Valentine Brunch

Saturday   when   my Prayer Sista's and I  get together    it  will  be   a  bit different....
  We are  celebrating   one of our  birthdays, and  I am  most privileged to  host   it  here....   so I  took  advantage of the season  and  am doing a  Valentine Brunch..

Such   a  joy to     think   of valentines....  it reminds me of the   year after year of  decorating  the valentine   box for my third graders....   buying the doiles and   cutting out the hearts ....    cutting out  lacy  patterned  strips to  line the edges and prettify the box.....    So when I stopped in at the Dollar Tree yesterday     I  was   really exciting about  what I might find.... 

 \

In stead of   paper doilies, I found  these   pink doily   place mats    which I paired   with  my  silver  chargers...

 My everyday Churchill , red transfer ware  pottery  goes  well  with     my   pink goblets   and     the  International   Silver  , Joan of  Arc , are in agreement that  all who   sit at  this table  are loved and   welcomed,  and sets the tone   for   a good time!

Last week  the  plate hanger   showed off  my  spode  blue collection...  the red   collection  is  back  on the wall..

  and my   odd,    but  charming , red   transfer pieces   adorn the  hutch!

 I  can hardly  wait to  begin   cooking  Saturday.. I found the most delectable recipe 

Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast

 source

Rated:

Submitted By: Pamelabee
Photo By: lovetobake93

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 40 Minutes
Servings: 8


"Cream cheese-stuffed French toast is served with a sweet and warm strawberry glaze and topped with whipped cream in this decadent breakfast favorite."
INGREDIENTS:

1 cup mashed fresh strawberries
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water

1 cup milk
6 eggs

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese,
softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup white sugar
8 slices bread, cut in half diagonally
1 teaspoon butter

8 sliced fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for
dusting
1 cup whipped cream

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat an oven to 100 degrees F ( 40 degrees C).
2. Heat mashed strawberries and 1/2 cup white sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.
3. Mix cornstarch and water together in a bowl, then stir into the strawberries.
4. Cook and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer while preparing remaining ingredients, stirring occasionally.
5. Whisk together the milk and eggs in a bowl; set aside.
6. Mash cream cheese, vanilla extract, and 3/4 cup white sugar in a bowl until smooth.
7. Spread the cream cheese mixture over a triangle-shaped piece of bread, and top with another piece. Repeat with remaining bread and cream cheese mixture to make 8 triangle-shaped sandwiches.
8. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
9. Dip the sandwiches into the egg mixture, 2 or 3 at a time, and place in the skillet.
10. Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.
11. Transfer pan-fried sandwiches to a baking sheet and place in the preheated oven to keep warm while cooking remaining sandwiches.
12. To serve, top French toast with warm strawberry glaze and sliced fresh strawberries and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Serve with a dollop of whipping cream

I will  have   more to follow  about our   wonderful  brunch!  Please  check back in!!!!

Time spent with    best friends   is always      a slice   of heaven here on earth  in my  opinion...  especially,  when    Christ  Jesus is the center....   

 It is  all  Christ  who   puts the creative    attitude in our hearts  that  yearns to break  free and   bless  us and others..

Whether  in the  wonderful   foods   we create or the  festive  beauty  of    the decor....   the well spring  comes  from   He who resides within!  And  for   that  I am truly grateful  and excited!   

Today I am sharing on 

  Home Party@ Sandi's   Rose Chintz Cottage     

Tablescape Thursday 

and   

Thursday  Favorite Things

  I  am so also very Thankful  today!

Grace at Home  @ Imparting Grace

Home and Garden at  A Delightsome Life

 Home Sweet Home@The Charm of Home

1000 Gifts Eucharisteo (391-408)

  Join  Ann Voskamp   here  for  more..



391.I am blessed by the luscious robin's egg blue  of my Christmas scarf and beaded necklace Lynn gave me...
392.  The glory of the blue sky against the snowy trees
393. The grace  administered through the laying on of hands  in prayer
394.  The blue of my bet friends eyes  as we   shared  such deep thoughts and concerns
395.  The grace of a quiet Spirit-led soul
395.  An early morning expression of love
396.  A noon time phone call   from my mom  who just wanted to hear my voice
397.  leftovers found in the fridge on a cold snowy evening
398.  Lynn cleaning out and sortking the utility drawer   (junk) in  the kitchen
399.  The aroma of  fresh brewed coffee every morning
400.  fresh blueberries and  sliced  strawberries  piled atop  my yogurt every morning
401.  Shared sense of appreciation  of the deeper depths of Truth  with kindred spirits
402.  The sincerity in mary's voice and the countenance on her face  that   demonstrated   Christ's   love
403.  My BF  exercising the freedom in Christ to be open to the powerful move of the Spirit
404.  The   hauntingly  beuatiful bird song  of the  white throated sparrow  in the morning
405.  to see a side  in my 94 year old dad that I  havent seen  in a long time
406.   Sweet tones of  approval  and affirmation  from  my  mom   even after   a particularly  difficult  time of      me having to   be the "grown- up" in  a few situtions....
 407.  Seeing and hearing the  magnificence  of my daughters  writing  skills   both in technical and  poetic terms
408.  The  radiant  reds  of   the setting sun last evening.

Im a Bonnie Lass, I am

For more   posts on these them  visit   here!

  When I saw your post   I   remember so well back in the early 80's  pre children  days,  Lynn and I were   deeply invloved in the Scottish  Society here....  Sad to say  it  has lsot favor  today and  doesnt meet anymore,  but Lynn and I   used to look so forward to the Burns Night dinner... 

 I rememebr one year I was asked to do the table  scapes.  So  being the teacher that I am  I  bought  putty colored  large  contruction paper and  cut out  3- d  castles..   and stood them  on the  tables with  votives inside  so the  light would  come through  the    cut out  arched windows .... 

  they had  attached   crennelated walls and battlements,.

 towers, and  various  height  features.. each one   very different..

The looked similar to this   but  were  free form and  spiralled around  in shape  instead of  being   boxy  and  detailed  inside..    they w ere quite a hit , of course,  I was   glad of the  tall votive glass     which   protected    from   fire!!!

At any rate, part of  my heart belongs to Scotland...   and  your   post was a great  reminder of   Robert Burns and his  fabulous  poems..

O my Luve's like a red, red rose, 

That's newly sprung in June: 

O my Luve's like the melodie, 

That's sweetly play'd in tune. 

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass, 

So deep in luve am I; 

And I will luve thee still, my dear, 

Till a' the seas gang dry

So every so often I  get out my  Scottish travel books and   dream my dearm itinerary....

  I   use my Buchan Scottish Pottery I  purchased at the Grandfather Mountain Games 

 and    revel  at being a Lindsay through and through!!!!

 source
  I am also posting on
Sally's  Blue Monday.

Tea at Downton

Pink Saturday

For more  PS   visit Beverly here!!

If i were invited  to Downton Abbey  for    tea,    I suspect  it would be  below stairs  and  I'd  be  supping  with  Carson  and  Mrs. Hughes!!

Friday's Fave Five

Return to Living  to Tell and our  hostess, Susanne, here.
1.   Even though  I dont teach anymore, there is  something special about a  School's Out because of Snow day...  I   was   thankful  because  my good friend Lynne  got the day off....   she needed   a rest...  and a  day to revel in our   memories of  last night's prayer meeting!

2.  I was  very thankful for good left overs  from   this week....  left over     corned beef, potatoes and carrots and onions  plus   left over beef stew... add those together....  add in  a can of  petite  cubed tomatoes, and a can of corn with a dash of thyme and salt, simmer an hour,   and  whallah!  

a delicious   pot of  vegetable soup for a   very  c0ld day!!!!

3.  I am  extremely blessed   and  happy  that  Lynn is  all recouperated from his     surgery  last week and   this was just enough exercise  for him  this week.

4.  I am blessed   by the discovery  of a  wonderful Bible teacher, Derek Prince....

4.  We were  very privileged to meet  the director of  that ministry, Dick Leggatt, last evening  in the home of a very fine  friend and his wife....  He actually  gave us any  and as much material that  we could carry  home with us....  I did purchase  a couple of   books of his  last week in preparation of   getting acquainted with   this  work,  but  I must say,  Derek Prince truly  was a  great expositor of  the truth in God's  Word!
5.  I am so pleased that tonight when I called my mother  she sounded more lucid and  more content....   this morning  she did not, and  it is   so  disquieting to  see  your mom  become  more debilitated  everytime  you see her...

A Closer Look

As I  look around  the  house,   I   use my critical eye  and  wonder, "  what  am I  trying to convey, here"?

I  hope it demonstrates  a n appreciation  for   grace,   both  in gentility and in  God's  perfect  gift to us, in His Only Begotten, Son, Jesus Christ....

Perhaps, one might  suspect    a n appreciation  of  classical thought and    the blessings  we  have in   understanding the past....

If one were to take a much closer look, one would suspect an even deeper context of my reverence for God's Word... we are told to "write them on the door frames of your house and on your gates."Deuteronomy 6:8...

I choose to write them on the walls of our home especially this one that reminds me to put on the full armor of God!!

Ephesians 6:10-18

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

It does  attempt to   create   for  Lynn and myself  a reminder to us that  we a re  God's  beloved  children,  that our  one  true love and trust  is  only    in Christ Jesus, our perfect  visible representation  of the invisible God....   and  we  find our   perfect  shelter and safe haven  under  His everlasting wings!!

Open House Friday @Bernideen's Tea Time Blog

Mosaic Monday @ Dear Little Red House

A Return to Loveliness@ A Delightsome Life

Table Top Tuesday@  A Stroll Thru Life

Favorite Things Thursday@  katherine's Corner

Grace at Home@ Imparting Grace

Home Sweet Home@  The Charm of Home

Open House @ Bernideen's Tea Time Blog

Skywatch Friday

Check out Skyley for more wonderful photos!
This morning I needed to stop in at my mother's     facility..   she lives  way up  on a mountain  and   as  you can see

 A winter storm  was    just  beginning
 so  we lost no time    comong back  down   into   our valley....

 It is a lovely view up there and  it seems to be one step from heaven's  gate...

But  I dont wish to get  snow bound up there!

Frosty Morning Tea

With a  huge dip in the   temperature and snow on the way,   this morning was  crying out  for a  Frosty Morning  Tea  Breakfast for two.

 Even though  the  setting   reflected an icy morn,   with   frosty  hoary,   crystals  and   snowy fluffs   sprinkled  all about,   the  ancient  radiator  in the dining room   proved  

trustworthy!

 Lady Earl Grey in her   lovely   blue wrapping   and her  highly  delicate   flavor  suited the occasion to a "TEA"! 

source

 Served in my  latest addition,   my   Wedgewood, Countryside   china cups,,   it  was  absolutely brill!

 Delicious   homemade  cranberry   oatmeal topped with  whipped cream  is now   going to become a staple in our home....

 I   was inspired  to  create this  dainty  tasties   from my latest   Tea Time magazine...

The ones in the magazine  were  not  toasted, 

 however,  for  our   warm-us-up   breakfast,   toasting   was  essential!

 These   were served up  with  alternating   egg salad  and   hot buttered strawberry jam.

Fueled for the day, now   no telling  what  mischief we may achieve!!!

"Talk and tea is his specialty," said Giles. "He has Come along inside... We'll see if tea and buns   (toast) can make the world a better place."

-The Wind in the Willows

Friends Sharing Tea

Thursday  Tea Things and  Talk

Home and Garden Thursday