Cyclops Snowman Cookies...

I have come to the conclusion after my very short amount of time on this earth, that being serious all the time is boring.  Yes, there is a time and place for seriousness, but I for one prefer to look at many things from a light-hearted side of life.  After all, there are so many good reasons to do so.  If you know me well enough, you know I happen to be a bit of a klutz.  So, I had to learn years ago that rather than get upset and mad at myself when I do something klutzy or nerdy, I just laugh.  Because if I didn't, I would get upset all the time.  I also really love to be as goofy as I can with my students.  I pick on them, they pick on me.  Ah yes, life is good.

And then there is my mother and I.  We can be such a dangerous combination.  I find her funny (usually) and she finds me funny (usually), and we tend to feed off of each other's humor.  So, after seeing the title of this entry, you are probably wondering..."What the heck?"  Allow me to explain.  It all started years ago when I was in college.  I came home one weekend (probably around my birthday) and begged mom to make sugar cookies.  Because Valentine's day was in a few weeks, we made heart cookies.  (Yes, this was back in the days when I thought Valentines' day was cool.)  So we made the cookies, and then went to frost them, and somehow, one of us made a mistake when we were going to give the cookies eyes and a smiley face, and the heart cookie became the "Cyclops heart cookie".  We thought it was hilarious.  Maybe no one else would have found it funny, and maybe you just had to be there, but let me tell you, it stuck and ever since then, it has been a running joke between us.  So this year, we decided to make Christmas cookies, and we got a little goofy.  (I was actually being far sillier - must have been all the samples of the sugary frosting I tasted...)  I was making cyclops trees, cyclops stars, and the best cookie of all...the giant cyclops snowman.  I also made a snowman look sick, and other generally abnormal things you wouldn't see on most Christmas cookies.  I figured, why not have a little fun?  After all, laughter is the best medicine.  May your Christmas be merry, bright, full of laughter and love and centered around the real reason for the season: Jesus. :-) 

In Christ,

Meg

 

Banana Bread

 

 

                    




                                                                   
                                                                                                                             




First of all, I would like to apologize for my prolonged absence...life has been a little hectic... Hopefully I will be back on a more consistent basis now. 

So, I have a confession to make...I used to be scared of banana bread.  Not scared of it as in, I see it, I run away in terror.  Scared of it as in, scary to make.  Now I know what most of you are probably thinking.  Really Meg? Scared of making banana bread? Oh come on.  But, to me, banana bread has always represented something.  It was this sacred thing that my grandma Esther used to make, and let me tell you, if you knew my grandma, she was one heck of a cook, so taking on the task of making banana bread seemed like pretty big shoes to fill.  That was probably another reason I was always scared of it - scared I wouldn't live up to her and her banana bread and any self-imposed expectations I had placed upon myself.  In a way, me making banana bread that was sub-par seemed rather sacreligious after my grandma's.  But one day, a few years ago, I got enough nerve to give it a try.  I pulled out my Betty Crocker Cookbook, thumbed through the bread section - past the chocolate chip muffins at stopped at Banana Bread.  And I dove in.  I became baptised in the banana bread fire and never looked back.

After a few years of making my own banana bread and having it turn out pretty darn good, I got really crazy and crossed a line my grandma never would have - I added chocolate chips.  Call me the proverbial rebel - never have I been more pleased at a rebellious act that defied the norm than I was with this particular outcome.  It seemed bananas and chocolate were made for each other - like wine and cheese, a fish and water and Wayne Gretzky and hockey.  My banana bread has since very rarely gone without chocolate.

Life sometimes can be hard, and rather disappointing and hurtful.  Usually, when that is the case, I first turn to Jesus and a nice long run; and then usually head to the kitchen while listening to music.  There is something about baking that just soothes my soul.  So, yesterday, with my heart aching - I began to make my banana bread...but this time, I pushed the limits even further.  The chocolate chips were still there in all their glory, but after some inspiration from "A Homemade Life" by Molly Wizenberg, I added chopped crystalized ginger.  

As I mixed the flour, mashed the bananas and combined the ingredients, a few tears fell and I thought of grandma.  How I miss her.  Making this banana bread was one way I remembered her sweet, sassy, generous, loving ways.  As the bread baked, heavenly smells filled my house.  Finally it was done.  I was going to withstand the temptation to cut off a slice and eat it, but then I remembered the "Brownie Rule".  (It's illegal to take brownies out of the oven and not eat one while it is still warm).  So I decided that there was now a "Banana Bread Rule" - which is the same as the "Brownie Rule", only applicable to banana bread.  May I recommend that you never break either of these rules?  You won't be sorry.  

Delish - that's all I have to say.  As I devoured my warm piece of banana bread, with the gooey chocolate and the bite of the ginger, I had to chuckle.  I wonder what grandma would say about my little "acts of rebellion"?  She would probably smile, shake her head, and give me a great big hug.  After all, banana bread - no matter how fancy - is still banana bread.

In Christ,

Meg

 

Arizona - Part I

These are just a few highlights of my time in Arizona with my cousin Cal and his wife Kelsie.  I had such a fun time with them, even though it was a short time.  My first day I just relaxed and then Cal showed me where the fire damage had happened from the fires in May.  This included us hiking up to a church on a mountainside that had been damaged from the fire.  The pictures from up above were the view from up there.  That same night we went and had dinner at a Mexican resturant.  It was very good!  That's all I'll leave you with for now - and I'll share some highlights from Friday - when we went to a cool town called Bisbee.  Have a great evening!!

Today

Today I am headed to Arizona to visit my cousin and his wife!  I couldn't be more exited to go on a new adventure for a few days.  I've never been to Arizona before!!  I will post some pictures and stories from my adventure when I get home.  Have a great MEA break!!