An Eloquent Link

Hey everyone.

Yes, my daughter turned 13.  I am now the mother of TWO TEENAGERS.

And I love it.  My teens are atypical, to say the least.

I plan on posting some pictures of my Hannah, our first girl, as soon as my husband allows me to use the Big Computer that he's always on when he's here.  All of our pictures are stored there and haven't been transferred to my laptop, and that's the reason most of my posts never have pictures with them.  I don't like to use his computer because it's mostly for his composing.  But a post of my girl in pictures is coming soon!

Now on to the real subject of this post.

I discovered Ladies Against Feminism some time ago, only I can't remember how I found this gal's blog.  I really, really like what Mrs. McDonald has to say.  She has echoed thoughts that I've had on many important issues, only much more eloquently and much more logically than I ever could.

She's got a new post up and it's so so good.  It's a topic that I'm certain we all struggle with, and which is very difficult for me in every day life, and all of her words are grounded in Scripture, which is the most important thing to me.  She defends her Godly positions by basing her musings entirely on the Bible.  And this post is no different.

Here's the link to her blog.  Read her posts and tell me what you think!

http://yoursacredcalling.blogspot.com/2010/07/smoking-keyboards-and-razor-mouthed.html

Tomorrow

People......

Stop the presses!

Hold the phone!!

Tomorrow......

Yes, tomorrow......


My
Firstborn
Baby
Girl
Turns 




13!!!!!!!

Late Recipe

Yikes!!

I apologize!

Here I am, trying to keep up the Blog, and promising recipes every Saturday, and I'm late!!

But wait......wait a second! I guess I get points for actually even posting a recipe, right???

Okay, without further shilly-shallying about, here it is!

Cinnamon Apple Buttermilk Pancakes with Apple Syrup

2 C flour
1/4 C brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp baking powder
2 C buttermilk* (or you can use 2 C regular milk and add 2 tbsp vinegar and let it sit for 10 minutes)
2 eggs
2 tbsp vanilla
1 C applesauce
3 tbsp oil

In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder.  I use a whisk to stir the dry ingredients together.  In a large bowl, place buttermilk* , eggs, vanilla, applesauce and oil.  Whisk the wet ingredients together.  Add dry ingredients gradually, stirring very well.  Heat up your griddle, or, if you're using a skillet (GASP!) oil your skillet and heat it up.  Place batter by 1/4 cupfuls on hot griddle or skillet.  Cook on one side till pancake looks dry and bubbles appear.  Turn over and cook thoroughly on other side.  Keep warm in oven while you cook the whole batch.  This batter mixture makes about 32 small pancakes. After all pancakes are cooked and warming in oven, make syrup:

Apple Syrup


2 1/4 C apple cider
1/4 C brown sugar
3 tbsp butter
pinch of cinnamon
2 tbsp cornstarch

In a small saucepan, combine 2 C apple cider (reserve the additional 1/4 C), brown sugar, butter,  and cinnamon.  Heat this mixture over medium high heat, bringing to a boil.  While this is coming to the boil, in a very small bowl, combine reserved 1/4 C apple cider and 2 tbsp cornstarch.  Whisk together.  When mixture in pan comes to the boil, add cider/cornstarch mixture and bring back to the boil, boiling until thickened.  Makes about 2 cups syrup.

Now, I know this looks like a lot of ingredients.  But trust me! It's so so so easy!! The pancakes come together really fast! You can also combine the dry ingredients and keep them in an air tight container for busy mornings and just add the wet ingredients.  That would save time too. I love our family size griddle, because I can cook 8 pancakes at a time, so it ends up taking hardly any time to cook these.  I make our pancakes small because my kids like to dip theirs in syrup, and these are the perfect size!! They're also easy for tiny hands.  And you've really got to make the syrup too! It makes these pancakes special and tasty.

Hope you like these as much as my kids do!!

Facebook

It's official.

I've actually made a decision and stuck to it.  I actually DID what I said I was going to do!!

I closed my Facebook account!

The correct wordage, I believe, is I have deactivated my account.

I feel like a weight is lifted off of my shoulders!

It was a temptation that I could no longer allow around me.  I was spending too much time on it.  Basically, my "right eye" was offending me, so I plucked it out.  I prayed for God's help in this area, for balance, and the idea to close my account came to me and wouldn't leave me alone.  I had been grossed out at how impersonal FB is, how for some it takes the place of face-to-face or eats up time with family.  I had been weirded out at some people's penchant for posting the most mundane, most unimportant statuses! I had been upset with myself for spending too much time on FB, and for not being able to exercise self-control over it.  It was a case of not being able to achieve balance and knowing that it was starting to be detrimental to my family.  It fed my struggle with laziness.  I like to take the extreme stance on things, and so, I killed it.  I feel so free.  I can't wait to have a day without being obsessed with FB.

I got lots of comments.....well, lots of comments for me.  My FB friends were saying they'd miss me or they didn't want me to leave FB.  But actually, I'm still here.  I can be reached through my blog.  I know that my true friends will know how to reach me.  I know that those who really care about my life will tune in to my blog as I try to keep it up more often.

Please, believe me when I say that this was the right decision for me.  I'm not pointing any fingers or criticizing anyone here.  Even when I talked about mundane, unimportant statuses.  If that's how you function, great! This post is not meant to convict or insult anyone.  I just got tired of myself when I was on FB.  That's all.

So, now that that's over with, I'll say that I'm looking forward to blogging more often and reaching out to more mamas who are just like me.  For some reason, I don't struggle with being addicted to blogging or reading other's blogs.  I think it's because the blogs that I follow are on my dashboard, and I've been away for days from Blogger and felt perfectly fine.  Blog posts are generally once a day or once a week, and I don't feel like I'm missing anything.......

We'll see how long those "famous last words" last!!

I hope ya'll keep up with me on my blog!

A Recipe

My Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions

2 lbs sliced fresh button mushrooms
1 sliced sweet white onion, such as Walla Walla or Vidalia
1 stick of butter
1/3 C wine, such as Reisling or White Zinfandel
1-2 tsp salt

In a skillet, melt the butter.  When butter is melted, add mushrooms and onions.  Saute for about 5 minutes. After about 5 minutes, add wine and salt to pan.  Saute this mixture till mushrooms are cooked and onions are soft, about 12 minutes or so.

This saute is so yummy over steak of any kind.  We had it last night on cube steak and mashed baby reds with parmesan cheese, and a side of fresh-from-the-produce-stand steamed broccoli.  To tell the truth, I have no idea how long to saute this! I just eye it while it's cooking, and when it looks done, it's done.

I also realize that pictures of the process and finished product would be desired.  I promise I'll have pics of my next recipe.  I really like how The Pioneer Woman lays out her recipes on her blog.  Fantastic.

Alas, The Pioneer Woman I am NOT.  But I will try.

Try this and let me know how you like it.

Next Saturday's recipe: Apple Pancakes with Warm Apple Syrup.  Stay tuned.

My Recipes

I've really been thinking about putting some recipes on my blog.

Who am I kidding? I've really been thinking about putting ANYTHING on my blog!

So, for those of you who still read my blog, would you like to see some recipes on here? I do cook, and I love to cook, and what I love to do is make up my own recipes and adapt recipes to my own tastes.

Tell me if you'd like to see some of my recipes.

Communication

I'm so glad the lines of communication between me and the Lord are always open!

I was sitting here yesterday morning having my quiet time and I found myself contemplating this amazing thought.

I marvel that I don't have to pick up the phone and get the operator and wait for God to come "on the line".

I don't have to knock on His door and wait anxiously for Him to answer.

I don't have to send Him an email and then be frantic and pacing around while He answers the millions of other emails that came into His inbox before mine.

I don't have to stand in line with my number clutched in my trembling, sweaty hand, waiting for someone to call "Next".

The fact is, for me, it's so easy to just begin to talk to Him, anytime, anywhere, without greeting, without preamble......without fancy words or endless postulating or perfection. I can even talk to Him with greasy, messy hair and jammies on!   I was smiling because MOST of the time, my communication with the Lord is just natural these days.

As I'm driving down the road and someone comes to mind, I pray for them.  When I'm standing at the sink doing dishes and that "thing" comes up again that I'm wrestling with, I hash it over for the 1000th time with the Lord.  When I'm hugging my teenage son, I pray for him under my breath, sometimes right out loud.  When I've lost my keys, I ask Him to help me find them.  And.......

When I'm kicking and screaming and throwing a full-on tantrum, I'm saying "Lord, I know I'm wrong! Help me to see the right of this situation."

And on and on it goes.  Sometimes I don't even know I'm doing it.  Some days I think I shoot up prayers all day!

And you know what? He has shown me that He is so much closer than a phone call!

Because the Bible says He tabernacles with me, to me that means He's always, always here, near, always listening.  His ear is never deaf or turned away from my many calls....or my complaints....or my whinings....or my sadnesses or anger or praise.

Listen to me! You need to know that He's always there for you too! He's always there to answer, listen, counsel and calm.  But are you close enough so you can hear what He's saying?? Are you keeping the lines of communication open? Are you?

Are you taking every little thing to Him? Every care, every triumph, every praise, every heartache?

He cares!

Oh, there are so many times when I don't want to talk to Him.  But eventually I do, because He prods me and urges me and draws me and beckons me.

And you know He's doing that for you too!

I do work on keeping the lines open between me and Him.  And when I ease into the old, familiar conversations, He talks to me just like a Husband or a Dear Friend.  It's like He's sitting right here on the couch in my living room.  He hears me right away! He listens attentively.

He understands.

And He answers.
He comforts.
He rebukes.
He chastises.
He rejoices with me.

And He will with you too! With just a bit of effort on your part.

I urge you, open up the old lines of communication today, right now! You know you want to.

Just begin to talk to Him! Whisper His name.  He hears that whisper.  Pour out your heart to Him today and tomorrow, even minute by minute, second by second.

I promise you'll never, ever regret it.  You don't have to wait till you're "perfect"! You don't have to have a formula.  You don't have to be nice or cheerful or smiling, even.  You don't! He wants you! He doesn't care what you're wearing or what's smeared on your shirt or how much you're sighing or how long it's been......

You won't get an operator.  You won't get voicemail.  You won't be put on hold.

So what are you waiting for? Do it!!!

Cohen

C O H E N


Read more about Baby Cohen at  www.inthiswonderfullife.com