After talking to my daughters about the retreat and listening to their wisdom, I put aside my unrealistic expectations, let God direct my thoughts, and now am looking forward to providing one devotional each day that will encourage them as wives and then just hanging out with them, getting to know them better. And, of course, we will have a simple but cute craft project that will be a reminder of our weekend. Funny, I don't feel anxious about the weekend anymore...
Decorating Project - Mom's Home Office
Since my dad died, Mom has been overwhelmed with piles of paperwork. Her home office is in the laundry room and certainly didn't exhibit the beautiful environment that exists in the rest of her home. So, we painted two gray accent walls, organized the paperwork piles, gathered some of her baskets and organized all the little things that one finds in a home office, and made a fabric covered bulletin board for her pictures. I went to Walmart and purchased a Better Homes & Gardens accent lamp ($10) for the shelf and a couple of desk boxes ($7 each) for paperwork that needs entered into the computer and paperwork that needs to be filed. Mom loved the makeover!
Before:
I found little label tags and ribbon in Mom's scrapbook supplies and labeled the little baskets on her desk and shelves - pretty and useful!
Tomorrow: the amazing lamp makeover for my mother-in-law's home office.
Today's Recipe - Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Soup (Reader's Digest)
Makes 4 servings
7 medium tomatoes, quartered
1 large onion, cut into large pieces (about 1 1/2 inches)
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
5 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 (15.5 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Preheat oven to 375F. Toss tomatoes, onion, and garlic with oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in large bowl, then transfer to baking sheet. Roast until garlic cloves have softened, edges of onions are browned, and tomatoes have collapsed, 35 to 40 minutes, stirring once after first 20 minutes.
Transfer roasted vegetable mixture to 4-quart saucepan. Add broth, beans, cumin, chili powder, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and blend until smooth with immersion blender or in batches in regular blender.
Stir in Tabasco. Divide among 4 bowls and garnish with dollop of sour cream and sprinkle of cilantro.
No comments:
Post a Comment