Yesterday was the feast day of St. Mark the Evangelist.
Growing up, whenever I played "house" my imaginary husband was always named Mark. Unfortunately, he was always traveling for work. Apparently I could imagine my dolls were real, but I couldn't imagine an invisible husband to be present in the house.
Well, I like the name "Alex" much better than "Mark" now. And I'm really glad his job doesn't require constant travel.
But it's not Saint Mark's fault that my imaginary husband was never home! So in honor of his feast day, here's a brief introduction to who he was and why he wrote a gospel.
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Friday, April 7, 2017
{7 quick takes} vol. 42 Food
Jumping back into the game after a looooooong hiatus with the quickest of quick takes. About food. Because I'm hungry. Although blogging about food on a Friday in Lent doesn't seem quite right... increased penance, maybe?
And although I've been thinking about this post for a while and planning it out in my head (i.e., fantasizing about food), I've been spending all my spare computer moments launching my new project (if you're interested, you can read about it here and visit it here). So I wasn't totally on my game to make sure I had pictures of each recipe, which I'm sure violates some major blogging law.
As you can see, I'm more than a little bit obsessed with Smitten Kitchen right now. I make no apologies.
So here are seven of my current favorites in the kitchen:
Japanese cabbage & vegetable pancakes--delightful as a side dish, but absolute perfection for breakfast with a fried egg on top.
Tequila-lime slaw with cilantro
Loosely based off this recipe here. I don't really measure, so it turns out a little different each time. The fresh cilantro is worth the work, and if you don't have tequila then a splash of vinegar works just as well. If you use both red and green cabbage and add some carrot (I use a vegetable peeler to get long strips) then it is quite visually stunning as well as delicious. I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture the last time I made it!
And although I've been thinking about this post for a while and planning it out in my head (i.e., fantasizing about food), I've been spending all my spare computer moments launching my new project (if you're interested, you can read about it here and visit it here). So I wasn't totally on my game to make sure I had pictures of each recipe, which I'm sure violates some major blogging law.
As you can see, I'm more than a little bit obsessed with Smitten Kitchen right now. I make no apologies.
So here are seven of my current favorites in the kitchen:
--- 1 ---
Okonomiyaki
Japanese cabbage & vegetable pancakes--delightful as a side dish, but absolute perfection for breakfast with a fried egg on top.
--- 2 ---
Roasted broccoli
I can't even put into words how much I love broccoli roasted in the oven. Toss with a little olive oil, spread it out on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper (or whatever you would like), and throw it in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 450 (make sure it gets crispy--that's the key).
I can't even put into words how much I love broccoli roasted in the oven. Toss with a little olive oil, spread it out on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper (or whatever you would like), and throw it in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 450 (make sure it gets crispy--that's the key).
--- 3 ---
Loosely based off this recipe here. I don't really measure, so it turns out a little different each time. The fresh cilantro is worth the work, and if you don't have tequila then a splash of vinegar works just as well. If you use both red and green cabbage and add some carrot (I use a vegetable peeler to get long strips) then it is quite visually stunning as well as delicious. I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture the last time I made it!
--- 4 ---
Plain spaghetti noodles with nothing but parmesan cheese has always been one of my favorite things. This made me feel very grown up and accomplished, while still basically enjoying one of my favorite comfort foods. I used spinach (chopped, fresh) instead of broccoli rabe because I don't think I've ever even seen it at the store. It was everything I dreamed it would be (especially with broccoli on the side).
--- 5 ---
I spent a three week "study abroad" (hey! let's get three credit hours for being tourists!) in Vietnam my senior year of college. It was incredible. So was the food. Oh my goodness the food. This reminds me a bit of that trip. Don't skip on the mint.
--- 6 ---
Bread is one of my love languages. This one is simple and satisfying. We use it for wraps (usually with barbeque) and then put honey on it for dessert. And then peanut butter on it in the morning for breakfast. I always make a double batch for us because if there are no leftovers I'll probably cry. But I just cook it on a hot griddle--I haven't tried the open flame technique.
--- 7 ---
I had never even heard of farro (it's a variety of wheat) until I stumbled across this recipe on--you guessed it--Smitten Kitchen. I made it for the first time last summer when I actually had basil that I had grown in my own garden to put on top (all of you with chickens and ginormous gardens and stuff can just be quiet and let me bask in my tiny little agricultural accomplishments, mmkay?). I promptly fell in love. It wasn't quite enough for a main course for us, but we love it as a hearty side dish. I saute the onions first, because I had a bad experience once with some other recipe where everything was supposed to cook together and the onions came out super crunchy. And I'm very sparing with the crushed red pepper flakes because I'm a wimp. But I make up for it with extra basil and parmesan.
So there you go, seven quick current favorites. And now I'm hungrier than when I started. Dang it.
Thursday, April 6, 2017
New Beginnings
I'm excited--and somewhat trepidatious--to announce the commencement of a new project.
I'm starting a new blog.
Don't worry--I will most certainly be keeping this one. And I hope to be much better about posting pictures and stories of the kiddos--as well as other miscellany. Thanks to the encouragement of some friends and the guilty realization that my negligence has been seriously depriving friends and family of their regular dose of my crazy children, I have firmly resolved to post here more often. You know, more than quarterly.
I have long felt torn between the desire to write more about Scripture and the faith and a certain hesitancy to try to mix my plain ol' mommy blog with more professional or academic pursuits. It just didn't seem to fit. A motherhood-inspired reflection on something faith-related, sure. A treatise on whether or not Moses actually wrote the Pentateuch, not so much. (Not that I will be writing any treatises, but you get the picture.)
In the past few weeks the desire to write more on Scripture and put it out on the interwebs has grown, and so I'm just jumping in. Because otherwise I will plan and dream for six months, and it will grow to something huge and glorious in my dreams (okay, it already has), and then I will talk myself out of actually moving forward.
I humbly invite you to join me in this adventure at Broad and Deep. (And any feedback in this new endeavor would be most appreciated!)
I'm starting a new blog.
Don't worry--I will most certainly be keeping this one. And I hope to be much better about posting pictures and stories of the kiddos--as well as other miscellany. Thanks to the encouragement of some friends and the guilty realization that my negligence has been seriously depriving friends and family of their regular dose of my crazy children, I have firmly resolved to post here more often. You know, more than quarterly.
But.
I have long felt torn between the desire to write more about Scripture and the faith and a certain hesitancy to try to mix my plain ol' mommy blog with more professional or academic pursuits. It just didn't seem to fit. A motherhood-inspired reflection on something faith-related, sure. A treatise on whether or not Moses actually wrote the Pentateuch, not so much. (Not that I will be writing any treatises, but you get the picture.)
In the past few weeks the desire to write more on Scripture and put it out on the interwebs has grown, and so I'm just jumping in. Because otherwise I will plan and dream for six months, and it will grow to something huge and glorious in my dreams (okay, it already has), and then I will talk myself out of actually moving forward.
So here we go.
I humbly invite you to join me in this adventure at Broad and Deep. (And any feedback in this new endeavor would be most appreciated!)
Monday, April 3, 2017
A new addition (but not that kind)
We are excited to announce that last week we welcomed a new member into our family:
This addition has been a long time coming. For the last 3 1/2 years we've been driving a 2001 Sienna, which we bought (very, very) used when we realized there was no way we could fit three carseats in either our Mazda 5 or our Ford Focus. The Sienna served us well (even though the handle broke off the driver-side sliding door two months after we bought it, and it could therefore only be opened from the inside), but at 16 years old and practically 200,000 miles it was done. I was terrified to take it in for an oil change because at this point it's never *just* an oil change, and anything it needed beyond that would almost certainly be well above the worth of the car.
We knew this day was coming. Actually, we've know it was coming pretty much since we bought the Sienna. So we had been planning and saving what we could for a while. It was both exciting and terrifying--the first time either Alex or I had bought a new car. And now I don't want to drive it because WHAT IF IT GETS DIRTY?!?!
(As a child, I hid my Easter candy in my closet and saved it until was stale because I didn't want it to be gone... I'm sure that is in no way related to my current inclination to preserve the pristine new-ness of my new car.)
So. New car--it obviously has to be named. I mean, that is obvious, right? You guys all name your cars, right? Right?
My parents named our cars when I was growing up, and Dene' and I named the cars we shared in high school and college. We had:
Max the Honda Accord
Clarabelle the Isuzu Trooper
Not pictured: Izzy the Ford minivan (Windstar maybe? all I remember was that it was convenient for road trips but NOT COOL to drive in high school)
Touzalin the sporty little Honda Civic (my favorite)
Flint the Ford Focus
And then finally I had a car that was all mine to name without consulting anyone else: Celebrin the Mazda 5.
Yes, Celebrin (kel-EH-breen). If you're thinking, "Hmm, that sounds an awful lot like the Elvish word for 'silver'" then you would be absolutely right. Once it was all up to me I was naming my cars in Elvish. As one does.
Well, we never got around to naming the Sienna for some reason. But our new Odyssey absolutely needs a name, and clearly it needs to be in Elvish (I'm open to either Quenya or Sindarin, in case you were wondering). So I've been poring over the appendices in the Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings in an attempt to find/construct the perfect name.
So after much deliberation and many moments of frustration when I realized that I had unwittingly blended Quenya and Sindarin elements to create a name (can't have that, precious!) we finally settled on a name. Alex fully approved of the endeavor and got a say in the final decision, but I want the record to show that he did mock me throughout the entire process.
We finally settled on Durandir (du-RAHN-deer), meaning "dusk-wanderer" in Sindarin. I preferred the high-elven word for dusk, lómë, but I couldn't make any combinations work to my satisfaction. The price of being a purist, I suppose. And Alex and I agreed that having some form of wander/journey in the name of our Odyssey was too clever to pass up.
So, tell me! Do you name vehicles? What do you call them?
This addition has been a long time coming. For the last 3 1/2 years we've been driving a 2001 Sienna, which we bought (very, very) used when we realized there was no way we could fit three carseats in either our Mazda 5 or our Ford Focus. The Sienna served us well (even though the handle broke off the driver-side sliding door two months after we bought it, and it could therefore only be opened from the inside), but at 16 years old and practically 200,000 miles it was done. I was terrified to take it in for an oil change because at this point it's never *just* an oil change, and anything it needed beyond that would almost certainly be well above the worth of the car.
We knew this day was coming. Actually, we've know it was coming pretty much since we bought the Sienna. So we had been planning and saving what we could for a while. It was both exciting and terrifying--the first time either Alex or I had bought a new car. And now I don't want to drive it because WHAT IF IT GETS DIRTY?!?!
(As a child, I hid my Easter candy in my closet and saved it until was stale because I didn't want it to be gone... I'm sure that is in no way related to my current inclination to preserve the pristine new-ness of my new car.)
So. New car--it obviously has to be named. I mean, that is obvious, right? You guys all name your cars, right? Right?
My parents named our cars when I was growing up, and Dene' and I named the cars we shared in high school and college. We had:
Max the Honda Accord
 |
| me riding in Max, circa... 1989? I guess taking pictures of the exterior of cars wasn't such a priority back in the days of real film that you actually had to buy and then develop... |
Clarabelle the Isuzu Trooper
 |
| L-R: the Christmas tree, Dad, Dene', and I |
Not pictured: Izzy the Ford minivan (Windstar maybe? all I remember was that it was convenient for road trips but NOT COOL to drive in high school)
Touzalin the sporty little Honda Civic (my favorite)
 |
| Dene' and I, first day of my senior year of high school |
 |
| feeling so grown up on our very own sisters-only road trip to the Black Hills the summer after my senior year of high school |
Flint the Ford Focus
 |
| Dene' and I and our friend Ember drove 16 hours for a CFO camp in Ontario (and set up our tent all by ourselves! twice!) and it's a good thing we did, because Ember just happened to meet her husband at that camp :) |
And then finally I had a car that was all mine to name without consulting anyone else: Celebrin the Mazda 5.
 |
| all packed up and off to grad school |
Yes, Celebrin (kel-EH-breen). If you're thinking, "Hmm, that sounds an awful lot like the Elvish word for 'silver'" then you would be absolutely right. Once it was all up to me I was naming my cars in Elvish. As one does.
Well, we never got around to naming the Sienna for some reason. But our new Odyssey absolutely needs a name, and clearly it needs to be in Elvish (I'm open to either Quenya or Sindarin, in case you were wondering). So I've been poring over the appendices in the Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings in an attempt to find/construct the perfect name.
So after much deliberation and many moments of frustration when I realized that I had unwittingly blended Quenya and Sindarin elements to create a name (can't have that, precious!) we finally settled on a name. Alex fully approved of the endeavor and got a say in the final decision, but I want the record to show that he did mock me throughout the entire process.
We finally settled on Durandir (du-RAHN-deer), meaning "dusk-wanderer" in Sindarin. I preferred the high-elven word for dusk, lómë, but I couldn't make any combinations work to my satisfaction. The price of being a purist, I suppose. And Alex and I agreed that having some form of wander/journey in the name of our Odyssey was too clever to pass up.
So, tell me! Do you name vehicles? What do you call them?
Monday, January 23, 2017
Daybook
I'm (delightfully) in between writing projects, and I want to take advantage of this little bit of breathing space to work on some better writing habits. As in, writing more. Any more, really. I love writing, but I've come to the point where I nearly always find it torturous to fill word counts and meet deadlines. I feel like I need to rediscover joy in writing, and this is a good place to do it :)
reading
I've decided that 2017 is going to be the year that I actually put into practice something I've heard many times (and truly believe to be true): if I want to be a better writer, then I need to be intentional about reading good writing.
Duh.
So rather than spending all of my available reading time on the quick-fix entertainment of whatever fantasy and science fiction I can get my hands on, I want to read truly good writing. Fortunately for me there's a fair bit of fantasy and science fiction that is very well-written (you had better believe I'll be rereading the Lord of the Rings for--ahem--professional development this year). But I'm also expanding out of my comfort zone and trying to read a wider variety of genres.
I (finally) signed up on Goodreads to keep a record of what I've read and what I want to read. Come find me and be my friend and give me recommendations!
Here's what I've accomplished so far (full disclosure: several of these I started a long, long time ago and I was finally motivated to finish them so I could check them off a list. I love lists.):
And here's what I'm currently working on:
I'm reading The Green Ember to Michael for our school read-aloud, and we both love it. Unfortunately for me, he's often ready to be done after one chapter--and it takes all the self-control I can muster to not read ahead.
praying
For the intercession of Blessed Angela of Foligno, our family's patron saint for 2017. If you haven't already, check out Jen Fulwiler's patron saint generator--it's our favorite New Year's tradition.
family happenings
Alex and I celebrated our 7th anniversary. We had a delightful dinner & movie date. We're also trying to plan a weekend getaway up to Estes (where we honeymooned those many moons ago), but at this rate it's looking like it might be a 7 1/2 year anniversary present to ourselves this summer (all together now: better late than never!).
Colette is walking. She's not quite steady, but she's getting pretty good at it. She's 14 1/2 months now... the latest walker of the four of them, but the most adventurous. She also climbs everything. It's terrifying.
Michael turned 6 two weeks ago. I still can't believe it.
photo dump
reading
I've decided that 2017 is going to be the year that I actually put into practice something I've heard many times (and truly believe to be true): if I want to be a better writer, then I need to be intentional about reading good writing.
Duh.
So rather than spending all of my available reading time on the quick-fix entertainment of whatever fantasy and science fiction I can get my hands on, I want to read truly good writing. Fortunately for me there's a fair bit of fantasy and science fiction that is very well-written (you had better believe I'll be rereading the Lord of the Rings for--ahem--professional development this year). But I'm also expanding out of my comfort zone and trying to read a wider variety of genres.
I (finally) signed up on Goodreads to keep a record of what I've read and what I want to read. Come find me and be my friend and give me recommendations!
Here's what I've accomplished so far (full disclosure: several of these I started a long, long time ago and I was finally motivated to finish them so I could check them off a list. I love lists.):
The Blue Castle was amazing. I can't believe I've never read any L.M. Montgomery beyond the Anne books. I can't wait to read more of her novels now!
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was the January assignment for a book club I sorta/kinda joined (hey, yeah, I want to be in a book club! Wait, I'm busy... oh, was that tonight? Oops, was I supposed to read a specific book this month?). I had no expectations, but I wanted to be able to make the January meeting--and I really enjoyed it. Can't wait to discuss it with my book club ladies tomorrow night.
The Velvet Room was a recommendation from a friend with impeccable taste in books (thanks Megan!). I wish I would have found this book years ago--it would certainly have been a childhood favorite. Better late than never--it's on my long, long list for Colette some day.
I credit Not God's Type for inspiring me to want to work hard to become a better writer. Ordway's prose was elegant and lovely, and her story is simply amazing as well.
And here's what I'm currently working on:
I'm reading The Green Ember to Michael for our school read-aloud, and we both love it. Unfortunately for me, he's often ready to be done after one chapter--and it takes all the self-control I can muster to not read ahead.
praying
For the intercession of Blessed Angela of Foligno, our family's patron saint for 2017. If you haven't already, check out Jen Fulwiler's patron saint generator--it's our favorite New Year's tradition.
listening
To Zoe Keating. I love cello as background music for reading or writing.
watching
Last Man Standing (on Netflix). Alex and thought the first season was hilarious, but so far we're not impressed with the second season.
family happenings
Alex and I celebrated our 7th anniversary. We had a delightful dinner & movie date. We're also trying to plan a weekend getaway up to Estes (where we honeymooned those many moons ago), but at this rate it's looking like it might be a 7 1/2 year anniversary present to ourselves this summer (all together now: better late than never!).
Colette is walking. She's not quite steady, but she's getting pretty good at it. She's 14 1/2 months now... the latest walker of the four of them, but the most adventurous. She also climbs everything. It's terrifying.
Michael turned 6 two weeks ago. I still can't believe it.
enjoying
Having a little space between writing projects. Long walks. Colette walking and starting to talk. Michael retelling Bible stories. Liam learning to read. John Paul sing songs. Reading as much as I can. Tea.
photo dump
 |
| merry Christmas from the Cranes! |
 |
| cedar waxwing at my in-laws on Christmas day |
 |
| danger girl |
 |
| big boys (not pictured: Liam's helmet--but I promise he does have one!) |
 |
| so big! |
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