Serendipity

It started a couple of weeks ago when my SECOND batch of home-made chicken stock got away from me before I could take care of it. I told my sweet darling, Norm, that I needed to cook the chicken on Friday so I would have time on Saturday to take care of it – strain the bones out, package, and freeze. That may not appear to be a lot of effort, but when life is moving forward at the speed of a freight train, it seemed like plenty. So, I planned it, and put the chicken in the crockpot yesterday morning before leaving for work, using a variation of this recipe. Then, last week when we were headed to the Dane County Farmers Market, Norm put in a request for one of his favorite foods that his Mom used to make. Now, you must understand, Norm’s parents were both of German heritage, and this dish is distinctly German. It is creamed lettuce on boiled potatoes. Since we were headed to the Farmers Market, I made sure to get the lettuce and the potatoes – couldn’t have timed it better, as one of the vendors had German butter potatoes. How totally appropriate for the dish I intended to use them for. It was a gamble to get them, though, as I knew nothing about the cooking properties of German butter potatoes. As it happened, they turned out to be perfect for boiled potatoes. Since asparagus is in season and we love it, we bought some of that, too. So, here we were with all the fixings for a “down-on-the-Farm” meal, and just the two of us to eat it. Hmmm – must be time to invite company. Then Norm’s buddy, Tom, called him on Thursday about getting together. How perfect is that? So we invited Tom and his lovely wife, Lesa, to join us, and getting into the spirit, they brought home-made corn muffins, honey from the bee’s that Tom keeps, and a marvelous rhubarb crunch and ice cream for dessert. It isn’t often that circumstances come together in such a way but what a joy and blessing when they do. Thanks, Tom and Lesa for a fun evening of mutual camaraderie! Hope we can do it again soon! Now I’d better go and take care of my THIRD batch of chicken stock!

Doesn't this look like a meal you'd like to sit down to? [the creamed lettuce is mid-right]

Check the “In the Kitchen” page for recipes for the chicken and creamed lettuce. You’ll also find a picture of the turkey on the gardening page.

Restoration...

Do you ever run into one of those times when you reach an end? You know the kind I mean - where you’ve finished a big project or made it through an especially busy period of your life? That’s me right now. I just finished a very busy school year and was plagued with illness along the way, and am very much feeling the need to take time to be refreshed. I’ve been asking myself what that means over the course of the past few weeks, and realized that I simply need to do some of the things that I enjoy that tend to get shelved when I take on outside commitments. So - I made a short list of summer priorities. If it’s not on the list, it might not get done. As I write this, I’m reminded of the summer after I finished taking college classes. I hadn’t had much opportunity to read for pleasure, so I promised myself that is would be a summer of reading - and it was - 11,000 pages of reading strictly for enjoyment. This summer’s priority list includes gardening and working in the yard, practicing my music, writing, 15 minutes a day of housecleaning (ala Flylady), camping and fishing. Here’s to hoping that by summers end I will feel mentally and physically restored. What do you plan to do this summer to refresh yourself? Write a comment and tell me about it.

Doro...What?

Most days part of my routine for preparing to leave for work includes packing a lunch. I have two primary reasons for doing so. The first is economics. I other words, I’m a cheapskate and packing my lunch is the cheapest way for me to eat. The second is self-control. By packing my lunch I can attempt to regulate my food intake. Most of the time lunch is a salad during warm weather, or soup when the weather is cold. Then there are infrequent days like yesterday when I allow myself to splurge. After a very busy weekend that included coordinating a festival for my church and attending a wedding, I felt like I was due for a treat. If you’re from the Madison area, you probably know that Library Mall on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison plays host to several lunch stands where you can purchase a variety of different types of ethnic food including Mexican, Greek, and one of my favorites- East African. So yesterday when lunchtime came around, I headed out for a stroll to Buraka. My original intention was to get some Dorowat - a spicy chicken dish that I crave occasionally - but when I got to the cart and scoped out the menu, I decided to opt for the Vegetarian Peanut Stew. As with the Dorowat, the stew tends to be a bit spicy, but was the perfect choice to warm me up on a chilly day. The Peanut Stew had potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, and onions, and is covered in a rich, creamy peanut sauce that has that wonderful yellowish tinge that tells you turmeric has been added along with the other spices. When ordering they offer a choice of rice or injera, a traditional Ethiopian bread made with teff flour that you can’t buy conveniently anywhere else. The injera has the flavor of sour dough, and the form of a somewhat thick crepe. I wouldn’t dream of going with rice, knowing that the injera is something special that shouldn’t be missed out on. Add to that a side of Ethiopian lentils, and it’s a great lunch to have for a treat! If you happen to be in the Madison area and wandering State Street, I recommend trying Buraka. In the evenings, the restaurant is also available. Check it out!

Bowtie Primevera

Sunday was a busy day as Norm and I worked on the garden, so I was looking to put together a quick meal. Having been to the Farmers Market the day before, there were plenty of options available. Since I was in the mood for pasta, this is what I came up with:

Bowtie Primevera
1 C. Bowtie pasta, cooked according to package directions
6 stalks asparagus, broken or cut in pieces
1 medium-sized fresh tomato, diced
1 T. dried basil
1/4 C. heavy cream
2 T. romano cheese
Garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste
Half a fresh cucumber, cut into wedges for garnish
Leaf lettuce, enough to cover 2 serving plates

Cook the bowtie pasta according to package directions. A couple of minutes before it reaches al dente, add the asparagus to cook lightly. While pasta is cooking, arrange leaf lettuce on two dinner plates. When pasta is cooked and asparagus is bright green, drain. Return pasta and asparagus to pan. Add the diced tomato, dried basil, heavy cream, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir until slightly thick. Divide into two portions and serve on a bed of leaf lettuce. Garnish with cucumber wedges. Eat! Serves 2. Prep time: half hour or less

Verdict: this was a perfect spring meal, something warm, but still had the flavors of the fresh spring vegetables and went together quickly. This would be good with diced chicken or shrimp in it.

Starting again!

So - my daughter informs me that only people from Wisconsin start a conversation with the word "so". I'm from Wisconsin - and I do it a lot - start sentences with the word "so", that is. Hopefully it won't be enough to annoy you. Anyway, so I'm back at the blogger game, in the hope of improving my writing skills. We will see what happens. Come on along for the ride!

Tribute to a Great Dog

This has been a year full of trials for our family in the pet realm. In January are 11-year-old cat, Spike, passed away. He was affectionate as far as cats go, and we miss him. Then, a month ago my little dog, Nala, was attacked by a bigger dog with no warning or provocation. After two nights at the Emergency Vet Service, and a couple of weeks of wearing the cone of shame, she is now fairly well recovered. And now - just as we are relegating that experience to the annals of our family history, Asia reached the point where to keep her alive is no longer the most loving, compassionate decision we could make. Her life, which revolved totally around Norm's and the seasons of the year -especially Fall and hunting time, was lived for the purpose of adoring her master. I must confess, that the animals we have surrounded ourselves with have given me an unexpected glimpse of the kind of relationship God wants with us. I think of the way Asia would lean in toward Norm any time she was sitting next to him, and how her eyes would be focused on his face, just waiting for him to reach down and pet her. Knowing that, he always did reach down and pet her, and frequently give her some tummy scratching, as well. I can't help but think how God wants us to look at Him with the face of adoration, and how focusing on Him helps us to be prepared for whatever He sends our way.

As Asia has gotten older, it has been apparent that arthritis had come to stay, and more recently we observed a mass in her mouth. On Friday, she began having bouts of diarrhea, and a trip to the Vet on Saturday confirmed that the mass in her mouth had quadrupled in size in the past few months, and that the diarrhea was probably a stress-reaction to the pain she's been in. That being the case, Norm made the hard decision that it was time to let her go, and not to let her suffer anymore. Asia - you were a great dog, and we miss you.

Hi, all. It's been awhile since I posted, as I've been finding it more fun to play with Nala than to write about her. Today, I'm usurping the Nala blog to do a Christmas letter and, hopefully, provide an update on the activities of this branch of the family.

Life is still as busy as ever for Norm and I, even though the last child flew the coop almost 2.5 years ago now. Norm has been on the elder board at church for the past couple of years and in 2010 will serve his second year as chair. We never could have guessed this would happen, but the Lord has been in the timing. He continues to work at MMHI, though visions of retirement are starting to dance in his head. He also continues to enjoy hunting, especially for geese and deer. This year wasn't the best, as he only got one goose and no deer. Both of his hunting buddies got deer, though, and were very gracious to share with us. Norm has also taken up smoking as a hobby. No - NOT that kind of smoking! ;-) The kind that involves a smoker, various kinds of meat, and lots of time! So far he has smoked venison, goose, beef (including jerky), salmon, chicken, pork, and catfish. This is one hobby of his that I get to enjoy the outcome of!

I celebrated 16 years of state employment this year, and am enjoying my current position as the administrative assistant for the Director the ROTC programs here at the University. Besides working, I've continued in my church activities as co-chair of the Hospitality Team at church (we organize the regular Fellowship luncheons), leading Moms Group, and coordinating our churchs big Memorial Day festival, "Oak Fest." In between, I hang out with my sweet little pooch, Nala. She has been a tremendous blessing to me in ways I could not have foreseen. She is the best exercise partner I could imagine. These days I get in two 20 minutes every single day - no questions asked. I have to admit I like it way better than I would a gym membership, and on top of that, I have company when Norm is off hunting.

Jaime graduated from Motorcycle Mechanics Institute in Phoenix in October 2008, and we thought things were okay with her job situation, but in February of this year the economy caught up with her and she was laid off. By July it became apparent that coming back to WI and working at her grandparents bakery would be a good idea until something else came along. Well, she's still working at the bakery, and we're enjoying have her so close at hand after 10 years of having her off in the nether regions of the country, but it looks like something else has come along. The contracting firm she worked for after completing her military tour has offered her the option of going to Afghanistan at the end of March. We're praying something better comes along!

This has been a big year for Josh, as he married the love of his life, Shelly. The date was set for August, but they got impatient and decided to make it legal in June, but still have the ceremony and reception in August. Whatever - they are now married. Pastor said at the August wedding that they were tying a double knot! Mom and Dad have decided that in the future each kid only gets ONE wedding!

You may recall that immediately following his high-school graduation Jason moved to Phoenix, ostensibly to help Jaime pay the rent so she could finish up her schooling. He found work there as a security guard and helped pay the rent, but as soon as her schooling was finished, he came back to Madison. A year and half away helped put the importance of family in perspective for him. He applied for a job at Mendota and has been working there since March, and shares an apartment with a friend that is just 2 blocks away from Mom and Dad's house.

Thus ends this condensed version of the family update. Hope all of you are well, and we rejoice with many answered prayers. Niece, Gwen, has completed her radiation therapy for breast cancer and is now cancer-free and is a happy newlywed to Brian, who has been special to her for a long time. Congratulations to you both. Great nephew, Travis and his wife, Emily have a new baby that was born quite early, and is now home and doing well with his Mom and Dad. Thanks to Facebook, we're able to keep up with these things a bit better. Great niece, Christine and her husband, Jason have two precious boys, Noah and Eli. Eli is only 17 months old, and has health issues that need much prayer. Looks like he will need a trachea replacement in the near future. Please keep them in your prayers.

From our family to yours, we wish you a very blessed Christmas & New Years season! Norm and Donna