soul food

from the reading for thursday, september 27:


from Luke 8 -

"So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a widstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, 'Master, Master, we are perishing!' And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm.

He said to them,'Where is your faith?'"


i love this. here we find the disciples in actual peril. the storm was threatening to sink their boat. this was not a perception, and figment of their imagination, it was truly dangerous for them to be on that lake and they feared for their lives for good reason, as Luke says that the water was filling their craft. when Jesus awakes, he does not rebuke them for over-reacting to a situation in which they percieved themselves to be in danger. no, He rebuked them for not trusting their lives to Him in that very real peril. but, for their sakes, for the building up and strengthening of their faith, He calmed that storm. He demonstrated His saving power that they might see and believe, but He did not need to calm the storm for them to be safe. They had been safe all along, in that very danger, because God Himself was in their boat!

God does not promise to keep us safe by tucking us away in his favorite curio cabinet, far away from the elements. "In this world, you will have tribulation," He says. And King David surely knew what it meant to be in real peril, to have his life in danger, to be in the midst of death. God did not prevent his being in that situation; on the contrary, God put him in that very circumstance, and David acted obediently by calling out "Lord, save me!" His faith was in God's power to save. And God is faithful. He sets His angels around us, He gives us victory through His own strength. This also makes me think of all the wars Israel fought as they sojourned to take possession of the promised land. God would give them their enemies on a platter, but Israel had to get out there and fight - get bloody and beat up, meeting the edge of the spear at every turn. Yet, the victory was already decided.

In our world, peril is real. We are called to do a lot of scary things, and we find ourselves in spots that take major faith - and that's exactly the point. God is right here with us, and every spiritual blessing is ours. The same God who commands armies of angels, myriads upon myraids of heavenly hosts, attentively keeps your body and soul in His hand.

because my husband is silly

i know. one doesn't need proof. but here it is just the same.

silliness, if i can say it, is a family trait (i love you, fil!), and so though i occasionally exhibit a rolling of the eyes, our married life thus far thankfully has never been without laughter.

okay, so to the point. the other night we came across an old (5 years ago now...i know, so old) photo of us. it was a picture of us looking at pictures of us. conceited, i know. :) anyhoo, it struck joe funny that we had a picture of us looking at pictures of oursevles, and so he grabs the camera and takes a picture...yes, to make a picture of a picture of a picture of us. at first i was like, "are you for real?" that's the first picture, as you can see. i love that shot, cause it so explains the difference between us at the moment. my smile is fake, and he's just wondering if it'll turn out cool. then by the next shot, i've lost it completely and can't even look at the camera for the laughter that has siezed me.

and this is the nerdy part. we were cracking ourselves up! and it really wasn't that funny. but see, this is my life folks. i would have never done anything so undignified before i was married. no, of course not. ;)

it's just this guy i married...whom i adore.

soul food

from the reading for wednesday, september 26

from Psalm 119:
"I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules."

from Psalm 81:
"Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!
O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

Open your mouth wide and I will fill it."

jenny's other shower :)

and since such an event required chocolate, joe made a chocolate cheesecake for us ladies. dark chocolate. :)

domestic additions

monterey with the bruckarts!

carmel beach

gotta love the boogars! (or is it bugars?)

the water came up behind us...you know, the shock of the cold and wet jeans and all that. :)

downtown monterey. two of joe's favorite things right next door to eachother: a pub and a coffee house.

the coffee house was also an old theatre. it was pretty neat, only the smell of espresso combined with buttered popcorn kinda confused the palate.

this is the second time in my life where i felt i was in the presence of the italian mafia...only this time is was kinda like Mickey Blue Eyes combined with Rounders. some of them were chattin' away in italian, playing cards and drinking their cappucinos. i especially loved the one in the shades. i took him for the big cahoona.

joe had to try the coffee and compare it to the Cat's, of course. this place has gotten some publicity lately. check it out if you're ever in monterey.

k, this was just funny. we were like, "The canning company must've been having some serious issues." :)

at Bubba Gump's

stephen and rachel - we were SO blessed by you!! how fun it was to get to know you as a threesome, to see your lives in action, to connect to your hearts. we love you and cherish your friendship. may God continue to bless you now and in your plans for the future.

joe's newest experiment

root beer

there it will sit for two weeks. and, if after opening the curious brew, and taking our first swig, we don't die, we'll give you the recipe. :)

hospitality

i'm constantly suprised at what is possible to do in a small space...like four people around a table. :)

soul food

i have been reading through the Word via a lectionary called "The Saint James Daily Devotional Guide for the Christian Year." for each day, there is a new testament reading, an old testament reading, a Gospel reading, and a collection of psalms. often there is a seasonal reading, based on the church calendar, and for every week there is a prayer taken from the Book of Common Prayer, Saint Andrew's Missal, or other such old works. i love the history of faith it incorporates, especially since i was born with post-modern eyes. it grounds one to the history of God's people throughout the ages, and likewise encourages such faithfulness. it comes in four installments per year, one for each season. i highly recommend you go here and order it.

we all know that when reading God's Word, things pop out that you could swear you've never seen before, though you may have read the passage many times. this is a testimony that His Word is alive. so many times have i been struck by something, perhaps even a phrase, that speaks to my soul in deep ways. i love when i read something that destroys my assumptions and shapes for me a more true understanding of my God.

so from now on, when i am struck by something i read, i am going to write it down here. it just cannot be repressed. i have to share it. and this, i can see, is the power of the Spirit in His work of growing the kingdom. why do i feel compelled to share it, write it, memorize it, read it out loud...and why is it a joyful thing and not a burden? strange thing, really. and yet, it is God's design.

thus, for my first post under the heading of "soul food," i share the following:


i love this, from psalm 65 -

"You visit the earth and water it;
You greatly enrich it;

the river of God is full of water;

You provide their grain, for so You have prepared it.

You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.

You crown the year with Your bounty;
Your wagon tracks overflow with abundance."

and also, from psalm 58 (david is making a cunning statement about "the wicked"):

"Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime..."

and finally, from psalm 56:

"This I know, that God is for me."

chicken stew with biscuits, as promised

i made this for dinner the other night when i was terribly uninspired to make anything at all. whenever i feel such un-godly apathy, i know it's time to pull out a cookbook and try something new. :)

so, it was Ina Garten to the rescue. this particular recipe comes from her Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook, and i was succored immediately by the autumnish, old-fashioned flavors it promised (plus, i had all the necessary ingredients!). and boy, did it ever live up to my expectations. and joe found room in his tiny, swedish tummy to have seconds! for all you chicken pot pie lovers out there, this is a darn good recipe, tasting exactly like chicken pot pie, with the biscuits making it southern and heavenly.

and, now that we're entering fall-food season and getting hungry for the hearty, you might be ecstatic to know that Cooking Light's issue for September is Chicken Pot Pie!

(i couldn't have taken a more unappetizing picture, sorry)

Ina Garten's Chicken Stew with Biscuits (plus my alterations):

For the Stew -

3 whole chicken breasts, bone in and skin on (i just used boneless, skinless breasts)
3 Tbl olive oil
5 cups chicken stock
2 chicken bouillon cubes (i didn't use, cuz i didn't have)
1 & 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (i used regular)
2 chopped yellow onions
3/4 C. flour
1/4 C. heavy cream (i used half and half)
4 carrots, medium diced
2 C. frozen peas (joe doesn't like peas, so used fresh broccoli)
1 and 1/2 C. frozen small whole onions (i didn't use)
(i also put in potatoes, diced small)
1/2 C. minced fresh parsley (i didn't use)
salt and fresh ground pepper

For the Biscuits:

2 C. flour (i used white whole wheat)
1 Tbl baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, diced (i used regular)
3/4 C. half and half
1/2 C. chopped fresh parsley (i didn't use)
1 egg mixed with 1 Tbl water, for egg wash (i didn't use)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place the chicken breats on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside till cool enough to handle, them remove the meat from the bones and discard skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

(To make things easier, do what i did: saute (with olive oil) boneless skinless chicken breasts in your large pot or Dutch oven, seasoning with salt, pepper, garlic powder, sage, and thyme. Then just cut the chicken into bite sizes while it's right there cooking, transfer cooked chicken to a small bowl, and you'll be ready for the next step.)

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock.

In a large pot or Dutch oven (if you followed my directions, the one you just used to cook the chicken in, and don't wash it out first!), melt the butter and saute the onions over med-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring until thick. Add 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and the heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions, and parsley (and potatoes if desired). Mix well. Place the stew in a 10x13x2 inch oval or rectangular baking dish. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the biscuits. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Add the half and half, and combine on low speed. Mix in the parsley.

Dump the dough on a well-floured surface, and, with a rolling pin, roll out to 3/8 inch thick. Cut out twelve circles with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter.

Remove the stew from the oven and arrange the biscuits on top of the filling. Brush them with egg wash, and return the dish to the oven. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the biscuits are brown and the stew is bubbly.

To make in advance, refrigerate the chicken stew and biscuits separately. Bake the stew for 25 minutes, then place the biscuits on top, and bake for another 30 minutes, until done.

from tree to jar

because apple tree is SO prolific, we (mom trudy, grandma mae and i) decided to graduate past pie and enter into other culinary delights - applesauce, apple pie filling, dried apples.

harvesting proved to be dangerous - inhaling, choking on and spitting out tree dust, bugs, and who knows what else, a few bonks on the head, some precarious chair ladders.

both grandma and i had the sweetest little apple peeler/corers. they're not error-proof, but they sure made the work a lot easier, and they're under $30.