Flax Snaps

Brown flax may be good for you, but it looks like..., well it doesn't look like anything you ought to put in your mouth!
Yellow flax on the otherhand is every bit as good for you and in contrast to brown flax it begs to be eaten. Roasted, it reminds me of sesame seed. When I think of sesame seed I get hungry for sesame snaps. I had to try making flax snaps, and they are really good and very simple. So here is the recipe.
(Btw, flax is bigger roasted so to get 11/2 cups roasted flax,  roast a little more than a cup of raw flax.)

1 heaping teaspoon margarine

2 cups sugar
11/2-2 cups roasted golden flax

First prepare a surface to roll it out on, also oil your rolling pin and pizza cutter. The first time I made these I buttered an arborite counter and rolled them out on it. That was NOT smart! The mixture is very hot when you dump it from the pan, and very sticky...they didn't come off that surface very easily! This time I used a thin plexi-glass sprayed with pam.
Anyways, it is important to have that all laid out because once the sugar is melted and the flax is mixed in you have to work VERY quickly to roll it out and cut it before it hardens.
Over medium/low heat melt the margarine and sugar. It's best not to stir it too much, and keep the heat low enough that you melt, not burn the sugar. I melt the margarine first so it covers the bottom of the pan. I don't know if that helps. When it is all melted quickly mix in the flax, roll it out thin and cut with the pizza cutter. Remember you have to work quickly. And that is all there is to it.

And of course for the best golden flax available visit Grandma Lou at Mcdougall Acres! http://www.mcdougallacres.com/
Edit, feb. 2013
Making these is so stupid simple, and yet it is a bit of an art, melting the sugar takes patience, getting them rolled out and cut quickly enough takes a practice batch...but I have figured out what works best for rolling them out on...silicone cookie sheets are definately the ONLY way to go!

Times of Trial

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened, so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

John 9:1-5

The common belief in Jewish culture was that calamity or suffering was the result of some great sin. But Christ used this man's suffering to teach about faith and to glorify God. We live in a fallen world were good behavior is not always rewarded and bad behavior is not always punished. Therefore, innocent people sometimes suffer. If God took suffering away whenever we asked, we would follow him for comfort and convenience, not out of love and devotion. Regardless of the reasons for our suffering, Jesus has the power to help us deal with it. When you suffer from disease, tragedy, or disability, try not to ask, "Why did this happen to me?" Or "What did I do wrong?" Instead, ask God to give you strength for the trial and a clearer perspective on what is happening. He is your comfort and your guide through difficult times.

God bless you,

J.H.

In Conversation

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil of that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

James 1:19-21

When we talk too much and listen too little, we communicate to others that we think our ideas are much more important than theirs. James wisely advises us to reverse this process. We need to pay attention regarding our conversations and keep track of how much we are talking and how much we are actually listening. When people talk with you, do they feel that their viewpoints and ideas have value? Or are you most concerned about getting other people to see your point of view and to have them think the way that you do? These verses also speak of anger that erupt when our ego is bruised - "I am hurt;" or "My opinions are not being heard." When injustice and sin occur, we should become angry because others are being hurt. But we should not become angry when we fail to win an argument or when we feel offended or neglected, as difficult as that may be. The truth is, selfish anger never helps anybody. James also advises us to get rid of all that is wrong in our lives and to "humbly except" the salvation message we have received ("the word planted in you"), because it alone can save us.

God Bless you,

J.H.

Our Identity

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

Psalm 8:3-5

When we look at the vast expanse of creation, we wonder how God could be concerned for people who constantly disappoint Him. Yet God created us only a little lower than himself and the angels! The next time you question your worth as a person, remember that God considers you highly valuable. We have great worth, because we bear the stamp of the Creator. Because God has already declared how valuable we are to Him, we can be set free from any feelings of worthlessness. It all has to do with our perception of ourselves. We cannot function outside of that perception. We need to understand who we really are. We need to understand from which our identity is acquired. Our identity is based upon who we are and not what we do. Who we are is based upon our birth. Those of us who are born again are now identified with Christ. Once we identify ourselves with Christ and His sufferings for our sake, only then will we be able to truly live.

God bless you,

JH

Rising to the challenge

: Abundance of Herbs...and a challenge.
It takes some imagination to find a herb in my yard these days. When we got back from vacation, the first order of business was to rid our flower beds of purslane. The pineapple weed hasn't recovered from the glyphosate, dandelions are an aquired taste, and plantain weed...it ain't tasty, we just keep it for bee stings and bug bites!
Still, thanks to the unusual spring we have had..we have a second crop of Pine berries!!
What I want to do with this unexpected bounty is mix a handful with fresh garden picked peas and NOT tell the kids!! But the peas aren't ready yet.
I like to use a handful of pineberries in our Veggivore Soup! http://aswesow.blogspot.com/search?q=veggivore
but they are also a welome addition in Dandelion and Purslane salads or in Lamb's quarter greens!
My apologies to Chef Tess...as I obviously do not know how to provide a link...but you can visit Chef tesse's blog by looking up her blog in the blogs I follow, and you can use the search box to find our Veggivore soup!