Sunshine and suprising citrus

George, J.'s cat

It's beautiful outside.  Not just pretty, but beautiful.  The sun is pouring out of the sky and reflecting back up off all the snow still hanging on the acres of field in my yard.  George is loitering around the patio and  I'm staring out the window putting together my garden for spring, still uncertian if we'll get plowed, or if I'll be in tiny garden boxes again.  The plot I'm peicing together is about 1/2 acre (by square footage).  I'm hoping to preserve all I can this summer and fall to take a bite out of our food budget.  We have a lot of changes coming in this season of our lives, and I want to make them as easy as possible.

How do I predict change??  I don't.  I invite it.  This week we start our process of becoming a licensed foster family.  I anticipate seasons.  Seasons of every possible emotional state for us and for the children that God places within our home.  But I am welcoming it.  I've been praying for years for God to keep his hands upon the children that we will some day come to know.  ♥

I have also been blessed to reconnect with a family member that I haven't seen in close to 20 years.  While I had been praying that God would lay upon his heart to have relationships with my brother and I, I was pleasantly surprised when it happened.  God is good GREAT!

So I sit here, while M. (the birthday boy) is asleep and J. is outside with his dad, reflecting as the sun does, back to where it shines from.  :)

Sunshine always makes me think citrus, so here's a springy, suprisingly citrus recipe. 

Garlic Roasted Cauliflower
We REEEEEAAAAALLLLLY like this.  For the four of us (2 adults, 2 kids 5 & under, we usually eat 1 1/2 - 2 cauliflowers for this dish

1 head of garlic (per cauliflower)
1 cauliflower (or more)
1/2 lemon (per cauliflower)
salt and pepper to taste

palm ful of fresh parsley, chopped

olive oil

Peel and slice your garlic legnthwise.  Cut or break your cauliflower into bite sized pieces.  Place garlic, cauliflower, salt, pepper and olive oil in a large bowl or bag.  Toss.  Spread your cauliflower and other stuffs out on a cookie sheet.  Make sure that no pieces overlap, and turn the stems down.

Roast in the oven at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower starts to brown.

Once your cauliflower has browned adequately, remove it from the oven, and place everything on your cookie sheet into a large bowl.  Squeeze 1/2 lemon over cauliflower, and add parsley, stir.  Typically, I add a little more salt at this point for balance.  Don't go overboard!!