What are you wearing?

Yesterday I had the privilege on volunteering in Hadleigh's Bible Study Class at BSF (Bible Study Fellowship). I was supposed to work in the 4&5 year old class, but the other volunteer had to cancel and more help was needed in the 2&3 year old class. So I happily got to spend those 2 hours with Hadleigh, observing her with her friends and teachers. I was happy to see that while she thought it was fun to have me there, she would often still go to her teachers and play with them during play time or sit by them while singing. (She did clearly let us know that she wanted to sit by me during the Bible lesson, though!)

The two teachers taught the children their Bible verse to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell", and I am reminded of how verses set to music makes "hiding God's word in my heart" easy to remember. For I have been singing
"Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 13:14"
out loud and in my head ever since!

And so, I have been thinking about what that means. The whole verse reads "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." And then, if you put the verse further in context, you read this:
verses 11-14
"And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature."

I have to admit that I pridefully read the beginning of that list of sins, thinking...well, those awful sinful desires don't apply to me. I would never want to gratify those things...but then I get to dissension and jealousy and think...hmmm...I'm guilty there. And if you read verses 8-10, it reminds us of the 10 commandments, and I know that, as a sinner, I am not innocent of those.

So I realize that there are things that I am clothed in that are not Christ...things that others might not see because I am "behaving decently, as in the daytime" but are there, nonetheless. Things like desiring recognition and esteem from others, trying to be the perfect mom/wife/woman without relying on God, desiring material things, complaining, etc. And even if others don't necessarily see all those things that I am clothed in, the brilliance of Christ, the "armor of light" as Paul writes must not shine as brightly if other garments are in the way. And others will miss that Light.

So that's what I've been thinking about today...how I can shed those things that take away from shining for Christ and how I can purposefully clothe myself in the Lord Jesus Christ, for after all, He has clothed me in His righteousness. And so, I encourage you to look and see what it is exactly, that you are wearing.

As we walked to the car after Bible Study, Hadleigh asked me if I would be in her class again next time. And I told her that I would have to go back to Mommy's class next week. She nodded and smiled and said "Go to Mommy's class." But what wisdom I gleaned from listening to what little children were taught. A true blessing to have been in that classroom that day.

Things I need today

1. a pedicure...really need one badly.
2. a haircut...I won't tell you when my last one was!
3. an idea for dinner tonight.
4. two children (and not just one) to fall asleep while napping...so far, not so good :)

And I'm sure you don't need a great cake recipe today, but I will give you one anyway! I am not always a huge fan of carrot cakes, but this one is the best I've ever had. My very first friend after moving to Goldsboro after our honeymoon, Catherine, gave this to me! (I love how I have recipes from people who live literally all over the world! You have to love that about the Air Force!) I wish that the first time I made this cake, I knew about the pre-packaged grated carrots...because that would sure save time! (But of course...if you're a purist...pull out that grater!)

Anyway, this recipe comes from her mother-in-law...and it is fabulous! I hope you enjoy it!

Sydney's Carrot Cake

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup oil

1. Mix the above ingredients together and add:

2 cups flour
1/3 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon

2. Add and mix well:

1 small can crushed pineapple (1 cup of it not drained)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup flaked coconut
3 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups grated carrots

3. Cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour (sheet cake). If making 3 layers, cook for 35 minutes instead. Cool completely and ice with cream cheese frosting, recipe follows.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Mix:
8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick butter, softenend
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 box powdered sugar

Almost Grilling Season

That's what I feel like doing...having Brent pull out the grill (or barbeque, as I'm learning some call it) and invite friends over for a nice evening of yummy summer food.
That's how I feel today...it is currently 71 degrees after a very cold week (did I mention we had snow flurries the day before Easter???) And in case you have noticed, many of my Wednesday recipes that I share with you are influenced by the weather outside.
So today, I share a great appetizer that my friend Jayme Ray (are you reading Jayme?) shared with me several years ago. I always get rave reviews from guests when I make it...I hope you enjoy it too. It's a nice change from the standard chip dips!

Hot Corn Dip

1 15-oz. can white corn, drained
1 15-oz. can yellow corn, drained
1 10-oz. can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, drained (I use RoTel)
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, diced and softened
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
chopped fresh cilantro, to taste
tortilla chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium baking dish, mix corn, tomatoes, cheese, chili and garlic powders, and cilantro.
3. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Serve hot with tortilla chips.

Time with her

Katy came to visit for Easter weekend...my time with her is always refreshing...and always seems to pass too quickly. (And I find that we never get to take a picture together...for sure next time Katy!) Hadleigh adores her Aunt Katy...wants to be everywhere she is and if she can't be with her, she wants to know what Aunt Katy is doing.

We had some wonderful hours of just talking and sharing...during naptime and late into the night (well, as late as I could stay up!) It is truly a joy to be able to call my "baby" sister a dear friend. I love that she shares her heart with me...that she is transparent and genuine...that she is thoughtful in what she says...that she loves others so much. I love how much fun she is...that we enjoy so many of the same things...that she loves to help me in the kitchen (she made us an AMAZING dinner Saturday night...delicious!)...that she absolutely adores her niece and nephew...that she seeks to follow Christ with all her heart. She truly has the heart of a servant, and I treasure that about her!

I am thankful that we are blessed to have lived so close to one another these past few years. She is a true blessing to me!

Can't wait to see you again soon Katy!

Hungry???

I am...and I wish we were having this for dinner...but I'll put it on my list for the weekend!

Sorry I've let you guys down on my weekly recipes, but this one is sure to please! Do you have any requests for types of recipes you'd like me to share??? Let me know!

This recipe comes from Southern Living (last summer, I think) and is perfect for a church potluck, lunch, or a light dinner. Plus, it's really pretty, layered in a glass dish (I use this lidded trifle dish--pictured below--from Southern Living at Home and I love it! ) Please note that 1)this recipe needs a minimum of 2 hours to chill and 2) the picture below does NOT feature the recipe I'm sharing, just my pretty dish that I like to use :)

Layered Antipasto Salad

3 cups uncooked penne pasta

2.5 cups broccoli florets

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 cups chopped tomato

1/2 pound deli roast beef slices, cut into strips

1/2 small red onion, sliced

1 cup Caesar dressing

6 provolone cheese slices, cut into strips

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccoli during the last 2 minutes of cooking time; drain. Rinse and cool. Toss with parsley.

2. Place half of pasta mixture in a 4-quart glass bowl; top with half each of tomatoes, beef, and onions. Repeat layers once. Pour dressing evenly over salad. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Top with cheese before serving.

Hope you enjoy!

Conversation with a Princess

The other morning, I walked past Hadleigh who was lying in our bed. Our conversation follows.

H: "Kiss, Mommy." (eyes closed)

M: "You want me to give you a kiss?"

(Hadleigh nods.)

(I kiss her on the cheek.)

H: "I wake up." (jumps out of bed and follows me to the living room.)

H: "I Beauty." [pronounced booty]

M: "You're beauty???"

H: (nodding) "I Seeping Beauty. Kiss. I wake up."

This was so out of the blue...she watched Sleeping Beauty maybe 2 times over Christmas at Mimi and Grampa's house. But a conversation I will treasure!

A new canvas

When Hadleigh wants to draw she asks to "Color pics." Lately, the request has been: "Color pics outside."

She has had sidewalk chalk for several years now (the picture above was her first attempt about two years ago, age 1.5) but until recently, it has only held her attention for a few moments. These days, between her tricycle and her sidewalk chalk, she could very happily spend all day long outside.

Brent and I were delighted to return from an overnight trip last weekend to a driveway that was completely...entirely covered in chalk drawings. Hadleigh enjoyed "starting" a drawing and then asking her "Mimi" to finish the drawing(...very creatively, I might add, Mom!) I wish I had a picture to post but after two different chalk-filled driveways, the rain has washed it away. I'll try again this weekend...but I am loving the rainy forecast!

One thing I love about watching her draw is how original and free and un-taught her drawing style is...it makes me want to be more creative and less contrived! So I'm off to scrapbook!

Spring is Here!

There are little signs all around us! My favorite is the white bud tree in our backyard...so beautiful...it reminds me of the dogwoods I loved outside my window growing up in Asheville. Some spring mornings, it almost seemed like snow had fallen and rested on the branches. I always got my hopes up for a snow day, but of course, only the dogwood flowers!

The city is slowly starting to turn green...which is such a welcome sight! And today it has rained off and on all day! Rain showers might be my favorite part of spring!

I'm looking forward to Easter...decorating cookies, dyeing eggs, enjoying a long weekend visit from my sister Katy, and our first Easter service at church with our new pastor! I'm really looking forward to it! The kiddo's Easter clothes came in the mail today...can't wait until after naptime to make sure they fit!

If you want to try out the egg dying technique I talked about here last year, make sure you start to collect some old 100% pure silk ties now! Flea markets, goodwill, and consignment stores are a good place to look! (Although I was at Jos. A. Banks with Brent over the weekend...and I would LOVE to see the results of eggs from those gorgeous ties...but that would be way out of my budget for a tie to cut into pieces!)

Have a wonderful spring day...and I promise not to be gone so long next time! Recipes will resume this week!

By the way, I checked the old Martha link for the egg dyeing technique, and it has of course moved. Try here.

Chicken in a Basket

This is an old family favorite that I remembered about a year ago! It is so good, and I have yet to find a child that doesn't like it...after all, it's got a very fun name!

I have tweaked the recipe a little from my mom's original (though neither she nor I use the mushrooms, but I left that in just in case some of you are mushroom fanatics.) I add chopped pecans...and I don't have a set measurement for them, I just add until I feel it's enough, kinda like my scones :) And the pecans are a great addition...they give a little extra crunch and nuttiness to the chicken.

I think I'm going to have to suggest Brent pick up the stuff for this on his way home, because it sounds so good. And he will be so happy that we're not going out or getting take out...

Chicken in a Basket
3-4 cooked chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
4 oz. mushrooms, optional
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped pecans, to suit your taste
2 packages crescent rolls (I like Pillsbury)
1 to 2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 to 3/4 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix chicken, mushrooms, pecans, and cream cheese together in a medium bowl.
3. Unroll crescent rolls and divide along perforated lines. On each triangle, place a large spoonful of the chicken mixture at the bottom of the triangle and roll it up.
4. Place all rolled chicken crescents on a baking sheet and bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until golden brown.
5. While crescents are baking, pour the soup in a saucepan and heat. Gradually add milk until it is the consistency of gravy. Pour sauce into a serving dish, and serve over each chicken in a basket.

Mischief Maker

That would be my little girl.
Today while watching Sesame Street (and while I was catching up on some emails) Hadleigh decided that she was hungry. So she opened the pantry and got out two cups of applesauce. Then opened the silverware drawer and got two spoons.
I suppose she figured that if she was hungry, so was her little brother.

So of course, I discover them eating applesauce in the living room. Ummm...applesauce is a food that needs a table, in most cases, which must have been why Nathanael's cup was on the couch. Nice.

I must admit that I was {pleasantly} surprised at how well Nathanael was doing with his own spoon. But I do prefer high chairs. With buckles.