Pretty Enough To Eat

Aren't these so pretty? Whether the light is shining behind or in front of these beautiful glass canning jars, they are a sight for sore eyes...or maybe for a hungry tummy. Pickled beets, pickled cucumbers and spaghetti sauce...thanks to a sister-in-law for this gift from her creative culinary hands!

                                                      (And please click on the photos to enlarge them!)

"Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy." (I Timothy 6:17)

 

 

Fresh Home-Made Ricotta

I have never posted a recipe here on my blog but I think I need to start. That's what blogs like mine are supposed to do...post recipes. Well, once in awhile. Maybe just once?

ANYway, I was sorting through some papers (oh, those mountains of papers!), getting ready for furlough, and found a couple pages of recipes that I'd torn out of a magazine in some distant, foggy past and this one caught my eye: Fresh Ricotta. Only 3 ingredients and 30 minutes, that's all I needed. Well, it took about 15 minutes more than that but, considering everything, I think this is a very good recipe. If you like ricotta, that is. And I do. And fresh, home-made ricotta is SO good and yummy!

I think that I will be making more of this. It only cost around $2 p/lb. That's a very rough calculation, using our ever-changing dollar exchange and my not-totally-dependable food scale.

So click on the pic, notice the creaminess, read the recipe and, if you like all of that, then make it and let me know what you think!
(After posting this, I noticed that the recipe isn't easy to read ("new & improved" Blogger stuff, I guess). Anyway, here's a link to a site that has a similar recipe with only slight differences in the number of minutes. And I made mine using low-fat milk for part of it. Neither did I use cheesecloth. I've never used cheesecloth. I don't know the reason for using cheesecloth. Any clean cloth will do!)

Coffee And Tea For Thee And Me

                                                             

   God created coffee (yes, mine has milk)... 

and tea...

                                                                   

                                                            for thee and me!

                Wish you could join me for a cup today....

                                                                               



  

 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock;
if any man hear My voice, and open the door,
I will come in to him, and will sup with him,
and he with Me."
(Revelation 3:20)

Pass The Bread, Please

Saturday. This is my day to make bread.            The most-eaten food in all the world is bread. Statistics show that rice, wheat and corn are the three grains most eaten by humans. Bread is made from those grains...which proves my first statement, don't you think?Wheat has the highest amount of vegetable protein of any grain-except for amaranth, which I'd never heard of. You find out interesting facts when you research!

Bread is my favorite food. That does not come as a surprise to those who know me. But, sadly, I have to limit my consumption of bread for it is also, um, well you know what bread does. It makes one gain weight pretty quickly and easily! When I was 13 I helped in the school cafeteria that year we lived in Tennessee. They let the workers eat the leftover, huge, yummy, southern biscuits. Ohhhh...! I grew to weigh...well, let's just say, more than I should have for a young teen girl. In fact, I didn't weigh that much again until my first pregnancy!

I can't have all this talk about bread without showing a couple pictures of Brazilian breads. The one on the left is pão francês (french bread) and the other is pão de queijo (cheese bread). The hot, fresh version of these just can't be beat and are the ultimate in bread temptations!

I make homemade bread at least once a week because it's cheaper, because it tastes better and because it has healthier ingredients than what I would buy in the grocery stores. You'd think I would own a bread machine but I've never really wanted one for the simple fact that I know I would eat too much bread. If I ever get arthritis in my hands...well, I would then consent to having one given to me for Mother's Day. *smile*

 

     Let's get a closer look at those rolls...I mean, just look at those pieces of goodness coming through! 

Knowing how basic and important bread is to people around the world, it's no wonder that Jesus referred to Himself as the Bread of Life!

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life:

he that comes to Me shall never hunger;

and he that believes on Me shall never thirst."

(John 6:35)

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Pineapple On The Ceiling

The other day as I cut a pineapple, I was reminded of an incident from the past... One day several years ago when our children were still at home, we were all talking and laughing about something at mealtime when, suddenly, one of them threw a little piece of pineapple up onto the ceiling. There it stuck and there it remained...to our delight, for it gave us something to laugh about, even now-about 20 years later! On the day that we left that house I know I must have glanced at that piece of pineapple one more time and wonder if I should try to clean it off...or let the new occupants wonder what happened. I chose the latter. Laughter and a merry heart is a wonderful medicine and those who are able to see the humorous side of things are certainly blessed. Just the memory of certain moments in our lives are capable of bringing a smile to our face and joy to our hearts and make life worth living. Take time to enjoy the memories...or to make wonderful new ones that you can look back on without regret and give praise to the Lord who gives us those moments.

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." (Proverbs 17:22)