Today you are you!

Why can’t you be like everyone else!  Sit down and be quiet! 

The mother was clearly frustrated and embarrassed by her son’s antics as she ushers him out of the restaurant for blowing bubbles in his chocolate milk.  

They were amazing bubbles that spilled out over his glass and on to the table. 

~

 

Do we really want our (grand)children to be like everyone else?

Average children who do not question the status quo?

Children who aspire to be followers?

Children afraid to standout, who no longer dream?

Be mindful of the messages your (grand)children receive that say average is the way to be.

Create opportunity for them to practice standing out, being different because

There is no one alive who is you-er than you!

Blow chocolate milk bubbles with them and laugh!

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

All Saints

What is a Sunday school teacher to do when Halloween fall on Saturday evening? 

The children many of whom will have taken part in the none religious event the previous evening as they do with the Santa Claus parade or as in our community the bike parade that starts the Fall fair, want to talk about the evening, they bring some of their candy and their focus is not Christian nurture and education!

We were the leaders of our Boys and Girls Club year previous when this same set of circumstances presented.  We knew we had an opportunity before us to make a difference only how were we to proceed?  

The path was made clear when we looked at the lectionary for that Sunday and like today it was All Saints.

Isaiah 25:7 On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. 

We are all Saints none of us will sleep in death forever.  We will raise again together in the new heaven.

Here was our answer.  We called the parents and asked them to talk to their children about a Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Aunt, family friend who had past away and who had a strong Christian influence on their family. 

We called the Boys and Girls Club together and discussed that instead of a children’s story they would each carry from the back of the church to the front of the church a framed photograph of a family Saint, the person their parents spoke to them about.

Sunday morning arrived, (I have tears as I write this) not only had the children arrived with a photograph other members of the congregation, who by word of mouth heard about this event carried in photographs.  The front of the church was covered with black and white photographs. 

Today those young children now have children of their own and without fail one of them will speak to us as say do you remember the year …

We will one day all be a photograph walked to the front of the church a remembered saint of the family.  Know that you are loved by God as you are not because you are perfect and that Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015twosnydergirls

Lectionary readings Isaiah 25:6-9, Psalm 24, Revelation 21:1-6a, John 11:32-44

Creamed Chicken and Baked Potatoes

When Thanksgiving is over and using up the leftovers becomes the supper time problem try this Snyder family favourite Creamed Chicken or Turkey on baked potatoes.  It is great way to make just a few leftovers stretch to feed a family of four.  This recipe is dairy free and gluten free.

Ingredients:

• 1 baked potato per person
• 2 Tablespoons of oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 3 celery stalks diced
• 2/3 cup Almond milk
• 1 can condensed mushroom soup (dairy and gluten free)
• 1 cup of cooked chicken or turkey diced
• 2 cups peas
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• gluten free corn starch as required

Directions:

1. Bake the potatoes in the microwave or use leftover potatoes
2. While potatoes are cooking saute the onions and celery in the oil until the onions are translucent 
3. In a soup pot add the Almond milk, condensed mushroom soup, chicken, peas, onions celery, pepper and thyme.
4. Stirring often heat the mix to the boiling point.  If your prefer a a thicker sauce add corn starch or a thickening agent of your choice.
5. Serve.

From Our Table To Yours

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Fields of Sunflowers

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015twosnydergirls

Do What You Can

Today at work in reviewing a power point slide deck I had a 'light bulb' moment as my granddaughters like to say.  

There was a business quote that talked about needing to ensure that people have the resources available to achieve the expected outcome.  

The 'light bulb' moment came when I applied this same axiom to my own life.

As we approach Christmas the demands on my time to sew this, knit that, crochet this pattern, make Christmas cookies for, volunteer for this event, and the list goes on.  

I need to mindful of the resources I have to offer myself so that I can achieve balance and love in my file.

I am not alone this phenomenon, the need or desire to be all things to all people.  

With the outcome being that in the end you are left feeling unhappy, tired or unappreciated.

Theodore Roosevelt's advice is very timely 

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." 

He is addressing just this issue personal resource management.

Be Mindful this week of what your personal resources are and do not over tax yourself.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Take Heart Get Up He Is Calling You

These words start a Christian Prayer/Matra known as the Jesus Prayer. 

They are words that I repeat when human despair, 

pain, grief, or fear render me speechless.

Jesus Christ, Son of David have mercy on me for I am a sinner.

Jesus Christ, Holy Son of God have mercy on me for I am a sinner.

Hebrews 7:26 sets out the criterion that ensures that just by calling on the name of Jesus we are heard.

 "For such a high priest [Jesus] became us, holy, guileless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens"

 Jesus Christ, Son of David have mercy on me for I am a sinner.

Jesus Christ, Holy Son of God have mercy on me for I am a sinner.

And there is more even before we know that despair, pain, grief or fear are about to befall us God is calling out to us, to draw near to him to know that we are held always and forever within his loving embrace.

Hebrew7:25 Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near unto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Take Heart Get Up He Is Calling You 

to entered into His Love and protection.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

This weeks Scriptures Jeremiah 31:7-9 Psalm 126 Hebrews 7:23-28 Mark 10:46-52

Rice Pudding

As cool fall nights turn into even colder winter evenings thoughts turn to the smell of wood smoke hanging in the air that signals the warmth of the kitchen table and hot rich desserts.  In the homes that we grew up in this meant rice pudding. 

Today we are featuring a dairy free, vegan rice pudding and we chose basmati rice to add a nuttier flavour.  

Hands down basmati rice is our favourite.

Basmati rice falls within the ‘medium glycemic index which makes is a healthier choice for everyone and specifically anyone with diabetes.  One cup of cooked basmati rice is 190 calories compared the same amount of cooked white rice that comes in at 204 calories.

The earliest recorded mention of basmati rice according to Wikipedia is in 1766 and basmati rice traditional is grown in India and Pakistan.

Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of basmati can rice for the rice that you prefer.
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 7 cups almond milk or milk substitute
• 4 tablespoons spoons maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

 Directions:

1. Soak rice and raisins for half an hour and drain
2. Fill the bottom pot of double boiler ½ full with water and bring to a boil
3. Into the top saucepan combined the rice, raisins, vanilla, almond milk, maple syrup, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
4. Place the top sauce pan in the bottom pan and stir the now liquid rice pudding
5. Stir often while the rice is cooking and once the pudding starts to thicken stir constantly to prevent burning.
6. Should the rice absorb all of the liquid add more ½ cup at a time to ensure your pudding is not too runny yet creamy
7. Once the rice is cooked serve

From Our Table to Yours

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Crochet The Sky August 2015

August 2015

There is a Zone whose even Years

There is a zone whose even years

No Solstice interrupt --

Whose Sun constructs perpetual Noon

Whose perfect Seasons wait --

Whose summer set in summer, till

The centuries of June

and centuries of August cease

And consciousness -- is noon

~ Emily Dickinson

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Hoggs Falls

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Frustration

Frustration!

You can substitute; prevention, hindrance, blocking, foiling, defeat, obstruction, thwarting for the word frustration and those are only the words that Microsoft Word provided.

 And the opposite of frustration is success.

Today was a very frustrating day, it was a day that depleted personal energy and gave very little in return.

Today was a day where old behaviours prevented success, 

where lack of awareness hindered success, 

success was blocked by not being mindful of repeated patterns, 

where habitual responses foiled success ….

In reflection it was a day where old behaviours and strategies were repeatedly applied to new situations, each time with the expectation that success would be achieved and where frustrated failure resulted.

Einstein would say a day spent in the pursuit of insanity and by the end of the day that is what it felt like.

Did other people cause this frustration? 

To say yes would be give personal power and choice away. 

No people cause their own frustration and there in lays the path to success.

Taking ownership of being frustrated, be mindful of your expectations, repeated patterns of behaviours and leave insanity behind.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

His Life An Offering

When we think of Christ’s ministry we call up pictures of the homeless, beggars, widows, orphans, disabled, and the prostitute all outcasts of Christ’s time in history.  

Yet in preparation for this post we continued to be a struggle with the “who” of Christ’s ministry.  

How do we the advantaged of today’s world fit into Christ’s ministry? 

The conventional answer is that Christ ransomed us from our sin through his death on the cross and again the verses this week would not let this be the entire answer. 

While we continue to struggle with the answer the actual questions to be asked are clear.

1. How are we the advantaged of society homeless, for we are working long hours to have the funds to purchase more, or we sit at meals with our children texting on our smart phones where are our homes?
2. How are we widowed from those we love including God?
3. How are we orphaned from human connection and through this connection from God?
4. How are we disabled, blind to the things that are separating us from the richness of a life lived in the full presence of God?
5. What are we steeling ourselves too in this life that separates us from God?

Christ wants to minster to us today he is offering his life to us now so we can live fuller lives now.  

Christ desires to minister us as he did to those of old if only we recognize the things that have made us outcasts of the fullness of life now.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Verses Isaiah 53:4-12, Psalm 91:9-16, Hebrews 5:1-10, Mark 10:35-45

Sauerkraut and Sausage Soup

Sauerkraut was introduced into the North American diet by Pennsylvania German immigrants in the eighteenth century and Captain James Cook used sauerkraut to ward off scurvy on the Endeavour 1768-1771.  

In the Mennonite food tradition sauerkraut is used as a hot side dish, in casseroles, salads and cake.  

This weeks recipe features sauerkraut in a soup.

Sauerkraut  turkey sausage soup makes a wonderful base any vegetable combination that you might want.  Tonight we made this recipe with leftover vegetables from our Canadian Thanksgiving dinner.  We use approximately half a cup of sautéed mushrooms, one baked sweet potato, one roasted white potato and ½ cup cooked carrots, with good results so don't be afraid to experiment with the vegetables that you use.  The trick with leftover vegetables is to ensure you add them with just enough time left to heat them up and then do not freeze the soup. 

The recipe has been created to use carrots and potatoes vegetables that in our household are always at hand.

Ingredient:

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 pound of your favorite turkey sausage
• 1 pound of sauerkraut
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 3 large carrots cubed
• 2 potatoes cubed
• 1/8 of a teaspoon of cardamom
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seed
• 2 tablespoon apple butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cut the turkey sausage into bite size pieces
2. In the soup pot fry the sausage and sauerkraut in the oil stirring constantly to prevent burning.  You are finished frying when the bottom of your pot is covered with caramelized brown layer.
3. Deglaze the soup pot using the broth (there is no need to remove the sauerkraut and sausage)
4. Add carrots, potatoes, cardamom, cumin, and caraway seed.
5. Simmer until the vegetables are tender and the sausage is cooked through
6. Add the apple butter simmer for 5 minutes more
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve

From our table to Yours

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015twosnydergirls

What is Left

 St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church 

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Today Is All that Matters

This morning we woke to a perfect fall morning, clear blue sky, freshening breeze and a day of opportunity ahead of us. 

Yesterday, its disappointments, joys and struggles now allocated to history, to memory and beyond our ability to change. 

Tomorrow out of reach present only on a calendar full of what might be.

In this perfect morning we are born a new to the potential and choices we make.    We live in today and this is the time that matters.

Be mindful of how much of your now, you spend not living but worrying about either the future or the past, then stop and claim your life,

 claim your today and live!

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Treasure in Heaven

We are forgiven because our God knows how frail we are physically, emotionally and spiritually.  

So loved are we that God sent his son to walk a human path from birth to death, from heaven through hell to return to his Father in heaven and we can go boldly through the gates of heaven because Christ has walked the path before us. 

Christ revealed for us that we can walk/live life through love, service and humility – a path upon which we gather wisdom.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

So it is that each of us will pass in our own time through the gates of Heaven wash clean of our sin by unconditional love. 

There we will find treasure, treasure in Heaven.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Amos 5:6-7, 10-15, Psalm 90:12-17, Hebrews 4:12-16, Mark 1-:17-31

Paisley Ontario CA Farmers Market

Grand Feast Finale

The fall is a favourite time of year with cooler weather, the fast pace of summer over and the air full of wonderful smells of wood fires, apple cider, and pumpkin pie.

It is also the time of year that fall fairs, and festivals take place and today we attended the Grand Feast Finale in Paisley Ontario CA.  Where we participated in their annual vendor sponsored potluck lunch and purchased cinnamon buns for tomorrows breakfast.

Attending fall fairs and festivals is a wonderful way for families to connect and spend a day together make arrangements to meet and if you get the chance next year to attend the Grand Feast Finale you will not be disappointed,

We will see you there!

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Roasted Carrot, Apple Soup

Apples are now abundant in our area both wild and domestic so we can only assume that the culinary desire to include apples in a hot soup comes from driving past so many apple trees.

In today's soup recipe we have roasted carrots, potato, shallots and garlic to deepen the taste of the soup. The garlic and shallots were brushed with olive oil while carrots were brushed with a mixture of all of olive oil and maple syrup.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of maple syrup
• 1/8 of a cup of olive oil
• 3 pounds of carrots peeled and cut into large chunks
• 2 shallots
• 2 whole garlic bulbs with the tops come out to expose the garlic
• 1 large potato
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 3 sticks of celery chopped
• 2 Granny Smith apples corded and chopped into large pieces
• To bay leaves (these are removed before you purée the soup)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground ginger

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
2. Prepare the carrots, shallots, potato, and garlic place on a covered baking sheet
3. Brush the potato, shallots and garlic with olive oil and the carrots with olive oil and the maple syrup Note: the remaining maple syrup is added to the soup
4. Place the vegetables in a 400°F oven for 40 minutes.
5. In the soup pot add the vegetable broth, bay leaves, celery and apple let this simmer while the vegetables are roasting
6. When the vegetables are done roasting remove the bay leaves from the broth
7. Remove the roasted garlic for the paper outer layer and carefully place this and the other roasted vegetables in the hot soup pot 
8. Add the nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and remaining maple syrup
9. Simmer for another 10 minutes
10. Carefully blend the vegetables in the broth creating a smooth thick soup
11. Salt and pepper to taste
12. Enjoy

From Our Table to Yours

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Someone Once Lived Here

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Stop Expecting

I set out to write a totally different mindfulness post for today and instead of writing the post over the weekend which was the plan, I spent time with family, walking St. Lawrence Market, photographing Allan Gardens, watching movies with my husband and just relaxing.

Now it is 8:38 pm on the evening that the blog is due (self imposed due date) to be posted and I have no energy to write and I am giving up.

Wait a minute I enjoy doing this blog what is wrong with me?

I have set expectations for myself and in not reaching them I have disappointed myself and so I am giving up!

Not going to happen!

The weekend was wonderful and from it will flow the source of many blog posts to come and I spent quality time with my life partner.

Be mindful throughout the coming week of how often your expectations result in negative self-talk ~ in disappointment in yourself and

Stop expecting!

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

It is to such as these

The answer to this question is found in Mark 10:14 for we are  the beloved 'little children' of God born believing in God's unconditionally love.

And as we grow we forget, yet our Father remembers and takes care of us because  he loves us unconditionally.  

What are mortals that God remembers us we are his children.

Grandma Snyder  

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls