Forgiveness is a commitment to a process of change. It can be difficult and it can take time. Everyone moves toward forgiveness a little differently. One step is to recognize the value of forgiveness and its importance in our lives at a given time. Another is to reflect on the facts of the situation, how we’ve reacted, and how this combination has affected our lives, our health and our well-being. Then, as we are ready, we can actively choose to forgive the one who has offended us. In this way, we move away from our role as a victim and release the control and power the offending person and situation have had in our lives. Forgiveness also means that we change old patterns of beliefs and actions that are driven by our bitterness. As we let go of grudges, we’ll no longer define our lives by how we’ve been hurt, and we may even find compassion and understanding.

What happens if I can’t forgive someone?

Forgiveness can be very challenging. It may be particularly hard to forgive someone who doesn’t admit wrong or doesn’t speak of their sorrow. Keep in mind that the key benefits of forgiveness are for you. If you find yourself stuck, it may be helpful to take some time to talk with a person you’ve found to be wise and compassionate, such as a spiritual leader, a mental health provider or an unbiased family member or friend. It may also be helpful to reflect on times you’ve hurt others and on those who have forgiven you. As you recall how you felt, it may help you to understand the position of the person who hurt you. It can also be beneficial to pray, use guided meditation or journal. In any case, if the intention to forgive is present, forgiveness will come in its time.

Does forgiveness guarantee reconciliation?

Not always. In some cases, reconciliation may be impossible because the offender has died. In other cases, reconciliation may not be appropriate, especially if you were attacked or assaulted. But even in those cases, forgiveness is still possible, even if reconciliation isn’t. On the other hand, if the hurtful event involved a family member or friend whose relationship you otherwise value, forgiveness may lead to reconciliation. This may not happen quickly, as you both may need time to re-establish trust. But in the end, your relationship may very well be one that is rich and fulfilling.

What if I have to interact with the person who hurt me but I don’t want to?

These situations are difficult. If the hurt involves a family member, it may not always be possible to avoid him or her entirely. You may be invited to the same family holiday gatherings, for instance. If you’ve reached a state of forgiveness, you may be able to enjoy these gatherings without bringing up the old hurts. If you haven’t reached forgiveness, these gatherings may be tense and stressful for everyone, particularly if other family members have chosen sides in the conflict.

So how do you handle this? First, remember that you do have a choice whether to attend or not attend family get-togethers. Respect yourself and do what seems best. If you choose to go, don’t be surprised by a certain amount of awkwardness and perhaps even more intense feelings. It’s important to keep an eye on those feelings. You don’t want them to lead you to be unjust or unkind in return for what was done to you. Also, avoid drinking too much alcohol as a way to try to numb your feelings or feel better — it’ll likely backfire. And keep an open heart and mind. People do change, and perhaps the offender will want to apologize or make amends. You also may find that the gathering helps you to move forward with forgiveness.

How do I know when I’ve truly forgiven someone?

Forgiveness may result in sincerely spoken words such as “I forgive you” or tender actions that fit the relationship. But more than this, forgiveness brings a kind of peace that helps you go on with life. The offense is no longer front and center in your thoughts or feelings. Your hostility, resentment and misery have made way for compassion, kindness and peace. Also, remember that forgiveness often isn’t a one-time thing. It begins with a decision, but because memories or another set of words or actions may trigger old feelings, you may need to recommit to forgiveness over and over again.

What if the person I’m forgiving doesn’t change?

Getting the other person to change their actions, behavior or words isn’t the point of forgiveness. In fact, the other person may never change or apologize for the offense. Think of forgiveness more about how it can change your life — by bringing you more peace, happiness, and emotional and spiritual healing. Forgiveness takes away the power the other person continues to wield in your life. Through forgiveness, you choose to no longer define yourself as a victim. Forgiveness is done primarily for yourself, and less so for the person who wronged you.

What if I’m the one who needs forgiveness?

It may help to spend some time thinking about the offense you’ve committed and trying to determine the effect it has had on others. Unless it may cause more harm or distress, consider admitting the wrong you’ve done to those you’ve harmed, speaking of your sincere sorrow or regret, and specifically asking for forgiveness — without making excuses. But if this seems unwise because it may further harm or distress, don’t do it — it’s not about making yourself feel better by apologizing. You don’t want to add salt to a painful wound. Also, keep in mind that you can’t force someone to forgive you. They will need to move to forgiveness in their own time.

In any case, we have to be willing to forgive ourselves. Holding on to resentment against yourself can be just as toxic as holding on to resentment against someone else. Recognize that poor behavior or mistakes don’t make you worthless or bad. Accept the fact that you — like everyone else — aren’t perfect. Accept yourself despite your faults. Admit your mistakes. Commit to treating others with compassion, empathy and respect. And again, talking with a spiritual leader, mental health provider or trusted friend or relative may be helpful.

Forgiveness of yourself or someone else, though not easy, can transform your life. Instead of dwelling on the injustice and revenge, instead of being angry and bitter, you can move toward a life of peace, compassion, mercy, joy and kindness.

 

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37

Father's Day is just around the corner!

"A father is a guy who has snapshots in his wallet where his money used to be."

-- Unknown

Funny but true!

Here's to Father' Day. I was crazy about these three simple ideas and I think you will love them too!

Father's are so important to the health and welfare of the family. My father is 86 years old and suffered a major stroke this year. I am so thankful to have one more year to thank him for the great father he was and is to me. Take time today to share in written form to your father...or the men in your life that have had a father's heart towards you:

1. Three things you appreciate about them.

2. Three wonderful memories you have of them.

3. Three memories you still want to make together.

Here is the note I mailed off to my Dad today!

Happy Father’s Day Dad!!       

Dad can you believe this is your 61^st Father’s Day!

I am sure it is amazing for you to think about. It is amazing for me to think of all the years of investment you have made in your children, grandchildren and now great grandchildren lives!

What a legacy you have given to all of us.

Thank you Dad for:

1. Loving the Lord and being a Christian example to us.

2. Providing a safe home for us to grow up in.

3. Teaching us that hard work matters.

4. Taking me fishing on Lake of the Woods.

5. Making the best bon fires and smores.

6. Fixing things around my house.

And mostly being committed to Mom all these years as well as loving your 5 children, 20 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.

Dad I look forward to many more of your:

7. Fresh garden grown tomatoes and onions

8. Eating some of your home made bread and butter pickles.

9. Reading the hand written letters you send the children.

You are loved and respected by your family Dad. I am honored that I once again get to wish you a Happy Father’s Day!  If I lived closer you know I would make you a homemade chocolate cake!!

Much love your number 5#

tammy

And of course what Father's Day would be complete without some fun food!

Home made Pretzels that spell LOVE to Dad!

What's better than hot, fresh, salty pretzels? Hot, fresh, salty pretzels shaped into letters that spell D-A-D! Or P-A-P-A or T-H-E M-A-N. This pretzel recipe is easy (the dough is ready-made) and kid-friendly.We've also included a quick and delicious honey-mustard dip.

Ingredients

• 1-pound loaf frozen white bread dough (such as Rhodes Bake-N-Serv)
• 4 cups warm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water

• Coarse salt (Morton coarse kosher salt worked best for us)
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• HONEY-MUSTARD DIP
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey

Instructions

1. Thaw the bread dough according to the package directions but do not let it rise. Heat the oven to 450°. The dough will be easier to roll if it is at or near room temperature. Using a sharp knife (a parent's job), divide the dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into an 18-inch rope on a dry, unfloured surface. If the dough is very elastic and difficult to shape, roll it as best you can, set it aside for 10 minutes, and then try again. Shape the dough into letters, pinching seams tightly.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the 4 cups of warm water and the baking soda. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Lightly spray a baking sheet (2 if needed) with nonstick spray and set aside.

3. Carefully dip the dough letters into the baking soda and water mixture and place them on the prepared baking sheet(s). Brush them with the whisked egg and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until dark brown. Brush the pretzels with melted butter, if desired. Makes about 8 letters. Serve warm with honey-mustard dip.

4. To make the dip, stir together the honey and mustard in a small bowl. Keep the sauce refrigerated until it's needed. (From Family Fun Mag...Great resource for families I might add!)

Best-ever Barbecue Apron

I just loved this idea. I made aprons with my children for all kinds of events! Even the most serious griller will love this gift from his children. Great for a Grandfather's gift as well!

Materials

• White canvas apron, in Dad's size, available at craft stores
• Masking tape

• Fabric paints of different colors
• Paintbrushes

1. Mark off sections of the apron with masking tape, so each child artist gets his or her own tableau.

2. Kids can sketch out ideas on paper beforehand or go straight to canvas. Themes might include food on the grill, family selfportraits, or Dad's favorite things. Allow the pain to set.

Sweet and Sour Barbecued Chicken

What man doesn't like a grill? What man doesn't like grilled sweet and sour chicken!? This is a great easy recipe to serve the Father King of your life. I pair it with grilled corn on the cob and a large tossed cabbage salad.

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed through a garlic press
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• juice of 1/2 lime
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• red pepper flakes (the more the better as far as I am concerned!)
  
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half..pounded thin.
  

1. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegar, lime and lemon juices, brown sugar, mustard, honey, and salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil (a fun job for kids).

2. Reserve two portions of the mixture for basting and for dipping sauce, then add the chicken to the dish and turn it to coat.

3. Grill the chicken for about 4 minutes per side or until the juices run clear. During the last minutes of cooking, baste the chicken with one portion of the reserved sauce to glaze it.

4. Garnish with chopped Italian parsley, if desired.

Tequila-Grilled Chicken with Cilantro Pesto

My dear friend Tracy Hoogenboom is a fantastic cook. My goodness..I have been hanging out with her and the family here in San Clemente having the best time making her amazing recipes. This one was a HUGE standout. Not only is it delicious it is BEAUTIFUL!

 

 

Tracy worked as a food stylist and has had a ton of experience in serving food for hire. She is such a pro. Love learning from the pros. However she tells me it was cooking for her triplets and daughter that really got her the experience! No kidding!

Tip: Broadcast a little Diana Ross when making this dish...Ain't No Mountain High Enough seemed to be our number one pick. Go Pandora!

 

Tequila-Grilled Chicken                                   

4 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup fresh lime juice

¼ cup tequila

2 T sugar

½ t red chili flakes (hot pepper)

1 ½ cup olive oil

6 Chicken Breasts, rinsed, skinned, boned (pounded thin)

½ cup cilantro pesto (recipe follows)

1 ½ cup diced tomatoes

1 cup grated pepper jack cheese

For marinade: In shallow pan combine garlic, lime juice, tequila, sugar, chili flakes, salt and oil. Pound chicken with flat mallet and add to mixture. Marinate 1-2 hours.

Remove chicken from marinade and grill or broil on highest setting until edges turn very brown and crunchy.

Cilantro Pesto:

4 cloves garlic peeled

3 oz freshly grated Parmesan

2 cups fresh cilantro, rinsed and dried

1 cup parsley rinsed and dried

1/2 cup shelled pine nuts or walnuts

½ cup olive oil

Kosher salt, fresh pepper and lemon juice to taste

With food processor metal blade, grind all ingredients to paste stage. Refrigerate until ready to use. Can be made one day ahead.

Spread grilled chicken with pesto and top with tomatoes and a light sprinkling of cheese. Close lid on BBQ or heat under broiler until cheese melts. Serve with steamed rice, black beans and a cold corn salad.

 

 

 
Tracy's daughter Chelsea amazing (yes one of the triplets) My girl Mac and sweet friend Kellie darling.

Wicked Good Banana-Blueberry Pudding

Can you say crazy good? Wicked good is what my kids say!

I have made this recipe many times and without a doubt it is one of my very favorite home cooked comfort desserts. I often change out the blueberries for raspberries when in season. I would suggest you double the vanilla...but of course I always say that!

Kids LOVE making this pudding...cutting the bananas, eating the cookies! Adults love eating this recipe...seconds and thirds!

I also make the pudding a day before and refrigerate it (and yes...hide it from others!). Then I add the fresh whipping cream right before I serve it.

A great make ahead dessert.

Have fun!

Ingredients

• 4 cups milk
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 12-ounce box vanilla wafers
• 4 large ripe bananas, sliced
• 3 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Preparation

• Whisk together first 4 ingredients in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, 20 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla until butter melts. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Arrange half of vanilla wafers evenly in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish; top with half of banana slices and half of blueberries. Spoon half of pudding mixture evenly over fruit. Repeat layers. Cover and chill 4 hours.
• Beat whipping cream at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Spread evenly over chilled pudding.

  

Eggs Benedict Breakfast Pizza

Served this wonderful dish this morning for Jill Savage President of Hearts at Home. (http://www.hearts-at-home.org)

It was delicious easy and would serve a good sized crowd.

 

Hearts at Home is an amazing organization that encourages and equips moms from every demographic. The speakers and workshops are fantastic. Hearts will be coming to Colorado Springs Oct 7-8th. Do you know a mom that could use some encouragement? How about a lot? Perhaps that is you. I hope to see you there..it will be a GRAND event for MOM's!

Enjoy!

Ingredients

6 large natural eggs, well beaten

2 tea butter

1 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls

1 (.9 ounce) package hollandaise sauce mix

2/3 cup milk

1/4 cup butter

2 cups diced cooked ham or sausage

2 sliced tomatoes drained

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (I use cheese that contains Jalapenos!)

Directions

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour in eggs, and cook until just med soft stirring constantly.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees . Unroll crescent dough and place rolls on an ungreased 12 inch pizza pan or pie pan with points toward the center . Press seams together and press up sides of pan to form a crust.

Prepare Hollandaise sauce according to package directions using 2/3 cup milk and 1/4 cup butter. Pour evenly over crescent roll crust. Spread scrambled eggs evenly over sauce, then top with meat. Add sliced tomatoes over meat. Sprinkle lightly with shredded cheese.

Bake in preheated oven until bottom of crust is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

Excellent served with Salsa and fresh fruit.

 

Brown Sugar Grilled Chops

Click on people's faces in the photo to tag them.

Smoking good!

 

We had an amazing Easter celebration with all the adult kids, those they love and their children. (Oh how the tribe continues to grow!)  It was just wonderful.

These CHOPS were a huge hit! I grilled up some chicken breasts too because not everyone in my family eats Chops...and the Chicken was GRAND I am telling you. Your going to love these. I made twice the sauce because we're a sauce kinda family. Some people say we actually drink it!

Tatiana made lemon roasted potatoes (perfect) and we grilled up some fresh asparagus by way of Sandy at http://reluctantentertainer.com. Crazy good!

Mackenzie made a homemade chocolate ice cream cake with fresh strawberries and chocolate ganache frosting (recipe coming soon!) Needless to say no one left hungry!

Cheers my friend!

 Grilled Brown Sugar Pork Chops  (Or Chicken)

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 1/2 cup apple juice 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon soy sauce  2 teaspoon fresh chopped ginger

Sea salt and fresh pepper 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1/2 cup water 6 pork chops

Directions
1 Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
2 In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, apple juice,
   oil, soy sauce, ginger, salt , and pepper. Bring to boil.
   Combine water and cornstarch in small bowl, and whisk into
   brown sugar mixture. Stir until thick.
3 Brush grate lightly with oil before placing pork chops
   on the grill. Cook over hot coals for 10 to 12 minutes,
   turning once. Brush with sauce just before removing chops
   from grill. Serve with remaining sauce.

Click on people's faces in the photo to tag them.

Click on people's faces in the photo to tag them.

Click on people's faces in the photo to tag them.

Coconut Cream Cake (You will either love or hate me for this one!)

This cake is just the best thing around.

AND...

You start with a boxed cake mix...and yes it is that easy. This cake is moist, rich and feeds a crowd! I top the cake with seasonal berries...it is just beautiful!

As told by Tammy Maltby on Focus on the Family’s Your Family Live! webcast 
http://www.focusonlinecommunities.com/docs/DOC-1934 

Coconut Cream Cake
1 pkg. white or yellow cake mix 
1 pkg. (4 serving size) cheese cake flavored instant pudding  
1 1/3 cups water 
1/2 cup vegetable oil 
4 large eggs 
2 tea vanilla 
1 1/3 cups Baker’s angel flake coconut 
1 cup chopped nuts 
Berries of all kinds
 
Combine cake mix, pudding mix, water, eggs and oil in large mixer bowl. Blend; beat 
at medium speed for 4 minutes. Stir in coconut and nuts and vanilla. (You can omit 
the nuts and added ½ cup more coconut.) Pour into greased and floured 8 or 9 inch 
cake rounds. Bake at 325 degrees for 35‐40 minutes. Cool 15 minutes in pan. 
Remove from pan. Fully cool on rack. 
  
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting: Cream 1/3 cup butter; blend in 2 pkg. of 3 oz cream 
cheese, Add 1 box (16 oz) confectioners’ sugar, alternately with 4 tsp milk, beating 
well after each addition. Add ½ tsp vanilla or almond extract. Spread frosting over 
top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with 2 cups Baker’s Angel Flake Coconut over frosting. 
  
Top with colorful berries in center and around the edges. Garnish with fern leaves.

Delicious CHICKEN POCKETS

Great for Easter Brunch!

 

Made this last night for the women in my bible study...They all raved about it! Easy and yummy...even kids love these! And yes you can use low fat everything!

Delicious CHICKEN POCKETS

1 c. chopped, cooked chicken (I use rotisserie chicken)
1/4 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 tbsp. chopped pimiento
1 tbsp. chopped almonds
(I also add 1/2 package of frozen broccoli...I like more veggies...if you add this add about another 1-2 oz of cream cheese and yes you can use low fat. caramelized onions are great to add too)
4 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. can Pillsbury crescent dinner rolls
3 tbsp. butter, melted
3/4 c. crushed herb flavored croutons (be generous with these as they add the crunchy top!)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, combine chicken, celery, onion, pimiento, almonds and cream cheese; mix well. Separate dough into 4 rectangles; press perforations to seal. Press each to a 6" square. Spoon chicken filling over half of each square. Fold dough over filling; pinch edges to seal. Dip in butter and croutons. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 28 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 4 sandwiches.

Texas Sheet Cake (aka: Heaven)

Chocolate anyone?

Lots of chocolate anyone?

This Texas sheet cake is so unreal moist and delicious we ate the whole 9x13 inch pan over the weekend! You will NEVER want to make any other brownie.

We also found out Blue Bell Ice Cream is now selling in Colorado...this is dangerous. The combo kept my kids visiting all weekend!

A huge tip: Use Penzeys Dutch Process High Fat Cocoa...it is off the chain. You can even order it on line.

Cheers!

Texas Sheet Cake

2 cups sugar                                                     ½ cup buttermilk

2 cups flour                                                      1 tsp baking soda

½ cup butter                                                    ½ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cocoa                                        2 large eggs

½ cup salad oil                                                2 tsp vanilla

1 cup cold coffee

Sift sugar and flour into large bowl.  In a saucepan, bring butter, cocoa, oil, and coffee to a rapid boil, stirring constantly.  Pour over sugar mixture and stir well.  Beat in buttermilk, baking soda, salt, eggs and vanilla.  Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until done.  Frost immediately when removing from oven.

Frosting:

1 stick butter                                                 1 box powdered sugar

4 tablespoons cocoa                                    1 tsp vanilla

6 tablespoons milk                                      1 cup chopped pecans (If you so choose)

 

Melt butter and cocoa in heavy saucepan, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and add milk and sugar.  Stir in vanilla and pecans and spread over cake while warm.

 

 

Flaky Meat and Cheese Biscuts....Fast!

My dear niece Charity flew in last night from New York...It has such a wild day yesterday I didn't have anything really prepared for breakfast.

Thank GOODNESS!

I looked for what I had and came up with the most easy yummy breakfast sandwich. Kids will go wild over these and good enough for brainy lawyer nieces who come and visit their auntie. Just serve with a bowl of fresh cut fruit and lemon yogurt. BIG hit I am telling ya.

1 package Grands Flaky Layers Butter Tastin Biscuits (8)

One egg slightly beaten.

One slice pepper jack cheese (8 total)

One slice salami (or ham)

Unwrap biscuits and put on cookie sheet. Peel in half...place one piece of cheese to fit on the biscuit...over lap cheese if needed...add meat slice put lid back on. Brush egg over each biscuit and sprinkle with fresh herbs (I had rosemary and it was amazing) and some seasoned salt. (I use Penzey's Old World Seasoning...the best!)

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes until nice and brown.

These are little wonders I am telling you!

 

 

Margarita Chicken and Grilled Veggies

 

Vegetables are a must on a diet.  I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie. 

~Jim Davis

Isn't that the truth!

Well grilling season has begun at the M's
A perfect meal to serve your family, company...hey even yourself.

I even added real veggies :)

This is my go to meal in the warm weather. I make this meal all summer long and people just love it. You can change out the veggies to what you find at your local farmers markets.

And while you are grilling up some of this amazing food...invite someone into your home and share a little love and lifegiving. After all the table is meant to be a place that is shared.

Let summer and grilling begin!

 

Margarita Chicken

1. Wash 6 large chicken breasts de-boned and skin free cut in half.
2. Place 2 cups of Alcohol free Margarita mix in large zip lock bag.
3. Add one package of powder taco mix to bag
4. Slice and squeeze 3 large limes into bag.
5. Add two tablespoons olive oil to bag.
6. Add chicken to bag and marinate overnight or at least several hours.

Remove chicken and place on hot grill until cooked though (15 minutes or so).

Make fresh marinade and bring to boil. Add 1/2cup honey…cook for 7 minutes on low boil…or until thick and bubbly. Place on platter. Pour marinade over top of chicken and serve with fresh cilantro as a garnish.

Grilled Vegetables

1. Cut large yellow, orange, red and green peppers in quarters. Put into large plastic zip lock bag. Pour about one cup virgin olive oil into bag. Add 1 ½ tea kosher salt and add fresh pepper to taste. Slice large yellow onions. Add to bag. Add corn on the cob ready to go (you can even use frozen cobs)
2. Wash and cut tops off asparagus. Place in its own bag with olive oil and salt.
3. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
4. Heat grill until very hot (about 400 degrees) Add vegetables…cook and turn until done. About 4 minutes each side. (Cook asparagus about 4-5 minutes total.
5. Serve hot or Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Serve hot or cold! Delicious, healthy and so easy.

Grilled tomatoes

1. Cut large tomatoes in half

2. Cover each tomato with prepared pesto sauce. (About one tablespoon)

3. Add crumbled feta cheese on top of pesto.

4. Sprinkle with thinly sliced red onion.

5. Top with a fresh rosemary sprig.

Place tomato on heavy foil on top of hot grill.

Cook about 5 minutes…until the tomatoes are nearly tender. Carefully place on platter with other grilled vegetables.

Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Au Gratin Potatoes

Some dear friends of our made this for dinner one night. I was scrumptious! I am very generous on the fresh thyme. It is worth it! You can double this easy and freeze one recipe.

I serve it with fresh broccoli or asparagus and Au Gratin Potatoes. (Recipe below)

These are two perfect recipes to serve your family and even company!

Enjoy! 

Roast Pork Tenderloins with Apples

Serves: 4 to 6 servings

2 pieces, 1 package, pork tenderloins (I get my at Sam's club)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon grill seasoning
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme leaves
3 tablespoons butter
5 Gala, Honey Crisp or Golden Delicious apples, quartered, cored and sliced
Salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar

Heat oven to 425 degrees F.

Coat the tenderloins with olive oil. Combine the grill seasoning, lemon zest and thyme. Rub the spice mixture into the tenderloin and roast 25 minutes. Remove and let juices settle then slice on an angle.

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat and saute apples for 12 to 15 minutes until very tender. Season with a pinch of salt and sprinkle the flour over the skillet, toss to combine. Squeeze the lemon juice over the skillet and sweeten with sugar.

Arrange the apples over the pork to serve.

Au Gratin Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 (2 pound) package frozen hash browns (I use the Ore-Ida potatoes O'Brian they have onion and green pepper already included....saves time)
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream (I use light)
• 1 small finely diced onion
• 1 green bell pepper, minced
• 2 cups sharp shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. Spread frozen hash browns into the bottom of the prepared pan. Mix together soup, onion, green bell pepper and sour cream; pour the mixture over the potatoes.
3. Bake in the preheated 350 degrees oven for 50 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle with cheese, and bake another 30 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Excellent Chicken Salad for large gatherings.

I just got home from several days in beautiful San Clemente California. The ocean and sun were just amazing.

Today I awoke to snow in Colorado.

So with the alive hope of Spring to come (come on now!) I thought I would post a few great spring and summer recipes.

This is one of my all time go to recipes.

I've made this Chicken Salad for many weddings, groups and large events. It is just the best. In fact if you can make it a day ahead it is even better.

I often serve it with another great salad... fresh fruit with lemon whipped topping. (And yes I will post that recipe too.)

Enjoy!

Serves up to 25

5 cups diced and cooked chicken

5 cups macaroni (shells, spiral or any other small macaroni)

4 cups chopped celery

4 cups grapes…(green or red…or half and half)

10 hard boiled eggs cooked and chopped

1 20 oz can of Pineapple tidbits.

1 cup dried cherries or cranberries

1 cup sliced almonds (optional)

1 tea salt and pepper (or to taste)

3 Tablespoons beau monde

Combine all the above in extra large bowl.

Fold in:

2 cups mayo or salad dressing

1 cup sour crème

2 cups cool whip

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup sugar

2 tea shredded lemon rind

Allow 2-8 hours to chill. This is a great salad to actually make the night before. The longer it sits the greater the flavor.

Serve with grapes, strawberry dipped in chocolate, and relish skewer..(olive pickle and hot pepper)

Mushroom and Swiss Sliders with Spicy Fry Sauce

I must admit I am crazy about Ree Drummond.

Personally.

She just cracks me up.

I think I spent an hour (again) reading though her amazing recipes and drooling insistently. I want to be her best friend.

Tonight is burger night at the M's.

 
I have made this sliders several times. EVERY TIME I make them people just go wild. The slider sauce is a MUST.

Our son Sam is home for Spring Break.  Our dear son-in-love Zac loves when I grill burgers. My husband swoons when he smells the grill.

I love these men in my life and I want them close. I have been known to bribe them with burgers. It works I am telling you.

Cheers!

Mushroom and Swiss Sliders with Spicy Fry Sauce

Ingredients

• ⅓ cups Mayonnaise
• 2 Tablespoons Ketchup
• 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (less If You're Sensitive To Spice!)
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• ½ whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
• 8 ounces, weight White Mushrooms, Chopped Finely
• ½ cups White Or Red Wine (optional)
• 4 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
• Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 2 pounds Ground Beef
• 4 Tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream
• 4 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 4 slices Swiss Cheese, Cut Into Four Squares
• 8 whole Dinner (or Slider) Rolls, Split

Preparation Instructions

In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, ketchup, and cayenne. Stir together until totally combined. Set aside. (This is the spicy fry sauce.)

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onions and cook over medium heat for five minutes, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms and toss around, then add wine (if using), Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Cook for several minute over medium heat, or until all liquid has evaporated. Transfer mushroom mixture to a separate bowl, scraping all contents from the skillet.

Mix ground beef, heavy cream, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Use your hands to thoroughly mix ingredients. Form 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the meat mixture into patties, making an indentation with your thumb to keep the patties from plumping too much when they cook. In the same skillet as the one used to cook the mushrooms, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium to medium-high heat. Add four patties at a time, indented side face up.

Cook for 4 minutes, then flip. Spoon generous portion of mushroom mixture on each patty, then top with one or two squares of Swiss, depending on your preference. Place lid on skillet and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until burgers are cooked through and cheese is melted. Remove to a place and keep warm while you repeat with the rest of the meat mixture.

Toast halved buns under the oven broiler. Spread generously with spicy fry sauce. Place patties between buns and serve immediately with fried onion strings.

Posted by Ree on August 3 2010

Banana Bread with Streusel Topping

It was time.

I have to admit I went a little overboard buying bananas on sale. (Over board? Me?) 

I had about 20 ripe banana's on the counter that needed a little attention.

Now I know everyone has a banana bread recipe they love. But I must tell you this recipe could beat even your Grandma's. It is divine!

The Streusel-Nut topping really is something.

And if you have a child who has nut algeries (as I do) I make one loaf with and one without.

Another great tip is spreading a little hazelnut cream cheese on a slice or a nice pad of real butter does just fine.

Freezes great. Ya right...If you have any left to freeze.

Cheers!

Banana Bread with Streusel-Nut topping

• 2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2  teaspoons  baking powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
• 2    eggs, beaten
• 1-1/2  cups  mashed banana (5 medium)
• 1  cup  sugar
• 1/2  cup  oil
• 1/4  cup  chopped walnuts
• 1  recipe  Streusel-Nut Topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of one 9x5x3-inch or two 7-1/2x3-1/2x2-inch loaf pans; set aside. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl combine eggs, banana, sugar, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan(s). If desired, sprinkle Streusel Topping over batter.

3. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes for 9x5x3-inch pan or 40 to 45 minutes for 7-1/2x3-1/2x2-inch pans or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean (if necessary, cover loosely with foil the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning). Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

4. Makes 1 loaf (16 slices)

5. Streusel-Nut Topping: In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Using a pastry blender, cut in 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/3 cup chopped walnuts.

French Apple Cake

This is one of my all time favoriate cakes. Easy, moist just plan good. Make sure you double the carmel sauce...people have been known to drink it!

Cheers!

 4 cups diced apples

2 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

½ cup oil

½ cup nuts (chopped)

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp cloves

Cream sugar and eggs together until fluffy.

Add oil and mix well.

Add all dry ingredients.

Stir in apples.

Place in a 9X 13 inch pan that has been well greased.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

  Topping

 1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup butter

2 tbs flour

2 tsp vanilla

 Bring to boil; remove from heat; keep warm and serve warm

 Pour over cake and top with fresh whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Our comings and goings

Your Father knows what you need before you ask... (Matthew 6)

The love of the Father embraces not just the return of the son but also the leaving of his child...In a very deep way we are, in our lives, often leaving and returning. This isn't just a one-time event; it's an ongoing experience. Today, get in touch with your own leavings and returnings. I believe that in a very deep sense, one has to be convinced of God's love in order to take the risk of leaving once in a while...It's important to understand that God's love fills you and surrounds you whether you are leaving or returning, and that God waits with longing to welcome you on your return.

 Henry Nouwen

Old Pain

I am flying home right now from the amazing women’s conference I spoke at called Hearts at Home. I spent the weekend with almost 5 thousand women who were learning new ways of walking out life as a mom.

I noticed something interesting.

Old pain looks different then new pain.

Many mom’s events I speak to are full of fresh earnest somewhat fearful moms. They want to do it all right…they want the steps to raising a great child and having a happy marriage. They expect if they do all the right stuff…they will be successful.

I remember that place.

But this weekend was different. Not only were there thousands of young amazing moms there were thousands of mom’s that had done all that…and found life and motherhood wanting. Their marriages were hurting, their kids weren’t performing and they weren’t settling for easy answers to complicated realities.

They had old pain.

I wanted to sit with these women for hours…talking about true life, the disappointments that naturally befall all of us and learning to walk with a limp. They had wisdom born from the pain. They were still pressing on and had a depth and awareness that was incredibly beautiful.

They are my favorite kind of women…broken women with old pain.

And here is the deal. As one woman told me, “There are basically two choices I have. To live fully in my pain and trust God for my unmet needs…or become bitter controlling and stuck. Quite frankly I choose to walk with a limp.”

How on earth did this woman get to such a lifegiving place?  I believe the key was in her words “To live fully in my pain.” That means not running away, not blaming, not defecting, not pretending. It means living with courage that God will actually show up, that He sees us daily and He has a beautiful plan to make us more like Him.

Do you have some old pain? Let it produce hope in you my friend. Old pain in the hands of a great God can produce untold beauty.

Remember...God sees you.

So we glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Romans 5:3-6 

 

 

 

We All Need Permission to Fail

Because we all will.

It is a real part of the success of our lives. As parents and coaches of the next generation it is vital that we continue to encourage and stretch those we love (and yes that includes ourselves) to live beyond ourselves.

I have often said you never know what is waiting on the other side of your obedience. God does.

Seth Barns president of AIM (Adventures in Missions) posted this a while back and it contained such truth and freedom. I pray it will for you too.

Failure need not be final. Failure is a temporary set back. You have been given all the permission you need to enter into the life you have been called to live.

1. Permission to come aboard

• You're a child of the king - that's your identity.
• You were made to destroy the works of evil - a warrior.
• You're a citizen of the kingdom - join the tribe.

2. Permission to dream

• God made you a dreamer. It's normal to dream. Daydreams and night dreams. We ask "what if?"
• They were actually his dreams first. We were made in God's image and dream because he does.
• The world needs them. The world is broken and God has sent us to set it right again. It all starts with a dream.

3.    Permission to fail

• We've all failed. Failing is a part of learning. We rarely get it right the first time. It's called practice. Even Mozart hit the wrong notes sometimes. Get over your perfectionism - it doesn't serve the world.
• God says we're strongest where we're weak. If we feel inadequate, that's a good thing - we'll depend on him.
• The faster you fail, the greater your ultimate success. It takes a certain number of iterations for muscle memory to kick in. Once you've got more experience with the pain of failure, your fear of failure diminishes. Ask, "What's the worst that can happen?"

4.    Permission to succeed

What permission do you feel you need? You succeeding doesn't have to be an ego trip. God built you to win, to crush the enemy under your heel. Setting the captives free is success; when you do that, it's not about you, but the person you freed. So get over yourself and remember what Marianne Williamson wrote.

Our Deepest Fear (by Marianne Williamson)

 

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.

Hearts at Home!

National Conference
Bloomington-Normal, IL  |  March 11-12, 2011

Hearts at Home!

http://www.hearts-at-home.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=281&Itemid=187

Sooo looking forward to next weekend at the Hearts at Home  women's event in Normal Ill!! Hope to see you all there. Here is my gig...but ck out all the speakers and topics...what a wonderful resource for women!

 

Tammy Maltby

Author, speaker, and media (TV, radio, online) personality Tammy Maltby sums up·her·multifaceted message in·one word: encouragement. For those struggling with·difficult circumstances·and those yearning for a more lovely and welcoming lifestyle, she offers practical, uplifting “you can do it!" guidance.·A wife, mother of four grown kids, and grandmother of one, Tammy lives in Colorado.

http://itsagoodlife.tv/

111 - The God Who Sees You – Tammy Maltby

How do we handle life when disappointment, pain, and a weary heart seem to stalk us day after day? Does no one care? Does anyone see my hard work, my family pain, my feelings of rejection, my fear? Knowing that God sees us and deeply cares about the details of our life can be more than enough. Tammy Maltby invites you to:

• see the unseen God who sees all your unseen actions
• let go of fear that other people will reject you if they know your failures and imperfections
• embrace the hope and choose the joy that awaits you when you trust He is intimately aware of your journey.

Spiritual Growth

112 - Lifegiving Hospitality…Start Simply but Simply Start! – Tammy Maltby

Tammy believes hospitality is not just for those with gorgeous homes, professional cooking skills, or special gifts. It’s for anyone who wants to live a fuller, more outward life. And all you need is a willingness to start simply…but simply start. Tammy offers:

• A fresh perspective on the art of hospitality
• Step by step demos for killer recipes that will impress everyone…without wearing you out
• Cost-saving—and fun—techniques for cooking and decorating
• Confidence that “you can do it”—and you’ll love every minute

Parenting - General

Creamy Baked Brie

Baked Brie

Nothing satisfies like a warm, creamy cheese. This recipe is so easy that you can make it in 5 minutes. And the presentation is beautiful!

 Buy extra brie cheese rounds (I get my at Sam's Club much cheaper!) and puff pastry sheets and keep them in your freezer. You will always have a wonderful hors d'oeuvre to serve at a moment’s notice.

 1 14 oz round Brie (the best variety and price can be found at Sam’s club.)

1 package puffed pastry sheets(You will need only one. They come two in the box. You can find in the freezer section where you find  pie crusts)

Any vary of jams, chutneys (apricot is my personal favorite), dried fruits, and nuts 

 Remove one sheet of the frozen puff pastry. Let it come to room temperature (or  microwave on defrost for 2 minutes if needed).  Cut Brie in half, lengthwise. Place one slice of the Brie (creamy side up) in the center of the unfolded puff pastry sheet. Add filling. Aproximently ½ cup of whatever you choose...add nuts and or dried fruit.  Place other half of Brie (creamy side down) on top of fruit mixture. 

 Carefully wrap the puff pastry upward around the Brie. Starting with the corners of the pastry fold up in a circle fashion around the Brie, gathering the ends in the center of the Brie.  Place on foil lined and sprayed cookie sheet seam side down.  Brush with egg.

 Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.