Prayer Request

It's been a year since Michelle was diagnosed with breast cancer. She's been through a year of chemo; she had a mastectomy; and reconstructive surgery. Her first chemo was Feb 17, 2011 and her final chemo was last Friday.

Today she is having another pet scan. The last one in December showed activity in her lungs, nodules...many nodules. Too small to biopsy. Today she is having another scan to see if they have changed... grown? stayed the same? disappeared? That would be the right answer, disappeared!

But she is experiencing pain. So again we pray and ask for your prayers. Prayers to keep her strong and prayers for her healing as only God can provide. She is an amazing woman, my daughter. Her faith is strong and she is a blessing to all who know her.

Jeremiah 29:11-12

For I know well the plans I have in mind for you says the Lord,

Plans to give you a future full of hope.

When you call me,

When you go to pray to me,

I will listen to you...

Lemon-Thyme Cookies

Always looking for ways to bring my garden into my kitchen, I found a recipe for Lemon-Thyme Cookies

I have lemons and I have thyme!

They taste like buttery shortbread cookies which are a favorite of mine. These have a hint of lemon... couldn't really taste the thyme, but I was glad to use it. Means the cookies are healthy right???

Lemon-Thyme Cookies

1/2 cup butter softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon snipped fresh thyme

2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

coarse sugar or granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the butter in a medium mixing bowl on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar; beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in thyme, lemon peel, lemon juice, and cardamom. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Knead until smooth; form dough into a ball.

Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Roll each portion in a 6x4&1/2-inch rectangle (about 1/4 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough in 1&1/2-inch squares with a scallop-edge pastry wheel. (I rolled out the dough and used a heart cookie cutter) Sprinkle cutouts with coarse sugar. Place cutouts on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are just lightly brown. Makes 36 cookies.

 Perfect for Valentine's Day

a little girl's tea party

 I have a very special neighbor. She is a dear friend and she has a heart of gold. Recently she gave her youngest daughter (center) a birthday tea party...

~Life without friends is like a garden without flowers~