Thankful Heart - Happy Belly

Happy Holidays!

-Thanksgiving-

This season always brings tremendous joy and warmth to my heart. There are so many things to be thankful for all year long, however I do appreciate taking this time of the year to think about the good things from my Father.

Over the years, I have come to value even the difficult things. As painful and hard as they may have been in the moment, they have also allowed me to grow into the woman and mother I am now. I have walked through things that I pray I can be an example to my daughters in how to submit to their future husbands in all things. I pray I am an example of a good wife, an example that will cause my sons to strive to find a good woman in a future wife for themselves. I pray that the things I have worked through, in my heart, allows my husband to be proud of the woman I am now and how I am representing him.

I am thankful for growth. I am thankful for hardship. I am thankful for the good times and the sad times. I am thankful for those that encourage me to be better, and those that call me out for errors in my thinking. I am thankful for the family God has blessed me with. Above all, I am thankful for God's unfailing love and that He saved me from my sins. I am undeserving of all He has done and given me.

I am thankful.

-Happy Belly-

This is a recipe I recently found, and it has quickly become a family favorite. It is dangerously good ;) (Certainly not saying it is the healthiest- but it is yummy!)

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1-1/4 cups canned pumpkin

• 1/4 cup oil

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

• 2-1/4 cups flour

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling

• 1 package cream cheese 8 ounces, softened

• 1 egg

• 1 tablespoon sugar

Topping

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (Optional- I have made it with and without the pecans)

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

• 1. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla, beat until well combined. Add the pumpkin to the bowl and beat until just incorporated, set the mixture aside. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt, whisk to combine. Add to the pumpkin mixture and mix just until incorporated. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish

• 2. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, egg and sugar until smooth. Drop tablespoonfuls over the batter; cut through the batter with a knife to swirl

• 3. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over top. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Recipe credit:

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Coffee Cake (bunnyswarmoven.net)

Enjoy!