Saint Basils' Cathedral is more beautiful in person than anyone could ever describe. 

 Pictures will never fully display it's beauty.

You have to see it in person to know its worth.

How well manicured it is.

The brightness and depth of its color.

The history that gives it meaning.

The same goes for friendships,

you have to tend to it to let it grow. 

To know it's worth.

To manicure it.

A history that gives it meaning.

Letting your friendship grow.

Give a friend a hug today and see how she is doing.

It is woman's day. {laughing}

Let her know that you value your friendship

Give a friend a call.

Today is "Woman's Day".  I heard them talking about it over the radio and it jogged my memory that our interpreter Sasha brought me roses that day 6 years ago while we were waiting to bring a precious bundle of energy home.  It made me think about March 9th.  Our Family Day.  Hard to believe 6 years have gone by since we adopted Asher.

I have often thought about searching for his birth family.  Wondering if his mom or brothers would want to know him and look for him.  I wonder if his brothers are just like him.  I can't imagine several bundles of fast paced, knock-em-down, and I can't talk quiet enought boys in one room.  Oh what a picture!  If you know of Oksana Valevich's, post a comment.  I would love to see a photo of the woman who had a part in us having our son.

Maybe someday...

The picture above was at our stop on the way home to the States.  It was a exhausting day.  Little did I know that within a short time, I would be sick as a dog in our hotel room.  Sight seeing came abruptly to an end.  Sigh.  When I felt like eating I ordered off the kids menu and we found out kids eat free when ordering with an adult meal.  So we ate in.  A lot.  I guess Asher had a big appetite during that stay.

**Oh and one fun tid bit about Saint Basil's cathedral.  Or not.
It was rumored that Ivan the Terrible put the eyes out of the architect who built the onion domes so that he could not build another building to rival this one.

Grandmothers are Precious

My Grandmother was always a lively woman.  In fact I remember my Uncle Richard telling me years ago that it was Grandpa that had to tell her to simmer down sometimes.  My Grandfather who was so quiet telling my Grandmother who is so social to calm down.  I can see it even now.

Grandfather passed away in 1999.  This week we got word that my Grandmother was not well.  She fell and had internal bleeding.  You see she only weighs a whopping 79 lbs.  I can't even imagine!  Mom told me I needed to come down and see her.  So my sister and I dropped everything and drove down to see her.  It may be our last time.  They don't know if she will make it a week or not or if she will last another winter.

Grandmother always wanted to out do her brother and sister and live past 100 or 103.  Well... she almost got there.  96.  She said that she was satisfied with that today.

I'll cherish her memories.  I won't forget how she looked at us today when we got there or how she looked at us when we left.  I'll miss her even though I don't get to see her often. 

Maybe I will have a long life too since it seems to run in the family.  I can only hope.

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

I am slowly turning into a Zucchini Fan.  Who knew?

I found these on Pinterest Web-site and decided to try it last night.  I only used one small zucchini with the recipe because I honestly didn't think my kids would like them.  They gobbled them up!  My youngest son kept going back into the kitchen begging for more.  I couldn't help but laugh as I knew he had no idea he was really eating a vegetable which he had stop eating long ago.

One note:  parmesan all ready has a salty taste so use salt sparingly.  I added salt to mine but next time I think I will leave it out.  Since I liked a lot of crumbs on my zucchini, I may double the parmesan and panko next time and use 2 zucchinis with it.  Also use your baking stone....  it turns out extra crispy this way! 

Enjoy!

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. zucchini or squash (about 2 medium-sized)
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan (heaping)
• 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs (heaping)  I used Italian Style Panko
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with foil and spray lightly with vegetable spray.

Slice zucchini or squash into 1/4 inch-thick rounds. Toss rounds with oil, coating well.

In a wide bowl or plate, combine breadcrumbs, parmesan, salt and pepper.

Place rounds in parmesan-breadcrumb mixture, coating both sides of each round, pressing to adhere. The mixture will not completely cover each round, but provides a light coating on each side.

Place rounds in a single layer on baking sheets. Sprinkle any remaining breadcrumb mixture over the rounds.

Bake for about 22 to 27 minutes, until golden brown. (There is no need to flip them during baking -- they crisp up on both sides as is.)

Source: http://bakehouse.squarespace.com/home/2011/7/20/zucchini-parmesan-crisps.html

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

 Who would have thought chocolate and zucchini would be a good combination?  I have always had a hard time finding a good chocolate muffin recipe just by themselves, but these are wonderful!  I might actually grind the zucchini next time, but I couldn't tell it was grated into the recipe at all.  My kids ate it up!  They loved them.   Shhh!  Don't tell them there is a vegetable in there!

What's your favorite Zucchini Recipe?

Recipe compliments from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Zucchini-Muffins/Detail.aspx?ms=1&prop25=87945295&prop26=DailyDish&prop27=2012-07-08&prop28=RecipeOption&prop29=FullRecipe&me=1

Ingredients

3 eggs

2 cups white sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease or line two 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl beat the eggs. Beat in the sugar and oil. Add the cocoa, vanilla, zucchini and stir well.
3. Stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom. Mix until just moist.
4. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins filling 2/3 of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack. Store loosely covered.

Zucchini Relish

Zucchini is such a versatile vegetable.  I grew up detesting any squash like substance, but over the last several years I have been experimenting with them.  Trying to find that perfect fit for each vegetable so that it's texture, taste and smell suits me isn't too hard when you have the internet.

Isn't it funny how Zucchini will produce so much on just one or two plants?  You definitely don't want to plant too many.  I am fortunate that my mother-n-law shared her garden with me.  I have to say I have really enjoyed it this year. 

One item that a must have in our house is Zucchini Relish.  I no longer had my mom's zucchini relish on stock in my cubbord so I knew I need to at least try and make it myself so that I would always have it.  I know that there are a lot of recipes out there for zucchini relish, but don't forget this one tip...   The more zucchini you add to your recipe the more watered down it will become.  Zucchini holds so much water that even after you feel like you have squeezed it out, there is still more.  With this recipe I have added 1cup more to make 6 cups and it turned out fine.  In fact, a friend of mine said the jar I gave her was the best she ever had!  Not bad for a first time maker!

So stick to the ingredients.  Follow the directions and you will have the best tasting relish ever!  The jalapeno is optional, but if you take the seeds out, you can't even tell its in there.  I don't have a grinder, but I grate my zucchini and then use my chopper to make it small as possible.  It still works great.

I would encourage you to take the time and do some of the things our mothers did when they were our age.  If we don't do it, these recipes and traditions will be lost forever.  Look for more Zucchini Recipes to come!

Zucchini Relish
Ingredients:
5 cups peeled, ground zucchini
4 cups ground onion
5 tbsp canning salt
1 red pepper, ground
1 green pepper, ground
2 cloves garlic, ground
1-2 whole jalapeño, ground, optional
2 1/2 cups vinegar
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp nutmeg
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp dry mustard
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tbsp celery seed
5 cups sugar
Directions:
Put canning salt on the zucchini and onions and let it stand overnight. Place a plate on this and weigh it down and cover it.  The next morning drain and rinse, then drain again. (just run water over it and use your hads to loosen it up a little to let water drain off.)  Add vinegar, red pepper, green pepper, jalapeño and cloves and spices, cornstarch, and sugar.  Mix together, bring this to boil and then add to zucchini mixture. Simmer for 30 minutes. Let stand for 3 hours, reheat and then can.

Sterilize jars in hot water bath 20 minutes. Put mixture into pint or half pint jars and put their lids on.  Screw tight and put into boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

Faithfulness

I have struggled this week with the unfaithfulness of others.  It made me angry to see how people can volunteer to do something and then never show up and follow through with what they committed to do.  It made me sick. 

Then God showed me this morning this quote,

"It costs to be faithful. It cost Abraham the yielding up of his only son. It cost Esther to risk her own life. It cost Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego being put into a fiery furnace. It cost Stephen death by stoning. It cost Paul his life. Does it cost you anything to be faithful to your Lord and King?"

My focus was on the unfaithfulness of others instead on my faithfulness.  It made me realize that even though I am faithful to do more then what is asked....  it is the above and beyond that God wants us to be faithful in, and to have a good attitude about it.

If God has allowed you to do something for Him, don't be surprised when he wants you to do more.  Rejoice and be glad that he has allowed you to do it too.  I believe I have some confessing to do.

If you are not sacrificing to do something for God, then it's time to stop and see if you are being faithful to him at all.

When you get close to God, it will change your life forever....

Wednesday's night message at church was awesome!  We looked at the life of Simon.  No not Simon Peter, but Simon of Cyrene.  The man who carried the cross of Jesus.

At first glance, you would think that this mention of Simon was all there was, but as we looked at scripture we found out more about this man who was compelled to carry the cross of Jesus and the impact it had on his family's life.

Mark 15:20-21, "And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.  And they compel one Simon, of Cyrene, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross."

A few things to note that I didn not know or think of:

1.  They soldiers were not allowed to crucify Roman citizens.
2.  They had to crucify outside the city.
3.  Jews were not allowed to touch the cross because they would be defiled and would not be able to celebrate the anual passover.
4.  Cyrene is in Northern Africa coast, some 900 to 1000 miles away.

Jews from all over made this journey to Jerusalem for the passover.  The streets were crowded and the Jews wanted Jesus crucified before the passover.  Jesus struggled to carry the cross so the soldiers looked for someone to carry it for him.

So why did they pick this man of Cyrene to carry the cross?

When they saw Simon of Cyrene, they compeled him to carry the cross.  Why?  They couldn't ask a Jew too.  The Roman's honored the Jewish beliefs.  So they saw a man coming from Africa with a different color of skin.  They took one glance at the man and assumed he was not a Jew or converted Jew.  So they compeled this man to carry the cross.  Simon had come from a long way.  A month long journey.  He did not know anything about this man Jesus, but yet this event changed his life forever.

Did you know that compel means to be pressed into service of the King.  Boy was he!  Except this time he was pressed into service for the Lord!

But why was Simon even coming to Jerusalem?  It was mentioned Wednesday night that he could have been a converted Jew coming to celebrate the passover.  I believe the book of Josephus mentions that some of the Jews migrated to the area of Cyrene years before.  So maybe he came to celebrate and the Romans not knowing he was a converted Jew, compeled him to carry this cross.  Imagine coming all the way from Cyrene to celebrate the passover and you wind up defiled by Jewish law because you touched the cross....

Does the story end there?  I originally thought so, but was proven there is more about this man.

Look in Acts 11:19-20. "Now they who were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen, travled as far as Phoenica, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.  And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrenen, who, when they were come to Antioch, spoke unto the Greeks, preaching the Lord Jesus.

Acts 13:1, "Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers, as Barnabas, and Symeon, who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod, the tetrarch, and Saul (Paul)."

Symeion of Cyrene, was Simon who carried the cross.  He got close to Jesus and it changed his life, never to be the same.  He was a missionary now.  Telling the Gentiles about Jesus.

Remember Simon's two sons were mentioned?  Where did they end up?

Romans 16:13, "Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine."

Paul wrote the book of Romans and in Romans 16 he is saluting those whom he is close with.  Verse 13 shows that he considers Rufus' mother like his own.  Coinsidence?  No.  They had a family history together. 

What about Alexander, Simon's other son?

A little research on the internet shows that an ossury was found near Jerusalem that had the inscription of Alexander, son of Simon. Read/click on  the following document: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:8DZROnH3qcQJ:israelpalestineguide.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/alexander-son-of-simon-ossuary-illustrated-2010-edit.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjoQ5C8MLAOdZw7TZgvyneOzEqoprcGbUPB1kJ8K6-QKGoyld_aIv_n7mC3k_zhRfuZbf2NVZpnBu6FCfZ_pRNbo38gpTfPn2znvtLCHUCYno-9FG4QQoY_PE-n6a9J0CoOBKZo&sig=AHIEtbR8DHCkPhLjFj7AlMr9M1j1FZkr7A&pli=1

Amazing that science is catching up with the Bible.