Sweet Potato and Pineapple Purée

Last night, I made Sweet Potato and Pineapple Purée for desert! It was scrumptious! This terrifically yummy Mexican desert is simple and easy to make, and through making it, I just found another family favourite. Here is the recipe:

{Email readers: if you can't see the recipe, click here}

Interview Response

I'm excited to post this interview, especially because it's from my good friend Abigail! Sadly, she can't post it on her blog (blogging problems), so she emailed it to me. Be prepared to be blessed by her testimony, like I have! Blessings, Esther

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Abigail and her little sister, Clara

Question 1: Give us your name (not last name for safety reasons), age (optional), location, hobbies, interests, etc. Basically, introduce yourself! :)
Hi! My name is Abigail Celeste and I live in rural Montana. I’m fifteen years old and love being a teenager :) I have a wonderful family: a mom and dad, five brothers and two sisters. I also have a sister in heaven. I enjoy writing, poetry, flower gardening, swimming, biking, horses, reading, family, little moments, hunting, Montana life, old fashioned things and cooking. I like cleaning too. :) I love dancing in the breeze, praying with friends and long summer afternoons.

Question 2: How did you become born again?
I was ten years old when I think I first felt real conviction of sin. I was a very bad little girl, lying constantly, throwing wild fits, hitting mom, being a terror to my siblings, you get the picture. Well, the summer when I was ten our family was reading through the Bible during the day because Dad was between jobs then and he wanted to seek the Lord in a deep way. I was under deep conviction. I was terrified! I knew if I died I would go to HELL. And I was sick of my empty life, tired of doing wrong. My whole life was just a mess. I wasn’t ready. So one night I went to Mom and Dad’s room in desperation. I cried out to God. I asked Jesus to forgive me and save me, I prayed desperately, my parents suggested things to pray, I wanted to do whatever it took to be a Christian! I knew only Jesus could save me. I was really sorry for my sins and sick of my life. I wanted to change. And God did change me! I remember lying in bed full of peace. I was at rest. I felt clean, like all the dirt was washed away. I was so amazed! I was baptised later that year. I can truly say that was the best day of my life so far.

Abigail at her Montana home

Question 3: What is your current walk with the Lord like?
I have gone through many tough things since that day, including a time of severe backsliding. Many times I almost gave up. I have often thought I was beyond hope. I have been so unworthy! I have sinned a lot. But God has been so merciful! He doesn’t give up on me. He keeps raising me up and loving me on. He’s such a wonderful God! I can truly say the life for Him is the only life worth living for. He showers love and hope on me every day. He’s showing me how to love Him and have a personal walk with Him. He’s so good! If I live in Him I can have victory.

Question 4: How do you help and serve your family?
Well this is something I have not done enough of. I could serve them a lot more! With God’s grace I will serve them more. I clean, work in the garden, take care of the children, cook, help teach school to the little ones, do wash, and stuff like that.

Question 5: How do you serve others?
Again, I could do a lot more of this! I sometimes help an elderly lady clean her house and I occasionally help a nearby neighbour or a busy mom. I love the times when I get to babysit other children or help my friends with their work.

Question 6: What are some of your favourite things?

A wonderful friend! Praise the Lord for such
a good sister!

Talking on the phone, e-mails, reading blogs, taking walks, time at the beach, with friends, horseback riding, fruit, dancing in the breeze, the color maroon, chocolate truffles, writing, music, in the garden, simple pleasures, vintage, and singing.

Question 7: What are some of your struggles?
Oh, I really want to simply trust God more! To have simple faith and just take Him at His word! That is one of my greatest struggles. I doubt SO often. Also to do the things I need to do (eg. Getting up on time, reading my Bible, helping out more, being friendly to strangers) And I need to depend on God to have victory more! Also my temper and getting angry easily is another main area. Oh, how I need God to help me! How merciful He is to someone so flawed as me.

Question 8: What encouragement do you have to give?
Don’t give up! With God’s help you can win! Also, don’t feel alone in the fight. There are other girls out there struggling too. There is hope. I used to feel rather alone but I know I am not. Others struggle too, and others find victory too. There is hope!

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Now...visit her blog! :)

Last Night's Meal

Last night, we had a yummy meal! Here's what we had:

MANGO CHICKEN (Asian food)

MUSHROOM SOUP (a Dutch dish)

{Email readers: if you can't see the recipes, click here}
Oh, YUM!

Fried Bananas

Yesterday for school, I made my first ever (at least, I think it was first ever!) Thai food (at least, it came from a Thai cookbook! I was able to find only about 2 recipes from the book that I could even do, and this was one of them). It was really yummy, and super easy. All we had to buy for it was firm bananas, which wasn't much of a problem! So here's the recipe:

FRIED BANANAS

(Email readers: click here if you can't see the recipe)
(SOURCE: Classic Thai Cooking Course, by Kit Chan)

A Testimony of God Working in Your Life

Introduction: Here's something I thought would be a great way to get to know each other a little better! What I want you to do is this: copy/paste the questions below into a text editor, and answer them. Then, you can either email me {via contact me} the questions here (and I'll post it on this blog and then link up below) or post directly to your blog and link up. Also, when you email it to me or post this on your blog, try to include 1-5 pictures (if you're emailing me, just include the links of them), so we get a good idea of who you are and where you live! Either way, you can encourage other people with your testimony! Thank you, Abigail, for the idea! 

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Question 1: Give us your name (not last name for safety reasons), age (optional), location, hobbies, interests, etc. Basically, introduce yourself! :)

Question 2: How did you become born again?

Question 3: What is your current walk with the Lord like?

Question 4: How do you help and serve your family?

Question 5: How do you serve others?

Question 6: What are some of your favourite things?

Question 7: What are some of your struggles?

Question 8: What encouragement do you have to give?

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Thank you for doing this for me. You don't know how encouraging it is for me to see that there are other girls and women out there that struggle and strive to win just like me. Thanks a lot!

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SPREAD THE ENCOURAGEMENT:

<center> <a href="http://joyful-maiden.blogspot.co.nz/2012/07/a-testimony-of-god-working-in-your-life.html" target="_blank" ><img border="0" src="http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/6363/atestimonyofgod.png"/></a></center>

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To link up: please copy and paste the actual url of your post, not just your blog url. That way, in years from now we can still come see the right post when we click on the link! Thanks!!!!

Light

Warning: this may be boring, so please bear with me! It was written late last night.

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“The light of the body is the eye...” (Matthew 6:22)

“For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers.” 1 Peter 3:12

I never realized (until today) how many colours and shapes and, um…everything (!) there is in this world we live in today. You know that the only way we can see these things is through our eyes! I don't need to tell you that! Here's how I made this great discovery:

Picture of me before I got new glasses--notice
them pinching the sides of my head? The new
ones don't.

About four years ago, I hat to get glasses—for the first time in my life. I've been wearing them since. The problem? I outgrew them! Quickly! I remember noticing ½-1 year later, that I wasn't seeing as clearly as I once used to. It bugged me a little, but there wasn't really anything I could do about it!

Well, to make long story short, I started realizing (about 1 ½ – 2 months ago) that I couldn't see my feet very well—WITH my glasses on!—and I told Mum about it. She was able to find an optometrist for me, and I went about a month ago. During that visit, we realized that I would need double the strength glasses that I was wearing at the time. And the cost was tremendous! We did find out, though, that if we got a special card from the government, ¾ of the bill would be subsidized. Wow! Mum had the papers, she just never had filled them out and sent them in. So…to the mailbox they went! Then we waited. And waited. And waited some more. Then, one bright sunny day, it came! (*Ahem*, I should add in here—I've never seen the card. All that really mattered was that “IT” came!) And I didn't even find out about it for a while. *Boo hoo!* (NOT!!!)

Anyway, today I went to the doctor and got my new glasses. They're a nice colour of blue, not at all like my old, scratched purple ones! They're beautiful! Well, not in the sense of “beauty”; the really beautiful thing about them is that I can see with them!

Before I got these, I was (and still am, I guess!) near-sighted. So that means that anything beyond a foot from me was starting to get blurry, and anything beyond 5-10 feet were just blurred shapes—do you remember that blurry picture of Joe running I posted a while back? It was kinda like that. Now everything is sharp—and clear!!! I can see trees a long way away, with all their little branches! It's amazing! Me & Mum figure I can see 20/20 now—it's truly amazing!

Me with my new glasses--I can SEE!

Light is so…wonderful. I never realized how many different colours there are—in so many different ways—until now. I feel like Helen Keller. I've just learned to “see” things again—she learned with her hands, I learned with my glasses. But, in one way, we're one and the same. Always learning. Always seeing something new—the bumps on a tree branch, individual hairstyles, the feathers of a bird, the roughness of tree bark. What a wonderful world God made!

For those of you who can see, who have never had a problem with your eyes, then enjoy the things around you. Dig deep into the intricacies that you have gotten used to seeing everyday. You never know—they may not be the same for you ever again. Enjoy your eyesight. God gave it to you for a reason—so that you can see the intricacies of His creation.

It is as a totally new world has spread out in front of me. Things are not just blurry blobs any more. They have design to them. Small things that I never dreamed were there are there! I'm just…astounded. Amazed. Stunned. Tomorrow (if it's sunny, of course!) I hope to take a walk. Things have so much more depth now. More intensity of colour. More…I don't know, it's just so much more interesting now! Life has a new colour! I wonder how much I've missed over the years…

Well, I should head to bed. It's late, and I have a lot of “looking” to do tomorrow! 

Goodnight! 

*yawn* 

UPDATE: 

Another amazing thing I've found—I can see 3D! Before I got these, I was seeing things kind-of 2D, with a little bit of 3D added in. Every time I step into the kitchen for something, I'm kind-of overwhelmed. I can see (clearly!) to the other end of the room without a problem! It's just so…wonderfully different. Praise the LORD! I'm LOVING it!

It's Been a Beautiful Day! {Photo Journal}

WRITTEN YESTERDAY:
This afternoon, I took some time to walk around the farm and take some pictures. Enjoy!

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I watched Chessy as she stood there, a dwarf among the pines. Beautiful!

Chrissie lay by the fence, a hunched shape against the green of the grass. Her mouth moved rhythmically up and down, chewing her cud. She's the first calf we as children had raised, and hopefully soon she'll have her own calf!

Joe ran ahead of me, skipping in the green grass. Suddenly his legs slipped out from under him, and he landed in a laughing heap. Happy Joe! 

Walking past the old sagging gate, I finally came to the place I go to the most these days—the goat paddock. There they lay, digesting their food. Enjoying the sunshine. My goats. All of 'em—from Clove down to Niña. All of them. I love them! (yes, even if they do scream at me day in and day out!)

Petal

“I hear something…” --Siko

Cocoa

Niña

Hopping over the goat paddock gate, and crossing the goat paddock to the back line, I got a good view of the cattle our landlord has grazing on the property. {Okay, this probably requires explanation. He raised a crop of barley, and at the moment it's about 30 cm (1 ft) tall. At the moment, dairy farms are have almost dried off all their cows. They'll calve in 1-2 months. During that time, they often send their cows to farms around in the surrounding area, giving their grazing land a rest. The farmer makes good money from it, and the dairy farmer doesn't have to worry about them for a while!} 

About this time, my brothers joined me, and we continued on down the paddock. 

The chooks were very busy in whatever-chooks-do-to-keep-themselves-busy, and so I didn't stay long. 

Momma duck was at the tank overflow, but when we came she hurried on her way. Humans don't go very well with this Ducky Lucky! :) 

Seth took off through the grass to show Nate the cows. I took the opportunity to snap a few pictures! Brothers enjoying each other's company are so much more interesting than a duck! The sunlight really made it pretty, too. :) 

On second thought, that's one handsome pair! :) LOVE MY BROTHERS!

Joe took off, a blur of movement. He ran to the gate and back, and I had a hard time getting a picture of him!

Aww...I'm sure that child has to be photogenic! LOVE HIM!

Elijah isn't near as photogenic, but I can get a good shot of him once in a while. 

After taking several pictures, I went on through the pig sty (where the goats sleep at the moment, because we don't have pigs!). Siko was there, eating hay (Clove was there, too, but she came over to see if I had any food for her, so she wasn't in the picture!). 

Elijah and Joe decided to climb onto the roof, so I was able to snap a few more pictures of them. 

Later on this evening, as the sun was setting, I went out to take some pictures. It was beautiful! Billy admired the view, too. 

Oh...isn't God good? It's been a beautiful day!

What I Will Be Doing For My 1st Recipe Video:

I know, I'm a little late in announcing this...sorry! Anyway, it was interesting seeing the responses to my poll. Using a random number generator, here is what it came up with...

Yes...FETA CHEESE wins! 

It's one of my favorite cheeses because it is so, so easy to make. Next time we have enough milk, I'll show you how to make it, huh?

For now,

Admitting That I Forgot (Jewels of Jesus Magazine)

Yes, saddest truth of all! I forgot to post the 3rd issue of the magazine me and a friend put together for just under and teenage girls! I'm sorry about that! So, here it is: (click on the cover to see the pdf, or right click, and "save link as" to your computer so you can read it later!)

....read more!

Here are the other two issues:

#1:

....read more!

#2:

....read more!

(Email readers: go here to see the pictures. [opens in new tab])

Hope you enjoy it!

Journal of the Wondrous Night

Yesterday and today, I got to write a journal as if I was a shepherd boy the night that Jesus was born! It was interesting! Read the real story in Luke 2. (NOTES: {1} indicates footnote. 1581 words in the story) By the way, I used the Jewish calendar when making this. The dates are in late June.

-------------------Tammuz 4-------------------

Yesterday I was sitting. Sitting, and wishing I was already there. But, there I was, listening to Rabbi Eli reading (in that musical way of his) the Nevi'im{1}. His voice rose and fell as he read, “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? … He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. … All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.{2}” Who, I wondered? Who was despised and rejected? Was it the thieves—the bandits that roamed across the hills of Judea? Who was the “man of sorrows”? I will probably never find out.

After the service, we all went back home to a cold lunch Mother and sister Rachel prepared the day before. Then we sat in the light filtering in through the doorway and windows, listening to the birds outside in the tree. Father and I took turns quoting from the Talmud and Torah and singing songs from the Tehillim (Psalms). The day passed (slowly, though), and we went to bed.

This morning, I awoke to bird songs and the tinkling of a passing donkey. As I groggily sat up, I remembered what day it was—the day I was to travel to the sheep herd! Mother was up and around, preparing breakfast. Beside me, David stirred in his sleep and then woke with a jerk when the water pot Rachel was carrying thumped to the ground just outside the door. Rolling up my mat and placing it in the corner, I went outside to see what Father was doing. He was looking over the donkey to make sure that it was ready for the journey I was going to start on after breakfast.

I was impatient to get started, and breakfast seemed to drag by. After we had eaten, Mother packed my script with some cakes and fish for the journey, filled a goatskin with water, and I was ready to go!

“You'll be alright, won't you?” her sombre voice jolted me to attention.

“Far as I know, why?” I questioned, looking into her worried face.

“Abel (that's my older brother) just got back from the market, and said that a band of merchants reported seeing robbers in the hills. Are you sure you'll be safe all alone up there?”

“Oh yes! You know I've got my sling, Mother!” I cried, “I'll be okay. If you wanted to, you can send John (our hired servant) with me. The merchants were probably just lying hypocrites, anyway.”

“I suppose you are right.” She sighed, and glanced over to the stables. “Looks like Father has the donkey ready.”

So that's how my journey started—Mother worrying about me. I walked out the gate and down the road, leading the donkey behind me. He was carrying little—a sack of grain to grind into flour once I got to where the other shepherds were, my bedroll, a few loaves of bread to give to my brothers that were there, and my harp.

There were flocks of sheep on either side of the road, and I listened to the floating calls of ewes to their lambs as I walked. I saw a family out in the field, tending the growing wheat. As I walked closer to the hills, there were more trees, and the shade was a welcome relief. I rested beside a stream from the heights for midday meal, then pressed onward.

Just about the time I was getting tired, I found my brother Saul with our flock of sheep. I had crossed the hills without trouble! He pointed to their tent, and I unloaded the donkey and led it to the creek for a drink. Then I hobbled him. After I took care of the donkey, I went back to the tents where the evening meal was almost ready. Now here I am, watching the moon rise, sitting between my two brothers. It's been a good day, and I'm tired!

-------------------Tammuz 5-------------------

I fell asleep last night just as soon as I laid down on my bed. The stars twinkling above us were not dimmed by clouds. It was beautiful!

About midnight, a light—bright as the sun—brought us all to our feet. We stared at the strange being hanging there, halfway between earth and sky. I was so scared that I could hardly speak. I was able to croak out, “Abner—is it the end of the world?” He looked at me, his eyes full of fear. “I don't know.”

The being began talking. “Fear not!” His voice, like the sound of many waters, sounded against the hills behind us, and bounced back in a thunderous sound. Then he continued, “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

The light from him was almost blinding, and I fell to my knees. Who was this person? Why was he here? Suddenly, the voice stopped. Silence had almost overtaken the echoes, when I heard the sweetest sound on earth. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” I looked up, and saw angels—a whole sky full of them! By this time, my brothers couldn't stand more. They fell on their faces in fear. I listened, enthralled, as the chorus continued—the sky was lit up as if it was day! Then, as suddenly as they had come, they were gone.

I scrambled to my feet, and looked dazedly around at my brothers who were looking up, astonished. “Did you hear him?” Abner clambered to his feet, and gazed at the glittering sky. “Did you HEAR him?” he repeated, his voice filled with awe. “He said that 'Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord'! I'm going to see Him!” Saul stood, and brushed off a few twigs that clung to his cloak. “Me too.”

They bounded down the path leading to the city, and I hastened to catch up. I didn't want to miss anything!

We got through the city gates without trouble, and stopped in the marketplace to talk. “He said that we would find him in a manger, wrapped in swaddling robes.” Saul quietly reminded Abner.

“Yes, that's right. I remember that there's a stable behind the inn just down the street. Let's start there! That's the only place I can think of where a manger would be!” Abner grinned and started off down the street at a fast trot. We ran to catch up, and arrived panting at the stable doors. A light shone through a crack in the wall, and Abner put a finger over his lips. “Shh. I think this is the place!” His excitement showed on his face, and he knocked on the door.

“Come in!” a gruff voice answered his knock. A man appeared in the doorway, and beckoned us in.

“We ah, we came to see—to see the Savior,” Abner finished lamely.

“Come right in!” He smiled, and led the way to where a young woman lay on the straw. Beside her, nestled in the manger, lay a baby.

“This—this is the one?” Saul questioned.

The man nodded, “Yes.” Reverently, we all fell to our knees. This was the one! This was Messiah! The long-awaited King of Israel!

After a little bit, we left to share the good tidings. “Messiah is HERE!”

What an exciting day!

-------------------Tammuz 6-------------------

I had a hard time going back to sleep last night. After getting back from town in the wee hours, I wrote in my diary. Then I slept (at least, tried to sleep!) until the sheep began waking at dawn. Oh, how exciting life is!

I was to stay here for several months, learning all about how to handle the sheep so that I can do it once my brothers get married. But Saul and Abner sent me back home today—with the donkey, of course—to spread the news there. Mother was glad to see me home—she seems to have missed me—I don't know why! After I told her what I had heard, she called Father, and I re-told the story. They believed me, especially because of the note Abner sent with me. They knew I was not faking. Father called the neighbors, and now we're having a regular feast! It's amazing what one little bit of news can do! I'd better go, though, because they want me to tell the story again. Adieu!


FOOTNOTES:
{1}The Nevi'im is the name the Jews give for the books of the Prophets. This includes: “Former Prophets--Yehoshua/Joshua, Shoftim/Judges, Shmuel/Samuel, and M'lakhim/Kings--and the Nevi'im Acharonim [or Major Prophets]--Yeshauyahu/Isaiah, Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah, Yechezkel/Ezekiel, and Trei Asar (the Twelve minor prophets--Hoshea, Yoel, Amos, Ovadyah, Yonah, Micah, Nachum, Chabakuk, Tzefanyah, Chagai, Zecharyah, and Malachi)” (Information Credit)

{2}Quote from Isaiah 53:1, 3, and 6

Announcing...

Across the Kitchen Counter!

(Okay--yes, yes, I can hear the cheers, thank you. Now, down to business...) :)

Yes, I know you've been waiting a while for this! But I'd like your help deciding which recipe I should do first? So vote on this poll...

What Recipe Do You Want Me To Do First? (I've chosen the first ten off my list)
	Corn Crunch--breakfast cereal
	Grandma's Rolls
	Mayonnaise (and our top 3 favorite salad dressings)
	Soft Molasses Biscuits/Cookies
	Naan Bread
	Noodles
	Vanilla Pudding
	Clafouti (we use it as breakfast, but the French use it as a desert.)
	Farm Cheese
	Feta Cheese

...and tell me! :) I'll look at the results in three days, and whatever has the highest amount of votes we'll do.  Simple, huh? And we'll try to get it done within a week! Here's hoping.... :)

And just to celebrate the beginning of Across the Kitchen Counter, here's a video I made a while back...enjoy!

Picture Journal

Here are some pictures I took on Sunday and Monday; enjoy!

SUNDAY:

After church, we stopped at the ocean for a while.

Beautiful ocean!

The river heading to the ocean.

James and Joe climbing on the rocks.

Rocks and oceans (of water!).

Rocks and oceans (different point-of-view)

I love waves!

Ahh..beautiful!

See the seagull?

I love mountains, too!

This is my favorite picture. I love the colors!

Elijah, playing in the water.

This is Mum's favorite picture--it looks so dark because it
was cloudy!

James helping Joe.

Brotherly love in action!

Mum, Nate, and Dad. Love 'em!

MONDAY:

Joe, wearing some dress-up shoes!

I love my crazy brother!

"Esther, I'll wear your shoes for a little while!"

The new cow--I call her Blossom, but everyone else (or at
least most everyone!) calls her "The Friesian".

Just after the cow came, a new cat showed up.

Simon started trying to get close to it.

So pretty!

He kept going around and around the house, yowling for food.

Isn't he (or she, we're not quite sure) cute?

We called it "White Paws", but since he cries so much we've
started calling it "Crybaby"!

So yes, that's been the past few days--and only glimpses of the days, mind you!