Ode to the Heat of Summer Days . . .

My favorite quote of the day!

"If it feels like an oven outside, shouldn't it smell like brownies?"

Finding tomatoes in unusual places . . .

 Made the ultimate sacrifice for my beloved younger son during the last heat wave and turned on the oven and made him some muffins. Why was that a sacrifice? The outdoor temperature was 110 today! It was in the 90's inside our house. I pray for a cold, wet winter.

Anyway, I didn't have pumpkin or zucchini to make the muffins with so used . . . fresh tomatoes from our garden! I pureed two cups' worth into a liquid and used that instead of the suggested pumpkin or zucchini. I added some grated orange rind, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to the batter, and they came out a pretty, deep red/brown and my son snacked on them all day. I don't think canned tomato sauce would have worked quite as well as the fresh tomatoes had an interesting, fresh tang.

Sweet and Spicy Pork

I like to fuss over dinner preparations. I also like to not fuss over dinner preparations. This recipe appeals to me because it tastes like I spent a lot of time on it . . . but I didn't have to!

Sweet and Spicy Pork

Approximately two pounds of cubed pork
1 chopped onion
2 peeled cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 can (usually 15 ounces) either crushed or chunk pineapple with the juice
1 small bottle (8-12 ounces) of your favorite chili sauce
2 quarter-inch slices of peeled, chopped fresh ginger (can substitute 1 teaspoon of ground ginger)

Sprinkle the pork cubes with some salt and pepper and place in a skillet. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix in well.  Cover, bring to a boil, and then turn down to simmer for approximately an hour and a half or until the meat is tender.

This goes well over freshly cooked, hot rice.

Ideas . . .

Sprinkle each serving with a bit of chopped, green onion.
Toss on a teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds over each serving.
Mix in a couple tablespoons of chopped cilantro just before dishing up.

Proverbs 14:32

Proverbs 14:32
When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but even in death the righteous have a refuge.

Sure describes the tragedy in Norway . . .

Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe.

Herbert George Wells

Eternal Rest Grant onto Them, Oh Lord . . .

The news out of Norway since yesterday has been horrendous. I can't even begin to imagine the sorrow of the many families who lost a child yesterday or are still waiting to find out if their child is still alive. It graphically demonstrates how just one person can make a difference in so many lives in the space of a short time. This time, the difference was devastating.

It really makes me think about this aspect of how an individual can literally change a city, country, the world. We always think that we do not have the power or the vote to make any kind of difference. Imagine how much good this killer from Norway could have made if he had been a righteous man instead of one bent on destruction to prove his point. God gave him intelligence and he used his free will for evil instead of good.

My heart just aches for the mothers of those murdered teens. I imagine they sent them off to a weekend of camp thinking they would be safe on the island to enjoy their conference and friends.

One man made an  awful change in the world, yesterday. It should make us rethink how we live each day and what we can do to instill some good into it and start making changes in our own way for the betterment of everyone. A kind word instead of gossip . . . An extra prayer for someone who is annoying . . .  We have more power in our bare hands and full hearts than a mean-spirited, self-centered gunman who hides behind a gun and kills, hurts, and maims innocent people.

It really, really makes you think . . .