Lord, I just want to say THANK YOU, Because this morning I woke up and knew where my children were.
Because this morning my home was still standing,
Because this morning I am not crying
Because my spouse, my child, my brother or sister, my parent does not need to be buried or to be pulled out from underneath a pile of concrete,
Because this morning I was able to drink a glass of water,
Because this morning I was able to turn on the light,
Because this morning I was able to take a shower,
Because this morning I was not planning a funeral,
But most of all I thank you this morning because I still have life and a voice to cry out for the people of Japan.
Lord I cry out to you, the One that makes the impossible, possible,
The One that turns darkness in to light,
I cry out that You give those mothers strength,
That You give them peace that surpasses all understanding,
That You may open the streets so that help can come,
That You may provide doctors, nurses, food, water, and all that they need in a blink of an eye.
For all those that have lost family members, give them peace, give them hope, give them courage to continue to go on!
Protect the children and shield them with your power.
I pray all this in the name of Jesus!!!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Finally!
I was very happy to find out, this morning, that a second collection was being taken up for Japan's recovery. I still feel that being a Faith that is supposed to 'be there' for the less fortunate and ones suffering disaster, that it should have happened last Sunday with a follow up collection this Sunday.
I was interested to hear that Catholic Relief Services is one of the biggest services in the world and has only a one percent deduction from each dollar donated for their administrative costs. Red Cross takes nine percent. Since we weren't adequately prepared to put in a check (we only had five bucks in cash which did go in!), we are going to check on-line about donating directly to Catholic Relief Services.
Amazing story, today, about a grandmother and her two grandsons being pulling from the rubble in Japan after nine days! There IS light in darkness if we look for it.
I was interested to hear that Catholic Relief Services is one of the biggest services in the world and has only a one percent deduction from each dollar donated for their administrative costs. Red Cross takes nine percent. Since we weren't adequately prepared to put in a check (we only had five bucks in cash which did go in!), we are going to check on-line about donating directly to Catholic Relief Services.
Amazing story, today, about a grandmother and her two grandsons being pulling from the rubble in Japan after nine days! There IS light in darkness if we look for it.
Maybe hot weather will not be TOO bad . . .
As I've mentioned, I seem to be happiest on cold, overcast days. I love rain and keeping warm as I cook in the kitchen or huddle under a quilt I stitching. Today, I think I would like a warm day or two. I found a recipe for a favorite flavor of mine - lemon - and an easy way to dispose of said fruit - ice cream. Although we have an ice cream maker, it doesn't get used often as we have to have enough ice on hand and it it noisy. This recipe is right on mark with me and my lazy views on hauling out the ice cream maker - it doesn't NEED an ice cream maker!
Lemon Ice Cream
1 large lemon, juiced and zested
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
Combine the lemon zest and sugar in the food processor. Blend until the zest is very fine. If you don't have access to a food processor, finely grate the zest and mix into the sugar. In a bowl, stir together the sugar and milt with the sugar until it has dissolved, then stir in the lemon juice. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff. Gently fold the whipped cream into the lemon mixture until evenly blended.
Pour the mixture into a 9x5-inch loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for 2-3 hours or until firm.
According to an on-line source, you can freeze whole lemons for later use. You just zap them in the microwave for a few seconds and the juice is usually more prevalent as the freezing has broken down the cells. The juice, however, is still fresh tasting. I have two such bags of lemons in my freezer right now. I'm blessed with a bountiful lemon tree.
Lemon Ice Cream
1 large lemon, juiced and zested
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
Combine the lemon zest and sugar in the food processor. Blend until the zest is very fine. If you don't have access to a food processor, finely grate the zest and mix into the sugar. In a bowl, stir together the sugar and milt with the sugar until it has dissolved, then stir in the lemon juice. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff. Gently fold the whipped cream into the lemon mixture until evenly blended.
Pour the mixture into a 9x5-inch loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for 2-3 hours or until firm.
According to an on-line source, you can freeze whole lemons for later use. You just zap them in the microwave for a few seconds and the juice is usually more prevalent as the freezing has broken down the cells. The juice, however, is still fresh tasting. I have two such bags of lemons in my freezer right now. I'm blessed with a bountiful lemon tree.
A nice perspective . . .
Our parish would like to build a new church. We have a new pastor and he is good at building the attitude groundwork, first, before a brick is purchased or set into place! In talking to him, today, he said that building a church does not mean the building. Building a church is the body of people involved and once you have 'built' that foundation, then you build a 'vessel' in which they will reside to worship our Lord. I thought it really put the whole concept of 'building community' into focus.
Sort of homemade but fast and easy . . .
I seldom purchase store-type cookies. I like to know exactly what goes into the food I feed my family and there are less additives in food that comes from my kitchen. Cookies are always in demand for snacks or a fast breakfast with a glass of milk on a busy day. I strain my homemade rule a bit when I make these but they turn out pretty good. It saves time when you need a batch of cookies on short notice.
1 package any flavor cake mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
Combine all the ingredients until thorouoghly moistened. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet lightly sprayed with vegetable oil. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately ten minutes. Cool a few minutes before removing them from the baking sheet to the cooling rack.
If you use a chocolate cake mix, you might need a bit more water. Naturally, you can stir in some chocolate chips or nuts. If you use a spice mix, extra vanilla extract and cinnamon won't hurt.
Whether you use your own frosting or canned, you can either top the cookies with it or put it between two cookies for a sandwich cookie. Don't forget the colored sprinkles, coconut, etc. to make them artistically your own.
It must be the cold weather and it is turning my mind to anything that involves turning on the oven!
1 package any flavor cake mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
Combine all the ingredients until thorouoghly moistened. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet lightly sprayed with vegetable oil. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately ten minutes. Cool a few minutes before removing them from the baking sheet to the cooling rack.
If you use a chocolate cake mix, you might need a bit more water. Naturally, you can stir in some chocolate chips or nuts. If you use a spice mix, extra vanilla extract and cinnamon won't hurt.
Whether you use your own frosting or canned, you can either top the cookies with it or put it between two cookies for a sandwich cookie. Don't forget the colored sprinkles, coconut, etc. to make them artistically your own.
It must be the cold weather and it is turning my mind to anything that involves turning on the oven!
Cutting corners or not, it's fun!
A lot of times, a canning or preserving project will actually cost more than just to buy a quality brand, BUT there is something to the satisfaction of making a family favorite in your own kitchen. Just like the tortilla recipe I posted earlier, it's either the ingredients or love that makes it taste better . . . probably a combination of both. Speaking of which, my husband found this recipe which is on my soon to-do list. Sweet relish gets a lot of use at our house from sandwiches to stuffed eggs. Now, I HAVE to find out if homemade IS better . . . or just more fun.
Homemade Sweet Relish
It makes two quarts so you can share with a friend!
6 cucumbers, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick
2 red onions, roughly chopped
1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon celery seeds
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
First step: Combine the cucumbers, onions, and pepper with the salt. Put the mixture in a colander (not a metal one!) over a bowl and store in the refrigerator over night. This will draw out the excess liquids.
Second step: The next day, rinse the vegetables under cold water and place them in a pot. Add the vinegar, sugar, celery seed, and mustard seeds. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes.
Third step: Transfer the mixture to a food processor, in batches if necessary, and pulse to desired consistency. Store in glass jars in the refrigerator.
I'm anxious to try a taste test on this recipe.
Only one daughter likes Thousand Island dressing on her salad. Since she is now at college, the bottle tends to go stale as she isn't home to use it. I've found that just mixing a cup of mayo with sweet relish (homemade?!), and some catsup provides enough for a few salad meals. You can dress it up with extra salt and pepper or a touch of mustard if you like.
Homemade Sweet Relish
It makes two quarts so you can share with a friend!
6 cucumbers, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick
2 red onions, roughly chopped
1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon celery seeds
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
First step: Combine the cucumbers, onions, and pepper with the salt. Put the mixture in a colander (not a metal one!) over a bowl and store in the refrigerator over night. This will draw out the excess liquids.
Second step: The next day, rinse the vegetables under cold water and place them in a pot. Add the vinegar, sugar, celery seed, and mustard seeds. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes.
Third step: Transfer the mixture to a food processor, in batches if necessary, and pulse to desired consistency. Store in glass jars in the refrigerator.
I'm anxious to try a taste test on this recipe.
Only one daughter likes Thousand Island dressing on her salad. Since she is now at college, the bottle tends to go stale as she isn't home to use it. I've found that just mixing a cup of mayo with sweet relish (homemade?!), and some catsup provides enough for a few salad meals. You can dress it up with extra salt and pepper or a touch of mustard if you like.
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