What's cooking?

In trying to eat much healthier, I am searching constantly for recipes and cooking healthier meals. I'm so excited for dinner tonight.


Chinese Sweet-and-Sour Chicken (in the crock pot):

• 1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks in juice
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 3 T soy sauce
• 2 T cornstarch
• 1 T preminced oil-packed garlic
• 1 T ground ginger
• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used 5 frozen chicken breasts, cooked and diced)
• 1 cup chopped tri-color bell peppers
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup diced baby carrots

Directions:

Coat the inside of crock pot with cooking spray.

1. Drain the pineapple and set aside, reserving 1 cup of juice. In the crock pot, combine the sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch, garlic, ginger, and reserved pineapple juice. Whisk until smooth. Add the chicken, peppers, onion, and carrots. Stir to coat with sauce. Cover and cook on the low-heat setting for 5-6 hours. Stir in the reserved pineapple. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the pineapple is heated.


2. Pour over cooked, brown rice.
   

Now what could be better than crock pot cooking (well, except for a Reeses cup). I've have already test-tasted this and it is absolutely delicious! Side note: I did double the sauce recipe because I know that brown rice has the tendency to soak up all the juice.

Only took 10 minutes to prepare!

Nutrition: (6-servings)

• per serving: 335 calories; 11.5 g fat; 28 carbs; 30 g protein

Do unto others...I mean your spouse!

Several weeks ago in our Sunday School class, Scott spoke to us about how we treat others. Do we judge others? Are we encouraging? Do we take time to visit with others when they are in need? When we're standing in the Walmart line and it's just about our turn to check out, a price check is needed....then how do you react? If you are cut off in traffic, do you immediately lay on your horn, or do you just smile and keep on driving.
(side note: I used to be a "horn blower"...until I moved to Charlotte. Alot of impatient people leave here in this city and I'm learning to be much more patient. I've never heard so many horns in one town. If you sit at a traffic light for more than 1 second after it has just turned green, you're gonna get beeped at. It has become one of my biggest irritants. I'm thinking, "come on people...relax...smile...slow down").

So, how do you "do unto others"? Then he brought it close to home...and how do you "do unto your spouse"? If your husband or wife forgets something, if they spill something, break something...how do you react? Do we automatically think the worst? How is your tone of voice with your spouse? We were reminded that we should treat our spouses just as we would like to be treated. We should treat our spouses better than we treat anyone else.

It's made me more aware of my "tone", my facial expressions, my sarcasm (ouch), that I use so often with my husband. I think I'm doing better.

Answered prayers...

Isaiah 65:24 "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear".
I am so thankful that I serve a God...the one and only God...who hears my prayers before I even call on Him. What peace...knowing that whatever need I have, my God is aware of it before I even utter it from my lips. And He always answers my prayer. It may not always be the answer I want, but comforting, because I know He answers according to His perfect will. And that is exactly the answer I need!
Isaiah 30:19 "How gracious He will be when you cry for help! As soon as He hears, He will answer you".

Routine....

For those of you who know me...really know me...you'll know I am a person who LOVES routine! I basically keep the same schedule: up at 5:50, wash face, apply moisturizer, spritz of cucumber toner (don't ask me what that does, but it feels refreshing), wake Caleb for school, walk stupid (okay, not a nice word, but one that we have bestowed on our dog, Max...he's spoiled rotten, but a few fries short of a happy meal). Then straight to the kitchen to make smoothies, take Caleb to school, back home to make my coffee, taking it straight to my favorite couch, with Bible and Bible study in hand (oh and my reading glasses because I now cannot see without them). With Max curled up by my feet, I wrap up in my cozy blanket and spend my time with the Lord, during this time Scott will come over and we will spend our time in prayer together before he heads for church.

Not kidding, it's the same thing every morning...this schedule does not change. I am a routine person. I do not like anything to come in the way of my routine.

My day continues with a schedule...things I do at certain times. I've been blessed with a job that allows me to work from home Monday through Wednesday, when it's convenient for me...and then I go into the office on Thursday and Friday...same time...to the minute. Again, scheduled...routine.

Scott spoke several months ago in our Sunday School class on interruptions. My toes were aching when I left that class. God had once again spoken directly to me. There's little time in my day for interruptions...I don't do well with interruptions. But God continually places them strategically throughout my day...to get my attention. To let me know that each day is about Him...not me! Lately, I'm doing better with being interrupted...because I know where and who they are coming from. I'm learning to take deep breaths and count each interruption as a privilege; a blessing!

Valentines gift?

Our middle daughter, Lindsay, a freshman at UNC Greensboro, just contacted me to give me some news. She said that the college is giving everyone a Valentines gift today. Out on the streets of the campus, they are giving each student a gift bag...filled with candy...and condoms. Lindsay could not believe it! And neither could I. I shouldn't have been surprised. After all, the motto at secular schools is if you're gonna have sex, at least make it safe.

It's a sad world we live in. Some parents would say "we need to let our kids make their own choices...if they're gonna drink or have sex, I'd much rather it be in our house".

Oh my word, are you kidding me? It breaks my heart. It's so sad that people, when attending a wedding, are shocked to find out that the bride has saved herself for her groom...no matter how long they've dated. I attended a wedding last May of a dear friend's son. He and his bride, our "adopted" daughter dated 6 years.....6 years!! What made the wedding so special was knowing that they had vowed purity until their wedding day. What a special wedding that was! I look forward to the day that our two girls walk the aisle and their Dad presents them to their husband, knowing they've saved themselves just for him. And the same with our son...giving himself only to his wife.

I'm so thankful (and that's an understatement) that all three of our kids have made this vow to purity. They know that we pray for them everyday and this is one of the areas included in our prayer time.

Don't forget to pray for your kids every day. The world is doing all it can to destroy them.