At the suggestion of Beth Moore during the Living Proof Live Simulcast this past August, I have decided to make an "ABCs list of scripture." What this simply means is finding a verse from the Bible that starts with each letter of the alphabet to encourage you to memorize scripture. I have slowly been working on my list and today I decided the verse I was going to use for the letter "F" was John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Pretty appropriate seeing how Christmas, the day we were given God's son, is just three days away. However, this verse is not the focus of my entry today. Though I am eternally thankful for God's gift, the following verse, John 3:17, spoke volumes to me this morning. "For God did NOT send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (All caps my emphasis.)
I have always had a tough time accepting grace. The fact that I have been forgiven and not condemned is something I have to constantly remind myself of. Being a legalistic perfectionist, I find it difficult to forgive myself of failures and mistakes and expect others, including Christ, to do the same. I have read and memorized the scripture that says there is no condemnation in Christ but a sneaky little voice will creep into my head and remind me of all my past shortcomings. Fortunately though, a more powerful source constantly reminds me that God's Son came to save me and not condemn me. What a great verse. God telling us that he didn't send his Son to "clean house" and wipe out all the riff raff but to love, heal, forgive and offer mercy to anyone who chooses to accept these gifts.
So this Christmas, as I watch one of my children open the gift under our tree that holds the baby Jesus from our Nativity scene, I WILL be reminded that I have been forgiven, that I am loved and that my failures will not keep me from being the woman God has intended me to be.
No fail dinner tonight, clam chowder with English muffins toasted and topped with cheddar and tossed salad.
Fish or Clam Chowder
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups diced potatoes
2 tbsp butter
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 med onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb fish fillets, cubed or 2 cans whole baby clams, drained
1/8 tsp dried whole thyme
1 pint half and half
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
3 whole English muffins, split
6 slices cheddar cheese
Bring stock to a boil in a large sauce pan then add potatoes. Cover and cook 10 minutes. In a small skillet, melt butter then saute bacon with onions and garlic until bacon is lightly browned and veggies are tender. Add bacon, onion, garlic, drippings, fish or clams and thyme to potatoes in the stock. Simmer 10 minutes then stir in half and half, salt and pepper. Simmer 5 more minutes then sprinkle with parsley. Toast English muffins lightly then top halves with cheese and broil until cheese is melted. Serve with chowder and salad. Serves 6.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Bah Humbug
As the familiar Christmas song goes, "Tis the season to spend money, fa la la la la la la la la..." Ok, so maybe it doesn't go quite like that but lately that's the version I've been hearing in my head. From Christmas presents to parties it seems like there is always something else requiring the usage of my well-worn debit card and dwindling bank account. And unfortunately at times like this my inner scrooge appears and makes me wish I had more, more, more while finding myself becoming envious of those who do. Then this morning I read something in my Bible that reminded me more money will never be what I need.
In Psalm 49, verses 16 through 19, the psalmist wrote, "Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him. Though while he lived he counted himself blessed--and men praise you when you prosper--he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of life."
Yikes, "never see the light of life," can you imagine? So often we think people who have an abundance of wealth are "living the life" but according to this passage the life they are living does not compare to the life Christ's offers and many people who appear to have it all will never actually experience the greatness or 'light of life'! Obviously this is not about wealthy Christians who have chosen Christ because wealth does not exclude us from Heaven, it's about those who allow their wealth to hinder them from depending on the Lord for their salvation and just as money will not exclude you from Heaven, it will not guarantee you a spot there either. All the money in the world could not buy the 'light of life'.
So while I was thinking I needed more, God gently reminded me that a more thankful attitude and a better understanding of the riches I have in His son is what I really need. More Him, less me.
You don't have to be rich to afford dinner tonight...pulled pork quesadillas with cilantro-lime sour cream and black bean and corn salad.
Pulled Pork Quesadillas
1 (2-3 lb) Boston butt roast
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Salt
Chili Powder
Ground Cumin
1/2 to 3/4 cup BBQ sauce
8 flour tortillas
2 cups monteray jack cheese, shredded
Place pork roast in crock pot and sprinkle generously with spices on all sides. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until pork shreds easily with a fork. Remove from crock pot and shred. Add bbq sauce and set aside. On a flour tortilla place enough pulled pork to cover the bottom leaving about 1/2 inch along the edges. Top with cheese and another tortilla. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Cook quesadillas 2-3 minutes on each side until light brown and cheese is melted. Serve with cilantro-lime sour cream.
Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
juice from 1 lime
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup sour cream
Mix well and chill until ready to serve.
Black Bean and Corn Salad
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained
2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
1 green pepper, chopped
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
Mix all ingredients and chill until ready to serve.
In Psalm 49, verses 16 through 19, the psalmist wrote, "Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him. Though while he lived he counted himself blessed--and men praise you when you prosper--he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of life."
Yikes, "never see the light of life," can you imagine? So often we think people who have an abundance of wealth are "living the life" but according to this passage the life they are living does not compare to the life Christ's offers and many people who appear to have it all will never actually experience the greatness or 'light of life'! Obviously this is not about wealthy Christians who have chosen Christ because wealth does not exclude us from Heaven, it's about those who allow their wealth to hinder them from depending on the Lord for their salvation and just as money will not exclude you from Heaven, it will not guarantee you a spot there either. All the money in the world could not buy the 'light of life'.
So while I was thinking I needed more, God gently reminded me that a more thankful attitude and a better understanding of the riches I have in His son is what I really need. More Him, less me.
You don't have to be rich to afford dinner tonight...pulled pork quesadillas with cilantro-lime sour cream and black bean and corn salad.
Pulled Pork Quesadillas
1 (2-3 lb) Boston butt roast
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Salt
Chili Powder
Ground Cumin
1/2 to 3/4 cup BBQ sauce
8 flour tortillas
2 cups monteray jack cheese, shredded
Place pork roast in crock pot and sprinkle generously with spices on all sides. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until pork shreds easily with a fork. Remove from crock pot and shred. Add bbq sauce and set aside. On a flour tortilla place enough pulled pork to cover the bottom leaving about 1/2 inch along the edges. Top with cheese and another tortilla. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Cook quesadillas 2-3 minutes on each side until light brown and cheese is melted. Serve with cilantro-lime sour cream.
Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
juice from 1 lime
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup sour cream
Mix well and chill until ready to serve.
Black Bean and Corn Salad
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained
2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
1 green pepper, chopped
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
Mix all ingredients and chill until ready to serve.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
God's Sense of Humor
"Do not test the Lord your God..." Deuteronomy 6:16
Yesterday I did just that. I tested God. I had been debating whether or not I should attend a ladies conference this weekend and couldn't shake the feeling that the Lord really wanted me to be there. As I considered all the reasons why I shouldn't go I realized they were based upon my selfishness. One particular reason I clung to was not having the extra money to purchase a ticket. That's a good one right? After all it is Christmas time and I have all those gifts to buy...but wait a minute, wasn't I going to be spending the exact amount next week to enter a running race? A race that I wanted to participate in and one that more than likely would not provide any spiritual growth. This is where the test came into play.I was on my way home from running errands when I thought, "Ok God, if you want me to go to the conference then let there be a check in the mail!" I smugly pulled into our driveway, got out of the car and walked directly to the mailbox knowing there would not be a check in the mail. And I was right. Ha! There was no check in the mail! But wait, what was that thin envelope sandwiched between the Pizza Hut coupons and a flyer from Verizon? There was a check in the mail! I tore into the envelope thinking I had gotten really good at predicting God when the first thing I noticed was the sentence, "This is not a check." What?? Inside the envelope was not a paycheck but the direct deposit receipt from Eric's last paycheck. It held no monetary value and was actually mailed late. I couldn't help but laugh! Here I was expecting God to perform like I wanted Him to and for a brief moment He let me think He did!
How great is our God's sense of humor that He allows us to think we are in control only to gently remind us later how much we really need to let go of our ideas and expectations and let HIM write the stories and miracles of our lives. I like to think God was in Heaven laughing at me as I tore into that envelope thinking I had Him all figured out. I could hear His beautiful laugh followed by His gentle voice saying, "Daughter, my plan is so much better than you think. Stop trying to guess my actions. Don't test me, just trust me."
Needless to say, I'm going to the conference this weekend. No God did not send a check for the exact amount, though I know He could have, but He did teach me a few lessons: That I need to trust Him even when it seems like the resources needed to do so are not there, that He cannot be predicted and that He has a great sense of humor.
One thing you can predict is that Beef and Vegetable Soup along with grilled cheese sandwiches will be enjoyed for dinner!
Beef and Vegetable Soup (aka Stone Soup*)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs beef roast cut into 3/4" chunks
1 med. onion, chopped
4 (14.5 oz) cans beef broth
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped
1 lb red potatoes, scrubbed and chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen corn
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen peas
Brown beef in oil in large pot. Add onion and cook 5 minutes. Stir in broth, tomatoes with juice, water, bay leaf, thyme and pepper. Bring to a boil then cover, reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes. Add carrots, potatoes and celery then cover and simmer 45 more minutes. Add peas and corn and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches.
*A great story to share with your kids while making this soup is the fable about Stone Soup. You can read one version of the story here: http://www.dltk-teach.com/fables/stonesoup/mtale.htm
Great Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
8 slices multi-grain bread
8 slices of muenster cheese
1 med onion, thinly sliced
1 med tomato, thinly sliced
butter
Heat skillet or electric griddle to med heat. Layer each sandwich with cheese, onion, tomato then another slice of cheese. Butter outsides of sandwich and cook until golden brown. Enjoy!
**Oh, and as a side note we did receive an unexpected check in the mail today. It wasn't the exact amount of the conference but it was enough to help. God's little way of reminding me He is still in control. :)
Friday, November 20, 2009
Turkey Trottin'
"You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?" Galatians 5:7
With Thanksgiving just around the corner I am excited about running my first "Turkey Trot" race. I don't consider myself a runner and if you would have told me just six months ago that I would be entering, much less excited about, a race I would have bet you Thanksgiving dinner you'd be wrong. However, three months ago I got bored with walking and decided to "step it up" a bit and began running. Since then I have found myself actually looking forward to the solitude and comfort that comes with my early morning runs. Sure it takes some discipline to crawl out of a warm bed, early in the morning while everyone else is still asleep, but the time alone with God and the feeling of accomplishment is completely worth it.
Then this morning when I opened my Bible to Galatians and read the verse above, I was amazed yet again at how neat God is that he would show me such an appropriate verse for my upcoming race. Not because I need to anticipate someone "cutting in on me" while running next week but to serve as a reminder that as a Christian I am called to run a good race and that I need to constantly be aware of the things that can cut into my race and distract me from the path I need to stay on to cross the finish line. I'll admit I have taken many wrong turns in my race, been cut in on and have even followed those running a completely different race but thankfully the Lord has always come along beside me and helped me get back on the right track.
So, if you're going to be turkey trottin' next week too, keep in mind you're running a good race and finish strong! Here's something else to keep in mind, cranberry chutney and Italian macaroni and cheese go great with turkey!
Cranberry Chutney
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 bag fresh cranberries
1 cup chopped apple
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup apple juice
juice from 1/2 an orange
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
Combine sugar and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add cranberries and return to boil then reduce heat to simmer. Add remaining ingredients and cook 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool then serve.
Italian Macaroni and Cheese
12 oz wide egg noodles
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups Havarti cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter a 13x9x2 inch baking dish and set aside. Cook the noodles according to package directions then drain but do not rinse. In a large bowl blend well the cream, milk, flour, salt and pepper. Stir in 1 cup Havarti, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup Mozzarella and parsley. Add noodles and toss to coat. Pour noodle mixture into prepared baking dish. Combine remaining cheeses and sprinkle over noodle mixture. Bake uncovered until cheese bubbles and begins to brown on top, about 20 minutes. Let sit for 1o minutes before serving.
**Diced ham can be added with the noodles before baking to make a complete meal.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Poor Me
I've been feeling sorry for myself lately. I have been dealing with a minor injury that has kept me from my normal activities and is forcing me to take it easy. Granted at one time, I would have lavished in this laziness but over the past several months I have established a routine that I really enjoy and it is bothering me to have to take time off from it. However, as I was sitting around planning my pity party I eventually realized I had absolutely nothing to complain about. The Lord has blessed my family with health, our home and with an income. I know there are many people struggling with serious illnesses and with job losses that would covet my life and though a pity party sounded like fun at first, I decided I would try the "Thanksgiving Approach" since it is, after all, Thanksgiving. So, here are 25 things I am thankful for:
1. My salvation (ok, so it's the churchy answer but I really couldn't imagine life without my Jesus).
2. My husband, that he has a way to make me feel more loved everyday.
3. Fisher, my first miracle and my pride.
4. Easton, my second miracle and my sunshine.
5. Finley, my third miracle and my joy.
6. My parents and their commitment to each other.
7. Eric's parents and their consistency in their walk.
8. My church and pastor.
9. My sisters and the fact that though we may not talk or see each other daily we are always there for each other.
10. My friends and the ability to "Jesus talk" with them.
11. My freedom to worship the Lord openly and publicly.
12. PUBLIX!
13. The ability to hear my kids say "mom" even though I cringe sometimes when they do.
14. Flip flops, need I say more?
15. Taste buds, although I have a love/hate relationship with them (wish they didn't work so well).
16. That I got to experience pregnancy even though it may have been on my back for three months.
17. The beach and the sand and the salty water and even the dang jellyfish just because they are all part of the experience.
18. Clouds because a little shade is nice in Florida and because Easton saw one the other day that looked like a pig.
19. Spatulas, for spanking and for getting the last bit of peanut butter out of the jar.
20. Harold, my KitchenAid Pro Line Mixer.
21. Telephones and the ability to pick one up and call, who am I kidding, I mean text, a friend whenever I want or need to.
22. Farmer's Markets and Art's and Craft shows and the memories of my grandparents that they evoke in me.
23. Beth Moore AND her Texas Sheet Cake.
24. Vacations and time spent alone with family minus all the distractions of daily life.
25. Our dog because even though she doesn't walk on a leash all that great, barks nonstop at squirrels, eats non-edible items and chews the kids' toys, I saw Marley & Me and know how empty life would be without her.
Something you'll be thankful for is what we're having for dinner and though the ingredient list is a little long, stuffed chicken with yellow rice is really good and relatively easy to make.
Stuffed Chicken with Yellow Rice
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
1 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 tbsp chopped parsley
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 pkg yellow rice
Prepare rice according to package directions then set aside. Cut small slit in side of chicken breasts to make a pocket. Mix cheese, walnuts and parsley and put 1 tbsp of the mixture into each chicken breast pocket. Mix flour, salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour mixture. Mix egg and milk then dip chicken in egg mixture then again in the flour mixture. Place in fridge until ready to cook. Heat oil and butter in large skilled over med-high heat and cook chicken until light brown on both sides then reduce heat and cook until done. Place rice on serving dish, top with chicken then pour sauce (recipe below) over both. Serve with steamed broccoli.
Sauce
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 (8 oz) can tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Heat oil in small skillet. Cook onion, carrots, celery and garlic until tender. Add tomatoes, parsley, wine, sugar and oregano. Simmer 20 minutes or until thick.
1. My salvation (ok, so it's the churchy answer but I really couldn't imagine life without my Jesus).
2. My husband, that he has a way to make me feel more loved everyday.
3. Fisher, my first miracle and my pride.
4. Easton, my second miracle and my sunshine.
5. Finley, my third miracle and my joy.
6. My parents and their commitment to each other.
7. Eric's parents and their consistency in their walk.
8. My church and pastor.
9. My sisters and the fact that though we may not talk or see each other daily we are always there for each other.
10. My friends and the ability to "Jesus talk" with them.
11. My freedom to worship the Lord openly and publicly.
12. PUBLIX!
13. The ability to hear my kids say "mom" even though I cringe sometimes when they do.
14. Flip flops, need I say more?
15. Taste buds, although I have a love/hate relationship with them (wish they didn't work so well).
16. That I got to experience pregnancy even though it may have been on my back for three months.
17. The beach and the sand and the salty water and even the dang jellyfish just because they are all part of the experience.
18. Clouds because a little shade is nice in Florida and because Easton saw one the other day that looked like a pig.
19. Spatulas, for spanking and for getting the last bit of peanut butter out of the jar.
20. Harold, my KitchenAid Pro Line Mixer.
21. Telephones and the ability to pick one up and call, who am I kidding, I mean text, a friend whenever I want or need to.
22. Farmer's Markets and Art's and Craft shows and the memories of my grandparents that they evoke in me.
23. Beth Moore AND her Texas Sheet Cake.
24. Vacations and time spent alone with family minus all the distractions of daily life.
25. Our dog because even though she doesn't walk on a leash all that great, barks nonstop at squirrels, eats non-edible items and chews the kids' toys, I saw Marley & Me and know how empty life would be without her.
Something you'll be thankful for is what we're having for dinner and though the ingredient list is a little long, stuffed chicken with yellow rice is really good and relatively easy to make.
Stuffed Chicken with Yellow Rice
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
1 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 tbsp chopped parsley
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 pkg yellow rice
Prepare rice according to package directions then set aside. Cut small slit in side of chicken breasts to make a pocket. Mix cheese, walnuts and parsley and put 1 tbsp of the mixture into each chicken breast pocket. Mix flour, salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour mixture. Mix egg and milk then dip chicken in egg mixture then again in the flour mixture. Place in fridge until ready to cook. Heat oil and butter in large skilled over med-high heat and cook chicken until light brown on both sides then reduce heat and cook until done. Place rice on serving dish, top with chicken then pour sauce (recipe below) over both. Serve with steamed broccoli.
Sauce
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 (8 oz) can tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Heat oil in small skillet. Cook onion, carrots, celery and garlic until tender. Add tomatoes, parsley, wine, sugar and oregano. Simmer 20 minutes or until thick.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
The Armor of Myself
"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Ephesians 6:11
I am fully aware that I should be putting on the "Armor of God" every morning but I constantly assume that the armor of "myself" is sufficient. I read my Bible and pray in the mornings but then I dress in the Armor of Carrie which is about as effective as a cute apron, a cookie sheet and a spatula in the middle of the trenches. Sure the apron might keep my clothes from getting dirty, the cookie sheet might deflect a bullet (if we're talking BBs here) and I may be able to swat a hand or two with my trusty spatula, but really, the flimsy armor of myself for protection?
Ephesians 6 makes it clear that the battles we face are not battles we can handle on our own. Verse 12 says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." So what does this mean? It means from the moment we wake up to the second we fall asleep Satan is trying to defeat us. The "flaming arrows" he constantly shoots at us are to weaken us, to make us struggle and to make us fall. He wants us to believe we can handle life on our own. That we don't need protection, wisdom or a Savior. Satan wants us to walk out the door every morning wearing our own fallible and penetrable armor called self-sufficiency so that when he takes aim and finally hits us in our weakest area we collapse. Whether our weakness is the inability to forgive, the tendency to wander or the constant desire to be in control of our lives, Satan knows where to aim.
Fortunately there is a better armor available. One that is strong and has been forged through the test of time. The Armor of God: The Belt of Truth (knowing the will of God), The Breastplate of Righteousness (making the right choices), The Sandals of Peace (knowing God is in control), The Shield of Faith (believing God's plan is best), The Helmet of Salvation (remembering Jesus is always with you) and The Sword of the Spirit (knowing God's word is true). Wearing this armor doesn't guarantee an easy battle, but it does guarantee victory in the end.
I will be breaking out that cute apron to make dinner tonight but thank the Lord it's just to keep the Chili from splattering on my clothes.
Easy Chili with Corncakes
1 lb ground sirloin (or turkey)
1 med. onion, chopped
2 (15oz) cans pinto beans, undrained
1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15oz) can tomato sauce
1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chilies, undrained
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
In large soup pot brown beef and onion over med-high heat. Add the remaining ingredients, reduce the heat to low and cook for an hour or until the chili has thickened, stirring occasionally.
Serve with sour cream, green onions, cheddar cheese and topped with a corncake.
Corncakes
1 (8.5 oz) box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 egg
2 tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup milk
Preheat skillet or electric griddle to med heat. Grease lightly with butter or cooking spray. Blend ingredients, batter will be slightly lumpy, then cook on hot skillet. Flip when bubbles appear. Enjoy!
I am fully aware that I should be putting on the "Armor of God" every morning but I constantly assume that the armor of "myself" is sufficient. I read my Bible and pray in the mornings but then I dress in the Armor of Carrie which is about as effective as a cute apron, a cookie sheet and a spatula in the middle of the trenches. Sure the apron might keep my clothes from getting dirty, the cookie sheet might deflect a bullet (if we're talking BBs here) and I may be able to swat a hand or two with my trusty spatula, but really, the flimsy armor of myself for protection?
Ephesians 6 makes it clear that the battles we face are not battles we can handle on our own. Verse 12 says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." So what does this mean? It means from the moment we wake up to the second we fall asleep Satan is trying to defeat us. The "flaming arrows" he constantly shoots at us are to weaken us, to make us struggle and to make us fall. He wants us to believe we can handle life on our own. That we don't need protection, wisdom or a Savior. Satan wants us to walk out the door every morning wearing our own fallible and penetrable armor called self-sufficiency so that when he takes aim and finally hits us in our weakest area we collapse. Whether our weakness is the inability to forgive, the tendency to wander or the constant desire to be in control of our lives, Satan knows where to aim.
Fortunately there is a better armor available. One that is strong and has been forged through the test of time. The Armor of God: The Belt of Truth (knowing the will of God), The Breastplate of Righteousness (making the right choices), The Sandals of Peace (knowing God is in control), The Shield of Faith (believing God's plan is best), The Helmet of Salvation (remembering Jesus is always with you) and The Sword of the Spirit (knowing God's word is true). Wearing this armor doesn't guarantee an easy battle, but it does guarantee victory in the end.
I will be breaking out that cute apron to make dinner tonight but thank the Lord it's just to keep the Chili from splattering on my clothes.
Easy Chili with Corncakes
1 lb ground sirloin (or turkey)
1 med. onion, chopped
2 (15oz) cans pinto beans, undrained
1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15oz) can tomato sauce
1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chilies, undrained
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
In large soup pot brown beef and onion over med-high heat. Add the remaining ingredients, reduce the heat to low and cook for an hour or until the chili has thickened, stirring occasionally.
Serve with sour cream, green onions, cheddar cheese and topped with a corncake.
Corncakes
1 (8.5 oz) box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 egg
2 tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup milk
Preheat skillet or electric griddle to med heat. Grease lightly with butter or cooking spray. Blend ingredients, batter will be slightly lumpy, then cook on hot skillet. Flip when bubbles appear. Enjoy!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Light and Dark
Although I love that it's light out when I wake up in the mornings I'm not crazy about it getting dark so soon in the evenings. All summer long we were able to enjoy several hours of sunlight outside after eating dinner but now with the time change we basically have to turn on every light in the house just to see what it is were about to eat for dinner!
This morning (while enjoying the sunlight) I read in Ephesians chapter five that Paul noticed a difference in the light and darkness as well and though he wasn't referring to "Daylight Savings Time" he wrote about something much more important. In verse eight he wrote, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light". Now my kids LOVE playing in the dark with flashlights but I'm not thinking this is what Paul meant by "children of light." However, there is a lesson to be learned in the flashlight:
1. To be effective a flashlight has to be turned on. If we are to be effective as Christians, we need to be turned on and into God's will.
2. To be effective a flashlight has to be pointed in the right direction, ahead of you where you are trying to go, not behind you spot-lighting where you have been. To be effective Christians we need to point the way to Jesus and salvation.
3. Finally, to be effective a flashlight's batteries occasionally need to be recharged. To be effective Christians we need to recharge ourselves by spending time in the Bible, worshipping God and by spending time with other Christians encouraging each other.
All the lights in our house will be on tonight as I make Chicken Parmigiana for dinner! May our home be a light in our neighborhood!
Chicken Parmigiana
4-6 chicken breast fillets (thin sliced)
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4-6 slices Provolone cheese
1 (15 1/2 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 box of spaghetti noodles
Cook spaghetti according to package directions then drain and set aside. Heat spaghetti sauce in medium sauce pan over low heat.
Combine breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Dip chicken in egg then coat in breadcrumb mixture. Place chicken on a cookie sheet and chill in fridge for 10 minutes. Heat oil in large skillet over med heat. Saute chicken in oil until golden brown on each side. Remove chicken from skillet and place in a 13x9x2 baking dish. Spoon a little spaghetti sauce over each chicken fillet then bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Add a slice of Provolone cheese to each chicken fillet and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Pour remaining sauce over noodles. Serve chicken with sauce and noodles and a salad.
This morning (while enjoying the sunlight) I read in Ephesians chapter five that Paul noticed a difference in the light and darkness as well and though he wasn't referring to "Daylight Savings Time" he wrote about something much more important. In verse eight he wrote, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light". Now my kids LOVE playing in the dark with flashlights but I'm not thinking this is what Paul meant by "children of light." However, there is a lesson to be learned in the flashlight:
1. To be effective a flashlight has to be turned on. If we are to be effective as Christians, we need to be turned on and into God's will.
2. To be effective a flashlight has to be pointed in the right direction, ahead of you where you are trying to go, not behind you spot-lighting where you have been. To be effective Christians we need to point the way to Jesus and salvation.
3. Finally, to be effective a flashlight's batteries occasionally need to be recharged. To be effective Christians we need to recharge ourselves by spending time in the Bible, worshipping God and by spending time with other Christians encouraging each other.
All the lights in our house will be on tonight as I make Chicken Parmigiana for dinner! May our home be a light in our neighborhood!
Chicken Parmigiana
4-6 chicken breast fillets (thin sliced)
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4-6 slices Provolone cheese
1 (15 1/2 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 box of spaghetti noodles
Cook spaghetti according to package directions then drain and set aside. Heat spaghetti sauce in medium sauce pan over low heat.
Combine breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Dip chicken in egg then coat in breadcrumb mixture. Place chicken on a cookie sheet and chill in fridge for 10 minutes. Heat oil in large skillet over med heat. Saute chicken in oil until golden brown on each side. Remove chicken from skillet and place in a 13x9x2 baking dish. Spoon a little spaghetti sauce over each chicken fillet then bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Add a slice of Provolone cheese to each chicken fillet and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Pour remaining sauce over noodles. Serve chicken with sauce and noodles and a salad.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
My Son
Today, November 5th, is Easton's birthday and this morning when I opened my Bible to Proverbs 5 (because today is the 5th, of course) I was moved to tears as I was given another gift from the Lord. You see, Easton is adopted and the first two words I read this morning, from Proverbs 5:1 were, "My son."
He came to us from the hospital on a Wednesday, when he was just four days old. He was a scrawny five pounds and was very quiet. I don't remember him crying much and when he would guzzle down just two ounces of formula then fall asleep with a full belly curled up on the spot just below Eric's shoulder right above his heart, he would sleep soundly until his next feeding. Three days later at a life group picnic I kissed him for the first time. He was starting to feel like "My son."
I had been reluctant to love on him worried my heart would be broken should he have to leave but after caring for him for just three short days I was head over heels in love with the little guy. As I showed him off at the picnic I instinctively kissed him on his head then instantly realized what I had done. It felt so natural and so easy. No longer was he the baby we were fostering, he was, "My son."
You can imagine the heart ache we felt when we were called the following Monday and told that he would be leaving. A judge had ruled that he could live with his birth mother provided that she would be able to care for him at her court assigned living facility. I was devastated. It had taken five days for me to develop a bond that would last a lifetime and he was leaving. After the case manager picked him up I went inside and cried like I hadn't cried in years. The next day was my 29th birthday and I celebrated with a broken heart. I prayed like crazy for him and that if God would so choose to bless us with being able to raise this little boy, somehow He would give me back, "My son."
Five weeks later, again on a Wednesday and just four days before Christmas, he came back. His birth mother was not well and could no longer care for him. Needless to say we had a wonderful Christmas and though there were many ups and downs, twists and turns over the next two years, on December 20, 2007, Easton 'officially' became "My son."
As I think back to all the "coincidences" that we encountered on the journey to adopt Easton I can now completely see they weren't coincidences at all. They were God's way of leading us through a wilderness performing miracle after miracle to bring me to the place I am today, celebrating "My son's" fourth birthday.
He came to us from the hospital on a Wednesday, when he was just four days old. He was a scrawny five pounds and was very quiet. I don't remember him crying much and when he would guzzle down just two ounces of formula then fall asleep with a full belly curled up on the spot just below Eric's shoulder right above his heart, he would sleep soundly until his next feeding. Three days later at a life group picnic I kissed him for the first time. He was starting to feel like "My son."
I had been reluctant to love on him worried my heart would be broken should he have to leave but after caring for him for just three short days I was head over heels in love with the little guy. As I showed him off at the picnic I instinctively kissed him on his head then instantly realized what I had done. It felt so natural and so easy. No longer was he the baby we were fostering, he was, "My son."
You can imagine the heart ache we felt when we were called the following Monday and told that he would be leaving. A judge had ruled that he could live with his birth mother provided that she would be able to care for him at her court assigned living facility. I was devastated. It had taken five days for me to develop a bond that would last a lifetime and he was leaving. After the case manager picked him up I went inside and cried like I hadn't cried in years. The next day was my 29th birthday and I celebrated with a broken heart. I prayed like crazy for him and that if God would so choose to bless us with being able to raise this little boy, somehow He would give me back, "My son."
Five weeks later, again on a Wednesday and just four days before Christmas, he came back. His birth mother was not well and could no longer care for him. Needless to say we had a wonderful Christmas and though there were many ups and downs, twists and turns over the next two years, on December 20, 2007, Easton 'officially' became "My son."
As I think back to all the "coincidences" that we encountered on the journey to adopt Easton I can now completely see they weren't coincidences at all. They were God's way of leading us through a wilderness performing miracle after miracle to bring me to the place I am today, celebrating "My son's" fourth birthday.
Happy Birthday Buddy. You have always been and will always be, "My son." I love you.
Forget cooking dinner tonight! We're going out to eat! Woo hoo!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Turn That Cheek
"If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." John 8:7
This verse came to mind today when talking with ladies from my Bible study. We weren't talking about adultery or even forgiveness, we were talking about "turning the cheek" when a picture of the woman this verse is talking about came to my mind.
What if this woman, instead of quietly standing next to Jesus, started accusing those who accused her? What if she yelled back at them claiming they were as guilty as she was or what if she picked up stones and started throwing them at her accusers? Other than thinking she was crazy, they probably would have had a lot harder time walking away from stoning her.
My point is when someone accuses us or wrongs us, the way we react can either draw someone in or push them away.
In the story of the adulterous woman, she clearly had been living a sinful life and though we may be innocent of our "charges," if we fight back with a vengeance, seek revenge or back lash with gossip we become just as guilty as those doing the accusing. Jesus wasn't a door mat but he wasn't a bully either. Keep Him in mind the next time you are feeling the need to lash out at someone for "doing you wrong" or for "throwing you under the bus." Remember, the way we react can either spur on our enemies to pick up those stones or encourage them to realize their wrong doing and judgmental attitudes.
Nothing wrong about dinner tonight...Italian sausage with pasta, peppers and onions.
Italian Sausage and Pasta
1 pkg Italian mild sausage
2 tbsp olive oil
1 green pepper, chopped
1 med onion, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup Alfredo sauce (1 small jar, save the leftovers for steamed veggies another night)
1/2 box rigate pasta
Cook pasta according to package directions, drain then set aside. In large skillet with deep sides, heat oil. Place sausage in pan then add enough water to almost cover them (half way). Simmer until water has evaporated then brown on both sides in remaining oil. Remove sausage and set aside. Add peppers and onions to the skillet and saute until tender. Add wine and reduce heat. Slice sausage into bite size pieces then return to the skillet. Pour in spaghetti sauce and simmer 30 minutes then add Alfredo sauce and simmer 10 more minutes. Add in pasta and serve with garlic bread and a salad.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Self-Control
Show me a plate of brownies and I'll show you a lack of self-control. Cookies, cakes, cream puffs, candy, cinnamon rolls...anything sweet and I'll accept. I've never thought this was a "real" problem until I realized that I think about dessert more than I think about God. When I am craving something sweet, I will obsess about it until I satisfy the craving. Don't get me wrong, I don't think there is anything bad or sinful about dessert or eating sweet things, I am just realizing that this is an area in my life that I need to work on. It may seem silly or trivial but I want to be self-controlled in the little things so that when I am faced with the big temptations I am able to resist.
Think about it, when a person decides to run a marathon, they don't just wake up one day and run the 26 point whatever miles required. They train for months, sometimes years, and prepare for the big race. In the past I have never thought about "fasting" from junk food and I have never noticed my cravings or inability to 'stop at one' as being that big of a deal. Just yesterday I finished off brownies I had made the night before. What started as a "little bite" ended up being four or five brownies (I lost track). Then later in the day I found myself prowling around the kitchen scoping out the counters, pantry and fridge for something sweet to devour. I thought to myself, "this is ridiculous." After all I was not hungry and I had eaten enough brownies to satisfy my sweet tooth for at least a week!
So, it was this morning while explaining my weakness to a friend that I had an epiphany...What if this small stronghold was given to me so that I would learn to train myself to open the Bible instead of the fridge every time I felt a craving? What if this is just a little sacrifice I am meant to offer the one who sacrificed everything for me? What if this is a simple test to show what my mind is really focused on? What if this is the Lord's way of drawing me closer to Him? It really does seem silly, I mean we're just talking sugar here but I'm not willing to miss the blessing that God may want to offer me. The word of the Lord is so much more satisfying, much more healthy and not to mention fat free! Now that's a blessing right there!
A healthy and low-fat dinner is on the menu for tonight: chicken with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and pasta.
Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Spinach
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about a pound total)
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced and dry-packed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
5 oz fresh spinach (half the 10 oz bag)
Parmesan cheese
In a large skillet heat oil over med-high heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add chicken and brown on both sides for 2 minutes. Add wine, tomatoes, salt and pepper and simmer 5 minutes. Top with spinach, cover and cook over med heat until spinach is wilted but still bright green and the chicken is no longer pink. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve with bow-tie pasta.
Bow-Tie Pasta
8 oz bow-tie pasta
3 tbsp butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
Cook pasta according to pkg directions. Melt butter (or heat oil) in a small skillet over med heat then add garlic. Saute for 2 minutes then pour over pasta. Add Italian seasoning and toss.
Think about it, when a person decides to run a marathon, they don't just wake up one day and run the 26 point whatever miles required. They train for months, sometimes years, and prepare for the big race. In the past I have never thought about "fasting" from junk food and I have never noticed my cravings or inability to 'stop at one' as being that big of a deal. Just yesterday I finished off brownies I had made the night before. What started as a "little bite" ended up being four or five brownies (I lost track). Then later in the day I found myself prowling around the kitchen scoping out the counters, pantry and fridge for something sweet to devour. I thought to myself, "this is ridiculous." After all I was not hungry and I had eaten enough brownies to satisfy my sweet tooth for at least a week!
So, it was this morning while explaining my weakness to a friend that I had an epiphany...What if this small stronghold was given to me so that I would learn to train myself to open the Bible instead of the fridge every time I felt a craving? What if this is just a little sacrifice I am meant to offer the one who sacrificed everything for me? What if this is a simple test to show what my mind is really focused on? What if this is the Lord's way of drawing me closer to Him? It really does seem silly, I mean we're just talking sugar here but I'm not willing to miss the blessing that God may want to offer me. The word of the Lord is so much more satisfying, much more healthy and not to mention fat free! Now that's a blessing right there!
A healthy and low-fat dinner is on the menu for tonight: chicken with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and pasta.
Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Spinach
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about a pound total)
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced and dry-packed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
5 oz fresh spinach (half the 10 oz bag)
Parmesan cheese
In a large skillet heat oil over med-high heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add chicken and brown on both sides for 2 minutes. Add wine, tomatoes, salt and pepper and simmer 5 minutes. Top with spinach, cover and cook over med heat until spinach is wilted but still bright green and the chicken is no longer pink. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve with bow-tie pasta.
Bow-Tie Pasta
8 oz bow-tie pasta
3 tbsp butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
Cook pasta according to pkg directions. Melt butter (or heat oil) in a small skillet over med heat then add garlic. Saute for 2 minutes then pour over pasta. Add Italian seasoning and toss.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Fear Factor
People suffer from all kinds of phobias and their fears can be debilitating. I think I have a phobia of masks, there is just something creepy about being able to see a person's eyes without being able to see their expression surrounding them. Whether our fears are legit or not, one thing is for sure, fear is not from God. Satan can and will use our fears to keep us from taking the chance, stepping out in faith and reaching out to do something the Lord wants us to do. When we find ourselves not making a choice or doing something solely because we are afraid to, we can be pretty sure it is a choice or an action that the Lord wants us to do and that Satan is behind the fear.
And boy is Satan good at convincing us that our fears are real. How many times have we passed on witnessing to someone we felt the Lord leading us to talk to just because we were afraid of what they would say or think? I mean, seriously, what's the worst that could happen? They call us Jesus freaks or Bible thumpers? So many times I have felt the "urge" to speak to or reach out to someone in need only to have it justified in my mind that I really have nothing to offer, that it wouldn't be safe or that I would make someone uncomfortable. How many times have I passed on the opportunity to be the "hands and feet" of Jesus?
So, the next time I hear that gentle voice urging me to share the good news, offer to help or simply send a note of encouragement I'm going to try my best to do it and ignore the sneaky rationalizing hiss of the one who wants nothing more than for me to miss the blessings of God.
Something not scary at all is what's for dinner tonight, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo with rice and a salad.
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
1 lb andouille sausage*, cut into 1/4 inch slices
4 skinned, bone-in chicken breasts
vegetable oil
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 celery ribs, sliced
2 quarts hot water
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Creole seasoning
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 to 1 tsp hot sauce
4 green onions, sliced
File powder (optional)
Hot cooked rice
Cook sausage in a Dutch oven over med. heat, stirring constantly until browned. Drain on paper towels. Cook chicken breast in same pot over med. heat 5 minutes or until browned. Remove and place on paper towels. Add about 1/4 cup oil to pot then flour and cook over med heat stirring constantly, 20 to 25 minutes or until "roux" is chocolate colored. Stir in onion, bell pepper and celery, cook stirring often, until tender. Gradually add 2 quarts hot water and bring mixture to a boil; add chicken, garlic, and next 5 ingredients. Reduce heat to low and simmer stirring occasionally 1 hour. Remove chicken and let cool. Add sausage to gumbo, cook 30 minutes. Stir in green onions, cook 30 more minutes. Bone chicken and cut meat into strips; return chicken to gumbo and simmer 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves. Remove gumbo from heat and sprinkle with file powder (found in the spice section). Serve over hot cooked rice and with a tossed salad.
*I use smoked sausage instead of the andouille sausage because it is less spicy. I also use less Creole seasoning and hot sauce for the kids' sake.
And boy is Satan good at convincing us that our fears are real. How many times have we passed on witnessing to someone we felt the Lord leading us to talk to just because we were afraid of what they would say or think? I mean, seriously, what's the worst that could happen? They call us Jesus freaks or Bible thumpers? So many times I have felt the "urge" to speak to or reach out to someone in need only to have it justified in my mind that I really have nothing to offer, that it wouldn't be safe or that I would make someone uncomfortable. How many times have I passed on the opportunity to be the "hands and feet" of Jesus?
So, the next time I hear that gentle voice urging me to share the good news, offer to help or simply send a note of encouragement I'm going to try my best to do it and ignore the sneaky rationalizing hiss of the one who wants nothing more than for me to miss the blessings of God.
Something not scary at all is what's for dinner tonight, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo with rice and a salad.
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
1 lb andouille sausage*, cut into 1/4 inch slices
4 skinned, bone-in chicken breasts
vegetable oil
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 celery ribs, sliced
2 quarts hot water
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Creole seasoning
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 to 1 tsp hot sauce
4 green onions, sliced
File powder (optional)
Hot cooked rice
Cook sausage in a Dutch oven over med. heat, stirring constantly until browned. Drain on paper towels. Cook chicken breast in same pot over med. heat 5 minutes or until browned. Remove and place on paper towels. Add about 1/4 cup oil to pot then flour and cook over med heat stirring constantly, 20 to 25 minutes or until "roux" is chocolate colored. Stir in onion, bell pepper and celery, cook stirring often, until tender. Gradually add 2 quarts hot water and bring mixture to a boil; add chicken, garlic, and next 5 ingredients. Reduce heat to low and simmer stirring occasionally 1 hour. Remove chicken and let cool. Add sausage to gumbo, cook 30 minutes. Stir in green onions, cook 30 more minutes. Bone chicken and cut meat into strips; return chicken to gumbo and simmer 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves. Remove gumbo from heat and sprinkle with file powder (found in the spice section). Serve over hot cooked rice and with a tossed salad.
*I use smoked sausage instead of the andouille sausage because it is less spicy. I also use less Creole seasoning and hot sauce for the kids' sake.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Enemy of Faith
It occurred to me this morning that the enemies of the Israelites may have had more faith in God than the Israelites themselves. The enemies were really afraid of God. Not because they knew God, not because they experienced God, not because they witnessed God but because they had heard of God. They (the enemies) had heard of all the things the God of the Israelites had done for His people and they were scared! They had heard about the plagues in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the delivering of the Hebrews out of Egypt and they were worried about fighting against God's people.
But the Israelites who had experienced all these things still doubted, grumbled and complained. They lived through and saw miracle after miracle and still questioned God's guidance and abilities. They were spoiled on the goodness of God yet still remained unconvinced that they were in a better place than when they were slaves, held captive in Egypt. It's amazing that their faith was so weak and their lives so full of complacency. Their enemies, who had only heard of God, were more aware of Him from a distance than they were even though they woke every morning to a cloud of smoke and went to sleep every night to a pillar of fire and were fed manna from Heaven, daily.
How often do we forget the miracles God has performed in our lives? How often do we justify miracles and blessings as coincidence instead of divine intervention or worse, give ourselves credit? Complacency is a dangerous place to be. When we no longer acknowledge the power and strength of God, when we feel we don't need His guidance, when we don't seek His will or when we neglect our relationship with Him we put ourselves in the same situation as the Israelites: wandering through a wilderness without hope, without faith, without contentment.
In all your ways (blessings, miracles, everything) acknowledge God and let Him direct your path to the promised land without asking questions or complaining, without taking credit for His goodness and without forgetting what He has delivered you from.
Follow these directions for a dinner that will not receive any grumblings or complaints! Pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw and corn on the cob.
Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches
1 3-4 lb Boston Butt pork roast
1 red onion, chopped
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp smoked Paprika (regular will work too)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 cup water
8 slices Texas Toast (frozen section)
Extra BBQ sauce
Mix all spices and rub over pork roast. Place chopped onion in the bottom of a crock pot then place spiced pork on top. Mix BBQ and water together and pour around the pork roast. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until meat falls apart easily. Remove from crock pot, shred, add more BBQ sauce and serve on garlic Texas Toast with corn on the cob and coleslaw.
But the Israelites who had experienced all these things still doubted, grumbled and complained. They lived through and saw miracle after miracle and still questioned God's guidance and abilities. They were spoiled on the goodness of God yet still remained unconvinced that they were in a better place than when they were slaves, held captive in Egypt. It's amazing that their faith was so weak and their lives so full of complacency. Their enemies, who had only heard of God, were more aware of Him from a distance than they were even though they woke every morning to a cloud of smoke and went to sleep every night to a pillar of fire and were fed manna from Heaven, daily.
How often do we forget the miracles God has performed in our lives? How often do we justify miracles and blessings as coincidence instead of divine intervention or worse, give ourselves credit? Complacency is a dangerous place to be. When we no longer acknowledge the power and strength of God, when we feel we don't need His guidance, when we don't seek His will or when we neglect our relationship with Him we put ourselves in the same situation as the Israelites: wandering through a wilderness without hope, without faith, without contentment.
In all your ways (blessings, miracles, everything) acknowledge God and let Him direct your path to the promised land without asking questions or complaining, without taking credit for His goodness and without forgetting what He has delivered you from.
Follow these directions for a dinner that will not receive any grumblings or complaints! Pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw and corn on the cob.
Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches
1 3-4 lb Boston Butt pork roast
1 red onion, chopped
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp smoked Paprika (regular will work too)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 cup water
8 slices Texas Toast (frozen section)
Extra BBQ sauce
Mix all spices and rub over pork roast. Place chopped onion in the bottom of a crock pot then place spiced pork on top. Mix BBQ and water together and pour around the pork roast. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until meat falls apart easily. Remove from crock pot, shred, add more BBQ sauce and serve on garlic Texas Toast with corn on the cob and coleslaw.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
God of Wonders
This past weekend we went camping on Cayo Costa Island. I mean "real camping". Yeah, so we rented one of the twelve cabins on the island but to get a better, more accurate visual of these cabins, I heard them best described when one lady asked a park ranger if there were any "huts" available to rent. They were one room shacks with three windows and just enough room inside to fit a picnic table and three bunk beds. No electricity, no running water and no creature comforts.
The island requires a ferry ride there and back so quick trips to Wal-Mart or the grocery story if you forgot something are not an option. There are bathrooms on the island and COLD showers but in all honesty, it is not camping for the faint of heart. There are tent sites available as well but we figured we would splurge on the aforementioned cabins and forgo the hassle of trying to keep three kids in and a million insects out of a tent. We enjoyed our 'hut' and were able to spend time as a family without the distraction of phones, televisions and computers. It was wonderful.
The first day on the island was typical of a summer day in Florida. It was hot and humid but as the sun set and the stars came out, the wind off the gulf picked up and it was absolutely gorgeous out. That night we walked to the beach, listened to the waves crash and stared up at the countless stars. The cool wind was salty and smelled of the ocean and as I sat there in awe of God's amazing work I realized that just a few nights earlier as I was drilling Easton on his memory verse for Cubbies I didn't notice the significance of the words he was repeating back to me. I was so focused on him remembering the verse so he could earn a patch that I had failed to realize, "Through Him all things were made..." (John 1:3)
The verse I was saying over and over just two nights before suddenly came alive and though I have always known God made everything it became tangibly clear to me that the ocean, the sand, the trees, the birds, the stars, everything I was experiencing and enjoying at that moment was made by God. It sounds ridiculous to forget but so often I take for granted God's creation and fail to acknowledge that everything, everything was made by Him and with just a word from His mouth. There were no blueprints, no manual, no directions to follow just our creative and awesome God speaking into creation our incredible and complex universe. Through Him ALL things were made.
Something easy for you to say you made is what's for dinner tonight. Chicken Cacciatore with rice and roasted broccoli and cauliflower. And if you're feeling a little brave, plan a camping trip with your family and be reminded of all the good things God has made for us to enjoy. Visit http://www.floridastateparks.org/ for local campgrounds.
Easy Chicken Cacciatore
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1 green pepper, cut into strips
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 cups instant rice, uncooked
Cook chicken and onion in oil in a large skillet until lightly browned, stirring often. Add spaghetti sauce and next five ingredients; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil; stir in rice. Cover, remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Serve with roasted broccoli and cauliflower.
Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
1 head of broccoli, cut into bite size florets
1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite size florets
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place broccoli and cauliflower florets on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with minced garlic, salt and pepper. Toss well and bake until tender.
The island requires a ferry ride there and back so quick trips to Wal-Mart or the grocery story if you forgot something are not an option. There are bathrooms on the island and COLD showers but in all honesty, it is not camping for the faint of heart. There are tent sites available as well but we figured we would splurge on the aforementioned cabins and forgo the hassle of trying to keep three kids in and a million insects out of a tent. We enjoyed our 'hut' and were able to spend time as a family without the distraction of phones, televisions and computers. It was wonderful.
The first day on the island was typical of a summer day in Florida. It was hot and humid but as the sun set and the stars came out, the wind off the gulf picked up and it was absolutely gorgeous out. That night we walked to the beach, listened to the waves crash and stared up at the countless stars. The cool wind was salty and smelled of the ocean and as I sat there in awe of God's amazing work I realized that just a few nights earlier as I was drilling Easton on his memory verse for Cubbies I didn't notice the significance of the words he was repeating back to me. I was so focused on him remembering the verse so he could earn a patch that I had failed to realize, "Through Him all things were made..." (John 1:3)
The verse I was saying over and over just two nights before suddenly came alive and though I have always known God made everything it became tangibly clear to me that the ocean, the sand, the trees, the birds, the stars, everything I was experiencing and enjoying at that moment was made by God. It sounds ridiculous to forget but so often I take for granted God's creation and fail to acknowledge that everything, everything was made by Him and with just a word from His mouth. There were no blueprints, no manual, no directions to follow just our creative and awesome God speaking into creation our incredible and complex universe. Through Him ALL things were made.
Something easy for you to say you made is what's for dinner tonight. Chicken Cacciatore with rice and roasted broccoli and cauliflower. And if you're feeling a little brave, plan a camping trip with your family and be reminded of all the good things God has made for us to enjoy. Visit http://www.floridastateparks.org/ for local campgrounds.
Easy Chicken Cacciatore
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1 green pepper, cut into strips
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 cups instant rice, uncooked
Cook chicken and onion in oil in a large skillet until lightly browned, stirring often. Add spaghetti sauce and next five ingredients; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil; stir in rice. Cover, remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Serve with roasted broccoli and cauliflower.
Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
1 head of broccoli, cut into bite size florets
1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite size florets
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place broccoli and cauliflower florets on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with minced garlic, salt and pepper. Toss well and bake until tender.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Sucker Fish
Have you ever seen those weird looking fish that latch on to bigger fish for free meals and rides? They are technically called remora fish and they swim up beside larger fish or marine animals then basically suction the top of their heads onto their "hosts" and voila...cruise control.
Sometimes multiple remoras will attach to one fish leaving the larger fish to drag along several freeloaders and it seems like no matter how fast the big fish swim some little remora always manages to latch on. Kind of like me in the mornings trying to do laundry, or me in the afternoons trying to sneak a cookie, or me in the evenings trying to make dinner. You know where I'm going with this don't you?
It never fails, some little sucker fish follows me around, demanding my attention until I stop for just a second, then they latch on. Sometimes the "latching on" comes in the form of a million questions being asked, a request being made, a mouth to be fed, a rear to be wiped, a boo boo to be kissed, a fight to be broken up, a body to be bathed and eventually put to bed. It can be overwhelming. There are times that I feel no matter how fast I could "swim" these little sucker fish would still catch up and latch on.
But these remoras or sucker fish provide an invaluable service for their host fish. Sometimes they suck off all the bacteria and yucky stuff that has been growing on the old, nasty, big, fish making them cleaner and healthier. Or sometimes these little sucker fish suck out all the selfishness and impatience that can grow inside the sinful nature of imperfect moms.
And since I am trying to keep a little girl sucker fish from putting her feet on the keyboard, as she is currently latched on, I will quickly type what's for dinner then log off and go for a swim...
So, there's this little restaurant in Jacksonville called "Lubi's" that makes sandwiches called "Lubi's" and my version of a Lubi is what's for dinner tonight.
Lubi's
1 lb ground beef
1 cup beef broth or stock
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 soft hoagie buns
mustard
sour cream
In a skillet brown beef and onion. Drain meet then return to pan and add oregano, garlic, salt, pepper and beef broth. Simmer over low heat for 10 - 15 minutes until most of liquid has been absorbed. Divide meat between buns and top with mustard, sour cream, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese then microwave to melt cheese. Serve with a salad and fresh fruit.
Sometimes multiple remoras will attach to one fish leaving the larger fish to drag along several freeloaders and it seems like no matter how fast the big fish swim some little remora always manages to latch on. Kind of like me in the mornings trying to do laundry, or me in the afternoons trying to sneak a cookie, or me in the evenings trying to make dinner. You know where I'm going with this don't you?
It never fails, some little sucker fish follows me around, demanding my attention until I stop for just a second, then they latch on. Sometimes the "latching on" comes in the form of a million questions being asked, a request being made, a mouth to be fed, a rear to be wiped, a boo boo to be kissed, a fight to be broken up, a body to be bathed and eventually put to bed. It can be overwhelming. There are times that I feel no matter how fast I could "swim" these little sucker fish would still catch up and latch on.
But these remoras or sucker fish provide an invaluable service for their host fish. Sometimes they suck off all the bacteria and yucky stuff that has been growing on the old, nasty, big, fish making them cleaner and healthier. Or sometimes these little sucker fish suck out all the selfishness and impatience that can grow inside the sinful nature of imperfect moms.
And since I am trying to keep a little girl sucker fish from putting her feet on the keyboard, as she is currently latched on, I will quickly type what's for dinner then log off and go for a swim...
So, there's this little restaurant in Jacksonville called "Lubi's" that makes sandwiches called "Lubi's" and my version of a Lubi is what's for dinner tonight.
Lubi's
1 lb ground beef
1 cup beef broth or stock
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 soft hoagie buns
mustard
sour cream
In a skillet brown beef and onion. Drain meet then return to pan and add oregano, garlic, salt, pepper and beef broth. Simmer over low heat for 10 - 15 minutes until most of liquid has been absorbed. Divide meat between buns and top with mustard, sour cream, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese then microwave to melt cheese. Serve with a salad and fresh fruit.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Trusting Instead Of Grumbling
This past week during my Bible study (Priscilla Shirer's One In A Million) it was brought to my attention that I had been questioning the Lord's guidance because of the way I had been grumbling to Eric. It doesn't matter what I was grumbling about, just the fact that I was grumbling. As the leader of our family he is guided by the Lord and as it was pointed out in my study, when the Israelites taunted Moses for leading them toward the Red Sea (when no bridge to cross was in site or even in existence) they were questioning the Lord's guidance.
Eric isn't literally leading us to a huge body of water and telling us to put on our swimsuits but the unknowns of the future can be just as daunting. However, as his wife it is my job to support him and to follow him trusting that he is being obedient to the Lord. No matter how long or scary the journey may be I know the Lord is ultimately guiding our family and though my "Moses" is carrying a fishing pole instead of a snake-hissing rod we will continue to follow him and do so without grumbling, or at least try not to...
The ingredient list is long but don't be intimidated...this is a really easy recipe from Rachel Ray that is delicious and healthy too!
Tacozagna
1 1/2 to 2 lbs ground turkey breast
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 zucchini, shredded
2 carrots, shredded
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
salt and pepper
1 cup chicken stock
3 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
4 scallions, chopped (green and white parts)
2 hearts of Romaine lettuce, chopped
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
6 (8") flour tortillas
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
Brown turkey in oil then add shredded vegetables. Add spices then stir in stock. Simmer for five minutes. Lightly spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Layer three times: tortillas, 1/3 meat mixture and 1/3 cheese. Bake 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from oven and top with lettuce, scallions, cilantro and tomatoes. Serve with sour cream and black bean and corn salad.
Black Bean and Corn Salad
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained
2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
1 green pepper, chopped
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
Mix all ingredients and serve leftovers with Tostito chips.
Eric isn't literally leading us to a huge body of water and telling us to put on our swimsuits but the unknowns of the future can be just as daunting. However, as his wife it is my job to support him and to follow him trusting that he is being obedient to the Lord. No matter how long or scary the journey may be I know the Lord is ultimately guiding our family and though my "Moses" is carrying a fishing pole instead of a snake-hissing rod we will continue to follow him and do so without grumbling, or at least try not to...
The ingredient list is long but don't be intimidated...this is a really easy recipe from Rachel Ray that is delicious and healthy too!
Tacozagna
1 1/2 to 2 lbs ground turkey breast
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 zucchini, shredded
2 carrots, shredded
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
salt and pepper
1 cup chicken stock
3 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
4 scallions, chopped (green and white parts)
2 hearts of Romaine lettuce, chopped
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
6 (8") flour tortillas
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
Brown turkey in oil then add shredded vegetables. Add spices then stir in stock. Simmer for five minutes. Lightly spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Layer three times: tortillas, 1/3 meat mixture and 1/3 cheese. Bake 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from oven and top with lettuce, scallions, cilantro and tomatoes. Serve with sour cream and black bean and corn salad.
Black Bean and Corn Salad
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained
2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
1 green pepper, chopped
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
Mix all ingredients and serve leftovers with Tostito chips.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Proper Nutrition
My kids would eat candy, cookies and ice cream for every meal and though the thought of eating anyone of those right now is extremely appealing (as I'm snacking on rice cakes), I know the consequences of eating a diet full of sugar is not good for me or my kids. We need balanced diets full of vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, meat and occasionally fats. So when my kids think I'm the meanest mom ever for not letting them have banana splits for dinner (and they argue there's fruit involved) I know better.
Just as the Lord knows better when I whine and beg for MY way. When I ask for the sweetness of an easy path, He knows the benefits of traveling a road that requires dependence on Him. When I ask for the sugary blessings of the prize patrol showing up on my doorstep, He knows the value of hard work and wise choices. And when I desire the syrupy (not sure if that's a word) happiness of material things, He knows that true joy and contentment only comes from a closer relationship with Him.
Often the Lord gives us ''cookies'', some of mine came in the flavors of Fisher, Easton and Finley but a life full of the sweet things not balanced by the nutritional times of hardships, trials or simply learning to wait leaves us deprived of the most important nutrients that we need to grow and thrive spiritually, the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)
A relatively nutritional dinner is Cuban wraps with black beans, rice and fresh pineapple.
Cuban Wraps
6 flour tortillas (or flavored wraps)
1/2 lb deli sliced Spanish pork
1/2 lb deli sliced sweet ham
1/4 lb deli sliced Swiss cheese
1/4 cup Mojo sauce (found in ethnic isle of grocery store)
mustard
dill pickles
On each tortilla spread mustard on bottom then layer with pork, ham, cheese and pickles. Pour 1 tbsp Mojo sauce over top then wrap burrito style. After all sandwiches are made place in a sandwich press or on a griddle over medium heat and weigh down with an additional skilled filled with a large can of vegetables or anything to make a "press." Toast on both sides until light brown and cheese is melted. Serve with Vigo black beans and rice (follow package directions) and fresh sliced pineapple.
Just as the Lord knows better when I whine and beg for MY way. When I ask for the sweetness of an easy path, He knows the benefits of traveling a road that requires dependence on Him. When I ask for the sugary blessings of the prize patrol showing up on my doorstep, He knows the value of hard work and wise choices. And when I desire the syrupy (not sure if that's a word) happiness of material things, He knows that true joy and contentment only comes from a closer relationship with Him.
Often the Lord gives us ''cookies'', some of mine came in the flavors of Fisher, Easton and Finley but a life full of the sweet things not balanced by the nutritional times of hardships, trials or simply learning to wait leaves us deprived of the most important nutrients that we need to grow and thrive spiritually, the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)
A relatively nutritional dinner is Cuban wraps with black beans, rice and fresh pineapple.
Cuban Wraps
6 flour tortillas (or flavored wraps)
1/2 lb deli sliced Spanish pork
1/2 lb deli sliced sweet ham
1/4 lb deli sliced Swiss cheese
1/4 cup Mojo sauce (found in ethnic isle of grocery store)
mustard
dill pickles
On each tortilla spread mustard on bottom then layer with pork, ham, cheese and pickles. Pour 1 tbsp Mojo sauce over top then wrap burrito style. After all sandwiches are made place in a sandwich press or on a griddle over medium heat and weigh down with an additional skilled filled with a large can of vegetables or anything to make a "press." Toast on both sides until light brown and cheese is melted. Serve with Vigo black beans and rice (follow package directions) and fresh sliced pineapple.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Pumpkin Harvest
Today as I stocked up on canned pumpkin I was reminded of a story in the Bible. Last week I went to Publix to purchase a can of pumpkin only there was no canned pumpkin to be found. Sure there was an abundance of actual pumpkins but who wants to take the time to cut, clean and cook real pumpkins only to get half a can's worth? Apparently canned pumpkin is only made once a year and once the harvest is depleted and all the cans sold, no more canned pumpkin until the following year. And to make matters worse, rumor has it Libby is not having a great harvest this year!
Anyway, the pumpkin reminded me of the story found in Genesis chapter 41 of Joseph interpreting Pharaoh's dream. Not the miracle of Joseph going from prison inmate to the leader of Egypt or the interpreting of the dream but the actual story of the dream. The seven years of abundance followed by the seven years of famine. I love how the people took a fifth of their harvest from the abundant years and saved it for the following years of famine. A similar story is that of the childhood fable, The Ant and The Grasshopper. Again, I love how the little ant goes about his business gathering and storing his food for the winter months all the while being mocked by the grasshopper. In both stories the wise plan ahead. They demonstrate self-control and instead of lavishly living off the riches of the harvest, they save some for later.
These stories appeal to me because I am not the planner, the saver, the waiter (not the kind at a restaurant but the kind who has patience). Money in my pocket is as good as spent, cookies in the pantry are gobbled up and butter in the fridge is shmeared on. My point is when there is money needed for an 'extra' it has already been spent. When cookies are needed for a school lunch, they have already been eaten. And when a recipe calls for butter, well, we run next door and ask to borrow some.
I see myself in the grasshopper and in the people traveling from far pleading to Joseph for food because I have failed to plan ahead. Even after several years of trying to manage money and resources as an adult, I still find myself making the same mistakes again and again. I know these are lessons in discipline and self-control and that the Lord purposely puts us in positions so that we can learn to be disciplined and self-controlled, I'm just praying one day soon He says, "Ahhhhh. Finally Carrie, you get it."
So as I gathered up my harvest of canned pumpkin and dreamed of all the delicious recipes I was going to run home and make I was reminded of a few (seven to be exact) fat cows and decided I might just wait a few more weeks to use some of that canned pumpkin. The image of fat cows didn't hurt either...
Here's a fattening recipe for pumpkin bars followed by a relatively lean recipe for what's for dinner tonight, shrimp with pasta, fresh tomatoes and basil.
Pumpkin Bars
Crust
1 box of gingerbread cake mix
1 egg
1 stick of butter, melted (off to the neighbors I go...)
Filling
1 (8 oz) container cream cheese
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 stick of butter, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
1 (16 oz) box powdered sugar
Mix crust ingredients together and press into the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch pan. Next combine all filling ingredients and mix well. Pour on top of crust and bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with whipped cream.
Shrimp with Tomato-Basil Pasta
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb of Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz (1/2 box) rigate pasta
Cook pasta according to package directions the set aside. In large skillet heat oil over medium then add garlic. Saute garlic for 2-3 minutes or just until it starts to turn light brown. Add shrimp to skillet and cook until pink. Add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper and remove from heat. Add pasta then sprinkle in cheese and serve immediately with salad and bread sticks. Enjoy.
Oh what the heck, here's a recipe for a yummy fall harvest Cobb salad too.
Fall Harvest Cobb Salad
1 head of Romaine, chopped
1 Bartlett pear, cored and chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds, toasted
1 cup of red grapes, cut in half
1/2 cup crumbled feta or Gorgonzola cheese
Lite Pomegranate Vinaigrette Dressing (any brand--use raspberry if you can't find pomegranate)
Combine all salad ingredients and toss with dressing.
Anyway, the pumpkin reminded me of the story found in Genesis chapter 41 of Joseph interpreting Pharaoh's dream. Not the miracle of Joseph going from prison inmate to the leader of Egypt or the interpreting of the dream but the actual story of the dream. The seven years of abundance followed by the seven years of famine. I love how the people took a fifth of their harvest from the abundant years and saved it for the following years of famine. A similar story is that of the childhood fable, The Ant and The Grasshopper. Again, I love how the little ant goes about his business gathering and storing his food for the winter months all the while being mocked by the grasshopper. In both stories the wise plan ahead. They demonstrate self-control and instead of lavishly living off the riches of the harvest, they save some for later.
These stories appeal to me because I am not the planner, the saver, the waiter (not the kind at a restaurant but the kind who has patience). Money in my pocket is as good as spent, cookies in the pantry are gobbled up and butter in the fridge is shmeared on. My point is when there is money needed for an 'extra' it has already been spent. When cookies are needed for a school lunch, they have already been eaten. And when a recipe calls for butter, well, we run next door and ask to borrow some.
I see myself in the grasshopper and in the people traveling from far pleading to Joseph for food because I have failed to plan ahead. Even after several years of trying to manage money and resources as an adult, I still find myself making the same mistakes again and again. I know these are lessons in discipline and self-control and that the Lord purposely puts us in positions so that we can learn to be disciplined and self-controlled, I'm just praying one day soon He says, "Ahhhhh. Finally Carrie, you get it."
So as I gathered up my harvest of canned pumpkin and dreamed of all the delicious recipes I was going to run home and make I was reminded of a few (seven to be exact) fat cows and decided I might just wait a few more weeks to use some of that canned pumpkin. The image of fat cows didn't hurt either...
Here's a fattening recipe for pumpkin bars followed by a relatively lean recipe for what's for dinner tonight, shrimp with pasta, fresh tomatoes and basil.
Pumpkin Bars
Crust
1 box of gingerbread cake mix
1 egg
1 stick of butter, melted (off to the neighbors I go...)
Filling
1 (8 oz) container cream cheese
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 stick of butter, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
1 (16 oz) box powdered sugar
Mix crust ingredients together and press into the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch pan. Next combine all filling ingredients and mix well. Pour on top of crust and bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with whipped cream.
Shrimp with Tomato-Basil Pasta
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb of Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz (1/2 box) rigate pasta
Cook pasta according to package directions the set aside. In large skillet heat oil over medium then add garlic. Saute garlic for 2-3 minutes or just until it starts to turn light brown. Add shrimp to skillet and cook until pink. Add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper and remove from heat. Add pasta then sprinkle in cheese and serve immediately with salad and bread sticks. Enjoy.
Oh what the heck, here's a recipe for a yummy fall harvest Cobb salad too.
Fall Harvest Cobb Salad
1 head of Romaine, chopped
1 Bartlett pear, cored and chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds, toasted
1 cup of red grapes, cut in half
1/2 cup crumbled feta or Gorgonzola cheese
Lite Pomegranate Vinaigrette Dressing (any brand--use raspberry if you can't find pomegranate)
Combine all salad ingredients and toss with dressing.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Writer's Block
I got it, but here's what's for dinner:
Easy Skillet Taco Pie
1 lb ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1/4 cup water
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
tortilla chips, broken
2 cups shredded cheese
1 (16 oz) jar salsa
1 (15.25 oz) can whole kernel corn
Brown beef in large skillet then drain. Return to pan, reduce heat and stir in taco seasoning and water. Layer refried beans, 1/2 of broken chips, 1 cup of cheese, salsa and corn on top of beef. Top with remaining chips and cheese. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.
Easy Skillet Taco Pie
1 lb ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1/4 cup water
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
tortilla chips, broken
2 cups shredded cheese
1 (16 oz) jar salsa
1 (15.25 oz) can whole kernel corn
Brown beef in large skillet then drain. Return to pan, reduce heat and stir in taco seasoning and water. Layer refried beans, 1/2 of broken chips, 1 cup of cheese, salsa and corn on top of beef. Top with remaining chips and cheese. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
A Little Extra
God delights in blessing us with unexpected gifts. Gifts that always seem to come at the perfect time. An encouraging email from a friend, an extra long hug from your spouse, just enough ice cream left in the freezer to satisfy a craving... So it should be no surprise that I received one today.
To use the cliche, "in these tough economic times," Eric and I are finding ourselves cutting back on more and more things. Eric being in the new construction field and everyone knowing that business is not booming can understand our situation. Long gone are the trips to restaurants, the trips to Target and the "trips" in general. Though we are thankful God has continued to provide Eric with a job the financial stresses are still obvious. God continues to take care of us but today He gave us a little extra.
As we all joke, "well, I hope there's a check in the mail" I thought just that this morning as I decided to check our mail a little early. I went to the box and pulled out what appeared to be a bunch of junk mail. Unexcited about the mail I tossed it on the counter then noticed a small blue envelope had fallen out. I picked the envelope up and turned it over to see the tell-tale sign of a letter from my mom; My name and address printed on the envelope by a typewriter. I open the card and found a simple note from her along with a "gift" in the form of a check. No real reason, just a prompting by God for her to bless her daughter with an unexpected gift.
The tears fell (been doing a lot of that lately...) then the ugly cry began. My mom had no idea what a blessing she had just been to me and my family. Here was an opportunity for the extras. The extra help with groceries, with gas or for a much needed night out and alone with my husband. Thank you Lord for blessing me through my mother and thank you mom for obeying God's prompting. I love you.
A recipe that won't wipe out your time or bank account is what's for dinner tonight: Creamy Crock Pot Chicken with shells and broccoli.
Creamy Crock Pot Chicken with Macaroni Shells
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp dry Italian salad dressing mix (save the rest for next time)
4 tbsp butter, melted
6 oz cream cheese, cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
8 oz macaroni shells
Place chicken, Italian dressing mix and melted butter in crock pot and cook over low heat for 6 hours. About 30 minutes before chicken is done, mix soup, cream cheese, water and onion in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until smooth. Pour over chicken in crock pot. Cover and continue to cook while pasta is prepared according to package directions. Serve chicken mixture over shells (or rice if preferred) with steamed broccoli and fresh fruit. Enjoy.
To use the cliche, "in these tough economic times," Eric and I are finding ourselves cutting back on more and more things. Eric being in the new construction field and everyone knowing that business is not booming can understand our situation. Long gone are the trips to restaurants, the trips to Target and the "trips" in general. Though we are thankful God has continued to provide Eric with a job the financial stresses are still obvious. God continues to take care of us but today He gave us a little extra.
As we all joke, "well, I hope there's a check in the mail" I thought just that this morning as I decided to check our mail a little early. I went to the box and pulled out what appeared to be a bunch of junk mail. Unexcited about the mail I tossed it on the counter then noticed a small blue envelope had fallen out. I picked the envelope up and turned it over to see the tell-tale sign of a letter from my mom; My name and address printed on the envelope by a typewriter. I open the card and found a simple note from her along with a "gift" in the form of a check. No real reason, just a prompting by God for her to bless her daughter with an unexpected gift.
The tears fell (been doing a lot of that lately...) then the ugly cry began. My mom had no idea what a blessing she had just been to me and my family. Here was an opportunity for the extras. The extra help with groceries, with gas or for a much needed night out and alone with my husband. Thank you Lord for blessing me through my mother and thank you mom for obeying God's prompting. I love you.
A recipe that won't wipe out your time or bank account is what's for dinner tonight: Creamy Crock Pot Chicken with shells and broccoli.
Creamy Crock Pot Chicken with Macaroni Shells
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp dry Italian salad dressing mix (save the rest for next time)
4 tbsp butter, melted
6 oz cream cheese, cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
8 oz macaroni shells
Place chicken, Italian dressing mix and melted butter in crock pot and cook over low heat for 6 hours. About 30 minutes before chicken is done, mix soup, cream cheese, water and onion in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until smooth. Pour over chicken in crock pot. Cover and continue to cook while pasta is prepared according to package directions. Serve chicken mixture over shells (or rice if preferred) with steamed broccoli and fresh fruit. Enjoy.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
A Great Gift
Have you ever had a gift that you just could not wait to give someone? A gift you knew would be perfect, one that someone had been desperately wanting and anxiously hoping for. A gift you were waiting for the perfect moment to give only to have the surprise blown or worse, discover the gift was no longer wanted. For example, there have been several times after dinner that I wanted to surprise my kids with a special dessert. As I'm secretly making plans to treat them to bowls of ice cream, I head toward the freezer and just as I reach for the handle one of them yells, "Can we have ice cream??" Ugggh! I wanted to be the one to whip out the ice cream and say, "Hey kids! Guess what?! I love you and want you to have a treat!" But no, some eager little eyes spied me heading toward the freezer, blurted out the treat and ruined my surprise!
Other times we have planned surprise trips for our kids to a park. All week long they might be asking to go to the park but as we are getting them up and ready to leave (without telling them of the surprise) they are grumbling about wanting to just stay home and play in the backyard. With the car ride full of bad attitudes we pull up to the park and question our decision to "treat" our kids. Once they realize where we are, they perk up and are then thankful. But to think they were asking to just stay home, to play in a boring, fenced in back yard when a kid utopia of open fields and huge playgrounds awaited them.
How often are we like children that try to guess our Heavenly Father's plans or question (while complaining about) the path's He has chosen for us? Today at Bible study Priscilla Shirer spoke about the Israelites being led through the wilderness on their way to the "Promised Land" when it occurred to me that God wanted them all to make it there. He wanted to treat them to the land of milk and honey. He wasn't the reason so few made it to Canaan, it was because of the poor choices the Israelites made and their bad attitudes that kept them from entering the place God had prepared for them. He provided them with everything necessary to make the trip: a guide during the day, manna to eat, clothes and shoes that did not wear, a guide at night and protection from harm but the Israelites still grumbled and complained. I can imagine the conversations that were had among them, "I am so sick of camping! I'm tired of this manna! I'm over my clothes and Egypt was so much better than this place!" What scares me though is knowing that I would have done some of the complaining. I would have been in the back of the line with my arms crossed, brow furrowed and sandaled foot tapping wondering aloud why we didn't take that short cut 39 1/2 years ago and wanting proof that this so-called "Promised Land" really existed. Show me the honey!
Thankfully God has not led me through a 40-year wilderness yet. I hope when I find myself there I will still praise His name, speak of His goodness and trust completely that He has my best interest in mind so that when He does take me to my Promised Land my heart will be full of joy and contentment not grumbling and complaining as I hear Him say, "Surprise! I've been waiting so long to give you all of this! Enjoy! I love you!"
May not be milk and honey but it's still yummy for dinner: Lasagna with bread sticks and salad.
Lasagna
1 pkg mild Italian sausage (about 1 1/4 lb)
1 large jar spaghetti sauce
1 (15 oz) container Ricotta cheese
1 (8 oz) pkg lasagna noodles
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside. Remove sausage from casings and brown over medium-high heat then drain. Add sausage back to pan and combine with spaghetti sauce. In a large bowl combine Ricotta, Parmesan, 1 cup of Mozzarella and eggs. Place one cup of meat sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish then layer 1/3 (3) of the noodles on top then 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers again then top with remaining 1/3 noodles and meat sauce. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil sprinkle with remaining Mozzarella cheese and bake until cheese is melted. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with salad and bread sticks.
Other times we have planned surprise trips for our kids to a park. All week long they might be asking to go to the park but as we are getting them up and ready to leave (without telling them of the surprise) they are grumbling about wanting to just stay home and play in the backyard. With the car ride full of bad attitudes we pull up to the park and question our decision to "treat" our kids. Once they realize where we are, they perk up and are then thankful. But to think they were asking to just stay home, to play in a boring, fenced in back yard when a kid utopia of open fields and huge playgrounds awaited them.
How often are we like children that try to guess our Heavenly Father's plans or question (while complaining about) the path's He has chosen for us? Today at Bible study Priscilla Shirer spoke about the Israelites being led through the wilderness on their way to the "Promised Land" when it occurred to me that God wanted them all to make it there. He wanted to treat them to the land of milk and honey. He wasn't the reason so few made it to Canaan, it was because of the poor choices the Israelites made and their bad attitudes that kept them from entering the place God had prepared for them. He provided them with everything necessary to make the trip: a guide during the day, manna to eat, clothes and shoes that did not wear, a guide at night and protection from harm but the Israelites still grumbled and complained. I can imagine the conversations that were had among them, "I am so sick of camping! I'm tired of this manna! I'm over my clothes and Egypt was so much better than this place!" What scares me though is knowing that I would have done some of the complaining. I would have been in the back of the line with my arms crossed, brow furrowed and sandaled foot tapping wondering aloud why we didn't take that short cut 39 1/2 years ago and wanting proof that this so-called "Promised Land" really existed. Show me the honey!
Thankfully God has not led me through a 40-year wilderness yet. I hope when I find myself there I will still praise His name, speak of His goodness and trust completely that He has my best interest in mind so that when He does take me to my Promised Land my heart will be full of joy and contentment not grumbling and complaining as I hear Him say, "Surprise! I've been waiting so long to give you all of this! Enjoy! I love you!"
May not be milk and honey but it's still yummy for dinner: Lasagna with bread sticks and salad.
Lasagna
1 pkg mild Italian sausage (about 1 1/4 lb)
1 large jar spaghetti sauce
1 (15 oz) container Ricotta cheese
1 (8 oz) pkg lasagna noodles
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside. Remove sausage from casings and brown over medium-high heat then drain. Add sausage back to pan and combine with spaghetti sauce. In a large bowl combine Ricotta, Parmesan, 1 cup of Mozzarella and eggs. Place one cup of meat sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish then layer 1/3 (3) of the noodles on top then 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers again then top with remaining 1/3 noodles and meat sauce. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil sprinkle with remaining Mozzarella cheese and bake until cheese is melted. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with salad and bread sticks.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Tears of Praise
This morning in the car while driving Easton to preschool tears started falling down my cheeks. Finley would not stop whining/crying over her shoes (those with daughters know EXACTLY what I mean) and it was driving me nuts. The more I told her to stop the louder she got. So in my attempt to distract her I put in a Hillsong CD and turned the volume way up. "Mighty To Save" came blasting through the speakers and my tears began to fall. What was intended to make Finley stop crying was the Lord' s intention to remind me that everyone needs compassion, love, forgiveness, kindness and mercy. As I belted out the words to the song I couldn't help but be moved to tears. What an awesome Savior we have that not only can he move mountains but he conquered the grave and His Holy Spirit resides in me!
Finley didn't stop crying in the car but when we got back home I picked her up out of her car seat, brought her inside then sat down and rocked her. With her sweet little cheek on my shoulder I rubbed her back and told her she was loved. She stopped crying instantly. That was all she needed. A little kindness, a little compassion, a little mercy. Things the Lord offers us abundantly. So Lord, "take me as you find me, all my fears and failures and fill my life" with all that is you.
A no fail dinner is what's on the menu tonight. Pot roast beef with garlic-thyme mashed potatoes and steamed green beans.
Pot Roast with Gravy
1 2-3 lb pot roast
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, cracked and peeled
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
salt and pepper
Gravy
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups liquid from crock pot
1/2 cup milk, warmed
Place onion, garlic and thyme in crock pot. Season roast with salt and pepper then place in crock pot on top of onions. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.
Remove roast from pot and place on serving dish. In small sauce pan melt 2 tbsp of butter then add 2 tbsp flour and mix well. Mixture will resemble course dough. Continue to cook flour mixture until light brown then add 1 1/2 cups of liquid from crock pot and whisk until completely blended. Add 1/2 cup of milk to gravy and blend. Serve with meat and potatoes.
Garlic-Thyme Mashed Potatoes
1 lb potatoes (red creamer or Yukon gold), washed and quartered
5 garlic cloves, peeled
3 sprigs fresh thyme
butter, milk, salt and pepper to taste
Boil potatoes in large saucepan of water WITH garlic and thyme. Once potatoes are tender drain but do not discard thyme or garlic. Place back in pot and remove thyme stems (not leaves). Mash with butter (1/4 cup) and milk (1/2 cup) then season with salt and pepper.
Finley didn't stop crying in the car but when we got back home I picked her up out of her car seat, brought her inside then sat down and rocked her. With her sweet little cheek on my shoulder I rubbed her back and told her she was loved. She stopped crying instantly. That was all she needed. A little kindness, a little compassion, a little mercy. Things the Lord offers us abundantly. So Lord, "take me as you find me, all my fears and failures and fill my life" with all that is you.
A no fail dinner is what's on the menu tonight. Pot roast beef with garlic-thyme mashed potatoes and steamed green beans.
Pot Roast with Gravy
1 2-3 lb pot roast
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, cracked and peeled
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
salt and pepper
Gravy
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups liquid from crock pot
1/2 cup milk, warmed
Place onion, garlic and thyme in crock pot. Season roast with salt and pepper then place in crock pot on top of onions. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.
Remove roast from pot and place on serving dish. In small sauce pan melt 2 tbsp of butter then add 2 tbsp flour and mix well. Mixture will resemble course dough. Continue to cook flour mixture until light brown then add 1 1/2 cups of liquid from crock pot and whisk until completely blended. Add 1/2 cup of milk to gravy and blend. Serve with meat and potatoes.
Garlic-Thyme Mashed Potatoes
1 lb potatoes (red creamer or Yukon gold), washed and quartered
5 garlic cloves, peeled
3 sprigs fresh thyme
butter, milk, salt and pepper to taste
Boil potatoes in large saucepan of water WITH garlic and thyme. Once potatoes are tender drain but do not discard thyme or garlic. Place back in pot and remove thyme stems (not leaves). Mash with butter (1/4 cup) and milk (1/2 cup) then season with salt and pepper.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Like Mother, Like Son...
Just a few days ago I blogged about pruning and my pruning venture when we lived in Jacksonville. Well, in my personal pruning process, the apple (aka Fisher) did not fall far from the ole tree. Little did I know just a couple days later I would be rereading the pruning blog with a new perspective.
Fisher had asked to go outside to play and assured me he would stay in the front yard as he was planning on "building a fort." No big deal. I'm hosting a baby shower at my house this weekend and figured whatever he constructed, I could easily deconstruct or at least relocate to the side and less visible area of our house. Not ten minutes later did he come in excited to show me his "fort." He took me by the hand and led me outside to the front yard and proudly showed me what he had built. Only he had not built anything. He had taken his hand saw and proceeded to hack away the branches to one of the philodendron plants we have strategically placed in out front yard. He had neatly piled the branches at the base of the plant and was using them as a "sofa". The plant looked hideous. It had been planted to disguise the ugly, green, electric box that sat on the property line of our yard and now the green monster was peering, through what branches were left, right at us!
I, trying not to overreact, explained to Fisher that he had not made a good choice and should not be cutting anything without adult supervision and permission. I also told him the plant had been placed there to hide the box and that he had now made the plant look ugly for the shower I was hosting this weekend(I know, I know). He apologized then asked if he was going to be arrested. I told him he had not broken the law and that it was "okay" since he had not done the hacking on purpose. He said, "Yes I did" to which I replied, "Well, not on purpose to be naughty." Together we picked up the amputated branches and carried them to the trash. As I stood there staring at the plant thinking, "Great. This is great. So much for curb appeal..." I was reminded that my pride was rearing it's ugly head again. I was more worried about the appearance of a plant than my son's creative attempt to be adventurous.
Later that afternoon Fisher asked if the reason I was hosting the baby shower this weekend was because we had a pretty house (bless his heart). I told him no, is was just that we lived in a convenient area for the ladies to attend. He said with a big grin, "Nah, I think it's because we now have the prettiest bush in our front yard." Thankfully, he is like his father too.
Both father and son enjoy chicken and rice for dinner and though I'm not making it tonight (going out to eat) it's what's on the menu for tomorrow.
Chicken and Yellow Rice
1 1/2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 (10 oz) pkg yellow rice
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 qt chicken stock (in a box)
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper then brown in hot oil on both sides. Add chicken stock, cover, reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes. Add rice (and water if necessary) to chicken and cook until rice has absorbed all liquid and is cooked. Serve with sweet peas and candied carrots (baby carrots cooked in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until tender).
Fisher had asked to go outside to play and assured me he would stay in the front yard as he was planning on "building a fort." No big deal. I'm hosting a baby shower at my house this weekend and figured whatever he constructed, I could easily deconstruct or at least relocate to the side and less visible area of our house. Not ten minutes later did he come in excited to show me his "fort." He took me by the hand and led me outside to the front yard and proudly showed me what he had built. Only he had not built anything. He had taken his hand saw and proceeded to hack away the branches to one of the philodendron plants we have strategically placed in out front yard. He had neatly piled the branches at the base of the plant and was using them as a "sofa". The plant looked hideous. It had been planted to disguise the ugly, green, electric box that sat on the property line of our yard and now the green monster was peering, through what branches were left, right at us!
I, trying not to overreact, explained to Fisher that he had not made a good choice and should not be cutting anything without adult supervision and permission. I also told him the plant had been placed there to hide the box and that he had now made the plant look ugly for the shower I was hosting this weekend(I know, I know). He apologized then asked if he was going to be arrested. I told him he had not broken the law and that it was "okay" since he had not done the hacking on purpose. He said, "Yes I did" to which I replied, "Well, not on purpose to be naughty." Together we picked up the amputated branches and carried them to the trash. As I stood there staring at the plant thinking, "Great. This is great. So much for curb appeal..." I was reminded that my pride was rearing it's ugly head again. I was more worried about the appearance of a plant than my son's creative attempt to be adventurous.
Later that afternoon Fisher asked if the reason I was hosting the baby shower this weekend was because we had a pretty house (bless his heart). I told him no, is was just that we lived in a convenient area for the ladies to attend. He said with a big grin, "Nah, I think it's because we now have the prettiest bush in our front yard." Thankfully, he is like his father too.
Both father and son enjoy chicken and rice for dinner and though I'm not making it tonight (going out to eat) it's what's on the menu for tomorrow.
Chicken and Yellow Rice
1 1/2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 (10 oz) pkg yellow rice
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 qt chicken stock (in a box)
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper then brown in hot oil on both sides. Add chicken stock, cover, reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes. Add rice (and water if necessary) to chicken and cook until rice has absorbed all liquid and is cooked. Serve with sweet peas and candied carrots (baby carrots cooked in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until tender).
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Spare The Anger Not The Rod
Several months ago I had a motherhood meltdown. Fisher had woke up with a bad, I-don't-care attitude and it made me mad. My morning was ruined because of the disrespect on his part and the yelling on mine. We were late for school, the little ones were whining and I had all I could handle. I yelled, screamed and went through the house on a rampage. No rear end was safe. I spanked for talking back, I spanked for disobeying and I spanked because it-has-just-been-too-long-and-you're-due-one. In the aftermath of tears and frustration I began to feel guilty and unworthy of rearing the blessings God had entrusted in my care. I had completely stepped out of line and allowed my anger to dictate the disciplining of my children. After dropping Fisher off at school I drove home feeling horrible and like a failure as a mom. When I got home I sat down and opened my Bible to Proverbs 29. The entire passage was appropriate for what I was feeling but six particular verses jumped off the pages at me:
vs. 3 "A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father."
My thoughts: "Yes Lord! That's right! I need to teach my kids to love wisdom to bring joy to ME oh, and to you, of course..."
vs. 8 "Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger."
My thoughts: "Oooo, anger...I didn't turn away from my anger today..."
vs. 11 "A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control."
My thoughts: "Ouch. The anger thing again. And self-control? Oops."
vs. 15 "The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother."
My thoughts: "Yeah! I imparted some wisdom, and that's right...disgraces his mother!"
vs. 17 "Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul."
My thoughts: "Somehow, I think this discipline is different than the discipline I just did."
vs. 22 "An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins."
My thoughts: "Ok, I get it and boy did I screw it up this morning. I'm supposed to discipline my children, they need the guidance and boundaries, but the disciplining I do out of anger and frustration is WRONG. I need to control myself, my reactions and my anger when disciplining my children."
So after digesting all that I had read I thanked the Lord for "imparting wisdom" to me by reprimanding me for my lack of self-control and for encouraging me to continue to discipline my children but in a better, more patient and loving way. Priscilla Shrier said in her One In A Million Bible study that, "the way we learn to utilize the fruits of the spirit is by being put in situations where we have to use them." In other words, God puts us in situations that require patience, self-control, kindness...so that we learn to be patient, self-controlled, kind... I never thought of it that way. Every time I have prayed for the Lord to help me be more patient or self-controlled, he has answered me in the form of potty training, temper tantrums and a child waking up with a bad attitude.
For dinner tonight not much patience is required since pita pizzas only take 10 minutes to make and enjoy!
Pita Pizzas
2 (6 loaf) bags of pita bread
1 jar pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (3 oz) bag pepperoni
onions, mushrooms, green peppers or any other preferred pizza toppings
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using the pita bread as pizza crust, top each one with sauce, cheese, pepperoni and other toppings. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into quarters and serve with a tossed salad.
vs. 3 "A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father."
My thoughts: "Yes Lord! That's right! I need to teach my kids to love wisdom to bring joy to ME oh, and to you, of course..."
vs. 8 "Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger."
My thoughts: "Oooo, anger...I didn't turn away from my anger today..."
vs. 11 "A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control."
My thoughts: "Ouch. The anger thing again. And self-control? Oops."
vs. 15 "The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother."
My thoughts: "Yeah! I imparted some wisdom, and that's right...disgraces his mother!"
vs. 17 "Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul."
My thoughts: "Somehow, I think this discipline is different than the discipline I just did."
vs. 22 "An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins."
My thoughts: "Ok, I get it and boy did I screw it up this morning. I'm supposed to discipline my children, they need the guidance and boundaries, but the disciplining I do out of anger and frustration is WRONG. I need to control myself, my reactions and my anger when disciplining my children."
So after digesting all that I had read I thanked the Lord for "imparting wisdom" to me by reprimanding me for my lack of self-control and for encouraging me to continue to discipline my children but in a better, more patient and loving way. Priscilla Shrier said in her One In A Million Bible study that, "the way we learn to utilize the fruits of the spirit is by being put in situations where we have to use them." In other words, God puts us in situations that require patience, self-control, kindness...so that we learn to be patient, self-controlled, kind... I never thought of it that way. Every time I have prayed for the Lord to help me be more patient or self-controlled, he has answered me in the form of potty training, temper tantrums and a child waking up with a bad attitude.
For dinner tonight not much patience is required since pita pizzas only take 10 minutes to make and enjoy!
Pita Pizzas
2 (6 loaf) bags of pita bread
1 jar pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (3 oz) bag pepperoni
onions, mushrooms, green peppers or any other preferred pizza toppings
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using the pita bread as pizza crust, top each one with sauce, cheese, pepperoni and other toppings. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into quarters and serve with a tossed salad.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Pruning
I've always disliked the word "pruning." Not only does it make me think of waterlogged fingers and toes, it makes me think of pain and loss. I never enjoyed the sermons preached on John 15: "I am the true vine, and my father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful..." I didn't want to be pruned or to even think about being pruned. Yeah, you might bear more fruit in the end, but the "cutting off" part hurts!
Several years ago when we still lived in Jacksonville we had three crepe myrtle trees in our front yard. There was nothing spectacular about these glorified shrubs so I took it upon myself to "prune" them in hopes they would turn into mighty trees heavy with blossoms every spring and summer. I had seen some crepe myrtle trees that had been pruned and figured I would give it a shot. I didn't know if I was pruning them in the right season, in the right spots or even in the right amount, I just started hacking away. When I was done there was nothing but three groups of spare twigs poking up from the ground. I had gotten carried away. I hoped when Eric got home he wouldn't notice my handiwork but low and behold he did. Get my haircut and he doesn't notice for weeks. Cut a few (ok, a lot of) limbs off, even hide the evidence, and he notices instantly! I nonchalantly told him they needed pruning and was confident I had not killed them.
For six long months we stared at the twigs. It was a constant reminder of my impulsive decision to make something better that I felt needed improvement. Then finally green buds started to appear and before we knew it our crepe myrtle trees had blossomed. Whew! The Lord had come through yet again and in the form of little white and pink clusters of flowers.
As much as I don't like to think about it, I need to be pruned. I need those useless areas to be cut off. Those self-indulgent things that only bring temporary satisfaction. The wasteful times spent watching television instead of spending quality time with the Lord or my family. Thankfully the Lord does know the season, the area and the amount of pruning we need and He never just hacks away. He carefully, though sometimes painfully, snips off the areas that aren't bearing fruit, applies salve to the open wounds then sits back and watches us bloom for Him.
Somewhere, someone took the time to prune an apple tree that provided the fruit I'm using for dinner tonight...Roasted Chicken with Apples and Cream Sauce.
Roasted Chicken with Apples and Cream Sauce
1 (3-4 lb) whole chicken
Juice and peel from 1 lemon
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 small onion, quartered
salt and pepper
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 tbsp vegetable oil
6 medium apples, (2 quartered and 4 peeled, cored and sliced)
2/3 cup apple juice
1 cup half and half
ground nutmeg
1 tbsp each chopped fresh chives and parsley (optional)
Place lemon peel, cinnamon stick, onion, and quartered apples into cavity of chicken. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a Dutch oven (or large oven-safe sauce/soup pan) melt 1/4 cup of the butter and the oil. Add whole chicken and brown on all sides (a little tricky, just plop that sucker in and toss it around). Add lemon juice then one peeled and sliced apple to pan. Next add the apple juice and bring to a boil. Cover and place in oven to cook for 1 to 1.5 hours. When chicken begins to pull away from bone (gross I know) it's done. Remove from pan and place on serving platter. In same pan, add remaining butter and sliced apples and cook just until apples are tender. Pour apples over chicken. Add half and half to the pan. Stir well then simmer to reduce slightly. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg then pour over chicken as well. Sprinkle chicken with fresh herbs and serve with rice pilaf and steamed broccoli.
Several years ago when we still lived in Jacksonville we had three crepe myrtle trees in our front yard. There was nothing spectacular about these glorified shrubs so I took it upon myself to "prune" them in hopes they would turn into mighty trees heavy with blossoms every spring and summer. I had seen some crepe myrtle trees that had been pruned and figured I would give it a shot. I didn't know if I was pruning them in the right season, in the right spots or even in the right amount, I just started hacking away. When I was done there was nothing but three groups of spare twigs poking up from the ground. I had gotten carried away. I hoped when Eric got home he wouldn't notice my handiwork but low and behold he did. Get my haircut and he doesn't notice for weeks. Cut a few (ok, a lot of) limbs off, even hide the evidence, and he notices instantly! I nonchalantly told him they needed pruning and was confident I had not killed them.
For six long months we stared at the twigs. It was a constant reminder of my impulsive decision to make something better that I felt needed improvement. Then finally green buds started to appear and before we knew it our crepe myrtle trees had blossomed. Whew! The Lord had come through yet again and in the form of little white and pink clusters of flowers.
As much as I don't like to think about it, I need to be pruned. I need those useless areas to be cut off. Those self-indulgent things that only bring temporary satisfaction. The wasteful times spent watching television instead of spending quality time with the Lord or my family. Thankfully the Lord does know the season, the area and the amount of pruning we need and He never just hacks away. He carefully, though sometimes painfully, snips off the areas that aren't bearing fruit, applies salve to the open wounds then sits back and watches us bloom for Him.
Somewhere, someone took the time to prune an apple tree that provided the fruit I'm using for dinner tonight...Roasted Chicken with Apples and Cream Sauce.
Roasted Chicken with Apples and Cream Sauce
1 (3-4 lb) whole chicken
Juice and peel from 1 lemon
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 small onion, quartered
salt and pepper
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 tbsp vegetable oil
6 medium apples, (2 quartered and 4 peeled, cored and sliced)
2/3 cup apple juice
1 cup half and half
ground nutmeg
1 tbsp each chopped fresh chives and parsley (optional)
Place lemon peel, cinnamon stick, onion, and quartered apples into cavity of chicken. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a Dutch oven (or large oven-safe sauce/soup pan) melt 1/4 cup of the butter and the oil. Add whole chicken and brown on all sides (a little tricky, just plop that sucker in and toss it around). Add lemon juice then one peeled and sliced apple to pan. Next add the apple juice and bring to a boil. Cover and place in oven to cook for 1 to 1.5 hours. When chicken begins to pull away from bone (gross I know) it's done. Remove from pan and place on serving platter. In same pan, add remaining butter and sliced apples and cook just until apples are tender. Pour apples over chicken. Add half and half to the pan. Stir well then simmer to reduce slightly. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg then pour over chicken as well. Sprinkle chicken with fresh herbs and serve with rice pilaf and steamed broccoli.
Monday, September 28, 2009
A Grievance Glorified
No one gets excited over the trials in life. No one prays for heartaches or hardships. No one goes through life seeking the sad, the crushing or the terminal. No one wants to make themselves available for oppressive times but maybe we should. Maybe as we are trying to make the right choices and live according to God's will we should let it be known to Him that while we are praying for His will and protection we are willing to sacrifice comfort and security so that He may be glorified in any and all situations.
Psalm 50:15 says, "and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will glorify me."
Glorify. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary "glorify" means:
1 a : to make glorious by bestowing honor, praise, or admiration b : to elevate to celestial glory 2 : to light up brilliantly 3 a : to represent as glorious
That sounds easy enough but what if "to glorify" really means to allow the heartaches, the burdens, the sorrow? Strong's Hebrew Dictionary explains "glorify" this way:
kabad or kabed {kaw-bade'}; a primitive root; to be heavy, i.e. in a bad sense (burdensome, severe, dull) to make weighty, abounding with, more grievously afflict, be chargeable, be grievous, harden, be (make) heavy, be heavier, lay heavily...
Not so appealing anymore, huh? "To be heavy, in a bad sense or burdensome, grievous..." not exactly how I want to define my life as a Christian but as the saying goes, "no guts, no glory", where is the glory in the easy, the light or the fun? It's not that the Lord wants us to go through life afflicted and downcast, He rejoices with us in our victories, He just knows that in order for us to really "get it", sometimes we have to go through things that are heavy and grievous before we can really understand what it means to glorify Him. To know that we can not survive without Him, to call for His help, to feel His mercy and grace as He holds us and carries us through the storms we experience and then to praise Him for allowing us to 'weather the storm' is what it means to glorify God.
Thank you Lord for the clear skies today, help me to be prepared for the storms that may come and teach me to never be afraid to get out of the boat, even when the waves are crashing all around me, and walk toward you.
Here's a recipe for a no grievance dinner:
French Toast Ham and Cheese Sandwiches with Honey Mustard
8 slices of thick bread
1/2 lb. thin sliced smoked deli ham
4 slices cheddar cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 tsp honey
Preheat electric griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. In a shallow baking dish mix eggs, milk and nutmeg. Make 4 sandwiches using the bread, ham and cheese. Melt butter on griddle then dip each sandwich (both sides) in egg mixture. Cook until golden brown on each side. In small bowl mix mustard and honey and serve with sandwiches along with fruit salad and sweet potato chips (thin sliced sweet potatoes, tossed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt baked at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes). Enjoy.
Psalm 50:15 says, "and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will glorify me."
Glorify. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary "glorify" means:
1 a : to make glorious by bestowing honor, praise, or admiration b : to elevate to celestial glory 2 : to light up brilliantly 3 a : to represent as glorious
That sounds easy enough but what if "to glorify" really means to allow the heartaches, the burdens, the sorrow? Strong's Hebrew Dictionary explains "glorify" this way:
kabad or kabed {kaw-bade'}; a primitive root; to be heavy, i.e. in a bad sense (burdensome, severe, dull) to make weighty, abounding with, more grievously afflict, be chargeable, be grievous, harden, be (make) heavy, be heavier, lay heavily...
Not so appealing anymore, huh? "To be heavy, in a bad sense or burdensome, grievous..." not exactly how I want to define my life as a Christian but as the saying goes, "no guts, no glory", where is the glory in the easy, the light or the fun? It's not that the Lord wants us to go through life afflicted and downcast, He rejoices with us in our victories, He just knows that in order for us to really "get it", sometimes we have to go through things that are heavy and grievous before we can really understand what it means to glorify Him. To know that we can not survive without Him, to call for His help, to feel His mercy and grace as He holds us and carries us through the storms we experience and then to praise Him for allowing us to 'weather the storm' is what it means to glorify God.
Thank you Lord for the clear skies today, help me to be prepared for the storms that may come and teach me to never be afraid to get out of the boat, even when the waves are crashing all around me, and walk toward you.
Here's a recipe for a no grievance dinner:
French Toast Ham and Cheese Sandwiches with Honey Mustard
8 slices of thick bread
1/2 lb. thin sliced smoked deli ham
4 slices cheddar cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 tsp honey
Preheat electric griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. In a shallow baking dish mix eggs, milk and nutmeg. Make 4 sandwiches using the bread, ham and cheese. Melt butter on griddle then dip each sandwich (both sides) in egg mixture. Cook until golden brown on each side. In small bowl mix mustard and honey and serve with sandwiches along with fruit salad and sweet potato chips (thin sliced sweet potatoes, tossed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt baked at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes). Enjoy.
Friday, September 25, 2009
THE Mountain
Just about this time every year I get the urge to travel north to the mountains. Probably because, though it is technically fall, it still feels like the 4th of July is right around the corner and while all the non-Floridian moms are baking pumpkin spice muffins, picking apples and raking leaves, we are still sporting cotton t-shirts, Bermuda shorts and white shoes. Don't get me wrong, the mild winters and beautiful summer nights in Florida are priceless but when Halloween rolls around and people are handing out water bottles and sunscreen instead of candy, something inside of you just yearns for the postcard images of mountains covered in orange, red and yellow colored trees.
So, as I'm thinking, we need to plan a trip to the mountains, I open my Bible and read in Psalm 125, "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore." God could not have given me a more perfect or timely verse to read. How incredible to think those same mountains that would literally provide relief from a hot, tropical climate, would also figuratively provide relief from a life of fear and worry. To know that my God surrounds me just like the majestic and unmovable mountains that I am longing for is amazing! The clean, crisp and invigorating air of the mountains in the fall is nothing compared to the power, strength and majesty of my God who is a mighty fortress, a chain of mountains that tower over and protect me! What an awesome God!
Oooo, is that fall I smell in the air?? Nah, just the cinnamon broom I bought at Publix. But we are breaking out the caramels this weekend and making candy apples! We'll just have to eat them fast before the caramel melts off.
A hot Florida specialty is what's for dinner tonight! Wild caught shrimp with creamy risotto and roasted asparagus.
Pan Seared Shrimp
1 lb large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
Heat saute pan over high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add oil to hot pan then immediately add shrimp. Cook on each side for about 1-2 minutes or until pink and golden brown on edge.
Creamy Risotto
4 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine or sherry
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Heat chicken stock in a medium sauce pan and simmer. In large skillet melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add arborio rice and sauteed until light brown. Add wine and allow it to reduce (1 to 2 minutes). Add hot stock two ladles at a time every 3 to 5 minutes or until the liquid has absorbed before adding more. Stir the rice each time you add the stock. After 20 minutes stir in the cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Rice should be creamy and have a rice pudding like texture.
Roasted Asparagus
1 to 2 lbs of fresh asparagus
2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 lemon, juiced
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse asparagus and snap off bottoms (the square end). Place the asparagus in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Add minced garlic and salt and pepper and toss. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes or until bright green and tender. Cut into thirds, toss with lemon juice and serve with risotto and shrimp.
So, as I'm thinking, we need to plan a trip to the mountains, I open my Bible and read in Psalm 125, "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore." God could not have given me a more perfect or timely verse to read. How incredible to think those same mountains that would literally provide relief from a hot, tropical climate, would also figuratively provide relief from a life of fear and worry. To know that my God surrounds me just like the majestic and unmovable mountains that I am longing for is amazing! The clean, crisp and invigorating air of the mountains in the fall is nothing compared to the power, strength and majesty of my God who is a mighty fortress, a chain of mountains that tower over and protect me! What an awesome God!
Oooo, is that fall I smell in the air?? Nah, just the cinnamon broom I bought at Publix. But we are breaking out the caramels this weekend and making candy apples! We'll just have to eat them fast before the caramel melts off.
A hot Florida specialty is what's for dinner tonight! Wild caught shrimp with creamy risotto and roasted asparagus.
Pan Seared Shrimp
1 lb large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
Heat saute pan over high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add oil to hot pan then immediately add shrimp. Cook on each side for about 1-2 minutes or until pink and golden brown on edge.
Creamy Risotto
4 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine or sherry
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Heat chicken stock in a medium sauce pan and simmer. In large skillet melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add arborio rice and sauteed until light brown. Add wine and allow it to reduce (1 to 2 minutes). Add hot stock two ladles at a time every 3 to 5 minutes or until the liquid has absorbed before adding more. Stir the rice each time you add the stock. After 20 minutes stir in the cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Rice should be creamy and have a rice pudding like texture.
Roasted Asparagus
1 to 2 lbs of fresh asparagus
2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 lemon, juiced
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse asparagus and snap off bottoms (the square end). Place the asparagus in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Add minced garlic and salt and pepper and toss. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes or until bright green and tender. Cut into thirds, toss with lemon juice and serve with risotto and shrimp.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
The Little Things
It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord cares about even the littlest things. The "let all the lights be green," "let there be enough gas to get home," and the "please send my son a friend" requests are all heard and not ignored by God.
I can't tell you how many times we have driven to church without having to constantly stop for red lights even though our route has us driving through no less than 50 intersections. He cares about us having a clear path to church.
Last week I was on empty, far from home and without a penny in my wallet (as if a penny would have helped). I prayed with sweaty palms that I would just make it home. After making a quick stop I wondered if there were enough fumes left for the car to start after being turned off. Not only did my car start, as I drove I watched the gas gauge rise so high the "need gas" light went off! Before I had stopped the gauge was below the "E" and the screen above my steering wheel kept warning, "Fuel Range: Low". Needless to say, I made it home.
Then about a month ago, after moving into our new home and not noticing any children in the neighborhood, I said a prayer that God would send Fisher a friend. I was specific too. I prayed for a boy, the same age and in the same grade as Fisher. One who came from a Christian family who had similar values as we did. One who would not knock on our door at 7:30 in the morning on Saturdays and one that would not stay past 8:00pm on weekdays. And just last week, while out riding his bike alone, Fisher met Michael. A little boy, the same age, in the same grade, at the same school, with the same interests and church background as Fisher and he lives three houses down. What a blessing. I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't realize God had remembered and answered my prayer until last night. Fisher had been out smashing rocks with Michael (see, a perfect match) when Fisher was called in to get ready for Awanas. He asked if he could invite Michael and after pausing for a second I told him he could. He was out the door in a flash of bald head and freckles running down to Michael's house. Fisher came back less than five minutes later smiling and reporting that he had pulled Michael's dad aside to ask him in private if Michael could join us at church (he's learning the "don't ask in front of..." lesson). He also told Michael's dad to feed him dinner, have him take a shower and be ready to go by 5:45pm. All things I had instructed Fisher, himself, to do. Michael had participated in the Awana program at his other church and was excited to be going with us. On the way home as the kids were laughing, yelling and having so much fun I realized God had answered a mom's simple prayer for her child. He is so good.
Keep praying, even for the littlest things, because our God isn't too big to care. And something not too big on calories is what we're having for dinner tonight! Greek style chicken and salad with pita bread.
Greek Salad with Chicken and Pitas
1 1/2 lb chicken tenders
salt and pepper to taste
8 pita breads
1 lemon
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
8 oz crumbled feta cheese
2 vine-ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cucumber (European cucumbers are best)
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Preheat grill over high heat. Place chicken in shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to medium heat, wrap pitas in foil then warm in oven. Zest the lemon then squeeze the juice into a small bowl. Add the vinegar then whisk in oil. Add oregano and garlic and whisk again to combine well. Pour half of dressing over chicken and toss. Combine salad ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss well with remaining dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste then place on a platter. Grill tenders 4 to 5 minutes on each side then transfer them to the salad once done. Stuff the warm pitas with the salad and chicken tenders. Enjoy.
I can't tell you how many times we have driven to church without having to constantly stop for red lights even though our route has us driving through no less than 50 intersections. He cares about us having a clear path to church.
Last week I was on empty, far from home and without a penny in my wallet (as if a penny would have helped). I prayed with sweaty palms that I would just make it home. After making a quick stop I wondered if there were enough fumes left for the car to start after being turned off. Not only did my car start, as I drove I watched the gas gauge rise so high the "need gas" light went off! Before I had stopped the gauge was below the "E" and the screen above my steering wheel kept warning, "Fuel Range: Low". Needless to say, I made it home.
Then about a month ago, after moving into our new home and not noticing any children in the neighborhood, I said a prayer that God would send Fisher a friend. I was specific too. I prayed for a boy, the same age and in the same grade as Fisher. One who came from a Christian family who had similar values as we did. One who would not knock on our door at 7:30 in the morning on Saturdays and one that would not stay past 8:00pm on weekdays. And just last week, while out riding his bike alone, Fisher met Michael. A little boy, the same age, in the same grade, at the same school, with the same interests and church background as Fisher and he lives three houses down. What a blessing. I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't realize God had remembered and answered my prayer until last night. Fisher had been out smashing rocks with Michael (see, a perfect match) when Fisher was called in to get ready for Awanas. He asked if he could invite Michael and after pausing for a second I told him he could. He was out the door in a flash of bald head and freckles running down to Michael's house. Fisher came back less than five minutes later smiling and reporting that he had pulled Michael's dad aside to ask him in private if Michael could join us at church (he's learning the "don't ask in front of..." lesson). He also told Michael's dad to feed him dinner, have him take a shower and be ready to go by 5:45pm. All things I had instructed Fisher, himself, to do. Michael had participated in the Awana program at his other church and was excited to be going with us. On the way home as the kids were laughing, yelling and having so much fun I realized God had answered a mom's simple prayer for her child. He is so good.
Keep praying, even for the littlest things, because our God isn't too big to care. And something not too big on calories is what we're having for dinner tonight! Greek style chicken and salad with pita bread.
Greek Salad with Chicken and Pitas
1 1/2 lb chicken tenders
salt and pepper to taste
8 pita breads
1 lemon
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
8 oz crumbled feta cheese
2 vine-ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cucumber (European cucumbers are best)
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Preheat grill over high heat. Place chicken in shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to medium heat, wrap pitas in foil then warm in oven. Zest the lemon then squeeze the juice into a small bowl. Add the vinegar then whisk in oil. Add oregano and garlic and whisk again to combine well. Pour half of dressing over chicken and toss. Combine salad ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss well with remaining dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste then place on a platter. Grill tenders 4 to 5 minutes on each side then transfer them to the salad once done. Stuff the warm pitas with the salad and chicken tenders. Enjoy.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Closed Doors
Our front door is made of glass. Not the kind with palm trees or flamingos etched into it, but just a framed piece of solid, clear glass with no design or tint to askew one's view inside or out. At one time there were blinds attached to our door but our neurotic-squirrel-obsessed dog shredded them in her attempts to claw through to get to the furry, teasing creatures outside. So, as you can imagine, there is no hiding behind our door. No peeking through the peep hole before deciding to open it or not and no warnings of the solicitors, Jehovah Witnesses or UPS guys that show up unannounced. It's there for the world to see that we, in our pajamas and messy hair at 1:00 in the afternoon, have not had a productive morning. But on the other hand, in the mornings our glass door allows beautiful sunrises to come shining through and brightens the front room and hallway. It's a great door.
I often pray for doors. I'm either praying, "Lord, open the doors you want me to walk through..." or "Lord, if this isn't the door you want me to go through, please close it." I rarely picture the the doors I'm praying for as clear, glass doors though. They are usually solid steel and either wide open or closed and locked. And when I come upon a door that has been opened I usually hesitate before going through. Even though I may have prayed for the door to open, I still find myself looking around for someone to go through first, to see what will happen, before I attempt to go through. I ask myself, "Is this door really open? Am I really supposed to go through it?" Then on the other hand, when a door closes, I find myself trying to pry it open and as I call for Eric to bring me a crow bar, it flings open only to reveal that it's not the door I wanted to go through after all.
Lots of times the Lord has clearly closed doors on me but in my stubbornness or in my lack of faith I have still tried numerous "keys" to get the doors to unlock and open. These are times when I believe MY will is better than HIS. I have never been right. Oh that the Lord would always provide clear glass doors so that we could "see" what lies ahead. To see what we are or are not missing out on. Why doesn't he? Why doesn't he make it easy for us? Why must we wait? Why doesn't he do what we think he should do? Because there is no faith required or miracle remembered in the quick, the easy or the "clear". Thank you Lord for giving me closed doors, help me to retire from my locksmith career.
If you were to stop by my house and peer through our glass door you would not only come face-to-face with our drooling dog, but would probably catch a glimpse of me in an apron splattered with spaghetti sauce since we are having meatball subs for dinner tonight!
Meatball Subs
4 hoagie buns
1 lb lean ground beef
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 egg
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 slices Provolone cheese
1 (26 oz) jar of spaghetti sauce
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl combine the beef and next 6 ingredients. Mix well the form into 1 1/2 inch meatballs and place on baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until juices run clear. Pour spaghetti sauce in a medium size sauce pan and warm over medium heat. Add meatballs and simmer 30 minutes. Open hoagie buns and place meatballs with sauce inside, top with provolone cheese. Serve with salad and enjoy.
I often pray for doors. I'm either praying, "Lord, open the doors you want me to walk through..." or "Lord, if this isn't the door you want me to go through, please close it." I rarely picture the the doors I'm praying for as clear, glass doors though. They are usually solid steel and either wide open or closed and locked. And when I come upon a door that has been opened I usually hesitate before going through. Even though I may have prayed for the door to open, I still find myself looking around for someone to go through first, to see what will happen, before I attempt to go through. I ask myself, "Is this door really open? Am I really supposed to go through it?" Then on the other hand, when a door closes, I find myself trying to pry it open and as I call for Eric to bring me a crow bar, it flings open only to reveal that it's not the door I wanted to go through after all.
Lots of times the Lord has clearly closed doors on me but in my stubbornness or in my lack of faith I have still tried numerous "keys" to get the doors to unlock and open. These are times when I believe MY will is better than HIS. I have never been right. Oh that the Lord would always provide clear glass doors so that we could "see" what lies ahead. To see what we are or are not missing out on. Why doesn't he? Why doesn't he make it easy for us? Why must we wait? Why doesn't he do what we think he should do? Because there is no faith required or miracle remembered in the quick, the easy or the "clear". Thank you Lord for giving me closed doors, help me to retire from my locksmith career.
If you were to stop by my house and peer through our glass door you would not only come face-to-face with our drooling dog, but would probably catch a glimpse of me in an apron splattered with spaghetti sauce since we are having meatball subs for dinner tonight!
Meatball Subs
4 hoagie buns
1 lb lean ground beef
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 egg
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 slices Provolone cheese
1 (26 oz) jar of spaghetti sauce
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl combine the beef and next 6 ingredients. Mix well the form into 1 1/2 inch meatballs and place on baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until juices run clear. Pour spaghetti sauce in a medium size sauce pan and warm over medium heat. Add meatballs and simmer 30 minutes. Open hoagie buns and place meatballs with sauce inside, top with provolone cheese. Serve with salad and enjoy.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Tidbits
It's late so I thought I would just share some "tidbits" from the Davis family:
Fisher: "My friend went to the high school football game and brought $20 in case he wanted to buy something from the 'confession' stand."
Easton: "I can get out of bed to go pee pee because the Bible says so."
Yesterday Finley sang a beautiful rendition of "Jesus Loves Me" and ended the song with a loud burp. Can you tell she has brothers?
There are many, many, more but I am tired and ready for bed so here's what was for dinner tonight:
Teriyaki Marinated Pork Chops
1/2 bottle of teriyaki marinade (Lawry's)
1/4 cup soy sauce
4-6 center cut boneless pork chops
Mix teriyaki and soy sauce in large plastic bag. Add chops and marinade 2 hours or over night. Grill until cooked through. Serve with steamed broccoli, cinnamon apples and pasta.
Cinnamon Apples
3 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Melt butter in medium saucepan then add apples, sugar and cinnamon. Mix well and cook over medium heat until apples are tender.
Tri-Color Pasta with Garlic Butter
1/2 box of tri-color pasta
3 tbsp butter
Garlic salt and pepper to taste
Cook noodles according to package directions. Add butter to sauce pan then return pasta to pan with butter. Season with garlic salt and pepper to taste.
Fisher: "My friend went to the high school football game and brought $20 in case he wanted to buy something from the 'confession' stand."
Easton: "I can get out of bed to go pee pee because the Bible says so."
Yesterday Finley sang a beautiful rendition of "Jesus Loves Me" and ended the song with a loud burp. Can you tell she has brothers?
There are many, many, more but I am tired and ready for bed so here's what was for dinner tonight:
Teriyaki Marinated Pork Chops
1/2 bottle of teriyaki marinade (Lawry's)
1/4 cup soy sauce
4-6 center cut boneless pork chops
Mix teriyaki and soy sauce in large plastic bag. Add chops and marinade 2 hours or over night. Grill until cooked through. Serve with steamed broccoli, cinnamon apples and pasta.
Cinnamon Apples
3 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Melt butter in medium saucepan then add apples, sugar and cinnamon. Mix well and cook over medium heat until apples are tender.
Tri-Color Pasta with Garlic Butter
1/2 box of tri-color pasta
3 tbsp butter
Garlic salt and pepper to taste
Cook noodles according to package directions. Add butter to sauce pan then return pasta to pan with butter. Season with garlic salt and pepper to taste.
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