Joy amidst Sadness

We all find that some days are harder than others.  The good news is that God is there when the days are good or when they are bad.  He is constant, never changing in a world full of change.  These past few weeks I have been overwhelmed again with the sadness and loneliness of loosing Jeffrey. Sometimes it comes like waves from the ocean and just knocks me down.  February was Jeff's birthday month which was hard.  These past few days I have been forced to get the 2012 taxes ready to go to the tax attorney.  Jeff was very methodical and has done the "business" side of our life since we were married in 1981.  I am lost.  I say that but I have gathered everything, labeled all of it and am almost ready to drop the package off at our tax attorney's office.  God is working!!  I could never have found everything....or even known what needed to be included if He wasn't watching over me and helping me with every detail of my life right now.  I tell myself it is OK to be sad.  In my prayers I ask for God to help me where I need it most now that Jeff is gone.  There are so many things that have to be done that I have never done before. I need His Help every step of the way right now. I know without a doubt that God has heard my prayer and is guiding me step by step through every challenge right now.  Time and God will heal my broken heart.  Till then I am trusting Him to move me through the storm as He continues to uphold me with His righteous Right Hand.

Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you.
Surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 

I am blessed to have my daughters and granddaughter visit this month.  Tonight while her mama ran to Target I got to play with Miss Ella.  She loved playing in the kitchen sink while I cleaned up the dishes.

She kept getting braver and braver.  I stopped her before she completely dived over to the other side.  We were in the process of changing our wet clothes when Mama came home.
Guess we had to explain????

The simple joys of being a child!!  Wish I could play in the dish water and think it was fun!!

 Jenny's Grains and Beans
 Roasted Garlic Heads










 For several years Jenny has been making her "Grain and bean" mixture weekly.  She makes a big pot at the beginning of the week and has it to eat for the next few days.  Depending on how many are eating and how hungry they are!!



This time we used 11/2 cup Pearl Couscous, 1 1/2 cup Quinoa, 4 cups Chicken broth, 1 can drained black beans and 1 can drained chickpeas.  You can be creative and use what you like the most!!  She varies it from time to time also.
Bring mixture to a  boil and cook covered until the liquid is absorbed.  Add salt and pepper to taste after cooking.  It is great warm in a bowl by itself.  I put mine on spring greens and ate it as a salad.  She put hers on a wrap with turkey and lettuce.  It taste great.  Has good texture.  It good hot or cold. And it is GOOD for you!!  A great source of protein and fiber.

I also roasted garlic which I love to put on my salads, in hummus, on pizzas.....just about everything I eat.

Want to know how I make it??  Very simple.  I buy my garlic at Sam's because I use so much.  You can get a bag with about 25 garlic heads for 4 dollars.

 Get your garlic.  I always to two heads at a time at least.  Tear a sheet of aluminum foil and fold it in half.  It supports the garlic better when doubled.

                                                                                                      

Slice the tops off the heads of garlic to expose the garlic inside.  Drizzle with good olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt.                                                

Fold the foil packet up to the center and place in a 350 degree oven for about an hour.  The whole house will smell like garlic.  YUM!

 Take the garlic out of the oven and cool.   It should look like this.  Roasted and golden in color.

It will be soft and smell wonderful.  Squeeze the head gently expelling the garlic cloves into a bowl.  Sometimes you have to pick the garlic peel away from the clove by hand.

Now I have roasted garlic to use for the week along with my grain and bean mixture!!!  I am GOOD!!  I will be linking up to Simple Lives Thursday this week with these "Good for You" food options.  Hop over and see all the Good things happening over there!!


Happy Trials,

Mtn Mama