Wednesday 21 October 2009

Wednesday Ponderings . . .



We had the missionaries here in our home for dinner last night. There are two young sister missionaries serving in our Ward (church congregation) right now. They're so nice and I really enjoyed their company. It makes a change from young men actually, although all the missionaries are all pretty special in my books. I just love that wonderful spirit that they bring into our home, and it is nice to have some younger faces sitting at my kitchen table, ready to share a meal and their hearts with us.

They always like to share a spiritual thought after dinner to help show their appreciation for the tasty dinner which you have just served them, and it is a part of the evening that I always look forward to. Last night was no different.

Sister Chase wanted to share her favourite scripture with us. She said it was from when she was waiting for her visa to come over to England at the Missionary Training Centre in Provo, Utah that she had come upon this particular verse. She had been feeling very homesick and a little afraid of what the future might hold. It didn't help that her parents lived in Provo and that she knew they were so close . . . and yet she could not see them. These words gave her great comfort, at a very lonely time.



These are the words of the Saviour.

"For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the child of her womb? Yea, they may forget, but I will not forget thee, oh House of Israel. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, thy walls are continually before me."
~1Nephi 21:15,16



You know how you can read a piece of scripture a thousand times and it is only words on a page, and then all of a sudden you read them again, and they reach up and slap you in the face??? So it was with me last night. I must have read these words a bazillion times in my Book of Mormon, and it wasn't until Sister Chase read them to us that the deep meaning of them struck me, and I thought about how very much He loves each one of us.

I thought about His great gift to us in His atonement, His great gift of love and mercy which is engraved and held in the very marks that were left in His hands by the nails which held Him to the cross, my name being a part of those marks amongst the millions of other names . . . held in His hands.



It was a wonderful thought and I will never look at those marks in quite the same way again.

Marks of love . . . my name . . . held in His gentle and loving hands.

How very powerful.

I had made a big pot of corn chowder last night, along with some scones and a tasty dessert. I thought it would be very warming for the girls, as it has been quite cold and a tad miserable lately. I've already shown you my corn chowder recipe before on here so I won't show it to you again, but here is a very tasty recipe for a baked chicken curry that I made the other night for Todd and myself. They had chicken parts on offer at the grocery store the other day. You got four nice big chicken quarters for a fiver. I separated the legs into thighs and drumsticks and then there were two lovely breast pieces. This curry went down a real treat and I was able to put half of it into the freezer for another night. I just love curry. It's one of my favourite things about England. I adapted this recipe from one I found in Hugh Fearnley's Whittingstall's new book, River Cottage, Everyday. It's not much to look at, but boy was it good!



*Baked Chicken Curry*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Sure, you could open a jar of curry sauce and use that, but why . . . when you can make this delicious curry with a minimum of effort. It tastes so much better than any jarred sauce ever will!

1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 heaped tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp ground tumeric
2 tsp ground fenugreek seeds
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 2 inch piece of fresh ginger-root, scraped and roughly chopped
1 large green chili, seeded and roughly chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
3 to 4 TBS sunflower oil
6 skin on, bone in pieces of chicken
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
400ml tin of coconut milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste



Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/375*F.

Pound the cumin, coriander, fennel, tumeric and fenugreek together until the fennel seeds are powdered. Set aside. Place the onion, garlic, chili and gingerin a food processor and blitz to a coarse paste, stopping to scrape the sides a few times. Set aside.

Heat half of the oil in a large skillet. Once hot, add the chicken pieces a few at a time and brown them well on all sides. Transfer them to a large roasting tin and repeat until all the chicken pieces are browned. Season well with some salt and pepper.

Reduce the heat under the skillet to low and add the spice mix. Cook and stir for several minutes, until quite fragrant, then add the blitzed vegetable mixture. Fry, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or so until very soft and the vegetable mixture has reduced in volume. It should smell very good. You can add a bit more oil if it seems to be sticking.

Tip the tomatoes and coconut milk into the food processor (no need to clean). Blitz to combine. Pour this mixture into the skillet with the vegetable mixture and cook and stir until it comes to a simmer. Season with about 1 tsp of salt and a good grinding of pepper. Pour this over the chicken pieces, making sure they are well coated with the mixture.

Place in the heated oven and roast for 1 hour or so, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. Serve with rice.



There is a delicious cake waiting for you over on The English Kitchen. What are you waiting for? You know you want some of it!


13 comments:

  1. I love feeding the missionaries...and going out tracking with one of them. The recipe looks mouth-watering delish!
    Want to try it!
    Hey..that order I gave you..if it's not too late(and if so, thats ok) Could you have them holding a Book of Morman? I would like that, thanks.
    I'll be gone for the next 2 days, if you don't hear from me thats why.
    Come say hi :D

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  2. How nice to have the sister missionaries over. We have had sister missionaries in our ward ever since I've lived here. I love having them here.

    I hope you are having a great week so far Marie!

    XOXO
    Jen

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  3. "Marks of love . . . my name . . . held in His gentle and loving hands"... that is so beautiful and inspiring! And how cozy and cheery your gatherings with the missionaries. This chicken curry my hubby would love...will have to spoil him with this one. ;o) Hope you're having a good week so far, dear friend... crazy-busy here, but the good kind of busy! LOVE YOU HEAPS ((BIG HUGS))

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  5. Marie, I just love how our lives parallel in so many ways. I have been pondering your dream since last night when I read it. Very interesting and powerful.

    We too enjoy the spirit brought into our home by the missionaries. I love the scripture you quoted as the thought from your sister missionary. I have it on a card and carry it in my purse. And thinking of her I just looked at a house in Provo that is a two minute walk from the MTC!

    Just lots of parallels in the things we do and think about each day. You take good care, OK?

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  6. Ohhhhh.....I sure hope there is someone like you in Florida for my missionary son to visit.
    I agree with your scripture comment. I have read the Book of Mormon a few times, but as I begin again something new is going on in my life, and sure enough....I find what I need, that I didn't know was there before.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I always love visiting.
    Sandra

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  7. young people definitely brighten up a table.

    xoxox

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  9. Dear Marie,
    Day after day you publish wonderful posts that uplift and inspire me. You are so filled with light and goodness that it just pours out of you and blesses the blog world. I am thankful for you and the beauty you bring into my life.
    I enjoyed our short visit on the phone. I loved being in Utah with our dear family but I missed being in contact with you. I so enjoyed being able to talk to you each week.

    Have a great day...and know that your long distant friend is thinking of you with love. Lura

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  10. Hello again,
    I noticed that my comment published twice so I deleted one of them. I know that you love hearing from me but I don't think you want two of the exact same comment...haha

    By the way, what is fenugreek seeds? ...and don't you put any curry in your curry chicken? You need to educate me. Thanks my dear. Have a great week. Hugs, Lura

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  11. Glad that you enjoyed your supper with the missionary girls. bet they enjoyed the chowder. I always remember the very first time I had chowder was over in Canada in Le Harve I think..or was it Halifax ! anyway it was delicious and I have loved it ever since. Sorry I would not be enjoying the curry..thats the one and only thing that I would have to refuse if I was given it somewhere (Mum always insisted we ate what ever was put in front of us particularily if we were in a friends home) but Curry..Oh no thank you !!
    Much Love Sybil xx

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  12. My sister will always open a jar of curry sauce - or bolognse or chilli. Says she can't be bothered with "all that messing about". I think I have a couple of jars in the shed for a rainy day - but we always hope for sunshine don't we!

    I love that "I will never forget my people......" passage. The Irish singer, Dana, does a lovely song on this theme.

    Love, Angie, xx

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  13. I have missed having the sister missionaries at my house. We don't have any assigned to our area right now. As always your post makes my mouth water. The curry sounds so good. What is fenugreek seeds. I love coriander and fennel too. Have a great day!(or night-whatever it is over there in England now:)

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