Simple and Healthier Potato Salad

  I love potato salad and the healthier the better. This is great recipe for spring or Summer.
How do you prepare yours? I would love to hear from you.

Nurturing the gift within your child

Hi friends! I haven't be blogging lately. Starting around October, I felt like I need to cut my time from blogging and listen to God and focus on my children. As a parent, we all wanted our kids to walk in the gift and the strength that God gave them. We do want help our kids discover their passion and purpose for their life.

We live in the society that encourages if your child is involved in many activity, that child is hard working and so on. I am not saying if they wanted to learn how to play a music instruments or learn how to dance is wrong, I am saying we need to nurture and work on their strength.
 

                                                          Listen to your children.
Our kids want to be heard, but we get too busy to really listen to them. When you talk to the kids, make sure you are listening with eye to eye contact. If you are busy, just tell them if they give you a few minutes to finish what you are doing, you would love to talk to them. Perfect timing for my teenagers is late when I say good night. Of course I wanted to go to sleep, but that seems to work better.
                                    
                                       Help your children to work on their strength

Find the gift that comes naturally and encourage them to work on it, rather than signing them for different activity. Some of us sign up our children to other activities because the kid next door happen to be doing that. I remember my children were very young when one woman approached me at a park. Her first conversation with me was, "So, what sport does your child play?"

The school and parents should continue to encourage work on their strength rather than on weakness. God was just teaching and leading me to read and understand how to understand and encourage my kids gift and I found a book by Dr. Tim Elmore, Nurturing the leader within your child. Very good book, I am not even finished yet and I am excited because I learned a lot already.

Let's raise a future generation that is filled with passion about their gift and strength that God gave them and bring glory to our God!

How are you helping your children in your family?

Merry Christmas to all!

It is ok to have tradition to bake, cook, making Ginger bread house, Christmas gift, but it is very important we focus, why we celebrate Christmas.

This Holiday is my favorite time of the year!

Luke 2:10, "But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."
  
Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 
Matthew 1:23-24, "BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD WITH US." And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife."
  
The bible calls the birth of Jesus, good news!! 
  
We wish you Merry Christmas to you and your family!

The presence of God is within you

This is what God promised us, that He will not leave us here in earth alone. It is so comforting to me, that God's word is always true, that He is always near when we needs Him. 

For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. (John 3:34)

No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. (1 John 4:12-13)

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; (John 14:16)

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:26)


But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: (John 15:26)

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (John 16:7)

Now he which establisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

God doesn't hold anything back from anyone. His arms are wide open for you. Call on His name and He will answer you. Blessings friends~

I love Christmas!

 

Here is our family Thanksgiving in 2012. My brother comes to visit once a year for thanksgiving. He is such a humble and loving person I know. 

Here is our Thanksgiving this year 2013. I love Thanksgiving and also Christmas! I thank God for everything in our lives.
How about you, how was your thanksgiving. What makes your Thanksgiving so special?

His word is a light to our path

"Oh, how I love your law!
    I meditate on it all day long.
Your commands are always with me
    and make me wiser than my enemies.
 I have more insight than all my teachers,
    for I meditate on your statutes.
 I have more understanding than the elders,
    for I obey your precepts.
 I have kept my feet from every evil path
    so that I might obey your word.
 I have not departed from your laws,
    for you yourself have taught me.
How sweet are your words to my taste,
    sweeter than honey to my mouth!
 I gain understanding from your precepts;
    therefore I hate every wrong path."

I love reading the word of God, it brings Peace and joy to my heart. We serve an Omnipotent God!

May your heart be filled with His Peace this season! Blessings to you my friends and readers!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my bloggy friends!

I wanted to wish you all my bloggy friends a Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful that I met too many gifted and wondeful women of God through blogging. My prayer is that you have a wonderful day with your love ones and don't let the bread you baked without salt mess up your day:)

I made this rolls last night, I took a bite and I forgot to add salt. I was so disappointing until a friend offered to brush it with salt butter.

I love you and may God pour His love upon you and your family today! Hugs to all of you~

Crochet Hat

Here is my Winter love, Crochet, cooking and baking!
When I can't get outdoor, because of snow or too cold, I love to crochet and watch a movie with my kids!
It isn't cold yet, I just decided to start early. I made this hat without patten. Whenever I make mistakes, I go back and fix it. Very easy and rewarding.

I love reading your comments!
What do you enjoy doing during Winter, when you can't drive because of the snow?

Roasted Veggies and Pasta Salad

Why can't we grab vegetables and fruit when we are hungry, rather than chips and cookies. That is because salad needs to be prepared, and when you are in a hurry, you grab what is in your pantry. Well, lately I have been preparing some of favorite salad. When I am in hurry I will just season it with my salad dressing and I have my salad to go or sit and eat.

This salad can be added any favorite vegetables. I have seen this recipe long time ago. I copies and saved it. I am not sure where I saw it, but I made lots of change, so feel free to change it.

                              Ingredients: 

• 2 cups cooked whole wheat or whole grain pasta according to the package
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 red onion, sliced quartered
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 1 eggplant, sliced
• 1 large tomatoes, sliced quartered
• 5 oz soft goat cheese, optional

                            VINAIGRETTE

• 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 tsp each sea salt and black pepper
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh chives
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2\4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil  

                   INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain well and set aside.
2. Mist a baking sheet with cooking spray and add all the veggies in a single layer. Roast in oven until just browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer the veggies in to a large bowl.
3. For vinaigrette: In a blender or food processor, blend all vinaigrette ingredients into a smooth liquid.
4. Add pasta and vinaigrette to bowl with vegetables and toss well. Top with cheese and serve.

Moist and Rich Chocolate Cake

 Have you tried to get that moist and rich chocolate cake? I did. My cake will turn out dry most of the time. Not anymore! We nailed it this time. I give the credit for my daughter, she made this cake.

Ingredients:

Moist and Rich Chocolate Cake
1 large egg
1 cup granulated sugar
6 ounces plain, vanilla, or chocolate yogurt, sour cream or yogurt.
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup brewed coffee, room temperature or warm
1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
                      
                                                       Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350° F.  Line a 9-by-9-inch or a 10-inch round cake pan. Spray with cooking or grease and flour cake pan and set aside.

 In a large mixing bowl combine egg, sugar, yogurt, oil, vanilla, and whisk until smooth and combined. Add coffee, Dutch cocoa powder, and mix vigorously until batter is smooth.
 Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and whisk vigorously until batter has just combined, about 1 minute. Make sure the coffee is luke warm, not too hot. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes, or until top has set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake to cool in pan completely, at least 30 minutes, before frosting the cake.

We have a family recipe for frosting that we used.

I hope you enjoyed this cake. I love reading your comment and thank you for stopping by!

Homemade Bread it is so easy

                                  

Here is my favorite food, that does harm to my waist, but satisfies my taste. If I can stop eating bread, pasta, butter and cheese, I think my weight would have been under control. I like to make it with whole wheat, but if I want my kids happier, I will use unbleached white flour. 

 

 Ingredients:

3 1/2 whole wheat all purpose flour

3 eggs, plus one more for egg wash

1/4 cup butter or vegetable oil

1/4 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon dray yeast

1 1/2 cup of water

                                           Instruction:

Mix dry yeast and 1/2 cup warm water and 1/2 cup flour. Cover and let it bubble for 15 minutes. Mix all ingredients together and knead with hand for about 10 minutes. Add more flower if it is too sticky in your hand. 
Make the dough into a ball and place it in a large bowl. Cover and keep in warm place, covered with warm and wet towel. Your dough shouldn't feel sticky, ans should be easy to pull the dough easily.
  Let the dough rise until the dough double its size. Once it double it's size, press the dough with your hand and let the dough rise again for the second time to double it’s size. This time it will take less time to rise. Cover the dough and let it rise again for about 30 minutes.
Start and pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Egg wash the dough and sprinkle with sesame seed  ready for baking. Bake for 30-40 minutes.  

And here you have fresh bread. I hope you enjoy it!

Chocolate Mousse

If you are looking for simple and quick to prepare ahead, this is it. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare and let it chill in the refrigerator while you are cooking your dinner.

 

 

                                    Ingredients

• 5 1/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 3 large egg whites
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Sweetened whipped cream, for garnish, optional

                                  Directions

Place chocolate in a large bowl set over in a double boiler at a low simmer. Stir chocolate until melted. Turn off the heat and let stand.

Beat the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks. Set aside and hold at room temperature. With a mixer, whip egg to soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and continue whipping until firm.

Remove the chocolate from the double broiler and using a whisk, fold in the egg whites all at once. When the whites are almost completely incorporated, fold in the cold cream. Cover the mousse and refrigerate until set.

Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

My daughter decided to decorate by layering it with whipped cream:)!

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

The goodness of God!

 

God’s goal for us is to make us like His Son.“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren.”
We can be growing toward that goal daily; any choice we make that fails to contribute to that goal is going to increase our unhappiness. In other words, we do not always know what is best for us.

My children think they know what will make them happy, but since I know a little better about life, I know better what produces true happiness. So I continue to say no even if I know I am not the best mom when I said no. I always tell my kids, I love you , just trust me I am doing this for your own good.

 

 True happiness can be found only when we get to know God and grow in the likeness of His Son. Nothing reminds us of that more dramatically or encourages us to grow in Him more effectively than pain and suffering. Without it we might drift away, live our lives apart from Him, and never know true happiness. Suffering does not cast doubt on God’s goodness; it demonstrates it. 

 

Psalms 119:17,"It is good for me that I was afflicted,
That I may learn Thy statutes."

 

Blessing to you my friends!

Good Morning!

 

This morning, I was at one of my kids soccer game when I took this picture. I don't know about you, but the more I get see His creation I get reminded how Magnificent God is!

We serve an awesome God, don't we?

"Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD."

Psalm 150:6

 

My friends, don't let the day go by without noticing the glory of God. It is always there, we are just too busy to see it.

 

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

Uses of Lemons

 

I love lemons on cooking as well, but you have to be careful it doesn't over power the flavor. I love to add it to any seafood at the end, always to my soup and of course for salad dressings.

 

I know there are many uses of lemon, but the most used of lemons in my house are listed below.

1: To get rid of the smell and help sanitize the cutting board, rub it all over with the cut side of half a lemon or wash it in undiluted juice straight from the bottle.

2: If your garbage disposal is beginning to make your sink smell yucky, lemon is your best friend.

Lemon and orange peels and toss them down the drain.

4: Lemon water reduces the production of free radicals which are responsible for aging skin and skin damage. Lemon water is calorie free and an antioxidant.

5: Lemon water can fight throat infections thanks to its antibacterial property.

6: Lemon juice also stops bleeding gums and reduces toothaches.

7: Lemon juice helps to purify the blood, reduces your chances of indigestion, constipation, eliminates toxins from the body, adds digestion and reduces.

I hope you enjoyed this post. I love reading your comments.

I love my new chairs

Good morning my friends! I am usually not a crafty woman at all.

when I take this chair apart, I was feeling nervous, boy, it was so easy! Yes, it is time consuming, but it is rewarding.

 

 

Here is my old and dirty chair, abandoned by kids:)

 

Look how simple it is:

 

 

And here we have a beautiful and colorful chair.

 

 

I hope you enjoy it!

 

 

 

Yom Kippur 2013

 

Credit: Google images

 

 

Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) is one of two Jewish High Holy Days.

The purpose of Yom Kippur is to bring about reconciliation between people and between individuals and God. According to Jewish tradition, it is also the day when God decides the fate of each human being.

Although Yom Kippur is an intense holiday it is nevertheless viewed as a happy day. Why? Because if one has observed the holiday properly by the end of Yom Kippur they will have made peace with others and with God.

Yom Kippur is a day of reconciliation, when Jews strive to make amends with people and to draw closer to God through prayer and fasting. The ten days leading up to Yom Kippur are known as the Ten Days of Repentance. During this period Jews are encouraged to seek out anyone they may have offended and to sincerely request forgiveness so that the New Year can begin with a clean slate.
Yom Kippur is also marked by 25 hours of fasting. There are other fast days in the Jewish calendar, but this is the only one the Torah specifically commands us to observe. Leviticus 23:27 describes it as "afflicting your souls" and during this time no food or liquid may be consumed.

In the New Covenant book of Hebrews, we read concerning Messiah who provided the blood of atonement for us: Hebrews chapter 9, verse 12: "Neither by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us." When I sin, I pray to God and ask him to cleanse me with the blood of atonement provided for me by the Messiah. Who is the Messiah? An honest study of the Scriptures will clearly show that Jesus is our Jewish Messiah. He came from God to provide for us the Blood of Atonement so that people might know cleansing from all sin and have peace with God. This is not another religion. It is Bible Judaism. It is the faith which the God of Israel expects of us.

I like to fast, because I feel like I want to focus on how Jesus Christ died for me regardless of my sins. He is that perfect sacrifice. It is to thank Him, to take a day off by saying thank you and spending time repenting.

May you come to know Jesus Christ, our Messiah!

Have a blessed Yom Kippur!!

Whole Wheat Bread

 

 

Ingredients:

3 1/2 whole wheat all purpose flour

3 eggs, plus one more for egg wash

1/4 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon dray yeast

1 1/2 cup of water

Instruction:

Mix dry yeast and 1/2 cup warm water and 1/2 cup flour. Cover and let it bubble for 15 minutes. Mix all ingredients together and knead with hand for about 10 minutes. Add more flower if it is too sticky in your hand. 
Make the dough into a ball and place it in a large bowl again.  
 Let the dough rise until the dough double its size. Once it double it's size, press the dough with your hand and let the dough rise again for the second time to double it’s size. This time it will take less time to rise.
  Divide the dough into three and braid the dough, Cover the dough and let it rise again. Approx. 30 min after braiding the bread, start and pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Egg wash the dough and ready for baking. As you can see on the picture above, one of the bread doesn't have sesame seed, so feel free to add if you would like.
  Bake for 15 minutes, then cover it with foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
This recipe makes two bread. Remember the recipe above is doubled. For me, making one bread or four is the same work. You will be saving energy and you don't have to clean up twice.
The picture came out too bright, I didn't like that, oh well.

I love reading your comment and thank you for stopping by!

 

 

Do you pray for your children?

I hope you all had a great Summer! We had a very busy but amazing Summer! Our kids went back to school today.

Do you pray for your children daily? How about for the teachers, leaders and every students?

I do! I can get selfish by praying for my children only. But so many times the holy spirit brings those children to mind. I pray for the children that are facing hard time at home, with abusive family or illness or peer pressure. And for those don't know God might know Him.

For God, all the children are the same. We can label the good or the bad, the poor or the wealthy, the believers or non-believers, but God doesn't. He loves us so much all the same! He does hate our sins, but He still loves us!

If you are a followers of Jesus Christ, I want you to be an example of Jesus. Ask yourself, how would Jesus treat that person. You know He would love on them, invite them to His home, feed them and even wash their feet. Isn't Jesus character? So why are we afraid to invite those that are different from us?

A woman shared with me when I asked her why she hate Christians. She said, "Sara, those people never invited me to their home but they invite me to their church." I was sad, but I shared the story of Jesus and that is all it matters. Besides, we are still learning to grow our spiritual walk with God. We are not perfect at all, but we recognize that we are sinners and we need our Savior.

 So, if your child starts school today or next week, remember to pray for the teachers, the bus monitor, and all the students.

Praying to all students of all ages for protection, may God protect their hearts and mind. May God draws them near to Himself!

Happy first day of school!!!

Strawberry French Toast

 

I thought I will treat myself with these delicious breakfast. The boys like to eat pancakes and French toast. The boys has been away for a mission trip for ten days, my daughter hardly eats breakfast.

 

I love anything bread, especially French toast, soaked with homemade syrup. 

 

Measure flour into a large mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk in the eggs, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled frying pan over medium heat. Soak bread slices in mixture until saturated. Cook bread on each side until golden brown. Serve hot.

 

 

 

Cook strawberry and syrup on medium heat for 20 minutes. Press down with a fork if you want have pieces of strawberries, if you don't blend it after it cools down.

I hope this was helpful! I love reading your comment. What is your favorite breakfast?