Letting Go

"It is hard sometimes to allow others to be who they are, especially if we feel we know what’s best for them and we see them making choices we wouldn’t make. However, if we are to be respectful and truly loving, we have to let people go, trusting that they will find their own way in their own time and understanding that it is their life to live. Just reminding yourself that the only life you have to live is your own is the first step to letting go."

Powerful words on Daily Om today...but this doesn't apply to 19 year old daughters...right??

On My Hearth: Brownies with a Twist

Beren's girls are here for part of the weekend, heading home tomorrow morning so they can spend Mothers Day with their mom. His eldest is sick with a nasty cold and doesn't have much of an appetite, has been sipping chicken soup and strawberry smoothies today but tonight I thought I'd make her a treat. Along with macaroni & cheese (to get some calories and protein in her system), I'm going to bake these tasty-sounding brownies. Should there be leftovers I'll be taking them to Kali's house tomorrow morning for our Mothers Day brunch!

Brownies with a Twist (cinnamon applesauce)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes
Recipe Yield: 20

Ingredients:

· 1 pkg Duncan Hines Chocolate Lover's Double Fudge Brownie Mix
· 2 single-size serving cups cinnamon applesauce
· 3 eggs
· 2 Tbsp. water
· 1/4 c. peanut butter

Directions:

1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9'x12' pan with cooking spray.
2: Mix brownie mix, eggs, applesauce, and water together until mix is moist.
3: Melt peanut butter in microwave for 30 seconds
4: Pour melted peanut butter on top of brownie mix in four lines and run a knife through to swirl into the batter.
5: Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

On My Hearth: Bean Tamale Pie

We'll be celebrating Cinco de Mayo with margaritas and this tasty vegetarian dish tonight!

Bean Tamale Pie

Prep: 15 min.
Bake: 20 min.
Serves: 6
Cost per serving: $1.10

1 8 1/2-oz. package corn muffin mix
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 15-oz. can corn kernels, drained
1 4-oz. can diced chilies

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare corn muffin batter as package label directs; set aside.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil. Add onion and garlic and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin; continue stirring 1 minute longer. Add tomatoes, beans and corn; cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Pour mixture into a 9-inch pie dish. Carefully spread corn muffin batter evenly over bean mixture.

3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.

PER SERVING: 326 Cal., 7g Fat (1g Sat), 24mg Chol., 11g Fiber, 13g Pro., 56g Carb., 721mg Sod.

On My Hearth: Comfort Food

As often happens, today I'm turning toward the kitchen to lift my lagging spirit. Since it's the end of the month and the food budget tight, I'm scouring my pantry and freezer, using up bits of this 'n that to make complete meals. They won't be gourmet or always super-healthy, but it'll fill our tummies and stretch our dollars just a bit further until payday. Also, we have Beren's girls with us this whole week and, well, let's just say they are not as adventurous eaters as the rest of us so I plan accordingly.

We stocked up on Velveeta when it was BOGO a while back so we'll be having mac & cheese as a side dish to turkey meatloaf (my own recipe I throw together), and green bean casserole using leftovers. I also found 3 lone cupcakes in the freezer and a couple scoops of frosting in the fridge, will let the kids fight over them. *grin*

Here's the super-easy M & C recipe; I told you it wasn't healthy but sooo yummy!

Velveeta Mac 'n' Cheese

* 2 tbsp. butter
* 1 lb. Velveeta pasteurized process cheese spread, cubed
* 1/2 c. milk
* 2 c. (7 oz.) elbow macaroni, cooked, drained

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter & milk together, add Velveeta cheese spread and stir until Velveeta is melted. Stir in macaroni; spoon into 2-quart casserole. Bake 15 minutes. Garnish as desired (I like to top mine with bread crumbs). Makes 6 servings. Prep time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 15 minutes.

The Hardest Part

photo courtesy of Kimagery

I woke up in the middle of the night to a txt message from Lily, "I miss her so much..I dreamed about her..." Me, too, sweetie, me too..

Six weeks after her death, I still cry nearly every day, still pick up the phone to call her...it's still so raw. The hardest part for me right now is selfish - I am missing her taking care of me, of things, of problems, in the only way a Mom can. I feel as if I'm walking a tightrope, precariously perched, with no safety net below me. She was always there with open arms to catch me if I fell. No matter how much I was hurt, she made it better, one way or another.

Who's going to catch me now?

On My Hearth: Spinach (or Broccoli) Quiche

Spinach (or Broccoli) Quiche

* 1 9-in pie crust, unbaked
* 3 eggs, beaten
* 8 oz pkg of Swiss cheese slices
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 2 tbsp flour
* dash pepper
* 1 c milk
* dash nutmeg
* 1 small onion, sliced and sauted lightly
* 10 oz pkg frozen spinach (chopped) or broccoli, cooked and drained

Cut cheese in strips. Toss with flour. In pie crust, alternate layers of onion, spinach (or broccoli) and cheese, ending with cheese layer. Mix milk, eggs, and spices. Pour into crust. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

Ostara Blessings

Ostara (Eostre) is an especially meaningful sabbat for me, the day that I honor several significant beginnings and endings in my life. It is the day in which I filed for divorce from my first husband and coincidentally married my second one short year later. Unbelievably, it is also the day on which I ended my second marriage, 16 years after making those vows to each other.

So today I will reflect on those two relationships, the joy as well as the sorrow that they brought into my life, and then I will turn away from the cold dark memories to face the bright new day which is now and the beauty that awaits me in the future.

Happy Birthday, Kevin!

'Happy Birthday', originally uploaded by letslookupandsmile.

Happy 25th Birthday to my amazing son-in-law! Hope you have a wonderful day!

I am so flattered! My dear blogging friend Deb at Nourish the Soul has given me a delicious award which I must share with you! I hope Deb will forgive me but at the moment I simply can't choose 10 blogs to bequeath the honor to right now! I love you all, and I visit your blogs frequently, you all contribute so much to my life.. I hope you'll understand if I simply pour a cool glass of lemonade for all of you on my blog roll, perhaps a Lemon Drop shot for those who imbide, and toast to Life - the sweet, the sour, and everything in between!

Thank you, Deb.

On My Hearth: Turkish Vegetable Stew with Israeli Couscous

We visited Josh's Organic Market again this past Sunday, gathered up a bunch of tasty veggies which will go into this tasty stew!

Turkish Vegetable Stew with Israeli Couscous

POINTS® Value: 8
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 25 min
Cooking Time: 20 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

This exotic, meatless main dish is sure to become a favorite. It’s served over Israeli couscous, a pea-sized form of pasta.

Ingredients
1 cup(s) uncooked couscous, Israeli or toasted variety
1 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 medium raw eggplant, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
1 medium yellow pepper(s), cut in 1-inch chunks
15 oz canned garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
14 1/2 oz canned tomatoes, diced, with roasted garlic
1/2 cup(s) water
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup(s) scallion(s), sliced
1/3 cup(s) dill, fresh, chopped
1/2 cup(s) pot cheese, or crumbled fat-free feta cheese
Instructions

* To make couscous, bring 1 3/4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan; add couscous. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until couscous is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of oil.

* While couscous cooks, make stew. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant; cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini and yellow pepper; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

* Stir in garbanzo beans, tomatoes, water, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in scallions and dill.

* To serve, spoon a scant 3/4 cup of couscous onto each of 4 serving plates or bowls and top each with 1 1/2 cups of stew. Sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons of cheese and serve.