As with most people, this month I’ve been trying to make a very concentrated effort to think about all the things that I’m grateful for. More importantly, thank my loving Heavenly Father for all the blessings I have. As I’ve gotten older I’ve come to realize that the things that I’m most grateful for aren’t things. My family, my health (as well as my family’s health), and most importantly, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the knowledge of Eternal Families.

I’m so grateful and thankful for my loving Heavenly Father. As I was at church today, we sang one of my favorite hymns, Prayer of Thanksgiving.There are a few lines in there that really stick out to me every time I sing in. In the first verse it mentions that “He chastens and hastens his will to make known.” So yes, I should be grateful for my trials. I’m ever in His refining fire. It also says that “He forgets not his own.” Our Heavenly Father loves us. We are His children. Just as I could never forget my children, especially in their time of need, He will not forget us.

How grateful am I for this time of Thanksgiving. I hope we all can take some extra time to reflect on all the things we are grateful for and to sincerely thank our Heavenly Father who gives us all those blessings.

Ingredients:

*2 medium to large poblano peppers
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup yellow corn meal
freshly ground salt and pepper
pinch of nutmeg
2 oz. grated manchego cheese, divided

1/4 cup diced yellow onion
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 t. southwest seasoning blend
1 (15 oz.)  can black beans, drained and rinsed
10 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies
chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1.  Spray the peppers with olive oil cooking spray.  Roast over a gas burner flame (or under the broiler, or on the grill), turning occasionally, until the whole surface is charred.  Place peppers in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool completely.  Carefully peel the charred skin from the peppers.  Can be done one day ahead; store in refrigerator.

2.  Preheat oven to 375F.  Spray an oven-proof skillet with nonstick cooking spray over medium-low heat.  Cook the onions until soft, about 8 minutes.  Add the garlic and seasoning and cook 1 minute more.  Add the diced peppers with green chilis and the black beans, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer.

3.  Carefully cut a slit into each pepper and using kitchen shears, snip away the stem.  Scoop out all the seeds.  In a saucepan, whisk together chicken broth, pumpkin puree, and nutmeg.  Bring to a boil.  Slowly pour in corn meal, whisking constantly.  Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Stir in half of the manchego cheese.

4.  Fill each pepper with half of the polenta and place on top of the black bean mixture.  Cover the skillet with foil.  Bake for about 10 minutes, then remove foil and sprinkle remaining cheese on the peppers.  Cook until cheese is melted and browned, another 7-10 minutes.

Source:  carascravings.blogspot.com

 *I used  3 medium peppers and still had enough filling to do 3 more.

The 24th of July is a day that members of the Latter-day Saint faith celebrate. It is called Pioneer Day. A day that we commemorate the early members of the church finishing their trek westward and settling in the Salt Lake Valley (in Utah). In church we often will sing a song titled Come, Come, Ye Saints. This is one of my very favorite hymns.


When I sing this, many things will come into my mind. I think about the pioneer heritage that I have. I think of my ancestors walking across the plains in search for religious freedom. I think of their great courage, and hope that their faith and hope are still alive in me today. I also think about how we all are pioneers in some way or another. I also think how we all have trials today, and Heavenly Father is there, waiting to help us. 

My very favorite stanza from this song is in the second verse….

 How often do I find myself in a woe as me attitude? I put this verse into ‘today’s language’ and apply it to my light often! Afflictions, illnesses, situations, seem to bring me down at times. Why should I morn and think my lot is hard? Why should I think that I’ll get to my goal if I don’t fight for it! (hello! baby weight that desperately needs to be lost!) So, I need to buck up and fresh courage take. Heavenly father knows me and nows my situation. He is there waiting to help. I know he will be there when I ask. So really, All is well, All is Well!

Other than the sweltering heat, I always love the Fourth of July.  I love fireworks and parades (which always make me cry for some reason) and sparklers and flags.

And I love my country.

I have a great love for the Founding Fathers of America.  They were not perfect men but I believe that they were divinely inspired to do the great work that they did for my country.  They took a stand that required complete and total commitment.  One that was also, quite literally, do or die.

I have to ask myself if I have that kind of courage.  I think I do in some situations.  I think we all do in very drastic situations, perhaps involving the safety of a loved one.

But what about the less obvious opportunities to take a stand?  What about our personal independence from whatever tyrants we have allowed to rule our lives?

While we are totally dependent upon, and grateful to, a loving Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ, we must not allow ourselves to be enslaved by the ruthless despots that rob us of our precious “natural” resources of time, energy, and talents.  Are there any ways that we, in our very personal lives, have allowed a “foreign” ruler to reign supreme?  An addiction, a habit, a weakness, a character flaw….something that we know we need to break free from but somehow feel unable or unwilling to declare our independence from?


President James E. Faust once said:

Peace, happiness, and a better way of life?  Sounds good to me.  Sounds like something the Founding Fathers wanted.


And so, I challenge myself (and you, if you are up for it) to declare independence from one thing today.  One vice or habit that steals away a part of you, that somehow holds you captive.  It doesn’t have to be huge.  In fact, it probably should be something small that you can tackle with confidence.  


Really think about it.  Has something been gnawing at you, making you squirm, filling you with regret?  Analyze it and pick it apart if it’s too big to handle in one chunk.  Pick a baby step that at least puts you one foot into the journey towards independence from whatever maniacal monarch has you in chains.


Declare it, and then fight for independence from it!  Look it straight in the eye and say:

Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans!  May it mean more to you on this day than ever before.

Do you ever wonder if something truly good can be made from your food storage? Like, so good that if you didn’t know it was from food storage you never would have guessed it? Well, the answer is yes. This chicken salad was made at a Shelf Reliance party featuring their Thrive products and it was soo tasty! You don’t even have to worry about cooking the chicken if you have Thrive’s freeze-dried chicken…

Ingredients:
1 1/4 C freeze-dried chopped chicken
1/2 C freeze-dried celery
1/3 C dehydrated minced onion
3 C water
1/2 C mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine chicken, celery, onion, and water in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low; simmer until the mixture is rehydrated. (This should take about 10 minutes.)

2. Pour mixture into a colander and allow to drain for another 10 minutes, then cool in the refrigerator.

3. Combine the cooled chicken mixture with the mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy atop crackers or as part of a sandwich–whatever tickles your fancy!

Source: Lightly adapted from the Thrive Cookbook–Food That Fits Your Lifestyle (The only adaptation was the onion because we didn’t have Thrive’s freeze-dried onion.)

Special thanks to my mom, Anna, for her help with this post. 🙂

Grilling season is in full swing at our house.  It’s so nice not to heat the house up with the oven every night. Especially when it’s 90 degrees outside. I am trying to think beyond my regular grilling go-to meals,  and these cajun shrimp added a little excitement–and spice–to our dinner table.  They are great served up with fruit and veggie skewers and some rice.  Keep these in mind for your next backyard BBQ!

Cajun Seasoning:
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme

Mix all the seasonings together in a seasoning shaker or a ziploc bag. Feel free to double/triple the recipe to save for later in your spice cupboard.

Shrimp Skewers: 
1- Oil the bars of your grill. Preheat gas grill to medium heat.
2- Place desired amount of raw, uncooked shrimp (I used peeled, de-veined, tail-on shrimp) in a gallon size ziploc bag.
3- Add enough cajun seasoning to lightly coat all the shrimp (it will take more or less depending on the size of your shrimp and the amount you are going to cook). Close and shake the bag to coat.
4-Skewer* the shrimp through the body and the tail so that they will lay flat on the grill.
5-Place skewers on the grill and cook for 2 min. each side, or until the shrimp are opaque.
Enjoy!!

*Remember if you are using wood skewers to soak them in water for a few minutes so that they don’t burn on the grill. Also, if you are using metal skewers…..don’t touch them with your bare hands!!! They are HOT!!!

Source: seasoning is an adaptation from allrecipes.com

Directions:

1. Cut bacon in half.
2. Weave into a lattice pattern (either using 4 or 6 slices, depending on your bread size).
3. Place on a foil lined baking sheet.
4. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes (depending on level of crispness desired).

Voila! No more bacon to come tumbling out of your BLT sandwich. Genius!

Source: Pinterest

If you’re looking for a way to get your family to eat more fish, try this dish. It’s fast and easy, plus my husband will eat anything if you put a little cheese on it.

Ingredients:
4 Tilapia fillets
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 Tbsp butter at room temperature
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated

1) Preheat oven to 400ºF.

2) Pat Tilapia dry (if frozen, it should be thawed first) with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Lay on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray and bake for 10-12 minutes.

3)While fish is baking, mix butter with garlic, thyme and Parmesan cheese (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano for this batch).

4) Remove fish from oven and gently flip. Spread about 1/2 tablespoon of butter mixture on the fish, and heat the broiler in your oven.

5) Set fish under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes, or until cheese gets golden and bubbly.

Source: Tasty Kitchen via BigOven

If you’re wondering about the asparagus, I simply tossed the spears with a little olive oil, salt and pepper then roasted it at 350° for 8 minutes.