When we hear someone described as 'being in shape' we immediately have a mental picture of a slender, well toned body. The kind of body we would love to see reflected in our own mirrors.
But those kind of bodies rarely come without some - and sometimes much - effort and discipline and training.
To be health conscious about our physical bodies is good, but it is much more important to be 'spiritually fit'.
"For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of this life that now is and of that which is to come."
I Tim. 4:8 (NKJV)
Do we put as much effort into getting into spiritual shape as we do our physical shape?
What does a spiritually fit person look like ?
They have been exercised in the fruit of the Spirit -
until they are formed into the image of Christ.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering , kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. "
There is nothing as comforting as a good and hearty soup/chowder/stew. It welcomes family and friends around the table, with little effort or a big chunk of your grocery budget. When it is time to clean out the fridge before your next grocery shopping trip. You can create a new and interesting soup every week. Allow me to share how you too can create a soup, when you thought you had nothing to good to eat at home.
First check what you have in your fridge, left overs or vegetables that look a little limpy, like carrot, celery, broccoli or cauliflower, you may not want to eat them as is, but for a soup it is just fine. What about a little left over roast beef/chicken or meatballs/spaghetti sauce. Rinse out your nearly empty bottles of ketchup or bbq sauce into the soup. Check your pantry. Do you have a can of beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, vegetables. A bag of pasta or rice that barely has enough in it to use as a meal. How about a can of soup that really won't stretch to feed a family on its own, you can use that as a base and make it stretch.
It really isn't that complicated to create "something" from "nothing" and make your budget stretch. Years ago a women came and spoke to our mom's group at church about "hospitality" and her tip to us was to have a container in the freezer for those little left overs from a meal that isn't enough to keep as meal, like rice, pasta, meat, vegetables or what ever it is. So instead of dumping it in the garbage, or eating it because you don't want to waste it, place it in the container and when you have enough, add it to your soup pot at the end of the week.
I have heard of this kind of soup referred to as garbage soup. But I refuse to call it that. I believe it is a privilege to have so much food in our country, that it should never be referred to as garbage. That we should be wise with it, not wasteful and bless others with what we have, even we don't have a big food budget. Hence it is now called HOSPITALITY SOUP. I hope you can refer to it that way as well.
Our family enjoys soups and I make it every week. It is never the same, but always tasty and satisfying with a batch of biscuits or fresh bread, you are ready to call everyone to the table.
This is just one of the soups that we have enjoyed. Remember if you don't have all the ingredients on hand that is OK, use what you have and be creative. You can make it your own.
This is what I did for the picture above.
I call it a chicken/vegetable chowder. Chowders are often dairy based and a little thicker than a broth based soup. I used-
6 slices bacon
2 cups of leftover chicken/turkey/or try ground chicken instead. I used leftover roast chicken.
5 cups of chicken broth ( it can be homemade, canned or powder based)
1 onion
2 celery stalks chopped fine (to hide it from my daughter)
1 or 2 carrots, sliced
1/2 - 1 red or green pepper
sliced mushrooms
5 medium potatoes, skin on if the potatoes are fresh, peeled if not
1 cup of frozen corn
1 cup frozen beans
1 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup of flour/ or 2 heaping tbsp. of cornstarch
1 small can of skim evaporated milk/or if you prefer you can use cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. of ** secret ingredient**
Chop up the bacon and cook until crisp. Drain all the fat.
add onions and celery and saute til soft.
add the broth, thyme and bay leaf and cook until potatoes are done
mix the cornstarch or flour with the milk and whisk into the soup until smooth.
cook for a few more minutes until thick.
add frozen veggies, since they don't take much time to cook.
add ** secret ingredient**........Dijon mustard. Yup that is right, I had an almost empty container of it that wouldn't squeeze out any more, so I rinsed it in the soup. It was so good, now I intentionally add a tablespoon of it to soup. :^D.
You never know what you can create with what is in your nearly empty fridge or pantry. Have fun creating, and let us know how it went.
This is a spicy and fragrant gingerbread that is delicious with a generous dollop of whipped cream. This is a recipe from an old Blue Ribbon Cookbook..I made a few changes.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup margarine or butter 2/3 cup brown sugar 2 eggs, well beaten 1/2 cup molasses 2 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp ginger 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 1 tsp baking soda 2/3 cup boiling water
Method:
1. Cream margarine and sugar until creamy. 2. Stir in molasses and well beaten eggs. 3. Mix boiling water and baking soda and stir into the molasses mixture. 3. Mix flour, baking powder, spices and salt. Add all at once to the creamed mixture, stirring until well blended. 4. Pour into a well greased loaf pan, which has been lined with parchment paper. 5. Bake at 350º for 50 to 55 min.
Serve warm slices of gingerbread with whipped cream! I decided to add a little extra and topped off my serving with slices of canned peaches and toasted sliced almonds. Scrumptious:)
Crunchy pea salad is great on the buffet table...and is quick and easy to assemble. My recipe is handwritten on a little card...copied from a magazine decades ago...and has been prepared many times over the years. It is good served on a bed of lettuce and topped with grated cheese as a luncheon salad...or makes a great side dish.
Ingredients:
1 500 gram (16-ounce) package of frozen petite peas (slightly thawed)
1 cup chopped fresh celery
1/4 cup red oion, chopped
6 slices of bacon...cooked, drained and crumbled (or 1/2 cup real bacon bits)
1/2 cup salted cashews or dry roasted peanuts
3/4 cup ranch dressing (or Miracle Whip, if you prefer)
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Combine first five ingredients in a large bowl; mix well.
Gently fold the dressing into pea mixture.
Add salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serves 8.
Notes :
You can make this salad well in advance, but might want to add the nuts just before serving.
I was trying to think of ideas for someone who cooks for a large group regularly and, in talking, found out that doing a lemon pie on a cookie sheet was a new idea to her. Growing up with all sorts of cakes and pies done on cookie sheets to serve large groups, I did not realize that this really is thinking outside the box. So, this is not really a recipe, as much as it is an idea to serve a larger group. It is easier to cut up and serve small squares than large pieces of pie.
Ingredients:
recipe for two pie crusts 2 packages of lemon pie filling or double homemade 6 beaten egg whites for meringue 1/2 cup sugar for meringue
Method
Pat pastry into rectangular shape, on floured surface then roll out to size of cookie sheet - actually a little more.
Roll up onto rolling pin and unroll unto cookie sheet. Trim edges where they are too high and add pieces where it is too low. (cut and paste)
Bake until golden at 400 F about 15 min.
Meanwhile, cook pie filling according to package instructions, or make homemade
Pour cooked filling into baked shell and let cool slightly while beating egg whites
Beat egg whites, gradually adding 1/2 cup sugar. Beat just until they are glossy and will stand up if dabbed with a spoon. Do not over-beat, because it will not spread nicely
Spread evenly onto pie crust, making sure the meringue touches the side crusts. For wave design, dab meringue with the back of a spoon.
Bake at 400 F for 7 - 8 min until golden.
Some like it served while still a little warm, but it does need to sit for several hours first. Refrigerate if not serving the same day. No need to cover, because the crust will keep better.
* NOTE - To keep meringue from sticking to knife while cutting, dip knife into hot water or run under hot tap water
We think of pasta quite often as an indulgence but in our home it is as important as bread. Rather than always staying away from richer sauces we practice portion control and fill our plates with a large green salad which has a sprinkling of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
I always keep some frozen peeled shrimp in the freezer for days when dinner needs to be done in a hurry. There is no need to defrost the shrimp and the whole meal can be on the table quicker than running for fast food. This is almost a non recipe. . .I had to think and pay attention to what I normally put in it . . the flavours naturally work well together.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic . .minced
3 -4 cups sliced button mushrooms
3 cups precooked frozen medium shrimp
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 pound fettuccine ( I prefer fresh but dry is fine too)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 fresh chopped basil
paprika for garnish
Put on a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. .and add a few teaspoons of salt. Cook the fettuccine once the water is boiling. Adjust for longer time if you are using dry. If you are using fresh pasta . .add the pasta after the sauce has simmered 5 minutes.
In a large skillet, heat the oil and add the onion and mushrooms and garlic. Cook until softened and until the juices are released.
Stir in the cream and the seasonings.
Turn down the heat to a low simmer and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the shrimp and bring back to simmer and heat through.
Add the basil to the sauce and stir to combine.
Put the pasta on a platter.
Pour the sauce over the top and sprinkle with the the grated Parmesan and give it a sprinkle of Paprika.
I got my inspiration for this recipe from the Christian Home Cookbook. This pudding would be really good with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. Sometimes this pudding is called 'Poor Man's Pudding'..
Ingredients:
1 cup flour 2 tsp baking powder 2 tsp sugar dash of salt dash of cinnamon dash of ground nutmeg..I like to grate my own 3 tbsp butter 3/4 cup raisins..next time I shall add chunks of apple with the raisins 1/2 cup buttermilk or milk
1. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. 2. Cut in butter till well blended. 3. Mix in raisins. 4. Gradually add milk stirring lightly with fork only until blended. 5. Spoon the batter into a greased 1 1/2 qt baking dish. I used my corning ware dish. The batter will be quite thick. 6. Mix sauce and pour over the batter.
Sauce:
Whisk together: 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 tbsp butter 1 3/4 cups boiling water
Bake in preheated oven at 375º for 30 min. Let cool in baking dish for 15 min before serving. This allows the sauce to thicken up a bit. Best served warm.
(photo by lululemon athletica)
