Sweet & Spicy Quinoa Porridge {& Running power}

It's going to be 80 degrees and sunny here today!  Robert and I went for a run this morning, and then had our tea and breakfast out on the picnic table.  I could smell the lilacs blooming in my neighbor's yard. Hoping the vitamin D would give me a little burst of health and strength, I lay down on the bench to more fully soak up the beaming sunshine for a while.  I have been feeling pretty terrible this week.  It's not a cold or a stomach virus, thankfully.  I think it's just stress and fatigue, but I've been in denial about that.  There's been so much to do and no breaks in between.  All good stuff, too ~ Protocol Night, shopping for groceries and supplies, final small group meetings, baptisms, the senior/graduation church dinner, a class debate and presentations, preparation to teach, assorted appointments, and on top of all of that I thought it would be a good idea to run a local Mother's Day Half Marathon this Sunday with my friend Betsy.  This meant that I needed to start running more than the usual six miles three times a week.  So, on Wednesday, after a CRAZY Tuesday, I ran 10 miles to get in one last long run.  I think it really did me in.

Usually, running has the opposite effect.  It makes me feel great.  So much so that I don't like missing my usual running days, but this week I'm pretty sure I overdid it.  There were just too many other high energy activities leading up to that run, and I got pretty depleted, I guess. So, I've been trying to take it easy the last couple of days. We're still planning to run the half-marathon on Sunday at 8am, so pray for strength and stamina if your think of it!

Speaking of the need for strength and running power, this breakfast cereal would be a great pre-race {if you are able to eat before you run, which I am not!}, or post race recovery meal with it's protein and fruit.  It's also delicious and healthy any day of the week.  I've fallen in love with cardamom in the last couple of years ever since I had the cardamom coffee at The Hampton Chutney Co. in New York City.  Then I discovered that the flagship Whole Foods in Austin, TX can serve cardamom coffee with coconut milk for creamer, which is truly amazing!  Anyway, this porridge has some of my favorite flavors in it, and is adapted from a recipe I found in a Whole Living magazine a while back.

Sweet & Spicy Quinoa Porridge

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk {or almond milk}
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp cinnamon
more coconut milk to pour over
honey or stevia to sweeten
fresh fruit to layer
chopped, roasted almonds to top

Bring the quinoa, coconut milk, water, vanilla, salt, and spices to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.  Let rest for a few minutes and then fluff with a fork. Layer quinoa, fruit, nuts, more coconut milk, and honey in a mug or bowl and enjoy!

Catchin' Up {but not really...}

Don't know how I ever found time to blog for 40 plus days during Lent, but it was such a good and healing experience for me. Today I'm sitting down catch up here when I really have a million other obligations awaiting. But I can hardly move this morning after the activity level of the past few weeks, so at least I can sit here at the dining room table and tell you what's been going on around here...

Cooper turned 16! Can hardly believe this.

We celebrated a bit early with friends and a cookout and ice cream cake and basketball. He's blessed to have such a great group of friends.

The reason we celebrated early was because we had to leave the day after his birthday and drive to Cape Cod for the wedding of Lamar and Tamara. Lamar is a long time member of our church, and Tamara will join him here when they get back from honeymooning. Incredible testimonies of God's grace in each of their lives made the celebration extra-special.  Robert and I stayed with a DELIGHTFUL retired couple in their beautiful Cape home for the night which was also such a highlight of our time away. We even got in a morning run to the beach, and returned to one of the most amazing homemade breakfasts either of us have ever had!

We made a stop in Providence, RI on our way back to home to have dinner with my old friend from MIDDLE SCHOOL ~ Mike and his wife Leslie.  It is just guaranteed laughter and good times with these two.  Mike will soon be a Colonel in the Air Force, and we were thankful to catch them in our neck of the woods before they head to Colorado Springs for their next assignment.

And then there's baseball.  Everyday, baseball.  It's either a baseball practice or a baseball game or washing baseball uniforms {WHITE ONES WITH MAROON EMBELLISHMENTS} or packing lunches or driving to away games or deciding who will use what vehicle to go where, etc.  But, I do love baseball and have been trying to be at as many games as possible.  I will really miss sitting out at a spring baseball games after Kory graduates.  Cooper doesn't even acknowledge baseball as a sport, so no chance of future games for me after this season!  It will be cross country and basketball from here on out!

Classical Conversations days and weeks have been especially full, too.  We've had presentations, and quizzes, and debates...

Noah and Ryan are debating whether or not gun control legislation reduces crime and violence here.

 ...and more presentations and End of Year Celebrations.

This is Kayla presenting on the things her class does in Challenge B to a gathering of about 200 Classical Conversations parents and children at our church.

 And though we still have two weeks left of class, our end-of-year Protocol Night was last night.  We've been reading bits of Protocol Matters in class and discussing the hows and whys of protocol and etiquette.

Even practiced proper table settings in class...

...and then got dressed up last night to practice all of our appropriate attire and good manners in semi-formal settings.  Coop shopped for some new clothes, got a lesson in ironing, and then got to pose for photos with mom.  He didn't even mind it that much. ☺

 I have loved tutoring these kids every Tuesday this year!

 With students and parents we had a party of 23 last night for dinner at a historic New England Inn in Essex, CT ~ The Griswold Inn, and then attended a musical at the historic Goodspeed Opera House nearby.

 This is a gorgeous and quintessential New England area ~ near where Long Island Sound and the Connecticut river come together, and I can hardly wait to go back and soak in more of it than we were able to yesterday.  We saw the musical "Good News" which takes place in the 1920's on a college campus.  So funny and highly entertaining!

Got home about 12:30am last night and am feeling pretty worn out this morning.  Looking at a very full weekend of birthday parties, church meetings, final small group gatherings, baptisms on Sunday afternoon, and a senior dinner at my house on Sunday evening.  Tuesday holds another debate on childhood vaccinations, philosophy presentations, science research papers due, more baseball...

Seems like each day brings more opportunities to be completely dependent on the Lord for strength and sustaining. "Catching up," I'm learning, is not something I'm going to be able to accomplish at all, really, and certainly not without grace and power from Christ.  Life feels very out of control lately, but it's really only out of my control.  I'm learning to trust that His control is much better than mine anyway.

Hope to be back here soon!  I even have a couple of recipes I want to post.  We'll see...

Decisions, Intercessions, Accusations

Decisions:

I'm so relieved, but now I'm having trouble sleeping!  Last night I kept having crazy college dreams and obsessive thoughts about the logistics of getting Kory to Texas for all of the necessary college activities this summer now that he knows where he will attend. {Lord willing, of course...}

Kory was in complete agony all last week trying to make a wise decision about what college to attend.  I think I only made it worse for him by sending him to Texas over the Easter weekend and through the next week to visit two of the schools he had been accepted to, but had never visited.  My sister, Melinda, graciously and generously offered to register him for official visits and them take him to the two schools ~ one of which is her alma mater ~ Abilene Christian University. {She also made VERY late and VERY early drives to the Austin airport to transport him.  Thank you, sis!}

He was treated like a KING at ACU!  Reserved parking spot with his name on it, personal tours, free t-shirts, amazing gluten free foods in the dining hall {he texted me a photo of his GF hot dog, hamburger and cupcake!}, lots of personal attention, and the added perk of many personal connections because of Melinda's friendships with the faculty and staff there.  He came away loving it.  He also found out that the son of dear friends of ours in Texas ~ actually Robert's best friend and college roommate ~ was planning to attend ACU and that made the draw to ACU even stronger.

He was really leaning toward ACU and had even switched his Baylor key chain to an ACU one.  He told several people that's where he would most likely attend.  I was ready to put down his deposit and register him for orientation so that we could get our summer schedule finalized!

Intercessions:

To say that I've been on my knees in prayer constantly about this would only be a slight exaggeration. And then in my interceding for Kory, the Lord seemed to not only be reassuring me that He was going to provide for Kory's education, but that the best place for him would be Baylor.  Robert seemed to be getting the same message.  We checked in with Kory every day, and he would respond with an agonizing "I don't know."  At the end of the week I asked him if it would help him if we told him what school we thought was the best choice, and his response was "No." Ha!  I kept praying and praying that the Lord would confirm it to ALL of us.  {Cooper and Kayla have always been certain of Baylor!}  You should see my journal.  The persistent widow was, and am I about this whole college thing!  Every page has pleadings for clear discernment and abundant financial provision.

Then on Saturday morning, he was up early and began talking with Robert at the kitchen table.  As they talked about pros and cons, Robert suggested that Baylor was the best choice for majoring in business.  It actually has the same accreditation as ACU, but is still valued more highly in the business world.  Baylor also has at least a couple of perks for pastor's kids in the way of yearly scholarships. Kory agreed and decided on Baylor ~ which had always been his top choice until his mother sent him to Texas to experience two more schools! Now that we've put down the deposit, and it's official, I keep asking him if he's happy.  He assures me that he is.  "Any regrets?" I inquire.  Nope.  He's just excited now.  And glad the decision making process is over!

Accusations:

And this is a bit unrelated {or maybe not?} but many intercessions have been made on behalf of Kayla this morning.  I wondered why she was in such a quiet funk this morning.  As she came to tell me goodbye ~ off to do schoolwork with her Daddy at their favorite coffee shop ~ she told me that she had a bad dream last night ~ really bad.  God, Jesus, Mom, and Dad were all standing before her and telling her that she was ugly and worthless and reminding her of "all the bad things she's ever done."  Satan is so low.  Accusing a little girl and filling her heart and mind with his lies.  We've taught her how to stand firm in Jesus and throw off the lies of the enemy many times, but it still affects her, of course.  As she cried, I prayed for her protection and for strength in Jesus to believe the truth that He loves her and has chosen her to be His daughter ~ thinking her lovely and beautiful in Christ. I told her that the enemy hates it when she fills communion cups at church and helps take care of babies in the nursery so that others can worship.  He despises it when she reads her Bible and prays.  He also hates it when Daddy teaches and proclaims the truth, and he may just be taking all of that out on her.  He is such a coward and a liar who lives to accuse those who trust in Jesus ~ even my little girl ~ who you can bet I will continue to be praying for.

Sigh.  Parenting requires full engagement and yet complete dependence on the Lord for all things.  I really had no idea when I started this journey.  Asking that He continue to strengthen and sustain us in the battle.

Meanwhile....so incredibly thankful that my son will be at such a wonderful school.  So amazed at how the Lord has already provided for the financial obligations required this week.  Continuing to trust Him for the rest of this new adventure.

Gluten Free Friday ~ Maple Ginger Chicken Oven-Kabobs

Well, it's cold, damp, icy, and grey around here today, and though we've had a FEW spring-like days, the BBQ grill is still hibernating in the garage.  I can hardly wait to roll it out and start grilling and eating outside, but it feels like that time might never arrive.  I'm wearing a sweater and wool socks today, and had to tread carefully as I parked downtown and walked to Starbucks to meet a friend for coffee, because of the ICE.  Yes, the sidewalk and streets were coated with half an inch of slushy ICE!  Surrounding towns were getting snow and it was even accumulating!  The poor Starbucks barista who had to shovel {yes, shovel!} the walkway kept slipping and sliding down the walkway.  I was sitting by the window watching him and we were both laughing.

But in our longing for summer barbecues, Kayla discovered a recipe for chicken kabobs that are cooked in the oven, and they are delicious!  {Probably mostly due to their sugar content, but we were desperate.}  Be sure to soak the skewers, so they don't get charred in the oven ~ and enjoy these for dinner if you can't get out and make the grilled version quite yet!

Maple Ginger Chicken Kabobs

1 pkg boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 yellow pepper, cut into chunks {seeds removed}

1 red pepper, cut into chunks {seeds removed}

1 purple/red onion {cut into chunks}

For Sauce:

1 cup ketchup

2 Tbsp maple syrup {or honey}

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp GF soy sauce

2 Tbsp grated ginger

1 lime, rind grated and juice squeezed into sauce

Soak wooden skewers in water and let soak for 10-15 minutes while preparing chicken and veggies.

Place all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer for about 2 minutes. Cut chicken thighs into small chunks and add chicken to the sauce.  Marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.  Thread onto soaked skewers, alternating chicken, peppers, and onions. Place skewers onto a cookie sheet or broiling pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Switch oven setting to "broil" and broil the skewers for 5-10 more minutes, checking to make sure they are not burning or browning too much.

Serve with rice or potatoes and a salad for a happy have-to-be-inside-barbecue!

Gluten Free Friday ~ Fish Taco Fascination

Mexican food is still my all-time favorite cuisine ~ even after all these years of living in the land of lobster, clam chowder, corn chowder and no Tex-Mex.  At a restaurant, I would typically order something like tortilla soup or enchiladas{after eating way too many chips with salsa}, but for at least the last two years, I've been totally taken with fish tacos.  I don't think I've ordered anything but fish tacos in every Mexican or sea food restaurant from Massachusetts {Mama Iguanas}, to Texas {Salsalitos}to North Carolina {Cabo Fish Taco} California {Neptune's Net}. I just love how fresh and light they are with the perfect blend of flavors ~ yum!

I've been a little scared to try them at home, though, because I didn't think I could reproduce them well, and I wasn't sure how my fish-is-not-our-favorite-food family would respond.  I decided to be daring this week and give them a try.  After Easter I researched several recipes ~ everyone from Martha Stewart to Eating Well magazine to The Food Network ~ and found that while there are different versions of the recipe, a few things are standard like a cabbage slaw filling and white fish ~ usually tilapia.  I just picked out my favorite ingredients and cooking methods from several of the recipes I came across and came up with the one below. We had it for dinner several nights ago.  The kids ~ well, two of them anyway, Kory was off visiting colleges in Texas and evidently had his own version of fish tacos at my sister's house ~ were skeptical when they heard what I was cooking, but they ended up gobbling up every last bite.

 I grilled a stack of corn tortillas in a bit of oil {actually just sprayed each one with cooking spray} on a griddle to make them less crumbly, and we filled each one with a slaw made of Napa cabbage, purple cabbage, green onions, and cilantro as well as avocados, minced jalapenos  and grapefruit. The grocery store I went to was out of tilapia, so I just went with cod, and it was fine, but I still think tilapia would be better.  The topping was a cream sauce made of sour cream, salsa, chili powder, and cumin.  I would have used chipotle in the sauce, but every can of chipotle peppers I find is in adobo sauce which always has gluten in it.  Evidently, La Costena brand is gluten free, so I'll be on the lookout for it now.

Here's the recipe:

Fish Tacos

Marinade:
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp grated zest of lime
1 Tbsp olive oil
2-4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
2 lbs tilapia {or cod, halibut, mahi mahi}

Fillings:
1 cup purple cabbage, thinly shredded
2 cups Napa cabbage, thinly shredded
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 bunch scallions/green onions, thinly sliced
1 avocado, sliced or diced
1 grapefruit, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 jalapeno, diced

Cream Sauce:
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup salsa {or diced chipotle in adobo sauce}
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder


corn tortillas
cook spray

For marinade: in a small bowl, stir together olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, cumin, chili powder, pressed garlic, and salt and pepper. Cut fish in large pieces and place in a ziploc bag or glass baking dish.  Pour marinade over fish and turn fish to coat.  Refrigerate for an hour.

For filling: While fish is marinating, thinly shred cabbages, chop scallions and cilantro and toss together until thoroughly combined.  Also chop avocados, jalapenos, and grapefruit, but place in separate bowls.

For cream: Whisk together sour cream, lime juice, salsa {or chipotle}, cumin, and chili powder.  Place in a small bowl for serving alongside other fillings.

For fish: When fish has had time to marinate for about an hour {or more} place the pieces on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, pour marinade into a large skillet over medium heat for 15 minutes ~ it will thicken a bit and the garlic will become aromatic.  After fish has been in oven 15 minutes, transfer to skillet and cook 10 minutes more cutting the fish into smaller chunks while it cooks.

For tortillas: Heat up a griddle or skillet.  Lightly spray corn tortillas with cooking spray, and "grill" each one for a few seconds on each side.  Fold into a "taco" shape and keep warm.

Making the tacos: Fill each tortilla with cabbage slaw mixture, avocados, jalapenos, grapefruit, fish, and top with cream sauce.

Serve with brown rice and black beans and watch it all disappear!

 I think Cooper ate about 6 tacos himself ~ all filled to the brim with veggies.  Hurray for kids who will eat cabbage!

Celebrating Together {Resurrection Sunday!}

I'm a day late, but for some reason Blogger wasn't working last night, and I couldn't log in to my blog. So, I sat in a chair drinking tea, watching the final episode of "The Bible" with Robert and the kids, and being thankful for the wonderful season of Lent and the great Resurrection Day celebrated with a crowd at church and then at my own house.

It was hard not having Kory here, though.  I have photos of my three together for every Easter since Kayla was born, but he's missing from these since he is still in Texas visiting a couple of colleges there.  See the obvious gap in this photo?  That's sibling love right there!

Kayla enjoyed having some of her best friends over for lunch after church and an egg hunt.

Cooper enjoyed having some of his best buddies over, too.  They disappeared after lunch, and even before dessert.  The only thing we could figure is that they headed to UMass to play basketball.  Basketball is the ONLY thing that takes priority over dessert in their minds.

 I got to totally indulge in one of my favorite things ever which is having a crowd around my dining room table for lunch after church ~ and a very special crowd at that.  We ate barbecued brisket, pork tenderloin, scalloped potatoes, green salad, fruit salad, asparagus, broccoli-bacon salad, chocolate cake, ice cream, lemon bars, and more ~ with help from friends, of course! Almost everyone stayed into the evening and the men hid eggs for the girls while the women did dishes and drank another cup of tea or coffee.  So wonderful!

Blessed to have these great ladies in my life ~ even if some of them couldn't stay in their Easter clothes long enough to take the special Easter Sunday photos. ☺{The kids stripped almost immediately, too. Had to get their pics before unlocking the front door once home from church!}

Such a gift to celebrate the Resurrection and the end of my Lenten journey like this. Robert preached through I Corinthians 15 on Sunday ~ explaining in basic, but very important terms the necessity of the Resurrection. I kept thinking of a few things...

First ~ something I read a few days back in John Piper's Finally Alive:

O that every believer would know the glory of what has happened to him! Do you know what God has done for and in you? You were ransomed with the imperishable blood of Christ.  You were raised with Christ from the dead to an eternally living hope. You were called from death to life like Lazarus, and you saw Christ for the Treasure that He is. You were born again.  You received Him and were saved.

It's a truly miraculous gift, and this gift was undeserved and unearned.

Second ~ one of the hymns we sang yesterday and have been singing a lot lately:

Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
Behold Him there the risen Lamb
My perfect spotless righteousness
The great unchangeable I Am
The king of glory and of grace
One with Himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my savior and my God!

And third ~ the simple creed attributed to James, the brother of Jesus,  that Robert had us repeat at the end of yesterday's service:

Christ has died.  Christ is risen.  Christ will come again.

And this musical version of the creed that gives me chills and tears every time I listen and sing...

Thank you, Lord, for dying, for rising, and for promising to come again ~ for me.

The In Between Day: Death and Expectation {Lent Day #47}

 It is so full and so crazy, but I do so love this week. The Seder on Wednesday night was ~ "so beautiful."  That's what everyone kept saying, anyway, and I had to agree.  The beautiful part goes far beyond the table settings and candles to the number of people gathered to remember the sin, death, and slavery we were rescued from by our Passover Lamb.

Then yesterday we gathered for the 14th year in a row ~ since we started the church ~ to walk the wooden cross through our town ~ reading the story of Good Friday at different stops along the way.  This is definitely not a "fun" thing to do, but an important one, I think.  On a very, very small scale it allows us to identify with the shame and ridicule that Jesus endured on the way to His death on our behalf.

Later in the evening  ~ after I took Kory to the airport for a college-tour trip ~ we met back at church for a Tenebrae service with chairs circled around the cross and dramatic readings from scripture telling the story of the Crucifixion.  It ends in complete darkness and silence. Many stayed to pray in the solemn shadows.  While I sat praying, I kept thinking of the stanzas from two of my favorite hymns...

My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!

My sin, not in part, but the whole,

Is nailed to the Cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, O my soul!

(It Is Well With My Soul ~ Horatio Spofford)

and

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in

That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing

He bled and died to take away my sin

(How Great Thou Art ~ Stuart Hine)

And then today, on this "in between day" ~ the day after the death of Christ and before His Resurrected victory over death, we went to a funeral.  Well, actually it was a memorial service for a young man who took his own life last month ~ the 22 year old son of a friend of ours ~ a child we've known and interacted with off and on for the last 13 years.

 It was both grievous and glorious.  We cried as his parents and friends talked about their indescribable sadness and as we watched the slide show of his baby through college years.  And then we clapped and praised and sang together in the joy of knowing his eternal security and ours, too.  Because his life celebration was all held on this "in between" death and resurrection day, it gave us all such a vivid picture of the hope of Resurrection and New Life ~ the things that WILL happen to us who believe ~  by grace through faith ~ because of WHAT JESUS DID tomorrow.  If there could ever be a "perfect" day to mourn and hope all at the same time, today is certainly that day.

 Before and after the memorial, Kayla and I worked on an "au naturel" Easter egg project.  We boiled cabbage, yellow onions, beets, turmeric, coffee, and saffron in various combinations to make natural dyes for our eggs this year.  We let the dyes cool while we were away for the afternoon, and this evening, we've been letting the eggs sit in the natural dyes.  Actually, Kayla has been dying eggs AND cooking dinner for us at the same time this evening ~ Ginger BBQ Chicken Kabobs! She's getting to be a pro in the kitchen.

They are turning out better than I expected.  The beets definitely provide the strongest stain, and second runner-up goes to the yellow onion skin/saffron/turmeric dye.  I love the "earthy" look of the finished product.

The day is almost over, and that's a good thing...

For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless, you are still in your sins.  Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

I Corinthians 15: 16-19