Merry Christmas 2008!

Have you noticed that Christmas is not just about the gifts, the parties, the food, but also the sounds. The sounds of Christmas we all recognize: sleigh bells, Carols, laughter, car tires crunching on the snow in the driveway. But what about in the quiet? What do you hear when you are all alone? Lots of times, we try to ignore that little whisper in our ear. But what if we really listened and tried to obey?
A friend was in the middle of getting ready for a Christmas party. The dog was barking, the kids were begging for dinner, her husband was expected any minute to show up with the sitter, and she wasn’t dressed yet. But she heard a voice whisper to her to call a woman named Linda – a woman she barely knew. She tried to put it off, but the voice just got louder. She called. The woman was crying. She’d just found out she had cancer. My friend was able to set a time to visit, and reassure her that she would be there when needed. She wasn’t able to take away the pain, but she was able to give comfort. And it took only 5 minutes of her time.
Maybe you hear a voice encouraging you to touch base with someone from the past, or visit a neighbor. Or take a plate of cookies to the local nursing home, or a shut-in. Go ahead and do it! You will both feel better. And the sounds of Christmas will be so much sweeter.

“Oh give me Samuel’s ear,
an open ear, oh Lord,
alive and quick to hear
each whisper of thy word.
Like him to answer to thy call
and to obey thee first of all.” (told by Pastor Bill Hybels)

“If you listen to whispers from God the rest of your life and if you heed them, God’s favor will fall on your life and follow you for the rest of your life.”

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Simple Dips!

I went to a catalog party recently where there were dip mixes for sale for $9 each! I almost laughed out loud! The tiny bit of herbs in those little bags cost only pennies, and yet they thought we would actually want to buy these! Holidays are notorious for dips. Crackers and dips, Veggies and dips, even fruit and dips. And, dips are so easy to make! My Favorite dip is just chopped ham and onion and softened cream cheese. You can mix in sour cream or salad dressing or mayo to make them even easier to mix. So, say you like dill, or horseradish, or bacon – you can mix these up for pennies. You can even mix up a few in a jar and they will last 6 months – and for a fraction of the cost you can buy them at parties, stores, or booths at craft fairs.

Go online with your favorite ingredients or mix up your own until you find just what you like. And just for starters, here are a few… You can buy your favorite herbs at health food stores or the herb section of your favorite store. You can purchase dried horseradish powder, dill, onion powder, dried vegetables, parsley, spinach,Italian seasoning, and even things like hickory smoke seasoning. Red pepper flakes add some zip. You probably have just what you need right in your cupboard! Mix it until you have it just right, adding a teaspoon of seasoning at a time. When you get it just right, right down your favorite combinations.

Veggie Dip Mix

1/4 cup dried chopped chives (dried from your garden!)
2 t dried dill weed,
1 t garlic salt,
1 t onion salt,
2 t smoked paprika
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Blend well. Spoon mixture into a small glass container and store in a cool, dry place. Label as “vegetable Dip Mix”. Use within 6 months. To make Veggie Dip – Combine 1 T. lemon juice, 1 c mayo, 1 c sour cream, and 2 T. Veggie dip. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Makes about 2 cups of dip.

Horseradish Bacon Dip

Add smoked hickory powder, dried bacon or imitation bacon bits, and horseradish powder to taste (just try a little at first) to1/2 c each sour cream and mayo. Or, try your favorite herbs!

Keeping it Simple,
Sheryl

Contact me with your favorite recipes, questions, comments and simple living ideas that work for you.