I love summer produce, don’t you?!  We chanced upon a lovely stand last weekend where they were selling fresh corn on the cob.  Yum!  I bought more than we needed, knowing that I wanted to freeze some for later!  This week when I went to cut it off the cob, I remembered a little tip I’d seen on a cooking show to keep the kernels from popping literally all over the floor!  Have you seen this…

(I blanched the corn first)

Set the corn cob on the middle part of a bundt or tube pan, then cut the kernels off.  They will fall (for the most part) into the bundt pan and not all over the counter!  It’s a genius idea!

Then spread the corn onto a baking sheet and freeze for about 15 minutes.  The kernels will then be ready to pop into a freezer bag until you’re ready to use it!

So if you’re planning on freezing corn, freshen up your kitchen by using this little trick!

What do you do with summer produce?  

Be refreshed,

God’s servants need a time away to learn to listen and depend on His strength, and not their own.  I’ve been studying a lot recently about Elijah and his time in Cherith.  Elijah had just had a heady experience telling the wicked King Ahab that no rain would fall until God spoke again. How exhilarating.  How wonderful to be used to speak for God!

Immediately after, God sends Elijah to the brook Cherith.  He is to be alone for more than a year.  He would have no one to talk to but his God.  God fed him miraculously.  He was hidden there…not so much from King Ahab, but possibly from himself.  Elijah needed the humility of the Cherith to prepare him for the next adventure.  Perhaps God saw Elijah as too equipped; too able.  He needed to realize he was nothing and that God was everything.

God gives us a Cherith, too.  It may be a long period of time in which we are desperate for God to work, to answer, to supply in a miraculous way.  Some of our “Cherith” times are short-lived, but just as effective in getting our attention.

This is what a “Migraine Cherith” looks like from my perspective.

For me, migraines have been my “Cherith” times.  They are the force that causes me to be still, to wait on strength that only the Lord can revive.  I need these thirsty situations.  Without them I would be too dependent on my own resources and abilities.  How empty that would be!  But my Cherith times cause me to think on my God, of how powerful He is, and of how much I need Him!

I hate migraines, but I love the Cherith to which it brings me!  I love it when God whispers to me in the quiet.  He is near when I can’t even bear to hear another’s voice speak because it hurts my head.  God’s voice is precious and healing.  Here in my Cherith, I am healed.  I am made ready for the next adventure, and I will go in His strength, because I have learned that mine is so faulty.

Thank the Lord for the Cherith He brings into your life and listen to His voice and receive from His hand the provision He brings.  It is full of miracles and wonder.

With love,

A Peek Into My life This Week

Recently when a visitor was leaving our Sunday services, she stopped to speak with me.  She has seen some of my Facebook pictures of outings my husband and I have been privileged to take.  As she was leaving she made this comment to me:  “Now that you have an empty nest, you and your husband just go all over the place, trying new places and having fun.”  I think she has the impression that she sees those status updates as the norm of our days.  However, what she sees are some outings on his day off.  Other excursions are an occasional weekend away, or a conference in another state.

A view on a recent “intentional” afternoon away.

It’s in those status updates that I share the highlights of our lives.  How wonderful to “escape” for a few hours to see a beautiful spot or try a new restaurant.  Those are the highs, but not the norm of every day or even every week.  

What isn’t seen is the day to day ministry routines.  I’m not one to post about each call away, each visit we make or each ministry opportunity.  They are the norm and are the blessings of our lives.  It is my husband’s life’s call, therefore mine, too.  We share it together and enjoy it more than I can even express in words.  We endeavor to pepper those times with fun – to stop alongside the road for a view of the beauty we’re passing on our way to a visit.  We may enjoy a shared ice cream cone or a sweet tea as we travel to make a hospital call.  We hold hands in the car, and chat as we go from place to place.  Those are the intentional moments we enjoy in our busy ministry lives.  It’s with intention that we stop to enjoy the moments that the Lord allows along the way.

I hope that others view my life on Facebook and in person and see that we love the life God has given us.  We enjoy the marriage that we vowed to one another.  And we enjoy each day – hum-drum or exciting, each day is a blessing and a gift from God!

What are you doing to intentionally make today a memorable one?

With love from my country porch,

My God has done some incredible things in my life in answer to prayer.  He has:

Linking up to Organizing Junkie

Menu time…and also some new recipes that I tried this week – one being Hawaiian Rolls.  Do you LOVE those that you buy in the store?  I do, but wow, they’re expensive if they’re not on sale.  When I saw a recipe for these on Pinterest, I knew they would be on our menu very soon.  This was the week!  Recipe below!

I also made a muffin recipe using some of the fresh blackberries we’d received from a dear friend. What a great breakfast bread!  I shared most of them with others, but we did manage a couple for our morning coffee.

I also tried a new marinade for chicken that made the white meat more moist than any other marinade I’ve used!  Yum!!!

 We received an abundance of tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, green onions and blackberries from friends who have gardens!  What a treasure!  So, I did all I could to incorporate those items in our meals all day long!  Here’s what we ate last week:

Breakfasts:
Yogurt
Blueberries
Blackberries
Strawberries
Homemade Granola

Blackberry/Blueberry Whole Grain Muffins – Recipe below

Lunches
Salads
Black Bean Cakes on Tortilla
Leftovers
Vegetables in Tortilla

Dinners
Sunday – Dinner out with friends
Monday – Turkey Sausage Foil Dinner, Sliced Tomatoes
Tuesday – Grilled Marinated Chicken, Rice, Roasted Zucchini, Broccoli Slaw
Wednesday – Grilled Hamburgers on Homemade Hawaiian Rolls, Corn on cob, slaw
Thursday – Spaghetti, Tossed Salad, French Bread
Friday – Ham Steaks, Corn and Tomato Flan
Saturday – Leftovers

Blackberry/Blueberry Whole Grain Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon apple-pie spice – I used cinnamon
1 cup fat-free milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups frozen blackberries, coarsely chopped – I used one cup blackberries, 1 cup blueberries
Cooking spray
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (through apple-pie spice) in a large bowl. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk, butter, vanilla, and egg in a small bowl; add to flour mixture, stirring until just moist. Gently stir in blackberries.

Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each of 17 paper-lined muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 16 minutes. Sprinkle muffins evenly with granulated sugar; bake 3 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks.

Hamburgers with homemade Hawaiian Rolls!

King’s Hawaiian Bread
makes 3 loaves or 24 large rolls
from food.com

6-7 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 (1/4 ounce) envelopes yeast
1/2 cup butter (one stick) melted

Directions:

Beat the eggs. Add the pineapple juice, sugar, salt, ginger, vanilla, and butter.

Place 3 cups of flour in a large bowl. Stir in the egg mixture until well-combined. Sprinkle in the yeast, one packet at a time, and mix. Add the remaining 3 cups of flour and mix in. If dough is sticky and difficult to handle, add more flour. Dough should be slightly tacky, but not wet. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until it forms a smooth ball. Place dough in a greased bowl and set aside to rise until doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours).

Punch dough down and either divide into three equal parts for bread loaves or 24 balls for dinner rolls. Place in greased loaf pans or shape into rolls.
Cover and place in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. The secret to light and airy rolls is making sure they’ve risen enough.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or golden brown.
Brush tops with melted butter. Serve warm.

Have you put any new recipes on your menu this week?  I hope you’ll try some I’ve listed for you here!  They’re all yummy!

With love from my country kitchen,