Bella at the California State Fair

German Potato Salad

Red potatoes
Olive oil
White vinegar
Onion (Walla Walla Sweets work well)
Salt
Pepper
Water

There are no measurements here, since this is an old German recipe that my Grandpa Berger used to make. He made a batch big enough for an army, but then again, we had seven kids.

Start with about 3-5 pounds of potatoes. Slice them very thin after they have been cooked, cooled, and peeled. Thinly slice 1/2 large onion and chop into fairly small pieces. Add about 6-8 heaping tablespoons of oil and 3-4 tablespoons of vinegar. Add about a fourth cup warm water. Salt and pepper to taste. Keep refrigerated.

Thanksgiving 2014

Spent the day with our son Eric and his family.  Got to read and cuddle with our little granddaughter, Natalie.  Our son Reed and other granddaughter, Bella, called us, which made our day complete.

I continue to count my blessings,, which far outnumber any trials.  Most of all I am thankful for my Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer who gives me much more than I deserve.

Natalie is one years old

Our beautiful newest granddaughter turned one yesterday. Wondering how much her sister Abby knows about what's going on with her family. May Natalie grow in love, peace, and joy as she finds the One who gave her life.

New Year's Prayer

I came across this and have printed it off for the coming year.  Thought you might want it too.  Happy New Year! 

1. I will spend quality time with God every day in prayer and the Word.
2. I will walk in purity of heart and integrity of life, in thought, in speech, and in deed.
3. I will not be ashamed of Jesus but will confess him boldly as Lord and Savior.
4. I will commit myself to the Great Commission, looking for opportunities to win the lost, restore the backslidden, and make disciples.
5. I will seek to be a peacemaker and ambassador of reconciliation, forgiving those who have offended me and seeking the forgiveness of those whom I have offended.
6. I will walk in love towards those who despise and reject me, overcoming evil with good and hostility with kindness.
7. I will pursue fellowship with brothers and sisters of like mind and will not separate myself from the Body.
8. I will be involved with a ministry of mercy, through serving or through giving, helping to relieve human suffering in a tangible way.
9. I will stand for righteousness and justice, enlisting myself in a moral cause for the honor of the Lord and the good of society.
10. I will seek the fullness of the Spirit, availing myself of everything God has made available for His people today.

http://www.lineoffireradio.com/2011/12/21/ten-things-you-can-do-to-change-society/

Gan Bian Dou Jiao (Chinese Green Beans)

Chinese Green Beans - Gan Bian Dou Jiao

One pound green beans, ends cut off (steamed approximately 3 minutes)
2 Tbls oil
1 Tbls ginger root, peeled, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
2 Tbls cooking sherry
1 Tbls soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 C whole dried chile peppers
2 tsps toasted and partially crushed Chinese prickly ash
1-2 Tbls sesame seeds

In wok, flash fry green beans in oil.  Add sauce made from ginger, cloves, sherry, soy sauce, brown sugar.  Thicken with cornstarch. (I actually eliminate the cornstarch, because I don't want the sauce to be "globby")

Add peppers and prickly ash.  Heat thoroughly and serve topped with sesame seeds.

This is VERY good!  I haven't checked yet, but I think that Chinese prickly ash (that hot and numbing ingredient) has to be available at fine Asian markets.

I had this in China a lot. Scrumptious!

Ma La Tofu

This dish gets its name (má là = numbing and spicy) from two types of pepper, the numbingly hot aroma of sichuan pepper and the fiery hot flavour of chili pepper. This combination is great even if you’re not that fond of super-spicy food. The tongue-numbing effect of sichuan pepper is felt only after consuming bigger quantities of it, and its unique, rich aroma can be enjoyed by using it in moderation as well. This recipe is based on the ma la tofu recipe from Bryanna Clark Grogan’s excellent Authentic Chinese Cuisine for the Contemporary Kitchen.

One teaspoon of chili and sichuan pepper each don’t yet make a fiery dish, but it’s enough to enjoy the combination of their flavours. If you prefer more spiciness in your food, don’t hesitate to add more, but take it easy on the sichuan pepper if you’re not familiar with it – if you add it too much it starts to dominate the dish.
Sauce:

• 1 teaspoon toasted and freshly ground sichuan pepper (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes (or to taste)
• ½ dl dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon fermented black beans
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed

Stir-Fry Ingredients:

• 350 g broccoli
• 1 red bell pepper
• a quarter of a leek (or maybe 1 small leek, we didn’t have more!)
• ½ kg tofu
• 1 tablespoon canola oil for frying
• 2 teaspoons starch diluted in 4 tablespoons water

First we drained and pressed the tofu. Then we toasted the sichuan peppers over medium heat on a dry frying pan for a couple of minutes, stirring them every now and then so that they would not burn, after which I ground them in a mortar. Next, I mashed the fermented black beans with a fork, and then mixed all the sauce ingredients together: sichuan pepper, chili, sherry, soy sauce, black beans and garlic.
Then we cut all the veggies and the tofu into small pieces. You could also cut them into thin strips, squares, triangles or whatever shape pleases you!
Now, we put a wok over high heat, added the oil, and when the oil was really hot, we added the leek and paprika first, stir-fried them for a minute or so, then added the broccoli, fried it for maybe two minutes or so, then added the tofu, and stir-fried for maybe a minute more. Next, it was time to pour in the sauce, cook and stir for about one minute or so. Then we added the thickener, and stirred it in. We removed the wok from heat, and served the dish with yasmine rice immediately.