Picante Soup ~ Recipe Round-Up ~ September

Soups and Stews

This soup recipe that I’m posting for September Recipe Round-Up is from my good friend Jody. You have got to trust a recipe from a cook who owns this refrigerator!!

Jody’s kitchen is in constant use with people at her table most every night of the week. If anyone in the world can get good use out of this wonderful refrigerator Jody can. The recipe is in her own words but the following pictures are from my Washington Kitchen where I tested the soup for the Round-Up.

Picante Soup

3 T butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
freshly ground pepper to taste
1.5 cups of Pace Picante Sauce, whichever heat you like–I use medium
1 quart half and half

Saute the onion and garlic in the butter until soft, Stir in cumin and pepper.  Set aside.
Warm picante sauce, but do not boil. Add onion mixture.   Slowly stir in half and half; heat through; do not boil.  Serve immediately.  Serves 6-8.

 Jody also includes this tip to make this soup for a crowd…

“The way I do this for a crowd is that I saute the onion and garlic ahead of time so that when party day comes, I just put everything in the crock pot together, letting it heat to below boiling while I’m doing other things.  Very easy.  I think I garnished with cilantro, but anything would work. I double this to serve 24 of my small bowls.”

Enjoy! Now head on over to Lux Venit to indulge in some more soups and stews.

ht: By the way, I got this from The Educated Palate, compiled and edited by Mary D. Silleck

Any photos missing from my posts are the result of Photobucket blacking out all my photos that I stored on their site since 2006.

Tea for Two ~ Vintage Blue

Tea for Two in my Library

Welcome back

 

I’m including this recipe for  tea sandwiches that my mom made for us a while back. .

 Curried Chicken Tea Sandwiches

 

INGREDIENTS

     2 cups cubed, cooked chicken, 1 medium unpeeled red apple, chopped, 3/4 cup dried cranberries, 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery, 1/4 cup chopped pecans, 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions, 3/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing, 2 teaspoons lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon curry powder, 12 slices breadLettuce Leaves

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Combine mayonnaise, lime juice and curry powder; add to chicken mixture and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut each slice of bread with a 3-in. heart-shaped cookie cutter. Top with lettuce and chicken salad.

 

 

So happy you stopped by my library for tea. You can still see more tea parties at Make Mine Pink.

Any photos missing from my posts are the result of Photobucket blacking out all my photos that I stored on their site since 2006.

Welcome to Moss Rose Tea Party ~ hosted by ellen b.

 Welcome Ladies to Ellen’s

Moss Rose Tea Room

Here’s your seat and let’s enjoy delicacies and delightful conversation.

 

The Tea has been steeped and is ready for you…

 

Sugar? One lump or two?

 

A few sweet delicacies and lots of pink roses.

 

We hope you will sit awhile and speak kindly of your hostess…

 

We’re thrilled that you’ve joined us in our little fun.

 

and that you will leave here remembering everyone.

 

So relax, enjoy, be still for awhile.

 

The world will go on without us for now.

 

We’ll chat, laugh, sip to our heart’s content.

 

And when it’s all over we’ll be happy we met

 

So much beauty to enjoy.

 

So many people to meet

 

So glad you stopped by to enjoy my pink and moss treats!

To enjoy more tea parties head on over to Make Mine Pink and click on the links….

Any photos missing from my posts are the result of Photobucket blacking out all my photos that I stored on their site since 2006.

Woman to Woman ~ 9/11 Gratitude

The theme for Woman to Woman today is gratitude. We are asked to list 11 things we are grateful for.

I am grateful for…

1. My plane trip today to return to California and be back with my husband.

2. My time in Washington with my adult children.

3. My great friends who keep me accountable.

4. My Mother and Father who will be celebrating their 64th wedding anniversary on Thursday.

5. My Siblings and Siblings-in-law and their children.

6. My Home in Washington and my Condo in California.

7. The lovely blogging community I have grown attached to.

8. My church.

9. My education and continuing education in the Word.

10. All of God’s creation.

11. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who made me, who love me, extend saving grace to me and who teach and comfort me.

To see more Woman to Woman gratitude sites go here to Seeds in my Garden and here at My Many Colored Days.

Happy Birthday Dear ~ September 9th!

Happy Birthday Dear!

It’s been so wonderful spending so many birthdays with you. We all wish we could celebrate in person with you today. You are a wonderful husband to me and a great example to your children.

Here are some hats that Dear wears.

Husband, Father, Brother, Uncle, Pharmacist, Provider, Musician, Teacher, Mechanic, Painter, Carpenter, Scholar, Science Fiction Buff, Welder, Brewer, Listener, Servant, Plumber, Electrician, Builder, Great Friend!

Before Dear became a Pharmacist at the ripe old age of 39 he worked in a gravel pit in one of these…

Praying for God to continue to richly bless you and to give us many more years to celebrate together!

The Lights of Home ~ Fanny Crosby ~ Hymn

There have been so many deaths and tragic events in our community this week that I thought this hymn would be an appropriate one for this Sunday’s hymn choice. I’m headed to another funeral this coming Thursday. Thank God from whom all blessings flow we have a home wating for us with our Savior…

 The Lights of Home

words by Fanny Crosby (April 1899)~ music by Charles H. Harsh

 The friends that now are waiting,
In the cloudless realms of day,
Who are calling me to follow
Where their steps have led the way;
They have laid aside their armor,
And their earthly course is run;
They have kept the faith with patience
And their crown of life is won.

Refrain

They are calling, gently calling,
Sweetly calling me to come,
And I’m looking through the shadows
For the blessèd lights of home.

They have laid aside their armor
For the robe of spotless white;
And with Jesus they are walking
Where the river sparkles bright.
We have labored here together,
We have labored side by side,
Just a little while before me
They have crossed the rolling tide.

Refrain

On those dear familiar faces
There will be no trace of care;
Every sigh was hushed forever
At the palace gate so fair.
I shall see them, I shall know them,
I shall hear their song of love,
And we’ll all sing hallelujah
In our Father’s house above.

Refrain

Meme ~ 12 Questions…

I was tagged for a meme by Theresa at Seeking Diligence Blogspot to answer the following 12 questions…

1)What is your school name and why?

When I homeschooled our daughter for part of 4th, then 5th and 6th grade in the mid ’90’s we just called our school by our last name, B—–Homeschool.

2)How is your weather today?

Very nice crispy but sunny with puffy white clouds in the sky…

3)What steals your joy?

Confrontation. My own selfishness.

4)Name five blessings you received this week.

1) Spending time with my children in Washington.

2) The joy of reading a good book.

3)  Extra insight in the book of James that I’m reading

4) My daughter being accepted into UW for her last 2 years of college.

5) My husbands phone calls from California.

5)Favorite Scripture

There are so many but since the 4th grade one of my favorites is… 

John 14:1-3 ~ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” 

Of course the King James version that I memorized this verse from in the 4th grade talked about a mansion not just a room. I think I was excited about that prospect….

6) Who in the Bible do you think you are most like?

 Moses for his public speaking awkwardness, the woman at the well for her evasiveness, Sons of thunder for their act first think later attitude, Peter for talking big and then denying Christ in a pinch. Thank God for His mercy and grace…

7)The passage of scripture you read last:

The book of James. I’m reading the whole book everyday for 20 days…

8) Have you ever praised God for something weird?

   Yes lots of things other people might consider weird. Finding something on sale, finding the perfect gift for someone, having a meal turn out. There are probably way weirder things that just aren’t coming to me…

9) If you were making a greeting card for God what would it say.

There are no words to express what you mean to this undeserving sinner. I want to shout your praise in a stadium filled with people!

10) What is the best miracle God has performed in your life, or what is your favorite answered prayer?

    I think the best miracle is that God’s hand was on my Father to cause Him to be the first in his family to immigrate to the U.S.A. where he later heard God’s call on his life at the Billy Graham Crusade in Los Angeles in 1963. This was a huge miracle in our family and has affected so many areas of our lives. My favorite answered prayer is that God has extended His grace and mercy to my children.

11)What is the most fun thing you have done lately.

Had a early birthday party for Dear with friends and family at our friends home in Washington and the other meals and evenings with my children.

12) How did you choose your screen name.

Sat around with my brother and others while he forced me to start a blog. We went back and forth. I’m a happy person in general and I wonder about a lot of things. (I’m curious) So I came up with The Happy Wonderer.

So now I tag whoever would like to do this meme. Maybe you don’t know what to post. Go ahead and do this meme and you’ll have a fresh post…

Hey! Let me know if you do it….

Friday’s Feast ~ Sept 7

This is my first venture into Friday’s Feast…

Appetizer
Using only one word, how does grocery shopping make you feel?

Prepared

Soup
What is your favorite part about the season of Autumn?

The cold crispy mornings and the fact that life seems to become organized again.

Salad
Have you ever had any bad experiences online?

Yes. Early on I thought I needed to click on every email that came to me. Yikes the junk that came up made me sick. I learned really quick to only click on emails where I knew the sender…

Main Course
Name three things that make you happy daily.

1. Peace with God.  2. Getting something accomplished on my to do list. 3. Connecting with loved ones.

Dessert
What one household cleansing or organizing item would you not want to be without?

My cleaning tote that has everything I need in it to clean any room in my house thoroughly.

For more Friday Feasts go here and here.

Thankful Thursday ~ Faithful One

James 1: 16-17 ~

 “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Hebrews 13: 8 ~

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

I am thankful that our God does not change, He has no variation like shifting shadows, He is dependable and He is faithful.

Faithful One (Brian Doerksen)

Faithful One so unchanging
Ageless One You’re my rock of peace
Lord of all I depend on you
I call out to You, again and again
I call out to You, again and again

You are my rock in times of trouble
You lift me up when I fall down
All through the storm
Your love is an anchor
My hope is in You alone

Copyright © 1997 Mercy/Vineyard Publishing. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.
~

For more Thankful Thursday Posts click head over to Sting My Heart…

In Other Words Tuesday ~ Praying…

“Praying is no easy matter.  It demands a relationship in which you allow someone other than yourself to enter into the very center of your person, to see there what you would rather leave in darkness, and to touch there what you would rather leave untouched.  Why would you really want to do that?”

~ Henri Nouwen ~

 Praying might not be easy but we can be more confident in our prayers if we are praying according to God’s Word. When I let the Word of God along with the Holy Spirit reveal what He wants me to deal with in my life He equips me to follow through in obedience. If I try to go into my heart without the help of God’s truth and His instruction I might tend to dwell too much on me and not enough on God’s truth and what He can do with the sin in my heart. I’m going to share another quote about prayer in response to the quote above.

This comes from Bonhoeffer’s Life Together ~

“The Scripture meditation leads to prayer. We have already said that the most promising method of prayer is to allow oneself to be guided by the word of the Scriptures, to pray on the basis of the word of Scripture. In this way we shall not become victims of our own emptiness. Prayer means nothing else but the readiness and willingness to receive and appropriate the Word, and, what is more, to accept it in one’s personal situation, particular tasks, decisions, sins, and temptations. What can never enter the corporate prayer of the fellowship may here be silently made known to God. According to a word of Scripture we pray for the clarification of our day, for preservation from sin, for growth in sanctification, for faithfulness and strength in our work. And we may be certain that our prayer will be heard, because it is a response to God’s Word and promise. Because God’s Word has found its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, all prayers that we pray conforming to this Word are certainly heard and answered in Jesus Christ.

It is one of the particular difficulties of meditation that our thoughts are likely to wander and go their own way, toward other persons or to some events in our life. Much as this may distress and shame us again and again, we must not lose heart and become anxious, or even conclude that meditation is really not something for us. When this happens it is often a help not to snatch back our thoughts convulsively, but quite calmly to incorporate into our prayer the people and the events to which our thoughts keep straying and thus in all patience return to the starting point of the meditation.”

Boenhoffer’s language might be “dated” for our ears but the truth here is so good to read. I especially appreciate this last paragraph. We can pray about what our minds wander to and then get back to the point of our prayer and the scripture we are meditating on. However hard prayer may be for us we should never abandon it.

There are more In Other Words contributors at Fruit in Season…

ht: Life Together. Copyright 1954 by Harper Collins Publishers.