Today is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it!
What is it about green beans and bacon? My first memories of mom cooking green beans is with bacon sprinkled around the top and simmering right along with the pot of beans. Yum! A few weeks back I was visiting Deep South Dish, one of my favorite blog websites. Mary was blogging about Green Bean Bundles, a recipe given to her by a Facebook friend. The idea of crispy bacon wrapped around a fresh-out-of-the-garden french green bean left me scrambling to the kitchen. My Chief Gardener had just brought in a mess of green beans, I had bacon in the frig and I was set to go! The recipe starts out by mixing up a vinaigrette marinade. While I have seen many versions of this recipe across the internet, Mary’s recipe called for some Cajun seasoning.
I love wearing blue jeans. I adore the look, the feel, and that they change shape with me during the day 🙂 Actually, blue, black, gray, khaki, you name the color I just love wearing jeans. The older the better. Slipping into a soft, worn pair of jeans gives me a comfort that lasts throughout the day. Between the heat, the humidity, and my inner child playing with fire, I put away my beloved blue jeans about the end of March and they hang idle in my closet until October. Except for yesterday. Middle of July means middle of summer. Half-way between Memorial Day and Labor Day. And right here smack dab in the middle of the summer heat and humidity we receive a gift of cool temperatures and rain. Yesterday our high was about 75 degrees and we had a gentle rain throughout the day that sprinkled us with about an inch of much-needed rain. I pulled on a sweet pair of blue jeans and a tee-shirt and all the world felt at peace as I listened to the gentle song of the rain from my front porch. As drought has plagued us this entire spring and summer, my Chief Culinary Consultant and main-man gardener has watered the vegetable garden every day for over a month! Watering is something we most generally don’t need to do in this part of the south. It certainly adds another layer to growing a garden. I thank you Lord for this little reprieve that has quenched my thirst for rain in body and spirit.
Psalm 100 A psalm for giving grateful praise.
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Have you ever heard of “Tasty Kitchen”? Tasty Kitchen is designed by Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Women) and with Ree’s signature blend of modern style, country sweetness, and upbeat sass. It feels easy to navigate and inviting to use. The recipes are broken down into categories (which are always visible on the left of the screen) or are searchable by keyword. You don’t have to be a member to peruse these recipes, but you do need to sign up to add your own recipes or rate other people’s recipes. I have decided to join this happy community and post my recipes there as well as on this blog.
A blessing for you today. Psalm 20
1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.
3 May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.[b]
4 May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests.
Writing this blog is such a blessing to me. It has become a platform for family and friends and folks I haven’t even met to share recipes that I may not have otherwise ever known about. Today I am so excited to share a recipe with you that I received from my nephew, Ryan. Ryan loves to cook and bake. At our recent family reunion he arrived with a gift basket for each family cottage (5 cottages, 5 baskets) and each basket was LOADED with all kinds of goodies, including dozens of cookies, candy, and even a loaf of bread. Last week he emailed me and asked if I had a good recipe for Clafoutis. Clafoutis — hmmm – not only did I not have a recipe, but I had no idea what it was! Wikipedia to the rescue! Turns out Clafoutis is a baked Frenchdessert of black cherries arranged in a buttered dish and covered with a thick flan-like batter.
I am reading through the book of Psalm and I hope you are reading along with me. If you are not, Psalm is the perfect place to start your walk through the Bible. At the beginning of each week I post the schedule for a daily reading. It takes no more than about 15 minutes … Read more
The calendar tells me that we are only a few days away from the 4th of July. Is that possible? What happened to June? Summer 1/3 over? Is it only me that is having a hard time wrapping my head around July knocking at the door? Whew! Well, I had better get to gettin’ some … Read more
