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.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
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/
http://www.feminagirls.com/2010/08/10/supernatural-love/
Sunday, June 20, 2010
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."
Friday, June 11, 2010
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:
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.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
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.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Baking Bread & Our Thoughts
Each week as I use yeast to do my bread baking, it triggers all kinds of verses in my mind. The one that most often comes to mind is, "Be careful," Jesus said to them, "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees." Matthew 16:6. I don't have a lot of Pharisees and Sadducees around me but I do have plenty of questionable influences that would love to plant a few grains of yeast in mind and have them multiply.
If you have ever watched yeast sponge it is really an amazing process. You simply place a few things in a bowl and voila, it grows like no ones business multiplying it's volume over and over. There are a couple of things that must be present for that yeast to multiply, one is the sugar, it has to feed off of something and the other is the warm water, not too hot, not too cold but really it just needs to be warm, there is room for fluctuation. I often think of how our minds are like that bowl. Once the yeast is put in the bowl and fed, it's off and growing. When we allow the world to enter our mind, just like the yeast it's views start to take over and multiply. If we give it the right conditions and food it will advance even quicker.
I love that this verse is so often brought up in my baking day because it keeps me vigilant to keep the bowl of my mind clean. We can feed off of so many good foods for thought, like Bible verses, praise and worship songs, pure and lovely truths, thankfulness and many more. Even easier is the allowance of the world into our thoughts and to unknowingly feed the grains of yeast it plants. The toughest battles we will face in our spiritual walk will be in the battlefield of our minds. The enemy knows just the right amount of ingredients to place in our thoughts. He doesn't even need to make them grow as we generally feed the grains of yeast he places. Unless we purposefully take control of our minds we will lose many battles.
Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." We must ask for the Holy Spirit to help us in being vigilant to keep our thought lives pure and full of truth. The second we notice a grain of the enemies yeast being deposited, or we begin to think an untruth we must stop and clean house immediately. Take inventory of your thoughts when your emotions start to grow frustrated, angry, critical, depressed, condemning, judgemental, hurt or selfish. If you are experiencing poor emotions it is probably due to faulty thinking. Are you thinking poorly of your husband, children, family, friend? STOP! Take a step back and be willing to fight for the truth and the state of your mind. Pull out the word and see what it says about forgiveness, long-suffering, perseverance and unconditional love. You probably need to get rid of a little yeast!
One challenge I come up against continually is the temptation to think pridefully and selfishly. I often get frustrated when the children, well act like children and when my husband, well acts like a man! There are a couple of things I try and remember at these moments. One thing I ask myself is, "am I believing the best about this person?" The truth is generally that a child did not act foolishly to spite me, it was just that, foolishness. But it is my responsibility to correct them. When I act out my anger and frustrations because my plans and expectations are derailed it is no longer the child's problem or sin I am dealing with but mine! The other area I find myself fighting often is in the area of how I view my husband. More than I like I get a little self-righteous and out of place with my husband. I forget that God has put him over me and I begin to think that maybe Pete should get on my agenda! Many times it might be something around the house that I would like to see done differently or on a different time line and I will take that thought and hash it up nice and good in my mind until I have convinced myself he is just out to get me! This is a perfect example of letting one little grain of yeast grow. When I start to see this, I may be watering and sugaring these yeasty thoughts. I try and stop and remind myself that, "this is his house, not mine, I am to be his helper, he is not my helper!" Now this doesn't always make me feel better right away, but I praise the Lord for continually bringing to mind this verse in these times, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Jer. 17:9. Our thoughts should follow truth and in turn our emotions will follow as well. Do not let your feelings be the starting point, the truth must be the starting point, then we act on that truth and in time our emotions will follow it.
A little yeast runs through the entire batch of dough and causes it to rise. This is great thing for bread, but not for our minds! Ladies, we must turn from the belief that we should follow our feelings and let our thoughts lead us. We must be on our guard. The beauty of purposeful, truthful thinking is that we are free to see truth and the fruit of that truth. If we are continually thinking and believing lies we miss the opportunity to live in a pure conscience and heart. There is not greater joy than to know truth and rest in it!
As a continual reminder of how to keep our thought lives holy, maybe you too would like to bake some bread. Here is our families staple recipe.
Whole Wheat Bread
1/3c Honey
1/3c Olive Oil
2 1/2c warm water
2T Yeast
2 1/2t Salt
6-7C Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2T Dough Enhancer
Combine the warm water, yeast & 2C flour in mixing bowl (if you have a mixer with a dough hook). Allow to sponge for 15 min. Add honey, oil, dough enhancer, salt & 4-5C additional flour. You want to start mixing it and when it just starts to clean the bowl then you have enough flour. Knead the dough on med-low speed for 6 mins. At the same time turn the oven on to 200 degrees. When the dough is done kneading split in 2 loaves, shape and place in oiled bread pans. Place in warm oven, turn off heat and let rise for 30 mins or until about doubled. When risen, turn oven onto 350 degrees and bake for about 35 minutes. Just leave the bread in the oven and set the timer for 35 minutes as the oven pre-heats. The bread is done when it is golden brown and sounds hollow. Cool and Enjoy!
If you have ever watched yeast sponge it is really an amazing process. You simply place a few things in a bowl and voila, it grows like no ones business multiplying it's volume over and over. There are a couple of things that must be present for that yeast to multiply, one is the sugar, it has to feed off of something and the other is the warm water, not too hot, not too cold but really it just needs to be warm, there is room for fluctuation. I often think of how our minds are like that bowl. Once the yeast is put in the bowl and fed, it's off and growing. When we allow the world to enter our mind, just like the yeast it's views start to take over and multiply. If we give it the right conditions and food it will advance even quicker.
I love that this verse is so often brought up in my baking day because it keeps me vigilant to keep the bowl of my mind clean. We can feed off of so many good foods for thought, like Bible verses, praise and worship songs, pure and lovely truths, thankfulness and many more. Even easier is the allowance of the world into our thoughts and to unknowingly feed the grains of yeast it plants. The toughest battles we will face in our spiritual walk will be in the battlefield of our minds. The enemy knows just the right amount of ingredients to place in our thoughts. He doesn't even need to make them grow as we generally feed the grains of yeast he places. Unless we purposefully take control of our minds we will lose many battles.
Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." We must ask for the Holy Spirit to help us in being vigilant to keep our thought lives pure and full of truth. The second we notice a grain of the enemies yeast being deposited, or we begin to think an untruth we must stop and clean house immediately. Take inventory of your thoughts when your emotions start to grow frustrated, angry, critical, depressed, condemning, judgemental, hurt or selfish. If you are experiencing poor emotions it is probably due to faulty thinking. Are you thinking poorly of your husband, children, family, friend? STOP! Take a step back and be willing to fight for the truth and the state of your mind. Pull out the word and see what it says about forgiveness, long-suffering, perseverance and unconditional love. You probably need to get rid of a little yeast!
One challenge I come up against continually is the temptation to think pridefully and selfishly. I often get frustrated when the children, well act like children and when my husband, well acts like a man! There are a couple of things I try and remember at these moments. One thing I ask myself is, "am I believing the best about this person?" The truth is generally that a child did not act foolishly to spite me, it was just that, foolishness. But it is my responsibility to correct them. When I act out my anger and frustrations because my plans and expectations are derailed it is no longer the child's problem or sin I am dealing with but mine! The other area I find myself fighting often is in the area of how I view my husband. More than I like I get a little self-righteous and out of place with my husband. I forget that God has put him over me and I begin to think that maybe Pete should get on my agenda! Many times it might be something around the house that I would like to see done differently or on a different time line and I will take that thought and hash it up nice and good in my mind until I have convinced myself he is just out to get me! This is a perfect example of letting one little grain of yeast grow. When I start to see this, I may be watering and sugaring these yeasty thoughts. I try and stop and remind myself that, "this is his house, not mine, I am to be his helper, he is not my helper!" Now this doesn't always make me feel better right away, but I praise the Lord for continually bringing to mind this verse in these times, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Jer. 17:9. Our thoughts should follow truth and in turn our emotions will follow as well. Do not let your feelings be the starting point, the truth must be the starting point, then we act on that truth and in time our emotions will follow it.
A little yeast runs through the entire batch of dough and causes it to rise. This is great thing for bread, but not for our minds! Ladies, we must turn from the belief that we should follow our feelings and let our thoughts lead us. We must be on our guard. The beauty of purposeful, truthful thinking is that we are free to see truth and the fruit of that truth. If we are continually thinking and believing lies we miss the opportunity to live in a pure conscience and heart. There is not greater joy than to know truth and rest in it!
As a continual reminder of how to keep our thought lives holy, maybe you too would like to bake some bread. Here is our families staple recipe.
Whole Wheat Bread
1/3c Honey
1/3c Olive Oil
2 1/2c warm water
2T Yeast
2 1/2t Salt
6-7C Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2T Dough Enhancer
Combine the warm water, yeast & 2C flour in mixing bowl (if you have a mixer with a dough hook). Allow to sponge for 15 min. Add honey, oil, dough enhancer, salt & 4-5C additional flour. You want to start mixing it and when it just starts to clean the bowl then you have enough flour. Knead the dough on med-low speed for 6 mins. At the same time turn the oven on to 200 degrees. When the dough is done kneading split in 2 loaves, shape and place in oiled bread pans. Place in warm oven, turn off heat and let rise for 30 mins or until about doubled. When risen, turn oven onto 350 degrees and bake for about 35 minutes. Just leave the bread in the oven and set the timer for 35 minutes as the oven pre-heats. The bread is done when it is golden brown and sounds hollow. Cool and Enjoy!
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