Back in the Kitchen…

August 22, 2014 A Labour of Love Leave a comment

This week has been spent putting up more vegetables for winter. From green beans to tomatoes to even more fermented vegetables. I’m so excited to be back in the kitchen, at times too excited as my legs and feet don’t hold up the way they used to before Lymes. I do however, take breaks to rest between projects so getting it all done plus making dinner actually gets accomplished…most nights! 🙂

Tonights dinner was one of our son’s favorites. Ahi Tuna with a wasabi sauce. Easy to make and very tasty. I found a great recipe out of Make It Paleo, however, didn’t have all of the ingredients as they listed, so I improvised a slight bit.

Ahi Tuna

Mix the following ingredients together in a bowl and pour in a bag over 4 Tuna Steaks:

1/4 C. Coconut Aminos

1/8 C. Fish Sauce

1 TBS. Chopped Garlic

1 TBS. Garlic Tea Tree Oil

2 tsp. Ginger (if you have, fresh even better)

1 tsp. Sea Salt

Let marinate 2 hours prior to cooking. Before placing on the grill, dip each side in a bowl with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sea salt and ginger. Lightly coating. Cook each steak on the grill or in a grill pan for about 2-3 minutes per side depending upon how rare you can handle it. It’s far better the rarer it is. One of our children does not like it rare so I compromised and did the 3. It was slightly over cooked for my taste, however, all ate dinner so that was an accomplishment.

Wasabi Dressing

Homemade mayonnaise (see previous post on recipe) with some wasabi powder. Wasabi is strong and it’s taste gathers steam to the palate the longer it’s in the dressing so be careful when using. Start small and gradually increase quantity to your personal taste.

Served along side the cucumber, tomato, olive and basil salad. Yumm!

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Complaining, Venting or Whining…Cannot decide!

August 15, 2014 A Labour of Love 2 Comments

In Psychology Today, complaining, venting and whining are described this way: “Complaining and whining can be distinguished by the nature of the dissatisfaction and by our motivation for expressing it. Complaining involves voicing fair and legitimate dissatisfactions with the goal of attaining a resolution or remedy. When we voice legitimate dissatisfactions but do so without the goal of attaining a resolution we are merely venting. And when the dissatisfactions we voice are trivial or inconsequential and not worthy of special attention, we are whining.” I guess I am slightly complaining in this post about what took place last night. Or, I guess you could consider it venting as it’s over and done with so there is no goal of resolution at this time and to some it could seem like whining since the first part of this post is inconsequential since it was yesterdays issues. Either way, here we go…

It’s been a year since being diagnosed with Lymes Disease and all of the wonderful co-infections that come along with. I am pleased to have come so far in my healing and really have nothing to complain about. That being said, I would very much enjoy getting through a day without a headache. For the last few weeks I have been getting these mild headaches that hit in the afternoons. Most of the time I get through them with a little peppermint oil on the temples and back of the neck, however, last night was very different. I was beginning to wonder if my husband should take me in to urgent care it was so bad. Usually laying down with my eyes closed helps, yet last nights migraine actually got worse as I lied down. Not sure what triggered it other than I was once again on my feet getting things done in the kitchen. It took 2 Aleve (which I hate taking unless absolutely necessary), 1/4 of a melatonin and 2 TBS of liquid Magnesium over an hours time frame before I could lay down and fall asleep without the continual throb that was keeping me wrapped up in the fetal position. Praise God I slept all night and woke up refreshed and surprisingly not tired.

Hence the reason I was unable to share what I accomplished yesterday as far as canning and fermenting. Well, we tried something new and I am excited to taste the end result.

Fermented Fennel, Onion, and Carrots – Taking the fennel and trimming it up, I then placed it in the food processor using the mandoline tool to slice it thinly. Doing the same with the onion and mixing together in a large bowl. I then switched out the food processor tool to the shredder and shredded the carrots. After mixing all together I added sea salt and mixed thoroughly once more. Gathering up some clean sterilized jelly jars I began spooning in the fennel salad mixture pounding each spoonful down into the jar with a wooden mallet. Leaving 1 inch at the top I then added 1 TBS fresh whey and filtered spring water. I will again leave these out for 3-7 days to ferment prior to putting them in the fridge. Burping daily of course. 🙂

The second recipe I made was supposed to be a fennel jelly. I thought maybe I could use the trimmings of the fennel to make a pepper jelly like sauce. Well, after boiling it down all it smelled and tasted like was apple cider vinegar. So, rather than throwing it all out, I went out to the freezer to find something to resurrect the ingredients. Well, it worked. It is really yummy too!

Cranberry, Fennel Chutney Sauce

1 – 1/2 Cups Fennel bulb and fennel trimmings

1 – 1/2 Cups Apple Cider Vinegar

5 to 6 Cups sugar (because I cannot do the sugar, I used birch tree Xylitol. Next time I would likely use only 4 cups as it was quite sweet.)

4 – 5 Cups cranberries, finely chopped

2 small onions, finely chopped

1 tsp. Cinnamon

I boiled down the Fennel, Apple Cider Vinegar and Sugar until it came to a rolling boil for about 5-10 minutes. Then I strained out the liquid and placed it back on the stove adding in the cranberries, onion and cinnamon. I again brought it back to a boil. Turning off the burner I added natural pectin. Unfortunately I hadn’t followed the pectin recipe and it clumped up, so for future I would have kept the fruit and onions in the final product. This time however, because of the pectin clumping, I strained out the fruit pouring it into clean sterilized jars and put them into the hot water bath to seal. Serving it over some cheese with some crushed walnuts will be a yummy winters treat for the family.

Still have to do something with the beets and the cabbage. Maybe today!

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! 1Chronicles 16:11

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Why bother…?

August 14, 2014 A Labour of Love 2 Comments

(This painting hangs in my kitchen… It’s so me!)

Why fermentation? Why canning? Why grow your own food when you have grocery stores on every corner? Why go through the work?

Oh my, so many questions. I’ve heard it all. I’ve even heard, “Sherry you are too sick to be doing all of that”, or “I did all that when I was younger and see no need to keep doing it. I hated doing it then with my mother why would I do it now.” Well, the primary answer to everyones “why” about this topic is this:

Neighbor, “Yeah we have so many tomatoes this year that Sally (name changed) is thinking we should make some pasta sauce. We just aren’t sure what to do with so many.”

MY husband, “Oh yeah. Can the sauces so you have them this winter. It was great this last winter when Sherry was so sick and I prepared the meals, those canned sauces really helped out when I needed them.”

Neighbor, “Maybe they can help one another and do the canning together.”

Said and done! Two verses come to mind when I consider this conversation exchange. The first is from Proverbs 31:10- 18 “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night.” Keep in mind that as I type this I am aware that it sounds boldly prideful on my part to consider this verse and my husbands conversation. However, when you realize that the title of this portion of Proverbs is titled “A Woman Who Fears The Lord” you understand that all that I do is pleasing to the Lord. I understand who the Lord is and why I am here.

Now, I also must admit that the human side of my being, living in a self indulgent world also realizes that homemaking has become a taboo word for women. The thought amongst our peers is that we were either too stupid to make it doing anything else (and yes I’ve even heard of one persons interpretation of my being a stay at home mom described as “not being highly educated”) or we have an overbearing husband who chains us to the house without allowing us to have a mind of our own. That being said, I have to also admit that worldly thinking can and does creep in sometimes. My worldly thought on the conversation was this, “Thank you Lord that my husband appreciates the sacrifices I have made. I was not at the pool, tennis courts, golfing at the club, sitting down watching soap operas (are those still running?) or going out spending money with friends buying designer clothes and enjoying lavish expensive lunches (as many of my friends did at our last place of residence). I will consider this my paycheck… A wonderful compliment from my husband.” Now, being that I started it out as a sort of thanksgiving prayer, one would assume this was not worldly, however, I would argue with you that it was very selfish on my part to look to myself with pride expecting praise from someone for something I’ve done and sacrifices I made. Really? I’ve made no sacrifices, this is my JOB as a wife and mother. Going to the Word of God you see that Proverbs 31 has much more to say past verse 18. And, it’s all to please the Lord. Does that mean there is no laughter and fun? Of course not. There is great joy when you all sit down together for a meal, or when the aroma of dinner tantalizes your husbands nose when he walks in the door, and the pleasing look in his eyes when he knows that he doesn’t have to worry about one more thing after a full day of work away from those he loves.

Gardening, canning, fermenting, and housework is done to please the Lord. Not to please anyone else. Now, in pleasing the Lord, I am also pleasing the family. It’s a win win.

The second verse was from Titus 2:3, “Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” Again, God honoring to teach the younger women (Sally) how to please the Lord by also pleasing, preparing, saving money and working for the good of the family.

Now, that I’ve shared what’s been on my mind the last two days, I need to share why it’s been on my mind. Yesterday began canning day. With the harvest coming in from our own garden and the local CSA it’s time to begin preparing for winter. Oh we enjoy enough of our harvest now, however, we also enjoy it all winter long. The first comment of my being too sick actually came to reality when I was on my feet all afternoon without sitting down for a break and by dinner time my right leg was numb and I felt like I was again dragging my right foot. Oh swizzle sticks! (as the little girl next door says) Today is a new day and we will try again. Taking breaks this time so as not to overdo.

Yesterday I canned the two day project I was working on. Chicken Stock. Yes, I canned it. I did some reading and educated myself so as not to ruin anyones day with illness. I made my chicken stock the day before, cooking it in the Nesco all day. Then I poured it into jars, refrigerated it and skimmed off the fat the next morning. I then put it back into a stock pot (2 – 3/4 gallons of it) just to the boiling point, poured it into clean hot pint jars, added a tsp. of salt and placed on the lids and began the canning process. Because water baths are not sufficient enough for chicken stock, I used two of my pressure canners at 10 lbs. of pressure for 20 minutes. I made 23 pints of stock. (See previous post last fall on making the chicken stock.) Disclaimer: I would NOT can any chicken that comes from the traditional conventional marketplace. I would only can organic, non-GMO fed chicken stock that was homemade with all organic ingredients using pure unadulterated water sources.

After the chicken stock I moved on to making fermented salsa. I took the beautiful ripe organic tomatoes from the CSA (mine are not done yet), one very large onion, a large bunch of cilantro and about 10-15 garlic. I put them all in the food processor and gently processed them down to a mildly chunky state and poured it all into a bowl. I took clean jelly jars and a few pints placing 1 tsp. salt and 1 TBS fresh whey in each. Then I scooped the salsa into each jar leaving 1 inch space at the top. Wiped each clean and put on the lids. I then shook the jars to mix in the whey and the salt. Placing them on the counter on top of a towel I then unscrewed the lid of the jar so the air would be able to flow. I will leave them on the counter from 3-7 days, burping the jars each day to release the fermented gases before putting them into the refrigerator.

Fermented foods have been a long tradition in many cultures and is wonderful to help aid in digestion. We see the importance of eating yogurt, this is the same only using fresh organic vegetables. Each month my doctor wants to know if I am continuing to eat my fermented veggies, juicing, kefir and kombuccha of which the answer is always yes. We both agree it helps tremendously.

Today, I will be creating and making fermented beats, fennel, cabbage recipes which I will share at the end of the week.

P.S. I am college educated with a 4 year degree. 🙂

Thank you Lord for the blessing of a family to care for. Thank you for the knowledge you have provided regarding health, nutrition, foods, and the human bodies response to unnatural man made resources. Thank you Lord for the daily strength that can only come from you as I open my eyes each day feeling weary. It is only through your almighty grace that I continue on. Lord I pray that I can honor you through all that I do, say and think. Help me to keep my focus on you and you alone so that all I do on this earth will be glorifying to you. Amen…

memories, Why?

Beauty or Truth? You decide…

August 7, 2014 A Labour of Love 2 Comments

Proverbs 4:7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,and whatever you get, get insight.

Ecclesiastes 7:12 For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money,
and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.

We recently returned from another Highland Festival gathering which took place once again in Canada. We decided to take an additional few days before the games to take a tour of the north eastern part of Canada since we were going to be so close. So off to Quebec City we drove. There is so much to share about our trip, yet one part of it continues to haunt my thoughts and is something I have been praying over for the last week.

When I began writing this blog, my earlier posts had a theme of “why”? I thought it would be interesting to write in that direction, however, many other things popped up that had me writing and sharing outside of that why box. Well, I have over the last week continued to pray about and ask why about one small hour in time that took place on our trip. I know and am very aware that this subject could be a hot point and am not certain how many will continue reading once I get to my point, however, I certainly hope that more will at least consider that this is me asking why and maybe they will consider my question and God’s truth on the subject. After all, 2Timothy 3:14-16 says “14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

On our country tour of Quebec City, we were taken to St. Anne’s Basilica, or as the French call it Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Shrine. My first why was questioning “shrine”. In the dictionary this is how they describe shrine: a building or other shelter, often of a stately or sumptuous character, enclosing the remains or relics of a saint or other holy person and forming an object of religious veneration and pilgrimage. My second question was more of a “who” rather than why. Who was St. Anne? On the tour bus we had the explanation given through our tour guide describing her as the mother of the virgin Mary. Now comes the third question, why is the mother of Mary a saint? Well, saint in the dictionary reads as such: any of certain persons of exceptional holiness of life, formally recognized as such by the Christian Church, especially by canonization. Did she lead an exceptional life? Her name is not listed in the bible and from what I researched it is only listed once in the middle of the second century in the apocryphal Protevangelium of James. Everywhere I looked for information about Anne, there were different stories and legends about her life. From her being barren and sharing the same story as Hanna and Samuel, to her being married once to her being married three times and having three daughters. I repeatedly found the word “tradition” used when describing her and her importance. Making me wonder what the definition of tradition was: a : an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom)
b : a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable.

Ah, definition b. is where I see the bigger picture. “Commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable.” With such inconsistencies, no clear biblical explanation into her importance, why is she a saint? It must be obvious at this point I am not catholic. I do not understand praying to someone other than directly to the Lord in the name of Jesus.

Back to the trip…off through the country’s winding roads and small towns we went to see a shrine dedicated and named after a woman who is a part of history yet whose name is not even in God’s holy scriptures. The driver went on to explain that St. Anne was prayed to for healing and that people have hobbled into the basilica crippled and walked out leaving canes and crutches behind. As I sat uncomfortably in my seat, knowing that my body is riddled with spirochetes and various other infections, I was no longer concerned over my own health, yet was concerned over the spiritual health of those who pray to someone other than Christ. I began to pray for the miracle of His divine power to change the heart. I began praying for all of those who ooed and awed at the thought of seeing the basilica, seeing her hip bone under glass, and their praying to “St. Anne”. I asked Christ directly to show those who did not know Him to be shown Him. Just as my peace and healing has come from prayer directly to Christ himself, they too can feel healing if they only knew Him.

Exiting the bus, it was hard not to breath deeply at the beauty of such a towering “shrine”. It certainly was beautiful from the parking lot, and from the road. I took a great number of pictures of the beautiful windows that the suns rays shown through, and the enormous copper doors which a local man had made. However, as I studied the sculpture above the door as we entered in, I was wrought with sadness. Sadness at seeing a woman (St. Anne) portrayed as an idol by those who were bowing down before her. (I tried for 3 hours to download the picture, not sure why it will not upload.) Why? Her name is not listed in scripture, she is not the reason for Mary’s immaculate conception, her history is sketchy at best and there is no history of her doing anything spectacular other than being a mom to someone else who was an important part of history. Bus loads and car loads of people unloaded to go into the basilica and pray to her. There was even a campground across the street and a small building behind the church to buy your souvenirs. Why pray to her? Scripture tells us even in the old testament prayers were lifted to either the creator of the earth, our Lord God Almighty, or to man made idols. So, since we know she herself is not God, does that make her an idol? After all, people make pilgrimages to her basilica where miracles of healing are proclaimed and they pray to her.

The following prayer was found laying out for people to read and use in their prayers. (Please note 1/2 way down the page under Before a relic of Saint Anne, second paragraph..)

It must be mentioned that the Catholic Church in 1677 condemned the belief that Anne also participated in the immaculate conception of Mary. Another why… why then is this prayer sitting in a Catholic Church dedicated to a woman who is not listed in scripture enticing people from all over the world to visit and to pray to her?

1 Timothy 2:3-6 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

I know that the answer falls back onto the shoulders of those who taught such ideas, as well as tradition. Tradition passed down from generation to generation. It is possible however, to be the one person to break with tradition and begin reading scripture as God intended for us to do. We no longer live in an age where all we have is personal reflection and stories passed down due to the lack of writing and paper. We have bibles in our stores, churches, hotels and prayerfully in our homes. We have internet, Bible aps and ipads. If one begins reading them and praying directly to the Lord in the name of Jesus Christ one may find wisdom. As Christians we need to ask hard questions when something doesn’t seem right in the teaching of the scriptures. If people do not know truth, how will they know Him?

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

To the reader that has read all the way through, thank you. Thank you for pondering with me the questions which need to be asked. I hope that you will continue to read the scriptures below and listen to the following sermon posts on the first two commandments so you may understand my concern for those who pray to anyone other than Jesus Christ.

I titled this post Beauty or Truth? because I think it’s another pondering question. Would you rather have a beautiful sanctuary with gold and silver relics and copper doors or would you rather have truth? I would rather have truth.

Who should we pray to:

John 14:13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

John 14:21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.

John 14:14
If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

(Please note that the Father in this text is God, not the local priest or pastor.)

James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Let us remember:

Deuteronomy 5:6-21

6″I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
7 “‘You shall have no other gods before me.
8 “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 9 You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
11 “‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
12 “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
16 “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
17 “You shall not murder.
18 “And you shall not commit adultery.
19 “And you shall not steal.
20 “And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
21 “And you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’

Jeremiah 18:15
But my people have forgotten me;
they make offerings to false gods;

Zechariah 10:2
For the household gods utter nonsense,
and the diviners see lies;
they tell false dreams
and give empty consolation.
Therefore the people wander like sheep;
they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.

Jeremiah 10:1-15

Idols and the Living God

10 Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2 Thus says the Lord:
“Learn not the way of the nations,
nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens
because the nations are dismayed at them,
3 for the customs of the peoples are vanity A tree from the forest is cut down
and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.
4 They decorate it with silver and gold;
they fasten it with hammer and nails
so that it cannot move.
5 Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field,
and they cannot speak;
they have to be carried,
for they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of them,
for they cannot do evil,
neither is it in them to do good.”
6 There is none like you, O Lord;
you are great, and your name is great in might.
7 Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?
For this is your due;
for among all the wise ones of the nations
and in all their kingdoms
there is none like you.
8 They are both stupid and foolish;
the instruction of idols is but wood!
9 Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish,
and gold from Uphaz.
They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith;
their clothing is violet and purple;
they are all the work of skilled men.
10 But the Lord is the true God;
he is the living God and the everlasting King.
At his wrath the earth quakes,
and the nations cannot endure his indignation.
11 Thus shall you say to them: “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”
12 It is he who made the earth by his power,
who established the world by his wisdom,
and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.
13 When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,
and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain,
cand he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
14 Every man is stupid and without knowledge;
every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,
for his images are false,
hand there is no breath in them.
15 They are worthless, a work of delusion;