Spaghetti Squash

I love this time of year. We are able to eat fresh from the garden and enjoy the fruits of our labor. My father gardens much more than we do here, and we often get to enjoy the fruits of his garden too. This year he had an abundance of spaghetti squash. In the past our family has tried to eat spaghetti squash but we just never enjoyed the taste of it. This year we tried it a couple of new ways and found that we love it prepared these ways. Here are the recipes.

Marinara Baked Spaghetti Squash
This is super easy and tasty. I baked the squash at 400 degrees until it was soft (about a hour). In the meantime I browned a lb of hamburger and added a jar of natural spaghetti sauce, some Italian seasonings (oregano, basil, a little garlic powder etc.). Let this simmer while the squash bakes. Remove the squash from oven and cut in half carefully it's HOT. Remove the seeds. Now you should have 2 hollowed out pieces of squash. Put the sauce in, top with cheese parmesan or mozzarella or both. Bake until bubbly. Pete and I both agree that we prefer this over regular spaghetti noodles. It was a hit with our children too.

Stir Fry and squash noodles
here we just made a traditional stir fry. We baked the squash and shred it into "noodles". Then we served the stir fry over the plain noodles. Another hit.

The think I like most about these recipes is that they are so healthy. They are a great way to get several servings of vegetables into our diet.

I heart Teriyaki Sauce

Well it's finally happened I have found the perfect sauce. In a book I picked up from the library I found this recipe for Teriyaki sauce and I've been using it for everything from stir fry, to sesame green beans to chinese burritos. My family is patiently waiting for me to come out of my euphoric state of taste and move onto to other recipes, but I don't see this happening anytime soon. So for now I'm dousing every fresh summer veggie I can get my hands on with this delightfully sweet and salty sauce. I would like to keep the recipe and bribe people with it as I do believe I could ransom affections with it, but since I am trying to maintain my christian morals, I will pass it on.

Teriyaki Sauce (from More Freezer Recipes)
2c soy sauce (I finally had to give in and buy the gallon jug at Costco!)
2c sugar (I have been using Turbinado sugar which is unprocessed sugar)
1c mirin (okay, I don't know where to get this or what it is, I have used wine and apple juice as a substitution)
2t fresh ginger (I have used dried and it tastes great)
2t fresh garlic
Combine all in pot and simmer until dissolved together. This will store for several months in the fridge. It doesn't last that long here!

Here are some recipes I have used it with:

Stir fry- fry up some cut up chicken or beef, remove from pan and add a variety of fresh veggies when they are crisp tender add in the meat, pour on a generous amount of sauce and serve over brown rice

Sesame green beans-take a Tblsp. or two of sesame seeds and roast in a dry pan on stove. Remove and add some frozen green beans (fresh if ya' got em') with a bit of water and steem just until hot. Pour out water. Add a bit of olive oil and fry in hot oven a couple of min until the beans start to brown just a bit. Pour on some sesame oil, sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds. My kiddos think these are candy.

Chinese Burritos-Brown a # of hamburger, add 8 oz sliced bella mushrooms when the mushrooms have fried a bit add a bag of coleslaw mix (or make your own, simply shred 1/2 a head of cabbage with a few carrots) and cook until the coleslaw is tender crisp. Add 1/2 a bottle of hoisin sauce and enough teriyaki to coat everything generously. I like to add a bit of sesame oil as well. Place in heated ww tortillas wrap and enjoy with some fresh fruit. This is a healthy light summer dinner, one of our families favorites.

This makes a great marinade as well. Next on my to try list is steak kabobs marinated in teriyaki.

Suprnatural Love

It's been a long trying summer. My words have been stifled and few. Words generally run rampant in my mind and onto paper, I am sure they will return soon. In the meantime here is an excellant post from Femina. Please do check it out.

http://www.feminagirls.com/2010/08/10/supernatural-love/

Mother's Prayer

I read this prayer in Home-Making by J.R. Miller, written in 1882. I think I may print this and put it up where I can see it daily so I remember to take each of my trials to the Lord.

"My mind was ruled with small cares today,

And I said pettish words, and did not keep

Long-suffering patience well; and now how deep

My trouble for this sin! In vain I weep

For foolish words I never can unsay.

Yet not in vain, oh, surely not in vain!

This sorrow must compel me to take heed:

And surely I shall learn how much I need

Thy constant strength my own to supersede,

and all my thoughts to patience to constrain.

Yes, I shall learn at last though I neglect

Day after day to seek my help from thee.

Oh, aid me, that I may always recollect

This gentle-heartedness and oh, correct

Whatever else of sin thou seest in me."

Praying for our Husbands: His Fatherhood

Pray that your husband becomes a father in the image of his Father in heaven. Pray that he has the strength, wisdom, discernment, love and proper priorities to raise up children who love the Lord. Pray that god would be evident in the leading, training and disciplining of his children.

Verses to pray:

Psalm 103:13

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

Psalm 127:3-6

Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

Deuteronomy 6:5-7

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Proverbs 23:24-26

The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise don delights in him. May your father and mother be glad; may she who gave you birth rejoice! My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways.

Proverbs 4:1

Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.

Hebrews 12:10-11

Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Malachi 4:6

He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.

Ephesians 6:4

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Proverbs 13:24

He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.

Proverbs 29:17

Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes, he will give delight to your soul.

Praying for our Husbands: Future Generations

Recently I have been convicted of my need to pray God's word for my husband. As my husband is pulled in so many different directions and has to balance so many things, I see the need to really be praying for him during this season of life. Work, children, wife, church, friendships and responsibilities all vie for his time and attention. I know that lifting him up in prayer is powerful and able to encourage him to be in the Lord's will in each area of his life.

Isaiah 55:11 says, "So my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." In lifting up my husband to the Lord I know that powerful things will happen. We need to be praying what we know the Lord's will is, and we can tell his will by his word. In a spirit of wanting to obey the Lord I have found some verses to pray for my husband in regards to his future generations. I have listed them here if you would like to pray them as well. I will continue to post verses to pray in several areas of our husband's lives as I get them put together. I pray that this will spur and motivate wives to really invest in their husbands by taking each and every aspect of their lives to the Lord in prayer.

Pray for your husbands posterity. Pray that his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and all future generations would have lives firmly rooted in the Lord. Pray that your husband's legacy would be one of great love for the Lord and that each successive generation would grow stronger in their faith for God's glory.

Proverbs 20:7 The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him.

Luke 1:50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.

Psalm 103:17-18 But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him; and his righteousness with their children's children---with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

Proverbs 14:26 He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.

Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.

Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaves and inheritance for his children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous.

Dangerous Women

I found this blog through Visionary Womanhood http://visionarywomanhood.blogspot.com/ about what it means to be the right kind of dangerous woman. Worth the read! Here is the link to Femina http://www.feminagirls.com/2010/05/29/dangerous-women/#more-1762. I hope you take a minute to be encouraged to be dangerous.