• ISAIAH 33:2 ...Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.
• Gill's Exposition ...the morning being the time of prayer; and also be their arm all the day long, to lean and depend upon, to support, protect, and defend them;
• 
  
• April Miller
  
  Ministry Spokesperson
  April is a Ministry Spokesperson and Member of the Clergy. The foundation of this Ministry is prayer, praise worship and the Word. www.aprilmiller.org
• April Miller
  
  Lobbyist
  April is a Registered Independent Contract Lobbyist at the Oklahoma State Capitol representing clients who adhere to Oklahoma's conservative values.
• April Miller OK RE License 152193
  
  Metro Brokers of Oklahoma, einstein group, llc
  Miller Branch
  Norman, Oklahoma
  April is a Licensed REALTOR® at Metro Brokers of Oklahoma, einstein group, llc., Miller Branch Office. She earned the "Graduate REALTOR® Institute" (GRI) designation. Currently, only about eight percent of Oklahoma REALTORS® have reached this professional distinction. April is a LeadershipOAR Class 5 Alumni. She is among only 14 REALTORS® in the state to be selected for this program.

Puxatony Phil may be forecasting 6 more weeks of winter, but there’s Sunshine forecast for Edmond’s Economy in 2012!!!

Edmond’s economic situation for 2012 is positive, city leaders learned Tuesday during the annual Edmond Economic Preview. New commercial building permits broke records in 2011.

Taken directly from NewsOK.com

BY DIANA BALDWIN

Published: February 1, 2012

EDMOND — The dollar amount of new commercial building permits in 2011 was higher than any other year in the history of Edmond, city leaders learned Tuesday at the 2012 Edmond Economic Preview.

Article Gallery: Edmond Economic Preview is positive, as commercial building permits break records

The record set in 2010 was beat last year by $36 million, said Janet Yowell, Edmond Economic Development Authority executive director.

New commercial building permits grew by 55.98 percent in 2011 compared to the previous year.

The 26 permits totaled more than $102 million. The city also issued another 13 permits for more than $2.2 million in additions and alterations to existing businesses.

“That is incredible,” Yowell said. “2011 was very positive for Edmond.”

Eleven new restaurants opened last year — not counting yogurt places, Yowell said. Ten of the restaurants opened in existing buildings.

Private investors spent $1.7 million in downtown to renovate buildings for new businesses.

The center of new construction in Edmond is along Interstate 35, where medical facilities, offices and commercial business are planned.

Edmond issued $55.5 million in permits for 212,000 square feet of new medical facilities. In additions and renovations, there was another $5.6 million.

OU Medical Center Edmond at Second Street and Bryant Avenue was issued a $3.6 million permit during the construction of its birthing center. Integris Health Edmond, north of 15th Street and I-35, had just less than $2 million in additions to its medical office building.

Mercy Health System is building an $88 million medical complex and wellness center at 15th Street and I-35. The building is on a 27-acre site on the southwest corner of the intersection.

I-35 and 15th Street will be the home of the Fox Lake Plaza retail and office project, and more retail, office building and hotel plans are under way for I-35 and Covell Road.

A March groundbreaking is expected at I-35 and Covell for a Francis Tuttle Technology Center site. The training and business development center will be built in the Cross Timbers Office Park on the northeast corner of the intersection.

The first building at Fox Lake Plaza is a 30,000-square-foot mixed-use building, with about 200,000 square feet available for future projects.

“The exciting thing that is happening is the city is working with the developer to build a trailhead that would go under Interstate 35 and all the way out to Arcadia Lake,” Yowell said. “So, for bicycle enthusiasts and joggers, that is a great amenity. The developer thinks it is also.”

Grand Lake Gardening Produces Delicious Recipes

Although we have all been enjoying the especially mild winter we've been blessed with here in Green Country, I have noticed some people saying they really missed having a "real" winter. Not me! As a transplant from South Texas, I vividly recall the 39" of snow we experienced last winter.

The mild winter has given me ample opportunity to work in my garden this winter. Last year it was buried under feet of snow, this year we are warm and sadly rather dry. Nonetheless, I still have broccoli, turnips, spinach, radish, bok choi and kale happily growing and providing us with abundant fresh vegetables. Gardening always leads me to cooking as I am inspired to utilized the nutritious fresh vegetables straight from the harvest. The following recipe by Martha Rose Shulman, utilizes soul satisfying ingredients guaranteed to warm your tummy and delight anyone dining at your table.

Savory Bread Pudding With Kale and Mushrooms

These dishes, known also as strata, can be rich, but they are

just as satisfying when made with low-fat milk. The formula works well for any number of cooked vegetables tossed with stale bread and mixed with milk, eggs and cheese.

1 bunch kale, any type, stemmed and washed thoroughly in 2 changes of water (more if necessary)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, coarsely chopped

1 to 2 garlic cloves (optional)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 pound stale bread, preferably whole-grain, sliced about 1 inch thick

2 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (1/2 cup)

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/4 cup)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 eggs

2 cups low-fat milk

1. Bring a medium or large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add the kale. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until tender but still colorful. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely and set aside.

2. If using garlic, cut one of the garlic cloves in half and rub the slices of bread with the cut side. Then mince all of the garlic. Cut the bread into 1-inch squares.

3. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy, wide skillet and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, until they begin to soften, and add the thyme, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook for another minute or two, until the mushrooms are tender and fragrant. Stir in the kale, toss together and remove from the heat.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil or butter a 2-quart baking dish, soufflé dish or gratin. In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, the mushrooms and kale, and the two cheeses and toss together. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

5. Beat together the eggs and milk. Add salt to taste and a few twists of the pepper mill, and pour over the bread mixture. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before baking so that the bread can absorb some of the liquid.

6. Place in the oven and bake 40 to 50 minutes, until puffed and browned. Remove from the oven and serve hot or warm.

Yield: 6 servings.

Advance preparation: This can be assembled through Step 4 hours before beating together the eggs and milk and completing the casserole.

Nutritional information per serving: 296 calories; 5 grams saturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 144 milligrams cholesterol; 27 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 376 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 20 grams protein

Martha Rose Shulman is the author of “The Very Best of Recipes for Health.”

Grand Lake Gardening Produces Delicious Recipes

This article is brought to you by Charlotte East, owner Green Country Shutters 918-783-5029 Serving Grand Lake and Northeast Oklahoma. Charlotte and her husband own East Crest Ranch near Vinita where they enjoy their Arabian horses, gardening, raising Angus Cattle, Boer Goats, and chickens.

Report card time's always a little unnerving isn't it? Will I be at the top, the bottom, or somewhere around average? What grade do you think our great city would earn? Better question; would you be at all surprised to find out that Oklahoma City got an A+ and ranked first out of the Top 100 Metros? I know I'm not surprised, but somehow, some folks still seem to miss just how great we have it here. According to MetroTrends.org,

Metropolitan Oklahoma City’s diverse economy – including government, universities, energy, and high-tech firms -- has held up well in the Great Recession. It didn’t fall victim to the housing boom and bust (2000 to 2007), so rents and house prices today are remarkably affordable and few homeowners are facing foreclosure. And the region scores high on lots of “top ten” lists -- most affordable (Forbes), most recession-proof (Forbes), and best to start a small business (Fortune Small Business).

Click through to see the entire ranking of the Top 100 Metros.

**Originally posted on ShowMeOKC.com, where you’ll find out more about Oklahoma City, Edmond, Moore, and beyond.

Cancer Group Halts Financing to Planned Parenthood

An article appeared in The New York Times yesterday reporting that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization cut off financing to Planned Parenthood. The article, written by Pam Belluck pointed out that many women receive their preventive care screening mammograms, ultra sounds and breast exams at Planned Parenthood affiliates. Ms. Belluck reports, "The move will halt financing to 19 of Planned Parenthood’s 83 affiliates, which received nearly $700,000 from the Komen foundation last year and have been receiving similar grants since at least 2005. "

Personally, I find it admirable that the Komen organization carefully considered the values it represents and chose to halt support of the Planned Parenthood due to their concerns regarding Planned Parenthood investigations, not due to the preventive health care services. A spokeswoman for the Komen foundation, Leslie Aun, told The Associated Press that the main factor in the decision was a new rule adopted by Komen that prohibits grants to organizations being investigated by local, state or federal authorities. Ms. Aun told The A.P. that Planned Parenthood was therefore disqualified from financing because of an inquiry being conducted by Representative Cliff Stearns, Republican of Florida, who is looking at how Planned Parenthood spends and reports its money.

Decisions grounded in moral values are very difficult. Certainly in the case of abortion vs health care, a deeply decisive one. My hat is off to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization for standing up for their beliefs.

Cancer Group Halts Financing to Planned Parenthood

This article is brought to you by Charlotte East, owner Green Country Shutters 918-783-5029 Serving Grand Lake and Northeast Oklahoma.