Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us

Comfort those that stand in need of comfort

Remembering and Honoring the Heroes of 9-11-2001

Flight 93 Memorial

Designing the Flight 93 Memorial 

www.youtube.com

Not to be forgotten Flight 93!

Mourn with those that mourn

Heaven Above

Home of the Brave

Heavenly Light

Never forget

World Trade Center Twin Towers on September 11, 2001 before being hit.

Patriot

The Healing Field

3000 flags line the Pentagon Healing Field where
Each flag represents a victim of the September 11 attacks

Apple Crumb Tart with Cinnamon Cream

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 package (17-1/2 ounces) sugar cookie mix
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
• 4 large apples, peeled and finely chopped (about 6 cups)
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, whisk cookie mix, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves; cut in butter until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup for topping; press remaining onto bottom and up sides of an ungreased 9-in. tart pan. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine apples and brown sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat 7-9 minutes or until apples are tender and brown sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 cup flour, raisins and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.
3. Increase oven setting to 400°. Pour apple mixture into crust. Add remaining flour to reserved topping and sprinkle over apples. Bake 20-22 minutes longer or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack at least 20 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add syrup and remaining cinnamon; beat until soft peaks form. Serve tart warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

Hope on. Journey on…

"None of us are very pure or brave or good or wise, even in adulthood. That's why we need God whose love and rules and principles never change. That's why we all need a Savior who offers essential divine redemption for our many weaknesses and sins and errors. That's why we need the Spirit to constantly humble and correct us." 

 "Let the spirit be your guide from hour to hour. 

Do what it tells you and do not concern yourself with other things"

With your life being 'a work in progress,'

The Lord will take care of our journey's end. Our part is to take care of the journey. So, take each step upward in faith, determination with courage. Travel well, remembering that "The issue is not the rate at which you're traveling… but that you're on the road, heading in the right direction… and only judged in comparison to ourselves—our progress,...efforts,... and sincere attempts. So, be patient with yourself, keeping in mind that even slow progress is better than no progress.  All we need to ask is: 'Am I on the path? Am I facing the right direction? Am I moving forward?" 

Hope on. Journey on… 

quotes by Hugh Nibley

So cute

Catch a leaf

Fall in place

Peach Pistachio Galette

Ingredients

1-3/4 cup All-purpose Flour


1/3 cup Granulated Sugar

1/4 cup Coarse Cornmeal


1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup Cold Butter, Cut Into Small Pieces


1/3 cup Buttermilk

2 To 3 Large Ripe Peaches, Thinly Sliced

1/4 cup Chopped Pistachios, Shelled

2 Tablespoons Honey

1 Egg, Beaten, For Brushing Galette Dough

 Vanilla Ice Cream, For Serving (optional)

Preparation

To make the dough, combine flour, sugar, cornmeal, and salt in a processor; pulse 2-3 times. Add butter and pulse 4-5 times, or until mixture resembles coarse meal. With the processor running, slowing pour the buttermilk through the chute, processing until the dough forms a ball. Remove dough ball and adhere any remaining pieces of dough to it, then wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before rolling out.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350ºF. Remove galette dough from the refrigerator and place on a sheet of parchment paper. Starting at the center of the dough, roll out, forming a 14- to 15-inch wide circle. Place the dough with parchment paper on a baking sheet. 

Arrange peach slices on top of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Sprinkle chopped pistachios over peaches. Fold dough border over peaches, overlapping where necessary and pressing gently to adhere the folds. Drizzle peaches with honey. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edge of the dough with the beaten egg. 

Place galette on a large baking sheet, with the parchment paper. Bake galette for 45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack and let galette cool to room temperature before slicing. Slice and top with vanilla ice cream, if desired. 

Feeling fall

Spreads Pioneer Woman

Spreads

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 to 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Assorted toppings as needed: chopped granola, chopped nuts, colored sprinkles, mini marshmallows, crushed graham crackers, chopped candy, caramel sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together the brown sugar and butter in a large bowl. Add the egg and mix together. Add the flour, vanilla and salt and mix together well. Spread the dough onto a baking sheet to a thickness of 1/4 to 1/2 inch.

Bake until slightly brown, 15 to 18 minutes. At this point, pull the sheet out of the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top. Return to the oven for 1 minute. Remove and spread the melted chips over the top. Sprinkle on the desired toppings, and then chill to set. Cut into squares.

Recipe courtesy of Ree Drummond

This is what it'll look like.

Now, as soon as you pull the pan out of the oven, grab 6 to 8 ounces of chocolate chips.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips onto the top of the baked dough. Then—important—you're going to place the pan back into the oven for about a minute. And when you do, here's what'll happen:

Mmmm. Melty. Glossy. Inviting.

Now, with the spatula, just gently spread the chocolate all over the surface of the cooked dough.

 And when it's all spread out, covering all of the baked dough…

Use a knife (or a pizza cutter) to slice it up into square pieces.

Its a good thing

You so got this!

Becoming kinder

We each have a backstory the experiences, events, and choices that helped shape us into the people we've become. One of the best ways to understand a person, even someone we might disagree with, is to learn his or her story. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow put it this way: "If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility." Though most of us don't see each other as enemies, the sentiment is clear. 

It's much harder to dislike a person whose story you understand. 

For example, one man seemed to have a hard time connecting with other people. He wasn't very easy to talk with; he had such strong opinions about almost everything. Many people found him off-putting or tiresome. But a neighbor made the effort to become his friend. He listened rather than judged; he understood instead of dismissed. The kind neighbor explained, "I learned a long time ago that everyone has a story to tell, and the more I get to know a person, the more I like him." 

This experience has been played out countless times in countless places. Perhaps you've lived it. It begins when you open your heart enough to say to someone, in so many words, "Tell me your story"—and then truly listen. You will hear some stories that will surprise you, others that will inspire and humble you. 

As we listen with empathy and compassion, we come to see others much as we should see ourselves: some strengths and weaknesses; some successes and setbacks; some shining moments when we were truly our best selves, along with some mistakes and regrets. Insignificant differences between us begin to wash away, leaving the common experiences, hopes, and desires that unite the human family. Of course, some meaningful differences will most likely remain, but it will hardly seem worth ruining a potential friendship over them. In fact, the privilege of coming to understand someone better—and maybe even finding a new friend in the process—will become an important new chapter in our own backstory, helping us become kinder, more compassionate people.

Lloyd D. Newell

I can smell autumn dancing in the breeze

Enjoy the cooling air

Baked Lemon Pasta

Ingredients

1 pound Thin Spaghetti

4 Tablespoons Salted Butter

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 cloves Garlic, Minced

1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested

2 cups Sour Cream

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Or More To Taste

 Plenty Of Grated Parmesan Cheese

 Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped

 Extra Lemon Juice

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti until al dente.

In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.

Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.

Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don't bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)

When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.

Serve with crusty French bread and a simple green salad

Now comes the fun part. Remove the pasta from the oven…

And squeeze a little lemon juice over the top. Trust me.

Then comes the Parmesan…

 And THEN comes the Parsley.

Oh, yum.

Next…you guessed it. Squeeze a little more lemon over the top.

Blessed beyond measure

"God's light is real, it is available to all. 

It has the power to soften the sting of the deepest wound." 

Dieter F. Uchtdorf 

You may look at your situation and be ready give up hope of the future that I have promised you. It may look impossible to you, but it does not look that way to Me. Do not give up hope or stop trusting in Me during this test. Don't allow your circumstances to pull you away from the One who loves you. Instead, pray and draw nearer to Me.  Keep trusting Me; keep seeking Me, you shall not be disappointed; for I am faithful.

Trust and believe that I know what I am doing, and I know the timing of all things. Nothing is impossible to Me. I will keep My word to you, if only you will believe and stand in faith in My name.  I can and will do the impossible in your life. Have faith in Me; be obedient to My word, and you will be blessed beyond measure.

So, I ask you; will you trust Me when things in your life are not going the way you expected them to go? Will you trust Me to keep My promise to you even when circumstances seem to be moving in the opposite direction? Will you put your faith in Me and in My faithfulness instead of man and the circumstances? Will you trust in My word to you?  I say to you; be encouraged this day and trust in Me. Walk forward in love and walk forward in trust; 

for I love you, and I am with you.

~

"Remember that our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ, know you best and love you the most."

  M. Russell Ballard

Like the beam of sunlight rising up

The adversary uses despair to bind hearts and minds in suffocating darkness. Despair drains from us all that is vibrant and joyful and leaves behind the empty remnants of what life was meant to be. Despair kills ambition, advances sickness, pollutes the soul, and deadens the heart. Despair can seem life a staircase that leads only and forever downward. Hope, on the other hand, is like the beam of sunlight rising up and above the horizon of our present circumstances. It pierces the darkness with a brilliant dawn. It encourages and inspires us to place our trust in the loving care of an eternal heavenly Father, who has prepared a way for those who seek for eternal truth in a world of relativism, confusion, and of fear.

Dieter F. Utchdorf

Joy can be a daily part of our journey of life.

To many, the word pioneer conjures up images of covered wagons, dusty oxen, and hearty men and women seeking a new home in the American West. Or it may remind us of someone who makes important scientific discoveries. In reality, a pioneer can be anyone who moves bravely forward into the unknown—and doesn't that pretty well describe all of us on the journey of life? 

Pondering the lessons learned by the pioneers who walked across plain and prairie in the 1800s can help us on our own pioneer trek. Describing her experience as a 17-year-old pioneer, Margaret Judd said: "Our journey was like all such journeys—it had its pleasant side, and its unpleasant side. When the sun was shining and the roads were good, we trotted along feeling that we would soon be at our destination, but when the rain poured down and the roads were so bad that we could not travel—then that was the other side."

We're not crossing the barren wilderness, but we do travel through good and bad times, sunny days and rainy days. There are moments when everything seems perfect and the future is bright. There are other times when we wonder how we can go on. No one knows what the future holds, but no matter the terrain, the weather, or the distance, we can keep going—as the pioneers did—and even find some joy along the way. 

Catherine Adams, who turned 12 during her pioneer trek, described it this way: "It was terribly tiring and tedious in the hot and rainy weather. . . . We had many good times, though. In the evenings after the horses were tethered the men would light a big bonfire, clear off a level piece of ground, dampen it down to pack it a bit, and have a dance. There were some fine musicians along who played the fiddle, harmonica, and accordion, and we used to enjoy sitting around the fire listening to them or having a sing-song." 

Yes, the journey is long and often difficult, but there are joyful moments scattered along the trail. Even if we have to clear some ground and make space for it, joy can be a daily part of our journey of life. 

Lloyd D. Newell

Mountains crumble

Smashed fried potatoes

Ingredients

Potatoes:
2 pounds baby or fingerling potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra as needed
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
Dressing:
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 lemons, zested
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions

For the potatoes: Put the potatoes in an 8-quart stockpot with enough cold water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and allow to dry for 5 minutes. Using the palm of your hand, gently press the potatoes until lightly smashed.

In a large, nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 cup of oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly brown, about 1 minute. Remove the garlic and discard. In batches, add the potatoes and cook, without stirring, until the bottoms turn golden brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. Using a spatula, turn the potatoes over and cook, drizzling with oil, if needed, until golden brown on the other side for another 5 to 8 minutes.

For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, parsley, thyme, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Spoon the dressing over the potatoes and toss gently until coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Those who have suffered

Certain forms of suffering, endured well, can actually be ennobling. Annie Swetchine said, "Those who have suffered much are like those who know many languages; they have learned to understand and be understood by all" 

 Neil A. Maxwell