Climb Every Mountain: Adventures on the Appalachian Trail

For those of you who know me personally all know that I am a huge fan of Julie Andrews!

Julie and I

Summer of 2005

This is where the inspiration for my title came from..obviously!

I most recently went on a trip with a group of ten other people from my church on a crazy excursion on the Appalachian Trail.

And boy did we climb some mountains, every mountain to be exact.  We started at Carver's Gap and ended at the 19E pickup.  For a grand total of 13 miles in 2 days and 1 night!

It was a hard hike, one of the hardest that I have ever done.

But I had the love and encouragement of the group to help me make it to the end when I didn't think I could.

There are times in life that we face a mountain, literally or figuratively, and we think that there is no way to overcome it.

But, there is ALWAYS a way to overcome it!

God is always there to throw us a rope or even carry us the whole way when we need him to.

For those of you who are praying for my family thank you so much.  We can feel it!!

So I would now like to share with you some of the beautiful images that we were blessed to encounter.

*Proceed with Caution one picture is a tiny bit graffic but part of the experience when it comes to hiking*

                                       I had another one exactly like it on the other heel.
                                             



I am looking forward to the next trip!!

May God Bless You All!

Remember Phil. 4:13

XOXO,

Laura

Did You Miss Me?: Sweet and Salty Pasta

Hi everyone!

Sorry I haven't been posting in a while.

You know how life can sometimes throw a wild card your way?

Well that's what happened to my family recently.  Those of you who believe please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

We can accomplish great things through the power of prayer!

GOD IS GOOD!

So I am excited to share with you that I am going to start crafting and sewing again. 

For the longest time I wasn't able to fit all of my creativity into my crazy schedule. 

But I am happy to say that the creativity dought will soon be over.

Let the creativity rain down I am ready with buckets in hand!

At the present time I am house and dog sitting for a couple in my church.

Bo says HELLO!!

With that being said onto the yummy pasta dish!

Sweet and Salty Pasta

Makes Enough for 4

For this dish you will need:

You will also need:  Olive Oil, White wine or chicken broth, basil (dried or fresh), and crushed red pepper flakes.

While cooking your pasta, in a saute` pan heat up your olive oil and saute` the garlic.

(I am using a garlic paste because that is what I had on hand)



Next add your bell peppers

After your peppers have softened a bit add a tablespoon of capers with their liquid.

(This will add a salty flavor that matches wonderfully with the sweetness of the peppers and tomatoes)

Next add your artichoke hearts with their liquid.

(This part of the recipe can be tailored to your taste.  If you like artichoke hearts add as much or as little as you want)

Next add 1/4 a cup of white wine or chicken broth to the pan to deglaze it

aka get all of those flavor bits off the bottom of the pan.

By deglazing your pan you are adding yet one more level of flavor to your sauce.

Next add your can of tomatoes

(To save some time and effort I used diced tomatoes with garlic and onion in them)

By now your pasta should be done!

But STOP...before you drain the pasta take a large spoon and add a few spoonfuls of that starchy pasta water to thicken the sauce.

Also at this time add your basil and pepper flakes.

Being from the south I like my food to have a little kick so I add a good pinch of the flakes.



Lastly drain your pasta when your pasta becomes al dente.  Why you might ask?  Well by allowing the pasta to be slightly under cooked (al dente) you open up the opportunity to allow the pasta to absorb the AMAZING sauce that you just created!

Just adding one more dimension of flavor!

All that's left to do is to serve it up and enjoy!

This is a great meal for large families or a single southern gal like myself.

I look forward to the day that I can cook healthy meals like this for my own family.

May God Bless you All!

Remember Phil. 4:13

XOXO,

Laura