What a Glorious Day!

Right - Adele Pan Gardner

It could not have been a more glorious day for the Followers of Christ feeding mission.   The sun was shining on Aala Skate Park, Hawaii, a beautiful backdrop for a day full of hope, blessings, and friends.  People gathered from far and near to partake in yesterday’s homeless feeding mission by Followers of Christ that resulted in an afternoon of fellowship, bringing those who have so little closer to Christ, filling empty bellies, and making new friends. The feeding mission was a result of a calling received by Adele Pan Gardner, who also has the blessing of plenty of family and friends eager to support her vision.   Adele and her excited supporters (including me) successfully executed the mission without financial support from any organized establishment, which makes the event a testament to feats large and small that can be accomplished in the name of the Lord.  

Hungry folks lined up to eat.

Keola

Many lined up from far and near to participate.

  

Acoustic guitar music provided by Adele's son added just the right touch!

 

A talented new friend joined in to add a musical touch.

Salad

A mighty salad that balanced the menu which also included fruit salad, juice, and one of Adele's hardy beef and potato casseroles.

Malia & Kike

Family having some fun!

Aunty Jean (foreground) & Steph

 

 

Aunty Jean, ready to serve...

2 new friends and me on the right

Awesome time of wonderful fellowship and meeting new folks.  It was a very humbling experience. 

Chow down time!

First friend in line.

Aunty Bev (far left)

Fellowship time is so important.

There was even time for fun while holding down the tent  during a wind gust.

Followers of Christ....say Amen!

Kitchen Magician - Feeding Your Family

When it comes to putting food on the table, most of us are at our wits’ end. The family never seems to agree at the dinner table regarding the menu. The kids would like pizza, while the husband would like his meat well done. Then there is the matter of leftovers.  Each member of your household will want a new food on their plate every evening. The very thought of rustling new recipes that everyone will like is daunting. 

We tend to turn to cookbooks and recipes for easy remedy. The food has to be healthy, tasty, and easy to cook so that you do not have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. However, as far as recipes go, they are not the last word to good cooking. It is more important to know the basics of cooking for that is what makes up for the foundation for healthy food.  Following the recipe book to the last letter can be stressful by itself. What you can do is get the general idea of the recipe and then do it your own way. You will find that sometimes one or more ingredients are not there in your kitchen, or may be the amount that the recipe serves is too much – or too little for your family. Use your own common sense. Try to be innovative and work around what is available in your kitchen, while keeping the basic recipe intact.  Use your own sense of proportion rather than going by the weights and measures of the cookbook.

Kids will love anything that looks interesting and makes them feel like they are having a special meal. You can utilize your leftovers for this purpose.  That way, yesterday’s leftovers can be converted into today’s sandwich filling or burger. The kids can have their burger without the unhealthy trans-fat and other junk that goes in commercial food.

Real Banana Pudding

Photo By tammyzrecipez

www.ourbananamoments.com

•    3 cups sugar (Splenda works great!)
•    ½ cup all-purpose flour
•    ¼ cup cornstarch
•    6 eggs, separated, plus 2 additional egg yolks (8 egg yolks altogether)
•    7 cups of milk (soy milk not recommended)
•    ½ cup margarine
•    2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•    1 16-ounce box of vanilla wafers
•    10-12 medium bananas (ripe not green, black, or brown) peeled and sliced.

Thoroughly mix 2½ cups of the sugar, the flour, and cornstarch in a large heavy saucepan.  Lightly beat the 8 egg yolks; combine milk and egg yolks and whisk into sugar mixture.  Add margarine and cook over medium heat (avoid scolding), stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat; stir in 1-teaspoon of the vanilla.  Cool. Preheat oven to 425⁰F.  Line bottom of a 13X9X2-inch baking dish with one-third of vanilla wafers; layer one-third of bananas and one-third of custard on top.  Repeat layers twice.  Beat egg whites until foamy; gradually add remaining ½ cup sugar, 1-tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.  Beat in remaining 1-tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.  Beat in remaining 1-teaspoon vanilla.  Spread over custard, sealing to edges.  Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Chill overnight before serving.