…and it made me think. What do you think?
Our Healthy Lunch: A Curried Carrot Soup
27 Feb posted by
I am lazy. I love to eat the same thing every day for lunch. It’s great for healthy living as if I plan it right I can have a weeks worth of healthy food that I can turn to without too much thought. I made this soup last week for my lunch and it lasted a day and a half. We ate it for dinner because it smelled so good and had it the next day as well. I’m going to have to make another pot for this week!
It’s a soup I make regularly because it’s quick, tasty and delicious. My son also adores it so it’s a great way to get him to eat some vegetables. It was inspired by the Rachael Ray Recipe for Curried Carrot Soup but it’s evolved and changed as I’ve made it over the years. I hope you enjoy it!
Curried Carrot Soup
Ingredients:
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3-4 medium onions roughly chopped.
- 3-3.5 pounds of baby carrots
- 8 cups of chicken broth (approx. 2 boxes)
- 2 tbsp curry powder
Instructions:
- Brown the onions in the olive oil until nice and soft in a large pot.
- Add the carrots and broth to the pot and bring to a boil.
- Turn the mixture down to medium and cook until the carrots are soft.
- Blend the mixture until it it creamy with no lumps left.
- Add the curry powder while stirring (to ensure the powder doesn’t clump).
- Serve!
Extra Information:
- If you want a nice surprise put a little goat cheese in the bottom of the bowl before pouring your soup on it. It’s delicious!
- This is a great gluten free option if you ensure the broth and curry powder are gluten free.
- I have been known to beef up the curry as I like a little spice.
- If you really want to speed up the cooking you can buy the matchstick carrots. This makes an easy soup even easier.
Letting go.
25 Feb posted by
In Matthew 6: 30-33, Jesus says:
“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.”
(The Message)
In this passage, Jesus reminds us that if we let go God will take care of us. That message has been hitting me over the head repeatedly this week. I guess it’s one I need to hear! Our society is built around worry. We’re built around fear. We constantly fight messages that tell us we aren’t enough, we have to be better and that only we can do it but Jesus tells us to let those things go.
Earlier in the text he tells us to forget about clothes, stop worrying about what you look like and focus on living a God-centred life. That’s not our world is it? We’re told how to sleep better so we can perform better so we can get the promotion to make more money and be a better person. That’s not really the life God envisions for us, is it. God wants us to build relationships, both with God and those we love. When we wind up fixated on worry and control we lose sight of the things that matter. We fail to see the bigger picture.
Life isn’t about us. It’s about relationship and attention. It’s about engaging the world around us. It’s about making a difference. As a church we claim to want to do those things but at times I fear we get bogged down in worry. We wonder how we will get people in the door. We wonder how we will keep going unless things change. I think things need to change. We need to trust God. We need to believe that God will provide if we have a God Centered approach. If we pray, trust, listen and execute according to God’s will things might be different. We need to let go of fear and we need to believe again.
I wonder sometimes what would happen if we really trusted. I wonder what would happen if we let go of the worry and started to trust. What would happen if we sold our buildings and started gathering together in a new place? If we rented instead of owned? If we had less investment in the buildings and started to focus on ministry? What could we do with the money from that sale? What kind of ministry could be done by a group of Christians who acted in faith, moved in together and created a new ministry from the ashes of the old? What a resurrection story that might be! What hope might spring from that leap of faith.
I recently found an incredible story on the Huffington Post, “Giving Up Half of our Possessions Made our Family Whole” by Kevin Salwen. The Salwen family sold their home and gave 1/2 of their money to help subsistence farmers in Ghana are transforming their lives with the help of The Hunger Project. Mr. Salwen said that the project changed his family for the better. They realized the multitude of blessings they had. They started to see their life in new ways.
In the article he states “In our big house, we stopped communicating. We’d scatter to different rooms, far from one another physically and spiritually. The house actually began to weaken our love, or at least our ability to express that love…In our new, smaller, “half” house, we live with each other instead of near each other. We interact more, engage more, talk more, debate more, touch more, love more.” Is that what happened to us? Did we stop communicating? Did we get too far away from each other?
What would happen to us if we were brought closer together. What would happen if we were drawn together? If our gifts and talents were gathered in a new way, so we could provide meaningful ministry for today’s context? What would happen if we trusted God to bring us together instead of grasping at straws to stay apart?
The Salwen’s made me think. The incredible trust they had. The courage to change their lives, unsure of what that might mean in order to make a difference in the lives of those they might never meet. It’s inspirational.
God has something incredible for us to do if we trust. If we let go of our need to be in control, if we surrender and follow, amazing things might happen. Can we trust? Are we willing to let go and let God take the lead?
Savory Pumpkin Seeds
24 Feb posted by
The Oscars are Sunday. I love the dresses. I like the people watching and I look forward to the crazy comments and entertaining interviews. Have I mentioned the dresses? I really like the dresses.
Now that we’re parents we will probably stay in and have a quiet night at home as X. goes to bed right when the action starts. I’ve started to put together some of our favorite treats to enjoy while my husband and I wonder about the Academy’s choices and wait for Colin Firth to win Best Actor. These Savory Pumpkin Seeds are one of our favorite snacks. Roasted and rich with flavor we find them to be the perfect snack when a salt craving hits. I hope you enjoy!
Savory Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 to 2 c of Raw Pumpkin Seeds (I used a 300 gm package)
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp Onion Powder
Instructions:
- Turn the oven on to 200 degrees.
- Wrap a cookie sheet in aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
- Mix Olive Oil, Soy Sauce, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder in a bowl until well combined.
- Add the Pumpkin Seeds to the mixture and stir until well coated.
- Pour the Pumpkin Seeds onto the cookie sheet and place in the oven.
- Cook for 45 minutes. Take mixture out at the 15-20 minute mark and stir thoroughly to ensure and even roast.
- When finished allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Extra Instructions:
- This dish can easily be made gluten free by using gluten free soy sauce and spices.
The Pendulum of Life
22 Feb posted by
There is a pulse to life.
An internal force that draws us into the rhythm for which we were created.
It isn’t the same for everyone.
Some people move fast.
Others walk more carefully.
Yet when we are in rhythm, when we fully embrace our Creator’s desires, we become whole.
The world in which we live moves to it’s own pulse. It’s different. It’s loud. It’s not our own.
Are we in rhythm with the world or with the Creator?
Can we find our rhythm again?
There is a pulse to life.
A pendulum you might say.
We need to turn to the Creator.
For like a grand old clock we need care and maintenance.
We need adjustments.
We need to be wound and set again.
It’s time to be wound and set again.
I’m dreaming tonight…
21 Feb posted by
I’m dreaming of spring
Of Bunnies and birds.
Buds and petals.
Fresh spring breezes.
Of sunshine and showers.
Puddles and sunsets.
I’m ready for the world to come alive again.
So is my dragon.
Cinnamon Rum Apple Crisp: A healthier option
20 Feb posted by
Healthy living sometimes puts a damper on social situations. Imagine if you will being invited over to someone’s home for dinner and your assigned course was dessert. What would you do? What would you bring?
If you were me you’d bring this, a Cinnamon Rum Apple Crisp.
On Sunday night we went to dinner at my Mother’s and I offered to bring something. My Mom asked for her favorite dessert, my apple crisp. My original recipe is loaded with butter, delicious and definitely not good for a healthy eating plan. This is the alternative I created. It was delicious. Much less fat than the original, full of fibre and heart healthy cinnamon, this dish is definitely one I’m going to make again. I hope you like it!
Cinnamon Rum Apple Crisp
Ingredients:
- 1 bag of sweet apples
- 1/4 c butter
- 1 scant c brown sugar
- 1 scant c large flake oatmeal
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp rum (optional)
- Cinnamon to taste
Instructions:
- Heat oven to 350 degrees
- Roughly chop apples and place in a 9X13 rectangular pan.
- Cover the apples with a heavy sprinkling of cinnamon.
- Over medium heat melt the butter in a medium sauce pan.
- Add the brown sugar to the melting butter and stir continuously
- Add the Oatmeal and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
- Remove from heat and add 1 tbsp of rum. *The rum will cause mixture to bubble so be careful.
- Drizzle the mixture over the apples.
- Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes or until the apples are as soft as you desire.
- Serve and enjoy!
Extra Information:
- The rum is optional but it does add some liquid so if you choose to forgo the rum, consider adding another tbsp of butter. If you don’t use the rum it will be a little sweeter.
- You may be tempted to peel the apples but trust me, you don’t need to. They soften beautifully as you cook the dish and the peel is loaded with good stuff (or so they tell me).
- This recipe doesn’t include any flour and if you use certified gluten free oats its a great dessert to serve for your friends who are gluten intolerant.
- Bake this in the middle of your oven. You don’t want it too close to the burner as it will brown the top too quickly and the crisp will be much too crisp by the time the apples are done.
- I’ve made this many different ways. Mix up the fruit. Some of our favorite combinations include peaches with mixed berries and apples with cranberries. Play with seasonings, use fruit in season and adjust to your own taste. This is an incredibly versatile dish that you can use over and over again.
Interesting observation…
18 Feb posted by
I read a post this morning by another blogger that inspired some thought.
He theorizes that the reason the Canadian Church is having difficulty with progress is that we look for reasons things won’t work.
The article can be found here: 21 Ways to make it happen…or not.
I know this may be controversial.
I also know that he’s given me something to think about. Are we our own worst enemy? Are we the reason the church isn’t succeeding as it should?
What do you think?
Buttermilk Pancakes on Family Day Weekend
17 Feb posted by
It’s family day weekend where we live! This means that the following will happen over the next 3 days:
- Tomorrow morning there will be pancakes.
- We will play with trucks and balls and rings.
- There are books to read.
- We have songs to sing.
- There’s definitely running to do.
- We may enjoy movies.
- There will be a walk in the sunshine.
- We will just be ‘family’.
If need a delicious, easy recipe for pancakes for this weekend this one is fantastic! This is so easy and very tasty. You’ll never need a box again. I originally got this recipe from a Jamie Oliver cookbook, Jamie’s Food Revolution. I have changed one thing. I’ve substituted buttermilk for the regular milk as it gives the pancakes a much fuller flavor. Enjoy!
Buttermilk Pancakes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup/mug of buttermilk
- 1 cup/mug of cake flour
- 1 egg
Instructions:
- Whisk the ingredients together until well combined.
- Heat a pan to a medium-medium high heat.
- Before the pan gets too hot add a small amount of butter and make sure it covers the pan well.
- Pour small amounts of the batter on the pan.
- Leave the pancake until the top begins to bubble.
- Flip the pancakes.
- Remove when completely cooked through.
Extra Information:
- Jamie says in the original recipe that this recipe works with any mug. It is true. I’ve used mugs, cups and exact measurements. As long as the flour/milk ratio is the same it turns out beautifully.
- You can make these with regular milk. They will be flatter and less flavorful but still tasty. I do recommend the Buttermilk if it’s at all possible. So much better in my opinion.
- You do need to use cake/pastry flour for these. It helps with the fluffiness factor as it has ingredients in it to help with rising. If you use all-purpose you’ll wind up with something similar to a crepe.
- Once you flip the pancakes it takes very little time to cook through.
- We love these with warmed maple syrup.
To write a post
17 Feb posted by
Here’s what happened to me today when I sat down to write a post:
I opened the Bible. Turned to Matthew 6:24-34. Then proceeded to feel very bad when I read it was Jesus telling us not to worry. I worry all the time. I moved to the Psalms. Psalm 131 to be exact. Then felt even worse. David is apparently content and without worry. Why do I worry? I don’t know. I shouldn’t but I do. I am annoyed.
Annoyed at myself for being annoyed at the Bible, I move instead to the computer. I sit down aiming to jot a few ideas and inspirations down. Instead I wind up thinking about how dumb I am that I’m annoyed because the Bible called me on my faults and I shut down my word document. Perhaps it’s best not to preach about how dumb I am next week. I might need to reflect a little more on the text.
I move over to Facebook where I see other friends have written and shared beautiful blogs. I am inspired by them but still have nothing to write. Found out I am now friends with Bob T. Tomato which makes me smile. I switch over to Twitter to see what’s happening and hear my son over the monitor. He gets up, decides to go back down and now I’m listening to him talk himself to sleep.
I contemplate another cup of coffee but decide it might stop my heart with how jittery I’m already feeling due to caffeine overload. I need my decaf order to get here ASAP!
So here I am still with nothing to say and no coffee to comfort me. Perhaps I should go do some more reflecting…
