Yummy Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars

One of my favorite treats was the Lemon Bars a friend of mine would make and  bring to work.   I never worried about making them because she was pretty regular about making them and sharing them with us.  It wasn’t long before our unit at work decided to put together a cook book and my friend shared her recipe.  Although the Lemon Bars she brought to work were perfect, I couldn’t get her recipe to work for me.  My Lemon Bars seemed to be lacking, so I changed just a few things and wa-la….Yummy Lemon Bars.  The trick is to use real lemon juice (fresh squeezed), but you can use bottled lemon juice and they will still be yummy.  I also had to change the cook times.  This recipe is doubled.  A special thanks to Jenae for sharing your yummy recipe with me.

Lemon Bars

Crust:

4 cups flour                                       2 cup softened butter

1 cup powdered sugar                  1 tsp. salt

Blend all ingredients together.  Press into a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Top Layer:

3 cups sugar                                     1 cup real lemon juice

8 eggs                                                            6 Tbsp. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

Mix all ingredients together with an electric mixer, pour over cooked crust.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  Cool 10 minutes, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

Talents

I used to believe that I didn’t have any meaningful talents.  My drawings are pathetic, (ask anyone who has played Pictionary with me.)  I am not a good singer or piano player and I have no rhythm for dancing.   

Since that time I have learned that talents come in many different forms and that I am very talented.  In my old ward (in our church we are divided into what is called wards which is determined by where you live) we held an annual talent show.  The first year I did not bring anything to show my talents.  The next year I made a tasty treat to share as my talent.  

We are new to Vincent, Ohio which is in the Marietta Ward.  About a month after we moved here our ward held their annual Ward Talent Show.  I brought some of my hair bows that I have made and also the 2 pillow case dresses I had made this summer.  I am not a good sewer but I am very proud of my pillow case dresses.  I also had learned how to make my first hair bow by a friend and sister in my old ward.  I became addicted to making hair bows and started to explore all the different types I could make.  Needless to say my girls have no shortage of hair bows. 

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, in the “Happiness, Your Heritage,” Nov. 2008 general conference said;

“Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty. …”

I love to take unorganized matter as you would call it and make it into something beautiful whether it is tasty treats or beautiful hair bows.  I am also molding my daughters into the mothers, wives and women of God that they have the potential to be. 

I have learned that talents are not just what we can do with our hands, but spiritual talents and mental talents as well.  As a mother I am continually praying for patience and understanding.  These are talents that I am developing to become a better mother to my precious daughters and a better wife to my eternal companion.  Although I have my hobbies that I really enjoy, I know that the most important talents I can develop is what will mold me into what my Father in Heaven would have me be, and I feel at this time my calling is to be a wife and a mother. 

I am so grateful for talents.  I know that we all have them and they are all extraordinary.  What talents do you have and how did you discover those talents?  Did you come by that talent naturally or did you work hard at developing that talent?  The Lord has blessed us with talents and we are expected to use them for the better of others.  Like in the parable of the talents we can either put to work what we have been given or we will lose it. 

Counting my Blessings

This past weekend I have had so many wonderful things happen in my family.  My oldest daughter made the choice to receive her patriarchal blessing on Saturday and my 8 year old daughter chose to be baptized on Sunday.  Not only were 2 of my children making such wonderful choices, but my niece Kiya made the choice to be baptized as well, so it was a double baptism as well as a baby blessing for my nephew Noah.  My heart was full of joy and gratitude for my many blessings.  Unfortunately, what should have been a peaceful and happy evening for me didn’t turn out that way.  Negativity seemed to find me every direction I turned.  Not only from some of those around me, but from other sources that I invited into my home although unintentionally.  One of the main sources of that negativity was the all popular “face book.”  Don’t get me wrong, I love face book and all that it has made possible for me.  I live far from most of my family and many of my friends and I love to keep up with them and hear how they are doing in their lives.  I love seeing the pictures of their children.  I love the silly quotes and the inspirational ones.  What I don’t love is the influence other posts can have on me.  It seems as though more and more negative posts or just plain crude posts are being shared.  I am often offended by many of them and I find that they drive away the spirit.  As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I continually
try to do as the Savior would have me do.  I fall short more than not on so many things.  We have some scripture in the Pearl of Great Price that states the basic beliefs of members of my church; they are called the Articles of Faith.  In particular the 13^th Article of Faith states what I have found myself pondering as of late.  It states;  “We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”  I have come to realize that I have allowed many of the sources that drive away the spirit into my life.