Nancy’s Kitchen

Margie’s Poppy Seed Cake

Ingredients:

· 1 box yellow or lemon cake mix

· 1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding

· ½ cup oil

· ½ cup Bailey’s Irish Crème / Crème Sherry

· 1 cup sour cream

· 1/3 cup poppy seeds

· 4 eggs

Instructions:

· Pre-heat oven to 350º f.

· Blend all together

· Pour into greased & floured bundt or tube pan

· Bake 350º f. for 50-60 minutes

· Cool in pan for 10 minutes

· Remove from pan

· May sprinkle with powdered sugar

· Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for 24 hours.

· Will keep several months in freezer and weeks in fridge.

· Serve cold.

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French Toast Strada, courtesy of Karina Turkiewicz

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

2 Tbsp maple syrup (or light corn syrup)

1 loaf French bread (a couple of days old is better, or dry out a bit in warm oven)

5 eggs

1 ½ cups milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt in saucepan the brown sugar, butter and syrup.

Pour into a 9 x 13 pan.

Slice (or cut in cubes) French bread, about 1” thick.

Arrange over syrup mixture.

Mix eggs, vanilla and milk. Pour over bread, sprinkle with cinnamon, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 350º for 30-40 minutes

Sprinkle with powdered sugar or colored sprinkles.

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Richard and I are reading a book by Richard Twiss entitled “One Church Many Tribes”. It is most interesting as we learn more of our Anglo-American culture and more of the Native American culture. At times we find ourselves in grief and abhorrance of the things our Anglo ancestors and predecessors, innocently or not, have perpetrated on the Native American population. (I noted that these kinds of abusive behavior is not limited to Anglo-Americans. It happens all over the world.) Other times we find ourselves receiving encouragement and a greater understanding of the potential of good interaction with and acceptance of different cultures. I need to spend more time now processing what we have been reading, finding out where we “fit in” to the overarching picture of God’s Love and Redemption for the world. Thanks for “listening”.

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I am absolutely ruined for anything other than Christ Jesus and His precious children!! My heart cries out for me to return to the Gypsies and I’ve only been back 2 months! I’ll be praying and saving and doing whatever I can to get back to see “my” Gypsy Girls next summer! I do so love them!!

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Today is Wednesday.  Friday morning I will be flying to New York to join a group, Global Celebration.  We will be spending 10 days with some of the Gypsies in Eastern Europe.  I’m pretty well set, but I do have some loose ends to tie up.  A young friend from church is going with me this year.  We’re both getting excited! 

I think you’ll be able to follow us on Georgian Banov’s MySpace page.  Also, his daughter, Yana Brink, has a good MySpace page with photos and videos from previous Gypsy trips.

During the next two weeks, when I can get to an internet cafe, I will post here about some of our experiences.  I’ve not been able to upload photos for some time, so I will not be able to post photos here.  After I return, I will post them on an online gallery.

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Yesterday I noticed that we had some day lilies blooming.  Then I realized that they are located right where Stretch buried his bone.  You know what is good for lilies and other bulb flowers?  Right!  Bone meal… or in this case, the bone intact!! 

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I’m participating in a ladies’ marriage study by the above name. I am finding the study challenging and refreshing, because it brings back to mind all those principles for living in harmony with your mate. Yes, those are the ones, the ones we read, say “yea, makes sense”, and then go on as if we’d never read them!!

This study really does make sense, and the principles really work, too! It uses a book to read and a study guide with lots of really tough questions. Homework takes several hours! This would be a good study for couples preparing to marry as well as those who have been married long enough to find that life is not always bliss! Just don’t wait too long to start working on your marriage… it’s easier when you are proactive instead of fixing things after they’re broken!!

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Lovely weather today!!

I thought I’d treat our dog, Stretch, and gave him a frozen beef bone. He gently took it from my hand and calmly walked out the back door, down the walk to the side garden, and buried it among the lilies! He never flinched with the cold. He just saved it for later.

I love my dog!

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It began snowing last night - our first snow of the year. Living in Tidewater, Virginia - in the southeast corner of Virginia - we don’t see much snow. Last night we received maybe 1/2 an inch - enough to trim the brown grass and yellow daffodils with a light dusting. Our camellia bush, with red buds preparing to burst, also was trimmed like a Christmas tree with red lights.

Most of the day today, we’ve had some bit of snow falling, but usually as a “fluttering”. A few minutes ago I could say we actually had a “snow flurry”, but now it’s back to flutterings. What a beautiful day! I’m getting my laundry done, and some reading and praying. It’s a great day for staying indoors (although I did go sit in my porch swing for a few minutes and enjoy smelling the crisp, cold, snowy air)! Did you know that you can smell snow? Yes, you can! Growing up in Eastern Kansas, I learned to smell both the approaching snow and rain. It’s something in the air, drawing my attention, like a “heads-up” from Jesus.

I’m having a REALLY GOOD DAY. I hope you are, too.

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When we reject the Author of morality and character, morality and character in our society will decline and eventually be extinguished like a candle snuffed out, resulting in personal and societal chaos and dictatorial governments.

Lord, forgive us for rejecting You.  Come! Rebuke the leaders who put on the appearance of “good” but reject the Only One who is truly Good.

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