Thursday, March 28, 2013

Yahweh, a Song

Yahweh



ARTIST
U2
COMPOSER
U2
LYRICS
Take these shoes
Click clacking down some dead end street
Take these shoes
And make them fit
Take this shirt
Polyester white trash made in nowhere
Take this shirt
And make it clean, clean
Take this soul
Stranded in some skin and bones
Take this soul
And make it sing

Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh
Still I'm waiting for the dawn

Take these hands
Teach them what to carry
Take these hands
Don't make a fist
Take this mouth
So quick to criticise
Take this mouth
Give it a kiss

Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a child is born
Yahewh, Yahweh
Still I'm waiting for the dawn

Still waiting for the dawn, the sun is coming up
The sun is coming up on the ocean
This love is like a drop in the ocean
This love is like a drop in the ocean

Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, tell me now
Why the dark before the dawn?

Take this city
A city should be shining on a hill
Take this city
If it be your will
What no man can own, no man can take
Take this heart
Take this heart
Take this heart
And make it break

Lyrics taken from U2.com

Saturday, March 16, 2013

IGE Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole


This recipe is taken straight from Iowa Girl Eats. I'm posting it here because 1) my father-in-law asked for the recipe and 2) because I know he won't click over to her scrumptious site to get the recipe. Which is ok. 3) Because he always wants less food stuff on my blog so this is my way of making him eat his words. heehee!

As far as the recipe goes, it's pretty awesome. I love green onions but added them minimally as the rest of the fam doesn't. The second time I made it, I added a bit more milk to the eggs. The eggs set the whole casserole up well but I felt there wasn't much wiggle room for cooking it longer so adding more milk gave me a bit more time. Since every slow cooker cooks differently, keep an eye on it towards the end; the cheese can get a bit too done. (But with the addition of more milk or water, that seemed to help.) Yum! You will like this. (I could totally see this recipe being vegged up: peppers, onions, mushrooms and more.)

I should include a little a funny little story about Iowa Girl Eats just to prove how off my rocker I can be. Actually, it's about her husband, Ben. I was in Whole Foods shopping one evening and spied him in the produce department. As I was busy examining elephant kale (lacinato, to be exact), I was also debating if I should say hi to him. We then moved on: ketchup for me, fresh meat counter for him. I had decided I should probably just let the fellow do his shopping in peace but a teensy part of me said "No, get your picture taken with him. Then you'll have matching pictures and that will be dorky and awesome all at once." Well, the fact that I almost knocked over a corner stack of wine made me re-group. I went on to look at fair trade chocolate and he must have zipped out quick. My chance was over. I tweeted Kristen and gave her the update. Turns out, I wasn't the only one as she RT'd another Whole Foods shopper spying Ben that night. Oh dear. He is such a good sport, he tweeted us back. (I ended up getting the kale, the ketchup and wine but it wasn't the wine I almost knocked over.)
And with that, here's the recipe from Iowa Girl Eats. Thanks for sharing it with us, Kristen (and Ben). 


by Iowa Girl Eats
Keywords: slow-cooker breakfast entree eggs sausage smoked mozzarella cheese hash browns


Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole is an incredibly easy and crowd pleasing breakfast!
Ingredients (serves 12)
  • 30oz bag frozen hash browns
  • 1lb sausage, browned & drained
  • 8oz shredded cheddar cheese
  • 8oz shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 6 green onions, sliced and divided in half
  • 12 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
  • Spray a large crock pot with non-stick spray then place half the hash browns into the bottom. Layer in half the cooked sausage, half the cheeses, and half the green onions, then repeat hash brown, sausage, and cheese layers.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper, then drizzle over top. Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours, or until eggs are set. Serve with remaining green onions, salsa, or guacamole.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

2013 Harescramble Season


Here's our racing schedule for this coming year. 

Feb. 24: Keithsburg, IL
Mar. 17: Prophetstown, IL
May 12: Council Bluffs, IA
May 18: Winterset, IA
June 2: Logan, IA
June 9: Dayton, IA
June 16: Indianola, IA
June 23: Brooks, IA
Aug. 3 & 4: Fremont, IA
Aug. 18: DeWitt, IA
Aug. 25: Mt. Pleasant, IA
Sept. 15: New Hartford, IA
Sept: 29: Council Bluffs, IA
Oct. 13: Atalissa, IA

Phew! It makes me a little tired just typing it out. Since Ben is planning to race for points, meaning highest number of points wins the series, we will be going to a lot more than last year. 

You need this website: www.IERA22.com for all the race details, such as directions and race times. If you want to see Ben race, he's the 65 class and Bill is the Senior B class.

As you can tell, they have already had one race. Here are pics from that race.

Ben got the hole shot and he really wants you to know that!




If you decide to come join us, let us know. We like having a big cheering section and would love to have you!!

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

More Haircuts

I gave my own boys haircuts last night. 

I don't have anything brilliant to say about them. In fact, you will never find a tutorial on how to cut boys' hair on here. Ever.

I cued up "How It's Made" on Netflix for Luke. He LOVED it. Figuring out how stuff is put together and functions is so his thing. "How It's Made" is slightly monotone from an entertainment perspective, unless you're into it. And since Luke is, he never noticed. 

Ben watched "Dirty Jobs". Mike Rowe is much more entertaining than the voice on "How It's Made". 

We've already seen all the "Mythbuster" episodes on Netflix. We, especially Luke, know all the of the cast and the Alameda Bomb Range is on our boys' list of places to visit before they die, I think. I have got to say, there isn't much that can top watching a cement truck being blown to bits for my boys, including Bill. 

That's the kind of stuff we watch these days. I have no idea what is on PBS anymore. 

So, in summary, I basically used the platform of my boys getting haircuts last night to tell you what we watch on Netflix.

I know. It's this kind of brilliant writing that makes you come back day after day. 


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

I Am Like

I am like Moses, standing before the burning bush. I stammer something about how I can't do it and His reply is "I AM".

"I AM" is enough.

I am like an Israelite, standing before the opened Red Sea. What's a person to do when you ask for His help and He cracks wet ground for you to walk across? 

Walk.

I am like Joshua about to take the city of Jericho. The non-rhetorical question "Have I not commanded you?" ringing in my ears.

Be strong and courageous.

I am like the psalmist, searching the horizon for the coming help.

Know that the Maker watches over.


Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14




Exodus 3:14; Exodus 14:21-22; Joshua 1:9; Psalm 121

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Wall of Hearts

I'm throwing in a PinterTest Kitchen post here but it's not going to be about food. Shocker! 

I'm cooking and baking and trying out all sorts of new things found through Pinterest all the time so basically I could blog all the live long day about that. I pin all sorts of other stuff but don't get to those as often because one can't live on glue sticks alone.

That being said, here's to one of my latest crafty ventures.

My friend Angie loves, Loves, LOVES Valentine's Day. She also loves a fun get together. So in her awesomeness, she put together a Valentine's Day progressive supper. She asked if Bill and I could host one of the courses and, of course, we said yes. My brain instantly turns to food but... since I'm not sharing about the food I won't go into it. (I'm totally holding back what appetizers I served, but if you ask pretty, pretty please I'll spill it. Actually, if you just ask once. They were really good. The cashews travelled to all the rest of the courses. Gah- I almost spilled it!)  Let's talk decorating.

I'm a simple decorator. And I like to use what I have or make from very simple materials. Things I've collected here and there.

I read the How About Orange blog and one day she posted this tutorial on 3D hearts. Perfect. You need cardstock or colored paper, scissors, glue and some sort of way to adhere it to the wall. I printed, cut, folded, glued two pages of hearts. Then, on one of Ben's days home, he and I tackled the wall they were to go on with sticky tack. 

Short story: Sticky tack and I are not friends. The end.

Rather than get myself more frustrated, I left them for when Bill got home. I had appetizers to make and I figured he could help a girl out. 

Short story: Bill used 3M Command Adhesive and the hearts stuck. I think he's wonderful. The end.

No, those aren't thought bubbles, but they could be because thats how I feel about these two!


So that's my PinterTest Kitchen contribution for the month. 

P.S. Go to this post about celebrating St. Patty's Day with those same hearts. I have no idea if I'll do those. How many of you decorate for March 17? 

P.S.S. I did it! I didn't talk about food! Are you happy or sad about that?


Thursday, March 7, 2013

It's Been a Rough Day or Two

Luke has had a couple of abnormally rough days the past two days.
Day one included an elbow and a seatbelt buckle to the face.
Day two started with a bumped knee and ended with a wipeout that left a nice little concrete burn on his forehead.


He pulls off the sad face pretty well, don't you think? It certainly gets unsolicited hugs from teachers at school. :)