Fryin' in Cast Iron

One of my hearts desires is to go to Israel someday!
So I've been thinkin' that I should sharpen up on my Israeli cooking skills!
Well.....one thing about having little ones in the house is that appearance is key to their opinion of the meal.
That being said...my first attempt at an Israeli dish did not go over so hot with them.
Israeli Shakshuka I though it tasted great and will make it again someday but as you see.... is not the most visually appealing....

So....my second attempt at Israeli cooking was a little bit more KID friendly :)

SUFGANIYOT

I have read that during Hanukkah in some Israeli communities, vendors sell these filled buns by the basket full! 

Here is how you make them! 

Place 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons) and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt in a stand mixer and whisk to combine. 

Add 2 egg yolks and 3/4 cup of warm (115*F) milk and mix for 1 minute. 

Add 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter (room temp.) 

Increase mixer speed to medium and mix until smooth, shiny, and elastic (about 5 minutes).

Form dough into a ball and place in greased bowl.

Cover and let rise for 1 hour. 

After an hour lightly flour a baking sheet; set aside. 

Punch down dough, transfer to a lightly floured work surface, and roll until about 1/4 inch thick. 

Using a 2-inch round cutter, stamp out as many dough rounds as possible and place on the prepared baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart. 

Cover loosely & let rise in a warm place until puffy and about 1/2 inch thick, about 30 minutes.

Place 6 cups of vegetable or canola oil in a deep CAST IRON pan and set over medium heat until the temperature reaches 350°F on a candy/fat thermometer. 

While that is heating, line a second baking sheet with paper towels and set aside. 

Place 2/3 cup jam or jelly  in a piping bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip; set aside.

Once your oil reaches temp. transfer the dough rounds into the oil. Leaving at least 1 inch of space in between and keeping the oil temperature at 350°F. Fry until the bottoms are golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Carefully flip with tongs and fry until the second side is golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes more. Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs to the wire rack. Repeat till all are fried. 

When the buns are cool enough to handle make a  puncture in one side, place the tip of the piping bag into the hole and pipe about 1 teaspoon of jam or jelly inside. 

Dust with powdered sugar and ENJOY!!! 

The little people ASKED if they could have MORE!!! SUCCESS!! :D 

The Messiah's Authority To Forgive Sin

I get so excited when I get another glimpse of the incredible correlation between the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament!

Here is what I learned today during my time studying The Life of the Messiah from a Jewish Perspective!

Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12 and Luke 5:17 - 26 the account of the man sick of the palsy.

Jesus said: "Man, your sins are forgiven you".

Arnold Fruchtenbaum explains - Yeshua knowing very well that forgiving sins in a salvation sense is going to raise some serious questions in the minds of the Pharisees and scribes that are present, and it does.  Notice He puts it in the passive state, "man, your sins are forgiven you."  Remember Yeshua is speaking in Hebrew.  The Hebrew form of the passive. "your sins are forgiven" are used only in one section of the Hebrew Bible.  It is used only in Leviticus 4-6, this section has to do with blood sacrifices for atonement was used in the passive sense.  The Pharisees knowing the Hebrew and the Law, would understand the connection He is making.  Yeshua was claiming the authority to forgive sin, that God used in Leviticus 4-6, for Himself!!  By means of the blood atonement their sins were forgiven them by God and Jesus was therefore speaking as it He was God with the power to forgive sin as Leviticus 4-6.  You will never read of anyone else in the New Testament using that phrase, for the forgiveness of sin.  The word forgive in the Hebrew text is only used of God and never of man.  So these Pharisees understood that Yeshua was claiming authority that only God could claim.  

Read Leviticus 4-6 and note the 5 times where God, giving the Law, says "and it shell be forgiven him" (4:35; 513, 16, 18; 6:7)

God's Word is so amazing! 

The Messiah's Power Over Leprosy

From the time of the giving of the Mosaic Law to the time of Jesus there is no record of a Jew being healed of leprosy (Miriam before the Law and Naaman a Gentile). Yet, in the giving of the Law God gave minute details and procedures as of what to do when a Jew was healed of leprosy. Why is that? Because no Jew had ever been healed of leprosy, the Rabbis concluded that the healing of leprosy was a miracle only the Messiah could perform. Perhaps God gave such detail in Leviticus 13-14 concerning this disease so that there could be no overlooking of who Jesus was! The Messiah!

A good day indeed!

We are California kids....but how often do we go to the beach? Not that much...but yesterday we made a day of it and enjoyed it thoroughly! However, it was not the beach that made it such a great day...it was being with the best of friends!!!

Headed to the Coast....

With LOTS of cameras!!

After knowing each other for 22 years....still as goofy as ever!!

 And still love spending time together!! :-)

TRADITION!!!!! (a must have picture)

Who would take pictures of their feet when they COULD take pictures of their thumbs?!!

3 of my best friends....so happy together!!!!

The only thing that could have made it better would've been to have the 2 J's with us :)

We drove up HWY 1 a couple hours and stopped here at Jade Cove to hike around on the rocks!

Luke got a little too close with the waterproof Go-Pro....

resulting in a BIG grin!! :D

Kevin needed a picture for his college application...so there are a LOT of pics of Kevin. HOWEVER...MOST of them are not suitable for application purposes....:P 

We headed back down to Cambria and topped off the trip with Chocolate Malts and a basket of Fries!  

SO thankful for friends and days such as this that will not soon be forgotten!

According to the election of GRACE

 I say then, Hath God cast away his people [Israel]? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 
-Romans 11:1-5

ובכן אמר אני הזנח האלהים את־עמו חלילה כי גם־אנכי ישראלי מזרע אברהם למטה בנימין׃ 

לא־זנח האלהים את־עמו אשר ידעו מקדם הלא תדעו את־אשר הכתוב אמר באליהו והוא צעק אל־האלהים על־ישראל לאמר׃ 

יהוה את־נביאיך הרגו ואת־מזבחתיך הרסו ואותר אני לבדי ויבקשו את־נפשי׃ 

ומה־ענה אתו דבר אלהים השארתי לי שבעת אלפים איש אשר לא־כרעו לבעל׃ 

וכן גם־בימינו נשארה שארית כבחירת החסד׃ 

Through it all....God is good!!

I've had many tears and sorrows;

I've had questions for tomorrow;

There've been times I didn't know right from wrong;

But in eve'ry situation God gave blessed consolation

that my trials come to only make me strong.

Through it all, Through it all,

I have learned to Trust in Jesus,

I've learned to trust in God.

Through it all, Through it all,

I have learned to depend upon His Word.

I've been to lots of places,

And I've seen a lot of faces,

There've been times I felt so all alone;

But in my lonely hours,

yes, those precious lonely hours,

Jesus let me know that I was His own.

Through it all, Through it all,

I have learned to Trust in Jesus,

I've learned to trust in God.

Through it all, Through it all,

I have learned to depend upon His Word.

I thank God for the mountains,

And I thank Him for the valleys,

I thank Him for the storms He brought me through.

For if I'd never had a problem,

I'd would'nt know that He could solve them,

I'd never know what faith in God could do.

Through it all, Through it all,

I have learned to Trust in Jesus,

I've learned to trust in God.

Through it all, Through it all,

I have learned to depend upon His Word.

A Hike...

It is a BEAUTIFUL Spring in the Canyon! Luke and I drove home yesterday afternoon and marveled at the green grass and colorful flowers that covered the mountain sides! Luke took this picture from the car window....

So this morning Luke and I determined to clime this mountain and get a closer view! Cameras in hand we began our assent....

"For the beauty of the earth, 

For the beauty of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise."

"For the beauty of the hour

For the day and for the night,

Hill and vale, and tree and flou'r,

Sun and moon and stars of light,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise."

"For the joy of human love, 

Brother, sister, parent, child,

Friends on earth, and friends above,

For all gentle thoughts and mild, 

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise."

Back at the car again....

Thankful for God's love and a hike with my brother in God's beautiful creation!