Tag Archives: simplify

Brian’s Chopped Salad

07 Friday Aug 2009

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Daniel 1: 14 -16 The steward agreed to do it and fed them vegetables and water for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked better and more robust than all the others who had been eating from the royal menu. So the steward continued to exempt them from the royal menu of food and drink and served them only vegetables.

   17 -19 God gave these four young men knowledge and skill in both books and life. In addition, Daniel was gifted in understanding all sorts of visions and dreams. At the end of the time set by the king for their training, the head of the royal staff brought them in to Nebuchadnezzar. When the king interviewed them, he found them far superior to all the other young men. None were a match for Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.  

 The Message

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 My brother-in-law Brian is the only person I know who eats more veggies than my husband.   My husband likes salad but has observed that the animals in the wild that appear to be the largest, fattest animals on the planet seem to be vegans: elephants, hipopotamus, rhinocerous, manatees…all salad eaters, while the sleek, lean kings of the African plains and Eastern jungles are all carnivors: lions, tigers, and such.  Anyway,  After Brian made the salad and it was such a big hit at the beach even with my pack of carnivors, I decided to try it out on my health conscious family in Iowa on my recent visit.  On a particularly beautiful day back home on the Mississippi River I made “Brian’s Salad” for my sister Peggy and her family…We ate it for 4 days straight, sometimes for lunch and as a side for dinner. 

1 Head of Bok Choy

1 Bunch of Turnip Greens

Bag of Spinach

1 Head of Cabbage

1 Head of Lettuce

1 Bunch of Red Leaf Lettuce

1 Bunch of Sprouts

1 Bunch of Cilantro

1 Stalk of Celery

3 Lemons squeezed onto the salad

6 tb. of chopped Garlic

1/2 Vidalia or Sweet Onion chopped

Radishes ~ sliced

Cherry Tomatoes

Sliced Almonds

Sunflower Seeds

First, rinse all your veggies thoroughly.  Trust me on this, its a lesson learned the hard way: a few extra minerals are good for you, but too much grit is a bad thing as far as your fellow diners are concerned (just ask my father-in-law).  Chop every thing into small bite size pieces according to your personal size preference.  I prefer ours very small, like a chopped salad for more intermingling of flavors and textures.  Add green scallions, 8 tb. of chopped garlic, (1) vidalia onion sliced or chopped, radishes, and cherry tomatoes if available, bag of sliced almonds and a handful of sunflower seeds. Squeeze (3) lemons on top of it all and toss.  Add tomatoes onto your plate when serving.  You will be able to keep this in the fridge for 5 days with a loose cover on top saving you time in the kitchen, keeping your kitchen cooler during the summer, and providing a healthy food alternative for your family.  The salad tastes better every day and it’s so refreshing without dressing.  I recently served this gigantic salad in a punch bowl for a Friday night pizza party.  Everyone laughed about the punch bowl, but the salad was completely gone after sending a small bit of left overs home with a few new fans.  There is no fixed formula with this salad, so change it up as often as you like adding other items you prefer, being careful to add only items with a long shelf lives into the salad mix, and then adding the shorter shelf life items to your plate at the dinner table.  Otherwise, all your hard work chopping will be spoiled in short order and you will be feeding your garbage disposal in a day or two instead of your family and friends.

Resting from Chopping,

Trish

Crabby Crafts…Crabs for Christ

29 Monday Jun 2009

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Looking for a great family project?  The Southards are enjoying food, fun and funding the Chapel building fund!  Here is an example how we have noshed locally from the Currituck Sound supporting a local fisherman, who also attends the Corolla Chapel here on the Outer Banks.

Last night was our crab feast. 

Buddy, the local crabber caught one bushel of crabs for our traditional crab night at “Dolphins Watch II”.  Interesting fact about the feast; no females are consumed only “Jimmy” male crabs to be good stewards of  Currituck Sound conservancy and allowing the generations of families yet to visit the Outer Banks  sweet blue claw crabs.  While attending the “Moms Class” in Tuscon Arizona I learned the importance of  ” make do” eco-fashionable crafts for Christ (term from Barbara Tompkins).  We all had a desire to create gifts to  bring back to friends and family, but a large piece of our creative spur came from raising  money for the Corolla Chapel, the local church where we love to worship the Lord surrounded by families visiting from around the globe. Last Sunday our guests were visiting from Germany and England.

Uncle  Tom, the nieces and nephews fav Uncle,  has taught Sabrina and Chase the basics of boiling Blue Crabs and today we are using the shells to create art.   The Southard family is heavy with artistic talent, especially the visual arts.  Camille loves to paint and play piano, Tom and little Chef love the culinary arts and all are patiently working with the crab shells making Christmas ornaments to sell and make a little coin for our beloved Corolla Chapel.  The Chapel is currently feeding three families in the area, and the church asked the children if there was anything they would love to have in their food basket?  Mary Ellen quoted a very reticent  boy, who said “I always hope for something crunchy”.

The entire Southard clan of 15 on the front two rows of the Corolla Chapel were saddened when they heard the boy’s statement (except for baby Christian who is always smiling),  and hearts broke simultaneously…

At Uncle Tom’s suggestion, we cleaned the crab shells after eating them, spray painted them blue, white or gold and when dry, the children all painted pictures reminiscent of the past week.

The church can sell those creations of the crabby crafters to attendees of the Chapel as souvenirs of their vacation on the Outer Banks.

Painting crafts for Christ,

Trish

Make Do Silver and Copper Cleaner

25 Monday May 2009

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Friday morning, I worked diligently setting up my first baby shower here in Texas. I enjoy hosting women’s events, bridal showers, teas, birthdays, etc.  Ann has convicted me of making do and I did not have my copper or silver cleaner after our move from Arizona.  We were not able to move any cleaning supplies, so it was another case of having to make do.  I learned through a quick Google search that adding a cup of vinegar and a cup of salt to a large boiling pot of water would remove the tarnish from my copper tea kettle.  The instructions were so simple it was hard to believe: “Boil item in pot for two hours. ”  HAHA …are you kidding me?  Two hours later I was astounded to see my kettle looking presentable for the shower. 

I pulled out my silver and tried the same thing.  I learned in my search that I could line a pan with foil, pour baking soda all over the item and top off with boiling water to cover.  Once again I thought there was no way this could work.  I save foil because my husband’s grandmother who lived during the Great Depression taught me the value of reusing foil by cleaning and saving it.  I have a hard time reusing it, but I am persisting in my effort to honor her frugality. To my suprise yet again,  I waited and watched all the tarnish fall off a pan full of silverware.  How could this be?  Why had I wasted so much of my time in the past polishing?   

Thank you Ann Kroeker!  Making do is once again eco-friendly!

Uncommonly Beautiful Girlfriends Weekend

28 Tuesday Apr 2009

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My weekend began  in a torrential downpour while driving north on I-35.  It was thunderbolt alley all the way to Dallas.  Every fiber of my being wanted to stay home and not endure the stress of a rain-soaked ride.  Todd prayed for me, and encouraged me to take my time, stopping often.  What was the hurry anyway?  Contemplative exercising began on my way to the retreat, I meditated and slowed my pace.  My pace was sooo slow, I arrived 6 hours after departing, usually a 3 hour tour so I’m told. 

One of my dearest and oldest friends Amy(we’ve known each other 32 years) stayed on speaker phone supporting me along the journey as the water flooded the roads and buckets full of water blasted my windshield.  She has been with me in all sorts of dicey situations and this was no exception.  She was voted nicest in my high school.  A woman of gentle strength.  A true leader.  Her persuasive speech led me to a retreat 30 years ago where I met my Lord for the first time.   

Once I arrived, however road weary and rain soaked, it was another wonderful, life changing, and life challenging retreat.  This was the retreat of the women of Stonebriar, a congregation northeast of Dallas.  For many of us, we were renewed in all ways eternal, detoxing the synthetic ideas away as we  sat under the teaching of accomplished author and speaker Cynthia Heald (Author of the Best Selling Series Becoming a Woman of…. ) 

CARE (Christ’s Arms Reaching Everyone), a women’s ministry I was involved for four years until moving away in January, nourished me in this way.  Now it was a weekend of care for the soul – CARE was evident in the lives of the ladies over the whole weekend. Leaving CARE in Tucson, directed by the godly lady Barbara Tompkins was a raw and painful loss from my life in Arizona.  After 4 months away from the beloved women of CARE  God was lavishing me with John 15:15 as he did 30 years ago this month.

God’s friend:

A friend is a term of endearment that literally means one who walks beside, one who is near, one who is beloved, or those who belong to one another. As God made man, Jesus had every right to expect those He died for to serve Him as slaves, yet He chose to consider us His friends: “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends”

 (John 15:15)   Live Fearlessly by Lenya Heitzig & Penny Rose pg.197,

  Uncommon Beauty, 7 Qualities of a Beautiful Woman , Cynthia Heald’s latest book,  was our spiritual formation class for the weekend.

Although the women we will discuss were ordinary, they became beautiful by choosing to live extraordinarily. They were comfortable with who they were, they rose above their circumstances, and they persevered. Their lives have encouraged me to take risks, to seek wisdom, and to live selflessly. It is so easy for me to get caught up in my own world and seek comfort for myself alone. It is easy for me to focus more on my outward appearance than to develop gracious character. I have learned that lasting beauty is bestowed on those who posess “a certain something,” qualities that are the “soul’s own doing,” which can only be described as uncommonly beautiful. ”                 

 Cynthia Heald Uncommon Beauty , pg.8

Side note…I would like to place a copy of this book in every young woman’s hands I know in  middle school and above.  

  April 21st Chambers stated “We look for God to exhibit Himself to his children, but God only exhibits Himself in his children.” 

 He exhibited Himself in ladies I met through passion, wisdom, integrity, selflessness, graciousness, contentment and courage, the titles of all the chapters.  Cynthia also refered to her book Maybe God is Right After All,  because it was clear Cynthia has kept her hand in His encouraging us to do the same, for God’s Word Is All the Truth You’ll Ever Need, a chapter in the book… 

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-

 His good, pleasing and perfect will.”  Romans 12:2 

The radiance of Christ was clearly evident at a Marriot just north of Dallas.  The beaming smiles of godly women greeted me as I pulled into the underground garage, bathing away the grime of stress from this harrowing drive, and my new-found gracious friend Mary Shave (entertainment and emcee for the entire weekend) guided me to my room.  Joy and sorrow is part of every woman’s life, and this weekend was no exception.  When the speaker shared that  her Mom was struggling at the end of her 96th year of life, a group of women quietly left the room to pray for her non-stop while she spoke.  Servant’s hearts  were everywhere.  I received welcoming hugs from women I’d never met at most every turn.  More than Texas hospitality, this was the love of Christ in action.  The women in white were our spiritual leaders for the weekend.  Karen Hawkins and her worship team were obedient and humble as they spoke and sang us continually into His Presence in a ballroom.

My keepsake for the time with these eternal beauties was led by a woman of excellence, Dana Cooper,  in a deeper walk with my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and revived friendship with Christ and new friendships with women.

Reporting from Dallas…

Resting in Him, Trish

Traveling Pants…Make Do and Dye in Blue.

27 Monday Apr 2009

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Lydia, the maker of fine purple cloth in the book of Acts,  closely resembles my life after college where I was privileged to sell exquisite, high-end women’s clothing, the purple cloth of our day.  Loving it so much, even after moving to a fancy desk job at the corporate office, I worked any weekend shift available at the retail store Mandels.  Their clothes were the staple of my business wardrobe.    God is molding me to be more like hospitable Lydia as I interface with my husband. Lydia was known as God-fearing, something I hope and pray comes to mind as you know me…something I aspire toward in my daily walk  

Meet Lydia:

“On the Sabbath, we left the city and went down along the river where we had heard there was to be a prayer meeting.  We took our place with the women who had gathered there and talked with them.  One woman, Lydia, was from Thyatira and a dealer in expensive textiles, known to be a God-fearing woman.  As she listened with intensity to what was being said, the master gave her a trusting heart and she believed!”

 After she was baptized, along with everyone in her household, she said in a surge of hospitality, “If you’re confident that I’m in this with you and believe in the Master truly, come home with me and be my guests.  “We hesitated, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer.” (Acts 16:13-15, The Message)

 I wrote a study for women leaders on Acts, mostly to share all the incredible insights wise men and women had poured into me while in Chicago, and to freshen and cement the teachings into my brain. Fun note… I would sneak into D.A. Carson’s class whenever I could, and sit with all the scholars.   Sticking out like a sore thumb with my faux black fur vest and matching hat…complete with leather gloves trimmed in black fur, who was I kidding?  I’d sit in the back row and glean.  I could only glean from the words spoken in English…the class required both mastery of written and spoken Greek…ouch, that’s why I had to sneak. 

I love dyed cloth like Lydia.  Every 6 months I dye my jeans with Rit dye and they are a crisp, cool, blue indigo much like the water at Lake Travis.  The jeans have traveled east and west as much as my weight.  Just like the girls in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, each girl had a different figure, but the pants miraculously fit each one as the girls shipped the pants around to all the exotic locales the girls visit.  

Make do with blue, and dye your jeans to keep them fresh looking. On a note of interest, Thyatira, our new friend Lydia’s hometown,   was famous for its purple dye. A handful of kosher salt in the hottest water your machine will give you and dye away. Throw in a worn out white top and girlfriends, you’ve got a new look for the weekend…extra slimming when you where the same shade top and bottom. 

We learn so much from the prayerful women sitting riverside on the seventh day…2000 years later.

Rest in Him, Trish

Passover and The Angel of Death on Golfview Lane

10 Friday Apr 2009

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Yesterday was Passover and Maundy Thursday.  Passover  marks the start of the Jewish Feast of Unleavened Bread that recognizes God’s salvation of the Jewish people from the bondage of slavery in Egypt some 4,000 years or so ago.   On the eve of Passover, on the night that Jesus was betrayed, he celebrated the Passover meal with his disciples and essentially telling them it was fulfilled in him, that the bread and wine of the Passover meal were symbolic of his own broken body and blood that would be shed on the cross just the very next day!  Spending time creatively hearing God’s word as I prepare my home for the festivities of each week not just Holy Week is vital to my soul care.

 Last Sunday Todd’s message was “What’s So Triumphant About the Triumphal Entry?  (After all Jesus was crucified by the end of the week).  He encouraged us to read through the parallel passages each day this week to review the events leading up to His betrayal, arrest, trial and crucifixion.

 Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11 and Luke 19:29-38 were my companions, while preparing dishes for the weekend and viewing scripture filled videos as I folded laundry and ironed for Easter.  The Matthew DVD by the International Bible Society is a new Southard must this year.  Helping set all my senses to the events of the week,  I sipped chicken broth and drank grape juice,  “Wild Purple Smash,” by Wylers.  

We enjoyed a not so traditional Seder evening meal and Todd read through the story of the Last Supper, discussing the significance of Christ in the Passover.  A restful simple evening which set our hearts to the things of God.  Wikipedia (hardly an authoritative source on the Passover, but adequate for my purposes) coached me on the significance of bitter herbs( we used cilantro). Several other additions and solemn insights came from a memorable evening with my friend Susan who allowed us to celebrate the Jewish Passover with her family last year.   They do not see Christ in the Passover.

One of the most searing memories I have of Holy Thursday was reading the story of the Passover to my daughter one morning in 2000 and later watching  two four year old girlfriends, one from a Christian home, one Hindu, swipe paint brushes above doorways and giggle up and down the hallways of our apartment building.  Seeds of simple faith at work in the heart of child.

“What are you girls doing?”

“Oh Mom we are putting blood above every door way so the angel of death will pass over all these families.”

I sat the girls down and told them in very basic language the rest of the story.  I was afraid they wouldn’t realize our Lord had paid the price of the guilt of sin by his life on the cross.  My daughter laughed again….”Oh Mom I told her already and they ran off.” 

“Jesus must appear to you and to your friend individually; no one can see Jesus with your eyes.  And division takes place when one has seen Him and the other has not.  You cannot bring your friend to the point of seeing; God must do it.  Have you seen Jesus?  If so, you will want others to see Him too.  “And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either” (Mark 16:13).  When you see Him, you must tell, even if they don’t believe.”

  Chambers, April 9

It is a Good Friday!

Rest in Him, Trish

Juicy Couture Turkey

03 Friday Apr 2009

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Food on Fridays with Ann Kroeker or “Foodie Friday”  has me attempting to boil down time for everyone and serve turkey in signature “Trish’s Dishes” .

“Juicy Couture” is the brand of the lovely warm up suits all the nieces receive in bright, bold colors every Christmas from Aunt Kristi and Uncle Bri.  

Couture is the business of designing, making and selling highly fashionable clothing.  This turkey will be your business for the week, chic chef.  All custom made recipes sewn together with Christ’s love for you from me. My goal is to buy back time for you to be still with God’s gift to you, Himself the resurrected Messiah.

A 14 pounder was available @ the local HEB market.

Day 1   Cook turkey all day after rubbing with canola oil, sprinkling with salt, pepper and garlic powder  and gift wrapping with foil.  The meat is juicy and the drippings will season our dishes resplendently the rest of the week. Blanche collard greens as our side and serve with gravy bowl full of drippings.  (open the foil after the family arrives home and re-pop the bird in the oven for a few minutes to crisp crust the lovely skin… yum).

Day 2  Cook kale in a couple tablespoons of the drippings and drop in handfuls of turkey.  Add 2 cups of sour cream(fat free yogurt is a worthy substitute), 1 cup of  alfredo sauce ( Bertolli is very nice) stir all and place in bowls.  The aroma is very pleasant once the creams are added.  Force yourself past the pungent kale cooking to delight in a very simple, quick and eco-fashionable waste nothing, decadent turkey dish.

Day 3 Turkey BBQ.  Update the birds look by shredding several handfuls to serve on buns as barbecue.  My favorite sauce is made by shaking a 1/2 or 3/4 used Heinz ketchup, vinegar, a little salt, pepper, all spice and shake.  We enjoy kettle chips and coleslaw from the deli on the side.

Day 4 Todd’s Turkey Soup.  Leftover turkey, frozen peas, carrots, and whatever else you have in the freezer.  Cover with tomato sauce and water, plug in the crock pot and go.  He seasons with “Old Bay”, cuts the spiced with a bit of sugar, and others spices to taste, and uses salt and pepper and little garlic powder.  You may have your own preferred recipe.

Day 5 Turkey Pot Pie.  Strain out excess liquid from the soup and keep leftover in fridge.  Place turkey and veggie treasure inside  a pre-made “Pillsbury”crust, cover with a jar of store bought turkeygravy and bake till golden brown on top.  No food critic lives here, but seriously, this is scrumptious.

Day 6 Take the broth leftover from yesterday and spoon hot over cheese filled tortellinis. Whiff the scent of Italy, and finish with chopped tomatoes and a sprinkling of parmesan for a dreamy filling dinner.

Day 7 Fast…drink water and spend time with Jesus.  Easter is next week and your heart and soul will be where it can best be used for His purposes. Delight in His company, He is waiting for you. Your family can eat a frozen pizza.

Start Day 1 tomorrow and you’ll be fasting with millions around the world on Good Friday.  Explain the significance of fasting to them and perhaps the foundation of the discussion will spur your children on to fast one day. 

John Piper calls it “An occasion for God’s guidance”

 Scrambling to find solace from a frenzy or two that passes their way, they may remember Mom’s modeling and not because it was in the glossies.

Rest in Him, Trish

The Town Parade in Pink

30 Monday Mar 2009

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mit-moms-parade-march-28th-2009-001Saturday was our town’s Heritage Festival, complete with a local parade.  I participated, and had a great time marching in my first parade with my neighbor Rona, my new friend and prayer partner with MIT (Moms in Touch), who previously had  invited me to join her every Monday to pray with them. We marched as a group wearing pink one in all.  When invited, my first thought was “Oh my, I don’t own any pink… or do I.”  Most of you would assume my thoughts would be on prayer, but they weren’t.  

On any given day my wardrobe consists mostly of black, white , khaki, and a sprinkling of navy. My husband and daughter rarely see me in anything besides my black and white Nike warmup.   The ladies in the neighborhood probably think the only thing I own is that Nike outfit.  We see each other at the mail box and it is regularly washed, but frequently on.  La Encantada has a wonderful shop called “Lucy”  which sells workout clothing, and upon my move to Tucson 5 years ago, the getup was purchased and been my uniform since.  My dear friend and prayer partner Kim passed on several of her chic yoga sets, and I enjoy wearing them, but I must confess my Nike outfit is my fav. A year ago on my birthday I received several pink additions to my wardrobe:  a camisole from Kim’s daughter Mandy, an argyle sweater from another good friend, Heather,  and a twinset from my wonderful mother-in-law Marilyn.  How does one receive so many gifts of clothing, yet continue to wear the same sweat suit every day? Why do I do this after receiving wonderful gifts of clothing ? The pursuit of simplification is a constancy in my life, and clothing has been the easiest place to simplify.  My goal:  I attempt to keep 100 items in my wardrobe all the time, including shoes, socks, and yes, underwear.  Packing for trips has become a breeze, and whenever I receive something as a gift, or purchase something new, its a replacement, not an addition.  Something has to leave generally. 

Where is this blog going today?    Ann Kroeker’s Make Do Monday calls for making due with what you have.  My challenge from that is for you to whittle your closet to 100 items, and learn to “make do.”   Oh, I hear you’re screams and cries, but let me encourage you to make do, and see what happens.  Why simplify your clothing?  Well, the economy is tough and all your chic threads collecting dust in your closet could give your local Goodwill a serious cutting edge advantage to the mall.  Fashion philanthropy reduces fellow fashionista credit card balances by luring them to a $3.00 rack.  Reducing your inventory will free up your time. Don’t believe me?  Watch and see how much more time  you will free up from not having to decide what to wear.  Astounding!  (I must confess though, that the parade attire was a bit of a decision process given I had three pink sweaters to choose from).  How many outfits do you try on before leaving for work each morning?  Going to small group?  Attending Bible study?  I hesitate to drop the big C, but you know it’s true, and also for church?  All that extra time in the morning can be spent sitting at the foot of Jesus.  He will speak to you no matter what you have on.  He stands at the door knocking and waiting while you dither your time away on which shoes to wear.

“Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch?  Have they made themselves more beautiful in the eyes of God?  Deepened their walk with Christ?  All this time and money wasted on the excesses of fashion.  Does it really make that much of a difference in the eternal perspective of our lives?  Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers.  They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it?  The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them”. 

 Matthew 6: 27-29 The Message.

One side note:  I highly recommend everyone finding and joining a  Moms in Touch group.  These are a wonderful, committed and purposeful group of women who don’t mess around.  You arrive at a given location, ours is at Methodist church near my neighborhood, and pray together in groups for the children and the teachers in our schools in target-ted prayer for an hour each week. 

 

Rest in Him, Trish