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~

It's Time to Garden

January... is the month to get the house back in order after packing up Christmas decorations and bringing out all the stuff I tucked away to make room for Christmas. It's the month that gets me in the mood to unclutter and reorganize closets, cabinets, drawers, the pantry. I've done good. I still have lots more to do but...

the weather draws me outdoors to sit in a sunny spot and relax, read a book, look at pretty magazines. It doesn't take long to see there's lots to do in the garden. Weeds to clear out, roses to prune, flowers to plant, vegetable gardens to clean out,

compost to spread...

take inventory... what do I still have... what do I want to add...

My orange tree has not grown. It is a dwarf. I didn't want a dwarf but it is what it is. It hasn't given very many oranges, but the sweet taste of these oranges makes up for the size of the tree.

My lemon tree produces the best lemons!

I still have eggplants, bell peppers, jalapenos, hatch chiles, green beans, and chives...

I have rosemary, cilantro, sage, oregano, margoram, curry, thyme, parsley, lemon balm. I cut back my basil, which does not do well in winter, and it is showing signs of life.

I've learned not to plant tomatoes in the fall because they end up freezing, but these came up on their own by a rose bush. They're looking sort of wimpy but maybe they'll survive. I'll take the freebies anytime!

After spreading compost, I added lettuce, spinach, zucchini, squash, snow peas, swiss chard, cucumbers, and radishes. I still plan to sow red and white onion, carrots and who knows what else. Definitely not corn! Definitely not broccoli!

Once I get the vegetable and herb gardens going,

it's on to my flower garden~

Cramming lots into one month!



~In the Garden~

A Collection of Prayers for Everyday

by Marsha Maurer

A Prayer For Purpose

A seed holds the complete design for life. The plan becomes the plant.

In the same way, Lord, let me see Your purpose contained in my life.
 Although I often flounder and struggle to find direction,
I know that my existence is not by accident or chance.

Remind me of Your intention for my life.

I am not here for pleasure, honor, prestige, or wealth.

Guide me to see that selfish enjoyment is not Your aim for me.

Make my life a blessing to others.

May the seed that You planted in my heart at my creation grow to maturity. Whether conditions be fertile or barren, make me bloom with the deeply planted satisfaction of Your will.

Amen.

"But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” Mark 4:20

Mamie's Dresser~Beautiful Again

This dresser belonged to my grandmother Dolores who I called Mamie (pronounced mommy). It looked much better when she had it. I remember it in her bedroom and had always loved it. Loved to look at the picture of her and my grandfather on it and her mirror and brush and nicknacks which all laid on a white crocheted doily.

My mamie passed away when I was in my teens and when her belongings were distributed, I asked for her dresser. I was thrilled to own it. It had a dark brown, almost black finish which I eventually repainted a lighter brown. That's when I found the secret compartment. I wondered what kind of things she kept there. I loved having this secret hiding place that no one knew about. What teen girl wouldn't?

I wish I knew the history of her dresser. How long she owned it, how she came to own it, did it belong to her and my grandfather or just her? Who cut the tin coffee can and nailed it to become a secret compartment? Did my grandfather? Or one of her sons, my dad? 

I held on to Mamie's dresser all these years. But it sat in my garage and it ended up taking quite a beating which is how it came to look this way.

I may not know it's history prior to my birth, but I know it's history since...

It belonged to my grandmother, then it belonged to her granddaughter (me) and now it will belong to my granddaughter Megan... her great-great-granddaughter. Each time skipping a generation.

And part of it's history is it's restoration! Which is a part I am really excited about.

Mamie's great-grandson Danny (my nephew) has made this dresser beautiful again. He and his wife Kacey, restore furniture. See Refreshed Decor here. And restore it he did. Leaving the secret compartment intact of course. Thank you Danny for giving it life again, you did an amazing job inside and out.

Michelle picked the color and knobs since Megan has no clue being only two. And here it is...

Mamie would be proud!

Stepping Into The New Year

It's Jan 5th and I haven't thought about resolutions for this new year. What should I do different? What should I add to my life? What should I discard?

My mind races to the usual.... get back to exercising, lose weight, plan meals, eat healthy, clean the closets, unclutter, blah blah blah.

Grow, learn, embrace, have faith. Inward changes versus outward changes.

Have faith.

These thoughts remind me of this morning's reading in "Jesus Calling". I pick up my book again and read Jesus words one more time...

"Come to Me with an open mind and heart, invite me to plant My desires within you. I may infuse within you a dream that seems far beyond your reach."

Do something that is beyond my reach? I don't know if I like that. So He continues...

"You know that in yourself you cannot achieve such a goal."

Very true Jesus.

"Thus begins your journey of profound reliance on Me. It is a faithwalk, taken one step at a time, leaning on Me as much as you need."

That's it. My new years resolutions...

~Listen~Have Faith~Trust God~ 

I can faithwalk. I can take one step at a time, leaning on Him. I flip back the pages to the January 1st reading and I listen and I have faith and I trust as Jesus speaks...

"Come to Me with a teachable spirit, eager to be changed.

A close walk with Me is a life of continued newness.

Do not cling to old ways as you step into a new year.

Instead, seek My Face with an open mind,

knowing that your journey with Me involves being

transformed by the renewing of your mind.

As you focus your thoughts on Me,

be aware that I am fully attentive to you.

I see you with a steady eye because My attention span is infinite.

I know and understand you completely;

My thoughts embrace you in everlasting Love.

I also know the plans I have for you:

plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope and a future.

Give yourself fully to this adventure of increasing attentiveness

to My Presence."

I think I know it's going to be a good year! +: )

Happy New Year

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace..."

Romans 15:13

Happy New Year

from our family to yours

New Year's Eve Fun...

and New Year's Day fun

Wishing you a Happy and Blessed 2012
Julie +: )