The Invitation by:Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dreams
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your
fingers and toes
without cautioning us to
be careful
be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.

If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand on the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes."

It doesn't interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after a night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the center of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

German Maultaschen-Authentic Schwabian Recipe

They consist of an outer pocket of noodle dough and a filling made of gound meat and spinach.
You will sometimes find people calling them Schwabian pockets; they are also similar to a meat filled ravioli.
It is said that they were invented by monks to conceal the fact that they were eating meat during Lent.
They are traditionally served in a broth with toasted breadcrumbs and parsley or with onion rings. One of my favourite German recipes has to be Maultaschen so I felt I had to share this recipe with you.
I often make a very large batch and freeze them. When your family come home starving hungry, you can whip them out of the freezer and heat them up in a broth for about 10 minutes until heated through. Delicious meat filled ravioli to serve with my German potato salad.

3 eggs
pinch of salt
for each egg, half an eggshell of water
360-400g wheat flour
Mix eggs with salt and water. Sift flour into a bowl and make a well in the middle. Break the eggs into it and blend all the ingredients together. Take out of the bowl and then knead the dough on a board until air pockets can be seen when the dough is cut. You can knead by hand or with a mixer.
Depending on the flour, if the dough is too thick add a little water or an egg white. The dough shouldn't be too soft. Form a ball and place on a board. Cover with a cloth and leave to rest. Now you can prepare the filling.
400g fresh spinach
saltwater
20g diced bacon
20g butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
3-4 stale rolls, crusts removed
150g ham or cold meat, diced
250g ground meat (pork or beef)
2-3 eggs
a pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg
boiling saltwater or meat broth
Clean the spinach well, wash and blanch it briefly in boiling saltwater. Rinse with cold water, let it drain and chop coarsley. Braise the bacon in butter for a couple of minutes, add the chopped onion and spinach and braise for a couple more minutes. Soak the stale rolls in water until soft. Squeeze out the excess water and chop the rolls into pieces.
In a large bowl mix the above prepared ingredients with ham and ground meat. Add the eggs and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

On a floured surface roll out the noodle dough into rectangular sheets (about twice as wide as you want your Maultaschen to be). Use a tablespoon of filling at equally spaced 3 inch intervals all down the middle of one side of the sheet of dough. Fold the plain half of the sheet of dough over to cover the filling and press firmly on the spaces around the pockets of filling. Use a pastry wheel or cookie cutter to cut into 3 inch squares.
Put them into boiling saltwater or meat broth and let simmer (not boil) for 10-15 minutes depending on the size.
They can be served in broth with toasted bread crumbs and parsley or with onion rings.

Alternatively, slice an onion and fry the rings in butter until brown and serve with the soup. Maultaschen are also good with German potato salad.
If there are any left over, they can be used the following day. Cut Maultaschen into one inch slices, fry in fat, add slightly beaten eggs and milk to the pan and cook through. Delicious served with a crisp green salad.

A normal serving size is 2-4 Maultaschen.
Enjoy this German meat recipe with Kartoffelsalat (Hot German Potato Salad).

ENJOY!!!!!

 

Better Than Banana Bread

3 cups flour
3 eggs

3 cups sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz crushed and drained pineapple
3 ripe bananas

Combine all ingredients, pour into a greased bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for an hour. Let stand 5 minutes then turn out. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top when cooled.

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Ingredients:
1 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons baking powder
2 & 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 ounces grated yellow cheddar cheese
3/4 cup whole milk

Ingredients for Garlic Butter:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Lightly mist a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Make the biscuits: pulse the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the shortening and pulse until combined. Add the butter; pulse 4 or 5 times, or until the butter is in pea-size pieces. add the cheese and pulse 2 or 3 times. Pour in the milk and pulse just until the mixture is moistened and forms a shaggy dough. Turn out onto a clean surface and gently knead until the dough comes together. Do not overwork the dough or the biscuits will be tough.

3. Drop the dough onto the baking sheet in scant 1/4-cup portions, 2-inches apart, and bake until golden, 25 to 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make the garlic butter: Melt the butter with the garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook for 1 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Brush the biscuits with the garlic butter and serve warm.

No Oil No Egg Orange Cake

Cake

12  ounces DIET Orange  Soda
1  white  cake  mix
mix  together and  bake  following   directions  on   box
let  cake  completly cool
*****************************************************
Frosting
1 pkg SUGAR FREE   Orange  Jello
1 8oz FAT FREE Cool Whip
mix jello and cool whip  together...spread on cooled  cake
12 Servings  .....   each  serving  is 6 Points Plus  (Weight Watchers)
ENJOY!!!