It's Fall! Hooray! And that means yummy food! Hooray again! One of my favorite things in the Fall is soup. Last Fall I invented a yummy, yummy soup. I decided that I wanted to make some of that today. I walked out to the garden and got a butternut squash and made my soup. But this soup, as with most recipes, doesn't require the entire squash. So what do you do with the rest of the squash? You don't want to let it go bad. You may or may not be aware of this, but butternut squash is a good substitute for pumpkin. I make a pie using butternut squash and it is, in my opinion, better than pumpkin. It has an amazing flavor and lighter texture. On a whim I looked up recipes for pumpkin tapioca. The only one I could find involved coconut milk, which I am allergic to. And it was missing a few things so I ended up completely redoing it and basically making up my own recipe. It made a nice Fall twist on a traditional food. Also, as you may have concluded, there's no pumpkin in this (though you could use pumpkin). Pumpkin Tapioca is just easier to say and sounds more appetizing than Butternut Squash Tapioca. So here you go.
Pumpkin (Butternut Squash) Tapioca Pudding
3 c milk
1/3 c sugar
1/3 c tapioca
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 med butternut squash, peeled, cubed, boiled, and mashed
ground cinnamon
Heat milk, sugar, tapioca, and egg to rolling boil. Add vanilla. Mix in mashed pumpkin/squash and a little cinnamon. Allow to cool and serve topped with cinnamon.
Ok, so what else to do with apples? APPLE BUTTER! Yum!
My friend, Ann Marie, gave me her recipe for crock pot apple butter. My house smells amazing right now. It is very easy to do!
Ann Marie's Apple Butter
5 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
2 TBS lemon juice
1/2 c sugar - little
less if sweet apples (I used 1/4 c because I had Stayman apples which are very sweet)
1/2 c brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
Toss apples with lemon juice. Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on high, covered for 2 hours. Uncover and cook on low until it is easily mashed. Mash with potato masher (for slightly chunky) or blend with immersion blender (for smooth). Makes about 1quart.
I doubled this and canned it in jelly jars. Enjoy!
A few days ago a little boy I babysit and I went apple picking. I got a little overenthusiastic about picking said apples and came home with half a bushel of apples! YUM! But.... what am I going to do with all these apples? Well the first thing was one very yummy breakfast. I got this recipe from Tracy McKay at Dandelion Mama. It was so simple and so delicious! Tracy said to top it with powdered sugar and syrup, but my brother and I both ate ours without syrup and think the syrup is totally unnecessary. It is delicious and sweet enough without it!
Dandelion Mama's Apple Pancake of Yumminess (German Apple Pancake)
1/2 stick butter
2 large, firm apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 c milk
1/2 c flour
4 large eggs
3 TBSP sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 450. In a cast iron skillet, melt butter. Add apple slices and cook until they are starting to turn color a little bit. This takes about 5 minutes. While the apples cook combine milk, flour, eggs, sugar, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. When apples have finished cooking, sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar over them then pour the batter over the apples. Place skillet in oven and cook for 10-12 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve. Syrup optional.
This is absolutely delicious and because of the eggs it held us both pretty well, which surprised us given all the carbs! Not saying it's good for you but it sure is good!
My favorite name for God is Abba, which is Hebrew for father. I love the imagery of that name. As the Father, God fills every role of our earthly fathers and then some. As His child taking baby steps and learning to walk in His ways, we sometimes stumble and fall. We sit and cry until our Daddy picks us up, brushes off our little bums, wipes the tears away, takes our hand and helps us walk again. And when we disobey, he disciplines us. When we don't get our way and we stand there screaming at Him and stomping our little feet, much in the way petulant two year olds are prone to do, He patiently waits until we get it out of our systems and again, lovingly disciplines us, though yes, that discipline sometimes hurts. I love the idea that we can crawl up into God's lap and excitedly tell Him all about our day or pour out our hearts and hurts and bury our faces in His shoulder and cry it all out. He fixes what's broken and takes care of the boo boos. He picks us up and carries us when we're to tired to keep going. He puts us up on His shoulders to help us see things from His perspective. He teaches and models. He provides and protects. He puts Himself between His children and those who would seek to harm them (aka Satan). He brings s into a family where we are loved and served and where we, in turn, love and serve. He gives us an identity. He desires our ultimate good and delights in blessing us. There is so so so much more than these things, but how blessed are we to have an eternal Heavenly Father who loves us as children unconditionally?
Today I was blessed with the opportunity to go to Antietam Battlefield in Maryland and spend a number of hours sitting next to and standing on Burnside's Bridge. This place stirs in my soul and brings me a sense of peace unlike any other place I've been. When I'm overwhelmed, this is where I yearn to go. It doesn't make sense to many people but I think I was able to write down a way to explain it a little. So here is a little of what I journaled today.
(taken Jan 2011)
Why do I love this place? Why is it that the site of the bloodiest exchange in one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War is the place where I find the most peace? Leslie even said to me, "Don't think for a second that it escaped my notice that your 'peaceful place' is smack dab in the middle of a war zone." I laughed but she had a point. I'd thought of that myself before. It hadn't escaped my notice either. So why does this place stir so strongly in my soul? Why do I feel such an overwhelming sense of God's presence and peace?
It's redeemed.
Well, it is inasmuch as a place can be redeemed. Men fought here and died here. Bodies littered the field, the hill and the bridge. The river and its banks were stained red with the blood of these men, these soldiers. Its history is horrific.
Yet I sit here, leaning against the very sycamore tree that stood here all those years ago. I am enjoying the cool shelter and shade it provides. The birds are singing so many different beautiful songs in the trees all around me. Swallows swoop in and out of their nests under the bridge. A fawn plays in the field next to me. The river rolls lazily by, no more concerned by the girl sitting quietly on its bank than by the three tour buses of military college students that descend all at once and leave as suddenly. Occasionally a fish plops in the water or a bird splashes on its surface. Still it continues; gently, quietly, steadily around the pilings and on downstream. There is the moist, earthy smell of the cool, muddy bank on which I sit blended with the scents of grasses, weeds, and stone. The bridge itself, though many years have passed, stands still. It has witnessed the passing of time, the years have left their marks, added the color of moss and worn the stone, but still it stands. As it is summer, the plants are lush, full, and green. Insects buzz and chirp. Birds soar and sing.
So while, yes, this is a place of death, it is also a place of life. God in His infinite grace allows creation to continue though man fought and died here. The world He has created continues to grow, flourish, and live much in the same way it always has, though there are scars and wounds there. And we, as humans, obsessed with identity, have given this place the definition, "battlefield: bloody, violent, broken, horrible." History has value, it absolutely does. I find great joy and treasure in learning our story as humans. But to me, the past it just part of it. The true legacy of this place is the life it has born witness to through the death and the future ahead.
Perhaps part of my love for this place is that I identify with it; that I can see in its waters my own reflection, a reflection of my soul. My heart and my soul have a history which is still being written to an extent. I am a battlefield as Satan and my flesh battle against the Lord and my redeemed soul. Like this bridge, I am a place of death and blood as I am redeemed by the death and blood of Christ and daily witness to the death of myself, the death of my selfish fleshly desires, and the death of my will to leave a place for God's. Yes, there is death, but there is life in me also. Again, God in His infinite grace daily preserves my life, as I have been reminded of quite a few times in the last week or so. He brings growth and regeneration to my heart and soul. With time, He brings spiritual maturity and wisdom. And I bear witness to it all and hopefully those who know me bear witness to God's glory and work in my life as well. And who knows? Perhaps God occasionally uses me as the channel to bring someone His perfect peace just as this bridge, though mortar and stone, not flesh and blood, has done for me.
There is such great peace in redemption. God placed it on my heart to read the book of Ruth today. I've read it before, I know the story, but every time I read it, it provides new insights in to the glory of God. Redemption is a theme that runs strongly throughout the entire book. It is in the context of a kinsman redeemer. In a time when widowed women had little to no way of providing for themselves and in a time when the producing of sons was crucial to the survival of the people, the family, and the women specifically (as it was the sons who provided for their widowed mothers), those widows were protected and provided for through the custom of kinsmen redeemers. The kinsman redeemer was a relative of the deceased husband, usually an unmarried brother, who would "redeem" or purchase the right to be married to the widow and provide for her as well as produce sons with her to take the name of her dead husband, preserving their line and name. Ruth's redemption came from Boaz and through their union the father of the line of David and ultimately Jesus was born. Jesus, the one who ultimately provided the redemption of the entirety of God's people. Jesus, THE Redeemer.
One verse that really struck me was the second half of Ruth 2:12. The whole verse says,
"The Lord repay your for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!"
What an image! God the Redeemer who protects, provides and is the source of refuge. And how cool that this is the passage I was led to as I sat here contemplating my redemption and the redemption of this place of peace for me?
"He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul."
This blog post is a carry over from my other blog, To Belize with Love. I felt it was pertinent and could be put here as well. Happy reading:
Sometimes, if you listen very closely, you can hear Satan rallying his demonic troops and yelling, "CHARGE!!!!" It's a scary thing. And boy have I heard it.
We had a little parlay a while back, the Devil and I. Well not really, but I feel like we did. The conversation went as follows:
Satan: (in evil hiss voice) Sooo. You think you can battle me, huh? You really think you can make a difference? You really think you can somehow further God's Kingdom in Belize?"
Me: (after long, steely glare) Yep.
Satan: And you're certain about this? You're decided? You're going.
Me: Yup.
Satan: Fine. You're determined to go? Well I'm determined to stop you.
Me: *scoff* Right. Bring it.
God: Leave her alone, Satan. That's my beloved, faithful baby girl.
Satan: (to God) Fine (to me) This isn't over.
Well, he was right about two things. He was (and is) determined to stop me and it wasn't over.
This week my heart and mind were ground zero for one of the nastiest demonic incursions I have ever experienced, bar none. No joke. The result was one of the most difficult weeks I've lived through which included meltdowns, near meltdowns, the inability to regulate my emotions, fear, anger, insecurity, isolation, and complete and utter exhaustion on all levels of my being.
In John 8 Satan is called the "father of all lies." This I believe now more than ever. I know this because of one of his other names: "the accuser."
Here's the thing about Satan. He doesn't always come at you head on. He's sneaky. He does his homework. He gets to know those he wishes to attack and uses that knowledge against them. Judging by his activities this week, he REALLY did his homework on me. Then he watched and waited until I was emotionally spent and attacked. You see, he knew a few things about me that helped with timing. 1) I'm an introvert and I had spent the week working and preparing for my friends' wedding and then all weekend doing wedding activities.While it was a joy to be a part of that, it meant I was around people constantly, had no time to myself, and spent a great deal of time in emotionally high situations. 2) I'm a protector. I am intensely protective and empathetic towards those I love. Their burdens are mine. Often in my eyes, it is my job to protect and prevent further hurt and ease that which they are already experiencing. When they hurt, I hurt. Over the past few weeks at least 3 people who are incredibly dear to me have gone through some hard times and have been in a lot of pain. So, you see, he sensed the time was right and he attacked.
Satan: "You can't do this.You think you're all grown up but you'll never make it on your own. You know nothing about teaching high-schoolers. You are useless on your own. You will fall apart within a matter of weeks. You'll fail. What makes you think you can do this? You couldn't get a job as a teacher here, what makes you think you'll be successful there? You will fail completely."
And then he really hit a sore spot: "What are you going to do now? You can't talk about this. You can't share this with anyone. Then they'll know. They'll know you're weak. They'll know you're a failure."
See he knew to say that because he knows something else about me. I HATE to be thought of as weak. It's a serious pride issue for me. I never really understood why until my dear sister, Leslie, pointed something out to me. I AM a protector. I don't like being perceived as weak because in my mind if someone thinks I am weak, if I let them see my pain, if I let myself be truly vulnerable with them they will see me as unable to care for them well. They will not allow me to be there for them and be strong for them when they need someone to love them and care for them. THEN I would truly be a failure: a protector with no one to protect. Now I would like to say that I truly understand that ultimately it is God who protects and not me, but caring for people in that way is how I was wired and one of the ways I express love. But the idea that I will be rejected for my weakness and lose those I care about? Lies from the pit, my friends. Lies from the pit.
BUT, in the fragile state I was in, that missile hit its target.
Then he went on to attack me further: "You see, you are worthless. You have nothing to offer. You aren't worth pursuing. You'll always be alone."
These attacks coming over and over left me raw, but through all of this God showed me His love, His grace, His mercy and His truth in a number of ways.
1) I know I've said it before, but y'all, I have some incredible friends. I have NO idea how I would manage without them. Monday night I had a meltdown the likes of which the world hasn't seen since Chernobyl. A dear brother was, by the grace of God, there to walk through it with me. This guy, God has gifted with an ability to care for people in pain. He knows how to help you get it out too. He poked and prodded and pushed until it all came pouring out. He helped me process it. He spoke God's truth to me and helped me in identifying Satan's handiwork. Then Wednesday I came close to another meltdown with Leslie. Leslie is incredibly perceptive and articulate. I frequently walk away from our conversations with a better understanding of myself and of my God. We spent a good hour mulling over lies and their effect on us. How it is that as humans we find the lies so much easier to believe than the truth. Sometimes the lies seem safer. Sometimes they make more sense. But they isolate. They imprison. They slowly kill our souls and spirits. These are just two examples. I have many friends who have encouraged me and blessed me beyond what is within my ability to express.
2) I believe now, more than ever, that this is God's calling on my life right now. I have NEVER been attacked like I was last week. If this weren't what I was supposed to be doing, Satan wouldn't be attacking. Why would he bother to strike if I weren't a threat? If I weren't a danger to his plan? But that's the thing, I AM a threat. I AM a danger. I am going to Belize to serve God, to teach His children, and to train them to be His soldiers too in this spiritual battle we are waging. So you see, Satan, you may have thought this would stop me but in reality it confirmed my calling. It made me that much more sure that this was what God drove me to.
3) After a looooong conversation with another wonderful sister, I realized something. I have lost focus. I let Satan and his lies distract me from my purpose. I let him mess with me and my insecurities. I believed him. I let it draw me away from God's purpose for me. That can't happen. Acknowledging this has made me realize that I need to be far more vigilant and need to be pursuing God's will and praying for His protection more than ever.
4) This drove me to seek help. It drove me to acknowledge and own up to my weaknesses and insecurities. It forced me to surrender them to God. Today in church I was, once again struck by the words to a song which has been almost an anthem to me in recent months, "Mighty to Save." One of the verses says the following:
"So take me as you find me,
All my fears and failures.
Come fill my heart again.
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in.
Now I surrender."
As I have been struggling through all of this, in addition to the people He provided, God provided two things which I have clung to and received great encouragement from. One was this:
I think this resonates with me because of that whole pride issue I mentioned earlier. There is something incredibly freeing in confessing at the top of my lungs that I am not strong enough and embracing the truth that I don't have to be because God is!
The other is a verse God brought me to. Isaiah 59:19 says:
"When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will raise up a standard against him."
As a history major, this particular verse struck me (yes, I'm aware I'm a little bit of a nerd). Why? The reference to the standard. A standard was the flag or banner which was carried ahead of an army in battle. It was raised up to do a couple things. First, it showed identity. Second, it was a rallying point for the army. Why is this significant? Well, Deuteronomy 20 says, "For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." So in this case, God raising the standard means that 1) we are given identity and 2) we have a rally point. As believers, our identity is that of beloved children, redeemed and set apart. Not only are we given identity but it makes sure that the enemy knows that identity. He's making sure Satan knows EXACTLY who he's messing with. That standard says "This is My army: the army of the Lord. These are My warriors and My children. You think you're fighting hard? I'll be fighting harder.
I will lead these precious ones into battle and I will fight for them. And you? You. Will. Lose." And as we are His children and warriors and have given our lives to Him and in this great spiritual battle, He is our rallying point. How wonderful is this?
Alright Lord, equip me please. And raise that standard.
"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting in an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself."
So in the last year or so I have become a fan of the group Train. Patrick Monahan has a great voice and their songs are pretty darn catchy. Recently, though, I have been paying closer attention to some of the lyrics and they really got me thinking. I have something to say about 2 of their songs today, both on the same topic - marriage and relationships. I know, what does a single chick know about either one? I do seem to write on this topic fairly often. Well I have the advantage of having been raised by 2 parents who have modeled a healthy, loving marriage to me and my brother, I was raised in a church where this was dealt with in church, youth group, and small groups, I have incredible, godly friends, both male and female, with whom I discuss this with regularly, and then of course, there is the Bible which is, after all, all about relationship. But I digress. So back to Train. The first song I want to look at is "If It's Love."
I would like to specifically look at these lyrics:
"I confess, you are the best thing in my life.
But I'm afraid when I hear stories 'bought husband and wife
There's no happy endings, no Henry Lee, but you are the greatest thing about me.
If it's love, we decide that it's forever; no one else could do it better.
If it's love, then we're two birds of a feather and the rest is just whatever.
And if I'm addicted to loving you and you're addicted to my love too
We can be those two birds of a feather that flock together.
Love, love, got to have something to keep us together.
Love, love, that's enough for me."
Here's the thing - this song may sound cheerful and lovey-dovey and all that, but it is rooted in fear. "I'm afraid when I hear songs 'bout husband and wife, there are no happy endings." Well, darlin', happy endings exist only in fairy tales and in the death of a believer, which actually isn't the ending at all but the beginning of eternity. Now I understand that this is not a Christian group, but my points are less about what they should have said and more about how this reflects society. This attitude that in marriage you should "live happily ever after" makes me really sad because people don't seem to prepare for the reality that they are an imperfect person marrying another imperfect person, will give birth to imperfect children, live in an imperfect house with drippy faucets and squeaky doors, will drive imperfect cars, etc. The premise of the song is that marriage doesn't make a relationship does but rather love and commitment do. But here's my big question: If it's really love, then why fear marriage? If you are REALLY and TRULY committed to someone then why should marriage be a problem? Why should marriage be a threat? It shouldn't! By saying "we decide that it's forever" you have this built in escape route in your relationship. And you know what else? Love is not enough. Not by a long shot. At least, love as we are capable of and as our society defines it isn't enough. What happens when you hit those rough patches and REALLY don't like that person very much? What happens when your life isn't "happily ever after?" Things fall apart unless you have a much stronger commitment and foundation.
To be honest and to be fair, with the divorce rate as high as it is, I can understand their point and why they would feel that way. And yes, love, SELFLESS love, and commitment keep a relationship together but those are things that should be found within marriage. And I'll be honest, knowing my heart as I do, I cannot imagine how those things could be found at all outside of a strong, continuously growing relationship with Christ. That's the key.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not easily broken."
So song no. 2 is sort of opposite. I actually think they make an excellent point in the song "Marry Me."
Okay, I confess, I absolutely love this song. It's so sweet and tender, though perhaps a little bit creepy (he's singing this song to a woman he doesn't know who he sees in a cafe and wants to marry - little creepy). BUT there is one line I love. "Marry me, today and everyday." Now, I don't know that this is precisely what they intended to say, but the way that I interpret the meaning is "choose to commit to me and our marriage anew every single day." Why do I interpret it that way? Well, marriage and love are choices. You don't just choose to marry someone at the point of proposal and then again at the wedding itself. You don't just love someone then either. That is something you have to decide constantly. There will be times you are so upset with your spouse or times when you just want what you want regardless of how it affects them that you have to make the choice to love them well and be married to them well, honoring the promise you made to that person. That's why I love that line: because, as I've interpreted it, he isn't just proposing marriage for the moment, but for the rest of their lives. Now am I giving Train too much credit here? I don't know. I forgot to ask them about it last time I was having dinner with them, but the line itself is a good one, regardless of intention.
“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”
This is a quote by C.S. Lewis that I read recently that really stuck with me. You know, there's a lot of truth in that statement.
And there's a lot of power in that fact. You remember 1 Peter 5:8 where it says, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour?" Think about what you know about lions. Think about every nature special you have ever watched. When lions are targeting prey, which zebra do they latch onto? Which zebra do they take down? It's the one that's isolated. It's the "only one" on the fringe of the herd or, even more hopelessly, detached from the herd altogether.
Think about that. Isolation is one of the many powerful, effective weapons in the devil's arsenal. It is one of the great war campaigns launched against God's children: Operation Isolation. It preys on many fleshly weaknesses, not the least of these are insecurity and fear. The things we keep hidden, the things we are terrified to share because if (insert name here) really knew us, knew this, they would never accept or love us, those things are the things he uses to isolate us and bring us down. The fact of the matter is, at one point or another, we have all struggled with something that, while it may not be the same, would have similar effects on the spirit, things that could be used to isolate us. And we have this incredible example of grace laid out for us in Jesus Christ, which should be applied to all these relationships. Additionally, isolation creates and feeds fear and insecurity. It feeds the idea that you are probably the only one who is struggling with something or that feeling a certain way makes you nuts. I was talking to a friend tonight and sharing something I had been thinking about which I assumed was a weird thought process of mine because I couldn't articulate why I felt this way. I was sort of to the point of thinking that my thoughts and feelings on this matter were invalid and incorrect because of that. She was able to not only assure me I was not alone in that, but articulate with biblical support why that was a correct way to think about things. This whole issue of isolation is something that makes the fellowship of a body of believers so important. If we stay with the herd, we have a better chance of defending ourselves and each other against the roaring lion.
So, “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”
I have been incredibly blessed by friendships that are born in this way and are continuously reinforced by those moments. But you know, friendship might be born in those moments, but it is strengthened and nourished by the moments when one person says that and the other says, "Oh yeah. I struggle with this, but look what God has taught me. Look how I've been redeemed through this. Let me share my heart with you and bring you before the Lord in this." These friendships I have been blessed with have strengthened me and grown me personally in ways I couldn't have anticipated. They have given me more confidence in my faith, more strength in the battle against Satan, and more complete, real, deep, and blessed fellowship with these siblings in Christ than I could have ever imagined. What an incredible blessing. What incredible care, grace, and mercy of the Father to bring these people into my life! I pray that you all have those people in your lives as well and if you don't, seek them out.
Philippians 2:1-2 "Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose."
Yesterday our pastor used the first of the following quotes in his sermon. When I went to look it up today, I found some other excellent statements concerning love by C.S.Lewis. Enjoy, but more importantly, listen.
"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket - safe, dark, motionless, airless - it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation."
"Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained."
"Love is unselfishly choosing for another's higher good."
"Do not waste time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him."
"Though our feelings come and go, God's love for us does not."
Tonight I got to cook an actual meal. I actually got to cook. Hooray! In an attempt to use some of our freezer's contents, I went on a search for a new shrimp recipe. I ended up making a variation of shrimp enchiladas that I found on Allrecipes. It was voted a "keeper" by every member of my family within a few bites. Enjoy it!
Shrimp Enchiladas
5 TBS olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp Franks Red Hot Sauce (or other hot sauce)
6 lg shrimp per enchilada, peeled and deveined, without tails
flour tortillas
2 c shredded Cheddar and Monterey cheese blend
2 c salsa
Mix together 4 TBS olive oil, garlic, ginger, hot sauce and shrimp in a large bowl or ziploc bag. Allow to marinate for a little while (I only left them for 20 mins but it called for 2 hours). Preheat oven to 350. Spread the remaining TBS of olive oil in a 9x13 or 9x9 pan. Warm the tortillas. Put 6 shrimp, cheese, and salsa in each tortilla and roll it up. Place seam side down in the pan. Once all your enchiladas are in the pan, spread some extra salsa on top. I also added some cheese to the top, but just because I had some left. Bake for 20-30 minutes (check to see if the shrimp are pink). Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top and with rice and black beans.
So I recently discovered how to make my own laundry detergent. This is my second attempt and have tweaked it a little from a recipe I found on Pinterest.
You will need the following items:
a 10qt or larger stock pot
2 empty gallon jugs
Funnel
1 bar of soap (I use Fels-Naptha laundry soap, but I am going to try castile bar soap next time because it is all natural and better for your skin and for the environment and you can get it online for only a few cents more than the Fels-Naptha)
1 c borax
1 c washing soda
water
Grate the bar of soap. I just use our Cuisinart to grate it. Add the soap to the pot with one gallon of water. Heat until the grated soap dissolves.
Add the borax and washing soda.
Heat until it boils. It will thicken.
Remove from heat and add another gallon of water. Mix thoroughly. My suggestion is to allow the detergent to sit in the pot at least until it cools because it will thicken significantly and it is easier to add water and mix it up in the pot than in the jugs. After you have thinned it down, use the funnel to put it into the gallon jugs.
I use one of the little detergent cups we have left over from the detergent we had before, but I think it's about 1/4-1/2 c per load. Happy washing!
A couple
days ago I wrote "Chick Flicks and the Single Girl" and have gotten a
lot of feedback from friends and have had some excellent conversations that
have led me to want to follow up some.
VerticalFocus17
commented on the post and said, "I would recommend this for girls in a
relationship as well. It's easy to become dissatisfied with the mate God chose
for you when you compare him to the romantic heroes of chick flicks. God's love
story is always the best one, but it's easy to set yourself up for discontentment
when you live in Hollywood Fairy Tale Land."
She is
absolutely correct. Not only is it unfair to the man God prepared just for you
to compare them to men that exist only in fiction, it is disrespectful to both
he and God, ungrateful, and unloving. And it brings up some more thoughts. I
wonder if secular romantic portrayals are not indicative of the attitude people
have regarding relationship and marriage which, in turn, leads to the large
number of broken and failed relationships and marriages. That attitude being
this: relationships should be easy and happy all the time. If they're not, it's
ok to bail. The primary function of a relationship is my fulfillment and when
he doesn't live up to my (unrealistic and ridiculously high) expectations then
he has become worthless, etc., etc., etc. This is, of course, not the way it is
supposed to be at all. We live in a fallen world and marriage is the joining of
2 broken sinners so how on Earth can we expect a blissfully perfect
relationship? And while husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loves
the church, we are never to expect fulfillment from any place but from God.
Furthermore, the goal of marriage, as with every other part of our life, is to
bring glory to God.
That
being said, I want to go even further. I am not sure that chick flicks are the
only media-based indication of brokenness in our society. Those who know me
well know that one of my hottest button topics is feminism and the lack of
respect shown men. I like to say I am a "Jo March" feminist. Those of
you who are fans of Louisa May Alcott's Little
Women, may understand what I mean. To those of you who are not, I explain
it like this. In its original form, the women's right movement had merit. Women
should be allowed to vote. Women should be allowed to own property. Women
should receive the same wages as men for the same work. Women should not have
to tolerate abuse, be it physical, emotional, etc. Women should have the
abilities and rights necessary to pull themselves and their children out of
those abusive situations. Women should be on equal legal footing with men. Does
that mean I think we are the same? Heck no. Men and women are entirely
different in so many ways. What it should mean is embracing those differences
and the strengths and abilities each sex brings to the table and working as
partners. Unfortunately modern feminism has perverted this and instead of
bringing women from being second class citizens to being equals, it has swung
so far over to the other extreme that now I see the emasculation of men in the
name of equality.
Don't
believe me? Turn on the TV. Watch “The Simpsons,” “Still Standing,” “The Proud
Family” (I don’t know if that is that even still on but I hated the few
episodes I saw because of this). The husbands/fathers are portrayed as
slovenly, pig-headed, lazy, dimwitted, and clueless. The wives/mothers, on the
other hand, are portrayed as well put together, intelligent, witty, individuals
who hold the family together and tolerate their idiot husbands with
condescension. Now, is media focusing just on tearing down men? No, they
aren’t. In discussing this with my friend Chris, he pointed out that women are
demoralized even more prominently than men. And it’s true. Women are put in positions
of inferiority constantly. And in commercials? Women are constantly being put
in slutty outfits to appeal to men and get them to buy their products (though
in effect this is disrespectful to both women and men, but I’ll get to that in
a minute).
Additionally,
man-bashing has become a national past-time and, I'll tell you, it makes me
MAD. There is absolutely no cause and no excuse for speaking that way about our
brothers and especially about your spouse. And I don't mean the good tempered
joking about the reality of the differences between the genders and the
resulting confusion it inspires, I mean the mean-spirited, condescending
comments that I hear women use to make themselves feel superior to men or their
man. What I’d say it boils down to is respect.
Remember
that verse I referenced earlier about men being called to love their wives as
Christ loves the Church? It is in Ephesians 5 and it says, "Husbands, love
your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for
her,...He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own
flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church
(5:25, 28b)." This speaks of cherishing and nourishing and giving up of
oneself. This love is protecting,
providing, etc. While men are called to love, cherish, protect, and nourish,
what are we as women called to do? "Nevertheless, each individual
among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see
to it that she respects her husband. (5:33)" Notice the difference? Men
are called to love and cherish their wives and women are called to respect
their husbands. Women want and need affection. Men need to be respected. To
love them well, you must respect them well. Does that mean they don't want affection
or that women don't want respect? Of course not. And does this apply only to
marriage relationships? No, I don’t think it does. The roles of the genders in
marriage speak to the basic definitions of biblical masculinity and femininity.
So what
does respecting well look like? Well, it has many faces. It means not
undermining, not emasculating. It means accepting their leadership graciously.
It means supporting them in the decisions they make. Does that mean always
agreeing with them regardless? No I wouldn’t say so. Sometimes support means
being the Genesis “helper” and gently bringing forward your concerns but
supporting them regardless of the decision they make unless it causes you to be
in sin. It means being careful of yourself and your decisions and how they
affect your brothers. It means being conscious
of their weaknesses. An example would be not dressing in a revealing and
provocative way that would cause them to fall into sexual sin. It means the
word that modern women recoil from: submission. Biblical submission isn’t
something to be afraid of though (I mean to discuss this further at some point
in the future, but in the mean time look into the Biblical roles of women – I also
highly recommend reading the book Let Me
Be a Woman by Elizabeth Elliot).
Beyond
even that, I’d say respect is something that goes many ways. Men should be
respecting and honoring women also. And we should respect ourselves because of
our Creator if for no other reason. If a woman really had a grasp of the fact
that God created her in His image, that she is His daughter in whom He
delights, that men are her brothers and that relationship should be protected
and built, would she ever become a Playboy girl? Would a man who understood the
heart of his Heavenly Father and how much he is loved and protected shirk his
responsibilities as a father himself? It becomes a vicious cycle because then
it becomes almost a self fulfilling prophesy; men who are not respected
eventually become men who do not deserve it and their sons turn into those men.
Their daughters get involved in unhealthy relationships and end up giving
themselves up to men over and over, often becoming ensnared in abusive
relationships, becoming pregnant outside marriage, both, or worse because they
were not fathered well. They are not shown how men should treat them and how
much they should respect themselves and the men in their lives. They in turn
become mothers who are bitter and angry. They man-bash and become critical
shrews. Their daughters see this and adopt their attitudes. Their sons see this
and become the men their mothers gripe about because that’s what a man “is”. This
is only the tip but I don't have even a fraction of the time and space here
necessary to fully analyze the long term consequences.
So where
do we go from here. Women, respect the men in your lives and give them reason
to cherish you. Men, cherish the women and be men worthy of respect. But most
importantly, all of us, seek after the Lord in your relationships and seek to
honor Him through them. Be a light to the world through how you live your
relationships and how you love each other well.
"By
this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one
another." John 13:35
Every moment of every day I should be grateful. Good, bad, ugly, whatever the situation, I should respond with gratitude. But I don't. Then, there are nights like this when I realize my sin in not keeping a spirit of gratitude and suddenly I'm overwhelmed by the voice of the Lord whispering, "Oh, sweet baby girl, I forgave you for that before you ever did it. And guess what? I love you so much and look what I'm doing for you now!"
Yes, dear ones, tonight, I am grateful.
I have been so incredibly blessed by the people God has placed in my life. I have amazing parents, the coolest brother known to mankind, a wonderful church family that I have been a part of since I was 18 months old, and friends who are constantly loving me, encouraging me, amusing me, challenging me, and teaching me.
Tonight I had the opportunity to see one of my dear friends who had experienced the sort of bad day you couldn't make up if you tried. The sort of day that would have left me on the verge of bursting into tears at any second. Yet my friend chose to respond in gratitude. She chose to look at each thing that happened and realize how much worse it could have been and how God provided through her through it all. He had it covered. We spent an hour and a half laughing together, discussing God's faithfulness and provision, processing through what He was teaching us, and basically solving the problems of the world. :-D This friend, I can be completely transparent with and fear no judgement from. This friend is wise beyond her years and has such a heart for loving people well. This friend brings her own personal sun with her wherever she goes. How blessed am I?
Because the Lord wasn't done showing me His love, I got to have another blessing encounter. I had a conversation with another wise and godly friend whose opinion I wanted about a post I am in the process of writing that examines and discusses relational issues as it pertains to women interacting with and caring well for men. Since I am writing in a public forum, it is no longer just me ranting and I felt the need to make sure I was being responsible with what I was saying. He graciously and gently pointed out and explained areas that he disagreed with or that could be misinterpreted by those who don't have a good idea of what I'm getting at. Our conversation made me realize I have a lot to learn. :-) LOL. But it also made me realize how blessed I am to have a friend who is willing to have these sort of conversations with me and lead in that way.
That's just two things. I have so much more to be thankful for and am praying for a greater spirit of gratitude.
Once upon a time there was a magical, though rather disillusioning, land called Hollywood.
Seriously, we all know the basic plot line for the standard "chick flick." Boy and girl meet, boy and girl fall in love, a problem/obstacle arises, love conquers all, and they both live happily ever after. Forgive me for saying so, but what a load of bull. Don't get me wrong, I am a hopeless romantic, but that's not how life works. And there are some wonderful stories out there also. As a single woman who wants to be married, it is easy to get sucked into these stories. Then one day I realized something. I had started shying away from these movies and watching more action, comedy, war, and other non-chick flick genre movies. And I was happier. I was more content. I began to realize that when I watch chick flicks by myself they do to me emotionally what porn does to men physically. They leave me emotionally down and discontent, frustrated, and yearning for something that is not what God has for me at this point in my life. Yes, I still desire a relationship and marriage and my own family, but it is different. Watching these movies I come away going "Ugh. I want a man like _*insert leading male name here*_," which, of course, I don't actually want. So I have mostly cut these movies out of my life, though I do occasionally watch one with friends. Am I condemning these movies and saying it is sinful to watch chick flicks? No, that's not what I'm saying at all. I think the effect of these movies varies from girl to girl, I am just making observations based on my own heart.
There is, however, one movie that I would put in the romance category that is an exception. This movie, I love. It is called One Night With the King. It is the story of Esther. Now, most people don't think of the story of Esther as a love story and judging it by traditional standards, it isn't terribly romantic. In fact, it was terrifying and painful. When King Xerxes queen was banished and he needed a new queen, Esther was ripped from her home and forced to live in the palace and prepare for the selection process. After weeks and weeks of beauty treatments and lessons each candidate was given one night with the king in which to try to win him. What you may not think about is this: whichever women had their night with the king but were not chosen were no longer maidens and therefore no longer marriageable. Those who went before the one that was chosen became royal concubines. They never saw their families or had their own lives again. Terrifying. But God left His divine fingerprints all over this story. He knew what evil stirred in the heart of Haman and how driven he was for vengeance against the Jews. He brought Esther into the palace, opened the heart of the man in charge of the candidates and made him favor her, and stirred in the king's heart to choose her. He brought them together as husband and wife and later when the Jews were in danger, he moved in the kings heart to spare Esther's life, hear her story and request, and believe her. There was fear, there was anger, there was betrayal, there was misunderstanding, there was terror, but there was also faithfulness. Through their love story, God saved an entire people. I watch that movie and instead of thinking "Ugh I want a man like that," I am thinking, "Oh Lord, I want you to write my love story." Do I want the lives of an entire people group relying on it? No, most definitely not. Do I want the fear, the agony, the misunderstanding, the betrayal? Well no, but that's part of life. Marriage isn't happily ever after. Yes, there is happiness and there is blessing, but there's rough stuff too. Do I want the opportunity to engage in that ministry and the strength and courage to be faithful in every way to my God and my husband? Absolutely. I don't want Esther's story, but I want her Author.
So which would you rather have? A love story written by the Hollywood folks or one written by God Himself? One where the goal is to sell the story or where the goal is to work all things for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose? One where the aim is to make money or to give glory to God? Which one do you want?
"It takes the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the honor of kings to seek it out." I want God to conceal and guard my heart. And honestly, I can't wait to see the man He has chosen for me who has the honor of a king.
I love Pinterest. I love it so much, in fact, that it has become something of an addiction, I'm afraid. But it pays off fairly frequently! The other day I saw an activity that I had a feeling the kids I babysit would LOVE. And they did. It kept them both (2 & 4) busy and entertained for a good 45 minutes.
For each child, fill the bottom of a pan or tupperware type container with baking soda. In small bowls mix white vinegar and food coloring. Give each child a medicine dropper or, if you don't have enough, a spoon. Let them drop colored vinegar in the baking soda and watch as it fizzes and makes a colorful creation.
This is my mother's favorite way to have pork chops so it was only appropriate that we had this on Mother's Day! It is from The South Beach Diet Cookbook by Dr. Arthur Agatston, M.D. This recipe is delicious and only 70 calories per chop. The Summer Squash Casserole recipe came from a friend of my grandmother. It is so yummy, however the original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of butter and I have tweaked it some because it is soooo greasy. By the way, in the interest of full disclosure, Kenneth and Dad did the grilling for me since I was working in the kitchen! :)
Garlic and Soy Grilled Pork Chops
4 boneless center-cut pork loin chops, trimmed of visible fat
2 TBS soy sauce
1 TBS minced garlic
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Mix all ingredients except pork and put in a ziplok. Place pork chops in the bag and allow to marinate for 4-24 hours. Grill 20-25 minutes until center is no longer pink.
Summer Squash Casserole
6 c squash, sliced 1 c shredded carrots
¼ c onion, chopped 1 8oz stuffing mix
1 can cream of chicken 1½ c butter melted***
1 c sour cream
Cook squash and onions in a skillet with a little water for 5 minutes and drain. Mix together cream of chicken, sour cream, and carrots. Fold into squash. Mix together stuffing and butter. In a 9x13 dish layer ½ stuffing, all of the squash mixture, and remaining stuffing. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
***I think instead of using all three sticks of butter, you could use 1 c chicken broth and 1 stick butter. I think this would moisten without it being so greasy and would still taste good. I haven't tried this but I plan to. If you do, let me know how it turns out.
I made this as the dessert for our Easter dinner. I found it in the May 2011 "People: Country Special;" it is a Trisha Yearwood recipe. I have tweaked it somewhat. Enjoy!
Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
4 c all purpose flour
2 TBS baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 c plus 2 TBS sugar
2/3 c cold butter, cubed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 c milk
2 TBS melted butter
2 lbs fresh strawberries
Preheat oven to 450. Grease the bottoms of 2 9" round cake pans. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 c sugar. Cut butter into the mixture with two knives or a pastry blender until crumbly. Whisk together eggs and milk in a small bowl. Gradually add to flour mixture, stirring just until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 3 or 4 times. Divide dough in half and pat into prepared pans. Brush tops with melted butter. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes. Turn out onto wire rack immediately and allow to cool completely. Meanwhile, wash berries. Reserve 3 for garnish. Cap and slice remaining berries.Place them in a bowl with 3/4 c sugar and let stand 30 minutes or until sugar dissolves and berries are syrupy. With an electric mixer beat cream, sugar, and vanilla on high until it has formed a stiff whipped topping. When cake layers are cool, spread about half of the whipped cream on the top of the bottom layer and top with half of the strawberries. Place the next layer of cake on top and repeat layers, reserving enough whipped cream to put a large dollop on top. Garnish with whole berries.
Yum. That's all I have to say. This is so yummy. It's a little spicy but also sweet. I deviated from the original recipe a bit and it was supposed to be grilled, but the way I cooked it, the marinade turned into a glaze almost. My family members all loved it. We've discussed other ways to use the marinade and I think it would be delicious on chicken, flank steak, or pretty much any other meat. We also thought it would make an awesome sauce for a shrimp or beef stir-fry!
Slammin' Salmon
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c soy sauce
1 tsp salt
1 TBS brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c chopped green onions
1/4 c olive oil
8 (4 ounce) skinless, boneless salmon fillets
Mix all ingredients except salmon together and put in a gallon ziplock. Place salmon fillets in the marinade. Put the bag in the fridge and allow to marinate for 2-24 hours. Pour all marinade and salmon in a large cast iron skillet and cook on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring the sauce and flipping the fish occasionally. It can also be grilled or baked.
So you know how chicken breasts can be pretty dry? Well here is a delectable, moist recipe that my family LOVED. I served it with rice and asparagus but we decided that it would be amazing with squash and sweet potatoes. This is another Allrecipe.com recipe.
Limehouse Chicken
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 lime, zested and juiced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
2 sprigs fresh mint, chopped
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Combine the flour, salt and paprika in a large plastic bag. Sprinkle lime juice over the chicken thighs, then place them in the bag. Shake pieces around until completely coated.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook just until browned on each side. Transfer to a baking dish. Mix together the brown sugar and lime zest; sprinkle over the chicken. Pour the chicken broth and white wine into the pan. Sprinkle mint over the top.
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Chicken should be cooked through and juices will run clear.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Combine the flour, salt and paprika in a large plastic bag. Sprinkle lime juice over the chicken thighs, then place them in the bag. Shake pieces around until completely coated.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook just until browned on each side. Transfer to a baking dish. Mix together the brown sugar and lime zest; sprinkle over the chicken. Pour the chicken broth and white wine into the pan. Sprinkle mint over the top.
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Chicken should be cooked through and juices will run clear.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Limehouse-Chicken/Detail.aspx, submitted by LEAH_CHRIS
This is a delicious, simple meal that is quick and easy to get on the table. I came up with this after visiting Subway with a friend and she requested grilled chicken with the meatball marinara sauce on it. I came home and thought up a yummier variation of the sub! I use Tyson Breaded Chicken Breasts from Costco (see below for image of the bag).
Chicken Parmesan Sub
Tyson Breaded Chicken Breasts
Sub rolls
Sliced provolone or mozzarella cheese
Jar of pizza sauce
oregano
grated Parmesan cheese
Cook 1.5 (if you can) chicken breasts per sub according to package directions. I tend to let it get on the crunchier side of done. When there are about 5 minutes left before the chicken is done, add a pan with the open sub rolls to the oven to toast them. Place 1.5 pieces of chicken on the bottom of the sub roll and cover with sliced provolone or mozzarella. Cook until cheese has melted. While the subs are heating, heat pizza sauce. When cheese has melted, spoon sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with oregano and parmesan, and serve!
(There really is no pretty way to photograph this!)
Tilapia. It is a boring fish. There is NO way around it. However, tonight I made the most delicious tilapia I have ever had. This recipe is definitely a keeper. I served it with asparagus and I think it would be great if you had rice too.
Hudson's Baked Tilapia with Dill Sauce
Preheat oven to 350 F. Take four tilapia fillets and sprinkle salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning on each side and place in a baking dish. Slice a lemon into thin slices and place on top of fish. Bake for 15-20 or until fillets flake with fork.
While the fish is baking, make sauce. Mix together the following:
1/4 c light mayonaise
1/2 c light sour cream
1 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp garlic powder
2 TBS chopped fresh dill
Serve fish with dill sauce spooned over it.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Hudsons-Baked-Tilapia-with-Dill-Sauce/Detail.aspx submitted by KHUDSON3
