Inspiring – Page 55 – Home's Cool!

Blessings of Habit, Coffee-ism, Homemaking, Inspiring, Recipes

The A-OK Breakfast—Chocolate/Strawberry Zabaglione!

Posted on April 18, 2011October 28, 2015 by Katharine

I am making this up . . .

. . . I do not like the official recipe for zabaglione because it smacks too much of raw egg to suit me and it is too slow. So although several expert cooks will probably turn over in their gravies, I present you with my own version, decidedly not haute.

But delicious.

Chocolate/Strawberry Zabaglione

4 frozen strawberries
1 T. butter
2 eggs
½ cup cream
1 T. cocoa powder
¼ t. cinnamon
1 or 2 servings stevia
1/8 t. vanilla

Place strawberries in heat-resistant cereal bowl and set aside. Melt butter in 1-quart stainless saucepan.

Meanwhile, whisk remaining ingredients together thoroughly, beginning slowly to prevent scattering cocoa powder. Pour into saucepan over melted butter and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wire whisk until mixture begins to steam at the edges. At this point it will be ready to thicken. Once mixture thickens some, it will be ready to begin lumping.

(For real zabaglione, cook only until barely thickened and not yet lumpy, then quickly pour into serving dish, omitting strawberries, and allow to cool. The heat in the mixture finishes the cooking process. My way is faster but gives a lumpy result. Since this reminds me of the very breakfast-y oatmeal, I am okay with this.)

Once the A-OK zabaglione becomes somewhat lumpy, the egg is truly done. Pour over strawberries, which will instantly cool it to a good serving temperature, while thawing strawberries enough to eat.

my favorite breakfast — My Favorite Breakfast

Serve immediately with black coffee.

Good ol' days, Inspiring, Scripture, Wisdom

Sunday Scriptures – Lines

Posted on April 17, 2011April 17, 2011 by Katharine

In honor of the 400th anniversary of the translation of the Bible into English, commissioned by King James of England in 1611, and originally published by Robert Barker, printer to the King, I will use this version for the rest of this year in these posts. Hope we can enjoy the quaint differences we find here and appreciate all that went into it.

The lines are fallen vnto mee in pleasant places; yea, I haue a goodly heritage. –Psalms 16:6

The heauens declare the glory of God: and the firmament sheweth his handy works.
Day vnto day vterreth speach, and night vnto night sheweth knowledge.
There is no speach or language, where their voyce is not heard.
Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world: In them hath he set a tabernacle for the Sunne.
Which is as a bridegrome coming out of his chamber, and reioyceth as a strong man to runne a race.
His going forth is from the end of the heauen, and his circuite vnto the ends of it: and there is nothing hidde from the heat thereof. –Psalm 19:1-6

Whome shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to vnderstand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milke, and drawen from the breasts.
For precept must be vpon precept, precept vpon precept, line vpon line, line vpon line, here a litle, and there a litle.
For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speake to this people.
To whom he said, This is the rest wherwith ye may cause the weary to rest, and this is the refreshing, yet they would not heare. –Isaiah 28:9-12

Good ol' days, Inspiring, Sayings, Wisdom

Saturday Sayings – Old

Posted on April 16, 2011August 14, 2011 by Katharine

Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made.
–Robert Browning

Young men think old men are fools; but old men know young men are fools.
–George Chapman

For as I like a young man in whom there is something of the old, so I like an old man in whom there is something of the young.
–Cicero

Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age.
–Victor Hugo

Whenever a man’s friends begin to compliment him about looking young, he may be sure that they think he is growing old.
–Washington Irving

Before old age my care was to live well; in old age, to die well.
–Seneca

Nobody loves life like an old man.
–Sophocles

Blessings of Habit, Inspiring, Who's the mom here?, Wisdom

Coping Confidence

Posted on April 14, 2011April 13, 2011 by Katharine

A friend wrote me recently, wanting help with a course she is taking. She asked me how I cope when I feel inadequate or when I lack confidence.

I had to think about that one! I decided I have several different methods of dealing with lack of confidence, depending on the occasion. I will list them each, with their own coping skill, okay?

When I am forced to relate to someone I feel is wealthier, prettier, skinnier than I am. I realize that if we all feared this, then that person would have NO friends. And maybe truly has no friends. It makes me think of them as a normal person with feelings, instead of an extension of their wealth or appearance, and instead of accusing them of rejecting me before it even happens. I guess I think more about their feelings than mine.
When I have to speak on an unfamiliar topic. I make outlines, and practice, practice, practice. Still I will be nervous, but this helps.
When I think I may be lost, or I may become lost, because my navigation skills are so below par. I ask for directions a lot. I tell myself to calm down because anyone living in this, the wrong place, might have to go to the right place, where I meant to go, so there must be a concrete way to get there. I guess I just realize it is not a total disaster and it is fixable.
When I have too much to do and yet, have to get it all done. I make prioritized lists and stick to them. Also, I delegate.
When I am asked to do something I know I cannot do. I just say NO. I figure I would want anyone else to tell me truthfully if they cannot do something for me, so I just tell them. Truthfully.
If I have to apply for a job. I make myself relax, do my best, and figure “nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
If I think I need to tell someone they are wrong. I weigh out the consequences for this person and if it is serious, I try hard to begin and end with something nice to say, but slip the bad news in the middle. If it is not serious, I try hard to get over it, to accept this person’s ability to make a mistake in his thinking.
When I have to drive in the capital. I just grip the steering wheel until my knuckles pop, grit my teeth until I have a headache, and go. I will be SO stressed out afterwards, though!

There you have it. I could not think of any more for my friend, but probably will just before I fall asleep tonight! Ha. 🙂

What about you? Do you know any good coping tricks? Feel like sharing? We all could use ideas . . .

Homemaking, Inspiring, Wisdom

There’s Hope For Me!

Posted on April 13, 2011April 12, 2011 by Katharine

Today let me tell you about one of the loveliest writers I know.

I don’t really know her, I guess, as we have never met in person, and she probably seldom reads my writings, although I read hers. She inspires me through her simple, sweet tales of taming chickens and frosting cupcakes, weeding and traveling, speaking events, and her little deaf and blind pooch, Dixie.

The dog is a profound parable to me. She loves and provides for it although it could hardly fetch slippers or newspaper, or ever protect her from much, and probably is more needy than anything else. Being deaf and blind, it revels in her touch, probably the main way it can feel “all is well”. I can think of only one reason she bothers with this pet: She just wants to, perhaps out of mercy. It reminds me of me and the Lord.

To top it off, her name is Hope. How prophetic for everyone she reaches!

Hope recently wrote a great introduction to her weekly writers’ post. Although it makes a point about writing, at the same time it is an appealing description of everything we should be. My blog is not about writing but I am a writer and I recognize great communication when I see it. I absolutely love this rendering of my exact thoughts and I have received Hope’s permission to copy it here, with her contact information.

Visit her soon!

DO YOU WRITE FROM SCRATCH?

There’s something about a box cake mix that shouts short-cut to me. I was raised by Martha Stewart, Jr. Actually Mom is a few years older than Martha, but she had all the moves before Martha became a household word.

No box cakes in the house. Uh-uh. All from scratch. And if you didn’t have a family recipe, you relied upon a Southern Living Cookbook for no-fail recipes. But you did NOT open a box. And heaven forbid you tried canned frosting.

That kitchen work ethic has stuck in my head. Having grown up on homemade fixins, I can taste the difference. Guess that’s why I garden. If I can cook with the real ingredients instead of freeze-dried, frozen or canned, I just feel more accomplished…healthier…proper.

Writing is a scratch recipe. No excuses and no substitutions for the long haul in developing a good story. If you want it quick and easy, it doesn’t taste nearly as good – to you or to those you serve it to.

There’s something about carefully measuring ingredients to get it right, even if you have to repeat the recipe to make it rise, brown, or bake properly. Nothing beats the look on someone’s face when he tastes an original combination of items married into a perfect recipe. You have to admit, when you savor homemade then taste a box mix, the difference is striking. Simply, one is memorable; the other is not.

It’s like comparing Gordon Ramsey’s gourmet risotto to powdered macaroni-and-cheese.

There may be times where five-minute mac-n-cheese fills the bill. Maybe you throw a cake mix into cupcake molds for a second-grader’s birthday party where all they want is the icing and sprinkles anyway. But memorable? Don’t think so.

It takes time to create anything from scratch. The trial and error aspect of it is what makes the end result so superbly satisfying. The balance is better, the flavor sublime, and the experience is one remembered for a whole lot longer.

After all, who marvels over a mix? Every church bazaar baker understands that made-from-scratch miracles make other cooks jealous . . . leaving them with a craving to duplicate the success.

Thanks, Hope! I’m going to work on my kitchen work ethic . . .

And now, Friends, here is where you can read more of Hope’s writings. What a treasure house she is building!

C. Hope Clark
Editor, FundsforWriters, www.fundsforwriters.com
Writer’s Digest 101 Best Web Sites for Writers – 2001-2010
A decade of recognized excellence
Blog – www.hopeclark.blogspot.com
Twitter – www.twitter.com/hopeclark
Facebook – www.facebook.com/chopeclark

Homemaking, Inspiring, Wisdom

My Favorite Woman

Posted on April 12, 2011April 12, 2011 by Katharine

Today, as I folded old newspapers for the bottom layer of mulch around our front porch, I remembered the news. I hesitated to fold up the miners’ widows and children and place them down there with the earthworms. From an armload of the past year, I folded up wars and rumors of wars, and earthquakes in diverse places. I folded up a presumed leader or two who are all but jumping up and down with whining to rule the world. I put them all, all, all where they would molder and kept on about my business as if nothing were happening, only slightly disturbed, only somewhat concerned. I’ll probably mail more money somewhere, to help.

Yesterday I bought and planted. Tomorrow I hope to sell a few things. Tonight we’re having leftovers from a couple days of entertaining. I jokingly told my husband, “It’s either eat leftovers or else buy another fridge, take your pick.”

My calendar blackens fast. I face deadlines. The socks will not fold themselves.

Annie Herring called this state “earthbound”. That’s what I am—thinking about the dryer buzzer, or worse, the mulch, instead of the pain around me.

Just in this country, how many women lost their husbands to unfair mining practices lately? How many to unfair auto accidents, unfair divorce, unfair medical mistakes, unfair imprisonment? How many women lost children to similar causes, and more, such as school attacks and Ritalin-induced suicide last week, or murder? The toll is breathtaking. They would not all fit into the sanctuary of my church. Each one needs to know the power of God to get them through this. Few do. This, at last, breaks my heart. How will they cope? How will they survive without our wonderful Lord?

The world’s ways will not cut it. Although the world now acknowledges the need for forgiveness, it refuses to acknowledge the gift and the Giver of forgiveness. Only those who know the Lord’s way will truly thrive. Healing is right at hand, but few will take the cure. Most prefer the slow, scarring way with pockets of infection remaining below the surface.

I need to know forgiveness. I need to become closely familiar with her. She is such a true friend and has the balm for my every sore spot. I want to heal, to have only faint scars, not deep pockets of infection. I want to walk straight and with only a slight limp. I never want any wound to disable me permanently. Forgiveness can give me this.

Forgiveness is an often mis-defined, mysterious lady, so seldom sought out, yet totally reachable. There is no reason for the mystery, except our stubborn disinclination to hear her hidden song.

Oh, the glory of shedding misconceptions about forgiveness and taking up her gift!

Inspiring, Scripture, Wisdom

Sunday Scriptures – Old

Posted on April 10, 2011April 10, 2011 by Katharine

Remove not the ancient land marke, which thy fathers haue set. Proverbs 22:28

Remove not the old land marke, which thy fathers haue set. Proverbs 23:10

I haue beene young, and am now old; yet haue I not seene the righteous forsaken, nor his seede begging bread.