Favorite Summer Recipe – Bobi’s Meatless Taco Salad August 11, 2010

I absolutely love this salad.  My Aunt Bobi used to make it when I was younger.  To me, it is the ultimate summer meal.  I usually serve it with baked potatoes topped with chili and cheese.

1 head iceberg lettuce

2-3 tomatoes, chopped

1-2 cucumbers, chopped

1 (15oz) can red kidney beans

1 (15oz) can garbanzo beans (chick peas)

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

1 (11 oz) bag fritos

1 (16oz) bottle Catalina salad dressing

Drain beans. Tear lettuce into desired size. Add tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans; mix. Just before serving add cheese and dressing; toss gently.  Add fritos and toss again gently.

Favorite Verse August 9, 2010

A couple of months ago my oldest daughter, Kayla,  gave her life to the Lord.  I can’t explain in words how wonderful of an experience it was to watch this happen. We had her memorize the following verse to help her understand the Gospel and her need to be forgiven by the atoning sacrifice of Christ.  This passage of scripture is top on my list. I love how the portion she memorized pretty much says it all in in so little words.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  2 Corinthians 5:21

I personally also love  5:16-21:

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

My daughter is a new creature because of the cross of Christ!  The power of His word to bring revelation to the heart of a 9-year-old to see her need for a Savior is amazing…especially when she’s your daughter.

Posted by Jaime

Favorite Summer Recipe – Mom’s Strawberry Shortcake August 4, 2010

My favorite summer recipe is actually a year-round recipe…but it looks and tastes summery so I wanted to share it with you.  It’s my mom’s homemade strawberry shortcake.

I grew up having either this scrumptious cake or fresh coconut cake for my birthdays.  Because Mom and Dad didn’t have much money for gifts, she much lots of sacrificial time on our cake.  My children grew out of Barnie, 101 Dalmatian and Doll cakes into strawberry shortcake.

Now Mom’s recipe continues with her great-grandchildren.  Our oldest son Josh is pictured here a few weeks back with his one-year-old daughter, Eleanor.  The strawberry shortcake was a fitting way to celebrate her first birthday.

It’s really not as hard as it looks!  And after everyone enjoys a huge piece oozing with fresh whipped cream and strawberries, there’s not much left, believe me.

Ingredients:

2 boxes of yellow cake mix (I use Duncan Hines)

Lots of heavy whipping cream (I use one quart size and 1 pint size)

Confectioners sugar (to taste)

Vanilla (to taste)

1 dozen large fresh strawberries; stems removed; washed and dried (another half dozen sliced, optional)

2 bags (or boxes) frozen sliced sweetened strawberries (thawed; reserve juice)

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare cakes as directed on box; use 1 box of prepared cake mix to pour into cookie sheet (with edges) or jelly roll pan.  Repeat with second batch of cake mix.  Either grease and flour pans first, or line bottom of each pan with wax paper, greasing only sides, to prevent sticking. Bake for 15-20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.  Leave out for 5 minutes, then use cutting board or some other hard surface to put on top of one of the cakes to remove by flipping over.  (I use waxed paper because it’s a fool-proof way to prevent sticking.)  Leave other cake in pan.  Let both cool.

As cakes are cooling, prepare whipped cream.  I put a metal bowl and beaters into the freezer for about 10 minutes to speed the process.  Pour all the heavy whipping cream into the bowl and beat on high until it begins to thicken.  Add about 1/4 C confectioners sugar a few tablespoons at a time until sweetened to taste.  Cream will continue to thicken.  Add about 1 t vanilla (to taste) and continue beating until very stiff peaks form.

Spread one-half of thawed strawberries, including half the juice, evenly onto cake still in the pan.  Then add a little less than one half of the yummy whipped cream on top of the strawberries.  Add extra sliced fresh strawberries if desired. Carefully place the second cake on top of the whipped cream (you may need someone to help you).  If it cracks or breaks, no worries!  Your mistake will be covered up.

Add the rest of the thawed strawberries (including the rest of the juice) on top of this second cake.  Then cover with the remaining whipped cream.  Our fam loves fresh whipped cream so I use it all.  The finishing touch is the fresh strawberries. Watch your friends and fams eyes light up when you walk into the room with your masterpiece.

Yummy!

Posted by Sheree

Favorite Vacation Memory…This Time August 2, 2010

I know I’m supposed to be posting my favorite verse today, but we just returned from our annual family beach vacation so I have my favorite vacation memory in mind.  That is, my favorite memory from this vacation.

With 23 people in the same beach house, including 10 children age 9 and under, there was plenty of spontaneity (especially to entertain the kids).  After Uncle Josh became “favorite uncle of the week” by playing follow the leader and singing songs with the kids, Janelle (better known as Nellie to her nieces and nephews) decided to make up a tale about…well…let’s just say it involved a parrot posing as a dragon and a pink monkey named Princess Princess.  At the end the children were all smiles when the dragon repented of his sinful behavior and became a Christian!  Everyone lived happily ever after.

One of the things that has most disturbed me as a mother is when my children bickered and were unkind to each other.  In fact, it still bothers me when that happens.  But seeing the obvious affection between them, and now all their nieces and nephews, brought tears to my eyes several times last week.

Young moms, keep working on your children’s relationships.  Keep reminding them that friends will come and go, but siblings will last a lifetime.  Don’t tire of helping them work through their conflicts by taking responsibility for their sin and asking forgiveness.

Not only will their adult relationships benefit from your training, but unborn little ones yet to come will enjoy the fruit of your hard work to deal with their sinful attitudes with one another.  And you will sit back and marvel at God’s grace…with tears in your eyes.

Posted by Sheree

Favorite Summer Recipe July 30, 2010

My favorite summer recipe so far this year is from a Rachel Ray magazine – it’s super yummy and refreshing!!

Watermelon Limeade
Makes 20 drinks; Prep 20 minutes

1 seedless watermelon (about 6 pounds), cut into chunks
3/4 cup lime juice (10 to 12 limes), plus lime slices for garnish
2 to 4 Tablespoons sugar
Ice
Mint sprigs for garnish

1. Using a blender, working in batches, puree the watermelon with the lime juice.
2. Pour the watermelon puree into a large pitcher, add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Dilute with water if desired. Serve over ice and garnish with lime slices and mint sprigs.

Have a great weekend, friends! We’ll be back next week with more of our favorites! And don’t forget – we’d love to hear from you on YOUR favorites!

Favorite Vacation Memory July 28, 2010

Once upon a time, seven people went on an adventure…or what some might call a vacation. Growing up with lots of siblings, our vacations usually were trips to go visit the grandparents and other relatives. We have many wonderful, wonderful memories from our grandparents’ homes. There’s nothing like those cookouts and times of singing around the piano, sledding on the snowy hills or down a rushing river. I love and really cherish those memories as a family…

But one vacation, however, we decided to tack on a few days of sightseeing before visiting with all the family. So we flew into Boston. Now, I love history. I love OUR American history. So this city was, for me, like stepping back in time. There were no cars and honking horns, no electric lights…just Paul Revere and Shakespeare plays on the Boston Commons. And one of my favorite memories from that week is of our family driving around, sightseeing, and listening to our favorite music full blast.

As Debi said in her post last week, sometimes it IS the really simple and unplanned things that have the most effect on us.

Favorite Verse July 26, 2010

Several years ago, a friend of mine was reading through the Psalms and felt like the 34th stood out to her for me. She read it out loud to me and it was as if every single verse was written for ME. Ever since then, I will often turn back to this chapter as a reminder of the Lord’s goodness and his faithfulness. This Psalm calls us to praise the Lord at all times (no matter whether we feel like it or not) and then it moves on to recounting how the Lord had been faithful over and over again to hear the cry of David to deliver him, save him, give peace, draw near to the deeply grieving, redeem him and give refuge. Many times it has been like water to my thirsty soul, reminding me of His goodness. He will do the same for me! Take a moment to read it now:

1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11 Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.
21 Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Favorite Summer Recipe July 23, 2010

This recipe is from Southern Living’s 1995 cookbook – one of my favorite editions. It includes all the best tastes of summer and is wonderful served with grilled meats or cold salads.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups fresh whole kernel sweet corn (I use the bi-color), scraped off the cob.
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup finely chopped purple onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
1 (4-1/2 oz.) can chopped green chiles, undrained
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients, and toss gently. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Yield: 5 cups

Posted by Debi

My Favorite Vacation Memory July 21, 2010

Monday night our family had dinner together.  Knowing I would be writing this post, I asked our three grown children, “What is your favorite vacation memory?”

This made for some fun conversation as we reminisced their childhood.  I was surprised at their favorites, and had even forgotten some of the moments they recalled.

• Was it the time we went mountain biking in the Rockies?  No!

• Was it the week long expedition to Washington D.C. where we visited Ford’s Theater, The Holocaust Museum, The Smithsonian or the National Archives?  No!

• Was it the time in the Florida Keys where we took them snorkeling?  No!

• How about the time we spent a week on Clearwater Beach harvesting sand dollars and gathering sea shells so we could identify them in our Florida Sea Shell book? No, it wasn’t that either.

Their favorite vacation memory came from the times we went fishing!  Fishing of all things!  And to think I didn’t have any idea how much they enjoyed it.  We have fished together many times, on party boats, from a dock of a home in Naples, on a private fishing charter and in a trout-fed pond in North Carolina.  But we never have purposed to go on a “fishing trip”.  I guess it was always something to do among the other activities we had planned.

I think we have an idea what to do on our next family vacation – anyone want to “fish” for a guess?

So what’s YOUR favorite vacation memory?

Our Favorites July 19, 2010

This week we’re starting a fun theme we hope you’ll enjoy.  Each of us are taking one week to share with you our favorite Bible verses, our favorite vacation memory, and our favorite summer recipe.  It should be lighthearted and fun to share, and we would LOVE for you to respond to us with your favorites too!  This week Debi Walter shares:

MY FAVORITE BIBLE VERSE!

I have grown through the years in my love for God’s Word that there are many scriptures I could pick.  But overall there is one section of Scripture that causes my heart to beat a bit faster every time I hear a message on it, hear it quoted or happen upon in my own devotions.  It’s 1 Peter 1:6-9 and in the margin next to it I wrote “my life’s verse” probably 7 years ago.

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

I have certainly been grieved by various trials throughout my lifetime, but remembering that these difficulties test my faith and help me to grow in glorifying and honoring Jesus Christ somehow makes my problems easier to bear.  It’s not for nothing!  And learning to see my trials this way causes my love for Him to increase to the point where I can’t wait until my faith will be made sight!  I will see HIM one day and then, I will receive the outcome of my faith – the salvation of my soul!

No, I haven’t yet seen Him, but I can honestly say, I love Him more now than I ever have.  And it fills me with great joy!

Posted by Debi