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Terms of Endearment

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Pumpkin Apple Pie

I love the traditions of the holidays, especially those surrounding our family meals.  One, in particular, is Mom’s Pumpkin Apple pie.  It matters not whether it’s Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas (and although Mom has pretty much handed off the responsibility of creating it to one of the daughters or daughter-in-laws), it is still a “must have” at our family holiday dessert table.

Mom’s Pumpkin Apple Pie

Ingredients:
1 – 1 lb. can apple pie filling
1 unbaked 10” pie shell
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon powdered cloves or pumpkin spice
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup of sugar
1 – 1 lb. can of pumpkin
2 tablespoons molasses
1-1/2 tablespoons melted butter
1-1/2 cup milk
2 eggs – slightly beaten

Directions:
Place pie shell in a 10” pie pan. Pour apple pie filling into shell.  In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, spices, salt and sugar. Add pumpkin, molasses, and melted butter. Blend well. In another bowl, combine milk and eggs. Stir into pumpkin mixture. Pour over apple pie filling. Cover crust edges with aluminum foil or a pie crust shield and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 45 – 60 minutes.  (Insert a knife in the center and if it comes out clean, it’s done.) Cool. Top with whipped cream.

Food for ThoughtFOOD FOR THOUGHT:
This particular dessert has always seemed to be such an appropriate creation for my Mom because my Dad’s pet name for my mother was “punkin”. I remember Dad using that term of endearment for Mom many times during my childhood, and whenever he used it, it was delivered with a gentle, loving fondness for her.

Did you know that God also has many terms of endearment for each one of us? He not only calls us by name, “I have called you by name; you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1), but just as we use affectionate terms of endearment to assure our children and spouses of our love, so does Our Father.  When we become Christians and are adopted into the family of God, here are some of the names He calls us:

Child (John 1:12-13)
Friend  (John 15:14)
Heir (Romans 8:17)
Saint (Ephesians 1:1)
Chosen (Deuteronomy 7:6 & Colossians 3:12)
Dearly Loved (Colossians 3:12)
Beloved (Song of Songs 2:16)
Priest (1 Peter 2:9)
Son / Daughter (2 Corinthians 6:18)
His (John 17:24; Isaiah 43:1)

In the same way Mom would smile and lovingly respond to Dad whenever he called her “punkin”, our hearts are filled with joy when we “hear” our heavenly Father’s terms of endearment for us. With tears of love, we respond back to Him “Abba, Father”! (Romans 8:15)

— Cheri Henderson

What Color are Your Leaves?

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Soon the crisp coolness of autumn will be nipping at the air, and nothing inspires me to spend more time in the kitchen than when the temperatures start to drop a bit!  The warmth of the oven, the hearty aromas of simmering soups, chowders and stews, baking breads and sweet desserts are so welcoming when it’s chilly outside! So in celebration of the soon-arriving fall season, I think some colorful sugar cookies would be the perfect way to welcome it in!  Any leaf-type cookie cutters are great for this project, but if you have a maple leaf design, that’s even better! So grab your cookie cutter (or if you’re in need of one, take a look at http://www.cookiecuttersonline.com/?maple_leaf_cookie_cutter), and let’s get busy!

Maple Leaf Fall Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies:
•          1 cup butter, softened
•           1 cup sugar
•           2 eggs
•           1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•           3 cups all-purpose flour
•           2 teaspoons cream of tartar
•           1 teaspoon baking soda
•           Dash salt

Frosting:
•           4 cups confectioners’ sugar
•           2 tablespoons butter, softened
•           1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•           1/2 teaspoon salt
•           3/4 cup maple syrup
•           Maple leaf cookie cutter (2-3/4 inches)
•           Red, orange, and yellow (and green if desired) paste or liquid food coloring
•           Pastry or heavy-duty resealable plastic bag
•           #3 round pastry tip, optional

Directions:
In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Roll out on a floured surface to 1/8-in. thickness; cut with a cookie cutter dipped in flour. Place them 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned (do not over bake). Remove to wire racks to cool. For frosting, beat confectioners’ sugar, butter, vanilla and salt. Add syrup; beat until smooth. Divide the icing up into 3 bowls, and if leaf veins are desired, set aside an additional 1/2 cup; stir in a drop or two of red, orange, and yellow food coloring (and green if creating veins) to each frosting bowl. Add more food coloring, if desired, to darken it to the shade you want. Spread the frosting on the cookies. Cut a small hole in the corner of a plastic bag and insert round tip into bag. Fill bag with the brown frosting and pipe veins onto the leaves. Yield: about 6 dozen.

Food for ThoughtFOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Every autumn, I am always awestruck by the beauty of God’s creation. As the green leaves transition to a spectacular blend of fiery yellows, oranges, and reds, they are such a breathtaking demonstration that there is NO artist like our Father! What the painter’s brush can only imitate, He has created!

I did a little research about this God-orchestrated activity . . . and did you know that seasonal conditions (such as a lot of rain or too little rain) are the key factors in the timing and coloration of the leaves? When we experience a summer drought, the fall colors are more muted and less colorful. However, a summer with an abundance of rain, followed by clear, sunny days and cool nights in late September-early October bring about the most striking autumn colors.  Similarly, as Christians, there are certain conditions that can cause spiritual changes in our lives, aren’t there?  In the spiritual sense, when we position ourselves in a drought-like situation . . . with little or no prayer or intimacy with the Lord . . . little or no reading of His Word . . . when we quench the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives . . . we, too, will lack His beauty, His brilliance, and His strength.  Send your rain, Lord!

As the temperatures cool and the days shorten, cells at the base of the leaves disintegrate, blocking passages from the leaves to the branches and causing the chlorophyll to decompose. Chlorophyll is what gives most plants their green color. As the chlorophyll dies away, the yellow pigments (carotenoids) and red pigments (anthocyanins), come to the surface.   And so it is when we die to self . . . when we block fleshly desires from ruling our bodies and allow the Holy Spirit to take control, His character permeates us . . . and the beauty of Christ comes to the surface.

Trees with leaves having a lot of carotenoids (like beech, birch and willow), turn varying shades of yellow. When anthocyanins predominate (as in the case of many maples, dogwoods and sumac), the reds appear. Variations in color from tree to tree, or even from branch to branch, are often caused by stress factors like disease, injury, or unusually wet or dry conditions. These factors contribute to the timing and degree of brilliance of the changing colors.  As followers of Christ, when we fully yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to mold us (painful though sometimes that may be), our transformation will be complete.  And just as the Master Artist ordained it, our individual gifts will complement the needs of the Body and we will radiate the brilliance of Jesus Christ!  There are beautiful variations from Christian to Christian and even church house to church house – and all were created by the Master Artist to complement each other, so that when we are united in harmony, we are a breathtaking picture to the world!

–Cheri Henderson

When the Harvest is Ready

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Spent 1-1/2 hours in our garden this afternoon, pulling green beans in the rain! When the harvest is ready, you have to put aside personal comfort and agendas and just go for it, because if you put it off and there’s no one else to do the reaping, the harvest will rot on the vine! (“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” Jeremiah 8:20)

And while I’m not looking forward to the next 3-4 hours of work: washing and snapping the beans, and the heat of the whole canning process (“So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves.” 1 Thessalonians 2:8), the end result will be a wonderful blessing for me . . . and for many others who weren’t even involved in the work! (“I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.” Romans 1:8)

Bleu, Bleu . . .

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Anybody remember the 1960’s tune, “Love is Blue”? “Blue, blue, my world is blue. Blue is my world when I’m without you.”  Well today I’m re-writing the lyrics a bit!  Everyone sing along!

Bleu, bleu, my meal is bleu. Bleu is the meal I’m about to serve you!

Bleu cheese is one of those unusual foods that people either really enjoy or totally dislike: a cheese that is spotted or veined throughout with blue, blue-gray, or blue-green mold and has a very distinctive odor. Understandably, some people can’t get past the appearance or smell . . . but, if you’re able to do so . . . or if you’re already a bleu cheese aficionado, you’re gonna love this meal!

Black & Bleu Salad
Serves 3

Ingredients
1 lb. of ground sirloin
Small head of chopped lettuce
2 cups of spinach leaves
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
2 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
2 carrots
1/4 cup of coarsely chopped red onion
1 clove garlic
1 avocado
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 tsp. of seasoning salt
Dash of pepper

Bleu cheese dressing (I use the Pine Club brand – delicious!)

Chop the lettuce and remove stems from the spinach leaves and then toss the two together.  Cut the red & yellow bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash and carrots into ¼ inch wide and 2” long strips. Combine all and place in a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the crushed clove of garlic, chopped red onion, salt and pepper and then sauté for 15-20 minutes or until tender.  While the vegetables are cooking, make 3 ground sirloin patties and grill or fry until done according to your taste.

Divide and spread the lettuce & spinach mixture onto 3 plates. Top with the sautéed vegetables. Apply a circle of avocado slices and halved cherry tomatoes and place the grilled burger right in the center. Drizzle with bleu cheese dressing and enjoy!

Food for ThoughtFOOD FOR THOUGHT:
The song says “Blue, blue, my world is blue. Blue is my world when I’m without you”.  But as followers of Jesus Christ, we don’t have to be blue because we’re not alone when we face the trials of this life! Deuteronomy 31:6 says “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”  The One who created us, our loving Heavenly Father, is the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end. He is already there in our tomorrows and He knows exactly what we’re going to be facing before we even get there.  Who better to be there before we even arrive? Psalm 46:1-3 says: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”


In Habakkuk 3:17-19, it says: “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, yet I will rejoice in the Lord!  I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.  The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He will make me as surefooted as a deer and bring me safely over the mountains.”  Habakkuk’s vision ended with a beautiful word picture: No matter what happens, I will find joy in the Lord and he will make me as surefooted as a deer. Habakkuk does not say that the Lord will make his way easy, but, rather, that the Lord will sustain him along his path.

And so Matthew 6:34 makes perfect sense when it tells us “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself”, and Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you”, and Philippians 4:7: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Blue, blue, I will not be blue. Jesus Christ is with me and He will see me through!

Life.
I can’t control it,
direct it,
correct it,
or perfect it;
but when I submit it,
commit it,
and to the Lord give it,
the burden becomes His and not mine
And whatever the situation that lies ahead,
He’ll give me the grace to endure it,
and someday quite soon,
I won’t even recall it
When the reality of eternity is mine . . .
and there’s great peace in the knowledge of that.

–Cheri Henderson

Un Gran Relleno – Chicken Chimichangas!

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Who loves Mexican food? I do! I do! And for Mexican food lovers, the Chimichanga is a definite favorite!

For those of you who haven’t yet had the pleasure, Chimichanga is a flour tortilla, filled with a wonderful ingredient like chicken, or steak, or seafood, and is usually accompanied by great  side items like salsa, sour cream, cheese, guacamole, and Mexican rice!  And the wonderful thing about the following recipe is you can prepare the chicken and the sauce a day or two ahead and refrigerate it if you’d like! A real time-saver for the evening when you actually make the Chimichangas!

Ready? Gimme some Chimi!

Chicken Salsa:
Ingredients
4 lbs. chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
2 cups salsa, homemade or purchased
2 cups petite diced canned tomatoes
4 tbsp. taco seasoning
2 cups onions, diced fine
1 cup celery diced fine
1 cup carrots, shredded
half cup water
6 tbsp. sour cream

Place the chicken in a slow cooker. Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the meat then layer the vegetables and salsa on top. Pour a half cup of water over the mixture, set on low and cook for 6-8 hours. The meat is cooked when it shreds or reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. When ready to serve, break up the chicken with a fork then stir in the sour cream.

Chimichanga Sauce:
Ingredients
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-½ cup chopped onion
6 chopped garlic cloves
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
4 4-oz cans of chopped green chiles (drained & rinsed)
3 cups chicken broth
¾  cup chopped cilantro (if desired)

Saute chopped onion and chopped garlic cloves in a skillet with vegetable oil. Add chili powder, cumin, sugar and salt; cook 30 seconds. Stir in chopped green chiles; cook 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and simmer until thickened, then puree. Stir in chopped cilantro.

Chicken Chimichangas:
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
10 10-inch flour tortillas
20.5 oz refried beans (I use La costena brand – yummy!)
Chicken Salsa (recipe above)
Chimichanga Sauce (recipe above)
2-1/2 cups Mexican style shredded cheese
1-1/2 cup sour cream
2-1/2 cups chopped lettuce
Guacamole (I use “Wholly Guacamole” – delish!)
2 large tomatoes, chopped

Mexican rice

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Melt the butter and vegetable oil in a small pan.

Brush a rimmed baking sheet with some of the butter-oil mixture. Spread 2 tablespoons refried beans down the center of each tortilla, leaving a 2-inch border on both ends. Top with 1 cup chicken mixture and 1/4 cup cheese. Fold in the ends and roll up.

Put the chimichangas seam-side down on the baking sheet; brush with the butter-oil mixture. Bake 8 to 10 minutes per side, brushing again after you flip.

Remove from oven. Place each chimichanga on a plate and top with warmed Chimichanga Sauce, more cheese, and sour cream. Surround with chopped lettuce, guacamole, and diced tomato. Serve with Mexican rice.  Muy bueno!

Food for ThoughtFOOD FOR THOUGHT:
In the same way that these flour tortillas are filled with a wonderful ingredient, so are you as a follower of Jesus Christ! The Spirit of God dwells in you!

Each of us possesses the Holy Spirit from the time we repent and believe. “You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.” (Romans. 8:9-10).

Paul goes on to say in Ephesians 5:18, “Be filled with the Spirit.” The Greek word for “be filled”, plerousthe, literally translates “keep being filled.” When the greatest evangelist of the nineteenth century, D.L. Moody, was asked why he said he needed to be filled continually with the Holy Spirit, he replied, “Because I leak!” Like Moody, we all run out of gas and need the power of the Holy Spirit to recharge our lives. To be filled with the Spirit means we are continually seeking, submitting to and experiencing the Holy Spirit’s guidance and control in our lives. Unlike the filling in a Chimichanga – once it’s depleted, it’s gone, but we can continually be refilled as we yield moment by moment to the leading of the Spirit.

And as we surrender to the control of God’s Spirit, we’ll find Him producing some amazing things in us! The filling of the Holy Spirit is accompanied by some great “side items” that Paul calls the fruit of the Spirit.  They are: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)!

So . . . ser llenos del Espíritu Santo. ¡Es muy bueno!

–     Cheri Henderson

Wake Up!

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frappuccino
Today is June 21st – the first day of summer and the longest day of the year!

And what better way to get through a long, hot, sleepy day than by imbibing in an icy, sweet, caffeine-infused beverage?!

So let’s do it!

 

Homemade Frappuccino
Serves: 1-2

Ingredients
¾ cup double-strength coffee – chilled (brew double-strength coffee by using twice the coffee required by your coffeemaker, approximately 2 tablespoons per cup)
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 cups ice
3 tablespoons of chocolate syrup

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until ice is crushed and drink is smooth. Pour into two 16-ounce glasses and apply desired toppings:

  • Whipped cream or chocolate Cool Whip
  • Sprinkle with cinnamon, chopped nuts, or coconut
  • Drizzle caramel syrup or chocolate syrup (or both!) over the whipped cream

and serve with a straw.

Delish!!!

Food for ThoughtFOOD FOR THOUGHT:
Did you know there is another kind of sleepiness for which caffeine and sugar are not a remedy? It’s a spiritual sleepiness and, in fact, a bible verse tells us, “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you”! (Ephesians 5:14) This is a verse often used in sermons to speak to those who don’t know Jesus, but if you read the scripture in its entirety, it is speaking to us – followers of Jesus Christ . . . and the “remedy for the sleepiness” (ignorance, complacency, and compromise) is clearly described in Ephesians 5:

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:

‘Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.’

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This may be the longest day of the 2013 calendar year, but spiritually time is short. Church, let’s wake up and . . . “make the most of every opportunity because the days are evil”.

— Cheri Henderson

Two Plain Crackers…Transformed!

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001It always amazes me how a single ingredient – fairly plain and uninspiring alone – can have such a delicious end-result when joined with others.

Case-in-point: this recipe. Though it called for two graham crackers per serving (yawn-not a big fan of graham crackers), I knew the end-result was going to be fantastic! And I was not disappointed!  With the addition of such a sweet filling between them, two plain-old crackers ended up being a beautiful and delicious presentation!

Pineapple “Ice Cream” Sandwich

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding
36 graham cracker squares

In a large bowl, beat together the thawed whipped topping, crushed pineapple, and vanilla pudding mix for 2 minutes. Spread the whipped pineapple mixture ½ inch thick between two graham cracker squares. Wrap gently in plastic and freeze for 2 hours.

Food for ThoughtFOOD FOR THOUGHT:
Just like two plain crackers can become so much more when there’s a sweet filling to join them together, so it is in our relationship with others. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says “A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.”  Whether it is a relationship between Christian friends or that of a husband and wife, when the two are closely joined in Christian love and fellowship, Jesus, by his Spirit, will come to them, bind them together, and be the sweet center of their relationship.

The Sweetness That Holds Us Together
For better, for worse; it’s no matter;
for richer, for poorer, you are mine.
God chose us and joined us together
and blest be the tie that binds!
It’s not important the things we attain,
nor how much we achieve in this life.
Our happiness isn’t measured by earthly gain,
but our love for each other and Christ!
And when the enemy tries to attack us,
we’ll lock our shields and together agree
that this threefold cord can’t be broken.
Through Jesus we will have victory!
I walk through this life totally complete
because I’m walking with you by my side,
and the sweetness of it all, the completeness of it all,
is Jesus – between us – for life!

— Cheri Henderson