In the spirit of outdoor cooking, I give you this recipe for awesome ribs.  Matt tried grilling ribs for the first time last week, and they were wonderful!  I can assure you, this recipe comes with two thumbs up from our kids.  Two very greasy, sticky, messy thumbs up.  And mom approves this as a quick-and-easy meal.  Serve with your favorite side salad and you have a terrific summertime meal!

AUGUST MOON KOREAN RIBS

Recipe from The Low-Carb Bible

Yields: 8 servings

1/3 C water

1/3 C soy sauce

1/4 C thinly sliced green onions

3 T dark sesame oil

3 T honey

2 T minced garlic

2 T sesame seeds

1 T grated fresh ginger

1 t black pepper

3 1/2 lbs. pork back ribs

To prepare marinade, combine all ingredients except ribs in small bowl.  Place ribs in large resealable ziploc bag.  Pour marinade over ribs, turning to coat.  Seal bag.  Marinate in refrigerator overnight.  Grill ribs in center of grill until browned and cooked through (15-20 minutes), turning once.

My kids have a great dad.

They have a dad who loves them, who plays with them, and who is interested in knowing them.  They have a dad who cares about them, who asks how their day was at school, and who listens to their answers.  They have a dad who takes care of their boo-boos and fixes broken toys.  They have a dad who reads to them, prays with them, and kisses them good night.

They have a dad who teaches them how to ride their bikes and tie their shoes.  They have a dad who listens to them practice piano and picks them up from soccer practice and scout meetings.  They have a dad who fixes them breakfast, gives them baths at night, and brushes their hair.  They have a dad who attends Open House at school, who comes to the Fan Jams and eats lunch with them on First Friday Lunch.

They have a dad who takes care of them when they’re not feeling well.  They have a dad who shows them how to cast a rod and reel in the catch.  They have a dad who watches shows like “Time Warp” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos” with them.  They have a dad who will watch the same Disney or Dreamworks movie for the umpteenth time with them.  They have a dad who camps out in the playroom, sleeping on a sleeping bag in the tent because the Cub Scout overnighter had to be cancelled.

They have a dad who cares about their spiritual growth.  They have a dad who takes them to church on Sunday and who talks with them about our faith.  They have a dad who memorizes Bible verses and books of the Bible with them.  They have a dad who teaches them about the Bible and what it means to follow God.  They have a dad who messes up sometimes, but isn’t afraid to admit it.  They have a dad who apologizes when he’s wrong.  They have a dad who may not be perfect, but is committed to being the best dad he can be.  They have a dad who works hard to be a godly example to his children.

They have a dad who takes his title seriously.

Happy Father’s Day to a great dad!

Living in Texas, I’ve learned to like different kinds of food than I ate growing up.  Iced tea, for example.  Bar-B-Que.  Cobbler - of any kind - with Blue Bell Vanilla ice cream.  And of course, Tex Mex.  I’ve even learned to apply the techniques and flavors of tex-mex cooking with breakfast!

CHILE SCRAMBLE

Recipe from The Low-Carb Bible

Yields: 2 servings

2 T minced onion

1 t margarine

1 C egg substitute

1 4-oz. can diced green chiles, drained

1/4 C whole kernel corn

2 T diced pimientos

In 10-inch nonstick skillet, over medium-high heat, saute’ onion in margarine for 2 to 3 minutes or until onion is translucent.  Pour egg substituted into skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is set.  Stir in chiles, corn, and pimientos; cook 1 minute more or until heated through.

Nutrition Information: Calories - 247; Carbs - 4 g; Fat - 14 g; Sat. fat - 6 g; Fiber - 1 g; Protein - 24 g

After you’ve been on the South Beach diet for awhile, you begin to realize two things:  1)  you eat a LOT of eggs and salad, and 2)  you eat a LOT of eggs and salad.  I was always a cereal-for-breakfast kind of girl, so this high-protein, low-carb way of eating has taken some adjusting.  Strange as it sounds, I have grown to prefer tomato or V-8 juice over the sugary apple or cranberry juice I used to drink, and enjoy finding new and creative ways to spice up eggs for breakfast.  We found this one a few weeks ago, and I love the mix of herbs that give it a decidedly unique taste.

MUSHROOM-HERB OMELET

Recipe from The Low-Carb Bible

Yields: 2 servings

1 C egg beaters (we have to use real eggs)

1 T chopped fresh parsley

1 t finely chopped oregano, basil, or thyme (or 1/4 t dried)

2 C sliced fresh mushrooms

2 T margarine, divided

In a small bowl, combine egg beaters, parsley, oregano, basil, or thyme; set aside.

In 8-inch nonstick skillet, over medium heat, saute mushrooms in 1 t margarine until tender; set aside.  In same skillet, over medium heat, melt 1/2 t margarine.  Pour half the egg mixture into skillet.  Cook, lifting edges to allow uncooked portion to run underneath.  When almost set, spoon half of mushrooms over half of omelet.  Fold other half over mushrooms; slide onto serving plate.  Repeat with remaining margarine, egg mixture, and mushrooms.

Nutrition information:  Calories - 114; Carbohydrate - 7 g; Fat - 3 g; Sat. fat - 1 g; Fiber - 1 g; Protein - 14 g

Summer vacation doesn’t officially start until tomorrow afternoon at 3:46 P.M.  But I’m not one who likes to wait until the last minute, so we decided to get a jump start on our summer by going to the movies tonight!

I took our children - plus a friend each - to go see the latest Pixar offering, “Up”.  And yes, we did pay the premium price to see it the way God intended: in HD 3-D!  The kids were way cool in their glasses:

We met another McGowen family at the theater and the boys decided to sit together while the girls and I sat closer to the front.  We all settled in with our popcorn and waited for the movie to start.

And after the first 15 minutes, I was a blubbering idiot.

I have no idea why I had such a strong emotional reaction to that opening sequence, but boy, howdy, it did me in.  And then I had another meltdown later in the movie (for those who’ve seen it, it was the scene when he finds the pictures in her adventure book - and reads what she wrote at the end).   I never knew a kids’ movie could be such a tear-jerker!

But although this was not my favorite Pixar movie - and definitely was not completely geared toward children - I did love the following:

1)  The parody on Boy Scouts.  You knew I would.  That little wilderness scout had me at “Good afternoon.”  Perhaps it’s because I have my own little scout with his uniform all covered with all his patches and awards.  Perhaps it’s because I have my own little scout who goes door-to-door, script in hand, selling popcorn each November.  Perhaps it’s because I have my own little scout who thinks it’s the coolest thing in the world that his mom is his Den Leader…just like Russell wanted his dad to be involved.  If nothing else, that chubby-cheeked little mailman reminded me of why I do all the things I do.  Why, even when I am so tired and worn out, I do the den activity.  Why, even when I would rather enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon, I walk the neighborhood with him selling popcorn.  Why, even when I would rather sleep in a nice, warm, comfy bed, I set up a tent and sleep in the great outdoors with bugs and critters and dirt and cold.  Because deep down inside, my boy is Russell.  And I don’t want some Mr. Frederickson having to take my place.

2)  I loved the dogs.  “Squirrel!”  “Point!”  “My master is very smart and good.  I have a good and smart master.  My master, who is very good and smart made me this collar.”  “You are my master and I love you.”  “Ball?  BALL??  I want the ball! Give me the ball!”  “The collar of shame.”  Oh, and lest I forget: the scene at the end with the dogs hanging their heads out of the windows of the blimp.  Classic.  I think Dug will be the sleeper star of the summer.

All in all, a sweet movie with some tender - and some not-so-tender - moments.  But a story that will make you think about the legacy we leave behind.  The relationships we share.  The memories we build along the way.  And the impact we can have on others.  It’s a story that has meaning for kids and adults alike.

Just don’t forget to pack your kleenex.

This is a placeholder for a post about Crisana’s kindergarten Celebration.  I’m too tired to do it tonight!

Summertime always seems to awaken in me a desire to cook a little differently.  Light, easy, simple suppers with lots of fresh veggies seem to be our summertime menu.  No heavy casseroles, no hot soups or chilis.  As we head into summer, I give you this recipe which - incidentally - I served to rave reviews tonight.  I’ve never cooked spaghetti squash before and the whole family loved it.  We kept the veggies off for the kids and just served with some butter and parmesan cheese.  You could add chicken or shrimp to this very easily and it would still be just as yummy.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH PRIMAVERA

Recipe from The Low-Carb Bible

Yields: 2 servings

1 t olive oil

1/4 C diced green bell pepper

1/4 C diced zucchini

1/4 C sliced mushrooms

1/4 C diced carrot

1/4 C sliced green onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 plum tomato, diced

1 T red wine or water

1/2 t dried basil leaves

1/4 t salt

1/8 t pepper

2 C cooked spaghetti squash

2 T grated parmesan cheese

1.  Heat oil in medium skillet over low heat.  Add bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, carrot, green onions, and garlic; cook 10-12 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.  Stir in tomato, wine, basil, salt, and black pepper; cook 4-5 minutes, stirring once or twice.

2.  Serve vegetables over spaghetti squash.  Top with cheese.

Today is the Global Day of Prayer.  From midnight to midnight, countries and peoples across the globe will be lifting their voices in prayer for healing, for restoration, for blessing to come.

This morning as part of our service, we prayed the prayer below.  The strength of hundreds of voices rising as one was powerful.  The words themselves are humbling and sobering if we take the time to let them sink in.  I encourage you to take the time to read this prayer aloud, as your own individual contribution to our world-wide prayer meeting.

If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  (2 Chron. 7:14).

Almighty God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

Together with believers all over the world,

We gather today to glorify Your Name.

You are the Creator of heaven and earth.

There is no one like You, holy and righteous in all Your ways.

We submit to Your authority as the King of the universe.

We pray with one voice to enthrone You in our hearts

and to honour You before the world.

Lord God, You alone are worthy of our praise and adoration.

Our Father in heaven,

Thank You for loving the world so greatly.

You gave Your only Son, Jesus Christ,

to die on the cross for our sins

so that we could be reconciled to You.

We are grateful to call You Father and to be called Your children.

Nothing can separate us from Your love.

Thank You Father, for adopting us into Your family because of Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Lord Jesus Christ,

You alone are worthy to open the scrolls of history,

for You were slain and have redeemed us to the Father by Your blood.

We confess that You are Head of the Church

and Lord of all heaven and earth.

May people from every tribe and language become Your followers

so that Your blessing brings transformation among all peoples.

Let Your kingdom be established in every nation of the world

so that governments will rule with righteousness and justice.

And may Your Name be great, from the rising of the sun to its setting.

Jesus Christ, You are the Saviour of the world and the Lord of all.

Father of mercy and grace,

We acknowledge that we have sinned

and that our world is gripped by the power of sin.

Our hearts are grieved by injustice, hatred and violence.

We are shamed by oppression, racism and bloodshed in our land.

We mourn all loss of life in murder, war and terrorism.

Our homes are broken and our churches are divided by rebellion and pride.

Our lives are polluted by selfishness, greed, idolatry and sexual sin.

We have grieved Your heart and brought shame to Your Name.

Have mercy on us as we repent with all our hearts.

God of mercy, forgive our sins.  Pour out Your grace and heal our land.

Spirit of the living God,

Apart from You, we can do nothing.

Transform Your Church into the image of Jesus Christ.

Release Your power to bring healing to the sick,

freedom to the oppressed and comfort to those who mourn.

Pour Your love into our hearts and fill us with compassion

to answer the call of the homeless and the hungry

and to enfold orphans, widows and the elderly in Your care.

Give us wisdom and insight for the complex problems we face today.

Help us to use the resources of the earth for the well-being of all.
Holy Spirit, we need Your comfort and guidance. Transform our hearts.

Lord Jesus Christ,

Because You were dead, but are now risen,

and the Father has given You a Name above all names,

You will defeat all powers of evil.

Tear down strongholds and ideologies that resist the knowledge of God.

Remove the veil of darkness that covers the peoples.

Restrain the evil that promotes violence and death.

Bring deliverance from demonic oppression.

Break the hold of slavery, tyranny and disease.

Fill us with courage to preach Your word fearlessly,

and to intercede for the lost faithfully.
Almighty God, deliver us from evil.

King of Glory,

Come and finish Your work in our cities, our peoples and our nations.

We lift our voices in unison with believers from Africa and Asia,

from the Middle East and Europe, from North and South America,

and from Australia and the Pacific Islands-together we cry:
Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Be lifted up ancient doors
so that the King of glory may come in!

As Your deeds increase throughout the earth,

and as Your blessings abound to all the nations,

they will seek You, asking, “Who is this King of glory?”

Together we will answer:
He is the Lord Almighty!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

Come fill the earth with Your glory as the waters cover the sea.

The Spirit and the Bride say:

Amen! Come Lord Jesus!

The “last-week-of-school” parade has begun.  Yesterday it was “last pizza day” and last day of Art (for Trey).  My piano students are finishing up their semester.

And today, it was the end of my first year with Moms In Touch.

I have been longing for a MIT group at our school since Trey started kindergarten.  But I haven’t known where to go, or how to get started.  Every time I’d think about it, I’d be in the wrong place to do anything about it.  And when I was in a good place to research, I’d forget.

Until last summer.

The McFBC link mentioned that MIT was organizing a prayer walk for every school in McKinney.  I called the contact person and found that there was a mom already involved with MIT at McGowen!  I was thrilled!

But nothing has equalled the thrill of being able to pray consistently for my children, their teachers, and our school district throughout the year.  We have poured our hearts out together, cried, and rejoiced over the past nine months.  We have seen God do amazing things in and through our children.  We have seen God move among the teachers and staff at our school.  We have seen God work in our school district…and it’s all because of praying moms.  This morning was bittersweet as we concluded our inaugural year.  You could feel the emotion as we prayed together one last time.  Next year, we’ll meet again…but it will be different.  Our group will change.   We hope it will grow.  We may lose a few members.  And we’ll journey together once more on our knees.

If you don’t have a Moms-In-Touch group at your child’s school, click on the link to find out how you can start one.  Even if you pray alone, the power of your prayer can do mighty things in your child’s life and school.

It’s not like we didn’t have anything else to do.  But there wouldn’t have been any peace in our house if we had allowed this weekend to go by without seeing this movie.

We left the Worship & Arts family picnic rather abruptly to make it to the theater in time, and though we didn’t opt to see this one in IMAX 3-D or HD 3-D, our kids were thrilled to be watching it nonetheless.

As sequels go, our expectations were low.  Most of the time, the sequel isn’t nearly as good as the original.  And true to expectation, this one wasn’t.  Worse yet, this sequel isn’t a “stand-alone” – meaning much of the humor is lost if you haven’t seen the original movie.

But the requisite characters were all there: Larry and Nick, Akhmun Ra, Sacagawea, Teddy Roosevelt, Lexie, Dum-Dum, Jedediah and Octavius, and Dexter.  The storyline weakly attempted to connect the two museums and the characters, but the result ended up as more of a special-effects fest for the CGI artists than as a showpiece of masterful storytelling.  Of the new characters introduced in this movie, only Kuman Ra had any depth or persona.  I had hoped for more from the other “evil” guys – certainly Al Capone could have had more substance.  And I was sorely disappointed with the museum director’s change – he actually spoke in complete sentences this time!  Blasphemy!

There was a poignant moment at the end once the tablet has been returned to New York when Amelia Earhart has to fly back to the Smithsonian and return to her non-existence as a wax figure.  Realizing her future lies as a lifeless exhibit in a dusty museum, she is nonetheless grateful for her one night of life and adventure.  A good lesson to bear in mind for all of us: do we enjoy the moments we are given, do we appreciate the life we live, and are we grateful for the adventures we have – or do we waste our lives, our talents, and our gifts hiding in the daily grind of work and home?

All in all, it’s a great popcorn flick.  Our kids loved it.  The special effects certainly are entertaining.  Just don’t expect a terrific story or oscar-quality acting, though you might find a nugget of truth if you look hard enough.