Do You Hear That?

As I snuggle back into my pillow, I say out-loud (Brett can attest, not for the first time...), "I love our bed."  The flannel sheets are so very cozy.  The heating pad at the foot of the bed is warming my tootsies.  There is gentle waft of lavender from my sheets as a result of the little misting I gave them a few minutes ago.  The weight of the down comforter wraps around me.  And, the best thing?

It's quiet.

For the first time today, I am not listening to ...

Yells and squeals as the kids wrestle,
Screams and shrieks as the kids' wrestling goes south,
Hollers for ice packs and mad attempts to make the injured laugh,
Aaron and his buddy transforming into Pee Wee Herman*,
Ashley screeching as she tries to out-silly the boys,
Lydia yelling, "No!" to everything anybody asks,
Norah blowing across the top of her straw, repeatedly,
Boys trash-talking their computer competition and cheering their computer teams - loud and futile,
Lydia screaming, "Orng Guy!" in her attempt to have a piece of candy,
Aaron's detailed (and stupefying) recounting of his most recent Wii battle,
Gimli barking at the (threatening) pile of leaves in the culdesac,
Someone coughing endlessly in the living room,
Norah hollering from her room that Lydia has her cornered on the top bunk,
Baby S zerberting happily in her swing,
Lydia shrieking as someone budges in and shows her how to play with Play-Doh,
The phone ringing, "This is the Public Library, a book you have reserved is now available.",
Aaron's 14th request to, "Take five to play TapZoo",
Constant counting as the kids play endless games of hide-n-seek ... 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57 ...
Ashley's distress at being unable to find her Toy Story 3 play phone,
Gimli barking at the little fluffy thing on the other side of the fence,
Lydia repeating, "Dink Muh" ... ad finitum,
Feet thumping down the stairs, leaping over the last three steps to land with a thud,
Baby S protesting the hands-on help of her friends,
The bee-bop rhythm of the demo track on the synthesizer in the basement,
Yelps and giggles as the kids play Wii Party,
Cries and wails as three kids lose Wii Party,
Ashley crying that Lydia has her Toy Story 3 play phone,
The computer "barking" as the the timer being used for lazy hide-n-seekers is ignored,
Lydia asking again, "I pay Pee-Pod?",
Norah gymnasticking while Pandora plays the Hannah Montana station very loud,
Aaron yelling from the basement that, "Lydia's driving me CrAzY!",
Lydia screaming from the basement that, "I pay bahl!"
The phone ringing, "Hi.  Is Aaron there?",
Ashley tattling that, "So-and-So did Thus-And-Such",
Each child informing me that they are hungry,
Lydia and Ashley protesting their need to rest,
Weeping and whimpering from their beds, confirming their need to rest,
Maniacal laughter as the kids play "Leap or Stride" in the family room**,
The bee-bop rhythm of the demo track still bee-bopping from the basement,
Heated discussions about the rules and regulations of "Leap or stride",
Gimli barking at the branch on the back porch, and
The mind-numbing theme song from Animal Jam.

*They've never seen/heard/watch/encountered Pee Wee, but they have the uncanny (and unnerving) ability to sound just like him.  This is not a good thing.

** Involves a ginormous pile of pillows, the pink gymnastic mat, and an exercise ball.  There is a lot of bouncing, flying and flailing.  Use your imagination.

Finally, here in my nest, it's quiet.  But not quite silent.  Due to a pesky ear infection a few weeks ago, there is a slight ringing in my left ear.  A little, "eeeeeeeeeee", like you hear after you leave a concert or party.  It's like being able to hear the silence.  Kinda weird.  It's made me very aware of the absence of sound ... and how infrequent I experience it.

Throughout the day (as proven above), my day is full of sounds.  But it's not all the kids' fault.  I do my fair share of filling the silence, as well.  When alone in the kitchen, I turn on Jack Johnson or Sara Groves.  Sitting at the wheel of the van, I turn on the radio.  In a few quiet moments in the afternoon flip on the TV.  The kids go to bed and Brett and I settle on the couch for an episode of our favorite shows.  It's not until my head hits the pillow that I allow myself to settle into the quiet.

If this is my typical day (which I can assure you it is), how exactly am I supposed to tune into the quiet voices in my life?

My heart doesn't shout ... it quietly waits for me to pause and look inward.
My spirit doesn't holler ... it sits, awaiting nourishment.
God rarely yells ... He wants me to be still and listen.

It is essential that I carve out time for quietness.  And it's essential that I guard that quietness and not fill it up.  But that might be a challenge because silence can be uncomfortable ... what if I hear something from my heart or from God that requires change or a response.  It's easier to allow noise to become a buffer between me and my heart, me and my spirit, me and my God ... but it's not what is best.

What about you?  How often do you find yourself in the silence?  How often do you listen through the silence?

My goal is to hear more silence this week ... and take time to hear from from my heart, my spirit and my God.

^8b Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. ⁹ So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

 ¹⁰ The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

   Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:8b-10)

Follow the Crumbs ...

As Ashley walks out of her Kindergarten room, she pops her thumb in her mouth.  She shuffles across the blacktop of the playground to where the girls and I are waiting.  She drops her pink and black backpack into the basket of the stroller and leans into me.

"How was your morning?"

"Fine."

"Did you have fun?"

"Yeah."

"Are you hungry?"

Head nod.

"Ohhh-kay.  Let's go."

Lydia skips along the sidewalk to the van.  Ashley rests her hand on the stroller handle and labors along beside me.  Lydia hops into her seat, chattering away at Baby S.  Ashley slumps into her car seat and leans to the left, looking out the window.

"Hang in there, Honey.  We'll go home and have lunch right away."

Little Le-Le is so much like her Daddy in this way.  When she's hungry, she's worthless.

I'll skip over the next 15 minutes for you.  It's too painful to relate.  Let me sum up:

She's hungry.
She doesn't know what to eat.
She's grumpy.
She cries a little.
She sucks her thumb a lot.
She can't make a decision.
She lays on the kitchen bench.  A lot.
She's moany and groany.

(At this point, Brett would like me to insert the following:  He isn't quite this worthless.  He usually doesn't cry.  Thank you.)

Eventually I manage to convince her that sitting up, blowing her nose and having some toast will make her feel better.  Within a few moments of the cinnamon toast hitting her stomach, she perks up.  She turns to her snacky-plate, finishes her toast, dives into her yogurt and munches on some red grapes.  All the while, the events and excitement of her day pour from her little mouth.

"I played with Karsyn today.  We climbed on the jungle gym and played on the swings.  We practiced writing the letter "L" and we counted all the way to 51.  Did you know that we've been in school for 51 days?!  We learned a song today in music class, do you want to hear it?"

Whew!  Just like her Daddy. :)  Give them a little food, a little something to eat, and they are re-energized for the rest of the day!

....

I head upstairs with my second load of laundry.  On the top step, someone has put a baby doll to nap.  I manage to wriggle one foot between the "bed" and the diaper bag filled to the brim with random paraphernalia - including what looks like my yummy lotion from my bathroom.
Grumble, grumble ...

I walk into the bathroom to find the two hand towels have leapt from their bar.  Again.  They lay in a damp, crumpled pile on the floor.
Mumble, mumble ...

I hear the screeches and screams coming from the basement.  Added to that are wails and howls.  As I open the louvered door at the top of the stairs, I spy two little people wrestling over the purple exercise ball.  One little screamer has the other howler by the hair.
Grrrrr ...

I stomp into the family room.  The girls are resting in their rooms.  According to the clock, I have about 45 minutes until someone will need me again.  I plop onto the couch.
Sigh ...

What a day!  I'm frazzled, frustrated and fuming.

Lately my days have been feeling more exasperating, more exhausting, than usual.  What's the deal?
It's the same kids, same situations, same busy-ness ... but a significantly different attitude.  What's the root?
As I sit on the edge of the couch with the sun stretching across the carpet toward my toes, I sink back into the cushions.  What am I going to do, God?

"Follow the crumbs ..."

Hmmm ... what was that again?

"Follow the crumbs ..."

The story of Hansel and Gretel comes to mind.  In an effort to find their way home, they sprinkled bread crumbs on the path.  In an effort to find my way back to my preferred role as Mom (the one that doesn't grumble, mumble, grrr or sigh) I need to follow those same crumbs.  And find my way back down the path that has led me here.

As soon as I pause and stop moving, it becomes obvious.  I think back through my last week and I can't remember when the last time was that I read my Bible.  Sure, I had read the devotion with the kids in the morning and I'd been tossing up "popcorn" prayers throughout the day, but apparently it had been over a week since I took time to settle into God's word and hear from Him.  My busy-ness had gotten in the way of this important quiet time and my busy-ness was beginning to suffer.

In the same way that Ashley (and Brett) need food to function well, I (dare I say, we) need spiritual food to perform well.  I can see the same link between toast and Ashley's exuberant recounting of her Kindergarten adventures and my Daily Bread and the energy I need to be the Mom I want to be.

Food meets our needs, be it a snacky-plate for lunch or God's word.  If you're feeling grumpy, irritable, crabby or dumbfounded, the odds are you're hungry.

It's time to follow the crumbs and get fed!

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

   “‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name,
¹⁰ Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
   on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
   as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,
   but deliver us from the evil one.’

(Matthew 6:9-13)

Food For Thought ~ Double Dinners

When dinnertime rolls around here at the Kellum house, I almost always have a meal in mind.  I like to make my dinner menu for the week on Sunday and then shop on Monday for the week.  So on those days (which fall few and far between, thank goodness!) when I don't have a plan, I feel completely at a loss!  

Recently I had a meal on the docket, but upon rounding up the ingredients for the dinner, I realized that I had used the can of diced tomatoes in a different dish that week.  That left me one ingredient shy of dinner.  Ugh.  I paced back and forth from the fridge to the pantry and back to the fridge trying to come up with Plan B ... something that didn't need canned tomatoes.  By that point, my creativity had evaporated and the kids were beginning the incessant, "What's for dinner?" chant.  Double ugh.

As I headed to the garage (not to hide from the kids, mind you) I was thrilled to find a freezer meal all ready to pop in the oven!  I actually have quite a few meals I have doubled up and slid in the freezer for this very reason.  When Mom doesn't feel like cooking!  

This is a post I did last year with a few double dinners ... and here's two more yummy ones for you to try!  (Be sure to check out this previous post for my tips on lining your freezer pan and storing your extra meal.)

Tamale Pie

(This recipe is from my dear friend, Anna Lee Walker.  I remember you making this for us ... just a few years ago.  Before we had kids.  So yeah ... it's been a little while.)

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef (or turkey or 1 lb of each)

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup salsa

2 cups frozen corn

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cup corn meal

2 T sugar

2 T butter

In a large pot, cook the meat until no longer pink.  Drain off fat after cooking.  Add black beans, ketchup, salsa, corn and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese.  Heat through until the cheese melted.  Divide equally between two 8x8 inch pans (one sprayed with cooking spray and the other lined with Press-n-Seal).

In the same large pot, melt the butter and add the remaining cheese, sugar and corn meal.  Heat until the cheese melts and the mixture looks crumbly.  Sprinkle the corn meal mixture over the meat in each dish.

Freeze one pan (or send along to a friend).  For the other pan, bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.  

We like our Tamale Pie with a little dollop of sour cream and a green salad.

¡Olé!

Penne & Sausage Casserole

(This recipe is from Taste of Home, June/July 2009.  Just a few typical adjustments.)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs penne pasta

1 lb Italian sausage

1 lb mushrooms, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 T olive oil

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 T oregano

2 1/2 cups beef broth

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, drained

3 T tomato paste

4 cups mozzarella, shredded

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.  Set aside.

In a large pot, cook sausage.  Drain off most of the fat.  Add the onions, mushrooms, garlic and oregano and cook until veggies are soft.  Add 1 cup of beef broth.  Bring to a boil and let simmer until reduced by half.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, remaining broth and sausage.  Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 15 minutes.

This is a good time to wash the dishes ... there seems to be quite a few of them!

I prepared one 9x13 oval pan with cooking spray and then lined two 8x8 square pans to put in the freezer.

Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the large pan and 1/4 cup in each small pan.  Divide half of the pasta into the three pans.  Top the noodles with about 2 1/2 cups of sauce in the large pan and 1 1/4 cup in the small pans.  Top with half the cheese.  Repeat the layers:  remaining pasta, remaining sauce and remaining cheese.

Freeze the two smaller pans.  Cover the larger pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is fully melted.  Delicious with a side of veggies and garlic bread!

Delizioso!

Friends

I really want to say "Thanks!"
You've given me such help.
Taking on the screen-time strain,
Stopping my nag and my yelp!

Now I just type in some numbers,
With a beep and a boop and a beep,
I'm off to do laundry or cleaning
And my Mommy-mouth makes not a peep.

Instead of me nagging and whining
When the screen time should come to an end,
I'll let you do all the reminding,
Oh, Kitchen Timer, you are my friend!

What's that?  Of course, you're great, too!
You're one of my handiest gadgets.
Not only do you keep my food fresh,
But you also connect with my magnets.

You are stuffed of good things to eat,
On you, all my veggies depend,
The milk, cheese and butter are cold
Refrigerator, you are my friend!

Oh, please, please, please, do not grumble!
Of course, you are important, too.
Without your scrubbers and sprayers,
I'd be scouring and feeling so blue!

I delight in loading your racks,
Plates, cups and bowls turned upend,
Forks, spoons, and knives to be cleaned
By you, Dishwasher, my friend.

I hear whining from behind the door
Your wails can be heard upstairs.
You know you are precious, too.
And I'm grateful you came as a pair.

You wash all our grubbies so well
And leave them fluffed and dry at the end.
No need to beat them on rocks,
Washer-n-Dryer, you are my friend.

Oh brother, are you whining, too?
You see action most every day!
Nuking our lunches and dinner,
Watching food rotate round on your tray.

You're essential when it's time to cook.
But I'm even more grateful to send,
My coffee and tea for a reheat,
Yes, Microwave, you are my friend.

Did I hear you let out a groan?
Now this is getting absurd!
From you Cuisinart food processor,
I don't want to hear another word!

I'm grateful for each of my helpers,
Whether you clean or toast or blend,
But this is feeling like high school ...
Why can't you each be my friend?!?
_________________________

Prompt #4 ~ Write a poem where the last two words are "my friend".  It's possible that I need to get out and be social with some actual people! :)  But in reality, without these sweet friends, I would never have a social life.  I'd be too busy hauling water from the creek and heating it in the fireplace!

Time-Warp Wednesday

Last Wednesday, I warped back to Aaron's Halloween as an alligator.  And a had a good giggle again remembering how he bumped and jumped out of his costume until he was just a kid in a onesie.  Classic.

This week while grocery shopping, I was surprised to find that the Halloween items were all 70% off and squished to one side in order to make room for ... 

No, not Veteran's Day ...

No, not Thanksgiving ...

Christmas!

Already!?!

How is it that we can go directly from October 31st to December 25th, while leaping right over the entire month of November?!?

Maybe Norah had something to do with this.  For her third Halloween, she ushered in Christmas in record time with her unexpected request to be ...

No, not an elf ...

No, not Mrs. Claus ...

The big guy himself, Santa!

She cracks me up!  

With faux-fur cuffs (made from white felt) stitched to Aaron's fireman jacket, matching cuffs stitched to a pair of red pants from Good Will and a triangle of silky, curly, furry fabric tacked inside her Santa cap for a beard she was ready to, "Ho, Ho, Ho!" her way through Halloween.

Just one more example of Norah thinking (and playing) outside the box! 

Full of Surprises!

Brett had a terrific surprise for the kids this Saturday!  Our old theater downtown, the Avalon, was showing Kung Fu Panda 2 and Daddy, being the amazing Daddy that he is, took the brood for a matinee showing.  That was the first surprise.

The second surprise was sprung upon them at their arrival.  The movie was stuck in a snow storm in southern Colorado.  Bummer.

This was followed quickly by a third surprise ... free admission, free popcorn and front row balcony seats to watch the first Kung Fu Panda.  What do we say to that?  Boo-yeah!

It was okay that this was their fifth or sixth viewing of the movie ... it's one of our favorites!


... Legend tells of a legendary warrior whose kung fu skills were the stuff of legend. ... He was so deadly, in fact, that his enemies would go blind from over-exposure to pure awesomeness!  ... Hey, what you got? You got nothing because I got it right here. You picking on my friends? Get ready to feel the thunder. Come out with the crazy feet. What you goin' to do about the crazy feet. I'm a blur! I'm a blur! You never seen *Bear* style! ...

Yeah ... you gotta love Po!

Our fourth surprise came the next day over lunch.  As we slurped our shakes and munched on popcorn (our traditional meal after church), Brett sprung a question on the kids:

What parts of Kung Fu Panda remind you of something from the Bible?


Here's a little bit about what we talked about ...

Oogway is kinda like God.  He is wise and seems to be ageless.  At least until he flies away with the blossoms!  He is the one who chooses the Dragon Warrior to be the savior of the people.  Chosen to save them from horrifying Tai Lung.  Even in the face of his odd choice for the Dragon Warrior, he is confident that there are no accidents.

Tai Lung is kinda like satan.  He had been trained by Master Shifu and began his training with great promise, but because of his hunger for power, he fell away from the good he could have done and turned on his Master.  Sound familiar?

Po could be compared (rather loosely perhaps) with Jesus.  He is chosen as the Dragon Warrior but the reception by those in the village and those in the Jade Palace is less than luke-warm.  They are incredulous that this simple, noodle-slurping, dumpling-munching, poochy-bellied panda is The One they have been waiting for the past thousand years!

They expected someone more warrior-ish ... and a little less Po-ish.  Much like the comments that followed Jesus around - more king-ish and less carpenter-ish.

⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
 ⁴⁶ “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. (John 1:45-46)


“What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? ³ Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. (Mark 6:2-3)


Not necessarily shining commendations for the Savior of the world!  I'm sure glad they were wrong!


Our final insight into the movie had to do with the Dragon Scroll - the scroll that was supposed to have great power for the owner, the Dragon Warrior.  To Po's great surprise, the scroll was blank!  The true secret to the scroll was not magical words, but the need for Po to believe in himself.  To believe that he was, indeed, the Dragon Warrior and that he had within himself the power to save his village from the evil Tai Lung.


Similarly, our salvation is not evoked with magical words and it is not based on anything we own or any special abilities have.  Our salvation is simply found in the need to believe and then declare what we believe:


⁸ ... “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: ⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Romans 10:8-10, emphasis mine)

As Po acted out his faith, he became the Dragon Warrior ... much to everyone's surprise!  His final victory came as he surprised (and conquered) Tai Lung with the Wuxi finger hold.  Skadoosh!

Where else does God astound you with spiritual truths?  If we open our eyes, we will find them in the most astonishing of places!  

Surprise!

Just a Reminder

Well ... it's Monday.  Again.

Another full week.  Another updated to-do list.  Another gauntlet of kids' activities.  Another attempt at staying ahead of the shoulds and coulds and oughts.  Another schedule of events to keep on top of.

Another opportunity to remember how much God loves you.

I thought I would share with you a little pick-me up serenade, just in case Monday has already got you down!



As I sat and listened to Lydia sing the chorus to that little song (over and over and over and over ...) I had to smile.  While she's a bit sketchy on the verses, she has the important part of the song down pat.

"Yes, Jesus loves me sooooooooo."

Sometimes I get caught up in the busy-ness of having a relationship with Jesus and I miss out on the simpleness of His love for me.

I have a list of things I should do because it's the Christian thing to do.  I fill up my time with activities that have spiritual potential.  I try to keep ahead of the shoulds and coulds and oughts of my faith.  I schedule in my quiet times, devotions and teachable-moments.

Hmmm .... it would seem I'm approaching Jesus in the same way I approach my Mondays!  That's no good!  That's not what God intends for me at all.  Or for you.

This week, my goal is to allow that chorus, that refrain, that truth to resonate in my heart and my soul ...

"Yes, Jesus loves me sooooooo."

... and allow my response to that love be what my faith looks like.

I hope this will also be a reminder that God, too, serenades us with words of love.

¹⁷ The LORD your God is with you, 
   the Mighty Warrior who saves. 
He will take great delight in you; 
   in His love He will no longer rebuke you, 
   but will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephania 3:17, emphasis mine)

And when He sings His love songs, He knows all the words ... and His guitar isn't missing all of its strings! :)

Food For Thought ~ Green & Blue Food

I remember as a kid my mom saying, "Put a rainbow on your plate."  Green salad, red tomatoes, yellow cornbread, white chicken breast off the grill with a splash of magenta bbq sauce!  That was how she encouraged us to eat a variety of fresh foods and to have a diverse selection of nutritious eats at each meal.

Every now and then those words come back to me ... especially during my un-inspired meals when I bring to the table blah foods.  Recently when I served the family rice, chicken and french bread, I was tempted to give everybody a generous squirt of ketchup in an attempt to at least provide two colors to eat from!

Today's Food For Thought will help you add two colors to your dinner:  Green and a dash of Blue.

Enjoy!

Fried Green Tomatoes
(This is my "guess and by gosh" recipe ... it turned out tasty!)

Ingredients:
2 very green tomatoes, no pink on them
1 cup Panko, Japanese-style bread crumbs
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup flour
Pinch of coarse salt
Olive oil

In the same way that you bread eggplant or chicken, prepare three dishes:  one with the beaten eggs, one with the flour and salt and one with the bread crumbs.  Eat about 1/2 inch of oil in the pan.  Cut the green tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices.

When the oil is hot, dip each slice of tomato in the flour, then the egg and finally in the bread crumbs.  Be sure to get each slice well coated.  Cook in the hot oil for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

Remove to a plate lined with paper towels and let some of the oil whisk away.  I then stacked them in a casserole dish and slid them in to the oven at about 190 degrees to keep them hot until they were ready to be served.  The sharp taste of the green tomatoes coupled with the crispiness of the bread crumbs made this a dish worth making again!

Penne with Pesto, Blue Cheese and Walnuts

(This recipe is from The Dinner Doctor - with a few tweaks.)

Ingredients:

16 oz. box of penne pasta

1 cup walnuts, toasted*

1/2 cup pesto, from the store or homemade

1/4 blue cheese

1/2 pound broccoli or asparagus spears

* To toast the walnuts, put them in a dry skillet and cook over high heat until browned a bit, stirring constantly.  Remove them from the pan immediately to stop them from burning.

Prepare the pasta according to the package directions.  During the final 5 minutes of cooking toss in the broccoli or asparagus.  (I chose broccoli this time as it was from our garden ... and it needed a delicious dish to be showcased in!  Asparagus is equally scrumptious!)

In a small bowl combine the pesto and blue cheese.  Use a fork to mash the blue cheese and incorporate it into pesto.

When the pasta and veggies are finished, drain thoroughly.  Return this to the pot and add the pesto mixture.  Toss well and serve immediately.  Top with toasted walnuts.

Those delightful fritters on the side are made from zucchini from our garden.  Here's how...

Zucchini Fritters

(This recipe is from Food Network Magazine, July/August 2010 with a few adjustments.)

Ingredients:

2 small zucchini, grated

2 tsp. salt

4 scallions, chopped

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 cup flour

Olive oil

Place the grated zucchini in a colander in the sink and toss with the salt.  Let the zucchini drip into the sink for about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat 1/2 inch of olive oil in a skillet.

In a medium bowl, combine the scallions, egg, cheese and flour.  Squeeze the excess water from the zucchini and add to the bowl.  Mix well.

When the oil is hot, spoon about 1/3 cup of the fritter mixture into little mounds in the oil.  Flatten with a spatula and let cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.  Drain on paper towels and season with a pinch of salt.  Delish!

Apple Slaw

(This recipe was inspired by one in Food Network Magazine, October 2011 ... with a variety of tweaks!)

Ingredients:

4 apples, chopped (I chose Granny Smith)

1 large head endive, chopped

1 1/2 cups walnuts, toasted

1 cup blue cheese

Vinaigrette (below)

Coarse salt and ground pepper taste

Vinaigrette:

3 T. honey

2 T. rice vinegar

1 T. dijon mustard

2/3 cup olive oil

Coarse salt and ground pepper taste

Whisk together the honey, vinegar and mustard.  Add the oil slowly, whisking well.  Add the salt and pepper to taste.

Combine the apples, endive, walnuts, blue cheese.  Add enough vinaigrette to coat.  The tart apples with bitter endive and rich blue cheese was a delightful mouthful!

Enjoy your rainbow plate today!

FAQ

Welcome home kids!  I hope your day at school was a good one!

In an effort to serve you better, I have compiled a list of your frequently asked questions from each every day and I have provided the answers so you won't have to ask.

In fact, please don't ask.

Thank you.

~ the Management

Q. What's for dinner?
A.  Tonight?  Stuffed red peppers, salad and french bread.  Tomorrow will be different.

Q.  Do I have to eat that?
A.  No.  Tomorrow will be different.

Q.  When is dinner?
A.  When Daddy gets home.  Same as every night.

Q.  Can I have a snack?
A.  Snack?  Yes.  Small meal?  No.

Q.  What can I have for a snack?
A.  Apple, grapes, crackers, granola bar or a glass of milk.

Q.  Can I have a bowl of cereal?
A.  No.  Please see above.

Q.  Can I put on a leotard?
A.  Sure.  If you get cold, please put on more clothes.

Q.  Hold me?
A.  Just a minute ... let me get this in the oven.

Q.  When is dinner?
A.  Hmmm ... please see above.

Q.  Can I do some screen time?
A.  When your homework is done.

Q.  Where is my homework?
A.  Have you checked your back pack?

Q.  Where is my back pack?
A.  Please go to the van and retrace your steps.

Q.  Hold me?
A.  Yep ... just a sec.

Q.  Where is Aaron?
A.  Looking for his back pack.  Check the van.

Q.  Can I take five to check TapZoo?
A.  When your homework is done.  Still.

Q.  When is dinner?
A.  Same as above ... unless I spend the afternoon answering this question.

Q.  Have you seen my book?
A.  Check the library book shelf.

Q.  Can I get on the computer for a bit?
A.  When. Your. Homework. Is. Done.  Please get a job from the "Great Learning Box" ... and stop asking.

Q. Hold me?
A.  I am holding you.

Q.  It says, "Tidy Family Room".  Which one is that?
A.  Aaaaaaahhhhhh!  You have lived here almost your entire life!  The Family Room is the one with the fire place!

Q.  I still can't find my book ... have you seen it?
A.  Have you checked the library shelf, your school box, your bedroom or the living room?

Q.  Which one is the living room?
A.  twitch, twitch, twitch ... That room over there.

Q. Where are the pencils?
A.  In the pencil cup.

Q.  What's for dinner?
A.  Food.

Q.  Where's Mom?
A.  ... silence ...

Q.  Has anyone seen Mom?
A.  No ... but there's a light coming from under the bathroom door.

Q.  Mom!  Are you in there?
A.  No.  No one in here.  Be on your way, please.

Q.  Uh ... can I have a snack?
A.  hysterical laughter ....

 ¹ Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— ³ “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth [and so your mother won't hide in the bathroom all day].”  (Ephesians 6:1-3, expansion mine)
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Prompt #2 ~  Create an FAQ page about yourself that answers frequently asked questions.

Time-Warp Wednesday

As we slooooowly made our way through our church's Harvest Fest on Halloween night, I surrounded by  ...
children (mine and others) running from booth to booth fueled purely on M-n-M's, Tootsie Rolls and lollipops,
the repetitive pop! Pop! POP! of the "dynamite" balloons,
the ever-pervading smell of popcorn,
the CLANG! of the bell on the "show me your muscles" hammer drop,
little princesses and ninjas with helium balloons tied to their wrists (all the better for their parents to find them in the hub-bub),
shrieks and squeals of happy (and not so happy) trick-or-treaters,
and an overwhelming memory of a Harvest Fest from Halloween past.

I told this story to Norah as we stood together near the bump-n-jump ...

Our Nuna-Girl was due on Halloween eight years ago.  She didn't want to miss out on the fun, however, so she came early.  Her arrival on October 22, meant that our new family of four got to enjoy Harvest Fest together.  Sorta.


I spent most of my evening, as I recall, at a table up on the stage nursing our little pumpkin.  From my vantage point, I watched Brett walk from booth to booth with Aaron, our alligator:

Here he is with cousin Rebekah ... the cheerleader.

I thought that costume was so cute!  His green satiny tail had little pokeys on it and his scales were all fluffy.  Also it was warm which was perfect for a chilly Halloween night.  That is, of course, unless you spend the night indoors.  In that case, it gets pretty hot.  Sweaty hot.  Damp red curls hot.

Brett, being a wise Daddy, freed his little guy from the alligator hoody and sent him off to the next booth.  That meant that the next person who passed by, of course, wondered what the little boy in the white onesie and green pants was supposed to be.  Use your imagination.

Within a few moments of being set free, Aaron made a bee-line for the bump-n-jump and it was at that moment that he experienced yet another wardrobe malfunction.  As he bumped and jumped, he jumped and bumped right out of his pants.  It didn't bother him at all.  He just kept bumpin' and jumpin'!

"Yep.  That's my little guy in there ... the one in just his onesie.  What's he supposed to be?  Oh, an alligator, of course."

In the end, our little gator managed to bring in quite the haul ... more candy than we knew what to do with.  He was successful in his efforts as a trick-or-treater, even if his costume was more of a hinderance than a help.

¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses (fellow trick-or-treaters), let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin (costumes) that so easily entangles. And let us run (bounce) with perseverance the race (evening) marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1, examples mine)

I hope that Aaron will live a life in which he doesn't allow the problems of the world to keep him from his goal.  I hope that he'll cast off all the snaggy and ill-fitting parts of life ... and keep his eyes fixed on Jesus.  Even in the face of costume catastrophes!

The Day After

Last night we tricked-n-treated our way around the neighborhood - dressed up silly and running on sugar.  Today we're trying to remember what normal is.

Wowie-wow-wow, to quote Junie B. Jones.

It was fantastic fun being super-cool Ferb, from the 2nd Dimension:

Yes ... that was the color of his hair.
So glad it shampooed out!

Ready-to-Bust Candace from Phineas & Ferb:

We tried to get the pointy-head look ...
but in reality, Candace is a cartoon character!

A sparkly, fluttery, glittery butterfly:

She flitted from house to house -
until her candy bag weighed more than she did.

And Perry the Platypus ... or Agent P when she was willing to keep her fedora on:

Surprisingly enough, she wore her hat almost all night!

Yes ... I stapled her tail to her shirt.

She actually looked a bit like a Hobo Playtpus ... which, of course, added to her cuteness!

It is certainly fun to play dress-up ... getting to be someone else for a spell.

These are the pre-sugar smiles!

But not at the expense of forgetting who we truly are.

Sometimes as grown-ups, we play a different kind of dress-up.  We put on our best face, we rehearse our lines ("I'm fine ... and you?"), we do what is expected of us and we follow the script we have written for ourselves as closely as humanly possible.  And somewhere along the line, we lose touch with the real person inside.

When we find ourselves out of touch with our real selves, it's time to take the costumes off and re-introduce ourselves to, well ... us.  Sometimes we can do it on our own and sometimes we need a little help from someone who hasn't forgotten who we are.

Sara Groves has a great song about just this.  Big surprise, eh?

Undone
by Sara Groves

Baby can you help me get undone
The party is over and their hearts were won
There’s a zipper in the back
But I can’t reach it on my own
And I am dying to get out of this so

Baby will you help me get undone
I don’t even remember how I got this on
I started out pretending
Now I don’t recognize myself
And I could use a little help

You have no pretenses

All your walls are fences I can see right through
You have no two faces
You know where our place is and that’s why I need you
Oh baby

Baby will you help me get undone
I truly believe you are the only one
Who will be the best reminder of
Where I am coming from
So if you’ll help me now I want to get undone

Cause I started out pretending
Now I don’t recognize myself
And I could use a little help
Oh baby, oh baby, oh baby
will you help me get undone

But even then, with the gentle reminders of a friend, we sometimes have trouble finding our authentic self.  There is a residue of a mask even with our closest companion.  And it's then that we have to turn to the One who sees past our costumes and our scripts ... and Who can help us get undone.

¹ You have searched me, LORD, 
   and you know me. 
² You know when I sit and when I rise; 
   you perceive my thoughts from afar. 
³ You discern my going out and my lying down; 
   you are familiar with all my ways. 
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue 
   you, LORD, know it completely. 
⁵ You hem me in behind and before, 
   and you lay your hand upon me. 
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, 
   too lofty for me to attain. (Psalm 139:1-6)

It is a scary and humbling thing to consider being seen and known completely.  Seen and known, searched and discovered, hemmed in from all sides, held in His hand ... and found to be worth all that care and attention.


I think we can do two things in the face of such examining and exploring.  

We can try to hide from Him ... which won't work, by the way. (See the next few verses of this same Psalm.) Or we can let Him sift through us, casting away the masks and disguises we hide behind and revealing the authentic person within.  The genuine article.  The real you.

You may have been wearing your costume for a long time.  No problem.  Consider today the day after ... the day to be undone.

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As an added bonus to my day, my little name blocks are being highlighted over at Rook No. 17.  Thanks, Jenn!

For more fun ideas for your holiday table, pop over and see what else she is showcasing!