Soup's On

Tonight's recipe is for a creamy vegetable soup. I've made this several times with different variations to the recipe, but I love it because it is the first recipe I've done that has been improvising and just throwing in ingredients that I had lying around.

The main ingredients include:

• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/4 Vidalia onion, chopped
• Carrots, chopped
• 3 potatoes, chopped
• Milk
• Water
• Flour
• Worcestershire sauce
• Salt, pepper as needed
• Chicken, chopped, or ground beef (optional)

It's a fairly simple list of ingredients. Since I've only just threw stuff in, I've never measured anything out. I've done it sans-meat, with ground beef, and, tonight, with chicken. Since this is basically some improvisation, don't expect scientific precision of the ingredients.

First off, if you decide to use meat, throw that in the pot first so it can start to cook. I put a cup or two of water in as well so that it didn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Since the pot cooks for a while, I've never really checked to make sure the meat was totally cooked, I figured it would finish cooking with the rest of the soup.

Once the meat has started to cook, chop up and throw in the pot, the celery, onion, and carrots. I used a handful of baby carrots since that is what I typically have on hand. If you use full size carrots, I would think 2 would be enough. The size of the pieces is completely up to you. Carrots I will slice down the middle, then cut into about 1/4 inch half slices. Celery and onion I just wing it and toss them in the pot. At this point, I will add enough milk to cover the vegetables and meat and begin cutting potatoes. Assuming a small or medium potato, I will cut it into quarters, then make slices about 1/4 inch thick. Those will all go in the pot.

After the potatoes are in, I will add some Worcestershire sauce, a bit of flour, and a little more milk or water. Make sure to mix the flour in well, otherwise it may get clumpy. At that point, I basically let it cook for a while. Times differ just because this recipe is not exact. Usually I cook it for about 20 to 30 minutes on low to medium heat. By the time it's done, it should be a little thicker because of the flour, but not too thick. If it becomes too thick, add a little water and stir until it's the thickness you want.

Once it's done, I'll add a bit of salt and pepper for taste. And that's pretty much it. With the amounts here, it will probably give about 2 quarts of soup.

If anyone makes it, let me know your thoughts or any improvements you make. I always like to know what I can do to improve my cooking, and nothing seems to work better than constructive criticism.

Freedom in Christ

freedom
-noun

1. the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or physical restraint
2. exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc.
3. the power to determine action without restraint

Several weeks ago, my pastor presented a sermon on what it means to be free in Christ, which my small group discussed during the week. The topic came out of Tim Keller's book The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. The primary argument refuted in the chapter this sermon covered is that Christianity is a straight-jacket, in that the followers of Christianity have too many rules and it is really a hindrance to true freedom. From the definition of freedom above, you may be able to connect the dots on how this view came to be. Christians are seen as people who follow a strict set of rules. Since they live their lives under some sort of regulation, it can be postulated that they are not truly free.

First let's ask what are the rules that Christians are "supposed to follow?" The first thing that comes to mind would probably the the Ten Commandments. After that would probably the the teachings of Christ in which he expands upon the Law saying that it is not just the committing of an act that makes it a sin, but merely having the will to commit that act in your heart. Adultery is a prime example of this. Not only is the act of adultery a sin, but looking at a woman lustfully is also a sin.

So we have the rules. Now let's ask, why is it seen that Christians have to follow these rules? Those who are not familiar with the grace God provided to us may say that it is in order to gain favor with God. Some Christians may even feel that if they follow these rules, they somehow gain favor with God. But that cannot be the case. Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast". This passage tells us that following the rules does nothing in terms of our salvation. We only have salvation because God loved us enough to give it to us.

But if the rules don't help me gain favor with God, does that make them useless? Is there no purpose to the rules besides restricting people from freedom? Of course there is a purpose. To find it, let's look to the Old Testament. God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments and the Law. Yet, how many times did the Israelites stray from following the Law? But, you might say, "that proves nothing except that the Israelites were stubborn" or "but the law was too strict, how could God expect us as humans to follow such strict rules?" From there, we can see that the point of the Law was to show us our need for God's help. Without His grace, we would be doomed to an eternity in Hell. Paul says in Galatians 3:24-25 "Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor."

So according to Paul, we are no longer under the law, but under grace. Because of this grace, we are no longer condemned to spend eternity in Hell apart from God. Now, you might ask yourself, "so if I'm not constrained to live under the law, I can do anything I want? Without consequence?" Well, not quite. What we are free from is the punishment which comes with sinning. Since we have salvation, we are no longer condemned to death, but we still have to deal with consequences of our actions.

The rules given to us show how we ought to live. Proverbs 22:6 says "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." For example, my parents taught me not to lie, to cheat, to steal. But let's look at why I should not do those things? From a Christian perspective, they go against the law, but if I am not bound by the law anymore that should not matter. In Mark 12, Christ tells us that the greatest commandment is to "[30] Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. [31] The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Based upon that, I would argue that if one loves God and loves others as he loves himself; the thought to lie, cheat, or steal would not cross his mind because those actions would not be showing love to God, or to others. And the more one grows in his love for Christ, the more he will begin to follow what is in the law, not because he is required to, but because his love for Christ has given him the freedom to do so.

Banana split ice cream cake

I found today's recipe at FamilyFun.com. This dessert take a couple hours to completely make, but it is totally worth the wait.

As is the recipe is fairly straightforward. However, I will suggest a few additions as I get to them.

What you need:

• 2 c. graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 c. melted butter, plust 1/4 c. butter
• 4 to 5 medium bananas, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1 1/2 quarts strawberry ice cream, softened
• 1 c. chopped walnuts
• 1 c. chocolate chips
• 1 c. confectioners' sugar
• 1 c. evaporated milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 (8 oz.) container whipped topping

Putting it together:

1. In a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and the melted butter. Set aside half of the mixture, and press the rest into a 9x13 inch pan.*
2. Place the bananas in a single layer over the crust. Spread the softened ice cream over the top and smooth. Sprinkle the nuts on the ice cream, then cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm.
3. In a saucepan, melt the chocolate chips and the remaining 1/4 c. butter and stir until smooth. Add the sugar and milk. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until slightly thickened and smooth, about 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Cool the mixture, stirring occasionally. Pour over the ice cream and freeze until firm.
4. Spread the whipped topping over the chocolate layer and sprinkle with the reserved crumbs. Freeze for at least 3.5 hours. Remove the dish from the freezer 10 to 20 minutes before slicing.

* Even with the 2 cups of crumbs, I was barely able to cover the bottom of my pan. If I did this again, I would probably up the crumbs to 3 cups and use 3/4 cups of melted butter, or possibly even double those ingredients. If you don't mind a thin crust, leave it as is. If you want it thicker, increase those ingredients.