(New recipes) by (activities) and (thoughts) over (rusted pipes)

Supposedly, I just shared my spring break photo album on blogger. We'll see if that actually happens after I type this post. I led a group of 6 undergrads around Columbus and we served with different organizations every day, tried new desserts, and I learned that cows can have runny noses.

I tried a new recipe called baked oatmeal - you bake it in a pan and it has an "oat-cake" consistency but it can be eaten like pancakes, with fruit, syrup, etc. Loved it! I also made tasty sour cream pound cakes but without pictures, I feel like I have no proof! Maybe I'll make them in my mini bundt cake pans...

Summing up school (in this case, just teaching Child Development): Can I say (and will anyone be surprised?) I forgot how much I enjoy sitting in front of a group of people who have to listen to me. It's like I'm sitting in front of 120 people who not only have to listen, but can't really respond. (Obviously, that's a bit of an exaggeration and I hope it's more active than that, but they still get to hear all my stories.) I found out I'll be presenting a paper at the Society for Prevention Research in Denver this June - once I know something about what I'm presenting and how the politics will all play out, I'll let you all in on the delectable piece of knowledge.

New activities! Remember my New Year's resolution to learn something new? How about soccer? Rock climbing (not really new, but a re-start.)? Catching a Frisbee under my leg? That was my previous week. I scored a goal - when the goalie was actually guarding, no less - and I enjoyed it, "retro" shoes and all. I rock-climbed a 2+ without failing, except for the safety portion... Minor setback. Catching the Frisbee under my leg was not my greatest success story, as my strategy was to just pick up a leg (any leg) and simply try to catch the frisbee, whether my hand was behind my leg, on the other side of my body, or waving above my head. One piece at a time.

Let me sum up power steering for you: You. Want. It.
Let me sum up repair on the power-steering-fluid-pipe-thing: You don't want to have to repair it.


Lastly, I want to sum up a little about my thoughts on Easter this year. Last year, I was not a happy camper at Easter - and I remember pitiful-ole-Julie whining to God, "Why meeee?? What a hoooorrible weekend!" (In the same tone that a little towhead once whined about not getting chocolate for Easter.)
Then, realizing that as glorious as Easter is, the first Easter was a much more horrible weekend. Why?
Because the people that were convinced that Jesus was the Messiah had just watched Him die. They completely lost their hope. You know the despair.com namesake demotivator? It's a picture of a sunset with the phrase, "It's always darkest just before it's pitch black." That's what the disciples were going through. On Thursday, they watched Jesus get arrested. Pretty bleak. But maybe,  if He's really God - they'd say - he'll save himself! On Friday, they see Him die and get taken down to a tomb. Er - more black. Could this get any worse?
Short answer: Yes. Long answer: YEEEESSSS.
Saturday was the Sabbath day for the Jews - which meant they weren't permitted to work or distract themselves with any activity, including cooking. They went to the temple and would have had to worship their God, knowing that the man they thought was their Savior had died. And from sunup to sundown, they would have been able to do virtually nothing but think. Now that's black. And Sunday morning rolls around, even blacker. The beliefs were that the spirit left a dead body after three days. Sunday was the third day - there was absolutely no hope left. No god could do anything now - Jesus was really dead. What a suck-y weekend.

What a great God, who, as we know by now, did rise on the third day.

What a way to make someone feel bad for whining.

With such a great few previous weeks, I found myself wishing that I were in want and could understand more about the significance of Easter weekend and the spirit of waiting and leaning on God.

In summary - "He is not here, for He has risen!" - Matthew 28:6a

Cooking with Julie! a.k.a. who really follows recipes anyway?

This is what I made today. With a number of variations. I'm sharing my recipe and the original, entitling this post "Cooking With Julie" because I've recently had a number of people act very interested when I tell them I "cook." I have to clarify which definition I'm using. That's what the quotes mean.

a. Cook, v., as in "create a food dish that is enjoyable to eat."

b. Cook, v., as in "fumbles ingredients into something swallowable." 

I'm normally b. This butternut squash - mushroom (kind of, see edits) - barley risotto might actually belong in the (a) category. And I altered a number of things (see my attention levels) and it was still tasty and delicious. 

Ingredients

• 3  cups  (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds) When I need to cut butternut squash, I usually put it in the oven for about 10 minutes because the skin softens a little bit. I just used a butternut squash. No measurements.
• 3  tablespoons  olive oil, divided
• 3/4  teaspoon  kosher salt, divided
• 2  cups  thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 1/2 pound) Don't really like mushrooms... but I put some in anyway. Probably the equivalent of 1 oz. (But it worked out for me.)
• 1/3  cup  finely chopped red onion
• 1  cup  uncooked pearl barley Hmm, yeah, I don't know if I used pearl barley. I used a Quaker box that says "Medium barley."
• 2  garlic cloves, chopped
• 2/3  cup  white wine  Did you know wine goes bad after you open it? I thought it just kept getting better. This is a long way for me to say "I used water instead of wine." (Go ahead, insert religious miracle joke here.)
• 3 1/2  cups  organic vegetable broth Hey, actually did this one!
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 4  ounces  Taleggio cheese, diced So, the cheese connoisseur at Meijer didn't know what this was. And I didn't remember that it suggests Brie if you can't find Taleggio. So I shredded some smoked Gouda cheese. Good choice. 
• 2  tablespoons  fresh thyme leaves Need I even say whether I really included this or not?

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Combine squash, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss well to coat. Arrange squash mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 25 minutes, stirring once.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes or until browned (or until they burn and stick to the bottom of the pan about 30 seconds later. Burn #1), stirring occasionally. Transfer mushroom mixture to a bowl; keep warm.

4. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in pan. Add onion; saute 4 minutes or until tender (or until they, too, burn and stick to the bottom of the pan some time later. Burn #2 - but apparently, burnt onions are a good thing!), stirring occasionally. Add barley and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add wine; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed. Add broth, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid is nearly absorbed. Remove from heat (Burn #3 - a finger); add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in squash, mushrooms, and thyme. Serve immediately.

Go out and make someone's day today (or tomorrow, depending on when you read this.) Psychologists have found that meaningful conversations mean more than small talk - start a meaningful conversation! Somewhere, I read an article that says people respond better when physically touched - students in school who receive physical contact from the teacher (i.e., a tap on the arm) are more likely to answer questions in class. Plus, people are happier when they hold hands... but I can't find the real source right now. Sorry! But look on the bright side - I just summarized some reading for you!

Cranberry-Oatmeal Cookie Bars

I have already discussed my theory that using Cooking Light for the desserts only kind of defeats the purpose. But I'm going to share the good recipes with you anyway. No picture this time. The note says that these aren't "too sweet" but they were plenty sweet enough for me.

Crust: 1 c flour (I used whole-wheat)
1 c oats
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/4 t salt
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t cinnamon
6 T butter, melted
3 T orange juice.

1. Combine dry crust ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle butter and juice over flour mixture, stir until moistened. Mixture will be crumbly.

2. Set aside 1/2 c oat mixture (I set a side a little more because I love crumbly toppings!). Press the remaining oat mixture into the bottom of a greased 11x7" baking dish.

3. For the filling, combine:
1 1/3 c dried cranberries (or dried cherries, substituting lemon for all things orange)
3/4 c sour cream
1/2 c sugar (I think I would try using less next time.)
2 T flour
1 t vanilla
1/2 t grated orange rind
1 large egg white, beaten.

Stir well and spread cranberry mixture over prepared crust. Sprinkle reserved mixture over filling.

4. Bake at 325 for 40 minutes or until edges are golden (Mine were golden enough to be irresistible at 35 minutes). Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

If you cut the bars into 24 pieces, then it's worthy of cooking light. I wanted to make mine into about 4 pieces, because, there's a part of me, I don't know how dominant that part might be, that wanted these pieces. I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with these chewy bars. Desserts are my own personal brand of - yes, I have been re-reading Twilight, why do you ask?

I'm also writing a fun story about Cinderella from the evil stepmother's point of view. I like turning situations around and looking at them through others' eyes. I've been trying to do it with reading the Bible too, taking perspectives that I don't normally take. It's quite hard to step out of the "i'm-so-perfect" mindset, but I'm trying. Something (someone) tells me it'll be worth it.

Introducing Cori Lyons!

New music artist I found. Describes herself as "light and folk-y" (just the way I like them, right, Ingrid and Alison Sudol?) Enjoy the video. And not the cookies - because they're almost gone.



Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

I've always disliked when people replace "love" with heart. Until it became a necessity.

Picture-ful blog entry for your entertainment! (Solely yours - not mine. Not one bit.)

We have about 21 inches of snow on the back porch. Here I am trying to make a snow angel but my arms are kind of stuck. I'm daydreaming about everything I can do with snow. What are some reasons I like snow? It's gorgeous, it's angelic, and when you run in it, people think you're hard-core. First up - a snow turtle. Snow man wasn't going to work out. Apparently, you need something called "skills" for that. And I know I can make apple-peanut butter-marshmallow smiles, but snow sculptures are on a different playing field. Mainly because there's no edible incentive afterward.

I've always thought that if the tortoise and the hair raced again, this guy would lose. Well, this turtle definitely would, because head is an ice block. While I was working on all my projects (more to come!), Mom set about making an abstract piece of art. See below.

At one point, she asked, "Do you need anything? A shovel? Icycle?"
Julie: "Artistic talent?"
But, as you can verify below -

I am an excellent swiss cheese sculpturer. I think there's also a Mayan god that I was sculpting joweled-hunchback man (oh, excuse me - a man with large jowels and a hunchback) and he definitely wants to break into the cheese round. Don't worry: he's got company.

It's the ancient hippopotamus god, Mohawk-opotamus! (The mohawk actually is on purpose!) He's also here for some cheese. There is an icicle in the middle of it, like a toothpick, that isn't in the frame.

My crowning glory (crown and glory? What is that phrase?) is this man. I use the word man loosely. He's presiding over the cheese distribution with a miniature-icicle-organ to use at his discretion. This stern figure has arms wrapping behind his back, ears, and a teeny bit of a jawline! Also, an Elvis hairdo. And if you could see over the deck to the backyard, you'd see the heads of about six men who just weren't shaped for the job. (Yay, puns!)

The title of my post I begrudgingly bring up here. "I love love love love snow!!!!!!!" is too long. Really, if we remember that I'm now a photographer and not wearing gloves, "I love snow" is long. So, for the first time in my life - at least since seventh grade, when I heart'd just about any boy who made me giggle:

I know life could be better... but I sure don't know how!

Today was a great day, and I didn't even document everything that was wonderful. Not pictured: hot fudge lava cake from Cap City Diner. God's amazing grace and His love that goes exceedingly, abundantly above all we could ask or imagine (or often feel.) Friends. 

What you do see is: 

Glorious snow! Columbus almost has the record depth recorded in a long time (which, sorry, is still nothing compared to Grand Rapids.) Above: spelling out hi Exclamation Mark in the parking lot, with my pink rain (er, snow) boot as the dot. The snow is up high enough and my real snow boots have lost their comfortable and waterproofed layer for me to giddily prance and Charleston through the snow in my slush-proof, drift-proof pink boots. Thank you, Target, for making these six years ago and selling them for cheap because they weren't cool yet.

Besides snow, my day started out with homemade blueberry pancakes with lemon zest from a simple mix, like this one. Behind it is rice and black beans, to which I added nacho cheese - delectable. The only thing made from a box is that oddly-colored vanilla pudding: tastes normal (mostly) but it's a very funny shade of yellow. That is just one example of why I don't use mixes: when you mess up something from scratch, it's okay, everybody does it. When you mess up something from a box, people look at you funny. But at least I have never forgotten to add the brownie mix to the oil and eggs! (Side note: Yes, I am fully aware that sometimes I have cravings like a pregnant woman. Rice and nacho cheese? Electric pudding? Lava cake?)

Amazing thing that happened today - free tickets to Ingrid and Mat next month. That's right, free. Ingrid Michaelson and Mat Kearney are two of my very favorite people - I even refer to them on a first-name basis - and I was stoked to be holding these tickets... free of charge. I knew I came to OSU for a reason.

Other great things that you'll be hearing more about later - books I'm reading and my pending trip to Calvin to see the conference meet. Broken-Down House has talked about how true faith requires trust, not understanding - I'm working on that... Divine Nobodies is on my list of books to read this weekend, and Alf the Sky  - oops, that's Half the Sky is a book by Nicholas Kristof, a New York Times contributor, on "turning oppression into opportunity worldwide." Want to hear about current forms of slavery and sexual abuse? Want to know what we can do? Ask me, or read that book. Or read a recent article of his (shorter than the book and very informative and moving.)

The Future, by Wendell Berry

For God's sake, be done
with this jabber of "a better world."
What blasphemy! No "futuristic"
twit or child thereof ever
in embodied light will see
a better world than this, though they
foretell inevitably a worse.
Do something! Go cut the weeds
beside the oblivious road. Pick up
the cans and bottles, old tires,
and dead predictions. No future
can be stuffed into this presence
except by being dead. The day is
clear and bright, and overhead
the sun not yet half finished
with his daily praise.

Speaking of not being done with daily praise (I love that phrase, by the way) - I wish I had some pictures of the snow - maybe tomorrow I'll have some for you. If not, I hope to this weekend, because I'll be in Grand Rapids! Love snow!