To Frost Or Not To Frost?

That is always the question for me! See I don't really like frosting EXCEPT for whipped cream frosting. That is hard to make (in my opinion) AND does not hold its color. So in making cakes for the Harvest Festival at church, I had to come up with a solution. Not that I was going to eat the cake because it was for the cake walk but I wanted it to be superb!

Wellll.......the answer. Jello Frosting! That's right. See I had heard of Kool Aid frosting but heard that the taste and texture was a little "off" but that kids enjoyed the color and the cool flavors. I thought why not Jello. I am a HUGE fan of Jello Frosting now! Not to mention the color options! We used Raspberry Jello! YUMMY! The color was exactly what I was going for.....hot princess pink! So here is the recipe compliments of http://www.cooks.com/.

3 oz pkg Jello of choice
2/3 cup sugar, granulated
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla, optional
1/2 cup boiling water.

Combine jello, sugar, egg whites and vanilla. Pour in boiling hot water. Beat at high speed using the whip attachment for at least five minutes or until the desired spreading consistency. Enjoy!

Lentil Soup

1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
2 T olive oil
3 -4 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
6 teaspoons dry bullion
6 cups water, boiling
1 c lentils
1 pinch thyme
1 large can stewed tomatoes (minimum 14.5 ounces) *Personally I like to use Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes because of the flavor that it adds to the soup.

(1) Put water on to boil.
(2) Saute onion and garlic in oil.
(3) Add carrots and celery, saute 2-3 minutes more.
(4) Add chili powder, bullion, boiling water, lentils and thyme.
(5) Cook covered for 35 minutes.
(6) Add tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes.

Make sure to use boiling water. This decreases that amount of time needed to cook the lentils.
Bullion can be either chicken, veggie or beef. It should be dry bullion otherwise the liquid will be doubled. So if you need to use a liquid bullion/soup base, boil the base and omit the dry bullion.

This is the basic recipe. There are many things that you can add to make even more yummier soups.

Lentil and Lamb Stew
Add 1 -2 cups lamb meat, cooked
Decrease the water by 2 cups
Add some oregano...Greek oregano if you have it

Today we added cooked chicken, leftover noodles and some browned turkey meat. So yummy.

Serve with shredded cheese, chopped green onions, black olives and some hot bread.

Enjoy!

This recipe is compliments of my mother, Esther Ruth (Hostetler) Zook who would often make this in the fall when the Midwest weather would turn crisp and cold or would become cold and rainy. "Good soup day!" would be my mom's comment as she began to pull the ingredients out of the cupboards. I think of her every time I make this soup.

Chinois Update

A dear friend from Community Bible Study (aka church school to Dacia Grace) owns a chinois that she has so graciously loaned me. Thank you, Audra!

Also, tomorrow (Thursday) I am going to pick up a chinois from a fellow Freecycler. Here is hoping that is will be in good shape and will in fact be what I am looking for in a chinois.

I do have to say that I really, really like freecycle.org. If you have never checked it out, you really should. It is a way to pass on things that you no longer use to someone who is in need of the item. No money is exchanged. All that is asked is a courteous thank you and for you to pass on something to another that you are not using. We have added many necessary items to our home this way.

Chosen Name

This morning I had a very interesting conversation with Dacia Grace regarding what she likes to be called. Her choices were:

Dacia, Dac or Dacia Grace

Her choice.......Dacia Grace.

"When you introduce yourself to someone, what do you tell them your name is?" I asked.

"Dacia Grace!" was her very definitive response. "You need to work on that Mommy."

"Okay, I will Dacia Grace."

Off she went to play but coming back several times today to ask me, "So what is my name, Mommy?"

So cute!

I remember I was about her age when I had a similar conversation with my mother about my name choice. So I guess....like mother, like daughter!

Oh Where Is My Chinois? Sniff, Sniff!

What is chinois you ask? A cone shaped food puree sieve used to make sauces and broths of all kinds (i.e. applesauce, tomato sauce, ketchup, fish broth, etc.) As I continue on in my endeavor to make things from scratch thus avoiding the long list of allergens that plague this family, I found out the mine is MIA! I have looked high and I have looked low. So sad. Not only was mine very useful but it also held many memories of making applesauce with my mom and my sister. Ahhhhh...... I guess I will have to add it to several other things that are MIA as well. Meanwhile I will make work on my 37 pounds of apples while reminiscing about Chinois!

If by some chance you have one of these collecting dust on your garage shelves and you would like to donate it to a lonely housewife, I would be so happy!

My Times Are in Thy Hands

Hymn by William F. Lloyd

My times are in Thy hand;

My God, I wish them there;

My life, my friends, my soul I leave

Entirely to Thy care.

My times are in Thy hand;

Whatever they may be;

Pleasing or painful, dark or bright,

As best may seem to Thee.

My times are in Thy hand;

Why should I doubt or fear?

My Father’s hand will never cause

His child a needless tear.

My times are in Thy hand,

Jesus, the crucified!

Those hands my cruel sins had pierced

Are now my guard and guide.

My times are in Thy hand,

I’ll always trust in Thee;

And, after death, at Thy right hand

I shall forever be.

Almost 20 years ago to the day, this thought provoking song ministered to me as I was seeking God's direction while in college. It ministered to me again today as I was doing my Bible study and praying for our family and all that God has in store for us in the coming year.

We have an amazing God who lovingly asks us to follow Him and trust Him! What a reminder to me during the current economic "slump" and during this pre-election time! Our times even as a country are in His hands......what a wonderfully comforting place to be!

DG Approved!

Yummy Italian Minestrone Soup!

Courtesy of Arlene on Clean and Cozy Yahoo!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup onion, sliced
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced potatoes
2 cups sliced cabbage
1 cup sliced zucchini
1/2 cup garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed if canned)
1/2 cup navy beans
16 oz can tomatoes with liquid (I used Fire Roasted from Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup celery
2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup rotini (uncooked) (I used macaroni because that is what I had in the pantry)

1. Sauté onion in oil until brown. Add broth, carrots, and potatoes, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients and cook for 20 minutes more.

NOTE: When I make this again I will probably double the broth since this was more of a stew than a soup. I plan on adding the broth right before serving.

Makes 8 servings (1 serving = 1 cup)

Calories - 116
Fat- 3 gr. (23%)
Carbohydrates - 19gr. (66%)
Protein - 5 gr. (17%)
Fiber - 4 gr
Sodium - 188 or less mg
Cholesterol—O