Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Friday Potluck & Gratitude...

A very happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
For those of you not in the U.S., I'm wishing you a day filled with joy and gratitude.

You may have noticed I've been a little bit absent the last couple of weeks. You may not have noticed; I was a prolific scheduler for the times when I was out of town. Suffice it to say though, that there's a lot going on in my personal life, some good, some that I'm less excited about, but I haven't had the time to devote to cooking, let alone writing about it.

With some less than exciting things coming up in my life between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I've been focusing on being positive and thankful for what I do have in my life. I've been spending time looking for quotes to help bolster a positive attitude, and in the spirit of tomorrow's holiday would like to share some with you.
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." ~ Melody Beattie
If you have the opportunity to check out some of Melody Beattie's writings, I encourage you to do so. I love what she has to say and her attitude about just about everything. I really love this quote on gratitude because it talks about gratitude as a way of being rather than an obligation. I could sit and read it over and over and find some new application to my life every time.

"I can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses. It's all how you look at it." ~ J. Kenfield Morley
This is incredibly telling in my life right now; I share with new Army wives about to experience their first deployment that perception is everything. There are ways to find a positive in almost every situation, including the prospect of facing time away from loved ones. For example, my house will stay clean for the next year: I won't find random dirty socks everywhere, empty glasses on all tables, Army stuff everywhere, or have every flat surface covered in stuff. Of course, the price is that I don't see or talk to K every day, which would be preferable, but I have to look for the roses in the thorn bush to keep my sanity.

I have an amazing, loving husband, and though he's about to head halfway around the world, I'm very fortunate to have him in my life, and in fact, sitting across the living room from me looking handsome as ever. I'm thankful for my incredible family and friends, near and far, who make up my support and hugs network. I'm thankful for Lucy the wonder-dog, who is always so excited to see me, even if I've only gone out to the car to get another load of groceries. I'm also thankful for a roof over my head, a fantastic job, and the opportunity to live in one of the most amazing places in the world - Alaska!

What are you thankful for?

This week, it feels strange to not be cooking. My parents instructed me to bring nothing, but myself, my husband, my dog and coffee creamer to Thanksgiving this weekend. Of course, I can't come empty-handed, but it's still odd. I will be back soon with more recipes, including some great veggie recipes.  Full Circle Farm has given me the opportunity to try out their new delivery options for a few weeks, I just got my first "Sprout" box delivered to my house tonight and am currently munching on a D'anjou pear; I can't wait to share the bounty with you.

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend filled with love, gratitude and family.
 Looking forward to the recipes you link up.


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1. Link directly to your recipe (not your main blog). 
2. Only one recipe per blog each week.
3. Be sure, in the linked blog post, to link back here to Friday Potluck @ EKat's Kitchen. 
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1. Favorite Pumpkin Pie
2. Spiced Martini
3. Crock Pot Stuffing
4. Maryland Oyster Stew Recipe
5. Sweet Potato Parathas
6. Beef Bourguignon
7. Pear and Walnut Tart
8. Apple Pie
9. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
10. Orzo Risotto w/ Roasted Vegetables
11. Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Cheesecake
12. Spice cookies
13. Peanut Butter Granola
14. Aloha Burger
15. Run DMT - Pumpkin Ale Cupcakes
16. Coconut Sweet Potato pie
17. HEALTHY SPECIAL DIET FRIENDLY RECIPES!!
18. Poor Mans Bread, Kale, & Blk Pepp Soup
19. Peppers Ricotta & Sausage Casserole
20. Caramelized Onion Dip
21. Sweet Potato and Pineapple Casserole
22. The Menu (with links)
23. Chocolate Chip Scones & a Giveaway !
24. Losing Creek Farm - Breakfast! ;)
25. Sugar Cookie Cupcakes
26. Cranberry Casserole
27. Stuffed Peppers & Pumpkin Chile Sauce
28. Two Thanksgiving desserts for kids!
29. Apple Cider Vodka Cocktail
30. Chocoholic Yum Cake
31. Blue Velvet Cupcakes w/Cream Cheese Fros
32. Hoddeok (Korean Pancake)
33. Turkey Leftover Shots. .
34. BLT Pasta Salad
35. Apple Pie Wontons
36. Rosemarie Chocolate Pie
37. Olive-Cherry Bruschetta
38. Chocolate&Cranberry cookies
39. Pecan Chocolate Bourbon Pie
40. Chicken Dumpling Casserole

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