Grace in Small Things #12

1. A thank you call from a reporter (a stranger to me) who really did not need to thank me for helping him. I grumbled as I rounded up the person he was looking for, so his unexpected call was a happy surprise...and maybe, just maybe, a tiny little attitude adjustment.
   
   
2. A nice evening with the Tall One, about whom I have been justifiably worried. It was good to look into his face and see that he is ok...not great, but ok.
   
   
3. My own private, quiet, comfortable office. More on this later.
   
   
4. Acceptance and trust. Today I am serene.
   
   
5. It's Friday!!!

I'll never tell, but...

Mary Alice surprised me today. I thought I knew everything about her. I mean, I truly believed I knew E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. Ok, ok, no one ever knows everything that can possibly be known about another human being, but I thought I was right up there.

Well, she told me a secret today. It’s not a bad secret, it’s not even a shocking secret. It’s a silly thing, really – you would laugh. I laughed.

And then I laughed even harder, with great affection, by how embarrassed she was about it. I cajoled the secret out of her, she told me (two words), and then she said she does. not. want. to. discuss. it. further.

So we won’t.

But I’m here to tell you that there will come a time when I will have to employ every ounce of restraint, every iota of willpower in order to not tease her about it. God willing, my pathetic memory will let this little gem slip out of the sieve holes…but considering how sweetly amused I am by this, it’s probably one of the “small facts” that will stick forever.

Which is probably why she didn’t want to tell me in the first place.

Quote for the Morning

This morning the news anchor on my favorite local talk radio station, a woman, responded to the DJ's comment that women notice shoes:

"We are accessory-driven."

So funny because it's so true!

Blueberry-Lemon Coffee Cake

Since there doesn't seem to be anything blog-worthy in my head lately, I'm posting a recipe just so's y'all won't forget about me.

I found this on the Betty Crocker website a few weeks ago and made it when my sister and her family were here. It was so good, and so easy, that I made it again when we were all together for the 4th.

I doubled the recipe and substituted dried cranberries for the blueberries in one pan since #1 Niece said she doesn't like blueberries. The cranberries were delish, too.


Blueberry-Lemon Coffee Cake

1 lemon, zested and squeezed separately
1 egg
2 and 1/4 cups Bisquick mix
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries, rinsed and well-drained
2/3 cup powdered sugar

Heat oven to 400. Grease 9-inch round cake pan (I made it in square pans at the lake and they worked fine).

In a medium bowl, beat egg slightly. Stir in Bisquick, granulated sugar, milk, and lemon zest just until blended.

Pour batter into pan and drop blueberries evenly over the top.

Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes then turn out of pan onto serving plate.

Stir powdered sugar into lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over coffee cake. Serve warm.


The original recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 3 to 4 tablespoons of lemon juice. I used the zest and juice of one lemon for the double recipe and it tasted great. I didn't really measure the powdered sugar so I don't really know if I used 2/3 cup. I just stirred it in until it was a nice drizzly consistency.

This one is going in the regular rotation - it is SO good and way easy. It's not super sweet, and it's much lighter than I expected with Bisquick as the main ingredient.

Enjoy!

Grace in Small Things #11 - Family Edition

Actually, none of these are small things - they are people for whom I am so unendingly grateful.

1. Two sisters (look at them, not me - 4th of July was a fun, delightful day but also a bad hair, no makeup, forgot the reduce-the-double-chin pose day)

2. Three nieces (these three are my middle sister's daughters - and weirdly like the three of us in temperament) 3. The twins (my youngest sister's 2-and-almost-half year olds - do you know how hard it is to get two toddlers in the same picture??)

A Patriotic Grace in Small Things

I am 3/4 of the way packed, ready to head out tomorrow for a 5-day weekend (is that still a weekend?) with my sisters and their families. We will enjoy each other's company and celebrate our country's independence. We are rarely all in the same place at the same time so I have been looking forward to this for months!!

4th of July is my favorite holiday. And so, a 4th of July GiST a bit early...

1. Parades (links to some really great pics of my hometown parade)

2. Picnics

3. Patriotism

4. Pyrotechnics...ok, fine, fireworks, but I'm digging the alliteration.

Happy Independence Day!!