Thank You God

For all You have given,

Thank You God.

For all You have withheld,

Thank You God.

For all You have withdrawn,

Thank You God.

For all You have permitted,

Thank You God.

For all You have prevented,

Thank You God.

For all You have forgiven me,

Thank You God.

For all You have prepared for me,

Thank You God.

For the death You have chosen for me,

Thank you God.

For the place you are keeping for me in heaven,

Thank You God.

For having created me to love You for eternity,

Thank You God.

Dashboard Cheesy Kale Chips

You know...for a girl without central air in her house, you'd think I'd dread the hot and hazy Baltimore days. I don't enjoy sweating. I don't enjoy seeing my hair frizz. And I definitely don't enjoy the feeling of sweat beads rolling down the side of my face. EWWW.

But I love it when the temp goes above 95 degrees because it's actually hot enough to bake something in my car. If you're going to get scorched, you might as well get a tasty treat out of it, right?

I've made cookies and fruit roll ups in my car, but I decided to go the healthy route: kale chips. I know. Kale is ridiculously anti-climactic compared to cookies and fruit roll ups, but trust me...these things are addicting. Jack rolled his eyes, crinkled his nose, and lamented the kale and eggs his wife "makes" him eat for breakfast. But after he ate one, he kept reaching for more and said they taste like cheese popcorn. WIN!

Here's the thing - the ingredients to make the Cheesy Kale Chips are a bit untraditional. The really "weird" ingredient is nutritional yeast (not to be confused with Brewer's Yeast). I picked everything up at my local health food store, and if I were you, I'd walk in the door of the health food store, march myself up to a one of the clerks, show them the list of ingredients and say, "Let's go on a scavenger hunt!" Seriously, don't stress yourself out trying to find it. They'll know exactly where to look. Nutritional yeast is worth finding because it gives the kale the "cheesy" flavor. Per tablespoon, nutritional yeast has 130% of your daily vitamin B-12, 4 grams of fiber, 8 grams of protein, and 60% of your daily folic acid! All in ONE TABLESPOON! It's seriously delicious stuff that you'd never know is super healthy for you too.

Jack is hoarding the cheesy kale chips!

Cheesy Kale Chips
Recipe lightly adapted from Pride & Vegudice

1 bunch curly kale
1 cup cashews (raw, not roasted or salted)
1 red bell pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon sea salt

Place the cashews in a medium sized bowl and cover with water. Let the cashews soak for a minimum of 3 hours. This will soften the cashews and make them easier to blend. You can even do this step the night before, if you'd like, and let the cashews soak while you sleep.

Remove the tough, woody stems from the kale leaves and tear them into bite-sized pieces. Thoroughly wash and dry the kale (a salad spinner is great for this) and drop the pieces into the biggest bowl you have. Kale seems to expand.

In a food processor, drop the garlic cloves through the shoot while the food processor is running. When the garlic is chopped, stop the food processor, add everything but the kale, and process until everything is smooth. It should look like a really thick salad dressing.

In a large bowl, toss the "cheese sauce" and kale until the kale is thoroughly coated. Try not eat it straight from the bowl like I did. Seriously...I could have eaten the whole bowl just like that.

Line two large cookie sheets with foil or parchment paper (I only brought one with me to work). Arrange the kale pieces on the cookie sheets so there's still a little space in between them. At this point, you can either pop these in an oven at 200 degrees for around 45 minutes... or you can bake them in your car :-).

Make sure it's 95 degrees or hotter outside and your car is parked in full sun. Drape a bath towel over the dashboard so you don't accidentally melt it. Place the cookie sheets on the dashboard, make sure you don't need anything from your car for the next few hours, shut the door, admire your kale chips, and then walk away. The heat from sun will turn your car into an oven and the kale chips will dry out. They should be completely dried in 2-3 hours. Try not to eat them all... like Jack & me.

Mercies In Disguise

So as I lay here in bed - bandaged and recovering from surgery - let me share a little of what's going on with me.

 I've been in pain for awhile now. In January, I decided to make a visit to the doctor after a personal training session left me with extreme discomfort and pain in my lower abdomen (the pain was not the personal trainer's fault). After several sonograms, the conclusion was that I had a cyst in my lower abdomen, and it was not going away. Surgery was going to be necessary. During this time, I also hurt my back (I was sitting down, reached over to get a pencil, and felt a "twinge" in my back).

I opted to keep what was happening in my world to a very small circle mainly because I didn't know what the outcome would be. With the exception of one person, I seemed to only run into women with cysts in the same area where mine was located, and it turned out to be cancerous. I wasn't sure if that was God preparing me in advance or what. Regardless, I didn't want to needlessly worry others or have rumors spread about what was happening to me, so I kept things very quiet so that I could also try to process what was happening. The past three months have been nothing short of a physical and emotional roller coaster, and it was finally time to hop off the roller coaster.

I went into St. Agnes early Thursday morning to have the cyst removed, and I was ready to go. No fear! The team at St. Agnes was fantastic and made me feel so comfortable. Knowing that many of the people who took care of me are listeners especially put me at ease - it made me feel like I was with friends. The surgery went off without a hitch, and a softball sized, non-cancerous, cyst was removed laparoscopically from my lower abdomen. Amazingly, within a few short hours, I was at home.


Sleep has been a welcome relief from the pain. I have five holes across my stomach, and I look like I'm 6 months pregnant, thanks to the swelling and the bandages. My throat is still a bit sore from being intubated. The swelling and bruising on my hand from the where they put in the IV is starting to go down. I still need help getting up, but I'm needing less and less help. I'm tired though. Really tired. It also hurts to laugh...and you know that I like to laugh. Laughter is how my family handles problems. We turn everything into a joke. I've had to kick my parents and my brother out of my room multiple times for making me laugh. My mother insisted on giving me a bell to ring for when I needed help. Except we don't have a bell that I can ring. A wild look appeared in my father's eyes, he dug around on a shelf, and pulled out... a rubber chicken that squawks when you squeeze its belly. Yes. My bell is a rubber chicken. Every time I squeeze the chicken for help, I laugh. Painful, but so funny! What's even weirder...I'm growing attached to the rubber chicken. I woke up from a nap cuddling it like it was a stuffed animal. This is a sign that I am returning to normal.

As I've been laying in bed, staring at the ceiling, with plenty of time with my thoughts, the lyric from Laura Story's song, "Blessings," keeps floating through my head: "What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?" This entire "trial" has really been God's mercy in disguise. Without the struggle of trying to get in shape, I wouldn't have known as soon as I did that I had a cyst. Without the back pain, I would have continued to exercise with the cyst, unaware that the cyst had attached itself to other organs in the general locale - the back pain kept me immobile and from further damaging myself. Right now, I have no back pain. Amazing, isn't it? I'm sure even more mercies will come out of this. Maybe an added mercy is that I get to share what I went through with you. If things don't feel right, go to the doctor. Don't wait around. You may have to go to a few doctors to find the right one who will listen to you - I sure did when I was being diagnosed with hypothyroidism. But please, pay attention to the warning signals your body is giving you!

So, as I'm sure you can expect, I'm going to be out for a little while. I'd greatly appreciate your prayers for a fast recovery. Hopefully, I will return next week. Until then, I'm very grateful to Jack for towing the line and being patient with me as surgery day approached, and to Tiffanie from our promotions department who will be filling in for me while I'm out. I'm sure you'll enjoy her - she's bright, fun, and bubbly. Thanks in advance for your prayers. See you next week, Lord willing!


 Erin

Beauty In The Struggle

Yesterday, Jack talked about the butterfly garden his daughter was growing. They had been waiting for their three caterpillars to begin their metamorphosis and finally it was happening. One butterfly emerged from its cocoon easily. The second butterfly struggled a bit, but made it out. The third butterfly tried but gave up.

It made Jack wonder why the last butterfly died - why it couldn't have survived. God brought to mind a conversation he heard between Rick Warren and Larry King. Larry asked Rick why "bad things happen to good people."

This was Rick's answer, "Well, Larry, it's because we live in a broken world. This is not perfect world. This is not heaven and that's why we're depraved. 'Thy will be done on earth as it is heaven.' Why? Because in heaven, everything's done perfectly. Things are not done perfectly on this earth. God gave us a freedom to choose. As a result of choices, we make mistakes, we blow it -- and when ever I make mistakes, when ever I sin, it always causes damage and causes hurt. The Bible teaches that since sin entered the world, way back with the very first human beings, we have lived in an imperfect, broken planet, and that causes hurricanes and tornadoes, and all kinds of things. This is not a perfect planet. So, we should not be surprised that it's not paradise. And also, life is not fair. In fact, the Bible says life is not fair. It's just not fair. We are in a flawed world, everything is imperfect and it won't be perfect until Jesus comes."

After we shared this, we received an email from SHINE-FM listener, Tamsen, in Baltimore. She had been going through a rough time and at the end of that time, she wrote herself this beautiful piece of encouragement as a reminder to herself. She graciously has allowed us to share it with
you. Hope you are as encouraged reading it as we were!


~ Erin :-)

Beauty In The Struggle
(c)2010 Tamsen Mongelli DiBlasio

I know that you are struggling.

Struggling because you do not understand what God, in His infinite wisdom, never-failing love, and ultimate sovereignty is doing in your situation.

What He's doing TO you.

What He's doing FOR you.

What He's doing ...IN you.

Maybe you feel like a caterpillar...faithfully inching along over the rough, lonely, winding path, watching the sky grow overcast, wondering what God has in store.

Could it be that the Lord has prepared you and brought you to a special place where your Creator has now simply asked you to rest so that He can work a miracle within you?

We know that it is through the struggle that this delicate creature’s unseen beauty is ultimately revealed. Through the many nights of darkness, the silent, agonizing wait, the metamorphosis, the painful emerging... all culminates in the caterpillar not finding herself in a different place, but in realizing the far greater miracle of discovering herself somehow mysteriously, completely, and utterly changed.

And so, when it is least expected, ever so quietly, it comes.

Not in spite of the struggle, but rather because of it, the miraculous transformation is finally revealed.

Her Creator has changed her from the inside out...and from the outside in!

Still the same, but altogether different.

Renewed.

Stronger.

Better.

She is a NEW CREATION.

The struggle has made her beautiful.

And now she has wings...

And she can FLY.

Start Over: Encouragement For Tomorrow

When you've told your friends what you plan to do

When you've trusted them and they didn't come through

And now you're all alone and it's up to you,

START OVER

When you've failed your kids and they're grown and gone

When you've done your best but it's turned out wrong

And now your grandchildren have come along,

START OVER

When you've prayed to God so you'll know his will

When you've prayed and prayed and you don't know still

When you want to stop cause you've had your fill,

START OVER

When you think you're finished and want to quit

When you've bottomed out in life's deepest pit

When you've tried and tried to get out of it,

START OVER

When the year has been long and successes few

When December comes and you're feeling blue

God gives a January just for you,

START OVER

Starting over means "Victories Won"

Starting over means "A Race Well Run"

Starting over means "The Lord's Will Done"

Don't just sit there.......

START OVER

By: Anonymous

The Train Sacrifice

The Train Sacrifice

There was a bridge spanning a large river. Most of the day, the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river parallel with the banks, allowing ships to pass thru freely. Twice a day, a train would come along and the bridge was turned sideways across the river, allowing the train to cross.

A switchman sat in a small shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place for the trains to cross. One evening the switchman was waiting for the last train of the day to come. The train approaching was a passenger train with many people aboard. When the train was within a prescribed distance, he stepped up to the controls and turned the bridge into position. To his horror, the locking control was not working. If the bridge was not locked in position, the train would jump the track and crash into the river below.

The switchman hurried across the bridge to the other side of the river where there was a control lever, which he could operate manually to lock the bridge in place. He would have to hold the lever back firmly, with all his strength, as the train crossed. He could hear the rumble of the train, and he took hold of the lever and pulled backward with all his might, locking the bridge into place. He kept applying the pressure to keep the mechanism locked. Many lives depended on his strength. Then, from the direction of his control shack across the bridge, the switchman heard a sound that made his blood run cold.

"Daddy, where are you?"

His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to look for him.

His first impulse was to cry out to the child, " Run! Run!" But the train was too close. The tiny legs would never make it across the bridge in time. In the same instant, he almost left the lever to run and snatch up his son and carry him to safety. But he realized that he could not get back to the lever in time for the train to pass safely. Either the people on the train or his little son would have to die. It took a moment to make his decision.

The train sped safely and swiftly on its way. No one on board was even aware of the tiny broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the onrushing train. Nor were they aware of the sobbing man, still clinging tightly to the locking lever long after the train had passed. Neither did they see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked before, to tell his wife how they had lost their only son.

As we comprehend what this experience must have meant to this man and how it affected him, we begin to realize what our Father in Heaven must have had to endure when He sacrificed His Son (the most innocent man ever) - to bridge the gap between us and eternal life. Can there be any wonder that He caused the earth to tremble and the skies to darken when His Son was crucified? And how it must affect Him when we speed along thru life with little thought or appreciation for His sacrifice.

Deconstructed Pizza Bites

On a party sized toothpick (I can only find them at party stores), thread a marinated mozzarella ball (pre-done or put some mozzarella balls in a container and add bruised flat leaf parsley, cracked garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, cover the balls with olive oil, and marinate over night), a piece of basil, 3 slices of pepperoni, and one grape tomato. That's it. Done. Easy peasy. There's something about the richness of the mozzarella, the spiciness of the pepperoni, the licorice flavor of the basil, and then the *pop* of the grape tomato that is just ridiculously yummy.

Enjoy!


--Erin :)

Can You See The Money Tree?

So I found this little video called "The Money Tree." I must tell you, I’m quite fond of it.

Author Amy Krouse Rosenthal attached one hundred dollar bills (singles) to a tree on a Chicago city street. The bills had messages stamped on them. Things like "Don't ask, just enjoy!" and "Some things just can't be explained." The most amazing thing was that half of the people just walked right by it! Some stopped looked at it and then kept walking!

After watching the video, it dawned on me that I often am blind to the blessings God has poured out from the heavens on to me. How often do I say I am hungry and cannot see the feast in front of me? Everything I need I have...and then some. Today, I am just going to try and be grateful for what God has given me. For those that know me well, the key word here is “try." Take a second to watch the video. It will make you smile and might even make you take a second look around to see the blessings that are right in front of your very eyes.

--Jack

God's Creation Is Perfect

My wife and I were married in 1995 (I checked the date just to make sure!).  We went to Vegas for our honeymoon. While we were there, we ran into the coolest photo booth. It allowed you to morph photos of two faces. The computer then merged them together into a separate photo to see the “morph”. One of these morphs allowed you to see what a child might look like from the two images that combined. Being newlyweds we thought, “What great fun! Let’s pop a few bucks in the machine and see what our child will look like!"  This was revolutionary technology, right before Photoshop and the PC craze started to take hold. Above is the image - our “morph” if you would like to call it that.

I haven’t seen it in a while and just sort of stumbled on it this past week. What dawned on me today was how much I love own my daughter. I love her beauty, her spirit, her stubbornness, her playfulness, her love for animals, and her love of life. She is seven…about the same age as the little girl in the picture you see above. He knew the perfect creation to bless us with. One that continues to blossom, to grow and question the world around her. May I say this: God did a way better job at creating my daughter than any computer could ever possibly do!  Here is a picture of Lindsey and my son Brady.

Blessings,

Jack

No 'Poo (No Shampoo) - Day 8

No Poo (No Shampoo) Day 7

What (Some) Married People Need To Know About Being Single

"What's wrong? How come you're not married yet?"

"You should be married by now with the way you cook."

"Why can't you [do this]? It's not like you have a husband or family waiting for you."

"You have too much time on your hands. We should pray for a husband for you."


A long distant friend and I were sharing "singleness war stories" yesterday evening. Above are just a few of the better comments that I've been subjected to most recently in regards to my singleness. She totally topped me though. My friend was a radio DJ at the time when she received a 10 page letter from a man who listened to her station in a max security prison. He was in there for murdering his wife. The prisoner wanted to make sure she would get married, so he drew a flow chart for her, showing her the areas in her life where she needed to lower her standards in order to get a date. What really upset her were the married people who defended this guy. I don't blame her for being upset. The flow chart is something new and rather creative...so I told her I'd give the guy points for that ;-)!

We both came to the conclusion that we needed to write a book called, "What (Some) Married People Need To Know About Being Single." I truly believe most comments from married people stem from a desire to do good. I hear the same phrase from them over and over, "I just want you to be happy." Unfortunately, they're making an assumption that because they're happy and married, then we must be unhappy in our singleness.

I threw this question out on Facebook, "What do you wish married people would get about your singleness?" Most of the responses mirrored my own thoughts.

I wish (some) married people would understand that singleness isn't a problem that needs fixing.
Sure, I have a desire to be married and have children.

Sure, I feel quite a lot of pressure because I'm one of the last of my friends to get married.

Sure, I struggle with the fact that I'm the same age my mother was when she had my little brother.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD. Jeremiah 29:11-14

I don't recall expressing to others that I'm unhappy with my singleness, so I'm not sure why people feel the need to take it upon themselves to fix something that isn't broken. I appreciate my married friends' concern, but their desire to see me "happy" often has the opposite effect. It leads me to discontentment because they're reminding me of something that I don't have and would love to have. It also conveys to me that I'm not good enough or I'm not complete because I don't have a spouse. I'd much rather let God take care of matching me with a mate. God's already said he's got my life planned out...and it may not include a spouse...I'd rather stick with His plan.


I wish (some) married people would understand that God has kept me single for a purpose.
God is giving me unbelievable opportunities to do something my married friends can't do: devote myself entirely and completely to Him.

An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.
1 Corinthians 7:34-35

I have the rare opportunity to talk to thousands upon thousands of people every day. Why God allows me to do this, I don't know...but I'm grateful. The life I'm currently living was never on my radar screen. But God has taken this homeschooled Arbutus girl who loves her hairspray and never went to school for radio and has placed her at one of the most incredible Christian radio stations. I never know each day who I'll have the opportunity to talk to, what I might say that will offer encouragement to someone, or even share someone else's story to encourage others. God has a will and a purpose for each of our lives. God uses each of us where we are - single or married. Right now, His purpose for me is to be doing what I'm doing. He's done a great job with my life so far; I don't think He needs any additional help from me or anyone else.


I wish (some) married people would understand that they can still associate with single people.
It's nice to be included in activities. It's even nicer when the single people are invited to participate and not be called upon as the babysitter. We appreciate married people being concerned that we might be uncomfortable, but why not let us decide that for ourselves? If singles are uncomfortable, then maybe there's a little work that needs to be done in our hearts. One of the hardest things for a single person is to "lose" a friend to marriage. Singles understand the new responsibilities their former single friend now has, but the addition of a wedding ring shouldn't preclude friends from getting together and spending time with one another.


So how about you? What do YOU wish married people would get about being single? Being single has been an unexpected blessing to me. In my own desire to be married God has reminded me of something: marriage isn't promised to any of us. It's not a reward for attaining a special level of Christianity. At the end of our life, our reward isn't a husband (or wife) or having children. Our reward is eternity with Jesus. If I'm not happy as a single person, then there's no way marriage will solve that. True contentment - single or married - lies in Christ.


--Erin

(P.S. I know not every single/married person will agree, so feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section!)

No 'Poo - Day 4

No 'Poo - Day 3

God's On Your Side When It Feels Like No One Else Is

There are some days when it's tougher than others to be in control of your emotions and your responses to people.

Isn't that right?

I just gave myself an "amen" and a "hallelujah."

When you're stressed out and are barely holding it together, that always seems to be the time when people want at you. Everyone gangs up on you at the same time. People you haven't heard from in 15 years suddenly appear and jump on the heap! That's just how it happens. Inside your head you're screaming for them all to go away and leave you alone!

Yet nobody does.

The problems keep coming.

You don't even know what to do or which problem to tackle first because that's how mentally exhausted you are from the stress.

Here's a little encouragement from me.

Take a deep breath.

Smile (I know it's hard and you don't feel like it, but go with it).

Tell God that you know He is on your side and walking with you every step of the way.
(Even King David did this - check out Psalm 118:6)

Thank Him for being there - for being the only One who is listening to you
and the only One who doesn't have it out for you.


The problems and the people causing them won't necessarily go away, but you'll have your battle plan to gain control of how you respond to others...regardless of what they throw at you. Remember, God is always and will always be on your side when it feels like everyone else isn't. Here's the proof:

"Who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture...None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us."

- Romans 8:35-39, The Message



--Erin

Deconstructed Pizza Bites

I finally have feeling back in my feet.

Yesterday, I helped my mom cater the pre-graduation run through party for our home-school group. We cooked food for somewhere around 130 people, and by the end of the day I felt like I had been run over by a truck.

In a good way.

In a happy way.

I loved seeing how excited these young men and women are to be graduating. What does life hold for them? Who is the person they will grow into?

Do you remember what you wanted to do when graduated from high school? Are you doing what you wanted?

When I graduated, I had thought about going into the Baltimore International College to study culinary arts, but I really didn't know what I wanted to do. I started working at a flower shop and learned that I loved working with people. Eventually I changed jobs and began working in a Christian bookstore where I learned that I loved working with Christian people. Christians are notorious for being difficult people (sadly) but I enjoyed the challenge. I also loved being surrounded by Christian literature and especially the music. During that time, I still felt the pull of culinary arts so I decided to do catering on the side for family and friends. I learned that I didn't enjoy it was much as I thought I would. I figured out that I enjoyed the art of food...not necessarily all the dishes and equipment that went with catering! I think God saved me - I know I would have failed culinary school. So, I still enjoy the art of food and cooking and creating new recipes...on my own terms, whenever I want. The best part is, God brought me to a job that never entered my radar showing He is TOTALLY in control of my destiny...and I have amazing co-workers who willing try my latest, crazy recipe!

For this party, we did all finger foods. I call this little appetizer "Deconstructed Pizza Bites." On a party sized toothpick (I can only find them at party stores), thread a marinated mozzarella ball (pre-done or put some mozzarella balls in a container and add bruised flat leaf parsley, cracked garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, cover the balls with olive oil, and marinate over night), a piece of basil, 3 slices of pepperoni, and one grape tomato. That's it. Done. Easy peasy. There's something about the richness of the mozzarella, the spiciness of the pepperoni, the licorice flavor of the basil, and then the *pop* of the grape tomato that is just ridiculously yummy.

Enjoy!

Rhubarb Berry Pie

The pie fanatic in me has been unleashed.

The idea of making pies has always scared me.

Cookies? No problem-o!

Cakes? Piece of cake (hardy-har-har).

Pies? Nope. I can never get the crust right, and no matter what I do, the filling is never consistent. Too thick, too watery...mostly it's too watery.

My grandmother grows rhubarb every year in her spring garden, and I've been fascinated by it. It's probably because my mom doesn't like rhubarb and therefore never made it for us. Granny gave me some rhubarb from her garden and I had every intention of making a pie, but I chickened out at the last minute and made a crisp. I have to say, that crisp made me become a fan of the rhubarb. Tart, yet definitely worth trying again.

Last week I was wandering through the PA Dutch Market in Cockeysville and found some beautiful, local rhubarb and strawberries. I decided to get some and make the classic strawberry rhubarb pie. It was a success. I have no idea what I did...other than follow the recipe. The slight success I had with that pie has made me want to try again. Since my grandmother and my grandfather are rhubarb fans and we were going up to their house for a Memorial Day cookout, I decided to try again. I couldn't find fresh rhubarb, but I did find it frozen. Right next to the frozen rhubarb were some frozen cherries and raspberries. I tossed 'em in my cart, picked up a box of Pillsbury "Just Unroll" Pie Crusts, and I was ready to make a pie. The verdict from the family...including my non-rhubarb loving mother...it was great. Holla! Here's my final recipe:


Rhubarb Cherry Berry Pie
Yield: 8 generous slices

INGREDIENTS
1 10oz bag frozen rhubarb
2 10oz bag frozen raspberries
1 10oz bag frozen cherries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbls corn starch
1 Tbls vanilla extract
1 Pillsbury "Just Unroll" Pie Crust, or your favorite pie dough recipe for 2 crusts
1 egg yolk
1 tsp water
additional sugar for dusting


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together the first 7 ingredients (rhubarb through vanilla extract) and set aside.

Unroll one pie crust, and use a rolling pin to stretch it out a bit more so it will leave a 1/2" - 1" overhang when placed in the bottom of a 9" deep dish pie plate. Once rolled out, line the deep dish pie plate with the dough.

Dump the frozen berry mixture into the lined pie plate.

Unroll the second crust, and use a rolling pin to stretch it out a bit more to cover the top. Feel free to make a lattice crust or use mini cookie cutters to punch out portions of the dough (like this). Lay the dough over the frozen berry mixture and crimp the edges to seal.

Beat the egg yolk with the tsp of water. Brush over the crust and sprinkle with sugar.

Place the pie in the pre-heated oven and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350, place a pie shield or foil over the crimped edges, and bake for 1 hour longer or until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown.

Let cool and enjoy!

Rhubarb Pie

My mom and dad introduced the Pennsylvania Dutch Market in Cockeysville (next to Valley View Farms). Have you been there? It's...it's...a land of utter and completely happiness! The fresh baked donuts (first place I've found that makes marshmallow donuts with marshmallow fluff just like the old Hollywood Bakery in Arbutus used to make!), hot pretzels, fresh meats and cheeses are just incredible.

One of the counters had local produce, so I picked up some local rhubarb and strawberries. I've never cooked with rhubarb before, but I figured I could learn how with help from the internet. You can find anything on the internet, right? I learned that rhubarb is considered a fruit but is really a vegetable. Only the stalks should be eaten. It requires a good deal of sugar to stand up to the rhubarb's tartness and rhubarb aficionados generally prefer the tartness.

Now, for the recipe, I went to one my favorite sites - Epicurious.com. They have great, no-fail recipes and lots of reviews for users.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Pie crust for a 2 crust pie (I used Pillsbury's Unroll and Fill)
3 1/2 cups 1/2-inch-thick slices trimmed rhubarb (1 1/2 pounds untrimmed)
3 1/2 cups strawberries, halved
1/2 cup, plus 2 TBLS sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg yolk beaten to blend with 1 teaspoon water (for glaze)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Toss gently to blend.

Roll out 1 dough disk on floured work surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter flass pie dish. Trim excess dough, leaving 3/4-inch overhang.

Roll out second dough disk on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Create a lattice crust or use a mini-cookie cutter and punch out portions of the the dough (like in the picture above). Spoon filling into crust. Crimp edges decoratively.

Brush glaze over crust and transfer pie to a baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake pie until golden and filling thickens, about 1 hour 25 minutes total. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely.

Check out the original recipe here.

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Resurrection Rolls - An Easy Way To Tell The Easter Story

Here's a fun and hands on way for your children to learn the story of the Resurrection. All you need to make Resurrection Rolls are some basic ingredients and a Bible.


Resurrection Rolls

1 package crescent rolls
8 large marshmallows
2 TBLS melted butter
1/4 cup cinnamon sugar (mix 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon together for homemade cinnamon sugar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper (it will make clean up soooo much easier!).

Give each child a triangle of crescent rolls (you'll want to flatten the wide end slightly).
The crescent roll represents the cloth that Jesus was wrapped in.

Give each child a marshmallow.
This represents Jesus and His purity.

Have your child dip the marshmallow in melted butter.
This represents the oils of embalming.

Roll the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon and sugar.
This represents the spices used to anoint the body of Jesus.

Wrap the coated marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll by folding up the sides to seal the marshmallow up tight.
This represents the wrapping of Jesus' body after death.

Place in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. The marshmallow may ooze out the side!
The oven represents the tomb (pretend like it was 3 days and nights!)

While the rolls are baking, you can read Matthew 27:57-61 and Matthew 28:5-8.

When the rolls have cooled slightly, the children can open their rolls (cloths) and discover that Jesus is no longer there. HE IS RISEN! The marshmallow melts and the cresent roll is puffed up, but like the tomb - IT IS EMPTY!