Experiments in baking

I've recently had success in using baking substitutes (namely whole wheat flour and organic cane sugar) in some of my favorite recipes: oatmeal raisin cookies, zucchini bread, blueberry pancakes.  So then I thought I'd go a step - or two - further when I was baking last night, and substituted the sugar for light agave nectar, and half the oil with unsweetened applesauce.  Let's just say I would've been better off sticking with my first modified recipe for mom's zucchini bread, as the result was a faster-cooking (read: brown), drier and much blander version.   We've decided to still eat it and just drizzle it with a bit of honey or peanut butter so that it masks the extreme-vegan taste, which pretty much defeats the substitutions in the first place!  Oh well, lessons learned.

What the couscous?

So last weekend we come home from shopping at Whole Foods, and as the hubs is helping me put away the groceries (he is very helpful in this area even though I sometimes find purchases in random places :), he calls out "sweetie, where should I put the quinona?", and he says it like it rhymes with Winona.  We had a good laugh over this when I explained that it is actually pronounced "KEEN-wah".  Ha! 
 
Joking aside, he has been a very good sport in accepting new whole grains into his diet from my cooking, including such tasties as quinoa, whole wheat pasta, bulgur, brown rice, whole wheat flour and/or rolled oats in my baked breads and cookies.  So let's hear it for fiber, people.  It's official, brown is better :).  Just so you know...

 

everyday miracles

A couple friends & I have been studying the gospel of Mark, working our way through the stories of various miracles (think fishes & loaves), and it got me to thinking.  I know that I'm often guilty of compartmentalizing the idea of "miracles" to those of bible tales, miraculous wonders of nature etc, instead of appreciating the little everyday miracles that happen all around us.  Then there are those in desperate situations who pray to God for a miracle in their lives or in the lives of their loved ones, and when those prayers seem to go unanswered and all seems lost, they still remain steadfast in their faith.  It is seeing and hearing stories of those people and their faith that challenge me to the core, and it makes me wonder about how strong my own faith really is.  I've been thinking about this idea of having your faith "tested", which I suppose in some ways is not unlike feeling like the kids or your co-workers are testing your patience, or feeling tested in your relationships - but with much higher stakes.  I guess I should learn to allow God to speak to me through the everyday lessons I'm presented with, and pray that I would be changed by them.  
 
Talk about a test of faith, if you'd like to see one couple's story about their son Eliot, check this out, it is the single best thing I've seen on YouTube to date (thanks Kim for passing it along).  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th6Njr-qkq0  You'll need to grab a tissue first, but the story is beautiful, I promise!

Dining al fresco

Al fresco - defined as an adjective meaning "in the fresh air; outdoors".  Or, if you're my 4-yr-old nephew, "al fresco means eating outside!"  A couple weeks ago he learned this little tidbit from his dad and repeated this to me several times (usually starting his sentence with an excited "guess what, Tita?!" as most of his sentences to me do), however he was quite perturbed when he later discovered that eating outside made him "hot".  Ha!  Out of the mouths of babes.
 
But I must say that this is truly one of my favorite aspects of summer (in addition to summer fruits and cute open-toed shoes!); last weekend we grilled out, had some wine at an open-air bar www.thegrapevineofnovi.com , and went to a backyard bbq at our friends' house (thanks Kim & Mike!) complete with summer white sangria.  We continued the trend this past holiday weekend, with picnicing and fireworks at the Greenfield Village, picnicing and fireworks in Birmingham, a bbq at my sister's house, and tasty treats downtown/midtown at the Comerica Cityfest.  For someone who attacks most outdoor activities with at least 45 SPF sunscreen, I couldn't get enough of the outdoors these last couple days, and even suggested we take our niece & nephew to the nature center in Troy, and the next day the hubs agreed to a not-so-brisk walk on the Paint Creek trail through Rochester.
 
So here's to doing the whole Michigan summer al fresco - enjoy!!
 
P.S.  Full disclosure: no, alas, this is not a picture of our backyard garden, rather, it is the charming chateau hotel Le Clos D'Amboise in France where we'll spend the last two nights of our fall Europe excursion. 

My husband the Detroiter

I meant to blog about this a week ago, but what can I say, it's another busy summer and we're out and about doing things!  Anyway, last week I'm picking up around the house and walking around from room to room, and I hear a loud "Yeeessss!" coming from the family room, where the hubby was watching the Tigers beat the Cardinals (sorry Grandma Smith & Allison!), and it put a secret smile on my face.  Despite the fact that he's not a native Michigander, he's a Tigers fan, a Pistons fan, a Red Wings fan, a Lions...well okay he's decidedly not a fan of them, but you get the picture. 
 
Despite the fact that the day GM recently filed for bankruptcy marked the same day of his 10-year anniversary with the company (true story), he generally reports that his life in Michigan has proved fruitful (I mean, he met & married me, right? :).  I'm so grateful that his life path brought him here, and can't wait to see what happens next!

Fighting daily demons

Don't you hate how much seemingly little things in life can so often set you back - like a stressful meeting at work, an argument with a family member or spouse, even reading a disheartening news article about yet another senseless killing or kidnapped child?  And yet when your days are going well - long summer nights outside with friends, happiness in a relationship - it is so easy to forget the hurting and despair that lurks just around the corner deep within the hearts of people feeling lost?  Well, find hope and take solace, friends - in each other, in the word of God, and in believing that love conquers all.  Book recommendation: I'm more than halfway through "Three Cups of Tea" and it has been a very interesting read of a man providing help to others in his own unusual quest to heal his own hurts and find his purpose.
 
Romans 5
 
 ¹Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. ³Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Live long and prosper

Who thinks that ladies wouldn't be interested in Star Trek?  Not me!  Four other gal pals joined in the fun last night, and everyone enjoyed the flick.  I got hooked on Star Trek TNG (The Next Generation) by sister Debbie in high school, and the new movie did not disappoint.  It will definitely reside in our DVD collection some day.  The classic push and pull of good vs. evil (spoiler: love wins! :), great effects and an effective soundtrack pleased this moviegoer so much, I'm planning to go again soon and bring the hubby!
 
Also, a friend sent a funny and useful tip to check out www.runpee.com which not only provides helpful suggestions as to the ideal times during a movie to make a run to the bathroom, but even provides an explanation for what you will be missing (this part is optional and accessible only if you choose to press the unscramble button to reveal the info).  Great link to keep on hand if you suffer from frequent runs to the bathroom like me!  Thanks, "cousin" Kim :).