Never too tired to praise God!

Lately God has shown me that I need to work on developing a thankful heart, no matter the circumstance at hand, God is ever present & strong (Habakkuk 3:17). So I've decided to use this blog as a way to document those things that I am especially thankful for. Tonight I'll keep it short since it's already my bedtime :)

I am grateful to God for:

-A God who knows the wickedness of my heart, yet still choose to love me from before the foundations of the world.

-A church that offers practical classes ("Hospitality") where I learn to better love strangers and point them to Jesus Christ.

-A fiance that helps me with my finances and is patient when i ask him to explain something for the 17th time...

-Disney music...seriously, I've had "A Whole New World" stuck in my head ALL day :) :) :)

The Grand Finale

I'm sure you were thinking about the final Harry Potter movie, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2." Here at the Brown ranch we are getting excited to celebrate this final movie by having our very own Harry Potter party this coming Friday. There will be lots of food (butterbeer, mad-eye moody cupcakes, chocolate wands, etc.), fun games and fellowship. So get on your best HP costume and come join the festivities (even if you're not a fan of Harry Potter).

On another note, we're getting new wood floors put in our casa. In fact, today the crew is finishing up the final room so we hope to put the furniture and bookshelves back tonight and tomorrow. Not only am I excited about the beautiful Alamo Sunset wood floors, but also this means that a new puppy is coming in the near future. The parents said that we had to wait to get a new dog until the floors were put in. So the much anticipated time is approaching. We're thinking to get a Daschund since they are both social and short-haired dogs, emphasis on short-hair :)

Well, it wouldn't be a kiwi post without mention of music. My current fav song is "Your Love is a Song" from Switchfoot's album "Hello Hurricane." The words and music have been stuck in my head for about a week now, so here they are, the lyrics:

I hear you breathing in
another day begins
The stars are falling out
My dreams are fading out

I've been keeping my eyes wide open
I've been keeping my eyes wide open

Chorus:
Oh, Your love is a symphony
All around me
Running through me

Oh, Your love is a melody
Underneath me
Running to me
Oh, your love is a song

The dawn is fire bright
Against the city lights
The crowds are going now
The moon is blacking out

So I've been keeping my mind wide open
I've been keeping my mind wide open

Chorus

Your love is my remedy
Your love is a song

Lately I've been reading 1 Chronicles in the Old Testament and it mentions several times the importance of music in praising the Lord. Just today I read, .."They were giving thanks to the Lord, because His lovingkindness is everlasting. And with them were Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those who should sound aloud, and with instruments for the songs of God.." 2 Chronicles even says that King David made instruments for the purpose of "giving praise to the Lord."

Such a wonderful reminder that music isn't just for our ears, but to give back to our Father in heaven.

Scones from heaven

Scones. I have always had a strange fasination with them since I had my first one in 8th grade at Panera bread. There was definitely a symphony of flavors and textures exploding in my mouth. First let me explain what they are not. 1) biscuits that are dry and crumbly 2) coffee cake (or cake of any kind)where the sugar content is just rediculous and 3) donut or similar type pastry. In my opinion a scone should take on the flakiness of a buttery biscuit and the moistness and flavour of a pancake. Ever since I was given a kitchen aid from Aaron's mom (she gave it to me for free!), I have been doing some experiments with scones in the kitchen laboratory. There are several ways to acheive the light flakiness that a good scone should have. But instead of boring you with the details, I've decided to begin writing a book this summer on scones (techniques, recipes, etc). Not really sure where my obsession with scones came from, but one reason is b/c I can control the sugar (for example, I just made some oatmeal maple scones and modified the recipe by adding half the amount of sugar called for and increasing the maple syrup to 3 Tbls. instead of 2). Scones are also super simple to make and you can add just about anything to them, savory (jalapenos & corn) or sweet.

Okay, enough about scones. Aaron has two job interviews next week here in Lafayette. It's been sweet (think scones) to see God answer our prayers. It's been a huge encouragement this semester to meditate on living for & serving a God who is immutable (cannot be modified or subject to change). Lately He's been showing me how impatient and moody I often am and how much more I need Him to be my source of strength and hope that sustains me day to day.

This coming week is Passion Play rehearsals and then 4 performances on the weekend. I love this time of year b/c I am reminded of my sin that nailed Christ to the cross of shame and His victory/power over Satan and death. Joshua Harris, in one of his sermons recently reminded me that we are living in the end times. It doesn't matter if there's a World War 3 or gas prices reach $5/gallon, The Son of God is coming and that should be what really matters to me.

Blessings from this week:
1. picnic with Aaron at Happy Hallow Park last Sunday.
2. awesome sunshine and temps
3. smelling the fragrant flowers as I walk Belle around the neighborhood
4. Knife skills class with Michelle (oh man do I want a set of Wuesthof knives! we did receive a free paring knife from them)
5. the 2nd/3rd grade spring program went really well. Aaron came and helped run the powerpoint, he's a sweetheart
6. ballroom tonight with my parents and Aaron before he goes to drill
7. 9 hours of sleep last night!!!!!!!!!

okay, so that's just a few of the many many blessings. I hope everyone takes a minutes to thank God for His extravagant love. Peace.

Change

Spring is in the air! The weather is getting warmer (finally!) and the daylight is getting longer. There are several changes this spring, here are just a few:

1. Cider (our old cocker spaniel) died in late January. We are getting a new dog! Her name is Belle and she's a Dachshund. Veronica (Nisha's old housemate) is getting married in two weeks and cannot have pets at her new apartment so we get to adopt Belle for about 6 months. She's such a good behaved dog and super friendly and fun!

2. Tirzah and Aaron graduate in May!!!! I believe Josh finishes his Phd in May as well!

3. My dad begins chemo sometime in the next two weeks. His mantle cell lymphoma is back (he was first diagnosed with it my sophomore year of high school, 2002), and thankfully his treatments this time will be here in Lafayette.

4. Warmer weather means more long walks admiring God's glorious creation.

5. Especially looking forward to celebrating our risen Savior at Easter. He's coming for us!

Mexican Omelettes & Italian Wedding Soup!

So, this entire weekend is themed "International" food, dance and music! Pretty much my favorite things on this earth. This morning dad and I made Mexican omelets. What makes these omelets Mexican? The Chihuahua cheese! Yes, I look a good melting cheese, and this particular cheese is fantastic in quesadillas, enchiladas, and...omelets! We also sauteed mushrooms, green onions and fresh flat leaf Italian parsley in some EVOO. And the two special ingredients, the chihuahua cheese and red pepper flakes for some spice. So good! I suppose if you like meat for breakfast you could add chorizo, but i prefer meatless breakfasts.

Giada has inspired me to make Italian Wedding soup for dinner tonight. I used to get the stuff all the time at the dining courts in college b/c it was my favorite soup and perfect for a cold winter's day. The only change I plan to make to Giada's recipe is to use ground turkey in place of ground pork and beef. The soup will be served with crusty Vienna bread from Meijer bakery.

Tonight Aaron and I are going Swing dancing! It's been a long time since i've swing danced but it should be a total blast. Last night I went with mom, dad, and Tirzah to the GHDT (Gregory Hancock Dance Theater) production of "Fiesta" which is was in the actual dance studio. We sat at tables and were served Mexican wedding cookies, enchiladas, chips w/salsa, and beverages. The dance choreography was very interesting and intricate--mostly modern with some ballet and character in the mix. Mr. Hancock even wrote the music to "La Casa Azul" which is about the story of Frida Kahlo. The story is very sad, but the dancing, singing, and acting were very good. The night ended with Ravel's "Bolero" with the entire company wearing flamenco costumes and character shoes.

Hope everyone has a blessed weekend, praise God for His abundant grace!

2 New Recipes

Tonight my mom asked me to make dinner (she's brave!). The challenge was to find a dish that contained shitake mushrooms, broccoli, and chicken. Since my dad made a fantastic stir fry over the weekend, I didn't want to do another one, so I decided to make a rice and chicken casserole instead. First I found a recipe that looked good from Taste of Home. It called for water chestnuts (which we didn't have on hand) so I steamed the broccoli and added some sauteed shitake mushroom wedges (with onions and garlic...oh, and some red pepper flakes). Also, I decided to use long grain brown rice since it would add a nice nutty consistency and complement the texture of the shitake mushrooms. just put it in the oven and it smells amazing already. hmmm, comfort food.

Tomorrow Aaron and I are celebrating Valentine's Day (finally!) by making Beef Fillets with Portobello mushrooms and a red wine sauce (also from tasteofhome.com). I'm planning to stick to the recipe this time because beef is certainly not my strong suite. Aaron and his dad really like beef so i figured it would be a good opportunity to learn a simple and delicious beef dish. The meal will include freshly baked french bread (from the Meijer bakery) and a side salad. Aaron is going to take care of dessert. Not sure what it's going to be, but if it involves raspberries it's gotta be good in my book. After dinner we will probably watch a pixar movie of some sort.

1st Cor. 13:7 "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."

BCTC conference week!

Very excited about the Biblical Counseling Training Conference this coming week. We are housing a missionary couple from El Salvador and a missionary woman from Colombia whose husband is in seminary at Baptist Bible College. Looking forward to serving them and learning about their missions work in Latin America. Michelle is also going to be staying with us next week! I can hardly wait for all the girls' nights and cooking time together. Tomorrow I get to introduce her to Taco Rico, my favorite Mexican restaurant in Lafayette. My parents are going to the Indy airport to pickup Karina (sp?) and then we'll make some yummy white chili to have as we cozy up inside and watch the Superbowl.

Kitchen Adventures

Over the past year or so I've taken up a new hobby. I've discovered the art of cooking. Even in college Emily and I would have random cooking adventures, but since I've moved back in with the parents I've had lots of time to experiment in the kitchen and of course be inspired by the food network. God has truly given me a passion for cooking and it's a great way to share God's love with others as well. I remember back in 4th grade when I had to make the perfect cookies for 4-H. Needless to say, I really did not enjoy baking in the least bit. It's strange how one's likes and dislikes change over the years.

So I've decided to use this blog as a way of documenting my adventures cooking & baking. Being a forgetful person, this blog is mainly intended for my own memory sake. However, I always enjoy hearing what adventures ya'll are having as well.

What I've been working on lately/goal for this Spring:

1. Perfecting the French omelette--I've already made a traditional cheese omelette, and turkey bacon, tomato, and provolone omelette. I've discovered that adding a Tbsp of milk or cream to the eggs is important in the overall texture and structure of the eggs.

2. Knife skills- going to take a knife skills class in April. Who doesn't enjoy chopping, slicing, dicing, and julienning fruits and veggies?

3. Pesto- pesto is so very healthy and delish. Arugula, basil, pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, jalapenos, EVOO, cheese, mmmm.

4. Hummus- it's fun to make, and even more fun to jazz up with sweet bell peppers or spicy hot ones.

5. Red pepper flakes & ginger are my new favorite seasonings

6. Seviche- seafood, and all things fresh and wonderful

That's it for now..i'm sure there will be plenty to update soon :)