My Favorite Spot At Home

I have one favorite place in my home.

The spot that's all mine is this chair.  I'm pretty much the only one that ever sits in it and I like it that way.

In my last apartment my spot was on the kitchen table, and I would have to push my work stuff over to the side every time anyone wanted to eat there.  

I curl up in this chair in the mornings with my Bible and coffee.  Most of my computer time is spent here (hence the computer cord).  The books I'm currently reading are kept on the table next to my chair. 

Sometimes the table gets overrun with papers, remotes, and other random things.  Sometimes it's neat and tidy.  Sometimes the chair gets piled up with coats and clothes that we just discard there.  I do my best to keep it clear of clutter, though, so that when I walk into the living area in the morning it is there waiting to peacefully welcome me into another day.  

It's restful to have a personal place to be able to sit and work or read.

Do you have a spot like this in your home?  What is your favorite place?

Special Valentine's Moments

Waking up to flowers and a card with a personal sentiment from my man.

Walking hand in hand in the afternoon sunshine.

Seeing the joy on his face upon opening his Valentine gift from me.

Nice conversation across the dinner table.

Slipping on his newly re-sized wedding ring.

Coming home together at the end of the day.

I hope your Valentine's Day was filled with special moments with those you love!

January At Our Home

January was a nice month of settling back into our regular routines after traveling for 3 weeks over the holidays.  We started off the new year with a snow storm, resulting in a beautifully snow-blanketed ground.  There is something about bare branches covered in snow that creates such a serene and quiet mood.

The winter has given me many opportunities to experiment with cooking new soups and stews.  Yum!  And, of course, I've been consuming mugs of hot chocolate.

At the beginning of the year, Zach and I began co-leading a Sunday School class at our church here with another couple.  We are studying the book of Philippians.  It has been a true joy to be able to minister in this way and get to know people in the class better.

While we have been settling back into our life in the mountains, this past month also has marked the "beginning of the end" of our time here.  Since Zach's position with the collegiate ministry is an internship that will end in May, we are seeking where the Lord would have us serve next.  While nothing is set in stone yet, January brought glimpses of the assurance that He does have a plan and a place for us.  We're so excited to finish out our time here strong and discover what the next step is!

Meal Planning Monday (A Day Late): Recipe For Pumpkin-Sage Cream Sauce

Hello all!  It seems that I'm just a little behind on posting my meal plan for this week.  I didn't post one last week because I was out of town for a few days and declared it Cook's Week Off. :-)  Now I'm back and ready to get into my routine again of preparing beforehand what meals we will eat.

I wanted to share with you this great recipe I found for a pumpkin-sage cream sauce.  I had some left-over pumpkin and, rather than making pumpkin pancakes or pumpkin muffins, I wanted to try something different with it.  Something that could be a dinner option.  I decided to try this cream sauce over pasta.  Final Verdict?  Can we say YUM!!  Even my husband, who is not a big pumpkin lover, enjoyed it.  Here is the recipe that I used:

Pumpkin-Sage Cream Sauce

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup fresh-grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tbls. ground sage (you can add less if you desire)

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tbls. unsalted butter

Combine the cream, pumpkin puree, Parmesan, sage, salt, and pepper in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer the mixture until slightly thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Toss with cooked pasta and serve immediately.

I also added smoked turkey sausage and broccoli to the dish.  I sliced 3 pre-cooked smoked turkey sausage links into pieces, browned them in a pan, along with 1/2 a bag of frozen broccoli.  Once the sausage and broccoli were browned and tender, I tossed the pasta, sausage, broccoli and sauce together.  Delicious!  This ended up being about 4 servings.

On the menu this week:

Monday: We had dinner out

Tuesday:  BCM dinner (sandwiches and chips)

Wednesday: Dinner at church

Thursday:  Ravioli Lasagna; Salad and Garlic Bread (this recipe came from my good friend, Rebekah.)

Friday:  Chicken Curry over Brown Rice; Steamed Veggies and Naan.

Saturday:  It's UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) night!  What's always on the menu for UFC?

                 WINGS!

Sunday: Leftovers

More recipe ideas for using leftover pumpkin:

10 Ways to Use the Last 1/2 Cup of Leftover Pumpkin Puree