Tips and Tricks Thursday

Happy Thursday!! I hope you are all having a good day today!  It's Tips and Tricks Thursday and I think I want to spend some time on some decorating tips for those of you who may be in the mood to simplify your decor or may be planning to sell your home at some point in the future.

If you plan to sell, the first thing that is necessary is to get your head in the game and your heart out of it.  We all get very attached to our dwellings but when it comes time to sell, it's time to make our homes attractive to people so they will allow their hearts to attach to our homes and buy them.  Easier said than done, right?  Well, not really.

The first thing to do is to go look at some homes yourself.  Imagine yourself, your family and your "stuff" occupying that space.  If you find yourself distracted by family photos, and lots of personal items in the homes you look at, then you probably won't remember the home but you'll remember the cute baby in the photo or the pretty cut glass vase or handmade quilt.  It's hard to attach your heart to that home because someone else's heart is still there.  Notice the room colors and the organization of the closet space, kitchen and parking areas -- are they the right size for your stuff to dwell?  How about the neighborhood - is it one where your family will fit in and feel welcome - will your neighbors be a bother or a blessing -- ask questions and listen for correct answers that meet your needs.

Now back to your home.  Having had that experience, it will be easier to understand how a buyer feels and needs to feel when they look at your home.  Begin packing up the personal items and putting them in boxes where you can see them and touch them but resist the urge to put them back out when your home isn't showing. 

The second thing to consider is your room colors.  If you have small children and their rooms are painted in colors that are very juvenile, you might want to consider painting them a more neutral tone and let their bedding and accessories draw color into the room.  The reason for this is that buyers really don't have a lot of imagination.  If they see a baby's room painted pink, yellow, or blue - then they may not be able to move away from that room being "for baby" -- but if they see more mature colors of beige, greens, browns, tans, etc. then they might be able to imagine the room as an office, teen bedroom or guest room.  Try to limit the amount of "stuff" that is out in children's rooms.  These are normally the small rooms of the home and can look even smaller if there are too many toys, pictures, or too much furniture in there.  Sparse is the key!  You want every room to look spacious!

Third, clean out the closets and cabinets.  Take a long, hard look at the collection of items that reside there and decide if you need to keep them, want to move them or if they can be donated or sold in a yard sale.  How many towels can you really use in a week or at the beach?  How many sets of dishes do you really use?  Is it possible to remove the clothes that aren't in season and pack them away to be ready to move when your home sells?  The buyer is going to open drawers, cabinets and closets.  They need to imagine how their "stuff" is going to fit - and if yours are cluttered - theirs will be too -- and they might as well stay where they are or look elsewhere.

Fourth, don't over accessorize.  Too many pictures on table tops, vases, plants, pictures on the walls, and furniture in the rooms can overwhelm a buyer.  They begin looking at your "stuff" and can't imagine their own.  It's ok to leave a tabletop empty.  It's ok to leave a wall without something on it.  There's a balance here though.  If your rooms are too empty they may leave a buyer imagining that their stuff won't fill up the rooms either or the home may seem cold or hard and you don't need to leave that impression with them.  I would suggest taking a look at some magazines that resemble your home's style and try to mimic the furniture placement, window decor and accessorizing by them.  Or call a home stager to help.  Their fees are reasonable and you may be able to negotiate paying them a percentage of your home's sale rather than upfront cash.  Sometimes it's nice to have a "set of eyes" that aren't attached to your home to dress it up to sell. 

Last, put the boxes that you've packed up in a place where buyers can see them.  And have them clearly marked so that your buyers see that it's stuff that you plan to MOVE.  You are sending a message that you are moving whether they buy or not and sometimes this will motivate the buyer to generate an offer.  Have the boxes stacked neatly in a garage or basement - or even an attic or unused room.  As long as they are neatly stacked and marked the message is being sent.

You can burn candles, bake cookies, make your house smell like a bakery -- or you can leave it clean.  Clean is going to sell much better than fresh baked bread.  Pick up the dirty clothes. Make sure the dishes are out of the sink and if in the dishwasher, they are clean.  Put away clutter, toys and make sure that there are some fresh flowers or plants somewhere.  Your home needs to feel warm and inviting as if you have prepared for a special guest -- and your potential buyers are just that -- very special guests who have an interest in purchasing your home....and that's $ in your pocket!

So, even if you aren't planning to sell right now, these tips are great for the person who may need a jump start in simplifying the decor of their home.  Less is more, larger accessories and less of them are better and easier to manage and packing up unused items either to sell, store or donate is always therapeutic.  Don't put family pictures everywhere - cluster them in certain areas -- places that you dwell and can see on a regular basis -- guests enjoy seeing them but they'd rather see you live and in person.  Limit your wall hangings too -- your home can look like a store or museum if you get too much on the walls.  Give your eyes a break and have a blank wall or two.

Walls need paint about every 5 to 6 years on average.  Paints fade and color hues change in trends -- a fresh paint job is one of the cheapest decorating tricks you can do.  Crown molding is also another inexpensive trick to give your home a dressier feel. 

I hope these tips and tricks have helped --- have a great Thursday and weekend!  See ya next week!  Amy

Wednesdays in the Word

Hi Friends!  I hope you are having a good day.  I have to tell you that the last couple of days have really been a stretch around here.  I don't know if it's something in the wind or if the nuts are coming out of the woodwork but whew! it's been interesting around here.  Makes me wonder if "Men in Black" might have some truth to it - that not all that walk the streets around here are human...there are aliens among us!  :) haha!! Wouldn't surprise me!

Ok -- to get to our Word for today.  I love Psalms and Proverbs.  The writings of David and Solomon truly speak to my heart in ways that I cannot fully express.  I'm leading a group of precious ladies in a study called "Fool-proofing your life" by Jan Silvious and in this study, Jan draws from both of these books a good bit.

God's Word has a lot to say about people who live and act foolishly.  One particular passage puts into a nutshell how people are affected by the company they keep...take a look...

"He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." Proverbs 13:20

We really need to be thoughtful and prayerful when considering people we spend time with these days.  We can be selective and not be snobs, we can be careful and not be clique-ish, we can be smart but not become know-it-alls - and in doing so honor the Lord by using the wisdom that He teaches in His Word.

Sure, we're commissioned to love our neighbor as ourselves and to go into all the world and teach all nations -- reaching the lost.  But that's not what I'm talking about - nor is that what this verse is referencing either.

There are people who will come into our lives that enrich, bless, challenge and motivate us to be better people and grow deeper in our relationships with them and with the Lord.  These are few and far between.  There are people who will come into our lives who may befriend us and for a short term it will be a healthy relationship - but then our energy begins to drain, or there are words said or impressions given that tell us to move on and let these people go -- and yet we don't.  Suddenly we are entangled with one who is a fool.  There can be all types of traits who fit this description but at the heart of them all is that these people are "joy-stealers" -- they have no desire to grow deeper in a relationship with Christ and therefore, drain us rather than inspire us to be better people.

We have the freedom to be selective in our relationships -- we don't have to open our lives to everyone we meet....the only thing God asks us to do is to share Him with others - by living, speaking, and letting God love them through us - letting our lives be living examples of His grace, mercy, peace and forgiveness.  This doesn't mean that we have to be their best buddy. 

Christians have the most amazing blessing of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.  We have access to Him to guide us in the relationships we develop -- if we'll truly listen to Him and ask Him to direct our paths and relationships.  The problem lies in our part of the equation. 

Maybe there's a member of your family who consistently acts foolish and makes foolish decisions that affect not only themselves, but you and the rest of the family too.  Maybe it's a spouse who just can't seem to get it together -- whether it's an addiction, discouragement, fear or emotional instability - it's become a difficult situation.  Maybe you have co-workers, a boss, long time friends, fellow church members, or any number of others who make bad decision after bad decision and in doing so, it affects so many others around them...these are not "bad people" but they have made some very foolish mistakes and can't see what they are doing or how it has affected your relationship with them.  Then there's the abusive spouse, neglectful child, addicted neighbor, prejudiced co-worker, immoral parent - the tried and true fool.  Ask God for wisdom in not becoming entangled with the issues these people have but to give you freedom according to His plan and will.  Don't stay in a relationship for any reason if your life or reputation are at stake or if they are involved in any illegal behaviors....be wise and get out if you can and do so quickly.

Maybe it's bad habits, behaviors, or thought patterns that go on in your head constantly.  Maybe you've allowed others to tell you how to behave or think for so long that you can no longer think for yourself. 

Well, look back at the verse -- "He who keeps company with the wise, grows wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm."   Dear friends, the company we keep matters.  It can make or break us -- and has more influence on us than we can possibly imagine.

Let me encourage you this week to first keep company with God's Word - wisdom will come from feasting on it daily.  If this is new to you - start with the book of John and then read Matthew, Mark and Luke -- and then venture into Psalms, Proverbs and go back to Genesis and go from there.  These books are great to jump start your journey into wisdom.

Second, take a long look at the company you keep -- try your best to spend the bulk of your time with people who challenge you to grow spiritually, physically and mentally healthy.  If you must be with people who drain you, limit your time with them and pray for God's protection over your mind when you are.

Third, when you are faced with a situation that doesn't involve developing a relationship but maybe communication (customer service, shopping, working with others, etc.), remember that it's only temporary and will not affect the outcome of your life.  Take a deep breath and remember Who you represent and don't enter into the ring of emotional conversation with someone who is a fool.  Remove yourself from the situation as quickly as you can and never sacrifice your appointment as ambassador to win a battle...it's not worth it and won't be ever.

Last, make time to pray over the relationships in your life.  Whether they are life-long commitments, short term commitments, or quick social encounters - ask God to speak through you and to grant you favor of His blessing over any encounter with the foolish of this world and the people who are seeking Him but haven't found Him just yet.  It's great to ask others to intercede for you - but really, friends, the Lord wants to hear from you directly...

Accept the fact that some weeks will be better than others and that seasons eventually change (I'm telling myself this a lot right now), and that life as we know it right now, is only temporary.

I pray that your week will get better (if it needs to) and that your hearts and minds will grow wiser and stronger as you seek Him in all things and know Him intimately.

Much much love to all of you - Amy

Kitchen Tuesday

Happy Tuesday, friends!! :)  I hope today is a good one for you! 

Since it's "Kitchen Tuesday", I'm gonna jump right in and give you some good recipes for this week.  I'm going to include a few grilling tips too since July 4th is just around the corner.  If you're like me, the grill is a great friend in the summer because it's so easy, quick and doesn't make the kitchen hot....nice!

Grilling tips first -- be sure your grill is hot before putting any meat on the grill.  If you can't hold your hand over the heat for 5 seconds it's hot enough.  Doing this will be sure that you sear your meat and it won't dry out. 

Flipping meat too much on the grill is a no!no! -- place it on the grill -- cook a while and when it lifts easily, it's ready to turn -- if it's holding on, just wait, it will tell you when to turn it.  Turn meat once and let it grill on the other side.  Don't press meat, you're letting out those wonderful juices -- and don't cook meats to absolute well done on the grill -- pull them off just before they are at your favorite doneness level and let them rest covered in foil for about 5 minutes -- no worries -- it won't get cold...the meat will continue cooking and you should have a perfect piece of meat after 5 about 5 minutes.

Be sure to brush fish and shellfish as well as veggies with a little oil before placing on the grill -- otherwise you're going to have a sticky mess to clean up. 

Chicken - will be juicier if you grill it bone in.  Grilled filets are prone to dry out and over cook if you're not careful.  I've found that closing the lid on bone-in pieces will help with cooking them all the way through -- also, don't rush the cooking process -- chicken on the bone takes longer to cook.  If you grill filets, don't close the grill -- leave it open or you could have a very dry piece of chicken.  Brush with marinade, oil or sauce at the beginning and end of cooking time -- too much and you'll have lots of charred sauce and a bitter taste.

Corn - yum yum!! brush with a little butter or olive oil, salt and pepper and throw the cobs on the grill -- done in NO time!! this is a house favorite!

Ok -- recipes:

Quick Corn Salad adapted from Ina Garten's recipe on www.FoodNetwork.com:

5 ears of fresh white corn - blanch in boiling water for about 5 minutes and then shock in ice water to stop cooking process.
1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion or 1 shallot finely chopped
1 cup of fresh basil - julienned (roll into cigar shape and chop into fine ribbons)
1 garlic clove - chopped finely
handful of fresh cherry or grape tomatoes halved

salt, pepper to taste
1-2 T olive oil
1 1/2 T apple cider vinegar

With a very sharp knife, hold ears of corn in hole of a tubed cake pan and slice kernels off cob.  Cut close to cob to remove all kernels easily.  Pour into large bowl.

Slice jalapeno finely and add to corn along with cherry tomatoes, onion (or shallot) and basil.

In a small bowl whisk olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper together and pour over corn.  Mix well and let sit.  (if you don't like raw onion and garlic - feel free to saute' it in a little oil and toss into mixture). 

This recipe is great for grilling too -- just put all ingredients except vinegar in large cast iron skillet and place on grill -- cook until lightly browned and warm -- delicious!

Here's a recipe for Roasted Crock Pot Hen that I made yesterday -- my goodness it was so good in tonight's dinner --

Wash and pat dry hen (be sure to remove giblets and neck from cavity - save for making homemade stock if you'd like to -- it's great and so easy).

Into the cavity of the hen, salt and pepper generously, and place 1 quartered lemon, 1 quartered onion (no need to peel), 4 halved garlic cloves and some fresh herbs (I use a branch of rosemary, sage, thyme and parsley).  Using cooking twine, tie legs over cavity and tuck wings under breasts at the top to hide tips.  (this is to aid in overall cooking quality).

In crock pot, place 1 quartered lemon, 2 or 3 quartered potatoes, 1 quartered onion (no need to peel) and about a 1/2 cup of broth, water or white wine (your choice).

Place hen on top of vegetables.  Top hen with a combination of salt, pepper, red pepper, dried poultry seasoning, or some Cavender's Greek seasoning.  Coat heavily.  Top with lid, then cover with foil to seal top.  

Cook on low for approximately 4 to 6 hours.  Hen will be so tender the meat will fall off the bone!

Let the hen cool and then remove to platter.  Strain the drippings and save to make dumplings, soup, stew or save for other recipes.  Discard veggies from bottom.

After hen cools, it will be easier to slice -- I chilled mine to serve the next day.  I was able to remove the bones so easily and was able to serve it quickly by adding the meat to a delicious pasta dish called Becker's Pasta (check out www.kellyminter.com/livingroom and click on recipes for more information)  SO easy and SOOOOO good!  You can make anything with this roasted chicken and serve many meals from it -- so give it a try -- most definitely another house favorite!

I'm trying to add more fruits and vegetables to my diet -- so I've gotten a little bit creative in doing so.  Here's a delicious recipe for baked apples.  Again, using the crock pot...easy breezy!

2 large red delicious apples - halved and cored
1 lemon halved
2 T. dried cranberries
3 T. quick cooking oatmeal
2 T. brown sugar
pinch of sea or kosher salt
1 t. each fresh nutmeg ground, and ground cinnamon
2 T. chopped pecans
1 1/2 T unsalted butter
4 t. grape or huckleberry jelly (Thanks, Becky!)
4 dried apricots, quartered
1/4 cup water

Place apple halves in crock pot, cut side up.  Evenly divide cranberries into the cored area of each apple half.  Quickly combine oatmeal, brown sugar, salt, spices and pecans in food processor and add pecans to rough chop.  Evenly divide over each apple half.  Thinly slice butter over tops of each apple half.  Top each with quartered apricots and then add the jelly last.  Gently pour water into bottom of crock pot.  Cook on low for a couple of hours until tender.  This is great with pork chops or as a light dessert when topped with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.  Yummy!!  I feel sure you can cook these in the oven too -- probably on 350 F. for about 45 minutes -- just check for tenderness.  I haven't tried them in the oven - only the crock pot.

Verse of the Day -- Proverbs 20:15 - "Gold there is, and rubies in abundance,

but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel."

Be blessed this day and always -- see ya tomorrow!! Amy

Meaningful Mondays

Happy Monday!!! Hope you had a restful, peaceful and enjoyable Father's Day weekend.  No doubt it's summer in the South! 

Today we'll continue our look into spiritual gifts.  I want to post the link once again to one of the best spiritual gifts inventories that I've seen.  It's a questionnaire that is completed online and then the results are compiled immediately with commentary.  So good!  Here you go:  http://www.churchgrowth.org/.  If you haven't had a chance to find out what your gifts are, take a minute to do so, you'll be glad you did!  :)

Ok, so we've covered a number of gifts already -- Administration, Service, Mercy, and Exhortation (encouragement).  You can review these by searching the blogs under Spiritual Gifts or Meaningful Mondays.

Today I want to take a look at the gift of Hospitality.  Ever meet someone who just had a way of entertaining, making you feel more welcome in their home or business than you feel in your own home, or had what seemed to be a supernatural ability to meet a stranger and make an immediate friend?  If so, you may have encountered someone who has been given the gift of Hospitality by the Lord. 

The gift of hospitality is such a special gift.  If you can imagine the body of Christ as a human body - this person might be the arms of the body -- embracing the stranger, putting their arm around a friend or preparing for a great feast or party where all are welcome.  In the church, these folks make great greeters, visitation committee members and truly enjoy decorating, cooking, preparing for a great gathering of God's people.  They also love having people into their homes and might host a missionary family, a visiting evangelist, an exchange student or a friend who might be visiting from out of town.  Their homes are the places where the kids gather, where the food is plentiful and the fun always makes a great memory.  They are fine with surprise visits and while may feign embarrassment about an unkempt home, would much rather visit with people than to maintain a spotless home.  There's always something cooking on the stove or fresh cookies coming out of the oven and anything they do for entertaining just seems effortless and doesn't really need a whole lot of praise for doing so - although the praise seems to just flow because their abilities are truly supernatural.  There's a seemingly inborn knowledge to have the right amount of food and appropriate decor for the festivities.

The gifted host/hostess is happiest when they are using their hands to serve others and make them feel welcome.  But when operating outside the spirit, may become withdrawn, hermit-like, and uninterested in opening their home or being a part of any festivities. They may avoid welcoming a stranger and feel like a stranger at times if operating outside the spirit and will almost always resent any lack of gratitude for works done if in this state of spiritual condition. They also can get so focused on the tasks at hand because of perfectionism or passion that they forget the reason and the One for whom they should be working.   A wounded host/hostess will recover quickly if embraced and encouraged to use their gifts according to God's plan for unity and purpose in reaching others.

Like encouragers, those with the gift of hospitality enjoy people more than most anything.  They are able to focus on the guest as most important and top priority and they expect nothing in return for doing so.  There is also a very deep value for community in the heart of one with Hospitality as their gift.  There's no desire for personal promotion when this person entertains, embraces a new friend, or assists in putting together an event.  It's an unselfish act that overflows from the heart of one who is passionate for serving Christ in this way.

They are good at working in groups or individually as long as people are at the heart of the reason for working.  By profession, someone gifted with hospitality should consider public relations, catering, culinary, floral, event planning, missionary work (of course, must be called to this), host/hostess work, entertaining, food service, hotel/hospitality management or work, and possibly nursing or nutrition counseling - because of the "people orientation". 

Poor career choices for someone like this would be any type of work where there is isolation or just mental work.  Some hands on activity will keep this person interested and motivated.

In the Bible, Martha (sister to Mary and Lazarus) was gifted with hospitality and Acquilla and Priscilla found ways to minister unto Paul using their hospitality gifts as well.  They befriended Paul and assisted him in ministry in both Rome and Corinth.  I'm sure there are others who had this blessed gift as well - it would appear that some of the churches that Paul ministered to were much better equipped to meet his needs and make him comfortable in his visits than others were -- it's very likely because those gifted with hospitality were being good stewards of their giftedness and God blessed them and Paul for doing so.

If you are gifted with Hospitality, the more you use this gift the more fulfilled you'll be.  The following verse would be a great life verse for you and is one that I have adopted as one of my favorites!

"Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for His Kingdom is a waste of time or effort."  1 Corinthians 15:58.

Here are a few more:
"Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it."  Hebrews 13:1-2

"Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality."  Rom. 12:13

"Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." 1 Pet. 4:9-11

I hope you have a great day today - embrace your gifts and use them to God's glory and to bless others in His Name.

See ya tomorrow!!! Amy 

Tips and Tricks Thursday

Hello Everybody!!! I hope you are having a good day today!  We got a storm last night!! I hope that if you did, all is well.  I usually write the blogs the night before but our internet and satellite went down so I'm here this morning. 

So...Tips and Tricks Thursday -- my good friend, Leisa, got herself in a bit of a quandary this past week with a bag of grits.  She was in a hurry to get supper on the table and had decided to make a delicious meal of Steak Biscuits and Grits...the steak and biscuits were doing just fine on their own but when she picked up the bag of grits there must have been a leak in the bottom of the bag because grits went everywhere!  She said to her beloved cat, Prissy, "Well, let's see what Mrs. Tips and Tricks Thursday" has to say about getting grits up off of everywhere!"  hahahahahahahaha!!!

She tried the vacuum and the fan blew them everywhere.  She tried the Swiffer sweeper both dry and wet to no avail and the broom really didn't get them all either.  I would imagine that a mop would make them sticky and for us Southerners, we know that if it weren't for the grainy texture of the grits - they could stick most anything to the wall - including wallpaper!

So, Leisa, for you today, I've done a little homework and here are some tips and tricks for you for your grits issue (and really any type of grain that falls on the floor).

A damp but not wet floor sweeper (the kind for hardwood floors) or a damp towel folded over a swiffer mop head would pick up the residue.  You'll probably have to chase them around on the floor a little bit rather than sweeping into a pile but that might be the answer.  If you'd rather get on your hands and knees you could use a damp - not wet - cloth to get them up.  (Leisa, I'm certain you are going to do that! haha!)

The key here is damp.  Wet will make any grain gooey.  Dry won't hold it to the material and will blow away.  Wetting the floor will make them swell and the glutens (I'm guessing) will activate thus making them sticky (them, being grains).

So....maybe that will be helpful to more than just Leisa and myself.  I'm sure I'm going to have a grits catastrophe too sooner than later.  In the South, a grits bag is just gonna get a hole in it from time to time!

Ok here's a gardening tip -- if you've got tomato vines getting tall and no baskets to put around them or stakes to put them up -- don't buy any -- get some bamboo.  If you have access to any in your yard or near water, the young stalks make great stakes and look pretty in the garden.  You can also make tee pees for your beans to grow on out of the bamboo too.  Just simply cut 3 stalks of bamboo at the height you prefer and then wrap the top with rope.  Sink the ends into the ground so that the wind won't blow them over and your vine plants will begin to grow over them in no time.  They won't get as hot as metal and you'll be using a renewable resource too.  If you need bamboo - call me!  I have plenty!! But it can be found pretty easily around water or in the woods.  If you don't have access to bamboo, consider using old broom handles or even the straight limbs of trees that have fallen in the recent storms. 

And finally, my eye doctor gave me a wonderful remedy for those of us whose eyes seem to be the victim of allergies in the spring and summer.  My eyes will sometimes itch, burn and get a glaze over them that kind of blurs my vision a little -- it's actually a little bit of makeup residue and can become a nuisance to tear ducts if I don't keep it in check.  Quick solution - baby shampoo.  I've been using it to wash my eyes and face for a couple of years - and my skin is so healthy and it truly does clean the makeup residue off my eyes so easily.  It's great for sensitive skin and doesn't dry it out.  My skin tends to get really oily in the summer time, and this is such a refreshing face wash.

Keep that sunscreen on folks -- enjoy this hot weather and tell someone you love them today!!!

Hope you have a great weekend!  Blessings and love!  Amy

Wednesdays in the Word

Hi Friends!  It's hard to believe it's already Wednesday!  Where in the world does the time go?  I had the wonderful blessing to spend yesterday with two of my most precious friends in the wonderful city of Tuscaloosa.  We enjoyed ourselves so much - we shopped, ate, laughed, saw some of the devastating storm damage, shopped and then ate some more.  I must admit, I'm exhausted!  Guess I truly am getting older - or was it the heat??

Today, as we journey into God's Word, I'd like for us to go to the book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3.  Please read below:

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

1 For everything there is a season,a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do people really get for all their hard work? 10 I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. 12 So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. 13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. 14 And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him. 15 What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again.

The Injustices of Life

16 I also noticed that under the sun there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt! 17 I said to myself, “In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds.” 18 I also thought about the human condition—how God proves to people that they are like animals. 19 For people and animals share the same fate—both breathe[a] and both must die. So people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless! 20 Both go to the same place—they came from dust and they return to dust. 21 For who can prove that the human spirit goes up and the spirit of animals goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why we are here! No one will bring us back from death to enjoy life after we die.

This is such a popular passage of Scripture.  There was a folk song written by Pete Seeger with these verses as the lyrics back in the 60's and recorded by The Byrds.  The song includes the words, "Turn! Turn! Turn!" and "it's not too late" in the lyrics and is one that has become a classic hit from that era. http://www.jango.com/music/The+Byrds?l=0


As we were driving through Tuscaloosa yesterday, I found myself marveling at how selective the damage was.  In certain neighborhoods and commercial areas, there was absolutely nothing left, other buildings were terribly damaged, picked up off the foundation and moved and others had very little damage and then in one small direction to the left or right of the path of the storm there'd be no damage at all.  There were people who lost everything including their lives, people who lost everything but survived, people who lost some things but nothing significant, and there were people who didn't lose a single thing except maybe a few days at school or work.

The city was hustling and bustling and people were back at work, enjoying the parks, seeing the sights, dining in the restaurants and so forth and in the damaged areas there were construction workers who were in the process of cleaning up and putting things back together. 

It was just such an interesting "life" example of this passage of Scripture.  To everything there is a season, a time and a purpose under Heaven.  God has everything in His view, His plan, His sight and His control.  No one has the ability to take their life or plan their days beyond the scope of His Master plan.  There is good and bad, prosperity and poverty, happiness and mourning, sowing and reaping and so on.  King Solomon summed up this writing by saying (my interpretation), we get one shot at this life - we should make the best of it while we're here and enjoy it as it comes no matter what the season. 

That's so true.  Time is short, beauty is fleeting - we truly should enjoy our lives one day at a time, the people who cross our paths, the good, the bad and the ugly of it.  All of it has purpose, none of it is wasted in God's economy and if we'll cooperate with Him, He will direct our paths so much better than we can on our own.

I'd like to close today by encouraging you not to fret over the future.  It's ok to plan and prepare - but to obsess over it, worry about it, try to predict it won't really change the outcome.  The greatest way we can honor the Lord is to live our lives each day looking for ways to serve Him using our gifts and talents, and to live a life of gratitude, knowing that He has specifically numbered our days according to our purpose under Heaven.  And when times get tough (and they will), remember Jesus' words to us....

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33


Have a blessed and joyous day!! Amy

Kitchen Tuesday

Happy Tuesday!  The one thing I LOVE about summer is the fresh veggies.  Everything just tastes better when it's farm fresh. 


We have a little garden this year and this past Sunday I made some Swiss steak with tomatoes that I canned last year and some baby bell peppers from our garden.  I served it with freshly baked potatoes and some hot cornbread!  It was so good.


Here's are the recipes -- quick and easy!


1 package of lean cubed sirloin
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 bell pepper or 2 baby bell peppers, sliced
1 Vidalia onion (medium to small) sliced
sea salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
1 jar chopped tomatoes w/juice - I used homemade canned - stewed tomatoes would be good for this recipe if you don't have home-canned - just chop before adding to recipe.
olive oil


Preheat oven to 375 degrees and preheat an iron skillet on your stove.  When skillet is hot, drop a round of olive oil in the pan to lightly coat (not much - you can add more if needed, but this should be a healthy dish - not oily at all).


Season side 1 of each sirloin and place seasoned side down in pan.  Don't crowd the pan - you can do this in steps.  Sear the seasoned side and season the up side while the lower side is cooking.  When you have a nice brown crusty sear, turn the steak - it should release easily for turning -- if it doesn't, it's not ready to turn.  Sear the other side. (this should take about 5 to 7 minutes per round if you are working in steps.  Remove steak from pan and repeat process until all are seared. 


Put just a little more oil in the pan and drop the bell pepper, onion and finely chopped garlic in the pan.  Saute lightly and then place the steak on top of this and pour pan juices back into skillet.  Pour tomatoes/juice over the steaks and let it begin to simmer. 


Cover and place in oven to continue to cook.  Check after 15 minutes to be sure that liquid hasn't evaporated.  If it does, add a little broth, water or white wine to deglaze the pan.  You should have a light sauce at the end of cooking time.


Dish is ready when meat is fork tender and veggies are tender and caramelized...about 30 to 45 minutes


Serve over raw baby spinach with a side dish of rice or baked potato -- also good with mashed potatoes too!  I chose baked potatoes as a low-fat choice.  This is a beautiful dish!!


Quick Baked Potatoes --


Select your favorite russet or yukon gold potato -- wash and slice in half
Brush with a little olive oil salt and pepper - all over.
Place on baking sheet cut side up.
Cover with foil and place in oven when you begin to prepare meat.  Potatoes will be ready by the end of the steak's cooking time.  Easy Breezy!! :)  When done, top with a small brush of butter and serve hot!


Cornbread --


I honestly never make cornbread from scratch.  I've found a mix that I love and have adopted it into my "go-to" box as the best cornbread I've been able to make and find.  Here's my secret...


1 bag Cotton Pickin' Cornbread mix
1 box Jiffy Cornbread Mix


Stir to combine these mixes thoroughly


Add 3/4 cup buttermilk and 1/3 cup water plus 1 egg (whisk all together) into the dry mix. Let stand for 10 minutes or so.  (This will allow the liquids to absorb into the cornmeal and will also activate the leavening agents making a lighter, fluffier bread).


Melt 1/2 to 1 stick of butter into a large cast iron skillet on the stove or in the oven.  When melted, stir just a little of this into the batter mix and then pour all into the hot skillet.


Bake in hot oven for 15-20 minutes - until golden brown on the top.  I have cut back to 1/2 stick of butter and it seems fine.  Go with your instinct on this - and if you can cut back do so, or not! :)  The great thing about using butter for this recipe is that you don't really have to butter the bread after it's done.  The flavor is just terrific and the texture of the bread is great.


If you want to add cheese, jalapenos, or anything else to this recipe - it seems to work just fine - just be careful if you add creamed corn to make Mexican cornbread - this bread is already very moist - so cut back on your liquid if you add corn. 


I experimented with my most recent recipe by adding some Chia seeds.  Chia seeds are great to add to your diet to get Omega 3 fatty acids as well as to help in reducing dehydration in the summer months.  They added a nutty flavor and looked like poppy seeds in the cornbread -- they also add another layer of protein so they will reduce hunger and cravings and blood sugar spikes if added regularly to your diet...


Product of the week...if you have access to John's Slaw dressing - please buy some and use it as a salad dressing -- OH MY GOODNESS!! It's so good!  I served it on a fresh icy lettuce wedge with some feta cheese, scallions, cherry tomatoes and a few (very few) bacon crumbles -- I think this may be one of my favorite summer salads!


And....watermelon for dessert!  So so good right now....wonderful and so so healthy too -- full of lychopene -- major cancer fighter!!  YUMMY!!

Verse of the Day....Proverbs 9:10  "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understand."