Spinach Artichoke Dip

I found this recipe at Those Who Hunger and we really enjoy it. I love spinach artichoke dip, but it's so loaded with fat and calories that I rarely have it. This version doesn't have any mayo or cheese, but is still really flavorful and a good alternative to the traditional version. I used it as a dip for chips, veggies and even as a topping for a homemade pizza.


8 oz. firm tofu
1/2 onion, diced
2 TB olive oil
2 TB minced garlic (or as much as you like)
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed & drained
1 cup canned artichokes (I used the marinated version)
2 TB juice from the artichokes
Salt & pepper to taste


Heat olive oil in skillet and cook onions til they are translucent.  Add garlic and cook about 2 minutes, careful not to burn it.  Use a food processor or immersion blender to whip the tofu.  Add the onions and garlic, spinach and artichokes.  Blend together.  Add enough juice from the artichokes to reach the consistency you like.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Bake at 350 degrees til heated through and sides are bubbly.  Enjoy!

We Have Direction! (Caution: Long Post!)

Praise God!  After about 3 weeks of a Daniel Fast, Doug and I really feel like we have been blessed to know that we have truly been called into orphan ministry.


We have debated and discussed for months now, exactly what we should do.  We definately felt that James 1:27 needed to be applied to our lives, but didn't know exactly how.  Do we adopt?  If we are going to have another baby, do we want another child of our own?   Are we too old for this?  Should we get involved with a sponsorship program?  Should we go on mission trips? Should we support Katie Davis and Amazima or one of hundreds of other organizations that seem to be doing a great job?  Which one?   Which country? There are SO many...where do we even start?  Should we invest our money for the "greater good" than for just one child to come to our home?  Etc, etc.  You get the picture.


When the new year began, I really felt that I needed to start a fast.   I've never fasted before, but truly felt like God was calling me into a Daniel Fast.  Doug wasn't so sure, until the next Sunday he heard a sermon on fasting.  God IS right on time!  So, we began.  Our prayer was to complete the fast with some clear direction about what God wanted us to do.


We spent time praying together and alone as well as reading all sorts of scripture.  Along the way, we discussed and debated more.  Praise God that each decision we made was made with Doug and I both in agreement about how and when to proceed!  That is a blessing in and of itself!


We have just complete our time of fasting, and we both completely feel that we are being led into orphan ministry.  This is not about growing our family.  Believe me, we are SO happy with the three boys we already have!  My days are full and busy!  And, even though I am happy with my boys, I would be ok to have one or two more, if that's what  God chose for us.


But, instead of being about growing our family, this is about God using our family to minister to "the least of these" in whatever way He wants.  Truly, we feel that we are to procede in a way that we are prepared for another child, but not planning for one.  We have had the AMAZING pleasure of coming in contact with a group of people right here in Springfield who are working with The Raining Season in Sierra Leone, West Africa.  (I'll be posting later about Sierra Leone, so come back for that info soon.)


We feel that God has brought us to a place of being advocates for the orphans of Sierra Leone, through The Raining Season and Warm Hearts Group.  We will continue to sponsor four children at The Covering, the orphanage in Sierra Leone, as well as travel as often as we can in order to help in whatever way is beneficial.  The Raining Season is a new organization, so we are excited to see all that God is going to do through all of us in Sierra Leone!  


I have sung a song for many years that says, "Where He leads me, I will follow.  I'll go with Him, with Him all the way."  I've often wondered if I really WOULD follow Him WHEREVER He took me.  Well, it's time to put the action behind my words and follow Him to Sierra Leone, West Africa!!  


I hope you'll come with us and enjoy our journey!

Happy Sunday!

This is the first time I have fasted, and it has really been a blessing.  I've only just begun to realize just how selfish and self-centered and I am.  It is amazing that a person can be aggravated or frustrated about not being able to have a brownie or a Coke, when I have a pantry full of other options, and there are millions of people around the world who have nothing at all.  I'm so humbled as I am only beginning to understand the grace of God in my life.  I pray that He will continue to peel back the layers of my selfishness and open my eyes to the work He has for this family!


I copied off a few recipes from the  Those Who Hunger blog and got started trying them out this morning before church.  I wanted to make the pizza for lunch and coconut fig bars for a snack.  The pizza was labor intensive, but it was actually pretty good.  The spinach artichoke dip was great!  The coconut fig bars are good, too, and a nice treat.  The kids even like them, and that is saying something!  We are SO incredibly blessed!  Thank you, Jesus, for the food you have provided for us - no matter WHAT it is!


We are looking forward to our Life Group tonight.  We are studying the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan.  This is a GREAT book!!   We are excited to meet the rest of the group and get to know some people at the church.  We are really enjoying Wilson's Creek, which is the second campus of James River Assembly.  Hopefully, the Life Group will be a good way for us to build some relationships with a few members of our new church family.