Sunday, April 28, 2019....

The United Methodist Women Mission Focus for today is InterServ in St. Joseph, Missouri.

May you be surrounded by hope, joy, love, and peace on this Sunday.  Special blessings to all!

Celebrate....

I've always thought it was a good practice to celebrate everything!  This Easter, I stayed with some "tried and true," and I also branched out into something new!

I am currently posting this from my iPad, on which I have the specific pictures to illustrate these goodies.  I'll be adding the pictures below, but run into complications when I try to comment on the pictures when I post this way.  Therefore, I am attempting to list the pictures in order with the first one being the "tried and true" Hot Cross Buns.  These have been featured on the blog in past years.

Next will be the Black Forest Cherry Cake, first time ever to try this one!

Finally, there are two rounds of Easter Egg Braid!

I hope you had a memorable Easter with time to be with those whom you love!

Sunday, April 21, 2019....

Today, we observe the Resurrection of the Lord!  I send everyone special wishes on this Easter Day!

The United Methodist Women Mission Focus is the Holding Institute Community Center in Laredo, Texas.

May you be surrounded by hope, joy, love, and peace on this special day!

Sunday, April, 14, 2019....

This is Palm Sunday, the Sixth Sunday of Lent.  The United Methodist Women Mission Focus for today is Hawthorn Hill in Des Moines, Iowa.

May you be surrounded by hope, joy, love, and peace on this very special day! Blessings to all!

Sunday, April 7, 2019

I realize there should have been a bit of explanation about the Tablescapes pictures from last Sunday. Those were from an event that benefits Wesley House, a National Mission Institution of the United Methodist Women.  We have a Wesley House location in our area, and we are involved in activities there throughout the year.

Today's United Methodist Women Mission Focus is the Gum Moon Residence Hall in San Francisco, California.

May this be a day you are surrounded by hope, joy, love, and peace!  Special blessings to all!

For your consideration....

Here is another idea for your consideration!  I really do enjoy lamb, and it is a rare occasion that I am able to find freshly ground lamb at a favorite market, as I did recently.  This version of Shepherd's Pie, while not quite like the original, was a taste pleaser here!  I will enter the pictures all at once as I seem to be experiencing difficulty taking them one by one.  The first one shows the browning of the lamb (1 1/2 pounds), onions (2 medium chopped), and carrots (2, finely chopped).  Next is the addition of peas, about 1/2 cup.  I used frozen and just dumped them into the skillet.  I added a bit of beef broth (1 1/2 cups), tomato paste (3 Tablespoons), and Worchestershire sauce (1 Tablespoon), and cooked this about 10 minutes.  Oops! Must remember to add the thyme, about 1/2 teaspoon dried, a bit of salt, and pepper.  Now, the difference is the topping.  I used canned sweet potato puree rather than the traditional regular mashed russet potatoes.  I did, though, add a little melted butter to the sweet potatoes before spooning them over the lamb mixture in the baking dish.  Then, into the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to brown slightly, and the filling is bubbly.  Sometimes, it takes a little longer.  This will make about 4 to 6 servings.

All this being said, let me mention that today is actually National Deep Dish Pizza day!  I'd say that it's a good day to enjoy either Shepherd's Pie....or Deep Dish Pizza!  Maybe even some Women's NCAA Basketball Tournament watching!  Enjoy!

Whose birthday?

Happy Birthday to my sister!  She is the one with the short, brown hair!  She was just about a year old in this picture.  Look at all that hair!  This is the first picture we have of us together.

Sending wishes for a special day to you, Sister!