Wednesday 26 August 2009

Sometimes I fall down . . .



"Train your minds and your hands that you may be equipped to serve well in the society of which you are a part. Cultivate the art of being kind, of being thoughtful, of being helpful. Refine within you the quality of mercy, which comes as a part of the divine attributes you have inherited."
~President Gordon B Hinckley

I try to be as good and as kind a person that I can be, most of the time. Sometimes I do very well at it. Sometimes though, I fall . . .

Yesterday I made an unkind comment about an aquaintance to another, and immediately, as soon as I had spoken the words, my conscience pricked me, and I felt bad. I felt as if I was letting someone down, as if I had been caught with my hand in the cookie jar. I just knew, as soon as the words left my lip, that I had spoken in a way that was not befitting the daughter of a king.



How many times has my father had to forgive me for things that I have done or things that I could, and should have done better . . . How can I be so judgemental of another when they are, just like me, trying their hardest to do their best in a world that is not all that easy to cope with, and with all the failings and shortcomings we, as humans, have to deal with every day . . .

I have always tried to keep to the line of thinking that most people do the very best that they know how to do according to their experience . . . and that, when they know better, they inevitably do better.



I owe someone an apology. Not the person I spoke about . . . they don't know what I said . . . but to the person I said it to. I was trying to be funny, but, in retrospect, it wasn't all that funny after all, and it was very unkind . . . I've really let myself down there . . . but worse than that . . . I've disappointed my Heavenly Father . . .

Just goes to show, I have a long ways to go yet, before I am refined . . . but I'm getting closer. Thank goodness for repentance . . . and thank goodness for forgiveness . . . where would we be without it?



Speaking of mistakes . . .

I started off to make these yeasty sweet rolls one day at the weekend, but all I ended up with was a soupy, yeasty mass. I am not sure how that happened. Perhaps it was because I tried to take the easy way out and do the dough in the bread machine. Me and yeast doughs do not get along. At any rate, I ended up with a bowl full of filling and nothing to fill it with . . . and then I had a quick rethink and thought why not . . . We love cinnamon rolls done this way, why not these???

I was inspired. These are incredibly moreish. I love it when a mistake turns into something delicious! I bet you can't eat just one!



*Quick Cardamom Lime Sweet Rolls*
Makes one dozen
Printable Recipe

Imagine a flakey biscuit, rolled up and filled with a tasty, spicy filling of brown sugar, lime zest and cardamom. Sliced and baked and then drizzled with a delicious lime sugar glaze, these are incredibly moreish.

For the Dough:
2 cups flour
1 TBS baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup plus 2 TBS milk
For the filling:
1/2 cup packed soft light brown sugar
the grated zest of one lime
3/4 tsp of ground cardamom
Softened butter
For the Glaze:
3 TBS fresh lime juice
1 cup sifted icing sugar



Pre-heat the oven to 2o5*C/425*D. Butter a 13 by 9 inch baking pan well. Set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a bowl. Cut in the vegetable shortening with two round bladed knives or a pastry blender, until the mixture looks like fine bread crumbs. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the milk and mix together with a fork to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead several turns. Pat out into 8 by 12 inch rectangle. Spread generously with softened butter.



Mix together the brown sugar. lime zest and cardamom. Sprinkle this evenly over top of the softened butter, patting it down lightly to adhere. Roll up from the long side as tightly as you can, as if for a jelly roll. (Swiss roll) Seal along the long edge by dampening with some milk and pinching together. Cut into 12 one inch wide slices. Place in the buttered baking dish. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until nicely browned.

Stir together the lime juice and icing sugar until smooth. Drizzle this mixture over top of the warm rolls. Serve warm. Delicious!



If you are looking for a delicously different way to serve fish, check out The English Kitchen. I share an incredibly tasty recipe for Haddock with an amazing salsa verde.

12 comments:

  1. Those rolls look absolutely delicious! I have never done rolls from scratch...you make it look easy.~Patti

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  2. Marie, bless your heart! Whenever I use to do the things I knew would not be pleasing to our Father in Heaven I use to feel so unworthy of His love. Then my friend, Brad Wilcox wrote the book, The Continuous Atonement and I learned this beautiful concept from Brad..."God does not love us for the person we are, He loves of because of the person He is. I have always known about repentance and forgiveness but it has just eased my heart to really know I am loved before, during and after the process because of who He is!

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  3. Oh, sweet Marie... We all make mistakes. We're human, we do. But the good thing is that when we know we are making a mistake when it happens we are better able to "correct" ourselves for another time. No one is perfect. But trying to be good, do good is always a good thing. :o) So don't be too hard on yourself... Have a cinnamon roll, you'll feel better--LOL! ;o) LOVE these rolls, Marie--that hint of spice and lime--oh YES!! I must make these. Be kind to yourself now... LOVE YOU HEAPS ((BIG HUGS)) Hope we get to catch up soon...

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  4. the American Girl26 August 2009 at 14:43

    Yum! I'd love to have those sweet rolls rights now! :-) As far as the other...I've said a couple of things lately that I should not have...all I can do is make a conscious effort from this point forward to only speak kind words.

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  5. Keith liked the Quick Cinnamon Rolls - so did half the chicken factory - he's going to love these.

    I wonder if any of us can truthfully say we NEVER say hurtful things to another?

    Love, Angie, xx

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  6. Sweet Marie:
    What's most important to me is that you are feeling so badly for having disappointed Heavenly Father, and that you knew immediately that it was wrong. It's a tiny fall from grace, but you picked yourself up immediately after you fell, and that's what shows who you are and what you are worth. I don't think 'He' is disappointed with you...I think he's delighted with you!!!
    Love and hugs, Jan

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  7. Oh my, how often we have all been guilty of the same thing! Thank goodness my 'Father' in heaven sees past all my faux pas and loves me still! I too fall down from time to time but we try better next time and when we recognize our error God forgives!

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  8. Marie, you're one of the sweetest people I know. I'm sure it wasn't bad at all.

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  9. Marie -
    You are so sweet - I am sure it wasn't unkind at all. But I know what you mean. I always feel so bad if I say or do something without thinking first.

    I printed off your roll recipe - I am going to try to make them. They look so delicious!

    XOXO
    Jen

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  10. I am sure we are all guilty of speaking first and thinking after..I do so thank our Father that he always knows exactly what we... meant... to say.
    Those rolls look delicious I could almost smell them !
    I do think you are a wee bitty tired at the moment dear friend and that sore hand is not helping. do hope that you can find tome to REALLY relax in the next few days. I know that tomorrow you have folks for supper but maybe after that you can find more time.
    Much LOve Sybil xx

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  11. Those rolls look amazing! And I don't know you at all. I've only come to your blog a few times, but I can tell you are a good person by the fact that you felt bad just saying something negative.

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  12. okay, i do that waaay too much:( i hate to admit it. i need to do better. sometimes you get caught up in a conversation and for a laugh you say something about someone you maybe shouldn't have said-its one of my weaknesses. i'm sure you rarely do that, don't beat yourself up about it! we all mess up every now and then. you are one of the kindest wisest people i know!

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Your comments mean the world to me, and while I may not be able to address each one individually, each one is important to me and each one counts. Thanks so much!