I Love This Guy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9m2FLHlEwA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM-HWkbnDfg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUU9CqrtFiU&feature=related

What I Just Finished Reading

The Five People You Meet in Heaven, by Mitch Albom.

This one was such a quick read, I didn't even have time to blog in the middle of it.

I like Mitch Albom. He and Mike Lupica are the only Sports Reporters I can stand. I liked Tuesdays with Morrie. And I liked this one, but I don't think it did for me what it must have done for everyone else who read it. It was good, but it wasn't life-altering. It's been out for a while, and it's been a best-seller for a while, and people have been going on and on about it for a while. I was lucky enough to find it in my church-lady bag. And I did like it - it's a story about a man that dies, and meets five different people in heaven who are attached to his life in some way, but who represent a greater truth about his life.

It's such a short book, it's hard not to recommend it, because even if you hate it, you're only out about two hours of your life, and you can now talk about it at cocktail parties. So go ahead and read it.

Tis the Seasoning

It's that time again. Time to re-season all my cast iron, whether it needs it or not.

I got my first piece of cast iron cookware a few years back for Mother's Day. It was the Lodge 12" cast iron skillet. It was love at first cook. Not only can you kill an intruder with it, but you can cook just about anything you can think of in it. It retains and distributes heat like nothing else, and after several uses, it's virtually as non-stick as teflon. And since we're comparing it to teflon, cast iron wins because it is virtually indestructible and dirt cheap, two things you generally can't say about teflon. Retailing at a mere $19.95, my 12" skillet will still be here long after I am dead and gone. It is that one item of cookware that I would take with me if I were planning to be trapped on a deserted island not run by the Dharma Initiative.

Since the skillet, I have also added other Lodge cast iron items to my collection: a 12" square grill pan, an 8" skillet, and a 5-quart dutch oven. I love them all, but the 12" skillet is my baby.

And every year at this time (easy to remember what with the holiday and all), I re-season each and every piece. I just wrapped up the dutch oven last night. Not too much to ask of me, what with all they give me in return.

Cast iron. Don't cook without it.

This, Too, Shall Pass

It's just after midnight, and I think I'm passing a kidney stone. This one doesn't feel exactly like some others I've passed, but what else could it be. The pain is really low, so it can't be long now. Nothing to do but drink water and pray. I would add "walk around" to that list of possible remedies, but this one must be causing something to swell and put pressure on a nerve or something - my left leg is killing me. Walking is not an option. And so I blog.

I had a stone about two years ago, and I was up all night with it. Finally, about 4 AM, I couldn't take it anymore and got Mark to take me to the ER. They gave me a morphine drip almost as soon as I walked in the door. I remember lying there, looking up at nurse when that morphine kicked in and I said "Oh my gosh...I'm going to faint!" She looked at me and smiled and said "You're lying on table. Go ahead and faint."

I think about that a lot, as one of those metaphor-for-life moments. We get so focused on holding on to all of our baskets - we forget sometimes we can go ahead and faint.

People are fond of saying that God doesn't give you more than you can handle. Too bad that isn't scriptural. What the Bible actually says is God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to resist. Not at all the same thing.

I personally think God gives people more than they can handle all the time. But I find great comfort in knowing that God can't give me more than He can handle. So I can go ahead and faint when I need to. Like now.

My New Crock Pot

I took the new crock pot out for a spin today. I didn't have the fixins' for most of my standard crock pot dishes, so I improvised.

I started by brining a pork tenderloin overnight. This morning, I set the crock pot stoneware insert on the stove (an added feature - you can use it on the stovetop!), drizzled in a little olive oil and browned the tenderloin. Then I set the stoneware back in the crock pot base and added a quartered onion, a quartered lemon, four cloves of garlic, some dried thyme, about a half a cup each of chicken broth and white wine, and a handful of dried cherries. I cooked it on low for seven hours, then on warm till we got home.

When I got home, I took the meat out to rest. The wine and lemon had reduced so much that the gravy it made was almost too strong. So I added another cup or so of chicken broth. I also added a bit of corn starch to thicken it a little. I turned the heat up to high and let it cook while I made rice and grilled zuccini strips.

I strained the gravy and dinner was served. The pork was a little dry, but it was very tender. Overall, a good first try. Mark called it a repeater after one bite. That's always a good sign.

Just For Kicks

We have a new member of the blogosphere! Daniel has started a blog called Just For Kicks. You can visit it using the link on my sidebar. Daniel will be blogging about stuff in his world. His first post is his review of Iron Man. Visit often - comments welcome!

#1 Mom

Apparently, there was a contest of sorts recently, and, well, I won! Turns out, I'm the #1 Mom! I was all prepared to say that it was an honor just to be nominated, but this...this is just so hard to take in! #1! Out of all the moms! I just can't believe it.

I'm being silly, of course. Ben made me this wonderful wooden plaque, which I will take to work and use instead of a nameplate on my desk. But in all seriousness, there are lots of #1 Moms out there, many of whom read this blog. Happy Mother's Day to my mom, Kelly, Jennifer K, Jennifer B, Laura, Nels, Natalie, Willie and anyone I've forgotten who loves their children more than themselves. Celebrate being a #1 Mom today - it is an honor above all honors. I'm proud to know all of you...

For my special day, I got the wonderful plaque, and the promise of a butterfly that was left at school. I also got a spoon rest, an egg separater, a very snazzy colander, a "can colander" (you stick it in the top of a can to drain the contents - smooth), and a new crock pot! My old crock pot was dying a slow death, and this new one looks awesome.

My guys also made me breakfast, and are planning to grill burgers for dinner. Also on the docket is a trip to visit Mark's mom, and then to see the new Iron Man movie! (I actually requested this, so it's all good.)

Enjoy your day, and enjoy your children! Happy Mother's Day!

Name That Tune

"But I shot a man in Reno

Just to watch him die

When I hear that whistle blowin'

I hang my head and cry."

Pork and Potatoes

Got some pork chops and some potatoes?

Have I got a meal for you!

First, the chops. You will need:

Six to eight boneless pork chops (I buy them on the thin side)
1 cup panko bread crumbs (you find them next to the regular bread crumbs, or possibly with Japanese foods)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Salt
Pepper
Two or three eggs (for dredging)
Olive oil

• Heat the olive oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet - you want the pan surface thoroughly covered in oil.
• Combine the panko and the cheese in a large bowl or on a plate.
• Salt and pepper the chops on both sides.
• Dredge them in the egg.
• Coat them on both sides in the panko mixture.
• When the oil is rippling, put the chops in the pan - you should hear that wonderful sizzle when they hit the oil.
• Let them cook for about three minutes on each side (depending on how thick your chops are). They should be a lovely golden-brown color.
• Let them rest for five to ten minutes before serving. I usually have to cook them in two batches so I don't over-crowd the pan. If you do them in two batches, add more oil between heatings and let the oil get hot before dropping in the second batch. If you need to do multiple batches, you can put the done ones on a cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven to keep them warm while they wait.

Now for the taters. Tater cakes, to be specifc. You will need:

Some potatoes - five or six small ones, or three big ones - peeled and grated (the food processor is the ideal grater)

2 T vegetable oil
2 T butter, melted
1 t salt
Pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg

The key is getting as much water as possible out of the potatoes. The food processor slings it out pretty well, but you will still need to lay all the grated potatoes on a clean dish towel, close it up, and wring the water out. After squeezing as much water out as you possible can, toss the potatoes in a bowl with the oil, butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

• Preheat a medium-sized (10" is ideal) teflon pan over medium heat.
• Spray well.
• Dump the potato mix in the pan and press down until the potatoes are evenly distributed.
• Cook for ten minutes.
• Slide potato cake onto a plate, then re-spray the pan.
• Flip the plate (or carefully place the pan face down over the plate) and get the potato cake back into the pan to cook the other side.
• Reduce the heat slightly, and cook for eight to ten minutes.
• Slide onto a place and cut with a pizza cutter.
• Serve immediately with sour cream (or with whatever you're into)

Ben LOVES these two dishes - and we don't always serve them together. Chicken tenders do really well cooked the same way, and they make great sandwiches the next day. Enjoy!

Lost?

I have no idea who did this, or if it's even accurate, but it's pretty cool. No wonder no one knows what anyone else is doing.

Chorus Programs in East Tennessee

Ben is on the second row, fourth from the left.

Write Your Own Caption

Cobbler

I've been hankering for a good cobbler. I found a Robin Miller recipe that uses frozen blueberries, and I thought it might fit the bill. Blueberry cobbler and ice cream. Yeah buddy.

So I start by melting a stick of butter. As the butter melts irretrievably in the microwave, I realize I don't actually have a bag of frozen blueberries. I have part of a bag of blackberries, and part of a bag of mixed berries. Since I can't put the butter back in its previous stick state, I figure I'm deep enough in to keep going. So I take the mixed berries, and top it off with some of the blackberries. Mixed berry, heavy on the blackberry, cobbler. Yeah buddy.

So I take the two cups total berries and mix them with a half a cup of sugar. Then I take the melted butter and mix it with three quarters of a cup of milk. Then I mix together a cup of flour, a cup of sugar, and a teaspoon of baking powder. Then I add that mixture to the butter/milk mixture and thoroughly combine. Then I pour the final mixture into a greased 9 X 12 pan. Then I drop the berries on top. They are supposed to sink. They don't sink. The final mixture looks a little on the thick side for sinking. But I'm way far in now, so I keep going.

I put the dish with the layer of final mixture and layer of fruit in the preheated 350 degree oven for forty five minutes.

Eventually, the berries sank. Or maybe the final mixture rose up around them. Either way, I've got cobbler. Yeah buddy.

It was good, too. Had it with vanilla ice cream and a Yankee game.

What I'm Reading Now

Pigs in Heaven, by Barbara Kingsolver.

I've previously blogged about Barbara Kingsolver and what a fan I am of some of her books. This is one that I found in the bag of books from my church friend - what a pleasant surprise! This is one of her early books - I've only just started it, so I have nothing to report yet. Someone just fell into a dam - that's all I know.

I finished Wish You Well. I liked it. I didn't love it. I have the distinct impression that if he weren't David Baldacci, he'd still be trying to get this one published. It was a good story, and definitely a good look at mountain people and mountain life in this area. But it was a little choppy. Forced might be a better word. But I'm glad I read it.

He did get one great dig in near the end - his main character's father was a critically acclaimed novelist who never made any money from his books. At the end, we see a snapshot of the characters later in life, and the main character has become a novelist herself. He says she wrote happy stories about the good things in life. "They were never as well-received by the critics as her father's books were, but they sold a lot more copies." Baldacci may not be the world's greatest novelist, but he's not hurting for cash. You go, Dave.

Tenderfoot Scout

As of tonight, Ben has completed all requirements for the Tenderfoot rank in Boy Scouts. He has been part of his troop for only three months - some boys in his troop have been there over a year and have not completed Tenderfoot requirements. Way to go, Ben!

(The official rank will be awarded during his troop's Court of Honor on May 19th, but I just had to tell you now!)