Blessings and "Bugs"

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and I have had enough turkey to last until next year! Unfortunately this is also the season when catching a "bug" no longer means children catching fire flies to watch in jar or a cute ladybug on a twig. My husband Chris is feeling a bit under the weather, so tonight I decided to cook up some garlic soup to help fight off the "bug." Now I know that most of you are already holding your nose and crying "ewww, that can't taste good!" I have to say that if you really really don't like garlic, you are probably correct. But for those of us that LOVE garlic, it is fabulous! I also must give garlic a pat on the back because it is a great germ fighter and the health benefits are numerous. I also roasted some heads of garlic for bread or whatever I get in the mood to put it on. Roasting gives it a more subtle sweet flavor. ( Yes, garlic can taste sweet... *smile*)

Roasted Garlic
Slice the top off of a head of garlic just thick enough to open up the top of the cloves. Place the head of garlic cut side up in a oven safe dish and drizzle a little olive oil over the top. Place in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes until soft. The garlic cloves should be soft enough that when cool you can squish them out into a bowl.

Now, what can you do with this wonderful roasted treasure? You can add a bit of salt if you like and eat it on a cracker. Put it on a piece of buttered bread for the best garlic bread you ever tasted. Add it to mashed potatoes. I just had some on a piece of left over turkey. Use your imagination; it will be great any number of ways!

This Thanksgiving season, I found myself so overwhelmed with gratitude for all the blessings that God has given to me and my family. As topics of discussion turned to giving thanks in church groups and talks with family and friends, I kept thinking how much we have to be thankful for. I'm not talking about material goods necessarily, but things that money can't buy, like God's grace. No matter what our situation, how great the hurt, how unsure our future, we as Christians have the peace of knowing that God's grace covers us. As with most people, I have known both tough times when it seemed like every day brought a new hardship; and easy times when things just seemed to fall into place. Through it all, God's love and grace has given me peace in my heart, my very soul. So, when asked what I am most thankful for this Thanksgiving my answer is God's love and grace. He loves me even when I don't deserve it and continues to bless me in ways I could only imagine. I could make a list a mile long with all the wonderful people and circumstances that God has put in my life, but there is just not room. I wish for you this Thanksgiving season to know that great peace.

"When peace like a river attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well with my soul."

Wishing you a bountiful Thanksgiving and Many Blessings,
Stace

Follow your dreams........

It's been awhile since my last post. It's been busy, but we had a great vacation in the Smoky Mountains. We spent some time hiking, went to the Cherokee Reservation and just really enjoyed seeing God's creation. It was nice to have time away from work and responsibility, and coming back to that has been difficult. I did find this great book from Foxfire about Appalachian Cookery. It is full of stories and recipes of the people from the mountains when they cooked over fireplaces and then in wood fired ovens. Turns out the "new fangled" convenience of a wood fired stove wasn't as appreciated as one might think. Many women found it difficult to cook on and wood had to be added repeatedly to the fire to keep the heat constant. There are many fond stories of cornbread cooked over the fire in iron skillets. Sounds like heaven to me.

I haven't done much cooking this past week. We are still trying to get things settled in from our trip. Since we had an outdoor service for church today and a picnic afterward, I decided it was time for some sweet potato cupcakes. They are made with cinnamon and sweet potatoes and have cream cheese icing. Perfect flavors for fall. The recipe can be found on the Better Homes and Gardens website. I used my own cream cheese icing recipe, it has Almond bark melted and added in. I was given this recipe when I attended a cake decorating class given by Judy Ward, the Ohio Co. cake lady. Hopefully one day these will be on the Tea and Dreams menu.

Speaking of dreams......Being the big kids we are, we attended a magic show while we were Pigeon Forge. It was a great presentation, full of "bigger than life" characters who seemed to really enjoy entertaining. I was really impressed when at the end of the show, the magician began to share his story of " not giving up on your dreams and putting God in the drivers seat." He did a wonderful job of sharing his faith without being "preachy". As I thought about my life and my dreams, I realize how easy it is to try to be the one in charge of things. The whole fact of the matter is that the only way to truly be satisfied and have peace with where we are in life is to let God handle things. He will give us the "desires of our hearts." I believe that God is happy to give us our "dreams", but we must keep Him in front; in charge, so that our "dreams" are in line with His will. As we grow closer to Christ, our dreams and desires become what He wants, not what we want. So, never give up on your dreams. We all have different dreams related to different areas of our lives. Wishes, hopes, prayers....... Give them to God, and let Him have everything, you, your life and your dreams. It's all His anyway. He'll take care of the rest. Maybe one day we can share a great cup of tea over a table of good food at "Tea and Dreams"; maybe not, but until then I will praise God and give thanks for all the blessings and dreams he has given me.

Psalms 37:4-5 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Many Blessings,
Stace

These boots are made for hiking!

What an emotional week. My father passed away Wednesday after a long illness. It has been good to see family, but sad that it happens due to such terrible reasons. My heart is aching for my family and for myself. I am thankful to have a supportive, wonderful husband and a God who loves me even though I don't deserve it. I know that my Dad is with that God now, and that gives me hope.

We are leaving today for our anniversary trip to the Smoky Mountains. I am really excited as it has been years since we have had a vacation. I am looking forward to peace, quiet and rest. I have a pair of new hiking boots that are rarin' and ready to go. They have been strolling around the neighborhood and house getting ready for this trip. For our trip, we decided to make some trail mix, which is so super easy, and you can add what you like instead of buying pre-made.

OUR choices:
Cashews, peanuts, almonds, walnuts, dried pineapple and blueberries, Candy corn and M&M's.

We have a big baggie of this stuff ready to go and munch on. Maybe I can use it to catch a bear.....

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

God's rest, like God's time is perfect. Thank you Lord, for your awesome rest.

Much love and many blessings,
Stace

Tea and Time.....

It has been a thought provoking week. I have had many conversations which have caused me to begin to rethink "time" in my life. With my fathers passing I have been reminded all too harshly that we do not always have tomorrow. A conversation with an old steady friend who is always there, even when we are far apart reminds me that even though we are always there for each other, for our families; we need to take the time to say I love you even when we are busy and can't say anything else. An email from a friend who has lost a pet who was a dear friend also makes me realize that we just never know when a sweet life will end, when the time we have with them will be over. Never be too busy to love someone who needs you, even if it is a quick word, visit or call.

So, how do we slow down, how do we find the time? I believe we pray for God to show us the moments we can use for this, and we seek them out, we plan for weekend calls or regular emails. And we should never be afraid to say," I love you".

I of course have dealt with my problems as usual with a good cup of tea and a new recipe. (Hence the need for Weight Watchers... : ) Oh, but this one is very calorie friendly and healthy. I had two wonderful spaghetti squash from the farmers market, so thus was born the Spaghetti Squash with Tomato and Mushrooms.

Halve the Spaghetti Squash and scoop out the seeds. Place cut side down on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray or a bit of Olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees until soft, around 45 minutes. Scoop out the flesh and it will string like spaghetti.

Sauce: I used a little bit of Bertolli Olive Oil and Garlic Marinara I had left.
1- 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
2 to 4 cloves of Garlic slivered
1 cup Portabella Mushroom chopped ( I use a spoon to scoop out the black gills, they will turn your meal black)

Saute the onion, garlic and mushrooms in a bit of olive oil til tender.
I then halved about a cup of baby cherry tomatoes off of our plants in the garden and added them in until they warmed. Add salt to taste.

Serve squash topped with a bit of sauce and then ladle the veggies on top. I enjoy a little Parmesan Cheese grated on top as well.

God's time:
Ecc 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
Ecc 3:4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
And the list goes on.

They say time heals all wounds. May we all intentionally spend more time loving, laughing and dancing... the weeping and mourning will take care of themselves.....

Thank you Lord, for Your time and Your love.
Wishing you Many Blessings and Much Love,

Stace

It's chilly outside and there's Chili on the table.....

I love Autumn and the cool weather last night and today has put me in the mood for all things pumpkin as well as a good pot of chili. I am, however, mourning the fact that our fabulous farmers' market will soon be over. Already some of the vendors have gone and the selection is dwindling each weekend. After our trek on Saturday, we came home with some beautiful peppers... thus, the new veggie-chili recipe was born.

1 monster size sweet onion
3 bell peppers (I used red, purple and green)
2 to 6 cloves of garlic, depending on your taste
hot pepper, to your taste, minced.

Mince the hot pepper and roughly chop the onions and bell peppers, then saute them all in olive oil in the bottom of a large pot. I use a stock pot to have plenty of room for all those fabulous veggies. After the onions and peppers have cooked for about five minutes, sliver the garlic cloves and add them, cooking until everything is nice and tender. Then add salt, fresh ground black pepper, cumin, tumeric and cilantro to taste.

1 can each (15 oz): dark red kidney beans, light red kidney beans, pinto beans
2 - 28 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 package Morningstar Farms soy crumbles (optional)

Add the beans, tomatoes and soy crumbles and let it all simmer for a few minutes until it's nice and bubbly and all the flavors have had a chance to get acquainted. If you need more liquid, you can add tomato juice or veggie stock. You could also add in some pasta if you like. Give it a taste for additional seasoning and it's ready for a bowl, some cheese and crackers.

Our God is so cool to give us such beautiful seasons and such wonderful food. I can't wait for the show to begin as the leaves start to change. The changing of the seasons always makes me stand in awe at the wisdom of our Creator. Even now, the little animals are preparing for winter and the trees are getting ready for their season of rest. Then in the Spring, a whole production of miracles will take place as the trees bud, the birds sing and the flowers bloom. What an awesome, awesome God.

Ecc 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

May you have many seasons of Blessed Tea and Dreams.........
Stace