Thanks, AKAPastorGuy....

Someone had to say it.

A flashback

When kiddo was quite young, they were at our home as they were virtually every day, all day long, all summer long. It had started getting to the point where my career was getting the life drained out of it because I was mothering this kid. Believe me, they needed it.

One day kiddo was watching TV as usual while I gamely tried to get some actual work done. I guess to understand this story fully, you need to understand that kiddo had probably been primarily reared at that point by being plunked in front of the TV as the real-life drama raged in their home. Something to do while others ignored them as usual. Kiddo was used to watching TV, and liked it just fine. At that time kiddo would say "when I grow up I'll probably work at McDonald's with my sister." Oh, to think of such narrow, dismal goals.

I knew at this point kiddo mostly came to our home for the cable, the food, and then gradually the conversation and learning that some people actually cared. But the TV was the big thing. Kiddo must have been around seven or eight at the time.

That day, a crisis of monolithic proportions took place: the cable went on the fritz. A snowy screen was the extent of the signal. An agitated young child, still trying to deal with all the justifiable anger and fear they felt about their life in general, doesn't need much to go over the top, and the cable situation agitated them no end.

So I said "okay, let me do something for you. I have a book here, and I'll read it to you." This was met with GREAT disappointment. A book? Why in the world would they want to hear a book? I wasn't very persuasive, I guess, but finally I said "let me read just one chapter to you, and then I promise I'll stop if you want."

I took a deep breath, gathered my composure, and opened "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe." At the end of the first chapter I said "okay, that's the end, I promised I'd stop now." And kiddo said "Please read me the next chapter." And so I did. And again, I said "Okay, that's the end." And again kiddo would ask for another. And another. And another. I was quite hoarse by the end of the day, as I either read the whole book or close to it.

A world of imagination that kiddo had quite clearly never before experienced had opened to them, and I believe this was the day they determined that they must be able to open books for themselves. The spiritual aspects of the book weren't lost on them, either.

What I haven't mentioned yet in this narrative is that kiddo is dyslexic. Very dyslexic, if dyslexia can be measured in degrees. And did I say they are also sharp as a tack and an advanced math student?

There's so much more to this story, but this was the day that I saw clearly that hubs and I had to fight for this young person. We clearly believed in them, and their biological family didn't. This was one of the first times I realized that the word "family" didn't have much of anything to do with genetics, if at all.

Perhaps I'll tell more of this very moving story later. Kiddo's quite an amazing person. In spite of all the heartbreak and agony involved in the process (not dealing with kiddo, dealing with kiddo's familiy), we are blessed to be a part of that young person's life.

I don't know how they're surviving right now, with the stress on them, and I admire their strength. But of course I am so worried and dear hubs acts just like a doting father, that is, a father with no control over the current firestorm.

This kid is amazing.

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Milady the Right Reverend Nashbabe the Tenuous of Chortling Chesterton Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Feeling pretty small right now

Grateful for the good things that happened this week. We received some encouragement that we needed, and a positive outcome on something. Back into the rollercoaster, or through the wringer more like, we go. We're both so burdened by the big thing we learned about tonight. Seems like kiddo can't get a break to save their soul.

I feel really small, but at least I know I'm small and You are great. I'll try my best to trust you through this, we really need a bunch of wisdom right now, and provision. Thanks, God.

I Am So Small
FROM Higher Than The Heavens CD
By Troy&Genie Nilsson

Silently stars are rising in the endless night
As I walk in thought, lost in the moon's unearthly light
Wondering why the one who governs all I see
Would could care so deeply for a tiny being like me

I AM SO SMALL
YOU ARE SO GREAT
I KNOW YOU'VE GOT BIGGER THINGS TO ATTEND TO
YET YOU NEVER TURN AWAY
I AM SO SMALL
BUT I NEED YOU TOO
AND I KNOW THAT THE LITTLE THINGS
ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU

You send the currents swirling circling the seas
Making the atoms dance to mystic rhapsodies
'You flung the suns in burning radiance
Through silent fields of space'
And set my world spinning in its place

CHORUS

Sometimes I'm frightened by the power of your hand
But I know you understand
For you lived here as a man

Shepherd's Pie: or "I made gravy from scratch and it turned out okay!"

I made a triple batch of this recipe of shepherd's pie. The intent was to make a couple 13 x 9 pans instead of the square pan that one batch makes. One for dinner tonight and the next few days of lunches, and one to freeze for the weekly potluck.

Some caveats: I used ground lowfat chicken and those soy burger crumbles. For a recipe like this, that works just fine and is WAY lower in fat. I also used a combo of neufachel and fat-free cream cheese for the potatoes (fat-free cream cheese, on its own, is eeeeeeeeew! in my opinion). I think you will need more than three batches of potatoes to cover two 13 x 9 pans in a manner befitting shepherd's pie, so be forewarned.

Maybe this would take ten minutes to prepare, as advertised, if you already had all the components made. However, I don't think that's a good estimate of time...it took me considerably longer than that. But that's okay, I won't have to cook the next potluck day.

The other reason it took me longer was that I made beef gravy from scratch for this recipe. Yeah, me. I can't believe it myself. I went to the bible of cooking, "The Joy of Cooking" for inspiration. I didn't use any beef drippings because a.) I didn't have any, and b.) that's more fat added to the recipe that I definitely don't need.

For the gravy, I used a combination of light margarine (yeah, I know it isn't meant for this stuff) and olive oil that I melted in a sauce pan. Then I threw some all-purpose flour on it...recipes seem to vary about how much you need. For a cup of flour, they say two tablespoons of butter and one to two tablespoons of AP flour, but I was far from exact. Whisk that butter and flour together and cook it a brief period of time. After that, I dumped in some beef stock, and some leftover rose wine. Oh, and some pepper and thyme (there's enough salt in it already, probably). Cooked it down, and still had lumps. Instead of freaking out about the lumps, I got out the trusty stick blender and while you'll have to watch out carefully using a relatively thin liquid like this with a stick blender just to make sure you don't splash it everywhere, it gets rid of all the lumps like a charm. Hey, maybe everyone else knows how to do this already, but I didn't.

The upshot is, I am no longer afraid to make gravy that will taste good! I don't usually make it, but maybe I'll do it more often now.

The potatoes for this recipe would be nice just by themselves, with the cream cheese, garlic, and cheddar cheese. I used 2% cheese throughout, may as well save a few calories and fat grams.

This was WAY yummy even with the fat reducing changes.

Wow!

Our alma mater is nationally ranked! Not as high as Tennessee, but higher than Vanderbilt. Cool. This hasn't happened for probably what, thirty years now?

quote of the day

He will dwell on high;
His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks;
Bread will be given him,
His water will be sure.

Isaiah 33:16

Rants and raves

Rants: next door neighbors. Bring their dogs out for potty breaks several times a day. The dogs come over to my lawn, drop their poo, and then return to theirs. The neighbors never clean up after them. When the poo is fresh, or it rains, it reeks and sometimes gets tracked in the house. Being these are the neighbors that used to run their go kart through my back yard, there's isn't too much chance of it changing for good. I don't have a dog, but I have a pooper scooper. Kind of ridiculous, really. (I think my usage of the word "poo" is rivaling the frequency of Mike Rowe about now. :-)

Raves: good crossing guards, especially if they smile and wave during their competency. I like that. Also, three hilarious and cuddly cats, and the sound of my hubby laughing about silly videos on the computer and etc. And friends who listen and care. There are some out there, you know. I have to remind myself of that. And you, dear readers. I can't believe that people actually read my blog, but I have received about 1800 hits in a month and a half of tracking, from 42 states and six foreign countries. That blows me away. I am so glad to have a place to share stuff and crafty/foodie stuff, and have people actually want to read it. It's nice not being belittled for being me, as I have fallen into the habit of expecting and am having to learn otherwise.

Whack to the knees

I get disheartened when serious blows come raining down. I keep thinking I should do better with them.

The truth is, though, that I am doing better overall, and I guess I shouldn't expect to build Rome in a day. There's lots o' rubble to clean out of here first, I guess.

Always impatient wtih myself even when I shouldn't be. I guess I have that person to thank.

My hubs is great and supportive through all this. Thank God.

I thought I was over the pain that was dealt today, that I was past expecting anything to get better. Maybe in time I'll do better. But when someone I love is harmed repeatedly for years, it is perhaps appropriate to have a really, really tough time with it.

Don't want to share this hurt with friends, knowing it is part of a serious wound that has lingered, festered, gotten WAY infected over eight years. I just pray I get past this as much as is possible. My expectations are tempered, and that's probably good/appropriate.

And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. --Philippians 1:6, Amplified, translated by J.B. Phillips, a man who struggled mightily with depression, but yet was used by God.

Monster Lasagna

I have a friend we call "Mrs. Fezziwig." If you remember the Scrooge story, then you understand that we are paying a deservedly huge compliment to a friend who opens her home to partiers and potluckers on a regular basis. It's far more like a family gathering than anything else. In many ways, this group is my family far more than at least some of my biological family.

Mrs. Fezziwig, per your request, this one's for you.

I got a request for my lasagna recipe from a couple people at the Super Bowl party. I was tempted to say it was just off the back of the box, but thinking back over what I did, I guess it really wasn't. This makes a huge lasagna (I used one of those large pasta pans from Wally World to bake/transport it), and it's pretty dadgum heavy, so bring a strong dude with you to carry it so you can boss them around. ;-)

One 16 oz box of regular lasagna noodles, cooked, drained, and sprayed with Pam so they won't stick together
Two pounds ground chicken, 91/9 (or I'm sure other items will work just fine, but I saved some fat grams this way)
2 jars spaghetti sauce
1 can diced tomatoes whirled in the blender and a small can tomato paste, or a big can of crushed tomatoes would probably be fine
Italian or Pizza seasoning
Fennel Seed (I think this is pretty good and important in italian tomato sauce type recipes)
Salt for the ricotta/mozzarella mixture
4 lbs ricotta cheese (I used part skim)
4 slightly beaten eggs
4 cups shredded mozzzarella cheese
A whole bunch of grated or shredded parmesan
Basil and/or parsley

Cook ground meat until browned, in a big skillet. Reduce heat to low and add the spaghetti sauce, tomato paste/obliterated tomatoes, italian seasoning, and fennel seed, and warm the whole thing up. I also threw in some leftover rose wine because I had it around, and I think it adds a nice flavor.

In a huge bowl combine the ricotta cheese, eggs, most of the mozzarella cheese (3 cups or so), and around a cup of parmesan.

Spray the bottom of the pan with Pam. Put several ladles of sauce in the bottom of the pan. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles, big glops of the mozzarella/ricotta mixture, and then more meat sauce. Repeat this whole layer thing again. Then put the rest of the noodles on it and cover with meat sauce. Add mozzarella cheese, parmesan, and basil/parsley. Cover with foil.

I put mine in the freezer then, because I made it ahead of time.

On Super Bowl Sunday, I took it out of the freezer several hours ahead of time and put it in a 350 oven with the foil still on. All this did to the giant mass of lasagna was thaw it out, as I suspected. Then I cranked my oven up to 400ish and baked for another hour and a half or so (check on it regularly). I took the foil off the last twenty min or so.

If you want a regular 13 x 9 size lasagna, just cut the recipe in half. If you bake it right away without freezing it, it will take 40ish minutes at 350, then remove the foil and bake maybe another 10 min.

Or just make two at once in separate 13 x 9 foil pans. It's not a whole lot more work to make one than it is two, and you'll be glad when you can just pull one out of the freezer some day instead of cooking. Or you'll have one handy to send to a friend who has a hard time, or a baby, or an illness, or just needs some blessing. You know who they are. Lasagna love, I would think, would go a long way to help many situations... *L*

It's best if you let it sit for maybe ten or fifteen minutes before you cut into it.

This lasagna was super yummy, held together well, and wasn't runny.

Smiling...

Don't usually comment about sports around here, but I am a football fan. It's not as strong as it used to be (my beloved team has done me wrong too many times), but I enjoy it more than the average chickadee.

I am SO happy that the Patriots lost. They done me wrong. I was so impressed with them, their coaching, their team ethic, their individual skills. But then I learned that they cheated. Probably more than once.

Congrats, Giants. I don't care who beat the Patriots, but I'm ecstatic that you did.

Dude, what is going on?

I said I wasn't going to do a "quote of the day" every day, but here I go again. Yikes. ;-)

This isn't word for word, but Ravi Zacharias gave this one...

"Jesus didn't come to make bad people good, He came to give dead people life."

Okay, now I'll go several days at least without another quote of the day...*L*