Little Pleasures

Chicken-Mushroom Quesadillas

2010-04-19T20:43:00.002-06:00

I haven't been doing much blogging lately, but that doesn't mean I haven't been cooking. I tested out the Angel Food Cake with Mango Sauce and it was delicious. I had to use frozen mangos due to the time of year and living in McCall, but it was quite tasty. The second was Chicken-Mushroom Quesadillas, again it was quite tasty. Truly there's only been one recipe that was just so-so thus far, but there are so many yet to try! The problem is narrowing it down to which one first...

Happy Cooking!

Catch up

2010-02-12T16:52:00.002-07:00

Not catsup, but catch up! I haven't been very good about blogging lately, but that doesn't mean I haven't been cooking. I have tested several new recipes from So Easy and they are still so easy! The first was Tri-pepper Steak. I was a little worried about this one as Travis doesn't like peppers, but much to my surprise he loved it. And I quote "(she) makes nasty green things taste delicious."

Second was a first attempt at cooking shrimp. I believe the recipe called for pre cooked shrimp, but there was a sale on fresh shrimp at the store so I decided to try something new and learn to shell, devein and cook shrimp. I didn't quite have all the ingredients the recipe called for, so I shall have to try it again sometime and perhaps with pre shelled shrimp!

Third was a berry cobbler. Simple and delicious.

I think that's all for now. Happy cooking!

New Tuna Noodle Casserole

2010-01-05T07:39:00.002-07:00

Recipe number two is down and I can't say that it impressed me as much as the first one. It was just okay and I probably won't be making it again anytime too soon. But as Nana says "it fills the holes" and now I am one recipe closer to cooking through the whole book!

Pork and Beans

2010-01-04T06:38:00.002-07:00

Not a very creative name for my first recipe, but the taste far surpassed the name. Pork and Beans will definitely be a make again recipe. And so easy, too! I guess I should have expected that, though, from a cookbook entitled So Easy! And to round out the meal I made corn bread muffins and a spinach salad. I love cooking!

I was contemplating yesterday whether or not I had to follow to recipe exactly for it to count as having made it. But after much thought I decided, no, that would not be necessary. If I did it that way it would take away a lot of the fun of it, and if it's not fun then really, what's the point? Therefore, substitutions will be allowed. However, if the afore mentioned substitutions are so immense the recipe becomes completely unrecognizable or the substitutions were poorly chosen and the recipe tastes bad then the recipe shall remain on the list of ones yet to be tried. That is my consenssus.

Inspiration

2009-12-31T13:36:00.002-07:00

A new cookbook for Christmas, combined with watching Julie and Julia creates a desire to cook through an entire cookbook. Probably not Mastering the Art of French Cooking that seems like a bit much and a bit costly (lobster is not commonly found in McCall, though the cow's foot might be a bit easier to come by). However, I am seriously considering taking up the task with the cookbook I did receive entitled So Easy by Ellie Krieger. Doesn't that sound so much less daunting that Mastering the Art of French Cooking? I thought so too. Plus, it only has just over 150 recipes, not 524, also much less overwhelming! As for a timeline, I don't think that I shall actually be setting one, unless it's dragging on for decades and then it might be necessary to impose a time frame to expedite the process. But for now, it will happen when it happens. Though one thing I would like to add to my project is to actually rate the recipes as I make them so I can recollect if it's something worthy of making over and over, or perhaps just now and or if it should be never attempted again. Because really, even 150-ish recipes is a lot to attempt remembering which ones you did and did not like for future reference!

Yes, the idea was inspired by Julie and Julia and yes, there are probably hundreds of other people in the United States right now with the very same plan in mind. But, if it is something that seems fun and pleasurable does it really matter how many other people are doing it? I think not. And thus the cooking shall commence!

Change

2009-06-20T15:21:00.002-06:00

Just when I think things are all planned out, God has a way of changing all up on me! In the last month our life has gone from getting ready to work back at Ponderosa for the summer and that was about all, to getting offered a permanent position as the church secretary, finding a new place to live and then, of course, moving, and to top it all off, becoming the new, though maybe just temporary, worship leader at church!

I think the worship leader has been the hardest change. It's the one I felt the most led into. I really feel like God put it on my heart to step into the position and yet I think I feel more uncertain of what I'm doing and more insecure each week. I thought it was going to get easier as time went on, not harder! I guess just because God has called us to something that doesn't mean it's going to be easy for us, though. I need to remember that if God asked me to do it that I will be able to do it, but that doesn't mean it will always be perfect, or that I won't have to consistently be crying out to Him for help!

It kind of overwhelms me at times to realize just what an important task it is before us, as a worship team, each Sunday - to prepare (to the best of our ability) a whole congregation for worship and to lead them in praising the Lord. Not something to be taken lightly!

It's frustrating to, cause I thought the actually music part of it would be easy, or at least easier, but it seems to be tripping me up right along with everything else. Leading and being in charge are not my strong points, so I can know exactly what I want it sound like, but I don't know how to convey that to the team and be definitive in what I want. And there is also the aspect of learning what people's limitations and skills are as musicians. I forget that not everyone can learn something on the spot or just hear it and figure it out (and yet I would get frustrated when people did that to me!). But I still want things to sound good. And then there's the whole fact that leading a song is SO much different than just singing a song! I thought I had a pretty good grasp on most all the songs we sing a church, but it's a whole different story when you are the who has to make the call when to come in and start singing and you have a whole team, a whole congregation, watching and following your lead! No pressure there! But despite all I may have to say right now, it really is going pretty well. I knew I would feel inadequate, I just hadn't realized quite how inadequate I would feel! But like I said I simply need to use it as a constant reminder to run to the Father and seek his wisdom and guidance.

A friend prayed for me a couple weeks ago regarding the situation and at the time I wasn't quite sure I liked it, but the more I think about it the more I like it and see the wisdom in it. He prayed that "I would be just scared enough to remember how important it is, but not so scared that it felt impossible."

2009-04-16T10:31:00.003-06:00

As I was sitting in a fellow coworkers cubical yesterday I saw this quote she had posted on her wall and I really liked it.
"Be yourself, not what you think others expect. Be what emanates from your core that cannot be duplicated by another.

The Art of Bread

2009-04-09T15:50:00.004-06:00

I began baking bread last year out of a desire for quality bread and an aversion to the high prices they charge for it at the store. Since then it has developed into more of a passion. There is something to be said for the feel of the smooth dough between your hands as you knead it, watching it rise as it waits to go in the oven (at least, most of the time they rise, though I've learned there is never a guarantee!) and then the amazing smell that wafts through the house as its baking. I quite enjoy! And I am continually amazed at the massive variety of recipes to be tried. I'm afraid I shall never get through them all! My two latest interest have been sourdough-I made up a sourdough started a few weeks ago have since been experimenting with pleasing success-and more recently, artisan breads. What are artisan breads? Well, I'm not exactly sure but as far as I can tell they are pretty much anything that falls into the category of the beautiful (though not necessarily perfect-looking), often crusty, delicious breads that you get at quaint bakeries and restaurants. They seem to have much more of an art form to them than a typical recipe you might throw in the bread machine at the last minute. Not that I'm disregarding a regular loaf of bread, it's quite yummy and definitely has its place, but still, to be able to bake a loaf of bread with the crunchy crust and the soft airy filling, I don't know, it feels more gourmet, I guess. Perhaps that is the appeal. Well, as I write, my first loaf of "rustic bread" is waiting to be put in the oven so I shall close with this quote I read that sums things up nicely.

"No yoga exercise, no meditation in a chapel filled with music will rid you of your blues better than the humble task of baking your own bread."

Quotes

2009-01-17T06:14:00.001-07:00

I don't really know the reason for this interest, but I love quotes. Funny quotes, serious quotes, quotes that inspire you... Anyway, I've come across a couple lately that I really like, especially this first one, and I thought I would share them real quick this morning.

"You are most fully alive when you are on an adventure with God." - Erwin McManus

I'm not sure who said this last one, but I still think its good.

"The curious paradox is that when I accept myself as I am, then I change... we cannot change, we cannot move away from what we are, until we thoroughly accept what we are. Then change seem to come almost unnoticed."

Thoughts of Spring

2009-01-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about starting a blog for a while now, and today I decided it was time to go ahead and do it. I can't say how often I'll write, or what I shall really be writing about. As the title Little Pleasures suggests, though, I want it to be a place to write about the small joys in life. I personally want to grow better at find the little pleasures in everyday life that make it so lovely and here I shall have a place to share them as well.

It is the middle of January and there is presently about 2 1/2 feet of snow covering the ground. An odd time to think about gardening, but that is exactly where my thoughts have been drifting lately. I have grand visions of growing lush tomato plans (I'm quite excited about the idea, now that I actually like tomatoes!), lots of basil, squash, spinach and many of the other bounties of summer (space may dictate I reduce my grand schemes, but I shall deal with that when the time comes). Seeing as how I can hardly keep a house plant alive, I'm not sure how well my plans will turn out in all actuality, but I have a friend who considers herself a master gardner so I am hoping I can learn much from her. I spent some time yesterday researching seeds and found a great company called Seed Trust that specializes in heritage seeds as well as high elevation seeds, both of which interest me. We shall see what actually happens, but meanwhile I shall keep dreaming of my bountiful crops of tomatoes, basil and squash this summer and all the delectable things I could make out of them.