Blackberry Sauce

4 cups blackberries, fresh
1/2 cup coconut sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Melt butter in a sauce pan.  

2. Add all other ingredients and cook for several minutes as the berries soften. 

3. Use a potato masher to squash the berries further.  

4. Continue simmering till sauce is thick and reduced, stirring frequently.

5. Cool and store in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks or the freezer for up to a year.  

Servings: About 16 1/4 cup servings

Notes: Adjust sugar if you like your sauce more or less sweet.  I kept mine a little tart since I plan to put it on ice cream which is already very sweet. 

Serving Ideas: Great for ice cream or pancakes or spread on toast. 

Categories: DESSERTS

Blueberry Sauce

4 cups blueberries, fresh
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Melt butter in sauce pan. 

2. Meanwhile, puree blueberries in food processor.  

3. Add blueberries, lemon juice and sugar to sauce pan. 

4. Bring to a simmer and cook till think and reduced stirring frequently.  

5. Cool and store in the refrigerator or freezer. 

Servings: about 12 1/4 cup servings

Notes: Adjust sugar depending on desired sweetness.  

Cinnamon would be really good in this. 

Makes about 3 cups.

Serving Ideas: Great on ice cream or pancakes. 

And for Another Thirty Years

There was a girl who loved a boy;
He was her true soul mate.
She did believe that God above
Chose him for her, not fate.

For thirty years he gave to her
True friendship and devotion.
Her faith in him, by all accounts,
Was deeper than the ocean.

And even though they knew hard times
They never did lose hope,
Or give a thought to giving up,
Or slide that slippery slope.

Now you might think that these two souls
Had special compensation.
His character, impeccable.
Her patience of long duration.

But flawlessness neither possessed.
They couldn't claim perfection.
They practiced just one habit.
From The Word they took direction.

In Philippians they learned to put
The other person first,
To set aside their own desires,
In serving, be well versed.

In Mathew, Jesus taught them
To forgive each other’s sin,
Seventy times seven times.
Don’t let resentment win.

Galatians says the Holy Ghost
Dwells within producing fruit.
Love, joy and peace and all the rest
Leave sinfulness dilute.

Proverbs says, don’t be so proud;
A humble soul is blessed.
In Psalms they learned to trust in God’s
Unfailing faithfulness.

In Corinthians, Paul says to run
The race as if to win it.
Keep your eyes trained on the prize
And determine to stay in it.

But first among the Laws to heed is
Love your God the Lord,
With all your heart and soul and mind.
Then great is your reward.

For as you give your love to God,
Serve Him in all you do,
Your love for other people
Becomes more perfect too.

A lasting, happy marriage
Calls for more than just a pair.
It’s a man, a woman and the Lord.
A triune love affair.

So with the help of God above,
Though weak in human flesh,
Their relationship has not grown stale
But joyful, strong and fresh.

The girl no longer is a girl;
The boy’s black hair is gray,
And for another 30 years
To God they daily pray.

Wasting Time

My eyes are still closed, as my dreams fade away.  I’m cozy and I’m wrapped.

But even before I’m fully awake, the day is being mapped.

Time is so precious.  It’s of the essence. Must use it wisely, they say.

It’s Saturday morning.  Farm chores are warning, don’t while the minutes away.

I’m making my list. Mentally ordering tasks, and wiping out the sleep.

Near seven o’clock.  Time to wake him up, and out of bed we’ll creep.

So I scoot to his side, put my hand on his arm and give a gentle shake.

He rolls over and sighs, and gathers me up, and whispers, “I’m awake.”

Now wrapped in his arms, I settle back in to a semi-conscious state.

Another half hour of quiet half-sleep.  Our chores might have to wait.

I should be up, cooking bacon and eggs. The morning bells are ringing.

But here, in this room, there’s a tranquil peace, as birds outside are singing.

He should be dressed and out in the fields, before the afternoon heat.

But instead he smooths my hair from my face, and gently, our lips meet.

Almost eight o’clock and we’re still soaking up the love that we are sharing.

As the minutes pass by, our priorities lie in the rings that we are wearing.

We cuddle awhile and I make him laugh with some silly conversation.

“Get up!” he jokes, as my side he pokes, “You think you’re on vacation?”

That long list of chores that runs through my head won’t be finished in forever.

But this time we are spending is time we are mending our very hearts together.

What a loss to the Us if we hadn't shared the tenderness we've tasted.

At nine, as I rise, I proclaim with a wink, “Another morning… wasted!”