The Simple Woman's Daybook . . .

FOR TODAY, November 30th, 2009 ...

Outside My Window...
It is dark and very, very still. It's also very, very cold. I think the rain has stopped for the time being. What a dismal month, November has been, with more rain than I have seen in years and years. One day it was just bucketing down and I texted Todd from work to look at the rain. He said that he had never seen it rain so hard, even when he lived in Singapore during monsoon season. It's been horrific. If all this rain had been snow . . . we'd be up to our necks in it!

I am thinking...
About the great talks in church yesterday that were given about the Scriptures. Oh, how I love the scriptures. They are like the "Owner's Manual" for ourselves. Everything you need to know about living and, indeed, about dying is within their pages. I just could not get along without them. I know that no matter how I am feeling, happy or sad, fulfilled or in need . . . I can go to their pages and find something to suit . . . Quite often I just allow them to open up wherever the pages fall and that is where I will read. Amazingly, they always fall open at just the page that I need to see for whatever my needs are at that particular moment. They speak to my heart in a way that nothing else ever has, and like nothing else ever will.


I am thankful for...
My cup truly does runneth over. It is not half empty or half full even, it is filled to overflowing. No, I did not win the lottery . . . I have not come into a windfall of money at all . . . but I have what I need and who could ask for any more than that . . . to be satisfied with what we have is the greatest gift of all.

"Whatever your God has blessed you with, take it with a grateful hand, nor postpone your joys from year to year, so that, in whatever place you have been, you may say that you have lived happily."
~Horace

From the kitchen...
Ohh, there's some yummy goodies. A tasty blueberry jam filled jelly roll and the leftover apple cobbler from yesterday (both of which you'll see at the end of this post) I also found a recipe for Gingerbread Brownies the other day that I am wanting to try at some point this week.

I am wearing...
Black and white jimjams . . . I discovered that word at the weekend and could hardly wait to use it! Don't you just love it!! Jimjams!! Jimjams!! It's my new favourite word!!!

I am creating...
I am finished my ploppers, so here is a pictureof some of them for you. I think they turned out quite nice.


Every year I also give a special handmade card to my boss as well, and here is this years. I think that it turned out quite nice as well:



Not as nice as Julie's cards are, of course. Her's are beautiful! I have also been working on a comissioned doll and my art course. I am looking foward to the holidays when I will have a bit more free time for these things!!

I am going...
I have another busy week in front of me. I have work , of course, and then Seminary on Thursday evening. I had to postpone it last week, because of Thanksgiving and having to work, so we've got extra to work on this week!

I am reading...




Our Ward has been challenged to read the Book of Mormon again this year. We were last challenged several years ago to do the same by our Church Leaders in a World Wide Program. This time we have been asked by our Stake Leaders to do the same. There were so many stories of wonderful changes in people's lives that had been wrought by doing this when we were asked to do so the last time and it is exciting to think about where this might take us this time around! I do confess that I have never read it from the front cover to the back cover, although I have been doing so since September this year as we are studying it in Seminary and it is a truly fascinating book! The more I read and study it, the more I come to see it as the miracle that it truly is. I know, some of you may pooh paa at that statement. But think about it. This book was translated (note that I didn't say written) by a relatively un-educated man in the span of only a few months. These words from Elder Jeffrey R Holland from our last church conference speak volumes about this book:

For 179 years this book has been examined and attacked, denied and deconstructed, targeted and torn apart like perhaps no other book in modern religious history—perhaps like no other book in anyreligious history. And still it stands. Failed theories about its origins have been born and parroted and have died—from Ethan Smith to Solomon Spaulding to deranged paranoid to cunning genius. None of these frankly pathetic answers for this book has ever withstood examination because there is no other answer than the one Joseph gave as its young unlearned translator. In this I stand with my own great-grandfather, who said simply enough, “No wicked man could write such a book as this; and no good man would write it, unless it were true and he were commanded of God to do so.”

These words ring true to me. I think that this was the most profound talk that came out of our last church conference and if you have a few minutes, and would like to see it in it's entirity you can do so here. I promise you it is moving and inspiring, and will be time well spent.

I am hoping...
That we have seen the last of the rain for now, but somehow . . . I think not! Wouldn't it be lovely if we had a white Christmas? One can dream can one not??

I am hearing...
I am hearing nothing but the ticking of the clock, the humming of the refrigerator, the clicking of my keys and Jess's gentle snores from over in the corner. It is so very quiet in here. I have the fire going as it is very chilly in here this morning, and as per ususual . . . Jess is stretched out in front of it!!!

Around the house...
I have one more package to post for Christmas, to my mom and a few for some good friends, and then I have all my cards to do. Same as last week! (as you can tell, I didn't get it done!) It MUST get done this week!!!

One of my favorite things...
Is writing this day book post each Monday morning. I think it's good to reflect on all these things in my life and sort them out . . . plan a bit, and organize . . . ponder on all that is good and filled with joy in my life. I write this more for me than for anyone else!


A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...
I don't even want to think about it!!!

Here is picture thought I am sharing...



Yes, they've been given their phones back and my son managed to post another photo of himself at Bootcamp onto Facebook. That's him on the right in the blue beret. He looks happy and like he's coping well with things, so that is a relief. He has three weeks off for Christmas, when they shut down the school. He'll be going home to his father's for those three weeks. I am going to try to call him when he is there and am looking forward to speaking with him. It's his birthday on the 7th of December. It is hard to imagine that my baby will be 21. Where has the time flown??? He is not a baby anymore . . . or even a boy. He is a man, and a good man and I am very proud of him.

And there you have it, my Simple Woman's Day Book for today. Don't forget to hop on over to the Simple Woman to check out the other day book entries! (Or better yet, do a simple day book entry yourself! It's not that hard and I am betting you would enjoy it!)

And now as promised, some delicious goodies. I am not overly happy with how these pictures turned out. They don't really do this tasty dish justice! Imagine an apple cobbler . . . all sweet and syrupy and nestled beneath a bed of Cheddar Cheese Cobbles . . . . cheddar cheese??? Don't knock it. Cheese and apple have to be just about the best combination on earth!! I kid you not!!

This was incredibly yummy! You can successfully cut the recipe in half. I did and we thorougly enjoyed every morsel.




*Apple and Cheddar Cheese Cobbler*
Serves 8 to 10
Printable Recipe

I am not sure why it is but apples and cheese are one of the tastiest combinations. Once in a while my mother would serve us warm apple pie with a small wedge of cheddar on the side and it was a real treat. This delicious recipe combines the wonderful flavours of a traditional apple cobbler with the innovative twist of white cheddar "cobbles" scattered over top. Delicious!

For the filling:
1 cup soft light brown sugar, packed
3 TBS cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
8 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
(About 3 1/2 pounds prepared)
the juice of one lemon
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into bits
For the Cobbles:
2 cups flour
2 TBS white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups grated extra sharp white cheddar cheese
1 1/3 cups of cold buttermilk, or more as needed



Pre-heat the oven to 190*C/375*F. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and then butter a 3 litre baking dish. Set aside.

Measure the brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon and cardamom into a bowl. Mix together. Add the apples and toss all together to coat evenly. Pour this mixture into the prepared baking dish. Dot with the pieces of butter and then cover tightly with foil. Bake in the pre-heated oven tof 20 minutes.

While the apples are cooking make the cobbles. Whisk the flour together along with half of the sugar, the baking powder and the salt. Add the grated cheddar and toss to coat evenly. Stir in the buttermilk with a fork, just until the dry ingredients are moistened, using more buttermilk, adding it a tablespoonful at a time, if needed. The mixture should be shaggy and moist.

Remove the partially cooked apples from the oven, take off the foil and discard, and drop the cobbles over top by heaped spoonful's, distributing them evenly over top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 TBS of sugar and return to the oven. Bake an additional 30 to 40 minutes, until the apples are tender, the juices are bubbling and the cobbles are golden brown. Serve warm with some ice cream, or pouring cream, or even some creme fraiche. This is just wonderful!!



If you are into jelly rolls and blueberries, make sure you check out The English Kitchen this morning! There's a really delicious one posted over there!

Happy Monday everyone!!