Aaack! Where did the time go? I have been so busy either working or spending time with family the last couple weeks, I have not even had two minutes together to think, write, or enjoy some quiet.
This confirms that in general, I do a good job of balancing my life the rest of the year. I'm not sure how I would survive if all my days were as crowded and full as I've recently experienced. Thankfully, John has been on vacation while I've been working, so at least groceries have been bought and laundry cleaned and dried.
I am well aware that much of my victory over busyness happens because we don't have children...spending a week with my nephew reminded me of this. And, don't get me wrong, I love seeing family, and the time I spend with those I rarely get to see is precious.
It just also happens to move unimportant matters such as blogging...or obtaining food or making sure there are clean clothes...to the bottom of my to-do list.
We spent the last half of last week with my family. It is so fun to all be together in one house! As soon as we arrived, my nephew switched from following my mom around like a duckling to becoming attached to me like a fifth appendage. After four days it got so bad that lunch and snacks couldn't be eaten unless he was sitting in my lap. Our gifts to my parents and my sister, brother-in-law and nephew included web-cams. Yea! We can now all see each other a bit more often!
This week we're back home, so it's all about John's side of the family. Every event either includes or is centered around eating, so I don't think I'll be hungry again until February. I've also had a cold this week, so unfortunately I feel that my time with family is all a blur...a hazy, cold-medicine-induced blur. There have been more Christmas gifts, Kinect, monopoly, a painful Texas Bowl in which Baylor lost, and all manner of food. And it's not over yet, so I may be absent here at the blog for a few more days.
Speaking of colds, one of the reasons I will be happy to bid 2010 farewell is that I'm pretty sure my body has been either filled with antibiotics or anesthesia for a good half of the year...and I've probably been on over-the-counter drugs longer than that. I have never been sick so much in one year...EVER. I'm hopeful that 2011 will bring vast improvements for my health. (At the same time, I'm grateful that my illnesses have not been life-threatening...I know so many people who have been diagnosed with cancer this year.)
I'm also hopeful that I'll have a chance to sit down this weekend and give everyone a very brief recap of 2010, and maybe I'll have some resolutions for 2011...maybe. In case I don't get to a blog post before Saturday...Happy New Year!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
'ad-vent
n. - a coming or arrival, especially of something extremely important or awaited
Remember as a kid how the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas seemed months long? The time between writing that letter to Santa and waking up to gifts under the tree on Christmas morning was nearly incalculable?
When did time stop lagging? When did it get to be December 18 and I'm still thinking, "Wasn't Thanksgiving just last week?"
With the way time flies, it doesn't seem that I have to wait that long for Christmas these days. I hate to admit it, but it's more digging in my heels and wishing for time to prolong itself than it is waiting. But that doesn't diminish the extreme importance of Christmas.
No, I'm not talking about Santa. Or even gifts, although giving gifts and seeing smiles on the recipients faces is happiness! It's the importance of our Savior coming to earth; without that He wouldn't be our Savior, the God who died (and defeated death) for us.
I know this is super late in the game, but I just discovered this beautiful, FREE, advent devotional, The Jesus Advent Celebration: The Jesse Tree Journey. It's written by Ann Voskamp, and even if you only get to read a couple days this year, you can print it out (or save it) and have it for next year!
(By now we all know that link is "late in the game" because time? It FLIES!)
Also, you may have already seen this on youtube, but The Social Network Christmas made me cry. That is probably due to my being highly hormonal since I've also cried watching a jewelry commercial and because the sun came up this morning, but I feel I can still recommend this as a good video worth four minutes of your time.
We have a week packed full of family, and I may or may not take a blog break for a bit. Soooo....
Happy Advent and Merry Christmas!
Remember as a kid how the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas seemed months long? The time between writing that letter to Santa and waking up to gifts under the tree on Christmas morning was nearly incalculable?
When did time stop lagging? When did it get to be December 18 and I'm still thinking, "Wasn't Thanksgiving just last week?"
With the way time flies, it doesn't seem that I have to wait that long for Christmas these days. I hate to admit it, but it's more digging in my heels and wishing for time to prolong itself than it is waiting. But that doesn't diminish the extreme importance of Christmas.
No, I'm not talking about Santa. Or even gifts, although giving gifts and seeing smiles on the recipients faces is happiness! It's the importance of our Savior coming to earth; without that He wouldn't be our Savior, the God who died (and defeated death) for us.
I know this is super late in the game, but I just discovered this beautiful, FREE, advent devotional, The Jesus Advent Celebration: The Jesse Tree Journey. It's written by Ann Voskamp, and even if you only get to read a couple days this year, you can print it out (or save it) and have it for next year!
(By now we all know that link is "late in the game" because time? It FLIES!)
Also, you may have already seen this on youtube, but The Social Network Christmas made me cry. That is probably due to my being highly hormonal since I've also cried watching a jewelry commercial and because the sun came up this morning, but I feel I can still recommend this as a good video worth four minutes of your time.
We have a week packed full of family, and I may or may not take a blog break for a bit. Soooo....
Happy Advent and Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
In Miracles and Misery
Sometimes something wonderful can happen - a clean bill of health after months of chemotherapy, or a miraculous pregnancy in a womb that seemed broken down and locked up - only to be shortly followed by misery - the cancer is back, or your baby has died.
Sometimes the miraculous brings a false sense of intimacy with God. After all, how easy it is to offer up praise, smiles, laughter, and song when the impossible is blown away like dust by the breath of God. But thankfulness for my comfort or health and acknowledgement of God's favor and miraculous work is not the same as love or trust or dependence.
Sometimes misery also yields a false sense of closeness to God. In fresh pain, we, who say we believe in Christ and the power of God, cry out to Him. We pour our heart out, we pray diligently for healing, help, comfort, and mercy. But asking and wanting and continuing to trust that God has a perfect plan is not the same as building a deeper relationship with the One who creates and saves us.
Some day, after weeks or months or years of the crying out and praying, the urgency of the prayer starts to fade. The fresh pain becomes a dull ache, an empty spot, a gnawing bitterness or a heavy grief that becomes just another part of who you are and what this life means. When God seems not to answer, or the grievous emotions subside but never completely disappear, it is so easy to stop petitioning Him...or to just stop listening to Him. Maybe He's not saying anything anyway.
I have convinced myself that saying my prayers and speaking out that God has the perfect plan is drawing me into a closer relationship with Him. In reality, I have not made time to listen to Him, read His word, or really spend much time with Him. It becomes easier and easier to make excuses not to attend a worship service.
The Lord says, "These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made traditions learned by rote." (Isaiah 29:13)
God reminds me that my acknowledgement of and trust in Him is but the tip of the iceberg. He also desires me to love Him and spend time with Him, not to gain miracles or healing, but simply to enjoy Him...to be made whole in a spiritual sense more than a physical sense.
"Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the Lord, and whose deeds are done in a dark place, and they say, 'Who sees us? Who knows us?' You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, that what is made would say to its maker, 'He did not make me'; or what is formed say to him who formed it, 'He has no understanding'?" (Isaiah 29:15-16)
The wounds of loss, illness, discomfort and misery can build a wall. Even when we know God can see over and through the wall, we turn our backs to the wall like small children squinting shut our eyes tightly, convinced that because we can't see Him, He can't see us.
I have deeply hidden plans and have made decisions in the dark of late...simply by excluding the Lord, not really listening to Him, not attempting to forge a relationship with Him. Religion is not the same as relationship, and Isaiah has brought it to my attention that I have fooled myself into thinking my relationship with God has been growing.
The good news is that from this point forward, the miracles and miseries of the last year really can still be used to bring me closer to God. I can see now that they made me religious, keeping the focus on me, my grief, my problems, my cries to God, what God will do for me. And we all have the opportunity to learn from those mistakes, those revelations of our mistakes, and to approach things differently.
And God is there the entire time. Waiting for me to have these revelations and turn back to listening to Him and talking to Him from my heart.
"And God will be the stability of your times, a wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is his treasure." (Isaiah 33:6)
Saving from all the empty spots and the walls I can put up. Wealth without regard to material possession or money. Stability in the miracles and the misery.
Sometimes the miraculous brings a false sense of intimacy with God. After all, how easy it is to offer up praise, smiles, laughter, and song when the impossible is blown away like dust by the breath of God. But thankfulness for my comfort or health and acknowledgement of God's favor and miraculous work is not the same as love or trust or dependence.
Sometimes misery also yields a false sense of closeness to God. In fresh pain, we, who say we believe in Christ and the power of God, cry out to Him. We pour our heart out, we pray diligently for healing, help, comfort, and mercy. But asking and wanting and continuing to trust that God has a perfect plan is not the same as building a deeper relationship with the One who creates and saves us.
Some day, after weeks or months or years of the crying out and praying, the urgency of the prayer starts to fade. The fresh pain becomes a dull ache, an empty spot, a gnawing bitterness or a heavy grief that becomes just another part of who you are and what this life means. When God seems not to answer, or the grievous emotions subside but never completely disappear, it is so easy to stop petitioning Him...or to just stop listening to Him. Maybe He's not saying anything anyway.
I have convinced myself that saying my prayers and speaking out that God has the perfect plan is drawing me into a closer relationship with Him. In reality, I have not made time to listen to Him, read His word, or really spend much time with Him. It becomes easier and easier to make excuses not to attend a worship service.
The Lord says, "These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made traditions learned by rote." (Isaiah 29:13)
God reminds me that my acknowledgement of and trust in Him is but the tip of the iceberg. He also desires me to love Him and spend time with Him, not to gain miracles or healing, but simply to enjoy Him...to be made whole in a spiritual sense more than a physical sense.
"Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the Lord, and whose deeds are done in a dark place, and they say, 'Who sees us? Who knows us?' You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, that what is made would say to its maker, 'He did not make me'; or what is formed say to him who formed it, 'He has no understanding'?" (Isaiah 29:15-16)
The wounds of loss, illness, discomfort and misery can build a wall. Even when we know God can see over and through the wall, we turn our backs to the wall like small children squinting shut our eyes tightly, convinced that because we can't see Him, He can't see us.
I have deeply hidden plans and have made decisions in the dark of late...simply by excluding the Lord, not really listening to Him, not attempting to forge a relationship with Him. Religion is not the same as relationship, and Isaiah has brought it to my attention that I have fooled myself into thinking my relationship with God has been growing.
The good news is that from this point forward, the miracles and miseries of the last year really can still be used to bring me closer to God. I can see now that they made me religious, keeping the focus on me, my grief, my problems, my cries to God, what God will do for me. And we all have the opportunity to learn from those mistakes, those revelations of our mistakes, and to approach things differently.
And God is there the entire time. Waiting for me to have these revelations and turn back to listening to Him and talking to Him from my heart.
"And God will be the stability of your times, a wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is his treasure." (Isaiah 33:6)
Saving from all the empty spots and the walls I can put up. Wealth without regard to material possession or money. Stability in the miracles and the misery.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
The Holidays in Pictures
Everyone is focused on Christmas now. But it seems like Thanksgiving was just the other day. Plus, in the process of taking a picture of my Christmas tree to prove that we did indeed get it decorated, I discovered some definitely fall/Thanksgiving photos I took before everything became a Santa, nativity, gift-wrapping, card-mailing, Christmas carol extravaganza.
And I could get on my soapbox about how many untrue "meanings of Christmas" I have heard over just the last week and how all the financial and time stress is ridiculous and unnecessary in celebrating the birth of the Messiah...but I won't.
Let's take a journey back in time...to last month...though it seems only days ago:
The trees in our yard and on the street had the amazing autumn colors for a couple days, and I just had to take a picture.
Our smoked turkey:
It always looks that dark, but we probably left it in a bit too long. My fault. I was sure a 20-pound bird would take at least the general 30 minutes-per-pound to cook. So, we didn't check it until that point. Turns out it was probably done a bit earlier. Still good, just a little dry.
And suddenly it's Christmas. After posting that our tree was still naked, the following evening I put up a garland to make myself feel better.
Festive, yet requires much less time than decorating a Christmas tree.
Finally, a week after putting up the tree, we spent an evening attaching all the ornaments.
Ta-da!
Sorry about the lighting. It's sitting in front of a big window and I just didn't take time to figure out a way to make the lighting better.
Other than the garland I hung up out of guilt, all the other decorations got put out last weekend with the ornaments on the tree, including my favorite nativity - a gift from my mom and dad.
I can hardly believe it, but John is on his way to go put our Christmas cards in the mailbox at the post office. I hope to just chill and enjoy the rest of the month without any decorating, card-sending, or gift-buying left. And, yes, I know it's really only two weeks 'til Christmas, but better than just finishing it all up two days before. I've had lots of experience with that!
And I could get on my soapbox about how many untrue "meanings of Christmas" I have heard over just the last week and how all the financial and time stress is ridiculous and unnecessary in celebrating the birth of the Messiah...but I won't.
Let's take a journey back in time...to last month...though it seems only days ago:
The trees in our yard and on the street had the amazing autumn colors for a couple days, and I just had to take a picture.
Our smoked turkey:
It always looks that dark, but we probably left it in a bit too long. My fault. I was sure a 20-pound bird would take at least the general 30 minutes-per-pound to cook. So, we didn't check it until that point. Turns out it was probably done a bit earlier. Still good, just a little dry.
And suddenly it's Christmas. After posting that our tree was still naked, the following evening I put up a garland to make myself feel better.
Festive, yet requires much less time than decorating a Christmas tree.
Finally, a week after putting up the tree, we spent an evening attaching all the ornaments.
Ta-da!
Sorry about the lighting. It's sitting in front of a big window and I just didn't take time to figure out a way to make the lighting better.
Other than the garland I hung up out of guilt, all the other decorations got put out last weekend with the ornaments on the tree, including my favorite nativity - a gift from my mom and dad.
I can hardly believe it, but John is on his way to go put our Christmas cards in the mailbox at the post office. I hope to just chill and enjoy the rest of the month without any decorating, card-sending, or gift-buying left. And, yes, I know it's really only two weeks 'til Christmas, but better than just finishing it all up two days before. I've had lots of experience with that!
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
The Excitement for Today
Somehow I locked myself out of the house while taking out the trash tonight. I don't understand it, but it was cold outside and I had nothing with me...no wallet, no cell phone. Fortunately I did have shoes on. (As opposed to my husband who once locked himself out of our apartment in Amsterdam while barefoot and documented it in a blog post.)
Fortunately, we gave one of our neighbors a key to our house.
Unfortunately, they couldn't really find it tonight in my time of need.
But then, our neighbor and his son decided to give breaking in a try. Using a sturdy piece of paper didn't work, but his son had a credit card on him and that did the trick! Yeah! I am so grateful for good neighbors! I've never been happier to have someone be able to break into our house.
Although, I'm now quite certain that a doorknob lock is pretty pointless. With a credit card, it took all of two seconds to get the door open.
What with all the being locked out of the house, I've decided that sweeping and mopping the floor is out of the question for tonight. Plus, I was all set to watch Modern Family while cleaning and now I've missed it. Clearly no cleaning can possibly get done now.
I guess now I'll just have to find something else to watch while folding the mountain of laundry on our sofa; a Christmas movie perhaps.
Fortunately, we gave one of our neighbors a key to our house.
Unfortunately, they couldn't really find it tonight in my time of need.
But then, our neighbor and his son decided to give breaking in a try. Using a sturdy piece of paper didn't work, but his son had a credit card on him and that did the trick! Yeah! I am so grateful for good neighbors! I've never been happier to have someone be able to break into our house.
Although, I'm now quite certain that a doorknob lock is pretty pointless. With a credit card, it took all of two seconds to get the door open.
What with all the being locked out of the house, I've decided that sweeping and mopping the floor is out of the question for tonight. Plus, I was all set to watch Modern Family while cleaning and now I've missed it. Clearly no cleaning can possibly get done now.
I guess now I'll just have to find something else to watch while folding the mountain of laundry on our sofa; a Christmas movie perhaps.
Friday, December 03, 2010
Perfect Timing
I have not felt like writing, or doing much of anything the last couple days.
Our first child's due date would have been December 1, and it is amazing to me that Jon Acuff wrote a blog post on Stuff Christians Like on that very day, called "The Soft X", that made me cry...and remember...and feel that God is tender and cares.
About the only thing I have been doing with gusto lately is eating sugar and carbohydrates. It's Cookie Week over at "The Pioneer Woman Cooks", and the "Framed Cooks" blog is all about the holiday goodies this week as well. It's not helping my desire to bake and eat. I am using as much discipline as possible (since yesterday) to wean myself off the sugar and carbs. I know for sure it can't be helping my emotional state right now.
I'm determined to give away most of what I bake this month. So, if you live nearby or see me on a regular basis, you might be in for some gifted baked goods. The alternative is I stay busy with other things, don't have the time to bake, and thus do not have the problem of sweets lying about the kitchen.
That staying busy thing just might work this month!
Our first child's due date would have been December 1, and it is amazing to me that Jon Acuff wrote a blog post on Stuff Christians Like on that very day, called "The Soft X", that made me cry...and remember...and feel that God is tender and cares.
About the only thing I have been doing with gusto lately is eating sugar and carbohydrates. It's Cookie Week over at "The Pioneer Woman Cooks", and the "Framed Cooks" blog is all about the holiday goodies this week as well. It's not helping my desire to bake and eat. I am using as much discipline as possible (since yesterday) to wean myself off the sugar and carbs. I know for sure it can't be helping my emotional state right now.
I'm determined to give away most of what I bake this month. So, if you live nearby or see me on a regular basis, you might be in for some gifted baked goods. The alternative is I stay busy with other things, don't have the time to bake, and thus do not have the problem of sweets lying about the kitchen.
That staying busy thing just might work this month!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The tree is still naked.
Well, the Christmas tree still isn't decorated. It's naked. Well, except for lights because that is John's job and he is always the go-getter. Me? Not so much.
Today would be the perfect day to get the decorating done since it's nice and cold and windy out...very wintery. A great time to make some hot cocoa and go through all the holiday decorations and ornaments.
My procrastination is getting the better of me, though. We don't really have anyone coming over to our house until this weekend, so that gives me several more days to do the decorating. I'll probably end up watching Glee and Rick Steves' European Christmas (or some other Christmas movie...why limit myself?) while folding laundry and possibly baking some more ginger snaps because I may or may not have eaten every last one of them in the past three days.
(I didn't actually eat the entire batch since I gave away about half of them. Yeah, eating half a batch is soooooo much better.)
I hear it may freeze again tonight so I'll have to go out and cover up the garden at some point. Yes, I am covering my entire garden. I am still waiting for about four or five butternut squash to fully ripen and I would hate for the patience I have had the last three or four months to be for naught if all the vegetables shrivel up and die because of a two-day cold snap.
And by "all" the vegetables, I really just mean the four or five butternut squash and some beets. That reminds me that I should probably figure out when beets are ready to harvest. I guess I could pull one up, take a look, and then poke it back down if it's not ready. I'm sure that's the agriculturally-certified way to go about things.
Just let me know if you'd like to come over and help decorate our tree and house and whatnot. It could be arranged.
Today would be the perfect day to get the decorating done since it's nice and cold and windy out...very wintery. A great time to make some hot cocoa and go through all the holiday decorations and ornaments.
My procrastination is getting the better of me, though. We don't really have anyone coming over to our house until this weekend, so that gives me several more days to do the decorating. I'll probably end up watching Glee and Rick Steves' European Christmas (or some other Christmas movie...why limit myself?) while folding laundry and possibly baking some more ginger snaps because I may or may not have eaten every last one of them in the past three days.
(I didn't actually eat the entire batch since I gave away about half of them. Yeah, eating half a batch is soooooo much better.)
I hear it may freeze again tonight so I'll have to go out and cover up the garden at some point. Yes, I am covering my entire garden. I am still waiting for about four or five butternut squash to fully ripen and I would hate for the patience I have had the last three or four months to be for naught if all the vegetables shrivel up and die because of a two-day cold snap.
And by "all" the vegetables, I really just mean the four or five butternut squash and some beets. That reminds me that I should probably figure out when beets are ready to harvest. I guess I could pull one up, take a look, and then poke it back down if it's not ready. I'm sure that's the agriculturally-certified way to go about things.
Just let me know if you'd like to come over and help decorate our tree and house and whatnot. It could be arranged.
Monday, November 29, 2010
I'm still full.
Happy Monday after Thanksgiving!
I know, it's not that exciting for me either. I had a great extra-long weekend...although, where did the time go? I seriously don't think I've ever had four days go by so quickly. Perhaps all the eating ran together and made the days seem shorter.
There was Thanksgiving lunch, Thanksgiving leftovers for dinner, more Thanksgiving leftovers the next day, gumbo made with, you guessed it!, leftover Thanksgiving turkey, and then for some unknown reason our church decided to have an after-Thanksgiving potluck lunch after our service yesterday. Because no one had enough to eat in the prior three days.
I'm full.
In the midst of all the eating we managed to get some Christmas card envelopes addressed, clean up the house, go hunt down a Christmas tree and put lights on it, and take plenty of naps.
Oh, and get some cracks in our walls repaired which then required my husband to do paint touch-ups in four different rooms with four different paint colors. What would vacation days at home be for John without some home renovation to keep him busy?
Our house now has the distinctly unique smell of fresh paint and Christmas tree. If only I could bottle that scent: get the homey, festive pine smell and a high from paint fumes all at the same time.
Oh, I kid. Kind of. The paint fumes are really only prominent in our hallway where there is apparently no ventilation.
I know, it's not that exciting for me either. I had a great extra-long weekend...although, where did the time go? I seriously don't think I've ever had four days go by so quickly. Perhaps all the eating ran together and made the days seem shorter.
There was Thanksgiving lunch, Thanksgiving leftovers for dinner, more Thanksgiving leftovers the next day, gumbo made with, you guessed it!, leftover Thanksgiving turkey, and then for some unknown reason our church decided to have an after-Thanksgiving potluck lunch after our service yesterday. Because no one had enough to eat in the prior three days.
I'm full.
In the midst of all the eating we managed to get some Christmas card envelopes addressed, clean up the house, go hunt down a Christmas tree and put lights on it, and take plenty of naps.
Oh, and get some cracks in our walls repaired which then required my husband to do paint touch-ups in four different rooms with four different paint colors. What would vacation days at home be for John without some home renovation to keep him busy?
Our house now has the distinctly unique smell of fresh paint and Christmas tree. If only I could bottle that scent: get the homey, festive pine smell and a high from paint fumes all at the same time.
Oh, I kid. Kind of. The paint fumes are really only prominent in our hallway where there is apparently no ventilation.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Giving Thanks
Sometimes being thankful doesn't come easy.
Whether it's a lot of small, unpleasant details in life that you're focusing on or a generally devastating life situation or experience that's occupying your mind, sometimes gratitude seems unnatural.
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." -Colossians 3:15
Maybe that's why God has to remind us quite a lot in the Bible to be thankful, to be grateful, and to be content.
"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." -Paul, in Philippians 4:11
Contentment, and I would add thankfulness, are things we have to learn according to Paul, so obviously they don't always come naturally.
The Wall Street Journal reported just yesterday on research that has shown grateful people are happier and healthier, so apparently God knows what's good for us! The article says adults who are thankful "have more energy, more optimism, more social connections and more happiness than those who do not." In addition, "they're also less likely to be depressed, envious, greedy or alcoholics. They earn more money, sleep more soundly, exercise more regularly and have greater resistance to viral infections."
Our baby would have been due next Wednesday. It's kind of a crappy time of year to be reminded of our loss. I know we're in good company, though. It seems the holidays are chock-full of grief for so many people. It just takes intentional effort to be thankful anyway...despite the emotions.
I'm thankful for:
1. my husband. I couldn't have a better one.
2. doctors...at least, most of the time.
3. my job and the fantastic coworkers I have.
4. friendships that continue through time and distance.
5. a close relationship with my sister.
6. my sweet nephew and his miraculous life.
7. not having a fatal illness.
8. having enough: enough food, enough clothes, enough roof over my head, enough medical care.
9. reliable transportation and being able to afford gas for my car.
10. hot showers and clean water.
11. books and the library.
12. pumpkin spice lattes.
13. being able to have hope because I have a Savior.
14. our house not burning down.
15. music.
16. good hair.
17. getting to travel to so many cool places.
18. the kids we sponsor through Compassion International and their prayers for us.
19. a good-sized kitchen to cook in.
20. the use of my five senses.
If I could think of twenty, I'm sure you could think of five or ten. It's OK if it takes a while, but I encourage everybody to try it. Make a list. If you want, put it in a comment and we can all be thankful together.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Whether it's a lot of small, unpleasant details in life that you're focusing on or a generally devastating life situation or experience that's occupying your mind, sometimes gratitude seems unnatural.
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." -Colossians 3:15
Maybe that's why God has to remind us quite a lot in the Bible to be thankful, to be grateful, and to be content.
"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." -Paul, in Philippians 4:11
Contentment, and I would add thankfulness, are things we have to learn according to Paul, so obviously they don't always come naturally.
The Wall Street Journal reported just yesterday on research that has shown grateful people are happier and healthier, so apparently God knows what's good for us! The article says adults who are thankful "have more energy, more optimism, more social connections and more happiness than those who do not." In addition, "they're also less likely to be depressed, envious, greedy or alcoholics. They earn more money, sleep more soundly, exercise more regularly and have greater resistance to viral infections."
Our baby would have been due next Wednesday. It's kind of a crappy time of year to be reminded of our loss. I know we're in good company, though. It seems the holidays are chock-full of grief for so many people. It just takes intentional effort to be thankful anyway...despite the emotions.
I'm thankful for:
1. my husband. I couldn't have a better one.
2. doctors...at least, most of the time.
3. my job and the fantastic coworkers I have.
4. friendships that continue through time and distance.
5. a close relationship with my sister.
6. my sweet nephew and his miraculous life.
7. not having a fatal illness.
8. having enough: enough food, enough clothes, enough roof over my head, enough medical care.
9. reliable transportation and being able to afford gas for my car.
10. hot showers and clean water.
11. books and the library.
12. pumpkin spice lattes.
13. being able to have hope because I have a Savior.
14. our house not burning down.
15. music.
16. good hair.
17. getting to travel to so many cool places.
18. the kids we sponsor through Compassion International and their prayers for us.
19. a good-sized kitchen to cook in.
20. the use of my five senses.
If I could think of twenty, I'm sure you could think of five or ten. It's OK if it takes a while, but I encourage everybody to try it. Make a list. If you want, put it in a comment and we can all be thankful together.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
We didn't (intentionally) start the fire.
Tonight I got to yell, "FIRE!!!"
Except, the yell wasn't quite as loud as it would have been owing to the fact that I have a cold and have kind of lost my voice.
My appetite hasn't been what it usually is, but John was hungry tonight for dinner and I thought breakfast for dinner sounded pretty good. We had some leftover blueberry pancakes and all the ingredients for migas.
But it wasn't the migas or the pancakes that started the fire. No, the migas were about done.
What started it all? I was boiling some water in a tea kettle for a cup of tea.
That's when the smoke starting rising from the range under the tea kettle. A lot of it. It was thick.
I quickly removed the tea kettle to the front burner, and shooting up from the pan under the burner were nothing less than flames. Flames that quickly grew to about two feet high and came within inches of the microwave above the range.
Our kitchen fire extinguisher that has been gathering dust for eight and a half years finally came in handy. I grabbed it, yelled "FIRE!!!", pulled the pin out, and John was there instantaneously to extinguish the fire with one short burst from the extinguisher.
(I am a little embarrassed to admit I panicked a bit and after pulling out the pin stared at the extinguisher a second looking for a trigger, when really you PUSH DOWN on the top of the handle. When you're faced with a fire the last thing you're going to do is read instructions or look at pictures on the fire extinguisher. Although, I might be the only person dumb enough to not know how to use the thing. But, really, I have never in my life had to put out a fire. I thankfully handed the extinguisher over to John the second he sped into the kitchen.)
Disaster averted. Only to be met by the next disaster. Dinner was sitting, all cooked and ready to eat, on the stove. With fire extinguisher dust all over it. The cheese I had sitting out to grate over the migas was ruined as well.
Thankfully, the pancakes were safe.
Soooo, we dumped dinner in the trash, cleaned up the residue from...everything...and I started over with the migas. Am I a glutton for punishment or what?
John kindly ran to the store to buy more cheese...and a new fire extinguisher for the kitchen.
I think he was afraid to leave me unprotected from further fire for any length of time.
According to the back of a kitchen fire extinguisher box at the store, a household kitchen fire occurs every 83 seconds in our country.
So, really it's a miracle that this is the first we've had in eight and a half years of marriage.
It's also a miracle that our microwave light, which has been out for the past few years - only blinking on once in a blue moon, is now working! It's the happy ending to our tale of flames and woe.
Except, the yell wasn't quite as loud as it would have been owing to the fact that I have a cold and have kind of lost my voice.
My appetite hasn't been what it usually is, but John was hungry tonight for dinner and I thought breakfast for dinner sounded pretty good. We had some leftover blueberry pancakes and all the ingredients for migas.
But it wasn't the migas or the pancakes that started the fire. No, the migas were about done.
What started it all? I was boiling some water in a tea kettle for a cup of tea.
That's when the smoke starting rising from the range under the tea kettle. A lot of it. It was thick.
I quickly removed the tea kettle to the front burner, and shooting up from the pan under the burner were nothing less than flames. Flames that quickly grew to about two feet high and came within inches of the microwave above the range.
Our kitchen fire extinguisher that has been gathering dust for eight and a half years finally came in handy. I grabbed it, yelled "FIRE!!!", pulled the pin out, and John was there instantaneously to extinguish the fire with one short burst from the extinguisher.
(I am a little embarrassed to admit I panicked a bit and after pulling out the pin stared at the extinguisher a second looking for a trigger, when really you PUSH DOWN on the top of the handle. When you're faced with a fire the last thing you're going to do is read instructions or look at pictures on the fire extinguisher. Although, I might be the only person dumb enough to not know how to use the thing. But, really, I have never in my life had to put out a fire. I thankfully handed the extinguisher over to John the second he sped into the kitchen.)
Disaster averted. Only to be met by the next disaster. Dinner was sitting, all cooked and ready to eat, on the stove. With fire extinguisher dust all over it. The cheese I had sitting out to grate over the migas was ruined as well.
Thankfully, the pancakes were safe.
Soooo, we dumped dinner in the trash, cleaned up the residue from...everything...and I started over with the migas. Am I a glutton for punishment or what?
John kindly ran to the store to buy more cheese...and a new fire extinguisher for the kitchen.
I think he was afraid to leave me unprotected from further fire for any length of time.
According to the back of a kitchen fire extinguisher box at the store, a household kitchen fire occurs every 83 seconds in our country.
So, really it's a miracle that this is the first we've had in eight and a half years of marriage.
It's also a miracle that our microwave light, which has been out for the past few years - only blinking on once in a blue moon, is now working! It's the happy ending to our tale of flames and woe.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
For the Sake of Cooking
I promised myself "No more with the cooking and recipes on the blog!" But I can't help it!
You know you love to cook when you see a recipe and think it would be fun and satisfying to make it...even though you're pretty sure you'd never actually want to eat it.
Pioneer Woman posted a recipe like this just this week: Pumpkin Cream Pie. I don't care for pumpkin pie, and I also don't care for cream pies. In fact, I don't care so much for pies in general (unless it's peanut butter pie - thank you, John's grandmother, for making peanut butter pie for family functions). Or my mom's apple pie. I am already dreaming of her apple pie at Christmas!
There's something about food processing graham crackers, whipping up a cream substance, and folding together whipped cream and pudding that sounds delightful.
But the thought of eating that makes me feel a little sick. I would pass.
I'm sure someone would eat the pie, but in all honestly, I'm not going to do it. My part of Thanksgiving dinner is smoking a turkey. And with everyone else bringing sides and desserts and rolls, there is no need for me to bring anything else. I kind of think it would go to waste with all the other delicious food.
But just thinking a recipe looks fun to make reinforces the fact that maybe I like to cook for the sake of cooking, not always for the eating part.
You know you love to cook when you see a recipe and think it would be fun and satisfying to make it...even though you're pretty sure you'd never actually want to eat it.
Pioneer Woman posted a recipe like this just this week: Pumpkin Cream Pie. I don't care for pumpkin pie, and I also don't care for cream pies. In fact, I don't care so much for pies in general (unless it's peanut butter pie - thank you, John's grandmother, for making peanut butter pie for family functions). Or my mom's apple pie. I am already dreaming of her apple pie at Christmas!
There's something about food processing graham crackers, whipping up a cream substance, and folding together whipped cream and pudding that sounds delightful.
But the thought of eating that makes me feel a little sick. I would pass.
I'm sure someone would eat the pie, but in all honestly, I'm not going to do it. My part of Thanksgiving dinner is smoking a turkey. And with everyone else bringing sides and desserts and rolls, there is no need for me to bring anything else. I kind of think it would go to waste with all the other delicious food.
But just thinking a recipe looks fun to make reinforces the fact that maybe I like to cook for the sake of cooking, not always for the eating part.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Not Snappy
I don't mean to be melodramatic, but this year has been the year of illness, death, pain, and suffering. I barely staved off a sinus infection two weeks ago, only to go visit my sister and contract a sore throat.
Then the sore throat began spreading to my ears, which are now hurting just a tad.
For the record, I knew my sister was ill before we left to drive down to visit for the weekend. With the way this year has gone, I'm not sure why I thought I could fight off any illness and remain strong and healthy, but I did. Plus, I really don't like going more than a month without seeing my nephew and this was the only weekend in a good long while when I wasn't scheduled to work.
I cannot adequately express how tired I am of going to doctors, getting prescribed medicine, dealing with traumatic side-effects and wondering if the medication I was given was correct, necessary, or helpful.
I promised I would share one of the goodie recipes that I can't do without at Christmas. This blog is not a food blog, or a dining blog, or a recipe blog...at least it wasn't. Lately it seems like food is taking up a great deal of space on here. What can I say?
It's the holidays.
I think about food a lot.
I like to cook.
And today I lack the energy to write about anything more original or entertaining.
My mom makes the best Ginger Snaps. I know by definition, the cookies should be crunchy, but I like them moist and chewy. I am not alone in my preference. In college my mom would send a box of goodies to our apartment after Thanksgiving, and the Ginger Snaps were the first to be finished.
The beauty of the recipe is that you can get "snappy" cookies if you wish simply by cooking them longer.
But, please, pretty please...do yourself a favor and at least try one batch the chewy way. I am wishing right now that my mom had sent me a box of Ginger Snaps...yesterday...so I could have them today. You know, without going to any effort on my own part.
Because, did I mention I'm a bit under the weather?
OK. I think I did.
I also like my Ginger Snaps really gingery. (I am now making up words.) To make up for the lack of snappiness, perhaps. So I tweak the original recipe just a bit and add about twice as much ginger as it calls for. The recipe below is in its untainted, original form.
Even though this recipe has no chocolate, it is without a doubt the one holiday goodie I must have.
Ginger Snaps
Cream till fluffy:
¾ c. margarine
¼ c. molasses
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
Mix well and stir into creamed mixture:
2 ¼ c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. cloves
If you stir the flour mixture in it may be stiff enough to make the cookies immediately. (Cover dough and chill well if it’s too sticky to work with.) Roll into small balls about ¾”-1” in diameter and roll them in white sugar. Place 2” apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° 7-8 minutes. They’ll be cracked on top. (Bake longer for crispy cookies.)
Makes about 5 dozen soft cookies.
Then the sore throat began spreading to my ears, which are now hurting just a tad.
For the record, I knew my sister was ill before we left to drive down to visit for the weekend. With the way this year has gone, I'm not sure why I thought I could fight off any illness and remain strong and healthy, but I did. Plus, I really don't like going more than a month without seeing my nephew and this was the only weekend in a good long while when I wasn't scheduled to work.
I cannot adequately express how tired I am of going to doctors, getting prescribed medicine, dealing with traumatic side-effects and wondering if the medication I was given was correct, necessary, or helpful.
I promised I would share one of the goodie recipes that I can't do without at Christmas. This blog is not a food blog, or a dining blog, or a recipe blog...at least it wasn't. Lately it seems like food is taking up a great deal of space on here. What can I say?
It's the holidays.
I think about food a lot.
I like to cook.
And today I lack the energy to write about anything more original or entertaining.
My mom makes the best Ginger Snaps. I know by definition, the cookies should be crunchy, but I like them moist and chewy. I am not alone in my preference. In college my mom would send a box of goodies to our apartment after Thanksgiving, and the Ginger Snaps were the first to be finished.
The beauty of the recipe is that you can get "snappy" cookies if you wish simply by cooking them longer.
But, please, pretty please...do yourself a favor and at least try one batch the chewy way. I am wishing right now that my mom had sent me a box of Ginger Snaps...yesterday...so I could have them today. You know, without going to any effort on my own part.
Because, did I mention I'm a bit under the weather?
OK. I think I did.
I also like my Ginger Snaps really gingery. (I am now making up words.) To make up for the lack of snappiness, perhaps. So I tweak the original recipe just a bit and add about twice as much ginger as it calls for. The recipe below is in its untainted, original form.
Even though this recipe has no chocolate, it is without a doubt the one holiday goodie I must have.
Ginger Snaps
Cream till fluffy:
¾ c. margarine
¼ c. molasses
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
Mix well and stir into creamed mixture:
2 ¼ c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. cloves
If you stir the flour mixture in it may be stiff enough to make the cookies immediately. (Cover dough and chill well if it’s too sticky to work with.) Roll into small balls about ¾”-1” in diameter and roll them in white sugar. Place 2” apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° 7-8 minutes. They’ll be cracked on top. (Bake longer for crispy cookies.)
Makes about 5 dozen soft cookies.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Pumpkin Seeds
How would a website called "pumpkin patches and more" know which flavors of roasted pumpkin seeds are "the most popular, in order"? Did they poll their family members? It sounds suspiciously like a science fair project one of their kids did in second grade.
In case you're wondering, their results are: 1. savory, 2. lemony, 3. halloweeny (yes, you read that right, and this further legitimizes my theory about the science fair project...it is a blend of cinnamon, ginger, salt, and allspice), 4. spicy, and 5. natural.
By the way, "pumpkin patches and more" is a page of a website I've written about in the past, pickyourown.org, and I love their website. Besides finding places to pick organic blueberries in the summer, I've also found instructions on freezing and otherwise preserving various vegetables from my garden. To tell the truth, that's mostly been okra since that is the one crop I've successfully grown to excess.
(Note to self, four okra plants is at least two plants too many!)
Roasted pumpkin seeds are fairly easy to make (scooping out the pumpkin guts is by far the hardest part), they are full of anti-oxidants, protein, and fiber, and I like the crunchiness. It's gotta be better than snacking on chocolate and peanut-butter chips from half-empty bags in the pantry.
Curse the holiday baking season! I can't escape the chocolate chips, extra cookie dough, and pumpkin bread that will inevitably be in the kitchen for the next two months!
That's a lie. I could just not buy the stuff and refuse to bake, but how much fun would that be?
I'm curious. What's the one holiday baked good that you can't live without?
I'll share one of mine tomorrow.
In case you're wondering, their results are: 1. savory, 2. lemony, 3. halloweeny (yes, you read that right, and this further legitimizes my theory about the science fair project...it is a blend of cinnamon, ginger, salt, and allspice), 4. spicy, and 5. natural.
By the way, "pumpkin patches and more" is a page of a website I've written about in the past, pickyourown.org, and I love their website. Besides finding places to pick organic blueberries in the summer, I've also found instructions on freezing and otherwise preserving various vegetables from my garden. To tell the truth, that's mostly been okra since that is the one crop I've successfully grown to excess.
(Note to self, four okra plants is at least two plants too many!)
Roasted pumpkin seeds are fairly easy to make (scooping out the pumpkin guts is by far the hardest part), they are full of anti-oxidants, protein, and fiber, and I like the crunchiness. It's gotta be better than snacking on chocolate and peanut-butter chips from half-empty bags in the pantry.
Curse the holiday baking season! I can't escape the chocolate chips, extra cookie dough, and pumpkin bread that will inevitably be in the kitchen for the next two months!
That's a lie. I could just not buy the stuff and refuse to bake, but how much fun would that be?
I'm curious. What's the one holiday baked good that you can't live without?
I'll share one of mine tomorrow.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
A Belated Celebration
I forgot to make an announcement on Sunday: LET'S CELEBRATE! DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME HAS ENDED! HOORAY FOR SUNLIGHT IN THE MORNING!
Another happy result of the time change is that we are back to eating dinner at the more appropriate time of between 6:30 and 7 rather than closer to 7:30 or 8.
Yes, I know I had about six months to get used to Daylight Saving Time and move dinner back an hour once the time sprang forward, but it never happened. I'm hoping I can keep up with the earlier dinner hour, mostly because I know it's really healthier to finish eating a few hours before going to bed.
Something needs to be healthy about our eating during this season of sugar, butter, and way more meat than we usually eat.
I've noticed a strange phenomenon this week, though. Despite the fact that starting on Sunday my body should have really thought it was an hour earlier at night than it actually was, I have been going to bed later than normal. Why is that? Is anyone else having this problem?
So, although 11 p.m. wouldn't really be too late normally, with the time change it's like midnight. I usually can't stay up that late. What is going on? This is not a good habit to start, so I will now force myself to finish this post and get ready for bed...tired or not...here I go.
Another happy result of the time change is that we are back to eating dinner at the more appropriate time of between 6:30 and 7 rather than closer to 7:30 or 8.
Yes, I know I had about six months to get used to Daylight Saving Time and move dinner back an hour once the time sprang forward, but it never happened. I'm hoping I can keep up with the earlier dinner hour, mostly because I know it's really healthier to finish eating a few hours before going to bed.
Something needs to be healthy about our eating during this season of sugar, butter, and way more meat than we usually eat.
I've noticed a strange phenomenon this week, though. Despite the fact that starting on Sunday my body should have really thought it was an hour earlier at night than it actually was, I have been going to bed later than normal. Why is that? Is anyone else having this problem?
So, although 11 p.m. wouldn't really be too late normally, with the time change it's like midnight. I usually can't stay up that late. What is going on? This is not a good habit to start, so I will now force myself to finish this post and get ready for bed...tired or not...here I go.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
The Results
Here's how my "Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good" turned out:
This is just the perfect dish for October and November! It's beautiful!
It is also quite tasty. I think if you add bacon and cheese to anything it has to automatically be at least pretty good.
The rice I used for this recipe was kind of dry, so I think I should have compensated with a little more liquid...maybe not all cream, maybe a little chicken broth. If I cook another savory pumpkin, I would probably use bread to see how that goes. I think bread would soak up the liquid more than cooked rice.
The pumpkin I used was two pounds. It would easily serve three, but probably not four. Also, you could definitely eat this stuff with a green salad and have a good meal right there.
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
A French Pumpkin
John told me about an interview he heard on NPR with Dorie Greenspan, the author of a cookbook called "Around My French Table". On the radio show the author served one of her dishes called "Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good", and apparently the host, Michelle Norris, raved about it.
As my husband described a baked pumpkin filled with a concoction of bread cubes, cheese, garlic, herbs, bacon, and cream I was intrigued. A Google search turns up many articles, blogs, and recipe sites already buzzing about this dish, so maybe by the time I post this you have already heard about it.
I'm apparently not the only one who heard about the recipe, or heard the interview on NPR, and can't stop thinking about a "Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good". So, today at the store I gathered a couple ingredients I didn't have on hand, and my pumpkin is now baking in the oven.
I used cooked rice instead of bread since Greenspan claims it turns out quite like risotto, and I love risotto. It's funny that as I read the recipe I couldn't imagine other ingredients that would change the recipe up and be just as delightful, but while putting together the stuffing for the pumpkin I suddenly am inspired to add other ingredients. Cooked spinach, as Greenspan points out, is something I can see as a nice addition. If you use a stuffing of bread, golden raisins, chunks of apple, and walnuts finished off with cream enhanced by some cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg and cloves...what a fantastic dessert!
Now I can't wait to try the sweet version of this recipe! I thought cooking this up tonight would allow me stop thinking about it, but I see I might not be able to rest until I've tried the alternative version of the recipe as well!
You can read the short article and recipe on NPR's website, but I'll join the club of bloggers and food connoisseurs (not that I put myself in that latter category) everywhere and post the recipe here for convenience.
One quick confession: I kind of like to read cookbooks. If this recipe is as scrumptious as Michele Norris apparently thinks it is, I will be tempted to pick up "Around My French Table", even though I have no practical need of another cookbook. Maybe a better idea would be to go peruse the book at a bookstore. Does that make me weird? I like to sit down with a cup of coffee and read through a cookbook?
OK. That's probably not the only thing that makes me weird.
Pumpkin Stuffed With Everything Good
Makes 2 very generous servings
1 pumpkin, about 3 pounds
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 pound stale bread, thinly sliced and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/4 pound cheese, such as Gruyere, Emmenthal, cheddar, or a combination, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2–4 garlic cloves (to taste), split, germ removed, and coarsely chopped
4 strips bacon, cooked until crisp, drained, and chopped
About 1/4 cup snipped fresh chives or sliced scallions
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
About 1/3 cup heavy cream
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment, or find a Dutch oven with a diameter that's just a tiny bit larger than your pumpkin. If you bake the pumpkin in a casserole, it will keep its shape, but it might stick to the casserole, so you'll have to serve it from the pot — which is an appealingly homey way to serve it. If you bake it on a baking sheet, you can present it freestanding, but maneuvering a heavy stuffed pumpkin with a softened shell isn't so easy. However, since I love the way the unencumbered pumpkin looks in the center of the table, I've always taken my chances with the baked-on-a-sheet method, and so far, I've been lucky.
Using a very sturdy knife — and caution — cut a cap out of the top of the pumpkin (think Halloween jack-o'-lantern). It's easiest to work your knife around the top of the pumpkin at a 45-degree angle. You want to cut off enough of the top to make it easy for you to work inside the pumpkin. Clear away the seeds and strings from the cap and from inside the pumpkin. Season the inside of the pumpkin generously with salt and pepper, and put it on the baking sheet or in the pot. Toss the bread, cheese, garlic, bacon, and herbs together in a bowl. Season with pepper — you probably have enough salt from the bacon and cheese, but taste to be sure — and pack the mix into the pumpkin. The pumpkin should be well filled — you might have a little too much filling, or you might need to add to it. Stir the cream with the nutmeg and some salt and pepper and pour it into the pumpkin. Again, you might have too much or too little — you don't want the ingredients to swim in cream, but you do want them nicely moistened. (But it's hard to go wrong here.)
Put the cap in place and bake the pumpkin for about 2 hours — check after 90 minutes — or until everything inside the pumpkin is bubbling and the flesh of the pumpkin is tender enough to be pierced easily with the tip of a knife. Because the pumpkin will have exuded liquid, I like to remove the cap during the last 20 minutes or so, so that the liquid can bake away and the top of the stuffing can brown a little.
When the pumpkin is ready, carefully, very carefully — it's heavy, hot, and wobbly — bring it to the table or transfer it to a platter that you'll bring to the table.
Serving
You have choices: you can cut wedges of the pumpkin and filling; you can spoon out portions of the filling, making sure to get a generous amount of pumpkin into the spoonful; or you can dig into the pumpkin with a big spoon, pull the pumpkin meat into the filling, and then mix everything up. I'm a fan of the pull-and-mix option. Served in hearty portions followed by a salad, the pumpkin is a perfect cold-weather main course; served in generous spoonfuls or wedges, it's just right alongside the Thanksgiving turkey.
Storing
It's really best to eat this as soon as it's ready. However, if you've got leftovers, you can scoop them out of the pumpkin, mix them up, cover, and chill them; reheat them the next day.
Greenspan's Stuffing Ideas
There are many ways to vary this arts-and-crafts project. Instead of bread, I've filled the pumpkin with cooked rice — when it's baked, it's almost risotto-like. And, with either bread or rice, on different occasions I've added cooked spinach, kale, chard, or peas (the peas came straight from the freezer). I've made it without bacon, and I've also made and loved, loved, loved it with cooked sausage meat; cubes of ham are another good idea. Nuts are a great addition, as are chunks of apple or pear or pieces of chestnut.
As my husband described a baked pumpkin filled with a concoction of bread cubes, cheese, garlic, herbs, bacon, and cream I was intrigued. A Google search turns up many articles, blogs, and recipe sites already buzzing about this dish, so maybe by the time I post this you have already heard about it.
I'm apparently not the only one who heard about the recipe, or heard the interview on NPR, and can't stop thinking about a "Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good". So, today at the store I gathered a couple ingredients I didn't have on hand, and my pumpkin is now baking in the oven.
I used cooked rice instead of bread since Greenspan claims it turns out quite like risotto, and I love risotto. It's funny that as I read the recipe I couldn't imagine other ingredients that would change the recipe up and be just as delightful, but while putting together the stuffing for the pumpkin I suddenly am inspired to add other ingredients. Cooked spinach, as Greenspan points out, is something I can see as a nice addition. If you use a stuffing of bread, golden raisins, chunks of apple, and walnuts finished off with cream enhanced by some cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg and cloves...what a fantastic dessert!
Now I can't wait to try the sweet version of this recipe! I thought cooking this up tonight would allow me stop thinking about it, but I see I might not be able to rest until I've tried the alternative version of the recipe as well!
You can read the short article and recipe on NPR's website, but I'll join the club of bloggers and food connoisseurs (not that I put myself in that latter category) everywhere and post the recipe here for convenience.
One quick confession: I kind of like to read cookbooks. If this recipe is as scrumptious as Michele Norris apparently thinks it is, I will be tempted to pick up "Around My French Table", even though I have no practical need of another cookbook. Maybe a better idea would be to go peruse the book at a bookstore. Does that make me weird? I like to sit down with a cup of coffee and read through a cookbook?
OK. That's probably not the only thing that makes me weird.
Pumpkin Stuffed With Everything Good
Makes 2 very generous servings
1 pumpkin, about 3 pounds
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 pound stale bread, thinly sliced and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/4 pound cheese, such as Gruyere, Emmenthal, cheddar, or a combination, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2–4 garlic cloves (to taste), split, germ removed, and coarsely chopped
4 strips bacon, cooked until crisp, drained, and chopped
About 1/4 cup snipped fresh chives or sliced scallions
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
About 1/3 cup heavy cream
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment, or find a Dutch oven with a diameter that's just a tiny bit larger than your pumpkin. If you bake the pumpkin in a casserole, it will keep its shape, but it might stick to the casserole, so you'll have to serve it from the pot — which is an appealingly homey way to serve it. If you bake it on a baking sheet, you can present it freestanding, but maneuvering a heavy stuffed pumpkin with a softened shell isn't so easy. However, since I love the way the unencumbered pumpkin looks in the center of the table, I've always taken my chances with the baked-on-a-sheet method, and so far, I've been lucky.
Using a very sturdy knife — and caution — cut a cap out of the top of the pumpkin (think Halloween jack-o'-lantern). It's easiest to work your knife around the top of the pumpkin at a 45-degree angle. You want to cut off enough of the top to make it easy for you to work inside the pumpkin. Clear away the seeds and strings from the cap and from inside the pumpkin. Season the inside of the pumpkin generously with salt and pepper, and put it on the baking sheet or in the pot. Toss the bread, cheese, garlic, bacon, and herbs together in a bowl. Season with pepper — you probably have enough salt from the bacon and cheese, but taste to be sure — and pack the mix into the pumpkin. The pumpkin should be well filled — you might have a little too much filling, or you might need to add to it. Stir the cream with the nutmeg and some salt and pepper and pour it into the pumpkin. Again, you might have too much or too little — you don't want the ingredients to swim in cream, but you do want them nicely moistened. (But it's hard to go wrong here.)
Put the cap in place and bake the pumpkin for about 2 hours — check after 90 minutes — or until everything inside the pumpkin is bubbling and the flesh of the pumpkin is tender enough to be pierced easily with the tip of a knife. Because the pumpkin will have exuded liquid, I like to remove the cap during the last 20 minutes or so, so that the liquid can bake away and the top of the stuffing can brown a little.
When the pumpkin is ready, carefully, very carefully — it's heavy, hot, and wobbly — bring it to the table or transfer it to a platter that you'll bring to the table.
Serving
You have choices: you can cut wedges of the pumpkin and filling; you can spoon out portions of the filling, making sure to get a generous amount of pumpkin into the spoonful; or you can dig into the pumpkin with a big spoon, pull the pumpkin meat into the filling, and then mix everything up. I'm a fan of the pull-and-mix option. Served in hearty portions followed by a salad, the pumpkin is a perfect cold-weather main course; served in generous spoonfuls or wedges, it's just right alongside the Thanksgiving turkey.
Storing
It's really best to eat this as soon as it's ready. However, if you've got leftovers, you can scoop them out of the pumpkin, mix them up, cover, and chill them; reheat them the next day.
Greenspan's Stuffing Ideas
There are many ways to vary this arts-and-crafts project. Instead of bread, I've filled the pumpkin with cooked rice — when it's baked, it's almost risotto-like. And, with either bread or rice, on different occasions I've added cooked spinach, kale, chard, or peas (the peas came straight from the freezer). I've made it without bacon, and I've also made and loved, loved, loved it with cooked sausage meat; cubes of ham are another good idea. Nuts are a great addition, as are chunks of apple or pear or pieces of chestnut.
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Maple-Thyme Roast Chicken
I'm certain that you all have been waiting with bated breath for the roast chicken recipe. I am here to deliver.
(Although, unlike so many blogs, this recipe comes with no pictures. Partly because I tend to multi-task while cooking already and adding photography to the mix is too much for my brain to handle, and partly because I'm a little afraid I would end up burning or scalding myself if I attempted to take pictures AND cook at the same time.)
You can just imagine a deep brown chicken at the end of this process. Brown, but not burned.
Also, I'm not sure why this recipe calls for cutting the backbone out of the chicken. I think maybe it cooks more evenly or something. Anyway, with some good kitchen shears handy it's not that hard to do.
Maple-Thyme Roast Chicken
Serves 4
4-lb. whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry 2 Tbs. olive oil
Kosher salt 2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
Black pepper 1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
1/3 c. pure maple syrup 1/8 tsp. cayenne
Position rack in the upper third of oven and heat the oven to 400. Set the chicken on a cutting board, breast side down. Use kitchen shears to cut along both sides of backbone to remove it. Flip the chicken over and press down on the breasts with the heels of your hands to flatten it a little. Rub ¾ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper all over the chicken and set it breast side up in a 9x13 baking dish (the chicken should fit snugly).
In small bowl, whisk the maple syrup, oil, vinegar, thyme, and cayenne with 1 tsp. salt. Pour mixture evenly over chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with ¼ tsp. salt and several grinds of black pepper. Roast the chicken, basting or brushing it occasionally with the pan juices, until thermometer inserted in deepest part of thigh reads 170-175, 45-50 minutes. (Keep an eye on the pan juices; if they seem to be burning, add a couple of Tbs. of water to the bottom of the pan.)
Let chicken rest for a few minutes, cut it into pieces, drizzle it generously with pan juices, and serve.
(Although, unlike so many blogs, this recipe comes with no pictures. Partly because I tend to multi-task while cooking already and adding photography to the mix is too much for my brain to handle, and partly because I'm a little afraid I would end up burning or scalding myself if I attempted to take pictures AND cook at the same time.)
You can just imagine a deep brown chicken at the end of this process. Brown, but not burned.
Also, I'm not sure why this recipe calls for cutting the backbone out of the chicken. I think maybe it cooks more evenly or something. Anyway, with some good kitchen shears handy it's not that hard to do.
Maple-Thyme Roast Chicken
Serves 4
4-lb. whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry 2 Tbs. olive oil
Kosher salt 2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
Black pepper 1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
1/3 c. pure maple syrup 1/8 tsp. cayenne
Position rack in the upper third of oven and heat the oven to 400. Set the chicken on a cutting board, breast side down. Use kitchen shears to cut along both sides of backbone to remove it. Flip the chicken over and press down on the breasts with the heels of your hands to flatten it a little. Rub ¾ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper all over the chicken and set it breast side up in a 9x13 baking dish (the chicken should fit snugly).
In small bowl, whisk the maple syrup, oil, vinegar, thyme, and cayenne with 1 tsp. salt. Pour mixture evenly over chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with ¼ tsp. salt and several grinds of black pepper. Roast the chicken, basting or brushing it occasionally with the pan juices, until thermometer inserted in deepest part of thigh reads 170-175, 45-50 minutes. (Keep an eye on the pan juices; if they seem to be burning, add a couple of Tbs. of water to the bottom of the pan.)
Let chicken rest for a few minutes, cut it into pieces, drizzle it generously with pan juices, and serve.
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
I may need to build an ark.
Well, after all I've done to try to revive my vegetable garden all my plants are now drowned.
I can't remember the last time it's rained ALL DAY. Seriously, it has been raining nonstop since approximately 8:30 this morning. My garden is elevated and has great drainage (thanks to my sweet husband!), but I'm not sure it can possibly drain 12 hours worth of rain adequately. I guess we'll see what becomes of the plants after this massive downpour.
Thankfully, I hauled my behind out of bed early enough this morning to go vote soon after the polls opened, and it was not yet raining. Unfortunately, everyone is our precinct apparently has a last name in the latter half of the alphabet and decided to also be there right when the polls opened. I waited quite a while to get my ballot all the while envying the people whose last names start with A-L that went right up and got their ballot in seconds.
There was also an unfortunate mix-up with the group that checked in directly ahead of me whereby they were all given the wrong ballot. The first member of the group had already finished voting, but all those ballots had to be confiscated and destroyed (I believe the word actually used was "mutilated"). It was quite a to-do that held up the line further. I think after I checked in, the ladies at the table for the last half of the alphabet revamped their strategy and found a more efficient way to run things.
Who knew it was so complicated to run the check-in table for a polling place?
After spending some time out in the wet weather running errands, I got to do one of my favorite things to do on a rainy day (right up there with reading and watching movies) - cooking! Some friends had their first baby about a month ago, and I took them dinner. (And got to hang out with them and their cute little girl!)
Dessert was a last-minute addition to the menu, and I made something I haven't made since college: cake mix cookies. Thankfully they still taste as good as they did back in the day.
In case you have a hankering for extremely unhealthy, but super easy, cookies, here's the recipe:
Cake Mix Cookies
1 box cake mix (I used yellow, but whatever you like will work)
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2-3 Tbs. water
chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, nuts (whatever you'd like in the cookies, however much looks good to you)
Beat the eggs and oil. Mix the cake mix into the eggs and oil. Add 2-3 Tbs. water to make the batter a little thinner. Stir the chips or nuts into the dough. Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
I did actually also make more healthy food, including mashed sweet potatoes, a salad, and roast chicken. The roast chicken is fairly easy. Come back tomorrow and I'll post the recipe. Roast chicken and potatoes is just a great homey meal...especially good on a rainy day.
Although, if I'd known it was going to be rainy and cold all day, I definitely would have made some soup! What about you? What do you like to eat on a rainy, cold day?
I can't remember the last time it's rained ALL DAY. Seriously, it has been raining nonstop since approximately 8:30 this morning. My garden is elevated and has great drainage (thanks to my sweet husband!), but I'm not sure it can possibly drain 12 hours worth of rain adequately. I guess we'll see what becomes of the plants after this massive downpour.
Thankfully, I hauled my behind out of bed early enough this morning to go vote soon after the polls opened, and it was not yet raining. Unfortunately, everyone is our precinct apparently has a last name in the latter half of the alphabet and decided to also be there right when the polls opened. I waited quite a while to get my ballot all the while envying the people whose last names start with A-L that went right up and got their ballot in seconds.
There was also an unfortunate mix-up with the group that checked in directly ahead of me whereby they were all given the wrong ballot. The first member of the group had already finished voting, but all those ballots had to be confiscated and destroyed (I believe the word actually used was "mutilated"). It was quite a to-do that held up the line further. I think after I checked in, the ladies at the table for the last half of the alphabet revamped their strategy and found a more efficient way to run things.
Who knew it was so complicated to run the check-in table for a polling place?
After spending some time out in the wet weather running errands, I got to do one of my favorite things to do on a rainy day (right up there with reading and watching movies) - cooking! Some friends had their first baby about a month ago, and I took them dinner. (And got to hang out with them and their cute little girl!)
Dessert was a last-minute addition to the menu, and I made something I haven't made since college: cake mix cookies. Thankfully they still taste as good as they did back in the day.
In case you have a hankering for extremely unhealthy, but super easy, cookies, here's the recipe:
Cake Mix Cookies
1 box cake mix (I used yellow, but whatever you like will work)
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2-3 Tbs. water
chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, nuts (whatever you'd like in the cookies, however much looks good to you)
Beat the eggs and oil. Mix the cake mix into the eggs and oil. Add 2-3 Tbs. water to make the batter a little thinner. Stir the chips or nuts into the dough. Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
I did actually also make more healthy food, including mashed sweet potatoes, a salad, and roast chicken. The roast chicken is fairly easy. Come back tomorrow and I'll post the recipe. Roast chicken and potatoes is just a great homey meal...especially good on a rainy day.
Although, if I'd known it was going to be rainy and cold all day, I definitely would have made some soup! What about you? What do you like to eat on a rainy, cold day?
Monday, November 01, 2010
Goal achieved...a day late
Honestly, I just now found and put up the appropriately autumn blog photo...while listening to the Rangers-Giants World Series game and drinking some of my favorite Merlot. This weekend was a little too full of other important things like dinner with friends, lots of World Series watching, and naps.
I would regale you all with further details from the weekend, but, obviously, it was not quite exciting enough to hold your attention for more than half a second.
The photo above was taken in the Mosel Valley in Germany four years ago...when we lived in Europe. They have Fall there, and it is beautiful.
It is also a bit colder than it is here, and, although I might like the temperatures to be a little bit cooler, I will take the sunshine and above freezing temperatures of north Texas any day over the cold, rainy, freezing weather we experienced in Europe.
This has nothing to do with fall, other than the fact that I planted a fall crop of vegetables, but I'd like to share a quick garden update. I put out some Sluggo (organic snail and slug killer/repellent) in my garden because, my word!, the pill bugs (aka. roly poly bugs) that are munching down on my butternut squash!!!
A couple things I read say the pill bugs are only there because they follow snails and slugs. I have not yet had the chance...or desire...to go out with a flashlight at midnight to observe possible snail and slug activity, but I thought maybe I'd take a chance and see if those pests are really the cause of destruction.
Well, since putting out the Sluggo I have seen no pill bugs. My squash still doesn't look great, but I've seen no pill bugs. I'll reserve judgment until I'm actually harvesting some squash, but early indications look positive.
I now need to give my complete attention to the Rangers game. Happy Monday!
I would regale you all with further details from the weekend, but, obviously, it was not quite exciting enough to hold your attention for more than half a second.
The photo above was taken in the Mosel Valley in Germany four years ago...when we lived in Europe. They have Fall there, and it is beautiful.
It is also a bit colder than it is here, and, although I might like the temperatures to be a little bit cooler, I will take the sunshine and above freezing temperatures of north Texas any day over the cold, rainy, freezing weather we experienced in Europe.
This has nothing to do with fall, other than the fact that I planted a fall crop of vegetables, but I'd like to share a quick garden update. I put out some Sluggo (organic snail and slug killer/repellent) in my garden because, my word!, the pill bugs (aka. roly poly bugs) that are munching down on my butternut squash!!!
A couple things I read say the pill bugs are only there because they follow snails and slugs. I have not yet had the chance...or desire...to go out with a flashlight at midnight to observe possible snail and slug activity, but I thought maybe I'd take a chance and see if those pests are really the cause of destruction.
Well, since putting out the Sluggo I have seen no pill bugs. My squash still doesn't look great, but I've seen no pill bugs. I'll reserve judgment until I'm actually harvesting some squash, but early indications look positive.
I now need to give my complete attention to the Rangers game. Happy Monday!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Yes, that is a beach scene up there.
Every time I look at my blog I think, "Wow. It's almost November. I should really put up a more seasonally appropriate photo."
The trouble is, I don't really have any photos that depict autumn because, well, we don't usually have that season around here.
So, up until yesterday it was still 90 degrees outside, which makes a beach scene look appropriate. However, the temperatures have now cooled down (even if just temporarily) and Thanksgiving will be here before I know it. I may need to make an effort to find a different photo for the blog.
I sincerely hope it's consistently cold by the end of next month. I can't keep track of all the La Niña, El Niño weather patterns. Is it possible that all the snow we got last winter means more mild temperatures this year? I could be totally making that up.
If none of this is making sense, it might be because I've been sneezing like crazy and had a sinus headache for the past five days. Unfortunately, in an effort to ward off an infection of any kind, I've been taking decongestant at night (actually, at all hours) that kind of makes me unable to sleep. The good news is it also keeps me pretty wired during the day. So, I don't notice the lack of sleep so much...except that it may be affecting my brain function just a little bit.
I'll quit this post while I'm ahead. I found some nighttime medication in a drawer that might or might not actually work, but I think it will at least let me sleep, and my goal this weekend is to find a suitable fall picture to replace the beach scene.
Oh, what an over-achiever I am!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Why is Voting So Hard?
This is a public service announcement. November 2 is Election Day. Don't forget to vote.
And if you think you're going to forget to vote, go vote right now in early voting.
Is anybody else getting, no joke, at least ten calls per day with some pre-recorded message from a hopeful candidate? Or maybe you're lucky because you're only getting the annoying political flyers in your mailbox every day.
I wonder if all these candidates know that: a.) no one listens to their pre-recorded messages, b.) I (and probably most other people) only give a political flyer about 1/2 a second of my time, and c.) why would I make a decision based on propaganda that you're sending out about yourself? Pretty much all I know from the countless mailings is that one particular candidate has more money to spend on advertising than any other candidate in the any of the races I'm voting for.
And that's saying something because I decided a couple days ago to figure out who all I'm supposed to be voting for in this election, and there are EIGHTY races. 8 - 0.
80.
I just went to look it up again because I thought surely I had managed to exaggerate the number of races in the time since I last looked it up. Nope.
It took about thirty minutes to read about the candidates in the first three elections listed.
I have an idea. Let's set a limit on how many different races we vote for in a single election. Really, if we expect to have informed voters, there is no way any voter will adequately know about each candidate running in 80 races. Eighty is a wee bit extreme, don't ya think? Who has 13 hours to spend scrutinizing all the candidates?
So, what's going to end up happening is that people will all vote straight ticket or only vote for the governor and forget about the other 79 races.
Couldn't we just vote for about ten races at a time? After all, voting is an important right and if we're going to get everybody involved it'd be best not to overwhelm them with the ridiculous number of elections.
Just a thought.
Oh, and if anybody making phone calls or sending out pre-recorded messages is reading: please, stop calling and leaving us messages.
Thank you.
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