19 looks good on you! Much belated birthday shoot.
Asher
Monthly Archives: July 2009
Nearer and nearer
".…God does nothing arbitrary. If He takes away your health, for instance, it is because He has a reason for doing so; and this is true of everything you value; and if you have real faith in Him, you will not insist on knowing the reason. If you find, in the course of daily events, that your self-consecration was not perfect – that is, that your will revolts at His will – do not become discouraged, but fly to your Savior and stay in His presence till you obtain the spirit in which He cried at His hour of anguish, "Father if Thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will but Thine be done."
Every time you do this it will be easier to do it; every such consent to suffer will bring you nearer and nearer to Him; and in this nearness to Him you will find such peace such blessed, sweet peace as will make your life infinitely happy., no matter what may be its mere outside conditions. Just think, my dear Katy, of the honor and the joy of having your will one with the Divine Will and so becoming changed into Christ's image from glory to glory!"
written in stone
A wise woman builds her house…
I caught up on the Wise Woman's blog this week and found a treasure trove of meaty articles. She has a wonderful Series on Motherhood which includes questions to consider about such things as how you view children. Really, do you view them as singular gifts, each of them? Do you view them as a sacred trust given to you for a very small window of time? And further, does your demeanor reflect these feelings or do sighs and rolling eyes of exasperation betray you?
She goes on to challenge us about how we view our husbands in the Loving Our Husbands series. Again, she reminds us that whose opinions we most value (apparent by whose we seek first/most) and where we spend our time generally reveal the answer to that question. She shares these guidelines, a number of questions to ask ourselves such as how do we respond when required to rearrange our schedules for our men? Do we take time – regularly – to think about what would make their lives easier and then set about doing just that? Have we asked our husband how he feels about our current activities? Do we encourage and support by our non-verbals? Do we uphold his wishes for the children in big things as well as in seemingly small things like whether video games are allowed before chores or dessert before dinner is finished?
And since I know my husband is no fan of partially finished projects strewn about I am including these wise words from Genevieve on the subject of CompletionLots to chew on here I promise. This is not a job but a vocation, a life calling. How are we answering that call?
Summer Dinner Menu
After going some time without a gas grill we are enjoying Allen's birthday gift of same immensely. As a rule we eat very simply around here. Natural and generally unadorned foods grace the table most often. The girls and I have been motivated to improve our game a bit in this area, especially since Allen is traveling very rarely now and has no restaurant respite. <g> While simple is still the rule, we are playing around with old standbys. This was such a dinner, a Mexican twist on burgers and fries.
- 1 1/4 pounds ground beef
- 1 clove garlic crushed and finely minced
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black or seasoned pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground chile mild
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 slices Monterey Jack cheese or 1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend of cheeses
- 4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
- 1 can (4 ounces) chopped mild green chili peppers, drained
- 4 large slices sweet onion
- 1 medium tomato, sliced
- 4 leaves lettuce, romaine or your favorite
- chunky salsa, fresh or good purchased salsa
Preparation:
Mix lean ground beef with garlic, pepper, ground chile, and salt in a large bowl. Shape into 4 flat patties. Preheat broiler or grill, then cook burgers about 4 inches from heat, turning when halfway done. Cook until very little or no pink remains. Just before serving, place a slice of cheese or grated cheese on each burger. Top each bun with a hamburger patty and cheese, green chile peppers, an onion slice, tomato slice, and lettuce leaf. Serve burgers with a dish of salsa on the side.
Serves 4. (We added sliced cheese at the end vs in the middle of the patties and we multiplied the recipe obviously ; ))
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lime rind
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 4 large Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1/4 cup finely grated Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, optional
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, optional
- Salsa and sour cream for dipping, optional
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with non-stick foil or spray liberally with vegetable oil.
Place lime rind, lime juice, oil, chili powder,garlic powder, and onion powder in a large zip-top bag. Squish around in the bag until combined.
Scrub potatoes and dry. Cut in half lengthwise. Continue cutting halves lengthwise into wedges about 1/2-inch thick. Add potato wedges to the oil in the zip-top bag, seal, and toss to coat.
Place potatoes on prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with grated Monterey Jack or cheddar. Return to oven and bake an additonal 10 minutes or until cheese is golden. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
That is the 'official' recipe, but as I have confessed before I don't follow directions well. <g> We added the cilantro to the bag itself. And instead of topping with cheese we served the potatoes with queso dipping sauce on the side.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 pound green beans, fresh, trimmed and cut in half
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 pound green beans, fresh, trimmed and cut in half
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Place the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the garlic and saute for one minute. Add the onion and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Cook for about 2-3 minutes more. Add the water, salt, and green beans. Stir. Cover and lower to medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes or until done. Stir in the cilantro.
Now very honestly, since I am the laziest chef on the planet and usually there are people sticking beans up their nose or feeding the dog my ingredients while I cook I didn't do all that. I pretty much threw it all together with frozen green beans vs fresh, simmered a long time, and it was way better than our usual plain beans. If you actually follow the directions you could certainly expect to have much more success than I. : )
Ok – still reading? I just go on and on, don't I? But really, don't miss the cheesecake. Never miss the cheesecake. I worked hard on this one.
Citrus Cheesecake
Cheesecake is a hands-down favorite in our family. It is a dessert I can enjoy as well since it is largely flour free, especially if I make a small crustless one in a ramekin or the like for myself. Honestly, this is probably THE best cheesecake we have made. I should add though that we prefer a dense, New York style cheesecake. None of the recipes we have found have delivered til this one. I have made a couple changes to the recipe linked so will copy it here the way we made it.
CRUST (Again different from that linked. We use this basic crust most often but this time Moira doubled the butter accidentally which is why it looks funky in the photo. Didn't seem to slow anyone down however.)
1/3 c softened butter
1/3c sugar
1 egg
1 1/4c flour
Mix well and press into bottom of the pan. Bake at 425 for 5 min. Cool and fill.
FILLING
4 – 8-ounce packages Neufchatel cream cheese, at room temperature
4 – 8-ounce packages Neufchatel cream cheese, at room temperature
8 oz ricotta
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
5 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
5 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup heavy cream
Beat the cream cheese and ricotta in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar, flour, salt, zests, and vanilla and beat until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating only until thoroughly incorporated, about 15 seconds after each. Beat for another 30 seconds. On low speed, beat in the heavy cream. Scrape the mixture into the pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 200 degrees and bake for 1 hour longer; the top will
be golden brown. Cool to room temperature on a rack. Cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 6 hours; overnight is best. Unless you are as likely as I am to find an unattended cheesecake missing large sections of itself by morning…..
Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 200 degrees and bake for 1 hour longer; the top will
be golden brown. Cool to room temperature on a rack. Cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 6 hours; overnight is best. Unless you are as likely as I am to find an unattended cheesecake missing large sections of itself by morning…..
Happy Birthday Colin
Happy Birthday Colin! We've come a long way baby!
Coincidentally Colin and I met an Australian couple totally separately from each other online. The husband saw and recognized Colin's picture while his wife was visiting this blog and we all made the connection. Very small world, cyberspace. Annelisa asked today how Colin was. To reply – he was home this week for his birthday, which I have shared before, is on our anniversary. Unfortunately Allen had to fly out the next day so he didn't get to see him much. But, we have had fun and got some pics of the new 'do. No more maroon hair. <g> I quickly captured this moment because I never know what my boys will surprise me with next lol!
Morning by Morning
One delightful consequence of less time online has been the opportunity to get through a good number of books this year. I have read very few homeschooling books in recent years but Paula Penn-Nabrit has written a page-turner in Morning by Morning. Rather than a series of directions it is a memoir of her family's journey from private school, to homeschool, to college, and beyond. The combination of compelling issues and dry humor made it a quick read, however I have been turning over and over several of the passages in my mind.
I turned down the corners of page after page. Unlike many homeschool advice books this one is very clear about the possibilities and about parameters – what you can do, what you can expect, and what is beyond your ability to control. Although she does share in detail how they approached different subjects and activities the emphasis on personal responsibility is clear. She realized that curriculum was simply a means to an end, and no curriculum can compensate for lack of vision and purpose. You might enjoy a few excerpts:
With regard to developing personal responsibility:
Probably the healthiest aspect of our homeschooling adventure was our sons' early understanding of the need to take holistic responsibility for their own joy, their own happiness, their own education, and their own lives. They had a foundation for a life of self-examination and fulfillment. They knew joy comes from knowing God, happiness comes from getting things right in relationships with family and friends, intellectual growth is a choice, and a life well lived is a process of committed work. Most importantly they knew that they were responsible for it all.
On being present:
But being present, fully present, in the moment requires quiet time. If I jump up in the morning, hit the ground running, and continue at that pace until I collapse into a fitful sleep of exhaustion at night, I cannot possibly be present in the moment. That's why we see so many people who apparently haven't been present, not only in the moment, but in the day, the week, the month, or the year. Sometimes the decision to be conscious or unconscious is less the result of a decision and more the result of habit and momentum.
On puberty:
Puberty is hard enough to experience, but what I learned as a parent is that it's not any easier to observe. Puberty is all about change, and change in any form, is rarely a painless process.
On guarantees (or the lack thereof):
You can spend tons of time and money creating the ideal environment, and your kid can still reach late adolescence and make a series of ridiculous and irresponsible decisions. Regrettably it happens. Remember the story of the Prodigal Son? He grows up and decides to break his father's heart and become an idiot for a few years. But after a while, he "came to himself." That story is a confirmation of the scriptural admonition and promise, "Train up a child in the way that he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it." Notice the compelling silence bracketing the space between childhood and old age. A lot can happen in those intervening years.
But at least you will have the consolation of knowing you left no stone unturned in your quest for parental excellence. And if your kid grows up and opts to become a bum you will have the admittedly minor pleasure of being able to look him squarely in the eye and say, "You know better."
In regards to that parental excellence, here are the 'rules', whether or not your child is learning primarily at home:
It is your job to know how your child is doing in school, every day, Its your job to make sure your kid's homework is done, correctly and neatly, every day (and if it isn't, it's your job to make your kid do it over.) It's your job to make sure your kid knows how to behave in school and it's your job to know when that behavior is not up to par and to apply the appropriate discipline. It's your job to know whether or not your child is progressing and developing the appropriate academic skills in a timely manner; and if it's not happening, it is your job to find out why.
It's your job to know who your kid's friends are and it's your job to know what kind of people your kid's hanging out with and where they are hanging out. It is your job to wait up until they get home and make sure they're clean and sober. It is your job to be the adult… and challenge your kid when you think your kid is messing up.
It is your job to be at every sporting event, every choir concert, and every play your kids in involved in, whether your kid wants you to be there or not.
It is your job to know your kid's teachers – all of them. Make sure you know what courses your child is taking, has taken, and is planning to take. It's your job to know when the SAT and ACT are happening, and it's your job to know how your kid did.
It's your job to make sure your kids know that their potential is limitless and that anyone who tells them otherwise is a liar. It's your job to make sure your kids know they're responsible for uncovering their potential and working to develop it, not to do so is a sin before God.
It is not your job to be your kid's best friend and it's not your job to try to make your kid like you, and it's not your job to intrude. Parenting is a very big job with lifelong consequences, and you have a relatively short window of opportunity in which to accomplish work that will shape future generations.
No matter how you decide to proceed, trust yourself to do a good job.
The gist? Love your kids. Be fully present for and with them.  
;Provide ample opportunity for them to develop their gifts, expend their energy and explore their world. Love them enough to expect excellence – academic and personal. Take your job seriously. Encourage them to take theirs seriously. Then trust that….
;Provide ample opportunity for them to develop their gifts, expend their energy and explore their world. Love them enough to expect excellence – academic and personal. Take your job seriously. Encourage them to take theirs seriously. Then trust that….
"He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it." (Philippians 1:6)
and Happy Anniversary to you too, my love
Happy Anniversary
I love you. Can't wait for our date tonight! Your hubby…
At the water’s edge
We learned that Eleven Mile Reservoir is aptly named. There is a loooong dirt road leading up to the water. Eleven miles long. Go figure. ; ) This is probably one of the largest bodies of water we have visited in Colorado.
We drove along the shoreline to find a spot for lunch.
Finding a place that a fisherman had not found first was no easy task. With so many people fishing there was a hush over the place. At least until our crew clamored down to the water's edge. ; o
Allen and Abbie taking up life guard duty….
For me, it was terribly exciting to see shore birds again. There are some things we go a long time without seeing on the prairie.
Before long the children shed their shoes.
Though it was still cold in the mountains they waded happily, soaked and smiling when we finally pulled them out.
Even the girls, who were less than thrilled to sit in the car the long miles it took to get there, were won over by the water once we got there.
"Along with milk and vegetables, kids need a steady diet of rocks and worms
Rocks need skipping.
Holes need digging.
Water needs splashing.
Bugs and frogs and slimy stuff need finding" – Go RV-ing
Starry Sky Journal 