Foodie Redux

Posted on March 25, 2016 by Paula

It won’t be long and my movie buddy will be gone. She’s moving to sunny Florida and I’ll remain here in the Midwest. I will miss her. She and I have similar tastes in movies and books. We both like to play Scrabble and we both can talk a mile a minute.

Today’s Foodie post is re-blogged for Gina, my movie buddy, and a tribute to that quintessential concession stand treat: popcorn.

“I Can Hear It Now”

Popcorn is a snack food that has been compared to social media. I suppose it’s true; the more generous you are with it, the more people you attract.

When you think of popcorn, do you think of

a) Jiffy Pop
b) Microwaved
c) Theater-popped
d) Air-popped
e) All of the above

When popcorn pops, it creates not just a sound in the ear, but an aroma in the nose. The unique treat in your hand belies the soft crunch you’re about to feel between your teeth (and the nasty hulls stuck there later on). Popcorn is a sensual experience only the eater can describe.

I come from the era of Jiffy Pop, but my family could neither afford it nor would one package have fed our large family. We popped our kernels from a bag the old fashioned way.

f) In a pan on top of the stove

My earliest association of popcorn involves Mom serving up the surprise, usually on a Saturday night. The seven of us–Dad and we six kids–would be sitting in the living room watching TV when, all of a sudden, “It” would begin.

Pop! Pop! Pop! POP-POP-POP! POP-POP-POP-POPPITY-POP! An unmistakable sound, those kernels hitting the lid of a pan. Mom couldn’t hide now what she was up to. And inevitably, one of us would hurry to the kitchen to confirm and report back, “We’re having popcorn!”

By then, the aroma of those tiny popping kernels wafted through the house; we needed no one to tell us. Imagine six kids full of anticipation for a rare treat. Then Mom came first with a bowl for Dad and, in turns, a bowl for each of us children. She’d give the popping another go because one pan didn’t feed everyone.

I confess that I can eat popcorn until it’s coming out of my ears (pun intended). At a movie theater, I’ve actually had friends with whom I’m attending keep tabs on me. Or talk me down from the ledge of even getting in line to purchase a bushel basket of it.

Whew, I just walk in the door and I’m a theater popcorn junkie. How can those youngsters at the concession stand possibly feel good about trafficking refills for a paltry fifty cents? Dripping with butter, for me, it’s a cross between Mom’s love served in a bowl and Paula Dean’s favorite recipe.*

Now, just in time for my blog post–I’ve wanted to write about popcorn for a couple weeks–the New York Times publishes an article about scientists “discovering” the mechanics of popcorn popping. Is this really news? Did no one ever figure this out before?

As if the average kid about to get a bowl of air-popped, Jiffy Popped, microwaved, or theater popcorn cared. **

At heart, I’m a kid when it comes to popcorn. It reminds me of sitting with my sibs and the folks watching the boob tube. That truly felt like family time. I didn’t need bowl after bowl of it to enjoy it. I didn’t need the buttery-flavored junk on top or the special toppings they offer these days. It didn’t have to come quickly like microwaved popcorn.

The sound and the scent were enough. And Mom knowing just when it was a good night to treat us. That’s another sensual experience, I suppose. One that evokes pleasure in my heart.

Somewhere, kids must still be sitting in living rooms listening to the poppity-pop out in the kitchen while Mom prepares to serve up a little fun and love. I know this because I see that popcorn can still be found in kernel form on supermarket shelves; the kind you have to pop without a microwave.

But if you’re interested in microwaving without buying the commercial microwave brands, here’s a great article with tips for just that.

Why not pick up some popcorn–your choice–this weekend and enjoy the treat with your family? Don’t forget the dental floss.

*I realize that’s not real butter, only some buttery-flavored concoction but still…
** Actually, my geeky grandson would probably love to study the principles of corn popping.

“Crazy” Foodie

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Paula

There must be as many different ways to make baked beans as there are families who make them. Honestly, I don’t remember how I prepared them prior to finding this recipe. When I served them to my family, even the picky eaters liked them. I like the idea that most of the sweetness comes from raisins and apple. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a no-sugar-added recipe for baked beans before this one.

Crazy Baked Beans
1 medium apple, pared and diced
½ c. chopped onion
1 31-oz. can pork and beans
6 ounces smoky links, thinly sliced
¼ c. raisins
2 T. ketchup
2 t. prepared mustard
¼ t. cinnamon

In a small sauce pan, cook apple and onion in a small amount of boiling water about five minutes or until tender. Drain. In large mixing bowl, stir together apple/onion mixture, beans, smoky links, raisins, ketchup, mustard and cinnamon. Turn mixture into a 1 ½ quart casserole dish or bean pot. Bake uncovered at 375 F. for one hour (or until heated through), stirring once.

These are good served with corn meal muffins.
Makes 8 half-cup servings

As always, if you like to cook with raw foods, you can substitute the pork and beans with dried beans to make the equivalent. In that case, you would want to add some molasses and a little brown or raw sugar. It might not take more than a couple tablespoons of each. Add them to your own taste. Use your imagination for substitutes for the meat.

Flexibility makes for a great cook!

Goin’ Fishing

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Paula

“Everybody has to believe in something. I believe I’ll go fishing.”

Last week “Whatever” spoke to the importance of sharing with others our story of coming to faith in Jesus Christ. This week, I’m offering a book review dealing with the same subject: evangelism.

Purple Fish
By Mark O. Wilson

The topic is evangelism. Or is it fishing? In Mark O. Wilson’s book, Purple Fish, both activities become his topic. The book is peppered with stories of Jesus–and everyday people–“fishing for men.” You’ll also find stories about fishing for…well…fish.

The title comes from a Greek word, kalchaino, meaning “to search for the purple fish.” The purple fish referred to is highly treasured because of the deep purple dye found in this particular shellfish. Therefore, the treasured purple fish became the metaphor for Mark’s book.

The purple fish secret, according to Wilson, is “more about attitude and perspective than technique.” And that’s why he doesn’t use “techniques.” Naturally, Wilson has advice for going forward with evangelism efforts. At the top of the list is prayer. If he has any kind of technique, it comes from his acrostic for finding connecting points with people.

Discussing Family, Interests, Situations, and Hurts with people, he says, helps us to find our common humanity and opens the door to telling the Good News of Christ. Wilson contends, like many, that evangelism is a process. He also spends time encouraging those with ichthyophobia (fears associated with sharing the gospel.)

Purple Fish is a book with simple ideas for evangelism, patterned after Christ’s model of meeting people where they are and approaching in love. Jesus didn’t follow the same method with each encounter and Wilson says this is the key to being the “second witness” in witnessing. The first witness of course, he says, is the Holy Spirit.

With thirty-three chapters, the book might seem daunting, but each is a quick read with no chapter longer than seven pages. If you’re the type that gets caught up in a book and says, “I just have to get through this next chapter,” this book is a cinch for you.

Because the book is written so simply and can be downright entertaining at times, Purple Fish will work well with small groups as well as an adjunct to a sermon series. Rather than being a text book-style reading on how to win people to Jesus, the book seriously and cheerfully mixes stories of fishing for fish and fishing for…well…people.

Mark Wilson is a seasoned pastor when it comes to evangelism, having taught nontraditional ministerial students through the Wesleyan FLAME program. He’s developed and put into practice methods that take people into the mission field of their own cities and neighborhoods. From the examples–he calls them ‘treasure hunts’–noted in this book, if his charges aren’t convinced before they begin of God’s power to draw people to Himself, they are convinced at the end of the day.

Tex-Mex Foodie

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Paula

I’m a big fan of ethnic foods. All kinds: Greek, Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Japanese, Italian.

Over the years I’ve attempted recipes for a few of them and I enjoy cooking Mexican style best of all. I have a Hispanic friend who taught me to make refried beans from scratch. My authentic Spanish rice recipe comes from Azteca foods.

Every once in a while I invite friends over for a meal of beans, rice and homemade wet burritos. I even learned to make my own flour tortillas and enchilada sauce. After learning to make wet burritos for a family years ago, I don’t think I’d know how to make them for one.

So I go all “social butterfly” and enjoy the fellowship.

Today’s Foodie offering is a simple dish.

Tex-Mex Black Beans
Makes 4 one-cup servings

16 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz. can corn, drained and rinsed
½ c. chunky salsa (mild, medium or hot; your choice)
Juice of one lime
1-2 tsp. cumin
1 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Just toss all the ingredients together and warm thoroughly in the microwave.

Although the dish is meant to be warm, you could make it a salad by adding greens of your choice and tossing together with a little more salsa or some ranch dressing. If you prefer using dry beans, use enough for the equivalent of two cups canned beans. Another healthier choice is using fresh or frozen corn.

Enjoy!

“Whatever”

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Paula

A friend of mine once said that she didn’t believe her testimony would mean much to anyone. She didn’t think her story would have much impact. She said this because she’d been raised in the church and gave her life to Christ when she was quite young. She said there wasn’t any really “exciting” stuff to tell.

I’ve also heard numerous stories of people who’ve come to faith in Christ when they’re older, having lived a pretty wild lifestyle.

One might say that my friend was saved ‘from’ a pattern of sin and the second person was saved ‘out of’ a pattern of sin.

Whatever.

Please don’t think I take my brothers’ and sisters’ salvation lightly. By saying “whatever” I mean that, although God is pleased that we are now his children, no salvation story is better than another. I say that for two reasons.

The first reason is that both people–the one saved ‘from’ and the one saved ‘out of’–were saved by the same grace and power of the very same God. His love and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the basis for both salvation stories.

The other reason I say this is because both salvation stories can have impact and both glorify God.

I have friends who’ve seen family members come out of a wild lifestyle to become Christ followers and it convinced them of the truth of the Gospel. But I’m also familiar with a story of a man who wasn’t convinced even after hearing those testimonies. What convinced him was the power of God to enable a person to have no desire to ever enter into a wild lifestyle.

We all have a story to tell. Each one is unique and with value. We need to tell it.

When it comes right down to it, God says we have all sinned and fallen short of his glory. It really doesn’t matter what age we were or what we’d done or failed to do before we came to faith in Christ. We needed the grace he extended. So every testimony matters.

Are you sharing yours?

(Late) Great Comebacks

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Paula

Tell a story. People love stories. We can all identify with stories like this one: “Why didn’t I say…?”

One day, while using the computer at the local library to work on the internet, I nibbled almonds from a snack-sized zipper bag. It was the rest of my lunch, which I’d been eating on the run.

Our library–both branches–hires Library Police, security guards who cruise around trying to catch anyone not following rules. (Whatever those are.)

There were three or four almonds left in the bag when Mr. Library Policeman came up behind me and said in a soft voice, “Ma’am, there’s no eating in the library.”

My problems with authority are diminishing, so I put the almonds in my purse instead of saying what I wanted to say: “Well, apparently there is because I’m doing it.”

As I walked out of the branch library that day, it occurred to me that perhaps I could have made Mr. Library Police (that guy who has a grim face at all times) smile if I’d said,

“Oh, nuts!”

Sweet Tooth Foodie

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Paula

Not too long ago, a friend and I had a conversation about the amount of sugar added to food. This happened right after I’d read an article about the hidden sugars in foods we eat every day. She’d been interested in making changes just like I was.

I’ve wanted to be a food snob; really I have. But I can’t be one. I’ve had a history of eating junk, and sugar was a big culprit in my formerly decadent diet. I still crave it at times.

But there’s something annoying about a former food addict trying to tell people how they should eat. That said, here’s my take on sugar and why I’ll pass on something of interest you may want to take to heart. (Literally)

Besides, it’s my blog and I can.

Facts are facts. Below is some information about recommended sugar intake and a list of 56 ways–count ’em–in which sugar can be listed on an ingredients label.

So how much should your sugar intake be? Several health organizations, including the American Heart Association, suggest that added sugar should be limited to no more than six to seven percent of your total calories. This does not include naturally occurring sugars found in fruits (fructose) and dairy products (lactose). The chart below lists the maximum recommended daily sugar intake based on various calorie levels.

Maximum Sugar Intake
Daily Calorie Intake              Grams of Sugar         Teaspoons
1,200                                                  21                               5
1,500                                                  26                               6
1,800                                                  31                               7
2,100                                                  36                               9
2,400                                                  42                               10
2,700                                                  47                                12

And here’s that list of the ways sugar shows up on an ingredients label. This list had me flabbergasted.

Look how many say syrup! What do you think of when you hear the word “syrup?” Yep, sticky and sweet. Ethyl maltol sounds like something you’d put in your gas tank.

Agave nectar
Barley malt
Beet sugar
Blackstrap molasses
Brown rice syrup
Brown sugar
Butter sugar
Cane juice crystals
Cane juice
Cane sugar
Coconut sugar
Caster sugar
Carob syrup
Corn sweetener
Corn syrup
Corn syrup solids
Crystalline fructose
Date sugar
Demara sugar
Dextran
Diastatic malt
Diatase
Ethyl maltol
Evaporated cane juice
Fructose
Fruit juice concentrate
Galactose
Glucose
Golden sugar
Golden syrup
High fructose corn syrup
Honey
Invert sugar
Lactose
Malt syrup
Maltodextrin
Maltose
Maple syrup
Molasses syrup
Muscovado sugar
Organic raw sugar
Oat syrup
Panela
Panocha
Confectioner’s sugar
Rice bran syrup
Rice syrup
Sorghum
Sorghum syrup
Sucrose
Sugar
Syrup
Treacle
Tapioca syrup
Turbinado sugar
Yellow sugar

As I said, I’m by no means perfect when it comes to my diet. After all, I’ve posted recipes on this blog for cookies I really like. And I’m not a doctor, a scientist or a dietitian. But I’ve made drastic changes in what and how much I put in my mouth. The reasons are many, but I began looking at food labels a few years ago and decided then some changes had to be made.

For instance, a couple years ago, I did an experiment with eliminating sugar and artificial sweeteners from my diet. After two weeks (I fell off the wagon), I noticed the pain from arthritis in my thumbs was gone. As soon as I started eating sugar again, the pain came back. I’m limiting sugar and artificial sweeteners now and for the last couple months, that pain has disappeared again.

What a relief. I can only imagine the other forms of inflammation in my body that are slowly going away or being reduced as a result of the decision.

Now if I want the flavor of an apple or an orange, I don’t drink it. I eat an apple or an orange. Nothing added and there’s the benefit of getting fiber.

I wish I’d made these changes sooner in life. Some of what I’m learning about food–especially sugar–is just common sense. But in my case, common sense wasn’t so common. I have to say I really didn’t care much either.

Now I do care.

That’s why this Foodie post is about eliminating as much sugar as possible from one’s diet. Even if I don’t personally know you who are reading this, I know you can benefit from the information.

Of course, knowledge is power only if you apply it.

Foodie Friday will still feature the occasional recipe that uses sugar. I am NOT a food snob and I love to cook and bake. But there will probably be more recipes for ‘stuff’ that doesn’t include it.

Good eating to you. And here’s to your health.

After That Pause…A Page

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Paula

Recently I decided to make my blog more like the website I hope to make it on another day. Including a photo of myself works. Including a ‘follow’ button and links to recent posts also works.

Another page under “Author Stuff” is something I needed. My introduction to myself is short and (I hope) somewhat humorous. It’s my way of letting you know who I am in a lighthearted way. “Published Stuff” is for the people who want to know a little more about the “author” mentioned in that page.

I’ve been writing for ghmsngrg years and this page addition includes information about past and present writing efforts. Sure, I’ve had other jobs. Retail experience in a grocery store, cleaning lady, secretary, bookkeeper, waitress, and proofreader, to name a few. But writing is a career for me, not just a job.

So hover over “Author Stuff” and take a look if you’re so inclined. Thanks for being a regular reader. As always, your comments are welcome.

“Awesome”

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Paula

When did it happen? When did the word “awesome” become a throw-away word?

Here’s what I mean by throw-away.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “awe” this way: an emotion variously combining dread, veneration (respect), and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime. For example, “stood in awe of the king” or “regard nature’s wonders with awe.”

But now, it’s an everyday occurrence for people to refer to the most common things as “awesome.”

That t-shirt with the clever saying on it. “Oh, man, that’s awesome.” A program on TV, the actor in that TV show, a video someone shared on Facebook or YouTube, or hey, just about anything can be “awesome.”

But are they really?

Do these things invoke the kind of inspiration felt when we’re in the presence of something or Someone deserving of the definition? God, His creation and any of His works are truly awesome. There are few things that compare.

A.W. Tozer, a theologian and author of many books about worship, living in the presence of God and knowing Him personally, says this:

“What comes into our minds when we think of God is the most important thing about us.”

What comes to your mind?

If our God is all-knowing, ever-present, sovereign, mighty, and constantly and impartially loving, the truest form of “awesomeness” is Him.

Hubble telescope view of the Horsehead Nebula

Whenever I go stargazing, I’m in awe. When I think of how a baby grows and is born into the world, I’m in awe. Seeing God work through people who are broken and imperfect puts me in awe. God’s revealed message to us through His Word is awesome. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross of Calvary brings me to a state of humility and awe.

I stand in awe of the King.

The other day I was listening to a song by one of my favorite Christian singer/songwriters, Rich Mullens. In “Awesome God,” he writes

“Our God is an awesome God. He reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power and love. Our God is an awesome God.”

That chorus is repeated over and over, a technique in songwriting I’m usually not fond of. But in this case, I don’t mind singing like that. Matter of fact, I was singing at the top of my lungs how awesome God is.

In my van. In front of God and everybody.

Because God and His creation are the truest form of the word “awesome

On Pause…

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Paula

The writer of this blog has an apology and an explanation for my absence in the past few weeks. “I’m sorry” to all of my readers who come by to check in and see nothing new. I’m sorry for myself because posting here enriches my life.

Lately, I’ve been preparing for and recovering from an elective surgery. I’ve also been preparing to move to a new home. In sorting priorities, the blog came in lower on the list.

Next week, when I’m settled into my new apartment, I hope to be back. Perhaps I’ll even share a little about the journey I took with the surgery. There’s actually some funny stuff to tell. Some blessings as well. God is good.

Be a blessing to someone today.

Paula

The Fruitful Life

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