Butternut Squash Souffle

As per request:

Butternut Squash Souffle
2 cups mashed butternut squash
1 tsp salt
1/4 c. maple syrup
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp corn starch
3 eggs, separated
1 1/4 cup whipping cream or evaporated milk
1/2 c melted butter
slivered almonds or pecans

Combine squash, salt, maple syrup, brown sugar and corn starch and beat until fluffy.  Add egg yolks, whipping cream, and butter.  Mix thoroughly.  Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into squash mix.  Pour into greased 1 1/2 qt casserole and sprinkle with nuts.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour and serve immediately.

Yummm!!

Home

 There's something about coming home.  When I see this view my shoulders relax, my breathing is easier, I smile and think, "home."

 For so many in this world home is not a safe place.  It's filled with anger and hurt, or longing and hunger and cold.  How thankful I am that the home in which I grew up was a safe and wonderful place.  I remember driving "home" when Chris and I were first married, and even up to the time my parents moved from our childhood home.  There's that feeling of joy when you can see the house.  It's not the place.  Ours was certainly not a mansion, nor was it perfectly decorated or even exceptionally clean (nor is mine today!), but it was home.

 We in the United States have the unique privilege of owning homes that are heated, with running water, insulation, glass windows, and closets.  I'm so thankful for my home.  It's old, built on corner stones with no foundation to speak of.  It's cold most of the time since the heating vents were retro-fitted in the top of the walls.  But when we considered putting it on the market this summer, our realtor, after walking through and around and in, said "You guys are all through this place."  She didn't mean our stuff either.  Our home exudes us.  Our laughter and tears permeate every room.  It's where we belong--for now.

As much as I love my home, I'm even more thankful that I have a home waiting for me that will never break down, never be cold, never need repair.  A place where there are no tears or crying or pain; where we will truly and finally belong----forever. 

Food

 I'm a foodie.  I love all kinds of food.  Before I had children, and then before they got busy, I would regularly try new recipes, peruse cookbooks and buy cooking magazines.  One of my friends used to always ask if we were eating a new recipe, and nine times out of ten we were.  She agreed to keep being a guinea pig for me though. 

I still love food, but not like before.  I don't have time to be adventuresome, nor do I like the clean-up it now entails.  I'm very thankful for the abundance of food available to me.  It is a luxury that we take for granted

Today I'm thankful for this not-so-nice looking but amazing butternut squash souffle.  It's truly a delight. I am counting it as a vegetable.  There are 2 cups of butternut squash in it.  That counts.  But it tastes like smooth butterscotch.  Yummm. As we scarfed it down last night Peter said, "Mom, I hope there is A LOT of this in heaven.  It's amazing!"  I would agree.

Colors

 Living in the east is a blessing.   I don't know how I'd handle living in a place where fall looked just like summer.  God has an amazing sense of color.  Of course, since He is the one who created color that makes sense. 

 Many times I'm just too busy running to notice the beauty around me, and yet there it is.

 If I would take time to look--to say thank You--I'm sure my days would be more meaningful.

 I love how they all go together.  Since when can you put yellow and orange and red together unless you are talking football teams?  But God does it so skillfully.  It looks perfect.

 This tree took my breath away the other day.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  I drive past this tree at least twice a day, and most days 4 or more times.  But as i looked up on my way to the middle school, it jumped at me.  The color is so brilliant.  I love the reds!

This was the scene out my window as I prayed the other morning.  Amazing colors!

Strength

Sleep and I have a somewhat tenuous relationship with a sordid past.  Many times he's happy to oblige me, gentle and faithful each night.  But there are nights when I scare him away with worries and business, or when my usually calm tenants, the Hormones, decide to go on the warpath.  Then Sleep flees away, too frightened or put out to show his face.  Other times though, for no apparent reason, he hides from me, always just beyond my reach.  Sometimes its just for a night, like he had another engagement, but quickly returns the next night to make up for it.  But there are days and weeks and even months when he hides so well.  He furtively creeps in around 2 or 3 and then promptly disappears again way before the alarm.  Ahhhh Sleep.

But each day, each week, each month God is faithful.  When I call on Him, He hears me.  When I cry out for strength He answers.  Isaiah 26:3-4 says, "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You.  Trust in the Lord for in Yah the Lord is everlasting strength."  I can't tell you how many days that has been my cry.  His strength is mine if I ask.  He is ever so faithful.  Some mornings it's all I can do to hold back the tears and just function, but then I remember that I can call on everlasting Strength, and He provides!  I'll be doing that again today and praying that Sleep will forgive me and return again. 

Thankfulness

It's November again!  Time for the daily thanksgiving posts.  I am not a thankful person by nature.  It's much easier for me to see what's wrong than to be thankful for what isn't.  I hate that about me, but this tradition gives me the opportunity and the obligation to look for things for which I'm thankful.  Having to record it means that I have to look beyond the things for which I'm always thankful like my husband and my children (well, o.k., not always).  So today, November 1st, when one of my children is not speaking to me and two have more candy than any human being should which means I have to deal with it, I am looking to be thankful. 

I didn't have to look far.  This morning again I was challenged and encouraged by my Bible study.  Two friends and I are working through Beth Moore's Daniel study.   We've done several together, and I'm always surprised at how much I learn.  The last part of Daniel is about the visions of the future that God gave him, and this verse from Isaiah set the tone for today:  "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.  I say:  My purpose will stand and I will do all that I please."  Isaiah 46:10.  When I feel like things are out of control what a comfort to know that God does what He pleases and His purposes will stand since He loves me and is for me and is changing me into the image of Christ.  It also helps me to remember that there are bigger things going on in the world than what I can see in my little life. 

Reflections

Life has not left a lot of time for reflection, but I want to get this down before I move on. 

This is how I spent much of my time in life.  I guess I thought it would stay this way for a very loooonnnnggg time.  And it did really.  It just doesnt' feel like it right now.  I tried to cherish those moments and to not wish away the days of small things.  I listened to those moms who declared how quickly time flies and that I needed to enjoy them.  We have been very busy and very full. 

But now we are here.

And time is still flying.  I'm thankful that Fred is away doing college things.  He should be.  Leaving him in a dorm room with 4 other young men was relatively easy.  I've done it before, but he always came back.  But the longer he's away, the more my psyche realizes that he's not really ever coming back.  He may be here for an extended period of time, but it won't ever be the same.  My little boy isn't mine anymore.  He's headed for bigger and better things, and my heart isn't ready. 

A door is closing on this chapter.  It's been closing since it first opened, but now it's imminent.  This isn't new, but it sure is new to me.  Of course Peter still has 7 more years of school, so we're still in the thick of parenting, but the realization of the closing door makes me more aware of the brevity of time. 

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not lamenting or depressed--just wistful.  I pray that this new awareness makes me take more time to enjoy my boys.  I pray that it reminds me to continue to build my relationship with my sweet husband since soon it will be just us.  I pray that I will appreciate the moments together and stop being petty over the little things.  Mostly though, I pray that I will be thankful for the privilege of being a mom and embrace with joy the young men that God is molding under my roof.