My thoughts on, 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' (1945 film)

The film, based on Oscar Wilde's novel, 'The Picture of Dorian Gray', stars George Sanders, Hurd Hatfield, Donna Reed and Angela Landsbury.  Dorian Gray, youthful and naive, has his portrait painted, whereupon he is introduced to Lord Henry, a friend of the painter.  Shortly after hearing Lord Henry speak of his personal views of youthfulness and the enjoyments therein, Dorian wishes to keep his youthful appearance forever in exchange for his soul.  We soon learn that the portrait of Dorian will be a mirror, more or less, to his soul wherein, the portrait becomes more and more disfigured with each sin he commits.  Two things stood out in my mind at the completion of this film:  Firstly, Lord Henry, whom seemingly lurks and suggests wrongdoings to Dorian at key moments, reminded me of the role Satan plays in our lives.  Satan can and does tempt us, but we make our own decisions.  Decisions, good or bad, lead to outcomes.  We may make mistakes and learn from these mistakes to make better decisions in the future, but we are still left with the outcomes from those mistakes.  For example, when Lord Henry suggested Dorian "use" the girl he had otherwise planned to marry and Dorian did so, he was later sorrowful about his decision and had decided to marry the girl after all.  However, before he could make it right, he learned of her suicide.  Faced with the guilt of her suicide, it seemed to me, Dorian hardened his heart and gave up on himself.  The film implied he went from one bad act to another; I'm sure the novel would fill in the blanks better than the film.  The second thing that stood out in my mind, was the fact that Dorian's fate seemed set in stone, whereas ours, thankfully, is not.  As I said before, we may have to live with outcomes from our mistakes, but that should not stop us from righting those wrongs as best we can and trying to do better in the future.  Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail."  Also, don't be discouraged.  It's often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the film! :)

Thanks for stopping by ~ Julie

Broccoli/Cauliflower Cheese Soup Bowls

Ingredients

• 3 cups broccoli pieces, chopped
• 3 cups cauliflower pieces, chopped
• 2 cups onions, chopped
• 5 tablespoons tablespoons butter or margarine
• 8 cups cups chicken broth, divided
• 1 teaspoon teaspoon dried leaf oregano, crumbled
• ¼ cup cup flour
• 2 tablespoons tablespoons Dijon mustard
• ⅛ teaspoon teaspoon pepper
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, more if you like your soup cheesy
• dash of Worcestershire sauce
•  salt and pepper to taste
• Bread soup bowls (make your own, or buy them)

Method

Cut florets off broccoli and simmer in lightly salted water (about a cup of water) for 2 minutes; drain (saving the water for the soup) and immerse in cold water to stop cooking then set aside.

Cut and chop broccoli stalks and cauliflower into small pieces. Chop onion.

Add chopped onions and 3 tablespoons of butter to soup pot; sauté over medium low heat for 5 minutes or till lightly brown. Add chopped broccoli, cauliflower and 4 cups chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce and oregano to the saucepan; simmer 20 to 30 minutes. Carefully process hot mixture in batches in a blender until smooth and add back to soup pot. Or blend with an immersion blender. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in saucepan; stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly. Stir in mustard and pepper and then gradually add the milk. Stir milk mixture into processed mixture and remaining 4 cups of chicken broth and water from simmered broccoli florets. Continue to cook, stirring, until mixture begins to bubble. Add cheese; stir until smooth and cheese is melted. Add remaining broccoli florets and heat through.


Cut the tops of the bread bowls off carefully and scoop out the insides and toast for croutons.  Don't add croutons until ready to serve.


**Fun for kids**  Make shaped veggies for dipping!  Choose large carrots, zucchini, bell peppers, etc. and use cookie cutters to cut into fun shapes.  Brush with olive oil and place on a baking sheet sprayed with olive oil spray and roast.  You may want to add another baking sheet on top for veggies that will curl, or simply use a George Foreman grille if you have one.


Thank you, Cyndee for this awesome recipe!  I look forward to trying it.


~Thanks for stopping by :)

Hello :) It's been a while!

I haven't written anything in a while, and seeing as my last post was left on a sad note, I wanted to let you know it was written for a friend who had lost her parents and was feeling a bit low in spirits.  I was thinking of her when I wrote the post.  Hope you have been well, Friends.  I have a recipe to share with you I received today from a friend.  I haven't made it myself yet, but it seems delicious and perfect for the cool weather we are having here!  I will post it next .... two posts in one day, that's a record for me! :)

~Thanks for stopping by :)

Reminiscent Of Loved Ones Gone But Not Forgotten ...

Farewell 

Farewell to Thee!  But not farewell 

To all my fondest thoughts of Thee; 

Within my heart they still shall dwell 

And they shall cheer and comfort me. 

Life seems more sweet that Thou didst live 

And men more true Thou wert one; 

Nothing is lost that Thou didst give, 

Nothing destroyed that Thou hast done. 

Anne Bronte 

1820-1849 

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth 

you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

Kahlil Gibran

We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.

Kenji Miyazawa

Although it's difficult today to see beyond the sorrow,

May looking back in memory help comfort you tomorrow.

Author Unknown

Psalm 30:5

Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Psalm 34:18

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 46:1-2

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.

Thanks for stopping by ~ Julie :)

Spicy Tortilla Soup

A warm, velvety soup, filled with spicy chicken and zucchini squash, topped with shredded Monterey Jack cheese and a slice of avocado.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ingredients:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 cup onion, shredded

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 medium zucchini, sliced and quartered

8 cups water

6 chicken breast

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 can Rotel

1 can 15 oz. tomato sauce

1 can 12 oz. can corn, undrained

3 tsp. cumin

4 cubes chicken boullion

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 bag of Tortilla chips

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese

2 or 3 avocados

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To make broth, boil chicken breasts in 8 cups of water until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken, allow to cool, then shred. Add bouillon cubes to broth.  Add all remaining ingredients except chips, cheese and avocado to broth.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Spoon soup in bowls, add chips, cheese and a slice of avocado.

Thanks for stopping by!  ~Julie :)

Hungry?!

Ever wonder if some of the plants in your backyard or nearby park are edible?

If the answer is: YES!

Then, keep reading...

If the answer is: NO!

I'm with you, but we are going to be a good sport and go along anyway...

This morning my husband found this AWESOME website:

http://www.foragingtexas.com/

(Merriwether's Guide to Edible Wild Plants of Texas and the Southwest)

and he had a brilliant idea called:

"Let's go foraging for edible plants in our neighborhood park!"

So, we got out the double-stroller (which, by the way, did quite well off-roading; I may have to review that on here sometime, ha ha), packed up the kiddos, grabbed water and our handy dandy list copied from the above mentioned website and headed out on an "adventure"! :)

You are still with me, right?

Okay, so are you ready to see what we found?

Did you bring your appetite???!!

There are acorns somewhere 
in that photo...I think.

Guess, what? Acorns are edible!!

And if I had to eat out of the park,

I would be eating A LOT of acorns I believe.

Plus, also, squirrel.
Mainly, because they would be fighting me for my acorns, but also because they would taste way better than the other things we found!  No, really.

Fair Warning:  It is going to get much worse before it get's better...

Many kinds of Algae are edible (with a LOT of boiling, etc.)

Tasty, right?


This may be a good time to say...  Don't use these photos to eat ANYTHING!!  
These photos are purely for entertainment!!!


We found Alligator Weed or Smartweed, not sure which...

Pony's Foot

Dandelion

What, you can't see the dandelion in that last photo? It is there.  Look harder.


Lichen

Honey Locust

We digress...
Also, in our neighborhood park...


I want to learn THIS:

DISC GOLF!!!


Okay, back to the point...


That was all the edible things we found in our neighborhood park.


I had a great time and learned a few things.
Most importantly, I will be VERY thankful
each
and 
every
single
time
I forage in my fridge for something edible!

Ephesians 5:20
Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanks for stopping by!
~ Julie :)

Zuppa Toscana Inspired Soup

I'm sharing with you one of my favorite soups of all time!  A creamy sausage soup that is absolutely delicious and a big family favorite at our house.  This soup tastes very similar, if not identical, to Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana soup. We like this soup year round, served with a Caesar salad and fruit in the summer months or inside your favorite mug perched by a cozy fireplace in the winter.  I hope your family loves this soup as much as I do!

Ingredients 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 lb. Italian sausage 

2 large Russet baking potatoes, sliced in half, and then in 1/4" slices.

1 large onion, chopped

1/4 cup bacon, crumbled

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups kale or swiss chard, chopped

2 cans chicken broth 

1 quart water

1 cup heavy whipping cream

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brown sausage and crumble. Drain and set aside.

Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, garlic in pot and cook on medicum heat until potatoes are done.

Add sausage and bacon.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Turn to low heat.

Add kale and cream.

Heat thouroughly and serve!

~ Delizioso! ~

Thanks for stopping by :) ~Julie

Friend

I was asked twice by a Twitter friend who lives in Turkey (How cool is that?!) to write more on my blog, and that got me thinking about friends.

The definition of friend is as follows:
1. A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.
2. A person whom one knows; an acquaintance.
3. A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.
4. One who supports, sympathizes with, or patronizes a group, cause, or movement: friends of the clean air movement.

We see a friend can be anyone from a mere aquaintance to one who is more endearing; who supports and sympathizes with us.

A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words. ~ Danish Proverb

A hug is worth a thousand words. A friend is worth more. ~ Charles Caleb Colton

What does the Bible have to say about a friend? A couple of my favorite verses concerning a friend are as follows:

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow. ~ Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. ~ Proverbs 17:17

And yet . . . Yes, let's flip the coin over, so to speak.  None of us are perfect, right?  If we put all of our faith and trust in humans who will sooner or later let us down, we will likely crumble when they do let us down.  Whereas, God will never let us down!

Loving someone is risky only when you are dependent upon their love in return for your emotional well-being. ~ Lauren McEachran

Do not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion. ~ Micah 7:5

Friends will let us down from time to time, but remember, they are also born for adversity.  Adversities are difficulties and misfortunes!!  How wonderful to have friends stand beside us when we go through hardships and misfortunes. In fact, this reminds me of another Bible verse:

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. ~ Galatians 6:2

So, a friend can help me carry my burden & vice versa!

~ Friends are a blessing & I am thankful for each and every one of mine ~

Thank you, Friend, for stopping by :)

If the shoe fits . . .

Today I was rummaging through a couple of bags of baby clothes in our guest room closet to find some dresses for my youngest, Anna, who is now six months old.  Violet, my second oldest, came to investigate like she usually does.  Violet's two favorite things are hats and shoes.  Faster than I could blink my eyes, she picked up a pair of glittery pink baby shoes, with glee, from the floor where I was sorting the clothes.  She then, of course, proceeds to try them on.  They were only five sizes too small, so they almost fit, right?  Wrong!  But, she had to try nevertheless! ~ This reminded me of the idiom, If the Shoe Fits, Wear It.  Meaning, if something applies to you, accept it.  With acceptance, comes understanding.  Proverbs 2:6 says, "For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." . . . If we do not accept that we need the Lord, we will not gain true understanding, knowledge or wisdom.