Garden Veggies

Garden Veggies
Made into tile for my stove backsplash

Portland Rose Garden

Portland Rose Garden
Mike and my 2 youngest sons Ian and Leif

Grandson Michael's Birthday 2014 throwing water balloons

Grandson Michael's Birthday 2014 throwing water balloons
With son Beau, Grandson Luke and his mom Jennifer

Maren

Maren
I cut this out of a wedding line. I must take more pictures of her.

Friday, May 22, 2015

BOOK REVIEW - THE GOD WHO WEEPS AND THE CRUCIBLE OF DOUBT







I attended Woman’s Conference this year at BYU and attended a class where Fiona Givens gave a presentation titled:  “Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief.” From Mark 9:24.   When the class was over I told my friend that I could listen at her feet all day.  I couldn’t wait to get the books written with her husband Terryl Givens:  The Crucible of Doubt and The God Who Weeps.   I had surgery on my foot the first part of May and have been mostly off my feet for the last two weeks but I can say they have been perhaps the most 2 spiritual weeks of my life as I have spent the sweet hours reading these books.  When I finished I had the desire to go to the book store and get a pile of books to pass out to my favorite people.  The beginning pages of The God Who Weeps, has 8 recommendations from mostly non-Mormon scholars.  This is how Robert P. George, Law professor at Princeton describes the book:

Writing from the perspective of Mormon faith, Terryl and Fiona Givens have produced a work of theological reflection that has much to offer not only to Latter-day Saints, but to intellectually and morally serious men and women of every religious persuasion who ponder the mystery of a God who, though profoundly transcendent, reveals Himself to us, offers us His friendship, and even shares our joys and sorrows.  To be sure, readers who are not Latter-day Saints will learn from “The God Who Weeps” a great deal about what Mormons believe (including certain distinctively Mormon doctrines) and why they believe it.  But that is only part of the value of the book.  For even readers who do not share certain fundamental tenants of the LDS faith, but who believe in a personal, omnipotent and omniscient God, will benefit from the Givens’ thoughtful reflection on how such a God enters into the lives of imperfect creatures like ourselves, lighting our paths, lifting us up when we fall, and summoning us to share His divine life.”

Both of these beautifully written books are written with a perspective from prophets, scriptures, classical literature and inspired Christian thinkers.  The ideas melt into your heart with a warmth and tenderness that is hard to describe.  I will never see my deity quite the same after reading “The God Who Weeps.”  These books are not quick reads but take thoughtful attention, sometimes reading passages over several times to meld the meaning to your soul.

My patriarchal blessing tells me something that I have always known, that I have a gift of faith.  But in these words I felt an understanding of those who struggle to believe and a hope that there is a way to function comfortably in doubt.  Not that I don’t have questions, so the encouragements here have buoyed my simple faith also.

I am going to share the last page summation of the Crucible of Doubt.

So, here, in sum, are the principal reasons for “the hope that is in us.”  We agree with Nathaniel Hawthorne, who believed that “our Creator would never have made such lovely days and have given us the deep hearts to enjoy them, above and beyond all thought, unless we were meant to be immortal.”  And if we are immortal, no eternal existence makes sense separate and apart from an eternal community of loved ones, presided over by heavenly parents who set their hearts upon us.  We could never love a God “without body, parts, or passions.” Who does not Himself feel love, or grief, or joy, or gladness.  Christianity gave us a God who was willing to die on behalf of His creation; Joseph Smith added to that conception a God who intends our full participation in “the divine nature,” who will bestow upon every single one of His children all that they “are willing to receive.” And who made Himself vulnerable enough to weep at our pain and misery.  That is a God to whom we are powerfully drawn, and whom we gladly worship.

We have seen the power of the gospel to transform human life.  We can affirm, as Gerard Manley Hopkins did, that “Christ plays in ten thousand places, lovely in limbs and lovely in eyes, not his, to the Father, through the features of men’s faces.”  In new converts and returned missionaries, who in their testimonies unexpectedly speak “with the tongues of angels,” a simple eloquence not of their own resources.  In the parting words of a beloved friend near death, before whom the veil grows suddenly thin to transparency.  In lives transformed and redirected, then imbued with sudden beauty, to rival anything narrated by and Elizabeth Gaskell or Victor Hugo.

Joseph Smith said, “You say honey is sweet, and so do I.  I can also taste the spirit of eternal life.  I know it is good; and when I tell you of these things which were given me by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, you are bound to receive them as sweet, and rejoice more and more.”  We believe the doctrine of the Restoration to be true for the same reason:  It tastes good. 

I am not ready to lose the spirit of these books so I begin again.




Monday, May 11, 2015

STRAWBERRY ORANGE SAUCE OR JAM


 This will be a favorite forever.  The orange with the strawberries has a nice fresh zing.  This is a low sugar frozen jam but is thick and rich.  I have made strawberry short cake with it several times.  I am going to include the lovely semolina cake which I am using for the base.  I see it as a cake filling or a cheesecake topping, on waffles or with Dutch pancakes and it is all ready in the freezer. 

1.  Zest 1 orange to make 1 T. and squeeze the juice to make ½ C. in a glass bowl.   Add 1 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir well to dissolve the gelatin.

2.  Add ½ to 2/3 Cup of sugar (to taste) to the juice and stir well.

2.  Wash and remove the stems of 1 quart of strawberries slice a bit   and chop coarsely in a food processor to make 2 cups.

3.  Mix the strawberries with the juice mixture and stir in 1 heaping tablespoon of ultra gel.  (Walmart and other markets sell it or Kitchen Kneads in Ogden)  It is the stuff they thicken instant pudding with.  Stir well for one minute to dissolve everything.  Chill and eat or freeze for later use.  A big package of strawberries from Costco makes 4 batches and you can make them all at one time in a large bowl.  It makes 6 pints.


Semolina Cake
Semolina is a wheat product they use to make pasta and is not easy to find.  I buy it at Kitchen Kneads in Ogden.  It has a course texture like cornmeal.  It makes a sturdy, moist  cake and so easy to put together.  This recipe makes one layer but could be easily doubled for 2 or for a 9x13 pan.  This is a perfect cake for shortcake but I see it in a trifle or other times when you need a sturdy cake. 

1. Heat 1 cup of very hot water but not boiling.   If your tap water is quite hot it may be enough.  You don’t want to cook it just soften.   Add ½ cup semolina, stir well and let sit for 10 minutes.

2.  Stir in and beat until smooth:
            1/4 c. melted butter
            1 T. vegetable oil
            ½ C. Greek yogurt (I never use non fat)
            ½ C. sugar
             Scant 1/2 tsp.  salt
            1 egg.
            ¾ C. flour
            1 tsp. baking powder
            Generous 1/4 tsp. baking soda
            1 tsp. vanilla or lemon zest or orange zest

3.  Pour into a well sprayed sprayed 8 in. cake pan or spring form.  Bake at 350 for 20- 25 minutes  

 I made this cake once and forgot the melted butter sitting in the microwave and the cake was still moist and delicious so if you are cutting fats and want to take a risk it won't disappoint.