Happy Heart Day♥

                                  

Here's some pictures of the swap package I created for APP's Valentine's Day Swap. The theme was a fabric post card/mugrug. The embellishing part was fun! I used a little of this n' that ~ lil' treasures I had in my sewing box♥

 

Along with a yummy bar of Lindt Dark Chocolate, I enclosed a package of Door County Chocolate Cherry Coffee in a matching quilted bag ... because after all ~ "A joyful ♥ is good medicine" !!!

Wishing you a Sweet Valentine's Day!!! and ... as always ~ from Cathy with love♥♥

Oh, the sweet, mindless, bliss..

of a Pinterest addiction!!!

Endless boards to categorize, organize and rearrange at free will!

Anything from ~

Winter Wonderland

dreamstime.com

Cozy Quilts 

nanaCompany

 Sweet Treats

 Glorious Treats

to Valentine baking and craft ideas, and a million other categories!!! (at least a million ~lol!!)

annie's eats

flicker.comhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/japanlovelycrafts/5217481643/in/pool-600549@N25/

I only have 38 boards and 640 pins! lol!! Really it's nothing yet ... so many boards to create, so many pins to grab! And then if that wasn't enough, you get followers and you follow other people so you can steal, humm .. I mean "repin" their pins!  Oh, my! so many wonderful ideas, recipes, and fun photos. 

Are you on Pinterest yet? Come on ~ join the fun!! lol! :)

Update ~ I forgot to add my Pinterest link to this post. It's 

http://pinterest.com/cathyjrice/

Stop on by for a visit!!

New Beginnings

This photo was posted by a dear friend on my Facebook page today with this caption:

  ~ Before you quit because the road seems too long, 

turn around and look how far you've come ~

Much needed advise ... the past few years of my life have been a long hard struggle and as I look back, I am amazed how far down the road I have come!

I'm so grateful for the love and encouragement of friends & family and the unfailing strength and wisdom that comes from God everyday and He leads me one day at a time on this uncharted journey. Even though I never wanted to walk this road, it is one I have been forced to travel down. Divorced, without a "home of my own" and stripped of most of my earthly possessions is not the description I would have ever dreamed to be my position, especially at this age. 

But ... God has been so faithful to me!!! Going through the fire of trials is painful beyond words, but seeing and living the amazing miracles of God's love♥ for me has been truly AWESOME! Finding "me" again, little by little ... new adventures, new friends. So I welcome this new year ~ 2012. I'm excited to see how much farther down the road I get this year with God's help!!

And ... as always ~

from Cathy with love♥

♥ Christmas Love ♥

♥CHRISTMAS LOVE♥

1 Corinthians 13 Applied to Life ~ 

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show LOVE to my family, I'm just another decorator. 

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show LOVE to my family, I'm just another cook. 

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show LOVE to my family, it profits me nothing. 

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point. 

LOVE stops the cooking to hug the child. LOVE sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse. LOVE is kind, though harried and tired. LOVE doesn't envy another person's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens. LOVE doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way. LOVE doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't. LOVE bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. LOVE never fails. 

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of ♥LOVE♥ will endure.
~Author Unknown

From Cathy with ♥LOVE♥ ~ Merry Christmas!

Collecting Greens

It's "coming on to Christmas" now ... so it was time for a trip to the Five Acres. While Judy and I collected boughs from White Pine, Spruce, Cedar and Juniper...

Charlie and Sam enjoyed running and  exploring the woods.

Roger found the perfect Christmas tree for their sunroom.

And I collected enough greens to decorate the front of the farmhouse.

May all the blessings of this wonderful season be yours as we enter the fourth week of Advent. Enjoy all the little moments, make precious memories!!

More Aprons ...

You know how much I love♥ aprons, so I just had to share with you my latest find ~ a list of 191 FREE apron patterns!! :) Here it is: 191 Free Apron Patterns!! Have fun!!♥♥

Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Rolls

Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Rolls
This recipe requires 2 days, please read the entire recipe before you start!!

4 medium sweet potatoes ~ about 1 #
2 eggs, beaten
4 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. sea salt
2 Tbsp. dry yeast ~ I use SAF
2 cups whole wheat flour
about 4 to 6 cups unbleached white flour

Wash, but don't peel the sweet potatoes. Simmer them in large saucepan on the stove for about 30 minutes until fork tender. Remove to cool and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Skin the potatoes. In a bowl, mash them with the butter, honey and salt.
When cooled completely mix in the eggs.
In saucepan heat the reserved cooking liquid to 105 - 115 degrees. (just warm) Pour into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast into it, stir to dissolve. Add the potato mixture, the 2 cups of whole wheat flour, and enough additional white flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured counter and knead for 10 minutes, adding flour as needed.
Place in a large buttered bowl, turning dough over to butter the top surface well.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, remove the dough and let sit on the counter for about 2-3 hours until it has come to room temperature. Turn out onto a floured counter and knead for 1 minute. Cover with a clean towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into 24 pieces and shape into roll style of your choice. My family's favorite is twisted knots. Let rise on cookie sheets for about an hour until doubled. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, bake rolls until golden brown about 15-20 minutes.