Muffin Monday: Orange and Date Mini Muffins

Oranges and dates: a match made in heaven. These exotic fruits are bursting with flavor, and impart a luscious moisture to these darling muffins.

I haven't made muffins in so long, but since my friend gave me some adorable mini muffin tins for Christmas, I couldn't help myself.

This recipe comes from foodnetwork.com, courtesy of Gale Gand, and is so easy and delicious that I know you'll love it. All you need is a food processor to make this recipe super simple. I must say, it's the first time that I've blended an entire orange, peel and all!

Artisan Cheese Lust

I've had a problem for a few years, one that I'm not quite proud of. It's time to come clean. 

I lust after artisan cheese.

Whether I'm in a fancy Whole Foods-type market or a Walmart supercenter, my eyes and feet are drawn to the case of cheese. Forget those insipid blocks of Great Value mozzarella—this is the real stuff. 

Fresh, blue, round, soft, goat, herb, gouda, manchego, tallegio, stilton...the list goes on and on. I love looking and touching and examining these cheeses, but never actually purchase one because the prices make me gag. $6.00 for that? So I drool in silence.

Why Killing Cattle Doesn’t Work

Do you ever find yourself reaching an intense spiritual high one moment, only to crash and burn the next? Perhaps you get some wonderful inspiration from a time of prayer and meditation, you make all kinds of fresh resolutions, and then you’re faced with another human being. Then your true colors show when you hit the roof about a tiny problem, or you gripe or gossip, or you do exactly the opposite of what you’d just been intending to do.

Cow, a photo by Atli Harðarson on Flickr.

That’s the story of my life, unfortunately, and it’s coming clear during this time of fasting and prayer. Just as I think I’m doing something wonderfully holy (giving up snacks and dessert—yikes!), I mess everything up by some act of disobedience.

I suspect that I’m not the only one who experiences  this. In fact I know  I’m not the only one, just from looking at the ancient Israelites. You have probably heard the phrase “obedience is better than sacrifice,” but do you know where it comes from? Those are the words of Samuel, the prophet of the Lord, spoken to King Saul after a particularly nasty incident involving the Amalekites. God had commanded Saul to utterly destroy these people, along with their possessions and animals. Saul was more than willing to fight the Amalekites and went out in obedience to God’s command, but when it came to slaughtering all of those perfectly good cattle and sheep—he just couldn’t do it.

For Samuel it must have been like watching a train wreck in slow motion. He was incredibly upset at Saul’s act of outright disobedience, and finally cornered him. What was the king’s excuse? He said that the animals were meant as a sacrifice to the Lord. That sounds wonderful, right? Read Samuel’s response and listen for the frustration in his voice:

One Thousand Gifts: Soap, Friends, Birds, Music, Graffiti, and Pickles

“Eucharisteo—thanksgiving—always precedes the miracle.” 

― Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are

Pear trees bursting out in a froth of blossoms

• Whipping up muffins in the morning
• The perfect sugar cookie: firm outside, fluffy inside
• Messy remnants of good times
• Chicken trucks barreling down our highway
• My brother's "inside voice"
• The carved table in my room--racetrack, palace, desk
• Granddaddy's love living in the woodwork
• An easy burden and a yoke that is light
• The amazing power of prayer
• An intercessor for all my weaknesses
• High scores on college papers!
• Bill Bryson's hilarious travelogue
• "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." -1 John 4:4
• Crisp white shirt on a warm afternoon
• The swollen bud of a spring mayapple
• Raindrop, almost invisible, turning the world upside down
• I know that God is listening
• A newly-made bed
• A smile when it's hard
• Sweaty morning exercise
• Piles of muddy weeds
• Clean socks, inside out
• A scribbled Granny letter

NMS Covenant: Pizza di Spaghetti

This use for leftover spaghetti is truly a revelation. It's fast, easy, delicious, and I had so much fun making it for dinner last night that I made it again today! After churning out a brutal essay on American existentialism, I was forced to face dinner alone with nothing in the refrigerator. Nothing. Honestly, you could see the shelves because there wasn't anything on them (a rarity in our household). The only thing there was a bag of leftover spaghetti (no sauce), and I had eaten spaghetti two days in a row and didn't fancy a repetition.

The lurking spaghetti....

Well, once again I was amazed by what can be done with leftovers. I googled "leftover spaghetti" and the first result was an article from Shoestring Magazine that described a slapdash version of Giada De Laurentiis' recipe for Pizza di Spaghetti. Immediately I rushed to begin putting it all together, and another NMS Covenant dish was born.






So all you need for this is

• Spaghetti
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Pesto
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic powder
• 1 egg
• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

All of the measurements are pretty much a matter of taste, with my only recommendation being 1 egg/1 cup spaghetti. Mix all of this gunk (minus the EVOO) together in a bowl, coating every strand of spaghetti with the sticky mess and distributing the flavors evenly throughout. 

Gratitude: It Isn't Easy

In the hush of the moment,

in the beautiful quiet,

in the peaceful silence,

that's when I can hear God.

In the roar of the day,

in the monstrous rush,

in the chaotic maelstrom,

that's when I should hear God.

There are so many things to give thanks for, so many reasons to be joyful! Why let stress and anxiety ruin this second? This minute? This life?

Quick, type out five things you have to be grateful for right now. Then dwell on those things as you go about the rest of your day. Don't forget how good God is!

• Daddy dropping pounds
• An invisible network of spiderwebs, gilded by the sun

The intricacies of granola

• Making a donation to Voice Of the Martyrs, impacting lives through Christ
• Afternoon sunlight silhouetting the world
• A grassy nook made fairylike by shadows
• Invisible water making a blurry shadow on the wall
• Sweet smiles as I hand out drinks at potluck
• Singing with Clara while washing dishes
• Clean countertops and an orderly sink
• Discovering spiritual truths through toast
• Business inspiration on a red envelope
• A scrubby, scribbled notebook
• Roasting marshmallows with friends
• Hearing an old friend's voice instead of staying at home
• Exchanging closure for healing
• Mastering the art of French eating
• Country music blaring--sounds of home
• My creamy canvas bag--simple and lovely
• A bit of litter on the parking lot
• The tiniest white flower bud on a purplish-green stem, resting in the hollow of my dishwashed hand
• Sacrificing stress for Jesus' joy
• Hank whining and getting me out into the balmy February clouds

Remembering sweet times spent with a friend now passed 

• Sacrificing stress for joy
• Glowing autumn leaves preserved in brilliant tin
• Tinkling glass slipper, Cinderella's prize
• Wood rubbed smooth on a new/old buffet
• The smell of garlic, onions, and cheese
• Chunky-knit sweater, all collar
• Curls of steam from a hot faucet, rising in morning light
• Sheltering blanket with a long, wide rip
• Bold black camera, ripe for capturing
• Fragile tea ball, cradling withered leaves under boiling pour
• Daffa-down-dillies against a dark window
• Warm lamplight brought back from glass
• Brother silhouette, leaning against the door
• Scratched and dirty floor, bearing the memories of good times passed
• Police lights in the dark: safety under the law
• A filthy men's bathroom, nothing compared to the ancient Romans' latrines
• God providing Ashley and Capernwray and Mr. Byron's generosity
• Safety in risky circumstances, against all probability
• The everyday gifts that make even the worst days brighter
• Worn finish on our little piano

Goofy St. Patrick's Day Regalia

• Glimmering rainbow of lights through a cut-glass window
• Porcelain sink, gleaming smooth
• Rolls of shimmering ribbon
• Wind blustering around a snug, safe home
• Big spiky purple/green salad
• Piles of dollar bills
• Familiar warmth of an old cardigan
• My "practice challenge" t-shirt
• The gentle grace of a hair clip
• Mr. Byron's passing
• College work
• Friend finding another church family
• Caraway in hamburger pie
• Bright red cardinal on a wind-tossed branch
• Skin crevices

                                               

Muffin Monday: Rainy Day Potato

What do you like to do on rainy mornings? Read? Play piano? Stare out the window? I decided to bake parsley potato muffins.


Mom had made shepherd's pie a couple days before, and reserved a cup and a half of mashed potatoes for me to experiment with potato muffins--something I've wanted to do for a long time. And I must say, they turned out beautifully! I had one of these with my breakfast (there's nothing like biting into a warm, buttery muffin when you're really hungry), and then ate them for lunch with homemade tomato soup. Mmmmm....

My recipe came from a fun little cookbook called Mad About Muffins by Dot Vartan.

Muffin Monday: Fabulous Fargozas

Mom and Dad went away on a little mini-vacation over the weekend, so it was up to me to fix something for the church potluck. What did I make? Muffins, of course!


I had lots of mozzarella cheese on hand, so I went looking for a cheesy, savory muffin recipe on the internet. What I found were the "fabulous fargozas", and they came with two big perks:

1. They smelled-up the house in the most marvelous way while baking.
2. The church gave them rave reviews! I had several people express how lovely they tasted and ask me what was in them.

So now you're itching to make a batch of your own, right? Well, it's not hard. The most time-consuming part was grating three cups of cheese (I doubled the recipe).

Happy Pancake Tuesday!

Some of you might think that today is Mardis Gras, Fat Tuesday, or simply the day before Lent, but you would be missing out on a vital sacred tradition: pancakes! 

Britophile that I am, I have learned that Shrove Tuesday is often celebrated in Britain by the eating of pancakes and even pancake races (for the origin of this tradition, see www.picturebritain.com). In honor of this delicious day, I am sharing with you a very cool little recipe for gluten-free banana pancakes which I recently discovered. To look at them you'd swear that they were normal, everyday pancakes, but biting in you discover something like moist banana bread. To make it even better, there are only 3-4 ingredients involved and you can whip up enough for one person in a matter of a couple minutes! That is why this recipe gets the NMS Covenant official seal of approval.

Here is the super-super-easy recipe (perfect for weeknight dinners or lunches alone):

• 1 banana
• 2 tbsp. nut butter (I used peanut)
• 1 egg
• 1 dash of vanilla (optional)

Plop these puppies into a blender and whirl into a smooth batter.

Every Day, A Gift

• Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not s the world gives do I give to you. do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." (John 14:27)
• I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)
• There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. (1 John 4:18)
• A psychedelic shadow pattern
• The grain of humor and pleasure from my brother's off-key singing
• The fine lines of my Grandmother's hands, brought out by a sprinkling of flour
• Soaring vultures, which look strangely picturesque
• Our amazing camping trip in October, doing daring things!
• Mr. Byron's hands, crinkled and spotted with memories
• The wrinkled pages of my book, which remind me that I don't need to be perfect

• The plan for my day out, written on a folded sheet of paper and unfolded to reveal a day of adventure
• Someone to listen when I need to be heard
• Someone to bear the burdens I can't possibly bear
• Someone who knows my end from my beginning
• Smoky blue clouds that provide the backdrop for a fiery sunset
• Peanut M&Ms. Which I can resist.
• Compassion's presentation materials, which bring hope and love to so many
• Wonderful books from the library
• Tiny birds nests, beautifully constructed from slender twigs
• A love of learning inherited from my dad
• Fleeting frost, soundlessly transforming the world and leaving unnoticed

NMS Covenant: Blueberry Cream Cheese Danish Oatmeal

All of you boys and girls out there who are sick of lunch-meat and cheese sandwiches: this is for you.

The No More Sandwich Covenant

As part of my dedication to the NMS Covenant, I decided to post about a delicious new recipe I discovered via the brilliant website,FoodPair.com. I wanted to make something quick and delicious that involved cream cheese and oatmeal, and lo and behold, I discovered an amazing new way to eat oatmeal! The recipe is from a chef on Food.com.

All you need is

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon sugar (I used some Splenda as well as brown sugar)

Abigail's Day Out

Don't self-portraits always look a little funny?

Today I did something completely unprecedented: I spent the whole day (9:30 AM-7:30 PM) in town by myself! This is wild and crazy, let me tell you. The fact that I've never done this and I'm 19 years old should tell you that I don't get out on my own very often. As I just finished my first college semester, I decided that I needed a treat. This was a "grand adventure" for me--a chance to spread my wings and get outside my comfort zone, proving to my family and myself that I am capable of driving, eating, touring, and navigating without creating a five-car pileup, being robbed blind, or taking a wrong turn and ending up in Albuquerque. 


My first stop was to see an elderly friend of mine who is suffering greatly in a nursing home. It's a very sad story, but the long and short of it is that she has lost all physical and most mental power to control her own life, and everything must be done for her by others--which is her worst nightmare. This might seem like a weird way to start a "girl's day out", but it was good for me, making the subsequent pleasures of adventure and novelty all the more poignant and precious.

Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel--you'd think they could have come up with
a more romantic name....

Just a short drive away from the nursing home there is a gorgeous little chapel that I had never taken the time to see. It's a small, arching structure of wood and glass, tucked away in a quiet wood, which looks like it's in the middle of nowhere despite the fact that the highway is less than five minutes away. It's popular for weddings, and probably funerals, but when I went there it was completely empty, warm, and quiet, with natural light streaming in through the windows and muted piano music playing in the background. I took photos and spent a few minutes drinking in my surroundings, marveling at this precious little gem so close to home, and thinking about my visit with my friend. Then I packed up the camera and headed out to my main destination. 

A diorama of Crystal Bridges as it will look when finished.

Perhaps you've heard of Crystal Bridges, the world-class museum of American art that was just opened last November (11/11/11) in Bentonville, Arkansas. It is a complex of concrete and glass buildings with curved roofs of copper ribbing (which looks like a huddle of armadillos), designed to blend seamlessly into the natural landscape. This is all built in, around, and over a stream which has been manipulated into a large pool, and the buildings jut into and across it like bridges. It's an amazing place and I'm privileged to have it right out my back door, so to speak. Thanks to Walmart, admission is completely free, so it is the perfect place to drop by and spend some time marveling at the fantastic architecture and beautiful works of art. I parked in the parking garage (first time!) and went inside, checked my coat, picked up an audioguide, and set off! 

One Thousand Gifts

How thankful are you? No, really. How many times do you purposefully put a stop to whatever you're doing and give thanks for the beautiful things in your life, or even just pause a moment to take in the joy of everything that is around you? I know that I've been unforgivably ungrateful for far too long, and 2012 is the time to change that. 

Enter Ann Voskamp. She's an amazing woman who has written the New York Times Bestselling book One Thousand Gifts (she also blogs over at www.aholyexperience.com), which is "a dare to live fully right where you are." It's a book about the gifts that God gives us every day--too many to count--but she's trying to count some (1,000 per year, to be exact), and she's got a few thousand people doing it with her. I'm doing it too. 

She has recommendations for what to look for every day (download her creative ideas here), and if you follow her plan you're going to "collect" 1,000 gifts in a year's time. I got started late, but I've committed to writing down the gifts I'm given on a daily basis. Here's what I have so far:

Three things about myself that I'm grateful for: I have a great metabolism. I can spell very well. I can write creatively.

Something inside: My ginormous window seat. Something outside: Horses frolicking in the pasture. Something on a plate: A very creative meal when there was no food in the house

Lines I Overheard That Were Graces: "I love you, Abby." -Aaron; "Thank God for work." -Rod

A gift in my hand: Mrs. Joyce's camera. A gift I walked by: This apple pie. A gift I sat with: My laptop

Something sour: a bright orange tangerine that pops with flavor on my tongue. Something sweet: a conversation with Mr. Byron. Something Just. Right.: A bright green pine tree drooping over the road, covered in pine cones

Apple Pie Adventures

Before we get started, I've discovered from my reader survey (thanks to all who have filled it out so far!) that the majority of you love cooking. So look forward to more food posts in the future!

If you've ever visited Smitten Kitchen or The Pioneer Woman Cooks you will be familiar with mouth-watering recipes, meticulous step-by-step instructions, and gorgeous food photography--in other words nothing like what you'll see in this post. Just kidding, I am trying! These amazing cooks inspire me to take food and photography to new heights, and I am determined to improve both my cooking skills and my artistic abilities. 

I had to take some more pictures for my college photography course, so I decided to use my lovely grandmother as the subject and show her making a rustic skillet apple pie. The recipe is quite simple, but the result oh so delicious! Believe me, guys, it's enough to blow all your New Year's resolutions to kingdom come.

First you peel the apples, the old fashioned way. Then cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Don't get carried away in your pie-zeal and forget to preheat oven to 350º.

The User's Manual for M&M's

My friend Cameron is attending the same online college that I am, and when we exchanged Christmas presents today I gave him a bag of his favorite candy, M&M's, with a twist! They came with a user manual (which I wrote at about 1:30 this morning) which I thought I would share with the rest of you. Feel free to use this, alter it to apply to someone else, and generally have fun with it. Merry Christmas!

User’s Manual for Magical College M&M’s:

Brown

Seriousness and Support: Too many late nights? Feeling detached and unstable?  Chomp down on brown. Don’t eat too many, though, as you might risk losing your sense of humor and all sophistication.

Blue

Intelligence and Inspiration: This is the go-to M&M for those impossible assignments that make your eyes water just to read them. Take it all in stride with a dose of blue and soar through with straight A’s! Negative side-effects may include aloofness and a tendency for your nose to turn up in the air.

Green

Balance and Restoration: When your schedule is crazy and your priorities are off kilter, meditate on a little green to bring it all back into alignment. Side-effects include stagnation, boredom, and an unhealthy fascination with Al Gore.

Yellow

Optimism and Confidence: If you’re in a funk, there’s nothing like a yellow M&M to get you up. But take care! An overdose of yellow can cause emotional unbalance and suicidal tendencies.

Orange

Fun and Passion: If your essay leaves you feeling drained and dispirited and you feel the will to live being sucked out of your very bones, get some emergency orange as soon as possible. Be forewarned: one too many can induce symptoms of wanton frivolity.

Red

Strength and Vitality: Are you losing your edge? Pop a few red M&Ms and feel the warmth and energy surging through your veins! Overdoses can lead to eye-strain and fanatic aggression toward hamsters, so be careful.

M&Ms, a photo by FlyNutAA on Flickr. 

The Best Banana Bread in the World (No Kidding)

My dad will be the first to tell you that his mother wasn't exactly a barrel of laughs. I never knew my paternal grandmother, but apparently she was one of those "we're poor, always have been and always will be" kind of people. Depressing and pessimistic, in other words. Let's just say that she didn't leave many happy memories behind when she passed away about thirty years ago.

However, she did leave behind a yellowed, brittle, spotted and splotched card with a handwritten recipe for The Best Banana Bread in the World. I have literally grown up on this stuff, and verily, verily say unto you--it is wonderful. Comfort food in the extreme, it's good hot, it's good cold, and it's especially good two days old! Age only increases its moistness, and the top gets all glossy and mmmm.... Impossible to describe.

So, do you want to make it now? I'll spare you the trouble of deciphering my grandmother's outdated methods, and transcribe it myself. Here it is, what you've been waiting for all your life:

NMS Covenant: Sweet/Spicy Chicken and Rice

This might look like some of my previous creations, but it's very different, really!

Most of the ingredients were leftover from chicken quesadillas (and boy, were those tasty), so if you're going to be having burritos or quesadillas in the near future, consider this as a way to use up whatever's left.


Here's my ingredient list, but of course you could put anything you wanted in here:

• Basmati brown rice
• Black beans
• Mexican-seasoned chicken
• Green onions
• Cheddar cheese
• Sour cream
• Sweet/spicy toppin’

I piled the rice, beans, chicken, and cheese onto a plate, nuked it, then sprinkled with green onions, Mexican seasoning and a plop of sour cream. The “sweet/spicy toppin’” is simply a mixture of Mama’s homemade salsa and a spoonful of strawberry jam. The jam adds a subtle sweetness to the dish that tones down the salsa zing.

It only took a few minutes to throw together and I found it delicious! It’s bulky, it’s satisfying, and it’s not a sandwich. Mission accomplished!

• Featured on my food blog: www.WeTheNibblers.wordpress.com

NMS Covenant: Ooey Gooey Potatoes

             

Here's a random NMS experiment (because I was starving):

• Leftover roasted potatoes
• Homemade ranch dressing
• Spicy Dijon Mustard
• Parsley for garnish

Here’s what you do:

1. Nuke the potatoes in the microwave (or—if you have time—or no microwave—or you want them to be crispy—you can pan fry them). In a small cup mix a glob of ranch dressing (a little if you’re on a diet, a lot if you’re not) with a dollop of spicy Dijon mustard (a little if you’re scared, a lot if you’re not).
2. Garnish with a flourish of fresh or dried parsley leaves, crushed.

And there you have it--a little snack to be proud of. I found that the combination of tangy ranch and spicy mustard was quite pleasant. The gooey, comforting sauce covered up that “reheated potato” flavor. It took about 1 minute 28 seconds to make (1:00 minute to nuke the potatoes, 0:20 to mix the sauce, 0:08 to sprinkle the parsley). Great use of leftover roasted potatoes (or fresh ones from the Walmart deli).


Tip: Make it decadent with crumbled bacon as a topping.

P.S. My brother and I have started a Wordpress blog for all of our food experiments! Check it out if you're interested :)

NMS Covenant: Veggie Tortilla

It happened again. There I was, all alone in the house (Mom and Dad had gone on their anniversary trip and Aaron was at summer camp), and I was very, very hungry. Believe it or not, I was tempted to slap together one of those evil sandwiches, but the NMS Covenant held me accountable. So I grabbed a Taste of Home magazine and got to work. 

I had drooled over a certain recipe for grilled veggie tortillas, but unfortunately I have absolutely no idea how to grill (I'm not sure that my parents would trust me with live flames and propane, either). So I had to alter the recipe, and fast. It was a challenge, but I believe I passed the crisis with flying colors. I created my own version of this vegetable delight, and though I had expected it to be good, I had no suspicion that it would be remarkable! 


Here is a very flexible list of ingredients:

• A tortilla (duh)
• Oil for the skillet
•  Zucchini (plenty of that from our garden, use some squash if you have it)
• Sliced bell peppers
• Onions 
• Italian seasoning
• Parmesan cheese
• Basil (for garnishing)
• Fresh garlic, mushrooms, and tomatoes would also be great additions!

The process is very simple--stir fry or saute (What's the difference?) your veggies and seasonings on high heat long enough for your zucchini or squash to soften but not so long that it burns or gets squishy. In a separate skillet heat up your tortilla in a bit of butter until it's crispy. Pile the veggie-goodness onto the tortilla, douse it with Parmesan cheese (or any other cheese you've got on hand) and garnish with fresh snipped basil leaves (I used purple basil. Mmmhmm, I'm just that good.). Cut into slices and scarf it down!

Voila, you have an absolutely delicious, crispy, healthy, pizza-like-thingy on your hands (be careful, it's messy). I hope that you can enjoy this delicacy for yourself and be spared the pain of yet another heinous sandwich!