who actually makes feta cheese??

I have a friend from college whose middle name is "Martha Stewart".

Debby . . .
is a steadfast christian
is a very talented artist
is a "home keeping" wonder
grows and cans all of their vegetables
always cooks everything from scratch
teaches art classes to a home school group
has a homeopathic remedy for most ailments
takes care of a hillside farm with her engineer husband
home schooled her 4 children {all college graduates now}
has been a faithful friend for 43 (!) years

She gave us this wonderful basket of homemade gifts for Christmas.

hot pepper jelly {Christmas eve hors d'œuvre}

lemon curd {served with our blueberry bread}
eggs from her chickens {Christmas breakfast}

feta cheese {so creamy and delicious on our salads}

cards {painted by her very talented youngest daughter}

Merry Christmas

christmas martini

Christmas Martini

{4  servings}

Ingredients

8 ounces good quality vodka

4 full size quality candy canes *

8 ounces cranberry juice

Directions

Break candy canes into small pieces. Put candy cane pieces into a 12 ounce jar and add 1 cup vodka. Screw on lid and shake to mix. Let vodka sit in refrigerator, shaking occasionally, until candy dissolves and vodka turns red, about 30 minutes.

Serve over ice in martini glass:

2 ounces candy cane infused vodka

4 ounces cranberry juice

I bet it would be good in sprite or tonic as well if you like a "taller beverage".

*I used candy canes from the Dollar Tree in one batch and the vodka 

turned out pink and cloudy. It tasted the same but wasn't as pretty.

I packaged some of the vodka in 8 ounce water bottles to give as gifts.

Original Rachel Ray Recipe

Candy Cane Vodka

Ingredients

12 full-sized candy canes

1  750 ml bottle vodka

Directions

Break candy canes into small pieces. Put candy cane pieces into bottle of vodka. Screw on lid and shake to mix. Let vodka sit, shaking occasionally, until candy dissolves and vodka turns red, about 30 minutes. Serve over ice, or use to spike eggnog or hot chocolate.

sweetness

Ezra Sparrow {3 months old}

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Staff Sgt. Nicholas Reid, U.S. Army

Every Sunday we DVR and then watch 

"This Week" with George Stephanopoulos 

At the close of each program in a segment called 

In Memoriam

where they scroll a listing of all reported military deaths from that week 

It is always sad to read these names but this week was particularly sad for our community 

On the list was 

Staff Sgt. Nicholas Reid, U.S. Army

A 26-year-old soldier from Brockport died December 13 in Landstuhl, Germany from wounds suffered on December 9, in Sperwan Village, Afghanistan. The Army said his family was with him when he died.

Reid was wounded when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device IED. He was assigned to the 53rd Ordnance Company (EOD), 3rd Ordnance Battalion, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

Reid entered the Army in 2006. This was his second deployment to Afghanistan. He had been there since September.

This is how I remember Nick, a cute little red-headed boy who played soccer with my son.

Our prayers are with the Reid family as they struggle through this tragic time.

pray big

Do you pray for your children?

My children are all in states of transition and I pray for them daily.

One is getting married in 6 months

One has moved across the country with his wife and is starting a new job

One has moved home to return to college and has chosen a rigorous course of study

One lives half way around the world raising two children in a developing country

Even though they are all young adults their needs are many.

This sermon last Sunday was what my spirit needed.

December 9, 2012

Loving For Our Children's Destiny

Pastor Lyn Olson

Philippians 1.3, 7-11

{listening to this sermon would be 20 minutes well spent}

More Venice Presbyterian Church Sermons

In the bulletin was this poem . . .

On Children

 Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,

which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them,

but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children

as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,

and He bends you with His might

that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

For even as He loves the arrow that flies,

so He loves also the bow that is stable.