Recipe--Broccoli-Cabbage Salad

Earlier this month, a friend of ours posted a recipe on her blog for Broccoli Salad. We made it with a few modifications to suit our own tastes, and it has quickly become a favorite recipe! One of my favorite simple suppers is a generous serving of broccoli-cabbage salad and a slice of cornbread. Delicious and fresh!

Broccoli-Cabbage Salad

2 lbs. fresh broccoli

½ of a purple cabbage, chopped

½ lb. bacon

8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

½ a mild red onion

1 cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sugar

2 Tbsp. vinegar

Wash and drain broccoli. Trim and cut into 1-in. pieces; toss into large bowl. Chop about ½ of a purple cabbage and add to broccoli. Chop onion and add to vegetables, along with cheese. Fry bacon until crisp; drain and crumble. Add to mixture. Mix mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Toss with broccoli, bacon, cheese, onion and chopped cabbage. Coat all of vegetables well. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready. Serves 8 to 10. Note: I personally like to add some raisins to my serving of salad. I also think pine nuts might be a nice addition. Other members of my family don’t agree with me, J but you can decide for yourself!

Pets: Zinnia

As I mentioned last week, the summer of 2009 was very busy after we adopted two kittens from our local humane society. Zinnia was officially my kitten since I had saved up my money and paid the initial adoption fee.

I was so thrilled to finally have my own kitten! She was very tiny at only 1.6 lbs when we first adopted her.

From the beginning we could tell that she had a spunky personality. She has always loved to climb, explore, and find new hiding places.

For the first few weeks that we had the kittens, we kept them in a bedroom in our basement to acclimate. We were down there playing with them one afternoon when Zinnia found our stand-up trashcan with a flip-lid. I’m sure you can imagine what happened next! J She stepped on the lid and landed at the bottom of the trash can! It’s a good thing we were down there to fish her out.

Zinnia closely inspecting my camera.

Zack and Zinnia were very thrilled to finally be given the run of the house. One of their favorite spots was next to our newspaper basket. Lots of sunlight pours through the south facing window, making this spot an ideal napping place. I love her cute little face in this photo!

Shortly after we adopted the cats, they developed upper respiratory infections. They had probably caught it at the humane society. Their condition worsened and the infection settled into their eyes. They both developed ulcers on their eyes. While we were on vacation, Zinnia’s cornea ruptured. We were very thankful for our neighbor who is a vet technician who took them to the vet hospital while we were gone and got them on a stronger medication.

Lots of tears were shed on my part, but the situation didn’t turn out as bad as it seemed. You can see her right eye looks kind of purple in this photo. Once the infection cleared up, her eye scarred down quite a bit. Now she has a small scar over her pupil, but she regained partial vision in the bad eye. It was a trying chapter in our lives as pet owners, but we learned a lot through it!

Once she was over her illness, we could really start to see her true personality develop. You never know where you will find Zinnia sleeping. If it’s warm, small, and unusual, she’ll be there! J

Zinnia also suffers from seasonal allergies. Every spring her poor lip puffs up and gives her quite the pouty look. It somehow suits her personality!

Zinnia is well loved by our whole family, but she knows which one is her “Mama!” She sometimes exasperates other family members because of her mood swings. One minute she will be purring and rolling around as you pet her, the next minute she will attack your hand with a vengeance. She’s not a huge lap kitty either. She loves to be petted and sit next to you, but not on your lap.

She blends in quite well with Josiah’s stuffed animals, doesn’t she?

Almost every morning finds Zinia curled up on one of the twin’s beds. She also has a knack for finding the pile of clean sheets.

Though some thought she wasn’t the prettiest kitten, she has turned into a pretty cat if I do say so myself. She has bright green eyes, and a beautiful muted calico coat. She is my “forever kitten,” weighing in at only 6 or 7 pounds at 3 years of age. We think she must have been the runt of her litter to have been so small and sickly.

Her first birthday was celebrated with ice cream and new cat toys. We were quite thankful that she made it to that first birthday!

Like her brother Zack, she enjoys the outdoors and sitting demurely on the front porch.

Zinnia continues to delight me with her feisty personality and I’m so thankful to be blessed with such a sweet, fun cat!

Pets: Newton

Pets: Novella

Pets: Panther

Pets: Noah

Pets: Scooter

Pets: Zack

Solo Christo

This is the fourth installment of a series I’ve been sharing with my Sunday School on the Five Solas (click here to see the post on Sola Gratia, here for Sola Fide, and here for Sola Scriptura.) Here is a little bit of what Solo Christo means. . .

For the past several devotions I’ve done, we’ve been discussing a series of doctrines called the Five Solas. Today we’re going to talk about the 4^th part of these 5 doctrinal statements: Solo Christo, By Christ Alone.

To refresh your memory, the Five Solas came to be during the Reformation period of history (1500-1600 A.D.) During this period of history, many Christian men like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others stood up for the doctrines taught in the Bible instead of bending to the demands of the Catholic episcopacy. They stood up for truth when everyone around them was accepting the lies being taught.

I believe that Solo Christo is the glue that binds these 5 doctrines together. Without Christ, there is no grace, no Savior to have faith in, and no real reason to believe the prophecies in scripture. Without Christ, we are nothing.

I don’t think anyone in this room would disagree with the statement that it is through Christ alone that we receive the gift of salvation and eternal life. John 14:6 says, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” We all know that, but do our actions really reflect that belief? I’m sure we’re not seeking after other gods like Buddha or Mohammed for our salvation. But in every human heart, there is still a feeling of captivity to the idea that we have to DO something to earn our salvation.

There is an epidemic in America today of Christians striving to earn their salvation rather than lean on Christ and his atoning sacrifice for our sin. Many try to quell this feeling by outwardly changing their lives through involvement in church, involvement in ministries, and having a shallow knowledge of God’s word. But nothing we ever do can possibly save us from our sins. Titus 3:4-7 says, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”

But we not only find our salvation in Christ. In Christ we find so much more! Through Christ we have hope, as Paul talks about in the verses we just read. Through Christ we have peace. Romans 5:1-2 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2

Through Christ alone, we find comfort. Second Corinthians 1:3-5 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.”

As a result of Christ’s death, we are no longer shackled by the chains of our sins. Galatians 5:1 says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Jesus himself says in John 8:36, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Because of our salvation—found through Christ alone—we don’t have to fear death! Second Timothy 4:18 says, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” What a precious and wonderful promise this is!

Let us always remember that without Christ, we are nothing. But with Christ, we have been given everything we need!

Weekend with Family

As I mentioned on Monday, our grandparents and Great Aunt drove up from Ohio for the weekend in order to attend Josiah’s rodeo and Ben’s Graduation ceremony. We had a great weekend with them and were so glad they could come up for these occasions!

They arrived on Friday morning before Josiah’s rodeo. We all attended the rodeo and spent the afternoon at home relaxing. Then we ate an early dinner so that we could make it to Ben’s graduation ceremony at camp. Afterward, we all went out for ice cream and then went to bed quite late!

On Saturday we ate a delicious breakfast of homemade carrot muffins, cheddar cheese, and cantaloupe.

I don’t believe that Ben made an appearance until after 11:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. J He was sleeping like a baby when I left on my morning run at 7:00 a.m. I can’t really blame him for sleeping so late. They had a grueling schedule at camp and Thursday night was spent on an overnight hike.

It appears that others in the family thought a siesta would be a good idea as well. Zack is sleeping in the bottom left corner, Zinnia is in a green shoe box at the far top, Mikey is sacked out by the couch, and Abuelo is dozing in the recliner.

Photo Credit: Roma.

As a belated celebration of Ben’s birthday, my Abuela and Titi cooked up a big Puerto Rican feast. Josiah couldn’t wait to take a peek. J

We had rice and beans, roasted chicken and root vegetables, bread and butter, salad, and homemade punch. It was a very satisfying meal!

For dessert we had oatmeal raisin cookie bars that Mom made and chocolate chip cookies made by one of our neighbors. Who doesn’t love a good cookie?

After dinner was cleaned up, Ben opened his birthday gifts from our Grandparents. He received some nice new clothes and some money to spend as he pleases.

On Sunday we all went to church together in the morning. Church was quite crowded because we had one service instead of the usual two. The reason behind that was that Sunday was our Pastor’s last day at our church. After lots of prayer, he felt God was leading him and his family to pastor a church down in Texas. He will definitely be missed!

After church, we had a final farewell picnic for Pastor and his family. The weather turned out wonderfully despite the forecasted rain.

If you ever want to have some good food, go to a potluck at a Baptist church! J (Recipe for the broccoli salad pictured coming soon!)

Our relatives had to leave part-way through the picnic. We were so glad that they could come, even though our visit was short. Around 2:00 p.m., our family left the picnic to go to our missions team meeting inside the church.

Part-way through the meeting we were interrupted by Pastor and his family to say our goodbyes.

A picture of our families together. We’re going to miss them so much!

We finished our meeting around 3:30 p.m. and finally made it home. It was a long weekend, and a bit bittersweet. But we are thankful for all God has blessed us with!

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. . .”

Ephesians 3:1

Graduation Ceremony

The same day as Josiah’s Rodeo, Ben graduated from Boy Scout Leadership Training camp. He had been gone all week, and the house seemed so empty without him! We were very glad to see him Friday night at his graduation ceremony.

He was very excited to see all of us and quite surprised to see the out-of-town relatives. We had a happy reunion with him out in the hallway.

We sat down in the dining hall and waited for the ceremony to begin. All the boys filed in by patrols and took their seats. Ben is in the very center of the photo.

Photo Credit: Betsy.

To start off the ceremony, the leaders were introduced and gave speeches to the graduates, encouraging them to continue developing the leadership skills they had learned during their week at camp.

Then one-by-one, the boys received their bars. Here Ben receives his bar.

During part of the ceremony they also had a slideshow featuring photos from the week. It appears they had lots of fun (and played lots of pranks on each other as well! J)

They also sang some of their favorite camp songs for everyone.

Toward the end, they performed the “Cotton Eyed Joe” dance for everyone. It was quite comical! J

This was followed by a word from the camp Scoutmaster and the director of the camp program. The evening concluded with the welcoming of the 2012 graduating class.

After the ceremony, we had to drive to the other end of the camp to pick up all Ben’s gear. It’s a really pretty camp with lots of winding roads and tall pine trees. I will admit the ride was a bit too bumpy for my personal preference!

After we picked up Ben’s things, we started the drive home. I was in Mom’s car, and I heard her phone ring. I picked it up and it was Dad who was driving just ahead of us. He asked if anyone wanted to go to McDonald’s for ice cream. It’s impossible for anyone in our family to turn down ice cream! J Just then we passed a Dairy Queen and quickly changed our minds as to where we would get our ice cream. J

Even though it was past this guy’s bedtime—and he’d had a really long day at camp himself—he perked right up at the prospect of this yummy cone! J

It was a very special and refreshing late-night treat.

The drive home was beautiful! I love the summer twilight. You can see the tiny sliver of the moon in the center of this photo.

It was so good to have everyone under one roof again! We made it to bed very late and some enjoyed sleeping in on Saturday morning. We’re so proud of Ben—and Josiah—but we’re also very glad to have them back home!

Horse Camp and a Rodeo

Last week it was very quiet around our house. Ben was gone all week at a Boy Scout Leadership Training camp, Dad was on a business trip, and Josiah was attending day camp. The weekend brought lots of excitement at the culmination of all these events!

Ever since we kids went to ranch camp several years ago, Josiah has been waiting until he would be allowed to go. This was the year! He had a wonderful week riding the horses, doing camp activities, and making lots of new friends.

On the very last day of camp, the ranch hosts a rodeo for all the parents and family. Mom dropped Josiah off early in the morning for his last day of camp. Little did he know that there was a big surprise in the works!

Mom came home for a few hours before we had to leave for the rodeo. During that time, our Grandparents and Great Aunt arrived from Ohio. They had driven up to see Josiah’s rodeo and Ben’s graduation from his graduation program (more on that tomorrow!)

When we arrived for the rodeo later in the morning, Josiah was quite shocked to see the relatives! After he picked his jaw up off the ground, he gave a round of hugs to everyone. J

Daddy arrived from work shortly before the rodeo began. They started off with one of the ranch counselors doing a performance on one of the horses.

The kids entered the ring after running through a big banner the staff created.

They all danced to “Cotton Eyed Joe.”

Then it was time for the main part of the rodeo. Each of the three groups walked around the arena twice on their horses as the song “Somewhere over the Rainbow” played. Then each individual rode around the barrels. Josiah did a great job handling Mystique during his ride around the barrels.

At the very end, he trotted across the arena and received his medal.

The rest of us went home after congratulating Josiah. He enjoyed the rest of the day at camp doing regular camp activities.

At the end of the day when we went to pick him up, they had one final performance for the parents. The campers and counselors got up in their different groups and sang some of their favorite camp songs. It was fun!

After that we went home to get ready for the next big event that evening: Ben’s graduation from Scout camp! More on that tomorrow!

By Memory 2

“O Lord, I remember Thy name in the night,

And keep Thy law.

This has become mine,

That I observe Thy precepts.”

Psalm 119:55-56

Fifty-six verses down…only 120 more to go!

 ~ posted by Betsy

Recipe--Sandwich Rolls

Earlier this month, our missions team was getting together for our monthly planning meeting. I coordinated lunch for us, and decided on a theme of salads and breads. Mom made chicken salad, and I was put in charge of making rolls to serve them on.

I did some searching online and found this recipe. It turned out quite well! The rolls split very well the day after I made them. We appreciated their smaller size, but you could easily make them larger if you wanted to.

Sandwich Rolls

2 packages active dry yeast (I use about 2 tablespoons)

1 cup warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees)

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

½ cup shortening

3 eggs, beaten

6 cups unbleached flour

Soften yeast in warm water. Place sugar and salt in large mixing bowl. Set aside. Heat and stir milk and shortening until shortening melts (120 degrees F-130 degrees F). Add to mixing bowl along with eggs and yeast mixture. Stir in 1 cup of flour at a time to form a soft dough that can be kneaded.

Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in a large greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into desired rolls or loaves.

Place on greased baking sheets or in bread pans. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake rolls at 375 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until golden. Bake loaves at 375 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until bread tests done. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks. Makes 36 rolls. When the rolls have cooled, slice them in half horizontally to form sandwich rolls.

Pets: Zack

After Novella died, the only pet we had was Scooter the hamster. It was strange not having a cat in the house; we kids had never lived in a home without cats! I had been wanting my own kitten from the time I was 6 years old. Every year, I asked for one at Christmas and my birthday, but Mom and Dad didn’t think it was wise to introduce new kittens into a home with older cats.

So I was thrilled when they said we could adopt some kittens from the local humane society! Finally, my dream of owning a kitten came true.

In June of 2009, we brought home Lasso and Lyric, litter mates who were approximately 8 weeks old. We renamed them Zack and Zinnia. They were both quite tiny when we got them. Zack was just over 2 pounds while Zinnia was only 1.6 lbs!

Zack was the “family cat” with most of his responsibility falling on Roma’s shoulders because she was the cat-person of the family. Zinnia was my own cat, adopted with my own money. But more about her next week! Zack was tiny but had large ears to grow into.

Many hours of our summer were spent playing with the kittens and gradually introducing them to the different areas of our house. As you can see, he is our lap-kitty!

In fact, Zack used to fall asleep in our laps when he was a kitten! In the above photo, I was holding him while watching something on the computer, and he fell asleep in my arms.

Just before we left on vacation, Zack and Zinnia became quite ill. They developed respiratory infections that eventually settled into their eyes. While we were gone, Zinnia’s cornea ruptured and Zack developed several ulcers on his eye. We are so thankful for our neighbor, who is a vet technician. She helped us by administering medications and caring for them while we were gone.

Their eyes will never be quite the same, but they did eventually recover, with minimal scarring. It always made me feel good to know that we truly “rescued” the cats. If they had gotten sick in the humane society and had difficulties responding to the medications as they did, they most likely would have been put down.

But back to Zack! You can see he was still a bit sick in this picture from his gunky right eye. He is sitting on the plate that Mom set out for their snack. Every day at 4:00 p.m., the cats get a snack of canned cat food. Zack can be quite possessive of his snack as you can tell from this photo! J

Zack reminds us of Garfield in lots of ways. He is definitely a lazy cat most of the time. You never quite know where you’ll find him sleeping. A lot of times, it looks like he was just walking through the room and just dropped down for a nap in the strangest places.

Zack is also a hydromaniac. He is obsessed with the Jacuzzi, the bathtubs, and the showers. He will beg and beg for anyone walking by to turn the water on for him.

Zack has a special bond with Daddy. He will let Dad do just about anything to him without batting an eye. When Dad’s reading the newspaper on Sunday afternoons, Zack loves to come and jump into his lap for a belly rub.

Zack also loves “helping” me write blog posts. Just this week I was sitting in the computer chair working on a post, and I heard a “meow.” I felt a little paw reach up and tap me on the side a few times. When I gave him the ok, he jumped right up on my lap and proceeded to rub himself all over my lap and my face, making it impossible to type!

Zack is one of the few cats we’ve had who genuinely loves the outdoors. All our other cats were perfectly content to be indoors-only cats. Not Poonie! (his affectionate nickname.) From April until October, he listens carefully for the front door. Or if he doesn’t feel that he’s had his fair amount of time outside, he’ll stand by the front door and yowl until someone lets him out. He’s not supposed to stray far from the porch, but he occasionally ends up in the neighbor’s bushes or in the backyard. Or in our crabapple tree. J

Zack is very docile and low-key. He lives to go outside, eat, and be loved on. And we wouldn’t trade him for any other cat! J

Next week I’ll share the story of my tiny, feisty, forever-kitten, Zinnia!

Pets: Newton

Pets: Novella

Pets: Panther

Pets: Noah

Pets: Scooter