Bill's Orange Julius

As you will see, some of our recipes are named after people.
Sometimes that means they dreamed it up.
Sometimes it just means they tweaked it a little.
Other times it is named after them because they like it so much.
I'm not sure where along the line this one falls.

BILL'S ORANGE JULIUS

• 3 oz. concentrate orange juice (frozen and thawed)
• ½ cup cold water
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ tsp. vanilla

Blend all ingredients and add vodka or light rum.

Since its turning cold, you might want to serve this one warm.

Cheers,

The Editor

Russian Vegetable Strudel

I thought I'd shoot you a genuine Russian recipe today.

Don't worry I'll be posting some good ones for the holidays.

RUSSIAN VEGETABLE STRUDEL

• 1 Tbsp. margarine
  
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
  
• 2 cups chopped onions
  
• 1½ cups thinly sliced carrots
  
• 3 cups chopped cabbage
  
• 1 tsp. salt
  
• 1½ tsp. dried dill
  
• 3 cups sliced mushrooms
  
• ½ tsp. black pepper
  
• 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
  
• 2 cups cottage cheese
  
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
  
• 4 eggs
  
• ½ lb. phyllo dough
  
• ¼ lb. melted margarine

In a large skillet, saute the onions in the margarine and oil until they are translucent. Add the carrots and saute for 5 minutes. Add the cabbage to the pan and saute covered for another 5 minutes. Season with the salt, dill, and cook for 5 minutes more. Add the mushrooms and black pepper and saute for a final 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese with the cottage cheese, grated cheddar, and eggs. Drain the sauteed vegetables and stir them into the cheese mixture. Preheat oven to 375°. Brush melted margarine onto baking sheet.

Unfold phyllo leaves. Count out 6 to 8 leaves from the corner of the stack. Lift them up and lay them flat on the baking sheet. Spread the vegetable/cheese mixture over the middle of the leaves, leaving 3" edges all around. Brush the edges with margarine.

For the top, lay down 2 leaves at a time, brushing the top leaf each time with margarine. Then tuck the new edges under the strudel, corners first, then sides. Bake 45 minutes to an hour.

It sounds more complicated than it is. Really. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Maybe I'll see you tomorrow,

Editor

What is an Orthodox Christian?

THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN

The Orthodox Christian belongs to the Body of Christ, the Church of Christ. This Eastern Orthodox Church is organically the same congregation (or ecclesia) which was born at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem on Pentecost, a direct continuation from the Apostles by laying on of hands from each generation of priests to the next. The Orthodox Christian recognizes the rich Christian heritage and proclaims that he belongs to this Church, which corresponds to the Church of the Apostles as does a grown-up person correspond to a picture taken of him as a child.
The Orthodox Christian has been baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity and follows the ideals and beliefs of both the Scriptures and Sacred Tradition. He believes in a living and loving God, Whose Grace protects and guides him in the path of redemption. He believes that God has revealed Himself in the Bible through the Prophets and especially in the Person of Jesus Christ, His only-begotten Son who is man's Savior. He especially believes in the Incarnation of Christ as God-Man, in His Crucifixion and Resurrection, in His Gospel and Commandments, and in the world to come.

(Excerpts from THE FAITH WE HOLD by Archbishop Paul of Finland)
Check this link for The Orthodox Page in America.

Here’s a link that has some good timeline information.

The Hall of Church History

And......
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Eastern Orthodox Church (encompassing national Orthodox jurisdictions such as Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, etc.—see Eastern Orthodox Church organization) is a body of Christians whose origins extend directly back to Jesus and his Apostles through unbroken Apostolic Succession. Its doctrines were developed through a series of church councils, the most authoritative being the Seven Ecumenical Councils held between the 4th and 8th centuries. These councils were convened out of the necessity to thwart certain heresies that had developed, such as Arianism, Nestorianism, and Monothelitism. Toward the end of its first thousand years of existence differences developed between the Eastern and Western Roman Empire that ultimately led to the Great Schism in 1054 AD, splitting Roman Catholics from the Eastern Orthodox.

The present-day influence of the Orthodox Church encompasses the territories associated with the former Byzantine and Russian empires: Eastern Europe, Asia (Russia/Siberia), and parts of the Middle East and Africa. Today, although Orthodoxy's strongest influence can be seen in Greece, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Romania, Bulgaria, and Georgia, the Orthodox Church has a presence in a great many other countries, with large communities in the USA and Australia.

See for yourself here.

Just thought you might be curious,

The Editor

An excerpt

Preface

Thank you once again for your interest in our cookbook.

As you will notice this sampler has a different cover than is displayed on the web page.

This version is adapted from an older version of the cookbook.

The newly updated version of the full cookbook is pretty cool.

Besides the new front cover it has:

• Lots of pretty pictures inside which makes it a much more pleasant read.
  
  
• It contains hyperlinked recipes that make it much easier to navigate.
  
  
• A full-blown index. Alphabetical by contributor and by recipe.

We’ve randomly chosen a generous 50 recipes from the 353 included in the whole cookbook. A member of the church contributed each one.

We sincerely hope you enjoy preparing some or all of these recipes and look forward to hearing from you in the future. Send us some feedback, okay?

And just to be at the very least clear, and at the most repetitive, since you downloaded this sampler you will be notified forthwith upon the availability of the new version.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Holy Protection Cookbook Editors
http://www.holyprotectioncookbook.com/

Carve Your Turkey - Pick Your Wine

How to Carve a Turkey

After hours of preparation and anticipation, make sure to carve the turkey in a way that preserves the flavor and texture of the meat.

Removing the wishbone and carving the breast will be a snap if you remove the wishbone before roasting. With your fingers, locate the wishbone in the neck cavity. With a small paring knife, scrape the meat away from the 'wings' of the wishbone, give it a twist and it will pop out.

To carve the breast, first remove the wing and then remove the whole side of the breast in one piece and slice cross-wise -- It's so much easier and produces more manageable slices that 'fit' better on the dinner plate.

STEPS:

1. Choose a sharp, thin-bladed carving knife. Running your knife along the bottom of the turkey, find the places where the thighbones meet the body.
   
   
2. Slip your knife into the joint to separate thigh from body on each side.
   
   
3. Separate the drumstick from the thigh using the same technique (cut through the joint, not the bone, wiggling the drumstick to locate the joint).
   
   
4. Running your knife along the bone, separate the meat from the thigh and drumstick. Try to get as much as possible in one piece.
   
   
5. Cut thigh and leg meat into thin slices.
   
   
6. Use your knife to find where the wings and body connect.
   
   
7. Slip your knife into the joint to separate wings from body on each side.
   
   
8. Carve thin slices off one side of the breast, cutting parallel to the breast. ( NOTE: A horizontal cut low on the side of the bird before you start carving the breast will allow for beautiful slices of white meat.)
   
   
9. Repeat with the other side of the breast.
   

TIPS:

• If you are carving soon after roasting, cover the turkey with foil and let it stand for 15 minutes first.
  
  
• Cut dark meat before light meat, as it will stay moist longer.
  
  
• The key in removing thighs, legs, and wings from the turkey carcass is to run your knife along the carcass until you find the places where bones meet. By cutting between joints, and not through bones, you can disconnect bones without much fuss. If you try to saw through a bone, though, you'll take a long time, even if your knife can do it, and make a mess in the process.
  
  

How to Choose a Good Wine

The best wine to choose is the wine you like best. I'm not calling anyone out.

The first rule of food and wine pairing is always to drink what you like, no matter what someone else says. The old adage of white wine with fish and red wine with meat is just a rule. If you keep in mind the principles of complementing and contrasting flavors, you'll have a winning combination every time.

It's said that only white wines fare well with poultry. However, take into consideration sauces, seasonings and cooking methods and you will find that soft red wines pair nicely with certain fowl. Spice food, spicy wine. Milder seasonings, milder wine. Just a suggestion.

You don't have to live in the states to have a

Happy Thanksgiving

The Editor

Ice Water Pickles

I know what you're thinkin', they're not to my liking either. But I gotta say that alot of kids REALLY like them. Maybe yours too.

• 6 lb. medium cucumbers cut into 6 to 8 pieces according to size of cucumber
• 3 quarts white vinegar
• 1 cup salt
• 3 cups sugar
• 36 pickling onions
• 6 tsp. celery stalks
• 6 tsp. mustard seed
• 6 quart jars
  
• Soak cucumbers in ice water for 3 hours. Drain, pack into sterilized jars. Add 6 pickling onion, 1 celery, 1 tsp. mustard seed to each jar. Bring the white vinegar, salt and sugar to a boil and pour over cucumbers to within ½ inch of top of jar. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. These are salty-sour pickles. Will make 6 quarts.

Let me know how it goes.

The Editors

Cole Slaw Dressing Twist

The other cookbook editor came up with a new cole slaw dressing mix that turned out, well......yummy. Here's what she put together.

• One bag (16 oz.) of precut cabbage . This one had some carrots and red cabbage mixed in, but I see no reason why you can't use the fancy cut cabbage package.
  
• Half a cup of sugar.
  
• Half a cup of vinegar.
  
• Half a cup of Ranch Dressing.
  
• Half an envelope of Good Seasons Italian dry seasoning mix.
  
• Half a cup of vegetable oil.

I should tell you that it makes a lot of dressing, especially if you double the amounts for two bags of cabbage. Use your own judgement. For us its a work in progress.

'Til next time,

The Editors

Church Cookbook - Recipes - Cooking Ingredients

Gotta Start Somewhere...........

Thought I'd tell you what this blog will contain. At least, what is planned.

I'll be posting recipes from the Sampler Cookbook which you can download by adding your email to the list from here.

I might post recipes we come up with and maybe some from the forum if we ever get that up and running.

I might post some church stuff. Maybe local. Maybe stuff related to the date. I don't know.

More as the mood strikes.

The Editor.