Crossroads………

 

Every now and then I think about the turns that life takes and I think back about all the crossroads I have come to…….

All too often I believe I can easily get distracted by all the little things on the surface that are going on around me and don’t notice that I am at a point where I need to make a choice that will make a real and lasting difference in where I am going.

I have probably missed many opportunities all together…because change is very intimidating and stepping outside of my comfort zone makes it easy to stay on the same old well beaten path. 

So I am asking myself a few questions and looking for something inside that rings true:

Who am I?
Where am I going?
What do I really want from life?
What should I really change?
How can I grow into a better person?

I’ve seen many paths….there are constant changes every time I come to a crossroads …sometime is has been because I was so ready  to get out of the situation I was in….

Most of the time I was lucky enough to make turns at the junction that completely turned me around to the point that I was headed in a good direction. Unfortunately, I may have spent a bit of time going in the wrong direction….which of course helped learning some very hard lessons!

More questions:
What truly makes me happy?
Who do I really enjoy being around?
What are my real values?
Is this the right time to make a change?

After taking some time to answer and listen….. hopefully, I will see the crossroads for what they really are, opportunities!

Opportunity…. for me it answers these questions:

Is my heart happy?

Am I being true to myself in my current situation?

Is the direction I am considering one that takes me closer to where I want to be?

Will that path conflict with the values I already know I am not willing to compromise?

Am I doing my part to make our family work together to achieve our goals?

Today I want to be able to say I would rather have tried something and have failed than never to have tried at all and wonder forever what would have happened or where could I have been.

What I always hope is that I have taken away from every situation a lesson.  Because of  good parents, I am wise enough to recognize too, that I have the power to create my very own crossroads.

Whining, complaining, and staying unhappy doesn’t have to be a choice. Work, sacrifice, and a lot of effort are the productive tools to get me on the path where I belong.

As for me, I am asking the questions…..I believe the answers tell me…..I have a pretty good idea of where I want to be………..Family Forever!

 

Thank you family for helping me along the way….I hope I have brought you along the journey with me that has filled your life with joy, happiness, peace, and a love for each other that will never grow dim. 

LeAnn

Moments So Dear

Raspberry Cheesecake Parfaits

After a morning of Backyard Waterslide Splashing…we needed something to snack on.

Raspberry Cheesecake Parfaits were fun to make and even yummier to eat! 

As you can see I am not the perfect parfait maker…nor are my photography skills and presentation above average by any means!

didn’t seem to bother these two that there were drips on the side of the glasses!

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
• Approximately 1/3 cup red raspberry seedless jelly
• 8-12 ounces fresh raspberries, sweetened to taste with sugar if needed….ours were delicious without today!
• 8- 12 Golden Double Stuffed Oreos - crushed
• 2-4 whole raspberries for garnish

Instructions

1. Mix cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and lemon juice, till creamy. Mix in the well whipped cream. Set aside.
2. Gently melt the jelly in the microwave, stir to make a smooth jelly. Cool slightly.
3. Use 2-4 glasses, depending on size of dessert you desire, and start layering the ingredients starting with crushed Oreos, then the cream, then the jelly, then the raspberries. Repeat and end with a layer of cream, a few sprinkles of Oreos, and  garnish with a couple berries on the top!

Breakfast Empanadas

Breakfast is a very important meal at our house.   I love when I find a recipe that is not only a hit with the family, but tasty and transportable as well, given my tendency to be running late at all times because somebody doesn’t want to get dressed, put on their shoes, or get into the car seat!    

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese of choice
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 5 large eggs, beaten
• 1 (17.3-ounce) can refrigerated jumbo flaky biscuits
• 8  Bacon Slices, cooked and crumbled
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• feel free to add your favorite ingredients…mushrooms, tomatoes, chives…etc!

 

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl until blended; stir in cheese.
3. Melt butter in a 9-inch skillet over medium heat; add eggs, and cook, without stirring, until eggs begin to set on bottom. Draw a spatula across bottom of skillet to form large curds. Continue cooking until eggs are slightly thickened but still moist.  Remove from heat, and let cool.
4. Flatten each biscuit into about a 5-inch circle. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over tops of dough circles, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge. Top evenly with scrambled eggs and bacon.
5. Fold dough circles in half over mixture, pinching edges to seal; place, 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
6. Brush tops evenly with egg white; press sealed edges with tines of a fork.
7. Bake at 375° for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Remove empanadas to wire rack, using a spatula. Serve warm

Be very careful to not overfill the flattened biscuit…I have a tendency to want to do that.  Today I was mindful of my habit and they honestly turned out perfect!   Makes 8 very nice Breakfast Empanadas. 

Store leftover empanadas, completely cooled, in zip-top plastic bags or wrapped in plastic wrap in refrigerator. To reheat, wrap empanadas in paper towels and microwave at MEDIUM (50% power) for 1 to 2  minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Happy to report that the fuzzy fussy eater at our house (4 year old) asked for one of the leftovers at 10:30 PM…WAHOO!

Hip Hip Hooray – It Was Warm Today

 

A Day of Fun -

Sprinkler and slide fun…no pictures

BBQ and Cake…no pictures

Tie-Dye Shirts messy but cool

Squirt and splatter…

All over Grandma’s hand…………..

Ready to wear!

On to the backyard movie time…we wait and wait and wait for it to get dark enough…Dusk at 9:15

We roast marshmallows and strawberries ….a few S”mores…in our little fire pit!

Our Movie choice …………..Nut Job…

We thought is was going to be the story of how the squirrel learned to survive in the big city…well it was more like some violent, crude humor……….. Smacking, kicking, farting, and burping…..which of course Little Man thought was extremely funny.   He didn’t spend to much time watching….

lots of running around and getting really close to the big screen!  The day was worth it……..just to see his big smile!