It's Hot In The Kitchen!

Jalapeno Corn Bread with Plum Pepper Jelly

I found a recipe for Jalapeno Cornbread that I wanted to try.  I love the flavor of jalapenos but am a whimp when it comes to the heat aspect of them.  So I made a few changes in a recipe I found to make it more palatable for me.  I had to chuckle when God reminded me how often I have tried to change His word to meet my "liking."  I am sorry Lord....You always know what is best for me.

Jalapeno Corn Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup oil, butter or bacon grease
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced

Directions

   1. Heat bacon grease just until it starts to smoke then remove from heat.  I do this in an     

      iron skillet.  Add jalapeno to the hot grease and stir until it stop sizzling.

   2. Mix the buttermilk and eggs together.  Slowly add hot oil to buttermilk mixture while   

       stirring constantly.

   3.  Mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

   4.  Mix the dry ingredients in to the wet.

   5.  Pour the Mixture into a grease 9x5 inch loaf pan and bake in a preheated 375F oven 

        until a toothpick pushed in the center comes out clean, about 30-40 minutes.

Singing Whole Heatedly

I love listening to children praising Jesus.  This is my neighbors little girl.  She is a year and a half old.  Her dad caught this on video and sent it to me to "make you smile" he said.  Make me smile it did.  I hope it makes you smile also.  Don't watch, it's not pretty, but it sure does sound good!

Blessed to be His,
Kim

Why Would We Live Any Other Way?

Resting easy in the arms of Jesus

I woke up this morning with a heavy chest.  Ok well my actual chest isn't any heavier than it was yesterday, at least I hope it's not, but it sure feels like it.  Between the bad air, the dry cold, my age, and being asthmatic, my breathing is a bit labored.  I have heard of people who feel like an elephant is sitting on their chest.  Well mine is not quit that bad.  I think I am only at a small rhino.  Regardless I realize it is not the pressure from the outside that is making me feel this way.  It is without a doubt what is happening on the inside of my body that is constricting my air flow.  As I sat in my quiet time this morning I realized that many times when I am struggling spiritually; when for whatever reason I just can't seem to move closer to the One I love, it is not what is going on in the "outside" of my life, but is in fact what is taking place on the inside that keeps me at a distance from Him.  The amazing part is that Jesus is always willing to take what is going on inside if I am willing to give it up.  Not only does He take it but He fills me with peace where worry once was, or joy where guilt use to stand.  Sometimes it is with courage where fear once resided.  Regardless He is always willing to take what I am offering.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.  He never just leaves that place void though.  In exchange He gives.  Not according to my need but according to His riches.  Which means I can always expect to receive much than what I gave up.  Philippians 4:6-7 says it this way...
 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.


Then a little further down in that same chapter it tells us in what abundance all will be offered...
19And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.(emphasis mine)


I think I will remind myself of that through out the day...according to His glorious riches!


Blessed to be His,
Kim

Ah! Show me Lord!

So much has happened since my last blog post.  Most of it is private and meaningful only to me.  God continues to grow me, stretch me, test me, and refine me.  I didn't make any new New Year's resolutions.  I picked the same old ones I have chosen year after year.  Do better, work smarter, eat healthier, love more intently and so on.  The Lord has taken the last 5 months or so and have began to show me places in my life where I'm still trying way to hard and trusting way too little.  This blog will change slightly.  Not in the fact that I intend to always give glory to my Lord, but in the fact that it doesn't have to be earth shaking to me for me to post.  I for some reason use to believe that if it did't give me the spiritual "chills" that it wasn't worth speaking, or in this case writing out.  I once again was trying to control.  Major fail!  Jesus started showing me that what He places in my heart isn't always just for me.  It's just like my human self to place me in the center of everything I do.  So be looking for more posts.  Some fun.  Some fun.  Some even meaningless (at least in my own eyes).  I will also tell you that before I had both my daughter and daughter in-love proof before I would post.  If you haven't guessed by now I am one of the worlds worst spellers.  However, again I am have been shown content is way more important than perfection.  So where I error please overlook.  Read for content if you can.  This life is glorious ride and I intend to get as much out of it as Jesus will allow!

Blessed to be His,
Kim