Marie's Mother's Day Sunday Six

The dearest gifts that heaven holds,
the very finest, too,
Were made into one pattern
that was perfect, sweet, and true.
The angels smiled, well pleased, and said,
"Compared to all the others,
This pattern is so wonderful
let's use it just for mothers!"
And through the years, a mother
has been all that's sweet and good,
For there's a bit of God and love
in all true motherhood.
~Helen Steiner Rice



I love my mom. She is the best mother that any child could have ever had, and there is not a day in my life that I am not grateful that God gave us to each other.

When I was a child, and even now, I know that it doesn't matter what I do, or how much I may disappoint her from time to time . . . my mom will always love me. She is my biggest fan, and has ever been so. From her I have learnt loyalty, faithfulness and how to love.

I grew up knowing that she was always in my corner, no matter what. She always stood up for me, fought for me, protected me . . . I knew that whatever slings and arrows the world might throw at me, I could always rely on my mom to help to carry me through the war.

My mom is the world's greatest giver of prayers and believer in prayer. She spends hours each day on her knees in prayer to our Heavenly Father for all sorts. If you want a prayer said on your behalf, just ask my mom . . . she'll be more than happy to pray for you. In fact you don't even need to ask her, as soon as she learns of your plight . . . you are on her list. She believes God hears all our prayers and that He answers them, and she taught me to pray and to believe too. This may be the single most important thing she ever taught me.



My mom is a strong woman. Her life has not always been easy, and she has had to deal with a lot of heartache from time to time . . . from her I have learned about having strength of spirit, and about having faith, and about being able to more forward . . .

My mother taught me how to laugh and how to cry. I think my mother has the greatest sense of humour. She is so good at telling jokes. She remembers the beginnings, middles and ends, whereas I have a habit of forgetting at least one of those . . . I have shared many a laugh with my mom and many a tear. I have cried with her and for her, as she has done for me. Love cries together, with you . . . and then it picks you up and helps you to move on.



My mother taught me how to be a good mother. Through her kind and loving example, she taught me everything there is to know about being kind, compassionate, fair and loyal. She taught me the value of loving service, and selflessness.

My mother is my best friend and I am so grateful that through the tears and laughter of childhood and the angst of my teenage years, the busyness of the years of my raising of my own family and now my empty nest years . . . I have been able to call upon her and to hear her voice and to seek her advice in all things. That is an extra special blessing from the Lord that I am greatful for.



My mother taught me how to walk . . . and then how to run . . . and finally how to fly, and always . . . how to do it with grace.

My mother was not perfect, but she did the best that she knew how to do . . . and I am ever grateful for that, and for her loving example in all things. I will call her later today and I will let her know just how very much I love her and how grateful I am for her. I am so blessed to be able to live in a time and age that I can so easily do that, no matter how many miles we may live apart.

There will come a day that I will no longer be able to do so . . . but I know that no matter what, or how far away she is from me, or even when we are separated by this veil between here and the hereafter, that she will always love me with the perfect love of a mother and that I will be able to feel that love and to know it is there.

Happy Mother's Day to all!

Chicken wings are a rare treat for me. I know they are not very healthy but they are soooooo good! I just love them. They have always been my favourite part of a Chinese Buffet meal and I think they must be everyone's because whenever I get up to the buffet there are very few left or they are all gone! Here's a tasty version that you can make at home, which are baked and not fried. Still a rare treat, but somewhat healther than the fried version!



*Crispy Baked Chicken Wings*
Makes a lot
Printable Recipe

Moreishly scrummy and a once in a blue moon treat. Everyone loves these!

1/3 cup flour
1 TBS sweet paprika
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 TBS butter
3 pounds chicken wings
Several TBS of hot pepper sauce (optional)

Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/Gas mark 7. Melt the butter in a large shallow baking dish. Set aside.

Remove the tips from the chicken wings and discard. Cut the wings in half at the middle joint.

Put the flour, paprika, garlic salt and pepper in a large plastic bag. Give it a good shake to mix it all up well. Add the chicken wings, a few at a time, and shake them in the flour to coat them completely. Place them in the baking dish, turning them to coat them in the butter. Rrepeat until all the wings have been coated and buttered.

Bake in the heated oven for approximately 45 minutesm, turning them at least once, baking them until they are crispy and nicely browned. Drizzle them with a bit of hot sauce if desires, about 10 minutes before you are ready to take them out of the oven.

Remove from the hot oven and place on a heated platter to serve. Enjoy!



Over on The English Kitchen today . . . decadent Turkish Delight Brownies!

What is a mother?

A mother is a wonderfully constructed creature, created almost entirely of love, with which she can express in countless ways from kisses and hugs, and cookies and a listening ear . . . to stern admonishments, strict rules and wide and varied use of the word "no."


(My Great Great Grandmother Ida McNayr Smith)

No two mothers are alike . . . somewhat like snowflakes, each one an individual unique to the situation and family . . . but they do have a number of things in common. Take anything . . . and a mother can be found washing it, roasting it, polishing it, getting rid of it, repairing it, spanking it, packing it, teaching it, redecorating it, loving it . . . or talking it over at the monthly PTA meetings!


(My daughter in law Kayla, with my grandson Jon)

Mother's care about almost everything. Gardens, pets, the state of the nation, worn spots on carpets and knees on pants, hungry people, dirty houses, dirty faces . . . but most of all children and their fathers. For those she would do anything and everything . . . dare anything . . . fight to the end . . . just to secure and protect their well being and happiness.


(Todd with his grandmother)

Mother's aren't always angels. They can often disagree with you, expect too much from you, criticize your choice of friends, and they often expect you to work when all you want to do is lay around. But . . . like the Ever-ready Bunny, she always ready to help you when you need her and can keep going, and going . . . and going.


(My daughter in law Anne, with my grandson Gabriel)

Mother's often aren't told how much they are loved, or how much they are wished all the best in the world . . . not because children and husbands don't care . . . but because there are sometimes not enough words or the right words to express those special feelings that are so deep and sincere, but somehow . . . you know she understands what is in your heart . . . coz . . .


(Me with my two daughters)

Mother's always do.


(Me with my, from left to right, Aunt Freda, Mother, and Great Grandmother Henrietta Smith Best)

"The true strength that is America's, the true strength of any nation, lies in those qualities of character that have been acquired for the most part by children taught in the quiet, simple, everyday manner of mothers. What Jean Paul Richter once declared of fathers is even more true of mothers . . . and I paraphrase it just a little to make a point . . ."What a mother says to her children is not heard by the world, but it will be heard by posterity.""
~Gordon B Hinckley

I wish to each of you a beautiful day tomorrow, filled to overflowing with love and with happiness. Happy Mother's Day.

Here's a quick and tasty supper dish that is very simple to make, but tastes gorgeous. It makes good use of stale bread as well. It's also quite adaptable. You can make any kind of sandwich really . . . a cheese and tomato, cheese and onion, ham and cheese, tuna and cheese, cheese and bacon . . . use your imagination and your larder to see what you can come up with. It's a great basic recipe that can be a wonderful canvas to create something that is uniquely yours on!




*Chutney Cheese Sandwich Casserole*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Crispy and golden on the outside, meltingly tender inside and stogged full of delicious cheese and chutney. Easy, simple and very tasty!

12 slices of bread, crusts removed
6 thick slices of sharp cheddar cheese, trimmed to fit on top of
the bread
6 TBS mango chutney (can use any chutney you prefer, as long as it
is well flavoured)
2 large eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 heaped TBS grainy mustard



Butter a large baking dish very well. You will want one large enough to hold six slices of bread snugly, but comfortably. Spread six of the slices of bread with a TBS of chutney and lay them down, chutney side up in the baking dish. Top with the sliced cheese and then the final six slices of bread. Beat the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and mustard together. Pour this mixtue evenly over top of the bread, pressing down with a fork a bit, to help it to begin to absorb. Let sit for half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/Gas mark 4. Bake the casserole until partially dried and golden brown on top, about 50 minutes to one hour. Serve hot with a salad for a delicious supper.

Note: Sliced boiled ham is also delicious in this. Just lay six slices of boiled ham over the chutney before you add the cheese.



Over on The English Kitchen today, Rhubarb and Custard Muffins, just in time for Mother's Day!

The Friend's Prayer

I said a prayer for you today
And know He must have heard . . .
I felt the answer in my heart
Although He spoke no word.
I didn't as for wealth or fame
(I knew you wouldn't mind),
I asked Him to send treasures
Of a far more lasting kind.
I asked that he'd be near to you
At the start of each new day,
To grant you health and blessings
And friends to share your way.
I asked for happiness for you
In all things great and small . . .
But it was for His loving care
I prayed the most of all.
~author unknown

That author unknown doesn't half come up with some wonderful things! I found this and immediately thought of you, for that is the prayer in my heart each time I think of you, my cherished readers.



I've been helping Todd a bit with his catalogues this week. I helped him put them out earlier this week and then I helped him to gather them in on a couple of occasions. For the most part people are very nice and kind, even if they don't want anything, and even if they don't want you to leave any catalogues again.

You do get the occassional nasty person though . . . like the person earlier in the week who threw the catalogue back into the street after Todd had delivered it. Todd found it laying there when he was returning to the car. He had no idea of knowing which house it came from, but he soon discovered which one yesterday when he knocked on a particular door and a man answered and shouted at him, "I threw your catalogue in the street, I don't want your ^&%*£ catalogues." Todd kindly explained to him that was all he had to say, but because the man had thrown it into the street, he had had no way of knowing which house it had come from, sorry to bother you, have a nice day.



One person yesterday left the catalogue outside the door, with this note added . . . "Don't leave any more of your *&$% catalogues. I don't want them. Comprende?"

Thanks for letting us know. You, too have a nice day!

The capper though, was the half naked man who shouted at me through the door (I could partially see him through the glass) "Sod off!" and a bunch of other nonsense that I couldn't quite make out. (Thankfully!!) I got the message though!



One wonders what has happened to good old fashioned civility. It doesn't take much of an effort to tell someone in a kind way that you are not interested, and please don't return in the future. I wonder at what abuse our young missionaries must have to put up with day in and day out, as they knock on doors. It breaks my heart. Thank goodness they have the added protection of the Holy Ghost. I suspect that if they didn't . . . knocking on doors could get to be demeaning, disheartening and soul destroying. Thankfully it is not, and they continue to do what they have to do. I really admire these young people and all that they do in the name of the Saviour. I say a prayer for them every day as well, as do millions of us all over the world. I know it is appreciated and I am quite sure it helps!

I made a delicious old fashioned salad yesterday in the style that my mom makes them. I remember one time when we were visiting my father's family, my aunt made a salad with peas in it. It was a very long time ago and I couldn't quite remember how she did it, but I tried to make my own version of it. I made my mother's typical vinaigrette that she always made for with salads (No store bought dressings in my mother's house!) and then I just combined crisp lettuce with some peas, bacon (doesn't everything taste better with bacon!), red onion and cheese . . . and tossed it with the dressing. Oh my but it was some good! A tasty reward after all that nonsense knocking on doors earlier in the day!



*Old Fashioned Pea Salad*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A delicious salad with lettuce, peas, red onions, cheese and bacon, all in a tangy mayo vinaigrette.

1 cup of frozen petit peas, thawed
(Pour boiling water over them, let sit for a few minutes, and then drain)
1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, chopped into squares
1 very small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 ounces of cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
4 slices of bacon, cooked until crisp and then crumbled

For the dressing:
1 TBS of white wine vinegar
3 TBS of a fruity olive oil
1 TBS good quality mayonnaise
1 tsp white sugar, or to taste
1/2 tsp dill weed
salt and black pepper to taste



First make the dressing. Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings as required. Set aside.

Mix all the salad ingredients together in a bowl. When you are ready to serve, drizzle the dressing over top and toss. Serve immediately.





Over on The English Kitchen today, a delicious Chicken dish of Roasted chicken Breasts along with some roasted vegetables, including asparagus, and all drizzled with a creamy chive sauce. It may look complicated, but it's not!

Thursday morning prattle . . .

However dark your night may be,
However deep your pain,
There always comes a dawn, when you
Can see some light again . . .
A peace you might have never had
If you had never been so sad.
~author unknown

I found this little poem in one of my books yesterday and thought it would be lovely to share with you. It says exactly what I am always saying about brighter tomorrows!

Good news on the blood pressure front. I went back to the Nurse yesterday for some blood tests and another check on my BP and it was back down to normal. I had missed a few tablets with moving and such, that I expect that is why it had gone way up. Just goes to show that I will never be able to go off of them. They are obviously quite a necessity for me! I was relieved to see it down though! Whew!!!



We had the guys around to fix our back door yesterday afternoon. The catch needed a bit of filing down as it wasn't shutting properly and we had not been able to lock it like it should have been locked. They did a great job of it and each one ate two of my whoopie pies in the process. It is safe to say they were a success! (Both the men and the pies!)

One thing that I have loved being back in Chester, is the luxury of being able to catch a bus into the downtown practically on my doorstep. Todd had gone in first thing yesterday morning to talk with the CAB and I caught a bus in to meet him after my nurse's appointment. It's ever such a quick way to get in and you don't have the hassle of trying to find a place to park your car, plus it has the added bonus of keeping any spending down. You can only buy as much as you can comfortably carry!



I was turning the pages of my dictionary a few days ago when I found a bit of Latin. (I just love dictionaries. When I was a girl whenever I asked my father what something meant or how to spell something he always told me to look it up in the dictionary. That's probably how my love started. I just love words!)

I was never all that good at Latin when I was at school and have probably forgotten most of what I learnt. But I have to say, those Latin writers, whom have been dead a very long time according to my calculations, could say a lot with a very few words. (Quite unlike myself!)



Anyways, I paused to read these four words written by Seneca over 1900 years ago:

"Si vis amari, ama."

What little Latin I remembered enabled me to translate these four little words into these seven words. Words that go deep and could change your whole way of life.

"If you wish to be loved, love."

And that's my prattle for today! I hope you all spend this day loving and being loved back!

I made us a tasty little casserole for our supper last night. Sauerkraut might not be everyone's cup of tea but we love it. My mom only ever cooked it when my father was away as my dad hated even the smell of it. I, on the other hand, LOVE the smell of it cooking, and I love eating it even more! The original recipe came from Gooseberry Patch and was meant to be cooked in a slow cooker. I adapted it for the oven and we had it on the table and were digging into it in less than an hour. There is nothing I love more than a big mound of mashed potatoes and some kraut for my tea! Mmm . . . mmm . . . good!!




*Sweet and Sauerkraut Brats*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

If you like sauerkraut and you like German Sausages, you will love this. Adapted from a Gooseberry Patch recipe. I like to serve this with a big bowl of fluffy mashed potatoes on the side!

1 1/2 to 2 pounds bratwurst, cut into bite sized pieces
1 27-ounce tin of sauerkraut, undrained
4 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp caraway seed
boiling water

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F/Gas mark 4.

Mix the sauerkraut (undrained), apples, bratwurst, onion, brown sugar, and caraway seed together in a large bowl, and then transfer it to a deep casserole dish with a lid. Pour boiling water over top just to keep it moist. How much depends on how much juice there is in your kraut. Cover and then bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the dish is bubbling away and the apples and onions have melded into the kraut. The top brats should be somewhat browned.

Remove frm the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. We like to have mashed potatoes with this, but you can also serve them spooned out onto toasted hoagie buns with mustard, for spreading, on the side.

*Note* - the original recipe was cooked in a slowcooker, minus the boiling water, on a low setting for 4 to 5 hours.



I'm making magic over on The English Kitchen today with a *Magic Pie!* Oh my but this is some good!

Wednesday morning ponderings . . .

"I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my spirit will be in your heart, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."
Doctrine & Covenants 84:88

I just love the above scripture. This scripture was given in revelation to Joseph Smith in Kirkland, Ohio back in September of 1832. He was speaking to brethern of the church preparing to go out on Missions, and these are some of the words that the Lord had to say to them. What a beautiful promise . . . but these words are not only applicable to men preparing for missions in the early 1800's . . . these words are for us today, and when I read them, my spirit tells me that they are also for me.



They tell me that if I look to the Lord for inspiration . . .for guidance . . . and for help each day, that He will go before me. That He will guard my left and my right . . . that I will have His spirit in my heart to guide me, and that no matter what happens . . . His angels will gather round me and bear me up, to help me get through anything . . . any situation . . . any problem . . . any pothole or seeming barrier I may come up against! What a wonderful promise!!



I was thinking yesterday again about how very blessed I am, despite all the knocks we have experienced over these past few months. I have a special man in my life who loves and cares for me, despite my sometimes irritating ways. I have been given the added blessing of a lovely little home, that, in many ways, is much nicer than the one we had down South. A home that is ours for as long as we want to rent it, and is not encumbent upon my employment. I may have my aches and pains, but, for the most part, I am healthy, having no really serious problems. I have been given many gifts and talents and I enjoy so very much exploring and developing them. I have a family, with wonderful sons and daughters and grandchildren whom I love so very much and whom love me back. I have pretty special friends, both near and far, whom add a glorious sweetness to my life that cannot be measured.



None of us knows what the future holds. It is different for each of us. For some of us there are very good things just ahead, for others . . . maybe not so good . . . but that is life. It is given to each of us in unique and singular ways . . . each life composed of brilliant, outstanding and joyful moments, amidst a measure of pain and sadness. That is how we grow . . . how we develop, how we learn. A baby cannot learn to walk without falling down a few times . . . and if we are ever to be, or to reach our full potential as human beings on this earth, we have got to take a few knocks along the way as well. Just as our children have us to help them when they are taking those stumbling steps . . . to guide and protect them . . . our Heavenly Father is there to help us on this journey through life . . . We only have to reach out to Him and take His hand along the way.

Just my thoughts today.



I had so much fun sewing over the past couple of days. I made a little Teddy Bear, something that I have not done in years. I used to make quite a few of them.



Meet Miss Mimsey Bear! I think she is quite sweet. I shall be putting her in my Etsy shop a bit later on this morning.

I love green beans. Actually I love most vegetables. My mom never had any problems getting me to eat them when I was a child, well except for tinned peas that is. We found a cricket in a tin of them one time and I never liked them at all after that. I don't mind frozen or fresh peas though. Green beans I could eat every day . . . fresh, tinned, frozen . . . it doesn't really matter which! We have some planted in our garden and I can't wait til we get to eat them!



*Green Beans Almondine*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This probably isn't an authentic way of making Green Beans Almondine, but it is my way of making them! It's quick, easy and quite, quite delicious!

1 pound of green beans, washed and trimmed
2 TBS butter
1 shallot peeled, and minced
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup of flaked and toasted almonds
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Drop in the green beans and bring the water back to the boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 4 minutes. Drain well, then refresh with cold water to stop them from cooking any further. Drain again. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet, over medium heat, until it begins to foam. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until it is softened. Do not brown. Toss in the bread crumbs and thyme. Cook and stir until the bread crumbs are golden brown and crisp. Toss in the almonds and green beans. Heat through and stir until the beans are quite hot. Season to taste with some salt and pepper and serve immediately.



We're getting completely indulgent today over on The English Kitchen with Bakewell Whoopie Pies! I spent most of the day yesterday developing this recipe and am quite proud of the results! They are fabulous!!! Todd says that they are the best cake he has ever eaten in his life!