A Mad Tea Party

now we are released

2012-02-13T07:55:00.000-05:00

My brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
-Romans 7:4-6

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
-Galatians 5:22-24

---

Where we once bore deathly fruit, living as slaves to sin and thus fearing the law because of our inevitable guilt, we now bear the fruit of life, living as slaves to righteousness and free of fear.

Thanks be to our Saviour, there is no law that can torture us with condemnation.

I think that last Galatians phrase-- against such things there is no law-- is one of my favorite in Scripture, because deep down (maybe not so deep!) I am a legalist. I want to know exactly the right things to believe and do and say, no gray areas please. When I'm not clear on What to Do, I fear that I've missed the mark somehow, that I am disappointing God or missing out on His blessing. Have I broken some rule? I wonder. What am I doing wrong and how can I fix it?

But here I find comfort in simplicity. Listen, Rebekah, pursue godliness in these things; pursue love, peace, kindness, self-control. No law will condemn you for that. And what's more, the Holy Spirit himself will help you. Your salvation is already assured, and now, you can walk in freedom rather than fear.

{image credit: Manyank Austen Soofi}

it is the only way to eat them

2012-02-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

Jack. How can you sit there, calmly eating muffins when we are in this horrible trouble, I can’t make out. You seem to me to be perfectly heartless.
Algernon. Well, I can’t eat muffins in an agitated manner. The butter would probably get on my cuffs. One should always eat muffins quite calmly. It is the only way to eat them.
Jack. I say it’s perfectly heartless your eating muffins at all, under the circumstances.
Algernon. When I am in trouble, eating is the only thing that consoles me. Indeed, when I am in really great trouble, as any one who knows me intimately will tell you, I refuse everything except food and drink. At the present moment I am eating muffins because I am unhappy. Besides, I am particularly fond of muffins.

-Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest

---

I'm not sure why, but muffins have universal appeal. On this side of the pond, Algernon's sentiment seems echoed everywhere. In college I was assured of a happy welcome when I arrived at a boys' dorm with a basketful; at home my brothers greeted every batch with rejoicing. Now we two enjoy them often.

Moist and spicy, I find these little muffins perfect for breakfast, alongside soup, or as a portable snack. Make a double recipe and freeze some if you like. They are higher in protein than most, and if it interests you, they are both gluten- and grain-free. Even if you don't care about that, though, they are extremely delicious . . . especially with a bit of softened butter. Don't get it on your cuffs.

Apple Spice Muffins
(original recipe from The Nourishing Gourmet)

1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup mild honey
1/2 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup shredded tart apple (no need to peel it)

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease eight muffin cups with nonstick spray.*
2) Melt butter. (I dislike microwaves so I put the butter in a glass measuring cup, place it in a small pot with a couple inches of water, and bring the water to a boil. A few minutes of simmering melts the butter.) Stir in honey and set aside to let cool slightly.
3) Meanwhile whisk together coconut flour, baking powder, spices, and salt in medium bowl. Beat eggs lightly with fork and shred apple.
4) Pour melted butter, honey, and eggs into bowl. Whisk to combine thoroughly. Fold in shredded apple.
5) Divide batter between prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until tops are browned and muffins test done with toothpick. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

*I use a stoneware muffin pan and preheat it with the oven. Highly recommended-- it's a non-toxic baking surface that browns beautifully and is easy to clean.

{image credit: Food Opera}

Weekend linkage

2012-02-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Ya'll watch this. Tree-climbing in the Congo next weekend, anyone?

I'd never seen Annie Vallotton's Scripture illustration work before reading this article, but I like it very much.

To keep in mind next time you go poisoning pigeons in the park . . .

A way to make bacon? For serious? I need some pork belly!

Fish a la greque: this was one seriously good dinner.

---

p.s. I was at a friend's house on Sunday night and watched The Voice for the first time. It was likely also the last, because 1) we lack a television 2) Christina Aguilera is annoying 3) I cannot handle this stuff. It is just too ABSORBING and EMOTIONAL and EXCITING and TRAGIC and good Lord, I don't even know these people! Personally, I have a hard enough time keeping up with the real relationships in my life . . . I can't add a TV show to the mix . . . how do people with televisions manage it?

Well, I hope Adam wins anyway. Because I like Maroon 5 (I do! I confess!) and Tony Lucca was amazing. He was the only contestant whose hypothetical record I would pop into the CD player and listen to on repeat.

Trouble by Ray LaMontagne on Grooveshark

and we rejoice in hope

2012-02-09T10:28:00.000-05:00

"No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was counted to him as righteousness.

"But the words 'it was counted to him' were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

-Romans 4:20-5:2

---

No distrust! How I long for that to be said of me. That I am fully convinced, and glorify God through faith. To have such unwavering trust requires a relationship of great depth-- so I want to know Him in His sufferings and resurrection. I want to rejoice in His grace day by mundane day. I want to stand on my confidence in Him when the crisis comes. May each day be shaped by "the grace in which I stand . . . [and] hope of the glory of God." Draw me closer to you, O Lord, and plant my feet immovably on your promises.

Let Me In by Audrey Assad on Grooveshark

Well Written Wednesdays: nothing happens to me

2012-02-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

"Well, I want to go to South America."

"Listen, Robert, going to another country doesn't make any difference. I've tried all that. You can't get away from yourself by moving from one place to another. There's nothing to that."

"But you've never been to South America."

"South America hell! If you went there the way you feel now it would be exactly the same. This is a good town. Why don't you start living your life in Paris?"

"I'm sick of Paris, and I'm sick of the Quarter."

"Stay away from the Quarter. Cruise around by yourself and see what happens to you."

"Nothing happens to me. I walked alone all one night and nothing happened except a bicycle cop stopped me and asked to see my papers."

"Wasn't the town nice at night?"

"I don't care for Paris."

So there you were. I was sorry for him, but it was not a thing you could do anything about, because right away you ran up against the two stubbornnesses: South America could fix it and he did not like Paris. He got the first idea out of a book, and I suppose the second came out of a book too.

-from The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

unenlightened soup

2012-02-07T08:55:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I get these free magazine offers in the mail. Two risk-free issues of This Old House! A trial subscription to Martha Stewart Living! I send in my request and get the free magazines, then cancel . . . leaving the publication's bill-collecting department to send me alternately pitiful and threatening requests for the rest of the money, until two months later, they realize that I really meant it.

Well, the most recent offer was from Cooking Light. I disagree with at least 70% of the magazine's dietary philosophy ("saturated fat is evil and you must eat whole grains to function properly") but I find some of the articles interesting, I like the emphasis on fresh, unprocessed food, and I have gotten several excellent recipes out of its pages. Including this one.

I'm not much good at making food from the Eastern Hemisphere, as I haven't an Asian bone in my body. However, this riff on Thai flavors turned out splendidly. I "unenlightened" it, first by using regular coconut milk and chicken stock, then by giving you the freedom to (gasp!) add more salt. It's much tastier this way. Ancel Keys is rolling over in his grave. :)

Julia, this is for you.

---

Thai Chicken Soup
(originally from the Jan 2012 issue of Cooking Light)

2 tablespoons coconut oil*
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2/3 cup chopped bell pepper
1 large carrot, sliced on the diagonal
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons sambal oelek
4 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups chicken stock
1 15-oz can coconut milk
4 teaspoons fish sauce
4 teaspoons lime juice
4 cups coarsely chopped kale
4 cups thinly sliced cooked chicken**
sea salt to taste
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro

1) In large soup pot, melt coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, pepper, carrot, garlic, sambal oelek, and garlic. Saute for a few minutes; reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 5 minutes more.
2) Add stock, coconut milk, fish sauce, and lime juice to pot and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and stir in chopped kale; cover pot and simmer for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender but not mushy.
3) Stir in chicken and heat through. Add salt to taste. Stir in cilantro just before serving. This is a very thick soup, more like a stew honestly-- serve with rice if you'd like, but I think it is great without.

*Or any cooking fat that will go well with these flavors . . .
**Either use leftovers from a roast chicken, or poach several breasts and/or thighs for the occasion.

man does not live by spreadsheets alone

2012-02-06T12:10:00.000-05:00

But some women do! Excel runs my life. (Delicious and Gmail energetically vie for the title.) My spreadsheets cover groceries, meal plan, to-do-this-week, work hours, class grades, mailing lists, price comparisons, clothing inventories, Things I Froze This Summer, budget, booklists, and exercise routines.

Yep. Excel is the shizzle.

Recently, in a resolving time of year, I sat down and thought about how I could make better use of my time. I typically accomplish what I need to, but in a somewhat slapdash fashion. Everything gets done . . . but just barely. I'd like to change that pattern.

Historically, the more structure I have imposed upon my life, the more productive I have become. Is it that way for anyone else? I just can't retain tasks or keep track of time in my head; when I try, the bathroom floor goes neglected, my cell phone runs out of battery, and I scramble to get dinner on the table because I forgot to take the meat out of the freezer. I need a schedule, a timer, and definite boundaries. I need somebody to tell me "do this." Even if that somebody is only an Excel spreadsheet. :)

So here's the plan. I made a spreadsheet with several tabs, namely . . .

1) Master list for the week. One column for each day. The top six cells of each column are separated by a heavy line from the bottom section. That smaller top section is reserved for such Weekly Tasks as working out on Monday, sending my students their assignments on Wednesday,* and ironing on Saturday. Then the rest of the column is for once-and-done things like "make a chiropractor's appointment" or "grade British Lit essays" or "go to the library."

2) Meal plan. A grid seven across and fifty-two down. I love planning meals. It takes time at first but saves a lot later. It allows me to strategically plan for leftovers, make sure I'm not doing a complicated dish on a day that I will be out of the house until 5:30, and avoid serving chicken five days in a row. :) I can adjust my plan to fit grocery store sales or what I have in the freezer.Plus, if I look at this spreadsheet at the beginning of the week, I can schedule stuff like "thaw salmon" or "make potato salad ahead of time." (Perhaps you are able to remember these things without a reminder but I AM NOT.)

3) Grocery list. Closely linked to the meal plan of course; I've got columns for different stores, from Weis to Savemart to Target.

---

My hopes for this plan are trifold. First I want to make sure that important things like, ah, cleaning our house don't fall through the cracks. Second, I want to add more "authoritative" structure to my days so I'm not as tempted to fritter away precious time: since The List (and not just my passing thought) says I must do x and y, I will probably do it. Third, I want to have a place to write down ideas. If I think on Monday "oh, I should repot the thyme and oregano" but don't have time to do it immediately, I'll forget. So now I want to discipline myself to write that idea into a column, so eventually, it will get done.

I'm trying to be realistic about this new endeavor. But it seems like a good approach for now. I have measured out my life in Excel spreadsheets . . . and I like it.

*Yes, I have forgotten to do this before.

{image credit: Terry Madeley}

the deep thunder of its want

2012-02-05T07:30:00.000-05:00

None other Lamb, none other Name,
None other hope in Heav’n or earth or sea,
None other hiding place from guilt and shame,
None beside Thee!

My faith burns low, my hope burns low;
Only my heart’s desire cries out in me
By the deep thunder of its want and woe,
Cries out to Thee.

Lord, Thou art Life, though I be dead;
Love’s fire Thou art, however cold I be:
Nor Heav’n have I, nor place to lay my head,
Nor home, but Thee.

-Christina Rossetti

Weekend linkage

2012-02-04T07:14:00.001-05:00

Sonnets: hidey hidey hidey ho.

I neeeed to make kale chips.

For Valentine's Day, I planned to braise short ribs and buy a bottle of cabernet to go with them. As you wish.

I used to want to work in a bookstore. Maybe live in one too?

Daddy always called me his palomita.* Now I have the right cocktail.

I have decided that I wish to resurrect 1950's fashion.

Why we care about blog comments.

We have this IKEA desk . . . ideas for future tweaking! The whole site is great, actually.

Aww.

Despite Monday's post, I'll admit that on some cranky days, I really do feel like this . . .

I'm not a girl to demand flowers. They just wilt after a while and are so ruddy expensive. But a big bouquet of these would be most acceptable.

Blog find of the week: The Dapper Kingdom. Chameleons with monocles!

Stricken, Smitten And Afflicted by Fernando Ortega on Grooveshark

*Why? Paloma Herrera. Once upon a time, you know, I was a ballerina.

with which we may eat, drink and be merry

2012-02-02T06:30:00.000-05:00

Lindt Intense Orange. I will simply quote the Lindt website: "a unique combination of dark chocolate with delicate orange pieces and almond slivers." You know those chocolate oranges from Christmastime? Same flavor, but with almonds and dark chocolate, a little more grown-up.

Dark Chocolate Dreams from Peanut Butter and Company. To continue the theme of Combining Dark Chocolate With Other Tasty Things . . . pop open a jar, take a whiff, and I dare you to keep your spoon away. I'd like to try Mighty Maple next.

Terrachips Stripes and Blues. "Exotic vegetable chips," as the phrase goes, this one a mix of blue potatoes, sweet potatoes, and striped beets like unto archery targets. I wish Terrachips wouldn't use canola oil, but as a periodic treat, I heartily enjoy these. The blue potato, kabocha squash, and carrot mix is also great.

Celestial Seasonings' India Spice Chai. Though not typically a Celestial Seasonings fan, I find chai blend remarkably good. Strong hints of nutmeg and not too much clove (which is usually my quibble with chai teas).

Cascal Fermented Soda. All the fun of bubbly without the alcohol. Mind you, I don't object to alcohol. But sometimes one needs a beverage safe for one's younger siblings . . . or for oneself, if one plans on driving anywhere after dinner and has a rather low booze tolerance. (Me!!)

{image credit: camillestyles}

Well Written Wednesdays: the possibility of balance

2012-02-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

"But what if it's a huge river," I asked him once-- "like the Congo, which is much broader than the reach of any vine?"

"This is simple," he said. "Such a river should not be crossed."

If only a river could go uncrossed and whatever lay on the other side could live as it pleased, unwitnessed and unchanged. But it didn't happen that way. The Portuguese peered through the trees and saw that the well-dressed, articulate Kongo did not buy or sell or transport their crops, but merely lived in place and ate what they had, like the beasts of the forest. In spite of poetry and beautiful clothes, such people were surely not fully human-- were primitive; that's a word the Portuguese must have used to salve their conscience for what was to come. Soon the priests were holding mass baptisms on shore and marching their converts onto ships bound for sugar plantations in Brazil, slaves to the higher god of commodity agriculture.

There is not justice in this world. Father, forgive me wherever you are, but this world has brought one vile abomination after another down on the heads of the gentle, and I'll not live to see the meek inherit anything. What there is in this world, I think, is a tendency for human errors to level themselves like water throughout their sphere of influence. That's pretty much the whole of what I can say, looking back. There's the possibility of balance. Unbearable burdens that the world somehow does bear with a certain grace.

-from The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

---

This book. It's been haunting my thoughts for weeks. Themes of guilt and forgiveness, pride and submission, wildness fighting order . . . a twisted Gospel sapped of life by hatred and a lifeless land given hope through love. Beautifully written and piercing in the depth of its characters, their struggles, and their conclusions. I borrowed it from the library but it's one worth buying.

the way the story went

2012-01-30T07:30:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time . . .

. . . we got married. That was in January 2010, and I gaily expected to be pregnant with our first child before the year was up. Or, to be honest, sooner.

Well, guess what? We just celebrated our second anniversary, and still no bun in this oven.

Over the past two years, my babyless state of affairs has produced a lot of ugly things. Fear, disappointment, jealousy, hysterical crying, kicking things, anger with myself, anger with God, anger with anyone else who gets pregnant, bitterness, depression, maniacal research, and questioning my worth as a woman. (You try life as an illogical melange of hormonal angst, and see how you like it!)

I want to see my husband be a daddy. I want to tell my baby-loving parents that they're going to have grandchildren. I want to hold a soft, big-eyed little person in my arms and not have to give him back at the end of the visit. I want to nourish and teach and grow alongside the young souls entrusted to us. That's what I want.

But you know what else I want? To trust God.

Oh, that's hard. Harder than I ever knew, even when I was wondering where I'd go to college and searching for solutions to my health issues, or later when wishing for a boyfriend or wrestling with theological conundrums, or still later when freaking out about my non-emotions. This has been painful. I have been asked to let go of my carefully cherished plans and my yearning for control. Then I was asked to rest in a God who I wasn't always sure loved me.

He does, though. I've learned that at least. "I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." And through the pain and the fury of trial, I have also learned to say: This is the way the story goes. My small phrase of truth . . . it's not a hopeless expression of cynicism, but a sweet reminder that the Lord I follow holds all history, which certainly includes our family's future.

Here is what I mean. When reading a well-crafted book, an Allende or a Hemingway, I don't try to direct the story. I let the author take care of that, and just experience the unfolding of each event in its own timing. Everything works out beautifully. I may not love the road the tale takes, but it is perfectly done. Resting in the writer's plan, I can enjoy it page by page, without worrying about what may or may not happen next.

God is my Author. The "author of life," says Peter . . . yes, in more ways than one. He writes the story, one more finely crafted than the best volume on earthly shelves. I stand on his storyline and walk through the plot. Two years after this particular chapter began, I'm finally walking quietly.

To be honest, He's worn me out. I dragged my feet. I screamed and fought as hard as I could. This isn't the right story, I said. It was supposed to follow my preferred pattern: courtship, wedding, babies. Look, that's how it worked out for them! And them! Why not us?

Because that was their story, not ours. Now, more by exhausted default than by any great act of faith, I can do nothing but lean on God. There's nothing left but Him. Too proud to submit any other way, I've had to take the rough road to peace. "I have calmed and quieted my soul . . . O Israel, hope in the Lord now and forevermore." I have had to release my desire for that other story, and trust that this one is equally good.

There is a deep joy in this helpless rest. Our God loves and carries us. His comfort, as genuine and complete as I've known, feels unlike anything experienced while in a state of self-sufficiency. Who knows the next chapter? Ah, the Lord does. That is enough. It finally is enough. What a fool I'd be to demand He give me the pen.

Not that I'll never question Him again (I know my sin too well), or that even now, the pain has completely vanished. Something-- a pregnancy announcement, a question from a well-meaning acquaintance-- will often shake up my contentment and threaten to set my bitterness flowing. When this happens, again I ask: Can I trust God? Can I follow this path with peace in my heart?

Only if I believe that He truly knows what is best for me, and that He is not only perfectly capable of executing those plans, but is also in the process of doing just that.

I believe that now.

This is the way the story goes.

{image credit: Video Eleven}

Come and see . . .

2012-01-29T13:39:00.000-05:00

Our Town, a theatrical production by CLCHM (Central Lancaster County Homeschool Music) at Wheatland Presbyterian Church, February 3-4.

Good clean fun, as they say, though not funny. (Don't expect a barrel of laughs like The Importance of Being Earnest . . . this one's more serious!)

Weekend linkage

2012-01-27T07:56:00.001-05:00

Good thing drinking coffee isn't a capital offense in these parts. I'd soon be short a husband. (Okay, I drink it sometimes too.)

I dislike unreasoned divides between "girl things" and "boy things." Boys should learn how to vacuum the living room, hold a baby, and make lunch; girls should be able to take out the trash and shoot a gun. But I am a decided complementarian for all that, who believes there are some very clear Scriptural lines between male and female, and this story is . . . weird.

One nail polish to rule them all. Yes, that caption about sums it up.

Granted, I don't need any more tote bags. BUT.

We like potatoes and will be making potatoes Lyonnaise soon, methinks.

We also like real food and won't be doing a juice cleanse soon, methinks. (I love Garance.)

As for the photo, which comes from The Sartorialist: do you think Jared would wear a hat like this?

in which I make soup

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

"In the town of Alto, Ohio, there lived a boy named Lentil . . ."

Lentil, Blueberries for Sal, Time of Wonder, Make Way for Ducklings. Robert McCloskey wrote some of the best childrens' books in the world. So we Wilhelms think.

(When one of my brothers recently discovered that Jared has never read McCloskey, he could find just one thing to say: "Did you even have a childhood?")

---

This recipe makes a thick, savory, satisfying bowl of soup. I do love me some meat but sometimes it's nice to have cheaper options still full of protein. And lentils are pleasantly low-maintenance, requiring no soaking or boiling aforethought. In half an hour you can be enjoying dinner. :)

On Sunday night I baked a pizza for the husband, made soup for me. We were both happy.

Spicy Red Lentil Soup
(adapted from Comfy Belly)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 a large red onion, chopped
2 small carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 a serrano pepper, minced*
4 cups chicken or beef stock
1 cup red lentils
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1) In heavy pot large enough to hold at least 6 cups of liquid, heat olive oil over medium. Add chopped onion, sliced carrots, and minced garlic and pepper. Saute for a minute or two, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for a few minutes, until vegetables are softened but not mushy.
2) Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until lentils are cooked to your liking. I prefer them to retain some firmness and shape, but some people like them softer.
3) Adjust seasonings to taste (my beef stock was very flavorful, so if yours is lighter you will want more salt and herbs). Serve plain, or with chopped avocado and sour cream.

*Less if you want to dial back on the spice. And if you don't have any serranos lying about, you could season the soup to taste with cayenne instead.

{image credit: Harald Walker}

Well [Spoken] Wednesdays: Dr Stewart edition

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned last week, Dr Stewart and Prof Westblade were the teachers who most shaped my view of the world while I was at Hillsdale. Dr Stewart also claims the title of Professor Most Taken: that is, I enrolled in more of his classes than those of anybody else.

As an eager college freshman, I found myself in his Western Heritage course along with the rest of the freshmen in the Honors Program. The upperclassmen, upon discovering this, promised us great things. We were not disappointed. Dr Stewart's specialty is making your understanding of history and civilized society go BOOM. Then he dumps a lot of primary source documents on your head and asks what you think of that, buster? Were the Dark Ages so very dark? Was Greek democracy so very ideal? Was the British monarchy so very oppressive? Is neo-conservatism so very smart? Not so much. And then you write a paper.

Dr Stewart doesn't give exams except when the provost makes him. In protest, his exams generally consist of A) jokes, B) strawberries with Nutella, and C) ridiculously easy identification questions. But lest you think that his classes are cakewalks, I'll tell you about the dreaded Map Quizzes. In Western Heritage, you get a featureless outline of Europe and are required to draw in certain countries, locate certain rivers, place certain cities. The same thing in American Heritage, just with a blank outline of the USA. I'd never studied geography so hard. Besides that, he is no pushover with papers. I'd make two or three trips to his office for each one, and only earned A's after obsessive polishing.

He taught me more about writing than my English professors did, though. (At least until I got to Dr Somerville.)

The marginalia of Dr H. David Stewart. I wasn't able to find my notes from Western Heritage, though, which stinks because that was the first class I had with him. :(

American Heritage
"You don't conquer the world by accident."
"With God as my witness, I will sell you this cow for some magic beans."
"Statistically speaking, you're going to be nine-tenths dead."
"I'll let you borrow my leech if you give me your land."
"He won the genetic lottery."
"We're not going to enslave the children."
"It's not mean if it's accurate."
"I'm value-neutral now."
"At this point, make vague reassuring noises."
"Always tax poor people. They don't have much money but they don't have much power either."
"If you're dead, you aren't committing treason."
"I don't believe in democracy."
"Andrew Jackson is a bad, bad man."
"You're so silly. Nobody cares about constitutionality anymore!"
"And I'm going to keep enlightening you until you agree with me."
"When I first moved to Paris . . . which sounds sexier than it is."
"They don't do quiet in France."
"You can't complain if you don't have a better suggestion."
"I love it when I accidentally answer a question."
"I suppose I could be nice in a theoretical sense."
"I can be both nice and lazy!"
"You want a really fine pastry, go to a Frenchman. If you want to conquer Eastern Europe, go to a German."
"Never insult an Italian. He'll kill you."
"People have always been stupid."
"Have people bring you food. I approve of that idea vigorously."
"Cows are not the sharpest animals in your barn."
"I suppose that is inspiring in a perverse sort of way."
"Deception and lies aren't quite the same thing."
"I hereby give my country away."
"Let's make you king of the world."
"You are, in effect, my slaves."
"You all aren't dead, unless this is some bizarre form of Purgatory."
"What are the Olympics really about? Kicking commie butt."
"Communists can dance Swan Lake better than you."
"In America, there's stuff to loot!"
"Empower your children-- lie on the census!"
"Idiot is not a racial condition."
"I hate two-eared people."
"Women don't do thinking stuff. Women do feeling stuff."
"Get post-Christian. That's where the action is!"
"Now go to stores and pretend to shoplift."
"Swallow, then talk. Order of operations."
"And I will exploit your sorry butts."

Mystery Literature
"They pay me to know everything."
"If there's a conspiracy look for the guy with the moustache."
"Nobody wants to read normal stuff."
"Coincidence is really lame."
"There's some sophistication in all the stupid."
"Fear makes people kind."
"That seems like a whitewash for coincidence."
"They do it even worsly."
"You are in the wrong class, ma'am."
"The man pulled a sermon on me!"
"You can all be really grumpy if you want to."
"Boys always screw things up."

History of England
"This is hugely non-trivial!"
"A pretty girl will sell more things than an ugly girl. That's reality."
"You don't stay a monarch very long if you believe the best of everybody."
"There are all sorts of authorities that it would be fun to abuse."
"Killer sheep!"
"Let's oppress us some monasteries."
"If there's anything you can't call Spain, it's Protestant."
"Now we're talking in wildly general terms."
"No, we are not going to discuss what that word means. Now let's go fight the Spanish."
"The carpet in the foyer must be red! I'm going to another church!"
"Marrying a Spaniard is a bad idea."
"God loves you more in the morning."
"Old people don't riot. Rioting is a young man's game."
"You are a pimple on history."
"Look, here are people mattering!"
"Unfortunately for King James, no one liked him. So he went on vacation to France."
"Everybody can run for king."
"There is no privacy in the royal world."
"Excellent. I'm going to exploit her womanness."
"This is a giant shut-your-face."
"All right, let's burn London."
"Get your arch-libertarian ideas out the window."
"There are no naked women in coffee houses."
"You're a gentleman if you're a gentleman."
"These are little pigs in baby blankets, not caterpillars!"
"You can have a cupcake if you give a really good answer in class today."
"We're only godlike, not ultra-godlike."
"Imminent death tends to make people consider things they had not considered before."
"History is full of funny stuff. That's why you study history: to laugh at people."
"Peasant, run over there and get us gold!"
"You can't just go buy an army at Walmart."
"We're dumb Americans so we don't know what words mean."
"Don't get your caveman history from TV."
"Clearly he's a man slut. Just look at what he's wearing."*
"Now we can read lightbulb ads. Hurray!"
"You can lie with anything."
"I'm not selling all my ducks!"
"Okay, would someone who is not a moron like to answer the question?"
"Let's do the weave."
"Railroads are not unrelieved wonderfulness."
"I'm an American. I don't like prudence."
"We've got to shoot him! We don't want to say sorry."
"So when the war is over and your honeypot comes home . . ."
"If you make fun of the way I pronounce 'England' I might make fun of the way you write papers, and which one of us will be more heartbroken in the end?"
"I gotta live until I'm 112! My son won't move out!"
"Methodists don't like getting hit by cats."
"There are much better stupid questions than that."
"Maybe rational men can solve their problems, but men aren't always rational."
"He stubs his toe on objectivity."
"There's another significant principle running around."
"Never name your enemy. Just make them anti-you."
"Every election is the most epic one in history."
"Ah, that's typical election puffery."
"The only toasters in my empire will be the ones I push into your bathtubs."
"I think it would be cool to have a museum of fakes."
"Do I need these hippie earls?"
"Personality is a package for ideas."

Western Heritage Revisited
"A million dollars is not the same as having my dad."
"I will find you and take all your chickens."
"You are easier to replace than I am."
"All the founders would be in my church if they were alive today."
"I'm going to be an atheist Babylonian."
"Elephants would make great horses."
"Life isn't as tidy after the Reformation."
"I'm pretty sure I'm the embodiment of historical consciousness."
"Sometimes your friends need a good kick in the shins."
"Not all Calvinists are Calvinists."
"You'll be the special committee for the suspension of laws."
"Western culture lacks a moral will."
"Capitalism is just another materialist ideology. We need Christ."

*This in reference to a hapless 18th-century gentleman:

casa de jengibre

2012-01-23T06:30:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is. As you can see, this particular photograph was snapped (snapped! ha! how long will we be using this film-camera lingo?) during the making of a smoothie.

Useless Trivia: you know it's Jared making the smoothie if the fruit goes in first and the banana is fresh. I put in the yogurt/kefir/coconut milk first and use frozen bananas, as I think things blend better that way and the smoothie turns out creamy without ice. So this one must have been the work of my darling husband. His taste just as good, even though we've settled on different techniques.

And now I've been talking entirely too long about smoothies. Sorry. I need a ten-step recovery program.

Anyway, like the house? I don't have a picture of Rachel's, but it had the same candy-shop vibe. She actually succeeded in covering every square millimeter of gingerbread with candy. I thought they both turned out pretty cool.

Not as cool as this, perhaps.

an all-sufficient comforter

2012-01-22T13:17:00.004-05:00

He was broken, that we should not be broken; he was troubled, that we should not be desperately troubled; he became a curse, that we should not be accursed. Whatsoever may be wished for in an all-sufficient comforter is all to be found in Christ.

-Richard Sibbes

(HT: Ray Ortlund)

Weekend linkage

2012-01-20T14:20:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I finished up a sweet painting project-- redoing a china cabinet by taking it from dark wood to pale blue. It was a lot of fun. Now we're thinking that we should do the same thing to a dresser that's sitting in the living room. What about this?

On the top level of the cabinet, we have books upon books. Despite our love of Amazon, audio books, and Project Gutenberg, there's nothing like paper pages on real shelves. They're obviously more fun!

In other painting news, how to spray paint your food. This gives a new meaning to "apples of gold in settings of silver . . ."

I'd love to store (unpainted) kiwi and lemons in these ceramic baskets from Anthropologie. That is, if they were to go on outrageous clearance to the tune of 99 cents each. Something to keep my eyes open for at Marshalls' and TJMaxx, I suppose.

Barbeque sauce with bourbon? Sign us up.

Hilarious, though I still think Flynn is a good handle for a fish. (He likes it. By which I mean he's still alive and kicking, so anyway he hasn't committed hara-kiri over his name.)

"Becoming radically thankful." Oh, I needed this! I'd like to buy the Ann Voskamp book as well.

And I thought coffee filters were just for making coffee!

Where do you belong on this visualization of Left and Right politics? I find myself split, crunchy con that I am. Politically and religiously right but culturally left . . .

(Speaking of left, the image along the left margin is also from Information Is Beautiful. It shows you how flavors fit together in cooking. Download it for a bigger view!)

Well Written Wednesdays: Prof Westblade edition

2012-01-18T06:30:00.000-05:00

If I could sum up everything I learned from the Blade, it would be: Trust God.

As a religion professor, the director of the Hono(u)rs Program, and my academic advisor for the first two years Professor Westblade led me on many an intellectual jaunt. And several geographical jaunts too: Philadelphia, Gettysburg, Boston, Concord, Turkey. Like Dr Somerville, he listened to my angsty ramblings about faith, Scripture, and then dispensed priceless counsel. Over and over again. Intermixed with terrible corny jokes.

In his classroom, my understanding of God exploded outwards and upwards. In his office, my faith in God sent down deeper roots. It is safe to say that the Blade (along with Dr Stewart, who comes next week) exercised the greatest influence on my worldview-- my understanding of God, of creation, of human society, of myself-- while I was at Hillsdale. And those two weren't even in the English department. Yay liberal arts.

The marginalia of Prof. Donald Westblade.

Introduction to Western Religion
"Sometimes the will of God sounds like spinach."
"The only one who ever gets to be the devil is me."
"Faith is not a blind leap."
"If you ever have the opportunity to try a time machine, I do not recommend the 13th century."
"Do we boast in Calvin rather than in Scripture?"
"The wages of trust is justification."

Old Testament
"In the beginning was a foblemorp."
"Sin does not swoon when you walk in the door."
"God was the great Burger King in the sky."
"Well, now we come to my area of expertise: sin!"
"Do we want the nanny state to protect us from everything?"
"The Bible is a funnel shaped story."
"God is characterized by surplus."
"Maybe I'm flirting and you should report me to Central Hall!"
"Motives define actions."
"I wish all of you the beauty of Sarah in your nineties."
"Faith is for people who sin, not those who are already righteous."
"Naomi learns that her pity party was premature."
"God will pay attention to anything done in His name."
"Some of the prophets were dancing cheerleaders!"
"The ritual law is the means by which Israel is selected, not saved."
"Oligarchies are paranoid sorts."
"Kings only record their victories."
"Jesus went and got killed! Messiahs aren't supposed to do that!"
"Everything echoes everything."
"The divine Word takes over your life. You can't leave it at the office."
"We get some extra Jesus today."
"Rebekah, you're going to need a very special husband."*

Jonathan Edwards
"God is not a vacuum cleaner."
"You can't have animals in the parlor with the sherry!"
"This is a scouring pad for the heart."
"We are still in a funny parenthesis."
"History is not a science experiment."
"God's glory is a liberal art."

*True dat.

when I was a lad I ate four dozen eggs

2012-01-17T07:30:00.000-05:00

How do you eat your eggs?

We eat ours scrambled, fried, hardboiled, baked . . . in omelets, quiche, frittata, clafoutis, macaroons, smoothies, sandwiches . . . with salsa, mushrooms, red onions, pesto, sausage. Dinner once a week is eggs. Breakfast on Saturdays is eggs. Eggs in mayonnaise, eggs in cobblers, eggs in chocolate pudding.

Unless one of our children has an egg allergy, it seems inevitable that someday, we'll have our own flock of chickens.

(We hope to avoid becoming roughly the size of a barge.)

Baked Tomato-Herb Eggs
(original recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup diced green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
5 large eggs*
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese**

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees and heat olive oil over medium heat in oven-proof 10-inch skillet. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic to skillet, saute for one or two minutes, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for five to ten more minutes or until onion is softened.
2) Add diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, and herbs. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until tomatoes are soft and most of the extra moisture has evaporated.
3) Spoon about a third of the tomato mixture into a small bowl; make five shallow, evenly spaced hollows in remaining mixture. Crack eggs into skillet, one in each hollow (this helps them not to run together). I then break the yolks with a spatula so they swirl into the white a bit, but you can leave them intact if you prefer. Spoon reserved tomato mixture over and around eggs.
5) Cover skillet and let eggs cook on medium heat for about three minutes, until whites are becoming opaque and yolks are beginning to set. Remove lid, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top, and place uncovered skillet in preheated oven for several minutes more, until yolks are done to your liking and cheese is bubbly. (We prefer the yolks more firm than runny.)
6) Serve hot, with biscuits or toast if desired, or with a fork and a side of sliced fruit if you're me. :)

*This is the number of eggs I use, as I eat two and the husband eats three. You could use four and that would work just as well.
**Methinks feta would be excellent here.

I shall not want

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

"Want what?" I said to myself as a six-year-old. "Food? Friends? Fun vacations?" It took me a while (even as a Smart Church Kid) to realize that this lovely KJV phrase means I shall not be in need, not I shall not have unmet desires. A slight difference, no?

The first reminds us that with God as our protector, we'll lack nothing that is necessary . . . with "necessary" determined by the wise Shepherd himself, not by the sheep. The second rather treats God like a candy machine.

God knows what I desire, what I need, and how the twain shall meet (or not). Either way, I shall not want. And this is forever true because the Lord-- not cruel tyrant, not a weak though well-meaning mortal, but the everlasting God-- is my shepherd.

{image credit: The Dogs Blogs}

Weekend linkage

2012-01-13T14:57:00.002-05:00

To eat for breakfast: blueberry omelet.

To eat afterwards: planetary chocolates.

To drink: beverages in mason jars, on the go.

To watch: the making of tea bags.

To concoct: a sugar scrub.

To read: how the 1964 World's Fair changed American eating.

To wow: people making their own wedding rings.

To amuse: Downton Abbey personality quiz! (It says I'm Matthew. I was kind of hoping for Sybil, but at least it wasn't the Dowager Countess.)

Well [Spoken] Wednesdays: Dr Somerville edition

2012-01-11T09:31:00.000-05:00

Dr Somerville was my academic advisor for the second half of my college career, that is, once I had finally made up my mind about majoring in English. In addition to taking two American literature classes from him-- which convinced me that first, I actually do like American lit, and second, I also like Hemingway-- I spent lots of time in his office. Sometimes it was to go over papers. Sometimes it was to weep and wail over the quandaries of life. (Once I flopped down on a chair and demanded to know why I was an English major, anyway, and did God care about what I was studying, and what was the point of literature in the end when I should be out saving the world?) Either way, he would listen to me, muse for a while, and then produce some miraculously simple yet thoughtful answers.

Alone among my Catholic and Orthodox English profs, Dr Somerville is a Presbyterian, and Reformed to the core. And really, sometimes all I needed was someone to say "Well, Rebekah, I know this is quite overwhelming but you need to remember that God is sovereign even over your career plans and thus perfectly capable of untangling these options in His time. So stop being so darned introspective. God will guide you and all shall be well." He is a consummate Calvinist, who keeps a dried-up daffodil on his desk as a memento mori and delights in pointing out the inevitable depravity of humankind, yet who finds humor (even if it's gallows humor) in nearly everything and can give sincere encouragement to his downcast advisees.

Now that I'm an English teacher myself, I teach more like Dr Somerville than any of my other professors. He was always methodical and organized, yet extremely interesting. I realized that I could follow his model of running a classroom with a lot more success than the model of a Dr Whalen or Dr Smith . . . which is to say, catatonically brilliant. I haven't got the prerequisite brains for that. But I can research and organize; I can tell stories and make helpful observations; I can ask questions. So that's what I do.

Here are, in all their glory, the marginalia of Dr John Somerville.

American Literature 1820-1890

"We'll let you know if you're an idiot."
"It's disturbing, which means entertaining."
"Gothic literature is like literary terrorism."
"He has three names, so he's a nineteenth century poet . . . or an assassin."
"So we can learn to live by nature, which is awfully encouraging. But then, nature does have rattlesnakes and ticks."
"The Appalachians are user friendly."
"I don't want to be a two year old brat. I would rather be a fifty-two year old brat!"
"Marriage is, despite evidence otherwise, a civilizing institution."
"How about when you get married you name your first child Marmaduke?"
"Harvard, the Hillsdale of the East . . ."
"Emerson? Talk about ruining your lunch!"
"I guess if your dad's making pencils you're going to be a writer."
"Have you seen our copy machine? It runs on coal."
"Take every opportunity you can to prove your superiority."
"If I scream and fall to the floor, ignore me."
"Don't be overly harsh on Emerson. I'll do that."
"I'd rather my students not see me drooling."
"Suitemates? A whole group of potential head-hunters!"
"I'm the long-haired missionary kid."
"What are yard sales? People selling what would otherwise be trash to fools who don't realize it's trash."
"I'm always full of good intentions."
"I can't become a hermit so I'll just get sick."
"Can I do the rest of the class in an Irish accent?"
"If I have time on my hands, I make more handouts."
"We are a utopia."
"There is a temptation among certain types of students to spend all their time in the stratosphere."
"Don't worry, I haven't gone liberal on you."
"Maybe I'll meet a man with a low cut blouse and he'll wrestle with me!"
"Never ignore a detail because you don't understand it."
"Don't put it past a writer to want to make a living."
"Oh, missionary kids-- what do you expect?"
"I'm profoundly heterosexual."
"Fortunately, the world is not filled with women stuffed up chimneys."
"When the economy fails-- and it will-- the business majors will be jumping out of windows. But we English majors-- since we never had anything anyway, but beauty and goodness and truth-- can warm ourselves by our books."

Modern American Literature

"I did not want to get into the bathtub with that woman!"
"I can use the pronoun her in discussing him."
"For your edification, I have brought you some bad poetry."
"I am here in all but spirit."
"Rafts don't go up the river."
"Maybe he's a collateral descendant."
"Deer are known to jump. A little-known fact!"
"She is a proper punching bag."
"Downhill means getting worse."
"Are you hot like I am?"
"They had bad neighbors. It was like living next to a fraternity house."
"This is a digression off of a digression."
"What's in it more me? That's pretty much how I go at life."
"There may be the rare not-student walking around campus."
"Let the drama be in what you say, not in the punctuation you add."
"I hope to infect you."
"I didn't realize I'd actually fallen asleep . . ."
"Let's all room in the same building!"
"Those ice cubes were little lumps of stink."
"I'm in a bad mood today because I can't give a midterm."
"You don't have to go to Harvard to lose your faith."
"For some reason, everyone was actually paying attention that time!"
"Don't worry, you will live on as an anecdote."
"The colon is so essential."
"You look like crayons."
"I'm leaking!"
"I've seen Dr Arnn [the president of Hillsdale College] in spandex. It is quite an impressive sight."
"Well, I think I can outstrip rabid weasels."
"If I did this at the University of Michigan I'd be fired."
"Don't encourage me. This is what happens when I get extra sleep."
"B. Dalton's is the McDonald's of bookstores."
"I'm on my rant again."
"I love the cemetery."
"I'm not a philosopher. I'm just a poor English professor."
"You may feel as if you know nothing. That's because you don't!"

for the common sunshine

2012-01-10T16:53:00.000-05:00

"Te Deum"
Charles Reznikoff

Not because of victoriesI sing,
having none,
but for the common sunshine,
the breeze,
the largess of the spring.

Not for victory
but for the day's work done
as well as I was able;
not for a seat upon the dais
but at the common table.

some brand love

2012-01-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Schulte-Ufer cookware. I have two pots from the Wega line, and they are real workhorses: stainless steel, heavy bottoms, glass lids, all easy to clean. The first came from my one and only yardsaling expedition this summer. The second was a Christmas present from my husband, to replace the flimsy and slightly warped saucepan I'd been muddling along with since our wedding. Burnt quinoa, begone!

Aubrey Organics Blue Camomile. Both the shampoo and the conditioner . . . I've got fairly dry hair and this line works well. It uses a very natural formula (a good rating on Skin Deep). Fairly pricey, but better if you order from Vitacost, and one bottle lasts me a long time.

IKEA dishes. The FARGRIK line to be exact, in white for most things and green for our favorite curry-stew-pasta-whatever bowls. I love the simple, strong lines and classic colors. We've had ours for two years and have inflicted surprisingly little damage upon them: one broken dessert plate and two chipped cereal bowls. The nice thing about IKEA stuff is that when it does break, you don't have to empty your piggy bank replacing it.

Graphique La Petit Presse stationery. Oh TJ Maxx, you are my friend. The green whale thank-you notes are my favorite.

Market Pantry frozen vegetables. Now, I usually don't buy organic unless it is super-on-sale, so if you do, this recommendation is not for you. :) Target sells frozen vegetables that are both cheap and good: 99 cents for a pound of peas, spinach, green beans . . . I've been very happy with the quality so far, and I'm picky about that kind of thing! It is really nice to just grab a bag out of the freezer at the last minute.

rather like a squirrel

2012-01-09T10:55:00.003-05:00

Nuts! I love them. Walnuts, almonds, pecans, macadamias, cashews, hazelnuts . . . even those imposter legumes, peanuts . . . I'll take them all.

Good for breakfast. Good for snacks. Just plain good.

I posted about these cinnamon-sugar-vanilla jobbers a while ago, and they are wonderful, especially with walnuts or pecans. Pour a few cups into a pretty glass jar, and you've got a great hostess gift! (If you can keep your hands out of the jar, that is.)

But here is a more savory combination that I actually prefer. For snacks I lean towards salty over sweet, and these fit the bill. And anyway, they're a lot quicker to make. :) I'm afraid they are coated in a spicy goodness that requires copious finger-licking, which is a tad undignified, so don't serve 'em at a white-tie banquet.

---

Spicy Mixed Nuts
(an ever-so-slightly tweaked version of this recipe from Elana's Pantry)

1 cup whole almonds
1 cup walnuts, broken in half
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

1) Heat heavy skillet over medium heat. Add nuts and stir (frequently to avoid burning) until toasted, fragrant, and starting to brown.
2) While skillet is heating, combine spices in small bowl.
3) Once nuts are toasted, pour into mixing bowl and toss with olive oil. Add spices and stir to coat thoroughly.
4) Let cool completely, then store in airtight container.

{image credit: Don McDougall}

Weekend linkage

2012-01-06T14:31:00.000-05:00

Though I'm not a strictly "seasonal" cook (we eat lettuce in February) I do prefer to emphasize ingredients from the appropriate time of year, and it seems to me that this carrot and thyme soup would be great for winter. (Our thyme is still going strong, by the way. It has been sheltered by the front door and is proving quite hardy. I guess the abnormally temperate winter is probably helping . . .)

The Three Little Pigs in Shakespearean English. Made my week. "Nay, it shall not be, not by whit of whiskered jowl!"

A really cool National Geographic feature on twins and epigenetics.

If you've ever wanted to live in Sense & Sensibility . . .

pumpkin pancakes

2012-01-05T09:11:00.000-05:00

Oatmeal pancakes are one of my favorite breakfasts nowadays.

Besides being way tasty (that is the technical term, I believe?) and the perfect vehicle for maple syrup, they haven't any gluten, and soaking the oats overnight seems to diminish any negative gastrointestinal effects. Enjoyable all around.

(Do you like how I used the word gastrointestinal in a discussion of breakfast? I promise the rest of the post will be far more appetizing.)

Anyway, last week I opened a can of pumpkin to try it in a smoothie-- pretty good by the way-- and then had most of the can left. Hmm. Solution: pumpkin pancakes!

Oatmeal Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup plain Greek yogurt*
1 1/2 cups whole milk, divided
1 cup pureed pumpkin
2 eggs, beaten with fork
1/2 cup oat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves

1) Stir together oats, Greek yogurt, and 1/2 cup milk in medium bowl. Cover with towel and leave on the counter overnight.
2) In the morning, preheat an electric griddle to low-medium heat (mine does well on 325). These pancakes are denser and so take a little longer to cook than those made with wheat flour; if the heat is too high you will burn the outside before cooking the inside!
3) Whisk pumpkin, eggs, and remaining milk into rolled oat mixture.
4) In separate small bowl, stir together remaining ingredients. Fold into wet mixture.
4) Measure pancake batter out in 1/4 cupfuls onto preheated griddle. Flip when edges are just set and tiny bubbles have begun to pop. When centers of flipped pancakes are no longer "doughy" (this might require test-tasting, poor you) remove to plate and keep warm. Serve with butter, maple syrup, and warm applesauce.

*If you do not have Greek yogurt, use 1 cup of regular plain yogurt (not quite as thick as Greek). Just don't add all the milk right away in step 3; start with 2/3 cup and increase if needed.

Post shared on Simple Lives Thursday.

Well [Spoken] Wednesdays: Dr Juroe edition

2012-01-04T12:06:00.001-05:00

I took the only evening class of my college career with Dr Juroe. Three hours every Monday night. It was a good class, it truly was, but by the middle of the semester I was falling asleep halfway through; 8:00 PM is never my most shining hour.

However, once we began to take a break for tea and cookies, things improved. :)

Here are the marginalia of Dr Jim Juroe.

Eighteenth Century British Literature

"That was a joke. You were supposed to laugh!"
"King Josiah was like a one-man Hillsdale College."
"I'm doing this out of human laziness, with which I am afflicted."
"There's not much education going on in the world today."
"I'm going to give you a really dumb analogy now."
"Be quick like bunnies!"
"The dullards are really, really funny."
"Let's talk about more ghoulish stuff. Isn't this fun?"
"She looked like a young Marilyn Monroe: a glass of milk with a swatch of lipstick across it."
"These people can't read. They probably went through college studying sociology.""If you don't know for sure, just shout even louder! That's what our politicians do."
"You're a sneaky bunch."
"Hillsdale has always been long on abstractions."
"Don't hold me to my promises. That would be really tacky."
". . . but that's another part of my wayward youth."
"I execute students who sell their books."
"Paradise ain't never good enough for those who live in it."
"Queen Anne passed some really stupid laws."

a new favorite

2012-01-03T10:24:00.000-05:00

I threw this together for a quick supper on Friday night . . . to my surprise, all of the elements worked together really well. That is what I call a serendipitous success.

You need three burners and just as many pots for this meal. But for all that, it's not complicated, especially if you make the soup ahead of time (or use canned soup).

You can serve this with grilled cheese to round out the meal. We two polished off the whole thing, but then, we like meat, especially the male half of us. :) If you're more restrained in your carnivory, this will serve more people.

Soup and Sausage*

creamy tomato soup (my recipe here)
8 to 12 oz pound mild sausage in its casing, cut into 3-inch sections
2 tablespoons butter
one small yellow or red onion, sliced
4 oz button mushrooms, sliced
1 green or red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
salt and pepper to taste
a splash or two of white cooking wine
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (homemade is best)
2 tablespoons spicy whole-grain mustard

1) Make your soup and let it simmer on very low heat. To minimize work at the last minute, make it ahead of time and simply reheat. (I make a really big batch and freeze it.)
2) On high, heat skillet large enough to hold sausage in a single layer; add sausage and let sear briefly. Add 1/2 inch water, cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook sausage 10-15 minutes, until no longer pink in the middle.
3) Meanwhile, melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onions, and peppers. Saute 30 seconds; reduce heat to low, then cover and cook 10 minutes or until tender.
4) Whisk together mayonnaise and mustard in small bowl.
5) When you are ready to eat, remove lid from vegetables and increase heat to medium-high, stirring frequently to let vegetables brown but not burn. Add a bit of salt and pepper. Once you see those nice browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, splash in your white wine and stir briskly to deglaze.
6) Serve soup alongside sausage, sauteed vegetables, and mustard sauce. (The husband piled up his sausage and vegetables and spooned some soup on top, which created a great creamy-tomato sauce for the whole thing.) This meal is not elegant. But it is very good.

*I stink at naming recipes. Too cutesy, and I'd feel stupid talking about it. Too clever, and it sounds like a menu item at a molecular gastronomy restaurant. So I go for the obvious.

{image credit: photoshoporama Dan}

Shared on Simple Lives Thursday.

our song is love

2012-01-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

And I'm not gonna take it back

And I'm not gonna say I don't mean that

You're the target that I'm aiming at
And I'm nothing on my own

-Coldplay

Happy anniversary, you blue-eyed charmer. How has it been two years already?!

with meat and cap'ring wine: goodbye to 2011

2011-12-31T20:03:00.004-05:00

"A New Year's Gift, Sent to Sir Simeon Steward"
by Robert Herrick

No news of navies burnt at seas
No noise of late spawn'd tittyries;*
No closet plot or open vent,
That frights men with a Parliament:
No new device or late-found trick,
To read by th' stars the kingdom's sick;
No gin to catch the State, or wring
The free-born nostril of the King,
We send to you; but here a jolly
Verse crown'd with ivy and with holly;
That tells of winter's tales and mirth
That milk-maids make about the hearth;
Of Christmas sports, the wassail-bowl,
That toss'd up, after Fox-i'-th'-hole;
Of Blind-man-buff, and of the care
That young men have to shoe the Mare;
Of twelf-tide cakes, of pease and beans,
Wherewith ye make those merry scenes,
Whenas ye chuse your king and queen,
And cry out, 'Hey for our town green!'--
Of ash-heaps, in the which ye use
Husbands and wives by streaks to chuse;
Of crackling laurel, which fore-sounds
A plenteous harvest to your grounds;
Of these, and such like things, for shift,
We send instead of New-year's gift.

--Read then, and when your faces shine
With buxom meat and cap'ring wine,
Remember us in cups full crown'd,
And let our city-health go round,
Quite through the young maids and the men,
To the ninth number, if not ten;
Until the fired chestnuts leap
For joy to see the fruits ye reap,
From the plump chalice and the cup
That tempts till it be tossed up.--
Then as ye sit about your embers,
Call not to mind those fled Decembers;
But think on these, that are t' appear,
As daughters to the instant year;
Sit crown'd with rose-buds, and carouse,
Till LIBER PATER twirls the house
About your ears, and lay upon
The year, your cares, that's fled and gone:
And let the russet swains the plough
And harrow hang up resting now;
And to the bag-pipe all address,
Till sleep takes place of weariness.
And thus throughout, with Christmas plays,
Frolic the full twelve holy-days.

Happy seventh day of Christmas, last day of 2011, and first day of 2012! I hope you are spending it with people you love and a big bottle of bubbly.

(If you're over 21. OBVIOUSLY.)

*Tittyries: A brotherhood in London about 1623-4, who called themselves "Tityre, tu's." Thanks much, Google.

Weekend linkage

2011-12-30T17:23:00.000-05:00

Look, math is magic! (Somehow, this was never clear to me I was weeping my way through Algebra II . . .)

Simon just reminded me about this: Libertas Imperio and Bliss from Eric Whitacre's Paradise Lost. Give it a listen.

You guys. Samoa skipped today. I'm not kidding.

An even easier way to make yogurt? I am intrigued. Next project. Apparently I can never have too many probiotics swimming around my kitchen.

Maple butternut pudding WHAT WHAT.

cranmatazz.

2011-12-29T12:30:00.000-05:00

Last week I made these bars as Christmas cookies. (With the tricolor scheme, I guess they would work for Independence Day too.) Holiday or no, I'll be making them often! Coconut flour gives the crust a nice texture and lemon juice adds a bright snap to the filling. No sugar explosion, plenty of fruit. Like brownies and lemon bars, they also freeze well, so you can make a lot and then have them ready for company in a pinch.

I love how these look on a cookie platter, with gorgeous jewel toned fruit scattered among golden crumbs. If I had a functioning camera, I'd take a picture, but I guess you will just have to make them yourself!

---

Blue Cranberry Bars
(a more colorful version of this SK recipe)

2 1/2 cups oat flour*
1/4 cup coconut flour**
1 1/3 cup granulated sugar, divided***
1 teaspoon baking powder
scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold butter, cut into 16 cubes
1 large egg
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
4 teaspoons arrowroot starch
3 tablespoons lemon juice

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat 9x13 baking pan with nonstick spray.
2) Combine oat and coconut flours, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Add cubed butter and egg. Cut into dry ingredients with pastry blender or two knives, until mixture forms a crumbly dough.
3) In separate bowl toss together remaining 1/3 cup sugar, berries, and arrowroot. Add lemon juice and stir to combine.
4) Press about 2/3 of the dough mixture into prepared pan, making sure that bottom of pan is completely covered. Pour in berry mixture and spread evenly across crust. Crumble remaining dough across top.
5) Bake for 45-50 minutes, until center is set and top is just golden brown. Remove to wire rack and cool completely, then refrigerate for several hours before cutting into bars.
---

*Just grind rolled oats as fine as you can in your food processor or blender.
**If you don't have coconut flour, use 1/2 cup additional oat flour instead.
***Yes, you read that right: ye olde devil white sugar. I decided that for me, it is not worthwhile to search out and pay for "healthier" sweeteners like sucanat or palm sugar. Any trace minerals they may have don't outweigh the fact that they are. still. sugar. I prefer to spend money on olive oil and grassfed beef.

(Besides, using white sugar reminds me that I really shouldn't be eating much dessert. I can't fool myself anymore by saying "but it's unrefined!" haha)

Well [Spoken] Wednesdays: Dr Jackson edition

2011-12-28T11:51:00.000-05:00

Dr Jackson, a.k.a. The Beard, kicked my behind. He is the only professor who has made me cry in his office. But gosh did I learn.

Nerdiest English major moment ever: sitting on the floor with two friends, translating Sir Gawain and the Green Knight from Middle English and making jokes about chain mail.

Hwaet! The marginalia of Dr. Justin Jackson.

Anglo-Saxon and Medieval British Literature

"I hate rationality."
"What's the difference between brave and stupid? If you win or lose, I suppose."
"These monks brewed some pretty strong mead."
"Language is a verb."
"It you would like to label Neitzche a misogynist, please feel free."
"Dickens should have been shot."
"All it is is a piece of literature."
"I'm sleeping on the couch with a jumprope tied around my child!"
"At least pretend like you're paying attention."
"Yes, we have a lot of post-modern monks here."
"I cut out your tongues."
"Don't make the calendar angry."
"Well, someone has to row the boat."
"There's two different types of pathetic."
"Golf clap for Beowulf."
"Male children are like little wolves."
"It's better to know nothing than a little."
"Kids just stick around the house falling in wells."
"It makes me sound so smart."
"And if you're over 21 it's a great drinking game."
"So now Jesus is a fruit."
"Technology really makes it easy to get rid of sin."
"And I drank a pint of Guinness for each chapter they finished."
"I'm going to explain that confusing little sentence."
"Now we play axe game."
"Yay, I can't wait to go become chivalrous!"
"It's Christmas. Everyone's drunk."
"Just forget about eternal damnation for a moment."
"God is not perfect."
"Doing nothing is hard work."
"This will be an interesting lecture . . . I left my notebook in my office."
"I love verbing things."
"Perhaps I like to give you enough rope."
"I don't know what understandable has to do with learning."

holiday baking . . . triumphs and otherwise

2011-12-27T15:30:00.000-05:00

1) For Christmas Day I tried a spin on the traditional buche de Noel (traditional for other people, I mean, since our family had never made one before, at least not that I remember) with this recipe from SK.

It cracked. But it was tasty. And no flour! Nary a tablespoon! I am determined to make it again, perhaps as a triply-stratified layer cake rather than a roll.

(Is triply an adverb? If doubly is . . .)

2) I made chocolate mint squares but with 1.5 times the amount of mint filling and bitter chocolate coating, which worked to the great satisfaction of all. The former ratio was always frustrating to spread and not as satisfyingly minty. This was perfect.

3) By the third go-round, using extremely stiff egg whites and a few tablespoons of coconut flour, the flourless macaroons succeeded. I used honey rather than agave.

When removing them from the parchment to the cooling rack, I would advise coating your spatula lightly with nonstick spray. This will help you to avoid making a heap of coconut shreds out of your plump, sweet, rather delicate macaroons.

4) The ganache truffles . . . well, their flavor was magnificent, as would be expected for something made with Lindt 70% and heavy cream. But only after much finagling. The chocolate seized every single time and I had to go through this heat-more-cream, add-to-double-boiler, stir-stir-stir rigmarole to fix it up. I think next time I'll use a different method to make the ganache, just starting it in the double boiler in the first place. Humph. Chocolate is tricky.

5) Rachel and I played around with a cranberry-blueberry crumb bar, the end result being tart and colorful and my favorite gluten-free cookie yet. Actually one of my favorite cookies, period. Recipe soon.

---

As for those gingerbread houses, I'm working on pictures. Our camera suffered an untimely death this summer and so now I have to rely on my husband's smartphone. It does take decent pictures but does not connect directly to my computer . . . which is to say that I need aforementioned husband to take and send aforementioned pictures, and who knows when that will happen.

Helpful Tip: if your holiday baking extravaganzas have demolished your brown sugar supply, don't bother to buy more. Make your own with regular old granulated sugar and molasses! It takes five minutes, requires no more sophisticated equipment than a bowl and fork, and yes, it truly works. I like streamlining my grocery lists. :)

p.s. We didn't eat all this at once. Our family helped to polish off the buche de Noel and most of the rest. :) What's left of the mint squares and berry bars went into the freezer, where they will bide their time until needed. The macaroons and truffles won't freeze well, though, so I guess we'll be eating them this week. Boo hoo.

p.p.s. Butter is on sale two for $4 at John Herr's this week. Stock your freezer.

Bonus Christmas Day picture, courtesy of Daddy, as are those of the chocolate roll. Here Jared demonstrates what happens when a Randolph [always logical and methodical] tries to explain a new game to a bunch of Wilhelms [only logical and methodical when absolutely necessary and sometimes not even then].

By the way, that sunflower painting on the back wall is the work of my talented nine-year-old brother. Ain't he something?

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T07:34:00.000-05:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas: grace upon grace

2011-12-24T07:28:00.000-05:00

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”)

For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

-from John 1

Weekend linkage

2011-12-23T15:42:00.001-05:00

Pencils for chefs!

This is how I look in the winter, too, you know . . . just not as cute.

A pair from Scriptorium Daily: first, do angels sing? And second, reflections on the theology of A Christmas Carol.

Have a wonderful Christmas weekend, everybody.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas: I will write it on their hearts

2011-12-23T07:25:00.000-05:00

Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people . . . For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

-from Jeremiah 31

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas: he shall be their peace

2011-12-22T07:21:00.001-05:00

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,

who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,

from you shall come forth for me

one who is to be ruler in Israel,

whose coming forth is from of old,

from ancient days.

Therefore he shall give them up until the time

when she who is in labor has given birth;

then the rest of his brothers shall return

to the people of Israel.

And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,

in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great

to the ends of the earth.

And he shall be their peace.

-from Micah 5

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas: beautiful upon the mountains2011-12-21T17:00:00.000-05:00
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice;
together they sing for joy;
for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion.
Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

-from Isaiah 52

Well [Spoken] Wednesdays: Dr Bushey edition

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

Thank you, Dr Bushey, for teaching me a thing or two about art history. Namely, that it is not boring. And that, as you said, everything connects to everything.

In your class I gained knowledge that allows me to understand approximately 25% more of the allusions in British and American literature. I also discovered John Singer Sargent, finally figured out who Titian was, and laughed a lot.

I may have entered your classroom under duress-- art history! a core curriculum requirement! so dull!-- but I left it with regret: much better for the experience, and with a new interest in how people express themselves and their culture through visible art.

Behold, the marginalia of Dr Barbara Bushey.

---

Art History: Renaissance to Modern

“Onething art historians love to do is generate vocabulary words.”

“It’swhat Romans do: they win a battle, they build an arch. They’re marvelous.”

“Theclergy didn’t want everyone to go out and joyously sin.”

“Quick,someone throw me a noun!”

“Here’sanother example of everything connecting to everything.”

“How would you appreciate the summer if you didn’thave to suffer through THIS?”

“I’m not as old a fogey as I first appear.”

“And someone said, let’s put a naked lady overhere!”

“There is an excess of gravity in this room.”

“He’s got more money than age or brains.”

“I need a new mouth!”

“This is not a terribly ovoid oval.”

“I can’t think of anything funnier than a room fullof blindfolded, beer-drinking students.”

“Fascism is government by beating people up.”

“A hundred years will do wonders foryour artistic reputation.”

“That usually never happens.”

“Gravity is really not our friend.”

“Clothing someone doesn’t keep them from beinglascivious.”

“Sugar came to Europe and everyone’s teeth startedrotting out of their heads.”

“Trees don’t grow on trees, buddy!”

“Beethoven was a smallpox-scarred runt.”

“One doesn’t like to advertise that one’s wife iscuckolding oneself.”

“Her husband was very rich but not very bright.”

“And the kiss makes her immortal. Isn’t that nice?”

“He’scompletely out of his mind, but he’s very entertaining.”

giving breakfast a whirl

2011-12-20T07:50:00.000-05:00

We love smoothies.

That's why, in the end, we bought the Blendtec (though it has made itself useful in many other ways!). It allows us to take advantage of all that frozen fruit put up over the summer; smoothies made entirely with frozen fruit can kill a regular blender after a while, but with the Blendtec, we're turning out thick and creamy concoctions without a hitch. It is also good for green smoothies if you are interested in such things. I am. :)

The husband tends to make his smoothies on the weekend, either as a fruit-packed snack or a supplement to lunch. (Lately he has been adding whole coffee beans, and let me tell you, the flavor's amazing.)

I, on the other hand, often make them for breakfast. Recently, I've done some experiments in an effort to add even more nutrition and variety. Here are two combinations I really like.

---

Emerald Isle

3/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt or kefir*
2 cups lightly packed curly kale**
1/2 a frozen banana, broken into chunks
1/2 a green or yellow apple, seeds removed
1 peeled kiwi
1-2 tablespoons nut butter of choice (optional)
4-5 ice cube

Layer ingredients in blender in order given, and blend until completely combined.

Peachberry Flip

2/3 cup plain whole milk yogurt or kefir
1/2 a frozen banana, broken into chunks
1/2 cup frozen peach slices
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 large egg***
1 tablespoon sunflower butter
heavy sprinkling of cinnamon

Layer ingredients in blender in order given, and blend until completely combined.

---

*If you don't consume dairy I think that almond or soy milk would probably work just as well.
**I am not sure how a regular blender would deal with the raw kale.
***Obviously, only make this if you have confidence in the the cleanliness of your egg source. I've been making mayonnaise with fresh, freerange eggs for a year now and have no qualms about sticking them in a smoothie. Use your judgement.

{image credit: Heavy on Health}

in which we are sugar'd

2011-12-18T06:30:00.000-05:00

Rachel and I have a tradition of gingerbread construction. It's been at least five years now. We always use this recipe for dough and icing because the dough produces extremely hard and strong house pieces, and the icing dries quickly, good for the impatient among us.

We make our own templates with a ruler and scrap paper; if you roll the dough thinly the recipe will give you enough for two cottages, one large (approximately 6x6x4 inches) and one small (half that size). One each for the large and small sisters. Once everything is baked, cooled, and whipped, we slice up an Amazon box for bases and away we go.

Our first gingerbread house was festooned with sugar in all its many-colored forms. We even bought Frosted Mini-Wheats, which otherwise never cross my mother's threshold. But they do make an admirable thatched roof.

In years since then, we've done several subtler models, using natural decor such as dried green lentils and cinnamon sticks. Away with the food coloring! Away with the refined sweeteners! we said. (If you're interested, rows of banana chips make excellent roof tiles.)

That was all very well in its way. This year, however, we returned to our roots. I mean, it's not like we're eating the stuff (mostly) so we went to the store and bought sugar with abandon. For our house decorations both of us went for the Hansel and Gretel, the wholehearted candypalooza look, with-- if I may say so-- smashing results.

On Gingerbread House Day my kitchen contains more high fructose corn syrup than it does at any other time of the year (since at any other time of the year, it contains zero).

happy birthday Beethoven

2011-12-16T12:44:00.002-05:00

Weekend linkage

2011-12-16T08:27:00.004-05:00

Only three for you this week.

First, humorous: a poem about the baffling wilderness of English pronunciation. (Thanks Gretchen!)

Second, serious: an article on how doctors tend to choose different treatment-- if any treatment at all-- than their terminally ill patients.

Last, edible: dark chocolate pudding. I recommend it with raspberries . . . and in small portions. It is RICH.