If you want it bad enough

Like the woman at the well

Like the woman at the well believe that God can satisfy your deepest thirst.

"Joy, it seems, is not only happiness, but the resultant feeling of the Holy Ghost manifest within us. "How can we provide a climate in our lives to foster the presence of the Holy Ghost, that our lives may be more joyful? Just as a reservoir stores water to bring relief and replenish the thirsty land, so we can store experiences, knowledge, and desires to replenish and fortify our spiritual needs.  Barbara W. Winder

"The abundant life is within our reach if only we will drink deeply of living water, fill our hearts with love, and create of our lives a masterpiece."   

Joseph B. Wirthlin

"God is an unchangeable being; the same yesterday, the same today, and He will be the same throughout the eternal ages to come. We have found that God. We have made Him our friend, by obeying His Gospel; and He will stand by us. We may pass through the fiery furnace; we may pass through deep waters; but we shall not be consumed nor overwhelmed. We shall emerge from all these trials and difficulties the better and purer for them, if we only trust in our God and keep His commandments."   

George Q. Cannon

"It frankly does not make sense to occasionally 'fill up' with water, with long periods of dehydration in between. The same thing is true spiritually. Spiritual thirst is a need for living water."   

David A. Bednar 

"Water cannot be drawn from an empty well, and if you are not setting aside a little time for what replenishes you, you will have less and less to give to others, even to your children. "

Loaded Potato Casserole

Ingredients

6 russet potatoes, sliced into ¼" slices

salt and pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded monterey cheese

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 cups milk

2 large eggs

fresh or dried parsley, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter two 9x9 casserole dishes. Set aside.

2. Layer half of the potato slices in the dish, overlapping slightly. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the

cheeses on top of the potatoes and add the crumbled bacon pieces. Add the other half of the potato slices on

top of the cheese.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the milk and eggs. Pour the mixture over top of the potatoes. Sprinkle the parsley

on top (optional).

4. Cover with foil and bake for 90 minutes, or until the custard is cooked and set. Allow the dish to rest for 15-20

minutes before serving.

Hebrews 9:11 Good things to come

On those days when we have special need of heaven's help, we would do well to remember  .....Christ became "an high priest of good things to come." 

Every one of us has times when we need to know things will get better.... For emotional health and spiritual stamina, everyone needs to be able to look forward to some respite, to something pleasant and renewing and hopeful, whether that blessing be near at hand or still some distance ahead. It is enough just to know we can get there, that however measured or far away, there is the promise of "good things to come."

My declaration is that this is precisely what the gospel of Jesus Christ offers us, especially in times of need. There is help. There is happiness. There really is light at the end of the tunnel. It is the Light of the World, the Bright and Morning Star, the "light that is endless, that can never be darkened."  It is the very Son of God Himself. In loving praise far beyond Romeo's reach, we say, "What light through yonder window breaks?" It is the return of hope, and Jesus is the Sun.  To any who may be struggling to see that light and find that hope, I say: Hold on. Keep trying. God loves you. Things will improve. Christ comes to you in His "more excellent ministry" with a future of "better promises." He is your "high priest of good things to come."

Jeffrey R. Holland

 May you never forget, in this journey you are on, you are precious, every one of you, to the future of preparing the world for that day when Jesus Christ will say "It is enough" and will return and rule and reign as the Savior, the Lord of lords, the King of kings, the Redeemer of the world, who I testify lives....

in the sacred and in the beloved name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

M. Russell Ballard

Righteous desires of your heart

ask seek knock

Focus

Your wisdom

The wisest people you have ever met are likely those who have known misery, known defeat, known the heartbreak of losing something they loved, and have found their way out of the depths of their own despair. These people have experienced many ups and downs, and have gained an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, understanding and wisdom.

Cilantro-Lime Cucumber Salad

Yield: 5-6 side servings

Ingredients

• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cucumbers, very finely sliced 

4 tablespoons minced cilantro, to taste

Instructions

1. Dice the jalapeno and garlic and add to a medium-sized bowl.
2. Add 3 tablespoons of fresh lime juice, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Use a whisk to incorporate the 3 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside.
3. Finely slice the cucumbers. Use a mandolin if you have it, but a very sharp knife will do the trick. (See photos below.) Add the cucumbers to the dressing and stir together.
4. Finely mince the cilantro and add it to the bowl. Stir to combine. You can either let it sit in the fridge to marinate for a couple hours, or serve immediately.

Sow your joy

Light within

Be fulfilled

Choose wisely

Spinach, mushroom & feta crustless quiche

Ingredients

• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms 
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic 
• as needed non-stick spray 
• 1 (10 oz.) box frozen spinach 
• 4 large eggs 
• 1 cup milk 
• 2 oz. feta cheese 
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan 
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella 
• to taste salt & pepper 

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. If your frozen spinach is not already thawed, thaw it in the microwave. Empty the box into a colander and let it drain while you begin to prepare the rest.
2. Quickly rinse the mushrooms and slice them thinly. Place the sliced mushrooms in a skillet coated with non-stick spray, add the minced garlic, and sprinkle a little salt and pepper. Turn the heat on to medium-high and saute the mushrooms until they release all of their moisture and no more water remains on the bottom of the skillet (5-7 minutes).
3. Spray a pie dish with non-stick spray. Squeeze the rest of the water out of the spinach and spread it out on the bottom of the pie dish. Next add the cooked mushrooms and crumbled feta.
4. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs until fairly smooth. Add the milk, parmesan, and another small sprinkle of pepper. Whisk to combine.  Pour this mixture into the pie dish over the spinach, mushrooms, and feta.
5. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over top. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet for easy transfer into the oven. Place the quiche into the preheated oven and bake until it is golden brown on top and the center is solid. Every oven is different but this should take between 45 minutes and an hour. Slice and serve!

Nourish the blossoming

Let it...

Don't give up

Have no regrets

Salted Caramel Popcorn

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 cup salted butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup whole almonds (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large, lidded saucepan, warm 3 kernels with the 1 tablespoon oil. If you don't have a pan large enough to handle about 12 cups of popcorn, make in two batches
3. Once those three kernels pop, add the rest of the corn kernels to the pan and shake to coat with oil. Put the lid on the pan.
4. Pop the corn, shaking the pan occasionally until the popping slows.
5. Empty the popped corn into a large mixing bowl, and try to pull out as many unpopped kernels as possible so they don't end up in the mix.
6. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter then mix in the sugar, maple syrup and 1 teaspoon salt.
7. Once the sugar is completely moistened, increase the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat to medium.
8. Boil for 3-4 minutes without stirring.
9. Add baking soda and vanilla to the caramel mixture, stirring until you have a thick, even, glossy sauce.
10. Slowly pour the caramel sauce over the popcorn, while stirring the popcorn (it'll help to have two people). Optionally, add the nuts to the popcorn at the same time as the caramel sauce. Continue to stir the popcorn and the sauce until it's all well coated.
11. Divide the popcorn between the two baking sheets  and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt on top, then place in the oven.
12. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.
13. Allow popcorn to cool completely, or use buttered fingers to clump the popcorn and nuts together to form bunches if desired.
14. Enjoy!

Just taking it

Nourishing our mustard seed

. . . sometimes you just need to say it out loud with a deep breath and move forward

I Can Do Hard Things

Those who move forward with a HAPPY SPIRIT will find that things always work out. 

Gordon B. Hinckley

Faith is like a mustard seed, a little is all you need. 

Eliminating some of that clutter . . . spring cleaning for the soul!

Even though most of us realize that true happiness does not come from the things we accumulate, for some reason we still end up accumulating a lot of things. Sometimes our homes and closets and lives are filled with so much clutter, so much stuff, that we feel overwhelmed, even burdened by it all. There's so much to take care of, to worry about, to dust and clean, that the clutter seems to smother the joy out of life. Eliminating some of that clutter from our lives can be such a satisfying feeling. And it can serve as a good reminder that we treasure relationships and experiences more than things—that time together is more meaningful than stuff we buy that ends up in boxes and attics.

One recent best-selling author suggests an easy way to decide what to keep and what to discard: for each item, simply ask, "Does this spark joy?" Her advice is to "keep only the things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest. When you put your house in order, you put your affairs and your past in order, too. As a result, you can see quite clearly what you need in life and what you don't."

The fact is most of us would do well to unclutter more than just our closets. Letting go of material possessions can be a step toward tidying up the rest of our lives, helping us to clean out the debris in our soul and refocus our energies on people and things of greater worth. 

So perhaps it's time to determine whether there's clutter in our hearts that should be discarded—to throw out resentment and anger and replace them with affection and acceptance; throw out apathy and idleness and replace them with purposefulness and worthy activity; throw out envy and smallness and replace them with largeness of heart and generosity of spirit; throw out anything that constricts the soul and leave room only for those things that spark true joy.

Lloyd D. Newell

Line upon line . . . here a little there a little

Spinach Artichoke Lasagna

3 cups fresh baby spinach
2 (14-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, well drained
6 tablespoons butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
12 oven ready lasagna noodles
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Combine spinach and artichoke hearts in a food processor until smooth and creamy. (Or chop each separately with a knife until roughly chopped)

3. Melt butter and garlic in a large pot over medium heat until just melted. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk, salt, and pepper. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in spinach and artichokes.

4. Spread 1 cup sauce in the bottom of prepared dish. Top with 4 noodles. Spread 2 cups sauce over noodles. Top with 1.5 cups mozzarella cheese. Layer 4 more noodles, top with 2 cups sauce, 1.5 cups mozzarella cheese, and final 4 noodles. Top with remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese. 

5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees F for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10-15 more minutes until browned and bubbly. Let lasagna stand for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

Always

Great things

Great things are done by a series of 

small things brought together..

Thank you

I used to....

"I used to pray that God would feed the hungry, or do this or that, but now I pray that he will guide me to do whatever I'm supposed to do, what I can do. I used to pray for answers, but now I'm praying for strength. I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us and we change things."  

Mother Teresa

Apple Dumplings

Ingredients

1 apple

1 8-count tube of crescent rolls (8 oz)

1 stick of butter, melted

¾ cups sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1½ tablespoons flour

6 oz Sprite

Instructions

Core and peel apple into eight slices. 

Open can of crescent rolls and unroll. Place one apple slice on the wide end of one crescent and roll it up in the crescent.

Place into a greased 8×8 (or 9×9) pan. Continue with other rolls.

In a small bowl combine melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, and flour and mix until just combined.

Spoon over each crescent.

Pour Sprite into empty space in the middle of pan (NOT over the crescents).

Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes or until crescents are golden brown.

Serve warm with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

A part of us - Mother's Day

What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes part of us. 

Helen Keller

A Mother's love is endless.

Thank you for being my heart's first home. I love you, Mom

Always on my mind, Forever in my heart I miss you. 

Happy Mother's Day

A Mother's Hug

There is no greater haven than a mother's love.

Stuffed French Toast with Cherry Flavored Filled Dellightfulls

Ingredients

4 slices (about 1-inch thick) wide, French or Vienna bread

1/2 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® DelightFulls™ Cherry Flavored Filled Morsels, divided

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

2 large eggs

1/2 cup Evaporated Milk

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract

2 tablespoons butter

Powdered sugar 

INSTRUCTIONS

PLACE each slice of bread on cutting board. With small knife, cut a long, side "pocket" in each, making sure to not cut all the way through. Combine 1/3 cup DelightFulls morsels, ricotta cheese and almonds in medium bowl. Spread equal amounts into each bread pocket.

PLACE eggs, evaporated milk, sugar and almond extract in shallow dish. Whisk until well mixed.

MELT butter in large skillet over medium heat. Dip slices into egg mixture, coating both sides. Cook on each side for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. Garnish with remaining DelightFulls morsels.

Mary, Mary

Beautiful

Every child is a different kind of 

flower, and all together make this 

world a beautiful garden.

Seeds that you plant . . .

April Showers

into every garden a little rain must fall

Apple Pie Pancakes

INGREDIENTS:

Pancakes
Dry Mix

1 cup all-purpose flour 

2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (original recipe calls for 1 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (original recipe calls for 1/8 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon ground clove (not included in original recipe)
1/8 teaspoon salt

Wet Mix
1 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix-In
1 cup grated apple peeled
Butter or vegetable oil for skillet

Vanilla Maple Syrup
about 1/2 cup maple syrup, warmed gently
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or the scrapings of 1 vanilla bean

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pancakes - In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
2. In a measuring cup or small bowl, measure out the milk. Add the remaining wet ingredients and beat until combined.
3. All at once, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. The batter should have some small to medium lumps; don't overmix or try to stir them smooth.
4. Gently fold in the grated apple.
5. Preheat your skillet over medium heat and brush with 1 1/2 teaspoons of butter or 1 teaspoon vegetable oil.
6. Using a 1/4-cup measure, scoop batter onto warm skillet. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until small bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes, and then flip.
7. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook on the opposite side for about 1 minute, or until golden brown. (My pancakes were slightly larger than 1/4-cup of batter each, and I yielded 7 rather than 8; and they took slightly longer to cook than recipe indicates).
8. Transfer cooked pancakes to a baking sheet and place in a preheated 200F oven to keep warm.
9. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, adding more butter or oil to the skilled when needed. Serve immediately.
10. Vanilla Maple Syrup - Stir together the syrup, vanilla, and serve over pancakes.

Prayers are planted

My garden is where my prayers are

 planted and my dreams are born."

Faith plants the seed love makes it grow

Your mind is like a garden. What 

grows there is up to you.

You can grow flowers or you can grow weeds."

We all reap what we sow, so let's 

decide to sow what is good.

All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today.....

Weed It And Reap

Bloom

Plant dreams. 

Pull weeds. 

Grow a happy life.

Cute Garden Carrot Cupcakes

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake:

1 box chocolate cake mix

3 eggs

1/2 C. oil or melted butter

1 C. sour cream

1/2 C. milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting:

1 C. butter, softened

1/3 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tbsp. milk

2-3 C. powdered sugar

Crushed Oreos

Strawberries

Orange chocolate melts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners or grease small mason jars and place on a cookie sheet.

2. Sift cake mix into a large bowl to remove any lumps and add remaining "cake" ingredients. Stir until smooth.

3. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full or jars 2/3 full and bake for 15-20 minutes for cupcakes or 18-22 minutes for jars.

4. Let cool.

5. Chocolate Frosting: Beat butter until smooth. Add cocoa powder, vanilla and milk and beat. Slowly add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.

6. Dip strawberries in melted orange chocolate melts and let let on wax or parchment paper. Drizzle extra chocolate over the strawberries to give a carrot look! (I put chocolate in a small plastic bag a snipped off the corner to drizzle.)

7. Frost cupcakes and cover with crushed Oreos, then top with chocolate dipped strawberries!

Try again! :D

HaPpY MaY DaY !!!!!

"No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, 

He loves you with an infinite love."

  Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Super chewy and soft buttery chocolate chip cookies

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, very soft
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup extra chocolate chips for topping after the cookies are removed from oven

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and butter.
2. Add in the egg, egg yolk an
3. Bake for 14 minutes.
4. Remove the cookies from the oven and place chocolate chips on top of each cookie when they are still hot.
5. Add vanilla and mix until smooth.
6. Mix flour and baking powder in a separate bowl and slowly fold in the mixture. Stir until everything is just combined.
7. Fold in the 1 cup chocolate chips.
8. Refrigerate the dough for 24 hours.
9. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop cookie dough on it with the help of two teaspoons.