Prairie Oak Homestead

Arepa Recipe   2 1/2 c hot water  1 t salt 2 c p.a.n corn flour (precooked corn meal) 2 t melted butter  Mix salt into the hot water Add the corn meal to the water slowly and stir until a soft dough forms. It will feel like playdough. Not sticky, not dry. Let dough rest 15 min After dough rests, patty it up into 3 in x 1 in circles. The dough should not be sticky nor dry, but just right. Heat oil or butter in a skillet and fry the circles 6 min per side on medium heat to get a nice crust to form on the outside. You want them to brown a little. Once browned, put in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 min until they sound hollow when tapped. Remove from oven and slice open (but don't cut all the way in half) and stuff with eggs, cheese, black beans, shredded beef, etc. Enjoy! We ate this A LOT in Venezuela and I missed it so much I had to make my own. They turned out great and brought back great memories of my Venezuelan friends. :) I love learning about foods from other c...

"Is there anything too hard for Jehovah?" (Gen. 18:14). Here is God's loving challenge to you and to me today. He wants us to think of the deepest, highest, worthiest desire and longing of our hearts, something which perhaps was our desire for ourselves or for someone dear to us, yet which has been so long unfulfilled that we have looked upon it as only a lost desire, that which might have been but now cannot be, and so have given up hope of seeing it fulfilled in this life. That thing, if it is in line with what we know to be His expressed will as a son to Abraham and Sarah was., God intends to do for us, even if we know that it is of such utter impossibility that we only laugh at the absurdity of anyone's supposing it could ever now come to pass. That thing God intends to do for us, if we will let Him. "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Not when we believe in Him enough to go forward and d...

"Wrestling prayer can wonders do, Bring relief in deepest straits; Prayer can force a passage through Iron bars and brazen gates." I am thankful for all my family that has served in the military. In fact, out of all the kids in my family, I was the only one who didn't serve. I am thankful for their contribution to our country. I pray for our military and I hope you do, too. They have a lot of sacrifices they make for us all. My son told me yesterday that he wanted to join the military when he turns 18. He is 14. He gave me lots of good reasons why he wanted to join. We will see what God has in store for him. :) I encourage you to keep our military and their families in your prayers.

I was so excited to find the pre-cooked corn meal here in our town to make arepas! It is the same brand I found in Venezuela. Arepas were a staple in Venezuela and they are naturally gluten free. :)  I liken them to a corn english muffin. You can put anything in them...eggs, cheese, black beans, meat, etc. I am going to make some Saturday Lord willing. Here is a recipe 2 1/2 cups masarepa cornmeal 1 teaspoon salt 2 3/4 cups hot water 2 tablespoons melted butter Vegetable oil Preparation: Stir salt into arepa flour. Pour hot water over flour and mix well with a wooden spoon. Stir in the melted butter. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rest 15 minutes. If preparing the thicker, Venezuelan style arepas, separate dough into 12 pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. Place each ball in between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or two ziplock bags and flatten gently with the bottom of a pot. Arepas should be about 3 inches in diameter and almost an inch thick. Use yo...

This is a wonderful homemade salve you can make right in your own kitchen. It is much like Tiger Balm. It is a warming salve. Would make a great gift. 1 c Calendula infused olive oil (or cayenne infused oil for extra strength) 1.3 oz beeswax 50 drops camphor essential oil 50 drops eucalyptus/peppermint essential oil 30 drops cajuput essential oil 20 drops clove essential oil 20 drops cinnamon essential oil 1 vitamin e capsule Heat beeswax with oil 30 sec at a time until melted. Add essential oils and vitamin e capsule. Pour into containers. I use 1 oz tins. Makes about 8-10 oz.

I was poking around the kitchen today and did it feel good! I missed it. I made some apple cider donuts this morning and they were yummy! Felt good to be able to do some baking again. I am pretty tired now, but it was worth it. :)  I am hoping to make some cornbread tonight to go with supper. I froze some Italian sausage soup before my hospital visit and look forward to having that tonight. Mmmm. :) My husband is watching me like a hawk and won't let me do too much. He is off today due to the rain so I can't even fib. ;) I go to the neurologist on Wednesday to discuss my last treatment option. (small dose chemo called Cellcept to work as immunosuppression.) Need to find out if I can take it or not due to having Chronic Espstein-Barr Virus and not tolerating it in the past. We will see. It's really in God's hands. Either way, I am learning to be content with poor working limbs, trouble getting breath, and exhaustion. God provided me with enough strength today to make d...