Monthly Archives: August 2012
Beer Battered Cod
Battered cod always reminds me of two things: (1) weekend family fish fry’s and (2) my years at St. Joesph. You see I went to a Catholic school growing up and like just about every other Catholic church without fail on EVERY Friday we had Mass in the morning and fish for lunch. Especially during the Lenten season. Needless to say fish is a very present part of my weekly indulgence. I guess some things remain the same. The only difference from then to now is that my palette has evolved and I enjoy more than just cod on Fridays. But I can say that whenever I am feeling a little nostalgic I just whip up a batch of these babies. And instantly I am transcended back to a time when I was little girl :-).
INGREDIENTS
Canola oil for frying
1 cup McCormick® Beer Batter Seafood Batter Mix
1 tablespoon OLD BAY® Seasoning
2/3 cup beer or water
3 (8-ounce) cod fillets, each cut diagonally into 1-inch-wide strips
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees F
2. Next Pour 1/4 cup of oil into large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat
3. Mix Batter Mix and Old Bay in medium bowl. Add beer or water; stir until smooth. Pat fish dry and dip fish into beer batter. Shake off excess.
4. Fry cod in batches, in a single layer, 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown, turning once to brown evenly. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Repeat fry process until all fish is cooked.
5. Serve Hot with tarter sauce, malt vinegar or your favorite condiment.
*CHEF’S TIP – This recipe can easily substitute the cod with pollock, halibut, tilapia or even peeled and deveined shrimp.
DIY Monday: Silk Flower Hair Bows
Being a newly natural beauty and totally loving my TWA, accessories have become my new best friend. I mean from headbands to scarfs to BIG earrings I got it covered. Well I least I thought that I did. And then I discovered the love of silk flower bows. So if you haven’t quite mastered the bow making craze that is going on, this is a great tutorial to add some color and fun to your hair without breaking the bank.
Here’s What You Need:
Artificial Silk Flowers
A hairclip or pin
A hot glue gun
Embellishment for the center
Easy enough, right? So lets get started. First pick out any kind of artificial silk flowers you like.
The flat-ish versions seem to work best. The flowers that were used in this tutorial are large Gerber Daisies.
Time for decapitation! Pop off the flower of your choice and pull the plastic green piece off the back.
Now pull your flower off the little plastic stem thing. Important maintain the order of the petals of you liked what it looked like before.
Starting with the petal that was on the bottom and make sure you align the holes!
Dab some hot glue around the hole in the center and stack on the next petal. Hold for a count of 10.
Repeat with all the additional layers. Working your way to the top, the (smallest) layer.
Now It’s Bling time! Choose an embellishment for your flower center. Buttons, gems, rhinestones, try anything!
If you don’t have an embellishment, you can use the ‘center’ of the flower and that’ll give you a more ‘natural’ look.
Take your embellishment and glue it in the middle of the flower.
This tutorial gives you the option of being able to choose what you can use your flower for on a daily basis.
It will look great on your bag, in your hair, on a baby hat or even as brooch.
Rather than roping yourself into one way of using it. Glue down a strip of felt with a clear channel.
This will allow you to push a hair clip through it or pin it to whatever else needs a little daisy love!
*DESIGNER’S NOTE – Not crazy about daisies? Then use any type of flower that you like. Mix & match colors.
Be Creative but most importantly make it your own. If you would like a more fuller look, use two flowers instead of one.
Source: shannonmakesstuff.blogspot.com
Our Daily Bread – Unrewarded
Read: Matthew 6:1-4,19-21
Most of us look to friends and colleagues for rewards: a slap on the back, a hero’s medal, applause, a sincere compliment. But according to Jesus, the more important rewards await us after death. It’s possible that the most significant human acts of all are carried out in secret, seen by no one but God. In a nutshell, the message of the kingdom is this: Live for God and not other people.
As Jesus explained it, we are accumulating a kind of savings account, storing up “treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:20) rather than on earth—treasures so great that they will compensate for any amount of suffering. The Old Testament has dropped a few scant hints about an afterlife, but Jesus spoke plainly about a place where “the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt. 13:43).
In their quest for a kingdom, the Jews of Jesus’ day had been looking for signs of God’s approval in this life, primarily through prosperity and political power. Beginning with this speech, Jesus changed the focus to the life to come (ch.6). He discounted success in this visible world. Invest in the future life, He cautioned. After all, rust, a thief, or a lowly insect can destroy all else that we accumulate (v.20).
and colleagues, but rather to look to You for approval.
Teach us to put into practice the principles of the
Sermon on the Mount. Amen.
Our Daily Bread – Heman’s Honesty
Read: Psalm 88
I marvel at Heman, the poet who wrote Psalm 88. His lot in life was unrelieved distress. “My soul is full of troubles,” he lamented (v.3). He was fed up with suffering!
Heman looked back and remembered poor health and misfortune. He looked around and saw adversity and abandonment. He looked up and found no solace. “I am distraught,” he complained (v.15). He was “adrift” (v.5), “in darkness” (v.6), “afflicted” (vv.7,15), and “cast off” (v.14). He could see no light at the end of the tunnel; no resolution of his sorrow.
Heman’s honesty warms my soul. Christians who never struggle confuse me. There’s balance, of course: No one wants to be around those who babble on all day about their troubles, but it does my heart good to know that someone else has struggled.
Yet, there’s more to Heman than mere candor. He also had a stubborn, intractable faith. Despite his many problems, he clung to God and cried out to Him “day and night” (vv.1,9,13). He didn’t stop praying. He didn’t give up. And even though he didn’t sense it at the time, Heman acknowledged God’s lovingkindness, faithfulness, and righteousness (vv.11-12).
I like folks like Heman. They strengthen my grip on God and remind me never to stop praying.
My soul ascends before the throne;
My only hope of strength is where
My heart and His meet all alone. —Anon.
© 2012 RBC Ministries
Our Daily Bread – Living In Community
Read: Philippians 2:1-11
Texas Ranger baseball player Josh Hamilton has battled the demons of drug and alcohol addiction. So when his team won their playoff series in 2010, Hamilton was concerned about the postgame celebration. He admitted that it’s not good for a recovering alcoholic to be in the midst of a “rainstorm” of champagne. But something beautiful happened. Instead of champagne, his teammates stocked the locker room with ginger ale so that Hamilton could be included in the celebration. What a great picture of community and putting others’ needs above your own.
This is what Paul meant when he commanded the Philippians to count others as more significant than themselves (2:3-4). Being united to Christ made the Philippian believers members of the same family and gave them a special bond. Thus their attitude toward one another was to be expressed in practical ways: unity in love, sacrificial service, and discovering how to help others even when they didn’t realize they needed help. The motivation for this type of normal Christian behavior is the example of Jesus Christ.
Like Hamilton’s teammates, let’s carry each other’s burdens. When we selflessly love our neighbors, we are expressing our love for God.
For other lives their burden of care;
Beautiful souls are those that show
The Spirit of Christ wherever they go. —Abbott
Rising Up
Today’s Scripture:
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. – Isaiah 40:31, KJV.
Today’s Word:
We serve a God of increase. He wants you to continually rise up higher in Him. He wants you to know Him more so He can reveal His glory through you. He wants you to be blessed so that you can be a blessing to others. He wants to take you to the next level in every area of your life!
The “next level” looks different for each of us. For you, it may be seeing your family restored. It may be healing in your body. It may be a promotion at work or new friendships that you’ve desired. No matter what it is, know that God has your best in His heart. He desires to do exceedingly, abundantly above and beyond what you could ask, think or imagine. He loves to do above and beyond and show Himself strong on your behalf.
Today, meditate on the fact that God loves you so much. As you submit every area of your life to Him, He will cause you to rise up higher. He will give you strength and take you to the next level in every area of your life.
Prayer for Today:
Father, I humbly come to You giving You every area of my mind, will and emotions. I submit my desires to You knowing that Your ways are higher. Thank You for leading me and causing me to rise up to the next level in every area of life in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
It’s Time for Some “First Times”
Posted by Joel Osteen on 8/10/2012
One time at church, I was talking to a college student. She was about to take a very important final exam. She asked, “Joel, would you pray that God will help me make a C on this test?” I kind of laughed and said, “Why wouldn’t we want to pray that God would help you make an A?” She said, “Oh, all I ever make in this subject are C’s.” She had conditioned her mind to strive for a certain level.
Well, I encouraged her to dream a little bit bigger, and we prayed that she would break through and make an A. So, she went home and studied. She prepared. She did her part. A few weeks later, she came back beaming with joy, holding her test results. For the first time ever, she made an A in that subject.
Now, this is just a simple example, but how often do we get conditioned in our minds to live at a certain level? You may think, “This is the way it’s always going to be. This is what I make. This is where I live. This is my level of talent.” But don’t just look at things in the natural. We have to remember that we serve a supernatural God!
Today, I encourage you to break out of the rut and start praying bolder prayers. It’s time for you to have some “first times” in your life. For the first time, you have an abundance; you’re not struggling. For the first time, your child is making good decisions. For the first time, there is somebody in your life to love. You’re not just talking about the dream. You’re living the dream. Take the limits off of God. Stop asking for a C and start asking for an A. Stretch your faith. God wants to do something new in your life. He wants to give you the secret petitions of your heart, the things that you dream about but never told anyone. You would love to start a business, love to take a mission’s trip, love to get married, love to own your own home, but it seems so unlikely, so far out of reach. If you told your friends, they would probably laugh. They wouldn’t understand it. That’s okay. You don’t need their approval. This is between you and Almighty God. In your quiet time when nobody else is around, you need to be bold and start asking for those hidden dreams, for the promises God has placed on the inside. As you pray those bold prayers according to His will, it won’t be long until you see every dream and every desire come to pass!
“…It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32, NKJV).
Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
Gabby Douglas Gets A Makeover
fueling more ridiculous debate about her hair
Whether it was badminton teams losing matches on purpose, dubious refereeing in the fencing competition or North Korean soccer players taking the field under the wrong flag, the London Games featured plenty of controversy.
None of it is more frivolous or absurd, however, than the flap about how U.S. gymnast Gabby Douglas wears her hair.
Critics first complained that Douglas’ ponytail looked unkempt when the 16-year-old was winning gold in both the women’s team and all-around competitions. Now she’s receiving backlash for bowing to public pressure and receiving a makeover from a celebrity stylist upon returning home from London.
Before she began a week-long publicity blitz that included appearances on the Tonight Show, The Late Show and America’s Got Talent, Douglas hired New York-based stylist Ted Gibson to do her hair. Gibson, who works with Angelina Jolie and Anne Hathaway and also appears on the reality series What Not To Wear, gave Douglas a new look with a middle part and waves that fall just below her shoulders.
That Douglas has received criticism for getting a highly publicized makeover this week is almost as laughable as the response to her hairstyle during competition.
What elite athlete would be more concerned with her hair than her performance during the Olympics? And what 16-year-old girl wouldn’t want to look her best before a week’s worth of appearances on reality TV and the late-night talk show circuit?
Douglas had it exactly right last week when she brushed off her critics by telling reporters she was more focused on winning Olympic gold than looking perfect during every routine. And she’ll have it exactly right again this week if she explains she got a haircut to look her best on camera.
This is a 16-year-old girl who has handled Olympic pressure and media scrutiny with poise and grace so far. How about we stop paying so much attention to her hair and start giving her more credit for that?
Source: By Jeff Eisenberg | Fourth-Place Medal
The Man & The Ostrich
A man walks into a restaurant with a full-grown ostrich behind him. The waitress asks them for their orders.
The man says, “A hamburger, fries and a coke,” And turns to the ostrich, “What’s yours?”
“I’ll have the same,” says the ostrich.
A short time later the waitress returns with the order. “That will be $9.40 please.” The man reaches into his pocket and pulls out the exact change for payment.
The next day, the man and the ostrich come again And the man says, “A hamburger, fries and a coke.”
The ostrich says, “I’ll have the same.”
Again the man reaches into his pocket and pays with exact change..
This becomes routine until the two enter again. “The usual?” asks the waitress.
“No, this is Friday night, so I will have a steak, baked potato and a salad,” says the man. “Same,” says the ostrich.
Shortly the waitress brings the order and says, “That will be $32.62.” Once again the man
pulls the exact change out of his pocket and places it on the table..
The waitress cannot hold back her curiosity any longer. “Excuse me, sir. How do you manage to always
come up with the exact change in your pocket every time?”
“Well,” says the man, “several years ago I was cleaning the attic and found an old lamp. When I rubbed it,
a Genie appeared and offered me two wishes. My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything,
I would just put my hand in my pocket and the right amount of money would always be there.”
“That’s brilliant!” says the waitress. “Most people would ask for a million dollars or something, but you’ll always be as rich as you want for as long as you live!”
“That’s right, Whether it’s a gallon of milk or a Rolls Royce, the exact money is always there,” says the man.
The waitress asks, “What’s with the ostrich?”
The man sighs, pauses and answers, “My second wish was for a tall chick with a big butt and long legs who agrees with everything I say..”
Our Daily Bread – They Are Watching
Read: Matthew 5:13-16
A professional football player’s team was having a terrible season, losing week after week. A reporter asked him how he stayed motivated to play hard and give his best even though his team lost almost every game. He responded, “My dad is watching that game. My mom is watching that game. You better believe I’m going to do my best!” He recognized that there was more at stake than just winning or losing. People were watching, and that reality always drove him to do his best.
Jesus reminded us of this reality in the early portions of His Sermon on the Mount. We should live our lives with a recognition that what we do is observed by those around us—and this visible life makes a statement about our God. He said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). How does the light of our lives shine? By bringing the heart and character of Christ into the situations that engage us every day. By showing compassion as He did for the marginalized or forgotten. By displaying concern for the Father’s name and reputation.
People are watching us. The question is, What do they see?
As an example of good to mankind.
Help them to see the patterns of Thee,
Shining in beauty, lived out in me. —Neuer
I Am Lady Fab 