2010~21 day Daniel Fast is completed

We had a glorious worship service yesterday as our church family came to the end of our 21 day fast. We have many testimonies of answered prayer and drawing closer to the Lord. God's blessings are rich in our lives.

Shirataki Noodle is either the perfect diet food or diet fad, use your noodle to decide(By Bonnie McCarthy)--from the AOL News Page

With National Fettuccine Alfredo Day (February 7) just around the corner, is it possible to find a recipe that will befit the occasion while remaining true to our New Year's resolutions ... you remember those? Something about eating healthier and losing weight?

Shirataki noodle evangelists at Miracle Noodle and House Foods believe the answer lies in the refrigerated food case at Whole Foods, health food stores, Asian markets or via online purchase. Shirataki noodles, made from either tofu and yam flour (House Foods) or the konnyaku imo plant (Miracle Noodle), cook almost instantly, are high in fiber and low in fat, calories and carbs. A dieter's dream. If you're counting "points," an entire two-serving package of tofu shirataki noodles from House Foods has zero points. Yes, you read that right.

They are also priced to sell. Whole Foods carries tofu shirataki noodles in angel hair or spaghetti shapes for a budget-friendly $1.39 per 8 oz. bag.

In Salon.com's story Meet the Miracle Noodle, Thomas Rogers writes that, although the noodles have been popular in Japan and China for years, they are fairly new to the US market (2007). Rogers notes a 2008 report in Men's Health magazine that claimed the noodles actually help prevent fat storage. Most recently, Rocco DiSpirito included shirataki noodles as one of his "must-try" foods for 2010 on "The Rachel Ray Show."

Okay, I'll bite.

Has the search finally come to an end? Can we all just sit around eating big bowls of pasta day in, day out and look like Angelina Jolie? Risking a speeding ticket in the rain, I rushed over to Whole Foods like some sort of dieting Don Quixote. The watery packets of pasta sat silently on cool, gleaming shelves, curiously unguarded. I took one, two ... four packets, and headed for home.

After getting my new best friends temporarily situated in the refrigerator, I headed for Google. I had no idea how to achieve noodle nirvana in the kitchen. Luckily, HungryGirl.com does. A virtual wealth of shirataki information, HungryGirl's online community also had a lot to say about their own noodle experiences.

Ninav wrote, "I find that you need to really soak and rinse the noodles well to get rid of the fishy odor ... if you've never tried these noodles you need to know you'll either love them or hate them."

Hmmm. Fishy odor? Raquel_Arenas answered, "I personally like them ... I wouldn't go as far as saying I love them, but for 40 cals for the whole bag -- it's nothing!" Mykanosdelight said she eats hers with a low-sugar spaghetti sauce and turkey meatballs and calls them, "the invention of the decade." DFS52 posted, "I really enjoy them and love the feeling I get from being so low cal and guilt free. I can honestly say that they are not as good as real pasta but are definitely the next best thing for sure ... I started out at 272 pounds and just hit 242 pounds ... I can say without hesitation that these lifestyle changing noodles have been a huge help for me because I use to love my pasta."

Online commenter Joellejello disagrees. "Ick, I tried these things, I really wanted to like them, I love pasta! But these were rubbery, wormy, smelly, even after I rinsed them forever, then boiled them too. I ate with my homemade spaghetti sauce, but couldn't take more than a couple mouthfuls. They're just not for me."

The Hungry Girl site offered several recipes including "Shrimptastic Fettuccine Hungry Girlfredo," "Noodled Up Soup," and "Noodlicious Zucchini Pancakes." I decided to go with a simple "Fettuccine Hungry Girlfredo" and test it out on my unsuspecting family. However, since I couldn't be sure they'd actually eat it, I hedged my bets and served the "Girlfredo" as a side to our regular baked chicken. (Full disclosure: I noticed after purchasing the noodles and getting my recipes off of the Hungry Girl Web site that Hungry Girl actually endorses the tofu shirataki noodles on the product's packaging. Just FYI.)

To give the noodles a fighting chance with the kids, I doubled the cheese sauce recipe as called for by HungryGirl. Still, it was low-cal enough to be virtuous, and I carefully obeyed the soaking, rinsing, drying off rules for the noodles. It required slightly more work than throwing regular pasta into a pot of boiling water, but if the claims were true it would be well worth the extra effort. I called my husband into the kitchen to ask if he detected a "fishy scent," since even the packaging suggests microwaving the noodles for one minute to "reduce the authentic aroma." He said it did smell a little "shrimpy" -- which wouldn't be a bad thing if one were serving shrimp alfredo. I rinsed a little more.

Since my Whole Foods didn't have the actual fettuccine noodles in stock, I made do using angel hair -- which we all love. When it was on the plate it looked like the real deal. Sprinkle on a little more Parmesan, salt & pepper and voila. Dinner is served.

I surreptitiously surveyed my crew. They were all digging in. I did the same. Hmmm. Definitely not the usual Italian pasta taste or texture. The noodles had sort of a snap to them, in the same way one might encounter bean sprouts. I began to think they might not be bad in a stir fry, in a soup, or perhaps pan fried and tossed with some veggies -- although I admit purists might frown upon the pan frying. I began to feel like someone who has heard a certain movie is amazing and fabulous so many times that actually watching the film is inevitably a disappointment.

I asked the kids. My 12-year-old loved the pasta, "can I have this in my lunch?" he asked (where did we get him?). "Great mom," said the picky 9-year old, "it's a little strange, but it's only the first night." My husband was not as enthusiastic, "I can't say that I love it," he admitted. Still, every plate was cleaned, and all the "pasta" was eaten -- no badgering required.

The verdict? I think by managing expectations, shirataki noodles might find a place on the menu. They may look like Italian pasta but it is only a dieter's mirage. Expecting them to taste the same as flour-based pasta sets the table for disappointment. I would like to try them again in a broth-based soup or whipped up as a spicy stir fry and treat them as an Asian-inspired dish. My dreams of eating something for nothing, however, are gone -- as are my hopes of slimming down without diet, exercise, and surgery.

I suggest, however, that for an outlay of $1.39 and less than 15 minutes of prep and cooking time, a taste test amongst family and friends still might result in something worthwhile. I also began to wonder if the miracle noodles might work topically on wrinkles, a shirataki mask?... hope springs eternal.

STWC Connect Parties

We enjoyed a night of fellowship at our connect parties. Daniel Fast food was on the menu and it was so tasty to try other recipes from our creative people. Scott and Tim had several high powered blenders and were making fruit smoothies from a variety of fruits....you could choose your blend. Jennifer had a delicious berry cobbler made with oatmeal & stevia, Marilyn had her delicious Puerto Rican beans over whole grain rice....many other things along with veggie trays, hummus, salsas...etc... Everyone had a nice time and not only are we praying and fasting....but reports have come in of people feeling better and being healed of various ailments. God is good!!!

Psalms 19~The Message

7-9 The revelation of God is whole
and pulls our lives together.

The signposts of God are clear
and point out the right road.

The life-maps of God are right,
showing the way to joy.

The directions of God are plain
and easy on the eyes.

God's reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,
with a lifetime guarantee.

The decisions of God are accurate
down to the nth degree.

10 God's Word is better than a diamond,
better than a diamond set between emeralds.
You'll like it better than strawberries in spring,
better than red, ripe strawberries.

11-14 There's more: God's Word warns us of danger
and directs us to hidden treasure.
Otherwise how will we find our way?
Or know when we play the fool?
Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!
Keep me from stupid sins,
from thinking I can take over your work;
Then I can start this day sun-washed,
scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.
These are the words in my mouth;
these are what I chew on and pray.
Accept them when I place them
on the morning altar,
O God, my Altar-Rock,
God, Priest-of-My-Altar.

Last few days of the fast-our journey has been great!

Fantastic Sunday Service. We can feel the blessings of the Lord--we sense the unity of the saints in this time of prayer and fasting. By now I'm sure you are feeling wonderful and blessed. The first week is the difficult time of adjusting yourself to the changes and getting sugar and caffeine out of our systems. It is all worth it!!! Hopefully you have found time to pray at the church. We have a sign up in the foyer for the 24 hour prayer chains going each day. We are on the last few days of our prayer & fasting Journey. This Sunday we will break our fast together. All of the Church family & friends are invited to a potluck following the 10am service. Our Ladies Ministry is taking an Encounter God Retreat this weekend also...if you haven't been--Please go. You will be blessed beyond measure--so many wonderful ways are available to us to draw close to the Lord. Keep your head up and enjoy the journey.

Tacos, with mexican style ground (soy/veggie) meat

Our Tacos are made with Corn Tortillas, Mexican Style ground veggie meat, soy cheese...we added homemade salsa and guacamole...

College Students~Daniel Fast Ideas for limited resources

Irvine Farmers Market

I went to the Irvine Farmers Marker today and loved it! What an awesome LARGE Farmers Market for fresh fruits & veggies. If you can go...it's definately worth your time. My friend checked it out and it's one of the best in SoCal~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Irvine Farmers Market
Campus Dr. & Bridge Rd.
Irvine, CA
Open Saturday 8-noon

Isaiah 58 in Action...C&C in downtown LA

Our College & Career were blessed today to be able to minister in song and to serve food at the Azusa Mission in downtown Los Angeles...at the ministry mission of Sis. Amy Wong.

Cooking With Norm

Pasta e Fagioli-Chef Norman's recipe

Norman's=Pasta e Fagioli

I – Can Kidney Beans

I – Can White Beans

I – Can Garbanzo Beans

1 - Can of organic tomato Paste

1 – Reg. Can of Organic Tomato sauce

1 – Can Organic Stewed or diced tomatoes

1 – Package Tofurky (This is at Trader Joes)

½ box of Wheat pasta

6 - Diced Carrots

6 - Diced stocks of Celery

Garlic salt~Oregano~Italian seasoning

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cut the tofurky into small pieces and fry them in a pan till very well done feel free to add salt and pepper.

Drain and rinse the beans and then add everything into I think it is a 10 quart pot once everything is added top it off with water ruffle 12 cups water

"Cheeseburgers"....the kids will love it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My kids loved the cheeseburgers & fries today. *Food For Life(sprouted grain)English Muffins
*Veggie Beef Patties (meatless)
*Veggie American Cheese(like)
*Mustard & Organic Ketchup(read ingredients)
*Add any veggie toppings you like...ie lettuce, tomato, onions...etc..
*** I baked the french fries in the oven. Then let them put seasoning on top if they wanted.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**My daughter added avocado to her "Cheeseburger"....

Keep your mind on good things during the fast.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Philippians 4:8

Two Questions to Ask Yourself

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT TO EAT?

Two questions you can use as a general rule of thumb: Did it grow from a seed? Has man polluted it? If you can answer these questions with any degree of certainty then you can be reasonably assured that your food choices are in line with The Daniel Fast.

Italian Penne Pasta

I used Whole Grain Pasta & Organic Italian Pasta Sauce with Mushrooms~~in a separate pan I sauteed (in a small amount of olive oil) mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and sliced calamata olives & Italian seasoning--I put this medley on top of the Pasta and sprinkled a bit of Soy Imitation Mozzarella Cheese--use whatever style of pasta you like--my family likes penne style.

Mini-Pizza's for Kids

Tonight I experimented with making mini pizza's. The kids really liked it. I used Food For Life-sprouted english muffins(& one whole wheat flat bread to see which worked)...**Organic pizza sauce (sprinkled a little Italian seasoning), **Yves meatless pepperoni's, and **Soy immitation Mozerella Cheese--& on half of them I put mushrooms. ~You can put any veggies you like on them.~ I tried to make them appealing to my children and then we can pack the extra's as lunch tomorrow.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**I bought all of my supplies at Albertsons Grocery Store...they have a large selection of Organic Products & Vegan imitation meats & cheeses.~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remember to READ THE LABELS: Natural sugars in fruits & natural products...OK...just be sure it's not added in the ingredients...

READ THE LABELS: When you wonder whether a prepared food is suitable for the Daniel Fast, be sure to read the label. Now, what on the label do you want to read? The ingredients. You want to know all the ingredients that the food manufacturer has added to the contents of the can or package. This is different than the nutritional values part of the label. Let me give you an example:

A box of raisins has “raisins” and nothing else listed for the ingredients. However, the amount of natural sugar in the raisins shows up on the nutritional value of the food. Since no sugar is listed with the ingredients, then the raisins are fine for the Daniel Fast.

A package of craisins (dried cranberries) is a completely different story. When you look at the ingredients you will find sugar listed as an ingredient. That means the food manufacturer has added sugar and then packaged the food. This same principle goes with canned and frozen fruits and vegetables, prepared salad dressings, boxed cereals and all the prepared foods you might consider for the Daniel Fast.

The Daniel Fast is based on two anchoring passages of Scripture found in Daniel 1 and Daniel 10, along with typical Jewish fasting principles. There is one element of the verses used that leaves room for interpretation and that is found in Daniel 10 where the prophet reports that he “ate no precious food.”

Here’s the deal; Nowhere does the Bible say you can only eat raw foods, or you have to start the Daniel Fast with only water, or that you can’t have potatoes. Also, the Daniel Fast is not a natural foods diet. While all the goods we eat on the fast would be considered natural foods (no chemicals and no highly processed foods) . . . not all natural foods are allowed on the Daniel Fast (such as honey or yogurt)...etc

Today Our Church Began our 2010 Daniel Fast 21 day Journey together...many blessings to you all!

The Daniel Fast: Feed Your Soul, Strengthen Your Spirit and Renew Your Body....this is a time for Spiritual Renewal...you may find it helpful to fast from Media, Social Networks and other time wasters that get you caught up in the busy information age we live in...and yet so much of what we do accomplishes ~little~ for our spirit & soul. Focus on the word of God and on reading & listening to uplifting messages and music. Silence & meditation is a lost art in our culture. Spend time with God~listening to Him. Take a nature prayer walk. Allow God to speak to you and give you a New Direction for 2010!

Fruit Medley

I enjoyed a bowl of various cut up fruits for dessert today. After an Asian lunch of broccoli & tofu over brown rice~I was looking forward to a palette cleanser. ha I admit...tofu is new to me...I have tried it through the years...but only ate it last year on the Daniel Fast in earnest. I have vegan friends who are fans of Tofu...I'm still hoping that I will like it..It will make it easier to cook various things I am familiar with cooking. I am still getting used to the texture and maybe "lack" of taste. haha :-) ...........So, a fruit bowl for dessert and a little xylitol sprinkled over it was really tasty. If you are like me and enjoy milk over fruit...add a little cold Almond or Rice milk over the top of your fruit.

First Recipe in our Cooking Show Series