Saturday, May 31, 2008

Barbeque Sauce Ideas for Nice Weather

Lady of Light

We accidentally published before we were finished and I don't know how to delete it!
Here we are again. The weather is nice, at least in New Jersey, so I am printing some unusual barbeque sauces for your summer cookouts (or bake-ins). These are not sauces that you will find in the prepared section of your supermarket, although some of those are pretty good!

CHICKEN WINE SAUCE

1 medium onion chopped fine
2 tbs. butter
1 cup of catsup
1 cup of sherry
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tblsp. brown sugar
8 tsp. butter

Use 8 chicken breasts, skin side up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute onion in butter - add remaining ingredients. (except extra butter) marinate chicken with heated sauce) Baste with extra butter while cooking.

CAJUN BARBEQUE SAUCE

1 stick butter
1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
1 cup catchup
1 minced onion
1 tsp sugar
salt to taste
1 tblsp. chili powder
2 tlbsp. lemon juice
1 tblsp. dry mustard
l clove garlic
cayenne to taste
1/2 cup Worcestershire

Combine everything and bring to a boil.
Simmer one hour or more.
Great for basting pork chops or spare ribs - freezes well.


SWORDFISH STEAKS

lemon spice marinade; shake well together!
1/2 cup salad oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teas. oregano
1/2 teas. cumin seed and salt

Enough for 3-4 lbs. Refrigerate surplus. Grill over slow fire 6-8 minutes a side - brush and baste. Delicious!


I do hope you try and enjoy these recipes. Have a nice weekend!

God Bless You!

Lady of Light

Barbeque Sauce Ideas for Nice Weather

Lady of Light

The weather is finally turning nice - at least in New Jersey- and it's time for barbeques and cook outs. Here are a few unusual suggestions - a little different from the prepared sauces you purchase in the store, although some of those are pretty good too!


CHICKEN WINE SAUCE

Monday, May 19, 2008

God's Promise in the Midst of Trouble

Lady of Light

There are times when we all need revival...especially when we are in the midst of trouble. Even when we have what might be considered by some small concerns, I believe that the Lord keeps the same promises. In Psalm 138:6-8 it says:

"Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly; but the proud he knoweth afar off."

David continues: "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: Forsake not the works of thine own hands."

If we are humble, the Lord will respect us - watch out for when we become too proud! God says he will revive us and save us. God is interested in what concerns me! He will perfect it! What a great promise! I don't know what your concerns might be but I know that I have plenty. I try to remember to pray about them each day, but in this Psalm, God says he will perfect my concerns. This gives me a sense of peace in the midst of all my busyness and activities - in the midst of all the things that are happening in the world and with the people I care about. I hope that as you read this portion of Ps. 138 and meditate on it, you to will be blessed and experience revival and peace.

May God Bless You!

Have a great day!

Lady of Light

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Serve God with a Pure Heart and Willing Mind

Lady of Light

Many of us have heard the words "We are saved to serve." There is truth to this.
Let us look to a portion of scripture to gain some insight into this concept.
In 1 Chronicles 28:9 the bible says:

"And thou, Solomon, my son, know thou the God of my father, and serve him with a perfect heart and a willing mind: for the Lord searches all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: If thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever."

When we look at this advice, we see that the first thing we need to do is to know God.
It is our heart that God sees and our genuine willingness. He understands the human mind and our imaginations. Our hearts, minds and attitudes are more important to God than our outward actions so I just pray that I will be mindful of this in all that I do, and I hope that this meditation will also help you to be a true servant and to seek God more diligently. This is a very individual thing and very personal for each one of us.

We also know that this is significant because it is advice given to a son by his father. I am going to ask God to help me to have more willingness and not to overlook even small opportunities to serve him in new ways this week. I know that I will be blessed and I hope that you will do the same.

God Bless You!
Have a great day!

Lady of Light

lVegetable Casserole Medley - 3 unique choices

Lady of Light

The required number of servings of vegetables a day (5 servings) makes it a challenge to create new vegetable meals or side dishes. With fresh vegetables more in season , it sounds like a good idea to put some together. For this weekend, I would like to share three delicious vegetable casseroles that can be either a meal or side dishes.

Broccoli Casserole
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Cook rice - 2 cups - and 2 pkges. broccoli
2. Saute 3/4 cup onion bits
3. Add to the above, 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, half can water, salt
and pepper.
4. Top with shredded cheddar cheese



Spinach Casserole
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
1- oz. pkg. spinach
1-tblsp chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded swiss
2 oz can mushrooms-drain
1 tblsp. oleo
2 beaten eggs
3/4 cup milk
salt and pepper

1.Cook spinach. Drain
2.Heat milk and oleo.
3.Combine rest of ingredients in 1 quart dish
4.Sprinkle with nutmeg
5.Place in pan of water
6.Bake for 1 hour

Serves four



Summer Squash
2lbs. yellow squash, sliced (6 cups)
1 cup cream off chicken soup
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup melted margarine
1 8 oz. pkge her seasoned bread crumbs (cubes)
1. In saucepan, cook sliced squash and onion in boiling water (salted) for 5
minutes and drain
2. Combine soup and sour cream, stir in carrots
3. Fold in drained squash and onion
4. Combine cubes and melted butter
5. Put squash in casserole and put buttered cubes on top
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes

These are great as a vegetable medley or each individually. I hope you enjoy them.

May God bless you!
Have a great day!

Lady of Light

Monday, May 12, 2008

God Will Establish You

Lady of Light

Sometimes we are trying new ventures, active in a church or community organization, looking to get to know neighbors - to be productive and to have roots - a sense of being a part of the greater good - of belonging. It takes time, but God will establish you in your undertakings; however, there is a condition involved. In Proverbs 12 it tells us:

"A man shall not be established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous shall not be moved." Proverbs 12:3

Our attitudes, beliefs and actions must be right (not deceitful) in order to truly be established. We see the appearance sometimes of evil people appearing to be successful and "established" but it is the "righteous man who shall not be moved."

Reverend Charles Stanley often says, "Do the right thing and leave the consequences to God." I think that this verse is related to that sentiment and indicates that God will establish those who trust in him and do the right thing.

Be patient and you will see your prayers being answered and your dreams fulfilled if you allow God to be the one who does it as he has promised.

May God bless you!

Have a great day!

Lady of Light

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Flee As A Bird In Your Soul

Lady of Light

Not only am I amazed at the song God has placed in the mouths of birds, but the way they intuitively know when to flee and to fly high. In front of our house, we have a lawn where everyone puts bread, cereal, and other food for the birds. I love to sit on the porch, feed them and watch them. Many will flock among the blades of grass, feasting on the "spread". Interestingly enough, however, when a large noisy vehicle travels down the street, they all flap their wings and flee to the tops of the telephone wires or across the way. They are sensitive to impending danger.

In Psalm 11, it would seem as if God is giving us similar instructions:

David Says "In the Lord I put my trust, how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? For lo the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.

If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men."

Yes, it is wise to put our trust in the Lord, and also to remember that his throne is in heaven and we have access to him at his throne, through prayer and meditation of his word.

The Lord can lift us as high as the birds (and higher still) if we allow our faith to soar.

May God bless you, keep you from evil, and lift your spirits today.

Have a great day! And for those of you who are mothers, Happy Mother's Day!

Lady of Light

Simple Shrimp Salad

Lady Of Light

The weather in New Jersey has been rather strange for mid-May - although the flowers and trees are blooming, it is still sweater and jacket weather resembling early fall rather than spring. However, we have had some warm weather also and with more warm weather to come and wanting simple meals-cooler ones too, leaving more time for picnics and walks. I thought I would share a shrimp recipe that is good for home, cookout supplement or picnic.

Shrimp Salad - serves 12

2 pounds cooked and thawed salad shrimp
1 pound Rotini (multi-colored cooked spirals) cooked and
drained
3/4 cup of 2/3 mayonaise, 1/3 shrimp cocktail sauce
8 hard boiled eggs - mashed
Onion powder
Garlic Salt
Parsley flakes
Paprika
(Can also add green peppers, fresh onion, celery and cherry tomatoes, if
desired.)

1. Thaw and rinse shrimp in collander according to directions
2. Cook Rotini according to directions - drain and rinse with cold water
3. Hardboil eggs - peel and mash - add to Rotini - mix
4. Add Shrimp and mix
5. Combine mayo and cocktail sauce and blend into salad
6. Sprinkle garlic and onion and mix
7. Top with parsley and paprika
(Serve on a bed of lettuce, if desired and surround with sweet pickle spears
and peeled cucumber spears and cherry tomatoes.) Makes an attractive plate or
just serve plain.) Keep chilled in refrigerator.

I hope that you will enjoy this recipe as much as we do.

God bless you and have a great day!

Lady of Light

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Listen to the Birds

Lady of Light

If you want to have an especially blessed time, wake up at 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning like I did today - before the dawn. My husband and I were sitting in the quiet and heard the solo song of a bird. I wonder what he (or she) was saying. The music was wonderful - like nothing man can create. About an hour later, this bird was joined by others. What a marvelous thing, the beautiful way the birds sing. Well, now it is later, and the only thing I hear is the traffic on the street drowning out the birds so I am real glad we were awake for the "morning miracle".

In the bible, God tells us that "not a sparrow falls to the ground that he doesn't know about." When I think of this it gives me such comfort that whatever I or the people around me are going through, God knows all about it. He is always working behind the scenes to heal, help and prepare great things for us, even when we "fall" or "fail".
He turns even the negative experiences into something positive if we trust him and wait on him. This is not always easy, but it sure is a tried and true way to live.

Whatever you or your loved ones are facing, like the sparrow, God knows and cares.
Let the joy reign in your heart like the song of the bird today and smile at someone.
You can make a difference today. I am going to take a walk and smile at everyone I see today - I know how good I feel when people are happy and smiling and I will strain to hear the birds above the traffic and hang on to that great experience of early morning.

God bless you
Have a great day!
Lady of Light

Sunday, May 4, 2008

God's Promises - When you Are In Financial Difficulty

Lady of Light

Every which way you turn these days, it seems that everything is more expensive. I have talked to many people, most of whom say they are struggling now more than ever before with the almighty dollar and having enough to go around. The President is blessing us with a stimulus rebate which most of us will be receiving soon, but what does God have to say in his word concerning this?

In 111 John 2, it says:

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayst prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

SO this was John's word, and we can see from this that the condition or prosperity of our soul is at least as important if not more so than our financial condition but in praying according to the will of God, he wishes that we would prosper.

Here is a promise from Psalm 37:25:

"I have been young, and now am old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."

Psalm 34:;10:

"The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing."

So, if you, like many people today, are struggling, hang on and keep your faith because God certainly knows our needs.

Don't get discouraged but try to think of the burden or problem as temporary.

I pray for all the people I know because I know that we are in a new situation in this country economically, and we are all effected. I thank God for his provision and I am grateful that I can continue to put my trust in him.

God bless you.

Have a great day!

Lady of light

Saturday, May 3, 2008

God is High Above

Lady of Light

In Psalm 135, it is interesting that David tells us confidently what he knows:

"For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all Gods."

In meditating on this Psalm, we must ask ourselves if we are consistently pulling the Lord, not only above all Gods, but above all else. Do we at times become distracted by our family, friends, jobs, possessions, activities etc.? I believe that is why the instructions in the first three verses of this Psalm are present;

"Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the name of the Lord; praise him, O ye servants of the Lord. Ye that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.
Praise the Lord: for the Lord is good: sing praises unto his name, for it is pleasant."

When we keep our hearts full of praise and song, we can't help but put God first.
Recently, our CD player went on the blink. I noticed a big difference in the atmosphere or environment without the continuous background of hymns we are accustomed to. I will be glad when it is fixed or replaced. Not that we can't sing our own songs, but the background music set a positive tone in our home. I can use the Christian radio for the same purpose and I might learn something along the way because not all the stations have continuous music, but sermons and teaching as well.

So, in meditating on this Psalm, it is my hope that it will bring you a heart of thanksgiving and praise with which to begin your week, and experience another way that the Lord guards our minds and hearts in Christ Jesus.

God bless you

Lady of Light

Weekend Treats

This weekend, here are a few special treats to have on hand for a visit from company or just a family get together between or before a meal.

HOT CRAB COCKTAIL SPREAD

1 tbsp.milk
1 8oz. pkge. of cream cheese
2 tsp. worsheshire sauce
1 71/2 oz. can crab meat (drained and flaked)
Add: crab to cream cheese with 2 Tbs. green onion
Turn: into a shallow baking dish
Top With: 2 tbs. toasted slivered almonds

Bake: at 350 degrees until warmed
Serve: with crackers or pre-cooked tart shells

This recipe was given to our family by a special lady named Louise who was a "grandmother figure" to my children, one of whom was named after her and also my grandaughter was named Louise. We remember her fondly.


CHEESE BALL

6 small pkgs. creme cheese
1/2 pound of sharp cheddar cheese
1 bud of garlic (grated)
2 small onions (grated)
one heaping tsp worchestershire

Grate cheese. Add other ingredients. Blend well, Form into two balls. Roll in crushed walnuts. Chill. Serve on crackers. REALLY DELICIOUS!

God Bless You.

Wishing you a great weekend!

Lady of Light