Top Performances From The 2013 Inauguration

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Dashboard Cheesy Kale Chips

You know...for a girl without central air in her house, you'd think I'd dread the hot and hazy Baltimore days. I don't enjoy sweating. I don't enjoy seeing my hair frizz. And I definitely don't enjoy the feeling of sweat beads rolling down the side of my face. EWWW.

But I love it when the temp goes above 95 degrees because it's actually hot enough to bake something in my car. If you're going to get scorched, you might as well get a tasty treat out of it, right?

I've made cookies and fruit roll ups in my car, but I decided to go the healthy route: kale chips. I know. Kale is ridiculously anti-climactic compared to cookies and fruit roll ups, but trust me...these things are addicting. Jack rolled his eyes, crinkled his nose, and lamented the kale and eggs his wife "makes" him eat for breakfast. But after he ate one, he kept reaching for more and said they taste like cheese popcorn. WIN!

Here's the thing - the ingredients to make the Cheesy Kale Chips are a bit untraditional. The really "weird" ingredient is nutritional yeast (not to be confused with Brewer's Yeast). I picked everything up at my local health food store, and if I were you, I'd walk in the door of the health food store, march myself up to a one of the clerks, show them the list of ingredients and say, "Let's go on a scavenger hunt!" Seriously, don't stress yourself out trying to find it. They'll know exactly where to look. Nutritional yeast is worth finding because it gives the kale the "cheesy" flavor. Per tablespoon, nutritional yeast has 130% of your daily vitamin B-12, 4 grams of fiber, 8 grams of protein, and 60% of your daily folic acid! All in ONE TABLESPOON! It's seriously delicious stuff that you'd never know is super healthy for you too.

Jack is hoarding the cheesy kale chips!

Cheesy Kale Chips
Recipe lightly adapted from Pride & Vegudice

1 bunch curly kale
1 cup cashews (raw, not roasted or salted)
1 red bell pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon sea salt

Place the cashews in a medium sized bowl and cover with water. Let the cashews soak for a minimum of 3 hours. This will soften the cashews and make them easier to blend. You can even do this step the night before, if you'd like, and let the cashews soak while you sleep.

Remove the tough, woody stems from the kale leaves and tear them into bite-sized pieces. Thoroughly wash and dry the kale (a salad spinner is great for this) and drop the pieces into the biggest bowl you have. Kale seems to expand.

In a food processor, drop the garlic cloves through the shoot while the food processor is running. When the garlic is chopped, stop the food processor, add everything but the kale, and process until everything is smooth. It should look like a really thick salad dressing.

In a large bowl, toss the "cheese sauce" and kale until the kale is thoroughly coated. Try not eat it straight from the bowl like I did. Seriously...I could have eaten the whole bowl just like that.

Line two large cookie sheets with foil or parchment paper (I only brought one with me to work). Arrange the kale pieces on the cookie sheets so there's still a little space in between them. At this point, you can either pop these in an oven at 200 degrees for around 45 minutes... or you can bake them in your car :-).

Make sure it's 95 degrees or hotter outside and your car is parked in full sun. Drape a bath towel over the dashboard so you don't accidentally melt it. Place the cookie sheets on the dashboard, make sure you don't need anything from your car for the next few hours, shut the door, admire your kale chips, and then walk away. The heat from sun will turn your car into an oven and the kale chips will dry out. They should be completely dried in 2-3 hours. Try not to eat them all... like Jack & me.

Mercies In Disguise

So as I lay here in bed - bandaged and recovering from surgery - let me share a little of what's going on with me.

 I've been in pain for awhile now. In January, I decided to make a visit to the doctor after a personal training session left me with extreme discomfort and pain in my lower abdomen (the pain was not the personal trainer's fault). After several sonograms, the conclusion was that I had a cyst in my lower abdomen, and it was not going away. Surgery was going to be necessary. During this time, I also hurt my back (I was sitting down, reached over to get a pencil, and felt a "twinge" in my back).

I opted to keep what was happening in my world to a very small circle mainly because I didn't know what the outcome would be. With the exception of one person, I seemed to only run into women with cysts in the same area where mine was located, and it turned out to be cancerous. I wasn't sure if that was God preparing me in advance or what. Regardless, I didn't want to needlessly worry others or have rumors spread about what was happening to me, so I kept things very quiet so that I could also try to process what was happening. The past three months have been nothing short of a physical and emotional roller coaster, and it was finally time to hop off the roller coaster.

I went into St. Agnes early Thursday morning to have the cyst removed, and I was ready to go. No fear! The team at St. Agnes was fantastic and made me feel so comfortable. Knowing that many of the people who took care of me are listeners especially put me at ease - it made me feel like I was with friends. The surgery went off without a hitch, and a softball sized, non-cancerous, cyst was removed laparoscopically from my lower abdomen. Amazingly, within a few short hours, I was at home.


Sleep has been a welcome relief from the pain. I have five holes across my stomach, and I look like I'm 6 months pregnant, thanks to the swelling and the bandages. My throat is still a bit sore from being intubated. The swelling and bruising on my hand from the where they put in the IV is starting to go down. I still need help getting up, but I'm needing less and less help. I'm tired though. Really tired. It also hurts to laugh...and you know that I like to laugh. Laughter is how my family handles problems. We turn everything into a joke. I've had to kick my parents and my brother out of my room multiple times for making me laugh. My mother insisted on giving me a bell to ring for when I needed help. Except we don't have a bell that I can ring. A wild look appeared in my father's eyes, he dug around on a shelf, and pulled out... a rubber chicken that squawks when you squeeze its belly. Yes. My bell is a rubber chicken. Every time I squeeze the chicken for help, I laugh. Painful, but so funny! What's even weirder...I'm growing attached to the rubber chicken. I woke up from a nap cuddling it like it was a stuffed animal. This is a sign that I am returning to normal.

As I've been laying in bed, staring at the ceiling, with plenty of time with my thoughts, the lyric from Laura Story's song, "Blessings," keeps floating through my head: "What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?" This entire "trial" has really been God's mercy in disguise. Without the struggle of trying to get in shape, I wouldn't have known as soon as I did that I had a cyst. Without the back pain, I would have continued to exercise with the cyst, unaware that the cyst had attached itself to other organs in the general locale - the back pain kept me immobile and from further damaging myself. Right now, I have no back pain. Amazing, isn't it? I'm sure even more mercies will come out of this. Maybe an added mercy is that I get to share what I went through with you. If things don't feel right, go to the doctor. Don't wait around. You may have to go to a few doctors to find the right one who will listen to you - I sure did when I was being diagnosed with hypothyroidism. But please, pay attention to the warning signals your body is giving you!

So, as I'm sure you can expect, I'm going to be out for a little while. I'd greatly appreciate your prayers for a fast recovery. Hopefully, I will return next week. Until then, I'm very grateful to Jack for towing the line and being patient with me as surgery day approached, and to Tiffanie from our promotions department who will be filling in for me while I'm out. I'm sure you'll enjoy her - she's bright, fun, and bubbly. Thanks in advance for your prayers. See you next week, Lord willing!


 Erin

Resurrection Cookies

Resurrection Cookies are another fun way to communicate the Resurrection story to your children. It'd be great to make these Saturday evening so they'll be ready for you Easter morning. We hope this creates a fun, family experience built around the Gospel! Enjoy!

- Jack & Erin

---

Resurrection Cookies

1 cup whole pecans
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
a pinch salt
1 cup sugar

You'll Also Need:
1 large Ziplock baggy (or a couple of small ones depending on how many children you have)
Crab mallets, rolling pin, or whatever you want to use to crush the pecans
masking tape or electrical tape
Bible

Preheat oven to 300F. You'll need to do this before you start the recipe and not halfway through. The cookies must be placed inside a hot oven. Also, make sure to start with a clean bowl/beaters that are free of any grease. It's a good idea to wipe the bowl and beaters down with vinegar or lemon juice before you begin.


Put the whole pecans in a Ziplock baggie (or divide among multiple baggies for each child) and let your children beat the pecans with a crab mallet to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
Read: John 19:1-3



Allow each child to smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross He was given vinegar to drink.
Read: John 19:28-30



Add the egg whites* to the vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.
Read: John 10:10-11

*Mom Tip: Crack each egg white separately into a small bowl and then add the egg white into the mixing bowl. You don't want any egg yolks to mix in with the egg whites. The fat from the yolk will keep the egg whites from becoming fluffy. You can freeze the whole egg yolks for something else or just toss them.



Put a little of the salt into each child’s hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. If you have a lot of kids, put the pinch of salt into the bowl and then measure a little bit of salt into each of their hands to taste and then discard. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers and the bitterness of our own sin.
Read: Luke 23:27



Turn the mixer on to medium/high and begin whipping the egg whites until they are frothy.



Slowly pour 1 cup of sugar into the egg whites while the mixer is running. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.
Read: Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16



Beat egg white mixture with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks form*. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God’s eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.
Read: Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3

*Mom Tip: You'll know the egg whites are ready when the whipped egg whites stand up straight when the beaters are lifted from the bowl (stiff peaks). The mixture will be glossy and look like marshmallow creme.



Fold in the broken nuts.



Drop teaspoonfuls of mixture on to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid.
Read: Matthew 27:57-60



Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door, and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed.
Read: Matthew 27:65-66

*Mom Tip: Make sure to leave the oven door open for as little time as possible. The hot air trapped in the oven is going to cook the cookies. This is one time being full of hot air is a good thing! Ha ha ha.

Now, go to bed. Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.
Read: John 16:20,22



On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.
Read: Matthew 28:1-9

Standing At the Foot of the Cross...Really

It was a cold morning for a walk.

47 degrees cold.

I'm not quite ready for these temps. It doesn't even smell like autumn to me yet.

Nevertheless, I laced up my shoes, started out on my walk and promptly turned around to go back home and get my fleece jacket. I almost changed my mind at that point and thought about staying inside, but I told myself I needed to stick with it. I needed to go on my morning walk.

Straight up: I've been slacking. Slacking in my exercise, slacking in healthy eating habits, slacking in maintaining my stress levels... slacking in at all, it feels like.

My morning walk is my alone time. My me time. My time with God. My time where no one and no thing is pulling at me. I don't listen to music when I walk or run because I like to observe the things around me. I like to pray. This morning it was so quiet, I could hear the squirrels in the trees munching on acorns and dropping the shells to the pavement below. I nearly got dinged on the head by a squirrel mindlessly chucking an acorn shell.

Maybe I'm not as one with the squirrels as I originally thought.

But this morning, I was feeling "it." I was feeling tired of the pressure ...the pressure of not doing the things I know should be doing ...the pressure of doing the things I know I shouldn't be doing.

I felt guilty for asking it. Almost afraid...maybe because I didn't want to be disappointed. But I asked God if He could leave a heart shaped leaf or stick smiley face for me (as He's done before) because I needed one today. And so I started looking, scanning the sidewalk and the trees for a sign.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

I started to doubt. I thought maybe I was asking too much of God, even though I know He is perfectly able to do way above anything I could hope or ask for (Ephesians 3:20). Then I thought, "What if I was putting Him in a box? What if He had a different way of showing me that He loves me and I was too busy looking for Him in my own way?" And so I asked God to do His own thing and help me not be blind to see it when He did it.

And that's when I saw it.

He gave me something infinitely better than a heart shaped leaf or a smiley face made out of twigs and bark.

He gave me Himself.

I was literally standing at the foot of the cross.

It was such a clear reminder that the pressure and stress that I've been carrying around...I need to lay them at the foot of the cross.

His cross.

The cross that Jesus died on so that I could have life and freedom (John 3:16; Galatians 5:1), not stress and pressure because of my own selfishness.

And so, today, my goal is to lay the things weighing me down at His cross...and to leave them there. Once again.

Because I know when I do give those things to the Lord, He says He'll do this (italics mine):

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28


"He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." - Isaiah 40:29-31


"Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7


"Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall." - Psalm 55:22

So what's weighing you down? What's holding you back from feeling freedom today? I'm being reminded, for the bajillionth time, that a pretty miraculous thing happens when we give those things over to God: rest, strength, and peace.

-- Erin :-)

Stink Bug Catcher-O-Matic

Some may say this is an old, plastic Chinese food container.

I scoff at those people.

Scoff!

I see the Stink Bug Catcher-O-Matic.

Simply fill Stink Bug Catcher-O-Matic 1/3 full of water and squirt a smudge of dish soap in the water. When a stink bug appears, use the lid to flick the stink bug into the Stink Bug Catcher-O-Matic. After a brief moment, the stink bug will become "neutralized."

Warning, may cause you to want to say "RAWR" every time the Stink Bug Catcher-O-Matic does its job!

But, I may soon be turning my Stink Bug Catcher-o-Matic in for one of these!!

All the Time in the World

Jack's four year old son Brady was asking him to play Tinker Toys this morning. Jack kept putting him off...until a friend sent this story to him. We thought we'd share it with you today.

Jack & Erin

All the Time in the World 

Author Unknown

While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a man on a bench near a playground. "That's my son over there," she said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding down the slide.

"He's a fine looking boy," the man said. "That's my son on the swing in the blue sweater." Then, looking at his watch, he called to his son. "What do you say we go, Todd?"

Todd pleaded, "Just five more minutes, Dad. Please? Just five more minutes." The man nodded and Todd continued to swing to his heart's content.

Minutes passed and the father stood and called again to his son. "Time to go now?"

Again Todd pleaded, "Five more minutes, Dad. Just five more minutes." The man smiled and said, "Okay."

"My, you certainly are a patient father," the woman responded.

The man smiled and then said, "My older son Tommy was killed by a drunk driver last year while he was riding his bike near here. I never spent much time with Tommy and now I'd give anything for just five more minutes with him. I've vowed not to make the same mistake with Todd. He thinks he has five more minutes to swing. The truth is...I get five more minutes to watch him play."

Life is all about making priorities, what are your priorities? Give someone you love 5 more minutes of your time today!

Logan's Story of Sacrifice

Last week, Jack & I shared a call with you that a little boy named Logan made to some radio friends of ours. It was such a sweet reminder of God's sacrifice for each of us that we had to share it. It's had quite an impact, so we decided to play it again for you to remind you that you are loved. Want to share the story with your family and friends? Just click on the Facebook or Twitter button at the top of this post to share the story with them!

Click here to listen to Logan's story.

You are loved!

Erin (and Jack too)

A Story Told Through Facebook Posts

Post #1

Beautiful, crisp morning! Perfect for a lovely morning walk. It's Primary Day, so I'm going to put on my tennis shoes and walk to my local polling facility. They are all open now and will be until 8PM. One of these days, I want them to give out a lollipops instead of stickers. So does my 82 year old neighbor. Except he says he wants his flavored with scotch. I told him butterscotch sounded yummy to me too!

Post #2

Moron moment of the day. I walked to my local polling place 15 minutes away. Walked back (all hills I might add). Everyone in my house is gone. Gone. House is locked up. I can't tell you the last time everyone was out before 8am. I didn't take my keys. No one answered their phone. I could die out here. All alone. They'll find me on the front porch, curled into a ball hugging the geranium plant in the plastic basket.

Post #3

Locked out of the house update: there are grape tomatoes on the vine in our backyard plus lots of basil and I can wash it with the hose. I am now gathering nuts for the squirrel family that lives in the tree in our front yard. I gathered only the choicest of acorns and placed them at the base of the tree. Jeanne - I did lunges as I picked up the acorns, you'll be happy to know.

Post #4

He's here! He's here!! My daddy came home!!! I'm rescued!! He got out of the truck, looked at me, looked at his cell phone, and said, "Hey..um...I don't look at my cell while I'm at the track. Whaddya know...you called!" Yes, Dad. Yes, I did call.

...And Now For The Moral of This Story...

#1. Don't gather acorns for squirrels. They don't appreciate your hard work. They threw a stick at my head. Ungrateful tree rats.

#2. Always keep a spare protein bar and bottle of water in your car because you never know when you will need it. Like today. The trick is keeping your car unlocked. Like today.

#3. Download Tic-Tac-Toe for your iPhone. It comes in handy. Knowing how to turn the game on "easy" is even more handy so you can WIN every time!! Score!

#4. When you get bored with Tic-Tac-Toe, download Connect 4 for your iPhone. "Get three in a row...go for one more...go for it!! Connect 4!!" It's fun, and if you're a child born in the 80's, it makes you feel like you're 10 again. Bonus: your brother isn't there to flip the game upside down when he loses.

#5. If you go for a walk, don't trust your family to remember that you went for a walk. Even if it's just a 30 minute walk down the road to do your civic duty. Take your keys with you. Even if you don't want to hear them jingle like a janitor's keys, take them with you.

#6. The end.


~ Erin

PS - want to be friends on Facebook? You can find me here and Jack here and become a fan of 95.1 SHINE-FM here!

Dashboard Cookies

I don't ever remember it being this hot, do you?? We could be buried under 3 feet of snow like a few months ago, though.

Here's something good about this heat: it's perfect for "baking" cookies in your car! If you've never tried, it's a fun thing to do and perfect to do while you're at work. I park my car in the parking spot that gets the most sun, and by 2 or 3PM we've got fresh "baked" cookies. This is also a fun experiment to do with your kids. The main thing to keep in mind is that you can't open your car door until you think the cookies are done.

Here's what you need:
A car
A REALLY hot day - temps 95 degrees or above
Refrigerator cookie dough
Cookie sheet
Parchment paper or foil
Towel

Here's what you do:
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. Evenly and thinly slice the cookie dough (about 1/4" thickness) and place on the lined cookie sheet. Take the cookie sheet and towel out to your car. Lay the towel over the dashboard as a precaution (you could not put one down...but do you really want to find out what will happen if you don't??). Place the cookie sheet on the towel. Close the car door and keep it shut! The heat in the car will rise to about 200 degrees and will bake the cookies in about 4 hours. The cookies will be pale, but you'll know when they are done when the edges are firm and the center doesn't feel "doughy."

Have fun experimenting! Jack wants chocolate chip and Engineer John wants peanut butter, so it looks like we'll have a smorgasbord of cookies tomorrow :D

--Erin

Fear: What Lies Behind Door #6

I've seen the pictures.

I've seen it on TV.

To have the opportunity to see it in person felt like a dream come true.

Friday, I was in St. Louis, MO, for a business trip. This was a once in a lifetime thing for me. This little girl from Arbutus rarely leaves her community, much less her state. We're talking "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" here. The hosts of the trip had scheduled a visit to the Gateway Arch. The Gateway Arch – not to be confused with the Golden Arches, thank you very much - is magnificent. It's so impressive, so massive. At 630ft tall, it's the tallest US Monument. I almost made myself dizzy just trying to look up at the entire arch.

Our group strolled inside the museum, escaping the extremely hot and humid St. Louis weather. “OK, everyone,” our group leader shouted to us. “Feel free to look at the museum, but be back here in 15 minutes so we can make the next tour of the Arch.”

Say what?

Tour of the Arch?

Isn't that what we're doing now?

You mean...go up in that thing?

To the top?

Like, the tippy-top?

Like, the tippy-tippy-top and look down below and see buildings the size of ants?

You got to be nuts!

I ain't goin' up in that thing!

Erin Ashley don't do heights!

God made me tall for a reason. If I can't reach it with my 6 foot tall frame, then I must not need it. It takes everything within me to put my foot on the third rung of a ladder. As a matter of fact, I don't even know the last time I've been past the third rung. I don't think I have.

You can imagine the panic I was feeling knowing that I was about to ride a little teeny-tiny elevator thingy 630 feet into the air. I could feel the fear welling up in me. My heart was beating faster; my stomach was doing flip flops.

When I was younger, my dad always quoted Proverbs 13:20, “He who walks with the wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”

Ever notice the company Fear hangs out with? His best friends are Anxiety, Worry, Stress, Panic, and Nervousness.

All of Fear's friends showed up and wanted to join the party I had just started in my mind. I had a choice. I could open the door and invite them in, or I could shut the door on Fear and his friends completely.

As I was standing on the steps in front of Door #6, I felt God asking me, "Erin, do trust me to protect you? Do you trust me to give you the peace that I've promised? I mean, I only parted the Red Sea for Moses when he had no other place to go with the Israelites. Abraham trusted me to make him a father when it was totally out of the realm of possibility. You know, just a couple of small things. But you - you're doing a big thing - going up in a ginormous tower. Kinda scary, but I know I've got this. The question is: do you trust me?" I don't how God talks to you, but when he talks to me, He sometime sounds like He's from Arbutus.

Ultimate conviction. Fear doesn't come from God (2 Timothy 1:7). It's something I was doing to myself. Without a shadow of a doubt, I trust God, and it was time I showed Him...even with something as ridiculous as my fear of heights. I made the decision to show Fear and his friends the door.

You know what happened?

Peace and his friends Calm, Hope, Serenity, Confidence, and Tranquility rang the doorbell to my mind a few seconds later. The minute I let them in, I felt awesome. Even when Door #6 opened and revealed itself to be a room the size of a port-a-potty with seats for 5, I stepped into that tiny space with full confidence.

When I arrived to the top of the Gateway Arch, I was rewarded with one of the most incredible views I've ever seen. I could see all of St. Louis and it was spectacular.



God couldn't have shown me His beautiful creation if I had let Fear and his buddies keep me on the ground. I'm so glad that I went with Peace and his sweet friends...or else I would have missed out on the pure beauty of the unknown that comes from trusting in God. Maybe fear doesn't lie behind Door #6 for you. Maybe it lies in the unknown of a job or a move or a pregnancy or college or your next meal. Don't let fear and his friends live rent free in your mind. Give God your trust and let His friends Peace, Calm, Comfort, Confidence, Serenity, and Tranquility occupy your mind. I can guarantee they'll be great guests. Besides, God's handled way bigger problems - even wrote about them so we could see that He's handled it and *how* He handled it.

"Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

Deconstructed Pizza Bites

I finally have feeling back in my feet.

Yesterday, I helped my mom cater the pre-graduation run through party for our home-school group. We cooked food for somewhere around 130 people, and by the end of the day I felt like I had been run over by a truck.

In a good way.

In a happy way.

I loved seeing how excited these young men and women are to be graduating. What does life hold for them? Who is the person they will grow into?

Do you remember what you wanted to do when graduated from high school? Are you doing what you wanted?

When I graduated, I had thought about going into the Baltimore International College to study culinary arts, but I really didn't know what I wanted to do. I started working at a flower shop and learned that I loved working with people. Eventually I changed jobs and began working in a Christian bookstore where I learned that I loved working with Christian people. Christians are notorious for being difficult people (sadly) but I enjoyed the challenge. I also loved being surrounded by Christian literature and especially the music. During that time, I still felt the pull of culinary arts so I decided to do catering on the side for family and friends. I learned that I didn't enjoy it was much as I thought I would. I figured out that I enjoyed the art of food...not necessarily all the dishes and equipment that went with catering! I think God saved me - I know I would have failed culinary school. So, I still enjoy the art of food and cooking and creating new recipes...on my own terms, whenever I want. The best part is, God brought me to a job that never entered my radar showing He is TOTALLY in control of my destiny...and I have amazing co-workers who willing try my latest, crazy recipe!

For this party, we did all finger foods. I call this little appetizer "Deconstructed Pizza Bites." On a party sized toothpick (I can only find them at party stores), thread a marinated mozzarella ball (pre-done or put some mozzarella balls in a container and add bruised flat leaf parsley, cracked garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, cover the balls with olive oil, and marinate over night), a piece of basil, 3 slices of pepperoni, and one grape tomato. That's it. Done. Easy peasy. There's something about the richness of the mozzarella, the spiciness of the pepperoni, the licorice flavor of the basil, and then the *pop* of the grape tomato that is just ridiculously yummy.

Enjoy!

Rhubarb Berry Pie

The pie fanatic in me has been unleashed.

The idea of making pies has always scared me.

Cookies? No problem-o!

Cakes? Piece of cake (hardy-har-har).

Pies? Nope. I can never get the crust right, and no matter what I do, the filling is never consistent. Too thick, too watery...mostly it's too watery.

My grandmother grows rhubarb every year in her spring garden, and I've been fascinated by it. It's probably because my mom doesn't like rhubarb and therefore never made it for us. Granny gave me some rhubarb from her garden and I had every intention of making a pie, but I chickened out at the last minute and made a crisp. I have to say, that crisp made me become a fan of the rhubarb. Tart, yet definitely worth trying again.

Last week I was wandering through the PA Dutch Market in Cockeysville and found some beautiful, local rhubarb and strawberries. I decided to get some and make the classic strawberry rhubarb pie. It was a success. I have no idea what I did...other than follow the recipe. The slight success I had with that pie has made me want to try again. Since my grandmother and my grandfather are rhubarb fans and we were going up to their house for a Memorial Day cookout, I decided to try again. I couldn't find fresh rhubarb, but I did find it frozen. Right next to the frozen rhubarb were some frozen cherries and raspberries. I tossed 'em in my cart, picked up a box of Pillsbury "Just Unroll" Pie Crusts, and I was ready to make a pie. The verdict from the family...including my non-rhubarb loving mother...it was great. Holla! Here's my final recipe:


Rhubarb Cherry Berry Pie
Yield: 8 generous slices

INGREDIENTS
1 10oz bag frozen rhubarb
2 10oz bag frozen raspberries
1 10oz bag frozen cherries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbls corn starch
1 Tbls vanilla extract
1 Pillsbury "Just Unroll" Pie Crust, or your favorite pie dough recipe for 2 crusts
1 egg yolk
1 tsp water
additional sugar for dusting


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together the first 7 ingredients (rhubarb through vanilla extract) and set aside.

Unroll one pie crust, and use a rolling pin to stretch it out a bit more so it will leave a 1/2" - 1" overhang when placed in the bottom of a 9" deep dish pie plate. Once rolled out, line the deep dish pie plate with the dough.

Dump the frozen berry mixture into the lined pie plate.

Unroll the second crust, and use a rolling pin to stretch it out a bit more to cover the top. Feel free to make a lattice crust or use mini cookie cutters to punch out portions of the dough (like this). Lay the dough over the frozen berry mixture and crimp the edges to seal.

Beat the egg yolk with the tsp of water. Brush over the crust and sprinkle with sugar.

Place the pie in the pre-heated oven and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350, place a pie shield or foil over the crimped edges, and bake for 1 hour longer or until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown.

Let cool and enjoy!

Rhubarb Pie

My mom and dad introduced the Pennsylvania Dutch Market in Cockeysville (next to Valley View Farms). Have you been there? It's...it's...a land of utter and completely happiness! The fresh baked donuts (first place I've found that makes marshmallow donuts with marshmallow fluff just like the old Hollywood Bakery in Arbutus used to make!), hot pretzels, fresh meats and cheeses are just incredible.

One of the counters had local produce, so I picked up some local rhubarb and strawberries. I've never cooked with rhubarb before, but I figured I could learn how with help from the internet. You can find anything on the internet, right? I learned that rhubarb is considered a fruit but is really a vegetable. Only the stalks should be eaten. It requires a good deal of sugar to stand up to the rhubarb's tartness and rhubarb aficionados generally prefer the tartness.

Now, for the recipe, I went to one my favorite sites - Epicurious.com. They have great, no-fail recipes and lots of reviews for users.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Pie crust for a 2 crust pie (I used Pillsbury's Unroll and Fill)
3 1/2 cups 1/2-inch-thick slices trimmed rhubarb (1 1/2 pounds untrimmed)
3 1/2 cups strawberries, halved
1/2 cup, plus 2 TBLS sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg yolk beaten to blend with 1 teaspoon water (for glaze)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Toss gently to blend.

Roll out 1 dough disk on floured work surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter flass pie dish. Trim excess dough, leaving 3/4-inch overhang.

Roll out second dough disk on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Create a lattice crust or use a mini-cookie cutter and punch out portions of the the dough (like in the picture above). Spoon filling into crust. Crimp edges decoratively.

Brush glaze over crust and transfer pie to a baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake pie until golden and filling thickens, about 1 hour 25 minutes total. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely.

Check out the original recipe here.