Sunday is Special

"Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus....

This one this I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

 Philippians 3:12-14

Delicious Coconut Pancakes

My sweet husband took us out on Christmas Eve morning as a surprise, (Good morning, would you like to out for breakfast? - What a sweetheart!) and we had the most delicious coconut pancakes at a local place called "Joy's Bakery." 
Since then, I've tried several times to replicate Joy's pancakes, and most of the recipes have been pretty complex (and calorie-heavy, involving coconut milk, etc.).  But the pancakes I was after weren't Thai specialties, they were just good old "American Coconut Pancakes" served with whipped cream (not a pineapple reduction), so on Saturday night I decided to try something simpler! 
I took boxed buttermilk pancake mix and made regular pancakes. Then, just before I flipped them, I sprinkled some sweetened shredded coconut (the kind you buy in the baking aisle at the grocery store) on the wet side and finished cooking as usual. And..... Voilà!

Our new favorite pancakes. Mmmmm!

(Excuse the fall décor in the background... I "stored" it on that door before Christmas and there it remaineth still...)

Clementine Candles!

 These are SO beautiful! 

How To Make a Clementine Candle from maxwell gillingham-ryan on Vimeo.

Sunday is Special

"For I know the plans I have for you,"

declares the LORD, 

"plans for welfare and not for evil, 

to give you a future and a hope."

Jeremiah 29:11

Out my window

So, Spring is quietly happening here in the valley.  I feel like the world around me is waking up gently, stretching slowly as its eyes blink open after the long rainy season.  We have some early risers - the demure little crocuses that are peeking out again from everywhere that I planted them 2 years ago.
Hello, little friends!
There are Muscari in my western flower bed, eagerly jumping out of bed.  I know they'll be some purple and some snowy white out there in just a few weeks, and mixed into those little green sprouts are the irises which will tower tall but now are just stubby fingers uncurling from sleeping fists.
In my Eastern beds daffodils are about to pop, and the irises are even taller than the others.  That side of the house is blessed with the most sun since it has no big trees to protect it.
Out my front window I can see tulips lavishly laying out their greenery.  As I cleaned out the beds after we moved here, I collected all the tulip bulbs I encountered and tumbled them together into the front, so they make a nice riot of color by the front entrance. Here is the little man with some of last year's showing....
Tulips are a big deal around here, and my beds don't really do them justice, but we don't have to go far at all to see them in all their splendor!
There is a large (too large I've been told, and I did prune it, but I think it is so glorious that I hated to cut it back too far! Maybe I'll be braver this year?) wedding wreath bush (Spirea) by my front window, and while in a few weeks it will be covered in tiny, fragrant blooms, right now it is speckled with tiny green buds of promised glory to come. I love it just like this.  Don't you?

Blueberry Goodness

I had an itch to bake something fruity and poundcakey, so I made this, and it was so beautifully delicious my husband and I actually ate it for supper. 
It was that good. 
Plus, we're counting calories, and I say, if dessert is calling you but won't fit into your calorie budget, do whatever it takes to make it happen. Ha!

It was so good that I forgot to take an after picture.... Guess you'll just have to make one yourself to see how pretty it turned out. ;)

Beauty in this happy face :)

 

He's on a train, can you tell? :-)