Pots de Crème a l’Orange [and Valentine's Day]

"Let all that you do be done with love."

-1 Corinthians 16:14

I can hardly believe that I didn't post even once last week in between my Lord's Day posts!  I have been writing and editing my ebook like crazy, and I am so very excited to be nearing the finish line!  :D

Last week, we were all so busy that we nearly forgot about Valentine's Day!  Hard to believe, I know, but 'tis true.  My mother pulled together a perfectly splendid dinner at the last minute, and quite ingeniously I might add.

While she was in the midst of food preparations, I realized that we had nothing planned for dessert!  Valentine's Day without something sweet?  Impossible.  But what could I do with only a short while before dinnertime?  An idea popped into my mind.  I had just seen the Pioneer Woman post a simple recipe that looked perfectly delicious.  I ran to check the ingredients list and was quite pleased to find that I would be able to quickly make it before we sat down to dinner.

Pots de Crème a l’Orange

You can't tell me that ^ doesn't look good, if I do say so myself.  I mean, it's laden with chocolate, whipped cream, and orange, y'all!  I put my own spin on the original recipe (which I will post below), and it turned out very nicely.

My sweet father came home with a large bouquet of freshly cut flowers for Mom!  The colors are so bright and cheerful.  I promptly arranged them in a glass vase and set them on the table.

Look at the multitude of petals!  <3

What beauty we have been given to enjoy.  Thank you, gracious Lord, for your glorious creation!

I snapped a quick picture of the table just before we sat down to eat.  Mom did a lovely job of setting it, didn't she?

My thoughtful brother came home with chocolate for both Mom and I.  (Are you noticing a trend? haha ;)  He surprised Mom with a bag of truffles.  You can see a few of them on the table...  It has been a long standing tradition to put chocolates at each place setting on Valentine's Day.

Joseph gave me a bar of Lindt Dark Chocolate with a Touch of Sea Salt.  He knows me well.  Lately, this has been my favorite kind of chocolate.  Rich chocolate with hints of sweetness and saltiness... perfectly balanced.  Alright, that's enough talk about chocolate- for now!  :)

 Sparkling grape juice...bright red and fizzy.

The special dinner... Mahi Mahi with a peach glaze, sauteed asparagus, steamed wild rice, and Greek salad.

The Lovebirds.  :)

I am so thankful for their Godly example and insightful instruction.  They bless me so much.  How blessed I am to have their guidance, support, and love.

One of the flowers broke off of its stem, so I just couldn't resist putting it up in my hair with a string of pearls.  Don't mind the messy braid...

I love flowers and pearls, just a lot.  ;)

Splatters of freshly whipped cream.  Thick, rich, and sweet.

A spoonful of goodness.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for....

 

Pots de Crème a l’Orange

 

2 Hours & 15 Min. Total Time | Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces (weight) Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
• 4 whole, farm fresh Eggs
• 2-3 tsp. diced Orange Peel
• 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
• 2 T. Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup hot, strong Coffee
• Freshly Whipped Cream, for topping
• thinly sliced Orange Peel and Orange Wedges for garnishing

Preparation:

1.  Place the chocolate chips into a blender. Crack in the eggs, then add the diced orange peel, vanilla extract and sea salt.  Blend until combined.

2.  Slowly pour the coffee through the blender lid until it's all added. Blend until smooth.

 

3.  Pour the mixture into small dessert cups, parfait glasses, or jars.  Refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until chilled and set.

4.  Top with plenty of sweetened whipped cream. I used about one and a half tablespoons powdered sugar to one and a half cups heavy whipping cream.  Garnish with the orange peel and slices.

As I mentioned previously, I adapted this recipe from The Pioneer Woman. You can visit her site to see the original recipe by clicking here.

I now have a warning to issue; please heed my admonition.  Ladies, I know that we all just love chocolate, but when the recipe says 12 servings, it means 12 servings.  Please do not attempt to consume a quarter of this in one sitting.  Trust me on this one.  You'll thank me later.  ;)  Though not very sweet, it is incredibly rich!

au revoir!  I hope you enjoy.

"He who does not love does not know God,
for God is love...

...We love Him because He first loved us."

-1 John 4:8, 19

Thoughts for this Lord's Day [fourteen]

“Christ went more willingly to the cross
than we do to the throne of grace.”

-Thomas Watson 

"If it were only the exercise of the body,

the moving of the lips, the bending of the knee,

men would as commonly step to heaven as they go to visit a friend:

but to separate our thoughts and affections from the world,

to draw forth all our graces, and engage each in its proper object,

and to hold them to it till the work prospers in our hands,

this, this is the difficulty."

-Richard Baxter
 

"Take heed of driving so hard after this world,

as to hinder thyself and family from those duties towards God,

which thou art by grace obliged to;

as private prayer, reading the scriptures,

and Christian conference.

It is a base thing for men so to spend themselves and families after this world,

as that they disengage their heart to God's worship."

-John Bunyan

[Concerning the Word preached]

"Do we prize it in our judgments?

Do we receive in into our hearts?

Do we fear the loss of the Word preached more than the loss of peace and trade?

Is it the removal of the ark that troubles us?

Again, do we attend to the Word with reverential devotion?

When the judge is giving the charge on the bench, all attend.

When the Word is preached, the great God is giving us his charge.

Do we listen to it as to a matter of life and death?

This is a good sign that we love the Word.” 

-Thomas Watson

With the exception of reading Holy Scripture, there is nothing like reading the Puritans to keep you properly focused and duly humble!  Puritan authors have encouraged me in holiness more than any other authors I have read.  They set a high standard.  I would encourage you to spend some time with them, getting to know them through their writings.  So many of them were miles ahead of where our generation is, spiritually.  We have much to learn!  :)

"Where there is no vision, the people perish:

but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."

-Proverbs 29:18

Thoughts for this Lord's Day [thirteen]

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might;
for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom,
in the grave, whither thou goest."

-Ecclesiastes 9:10

How often we slip into apathy.

How often we forget that the world is sick and dying.

How often we neglect the duties that the Lord has set before us.

"God has work to do in this world;

and to desert it because of its difficulties and

entanglements, is to cast off His authority.

It is not enough that we be just, that we be righteous,

and walk with God in holiness; but we must also serve our generation,

as David did before he fell asleep. God has a work to do;

and not to help Him is to oppose Him."

-John Owen

I sometimes wonder what would happen if we, as Christians, were more giving of ourselves.  What would happen if we poured more of Christ's love into those around us?  How deeply would we impact the world for the glory of God?

You and I have been called to love and serve with glad hearts.  We must not grudgingly give of ourselves, but must labor with fervent love and zeal, going about our days with a song in our hearts and a smile our lips.  There is so much to be done!  We cannot afford to waste our days on ourselves.  If we are not faithful in the little things, we will be unable to be fruitful with much.  Change must begin in the simple goings on of day-to-day life.

This has been my prayer of late, for I struggle with so much and fail so often.

Our highest aim must be to glorify the Lord in each and every area of our lives, but it will be impossible to do so if we are not seeking God regularly.

"He who runs from God in the morning

will scarcely find Him the rest of the day."

-John Bunyan

If we are not actively seeking the Lord, we will become discouraged, frustrated, and bitter.  We must be in the Word daily, not weekly.  We must pray without ceasing, as 1 Thessalonians 5:17 commands.  We must chiefly be about the Lord's work, not our own.  Our Savior deserves nothing less, and so much more.

Many, I fear, would like glory,

who have no wish for grace.

They would [want to] have the wages, but not the work;

the harvest, but not the labor; the reaping, but not the sowing;

the reward, but not the battle.

But it may not be.

-J.C. Ryle

I apologize if this seems somewhat disjointed!  I have had many different thoughts floating around in my mind.

Do you have any thoughts to add?  I would love to hear them!  :D

Back to Eden and A Quick eBook Update

Good morning, readers!

I hope this February day finds you well.  It is a bright, beautiful Florida morning here. The temperature is in the high 50's and low 60's.  The air is much cooler than our recent days have been.  I am most definitely going to be taking advantage of the freshness in the air today.  Gardening and running are at the top of today's list!  Our weather will be turning hot and humid before you know it.

Speaking of gardening... Last evening, my family and I watched an incredible documentary called Back to Eden.  We began the movie thinking that we would watch about thirty minutes of it, but were so enraptured with Paul Gautschi's gardening methods that we ended up watching the entire hour and forty-three minutes of it!  We might even watch it again.

Mr. Gautschi's methods are incredibly simple and completely organic.  The only tool he uses is a rake.  We were amazed at the beautiful produce he is able to grow.

Back to Eden was made only last year, so it is relatively new. Here is the film synopsis from their website...

After years of back-breaking toil in ground ravaged by the effects of man-made growing systems, Paul Gautschi has discovered a taste of what God intended for mankind in the garden of Eden. Some of the vital issues facing agriculture today include soil preparation, fertilization, irrigation, weed control, pest control, crop rotation, and PH issues. None of these issues exist in the unaltered state of nature or in Paul’s gardens and orchards.

“Back to Eden” invites you to take a walk with Paul as he teaches you sustainable organic growing methods that are capable of being implemented in diverse climates around the world.

The best part?  You can watch it online for free!  That's right!  I'm thankful for the filmmakers' generosity; we learned quite a lot from the film.  I would certainly recommend it to you and your family.  Click here to visit the Back to Eden website and view the documentary.

Now for my eBook update... Unfortunately, I will be pushing the release date of A Beginner's Guide to Portrait Photography back one week to February 22nd.  It was a decision that I had hoped to avoid, but one that needed to be made in the end.

I want this eBook to benefit its readers as much as possible, and I am just going to need a few more days to finish writing, editing, tweaking, and publishing it.  The extra time will also keep me from neglecting family and home responsibilities, something that should not happen for the sake of a project (however worthy).  ;)

Thank you all so very much for your encouragement and prayers; they are much appreciated.  I am so looking forward to releasing this eBook!  :)


What are your plans for today?

The Hoffman's Visit [and a quick photoshoot]

I know that things have been quiet around here of late, but I promise that will change soon!  My eBook is coming along well, though time is running very short and I still have a long way to go.  I have been trying to balance my writing time with everything else that needs to be done, and it has not been the easiest thing to do.  If you think of it, I would appreciate prayer; I am praying that I will be able to meet my deadline that is now less than a week away!  :)

- - -

Ever since my cousin, Ashley, and her family visited a couple of months ago, I have been wanting to post a few pictures from the day they spent at our house!  We certainly don't get to see them as often as we would like, but always thoroughly enjoy the time we do get to spend together.  Alabama is a long way away, so getting to see them is a real treat!

This is Emma, who is three!  (Is she really going to be four this fall!? wow.)

Emma, Ashley, and Mike... I think little Clay was napping.  :)

We pulled out Joseph's old train set and put it together for Emma to play with.  I enjoyed watching her play with it.

This is Clay, who is one year and a few months old.  He loves cars and things that roll!  Isn't he adorable?  He has the best laugh!  <3

I'm very fond of Emma's pigtails.  <3

We went out to our front yard and took a few quick pictures for the Hoffman family's Christmas card.  (I love them!)

Since their visit was in late November, our flowers were still blooming beautifully.

Emma girl.  She has the best expressions!

Cutie!

(She's such a ham sometimes! haha)

Emma had gotten something stuck on her foot, so we went and washed it off with hose.   She was loving running through the puddles!

He has such long eyelashes!

Emma started picking flowers...

...and then she would examine them and pick some more.  I couldn't get over how perfectly they matched her dress!

Always inquisitive and curious...

Isn't she beautiful?  I love her to pieces.  She is a joy to be around.

These pictures make me miss them all even more than before!

At the end of the day, Molly was thoroughly worn out from all of the excitement.  :)

Have a fantastic day!

"I will bless the LORD at all times:

His praise shall continually be in my mouth."

-Psalm 34:1

Thoughts for this Lord's Day [twelve]

I am so thankful for the blessing of rest on Sabbath days!  What a delight it is to break from work and other pursuits to worship the Lord and enjoy the benefits of His day.

I have decided that I really like to wear myself out on Saturdays so that I am even more able to appreciate Sundays.  Besides cleaning, baking, and running yesterday, I spent some time tending the garden.  I have been amazed at how many lessons one can learn from gardening.  Contemplation out in the open air works wonders on the soul.

For instance...  In December, I planted baby greens.  They sprouted very quickly and began to grow.  I was thrilled at how well they appeared to be doing.  A couple of weeks later, however, the greens began to look peaked.  They had mostly stopped growing and some of them had begun to wilt.  Then, after a heavy rain watered the garden, most of my greens were no more.  There were only a few left that actually seemed to be doing well, and they weren't enough to fill even the smallest salad bowl.

I was so frustrated!  What had happened to my little greens?  They had looked so healthy on the surface.  I just couldn't figure it out.  It wasn't until a couple of weeks later that I understood.  While I was harvesting the remaining greens to make room for something else, it hit me: the root structure was minuscule!  I had sown the seeds much too near the surface.  No wonder they had not been able to withstand much of anything. The poor little seedlings had nothing grounding them.

As I started tilling the soil where the greens had been, something struck me; I began thinking about how a similar principle applies in the life of a Christian.  If we do not allow the Word of God to deeply take root in our hearts, then we will be tossed to and fro by false doctrine, diverted by the pleasures of the world, and captivated by a host of other snares that are ready to pull us away from our duties and distract us at every turn.

"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive..."

-Ephesians 4:14

How interesting it is to read the parables Jesus preached pertaining to sowing, growing, and reaping.  Clearly, there is much to be learned gardening and farming.  I do not claim to be a good gardener, but that is certainly something I hope to change in the future (though I'm sure it will take years).  I am thankful to the Lord for giving me a little plot to tend, however poorly.  I have planted lettuce again, and this time took care to plant the seeds deeply.

Growing a garden also takes a good deal of patience at times, especially when you're excited for plants to begin budding and flowering.  You have to wait for the seeds to sprout, for the rain to fall, for the plants to grow, for buds to flower, for fruit to form, and for vegetables to ripen.  All that waiting does wonders for increasing my patience!  :)  You must also exercise patience when pests like squirrels, rabbits, deer, insects, and the like wreak havoc on your plants.

When you think about it, we are continually waiting on something, aren't we?  That something may change, but it always seems to be there, nonetheless.  Often, it is multiple somethings.  When we are unmarried, we wait on the Lord to bring us a spouse.  When we are engaged, we wait for our wedding day to arrive.  We wait for the Lord to bless us with a baby.  When we are expecting a child, we wait quite a few months for that little one to make his appearance.  We wait for all sorts of other events to take place; an attempt at listing them all would be futile.  We wait for the Lord's direction.  We wait for His timing. 

But, as Christians, we are not passively waiting, are we?  We actively waiting, trusting in the sovereign will of our perfect God.  We are preparing.  We are working hard to complete the tasks that have been set before us.  We are growing in grace of our good God.  We sometimes wonder why we must wait on the Lord, but knowing that His plan is perfect makes all the difference.  We rest in that.

My friend blogging Bethany recently posted a link to a sermon that Joel Beeke preached, titled, How Do You Wait on God?  I would really encourage you to take some time to listen to it.  (You can click here to find it.)  It is only 44 minutes long, and is definitely worth your time.  If you don't think that you have the time, then I recommend that you download it and try listening to it as you do some cleaning, laundry, or driving.  I listened to it while running and gardening.  Dr. Beeke's insight is wonderful, and his message is firmly grounded in Scripture. You will be blessed, I am sure of it.  :)

"I had fainted, unless I had believed

to see the goodness of the LORD

in the land of the living.

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage,

and he shall strengthen thine heart:

wait, I say, on the LORD."

-Psalm 27:13-14