Thought of the day

“Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.”

 

-Unknown

You say Broccoli - Spinach pizza crust...?

Yep that is what I say!

I created a new, healthy, and dare I say yummy recipe!

It all started with a 1/2 pound of frozen ground turkey I pulled out of the freezer and put in the fridge to thaw, thinking I need to do something with this for dinner tonight.

After searching through recipes on the internet on brain breaks at work I felt inspired by a mixture of things and came up with my own. 

First I made my turkey sausage, by adding some spices mixing it together and then sticking it in the fridge while I made the dough for the crust.

I used Broccoli, spinach, and cheese for the pizza crust* 

 Broccoli

 Spinach

 After heating it in the microwave and mixing in some cheese

 Spread out on the pan

 And about 20ish minutes later!

 Browning my turkey sausage, while crust is in the oven

 And mixing together some additional toppings, mushrooms, green chiles, red and green bell peppers, and onion

 For the sauce I used a light cream cheese mixed with a dash of Ranch dressing powder

 Top with Turkey sausage

 Mushroom mixture

  We can't forget a little cheese! Broil for 2 minutes and Wa La!

 Did I mention that I used my food storage**. It worked so perfectly for this!

I have to say I felt pretty good about this! I took pictures just in case it turned out to actually be good, I knew I would blog about.

*no flour was used in the making of this recipe

** p.s. I sell this stuff! Not my personal stash - Shelf Reliance - Thrive, I happen to be an Independent Consultant, so if you are interested, I would be happy to help. Turns out food storage is more than grains... who knew?

Who am I...

I am smiling, laughing, loving, funny I am strong, weak, confident, unsure I am new recipes, shrimp, cookies and cream ice cream, crunch and munch! crunchy ice I am Danish, English, an American I am family, sister, daughter, friend I am spontaneous, adventurous, shy I am the outdoors, hiking, camping I am singing, dancing I am spiritual, scriptures, christian, latter-day saint, missionary I am Texas, Oregon, Virginia, California I am Oxnard, San Angelo, Del Rio, San Antonio, Quemado, Brackettville, Lorraine, Salem, Madras, Corvallis, Florence, Reeds port, Eugene, Flatonia, Austin I am traveling, Florida, California, Utah, Colorado, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington DC, New Jersey, Tennessee, Ohio, New York, Niagra Falls I am National Parks, State Parks I am Teddy Bears, tigers, beavers I am working out, sleep, relaxing I am Absolutely Brilliant ​to be continued...

Weakness

I have been thinking a lot about my weaknesses recently. Those things that I fear keep me from having the desires of my heart, and leave me wondering if I will be able to progress as I desire. I know my strengths and what makes me wonderful. :) But I also recognize my weakness and my imperfections, which I know I am not alone in. Which is why I am  grateful for the Lord's Grace, power and strength spoken of in the scriptures. They remind me that I can trust that he can help me in my weaknesses. He can help bless me in the abilities that I lack. It will be through his Grace that I will receive the desires of my heart and I will testify of it continually, before I receive, in faith and hope and after I receive, with knowledge and gratitude for the great things the Lord has done for me and my heart.

"Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.
Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things." Jacob 4:6-7

What I want the world, my friends, and family to know

Love is powerful!

It is what changes the world and changes our hearts.

Love of God

Love of self

Love of those who surround us

Love grows within us as we serve and sacrifice for each other.

God loves us. 

I know this with all my heart

His will is is for our greatest happiness.

He will reach out to us continually pleading with us to just follow him and we can have greater joy than we could ever imagine.

His promises are sure and eternal.

Families are forever and are worth our every effort to sacrifice forgive and love. They are worth every tear and every pleading prayer to our Father above.

I know that I have been significantly blessed with the family that I call mine.

My dear family I love you with all my heart and am grateful for every moment and grateful for an eternity of moments.

My dear friends what a strength you are to me.

You each have left an impression on me that will bless me forever.

I cherish the memories that we share.

I have a testimony of the Savior.

Of his power to heal and to change us.

I have a testimony that as we act on that belief we will see beautiful and miraculous changes occur in our lives in our hearts and in those around us.

I know Heavenly Father loves all of his children and desires to bless us all.

Our past mistakes are forgotten in the Atonement of His Son.

He can heal us and our relationships if we will allow him to.

Stay true to Christ, the natural man can fool you but Christ will lead you away from the natural man and bring out your true self. Be true to Him and you will be true to you!

I love you!

And it came to pass that I dwelt in a tent!

Many of my friends know that I have an adventurous spirit.

So when I told them that I would be moving into a tent many knew I was adventurous enough and determined enough to do it.

I have received a lot of different responses

Those who knew I would enjoy it but never in a million years would they want to do it.

Those who said, "THAT is AWESOME! and secretly wished they were doing it too!

And of course my brothers and sisters who secretly took bets of how long I would last.

My brother Seth's response: "So your homeless?" I let him know that "no my home is a tent!"

My brother Nathan let me know that it was OK if I didn't make it past one night, because he wouldn't make it an evening.

My sister Laura gave me two weeks. Ha, surpassed that!

 Shannon was the one that said I would make it for the two months.

On my birthday it will have been 3 weeks! And it has been fun!

Yes, the weather is warm, but my body has been adjusting.

After the first night I realized that ear plugs would be necessary, the cicada's are sure loud especially when you are camping surrounded by trees full of them. After about a week I began sleeping without the ear plugs and sleep just fine!

I realized the other day when I move back into an apartment it is going to seem unnaturally quiet and again I will probably have trouble sleeping.

I have had a few spiders build webs at my tent door. I allow them to stay as long as I can get in and out, but as soon as they make it so I can't get in, they got to go!

My Lantern makes my tent glow at night and I think the funny part is that the bugs like to fly right into the side of my tent. I chuckle to myself when I hear them. 

Every morning I find Cicada shells all over my tent. Last night I caught one that was finishing it's shedding process. I had never actually seen a cicada just the shells. I thought that was fun to see.

 

Cicada and shell

 

 My tent location!

 Views from inside my tent. What I wake up to in the morning.

A Non-Traditional Mother

I grew up in a home with a very traditional mother.

She taught me the kind of woman I wanted to be.

She was home when I came home from school and had snacks ready.

She is the kind of mother I dream of being.

Loving, kind, faithful, supportive, fun...

Isn't she cute!

The other day I had a conversation with a co-worker/friend in which I ended it expressing my desire that my dream is to be a mother.

For years I have been preparing myself for the opportunity. Starting at a young age, being the oldest of 7 I had so many opportunities to care for and love my siblings.

Then on a mission I had the opportunity to teach others, to train new missionaries, to open my heart to new companions.

As I have had room mates, together we have helped each other improve our skills, such as cooking, preparing what we liked to call practice dinners. 

Throughout the years I have strengthened my relationship with Christ and Heavenly Father, learning to depend on them in all situations.

I have had experiences that have taught me great things that will help me to be a mother through room mates, through boyfriends, through friends, through my family, through visiting teaching, and through serving in callings.

 I have been thinking about Alma when in Alma 29 he declares: O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart. Yea I would...
But, I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.


I feel my cry is: O that I were a mother, and could have the wish of mine heart. Yea I would...
But, I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.

In the past year I have been realizing that I have become a non-traditional Mother. A mother that is not recognized by many or necessarily even celebrated. But a mother in every true sense of the word, a nurturer, a heart full of love, a sharer of my heart and knowledge...don't worry, I have my faults, and I reach moments of exhaustion.


This year I have learned to look at my experiences in a new light. I have loved being a visiting teacher and sharing my love and desire to sacrifice for another with them, I have loved teaching the 12 and 13 year old Sunday School class and loving them, I have enjoyed loving my friends, I have enjoyed sharing my knowledge and testimony with others. I have enjoyed holding babies. I have learned to recognize that I am overly blessed to be able to act with motherly qualities towards others.

I have thought of the parable of the talents how 1 man was given 5 another 3 and another 1. The men given 5 and 3 doubled their talents, while the man given 1 buried his. How important is it for me, even though I do not have children of my own to nurture and love, to double my talents that the Lord has blessed me with. I do not want to bury my talents because my circumstances are such that I need to search for opportunities to use them. I want to return to the Lord saying I did my best in every circumstance!

I recently read 3 Nephi 22 in a new light.  I felt like it was speaking to one who has a heartache of some kind and saying break forth into singing, and cry aloud: you have reason to rejoice! The Lord says!

Then what I feel is my call: "Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not, lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes." Basically open your heart, serve others, share my testimony, and help to strengthen those who I am around.

I have come to learn to live the dream I have of being a mother, while my circumstances do not permit me to be one in the traditional sense. I have come to ponder what things I can learn from the experiences I am given in life and how these lessons learned can apply in different situations.