Recipe--Baked Lentils with Cheese

Most of you may remember me posting a recipe for lentils and rice awhile back. Well, we recently tried a new recipe and all I can say is “Wow!” This recipe is a knockout. For someone who isn’t a huge fan of lentils, I REALLY enjoyed this. I had it for lunch two or three days in a row. It is more time consuming to make, but it is delicious!

Baked Lentils with Cheese

1 3/4 cups dry lentils, rinsed

2 cups water or stock

1 whole bay leaf

2 t salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp herbs (marjoram, sage, thyme, etc)

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pint canned tomatoes, undrained

4 large carrots

1/2 cup diced celery

1 sweet pepper, diced

4 oz frozen spinach (we used fresh, slightly cooked)

1 T parsley flakes

2–3 cups shredded cheese

In a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish, combine the lentils, water, bay leaf, salt, pepper, herbs, onion, garlic, and tomatoes. Cover and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Stir in the carrots, celery, sweet pepper, spinach and parsley. Cover again and bake another 45 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Put back in oven for 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Nicknames

Nicknames are an inevitable fact of life. Many of us are called various nicknames by young children who can’t pronounce our real names, and other nicknames just happen! J Sometimes we dislike our nicknames and other times, we prefer them! Here are some of our family’s nicknames:

Mark—I get called “Doc” and “Marcus.”

Betsy—Quite often, people call me either “Betty” or “Becky”—usually because they’ve misunderstood my name. My parents, still to this day, call me “Teti,” which was how I pronounced by name as a baby. My brother calls me “Tootsie,”J and my dear friend in Indiana shortens me to “Bets.” But my two favorite nicknames are “Bride” (my sweet husband!) and “Mommy!”

Bianca—In my lifetime I have been called (by young children who can’t pronounce my name), “Bonk” (by a childhood friend), “Qua-Qua” (by Ben as a toddler) “Anna” (by Josiah as an infant), “Bianca-Boo” (by everyone), “Gawki” (by Josiah as a toddler), and “On-ka” (by our young neighbor).

Ben—I am called “Benji”, “Benji-Boy”, and “Late for Dinner”. J

Rubia—Some people call me “Ru,” “Ruby Cakes,” “Roodle”, and “Ruby.” Our friend sometimes calls my twin and me “Romubia!”

Roma—When I was a baby Daddy called me “Chubber-knuckles” because of my chubby cheeks. I wanted to be called “Snuffy.” Now I’m called “Cha Cha” and “Erno.”

Josiah—I’ve been called “Spud”, “Jo-Jo”, “Jo-Jo Bean”, “Joe”, and “King Josiah.”

What are some of your nicknames? Leave us a comment!

Creator or Creation?



Photo taken by Roma.



Posted by Betsy

This past Friday, while Christians around the world remembered the day that Jesus Christ died on a cross at Golgotha to pay for the sins of the world, over one billion others worldwide celebrated “Earth Day.” On this annual holiday, citizens of Mother Earth are encouraged to turn their attention to environmental issues, and all related crises thereof.

As Christians, we have a holy duty, given to us by God, to take dominion over all the earth. Psalm 8:6-8 tells us: “You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.” With this dominion mandate comes an obligation to be faithful, loving stewards of God’s creation.

But have we gone too far? Are we at the point of worshiping the creation over the Creator? As of the year 2009, the United Nations officially designated April 22 not simply “Earth Day,” but International Mother Earth Day. According to General Assembly President Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, "International Mother Earth Day promotes a view of the Earth as the entity that sustains all living things found in nature…”

Do we as Christians believe that the earth is the entity that sustains all living things? Or do we believe Scripture, which teaches us that it is Jesus Christ who sustains all creation? “For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Col. 1:16-17)

Doug Phillips, of Vision Forum Ministries, posted an excellent response to this question recently. I have included his article below. May we as Christ-followers have the wisdom and courage to take our cues, not from the world, but from God’s holy Word.

A Christian Response to Earth Day

All men are religious because all men have an object of worship. All men have faith in something. In the end, men will either worship and serve the creature, or they will worship and serve the Creator. But they will worship something.


In the 18th century, many began to worship the mind. The religion of that day was rationalism. In the 19th century, this god morphed into scientism. But science failed to provide the answers to ultimate questions. The men of the 20th century looked for a more immediate solution to the problems of humanity — they chose to worship the State. This failed. Statism proved to be a harsh taskmaster. In the absence of any real solutions from rationalism, scientism, and statism, men fixed their attention on a new god — or rather, an ancient God that just needed a new facelift.


That god is the earth.


21st-century men are earth worshippers. They are sanitized pantheists. Of course, they don’t call themselves pantheists or earth worshippers, but religious devotion to the material world is the essence of this modern faith.


This religious devotion to the material world as god comes in many shapes and sizes, but it has become ubiquitous in our culture. The new pantheism is at the heart of the green movement. It is reflected in the priorities of Hollywood, in the agenda of politicians, and in the curriculums of the government schools. It is found in the marketing campaign of Madison Avenue, in the reality TV shows of cable television, and sadly, even in pulpits across the nation. The worship of the creation has become a defining undercurrent in our culture, even as it is reshaping many of the cultures of the modern world.


And this is one reason why this Friday, April 22, millions of people (perhaps billions) representing the countries of the United Nations will stop to celebrate the high holy day of this religion as they pay homage to the earth God. Of Earth Day, evolutionary anthropologist Margaret Meade once explained that:


EARTH DAY is the first holy day which transcends all national borders, yet preserves all geographical integrities, spans mountains and oceans and time belts, and yet brings people all over the world into one resonating accord, is devoted to the preservation of the harmony in nature and yet draws upon the triumphs of technology, the measurement of time, and instantaneous communication through space. EARTH DAY draws on astronomical phenomena in a new way — which is also the most ancient way — by using the vernal Equinox, the time when the Sun crosses the equator making the length of night and day equal in all parts of the earth. To this point in the annual calendar, EARTH DAY attaches no local or divisive set of symbols, no statement of the truth or superiority of one way of life over another.


Should Christians care about the earth? Not only must we care about it, we have a holy duty to engage the earth. The difference between the objectives of biblical Christianity and radical environmentalism can be found in the religious assumptions of both groups.

Four Lies of the Radical Environmentalist Movement

With Earth Day comes billions of dollars worth of environmentalist propaganda driven by their religious worldview. Some of the themes you can expect to hear repeated this year include the following:

1. The Earth Is Our Mother: The very expression “Mother Earth” is popular parlance in our culture and reflects the old pagan longing to worship the physical world. Modern environmentalists, with their devotion to the idea that man is just another life-form to spring from the womb of the earth on the evolutionary journey of life, speak openly about earth being the mother of man.
2. Human Life Has No Greater Intrinsic Value Than Animal Life: The notion that man is an insignificant blip in the universe and that our planet is almost as insignificant as man is an oft-repeated concept of the modern environmentalist movement. Radical environmentalists complain about the carbon footprints of humans, and the sin of “Speciesism” — man discriminating against lower life-forms.
3. The Greatest Crisis Facing Humans is the Despoiling of the Earth: From the media campaigns of former Vice President Al Gore, to the film agenda of Avatar, radical environmentalists want you to believe that the single greatest problem facing humanity is the environmental destruction of earth.
4. Absent a Radical Shift in Private Practice and Public Policy, the Environmental Crisis Will Lead to the End of Life on Earth: Modern pantheists care deeply about the future. One thing is clear: Radical envioronmentalists have their own eschatology. They see the end of the world coming because of nuclear waste, global warming, the loss of rainforest in the Amazon, or any of a host of perceived environmental hazards.

Four Christian Assumptions About the Earth

1. The Earth is Witness to the Power and Authority of God the Creator Who Alone May Be Worshipped: The Bible teaches that the very existence of the earth is a reminder to all men of the eternal power and Godhood of Christ, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20). It reminds us that as long as the earth continues, the promises of God will remain faithful (Genesis 8:22; Deuteronomy 7:9). Significantly, the Bible warns us that the consequence for man rejecting the witness of creation is that he worships creation itself (Romans 1:22-25).
2. The Earth Was Made for the Glory of God and the Benefit of Man Who Was Made the Pinnacle of Creation and of Infinitely Greater Value than Animals or the Earth Itself: Man is the pinnacle of creation and has more eternal value than the earth or any of the creatures who live on it (Psalm 8:5). Man is not a carbon footprint; he is the image-bearer of God. This means that the most “insignificant” human life (insignificant only in the eyes of man) is of inestimably greater value than that of a blue whale, a snail darter, a spotted owl, a mountain, or a tree.
3. The Earth Has Been Placed under Man who Has a Moral Obligation to Subdue it and to Exercise Wise Stewardship over the Earth: Man is God’s appointed steward on earth, and his core mission is to be His agent of dominion over it. Toward this end, God has placed all things under man to be used for his benefit and to be carefully stewarded and cultivated for God’s glory. “Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet” (Psalm 8:6).
4. The Earth is Not the Problem: The reason why the earth suffers is because of man’s sin that has plunged the earth into judgment. Man brought death and judgment to earth. In fact, the whole creation is groaning and waiting redemption (Romans 8:22-23). Despite the righteous judgment of God on earth, He is merciful and promises the continuation of the seasons and the fundamental stability of the planet until the end of time (Genesis 8:22), at which there will be a new heaven and new earth (2 Peter 3:13).

Conclusion

All men are religious because all men have an object of worship. In the end, they will worship and serve the creature, or they will worship and serve the Creator. But they will worship something.


Earth Day, and the radical environmental movement that spawned this high holy day of pantheism, are at war with the Gospel because they perpetuate false worship. The Christian response to the idolatry of Earth Day might be reduced to this simple thought: Jesus Christ is the Creator, and He alone is to be worshipped. He created man as the pinnacle of creation and determined that humans would be the only part of creation to be made in the very image of God, and that man as the image-bearer of God would rule over the earth.


On a practical level, this means that Christians need to stop allowing the radical environmentalist movement to define the issue. We must cease from being the tail and become the head on the question of our duties, privileges, and responsibilities vis-a-vis creation. The Bible has a great deal to say about our use of the resources of the world and our relationship to the earth. Of all people, Christians who honor the Creator should have a passion for creation. We are losing the debate through subversion, silence, lack of vision, and because of the Christian community’s fear of the God-ordained, perpetually valid, creation precept called “The Dominion Mandate.” This mandate directs man is to rule over the earth, subduing it and taking dominion over it for his benefit and for God’s glory. Implicit to the Dominion Mandate is the duty of man to cultivate, wisely manage, and carefully steward the planet.


Finally, man’s problems will never be solved through the elevation of human reason, the power of science, or the interventions of the state. Nor will rescuing the biosphere of planet earth save man or ensure him a future on this planet. You cannot save the earth. But human beings can be saved. And the only hope of salvation is found in Jesus Christ — the Creator! It is this Creator through whom we live and breathe and who by the very power of His word holds the worlds together. He will someday establish a new heaven and a new earth and will bring all of His people into Glory.

Easter Weekend

As most of you probably know, I love to tell a story with pictures. J So, here is the “story” of Easter weekend as told by my camera. . .



Everyone in the crowded car headed to Pennsylvania to visit Grandma and Grandpa. Thankfully, Mikey was only in the car for 10 minutes. Things would have gotten “hairy” if we had to deal with his antics for the whole trip (pun intended.)



Sisters! Note the crammed trunk. We don’t travel light!



The boys enjoyed playing chess with our magnetic travel set. Six plus hours of traveling can be tiresome.



My camera had a little gap here. We arrived at my Grandpa and Grandma’s house safe and sound. We enjoyed relaxing and settling in for the weekend. That evening, we ordered Papa John’s pizza for dinner and spent time visiting together.



Saturday morning found me enjoying the screened-in porch while reading my devotions. Nothing spells vacation like chillaxing on Grandma’s porch!



During the morning, Daddy, Grandpa and I ran errands. We stopped at Bob Evans, Lowe’s, Wal-Mart, Wegmans, Sheetz, and Bob Evans again (they left out the directions for our Easter Feast. Those are rather important!) We also drove down to the marina on the lake to clock some distance for a run.

After lunch, Daddy and I ran 2 ½ miles down to the lake. I have only run twice this year, one mile in March, and one mile last weekend, so it was quite a gamble for me, but we took it nice and slow and I enjoyed myself.



We showered up and enjoyed a delicious dinner hot off the grill. The first home-cooked burger of the year! It was accompanied by potato salad and green beans.



After dinner, we had quite the time watching Ben and Josiah play chess. Josiah has become quite the chess shark and can be sneaky. In this picture, Ben is despairing because we are all laughing at a move Josiah has up his sleeve, and Ben can’t figure it out. It was a comical game!



Sunday morning my siblings and I had an Easter egg hunt! Here everyone is searching for the hidden eggs.



This year I won the unofficial contest of getting all of my eggs first. It may have helped that we only had 7 eggs each—6 little and 1 large—instead of the dozen-plus-one we’ve had in past years.



After we found all of our eggs, we opened the largest egg to find a clue to a hidden gift. Inside the eggs were slips with Bible verses about the Easter story. One word was circled in each verse and that was the clue to find our gift. My word was “linen” so I immediately searched in the linen closet and found. . .



. . .a yo-yo ball!



For breakfast we had mini cinnamon rolls, waffles with peanut butter and agave nectar, and orange slices. And I had juice, which I haven’t had since the beginning of Lent!



We ran into a wardrobe malfunction. The tie Ben had brought to wear was a bit too small! He decided that rather than wear a too-short tie, he would just go casual.



All of us lined up with our Easter baskets before leaving for church.



After enjoying an amazing Easter service at my Grandparents church, we came home to enjoy the Sabbath. Here Ben, Roma, and Rubia are reading and journaling.



Daddy is reading commentaries on the book of Acts in preparation for a Sunday School series he will be teaching in a few weeks.



Rubia drawing.



Josiah played with cowboys and Indians in the basement.



Ben read comic books. And I obviously went around and took pictures of everyone. J



Around 5:30 p.m., we sat down to our delicious Easter dinner, compliments of Bob Evans. We had ham, coleslaw, herbed corn, southern style green beans, mashed potatoes with gravy, banana bread, and rolls with butter.



And for dessert, we had the twins baptism cake and lemon pie!



After dinner, we played outside in the fresh air and worked off all of that food! We love to play frisbee at Grandma’s house because their street is not busy and is the perfect place to throw frisbees back and forth. We had an interesting time trying to throw two frisbees among five players, especially after certain people with poor aim threw them into various neighbors’ lawns. J



Sadly, we had to leave bright and early Monday morning. We always love our time at Grandma’s house and practically count down the days until we can go back!



For lunch we stopped at a famous restaurant called “Tony Packo’s” in Toledo. It had been a long time since we had eaten here, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!



I ate a chili dog with spicy pickles and a side of Chili-Mac. It was SO filling!



Thankfully, we arrived home safely despite pouring rain the whole trip. We really enjoyed our relaxing weekend with Grandma and Grandpa, celebrating the wonderful occasion of Christ’s resurrection! Soli Deo Gloria!

Expectations

Two stories of two men, same age, same size, same capabilities, but totally different….

By Ben

It is the summer of 1770, and 15-year-old Joshua is returning home from two months of surveying in the rugged forests and weather of Ohio Territory. He is on his way to his father’s plantation of nearly 5,000 acres, one mile off the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, in rural Georgia. His father, Jefferson Davis McCanton, is the richest man in all the colonies. He manages a trading port in Georgia owned by the British government. He has 11 ships under his command. Each ship has a total of 70 men working on it, plus nearly 30 more men staffing the port, and more than 300 slaves and slave masters working on his 5,000-acre cotton plantation. He lives in a mansion with over 30 servants working as diligently as ants.

Overall, Joshua’s father has more than 1,100 people under his authority. His ships make regular trips to England, Canada, New York, Africa, France, and India. His stagecoaches are lined with gold and silver, and his stables are filled with 40 stallions. Next to the King of England, he lives in more royalty than anyone in the world.

His children are home-educated; however, Joshua studied for one year at the College of William and Mary, in Virginia. Now at age 15, Joshua is married, and his wife is with child. When at home, Joshua oversees all the daily operations on his father’s plantation. Occasionally, he has captained a ship on its journey, charging valiantly through storms and fighting pirates.

However, a lot has changed in his absence. He returns to the plantation, disgusted and confused. It is silent. Weeds have overgrown the dirt roads, crawling throughout the plantation. He rides past the port. It is also silent, and 10 of his father’s ships are docked at the port, motionless.

He sees a slave walking down the dock. “Yaw!” He shouts to his horse as he gallops down the dock.

“Good afternoon, Lord Joshua!” The slave kneels before the son of his master.

“At ease!” Joshua exclaims. “What hath happened here? All my life, I have never seen more than three ships motionless at one time! This place has always hummed with activity! I demand to know the meaning of this! Do these ships not have journeys to pursue, that they sit here motionless? Where are all our faithful servants?”

“We grieve the absence of our master.” The slave replied. “His ship left for India with him aboard, but he did not return when expected. An entire fleet of the British Navy has gone in search of him, for he was shipping hundreds of pounds of gold. He is assumed to have been captured by Indian pirates.”

Joshua stares at the slave, horrified. He jumps on his horse and goes tearing along the dock, then cuts out and charges up a large hill overgrown with weeds, heading towards the mansion. There, he grieves with his family.

***

Upon his father’s death, Joshua had to take the reins completely. A memorial service was never held, for he believed in his heart that his father--his mentor, his best friend--would return. His father had always been loyal to him; he would return the favor by not giving up faith that he was still alive.

There was, however, one issue. Although the port was government-owned and would present no financial difficulty to the family, there was still a 5,000- acre plantation to operate. Joshua had the experience, but since he refused to believe his father was dead, he would not open the will to accept what money his father had left him. Somehow, Joshua needed to increase his earnings, and the port appeared to be his best means.

He took a gamble. Since he owned the property on which the government-funded port existed, Joshua thought he could persuade the British to increase their payments to him. At one time, Joshua’s father had formed an unlikely alliance with a French port operator. Now Joshua sent word to this man, offering to sell him 30 slaves and 500 acres of land if he would assist him in a small ploy. Joshua would send all 10 ships sailing for New York, making the British believe they were headed back to Canada. Meanwhile, the French fleet would sail toward Joshua’s Plantation, thus making the King of England believe that France had offered Joshua more money to use the port. Joshua reasoned that King George simply could not allow this action, for this port and its operations were crucial to Great Britain’s economic success.

Nevertheless, Joshua’s sense of honor would not allow him to put forth a lie to the British, and so he determined that if the King decided the port was not worth the price, Joshua would allow France to use it. For Britain to attack the port was not a likely scenario, as the King would not wish to incite the French into yet another war.

The plan worked. King George promptly wrote a letter to Joshua, telling him he would quadruple the amount he was paying to use the port. Joshua accepted the deal. The Plantation was saved.

***

It is present day. Justin is a 15-year-old sophomore. He lives with his 30- year-old mother, who was a teenager when she gave birth to him. Justin’s mother has been a Christian for ten years and has been bringing him to church. As long as he attends and sits through the hour-long service every Sunday, she is satisfied with him.

He has a list of expectations, just like Joshua, but don’t get your hopes up. Here is his list: Make your bed every morning. Go to church service every Sunday. Take the trash out on Thursday nights. Don’t drink, smoke, or chew, and don’t hang out with those who do! Very easy expectations to meet.

Due to his lack of involvement in church, and lack of any real challenge in his life, he leaves home on the dawn of his 18^th birthday. The #1 reason for his departure: neither his mother nor anyone else expected anything from him. And he lived up to their expectations.

Do you see a difference between these two gentlemen? Although the characters and stories are but mere fiction made up in my head, I think we can learn an important lesson through the life of these young men.  We can see how much the expectations for young people ages 13-19 have changed over the years. Compare the maturity of Joshua to that of Justin. Joshua was one of his father’s most dependable aids; he was married at just 15 (not positive I recommend that), and through wit and intelligence was able to keep his father’s massive plantation going after his disappearance.

I have been reading a great book called “Do Hard Things” by Alex and Brett Harris. Here Alex and Brett lead a “Rebelution” (a combination of “Revolution” and “Rebellion”) against low expectations. Here they argue for teenagers to use the God- given potential they have. Just look at how much God used teenagers in the Bible, such as David, Joseph, and Daniel! God has, does, will, and is using teenagers for His glory. The question is: are teenagers blinded by such low expectations that they don’t see God's will for their lives? If they don’t, they must!

Until next time,

Ben

So Much More Book Review

When I found out that I would be attending the Vision Forum Father Daughter Retreat, I thought it would be a good idea to read “So Much More,” since the authors, Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin, would be speaking at the retreat.

I had picked up the book and started reading it about a year ago when we first purchased it. But it hadn’t really captured my attention, and then my Mom borrowed it to read. It really struck a chord with her! So much of what was in the book made sense to her!

Once I started reading it again a few months ago, it really intrigued me and I went through the book fairly quickly. It primarily discusses the crisis in father and daughter relationships today. This relationship is almost non-existent in our current culture. Fathers and daughters may have a chummy, good-humored relationship, but by and large, daughters are not being led by their fathers in their decision making.

There were many things that stuck with me since reading this book. First and foremost, I realized that from a Biblical standpoint, I am under my father’s authority and protection until the day of marriage. God has given him this responsibility, and as such, it is my duty--and my privilege--as a daughter to serve him and help him advance the kingdom of God, while remaining under his protection. I can be very fruitful in advancing God’s kingdom without ever making myself vulnerable by separating myself from my father—and family—for extended periods of time.

I also learned that Biblical femininity need not be only about knitting, baking, sewing, etc. Rather, I need to be helping my father in whatever ministry projects he undertakes. For the Botkin sisters, that meant learning the art of filmmaking in order to help their father. For some it means helping with a family business. Right now for me, it means that I am helping as my father’s research assistant.



Busy researching with the concordance, study Bible, dictionary, Greek-English lexicon, Bible dictionary, and the laptop.



Something else I took away from this book was some serious food for thought regarding fathers, daughters, and the right career and education. We have spent much time in prayer and discussion on this issue, and as of right now, I am planning on staying at home after graduating from homeschool high school, and continuing my education right here, under the protection of my father, and with the companionship of my family. There will be more on this in future posts.

This book—as well as other resources—has also helped me realize that there are people in this world who DON’T want me to live under my father’s protection and guidance. The appendix has an interview between the Botkin sisters and their father, Geoffrey Botkin, which is very revealing of the sinister plan by various leaders throughout history, to destroy father-daughter relationships, and the Biblical family in general. The appendix also contains quotes from well-known feminists and communists that demonstrate this very well. For example, American historian Linda Gordon, in an article published in 1969 entitled “Functions of the Family” said the following: “The nuclear family must be destroyed, and people must find better ways of living together. . . .Whatever its ultimate meaning, the break-up of families now is an objectively revolutionary process. . . Families have supported oppression by separating people into small, isolated units, unable to join together to fight for common interest. . .”

Daughters like me need to realize that we must wage war with the culture, because there ARE people who desire to destroy the relationships between fathers and daughters, thus destroying the health of the family, future generations, the church, and ultimately, the nation.

There were a few parts of the book that I disagree on, some regarding missions work for example, but as a whole, this book has been a very beneficial and thought-provoking read! I would highly recommend it to any daughter and even mothers who are raising daughters. If anything, I hope it encourages fellow daughters to look to Scripture for examples of how the father daughter relationship is to work, and then put it into practice! This book has truly changed our whole family, and it will be re-read many times over!

Risen!

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” (Matthew 28:5-7)

(posted by Betsy)

Recipe--Split Pea Soup

This soup is a favorite of our family for cold nights! Since we had snow this past week, I thought it would be appropriate to share this recipe now. We usually have a “one bowl meal” when we make this soup as it is SOOO filling and hearty.

Split Pea Soup

2 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped (1 cup)

2 large carrots, coarsely chopped (1 cup)

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (1/2 a cup)

2 tablespoons of olive oil (we use coconut)

8 cups of water

1 pound of dry green split peas

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of dried thyme, crushed

½ a teaspoon of pepper

¼ cup snipped parsley or 2 tablespoons of dried parsley flakes

4 cups of hot cooked brown rice or barley(optional)

In a Dutch Oven (or large soup pot) cook celery, carrot, and onion in olive oil till crisp-tender. Stir in water, peas, salt, thyme, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 45 to 60 minutes or till peas are tender. Add parsley, Simmer, uncovered, for 45 to 60 minutes or till thick. If desired, place ½ cup cooked brown rice atop individual servings. Makes 8 (1 cup) servings.

Favorite Fruit

With spring (hopefully) around the corner, it has gotten us thinking about our favorite fruits. We are anxiously awaiting the day when we can once again go to the market and buy fresh, locally grown produce!

Mark—I like bananas, apples, oranges, and kiwi.

Betsy—Call me monkey…my favorite fruit has always been bananas. They are soft, easily digestible, not too sweet, and come dressed in easily-peel-able skin. But I’m also very fond of mangoes, pineapple, strawberries, oranges, bing cherries, and many different varieties of apples.

Bianca—I am definitely a citrus and melon girl. I love pineapple, oranges, cantaloupe and watermelon. I also love mangoes and kiwi!

Ben—My all-time favorite fruit is bananas! I eat at least one every day. I also enjoy oranges, grapes, pineapple, and watermelon.

Rubia—My favorite fruit is pineapple! I also like cantaloupe and strawberries and blueberries. I’m NOT a fan of grapefruit—it has a sour aftertaste.

Roma—My favorite fruit is watermelon! I also like pineapple and cantaloupe and oranges.

Josiah—I love watermelon and any kind of grapes!

A Fun Weekend

This past weekend, in honor of the twins’ baptism, my Mom’s side of the family came up for a visit! My grandparents, a Great Aunt, and my Uncle, Aunt, and two cousins came! We had a full house with fourteen people! Here are a few snapshots from our weekend together:



It doesn’t get much cuter than this! And he’s got the sweetest personality and largest vocabulary for someone his age!



Everyone enjoying our Friday night pizza-and-movie tradition.



Daddy hooked up the computer to the TV and Josiah played a round of chess against the computer. He actually won!



Mozart in the making!



Saturday afternoon, we drove to Frankenmuth to visit Bronner’s Christmas Store and eat dinner at the Bavarian Inn Restaurant. This is my cousin in front of an Easter themed tree at Bronner’s.



This picture has a story behind it: on the other side of this display is a Polar Bear. As we walked out of the store, my littlest cousin said, “Can I go love on the Polar Bear?” J



The Bavarian Inn Restaurant.



Best friends!



Our experience at the Bavarian Inn Restaurant was amazing! We had our own private room because there were so many of us. We were celebrating the twins’ baptism, and also my Grandparents 49^th wedding anniversary. The meal started off with stollen bread and butter, strawberry rhubarb jam, bean salad, chicken salad, cranberry orange salad, coleslaw, and chicken noodle soup.



Next came Jaeger schnitzel, fried chicken, dressing, carrots, mashed potatoes with gravy, and homemade noodles. We brought home at least 8 boxes of leftovers!



Everyone enjoying the meal.



For dessert we had ice cream. . .



. . .and German chocolate and vanilla cake with raspberry filling! Yes, we made a little (ok, BIG) exception to our sugar fast for the day. But that doesn’t happen often!



Afterward we visited some of the shops in the basement of the restaurant. In this picture, the kids are crowded around the souvenir flattened penny machine. I collect them from different places and everyone else wanted one too!



This is the result of too much sugar in one night! J



We were trying to get a picture on Sunday morning, but apparently the little guy was too tired and couldn’t smile!



After the twins’ baptism on Sunday, we went out to our favorite Mexican restaurant for lunch. The twins are getting ready to open some of their gifts.

 As I’m sure you can tell, we had a very good weekend together celebrating two wonderful occasions! We look forward to having another family get-together in the near future, Lord willing!