Author Archives: Ellen

A Bright Hodgepodge

It’s time again for Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thank you Jo From This Side of the Pond for asking the questions.

1. What do you never get tired of? 

A beautiful sunny and puffy cloud filled day.

2. My mother made the best ________________________________. 

So many things that she made were the best but I’ll choose her blintzes.

You can see our mom’s recipe and process that we learned and copied here.

3. What machine or appliance in your home aggravates you the most? Why? 

If my machines and appliances are working I’m happy for that!  That said, the oven we have in this home has a loud fan that is annoying. That is something new that we haven’t experienced with other ovens we’ve had in other homes.

4. What are three things that brighten up your day when they happen? 

An unexpected card or letter in the mail always brightens my day. A surprise visit from our kids. A photo messaged to us of our grandchildren.

5. Thursday (May 12) is National Limerick Day…write a limerick about relating to spring weather, spring blooms, or a spring event (five lines, the first two lines rhyme with the fifth line, the third and fourth lines rhyme together)

May brings with it much to discover
With growth and color to uncover
But do not neglect
and do not forget
To love and honor your Mother

and here’s another one that’s a life lesson and not just Spring related…

There is an old Book that is treasured
With worth and wisdom unmeasured
Stick to it’s truth
And value it’s worth
Or your life will be tragically severed

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

It was so good to catch up with family and friends on the Westside of the mountains over Mother’s Day weekend.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

We really enjoyed this dessert while traveling in Great Britain so duplicating it for special meals here on the other side of the Pond was a fun adventure for me. It’s a warm dense cake with a caramelized sauce. There are many versions of Sticky Toffee Pudding and this is one that has been successful and good. Don’t let the pudding confuse you. It’s not like our creamy soft pudding. This “pudding” is cake like.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 inch pan

Pudding:

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 cups confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 cups flour
  • 8 ounces dates (pitted and chopped into pieces)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups boiling water

Sauce:

  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 – 3/4 cups brown sugar
  • 2 cups whipping cream

You will need extra whipping cream to top off the cake with when ready to serve.

Directions:

For the pudding:

  1. Cream butter and sugar.
  2. Beat in eggs one at a time and incorporate completely.
  3. Fold in flour.
  4. Put the chopped dates in a separate bowl.
  5. Pour the boiling water over the dates and add the soda to this mixture.
  6. Give the water time to be absorbed into the dates.
  7. When water is mostly absorbed add the flour mixture and blend well.
  8. Pour the mixture into prepared pan.
  9. Bake for 40 minutes. Time may vary slightly depending on your oven.

Sauce:

  1. Mix all ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat.
  2. When cake comes out of the oven poke the top of the cake evenly with many holes.
  3. Pour half of the sauce over the top of the cake evenly.
  4. Allow Sauce to soak into cake.
  5. When ready to serve cut cake into squares and place the squares on your dessert plates.
  6. Top with remaining sauce that is hot onto the warm cake.
  7. Top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream.

 

We’ve been dreaming about going to England again so this is a recipe that came to mind.

I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say ~ Hymn

I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon My breast.
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting place,
And He has made me glad.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one,
Stoop down, and drink, and live.
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
I am this dark world’s Light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise,
And all thy day be bright.
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In Him my star, my sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk,
Till traveling days are done.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
My Father’s house above
Has many mansions; I’ve a place
Prepared for you in love.
I trust in Jesus—in that house,
According to His word,
Redeemed by grace, my soul shall live
Forever with the Lord.

Words: Horatius Bonar, 1846.

The Merry Start to May

April ended with a crockpot meal at Baba and Gramps’. We dug out our daughter’s University of Washington cheer outfit from the 80’s for Addy to try on and enjoy.

On the fourth of May we attended the Awana Awards night at church and Addy got her promotion from Cubbies to Sparks. In the Fall she will move on to the Sparks while her brother gets to start Cubbies. Here’s Addy helping to lead one of the Awana songs.

We are so thankful for the dozens of volunteers who make this program successful.

With the sunshine we are having at the beginning of May our dandelion crop has overtaken our grassy areas. The bees are happy. Maybe we should look into Dandelion Tea.

We are catching up with family and friends on the Westside of the mountains here in Washington State. A mix of good reports and hard reports. My computer time is scarce. The rain is plentiful. We’ve shopped at Business Costco filling up the rear of our vehicle leaving just enough room for our suitcases for our return trip. We’ve traveled roads we traveled for 20 years before we moved to the East side of the mountains. Things have changed and some things remain the same. We are still happy and content with our move.

This is Mother’s Day weekend in the USA and Canada. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms that visit here!

Truth for Today #17

Thursday May 5th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth this year!

Note: I am traveling today and I won’t be able to add your verses to the post until later this evening.

Psalm 18:28-30

For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness. For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. This God – his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

Psalm 28:7

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

And this passage in Russian…

Господь–крепость моя и щит мой; на Него уповало сердце мое, и Он помог мне, и возрадовалось сердце мое; и я прославлю Его песнью моею.

From Vera:

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:6-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

From Karen:

Psalm 100:5

For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting;
and His truth endureth to all generations.
‭‭

May, the Present and Past Hodgepodge

At the end of April and beginning of May in 2014 me and our daughter were on a journey from Seattle to Jacksonville North Carolina to set her up in an apartment before her husband returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. On May 3rd we were at the Biltmore Estate and Gardens in Asheville, North Carolina. Talk about beautiful May flowers!

Speaking of May flowers Jo From This Side of the Pond has some timely questions for Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. May Day! May Day!…last time you shouted for help? Or maybe just asked? 

I was shouting for help the whole month of April and mostly from my spouse. There were others I called into service to help me but the best help by my side for huge functions is Dear. We can depend on each other for good consistent effective help in getting an event ready and done. If my sisters lived nearby I’d call on them. There’s a level of good help that comes instinctively. People who walk into a situation and know what needs to be done without asking a million questions. Someone who doesn’t have to ask but sees and gets the task done. When I can’t depend on that kind of help I’m learning to write out detailed instructions and steps to execute an event. I tape those instructions on the kitchen cabinets at church so all can follow along and get things done step by step.

2. What’s something you may do this month? 

I may schedule myself a massage.

3.  ‘April showers bring May flowers’...is this true where you live? What’s blooming? What’s your favorite springtime blossom?

The daffodils have bloomed and are waning with the Lily of the Valley starting to sprout. The Johnny Jump Ups are showing. The first harvest of rhubarb is just about ready. The peonies are sprouting but won’t flower for a bit yet. The most healthy blooms right now are the dandelions! By the end of May we will see lots of beautiful blooms.

Some of my favorite Springtime blossoms are lilacs, azaleas, peonies, and wisteria.

4. What’s something you learned at your mother’s knee?

That the Bible is the book to cherish.

5. Share a thought about motherhood. 

Motherhood is a privilege to cherish and not take for granted and grandparenthood is one of the rewards for enduring, the cherry on top!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

More beautiful blooms from the Biltmore 8 years ago…

A very Happy Mother’s Day is wished for any mom who visits here!

And…

May the fourth be with you! 🙂

The Chaos of T-ball

There is a lot to learn at your very first T-ball game. One of the things is that when you are outfield you should wear your mitt not hold it.

Now we are ready, kind of.

Up to bat for the first time.

Safe on base but now what do I do.

Run!

Run Addy Run!

Up to bat for the second time and she’s got form!

Safe at first. Who’s on second?

Time to run again.

Safe on second.

Run to third. Run Addy Run. It’s okay to smile…

I see that smile forming.

And that’s T-ball. A learning experience with lots of laughs. So much to learn for a five year old. The highlight of the game was of course the treats for all the players when the three innings were over.

JJ was in my lap during the game so getting photos was an interesting challenge. It was fun to hear him cheering on his sister…’run Addy, run Addy!’ He had a lot to learn too, because he was cheering her on to run when she was outfield, too.

Beneath the Cross of Jesus

Beneath the Cross of Jesus

Beneath the cross of Jesus
I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty rock
Within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness,
A rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat,
And the burden of the day.

O safe and happy shelter,
O refuge tried and sweet,
O trysting place where Heaven’s love
And Heaven’s justice meet!
As to the holy patriarch
That wondrous dream was giv’n,
So seems my Savior’s cross to me,
A ladder up to Heav’n.

There lies beneath its shadow
But on the further side
The darkness of an awful grave
That gapes both deep and wide;
And there between us stands the cross
Two arms outstretched to save
A watchman set to guard the way
From that eternal grave.

Upon that cross of Jesus
Mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One
Who suffered there for me;
And from my stricken heart with tears
Two wonders I confess;
The wonders of redeeming love
And my unworthiness.

I take, O cross, thy shadow
For my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine
Than the sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by,
To know no gain or loss,
My sinful self my only shame,
My glory all the cross.

Words: Elizabeth C. Clephane, 1868.

Wrap Up Easter Monday

On Easter Monday morning we and our company decided to walk the Rotary trail while the guys golfed the Rotary golf course. We were hoping to catch glimpses of each other along the way.

After Henry’s Pond we caught a glimpse of the guys across the way.

They drove over to get as close to us as they could.

The littles ran to their dads and Uncle Joshie.

I didn’t have my long lens camera but was able to catch some blurry long distance shots of this pretty bird that is blue.

We had a good time on this cold morning.

Today is the last day of April. It has been a busy April and today I’ll be in the kitchen at church again for the third funeral/memorial service this month. Our church tries to help in any way we can to take some of the burden off the family who’s loved ones have been ushered to heaven. Whatever you can do before your time comes to make arrangements and help with the financial burden would be good to do. My parents paid for their plots and other costs associated with their funerals ahead of time and that was such a relief. The best thing you can do is to make sure you know you are going to be with Jesus. The alternative is not good in any way shape or form. Today is the best time to make peace with God through Jesus Christ.

Goodbye to April and hello to May!