Once again, I find myself rambling on about something other than cooking. Well, kind of at least. I was having a Facebook chat with my cousin last night about her father, who passed away a few years back. He was an amazing man. He grew up with 9 brothers and sisters on a dairy and tobacco farm in east Tennessee. He, like most of his brothers had to leave school at an early age to work on the farm. He learned to drive a truck at around the tender age of eight and could operate all the farm equipment before he had a driver's license. He was raised in a shotgun house with too few bedrooms for 10 kids without indoor plumbing and electricity until sometime around the 60s. He was a Korean war veteran, a man who worked for the same company until retirement and then worked another retiree job. He raised his own food, grew a garden, knew how to take care of his animals, be they horses, cows, dogs, chicken or pigs. He fixed his own car, truck and tractors. He was married to his young sweetie until her death and then mourned her passing for the rest of his life. He raised his kids to fear God and act right. He was a good man. He didn't have a lot to say, but when he had something to say, you sure enough heard it.
He taught his children his craft. His kids all shared his passion for the land, the animals and their loved ones. I am so proud of him for not only a life well lived, but also for passing along his knowledge and zeal to the second and third generations.
So what happened to the rest of us? Why are we college educated and able to read, write and reason, but could we survive outside of our bubbles? Take the majority of the citizens of our great country- take away their heating and air conditioning, their ability to refrigerate items. Their comforts of indoor plumbing and electricity. What would happen to us? Tell them that they have to raise their own food, be it vegetables in the garden or animals for meat and see what happens. Why were all these skills lost in one single generation?
Our idea of providing is bringing home cash and take out food. We put all of our security in a system that has no backing. Our cash only has worth that we place in it. It is paper- nothing more, nothing less. What happens when we finally decide that paper is totally worthless? Anarchy? Or do a few of the people who know how to live simply and without all these creature comforts thrive? When do we get to the point that we realize that all the education that our children receive has a few holes. When do we realize that only about 50% of our children's education will be taught in schools, and that we parents MUST fill in those holes.
I think a time is coming when things are going to change. I think we have come so far that we have to take a few steps back again and re learn those skills that have been lost. Are you doing anything to educate yourself in some of the lost skills of our past?
Just wondering y'all.
Leah
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
My thoughts on country music
Hey y'all! This one AIN'T about food.
Now this is possibly the most controversial thing I am ever going to say. I don't like Taylor Swift. I hope she never reads this, because surely if she does she'll diss me in a song. But I have to admit it. I just am not a fan. Now, I don't hate her, but I just don't see how little Miss Swift has any relevance in my life. I like songs by women, not girls. Women who have lived and who will sing songs about stuff I relate to. Women's songs that make me think. I remember as a kid hearing some songs and thinking "one day...one day I am going to understand that song." And sure enough, I got a few hard years under me and I hear those songs and this brilliant light goes off and I say, I GOT IT!
That song for me recently has been Suzy Boggus, Aces. I loved that song for a lot of years because it just plain sounded good, though I never understood why she was holding a handful of aces and not playing them. Turns out, she was playing them and that was the problem. I totally understand now when Trisha Yearwood sings about songs remembering stuff. Loretta, I understand why you are so dang proud of Butcher Holler. It made you who you are. Patty Loveless, I can't hear 'Here I am' without thinking back on my ex. I carried that flame for more years than I would like to admit, now it just breaks my heart because he has to carry flames of regret for his past. I know he does, even when he won't admit it. Not over me necessarily, but over everything. They just make sense now more than ever. Now if I was a teenage girl, then Taylor would be all that and a bowl of grits. But I'm not, therefore, she's not to me.
Another thing...what in the world has happened to my beloved country music?? Someone, please explain this phenomenon to me. When did my country music go pop? When did steel guitars and fiddles get traded in for someone 'shredding' (I think that is the term) on the electric guitar? Or synthesized noises that sound like bubbles and whatnot? What do you reckon has happened? I am at a total loss for what is going on here. Why oh why is some lady doing a reggae rap in a "country" song? Someone please help me understand. Why are these boys wearing shirts that look like they got ironed on a cold rock only shortly after having been beaten against a running chainsaw? And the earrings. Boys...earrings? Really?
Okay, since you are reading, and I am writing, let me tell you about some REAL songs I love and why.
Amarillo By Morning (Chris LeDoux or George Strait)- Dang fool lost it all while chasing the rodeo. How many of you boys who rodeo (and presumably don't read blogs) understand that song?
Tougher Than The Rest- (Chris LeDoux) Ladies, how many of us wanted our man to stand up and say, "I got this, and I got you. I'm not that guy" - and mean it? How many of us wanted to hear that from Chris LeDoux? ME!
I've Always Been Crazy- (Waylon Jennings) 'nuff said. But it did keep me from going insane.
Everything That Glitters Is Not Gold (Dan Seals) You don't have to have very much life behind you to figure this one out. Sometimes though, we don't pay the true cost until way later down the road.
Good Old Boys Like Me (Don Williams) Just because this man's voice is as smooth as good sippin whiskey and I could listen to him sing the phone book. I think a lot of us relate to Don Williams' songs.
Any song by Suzy Boggus - Whether it is Someday Soon, Aces, Hey Cinderella. I love this gal. I love this gal's songs. She sings about stuff I have lived and I love her for it. It takes a few years of living to sing like that; with that emotion, power and truthfulness in your voice.
Okay, I may end up going on like this for days and I am pretty sure that none of y'all care about any of this. I guess I was just wondering what happened to music. Why has it gone downhill so fast? Anyone have an opinion?
Even if your opinion is go back to talking about food, lemme hear ya.
Leah
Now this is possibly the most controversial thing I am ever going to say. I don't like Taylor Swift. I hope she never reads this, because surely if she does she'll diss me in a song. But I have to admit it. I just am not a fan. Now, I don't hate her, but I just don't see how little Miss Swift has any relevance in my life. I like songs by women, not girls. Women who have lived and who will sing songs about stuff I relate to. Women's songs that make me think. I remember as a kid hearing some songs and thinking "one day...one day I am going to understand that song." And sure enough, I got a few hard years under me and I hear those songs and this brilliant light goes off and I say, I GOT IT!
That song for me recently has been Suzy Boggus, Aces. I loved that song for a lot of years because it just plain sounded good, though I never understood why she was holding a handful of aces and not playing them. Turns out, she was playing them and that was the problem. I totally understand now when Trisha Yearwood sings about songs remembering stuff. Loretta, I understand why you are so dang proud of Butcher Holler. It made you who you are. Patty Loveless, I can't hear 'Here I am' without thinking back on my ex. I carried that flame for more years than I would like to admit, now it just breaks my heart because he has to carry flames of regret for his past. I know he does, even when he won't admit it. Not over me necessarily, but over everything. They just make sense now more than ever. Now if I was a teenage girl, then Taylor would be all that and a bowl of grits. But I'm not, therefore, she's not to me.
Another thing...what in the world has happened to my beloved country music?? Someone, please explain this phenomenon to me. When did my country music go pop? When did steel guitars and fiddles get traded in for someone 'shredding' (I think that is the term) on the electric guitar? Or synthesized noises that sound like bubbles and whatnot? What do you reckon has happened? I am at a total loss for what is going on here. Why oh why is some lady doing a reggae rap in a "country" song? Someone please help me understand. Why are these boys wearing shirts that look like they got ironed on a cold rock only shortly after having been beaten against a running chainsaw? And the earrings. Boys...earrings? Really?
Okay, since you are reading, and I am writing, let me tell you about some REAL songs I love and why.
Amarillo By Morning (Chris LeDoux or George Strait)- Dang fool lost it all while chasing the rodeo. How many of you boys who rodeo (and presumably don't read blogs) understand that song?
Tougher Than The Rest- (Chris LeDoux) Ladies, how many of us wanted our man to stand up and say, "I got this, and I got you. I'm not that guy" - and mean it? How many of us wanted to hear that from Chris LeDoux? ME!
I've Always Been Crazy- (Waylon Jennings) 'nuff said. But it did keep me from going insane.
Everything That Glitters Is Not Gold (Dan Seals) You don't have to have very much life behind you to figure this one out. Sometimes though, we don't pay the true cost until way later down the road.
Good Old Boys Like Me (Don Williams) Just because this man's voice is as smooth as good sippin whiskey and I could listen to him sing the phone book. I think a lot of us relate to Don Williams' songs.
Any song by Suzy Boggus - Whether it is Someday Soon, Aces, Hey Cinderella. I love this gal. I love this gal's songs. She sings about stuff I have lived and I love her for it. It takes a few years of living to sing like that; with that emotion, power and truthfulness in your voice.
Okay, I may end up going on like this for days and I am pretty sure that none of y'all care about any of this. I guess I was just wondering what happened to music. Why has it gone downhill so fast? Anyone have an opinion?
Even if your opinion is go back to talking about food, lemme hear ya.
Leah
Thursday, January 6, 2011
How do I make a post about omelettes sound romantic and exciting? Hmmm.
Who would have thought that this blog would end up with so much cooking going on? Not me! I mentioned in my inaugural message that I would elaborate on my love of chicken at a later date, so maybe now is time to pay homage to that fine little bird.
Anytime you want to give due credit to a critter, it is important to bring up why you would like to give credit to said animal. I learned from those helpful nurses that a random "I love chickens" is actually somewhat creepy to most people. So before I go on to exalt the beloved chicken, let me start at the beginning (of this tale at least).
Lately, my husband has decided to go on a modified Atkins diet. He has greatly reduced the amount of carbohydrates that he eats and is trying to focus on eating protein and fresh veggies. That said, he has also upped the amount of eggs that he is eating. I guess we could very easily go right into the joys of grilled chicken, baked chicken, BBQ chicken...but this one is about the marvelous little egg and the joy of a great omelette.
So it has been brought to my attention that not everyone on God's green earth can successfully make an omelette. Pity. So for those of you who don't know...here is an omelette tutorial, along with stuff that just rocks in an omelette.
Fold over the edge, give it a moment to get all melty and good then slide it out of your pan. Garnish with a bit of parsley or basil or make a face out of olives. Whatever you want, remember...no rules- just yum!
My hubby's fave here lately has included chicken, bacon, onions, olives, jalapenos, parsley, salt and pepper. Who knows what his omelette may contain next week. Now, go out there and make some omelettes, my four loyal followers. It just may change your life.
leah
Anytime you want to give due credit to a critter, it is important to bring up why you would like to give credit to said animal. I learned from those helpful nurses that a random "I love chickens" is actually somewhat creepy to most people. So before I go on to exalt the beloved chicken, let me start at the beginning (of this tale at least).
Lately, my husband has decided to go on a modified Atkins diet. He has greatly reduced the amount of carbohydrates that he eats and is trying to focus on eating protein and fresh veggies. That said, he has also upped the amount of eggs that he is eating. I guess we could very easily go right into the joys of grilled chicken, baked chicken, BBQ chicken...but this one is about the marvelous little egg and the joy of a great omelette.
So it has been brought to my attention that not everyone on God's green earth can successfully make an omelette. Pity. So for those of you who don't know...here is an omelette tutorial, along with stuff that just rocks in an omelette.
- Rock a 3 egg omelette. Don't bother with 2, it just doesn't make enough to fold over. Go on, be a glutton. If need be, you can always share.
- (dum-dum-dum-dum...CRACK THAT WHIP) Or...Beat those eggs well! Whip some air into them. Make sure that they are fluffy- no, you do not have to add a bit of milk to make a fluffy egg. Just whip the stew out of them.
- Size matters- Use a decent size pan...too big and you have a thin as paper omelette. Too small and you can't get a spatula in to flip it and it won't fold over well. Go for a 'medium' pan. I like a coated pan for my eggs. Just careful with that Teflon, you don't want to use metal on it or you will be eating Teflon, and that cannot be good for you.
- Everything is better with butter. Why bother with some product that has potentially been genetically modified? Butter is not going to kill you. Go on and use a pat of REAL butter rather than canned spray or oil, you will thank me later. Give it a good swirl in the pan and go to town.
- Flippin' omelettes! Can't flip your omelette? No worries. Lots of people can't flip an omlette worth a darn. I was once one of those people! Just lift the edges and tilt the pan and let that little runny junk on the top slip under your lifted edge. This works if you cook it on medium or medium high. If you are impatient and must cook it on high (which is how the 'real' cooks say you MUST cook your omelette), either learn to flip an omlette or learn to eat a brown omlette. Your choice. I guess it just depends on how quickly I want my omlette. But keep trying to learn. A plastic spatula works best to flip an omlette. Go slowly and you will eventually learn. If you tear it, who cares! Just keep on working on the flavor. The look will come with time. Loosen the sides all around, then jam that spatula up under your eggs and move quickly to flip them. One smooth move should do the trick.
- Don't be too cheesy- I believe that yes, there is such a thing as too much cheese in an omelette. I personally don't like processed cheese or american slices, they get too gooey and it just kinda grosses me out. I love mozzarella in an omlette or a casserole blend. Or colby. Mmmmm, colby is good. Cheddar is good too, but it can get a little greasy and sometimes too rich. But, cheese is as personal to folks as their pretty little unmentionables (which seem to be very much mentionable now a days...), so do what you dig, just don't overdo what you dig.
- Mr. Goodstuff - When the inside is cooked (either because you can flip your omelette or because you have lifted enough sides to run off the goo and it has cooked ever so slowly) then start piling on the good stuff.
- GOOD STUFF
- shredded chicken
- bacon bits
- cheese of your liking
- fresh jalapenos
- onions
- parsley
- fresh spinach
- chives
- ham- either salt pork or glazed
- flank steak, sliced very thin
- black olives
Fold over the edge, give it a moment to get all melty and good then slide it out of your pan. Garnish with a bit of parsley or basil or make a face out of olives. Whatever you want, remember...no rules- just yum!
My hubby's fave here lately has included chicken, bacon, onions, olives, jalapenos, parsley, salt and pepper. Who knows what his omelette may contain next week. Now, go out there and make some omelettes, my four loyal followers. It just may change your life.
leah
Monday, January 3, 2011
Resolutions and Recipes-Anna, this one is for you my dear!
Hello, my loyal three and Anna. I said that I would put up my "resolutions", so here I go. Most of our family's resolutions are concerning finances and planning...BORING. We have some great family goals for paying off debt, saving, retirement, college savings...lots of stuff, too much to bore you with all those details.
Of course, I made that same old weight loss resolution. Just like I do every.single.year. So what makes this year different? Well, I can't say for sure just yet. I guess part of the resolution is to regain control of my health (I have Graves Disease) as well as lose some weight and finally, get completely off the glutens.
Let me first say, I am terrified of being completely off glutens. I LOVE my glutens. They just don't love me back. I guess you could also say I am finished with these one sided relationships where I give and give and get sucked dry. That is me and my love affair with glutens. My doctor suggested to get those pesky glutens out of my diet in order to aid my body in working better, but the glutens have been winning the tug of war. Until now. In fact, tonight I made a gluten free (we'll call it GF, for short) meatloaf with GF gravy. I had GF potato soup for lunch. So far, so good. However, I will admit that the ground up GF cereal I used in place of bread crumbs wasn't enough to hold together the meatloaf...but it was still quite tasty.
So here I am dying to make a big pan of lasagna and not sure where to start because I have become hooked on those pre-boiled lasagna noodles. Those wonderful noodles are definitely NOT GF. So I have been off in search of an option for GF lasagna noodles that don't turn to total mush and found some pretty helpful tips. I can't wait to try this, thanks to http://www.floradawn.com/cooking/2010/05/14/no-boil-gluten-free-lasagna-noodles/. Basically, she suggests a brand, then soaking them in really hot tap water. Either way, I will have my lasagna and eat it too. Cake will be conquered another day.
So, here is my FAVORITE lasagna recipe...though here it is not in it's soon to be GF form, it is still fabulous and very, very low fat. In fact, on a recent trip to Provino's, my family admitted my lasagna was better than Provino's! In my book, that is a score. I adapted this recipe from "Cook Yourself Thin" but made a few changes based upon my family's likes. I cannot guarantee that it remains 337 calories per serving, but it is really close, perhaps even less! If you try it, let me know if you like it.
Skinny Lasagna
2 TBSP Olive Oil
1&1/2 LBS Veggies (equal parts squash/zucchini/eggplant)
1tsp Dried Thyme
Salt to taste
1 - 15 oz Tub part skim ricotta cheese
3/4 cup skim milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups shredded part skim mozzerella cheese
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 - 10 oz box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (pat dry)
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tsp dried oregano
black pepper to taste
5 cups tomato sauce (you can use the plain canned spaghetti sauce)
no cook lasagna noodles (about 12 sheets)
If you try it, you BETTA leave a comment and let me know how it works out for you
:)Leah
Of course, I made that same old weight loss resolution. Just like I do every.single.year. So what makes this year different? Well, I can't say for sure just yet. I guess part of the resolution is to regain control of my health (I have Graves Disease) as well as lose some weight and finally, get completely off the glutens.
Let me first say, I am terrified of being completely off glutens. I LOVE my glutens. They just don't love me back. I guess you could also say I am finished with these one sided relationships where I give and give and get sucked dry. That is me and my love affair with glutens. My doctor suggested to get those pesky glutens out of my diet in order to aid my body in working better, but the glutens have been winning the tug of war. Until now. In fact, tonight I made a gluten free (we'll call it GF, for short) meatloaf with GF gravy. I had GF potato soup for lunch. So far, so good. However, I will admit that the ground up GF cereal I used in place of bread crumbs wasn't enough to hold together the meatloaf...but it was still quite tasty.
So here I am dying to make a big pan of lasagna and not sure where to start because I have become hooked on those pre-boiled lasagna noodles. Those wonderful noodles are definitely NOT GF. So I have been off in search of an option for GF lasagna noodles that don't turn to total mush and found some pretty helpful tips. I can't wait to try this, thanks to http://www.floradawn.com/cooking/2010/05/14/no-boil-gluten-free-lasagna-noodles/. Basically, she suggests a brand, then soaking them in really hot tap water. Either way, I will have my lasagna and eat it too. Cake will be conquered another day.
So, here is my FAVORITE lasagna recipe...though here it is not in it's soon to be GF form, it is still fabulous and very, very low fat. In fact, on a recent trip to Provino's, my family admitted my lasagna was better than Provino's! In my book, that is a score. I adapted this recipe from "Cook Yourself Thin" but made a few changes based upon my family's likes. I cannot guarantee that it remains 337 calories per serving, but it is really close, perhaps even less! If you try it, let me know if you like it.
Skinny Lasagna
2 TBSP Olive Oil
1&1/2 LBS Veggies (equal parts squash/zucchini/eggplant)
1tsp Dried Thyme
Salt to taste
1 - 15 oz Tub part skim ricotta cheese
3/4 cup skim milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups shredded part skim mozzerella cheese
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 - 10 oz box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (pat dry)
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tsp dried oregano
black pepper to taste
5 cups tomato sauce (you can use the plain canned spaghetti sauce)
no cook lasagna noodles (about 12 sheets)
- pre heat oven to 375
- heat olive oil in large skillet, cook vegetables over medium high heat until soft, salt to taste. add thyme. Drain off water.
- In large bowl combine ricotta cheese, skim milk and eggs, stir together. Add 1 cup of mozzerella, all parmesan, spinach, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. stir to incorporate.
- Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in the bottom of 9x13x2 pan. Layer noodles over sauce, slightly overlapping noodles. Spread 1/2 the ricotta mix on top of noodles and then cover with 1/2 of the veggie mix. Top with 1&1/2 cup tomato sauce. Repeat with noodles, remaining ricotta, veggies and 1&1/2 cup tomato sauce. Cover with noodles and remaining mozzerella cheese.
- Lightly spray aluminum foil sheet with cooking spray and cover uncooked lasagna (I hate to have to say it, but spray side down y'all- it keeps the cheese from cooking onto the foil and ripping off all the cheese when you pull up the foil!).
- Bake @ 375 for 45 minutes until cheese is bubbly.
- Remove the foil and bake an additional 12-15 minutes at 450 to brown cheese (YUMMYYYYY)
- Let stand for about 15 minutes before serving
If you try it, you BETTA leave a comment and let me know how it works out for you
:)Leah
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Have you thought about resolutions yet?
All day today I have been distracted by potential New Year's resolutions. Is there anyone else out there feeling my same pain/shame/confusion over this dilemma? Here's the rub...I want to resolve to do all kinds of great stuff. A few things on the agenda- end world hunger, bring about world peace, get back to my 22 year old weight, cook home made meals every night, always keep a clean house, entertain like Paula Dean, redecorate on a dime, save 20k and pay off all of my remaining debt. For starters.
I know that there are a few things on there that just aren't going to happen; such as cook home made meals every night and always keep a clean house. World hunger? Peace? Totally doable in my mind. So why is it that we tend to sabotage ourselves before we even get out of the gate on January 1st? I always set these lofty goals that are just crazy unobtainable and beat myself (and my family) up when I just cannot get there.
Do I think I will look like my 22 year old self? No. Do I really want to? Not exactly. I would love to fit in those clothes and have all my parts in their proper places without the use of straps, wires and boning. But I also know undoubtedly that I have grown fond of my scars, my wrinkles and my grey hairs. Could I lose weight? Of course. So why not resolve to set a reasonable goal? One that incorporates grey hair, scars, wrinkles, straps, wires and perhaps less boning?
And while I may never entertain quite as well as Paula Dean I recognize that it would be nice to hear a neighbor confide that she looks forward to dinner at my house? I can conquer world hunger and world peace one meal with one neighbor at a time, can't I?
Yes, I will make resolutions. I will make some very important resolutions as this year they are much needed. In fact, I will even let you, my three loyal readers, know exactly what those resolutions are. But I will also try to be realistic in doing so. What are you going to do?
I know that there are a few things on there that just aren't going to happen; such as cook home made meals every night and always keep a clean house. World hunger? Peace? Totally doable in my mind. So why is it that we tend to sabotage ourselves before we even get out of the gate on January 1st? I always set these lofty goals that are just crazy unobtainable and beat myself (and my family) up when I just cannot get there.
Do I think I will look like my 22 year old self? No. Do I really want to? Not exactly. I would love to fit in those clothes and have all my parts in their proper places without the use of straps, wires and boning. But I also know undoubtedly that I have grown fond of my scars, my wrinkles and my grey hairs. Could I lose weight? Of course. So why not resolve to set a reasonable goal? One that incorporates grey hair, scars, wrinkles, straps, wires and perhaps less boning?
And while I may never entertain quite as well as Paula Dean I recognize that it would be nice to hear a neighbor confide that she looks forward to dinner at my house? I can conquer world hunger and world peace one meal with one neighbor at a time, can't I?
Yes, I will make resolutions. I will make some very important resolutions as this year they are much needed. In fact, I will even let you, my three loyal readers, know exactly what those resolutions are. But I will also try to be realistic in doing so. What are you going to do?
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Christmas Ramblings
Merry Christmas to all!
A few noteworthy things...sorry for the stream of consciousness, but I did say "ramblings", didn't I?
First, Christmas is all hustle and go. Our Pastor recently remarked that people are so nice on December first; positively filled with the Christmas spirit. By the 24th, that spirit has faded away at best. It returns to our dog eat dog world. Kill or be killed. We are consumers, driven by a lust for that special something to surprise our overly spoiled kids. They have to have the newest, fastest, coolest, most expensive whatever to win their little hearts and minds. Right?? We are ready to snap and our credit cards are ready to ignite from the whirl of running it through those little scanners at break neck speeds. Sometimes I think the only miracle left at Christmas is that some of us don't actually kill someone.
This year, I jumped off the crazy train. We set a budget. We almost completely stuck to that budget. I was proud of our restraint this year. Amazingly, I don't think our kids noticed a difference at all. I only threatened to kill my sweet husband two or three times over the last few days. It has been a banner Christmas!
Moving on to Christmas eve. Hallelujah, we slept in! I don't know how to start a day any better than sleeping late; especially given that we have a two year old who has the energy of about five highly caffeinated toddlers. After having realized I got to sleep in, my mind immediately went into overdrive as I remembered all the wonderful hand made gifts I had decided to make this year. You guessed it...they all needed to be finished. And when I say finished, I mean they were mostly undone. So what do you do when you have too much to do? Kick the family out of the house and get on Facebook to complain about the amount of work left. Yep, that's how I roll. Somehow, I finished, so I won't spend time with explanations. Just know I got it done and am nothing if not amazing. And humble.
First stop: Christmas Eve services:
We sang all the wonderful carols and had a blast remembering the reason why we celebrate Christmas. We remember that Jesus was born in a humble manger. God came in the flesh with a wonderful, amazingly simple yet elaborate plan to redeem us with the perfect Lamb. A cute little cuddly baby Jesus who would save the world and who is to one day return for his spotless church. Good stuff!
The toddlers of the church did a nativity scene, complete with a lamb who did not want to be on a stage with that donkey and elephant. Yes, I said elephant. Apparently, the second donkey did not want to be a donkey but rather enjoyed being an elephant this past Halloween. So we had a lamb, a donkey and an elephant. Mary and Joseph toddled down the aisle with baby Jesus, followed by the an angel (who thankfully was the sister of the crying lamb and was willing to comfort the scared little lamb), three wise men and the cutest shepherd in all the world, my Levi.
Here's the story of Levi's arrival at the manger. He strutted down the aisle like he owned it and when he arrived at the front, saw me and a camera and immediately announced that he was going to take pictures. I quickly explained that he had to go up on stage and that I would take his picture and lickety-split, he was up there and posing. I guess you had to see it to appreciate how precious it was. He loves being in the lime light, which was apparent even after the Pastor began his message and Levi yet again took the stage. Thankfully, Pastor Michael didn't seem to mind sharing.
Next, was the elementary aged children's choir. Complete with my 11 year old fifth grader singing the hits. He did a great job, smiling for pictures and then making faces at the entire congregation. A few people remarked that they were making faces back, namely, the Pastor's wife! You've just gotta love her for that!
It was a wonderful service with a stringed trio, a few soloists, amazing musicians, lovely message and a special visit by the Holy Spirit. I am not surprised that the HS showed up (we're pals, He allows me to abbreviate) since He tells us he will and all...It was nice to reflect back on God's amazing love for us and that he was willing to show us in such a simple, yet amazing way. Again, good stuff!
After service, we went home, packed up all the gifts, packed up the kids, packed up the two dogs and went over to my mom's house for more Christmas fun. There's nothing like a house full of people and pets when you are used to solitude of living alone. In fact, she's probably still twitching even though we left hours ago. It's what I do on the nights when my husband works. I get the kids in bed, clean the wreckage and then I twitch until I recover from the night alone with my two wonderful, sweet, perfect children. She may be twitching for days...
Christmas morning was magical, as usual. I would venture a guess that it was the most magical Christmas my mother has seen in all her years as it was the very first Christmas shared with all three of her grand children. We only had a few minor bumps and bruises and a I don't recall any major melt downs, which is phenomenal with a two year old and a three year old present. It was magical for me in that after all the fun of the standard Christmas day revelry, I got to take a nap. Yes, it was a good day and a wonderful birthday party for Jesus.
Now it is snowing. What more could a girl ask for? Here I am in Georgia, enjoying my very first white Christmas with an overly caffeinated two year old (he drank every last drop of my pumpkin spiced coffee while I have been typing) running around the house and an 11 year old playing in the snow. I am warm, cozy and most of all, thankful.
Merry Christmas indeed!
A few noteworthy things...sorry for the stream of consciousness, but I did say "ramblings", didn't I?
First, Christmas is all hustle and go. Our Pastor recently remarked that people are so nice on December first; positively filled with the Christmas spirit. By the 24th, that spirit has faded away at best. It returns to our dog eat dog world. Kill or be killed. We are consumers, driven by a lust for that special something to surprise our overly spoiled kids. They have to have the newest, fastest, coolest, most expensive whatever to win their little hearts and minds. Right?? We are ready to snap and our credit cards are ready to ignite from the whirl of running it through those little scanners at break neck speeds. Sometimes I think the only miracle left at Christmas is that some of us don't actually kill someone.
This year, I jumped off the crazy train. We set a budget. We almost completely stuck to that budget. I was proud of our restraint this year. Amazingly, I don't think our kids noticed a difference at all. I only threatened to kill my sweet husband two or three times over the last few days. It has been a banner Christmas!
Moving on to Christmas eve. Hallelujah, we slept in! I don't know how to start a day any better than sleeping late; especially given that we have a two year old who has the energy of about five highly caffeinated toddlers. After having realized I got to sleep in, my mind immediately went into overdrive as I remembered all the wonderful hand made gifts I had decided to make this year. You guessed it...they all needed to be finished. And when I say finished, I mean they were mostly undone. So what do you do when you have too much to do? Kick the family out of the house and get on Facebook to complain about the amount of work left. Yep, that's how I roll. Somehow, I finished, so I won't spend time with explanations. Just know I got it done and am nothing if not amazing. And humble.
First stop: Christmas Eve services:
We sang all the wonderful carols and had a blast remembering the reason why we celebrate Christmas. We remember that Jesus was born in a humble manger. God came in the flesh with a wonderful, amazingly simple yet elaborate plan to redeem us with the perfect Lamb. A cute little cuddly baby Jesus who would save the world and who is to one day return for his spotless church. Good stuff!
The toddlers of the church did a nativity scene, complete with a lamb who did not want to be on a stage with that donkey and elephant. Yes, I said elephant. Apparently, the second donkey did not want to be a donkey but rather enjoyed being an elephant this past Halloween. So we had a lamb, a donkey and an elephant. Mary and Joseph toddled down the aisle with baby Jesus, followed by the an angel (who thankfully was the sister of the crying lamb and was willing to comfort the scared little lamb), three wise men and the cutest shepherd in all the world, my Levi.
Here's the story of Levi's arrival at the manger. He strutted down the aisle like he owned it and when he arrived at the front, saw me and a camera and immediately announced that he was going to take pictures. I quickly explained that he had to go up on stage and that I would take his picture and lickety-split, he was up there and posing. I guess you had to see it to appreciate how precious it was. He loves being in the lime light, which was apparent even after the Pastor began his message and Levi yet again took the stage. Thankfully, Pastor Michael didn't seem to mind sharing.
Next, was the elementary aged children's choir. Complete with my 11 year old fifth grader singing the hits. He did a great job, smiling for pictures and then making faces at the entire congregation. A few people remarked that they were making faces back, namely, the Pastor's wife! You've just gotta love her for that!
It was a wonderful service with a stringed trio, a few soloists, amazing musicians, lovely message and a special visit by the Holy Spirit. I am not surprised that the HS showed up (we're pals, He allows me to abbreviate) since He tells us he will and all...It was nice to reflect back on God's amazing love for us and that he was willing to show us in such a simple, yet amazing way. Again, good stuff!
After service, we went home, packed up all the gifts, packed up the kids, packed up the two dogs and went over to my mom's house for more Christmas fun. There's nothing like a house full of people and pets when you are used to solitude of living alone. In fact, she's probably still twitching even though we left hours ago. It's what I do on the nights when my husband works. I get the kids in bed, clean the wreckage and then I twitch until I recover from the night alone with my two wonderful, sweet, perfect children. She may be twitching for days...
Christmas morning was magical, as usual. I would venture a guess that it was the most magical Christmas my mother has seen in all her years as it was the very first Christmas shared with all three of her grand children. We only had a few minor bumps and bruises and a I don't recall any major melt downs, which is phenomenal with a two year old and a three year old present. It was magical for me in that after all the fun of the standard Christmas day revelry, I got to take a nap. Yes, it was a good day and a wonderful birthday party for Jesus.
Now it is snowing. What more could a girl ask for? Here I am in Georgia, enjoying my very first white Christmas with an overly caffeinated two year old (he drank every last drop of my pumpkin spiced coffee while I have been typing) running around the house and an 11 year old playing in the snow. I am warm, cozy and most of all, thankful.
Merry Christmas indeed!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
What's in a name?
Why in the world would I name my blog "Love and Buttermilk"? Simple! I love buttermilk. I not only love buttermilk, but I love the thought of buttermilk. I love the sound of buttermilk when you say it. It rolls off the tongue so easily. I love how buttermilk is made- or more correctly drawn from the milk curd. I love what is left when the buttermilk is drawn off the milk fat. I love butter. I love cooking with buttermilk. I love buttermilk poured over cornbread. I just LOVE buttermilk. And since every single sensible name was taken, Love and Buttermilk it is.
I love chicken too, but that just sounds a little funny. Love and Chicken? No thank you! I dream of chicken and buttermilk. I marinate my chicken in buttermilk and eggs to fry it. In fact, I love chicken so much that I woke up from a major surgery in that drug haze talking about chicken once. The nurses wheeling me to ICU all got a big kick out of it and laughed it up that I was sooooo loopy from the drugs, but my husband set them straight. No, she really does love chicken that much. I don't love to eat chicken so much as I love the the bird itself. It is such a practical little animal. More on chicken later; after all this is a buttermilk post.
So in honor of the wonder that is buttermilk, I will leave you with one of my all time favorite recipes. Please, if you read this, give it a try and let me know what you think!
BUTTERMILK PIE
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 eggs
1 cup BUTTERMILK!
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 unbaked 9 inch pastry shell
Cream butter at hight speed of an electric mixer; gradually add sugar, beating well.
Add flour and beat until smooth.
Add eggs; beat until blended.
Add buttermilk and vanilla; beat well.
Pour filling into pastry shell. Bake at 400 for 5 minutes; reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 45 minutes or until set. Cool to room temperature; then chill.
Enjoy and spread the buttermilk love!
~leah
I love chicken too, but that just sounds a little funny. Love and Chicken? No thank you! I dream of chicken and buttermilk. I marinate my chicken in buttermilk and eggs to fry it. In fact, I love chicken so much that I woke up from a major surgery in that drug haze talking about chicken once. The nurses wheeling me to ICU all got a big kick out of it and laughed it up that I was sooooo loopy from the drugs, but my husband set them straight. No, she really does love chicken that much. I don't love to eat chicken so much as I love the the bird itself. It is such a practical little animal. More on chicken later; after all this is a buttermilk post.
So in honor of the wonder that is buttermilk, I will leave you with one of my all time favorite recipes. Please, if you read this, give it a try and let me know what you think!
BUTTERMILK PIE
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 eggs
1 cup BUTTERMILK!
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 unbaked 9 inch pastry shell
Cream butter at hight speed of an electric mixer; gradually add sugar, beating well.
Add flour and beat until smooth.
Add eggs; beat until blended.
Add buttermilk and vanilla; beat well.
Pour filling into pastry shell. Bake at 400 for 5 minutes; reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 45 minutes or until set. Cool to room temperature; then chill.
Enjoy and spread the buttermilk love!
~leah
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