Bev, you are the epitome of grace, even with the broken ankle.  After all you’ve been through in [...]]]> A week ago when you sat down next to me at breakfast, then clasped hands and prayed over your food… I knew I’d come to love you.  The fact that you’re an Air Force family just solidified it.

Bev, you are the epitome of grace, even with the broken ankle.  After all you’ve been through in life, you raise the standards for the rest of us.  You walk with God, breath His word with every breath… you praise Him for the blessings you’ve been given… even the hardest of blessings.

Bill, you are what the pastors talk about.  You lead your family spiritually and love with all of your heart.  Hearing the love in your voice as you explained Bev’s illness before celiac diagnosis, the cancer treatments and then the onset of crohn’s disease was an inspiration.

I learned so much from you both.  I talked about you for at least an hour with The Husband when I got home, regaling stories of lost children, eternal and unconditional love.

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed your company throughout the day.  I looked for you before mom and I took off.  I wanted to wrap my arms around you, giving you a good hug and tell you how great it was to meet you.  I hope we’ll meet again someday.  I’d love it.

After all, we’re family now.  The big ‘ol Air Force says so.

I’ve talked before about our good friends T & K and their battle with adoption.  They are in need of prayers right now, they are facing a monstrous legal battle (which also, incidentally comes with monstrous bills).  

Please place this on your heart, read their story, pray for them… if you feel led to, please [...]]]>

I’ve talked before about our good friends T & K and their battle with adoption.  They are in need of prayers right now, they are facing a monstrous legal battle (which also, incidentally comes with monstrous bills).  

Please place this on your heart, read their story, pray for them… if you feel led to, please send a donation for their legal fees.  Every dollar helps.

In the mean time, I’ll leave you with some pictures of upcoming things I have to tell you about!  I’m super busy and drained most days by the time I get home from work, workout, cooking and cleaning up… but I do have loads of things to share!

Sring is here!

And we took a little trip…

Just the two of us…

About six months ago I was volunteered for a ministry at our old church.  I’d be helping with the New Attenders Dinner each quarter.  Judging by the amount of people involved in our emails, I showed up expecting a huge team of people to be working with that first night.  What I found [...]]]>

**not gluten free**

About six months ago I was volunteered for a ministry at our old church.  I’d be helping with the New Attenders Dinner each quarter.  Judging by the amount of people involved in our emails, I showed up expecting a huge team of people to be working with that first night.  What I found instead was my friend Laura, who is the secretary at the church, and just one other woman.  Laura made the introductions, ‘Whiskey, this is Molly… Molly this is Whiskey.  Whiskey dabbles in food blogging, Molly is a chef.’

After the first few moments of awkwardness, Molly and I started talking.  This woman was incredible.  Fun, smart, charming, beautiful… the whole package wrapped up in one woman.  I had an instant girl-crush.  I swear she’s the only person who has ever kept me in good spirits while washing 500 dishes by hand.

The next weekend I took a friend to the Farmer’s Market secretly hoping that I’d run into this goddess called Molly.  As my friend and I made our way out, there was Molly!  That day, she introduced me to this great farm that’s open to the public.  She was going to head to the farm after leaving the market so I jumped in my friend’s car and off we went to the farm… I rode a tractor! and picked my own asparagus! and bought flowers for my porch! As we were leaving the farm, Molly pulled up.  Busted!  We talked about the rest of the day, there was a BBQ contest in the park (BIG BIG deal for the Midwest).  Of course, what kind of Good Midwesterner would I be if I didn’t go?  Off my friend and I went to the BBQ festival. By this time, Molly was aware I was going to be there so it wasn’t so creepy.   I actually had to call her the next day and leave a message saying, “I promise I don’t usually stalk people… it’s just, you know, I got excited! Please forgive me, I swear I’m not crazy.  Mutual interests and all…”

Molly called me back and said I was hilarious and happy to have run in to me several times, but how about actually planning something?  Oh.  Okay.  She’s been a part of my life ever since.  We don’t see each other often because she lives on a Farm!  with Cows! and lives a very busy life filled to the brim with exciting events.  Of course, my events are part of her busy life too.

Last Friday we had another New Attender’s dinner.  The weekend before was Molly’s Annual Chili and Beerbash (which was so incredible I can’t tell you!) so there was a lot of leftover chili from the weekend before.  She souped it up with some vegetable stock, put it in a huge roaster and there really wasn’t much left to do other than minor things before guests arrived.  Of course, Molly and I can sit and talk for hours so we weren’t concerned.  The conversation turned to Thanksgiving and everyone’s plans for the weekend.  Molly said she was attending dinner at her family’s house and always takes this dish… this Butternut Squash, Fontina and Basmati Rice dish.  I don’t remember much else about the conversation except my pointed scream, YOU HAVE TO GIVE ME THE RECIPE!!

Molly emailed me the recipe Saturday afternoon.  I made it Sunday night for dinner.  I don’t do “seconds”.  I did seconds and am currently having a hard time staying away from the dish cooling on the stove.  Make this.  Make it tonight, make it for Thanksgiving, for bill paying day, for bad day, happy day, rainy day, cold day… just make it. And please, for the love of all things good, do not be turned off by the ingredients.  It’s magic. Pure and simple magic.

Butternut Squash and Rice Tian with Bacon and Sage
By: My friend Molly

1 T olive oil
4 oz thick sliced bacon, cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 T minced sage
1 c Basmati rice
2 c water

1 butternut squash, peeled & cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 T olive oil
1 T brown sugar

1/2 c breadcrumbs
2 T minced flat leaf parsley
2 cloves garlic (eek! I used 4) minced, then turned into paste*
1 T olive oil

5-6 oz. Fontina or Grueyere cheese (I used Grueyere)
1 egg
1/2 c heavy cream

In a large stock pot over medium heat, cook the bacon with 1 T olive oil until fat is rendered and bacon is just crisp.  Add the onions and sage and cook about 5 minutes until tender.  Stir in the rice and continue stirring for a few minutes until the rice becomes milky-opaque in appearance, 3-4 minutes.  Add water and season with salt.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

While the bacon and onions are cooking,  toss the squash with 1 T olive oil, brown sugar and season with salt and pepper  Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in a 425 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until tender and golden.

In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic and olive oil.  Set aside.  In another small bowl, whisk together cream and egg, season with salt and pepper.  Stir in the cheese.  Once the squash is tender, add it to the stockpot with the bacon and cooked rice (don’t stir yet).  Pour the cream mixture over the squash, stir gently and turn the mixture into a buttered 9×13″ casserole dish.  Top with the breadcrumb mixture and place under the broiler until golden, 2-3 minutes.  Serve immediately.

NOTE: If the squash and rice are hot when adding the egg and cream, the egg should cook on contact.  (I love this part from Molly…) If this is uncomfortable for you, you may heat the casserole in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until it reaches 160 degrees.  Then broil and serve.  This dish should be very creamy and moist.

*For garlic paste (Molly said crushed, I assumed she meant pasted).  To make it, simply peel and mince the garlic, sprinkle a little kosher salt over it and then take your knife and pull the garlic with the side of your knife adding pressure to the top.

They love these children. [...]]]> Thank you to all of you who prayed for my friends T & K.  Please take a moment, take a lifetime to lift them up in prayer. I feel like the wind has been knocked from my sail, my eyes are sore from tears… that’s nothing compared to what they are feeling.

They love these children.  They are a part of T & K.

Please lift them up.  This will be the hardest thing they ever do.

I shake with anger at this moment.  This moment that I wish never came.  This moment that is so wrong.

Such wonderful people should not have to go through this. They deserve every happiness life hands them.

The neighborhood is experiencing a bit of a growing pain this week as school officially started yesterday bringing the end of summer to a skidding halt.  Tuesday night I sat in the front yard and visited with the neighbors as they watched their kids play hard for the last hurrah.  

I have very few memories [...]]]>

The neighborhood is experiencing a bit of a growing pain this week as school officially started yesterday bringing the end of summer to a skidding halt.  Tuesday night I sat in the front yard and visited with the neighbors as they watched their kids play hard for the last hurrah.  

I have very few memories from childhood, simply a handful of  snapshot moments stuck in time.  One memory is the feeling of jealousy and injustice that I was going to school and did not have homework.  My brother had homework and he was cool.  I wanted to be a big kid!

As I sat in the driveway this past Tuesday night sipping a peach-mango daiquiri I felt silly for ever wishing life to hurry up and make me  a big kid.  I’m definitely a big kid now and the homework has been nonstop ever since. Of course it’s a different kind of homework, a good homework.  Like, say… cleaning the blender I used to make daiquiris for the neighbors.

Mango-Peach Daiquiris*
Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa

2 c chopped ripe mango (I used frozen)
1 c sliced peaches (I used frozen)
1/2 c fresh squeezed lime juice (4 limes- use the real deal)
1/4 c simple syrup
1 1/4 c dark rum
Fresh Peach slices, for serving

Place the frozen mango, peaches, lime juice, simple syrup and rum in a blender and process until smooth.  Add 2 c of ice and process again until smooth and thick.  Serve ice-cold in highball glasses with the peach slices.

*The original recipe is for Mango-Banana Daiquiris, of which I’m not a fan of banana drinks so switched banana for peaches which turned out to be a fantastic choice.

A few months ago we said goodbye to one of our good friends, Ross, who was moving to Texas in pursuit of a girl.  I make it sound romantic, and in a way it is.  They’d been dating for three years and living in separate states the whole time; she in Texas, he in Kansas. [...]]]>

A few months ago we said goodbye to one of our good friends, Ross, who was moving to Texas in pursuit of a girl.  I make it sound romantic, and in a way it is.  They’d been dating for three years and living in separate states the whole time; she in Texas, he in Kansas.  Most weekends would find one or the other of them flying back and forth between the states.  

Ross also has ambition to be a helicopter pilot for the Army.  Knowing this, I pushed and pushed until he’d packed his truck and moved to Texas where pursuing his dream was more conducive to his time-line.  Strangely enough, now that he’s moved to Texas I see him more but talk to him less.  We all have such busy lives that it’s almost impossible to get everyone together anymore.  Ross finds out when he’s coming back to town and we mark out our calendar for one of the evenings.  

This past weekend was a little difficult though.  For weeks, Ross has been asking if The Husband and I will go camping with he and his family.  The response from these city slickers was a resounding no.  We don’t do camping unless paid to do so by the United States Military, and clearly, I am not in the military so I see no reason to sleep amongst the bugs.  Ross continued with the pleading, “It’ll be so much fun!  My brother just bought a camper!”  We were expecting something like this…

Which, of course, was parked next to the “Dump Station.”  I’ll let you figure out what that was.  Just imagine National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation… 

The campers (are they called RV’s?) owned by Ross & Pamela’s family are state-of-the-art RV’s that are complete with a kitchen! couches! beds! shower! I was shocked to see such a getup!  I had no idea.

All in all, it was a beautiful day on Saturday.  The sun actually came out to remind us Kansans what it looked like.  We fished… alright, the fishing was done by Ross, his dad and my good friend Pamela (Ross’s sister) with her adorable (almost) 4 year old.  I took pictures while the others hooked worms (ewwwww!) and cast their lines (how do you like that camping lingo!?!?)  

In the evening we grilled over a fire pit and pulled camping chairs and coolers close to the flame as we talked for hours.  It was a magical evening for first time “campers” even if The Husband and I hopped in the car and drove home at bedtime (can you blame us… the state park is practically our back yard!)

Camping isn’t so scary when you have the comfort of home nearby or one of those great RV things to go running for when you see a very scary bug that makes you squeal and run like a girl on fire.  Bugs.  So not an outdoor girl.

I seem to surround myself with picky eaters.  When I first met my good friend Stephanie, she absolutely refused to even try new things.  Over the past two years (holy cow, I can’t believe we’ve been here for 2 years!) she has gradually picked up spoon after spoon to try new creations of mine.  Recently [...]]]>

I seem to surround myself with picky eaters.  When I first met my good friend Stephanie, she absolutely refused to even try new things.  Over the past two years (holy cow, I can’t believe we’ve been here for 2 years!) she has gradually picked up spoon after spoon to try new creations of mine.  Recently she discovered she likes Nutella, avacados, tomatoes (sparingly), zucchini and all sorts of other things.  

I try to have something “normal” for her when she comes to dinner every other weekend or so…  normal is any dish that includes potatoes.  A few weeks ago I made a Twice Baked Mashed Potato Casserole.  I had way too much time on my hands.  It was sleeting and I had all of the ingredients.  Sidenote: Kansas weather is crazy.

Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes can be anything you want it to be.  Whatever you want on a baked potato, put it in with your mashed potatoes instead!  Your pickiest eater will love it!

Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes
A Delta Whiskey Concoction that she stole from her mom…

1/2 red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 slices bacon, cooked* (make sure it’s g-free)
2 1/2 lbs Russet potatoes, peeled
2 T butter, quartered
1/2 c sour cream
Salt & lots of pepper
1 c shredded cheddar, divided (make sure it’s g-free)
4 scallions, thinly sliced

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Cook onions and garlic until tender but not browned.  Transfer to a large bowl Set aside as you prepare the potatoes.

Halve the peeled potatoes lengthwise, then quarter lengthwise.  Cut the potatoes into similar sizes (about 1″ cube) and place into a large stockpot.  Cover potatoes with cold water (do not add too much water as my grandmother says this can make the potatoes soggy).  Place on a burner over medium-high heat and bring to a  boil.  Boil for 15-20 minutes or until a fork can be inserted into a tender potato.  Drain the potatoes and return to the hot pot.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add butter, salt, pepper and sour cream and start mashing away.  Stir in the sauteed onions and garlic, 3/4 c cheese, half of the bacon and half of the chopped scallions.  Transfer to a casserole dish.  Top with remaining cheese, bacon and scallions.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese melts.

* I actually cook my bacon in the oven.  Place bacon slices on a sheet pan lined with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes (your desired crispness).  I’m just too Monkish to want to clean up the mess of frying bacon.