A text and picture came across my cell phone right before Christmas from my brother, Jeff, in Arizona. It showed him with his son and a friend decorating Christmas cookies. When I responded, he wanted to know if I noticed that the front door to his home was standing open. Sure, rub it in…you can’t miss the bright sunshine of Arizona! And then he started telling me about his orange trees and how they are just loaded with fruit this year. YUM!! I’ve been there to pull them off and taste them for myself, and they are delicious. He has both tangelos and oranges growing right beside his house. After I told him I could almost smell them, he said if I had been good, he would box some up and send us some. I told him I couldn’t promise that I had been, but he assured me that I was “in luck” because married people are counted together and that my husband is at the top of his “nice list”. That made me smile, especially because I am looking forward to some of those juicy oranges!
Smiles! Aren’t they just one of the best gifts you can receive? And there is no language barrier to contend with either! No matter what communication you understand, a smile comes through loud and clear. Smiles have power! They cost nothing, but they create much. It enriches those who receive it, without taking anything away from the one who gives it.
Smiles happen in a flash, and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. No one is so rich that they can get along without it, and in the opposite situation the benefits of a given smile makes us richer. It creates happiness in your home, fosters good will in business, and is the sign of friendship. Smiles can give rest to a weary soul, daylight to the discouraged, and sunshine to the sad. If you are having trouble, it is just almost a perfect medicine to cheer us up.
However, we cannot go out and buy a smile. If we have to beg someone to give us one, it would not be worth much. Until someone gives it of their own free will, it doesn’t have much meaning. If someone should be too tired to give us one, we should be quick to give them one of ours. No one needs a smile more than the person who has none left to give! May I encourage you to walk around with a smile on your face? Let’s be determined to make this world a brighter place. Maybe we can start some chain reactions on faces of those around us! It certainly can only make our surroundings “righter and brighter”!
While I was talking with this same brother, he shared with me a recipe that he had found in the Arizona Republic, the main newspaper that comes out of Phoenix, AZ. He said it caught his eye because it not only sounded good, but looked like an easy one to make. After he tried it out on his family, he assured me that they loved it and it had brought smiles all around their dinner table! You can’t argue with those kind of recommendations!!
The only caution that came from his wife, Jane, is that it fills the blender to the top, unless you have an extra large size. She suggests blending it in a couple batches. However it comes together for you, I hope you enjoy it one of these cold, winter days. Maybe you will see some smiles around your family’s table!
Corn Pudding Souffle Servings: 6-8
3 cans of corn, drained
4 eggs
1 stick butter, melted
1 tsp. baking powder
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour this into a 2 quart dish that has been sprayed with a non-stick spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes until set and golden brown. Delicious and tastes like custard.
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