Christmas and new year's

This past year has definitely been a difficult one for the world. Christians martyred in the middle east, plane crashes, and flooding all over Malaysia. Life is hard. and YET, I draw strength and hope from the promise that  

"I have overcome the world." - Jesus [John 16:33]

Our lives are but a blip in light of eternity .  Thankfully, every life is precious to Him.

What if death was not a full stop in our existence, but merely a comma? 

This new year, I want to set my mind more on the Spirit. 

Rom 8:6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 

Our Christmas lunch was a lavish spread with turkey, ham, roast pork and roast chicken! Makes me want to have roast turkey all year round... 

and of course the mandatory roast potatoes and pumpkin, with salads and gravy.

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Because we can't get to New York, I made our own poppyseed bagels - boiled the old fashioned way. Not bad for a first try - they were all eaten within a day! 

 We had them the traditional way with smoked salmon and cream cheese.

This was a meal made completely with freezer and pantry items. Ready in 10 minutes! Chicken nuggets, broccoli and spinach from the freezer, zapped in the microwave, with instant mashed potatoes [the kind you add hot water to] Not very sophisticated, but needed sometimes with a toddler to take care of!

 For New Year's eve, we had some Malaysians over for dinner, so decided to have a yong tau foo party. with hubby being hakka and all, I let him do all the work! hehe...

Here he is stuffing the aubergines with the fish paste mixture. Historically, the Hakkas [from China] never had their own land and were often quite poor, so frugality characterizes their style of cooking. Chopped up fish meat mixed with cornflour and seasonings stuffed into vegetables and tofu helped stretch a small amount of protein to feed more people.

 We stuffed tofu, mushrooms, a capsicum and some aubergines but really, any fruit vegetable can be stuffed. I reckon it would work well with a stuffed tomato, zucchini or even a potato!

To a fruitful, graceful, peaceful, God-full  2015.

Rev 22:21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.