Saying Goodbye is Hard...

(A poem Dad read at Grandma's funeral.) Along the Golden Streets, A loved one walks today, With wonder in her heart Faith blossomed into sight. She walks and stops and stares, And walks and stops again, Vistas of loveliness, Beyond the dreams of men. She who was feeble, weak, and shackled by her bed, Now climbs eternal hills, With light and easy tread. She has escaped at last, The cruel clutch of pain, Her lips shall never taste Its bitter cup again. Oh! Never call her dead, This buoyant one, and free. Whose daily portion is delight And ecstasy! She bows in speechless joy, Before the feet of Him, Whom seeing not, she loved, While yet her sight was dim. Along the Golden Streets, No stranger walks today, But one, who long homesick, Is Home at last to stay.

Trying out NEW RECIPES

Bacon Cheeseburger pizza
Pizza dough: 1 pkg yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP oil
3 cups flour

Mix yeast, water, sugar, salt and oil together. Add flour all at once. Knead just until combined. Let rise for about 1 hr.

Brown and drain: 1lb. ground beef
3 garlic cloves
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 large red onion

Bake crust on 14" pizza pan at 450 for 5-8 min.
Remove and cover with: 1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 cup pizza sauce
1/4 cup bacon bits (I used really bacon fried bacon and crumbled)
Ground beef mixture
1 cup mozzarella
1 cup sharp cheddar
(I substituted colby jack for both cheeses and used a little less)
Bake for 15-20 min or until cheese is melted.
This is a taste of home recipe that I modified by using my own favorite pizza dough recipe and my own homemade pizza sauce.
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Frozen Strawberry Dessert

CRUST: 1 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup cold butter

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

In bowl combine flour, sugar and nuts. Cut in the butter. Press into greased 9" baking pan. Bake at 350 for 14-16 min or until lightly browned. Cool and crumble mixture. Set aside 1/3 cup for topping and press remainder back into dish.

TOPPING: 2 cups frozen strawberries, thawed

1 cup sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

Beat strawberries, sugar and lemon juice until well blended. Fold in whipped cream and spread onto crust. Sprinkle with remaining crumbs. Cover and freeze for 8 hrs or overnight.

SO YUMMY and simple to make.

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Fish Tacos

Sauce: 1 1/2 cup mayo

1 1/2 TBSP lime juice

1 1/2 TBSP chopped cilantro

2 1/2 tsp. chipotle puree >whisk all ingredients together

Fish Batter: 3 eggs

8 oz dark beer

2 tsp dry mustard

1 TBSP chile

1 TBSP salt

1 tsp sugar

1 1/2 cup flour >whisk all these together

Coat fish with flour, then batter, then deep fry. Serve on tortillias with sauce and shredded cabbage. If you want a cripsy crust on the fish flour, batter then coat with cracker crumbs before you deep fry.

Sorry...didn't get a picture of these. I thought these would be a little hot, but it turned out to be mild. Jay loves fish tacos...and he really liked these. :) So glad I tried them.

What I hope to learn...

A few weekends ago I was able to go to the Women's Retreat near beautiful Coeur D' Alene, ID. The retreat was wonderful and it was so good to just have time to do absolutely nothing. No to do lists, no laundry to fold, no dinner to prepare. The camp where we stayed was so beautiful, right on the lake. One thing I do regret about the weekend is that I did not take much time...just to enjoy the beauty. Maybe sit in one of the big rocking chairs in the dining hall and just take in this scene.
I've been reading a great book called, bittersweet by Shauna Niequist. It couln't have been recomended to me at a better time. So many of the things Shauna talks about are a daily struggle for me. As mothers I feel there is so much pressure in our society to achieve, achieve, and "have it all together"! You know what I am talking about. There is always something that needs to get done...somewhere I need to be...another thing to do so I can check it off my list. Then, when I don't get EVERYTHING done that day...there is that guilt of failure. God has been teaching me to just sit down and read that book to my daughter...put a puzzle together with her...sit and enjoy that cup of coffee...and above all TO TAKE THAT TIME TIME ALONE TO READ the BIBLE & PRAY.

There are a few blogs I visit daily.( http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/blog/ and http://moseslakejansen4.blogspot.com/

Now I realize why. They bring me back and remind me to appreciate the little things. To enjoy the sunset.

sunset in South Dakota