Recipes worth Trying!

Before you get the wrong idea, I'll preface these by stating they aren't my own original creations. I've gotten these recipes from several friends who have in turn found them in magazines or from other friends. A few are my own. They are worth trying and passing along. So here they are for those that have asked. Perhaps, I'll be making them with you guys soon, I hope!


Ever so yummy salads!

Minty Orzo Lentil Feta Salad

6 c. water
1 T. salt
1 ¼ c. orzo
6 T. olive oil
¾ c. brown lentils
¼ c. red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ c. each fresh mint and dill, finely chopped
1 sm. red onion chopped
10 oz. feta cheese crumbled
¾ c. kalamata olives pitted and chopped
6 sprigs dill or mint for garnish


Bring water to boil with salt and orzo. Cook 5-8 minutes. Drain and Toss in 1 T. olive oil. Cover and cool completely. Cover lentils inn 2 inches of water and simmer uncovered 15-20 minutes. Drain.

Wisk remaining 5 T. olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Add lentils, mint, dill, onion, feta, olives, and dressing to orzo. Stir and garnish. Serve at room temperature. Tastes great cold too.


Bulgar & lentil salad w/chickpeas
(completely healthy for you!)

1 C beluga (black) lentils, rinsed & picked over (now available at Trader Joes)
1 bay leaf
salt

3 C warm water
1 C bulgar wheat
3 medium shallots (can substitute red onion if necessary)
1/4 C red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
3 T walnut oil (I never have this on hand)
freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 C cooked chickpeas or 1 can, rinsed (I always use the can)
1 C finely chopped parsley
3 T finely chopped tarragon
1/2 c walnut halves, toasted & chopped (I use pecans)

1. In saucepan cover lentils w/ water, add bay leaf & 1/2 t salt, bring to a boil, reduce heat & simmer 20 mins.

2. In medium bowl pour warm water over bulgar & let soak until tender, about 30 mins., drain & squeeze dry.

3. In a small bowl combine shallots w/ vinegar, add garlic, whisk in lemon juice & oil, season w/pepper.

4. Combine lentils, bulgar, chick peas, parsley & tarragon, add dressing, stir gently & thoroughly.

5. Serve warm or at room temp w/nuts.

Can be made ahead (add nuts right before serving). Great with crumbled feta & chopped tomatoes on top.

Side Dishes:

Homemade Baked Beans
INGREDIENTS:
• 3 cups of dried white navy beans, soaked and simmered until tender, following package directions
• 1 1/2 c ketchup
• 1 1/2 c water
• 1/4 c molasses
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 6 slices of uncooked salt pork or bacon, diced
• 1 c brown sugar
PREPARATION:
Place all ingredients in slow cooker; cover and cook for 8 to 10 hours on low. Stir a few times, if possible.


Main Courses:

Chicken Chili

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 medium diced onions
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 (15.8 oz.) cans Great Northern Beans (white kidney beans)
2 (15.8 oz.) cans Garbanzo Beans
2 (15.8 oz.) cans corn
2 (4.5 oz.) cans diced green chiles
2 cubes chicken bullion
8 oz. pepper jack cheese, cubed

DO NOT DRAIN LIQUID FROM CANNED GOODS. POOR ENTIRE CAN WITH LIQUID INTO CROCKPOT.

Sauté cubed chicken and onion with ground cumin until cooked. Put remaining ingredients in crock-pot along with chicken mixture. Heat on high 1 ½ - 2 hours (until cheese melts) and continue on low for 6 hours. Serve warm. Top with extra cheese, sour cream, green onion, cilantro, or any other favorite topping. Serves six people.



Chicken Francesca

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1cup milk
1cup bread crumbs
3/4cup grated parmesan
2tbs. parsley flakes
1cup olive oil
1cup chicken broth
1cup white wine
1/3cup lemon juice
Sliced lemons

Remove tenderloin from chicken breast and divide remaining breast in half. Complete on all four breasts. Pound meat with a meat tenderizer and let soak in milk for 5 minutes. Mix next three dry ingredients together. Heat oil in a large skillet. Dredge chicken in dry mixture and brown each side of the chicken in oil. Lay browned pieces in a 9 by 13 dish. When finished reserve about two tablespoons of oil in skillet and add broth. Simmer until reduced in half. Then, add wine and simmer until reduced in half. Finally, add lemon juice and remove from heat. Place sliced lemons on chicken in baking dish. Then poor all of the liquid from your skillet over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Serve over pasta. Serves 4-6 people.

Boeuf Bourguignon

1 T olive oil
8 oz diced bacon
2 1/2 lbs stew meat, cubed
salt & pepper
1 lb carrots, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 onions, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 c brandy or cognac (optional)
1 bottle (750 ml) of red wine--or less and replace with beef broth
1 can of beef broth--or more to replace red wine
1 t fresh thyme or 1/4 t dried thyme
1 T tomato paste
4 T butter, divided
3 T flour
1 lb frozen pearl onions
1 lb sliced mushrooms


Preheat oven to 250.

Cook the bacon in the oil over medium heat in a dutch oven until lightly browned. Remove to a plate.

Salt and pepper meat. Then, sear the meat in remaining oils. Remove to plate with bacon.

Saute 1 T salt, 2 t pepper, carrots and onion for 10 min over med heat in remaining oils. Add garlic and saute one more min.

Now here's the part I change. She says to put 1/2 c brandy in and stand back and light a match to burn off the alcohol. Instead, I use 1/4 c and I turn up the heat to high for a few minutes, stirring often.

Return the bacon and meat to the pot. Add the wine, broth, thyme, and tomato paste (the liquids should nearly cover the meat.)

Cover and put in oven for 1 1/4 hours.

Remove from oven. Mash 2 T butter with flour and add to stew. Add pearl onions. Simmer over low heat. Meanwhile, saute mushrooms in remaining 2 T of butter for about 10 min. Then add to stew. Heat to desired warmth.


Desserts:

Rum Cake
1 pkg. yellow butter cake mix
1 small box vanilla instant pudding
1/2 cup light rum
4 eggs - beat one at a time
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cold water

Beat well (all ingredients) together and put into
lightly greased Bundt pan or angel pan. Bake at 350
degrees for 45 minutes. Cool 15 minutes, remove from
pan. Invert cake and prick top and sides all over.
Drizzle & brush on glaze over top and sides. (I
usually put the glaze on while the cake is still in
the pan.)

Glaze: 1 stick butter (or margarine)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup rum
Boil 5 minutes then drizzle and brush on glaze over a
warm cake.

Longing for the Kingdom

It has been so long since I've written anything! As I look back on this summer, it is not for lack of things happenning, but somehow I haven't really had the words to share what I've been thinking about.

We have had a long summer adjusting to our new little corner in Gulf Dr. All of our little buddies that we played with for two years moved away, so that has been a bit change for little Wyatt but also for me. All of our new neighbors are working most of the day, so there has been a little whole in my life where my former friendships have sort of changed. I love keeping up with people on the phone, but it just isn't the same as seeing someone almost everyday.

We went to California in June and when we returned our sweet friends' daughter returned to the hospital with an infection following her fourth round of chemo. What started as days, turned into weeks, and somehow slowly yet quickly (if that can even make sense) weeks turned into months that this precious baby was in the hospital fighting for her life. Just yesterday she went home from the hospital. Our friends brought home a baby that in many ways is nothing like the one they went to the hospital with months ago. Her infection caused serious damage to her brain and now they will begin the waiting game of seeing how rehab will help her. So much is unknown. It is hard to not, for the sake of avoiding what could be little improvement, cling to the stories people tell about miraculous brain recovery and babies that can relearn almost anything. But I have really been struck that while that is more optomistic, it may not necessarily be what our Lord has planned. We all know he can and does have the means to change any situation, so all of me prays toward that end, but part of me doesn't quite know how to process that he may not change this situation and that our friends' suffering will somehow bring glory to Him. I look every day at my daughter who is days younger than their baby and wonder why she has been granted a life that so far has been spared from this awful suffering and she is growing and learning new things every day, things that our friends' daughter may never do. I sat with my friend both of us in tears as we talked about her suffering and our joy and just what are we supposed to do with that? I don't want to convey doubt that our great and faithful God surely has a plan that is far greater than what I can concieve, but there must be room in this life to be honest and face the facts that we aren't experiencing life the way it is supposed to be! Another friend of ours spoke at a funeral once and talked about this very subject of pain and suffering and really helped me process some of these feelings that I am facing today. If only I would remember his words every day. So often the Christian response in death and suffering is to tritely "rejoice" in God's plan that our loved ones are with Him or someday will be free of suffering and with Him. Don't here me saying that this day won't be glorious, but that does little for those here on earth experiencing the loss and pain. I am reminded that pain, loss, suffering and simply stated all of the bad stuff that we experience here on earth is a product of the fall and is not the way things should be! It is okay to be real and hate how one feels in these circumstances because we should be longing for something better. Sin has left us hurting and longing for more...our hope is for Christ's return and the coming of His kingdom that will restore all things and make them truly better than we can ever imagine. So please pray with me and others that this sweet baby will be spared any more suffering and that she will be healed but that our friends will also be able to experience some sense of the peace of God in their lives regardless of what the outcome will be.


Another note on suffering...please note I am using this word in the most mildest of ways...this is what I hate about someone else reading what you write as opposed to listening to what you are saying. So often the tone is lost. I suppose if I was a better writer it wouldn't be, but I am not. We are excited to share we are pregnant again, but yet again deep in the trenches of throwup!!! I naively think that with each pregnancy maybe my body will respond differently, but to no avail, I always end up puking and often. I am taking medication which seems to ever so slightly help. So rejoice with us for this new life and pray for a short period of sickness. As endearing as it is, I long for a morning where sweet little Wyatt doesn't wake up saying, "Mommy, you feeling so better??? a lot????"


On a final note, David is off to his last year at Covenant. We are so excited that he is almost finished with this program. He really has gained so much from the experience here. Please pray for us as we are considering where exactly God is calling us and what He is calling us to.

God Bless.