Vegetable Medley--Outstanding!

In my quiet time lately, I've returned again and again to 2 Peter 1. This is such a rich passage that brings many fresh challenges to the surface--and renews old challenges. It reminds me, especially, of the reason for full-contact, Christ-centric living! Verses 5 through 8 look like this:

^"Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

As a mother raising a houseful of children I want to be intentional in every area of life. Cooking sometimes gets old, and in our too-hurried lives, keeping vegetables in my family's diet presents no small challenge. I've discovered delightful ideas and combinations in "Menu" magazine, which is published by Wegman's. While the recipe I'm about to share isn't in their magazine, the idea from which I borrowed inspiration was in the past issue--January, I believe. (I prefer to verify my assumptions, but I hope you will forgive me if I don't this once because I am separated from that issue by 500 ft. of driveway under three feet of snow, and have found temporary shelter with wonderful friends in the family of God.)

The following recipe is delicious paired with a rib roast, or benefits by roasting in the pot with (and under the juices of) Wegman's apple-onion sausage.

Vegetable Medley

1 med to large acorn squash, peeled and cut into chunks
1 lb. parsnips scrubbed, peeled with ends cut off, then sliced into strips, 1-2" X 4"
1 lb. fresh green beans, snapped and cleaned
4 cloves of garlic peeled and sliced

Combine prepared vegetables in buttered baking pan. Melt 3/4 stick of butter (6 T.) and combine with 1/3 c. honey. Drizzle butter-honey combination over vegetables, then toss to coat. Roast at 375 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until squash and parsnips are tender.

It has been nearly impossible for me to feed my family squash or parsnips in the twenty-five years I've been married. This dish practically disappeared at the first appearance!

The combination featured in Wegman's Menu magazine included butternut squash, brussels sprouts and fingerling potatoes. They can be lightly stir-fried together in olive oil, then placed in a baking dish with garlic and sausage for a delicious dish. Again, my family has always resisted brussels sprouts and squash, but absolutely raved over this combo!

Your picky eaters won't know what hit them~