Resisting the Urge

My parents will be here in less than a week.  It's the first time in my whole life that they have come to stay at my house.  Eat here.  Sleep here.  Be here.  I am resisting the urge to open every drawer and make sure it's perfect. It's not an easy battle.  One that will last for the next 3 or so weeks.  I don't want to spend the time they are here worried about how clean, how organized everything is.  I want my parents to feel relaxed here... to be able to stretch out their souls.  The point is not that I impress them with my house-keeping skills but to be together.  So, come sit down MarthaApril.  MaryApril is pouring another cup of coffee on the balcony while we all have a nice long chat.

I Did Tell You!

I know you don't know my sister... but she can be a hoot.  One time we were talking about something I was supposed to have done but didn't do.  I didn't do it because I didn't know I was supposed to.  She eventually confessed that yes, she had told me - in her head - but I just didn't hear her.

I get annoyed at people, too, when they don't do what I want them to do.  No matter how often I tell them to do it in my head, they just aren't good at reading my thoughts and obeying them.  Hmmm...

BABIES - Official Trailer [HD]

If I were in America right now, I'd have you all over so we could watch and discuss this. It's amazing. a-ma-zing!

"Brother's Keeper" by Rich Mullins

Now the plummer's got a drip in his spigot
The mechanic's got a clank in his car
And the preacher's thinking thoughts that are wicked
And the lover's got a lonely heart
My friends ain't the way I wish they were
They are just the way they are

Now this roof has got a few missing shingles
But at least we got ourselves a roof
And they say that she's a fallen angel
I wonder if she recalls when she last flew
There's no point in pointing fingers
Unless you're pointing to the truth

And I will be my brother's keeper
Not the one who judges him
I won't despise him for his weakness
I won't regard him for his strength
I won't take away his freedom
I will help him learn to stand
And I will ~ I will be my brother's keeper

Genesis 3:16

Dr. Richard P. Belcher in "The Origin of Our Problems"

The desire here, I think, is the woman's desire to rule over her husband.  And the husband is not going to let that happen.  And so marriage becomes a battlefield.  A harmonious relationship that was there before sin - with Adam having the leadership role - has now been distorted.  

Food Tips

I'm stealing all these from Weight-Watchers.  There are some big treasures here!

Use small amounts of highly flavored ingredients — such as Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, toasted sesame and hot chili oils — rather than larger amounts of mildly flavored ones. You'll add more flavor for fewer calories.

Toast nuts, spices and seeds to enhance their flavor: Bake nuts at 350ºF in a shallow pan, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. Briefly toast spices and seeds in a hot skillet, stirring until fragrant.

Top desserts, casseroles and other dishes with shaved chocolate, shredded cheese and chopped nuts. Ingredients that are in small pieces cover more surface area so you can use less of them and still get great flavor.

Puree silken tofu and use it as a cream substitute in soups and a creamy sauce base for pasta dishes, as well as in salad dressings. OurCreamy Green Goddess Sauce Over Spaghetti hits the spot.

Swap applesauce for up to 1/3 of the total butter or oil in a cookie or cake recipe (light-colored batters) or substitute the same amount of pureed prunes if you're making a chocolaty dessert. Pureed pumpkin and sweet potato are also good substitutes. Experiment.

Rely upon fresh herbs, pungent spices, citrus juices, spicy relishes and/or hot peppers and chilis to boost flavor when cutting back on fat in recipes. Fat carries a lot of flavor so you need to replace it with strongly flavored ingredients.

Cut back on oil and enhance flavor by using health-conscious cookware and gadgets such as nonstick skillets or woks, grill baskets, steamer baskets, zesters and silicone baking mats.

Make a large pot (or two) of homemade chicken, beef or vegetable stock and freeze the broth in ice cube trays. Pop out only as many cubes as you need to add wonderful flavor to your food, especially on busy days when you don't have much time to cook.

Bake sliced peppers, carrots, onions and other favorite vegetables with cooking spray (or a drizzle of olive oil) and Kosher salt to bring out their natural sweetness. Enjoy them as a side dish or chopped up and incorporated into other recipes for added flavor and texture.

Sauté vegetables in chicken or vegetable broth instead of butter or oil. Also try using wine or fruit juice for a flavor boost. Try cooking rice, couscous and other grains in broth, too.

Add dry crispy rice cereal to muffin and brownie batters for very low-calorie volume. Give it a try with our Raspberry Muffins.

Chill a block of reduced-fat cheese before shredding it — this makes it easier to finely grate the cheese.

Thicken soups with prepared instant mashed potatoes (or pureed cooked potatoes) instead of heavy cream. Evaporated skim milk can take the place of heavy cream as well.

Puree a cooked potato into gravy for a fat-free thickener. Try it out in ourYankee Pot Roast Dinner.

Sprinkle bland dishes with strong-flavored crumbled cheeses like feta and blue cheese to maximize taste with just a small amount of added fat.

Use toasted, rolled oats in lieu of nuts in some baked goods.

Make your own whole-milk substitute: Just add a little fat-free yogurt, pureed tofu or powdered skim milk to fat-free milk to thicken it.

Add "authentic" color to egg white-based dishes such as frittatas and casseroles by adding a dash of turmeric to the egg-white mixture.

Replace the mayonnaise in tuna, egg, pasta and chicken salads with pureed, seasoned silken tofu or plain low-fat yogurt, dressed up with your favorite diced vegetables and seasonings.

Coat chicken and fish with a seasoned oat, cornmeal or cornflake "batter" and then bake for a crispy "oven-fried" result. Taste it for yourself with our Cornmeal-Battered Oven-Fried Catfish.

Rely on freshly grated orange, lemon and lime peel (zest) to add tremendous flavor to food. Be careful not to include any of the bitter-tasting white membrane called the pith.

Make your own taco shells by hanging soft fat-free tortillas directly over an oven rack and baking at 400°F until crisp.

Swap plain yogurt for sour cream in dip recipes. Opt for Greek yogurt, if possible, to take advantage of its naturally thick, creamy texture.

Season homemade mashed potatoes with fresh garlic and chicken or vegetable broth instead of butter and milk. Better yet, roast the garlic first for the most robust flavor.

Piper Sermon

This really hit me at some core issues... you can look for it in iTunes podcast or find it here:

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2009/4398_Behold_Believe_Be_Raised/

House Keeping Advice

I don't know where I read it, but this is one of my favorite house-keeping tips. Store things where you actually disrobe them. What? Well, where do you always take off your watch? Keep a little box or tray there. Where do you naturally throw dirty clothes? Put your laundry basket there. Seriously, I recently read of a woman whose husband takes off his clothes (for the most part) in the living room - so, instead of fighting the habit - she put a laundry basket there. I keep a box on my desk for my earrings and hair things. Then I have one in my bedroom and one in the bathroom. Seems silly - but it's better than having one place and little piles everywhere else. And yes, sometimes I have to hunt for something - but it's in one of three places.

Need cooking inspiration?

Got this recipe from allrecipes.com. I really like this site. You can search for recipes using a certain ingredient you have in your kitchen that you need to use up (it helps me waste less food). We all really liked this! To cook meatballs, just put on a cookie sheet and bake @350 for 30 min. instead of pan frying..it is much easier! I served it over brown rice and added frozen green beans too. I think it is a pretty forgiving recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 2/3 cup crushed saltine cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup minced onion
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 (15 ounce) can pineapple chunks - drained, with juice reserved
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, cracker crumbs, onion, egg, milk, ginger and salt. Shape mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls into meatballs.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place meatballs in skillet and cook until evenly brown, and meat is no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
3. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, brown sugar, reserved pineapple juice, vinegar and soy sauce. Mix until smooth, then pour into the skillet with meatballs. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green pepper and pineapple chunks. Heat through.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 442 | Total Fat: 21.9g | Cholesterol: 106mg

Pillow Talk

I know I'm out of my league, girls... but this lecture on Sexual Issues in Marriage gives us some good things to think about. It's actually a class on counseling, but - well, I don't know... it might be helpful.

Look up Lecture 14. It's titled "Conflict..." but - they are titled wrongly...

http://www.worldwide-classroom.com/courses/info/co520/

You have to register, but it's free and I think you'll find it worth while.

Coffee Mousse

Do you need a quick but elegant dessert? Sorry, Alisa! This one will have milk in it and has gluten.

All you need is a packet of instant vanilla pudding (sugar free if you'd like!), a packet of Dream Whip, 2 cups of cold milk and 1/2 cup of cold coffee.

Get out your mixer - and there you have it! Decadent but light - and an elegant spin on something "normal"... make it even more fancy-pantcy by topping it with chocolate shavings.

Have you seen this site?

http://www.couponmom.com/

Self Discipline

No Facebook during "working hours". Weight Watchers. Dave Ramsey. 1.5 liters of water. Exercise. Stay on schedule. Shoot - I even made little cards on what to clean every day. Don't I sound self-disciplined? Well, don't be fooled. I'm not! Which is why I need all these rules in the first place. And now, that I'm working from home... yikes! I hate living by all these structures - yet, I'm better - I'm more content when I am. So, why this continual war within me to resist them? And, how is it that Monday through Wednesday I'm on target - but by Saturday it's out the window? How do you motivate yourself toward Self Discipline?