Cucumber, Tomato, Avocado Salad

I'm saving this recipe that I found online so I can find it later. This salad is healthy and delicious. I would recommend slicing the tomatoes and avocado thinner than in this picture! :)

Cucumber, Tomato, Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

1 cucumber, sliced thin
4 Roma (the smaller) tomatoes
3 ripe avocados
½ red onion, sliced or diced
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Place sliced cucumber, tomatoes, avocados, onion, and cilantro in a large salad bowl.

2. Toss with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Inspired by: http://natashaskitchen.com/2015/06/01/cucumber-tomato-avocado-salad/

New Year, New Goals

I've decided to wait until the second week of January to commit to my New Year's Resolutions.
Searching online, I came across a poem that explains why!

January Acrostic (With Rhyme) - Poem by Stevie Taite

J uncture of the year 

A t which we like to make

N umerous null promises

U ndoubtedly they'll take

A bout a week to break

R esolutions gone awry

Y et again next year we'll try[!]

Yet seriously, we should be confident in the start of a new year and take comfort in the opportunity of having a clean slate to begin again. For all that didn't go well in 2016, whether personally or corporately, let's start again. And if and when there is a failure, then press reset for the next day. 

In this new year, I have a list of goals and objectives just as most people do. For me, I truly believe that the only tasks that are accomplished are those that are scheduled and held accountable. For most people, this means what is expected at work or home, such as meetings, appointments, or caring for others out of necessity. These are our responsibilities. But also, we should expect to grow, and this growth process requires input, reflection, expression, and feedback. These should be our new responsibilities, in addition to the old.

So once again, this year as many before, my resolution is to make the most of my time, and to grow. For me, this means being productive while also finding outlets for creating so I can feel fulfillment and be a lifelong learner. We learn by doing, sharing, listening, and reflecting. Growth is not done alone; it involves spending time with others, learning and communicating with real people.

At the end of the year, we will look back again and remember what is truly important. At the risk of sounding cliché, it will remain faith, family, and love, but what does our faith, our family, and our love for God and others cause us to do?

Concerning work ethic, it is also about setting smart goals: specific, measurable, agreed upon/action-oriented, realistic, and time-based. Here's to the start of a new year, and an opportunity to pause, reflect and critique, and set new goals for growth! We want our God, our family and others to celebrate with us at the end of the year at how much we accomplished for our self-fulfillment and for others.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Salmon Patties

Ingredients:

1 14 oz. can pink salmon
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp lemon juice
1 T fresh parsley, or dried Italian seasoning
1/4 t garlic salt, or season to taste with salt and pepper
1-2 T vegetable or canola oil


Preparation:

Drain and flake the salmon in a medium bowl. Remove the tiny bones and slivers as much as possible.* Combine salmon, breadcrumbs, onion, egg, lemon juice, and seasonings. Blend well. Shape into eight small "burger patties."

In a large skillet, heat a 1/2 inch depth of olive oil, or olive and canola oil (about 4-6 T). Cook salmon patties over medium heat, turning to fry both sides, until they are brown and heated through.

Serve on a bed of lettuce with cold cucumbers in vinegar. For kids of all ages, serve with macaroni and cheese!

*Note from Chicken of the Sea salmon can: The skin and tiny, soft bones are completely edible and an excellent source of calcium and Omega-3 fatty acids. Simply blend skin and bones with salmon and other ingredients.

What Christmas Is All About

The greatest gift I ever received was around Christmas time. It brought great news, joy, hope, and peace, all wrapped up in a story that changed my heart. Long before I understood the Christmas story, I have memories of listening to Linus from the Peanuts comic tell the Christmas story. (posted below)

It is a story that is told every year, although some have never heard it. It can be found in the books of Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 2. (links direct to Bible Gateway)

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 

19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 

21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). (Isaiah 7:14)

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

The Birth of Jesus

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 

6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 

19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. 

21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

The Magi Visit the Messiah

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 

11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Video of Linus telling the Christmas story on the Charlie Brown cartoon:

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLzGawC_Pt4

Cornbread Dressing for Turkey

The art of a recipe is usually "about 1/4 this and about 1/2 that," so this won't be "exact," but it is how I made this year's dressing at least! For my daughter who requested I save this recipe, I hope sharing it on here helps. It is similar to how my mom and her dad made dressing, which was also something they did from memory. The key ingredients that make this special are the butter, onions, celery, and poultry seasoning. It tastes like home to me! 

Make a batch of yellow cornbread. You can use the recipe on the package, or something like this recipe (below). If you want it to be "authentic," then bake it in a black caste-iron skillet in the oven. The crust is golden-brown and the bread is savory, not sweet. Some recipes call for sugar, but the more sugar you use, the more it will taste like cake. 😉 If you don't have buttermilk, then find a recipe that uses milk.

Cornbread Ingredients:

4 tablespoons bacon drippings or vegetable oil 2 cups of cornmeal (yellow)
½ cup all-purpose flour 
1 tablespoon baking powder 
1 teaspoon salt 
1 egg 
2 cups buttermilk 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Put the drippings or oil in a large (10-inch) cast-iron skillet and place in the oven as it preheats.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together the egg and buttermilk then stir into the dry ingredients. 
3. Take the skillet out of oven, and pour the hot oil into the batter and stir until well combined.
4. Pour the batter into the skillet and bake for 20 minutes. Cornbread should be brown on top and pulling away from the sides of the skillet. 

Dressing:

1. Lightly toast about 8-10 slices of white bread. Cut these into small pieces, or tear apart. In a large mixing bowl, crumble up the cornbread in small pieces and mix in the toast. Set this aside.
2. Prepare 2 large onions, diced very fine, and about 6 stalks celery, diced very fine.
3. Melt about 1/2 stick of butter in a large skillet, saute the onions and celery about 5 minutes until softened. Lightly salt this a little while it is cooking. Pour the vegetables, including any remaining butter within the skillet into the bread mixture. 
4. Add 1 tsp. poultry seasoning, 1 tsp. salt. Stir well to combine. Add about 4 cups of chicken stock (make with bouillon or use a pre-packaged box of good-quality stock).
5. Mix this very well and pour it into a buttered or lightly greased casserole dish (about 9 x 13). The dressing should be wet and well covered in chicken stock so it is not dry, but not standing in liquid.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour until it is golden brown on the top and the edges lightly browned. Serve with cranberry salad or canned cranberry.

Another recipe here from the New York Times to compare

New Every Morning

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
(Lam. 3:22-23)

Relying on God

In Exodus 15, Moses and the Israelites sing a song of praise to the Lord for helping them escape Pharaoh. As Moses lifted his staff, the waters of the Red Sea parted, and the Israelites were able to cross on dry ground. All night, the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided with a wall of water on their right and their left. All of the Egyptian horses, chariots and horsemen pursued the Israelites into the sea; as soon as the Israelites were safely crossed, the Lord instructed Moses to stretch his hand back over the sea so that the waters would flow back into place at daybreak. The Israelites saw the great power of God against the Egyptians, feared the Lord, and put their trust in Him and in Moses His servant.

Shortly after this miracle, Moses led them into the Desert of Shur. For three days, they traveled without food or water. When they finally came to a place with water, they couldn't drink it because it was bitter (Marah). They began to grumble and complain. Moses cried to the Lord for help. The Lord showed him a piece of wood; he threw it into the bitter water, and it turned sweet, so they could drink it.

Being Tested--What Is It?

The Israelites were beginning a time of testing by God in the wilderness for 40 years until they would reach the border of Canaan, the promised land. They were told to pay attention to the commands of the Lord and keep his decrees, and He would protect them from disease.

In the Desert of Sin, the Israelites were hungry and complained that if only they could still be slaves in Egypt, they would have food to eat! They had already forgotten how far they had come by escaping the Egyptians.

The Lord heard their complaining, and promised to provide them with food. That night, quail appeared for them to eat meat. Then the next morning, a layer of dew covered the camp. When the dew was gone, thin flakes of bread remained. They said, "What is it?" because they had never seen this strange type of food. Moses told them it was their daily bread the Lord would be providing for them.

They had to gather the bread (manna) every morning. This would be a reminder to them that their provision comes from God. They could only gather what they needed for the day. If they tried to store up extra until morning, it would be covered with maggots and smell. On the sixth day, they were allowed to gather double so they would have plenty for the seventh day (Sabbath), a day of rest.

Application

Even today, much can be learned and applied from this Old Testament story. It is good to acknowledge God as the source of what we have. He gives us rules to humble us and keep us mindful of His power and presence. Even when we trust that our needs will be met, the Lord honors discipline and daily work (gathering food). Sometimes the Lord uses other people in the transaction of needs being met (Moses interceded for drinkable water). If we have enough for today, we should be content (not worry about tomorrow). If we work hard while we can, we can enjoy a day of rest!

ABC's of Christian Faith

As a fun Bible exercise, I tried to remember scripture verses for each letter of the alphabet. It worked for most letters, with some minor exceptions, especially depending on which Bible translation was used.

While I was searching online for images, I found a "Gospel Alphabet" already done! It was shared by a blogger at this link. All verses below were found at BibleGateway.com. Enjoy, and come up with another list!

A

"...All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23 NASB)

B

"But as many as received Him, to them gave He the right
to become children of God." (John 1:12 NASB)

C

"Create in me a clean heart O God;
and renew a steadfast spirit in me." (Psalm 53:10 NIV)

D

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility
value others above yourselves." (Phillipians 2:3 NIV)

E

"For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive
to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against
those who do evil." (1 Peter 3:12 NIV)

F

"The fool says in his heart there is no God." (Psalm 53:1 NIV)

G

"God opposes the proud,
but gives favor to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5b NIV)

H

"... Be holy, [God says],
because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:16 NIV)

I

Jesus answered, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6 NIV)

J

"Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant." (Hebrews 7:22 NASB)

K

"Keep in mind Jesus Christ, risen from the dead." (2 Timothy 2:8)

L

"Let us love one another. Love is from God." (1 John 4:7)

M

"May grace and peace be multiplied to you." (1 Peter 1:2 ESV)

N

"Now without faith it is impossible to to please God." (Hebrews 11:6 HCSB)

O

"Obey your leaders and submit to them." (Hebrews 13:17 HCSB)

P

"Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is
to look after orphans and widows and
keep oneself unspotted by the world." (James 1:27)

Q

"...Be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger." (James 1:19 ESV)

R

"...Reject foolish and ignorant disputes,
knowing that they breed quarrels." (2 Timothy 2:23 HCSB)

S

"...Submit to God, resist the Devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7 HCSB)

T

"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid." (Hebrews 13:6)

U

"...Understand what the Lord's will is." (Ephesians 5:17)

V

"...Vengeance is mine, I will repay says the Lord..." (Hebrews 10:30 AMP)

W

"We love because He [God] first loved us." (1 John 4:19 AMP)

X

"Examine yourself to see whether you are in the faith." (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Y

"You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy people." (1 Peter 2:10)

Z

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep
your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." (Romans 12:11)