A new blog, or just a new layout..

Hello… I am back again. I have been away… and then it’s so hard to post again. I have been contemplating starting a new blog using a web host, seems like so much more you can do using a web host & wordpress.org…. like plugins. I would love to use plugins. The other thing that’s been on my mind, is my blog a food blog? If so, it’d be gluten free, or is it a craft hobby blog, an online journal… a picture blog? Or can it just be… me, what I enjoy, like, and want to share with you. Maybe everything I write won’t be Happy! or about Wifely things, though I completely love being a wife! Or be about food… though there is something inside me that loves taking pictures of what I make, it’s like my own cookbook, which actually might happen someday… Or I might not also share my hobbies… because they ever change but completing hobbies brings me joy, it is in photography and hobbies that I feel like I best express myself. I begin again… to write… to share… and to blog. Come join me in his journey of life…
Today I was more emotional this mid-morning, sore from who knows what… but instead of letting that build inside me. I started working on one of my favorite hobbies… my garden, well it’s an “our” garden, but today it felt good to let it be mine for the early afternoon and go pull out the weeds…I think we have really good soil this year!

Weep with them that weep…

Last week my heart broke, for the families from Sandy Hook Elementary. My prayer for them is that through time they can see God’s hand of comfort because we have a promise, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”

Trying to describe the pain of the families from Newtown, I’d fall short. This might never be read by those closely affected by this tragedy, but I know our nation was affected, families, mothers and fathers of children, teachers.

This small prayer helped me and knowing… “He would never turn away a bruised reed; He’d mend it.” When I heard this prayer and it gave me comfort and I have always found it amazing how God shows us comfort. May it be a comfort to you.

“Remember those that’s raised their hands. Down beneath that hand, Lord, was a heart requesting something from Thee. And, perhaps, maybe only Thee, alone, could give it. I pray that You’ll grant it, Father. Whatever they have need of, give it to them in abundance. If there be any sick, Lord, heal them. If there be any that’s falling by the wayside, strengthen that one, that feeble knee. “A bruised reed, He’ll not break or a smoking flax will He not quench.” And we know that He would never turn away a bruised reed; He’d mend it. And I pray, heavenly Father, that if there be any spirits that’s broken or discouraged, or feeble hands a-hanging down, and knees bagged, may they be lifted up tonight, Lord. May the Holy Spirit come and heal our hearts and spirits, and our physical beings, and we’ll give Him all the praise for it. We ask it, in Jesus’ name. Amen.” 62-0121E – The Marriage Of The Lamb

A little friend stopped by to visit…

This past weekend I looked out my kitchen window… and saw a praying mantis, so I took a few pictures.

On a more personal note:

I had been sick for a little while, I am enjoying getting back to post again. 🙂

For a rainy day…. Ginger Butternut Squash Soup

It had been drizzling most of the day…

This photo reminds me of The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher

With it being overcast & rainy what a better way to warm the body then some soup. A butternut squash soup, with chicken bone broth, ginger, carrots, a few potatoes and spices.

The inspiration for this soup came about a week prior, I came across the blog, Pursuit of Happiness, and I am so glad I did. This recipe she posted is wonderful. Here is the Recipe that inspired me. Thank you PofH for the inspiration.

I had to make a few minor changes due to not having all the ingredients, and when I went back and read her ingredient list, I realized she called for curry powder and I used cumin powder ( must have been craving cumin because I totally thought that’s how it read the first time). The soup was wonderful, warming, and delicious.

My Photo Recipe:

What a better way to finish off a rainy day..

Bliss can be said in a few words…

Happy National Coffee Day

Yesterday: Calling it what it is… A Gluten-free Japanese Pear Apple Pie Crisp

Last night as I was making supper a warm fall dessert sounded nice. Something with cinnamon and apples… maybe a pie, I decided to make something like that…

It also was my first gluten-free crust since getting married and moving out of my mom’s well stocked kitchen with massive amounts of all things good for baking gluten-free.

I learned yesterday, that I can substitute plain old (gluten-free) corn starch for the mecca xanthan gum. See gluten-free bakers… I am still learning.. and probably always will be. Though, Michael Pollan, says something about xanthan gum… was it rule #3? “Avoid food products containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in the pantry” –gluten free bakers must not be ordinary.. but maybe I am, because I used plain old corn starch? I digress …

For my filling:

I peeled a Japanese pear and Gala apple I got from the farmer’s market, sprinkled some organic brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, a little vanilla, and a splash of apple juice.

My Pie crust consisted of: Brown rice flour, potato starch, corn starch, salt, a little apple cider vinegar, a fresh egg, and butter. I really liked the taste of the crust!

I topped the crust with butter and a brown sugar rub…it’s possible I throw some cinnamon on too, sounds like me.

If I had read Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrus_pyrifolia, I would have known the Japanese pear is more of a delicacy, and also has a lot of water content and rarely cooked in pies, let alone served with sugar, but good thing is I hadn’t read Wikipedia before I baked my sugary savory dessert..

A Japanese Pear Apple Pie Crisp:

A glimpse of 5 minutes from mid-afternoon:

Planting fall flowers, when I went to Lowes the other day I learned the pansies bloom in the fall, winter and spring.

It Has Arrived!!

My favorite time of year…

Last evening I cooked an heirloom acorn squash, deer burger, and turnip greens. I was delicious! I love fall, the nights are beginning to have a slight crisp, the trees are beginning to push out the green and show the beautiful reds and oranges beneath, pie baking, and Thanksgiving.

I find Fall to be a very special time in my life…

Gluten-free Quiche with Deer Sausage & Red Potatoes

Last weekend we went camping and upon our return we had an ample supply of fresh eggs from our birds.

Quiche was on my mind and being gluten-free I went about looking up a few recipes; I was inspired by someone using a potato crust.

As I put the deer sausage into brown…it smelt so good, though had a hint of green bell pepper, though after it cooked a little I noticed it was red pepper flakes, it turned out delicious.

Enjoy my inclination towards food:

Follow my inclination towards food on twitter @rachcof

or

https://inhisarmsofgrace.wordpress.com/

All photos were taken by… me*

Where I found the potatoes crust: http://www.notthecrazyone.com/

Catching up

 Hello Blogging World,

Just a quick update – my computer took a dive to a blotchy blue screen world all because of some virus I picked up, probably from some site or forum involving surveys. Taking survey’s for cash is a whole other subject, but in short, it’s not worth it. I tried doing it for a few weeks awhile back, and really, I feel like ones time can be spent more wisely then trying to earn 15 to 75 cents every twenty minutes. Oh well, enough about that, just wanted to let you know I am back, and it was one of my friend’s techy husband and my brilliant husband who got things working again. Lots has also happened this past month.. but I’ll fill you all in later, right now I have some black beans cooking and I am trying to materialize a yummy supper in my head. Until Next time…

 

Ps: Today is the first day of my last semester..

Today is the first day of my last semester for my Bachelor of Science degree in dietetics.  I didn’t know I would be on this path 5 years ago, but God did, and I am thankful for this path that I have taken, also thankful for all my parents support and my loving husbands endless help, love, and encouragement to continue on with my degree. So I am hoping by God’s grace to finish strong this semester, but not only finish strong in school but in life, I want to live a laid down life where he can live through me more.

Our life and actions reflect what our absolute is:

Our life and actions reflect what our absolute is:

I am reevaluating the choices I make and why I make them.

Monday must be my day to blog, it’s the day after Sunday, the day we go to church to hear the Word and how it applies to our life and then we must choose what we will do with what we hear.

Though something deep inside me was checked yesterday during the sermons. What stood out to me was this thought that our actions reflect what are absolute is, so simple but truly incredible. This statement was like a flashlight being scanned over my heart and what I value what I am giving my time and energy too what I am pursuing shows the driving force behind me.

I find that if someone did take a look these past few weeks I had been gobbled up with the desire of “gaining” followers of my blog/twitter.  In the process of clicking other bloggers/twitters to follow it came to me that who we follow reflects something about ourselves. I remember this check I had about one person I followed, but put it aside, …but it all comes out, one person I followed went to a gathering of other bloggers and she mentioned the new people she meet were like they had always known each other… because this other blogger used a curse word right off, another thing was people with an alternative life style. I don’t care if I have zero followers but I would much rather not be seen or choosing to associate and follow those sorts of blogs, the food they make might taste good, but I don’t want to open myself up to that type of social influence. I want my heart to be pure and I am thankful for a God who seeks out to protect us from what we might not see right away, but He is patient.

Finding contentment…in the midst of exams

This past weekend we had a lot of “visiting” time with some out-of-town company, they were staying are our relatives house. Last night I joined up with everyone after taking an exam, my sweetie was already there, my relatives were gracious and saved a delicious plate of food for me and a wonderful fresh strawberries with heavy cream for dessert and I was able to sit and enjoy the evening of visiting with everyone.

As I was driving home from visiting I began thinking…

How easy it seemed for others not having the stresses of being in school and just having a home and baby to take care of, both my relative and visiting friend has a little child and are stay-at-home moms. I know, I know, I’ll be eating my words because it’s not easier, but the pasture is always greener on the other side… I just find it hard as a new-wife balancing planning menus, keeping a clean house, laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, budgeting, studying, and completing school projects. It really isn’t that much, but for some reason, I have the hardest time getting it all done.

I felt I needed to shake myself because I was looking enviously on these two moms, and their extra time, but in all actuality they don’t have very much if anytime time to themselves, because their child depends on them for most everything at this stage.

So… here it is… my first thought, how much free time these mothers seemed to have, and my second thought… it always greener on the other side, but, Lord, help me to water the place I am in right now.

I struggle within myself of being strapped down to finishing school, where I really want to be is decorating or being able to drive home and visit my mom.

My prayer is this

Dear Lord, please help me to be content right where I am at, help me to know how to water the ground I am planted in, help me to live a contented life and enjoy every day.

I am going to read Philippians this week.

Philippians 4:11-13

Amplified Bible (AMP)

11 Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be [a] content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am.

12 I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want.

13 I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who [b]infuses inner strength into me; I am [c]self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

Taken from: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%204:11-13&version=AMP

It’s been over a week…

Hello again,

Small update on last week: my dinners were nothing special ( maybe the deer, with onion and fresh peach was extra tasty, and the night we had an amazing huge salad with a small chicken portion and hummus, delicious! ) the other things going on was school for me and major exams which were a challenge, but also a challenge to even take because of a rolling thunder storm had knocked-out out internet.

Facing Grace

When you have to face Grace, what do you do? When it’s your opportunity not to judge but follow God’s leadership and extend Grace, it should be easy, but it’s not…

I want to always follow His leadership in my life, I might not understand, but I want to follow His leadership, and be like Him. I don’t know what God is doing behind the scene and working out in someone else’s heart.

Hello world!

hap-py _ feeling or showing pleasure or contentment

Here it goes… Life right now:

I am currently in the last leg of finishing my Bachelor of Science degree in dietetics, approximately 3 months to the finish line. Amongst all the studying, I am also a brand new wife, I married to my best this past spring. As a wife, I’ve taken on a new roll of planning and making suppers. I find my true love for cooking spouts around the time I’m concocting of the evening meal and choosing what spices to put together. This blog will be about my thoughts on nutrition topics, the dishes I make, menu ideas, decorating, daily living, my struggles, and God’s Grace.