Grateful Prayer | Thankful Heart

Happy 3rd Birthday, Cambrie Noelle

By Lorraine

Cambrie LOVES Minnie Mouse!
So for her Birthday I made her a hat.

The pattern is from Repeat Crafter Me
this little 3-year old sweetie melts my heart

peeking in the window
 It was a rainy, chilly afternoon when Jared and I met Jamie and the kids at the Pop Shop
to celebrate Cambrie’s birthday in the quaint town of Collingswood, New Jersey.
A few years ago, Bobby Flay arrived at the Pop Shop for a Grilled Cheese Throwdown.

 big bowls of ice-cream made everyone happy

 and there might have been some noisy children too…

even in the rain the streets were beautiful

~*~

When Ella stopped coming for childcare back in September, I told her I would take her to our church’s Living Nativity.  So, that is what we did Saturday night. I told her afterward we could go to Friendly’s for dinner and ice-cream sundaes.  Much to my surprise, she wanted to head back to my house where we spent a couple of hours playing together in the nursery,  She made me lots of plates of play food, played dress-up and read an American Girl magazine to me.

Cheesy Chicken Roll-Ups Birthday Lunch

By Lorraine

This is the entree I served for my friend’s birthday lunch last week.
As our birthdays pile up, she cleverly declared we would call our lunch a fall festival!
I gathered a few Thanksgiving decorations I had for the table and though the day was rainy and chilly, these dear friends filled the room with warmth and laughter! 

Cheesy Chicken Roll-Ups

Source: Southeast United Dairy Industry Association

PRINT RECIPE
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
1 medium onion, diced
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained, each cut lengthwise into halves
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened, cubed
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Muenster cheese, divided
3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
Chopped fresh parsley

*To toast almonds, spread in single layer on baking sheet. Bake in preheated 350°F oven 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently.
 
Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and mushrooms; cook and stir until tender. Add chicken, wine, tarragon, salt and pepper; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer very gently until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Form each lasagna noodle half into a circle; place in greased 13×9-inch baking dish.  Using a slotted spoon, fill center of lasagna rinds with chicken.  To wine mixture remaining in skillet, add cream cheese, heavy cream, sour cream, 3/4 cup Swiss cheese and 1/2 cup Muenster cheese.  Heat until cheese melt, stirring frequently. (Do not boil)  Pour over lasagna rings. Sprinkle remaining cheeses and almonds.

Bake 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly; sprinkle with parsley. Garnish as desired.
Makes 6 servings

RECIPE NOTE:  I haven’t tried it, but I am thinking I could use leftover turkey (or chicken) in place of the raw chicken.  Maybe 2-3 cups of cooked turkey instead of the three chicken breasts.  I would just add it after cooking the onion and mushrooms.

~The Table~
The rich and dark hues of purple, red and green against the bright white and chartreuse accents created a modern contrast. 
  Wooden Pilgrims and Indians made their annual November appearance
 A tiny ceramic turkey that I painted when I was 15 years old and found in my moms belongings fit right in. Small, take-home Shasta daisy bouquets were made from the last blossoms from my garden bed. The place card  holders were picked up recently from a garage sale.
 Maple leaf shaped dishes from Michael’s were used for dessert.
I will be sharing the delicious recipe for peach crisp from another blogger soon!
Italian Wedding Soup filled the bowls as a first course and the girls brought a salad and an Artisan bread to round out the menu.
  The green bowl, napkins and place mats were also from my mom.
 I used a matelassé coverlet as a tablecloth for texture and interest.

And a pair of old Hallmark salt and pepper shakers, with their sweet little faces, peeked out from below the bowl of flowers.

linking to: Let’s Dish @Cuisine Kathleen

Double Blessings

By Lorraine

Our middle two have a birthday today.
Can’t you just see the cute, playful, mischievousness, loving and thoughtful spirit of these two.
Always.
My heart overflows
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
3 John 1:4
* and between them, they have given us 9 precious grandchildren *

What’s Been Happening

By Lorraine

 Our baby celebrated her 21st birthday with a little help from some of her nieces and nephews.
Flowers from my garden decorated a yellow cake with her favorite Fluffy Chocolate Frosting

Raider creatively arranged the pillow for his snooze on the sofa.
In the spring we contacted our township about a tree at the curb that was in decline.  They arrived today to remove it.
 The township planted trees in our neighborhood many years ago and sadly some of them are now in need of removal.
 I saw what is probably one of the last hummers of the season at the feeder.
And something that makes me very happy…
I got my new-to-me car in the garage!
The past few weeks I have been working diligently downsizing and disposing of things we don’t need.
I have gone through every closet, nook and cranny.
It feels much better already and reminds me of a song from a while back that I loved by Sara Groves and Joel Hanson called Traveling Light.
Well I was doubling over the load on my shoulders
Was a weight I carried with me everyday
Crossing miles of frustrations and rivers a raging
Picking up stones I found along the way
I staggered and I stumbled down
Pathways of trouble
I was hauling those souvenirs of misery
And with each step taken my back was breaking
‘Til I found the One who took it all from me

Down by the riverside
(Down by the riverside)
I laid my burdens down,
Now I’m traveling light
My spirit lifted high
(I found my freedom now)
I found my freedom now
And I’m traveling light

Through the darkest alleys and loneliest valleys
I was dragging those heavy chains of doubt and fear
Then with the one word spoken the locks were broken
Now He’s leading me to places
Where there are no tears

Down by the riverside
(Down by the riverside)
I laid my burdens down,
Now I’m traveling light
My spirit lifted high
(I found my freedom now)
I found my freedom now
And I’m traveling light

Down by the riverside
I laid my burdens down,
Now I’m traveling light
My spirit lifted high
I found my freedom now
And I’m traveling light

Down by the riverside
(Down by the riverside)
I laid my burdens down,
Now I’m traveling light
My spirit lifted high
(I found my freedom now)
I found my freedom now
And I’m traveling light

Birthday Outing with Silas

By Lorraine

We were finally able to take Silas out to celebrate his 6th birthday that was back in May.
We went to a Camden Riversharks Baseball game at Campbell’s Field at the base of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.
 Here at The Camden Waterfront just across the river from Philadelphia, Silas clenches his Finley. 
 A ride on the carousel and a hug from Skeeter 
Though he doesn’t look it, Jared had a great time too.
Sweet guy was at a sleepover the night before and hadn’t slept for over thirty hours but was still cheerful and kind.  He dozed in the car then came alert a bit after this 🙂

 

 We had had seats right in the center just behind the dugout but when the sun came out from behind the clouds it got pretty hot.  We moved to higher, shadier seats with an occasional breeze that was better.
View of the Ben Franklin Bridge heading into Philly
 After the game there was a firework display
 
 

5 Years Old

By Lorraine

Happy Birthday, Dear Ella.
♥
It was so special spending the day with you celebrating your 5th birthday!
You picked chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.
So that’s what we made.

I sang Happy Birthday to you and you blew out your candles.

Then you wanted to do it again.
So we did.
You wanted to play domino’s with your Princess Domino’s over and over.
So we did.

You were such a wee one when you first starting coming to my house each week.

We’ve spent so much time together you’re like one of my own.
And you will forever hold a place in my heart!
♥

Simple Pleasures

By Lorraine

Lunch with dear Friends
Me and Sandy
This dear friend shares my birthday.
Me Marcia and Sandy (Susan, our host, was taking the photo)
Dear friends for 26 years
One dear friend moved to Colorado
One dear friend moved to Texas.
We always have a birthday lunch

We laugh together
encourage each other
pray for each other
love each other
♥
Marcia, Susan, me and Marcia at the marriage of Susan’s daughter
Through the years

A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.

unknown

Proverbs 18:24
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother
Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another

Proverbs17:17

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity

Joining Dayle
(from a Collection of This and That)
a dear blogging friend for her Simple Pleasures party.

Project Simple Pleasures2

Fresh Flower Ice-Cream Sundae Craft Project

By Lorraine

My dear friend, Susan told me about something she made at a Flower Camp she attended with another friend. I was looking for a craft project to make with the kids for a garden themed birthday party I was planning for my granddaughter and her friends and cousins. This sweet fresh flower ice-cream sundae arrangement was a perfect craft project for little girls!


Cute, huh! And just the kind of project that turns out well for kids giving them a sense of accomplishment without being too difficult or boring. It isn’t a messy project and nothing that might stain or ruin their clothing or surroundings.

With a little prep work ahead of time, the project goes smoothly and does not take a long time to complete. I had the Oasis foam cut to size for the ice-cream shaped vases and the flowers trimmed to the right length, sitting in containers ready for “picking.”

Because the glass is clear and I didn’t want the oasis to show, I had pre-cut pieces of white plastic, cut from the bags you get when shopping. It was free and worked for what I needed. Older kids could add the plastic and then inset the foam themselves.  Littler one might benefit if this step is already done for them.

If you have pitchers of water ready, bigger kids can pour the water into their vase. If you think it easier for the littler ones, have the foam wet already.

 Let each child pick their flowers and insert each stem into the oasis foam. A little instruction about placement and they catch on quickly creating their sundaes. Ruffly carnations are ideal for the look of scoops of ice-cream in this project but they were not available this day. As you can see, the mums worked well.
 
 They were intent on their creations and enjoyed the process.
 Little red pom-poms could be used for the cherry on top, but we gathered bright red flower blossoms from my window boxes.
 Even the little ones did a great job.
sweet cousin, Brenna
Pretending to sip their Ice Cream Sundae’s, the girls later took them home as favors and were able to enjoy their pretty flower arrangements for many more days.

Here is the list of supplies you will want to gather to make
Fresh Flower Ice-Cream Sundaes

  • Ice-cream vase or something similar
  • Bend-y straws 
  • Floral foam for fresh flowers (pre-cut and pre-moistened if needed) Another option is to fill the vases with those little floral marbles/beads
  • Bunches of flowers like carnations or Mums ( pre-snipped the stems to about 4-inches long and had the foam in each glass.  I could have let the kids do this themselves but for the sake of time and the littler ones, I did it ahead.
  • Little red flowers (or tiny pom-pom’s) for the cherry on top (I snipped red impatients from my kitchen window box)
  • Squares of white plastic so the green floral foam doesn’t show through the clear glass (I cut white WM bags) I would double this next time.
  • water
  • Scissors and garden clippers

NOTE: We didn’t do this for the birthday party craft, but my friend said they lined the top edge of the cup/vase with green leaves before adding the carnations. I’m sure that would look pretty too.

Here is the birthday girl! Oh, Keri, with the dark brown eyes ~  Mom-Mom loves you!
♥

 

There are affiliate links in this post. That
means if you buy something from that link, I will earn a small commission, but
it won’t cost you anything additional.

If you are looking for inspiration and ideas for decorations and food for a sweet girl’s birthday party, check out Keri’s Garden Themed Birthday Party.

Keri Jill is 8 Garden Themed Birthday Party & Chocolate Piped Butterfly Toppers

By Lorraine

Preparing a sweet birthday party for little girls isn’t hard with a fun garden theme. Invite friends and cousins and watch their delight to see chocolate butterflies perched on frosted cupcakes, fruit skewers in rainbow colors and mini blueberry muffin bouquet treats. Ending with a fresh flower ice-cream sundae craft that doubles as a take-home party favor.

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