I have chosen these frozen drinks for my recipes this month because besides being cool and refreshing – which is what we thirst for in July – the very name of them reminds us of how awesome our God is!

You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!  I sing for joy because of what you have done. (Psalm 92:4, NLT)

When I was a child, there were Saturday night movies called “Chiller Thriller.”  Rarely was I allowed to stay up until the midnight hour and watch.  The black and white narrative by Boris Karloff ensured a 10-year-old girl would sleep with her eyes open for at least a week.

As I reflected on this as an adult I wondered, what was the allure? Aside from being able to stay up late there was something that drew me to want to watch.  It wasn’t the scary part that I liked, it was the thrill that it created.

Webster defines thrill as a shaking; shivering; quivering; excitement.  At that age our family hadn’t yet been introduced to the joy of the Lord.  I didn’t know what a real thrill was until Jesus came into my life.

As I pondered this article, I remembered a true “Chiller Thriller” that I experienced a few years back.  I was new to traveling and my plane landed in Toronto, Canada.  I wondered through the airport looking for the taxi stand, only to find a helpful man who saw tourist written all over me.

He said, “Hey miss, are you looking for a taxi?”  I assured him I was.  He suggested that I follow him.  Blindly I did.

He led me out of the airport and across the street to an underground parkade.  As I entered the parkade I started to have second thoughts and a very uneasy feeling.  Taxi’s aren’t usually underground in parkades.  What if this guy wasn’t a taxi driver?  Where was I blindly following him? I said a quick prayer:

“Lord if this man is not a taxi driver then help me get out of this situation.”

I didn’t even get amen out, when I heard someone call me.  “Hey miss, are you looking for a taxi?  There are no taxi’s in there.”

The man calling was nothing more than a stranger on the street to me, but yet I knew it was the voice of God.  Once safe in my taxi, the thrill of what had just happened overwhelmed me.  Wow!  What an awesome God we serve!  You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!

Stories like mine are not hard to find. As I have shared my story with others, I have heard many just as thrilling. The Bible states that He will give His angels charge over us.  I believe we are to share these testimonies with others.

Revelation 12:11 reminds us that they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.

So as you spend your hot summer days sipping some chiller thrillers from the recipes below, share with others the goodness God has shown you, and find out what He has done for them.

While the beverage may cool you, your shivering will be from the excitement you experience by tasting of the joy of the Lord!

Chiller Thrillers

All chiller thrillers below start with 1 ½ c skim milk and 1 ½ c cubed ice.

Put milk in blender first.  Add ice next.  Top with ¼ cup of your favorite flavored syrup and blend until smooth.  Pour into glasses.  Serve with straws, immediately.

Suggested flavors:

Java Chiller Thriller
(Java ice cream syrup – my favorite!)

For a variation exchange skim milk with cold coffee

Strawberry Chiller Thriller
(Strawberry ice cream syrup)
For a variation, exchange some of the ice cubes with strawberries.

Chocolate Chiller Thriller
(Chocolate ice cream syrup)
For a variation, exchange some of the ice cubes with banana chunks to make a banana split flavor.

Caramel Chiller Thriller
(Caramel ice cream syrup)
For variation exchange skim milk with cream for a richer creamier flavor.

©2009, Bonnie Hooley

The Mamoth Marathon Salad reminds us that although some things take time to prepare there’s a great sense of accomplishment when we see the finished product.

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Phillippians 3:14 KJV)

In our city in the month of June is the annual Manitoba Marathon.  People of all ages attempt to run the 26.2 mile course.  The training for this is rigorous.  Like many marathons held all over the world, people train all year just for this one race.  For many the goals are similar:

1. Accomplish the half marathon – Finish the entire race
2. Beat their best time – Place in the top three.

All who finish the entire course obtain a medal and a T-shirt.  The top 3 male and female finishers each receive plaques and cash awards of up to $1,000.00.

Not being a marathon runner myself, this boggles my mind!  What is the drive behind the work and effort involved?  It is not fame or fortune.  So what is it?

Contrast this to the Christian in the mammoth marathon.  He presses toward the mark of the high calling of Jesus Christ.  Wow!  Isn’t that a motivator?

How many Christians do you see working as diligently and hard as our annual marathon runners?  Yet the prize is MUCH greater.  This boggles my mind!

I had tried for years to make good steak.  Each time the steak was either; too tough, too dry, or too chewy.  So each time I would retreat into frustration.  This year I made it my goal to cook the perfect steak.  To ensure I accomplished this I gave myself a deadline.  I invited friends over for dinner and promised them delicious steak, a promise I intended to keep.

I went to the meat market and researched the best steak to buy and the best method for cooking.  I bought one to try out on my spouse.  Then I bought more to try out on my parents.  The deadline was quickly approaching and I was getting better and better at cooking steak.  I was also eating like a queen.

After 27 years of marriage I have mastered the technique that takes most men with a Bar-B-Que a ½ hour to figure out.  I can cook a good steak.  The best part was not the flavor of the steak, but the sense of accomplishment in completing something that has challenged me for years.

What motivated me was that I was working toward a real deadline.  It had worked often in the past.  If I wanted a clean house I would book a party.  It is amazing how cleaning before guests arrive becomes a priority.

The reverse has also been true.  There are many things I have never got around to doing because there was no real deadline to get them done.

I thought about my marathon runners.  As the deadline for the race draws near, the training increases.  For procrastinators it accelerates.  If the Marathon organizers did not post the date for the race until the day of the race would as many people be ready?  I am certain the skilled runners would be.  I am not as convinced about the amateur.

Are there things in your life that you have never accomplished because of procrastination?  I know there are in mine.

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. (Matthew 25:13 KJV)

Muster the tenacity of a marathon runner and take on some of those goals.

1. Phone that friend you have been putting off and book a lunch date.
2. Start that prayer time you have been longing for.
3. Try that recipe you have been eyeing for months.
4. Read the Bible through in a year.
5. Make the perfect steak.

The key is set a target and get started.  The satisfaction achieved will be better than steak.

Mamoth Multi-Layered Salad

Ingredients:
Salad:

1 medium head of lettuce broken into bite size pieces
1C sliced celery
6 hard boiled eggs, sliced thin and crumbled
10 oz corn (frozen or canned)
½ C chopped green pepper
8 sliced green onions
1 cucumber, sliced and quartered
8 slices bacon crumbled

Dressing:
1C mayonnaise
1C sour cream
2T sugar

Garnish:
9.         1C grated cheddar cheese
10.       4 slices crumbled bacon

Procedure:
Layer first 8 salad ingredients in the order listed.  Combine dressing ingredients and pour over top of salad.  Pour right to the edge of the pan.  Add garnish in order listed.  Seal well with plastic wrap and store in fridge at least 24 hours.

©2009, Bonnie Hooley

Black Forest cake takes a little longer to make than most cakes, but I specifically chose this recipe to remind us to try difficult things.

“Honor thy mother” Exodus 20:12

On mother’s day all children come together and agree it is time to show our mothers honor.  After all it is a commandment of God and none of us would dare disrespect the caretaker God has ordained for our lives.

But what about when Mother’s Day has passed?  Are we really fulfilling the commandment God has given us?

Some would argue that the commandment only applies while we are children.  Not so,  Christ was an example to us while on the cross ensuring that John would take care of his mother.  No time limit.

This is not only a commandment, it is the first commandment with a promise.  “That it may be well with you”  Eph 6:3.

If you really think about this it may be a difficult thing we are being asked to do.  When I informally survey my friends I find a common bond.  Most have mothers that are tolerable at best and few have mothers that would be easy to honor.  I have to ask myself – Is this because our society has encouraged us to marginalize our parents? Or did God know it would be difficult?

Ravi Zacharias, a well known christian apologist, advised that in Hindi when addressing a parent the word for mother or father is said with a reverential implication. The translation would be similar to us saying Father sir, or Mother madam.  Our society doesn’t generally use such terms of respect.

I don’t believe that it is all society’s fault that we don’t honor our mothers.  Truly some have mothers that are difficult to honor.  They have been abusive, neglectful or they haven’t been the parents God called them to be.  Does that let us off the hook?  Can we disregard the commandment because we were dealt a poor hand?  Unfortunately I do not see any scriptural basis to allow this.

I was challenged by TheRebelution.com sponsored by Alex and Brett Harris. These are young Christians leading the charge in a growing movement of Christian young people who are rebelling against the low expectations of their culture by choosing to “do hard things” for the glory of God.

I had to ask myself if honoring your mother is one of those “hard things” that we as adults have neglected. Are we turning a blind eye to a commandment of God because we have less courage than these teens and are unwilling to do the hard thing, honor our mothers?

What does it mean to honor? According to the Greek translation of the word there are a few aspects to the word:

• Give recognition of another’s work
• Respect
• Value Something as precious

Throughout scripture we are reminded of the honor we are to bestow on our heavenly Father.  Proverbs 3:9, Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase.

Honoring our mothers is an act of worship.  According to Ravi Zacharias, all worship to God must include: Emotion, reverence, sacrifice and purity of motive.

“Do hard things.”

If you are blessed with the best mom in the world then your task is easy. While I can honestly say my own mother has not been perfect, I am blessed with a gem that is easier to honor than many others I have met.

If God has given you a bit of a challenge I strongly encourage you to “do hard things”.  Find unique and precious ways to show your mother honor not just on mother’s day but everyday that He gives you breath!  By doing so you will not only be honoring God but as promised, “things will be well with you”!

Rich Black Forest Cake

Bake 350°F                                                                           60 – 70 min.

Ingredients:
1-19oz Deep chocolate cake mix              1-4oz. Package chocolate instant pudding
¾ C water                                                      ½ C oil
1 C sour cream                                             4 eggs
3 oz. Semi-sweet chocolate chips                        1 can cherry pie filling
1 pint whip cream

Procedure:
Beat eggs until thick and foamy.  Add oil gradually.  Add remaining ingredients gradually and one at a time, adding sour cream last.  Mix well.  Pour into well-greased Large pan.  Bake.

Cool completely before cutting into 3 layers.  Spread bottom layer with cherry pie filling before adding second layer and repeating.  Add top layer last and frost with sweetened whip cream.

©2009, Bonnie Hooley

While not your traditional Easter fare, my recipes this month were chosen because of their ingredients.  Fruit Salsa, Veggie Salsa, and Oven Stew are all made with pure ingredients, nothing artificial, wholesome food, nothing from a box, can or jar.

Have you ever noticed when a true chef cooks something the flavor is fit for a King? I used to wonder why until I watched a chef at work.

Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned? Luke 14:34

A friend of mine was cooking in my home. I was amazed at the choices this chef was making in his ingredients until I tasted the outcome.  He used nothing but the freshest and the best. Food used was pure food, not some other substitute. In his broccoli soup he put fresh herbs, not those in a jar, whole cream, not milk, butter, not margarine, fresh vegetables, not frozen and a variety of cheeses.  Needless to say the outcome was more than delicious and the memory of the flavor is still with me.  (Recipe provided in a previous column.)

I watched the professionals make cupcakes on TV the other day.  Even when mass produced they were using fresh ingredients right down to melted chocolate rather than cocoa.

When I cook, I often cut corners.  Sometimes the vegetables are frozen and almost always the herbs and spices are from a jar. If I don’t have butter, margarine always works. The result, a meal that is palatable but not one you would savor. A true chef has too much respect for the food to ever compromise integrity.

I have been reading lately about the Levitical laws.  Over and over we are reminded of how Holy God is, and how nothing but the purest and cleanest can be brought to Him as an offering.  I began to wonder if I have been showing the same respect toward God as I have been my cooking.  Do I offer God the best and the purest or do I slothfully offer the King of Kings and Lord of Lords second best?

Do I spend time in devotions and worship to Him when it is convenient for me, or do I come to Him when I am at my best?

Do I sing to Him with lips I have used to hurt others?

Do I worship Him in song through CD’s I have copied and not even paid for?

When I put my offering in the plate am I offering the least God requires or am I giving sacrificially?

Have I forgotten who He is?  Do I remember that Joshua tells me (24:14) that I must:
“Fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth”

Just as a chef wouldn’t serve his guest anything that was second rate, we should ensure that what we offer our King is of the sweetest aroma.

With the Easter Season upon us we are reminded that God offered the ultimate sacrifice for us–Himself!  A pure and Holy God.

I encourage you to spend the Easter season prayerfully considering what you bring to your Lord.  Ensure that your offering is a sweet aroma fit for a King!

Fresh Salsa

Ingredients:
6 medium tomatoes
1 green pepper
½ C chopped onion
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp salt
1 hot pepper (or 4 canned pickled jalapeno slices)
Procedure:
Cut tomatoes into quarters.  Dice 1 green pepper, 1 hot pepper and ½  white onion.  Mince 2 cloves of garlic. Chop ingredients in a blender until chunky. Add salt.  Bring mixture to a boil and simmer 10 minutes.
Serve with your favorite snack food or use in oven stew.

Oven Stew
Bake 275°F
Aprox. 3 ½ hours

Ingredients:

1 lb. Stewing beef
4 potatoes
4 carrots
1 onion
1 stick celery
1 C beef broth
1 C Salsa
1 C peas (add later)

Procedure:
Cut beef and vegetables into cubes.  Place in a casserole dish with salt and pepper to taste.  Add salsa mixed with beef broth.  Bake at 275°F for 2 ½ hours.  Add 1 cup peas.  Bake an additional hour.  Thicken with cornstarch and water.

Apple Berry Salsa with Chips

Ingredients:
Chips:
2 Flour Tortillas
1 T sugar
½ tsp cinnamon

Salsa:
1 C strawberries
2 med Granny Smith Apples
1 kiwi
2 small oranges
2 T brown sugar
2 T apple jelly (or jam)

Procedure:
Chips:
Heat oven to 475°F.  Brush Tortillas with water.  Cut in wedges and sprinkle with cinnamon mixture. Bake 5 – 7 min.

Salsa:
Chop ingredients in a blender until chunky.  Serve with chips

©2009, Bonnie Hooley

This month I have a delicious recipe for spicy italian meatballs that I’m dying to share with you. It’s the secret recipe of our own editor Darlene Schacht. And since she gave it to me in confidence, let’s keep this post our little secret, shall we?

This recipe freezes well which makes it a great choice if you’re cooking ahead. Getting together with others to do batch cooking can be a form of fellowship and a start in stewardship, which is a topic that’s been on my heart this month along with this verse:

“You were loyal with small things, I will let you care for…greater things.” (Matthew 25:23)

There is a lot of financial uncertainty in our world today.  Many have lost income or are concerned about that probability. Walking through the mall you see store after store closing down.  We are in a recession affecting the entire world.

There are many biblical examples of being wise stewards of God’s provision during difficult times.  Joseph was warned of the great famine which hit not just Egypt, but also its neighbors.  Rather than enjoy the 7 years of plenty, he stored grain for the lean years. 

Tough times in our life can help us recognize whether we are being wise stewards with His provision.

Our food budget is often the largest household expense next to shelter.  It is an area that offers great flexibility in the expense category.  A family of four can feast on $200.00 or $2,000.00 a month – depending on who is in control of the budget.

I remember the “year of the potato.” Our family couldn’t purchase a home because there was never extra money to put away. My parents recognized that a large amount of money was spent on feeding the eight of us, and so they bought a few hundred pounds of potatoes and my mom got imaginative. 

That winter I learned that there were more ways to cook a potato than I could dream of. The following winter I was sleeping in a home that my parents had purchased.

Saving on the food budget isn’t just done inside the kitchen.  Just look around at how much fast food and eating out we do.  While these are definitely blessings to be enjoyed, are they standing in the way of being wise stewards?  Do we remember to count the cost?

“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.  Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.” –Deuteronomy 8:10‑18

The Lord entrusts us with a limited amount of resources which are not intended to be used on ourselves. 

In hard times we are reminded to be good stewards – often out of need.  In good times we may forget to be wise stewards – out of neglect.

The greatest reason most busy moms order-in, instead of cooking is because of time restraints.  Too much to do and never enough time to do it.  A little planning, a little working ahead and a little batch cooking can save a household a lot on its food budget.

Whether times are tough or times are great we are all called to be wise stewards.  If God is allowing you to struggle right now – be the best steward you can and praise Him through the storm.  If God is blessing you abundantly right now – be the best steward you can and start sharing your excess with those around you. 

And speaking of sharing–here’s that “secret” recipe I told you about. Enjoy!

Spicy Italian Meatballs
(Large Batch)

Bake 350°F               25 – 30 min.

Ingredients:
4 lbs. ground beef
4 medium eggs
¼ cup Italian salad dressing
4 small cans tomato past
2 packs dry onion soup
2 cups crushed “Vegetable Thin” crackers

Procedure:
Mix ingredients together and form into meatballs.  Bake on a cookie sheet.  Cooking time depends on size of meatballs.  (Aprox. 25-30 min.)

Freeze meatballs in freezer bags.  Heat in your favorite marinara sauce.  Serve with whole wheat spaghetti or your favorite pasta.

©2009, Bonnie Hooley 

“And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, …” (Thessalonians 3:12 NLT)

There is something inexpressible about “love.”  For centuries love has been a predominant theme in poetry songs and novels.  Movies are rarely without a good love story weaved somewhere in its scenes. It seems that love in its purest forms cuts through spirit and soul. A recent post to my Facebook facebook wall says:

hi anty bonnie well we havint seen eace otherin a while well LOVE YA  

Nothing warms me more during a cold Winnipeg winter than a special note like this. Yet I ask myself, why do the words “LOVE YA” from a sweet niece means so much? As infants we accept love without question. As children we learn its value and try to measure it. Who hasn’t counted the Valentines in their box when received in school?  In adolescence we start to seek that someone special to give an abundance of love to. Once parents we discover a well of love not known before arising from new depths.    What power this “love” holds.It is no wonder Christ boiled down the commandments to two powerful commands:

• Love God with all your heart.
• Love your neightbor as yourself

How the world would change if we could only manage to fulfill these! Why is it that no matter how old we are–when mom makes our favorite meal it tastes better than anything the finest restaurant could serve?Why is it when we bake cookies to bring to a widow on Valentines Day, we feel more blessed than she does?Perhaps the mystery lies in the fact that God IS love. Is it possible that in giving and receiving love we are experiencing a bit of the supernatural? We experience a small portion of what our soul truly longs for–true intimacy with God?I don’t pretend to know the answers to these questions and I doubt I ever will in this life, but this one thing I know for sure.

I will press on toward the high calling of Christ by doing my utmost to follow the commandments.

I will be thankful for those God has put in my life, who love me and I will continue to foster new love to those around me.I will praise God when my husband brings me a warm cup of coffee and I will spend a little more time with my niece.As I have mentioned in previous posts, Valentine’s Day is an excellent time to remember people feeling less loved. It is a great opportunity to share something from your kitchen with others, in face sharing the Java Sticks below is a great way to say “Love Ya!”

Java Sticks
325°F              15 minutes

2c        butter
1c        brown sugar
2tsp     vanilla
4c        flour
2T        espresso coffee grounds.

Cream butter, vanilla and sugar together.  In a separate bowl mix flour with coffee grounds.  Combine all ingredients to make a ball of dough.  Press the dough into a square about ½ – ¾   inch thick.  Cut into sticks approximately 3 inches by 1 inch.Place on cookie sheet and bake at 325°F for about 15 minutes. Once cooled, dip one end of cookie in melted chocolate.  Drizzle a little extra melted chocolate on the rest of the cookie.

©2009, Bonnie Hooley

For more great recipes like this, visit Bonnie’s Kitchen. 

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
–Rev 21:5, KJV 

These are exciting times that we are living in.  Our world around us seems to be changing daily.  The changes seem to affect every area of our lives.  I believe that in these times it is good to reflect on all that God has been doing in our lives.

My family became Christians when I was a young teenager.  We had a lot of growing and learning to do.  My uncle who was a pastor would drive an hour each way every week to hold Bible study in our home.

My mom would always prepare a great snack for the study.  Usually she would serve two to three types of sandwiches, dainties and coffee to a group of 25 – 30 people.  The socializing was as great as the study.

My job was to go to the store and pick up the many loaves of bread and meat.  One day the request from my mom was strange:

1. 1 loaf of bread
2. 1 pound of bologna. 

Aside from the fact that my mom was too proud to serve bologna to guests, even my young mind knew this would not nearly be enough.  It was less than 1/3 the usual order.

What we discovered later was that the Lord was doing something in my mother that day.  She didn’t know why but believed the Spirit had told her this is all she was to serve to her guests.  She was also told to put the rest of the money she would normally spend on the lunch into a paper bag and give it to my uncle for gas.

My mom began making the sandwiches with anxiety.  While being concerned there would never be enough food, the sandwiches kept coming and coming.  When she finished, the platter of food looked no smaller than it had in other weeks.

She said nothing as she passed the bologna around, but she cringed while she waited for the side comments criticizing her choice of meats.  Instead she was surprised at the comments of how delicious the sandwiches were.  Even more surprised and concerned when they kept asking for more and more.  It appeared the group was hungrier than usual.

Because my mom knew what had happened, she witnessed the miracle as it occurred.  The sandwich tray was drawn from the kitchen over and over.  It was served to our house full of guests but the pile of sandwiches never went down.  Besides that, my sister, my dad, and I all had left over sandwiches for lunch the next day.

When the guests were full, my mom shared with them what had just occurred.  Everyone was shocked and amazed.  We had learned that God is the same yesterday today and forever.  He makes all things new, even the multiplying of the loaves.

In her final step of obedience Mom announced that she was to also pass the paper bag around and take up a collection for my uncle’s gasoline.  We never found out how much my uncle received that night but I wondered just the same.  Was God going to perform the same miracle on that paper bag of money that he had on the sandwiches?

You may think my story is full of bologna, but I assure you I witnessed it with my own eyes.  I encourage you to share my testimony and yours while inviting others to your home for the breaking of bread.

This is an unusual article for Bonnie’s Kitchen.  Like my mom I acted out of obedience to the Holy Spirit by sharing this story.  We are told in Revelation that we will overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.  We are in interesting times as the day of the Lord’s return draws even closer.  It is time we start sharing with others what an extraordinary God He is! 

Speaking of extraordinary, I tried a couple great recipes over the holidays that I’d like to share.  Enjoy!

Epicure’s Extraordinary Cheese Dip

8 oz cream cheese, softened 
1/2 cup mayo 
1/2 cup sour cream 
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 rounded tsp “Epicure 3 onion” dip mix 
1 ronded tsp “Epicure lemon dilly” dip mix
1 rounded tsp “Epicure Cheese, Chive, and Bacon” dip mix
1 round loaf of bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together except bread. Cut top off round loaf of bread. Cut out bread from inside the loaf, leaving 1″ thick walls and bottom. Spoon dip into bread bowl. Replace top on bread bowl. Loosely wrap bread with tin foil and bake in oven for 20-30 minutes. Bread removed from inside loaf and the baked top can be served with bread bowl and dip.

Visit Epicure online at: epircueselections.com

Bubble-Up Pizza

1/3 cup choped green pepper
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/3 cup pitted ripe olives, drained and sliced
1 3/4 cups pasta sauce
1 clove garlic pressed
8 oz mozzarella cheese, grated (2 cups)
2 pkg (340g each) refrigerated country biscuits

1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. Chop pepper and onion. Slice mushrooms and olives.  Combine vegetables and pasta sauce. Press garlic into bowl mix well.
3. Grate mozzarella cheese.
4. Cut each biscuit into quarters. Evenly arrange half of the biscuit pieces over bottom of pan. (bottom of pan should not be completely covered). Spread with half the sauce mixture. Sprinkle with half the cheese; repeat layers.
5. Bake 25-28 minutes or until golden brown and firm to touch. Cut into 8 pieces; serve.

Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

(2 Thessalonians 2:15 KJV)

“Holiday traditions” is a statement that is echoed at this time of year. Just hearing these words drums up warm memories in most of our hearts.

Traditions are powerful and are created when we repeat actions or behaviors. Through tradition we pass down beliefs, customs and practices from generation to generation. What we inherited through tradition may last many years to come. What we start as tradition may also continue.

The celebration of Christmas is a long honored tradition among Christians and non-Christians. Some of our strongest Christmas traditions are practiced in the kitchen. You don’t have to listen too long to hear “Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without …” (For me it is mom’s stuffing!)

Because our food traditions can be so powerful, Bonnie’s Kitchen is challenging you this Christmas season to examine the traditions you hold dear. Do they honor Christ or have they, as Mark warns, made the word of God of no effect (7:13)?

If your traditions are not bringing Glory to God – you have two options.

• Scrap them and start new ones.
• Turn the tradition into something that honors God.

Like many, a secular friend of mine traditionally celebrated Thanksgiving with a huge feast while surrounded by family. One year he looked around and noticed that there were many in his circle of acquaintances that didn’t have family to celebrate with. He changed his tradition that year by celebrating Thanksgiving with the “orphans.” Now he watches throughout the year for people who might be alone and gathers them together in his home for a giant Thanksgiving celebration. He tells me Thanksgiving is a blast!

I was touched by his act of kindness. If the world can show such love on a secular holiday – how much more can I offer when I have God’s love in me?

What traditions are you modeling for the eyes that watch you?

• A frantic shopper spending hours looking for the right gift to give?
• Or a peaceful servant giving time to during the holidays?
• Are you baking up a storm to keep the traditional family recipes alive?
• Or are you sharing your cooking and baking with others?

There are two great commandments:

• Love God above all others.
• Love your neighbor as yourself.

If your time honored traditions are accomplishing one of these two – you are on track and pleasing your Lord. If your traditions are not…It is time for you to create new traditions.

Traditions hold power, therefore we must closely examine the Holiday traditions we create and follow.
I wish you and yours a Blessed Holiday Season!

Mom’s Stuffing

Bake 350°F 30 – 40 min.

Ingredients:
1 lb. Pork sausage
Breadcrumbs from one loaf of bread
1 Onion (diced)
1 pinch of ginger
1 T sage
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 diced Celery stalk
1 c turkey broth or water

Procedure:
Mix ingredients together and press into baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 30 – 40 min. (Stuffing can either be baked separately or stuffed into a turkey or chicken.)
Portzelky (New Year’s Cookies)

Ingredients
1 Package instant yeast (2T)
½ c. milk
½ c. water
3 c flour
2T Baking Powder
½ tsp salt
1 T & 1 tsp sugar
3 eggs
½ lb raisons
½ lb prunes (cut small)
Oil for frying

Procedure
Combine milk and water. Warm to a lukewarm temperature. Separate eggs. Add egg yolks to warm liquid. Combine yeast, flour, baking powder salt and sugar. Mix with egg mixture. Stir in raisons and prunes. Beat egg whites and fold into batter. Let rise until double the size.

Heat oil in pot or deep fryer to 350°F. Drop by spoonful into heated oil. Fry until insides are cooked and outsides are brown. (Cookie will usually flip in oil when one side is done.)

For that is what God is like. He is our God
forever and ever, and he will guide us until we die.
—Psalm 48:14 NLT

I was recently asked to bring a broccoli cauliflower casserole to a home potluck that was to be held out at the lake.  Rather than say, “I have no idea what that is”, I responded, “sure!”  After all, I write for Bonnie’s Kitchen at CWO – if I can’t try new recipes once in a while how can I expect my readers to?

There are usually a couple of rules I apply when trying out new recipes:

1. Don’t try them out on guests.  Tackle them at home first where the crowd is a little more forgiving.
2. Don’t try them in an unfamiliar kitchen.  Try them out first where your normal cooking has been tried and true.

With this casserole I was breaking all the rules. I pulled a recipe off the internet and in my usual style tweaked it a little before even trying the original recipe.  Although I had not tried it in my own kitchen first, it looked foolproof so I decided it would be perfect for the potluck.

When I got to the lake the oven was broken! Without grocery stores readily available I had to alter my plans to adjust my casserole to be a stovetop recipe. I will admit my stress level was raised a bit.

Uncertainty always causes a little stress. Look at the market conditions lately. No one can predict what will happen over the next few weeks, never mind the next few years.  For many, stress levels are increasing with each news broadcast.

When there is uncertainty I am comforted in knowing that there are some very basic things I can count on lasting forever.

• My God is the same yesterday today and forever.
• Seasons may change, the world may change but the Word of the Lord will last forever.
• No matter who becomes ruler of our country, my God will reign forever and ever.
• No matter where I have to live today, I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
• I may never get invited back to a potluck at Dorothy’s but nothing can separate me from the love of God!

Dorothy’s Yams

Base:
6c Yams (cooked & mashed)
½ sugar
½ tsp salt
½ c milk
2 eggs beaten
¼ c melted margarine
1 ½ tsp vanilla

Topping:
½ c brown sugar
1/3 c butter
½ c flour
1 c chopped pecans
1 ½ c coconut

Combine yams, sugar, salt, milk, eggs, margarine and vanilla.  Pour into a 1 ½ quart casserole dish.  Combine remaining ingredients and spread on top of yams.
Bake at 325 F for 35 min.

********

Bonnie’s Broccoli Cauliflower & Cheese Casserole

1 lb chopped broccoli
1 lb  chopped cauliflower
1 10 3/4 oz. can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1  diced medium onion
3/4 lb. grated medium Cheddar cheese
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Topping:
Bacon bits
¼ lb grated medium cheese

Combine all ingredients except topping into a large casserole dish.  Mix well. Cover with and bake at 350°F for 50 minutes.

Remove cover and sprinkle bacon bits and cheese on top of casserole.
Bake, uncovered, for an additional10 minutes.  Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

To adapt this recipe for a stove top:
Simmer ingredients on low for approximately 50 min.  Stir occasionally.  Add topping and serve.

“…Let us go up at once, and possess it;
for we are well able to overcome it.”
—Numbers 13:30, KJV

I have been giving some thought to the modern woman.  When my mom got married the expectation for a woman that was working was to quit her job and look after her home. An employer was shocked if she wanted to continue working. With the advent of modern technology and household appliances the employer today would be shocked by the woman who wanted to stay home and look after her spouse.

By the time I married the bar had been raised. A woman had options.  She could be a homemaker and devote her life to raising children or she could get a career as a professional.  The woman who tried both was frowned upon by society for not devoting herself wholly to her profession of choice.

The world is different for the modern woman.  Society expects her to be a homemaker AND work, even if she is single.  For many there is no option of being the stay at home mom, either out of deference to her spouse or for financial reasons.

I have great admiration for the efforts of today’s woman.  She is expected to be the Proverbs 31 woman day in and day out.  I hear the exhaustion of these women daily.

I have two important messages for this modern woman.

First, you are not alone. Jesus promises that He will never leave us or forsake. He has left us the gift of his Holy Spirit to be our comfort and guide. He is our ever present friend in time of trouble. Those that wait upon Him will renew their strength. He is the same God yesterday today and forever.  He knew this time in history would come and has prepared a way for you that you may be able to endure it. We will not only endure but have been made more than conquerors!

My second piece of advice is Lemonade Ice Cream cake, which is as delicious as it sounds!  It’s quick to make and serve and can be savored in the two minutes you get to yourself in a day.  Remember to take a few minutes each day to recharge your batteries.  After you have spent time with God in reading and prayer, spend time with you.

Pour a cup of hot tea and enjoy a slice of Lemonade Ice Cream Cake.  Reward yourself for being all that God has called you to be.  Enjoy your calm in the chaos as you savor the succulence of each mouthful.

Lemonade Ice Cream Cake

Graham Cracker Crust
1 1/4 c Graham cracker crumbs
1 T Sugar
3 T melted margarine or butter

Cake
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
1 cup frozen whipped topping
6 oz Frozen lemonade concentrate

Instructions:

Crust
Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and margarine.
Line bottom and sides of pie pan with mixture.

Cake
Let ice cream and whipped topping melt slightly.  Blend ice cream, ¾ cup whipped topping and lemonade concentrate together.

Spread in pan. Top with remaining whipped topping. Freeze minimum 4 hours.

For a healthier version of this recipe make it with low fat ingredients.