Outside the box

This blog thing has been more fun than I expected. I've enjoyed the chance to write about something besides the financial world, and it has kept me motivated as far as cooking. But I've also enjoyed the interaction with my friends and readers through comments, conversations or emails.

But sometimes in this world of instant online communication, I forget how great snail mail is. I recently got an unexpected card from my dad, encouraging me in everything I'm doing, including this blog/cooking thing.

It reminded me that a few months back, I also got a card from my aunt commenting on my blog but also reminding me of a great vacation I took with her and my uncle. She included a photo that reminded me I did occasionally try new things as a kid.

Yes, this is when I discovered I liked lobster (apparently I wasn't fazed by putting the live ones in to cook and then eating them).

We were spending the week in Maine, staying in a cabin on a lake in a small town. I was about 9, and my aunt and uncle who lived in Connecticut at the time also came up with their kids.

Most of the time I was floating in an inner tube in the lake, fishing or canoeing. In the evenings we'd go for ice cream and then sit on the dock and practice our loon calls. (I'm thinking this is a vacation I need to repeat as an adult.)

I distinctly remember being hesitant to try the lobster, but by the end of the week, I couldn't get it cracked to reach the meat fast enough.

My uncle was always telling me, "Just try it once." This applied to both food and waterslides. And most of the time, I was willing to try it again, it's just finding the nerve to step outside my comfort zone.

In his card, my dad told me he was proud of me for stepping outside my box (i.e. comfort zone) over the last year, both food-wise and in life.

I think in some ways I needed a physical move and a chance to start fresh in order to do that, and I was intentional about changes I wanted to make in my life when I moved here a little over a year ago.

In the midst of these changes, I've found a more relaxed attitude. I seem to have loosened my grip on life (or at least some parts of it). I used to be such a control freak, I wouldn't even ride places with people, and if I was going to be in a situation where I didn't have some control over what was happening, I wouldn't even participate. But I'm having more fun and more of those unexpected, amazing experiences now that I'm willing to let go of this need for control and live without always having a plan.

And that's a lot of what God has been trying to show me over the last year. My plans are not His, and I should actually be grateful for that. Instead of grieving over my failed plan, I should be celebrating the road I'm on and relaxing in the passenger seat.

Not sure how I managed to go from lobster to God's plan for me or if it even makes sense, but that's what I've got today!

Some random things

Here's a few random things for a post today:

1. I'm writing this on Thursday night in the dark. My power is out for about the fourth time this summer. I'm not trying to complain, I'd rather be without power in the summer when I can get out and go places than when there is two feet of snow on the ground. But we've had a lot of bad storms here recently, and I wasn't really expecting that when I moved here. Going to college in the Midwest, I wasn't surprised that during exams in May, I usually ended up studying in a basement because the tornado sirens were going off. And in Georgia the tornado sirens were tested every week, which was a sign that they were probably built for a reason. Two tornadoes actually hit the city I was in during my time there, and there were several others that hit nearby areas. But when I moved here, I thought the fact that I was farther north and surrounded by mountains, I would be more isolated from bad storms. Apparently not. Though we haven't had a tornado, they have called two of the storms "micro-bursts," which have tornado-like winds, but no funnel cloud. Fortunately, my apartment is in the basement and stays cool most of the time!

2. YouTube has become my new how-to guide. Last weekend, I decided to clean the trap on my bathroom sink, but once I got it back together, it was leaking. And some helpful plumbers on YouTube helped me figure out the problem.

Then I had these huge cantaloupes from my last pick-up:

The last time I had a cantaloupe, I swear I threw away half of the melon trying to avoid the seeds and the rind. But this cook showed me exactly how to cut it to use all the fruit. And I'll just say, this is the best cantaloupe I've ever eaten.

3. Last Friday night, I couldn't sleep and was in cleaning/project mode (i.e. taking apart my sink), and I decided to clean my baseboards. It seemed like such a small thing to me, who never dusts and vacuums only when people are coming over, but I swear my apartment looks cleaner than ever, if only to my eyes.

4. I live in a glorified college town. It is not a place that exists solely on the university, but the students are a significant part of the city when school's in session. I moved here last summer before the students arrived, and I didn't know how good I had it. This town is definitely different in the summer, and it's something to enjoy. I'm starting to see signs that the students are starting to return slowly (you should see the stacks of mini-fridges at Target). And soon there will be heavier traffic (when I actually drive), more people going through the self-checkout at the grocery store, and fewer close parking spots at church. So while I am ready for fall weather, I'm a little sad it is August and the calmness of summer will disappear in a few weeks.

5. I've said before my job is based on three-month quarters, and every quarter there is a three or four week stretch when things are really busy. All things considered, this round has been calm and we're near the end right now. But I woke up from a dream about a company's balance sheet and earnings report the other night. Needless to say, I'm glad it's Friday!

Dessert

A friend who moved here about the time I did last summer is getting ready to move to Kenya for six months to do mission work through her art. I invited some friends over Saturday night for dessert as a going-away party.

I feel like I never post pictures of people, so here's one of everyone at the party:
 

We will miss you Kaylie but can't wait to hear about your experiences!

I made a blueberry cheesecake and some peanut butter/chocolate chip cookies, and I promised to post the recipes.

Peanut Buttery Chocolate Chunk Cookies from Southern Living

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter (I went with creamy.)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 (11.5 oz.) package semisweet chocolate chunks (I used semisweet chocolate chips.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugars; beating well. Add egg and vanilla; beat well.
Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture; beat at low speed until well blended. Stir in chocolate chunks.
Drop cookie dough by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto parchment paper-lined or lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake at 350 degrees for 11 to 12 minutes or until edges of cookies are brown.

The good thing about this recipe is you can store the dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. I actually made the dough last weekend and baked half of it to take to work. Then I used the rest of it for Saturday.

So the cookies were very easy, but the cheesecake didn't turn out as well as I was hoping. I can of course see my mistakes now. I borrowed a springform pan, but it was 8 inches not 10 inches as the recipe was designed for. I think it would have been OK if I had used less crust and not overfilled the pan. Instead I got this when I cooked it:

It is of course a Pioneer Woman recipe, and she's got the step by step recipe with photos (she uses blackberries and hers looks pretty flawless), but here's the basic recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crust

• 1 box Vanilla Wafers
• ½ cup Pecans (I left these out and added a few extra Nilla wafers.)
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, Melted
• 1-½ teaspoon vanilla

Place vanilla wafers and pecans into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until mixture becomes crumbs. Add melted butter and vanilla and pulse again until combined. Pour into a 10-inch springform pan and press crumbs into the bottom of the pan. (If they come up the sides, that’s okay!)

Filling

• 3 packages 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1-½ cup sugar
• 4 whole eggs
• ½ cups sour cream

Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add sour cream and mix again. Pour mixture into crust, smooth the top, and bake for 1 hour, 10 minutes. Turn off oven and open door and allow to sit in the oven with the door opened for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

Topping
    •    2 cups blackberries (or blueberries or other fruit of choice)
    •    ½ cups sugar
    •    2 tablespoons water
 

Add blackberries, sugar, and water to a saucepan or skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly.
Pour blackberries over the cheesecake and place pan into the fridge to cool and set for at least 2 hours—several hours is better.
When ready to serve, remove rim around pan and slice into 16 pieces with a long serrated knife.

The good thing was once I poured on the blueberries, the crack in the cake wasn't visible. 

The blueberries did drop through the cake, which added to the flavor. Everyone seemed to like it, but I thought the filling should have been smoother. I may try it again, but I think the best cheesecake is always going to be found at the Cheesecake Factory.

Would you like some basil with that?

So last week I came home from work with plans to make this Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta, and I went outside to cut some basil and found this:

I made the pasta anyway. It was OK, but my cream sauce didn't really thicken. But the point of this story is that my basil has failed me.

Then I got an email from my co-op offering basil by the pound. Of course I immediately ordered a pound for myself. At the time I did not consider how much a pound of basil was or the fact that I was already getting some basil in my share. So on Saturday I picked up this with my share:
 

Then this box that contained the pound of basil:
 

And then one of the employees at my pick-up offered to let me have some less-than-perfect basil that would be fine for pesto. So I also came home with this:
 

So I spent much of Saturday making pesto and chopping basil to freeze.

I made four variations of pesto; here are the ingredients and my opinion on them. (I just threw everything in the food processor.):
 

Pesto #1

•  2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
•  1/4 cup walnuts
•  1 garlic clove
•  1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
•  1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
•  About 2/3 cups extra virgin olive oil

I found this one to be very oily, but I think it will work well with pasta.

Pesto #2

•   1/4 cup olive oil
•   1/2 cup pine nuts
•   2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves
•   1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
•   4 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
•   1/4 tsp. salt
•   Black pepper

This one was extremely strong. At first I thought it was all the garlic but after making the other variations, I realized it was the pine nuts. I'm glad to know I don't prefer pine nuts in my pesto because they are expensive.   

Pesto #3

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Black pepper

This is the same as #2 but with walnuts, not pine nuts and less garlic (also in minced form). This is probably my favorite of all of them, but I have now frozen all but about 1/2 cup of #2 so I will probably never figure out which one is which.

Pesto #4

•   1/4 cup olive oil
•   1/2 cup walnuts
•   2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves
•   4 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
•   1/4 tsp. salt
•   Black pepper

This is the same as #3 but with more garlic (fresh this time) and no cheese. This one was pretty good and might be my second favorite.

So I would have "fresh" basil for recipes like the one above, I froze the rest of it. The tip from my co-op was to wash and chop the basil (I used kitchen shears to chop) and coat it lightly with olive oil. Then I put it in my ice tray and stuck it in the freezer. It is now in a freezer bag, ready for me to pull out and use in recipes.

If you're in the area and need some basil or pesto, let me know, I have plenty to spare!

Lessons from Galatians

In my Bible study we've been studying Galatians with a guide by Tim Keller. We are nearing the end, and I was processing what I've learned and thought I'd post it here.

So much of Galatians is about the Gospel and how that impacts everything. It is by grace through Christ that we are saved from sin and given eternal life. I've always thought that I heard the Gospel, was saved and now I can move on to learn deeper things. But this study has taught me that the Gospel is everything, and I found the study to be very convicting and challenging.

The sermon last Sunday was on Psalm 34, which presents God as our deliverer and refuge. The pastor noted that this is the Gospel, we have to have God as our deliverer. But we hate admitting that and hold tightly to our independence and I-can-do-it-my-way attitude. This pretty much sums up the tug-of-war I've had with God as I worked through this study.

I am realizing that I frequently approach life from a place of works righteousness — yes, I know I was saved by grace but I tend to think now I need to earn God's favor. This study taught me a few things, one is that I will fail every time if I try to earn my righteousness and two that this life isn't about rewards and trying to earn things from God, we've already been given more than we deserve by our salvation.

In the midst of this study I was struggling with some envy over what someone else had and frustration at what I didn't. I found myself saying over and over, "But I obeyed you God. Why won't you give me this?" As I worked through this study and this struggle, I was taught over and over that seeking to earn something from God and trying to manipulate Him (yeah, I know that doesn't work) was actually taking me farther away from Him.

One of the extra lessons in the study was Keller's sermon on the parable of the prodigal son, but Keller points out that it is actually the parable of two sons. He makes the point that the elder brother, who stays home and does everything his father asks, is just as lost as the younger brother who ran away. This was extremely convicting because I identify so much more with the elder brother but thought that I was right all of these years.

As I continued to work through the study and my own struggle, I found the idols that were making the current struggle so hard and how I was placing those things before God. I am still working through those things and feeling challenged in putting God first.

My eyes and my heart were certainly opened during this study, I am still trying to grasp the full impact of the Gospel (which Keller calls "slippery") on my life at all times. I am trying to break down the idols I cling to and live in the freedom of the Gospel and escape the works righteousness that was so present in my life. I have a long way to go, but that is the beauty of the Gospel. I'm saved because of God's grace not by anything I do or don't do. I am loved and forgiven.

I am amazed at how God provides and speaks to us exactly when and how we need to hear them. He has used this study and my church's current sermon series on the Psalms to reach me and both challenge and comfort me when I found myself in such a place of brokenness.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Galatians 2:20-21

Chicken failure

I had accumulated two chickens in my freezer, and I was at the end of most of my produce from last week, so it was time to cook some chicken. After cooking my last two chickens in the crock pot, I wanted to try roasting it.


Of course, where do I turn? Pioneer Woman, of course. She actually has a guest cook post a recipe for Herb Roasted Chicken, but my sister had tried it and said it was good. So I defrosted my chicken, and on Sunday night followed the recipe. It's really simple:

• 3-4lb Whole Chicken
• Something to stuff inside the chicken (Apple, Onion, Lemon, Garlic, Carrot, etc.)
• Canola Oil (1 tablespoon)
  Salt (1 tablespoon) and Pepper (1 teaspoon)
• Fresh Herbs (1-2 tablespoons)

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Stuff chicken with "aromatics."

Chop herbs and mix with canola oil, salt and pepper.  Rub chicken with herb mixture. Rub it on all sides.

Cook for an hour and 15 minutes. Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes and then serve.

Now that I read the directions again I see my mistakes. Because I definitely screwed this chicken up. First of all, I only had vegetable oil, not canola oil, (probably not a huge deal) and I forgot the salt and pepper. But that's nothing compared to the fact I read these recipe a few days before making it and thought I remembered everything, but I set my oven to 400 degrees. Yeah, the top of my chicken was cooked, but when I started to pull off the meat to store, I discovered the chicken was not cooked. It went back in the oven but of course that made it pretty dry.


So I have to say, this was a total fail for me. But at least I wasn't serving it to anyone else, and I've learned my lesson.


Of course, failure only makes me want to try and get it right, so hopefully I will be able to post my success at this recipe at some point.

I will note that it's been good to have chicken around again. I've been able to turn around dinner in 20 minutes or less this week, a good thing since I get home from work at 8 p.m.

Unfinished projects (or dishes)

A friend sent me this link to a document on Myers-Briggs. Yes, we not only discuss Myers-Briggs at length at social gatherings but also email and Facebook each other with new discoveries.

In this document, at the end of each description, it had a prayer for that personality type. The one for INFP said, "Dear God, please help me finish what I sta..." Of course the "J" in me wanted to fix the end of the sentence, but the rest of me knew how true this was. And if anyone had walked in my house over the past week, they would have been praying this prayer for me.

It was a really good week work-wise. I got to have normal hours, even though I go back to later hours this week, and during what should normally be an incredibly busy time, things were actually very slow. (Apparently all the financial guys are on vacation in July.) Since I got home earlier, I got to do things like cook and attend a Bible study I've missed for a few weeks as well as go to my normal women's study. So I found myself with less time at home, and the state of my apartment reflected it.

But it also reflected the fact that finishing things is not my strong suit. I may start strong, but I lose my motivation before something is complete and I can let it sit there unfinished for quite a while.

Last weekend I battled my neighbors in attempting to get a lot of laundry done. Six of us share a single washer and dryer, and somehow all seem to want to do laundry at the same time. So it's a matter of getting your stuff in, washed and the next load in without someone removing your stuff and starting their own load, thereby, preventing you from getting another load in. And last weekend, I was successful and got three loads washed and dried. I even folded and put away the first two loads. But I'm going to admit that my third load, which finished drying Monday morning, was still on my living room floor unfolded on Saturday.

So if you came in my apartment you would find this pile of clothes, another pile of clothes in the general vicinity of my ironing board yet to be ironed and then in my kitchen, there would be a drying rack full of clean dishes and sink full of dirty dishes. This is not to mention the mail and other paperwork spread between my coffee table and couch and my new pile of dirty clothes covering my bedroom floor.

I will openly admit I am a messy person. I am much neater when other people are around and impacted by my mess, but in my apartment where it is just me, I am messy. However, I reach a point when I can't stand the mess and want some order back in my life.

By Saturday morning, that's how I was feeling. It was miserably hot outside, and I decided my best bet was to stay in my air-conditioned apartment and restore some order in my life. I finally got my clothes folded and put away and even ironed what needed to be ironed. I put away dishes and washed more. I organized all the stuff that has seemed to have been just floating around for weeks. I paid bills and completed some of other stuff that needed to get done.

But then I went back to the kitchen. This is what I'm finding so strange about what I started as an experiment. When I have some downtime, it is more and more likely that I'll spend it in the kitchen, cooking. And if you know me, usually the only time I am in a kitchen is when everyone else has gathered there to eat or talk but rarely to cook. Anyway, on Saturday, I made some pizza dough to have on hand and then realized I had everything to make some cookies I had read about in Southern Living and baked those. Then on Sunday I roasted a chicken (more to come on that).

Of course this ultimately meant that my kitchen stayed clean for about an hour, and I went to bed with dishes in the sink. I can't seem to escape this tendency to leave a project unfinished. It's better that I finish what I'm cooking and it's only the dishes that are left behind, but the constant dishes cycle is starting to make me crazy! I think I need someone to come along behind me and finish things for me or maybe a dishwasher would work.