Thursday Mish Mash . . .

A young girl was asked to say a blessing over the food one day at dinner time. She began by thanking her Heavenly Father for all of her friends, naming them one by one. She then thanked him for her mother and father, brother, sister, grandparents, aunts, uncles . . . again naming them one by one. Finally she began to give thanks for the food . . . the chicken, the potatoes, the salad, the dessert . . . and then she paused. After a long silence she looked up at her mother and asked, "If I thank God for the broccoli, won't he know I am lying???"

I suppose we all feel that way at one time or another. It is easy to thank Heavenly Father for the things we are truly thankful for, and we are told to be thankful for all things, even the bad . . . but in all honesty . . . let's face it. Each of us has a lot of broccoli in our lives that we just don't really want to give thanks for.



It's not impossible though. Through the years I have learned the value and the promise of being able to give thanks even for the broccoli (trials) which I don't necessarily enjoy eating (experiencing,) even when it seems very hard to do so. It involves trusting in my Heavenly Father and His plan for me. Knowing that there is a purpose in all things . . . even the bad stuff, and recognizing that it has been through my trials that I have been refined and made stronger . . . that through them I stand here today, a better person, filled with much more grace and love, and understanding for those around me.



Being thankful, even during trials, and nurturing a heart of gratitude, no matter what . . . is a wonderful way to bolster our faith on a daily basis, as hard as it may seem at the time to do. We must learn to smile through the tears, and to move forward in faith, trusting in He who knows all and who has a special plan just for us. We may never know the answers or reasons on this side of the veil, but I have no doubt that when we get to the other side, and can see the whole picture, we will see how our trials have blessed us in a beautiful and meaningful way.

Just my thoughts this morning . . .

I am dreading the injection in my knee tomorrow. I know I will get through it, but I am such a wimp when it comes to pain and I have little faith in the Doctor who is going to do it to me. I will be heavily relying on the Saviour to carry me through the experience for sure!

I'm having my Pampered Chef Party tomorrow night and I think it is going to be a bust. Most of the people I have invited are not available to come, and I think there will only be a handful there. I don't like to bring the consultant out with so few in attendance, but I guess it can't be helped. She must be used to it I am sure.



I did another little painting yesterday. I really love how it turned out. This is one of my newest rubber stamp designs that I have now painted and brought to life. She was cute in black and white, but I adore her in colour. I am a bit biased I know! I love the sentiments that I have included in the painting. One of my favourite sayings! It is available as a print through my Etsy Shop or via myself. Just contact me if you are interested!



I wondered too, if you could spare a few more prayers for Lura and the newest challenge she is facing. You can read all about it here. There is a chance that she may now have cancer on top of everything else she has already gone through. My heart aches for the worry and concern she is now experiencing. I wish so much that I could bear some of this burden for her. Please, please could you uphold her in your prayers and thoughts. I would be so very grateful for your care and I know she will be as well. I am praying that it is not what they suspect and that if it is the worst scenario, that it has been caught in good time so that it can be completely eradicated. I am also praying that she has the strength and courage to deal with this newest challenge she is facing.



Are you prepared for some cuteness?? This is my newest Mitzie photo! I popped a ribbon over her ear the other day and quickly snapped a shot. I had to be really quick too as she was not long in getting rid of it! Oh, I do love her so very much.

I love summer and summer food. Here is a recipe for some cute and tasty little pies that are so easy to make and oh so scrummy to eat! Todd loves these. His favourite are apple ones, but I love the cherry ones!



*Crumble Topped Little Pies*
Serves 16
Printable Recipe

Tasty little muffin sized pies, with a fruit filling and a nut streusel topping. Nothing could be easier!

For the streusel:
3/4 cup of plain flour
1/2 cup of soft light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup of chopped toasted nuts (optional)

1 can of refrigerated layered biscuits
(Or one recipe of your own buttermilk biscuits, making 12 servings)
1 can (21 ounce) of fruit pie filling, (Apple, cherry, blueberry)
1 to 1 1/2 cups of whipping cream
Cinnamon sugar to sprinkle

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Mix the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in the butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts, if using.

Separate the biscut dough into 8 biscuits. Split each biscuit in half to make 16 rounds. With floured fingers, flatten each to form 4-inch round. Press each round into ungreased 2 3/4x1 1/4-inch muffin cups. Spoon 2 tablespoons of fruit pie filling into each biscuit-lined cup. Sprinkle each with about 2 TBS of the streusel mixture. The cups will be full.

Bake the pies for 15 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, before carefully removing and placing on a rack to cool. Cool 10 minutes.

Whip the cream until stiff and then place a dollop on top of each pie. Sprinkle with some cinnamon sugar. Store in the refrigerator



Over in The English Kitchen today I'm serving up a deliciously healthy Grilled Chicken and Wheatberry Salad!

A Front Porch Party!

Good morning friends! Today is the first day of summer and it's time for Rhondi's Annual Porch Party! She holds it every year and I have always loved participating. It's a beautiful opportunity to dream and to play . . . to meet up with some old friends and to make some new friends!



So come on in the porch is waiting. Bring the whole family. There's chairs enough for everyone! The men can sit in the corner, smoke and talk politics while us ladies can rock and knit and bring each other up to date on all the happenings in our families and lives over the past 12 months, as the children chase each other and the dog around the lawn.



The breeze which blows through the porch be filled with the smell of roses and sweet peas . . . petunias and geraniums. The air will be filled with the sound of children's laughter and Red Rover Red Rover as they play amongst themselves . . . and the sound of women's chatter and "You don't say!" and "Well, I never's!" We'll learn all about Uncle John's gout and Aunt Mary's newest pickle recipe, and everything in between.



We'll all chuckle at Uncle Earnie who's sleeping in the hammock over in the corner and snoring for all he's worth . . . the children tickle his nose with long strands of grass, and we watch as he tries to brush the flies away in his sleep.



Mid afternoon we'll break out the lemonade and big plates of sandwiches and sugar cookies . . . just to whet the appetite for what's coming. We'll drag out the checker boards and if we're lucky Uncle Bob will take out his harmonica and we'll sing a tune or two . . .



If we're lucky a few more will have brought their instruments as well, and we'll be treated to a sing song of beautiful proportions . . . Toes will tap to "You are my Sunshine," and "Kumbaya," and it will feel like the party we are having.



And then the feasting begins in earnest . . . trays of Grandma's Fried Chicken and big bowls of Aunt Eleanor's Potato Salad appear. There's plates of cucumbers and fresh tomatoes. Grandma's baking powder biscuits and Sophie's coleslaw and lot's more cold lemonade. We'll eat until we protest that we just can't eat any more . . . and then . . . we'll eat some more as the Aunties bring out tall cakes piled high with fluffy frosting . . . and fruit pies and . . . freshly churned ice cream . . .



Finally leaning back in our chairs, filled to bursting . . . top buttons undone on the men's trousers and pipes lit . . . we'll watch as the sun begins to deline in the western sky and the children flit off across the lawn to chase fireflies . . . and we wish that we had their energy and imaginations . . .



And then . . . as the day finally does come to an end . . . we say a prayer or two for safety, and goodbyes are shared as we bundle the sleepy children into the cars . . . shedding a tear or two, andheartfelt hugs . . . promising not to let so much time pass before we do it again . . . and knowing that we will . . . knowing too, that next year when we do meet again, a few will have left us, and a few will have joined us, but in the months and even years that follow we will have the happy memory of this day, and the comfort of knowing that we are family, and families . . . are . . . forever.



I hope you enjoyed my little porch party here today. Hop on over to Rhondi's and visit some of the other ladies. I'm sure your heart will be touched and uplifted and who knows, you may even make a new friend or two!



*Buttermilk Fried Chicken*
Serves 6 to 8
Printable Recipe

Crispy on the outside and tender juicy on the inside!

2 cut-up fryer chickens
1 quart plus 1/4 cup buttermilk
5 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons seasoned salt (like Lawry’s)
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup milk
canola or vegetable oil for frying

Place the chicken in a large bowl with 1 quart buttermilk, turning to coat it all over. Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight. The next day when you are ready to fry, remove chicken from bowl to a large tray, and let it sit on counter for 30 minutes to take chill off.

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Stir together the flour, seasoned salt, pepper, thyme, paprika and cayenne in a very large bowl. In another smaller bowl combine the 1/4 cup buttermilk and the milk. Pour the milk mixture into the flour and use a fork to mix until little lumps form throughout.

Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a deep skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat to 190*C/365*F. Working in batches, thoroughly coat each buttermilk-soaked chicken piece with the breading, pressing to help it adhere. Add the chicken to the hot oil, three to four pieces at a time. Cover the pan and fry for five to seven minutes, checking to make sure chicken isn’t getting too brown. Turn the pieces over, re-cover and cook the chicken for an additional three to five minutes more. Monitor the temperature of oil to make sure chicken doesn’t burn, and keeping in mind that the chicken will finish cooking in the oven. Remove the browned pieces to a couple of large baking sheets as you finish browning the rest of the chicken.

Once all the chicken has been browned and placed onto the baking sheets, slide them into the oven and bake the chicken for 10-15 minutes, until chicken cooked through, and the juices run clear when pierced by a fork.



Cooking over in The English Kitchen today, a delicious Cherry Clafoutis made with wonderful Spanish Picota cherries!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY, June 20th, 2011...

Outside My Window...
It is beautiful and sunny. I think we are in for a warm and beautiful day today! Bring on summer!

I am thinking...
I was able to call my dad yesterday to wish him a Happy Father's Day, and I also called my mom and spoke to her for about an hour as well. I am thankful for a phone plan which enables me to do this for only £4.99 a month, unlimited calls too. Just so long as I keep them under an hour. I set the kitchen timer and I always manage to time keep very well.

I am thankful for...
I am very grateful for parents that are still with us. It is a blessing and a treasure. I wish that I lived closer so that I could do more for them, but it's just not been possible. I had always thought to be able to care for them in their dotage, but alas . . . it's just not so. I do the best that I can from afar, and in reality I wouldn't be able to do much with these knees of mine anyways!

From the kitchen...
There are leftover Cheese Filled Cornmeal Scones in the fridge, but not a lot else! I've been trying to stay away from overly fattening things, although Todd is not immune to a treat or two and does welcome them. It is hard to be watching your weight when you are married to the stick man who can eat whatever he wants, whenever he wants and however much he wants!

I am wearing...
A turquoise nightie and pink pajama pants. I know! What a wierd combination! Tis comfortable though and so it stays. ☺

I am creating...
I have been putting together a few Christmas Cards for orders and sketching. I need to finish my Christmas Designs for the stamp company. Only a few for Christmas as there won't be a full range of them. My other stamps were on the television again last week, and this time I managed to catch a glimpse of them. It's kind of surreal when this happens. I almost can't believe it when I see them.

I am going...
I have the reading lessons every day this week, and my pupil is doing very well. I have meetings on Wednesday night, and then on Thursday I am having another injection in my knee. This time at the local surgery. I have further injections planned for my other knee and my hip. I am a bit afraid because of the venue, but beggars can't be choosers. I'll do my best to cope! I am having another Pampered Chef Party on Thursday evening this week. I had planned this about two months ago, so I didn't like to cancel. It shouldn't be a problem as I won't have to get up too much I hope! If you are in the Chester Area and would like to attend I would love to have you! I think I'll be skipping my exercise class on Friday morning due to the injection as I will have to take it easy for a couple of days. I'll still go to the counseling part though. I also have a talk to finish up that I am giving in church on Sunday. I have it all bareboned in. I just have to flesh it out now.

I am reading...




The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted, by Elizabeth Berg

Every now and then, right in the middle of an ordinary day, a woman kicks up her heels and commits a small act of liberation. What would you do if you could shed the “shoulds” and do, say—and eat—whatever you really desired? Go AWOL from Weight Watchers and spend an entire day eating every single thing you want? Start a dating service for people over fifty to reclaim the razzle-dazzle in your life—or your marriage? Seek comfort in the face of aging, look for love in the midst of loss, find friendship in the most surprising of places? In these beautiful, funny stories, Elizabeth Berg takes us into the heart of the lives of women who do all these things and more—confronting their true feelings, desires, and joys along the way.

As you know, I love Elizabeth Berg's books and am enjoying this newest one. It is nice to read some short stories for a change.

I am hoping...
I have been invited to an all expenses paid trip down to Ipswich on July 4th to attend a special event at Jimmy Doherty's Farm. He is one of Jamie Oliver's friends and he makes really good sausages. There will be a tour of the farm, a butchering class, a free lunch and signed cookery book, a question and answer session and who knows what else. I am going! Yipee!!! My friend Julie is going to come up from Gloucester to go with me. What a jewel she is! It will be double the pleasure now, as not only will I get to participate in this fantastic event, but I'll also get to do it with a good friend! Plus she is coming here the night before and we will have two nights together to chat and laugh and just enjoy each other's company!

I am hearing...
Early morning sounds . . . the clock on the mantle humming as the wheels inside it turn. Mitzie snuffling here curled up behind me on the sofa. The tap tapping of the computer keys as I write. Birds singing in the garden. All is right with the world. The bin men for the recyclables are also going around. That's Monday morning!

Around the house...
Ironing, ironing, ironing. I have never had a clothes drier over here and so most things need to be ironed. The washing machines are very powerful and so all the clothes come out of it very wrinkled and near to dry, because of all the spinning. Seriously doing a load of wash takes almost two hours in the machine, but the clothes do come out very clean and like I said, almost dry, but very wrinkly!

One of my favourite things...
I am a woman with quite a few weaknesses I'm afraid. Crafts, cooking, reading. I'm not sure I could pick a favourite thing because everything I do is my favourite thing when I am doing it! Does that make sense??? It's just me!

Here is picture thought I am sharing...



This is a character from the Midsummer's Watch Parade in Chester that Todd and I went to on Saturday. I had never been to one before. It was bright and colourful and very entertaining! I did take video of the whole thing with my camera and so will add the video's below. There are three of them.

Chester's Midsummer Watch is one of Britain's oldest festivals, a tradition which reflects 500 years of the city's history. In Medieval and Tudor times, Chester's magnificent Midsummer Watch Parade was renowned throughout the country. First held during the mayoralty of Richard Goodman in 1498, it was organised by the City Guilds and took place in the years when the famous Chester Mystery Plays were not performed. The outstanding features of the show were the Giants, enormous structures made of buckram and pasteboard and carried by two or more men. Giants were a common feature of Tudor pageantry in England and Europe, but Chester was unique in that the city paraded a whole family of Giants, the Father, the Mother and two Daughters. There were also fantastic giant Beasts including the Unicorn, the Elephant, the Camel and the Dragon. Originally the Dragon was beaten by six naked boys, but this practice was banned in the late 16th century.

The Giants were accompanied by hobby horses, musicians, guildsmen, fools, children in costume, angels, goblins and green men. There were enormous moving floats called the "Mounts"; the most famous, the Merchants Mount, was in the form of a ship, a reminder that in those days, Chester was an important port. The whole procession was headed by a small boy, chosen each year, and the "Ancient" city drum.
The Midsummer Watch Parade survived much longer than the now world-famous Mystery Plays, which were banned in 1575 and not revived until recent times. In 1599, Mayor Henry Hardware prohibited the Parade and ordered the Giants to be broken up. However, so popular was the show that it was revived the next year and continued until the 1670s.

The tradition continues today.







Things like this are why I love Chester. There is always something fabulous going on!


And just as a closing thought for today . . .

Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.
~OG Mandino

Not a problem for me! I try to treat others always in the same way as I would like to be treated. I think the Lord said it in another way . . . "Do unto other's as you would have them do unto you." He also said, "Love One Another."

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!

Here's a tasty summertime dessert that will have everyone begging for seconds. It uses oreo cookies, but in truth just about any sandwich cookie could be used. Use your imaginations and go with the flow. I think Custard Creams or Gingernut Creams would be fantastic!



*Oreo Cheesecake*
Serves 16
Printable Recipe

This needn't be totally decadent and fattening if you use low fat ingredients such as low fat cream cheese and the cookies which are lower in fat. A delicious and light alternative to a heavy baked cheesecake. Perfect for summer!

1 pkg. (16.6 oz.) oreo cookies, divided
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 pkg. (8 oz. (250g) each)cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tub (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed
(Can use the equivalent amount of whipped cream)


Chop 15 of the cookies coarsely. Set aside. Finely crush the remaining cookies. Put into a bowl and then mix together with the med butter. Press into the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch pan. Place into the refrigerator to chill whilst preparing the filling.

To make the filling, beat together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Beat together until well blended. Fold in the whipped topping and chopped cookies. Spread this mixture over top of the chilled crust.

Refrigerate until firm, some 4 to 5 hours. Delicious!



Over in The English Kitchen today, tasty little Jam Marguerites!

A Father's Day Sunday Six

Welcome to my Sunday Six post for June 19th, 2011! Today we celebrate and honor all the Father's in our lives and I thought it would be quite appropriate to speak about six of the special dad's in my own life! Fatherhood is an eternal principle and these special men embody all that is wonderful about this very special calling!!!



First of all I honor and revere my Heavenly Father. He is very special to me and I know in my heart that I am very special to Him. I have always known that He was there, even if I have not always known that He cared about me and the things in my life. For many years I did not feel as if I was important enough for Him to care, or that my problems in life were important enough to matter to Him. The Gospel has taught me that I am one of His special Daughters, and that He loves and cares for me very much, so much so that even the hairs on my head are counted and known to Him. This earthly life is a beautiful gift from Him and will help me to return back into His presence one day, where I hope He will say to me, Well done my faithful daughter . . . I may not always please Him, but I know He loves me anyways, and that He knows that I am doing my best. He comforts me when I am sad, uplifts me when I am down and carries me when I think I can't walk any further. His love is not a crutch or a burden. It is empowering and gives me the freedom to be the very best that I can be. I love my Heavenly Father with all of my heart.



This is my Dad! I am told that I look just like him! (albeit a lot younger!) I love my Dad very much. It is from him that I got my great love of the written word. When I was a young child, we were inseparable. He took me everywhere with him and he read to me every night. I can still hear his voice reading my favourite stories to me in my head and it warms my heart. He has a wonderful sense of humour and is very easy going. I like to think that I inherited those same qualities from him. He always calls me the "Apple of his eye." For all I know, he calls my brother and sister that same thing, but it doesn't matter because when he says it to me, I feel like the only one! He has always been loyal to me and I know he is proud of me. That means everything to me. Happy Father's Day Dad! I love you with all of my heart!



He is not my dad. He is my husband, but he is the man I would have chosen to be the father of my children had I known him way back when. I wish so much that we could have had a family together. He is patient and kind and tender and true. He would have been a wonderful father to our children, and I just adore him. The Toddster is very special to me and he is a great stepfather to my children. They all love and respect him. He is the voice of reason to me when I am going a bit nuts. He is the yin to my yang!



This is not my dad either, but my eldest son, Anthony. He is a wonderful father to his children, Gabriel and Luke. He spends time with them and loves them with all of his heart. I am very proud of who he is and the man he has become. He may not always have agreed with my choices or actions in life, but he has always supported my right to choose and loved and respected me even when I have fallen flat on my face! He is very special to me.



This is my son Doug, with his wife Kayla and two of their sons, Jon and Josh, shortly after Josh was born. They have a third son now, Jacob, but I don't have a picture of them all together, not yet anyways. I will have to do some scooping around facebook I think!! Doug is my gentle giant. Soft spoken and kind. He is a wonderful father to his three lovely sons. He, too, spends a lot of time with his boys. These past six months or so he has been a stay at home dad, having taken Paternity leave to be with his boys. He is going back to work soon and I know he is going to miss them, and they are going to miss having him around! I love my son very much, as I love all my sons, and I am proud of who he has become and all that he is too!!



This is my son in law Tom. I could not have picked a better father for my only granddaughter or husband for my daughter Amanda. He is patient and kind and has always been very nice to me, and to my family. He is a Godly man, as are my two sons. I don't really know him all that well, but his actions and the way he treats my daughter and the way he has always been towards me have spoken volumes to me about the man that he is.



I don't know what else to say. I am grateful to all these wonderful examples of kind and righteous men in my life and for the love that we share with each other, and for my Heavenly Father who sets the standard of all that men can and should strive to be. On this day I would like to wish each and every one of them a very Happy Father's Day, and to tell them each how very important and special they are to me!

This is man food here today. I don't know a man alive that doesn't like meatloaf, at least not the men I know at any rate!! This is a deliciously spicy version that I know my sons would love. My own father always loved it when my mom made meatloaf for supper. Meatloaf just says "DAD" to me!



*Taco Meatloaf*
Makes 18 slices
Printable Recipe

Moist and tender Meatloaf with a delicious Southwestern flavour! Spicy and oh so good!

2 pounds of lean ground beef
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cup of fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup of finely crushed nacho chips
1 TBS chili powder
2 jalapeno peppers, deseeded, deribbed, and finely chopped (wear gloves)
2 large free range eggs, beaten
1/2 cup of chunky salsa
8 ounces medium cheddar, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup of soft light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup of chili sauce
1 TBS prepared mustard

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Have ready a 9 by 5 by 3 inch loaf tin.

Place the meat into a bowl. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeno, bread crumbs, nacho chip crumbs, chili powder, eggs, salsa and cheddar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix together using your hands until well combined. Pack into the loaf tin, smoothing over the top.

Stir together the brown sugar, chili sauce and mustard. Spread this mixture evenly over top.

Bake for about an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half, until the meat is cooked all the way through. Drain off any fat and allow to sit for about 10 minutes, before cutting into slices to serve. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator. (They make great sandwiches! You can also freeze to use another day.)

Todd likes this with mashed potatoes and peas and carrots.



Baking in The English Kitchen today, some delicious Cheese Filled Cornmeal Scones!

Poetry Saturday . . . The Song of the Mower . . .

The song of the warbler announces the Spring
When Winter, unwept, is a-dying;
A carol comes floating from birds on the wing,
As high o'er the garden they're flying,
And Summer (official) is truly at hand
When the song of the mower is heard in the land.



The mowing machine has a magical whirr,
Which in through my window comes drifting;
The music it sings sets my pulses astir
With thoughts that are nobly uplifting,
But though I am soothed by it's sibilant song,
I never much hankered to push it along.



Its song has a sound like a sigh from the surf,
Where sea-drift in sunlight is sleeping,
It sings of the verdant and velvety turf . . .
Reward for the toll of its reaping.
The song of the mower . . . how fondly I love it,
When some other mutt is prevailed on to shove it!
~A.A. Thomson



Just a bit of humour here this morning. I thought it a cute poem. I do love the sound of the lawnmower in the summer time, don't you? I also love the smell of newly cut grass. It is a sweet smell and speaks of summer to me, along with the smell of barbeque! Let's hope we get some warm summer days soon! The weather seems to have turned quite cool these past few days, with a cold breeze blowing and lots of showers.



I hope it is especially fine today as the youth at our church are having a fund raising car wash and cafe bake sale to help raise funds for their summer EFY camp. EFY is a youth program with the objectives to encourage, assist, and guide youth participants (ages 14–18) as they strive to “come unto Christ.” EFY creates a setting where youth have the opportunity to develop spiritually, physically, intellectually and socially. Our Youth are encouraged to raise as much of the money as they can towards attending the camp, and the parents put up some and the Ward will help any youth (boty girl or boy) that has financial challenges, so that all can attend. They always have a fantastic time and come home from the camp filled to overflowing with the Spirit. It is a wonderful opportunity for each of them. It is especially important in church communities such as the one we have over here in the UK, where the numbers are small in most Wards. It helps the youth to realize that they are a part of something big, and that they are not alone. Most of these children attend schools throughout the year where they may be the only member of the church. As you can imagine the challenges in doing so are great. It is really nice for them to know that they are not alone, and that what we believe is well worth sticking to in the long run!!

To that end I have been asked to prepare something for their Bake Sale Cafe this morning and we will of course be driving to the chapel to have our car washed, whether it needs it or not! These quick, easy and tasty morsels will be my donation!



*Homemade Cereal Bonbons*
makes a bunch!
Printable Recipe

Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy!

6 ounces chocolate (dark or white)
4 cups cornflakes

Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over simmering water, or in the microwave. (Place the chocolate, chopped into bits into a microwavable bowl and cook in short bursts of 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. This will take about 1 1/2 minutes. prefer to use the bowl over simmering water method. Just place in a bowl and set it on top of a saucepan over some simmering water, without letting the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Cook, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth.) Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the cornflakes. Drop by the tablespoonful onto parchment paper lined baking sheets. Place into the refrigerator for about an hour to set. Place each in a medium sized cupcake liner. Store in an airtight container.



Over in The English Kitchen today I am baking Caramel Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies!