Over-Ripe Bananas and the Amish

One of the neat things about living in the Mid-West is an Amish sighting.  Seeing them stoically riding along in their horse-drawn buggies with those precious little Amish children still thrills me like looking out to see the snow silently falling.  During the eight years I was gone from this area, I had forgotten about the weekly Amish Cook column by Lovina Eicher in our Sunday paper.  The column was first written by her mother, Elizabeth Coblentz, who died during the time I lived here before. The format is the same.  There is always an account of what has gone on that week in her life and a recipe that you should always try.

This morning, her column had a recipe for Banana Nut Coffee Cake.  The three over-ripe (nearly rotten!) bananas in a bowl on my counter were about to be tossed; so, I decided to save them from the garbage and try it.  I usually make banana bread (my son’s favorite) with over-ripe bananas, but that gets so boring.  (I’m nursing a sick husband this weekend, so baking was a welcomed diversion.)

I start grabbing all the ingredients and discover that I am out of flour (recall former post on why this is NOT a cooking blog).  I had cake flour, which would probably have worked fine; but, since we also needed some Advil, I escaped to the grocery store.

The recipe calls for a 9x13 pan…also boring.  I had just thrown away the remains of a chicken pot pie I had made from scratch, and a nice round casserole dish was handy.  It’s a nice change and presents a challenge to actually slice and serve!  It was yummy… moist and just sweet enough.  The topping reminds me of my sweet potato casserole recipe.  

Enjoy this Banana Nut Coffee Cake:

Cake:

½ cup oil

½ cup milk

2 eggs

2 mashed bananas

1 cup packed brown sugar

1½ cups flour

1 cup chopped nuts (I used toasted pecans)

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

            Preheat oven to 350°.  In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy.  Pour into a greased 9x13-inch pan.

Topping:

1 cup brown sugar

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup nuts

2 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

            Combine sugar, cinnamon, flour, nuts and cut in butter.  Sprinkle on top of cake.  

               

Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.

Cool; but cut yourself a piece while it’s still warm! (Sick boy even managed to pull himself off the sofa to try a piece.)

For more Amish Cook information, “like” The Amish Cook Fan Page.

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

Why This Isn't a Cooking Blog, Pet Scans and Wall Art

I love to cook.  Finding a delicious-looking picture and tackling a new recipe are exhilarating.  And, since I gave up meat, it makes the cooking even more challenging.  Can I create something that even my carnivorous family will enjoy?  It's been chilly and raining, so my mind always turns to soup.  I love using every vegetable I can find, throw in a little whole-grain pasta, and make a skillet of corn bread. One of my friends calls it "mystery soup," and my husband says it's really more like stew, and there certainly isn't a recipe!  Hence, Reason #1 that I don't have a cooking blog.  Sometimes, I can't be bothered with a recipe.  Besides, I'm from Louisiana and most recipes just need a little more spicing up.

Pinterest has become my latest obsession (now that I'm caught up on all the past episodes of Breaking Bad...sorry, it's like a bad accident you can't stop looking at!). I've repinned some awesome recipes and tried a few immediately.  This Snickerdoodle cake was a break from chocolate for me.  Don't get me wrong, chocolate is still the preferred dessert in our home, but this was so pretty and light (hah!) with a touch of spice.  Took a while to make.... quite a few steps.

Source: foodiewithfamily.com via Karen on Pinterest

Which leads me to Reason #2 I don't have a cooking blog.  I'm a WIPER! My mother was a wiper.  I have to clean as I go, which includes washing the bowls, mixing cups, beaters, and wiping the counter top, the floor and anything else that flour sifted all over. Now, my sister-in-law Johnette is the best cook I know.  Amazing, since she couldn't cook doodly-squat when she married my brother.  But, the two mothers in her life were amazing cooks, and she paid attention..... except for the wiping and cleaning part.  She can DESTROY a kitchen while concocting the always amazing ten-course meals she loads on her trestle table. But, that's what makes the two of us an unbeatable team. I come behind her washing and wiping (annoying the stew out of her, I'm sure) and voila!  It's magic. But, I just can't see cooking, wiping and taking pictures of what I'm doing all at that same time. That's why Martha Stewart has a staff.

And, Reason #3. I cook on impulse. This is why I love my iphone, Netflix streaming, Kindle, and anything that provides immediate answers and gratification. I acknowledge the flaw in my personality.  So, when I see something that looks great, I quickly peruse the ingredients, and if I think I have everything I need, I begin.  However, 80% of the time, I am missing an ingredient or don't have quite enough of what I need, so I stop and dash to the grocery store (or sometimes I can beg my husband to go for me). It's never as simple as borrowing an egg or a cup of sugar, believe me.

So, while I may share a recipe with you every now and then, I won't be dedicating this space to cooking. I'm keeping that for fun.


No easy transition here, so I'll just say that I saw the oncologist, dermatologist, had blood work, and had my routine pet scan (is there such a thing?) last Friday and got results on Monday.  All was clear.  God continues to bless me in amazing ways, keeps the melanoma away, and allows me to enjoy this life abundantly.


I so admire my artistic friend Janice Wood in Birmingham, Alabama.  She customizes and paints these adorable crossword puzzle wall art (about four feet square). They are unique to each family, capturing special names, places, events, etc.  I am thankful that there are talented people with the patience to create wonderful pieces like this. She pours a lot of love into these.


For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:1)


Are you an impulse cooker?
Are you a wiper when you cook?

A Lot Can Happen in Six Months

Half-a-year!  That’s how long it’s been since I blogged.  Not that I haven’t thought about blogging every single day, especially when I am continuously asked, “have you posted anything to your blog lately?”  No!

And, getting started again is paralyzing. It’s like unpacking boxes. It just gets overwhelming.  Oh, there’s plenty to blog about because there's been a lot going on since February. With every change in my life, I'm reminded of the meaning of my blog. I'm so thankful He knows the Plan!  


A brief recap:

-                Clear scans at M.D. Anderson in February.  Melanoma still held in abatement.

-                Round Top Antiques Fair in March

Visited handsome son in Beaver Creek, CO, in early April

My husband changed jobs in April

meaning…
We moved back to Muncie, Indiana, on May 1

  My second precious grandson was born on May 5

After three weeks in a baby coma, finally arrived in Indiana to tackle boxes.

Then, a trip to London in early June

 Grandson number 1 turned two in June.

 

Checked out what was new at Atlanta AmericasMart in July and enjoyed girl-time.

 

Trip to Argentina in August

Finally, tomorrow I'm beginning a new medical relationship at IU Medical Center in Indianapolis.

So, I’ll cover these events just like the boxes -- one at a time.  I’ll throw in new daily stuff along the way, too.  

Welcome back!  Glad to see you, again.

Psalms 18:30
As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

Room With A View

Snow days in Dallas -- well, sort of.  Ice and temperatures well below freezing have paralyzed most of the metro this week.  I haven't left the house in two days -- have barely gotten off the sofa.  I've loved it!

I made a giant pot of vegetable soup yesterday, and we have just hunkered down.  My sweet Hudson has kept the fire blazing while we both worked from home.  This has been my view today.

I will continue my de-clutter confessions, humble myself and tell you that today I disposed of 5,860 e-mails.  I didn't do it lightly or hastily -- it took me hours and hours.  (I have a formidable crick in my neck and severe tension in my shoulders.  But, it's done.)  Many of the messages need to be moved to folders so that they are preserved, but most were just TRASH and that's where they went.

So, I resolve that I will (try) to dispose of my e-mails daily so this doesn't happen again. There are days and days when I check mail from my iphone (while driving, of course) and never make it to my desk top, so this will take some discipline. I'll need some help!

1 Corinthians 14:40

Let all things be done decently and in order.

I'm Still Here

Thank you, friends and family, for inquiring as to my well-being, no doubt motivated by my bogging absence since Thanksgiving.  See this?

A couple of weeks ago, I forced myself to de-clutter my handbag.  This is what I found in the bottom (in addition to a wadded-up $1,300 check given to me in early December by a client).  This sort of sums up what my November and December were like.  I decorated twelve Christmas trees, made a number of wreaths, completed a kitchen renovation project, installed two additional granite jobs, and finished four client projects which included draperies, bedding, a headboard, upholstery...... Whew!  All before I left town on December 22 to spend twelve wonderful days in South Carolina with the Blue-eyed Bride clan. Along the way (since we drove, taking our time), we stopped for visits with friends and family in Louisiana and Alabama.  I hardly checked e-mail or even phone calls during that period.  I was in total decompression mode, and it was wonderful.


But, I DID come back to Dallas and reality and had to go through some de-clutter -- in my handbag, in my office, in my Suburban, sorting through twelve days of mail -- and get ready for two renovations projects starting in late January. I didn't go to market in Atlanta in January because of these projects, but I did check out the Dallas market to see what trends I could spot. The Dallas market doesn't hold a candle to AmericasMart in Atlanta, but there are some top-notch showrooms.  Both Global Views and Arteriors are Dallas-based, so they have a nice presence in the Dallas market.


So, what are the trends?  Bright colors and animals (heads, noses, antlers, all-things-animal).  I was eager to see if Pantone's color for 2011 - Honeysuckle (the wild, bright pink variety) - would show up.  It did.

And, plenty of peacocks!

All in all, there wasn't a lot to wow me, but I saw upbeat, happy, color.  Still a lot of shabby-urban-neutral-distressed-gray.  But there are bursts of color everywhere.... and that makes me HAPPY!

I'm working on some major color in two new little-people rooms.  My grand niece Lily and grandson Hudson will be moving into big-girl/boy rooms soon, as their siblings arrive.  New babies arriving in March and May, respectively.  Lily has chosen a pink and purple theme; Hudson deferred to Blue-eyed Bride.

Two of the fabrics for Lily's happy room:

And, Hudson's:

Stay tuned for the finished rooms.

What else am I doing this year?  Catching up with friends, planning some trips, reading the Bible through, seeing lots of movies (ones I didn't have time to see in December and early January), working with some new clients and some existing ones, loving my women's Bible study on Tuesday mornings and our amazing Sunday School class at First Baptist Dallas, trying to stay warm in this cold Dallas weather by burning lots of firewood (love reading my Bible by a roaring fire in the mornings), and being thankful for a new year to see God's plan unfold in our lives.  I'm very thankful to have you along for the adventure.

I go back to M. D. Anderson on February 21 for another round of scans.  And, by the way, I still have unpacked boxes.  But, I'm making progress.

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."  Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)

Are you listening?

Turkey Trot and Slipcovers

I could wax philosophical on this Thanksgiving Day 2010.  But, if you follow my blog, you already know how thankful I am for God's saving grace, His healing power, and His presence in my life and the lives of my husband and children.

I awoke this morning with an incredible sense of gratitude for living in a country of freedom where we can do whatever we want to today, including watching an annual parade spectacle (a tradition in our family),

sending Hudson, Todd, and Hudson off with numbers on their chests to participate in Dallas’s annual Turkey Trot 5k run/walk, 

eating our favorite Thanksgiving food ALL DAY LONG starting with breakfast casserole and a little boy tasting his first ever real whipped cream straight from the beater,

watching football games cuddled on sofas (or in the bed) in front of a real wood fire because it’s turned cold here,

and texting and ichatting with our families, including our sweet Walker who has moved to Colorado to work and ski and won’t be with us this year. 

I am so thankful for the young men and women who defend our country and help other countries experience the same freedom we enjoy.  For all our warts, this is a great country in which we live!

And, today, I am thankful for some beautiful slipcovers…slipcovers that have been in the making for almost two years.  I have been encouraged to post this story for a while, but I refused to even consider writing about them until they were safely wrapped around these chairs.

Beautiful chairs in their own right; but, my client/friend (uh, I think she’s still my friend after this endless saga of screw-ups!) wanted them to be even more beautiful with white, monogrammed slipcovers.  And, so we began.

We found beautiful white fabric at Calico Corners.  Perfect for our project.  I work with an amazing upholsterer who can do anything and do it more beautifully than anyone else.  He makes beautiful custom slipcovers, but he HATES making them.  (Note for the uneducated: slipcovers are more labor intensive, require more fabric, and are just as costly, or more so, than upholstering.  So, unless you need to uncover that furniture, don’t choose a slipcover.)

So, after weeks of brow-beating my upholsterer to finish the slipcovers, they arrived fall 2009.  I whisked them away to the monogrammer, carefully choosing the design and pattern.  That part was done in a few days, and they are delivered to a joyous client.  They did need pressing, however, so she delivered them to her dry cleaners to be “pressed only.”  NO NO NO!  They washed them.  Not just pressed or even dry- cleaned.  WASHED.  They came back smaller…shrunken…not fitting…too short.  After a come-to-Jesus meeting with the cleaners, they ponied up and paid for the slipcovers.

Round 2!  Our original fabric was back-ordered, so I found an alternative, more expensive, Kravet fabric.  They eventually gave me a price break because they felt sorry for me.  We arranged for the fabric to be shipped to my upholsterer.  He received the fabric.  More brow-beating ensued because he was making them a second time.  Finally, they were completed AGAIN.  I met him at the client’s house because I was there finishing another project.  I eagerly got to his delivery van to receive the beautiful pieces so I could take them to be monogrammed. As I gazed into the van, I saw slipcovers that were not WHITE but ECRU, well practically yellow!  I gasped, whisked them into my vehicle before my pregnant, emotional client could see the horror of what I was witnessing.  The upholsterer gasped, too, because he was fast-forwarding into the future when we would have to make these things for a third time. 

Kravet had shipped the wrong color-way.  It took a few weeks, but they admitted their mistake and reimbursed me for their error.  But, now that fabric was back-ordered.

Round 3!  By now, this project has a code name – The Slipcovers from Hell! 

Our beautiful Calico Corners fabric was available, ordered, and arrived.  I visually approved the color and got it to my hero---my upholsterer, whom I had bribed, begged, and promised eternal love and gratitude if he would just make them one final time and please HURRY.  He came through with flying colors, delivered them to me early Monday morning.  I took them straight to be monogrammed, and they were ready by Tuesday afternoon.  I had promised my client that the slipcovers would be delivered by Thanksgiving, and I delivered them yesterday.  I lovingly caressed and pressed each of the eight slipcovers and installed them.  Beautiful! 

You don’t always hear about design projects gone bad or, as I call them SNAKE BIT!  You know what I mean.  No matter how hard you try or what you do, it just keeps getting worse.  Remember, I have learned to never say never!  But, Lord be willing, it will be a long time before I do another slipcover project.  I am so thankful that this one has come to an end.

Now, I do have eight slipcovers in my storage building just like these except they are ECRU.  I can make you a really good deal if you are interested.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Oh, Joy!

Joy!  I am beginning to see this word crop everywhere. It's written on all sorts of things for the upcoming holidays...mugs, picture frames, ornaments, greeting cards, etc.  Is it an overused or misused word? What is real joy? Do you have it?


Naturally, my thoughts turn to the origin of joy:

"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
– Luke 2:10-12


And, I remember that my sweet Blue-eyed Bride memorized the first fourteen verses of Luke 2  in second grade, which she recited as she, her little brother and older cousins put on a Christmas pageant for her grandparents.  My mother cried, as did I. Lots of joy going around.  

Now, I watch as that heritage is passed to little Hudson. The words "Jesus" and "Bible" are already in his growing seventeen-month-old vocabulary as a result of songs being sung to him. He brings us a lot of joy. I started praying before he was born for an awesome youth minister for his teenage years. Parents need all the help they can get to keep the joy in their lives as children grow up.

A few weeks ago, I observed two very different life stories on my trip to M.D. Anderson for my follow-up scans. (It's redundant, but I must say that this is the most AMAZING place--full of organized, caring, competent professionals. I would love going there if I wasn't going there for melanoma. I'm very thankful that it exists.) 


We arrived early Friday morning and made our way to the lab for blood work. Right away we ran into an elderly couple that we would see, again, as the day went on. She was the patient and in a wheel chair being pushed by her husband. I would like to give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he probably was just having a bad day or woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I don't, however, think that was the case. I think that it's more likely that, in the words of Ouiser Boudreaux, he had "just been in a bad mood for forty years." He was grouchy, impatient, mad because his wife was cold and needed a blanket, and LOUD. All of the women in the room were being held back from getting up and smacking him. I wanted him to have cancer (just for a little while) so he might be more understanding. I was sad for her and thought there must not be much joy in her life.


Then, we met a couple from east Texas. A state representative and his wife, who had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. The story they portrayed could not have been more opposite from the first couple. He was loving and attentive. She, daughter of a former pastor, exhibited a calm faith. In the midst of all that the uncertainty, there was joy. I wanted to know them better.


And, there beside me was the rock of my earthly existence. My own calm, patient, Godly husband, supporting me, laughing at me and with me, working on his laptop as our day of blood tests, PET scans, ultrasounds, and doctor appointments went on. What joy he brings to me!  An extra measure of patience was required because of a little piece of gum. I had not eaten since 8:00 p.m. the night before AND I forgot my toothbrush. So, I thought I should chew a piece of sugar-free gum to freshen my breath. My PET scan was scheduled for 9:30, right after my blood work. As the needle was inserted into my left arm to receive the radioactive dye, the questions came:


"Anything to eat in the last six hours?"  
"No."
"Anything to drink?"
"No."
"Any mints, gum?"
"Uh. I had a piece of gum. I didn't know about the mints and gum."


Put on the brakes; everything stops. Verdict:  go rearrange your appointments and come back in six hours.  So, I juggled the ultrasound, read a book, sat around and observed humanity, and tried to not bend the arm with the needle inserted or think of food.  As a result, my doctor didn't have the Pet scan results at the end of the day when I saw him.  It was Friday, so I didn't get the results until the following Tuesday. But, the results were good!  All my scans were clear. They were encouraged by the development of my vitiligo, and I don't have to go back for four months. There's some joy!


I just completed this book, and among the many memorable quotes that will stay with me is this one:


"I have found truly joyful Christians only in the Bible, 

in the Underground church, and in prison."

 --Richard Wurmbrand

I want to have that joy all the time!