Questions

It seems that everyone has a polite question. I'm glad! I'm never quite sure what to answer, but here is what I'm thinking tonight.

"How are you?"
Really? I'm tired and tense, feeling thirsty to meet with God. My mind is reeling with all I think I "ought" to be doing, while I long for peace and rest. At the same time, I feel anticipation of the surprise of what will come next. (T eating face wash?! Done that. Us moving? Again? We'll see.)

"How are B's finals?"
Truthfully? This week stinks in many ways. My husband is gone more than normal, is busier than normal, is stressed. He also can't be touched (poison ivy). He can't communicate in normal ways... typical sentences come out scrambled due to the legal strain. ("Get a Tate for bib.")

"What do you have going on?"
Do you want to know everything? I'll just give you the highlights: all of the customary household things, schooling, etc., plus gardening, helping families with their health, and finding things to do to keep us occupied and cheerful.

"Where are you going after law school?"
We don't know. We would LIKE to stay here. At this stage, we would rather not move again and start over somewhere else. BUT, wherever the Lord wants us to be is where we want to be. If we move from Lynchburg, so be it. He goes before us. If He provides a job for B here, we will rejoice.

"Does B have job possibilities?"
Well, it's possible. He has done the work of looking for a job, but has not had any interviews nor offers of a job. Still, we know that the Lord will provide for us, and it may seem to come out of nowhere. His sovereign hand is working, even now.

This is a bit brash... not sure if it coming out the way I intended. B is reviewing his notes aloud next to me. When I was listening to him it was putting me to sleep. Now that I'm typing, I think I'm just muddled.

In the FINALS Stretch

B has officially finished all of his law school classes! They ended Friday and for the next 8 days he is throwing himself into studying for his two finals and writing a paper.

Seasoned as I am at these law school finals, I was still caught thinking that it really couldn't be that big of a deal this last time around. Apparently, I was wrong again. And I agree with my friend, Emily, that I'm spoiled and take so very much for granted. When B is so absorbed in his work that I am handling all of life around here... it's tiring and I find myself struggling against my fleshly BAD attitude. I truly desire to be a blessing to my husband (not a complaining, bitter, ungrateful wife!)... and these next 8 days will test my dependance on Christ to accomplish any blessing.

This weekend, as Daddy was occupied, I took the kids to the AAF tank museum for their extravaganza. I have boys; my boys loved this. There was a flame thrower demonstration, tennis balls shot from a cannon, a bomb-sniffing dog, a car crushed by a tank, and a seemingly endless array of weapons. The period clothes and hats were the best part for me. Though, I must say that overall, we had a very good day. (I love a good picnic and outing!)

In the line of duty, I also had to help Rhyle get a staple out of his mouth. I thought he was joking at first, but he really did have a staple stuck between his front teeth. I tried not to laugh, and I think we both had a few terrifying seconds wondering what to do.

In addition to that, Tate received his first bee sting. He was on the (poorly) screened porch, and I suspect he tried to catch the bee. (I had seen him attempt this earlier.) As he screamed and his hand swelled, I applied lavender, gave homeopathic remedies, and listened to him repeating, "Bum-Bee, Bum-Bee." I was pleased to see the swelling go down and Tate was calmed. For two days now he has told everyone about his finger and the bum-bee.

Owen lost his head when his cousins were over and went on the roof by himself, without permission.

And Liv... she continues in birthday bliss. At least once each day she happily states, "I'm still FOUR!" I love it. On her birthday she ran around telling OTHER people, "Happy Birthday!" We would say, "Happy Birthday, Livia!" and she would reply, "Happy Birthday!" It was so sweet.

So, all these sweet, traumatizing, dramatic, quiet moments... We shall see what the next 8 days shall hold for us! And when we make it through, B will be graduating and this season of our lives will be passing away.

Easter Photos

A Few Favorites

My mom recently asked me for some of our favorite recipes. As I already had them all typed up, I thought I should also post them here. It's a quick post for a blog that needs updating... but it's also fun to share with you some of the things that our family loves. Maybe you'll find something you love, too.

Creamy Lentil Soup (adapted from Cooking Light)
1 Tbl. olive oil
1 cup sliced carrot
1 cup chopped oinion
2 cups water
1 cup dried lentils
1/3 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
28 oz. chicken broth
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
2 cups milk (rice or coconut)

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat until hot. Add carrot and onion; saute until tender. Add water and next 7 ingredients, stirring well.
2. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, simmer 45 minutes or until lentils are tender.
3. Place half of lentil mixture in food processor and puree until smooth. Repeat with remaining lentil mixture.
4. Pour puree back into pan; stir in milk. Cook over low heat until heated.

I like to double this and I generally add more carrot. It is hearty and good to share!
Yield: 8 servings

Brown Sugar-Cornmeal Muffins (adapted from Cooking Light)
2/3 cup plus 1 Tbl packed brown sugar, divided
1/4 cup plus 2 tsp cornmeal, divided
2 cups all purpose flour (I use freshly ground whole wheat)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup milk (I use kefir or rice milk)
2 Tbl. butter, melted
1 large egg

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Combine 1 Tbl brown sugar and 2 tsp. cornmeal in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Combine flour, 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup cornmeal, and other dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
4. Combine yogurt and all wet ingredients. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
5. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups with liners. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture evenly over the tops of the muffins
6. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Remove muffins from pan immediately.

Baked Oatmeal (yet again! An adaption of A. Ramos')
2 cups uncooked oats
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup raisins
1 Tbl. chopped nuts (walnuts)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 and 1/2 cups milk (or water)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 Tbl. butter, melted (optional)
1 egg, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour into an 8 inch square baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. This is best when it is turning golden brown. Serve warm in bowls with milk.

Pear and Gorgonzola Salad (with a nod to C. Stanley)
4-6 cups salad greens
2 pears, sliced
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4# crumbled gorgonzola
1/4 cup dried craisins

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
2 tsp. shallots or red onion

1. Combine vinegar and next 5 ingredients. Set aside.
2. Prepare salad greens, topping with cheese, walnuts, and pear (optional craisins).
3. Top with dressing immediately before serving.

Herb-Baked Tilapia (with a wink to S. Layman)
4 Tilapia fillets
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise (soy)
2 Tbl. minced onion
1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Place tilapia on foil-lined baking sheet or on a stone.
3. Combine cheese, mayo, and onion in a small bowl. Spread on fish.
4. Mix crumbs and herbs in a separate bowl. (Fresh herbs are best!) Sprinkle over fish.
5. Coat fish lightly with cooking spray and bake 10 minutes, or until fish is cooked through.

Thundered v. Lightninged

We had a nice rainy day here today.

I went to a dentist appointment, where I heard that there was a tornado watch for our area. I was surprised by this, and made a point to mention it to B when I called on my way home. The potential tornado became the hot topic among the children.

When I arrived safely home a few minutes later, Livia (4 tomorrow) needed to tell me something. Apparently B had set her straight on a few things and so she confidently explained to me that I could be "thundered" but I wouldn't die from it. If I was "lightnened," however, I would probably die. (She has always had a concern for storms, as well as difficulty distinguishing between thunder and lightning.) I'm glad that Daddy can make things oh so much clearer.

DataBase for Health

Here is a better link for help with your products. I am SO excited to have access to this kind of database. This is an easier link. I looked up some of the products I'm currently using (with shock) and some alternatives I'll be switching to soon. I'd prefer not to be alarmist, but I also want to make responsible, informed decisions for our family's health... and often I feel in the dark as to what is actually IN things. This helps me.

Easter Lamb Cake

This is THE Easter Lamb Cake, 2009 version.

We had friends over to celebrate Easter with us last night and we had a good laugh over the "lamb cake." When I had invited them over to have lamb cake with us it seems they were hesitant and unsure what they would be in for. (I failed to explain that the cake was shaped like a lamb, not made out of lamb!)

"Lamb cake" is such a familiar expression to me... literally a FAMILY expression. I suspect if you ask any of my "near" Lamoreux relations, they will have a mental picture at the words "lamb cake." My Dad's mother, my Grandma Lamoreux, made "lamb cakes" for Easter. My recollection is that she would make a cake for each of her son's families living close at-hand: John's family and ours. Her lamb cakes were special, with green flaked coconut for grass and jelly beans scattered along the plate. They had fancy rosebud garlands and a rosebud crown. Sometimes they would have a bell tied round their neck with silky pastel ribbon. The cakes were lovely to look at and admire. There is a photo of me as a baby sitting on the counter beside the lamb cake. . . I suspect it was taken in appreciation of Grandma's efforts and to document the "lamb cake" tradition. These cakes were left out for days on end for everyone to admire. By the time someone was daring enough to actually CUT into to cake it would be nearly impossible. We never ATE the lamb cakes. (My sister and I tried once and it was terrible.)

My grandmother passed away many years ago, when I was in jr. high school. Years after that, when I was a young married mother, I inquired about the lamb cake. My Aunt Gretchen had received the mold and had been carrying on the tradition. For a few years we took turns sharing the mold. Then, the mold was given to me with the explanation and hope that I would enjoy making lamb cakes for my own family. The mold seemed so small to me, inside a large cardboard box labeled "lamb mold" on the outside. Best of all, my aunt included two yellowed recipes. One had my grandmother's handwritten notes on it and the other was typewritten on her old typewriter. I love those papers.

I'll admit that my lamb cake isn't beautiful. But it IS edible, and I've come a long way! Last night we laughed over one year's cake that we couldn't keep upright. B and I tried inserting toothpicks and skewers in critical points to keep the lamb from tipping over. We even gentled some of the picks with soft, white marshmallows on the end. We've put skewers down through the head and neck several times (sounds morbid, doesn't it?); Grandma recommended this on the recipe.

One year, I took the Lamb Cake to an Easter fellowship meal. This was a nice, hot, spring day in humid Florida. On the way there I despaired as the icing melted right off the lamb before my very eyes. (I'm pretty sure I cried.) I've taken a cake decorating class (which ironically led me to JuicePlus), but am really not very adept with the techniques. It just takes so darn long to pre-make all those flowers! And I have issues with crisco and cake flower. Even though we're eating cake with buttercream icing, at least our cake was made with freshly milled whole wheat and the butter is real!

It brought me great joy last night to see my family and our friends all enjoying the Lamb Cake- the wonder of a cake shaped like a lamb, the smell of the sugar (yes, my children loved to smell the cake!), as well as the pleasure of eating good cake and icing. I thought of my grandmother and of my family, and I smiled.

Take a Closer Look at Burt's Bees... and others

Now that I know how to link, I may overwhelm you with the great things I find- I mean, things my husband sends to me.

Take this, for instance. I am a local market kind of girl. I prefer things made small, sold small. I like to have personal connection with food growers and processors and entrepreneurs of all kinds. So I find this article troubling. I have grown suspect of things large: large government, large corporations, large fruit (come on; they really don't grow that big NATURALLY!). I don't like this, even if it does mean that these small companies can now have a diluted effect on a larger number of people (see page 4).

Here is the post.

And, if you are curious about the products you use, or are looking for healthier/safer alternatives, I suggest you visit this site.

On My Book List

After hearing an outstanding lecture on Friday, I've added this book to my "read this" list:

Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal: War Stories From the Local Food Front by Joel Salatin

Hopefully, I'll have more notes to post later.

Savory Avocado-Yogurt Dip

This is a recipe I used for today's Easter celebration. B is requesting that I NOT LOSE this recipe and that I make it often... so I figured it would be worth sharing (and I won't lose it if it's blogged!). Think guacamole with a twist. I love this for the fresh, green ingredients and I love tossing everything in the food processor- so easy! The original recipe is from Cooking Light magazine. Enjoy!

Savory Avocado-Yogurt Dip

3/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3 Tbl. chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbl. finely chopped, seeded jalapeno pepper
2 Tbl. fresh lime juice
1 Tbl. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
3 ripe, peeled, seeded avocados
1 garlic clove

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

You can prepare this up to 8 hours in advance and refrigerate in an airtight container (with an avocado seed to diminish browning). This creamy dip is great with pita chips and veggie sticks.

Resurrection Cookies!

It's the eve of Easter. This is a recipe our family has used for years as we talk about the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord. I found this in a church newsletter and have generally maintained what was printed there.

Note: Sometimes we read the Scripture first, and sometimes we prefer to read it after we do the cookie step.

You Need:
1 cup whole pecans
3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vinegar
1 pinch of salt

Mixing bowl
Wooden spoon
Bible
Zipper baggie
Waxed paper
Cookie sheet
Tape.

1.Preheat oven to 300.
2. Read John 19:1-3. Put pecans in a baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. After Jesus was arrested, the Roman soldiers beat Him.
3. Read John 19:28-30. Let the children smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. into mixing bowl. When Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink.
4. Read John 10:10-11. Add egg whites tot he vinegar. Eggs represent life. Jesus gave His life to give us life.
5. Read Luke 23:27. Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. This represents the salty tears shed by Jesus's followers and the bitterness of our own sin.
6. So far the ingredients are not very appealing. Add 1 cup sugar. The sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.
7. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3. Beat ingredients on high speed with a mixer for 10-15 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.
8. Read Matthew 27:65-66. Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoonful onto waxed paper-covered cookie sheet. Each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.
9. Put the cookie sheet into the oven. Close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.
10. Go to bed! Even though we may be sad to leave the cookies in the oven... it reminds us that Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.

On Resurrection morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie! Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! (Well, they may be. Ours generally aren't quite!) On the first Resurrection Day, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9 as you celebrate.

[note: my cookies did not turn out well; I suspect my oven self-cooled so that the temperature was too low to finish the merengue. Next year I'll let the cookies cook longer! (though these were still tasty!)]

Hallelujah! He is Risen!

Congratulations

My sister, Cara, is now engaged to marry Danny Griffith! We are very happy for them.

Do you ever feel that you "know" when the right people are together? Or thought you knew that a couple definitely was not right for each other? Well, I have those kinds of feelings... and I sense that Danny and Cara fit. Now, this also flies in the face of my opinion that arranged marriages are desireable and that love is more often a choice than a feeling.. . but all the same, I have a good feeling about this. (oh yes, and I do realize that my OPINION doesn't matter a WHIT in all this.)

Congratulations, Danny and Cara!



(Photo from Creme de la Crepe... hence the Paris coaster!)

Recent Photos

No time to post; Grandma is visiting and we are having TOO much fun. I'll update ya'll soon; she leaves tomorrow. In the meantime, here are photos from Natural Bridge Zoo.

Busy Outside

Saturday was gloriously beautiful here, with sunshine after days of rain and temperatures in the 70s.

It was a great day to work outside, and so we did! We planted radishes and carrots in our garden, B and kids dug out weeds and stumps, things were trimmed, and everyone generally worked vigorously.

We purchased two Barberry plants to fill in the front landscape. It became my job to plant them, and I enlisted Livia's "help."

"What are we doing, Mom?" she asked.

I told her that I was going to plant two Barberries and I needed her to help me put the dirt back in the holes. She was eager to comply.

All went well with the first plant.

Then Liv asked me, "Are you ready for the second BARBARIAN?"

After the second Barbarian was planted, I went to the back to fetch the hose. On the way, I had to draw a chalk person for Rhyle, pick up Tate, and watch Owen perform tricks.

By the time I returned to the front... this is what I found. My darling was applying mud with a stick to the front of the house. Just another busy day outside.

He Prefers A Glimpse

Today we met with our Classical Conversations group to have a morning of memory review. Afterwards, I asked my boys what they thought. Did they prefer our regular CC mornings, or did they think this review morning was better?

"I liked today better." Owen said decisively.

"Why?!" Rhyle exclaimed. "We didn't even get a GLIMPSE of the playground!"

"That's because it was a rainy day,"Livia quipped.

For Good Health

"To encure good health;
-eat lightly,
-breathe deeply,
-live moderately,
-cultivate cheerfulness,
-maintain an interest in life."
William Londen