New Day

This week I started a new book by Lisa Bevere, Lioness Arising.  One thing that resonated with me was a statement that she made.  She was tired of being a long term restoration project.  Guess what?  Me too?  I wonder how many of us feel that way.

The Girls

We have 8 hens..
they are our pets...
we live in the city, in a neighborhood.
They give us 5-8 eggs a day.



Since Friday I have used 12 eggs.
I made a hollandaise sauce for grilled salmon. 3 egg yokes.... Yum
I made brownies. 4 eggs. Yum
I scrabbled them with Chorizo sausage for breakfast this morning. 5 eggs...Yum

And later today, I will make Creme Brule.....with 8 eggs and 2 cups of heavy cream that Mr. B skimmed off some raw milk that we get once a week (we own 1 shares in 8 dairy cows) ....He made mozzarella. Yum and Yum

Garden Saturday

Every Saturday, I will post about my husband's vegetable garden.

He is at 115 lbs of produce.

Today we are featuring the Armenian cucumber. Brent picked one this morning...it was almost 7 lbs. See the picture.

The Armenian cucumber grows approximately 30 to 36 inches long. It grows equally well on the ground or on a trellis. Actually a melon with a taste like a cucumber-it is burpless and easy to digest. Armenian cucumber plants prefer to grow in full sun for most of the day. The fruit is most flavorful when it is 12-15 inches long. Pickled Armenian cucumber is sold in middle-eastern markets as "Pickled Wild Cucumber".^[1]

Review

Every Friday, I will review/share/interest you in one of the blog sites I like to go to. I will post on it later this evening or start next Friday. I got up a little late this morning ....Have a blessed day.. (I have no clue why I picked this picture of a lizard...I guess I just liked it)

Weekly Memory Verse

Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

When Life Gives You 2 1/2 pounds of Basil Leaves

You make pesto....lots of pesto...we put up 12 half pints of pesto. We used only walnuts no pine nuts...too expensive

This is Ina Gartner's recipe.

Pesto:

* 1/4 cup walnuts
* 1/4 cup pignoli (pine nuts)
* 3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
* 5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 cups good olive oil
* 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Place the walnuts, pignoli, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

Notes: Air is the enemy of pesto. For freezing, pack it in containers with a film of oil or plastic wrap directly on top with the air pressed out.

To clean basil, remove the leaves, swirl them in a bowl of water, and then spin them very dry in a salad spinner. Store them in a closed plastic bag with a slightly damp paper towel. As long as the leaves are dry they will stay green for several days.

Cooking Pasta

All the cooks/Chefs on TV say to boil your pasta in salted water...salted like the sea...don't do it...it is too salty

It's Been Awhile

Hi everyone...it has been awhile since I have posted...busy yes...too busy to post...no...guess I have been lazy...Here is a few things that have been going on here...

1. The Girls (8 hens) are doing wonderful. They are giving us 5-8 eggs a day.
2. The Farms (here at our home, in a neighborhood) is amazing. Brent has given us such a gift. Since Brent's first planting at the end of March beginning of April, he has harvested 97 lbs of produce. We have had lettuce, yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, sweet corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, green beans (purple and bush) and basil.
3. We took the basil and turned it into 12 half pints of pesto.
4. Still working with the landscaper to get our yard back after the ABC's Extreme Makeover that happened to one of our neighbors. Our yard was torn up afterward.
5. Still hanging clothes on the clothes line....loving it...
6. We still cook from scratch...no processed food.
7. Brent has been making cheese: mozzarella, Gouda and cheddar right now.
8. We still are getting raw milk, every week....it taste so good.
9. I am still reading through the Bible..I have already read the New Testament and have started over...getting ready to finish Matthew. In the Old Testament, I am in 1 Kings and Jeremiah. This has been the the best read through the Bible I have ever done.

Take Care and have a blessed week.

Your Kingdom Come

I have been studying the book by Kay Arthur "Lord, Teach Me to Pray in 28 Days." It is going through the Lord's Prayer. I am on day 7 (Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven) and it has taken me about 4 weeks to get to this day. I am taking my time (I think you figured that out). Day 7 title is, "Eagerly Awaiting Him." It is talking about our allegiance. Half-way through Day 7, Kay writes this: Churchianity puts people first; church is about them and their desires. Christianity puts Christ in His rightful place as head of the church.

The part that struck me was the following:

Let's face it, too often in life our walk doesn't match out talk. We want only enough of Christianity to get us to heaven, only enough to get our prayers answered and get the benefits of healing and prosperity. We don't want to give total allegiance to His kingdom, because it call us to a cross. We don't want His kingdom to come today, tomorrow, or even within a few years because, like Demas, we love this present world more (2 Timothy 4:10).

Kay then writes, "is this right or is it wrong? Does any of it describe you?"


This is something to think about, hmmm?

Morning Read

During my quiet time this morning, I was reading in Philippians 1. Paul was in prison. In verse 12 I read , "Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel."

Do I think like that in my life? "My circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel"? I think my thoughts are more like I want my circumstances to turn out of the greater of Renee. Is the gospel anywhere in my thoughts? Am I out for God or me? I have a lot to think about don't I? How about you?

Update on Reading through the Bible

On July 18, 2009 I started reading through the Bible...not like most of the ways that are promoted (like in a year.) For me to read it in a year would have been more like something to check off my "to do list". This is God's Word!!! Not something to accomplish in a year and say...well look at me I read the Bible in a year. I wanted more plus if I missed a day on the schedule, well then I was finished. I would never catch up.

So, I started reading one chapter in Gensis, one chapter in Psalm and one in Matthew. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. It has taught me diligence and perseverance. Sometimes, I had no clue what I just read and sometimes the Words just leaped off the page. Sometimes, I missed a day and guess what, I did not feel I was behind at all. Currently I have read through, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Psalms, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, First Corinthians, Second Corinthians and Galatians.

God gets the glory and praise in all of it.

Repotting Herbs

We have an Aero-Garden. Mint, sweet basil, dill, chives, purple basil and thyme are in it and Brent put some tomato seeds in the one that had parsley in it (it never grew.) Today, we are going to re-pot the mint, sweet basil, dill and thyme. Cooking with fresh herbs is wonderful...they bring an amazing flavor to food. They really enhance the flavor of what ever you are cooking.

I found out when I cooked some new potatoes and could not find any flat leaf Italian parsley that dill is AWESOME in new potatoes. I always thought dill was for fish but boy was I proven wrong...try some. If you have a recipe that calls for fresh herb, instead of buy it from the produce dept go to the garden center and see if they have any in pots. The price is about the same and then you can grow then yourself!!!!

Olive Oil Cake with Lemon and Thyme

Today I finally found a cup cake recipe that I can bake...and it is delicious. I hope you try it.

Olive Oil Cakes with Lemon and Thyme

Ingredients
1 Tbsp melted butter
1 1/3 cup of sugar
2 Tbsp grated lemon zest
2 whole eggs
1/4 cups olive oil
2/3 cups whole milk
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp minced fresh thyme


For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp melted butter
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, or more as needed

Preparation Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. I used foiled muffin cups and put them in the muffin tin but if you do not have muffin cups, prepare a muffin pan with melted butter and then dust with a little bit of flour. Pulse the sugar and lemon zest in a blender until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, then gradually pour in the olive oil and milk, pulsing until emulsified into a thin batter, about 30 seconds. Don't overblend or the cakes will be too puffy.

Whisk one cup of flour, the baking powder, salt and thyme in a small bowl. Add to the blender in 2 batches until just combined. Pour the batter unto the prepared pan and bake until the cakes just start to pull away from the sides of the pan and spring back when lightly touched, about 25 minutes depending on your oven.

In the meantime, make the glaze: whisk the powdered sugar, melted butter and lemon juice until smooth, adding more lemon juice if too thick. Drizzle over the cooled cakes and garnish with a thyme sprig.

Beautiful Pictures

You have to go to this site. L. Herbert Designs, click on the egg. Laryssa has beautiful and affordable prints. I finally ordered my first one from her, The Brown Egg with Blue Feather. I am soooo pleased. I have a few more to get.

This soup is amazing, healthy, inexpensive, easy to cook and delicious. Try it!!!!

Tuscan Chickpea Soup

Randy Mayor; Lydia DeGaris-Pursell

Garlic, rosemary, balsamic vinegar, and Parmesan cheese deliver authentic Mediterranean flavors.

Yield

6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups finely chopped onion
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups water (I did not add any water)
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the water and the next 5 ingredients (water through tomatoes), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Place 2 cups soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Pour the pureed soup into a bowl. Repeat procedure with 2 cups soup. Return all pureed soup to pan. Stir in the vinegar, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Spoon 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

373 (22% from fat)

Fat:

9.1g (sat 2.1g,mono 4.5g,poly 1.6g)

Protein:

15g

Carbohydrate:

59.7g

Fiber:

11.4g

Cholesterol:

5mg

Iron:

3.7mg

Sodium:

955mg

Calcium:

197mg

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2001

Long Hiatus

It has been a long hiatus from blogging. Let me give you a small update.
1. My reading through the Bible has gone well. I am into Exodus, still Psalm and starting John tomorrow morning. It has been the best read through the Bible because even if you miss a week you are not behind when you start again. I don't feel like a failure.
2. We did not get much out of the garden this year. We did get some peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, rosemary, zucchini, summer squash and basil. The luffas are coming out right now.
3. The quail are gone but we do have 8 hens and 2 ducks. We are getting about 5-8 eggs a day. Unfortunately, the ducks are both male. So instead of Ozzie and Harriet, as of this morning they are Ozzie and Harry.
4. My job is good. My husband's new business is doing well.
5. The house still has not had any work done to it since December when we painted the kitchen and adjacent room red. We have both been busy.

Reading through the Bible

I have tried and tried to use other ministries reading through the Bible and I end up quitting. I am NOT sure why. I have now started my own, Reading Through the Bible. It is simple, essentially what I am doing is reading a chapter in the Old Testament, New Testament and Psalm then Proverbs a day....

Try it and see if it works for you......no pressure....no I missed a day and I am behind....because you are never behind because is not about reading it in a year...it is about reading it period.

Psalm 112 NASB

This chapter in Psalm keeps coming up...through vastly different people for about a month:




Psalm 112
Praise the LORD!
How blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who greatly delights in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
Light arises in the darkness for the upright;
He is gracious and compassionate and righteous.
It is well with the man who is gracious and lends;
He will maintain his cause in judgment.
For he will never be shaken;
The righteous will be remembered forever.
He will not fear evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is upheld, he will not fear,
Until he looks with satisfaction on his adversaries.
He has given freely to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted in honor.
The wicked will see it and be vexed;
He will gnash his teeth and melt away;
The desire of the wicked will perish

Busyness of LIfe

Maybe because it is summer, I just don't seem to have time to post like I would like too. We are just plain busy...I am happy to say that our TV watching might be a few hours a week (if that much) we just don't watch TV anymore...and definitely no news. We really have not watched it since February. We do have a clue about what is going on, Iran, China, North Korea, economy, etc....even that celebrities die...I am sorry for their families but I do not understand how perfect strangers can be so distraught over it...I am tenderheart to the lady that I work with whose husband died 2 weeks and ago. Both of them worked with me, Monday will be a tearful day for all of us when she comes back....but celebrities...and the White House issues a statement about one of them...

Church

We just got finished with church. We attend church in a little unconventional way. We (my husband and I) attend church online. We have Sunday morning and Wednesday evening services at our kitchen table.

This actually takes a bigger commitment to God for us then if we got in the car to drove to church. I mean who is going to know that we have not attended. It's not social. We aren't playing church. We aren't looking around seeing who is there, who is not, what so and so is wearing. We are focused on God. Worshiping Him. Praising Him. Exalting Him.