Find refreshment for your heart, home and life
On a day when we think about love, my heart wanders to The initiator of love – the Lord Jesus Christ. Proverbs 10:28 says, The hope of the righteous shall be gladness… Why can we have gladness?
I got a lovely surprise last week – a beautiful bouquet of daisies from my Sweetheart. He doesn’t wait until Valentine’s Day to make up for what he should have been doing – he does sweet things like that all year long. =) (Yes, I know how blessed I am!)
I’m so thankful that my mom taught me to improvise and use what I have. When I wanted a centerpiece for my Sunday dinner, I took the daisy arrangement I’d made and added a heart-shaped cookie cutter and then popped in some heart-shaped suckers that I had leftover from my Sunday school class.
Here was my menu. My new recipes are marked with an *.
1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups hot cooked long-grain white rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation
1. Combine first 5 ingredients. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade; place remaining marinade in a zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Chill 4 hours.
2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade in bag. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; baste with 2 tablespoons reserved marinade. Cook 6 minutes. Turn chicken over; baste with 2 tablespoons reserved marinade. Cook 6 minutes.
3. Combine rice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cilantro.
*Because I was serving this for Sunday dinner, I opted not to grill the chicken – though I’m sure it would be wonderful! I put the marinated meat in a baking dish, covered, and baked it at 225 degrees while we were at church.
I added this salsa to it, because white meat is so dry to me. This was really good with it. I think next time I would warm the salsa.
Pineapple Salsa
Mix:
1 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple (I used canned)
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup pineapple preserves
1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 3/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed
Baked pie shell
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. To prepare filling, combine 1/2 cup sugar and the next 6 ingredients (through egg yolk) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place the milk in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until milk reaches 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge (do not boil). Gradually add hot milk to egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return milk mixture to pan; cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; stir until smooth.
4. Place pan in a large ice-filled bowl for 10 minutes or until mixture cools, stirring occasionally. Spoon filling into crust, and cover surface of filling with plastic wrap. Chill for 3 hours or until set; remove plastic wrap. Spread the whipped topping over filling; add cocoa or chocolate shavings for garnish, if desired.
What was cooking in your kitchen this week? Are you making anything special for Valentine’s Day?
Hope it includes chocolate! =)
From my parsonage kitchen,
I’d have to say that Valentine’s Day has always been a favorite holiday of mine. From the time I was a little girl cutting out those folded pieces of paper that magically turned into symmetrical hearts, I’ve been head over heels in love with the day itself! What’s not to love about chocolate, conversation hearts, flowers, lacey paper doileys, and heart-shaped food from cookies to pancakes?
Okay, I hear a single gal lamenting that this day is a little over the top, and she feels excluded. I hear the wife that’s sighing and recounting that her husband hasn’t remember this day in forever. I’m truly sorry. Perhaps we need to Refresh our hearts about this Love-filled holiday.
Whether we’re married, dating or single, Valentine’s Day is about expressing our love for someone else. This will require each of us to lower our expectations of the day and do unto others. If we approach February the 14th about with what we’re going to get out of it, we are setting ourselves up for disaster, disappointment and, if you’re married, potential divorce! Seriously, if we expect roses, chocolates and sweet sentiment written in red accompanied by boxes of our favorite chocolates in heart-shaped boxes, we are sure to be disappointed. Let’s each give our Valentine’s expectation a little overhaul and start thinking ahead of the person(s) to whom we could show love, rather than dwelling on the one from whom we better receive it.
Start with your family, then think outside the box.
If you pray about showing love to others, and then get caught up in what you could do, it will lessen your own pain, if you should feel neglected. Remember yesterday’s quote? It fits. Even on Valentine’s Day. Very much.
Be refreshed,
With tear-filled eyes,
When our girls were growing up there were many “lean” years, financially speaking. The Lord always provided for us, but we often did without special food items, or conveniences, and stuck strictly to our grocery list and immediate needs. There was no ability to stock the pantry or buy ahead while things were on sale, but I truly wouldn’t trade those years for anything. We learned to trust the Lord and pray about everything – grocery money, doctor bills, gas, school materials – everything. God is so faithful. While our pantry wasn’t overflowing, we had what we needed every day.
During those years, I learned to buy wisely. I got into a routine that I still follow today. I still look for marked down meats, milk and other products. I coupon at Ingles, where they double my coupons up to fifty cents. I shop at Big Lots for many grocery items. I buy some things at Sam’s Club in large quantities, when it is more cost effective. Doing this now, I’m able to stock my pantry, fridge and freezer when I find things marked down. I love being able to go to my pantry and pull off the items needed for a recipe without having to go and purchase very many other ingredients.
Recently at our ladies’ fellowship, the visiting dietitian shared a list of items with us that are good to keep in your pantry. I thought you might be interested. Of course, you’ll need to tailor this list to your family’s likes and budget:
Perhaps the situation in which you find yourself is like our earlier years. You’re not living week by week, but day by day to see the Lord supply. He promises to do that. Don’t let yourself doubt. Our God is able. I’m reminded of the words to a song about prayer entitled, “It Pays To Pray.”
It Pays To Pray
It Pays to call upon His name
It Pays To Pray
To see a miracle displayed
You’ll forget the word, “impossible”
When you seek the Savior’s face
You’ll know He will make a way
It Pays To Pray
A full pantry or one that has just enough shows that our God is faithful!
From my parsonage pantry,
