AUGUST 2010 LADIES PAGES

 

 

LADIES ….BE  SURE TO PLAN TO ATTEND THE LADIES RETREAT IN OCTOBER.   WATCH FOR MORE INFORMATION IN THE CHURCH BULLETIN.

 

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QUOTES WORTH PONDERING

 

“When God gives a vision and darkness follows….wait.  God will make you in accordance with the vision He has given if you will wait His time.  Never try and help God fulfill His word.”

Oswald Chambers

 

“Faith says not, “ I see that it was good for me, so God must have sent it,”  but, “God sent it so it must be good for me.”  Faith, walking in the dark with God, only pray Him to clasp its hand more closely.”

Phillips Brooks

 

“The goal of my life is to reach that place where diligence to God’s will is my total passion.”    Dr David Jeremiah

 

“Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God and a scourge  for Satan.”                        John Bunyan

 

“We all need love but we need it most when we deserve it least,….when we have sinned against someone, when we have made poor choices,  when we have failed.  In these situations,  ordinary love must become extra-ordinary love.”

                                                    Barbara Roseberg

 

“Your prayers move God to change the world.  You may not understand the mystery of prayer.  You don’t need to … But this much is clear; actions in heaven begin when someone prays on earth.  What an amazing thought!! Your prayer on earth activates God’s power in heaven , and  God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven.”             Max Lucado

 

“Being saved and seeing Jesus are not the same thing. Many are partakers of God’s grace and have never seen Jesus.  When once you have seen Jesus, you can never be the same, other things do not appeal as the used to do.”      Oswald Chambers

 

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OBEDIENCE.

 

 The following are excerpts  from a book titled “compassion”, a reflection on the

Christian Life, co- authored by Henri J.M. Nouwen, Donald P. McNeill and Douglas A. Morrison.

 

“Jesus came to the “far country” because He was sent.  Being sent remained uppermost in His consciousness.  He never claimed anything for Himself.  He was the obedient servant who said and did nothing, absolutely nothing, unless it was said and done in complete obedience to the one who sent Him. ………..

 

“We are trying to express here what can barely be put into words;  In Jesus, God not only reveals His compassion as servanthood but also as obedience.  The one through whom all things came to be, became the obedient one.  ….in Himself He is both  One who is obeyed and Another who obeys.”   In Jesus we see that His compassion cannot be separated from His obedience.  Because through Jesus’ complete obedience God made His compassionate entry into our broken, wounded and painful human condition.”

 

The authors go on to say that the word obedience to us often has a negative concept.    We think of someone with power giving orders to another without power.  Or doing things others say are good for us but the value of which we do not directly see.   Or a great distance between the one who commands and the one who follows.    We” do this in obedience” because we accept the authority of another regardless of our own desires or needs.  We often have feelings of hostility, resentment or distance…someone is imposing their will on us.

 

Again I quote: “ None of these negative associations, however, belongs to the obedience of Jesus Christ.  His obedience is hearing God’s loving word and responding to it.”………..

“Obedience, as it is embodied in Jesus Christ, is a total listening, a giving attention with no hesitation or limitation, a being “all ears.”  It is an expression of the intimacy that can exist between two persons. Here the one who obeys knows without restriction the will of the one who commands and has only one all embracing desire…  to live out that will.

  This intimate listening is expressed beautifully when Jesus speaks of God as his Father, his beloved Father.  When used by Jesus the word obedience has no association with fear, but rather is the expression of his most intimate, loving relationship.   It is the relationship with his caring Father who said during his baptism at the river Jordan. “this is my Son, the Beloved and again on Mt Tabor, This is my Son the Beloved...Listen to Him.”

Jesus’ actions and words are the obedient response to this love of his Father.  We cannot emphasize enough that when Jesus calls God his Father, he speaks about a love that includes and transcends all the love we know.  It is the love of a father, but also of a mother, brother, sister, friend and lover.  It is severe yet merciful, jealous yet sharing, prodding yet guiding, challenging, yet caring, disinterested, yet supportive, selfless, yet very intimate.  The many kinds of love we have experienced in our various human relationships are fully represented in the love between Jesus and his heavenly Father, but also fully transcended by this same love.”  …………..

“We will misunderstand Jesus’ going into the world of suffering and pain and his giving himself to us as a servant if we perceive these actions as the heroic initiatives of a son who wants to prove himself to a father whose love has to be earned, or as the anxious fulfillment of a command given by a father whose will must be respected…  Rather we see in these actions a divine listening to a divine love, a loving response to a loving mission, and a free “yes” to a free command.”………….

   “It is not surprising that the Apostle Paul considers Jesus’ obedience to be the source of our salvation.  To the Christians of Rome he writes, “As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”.

 

ANOTHER EXCERPT FROM ANOTHER CHAPTER OF THE SAME BOOK, ON PRAYER.

In connecting prayer with the discipline of patience, Nouwen says this:

“ At first sight, It might seem strange to connect prayer with the discipline of patience.  But it does not require much reflection to realize that impatience pulls us away from prayer.  How often have we said to ourselves, “I’m really too busy to pray,” or “there are so many urgent things to do that I just don’t seem to have the opportunity to pray.” Or, “Every time I think about going to pray something else demands my attention.”?  In a society that seems to be filled with urgencies and emergencies, prayer appears to be an unnatural form of behavior.  Without fully, realizing it, we have accepted the idea that  “doing things” is more important than prayer and have come to think of prayer as something for times when there is nothing urgent to do.  While we might agree verbally, or even intellectually, with someone who stresses the importance of prayer, we have become children of an impatient world to such an extent that our behavior often expresses the view that prayer is a waste of time.”
   “Therefore, prayer is in many ways the criterion of Christian life. Prayer requires that we stand in God’s presence with open hands, naked and vulnerable, proclaiming to ourselves and to others that without God we can do nothing.  This is difficult in a climate where the predominant counsel is “Do your best and God will do the rest.”  When life is divided into “our best” and God’s rest”, we have turned prayer into a last resort to be used only when all our own resources are depleted.  Then even the Lord has become the victim of our impatience.  Discipleship does not mean to use God when we can no longer function ourselves.   On the contrary, it means to recognize that we can do nothing at all, but that God can do everything through us.  As disciples, we find not some but all of our strength, hope, courage, and confidence in God.  Therefore, prayer must be our first concern. “

(this is another book you might want to read in its entirety)

 

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THINK ON THESE THINGS

 

“In times such as these we have to look somewhere for answers.  The psychologist tells us we should look within.  The opportunist tells us we should look around.  The optimist says we should look ahead and the pessimist says we should look out.  But God says we should look up---even when we feel down.”

  “Think for a moment about a compass that you might carry on a hike.  You can turn your feet in any direction, but the arrow of the compass will faithfully point to magnetic north.  That way, should you ever become lost, the compass will align your position for you.  In life, our true north is Christ.  Whatever direction our world’s path may twist, however off path it may wander, our lives should point faithfully to the one and only Lord of every place, every time, every situation.  When He is our determining point, everything will find its proper orientation.”

 ( An excerpt by Dr David Jeremiah from his book Living with Confidence in a chaotic World.)

 

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PARENTING

 

Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord.  Lift you hands toward Him for the life of your young children.   Lamentations 2:19

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   A parents prayer……………

Lord,   I submit myself to You.  I realize that parenting a child in the way You would have me to is beyond my human abilities.  I know I need You to help me.  I want to partner with You and partake of Your gifts of wisdom, discernment, revelation, and guidance.  I also need Your strength and patience, along with a generous portion of Your love flowing through me.  Teach me how to love the way You love.  Where I need to be healed, delivered, changed, matured, or made whole, I invite You to do that in me.  Help me to walk in righteousness and integrity before You.  Teach me Your ways, enable me to obey Your commandments and do only what is pleasing in Your sight.  May the beauty of Your Spirit be so evident in me that I will be a godly role model.  Give me the communication, teaching and nurturing skills that I must have.  Make me the parent You want me to be and teach me how to pray and truly intercede for the life of this child.  Lord, You said in Your Word, “whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive. (Matt. 21:22)  In Jesus’ name I ask that You will increase my faith to believe for all the things You’ve put on my heart to pray for concerning this child.            Amen

 

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EXAMPLE IS ALWAYS MORE EFFICACIOUS THAN PRECEPT..

 

  In the parent- child relationship, as in all relationships, effective communication is vital.  Positive communication with our children involves the following principles.

·        Encouragement, not criticism

·        Praising our children, not putting them down

·        Constructive criticism not condemnation

·        Edifying our children, not belittling them

·        Respecting our children, not discounting them

·        Honoring God’s name, never taking it in vain

·        Reading God’s Word to our children

·        Studying the Bible in front of them

·        Reading Christian books to our children

·        Helping them to memorize Bible verses

·         Blessing our children

·        Praying for and with our children

·        Teaching our children

·        Listening to our children

·        Playing with our children

·        Counseling with our children

·        Avoiding gossip, slander, judgment of others

·        Expressing good attitudes toward authority figures

·        Praising God

·        Being thankful

·        Involving ourselves with our children’s interests

·        Expressing our love to them

·        Modeling conflict resolution in a healthy manner

 

 

These attitudes and actions are “better caught than taught.”  If we want loving children, we must provide them with an atmosphere of  love in which to grow and flourish.  If we want them to respect us, we must respect them.  In all likelihood, our children will become like us in each of these areas.

(excerpted from a book by Stormie Omartian, called the Power of a Praying Parent.

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ON MARRIAGE

 

“When a man and a woman unite in marriage, humanity experiences a restoration to wholeness. …..the glory of the man is the acknowledgment that woman was created for him; the glory of the woman is the acknowledgment that man is incomplete without her.  The humility of the woman is the acknowledgment that she was made for man: the humility of the man is the acknowledgment that he is incomplete without her.”

Dr Dwight Small

   Marriage brings with it the opportunity for either competition or completion.  Completions is God’s plan  It takes humility to say to your partner, “Let me share with you the ways in which my life has been made more complete and full be being married to you.”   (Try it.  You might just like it!!  And your partner definitely will!))

(Excerpted from a book by H Norman Wright, titled  Quiet Times for Couples.)

 

 

 

 

 

FOR THE TRIVIA BUFFS…. Some trivia questions  about war and military.

 

1.    Who bet out Frank Sinatra as the favorite singer of American servicemen in Europe in a poll taken during World War II?

2.    As a young naval officer serving in World War II, what famous American set up the only hamburger stand in the South Pacific?

3.    When World War II ended in 1945, how many enlisted men and women were in the nation’s armed services?

4.    What did the famous backstage mother of actress Ginger Rogers do during World War I?

5.    What utensil were British sailors forbidden to use until the very late nineteenth century because it was considered both unmanly and harmful to discipline?

6.    IN a military contract, what item is referred to as a “portable, hand held communications inscriber”?

 

 

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SING PRAISES!

 

 He Hideth My Soul (A wonderful Savior)  by Fanny Crosby.  

1890

 

So it shall be, while MY glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.   Exodus 33:22  NKJV

 

Bouncing back – that’s a quality to be cultivated, because life is full of struggles.  How do we become resilient?  Unsinkable?  Joyful amid the blows and burdens of life?  This Hymn tells us;   A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord, He taketh my burden away; He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved, He giveth me strength as my day.

 

  This hymn by Fanny Crosby explains the author’s life, for Fanny faced three incredible hardships during her ninety five years.  The first was her blindness, caused by a careless doctor when she was only six weeks of age.

  The second was a less than ideal marriage.  Fanny was teaching at the New York Institution for the Blind when a young musician named Alexander Van Alstyne joined the faculty.  Fanny later recalled,  “ After hearing several of my poems he became deeply interested in my work; and I, after listening to his sweet strains of music became interested in him.  Thus we soon grew to be very much concerned for each other….  Love met love, and all the world was changed.  We were no longer blind, for the light of love showed us where the lilies bloomed.”.  The two were married on March 5, 1858. No one knows what happened, but years later the two drifted apart and in the end occupied separate addresses.

  Fanny’s deepest blow was the loss of her child.  T this day, no one knows if it was a boy or a girl.  Fanny seldom spoke of the infant.  The child’s death seems to have devastated her, and she privately bore the sadness all her life.

   Yet all who knew Fanny Crosby spoke of her energy, her zest for life, her joy.  One biographer said, “Even in extreme old age, she would tire out people twenty or thirty years her junior.”

  She said, “How long am I going to travel and lecture?  Always!  There is nothing that could induce me to abandon my work.  It means nothing to be eighty four years of age, because I am still young!  What is the use of growing old?  People grow old because they are not cheerful, and cheerfulness is one of the greatest accomplishments in the world.”

  Fanny Crosby lived out her song every day of her life.  “ He hideth my soul in the depths of His love, and covers me there with His hand.”

 

HE HIDETH MY SOUL….Words by Fanny Crosby and music by William J Kirkpatrick.  

   A wonderful savior is Jesus my Lord, a wonderful Savior to me.  He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock, where rivers of pleasure I see.  He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock that shadows a dry, thirsty land.  He hideth my life in the depths of His love and covers me there with His hand, and covers me there with His hand.

  When clothed in His brightness transported I rise to meet Him in clouds of the sky. His perfect salvation , His wonderful love, I’ll shout with the millions on high.  He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock that shadows a dry, thirsty land.  He hideth my life in the depths of His love, and covers me there with His hand, and covers me there with His hand.

  

(excerpted from ‘Then Sings My Soul” byy Robert Morgan)

 

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RECOMMENDED READING

 

Of course, it goes without saying as I write about books that are worth your time to read, that at the top of the list is the Bible.  If you do not have time to read anything else, please do not neglect to study your Bible daily….it is a survival kit that God has provided for us but it works only when you study and use it, like any other thing we might have.  It doesn’t do us any good if it is just a shelf or table decoration.   All the guidance we need it in it.   So at the top of my recommended reading list is ALWAYS the Bible.

 

Having said the there are other books written by men that can be of help to us if we will avail ourselves of them.  I am an avid reader as you may have guessed so have a large library of books that are tools to giving me insight into Biblical principles.  I have read several books lately that I highly recommend for anyone to read.   They all have insight into living a godly life in this chaotic and ungodly world.   One of them is “A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller.    The title is pretty much descriptive of the contents.   He has some very good thoughts on making our life a life of continual prayer and what that means and how we can reach that point in our relationship with God.  An easy to read book and perhaps some perspectives on this subject that you hadn’t thought about. 

 For young people dealing with the temptations of the world there are some helpful books out there too.  I have several but for this month will list two.   One is “What’s the Big Deal about Sex --  Loving God’s Way, by Jim Burgen.    He is a youth minister at Southeast Christian church in Louisville, Ky.   He gives information and perspectives on keeping ourselves pure in this evil generation.   Worth  your time, has 156 pages so doesn’t take long to read and it just may be the helpful guidance and information that will be what you are looking for.    

   The second one is “When God Writes Your Love Story,” by Eric & Leslie Ludy.   They are a young couple who are speakers, writers and musicians.  They challenge and encourage young adults and singles around the world to pursue holiness in every aspect of their lives.   They live in Longmont, CO.   Their advice is Biblical and if followed will be a great blessing to your life.

  By the way , both of these two books are good for anyone to read, of any age, single, married, parents etc.   But are especially appropriate for young people just starting to date.  Perhaps what you read in them can save you from living with regrets later.

  

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TRIVIA QUIZ

   For those of you who like trivia!

1.    What does a chiropodist treat?

2.    Who flew too near the sun wearing wings attached with wax?

3.    What is the largest web-footed  bird?

4.    Who is Perry Mason’s private investigator?

5.    What is the capital of Brazil?

6.    Which mosquito’s bite draws blood, the male’s or female’s?

7.    What’s the gestation period of the elephant, within three months?

8.    In what U.S. state if Fort Knox located?

9.    What are the only two parts of the human body that have no hair?

10.                       How many U.S. presidents have been assassinated?

 

 

A BRAIN TEASER

   We need to use our brains more than we do….to keep them active and stave off senility as we age.   Here is a brain teaser to make you use yours!

 

  Five girls are sitting side by side on a bench.  Jane is in the middle, and Betty sits next to her on the right.   Alice is beside Betty and Dale is beside Ellen, who sits next to Jane.  Who re sitting on the ends?

 

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COMMON THINGS WITH UNCOMMON USES

 

AMMONIA can be used for:

·        Furniture renewer.  If an old piece of furniture is heavily stained, rub it with a cloth dampened with full strength ammonia; when the cloth gets dirty, rinse it in water and reuse.

·        Wax remover.  Before waxing a very dirty resilient floor, remove the old polish with a  solution of 1 cup ammonia in 1 gallon of water.

·        Jewelry cleaner.  Soak gold jewelry in equal parts ammonia and lukewarm water for 10 minutes; rub with a soft brush and let dry without rinsing.

·        Brass beautifier.  Remove tarnish from solid brass by scrubbing it lightly with a soft brush dampened with a little ammonia.

·        Oil remover.  When laundering sheets, towels, and clothes, remove absorbed body oils be adding 1 cup ammonia to the usual amount of granular detergent.  (do not use ammonia with chlorine bleach.)

 

RUBBING ALCOHOL

·        Pepper neutralizer.  IF your hands burn and sting after handling hot peppers, pour rubbing alcohol over them

·        Windowsill cleaner.  IF your wooden windowsills are rain spotted or discolored, refresh them by wiping them with a little diluted rubbing alcohol ona soft cloth.

·        Bathroom cleaner.  Keep a bottle of rubbing alcohol handy to shine chrome fixtures and to remove hair spray from the mirrors.

·        Knickknack polish.  Carefully clean crystal and porcelain ornaments with a cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol

 

ASHES

·        Fertilizer.  Don’t discard wood ashes; sprinkle them onto the compost pile or work them into your soil in the spring --  but not around acid loving plants, such as rhododendrons and azaleas.  (Store ashes in a covered metal container, well away from buildings and flammable material; even long dead ashes harbor hot embers that sometimes burst into flame.)

·        Pewter “prettifier.”  Moisten sifted ashes with water and rub on pewter with a soft cloth.

·        Grease cutter.  When camping or barbecuing, soak greasy pans and utensil in ashes mixed with water or make a thick ash and water paste for scrubbing.

·        Pest repellent.  To discourage slugs and snails, build low ridges of wood ash around plants and between row crops.

 

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IN THE KITCHEN

 

Lynn came home from the store with fresh blueberries this week and they were so good….decided to share a couple recipes with you !!

 

BLUEBERRY DESSERT SCONES.   ( to add to the scone recipes I gave you before)

Makes 16

15 min prep     total 1 hr, including chilling

 

2cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

¼ teaspoon each:  ground cardamom and salt

6 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 ½ cups blueberries

¾  cup plus 1 Tablespoon heavy cream

2 large eggs

¼ teaspoon almond or vanilla extract.

 

Line two small baking sheets with parchment paper.  In large bowl, whisk flour, 1/3 cup sugar, the baking powder, zest, cardamom and salt until combined.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Gently fold in blueberries.

In 2 cup glass measure, whisk ¾ cup cream, eggs and extract until blended, slowly stir into dry ingredients just until a wet dough comes together.  Divide in half.

With floured hands, transfer dough to each prepared baking sheet.  Pat each into a 6 ¼ in round, a scant 1 inch thick. With floured knife, cut each round into 8 wedges.  Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.  Brush dough with remaining 1 Tablespoon cream and sprinkle with remaining 2 Tablespoons sugar.  Bake 24 minutes or until scones are golden and a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.   Serve warm.

 

Per scone: 179 cal, 3 g pro, 21 g carb,1 g fiber, 10 g fat (6g sat fat) 55 mg chol, 154 mg sod.

 

 

 

BLUEBERRY ICE CREAM PARFAITS

Serves 8

Prep time 15 min   total 5 hr (includes freezing)

 

4 cups blueberries

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoon lemon juice

1 qt vanilla ice cream

1       (10 oz) pkg frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed

2       cups sweetened whipped cream or frozen whipped topping, defrosted

3       1 cup fresh raspberries

 

Place 3 cups blueberries, the sugar and lemon juice in medium saucepan, mash berries well with a potato masher.  Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, cook 5 minutes.  Pour mixture into a blender and puree.  Pour into a 2 cup measure, cover and chill 2 hours.  Place a 1 ½ qt freezer container in freezer to chill

Let vanilla ice cream stand at room temperature until softened.  Fold chilled blueberry puree into ice cream until well blended.  Scrape ice cream into chilled container in freezer, freeze several hours or until firm enough to scoop.

Puree thawed raspberries and syrup in blender until smooth, scrape mixture through a fine sieve to remove seeds.

TO MAKE PARFAITS:           For each parfait, spoon 1 Tablespoon raspberry puree into a dessert glass and top with a small scoop blueberry ice cream.  Top with 1 Tablespoon whipped cream and a  few blueberries and raspberries.  Repeat the layers.  Top parfaits with a dollop of whipped cream.

 

Per parfait:  330 cal, 4 g pro, 57 g carb,4 g fiber,11 g fat (6 g sat fat), 4 mg chol, 81 mg sod

 

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FRUITCYCLES

For those of you who like to make your own “popcycles” for your kids… put berries in blender and make puree then mix it in softened vanilla ice cream and refreeze in the forms.  (Made like in the recipe for the  parfait).     Yum!!

                                              OR

 

ICE CREAM AND BLUEBERRY POPS…another blueberry idea!

 

Makes 14

 

22 oz (5 ½ cups)  blueberries

1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

¼ cup sugar

1 quart vanilla ice cream

 

Cook blueberries, lemon juice and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until berries release their juices, about 10 minutes.  Strain mixture through a fine sieve, pressing on berries to extract liquid.  Discard solids.

Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. Transfer to a blender along with ice cream and puree until smooth.  Divide mixture among fourteen 2 ½ ounce ice pop molds, and freeze until hardened, at least 4 hours.  (pops can be frozen for up to 3 days.)

 

ICE CREAM AND MIXED BERRY POPS

Makes 16

NOTE:   To create a deeper shade of violet than the berry combination, substitute  2 cups blueberries, 2 cups blackberries, and 1 cup raspberries.

 

3 cups blackberries

3 cups strawberries

2 cups blueberries

2 cups raspberries

1 quart vanilla ice cream

 

Puree berries and 1 cup ice cream in blender until smooth.  Strain through a fine sieve, pressing on berry mixture to extract liquid.  Discard solids.  Transfer berry mixture to a clean blender with remaining 3 cups ice cream and puree until smooth.

Divide mixture among sixteen 2 ½ oz ice pop molds, and freeze until hardened, at least 4 hours.  (can be frozen for up to 3 days.)

 

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LEFT OVERS???

With leftover corn you can:

Combine 1 pouch (6.5 oz) cornbread mix, 1 ½ cups leftover corn, 1 large egg and ½ cup milk.  Let stand 5 minutes.

Heat vegetable oil in a pan and drop heaping tablespoons of batter into hot oil; cook 1 to 1 ½ minutes on each side.  Flatten with spatula after turning.

Serve warm or at room temperature with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.  Makes about 18 pancakes.

 

To stretch food dollars try:

 When you cook, make a little more of everything – protein, vegetables and starch.  I cook extra rice, rinse the half that I’m not serving (to remove the starch and prevent it from lumping when it cools) and use it later for fried rice.

Make a double batch of mashed potatoes and then turn leftovers into potato cakes (shape the cold potatoes into a few cakes, dip in seasoned flour and slowly cook in butter or olive oil.  If you like, before flouring and cooking, top with leftover chopped vegetables, cheese and another cake and press gently, --you’ve got a meal!

 

Use your own ideas and be creative, leftovers for lunch the next day can save you $5.00 per day.   There are many ways to use leftovers….will have more ideas from time to time.

 

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IDEAS FOR POTATO SALAD VARIATIONS

Jazz up the cool comfort food with unexpected ingredients to transform it from basic to special!

·        Chopped red bell pepper, avocado and cilantro

·        Diced apples and celery

·        Minced anchovies, capers and fresh parsley

·        Halved cherry tomatoes and sliced black olives

·        Curry powder and diced apples

 

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DID YOU KNOW

·        Blanching (the process of dipping fresh vegetables into boiling water for 10 seconds.)  brightens  their color and brings out the flavor.  To stop the cooking process, the veggies are transferred immediately to a bowl of ice water.  Check out the difference in blanched and raw veggies next time you cook with them.

 

·        Freezer burn is caused by exposure to air; Toss your newly purchased meat in the freezer as is and its pretty much guaranteed to happen.  Instead, remove store packaging and tightly wrap meat in freezer paper, like you would wrap a sandwich, covering and folding sides up.  Tape folded ends together.  Write type of cut, weight and date on package, and put it in a ziptop freezer bag.  Seal bag, removing any excess air.

 

·        If you do not check the salt content in the prepared foods you eat, you may be getting a lot more in your diet than you think.  For instance:  2 pancakes, w/1/2 tablespoon syrup have 1104 mg sodium, 1 cup lowfat cottage cheese has 918 mg sodium, 1 cup tuna salad has 824 mg sodium, 3 oz canned salmon has 471 mg sodium, 8 graham crackers has 190 mg sodium and 1 can diet soda has 40-70 mg sodium.   I am sure we hadn’t thought about some of these having that much sodium in them!!   It is recommended that we have no more than2300 mg of sodium per day and some of us have been told even less by our doctors….!!!  And remember one brand’s product may have up to 100% more sodium than a competitors, so compare labels.

 

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WATERMELON BASKET

 

     1 medium oblong seedless watermelon (10 – 12 lb)

 

     5-6 lb mixed cantaloupe and honeydew melons, seeds and     rinds removed, cut into ½ to 1 inch thick wedges (32 to 36 slices)

 

4       lb red papaya, seeds and skin removed, cut into 1 inch thick wedges (8 – 10 slices)

 

Lime zest for sprinkling

 

Pink Hawaiian sea salt

 

Raspberry-Lime Ginger Sauce  (see below)  (optional)

 

Toasted Coconut Brittle  (see below)  (optional)

 

Trim ends off watermelon, then cut watermelon in half at an angle. Remove flesh from each half with a melon baler; set aside.  Scrap out any excess flesh with a spoon for a clean, smooth interior.

  Stand watermelon baskets upright on trimmed ends.  Fill bottom third of each basket with about 40 watermelon balls.  Place assorted melon and papaya slices on top of watermelon balls against the back of the basket, evenly dividing fruit between baskets.  Fill in front with remaining watermelon balls.  Sprinkle with lime zest.  Serve with sea salt, sauce and brittle as accompaniments.  (optional)

 

RASPBERRY-LIME GINGER SAUCE

Makes 1 1/3 cups

This sauce is also great with other summer fruits like peaches or nectarines.

 

½ cup sugar

¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)

2 pints raspberries (about 5 ½ cups)

1 piece ( ¾ inch) peeled fresh ginger.

 

Stir together sugar and lime juice in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar has dissolved.  Let cool slightly.  Process raspberries and ginger in a food processor until coarsely chopped .  With processor running, add lime syrup in a slow, steady stream and process until smooth.  Pour through a fine sieve into a medium bowl, pressing out any remaining juices; discard seeds, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve up to  2 days.

 

TOASTED COCONUT BRITTLE

 Makes 8 ounces

You can serve this as a crumbly topping for the Watermelon Basket or enjoy it on its own. To make the topping, transfer the brittle to a resealable plastic bag and seal; break the brittle into tiny pieces using the back of a large spoon.

 

¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (2 oz)

¾ cup sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

 

Preheat oven to 350 deg F, evenly spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet; toast stirring occasionally, until golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Let cool completely.  Remove coconut.  Line the baking sheet with parchment paper, and evenly spread coconut into a rectangle no larger than 8 x 9 inches, in the center of the sheet.

  Stir together ¼ cup water and the sugar in a small saucepan over medium high heat until sugar has dissolved.  Continue to cook, without stirring, until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming.  Boil syrup, swirling pan  occasionally, until it turns medium amber, about 7 minutes; remove from heat.  Gently stir in butter until melted.

  Slowly pour caramel over coconut to cover.  Let stand until hardened, about 15 minutes.  Remove from parchment.  Break brittle into large pieces.  Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

 

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A TASTE OF WATERMELON

 Mark Twain summed up watermelon best; “When one has tasted it, he knows what the angels eat.”  On one small farm in the rolling fields of Mansfield, Missouri, that taste is being preserved for the rest of us, whose knowledge of watermelon is largely limited to those sometimes sweet supermarket hybrids.  Jere Gerde’s Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is dedicated to preserving and selling seeds from open pollinated – nonhybrid –vegetables and fruits.  On his farm during high summer, watermelons hold pride of place.

  The watermelons Twain wrote about were undoubtedly local.  Those that have to travel are picked before they are fully ripe.  The sugar development stops, so they may be good but are rarely great.  Homegrown means picked ripe, when flavor, texture, and juiciness combine angelically.

  Just when is a watermelon ripe?  Several telltale signs will help you know when to grab the knife and some napkins.  Traditional finger thumping or knuckle thumping takes practice.  The sound should be a muffled, dull tone, not a metallic ring.  Simpler indicator include a creamy or greenish yellow (not white) spot on the rind where the melon rests on the soil.  Melons should feel heavy for their size and be free of bruises.  For the most reliable sign of ripeness, look at the tendril just opposite where the stem attaches to the vine.  When it dries out and turns brown, the watermelon is at its peak.

 

  But growing comes before harvesting.  Watermelon vines love long, hot summers.  They adapted to their native Kalahari Desert in Africa by storing water during the rainy season to give their seeds a start when the mature fruit cracked open in the dry season.  For desert travelers, the small, somewhat bitter melons were a welcome source of hydration with nutritious seeds.  From humble beginnings, the range of choices among watermelons has exploded.  Heirloom varieties offer a spectrum of sweetness and texture, in sizes from perfect- by- yourself and sorry- there’s just- enough –for- the- two- of - us, to go- ahead- and-invite- the -block.Such watermelons can be oblong or round, with plain or fancy rinds; their flesh comes in basic red, orange, yellow , pink and even creamy white.  The patterned rind and speckled foliage might make “Moon and Stars” the most beautiful – and poetically named, watermelon, but the tastiest?  You decide!!

  In catalogs, ‘days to maturity’ refers to ideal summer days, when temperatures are 70 to 80 degrees during the day and in the upper 60’s  at night.  Given that not every day is ideal, and because cooler weather slows down watermelon growth, Gettle advises adding a week or two to the number when decided what to grow.

  Watermelons like good drainage and loose, sandy, humus rich soil amended with compost, plus full sun, a lots of room and a balanced fertilizer.  Plant three to five seeds or two to three seedlings on each hill, spacing hills three to six feet apart, depending on melon size.  Expect on to four full size melons per vine.  Watermelons are fairly drought tolerant, even so, consistent watering is important.  The first three to four weeks are most crucial as the large root system begins to develop.  Water regularly in dry weather, enough to keep the foliage from wilting.  Once fruit starts to set, the sugars, and the flavor, will be diluted by excess watering, so cut back a bit.

  When its time to harvest, you may wonder, can the seeds of a homegrown, perfectly ripe, heirloom watermelon be spit farther than those of a grocery store compromise?  Probably not.  If nothing else, the smile on your face and juice running down your chin may ruin your aim.  But be tempted.  After all, watermelon is the essence of raucous, hot summer afternoons, picnic so casual even the ants are invited and manners be darned  speed eating contests.

 

(articles and information in the above  kitchen and garden sections as well as some of those below came from various issues of Woman’s Day and Martha Stewart magazines)

 

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FAVORITES

 

According to a Woman’s Day poll, those who responded gave the following as their favorite pie.

18 %     Apple

16 %     Lemon Meringue

14%      Pumpkin

        and

14%      Pecan

12%      Cherry

9%        Blueberry

          and

9%       Chocolate Mousse

8%.       Strawberry Rhubarb

 

Was yours among those named???  I have two favorite kinds of pie …hot and cold!!!    (Unfortunately, since being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes,  I have eaten about 2 bites of any kind of pie!!!) (Better than having to take meds for me!!)

 

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TIPS FOR YOUR DISHWASHER

 

1.    Don’t pre-rinse…it’s a waste of water and energy.  Not only that, but if there’s no food left for the detergent to attack.  It can to after you glassware and make it cloudy.

2.    Save detergent..The amount you use depends on how dirty the dishes are, not on how many there are.  If you have a full load of lightly soiled dishes, use only a little.

3.    Check the manual.  There’s usually a handy illustrastion of how to load your particular model.  (If the manual’s long gone, check the manufacturer’s website.)

4.    Load Down.  Make sure no pans, bowls or cups are facing upward and open. Open dishes catch dirty water and the whole load gets repeatedly bathed in it.  (when a load doesn’t clean, this is usually the culprit)

5.    Wash on normal.  This is the cycle consumer testing groups test appliances on, and despite what you might think, it’s be far the most efficient.

 

KILLING MOLD

 

Got mildew in the shower?  ….here’s some tips on getting rid of it.

1.     Know your opponent…mold needs food and water to grow.  Food includes anything that was once alive, skin cells, hair,  soap scum, cotton.  Mold cannot gorw on clean ceramic tile or porcelain.

2.     Strategize…Plan to cut off the food supply.

3.     Launch….after every shower, clean away excess water, soap scum, hair and debris.  Use a shower spray, or a mix of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water.  And get rid of that cotton shower curtain, which is a veritable feeding ground for mold.  Replace it with vinyl – or better yet, glass or plastic doors.

 

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 VERSE

Do not boast about tomorrow , for you do not know what a day may bring forth.”      Proverbs 27:1

 

THOUGHT

Humility about the future! We don’t control tomorrow. As other times in our lives we may have taken tomorrow for granted, not so anymore. Tomorrow  may not come.   Tomorrow something horrible could happen.  Tomorrow  everything we possess could be gone.  In the face of these discouraging possibilities, is there anything positive we can hold on to?  Absolutely!!  We know that God holds tomorrow in His hands.  We know that because our life is hidden with Christ in God (Col 3;1-4)  our tomorrow is secure.  It might not be what we expect.  It might not go as we had planned.  But it will go as God determines and it will end up with us sharing in His comfort, victory and glory.

PRAYER

Father, my tomorrows all rest in your hands.  I ask that I can be useful to you today. Courageous enough not to worry about tomorrow, and loyal enough not to waver in my love for you and my commitment to you.       In Jesus’ name   Amen

 

      

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OUR NATIONS GODLY HERITAGE.

An article recently written by Congressman P. Randy Forbes.  I thought it good enough to share.

 

“Everywhere you look today there is bad news.  When I talk to people  they tell me they are afraid because they do not know who they can trust.   As Pres Ronald Reagan said, “The time has come to turn to God and reassert  our trust in Him for the healing of America….our country is ready for and in need of a spiritual renewal.”

  In 1956 Congress made “In God We Trust” the official motto of the United States.  But that belief has been an integral part of American society since the time of her funding.  As President John Kennedy said, “The guiding principle and prayer of this Nation has been, is now, and ever shall be “In God
We Trust.”

    Our Founders declared independence from Great Britain “with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”

   The fourth stanza of a poem, “Defense for Fort McHenry,” written by Francis Scott Key in 1814, includes the line: “And this be our motto, ‘In God is our Trust”.  Key’s poem was later renamed “The Star Spangled Banner.”

  In 1861, in making the decision to inscribe a motto on United States coins, Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury, said “ No nation can be strong except in the strength of God nor safe except in His defense.”  In 1864, Congress passed legislation that directed the mint to develop designs for one and two cent coins, and “In God We Trust” first appeared on the 1864 two cent coin.

   In times of national challenge or tragedy, we have turned to God as our source for sustenance, protection, wisdom, strength and direction.  On the evening of D-Day, June 6, 1944, President Franklin D Roosevelt prayed, “Help us Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.  As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips invoking Thy help to our efforts.”

 

   “ I have introduced H.Con.Res. 274, to reaffirm our national motto.  If we can succeed in getting “In God We Trust engraved in the United States Capitol Visitor Center, I believe we can succeed in engraving that motto on the hearts of Americans once again.”

 

 

  The above was written by Congressman J Randy Forbes from Virginia., founder and chairman of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, a bipartisan group orf over 60 members of Congress whose purpose is to protect America’s religious heritage and the right of all Americans to pray according to their faith.  Forbes, along with members of the Prayer Caucus, led efforts to ensure that “In God We Trust” was included in the newly constructed Capitol Visitor Center after it had been removed and the national motto incorrectly noted as “E Pluribus Unum.”

 

In the above article Congressman Forbes reminds us of a few of the men in history both early and through the years who believed that a nation will not stand without God as its foundation.  It seems there have been and always will be those who stand for the right and for God…and God hears and answers.

I am glad to know that God has more people in Washington than we are aware of on a daily basis….the only ones we usually hear about are those who want to take God out of it all.   So our Nations Godly Heritage is still being fought for by those who understand it and care.   Praise God for godly people who will stand up for the Faith.   May we all be ready to give answer and do what is necessary to keep the faith…with God’s help. 

 

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PLEASE CONSIDER….. 

  I leave you this month with the following to consider….. as you enjoy your summer please remember to pray ….think about the  followings words of E. M. Bounds.. and I quote:

“No insistence in the scriptures is more pressing than that we must pray.  No exhortation is more often reiterated, none is more hearty, none is more solemn and stirring, than to pray. No principle is more strongly and broadly declared than that which urges us to pray. There is no duty to which we are more strongly obliged than that of praying. There is no command more imperative and insistent than that of praying. Are you praying in everything without ceasing?  Are you praying in your ‘prayer closet’ hidden from the eyes of others? Are you praying always and everywhere? These are pertinent, personal and all important questions for every soul.

  God’s word shows us through many examples, that God intervenes in this world in answer to prayer.  How clear it is, when the Bible is consulted, that the Almighty God is brought directly into the things of this world by the prayers of His people.”