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Blue Cotton Memory

Letting Go and Letting God

Blue Cotton Memory - Letting Go and Letting God
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Holiday Living with Mason Jar Summertime Pies

Blue Cotton Memory

“Who satisfies your mouth with good things; so that your youth is renewed like the eagle” (Psalm 103:5). “Don’t worry about cooking. Just rest and enjoy,” my husband encouraged, as I stuffed mason jars and lemon curd into a cooler on wheels, to be packed in the back of my van. All that was missing was my kitchen sink! He … Continue reading →

Meringue Shells for Everyday Sparkle

Blue Cotton Memory

Reasoning that if you make creme brulee (egg yolks), you might as well whip up a batch of meringue shells – and if you’ve already made creme brulee – it’s time for something chocolate – and if you want to provide a gloss of credibility and nutrition to what your doing – throw in a couple of blueberries, blackberries or … Continue reading →

Nacho Mama’s Mexican Dinner

Blue Cotton Memory

I might call myself Nacho Mama when I cook Mexican, and I might really be Not(ch) Yo’ Mama – but that does not stop me from trying to find recipes that allow my dinner to be all things to all people. I refuse to be a short order cook, but if the cookin’ can wear different plates, well then, why not! … Continue reading →

Hot Wings Spill Good Words

Blue Cotton Memory

My Joyful son, whose joyfulness has been challenged by teen-itis – and probably by his mother’s response to his teen-itis, turns 16 this month. I miss the days he would say wonderful words like, “Great cookin’, mom” or sneak up behind and hug me. You’ve heard about his humor: “Joyful has grown beyond snuggle-buggles and telling me he loves me, but he … Continue reading →

Muddy’s Hot Cocoa – A Good Thing!

Blue Cotton Memory

Quite a few years ago, a tradition started in our house. First, it started when my boys trooped in on a chill afternoon with the neighborhood kids following behind. They’d line up on stools on the other side of the island, for steaming cups of hot cocoa. Then, one day, I found some hot chocolate cups at my favorite pottery … Continue reading →

Wrap Me a Chocolate Dream: Pain au Chocolat

Blue Cotton Memory

My very favorite coffee shop has a delicious pastry, Pain au Chocolat, an out-of-reach recipe because ordering a special chocolate from Italy for baking seems exhausting. Then my very favorite Italian cooking show presented an awkward-for-me cookie recipe with a very simple ganache recipe filling.  Both left me feeling like a frustrated failure. Until inspiration finally dawned in my blue cotton mind. Sometimes inspiration is the collision of … Continue reading →

Blue Cotton Mom’s Scrumptious Scones

Blue Cotton Memory

“Don’t get in my bubble,” they say to each other – and to me sometimes. And the way they say it, playful yet serious, is one of my very favorite things. The way boys banter and set boundaries through humor is one of the true delights of being a mom of sons. “I’m not tellin’ that,” when I try to … Continue reading →

Blue Cotton Granola Bars

Blue Cotton Memory

Recipe Updated with journaling of their story in the family: March 4, 2019: One of the first things I’d cooked in over a week, my blue cotton granola bars, – and the littlest who’s not little any more said, “It’s the best ever.” Maybe it was the sprinkling of pecan dust. Maybe it was just because mama cooked – and … Continue reading →

Loaded Potato Soup

Blue Cotton Memory

  The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach – right?  So what did I learn to do when I, um, married a man and had a bunch of sons – learned how to cook some mighty fine fixin’s, that’s what!  Let me tell you, it has not been a cake walk! My husband could care less about food … Continue reading →

Christmas Truffles

Blue Cotton Memory

The Christmas Candy Trinity at our house consists of Truffles, Majeskas, and Bourbon Balls. Christmas Truffles have delighted my Christmas since I was old enough to walk. Rich, not too sweet, and totally decadent – the stuff culinary of dreams! Christmas Truffles 1/2 Cup Sugar 4 tbsp. flour 2 Cup 1/2 &1/2 2 egg yolks 3 1/2 bags Ghiradelli semi-sweet Chocolate … Continue reading →

Grandmother’s Christmas Coffee Cake

Blue Cotton Memory

It’s beginning to look like Christmas – the mantle is decorated, the snowman wreath is on the front door, and the stockings are up. That means it is time for my Grandmother’s Christmas Coffee Cake which can be found coming out of my oven through Valentine’s Day. A teacher’s gift, a Christmas morning staple, and some warm tangible love for … Continue reading →

The Secret to Thanksgiving Dinner: The Oysters!

Blue Cotton Memory

Yeah, ladies!  Oysters are the key to a true feast – Thanksgiving, Christmas, and January Fun-feast meal!  The pre-requisite feasting delight is not the must-have turkey and my especially yum dressing or whatever feasty dessert conjured up.I refuse to be shewish and withold the key to Feasting Success from you – though my grandmother would be so tempted to do so! You … Continue reading →

Muddy’s Chicken Noodle Soup

Blue Cotton Memory

Swine Flu has turned a family member into a boarish-feeling, snout-snuffling, grunting, hacking, coughing, retching statistic of a media-hyped illness.   How to turn this Swine Flue victim back into an up-right walking, clean-nose, easy breathing, content-containing-stomach owning homosapien?  A Harry Potter Spell?  Rabbit hair and dirt stirred into a paste and rubbed across the forehead?  Definitely not.  Media coverage has bumped this flu … Continue reading →

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He sure loves his sons! His grandchildren, too! I He sure loves his sons! His grandchildren, too!  It’s an unconditional love, a patient love, a quiet, steady love. He learned it from his father. Calm, cool, knowing how to wait, how to shepherd, how to encourage just right. He lives and talks his faith quietly, humbly in a way that resounds probably to greater effect than I can with all my words. Thankful God sent him as the answer to my prayer all those years ago. Happy Father’s Day to the best dad I know!
Some people are sunshine to the soul. The world is Some people are sunshine to the soul. The world is a more kind, more rich, more God-kind-of-love with them! They make you want to be better than you thought possible! When they leave, you almost think they took their soul shine with them. . . but they didn’t. They left it within us if we don’t forget! Remembering today a sweet girl who was that sunshine to all whose life she touched!
These two sweeties have the same birthday- they’ These two sweeties have the same birthday- they’re both fearless, ready-to-go, train-loving boys keeping their eyes peeled for an adventure! Happy 5th Birthday Brin and Happy 2nd Birthday Augie! The world is a more exciting place with you two!
You’ve heard of referred pain – where you feel You’ve heard of referred pain – where you feel the pain in one part of your body which is so far away from what is really causing the pain that you see no connection?

Referred Response is like that. Your response is seemingly unconnected to what provoked the response that neither you nor those who know you see a connection.

What causes you to take a moment, sit down, catch your breath, give your beating heart time to slow and your soul to refresh?

Do you need to be physically and emotional broken – is that the catalyst that brings forth out of yourself the call for time out? The call for stop? The call for help?

(To read more, click on blog link in the bio.) 

#bluecottonmemory #blog #bloggersofinstagram #referredresponse #powderpuff #strawthatbrokethecamelsback
Keith coming down the Trump Escalator where Trump Keith coming down the Trump Escalator where Trump announced his run for president seven years ago today! I didn’t have to prompt him to smile at all! Keith loved it! Great memory of a great time when the economy was booming, supply chains were humming along, gas prices were pre-9-11 prices, a whole list of some other good things, and when I’d made my first trip to New York! Sure do miss those days! If Trump won’t run again, maybe Keith should!!! He’s already experienced the same ride to presidential announcements!
God knew I needed mind, body, and spirit care – God knew I needed mind, body, and spirit care – and he knew I wouldn’t ask for it on my own. Something had to break me to ask for help. The Powder Puff was my straw that broke the camel’s back.

We all face challenges – big challenges and little challenges. Maybe it’s the relentless busy, the schedule that doesn’t give a moment to catch your breath. Maybe it’s keeping up with littles or trying to keep a teen between the lines. Maybe it’s being a care-giver to an aging parent or a loved-one with cancer or Parkinson’s Disease. Maybe you struggle with autoimmune disorders? Whatever the challenge – life dropped that feather-light straw on you and you broke? Have you had moments like that? Where the silliest thing breaks you when the hardest of hard couldn’t? Even as silly as a Powder Puff!

(To read more, click on blog link in the bio.) 

#bluecottonmemory #blog #bloggersofinstagram #referredresponse #powderpuff #strawthatbrokethecamelsback
This guy 36 years ago stole our hearts so big, we This guy 36 years ago stole our hearts so big, we wanted more just like him! For six years, we had him to ourselves. I didn’t know anything about a newborn much less raising a boy – until I had one, about a 5-year-old boy, until I had one, about a 10 year old boy (yeah – they get blue) until I had one. I knew nothing about raising a boy until Christian. I remember one summer drought the green was fading from the grass and my garden tomatoes and cucumbers refused to grow without more water when, finally, after weeks of prayer, the rain came and Christian and I, we danced in the afternoon rain on our farm on the hill. One morning when the fields were tall and swayed with a sweet wind, Christian and I Iooked up. I saw a deer taking flight. He saw a kangaroo leaping away through the fields. Ladd, our Collie saw nothing. He wanted a baby brother. He’d asked over and over. How do you explain Secondary Infertility to a 3 year old – so I told him to do what we were doing – he needed to pray and ask Jesus. He did – for the next three years at bedtime and dinner – He asked Jesus to send him a baby brother – regardless of who sat across from us at the table. In a paper for the 6th grade, he wrote, “be careful of what you prayer for because when God answers prayers, he answers abundantly.” He was the first one I taught to play chess, the first one I taught to bake (He could make a better from-scratch lemon-meringue pie from scratch than I could in the 6th grade), the first one I taught to read. He was the leader of that brotherhood he’d prayed for. They were his willing and adoring band of brothers. I found him one day when he was in college lying on the living room floor. He’d been praying, he said – now he was just soaking up Jesus. “Thanks for the independence with training wheels,” he said one time. “There’s a girl I’m meeting for coffee,” he said one day – and with that He stepped into independence without training wheels. There are so many memories I hold in my heart for this son – and such a big love! Happy Birthday, Christian!
I have a mess of Thyme on my hands! I love that I I have a mess of Thyme on my hands! I love that I have Thyme in my garden, that it grows and thrives perennially. It makes me feel like I’m growing “time” in a magical kind of fairytale way. Thyme is a persevering plant - it holds on and doesn’t give up, almost as if it knows it is God-designed to persevere - and that when I meet Thyme in my garden, God is telling me to not give up, to persevere with Him. Yeah - I have a mess of Thyme preaching to me in my garden about how to live my time! 

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4, NIV) #thyme #muddylecturenuggets
How did this happen? This time 24 years ago, Keith How did this happen? This time 24 years ago, Keith and I were breakfasting in Cracker Barrel on a sunny Sunday morning, not realizing God was planning a miracle, that in a few hours God would hold our son so he would be born healthy and whole. He’s a fighter, deeply loyal, passionately logical. There’s so many stories stored up in my heart - but he doesn’t want to hear them. It’s his story now - his and Emma’s! What joy to my heart that he has Emma to walk the rest of his story out with. Happy Birthday, Cam! I love you to God’s beard and back! 

https://bluecottonmemory.com/what-you-speak-is-what-you-get/
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