Walking Washer

I am pleased to report that we had an uninterrupted night of sleep last night. I seriously do not think Max even moved all night. When the alarm woke me this morning, he was in the same spot as when I turned off the lights last night. It was wonderful to have a good night's sleep! In fact, after the alarm went off Max wasn't sure he wanted to get off the bed. He was really slow and tired this morning. On a normal day, he tries to get us to play fetch with him as soon as he's awake. It was nice to see that he got so much exercise yesterday and was still worn out this morning. Once I got home from work, he was a recharged Max.

It turns out it was even better than I thought that I got a good night's sleep. I have so much work to do this week. Our quarter ends this Sunday. Normally, that does not mean a bunch of additional work, but this quarter I have a lot going on. I take care of the fixed assets for my region of the company. Each year every store and facility has to go through the fixed asset list to make sure they still have everything on the list. This causes a lot of work for me mostly because people wait til the last minute to take care of everything. I thought last year was a lot of work when I had to make all the changes for 13 stores/facilities...HA! This year I have to do it for 34 stores/facilities. It is challenging to find the time to take care of this on top of all my other work...but even more challenging to figure out what people's notes mean. I sent a list of specifically what I needed on each list. Half of the lists I got back were not complete so then I have to follow up with everyone. Apparently, these folks did not learn to follow directions completely in kindergarten. Fun, fun, fun. I seriously feel like I could work from now until Sunday non-stop in order to finish my work. Talk about stress. Today I realized that I feel like I am in quick sand and my head is just barely above ground. Each time I thought I was pulling myself out just a bit, something else would come my way that was equally important. Man am I ready for a vacation!

We had a Mr. Mom episode at our house this evening. I had a load of laundry in the dryer and another in the washer. When I went to check on the status of both loads, I found that the washer had moved. I've never had this happen. At first I assumed Matthew had moved the washer to get something from behind it. But when I asked him, he had no idea what I was talking about. Has this ever happened to you? I am not sure if you can tell much from these pictures. Just look at the lines on the tile. You will see that the dryer is straight and the washer is not...though it was just an hour ago. Strange... (Please ignore the mess and dirt in my laundry room.)

the week that was

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of last week I had to work in Denver. Rather than staying in a hotel, I decided I would drive home each night. I am not fond of being away from home or staying in a hotel by myself most of the time. Wednesday and Thursday I put 357 miles on my car. Needless to say, much time was spent in my car last week.


Because I was so busy with work, I didn't remember until Wednesday that Max turned 10 months old on Tuesday. So this is his official 10 month old picture even though I didn't take it until Wednesday. He doesn't look upset though does he?













It was a warm week. We got to 90 several days. We have air conditioning, but the air does not circulate well in our house. The basement has to be several degrees cooler than the main level. So here you see Max taking advantage of the box fan we have at the top of the stairs. He is still one smart puppy.









Last night was a very pleasant evening without any breeze. That seems quite unusual for our area of town so we took advantage of it. Matthew read outside while I played with Max. We built this house (not with our own hands though) about 2 years ago. Many of our friends mention they wish they could do the same. We got a fantastic deal because Matthew's company also owns a home builder. Anyway, I took this picture to show you "the grass isn't always greener." In fact, ours is currently infested with red top (a weed). We also have a drainage problem you can see in this picture. The brown spots are places that actually hold water. We saw a bird stop by for a bath in one yesterday. That was first! We are going to have to do something about it soon because the ground is starting to smell. It is seriously disgusting and made playing in the yard last night seem like a bad idea. It didn't stop me though...I guess I had that thought after the fact.

Tonight we had a cul-de-sac party. Someone pulled their grill into the cul-de-sac. Everyone brought their own meat and drink and a side or dessert to share with everyone. Of the 9 houses (I think there are 9), only 5 were represented but we had a fun time visiting and eating. Here are a couple of pictures I took. Max was howling in the backyard so we decided to let him and see how he behaved. He literally went to each person as if to say "hello". A couple of kids played with him. He behaved very well. He was completely warn out. Matthew took him earlier in the afternoon to the lake to let him get some exercise swimming (and to clean him off from our disgusting yard). He is passed out next to me while I am on the computer. I hope he'll sleep well tonight. That would be a nice treat for us all.
















All in all it was a good week and weekend. And here we go again...

One of many reasons

The following is one of many reasons why I know God's timing is perfect and that He is in control.

7 years ago today was my first date with Matthew. Though I wasn’t “old” when we met, I had wondered for a long time if I would meet “the one” and one day get married and have a family.

God’s timing cannot be ignored. If Matthew and I had met in college or earlier, nothing would have happened between us. Our lifestyles were quite different and I was naïve and just rude enough that I would have turned my nose up at him and gone the other direction. I did not have much understanding in my college days for people who lived other than what I thought was the right way to live. While I loved the Lord, I did not have much mercy and grace for others. I just found friends that were like me and spent my time with them.

When I met Matthew, he was the first guy I had met who was truly passionate about God and his relationship with God...I mean visibly passionate. His conversations were centered around how God had changed his life and about what He was reading in the Bible. It was such a beautiful thing and somewhat unbelievable. In fact, before our first date we met a group of people at PF Changs for dinner. On the way there, I offended Matthew by asking him if he was “for real.”

As a rule follower (see earlier post), I can often be legalistic about things. I am also quite anal and a list maker. Once I make a list, I like to get everything done so I can cross things off the list. This makes me feel like I have accomplished something with my time. I have been known to put things on the list that have already been accomplished just so I can mark them off. Again, I’m a nerd, but there is just something about marking things off the list that gives me an almost
euphoric feeling. Because of this trait, there have been many times in my spiritual walk when I read my Bible so that I could check it off my list. This wasn’t written on a physical list, but it was something I wanted to do each day. During these times, I would read my Bible but I couldn’t tell you about what I read. I was reading it to be able to feel good about having done it rather than to quench a thirst in my soul…a desire to really know God and His word.

From the beginning of our relationship, Matthew challenged me in this. I would like to say that I appreciated this challenge from the beginning, but if I am honest, I have to say that I would get irritated at him as often as I would be encouraged by him. I would get irritated because he was messing up my “system.” He was taking away my comfort with my laziness. How dare him!

The Bible says the Word of God is a double-edge sword, useful for teaching, rebuking, etc. I was not approaching the Bible in order to be changed. I wanted to read it so that I could feel good about reading it. There were times where great learning did occur, but I hate to admit these were not the norm.

I think the most important thing I have learned in knowing Matthew is how rich, wide, high, and deep is the Word of God. It is not that I didn’t know this before, but it is possible that I hadn’t experienced it in my life before…at least not in the same rich way. Matthew wants to share and talk about what he has read and learned in the Word. It is called the living Word for a reason. It is real, it is the Word of God, and it still applies to our lives today…1000s of years after it was written. God speaks to me through His Word. I am still imperfect, flawed, lazy, and undeserving of His love and life, but He speaks to me.

The question now is do I give my time and attention to His word?

Cancer Update

Matthew's mom has been dealing with quite a lot of fluid retention for several months now. The doctors put her in the hospital over a week ago to insert a stint that would allow the fluid to move into her blood stream. Before they did the procedure, they decided to do an MRI. They have noticed for a while now that there are spots on her liver. They continued to monitor these spots. They were not growing so the doctors thought there was nothing to worry about. This week they did a biopsy and discovered the cancer has moved to her liver.

She will be undergoing another kind of chemo for this cancer they just found. I am unclear if she will be undergoing two kinds of chemo - the one she's been on for the last six months as well as a new one, or just the new one.

Matthew said her spirits are high. We would ask you to continue to pray for her body, her spirits, as well as the rest of the family.

Grilled Tilapia with Cherry Salsa

Everyday Food, June 2008 p. 24
4 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for grates
1/2 pound (2 cups) Bing cherries, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno chile (ribs and seeds removed), minced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
4 tilapia fillets (4 to 6 ounces each)

1. Heat grill to high; lightly oil grates. In a medium bowl, combine cherries, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine; set salsa aside.

2. In a small bowl, stir together coriander, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Rub tilapia all over with oil; sprinkle with spice mixture.

3. Grill tilapia until opaque around the edges and underside loosens easily from grill, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a metal spatula with a thin blade, flip fish; continue to cook until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve tilapia topped with cherry salsa.


I am SO glad I continued to try fish. I really enjoyed this cherry salsa with the fish. I couldn't taste the fish at all which is what I'm going for. Matthew liked this also. I served it with roasted potatoes (tossed in olive oil, Lowry's seasoning, and chili powder). I would definitely make this again. The only draw backs are that it took me a long time to get the seeds out of the cherries and my hands are now stained a bit from the cherries. It was something out of the ordinary and enjoyable during cherry season.

50th Reunion

My father grew up in a small farming area. He went to grade school in Aloso, OK and high school in Stonewall, OK. This weekend is his 50th reunion. He said of the 29 people he graduated with 6 have passed away and 22 of the living folks have been located and invited to the reunion…only 1 lady has not been found. He and my mom are traveling there today. He has been talking about this reunion for at least the last 6 months. He is excited to visit with some folks he hasn’t seen in a while.

He has been attending the reunion for the past couple of years. They have a reunion every year and anyone who went to the school is invited to come back. There are a couple of people he hasn’t seen in 50 years. There is one lady that he went to school with from 1st grade to graduation. In fact, they were “next door neighbors.” The doctor came to the farm to deliver my dad and then on the same day went to the next farm to deliver that baby girl. So they share the same birthday as well. They didn’t have kindergarten then and his elementary school was grades 1 through 8. They had one teacher for 1st and 2nd grade, one for 3rd and 4th grade, one for 5th and 6th grade, and one for 7th and 8th grade.

I really enjoy hearing about how different his school experience was from mine. I pretty much enjoy all the stories from his childhood. He always wanted to be a cowboy and would practice roping his brother. It sounds like it took his younger brother a while to catch on to the fact that he was going to be roped every time my dad told him to start running.

I hope he has a GREAT weekend and expect to hear all about it when he gets back home.

15 years

Today is my brother and sister-in-law's 15th anniversary! Wow! 15 years ago I was enjoying the summer after my 16th birthday. Lots has changed since June 26, 1993.

Congratulations C and D!!!

Blood Work

I went to the doctor last Friday to have some blood work done. I had talked to him before about my low blood pressure so I went to see if they could find anything that might be causing the low blood pressure (anemia, thyroid issue, etc).

When they measured my blood pressure Friday afternoon, it was 86 over 64. That is the lowest it's been as far as I know. I got a call on Monday that everything came back normal. Dr. C wants me to add salt to every meal, drink caffeine in the morning, and drop by Wally World to check my blood pressure periodically.

He said there's not really anything wrong with having low blood pressure if it's consistent and I'm not passing out or getting dizzy a lot. I do get dizzy when I bend over to pick up the puppy poop, but that's about it. We'll see if the caffeine and salt make any difference. He can put me on medication to improve the blood pressure but said he sees no reason to do that. After all, I am one of few Americans that are at less risk for heart attack and stroke.

I am curious if I would be any less tired taking some kind of medication. I guess I should do some internet research to see what I can find.

Pork Enchiladas with Green Sauce

Everyday Food, June 2008 p. 115
6 servings

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 pounds tomatillos (husks removed), washed and coarsely chopped
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
12 corn tortillas (6 inch)
2 cups coarsely grated white cheddar (8 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 450. Place pork on a rimmed baking sheet; rub with cumin, and season with salt and pepper. Roast, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of pork registers 145, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes; cut into 4 chunks. Using two forks, shred pork; transfer to a medium bowl, and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium; add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften, 4 to 6 minutes. Add tomatillos and 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer; cook until tomatillos are soft, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Transfer to a food processor, and blend until smooth; season sauce with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup sauce and corn to pork; mix to combine. Transfer remaining sauce to a shallow bowl.
4. Wrap stacked tortillas in damp paper towels; microwave on high for 1 minute to soften. Working with one tortilla at a time, dip in sauce, place on a work surface, and fill with 1/4 cup pork mixture and 1 tablespoon cheese. Roll up, and arrange, seam side down, in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Top with remaining sauce and cheese; cover dish with aluminum foil.
5. Bake until sauce is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue to bake until cheese is browned, about 15 minutes. Let enchiladas cool in dish for 10 minutes, and serve.

We enjoyed these enchiladas. I served them with tortilla chips, black beans mixed with Rotel, and brown rice. I have an obsession with Rotel so I like to add that when I can. Now that I think about it, Rotel would probably be a nice addition to either the rice or the enchiladas as well. This is the first time I have ever cooked with tomatillos. It took a while to get all the husks off, but they have a very interesting flavor. All in all, this was yummy and I would definitely recommend it if you have the time to prepare it. It took me about an hour and 45 minutes.

Straightening

We have had a busy and fun weekend.


Friday night we went to some folks' house that Matthew works with. Several couples were there that I hadn't seen in a while so it was fun to visit. We had pizza and later sang Karoke (actually I just sang along with everyone and not my own solo). They have an American Idol game for their Playstation that is karoke. It was quite entertaining! We didn't get home until around midnight. I was a little irritated about this because I knew Max had been sleeping while we were gone and would wake me up early on Saturday.


Max woke me up for the first time around 3:30 Saturday morning. I got up with him again between 4 and 5. Then one more time around 6:30. I stayed in bed until 7:30 but had been awake since 6:30. I was not a happy camper. So at 7:30 I got out of bed, got dressed, and took Max for a walk. Not only did we get exercise, but I also had a much better attitude once I got home. As soon as we got into the field, Max found the cow bone again. I still can't believe he remembers where he leaves that thing. We walked to a new area and he found another bone. This one was huge. Even though I don't know they're cow bones, I am confident they are not human remains because they are just huge. I think he would have carried it home, but he was so tired and thirsty he kept dropping it. Finally he just gave up. After showering and attempting to eat breakfast (we were out of milk), I started on my running errands marathon. I was out of the house for 4 1/2 hours running errands. I would rather get this done during the week but didn't have time last week. So I ran errands, more errands, and even more errands. This week is going to be busy as well so I wanted to make sure I got everything done before the madness starts on Monday. After running errands and putting all the groceries and goodies away, I took a short nap. Then I started making some sides for our dinner at some friends' house. We got together with 3 other couples from our Sunday school class for burgers. I took this salad I made recently (minus the chicken) and these potatoes from the June/July 2008 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. Unfortunately, I came up with the best quote of the night. "Straightening gives the appearance of straightness. And straightness makes me feel good." We started talking about the differences we had found between ourselves and our spouses...mainly talking about cooking and housekeeping. It was a funny conversation. And sometimes it is just nice to know that everyone struggles with some of the same petty issues. We stayed at their house until around 11. It was fantastic to fellowship with everyone. Before we left, we shared prayer requests or about what's been going on in our lives and prayed for each other. I really enjoyed the evening. It was an unexpected blessing.

Today after church, Matthew and I had lunch at Mimi's Cafe. The thing that draws me to Mimi's is their homemade muffins. They are DELICIOUS! I always order the buttermilk spice...it is like eating dessert. If you are ever in town, we'll have to take you to Mimi's. This left us with a short afternoon since we got home a little before 2. It has still be a relaxing day.

I can't say either of us are ready for the alarm clock to get us up for work tomorrow, but we definitely enjoyed our weekend.

By the way, I think we may have proven our theory that Max is just getting hot at night. While we have AC and use it, our basement stays cool while the main level of the house gets really warm. So we rigged a couple of box fans to move cool air from the basement up to our room. I think this helped last night but we'll see what happens tonight. Max got on our bed when I went to bed around midnight. He did not wake me up until 5 til 6 this morning. He was still sleeping next to me. I have high hopes that he will sleep all night tonight.

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Zucchini and Couscous

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Zucchini and Couscous
Everyday Food, June 2008 p. 84
4 servings

8 chicken thighs
2 zucchini (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise
1 cup couscous
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 450, with rack in upper third. Season chicken with salt and pepper; place, skin side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes.
2. Remove sheet from oven, and turn chicken, skin side up. Scatter zucchini around chicken, and season with salt and pepper; toss with pan juices. Return sheet to oven, and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of a thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165, 7 to 10 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, bring 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan; season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and stir in couscous. Cover, and let stand until all the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork. Stir in parsley, vinegar, roasted zucchini, and 2 tablespoons pan juices; season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken with zucchini and couscous.

This meal came together very quickly tonight. I was surprised how much flavor the chicken had even though it was only seasoned with salt and pepper. I did not have any parsley on hand so I just added some minced garlic instead. I didn't make anything else to go with the meal so we also had some canned pears. It rounded the flavors out nicely.

ER Visit #3

June 19, 2007 started out as an ordinary day…nothing to make it more memorable than the day or week before. After work I went to my Weight Watchers meeting (plug for WW here – the program works, I lost 34 pounds over 8 months in 2007). Matthew had asked me earlier in the day to attend his softball game that night. This was his second season to play on one of the company teams, but I had never made it to a game. I think this was only the second or third game of the season.

The game started at 6, and I showed up around 6:15 or so. As soon as I got there, one of the wives told me I should go check on Matthew. So I walked over to see what was going on. From a distance, he looked fine. One of the guys on the team told me that he had been running back in the outfield to catch a ball, fallen, and hit his head on the ground. He must have hit it just right because it knocked him out for a little bit (just a couple of minutes according to them). Several guys and an umpire suggested that I take him to the ER. I had to ask where the nearest ER was and we drove there. All the while, Matthew was trying to go back into the game. He had no idea what was going on.

Matthew couldn’t remember much. He was in a euphoric state, but his memory was certainly lacking. He did not remember what happened on the field. He asked me how I got to the game. He didn’t remember inviting me earlier that day. I told him what the guys had told me had happened, and he asked if he caught the ball (he did in fact catch the ball). He didn’t remember how long we had been married (I honestly think he didn’t know we were married but was trying to figure things out), where we lived (or that we had just built a house), where our friends lived (who had moved to Dallas and Seattle since we moved to Colorado), where family members lived, or how old he was (although this is something he doesn’t remember anyway).

All the way to the ER, I kept asking him things to see what he could remember. Other than some of his memory being gone, he seemed pretty normal. I asked him if he could tell me the alphabet (he could), count for me (he could), and other questions about our lives. Some things he knew and some things he did not know. I tried to keep him talking so that he wouldn’t get tired or groggy. That wasn’t a problem because he kept asking me questions as well. He would ask me what happened, where we were going, where I came from, etc. As soon as we made it through those questions, he started over with the first one. At first, I told him he had just asked me that question. I thought he was playing with me, but he wasn’t. So I quit telling him that I had already answered the questions 5 or 6 times. I just tried to calmly answer him.

Once we got to the ER, I took him inside and as I told the guy and girl behind the counter what was happening I almost started crying. All I could think to say was, “he hit his head and keeps repeating himself.” As soon as I said that, they told me he most likely had a concussion. Thankfully, the ER was not too busy when we walked in and they took him directly back to a room. As we were checking in, they would ask him questions which he didn’t know the answer to…address, phone number, insurance, birth date, etc. He did however know his social security number which I thought was interesting.

We were at the ER for hours. He had an MRI to make sure there was no bleeding in the brain. There wasn’t, which was fantastic news. He kept the nurses and other patients laughing because he was in this euphoric state. He was so happy and everything was exciting. “We built a house? I can’t wait to see it.” “I was knocked out. That’s so cool! I’ve never been knocked out before.” Then the shock wore off and he was in great pain. The rest of our time there was miserable.

The next day was our physical for our life insurance. That was fun. Poor Matthew did not feel well for days and even weeks. He was dizzy, nauseous, in pain. He spent a lot of time in the dark. At first, he couldn’t even watch a movie without feeling sick. Over the weekend we returned to the ER because the symptoms had not gotten better. Unfortunately, the ER was much busier this day and we waited a long time before getting called back. The best they could do was offer him pain medication. The effects of the concussion slowly went away. The doctor could only say his brain had been knocked around pretty good.

Some things to remember for the future…

• If I see someone sustain such an injury and a spouse or family member is not there to do so, I will call 911 or take the person to the ER myself. Why didn’t anyone think about either calling me or calling 911 if they were so worried about him and knew he should go to the ER? They didn’t know I was supposed to show up at any moment.
• If a person is repeating himself after a head injury, that could mean he has a concussion.
• As this was his second injury in two seasons of softball, Matthew is no longer allowed to play on the company team. Isn’t that sad?

So you see there was not even a year between ER visit #3 and ER visit #4. Thankfully, there was no blood involved in this injury. That does not make it any less serious, but I was able to deal with it better than this last accident.

Max & Missy

Today was a beautiful sunny day (in the 80s) so Matthew wanted to take Max up to the pond after work. Since he likes the water, it's an easy way to give him exercise. We enjoy it just as much as he does. We get so tickled watching him in and around the water. We were there over an hour. I was taking pictures (a total of 134 - one reason I like my digital camera) and Matthew was throwing the ball for Max.


While we were there, a man showed up with his chocolate lab Missy. Missy and Max are both just over 9 months old. Missy loved the water too and gave Max a run for his money while running and swimming for the ball. We had a good time watching them play together. You can tell from the picture that Max was a bit bigger than Missy.


Missy's owner parked on the other side of the pond. Missy saw Max from the car and really wanted to play. Once her owner threw her toy in the pond, she swam right by it and headed for our side of the water. He reluctantly came over to where we were, too. I was glad Max was able to play with her. I like to have him around other dogs when we can. He really enjoys their company and it's good for him to be exposed to the dogs and people.


The wind was blowing from the north today. This picture is the south end of the pond. The yellow you see in the picture is pollen. Isn't that crazy? I hope Max doesn't have allergies.

Miscommunication

I made a miscommunication today. This is not a rare occurrence. I often just say things without thinking a particular statement all the way through to its conclusion so I guess this shouldn’t be surprising.

I am sure you have never done this.

This morning as Matthew and I were driving to work (we have been carpooling since his injury) we were talking about a hypothetical situation. The situation is not an important part of this story so I’m not going to go into the specifics. His response to the situation surprised me so I said, “That surprises me. I didn’t know that about you.” Apparently the way I said this and the tone in my voice came across as disappointed and anything other than accepting and encouraging.

That was not my intention at all. In fact, I didn’t have an intention. I was just saying that I wouldn’t have expected Matthew to react to that situation in that way. I’m not sure this is a wrong response or reaction, but the way I communicated my response was hurtful.

I’m sorry babe. I hope I will do a better job going forward of thinking before I speak (that’s a tall order). I hope I will also recognize that we are two very different people and realize that having different responses is natural and expected because we are different and think through things differently (by the way, I’m not referring to having a different moral compass here). While I don’t know every little thing about you after almost 7 years together and am still surprised by you, I know your heart (which is tender and compassionate) and hope that I will continue to see the best in you.

I love you Matthew!

Max Update

Here are a couple of pictures of Max taken last Friday. I was outside playing with Max while Matthew was adjusting the sprinklers. After retrieving the Chuck-It, Max would take a break in the grass. He didn't mind that the sprinklers were soaking him. In fact, it made getting a drink quite convenient.

He isn't really doing anything new. We have given him more freedom in the house while we are gone. I always make our bed before we leave for the day. When we get back home, Max has rearranged the pillows. He must put them all together and lay on them. That's all that I can figure.

When we first had Max, I made an effort to take him on long walks every day. I have slacked off a bit with that and need to start up again. After work today, we went for a walk/jog. I wish that I could run (no, everyone cannot run). I'm one of those people that people drive by and laugh about how I run/jog. It is not graceful or pretty in the least bit.

I took Max for a walk Sunday afternoon out in a field near our house. He found a HUGE bone that has to be a cow bone. He picked it up but didn't carry it for long because he was so tired and thirsty. Today when we got out to the field, he immediately ran to where he had left the bone. I was amazed that (1) he remembered he had even found the bone out there and (2) that he remembered where he had left it. I had already forgotten all about it. We had a nice walk today. My goal is to do that for the rest of the week.

We've had a rough week to week and a half. Max has for some reason decided that he's not going to sleep all night. There has always been the occasional night where I'll let him out to use the bathroom during the night. But lately he has been waking us up and whining several times during the night. We can't figure out what is going on. I hope the longer walks will help with this. Last night he awoke only once. I woke up to get a glass of water. Apparently neither Matthew nor Max heard me get up. Once I started making noise in the kitchen, Max sat up and growled at me.

Big Toe Picture

I am not sure that you want to see this, but here is a picture of Matthew's toe taken June 7th. This was taken exactly one week after the accident. I don't have any pictures of it earlier than this because I couldn't stand to look at it or think about it. It was about this long before I could look at his toe without remembering his voice in the forest when he told me to take him to the hospital. Yuck! I am SO very thankful it is healing well.

Stitches Out

Matthew visited the surgeon again today. He got the rest of his stitches out. The toe is not completely healed, but he can also stop wearing the air cast/boot if it is comfortable for him to wear his normal shoes. He is going to try that for the rest of the day so we'll see how that goes. He will go back to visit the surgeon in two weeks to see how everything looks.

After seeing his injury just over 2 weeks ago, it is surprising to me that he has healed so quickly. I have warned him that if I sustain such an injury, I will be milking it so he should be prepared for that. He was a very good patient. He only let me do things for him the first day or two. I tried to wait on him hand and foot, but he didn't allow much of that.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Sweet and Spicy Dressing

Grilled Chicken Salad with Sweet and Spicy Dressing
Cooking Light, June 2008 p. 116
4 servings

Chicken:
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
cooking spray

Dressing:
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Salad:
8 cups mixed salad greens
1 cup thinly sliced peeled cucumber
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 plum tomatoes, quartered

1. To prepare chicken, combine the first 5 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add the chicken to the bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning the bag occasionally.
2. Prepare grill.
3. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Let chicken stand 10 minutes; cut across grain into 1-inch-thick slices.
4. To prepare dressing, combine cilantro and next 7 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon cumin) in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
5. To prepare salad, arrange 2 cups greens, 1/4 cup cucumber, 1 tablespoon onion, and 2 tomato wedges on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 chicken breast half. Drizzle 2 tablespoons dressing over each serving.

I somehow missed the limes at the store so I used lemon. I will have to try it with the lime next time around. This was really yummy for dinner last night! I thought the dressing and salad had a lot of flavor. I made additional dressing because I've learned that we usually use more than we are supposed to. I also added avocado to the salad because I had some on hand (Matthew added some feta cheese to his as well). I served this with some frozen veggies (french cut green beans, mushrooms, and tomatoes in a garlic butter sauce) I purchased at Whole Foods. This was a nice dinner and really quick to fix. I also enjoyed using my indoor grill again. I love that thing!

Ham Risotto with Sugar Snap Peas and Grilled Peaches over Arugula with Goat Cheese and Prosciutto

Ham Risotto with Sugar Snap Peas
Cooking Light, June 2008 p. 180
4 servings

4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 2 medium leeks)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice or other medium-grain rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 ounces diced cooked ham (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm.
2. Cook peas in boiling water 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leek to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Stir in rice; cook 1 minute. Add wine; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total). Add ham to pan; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in peas, cheese, and pepper.

Grilled Peaches over Arugula with Goat Cheese and Prosciutto
Cooking Light, June 2008 p. 100
6 servings

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
3 peaches, pitted and each cut into 6 wedges
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of kosher salt
10 cups trimmed arugula (about 10 ounces)
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 1/4-inch strips
2 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese

1. Bring vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer until vinegar is reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in honey. Cool to room temperature.
2. Prepare grill to high heat.
3. Place peach wedges on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 30 seconds on each side or until grill marks appear but peaches are still firm. Remove from grill; set aside.
4. Combine oil, pepper, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add arugula, tossing gently to coat. Arrange arugula mixture on a platter. Top with peach wedges and prosciutto. Drizzle with balsamic syrup; sprinkle with cheese.

Other than the fact that I now have 4 pans to clean, I enjoyed both of these recipes tonight. I followed the first recipe to a "T", but made a couple of changes on the salad. I already had some mixed greens in the fridge so I used them instead of arugula (I tend to think arugula is pretty strong although it probably goes well with the peaches and dressing). And instead of goat cheese I used feta. I figured we would be more likely to use the remaining feta than we would goat cheese. I am not a big fan of goat cheese. I was also excited to use the new grill pan I got for the stove top (the reverse side is a griddle). Our grill is about to bite the big one - only 1/4 of the grill is currently working.

I hope you enjoy these! I would definitely make both again.

Rule Follower

My name is Mindy, and I am a rule follower. I have always been and expect that I will always be a rule follower. This is probably one of the top things that drives Matthew nuts about me (the other being that I make excuses for people I don’t even know – I’ll have to save that for another day…and yes, there are more than two things about me that drive him nuts).

Our church does things a little different than I am used to. We switch Sunday school teachers each quarter. I am sure there are other reasons, but I’ve only been told it is because the church does not want to have “people followers” – instead wanting us all to be Jesus followers. Because the teacher changes often, we have mentor couples in our class. These couples are a little bit older and have been married longer than the rest of us. It is actually a neat opportunity to get to know more people within the church. While on a marriage retreat back in February, we met a couple who had this particular man (BT) for their teacher. The girl told us that BT “would change our lives.” We laughed about that then…just because it was an odd statement.

Anyway, recently in our Sunday school class our teacher (BT) was teaching about sin. We talked about sin for an entire quarter although Matthew and I were only there for a handful of those Sundays. The basic teaching of the topic was that God is more concerned with our heart than our actions. Said this way, I completely agree. However, I had the hardest time listening and thinking about the lesson as the teacher presented it. We talked about how our behavior is a reflection of what is in our heart. Again, I agree with that. The teacher presented this specific example: someone struggles with looking on the internet to satisfy a lust in his/her heart. Say this person is in an accountability group and has made known his/her struggle with this particular issue. This person is alone one night and has the opportunity to look on the internet for this satisfaction but chooses not to because of the pact he/she made with the accountability group. The teacher was pointing out that in this situation nothing had changed in the person’s heart. He/she still wanted to satisfy that desire but chose not to do so – not because of a desire to honor God, but because of a desire to be truthful to his/her friends. Obviously, it’s a good thing that he/she chose not to sin by looking, but the sin is still in the heart. The main message of the quarter was that behavior is not what’s important when it comes to sin. My heart is what is important. And until my heart has gone through a transformation, I am still in trouble with my sin. Just because I don’t act out my sin does not mean I am not a sinner.

I believe all those things are true, but there is a part of me that must be somewhat conditioned to a deeds based mentality about my spirituality. I 100% believe that I will meet Jesus face to face one day in heaven because he paid the penalty for my sin. Period. I did nothing to earn or deserve His mercy and grace. But somehow there must be times when I believe that outside appearances matter for something. Because I want to follow the rules no matter what my heart looks like. Somehow in my mind, if I am following the rules, I must be doing ok. This obviously happens when I am trying to please or impress people rather than focusing on bringing glory and praise to God.

The funny thing to me now is that I have actually been thinking about this lesson ever since.

**As I just reread this, it is not very cohesive. Sorry! I hope it makes some sort of sense.

Szechuan Pork

Szechuan Pork
Cooking Light, June 2008 p. 194
4 servings

6 ounces soba (buckwheat) noodles, uncooked
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 2-inch strips
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
¾ cup red bell pepper strips (about 1 small pepper)
¼ cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 ½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon peanut butter
¾ cup (2-inch) diagonally cut green onions (about 4 green onions)

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork, chili garlic sauce, and ginger to pan; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add bell pepper to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add broth, soy sauce, and peanut butter to pan. Reduce heat to low; cook for 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick. Stir in onions. Serve over noodles.

This is what we had for dinner last night. I enjoyed it for two main reasons - (1) it was very quick even with the time used for cutting the veggies (this is definitely something I consider when cooking in the summer) and (2) it was tasty.

I made pancakes out of buckwheat one time that I did not like much. So I was a little afraid of the noodles in this recipe. It turns out I was wrong to be hesitant because their flavor was not overpowering and they worked well in this dish. I couldn't find any chili garlic sauce so I used Sriracha sauce. I also used more than it called for so this was pretty spicy for my taste buds. I think it was just the right heat for Matthew. My sauce did not get very thick so I might add a tiny bit of cornstarch next time around. I think I would also throw in some more veggies. This only made 3 servings for us so adding more veggies would make it last longer. Another option would be serving it with rice.

Moment Made for Worshipping

by Steven Curtis Chapman

6:30 Monday morning
I'm here hiding in my bed
A song plays on my alarm clock
As I cover up my head
And somewhere in the distance
I remember yesterday
Singing "Hallelujah"
Full of wonder, awe and grace
But now I'm just wondering
Why I don't feel anything
At all

CHORUS:
This is a moment made for worshipping
Cause this is a moment I'm alive
And this is a moment I was made to sing
A song of living sacrifice
For every moment that I live and breathe
This is a moment made for worshipping

When I'm praying with my children
As they're running off to school
When I kiss my wife good morning
Just to say I still love you
When I'm feeling loved and happy
When I'm feeling all alone
When I'm failing to remember
All the love that I've been shown
Every single beat of my heart
Is another new place to start
To know

CHORUS

Every single beat of my heart
Is another new place to start
Right now

CHORUS

From the rising of the sun
To the setting the sun
The name of the Lord is worthy to be praised

Big Toe Update

Matthew had an appointment with the surgeon today concerning his big toe. The doctor was surprised at how quickly Matthew's toe is healing. In the beginning, we were told he would be on crutches for 4 to 6 weeks. Matthew decided last Thursday (after 4 days on the crutches) that was enough for him. I just knew he would "get in trouble" from the doctor, but today the doctor told Matthew he totally understood why he was not using them. So much for following the rules. He took a couple of the stitches out and thinks he will be able to take the rest out next week. He also thinks Matthew will then be able to get out of the air boot and start wearing regular shoes. Matthew just knew this was going to ruin his summer, but so far it looks like his healing is ahead of "schedule."

Thank you for praying for him. It looks like he is out of woods concerning the infection. He will finish his antibiotics in the next couple of days, and the doctor did not prescribe any additional pills.

The surgeon also told Matthew that over the weekend he was cutting wood on his property. He said he could not get Matthew out of his mind so he was being extremely careful. Matthew thought that was funny.

Conviction

Over the past few weeks, I have been thinking about how rotten my attitude about my job has been. I had my second Bible study with my Titus 2 group last night. We were talking about knowing God and somehow the subject of work relationships came up. We were talking about how our "work ethic" should make us appear different than our co-workers that are not believers. Immediately I thought about how I had not been glorifying God with my work quality nor my attitude. Several scriptures came to mind.

"The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So he left in Joseph's care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate." Genesis 39:2-6

"Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:22-24

"But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, 'I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.' Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 'Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.' So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom." Daniel 1:8-20

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

I first want to point out that these scriptures are not a formula for God's provision or success as the world sees it. The Spirit convicts me when I read and meditate on these scriptures because I should be working (my occupational job, my housework, etc) as unto the Lord...not for any reason other than because He deserves any and all glory I can give Him. Everything I do should be done as unto the Lord. If everything I do is unto the Lord, I have been giving him a stinky offering lately. I have been doing just enough to get by. When I think about it in this context, I don't want to give God anything less than my best effort. How will my boss and co-workers see Christ lived out in my life if I am okay with the status quo?

This is not a new thought process or something new I am struggling with. This has been a struggle throughout my working years (more than 9 now). I tend to focus too much on how I feel about my job, what I am or am not getting out of my job, how I want to move up or do something different. I often forget my main purpose in this world which is to bring glory to the God of the universe. It is so easy for me to turn my eyes and attention from the One who has been so very gracious to me in spite of the fact that I deserve eternal separation from Him. I get caught up in silly things about work and life that do not matter at all.

My prayer is that God will turn my weak and futile effort...my mundane work into something beautiful in His sight. That He will use my ordinary life to glorify Himself. And that I will be willing to daily lay down my life for His purposes.

For this is a moment made for worshipping.

Lawn Mower

I am officially a lawn mower (insert tune to "I'm a wheel watcher" here). Obviously, I am not a machine. But I am now one who mows (at least until Matthew has recovered from his injury).

I am sure if you know me it is not hard to believe that I have never mowed a lawn before. This is for several reasons really…(1) I asked my dad once if I could mow the yard when I was growing up. He convinced me that I didn’t really want to do it. That was probably dad-speak for “I don’t think you’re strong enough to push the lawn mower.” That could have been completely true and accurate…I’m not very strong. Or it could have meant, "I would like to get this done sooner rather than later." (2) After moving out of my parents’ house for college, I have only lived two places where the lawn needed to be mowed. The first place was the trailer where we lived in Austin. This yard was TINY. Matthew ended up “mowing” it most of the time with a weed whacker because we didn’t have a lawn mower. This worked pretty well. (I just realized after typing those sentences that our neighbors must have really though we were rednecks!) The second place is our current home. After getting our yard put in last year, I made mowing Matthew’s job. Unlike most folks, I like dividing the house work between girl work and boy work. Boy work usually ends up being the stuff I don’t want to do. Just because I divide the work that way doesn’t mean that’s how it gets done. My husband is far too smart to not figure that out, but it doesn’t keep me from trying.

Anyway, I think I did rather well mowing the front yard last night. I found turning the lawn mower around a bit challenging, but overall the yard looks pretty good. Our yard is not flat so there were parts that were a bit more difficult to mow than others. This weekend I need to tackle the backyard. This will be a little more work because some of the grass back there has grown taller. Even though it's "no big thang", I was proud of myself last night. I guess now I'm a regular renaissance gal.

Invisible Fence

We have trouble keeping Max in the backyard when we are away from home. He has only escaped a couple of times, but it is enough to make me nervous about leaving him outside while we are at work...especially since we are gone so long. Who knows where he could end up?

Our neighbor told me they have an invisible fence. It has taught their dog well where she can and cannot go. He said that she is used to it now and he only has to turn in on every now and then to remind her of her boundaries. Every time Max has gotten out, he has gone to this neighbor's house. Thankfully, they just put him in their backyard when he ends up over there. He loves to play with Bealle (their 4 year old golden retriever). This hasn't been so bad, but what if he got out when they weren't home to rescue him.

This week I had someone come out to give me an estimate on the invisible fence. Oh my goodness! That is quite the investment. Their most expensive package (and of course the one the guy was pushing) would be $1300+. I really couldn't believe it. It came with a lot of bells and whistles; however, it was $1300!! The guy drove up in a van with a large dog on the side of it. Max barked at that dog. It was the funniest thing!

Needless to say, we are trying to explore other options. I love Max and don't want him to run off or be injured. I am just not sure how we can get him to stay in our yard. We believe his deal is that he just doesn't like to be without us. This is most likely my fault because I didn't leave him alone much as a puppy. I should have left him in the yard so that he would get used to it. It just didn't occur to me at the time. Now I know better. He has been very good in the house, but even our vet told us that he needs to be outside and there is no reason he shouldn't be outside while we are at work this summer.

If you have any suggestions for us, I'd love to hear them.

Celebrating 41 years!

Yesterday was my parents' 41st wedding anniversary. Isn't that fantastic?

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Fighting Infection

We visited a surgeon yesterday to see if Matthew needs to have surgery on his toe. Right now, the main concern is infection. Because the cut is all the way to the bone, this can be a serious issue. The ER doctor prescribed an antibiotic on Saturday which Matthew has been taking 4 times each day since then. The surgeon we visited yesterday prescribed a second antibiotic because there are early signs of infection. The surgeon does not think he will have to operate on Matthew's foot, but he can't say for sure. Pretty much nothing can be done until the infection issue is dealt with. Matthew is now sporting a very stylish boot on his left leg. He can now put some pressure on his heel for walking even though he is still on crutches.

Update: This is more serious than I first thought. Matthew told me this afternoon that the doctor told him yesterday there isn't much that can be done about the infection. He is in fact taking two antibiotics for it, but if they do not help, he could lose his toe. This is, of course, something that we would like to avoid. Please pray with us that the infection will go away and the toe will heal properly.

Titus 2 Team Meeting #2

Last week I had my second meeting with my Titus 2 team from church. Through some strange circumstances, I now have a new mentor. I am quite happy about this. My previous mentor was a very nice lady, but she was new to the church just like the other 3 ladies in my group. I am so happy to now have one of the minister's wives as my mentor. I really think that will add a new dynamic to the group.

Rather than working through the Bible study at our meeting, we spent the time just getting to know each other. We are going to get together next week for our Bible study.

The lady who hosted us this time cooked a wonderful dinner of macadamia nut chicken; couscous with pine nuts and garlic (I think); a salad with strawberries, feta cheese, candied nuts, and spinach; and asparagus with a lemon sauce. It was delicious! My biggest issue with chicken is that it is often dry and lacking flavor. This recipe was neither of those.

I have since looked on the internet for a recipe for the macadamia nut chicken and found this one. After I give it a try, I will let you know how it turns out.

Salmon with Mustard Cream

Salmon with Mustard Cream
Cooking Light Superfast Suppers p. 245

4 (6 ounce) skinless salmon fillets
Cooking spray
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat broiler.

Place fish on a broiler pan; coat fish with cooking spray, and sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Broil 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Combine sour cream and next 6 ingredients.

Place fillets on plates. Spoon sauce over fish.

4 servings

We had this while N and M were here over Memorial Day weekend. We actually grilled the salmon along with corn and some veggies marinated in balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The salmon was good, but the sauce was a little different. We've had the sauce before when it was really good. I think the sour cream I used may have been questionable. I would make this again though. Salmon is the one fish that I can tolerate above all others.

Sauteed Tilapia with Honey-Scallion Dressing

Sauteed Tilapia with Honey-Scallion Dressing
Cooking Light, August 2006

Dressing:
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil

Fish:
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 (6 ounce) tilapia fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups gourmet salad greens

To prepare dressing, combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

To prepare fish, heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish evenly with salt and pepper. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Arrange 1 cup greens on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with 1 fish fillet; drizzle with 2 tablespoons dressing.

Serves 4

I made this one night last week. I am trying to learn to like fish, but it is not easy for me. Matthew really enjoyed this, but it was not my favorite. I really need a recipe that masks the natural flavor of the fish. I guess I'll have to keep looking. The dressing added a nice flavor though and I thought the fish smelled wonderful while it was cooking. Maybe I just need to grow up and eat fish until I acquire the taste for it.

June 2008

I am looking forward to June's warmer weather. I am also looking forward to trying out many of the recipes in the June 2008 Cooking Light magazine.

Here's to a great June!