MISTY'S MORNINGS

Sharing here... Wordless Wednesday

What if today you prayed... and found... a new peace?

This hardly constitutes a recipe since it is mostly dump and stir but I  must  share it here because I love it so much.  The tangy vinegar mixed with spicy onions and creamy lentils makes my perfect in-a-rush lunch.  I usually just eat it right out of the bowl but it is also nice on a bed of red leaf lettuce.  It is also perfect for meatless Friday meals during the Lenten season just double the amounts. INGREDIENTS One can lentils , rinsed and drained 1 can tuna, packed in olive oil, undrained 1/4 onion, diced I prefer red onion) 1/4 cup red wine vinegar kosher salt PROCESS In a medium mixing bowl, stir all ingredients together.  I usually add more vinegar as it is quickly soaked up by the lentils. Serve over lettuce, on crackers or simply eat out of the bowl! ******* The March 2012 issue of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine, entitled The Budget Issue, was really inspiring me over the weekend so I plan to make ...

~PRETTY~ Trees are budding, plants are sprouting and berries are ripe and red on our holly tree.  I learned that the word Lent is from an Old English word meaning Springtime .  How appropriate that nature also knows it's Lent! ~HAPPY~ My son, ZJ, and I shared a moment together over chips and salsa at his favorite Mexican restaurant for his birthday lunch.   He couldn't make me any happier! My sister and brother-in-law suffered through many an early morning wake-up call from their three adoring fans during the past week's visit.  Mornings are so much more fun when Auntie is in town! ~FUNNY~ Despite the solemnity of observing Ash Wednesday yesterday, nature did not show much restraint and sent us the most beautiful sunshiny day we've had in a while.  I also received my favorite magazine in the mailbox, Phylis Hoffman's Celebrate.  It was the Easter issue and I had high hopes of sipping some afternoon coffee, soaking in the sunshine and pa...

Instead of six mini tartlets I made one large chocolate tart simply because I only have one large tart pan.  Even though there were several steps in making this recipe, overall I thought it was easy to make.  Studded with chunks of white chocolate, milk chocolate and crumbled cookies (I successfully substituted Pepperidge Farm Bordeaux cookies for the biscotti due to nut allergies), this elegant dessert tastes like a very sophisticated brownie.  Pop over here to get the entire recipe for yourself! Sharing with Tuesdays With Dorie - Baking With Julia

~PRETTY~ 75% off flowers at the grocery store the day after Valentine's Day = Hello Daisy!  ~HAPPY~ Another great thing about the day after Valentine's Day is that it marks the day that I first held a son in my arms ten years ago.  Happy Birthday RW!  I never would have imagined that you would grow up to be so witty, funny, cuddly and fast.  I also would never have imagined a child requesting an apple pie instead of a cake for birthdays but I am happy to oblige!  Dad and I love you the world! ~FUNNY~ KC has discovered the deliciousness of a "'tella sandwich" aka Nutella sandwich.  One slice of bread folded over a swipe of chocolate-hazelnut spread which he only eats from the middle out to the crust (thus the mile wide chocolate evidence on his face).  Doesn't it make you happy to see your little ones munching on something they love? ~REAL~ Lately I feel like I am living in a scene from the movie The Birds . ...

Have you ever tried to use your camera phone to take artistic photos ?  I have been surprised at how interesting the photos can be using such a small camera.  Try getting in closer to your subject than you would normally ever do.  Allow the camera to refocus itself on the small object and snap yourself a surprise. In the photos above, I followed the prompts from Liz Lamoreux as part of the Create Space on-line class I am taking.  She suggested we take our cameras on a creative walk and find something tiny, fading, surprising etc...  I was surprised to see a baby bud on the branch of our maple tree.  My son's baby face peach fuzz lit up in the light through the living room window while we watched Thomas the Train together. I caught the reflection of my iPhone in my sunglasses while waiting in the school drive up line.  Down on my knees in the mulch, a mini universe appeared in the moss along the air conditioning unit. ...

A rarity in our lives, my husband and I actually went out to dinner without our three sons on Saturday night!  Our school has begun a new Parents' Night Out Movie and Pizza party once a month.  The kids bring their sleeping bags and settle in to watch a movie in the school cafeteria complete with popcorn, pizza and their friends' company.  This past weekend the movie was Dolphin Tale and my sons loved it so much they want to watch it again as a family. This Saturday we were craving pasta so we went to a little local shop that was made famous when Guy Fieri stopped in to sample the legendary stuffed meatballs .   The owner is a native of Naples, Italy and is actually more of a pastry chef than a cook.  We started off with a bowl of giant, fresh mussels in a garlic wine broth.  I could have been finished eating right there they were so delicious.  The beautiful coffees and a slice of chocolate dipped raspberry and lobster cream cake was a...

Happy Sunday.  May I send you over to Elizabeth's to read her personal story of dealing with pregnancy, cancer and how the Tim Tebow bill has put her family in the New York Times?  It is well worth the read. Weekend Clicking @ In the Heart of my Home

Do you have a collection of items that have special meaning to you?  Are they scattered to various shelves, drawers and tables throughout your home?  Part of our homework for the Create Space on-line retreat this weekend was to gather our meaningful, inspirational items and put them all on one location which we could call our sacred space.   Liz recommended a few basic items to get us started: a cloth to cover the table, a candle, bits of nature, a photo, artwork and anything else that held soulful meaning to us.  Here is what I hunted and gathered to create my little prayer corner in our master bedroom. The illustration of the woman on the beach is by Becky Kelly , one of my favorite artists, the nest symbolizes my three sons and, of course, Holy Mother Mary holding baby Jesus, embodying my highest calling ~ gentle motherhood.  I received the icon of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the mail and thought it was particularly beautiful even though I don't...

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. {moments of grace} @ Suscipio

Sharing with 52 Photos Project

~PRETTY~ The sunsets lately have been spectacular ~ big strokes of fiery orange or delicate pink and purple swirls.  As I drive the boys to their evening basketball practices I have been known to swerve wildly off the road to capture the spectacle on my cellphone such as this moment above.  (Picture my boys sighing deeply in the backseat anxious just to get. to. practice. already!) ~HAPPY~ Can I just tell you how blissfully peaceful Liz Lamoreux's blog has been for me in the past two months?  So much so that in light of my word of the year - create - I took a leap of faith and signed up for her Create Space on-line retreat .  It runs for the next five weeks and has already blessed me deeply.  This is a doodle I did in anticipation of the opening ceremony on Sunday.  (Tomorrow's post will feature our first week's assignment which was to create a sacred space in our homes so stop back to see mine.) ~FUNNY~ I must be 39 years old or somet...