Fried Rice

Easter was great here - First an Easter story and then a recipe.

We attend First Baptist Church in Meridian. To our surprise - in addition to the people we only see once or twice a year - we had an unannounced surprise guest in church today. The Honorable Chuck Hagel (Secretary of Defense of the United States) and his wife attended church with us! His mother in law is a member of FBC-Meridian.

I sing in the choir and as the services began we noticed strangers - men in black suits with earphones sort of guarding all of the doors to the sanctuary. Turns out they were Secret Service agents on Defense Secretary Hagel's security detail.

Church was great and we (the choir) finished with Handel's Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah. Love that music - Incredible feeling to be able to sing it with a talented choir.

One of the ladies in our Sunday School Class was working on the cross in front of FBC, weaving greenery and flowers in place during Sunday School when Secretary Hagel and his wife arrived. She was talking to them about the decorations after introductions had been made. She had a pair of floral scissors in her hand and since she talks with ther hands, I am certain she was waving them in the air as she talked. After a moment or two, one of the Secret Service agents stepped up and said, "Let me hold those for you Madam." As he delicately removed the scissors from her hand. When Secretary Hagel left a few minutes later to enter the sanctuary, the agent returned the scissors. The lady and my wife are good friends. They sit together while the friend's husband and I sing on the back row of the choir (Tenor him, Bass me). Obviously the ladies had fun talking about scissors and deadly weapons before church started.

After Church, the wife (MHNBPF) was out front of the church taking photos of the cross that the ladies decorate each Easter, while I was getting out of my choir robe. She was leaning against a Ford Explorer snapping away when a guy in black stepped up and told her it was a Secret Service vehicle and she might not want to lean against it. She was very nice for not telling him it was right in the way of her photography.

I am impressed that our Nation's Secretary of Defense chose to be in The Lord's House on Easter day. Hopefully the Secret Service Agents enjoyed our Pastor's message from Luke's Gospel and the Hallelujah Chorus. Secretary Hagel and his wife could have come to my Sunday School Class if they had wanted. We would have enjoyed having him and his wife visit with us.

Recipe Time:

What better supper on Easter evening than Fried Rice?

You'll need:

1 cup dried rice - Basmati for me.
1 3/4 cups water
1 Chicken Bouillon cube
Small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon ginger, minced fine
1 - small carrot, diced
1/4 cup green peas, frozen works fine
3/4 cup ham, chopped
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1/4 cup low sodium Soy Sauce
1 egg



Stir fry cooking goes very quickly, so set up everything before starting.





Cook the rice - add water, a teaspoon of oil and the bouillon cube to rice.



Cook Covered in microwave on high for about five minutes until the water starts to boil, then on 30% power for 14 minutes. Perfect rice every time.



Heat the pan - Stir fry needs to cook hot - I use a 16 inch skillet because my wok doesn't work as well on our electric stove. Add 2 Tablespoons of peanut oil to hot skillet and then start ham.



In no time at all you will need to add the onions and ginger:



and the other vegetables.



Followed by the rice and an egg.



Mix well to disperse the egg and continue until the rice gets happy. Add soy sauce and portion for two.



Ready



to eat