Nature's diamond necklace

Sometimes I can get so busy and I don't take a moment to look around and take in some of nature's beauty. We can miss out on seeing some beautiful little reminders of what a wonderful Creator we have!  This morning as I was rushing out to work I almost ran into this little beauty.  I stopped short and just took it all in... it reminded me of a delicate diamond necklace.

Don't forget to take a little time today to look for and see those little unexpected things God sends our way!

Joy to the World!

It's looking more and more like Christmastime around the office!  Every year we look for ideas to decorate our cubicles.  From elaborate to simple we have had all kinds of decorations. My inspiration this year was this gold ornament with the words Joy to the World.

I wanted something simple, classy and meaningful.  So off I went to the various discount stores to search for just the right decorations.

Here is how it turned out!  To finish it off I printed out some of my favorite Christmas hymns and Carols in English and Spanish.

November Blessings...

This past month was filled with lots of little blessings.  It's those little things that God sends us everyday that remind me of His faithfulness and love.

1.  Saturdays with Titus.  Spending time watching airplanes land and take off, waiting for the train to come so we could wave at it and playing at the park were just some of the things we did.

2.  Sweet Margie came to visit and we enjoyed a delicious lunch of Colombian treats

3.  Spending a whole day showing Margie how to roll a pie crust and decorate cookies.

4.  Showing Danielle how to make pomegranate jelly

5.  A wonderful visit for Thanksgiving with the Cosentino's!

 6.  Seeing snowflakes fall for the first time!

7.  Three days of lovely snow flurries that turned the yard into a Christmas postcard!

8.  Catching snowflakes on your tongue...

9.  Safe flight to and from the East coast.

10.  Celebrating 15 years at my office during the Service Awards Luncheon this week!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Gratitude {Grooming a heart of thankfulness}

For each new morning with it's light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

DIY Thanksgiving Tablecloth

Thanksgiving is just two weeks away (can you believe it!) but there is still time to make this great personalized Thanksgiving tablecloth.  It is inexpensive and requires no sewing!  And if you are brave enough you could even get the whole family to help you put it together.

I came across this great idea last Fall on Blue Cricket Design's blog.

What you need:

1. One fabric drop cloth (I bought mine from Lowe's) It already comes hemmed!
2. Several permanent ink markers (different sizes)  I used large and medium Sharpies 
3. A can of scotch guard
4. A "thankful" list

Directions:

Ask your family members to put together a list of things they are thankful for (as long or short as you'd like).  Iron the drop cloth to get all the wrinkles out.  Lay the drop cloth on the floor.  Armed with your "thankful" list and sharpies start writing on the cloth.  Begin writing on the cloth using different sizes of letters, fonts, and styles.  Trust me this is the fun part!  Keep moving around the perimeter of the cloth keeping in mind people will be reading this while seated at your table. After you are all done filling in the cloth with all the words on your list spray it with scotch guard to help with cleaning in case of any spills.

Enjoy making memories!  This will be a unique, one of a kind, personalized family keepsake you can use again and again every year.

Rosie the Riveter {or Ruthie the Registerer}

"We Can Do It!"

Today is October 31 and our office for the past several years has celebrated with a fun dress up day.

So here I am as "Rosie the Riveter" or should I say "Ruthie the Registerer"!

I love costumes that don't cost a lot!  I spent $2.50 on fabric for the scarf and 50 cents for the poster board.  Thanks to my friend Dee who let me borrow the tool belt and drill =)  Here are a few other in the office that dressed up!  Gotta love my office family!

The Colors of Fall

It's pomegranate season!  Time to enjoy these beautiful ruby gems full of delicious goodness!

Comfort Food {Chicken Pot Pie}

Today I made a dish that I had never tried making before.  With the weather changing and cloudy cooler days I was in the mood for some comfort food.  I remembered that a few weeks ago I had come across a recipe for Chicken Pot Pie here.

It looked delicious and so right after church I headed for the grocery store with ingredient list in hand.  I did a few adaptations of my own.  I roasted my own chicken legs and thighs instead of buying a whole rotisserie chicken from the store.  Also, I didn't have cognac on hand so I substituted some white wine instead. Oh, and not really being a fan of bought pastry crusts I made my own.  Of course if you want to make this faster by all means go ahead and use it.  Make one and share one with a friend!

Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients:
3 Tbs Butter
1/2 Onion, chopped
2 large Russet Potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
3 Carrots, cut into inch pieces
1 container of baby Belle Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup white Wine
3 Tbs Flour
1 1/2 -2 cups Chicken Broth
3/4 cup Milk (I used fat free)
2 1/2 -3 cups Chicken, cooked and cut into small pieces (I used 3 drumsticks and 3 thighs)
1 cup Peas, frozen or fresh
1 tsp Thyme, dried
1/2 tsp Rosemary, dried
A few springs of fresh Thyme
1/2 tsp Poultry seasoning
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 Pie Crust, unbaked
1 Egg yolk + 1 tsp Water for the egg wash

Add first five ingredients to a heavy pot (dutch oven).  Cook for 10 or until the veggies are a bit soft.  Add the wine and then the flour and cook for a minute or two.  Then add the chicken stock and milk and cook until thickened.  Add the chicken, peas, and seasonings adjusting as needed.Transfer the mixture to the baking dish of your choice.

Roll out pie crust and cu some vent holes.

Place over the mixture in baking dish and press dough over the edges to seal.

Brush the top with the egg wash 

and put in a preheated oven (425) for 12 minutes.  Cover with foil and continue baking for another 20 minutes or until top is golden.  Enjoy!