Helping Hearts Helping Hands
Part of the prize for the March give-away was a showcase of the favorite mission. S Zurek won the giveaway, and Hallee the Homemaker donated $50 to Helping Hearts Helping Hands.
The quote at the top of the website for this organization says:
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” -Harriet Tubman
The founder of this group obviously is a dreamer who knows how to step up to the plate and make her dreams come true. Currently, Helping Hearts Helping Hands provides food, fresh water, clothing, shoes, and vitamins to villages in Honduras. They are in the process of purchasing property in Honduras to start and orphanage, and their host family has already moved in. This property that they’re purchasing for the orphanage is set on a beautiful 2 acre piece of land and has two homes, ideal for their orphanage. The founder and her family travel to Honduras every 2-3 months and spend 1-2 months down there each trip. Their goal is to have the orphanage open and ready for children by April of 2010.
What makes this particular organization so unique is that the founder is 17. Here is her bio from her website:
Erica Cale is 17 years old and has always had a passion for helping others. She graduated from High School in November 2008 and will be taking online college courses, which makes traveling and being away on mission trips possible. On April 10, 2007 she realized what her calling in life was: to be a missionary and live her life helping others. April 10th was her first day in Honduras and she knew it was meant to be. Her passion, her goal, her dream in life….mission work. “Let’s make a difference together, every prayer and every person can help!”
I am just beyond impressed with this young lady. I love that she not only felt convicted to do this, but followed through and DID it. It speaks volumes to how God has a plan for us, and how if we just listen to Him then do what He asks, He will see that the doors are opened and barriers removed.
I love that Erica’s family obviously supports her in her mission work. Her mother serves as president of Helping Hearts Helping Hands. I hope that if one of my children came to me with an idea like this one, I would be as open to the Lord as Nancy obviously is.
If Gregg were home, I’m certain we would find a way to be at their 3rd Annual Emerald Ball this weekend. It would be awesome to meet this family in person.
I pray that the ball is wildly successful. I pray that their orphanage opens next month and that God just continues to use Erica and her family and amazing and magnificent ways. I pray that they are shielded with protection from the slings and errors that will certainly be headed their way as they approach the opening of their orphanage. And I pray that the orphans feel the love of God through this amazing family.
Thank you, S. Zurek, for introducing us to such an amazing ministry.
Hallee
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Wordless Wednesday: Dem Bones

Because, it's not like they don't have any toys of their own or anything. And we are not even going to go into where the dog food ended up so that they could have the dog bowl to fill with dog treats. ~sigh~
Hallee
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Creation: Abiogenesis Part II

A Sunday guest post by my brilliant husband, Gregg.
Every Sunday, my clever husband offers me a “day of rest” by writing posts on the subject of his primary ministry. This is a topic that is gaining more and more attention in our modern culture. The topic, Creationism vs. Darwinism, is a subject that has broad reaching scientific, social, and metaphysical implications. He chooses to conclude each post with a message intended to hearten and bolster believers. However, for believers and non-believers alike, the primary purpose is to present scientific, historical, logical, and/or sociological data in an empirical fashion, as much as possible written in layman’s terms, and in a format suitable for supplementing any homeschool curriculum whether you choose to believe the Biblical account — or secular guesses — about the origins of human life on earth.
A Darwinian Primer
The 6 types of evolution taught in the average public school, the first 5 being types of Darwinian evolution, and the last being simple modifications or changes within kind and not even really “evolution” are:
- Cosmic evolution
- Stellar evolution
- Chemical evolution
- Abiogenesis—Life from non-life
- Macro-evolution
- Micro-evolution (Changes within kind – not evolution)
Abiogenesis Reloaded
In previous Sunday posts, I documented the impossibilities of Cosmic evolution, Stellar evolution, and Chemical evolution. I then presented a comprehensive series of posts documenting that life on earth simply cannot have been around for billions or millions of years based on numerous scientific facts.
Last Sunday, I explained the basics of the Darwinist belief in abiogenesis, recently re-packaged and re-branded and re-labeled to be called biopoiesis, or whatever other new and improved authoritatively scientific sounding jargon they want to call their religious belief in spontaneous generation.
If you do not have that context, I encourage you to select the CREATION category and read through all of the previous posts. I pray that doing so will be a blessing to you. Read more…
Monthly Reminder ☺
In my post about cancer awareness month way back on October 6th of last year, I encouraged everyone to order a free breast self exam shower card here and to use it. Select a day once a month to do a self-exam. I also encouraged everyone to find a buddy and remind each other to do your breast exams.
Here is my monthly reminder to you guys, my buddies. Please remember to do monthly self exam. The earlier detection, the more likely a positive outcome.
For more information on breast cancer, please visit National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, The American Cancer Society.
Please continue to pray for healing and for knowledge to fight this battle.
Hallee
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You would bless me if you added me to your
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Mascarpone Cheesecake with Vanilla Almond Crust
Mascarpone Cheesecake with Vanilla Almond Crust
(pictures will be posted soon)
I derived this cheesecake from one I saw on a food show one time. I’m always afraid when I make cheesecake that it’s going to be heavy and dry when it comes out. That’s never happened to me – and this recipe especially is so moist, and so melt-in-your-mouth that during a dinner party Gregg and hosted with four other couples, when dessert was served and everyone took a bite, there was a collective silence, then moan of appreciation. It was amazing and those friends still talk about that dinner party.
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1 cup slivered almonds
⅔ cup vanilla wafers (I use homemade – you can find that recipe here)
3 TBS sugar
1 TBS unsalted butter, melted
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
2 (8-ounce) containers mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1¼ cups sugar
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 vanilla beans
4 eggs, room temperature
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Food processor
mixer
9-inch springform pan
large roasting pan
large bowl
measuring cups/spoons
rubber spatula or bowl scraper
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Preheat the oven to 350° degrees F.
Lightly toast the almonds. Place them in a shallow frying pan and cook, stirring and shifting often, until they start to toast. (This will smell really good – and when you start to smell it, they’re just about done.)
Squeeze the lemon.
Seed the vanilla beans. Discard the shells. (I place them in a container with sugar — this makes wonderful vanilla sugar that you can use for all sorts of things from flavoring your morning coffee to boosting up your white cake recipe.)
Wrap a 9-inch springform pan tightly with foil.
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Grind the cookies in the food processor. Measure out ⅔ cup.
Grind the almonds in the food processor. Add the ⅔ cup cookie crumbs. Add the sugar. Add the butter.
Press the crust mixture into the bottom only of the pan.
Bake until the crust is set – 12-15 minutes.
Reduce the oven to 325° degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, beat the cheeses until fluffy. Add the sugar. Add the lemon juice and vanilla bean. Add the eggs one at a time. Mix well.
Pour into the springform pan. Place pan in a large roasting pan. Set the pan in the oven.
Pour hot water into the pan until it comes up halfway up the springform pan.
Bake until the middle is just jiggly – about 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes.
Remove from oven, remove from roasting pan, and chill in refrigerator until cold – about 8 hours.
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1 cheesecake
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I serve this completely plain. It needs no accompaniment. But, if you like, take a pint of strawberries and remove the tops. Place them in a bowl and sprinkle 2 TBS of sugar over them. Using a fork, crush the strawberries. Stir to distribute the sugar and cover the bowl. Place in refrigerator and let chill along with the cheesecake. Give the sauce a quick stir and pour a spoonful over each slice as you serve it.
Vegetarian Fajitas
Vegetarian Fajitas
These fajitas are a wonderful flavor explosion in your mouth. Even my family doesn’t complain about the lack of meat. No meat and no dairy make them a perfect meal for a Daniel Fast or during Lent. They’re also something new to do with all of that zucchini that will be coming out of our gardens this summer.
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2 small zucchini, julienned
2 medium small yellow squash, julienned
1 large onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 (8.75 ounce) can organic whole kernel corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can organic black beans, drained
¼ cup red wine vinegar -OR- apple cider vinegar if fasting
¼ cup olive oil
2 TBS olive oil (reserved)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chili powder
dash to tsp garlic powder (to taste)
dash fine ground kosher salt OR fine ground sea salt (to taste)
dash fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
OPTIONAL:
1 tsp sugar (fine milled raw organic is best)
-OR-
2 tsp honey if fasting
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sharp knife/cutting board
heavy frying pan
spoons/measuring cups/measuring spoons
Large bowl.
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Julienne cut zucchini and small yellow squash.
Slice onion.
Cut pepper into into thin strips
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In a large bowl combine olive oil, vinegar, oregano, chili powder, garlic salt, salt, pepper and sugar. To the marinade add the zucchini, yellow squash, onion, green pepper and red pepper. Marinate vegetables in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, but not more than 24 hours.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain the vegetables and saute until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the corn and beans; increase the heat to high for 5 minutes, to brown vegetables.
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6 servings
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Serve with warm whole wheat tortillas.

I am honored to have participated in a Real Food Face-Off hosted by 
Conclusion:



















