joe and jen's place

yumminess

2008-11-29T09:12:00.000-08:00

the line up

more thanksgiving

2008-11-29T08:30:00.001-08:00

eric and nat

nik

ethan vs chris

joe vs kim

your wagon tracks overflow in abundance

2008-11-27T08:32:00.000-08:00

how precious is your steadfast love, O God! the children of God take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

they feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

for with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.

from psalm 36

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i ask my soul today, "soul, are you thankful?"

my soul creaks and groans at the early question and is slow to respond.

i ask again, "soul, are you thankful?"

my soul cries out, "Lord, help me remember your lovingkindness!"

and God says, "taste, and see that the Lord is good!":

____________________________________________________________________

praise is due you, O God, in Zion,

and to you shall vows be performed.

O you who hears prayer, to you shall all flesh come.

When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions.

blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts!

we shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!

by awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,

O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and the farthest seas;

the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might;

who stills the roaring of the sea,

the roaring of their waves,

the tumult of the peoples,

so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.

you make the going out of the morning and the evening shout for joy.

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.

the pastures of the wilderness overflow,

the hills gird themselves with joy,

the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,

the valleys deck themselves with grain,

they shout and sing together for joy.

psalm 65

____________________________________________________________________

i am thankful:

for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. the work and lovingkindness of our God in this world, the story that He has crafted from the beginning, is staggering...and beautiful...and incredibly exciting. one day we will be feasting in His presence, at His table. and it will be festal and merry and good. and the table will be ginormous.

for my husband. he is longsuffering. :) he is exactly who i need in every way. he is a faithful gift, a precious treasure, a joygiver, whom i love and respect.

for our marriage. we consistently recieve the "are you newlyweds?" question. this year, when we state we've celebrated our fifth anniversary and are working on our sixth, many brows ascend, eyes get wide, and they say "really? you look so happy." we don't have to say we love each other. they can see it. we are hugely grateful for this witness, cause it's not us - it's all Christ.

for our home. this past year has been has been full of closed doors for a new home. and every time God closes that door, we return to our little apartment and are reminded at how lovely it is, and how it meets our every need right now. it's truly a "manna from heaven" place, affordable, cozy and warm, and now, fully loaded with new windows and door. since we moved in three years ago, we have painted the kitchen cupboards and the master bedroom, updated the kitchen faucet, light fixtures, and cabinet knobs, installed laminate flooring, replaced the toilet, fixed a leaky tub that was flooding the hall, repaired a hole in the house that was also flooding the hall, and built a second bedroom! and when we moved in, we weren't sure we would even be living with our own furniture! God bless our landlady!

for our jobs. God has found for us such suitable employments. they are often difficult and harrowing, but he has crafted each job description to fit our abilities, gifts, and personalities, and he is providing abundanty for us through them. in a season when folks are losing their jobs, we can praise the Lord that He is watching over us, and that not meagerly or miserly or apathetically. we are thankful to our God for the blessing of employment.

for fruitfulness. while we have been in this offspring-less season, God has given us great fulfillment and joy in the busyness and creativity of our hands. there are a great many things that could be listed here (we currenlty are dabbling in the accordian and cello), but let's just say we apply ourselves to many important and jolly pursuits which God obviously is leaving us room for. ;) and, we hope in the God who has shown us in his Word one of his favorite motifs: making the barren woman a joyous mother of children. He loves bringing life where there is none...null and void to creation, winter to spring, death to resurrection, hell to heaven.

for health. having been through a bit of a foggy mess concerning my health these past few years, i am thankful to the Lord for elucidating the foundational issues. my thanksgiving will stay steadfast today, even though i am not allowed to consume the stuffing (which is arguably the ONLY reason to eat turkey). :)

and for a myriad of other reasons, which God knows. "yes," says my soul, "i am truly thankful."

a merry thanksgiving to you joni and paul, sean and jess, uncle brad and auntie bev, daniel and amanda, mike and wendy, caleb, elizabeth, and nehemiah! we love you and miss celebrating with you today.

and a merry thanksgiving to all our dear friends. we love you.

goofin' off with the camara

2008-11-27T00:08:00.000-08:00

new windows and door!

2008-11-26T23:56:00.001-08:00

thanks, judy, for allowing us to enjoy these new beauties! white just cheers things up nicely.

photo shoot

2008-11-26T23:11:00.001-08:00

what a privilege to be able to have these fun pictures taken! it's such an enjoyable season in our life right now - beginning our sixth year of marriage and so comfortable and rested in eachother. we are so thankful.

these were taken down by new brighton beach, off the frontage road that intercepts park avenue. we found these railroad tracks a few years ago and just think it's the most delightful setting. everyone around here gets their photos taken on the beach (and we've done that before too!), but it was so refreshing to do something different...not to mention we didn't have to deal with wind! (breezes are great, but i don't like wind. it makes me cranky and sad...i have no idea why). these were such a blast to take and we're so grateful to have them. (for those on facebook, there are more of these posted there...for those NOT on facebook, you should get on...and be our friend). :)

out of the kitchen (for a little while)

2008-11-21T14:16:00.000-08:00

though i've made oatmeal pumpkin cookies, cinnamon rolls, and a chocolate cake since october, i haven't been as busy in the kitchen as i normally am, due to the rather restrictive diet i am on. but, the silver lining to the loss of culinary endeavor has been the increased appetite for non-food projects. the world has suddenly gotten a lot bigger (ha! that sounds funny, like a chef who just realized the world doesn't revolve around food!) and, i am AMAZED at how much i accomplished this past few months! i've had a blast, and am so thankful to the Lord for keeping my mind busy and my hands fruitful.

new pillows: they're reversible, the two different sides showing here. amy butler fabric, of course, leftover from my quilt (see below). :)

these i recovered from some old summer pillows that were looking shabby. they're also reversible, the opposite sides showing on the couch in the pics below. i wanted fall and winter-ish pillows to accent the solid red. it gives the room a needed softness and whimsy.

baby "what-not" cloths. used for burping, changing, cuddling, whatever really. i made a few for some friends earlier this year, and got my mom into helping me make some more. i love the cheery, vintage fabric! but getting it sewn to the soft, knobby blue backing was a trick! but thanks to my mom's tenacious pinning, we got through several sets in no time. i plan to sell some "what-nots" to some local gift shops.

wreath. i didn't make this. but i did get it at cost plus for a screamin' deal! and it really jollys up the front door.

my brand labels for my new "business". :) i'm not super serious (yet) about this crafting business, but thought i'd start with local shops and etsy, and see how i like it. i think i'll be dabbling in "what-nots" and other baby items for now. i might expand the inventory later.

my quilt! i finally got this together! made from scraps and fat quarters of amy butler and heather bailey fabrics. i followed amy butler's Lotus "brick path" quilt pattern for the front, and then constructed my own pieced backing. i'm waiting for my mum to get her quilting machine up and running to finish it off in a wide meander.

backside

top

just finished reading this. first read it in adolescence. loved it even more this time. i'll be devouring the rest of the series before long.

extremely fingerless gloves. these were fun to knit, but difficult since i didn't know what i was doing and didn't have a pattern. got really frustrated trying to figure out the thumb hole, and then my MIL came to the rescue and showed me how to overcome, and we spent the evening making fingerless gloves in front of the fire while our guys played with iphones and laptops. i'm not savvy yet with knitting. i just ordered a fingerless glove pattern for crochet on etsy, recommended by bethany hicks (thanks, bethany!). i hope it might be easier and faster.

went to our montly ladies' gig at our church and made soy candles. interesting process. this one smells like frankincense (sp?).

currently reading and loving.

my grainless cinnamon rolls, recipe by my nutritionist pat adams. they were delicious (remember, my dessert palette has been tried and necessarily expanded these days!), and joe surely wasn't daunted by them. :)

Chocolate Zucchini Cake (Grainless) with Cream Cheese Frosting

2008-11-21T13:15:00.000-08:00

i'm getting more brave in the kitchen now as i'm heading into my seventh (or is it eighth!?) week of candida cleanse. indeed, i have made a chocolate cake! okay, I know what you're thinking. zucchini??? but, trust me, it makes the cake yummy and moist! you don't taste anything but chocolate cake! all the dry ingredients you can find at bobsredmill.com, or at a local natural food store (bob's red mill brand is best). i based this recipe off of one from my nutritionist (bless her soul for being so brilliant!), but made my own changes. everything I used was organic, but doesn't have to be.

Blend well together:

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups xylitol (form of sugar that's safer for blood sugar levels, but you could use regular sugar)

Then add and mix thoroughly:

1 1/2 cups zucchini, peeled and finely shredded

1 1/2 cups oil (walnut or grapeseed or almond are much healthier than canola)

1 tsp vanilla

In a seperate bowl, mix well together:

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon (you can take or leave this)

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp xanthan gum (this stuff's essential to hold it all together! there's no gluten in here at all!)

1 cup almond flour

2 cups sorghum flour

1 cup tapioca flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

Add dry ingredients to wet and mix just until moist. Then add (optional):

1/2 cup chocolate chips and/or 1/2 cup carob chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Bake in one pan for thick cake, or two pans to make a two-layer cake. Pans should be greased, buttered, or parchment papered. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-40 minutes depending on depth of batter, and until toothpick comes out clean. These also make great muffins.

Cream Cheese Frosting-

Mix and beat thoroughly till fluffy:

1 cube softened butter or earth balance

8-10 oz cream cheese (i used goat cream cheese)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 - 2/3 cup xylitol (or regular sugar)

Spread on well-cooled cake. Decorate with fresh rasberries, strawberries, blueberries, or chocolate shavings.

here's my cake! it's hilarious how exciting this dessert is to someone who can't eat wheat or sugar! :)

Happy Birthday Stephen

2008-11-17T08:02:00.000-08:00

I know this is a day early, but I could not wait. It's time for these to come out of the vault. Public humiliation is now required to atone for our experimentation in the talk show and music industry. This is just a clip, so don't fear. I haven't completely bared our souls.... There is plenty of time to do that. Love ya friend.

the johnny carlson show

Psalm 1 & 2

2008-11-09T18:37:00.000-08:00

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season,and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,“Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,“As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

I have often read Psalm 1 by itself, and felt a little daunted by the language used. It almost seems too black and white to be edifying. The call of the Psalm, taken by itself, is to be perfect. If you are, you will not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or sit in the seat of the scoffer. Rather, you will take delight in the law of the Lord, and be like a firmly planted tree. What happens then, if I, in my war with the flesh, temporarily stand in the way of sinners (because I am one)? I know I am forgiven, but does that mean that I no longer can be like a tree, planted by streams of water? It seems questionable at best.

What seems to be a better alternative is to read the first two Psalms together, as one complete song. The second Psalm completes the story arc of the first, and sheds light on this dilemma of personal application. From a literary perspective, they complement each other, as the second half picks up where the first ended, and brings it back around. Thus an outline of the two together would look something like this:

A: Blessed is the faithful, and obedient man (1:1-2)
B: He will be firmly planted, nourished, bear fruit and prosper well (1:3)
C: The wicked will not prosper, and they will perish (1:4-6)
D: The wicked rage, and plot in vain in their counsel together (2:1-3)
E: God laughs, plants His King on His holy hill (2:4-6)
F: The faithful and obedient Son receives inheritance and rules nations (2:7-9)
G: Application, Kiss the Son, Blessed are those who take refuge in Him (2:10-12)

When you read through Psalm 1, you end with the perishing wicked. It does not seem to be a proper conclusion to the beautiful imagery of the righteous man, planted by streams of water. However, it does lead perfectly into the first verses of Psalm 2. The Psalmist is commenting on these wicked men, and trying to understand why they speed along toward their destruction. As in the first Psalm, God sits on high, and sees all their wickedness. In fact He laughs at them, and holds them in derision. They think they can successfully bring about their own prosperity by breaking free from the reign of Gods Anointed. But He has set His King on Zion. And He will rule the nations. Those who remain in their wickedness, will not stand in the congregation of the righteous, but will be dashed to pieces like a potter’s vessel. Then the call is to Kiss the Son, to serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. We serve with fear and rejoice with trembling, for we know that we are sinners. But we serve and rejoice because we are permitted to take refuge in Him. These commands seem more doable than the picture of the man in Psalm 1. By grace (of course) we are able to cast ourselves on His mercy, and are able to serve Him.

This is where putting the two Psalms together makes Christ come alive. The Anointed One, the King firmly planted on the Holy Hill, He is the Man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked. He is like a tree firmly planted by streams of water. His leaf will never wither. All that He does prospers. This one complete Psalm becomes the story of Christ and the wicked. Christ bears fruit. The wicked do not. Christ is King over all the nations. The wicked in vain try to establish themselves apart from the King. The Anointed One is blessed of God Almighty, whereas the wicked are laughed at and derided. The leaf of the King will not wither, but the chaff of the wicked will be blown away, and come to nothing.

Reading the Psalm in this way allows us to see Christ even more clearly in the first half, as the Man who delights day and night in the Law of the Lord. We see Him more clearly as the True King of Kings, who conquers the wicked, and dashes them against the Rock. At the end, we are given the opportunity to meditate on this and are called to be wise. We must Kiss the Son, and find our refuge in Him, and in Him alone. And blessed are all who do so.

Here we find our place in Psalm 1. The Psalmist bookends this one complete Psalm with descriptions of those who are Blessed. “Blessed is the man who walks not…” and “Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” Those who take refuge in the Son are identified with the Man who does not sit in the seat of scoffers. As we serve with fear, rejoice with trembling, and Kiss the Anointed King, we become like Him, delighting in the Law of the Lord, and meditating on it day and night. This takes the moralistic impulses out of Psalm 1’s application. We can only be planted by streams of water, if we indeed kiss the Son, and find our refuge in Him. It is Christ who is found in the first Psalm, but by the end of the second, we are identified with Him. Therefore, in Him, we are righteous, and will not perish. Rather we will yield fruit in our season, our leaf will not wither, and all we do will prosper.

things come and go

2008-11-03T15:28:00.000-08:00

this is also called death and resurrection.

what has gone is october. what has come is november and the promise of Christmas.

what has gone is the warmth of indian summer. what has come is rain. manna from heaven.

what has gone is the fair-weather wardrobe. what has come is wool sweaters and scarves and mittens.

and, gastronomically speaking, what has gone is my entire way of eating. what has come is healing.

that's right. the month of october began with delicious dreams of autumn fare. i even posted the recipes i was determined to make. but, in God's wisdom, what has come is a diet. not the kind of "oh, i'm going on a diet 'cause i've gotta lose some weight!" kind of diet. no, a real one - nutritionist's orders. a mild case of candida sounds, well, mild. but, in order to starve the bad and feed the good, the orders are high:

no carbs
no grains (exception: oats)
no gluten
no yeast
no sugar
no dairy (exception: raw goat)
no fruit (exception: lemon, grapefruit, and berry)
no underground veggies

i CAN have all meats and all surface-dwelling veggies. and i CAN take probiotics and vitamins and fiber and ...this is rather paradigm shifting.

but, in God's stories, with death there is always resurrection. and even here i am beginning to feel some blood in my veins. it would be tedious to list all the ways in which this diet is healing me, but let me just list this one: last night i slept for seven hours, in a row. that means i went to bed at midnight and didn't wake until 7:15. this is HUGE. and this is life-giving. if i receive no other benefit from this diet than that, it will have been worth every bread-y offering passed up and every dessert ignored.

my easy-going hubby has not complained a whit. i have, as was possible, made sure joe has something to eat that would stick to his bones. but, he has also at times been pleased with a simple main course and veggie dinner. he also has not balked that there has been no bread in the house, or that the milk has suddenly changed from cow to goat. and, can i just say, that at this minute, my sweet joe is in the kitchen making dinner. i asked him what he was doing and he said, "making something you can eat." he has seen the many little ways in which the Lord has given me progress in this endeavor and is greatly encouraged...and it seems to not be bothering him one bit that i'm also slimming up. :)

below are pics of a few things i have made this past month that have been on my diet, and have actually turned out delicious. it took me four tries to perfect the cookies. this culinary death has been very hard, not only because i can't eat stuff, but also because i can't cook stuff. i miss cooking! (to fix that, joe and i volunteered to make the Reformation banquet for our church - and it felt great to be bustling about the kitchen again with all the normal smells of bread and sugar and holiday goodness...and i made sure there was meat and veggies on the menu so i could eat too!). but, the resurrection, though slow, has begun and i am so grateful to the Lord for it. i pray for His grace to continue steadfast, and that He would grant me great health over the next months.

kobucha squash soup, with coconut milk and strawberry coulis

pumpkin oat cookies

roasting these crazy sqaushes as soup bowls

oh, and this isn't food...obviously. joe and i attended a bonfire at new brighton beach campground, about 20 minutes from our house. :) as you can see, we were standing on the edge of a cliff, with that fence as our border. the bonfire and tents and camper were about 20 feet from this edge. this was at the tail end of the sunset, but it was brilliant. and the fog was rolling in.

since there hasn't been a pic of us lately, here's one from last week. joe looks tired. and that was before he ate a huge plate of original joe's spaghetti and meatballs. their meatballs are the size of softballs. i of course had soup and meat and veggies. :)

a day in the life

2008-11-03T14:27:00.000-08:00

the rain is coming down today. it rained on thursday and friday and saturday. then the Lord rested from His rain yesterday. but now again water and life is falling from the sky. the Lord of heaven and earth loves his creation.

joe is reading a commentary on jonah, head on the red couch pillows and socked feet. his toes are keeping time with bach's piano partita #2. i'm here, momentarily, only waiting for the laundry calling - then i jot up the hill through the rain to start load number five. then i will dash back down the hill with dry load number three, hoping to keep it that way despite the rain.

now joe's eyes are closed. his reading is never also without a "resting of the eyes." he's completely at relaxed. his phone hasn't rung since noon.

my phone rings. i have a thirty-second chat with the person on the other line.

joe wakes. his slumber has evidently hungered him, and he's now up and getting at the ginger snaps.

there's the timer. it's time to jot.

i'm back. my coat is wet. load numer five was practically washed by the time i reached the top of the hill. i am catching God's humor today.

joe is reading again, this time upright, and this time it's jonathon edwards, volume 1.

now i contemplate what form the evening should take. the laundry will be done, and then what? this kind of day invites all kinds of coziness, and there are so many cozy things to do. should i read too, and finish james herriot? should i knit a pair of fingerless gloves? should we finish watching john adams? should i work on Christmas cards? should we watch some other movie with rain in it? should dinner be of the soup variety? life's quandaries are many.

i wake from contemplation, and joe is now on edwards, volume 2. speedy reader. my guesses are he will dive into a bit of treasure island, primer on worship, and kingdom, grace, judgment before the night is through. and i will have dabbled too, not only literarily, but also culinarily, musically, and knittingly.

it is such a beautiful monday. we rejoice in you, our God and King. your kindness is beyond our reckoning. and your playfulness keeps our souls laughing.

doorstep cheer

2008-10-14T11:51:00.001-07:00

the season has definitely changed. my strawberries gave their all and have died. my herbs also have given their life to great success. so i snipped the last of my oregano (and made a rockin' soup with it!) and said goodbye to the lifeless stems. it is simply time for pumpkins. so green gives way to orange, which will soon usher in the red of Christmas cheer. the Lord our God is beautiful.

these pumpkins will sit looking lovely. and then, sometime before thanksgiving, they will become culinary vessels. it's tradition. they must die and be resurrected to greater glory. and we will be warmed and filled with potpie goodness. :)

for joy

2008-10-03T14:34:00.000-07:00

chicken pesto lasagna

8 to 12 lasagna noodles

1 pound mozzerella cheese

1/4-1/2 pound parmesan cheese

4 chicken breasts

2 cups fresh baby spinch

1 cup fresh basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dried basil

3 cups chicken broth

1 quart cottage cheese

1 egg, beaten

in a large saute pan or pot, saute chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder until cooked through. remove from pan and dice into bite-size pieces. set aside.

get noodles boiling in water. turn off the burner when noodles are al dente, and leave them in the pot.

while noodles are boiling, mix cottage cheese with egg. set aside. grate mozzerella and parmesan. set aside. wash and dry spinach.

melt butter in the saute pan that you cooked the chicken in, then whisk in the flour, salt, pepper, and basil. slowly whisk in chicken broth, and cook while stirring until it thickens like a gravy and it at a boil. add cooked chicken and combine.

in a buttered 9x13 dish, layer the ingredients in the following order, beginning with the noodles:

noodles (4 to 6 to each layer, depending size of noodles)

chicken mix

pesto

cottage cheese mix

spinach

mozzarella

parmesan

do this layering process a second time, beginning with the noodles and ending with the parmesan. bake 45 minutes at 375 degrees.

thinking culinary thoughts

2008-10-03T14:06:00.000-07:00

Now that it's autumn, and all the magazines are coming out with lovely recipes for fall-season food, i thought it time to compile a list of all the delectables i MUST make this year. some are my own annual recipes that have become traditions, some are brand new from the glossy pages of october's Bon Appetite, and some are old archived recipes that have never seen the light of day. but i don't want to let this season go by and wish i had made the most of it, and that includes the culinary arts.

autumn is both joe's and my favorite time of year in every respect - rain, wool sweaters, crackling fires, book readings, butternut squash, festivities, candlelight, thanksgiving...and then, Christmas. it just doesn't get any better.

the notes in parentheses are mine, so i remember where to find a recipe when it's time to get cooking. if any of these sound lovely to any of you, i'd be happy to pass on the recipe. and, as is obvious, i will be taking pictures. :)

Chicken Pot Pie in a Pumpkin

Buttermilk Biscuits (Martha Stewart Holiday Baking, p 24)

Angel Biscuits (Martha Stewart Holiday Baking, p.22)

Sweet Potato Biscuits with Maple Butter (Polka Dot Binder)

Chai-Brined Pork Tenderloin with Spiced Apple Chutney (Polka Dot Binder)

Autumn Maple Cutout Cookies (Polka Dot Binder)

Sweet Potato Ravioli with Lemon-Sage Brown Butter (Red Binder)

Maple Corn Bread with Bacon and Scallions (Red Binder)

Momma's Stollen

Cardamom Bread

Cornbread Stuffed Cornish Game hens (Bon Appetit, p.110)

Texas Beef Brisket Chili (Bon Appetite, p.110)

Cheesy Baked Penne with Cauliflower and Crème Fraiche (Bon Appetite, p.115)

Carmel Pear Butter (Bon Appetite, p.121)

Risotto with Butternut Squash and Sage (Bon Appetite, p.128)

the wine cellar

2008-09-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

we now live in a two bedroom apartment - our new room is done! here it is, before and after (sorry this took so long, kat!):

this is looking in through the doorway, from the hall. we now have ALL our books out of storage thanks to these books shelves.

and we finally have a place to showcase joe's sailboats

my DIL built the bookcase :)

no room for lamps in this space, so my dad put in the fancy recessed lighting

here's from the opposite corner of the room, looking out the door into the hallway. i can't get the whole room in the viewfinder. but you can see where we stash our vaccuum. :) though we weren't sure we'd like it, we painted the concrete floor. it keeps things nice a cool in there, just like a wine cellar.

view through the window. it's small but it lets in the light and fresh air.

we also got a few new items for the living room, courtesy of ikea (the chair, rug, and ottomans). my goal with our house this year has been to simplify and declutter. so, although we now have more furniture, it's made the space more usable. i just got rid of all the knicknacks and things around. I'm getting pretty practical in my old age. :)

eighteen holes and some fish

2008-09-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

my husband dwells with me knowledgeably. i needed some cheering up, and he noticed. "come on," he said, hopping out of his reading chair. "it's neptune's kingdom for you!" and off we went, and we had such fun! i can't remember the last time we went minigolfing. i had a good putt, but joe's drive was better and he won. but we both got such a terrible score that we had to walk the plank.

i guess i cheered up :0)

then we went to johnny's harborside for some fish and chips. and a little something else, too. ;)

i don't know how long this has been the thing to do, but restaurants these days are offering "bites" of desserts. i think it's brilliant! instead of a whole piece of cheesecake, you can order just a bite, and of course it's a fraction of the price.

the brownie in the middle won by a mile.

i love joe. :)

from momma's garden, just when i needed a little something...

2008-09-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

i LOVE these roses. right next to my french poetry books from, like, who knows what century. joe wanted to buy them for me when we were in coeur d'alene with some college friends freshman year. he wanted to get them for me really badly. but, that would look bad. especially when one attends a small school in a small town. :) so, he was thankful when i bought them myself, because he wanted me to have them. but he was way bummed that they weren't coming from "yours truly, with love."

september food

2008-09-26T15:53:00.000-07:00

i can't believe september's practically over already! we cooked a lot this month (as usual), and i didn't get a whole lot on film (not usual), but here's what i did get, which were pretty much our favorites.

pizza. we made several versions this month. this particular one had cherry tomatoes from my mother-in-law's garden, basil and chive from our garden, boccerini mozzerella, ten-year aged balsamic vinegar, parmesan, and proscuitto on a cornmeal crust.

i tried my hand at a vegetarian dish (read, helping the food budget): garam masala basmati with garlic lentils and sauteed green beans with toasted almonds and cranberries. it was SO good (though it harldly LOOKS good), but unfortunately, we were both in the kitchen a few hours later looking for something to eat. perhaps a meat version of protein fills one's tummy a little more robustly. at any rate, we could never be vegetarians. :)

but speaking of vegetarian fare, joe made an awesome eggplant sandwhich last night. yah, scary, i know. never thought i'd eat the plant in my life. but, something about the pesto, sundried tomatoes, manchego cheese, and balsamic onions made it yummy. :)

chicken pesto lasagna. a little leftover basil pest + marcia harken's lasagna recipe from my college days. this was a big hit with my mil (mother in law) and fil (father in law). in fact, we got invited over to their house the next day and were asked if we might happent to have any leftovers. ;) so we had a second sabbath feast on the pesto-y goodness.

sabbath table

2008-09-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

out with mum n' dad

2008-09-24T14:05:00.000-07:00

at tarpy's again. you know, that restaurant that used to be the house of the guy that shot his wife and then was hung there. yah, that place. :) it was fun.

the biggest burger i've ever had. note the avacado, new addition to my culinary "loves".

"english bloke" by jen

Psalm 46

2008-09-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Come, behold the works of the LORD,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Psalm 46 is a song of hope and trust in the midst of great turmoil and tribulation. It is divided into three sections, each section ending with a Selah, or a call to meditation. The first section underscores the stability that our God is in the midst of natural disasters and overwhelming situations. The second section describes our God’s habitation as an unshakeable city, pitted against the nations of the earth, which rage and melt into ruin. The third section is an invitation to understand what our God has done, finding in His strength and sovereignty, our own hope and rest.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. The psalmist begins with the affirmation that God is our only foundation. He is our refuge, our hiding place, our strong tower, our fortress. When the earth shakes, and the mountains crumble, and the waters roar and foam, there is not much from our vantage point that looks stable, or safe. Our eyes are beholding utter chaos and destruction, literally watching our world fall apart. With earthly eyes, it looks as if everything is coming to an end. But the psalmist knows where his, and our, hope is found. It is in the strength of God. He knows this from experience too. He knows his God from previous encounters with this divine strength. The fact that the affirmation comes first, testifies to this. His belief in the strength and might of our God is so solid, that he is able to say, “therefore, we will not fear”. The earth has not yet given away, or the mountains been moved. The psalmist anticipates with such trust what God is going to do. He has likely known this from an early age. His parents would have told him the stories of their grandparents crossing the Red Sea, or gathering manna in the wilderness. He would have grown up hearing the tales of the battles with Og, king of Bashan, and Sihon, king of the Amorites, and would have known the power of God to conquer, and to sustain. He knows his God, and has experienced Him in both the stories of his community, and of his family, and also likely in the drama of his own life. His knowledge of God is firm, his trust in His goodness, so implicit, that the psalmist doesn’t care what might happen, the universe could explode, and God would be our refuge and strength. No matter the trouble, no matter the trial, He is a very present help. His help is not delayed, it is immediate. He doesn’t know how God will help him, that is not his concern. He only knows, and firmly trusts that He will. He knows this because He has, and has promised faithfulness to the those who trust in Him.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God. The City of God, as Augustine has so brilliantly laid out for us, is His people. We are the city of God. We are the holy habitation of the Most High. This is made clear in the next verse: God is in her midst. Who are Gods people, if not His body? Who are we if not His temple? The Church will not be moved. And when morning dawns, God will grant her aid. The psalmist pits this unshakable kingdom, this immovable city against the nations of men. “The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.” These cities of men, the City of Man shakes. The city of Man will crumble. But, the LORD of hosts is with us. He is the God of our fathers, and He is our fortress. Because He is the walls of this City, they can never be moved, they can never be shaken. They are forever. Heaven and Earth may pass away, but the Word of the Lord will stand forever. God is in our midst. He is with us. We shall not be moved.

Come, behold the works of the Lord. We are called, again, to consider what our God has done. Recall to mind, the psalmist directs us, the glorious victories our God has brought us. Remember how he brought peace to our people, how He defeated the bow and spear and chariot. The nations of men rise up against our God, but He is strong, and mighty, and desolates their armies. These are things the psalmist experienced. They are deeds near enough in living memory to be able to be beheld. He is able to say to those who sing this psalm, “Look! Don’t you remember what God did?” The psalmist then ends the song with the words of his Lord, “Be still, and know that I am God.” After seeing all that He has done, God commands that we recognize that it was He who did it. He declares that He will have final victory over the nations, and in the earth. He will be exalted, for it is only right that He is. His enemies will not stand forever. They will bow the knee.

We are called to Know that He is God. How do we do this? There are three different ways we receive confirmation that God is who He says He is. First, we know from stories and histories. We know what He has done. We were taught it from an early age. We read it in His Word. Our parents and grandparents share the tales of Gods victory. The trust is implicit, because we know His promises to be true. Not only have we read the stores, and heard the tales, but we have experienced them in our own life. God has proved Himself over and over again, to the point where the first words out of our mouths in trials are “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Afterwards, come what may. But this implicit trust is learned, and honed by experience. But the Word is not only full of stories. It is full of all the riches of God’s Truth. And by His Spirit, we are taught His character, His nature, His creation, and the full economy of His redemption. We come to know who He is, how He works, and what He has done for us. Secondly, we know that God is who He says He is because we belong to His unshakeable City. We are members of the Kingdom that will not fall. We live in the fortress, the holy habitation which will not be moved. The Church is this City. And the gates of Hell will not prevail against her. We are the holy temple of God, collectively. As the body of Christ we know Him in our midst. We see Christ in our fellow members in the pew. We collectively experience His faithfulness to us. We collectively are made glad by the river of life whose streams run through our habitation. We collectively see every day that the Lord of Hosts is with us. Thirdly, we experience His sovereign hand in our lives. We can look back and see how God has directed our paths, and has been faithful to us in all things. He has preserved us through conflict, trials, and doubt. He has made it clear that He is here, whether or not we believe it.

We stand in the towers of the fortress of Jacob, peering over the edge, and we see the armies of our enemies laying siege against our walls. We stand in the towers, and still we run about, worried and anxious. We fear the armies and doubt the strength of the walls because we forget that they are there at all. Often they occupy only a distant thought, or a warm feeling. We think that God is nice in Sunday school, but when it comes to real life, flannel grams don’t hold much water. We stand in the towers of the fortress of our God, running around, blind to the safety and security of our position. God in His faithfulness, and mercy, and Fatherly love, lays a gentle hand on our over-heated shoulder, and bids us be still.

“Child,” He says, “be still. Know that I am God. Remember the walls on which you stand. Remember my faithfulness to your ancestors, the stories in the book I have given you. Remember the city in which you dwell, in which all your brothers and sisters live safely and in my presence. Remember that I will not forsake you. Remember how I caught you when you fell, and restored you when you were sick, and clothed you when you were naked. Fear not, my son. Know that I am God. I will be exalted over these enemies that rage against us. I will be exalted over the earth which melts. I am with you. I am your peace. Behold, the morning dawns. Be still, know that I am God.”

He waters the earth

2008-09-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

last night, it finally rained.

our county has been in stage 2 of drought for two summers, our past rainless winter bringing no relief. and added to it has been the staggering amount of fires california has endured. so what a refreshment for body and soul (and all creation) to have the sky fill up with clouds, and be able to say, "boy, it feels like rain." and sure enough, i woke up in the middle of the night to hear water coming down. though it wasn't a torrential downpour, enough to refill our watersheds, it was wet nonetheless. God has heard our prayers (or, at least mine!). :)

praise God for He is kind; His mercies last for aye! may we have stormy weather!