Trials are just opportunities in disguise

I believe that life's trials are just opportunities in disguise. It is all in the way you look at them.

Many of my close personal friends know that I have been somewhat unhappy lately. I am suffering the unfortunate consequences of a choice that I made to return to "work" to help my family buy a small farm. My outside job often involves long hours, and lots of stress, making me wistful for days of baking and cleaning. I have struggled with how to balance my work-life and home-life and ended up with a 3 day hospital stay for my reward.

So, I am using this "down time" to reflect on the things that matter most and to redirect my ship. I want the joy back that I used to have in my life. I don't have an option to quit my job right now, but I can try to get back some of what counts most! So here is my list of things that matter most:

1. My faith - Reading scriptures daily, teaching seminary, going to the temple often
2. My family - Making sure they know they are the most important to me
3. My home - Making it heaven on earth....a place where no one ever wants to leave
4. My ancestors - While my research may be exhausted, the temple work is not....see #1

Now, where to begin?? I actually got a head-start on this one a couple of weeks ago. I LOVE to cook. I LOVE to feed people. It is one the things that I miss the most in my life. So I decided to take the time to make a weekly menu, buy the ingredients for that week, and cook dinner every day. Our inaugural dinner was Columbus Day. I worked from home that day, and was able to split my time between work and cooking. Here was the menu.....

Cheese tortellini in a pink sauce with grilled chicken and fresh basil

Frozen cheese tortellini (cooked until they float to the top)
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pint fresh cream, heated (30 secs in the microwave works great)
fresh basil
grated parmesan or romano cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 boneless chicken breasts, grilled and sliced into strips

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent. Add can of crushed tomatoes and heat on low-med. Add salt and pepper to taste. Grate some cheese into the sauce and continue simmering. Just before serving, stir in hot cream, grilled chicken, and fresh basil. Pour over hot tortellini.

I made some breadsticks from our trusty pizza-dough recipe.

For dessert, I made a white velvet butter cake with fresh raspberry buttercream frosting out of the Cake Bible. One important note, when it says to use UNSALTED butter, you really should listen.

While we ate our Columbus Day feast, we sang an old song by Lou Monte, called "Please Mr. Columbus". I remember listening to that Lou Monte album over and over as a kid. In all, it was a perfect day!