Muffins for Monday.

I seem to be perpetually cleaning out my fridge. Anyone else suffer that same predicament?

From an event earlier this week, I ended up with copious amounts of sour cream. What to do, what to do. Well, I'm always needing muffins to include with school lunches, so after some googling, I stumbled on a blueberry muffin recipe that required lots of sour cream as the main wet ingredient. Score. And it called for fresh lemons too, and would you believe it, I had lemons left over from the same event. Double score.

Lemons and blueberries. They should be married to each other. Seriously.

Into the oven went a double batch.

The aroma in the kitchen that ensued?.... aaaah. And since this is what outside looks like today...

... I think you'd agree that baking muffins inside is a better option. Yes, it's raining. Just ain't the type of day you'd be sitting under the back yard tree with your coffee. Oh how I miss you, Yuma!

Twenty five minutes later...

Of course, the recipe instructions say to wait for them to cool before removing from the pan. But if you know me, I don't wait. So one lonely little fellow went into the freezer for a few seconds.

Then came the taste test. Oh my. Some delicious goodness going on here. Tangy, fluffy and extremely moist. Tart lemon and juicy blueberry all in one bite. No need for butter.

This might just be my new go-to blueberry muffin recipe. Off to put a few more in the freezer. ;) And here's the link to the recipe, just in case you've got some things to clean out of your fridge. 

http://foodess.com/2013/05/lemon-blueberry-sour-cream-muffins/

I Love You, Diana.

The original Diana Sauce, for chicken and ribs.

I'm never without this item in the summer, using it to marinate and baste chicken breasts headed for the BBQ, or even to brush a tad onto those juicy burgers.

Last night was a pizza supper deal at our house. Don't know if you've ever tried the Kirkland brand cheese pizzas from Costco, but they are a family favorite with us... quick, easy and tasty all packed into one box. I like that. But they're also adaptable. Bake them up as plain cheese, and the kids are thrilled. For the adults in the family, I add a variety of any fresh veggies I have on hand, and smile as the plain old cheese transforms into a gourmet vegetarian.

Wanting to use up some leftover fajita chicken pieces last night, they became a topping, along with some pineapple, red onion and red peppers. Then I reacquainted with Diana here, and drizzled her decadence over my pizza creation. Baked it up.

IT. WAS. YUM. A perfect combination of sweet and mildly spicy. Diana did her thing of blending all the flavours together. And now we have another new favorite.

Lovin' Life.

If you were born and raised in a hot climate, like the South or Central Americas, it's hardly likely that you've ever seen snow. On the flip side, if your motherland happens to be some place like the Arctic, you've probably never basked on the warm sand of a sunny beach, or wiggled your toes in the surf.

If you're like me, however, and reside on the West Coast of the True North Strong And Free, without a doubt you'll know everything there is to know about this. R. A. I. N. Rain.

This stuff frequents my city, sometimes too much and too often, and today it fell non-stop. Dreary, damp, depressing. Especially so, since I just returned from warm, balmy temperatures in the Sunshine State of Arizona.

But I can still count my blessings. Unlike many of my fellow-Canucks, we have power. Which translates into light and heat at la casa. And rain doesn't render us housebound, either. Which meant I got out today to have lunch with a friend. And sip a latte.

Almost as good as my cousin John's. Almost.

My Spanish word for the day... bendiciones. Blessings. More than I can count. 

Annalise Engelina.

Just look at her. I am in L. O. V. E.

She's a doll. And I got to spend ten days with her. Such a great deal of personality packed into that tiny, little package. She kept us all smiling even when we were weary from Seedsowing. She amused us with her monkey antics and love for Curious George. Had us constantly playing Peek-a-boo. Made us feel like youngsters again.

And that's just what grand kids are for, isn't it? Aaaah... she'll help keep us old fogies young!

Day Three. Plus.

Two more days already, then we're headed back to the homeland. Not that I'm anxious to return because it's been nothing short of an amazing visit here, but it does feel in some ways like we've been away from home for a long time. Lots of busyness in a short space of time, I guess.

The Seedsowing continued last Friday and Saturday, both locally and then out in the dry and dusty foothill suburbs of Yuma. Here is our Day Two Team...

Miss Kayleigh, satchel-clad, doing her part in spreading the Word of God... 

...and then back at the Centre, bonding with Bekah and Eva.

Dos amigos.

Team on Day Three.

Sunday, our fourth day, found us in San Luis Rio Colorado, a first for our family on Mexican turf. A very small group gather here, but the seed is being faithfully sown. Pray for a plentiful harvest.

My first impressions of San Luis Rio Colorado.

Sand, sand and more sand. Dogs, dogs and more dogs. Dirt. And more of it too. 

Lunch at the "Chipylon" followed the Remembrance Meeting, where we dined on tacos with all the fixins, and drank what is becoming my favourite Spanish beverage, horchata. A blend of rice milk, almonds, cinnamon and sugar. Very yum. Had two of 'em. Double yum.

Those of us who were Spanish-speaking remained in SLRC for distribution in the afternoon, while the rest of us returned to the US of A to continue with the job of "stuffing" back at the Centre.

Here are some of the singing stuffers...

... and some of the most encouraging...

...and some taking a well-deserved social break...

... and some very hard-working!

By Monday we completed our goal of delivering Seedsowers packages to almost 100,000 homes in Yuma, its surrounding towns, and also in San Luis RC.

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11