Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Moving On.
February is a time of change. Inevitable change. I'm moving on in my life, as well as on my blog. It's time for fresh start. A clean page.....so that's what I'm doing.
Moving. On.
Antique Beauty was a great starter blog for me, but I am no longer Antique Beauty. It's gotten old and moved on. I have no relations or common ground with her anymore, and for that I am thankful. Are you ready to move forward with me? Great!
http://cowpattiescarhartsandcremebrulee.com/
Come follow me and help me along on this new journey of Cow Patties, Carharts, and Creme Brulee!
Blessings and Grace,
Laura Lee
Thoughts.
Am I the only one who finds this verse unconquerable? Be Holy in all of my conduct? I can't live in that sort of bondage, sorry.
But that's where I'm wrong. When Christ died for our sins, He left within us the freedom as Christians to emulate His holiness. He didn't forever bind us like slaves to be perfect, but He gave us the freedom to be good, and holy, and in all of the things that we do, do in a righteous manner.
I have found that over the years as I dwell on the negative side of things (ie. Christianity) my walk with Christ is void of joy and contentment. I am always ill at ease and dissatisfied with my life and how He has called me to live. That is not His will for us. He wants us to rejoice in our circumstances, both pleasant and unsatisfying. I do not want to let my negative thoughts come anywhere between the Lord and myself.
So today, my goal is to let the Lord's positive light shine on everything that I say and do.
Blessings for your day!
Laura Lee
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Russian Truffles
So, most every night around 8:00 I hear a, "Soooo, what are you making me tonight? Tapioca pudding? Chocolate souffles? Russian TRUFFLES?"
"I'm not making you anything."
"But it's Valentines day! But it's George Washington's birthday! But it's Kwanza!"
"I'm not making you ONE THING. Quit asking!"
About 15 minutes later you will usually find me donning an apron and getting busy in the kitchen. I'm a sucker for him, it's true.
Today's recipe? Russian Tea Cakes. Or, fondly known as, Russian Truffles.
About .2 seconds after this photo was taken, the whole plate was promptly dumped into my father's mouth and consumed. Oh my, what is to become of me?
Russian Tea Cakes
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups of Flour (i use half whole wheat/half all purpose)
- 5 Heaping Tablespoons of Powdered Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans
- 2 Sticks of Butter, softened
- 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix together all dry ingredients. Add butter and vanilla. Mix well until dough forms, if needed, add more flour.
Form dough into 1" balls and cook for 12 minutes. When done, let cool for about 2 minutes.
**Be very careful lifting the cookies off of the pan** Roll cookies in powdered sugar. Promptly stuff your face.
Enjoy!
-Laura Lee
Monday, February 14, 2011
My Valentines: Feb 14, 2011
Love you.
Love you. Do not EVER grow up. Understand?
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Tortellini Soup.
I am about to hand over a recipe that is so good it will cause you to question why you've never had it before. How you ever LIVED before this day. This day of enlightenment. Today is the day you learn how to make: tortellini soup.
Bam.
Ingredients:
- 1/8 cup Olive Oil
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Whole Medium Onion
- 1 tablespoon Oregano
- 1/2 gallons Organic Chicken Broth
- 2 cans diced Organic Tomatoes (if you like it spicy, do one can of tomatoes and one can of rotel)
- Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1 pound, 2 ounce weight package Tortellini, Any Variety, Fresh or Frozen
- 3 pints Fresh Spinach
- Parmesan Cheese
*If you are an artichoke sort of person, add a can of artichoke hearts **if not, it's totally optional....although, I do question your sanity. :)
Directions:
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion. Cook until the onion is softened and the garlic has turned light gold, about 5 minutes.
Add the oregano, broth, tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. (You can break up the tomatoes with your fingers as you add them to the pot, or break them up with a spoon once you’ve added them to the soup.)
Bring the soup to a boil and add the tortellini. Cook according to the package directions.
One minute before the tortellini are done, add the spinach. Stir to combine.
When the tortellini are cooked, remove the pot from the heat immediately so they do not overcook. Season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
Serve the soup immediately, topped with grated Parmesan cheese.
Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.
Love to you all!
Laura Lee
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Ha. Ha. Ha
This is coming from the girl who has driven a total of 3 times in her life.
Thanks, love :) I appreciate the thought.
XoFriend
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Keepin' It Real.
What's In a Name?
To the people of Israel, a name was so much more than just an identification for an individual. It was a statement about who that person was. When Moses (whose name means taken from the water) met God for the first time via the burning bush, Moses wanted to know God's name. Moses wanted to know who God was. God's reply was, "I am.". Derived from the Hebrew word to be, this name let Moses know that the One he was speaking to was unlike anyone else. God not only is, but He always was and always will be. God alone was never created, and He exists totally independent from anyone or anything else. "I am" is the One unchanging, eternal God. A constant in our ever-changing lives.
That amazes me.
The Jewish people considered God's name to be so holy that they refused to say it aloud for fear of using it in a way that dishonored Him. (doesn't that just smack you in the face.) In the New Testament, however, Jesus not only spoke God's name, but he also used it to refer to himself. The people listening immediately tried to stone Jesus. They knew God's words in Exodus. They understood that Jesus was calling himself God.
When God told Moses His name, God revealed the essence of who He is- and confirmed in advance that the same essence was in His Son. In the same way that God introduced Himself to Moses, this verse introduces you to God. It assures you that the "I am" of the universe is still alive and fully active today.
Let our actions and words not only introduce people to our character, but may they also see the Shining Light of Christ in us always.
Love,
Laura Lee
Friday, January 28, 2011
The Great Thing About Suffering for Christ.
But I am familiar with trials. God has called me to a walk of submission to Him, and even down to the small tasks that He asks of me that no one sees, I will most likely struggle. I have never been good at sacrifice or giving until it hurt me, and maybe I never will be. But I can think of at least one good thing that comes of dying to your flesh and walking outside of your comfort zone. It will bring you closer to the Father.
I am by no means wise or of a scholarly mind, but the one thing that I have learned in life is that through trial and adversity your faith will increase. It will grow tremendously, and you will be ever thankful for the hard times that God has taken you through. You will look back and say, "Thank you, Daddy. You are so good to me."
The monthes of November and December were especially tough for me. Personal issues racked me to the core, and sins that I committed in the past came back to haunt me, reminding me of my fragile frame. But my God was there. Through it all, sins and victories, He was there. Showing Himself ever faithful to my unfaithful being, and showing me that He will be triumphant in the end.
All I can think to say in times of hardship and discomfort are these four words: I love you God.
Maybe this will help you, and maybe you won't see any point in it at all, but I hope that in your times of adversity and anguish you will be able to see a shining Light at the end of the dark tunnel.
All my love,
Laura Lee
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Victoria {Bound}
From the very first "Hey, I'm Laura Lee!" it was a strong friendship. Even when I
went up to her later and said, "Hey best friend, what is your name again?".
Tori and I have been so blessed to even have met, but sometimes it can be hard considering we live {four} hours away. Today, I was able to hug (okay, STRANGLE) her for the first time in {3.5} years.
How did we do it? Only God.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Boeuf Bourguignon---{The Ultimate Dish}
- 6 ounces chunk bacon
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil or cooking oil
- 3 pounds lean stewing beef , cut into 2-inch cubes
- 2 sliced carrots
- 1 sliced onion
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 2 Tbsp. flour
- 3 cups full-bodied, young red wine , such as a Chianti
- 2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
- 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 3 cloves mashed garlic
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- Crumbled bay leaf
- Blanched bacon rind
- 18 to 24 small white onions , brown-braised in stock
- 1 pound quartered fresh mushrooms , sautéed in butter
- Parsley sprigs
Alrighty, here we go:
Remove rind from bacon, and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.
Dry the stewing beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.
In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.
Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.
Do I Have a Spare Set of Keys? ....Of Course I Don't.
But don't worry for me, friends. It's all okay.
One of my redneck father's redneck friends just happens to be a car-unlocker. All is not lost. :)
Friday, January 21, 2011
The Busy Life
I've just kept going. OH. I can tell you what I did yesterday!
I made boeuf bourguignon from Julia Child's cookbook "The Art of French Cooking".
It was an instant hit. Like, LOVE at first bite. For everyone I think.
I'm so happy :) I love feeding people.
And I also made a traditional 1700's English pound cake!
As in, a pound of butter, a pound of sugar, a pound of flour, a pound of eggs. The REAL DEAL.
I will post recipes to both of those later today, but now, I'm off to feed horses in the mud!
Cheerio,
XoLou
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Happy Birthday :]
I Am Not Related to My Father. The End.
Now, at this point, I am vomiting behind the couch.
That is the end of my story.
God did NOT make peanut butter for him. THAT IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
The end.
Monday, January 10, 2011
{Snow} Storm Alert?
Friday, January 7, 2011
Ew. Virus. Ew.
Please pray that we all get better.
XoBedRidden
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Hello New Year :)
I have done things that I still regret, and made memories that will last a lifetime. I am thankful for every sorrow and joy that the Lord has brought into my life, and every person who has come in and out.
I am humbled that the God who formed me still forgives my imperfections, as frequent as they may be, and that I have had the honor of having friends that say, "i will love you even if you hate me, and i will pray for you even when you don't know it."
I am so thankful for parents who are willing to grow with me, and joyfully overwhelmed that God put me in the family that He did.
I am grateful that my father is ready to admit his wrongs, and help me trudge through mine (because i would be lost without him), and a mother who stands up for me, even if I don't deserve the guardianship.
I am not worthy of the siblings that He gave me, and I try to be a better big sister everyday (hang with me guys). I am so thankful that they see my struggles, and are kind enough to pray me through them.
I am utterly overwhelmed by the year 2010. Of course, there was the drama, the sickness, the silly teenage girl giggles, the sorrows, the ecstasy, the thankfulness, and the love. The perfectly, pure love that I will never cease to be amazed at.
I am so thankful for all of the hills and valleys that the Lord has brought me through, and I pray, that as we start this year 2011 together, all of us will be able to get on our knees and say, "thank you Papa."
Happy New Years, Everyone :)
Love and Blessings to You and Yours,
Laura Lee
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Our Southern White Christmas 2010
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas Day, I know I sure did!
Here in the South, there are lots of things that we have the privilege of taking part in, snow is not usually one of them. Today, us Southerners were in for a lovely suprise, and oh, did we revel.
We have 9-12 inches of snow on the ground. Yeah, you heard me.
We built snowmen, we went sledding, we skiied, we made snow-cream, we played with our dogs, and then we came inside and collapsed.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Is It Here Already? {O Wow}
Lots of running around, party planning, seeing good friends, eating good food, and loving the Lord has completely consumed my year.
It's had an abnormal amount of ups and downs, tears, laughter, grey skies, and sunshine. I am thankful that through the tough times, my faith has become stronger, and I have realized how much of a ripple in His massive Ocean that I am. I am thankful that through all of my imperfections, misgivings, and inadequacies, He still chooses to call me Daughter. I am honored that I may call Him "Father", and be a vessel for His Kingdom. I pray that in all the days to come, I will serve Him with a passion that precedes my blemishes and the sin-struggles that I try to hide.
I hope and pray that all of you, my faithful readers (few as there may be), have a blessed and merry Christmas :)
With Love,
Laura Lee