Recipe: Spicy Sweet Potato and Chipotle Soup

Here's the new recipe I'll be serving this year:

1 large onion, sliced into rings

3 cloves garlic

salt and pepper

1 T ground cumin

5 cups chicken broth

4 large sweet potatoes, diced

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, diced

(add 1 t. adobo sauce for spicier soup)

1 cup half and half

Sweat onions in 2 T olive oil, about 6 minutes.  Don't brown.  Add garlic and cumin and cook another 2 minutes.  Add broth, diced sweet potatoes, chipotle and sauce.  Simmer for about 20 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft but not mushy.

Turn off heat, strain the broth and transfer solids to food processor and process until smooth.  Add a couple of ladles of broth if needed.  Reserve remaining broth.  Return sweet potatoes to pan and add just enough broth to make a thick soup.  Then add the half and half and heat gently.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and top with chives.

(I got a bit carried away with the adobo sauce and our soup has quite a bit of heat.  One teaspoon would probably have been enough.  I added a heaping tablespoon which is definitely too much.  This is a very fragrant soup and even with the extra heat, it is very flavorful!  I'll try to post a photo later if I remember to take one before serving.)

Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamation 2009

Obama's Thanksgiving proclamation

By The Associated Press (AP) – 13 hours ago

President Barack Obama's Thanksgiving Day proclamation, as released by the White House:

What began as a harvest celebration between European settlers and indigenous communities nearly four centuries ago has become our cherished tradition of Thanksgiving. This day's roots are intertwined with those of our nation, and its history traces the American narrative.

Today, we recall President George Washington, who proclaimed our first national day of public thanksgiving to be observed "by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God," and President Abraham Lincoln, who established our annual Thanksgiving Day to help mend a fractured nation in the midst of civil war. We also recognize the contributions of Native Americans, who helped the early colonists survive their first harsh winter and continue to strengthen our nation. From our earliest days of independence, and in times of tragedy and triumph, Americans have come together to celebrate Thanksgiving.

As Americans, we hail from every part of the world. While we observe traditions from every culture, Thanksgiving Day is a unique national tradition we all share. Its spirit binds us together as one people, each of us thankful for our common blessings.

As we gather once again among loved ones, let us also reach out to our neighbors and fellow citizens in need of a helping hand. This is a time for us to renew our bonds with one another, and we can fulfill that commitment by serving our communities and our nation throughout the year. In doing so, we pay tribute to our country's men and women in uniform who set an example of service that inspires us all. Let us be guided by the legacy of those who have fought for the freedoms for which we give thanks, and be worthy heirs to the noble tradition of goodwill shown on this day.

Now, therefore, I, Barack Obama, president of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all the people of the United States to come together, whether in our homes, places of worship, community centers, or any place where family, friends and neighbors may gather, with gratitude for all we have received in the past year, to express appreciation to those whose lives enrich our own and to share our bounty with others.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of November, in the year of our Lord 2009, and of the independence of the United States of America the 234th (year).

_ Barack Obama

Apparently, we're supposed to thank each other this year. . .

4:45 on Thanksgiving Morning

I got up to put the turkey in the oven and looked out the window on my way downstairs to haul the 'big boy' up from the fridge.

IT SNOWED!

Our first snow of the season!  The ground is covered and the street looks slushy and slippery.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year and the day of the first snow of the winter is one of my favorites, too!  I don't ever remember those two events arriving on the same day before.  We've had plenty of snowy Thanksgivings--one was so snowy that Tom couldn't make it home from college--but I honestly can't remember the first snow on Thanksgiving.

Such a small thing, but it made me smile.  I'm thankful for the little, silly things that give us pleasure; that make a special day even more special.

The rest of the family is asleep.  They don't know.  It's our secrect, we Moms, who got up early to wrangle a turkey, divest it of its innards, and tuck it in the oven.

Giving Thanks in November

I'm happy that my cooking is done for the day and I can relax now.  We're opening a jar of store bought spaghetti sauce for dinner tonight--maybe we'll even eat our spaghetti on paper plates!

I'm thankful for the energy to work all day, for the row of freshly baked pies, for the refrigerator full of casseroles waiting to be popped into the oven tomorrow, for the plenteous feast that we will share--all through God's gracious provision for us!

I'm really looking forward to seeing Elliott sitting in his high chair enjoying his first real Thanksgiving dinner!  Next year, he'll be in a booster seat and his 9 month old sister will be the one sitting in the high chair!  Our family is growing and that has been the greatest blessing of all this year!  Being a grandparent is the best!

I'm going to go open that jar now and soon we'll be sitting down for dinner.   Not a feast, to be sure, but I'll be thankful!

Pre-Thanksgiving baking/cooking day

I love this day!  A whole day of cooking and baking.  A messy kitchen and good smells, last minute trips to the store, and anticipation of doing it all again tomorrow.

Already finished yesterday:

Small turkey roasted and sliced for sandwiches

Cranberry sauce

On the docket today:

2 pumpkin pies

1 pecan pie

Sage and Onion Dressing--done

Scalloped Cabbage

Spicy Sweet Potato Soup with Chipotle in Adobo Sauce  (this is a new recipe; I'll post it if it tastes as good as it smells!)

To do Tomorrow:

the BIG turkey

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Candied Sweet Potatoes

I think that about covers it!  What are YOU fixing for Thanksgiving Dinner?

Dictionary Word of the Day:

Brobdingnagian
\brob-ding-NAG-ee-uhn\ , adjective;
1.
Of extraordinary size; gigantic; enormous.

Origin:

Brobdingnagian is from Brobdingnag, a country of giants in Swift's Gulliver's Travels.

Seems like a good word to describe our national debt, don't you think?

A split second snippet in time.  Check out the link.  It'll shock you.

Giving Thanks in November

I am thankful to be an American.  I am so grateful for the privilege it is to have been born in a free country, with freedoms that are guaranteed by a Constitution and Bill of Rights.  I'm thankful to live in a country in which the free market economy allows every citizen the opportunity to work hard and make a better life.

And yet, I see all the blessings of being an American under attack daily.  Our freedoms are eroding in front of our eyes, our Constitution is being ignored, our free market is being strangled, and our children and grandchildren will not have the same opportunities to make a better life for themselves and their children.

As I think of how fast America is changing and how much work and vigilence is required to fight back against the current trends, I am tempted to despair.  But the good news is, my true citizenship is in heaven and heaven cannot be shaken. Unlike our Constitution and our government, which is only as good as the people who serve in Washington and the people who vote them in, the present and future realities of the heavenly realm are guaranteed by Christ Himself, who is the same yesterday, today and forever.

The more things change, the more HE stays the same, and for that I am eternally grateful.

What are you thankful for today?  Rebecca is faithfully collecting our thankful posts each day.  It's not too late to join in--just send her your link!

Giving Thanks in November

It's the week of Thanksgiving!  It's a busy time but it's fun! I really look forward to this week!  I woke up this morning, excited that this week has come and Thanksgiving is on Thursday and before you know it, we'll all be sitting around the table again, together, giving thanks to God.

A year ago, it was the week before Thanksgiving and I was preparing to do what I do every year--plan the menu, (even though it rarely changes) make grocery lists, clean house and cook and count silverware and plan serving dishes and find the powerstrips so I can plug in the crockpots and warming trays--whew!  You know the routine.  But last year the routine came to a grinding halt.  Because Jake's defibrillator fired when he was at work.  Praise God, his defibrillator fired because it saved his life!  Thank event will always be fused in my mind to Thanksgiving week and for that I am grateful.  I don't know about you, but when I am busy preparing our Thanksgiving feast, I count my blessings and having Jake here with us is at the top of the list!

We know that God has intervened in Jake's life repeatedly, preserving his life through all sorts of 'just in the nick of time' medical procedures.  The events are clear in our minds and can never be forgotten.

And yet, I know that there have been many, many potential emergencies and heartaches of which we are so totally unaware, that God, in His infinite mercy has spared us from having to experience.  I thank Him today, yes,  for the miracles but also for His daily mercies, His constant care, His providential and perfect will in my life and that of my family.  I thank Him that He ever lives to make intercession for me!  I'm so thankful that He has given me the gift of faith!

Giving Thanks in November

I, like my friend and fellow church-member, Dorothy, am so thankful for the plain, exegetical preaching of the Word of God this morning, followed by the celebration of the Lord's Supper. The sermon was based on Genesis 15 which chronicles the institution of the Abrahamic Covenant. I was so deeply moved when we got to verse 17: When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. Images of Christ, our Great High Priest, Who both offered the perfect, once for all sacrifice and WAS Himself the perfect, once for all sacrifice for sin swirled together in my mind with what we have been learning in our Hebrews study as well as anticipation of the wine and bread, signifying the body and the blood of Christ--the promised fulfilment of God's covenant with Abram.

Abram believed and God counted it to him as righteousness. We believe in the Person and the Work of Christ by faith and it's counted to us as righteousness!

“Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

What an amazing thing it is to be reckoned as one of that number--an offspring of Abraham!

Sunday Hymn: From Out the Depths I Cry

From Psalm 130

From out the depths I cry, O Lord, to thee;
Lord, hear my call.
I love thee, Lord, for thou dost heed my plea,
Forgiving all.
If thou dost mark our sins, who then shall stand?
But grace and mercy dwell at thy right hand.

I wait for God, the Lord, and on his Word
My hope relies;
My soul still waits and looks unto the Lord
Till light arise.
I look for him to drive away my night,
Yea, more than watchmen look for morning light.

Hope in the Lord, ye waiting saints, and he
Will well provide;
For mercy and redemption full and free
With him abide.
From sin and evil, mighty though they seem,
His arm almighty will his saints redeem.

 Trinity Hymnal #463

It's just a shame. . .

. . .that Grandma can't reach into the picture and give the boy a hug.

This Grandma doesn't like to see the boy cry. . .(but isn't he cute?)

Quote of the Week: Beecher

It is not work that kills men, it is worry. Work is healthy; you can hardly put more on a man than he can bear. But worry is rust upon the blade. It is not movement that destroys the machinery, but friction."

Henry Ward Beecher

Giving Thanks in November

I'm thankful for a quiet dinner out with my husband.

On her throne

Maybe we should have named her 'Queenie.'

Giving Thanks in November

I'm thankful it's Friday!

Tom comes home earlier on Fridays and we relax and enjoy a glass of wine before dinner.  I look forward to Friday evenings.  We rarely ever go out on Fridays--we just stay home and take it easy!

Saturdays are busy, busy, busy; full of activities and chores and shopping and errands and that's fun, too, but Fridays are the best!

Giving Thanks in November

I'm grateful for a new, awesome resource I just read about at Nathan Bingham's blog:  Covenant Radio, soon to become 24/7 streaming Reformed radio! 

Starting 11/30/09, Lord willing, we will have a full 24 hour programming set each day, including rebroadcasts of Covenant Radio programs, more teaching and exposition, music and more.

Wow!  Look at the schedule that's lined up fo for the week of November 23rd:

6-8 AM: Bible Reading and Music
8-9 AM: Old Testament Study: The Book of Genesis by Dr. Joel Beeke
9-11 AM: Music
11-12 Noon: Systematic Theology Lectures: Reformed Theology 101 by Greg Cumbee
12-1 PM: Music
1-2 PM: New Testament Study: Book of Romans by Dr. Alan Cairns
2-3 PM: Music
3-4 PM: Church History Lectures: History of the Reformation by Dr. Joe Morecraft
4-5 PM: Music

I am so thankful for all the great resources online!  We are rich!

Thanks, Rebecca for collecting all our thankful posts in one place!

31 years ago today

I married the man of my dreams.  We were married in the evening in a candlelight service and I remember how the day dragged.  I thought that the time for our wedding would never come! We were both so excited and anxious to start our new life together!

Fast forward thirty-one years.  Our days are full--our boys, our grandson, our home, our lives together and still the days seem to drag between about 4 and 5:30 as I anticipate Tom coming home from work.  Sometimes it seems as though 5:30 will never come!  Because I still love him--even more than I did when we got married--and I still look forward to being with him every day.

Happy 31st Anniversary, Tom!  I love you!

Giving Thanks in November/Dictionary Word of the Day

exegesis
\ek-suh-JEE-sis\ , noun;

1.Exposition; explanation; especially, a critical explanation of a text.

I need only read my daily Dictionary Word of the Day to find something for which to be thankful this morning.

As many of you know, I am in the third year of leading a Bible Study in the book of Hebrews.  Three years and still not finished?? you may be thinking.  Yes, that's a long time but it's a complex book and its subject matter illumines both the Old and the New Testaments and develops a detailed picture of the Person and the Work of Christ--in other words, there's a lot there!!

This is not the first time I've studied Hebrews by any means.  I had a very good working understanding of the content and the author's purpose before we began this study, but the difference this time is the addition of the use of commentaries and the benefit we have all gained by the exegetical skills of some remarkable men of God.

Each week, I begin my preparation with my own inductive study of the text, using a Bible study method that I've cobbled together from many different sources and techniques over the years.  (Someday I'll sit down and write a post about how I go about it.)  Then I go to the commentaries--Calvin, Aquinas, Owen, Richard Phillips, Matthew Henry and sometimes Gill, and Stedman.  THAT's where the 'real' exegesis comes in!  No matter how carefully and diligently I have done my own study, I am always amazed at how much more there is to learn from the text!  Each one of those men bring their God-given gifts and their education and knowledge to their work and I, a middle aged woman in Chicagoland living today in America, receive the benefit of all that!

When my friends Carol and Dorothy and I get together to discuss what we've learned in our week's study, we all benefit from each other's preparation.  Dorothy reads John Brown and Carol reads Matthew Poole and another 'dead theologian' whose name I can never remember (Geoffrey Something. . .)

Pooling it all together makes for a lively discussion.  Our commentators don't always agree, so that makes it interesting and even when they do, they often come to the same conclusion through different means.

Exegesis.  It's a good thing.

Pop on over to Rebecca Writes and see what other bloggers are thankful for!

Pop over to Rebecca Writes and see what other bloggers are thankful for

Giving Thanks in November

Today is an Elliott day.  His babysitter's son is sick so he's staying with Grandma all day!  We're having a great time together--we've been chasing around the dining room table.  Elliott never tires of the chase.  Grandma, however, DOES get tired of the chase so every once in a while we stop and read books and look at (and name!) all the pictures on the shelves and all the magnets on the refrigerator.  We find all the bunnies in Grandma's house (he knows where they all are!).  And before you know it, there he is again, running around the dining room table, laughing and squealing and inviting me to the chase!

This morning, he added a new part to the chase; he has to say hi to a picture that was taken of me when I was around four years old.  He is quite attached to that picture today.  He points and smiles and flirts with it.

I'm so thankful for the opportunity to spend some time with my grandson today.  I had some other things planned but I'm not worried; it'll all get done.  For now I'm playing with Elliott. . .

Update on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 11:46AM by Kim from Hiraeth

Here's another new fascination for Elliott today.  He discovered his reflection in a teapot and he's been walking toward it, then walking backwards away from it watching his reflection get bigger and bigger and then smaller and smaller.  He keeps walking away then going back again as if to see if the teapot will still perform its magic!

Giving Thanks in November

I have 4 loaves of Italian bread cooling on the kitchen counter.  It's been a while since I've baked bread, but the weather is cool now, the house is buttoned up for winter and it seemed like the right time to start baking bread again.

I'm thankful that my new sourdough starter is working and that I had JUST enough flour to get the loaves kneaded and shaped.

Most of all, I'm thankful for my friend, Heidi, who coached me along last year when I first started playing around with sourdough after many sourdough-less years.  Take a look at the beautiful loaves she makes!  She's a true bread baking pro!

Want to see what others are thankful for?  Rebecca is collecting all our thankful posts in one place.  If you're writing thankful posts, be sure to let Rebecca know!