Sunday Morning Thoughts . . .

"Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature . . . for the Lord seeth not as man seeth, for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." ~1 Samuel 16:7

When I was a much younger woman I suppose I was quite pretty to look at, with my slim figure and long curls. I didn't seem to really know it at the time. Nowadays, when I look in the mirror, I see only a glimpse of that younger woman. Some women seem to get more attractive as they get older . . . I can honestly say that has not been the case with me!

We were sitting on the sofa last evening after our dinner waiting for Britain's Got Talent to start. Todd was reading and I was thinking. I started to think about our spirits and what they might look like. Todd mentioned that when Christ appeared to his disciples after his death at first they didn't recognize him. This suggests that he looked quite different than he had before. It was only after he had spoken to them for a few minutes that the light of recognition went on and they realized just who he was.



Could it be that our spirits resemble our hearts? If your heart is the essence of your being and where your spirit resides, and indeed where you feel and think and hope and see, is it possible that this is what you truly look like?

I pondered on that for a few minutes and then decided that this very well might be true. Oh, it is lovely to look nice here on earth, but how much more wonderful it is to cultivate your heart and feelings, to enrich your spirit, to become more Godly and compassionate and loving. To be kind. To have an honest and sincere desire to reach out to those around us and in the world, and to act upon that desire when, if and wherever we can.

The Lord does not look upon us as the world does. He looks on the heart. He, who knows everything . . . is not taken in by a pretty face, or rich clothing or jewels. He is not deceived by externals. He knows our past . . . our present . . . our future . . . because He knows our heart.



I have known some very outwardly attractive people in my lifetime who were truly ugly inside, and my heart goes out to them. They just don't get it, or understand. How much more important it is to develop your heart and your spirit. At the end of the day when our bodies go into the grave, this outer shell that holds the "real" us will disappear with time, going back into the earth from whence it came . . . ashes to ashes, dust to dust . . . our spirits are the part of us that is eternal and that will live forever. This is where our true beauty lies, and this is the part of us that we need to work on most of all . . . as my mama always said . . . "Pretty is as pretty does."

I did another little painting yesterday afternoon. I actually started two, but got only the one finished. I hope you don't mind me sharing them with you. I get ever so much pleasure out of painting them. I have loads of sketches done so be prepared!!! This one I called, Flowers For Mama.



I'll give you a break from the baked goodies today and instead share with you a tasty dish that I tortured Todd with for our supper last night. No, he is not a fan of pasta, but he did enjoy the chicken sauce that I made to put on top. I love pasta myself and crave it often. Once in a while I just have to have some . . . and last night I did! The recipe reads for four, but can very easily be halved for just two, or even multiplied, in which case you will need to use a larger pan, or even two pans!



*Saucy Chicken Pasta*
Serves 4

This delicious chicken dish uses all the elements of Chicken Piccata except there is none of the fuss or bother, just the lovely flavours. The recipe calls for fettuccine noodles, but I always use malfalda. Todd just doesn't care for long slippery noodles at all and copes with shorter fatter ones much better. Whichever pasta you choose to use, make sure you choose one that will capture all of the delicious sauce! Oh, and don't forget some tasty bread to mop up the extras!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 TBS olive oil
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (more or less to taste)
1 TBS butter
2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup white wine
the zest of 1 lemon
the juice of 1/2 lemon
2 TBS capers, rinsed and drained
1 TBS cornflour, dissolved in 2 TBS water
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 TBS chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound pasta, cooked al dente and then drained

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once it begins to shimmer, add the chicken pieces and brown them all over until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm.

Add the butter to the skillet and then brown the mushrooms until golden. Add the garlic, reduce the heat somewhat and then cook for several minutes until golden and fragrant, without allowing it to brown.

Put your water to cook your pasta on and bring it to a boil, adding a tsp of salt to the water. Add the pasta and cook it while you are finishing up your sauce.

Add the wine to the skillet, and let it bubble up. Allow it to reduce for a few minutes and then add the chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice and capers. Bring to a quick simmer and allow to cook for about 5 minutes until it has reduced somewhat. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Stir the cornstarch water mixture and then stir it into the sauce, stirring until it thickens and coats the spoon. Add the chicken and simmer for five minutes or so until your pasta is finished cooking.

Drain your pasta well and rinse, then divide it onto heated plates. Spoon the chicken sauce evenly over each plate. Sprinkle each serving with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and some of the chopped parsley. Serve.