A Prayer for Families

When Gary and I were in Montreal on vacation, we visited the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel in Old Montreal, where I picked up a card with the following prayer for families. This is my prayer today:

God of Love . . . watch over our homes today. 

Give to all children the daily bread and love they need,

Help adolescents discover meaning in their lives,

Help couples grow in love and fidelity.

Guide parents in the education of their children.

Fill the hearts of grandparents with peace and tenderness toward their grandchildren. . . .

Inspire and enlighten all those committed . . . to the well-being and happiness of families.

Help us to discover in the Holy Family of Nazareth a real model of family life in the spirit of the Gospel.  Amen.  

Jul 21, 2009 at 4:35 PM

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Gary's Favourite Taco Bean Dip

In the last 11 days, I've made Gary's Favourite Taco Bean Dip three times--served with tortilla chips and fresh veggies, it's great as part of a Canada Day family lunch, a Friday Night Football gathering, and as a make-ahead to share with friends after Sunday worship (so now you know what I've been up to in the last 11 days--now that we've moved, I'm definitely making up for lost time in the hospitality department!). Here's the recipe by request:

Gary's Favourite Taco Bean Dip
 

(I usually cook with whole foods, and don’t use a lot of convenience/pre-packaged food, so this dip means a lot of concessions on my part, but at least I can serve it with fresh vegetables!)

398 mL can refried beans
2 ripe avocados
1 tsp lemon juice
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 pkg El Paso taco seasoning mix
grated cheddar or other cheese
chopped tomatoes
snipped chives

In a bowl, mix taco seasoning, sour cream, and mayonnaise. Peel avocados, and discard pits. Mash the avocado with lemon juice in another bowl. Layer refried beans, avocado mixture, sour cream mixture in an 8 x 8 glass pan or other dish. Top with grated cheese, chopped tomatoes, snipped chives—I vary the amounts of each depending on what’s on hand, what I’m in the mood for, and how it looks. . . usually just enough grated cheese so the sour cream mixture is still visible, 1-2 tomatoes . . . I used to snip chives from the garden for this dip too, but since we’ve moved, I haven’t had chives, but the dip is still delicious without them.
Serve with tortilla chips and fresh veggies.
 

Jul 12, 2009 at 2:18 PM

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