“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up, according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29) NIV.

If we hit the pause button on our lips and think about these instructions, we can live more harmoniously with our families, friends, co-workers, acquaintances…even strangers who cross our paths. More importantly, our testimony will not be tarnished by the use of careless words. Stop and think about the visual of "concealed lips" before you snap back with a quick response to someone in your "line of fire." Use words that build up, rather than tear down. You never know when your kind words may be life-changing for someone. Choose to sow peace with your words, rather than anger…my lips are concealed.

Sate Babe Recipe

(my version of Bob’s - Bacolod Style)

*Warning:  the measurements of ingredients specified herein are just estimates as I don’t  usually measure when I cook.  Please season to your taste.

-       1 kilo pork, preferably belly, sliced into, rectangular ½ inch thick (pork chops is viable too)

-       1 cup “creamy peanut” butter

-       3-4 heaping full spoons of brown sugar (add a bit more according to your taste)

-       ¼ cup of barbeque sauce (I used MasterFood)

-       ¼ cup of apple cidar of brown malt vinegar (Del Monte Vinegar is also a good choice)

-       5 tbsps of soy sauce

    5 cloves garlic, chopped

-       3 Tbsp of prepared mustard

-       3 Tbsp of Worcestershire sauce

-       ginger, thinly sliced

-       salt and crushed pepper to taste

Mix all together the ingredients and marinate the pork overnight.  Set aside in the fridge. 

(You will need at least 2 hot plates for this or a large skillet)

Heat up the hot plate.  Fry the pork with a bit of oil (olive or peanut oil.  Lay enough pork (avoid crowding)  on the surface.  MAKE SURE WHEN FRYING THE MEAT, TAP OUT OR SPOON AWAY EXCESS PEANUT SAUCE AS IT WILL EVENTUALLY BURN DURING THE COOKING PROCESS).  Cook the meat on each side at least 8 minutes on medium heat.  Scoop a ladle full of the peanut sauce on the cooked meat just before serving.  Be careful as the sauce may cause splatters.  Season with salt and crushed pepper.

Serve immediately.  Serves 4

All the more “namit” with Atshara and garlic and herbed friend rice.

I dream of Spring!

Windows all closed

Dreary winter, all wet

nippy wind ferociously bold

Leaves me miserably cold.

Where are the tulips,

the golden sunshine?

lovely ladybug that creeps

the scents of roses divine?

The air so blunt

The skies all taunt

Melodious bluebird

Will you sing again?

Oh,  I long for the teasing

colorful sights

Of blooms and buds  of trees

As they develop into leaves

The love watching new life

As the baby birds

and butterflies

And baby creatures

learning, creeping,

crawling, buzzing!

the look of children’s faces

for new sounds,

new beginnings!

A new flame

unfolding, yearning,

hugging, loving.

Hurry dear Spring,

how I so long for thee!

As of now I dream

For you to come swiftly

‘tis the season

that most revives me.

Green Curry

A simple, fast dish but oh so delicious! This spicy Thai-style green curry will warm you up inside and out on cold winter nights. Serves 10. But with my family, this huge dish is gone in one sitting.

Enjoy!

Ings.

Red capsicum, sliced
Green capsicum, sliced
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Chopped garlic, 1 head
Sliced shallots, 1 head
Sliced sweet onion, 1 head
12-14 pcs chicken, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 can coconut cream, 400 gms
1 can thick cream, 400 gms
Palm or brown sugar, 2 tbsps
4-5 tbsps of prepared green curry paste
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

Procedure:

Preheat oven at 180 degrees.

On a hot skillet, fry seasoned chicken with VOO until golden brown. Set aside.

With the same skillet, sauté garlic, shallots, onions until transparent. Add in the spices: coriander, black pepper, cumin, turmeric, nutmeg. Pour in the liquid ings: coconut cream and thick cream. Let it boil for a minute or two (being careful not to overcook the coconut cream as it could curdle). Add in the rest of the vegetables: capsicum, cauliflower, broccoli. Add in the sugar, salt to taste.

Immediately transfer to a deep 13 inch baking dish and bake in the oven, fan forced at 180 degrees for approx. 20 minutes.

Serve hot with steamed Jasmine rice.

He is ever Present

How awesome that we serve a God who never leaves us. He is with us through every good time and every bad time.... every time of blessing and every time of loss. He is with us when we are afraid. He is with us when we are confused. He is always there. Because HE is.

He Himself has said, "I will not in any way fail you or give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I WILL NOT, in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake you nor let you down." Heb. 13:5 AMP

Now that is PROMISE that never gets broken.

The Martha Syndrome and the Mary Solution

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38-42 NIV

God illustrated to us the story of two well-known women in the Bible, Martha and Mary, to give us a clear view of the kind of relationship Our Father wants with each of us. The two sisters had contrasting approaches to their walk with God – and thus got different results. Martha was busy going about her busy life, anxious and un-trusting. Mary got alone with God and worshipped at Jesus’ feet.

We, mums, are so engaged with our daily realities: feeding the baby, cooking for the family, cleaning, laundry, while maintaining a full-time career. How do we ever get to come away and just breath a little?

One thing that is needful, to do what matters most: Sit at the feet of Jesus, even for a short while and get filled with His most amazing grace that refreshes the soul. Big difference.

Have you tried that today?

A glorious day to my dear Thursday group ladies! We're hitting the one-digit temps! Bundle up. We can't afford to get the sniffles. Hugs to all of you wonderful ladies!

Meat Pie

My meat pie has been reinvented through the years.  I don’t usually measure my ingredients.  Most of the meals that  I cook are sort of “eye-balled”.  However,  the measurements herein are pretty accurate. 

As much as my family love this recipe, I hope you will truly enjoy this one too!

Ings.

Ready-made puff pastry sheets or wraps, about 6 to 7, cut into 4 equal parts 

Olive Oil

½ Kl. Beef mince

½ kl. Chicken meat, minced (or us left oversteaks or last night’s roast chicken)
1/2 to 1 cup of chopped bacon
1 big spanish chorizo, cubed (optional)

1 onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

a bunch of parsley leaves, chopped

1 small can green peas

1 small can corn kernels

1 cup melting cheese cubed (cheddar ormozzarella)

Parmesan cheese

¼ cup barbeque sauce

about 10 large large mushrooms, quartered

1 red bell pepper or capsicum, cubed

a dash of dried Italian herbs

salt and pepper to taste

1 beaten egg for egg wash

Procedure:

In olive oil (or vege oil), sauté onions until transparent. Garlic next.  Once slightly golden, add in the minced meat of beef and chicken (or add in the leftovers when meat is halfway cooked).  Make sure all meat is cooked before adding in the mushrooms, peas, corn, capsicum.  Salt and pepper to taste.  When cooked, take it off the fire and let it cool. Add in the cheeses and the barbeque sauce. 

For Wrapping:

Cut the puff pastry using a knife into 4 equal squares.  Use one square, stretch its sides a bit but not too much as not to tear the pastry.  For one pie, put in 2 heapful spoons of the cooled cooked meat mixture in the middle.    Fold halfway into a triangle, crimp the sides by folding or by pressing with a fork. Lay meat pies on baking paper an inch apart as the pastry expands during the cooking process.  Brush the top sidewith egg wash.

Bake the pies at 180 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Watch out for the melted cheese as you slice the meat pie in half.   Yields about 2 dozens.

Ultimate Winter Comfort Food

Beef Casserole

The Ingredients:

1 whole onion, quartered
1 whole garlic, chopped
1 kilo of beef cuts
2 cups (and a bit more) Beef stock
2 large Carrots, cut into pieces
2 large Potatoes, cut into pieces
3 Tomatoes, quartered
1 large Sweet Yams/Potato (Camote)
1 small can corn kernels
1 small can Green Peas
4 stalks of Chopped Celery
a handful of Mushrooms, quartered
1 Spanish Chorizo
1 cup Red wine
a pinch of chili powder
1/2 cup of tomato sauce
a pinch of italian spice
Salt and Pepper

Procedure:

Turn on oven to 200degrees Celcius.

Saute Onions and Garlic in a LARGE Dutch oven or Iron casserole (the type that you can use in the oven), add in the beef cuts until halfway cooked. Throw in the sliced chorizo until cooked. Pour in the stock, wine and tomato sauce and let it boil. Make sure the liquid ingredients are halfway to the top otherwise, add a bit more beef stock. Add in the Potatoes and yams and pop in the oven for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute quickly with butter the rest of the ingredients: corn, green peas, tomatoes, mushrooms. Set aside.

Once meat in casserole is cooked and tender, add in all the sauteed vegetables. 

Season with herbs, chili powder and fresh ground pepper and sea salt. Mix well and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Serve with toasted buttered herb and garlic slices of french bread. 

Serve immediately.

Have a YUMMY MONDAY!

Imagine

Imagine Christmas is over..... all the programs have been performed...all the pictures have been taken. The carolers are done singing...the holiday parties have come and gone. The presents are unwrapped and all the big dinners have all been eaten. The christmas music is turned off. The families headed back home. Someone from work is on the phone. The kids have a practice to get to. The house needs to be cleaned. The bills need to be paid. The groceries are running low. The stock market is still down... and up... and down. The tv is on... the news is still worrisome. Life just keeps going as if Christmas never happened.

But it did happen. Look around... the church is full of family, and friends, and laughter because the baby is still the Saviour. And the Saviour is still the gift held out to a world still looking for pure joy... the same earth we live still longs for peace.

But we have the "hope".... we can sing in the midst of.... and wonder of the God who gave His only son... and the Son who gave His life to add us to his family and one day, welcome us HOME.

Imagine, christmas is over. But remember, it really happened.... and it changed everything.

Wishing you and your family the timeless treasures of Christ....the gift of good health, the peace of mind and heart, the harmony and warmth of home, the love of family and the company of good friends.

A blessed & joyous New Year from our home to yours!

God's grace is a matter of the heart

My husband and I sat outside our house to watch the beautiful sun bidding her goodbye for the day. It's always a good time to talk and reminisce God's blessings to our family. In the course of our intimate conversation, I have asked my husband this question, "Are you happy now that we are here in Australia?" He replied with a big, "YES". He threw the question back to me but I was surprised that I couldn't wholehearted reply the same answer. Instead, I heard me saying, "Hhhhmmm, I don't know. Not really." What was going on? What was bothering me? What is going on with my heart? It was time to take a "heart-check and survey". Our world today is dominated by "rules". Countries around the world are set with legislations of law and order and for these systems to work, people under it are subject to these laws and are expected to obey, no matter what, including giving away our hard-earned income to absurd taxes! Not fair, isn't it? I confess I am a "rule" person and I live by them. Most often I outdo my own. Give me a list of it to follow and I’m happy. I can follow rules like nobody’s business. My left-brain dominated thinking likes order and routine, blanketed with no surprises. There’s some comfort, I guess, in being able to assess my performance according to a set standard. If I’m obeying the rules, I must be doing okay. Right? There’s one big problem with that line of thinking and realized I have been too hard on myself. I make a list of excuses saying, "That's just me" or "So what, I'm a good person and I follow rules" or "I'm just tired." But really, it redirects my focus from what really matters: the condition of my heart. It seems God continually brings me to the end of my endurance, both emotionally and physically, to reveal the truth about my heart. What’s revealed in those moments of pressure is usually something that needs addressing: like selfishness, insecurity, jealousy or bitterness. Getting split apart isn’t pleasant. In fact, it’s often painful and embarrassing. Yet, it’s required if I want to become a true follower of Christ. I somehow relate this to the most controversial global economic issue. Here's a good article my good friend forwarded to me today. It says, "When debt is fraudulent, debt forgiveness is the logical and only remedy." This is the opening line from a website article dealing with Debt Forgiveness, that channels such as Quinsy and Nidle have spoken of repeatedly, not forgetting NESARA. This mail crossed my desk today and is linked to a second article dealing with the same subject. "Finally serious economists are considering a position I have been maintaining and writing about since the 2008 financial meltdown. Whatever its name— erasure, repudiation, abolishment, cancellation, jubilee—debt forgiveness, will have to eventually emerge forefront in global efforts to solve an ongoing systemic financial crisis." The above article is boiled down to one word and one word alone. GRACE. The condition of my heart and God's grace, How do they operate together? How is this connected to my present predicament? If I operate in Grace, I wouldn't have to be so concerned about power play just to gain respect and not having to live like a robot , like a wind tossed to and fro going nowhere empty. If I breath Grace, and with each breath is a reminder of the gift of life paid on the cross. If I serve in Grace, with each opportunity, is to give and serve done with joy and rejoicing at the pleasure of sharing my love and time and material goods. If I parent in Grace, I share the wisdom and knowledge gained through this life in a loving way to my children. If I listen with Grace, I honor and nurture the still small voice that comes from deep within and to honor the wisdom of those placed in my life to teach me. And lastly, if I live by Grace, I open my heart in each moment and let grace flow through and from me. I often blame my plight of issues with the government: (If they’d lower the tax rates, I could have more savings) and hold them liable for the global crisis and suffering of this world. And if United Nations and the Central Bank simply apply Debt Forgiveness to Washington, the world would be a little less chaotic. Many a time, too, I point at fingers at people that take advantage of others' goodness and thoughtfulness and not considering goodness is freely given and freely received. If I think of these things, I'll just tire myself to bits. Today, I said David's prayer, “Create in me a new heart, O God . . .” I am reminded that Real Change is an inside job. I could alter things a day or two with money, rules, and systems, but the heart of the matter is and always will be, the matter of the heart. Once resolved, a new perspective begins. God's grace is made more evident in our lives. Have you had a "heart-check and survey" lately? May you have a blissful week, dear friends!