Add your favorite toppings to this TVP taco filling.

Vegetarian Tacos

Ingredients:

2 cups TVP

2 cups water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 package taco seasoning

1 green bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup salsa

flour tortillas

suggested toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo

1. In a large skillet, boil the water and stir in the TVP. Turn the heat to low and let the TVP reconstitute for 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the remaining ingredients and keep on low heat for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

3. In a heated nonstick skillet, briefly warm each flour tortilla until the tortilla is soft. Add the taco filling and toppings of your choice and enjoy!

Herbal teas are easy and quick to prepare: place a teaspoon of dried herb in a cup and fill the cup with just-boiled water. Cover the cup and let the tea brew for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain the leaves, add honey or other natural sweetener, and enjoy. Breathe in the steam between sips for a relaxing, healing cup of tea.

Here are some herbs that are good for coughs:

Horehound (Marrubium vulgare) — This traditional cough remedy has a long history of use. It has expectorant properties — due to its marrubin and marrubinic acid content —  that break up congestion so that a nagging cough is more productive. This tea may actually promote coughing for a while, but after the congestion is cleared, the coughing will subside. Horehound has a rather bitter flavor, so you will definitely want to add honey or other sweetener!

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) — Another popular herb for coughs, mullein has antibacterial and expectorant properties. The mild, sweet-tasting leaves have tiny hairs, so you will need to strain the tea through a coffee filter before you drink it. To clear sinus congestion that may be contributing to your cough, you can also add the dried leaves to hot water and breathe in the steam.

Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) – This herb adds flavor and cough suppressant properties to cough syrups and cough drops. You can brew a flavorful, sweet tea from the dried root, or combine the root in a tea with other herbs. People with high blood pressure should not use this herb for long periods of time, as it can increase blood pressure.

Plantain (Plantago major) —  Plantain has demulcent and mucilaginous properties, which means that it contains a soothing, coating gelatinous substance. It also contain antioxidants that support the immune system. You can prepare a soothing tea from the leaves or seeds.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) — Chances are you already have this culinary herb in your spice cabinet! The volatile oil known as thymol gives thyme its antiseptic, antibiotic and expectorant properties. Thyme is a wonderful remedy for most types of coughs, and it makes a delicious hot tea.

There are many more herbs that help to relieve coughs. You may want to read some herbal reference books — often found at your local health food store — and learn more about the healing properties of plants.

Enjoy a cup of tea and breathe easy!

After a week of sniffling, coughing and losing my voice, I wanted to cook something mild, nutritious and creamy with my favorite grain —  millet. Millet is rich in magnesium, phosphorus, lignans, antioxidants and other health-promoting nutrients. I adapted this recipe for millet stew from Cooks.com. I’ve only made this recipe once, but I can picture many different types of vegetables in it, such as yellow squash, zucchini or peas. Here’s my version for this Meatless Monday:

Millet Stew

Ingredients:

7 cups water

2 cups hulled millet, rinsed

2 potatoes, peeled diced

2 carrots, diced

1 onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

dried Italian herbs to taste

sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste

Boil the water in a large soup pot. Add all the ingredients — excedpt for herbs and sprinkleof salt and pepper — to the water. Reduce to simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes until the millet is soft and creamy. About 10 minutes before the stew is cooked, stir in herbs and a sprinkle of pepper. You may need to add 1/2 to 1 cup of additional water.

When the stew is finished, spoon it into bowls and sprinkle with salt and pepper. The stew really stays hot for a long time, so be careful! If you’d like to learn more about this grain, click to read a great article from World’s Healthiest Foods.

Be well and be blessed!

Description: Our personal testimonies can change the lives of people we’ve never even met. In I Am Second, Dave Sterrett and Doug Bender have compiled the personal stories of people from many backgrounds and walks of life. In this book, rock stars, athletes, pastors and others describe how God transformed their lives after they hit bottom. These testimonies include struggles with addictions, injuries, illness and other trials. All of the stories have one thing in common: renewal and healing after Christ became first in each person’s life. I Am Second refers to the realization that God has a purpose for each of us, and that we must place our personal agendas second to His plan for our lives.

Discussion: The honest, transparent stories in I Am Second will inspire new Christians as well as those who are contemplating becoming Christian. For longtime Christians, the book is an excellent reminder that God loves us where we are right now: we need not become perfect before we accept Christ into our hearts. Each testimony illustrates God’s presence in our lives, even when we feel disappointed, frustrated, bitter or abandoned. As one woman, Karen Green, stated when describing her struggle with drug addiction, “I was so tired of life.” I recommend this book, which will inspire readers to relinquish personal agendas, and embrace the life God has for each of us.

FTC Disclosure: I received this copy of I Am Second free of charge from Thomas Nelson and Booksneeze, in exchange for a written review. I was not required to write a positive review; all opinions stated in this review are my own.

In November, we moved to our new apartment in San Antonio, about 50 miles north of where we had been living. I have been searching for a church in a city full of churches. Yesterday, I attended a worship service at a church about three miles from our home, and by the time the service ended, I had found many more reasons for gratitude! Please join us with your gratitude list at A Holy Experience.

This week I am grateful for:

47)  finding a church near our new apartment.

48)  being greeted at the new church by a woman who is an English teacher and fellow freelance writer. We had a wonderful chat before the service started.

49) the chance to attend a discipleship/leadership program at church.

50) participating in the “Bible in 90 Days” challenge at church.

51) seeing my husbannd’s peace and contentment as he contemplates new projects — both short-term and long-term.

52) my husband’s determination to renew his health.

53) the surprise e-card from my husband yesterday morning!

Here’s to another promising week!

1.   When I was in the 6th grade, I was my school’s spelling bee champ — and first runner up in the New Hampshire State Regionals. After it was over, I promptly forgot everything I studied!

2.   I’m a classically trained violinist, but in my late teens and early twenties, I was a semi-professional folk singer, songwriter and fiddler. Even got to sing on New Hampshire Public Radio…now that was fun!

3.   In 2004, after my father and grandparents had passed away, my mother and I sold most of our belongings, left New Hampshire, and drove across the country.  We went as far as Las Vegas, turned east again, and ended up living in beautiful Flagstaff, AZ until 2009, where we worked — and lived for a while — at a shelter for women and children.

4.   When I was little, the first thing I wanted to be when I grew up was an astronaut. This dream was shattered when I discovered that I would need to take a lot of math courses!!

5.    I want to take horseback riding lessons. I have said this for years, and one day, I will do it!

There, that wasn’t so bad! Won’t you join us with your list at 6 Weeks of Bliss?

This weekend there were bittersweet reasons for gratitude. On Saturday, my husband John said goodbye to a friend from high school – known as Rusty — who had passed on after a long struggle with cancer. His friend is home with the Lord now, and as one of John’s friends said, Rusty is more alive now than before. I did not know John’s friend personally, but I got to know him through all the stories that were told at the funeral. I came home that afternoon with joy in my heart and many reasons for gratitude. Here is my list for this week:

40) I met many of John’s friends this weekend, and was blessed to feel so welcomed, even though I have known John for only three years.

41) John found the strength to speak at the funeral with poise and grace. As the first speaker at the funeral, he recounted a story, from his high school years, of an adventure with Rusty. The story gave Rusty’s friends the chance to laugh and reminisce, and was the first of many stories shared that morning.

42) I had the chance to see John reconnect with his friends after many years — the beginning of a time of healing.

43) John is becoming healthier every day, in every way! It’s a blessing to see my husband enjoying life more and more.

44) After a day of struggle with cedar pollen allergies, my head is clearer today. May actually accomplish a few things!

45) John’s aunt is recovering after a brief illness this weekend. Our prayers are with her and John’s mom, who was able to catch up on her sleep last night!

46) I heard the first in a series of messages by Max Lucado, based on the story of Joseph. I look forward to weeks more of this series.

Please join us at A Holy Experience with your gratitude list. Have a wonderful week!

1) I’m going to pay a visit — the first of many — to my apartment complex fitness center. I love to take long walks and practice yoga, and that’s great, but I know that I need to take advantage of the free 24/7 fitness center. And so what if I need to learn how to use the equipment? It takes probably less than a minute to walk there from our apartment, and there’s hardly ever anyone in there, so there’s no need for anyone to take me there, kicking and screaming.

“He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.” Isaiah 40:29

2) Time to find and try new foods. Not that I’m a picky eater, but I have gotten into a self-satisfied rut with my cooking. My family and I really do know how to choose, prepare and eat fresh, healthy foods. However, it’s time to branch out and try some of those recipes and ingredients I keep bookmarking. There are so many nutritious gifts from the creation, from whole grains to root vegetables, and I’m barely scratching the surface. For example, I’ve been wanting to try some natural sweeteners other than stevia and agave nectar…time to move forward from “I’ll have to try…”

“See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; and to you it shall be for food.” Genesis 1:29

3) I need to remember — once and for all — that it’s not my job to “fix” every loved one and every situation. I have become skilled at encouraging others to “wait on God’s timing,” while scurrying through the back door to give God a helping hand. Again, it’s time to follow my own advice…and I can’t even take credit for this advice, as anyone can see here:

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:4-5 (NKJV)

I’ll be working on all of these resolutions this year…and probably longer than that! What are your health and wellness resolutions?

Be well and be blessed!

Thyme is a culinary herb that has healing properties.

My favorite herbs are the aromatic culinary herbs, such as rosemary, oregano, thyme and basil. The leaves make delicious teas and infused vinegars; I may even try making some soothing skin lotions or lip balms. Generations of wise women — including my mother and grandmother — inspire me with their knowledge of herbal remedies. I hope to pass on these gifts from my own garden.

Basil and rosemary -- familiar flavorings in Mediterranean cooking -- can soothe the skin or calm a cough.

Be well and be blessed!

Thomas Nelson 2011

Summary: The Ecclesia Bible Society — a self-described “church in transition” — has completed an engaging new translation of the New Testament.  Contributors from a wide range of backgrounds, including scholars, musicians, poets, writers and pastors, collaborated in this translation. Special features, such as a screenplay format, historical information and italicized insights into everyday life in Biblical times, seek to provide a richer understanding. The first pages also contain reading and study suggestions for the Christmas and Easter seasons and daily devotionals.

Discussion: The insights provided by this translation are valuable; I found the review of the “four covenants” especially helpful. Readers may, however, find the structure of this translation a bit awkward at first; for example, I found it difficult to continually transition between the narrative and the historical explanations. However, I did become more comfortable with the book’s structure as I continued to read. I recommend this translation to anyone who seeks a deeper understanding of the New Testament — particularly its cultural and historical context.

FTC Disclaimer: I received a free copy of The Voice New Testament from Thomas Nelson and Booksneeze, in exchange for writing this review. I was not obligated to write a positive review; all opinions stated in this review are my own.