Southern Sky

Fall is such a beautiful time of year. The trees have been gorgeous and the sky has been spectacular.

The reds are so pretty. It looks like the sky is on fire! Then . . . the moon comes out:

Thank you God for the beauty that surrounds us. A friend was laid off this week. A neighbor is having health problems. Our car is having problems and we don’t know how we are going to be able to get it fixed. Times are not easy these days and much prayer is needed. But, in the midst of it all, God is there . . . in the beautiful sunsets, in the spectacular moon, in the smile of a neighbor, in the laughter of a child.

When the righteous cry for help,
the Lord hears,
and rescues them from all their troubles.
(Psalm 34:17)

Another blessing: Project Valour IT, so far, has raised over $48,000 to help wounded soldiers with technology to help them heal!

Project Valour IT is still going on (through November 11). Many of our military who are wounded receive comfort by way of technology. The Valour IT project is a fund raising  effort to help provide the purchase and shipment of laptops and other technology for severely wounded service members. If you would like to donate to the help and comfort of our military, please go to the Wharton blog and click on the Valour IT link on the top right.

How else can you help? Join the effort yourself by posting about this on your blog. Help us get the word out. This fund raising effort runs from October 26 through Veterans Day, November 11!

Other needs you can help with:

One-time Care Packages
We have nearly 2,000 heroes waiting to be adopted!  Would you consider sending a one-time package to help in the interim while we work on getting these soldiers adopted? If you are able to help us with this request, please send an email to soldiersangelsdonna@gmail.com.

Adopt a Military Family for Christmas
As the holiday season is just around the corner, we are starting our Operation Outreach for the holidays.  This program involves adopting a military family for Christmas.  If you would like to help make a military family’s Christmas a bit brighter, please send an email to opoutreach@soldiersangels.org.

Sweats for Military Hospitals
All Combat Support Hospitals and military hospitals are in need of SWEATS.  Sizes needed are Medium to XXL with tan or olive drab for the Marines and tan or black for the Army.
If you would like to help with this request, please send an email to angels@soldiersangels.org or if you would prefer to send a monetary donation or a gift card, please send to:

Soldiers’ Angels
1792 E. Washington Blvd.
Pasadena, CA  91104

Today’s Lagniappe:  Special Sweet Potatoes
This wonderful potato is best mid-fall through mid-winter and is best when used within a week of purchase. Enjoy this delicious version of a Southern classic.

• 5 sweet potatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
2. Bake sweet potatoes 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until they begin to soften. Cool slightly, peel, and mash.
3. In a large bowl, mix the mashed sweet potatoes, salt, 1/4 cup butter, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, sugar, and heavy cream. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
4. In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup butter, flour, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Mix with a pastry blender or your fingers to the consistency of course meal. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture.
5. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until topping is crisp and lightly browned

A little outdoor red for Outdoor Wednesday with A Southern Daydreamer and Rednesday! with It’s a Very Cherry.

Tagged as: Southern Seasons