christopher turns 9!

i'm so glad that my son, ivan christopher II, was born december 15th, 1999!

wanted to share a few pictures from his day.. ;-)

bud had lunch with his dada and pop! and we celebrated at home with dada making spaghetti supper and a delicious lemon cake! ;-)mmm...

we think his most favorite gift was his howdy doody dummy! he is really happy!!!! he told gran that now he can begin his dream: becoming a ventriloquist! woohoo!!! go son! :-D

oh! and we started a little bday/christmas tradition in honor of the budster: december 15th= family get the christmas tree!

i've been cleaning the ol' casita this week! wowza.. it's been a while! hehehehe

i hope to bake and have fun soon! and we are planning a little christmas cole concert!! wooo!

we decorated the tree tonight.. ahh.. loverly!
will take pictures of our christmas tree soon! and very soon!

happy 10 days until christmas! oh yea... hope you and your loved ones are enjoying these special days.. and dreaming of the beauty eve that the baby jesus was born! what a night...

deliver christ!

my family and i watched casting crowns christmas special on the gospel channel
last week. we were so glad we did!

max lucado has insight, and man! did he share a simple message, that i personally, have not heard quite like that.. i tried finding a 'live' viewing or even the script or sermon of what he shared that night.. can't find it, but! here's he's link... maybe it will show up, or i just didn't find/see this beautiful message there.... http://www.maxlucado.com/

but, i found this when i checked out the site just now.. max can sure 'deliver' a message to the body of christ/and to the world in great need.. http://maxlucado.com/pdf/upwords.heavenly.exchange.pdf

http://www.maxlucado.com/christmas/ it may be here? but i couldn't listen to all of these great messages... ;-)
this series looks amazing.. okay.. i better stop 'browsing!!' ;-) http://maxlucado.com/fearless/
bless mr. lucado and his family papa!

Deliver Christ to the World

Grace for the Moment: Volume 2 by Max Lucado

“I work…using Christ’s great strength that works so powerfully in me.”
Colossians 1:29
The virgin birth is more, much more, than a Christmas story; it is a
picture of how close Christ will come to you. The first stop on his
itinerary was a womb. Where will God go to touch the world? Look deep
within Mary for an answer.
Better still, look deep within yourself. What he did with Mary, he
offers to us! He issues a Mary-level invitation to all his children. “If
you’ll let me, I’ll move in!”…
What is the mystery of the gospel? “Christ in you, the hope of glory”
(Col. 1:27 NIV)…
Christ grew in Mary until he had to come out. Christ will grow in you
until the same occurs. He will come out in your speech, in your actions,
in your decisions. Every place you live will be a Christmas. You, like
Mary, will deliver Christ into the world.
from
Next Door Savior
-=- by Max Lucado -=-

jammin' jamaican jaxon!!

i just had to share these pictures of our jax!

he was with laur and bud playing friday night in laur's room, and he found the mickey mouse (ears) jamaican hat! we love that hat! bought it at disneyworld when i was preg with the jaxster! (2006/after christmas vacation with the in-laws)

i'm enjoying this windy sunday at home, but hope to get out later/75 degrees outside! but tonight.. the 30's are coming.. hehehe

so maybe rain late tonight and tomorrow and tuesday with cold winds... so! i will play today! and clean and cook tomorrow!! yeayeayea! ;-)

the 12 days of christmas started today at midnight!.. i wonder what christmas 'spirit' will be found for us coles!! ;-) soon to come... hohoho!! joyjoyjoy!! merrymerrymerry!!

love song for a savior

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su42dX0JO_M

i love this song.. jars of clay recorded and wrote it~

love song for a savior

in open fields of wild flowers

she breathes the air and flies away

she thanks her Jesus for the daises and the roses

in no simple language

someday she'll understand the meaning of it all

He's more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens

as close a heartbeat or a song on her lips

someday she'll trust Him and learn how to see Him

someday He'll call her and she will come running

and fall in His arms and the tears will fall down and she'll pray

i want to fall in love with You

sitting silent wearing sunday best

the sermon echoes through the walls

a great salvation through it calls to the people

who stare into nowhere, and can't feel the chains on their souls

He's more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens

as close a heartbeat or a song on our lips

someday we'll trust Him and learn how to see Him

someday He'll call us and we will come running

and fall in his arms and the tears will fall down and we'll pray

i want to fall in love with You

it seems too easy to call You "Savior"not close enough to call You "God"

so as i sit and think of words i can mention

to show my devotion

i want to fall in love with You
my heart beats for You

sing, from sally, and sweets from sandra

just this week.. i've been wowed! and really glad to receive..

gifts, and goodies! a beauty necklace, that says, sing! the reason behind the gift really touched me to the core.. thanks for being so sensitive dear friend/you know me!....

and the amazing baked goods! wow! the cranberry oatmeal rocked! and the honey ginger bites.. :-) we loved them all!!!!!!!!!! thank you gf!!

i wanted to share because, well.. just cuz! :-) makes me happy!

i love these ladies, and wish that everyone knew them, like i do. the love and hope they bring to me and my family!

papa, bless my amigas~

with love, lisi

prayer of hope~

i'm a vulnerable lady, and love to share... :-)

sometimes i have to think through what is getting going in my head and my heart. i need, i want, i desire, i hope, i dream... so many things!

lately, i've been drawn, not by accident, but as i've observed and been drawn to experience, gentle-wise holy spirit wooing me to understand and 'taste' and 'see' some things..

long story, short:

i've always had a strong desire to see the young girls and women in the red-light district (in india) be free. i had an opportunity to give (very little $) to an organization that natalie grant started back a few years ago. (http://www.thehomefoundation.net/index.html)

i was drawn to these beautiful souls..

anyway... i would like to share this on the blog, because lately i've been posting a lot of india spice recipes, that i have enjoyed.. the recipes have 'fallen in my lap', and i was not looking for them, or even the wanting to learn about any new spices!

the queen of spices, as 'she' is known, is cardamom. the more i looked into this spice and other spices from way over there!, i realized that i was being led to ask, seek, knock, for these beautiful people, and for mercy, fear of the lord/wisdom, love, grace, peace... to fill them, their homes! not just with the essence of unique aromas of long long ago, but with HIS fragrance, with HIS aroma.. penetrating their souls, their minds, their everythings!!! :-)

as my precious friend, emma, says, so.. yeah~

that's where i'm journeying, and pressing on these days. really is a tender and sobering season for me personally, and hopeful and joyful all together too!!! http://www.globalangels.org/pages/4368/Prayer_of_Hope.htm

i chilled out with christopher and garfield and chai~

tonight i made christopher hot cocoa and i sipped on the hot chai with milk. mmm.. love this night~ 15 days until christmas! cheers to you!

oh! and christopher loves garfield/he has my garf (in the picture) i collected garfield's when i was in high school!! haha! he chose the garf mug for his cocoa and then proceded to get the G and his pal pooky. :-) i love this boy!

chai means tea.. and i love tea! i looked up chai tonight and wanted to share.. hehehe

Health Benefits for Chai Drinkers
By: Rachel Medlock
What is Chai Tea?
“Chai” actually means “tea” in Hindi, so calling “chai” “chai tea” is actually rather redundant. However, marketers in the western world thought that “chai tea” would help them sell the “new” product to the western market. Chai is actually centuries old, with its origins in India. Generally, it is a milky, spiced tea made with black tea, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, pepper, and various other spices. It is usually sweetened – most commonly with sugar, but some drinkers prefer honey. There is not a universal recipe for chai, as different drinkers like it different ways, so the spice list can change depending on who’s making it.
It is most likely this list of ingredients not often found in western beverages that makes chai seem “exotic” to westerners. But in India, chai is as common as tea is in Britain and coffee is in the United States. In fact, it’s so common that in many Indian households, the first thing a host offers a guest is a cup of chai.

Potential Health Benefits of Chai
Some tea companies tout the health benefits of drinking their chai product – but buyer beware. While chai is certainly better for the body than a drink such as coffee, because not all chai is made with the same ingredients, it’s not really possible to state that chai is universally beneficial. And it’s also more likely to benefit the drinker when the drinker has brewed his/her own chai, rather than buying boxed chai or chai in tea bag form. Why? Simply because the spices and herbs being used are much fresher. Here is a list of some of the benefits of the different ingredients in most chai recipes:
1) Cinnamon: In a recent study by the US Agricultural Research Service, cinnamon has been shown to benefit diabetics because the cells are less likely to let insulin in. In lab rats with Type 2 diabetes, cinnamon helped lower blood pressure and prevented cell damage. Cinnamon’s oils also help to stop the growth of certain bacteria and yeasts.
2) Ginger: In the Far East, ginger has been used for over two millennia to treat upset stomach, diarrhea, arthritis, and heart disease. Recent research by western scientists also suggests that ginger may help lower the risk of colon cancer.
3) Cardamom: Like ginger, cardamom is often used to soothe digestion problems. But it is also used to treat respiratory problems such as asthma or people suffering from other kinds of respiratory spasms. Further, in Saudi Arabia, animal studies have shown cardamom to have anti-inflammatory properties, reducing muscle spasms.
4) Cloves: Used in Ayurvedic medicine as an analgesic, cloves are most often used to soothe toothaches and remedy halitosis. It also has antiseptic qualities, and can be used to kill intestinal parasites, fungi, and bacteria. These latter qualities have also led cloves to be used for treating diarrhea and similar digestive ailments.
5) Pepper: Most chai recipes do not usually contain enough black pepper for it to be of significant benefit to its drinkers. However, black pepper does reduce intestinal gas and works as an antioxidant.
Just remember: The best way to ensure that your regular cup of chai provides you with the health benefits you’re looking for is to brew it yourself. Then you can select the herbs and spices that benefit your specific health condition.
About The Author
Rachel Medlock is a connoisseur of hot drinks, including chai. She also operates the informational website http://www.mychaiteas.com/.

so.. i looked up this recipe that i found in the delicious living mag/dec. 2008; woohoo! i gave a few friends some of the spices combined here with some black tea along with the cardamom carrot cake, tonight... it's easy peasy chaieasy!

Spicy chai tea, called masala chai in its native India, is a
simple blend of black tea, milk, sugar, and spices. You can buy it in many guises (loose leaf, powdered, and concentrate), but making your own is easy, too. This warm, aromatic brew — which is full of antioxidants that help reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, and stroke — makes a wonderful afternoon pick-me-up.
½ cup whole or reduced-fat (2 percent) milk
1 cup water
2 teaspoons natural cane sugar
2 teaspoons black tea, such as Darjeeling
¼ teaspoon spice mix (equal parts ground ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, star anise)
1. Place milk, water, and sugar in a medium pot. Boil for 30 seconds, and add black tea and spice mix. Turn off heat. Steep for 5 minutes and strain.
PER SERVING: 77 cal, 15% fat cal, 1g fat, 1g sat fat, 6mg chol, 4g protein, 12g carb, 0g fiber, 59mg sodium

cole christmas cardamom carrot cake!

hey...... and yey!!

i'm really glad to have made this concoction!! we are enjoying this season of cardamom!

not to overdo it, but really.. when you are on a roll.. just keep rolling until the 'ball' stops.. well. there ya have it!

here is the recipe/got this one on-line, but the idea from a cardamom blogger!! oh yeah! thanks ccc!

http://www.chow.com/recipes/12198

i made coconut-cardamom kheer on sunday.. it's gone, and i didn't have any.. so!

momma will make more this night or manana! it's easy and amazing! basmati rice.. oh yeah! very fragrant! :-)

if you want to see this recipe.http://deliciouslivingmag.com/food/recipes/desserts/1201-coconut-cardamom-kheer/ i pick up free copies of nutritional magazines at a health food store.. this one is from 'delicious living'/december 2008, pg. 37.. it's just an indian rice pudding, basically! woohoo!! enjoy...

i made them!! ;-)

okay... i made them!

they were a hit over here!! woohoo!!!!!

2 friends and my hubby said, "yum!"... so another cardamom add to the christmas (cardamom) cole cookies!! hehehehe ;-0

i'm enjoying this spice, and i'm glad to share... oh.. and i found an amazing tea (india spice chai, by celestial seasonings)/under $3, to sip on with your 'delights'! mmmm... i'm craving it now!! ;-)
mucho amor from this texas kitchen tonight!

i'm off to start supper for the babes, and to bake some more!! thank you http://chocolatecardamomcappuccino.blogspot.com/ !

do something good everyday!

hey hey hey!!!

i saw this on the window of a starbucks last week... thought i'd post this and ask others to 'pose' in front of their starbucks (sb) with this cool thought!

WOOHOO!! and then...

go inside and treat someone, or even a stranger? hehehehehe! to a cup of hot cocoa or java! or special treats to share with a sweet friend, or your spouse!

i love this time of year, and i'm thankful for the cooler weather and the beauty that others show during this christmas season~

joy to you and your family and to your heart this first december weekend!! and 'do something good every day'....

carda MOM

ok... i'm on an india kick!! the spices of india, that is!! seems like lately, i'm running across lots of different recipes that have curry, cumin, chile peppers, cilantro, cardamom... you get my spice drift! hehehe :-)

my friend, sally, just emailed saying: let's get our spices together/share, since some are so costly! amen to that sista!

i checked out a few nights ago at the local grocery, HEB.. got home, all excited about my new spice! (ground cardamom).. and behold.. $13.97!! wowza wowzee! oopsy.. oh well..

now.. i'm on a little hunt to find the best and yummmmm recipes/any! that can use this spice..

i found a blog, even, that rocks!!!!! check it out!! woohoo!

http://chocolatecardamomcappuccino.blogspot.com/2008/11/chocolate-dipped-cardamom-pistachio.html i am trying these out this weekend!!! oh yeah!!!

and this woman!! she is very cool and cardamommy!! hehehe, couldn't resist!

http://cardamomaddict.blogspot.com/

and i found this recently.. thought it was neat~

Cardamom Spice Blend - Use this mixture in a warm carrot or squash soup.

I N G R E D I E N T S

2 tablespoons ground cardamom, preferably freshly ground

1 tablespoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon ancho chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

I N S T R U C T I O N S Combine all the spices in a dry medium skillet over medium heat and heat, shaking the pan continuously to prevent burning, until the spices are fragrant and just beginning to smoke, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the spices to a bowl to cool. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 months.

here's a cool link for info: http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/cardamom.html

but! go texas gal!!!!!! woop!!

found this one from one of my fav chocolates!!!!! green and black's! http://www.greenandblacks.com/us/recipes/chocolate-challenge-recipes/lemon-cardamom-andamp-white-chocolate-fool-with-raspberries.html this is the one i hope to try soon!!

they have a cookbook!!! oh santa.. hehehe! ;-) http://www.greenandblacks.com/us/recipes/recipe-book.html

will post the ' delish-results', soon.. i hope!

ciao, for now! i'm off to the store.. my amiga sandra told me: you CAN find lemon curd at HEB! so i'm off like a dirty shirt!!!

cole cardamom cookies!!! here we come!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO!!

love and more love.. i'm smiling and thinking: COOK was one of christopher's spelling words this week!! love it!!

momma cole's mulligatawny!

okay.. this will set your sinus cavity on fire! hot, spicy and delish!! well.. i think so!
i went to an irish pub months ago with my friend, and loved the irish soda bread, the irish yummy bread pudding.. and the TADA!.. irish mulligatawny! it rocked! i had it without meat.. barley in the middle, and veggies floating everywhere in this amazing soup/stew!
i couldn't find the recipe/or at least the irish version.. because.. yep.. it's not a traditional irish dish! it's an indian recipe! means 'pepper water'.. i dunno why i'm intrigued with this soup.. but i am! i shared it last night with my sweet sally, and peg.. i was filled with happy smiles on my mission mulli-monday.. hehehehe ;-)
anyway.. here is my version of
MOMMA COLE'S MULLIGATAWNY!!!

• 2 Tbsp of virgin olive oil in at least a 6 quart stock/cooking pot
• cut the veggies you want! i put: celery, (peeled and diced) carrots, (peeled and cut)potatoes/2, (peeled and cut) sweet potato/1, broccoli, (diced) onion, (crushed) garlic/lots!, fire-roasted tomatoes/from a can, (cut smaller) fresh cut green beans-haricots verts, fresh-cut cilantro, one jalapeno (diced/no seeds), and a little bit of left-over butternut squash (diced)..
• heat the oil, and put the veggies in a bit at a time.. let it cook over med.low heat.. mmm.. smells and looks divine!!
• each time you put some more veggies in the pot, add a bit of the 1 Tbsp of curry powder...
• add some mace/about 1 tsp. and shake some crushed red pepper flakes while the veggies are cooking, and about 1 tsp. of cumin
stir a bit.. then about 5 minutes later start adding the chicken stock/vegetable stock (i put one of each; http://www.kitchenbasics.net/VegetableStock.htm )keep cooking on medium,, then gradually turn it up to med-high as you add more of the liquid (stock)
• time to start sprinkling in the ground pepper and salt/to your taste.. and the cayenne pepper! i just sprinkled a bit.. hehehe, and just a dash of turmeric

now it's smelling mulligatawnish!!! :-)

• keep stirring and smiling.. and sniffling!
  i was really happy after i tasted the broth.. nice.. reminded me of that neat night out at the pub!!okay.. almost done! get barley/usually small health markets have this in the grains section/to pour out into a plastic bag; however much you need.. i bought half a bag full
• boil 2 cups of water, and put 1 cup of barley in.. stir
• it cooks just like oats.. mmmmm...
• let it sit out for a few minutes..
• then serve the soup in a nice, soup bowl and scoop the barley right in the center of the soup
• i made buttermilk cornbread! oh yeah.. that's a nice add!! here's the link for that one: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=2383

स्वादिष्ट खाना (Svādiṣṭ khānā) (hindi for bon appetit!)woohoo!!

peace and tea

i LOVE hot tea! love it! wanted to share my favorites.. maybe you have some that i can try! your own favorite tea~ thanks!

one of my fav green teas in the morning time: http://www.yogitea.com/Pages/OurTeas/GreenTeas/GT_Kombucha.html

this one is comforting to me.. doesn't stop my eating! but slows me down a bit.. ;-)

http://www.yogitea.com/Pages/OurTeas/BodyTeas/Fasting.html

when i need an extra good nighty night rest... ohyeah.....

http://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/?id=32&pid=38

when i'm needing healing for my noseyposey...

http://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/?id=28&pid=3

oh! this one is for when you have a bambino cookin'! it rocks! something in this one makes me giddy!!! well.. more gidday! hehehe

http://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/?id=30&pid=17

when i need an uplift internally!!! really calms me.. ahhh... that with a bath.....

http://www.yogitea.com/Pages/OurTeas/MindTeas/StJohnsWort.html

you can try the free samples! http://www.yogitea.com/Pages/FreeSamples.html

any yogi tea is yummy.. i think! and good for ju! :-) traditional medicinals are terrifico too!

oh.. and here is our new advent calendar! family christian bookstore had it on sale through sunday for $10! woohoo! what a deal.. hehehehehe ;-) i'm a sucker for veggies!! ha!

much joy, peace and love to you this first week of the last month.. one of my special times of the year, for more reasons, than one~

don't spill your tea when watching this fun little diddy.. heha!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wArQTetzqgA and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7yE5ivrA-U
love, lis

thankful for friends and family

i'm really blessed to know people that love, bless, encourage and hold on to hope and faith for their lives and for me and my family.
bless them papagod, and help me to be there and love them like i desire to, and you need me to..

hoping for the happiest of thanksgiving!

my thanksgiving countdown of who and what i'm thankful for~

god is my portion.. jesus is salvation to me and so much more~

the holy spirit reveals and restores and fills me every day.. my companion~

i'm thankful for my heavenly trinity that truly loves me, no matter what!

my thanksgiving countdown of who and what i'm thankful for~

i love my familia!!!!!!!! oh yeah!!!!!!!! thank you papagod for my family!

the incredibles!!!! chris, lauren, christopher and jaxon... :-)

i am a blessed momma!!

bookworms?!

my dear friend, amy, just tagged me!! woohoo!!

hope you join in on this different and neat opportunity to see what your friends are reading, and what the happenstance page will say! mine was out of the love dare book..

"defending your rights and opinions is a foundational part of your nature and make-up. it's detrimental, though, inside a marriage relationship, and it steals away time and productivity. it can also cause great frustration for both of you. "

(this love dare on pg 56 was: love lets the other win/do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. -philippians 2:4)

The rules for this award:

Pass this on to 5 blogging friends.

Open the closest book to you, not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment, to page 56.

Write the 5th sentence, as well as two to five sentences following that.

hope your friday is blessed with joy, peace and rest..

here's the folks that get the tag from me:

eva: http://closer-than-your-heartbeat.blogspot.com/

cousin ryan: http://getinthenet.blogspot.com/

debs: http://lifenchaos.blogspot.com/

pati: http://patipakulis.blogspot.com/

noelle: http://noellemonteith.blogspot.com/

amy joy!

my friend amy... i met her on-line through a christian songwriters contest and then LIVE this summer, with my family!! her kids and hubby are so neat! really precious to me, because they are serving christ and seeking him daily.. she inspires me and brings me hope! blesses me...

she loves her god, her family, her friends.. she is real and gives love to so many.. i've known her a little over a year now, and am so looking forward to many years of friendship with her and her family~ so grateful that we met!

amy has a birthday today! she is my special dear friend, and i want to honor her today with a birthday song!!



love you amy! you send joy to my life... you have an amazing papa!!! ;-) thank you for our friendship!


so HAPPY you were born today!! love ya!!!!