Overnight Oatmeal

1. Ingredients

• 8 cups water
• 2 cups steel-cut oats (see Ingredient note)
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2. Cooking Directions

Combine water, oats, dried cranberries, dried apricots and salt in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Turn heat to low. Put the lid on and cook until the oats are tender and the porridge is creamy, 7 to 8 hours.

Stovetop Variation: Halve the above recipe to accommodate the size of most double boilers: Combine 4 cups water, 1 cup steel-cut oats, 3 tablespoons dried cranberries, 3 tablespoons dried apricots and 1/8 teaspoon salt in the top of a double boiler. Cover and cook over boiling water for about 1 1/2 hours, checking the water level in the bottom of the double boiler from time to time.

Yield: 8 servings

3. Still Hungry?

Here is an easy way to serve a crowd a hearty breakfast before facing the elements for a day of winter sports. You can assemble it in the slow cooker in the evening and wake up to a bowl of hot, nourishing oatmeal. The slow cooker eliminates the need for constant stirring and ensures an exceptionally creamy consistency. It is important to use steel-cut oats; old-fashioned oats become too soft during slow-cooking.
Notes:

Ingredient note

Steel-cut oats, sometimes labeled 'Irish oatmeal,' look like small pebbles. They are toasted oat groats the oat kernel that has been removed from the husk that have been cut in 2 or 3 pieces. Do not substitute regular rolled oats, which have a shorter cooking time, in the slow-cooker oatmeal recipe.

Bruschetta Di Formaggio

1. Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 loaf French bread, cut into slices
1 (8 ounce) package POLLY-O Whole Milk Mozzarella Cheese, cut into thin slices
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

2. Cooking Directions

Preheat broiler. Mix oil and garlic. Brush both sides of bread slices lightly with oil mixture. Place on baking sheet. Broil 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until lightly toasted on both sides.

Cover each toast slice with 1 cheese slice; top evenly with tomatoes.

Broil about 4 inches from heat 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with oregano. Serve warm.

Yield: 24 servings

3. Still Hungry?

This Italian appetizer of toasted garlic French bread slices topped with fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and oregano is ideal for summer parties.

Notes:
Great Substitute
Substitute 2 tsp. dried oregano leaves, crushed, for the chopped fresh oregano.

Peach Shortcakes

Ripe farm stand peaches lead to shortcakes drenched in sweet juice. But what if you're stuck with hard, mealy supermarket peaches?

This recipe works well with any peaches, regardless of quality. If your peaches are firm, you should be able to peel them with a sharp vegetable peeler. If they are too soft to withstand the pressure of a peeler, you’ll need to blanch them in a pot of simmering water for 15 seconds and then shock them in a bowl of ice water before peeling. If buttermilk is not available, substitute 1/2 cup of low-fat yogurt mixed with 3 tablespoons of milk. Orange juice or orange liqueur can be used in place of the peach schnapps. The biscuits may be made up to 24 hours in advance.

Shortcut Carrot Cake

1. Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package spice cake mix
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 cup PLANTERS Chopped Pecans, divided
• 2 (8 ounce) packages PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 (8 ounce) tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

2. Cooking Directions

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare cake mix batter as directed on package, stirring in carrots, pineapple and 3/4 cup of the pecans until well blended. Pour into 2 (9-inch) square baking pans. Bake 25 to 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool.

2 Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer or wire whisk until well blended. Stir in whipped topping until well blended.

3 Place 1 cake layer on serving plate. Spread with 1-1/2 cups of the cream cheese mixture. Carefully place second cake layer on top of first cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining cream cheese mixture. Garnish with remaining 1/4 cup pecans. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield: 18 servings

3. Still Hungry?

A store-bought spice cake mix is a clever shortcut to delicious carrot cake.

Notes:
Substitute
Substitute yellow cake mix plus 2 tsp. ground cinnamon for the spice cake mix.

Talking to myself a little bit. Filling the lonely hours. :)

we need to see what God is doing and get with him, rather than make up our own plans and expect him to join us. \

But God is active in our history, and in our present. This goes against popular philosophy which says that God either just doesn't exist, or that he doesn't care what's happening "down here." He most definitely does care. Those of us who love him know this to be true.

And this shows us something of his character. That he is loving and compassionate towards his children. He is even loving and compassionate towards those who reject him. At least for a while. After all, "the rain falls on the just and the unjust." God doesn't just send rain on people who follow him. And earthquakes don't just strike the homes of unbelievers. There will come a day, though, when God's compassion will reach its end, and justice will prevail. And since he is the Maker, anything that he chooses to do is just.

How do I respond to this type of God? I serve him. I worship him in awe of his mighty power and the fact that he chose me to be one of his. There was nothing that I did to make me worthy of this choice. It was simply his good pleasure and I have benefited from that. And for that, I throw myself at his feet in joyful celebration!

Father, I have gone through a variety of topics today, and some differing emotions. Let me be aware of your work around me. Let me always be on the lookout for your activity. You have "moved into my neighborhood." You are living in my house. And you inhabit the corporate "temple" that is the Body of Christ, which is what you are directing my attention to strongly this week. This still goes along with your directives to care for the body. I continue to ask you to please help that be central in my mind and heart. And help those of us who minister at the little piece of your "house" where we worship to make it a place where people truly love you and worship you and care for each other.

As we travel around our neighborhoods in the next few days, let's ponder the implications of God moving into our neighborhoods. What if he lived next door to us?
And be thankful, oh so very thankful, that he pursues you!

Grace and peace, friends!