Quick Meals - Black Beans and Hominy

 

What do you do when you need a fast meal but you don’t eat “prefabricated food” much (if at all)?  Most of us in Western culture have been trained by experience and advertising to think that in order to get a really fast home cooked meal we have to buy something that we simply pop in the oven, wait and eat.  If your family, like ours, are trying to get away from this type of meal, you may wonder how you can make a good, quick meal without eating out or using a lot of frozen dinners and meals in a can.  I’d like to share some simple recipes and methods with you that I’ve found useful.  These mostly have evolved out the fact that I have had health issues in the recent past that tended to make me abnormally weak and tired and also dietary needs that made it impossible for me to rely on those frozen meals that make home cooking abnormally easy.

I do use canned foods, but not much of the sort that comes with seasonings and goos and gunks in it – supposedly to make it taste “just like homemade” (which it never does).  We also use plain frozen vegetables.  (Our “indiscretions” in the line of pre-made meals mostly runs towards one particular kind of frozen pizza to which I still add things to make it more nourishing).

Most or many of these recipes may be so simple that I don’t have any measurements for them.  You will have to take the challenge of learning to cook by the seat of your pants.  And, after all, this is the first step to learning to make quick and easy home cooked meals.  You need to learn to take a few ingredients and just fly with it. :-)  Once you’ve done a bit it will start to come naturally and you will start to invent your own, if you don’t already.

Today’s recipe is super simple, but my husband and I both find it very tasty and filling.
---------------------------

Black Beans and Hominy

One can black beans and
One can hominy in the same size.  (I like golden hominy the best.)
Garlic powder
Onion powder  -- both to taste
Bacon or ham bits (optional – but it does improve the taste)

Heat all together in a medium to large sauce pan (depending on the size cans you use).  Serve with sour cream or grated cheese on top if desired.

For a spicier taste add red pepper flakes when cooking.

---------------------------

That’s it!  How easy is that?  I suggest serving it with a simple side salad, but even that is not particularly necessary.  :-)

(And, yes, that is a paper bowl. :-)  I’d gotten away from paper quite a bit at one point.  Then last year we had a sever drought here in Texas.  I realized that I might as well go back to using some paper plates/bowls and all paper napkins at that time because it actually saved on water use.  The paper “dishes” also save me extra work when it’s necessary that I save my energy or strength for something more important.  You may not agree, but this is what is best for us now.) :-)

The Thousand Word Project – Cinder

 

Thoughts from the Past – The Ark of the Covenant

 

Old illustration

August 22, 2006
The Ark of the Covenant  (edited)

Jeremiah 3:16 And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.

This verse is in the context of the coming Kingdom of Christ when His throne will be at Jerusalem. Please notice that the ark of the covenant will not be needed, it will not be thought of nor remembered, and it will not be visited. None of the old things relating to it will be done any more.

This is important for us to acknowledge and believe because it seems like there is always some "scholar" or "archeologist" or "theologian" or Old Testament Law keeper who wants to "find the ark of the covenant" or claims that he already has. The Jews still would like to find the original one to be sure, for they are in unbelief (Rom. 11:32) and do not understand that it isn't needed now. They can come to God through faith in their Messiah, Jesus Christ, who is the High Priest of the believer at the throne in heaven (Heb. 4:14-16).

The Jews will not need the ark of the covenant in the Kingdom because Christ Himself will be there for them to worship in person. We do not need it now for we can go directly to the throne in heaven through the Lord Jesus. So, all the efforts, mysteries, drama, suspense, videos, and sermons surrounding the ark are pointless. Those who claim to have found the ark, or that it needs to be found or that they know where it is are wasting time on a pointless endeavor! Yes, pointless! A waste of time - and money.

But, I do know where the ark is. :-) Revelation 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. I think it's pretty safe there, personally. And, since it isn't needed on earth in the Kingdom and we don't need it on earth now, I suggest we leave it there - as if we had any choice in the matter. (Also see Heb. 8:5, 9:11-12 & 23-24 for further study.)

The thousand word project: Heart of Gold

Shop Your Own Stuff – Storage and Organizing Potential

If you read the previous post in this series, you will remember that I’ve been challenging us to “shop our own stuff” more instead of buying something every time we have a need, or imagine that we do.  These suggestions are things that I’d already done, but they show the possibilities.

------------------

Repurposing things has been a habit in my family for years.  My dad was especially proficient at it.  I still remember his overhead storage area for screws, nails, washers and various small bits.  He took a lot of baby food jars (which were available in our home at that time) and screwed the lids to a board, leaving enough room to grab the jars.  Then he attached the board to the ceiling of our pantry/storage area, filled the jars with the small items and screwed them to the lids.  If you needed something in that line, all you had to do was look up and you could quickly see which jar you needed, unscrew it and retrieve you items.  It was a clever storage solution, and out of reach of little hands. :-)

Mugs make great pen and pencil holders. We have more mugs than we need, so I have several serving this purpose now. They not only keep things in one spot, they have a built-in, easy relocation system. If you are concerned about sharp or heavy objects (such as scissors) hitting the bottom and breaking the mug, simply trace the bottom of the mug onto one or two pieces of craft foam or cardboard. Cut inside the lines, then trim the circles down to fit the bottom of the mug to reduce the risk of breakage.

By the way, this is something that was a result of the “Get Rid of Fifty Things” challenge.  Not only did I get a mug out of our crowded cupboard, but I also got rid of a tin can that I had long been intending to cover with fabric or contact paper.  The mug looks nice, and using it saved me from covering the can – so I abandoned an unnecessary project too. :-)

An extra large Altoids® tin makes a great holder for paper and pencils in the game drawer.  You could repurpose some other type candy box.

(A good idea if you live where there are spiders or scorpions – keep garden gloves in a sealed plastic bag or jar. That way when you go to put them on you can be sure they are critter-free.)

Plastic containers (a lot of these came from peanuts and pretzels purchased in bulk), can be repurposed for organizing and storage instead of buying a lot of “perfect” boxes ($$$) like the professional decorators/organizers do. In certain situations I do buy containers because this method wouldn’t work, but in the above situations it was fine.

An old suitcase or trunk, with or without a coat of paint, can serve as decorative storage, or even a coffee table. We use an old trunk of my grandparents’ as our coffee table/foot-rest/sometimes-seat and it also stores most of our games and puzzles.  My brother and sister-in-law did the same thing with a newer trunk of theirs (pictured above).  The great thing about this is you don’t have to worry about bangs and bumps from the kiddoes’ toys or adults’ shoes because it’s already “rustic”. ;-)

I bought this popcorn tin on clearance, but you may have one left from a holiday gift.  I use mine to store the garbage bags right next to the kitchen bin so it’s quick and easy to reline it, but looks nice at the same time.  It would work well for other storage purposes also – maybe cookie cutters or canning supplies.

You can also reuse tins like this to make gift “baskets” or to pass on food gifts to others.  Just be sure to put the food in food safe bags or containers.

Hopefully this gives you some more ideas of ways to shop your own things.  I hope you enjoy the challenge and the opportunity to be inventive with me. :-)

Give Ye Them to Eat – A Poem by Annie Johnson Flint and Some Thoughts for Father’s Day

My dad using his ability to garden for the benefit of our family.

If someone were to ask you what was the single most important thing that your dad taught you it might be hard to answer.  For some it would be because of sad reasons.  For myself and my siblings, we might find it difficult to narrow it down to one thing primarily because we have a teaching dad.  Of course, the Gospel would be an obvious “single most important thing”.  But, an even broader statement might be to say that he taught us to believe God and take Him at His word.  If you don’t do that the Gospel itself is meaningless. 

However, in thinking about this poem today, another item that comes very high on my list is the fact that our dad always taught us that our Christianity is not a selfish thing.  He taught us that we were not blessed with salvation, understanding of God’s word, talents, abilities and even possessions for our own selfish pleasure – to heap upon ourselves.  He taught us that the Lord intended us to pass these things on, to teach others, to share, to give.   He also taught us that our hardships and trials are not ours alone, that we should pass on the knowledge and help and comfort that God gives us in these things and use them to minister to others (2 Corinthians 1:4).  He has worked to be an example of this as well, which is perhaps what made it take root in us most effectively.

I thank God for a father who taught us these important things.

---------------------------------

“Give Ye Them to Eat”

Christ might have turned the stone to bread,
Who once had made the water wine,
Or called the manna down from heaven
To show His power divine,

But, “Give ye them to eat,” He said,
And took His servants’ little store;
Though scarce enough for one it seemed,
He blessed and made it more.

And so He let them share with Him
His joy, His work of feeding men,
And all they gave Him He returned
A thousand-fold again.

Here in the wilderness today
The starving nations wait for bread;
And still He saith, “Give ye to them
And let the world be fed.”

What matter though our loaves be few?
Alike the little and the much
When He shall add to what we have
His multiplying touch.

Bring Him thy bread, though scant it seem,
To satisfy thy daily need;
When He shall take, and bless, and break,
The hungering world may feed.

[Altered]

Matthew 14:16-21 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. He said, Bring them hither to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

John 21:16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

The thousand word project: The Basket Seller, East Africa