God's New path for us

Looking back to our last 13 years together, I can see God moving in our lives so many times. I see Him gradually enabling us to handle more and more responsibility. Our first house and then deciding to move to Washington being major turning points in our paths. I see moving to Washington as a tool to become more independent. We have become much more self reliant as a family, relying less and less on family and friends and more reliant on God and ourselves as his servants. Without that move, I think it would have been a lot harder to think about moving to a different country. But now, knowing what it takes to be away from my family for years at a time, I can see that God knew we would be up to the task, if we were just prepared a little at a time. I think that we originally were hoping that our move up here would be a move to retirement. A place we would stay at and build over the many years to come. A place for our grandbabies to visit. But now, I feel myself being ejected slowly. Not from the relationships that we are developing here, but from the land itself, the place. The relationships I know we will continue to have for the coming years as a strength and binding cord through our adventures.

I see God placing us at Fourth Corner. We learned many things going there, and have made many friends that we still manage to keep in contact with. We went through painful decisions there, ones that had to be made. Then once that was done, He moved us to Faith for a time. There we were engaged in the Awana program, as well as meeting a few really good friends. There was when I really began to ponder and feel God’s call for us into the Missionary field.

Then he brought us to Birch Bay Bible Community Church. We have been privileged enough to help in the creation of an Awana program here. We see more and more new families attending Sunday services that began as Awana families. It is feeding the appetites of the kids who want to learn more about God and Christ and how to live their lives.  

Jason has grown so much through the past few years. By leaps and bounds, God has been enabling him for positions on the elder board, as Awana commander, and as a Sunday School leader. 

He has also stretched me beyond my comfort zone to show me that I have gifts and skills that He can use if I just pay attention. I have taken a few excellent bible studies over the past year that have really engaged me and made me understand things more clearly. I have grown so much through them that I am truly in awe of it all. 

He continues to place people into our lives that will be great resources as we begin this new journey. Beginning a new care group in September, it was not long before God brought Barbera and Skeeter Wass into our lives. He placed them very specifically in our care group, as well as the Awana ministry, Ladies Bible Study small groups, Orchestra and even knitting. They are an amazing couple, who I feel so blessed to know. I don’t see their placement into our circles as an accident. I have had a few people tell me that I very much remind them of Chris Davis. What a compliment that was!! I have admired Chris’s courage and strength from the moment I met her.

Lastly, I went to church this last Sunday with anticipation. I just KNEW that God was going to speak into our lives that day. I did not know that we were having a guest speaker. I don’t really pay much attention to those details. As long as someone is speaking, I am good! What he had to say was amazing. He spoke of being a “Mish” kid, growing up in Africa. He talked about mission work that is right here in our community. And then he talked more on mission work that is happening around the world. He told us at the very end, that some are responding by remaining in Jerusalem, many of you, and that is commendable. But some of you, some of you young people here, maybe just may be called to go to the ends of the earth. Some of you, not all, but there maybe one this morning that is listening to my voice, and just maybe God, the Holy Spirit is saying to that individual, I will serve the Lord, hopefully to the ends of the Earth. That was it. I came, expectantly, knowing that God would speak to me. And He did! I felt like the Holy Spirit was holding my heart, it was profound. I knew the message was for us and that God was asking us to Go, to get ready to serve him to the ends of the Earth. I still don’t know where that will be, or even when. But that will be revealed in God’s time. We must wait patiently for the pieces to fall into place. Patience is SO hard for me, but there is no rushing God.

February 18th, 2011

The day Jason lost his job..... A shake from God to get our attention, and a turning in our path. God says ready, set, Go!

Super Dill Dill Beans

Mmmmm, Do you enjoy the crunch of a good Dill Pickle?? How about Green Beans? Do you think that maybe they sound a bit strange sharing the company of the Classic Dill Pickle? We were a bit hesitant when we began this process last year. D.H. and I approached the idea of Dilled Green Beans with curiousness as well as a small pinch of doubt. Would this be a thing our family would really enjoy? Or maybe just an okay way to use up part of a bountiful harvest of green beans?? Last year we canned 34 Pint jars of Dill Beans and by Spring were literally rationing them so that we would have 3 jars left to share with visiting family for the 4th of July! 

Green bean season this year has started off decent and I decided to can considerably less of our "Savory Beans" and WAYYY more Dill Beans, with a few alterations to the recipe to cater to our families tasties! I've changed the name up to "Super Dill Dill Beans" because we are adding a kick of hotness that last years beans lacked. I will make notes in the recipe because I am still going to can some jars of last years recipe for the younger taste buds in the family that are note quite ready to be singed by flaming hotness! 

Clark Family "Super Dill Dill Beans"

You'll need (per. batch):

4 lbs green beans (2 lbs for pints and last years recipe aka:"lyr")

4 fancy "hot" peppers, we are experimenting with some recommendations that we aquired at the Farmers Market that were sold to me as "Hot" Peppers... (No peppers for lyr in pints.)
2 t. red pepper (1 t. red pepper for lyr in pints)

12 cloves garlic (6 cloves garlic for lyr in pints)
4 large heads of dill (same)
5 cups white vinegar (2 1/2 c vinegar)
5 cups water (2 1/2 c water)
1/2 cup pickling salt (1/4 cup pickling salt)

Alum, pinch pr. jar no matter which size

1. Wash and stem beans
2. cut into lengths for jars. I am canning them in wide mouth quarts this year, instead of wide mouth pints....
3. pack beans into sterilized jars
4. to each jar add: 1/2 t. red pepper, 3 cloves garlic, 1 head dill, add a pinch of alum to each jar to aid in crispness :P  and 1 of your fancy Hot Peppers!(1/4 t. Red pepper, 1 1/2 cloves garlic, 1 head dill, no extra pepper for last years recipe done in pint jars)
5. Measure vinegar, water and salt and bring to a boil
6. pour over beans to 1/2 inch head space
7. process for 15 minutes for Quarts, (7 minutes for Pints)


If you need help with learning how to "can" your Beans, comment below or see my "Strawberry Preserves" recipe for step by step basic water bath canning instructions. I will try to get into pressure canning later on as well. But for now, you just need to know how to water bath can. 

Lastly- I need to let you all know that it has been a HUGE stretch for me actually writing my "changes" down. I am NOT a recipe follower, but know that people should be able to "do" what I do to make something that they like.... I am definitely a "ratatouille" style chef-ess.... (I stole that from a friend of mine because it fit so PERFECTLY, and I love that movie!!) I like to fly by the seat of my pants, am not afraid of trying something new....on the spot, and my family is quite accustomed to being known as my guinea pigs!! I do, however differ from Tami, because I like to keep a sink of hot soapy water going to throw dirty dishes into as I go.... I HATE eating a delish meal and then having to get up and spend an hour "working" for what I just ate by cleaning a dirty kitchen. I like to get a majority of my clean up done before I eat :P Happy Canning All!! :D

Don't hate the players, hate the game...

I read Psalm 16 as part of my bible study today and found it very comforting. I know that all that I have is because of the goodness of God, and I seek to find contentment with the Lord as my perfect portion, seeking no more or no less than he desires for me. He gives me council and and when I manage to walk consistently speaking to Him throughout my day, my days are filled with so much joy and peace. And when I am faced with adversity, I know that my heart instructs me to a correct and gracious response. I pray that I will be able to listen with a fever and a desire to always respond correctly. 

Through our journeys we will all come across people in our lives, walking as fellow brothers and sisters as well as nonbelievers and pagans. All of us, if we do not rely on the strength of Christ, can fall and be used by satan himself, or merely to our own carnal and human desires and free will.  Me must be wary and diligent in our walk with Christ, listening carefully. We must learn to not hate people because of what they do, or the choices that they are making. We cannot expect to make their choices for them. But if we are truly walking in Christ, and following his lead, he will make them ready to hear what he has to say through us, or not. Everyone on earth is capable of wicked and evil deeds, but it is the forgiven who have the relationship with our Lord, Jesus, who will prevail and rise back up after falling. 

On another note, viable fruit should be visible as proof of a persons walk with Christ. If we don't see fruit, it allows us to question their very salvation, and perhaps that is what we need to be praying for after all. I know that there are many many Christians in the world who are walking in a false security of their salvation, having prayed a prayer, but not with meaning, walking a path where no fruit is evident. All of us have kinks and desires that God needs to work out and smooth over, but if we keep falling back to the same old responses and desires, and cannot control our hearts and voices nor our actions, then perhaps there is a greater issue at hand. Our hearts and our minds have to be aligned as one with our faith in the ONE TRUE GOD! 

If you see a brother or sister that consistently falls and repeats the same mistakes over and over again, they may be drowning. They may not be leaning on the strength and council of Christ. We need to be fervent in our prayers and petitions to the Lord. Pray continuously with all kinds of prayers and requests, for this pleases the Lord!

Truly you are all the good that is in me, without you I would be no good at all. Lord you are enough for me, you hold my life in your hands, and by trusting in you my paths have traveled through pleasant places, indeed you have blessed me with a beautiful family, a loving church of brothers and sisters and a home that is above and beyond what I know is possible without you. Without you, I would have no reason to go on. You are my comfort, my grace, my salvation, my entire reason for being. I try to walk and seek your council, my heart listens for you at night. In you I have confidence that no one can shake me. My heart is glad, my soul feels solace in you Lord. My life is safe in your hands, and I know that you will never forsake me. You reveal your purpose and path for me in your awesome time, and let me see glimpses of the path ahead and the possibilities and promises of joy. I know that through you I will be blessed, and in times of turmoil you will never be silent or leave me alone. You are who you say you are. 

Psalm 16

You Will Not Abandon My Soul

A Miktam of David.

16:1 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”

3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.

4 The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.

5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.

11 You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Slice!!

 

This really doesn't do it justice, the ice cream was still pretty soft from all my hurried hot torture!! Tomorrow it will be easier to slice :P But still super yummy!!

Cake Continued....

 Right after I put the last layer on....

Now, this cake is not for the faint of heart, or any one who is watching calories for sure!!

You should now have a spring form pan with your brownie crust and a tub of Ice cream in the freezer.....

Pull out your tub of ice cream, after it has ripened, and scoop about 10-12 scoops (not huge) better to do smaller scoops onto your crust. If your ice cream is pretty hard, let it sit for a few minutes so that you can work it smoothly over entire crust. You don't want to crush your crust. Once you get it smoothed over the crust, cover pan with foil and put in freezer careful to keep it flat. Let freeze over night.

Now, pull out your jar of caramel sauce that you made from the previous recipe, you can use either one... but if you are like me, the chocolate one is about gone because I have been USING it and choose to save the regular one!! :)  Put your jar in a sauce pan full of warm water, and turn a small burner on low heat and gently warm your sauce. It will take about 15-20 minutes, you don't need to baby it, just don't heat too fast. Pick it up every now and then to see if it has softened so that it will pour out of jar onto your ice cream. When it has, remove it from heat and pull out cake from freezer. Carefully pour caramel (about 2 cups worth) over ice cream layer. Try to cover as much of the ice cream as you can just by pouring evenly around, when the sauce hits the ice cream, it doesn't take long for the sauce to re-harden, and it's kind of hard to move it around once is has cooled back off and the ice cream is all mushy! As soon as you get is spread over ice cream, cover and put immediately back into freezer until caramel and ice cream are hardened back up.

Lastly you'll need to make your fudgy sauce for the topping layer..... This recipe I stole and adapted to my needs from a DELICIOUS Peanut Butter Luster Pie that I used to make for hubby and his Dad for Fathers day, back before we had peanut butter allergies and diabetes in the family....

Fudgy Topping for Ice Cream Pie

You'll need:

2 Cups Semisweet chocolate chips
4 Tbs. butter
3-4 Tbs. milk
2 Tbs. Corn Syrup

1. Melt all ingredients in sauce pan over low, stirring until smooth. Start with minimun amount of milk and add more milk if necessary to reach good spreading consistency. Let cool for a few minutes.
2. Pull out frozen cake and pour fudge over top, spreading with frosting spatula makes it a little easier. Should glide over caramel easily, though. 
3. Immedialty re-freeze and let freeze for an hour or two.

To eat your cake!!

Take out of freezer, remove Spring form side, and let sit for a few minutes to thaw just enough to slice cake. Slice, serve and enjoy!!
I'll put up a slice piece when we slice into it!!

Husband pampering

Today is Jason's Birthday!! so.... he loves coffee right? I made him coffee added a little of the caramel sauce from my caramel sauce recipe and then topped it with some fresh whipped chocolate cream. To do this I used the remaining 1 cup of Heavy Whipping Cream that I had after I made his ice cream yesterday.... 

Chocolate Whipped Cream

1 Cup Heavy Whipping cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbs. Sugar
2 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Whip all ingredients until stiff peaks form. Yes, you can over whip... makes it not easy to dollop off your spoon, more of a plop, but doesn't hurt the cream.
Tip: I like to chill my bowl and mixer whisk in the freezer for about 15 minutes before I want to start the recipe, it makes it whip up faster.

Now for the Cake..... I have to admit, I caved for lack of time and used box brownies even though I have a really yummy brownie recipe... usually, though, I like to make mine home made :P

Homemade Fudgy Brownies (for cake crust)

1/2 cup canola oil

3 ounces unsweetened bakers chocolate coarsely chopped, (or cocoa/shortening substitute if in a pinch read your cocoa container and it should have the directions for doing this)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2/3 cup all P. flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1. in saucepan melt bakers chocolate and oil over low heat stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let sit while preparing remaining ingredients.

2. Grease 8X8 pan for regular recipe. For your cake crust, however, bake in a 10" spring form pan. set aside. Stir sugar into Chocolate mixture.Add eggs, 1 at a time to mixture, mix with wooden spoon until combined. Stir in vanilla.

3. In small bowl stir together flour and baking powder. Add four mixture to chocolate mixture, stir just until combined. Add nuts if desired. Spread batter in pan.

4. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Cool on rack, or grates on gas stove top work well too.  Brownies will look moist when you pull them out. They finish cooking as they cool, and I like them almost doughy in the middle! This is not a Cake style brownie recipe!!

Now that you have your crust, time to make ice cream! Unless you don't have an ice cream maker, then just go pick out your fav. flavor of ice cream and call it good! Or, hubby says, go buy ice cream maker (cause it's a sin not to have one.... he says....) :P

This Year he choose Mocha Chip Ice Cream, okay, so I encouraged that decision a little bit... So shoot me??

Mocha Chip Gourmet Ice Cream

You'll need this much to make 2 Quarts of ice cream:

1 1/2 Cups whole Milk

1 1/3 Cup Granulate Sugar

4 T. Instant Coffee of espresso powder I used plain old Nescafe Suave....

1 ounce unsweetened bakers chocolate (makes "chips" in the ice cream but you can use 3 T.                     Unsweetened cocoa instead, it will just be chocolate, no little pieces.)

3 cups heavy cream

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

In small pan with wire whisk mix together milk, sugar, cocoa, coffee/espresso powder until sugar and powder are dissolved, about 2 minutes on low. Stir in Cream and vanilla. Freeze according to your machines directions. Mine takes about 25 minutes to freeze to a soft serve texture, then I put the ice cream in an air tight tub and freeze for 4-5 hours until I put on top of Brownie crust.

Next...... completing your cake!!