Gleanings of Wheat

I'm sure by now everyone knows about my love for Chinese food, so it should come as no surprise I recently signed up for an email newsletter that sends me recipes! I got my first one today , I'm very excited about it. Wok Wok spider Wok spatula or ladle Small strainer for dusting corn starch 1.5 pounds chicken, thigh or breast cut into 3/4 inch cubes 3 1/2 cups peanut oil 8-12 dried chinese chiles, chopped if you like the dish hotter, whole if you are of the mild persuasion. 1/2 cup finely sliced scallion 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch for dusting Marinade 1 large egg, beaten 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 pinch white pepper 2 tablespoons cornstarch Sauce 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 1/2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine. Mix together the marinade ingredients and add it to the chicken. Ensure the chicken is throughly coated then set it ...

Advance faith. All our disquiets do issue immediately from unbelief . It is this that raiseth the storm of discontent in the heart. O set faith a-work! It is the property of faith to silence our doubtings, to scatter our fears, to still the heart when passions are up. Faith works the heart to a sweet serene composure; it is not having food and raiment, but having faith, which will make us content . Faith chides down passion; when reason begins to sink, let faith swim. Fath shows the soul that whatever its trials are yet it is from the hand of a father; it is indeed a bitter cup, but 'shall I not drink the cup which my father hath given me to drink?' It is in love to my soul: God corrects me with the same love he crowns me ; God is now training me up for heaven; he carves me, to make me a polished shaft. These sufferings bring forth patience, humility, even the peaceful fruits of righteousness. And if God can bring such sweet fruit out of our stock, let him graft me where he...

So, I was organizing my music folder on my computer today (I'll attach a screen shot - feel free to mock me) and in it were a bunch of sermons and it got me thinking about the different ways people have come to faith in Christ. No two stories are exactly the same, yet Christ is at the center of it all... Anyway, Reformation Day is coming upon us pretty quickly here and I thought it'd be fun to have a roundup of people's testimonies. So, here are the different ways you can submit should you choose to. 1. Type it up and post it on your blog/ site. Then email me the link at kristina AT kristinahansenDOTcom. 2. Record it & post it on your blog/ site and email me the link. 3. If you don't have a blog but still want to participate go ahead and email me the text (or audio!) and I'll take care of it for you. On October 31st I'll post with a list of all the testimonies, it'll be fun so do it and tell your friends. As promised, here is the screenshot. ...

The kids & I went camping this weekend with some friends. It was a ton of fun. Here are photos. W in a tree. Mr. T (haha best internet nickname ever) walking us to the playground. Miss E examining the gap between where we were standing and a rock. Mr. T had taken the kids to the car so they wouldn't see what was coming... This is the gap... This is the view from the safe side of the gap... This is me after I jumped the gap. We wore bandannas to keep our heads free from bugs. It also happened to be "Talk like a pirate day." Isn't it insane how beautiful this is? Resting... J was really tired. I finally gave in and carried her for a while - up hill. She's trying to kill me. This was on Sunday. W taking a break from his play fighting activities to show me how strong he is. Or that he is a rhino. I can't remember. The car My nightmare of a car (I've posted about it before , but not each time it has broke down. If I ...

3 or 4 links of Italian sausage 4 1/2 tbsp evoo 1 med eggplant, peeled & cut into 3/4in dice 2 small zucchini, halved & sliced 1 large onion, quartered & thinly sliced 1 medium green bell pepper, halved & sliced 2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 c canned diced tomatoes 1 tbsp + 1 tsp tomato paste salt & pepper 2 tbsp chopped parsley 3 tbsp chopped basil Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Puncture the links in several places & cook them at a low boil until they are no longer pink in the center - about 14 minutes. Transfer to plate & slice them into 1/4in rounds. Over medium high heat, warm 3 tbsp of evoo in a large, deep skillet. Add the eggplant & zucchini & saute them until they are lightly browned but not soft - about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. In the same skillet warm the remaining oil. Add the onion & bell pepper & saute them for 3 minutes. Stir in garlic & sausage & saute for 3 more minutes. Stir in tomatoe...

Do your kids want some clay? Want to control what they come in contact with? Want them to be able to make their own clay? Then this post is for you! 1 c flour 3/4 c salt 1 tbsp vegetable oil natural dye (see below) In medium bowl combine the flour & salt. Pour in the oil & your natural dye. Stir well. Knead the dough on a floured surface for a few minutes. If too soft add a bit more flour. Store clay in airtight containers in the fridge. Natural Dye options Brown: 3/8 c hot water + 4 tbsp cocoa powder Fuchsia: 3/8 c hot beet juice Orange: 3/8 c hot water + 1 tbsp paprika Yellow: 3/8 c hot water + 1 tbsp tumeric

This past weekend there was a Civil War reenactment in a town near by, but being the wonderful caring mother that I am I certainly did not drag my 4.5 & 6.5 year old children to it simply b/c I'm kind of a nerd. Furthermore, I did not let my kids sit as close to the cannons as was allowed by the re-enactors so that they could feel the boom right through their chests... for 45 minutes. Also, I did not perch myself halfway up the slide at the park to take pictures while my 11 month old nephew climbed up it. And I certainly didn't make my kids stand in front of a pond and pose for 10 minutes to try and get a cute photo of them. **edit** Also, I did not let my kids have ice cream and or brownies for dinner this past week...twice.

When I was in NYC in March my friend Jess (who incidentally is getting MARRIED & I built a wedding website for) introduced me to something she'd been raving about for months. Chocolate Croissants. There are few words to describe how yum these puppies are and every so often I wish I was in New York just so I could pick one up and listen to some street musicians. Well, we may not have street musicians or street vendors here but we do have a grocery store and thanks to Joy the Baker's quick and easy Chocolate Croissant recipe I can have them in 30 minutes! 1 (14 oz) package frozen all-butter puff pastry, left to defrost in the fridge for 2 or 3 hours 1/4 cup dark chocolate pieces, 60% or 70% cocoa solids 1 egg, beaten a sprinkle of fine sea salt Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Gently unpackage the slightly thawed puff pastry and place on a lightly floured surface. With a light floured rolling pin, gently roll out the puff pastry, extending the dough about 1 inc...

I love MckMama's blog , it is one of the few that I read daily, but I think I love it more now that I know she doesn't really measure stuff either! Anyway, this sounds yummy and may end up being my dinner tonight. Click over to see what it looks like. a bunch of shredded chicken the corn off two corn on the cobs 1 can of Ro-Tel with cilantro and lime 1 can of black beans the juice of 1/2 lime salt lots of torn, fresh basil 1/4 cup sour cream, plus an extra dollop Mix all ingredients together, except the dollop of sour cream. Chill. Serve with more torn basil and the sour cream dollop on top. Giggle at the repeated use of the word dollop. Fight your children or significant other off, because they will want some and you will not want to share.

I follow PostSecret on Twitter, Frank posted a link to the following recipe there. It sounds delicious. 1/2 cup raspberry preserves 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup canola oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon almond extract 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flower 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease cookie sheet. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the raspberry preserves, sugar, canola oil, vanilla, and almond extract. In a separate mixing bowl, sift together the other ingredients. Add the dry to the wet in 3 batches, mixing well with a fork after each addition. When you get to the last batch, you may need to use your hands to work the batter into a soft and pliable dough. Roll the dough into walnut-size balls and then flatten them with your hands into 2 1/2 -inch-diameter disks. Place on a cookie sheet 1/2 inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and...

We live super close to my 6 year old's school (he just started 1st grade a couple weeks ago) so unless it is raining or -3 degrees out we walk. Today W got into his line and sat down like he does every day. And this is where we break with tradition - much to his horror - every morning I say goodbye and his 4 year old sister says goodbye and waves. But not today. Today she walked right up to him, put her hand on the back of his head, leaned in, and kissed him on the forehead! In front of half his class! He gets upset pretty easy, but usually he yells when he's mad. Not today. Today he barely reacted at all...which I can only assume means he's going to kill her when he's not in school this afternoon. My kids are goofs.