Recipe Menudo

Menudo is a cure all fix for me. It seems like any time that I am down, sick, or in a lot of pain Menudo helps. Menduo is basically an organ meat, hominy, onions, and red powder chile. It is one of my favorite meals and actually easier to make than most think.

Ingredients:

• 1 pack of Honeycomb tripe. This is usually about 4-6lbs in one pack. (This can be found in the beef section or frozen foods section). There is significant evidence that organ meats are beneficial to the body. 
• 7-8 small to medium cans of yellow and white hominy. We don't have a preference of one over the other. So I usually get one large can of the white and 3-4 small cans of the yellow. 
• 1 cup of red powder chile. I recommend the Loma Vista or the Bueno brand. The reason is I know it's pure red powder chile. Other brands may have silicone dioxide which is an anti-caking agent. Other brands also have sugars, garlic and other spices which can cause the menudo to have a different taste. 
• 1/2 cup of oregano. 
• 1 onion diced small
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, chile pequin, or chile pod crushed up for a hotter taste. 
• 1 lemon
• 1 cup of oil. I usually use olive oil. Coconut oil may alter the taste. 
• 1 1/2 cup of flour. I prefer the Bob's Red Mill since it is a safer choice than the bleached, processed white flour. 
• 3 cups of warm water
• 1 cup of diced garlic cloves 
• Salt to taste 

Instructions:

1. Dice the honeycomb tripe into one inch squares. 
2. Put all the diced up tripe in a large pan and put on medium in a pan of water. Fill the pan about 4 inches above the tripe. 
3. Add in the oregano to boil with it. Once it starts to boil turn to low to simmer. 
4. Let it simmer for about 4-6 hours depending on your stove, and the size of the meat. I usually will take one out and try it. You will know it's almost done when it's not too hard to chew. You don't want it completely soft, because you can over cook it. If the tripe becomes over cooked it can become slimy almost. 
5. Once the tripe is about 80% done you can add in the hominy. I always drain the juice and rinse it out, since it is really hard to find organic hominy. I have not been able to find any to date yet. 
6. In a separate pan add in the oil, flour and garlic. Use a whisk or a fork to mix it up. Once the flour is toasted enough add in the red chile powder, and the water. It will be a very thick paste like chile. Turn off the pan with chile and set aside. 
7. Immediately after the chile is done add small amounts of the chile to the tripe and hominy. You will need a whisk to mix it in. It may clump so the whisk helps break it up. 
8. Let it simmer together for about 30-45 minutes. 
9. Once it's done serve is with diced onions, and a squeeze of lemon. The chile pequid or crushed red pepper is for added heat to the chile. I usually use a hot red powder chile and don't usually have to add in any other chile. 

Menudo Soup

My Calling Remembered

Christian motherhood means dedicating your entire life in service of others. It means standing beside your husband, following him, and investing in the lives of children whom you hope will both survive you and surpass you. It means forgoing present satisfaction for eternal rewards. It means investing in the lives of others who may never fully appreciate your sacrifice or comprehend the depth of your love And it means doing all these things, not because you will receive the praise of man — for you will not — but because God made you to be a woman and a mother, and there is great contentment in that biblical calling."
~Doug Phillips


There are days that I think it would be better if I just hire and nanny, and go get a job. I need to define me and myself. I need to have a plan in place, then I come across something like this. A reminder that a mom and a wife is the highest calling I could have asked for. I not only got blessed with one, but five beautiful children. They are no by no means perfect, but they are my blessings that God saw fit for me and my husband. I am a wife to a military man which is never easy. So today and each day I am going to remind myself that I am wife. I am a mother, and I am walking out one of the highest callings that anyone can ask for. I will thank Yahweh and worship each day for this special honor and privilege. There is nothing greater.

Juanita E

Falling Off The Wagon

For the past few weeks I was blogging about my journey on oil pulling. Some mornings I would feel like it's just not worth it. I wanted an easier fix.This is the mindset that I have had due to the doctrine that I have been told just take this pill and everything will be better for several years. Although I know that isn't the case in some instances even with my herbs, and oils I feel like I should be able to just pop a capsule or oil and everything will be better. Not perfect, but just better. The truth is it took close to 20 years for my body to get into the shape that it's in, so although oil pulling is hard on some days I plan to go back to it, because now that I haven't done it in about 2 or 3 weeks I see how much it was helping me.

Here is what I have noticed it has helped me with since I started and stopped.

• My allergies have gotten bad again since I stopped. I was having less allergy attacks during oil pulling. 
• I had more energy, even after I stopped oil pulling for the first week. 
• I was able to go to sleep easier at night. 
• I had less body aches, and pains. This is a big thing for me because I dream of days that I can wake up without pain in my neck, back, shoulders, and hips. 
• I also had more motivation. Just to clarify you can have energy but not use the energy in the things that are needed to get done. When I was oil pulling I had energy and motivation to get done what was needed. 
• After I had stopped oil pulling I noticed I my blood pressure was starting to go back up again. It has only happened 2 times, but that was more than enough for me to re-evaluate my diet and health. 
• My mouth felt cleaner all the time. After oil pulling my mouth feels so clean better than any time just brushing them. 

Starting tomorrow I will be oil pulling again. I may only do it a few times a week to start, but I can clearly see the benefits of it. I am sold to oil pulling. It isn't something I would recommend for someone to do everyday, but to start off slow. Take it day by day and listen to your body. I know there have been some dispute about whether or not you should oil pull with silver fillings in your mouth, so it is best to check with a biological holistic dentist for your situation. As for me with 11 fillings (soon to be replaced safely), I have made the choice to oil pull after speaking with my dentist. 

Time 4 Learning Review (Coming Soon)

I've been invited to try Time4Learning for one month in exchange for a candid review. My opinion will be entirely my own, so be sure to come back and read about my experience. Time4Learning can be used as a homeschool curriculum, for afterschool enrichment and for summer skill sharpening. Find out how to write your own curriculum review for Time4Learning.