mom_of_4's Favorite Chicken Curry

My favorite chicken curry recipe is the "Basic Meat Curry" recipe from the More-with-Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre. First, I think it's ironic that my favorite curry recipe is from a Mennonite cookbook, but I guess we have been busy being practical and economical all over the world. Second, it's just as interesting that I did not discover this recipe until a coworker brought it for a department potluck. I asked him for the recipe and he brought me a photocopy from the same cookbook I already had. What is so special about this copy, is that on it his wife has recorded a family moment the day she tried the recipe - their son's first music class - and added her own "tweaks" that saved me a lot of trial-and-error.

Basic Meat Curry (with my comments in italics)

Saute in heavy deep skillet or kettle (I use a deep skillet with a lid):
2T fat, oil, or shortening (umm...butter, of course!)
2 onions, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic (2 cloves, definitely 2)

Blend in small bowl:
2 T lemon juice or vinegar (lemon juice)
2-4 t. curry powder (2 is mild enough for the kids, I like 3)
Stir curry mixture into sauteed onions and fry lightly 1-2 minutes. This produces a relatively mild curry; if desired, season with additional spices such as cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, turmeric, ginger, cumin, or cayenne.

Add one of the following:
1 3lb chicken fryer, cut into small pieces (6-8 chicken thighs, I like bone-in to add richness)
2 lbs beef, cut in 1" chunks
2 lbs lamb, cut in 1" chunks
2 lbs meatballs, browned
Stir-fry briefly to coat meat with spices.

Add:
1 c tomato juice or sauce (I buy the small cans of tomato sauce to have on hand just for this recipe)
1 t. salt
1-2 c. broth or water (2 c chicken broth is best, but I've used water in a pinch)

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 2-3 hours for beef and lamb, 1 1/2 hours for chicken, 20 minutes for meatballs. Add more liquid during cooking as needed for thin stew consistency. Thicken slightly with flour just before serving, if desired. (I just keep an eye on it and take the lid off to reduce the sauce if it is too thin)

Hearty Lentil Soup

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 leek, sliced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 parsnip, scrubbed and diced
• 1 potato, peeled and diced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1 cup dry lentils, rinsed
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 dash soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and mix in the onions, carrot, parsnip, celery, potato, and leek. Stir over a medium heat.
2. Place lentils, tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, a splash of the soy and Worcestershire sauces and wine in the saucepan. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked.
3. Remove the bay leaves from the soup. Stir in the cilantro and serve.

(from Allrecipes.com)

mom_of_4: I made this today and it makes a lovely soup. As usual, I didn't have all the ingredients on hand, so instead of red wine I used some beef stock; left out the soy sauce, green onions, potato, and cilantro; and used canned lentils instead of dry. I'm not a big fan of the parsnip in the soup - it tasted like a woody carrot. Maybe that's what they taste like. Anyway, I would like to try it again using all the ingredients. It definitely needed the potato to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.

Decisions, Decisions

(The Riverwood MOM's Group has graciously allowed me to be a contributor to their blog. This is what I posted there today.)

I've been thinking a lot about faith lately. There are so many of us who are facing big decisions right now and I don't know about you, but until recently I would agonize over them, paralyzed with fear that I would make the wrong decision. Like God was sitting in front of me knowing which way I should pick and waiting to see if I would choose the right one.

Friends, that is so far from the truth.

God wants us to be active in our decision-making, confident and assured (James 1:6) that He will never leave us or forsake us (Joshua 1:5), that He is infinitely patient with us and ready to correct us if we are heading in a way that is less than His best for us. He wants us to boldly approach His throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16), expecting His answer and His safety net if we don't choose wisely. I used to interpret that expecting good things from Him was putting an expectation on Him, that He had to deliver because I was believing in Him. And that never sat well with me, considering He is the Almighty and I am mere human.

However, God opened up for me the other day the realization that expecting Him to do good things for us is a reflection of our understanding of His goodness. That we expect Him to do good things for us because we know He is good and that He wants to, not because He is obligated to just because we have put our faith in Him. It's the difference between the expectations that are put on you and the faith that someone has in you because they know you. Your boss expects you to get your work done because you have to. Your best friend knows that you will help her because she knows you and the relationship you have.

It's the faith that's the key. Faith used to be an effort for me, an exertion of my will. But now I'm starting to see that it's a confident resting in the knowledge of the One who loves you and in the relationship you have with Him. Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that "without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."

It is impossible to please Him without faith.

The Amplified Bible explains faith as "that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness." (Hebrews 10:22) Friends, you can't have faith in Him without knowing all these three things. A God of wisdom and goodness is a good friend but has no power to save. A God of power and goodness means well and can get things done but without wisdom it won't be in your best interest. A God of power and wisdom without goodness is the dictator that will always be making you eat your vegetables and never let you have dessert.

That was the God I was serving before He opened my eyes. And once I started to receive a revelation of how very good He is, I found I could make decisions with a lot more confidence. I came to the point where I had to decide if I believed the Word or not. If He says He is my shepherd (Psalm 23:1) and that He will never abandon me, then I can make a decision in faith that He knows my heart and He will catch me if I fall. And not only that, He will make everything work out to my good! (Romans 8:28)

Do you have a decision you are wrestling with? Consider laying it down before the Lord and boldly expect Him to give you an answer as you step out in faith knowing that your relationship with Him and knowledge of His power, wisdom, and goodness will never lead you astray.

Link for the Day

I love this post about parenthood from Amy's Humble Musings! It's so true!

Parenthood: Worth every second (if you don’t need art supplies)

Call Display

God phoned me the other day. And because of call display, I almost didn't answer. I didn't recognize the number and it was from another area code, so I assumed it was some sort of survey or telemarketing attempt. I don't know what made me answer, but I was so glad I did.

Because God doesn't call every day, you know.

I had been agonizing in prayer over something that I've been holding up to Him for what seems like forever. Recently, God has been opening up to me new revelations on faith and deceptions I have believed for a long time, and frankly, I was expecting something amazing and dramatic to come right away and fix the situation.

When it went from difficult to worse, I got confused. And then determined that I had to do what I thought I should do even though it didn't feel like the big step of faith I thought I should be doing. It felt like I was trying to fix the situation in my own strength. But I decided to lean on the truth that God knows my heart and that He is my shepherd and will not forsake me. So I took my step of faith that felt like the opposite of a step of faith.

And God phoned me to tell me everything will be all right.

Actually, it was a call, out of the blue, from a ministry I just started to partner with. They called to see how I was enjoying the material I received and if I wanted prayer for anything. But I knew that I knew that I knew that God was aware of where I was at and that I needed to hear from Him in a tangible way.

After I hung up, I thought about my call display and how close I was to not answering the phone. And wondered, would Jesus use call display? Would He screen calls, or would He be ready to answer each one? Would He use it to know who was calling so He would have just the right word for them or would He not use it at all, preferring to be pleasantly surprised by each call He received?

That led me to wonder about how I use call display. Sometimes I choose not to answer. Sometimes I pray for grace first before I answer. Most times I am happy to answer. And sometimes I like to see who called but didn't leave a message. I will tell you this, after receiving that divinely appointed phone call, I will be thinking twice about not answering when my phone rings.

The Gospel as Environment for our Parenting

I'm shamelessly copying this excerpt on gospel-centered parenting from Counsel From the Cross I found on a fascinating blog called Practical Theology for Women. It's wisdom rings true in my own spirit, and I'll be seeking God in prayer on how I can apply this practically to my own parenting:

What does gospel-centered parenting look like? Here is how Paul put it:

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4); and “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged” (Col. 3:21).

Isn’t it easy to see how Paul’s counsel to parents is based on God’s gracious pattern with us? We are not to be harsh or demanding with our children. We are not to provoke them to anger or discourage them. Of course, the obvious question we have to consider is what will provoke them or discourage them, and, by contrast, what does it look like to discipline and instruct “in the Lord”?

Although there are many ways we can provoke our kids in disciplining them, we learn from Paul’s expositions of grace in these epistles that we provoke and discourage our children when we forget the gospel and demand, as a condition of our approval and affection, that they obey the law that “neither our fathers not we have been able to bear” (Acts 15:10). By itself, God’s law, although it is “holy and righteous and good” (Rom. 7:12), will serve only to aggravate or discourage them. The law will stir up within them the desire to sin because they are not able to obey it. It won’t furnish them with the power or motivation to obey us or the Lord. The law has its uses with our children, but making them good isn’t one of them. Only the gospel and God’s grace can change hearts.

The proper place and function of the law is something that we might recognize in our own lives but fail to believe when it comes to raising our children. We know that we don’t change and mature by making a list of things we need to do and then scrutinizing our failures when we don’t do them. But, amazingly, we think that’s how our children will change. But when they cry that they can’t obey, we should agree with them, although it is true that we are to acquaint them with the law’s demands.

Rather than telling them that they can and will obey, we must tell them—frankly, gently, sadly—that they cannot obey. They need help. They need Jesus. Making a list and giving stickers and time-outs when they succeed or fail won’t change their hearts. It may make them little Pharisees, knowing how to look obedient so that they can get approval, but it won’t change their hearts. We are to use their disobediences as a gospel opportunity to remind them that they are sinful and flawed, but if they flee to Jesus he will love and welcome them. We must remind them that they “do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with (their) weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as (they) are, yet without sin. Let (them) then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that (they) may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:15-16).

Jesus understands their weaknesses. He knows about temptations. When we—and our children—struggle with obedience, we can draw near to the throne of grace where we won’t receive judgment and punishment, but mercy and grace to help. That is the portrait of the Savior that our children need to see. This is the image that will transform their hearts and teach them to run to him, rather than away from him, when they sin.

Low-Fat Banana Bread - Yes, It's Possible!

Banana bread is a big staple in our household, and when we started our weight-loss journey in September, we thought we would have to say goodbye to our beloved favorite. Until recently, when I way overbought on bananas and had a lovely pile of fragrant black treasure on my counter just begging to be baked into bread. I researched "low-fat banana bread recipes" and tried this one. It's a winner! Here's the link from Kitchen Parade if you would like to read the article that goes with the recipe:

http://www.kitchenparade.com/2006/02/shhh-banana-bread.php

SHHH BANANA BREAD

Banana ripening time: 10+ days
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time-to-table: 90 – 120 minutes
Makes 16 slices

• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup sugar
• 4 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla


• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon table salt

Preheat the oven to 325F.

Mix the eggs and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer for 5 minutes, then mix in the bananas, buttermilk, oil and vanilla.

(Caution: Incoming unorthodox shortcut.) Dump the dry ingredients onto the batter without mixing in. With a spoon, lightly combine them right on top but still without incorporating into the wet batter. Now use the mixer to combine the dry ingredients and wet batter but just until barely combined. (Too much mixing will create small holes in the bread when it bakes.)

Turn the batter into a well-greased bread pan and bake for 60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, then turn onto a rack to finish cooling. Slice and serve! And shhh! No sharing our low-fat secret! (mom_of_4's note: You will have a moister banana bread if you are patient and let it fully cool in the pan on a rack, then wrap it up and wait until the next day to cut into it. If you are of the impatient sort, then at least let it fully cool before cutting into it.)

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Slice: 162 Cal (11% from Fat); 2g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 33g Carb; 2g Fiber; 191mg Sodium; 31mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 3 points