Pharm Cooking: A time-honored tradition
By LOU GREENHAW
Contributing writer
I'm between trips. Last week I had a meeting in Nebraska, so there were two days. Then after spending the next three nights at the fair, we left for the weekend to go to Kansas City to see our older son, Cameron. The most important part of the trip was meeting Cameron's girlfriend's parents!
They are from St. Louis, Mo., and we all met in Kansas City. Cam's girlfriend is a resident director at William Jewell College, just as Cameron is, so we toured their apartments. The dorms were very quiet, but that will all change this Sunday when Cam gets the football players moving into his dorm.
Kristy's parents are very outgoing and nice people and so are Steve and I so I don't why our children were so worried about how the weekend would go! It was great! We shopped, played miniature golf and ate out. It was something for everyone!
The highlight of every visit with Cameron is the Sunday morning worship at his church in Lathrop, Mo. The best way to describe it is that the pastor is from Paraguay, and he doesn't know how to do traditional American church so it is different, exciting and full of worship. Services are one hour and half, but the time flies by. There is lots of singing, clapping, music, and scripture.
The team at the front of the church are not worship leaders but the lead worshipers, and the difference is noticeable. Everyone did seem to be worshipping — all ages.
We, along with about 20 others, were invited to the pastor's house for Sunday dinner. That was a lively time, too. There we had an opportunity to talk to the pastor about their building project. The church is going to two Sunday morning services and two Sunday schools starting in October. Now they fill the sanctuary and use a big screen TV projection system in the basement for the rest. The new church will have a sanctuary that will seat about the population of the whole town.
Pastor Lisandro explained that God had given the church a vision of cell ministry and reaching out, and they were going to need a place to worship for all the people that God was going to add to their congregation. His faith is so strong that he doesn't doubt the Lord for even a minute. He's working on a place for everyone to sit! After meeting the faithful servants in that church, I think God picked the right people to give His vision.
The other good thing about the trip was we managed to find homes for a cooler full of ripe tomatoes. Steve picked a five-gallon bucketful the day before we left. One of the most fun things of a garden is sharing produce.
If anyone has shared zucchini with you, here is a good recipe. It does use the oven so be sure to stick other things in the oven with it to get the full money's worth! I have halved the recipe and done it in the microwave, but it doesn't come out as well.
Layered Zucchini Casserole
Zucchini
Tomatoes
Onions
Bacon
Velveeta
Dry bread crumbs, optional
Cover the bottom of a well-greased 9x13 pan with unpeeled zucchini slices. Top with a layer of peeled sliced tomatoes. Cover with a layer of sliced onions. Top with a layer of bacon strips cut in thirds. Top with a thin layer of sliced Velveeta. If you don't like a juicy casserole, put a layer of dry bread crumbs. Repeat layers. Bake at 350 degrees about 40 minutes or until bubbly and zucchini in center is soft when tested with a knife.
