Esther Ruth......

                                  L-R: my sister Katie, ME, my sister Amy and my brother Andy.


Before Christmas we had the opportunity to go to Silver Dollar City.  It is a Christian owned amusement park in southern Missouri.  My siblings (minus my brother Billy) and I  had such a fun time seeing different shows and riding the roller coasters in the middle of winter (it did get pretty cold when we were traveling at speeds up to 66 mph).

Remember to enjoy special times with your family!   

Esther Ruth..........

I love making new recipes!  I found this recipe and decided to try it!  If you have seen the movie "Ratatouille" it is supposedly the same recipe, though they chopped the vegetables up instead of slicing them.  It tasted really good!  You should try making it some time!  Enjoy!!!!!!


Ratatouille’s Ratatouille
As envisioned by Smitten Kitchen
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1 cup tomato puree (such as Pomi)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small eggplant (my store sells these “Italian Eggplant” that are less than half the size of regular ones; it worked perfectly)
1 smallish zucchini
1 smallish yellow squash
1 longish red bell pepper
Few sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
Few tablespoons soft goat cheese, for serving
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Pour tomato puree into bottom of an oval baking dish, approximately 10 inches across the long way. Drop the sliced garlic cloves and chopped onion into the sauce, stir in one tablespoon of the olive oil and season the sauce generously with salt and pepper.
Trim the ends off the eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash. As carefully as you can, trim the ends off the red pepper and remove the core, leaving the edges intact, like a tube.
On a mandoline, adjustable-blade slicer or with a very sharp knife, cut the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper into very thin slices, approximately 1/16-inch thick.
Atop the tomato sauce, arrange slices of prepared vegetables concentrically from the outer edge to the inside of the baking dish, overlapping so just a smidgen of each flat surface is visible, alternating vegetables. You may have a handful leftover that do not fit.
Drizzle the remaining tablespoon olive oil over the vegetables and season them generously with salt and pepper. Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs with your fingertips, running them down the stem. Sprinkle the fresh thyme over the dish.
Cover dish with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside. (Tricky, I know, but the hardest thing about this.)
Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, until vegetables have released their liquid and are clearly cooked, but with some structure left so they are not totally limp. They should not be brown at the edges, and you should see that the tomato sauce is bubbling up around them.
Serve with a dab of soft goat cheese on top, alone, or with some crusty French bread, atop polenta, couscous, or your choice of grain.

Amy...............

 

My mom, sisters & I are preparing to give 2 baby showers in the next two weeks....one for a friend and one for a cousin.  This is a picture of part of one of the gifts.  I crocheted the edges of this flannel blanket.  It is very cute and soft :)

 

 

 

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,

the fruit of the womb a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior

are the children of one's youth.

 

Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!

He shall not be put to shame

when he speaks with his enemies in the gate."

 

Psalm 127:3-5

The Best Chirstmas Present...EVER!

Welcome Lydia Noelle 

My Family on Christmas eve. Left to right: Kendra, Dad, Bryan Jr. Hanna (Me) Emma, Breanna, Mom and Lydia

This Christmas we had a really exciting christmas present! Lydia Noelle Helgesen was welcomed into the world!


    7 lbs.      23 In. Long

Born December 17 2012

           12:26 p.m. 

She had a Home-birth and I got to be there! I was so excited to be the first to dress her, with my love of Fashion and all :)

Babies are miraculous Miracles! I would encourage you to sit down right now and watch "Fearfully and Wonderfully made" It will change your  Perspective  and it will build your faith.... If it doesn't I don't know what will! This is an amazing process... We are actually knit together by our God and diffidently made wonderfully Made.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Kt3Kk8mtlo&noredirect=1

 "For You formed my inward parts;  You wove me in my mother’s womb. 

 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;  Wonderful are Your works,  And my soul knows it very well. 

My frame was not hidden from You,  When I was made in secret,  And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; 

 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;  And in Your book were all written  The days that were ordained for me,  When as yet there was not one of them." ~Psalms 139:13-16

~Hanna

"Fearfully and Wonderfully made" By: Answers in Genesis, Featuring Dr. David Menton,

Watch Here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Kt3Kk8mtlo&noredirect=1

An Anchor ~ Tricia

I read this verse in Quiet Time this morning... "...we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order Melchizedek." ~Hebrews 6:18b-20 How truly beautiful. Christ has become our high priest to cleanse us of all of our sin, and in that we have a strong anchor and solid ground to cling to in the storm of life. What a gift.

Clinging, Tricia :) Picture from google images.

Esther..........

I have been reading a book called "Selections from One Thousand Gifts," about how we should appreciate everything (even the hard things) that come our way, even the things we don't really think about like clean water or a heated house.  This books encourages you to keep a journal of 1000 gifts.  This year one of my goals is to write down 1000 things I am thankful for.  Today I am at 48 gifts. I just want to encourage you all to remember the little things that are given to us!

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." 1 John 3:1a

Esther is back.........

I'm back....... wow, the Lord gave me such a wonderful Christmas season.  I learned to appreciate how blessed I am to have a family I love, and that love me!!!!   Thanks Family!!!!


I have also been blessed recently with a ton of good friendships!  Thanks to all of you who have blessed me this past year.  May the Lord give you a wonderful 2013!

                                  Myself and my good friend Elaine at my families Christmas Open House!