Audrey Assad

This advent season I have been touched by a song by an artist I wasn't familiar with. Her name is Audrey Assad. Today I discovered she is a convert to Catholicism, from an protestant background. Her faith journey is inspirational to me. Listen to the song by watching the video below and you will probably find yourself as moved as I was.

Patriarch Bartholomew

I have great admiration for this man. He is a great example of what Christ represented in the world: suffering for his faith which promotes peace, unity, and love.

As the Patriarch shares his struggle, I am reminded of the words of Christ, sung during Orthodox Divine Liturgy:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven" (Matthew 5:3-12)

The video is divided into part 1 and part 2.

kathryn should have won sytycd season 6!

the colors of fall

As I walked this week around my neighborhood, I was struck by the beauty of the changing leaves. I tried to capture it a bit with my camera.

This is beautiful

I came across this prayer and quote today on a blog I regularly follow. It is profound and beautiful.

"Those who believe they believe in God but without passion in the heart, without anguish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, and even at times without despair, believe only in the idea of God, and not in God himself." - Madeleine L'Engle

My Lord, I know not what I ought to ask of Thee.

Thou and Thou alone knowest my needs.

Thou lovest me more than I am able to love Thee.

O Father, grant unto me, Thy servant, all which I cannot ask.

For a cross I dare not ask, nor for consolation;

I dare only to stand in Thy presence.

My heart is open to Thee.

Thou seest my needs of which I myself am unaware.

Behold and lift me up!

In Thy presence I stand,

awed and silenced by Thy will and Thy judgments,

into which my mind cannot penetrate.

To Thee I offer myself as a sacrifice.

No other desire is mine but to fulfill Thy will.

Teach me how to pray.

Do Thyself pray within me.

Amen.

Prayer of Metropolitan Philaret

I love fall.

I love fall. I love the change in weather, from the scorching heat of summer to the cooler temperatures of autumn. I love how leaves float down from trees, ever changing from green to golden to orange or red. Fall, for me, feels more peaceful than the season it follows. The bustle of summer vacations and swimming in crowded pools is over. The smothering heat is passing and I feel I can begin to breathe again. In fall, I can sense the animals getting ready for the near season of winter. Pumpkins adorn the front porches of homes and find themselves used in recipes. My roses burst into bloom one last time before the cold of winter comes. Fall is a wonderful time of year. It is when I find myself a little contemplative of nature, life, and the beauty God gives. Then, I hope that gratitude rises up inside me as thanksgiving approaches. With all of this, I sense the ever nearness of advent. The season of fall is one of transition but also anticipation of what is to come. These are some of the reasons I love it.

Recently, I enjoyed a morning that reminded me of all of these things. I ate my Trader Joe's pumpkin pancakes and drank coffee out of my halloween mug. The fire was turned on for the first time in a long time. Why? It was fall! As I cooked my food and enjoyed, I listened to some music to inspire my heart. It was peaceful. It was beautiful.

(my breakfast and the music that inspired me)

DE-Stress!

One day this week I ventured out after work for my monthly brow appointment. It turned out to be much more than I bargained for in a good way! I discovered at the Aveda salon I go to that they were having a special on massages. So, since I was in extreme back pain, I took them up on this dose of relaxation and body healing. As I waited for my appointment I was blessed to come upon another bargain: happy hour at Seattle's Best (Borders)! I got a medium latte for only $2! This all was a great way for me to destress!

My Virtual French Encounter

So, I made a French breakfast this weekend and pretended I was in France! It was yummy but didn't quite match actually being in France! Oh well, one day! Bon Appetit!

Pictured: Trader Joe's mini croissants, Trader Joe's chocolate croissants, California Table Grapes from Trader Joe's

Low-fat, Vegan Pumpkin Cookies

Since fall is right around the corner, I have found myself starting to get into the autumn spirit. This means busting out the wreath with color changing leaves for the front door and pumpkins! I made pumpkin cookies and filled my house with the aroma of delight! The recipe is easy and they are fairly low-fat. They are vegan because you do add any oil or eggs to this recipe!

Pumpkin Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix one 15 oz can of pumpkin with one box of spice cake or carrot cake. Mix well.

3. Spray non-stick spray on cookie sheets and drop small droplets of batter. It will be thick and sticky.

4. Cook for 10-12 minutes (if you make them too big, like I did, they will take about 14 minutes)

5. If you would like, you may add chocolate chips or nuts but this will increase the calories!

Enjoy!

Mazy is a gra-ju-wit! (graduate)

Mazy, my beloved daschie, officially passed her first training class! When I initially enrolled her in the class at my local Petsmart, I thought it would be a good time for her and I to bond. It was but it was much more work than I had anticipated. She passed the following test in order to graduate (all minutes were timed by a timer):

Sit-Stay (frozen) for 1 minute

Sit-Down-Stay (frozen) for 3 minutes

Sit-Stay (owner turns their back and walks away)- Come from a distance

Sit-Down-Stay (owner turns their back and walks away)- Come from a distance

Sit-Wait (not frozen but must change from a sit to a down to indicate she is waiting)

"Leave it!" A huge pile of treats is placed on the floor. The dog is then instructed and reminded gently by collar to leave it while the owner walks the dog close to the treats, circling around them. Every time the dog attempts to eat the treats, they are reminded to "leave it!". Then, the owner places the dog directly behind the pile of treats. The dog is told "sit" and "stay." The owner turns their back and walks away. Then, the dog is called from a distance to come to the owner and must bypass the pile of treats. Thus, "LEAVE IT!".

All of this was hard work for Mazy but she did it! I really did bond us and it helped a LOT on her focus!

Congratulations my bubbies! (that's my nick name for her!)

Mutt Treats

Mazy, my beloved little dashie, may be in store for some yummies for her tummy! I caught this clip on the Today Show (via internet). They interviewed the author of a new doggie cookbook. I will put this book on my future purchase list. Mazy may have a surprise soon as I hope to try the recipe below for Pupsicles! I may even try the Barkin' Biscuits!

Frozen Strawberry Pupsicles

Amy Stevens' Yoga 4 Dogs

3 dozen Pupsicles

These Pupsicles are a great, refreshing way to give your dog that extra burst of energy!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups yogurt, low-fat plain vanilla flavor

• 1 jar organic baby food, strawberry flavor

• 2 tablespoons of your favorite honey

• 2 tablespoons of organic peanut butter

DIRECTIONS

Take all ingredients and mix thoroughly in a blender or food processor.

Pour into ice cube trays or paper cups and freeze for about an hour. It’s that easy!

Cheesy Bark’n Biscuits

Amy Stevens' Yoga 4 Dogs

4 dozen

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups whole-wheat flour

• 1 cup unbleached flour

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Cheddar cheese

• 2 tablespoons canola oil

• 4-5 slices fully cooked and crisp bacon (crumbled)

• 1 to 1 1/4 cup water (add more if needed)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix flour and cheese in a large bowl; add crumbled bacon, oil and water, mix well with hands. Form the dough into a ball and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.

Using half of the dough at a time, place on a floured surface and roll to ¼" thick. Cut into desired shapes and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12-15 minutes on middle rack or until lightly brown.

Turn oven off when done and leave biscuits in the oven to cool (about 20 minutes).

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

My Unprofessional Review of Julie and Julia

The other day I went to see the new movie "Julie and Julia." I had heard it was a must see! I anticipated one of those feel-good, leave the theatre smiling sort of films. I will have to say that it did not fulfill such an expectation. While it did not leave that sort of warm feeling in the pit of your stomach upon leaving, I feel it still is worth seeing.

Why? It is a movie about a woman, Julie, who is about to turn the dreaded 30 and her journey to find purpose in her life. What person couldn't relate to this? She finds this connection, though not literally, with Julia Child. 365 days, 524 recipes, and a blog.....Julie makes her way through Julia Child's cookbook and finds her purpose, even herself, in the end. I won't give away too many details but the movie was charming and inspires me to both purchase Julia Child's cookbook and learn to cook French. I will let you find out the rest for yourself.

By the way, if you want to know why the movie didn't live up to the warm fuzzy feeling--I will tell you but only after you have seen it. =)

gardening joys and qualms

So this spring has been full of gardening adventures for me!  I have been pulling out ugly plants and putting in new plants.  Also, I have put my hand to attempt my first herb garden and strawberry plant.  

I've experienced a recent panic with my beautiful rose garden I planted last fall.  It seemed I had these pests that no one could identify and no research could tell me what they were.  I tried all the natural remedies and nothing seemed to work.  Well, I finally discovered that these pests were in fact adult aphids!!! I guess my organic gardening, the release of ladybugs, didn't get all those aphids.  It seems this year they are

 especially nasty.  So one evening this week I will have to break down and use chemicals to try and kill the nasty bugs!  

So what's cooking in my garden?? Here are my recent additions:  MORE roses, hydrangeas, herbs, french lavender, and peonies.  With all the work I put in, I hope to one day just sit back and enjoy the beauty!

springtime in fresno

Spring is just around the corner and it is obvious. The Easter lilies, candy, and eggs are lining the stores.  Flowers are in full bloom.  In the Fresno area, the hills are lined with green grass and poppies.  The cherry blossoms are in full bloom and it is breathtaking.  I long for the sunny, clear days when I can gaze at the snow capped Sierra Nevadas.  In the evening, I can hear the cooing of the doves which reminds me so much of my fondest childhood memories, growing up in this area.  I am reminded of the beauty of creation and find myself thankful to be surrounded with such life.