Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Good Tuesday morning!

The Gallery Pics are a few pictures from Christmas Day at my Mom's house with my sister and her family. It is now a house FULL of teenagers (only one of the six cousins is not a teen yet), and believe it or not, they are a lot of fun.

HAPPY NEW YEAR CARDS - I received something interesting yesterday. My very FIRST Happy New Year card. Okay. Do not get upset. Breathe. I am not going to start soliciting Happy New Year cards. But you've got to admit, it's a fun idea. Thanks to Joni Shankles for sharing a beautiful collage card of their family's 2009. I loved it. (And since I'm not going to start collecting Happy New Year cards, I'm going to let it join the count of the Christmas Card collection... 82, BABY!)

Special Guest - Well, it's that time of the month when I start giving you hints about our January Special Guest... who will be featured THIS FRIDAY, January 1, 2010. Can you believe it? Here are some fun facts for you. See if you can guess.

1. She is the wife of one and mother of three.

2. She has a wicked sense of humor, and it takes you all of three seconds upon meeting her to figure that one out.

3. She is a transplant to our area, but she grew up very close in proximity to this little town.

Not must info, huh? I'll give you a little more tomorrow.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - PASSION - Mike and I were watching Julie and Julia recently. I love that movie. The first time I saw it, I thought I loved it because it was about a blogger... who became famous... and wrote a book... which was turned into a movie... and the blogger had Amy Adams portray her in the movie. But watching it the second time, I realized I loved the movie because of a different reason entirely.

It was about two people struggling to discover what they were passionate about, and then pursuing their dreams.

Julia Childs was passionate about food and her husband. She poured herself into both, and was a hugely successful chef, teacher, television personality and a wonderful, loving, appreciative wife. And she was not a young thing when she started pursuing her dream. She was in her 40s. (I am in my 40s. Coincidence? I wonder.)

Amy Adams' charcter, Julie, was also struggling to find her passion in life. In the movie, she is portrayed as a woman who loves her husband very, very much. She's also a good cook in her own right, but she's meant to be a writer. When she discovers something (blogging) which puts two of her passions together (cooking and writing), her passion explodes... and so does her career.

This is not a religious movie. It does not talk about God's gifts or God's perfect will for your life. But if you think about it in those terms, God has given us gift(s). We even have classes at our church which help you find your God-given gift if you are struggling.

For some, it is obvious. Some people are natural teachers. It is their passion. It is what they pour themselves, body and soul, into doing well. Roxie has a math teacher who comes to mind. (Since I haven't asked his permission to use his name in the blog, I will just call him Mr. "R.") He is amazing. He is passionate about teaching math. And because he recognizes his passion, he is soooo good at making math enjoyable... even for non-math kids. He uses games, humor, music, etc. to make the subject he loves fun for his students. (He has other gifts, too.) By using his God-given gift of teaching in such a passionate, interesting, unique way, he is also inspiring would-be teachers (who are now only 12 and 13 years-old) to go the extra mile. He is not wasting his gift.

NOTE: He is not the only teacher I know of who uses his/her gift so well. We are blessed to have many such individuals in our schools.

What is your God-given gift? What is your passion? If you know the answer to those questions, that is great. Now you just have to figure out the best way to use your gift to the glory of God. If for some reason you haven't figured out what your gift might be, praying is always a good way to start... for all of us! But you can also ask your spouse or a close friend what they think. Sometimes what is obvious to others is invisible to us.

When you give someone a gift you spent time and effort looking for, you do not want to see them nonchalantly discard the gift. You want them to be excited about receiving the gift. You want them to use the gift, and enjoy themselves while doing so. God is no different. Each gift he has given us was given for a reason. And throwing it away is more than a waste. It will keep us from finding the joy God has in store for us in our daily lives.

What is The Enchanting Belinda's gift, you may ask? What is The Enchanting Belinda's passion? In a word, I would have to say "family." And that is not to say to every mother reading A Simple Life today you are NOT passionate about your family. No, sir. I don't know mothers who are not passionate about their families. But my purpose at this time in my life is to find and share ways to pour all that passion into spending purposeful, meaningful, Christ-centered time with our families.

Am I a perfect example of how to do this? Nope. Never have been, never will be.

Do I strive to do this? Yes, but not each and every day. I stumble and fall and make mistakes galore.

Are my kids perfect and my husband always happy because this is my passion? Oh, please! Give me a break. I think most days I get on their nerves more BECAUSE of my passion.

It is what it is. I'm a very broken vessel trying very hard to use God's gift. And every day I wake up and try, try again. Will I succeed? I'll have moments. Will I ultimately fail? Not as long as I am pursuing my passion (and God's perfect plan) for my life.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

I had another recipe planned for today borrowed from my friend, Melaney, but I'll share that next week (and hope I do not hurt her feelings by bumping her). Today, I'll share a recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I'll share ONE recipe, and then I expect you to go out and buy the book. I'll be calling Friday to see how many of you have purchased said cookbook.

You will need:

5 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
12 tablespoons butter, softened
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1/2 to 3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (Lowry's)
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to slow boil over medium-high heat.

2. Using a sharp knife or vegetable peeler, peel the potatoes and rinse in cold water. Chop the potatoes in halves and/or fourths. This helps the potatoes cook more quickly and evenly.

3. Add the potatoes to the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring to a full boil. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes.

4. The potatoes are ready when they pass the fork test. A fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not completely, fall apart.

5. Drain the potatoes in a large colander.

6. Return the potatoes to the pot and turn the heat on low. With a potato masher, mash the potatoes over low heat to allow much of the steam to escape. Continue mashing until all lumps are gone, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat.

7. Add the butter. Feel really guilty.

8. Add the cream cheese. Feel even more guilty.

9. Next, add the half-and-half and stir together.

10. Add the seasonings. Stir together until well combined.

11. Spread the mashed potatoes in a 2-quart baking dish, evening out the surface with a knife or spatula.

12. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, cover the potatoes with foil or a lid, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until warmed through.

One of The Pioneer Woman's gifts is cooking... and teaching by using an easy step-by-step, beautifully photographed cookbook. There are some wonderful recipes in this book. Some more difficult than others. Some I have never heard of. Many I cannot wait to try.

You have until Friday. That is all I'm saying on the subject.

Have a wonderful Tuesday. I have a New Year's Eve Seasonal Tradition to share tomorrow, Wednesday Wisdom, a couple of hints to keep you guessing about Friday's Special Guest and so much more. I'd love for you to visit again.

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda