FRAGRANCE OF HIS LOVE

This thanksgiving, we should be in awe of God's love. If it was not for God who was on our side, where we would be today? Never doubt God's love regardless of what u may go through. It is from the love of God that all our hopes begin, and it is upon the love of God that all our hopes depend. If it were not for the Father's love, there never would have been a covenant of grace. If it were not for His infinite love, no atoning sacrifice would have been provided. If it were not for His active love, no Holy Spirit would have given us life and renewed us.
   If it were not for his unchanging love, all that is good in us would soon pass away. If it were not for love almighty, love unchangeable, love unbounded, we could never hope yo see the face of the King in His beauty in the land that is very far off. He love us, and therefor He leads us and feeds us and establishes us forever.
  The actual reason for our ocnfidence is that "the love of God is shed abroad in hearts by the Holy Ghost." The Holy Spirit is in the heart of every believer, and He is occupied with many acts of grace.
   For a moment we may seem to forget the love of God when we are in the midst of business of the world, but as soon as the pressure is removed, we return to our rest. the sweet perfume of divine love overcomes sin and never abandons the heart that has known its excellent delights.

LENTIL SOUP

The Basics

Lentils are part of the legume family, and one of the characteristics of a legume is it’s ability to absorb nitrogen from the air and convert it into protein within the plant own seeds. They grow in pods, are flat, are about the size of a pencil eraser, and can be sold whole or split in half.

Nutrition

For such a small ’seed’, these lentils are packed with great nutrition! They are high in fiber which can help manage and prevent blood sugar spikes after a meal. And of course the lack of your blood sugar spiking is fabulous for keeping your hormones in check! They also boast excellent amounts of folate (otherwise known as folic acid), with just one cup of lentils bringing you over half your daily needs. Lentils are also high in manganese (which plays a role in reproductive health), protein, and iron.
(an in depth nutritional profile)

How to Prepare

Like other legumes, lentils contain something called phytates as well as other enzyme inhibitors, that prevent our bodies from absorbing nutrients and can actually take nutrients from us. In order to render these harmless, it’s as easy as soaking for a few hours before cooking. Pour lentils into a clean jar or bowl, cover with warm water, and add 2 Tbsp whey (or other acidic medium like vinegar or lemon juice) per 2 cups of lentils. Soak for about 8 hours, then drain and rinse. Place your rinsed lentils in a pot and cover with water. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until bite tender.

Lentil Soup Recipe

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 diced carrots
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 4 medium sized cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp basil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes – or 2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 2 – 3 cups of soaked lentils
• 8 cups liquid (a mix of water and broth – I used half and half)
• 1/2 cup spinach
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• pepper to taste

In a large pot, add oil, onions, carrots, and celery and cook until onion is tender and translucent. Stir in garlic, oregano, and basil, cooking  for an additional 2 minutes.
Stir in lentils, bay leaf, water/broth, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at about 1 hour (testing at 30 minutes and again at 45 minutes to make sure the lentils don’t over cook)(also, don’t add the salt in until the lentils have finished cooking as it will prevent them from softening). Just before you’re ready to serve, stir in spinach, and cook until it wilts. Finally stir in vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

The Verdict:

Level of difficulty – Easy
Cost - Approximately $.40 per 2 cup serving (a very cheap meal indeed!)
Time -

• 2 minutes prep to soak, 8 hours soaking
• 15 minutes prep
• 50 minutes cooking

Taste - I was very surprised at how much I liked this! I’d never tried lentils before and was a bit hesitant. While they do have some of the same texture that beans do, it didn’t bother me near as much, maybe because of their size. And this recipe (adapted from one I found at allrecipes.com) is extremely tasty! My husband really liked it as well and I think this soup will become part of our regular meal rotation!

APPLE CUSTARD PIE WITH CINNAMON STUESDEL TOPPING

My Apple Custard Pie cinnamon struesdel  - I got the recipe from Redbook
Ingredients

1 recipe Basic Pie Pastry  - Premade from walmart is $1.49

Cinnamon Streusel:

• 1/4 cup(s) (packed) light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon - I use 1/4 mexican cinnamon
• 1/4 cup(s) walnuts, chopped

Filling:

• 3/4 cup(s) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch(s) salt
• 3/4 cup(s) sour cream
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) grated lemon zest
• 1/3 cup(s) dried cranberries
• 4 small (1 1/2 pounds) Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and each cut into 12 slices

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Directions

1. Prepare our Basic Pie Pastry.
2. Adjust oven rack to lower third of oven. Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
3. Cinnamon Streusel: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon. Using hands, mix until large crumbs form. Stir in walnuts.
4. Filling: In a bowl, whisk sugar, flour, and salt. Add sour cream, egg yolks, vanilla, and lemon zest; whisk until smooth. Sprinkle bottom of unbaked pie shell with dried cranberries. Arrange apple slices in a concentric circle over cranberries. Pour sour cream mixture over apples. Sprinkle streusel on top. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake 45 to 50 minutes longer, or until apples are tender and custard is set. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Its always a hit!!! We all love it!! I will take pictures and post later.