SURSEE: September 2013         

Friday, September 27, 2013

Look what I saw on vacation

Traveling is always great fun.  Experiencing new cities, towns, views.  Peeking into gardens, seeing what grows.  Eating the yumminess of the region.

 I also like the signs you see. Here are a few that I want to share with you from my recent trip to Charleston.
love this tile!
This was cemented into the threshold of a new store on the main drag.  I love the romance of the old five and dime with the wooden floors and the waft of popcorn and all things trinkety to see.

When was the last time you have seen this sign?  It was posted in a stable, where the beautiful draft horses that pull the charming carriages, are kept  I guess the chicken we saw in the hay was this attack chicken.  I am scared!

Who knew this fun fact?  The word Pecan is from an Indian word meaning a "Tough Nut to Crack."
Love learning the meanings of words.


And here is what the gum package declared:
Practice safe breath, please!
Last sign, in front of a floral shoppe.  (love saying shoppe, sounds so British and elegant)
I also love chalkboards!
I couldn't agree more!



So can you share a SURSEE that you saw in a sign?  Wouldn't that be a fun contest to have?

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Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Empty Nester Fashion

Ok, so y'all have to check out these:
 These boots were made for walking!



 Hello, beautiful and fun boots.  These are my Empty Nester Boots.  Been looking at these for awhile.  Ever since I saw some in Santa Fe many years back.  Found some in Bastrop, and they make me happy!  Thought these were going to be my Christmas, but the Bear said these were my EMPTY NESTER SURSEE!  Woo-Hoo!


Just thought you might like to see what an Empty Nester wears.
When I put them on, I have to smile.  How can you not smile when your toadies are wrapped with floral greatness?


What fashion item is your SURSEE that makes you smile? Do tell.

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Thursday, September 12, 2013

Edit- The Word for the Week

The word for the week is Edit...what does that mean, you might ask?

 Webster's says this about the word:
1
a : to prepare (as literary material) for publication or public presentation
b : to assemble (as a moving picture or tape recording) by cutting and rearranging
c : to alter, adapt, or refine especially to bring about conformity to a standard or to suit a particular purpose<carefully edited the speech> <edit a data file>
2
: to direct the publication of <edits the daily newspaper>
3
: delete —usually used with out

Ah, alter-  adapt- refine- delete.  Love these words and the power behind them.
So gals, what does that mean for us?   I have beed doing some editing around the house.  I used to call it cleaning out.  Getting rid of stuff.  Purging.  A friend introduced me to this word as she told about helping to clean out her mother-in-law's house and then her own house.

Edit sounds so glam.  So streamline.  So chichi.  We are going to embrace this word, friends.  I want you to edit your closet. Your kitchen.  Your bedroom.  Your picture frames!  And more.
So freeing.  A friend told me recently that we won't be remembered past two generations.  All of our stuff won't mean anything in two generations.  A good reason to edit.

 Another friend reminded me that we need to be storing up treasures in heaven. Editing is the key.
Isn't it sad to go to a flea market or antique mall and see portraits from the 30's and 40's?  Who is that gorgeous gal with the Veronica Lake hair or the studly soldier in his dress garbs?  Who buys those portraits?  Who puts them in the antique mall in the first place?  Questions for another day because today we are editing.

See the lipstick I used on her eyebrows?
Hope I have learned something since then about make-up application





sad little empty frames
I have been going through boxes in the garage and found this! Ack!  I loved Gretel as a little girl,  but her head has been off for YEARS.   It is TIME to EDIT and let go of her.  Freedom.











I also found loads of baby pics.  All of my favorites of the boys.  I don't want so many frames standing around now, so I will EDIT and pick out my favs and put these shots in a new grouping to hang on the wall.  Ahhh,  simple and clean.












As I have been doing this I thought about what else we need to edit.

 How about our thought life?  
 Our words? 
 Our time?

The Lord tells us to edit our thought life.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:8


He tells us our speech needs to be refined and adapted for the moment.


Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.  Colossians 4:6


He asks us to edit our time.

making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:16


Let's do some editing, gals.  It is a SURSEE with a reward...

~a clean house with less clutter~

~a thought life with no lies~

~speech that is life-giving~

What are ways you find a SURSEE through Editing?  Or more importantly, what are you going to EDIT today?  Do tell.


P.S.
I dug Gretel outta the trash.  I just know I can do some craft with her. Thoughts?




Friday, September 6, 2013

Pizza Roll Yummyness


Pizza Roll is a great meal for the family, and it isn't really that hard to make.  Just takes a little planning ahead, like all good things.  This is also a fantastic recipe for your college kid- not too hard and can be made ahead and shared with others.

I made it with a friend and wanted to share the pics with you.  Recipe follows.



Use this Hot Roll Mix to get started.


Pour the yeast into the flour mixture and whisk it around.

Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the water and warm in the microwave for a minute. Then add to the flour with an egg. Mix it well until it all comes together.


Next you dump it out on a floured cloth and knead it until it isn't sticky anymore- around 3-4 minutes.

Then let it rest for a few minutes.

While it is resting, I brown the sausage with some chopped onions.

Done.

Next I make the cheese mixture for the inside of the pizza roll.  In a large bowl, I add these spices,

Parmesan cheese,

and Mozzarella cheese.




Add the cooled sausage and stir it all together.
Spray a cookie sheet with some Pam.

Take your dough and dump out onto your floured cloth.  Push and smash it into a rectangle with your hands.   I sometimes roll the dough with a rolling pin out on the floured cloth into a 12 x 10 rectangle.  But you can just smash it around with your hands.


Plop the cheese/sausage mixture on top and spread it out to the edges.

Roll the dough toward you and seal the edges, turning the ends down and pinching them closed.



Then pick it up carefully and transfer to the cookie sheet, seam side down.




Here is where I repaired the roll where I tore it a little.  Easy to add a pinch of dough to repair the hole.I always curve it a little and then brush it with a beaten egg to give it a nice shine when it bakes.



Bake the Pizza Roll at 350 for around 15-20 minutes, until golden.  Slice into 2 inch thick slices.

Serve it with some a warm bowl of Prego or your fav marinara sauce.  I usually let the kids ladle some sauce onto their plates and dip the Pizza Roll slices into the sauce.

You can also make this ahead of time and reheat for dinner, or you can even bake it and freeze it. To serve thaw in frig and then reheat it, wrapped in foil.

A Sursee for the Family.

Recipe
Ingredients
1 lb sausage
1/4 cup chopped onions
Saute onions and meat and then drain and cool.

Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix
Prepare according to the directions on the box for hot roll dough-
Add 2 tbl soft butter and 1 cup of warm  water to mix.  Mix in the egg.
Knead and let rest, covered.

Mix together:
 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tbl basil
1 tbl oregano
1/2 tbl garlic salt

1 egg, beaten, to swish on the roll before baking.

Directions:
Combine cheese mixture with cooled sausage.  Roll out dough into 12 x 10 rectangle on floured cloth
Dump cheese/sausage mix on top of dough.  Starting at one wide end roll over and then seal edges by pinching dough.  Beat one egg in small bowl and brush the Pizza roll with it.

 Spray cookie sheet with Pam and bake the Pizza Roll at 375 for15-20 min or until golden brown. Check at 15 minutes as I can't really remember right now-ha!

Hope your family enjoys this recipe.  It is also a great dinner to take to a new Mom or someone recovering at home and needing a meal.  Enjoy and pass on this SURSEE.

What do you take to a new mom or friend in need of din-din?  Do tell.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Why I Write Sursee

I recently attended a wonderful Blogging Conference in August and last week slogged through a virtual Blogging Boot Camp.  Both of these events have helped solidify why I am writing, so I thought I would share with you some of the whys behind SURSEE.


Sursee- an unexpected surprise that brings you joy

I write to connect you to ideas and thoughts that encourage--things I am thinking, things you are thinking, books I am reading, quotes I am loving and life I am living.

I write to mentor the mom coming behind me, who is needing encouragement and a reminder that this too shall pass.  I want to remind her that what she is experiencing is normal. She also needs the SURSEE of a new recipe to make tonight!, a recommendation for a new book to read, or a story that reminds her to go back to Jesus. He is more than enough.

I write to side by side mentor the mom walking next to me in this season of life who needs encouragement to keep looking for SURSEES when that nest is empty or almost empty. She needs a little spark of fun or a new recipe or an exhortation to be right where she is in life and embrace it.

I write to hear what you are thinking about or writing, so I can share here.

I write to provide community-connections-learning as we all lean into Jesus more and more and grow in grace.

I love that you read this and love hearing from you.  Let me know if there is something you would like to read here.  Thanks for listening. Go and be a SURSEE for someone or pass on a SURSEE to a soul who needs it, which would be everyone!
xoxo,
Leslie