Whole Wheat Pumpkin Waffles

Mix Together:
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup Flax meal or 1/4 flax meal 1/4 wheat germ
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

In another bowl mix together:
1 Tbsp. Honey
2 Tbsp. Oil
1 cup soy milk or coconut or some other non-dairy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract (or vanillin şekerli if you live in Turkey)
1 cup pumpkin puree (or any fruit puree of your choosing - also like apple or banana)
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (omit if using banana)

if the mixture is too dry add more soy milk.  I use this recipe for pancakes as well but make it thinner by adding more soy milk.

Eat with Honey or Pure maple syrup!

Black Bean & Mushroom Burgers

Introducing today's lunch:

                                           
Black Bean & Mushroom Burgers
2 c. Black beans
1 c. Mushrooms
Blend these together in blender until somewhat pasty
Add 1 c. homemade bread crumbs (or breadcrumbs of your choice)
3 Tbs. Flax meal & 2 Tbsp Hot water
1/4 tsp. cumin
a 1/4 cup diced red pepper
pinch of sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Saute in a little olive oil in pan on each side for about 3-4 minutes

Serve with Mashed potatoes, veggie side and this awesome vegan Gravy from "30 Minute Vegan"

Mushroom Onion Gravy
1/4 cup WW Flour (or spelt)
1/4 cup + 1 Tbs safflower or olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup Thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
2 1/4 cups water or vegetable stock
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs minced fresh italian parsley (or dried)
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper or to taste

1. create a roux by combining the flour and 1/4 cup of oil in a small bowl and whisking well.
2. place the remaining tablespoon of oil in a saucepan over med-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and mushrooms and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the water and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to a simmer and add the nutritional yeast, soy sauce, parsley, nutmeg, stirring frequently.
3. Add the roux and stir constantly until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Peanut Butter Balls

Thanks to Katie Kimball and her e- book Healthy Snacks to Go we made some Homemade Granola which smells delicious and tastes even better.  Then I made this amazing snack adapted from her "peanut butter Kisses" recipe:

Peanut Butter
Homemade Granola
Honey
shredded coconut
flax meal
 ~ 1/3 cup of each of these ingredients.  Or you can add more granola and less peanut butter if you are like me and need to make your peanut butter from America last you longer since you live in another country :)

mix it all together, form into balls, store in a tupperware on the counter or in the fridge and it makes for great healthy little snacks for you and the kids.  We are in love!

Raspberry Chocolate Soysicles

On these hot days of 110 degree heat I have been making homemade popsicles in my ikea popsicle forms.  Tupperware makes some forms as well.   We did a Soy Orange Creamsicle and today we had a Raspberry Chocolate Soysicle which has been the favorite thus far.
Mix some soy milk with nesquick powder
Put fresh or frozen raspberries in your popsicle forms
Pour the chocolate soy milk  in and freeze

Simple yet delicious!

Vegan Raspberry Muffins

1 1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or another flour of your choice)
1 tsp. Baking Soda
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
      Mix these ingredients together, then in separate bowl whisk:
1 cup honey
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup soy milk

Add the mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until blended.  Add in 1 cup of raspberries or any other berry and mix in.
I then sprinkle the top of mine with a little ground flaxseed and oats.

Bake at 176 Celsius or 350 F for ~ 25 minutes, let cool for 5 min then serve.

Enjoy!

Our Seder meal

Tomorrow night we are celebrating the Lord's Supper and Passover...telling the kids of how we were held in bondage to sin just as the Israelites were held in bondage to Pharaoh.  How God sent us a deliverer in Jesus who fulfills the prophecies of old.  How Christ is the Passover lamb who came to take away the sins of the world.  So tomorrow night this vegan will be cooking lamb and remembering the sacrifice Jesus made so that I might know Him.  Tomorrow night the candles will be lit and then snuffed out for the next two nights to remember how dark the world is without Christ. Easter morning we will wake up to find Christ no longer in the tomb but all the candles lit for HE IS RISEN! We will hide our resurrection eggs and discover what is in each of them that tells of Christ's story.  Tomorrow we will have a seder meal with the parsley, unleavened bread, lamb, minus horseradish because I could not find it where I live, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, sauteed mushrooms, salad.  We will remember what Christ has done and we will savor it. My children will taste the bitterness of the herbs and be told of the bitterness of their sins.  We will eat the unleavened bread and remember that Christ was without sin.  We will eat the lamb and remember the price that Christ payed so that we could be rescued...we will remember...

Simmering Sunday

With three kids four and under getting dinner on the table can be quite a feat.  Especially living in another country where each meal takes a good two hours or so to prepare since everything must be done from scratch....beans soaked days prior, veggies washed, diced etc... So my main meals are often cooked up on Sunday...hence Simmering Sunday was born.
So this weeks meals:

Sunday Soup:
Coconut Thai Soup, Whole Wheat honey bread, fresh sliced strawberries (Papa is having BBQ chicken & Cole slaw because he is not a vegetarian and I thought it would be a nice treat since I was cooking some for my friends who had twins)
Mexican Monday: Black bean and Rice enchiladas, home-fried tortilla chips, guacamole, salsa
Turkish Tuesday: Kumpirs (like a fancy baked potato) topped with mushrooms, broccoli, corn, Whole wheat bread, rice pudding
Whatever Wednesday: Country Creole Peas, cornbread, baked plantains
Thursday: Veggie Pie, mashed potatoes, Whole wheat bread, banana pudding
Friday: Breakfast - Pumpkin pancakes, green smoothie
Same Ol' Saturday: Pancakes for breakfast, Homemade Pizza for supper

What's cooking up in your kitchen this week?

Queen Mother

p.s. took the tip of my finger off tonight slicing the bread...oops!

Simmering Sunday

What's cooking up in the kitchen today?
            Friends had a baby and thus I am making meals.... I don't cook meat usually since I switched to a vegetarian diet this past year....but my hubby still loves meat as do my friends....thus today we are cooking up some southern cuisine: Barbecue chicken, coleslaw, fresh diced strawberries and brownies.  I also cooked up a veggie pot pie for tomorrow.  The kids and I are having a Green Curry Thai soup with bread while Papa enjoys his southern cuisine.

Veggie Pie Recipe:
Made from scratch pie crusts
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup diced celery
1/3 cup butter alternative
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced mushrooms
1/2 cup corn
2 cloves of garlic pressed
1/3  cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 3/4 cups veggie broth or water
2/3 cup milk (regular, soy, or rice)

Saute mushrooms, garlic and onions in butter then mix in with all other ingredients simmering on a pot.  boil for about 10-15 minutes until veggies tender and sauce thickened.  Pour into pre-baked crust then top with second crust.  Cut a few holes in the crust and bake
Bake at 425 F (220 C) for 30 minutes or until crust is golden.

spinning before the King

this mornings little nuggets from John:
      3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease!
      4:34 My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

How often do I set out to accomplish my work instead of being about the work of the Father! How often does His plan for my day get traded for my dreams and aspirations. It's not like I plan to make the trade...it's those little moments that sneak up on me when my flesh is weak....when my site is off the Father...that I am tempted to make the switch...tempted to play the hand on my own... tempted to live out "my will be done" but of course I would never say that...but is that what my life is reflecting? Oh that my life would always reflect "Thy will be done, Thy kingdom come" instead of choices reflecting a striving for a kingdom of my own.  So how do we do it? How do we keep our sights on His will, His kingdom while still being the unique individuals He created us to be....How do we live free without demanding that freedom?  We are free yet it's a limited freedom as it must fall in step with "Thy will be done, Thy Kingdom come"...so how do we walk that line, find that balance, find the place to dance wildly with the Father's face shining on us.  I have this picture of a little girl with golden locks just spinning, dancing, wildly among a field of grass and flowers and then she is called inside....she doesn't want to leave her carefree dancing in the wind but she cheerfully, obediently runs back inside for duty because that is what she has been called to do....yet she carries with her one small flower.... a flower that reminds her of the beauty, of the dancing, of that carefree moment, that freedom to simply be, and enjoy the presence of the King. Submission in marriage & motherhood often seems like that to me....yet I often forget to carry the small flower with me when I must go back inside and I don't pursue my duties cheerfully... that memory before the presence of the King, that spinning wildly, freely...it doesn't linger as it ought when I forget to carry that little flower with me....Oh that I would learn the art of taking a little nugget with me wherever I go so that WHATEVER i am doing, no matter how mundane, or how non-creative, non-dreamy, I am reminded and refreshed by that moment of freely dancing before my King.

Do you ever seek to fulfill your joy in what you do instead of in Christ alone? If so, follow me as I seek to find my satisfaction in Him instead of what I do for Him....

Give Thanks to the Lord

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; 2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.  3 On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. 4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth, 5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord.  6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me.  8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.  Do not forsake the work of your hands.  
     ~Psalm 138~

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me...I may not understand it.... I may not know what medium he will use to display the colors that I am but His word says that HE WILL FULFILL....He will fulfill me along with His purpose FOR me... I am a piece of art...a masterpiece in the making with the Master artist brushing the strokes on my canvas of life.  Some with vivid colors and some rather bland.  Some are smooth strokes while others are more like splats.  And as I look more closely I see that the vibrant colors are the splats....the ones produced in the heat of life that is where the colors glow more brightly yet oftentimes this is the very thing I long to get away from...the discomfort and difficulty and yet this is the place that the Master Artist does His most colorful work...

the act of naming it

A breath of fresh air... "one thousand gifts" by Ann Voskamp. It is so hard to live in an attitude of gratitude, but it is so true that the very act of naming that thing for which you are thankful gives life to it...makes it legit...it takes flight and gives rise to more.  I have found it hard of late to remain in a state of thankfulness. If I were honest, I should confess that it has always been hard to remain in a state of thankfulness, I just didn't realize it until recently.  Why is it so hard to be satisfied by the morsels I'm given?  Well, for starters I often don't see the morsels as a gift.... I see what is being withheld instead of what is being given. But again, that "edenic" naming of the gift helps it take root in my heart.  "It is God's will that you be thankful and joyful in all circumstances." 1 Thess 5:16-18  In that moment when i am not joyful, not thankful, do I believe that God has given me everything that I need? No. No I do not believe it. and therein lies my problem.  How can I fail to believe God is good?  It's because in that moment I am not looking at the scope of things but instead I am looking at one dot on the page...I am looking at myself instead of the giver...i am forgetting that I was not created for comfort... a breath of fresh air... I'll say again, I was not created for comfort!

stock full of ideas

I am a dreamer...a big picture visionary without the authority to make it possible.  Yet alas, I can write about it, I can make it legit on paper...I can live through my pen.

The latest idea....
      Hotel/Bed & Breakfast....on the outskirts of town.... this is the promised land spoke of in Genesis, where all of life began...possibly where the garden of Eden lay....we can't be sure but Genesis speaks of a river flowing through the garden that out of four rivers came, two of which are still around : the Tigris and Euphrates.... I look at a map and alas here is the outskirts of town.  So, back to the bed & breakfast....farm raised eggs, home-grown organic ingredients for the nourishment served...stable out back for horseback tours of the promised land (promised land long handed over to those who are not followers of the cross).  Papa could give the history of the land and region since his passion is history, while continuing to write the stories of the people.  Maybe a little coffee shop in conjunction with the hotel.... riding lessons for kids.... shuttle service to town and from the airport.... Job opportunity for locals: a cook, cleaning detail, shuttle driver, check-in people - one being on-site management with wife tending to garden and animals since Papa wants to be in the middle of town close to all the people.
      Local hotels do not have well built buildings with insulation....you can hear your neighbor using the restroom... so after two stays, this idea was birthed.  The rooms mainly have twin beds which is not couple-friendly.  I would want to provide privacy and comfort...a haven for the weary traveler and alas a way to contribute to society while allowing our stay there.  And yes...ultimately I just long to have horses and a garden of my own coupled with serving the community around me.   I sketched the room lay outs and decor, made a list of what to grow in the garden, pastures and horses needed.... it's always fun to hatch an idea, to scratch it out on paper, to let your mind think big...beyond yourself.  For twelve years i have lived in one idea....so it's kind of refreshing to hatch another one... so here it is to breathe a little....

queen mother

...having the appearance of godliness

...but denying its power. 2 Timothy 3:5
What exactly does it mean to have the appearance of godliness but deny its power?

"Miss anything else, but do not miss my voice. Other voices may introduce disharmony, but my voice will always bring peace to your heart and clarity to your thinking....
Yes, I will keep you in the center of my will and my  being, lest on the one hand you move into coldness and doubt, or on the other hand you become carried away by fleshly zeal.  There is no neutrality in the center.  This is not an arbitrary position.  For I will fill you with the abundance of my own life.
Your heart will burn with the fire of my love. You shall rejoice in all kinds of circumstances, because I will share with you my joy; and my joy is completely disassociated from the world and from the people of the world. But I joy in those who joy in me.  My love I pour out to those who pour out their lives to Me."

These are just book crumbs I have written in my journal of late and have been chewing on.  I think that lately I do have the appearance of godliness yet deny its power in my life.  I struggle to endure well....clinging to the cross is my power yet when I look away from the cross and onto my circumstances it is then that I begin to doubt and then that I deny the power of the cross.  Clinging to the cross...oh Lord please find me clinging to the cross!

Thanksgiving Menu!!!

Amy Pope, you asked for recipes and I aim to please so....
The Cheesecake I attempted this year:

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2007

Prep Time:

15 min

Inactive Prep Time:

4 hr 15 min

Cook Time:

1 hr 0 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

8 servings

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 stick melted salted butter

Filling:

• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
• 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For crust:

In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

For filling:

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.

Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Cheesecakes crack easily so some of the tips I read after the fact was to put your springform pan inside a pan of water when you put it in the oven to keep the moisture high in the oven.  Once you remove from the oven let it sit for 15 minutes then run a knife around the edge to loosen the cheesecake from the pan.  

Hopefully yours will turn out without cracks! 

Now for my family's recipe of Cherry-Berries On A Cloud

Cherry-Berries On A Cloud

Recipe courtesy My Grandmother: Charlotte Garver

Ingredients

Meringue Crust:

• 6 Egg Whites
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups sugar

Filling:

• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 cups chilled whipping cream
• 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows

Topping:

• 1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling *** I make my own, recipe to follow***
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries or 1 (16 oz) package frozen strawberries, thawed 
• mix together in a bowl to be spread on prior to serving.                               

Directions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).

For crust:

Butter a 13x9x2 inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until foamy. Beat in 1 3/4 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until stiff and glossy.  DO NOT UNDERBEAT!!!  Spread in pan.  Bake for 1 hour.  Turn off oven; LEAVE Meringue IN OVEN with door closed for 12 hours or longer. 

For filling:

In chilled bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff.  Blend cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in another bowl.  Gently fold whipped cream and marshmallows into the cream cheese mixture; spread over meringue.  Chill 12-24 hours.  (or you can chill in a bowl while you wait on crust and put the topping in the crust the next day when your crust is done.)  Cut into serving size pieces and top with cherry-berry topping.  Makes 12 servings. 

Cherry Pie Filling

Recipe courtesy of Me: Queen Mother

• 1 (16 oz) package of frozen sour cherries or fresh cherries, pitted
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup cornstarch + 1 Tablespoon 
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup cold water

Mix cornstarch in the cold water and put in a pot on the stove, mix in the sugar and bring to a bowl, stirring until it thickens.  Add in the cinnamon, lemon juice and cherries.  You can add in 6 drops of red food coloring if you want it to be the redder color of canned filling or if you like it more natural, omit this step.   Stir till it thickens and can or refrigerate.  This filling can be canned for a long shelf life!

Apple Glazed Turkey

Recipe courtesy of Me: Queen Mother

Steep 3 apple tea bags in four cups of water

1 teaspoon sage

4 cloves garlic, pressed

salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 Tablespoons cornstarch + 1 tablespoon cold water

leeks or onions

granny smith apple diced up

After you have steeped the tea, pour into a pot, mix your cornstarch and water together and add into pot, add sage, garlic, salt and pepper and boil until it thickens up a little.   

I used Turkey fillets as whole turkeys cannot be found.  I placed the fillets in a pan, sprinkled a little crushed red pepper on top, put leeks and chopped apples around then pour the liquid on top.  Throughout baking you will use a basting brush to baste the top of the fillets with the liquid.  

Happy Turkey Day!!!!  Pictures may follow later :) 

Queen Mother

So my soul pants for You, O God!

Reading Psalm 42 this mornings: As a deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God.  2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" 4 These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me.  For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God, with the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. 5 "Why are you in despair, O my soul? and why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence. "
            ... I miss the the "throng", I miss the body of believers that met in the Lord's house with.... "a multitude keeping festival"... I miss my TCC family and this passage makes me think of the blessing that they were and are.  An early morning phone call from a dear friend who I met and prayed with weekly just furthers that longing for the body but more so that panting after Christ who is our great sustainer, who at one time blessed me with the body of TCC to help sustain me but who now I expectantly await will sustain still through other means.... More of Jesus is my cry..."all of you is more than enough for me,"  I want all of Him, I want the living God to breath words of life over me, to speak to my dry and weary soul and instill impenetrable joy and thanksgiving within my grumbling heart.  "When you walk through the fire, I will be with You"... knowing He is with me is amazing but the sin that oozes out of you when you are walking through heat is ugly... especially when you live in a fish bowl with everyone watching, analyzing, critiquing you.  Oh that my eyes would not look out of the bowl but up to my feeder/sustainer! Oh that my tail would swish with pizzazz as I make melody in my heart to God instead of belching out remnants of an ungrateful heart!  Eagerly I await you O God, eagerly I long for you to change my wicked heart, for your Spirit to make me fruity! Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control...oh would you come be a dear friend to me, would you well up inside of me and pour out of me lavishly? Hurry, oh patience, please hurry!

Green Smoothie and Banana Flax Muffins

Green Smoothie Recipe:
Cup of chopped frozen Spinach
3 Frozen Bananas
cup or more of frozen melon
some orange juice
some apple juice - enough for blender to be able to process it all
few drops of vitamin d
probiotic powder
few drops of immune booster
tablespoon of homemade almond butter


Whole Wheat Banana Flax Muffin Recipe: adapted from "Healthy Snacks to Go" by Katie Kimball
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. ground flaxseed
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup hazelnut oil (can use coconut oil or butter)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 c. white sugar or less (we used slightly less)
I substituted the egg for a handful of oatmeal and 1/2 cup of water
1 cup mashed banana
2 Tbs. plain yogurt (can leave out for a vegan option)

I then sprinkled a smidgen of sugar and oatmeal on top of each one to make them look prettier.
bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes - store at room temp for 1-2 days and then you will need to refrigerate so they don't spoil.  I triple my batch and make a batch of muffins for the morning and then prior to cooking freeze the mix in foil bread pans to take out and bake fresh when I want them next.  Then its ready for when company drops in for you to just pop in the oven.

Enjoy!

Fighting Fear/Worry/Anxiety

“Worry is caused by what is going on inside us, not by what happens around us.”

“Sin makes us scarily self- focused, self-absorbed, and self-motivated.”

“Important things become too important because they become the places we look to for rest.  When they do, they not only give us rest, they become the reason for the endless cycles of worry, anxiety and fear.”

We are in a “War between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of self.  The kingdom of self seeks earthbound treasures and anxiety bound needs.” 

“Inner rest of soul and lasting peace of heart are only ever found when Jesus and His kingdom are your highest and deepest treasures.  When you place your identity in His never-changing hands; when you find your meaning and purpose in the unstoppable work of His kingdom...”

“There is no grace for our imaginations” Elizabeth Elliott

“He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.”  Prov. 14:26

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” Ps. 23:6  

“Goodness supplies our needs, and mercy blots out our sins” Edward T. Welch in “Running Scared”

“do not fear what you are about to suffer.  Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation.  Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Rev 2:10

“Fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” 2 Tim 1:7

• the Holy Spirit is the gift and can help battle fear and insecurity. 

“He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.” Ps 18: 31-36

“You whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, ‘you are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off’; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isa. 41: 9,10

Water of the World

“If we are to recognize and obey our Lord’s wishes as to every detail of service, we must often ask Him to search the ground of our heart.  It is so easy to slip into wanting to serve in the way we like best.  This is service rendered, but not in God’s way.” ... ‘Across the will of nature leads on the path of God; Not where the flesh delighteth the feet of Jesus trod”...  we are trusted to trust without explanation.”

“As in Bible days, a call often comes to us to make some new decision which demands steadfast and courageous unselfishness, and the fortitude which flinches from nothing and goes on to the end.”  Amy Carmichael

“Free my heart to love the lost with the great deep compassion of Jesus Christ.  Free my affections and nail them to your cross!”  Francis Roberts. 

“The ship belongs in the water of the world, but if the water gets in the ship, it sinks” D.L. Moody

“For the Love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died.... that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died...”  2 Cor. 5:14-15

Cream of Wild Rice

Cream of Wild Rice Soup

 1 large onion, chopped

- 1 large carrot, shredded

- 1 celery rib, chopped (optional)

- 1/4 cup butter (2 tbsp. will work)

- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

- 8 cups chicken broth (can make with 6 chicken bouillones)

- 3 cups cooked wild rice

- 1 cup cooked chicken breast

- 1/4 tsp. salt, if needed

- 1/4 tsp. pepper

- 1 cup fat-free evaporated milk

In a large saucepan, saute onion, celery and carrot in butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Add a little broth if only 2 tbsp. butter used. Gradually add broth. Add rest of ingredients. Bring to boil over medium heat and let cook until thick. Stir in milk and let cook 3 to 5 minutes longer. Can add flour if it doesn't get thick enough. Makes 2.5 quarts.

So my whole family is sick right now with this yucky Respiratory tract infection and I thought I would make my friends soup recipe (compliments of Jamie Beall)  because it just hits the spot when you are sick!!!  It is good stuff, I highly recommend it if you are under the weather!!!