This past weekend was the Great Backyard Bird Count sponsored by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. The four-day count is an opportunity for bird watchers from all over the United States and Canada to submit a list of the different species visiting their yards. Participants count birds for as little as 15…
Author: Mary
Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken and dumplings is a favorite of many southern families. There are may different recipes for the dumplings. This is the recipe that my mother used which involves rolling the dough out into a thin rectangle, cutting into squares and dropping in the boiling broth. A pan of hot cornbread always accompanies the chicken and dumplings. Yum,…
Choosing the Right Apple
Pennsylvania is the fourth largest apple producer in the country with hundreds of different varieties grown in the state and within Pennsylvania, Berks County is one of the top five apple producing counties. We are fortunate to live a mile away from a four-generation family farm, Weavers’ Orchard–a great place for fresh fruit and vegetables throughout…
Amazing Love – The Legacy of Charles Wesley
Whether it is “blue jean” contemporary services, traditional church services with pipe organs, or an informal worship gathering under trees in a small African village, the words that Charles Wesley wrote in the 1700s are still being sung by and impacting Christians worldwide. Charles Wesley is often considered less well known than his older brother, John. However both Wesley…
Chunky Apple Cake
Nothing is better in the fall and winter than the smell of apples cooking in the oven. When baking apples I like to use a variety that maintains its shape such as Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Granny Smith, or Braeburn. This recipe takes advantage of that characteristic with slices of apple in the cake. Chunky Apple…
Eagles, Snow Geese and Swans
We went by Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area this afternoon. In addition to the usual population of Canada geese and various types of ducks, the lakes now have a large population of snow geese and tundra swans. Middle Creek also has resident bald eagles and we enjoyed seeing them flying over the lake.
Wisdom
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. James 3: 17-18 (NIV)
German-Style Apple Coffee Cake
This is an apple coffee cake that was made by my German mother-in-law. It has a yeast dough base and is topped with sliced apples. My mother-in-law also used sliced plums on top of the cake in place of the apples when the plums were in season. German Apple Coffee Cake
But God…
Last Sunday in the study of Ephesians, the pastor discussed the “but God” moments of life—those times when God intervenes through circumstances or people to save us and grow us in our walk with Christ. In his commentary on Ephesians, James Montgomery Boice remarks, “Those two words, in and of themselves, in a sense contain the whole of…
Dark-Eyed Juncos
Arriving in October and staying until April, the dark-eyed juncos,also know as snowbirds, are a common winter bird in southeastern Pennsylvania.Often seen in flocks of 20 to 30, they are ground feeders and like a variety of mixed seeds.
Honey Whole Wheat Bread
While rummaging through a folder of old recipes, I found this bread recipe I saved from a 1973 yeast packet. The loaves can be shaped into two traditional rectangular loaves and baked in loaf pans or shaped into round loaves. See suggestions for crust variations below the recipe. Honey Whole Wheat Bread 3 1/2 to 4…
Beef Vegetable Soup
Snow and sleet in the forecast–a great time for making soup. This is a filling beef vegetable and barley soup. Using frozen mixed vegetables cuts down the prep time. Very nice for a cold winter day. Beef Vegetable Soup 1 tablespoon cooking oil 1 pound of beef stew meat (or sirloin tips) cut into 1″ cubes 4…
Growing in Knowledge
In Ephesians 1:17, Paul talks about growing in the knowledge of God … “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him”… (NKJV). The New Living Translation paraphrases the verse as “to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so…
Indian Summer Quilt
This is a quilt that was purchased during a mission conference at our church last year. The pattern is Indian Summer and was made in West Java, Indonesia by women involved in Agape Craft. Agape Craft (Agape means selfless love in Greek) is a non-profit Christian organization that is providing opportunities for men and women in rural Indonesia…
Renewing the Mind
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. (NIV)
German Pancakes
My German mother-in-law made these crepe-style pancakes that were served with applesauce and a variety of fresh berries. After spreading the pancake with applesauce and cut-up berries/fruit, roll up the pancake and sprinkle with granulated sugar or cinnamon-sugar.The recipe yields approximately 10 pancakes using a 9 inch skillet. German Pancakes 6 eggs 1 1/2 cup milk…
Theology Trumps Biology
“Theology trumps biology.” This was one of the points made our pastor, Beau Eckart, during Sunday’s sermon on Ephesians 1: 1-14. Our theology must be based on truth rather than how we are feeling on a particular day. The letter to the Ephesians begins with a listing of our spiritual blessings in Christ. In verse…
Raspberry Bars
The first time I had raspberries was after I got married and we went to New York state to visit my husband’s parents. His mother grew raspberries and blueberries and a whole new “berry world” was opened to me. In south Arkansas, the extent of our fresh berries were pretty much blackberries, which grew wild by the…
Accepted in the Beloved
The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians begins with a list of our spiritual blessings in Christ. As I was reading them, I was struck by verse 6 in Chapter 1 where he says, “to the praise and glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved (NKJV).” To be “accepted…
Fan Quilt
This is an old fan quilt that was made by one of my aunts in approximately the 1950s (but that is just a guess on the age). I like the old fabrics and the red of the fan handles ties everything together.
Nature and Life Notes 