so know posting for a few days

Hello family and friends some of you known I've not felt good for a few months and I've been pushing my self.Well last couple days been pushing hard ended up at Dr office after I made a call two hours later. I have whooping cough and pneumonia had to pick up three meds. So may be off for a few days.  I'm asking for prayers to pick me up and give me energy to get going. God Bless Sisterbrenda

Hello family and friends

 

,Hi busy herer at the farm our building is coming along. Just wanted to stop and say hi looks going on here will keep you all updated God Bless...

Overcoming Adversity

You will learn from adversity than from prosperity .

Here,s a question about God that's at the top of everyone's list,How can a loving God allow pan and suffering ? That's a legitimate question, and you should be ready to answer it (warning : it's not easy).

         God did not create evil or pain or suffering . He created human beings who were perfect and perfectly free to choose or not to choose God. That's the good   news. The bad news is that the perfect humans chose evil over God,therefore introducing sin and its cons
equences into the world (Rom.5:12). But all was not lost.

        God gave us more Good News, this time in the  person of Jesus who overcame evil and brought us Gods forgiveness (ROM. 5:15 . He suffered on our behalf and knows what it's like for us to suffer on our behalf and knows what it's like for us to suffer. Jesus is the one who makes it possible to learn from and ultimately overcome our adversity.

Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted.

Hebrews 2:18


 

up dates and more

Well finally got my new GB good until the next billing cycle. Let me fill you in our building is coming along we have it squared up and the the braces are almost done. Next will be laying the floor.  We have planted peas,spinach,beet greens and the have come up I'm hoping tonight I can plant  green beans and lettuce. I,ve been helping Ray with everything and been raking leaves so many of them here. It is so dry here we are in the red zone for danger of fire.
We have our grandson Hunter here for a few days he is on school vacation he is a big help. He and Ray have gone to the woods to cut down big tree and put it threw the sawmill. Well time to get off and get some clothes hung ..GOD BLESS

Up Date On The Farm

hi very busy here and new samsung tablet sort on GB so have to watch my time for another week. Been busy building our new produce/Bakery stand. Sawing and cutting down the wood it's going to be 12x30 so very busy.God Bless

How to cook a leg of lamb

I was inspired to roast a leg of lamb after Ioannis Michanetzis (a fan of startcooking.com) sent me his recipe for a marinated, roasted leg of lamb.

Ioannis, an Officer in the Greek Navy, is currently a ship’s captain, with aspirations to have a cooking site specializing in healthy and unique Mediterranean Dishes.

Ioannis’s original recipe was a bit more involved than the recipe I’m doing here, but I would like to thank him for giving me the opportunity (and permission) to adapt one of his specialties for startcooking.com readers.

****

At my grocery store, there were two choices of leg of lamb being offered. Both were from Australia.

I am going to demonstrate how to cook the smaller 5-pound boneless roast shown on the top in the picture above. The larger 9-pound roast on the bottom is a "bone-in" cut. For beginner cooks, the smaller boneless roast is easier to carve. Besides, it just fit into my 15-inch long roasting pan, and my larger roasting pan is not as photogenic!

The steps involved in making this boneless leg of lamb are:

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1. Make a "spice-rub" with garlic, thyme, rosemary, oregano and black pepper.
2. Rub it all over the roast.
3. Put the roast in a plastic bag
4. Pour fresh lemon juice, olive oil and wine over the roast in the bag
5. Put the bag in the refrigerator to marinate for several hours or overnight.
6. Remove the lamb from the bag and roast it in the oven.

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The Marinade

(Marinate is the verb, and marinade is the noun. So, you marinate the lamb with a marinade. Got it? Who’s on first?)

Step 1. First make a spice-rub by measuring out:

• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons of dry oregano
• 2 teaspoons of dry thyme
• 2 teaspoons of dry rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper

Put these ingredients into a small bowl…

…and mix everything together

Now, for the liquid part of the marinade, measure out:

• 1/2 cup (4 oz.) of olive oil
• 1/2 cup (4 oz.) of lemon juice, fresh squeezed
• 2 cups (16 oz.) of dry red wine

My wine merchant suggested a very reasonably priced Merlot ($8) for the dry red wine.

The Boneless Leg of Lamb

(FYI – It’s just the hind legs that are used for “leg of lamb”)

Rather than working directly on the counter top, I set the lamb down on some paper towels on a baking sheet. This is more sanitary.

Cut the plastic outer wrapping off the lamb, making sure not to cut through the netting as well. (If you bought your lamb at a butcher shop, it may well be hand-tied with string instead of netting.) The netting (or string) holds the lamb together in that nice shape. Do not remove it until after the lamb is roasted.

Step 2. Rub the garlic dry-rub spice mixture all over the lamb.

Step 3. Put the lamb in a large plastic bag and set it on a dish. I used a two gallon sized zip-lock bag. (You need the dish just in case the bag leaks when you put it in your refrigerator. You wouldn’t want the marinade to spill all over the inside of your refrigerator!)

Step 4. Pour the lemon juice, olive oil and red wine over the lamb (in the bag.)

Squeeze out as much of the air as possible from the bag, and seal it closed. As a precaution against the bag leaking, wrap a second bag around the marinating lamb.

Step 5. Set the bag in a dish and let the lamb marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight -up to 24 hours.

Step 6. Roasting the Boneless Leg of Lamb

Remove the lamb from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before cooking it.

Preheat the oven to 450 F. degrees.

( 450º F = 230º C = gas mark 9)

Snip the corner of the bag and squeeze the marinade out into the sink. It will no longer be usable.

Pat the lamb dry with paper towels.

Put 2 teaspoons of salt and 3/4 teaspoons of freshly ground pepper into a dish. Season the entire lamb with the salt and pepper. (You put the salt and pepper into a separate dish first for sanitary reasons. You would not want to be going back and forth between touching the raw lamb and your main salt and pepper holders.)

Place the lamb on a roasting rack in a roasting pan.

Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the boneless leg of lamb.

(I strongly recommend using an oven-proof meat thermometer for roasting a leg of lamb. This should allow you to peek through the window of your oven door without opening the door and changing the internal temperature of the oven. Every time you open the oven door, it takes a good ten minutes for the temperature to get back to its original setting)

Set the lamb into the 450-degree oven and roast for 20 minutes.

( 450º F = 230º C = gas mark 9)

After the 20 minutes, lower the temperature to 325º Fdegrees ( 325º F = 165º C = gas mark 3-very moderate) and continue cooking the lamb until the internal temperature is to your liking.

Approximate Roasting Time for a 5-7 pound Boneless Leg of Lamb:

(Source: United State Department of Agriculture)

Lamb Leg, boneless, rolled: Roast 325° (165º C)	APPROXIMATE Roasting Time	Internal Temperature
Rare	20 to 25 min./lb	135 F. (57.2 C)
Medium-rare	25 to 30 min./lb	145 F. (62.8 C)
Medium (to medium well)	30 to 35min./lb.	160 F (72.0 C)
Well done*	35 to 40 min./lb	170 F (77.0 C.)

*Most people avoid cooking lamb to “well done”. It will be tough and dry.

There are several factors that will affect the cooking time:

• The shape of the roast
• The internal temperature when you first put it in the oven
• Bone-in roast will require extra cooking time
• Fluctuations in temperature of your own oven.

My 5 pound Leg of Lamb was removed from the oven when the internal temperature of the Lamb reached 140 F. degrees - medium rare.
It took a total of 1 and 1/2 hours to cook, which was considerably less time than what the USDA guidelines had recommended.
This is why a meat thermometer is absolutely essential when you are cooking a roast.

When the meat is cooked, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. The temperature will increase by about 5 degrees while the roast is resting out of the oven.

With a pair of kitchen scissors cut through the netting (or string)….

…..and remove it completely.

Slice the lamb into 1/2 inch thick slices across the grain. (Here and here are very some very good pictures that show how to carve a bone-in Leg of Lamb.)

I roasted some carrots and small red potatoes separately….

….and served them with this Boneless Leg of Lamb.

Enjoy!

Approximate Lamb Cooking Times:

Source: USDA Last modified - May 2007

Cut of Lamb	Size	Cooking Method	Cooking Time	Internal Temperature (Fahrenheit / Celsius-Centigrade))
Lamb Leg, bone in	5 to 7 lbs.	Roast 325° (165º C)	20 to 25 min./lb.	Medium rare 145°F / 43.5°C
			25 to 30 min./lb.	Medium 160°F /56.9°C
			30 to 35 min./lb.	Well done 170°F / 62.4°C
	7 to 9 lbs.	Roast 325°	15 to 20 min./lb.	Medium rare 145°F / 43.5°C
			20 to 25 min./lb	Medium 160°F / 56.9°C
			25 to 30 min./lb.	Well done 170°F / 62.4°C
Lamb Leg, boneless, rolled	4 to 7 lbs.	Roast 325°	25 to 30 min./lb.	Medium rare 145°F / 43.5°C
			30 to 35 min./lb.	Medium 160°F / 56.9°C
			35 to 40 min./lb.	Well done 170°F / 62.4°C
Shoulder Roast or Shank Leg Half	3 to 4 lbs.	Roast 325°	30 to 35 min./lb.	Medium rare 145°F / 43.5°C
			40 to 45 min./lb.	Medium 160°F / 56.9°C
			45 to 50 min./lb.	Well done 170°F / 62.4°C
Cubes, for Kabobs	1 to 1½"	Broil/Grill	8 to 12 minutes	Medium 160°F / 56.9°C
Ground Lamb Patties	2" thick	Broil/Grill	5 to 8 minutes	Medium ° 160°F / 56.9C
Chops, Rib, or Loin	1 to 1½" thick	Broil/Grill	7 to 11 minutes	Medium rare 145°F / 43.5°C
			15 to 19 minutes	Medium 160°F / 56.9°C
Leg Steaks	¾" thick	Broil/Grill 4" from heat	14 to 18 minutes	Medium rare 145°F / 43.5°C Medium 160°F / 56.9°C
Stew Meat, pieces	1 to 1½"	Cover with liquid; simmer	1½ to 2 hours	Medium 160°F / 56.9°C
Shanks	¾ to 1 lb.
Breast, Rolled	1½ to 2 lb.	*Braise 325°	1½ to 2 hours	Medium 160°F / 56.9°C

*Braising is roasting or simmering less-tender meats with a small amount of liquid in a tightly covered pan.

http://startcooking.com/blog/365/How-to-Cook-a-Leg-of-Lamb

Think of Me ( The Phantom of the Opera)

Our granddaughter Miss Haley has a beautiful voice she is eighteen and is a senior God gave her a gift to sing..She was in the Broadway/Disney at the high school... This is her on youtube please listen to her.. We are so proud.... God Bless

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaMlYyFSuRo&feature=share

Check Out the New Meat Labels

Check Out the New Meat Labels

By Janet Helm, MS, RD

Starting today, you’ll have a new way to help you make smart choices at the meat counter. For the first time ever, nutrition labels will be required on fresh meats. So now when you pick up a package of ground beef you can learn a lot more about what’s beneath that cellophane than simply whether or not it’s 80% lean (does anyone even know what that really means?) Now ground beef labels must list the total grams of fat and saturated fat per serving, along with calories, calories from fat, cholesterol, sodium, protein, and other nutrients. It’s a new rule enforced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that begins in March.
The meat industry was voluntarily providing nutrition information – and you may have seen a poster with these numbers where you shop. But USDA determined that not enough stores were complying so they made it mandatory. Yes, we’ve had nutrition labels on processed meats like hot dogs, packaged deli meats, and chicken nuggets since the early ‘90s, but this is the first time you’ll find those valuable numbers on fresh meats. Until now, the entire meat counter – a large portion of weekly shopping lists – was void of the same information you rely on in other store aisles.
The new rule requires nutrition labels for 42 major cuts of meat and poultry, such as beef tenderloin, pork chops, and chicken breasts, but retailers can simply put up a poster or offer a brochure with the nutrition information for these cuts. And that’s likely what they’ll do instead of slapping a label on an already crowded package of meat. Only ground and chopped meats — including raw hamburger, ground beef patties, ground turkey, and ground pork must display the nutrition label right on the package.
Ground beef is the most commonly consumed beef product in the U.S. and it’s one of the biggest contributors of saturated fat in the American diet. The types you can buy vary dramatically depending on the cut of meat used and the percentages of fat and lean. Ground beef can range from 5% to 30% fat (95% to 70% lean), yet all varieties look pretty much the same. You can’t really see the fat inside ground beef – and the percentage lean and fat terminology on the label can be confusing.
Did you know that this description means percent fat by weight? It’s the only food that uses this calculation (and it’s been that way for over 50 years), but it’s really not all that helpful. With the new nutrition facts labels, you can get a better picture of what you’re buying. Now you can see that the fat in ground beef varies from 5g to 33g per serving (and saturated fat from 2.5g to 13g). Calories start at 155 and go up to 375 – quite a hefty difference.
Here’s what you need to know about the new meat labels:

• All of the ground meat nutrition labels are based on 4 ounces of raw product, which translates to 3 ounces of cooked. Some dual labels are designed to tell you both — although only the raw numbers are required.
• You won’t find how many servings are in a package — which is where so many people get tripped up. The servings per container will be listed as “varies.” So for all this nutrition information to be valuable, you’ll need to know how much you’re really eating.
• For all the meats that are not ground (such as steaks and chops), the nutrition information is based on 3-ounce cooked portions — so keep in mind the lack of consistency with ground meat. For these numbers, you’ll likely need to hunt down the poster, and remember, the information is only valuable if you can translate that 2-pound roast into what’s actually served on the plate to your family.

Although some fresh meats, especially poultry, have been voluntarily adding a nutrition label on the package, it’s never been required. Now all meats will have an equal chance to tell their nutrition story. And that’s probably the best part of all of this. Now you can see that certain cuts of beef and pork are just a lean as poultry. Now it will be easier to tell what’s a “lean” cut – defined as less than 10g of total fat and 4.5g or less of saturated fat per serving. Now you see the calories in the spareribs you’re buying so you can budget your day accordingly.
What you won’t be able to do is compare all these numbers with fish – something that certainly deserves more attention on your shopping trips. USDA does not oversee seafood, that’s the Food and Drug Administration, which doesn’t require nutrition labeling for fresh seafood. It’s voluntary, along with the nutrition labeling of fresh fruits and vegetables.
So get to know the meat you’re buying and enjoy in moderate portions (6 ounces or less per day). But remember to also fill your cart with the foods that provide the least amount of nutrition information in the grocery store: seafood, fruits, and vegetables.

Photo: Comstock

Posted by: Janet Helm, MS, RD at 3:58 pm

http://blogs.webmd.com/food-and-nutrition/2012/03/check-out-the-new-meat-labels.html

The Depths Of Joy

Enjoy happiness:treasure joy.

Happiness is a pretty hot commodity these days. Ask someone what he wants out of life,and chances are he will say, "I just want to be happy."Happines is okay,and it's nice to have, but we need to understand that happiness comes and goes because it's dependent on our emotions. If we feel good, we're happy. Simple as that. When people say, "I just want to be happy,"they are really saying,"I just want to feel good all the time. "

News flash! Life isn't like that. Life is ups and downs and emotions all over the place. No one can feel good all the time. That's why we need to seek joy rather than happiness. Happiness is on the surface, joy is deep. Happiness is tempory, joy abides. Happiness comes from the things of this world, joy comes form God.

Always be full of joy in the Lord.

I say it again --rejoice!

PHILPPIANS 4:4