The Simple Woman's Day book

FOR TODAY, September 21st, 2010...

Outside My Window...
It is dark still and dry. They say it will stay dry until the weekend. Here's hoping! Somehow the world looks a lot better when it is dry and sunny . . .


I am thinking...

"It is the discipline of prayer that brings us in to the deepest and highest work of the human spirit." ~ unknown

I spent some time looking at my prayer journals yesterday, some of them dating back to the early 1990's. My life has changed so much since then . . . I live in a different country, with a different husband. My children are all grown up now and I have four grandsons, another on the way and another grandchild due the end of February. Many of my prayers have been answered. Not always in the way I thought they would be, or even in the way I hope that they would be, but the answers come just the same . . . and always for the best. Heavenly Father does know best.

I am thankful for...
The love that surrounds me daily . . . husband, family . . . friend . . . my Heavenly Father, my Saviour. I don't need gold and diamonds. I have all that I need. If you have love, you have the world I think! Life is pretty meaningless without it.

From the kitchen...
There are some tasty little Brownie Bites that I am bringing to a ladies luncheon today. I just have to ice and decorate them. Other than that the kitchen is pretty bare of goodies. I need to get cracking and bake something soon!

I am wearing...
Black and White Pajamas. Oh so comfy and cosy.

I am creating...



I've been busy creating cards with some of my artwork. There are craft sales coming up near Christmas and I thought perhaps I could get a table at one or two of them and sell some prints and cards at them. Every little helps!


I am going...
I am going to a Ladies Luncheon today and I am quite looking forward to it. I haven't been to a ladies lunch in a very, very long time. I spent the last 7 years cooking for them and watching other ladies have fun so it will make a nice change today for me to be on the receiving end of it all! I did bake some Brownie Bites to take for dessert though and they are pretty yummy! It will just be nice to have the company of other women and to get to know some of the ladies in my church ward a bit better!

I am reading...



Eat Pray Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert

American writer Elizabeth Gilbert begins her memoir, Eat Pray Love with a vivid description of her crying alone on the bathroom floor. She is married to the wrong man (who is asleep next door in their bedroom), has found herself on the repressive suburban baby track and is living a seemingly perfect life that she doesn’t want.

With that image of a terribly private moment, the author captured the attention of a huge female book-buying audience. I think we can all relate, and have been there at one time or another. Gilbert, a journalist and author based in New York, is 34 at the time the book is set.

As her crisis plays out, she appeals to God (“It was all I could do to stop myself from saying, 'I’ve always been a big fan of your work’,” she writes), divorces her husband, has a doomed affair and leaves for a year of self-discovery and healing. “I wanted to explore the art of pleasure in Italy, the art of devotion in India and, in Indonesia, the art of balancing the two,” she writes.

Yes, I am still reading this book. I am about halfway through it. I can't wait to see the film!

I am hoping...
Tomorrow we take Mitzie for her last course of shots and then we should be able to take her out and about. We can seriously start training her to go for walks. I am quite looking forward to that, I think! We shall see!

I am hearing...
Clock ticking, keys tapping . . . Mitzie snuffling next to me here on the sofa. Classical FM is on the telly, playing softly in the background. Life is good

Around the house...
Everythign is tidy and in it's place. We don't create a lot of mess, us two . . . I do have the drying rack set up and clothes drying on it, more ironing etc. I quite like puttering about the house, I do. It beats the alternative!

One of my favorite things...
is sitting down with my pencil and paper and seeing what I can create. I love these images and thoughts that come into my mind. It is so much fun bringing them to life! I wish everyone would catch my vision! Now that would surely put some bread and butter on the table I think! I hope that I don't have to wait until I am dead for them to mean something!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...
Not a lot really . . . the luncheon today, Mitzie to the Vet tomorrow morning, Primary Presidency meeting tomorrow night . . . the presentation on Sunday. Life happens . . .

Here is picture thought I am sharing...



Mitzie's favourite place on a sunny day . . . yep, right in that patch of sunlight by the back door, looking out at her kingdom and keeping an eye on all that is happening in the back garden. Don't you just love the way she has her back legs splayed! Oh she is a little dear! Very sociable too. She just loves it when we have visitors and will stand in front of them and sing to them until they notice her, which in truth, never takes very long!! I will have to try to capture it with my camera one day!

And just as a closing thought for today . . .

Water and words are easy to pour but impossible to recover.
~an old Chinese proverb

There's a lot of food for thought in those words . . .

And there you have it . . . my day book for this week. 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!)

Ohh, I did make something quite delicious for Todd’s tea last night…not to mention a few other goodies. He hasn't been feeling very well for a couple of days. I hope that he is feeling better today.



*Italian Style Saltimbocca Chicken*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

These chicken breasts are always very flavourful and tender. They’re like a little present on a plate…once you cut them open the cheese oozes out and surprises each guest with it’s simple presence…you get four flavours at once…the saltiness of the ham, the richness of the cheese and the bit of the basil…all go extremely well together and help bring out the flavour of the chicken to a really delicious extreme!

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 slices proscuitto ham
6 slices gouda or other good melting cheese
4 TBS butter

1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 TBS freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 TBS chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
Fresh basil leaves
Freshly cracked black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Put the butter into a baking dish and bang it into the oven so melt while you prepare the chicken.

Put the chicken pieces one at a time into a heavy duty plastic baggie and pound them flat with the side of a rolling pin. You want them all an even thickness, about ¼ inch thick. Don’t pound too hard though as you don’t want to tear them.

Grind some black pepper over each one, then top with the basil leaves, laying them out evenly over top. (check on your butter and remove it if it is all melted, you don’t want it to burn)

Place a slice of proscuitto over the basil leaves on each breast along with the slices of cheese. Roll up each breast to enclose everything and pin shut with a cocktail stick.

Put the breadcrumbs into a shallow bowl, along with the parsley and the grated Parmesan cheese.

Roll each breast into the melted butter and then into the bread crumb mixture, pressing a bit to make the crumbs stick to the chicken. Put them into the baking dish, folded side down as you finish them. Take any remaining crumbs and sprinkle over and pat on. Spoon up some of the melted butter in the dish over top of them.

Pop them into the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until they are golden brown, basting several times with some of the pan juices. Remove from the oven and let sit for a few minutes before serving. Delicious!



In The English Kitchen today, delicious Nectarines Baked in Cream!