"I am what I am..."

“I am what I am about these matters because I see them in the Bible. If I see 10,000 brilliant PhD’s saying one thing and the Bible saying another thing, the Bible gets my vote. That’s the way I’m going to be. And there’s a simple way of saying the reason for it, mainly, the Bible has lasted for 2,000 years plus and has stood against attack after attack after attack, and has made it from generation to generation, so that its vote is superior to 10,000 brilliant people who will be here today and gone tomorrow."
– John Piper, TULIP Sermon

Piper's heart for the Word of God amazes me at every hour of the day... and, although I have in no way obtained the depth of study or sanctification that Piper preaches from, I understand it far better then I can understand the superficial level of a disengaged believer. God is the main reality of the universe and is treated as a non-reality by so many. It is shocking how easily we ignore God. The Bible teaches us of our Creator and Redeemer, and yet so many believers do not care to study the scriptures.

Without God we LOVE sin - "For this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light..." (John 3:19-20). That is our nature; we are dark. We can NOT overcome that on our own. How many times have we heard "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8) - that verse makes us feel good, doesn't it?! I'm not going to say it shouldn't, but do we get the weight of it? It needs to make us tremble a little before we're able to fully rejoice in it. Jesus [the light] died for us while we LOVED the darkness and HATED the light because of our evil works. It is in our nature to hate the light, least it expose us.

How many times as Christians do we think that we wouldn't have eaten of the tree like Adam & Eve, wouldn't have abandoned Jesus like the disciples did, wouldn't have mocked Jesus like the crowds at his crucifixion... but ohhh how accurately we are represented in the Scriptures. How fallen me are; how weak our flesh is. "I am what I am about these matters because I see them in the Bible". God's Word is the one thing that is necessary, the good portion - what will fill us up. And it will never be taken from us (Luke 10:42). We should yearn for God's Word, we should feel it deep within our inner being.

We need to be shocked that God created a universe in which people are ignoring him - but we can't do that until we stop ignoring God ourselves. And if you're in the Word every day, and the Holy Spirit is inside of you, there is no way to ignore the Lord. If you let the Bible read you (not just you read the Bible, but the Bible read you) it will bring you into the light and show you that without it we will love only the dark. For "the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt 26:41). Pick-up your Bible and walk in the spirit [light], not in your flesh [dark].

"The Bible gets my vote."

Let the FUN begin!

I. Breakfast
     Cheese Blintzes
     Banana Bread 

II. Appetizers

     Spinach and Artichoke Dip
 

III. Sides
     Sour Cream, Cheddar, and Green Onion Drop Biscuits

IV. Entrees
     Chicken with Pancetta and Figs

V. Desserts

     Easy Chocolate Truffles
     Peppermint Fudge  
     Espresso Crinkles
     Raspberry Chocolate Cake

VI. Drinks
      Mom's Egg Nog - HOLIDAY FAVE!

Chicken with Pancetta and Figs

As my mom says, "DELICIOUS!" 

Serves 4

Prep time: 20 minutes 

Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes 

3/4 teaspoon olive oil

cooking spray

1 cup vertically sliced onion

1 ounce pancetta, finely chopped *

1 pound button mushrooms

1 teaspoon brown sufar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 chicken thighs (about 2 1/4 pounds), skinned

1/4 cup tawny port

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 cup fat-free chicken broth

12 dried Calimyrna figs, quartered **

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

Fresh thyme springs (optional)

1 package basmati wild-rice mixture, cooked, substitute fat-free chicken broth for water

Heat the old in a 12-inch nonstick skillet coating with cooking spray over medium-high heat.  Add onion, pancetta, and mushrooms, saute 3 minutes.  Remove from pan.

Combine sugar, salt, and pepper; sprinkle evenly over chicken.  Add chicken to pan; cook over medium-high heat 4 minutes on each side or until browned.  Add port and vinegar; cook 30 seconds, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.  Add onion mixture and broth; bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.  Add figs; cover and simmer 5 minutes or until chicken is done (3 minutes without lid).  Stir in parsley and chopped thyme.  Reduce sauce by cooking on medium-high 2 minutes.

Calories 392 (26% from fat); Fat 11.5g (sat 3.2g); Protein 32.3g; Carb 42.3g; Fiber 8g

* If you can't find pancetta, substitute lean cooked bacon

** If fresh figs are available, stir them in just before serving, omitting the dried figs 

Modified based upon Cooking Light September 2003

Peppermint Fudge

This fudge is SUPER easy to make! (Errr..... as long as you have a food processor!) 

Makes: 36
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min + chilling

nonstick spray, for the baking pan
2 1/4 cups (16 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup round peppermint candies, plus 18 for garnish
3/4 cup cream
3 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt

Lightly coat a 9-inch square baking plan with nonstick spray.  Place chocolate in a bowl.  In a food processor, pulse candies until finely chopped.  (If you don't have a food processor invite a friend over and get your hammer ready!  Thanks for helping out Amber!)  In a medium saucepan, combine candies, cream, marshmallows, butter, sugar, and salt over medium-high.  Whisk until smooth, 5 minutes.

Pour mixture into bowl with chocolate; let stand 1 minute, then stir until smooth.  Pour into baking pan and refrigerate until set, 3 hours.  Cut fridge into 1 1/2 inch squares.  (To store, cover and refrigerate, up to 1 week.)  With a SHARP knife, cut 18 candies in half; press a candy into each square before serving or packing.


per piece: 165 cal; 7.2 g fat (4.4 g sat fat); 0.7 g protein; 26.8 g carb; 0.8 g fiber 

Modified based upon The Food Network

Cheese Blintzes

This is a 5 Star breakfast!  It takes a little work, but it's worth it.   Make it with your favorite berries, and don't forget a fresh pot of coffee!  

Yield: 8 servings

Prep time:

Total time:

1 cup fat-free cottage cheese

4 ounces light cream cheese (about 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 
1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups skim milk

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

cooking spray

2 cups blueberries or other fresh berries

2 teaspoons powdered sugar

Place cottage cheese in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth, scraping sides of processor bowl once.  Add cream cheese, sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, lemon juice, and a few lemon peals; process until smooth.  Pour mixture into a bowl; cover and chill.

Place flour in a medium bowl.  Combine milk, oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, salt, and eggs, and add to flour, stirring with a whisk until almost smooth.  Cover and chill 2 hours.

Place a 10-inch crepe pan on nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot.  Remove skillet from heat.  Pour 3 tablespoons batter into pan; quickly tilt pan in all directions so batter covers skillet with a thin film.  Cook about 1 minute.

Carefully lift edge of crepe with a spatula to test for doneness.  The crepe is ready to turn when it can be shaken loose from the pan and the underside is lightly browned.  Turn crepe over; cook 30 seconds on other side.

Place crepe on a towel; cool.  Repeat procedure with remaining batter.  Stack crepe between single sheets of wax paper on paper towels to prevent sticking.

Spoon 3 tablespoons cottage cheese mixture in center of each crepe; fold sides and ends of crepe over filling to fold a rectangle.  Place filled crepes, seam sides down, on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap.  (Blintzes may be covered and chilled at this point).

Place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat until hot.  Place 4 blintzes, seam side down, in skillet; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned.  Turn blintzes over; cook for 2 minutes.  Repeat procedure with remaining blintzes.  Serve warm with blueberries, and sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

Modified from Cooking Light.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

This is a GREAT dip to bring to a party or dinner!  It puts most restaurants' Spinach Dip to shame, coming from a girl who has ordered Spinach Dip a few times by now.  However, grab a friend for the kitchen because there's lot going on at once, and check your budget before your get your heart set on this one, the ingredients can add-up quickly. 

Prep time: 20 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

2 (10 ounce) packages fresh spinach

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup chopped yellow onions

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup 1/2-inch cubes rindless Brie

1 cup grated Monterey Jack with Jalapeno

1 (6 1/2-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

4 strips apple-wood smoked bacon, fried crisp, drained and chopped

1/4 cup grated Romano (or Parmesan)

Assorted chips for dipping (pita chips, tortilla chips, bagel chips)

Preheat the oven to 350*F.  Lightly grease a 9-inch round chafing dish and set aside.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.  Add the spinach in batches and cook until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove and refresh under cold running water.  Squeeze the remove all excess water and chop.  Set aside.  In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.  Add the garlic, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux, about 2 minutes.  Add the milk and heavy cream in a steady stream, and cook, stirring constantly, until think and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the cooked spinach and lemon juice, and stir to incorporate.  Add the cubed and grated cheeses, artichoke hearts, and bacon, and stir well.  Remove from the heat and pour into prepared dish.  Top with the Parmesan and bake until bubbly, about 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and serve hot with chips.

Modified based upon The Food Network. 

Mom's Egg Nog

For our family, Christmas time means Mom's Egg Nog!  It's the perfect drink to sip besides the glowing fireplace or Christmas tree.

It's always gone before you know it...

15-20 servings

Prep time: 20 minutes

Total time: 4-5 hours

12 eggs

1 lb confectioners' sugar

2 cups brandy or Maker's Mark (bourbon)

2 cups apricot brandy

2 quarts half-and-half

1/4 cup sugar

fresh nutmeg

Separate the eggs and beat the egg yokes until light in color.

Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar.

Very slowly add first two cups of liquor, beating constantly.
Let mixture stand covered for 1 hour.
Add remaining liquor and half-and-half, beating constantly.

Refrigerate covered for 3 hours. 

Beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry.  Gradually add sugar while beating egg whites.

Fold egg whites lightly into the other ingredients.

To serve sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg. 

Enjoy!  

Modified based upon The Joy of Cooking