Very Berry Muffins

When it's springtime in the south, you open your door and the scent of honeysuckle and freshly mowed grass make a sweet smelling mix. The chirping of birds and the humming of bees can be heard if you listen closely. Along my fence there are prickly vines of fat juicy blackberries just calling to be picked. Aside from the storms, I love this time of year when everything is warming up and making everyone want to be outside (unless you have allergies, then you might want to stay inside). This morning I went and picked several of the ripe blackberries dangling from the fence, and then started looking up a healthy recipe to make with them.
So far I've made two blackberry cobblers, and although it tasted great, it was packed with butter and sugar...so, I figured I would try to incorporate some healthier ingredients, that I have around the house. Nothing on pinterest or other internet recipe sites had exactly what I was looking for, so I decided to do what I have wanted to do for a while now, bake something freestyle. I was really nervous about it, to say the least! Getting the flour and milk and so on to be just right to have the right consistency, then to have enough sugar that it wouldn't be too sweet (or not sweet enough), was going to be difficult. I tried, and I succeeded! Really happy about how it turned out, and besides the sugar and white flour, it is really healthy! Here is the recipe for you to try. Let me know what you think!

Berry Muffins

1 1/4 c.  self-rising flour

1/2 c. white sugar

1/4 c. brown sugar (I put a couple of handfuls, not much)

1/2 c. whole grain old fashion oats

2 t. cinnamon  

1t. vanilla

1 egg

1/4 c. plain fat-free yogurt (to replace butter)

3/4 c. milk

1 1/2 c. berries (I used a mix of blackberries and strawberries)

Pre-heat oven to 350F and spray muffin cups with Non-stick cooking spray that have been placed in a muffin pan. In a mixing bowl, mix together flour, sugar, oats, and cinnamon. Add vanilla, egg, and yogurt, and mix until a little clumpy. Slowly add milk and stir until it's the right consistency then add the berries. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full of mix and bake for about 14 min. Should make about 14 muffins.

Enjoy!

How do you respond?

Note: Before you get started reading this post, it would be great if you can read over Ruth 2, the first half (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ruth+2&version=ESV found here). Last week, we looked at how Ruth committed herself to God, and Naomi, and now in Chapter 2 we are seeing how she responds to her situation and how God provides for her because of that commitment.

Last Wednesday in youth, the invitational song was a prayer of commitment saying 'I'll follow you into the world', and I thought about how that so many times I have been scared of committing to God, because I have been nervous about where in the 'world' He may need me to follow him to. You see, when we commit to Christ, He may put us in situations that we may not like. Take Ruth, because of her commitment, she was now in a foreign land, a widow trying to scrape a living for both her and her mother-in-law, and had no prospects of marriage. And yet we see that Ruth responded to this situation with:

Humility (Ruth 2:2)

Ruth asks Naomi if she can go to other people's field and reap the orphan's and foreigner's portion( Deut. 24:19-22). Even though the Israelites were commanded to do so, she states that she will check beforehand to make sure it's okay with them. This shows how humble Ruth is to accept what is the 'poor people's' portion of the harvest.
We also see that Ruth responded with:

Trust

Ruth trusted God to provide for her. This is something we can all relate to, since there comes a time when we have to rely on God to take care of our needs, whether physical or spiritual. God saw Ruth through, and he will see you through as well. Sometimes I see a situation and think there is no way out, or no way I can make it through, but God always provides, and I can trust that he will take care of me(Jeremiah 29:11) .

Diligence(Ruth 2:7)

Ruth didn't mope or complain, but went about her mission with all her strength. How would the story of Ruth worked out differently, if she had been lazy or moped? Once God has put you in a situation to do something he has called you to do, how do you work at it? Do you  complain or do it halfheartedly?

Because of how Ruth responded to her situation in the first half of Ruth 2, we see how God provided for her in the second half. If we respond to bad, or unpleasant situation (really any situation!) then God has a chance to use us, and show us how he can provide.

A newlywed's approach to cooking

In high school, I hated cooking. I would have much rather been bent over a Jane Austen book than over a stove making something that would be devoured by 8 hungry people in less than an hour! When I moved to Thailand, I became best friends with my uncle's housekeeper, and watched her as she cooked, and then later made trades with my adult English students: one hour of English, for one hour of cooking lessons. I got to where I knew how to cook more Thai dishes than American ones. Since I got married about a month after returning to America, I became really concerned with my lack of cooking skills. My husband told me that he would love me regardless of whether I could cook or not :) but I wanted to be one of those wives who has a delicious hot cooked meal when the husband returns tired from work. So, I determined to learn to cook!!
In our first weeks, I went strictly by recipe, and did simple things like hamburgers, fried rice (like I said, I could do Thai food better than American), fried chicken, and baked potatoes and salads. Once I became more comfortable with cooking, and the recipes I began experimenting, adding my own flair, and adding things to my numerous Pinterest recipe list (Pinterest is amazing for beginning cooks! Normally the pins come from blogs, which have numerous comments that give reviews on the recipes. That way you know if it's a good one before you start making it).
I have done all this introducing, to say, that I love cooking now! There is something so rewarding about cooking for your husband. If you don't feel like you're that great of a cook, do exactly like the recipe says for a while, until you feel comfortable, then think 'how can I make this even better' and try it!

Today I am giving you a few dinner recipes that take less than 30 minutes to prepare, for those who don't have a lot of time on their hands. My first dish is one that I make the most often, every Wednesday, in fact, since we leave for church right after dinner, and I love how it's in one dish. All of these make about 3 servings, since I make it for my husband and I, and then for his lunch the next day.

Dirty Rice

1/2 pound hamburger meat

1/4 cup chopped onion

Cajun and Italian spices (I use everything in this dish: Garlic salt, Italian seasoning, Season All, and red pepper flakes)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 1/4 cup Chicken broth

1/2-3/4 cup rice (I use Jasmine rice)

Add just a bit of oil to a skillet (I use Olive oil) and add onions and hamburger meat. Chop up meat and cook until brown. Add seasonings to taste (maybe a teaspoon of each? I really just wing it!). Add broth, then rice, turn the stove to med. heat and cover the pan. Set a timer for 15-18 minutes and let simmer. Uncover, and serve!

I recently made pizza and decided to create my own sauce. I looked at a few recipes and then incorporated a little bit from each, and made my own. The hubby really liked it, so I decided to make it a bit thinner and use it as a pasta sauce. Whether using it to make pizza or pasta sauce, this takes very little time to make. If you boil your pasta while cooking the sauce, your meal will be ready in no time at all!

Tomato Pasta Sauce

1-2 Tablespoons Olive oil

2 cloves minced garlic

1/4 cup onion

6 oz can tomato paste

chopped tomato, optional

Tomato sauce to preferred consistency

Italian spices, oregano,  minced basil leaves (optional), garlic salt

salt and pepper to taste

With the stove at high heat, add olive oil, and garlic and onion to saucepan. When the onion starts to change color, add tomato, stir, then add paste. Try to stir as best you can (I know it will be thick) to incorporate the onion and garlic. Start adding the tomato sauce a few teaspoons at a time (then maybe a little more) until desired thickness. Add your seasonings, then once the sauce starts to boil, turn down heat, and let simmer until time to serve over delicious penne or spaghetti pasta (or pizza!)!

If you are wanting a meat to go along with the pasta, here is a recipe that I love from Rachel Ray: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/parmesan-crusted-chicken-breasts-with-tomato-and-basil-and-potatoes-with-peppers-and-onions-recipe/index.html 

(I know that this includes a potato recipe, but it shows a video on how to do the chicken).

If you it's too expensive to use up all that Parmesan, then just take a piece of bread, a handful of Parmesan, and some Italian spices and put it in the food processor. Take a whisked egg and dip the chicken in the egg then the bread crumbs, and fry it in a skillet with the bottom of the pan covered in oil, and fry until done. 

For the pizza I used walmart brand roll out crust, then added the homemade sauce, cheese, pepperoni, more cheese and Italian spices.

Here are a few of my 'specialties' that I do at the house. I may add a few more later, and perhaps later I can add some appetizers and desserts! Comment on which you would like to see first!

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy these recipes. Let me know how they turned out!

Committing to trust God

I have been struggling with what to write about this week (as stated before, if you ever have a topic you would like me to talk on, please comment. I would love to at least try to tackle it), and I have looked at several topics, verses and chapters, but nothing gave me peace about writing it. Recently in our Bible study at night we went through the book of Ruth, one of my favorites since it's a book about a women! The more I've thought about doing a series on it, the better I feel, so I'm going to try to do a chapter by chapter study of it.

So, go grab your Bible, or quickly look it up on your phone, and turn to Ruth Chapter 1, and look at the first 18 verses. Although heavily quoted verses 15-18 are the main ones I want to look at today.

¹⁵ And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” ¹⁶ But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. ¹⁷ Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” ¹⁸ And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

There are two things I want us to look at:

Naomi's lack of trust in God

Yes, you saw right. From these verses I think we can see Naomi's lack of trust as she has seen her husband, then two sons die, and now a separation from a place she's lived in for many years to a place that although her home, probably won't be easy for her since she is a widow.  She believed God was against her (Ruth 1:13) and felt it was better that her daughters-in-law to go back to their parents and back to false gods than to go with her and trust God with their futures.
Have things happened to you that you think God doesn't care about you any more? Have you prayed and prayed to God and it seems like He hasn't answered?
Psalm 9:10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. 
Sometimes things happen to us that seem like God has turned against us, but the facts are that if we put our trust in the Lord, He will not forsake us. Naomi's family had a history of not trusting to begin with, by moving out of their home country and into a foreign land, but if she had trusted in the Lord to see her through I think we would have seen a much less bitter Naomi! Even though she has a lack of trust, God still provides for her, by sending Ruth with her.

Ruth's commitment

Ruth must have seen a difference between her family and Naomi's family for her to decide to put her trust in the Creator God. Even though Naomi didn't trust her future to God, Ruth did. She made a commitment to stay with Naomi her entire life, even though that meant leaving home, being a foreigner and having to scrape by for a living. She made a vow, a promise to stay with Naomi forever, and, she made true that vow! I see such commitment and trust in Ruth! When we make vows and promises, are we as serious as Ruth to keep them? How about the vow to our marriage? How about the promises we make to others? Most especially, how about our commitment to Christ? Are we willing to be so committed to Christ that we take up our cross daily (submit and die to our selfish desires) to follow him?

Will we be a Ruth or a Naomi? Will you trust God with your future?  

It's my way or the highway!

I love my church. We have a wonderful pastor, pastor's wife, and a very handsome, amazing youth pastor (you knew I was going to say that, right?). We also have some loving church members, that are very friendly and welcoming to other people. As you walk in you'll be greeted with smiles, and if you get to know them like I have, you may even get a hug! Something has happened recently that is making us move to the gym for worship, and we all have seen the not quite so Christ-like attitude come out in the church members!
What is it about change that makes us become ugly to one another? I used to laugh when preachers talked about members bickering over the color of the carpet, but now I'm not laughing so hard. If people can get upset just over where they will be conducting Sunday school for a few weeks, then I guess a church can split over the color in carpet.
Okay, my little rant is over. However, I think that our church isn't the only one that goes through troubles like that. It's human nature to be selfish and to want things our own way, but it's not Christ-like, or the way we should be to our own brothers and sisters in Christ!

In Ephesians 5:21 it says we should submit to one another out of reverence for Christ, and in Philippians 2 it says this:
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, ² complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. ³ Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴ Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. ⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

So, it says here that we are to be servants, and make others more important than ourselves! I understand that it's hard to do, but it's what we are commanded to do.

Do you find yourself wanting your own way in the church? Do you find yourself voicing your own way very loudly in the church (A lot of times it is very loud and opinionated woman who are doing most of the voicing, when really, we are supposed to be quiet in the church: 1Cor. 14:34)? When's the last time you served someone else instead of asking to be served?  The world does not revolve around us, but we are supposed to be living our lives for Christ.

How to be roommates, and still be friends!

Most of you know that I spent three years in Thailand. Of those three years, I spent a little over a year in a small one room (plus an outside bathroom) apartment (looked more like a dorm room) with my awesome roommate, Martina. She and I are from different countries, America and Italy, but I believe I had one of the greatest roommate experiences. I had heard so many horror stories about people's roommates, especially if they had started off as friends. God really blessed me with the roommate I had, who was really laid back, and helped my experience be a great one.  I am, of course, a youth pastor's wife, which means we minister to teenagers, and ones who are about to go off to college. We have a couple who are wanting to room with each other and one other friend (they are all best friends), so as promised to them, I am writing a post on how to be roommates and still be friends!

If you have read my other blog posts you know I've talked a lot about relationships, and this is basically another type of relationship. To begin, the most important thing is:

Communication

Talk it out! And this needs to start before you become roommates. If you ask the questions later, then you are asking for more drama, and possible loss of friendships. Here are some sample questions to ask:
Money:
Who is in charge to collect the money to pay for rent/utilities? Will each buy their own groceries? If you are carpooling will the gas be split?
Social:
Do you want some guidelines as far as boys being in the house? If one has a boyfriend, what is appropriate for them to do in front of everyone? (if you are all strong Christians, this may be much easier to talk about. If you are dating, it's my suggestion that if you invite them in, it should to the living room area with your roommates there. Bedrooms should never be a place for boys! (and guys, your bedroom should never be a place for girls!) )
Cleanliness:
Who is in Charge of cleaning which rooms? How often should it be done, and how thorough? If you are sharing a bedroom, does it matter if one cleans their side of the room and the other one doesn't?
Time:
Are your friends night owls, and you're an early bird, how late or how early can you be making loud noises? Remember Proverbs 27:14 'Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing.' This can also be applied to late at night as well.
Are you carpooling to class? How late is too late? Do you know your friend likes to take their time in the morning and is often late for school, but you've never had to deal with it before...well, you may want to talk about it now, so you don't have to argue about it later.

Arguements

As good as the communication was before you got together, there still may be arguments later. We are all human, after all, and we each come with our own unique personality, our own strengths and weaknesses. Remember that as Christians, we should treat our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, with love, and put each others needs above our own (Ephesians 4:32“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” ). Sometimes, however, you may feel like something needs to be addressed. When this happens you should go directly to the person you are having trouble with and not to anyone else, then tell them in love what is bothering you.

Fish and company stink after three days

You absolutely love hanging out with your best friend, and feel like that being roommates is like having a sleepover party every night. Not saying there won't be days like that, but it is good to remember, that anybody can get tired of anybody.  My roommate and I were in two separate majors, with different class times, and I was involved in the local church there, and also taught English. She had her own activities that she was involved in, and it meant that we might only 'hang out' together a couple of times a week. I am very thankful this happened, because we remained very close friends throughout the year. Try to make it where you have your own life and friends outside of your roommates, and set aside maybe once a week where you have some sort of 'hang out' whether it be a pizza and movie night, a Saturday at the mall, or just some girlie talk time (guys, you may substitute that with video games if you like).

These are my tips for having a good roommate experience. Do you have any more that I missed? Be sure and comment below!