Fall Recipes!

Some of you recently asked me for the recipes I made last weekend when my friend Jenn was visiting. So...here they are! I hope you enjoy as much as we did. If you get a moment, leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of the recipes! :) Happy cooking!

Thai-Style Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups of Pumpkin Puree or one 15 oz can of pumpkin

1 14 oz can of veggie broth

1 1/2 cups of mango or apricot nectar

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 5 oz can of evaporated milk or unsweetened coconut milk (I recommend the coconut milk)

1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons of rice vinegar

Several dashes of hot pepper sauce or 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

1/4 cup of snipped fresh cilantro

Sour cream or plain yogurt (optional)

dried Thai Chile peppers (optional)

1. In a large saucepan combine pumpkin, broth, nectar, ginger, and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 mins, stirring occasionally.

2. Whisk milk, peanut butter. vinegar, and hot sauce until smooth. Stir in cilantro. Ladle soup into bowls. If desired, top with sour cream and/or garnish with Thai Chile peppers.

Acorn Squash with Sausage and Corn Bread Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 8.5 oz package of corn muffin mix

4 small acorn squash (12 to 16 ozs each), halved lengthwise and seeds removed

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper

8 oz of bulk pork sausage

1 cup coarsely chopped onion (1 large)

1 cup sliced celery (2 stalks)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon snipped fresh sage or thyme

1/2 cup of chicken broth

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare and bake muffin mix according to package directions for an 8x8x2 inch baking pan. Cool corn bread in pan. Cut into 3/4 inch cubes; set aside. Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees.

2. Meanwhile, lightly grease a 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Sprinkle cavities of squash with salt and pepper. Arrange squash halves, cut side down, in prepared pan.

3. Bake squash halves, uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender. Remove pan from oven. Using a wide metal spatula, carefully turn squash halves over.

4. Meanwhile, in an extra-large skillet cook sausage, onion, celery, and garlic until sausage in browned and veggies are tender. Drain off fat. Stir in sage. Add corn bread cubes; toss gently to combine. Drizzle with broth and melted butter; toss gently to moisten. Spoon stuffing into squash cavities, mounding the stuffing.

5. Bake, uncovered, about 30 mins or until top of stuffing is golden brown and mixture is heated through.

Hope you enjoy these recipes! Have fun with your fall cooking!

The Problem with Idols: Desires Gone Crazy!

Hi from the outer banks of North Carolina!! This is the first time in a while I've been able to blog...life with a very busy two year old is full most days. I'm happy to be back for a bit-I'm enjoying some much needed quiet time with my Savior today.

My small group has been studying No Other Gods by Kelly Minter these past few weeks. I can't tell you how revealing it has been...I feel like I've grown by leaps and bounds through these studies. It's amazing how the simple things in life, even the good things, can rob us from God and the beautiful plan He has for our lives.

Idols are not necessarily only things on our bad list, but they can be things that are so good. Kelly says "Ah, and yes, the worst gods of all can be people. They are easy gods, but never good ones." When pleasing people, looking for their acceptance, or using them to fill the void only God can fill is taking first place in life, then we're idolizing them and denying God's ultimate gift of love. How many times in my life have I done this? Too many, way too many times.

God is starting to clear out some of the junk in my heart and leading me to his guiding light that fills my soul as nothing else can.

I feel really blessed to have been led to this study. God is really using this as a time to draw me closer to Himself...and I'm loving the new, fresh journey.

"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." Vs. 7 "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Vs. 8 "Come near to God and he will come to you. Wash your hands, you sinner, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." James 4:1-4, 7 & 8.