Sunday Hymn: Sing, My Tongue, How Glorious Battle

Sing, my tongue, how glorious battle
Glorious victory became;
And above the cross, his trophy,
Tell the triumph and the fame:
Tell how he, the earth's Redeemer,
By his death for man o'ercame.

Thirty years fulfilled among us—
Perfect life in low estate—
Born for this, and self-surrendered,
To his passion dedicate,
On the cross the Lamb is lifted,
For his people immolate.

Unto God be laud and honor:
To the Father, to the Son,
To the mighty Spirit, glory—
Ever three and ever One:
Power and glory in the highest
While eternal ages run.

Trinity Hymnal, #194

Quote of the Week: A.W. Pink

It has been well said that true worship is based upon recognized greatness, and greatness is superlatively seen in Sovereignty, and at no other footstool will men really worship.

--A. W. Pink

Out like a lamb

Forecast for today:  73 degrees

Forecast for tomorrow: 75-80 degrees

Ah, spring!

Elliott and Madelyn, Momma and Daddy

Elliott discovered that I moved the globe into the sun room from my office.  He likes to spin my chair and the globe at the same time.  Silly boy.

Can I still play with it, Ga?

Spin and run!

Elliott and Daddy

Sleepy Madelyn; six weeks old

Madelyn crying.

Why are babies so cute when they are crying?

Sunday Hymn: Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted

STRICKEN, SMITTEN, AND AFFLICTED

Stricken, smitten, and afflicted,
See him dying on the tree!
'Tis the Christ by man rejected;
Yes, my soul, 'tis he, 'tis he.
'Tis the long-expected Prophet,
David's Son, yet David's Lord;
By his Son God now has spoken:
'Tis the true and faithful Word.

Tell me, ye who hear him groaning,
Was there ever grief like his?
Friends through fear his cause disowning,
Foes insulting his distress;
Many hands were raised to wound him,
None would interpose to save;
But the deepest stroke that pierced him
Was the stroke that Justice gave.

Ye who think of sin but lightly
Nor suppose the evil great
Here may view its nature rightly,
Here its guilt may estimate.
Mark the Sacrifice appointed,
See who bears the awful load;
'Tis the Word, the Lord's Anointed,
Son of Man and Son of God.

Here we have a firm foundation,
Here the refuge of the lost;
Christ's the Rock of our salvation,
His the name of which we boast.
Lamb of God, for sinners wounded,
Sacrifice to cancel guilt!
None shall ever be confounded
Who on him their hope have built.

Trinity Hymnal #192

Three Years Ago

How can it be three years since George died?  I still think of him.  I still miss him.

He was a good cat.

"Cats come and go without ever leaving." - Martha Curtis

Thankful Thursday 2010

I'm thankful for a whole, unscheduled day all to myself to work at my drawing board.  I got a lot done! 

I'm especially thankful for the wonderful, glorious things I learned this week in Bible study.  How wonderful it is to have one's eyes opened to familiar passages in a new light!  I am so blessed to have settled on Richard Philip's Commentary on Hebrews as my primary resource for this study.  I heartily recommend it!

I'm joining my friend, Kim from the Upward Call,  and others in giving thanks each Thursday in 2010.  Won't you join us?

Signs of Spring

Isn't it pleasant to wake to the sound of birdsong again?  I love seeing the daffodils and tulips emerging.  I can't wait until my herbs are big enough to start harvesting again, but I think my favorite sign of spring is birdsong.

What is yours?

An early morning chuckle

Being a bit of a non-conformist myself, I laughed when I came across this quote this morning:

If there is anything the nonconformist hates worse than a conformist, it's another nonconformist who doesn't conform to the prevailing standard of nonconformity.
  - Bill Vaughan

I'm off to four days in Ohio with our families!  We haven't been back home since the fall and  I haven't seen my brother in Idon'tknowhowlong, so I can't wait!  Four days of my mom's cooking and seeing our families is just what I need right now!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Thankful Thursday 2010

"To the Praise of His Glory"

I'm thankful for the ineffable truths of this passage of scripture:

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

I'm joining my friend, Kim from the Upward Call,  and others in giving thanks each Thursday in 2010.  Won't you join us?

Chicken and Leek Pie

Since I had so many of the Hand Pies prepared, I decided to serve them for dinner when John, Beth, and the kids come tonight and make the Irish Chicken and Leek Pie for lunch instead.

This was one of the most delicious unsuccessful recipes I have ever made.  Basically, it is chicken, ham, leeks, onion (which I left out) and chicken stock in a casserole dish topped with pie crust with a 1/2 cup of warm heavy cream poured in before serving.  I wondered when I was putting it together how it would work.  It seemed to me that it would be so soupy without any kind of thickener added, but I hoped that adding the cream would work some kind of magic.

It didn't:

It was a soupy mess, but oh! so delicious.  The flavor profile was amazing.  So this recipe goes into my "change it up until it works" category.  Next time, I think I'll make a chickeny beschamel sauce or add a thickener like corn starch or flour to the broth, or even toss the meat in a tablespoon or so of flour before layering with the vegetables.  I think I'll add some fresh asparagus tips, too.  It's definitely worth playing around with. 

Update on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 01:31PM by Kim from Hiraeth

Word to the wise:  I just went back and read the comments on that recipe and nearly every one said that it was too runny. Could've saved myself some problems if I'd have just read the reviews.

Recipe: Irish Beef, Potato, and Cabbage Hand Pies

Ingredients:

1 pound beef sirloin, cubed for stew

1/4 head green cabbage, shredded

1/2 pound red potatoes

1 T worchestershire sauce

3 T tomato paste

1/2 t. dried thyme

1 cup beef broth

Push beef sirloin cubes through meat grinder using the coarsest setting.  (If you don't have a meat grinder, ask your butcher to do it for you).  Brown in heavy skillet, season with salt and pepper.  Drain and set aside.

Scrub potatoes and cook in microwave.  Dice while still hot (leave skins on) and brown in a little olive oil.

Shred cabbage and sautee in a little olive oil in a large skillet until just beginning to brown. 

Add browned meat and potatoes to shredded cabbage and mix thoroughly.  Add broth, thyme, tomato paste, and worchestershire sauce and heat through.  Set aside to cool thoroughly while you prepare your pie crust.

Pie Crust

2 2/3 cup all purpose flour

1 t. salt

1 cup shortening

1/3 cup ice water

Cut shortening into flour and salt until it is the texture of coarse meal. Sprinkle ice water a little at a time and mix until it begins to clump together.  Turn onto the counter and bring it together to form a round disc.  Do not overwork the dough.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 1 hour or more.

Roll dough into two 14 inch squares.  Cut each into 4 equal squares.  Place about 1/2 cup filling on one half of each square, leaving room around the edge for crimping.  Press down lightly.  Fold dough over and crimp edges with fork.  Cut three small vents in pies.

If baking immediately:   Bake on silpat or foil lined baking sheets.  400 degrees for 10-12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking.

If freezing:  Freeze on baking sheets.  Wrap in foil and place in freezer bags.  Can be frozen up to 2 months. (I'm freezing mine and baking them from frozen to save time)

When ready to bake, remove from freezer and take off foil.  Bake at 400 degrees for 28- 30 minutes.

I had quite a bit of filling left over so I thawed a frozen pie crust and made a big, half-moon pie for another day.  Won't it be nice to pull that out of the freezer some busy day?

I'll share a picture when they come out of the oven tomorrow!

Quote of the Week: B. B. Warfield

The chief dangers to Christianity do not come from the anti-Christian systems. Mohammedanism has never made inroads upon Christendom save by the sword. Nobody fears that Christianity will be swallowed up by Buddhism. It is corrupt forms of Christianity itself which menace from time to time the life of Christianity. Why make much of minor points of difference among those who serve the one Christ? Because a pure gospel is worth preserving; and is not only worth preserving, but is logically (and logic will always work itself ultimately out into history) the only saving gospel. Those who overlay the gospel with man-made additions, no less than those who subtract from it God-given elements, are not preaching “the gospel” in another form, but are offering a different kind of gospel, which is essentially no gospel at all. They are troublers of Israel, who are perverting the gospel of Christ. 

B. B. Warfield,  The Dogmatic Spirit

Sunday Hymn: All Hail the Power

ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS' NAME

All hail the power of Jesus' Name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown him Lord of all.

Crown him, ye martyrs of your God
Who from his altar call;
Extol the Stem of Jesse's rod,
And crown him Lord of all.

Ye seed of Israel's chosen race,
Ye ransomed of the fall,
Hail him who saves you by his grace,
And crown him Lord of all.

Sinners, whose love can ne'er forget
The wormwood and the gall,
Go spread your trophies at his feet,
And crown him Lord of all.

Let ev'ry kindred, ev'ry tribe,
On this terrestrial ball,
To him all majesty ascribe,
And crown him Lord of all.

O that with yonder sacred throng
We at his feet may fall;
We'll join the everlasting song,
And crown him Lord of all.

Trinity Hymnal #218

Corned Beef Recipes

Corned Beef Hash

Sautee 1/2 yellow onion in 1/2 stick butter until just starting to caramelize. Add 1 small clove minced garlic.  Sautee another minute or so.  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over mixture and cook over medium heat about 2 or 3 minutes.  Add 1 tablespoon beet horseradish, 1/2 tsp. worchestershire sauce and about 2/3 cup beef broth.  Thicken over medium heat.  Add 1/2-1 cup diced corned beef and 1 baked potato, skinned and chopped fine.  (I do my potato in the microwave and let it sit while I prepare the rest--it'll be cool enough to handle one the rest is ready.)  Stir together and bring heat up to high. Cook until most of the moisture is gone and the hash browns on the bottom.  Turn in 2 or 3 sections and slip a little butter underneath and brown the other side.  Serve with a fried or poached egg on top and Irish soda bread, toasted, on the side.

Corned Beef Finger Sandwiches

Our family is hosting our church's Prayer meeting on Saint Patrick's Day.  I'm going to be serving these Corned Beef Finger Sandwiches, adapted from a recipe at A Taste of Home.

8 oz. Philly Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 c. Hellman's Mayonnaise made with Canola Oil (no cholesterol!)

2 T Dijon mustard

3 oz. corned beef, coarsely shredded in food processor

1 green onion,minced, including about 1 inch of green

3/4 t dill weed (if desired)

In large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, mayonnaise, and mustard until smooth.  Stir in the corned beef, onion and dill.  Add 1/4 tsp. salt if needed.  Spread on slice of Beefsteak Hearty Rye bread and top with  second slice of bread.  Remove crusts and cut into finger shaped sandwiches.

Pictures on Wednesday.

Is ANYBODY comfortable with this?

The Slaughter rule:  has it really come down to governing by fiat?

U.S Constitution, Article I, Section VII, Clause II.

Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by Yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively…

Barm Brack

 I'm beginning my Saint Patrick's Day preparations today by making my Barm Brack, or Speckled Bread.  You've got plenty of time to get yours started, too!

 Barm Brack

Ingredients:

2 cups (1 pound) flour

3/4 c. sugar

1 lb.  dried fruit

8 oz. raisins and currants

4 oz. mixed dried berries

4 oz. dates

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 tsp all spice/mixed spice

Pot of hot Twinings Irish Breakfast tea

Soak fruit for several hours in tea.   Drain fruit, reserving the liquid.  Measure 1 cup liquid into bowl of stand mixer and add the sugar and egg in low until just mixed.  Add  in the dry ingredients and then, a little at a time, add enough of the tea liquid to make a batter.  Gently mix in the drained fruit. Bake in a 7" round cake pan at 350°F for 80 minutes. Test with toothpick.  Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

The Brack can be made up to a week in advance and stored in an air-tight

container.

For fun, you can add some 'lucky' ingredients to the batter before baking:

- a 'gold' ring, to foretell marriage within a year

- a small coin, to forecast wealth

- a small piece of cloth to forecast poverty

- a little piece matchstick to forecast the husband will beat his wife

- a thimble to forecast spinsterhood

- a button to forecast bachelorhood

Method:

Wrap each 'lucky' item carefully in parchment paper and distribute evenly in the pan.

Adapted from Irish Customs and Culture

Saint Patrick's Day Menu 2010

Saint Patrick’s Day Menu

Breakfast

Poached Eggs on Crispy Corned Beef Hash

Toasted Barm Brack with Orange Marmalade

Lunch

Irish Stew Hand Pies

Colcannon Soup

Shortbread cookies

Dinner

Chicken and Leek Pie

Spinach Salad with Bacon & Roasted Red Peppers

Irish Cheddar Cheese plate

Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheese Cake

Recipes and pictures to follow. . .

What the snow melt revealed

Thankful Thursday 2010

I'm thankful that I have lots of work at my drawing board and time to work on it.  I'm finding it hard to find time to blog and my days are full, but I am grateful for the opportunities I have to build my business.

I'm thankful for a full freezer and home made meals ready to go straight to the oven on busy days.

I'm thankful that the snow is almost all  melted away and I discovered a periwinkle bloom under the snow.

I'm thankful for my wonderful husband.  He really is wonderful!

I'm joining my friend, Kim from the Upward Call,  and others in giving thanks each Thursday in 2010.  Won't you join us?