It’s All in the Timing…

Has something happened to you that made you think, why now?  Let’s just say this has happened to me A LOT.  I survive the situation, or host of situations, that have led to the feeling of chaos.  It is only in retrospect that my human brain realizes just how perfect the seemingly chaotic timing really was.   That is, in fact, when I do most of my best realizing…in retrospect…but don’t we all?  God’s timing really is perfect, however unprepared we might feel.

Here is a prime example.  My husband Devin and I were friends for nearly FIVE YEARS in college before some unseen switch flipped and made us realize there might be more to it.  (Now by unseen, I don’t mean the beverages we were drinking, though they may have made it socially easier.)  Nearly twelve years into our relationship, I am so thankful that just a few mere months before I left college for good we realized we had a little something and hung on to it.  Why then; who knows?

Fast forward to 2008, when our firstborn son starting briefly losing function and feeling in the left side of his body.  Why did our pediatrician at the time just happen to have done a residency at a children’s hospital in NEUROSURGERY, where his mentor was still working with the chief neurosurgeon?  Why did he take us seriously at that moment, and lead us to a host of the perfect medical professionals in the perfect order to combat our son’s malignant brain tumor? I know the answer, do you?  God.

That very same God made me want to cuddle with my husband to feel secure the night before our son’s chemo started, and then SURPRISE, gave us a second son.  Let’s just say being pregnant and very morning sick through 6 months of hospital stays, emergency flights, rounds of chemotherapy and a stem cell harvest and transplant caused me to ask “WHY NOW?” a lot!  I won’t lie and say that we thought the timing was perfect at the time.  (Actually,  there may have been some confused and scared profanity-laced statements when we saw the pregnancy test results.)  But do you know what?  It was.  Just as our big boy was healthy and recovered, we delivered his best friend, partner in crime and trusty sidekick.  I can’t think of better timing than that!

We are struggling right now with the recent loss of one of the best men I ever met, my husband’s grandfather.  Why now?  Well, that hasn’t yet revealed itself.  However, the timing of grandpa spending the weekend before at one of his favorite places, the lake, driving the boat with my family and my sister-in-law’s family (from out of state), my mother-in-law, cousin and grandma is pretty obvious.  He went out doing what he loved, and he did not suffer long.  As a matter of fact, he pulled off the best boat docking I have ever witnessed- 2 inches on either side, straight up the middle.  There was no wind, so my husband and his sis slalom skied until they couldn’t hold the rope anymore.   Three great grandchildren tried out their ski legs too.  We took a picnic and beached the boat.  It was the best day on the lake all year.  Ironically, Grandpa also took the time to show my husband how to do EVERYTHING he usually did to maintain the property there.  By Wednesday Grandpa was in the hospital, and by Saturday early morning we had lost him.  I can’t help but feel in my heart that God had given Grandpa just a little glimpse into his timing during our perfect summer weekend.  I am so thankful for that time and will treasure it forever.

 

For anyone asking “why now?” take heart.  Have faith and in time His plans will be fully revealed.

Ecclesiastes 8:6-  For every matter has its time and way, although the troubles of mortals lie heavy upon them. (NRSV)

Getting Down & Dirty!

You know how sometimes it just feels good to sweat and get dirty?  Well, let’s just say that other than the general grossness that is housework, I hadn’t been really dirty in quite some time.

I probably should clarify that my definition of dirty comes from years of being “Assistant Farm Manager”.  In non-resume terms this is an unpaid or very slightly paid child of a farmer.  I remember calling my dad once when I was applying for summer jobs in my college town and informing him that if an employer called, he was supposed to verify these credentials.   He got a good chuckle out of it. 

Growing up we got dirty.  The kind of dirty where your teeth get gritty, you don’t dare wear contacts, and you have black boogers the whole next day.   Even our fun had dirt on it.  We built forts out of old scrap wood and hay bales, and even used a defunct oven on its side as a space capsule.  Now that was cool!!!

Yesterday I reclaimed my love of dirt!  The hubby and I spent all afternoon building retaining walls, mowing, dumping a load of dirt, evening out our landscaping beds, digging, digging, planting, planting, laughing, chasing kids, planting some more, watering, and FINALLY relaxing with a cold beer on the patio.  Our daughter (20 months old) required TWO showers at two points in the evening.  The boys ( 3 1/2 & 6) caught their first toad of the season, who then escaped.

As we ate a nice supper of grilled pork steak, salad and watermelon on the patio, we talked about how blessed we are to be able to watch our kids run in the yard with their cousin, tripping and wrestling in the fresh cut grass.

Getting dirty paid off in spades as we enjoyed the beautiful evening as a family.  I believe there’s lots of back patio time in our future!

A taste of spring

Here in Kansas we got a taste of Spring a few weeks ago.  It was all I could do not to head down to the nursery to drop some bills and start digging holes in my flower bed and garden plot!  In retrospect, I made a wise decision.  We’ve had at least two freezes since then and predicted record lows of 24 degrees for tonight.  Those who know me would agree that restraint is not my strong suit.  I can be rather impulsive, so I consider this a personal victory.

On the other side of the planting coin was my husband.  On an errand to the local metropolis, he picked up three tomato, two pepper and two strawberry plants.  I’m not sure why, but this ticked me off.  I’ve picked out the plants since the inception of our garden, slowly determining what grows best in our soil and what resists the often self-made droughts.  I love to try new things too, and had decided to revisit the heirloom varieties this year, try out the chocolate tomatoes a friend recommended, and supplement with the standards.  My husband has the best of both worlds.  He stays just far enough out of the gardening process that I am to blame if something goes awry, but just involved enough to take credit when we have a bountiful harvest.  Imagine my slightly evil-natured satisfaction when his plants froze, making room for the varieties I wanted.

The urge for Spring also hit my kitchen.  We grilled like mad on those few warm days.  Pizza, chicken breasts, asparagus…we couldn’t get enough.

FLASHBACK WARNING- Cue wavy lines.  It happened one day a few years ago, in the midst of my Food Network addiction, that I was watching Down Home with the Neeleys.  They introduced me to a recipe that I break out every summer now.  Definitely a BEST OF recipe.  It has my favorite flavors of summer- fresh lemon, juicy tomato and fragrant herbs- and the gourmet appeal of feta cheese, slivered almonds and orzo pasta.

This is not your typical summer salad.  It will have your guests asking, “orzo, is that a pasta or a grain”?  To which you can intelligently reply, “Actually, although shaped roughly like a flattened piece of rice, orzo is a pasta”.

Because I am a country girl by both nature and nurture, I know that many don’t have a fancy schmancy Whole Foods, HyVee, or even a Wal-Mart nearby.  I have been exceptionally pleased with this set of companies found at http://www.soap.com.  It appears you can get six boxes of orzo for around $10, get 20% off your first order, buy some cosmetics for yourself, diapers for your kids, and a new chew toy for your furry friend from the same site with free shipping.  I bought a video baby monitor that I didn’t end up needing, so I called 4 months later and they sent me a prepaid shipping label so I could get a FULL refund.  They have a 365 day return policy and fab customer service.

So here it is-  Gina’s Orzo Salad

Ingredients:

1 pound orzo
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
2 lemons, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups halved red and yellow cherry tomatoes
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
2 tablespoons chiffonade fresh basil leaves- I say more basil and less mint
2 tablespoons chiffonade fresh mint leaves
5 ounces crumbled feta cheeseDirectionsBring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the orzo and cook until tender yet still firm, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain into a colander and let cool.Whisk together the Dijon, olive oil, and lemon juice in a large serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the cooled orzo, cherry tomatoes, almonds, red onion, green onions, basil, mint, and feta. Toss together and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper, if needed. ServeRead more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/ginas-orzo-salad-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Oh my gravy, my mouth is watering!!!  I’m going to need those tomatoes STAT!

Cold outside, but warm in the kitchen!

I am about a week behind getting this post up, but lots of friends have requested the recipes from my Bierock-a-palooza.  Although labor intensive, homemade bierocks are not so time intensive.  More like a leisurely meandering. (Perfect if you are like me and get easily distracted by the books on the living room floor, sippy cups upstairs and laundry in the hamper.)  The smells that will come from your kitchen though, are just HEAVENLY.  I’ve played around with this recipe enough that I feel pretty confident putting them in my BEST EVER file.

STEP ONE- GO SHOPPING:

• 2 lbs hamburger
• 2 small or 1 lg head cabbage
• 1 lg onion
• salt
• sugar
• 2 packages rapid rise yeast
• soft shortening
• most of a bag of flour

My college girlfriends and I used to make runs from Manhattan, KS to Lincoln, NE for Runzas. 

Same thing, different name.  Pure German deliciousness. 

THE FILLING:  To get started, brown 2 lbs. hamburger with diced lg onion in a giant skillet or even in a soup pot.  When thoroughly cooked, add two small or one large head of shredded fresh cabbage.   Since I prefer my skillet, I have to add the cabbage in batches, cooking it down to make room for more.  Liberally add salt during this phase.  I sprinkle some on as I add more cabbage.  When cooked through, let it all cool in the fridge.  This works better if it is completely cool.

THE BREAD:  My good friend Betty Crocker is the source of my staple white bread dough.  I have the 1950’s Betty; my mom has the 1970’s Betty.  The 70’s is my favorite, but I haven’t found a copy and my Mom can’t live without hers.

1950’s Betty Crocker

I make the recipe for four loaves, because if you’re going through the trouble you want to have some to freeze.

• Combine 4 1/2 cups lukewarm liquid (milk or water) with 2 pkg rapid rise yeast (because I am impatient).  Warm tap water is just about right.  Scalding will kill your yeast.
• Add 6 T. of sugar and let it set for a minute while the yeast has a nice snack.
• Add 2 T. salt.  This will slow down your gluttonous yeast.
• Add 4 T. soft shortening.  Yes, it will float around, and yes, it will mix in when you start adding flour.
• Add about 10 cups of flour slowly, stirring as you add.   You want the dough to be a little sticky when you put it on your floured surface.
• Knead in additional flour, and work until elastic.  At this point I spray a little cooking spray around in my already dirty mixing bowl and throw the dough back in to rise until doubled. **During the winter I turn my oven as low as I can get it, cover the bowl with a towel, and set it on the stove top.  DO NOT place the bowl directly over the oven vent on the cooktop or you will have partially baked bread!

Rising dough

THE ASSEMBLY:  Divide dough until you have 32 dough balls.  On a floured surface, roll out each individual dough ball.  While holding the newly flat piece of dough in your palm, stuff with 2T- ish filling (or as much as you can get in there).  Pinch the ball closed and place on a greased baking sheet pinched side down.  Place filled sheets (I don’t like mine to touch) back on the cooktop to rise for about 20 minutes.   Bake at 425 until slightly browned.  Butter tops while warm.

For those of you with less time, I have heard legends of folks who make these with thawed frozen dough filled with sauerkraut and beef.  I have not tried it, but feel free!  Enjoy your warm, fragrant kitchen!!

Snow Storm Grocery list: Hot Cocoa, chili beans, chocolate chips…check!

Batten down the hatches, Kansans!  That’s right, this incredibly dry winter is about to take a turn for the…well…whiter!  With predictions ranging from 5-15 inches and wind gusts up to 35mph according to “totally reliable” sources like my friends on Facebook, we should all probably be picking up a few groceries.

Topping my list are lots of warm things.  We live in a remodeled farm house from 1908.  Despite the updates and upgrades, I will still be wearing my winter moccasins (a trait I got from my Daddy-O).  I digress.  Warm things.

• Hot Cocoa- My sister says this is only for elves.  I disagree wholeheartedly.
• Chili fixins- Not to be vain, but I am one heck of a dumper when it comes to chili concoctions.
• Chocolate chips- Because you just have to bake when it is cold, not to mention that it helps heat the house!
• Tortellini Soup fixins- Holy guacamole, this is the BEST.SOUP.EVAH.  My mother-in-law found it in Guideposts many moons ago!
• Wine- Always warms me up, even when I wish it didn’t!

Because I am always in search of the BEST recipe for (fill in the blank), I wanted to share two that I truly believe are the best of the best:  Terri Bornholdt’s Chocolate Chip Cookies and Tortellini Soup.  No clinical testing required.  The proof is on my hips.

Terri Bornholdt’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 ½ c. sugar

1 c. shortening

½ c. margarine

¾ c. brown sugar, packed

3 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

4 c. flour

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

1-12 oz package choc. Chips

Cream well sugars, shortening and margarine.  Add vanilla and eggs; beat well.  Mix flour, soda and salt together, then add a spoonful at a time as mixer is going on very lowest speed until all flour mixture has been added.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Or, the lazy way I do it.  Mix everything but the flour in your mixer.  Add the flour a cup at a time.  Add chips.

Drop by teaspoonful on ungreased cookie shoots.  Bake 8-10 mins at 350 until lightly browned.  7 dozen

For birthday cookie.  Spread and pat in a circle on pizza pan or round stone.  Bake at 350 for 15 mins or until lightly browned.  Decorate!!

Tortellini Soup

1 pkg baby spinach

2 cans Italian flavored tomatoes

8 cloves garlic

2 T. butter

10 oz. dry tortellini

2 boxes chicken stock

Fresh Parmesan cheese

Mince garlic into soup pot with 2 T. melted butter.  Cook until slightly browned.  Your mouth should be watering already.

Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Add tortellini and cook halfway.  (If you cook them all the way, they will be falling apart by the time you serve.)

Add Italian tomatoes.  The soup can sit at a simmer like this for awhile.

Just before serving, add entire bag of baby spinach.  Yes, this looks like a lot.  Yes, it will wilt and fit in the pot!

Top with slivered or shredded Parmesan cheese.

This soup is FULL of iron from the spinach, the tomatoes have excellent antioxidants, and garlic has renowned health benefits.  One time my Mother-in-law brought it over in an awesome square mason jar when I was catching a cold.  I’ve loved her ever since.  Just kidding, I loved her anyway!

Happy Snow Day Everyone!!!