11/10/03~ MARRIAGE, BIRDS, SELF DEFENSE, MAKE-AHEAD RECIPES
Posted by: jhbreneman <jhbreneman@...>
HEART TO HEART NEWSLETTER
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
Compiled especially for YOU with LOVE by Lois Breneman
11/10/03~ MARRIAGE, HOAX, SELF DEFENSE, MAKE-AHEAD RECIPES
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CONTENTS:
FREE OFFER OF 3 CHRISTMAS CARDS FROM JONI AND FRIENDS
RESOURCES ON MARRIAGE
CEDAR WAXWINGS FLYING SOUTH & ATTRACTING BIRDS TO YOUR YARD
BEWARE OF THIS E-MAIL HOAX, REPORTEDLY FROM DR DOBSON - NOT SO!
SELF DEFENSE TIPS - BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY
MANNA FOR MOTHERS
CROCKPOT GREEN BEANS WITH WATER CHESTNUTS
MAKE-AHEAD RECIPES TO FREEZE FOR THE HOLIDAYS:
MAKE-AHEAD MASHED SWEET POTATOES, MASHED POTATO CASSEROLE, FROZEN CRANBERRY SALAD, FROZEN INDIVIDUAL CRANBERRY MOLDS, DRESSING OR STUFFING, PUMPKIN CAKE, CONFETTI CORN
LETS TALK TURKEY!
I'M THANKFUL
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
FREE OFFER OF 3 CHRISTMAS CARDS FROM JONI AND FRIENDS
Permission given by Joni and Friends to extend this offer to "Heart to Heart" ladies.
Joni Ericson Tada has been a quadriplegic since a diving accident in the Chesapeake Bay as a teenager. She blesses the lives of all those she touches! She also paints so beautifully by holding a paintbrush in her mouth! Joni has three Christmas cards with several of her paintings on each one - and Joni and Friends has given me permission to extend this offer to all of you dear "Heart to Heart" ladies by calling 1-800-522-5664. She also has Christmas tracts to order and tuck into cards. http://www.joniandfriends.org.
RESOURCES ON MARRIAGE
http://www.iwanttomakemymarriagework.com (Chuck and Eileen Rife)
http://www.marriagealive.com (Dave and Claudia Arp)
http://www.ume1975.org (Christian resources on marriage)
http://www.familylife.com/WTREx (Whether your marriage needs hope for the future, practical skills for daily living, or simply a time of refreshment, this one weekend will make a positive difference. 1-800-FL-TODAY)
http://www.family.org (Focus on the Family) You are also invited to call 1-800-A FAMILY with a counseling problem and a professional counselor will return your call.
CEDAR WAXWINGS FLYING SOUTH
ATTRACTING BIRDS TO YOUR YARD
By Lois Breneman [email protected]
We've had the rare occurrence today (Nov. 5, 2003) in Virginia of seeing cedar waxwings stop by for a visit as they are were heading south! One hit my kitchen window with a bang this morning, partially knocking himself out! He must have been bathing in the backyard stream a few minutes before, because my window had a wet messy blob in the center. He landed on our sundeck and was lying there flat on his back with both feet in the air! I wish I had thought to run for the camera on the spot, but I didn't. Instead the flock of his friends and relatives had me spellbound as I watched them splash in the stream and flutter around in our crab apple tree nearby. Soon he stood upright, but still didn't move from his spot on our deck. The stunned little bird just stayed there motionless for about twenty minutes. I was talking to him and he even let me stroke his head and back! Later I got close-up pictures of him with our digital camera, as he sat in a branch of the tree about three feet away from the deck for at least two hours!
A cedar waxwing looks very much like a cardinal (its shape and thick bill) but is a little smaller in size, mostly brownish in color, with a muted yellow breast, bright yellow across the tip of its tail, bright red spots on its back, and black around the beak. They love berries! When I saw them for the first time in March of 2001, as they migrated north, they were feasting on our neighbor's cherry tree. I read that they often get drunk on the fermented berries and that is the reason they are notorious for crashing into windows! That time, it was our dining room window, but I'm glad they alerted me of their passing through!
Our family has seen forty-eight different kinds of birds in our back yard through the years. Some of the more unusual varieties sighted have been the American redstart, ruby-crowned kinglet, golden-crowned kinglet, eastern wood pee wee, evening grosbeak, blue grosbeak, green heron, kingfisher, mallard, brown creeper, sparrow hawk, screech owl and cedar waxwing. The stream in our backyard is probably the greatest attraction.
All the bird books say that if you want to attract birds, you must provide water, food and shelter. Trees and bushes provide sufficient shelter, though bird houses area plus. Bluebirds are easy to attract with houses made for them (1 1/2 inch holes), if they are placed at fence level in a meadow, and are so beautiful to watch with their florescent blue wings. As far as food, black oil sunflower seeds seem to attract the most varieties of birds. Another tasty treat that birds love is peanut butter suet, which can be made yourself at a low cost by mixing shortening, peanut butter and any flour that you want to get rid of (even buggy flour or cornmeal). Birds love cornmeal! If you want to add dried fruit, nuts or any grains, they will enjoy that too, but the way our birds finish off this mixture, I normally just use inexpensive shortening, peanut butter and flour, which keeps them quite content. I shape the mixture into blocks that will fit into our caged suet feeder, wrap each block in plastic wrap and keep them all in waxed liners from boxes of cold cereal, until I need another one. There is no need to refrigerate these blocks. Because our suet feeder is surrounded by a cage, it is squirrel proof, but the smaller birds can still squeeze through the holes to feast on this tasty meal. The birds attracted to this mixture are the chickadee, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, downy woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker, catbird, winter wren, as well as ruby and golden crowned kinglets.
If you find the suet disappearing at night, you may have raccoons stealing it. No doubt about it - that is the case here! They reach right in through the holes of the cage and scrape it out. When we see the feeder empty the next morning and notice greasy raccoon prints on our deck, there is no guessing that there was a raccoon party on our deck while we slept. One morning when my husband had to get up at 4:00 to fly out of town, he saw four raccoons having a peanut butter party on our deck. So now I bring in the suet feeder at night - when I remember.
Attracting and feeding birds is an entertaining hobby, and I find it fascinating to learn the differences in these beautiful creatures of flight that our Heavenly Father has made for us to enjoy.
Subject: Urgent message: Freedom TO worship!
Or: Urgent Message From Dr. James Dobson - Please read!
FROM DR. JAMES DOBSON - Please Read and Respond!!
"An organization has been granted a Federal Hearing on the same subject by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington, DC. Their petition, Number 2493, would ultimately pave the way to stop the reading of the gospel of our Lord and Savior, on the airwaves of America. They got 287,000 signatures to back their stand! If this attempt is successful, all Sunday worship services being broadcast on the radio or by television will be stopped. This group is also campaigning to remove all Christmas programs and Christmas carols from public schools! You as a Christian can help! We are praying for at least 1 million signatures ... "
A Focus on the Family employee assured me that this IS a HOAX. She reported: We have a resident expert on current "Urban Legends," and here's his reply to this question:
Reply from Barney at Focus on the Family:
This is the latest variant of a hoax that's been floating around longer than the Internet. We hear about it so frequently that we've had to post information about it on our web site. See:
SELF DEFENSE TIPS - BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY
Contributed by Mary Rice-Hopkins of California, who also has a Christian music ministry, especially for children. Check out her web site for Christmas gifts! http://www.maryricehopkins.com
I know you are smart enough to know these pointers but there will be some, where you will go "Hmm! I must remember that!" It never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.
1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!
2. From a tourist guide to New Orleans: If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, do not hand it to him. Toss it away from you! Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. Run like mad in the other direction!
3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit there (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc). Don't do this! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. As soon as you get into your car, lock the doors and leave.
5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
A.) Be aware! Look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, in the back seat.
B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. It is always better to be safe than sorry and better paranoid than dead.
(Note from Lois: I personally knew a dear lady in her 80's who was abducted in the parking lot as she was getting into her car at a rather small mall in my hometown several years ago. She was thrown to the floor, driven to the woods, beaten, tied to a tree and the abductor left with her car. With Gods help, she miraculously escaped and got help, but it really can happen when we least expect it.)
6. Always take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).
7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, always run! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely will not be a vital organ. Run!
8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: Stop it! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who always played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked "for help" into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
A Few Other Safety Points:
There's an e-mail going around about a woman hearing a crying baby on her porch as a trap for a woman to answer her door. Whether or not it's true isn't certain, but we can still learn from it. The e-mail says how the woman called the police because it was late and she thought it was strange. The police told her, "Whatever you do, do not open the door!" He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night. I know we all have soft spots in our hearts for babies, but call the police first. If you have a neighbor across the street who can see the front of your house well, call them too.
It's a good idea to keep your doors locked when you are away from home, but also when you are home. When your doorbell rings, it is helpful to have a way of checking to see who is on the other side before opening it - either by looking through an installed peephole or a nearby window. Remember that you are not under obligation to open your door to strangers, and it's not a bad idea to go by that rule when your husband isn't home.
Install motion detector lights at your doors. Intruders love darkness, but if a light shines on them they may leave at once.
The malls are not safe places for kids or even teens to be "hanging out," - for more reasons than one, so keep that in mind. Many undesirable characters use the malls, just looking for young innocent children and teens to prey on, so take heed. This is not the place to drop off your children to roam around with their peers.
MANNA FOR MOTHERS
By Cora, a missionary in Hong Kong ~ Contributed by Barb Campbell of Mississippi
Note from Barb: I receive this wonderful word of encouragement each week called Manna for Mothers -- I was very moved by this week's edition. I just love seeing the Lord at work! If anyone here is interested in receiving these, write to the following e-mail address and tell Cora you would like to be added to her Manna for Mothers list: [email protected]
Dear Mothers,
Do you know what Nehemiah 8:10 says at the end of the verse? "The joy of the Lord is your strength". Isn't that a marvelous portion of verse! I certainly think so and have reason to say so too! Though more lengthy than usual, may I share this from my heart to YOU?
As many of you know, we are a missionary family residing in Hong Kong. My husband, John is head of a small independent mission called Far East Mission. Being in his position, he is an extremely busy man and travels much as well. I am usually here in Hong Kong with our children. Naturally, at times I think it would be nice if we could be together more, but this is the way it is.
I would like to share with you why Nehemiah 8:10 is especially meaningful to me, in light of the above mentioned fact. At present, John and our two daughters are in Mongolia and Justin, our son, is here at home with me.
Friday is our usual day to go shopping at the market for fruit and vegetables. Friday, October 24th was no exception. We did go a little earlier in the day than usual and I had a "mission" to do. Sometimes, at the market we buy fruit from a particular person (We call her the "fruit lady") and she often gives us extra fruit, free of charge. I've asked the Lord to bless her for her kindness. The previous week she gave us some extra apples. Later, I felt the Lord nudge me and suggest, wouldn't it be nice to give her some of the dried apples I was dehydrating from them? Feeling that it was of the Lord, I prepared a small ziplock bag with a sample of the apple snits on the day of my "mission." At the market I noticed she had some customers so waited until she was free. I wanted to buy something from her - so bought some small apples, 8 for $5, about $.65 US. They were not the freshest apples, but that didn't matter. She started putting some grapes in a bag for us and added more apples to my bunch. Then I offered her the dried apples. I don't think she understood what I meant (I speak some Mandarin Chinese, but she speaks Cantonese). Right then, a woman came by and told the "fruit lady" what I was trying to tell her (later I learned that she had been watching me buy vegetables and wanted to talk). Then she seemed pleased and accepted them and all of a sudden, quickly the "fruit lady" put the rest of the apples (like I was buying) in a bag for us! So I went away with two bags of fruit for only $5 ($.65)! I think there were 26 extra apples altogether! I dehydrated them. ... to be continued on a second e-mail.
...But that is not the end of the story. The lady who translated for me was waiting over nearby and seemed to want to talk. She asked if I was missionary! We began talking and she told me she is a Christian and was praying about studying the Bible in English! She said maybe I didn't have time. I replied that I felt it was of the Lord. Her Mandarin is quite good for a Hong Kong person! Her husband and she have two boys. Candy (her English name) is a stay-at-home mother. We exchanged phone numbers and she gave me her address too. Then she offered to help me with my load of things, which I really appreciated. It would not have been so easy to manage by myself. We made arrangements to meet the following Monday.
The next day, (after going to the market) early Saturday morning, when preparing the apples to dehydrate, I was full of joy! I was meditating on this door of opportunity that God opened for me to minister to this individual. Even though most of our family is not home now, joyfulness to the Lord was radiating from my heart in praise to God for His wonderful goodness to me, His child! How I want to always be in that place, at the right time so He can use me, or set me aside for His purpose. Let us rejoice in the Lord, who is our strength.
To you my friend, no matter what you face, God is abundantly able to satisfy your need according to His RICHES in glory by Christ Jesus.
Love in Christ, Cora
CROCKPOT GREEN BEANS WITH WATER CHESTNUTS
3 cans cut green beans, drained
1 can (10 1/2 oz.) French onion rings crumbled
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 8-oz. cans water chestnuts
2 cans cream of chicken or mushroom soup
3/4 cup milk
3/4 tsp. ground pepper
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
In your crockpot, layer the green beans, onion rings, cheese and water chestnuts. Combine the mushroom soup, milk, pepper and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Pour soup mixture over top of green beans. Do not stir. Cook on low 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
MAKE-AHEAD RECIPES TO FREEZE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
by Lois Breneman ~ [email protected]
Since we all could use extra hours around the holidays, any shortcuts we can apply in our kitchen will give us more time and energy to be used elsewhere. Here are a few ways of trimming down our kitchen time and energy over Thanksgiving and Christmas.
MAKE-AHEAD MASHED SWEET POTATOES
Sweet potatoes can be cooked and mashed ahead of time, then frozen. When sweet potatoes are on sale, I like to stock up, because the prices fluctuate greatly. Autumn is when we find the best prices in the US. Bake the washed sweet potatoes in a Dutch oven or roaster pan with a small amount of water for moisture. Bake at 350 F. for about an hour (check for tenderness). When cool enough to handle, peel, mash and freeze in freezer bags. It's as simple as that! I like to freeze sweet potatoes without salt or seasoning, so they can be used for sweet potato casseroles, muffins and pies, though freezing a casserole flavored with ingredients such as butter, brown sugar, cinnamon or cranberries also works very well. It's wonderful to go to the freezer and take out a dish already prepared, except for heating!
MASHED POTATO CASSEROLE
Five or ten pound bags of white potatoes are often "Buy One -- Get One Free," so in order to take advantage of these special prices, without them spoiling, you can cook, mash and freeze them into multiple casseroles for later. This is a delicious and convenient recipe from the More-With-Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre. If your family does not like spinach, try substituting grated carrots or other vegetables, although it is very good plain, with vegetables served on the side. If potatoes are the only vegetable your children will eat, try mashing a few cooked carrots or some sweet potato in with the white potatoes. When I've done this, my family thought I had added cheese. For extra nutrition and a yellow tint, an egg can also be added as the potatoes are whipped. A sprinkle of dried dill weed over the cheese before baking adds extra flavor and color.
Cook and mash: 3-4 large potatoes.
Add: 1/3 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar (given in recipe, but not necessary)
1/4 cup butter
Add just enough milk to bring to proper consistency and beat until fluffy.
Add: 1/8 tsp. dill seed
2 tsp. chives, chopped
1 cup cooked spinach, well drained, chopped
Place in greased casserole and top with 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese. May be made a day or two ahead and refrigerated, or make a double recipe and freeze half to add to a future oven meal.
FROZEN CRANBERRY SALAD
(How easy can it get?)
1 #2 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 cup sour cream
Mix together and put in ice cube trays or in a 9x9 glass dish. Sprinkle chopped nuts on top. Freeze overnight. Can be used for salad or dessert.
FROZEN INDIVIDUAL CRANBERRY MOLDS
1 can whole cranberry sauce 1/2 cup sugar (or less)
8 oz. crushed pineapple with juice 1 cup chopped pecans
8 oz. sour cream
Mix together all ingredients and freeze in muffin cups.
*Either cranberry recipe is a great make-ahead salad or dessert for Thanksgiving or Christmas! Of course, either recipe can be frozen in a large mold, glass dish, muffin cups, custard cups or individual molds.
DRESSING or STUFFING
I like to make a large dishpan full of stuffing at Thanksgiving, so I can freeze the extra and completely skip the process for Christmas -- it's already done! I don't really use a recipe for this, but make it as my mother always did. Cube bread (whole wheat and white mixture) and let it dry out on a large tray for a day or so. Sometimes I dry it in a dishpan, stirring occasionally over a 2-3 day period. Melt butter, add chicken broth, beaten eggs, lots of cooked celery and onions (sometimes a small amount of grated carrots for color), salt, onion salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, other dried herbs (parsley, Greek oregano, thyme, rosemary or tarragon, etc.). Stir well. Add enough bread crumbs for a slightly moist mixture. I bake it in a greased dish, (rather than in the bird) at 350 F. until golden brown on top. Don't overbake. The unbaked stuffing mixture will freeze great in containers or freezer bags to serve later.
PUMPKIN CAKE
2 cups sugar 2 tsp. cinnamon
4 eggs 2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup oil 1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups flour 2 cups pumpkin --1 lb. can
Cream sugar, eggs, and oil until all traces of oil are gone. Add dry ingredients. Mix. Add pumpkin and mix. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan and bake at 350 F. for 1 hour, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Frosting:
3 oz. cream cheese 1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. butter 2 cups confectioners sugar
CONFETTI CORN
If you want to save last minute meal preparation, cut a couple pats of butter into a microwavable casserole dish. Add finely chopped fresh or frozen green pepper, a jar of chopped pimientos, dill weed, frozen corn, cover and put dish in the freezer. On the day you are ready to serve the corn, take from freezer and microwave as you normally microwave corn. Add salt to taste just before serving. To cook on top of the stove, add a small amount of water first. This is a quick, tasty and colorful dish -- yellow with red and green!
LET'S TALK TURKEY!
If using a frozen turkey or turkey breast, be sure to give it a couple days in the refrigerator for safe thawing. For a juicy turkey or turkey breast, place a grapefruit, orange or lemon inside the cavity prior to roasting. Pierce the fruit to prevent it from bursting, and simply cook it as usual. You are "guaranteed" a juicy bird each time and there is no citrus or orange flavor in the turkey. I don't know how this works, but it does. You simply take the fruit and dispose of it after roasting. Obviously, you don't stuff this bird, but it works great to have a separate casserole dish of stuffing as a side dish. Several "Heart to Heart" ladies and I have tried this and it works great!
For golden sun and soft moonlight,
For jewels that brighten up the night,
For lapping waves on endless shore,
For lofty peaks where eagles soar,
I'm thankful.
For sparkling rose laden with dew,
For summer rain with rainbow hue,
For crimson skies as sun sets low,
For blessings rendered here below,
I'm thankful
For children as they laugh and play,
For gentle breeze in heat of day,
For Godly saint bowed down in prayer,
For special gifts of friendship rare,
I'm thankful.
For peace upon tempestuous sea,
For mercies daily given me,
For tests that come to make me strong,
For nightingale in joyful song,
I'm thankful.
For Christ who gave His life for me,
For grace poured out abundantly,
For His forgiveness from all sin,
For joy and peace I have within,
I'm thankful
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
May the Lord make you more aware of the blessings He has bestowed on you and your family, even if you are in the midst of trials right now. He will never leave you nor forsake you! Draw close to Him and He will hold your hand and guide you through. I am praying for those of you who will be visiting unsaved family members over the holidays, that they will see Christ shining through your life. Ladies, we all have so much for which to thank the Lord, don't we? Let's not forget to pass on a thankful spirit to our families. I'm especially thankful for the most wonderful Missions Conference ever that finished at our church last night! What fantastic miracles the Lord is orchestrating around the world to spread His good news to all nations!
A Happy Thanksgiving to YOU and your family!
Your Heart to Heart friend, Lois
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