double-feature

These two weeks of going back to WordPress school at

Blogging U

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have flown by!

I have appreciated so very muchly dusting off my tool-set,

re-evaluating my ‘bloggity-blog say I’ space,

renewing my focus,

and  meeting some new spaces (and faces) along the way!

“Thank you Blogging U!  I am truly refreshed!”

Our final lesson instructed:

Think of the type of regular feature you can commit to —

something you’ll publish weekly, biweekly, or monthly.

I have several of these already on my site which are:

The Monday giggles,

3hugs&blessings Thursdays,

and

the Year of the Cookies.

(If you’re new I hope you’ll take the time to stroll through them!)

So far this week I’ve already had my giggle,

but today I shall combine the other two for my first ever…

double-feature!

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On top of going back to class

Helen & I have been busy this week running to & fro!

And at one particular point in our travels throughout the day, Helen Kowalska,

the best Golden Retriever in the Universe,

graduated to riding in the front seat!

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I do believe the situation developed between packing the rear-cargo area full with plants at the Nursery & the 2nd row being filled to the rim at the dry cleaners, (with all sorts of freshly cleaned Bridal wear.)  Where was Helen to go?

The only seat left available was now next to me, in the front row.

I’m pretty sure she liked it!

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I did make one deal with her though, since she was now limited in activity by this tiny space…

I promised, as a thank you for giving up her coveted space,  we would go straight home and bake cookies!

(To which, of course, she THANKfully agreed!)

 Yes, Helen & I went home and baked that day; and we chose one of the Wedding Cookies which were made for the Bride & Groom’s Cookie Table!

Perhaps you will be inspired to bake them too!

As we mentioned in an earlier post, Wedding Crumbs, there were so many helping hands who contributed to The Cookie Table for our daughter & son-in-law’s special day!

There were chocolate chip bakers,  peanut butter blossom partakers, and cut out cookie creators of various shapes; not to mention the dozens of frosted ones & pizzelles to boot!  Over 100+ dozen cookies were lovingly prepared & magically trayed that day!  We were so very THANKFUL for them all!!

“I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers”

Ephesians 1:16

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In the land of The Cookie Table this gal trayed them all for us!

And this month’s cookie was inspired by a gal-pal of mine who, was not only the first to offer her baking assistance, but included the offer with a invitation to attend a personal demonstration of her baking skills extraordinare’!

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Just two friends making Carmel Tarts! (NBD, as we’ve been friends since our first-born’s were in kindergarten.)

Follow along & you soon will know how to make Carmel Tarts too!

First you will need to blend the following ingredients together with a pastry knife:

4-6 ounces of cream cheese (my friend recommends 4 ounces)

2 sticks oleo

2 cups flour

Roll dough medium-thin on a floured surface & cut out with something that looks like this (be sure to dip cutter in flour as well,)

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From Tupperware!

If you do not have a flower shape such as this, a circle will do just fine!

Next place the  cut-out shapes in tassie pans, lightly tamp down the centers & prick bottoms with a fork.

Bake for 15 minutes in a 350 oven.

Cool before filling.

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Look at those perfectly spaced fork-tines…pretty spectacular, right?  (That was my only contribution!)

Filling:

In a double boiler melt one 14 oz. package of Kraft Carmels (or Carmel Bits,) with 1/2 cup Pet milk.

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Keep hot & pour into shells.

Let filling cool before icing.

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Icing:

1/2 cup oleo

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup crisco

5 oz. Pet milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

(My gal-pal suggested cutting this in half as it makes way too much! Or have a second use in mind when preparing…like banana-splits or hot-fudge sundaes for dessert with dinner that night!)

Beat oleo, crisco, and sugar.  Add milk a little at a time.  Add vanilla.

Use Wilton tip #16 or another rosette frosting tip to add a pretty dollop of icing on the top of each carmel tart!

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These cookies are not only delicious freshly made but freeze beautifully for up to a month and are

just as YUMMY either way!

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Just ask Helen, as since it’s a 3hugs&blessings Thursday she again thankfully agreed!

hugs n’ blessings go out to all the special “features” in our life!

(I hope you’ll remember to give thanks for them too!)

Boxed up Giggles!

it’s the monday giggles….

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And we’ve so greatly enjoyed all the giggles shared, as we have prepared to host YOU!

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Two special ‘gigglers’ busy preparing Hotel Hospitality Boxes!

We are meant to show loving-kindness not only to people we know, but to strangers as well.

We are to be there for the cares and needs of others and always put out a helping hand.

Is hospitality fading?

I think not!

Just like many people welcomed Jesus in their homes with open arms, we should do the same! When we serve others we are serving Christ.

Hospitality is when someone feels at Home in your presence.

Hospitality isn’t about your house, it’s about your heart!

And we are so very grateful to be sharing our hearts with many throughout the duration of this Special Occassion!

We cannot wait until you discover what we have in store for you!!

Let brotherly love continue, Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

-Hebrews 13:1-2

Uh, oh.

“Helen, what’s the matter????”

(Giggle. Giggle.)

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Please don’t be sad there are no cookies in the box!

I promise we’ll talk about the cookies tomorrow!!

hugs n’ blessings to all those spreading hospitality around the world!

(With or without a cookie!)

 

 

Super-Paw-Star!

Can you believe it?!

Helen Kowalska’s in a magazine!!

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She’s a Super-Paw-Star!

But I really meant this Helen Kowalska!

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St. Maria Faustina Kowalska

Helen, (the best golden-retreiver in the Universe) & I were just fortunate enough to be included in our Diocesean Faith Magazine along with her!!!

Faith Magazine of the Erie Catholic Diocese, the largest family publication in Northwest Pennsylvania, contacted us for an interview…and today the April edition was released with Helen & I in it!

FAITH Magazine was introduced in January 2005 by then-Bishop Donald Trautman. Today, Bishop Lawrence Persico serves as publisher of the award-winning magazine. All 62,000 Catholic households registered in parishes throughout the diocese receive the magazine, free of charge, every other month as part of a major restructuring of evangelization and communications strategies. Bishop Persico and the local parishes are committed to reaching out to every Catholic home with FAITH Magazine because they want to remind us that we belong to something — our local parish; and we belong to someone — Jesus Christ.

Why did the Diocese of Erie commit to FAITH Magazine?

Many Catholics attend Mass weekly and are active participants in their parishes. At the same time, a growing number of busy families and individuals find themselves participating in the life of the church less and less. Still others may have had a negative experience, become lukewarm or fallen away altogether. FAITH Magazine was created to reach out to all Catholics with stories of inspiration. The magazine is also designed as a formation tool, providing answers to common questions as well as a glimpse of international, national and local news.

The Diocese of Erie was the third diocese to affiliate with FAITH Magazine first published in the Diocese of Lansing, Michigan in 2000. Today that number has grown to more than two dozen dioceses and institutions! You will find that the major feature stories, as well as local news stories, are based in the Diocese of Erie. FAITH Magazine is part of the diocese’s answer to Pope John Paul II’s call for a “new evangelization.” The magazine is designed to touch the hearts of people both within and outside of the faith.

(*information taken from the Faith Magazine web-site.)

I have never been shy regarding my devotion to the Divine Mercy.  And I truly enjoy cyber-journaling about my personal experience of growing closer to God as a result of this devotion.  I usually dedicate any journaling I do on Wednsedays to this topic, which you can easily find under the Divine Mercy heading of my toolbar. However, I was completely surprised & humbled when asked to participate in a publication sharing tangible ways to explore mercy more fully.

When Anne-Marie Welsh, editor of the magazine, interviewed me for the article I had not anticipated just how much JOY would leap out from inside of me, as we spoke of St. Faustina!  I felt like a giddy-school-girl introducing her new BFF from summer camp to the friends I already knew well!  Jesus said to St. Faustina: “Let no sinner be afraid to approach Me.”  And by the grace of God, THAT IS NOW ME!!! 

In Faustina’s “Diary,” Jesus invites each one of us to yield to His infinite mercy, to trust in His compassion and forgiveness. Great graces are promised to all those who proclaim His great mercy.  And so it is, that I am resting in the peace which comes from trusting His unwavering love for me as I strive to know, to love, and to serve Him, despite my human inclination of falling into sin.

“I shall protect them Myself at the hour of death, as My own glory. And even if the sins of the soul are as dark as night, when the sinner turns to My mercy, he renders Me the greatest praise, and becomes the glory of My Passion. When a soul praises My goodness, Satan trembles before it and flees to the very bottom of hell” (Diary, 378).

One of the many things I have discovered, through reading the Diary of St. Faustina, is that the simple message of mercy is this:

That God loves us, all of us, no matter how great our sins!

He wants us to turn to Him so that He may bless us,

He wants us to recognize His mercy, and allow it to flow through us to others.

(As St. Faustina did.)

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In this way, all will come to share in His joy!

God wants us to approach Him.

We need only repent of our sins and ask for His Mercy.

Are you ready to completely Trust?

God wants us to know the graces of His mercy,

which are merely dependent upon our trust in Him.

Jesus, I trust in you!

Will you?

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Divine Mercy Sunday, St. Joseph/BOL Erie, Pa

You never know…you may be in a publication with Helen one day too!!

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Auto-Paw-Graphs given on request!

hugs n’ blessings to all those who are trusting in Him!