Another Chardonnay Day

Solaire by Robert Modavi. 2007. Santa Lucia Highlands. Another Chardonnay that I'm enjoying. Both were a couple of years old and perhaps that's what I need to look for in Chardonnays. Smooth, a little oaky and a little fruity. At $4.99 at Simply Wine, I should have gotten a few more bottles!

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.4

Desperately Seeking Joy

I’ve started doing a couple of “light” Bible Studies.  One is on a Bible app on my Droid and it’s called “21 Day Fast.” (LifeChurch.tv) Today’s really spoke to me and I wanted to share it here so I don’t lose it.  I’ve spent a lot of time the past few days feeling burdened, put upon, defeated and I needed this reminder to be joyful.  Joy is not dependent upon my circumstances, but a choice I make.  So today, I will sing praise songs with the radio.  Today, I will play with my daughters and shower them with love.  Today, I will remember to tell my husband how much I love him and how much he brings to my life.

Psalm 100.  This psalm talks about entering God’s presence with thankfulness, gladness, joy and praise in your heart.  If you’ve become focused on the physical hardships you’re facing or the burdens you’re bringing to God in prayer [hello!], then spend today just being joyful in the Lord.  Write down some things that bring you joy today. Sing a song of praise to Him.  Pray that God will stir an urgency to press in and see what God has for you beyond His gates.

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

¹ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
² Worship the LORD with gladness;
   come before him with joyful songs.
³ Know that the LORD is God.
   It is he who made us, and we are his^[a];
   we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
   and his courts with praise;
   give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
   his faithfulness continues through all generations.

20 Months Old

Wow. 20 months of Jessica. So hard to believe. She is such a wonder to me. Watching her continually make discoveries and how amazed she is by the world makes the world amazing to me. She will color now and not just eat the crayons. She sings songs to herself. She is starting to play alone with her babies and animals.  The other day she pushed a teddy bear up to the table and gave it a plate then got a plate for herself and sat and pretended to eat and feed her bear.  Her hair is starting to grow in though she still really just has a little duck tail.  She is talking, a lot. I can understand, a little. She lives "Sesame Street" and can identify most of the Muppets and especially loves "El-MO"!  She is still signing quite a bit and I need to pull the book out again to see if there other words she can pick up.  She is still extremely active, never sitting still unless she's asleep and even then not very still. She likes to climb, but is a little cautious. She's getting good at getting up & down the stairs. And if we didn't think Wiconi would steal all the toys, we'd probably take the gates down.  We are still nursing. I was pleasantly surprised that we picked up where we left off after the Walk. I've started thinking about when to wean. I'm kind of ready to have my body back but it's hard to say no to her when she asks, so sweetly "Pease Momma." We've started offering her a bottle of milk when she asks and it works sometimes. I know that nursing is not giving her everything she needs now so we are trying to distract her more. Maybe when she's home full time with Rocky the transition will happen. 
She still loves to give hugs and is just a sweetie pie, charming everyone she meets. She loves her Sissy and Maggie is such a great big sister. I love to watch then together.  We are so blessed.

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.4

A Different Kind of Dip

It’s that time of year again: Super Bowl!! As usual, we will be getting together with our church group to watch the game and the commercials. I’m rather excited about the Ferris Bueller ad this year (hopefully there will be one different from the one on YouTube as it’s been out for a week or so) and we are hoping this ad will lead to a full Ferris Bueller sequel!

So, as I was trying to decide what to bring, someone on Twitter posted a link to Pinterest for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip (from AddAPinch.com). I’ve heard of it before, but have never tried it. Could it REALLY be just like cookie dough? Well, I’m here to tell you, it’s not. It is, however, DELICIOUS, sinfully so and very much close enough to actually be called cookie dough dip.

This afternoon, Maggie & I rolled up our sleeves and mixed it together. It is incredibly easy, only 6 ingredients (well, 7 as I added the toffee bits as suggested in the link above). I did add a 2nd tablespoon of brown sugar and the last drops of vanilla in the bottom of my nearly empty bottle. It is now resting comfortably in the fridge, allowing the flavors to meld. We got graham crackers to serve along side and I am looking forward to enjoying it (along with the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling we purchased to take along).

Update: after sitting overnight, the dip tasted A LOT more like cookie dough and it was a SMASHING success. Rocky came up with the great idea to put it between 2 chocolate chip cookies for a sandwich, which was also a SMASHING success. Will definitely make this one again!

Full recipe if you don’t want to go to the link (but go there for good photos)

Ingredients

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips (I used 1/2 cup mixed in and 1/4 cup on top)
• 1 cup toffee bits (I used Health bits. Also used 1/2 cup mixed in and 1/4 cup on top)

Cream together cream cheese and butter. Add all remaining ingredients and mix until well-combined. Serve with graham crackers or apple wedges.

A Chardonnay Day

Tonight I'm enjoying the only white wine in this month's wine club selections. A 2006 Chardonnay from Milbrandt Vineyards. I'm normally not a big fan of chardonnay as it can feel like the tastes from the barrel overpower the taste of the wine. This taste is not overpowering. Light citrus, creamy texture and a slightly spicy finish. I'm adding this to the list to find again!

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.4

Walking to Emmaus

Two weekends ago, I wrote about Rocky being on a spiritual journey and that I would go the following weekend.  So I’m back.  It was an unbelievable weekend.  There were times I wondered why I chose to attend, but by the end, I was convinced it was the best way to spend that weekend.  It truly was where God wanted and needed me to be.

It’s difficult to describe the weekend and the only way I’ve been able to come up with is it’s a weekend filled with God’s grace & love.  I felt his grace & love in ways I never have before, and in ways I don’t anticipate feeling again.

I was fortunate to know many of the women on the walk.  There were several from our church, most from our small (growing larger) group.  It was nice to be have women there I was already comfortable with, who knew who I was leaving behind.  It was hard.  It was really hard to leave my girls behind, knowing I wouldn’t be able to see or speak to them until Sunday.  I couldn’t help the tears of sadness Thursday night and on Friday.  It was the first time I have slept alone since before Jessie was born.  Amazing, when you think about it. 

I learned things about myself and about God.  My weakness, my sins were laid before me.  But I was also able to spend time in His Word, without really being in his Word.  I wish I had brought my Bible as there were many verses, passages I wrote down that I wanted to mark then and there.  It feels different for me, to mark scripture in my Bible rather than just writing down the verse.  Seeing it in context, to the book, to the rest of the books.

Things come to me at odd times now that I’m back in the real world.  I don’t feel different, yet I know I am.  I find myself wondering why other people aren’t different – then I remind myself that I have changed.

The women’s weekend theme was a Red Door, which means welcome in old American tradition.  A red door would tell a traveler that this is a welcoming place of rest.  A traveler would know that they would be welcomed in, given food and a place to stay.  And that’s what the Walk was for me.  It was a welcome, a re-welcome, to God and to new Sisters in Christ.  I was given food (oh Lord, was I given FOOD!)  And it was a place of rest.

But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.  Luke 24: 29