I love making dinner! It's like a romantic dinner for two every night when you have an empty nest! I was thinking about Esther in the Bible after hearing a talk recently. It caused me to pause in a different kind of way. She wanted something from the King and in order to 'soften' him up she prepared a feast. It was such an amazing feast that he wanted to give her half the kingdom. Think about that. What in the world did she fix for dinner that night? I don't have relatives in bondage that Rich could let go free but, I think there's a lot to be said about what it feels like for a man who is working his tail off, to come home to a prepared and well thought out meal. I think that includes how the dinner table looks and what the atmosphere feels like. It takes a lot of planning and forethought to pull off a nice 'feast'. I have been having fun with it. I actually set the table for dinner in the morning and make salads or prepare other parts of the meal then as well so I am not frantically trying to make it all happen at 6:00. It would have been good if I had done this years ago, but, then again, Rich has hardly ever been home for dinner with the crazy hours he has always worked. Not enough can be said about the value of a well planned meal for a hard working man. It's the best "I love you".

I have a new friend whose home I love to go to. (Gotta love visiting teaching) Well, she actually recently moved, but I am inspired by her. She makes a production out of meal time at her home and it is a beautiful presentation from the decor of the home to the setting of the table to the food. She is a master. Martha Stewart family style. And her children are involved.

Rich is loving the new focus. He has even asked me, "Okay, what do you want?"

I guess what I am really trying to express is the discovery of power. Women are powerful. I never realized just how much so. I can have anything I want. I never realized that so much. With that comes a huge responsibility to want and ask for the right things. And be ready to prepare the feast. Not a one time occurrence. What I am learning is to ask. There have been many things I have wanted but have never asked for. I am asking, and I am striving more intently to prepare the feast, everyday.

This artichoke chicken was amazing. If you would like to try it, I posted the recipe on scrum-dilly-umptious.

I don't know how often I will actually post. This is kind of an experiment, I guess. But in an attempt to stay connected to my family and friends that I have been relocated so far away from I have decided a blog could be fun.

This will probably be like goulash. Everything from what is going on for Rich and I and the pets to thoughts about everything I am passionate about: faith in God, food, photography, home decor, running/yoga/overall fitness, mental health, gardening and mostly, my family.

Here's to blogging :)