A Christmas Classic, Candied Carrots, and a Visit with author Michelle Ule

Welcome, y’all. Shellie here, in this week’s episode of All Things Southern, I’ll be visiting with Michelle Ule. Michelle is a bestselling author of historical novellas, an essayist, blogger and the biographer of Mrs. Oswald Chambers: The Woman Behind the World’s Bestselling Devotional, but today she’ll join us to talk about her newest release, A Poppy in Remembrance.

We’ll also swing through the kitchen and I’ll close with some devotional thoughts, but first—a Christmas tradition is in order.

The story of Cullen the Angel Boy is an All Things Southern classic that simply begs to be told and retold. Go with me now, to Christmas 2014…

My BFF, is an actress, set designer, director, extraordinaire. Over the years she’s written, produced and starred in skits at our home church that have become the stuff of legends. Christmas 2014 didn’t disappoint, not in the actual production, and not in the rehearsals that led up to it– which brings us to the merry moment I have in mind.

One Sunday morning leading up to the production, my husband and I found ourselves helping the talented Miss Foster teach the 3-4-year-olds their own special routine. These wee ones were destined to be angels in the nativity scene. They wore long white gowns with beautiful feathered wings and each of them help a tapered candle in his or her wee hands.

Miss Foster took her place in front of the cherubs, so they could practice their routine by mimicking her motions.  Cue the music. As Phil and I watched, Miss Foster made a large sweeping motion to the right. The angels followed suit, sort of. Then she made a grand sweeping motion to the left, most of the angels mimicked her, except for Cullen the Angel Boy. That’s when we first noticed the gleam in his eyes. Granted, we never once considered that he was thinking to himself, “I know where I can put this candle.”

For there, directly in front of young Cullen was the backside of Miss Foster and it was all just too tempting. In the twinkle of an eye, Cullen the Angel Boy introduced Miss Foster to that candle and we have video footage to prove it.

For some of us, Christmas 2014 will forever be remembered as the year Cullen the Angel Boy added his own verse to that sweet children’s classic, “This little light of mine. It’s going where the sun don’t shine.”

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Interview with Michelle Ule *you’ll find this on iTunes (you can subscribe for free!) or you can listen through the audio link at the bottom of this post. Just look for the audio bar and hit the play button!

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Welcome back to the All Things Southern kitchen, y’all! I’m sharing my delicious candied carrots today. They’re a treat anytime but they would definitely be a star at your Christmas table! (Seriously, they almost belong in the dessert category, but we get to call them veggies!)

“Simply Delicious Candied Carrots”

1 (4-oz.) package feta cheese, crumbled

Lemon juice

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 pounds carrots

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

 Full disclosure? I’ve never really been a fan of candied carrots—at least until I started cooking them with balsamic vinegar and tossing ‘em with feta cheese. Things changed quickly after that. These little darlings deserve a place at the table.

We’ll begin by cutting our carrots lengthwise into long, thin strips. Then we’ll whisk together 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, with three tablespoons of olive oil before adding 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.  Now, we’ll toss our carrots in this dressing and place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.

Bake at 400° for 40 to 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender and browned, stirring every 15 minutes. Transfer to a pretty serving platter, and gently toss with lemon juice and feta cheese. Enjoy my Simply Delicious Candied Carrots. That’s good eating from the All Things Southern kitchen to yours!

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Southern Comfort

That’s it for this week but before we go, let’s open the Word together and consider the babe born at Christmas, fully God and fully Man. Our reading will be from Luke 2: 8-19

 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the ^[h]manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

Do you see Him?

The Bread of Life grasping for milk with itty bitty fingers. The ancients said it and the query reverberates down through the ages. It’s a question none of us can ignore. What child is this… We rejoice to know the right answer to that question redeems our past and secures our future. But, friends— and I offer this in genuine love— we should fear if what we believe doesn’t impact our present, lest we’ve bought the satan soothing lie that claims we can have His life without giving up our own.

That’s it for this week folks, Merry Christmas to you and yours from my gang here at All Things Southern. If you’re enjoying the podcast, would you be so kind as to give it a review and share it with your friends and family? Many THX! Remember, you can also subscribe to my newsletter at the website, that’s belleofallthingssouthern.com! Until next time, may the Good Lord bless you and keep you, make His face to shine upon you, and give you peace. This is Shellie with hugs for all~

 

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