Why I Never Follow Recipes

Tonight was curry night in the McI household!  I love curry - it's delicious in its rich spiciness; and you can pretty much make it with whatever veggies you like.  Here's the recipe I started with:

Red Lentil Coconut Curry

1 large onion, minced - Saute in 1 tbsp coconut oil until transparent.

1 tbsp garlic (minced)
1 tbsp ginger root (peeled & minced)
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp each turmeric, cumin, pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2-3 bay leaves - Add spices & reduce heat.

400 ml can coconut milk
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup tomato sauce - Add & simmer 20 minutes.

2 cups dried red lentils
5 cups water - Cook for 15 minutes.

1 medium head cauliflower (chopped)
1 large sweet potato (diced)
1/4 head cabbage (sliced)
1-2 cups peas - Cook over medium heat until tender; serve over brown rice.

(from one of my favorite cookbooks, Simply in Season)

"That recipe sounds very tasty!" you may say.  "Why wouldn't you follow it?" you may ask...

Well, the main ingredient - lentils - is something I never buy.  I never buy lentils because my husband thinks they're gross.  "Too pasty!"  But he likes beans; so in this dish, I replaced the lentils with some good ol' organic white beans.

What else did I alter?  I didn't use the whole onion.  I have a very low tolerance for violence against onions.  It makes me quite sad.  I got through chopping about 1/3 of a large onion before I couldn't take it  anymore.  I figured that was enough.

I did follow the complete spice palate listed in this recipe - even the stuff I thought might taste weird. That cinnamon really makes the flavors POP - don't skimp on it!

In addition to the coconut milk, I added a few scoops of coconut cream (which is like BUTTER) for a little extra coconut flavor and richness.  Mmm!

I did include the sweet potato and cauliflower (from frozen); but skipped the cabbage and peas, because I didn't have any.  I also skipped on the tomato juice, because I thought that a tomato-coconut mix would taste nasty (if you're feeling bold, try it and let me know how it goes!).

What's the moral of the story here??  Why alter so many parts of a proven, published recipe?

Because I can!  I know that a lot of folks successfully do their grocery shopping according to the recipes in their weekly meal plans; but I've always preferred shopping according to our tastes, what's in season (local!), and what's on sale.

We usually get frozen cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and rice; so those aspects of the recipe were easy to follow.  Cabbage?  Not in season now - though we sure ate plenty of cabbage from our garden this fall!

My whole point is that I encourage boldness in the kitchen.  Even if you don't have all the ingredients, go for it!  Try substituting spices and ingredients here and there.  The results can be surprisingly delicious!

The Charlotte Chronicles: I

The Charlotte Chronicles:  a moving story.

Once upon a time, a boy and a girl decided that they were tired of living in the land of the ice and snow.  They wanted an adventure!  And they wanted it to take place somewhere subtropical.

In the bleakest of winters - you know, that one with all the polar vortexes - they packed a truck with furniture and boxes of belongings.

  

At 7:00 am, they departed from Pennsylvania.  It was 2 degrees Fahrenheit outside.

They drove and drove... and drove.  The truck roared and roared.

It was a boring journey.

But the destination was worth it!  In North Carolina, they stayed with gracious friends; and the next day received moving help from several hospitable strangers.

It was 65 degrees Fahrenheit outside.

That's more like it.

We made it!

They gave us a brand new stove!

Same ol' boxes; different place.

Celebration

The story continues...

Carolina in My Mind

...also, in reality.

Husband (Hubby?  Hubskin?  Hub?) and I spent a week adventuring around Charlotte.  Our intent was to learn more about our grad school and to find somewhere to live.  We thought we'd spend long days perusing dozens of apartments...

...but we fell in love with the first one we saw.

Four things we experienced for the first time:

1. Burning a Christmas tree - MUCH more exciting than composting it.

2. A January thunderstorm - I did NOT know this was possible.

3. Someone calling the Civil War "the war of Northern aggression."  (What does that even mean?). Apparently, Southerners continue - to this day - to justify a war that took place 150 years ago by it being about states' freedom to choose... to enslave people.  This makes NO sense to me.

4. Shrimp & grits.  This was the best thing I have EVER eaten.

All in all, I am pumped to move to the South.  There is such a deep culture of both music and food (when asked what some of my favorite PA foods were, I replied, "...cheeseteak?  Hershey's?  Scrapple?"  Penna Dutch cooking has NOTHING on that of the South) and many, many lovely people.  Getting into seminary to truly learn the Bible and how to study it is fueling my sense of adventure and anticipation for ministry.  "For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding."  (Proverbs 2:6)

Feeling a sense of solidarity with Mr. Taylor...

Can't you feel the sunshine?

Can't you just feel the moonshine?

One Big Lesson from 2013

2013:  a whirlwind year for me.  My husband and I moved twice.  We worked in camp ministry from March to December.  We decided to go back to school.  It all went by quickly, but it felt like a ton of stuff happened!

When I look back on the lessons I learned this year, I think I have quite a few things I could discuss.  I learned lots about how unqualified I am for working in ministry.  I learned that college students can completely amaze you when they are living fully for the Lord.  I learned how hard it is to be in charge of a summer camp program (read:  it's a lot less fun than counseling).  I learned how to make  marshmallows.  Through study of James, I learned how importantly God sees our generosity - and how much I suck at giving.

Moving twice within the year taught me quite a few things about minimizing personal possessions.  Renting and loading and transporting all that can fit within a U-haul and a Subaru is not necessarily fun, but definitely a profitable task.

Part of the minimization process included A LOT of wardrobe decisions.  This leads me to my biggest lesson of the year:

How to Dress Like a Grown-Up

I had always been that girl who dressed in garish colors and gaudy patterns, because I considered my style "artsy."  After getting married, my husband (with a real eye for design) informed me that a plaid skirt, a paisley blouse, and striped tights do not comprise a decent outfit.  I raided my wardrobe, pulling out many blouses, skirts, dresses, cardigans, and pants.  Barely any plain, solid-colored items existed there!  It proved my poor shopping track-record:  I selected clothing items individually, based on each piece's particular beauty (which, to me, meant purple and pink paisleys or red-and-green plaids).

One time, I bought a skirt that I thought was amazing, at my college town's mod consignment shop.  It was a knee-length A-line... and it had POCKETS.   Pockets!!  The fabric itself was cotton, a buttery yellow with a delicate, art nouveau-esque blue-and-purple print.  By itself, it may have been a pretty skirt, but it matched NOTHING.  I thought,  "So... this doesn't match any top I own.  Or any top in the world.  I'll save the fabric and make it into a throw pillow or something."   (Consider the fact that I don't know how to sew).  This year, I finally forced myself to part with it.  I had owned it for nine years.  I think I had worn it about five or six times, total.

That was one of many ridiculous articles of clothing I owned that didn't match anything.  Therefore, since we had to move twice within this year... my wardrobe changed.  I got rid of all my tie-dye.  Yes, a part of me still longs for my beautifully crafted tee-shirts... but my husband prefers that his wife not look like she's still in junior high.

Solid colors were in.  Basic colors were in.  Simple articles of clothing were in.

Pink was OUT.

I did purchase a few new items this year:  black cigarette pants, grey flats, a grey cardigan, a few v-neck women's tees (more flattering than jr high soccer tee-shirts, right?).  I learned that grey is my new favorite color for basic items.  A grey pair of shoes can match with black, brown, or blue pants!  It's like magic!

I surveyed my favorite blouses and cardigans, and then made sure I could match them each with several skirts and pants.  The rest... went away!  The ridiculous patterns, the ugly colors (no shade of pink or coral will ever look good on me), the fun colors that didn't match anything else... all went into the donation bin.  What I was left with was a simple, comfortable, well-fitting, and (dare I say) stylish wardrobe.  I can put together decent-looking outfits with so much ease now.

(If you're rolling your eyes, thinking, "This girl is so shallow, the biggest thing she learned in a year was how to dress?"  ...you're right.  But with my history of hoarding, getting rid of so many clothes was a big deal to me.  And dressing nicely - for the first time ever - was a great result).

It felt very freeing filling up a second massive bin of clothing to donate (to the local women's shelter).  I had so many things - even warm, toasty, winter clothes - that I so rarely wore.  The best way to put it is that it felt right to share all these earthly possessions with folks who actually needed them.

My true inspiration came from a great sermon (heard at Great Island Presbyterian Church) on James 5.  The "moth-eaten" clothing and riches were decomposing not necessarily because their owners were wealthy, but because they didn't put their possessions to good use.  A closet filled with unworn clothing should be emptied and given to the naked.  A pantry full of more food than one could eat within a year could be given to the hungry.  A family's extra car could be given to a person in need of transportation to a job.

So I guess the underlying lesson beneath my wardrobe changes is that... too much is too much.  We've all heard (in magazines; on Pinterest) that if "you haven't worn it within the year, get rid of it."  We all have our favorite jeans, favorite tee-shirts, favorite sweaters:  the ones we wear at least once or twice a week.  Decide for yourself!  Pick those favorite things and key wardrobe items, and discard the extra.  It'll help you see your closet more clearly.  And sorting the surplus clothes to give to those in need is worth it!

How to Dress Like a Grown-Up:  Simplify.  Wear what looks good on you.  And share your extra clothes with those who may need them.

Recipe: Homemade Marshmallows

Here's a fabulous recipe for soft, fluffy, homemade marshmallows.   Yes, it does have corn syrup and gelatin in it, but there aren't any preservatives AND it tastes infinitely better than store-bought 'mallows.

Plus, you can make them any flavor you want!  They're scrumptious as "plain" vanilla, but you can flavor them with peppermint, coconut, chocolate, cinnamon... anything you can think of!

Here we go:

Combine 3 packages unflavored gelatin with 1/2 cup cold water in a mixer bowl.

In a saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 cup light corn syrup, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 cup water.  Stir  over medium heat until sugar dissolves, then raise heat until the syrup reaches 240* F.

Turn the mixer on its lowest speed and slowly add the syrup to the gelatin.  Add 1 tbsp vanilla extract (or 1 tsp vanilla & 2 tsp peppermint extract... or whatever flavor you like!).  Set mixer speed to high and let it whip for 15 minutes.

Next, dust a glass 8" x 12" pan with confectioners' sugar, pour in the fluffy goodness, and let set overnight.  Turn out and slice into cubes.  At this point, you could also melt some chocolate chips in a double-boiler, dip the 'mallows in, and let cool - for chocolate-covered marshmallows.  Yum!

Share and enjoy!

At the Table

Saturday night:  I was cooking a pretty fabulous dinner.  Chicken and mushrooms were braising slowly in a rich, garlic-peppercorn sauce.  Saffron risotto simmered along, absorbing more and more broth by the cup-full.  The smell of brownies wafted up from the oven.  Then... VOOP!  The power went out in our apartment.  The sizzling sounds quickly faded to silence upon the electric stove-top.

This would have been a gastronomic tragedy; however, our current housing above the camp kitchen permitted us to transport our pots and pans downstairs to continue cooking the meal over propane.  God bless propane.  If we have a real house someday, I so wish to have a propane stove!

The other alteration to our plans for the evening was that we ate at the table, by candlelight, over a tablecloth, with clean, cloth napkins.  Our previous plan was to put food on the coffee table and hunch over it, scarfing down dinner as we continued watching episodes of Breaking Bad.

The candlelit dinner (with a nice Zinfandel) was a much better experience for my husband and me.

Sadly, the two of us often resign ourselves to eating in front of the television.  We blame our surroundings for watching television daily (our home is very remote from friends, and it is too dang cold to play outside!); and yet we look forward to beginning school next year, since our work and new friends will keep us busy.  We also talk about how we don't want to watch television in the future when we have children, and CERTAINLY don't want to eat dinner with them in the living room.

I hope to continue the tradition of family dinners.  My parents had us stop homework or tv-watching every night to sit at the table and eat together.  They'd ask us what we learned at school ("Nooothinnggg.") and catch each other up on the events of the day.  Little did I know that this ritual was the foundation of our training as civilized persons.

In our "grain-bag society," people eat anywhere, anytime they want.  It's why we have drive-thrus at fast-food establishments.  It's why people stuff their purses with granola bars and candies.  It is this ubiquitous eating that has taken away any sign of etiquette and communal enjoyment of meals.

As you head into your Thanksgiving family get-togethers, take time to appreciate the effort put into the meal by the cook, the beautiful place-settings, and the faces of those you love.  Enjoy the conversation, in addition to all that gravy!

All this has been brought to mind because I've been doing a little reading about etiquette.  A very convincing. witty book by Judith Martin has been causing me to consider the implications of a "grain-bag society," and how I'd rather implement solid training-in-eating to my future children (forks and knives, not fingers).  Read on for your enlightenment and amusement:

Homemade toothpaste.

A neat article, written by a dentist who developed a recipe for home made toothpaste:

The Green Minimalist: Home made, Plastic free toothpaste.: Toothpaste has been one of the problems for my zero waste green lifestyle. We all go through them a lot and they almost always come in plast...

Happy Friday!

The menu for this weekend includes:

• baking brownies
• dehydrating apples
• hosting groups at camp
• continuing work on seminary applications

What's on your plate for the Sabbath?

Here's a great, thoughtful essay to start off your weekend:

How Feminism Hurts Men

This month:

October will be spent traveling.  My husband and I concluded our summer of directing a camp (three months of s'mores, energizers, crazy college students and curious children) and are very minimally employed.  We still live at the camp.  We serve retreat groups on the weekends, but our weekdays are completely unscheduled.

As much as we enjoy hiking the grounds of our camp, we have seen it all - so we are seeking new places to explore.  In September, we went up to Maine (as usual) and got to check out the towns of Eastport and Winter Harbor (not the usual).  Last week, we did a spontaneous excursion to Niagara Falls and Toronto.  Let me tell you, that was THRILLING.  I have never been to Canada before; it was the second time I've used my passport.  All the Canadian stereotypes you've heard ("Have a donut, eh!") are true! Oh, and Niagara Falls was pretty awesome/beautiful/impressive/marvelous, too.

Anyways, as we're looking to what to do next with our lives, the prospect of grad school keeps appearing faintly on the horizon.  School!  Again!!  I so loved the academic life.  Even though I did fine arts for my bachelor's degree, what I truly loved were history classes, and specifically, art history classes.  The thought of sitting through lectures, scribbling furiously - as I had done for so many years of my life before! - is rather titilating. Arouse my intellect once more, o' university!

So this leads us to October.  We will spend three weeks traveling throughout the southeast, visiting as many schools as we can.  Many of these are in the Charlotte area.  The thought of dedicating myself once more to study - in an even warmer environment (more outdoor playtime!  longer garden growing season!  grits!  barbecue!)  is very, very intriguing.  I am not sure whether it's feasible financially, whether it will make a difference on the future of our careers (maybe each of us will actually acquire a career along the way?)... but I will find out soon!

Emerging Adulthood.

When does one enter adulthood?

How does one know when the crossover has occurred?

What determines it - a biological or a social change?

One might say we become adult humans at the onset of puberty - which can be a slow process, for some.  Bodies slowly fill out in shapeliness; hair appears in new places; testicles and voices drop.  Some girls feel that womanhood happens when menstruation begins.  If that's true, I can say - this year - that I've been a woman for half of my life.  But I'm not sure that, even now, I feel like a true grown-up.

In the news

Truthfully, I can say that I'm "out of the loop."  Folks around me discuss the latest episode of this-or-that prime time program, the best new video games, news stories, the "Occupy" movement, final scores... and my continually repeating response is, "what's that?"

My husband and I do not own a television.  This is partly because of the decision we made upon hearing that it's beneficial to avoid mindless entertainment during the first year of marriage (when you can talk to each other instead), and partly because neither of us owned the television at our prior residences.  Cable is one bill for which we don't pay, and I like that it fits into the ideal of "cheap living."  We also don't subscribe to the internet at home... and we don't have those intellectual mobile phones everyone loves.

Additionally, we haven't subscribed to any newspapers... yet.  We may look into receiving the Sunday Inquirer, since there's no local news here worth reading.

We are living in ignorance... but is it bliss?  I don't toss and turn at night, reviewing national economic problems in my mind.  There is less to worry about, a freedom from concerns about others' situations... but are we missing out, not knowing what's happening in the world at large?  Are we avoiding hearing about conflicts to which we could possibly lend a hand?

Should we re-connect?

French Cooking!!

Some conquests for my upcoming personal adventurement:

aioli

Bouillabaisse

branade

cassoulet

confit Byaldi

Cozze gratinate

crudites

escargot

gratin Dauphinois
gratin Languedocien

gougere

hollandaisse

insalata Caprese

lobster Thermidor

piccalilli

pistou
quiche
ratatouille
remoulade

rouille

roux

salade Nicoise

Tapenade

Tourtiere

 
 
And now, to polish my skills in the kitchen, refine & awaken my palette to new flavours, discover wine pairings, and to learn how to properly accent the accents in these French words. Pronounciation as well?  A French language class, perhaps?  Julia Child, please!

discontent

Dear friend & college apartmentmate Meghan came to town to hang with me last night.  I rather enjoyed our conversation, catching up on life and ambitions and conquests and dreams.  She kept stating how she missed living in Kutztown, how quaint & quiet it is, how pastoral and friendly.

I find I'm becoming disinterested.

Many folk around here are quite happy and do good in marrying and making babies.  But there are others out there living what I dream about; traveling the country, getting a master's degree, homesteading, having decent full-time jobs.

When will I get there?  Living the dream?

plants

Okay, went to Rodale yesterday to pick up the scraps of what was left of the plant sale.  Parsley, broccoli & some Japanese leafy green that starts with ,M'.  Then poked around in a rack of seed packs & found carrots, turnips, lettuce, leeks, muskmelon & some other stuff.  After that we went to Renningers & the two ladies there had a greater selection of vegetable seedlings [perhaps not usda certified organic, but - ?].  They had at least a dozen breeds of tomatoes for sale, & I'm interested in getting some with a chronological difference in maturity so we'll harvest different sizes & flavours at different times.

AND we've already got a little strawberry plant in a pot [I hope it spreads like a weed & gives us many, many berries] and some thyme & basil growing nicely from seed.  Pesto this summer!

springtime

It is spring in Pennsylvania and green and yellow bleed into my sight everywhere I look.  I drove the back roads betwixt farm & field yesterday on my way to Echo Hill country store and the fields of green were wrecked with dandelion debris.   The pollen floats on the breeze invisibly into every runny nose and itchy eye.  That, I have heard, is at the most ridiculously high levels we've seen in years.  Something like that.

At the present moment, I am searching for a[n additonal] job for the summer.  Parts of my heart long to work at a summer camp, reaching out to kids and spending every moment climbing mountains and searching streams, but I do also feel called to Kutztown and to continuing ministry [hopefully] to the great people I work with at the art stuff store.  They're a beautiful group of women whom I want to love on; I really do enjoy growing into deeper friendships with them and the conversations we have when there are few customers in the store.

Because of this, it seems a 'small' job in town would be the best way to go as far as a little increase in income goes.  I applied for an internship at an organic farm [with professional resume & kickass cover letter], and I'll ask for applications to the little cafes & ice cream shops & boutiques up & down Main Street.  Perhaps I'll market myself for an au pair job.  I'm really looking to work Thursday through Saturday to create a complete work week.  It's nice having more time to work on painting, but the skin on my hands craves clay, and acrylic or oil cannnot satisfy.

Or I'll bake and bake bread, fill a cart & go up & down the street trying to sell my delicious loaves.  Were that a well-paying job, I'd employ myself immediately.

Also, I'm currently accepting ideas for part-time jobs.  Anyone hiring??

What to Eat

Currently reading What to Eat by Marion Nestle.  She's a professor of nutrition at NYU.  Cool.

Apparently she's done all sorts of extensive research on what food companies want us to think and buy, who owns food companies, why grocery stores are all laid out the same way, and what goes into genetically modified, organic, conventional, and local foods.

If you've ever been to a grocery store in North America, it probably has either flowers or the bakery section by the entrance [to stimulate appetite by smell], long long aisles of prepackaged foods [to keep you interested while walking along slowly], bright shining bins of produce [waxed over & labelled with various countries & states of nonlocal origin] and all that placed between you and the important stuff [milk, bread, eggs, meats - all located furthest away from the entrances] so that you look at more things they have to offer than you need.

The author states that 70% of grocery store customers create lists before shopping.  10% of shoppers don't buy more than their list includes.

Next time:  Sugar - How invasive it is in our diets.

wealth

i see a t.v. preacher promoting his 'financial breakthrough bible' and the 'four miracles god will release into your life'. before that, he proclaimed God's coming judgement on the u.s. for its inappropriate sex and abortion.

i look once more at this man, shouting into his microphone, wearing a great big red silk tie, an enormous gold ring on his finger, and an expensive-looking suit that covers his enormous body.

my confession:  i eat more than my body needs.  it's true.  where in my caloric intake does ice cream play a part in aiding the nutrition of my body?  it does not.  i call myself out: i'm a sinner who eats more than i need to.

the increasing reality of americans' obsession with food can be clearly seen in their volume.  cars become suvs [for suburban commuters] to accomodate the size of passengers.  rollercoasters now boast rows of larger seats for their guests.  tv channels that once provided science education now air programs about 800+ pound persons' addictions to take-out, their bed-bound lives, their gastric bypass surgeries, and their deaths.

it is easy to point out obese people and their obvious problem: food addiction.  but we must think on our own selves as well.  how much are we eating?  what money are we spending frivolously that could be used to help the poor - as Jesus asks us to?

if one person who purchases a cup of coffee three to four times a week gives up the java and puts that money towards a poor child; that person could sponsor a kid in africa for his or her education, healthcare, food and more... for years.

Jesus calls us to love God and love our neighbor.  more specifically, He calls us to do three things to honor God:  pray, give, fast.  i admit, i struggle to do all three of those.  it may be difficult because of the implications our western society puts on us as its citizens, fueling our selfish, sinful nature.

1. pray - prayer constitutes the simple act of quieting the mind and communing with God. listening to Him, and speaking with Him [beyond asking for trivial things & saying thanks for dinner].  how do we achieve quiet?  put down the crackberry, hush the tweeting, log off of facebook.  turn off the mobile phone, step outside, lie down in the grass and be quiet.  do that for more than 10 minutes and find out how much you hear.

2. give - God wants us to take care of the misfortunate because it brings honor to His name.
  instinct tells us that the man on the street asking for change will use it the next minute to buy booze or crack.  does Jesus ask us to judge what he'll do with that money?  if we're honest with ourselves, as much as we think we work hard to "earn" money, we can't deny that God gave us the skills... and provided education... and put us in the job... and He's the one who truly earned us our paychecks.  the earth is the Lord's, and everything in it.  even two dollars in your pocket belongs to God - let His will be done when we give to strangers.

3. fast - this one is the most oft ignored among american Christ-followers.  we don't think about *not* eating, mostly because we have in our country a ridiculous abundance of food.  God spoke to the prophet isaiah, telling him that He wants a fast that's pure - a heart that wants to give up food so it can give that food to the hungry.  He says if we do this, "then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear.  then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard."  awesome, awesome things happen when we choose the righteous path.  what's holding us back?

deterioration of the fight or flight response

  Fight or flight.  It's what we've been told.  We're expected to do it.  Instinct, as they say.

And you can't say you haven't ever made the subconscious choice and done one or the other or (likely) both.  We're humans; we're confronted; our hearts are put on the line.  A situation arises and that slow burn comes upon our hearts, fueling anger or confusion - pushing us to counter the problem strongly or leave it and run away, hoping to clear our heads and forget it all.

And it can happen any time...

When folks start talking dissenting politics, it's likely a person will argue or leave the room.

At that breaking point, when your most important relationship is under attack, what do you do?  Fight the flesh?  Fight the wife or the husband or the best friend?  Or do you run?  Do you even look back behind you?

We're all succumbed to fighting.  We've all flown off, as well.  It's instinct.  It's human nature.  It's our flesh taking action for us.





But what does the heart say?


Our hearts know that malignant situations come upon us, and that we should solve them rationally, not hurting the other person or thing involved.  We should take time; figure things out.

So, how do we fight the instinct?

Could I do it by myself?

Certainly not.

Without the help and the drive of a perfect person, it's impossible.

How grateful, then, are we to be that the very Spirit of God rests within us.  The very Spirit that can cause mountains to crack & crumble into pieces lives inside you and inside me to calm our inner storms.  He brings us peace & serenity.

His presence moves us not to fight anymore.  We don't have to run away; we run only to Him.

The temptation to lean on our own selves for understanding is, of course, strong and with us.

But we can choose to fall on Him.

We fight and flee no more. 

Bread Winner

Check out what I made:

Also did some tiny, roundy dinner rolls for Mother's Day supper. Caprese salad, steak marinated in flat trippel & basil, dirt pudding. Turned out to be a great meal!

I'm currently in love with this publication: The Book of Bread by Judith & Evan Jones. The authors are a homesteadin' Vermont couple who've travelled globally to bake locally. Their book is full of the very best recipes they've collected from around the world, and it includes pleasant little sketches of dough being kneaded and loaves after baking. I really like that the whole thing is printed on a creamy paper in brown ink - very pleasing to the eye and grain-oriented!

Well, I've been borrowing (and renewing) the library's copy for several weeks now, and tainting its pages with whole wheat flour. I would really love my own copy, but Greg tells me to wait on it as he comes from a lineage of baking women who have their own recipe books to share. I look forward to that - so for now I'll keep taking advantage of the library. ;-)

Two things

There are two things I wish all Americans would do. The world's cost of food has been rising because North Americans have been using corn for non-food purposes. If I could broadcast myself in the national media, I would ask folks to:

1. Stop using corn-based ethanol to fuel your cars. Sure, it may be a tiny bit more environmentally sound, but it still pollutes and it's wasting food that could be used to feed hungry kids in Africa/Asia/South America. Carpool. Ride a bike. Take a hike.

2. Eat less meat. It takes 5 months of feeding a pig 8 pounds of feed per day to get it to full size - 265 pounds. (http://www.pork4kids.com). 1200 pounds of food (say, corn) create only 265 pounds of meat (less the inedible parts of the animal). Those 1200 pounds of corn can feed a LOT more people than ~265 pounds of pork. Additionally, more energy and vitamins & nutrients are absorbed through eating corn - because the pig has already digested & used much of that energy by the time you get to eating the pork. Seriously, beans & rice will save the world. If we allow it.

Every day, I'm more and more appalled by the wasteful gluttony I see here in this country. I may just learn Spanish and move to a monastery in Peru.

On a more fun note, my friend Matthew has made a fun video to share: