May 24, 2012 - Recipes for Memorial Day and a Word About Freedom

We are on count down to another family, eating event. I don't know about you, but my family has finally climbed on board. YEA! I am not totally set on what we are grilling yet, but certain that a fruit trifle will be part of the dessert. Here's what I am doing: 2 regular cans of Goya cocunut milk in refrigerator for several days to cause the milk to harden leaving the water on the bottom. 2 pints of heavy whipping cream 4-6 pkgs of truvia 1 tsp of coconut extract Pour the the final three ingredients in a bowl, then scoop ONLY the solid from the Goya cans, you can drink the water BUT it's high in calories and stay close to the bathroom - BUT YUMMY in taste and AMAZING for your muscles. Whip all of this until very firm - it will triple in size so a deep bowl is needed. Could take 5-7 minutes to turn to whipped cream. Set aside. Prepare your strawberries and blueberries separately and set them aside to CHILL well. (not combined) When ready to serve, layer the whipped cream, strawberries, whipped cream, blueberries, whipped cream and some sliced natural almonds on top. Serve immediately in clear bowl so colors look patriotic. SOOOO, yummy! I am experimenting with taking the coconut whipped cream mixture, adding an 8 oz pkg of well beaten cream cheese (combining) and doing the same layering thing. I think the whipped cream would last longer???? The water from the fruit breaks down the whipped cream fairly rapidly, but I am thinking the cream cheese would hold it together for several hours. I'll let you know. I am also serving a watermelon/cantaloupe appetizer. Those lead off foods don't always have to be veggies and dips. :) Several of you responded to the blog yesterday and I am grateful that we can all "bear one another's burdens." One of satan's greatest tools is to whisper, "you're the only one." But remember, he can never utter the truth. He is the father of all lies. And, we are all doing battle. THAT IS THE TRUTH. I wanted to share from one of my devotionals this morning. It's great when I read devotionals that utilize scriptures we have memorized and stand upon. Hope your Thursday is amazing. PK PS - if you have any creative recipes on tap for Monday, please share. I will send to the group. :) Hope you are encouraged by this: Promise #142: I open prison doors and set captives free. Isaiah 61 was a prophetic declaration of the ministry that Jesus would usher in when He started His public ministry. God's heart has always been to proclaim good news for everyone who needs to hear it. He opens up every prison door and He sets every captive free! Hallelujah for a Savior who is so committed to our personal freedom! His proclaimation of freedom is as relevant today as it was the day that Isaiah penned these words. God wants you and I to be completely free because where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty! (2 Corinthians 3:17) My prayer today is that every prison door that still holds us captive would be consumed by the love of God so that we could live a really free life. It is for the very love of freedom that Jesus has set you and I free! (Galatians 5:1) May each one of us experience a deeper level of God's freedom today than we have experienced before. May every weight be lifted off our shoulders and may the joy of the Lord be our strength. He never created us to be captive. We were created to be free!