Going away for a spiritual leadership conference is like getting a ministry booster shot!  What a blessing last week was.  My husband and I are so thankful we had the opportunity to be a part of the great services, workshops and fellowship at Lancaster Baptist Church.  We heard great preaching, were encouraged by practical workshops, were so blessed by their music and strengthened by the fellowship of other ministry families.

Here’s our week wrapped up in a collage of pictures:

click on picture to enlarge

A summary of my pictures:

Last week I mentioned that I went to a time management class at the conference we attended.  Let’s expand on those thoughts today…

In 1926, Route 66 was created as a link between Chicago and Los Angeles. It totaled over 2,400 miles.  Its ending point is Santa Monica, CA.  When you reach this point you have literally come to the end of the trail.  The route stops there.  The trip is over.  How well are you doing at reaching the end of your trail each day?  Would you know when you get there?

How would you answer this question?

Summertime is almost officially here, but according to my meal plan, it’s already arrived.  You can’t get more summertime than BLT’s, corn on the cob, cantaloupe and fresh blueberries!  Those are the ingredients of several recent meals.  The BLT was in the form of a salad.  It’s a lighter version and is bursting with flavors, color and textures.  I got the recipe from Cooking Light’s site.  

BLT Bread Salad
Ingredients

6 ounces French bread baguette, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Cooking spray
4 slices hickory-smoked bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Layer bread on a baking sheet; coat with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until toasted.
3. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan. Cut bacon into 1/2-inch pieces. Stir oil into bacon drippings in pan; remove from heat. Stir in vinegar, pepper, and salt.
4. Combine lettuce, tomatoes, and onions in a large bowl; drizzle with vinaigrette. Add bread; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with bacon and cheese. Serve immediately

My husband asked me to bake something to take for our Sunday School class yesterday.  I took a stroll through my Pinterest recipes and found this cake I’d pinned and hadn’t tried yet.  I love blueberries in anything, and to put them in a moist coffee cake sounded like a great plan!  I enjoyed it – I hope the others in class did, too!

Blueberry Buttermilk Breakfast Cake
Serves 6-8

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon
7/8 cup* + 1 tablespoon sugar**
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour (set aside 1/4 cup of this to toss with the blueberries)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup buttermilk***

* 7/8 cup = 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
** This 1 tablespoon is for sprinkling on top
*** To make homemade buttermilk, place 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Fill cup with milk until it reaches the 1-cup line. Let stand for five minutes. Use only 1/2 cup of the prepared mixture for the recipe.

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.
4. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

I hope you’ll try these great recipes.  Perhaps one (or both) would be a great way to celebrate the first day of summer on Saturday!

What summer recipes are on your menu this week?

With love from my country kitchen,

Happy Friday, friends.  I’m a happy girl today because I’m home!  California is a nice place to visit, but home is the best place in the whole wide world!

It’s getting increasingly harder for me to go away for these long stretches because I begin to miss home after just a couple of days!  I literally have to discipline myself when I’m away not to think about home, or else I could cry like an elementary age girl who’s away at church camp!  I don’t apologize for being a homebody.  God is the One Who created home, and it’s meant to be a haven.  I just never want it to keep me from serving in other places where the Lord would direct us.

When I walked in the door of my house yesterday my heart smiled.  I love this place.  It’s the place where my family gathers.  It’s where we share meals, secrets, laughter and sorrows.  It’s a place of comfort.  It’s where we can rest, be refreshed and encouraged after long days of ministry.

After we unpacked, I warmed up the supper my thoughtful daughter made for us, then my husband made a pot of coffee and I set to making his favorite granola.  We were running low, and I wanted to be sure he’d have some for this morning’s breakfast (it’s one of my demonstrations of my love for him!).  Soon the house not only looked like home, but also smelled like home – coffee and cinnamon.  My heart smiled again.

As the homemaker, you and I set the atmosphere.  The decor, the organization, the setting is really up to us.  It’s my desire to create a place that is lovely, but also livable.  I want to walk in and say, “Ah, I love it in here” – not because it’s perfect, but because it draws us in with its warmth and comfort.

For today’s Freshen Up Friday, can I encourage you to take a look around and notice areas in your home that need a warming up touch?  For instance:

• Are there comfy pillows on the couch for sitting together and visiting?

• Does the deck or patio need a flower pot or outdoor lights?  How about an outdoor rug for a pop of color and a little table for your iced tea glass?
• Is your bedroom inviting?  Is there a corner that needs de-cluttering?   
• Are there pictures you’ve meant to get hung but are still in the closet?  Why not get them out and ask a friend to help you arrange them so you can spruce up those bare walls?

• Have you baked something special for your family that sends sweet aromas through the house and reminds your family that you love them?

I only hope to inspire you a little to freshen up your home.  We all have a tendency to let things slip, but if we’ll stop and take notice, we can set it right and make home the best place on earth!

Are you a homebody?  Have you been inspired to change anything?

Be refreshed!