What Is Fair?

There's a person whose blog I follow and she is trying to sell her condo.  The thing is, she is having to sell it for around half of what she bought it for.  It really is an awful situation and I feel really bad for her.  And I want to state up front that what is to follow is not about her, I'm just using her situation as an example.  From her post that I read, she is handling this situation very graciously.  But, it's things like this that make life seem unfair.  I know we've all had them, to some degree or another.  It got me thinking, though --- what is fair?  And it made me think of my most recent scripture memory passage:

"See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.  Just as there were many who were appalled at him --- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness --- so he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him.  For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed.  He grew up before him like a tender shoot, like a root out of dry ground.  He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.  Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised and we esteemed him not.  Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, but we considered him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities.  The punishment that brought us peace was upon him and by his wounds we are healed.  We all like sheep have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth.  He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before he shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.  By oppression and judgment he was taken away.  And who can speak of his descendants?  For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of my people he was stricken."
-Isaiah 52 : 13 through 53 : 8

That is the most unfair thing of which I can think.  That he was pierced for my transgressions...by his wounds, we are healed...that he was led like a lamb to the slaughter for the ways we offended his nature.  I cannot conceive of a greater love.

So the next time you think something is unfair, whether it be you losing +$100,000 on a condo or someone cuts you off in traffic, I ask you to take a moment and think about how fair (or unfair, actually) God has been to you.

Sourdough in Action

My first loaf of sourdough, and it turned out better than expected with my young starter.  The crumb was a little more uniform and fine than I would prefer, but it was a good start.  I also made it with half white and half whole wheat flour.  However, I think the whole wheat over powered the tang in the sourdough, so next time it's all white flour in the recipe.  Hopefully, this will be something I can perfect (at least for my taste) fairly quickly so I can get another recipe up on the blog.  Very pleased though with the initial result.

I'll try to make a few more loaves by the weekend, in hopes to also put up the recipe for one of my top 3 favorite sandwiches of all time...using sourdough, of course.  Any guesses??

Day 26 Double Duty

Wow, I never thought I'd do two posts in the same day, but I had to.  I just read the most recent post from a blog that I follow called "The Delicious Truth", which I've spoken of before.  It is run by a chef in New York City named Rob Endelman and it's a great resource for the downfall of our food supply here in America -- from pesticides, to non-food additives, to crafty marketing tag lines given by big food companies and supported by our USDA and FDA.  He really does a great job.

His post this morning was very interesting.  He was amazed at how radish seeds can go from tiny seeds to sprouting seedlings in a matter of a few days and then be mature plants for harvest in a few weeks.  I too am amazed at this process.  But then he said something that rang the bell inside me:

"Despite knowing the science behind it [growing process], I'm still at a loss for deeper understanding."

While I can't claim that I understand it fully, I do believe that it is God who causes all things to grow and have their being.  Who else could think this up:  that from one seed you get a plant, in which there are many more seeds than when you first started?  What man could understand this or comprehend it well enough to make it up?  Blows my mind...

"He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate — bringing forth food from the earth:  wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart."
- Psalm 104 : 14, 15

It seems like God has been talking about grass-fed beef a lot longer than we have.  He knew all along.

Day 26 - Halfway There

We are officially halfway to Lime Green Salad ripeness and yesterday was the first sign of a tomato that I've been able to see. Now granted, it's about the size of a pea, but it turns out that it wasn't blossom drop after all. The flowers are supposed to wither and turn brown, revealing the fruit within.

What a great picture of life in Christ: We die to ourselves, to our old nature, to the part of us that wanted nothing to do with God, and reveal the fruit that He is growing inside us by His Spirit to the rest of the world. What a wonderful God we serve, who shows us how to live in the smallest things.

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."
- Lamentations 3 : 22, 23

What I'm looking for...

This video is an example of what I'm looking for in my area of Montgomery County here in southeast Texas and the kind of change I desire to make in what we eat and our support of local growers.  I know this has been going on for years and years in New York City (of which, I have to say, I am very jealous), but I also believe I may have found our local answer in St. Fairsted Farms.  They support a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program that supplies any who participate with weekly baskets of fresh, local produce for a weekly fee and they also run a farm stand for those who would rather just pick what they want.  Now, I haven't visited the farm yet, nor talked to their owner, Angela, but everything I've read or heard seems like it's just what I've been looking for in the way of fresh fruits and vegetables, locally and organically grown.

The farm stand opens May 5th and I plan on being there opening day to sample what they have to offer and hopefully begin the process of making the switch from megamart mush to fresh, local goodness.

Chocolate Cake Makes A Happy Boy Indeed

Just look at it.  I mean, what about this could not make you happy?  Deep, rich, moist chocolate cake layers separated by thin layers of not-to-sweet mocha buttercream frosting.......there are few things that top this on my list.  I have a theory that coffee and chocolate were fraternal twins that were separated at birth, only to be blissfully reunited in this cake.  It's a family reunion every time I make it.  They were meant to be together.

Charlie's 2nd birthday was earlier this month, but due to varying schedules, the only time we could get both sets of grandparents together was today (minus his Papi, who is out in Georgia.  We miss you, Papi!!).  We wanted to have a small party -- nothing grand with a lot of guests, just our parents and some good food.  The menu included chicken and beef skewers loaded with veggies in an orange-balsamic glaze, fresh grilled corn and some brown rice laced with basil...

...and then came the cake made to look like one of Charlie's favorite things...drums (which he calls "bubbas" because they go "bubba, bubba, bubba, bubba...").  I'm not a professional cake decorator, so it's not the best looking cake in the world, but, as with many things in life, it's what's inside that counts.  And, oh, does it ever count here.  I wish I could email you all a piece.  The funny thing is this:  this is probably one of the most used chocolate cakes ever, since it came off the back of a well known box of cocoa.  Ordinarily, I would not consider doing this, as I have trouble trusting "big food company" recipes, but I am okay with it in this case.  Why?  Not only do I recognize each ingredient as natural, actual food (unlike partially hydrogenated oils, Propylene Glycol Mono and Diesters of Fatty Acids, Sodium Searoyl Lactylate, etc.), but it's the best chocolate cake I've ever had**.  So, I won't bother putting the recipe for the cake up here, as you should have no problem finding it at your local grocery store or online, or perhaps in your kitchen cabinets.

I did, however, alter the frosting recipe on the back of the same cocoa box (see the end of the post for the recipe), so that I could bring those two long lost siblings, chocolate and coffee, back together again.  Plus, I thought the sugar to butter ratio was far too high --- much too sweet in my opinion, which tends to over-power the cake.  And as you can see, this does make for a happy boy.

Happy Birthday, Charlie!  Daddy loves you.


**Three tips to this being the best chocolate cake you have ever eaten:

• I make these cakes in two 8" round, heavy aluminum pans, not 9" like the recipe calls for.  I prefer the added height since I slice both cakes in half to make 4 layers, which I find distributes the cake and frosting flavors better across the width of the slice than a 2 layer cake.
• Take the cakes out when the cake still slighty clings to a toothpick stuck into the center.  You don't want a completely clean toothpick.
• Make the frosting layers very thin, almost to where you can see the cake underneath it.  Not quite that far, but almost.  A little really does go a long way. 

-----------------------------------------------
Mocha Buttercream Frosting

• 3 sticks butter, softened to room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 14 Tbs cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup whole milk or half & half
• 1/2 to 1 1/2 tsp ground coffee beans

- Grind a small handful of coffee beans to a fine powder, resembling espresso powder.  Set aside.
- In stand mixer, add butter to a bowl and beat with a paddle attachment on lowest speed.
- Whisk the sugar and cocoa together in a bowl.  Then slowly add to the butter in small installments until fully incorporated
- Add vanilla and then just enough milk to reach the desired consistency for spreading or piping.
- Add the coffee grounds, starting with 1/2 tsp and then adding more to taste.

Day 22 - Blossom Drop???

This is what happens to a beautiful tomato bloom when it doesn't get enough sun light, too much nitrogen, or it could be one of a number of factors.  It's called "blossom drop", and I think it's starting to happen to Lime Green Salad.  We've had some cloudy and unusually cool weather here the past few days and the forecast doesn't look too good either.  We're supposed to get thunderstorms today and tomorrow.  If I'm wrong, please someone correct me, because I hope it's not so.  One thing I am learning about growing your own food:  There are some things only God can do, and making a tomato grow is one of them.  If only I could live my whole life in such surrender to Him.

I'll be starting a new weekly weekend series tomorrow here on GFGS in which I give the recipe of the week.  It could be anything from desserts to salads to entrees to drinks, but I would like to start sharing some of my ideas with you all and let you enjoy them (or trash them if you think they're rubbish) and experiment with them yourselves.  A bit of a warning though:  I use a recipe about once every thousand times I cook, so most of these recipes are going to have some wiggle room incorporated in them.  Most of them I've never actually measured, so amounts will probably not be exact, but I am an engineer, and I can make a very educated guess.

Coming up tomorrow...can you guess what we're making?

Sourdough Starter

So, here it is.  This wonderful, soupy concoction is the beginning of one of my favorite breads ever - sourdough.  I never really thought of having a starter (which in itself is dead simple to make), but my dear mother made one back at the end of March and I became intrigued.

Me:  "You mean it's that easy?!"
Mom:  "Yep."
Me:  "All you do is mix flour and water together and let it sit there on the counter?  And that's it??!"
Mom:  "Yep."
Me:  "How does it rise?"
Mom:  "From the natural yeast spores in the air."

And this I thought was just fascinating.  There is bread-making ability in the air all around me and I didn't even know it.  I mean, how easy did God make it for us with this one?  Plus, this starter will have a flavor and texture characteristic all its own, since it's being fed by water and flour and air from my area down here in southeast Texas.  So, I've jumped on the starter bandwagon and followed the footsteps of thousands and thousands of people before me - I took some of my parents' starter and started my own.  And it's this process that I think is the most special about this bread.  It's just another way that we get to share with each side of our families, those older and younger than us, the wonderful tradition of making good food together.  God surely does know what He is doing.

Going Local

This past weekend, my wife, Bethany, took Charlie on a trip with a group of friends to a local farm to pick strawberries.  They had a great time, and the strawberries were soft, juicy, sweet...just beautiful.  Leaps and bounds beyond anything we would find in our local megamart.

Scoping out the scene and tasting his first pick...

Showing mom his spoils and then getting it all over his face...

We've been recently trying to find local sources of fruits, vegetables and meats and I've been pretty surprised by what we've found.  There is a local ranch in Montgomery, TX, Olde World Farms, that sells all grass-fed beef, as well as pork, lamb and chicken all given healthy and proper diets as well as kept in clean, natural conditions.  We haven't gone yet to see the farm or purchase any product, but the more and more we become aware of the benefits (not only to our bodies and our health, but to our economy too) of grass-fed beef and other organic products, the more I think we're going to make the switch.  There will be a visit to Olde World Farms in the near future, but that's for another blog.

But looking at these pictures, it reminds me of one of the reasons I'm growing tomatoes:  to learn that our food doesn't come from a box or a warehouse, it comes from the ground and people work hard to make that happen.  But the product, taken care of correctly, is well worth the effort.

Tomorrow, one of my favorites...

...sourdough.

Blog Overhaul

Well, I've decided to give it a go and I'm going to try to start doing a new entry as often as possible, hopefully every day, but I'm not making any promises.  So, I felt like the blog needed some changing...mainly a name.

Before, it was just "Paul's Blog", which, as a man, works for me.  I'm Paul.  I have a blog.  This is Paul's blog.  But seeing as how this blog is a platform for me to put down those things which I think and feel, it probably deserves something a bit more than the usual single-digit rhetoric we males tend to give out of our penchant for all things concrete and logical (I can hear the women now: "Men are concrete and logical??").

If you haven't noticed by now, I'm starting my first garden ever.  I'm also a committed follower of Jesus Christ.  I also love food.  I love to play golf and guitar (see guys, I'm not all that weird).  And it's these things that I want to bring together and share how I try to live them out one day at a time.

We all have our own soil.  What is your life planted in?  What is your foundation?  I think any farmer will tell you that you don't get a good crop unless you have good soil.  Christ is my good soil.  He is the one into which I've planted myself, and I want to bear good fruit for Him.  I also want to plant my children in that same soil, so that they, too, can produce good fruit for His glory.  It's the only soil I've found that's worth living in.

So that's what this thing is all about:  good fruit coming from good soil, both literally and spiritually.  I hope you all join me to see how it all grows.

Behind The Tomatoes

Yes, I am growing tomatoes. And yes, I'm tracking their growth and putting them on a blog. But I'm not just doing this to grow tomatoes.

If you don't know a lot about me, I love to cook. I can also say with a fair amount of confidence that I'm pretty good at it, at least for not going to cooking school. Let's put it this way, I was watching Food Network before it was cool. I can remember quite a few times being given the "he's a weirdy" look when I would tell someone I like to watch the Food Network. I guess the best description would be that I'm a confident cook. Not everything turns out how I plan and there are those occasional, just absolute train wrecks. But give me a few good ingredients, and I'm very confident I could give you a good meal.

And it's this passion, not just for cooking, but more importantly for the food that I want to pass on. I've been following the blog of a Manhattanite who teaches cooking classes, Rob Endelman. He is big time into organic everything. Although it's not really the organic push that I'm really interested in, he has convinced me of the importance of knowing where the food that I put in my body comes from and what's in it, which granted has caused me to start buying more organic products. But more importantly, with two children, I want them to see that actual food - real food you grow from the ground or real animals that aren't fed the wrong things or injected with tons of hormones - is the way we were meant to eat.

Case in point here: One night I made spaghetti with spinach, basil, tomatoes, chicken and parmesan cheese. Charlie, my two year old son, wouldn't eat it. But he ate the same meal the week prior, except I had made it with rotini pasta instead of spaghetti. So, the next time I made the meal, I decided to let him make it with me. I got out the step ladder and he climbed up to the counter as his eyes got really big just looking at all these different ingredients. I showed him the dried spaghetti, which at this point he thought were drumsticks. So he drummed on the counter while I put the spaghetti in the boiling water. While that boiled, we cut some tomatoes, we grated cheese, we squeezed lemons, we thawed frozen spinach, we sliced basil, and we tasted everything as we went along. When the pasta was done, I took some out and we both tasted it. Done to perfection!!

Then came dinner time: He ate the whole thing.

Now, I'm not a child psychologist, my wife is, so I'll leave all of that up to her. But I can't deny the fact that he saw what went into his dinner, he tried each item as we prepared it and he knew what was in it when it came time to eat. Then he gobbled it down. What a joy it was for me to share that with him.

And I want to take it a step further than Rob did. I want my children to know that God is the one who makes the plants and vegetables and fruits and animals grow. This is the way He made us and He has given us all this food to enjoy and give Him thanks. Very simple, but very important. I want them to know that He is the one who grows the food and He created it that way.

So, that's the real reason why I wanted to start growing tomatoes. And now, pretty much every time I start dinner, Charlie wants me to get out the "stairs", as he calls them, so he can climb up to the counter and help.

"For by Him all things were created - things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities - all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things and in Him all things hold together."
Colossians 1:16, 17

Day 17 - Two Types Of Flowers

Lime Green Salad is starting to really gives some good blooms. Here's the one that's furthest along.

Also, our Star Jasmine vines that we planted last summer are getting their first flowers of the Spring. Once they all start blooming, the back should start smelling really nice.

Day 9 - Budding Flowers

The good thing is, the first flowers have shown up. The plants are growing a lot and it seems they have taken good to the soil.

The bad thing is that the flowers have to go. If I don't cut them now, it could limit the number of tomatoes I get over the length of the growing season. So, with much reluctance, I must cut them. But it looks like they are healthy, so that's always good.

Adding a little life

Since they pretty much look the same at this stage, I needed some way of making sure I knew which plant was which. Instead of just using a boring sign written in Sharpie, and knowing my wife's penchant for all things crafty and creative, I asked her if she could make some signs for me. And, of course, she did not disappoint. Yet another great way that this project is allowing our family just to be and do more things together and share in this experience.


I love you, Bethany! Your signs look great!!!

Day 1 - Planting

Well, it has officially begun. The seedlings arrived on Wednesday, but I've had to keep them in their small containers out in the sun for a few days to acclimate to the weather.




Of course, we had to have some help to get them out to the garden...

This morning they went in the dirt and thus begins Day 1. Day 56 should be when we start to see the first fruit on the Lime Green Salad, since it's a smaller plant. Day 72 should yield the first fruit of the rest of the plants.

Brandywine OTV seedling

Hope for the future

Below are some pictures of the 4 varieties that I'm planting. Let's just hope that they look half as good in real life as they do in the pictures.

Brandywine OTV

Carbon

Lime Green Salad

Hawaiian Pineapple