Happy New Year’s Eve!

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
(2 Corinthians 5:17)

Toasting in the New Year With Chaider?

Looking for something a little different for your New Year’s Eve toast? For most of our 50+ years, we’ve used egg nog or sparkling non-alcoholic grape juice, but recently my friend Susan Main introduced me to “Chaider,” and Alan and I both like it so well we’ve been serving it to others every chance we get! It’s a perfect blend of apple cider and Chai tea, and it just might be our new favorite specialty beverage for wintery nights!

Chaider
(Makes three cups or two 12-oz. servings)

In a saucepan combine:
2 cups apple cider
1 stick cinnamon (or 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon if you don’t have a stick)
2-3 whole cloves (or 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves)
Simmer for 5 minutes while you’re making your Chai tea

In a mug, make one 8 oz. cup of Chai tea; steep for 4 minutes

Pour the Chai tea into the apple cider and return to a simmer

Pour through a strainer into a 12-oz. mug, then top with:
Whipping Cream
Sprinkle of ground cinnamon

When we make to serve four people, I’ve been using 8 cups of apple cider and 3 cups of Chai tea. It’s quite rich this way, but most people will happily drink two servings!

“The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” (Psalm 28:7, NLT).

Don’t Be Left Behind in 2024

As 2023 comes to a close, I want to encourage all of us to think carefully about our futures. For many years, Alan and I would try to imagine where we’d be living in a year. We didn’t think so much in terms of “would be be alive” but more often “where might we be living?” Fifty years later—not that either of us is facing imminent death—we’ve definitely changed our lyrics. Part of this comes from having a close friend whose mom was in her 90s but still saying “Well, if I die . . . ” until she died last summer. We also lost two friends who were “only” 79 this past year and seemed in good health.

It’s not if I die, but when I die. When I die, I believe I will go to be with Jesus, not based on any merit of my own, but based completely on faith in Christ, who died for my sins (and the sins of everyone in the world). He promised, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).

Does faith have to be without doubt? No, that would be “knowing” not “believing.” Knowledge is knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt (although we might think we know something to be true which is really false). Faith is trusting in the truth of something. Will this bridge hold me? I think so, but I don’t “know” so until I’ve walked safely across the bridge to the other side. So it is with Jesus: We trust Jesus enough to put our faith in him as the one and only way to heaven. We will not know the reality until we experience death, but we can put our trust and hope in Christ. Isn’t that better than simply thinking death is the end—when none of us can know if it is or it isn’t? Besides, there are hundreds (thousands?) of people who’ve had near-death experiences and report sensing life after death. If I were dying and someone offered to save me, I’d definitely let him try— wouldn’t you? What would you have to lose at that point?!

Recently, Alan and I watched a 3-part mini-series on the life of Muhammad produced by Muslims. They make the point near the beginning that there was nothing miraculous about the birth or death of Muhammad, and no one claims that he rose from the dead. Jesus is unique among the religious leaders of the world. Far from being a polygamist, Jesus never even married. He owned no property. He had no political ambitions. He died to save us and does not ask us to die for him but to live for him. His commandments are not to kill those who oppress us but to love God and love others.

This unique individual, who accepted Thomas’s confession of him as “My LORD and my God” (John 20:28), predicted that he would rise from the dead and promised to raise all who believe in him also. If you’re not sure whether or not Jesus is alive and making a valid promise, I invite you to pray this prayer: “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24). Then, keep praying day by day. Keep talking with God in your heart and spirit. Keep asking Him for salvation, faith, wisdom, and strength to do the right things. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). Keep reading the Bible and asking the Holy Spirit to help you understand the spiritual lessons.

There is a new movie (2023) based on a fairly old book series. Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist is a fictitious story trying to imagine what might happen to our world after the Rapture occurs and Christians are removed from the world. Alan and I both thought it was provocative and well done, although the critics hated it. IMDb only gave it a (very undeserved and prejudiced) 4.0 although 81% of Google users liked the movie and it got a 97% from Rotten Tomatoes. It’s almost laughable how much critics hate religious movies these days. Laughable but sad. I’ve seen some slow moving Christian movies with wooden acting and poor scripts that deserved a 4.0 rating, but this is not one of them.

Anyway, if you don’t want to be left behind spiritually, please watch this engaging movie! My prayer is that you will be able to say with the Apostle Paul, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).

End Times and New Beginnings

As the end of 2023 year approaches, I’d like to draw your attention to another ending—the End Times of this world. “Fascination… Confusion… Conviction…” these are only a few words to describe common reactions to a subject that should be an integral part of our Christian foundation. Join us during January on Tuesday afternoons for a series of one-hour, discussion-driven sessions exploring both familiar and unfamiliar passages and themes with the goal of developing an increased appreciation and a deeper sense of personal revelation concerning the return of our Lord.*

The teaching will be spearheaded by Satt Scrivner and Jonathan Friz. Jonathan is the visionary founder of the 10 Days movement (2004-present) and also serves as Coordinator for the New England Alliance (2009-present). Jonathan is driven by a desire to see Jesus receive the answer to His prayer in John 17, “Let them be one as we are one.” He has an undergraduate degree in philosophy and liberal arts from St. John’s College, Santa Fe (2004) and a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (2009).

Please come join us as we sit together at the feet of Jesus, learning about what the Bible teaches concerning the End Times. I’m looking forward to the study being a wonderful New Beginning for 2024, and I hope if you come, it will also mark a beautiful New Beginning for you too!

If you’re interested, here’s a direct link to register and check out all the upcoming courses. As always on Aqueduct Project, this course is offered free of charge.

https://www.aqueductproject.org/upcoming-courses

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (1 Corinthians 2:12).

(*Taken from AQ’s website explaining the upcoming series.
Photo credit for last picture: Timothy Eberly, from Unsplash)

Divinity Fudge “Sea Foam”—Vegan; Gluten-Free; Dairy-Free; YUMMY!

This is a recipe my mother used to make when we were children, and I made for my oldest son (45 years ago), but somewhere along the line I forgot how to “make it right.”

My mother’s recipe only listed the ingredients without any directions, so it became a lost art for many years.

However, last Christmas, I decided to try again. It turned out like marshmallow cream . . . the kind you can buy in a jar. Everybody liked it, although we had to spoon it out of the pan, because it literally looked like “sea foam.” My youngest son had no memory of my making it in his childhood, but his wife said she’d been to a chocolate shop where they sold “divinity fudge” that was enrobed in chocolate, so I decided this year to try again after doing a little research. There are three tricks to the trade: #1. Do not make it on a humid day, as it really decomposes in rainy, damp weather. #2. It doesn’t keep very long, so make it within a few days of Christmas (or whenever you plan to use it). It has a shelf-life of only about 5 days max and does not travel well in gift boxes to kids out of state (unless you wrap them individually in air-tight bags). #3. When you’re making it, if you have trouble getting it to “set” properly, you can add just a little powdered sugar to help make it stiffer. Now that you know the secrets, here’s the basic recipe:

Divinity Fudge
(Makes 24-30 pieces of candy)

In a saucepan, combine:
2.5 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
Pinch of salt (1/8 teaspoon ±)

Boil until it reaches the hard-ball stage (drip from the end of a spoon into cold water makes threads of syrup and forms a hard ball in the water). If you have a cooking thermometer, it should reach 250-260°F, which takes about 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a standup mixer bowl, whip:
2 egg whites, until stiff peaks form

Once the syrup has reached the hard-ball stage, pour it very slowly into the side of the mixing bowl while the mixer is running. Be careful not to hit to mixer blades or it can spray and make a mess. It takes about 2 minutes to mix everything together into a creamy, frothy “sea foam,” but this isn’t enough!

Keep mixing it on high speed for another 6-8 minutes, until it starts to cool and lose some of its glossy sheen. Don’t stop beating until the divinity fudge will hold its shape.

At that point, add:
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring, and beat it for another minute.

It’s prettiest if you can make the mounds while the fudge is still hot, so work fast! Scoop out the fudge and make small, individual mounds of candy. My kids love it plain, but you can also add in things like:
1 cup chopped pecans (or other nuts you like)
1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup crushed peppermint candies
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Scoop out onto a well-greased cookie sheet, using one spoon to pull up some fudge and another to scrap it off and make a mound.

Let it cool completely on the counter, and then store in air-tight containers. If you want to be especially gourmet (like the chocolate shops), place the mounds of fudge uncovered in the freezer for two hours, and then dip them quickly into melted (but almost cooled down) chocolate:

In a microwavable bowl, combine:
12 oz. chocolate chips (=1.5 cups)
1 tablespoon canola oil
Heat for one minute on high, then stir. If the chocolate chips can be stirred into a smooth consistency, you’re done, but if not, heat the mixture for another 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth and cool for 2-3 minutes so that it’s still warm and not thick. Dip the candies individually and set them on another pan lined with waxed paper to solidify and dry. Once cool, cover them with plastic wrap and store in a cool storage area or refrigerator.
Warm to room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

“Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties” (Psalm 14 1:4; thankfully, there are “dainty” treats we can eat with aren’t “evil things” [as long as we don’t overindulge]!)

Three Gifts God Gave the Wisemen

Most of us who’ve heard the story of Jesus’s birth remember that wise men came from the East to worship Jesus and brought him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Have you ever considered the significance of those gifts or thought about three corresponding spiritual gifts that God also offered the wise men that night—and all of us as we seek Jesus?

Adoration of the Magi by Gentile da Fabriano, 1423
Uffizi, Public Domain

The first gift, gold, is the standard for wealth—historically the most valuable commodity on earth. What is the most valuable commodity spiritually? Strangely enough, it is faith, for “Without faith, it is impossible to please him [God]” (Hebrews 11:6). No offering is as precious to God as faith, and no sacrifice brought to God without faith is accepted. It is the only “work” God desires for us on our spiritual pilgrimage: “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him [Jesus] whom he [God the Father] hath sent” (John 6:29). Faith is the key that unlocks access and acceptance into God’s kingdom: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31-31).

What is the foundation of the gospel? “Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts. 20:21). The gold of faith is an offering God accepts from kings and commoners alike. Indeed, He has given this consolation to the poor: “Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith” (James 2:5)? All of us can be rich in faith. Faith “is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8) which comes by hearing and believing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). This “Word” is Jesus, the Word of God “made flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). When God gave us Jesus, He offered us the gift of faith. It’s ours for the taking! Just as Jesus was born into this world as a babe, we too—by embracing faith in Jesus as our Savior— are born anew into God’s kingdom as a child of God. Have you opened your heart and hands to accept the gift of faith in Christ?

The Adoration of the Magi by Salomon Koninck, 1650 Public Domain

The wisemen also brought a second gift, frankincense—a unique perfume used as an ingredient for making temple incense and offerings (Exodus 30:34). Frankincense symbolizes worship and praise. Have you considered what causes us to worship and praise God? I believe it has something to do with hope: “But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more” (Psalm 71:4). It is God who gives us hope from our birth (Psalm 22:9), and when we are sad, it is hope that restores our souls and causes us to praise: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance“ (Psalm 42:5). It is hope in God that makes us happy: “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God” (Psalm 146:5).

Hope makes our hearts rejoice: “The hope of the righteous shall be gladness” (Proverbs 10:28), and even in death we experience hope: “The righteous hath hope in his death” (Proverbs 14 :32). What is our hope? “The Lord will be the hope of his people” (Joel 3:16). Our hope is Christ, “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27; 1 Timothy 1:1). The first gift God offers us is faith; the second is hope: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2).

Ultimately, what is our hope? Our hope is eternal life with Christ starting in the present but extending into future’s eternity, where we will worship and praise him forever! “I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” (Psalm 16: 8-11). Have you accepted the gift of hope in Christ?

Adoration of the Magi, detail, by Leonardo da Vinci
1481, Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Public Domain

The third gift the wisemen brought Jesus was myrrh. When pierced by their own thorns, myrrh resin distilled like tears from Arabian myrrh trees. The taste was bitter but the fragrance divine. Myrrh was used for perfume and medicine, and it was the principle ingredient in the holy anointing oil (Exodus 30:23-25). Myrrh speaks of suffering . . . the way of the cross . . . but also of the transcendent perfume that arises from the crushed life . . . holiness for the purpose of glorifying God and healing others. To accept God’s gift of suffering is to experience Christ as Paul desired to experience him: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death: If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11).

When accepted, suffering with and in Christ refines us and makes us like Jesus, who “learned obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Hebrews 5:8-9). Suffering is the gift that produces in us peace, patience, and ultimately . . . true love (Romans 5:1-5). Have you embraced the gift of suffering—of living out the death and resurrected life of Christ? Have you found hidden in the limy shell of suffering the pearl of divine love?

It has been my experience that we are only willing to suffer if we love greatly. Does that resonate in your heart? God tells us to love God and others, but I am only willing to love others sacrificially when I love God passionately and He passes through me a passionate love for someone else. And so, in some mystery of divinity, love generates self-sacrifice and is the beginning. We will not accept suffering until we have accepted love, so inherent in the gift of suffering is love.

How do we obtain love? God is love (1 John 4:8). God loved us first “while we were yet sinners” and proved that love by sending Jesus, who loved us self-sacrificially and died for us (Romans 5:8; John 3:16). Although faith is the starting point for spiritual life, love is both the beginning and the ending . . . in many ways the ultimate “gold standard” for spiritual wealth. It’s the rich framework upon which all the law and the prophets hang—to love God above all else and our neighbors as we love ourselves (Matthew 22: 36-40). It is the first commandment and the last: “The end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart” (1 Timothy 1:5).

We obtain this love simply by receiving Jesus, the first and last gift God sent down from heaven. How do we receive him? By accepting the first gift—faith. We reach out by faith and trust Jesus to save us. We place our hope in Him, and discover that through suffering, we enter into his life and death and resurrected life in a way that sheds his love abroad to others so that they too can enter into this beautiful circle of love!  Have you accepted your gifts: faith, hope, and love wrapped in swaddling clothes?

“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich.”
(Revelation 3:18).

Adoration of the Magi by Danielle Crespi (1598-1630) Public Domain

Merry Christmas, 2023

“Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made:
Our times are in His hand
Who saith, ‘A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!'”
—Robert Browning (1812-1889)

Alan and I celebrated 50 years together this year. Well, fifty years of marriage, although we’d known each other for another ten before that, having met on the first day of eighth grade. It’s been an amazing, wild ride, but who could ask for anything more?

We’ve been celebrating all year, and there have been so many highlights I can hardly count them, but our anniversary is in February, so we started with a trip around South America and to Antarctica.

Antarctica was the only continent we hadn’t visited, so it seemed appropriate to go when I noticed an offer for a 22-day trip on a 5-star ship for $200 per person. Was it a typo? It wasn’t, and we got the last room. Furthermore, when we boarded, we received two $200 gift cards, making the base price exactly $0.00 per person. It still just makes me laugh to consider God’s amazing grace to us!

Antarctica is other-worldly. It is gorgeous, but it was hard to wrap our minds around a silent, frozen continent larger than Europe where nobody can live or survive alone. (See how small a large cruise ship appears at the base of the clouds hovering over the ocean?)

We returned home to something even more amazing than anything we saw in all the vast wilderness of Antarctica: our youngest son’s first child, and our twenty-first grandchild!

Well done, R+J, and praise God for this incredible new bundle of joy!

(Visiting the Church of the Resurrection)

In March Alan went on a special retreat to Israel with two of our sons and our oldest grandson plus some other men. In the fall, Alan and I “should have”/”would have” been in Petra and the Middle East, but we canceled that trip due to the war between Israel and Palestine.

In April, we had a special celebration for Easter.

By then, our annual Easter egg hunt through the woods was a little bittersweet, because we knew Mike’s family would be moving in the summer, and none of us wanted to have to part with them again. 😦

In May, my two older brothers helped us celebrate our 50th by coming to visit, then we all went to the east side of the state to visit my sister, Annie, and her husband, who were also celebrating their 50th. Between the four of us sibs, we’re now celebrating over 210 years of marriage!

For the past 10 years I’d been dreaming about getting all our kids and grandkids together for a 50th celebration, but it was not to be, so we celebrated in two waves.

Our two oldest and their families gathered in time to create an hour-long production of Hamlet, which kept everybody inspired for weeks of filming and (for Eowyn) months of editing.

Nothing like a good project to keep cousins busy

and the brothers a little extra free time to hang out!

Michael’s family also organized a feature-length neighborhood performance of The Hobbit with a bunch of their closest friends in Kentucky. (I had the honor of being the film crew for this one.)

Not sure how they do all they do, but somewhere in there they also prepared for their move to Tokyo, where Michael has become commander of the army’s dental clinic.

It sounds like Japan suits them well, although we miss them like crazy!!

Jonathan’s family is now living in Germany, and they couldn’t come visit last summer until school got out for the girls.

So, our next two oldest decided to convene for a reunion during the second half of the summer.

(Our five youngest going up by age from left to right)

Stephen also flew up from North Carolina to be with us.

(A rainy tour of Stephen’s new campus in Raleigh, NC)

Stephen and Anthony bought a home this year, and Stephen took a job teaching music at Shaw University. He and Mike are the only two with job and housing changes in the family this year.

The cousins had no end of fun and especially enjoyed the two new babies!

The two youngest girl cousins are getting to be good buds too . . .

Well . . . maybe . . .

While Jon’s family was visiting we took some time for a trip in the “camping wagon” (as the kids call it) and went up North.

They spoiled us royally with a fancy dinner for our 50th,

and we visited lots of our mutually favorite places—like the Soo Locks, where Alan and I spent many happy hours walking and talking together as kids.

We know the Lord is using them in Germany, but it tugs at our hearts to have them so far away!

(Girls against a magnificent Lake Michigan sunset. Jon said it was unlike anything he’d ever seen, but it was also the night of a terrible tornado in our area.)

(Jon and Alan working to clear uprooted oaks blocking our lane after the storm.)

We look forward to whenever we’ll get to see them again in sweet Michigan, although this fall we were able to spend a couple of weeks with them in Germany, where we took some tours “In the Footsteps of Luther” and saw many memorable German cities and sites.

In the fall, we also celebrated more by meeting up with Kathryn, Stephen, and J’s families for a camping trip at Fort Wilderness.

The camper came in very handy during rainy days,

and we had no end of fun with Baby J, who’s amazed us by being very content to let us hold her!

(J’s first swim at the Meadow Swimming Hole)

Thankfully, there were also lots of sunshiny days at Disney too!

While we were there, we were able to celebrate R’s birthday with lunch out at the Contemporary.

Kathryn and Carl also treated us to a “Not So Scary Halloween Party” with them at the Magic Kingdom. Talk about getting spoiled!

In fact, the spoiling lasted all year long! My two prayer partners and their husbands took us out for an unforgettable dinner at a Japanese restaurant where the food was flamed table side

and then had us over for dessert and a “trip down memory lane” to commemorate our friendship for nearly 30 years.

With five of our seven scattered across the country and continents, we feel unbelievably blessed to still have two families in the same community with us where we can see them often!

Another photo of Baby J

We also “lucked out” in that both of our daughter-in-laws are professional photographers!

As a last 50th anniversary surprise gift, Brianna took a set of photos for us!

We are so, so thankful for every day we get to walk hand-in-hand with Jesus, each other, and our beloved family and friends. I look forward to the gift and adventure of getting to grow old together.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me” (John 15:4).

Classic Chicken Parmesan

I can make chicken parmesan, but I don’t make it often enough for Alan, or at least it’s his favorite dish to order at his favorite restaurant, and despite my best efforts to keep him in good food, he pretty much thinks we need “the usual” (chicken parm with a house salad) from his “usual” (Vitale’s Italian) at least once every couple of months.

(Chicken Parmesan from Vitale’s, taken just before writing this post)

So, while visiting Phyliss and I heard that Bill (Phyliss’s professional chef son) was going to make chicken parmesan for dinner, I asked if I could watch and take notes, which he kindly agreed to let me do! I’m not sure I got everything down perfectly, but I did my best, and Alan proclaimed after dinner that it was “the best chicken parm I’ve ever eaten!” I figure if it’s best enough for Alan, it would be best enough for me too, and maybe for you!

Classic Chicken Parmesan
(Serves 4)

Ingredients List:
Plenty of wonderful spaghetti sauce (see below or buy two jars of your favorite brand from the store)
1 pound spaghetti (cooked according to directions on package, but don’t start too soon)
4 chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
Panko bread crumbs
Ritz crackers
8 oz. (=1 cup) grated Parmesan cheese
Canola oil
Olive oil
2 eggs
Flour
8 oz. sliced provolone cheese
Fresh basil (can substitute dried, crushed, but it’s great sprinkled on top as an optional garnish)

Begin by making excellent spaghetti sauce. Bill’s was already simmering on the stove. If you don’t have a recipe, here’s mine:

Spaghetti Sauce

In a very large saucepan, sauté with 2 tablespoons of butter:
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large pepper, chopped (any color you choose; green works fine and provides good color contrast, but other colors are sweeter)
8 oz. chopped mushrooms (any edible variety you like!)
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt (I like Lawry’s, but use whatever you like)
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon crushed garlic 

Once the veggies are tender, add:
1 large can of stewed, diced Italian tomatoes
1 jar pasta sauce (your favorite; I use Prego, but there are a lot of good brands and varieties out there). Simmer for an hour or two or three or two days . . . or howlongever you have! It just keeps getting better! 🙂 

Making the chicken:

Start by preheating your oven to 450°F and warming about 2 cups of canola oil in a large frying pan (enough so the oil is at little over one-half-inch deep). Some recipes call for olive oil, but Bill used a more neutral oil, which I actually prefer. Don’t heat it to the boiling point until you have the breading and egg wash ready (below).

Pound 4 large, skinless, boneless chicken breast halves until evenly thin (about 1/2 inch thick). Rub with salt and pepper and add a light coating of sifted flour on both sides.

In a 9X13″ baking pan (as seen in the upper left corner of this photo), combine:
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup Ritz crackers (pulverized until fine)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

In a separate dish, beat 2 eggs to make a wash for the chicken. Dip each piece of chicken in the egg wash, covering both sides completely, and then roll it in the bread and cheese mixture, pressing on the coating just a little. Let the chicken breasts rest a couple of minutes while you turn up the heat on the oil so it’s starting to bubble. Carefully lower each piece into the hot oil so it can fry without splashing too much scalding oil on your hands!

Let it fry for about 2 minutes per side, or until it turns a rich golden color. Fry on both sides, then let it rest briefly on a plate covered with a couple of sheets of paper towel to absorb any extra oil, then arrange it on a baking sheet.

Add about 1/4 cup sauce to the top of each chicken breast, but not more or you’ll make it soggy. Top with two slices of provolone cheese and then lavish with 2-3 oz. of shredded Parmesan cheese. Bake in a very hot (450°) oven for about 15 minutes (175°F internal temperature if you test it with a thermometer). This is the perfect time to prepare your spaghetti noodles, taking care to keep them al dente.

(Bill’s chicken parmesan)

Serve immediately with a side of spaghetti and sauce. If it’s served and eaten pronto, the chicken will still retain a crispy coating, but it definitely helps to use more cheese and less sauce on the chicken so it doesn’t become soggy.

Chicken Parmesan served with veggies on our cruise to Antarctica

Although classic chicken parmesan is served with spaghetti and meat sauce, I had this variation on our last cruise, and it was incredibly good. Hot, crisp, and full of flavor. So, technically, you don’t have to serve it with pasta, and some places you can order it as a sandwich.

When I make it at home, I sometimes compromise by not using tomato sauce on top at all, just melted cheese, and then I set the chicken on top of the pasta, so most of the fluid drains to the bottom and the chicken remains quite crispy.

However, after all is said and done, I definitely understand why Alan likes to go out for a gooey, yummy, mess of chicken parmesan every now and then. I do too, and it saves me lots of time! 🙂

“I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will shew forth all thy marvelous works.”
(Psalm 9:1).

TWA: NE (61): Can Romance Blossom Any Old Time?

We’ve been friends since our freshman year in college. That’s fifty-five years ago, so you know we’re not spring chickens. In fact, we’re not even laying hens anymore! Phyliss was living near Akron, Ohio, and visiting her was the last stop on our autumn trip through America’s Northeast. But first, for those of you who are following the “travelogue” aspect of this blog and may be wondering what western Pennsylvania and Ohio look like, here are a few photos of what you might expect to see in October:

Farmland in the Allegheny Foothills of Pennsylavania

Traveling through the Allegheny Mountains of Western PA

Pennsylvania is a big state! It’s the fifth most populous state and 310 miles wide, so lots of rural farmlands.

Crossing the Allegheny River in PA

I-80 is one of America’s busiest highways for trucking. It spans the entire country from California to New Jersey through 11 states and is 3,000 miles long. We saw a LOT of trucks!

Crossing the Susquehanna River

Lake Milton, Ohio

We had a wonderful evening together. Phyliss’s son Bill is a professional chef and prepared an extensive, gourmet meal with many courses and the best chicken parmesan we’d ever eaten! (Recipe to come this Saturday!) College seemed more than a lifetime ago, and Phyliss’s life overflowed with adventures, challenges, joys, and heartbreaks. After college, she served in the Marines, eventually married, had two children and an exciting career. However, when her husband died out jogging one morning 16 years ago, she found herself re-examining her life goals and ended up serving Christ and people in countries so foreign she had trouble getting visas even to do hospital work. Recently, she returned to America to retire or retool. Really both. She was still in the throes of completing a chaplaincy program the night we visited.

Phyliss isn’t “average” or “typical,” but she’s normal. Her face radiated joy as she shared all she’s been through and how the Lord has been with her every step of the way. She was content. She was fulfilled. She had purpose and drive and goals. But, she was also lonely and missed the companionship of a husband. I totally understood.

And so, I wasn’t surprised one day when I got a call from her saying she had Eric on her mind. They’d both served in the same Asian country and met at an on-line site for former workers there. Eric’s wife died two years ago. Phyliss said they started a conversation that just never ended.

But, was it too late? Can you really fall in love and have a solid marriage in the fading sunset years? Eric is in his 80s. How much time would he have? How much time would she have? Was it worth the risks? He’s Canadian. She’s American. Where would they live? How would their children respond? How would health insurance work? The list of challenges loomed like a black mountain silhouetted against a crimson sky.

I was wildly enthusiastic over the proposal, but of course I held my breath, too. They decided to take their chances because they were both lonely and loved being together. The wedding occurred over Labor Day. It. hasn’t been all blue skies and daisies, but it’s been wonderful and worth the effort. When we talked last week, she sounded so happy!

So, I’m a believer! Romance can blossom any old time, proving once more that the Bible is true: “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).

May every joy and blessing be yours this Christmas, dear friends! May you move into the future with courage and confidence despite the challenges. And especially for Phyliss and Eric—may you live to be 100+ and have many, many happy anniversaries together!

P.S.—In case you’re struggling with loss this Christmas season, Eric wrote an excellent grief memoir reflecting on his own journey toward healing after losing his wife to illness. I wrote about Eric’s book in the context of discussing anniversaries a few months ago. If you’re looking for help on the subject, here’s the link again: https://kathrynwarmstrong.wordpress.com/2023/08/31/anniversaries-celebrating-real-life/

TWA:NE (60) An Almost Freebie—Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Most of the national parks we visited were with great forethought and planning, but Cuyahoga “just happened” to be a stone’s throw from where we were staying while attending a wedding this fall! I was looking for “what to do” near the little town of Stowe, Ohio, and unbelievably—a national park appeared!

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is one of the most recent parks, established in 2020. What I remember well from my college days was that the Cuyahoga River caught fire in the summer of 1969 just south of Cleveland, sparking national dismay and inspiring the Clean Water Act, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Earth Day! What I didn’t know was that the Cuyahoga River first burned a hundred years prior (1868), eleven more times between then and 1969 . . . and once again in 2020! Yikes!

(kmussser https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cuyahogarivermap.png)

It’s a short river (only 100 miles long) and services two large metropolitan areas (Akron and Cleveland, both in Ohio), but the worst problem has been a long history of industrial and human waste being improperly handled.

Brandywine Falls in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

However, when we visited, the river was in good health, and the national park has done a great job in reclaiming the natural beauty of the area.

Boston Mill Visitor Center

America needs her national parks!

Stone Steps along Stanford Trail

Cuyahoga is the only national park in Ohio, and one of only three national parks in the Great Lakes Basin (including one in Michigan and one in Indiana).

As residents of the Great Lakes Basin area, we felt very much at home with the sandstone cliffs and gently rugged pathways.

(Closeup of fascinating formations and mineral deposits in the sandstone cliff walls)

Stanford Trail was similar to hiking some of the paths around Grand Ledge or the Porcupine Mountains in Michigan.

The ferns looked familiar.

The bursts of goldenrod and spritely purple asters looked familiar.

The noble cedar trees hanging on for dear life looked familiar!

But, not everybody who lives in Ohio can head 748 miles north to visit the Porcupine Mountains, nor can every Yooper can travel 748 miles south to enjoy Cuyahoga Valley.

No, we need the refreshment of natural beauty and quiet spaces scattered throughout our country—and around the world!

I don’t mean to undersell the park. May familiarity breed comfort, not contempt!

Cuyhoga Valley has depth. There are over 125 miles of trails, including a section of the nationally famous 101-mile Ohio & Eric Canal Towpath, which extends both north and south of the park and attracts the greatest number of visitors.

Speaking of visitors, this unassuming park tucked into middle America is ranked #9 in visitors this past year.

Over 2.9 million people visited in 2022 —even more than the undeniably magnificent Glacier National Park! Why?

It’s pleasant. It’s now unpolluted and has become safe. It’s tranquil. And, I think most importantly: It’s accessible. Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a bit of restored and preserved nature where people are welcome.

I’d like to think that people can serve a similar purpose. We don’t have to be world-class or phenomenal to be a blessing to others; we just need to be available. And restored by God. America needs so much healing. We need people who have experienced the saving grace of Jesus in their lives and are willing to be accessible to others. We need these little lights scattered and shining all over the country! All over the world!

Are you with me? God can take burning rivers and turn them into safe havens amidst the chaos.

“Yet even now, declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. [Then He says] . . . I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame” (Joel 2:12-13 and 25-26).