Chocolate Chip Cookies

I haven't posted a recipe in a while...for no particularly good reason! So here's one of my favorites. I've long been on the search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I've found it, twice, actually, but both times I chickened out in asking the baker to share the recipe. It was SO good I figured they'd say no. And I hate rejection. So this is the recipe I make. In my heart I know it's not the best in life, but it is pretty stinkin' good, I have to say.

Every time I make these cookies, Mom begs me to save her back a little bag of them. I love having my great-cook-of-a-mother beg me for my cooking, so sometimes I make them just to boost my culinary-esteem. Okay maybe not.

I'll admit...I'm not a cookie-dough snatcher. I figure that is one less I will have to eat later if I eat it straight from the bowl. I know that half the fun of making chocolate chip cookies is eating a tablespoon or six from the bowl, but I just don't do it. But few treasures in the kitchen are as wonderful as a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie straight from the oven...along side some extra cold milk. That is my reward for making these. I try to sample no less than three per baking.
From there I try to give the rest away, lest I make my way into cookie obesity. I love making these to take to the office when we're stressed (they're usually gone in less than four hours), to send to my friends in college (because what college student doesn't need a chocolate chip cookie fix?), and of course...to pacify my Mom, who adamantly says her batches of this recipe just don't taste like mine.

The Recipe:

2 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups shortening
4 eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla
4 1/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and drop by teaspoon onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

As usual, I prefer to run the generic food route. However, I will say that though I buy generic, I always buy pure vanilla rather than imitation. And for shortening, I use the Crisco butter-flavored shortening sticks. They are pricey, but in my opinion, they're totally worth the skipped hassle of measuring shortening - even if you have the Pampered Chef measure-all cup that makes stuff like this easier. These come in sticks like butter, with measurements marked on the wrapper, and you just cut what you need and go! And the butter-flavored kind does make a difference in the taste of this recipe (or so Mom has concluded).

I use my biggest mixing bowl because this really does make a huge batch! I choose to mix together all the dry ingredients first (sugar, brown sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt).

I cut the shortening sticks up into pieces and melt them in the microwave to make for easier mixing.

Yeah, it looks kind of gross, but it does mix better. Sometimes I melt the shortening completely and sometimes I just soften/semi-melt it.

Once I've added the shortening, I throw in the eggs, and vanilla and stir it all up.

By the time you add all those ingredients, the batter is pretty thick and hard to stir. I just stick a baggie on my hand and mix it up that way. It helps me make sure everything really is well-mixed.

Then I add the chocolate chips - the whole bag. And I opt NOT to add nuts because I don't like them in the baking. And since I give away so many, I never know when someone might be allergic.

Because I'm OCD about my cooking, like I am about everything...I roll mine into little balls rather than just dropping them by the spoonful.

Ta-Da!!!! Yummy cookies. I let them cool only for about 1 minute before I transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Any less and they fall apart from being too warm...any longer and they tend to break from cooling too much on the pan.

This would be the place to get the big glass of milk! I think this recipe makes about 6-7 dozen cookies, so it's a lot!

Weirdness and Water Cooler Talk

...Oh how I enjoyed vacation. The sleeping in...the taking it easy...I enjoyed the days off as days off deserve to be enjoyed. I was a great blend of productive and lazy.

And real life resumed starting Monday morning at alarm time. WAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! Since I thought some of you might need a laugh...and because water cooler talk time has also resumed...

* Went to Wal-Mart Monday night. Ended up waiting a while in line (gasp) and this middle-aged man was wandering up and down the main aisle that runs behind all the check-out lanes. He was carrying on a marvelous conversation with himself. (It really was with himself - there were no hidden blue-tooths.) He eventually cut in front of my cart, which I allowed him to do since I wasn't about to get caught in talking whatever nonsense he was jabbering. He proceeded to choose a candy bar...and talked to the entire selection of them as he chose. I quickly got on the phone with my sister so as to avoid the situation. He sounded much like Ernest T Bass from Andy Griffith - though he didn't throw rocks at anyone.

* Last night was the season premiere of the Bachelor. Mr. Jason. What a sweetie. I found (as I expected) that most of the "amazing 25 women" were a little on the shallow side. To warn you...I'm terrible with names at the beginning of seasons...but I really liked the widow with the little girl. I thought she seemed pretty normal. I was glad he offered her a rose. At this point, that's the only favorite I have. But this whole twist of bringing DeAnna back - what is that!?!? I have theories, but I'm sure none of them are right.

* After my LONG, insanely busy day at work, my LONG, insanely busy night of chores, and two hours of watching Jason and his 25 amazing women, I was ready for some SLEEP. Only - I couldn't fall asleep. Don't you hate it when that happens? I finally fell asleep shortly before one, only to be awakened a few minutes later by some music. I could not figure out what it was or where it was coming from. I ruled out the cell phone (didn't recognize it as one of my ringtones and the phone was not ringing when I found it and looked at it). I ruled out an ice cream truck (given that it is January and it was one in the morning). I thought for a moment it might be this stuffed Christmas cat I have that has a music box in its paw. It's packed away for the season, but at 1:00 in the morning, I could well envision a monstrosity of a raccoon or possum somehow getting into the storage, opening the plastic tub, and pushing the cat's paw. But the music wasn't Christmas music, so I had to rule that out as well. Then I recognized the music. La Cucaracha. I knew what it was...this stupid toy I have for when my friends' kids come over to play. It has several songs on it and that's one of them. I was a bit concerned that said toy was in a room with no people and from the looks of my bed - no cats. How did it start playing? I almost called 911, thinking I had an intruder, but I wasn't sure how to explain to them that I'd concluded I had a break-in based on a toy playing La Cucaracha at one in the morning. So I investigated the house, found nothing amiss, and forced myself to believe a cat had hit the toy, and made it back to my room before I was coherent enough to realize what happened. Tonight, however, I walked by that stupid toy and it just started playing. No one was touching it. Dumb toy.

* Consequently, I had a headache and felt icky for most of today. I rallied in time to make caramel corn and watch the Biggest Loser. Not sure how I feel about this twist of sending 9 people home on the first night! But I really like the older couple (bless their hearts) and the 19 year old who lost 30 pounds in one week. SWEET. And I did not see one single Vicky in that crowd of people...although I guess time will tell.

I think that hits the highlights of the last couple of days...I shall now figure out how to remove the stupid batteries from that stupid toy.

Bits for Sunday, January 4, 2009

I told you last week that in all my preparation for the new year, I’d purchased a new devotional book. I managed to leave the front cover shut until January 1, but once the day arrived, I grabbed the book, a pen, and a leftover thank-you card to serve as my underlining ruler (canNOT mess up the book with crooked underlining) and settled in to learn.

Apparently the book has a weekly theme, and theme one is faith. I had to smile…I might have known God would want me to start there. Two years ago I did a year-long study on faith – reading through every verse in the Bible that mentions any variation of the word faith. Each verse is now highlighted in blue, pink, or green – and surrounded by boxes, squiggly lines and notes scribbled in the margin. I kind of felt like I had a head start on week one.

Until I started reading.

The day’s verse came straight from Hebrews 11. No surprise there, since it’s considered the faith chapter. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Despite all my careful coloring, box-drawing, and squiggly-line-making two years ago, I began to notice things in this verse I’d not seen before. (Perhaps a demonstration of how the Word of God is alive and active?)

First, I noticed a couple of pretty strong words: impossible and must. No faith? No pleasing God. Pretty simple. Want to demonstrate faith? Two things have to be done. Pretty simple again. And yet…not simple at all to put into practice. At least not for me. (Incidentally, the next day’s devotional was about developing the faith of a child, and I think kids probably have a great grasp on Hebrews 11:6. Most of their lives haven’t been muddied up enough yet to complicate their view of God.)

Then I took a look at the two things required for God-pleasing faith. First…believe that He exists. Well at least I have one thing accomplished! And then I stared at number two: believe He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Uh-oh. That part doesn’t come so easily for me. Suddenly I sensed my first assignment of 2009 – and I was only one day into the year!

It’s something I’m aware I won’t perfect overnight…or even overJanuary. It’s a process, and I’ll have to be willing to work my way through the journey.

And speaking of journey – the prayer at the bottom of the January 1 devotional included a reminder to be thankful for the “cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) surrounding us. It made me think of all the people throughout my life who have come up alongside me, whether for just a moment or for a long stretch, to encourage me and provide an example of how to live. So many names came to mind, and I realized again how rich life is when friendships strengthen it.

The year has just begun and already my journal pages are full of things I know I need to work on…be aware of…live intensely. It’s one thing to think about all those things when each day is a vacation day. Once work resumes, the challenge will be to make time to work on the character while making time for chores and responsibilities. Such is the way of a new year.

But for you who have become part of the cloud of witnesses around me…know that I am thankful for you and the words of encouragement you continually give to me. And as I learn about believing God’s desire to reward His children…and many other facets of faith and life…I look forward to walking the journey alongside you.

Things of January...

As I've said before, I love a new year. Everything about it. If every day could be a New Year's Day, I'd get so much done...and yet so little done.

Today was a pretty perfect New Year's Day. Sleeping in...fixing breakfast...which runs into lunch...venturing out only if I feel so inclined...scrapping...TV marathons...cooking dinner...plenty of time to read my Bible and journal...these are the makings of a perfect New Year's Day.

And then before January ends I find myself back in the rushing mode. But for today it feels good to have things under control.

Ringing in the new year (for me) brought a new experience:


This is my first and probably final attempt at pool. From now on the only pool I think I like is the one with the word "swimming" in front of it. Last night I was invited over to Chris and Trudy's house (friends of mine for the last several years) - and Chris took me to the garage to show me his newly created "man cave." The prominent feature was this refurbished pool table, and he insisted that I try it, playing against Trudy's sister, Joy. He assured me she'd just learned to play and really it would be fine. Joy had the win of her pool career. There's just no way to describe how horrible I am at pool. I begged to quit. Chris wouldn't let me. But I think everyone rejoiced when Joy finally won and I could go back in the house and play with the kids.

So with 2008 and non-swimming-pool(s) behind me, I am excited about January.

* New season of The Biggest Loser. I so hope this new season goes back to being inspirational and doesn't have all the Vicky-ish drama of last season.

* New season of The Bachelor. Truth be told, I've about had it with this show. It's getting annoying. But I so wanted Jason to be chosen last time that I just have to watch this one last season and see who he falls in love with! (Will they still be in love by the time the finale airs? THERE is the question.)

* New season of American Idol. Yes, I do plan to do something besides watch TV! But you all know I love this show!! I'm not sure how I'm going to juggle all three new seasons - especially since a couple of them overlap in airing times. But we'll see how it goes.

* Scrapping with my buddies. My scrapping buddies from my previous church were kind enough to extend an invitation for me to join them in their January scrap day, so I'm really excited about that. I miss them!

* Church retreat. The ladies at my new church have a retreat planned, and one of my new friends invited me to go. I'm looking forward to that time of getting away - and getting to know them better. They are fun girls!!

* Smaller case-load! We just hired a new counselor at work - an added position, not a replacement - so this means my group of students gets smaller. I'm sad about losing some of them, but I always love a smaller group because it means I get to spend more time working with the ones I have. The new division starts next week.

* NO SHOVELING! Okay so that's just on my wish list. But it would be so so nice to have a month with no ice and no snow accumulation over an inch!! (I know, I know...move to Arizona.)

I'm sure there's more...but the laundry is almost done drying...and I have a dessert yet to make and some other chores to do.

In the meantime - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Bits for Sunday, December 28, 2008

Four days left until the new year…and technically only three, since today is mostly gone. I’ve been busily prepping for 2009, something that probably only the uber-organized can truly appreciate. All the Christmas decorations have been packed away in their tubs, the gifts I received have all been granted permanent homes, I’m taking a break from cropping the photos that I am determined to have in an album by the end of the week, and when I am done writing, I’ll head to the day planner to scope out the rest of the week’s chores.

The new calendar is on the wall – with all the birthdays and anniversaries scribbled in pink. My new devotional book is in on the shelf, and I’m forcing myself to refrain from peeking ahead. I’ve reorganized the kitchen, the desk, and everything in the buffet. I’ve made a list of things I either need or want to do to the house this year. And of course…I have constructed the list for 2009.

Earlier tonight I was chatting with my sister, and I told her I about had the list completed, and she said “Please tell me it doesn’t have 25 things on it.” I had to laugh. Just because it has been…long…the last two years doesn’t mean it has to be this year, right? And it’s not. This year the theme is to simplify.

I’ve been reading Gloria Gaither’s book Something Beautiful. It contains the stories behind about 75 songs she and Bill have written. Being the rather shameless Gaither groupie that I am…I’m loving everything about this book.

Christmas night, as I found my focus shifting away from the excitement of the season and toward the preparation week before the new year, I read the chapter about the song Something Beautiful. I’m an underliner, and most of this chapter now sports a black line under each sentence.

Gloria tells of the time when their oldest daughter, Suzanne, was a little girl, and she sat down at the table to paint a picture. She worked hard but eventually the paper was soaked with water and paint, and a giant blob of black paint landed (accidentally) in the middle of the paper. She tried to work with it, but the painting just got worse. She found a washcloth and tried to soak up some of the paint and water, but only succeeded in rubbing a hole in the middle of the sheet. That was the end for poor Suzanne, and she ran crying to her mother.

Gloria went on to say, “So often we are like Suzanne and her painting. We start out with noble dreams and aspirations. We harbor high hopes and lofty ambitions…And at first we seem to be in control of our lives…But somehow…before we know it, we have passed our thirtieth birthdays and life is getting complicated. By forty we are beginning to realize that we’ve made some choices we regret, taken some turns we never thought we’d take…we try to fix it on our own, to cover what our hearts are telling us, but if the truth were known, we get up in the morning with a hole in our souls big enough to drive a Mack truck through. And in our rare honest moments we know we’re no closer to our hopes and dreams than we were at the start.” (p. 41)

After Suzanne’s cries had quieted, her mother suggested there might be another sheet of paper in the closet…and there was. Gloria gave her the paper and let her start over with a brand new painting.

She said, “…Jesus…doesn’t just patch up our lives. He doesn’t just ‘make do’ out of what we have left. He gives us a brand-new sheet, a clean state to start over with.” (p. 42)

To me, a new year is a new sheet of paper. An opportunity to recognize that though I may have made a mess, I’m being offered the chance to start again. A new year is more than an organized desk, an unopened book, and blank calendar squares. It’s a chance for a new outlook. New purpose. New priorities.

And as you take the newness of the year offered to you this week, I wish you the very best!

Christmas Lights!!

A couple of years ago, Faith (see post below) and I went on a search for the best and worst Christmas lights in town. Last year we didn't get to go, since the season was pre-empted by the birth of Faith's second baby, but this year we went again.

Aunt Bekah and the kiddos - ready to go looking for Christmas lights!

We went to the park to look at the "official display" but EVERY LIGHT between my house and the park was announced by the tour guide in the back seat. "LIGHT! THERE'S ONE!" Faith said we had to respond that we'd seen the lights or she would not be happy. So our conversations were interrupted every two or three words with an "Uh huh! Pretty!"

Apparently lights are funny....

Christmas with Faith

This past weekend was my Christmas get-together with Faith, one of my college roommates. She is also my faithful scrapbooking buddy. I love any occasion to hang out with Faith - not only because she's fun, but because we both understand the photo obsession. Anything and everything should be preserved as a memory! Takes a scrapper to get that.

This year, Faith and her daughters came over to my house, where we exchanged gifts, and then we went out to look at Christmas lights.

We learned that babies much prefer cat toys to the actual gift to unwrap.

Big sisters, however, love gifts. Their own AND their baby sister's. (Yes, I'd just been to the gym again. But at least this time I wore red!)

And then big sisters discover Aunt Bekah's camera and go around the house on a picture taking CRAZE. But hey, it ended with this pretty good one of Faith and me! Not bad!

Christmas/Birthday with Olivia

One of my the things I've loved most about life for the past five or six years has been the opportunity to meet with Olivia. I knew her from church, and one night at Bible study, her mom sort of matched us into a mentoring relationship. I'd never done anything like that before and had no idea what to expect. We started out meeting for coffee once a week (Thursday evenings, actually) and studying Elizabeth George books together.

After Olivia graduated from high school, we kept meeting, but her college schedule has made it a little tougher to meet as regularly. Still, I really enjoy that time we get to share and I have learned way more from her than she has from me.

This year, for Christmas and her birthday, Olivia came over to my house and we spent the entire evening together (our celebration interrupted only by the 2 hour finale of the Biggest Loser) catching up and EATING!!!!

We recognized our dinner of a large pizza as the "what not to do" advice of choice during the Biggest Loser finale, but we ate it anyway. It was GOOD.

We exchanged our Christmas gifts - and she gave me this very cute cappuccino cup/plate set, which I LOVE. Do you love the closed captioned television behind me? HGTV, you know. (By the way, I'd normally be more festively dressed, but I'd just come home from the gym. Yes, I know - the pizza undid it. )

And then it was time to celebrate her birthday! Candles, party hats, noisemakers, balloons, roses, sparkling grape juice - the WHOLE nine yards.

Merry Christmas!

I just have a minute here...as I am already running late for the family Christmas. WOOPS!

But I wanted to pop in and wish you a Merry Christmas and share with you a portion of something from today's Advent reading. (This is part of the study I wrote two years ago.) And today - probably more than most Christmases - this is a message I need to hear again. So I share it...for me...and with you.

~ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ~ John 3:17
God saw.

God Himself, seated on a Heavenly throne, high and exalted, honored by the seraphs and angels, saw.

He saw people, created in His own image, who were desperately in need. The sight was not a new one for Almighty God. Hundreds of years earlier, He had gazed into the Garden of Eden, a perfect paradise He had made for the man Adam, and He saw a need. He saw a man in need of companionship, and He arrived to form a woman to complement, help, and sustain him.

And in every human life that followed the creation of Adam and Eve, God saw need. Never did a need go unmet. The love of the Creator for the creation of His hand caused Him to send rain on the righteous and the unrighteous alike.

As the years went by and the Hand of Heaven provided for the people of earth, God saw the greatest need of all: a Savior. He vowed through the prophet Isaiah that the people walking in darkness would see a great light. A child would be born. A son would be given. But not just any son. His own Son. His only Son.

Sitting upon the Throne of Heaven, God saw needs that could only be met by meeting the Savior Himself…

...In His great love, God gave up the One He loved most. His one and only Son. He prepared Jesus for a mission of love and compassion…a mission that would culminate in the ultimate love gift. A life sacrifice that made it possible for us to be called the children of God. He sent Jesus to meet the hurting and to change their lives in gentle tenderness.

And as you celebrate the remembrance of His birth in Bethlehem, you cannot offer back to Him a greater gift than the offering of your own life as a sacrifice. Not in crucifixion, but as a holy and pleasing sacrifice of worship.

This same Savior who arrived to love and touch and bless…wants to be the same Savior to you.

The day of His birth probably wasn’t December 25th. Giant flakes of snow didn’t fall from the sky and carolers didn’t lurk outside the stable door singing songs of good cheer. No hot chocolate with marshmallows and cut out sugar cookies awaited Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, or anyone else. No festively adorned fir tree stood in the corner of the stable, and no brightly-colored gift wrap hid any well-kept secret.

The first Christmas was so very different from the celebrations of this year. But it was no less cause for celebration. Whether it was day or night, hot or cold, a Gift of God came from Heaven’s Halls to bring new life…not just to the arms that welcomed Him that day, but to hearts that would welcome Him for all time forward.

And though none of us were there that first night…and none of us were there for the thirty-some years that followed…we’re not so different from those who met the Savior. And His presence, though not in tangible flesh, is very real…and still His greatest gift.

Happy Birthday!

The happiest of all the birthdays to my niece, Cassie....

Happy birthday to you.....
.....happy birthday to you........
...............happy birthday dear Cassie................
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!


I think it's safe to say we've BOTH come a long way since this picture:


And this is one of my faves. That's me holding her. I realize you might not be able to tell. :)

My gift to you (in addition to the ones I mailed) is that I did not post the bath picture. :) LOVE YA!

So...About Gum

Earlier today, there was a little conversation happening in my office...all about gum. Chewing gum. Not the things that hang onto your teeth.

I have serious problems with gum. Odd, I realize, but true.

Just to give you an idea:

* Hate the smell of most gum flavors. Mint of any kind gives me a horrible headache. So if I'm near someone chewing mint gum, I have to breathe through my mouth.

* Hate seeing it IN someone's mouth. It's just very unattractive. I especially hate it when people sing with gum.

* H-A-T-E hearing it. Whether it is blatant popping (like the girl on the track was doing last night) or that little poplet with every chew....CANNOT STAND IT.

* Hate it on the sidewalk. I would throw out a pair of shoes before I would scrape off gum I stepped in.

* Hate it in my trash can. Sometimes people at work toss their gum in my trash can and all day I know there is a piece of gum hanging on the trash sack. I will scoot that trash can as far back as I can and try not to think about it - and try my best not to smell it too! Not long ago, someone threw away mint gum in my home trash can and I had to take the trash all the way out of the house to get it away.

* Biggest pet peeve of all? Gum on plates/cups. In high school, one of my friends used to put it on her tray and she would get so mad at me for making her cover it up, but I couldn't eat if I could see it. Just this week I threw away a bowl (like a for real bowl, not a paper bowl) at home because someone put gum on it and I couldn't stomach removing it or remembering it had been there. So I trashed the whole bowl.

Suffice it to say if I ever have kids, they're not going to be allowed to have gum until they're 18 and in college. LOL.

I'm going to have to stop posting now because I am getting shivers just thinking about it.

Bits for Sunday, December 21, 2008

I don’t think it is a great surprise to most of you that I’m a very scheduled person. I don’t apologize for that. It’s who I am. It’s how I function. Some people are spontaneous, some people are structured…and I’m in the structured category. I’ll admit, sometimes it becomes very annoying. I don’t roll with the punches well, and when you work in an office and live in a family…there are punches that demand rolling.

If you’ve been reading along with me for the past couple of years, you also know I’ve been huge on covenants and commitments. Last year (as in 2007) I made 25 covenants and commitments (five each in five areas of life) that I followed quite strictly. This year the number increased to thirty – one to match each year of my life, but only five were specific to this year. The other twenty-five were geared toward the decade to come.

The reactions I received over the past two years and my decision to have this extra structure…were interesting. Most people thought I was crazy, and I agreed part of the time. It did take a lot of time, it did take a lot of effort, and it wore me out on a variety of occasions.

This fall I got the flu, and during those few days of sitting in the fat chair staring at the TV, not even really watching whatever passed across the screen, I decided to do something very unBekahlike. I put away the list. I stopped sending weekly updates to my accountability partner. I stopped making a mental checklist every day. I stopped planning every moment of my week to cram in everything I said I was going to do.

Why did Little Miss Structure do this? I wanted to see if I was learning. Last year one of my commitments was to exercise five days a week. I didn’t specifically renew that commitment this year, but I discovered after a year of working out five times a week – it had become part of my life. It’s still here, even though I didn’t force myself to do it this year. And after nine months of living through a checklist again – I wanted to see which things had stayed with me. Which things came naturally. Which things had become habit.

Today I pulled out the list for the first time since my bout with the flu. I discovered a number of things have fallen by the wayside – at least from the way they were put on the list. But I also discovered that some of the ideas behind those commitments have taken on a new life that I couldn’t really have imagined had I not been willing to let go of the “assignment.”

It’s exciting to see how disciplines take root – and knowing that they did take root made it easier for me to stomach the loss of the task portion of my list. It’s also exciting to see how my schedule was freed to make room for other things that weren’t on the list – but they surfaced along the way and fit in nicely with things God was teaching me as I went along.

With less than two weeks left in the calendar year, I’m already looking ahead to 2009, already wondering what God intends my focus to be. I’ve been praying about it, and I’m excited to see what takes shape before the clock strikes midnight on December 31.

Christmas is just four days away, and a few weeks ago I told you I’d be reading the Advent study I wrote two years ago. Through those moments of study each night, I’ve been relearning what it means for God to meet me in specific ways. I’ve been thinking about what gift I can offer Him this Christmas…through the way I live my life now and in the year to come.

Christmas Cards

I forgot to post this! This was the official card photo of 2008.

Broccoli Salad

When I first got out on my own, the only things I knew how to cook were desserts. I still don't view this as a problem, but the logical side of me said I needed to learn how to make SOMETHING of substance. Especially since my life includes a lot of carry-in dinners. So....my mother gave me her recipe for broccoli salad. I realize the news that this is one of my favorite salads may come as a shock to those of you who know of my distaste for vegetables. But this one has enough of the good stuff in it to mask the taste of veggies.

One Sunday I took this as my contribution to the church carry-in dinner (at my old church) and they ate every last bite! No leftovers for Bekah. It soon became necessary for me to bring a double batch of broccoli salad to every dinner if I wanted to be permitted to enter and eat. I've heard, now that I attend a different church, that others have jumped in to make this in my absence. (Sounds better than in my memory.)

I will admit this is one of the more expensive and time consuming dishes I make. Normally if something takes very long or costs very much, I refuse to make it. But this one is worth the hassle now and then. And since Christmas is just a week away...I thought I'd share it with you...just in case you need one more dish to round out your Christmas meal.

Recipe:


1 large bunch of fresh broccoli

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup chopped onion

10 slices bacon - cooked and crumbled

sunflower seeds (optional)

1/2 cup Miracle Whip

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon vinegar

Chop broccoli and onion; mix together. About four hours before serving, mix the Miracle Whip, sugar, and vinegar, pour over broccoli and onion. Immediately before serving, add bacon, sunflower seeds and raisins.


The first time I ever made this, the only vinegar I had was white vinegar, so that's what I used. Turns out most people like it better than regular vinegar. People often ask me what's different about my broccoli salad...and that usually seems to be the key. I've also learned to use actual, fully loaded with fat Mircale Whip in this. No low fat/fat-free. No off brand.



Frying the bacon...takes FOREVER. It also creates a greasy mess in my kitchen. Just ask my sister about the time we made this together at 10 pm when my kitchen light didn't work. I kept checking the bacon with a flashlight. But someone taught me this trick which works well for salad purposes. I have a small bar pan from Pampered Chef and I load it up with as much bacon as it will hold. I cover it with paper towel and stick it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes or until it appears to be cooked thoroughly. The paper towel catches any spatter and the sides of the bar pan keep the grease from running through the microwave. The pan gets very hot, so use a pot holder to remove the pan from the microwave.


Here is the cooked bacon. Being the meatatarian that I am, I always put in more bacon than the recipe calls for. I usually start the bacon when I start chopping the broccoli and that saves time. It can cook while I chop!


After the bacon has cooked, I transfer it to a plate covered in paper towel to drain off some of the grease. Then I pour the remaining grease into a leftover pot-pie pan, which I save for just such occasions. Once the pan is full and the grease hardens, I toss it. I put a new layer of bacon on the bar pan and toss it back in the microwave for the next round!

I use a food chopper for my broccoli, so I begin by cutting the bunch into smaller pieces on a cutting board. I can just move my chopper from bunch to bunch and chop it all up. Then I can dump the cutting board into the bowl.

If I did not have a food chopper, I would never make this recipe. I'd probably chop off my finger trying to cut the broccoli by hand...plus I just don't have enough patience to chop it up into such fine pieces without the chopper. Mine is actually a Tupperware chopper, but I couldn't find it on their site, so here's the similar one from Pampered Chef. This is great for working out frustrations! You just put the chopper over the broccoli and the plunger goes down and chops for you!

And when I say I want the broccoli in fine little pieces, I mean FINE LITTLE PIECES!

Once I'm done chopping the broccoli, I move on to chopping the onion. I don't really measure the onion. I just chop however much I think I want. I use the chopper for it too, which helps reduce tears. :) I don't bother with washing the chopper first. If broccoli guts get on the onion, it's okay. They're all going in the same bowl anyway!

I usually make the salad (the time consuming part) the night before I need it. There are some parts you don't want to add at this time. So normally what I do is chop the broccoli and the onion, mix them together in the bowl and put them in the refrigerator overnight. Once the bacon has cooked, I crumble it up and put it in a storage dish in the refrigerator. The next morning (about 4 hours before serving, I mix up the dressing. It will be soupy.

Put the dressing over the broccoli/onion part and mix it up. As it marinates in the fridge, the sugar will begin to break down and it will look more like a salad. (That's why it's important to give it a few hours and not put this on right as you're serving it. The broccoli won't absorb it unless you give it some time.)

Right before serving, I add the bacon, the sunflower seeds, and the raisins. (Although I hate raisins, so sometimes I skip them altogether.) That is another key of the salad - don't put in the bacon too soon or it will be soggy.

This salad really only keeps nicely for about a day once it's assembled. After that it starts to get watery and soggy.

Christmas in Bekahland

My old camera (moment of silence for the loss of it) took such lovely Christmas pictures. It had this awesome candlelight setting on it that really captured the glow of the tree. This camera - NOT SO MUCH. So the pictures aren't quite what they could be/should be, but here's a glimpse of the trees at my house.

The hodge-podge tree. This one sits in my office and is the only tree with colored lights. It holds the ornaments that survived my childhood (not many) and little random ornaments I've picked up along the way.

The bedroom tree. There's a star on top, but I guess I cut it out. Woops. This one has a blue/purple/gold theme to it. The cats (so far) have left this one alone, which is good since glass ornaments and hardwood floors don't mix.

The S'more tree. Probably six or seven years ago I started collecting S'mores. My kitchen tree is a S'more tree. I literally have to bend the tree over backwards until it is flat so when the ornaments (very heavy) are on the tree, it stands upright. Otherwise it would be flat on its face.

The Americana (a.k.a. pathetic) tree. This was a new tree for me this year - a little smaller than the one I used to have. (This one is no assembly required, though.) I ran out of time to really put much effort into this one, so it has no topper, no garland - just red and blue ornaments. I will try harder next year.

And....the main tree. Also a new tree this year - I'm on strike from tree assembly. It is also a slim tree, which is good since fat trees overtake my house. It has kind of a Victorian theme. This is the one Braeya undecorated entirely (bottom row only) last week.

And now for the "other stuff."

The little ceramic tree was one Mom made for my great grandma when she lived in the nursing home. I put it in the room with all the "antique" stuff.

This is my quiltless quilt rack. :) It occurred to me AFTER taking this photo that I should have put candles in the candle holder first. WOOPS.

The official family Bible open to Luke 2.

Baby Jesus and his broken arm. Mom made these little nativity sets when she did ceramics. A few years ago, I broke Jesus' arm while packing this away. I still have the arm - and it's in the picture - but you can't see it. It's resting on top of the "good arm."

Bits for Sunday, December 14, 2008

Today I found myself topic-less with the end of the day rapidly approaching. Every writer’s nightmare.

So I did what every blocked writer does. I asked my sister for a topic. I think she intended it to be a much better outcome than it might actually be…but at least it spares you another cat or cooking story.

With Christmas a mere ELEVEN days away, the time has come to ponder…stockings. Do you do Christmas stockings at your house? Do you even know how they began? Apparently legend says that a man, distraught over his wife’s death, wasted all his money and had nothing left for his three daughters’ dowries. St. Nicholas rode by their home, threw some gold coins down the chimney, and they landed in the girls’ stockings, which were hanging by the fire to dry. And so…we now have stockings.

My stocking is one that a relative made for me when I was just a baby, I think. It’s a little felt angel with my name on it. And it holds something about the size of a tube of toothpaste. When I go to the store and see the six foot stockings that people could use as sleeping bags if they so desire…I think I got cheated. Nevertheless, Mom was always very good about making sure my stocking was filled to overflowing (since one item filled it) each Christmas morning.

My grandparents had some unique stockings. Grandpa’s looked like Santa pants and Grandma’s were Mrs. Claus’s bloomers. Those held more than a tube of toothpaste. Sign me up for a pair!

Anyway, I’ve learned that the quality of stocking stuffers varies from family to family. In our family, stocking stuffers were always the little trivial and/or practical gifts that really didn’t warrant a spot under the tree. We wrapped them…but they were the pre-gifts, so to speak. And of course half the fun was figuring each of them out before unwrapping them. Tic-tacs were always a no-brainer.

One year I remember unwrapping a bottle of shave gel (which I guessed before unwrapping) and Mom told me to wait a minute before I continued unwrapping the stocking gifts. She left the room and came back with about six more bottles. Someone had purchased them and then ended up allergic to that brand, so I got them instead. I was excited – because who likes to buy shave gel!?!? – and it was the good name brand stuff. Evidently it was only fun for her to wrap the first one, though.

But that’s how stocking stuffers went at our house. Underwear, socks, razors, gum, candy, chip clips, magnets, stuff like that.

I’ve noticed, though, some people really go all out on the stocking business. When reading Christmas ads in the paper, I’ve noticed retailers enjoy marketing things like digital cameras and diamond earrings as stocking stuffers. (If I give you a digital camera for Christmas, you can know that will be serving as Christmas, birthday, and every major holiday for you for about four years.)

So this leads me to ask…what defines a “stocking stuffer?” Is it simply the size of the actual gift? If so, my itty bitty felt stocking can easily accommodate a lovely supply of jewelry, and I’ll forego the tube of toothpaste this year. Is it the cost of the gift? The cheap stuff goes in the stocking and the higher priced stuff deserves a spot under the tree?

If you’re looking for a good stocking stuffer idea for me – and you just can’t think of one – I say let’s go back to the way the tradition began. Just toss some gold coins my way. I promise they’ll be readily welcomed.

Birthday Cards

The official Christmas card has been completed, so now I turn my attention back to the regular cards. My brother-in-law had a birthday coming up, and I found myself completely idea-less on what card to make. I need to invest in a golf stamp set because then I'd be in good shape for several years.

Guys' cards are not easy for me to make. When I make cards for girls, and I don't have a clue what to do, I resort to flowers. Can't so much do that with a guy.

BUT - as I perused the stamp collection, I ran across this dog set I'd borrowed from Faith for a scrapbook page soon to come in my 1-5 year old book. Given that my sister and brother-in-law have a dog....I came up with this:


Corny - but better than nothing, right?

Christmas Baking

First...the good stuff.

LOTS of peanut butter fudge. On the right is a chocolate/pecan/toffee fudge. Won't make that recipe again because it wasn't creamy enough to suit me. I did like the toffee part. :)


Peanut butter cups in chocolate chip cookies and then of course the famous peanut butter cookies with Hershey Kisses in them.

Peanut butter balls and a couple kinds of chocolate bark (one withe pretzels and the other with toffee).

Hershey kisses/pretzels/with M&Ms on top. Unfortunately I accidentally purchased the breast cancer bag so they look more like Valentine's Day than Christmas, but you know - all tastes the same.

And now....the biggest mess up of 2008. The cashew brittle.

Chris, you were right. GONE. (And notice how nothing inside is moving.)

Bits for Sunday, December 7, 2008

Ahhhh the holidays. ‘Tis the season for warm snuggly nights at home, the aroma of treats baking, and the soft glow of candles.

OR disasters in all above areas.

Welcome to Bekahland.

The weekend has been a busy one. Friday night I went to a Christmas program, Saturday I spent the day painting at a friend’s house and the evening touring the county for various ingredients necessary for the season’s baking extravaganza.

As I tried valiantly to tidy up the half-done chores around the house, I somewhat lost track of time. Before I knew it, it was after midnight, and I hadn’t even started chopping up carrots for the pot roast I planned to put in the slow cooker for today’s lunch. Yes, Mother, I did actually chop vegetables after midnight.

About 12:45, I closed up shop for the night, donned multiple layers of warm clothing, and headed for the fleece sheets. I knew I couldn’t stay in them long, but I intended to be warm while there. Since it was a tiny bit cold in the bedroom, I turned up the heat. After just a moment, I noticed that hot smell that always comes out of a heater the first time you turn it on each year. I glanced at the heater…nothing seemed wrong, so I continued getting ready for bed while waiting for the hot smell to go away.

Except what really happened was the smoke alarm went off. 12:45 in the morning on a church night and I have scattering cats and obnoxious beeping. In that moment, it occurred to me that I was the adult here. Responsibility was mine alone. After quickly turning off the heater, I looked around for real smoke. I even went all back through the house looking for other sources of smoke and/or fire. Nothing. The smoke alarm did stop…911 did not need to be summoned…and I will not be turning up the heat again. And now I know the smoke alarm is still in good working order!

Today was baking day. After church and the pot roast lunch, I headed to the kitchen to bake and bake and bake. The list was admittedly a bit long. Chocolate chip cookie cups with Reese cups in the middle, peanut butter cookies with chocolate kisses, a couple versions of chocolate bark with pretzels and toffee, peanut butter fudge, cookies and cream fudge, toffee pecan fudge, pretzel rings with chocolate kisses and M&Ms, and last but not least, some cashew brittle. And best of all…sampling all afternoon.

Oh, and might I mention that all but the peanut butter fudge were new recipes?

I got to work and before long had goodies stacking up all over the place in my tiny kitchen. After I thought the first round of the three kinds of fudge had sufficiently had time to set up in the refrigerator, I pulled them out to cut them. The cookies and cream one was a mess. I don’t know what I did wrong, but it’s considered a failure. Well…out of all those new recipes, one is bound to fail, right?

If only that had been the worst of it!

The very last recipe was the cashew brittle. It was on a page called “Microwave Magic.” HA. I combined the first two ingredients, threw them in, cooked them for the four stated minutes, pulled out the bowl, stirred, and put it back in for the next three. Somewhere toward the end of that, I realized the smell coming from the microwave was not pleasing. I opened the door and smoke poured out. Actual for real smoke. I waited for the alarm to sound again. Good grief!

Let’s just say that there won’t be cashew brittle this year. I do have a lovely purple bowl with a solid mass of never-coming-outta-there burned sugar mess. It’s good to have a humbling cooking experience now and then. But for the short term – just don’t come over to my house. It might take a day or two to lose that burned sugar smell.

And amid all that – remember the story I told you a couple of weeks ago about the three wick candle that ended up running down the side of the buffet, leaving a pool of red wax on the dining room floor? Had a similar mishap again tonight. As I passed the three wick candle on the entertainment center, I noticed a little pumpkin colored stream down the left side. I scooted in a little closer and sure enough, wax was pooling under the pine ring around it. LOVELY.

Ahhh Bekahland. Never a dull moment.

But on the bright side, I did have one good thing happen today. I think most of you know my Dad has a radio program, and I listen every week while I get ready for church. This morning, he read part of one of my Advent devotionals! I was very excited – my writing has never made it onto the radio before. And it was certainly better than the 3 year old slightly congested version of my Luke 2 recitation. (Never fear – I’m sure he’ll play that one before all is said and done.)

I’m off to take a picture of the cement brittle.

Bekahland

1. I did not work Monday, so I used the day to catch up on chores. One chore (and boy was it ever!) was to accomplish the taking of the Christmas picture. I'd asked a friend to take it, but her schedule and my hair were not coinciding, so I resorted to taking it myself. I'm used to this. But I didn't want my Christmas picture to scream "SHE TOOK IT HERSELF!!" I played around with about 30 pictures and deleted all but one. The picture was good - except for the zit that appeared from who knows where. Zits at 30? RIDICULOUS.

Later in the day it began to snow, so I decided to try for an outside picture. I went out in my cute sweater (which matches the color scheme of the cards) and my little scarf and coffee mug...strategically placed the camera on the air conditioner, RAN into the snow, posed, RAN back to check it...repeated four times. It was cute, but the wind was bitter and I thought I looked a little scared. Not to mention...I'm sure the neighbors wondered about the crazy woman in no coat, standing out in the snow with a coffee mug, occasionally running to the air conditioner.

2. I've tried to keep my Biggest Loser talk to myself, but I must say that I am not happy with Vicky, and if you've been watching, you should understand that statement. I think it is sad that she has to take a show that should inspire people and turn it into a hateful mess. As someone today told me: You can lose weight, but you'll always be ugly. (Just to clarify...a., she wasn't talking about me, and 2., that's ugly on the inside.)

3. Mom saw this bumper sticker today and called to tell me about it. "Ignorant people shouldn't reproduce." LOVE IT. I'll order three.

Bits for Sunday, November 30, 2008

I had this written yesterday but didn't get a chance to post it until now...

Waking to a winter wonderland…

Not what I expected first thing this morning. I wasn’t even out of bed yet when Mom called to tell me snow had fallen…lots of it. I’d made it as far as half my hair clipped up to begin the straightening process when the doorbell rang. It was Dad, informing me he’d just driven 30 miles an hour all the way to town, so I needed to leave extra early because the roads were bad. (Wonder what his excuse is the rest of the time he drives 30? JUST KIDDIN’ DAD!!)

I’m not the world’s best snow driver. In fact, I may be the worst. The thought of launching out on the open road did not sound appealing. Neither did visiting a church that wasn’t mine. I sat in my office for about a half hour, alternately crying out of frustration and watching the spot recently vacated by the neighbor’s car. I noticed it wasn’t filling up so fast. In fact…I noticed the big old Hollywood-esque flakes had stopped almost entirely.

Time to be a big girl. Did I not just change my own showerhead yesterday? All by myself? And did it not work? I could drive to church. I poured the coffee, got in the car, and prayed my way out of the driveway. This is how bad it was: a cop got behind me for about 10 miles and I was glad. Anytime I’m glad to see a cop, you know something is dreadfully wrong.

Forty-five minutes later I was safely in the parking lot of my church, and my car still had all its parts. And it hadn’t acquired any extra ones.

During the sermon, our pastor read from Isaiah 64:

Since ancient times, no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? (vv.4-5)
And I knew right then why I needed to be in that service, regardless of the snow that almost kept me home.

Two years ago I wrote an advent devotional during a Christmas season that found me struggling to find any holiday spirit aside from presents, cards, baking, and sparkly décor. That year I learned what Advent really meant, aside from candles and chocolate-laden countdowns. Earlier this month I made the decision to study that project again. To read the words I’d written in a time of learning and see if perhaps I can even learn more…more about the God Who came down to help those who sought Him. The God Who came to save. And this morning’s sermon confirmed that’s exactly what I must do.

Christmas is busy. I know my calendar is already pretty full and I’ll probably pull more than a few juggling acts to make it to more than one event on the same day. But I am determined to make time in each of those December days to read about Jesus’ advent to the 24 lives I studied two years ago.

And I hope this December brings to me a fresh understanding and depth of relationship with the God who answered the question, How then can we be saved?