The 2012 Taiwan R.O.C.ks family reunion is going to be held in Chicago.
Amazina is the ministry started by Katie Davis in Uganda. She is the author of "Kisses from Katie", a great book explaining her journey to Uganda and the work she is doing there.
Go to Wendy’s this weekend and treat your dad to a Frosty. This weekend, June 20-21, is the third annual “Father’s Day Frosty Weekend” . For every Frosty sold, Wendy’s will donate 50 cents to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption (DFTA). The DTFA helps find permanent, loving homes for 150,000 children waiting in foster care. More information is available on the Frosty website.
Wendy's Frosty
Waiting in line at the Starbucks drive-thru today, I placed my order and waited. And waited. When I finally drove up to the window after sitting behind a customer who must have had 20 questions about her order, the barista told me my drink would be free since I had to wait so long. Wow. That’s good customer service. It’s on days like today I wish I had placed an order for a venti instead of just a short mocha. It doesn’t matter though – I’ll still take the complimentary drink 
Proverbs 31 Ministries President Lysa Terkeurst (also an adoptive mom) is currently hosting a recipe swap on her blog. She has encouraged her readers to share a recipe by linking a recipe back to her blog. Our family tried yet another new Asian dish tonight that I thought I would share in the recipe swap – Chicken-Almond Stir-Fry.
It was very tasty and I would highly recommend trying it – it was very easy to make. The only caveat about making it: I have a small wok pan (10 inches) and it was at capacity once all of the ingredients were added. It also took a little longer than the recipe stated for the chicken and vegetables to cook, but I think this was also due to the size of my wok. This recipe came from Southern Living’s Our Best Easy Weeknight Favorites Cookbook. Enjoy!
Chicken-Almond Stir-Fry
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable or sesame oil
4 skinned and boned chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips
1 (2.25 ounce) package sliced almonds
1 (16 ounce) package frozen broccoli, carrots and water chestnuts
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ cup soy sauce
1/3 cup pineapple juice
Hot cooked rice
Directions
Pour oil around top of a preheated wok, coating sides, or in a large nonstick skillet. Heat briefly at medium-high (375 degrees). Add chicken and almonds; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add frozen vegetables; cover and cook 4 minutes, stirring once.
Combine cornstarch and next four ingredients; add to wok. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture thickens. Serve over rice.
We tried a new dish tonight for dinner, this one from the Crockpot. This recipe for Chinese Sweet-and-Sour Chicken came from one of my favorite new cookbooks, Not My Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook.
This was the first time I cooked a whole chicken. Fortunately my husband did most of the dirty prep work for me. . .you know, removing the giblets and the neck. It was simple to prepare in the slow cooker and the aroma of the chicken as it cooked was wonderful. I served it over long-grain white rice with a salad. This recipe is a keeper. I did not include the green onions but the dish was fine without them.
Ingredients:
One 3 to 4-lb broiler/fryer chicken
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup dry sherry or apple juice
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 green onions, trimmed and halved
1 clove garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant
Directions:
Wash and dry the chicken thoroughly. Reserve the giblets and neck for another use. Cut off any lumps of fat. Put the chicken in the slow cooker, breast side up. Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, sherry, ketchup, red pepper flakes, green onions, and garlic in a small bowl; pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on HIGH until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 180°F, 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.
Transfer the chicken to a platter. Remove and discard the green onions. Combine the cornstarch with the water and stir the slurry into the sauce. Cook on HIGH, stirring constantly, until thickened. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with the sesame seeds, and serve.
I’m not sure what my favorite Christmas tradition is. There are so many to choose from – decorating the Christmas tree, opening presents on Christmas morning, checking out all of the holiday lights around town, and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Ok, so I don’t generally associate Christmas and KFC. But that’s not the case in Japan:
What’s on the menu [for Christmas Eve dinner]? An array of healthful and elegant Japanese morsels followed by cleansing green tea? Actually no, it’s a big bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken. And for afters, a fat wedge of strawberry cream sponge cake. The KFC website in Japan started taking advance Christmas orders on December 1 and in some suburbs sold out completely after only a week.
Which got me thinking about Taiwan. I didn’t think they would do much for Christmas there either. But apparently 50,000 people will form a human Christmas tree on Saturday.
I’m excited that Christmas is being celebrated worldwide. But I wish more folks were celebrating the birth of Christ rather than mere traditions.
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!
