Wednesday ponderings . . .

There's not a lot in our lives that we can control really . . . things happen to good people all the time, and to bad people too. The rain falls on the just and the unjust in equal proportion, even though it sometimes feels like we are getting far more rain than we feel we deserve!! We do have the power to control how we feel about it though . . . and how we handle it.

Most of us deal with our problems in the same way . . . we go to that "happy place" that we have designated as the place to go when the storms hit, probably back when we were children . . . That's the place we went to as a child because we learned that it helped to get us what we wanted, or it helped to make us feel better. You can call it your "Favourite bad feeling," if you like. Now as adults we still go there . . . as soon a something shows up that is troubling on our mental radars . . .



We cry or pout and shout. We sleep. We eat chocolate or go shopping . . . withdraw or slam doors . . . some clean house, some sit and stare. Some stick their heads in the sands and pretend nothing is happening. We, each of us, have our own unique way of dealing with our problems.

Truth is we don't need to do any of those things. We can choose NOT to do any of those things. Circumstances will rarely if ever change, no matter how we feel, or what we do . . . but how we deal with them can. How we feel and deal with the problems in life can change dramatically. How you feel is completely up to you, and not to anybody else.



Peace is the result of choosing to focus our minds instead on what is true, honorable, right . . . crying, pouting, shouting, eating chocolate, spending money, slamming doors, choosing to ignore . . . these things never once solved any problems, and in many cases only serve to compound them. When you choose instead to dwell on the positivity of any situation . . . an amazing peace will overtake your mind and your heart. I know this to be true.

Just my thoughts this morning.

Here's something else that I am thinking about this morning!



Are these not the two cutest little pirates you have ever seen in your life??? I know! A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!! My daughter in law us such a fun person!!!! She dressed my two grandsons (Luke on the left, Gabe on the right) up as pirates for Talk like a Pirate Day! And not only that . . . look at this!



Now you know why I love her so. She is a special gal and I call her the "Daughter of my heart." I could not have chosen anyone lovelier to be my son's wife or the mother of Gabe and Luke. You're the bestest Anne!

Speaking of pirates, I have a lovely dessert I wanted to re-share with you here this morning. This is a pirate's treasure! This is sooooo easy even the kids can make it, with your supervision of course! It started off as squares, but I thought, why not bake them in a round pan and cut them into wedges like a pie to serve.



And then I thought, why not top them with some ice cream and chocolate sauce and turn them into Sundaes!!! This one's for all the families out there that are looking for something special to do this weekend, or for a special Family Home Evening treat!



*Chocolate Chunk Sundae Delight*
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

A delicious chocolate chunk cookie wedge topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Moreishly delish!!

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks or chocolate chips
For the topping:
Icing Sugar
a good quality vanilla ice cream
a jar of chocolate spread
(I used Waitrose brand, it's nice and dark and fudgy)



Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Grease and flour an 8 inch cake tin with a removable bottom. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Beat the vegetable oil and eggs together in a measuring jug and add all at once to the flour mixture. Beat until throughly combined. (The mixture will be very thick) Stir in the nuts and chocolate. Scrape the dough into the prepared pan and smooth it out evenly with your fingertips.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes. Then remove the sides.

Warm the chocolate spread in the microwave until spoonable. Cut the chocolate chip cake mixture into wedges and place one wedge on each plate. Dust lightly with Icing Sugar if desired and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some chocolate sauce spooned over top.



Cooking over in The English Kitchen this morning, Chili with a Difference!