Hello friends!! Here at Starbucks just finishing up my coffee and about to head out again pretty soon…needed some internet time(really, mostly just to update my phone apps and write some messages to people that I haven’t talked to in far too long!). Also got some reading time done(Colossians commentary by MacArthur to prepare for next Tuesday community group!) so a most productive coffee place time indeed. I’m feeling a bit weary just now…woke up nice and late(7:30!!) and then went for a run along Buffalo Bayou…didn’t want to run too long since it was getting hot but I got six miles in! I’m going to be feeling it tomorrow though, since I haven’t run in almost two months. Hm. I really need to get back into a routine, but part of the problem is that I prefer to run on Saturday mornings and I’ve unfortunately(or fortunately, depending on your perspective!) been finding myself out of town for many of the past weekends.
Anyways, the rest of today is going to consist of cleaning my place and then cooking a proper dinner(homemade tomato sauce with spicy Italian sausage and peppers and onions, hello!) and having a restful evening. And most possibly reading a good book as well – after an extended break, think it’s high time I get back to reading Owen’s Communion with God. I’m pretty excited. Yes, I’m odd, I realise that! But truly, a relaxing weekend is most needed and I am very grateful that God has given me this time to rest! And some solid time to seek after God and worship Him and enjoy His presence in my life. Truly, to know Christ Jesus my Lord and to understand and immerse myself in His love for me – is there anything greater in this life?? So tonight I mean to meditate on the wonders and glories of Christ my Lord. It shall be beautiful.
Now my friends, I am off into this wondrously bright Houston afternoon. Be well. Peace and love!
Morning friends!! Just about to start work here…but thought I’d say hi quickly! It’s the middle of the work week and I’m already starting to get a bit worn out(guess waking up at 4:30 will do that to a person…). Tonight is planned to be a quiet night in(complete with delicious chicken/leek/potato dinner and most certainly an episode of Angel!)…because tomorrow night I know is going to be a late one, me and James going to go to the Rockets-Warriors playoff game. I’m sure the Rockets will get utterly destroyed, but it’s still always fun to see some playoff basketball!! This weekend is also planned to be a quiet one…especially since it’s going to be my first weekend in Houston in a month. Shocking, I know, but that’s what happens when I spend the last three weekends in either Dallas or New Orleans. I am very very tired of driving. So this is a super random post and I really do need to start work, so I’m off! May your day be full of light and love, my friends.
Hey friends – happy Monday!! I have just enjoyed a hearty lunch of…well, peanut butter and jam sandwiches. It will tide me over to dinner, at least! And as of two minutes ago, I’ve bought symphony tickets for a few weeks from now(Faure’s Requiem, which I’ve never heard, but excited about!).
Now, in the few minutes I have left before I resume work, thought I’d post a recipe I made last night and also begin a new tradition called “Hungry Monday”. Oh wait no. That is truly a most terrible name. And I also fully expect this tradition to last exactly one week as I doubt I’ll remember it next week…but nonetheless, I made a pretty good dinner last night(if I do say so myself!) and I want to write down the recipe now before I forget what I did. And…well, just in case anyone is reading this and wants to try and mimic this utter delight of a meal. Without further ado…
This recipe shall be entitled: Chicken and Leek Creamy Goodness, which if that’s not too much to scare you off, then…read on!
Basically, this is a super easy meal. I just wanted chicken and leeks and rummaged through a bunch of online recipes(None of which had what I wanted!) so I ended up combining a few recipes and doing my own thing(like adding peppercorns because I like peppercorns!)
Ingredients: -Some chicken breast pieces(preferably boneless/skinless) -Bottle of some kind of white wine -Leeks! I used three, because they came in a bunch of three. -One regular sized white onion -2 lemons -Ground black peppercorns -Garlic powder(or if you’re less lazy than I, just get actual fresh garlic!) -Some dijon mustard -A very little bit of olive oil -2 cans of coconut milk
And that’s it. I hope you like the precision of my ingredient list…truly, you can play with this and alter as you see fit…
Directions: 1) Brown the chicken(I had three breast pieces, cut them in half) in the olive oil. Don’t use very much oil, just enough so the chicken won’t be sticking to the pan! Once chicken is done, take out of the pan and place on a plate for a while. 2) While chicken is cooking, chop your onion into small pieces and place aside. Also chop up your leeks into pieces and place the pieces in a bowl of water and rinse to get all the dirt out. Let them sit in that water for a while – you won’t need the leek until the end. 3) Throw the onion pieces into the frying pan with the oil remnants and add a cup of white wine. Add a bunch of peppercorn and garlic powder and let the onion pieces cook for a little while! 4) Add a little bit of mustard(however much you want, really) and the coconut milk, stir and let boil for a while. 5) Add the chicken and let the chicken pieces cook in the sauce as it continues to boil. Squeeze the lemons into the sauce, continue to add spices and mustard to taste and really…just let it simmer until it starts to thicken. It may take a little while(but worth it!!) 6) Once sauce starts to thicken, add all the leek pieces and stir(maybe adding more spices too, mmm!). 7) Once the sauce reaches desired consistency, turn off heat and you’re done. Chicken and leeks and creamy goodness! I served over a potato(because I *really* wanted a baked potato…), but I think this would also go great over rice. Enjoy. (I hope)
And again, I really only posted this for my benefit, because I tend to forget my recipes if I don’t write them down and I don’t have my handy little notebook with me…but I thought I may as well post it on here too. For posterity! Oh and side-note…credit to whom credit is due. This whole idea was pretty much entirely inspired by Chris, who mentioned making having chicken and leeks a few weeks ago and it sounded so good I thought I needed to give it a try. So thanks Chris. (This would probably be even better with a glass of Tokaji, which sadly is hard to find at a reasonable price around here…)
Good morning, friends, from New Orleans!!! This is a quick entry as I wait for my breakfast to arrive at the table…already had a delicious biscuit and my fresh hot coffee tastes simply amazing just now. Of course part of the reason for that may be I got very little sleep last night…since I was rocking out to Mumford and Sons – they put on an incredible show and I definitely don’t regret driving here from Houston to see them!! …of course, the main reason I was here was to see Maryanne and enjoy the show with her. Hurrah for good times!!! Reading Psalm 105 just now and reminded how good it is to thank and praise the Lord for all his many blessings to me. So…praise the Lord!!!! Now, my chicken and waffles and potatoes have arrived. Breakfast time. Peace and love.
Hi friends!! Thought I’d jot something down quickly here, even though I really should be starting work momentarily! Anyways, it’s a simply gorgeous Friday morning…streaks of pink and purple fill the sky as the sun rises above the horizon…beautiful. Now, I’m drinking my peppermint mocha and pondering a new day, wondering what adventures I’ll encounter today. After work today, going home to have a quiet evening and rest in anticipation of trip to New Orleans this weekend to hang out with Maryanne and see Mumford and Sons! (of which I’m much more excited about the former than the latter!!) I must be off now for real – be well, my friends – peace and love.
Happy Friday, friends!!! I’m much enjoying my peppermint mocha this gorgeous day. Even though summer fast approaches with all the heat it can carry, today it feels simply amazing outside. It was storming as I sat inside reading…the crackling sound of thunder and bright lightning flashes reminded me of how much I do love thunderstorms(when I’m inside that is!). And as I walked into work this morning, the storm had passed. Only a few wisps of clouds passed across the sky and the moon shone down soft upon me. A breeze kissed my cheek and I looked up to the fading stars and it was indeed beautiful. And now I must be off. A full day of work to dominate and then off to Dallas to see Mikaela. A wonderful weekend awaits!! And as I think on how much I am blessed, before anything else, I bow my head and thank my God. Indeed, does my heart sing to Him. Forever and always. Peace and love, dear friends.
Hey friends!!! It has indeed been far too long since I’ve posted anything here…And I can promise this will be short, since I’m using my unwieldy phone to write this. But I just wanted to say hi this beautiful Sunday evening!! I’m just about to have a yummy dinner of leftover pizza and a tomato salad…after having enjoyed a wonderful Palm Sunday concert at church!! Hearing lovely voices being lifted up to our God in praise – oh what rapturous delight filled my soul. And as I think about what Jesus did on this wounded weary earth over two thousand years ago…He gave of Himself and emptied all that we might live. He bled and suffered and died. For us. Think on that, my friends. And rejoice. We who have done nothing but scorn the God of all things. Jesus weeps over us as He wept over Jerusalem…He longs to gather us all to Himself…but we are unwilling. Oh how foolish are we!! So now before I say more, just think on Jesus and who He is. God Himself who died. For us. That we might be called children of God. And such we are. Is that not wonderful my friends?? Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Rejoice in our salvation – sing a song of love and hope and wonder!!
Peace, my friends – peace and love. Now…dinner time for me.
Morning all!! It’s Monday morning once again – the beginning of another (hopefully busy and exciting!) week. I’m sipping on my hazulnut mocha and enjoying the slow lightening of the western sky as the dawn continues its inexorable march. I really don’t even have that much to write about(since I just posted two days ago…two posts in three days – shocking!), but thought I would at least say hi.
A slow and ponderous turn of earth, seems so heavy at times, so full of nickle and iron and far too many broken dreams.
Yet soaring through the not quite vacuum, Soulful dance of nebulae and stars, Not so heavy now, see? Tapestry of space flutters, dreamily.
Hey friends!! Just writing a few words, I promise! Mainly because I’m at John’s place right now, one of the few opportunities I have with Internet, so thought I’d better take advantage of it. Had a sweet morning today…oh I can’t complain!! Got up around 8(sweet sleep!!) and had a great coffee and reading time before going to pick up some breakfast tacos from Las Locas and heading over to John’s. Obviously the first order of business was eating said tacos(with very much delicious green sauce)…and then we finished building a shelf that we’d started the other night. Victorious in that endeavor(a couple of technical wizards, that’s us!), he made some tea and I’ve just been catching up on online stuff since. He’s reading Spiritual Depression by Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the other couch…possibly a better use of time? Well…I’ll read when I’m home and *don’t* have internet! He just read a statement from it about our enduring…and our chastening that we receive from God. And that although we often feel it doesn’t have a point, God knows what we need. And this chastening we receive in this life is. For. Our. Good. Remember that, let’s?
Now I’m off – want to get to HEB quick and pick up some groceries…because I’ve decided I really want to make some homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs for tonight!! Peace, my friends – have a most glorious day in our Lord Jesus Christ, who has been crucified for us and who has risen from the dead with power…for us. Peace and love.
Hello friends!! Just about to start work here – thought I’d pop in for a quick update as another week begins! Had an awesome weekend, full of productivity and fun times(both good things!). I’ll focus mainly on the fun times, as taxes and cleaning aren’t quite as enjoyable to talk about. Anyways! Saturday started with a sweet morning breakfast with the community group leadership team…much good discussion was had(mainly as we tried to hash out the purpose of our group and what we’d like to see come from our times together. A mission statement is currently being constructed, which I think is very much needed) Good times indeed. Following, got to hang out with John a bit(Thai food for lunch…and I worked on the aforementioned taxes). That evening, me and John and Peter went to Melissa’s place where we had a fun game night! Abby and Claire and Jim and a few others were there as well. The highlight of the game night was definitely Pandemic, where me and Claire and Peter saved the world from many virulent diseases(a super fun game that’s played cooperatively…I need to play again – I think the fam would like it a lot too!).
Oh dear, need to speed through the rest of this as work time approaches. Yesterday was a beautiful Sunday morning – worshiping God at church in the morning and then a lunch meeting with the Gathering(young adult ministry) leadership team. After some good open discussion, I went back to my place, did laundry, worked out and prepped for…the Super Bowl! There were no big parties planned and I didn’t really want to watch it on my own…so I invited John, Earnie, Mandy and Julie over to watch. We ordered pizza and wings and had an awesome night talking and being together…oh yeah and watching some football too. The Broncos crushed the Panthers(the Broncos defense was truly ferocious – seven sacks and multiple takeaways!!)…Peyton Manning got his second Super Bowl ring – so cool to see him smiling so much! One of the greats of all time. But truly, apart from the football, it was just a really special evening of being together with my friends.
And now, I must be off. Peace, friends – have a most lovely day.
Something Weird 