Pink Rose Moments

I used to make gumbo many times and could not find the ingredients list I previously used. Bummer. I pulled a recipe and was anxious to use it, but I just couldn't. I stopped short of reading past the roux process. There was no way I was going to stand and stir a roux for a minimum of 30 minutes- no way! So, as I do best, I compiled a batch of ingredients to come up with my recent gumbo creation. Honestly, I believe it was my best yet. I must warn you, when I make gumbo it is in a huge pot. Where I have amounts listed (as I remembered), you will end up with a huge pot of gumbo. If you have questions, let me know. Enjoy!




INGREDIENTS: 
𐄂water
𐄂can tomato sauce
𐄂can diced tomatoes
𐄂can crushed tomatoes
𐄂1 pkg of frozen gumbo base (I told ya, I wasn't making a roux.)
𐄂4 stalks of celery, chopped
𐄂1 cup yellow onion, diced 𐄂4 large cloves of garlic, diced
𐄂1 pkg frozen, chopped okra
𐄂1 large green bell pepper, chopped
𐄂1/2 pkg of bay leaves
𐄂1 tbsp dried oregano
𐄂1 tsp dried thyme
𐄂…

Spring time is one of my absolute favorite seasons! I'm always in the middle, not liking the extreme of anything: seasons, foods, music, etc. Though I may falter throughout the year, there's just something about Spring that gives me a renewed spirit, a rekindled state of mind. 

The birds seem to chirp endlessly. The surprise of new creatures and plants put me in awe. Oh, how I love those daffodils! Their scentful, bright, yellow, flowery arrival has my undivided attention. The white iris stands tallest, erect with attention as though they're angels announcing there is more to come. All bulbs are gradually bursting as fireworks on the darkest night. Crocus bulbs should sprout during snowy, wintry seasons, but oh how they refuse to miss out on the Spring show and are showing up and showing out! 

I often coast in and out of our driveway to admire the beauty of God's grace in respectful wonderment. His grace reminds me that I'm not forgotten, that I have held on another …

This isn't an ode to Lauryn Hill's  (lauren-hill.com) popular song Ex-Factor. It's a blog of my recent communication efforts with my ex-husband. 
He is now at the point I arrived some time ago. That is, being frustrated that our kids aren't doing as well as we planned, hoped for, expected. They finished high school, but they're not in the military nor attending college. This is frustrating, a bit embarrassing, stressing, and senseless.....all for him though. As stated, I'm so over it. 

I've had my moments of stress, embarrassment of whether I did all I could as a mother, having anxiety attacks, getting pissed off of them just not listening and following an easy, resourceful path laid in front of them. Mr. B and I gave them the chance to attend college or join the military; no sitting around floating by on fast-food jobs, living paycheck to paycheck. They did neither, both of the elders opting to take their own premature paths; desperate to be grown-ups. They …

I have always wanted to try a butternut squash soup, home-made and not canned. Recipes I've seen were too involved. Remind you, I don't have time for a lot and those recipes were just too much. Many should know what to dice, chop, mix, and stir. If you have questions, let me know. I finally put together this creation. I garnished the soup with fresh basil and cracked black pepper. 

Another thing I've always wanted to try is roasting my own pumpkin seeds. I realize squash and pumpkin are in the same family so I decided to roast the squash seeds. Voila! They are the same; an excellent, healthy snack!


BUTTERNUT SQUASH & SWEET POTATO SOUP


INGREDIENTS: 
𐄂1 large butternut squash
𐄂2 sweet potatoes
𐄂5 whole cloves
𐄂2 tsp sea salt
𐄂6 cloves garlic
𐄂2 small onions
𐄂1/2 shallot 𐄂1/4 c. fresh oregano
𐄂1 tbsp black pepper
𐄂1 tbsp paprika
𐄂2 c. half n half