tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59535451381637947112024-02-20T15:28:21.282-06:00Sunday DinnersA blog about food, family, and faithDiane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-68870420615507120932014-05-14T15:06:00.003-05:002014-05-14T15:06:18.813-05:00Drew Marshall on the Georges, Weird Al and belching. (Hmmmm)On Saturday I spent about 15 minutes with Canadian radio host Drew Marshall, who talked about many things ... but mostly about my cookbook "Sunday Dinners."<br />
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If you'd like to listen to the interview, <a href="http://www.drewmarshall.ca/listen2014.html#140510">click here</a> and scroll down to the text that's about my interview. There will be a download icon and it will tell you what to do. (right click, save as ...)<br />
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Drew's a funny guy and lead in with music from Weird Al Yankovic (sorry, I cannot explain the connection because there really isn't one) and then started talking about his mom's food and all of the wonderful dishes she made. The next day was, of course, Mother's Day, so this was focusing on moms, great family dinners and the famous pastors in my book.<br />
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He's now hungry for the Jakes family baking powder biscuits, George Foreman's berry nut salad and wants to know what it would like to be in a belching contest with any of them. Possible? Maybe. But not really probable.Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-45500870694735679332014-01-07T21:10:00.003-06:002014-01-07T21:10:39.546-06:00Live like an otter ... well, sort ofOne day last week when I was getting ready for work I looked out the window and saw otters playing on the pier. I live on a small lake in the Houston suburbs and we have plenty of wildlife: geese and ducks, herons and egrets, fish, turtles and the occasional stray cat. But otters? Never.<br />
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So it was really exciting to see four of them belly-flopping, diving and spiraling into the late from the pier and dock. I stood there in my thick furry bathrobe and grinned from ear to ear while watching them.<br />
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Here you can see three of the four otters.</div>
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When they left I was so disappointed. They brought a little fun to my life and then -- poof! -- it was gone. I suppose I could live vicariously through the otters in the photo, but it might be smarter to just inject a little bit of otter-dom to my life.</div>
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So it's a new year and it's time to have a little more fun. Do a belly flop (of some sort) when you feel like being silly. Dive in head first to take on your fears. Try a spiral dive now and then. </div>
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For me, it means I'll try new things, stress less about work and devote more time to taking care of mind body and soul. </div>
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Not sure what will happen next, but I'm thinking that living more like an otter is going to feel great.</div>
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<br />Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-79989326717584535012013-10-06T18:52:00.000-05:002013-10-06T18:52:05.732-05:00Change of seasonsThis was my birthday weekend and it might have been my best ever. I had recently decided that I need to make more of an effort to live in the moment. I find that I'm so rushed all of the time, always thinking about all the work ahead of me or everything that isn't getting done that I just don't savor what I have.<br />
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Lakewood Pastor Joel Osteen recently told me in an interview -- about his book "Break Out!" -- that you need to wake up each day reminding yourself of all the good things in your life. So that's what I'm doing. Today I am thankful for my husband Steve; we had a nice dinner out Friday night on my birthday. I am also thankful for my friends who had a nice birthday party for me Saturday night.<br />
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Then a cold front came through so the temperature dropped quite a bit and it was as close to what, in Indiana, we call Indian summer. This is what my birthdays used to feel like: a special day in my favorite season of the year, fall. So I am thankful for this nice little break in the weather.<br />
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On top of that I was interviewed on a radio show (thank you, Cleverly Stone) and later had a book signing at Barnes and Noble (thank you, Brian) to promote my book, "Sunday Dinners." Now it's Sunday night but I'm going to savor what I have left of this beautiful weekend.<br />
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Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-85819859517877038662013-09-28T22:00:00.000-05:002013-09-29T11:59:05.891-05:00From my garden to ... a jarI suppose it just doesn't sound right to say that I picked fresh jalapeño and bell peppers to turn them into a pepper jelly I can enjoy later. Fresh garden produce is meant to be enjoyed right now, full of nutrition and free of chemicals ... right?<br />
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Well, I had some peppers ready to be picked and I've been wanting to try my hand at pepper jelly. When I lived in Indiana I never would have thought of making pepper jelly. For one thing, I wouldn't have known what to do with it! But since moving to Texas 13 years ago I've developed an appreciation for much spicier food and last year I discovered this spicy-sweet treat. I'm sure there are endless possibilities for it, but so far my favorite ways to enjoy it are on cream cheese and a cracker or on baked chicken. I need to find more ways to use it because I'm getting tired of cheese and crackers.<br />
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What sounds good?<br />
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This pepper jelly was made with jalapeño and bell peppers, cider vinegar, pectin and, of course, sugar.Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-65739963274301018512013-09-19T22:00:00.000-05:002013-09-19T22:00:05.109-05:00New friends and new recipesWhen you make new friends there's always a chance you'll get new recipes. I have the good fortune of meeting new people all of the time in my job at the Houston Chronicle. I edit our food, religion and health coverage, so I meet a variety of people.<br />
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Recently I met two very dynamic women in Houston -- Loring Goldberg and Marci Weinstein -- because the women's group at their temple, <a href="http://www.emanuelhouston.org/">Congregation Emanu El,</a> recently produced a new cookbook. Certainly it has some dishes appropriate for their important religious holidays such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Hanukkah or Passover. And you won't find pork or shellfish recipes either. But there are more than 400 recipes in this darling cookbook <a href="http://www.emanuelhouston.org/Sisterhood">"The Incredible Edibles of the Congregation Emanu El Sisterhood," </a>so there are plenty of recipes that would appeal to anyone anywhere.<br />
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When I interviewed the women about the book, they were also prepared for a photo shoot and had several dishes, including my new favorite salad: Kale Salad with Ginger and Pepitos and Citrus Vinaigrette. Kale is hearty and nutritious but can be a little tough, so this salad is best if you make it and let it sit in the fridge a day or two. In fact, it can last several days in the fridge -- if you don't gobble it all up too quickly.<br />
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So I'm going to share the recipe.<br />
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Kale Salad with Ginger and Pepitos and Citrus Vinaigrette<br />
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Ingredients<br />
2 bunches kale (12-14 ounces), washed and dried<br />
2 teaspoons minced shallots<br />
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt<br />
A few twists of freshly ground pepper<br />
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice<br />
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar<br />
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice<br />
2 teaspoons honey<br />
2 teaspoons sesame oil<br />
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<br />
3-4 tablespoons canola oil<br />
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Add in, to taste:<br />
Dried cranberries<br />
Crystallized ginger, minced<br />
Roasted pepitos (pumpkin seeds)<br />
Roasted slivered almonds<br />
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1. Strip the kale leaves from the stems and discard stems. Finely shred the leaves. Place in a serving bowl.<br />
2. To make the dressing, whisk the shallots, salt, pepper, lemon juice, vinegar, orange juice, honey and oils in a small bowl until emulsified or place all dressing ingredients in a glass jar with a lid and shake until emulsified.<br />
3. Add enough dressing to coat the kale llightly. Massage the dressing into the kale leaves with your hands to soften the leaves. Add in cranberries, ginger, pepitos and almonds and toss. Store in the refrigerator and serve cold.Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-8531968092031168582013-09-17T07:56:00.005-05:002013-09-17T07:56:56.605-05:00I can't stop talking about ...As soon as my first book signing was over I turned to my husband and asked: "Did I ramble too much?" Like many people, I get a little nervous when I do public speaking and last night I had my first book signing at the fantastic, west Houston Blue Willow Bookshop. (They sell online and they ship, too, <a href="http://www.bluewillowbookshop.com/search/apachesolr_search">click here for the link.)</a><br />
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It's a small-ish independent bookstore in a strip mall with a big grocery store and they deliver the kind of service that small-ish independent bookstores still can do. They know what's on their shelves. They've looked at all of the books and they can honestly tell you that they've met most of the authors whose books sit on their shelves. Blue Willow is known for hosting big-name authors and I got a lucky turn at being a not-so-big-name author who met some of their customers last night.<br />
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I talked about the genesis of my book, "Sunday Dinners," and how the concept came to me in a single drive home from work when I was brainstorming how I could use the topics I handle at the Houston Chronicle -- religion and food -- for a book. They asked lots of questions about the pastors I interviewed for the book and about the reaction I've gotten so far.<br />
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The thing I love most about talking about "Sunday Dinners" is that every time I tell someone about it, I get almost the same reaction: they start telling me about their Sunday dinner traditions and favorite meals their mothers and grandmothers -- and, yes, sometimes their fathers and grandfathers -- used to make. Just a mention of strawberry cake and you have no idea the number of people who tell me about how it was their brother's favorite birthday cake or how their mom used to make it for the perfect ending to a family dinner.<br />
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So, hat's off to Blue Willow Bookshop owner Valerie Koehler and her staff. You guys rock!Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-69965640903311613102013-09-15T15:59:00.000-05:002013-09-15T15:59:15.732-05:00Fall gardening, fresher foodWhen we say it's starting to get cooler in Houston, Texas, take those words with a grain of salt. I grew up in Indiana and this time of year was always much cooler than summer. Now I live in Texas and "fall" means temps in the low 90s instead of the mid to upper 90s.<br />
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But still, the temperature is heading down and those of us who like to garden are getting out our seed packets, trowels and planting away. This fall I'm going to put out tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, onions and some gourds.<br />
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Some I'm growing from seed and some I'm starting with plants purchased at a local nursery. This (above) is a bell pepper plant and it's already sprouting small peppers. Sure, they're a long way from being ready for harvest, but I've got plenty of jalapeno peppers (below) to eat now. What I really need to do is get out the jalapeno pepper jelly recipe I have (courtesy of the sister of my good friend Shane Richolson) and make some jelly.<br />
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Yeah, I know, I need to pull some weeds.<br />
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What I'm really waiting for is for the temperature to drop just a little more so I can put out my lettuce seeds. Most of summer is just too hot for the cool-weather vegetables, so I don't even try. But I planted some back in February and we ate fresh lettuce all spring from two small-ish pots filled with lettuce. It was so great to come home from work, grab some shears and a bowl and head to the garden. I can't wait to put out more so that we can eat super-fresh salads all winter.<br />
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<br />Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-36577345817441843482013-09-11T21:55:00.003-05:002013-09-11T21:55:52.391-05:00Houston Chronicle: Grace and Good Food"Sunday Dinners" is now officially in print and my first story coverage came from, of course, the newspaper where I work, the <a href="http://www.chron.com/life/food/article/Grace-and-good-food-inspires-cookbook-4803322.php">Houston Chronicle.</a> Read the story <a href="http://www.chron.com/life/food/article/Grace-and-good-food-inspires-cookbook-4803322.php">here</a>.<br />
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<br />Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-88032720979080890412013-09-07T15:24:00.002-05:002013-09-07T15:24:59.593-05:00Getting closer to launch dayI recently spent much of a day busy with a chore that was hardly a chore: I packaged up copies of my new book, "Sunday Dinners: Food, Family, and Faith from Our Favorite Pastors," to send to many of my sources for the book as well as to a handful of friends and family.<br />
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My laptop recently caught a cold -- the kind of virus that wipes out every single thing on it -- so I lost every address I had for the people I interviewed for the book. I combed through paper files, filled out mailing labels, bundled up books in standard-issue bubble-wrap envelopes and headed to the post office with two boxes heavy with books.<br />
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It was exciting to see them off, hoping that when they land in the hands of the people who are in them, those folks will smile as broadly as I am.<br />
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The book finally goes on sale Tuesday, Sept. 10. The countdown is on!<br />
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<br />Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-23791006380856783732013-08-11T11:27:00.002-05:002013-08-11T11:27:42.503-05:00Jam, in 21 minutes (no kidding)When I was a little girl we'd drive to my grandmother's after church on Sundays. She lived a county away, but it seemed like a very long drive to me. One of my fondest memories of visiting my maternal grandmother, Mable Smith Harris, was when she'd pull out a Mason jar full of canned peaches.<br>
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My grandmother, like many of our grandmothers, had a huge garden every summer and in the fall she'd can all kinds of fruits and vegetables that she grew. He'd go to her cool, earthy cellar and come up with a jar of peach halves swimming in sweet syrup.<br>
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She didn't teach me to can -- my husband's grandmother did -- but my friend <a href="https://www.facebook.com/IKnowSomebodyHouston">Elizabeth </a>hooked me up with with this <a href="http://www.freshpreserving.com/JamMaker.aspx">great kitchen gadget by Ball Co.</a> You put fruit, pectin and sugar into it, push the button that says "jam" and in 21 minutes you have really terrific, warm jam.<br>
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<a href="http://dianesundaydinners.blogspot.com/2013/08/jam-in-21-minutes-no-kidding.html#more">Read more »</a>Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-17221247818625942712013-08-05T21:01:00.003-05:002013-08-05T21:01:33.608-05:00It's fig seasonI'm pretty sure that my mother and grandmother never ate a fresh fig in their entire lives. They loved Fig Newtons, though, so I did too. It never occurred to me to look for fresh figs at the supermarket. I can't say that I ever stumbled across them either.<br />
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But then, I grew up in the North -- in Indiana -- and figs weren't something that grew well there, like they do in the South. I've lived in Texas more than 13 years now and a while back I bought a potted fig tree when I saw it at Sam's Club. It was small, but I knew it would grow and someday give me bowls of beautiful figs I could pop into my mouth, pile onto a tart or drown in sugar for a jar or two of jam.<br />
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Last summer I lost all of my figs to some pesky raccoons. This year I managed to grab a few. And my fall crop has already popped out.
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Already this year I've made a terrific fig tart, borrowed from a Giada de Laurentiis recipe. She uses puff pastry, but I substituted butter-brushed phyllo dough because I had a package of it in my freezer. I pulled it out of the oven all puffed up and bubbly and it smelled so good. I texted a photo of it to my niece and she thought it was a pizza! That's a 17-year-old for you!<br />
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Here's the recipe.<br />
Blend together 1 tablespoon sugar, 3 1/2 ounces almond paste, 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 tablespoons honey until well smooth and well blended.
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Roll out your puff pastry or butter-brushed phyllo dough sheets and turn up the edges so the filling won't run out. Then spoon the filling onto your pastry and top with figs. Brush the top of the jams with apricot jam, then bake about 40 minutes in an oven preheated to 400 degrees.<br />
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The great thing about this tart is that you could use different fruit toppings: fresh cherries, peaches or even apples. Sprinkle on nuts if you want, or maybe even a few extras like coconut or chocolate shavings.Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-24021183472675050932013-01-06T20:29:00.001-06:002013-01-06T20:29:41.242-06:00Georgia girlsI'm sitting in my living room doing something that's a little hard to explain: I am watching the new season of "Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo." If you've missed this pop-culture phenomenon, it's a reality show about a small-town Georgia family with what people could only kindly describe as "country ways."<br />
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Headed by matriarch June and her live-in boyfriend Mike "Sugar Bear," the show focuses largely on their daughter Alana "Honey Boo Boo," who caught the attention of reality-show producers when she was a tots' beauty pageant contestant in a different reality show.<br />
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I discovered the show last summer during an interview with Food Network star Paula Deen. I was with Deen at her Savannah home and she was telling me about her summer and all the fun things she'd been doing -- painting, shell crafts, chasing chickens in her yard -- and she mentioned that she and her husband, Michael Groover, were hooked on reality shows. Among them, "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo." I have to admit, I hadn't seen the show and had only vaguely heard of it.<br />
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After Deen's vivid description -- and encouragement -- I knew I had to watch it. I don't know anyone quite like June and her brood and I honestly find them to be messy, gassy, ill-mannered people. But I do like that whoever they are, whatever they are ... they are comfortable in their own skin. They don't clean themselves up for the camera, they just are who they are and that's what you see on the show. You don't see this kind of honesty with too many people these days, in my opinion.<br />
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So tonight June's gone blond and they're all getting ready for Halloween and trying to face their fears (June's afraid of mayonnaise.) I didn't need to know that Alana thinks mayo tastes like vanilla ice cream or that June urinated in the town's fall corn maze. Yet here I am, 30 minutes into a one-hour show, and I have no intention of turning the channel.Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-20260025529480268652012-12-23T13:02:00.000-06:002012-12-23T13:02:25.213-06:00Just noodling aroundEldora Cleland, the matriarch of my husband's family, died this year, but the many traditions she created will live on. Anyone who knows her knows these things: her family always came first, nothing but made-from-scratch food ever made it to her table, and there wasn't a card game you could beat her at.<br />
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This post is about one of her food traditions: homemade egg noodles, which were present at a majority of meals she made. Not a holiday or family reunion passed without a pot of her noodles laced with chunks of chicken. (Just as an aside, every time she made noodles she also made an angel food cake because the egg noodles are made with egg yolks only and she refused to throw away the whites. So, the egg whites were always turned into an angel food cake which she slathered with homemade white frosting.)<br />
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For years I've said that I wanted Eldora to teach me to eat her egg noodles. But every visit to Indiana (spring or summer) or Florida (fall or winter) passed without her teaching me this Cleland-Cowen family tradition.<br />
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So when my in-laws, Peggy and Dick Cowen, visited at Thanksgiving, I asked my mother-in-law to finally teach me the zen of noodles. It wasn't hard, and we made 3 or 4 batches, cooking one for dinner one night and saving the rest for me to make for Christmas Day.<br />
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Here's the recipe:<br />
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5 egg yolks<br />
1/8 teaspoon salt<br />
A few drops of yellow food coloring (optional)<br />
2 tablespoons milk<br />
2/3 cup flour<br />
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Rather than give you straight instructions, I'll embellish a bit with family lore.<br />
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Start by beating together the egg yolks, salt, food coloring and milk. The food coloring is totally optional; it won't <em>really</em> change the flavor of the noodles at all. Eldora bought yellow food coloring by the quart and used it in many dishes. Her theory was that it made foods look rich and buttery and -- in addition to the fact that she was a wonderful cook -- she claimed that it was the secret to everyone thinking her cooking was the richest they'd ever tasted.<br />
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As a nod to this wonderful woman, I'll always add food coloring to any noodles I make. You, however, can consider them optional.<br />
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After you beat these ingredients together with a fork, start adding the flour a little at a time until it forms a ball. It should come together quickly into a ball that isn't sticky. Work it with your hands, folding the dough underneat, tucked in until all of the flour is incorporated and the dough no longer has an elastic feel.<br />
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Lay out waxed paper to cover a broad area of your kitchen counter and dust with flour. Roll out the dough, working from the center out, until the sheet of dough is very thin. Allow it to dry for 90 minutes to two hours, flipping it over occasionally so it will dry evenly. <br />
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Then cut the dough into strips about one inch wide. Stack the strops and slice into very thin noodles.<br />
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When you're ready to cook them, cook in chicken broth and add chicken to suit your family's tastes. Many families prefer beef with noodles, like mine did. But the Cleland-Cowen family always had chicken in their noodles, and since this is about Eldora's famous noodles, we'll just leave it at that.<br />
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You can make several batches at once and freeze them; they'll last several weeks in a resealable bag in the freezer.<br />
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Enjoy.<br />
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Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-6903600905667324472012-08-05T18:22:00.001-05:002012-08-05T18:22:49.105-05:00"Sunday Dinners," the storyWednesday, Aug. 1, was a big day. It was the day I turned in my manuscript for "Sunday Dinners: America's Favorite Pastors Bring Food, Family and Faith to the Table" to my editor at Andrews McMeel Publishing.<br />
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As you likely know, I've been working on the book for some time. But getting a contract suddenly gave everything a deadline. Details that I'd left to finish later, suddenly all had to be done. I was lucky that at the time I signed my contract, the book was already three-fourths finished. I had four or five chapters to finish, but that still was a lot of work.<br />
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Perhaps even harder, I had to finish testing all of the recipes. It was fun hosting parties for my friends to "taste" all of the dishes. Better yet, it meant I didn't have loads of leftovers to eat all week long. It had me roasting lamb chops and slow-cooking pork roasts for sandwiches, tacos and a glorious Puerto Rican entree called "Pernil." <br />
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I baked flan (two ways) and layered a strawberry cake. I made cookies (chocolate and not), pies and pound cakes. And I made what just might be the most beautiful dessert I've ever made: banana pudding.<br />
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I actually made this banana pudding twice, first in a pie pan, as the recipe dictates. But I thought it would also be pretty in small, individual crocks. I'm not super crazy about the flavor of meringue, but it certainly makes any dessert look prettier. And it makes you look like an expert baker, because - unless you actually forget the pie in the oven - you can't mess this up.</div>
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So let me tell you about my book. It is a reflection of what I do in my job as a features editor at the Houston Chronicle. Among other things, I am the editor of our food section (Flavor) and our religion section (Belief). One day it occured to me that I could produce something from the best of both. So my book focuses on famous and notable church pastors from all over the country. I tell the narrative of their family's Sunday dinner traditions, then include a handful of their favorite recipes. Each chapter opens with a small prayer written by the pastor, a prayer suitable to be said at mealtime.</div>
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The chapters are about some of my favorite Texas people, like Pastors Joel and Victoria Osteen at Lakewood Church, the Rev. Dr. Ed and Jo Beth Young at Second Baptist Church in Houston, the Rev. Kirbyjon and Pastor Suzette Caldwell at Windsor Village United Methodist Church, the Rev. George Foreman of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, all of whom are in Houston; Bishop T.D. and Serita Jakes of the Potter's House in Dallas; and the Rev. Randy and Rozanne Frazee of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio.</div>
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Outside of Texas, I intervewed the Rev. Martin Lam Nguyen, C.S.C., a Holy Cross priest and art professor at the University of Notre Dame; the Rev. Jim and Barb Dixon of Cherry Hills Community Church in suburban Denver; Pastors Sam and Eva Rodriguez of New Season Christian Worship Center in the Sacramento, Calif., area; the Rev. Mike and Jeannie Glenn of Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood, Tenn.; Pastors Matthew and Caroline Barnett of Angelus Temple of Los Angeles, Calif.; Apostles Ron and Hope Carpenter of Redemption World Outreach Center in Greenville, S.C.; and the Revs. Floyd and Elaine Flake of the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral in Jamaica, Queens, New York.</div>
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Over the past couple of years that I've worked on this book I've met some wonderful people and tried a lot of great recipes. And I wrote a book that is scheduled for publication September 2013.</div>
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Between now and then I promise to blog more frequently to tell you what I can about these extraordinary people. </div>
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</div>Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-86012367046417781902012-07-04T13:39:00.000-05:002012-07-04T13:39:53.871-05:00All-American holiday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today's the Fourth of July, our nation's birthday -- and one of my favorite holidays.<br />
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I love its patriotic nature, and the old-fashioned celebrations it inspires: Parades, cookouts, days at the beach (or poolside, depending on where you live). I love the fireworks, red-white-and-blue themes and Stars and Strips flying high everywhere.<br />
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In addition to reminding me of the freedoms we enjoy in America, it also makes me grateful for those who serve our country to keep us free and to help others gain freedom or escape oppression all over the world.<br />
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Happy Fourth of July, everyone!Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-39296083415141042772012-04-23T17:37:00.000-05:002012-04-23T17:37:45.051-05:00Pot roast, Part III try a lot of recipes ... some work out and some don't. Some just don't deliver what I -- or my husband --think they will. Some just don't suit our tastes.<br />
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So for Easter when my in-laws were visiting, we made pot roast, one of her family favorits that she hadn't had in a long time. Not long after, my husband came home from the grocery store and announced that he'd bought a roast and wanted pot roast again. (He even invited a close friend whose spouse was out of town.)<br />
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So I got out the roasting pan and tossed in some carrots, celery and onions and chicken broth. Shoved it into the oven at 350 degrees and checked on it three hours later. This version differed from my mother-in-law's version because hers included a couple of cans of cream of mushroom soup. (Mine's soupless.)<br />
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It was great and I imagine that until the weather here in Houston hits the true summer highs, we'll likely have pot roast a couple more times.<br />
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Along with the pot roast I made some mashed potatoes. I also made green beans and biscuits, recipes borrowed from Potter's House first lady Serita Jakes. They're simple, but familiar and comforting. Serita's recipes will appear in my cookbook, "Sunday Dinners," which is under way now and will be out in the fall of 2013.Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-8984486320501155522012-04-08T16:09:00.000-05:002012-04-08T16:09:10.699-05:00Happy Easter, everyoneI haven't posted in a while, but today seems as good a day as any to get started again. Today's Easter, and I'm enjoying spending time with family.<br />
My family is spread out -- in Florida, Indiana and California -- but the Florida side came to visit for several days. That means my in-laws, Peggy and Dick Cowen, have been here for a five-day visit. We celebrated my father-in-law's birthday and did a little shopping.<br />
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Today we got up and made the Cowens' Sunday dinner from years ago: pot roast. It's just so easy putting the roast in the oven with some veggies and letting them slow cook for three hours. We riced some potatoes and made green beans and corn, too. One "borrowed" touch was the recipe for baking powder biscuits that I got from Serita Jakes, First Lady of The Potter's House church in Dallas. <br />
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I've gotten to know the Jakes family through interviews I've done as religion editor at the Houston Chronicle. Also, I've interviewed them for my book, "Sunday Dinners (Andrews McMeel; September 2013) and her biscuit recipe will be in the book.<br />
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This afternoon we've been flipping TV channels between watching the Masters golf tournament and keeping track of the Astros v. Rockies game (the Astros won, 3-2). Pretty soon we're going to hit the kitchen again to get out the key lime pie I made this morning.<br />
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All in all, it's been a good day, a good Sunday and a peaceful Easter.<br />
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So Happy Easter, everyone. I hope your day was filled with more than chocolate bunnies!Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-44709603579814672272012-03-04T14:40:00.000-06:002012-03-04T14:40:30.849-06:00Lesson of a lifetimeI love rooting for underdogs, and the underdog story-of-the-week is one worth blogging about. The young men who play varsity basketball at Houston's <a href="http://www.berenacademy.org/">Beren Academy</a> -- a private school for Orthodox Jews -- made national <a href="http://www.chron.com/sports/highschool/article/Beren-Academy-s-dream-season-comes-to-end-in-3380170.php">headlines</a> for playing well and staying true to their faith.<br />
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As <a href="http://www.ou.org/">Orthodox Jews</a>, they cannot - among other things - play sports during the Sabbath, from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. So earlier this week when the team drew a 9 p.m. Friday TAPPS semifinal game time, the boys, their coach and their rabbi/principal were all prepared to simply forfeit the game. They didn't want the rules changed for them and observing the Sabbath, or <em>shabbot</em>, was more important than basketball.<br />
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It wasn't until community members, who, incidentally, are not Jewish, came forward did the Beren boys and their boosters decide to challenge the 2 p.m. time. Everyone in Houston suddenly became fans of the Beren Stars. We learned about the strict ways of Orthodox Sabbath, and we spoke loudy - and in unison - to say that since no game times are set on Sundays as a Christian observance, well, no Jews should be expected to play at a time considered sacred to them.<br />
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The boys won their early Friday afternoon game, but lost to Abilene Christian on Saturday night. I'd say the teens are winners nonetheless. They've learned about faith and fairness, hard work and hard play in the course of one week. They learned that their Orthodox community may be very small, but there's a big world of people of all faiths who were rooting for them all week long. <br />
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Their season is over now and they can savor the memories of the shared experience. Ultimately, they didn't have to sacrifice their faith or their sport. <br />
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Sometimes, things work out exactly as they should.Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-41086744378061011782012-02-11T16:43:00.000-06:002012-02-11T16:43:53.036-06:00Biscuits, sweet or notToday I'm in recipe-testing mode. I'm about two-thirds done with my "Sunday Dinners" cookbook, but have only begun to test recipes. Today I tested two for baking powder biscuits. One is from Serita Jakes, the pastor and first lady of The Potter's House in Dallas; the other is from Pastor Suzette Caldwell of Windsor Village United Methodist Church, the largest UMC church in the country. Both of them are yummy. I'm giving you Suzette's recipe, with an option for turning the dough into into sweet cinnamon-raisin biscuits.<br />
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Baking Powder Biscuits<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">4 cups all-purpose flour, more for dusting</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">2 tablespoons baking powder</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">1 teaspoon coarse salt</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">3 tablespoons sugar</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">2 cups heavy cream</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">§<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Preheat oven to 400 degrees.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">§<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Whisk together well.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">§<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Add butter, and using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">§<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Add heavy cream, and stir just until dough comes together; mixture will be sticky.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">§<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Transfer to lightly floured work surface, and, with floured fingers, knead dough until it forms a ball. Sprinkle flour on work surface and lightly dust dough to keep from sticking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">§<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to a 1-inch thickness. Use coffee mug or cookie cutter to cut out biscuits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">§<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Arrange biscuits in a lightly-greased 13x9 pan. Bake 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Serve hot with maple or blueberry syrup or strawberry jam.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Tip: To turn these biscuits into sweet rolls for breakfast, add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the flour mixture. Then add 1 cup of raisins when heavy cream is added to the dough. Finish with a powdered sugar glaze.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-10759680626603453092012-02-05T11:03:00.001-06:002012-02-10T13:07:41.827-06:00Remembering William Burns<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Sad news arrived on Sunday. William Burns, the father of my longtime friend DeAnne (Burns) Kinsey, passed away. He had been battling cancer for some time, and had a huge setback when he contracted a dangerous staph infection, MRSA.</div><br />
I’ve known DeAnne since we were 4 years old and my mother was our Sunday School teacher at <placename w:st="on">Christ</placename> <placename w:st="on">United</placename> <placename w:st="on">Methodist</placename> <placetype w:st="on">Church</placetype> in our hometown of <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Lafayette</city>, <state w:st="on">Ind.</state></place> During junior high, her family moved to a subdivision across the street from the subdivision where I grew up. She and I became better friends in high school, once we were not only members of the same church and neighbors, but also finally attended the same school.<br />
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The Burns home became my second home during high school and college. I spent a lot of time there and have so many memories of DeAnne and I trying to get her dad to make popcorn for us or trying to trick her younger brother Jeff into getting refills for our glasses of Tab. We were two goofy girls making our way through our teen years one awkward moment at a time. As we did, both Bill and Mary Burns watched with knowing smiles, filled with both pride and joy.<br />
<br />
Bill Burns was a sweetheart of a guy. He was a high school science teacher who could have been a stand-up comedian. I loved listening to his hilarious stories and jokes. I knew that every time I went to their home, I’d spend the whole afternoon or evening laughing and having fun. He had a way of telling a joke that not ony made you laugh, but also made you part of the joke. I’ll never forget the time when DeAnne and I were students at Purdue and we went to visit our friend Kelly at <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Indiana</placename> <placetype w:st="on">State</placetype></place>. Bill thought that it would be safer for us to drive his Ford Pinto, so he, in turn, spent that weekend driving my VW Bug. You can imagine the jokes he had for us when we got back to town. He concocted an elaborate story in which he allegedly struck a poodle while driving my car, and the poodle got up after the incident and ran off. We were so gullible – and he was so convincing – that we actually thought some of the tale might actually be true.<br />
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In addition to the laughter, love filled the Burns household. DeAnne’s mom, Mary Burns, was – and still is – a stunningly beautiful and elegant woman who always made me feel not just welcome, but also wanted. <br />
<br />
The Burns family’s Sunday Dinners were legendary – at least in my mind. Mary Burns was an amazing cook, and she’d prepare elaborate meals. Her dining room table was decked out with formal china and that meal was a big event followed by hours spent talking and laughing around the table. The time spent together was magical and during it all, Bill Burns held court. He’d beam with pride at the loved ones gathered around his table and when we were done eating, he’d encourage conversation that could go on for hours.<br />
<br />
So today I say goodbye to Bill Burns, a man who had a bigger impact on my life than he probably ever knew. He showed me what a family really could be at a time when my own home life felt fragmented. Despite the tears I’ve shed thhis week I won’t remember him with sadness. I’ll remember him with laughter and love. I will miss him dearly. </div>Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-22010038990970838652012-02-03T13:56:00.000-06:002012-02-03T13:56:03.274-06:00Kirk Cameron wants every husband to be a heartthrob<div class="yiv1300850966NoParagraphStyle"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%;">At 41, Kirk Cameron is probably better known now for his Christian marriage ministry work than the seven years he spent as teen heartthrob Mike Seaver on the TV sitcom "Growing Pains." I suppose he gets tired of hearing about the fame he earned on that show, but it is what a certain generation remembers of him.</span></span></div><div class="yiv1300850966NoParagraphStyle"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1300850966NoParagraphStyle"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%;">But I can't help connecting the dots between his role as a teenaged hottie to wanting to help couples add a little heat to their marriages. His movie "Fireproof" - the highest grossing independent film of 2008 - and related "Love Dare" book bring tools to couples to strengthen their marriages.</span></span></div><div class="yiv1300850966NoParagraphStyle"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQL0YQvNnA15RnFNNRUsDqUX7MaiaFEgc5K4fk8PUc8_awj1OOX6-8WBchYjtTwC1711nSTUyzeZc9RWtxFcyElzvOcwooQ_2b1CP6vyv0O4_mXkz-tpyBARxiwYzwOm2ZRw8kUA4tnds/s1600/kirk+cameron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQL0YQvNnA15RnFNNRUsDqUX7MaiaFEgc5K4fk8PUc8_awj1OOX6-8WBchYjtTwC1711nSTUyzeZc9RWtxFcyElzvOcwooQ_2b1CP6vyv0O4_mXkz-tpyBARxiwYzwOm2ZRw8kUA4tnds/s320/kirk+cameron.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Kirk Cameron believes the Bible </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">provides great instruction for a </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">good life and great marriage. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo credit: Lynn Freeney</div><div class="yiv1300850966NoParagraphStyle"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1300850966NoParagraphStyle"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%;">I interviewed Kirk on Thursday for a <a href="http://www.chron.com/life/houston-belief/article/Kirk-Cameron-works-at-happy-home-life-2967642.php">story</a> that ran in the <a href="http://www.chron.com/">Houston Chronicle</a> and he was sincere and down to earth. He explained his conversion from atheist to born-again Christian as happening through a couple of ways. One was that he was always curious and questionning, but simply didn't believe in God. A friend invited him to attend a church service and "found the message from the pastor (Chuck Swindoll) captivating to my intellect and my sense of morality. It caused me to ask more questions and seek more answers," he said.</span></span></div><div class="yiv1300850966NoParagraphStyle"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1300850966NoParagraphStyle"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%;">He explained that neither his parents nor his siblings attended church nor believed in God. His parents had periods of difficulty that even included separation. Eventually they all became Christians and he said their deep faith has brought them peace and happiness.</span></span></div><div class="yiv1300850966NoParagraphStyle"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1300850966NoParagraphStyle"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%;">The two things he said can help any marriage are finding joy and practicing forgiveness. I'd say those are two things that can make your whole life better. </span></span></div><div class="yiv1300850966MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-10288685269511513642012-01-29T11:03:00.000-06:002012-01-29T11:03:22.120-06:002012 will be a "happy" yearMy friend Joy told me about an interesting book and <a href="http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/about.html">web site</a> called The Happiness Project the other day. Started by a New York lawyer, Gretchen Rubin, the web site began as a venue for her to work on being a happier person. Along the way she has inspired others to work on their own happiness.<br />
<br />
The site is all about being happy, what it takes to be happy and how you can find happiness in things large and small. <br />
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It made me think about my own emotional state right now: happy, but with too many fluctuations. I believe that no matter what we may think other people are doing to us, our happiness is really in our own hands. Do others sometimes make me unhappy? Sure. But how I react to others can make things right -- i.e. happier -- in a hurry.<br />
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So here are Gretchen Rubin's 12 personal commandments, adapted just a bit to fit everyone. (Personally, I plan to pay more attention to Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 9. What about you?)<br />
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1. Be yourself<br />
2. Learn to let things go<br />
3. Act the way you want to feel<br />
4. Do it right now<br />
5. Be polite and fair<br />
6. Enjoy the process<br />
7. Spend out<br />
8. Identify problems<br />
9. Lighten up<br />
10. Do what ought to be done<br />
11. No calculation<br />
12. There is only love<br />
<h2 id="yui_3_2_0_1_1327855527083227"><b id="yui_3_2_0_1_1327855527083226"><span id="yui_3_2_0_1_1327855527083225" style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;"><span id="yui_3_2_0_1_1327855527083224" style="font-size: 18pt;"></span></span></b></h2>Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-15003860279299240392012-01-20T07:23:00.000-06:002012-01-20T07:23:03.796-06:00Serita speaks out for womenSerita Jakes is the soft-spoken wife of Potter's House powerhouse Bishop T.D. Jakes, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have anything to say. Just the opposite.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gUbjWb1gSLU7wRboxrix3dgTmu-d0Jh-RWFINMc0902fiX9zO0VaOk6OOFkADSwHIWPafmM9uAo0uoHrTn7NVz2JZX9hiy87hr-HxDQSo7y768rpb2MUWEBqPofzYLgfQdyOf-rZzdc/s1600/Serita2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gUbjWb1gSLU7wRboxrix3dgTmu-d0Jh-RWFINMc0902fiX9zO0VaOk6OOFkADSwHIWPafmM9uAo0uoHrTn7NVz2JZX9hiy87hr-HxDQSo7y768rpb2MUWEBqPofzYLgfQdyOf-rZzdc/s320/Serita2.JPG" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Serita Jakes (Photo credit: The Potter's House)</div><br />
Serita has made fighting domestic violence a priority at the Jakes' Dallas-area megachurch, with some 30,000 members. In addition to a counseling center that helps churchgoers and others copy with all kinds of problems, the Jakes work hard at promoting stronger self esteem in women as well as strong, appropriate family roles for fathers. <br />
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The West Virginia native was on the <a href="http://community.drphil.com/profile.blog/seritajakes/?EntryID=31206">Dr. Phil Show</a> this week to talk to a woman coping with a violent relationship. She related a story from her own childhood: She was raised by an aunt and uncle in a coal-mining community. Often their disputes were settled with shouting, broken glass and physical abuse. So when she met Penny, a women on Dr. Phil's show who was there to talk about her own situation at home., Serita Jakes counseled her to reach out for help and safety for herself and her children.<br />
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Find more information on the Rahab Ministry at the Potter's House <a href="http://www.thepottershouse.org/Local/Local-Ministries/Rahab-Ministry.aspx">here</a>.Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-83990181921903061732012-01-11T20:53:00.000-06:002012-01-11T20:53:37.651-06:00We all want "More!"Today I had the pleasure of interviewing <a href="http://www.lisacomes.com/">Lisa Osteen Comes</a>. I'd say that she's the younger sister of megachurch pastor Joel Osteen, but that would sound like Lisa isn't important without that connection. In fact, Lisa Osteen Comes is an amazing woman who as just written a new book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Made-More-Created/dp/0446584207/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326335547&sr=8-1">You Are Made for More!"</a> that has already made me stop and think about my own life.<br />
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The Osteen family pastors Lakewood Church, the largest church in America. So they live lives of privilege compared to the way most life, but Lisa is transparent when it comes to the real problems she's had in her life: born with a birth defect, divorced in her 20s, infertile in her 30s and low self-esteem for much of her life. Having been raised by deeply religious parents who also were pastors didn't make her immune from the very real problems that affect the rest of us.<br />
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But it did help her have context for them. Instead of letting them rule her life, she moved beyond them. She told me that her divorce was a complete shock and, to this day, she doesn't completely understand it. After receiving divorce papers in the mail, she holed up in her parents' home for six weeks until a kind person told her she had to get up and get out. "Turn your scars into stars," he told her. And she did.<br />
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Today she's a married mother of three and, now the author of a terrific book that will make you see your glass as half full. You'll see the good in the world and in your life.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjZzz4d3dhAkIU1lxeKpAQJ0Da_4ve8Lr1vjpUCdrMa4dUvc7TPLv886NBS5AjseGA1QFGjkjRed7gpHMMCq_45yxm9-yxarb5HL-MG7BmgdXCdV-rOZKoHeP5tlYJjVBFvo49ZI4i5w/s1600/LisaPinkShirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjZzz4d3dhAkIU1lxeKpAQJ0Da_4ve8Lr1vjpUCdrMa4dUvc7TPLv886NBS5AjseGA1QFGjkjRed7gpHMMCq_45yxm9-yxarb5HL-MG7BmgdXCdV-rOZKoHeP5tlYJjVBFvo49ZI4i5w/s320/LisaPinkShirt.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lisa Osteen Comes, author </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">of "You Are Made for More!"</div> Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5953545138163794711.post-25100261970661463192012-01-09T20:35:00.000-06:002012-01-09T20:35:37.898-06:00Jimmy Carter, the most famous Sunday School teacher<div class="yiv908161675TextBodyREDESIGNgroupText"><span style="color: black; font-family: FarnhamText Regular; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;">I read a story today about former President Jimmy Carter's newest book, "<span style="font-family: "FarnhamText RegularItal"; font-size: 9.5pt;">Through the Year with Jimmy Carter: 366 Daily Meditations from the 39th President," and remembered a time, more than 20 years ago, when I attended an event where Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter were being honored.</span></span></span></div><div class="yiv908161675TextBodyREDESIGNgroupText"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGepx9OuDP6a5bNq4h_uwrgu5fVO2pbDGtUoGFpX7HkoOsS0GBf-flooaBr1xUh4eCd25A3LyQTFZoLK-TeMgf9X3ohmWYwDokYqv-CgH5JkNjneP6mVfsILCkojHIvgIA6KMkZ-S-dPw/s1600/jimmy_carter_01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGepx9OuDP6a5bNq4h_uwrgu5fVO2pbDGtUoGFpX7HkoOsS0GBf-flooaBr1xUh4eCd25A3LyQTFZoLK-TeMgf9X3ohmWYwDokYqv-CgH5JkNjneP6mVfsILCkojHIvgIA6KMkZ-S-dPw/s320/jimmy_carter_01.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jimmy Carter, the 39th president, has written a daily devotional, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">based on his years as a Sunday School teacher. Photo credit: Time Inc.</div><div class="yiv908161675TextBodyREDESIGNgroupText"><br />
</div><div class="yiv908161675TextBodyREDESIGNgroupText"><br />
</div><div class="yiv908161675TextBodyREDESIGNgroupText"><span style="color: black; font-family: FarnhamText Regular; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "FarnhamText RegularItal"; font-size: 9.5pt;">It was </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: FarnhamText Regular; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;">when I was the education writer for the <a href="http://www.southbendtribune.com/">South Bend Tribune</a> and someone from the p.r. office at the University of Notre Dame called to tell me that the Carters were being honored and there'd be a big event for them. My mother lived just a few hours away and she greatly admired the Carters.</span></span></div><div class="yiv908161675TextBodyREDESIGNgroupText"><br />
</div><div class="yiv908161675TextBodyREDESIGNgroupText"><span style="color: black; font-family: FarnhamText Regular; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;">So my mom and sister drove up for the event -- it was open to the public -- I asked Notre Dame p.r. folks if there was going to be any kind of meet-and-greet at which my mom could meet them. Believe it or not, it hadn't occured to them that people might want something like that, and the Carters were such a low-key couple that they'd never ask for or expect it. But my friend said he would check to see if there was time in the schedule for my mom to meet them.</span></span></div><div class="yiv908161675TextBodyREDESIGNgroupText"><br />
</div><div class="yiv908161675TextBodyREDESIGNgroupText"><span style="color: black; font-family: FarnhamText Regular; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;">When the day of the event rolled around, my mom and sister arrived and we learned that just before the event, my mom and our local Congressman, Tim Roemer, would be taken back stage to meet the Carters for about 10 minutes. As we waited for a Secret Service man to signal the two to come back, we talked about what my mom would say and do. She was nervous and wondered what on earth she could say to such important people. This was a big deal for my mother, a very religious woman who was raised on a small farm in central Indiana. </span></span></div><div class="yiv908161675TextBodyREDESIGNgroupText"><br />
</div><div class="yiv908161675TextBodyREDESIGNgroupText"><span style="color: black; font-family: FarnhamText Regular; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;">Notre Dame had prepared beautiful programs for the event, so I urged her to get autographs from the Carters in the three programs we had between us. Suddenly the man in a dark suit and an ear bud in one of his ears peeked from behind a black curtain and made a "come here" motion with his index finger. My mom, just 5 feet tall, sashayed down that aisle like she was floating on air.</span></span></div><div class="yiv908161675TextBodyREDESIGNgroupText"><br />
</div><div class="yiv908161675TextBodyREDESIGNgroupText"><span style="color: black; font-family: FarnhamText Regular; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;">My sister and I giggled a little, wondering what must be happening. Soon enough, the curtain parted and my mom and the Congressman emerged. Both were grinning from ear to ear. Never in my life have I seen my mom so excited. She talked a mile a minute, telling us how nice they were. She could barely remember what anyone said, but she did remember to get their autographs.</span></span></div><div class="yiv908161675TextBodyREDESIGNgroupText"><br />
</div><div class="yiv908161675TextBodyREDESIGNgroupText"><span style="color: black; font-family: FarnhamText Regular; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;">Apparently the small group just stood in a holding area just off of the stage and chatted. When it was autograph time, Rosalyn couldn't hold the program and sign it and juggle her handbag at the same time. So looked over at my mom and asked her to hold her purse for her. "Can you believe it," my mom told us excitedly. "I held Rosalyn Carter's purse! I feel like Elizabeth Taylor tonight."</span></span></div><div class="yiv908161675TextBodyREDESIGNgroupText"><br />
</div><div class="yiv908161675TextBodyREDESIGNgroupText"><span style="color: black; font-family: FarnhamText Regular; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;">I'm certain the Carters understand the impact they've had on the world. They've lived a life of honor and integrity in their post-White House years. Through the Carter Center they've eradicated the horrible guinea worm that leads to blindness in Third World countries. They've stood for peace and justice in places where dictatorships and chaos reign.</span></span></div><div class="yiv908161675TextBodyREDESIGNgroupText"><br />
</div><div class="yiv908161675TextBodyREDESIGNgroupText"><span style="color: black; font-family: FarnhamText Regular; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;">And the most famous Sunday School teacher and his wife gave my mother something to smile about for the rest of her life. </span></span></div><div class="yiv908161675TextBodyREDESIGNgroupText"><br />
</div>Diane Cowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15374932981018150510noreply@blogger.com0