Vote!

Here in Canada, our election day is approaching.  With that in mind, I thought that I would give this encouragement to my fellow Canadians:  Vote!

Please vote!

I don't even care who you vote for.

Just vote for somebody.

And think, just a little.  Do a little research.  Think about who you want to be running our country.  Don't just vote for who you think will get in, or who you have been told to vote for, or just to make sure that someone else doesn't get in.

Look at what the candidates stand for, what matters to them.  Look to see if they care about the kinds of things that Jesus cares about.  Do they care about the "least of these" - the poor, the marginalized, the oppressed?  Are they humble, willing to learn and work as a team?  Let their actions and attitude speak for them.

And don't just ask if they are "Christian".  Just because someone uses that name does not automatically mean that their priorities are the ones that Jesus has called us to.  The crusades were done in the name of Christianity, and they were about as un-Christian as you can get.

So please, think.  Look for answers.  Vote.

I know it can seem like your one vote doesn't really matter in the big picture, but you know what?  During the last election, only 61.4% of voters actually voted.  That other 38.6% is enough to make a significant impact on the direction that our country goes.  It is time for us to start caring about how our country is led, and let our voice be heard.

Cucumber Bites with Goat Cheese and Cherry Tomatoes

Sometimes I'm stuck and don't know what to post about on my blog.  Today was one of those days.  I began looking through old pictures hoping desperately that there had been something in the past that I took pictures of and could maybe do a post on.  Then to my surprise I came across a set of pictures I had taken of an appetizer I made for a baby shower and had fully intended to write a post on but never did!  Hooray!  So here you are.

I came across this recipe quite a while ago, and was really interested in trying it out.  So when I had the opportunity to bring an appy to a baby shower, I immediately decided I would give it a try!

As an added bonus, I got to make it with cucumbers and tomatoes from my garden, so the only other thing I needed was the cheese (and herbs/spices to season it).

You start by peeling the cucumbers, scoring the sides with a fork, and cutting them into 1 inch rounds.

You are supposed to use a melon baller to scoop a crater out of each slice of cucumber.  I don't have a melon baller, but my half teaspoon measure worked very well!

The cucumbers, ready for the filling!

The original recipe called for cream cheese, but I used soft goat cheese because Jesse is lactose intolerant, and anyways goat cheese is so good!  I seasoned it with some different herbs and spices.  I don't really remember which ones I used... feel free to use the original recipe, or experiment like I did!

Put a spoonful of cheese on each cucumber bite, and top with half of a cherry tomato.  I added a cilantro garnish, since I had some in the fridge, and a sprinkle of salt and paprika.

All ready to go!  An easy, healthy, and pretty appetizer!

The Journey of the Ringbearer

Since it is September 22, which is known by all nerds as the birthday of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, I thought I would share a poem I wrote many years ago on the story of the Lord of the Rings.  I based it on the movie adaption, since Sam loses Frodo more often in that version, compared to the book.

This poem is dedicated to those people who are true friends, who "stick with you through thick and thin to the bitter end".  May we all care about others more deeply and faithfully, even when it costs us everything.


The Journey of the Ringbearer (or The Trials of Master Samwise)

A birthday party starts it all            
     A ring that’s left behind
Two hobbits set out from their home    
     Who knows what they will find?
“Don’t you lose him” Gandalf’s warning    
     Once more ringing loud and low
But now the cornfield’s empty -       
     Where did Frodo go?

Fear and shadow in the memory        
     Light and laughter now drive out
They have made it - but no Gandalf    
     Pippin’s welcomed with a shout
Pippin’s “Sure I know a Baggins!”        
     Frodo knows he can’t allow
He runs to Pippin, trips, and falls -     
     Where is Frodo now?

Fear and horror now before them        
     Ringed around by ancient stones
The wraiths of doom have not gone far    
     In great pain Frodo groans
Elven light and hurried whispers        
     Strider looking very grim
Now Frodo has been rode away -     
     Where are they taking him?

    All united once again            
    The journey’s just begun
    A council to decide the way        
    They’re joined then, one by one:
    Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin,            
    Aragorn, Legolas,
    Gandalf, Gimli, Boromir            
    All gather to the task

And now the Fellowship sets out        
     O’er rock and stream and hill
But road is watched and mountain blocked  
     The mines with dangers fill
Trapped, fighting goblins, then much worse  
     A fell horror comes on
And finally they make it out -         
     But where has Gandalf gone?

The Elven woods now left behind        
     The mighty river flows
Past ancient kings to Rauros falls        
     Their watery path goes
But even here they don’t feel safe        
     Shadow one more draws near
Now Aragorn is wondering, where’s    
     Frodo and Boromir?

    Two there were who first began        
    And now just two go on
    To end the quest; the rest now to        
    Their own paths have been drawn
    And through the rocks of Emen Muil    
    Now Frodo and Sam go
    What now lies ahead of them?        
    The dangers, who can know?

Through bog and marshes dark and foul     
     The two now become three
The Black Gates, though, they can’t get through  
     An oliphaunt they see
Heneth Anun, Osgiliath,            
     Yet Faramir says “no”
Dread Nazgul wings beating the air -    
     Where did Frodo go?

Now finally upon their way            
     To Mordor Gollum leads
And through his mask of treachery     
     The watching Samwise heeds
Past Minas Morgul, then up stairs        
     So hard and high and long
“Go home” and Sam sits weeping        
      Where has Frodo gone?

With Gollum now Frodo goes on        
     In tunnel he is led
Sam comes and drives off spider foul    
     But thinks that Frodo’s dead
Now he must carry on the quest        
     He hears some orc talk grim
Frodo’s captured and is not dead!        
     Where have they taken him?

    Through gate and stairs and past orc guards  
    Now nothing makes Sam stop
    Nor hinder him from getting         
    To his master at the top
    Then they escape disguised as orcs    
    And into Mordor go
    Across the plains of Gorgoroth        
    They journey sad and slow

They struggle on and without hope    
     Of seeing home again
Sam carries Frodo up Mt. Doom        
     And Gollum shows up then
Frodo runs on, Sam follows him        
     Hears roar of fire below
But Sam sees Frodo disappear        
     Where did Frodo go?

    Gollum now has paid the price        
    The quest at last is done
    The eagles bear them swift away        
    The battle too is won
    All are united once again            
    Midst laughter, joy and tears
    Aragorn is crowned as king        
    Ended are all their fears

Now finally they return home        
     To tree and hole and field
But Frodo is still in much pain        
     Some wounds just can’t be healed
To havens grey they travel now        
     The wind blows sad and slow
Now far away the ship has sailed        
     Where did Frodo go?

Fabric Letters

My favourite project that I was able to do while we were staying at my in-laws was making a set of fabric letters.  My original thought was to make a whole alphabet, but I decided I wouldn't have enough time for that, so instead I made the letters to spell Steven's name.

I decided to make each of the letters out of a different fabric that somehow connected to the letter that it was being used for.  Can you figure them out?  (Some are a bit more obscure than others...)

To make fabric letters, you need two pieces of fabric for each letter.  I made mine 6 inches by 9 inches.

You also need a piece of cotton batting for each letter, the same size as the fabric.  You sandwich the batting between the two pieces of fabric so that the fabric is right side out on both sides of the batting.  Pin the fabric to the batting.

Then you need to make a stencil for each letter.  You could do this by printing something off a computer, but it is also easy to do by hand.  I cut 6x9 pieces of paper and drew letter shapes on them in pencil, adjusting them until I liked how they looked, and then cut them out.

I pinned my letter stencils to the fabric squares, but you could also trace them with a fabric pencil.

Then you stitch the shape of your letter, either along the edge of the stencil, or along the shape you drew from tracing the stencil.  I used a wide, close together zig-zag stitch.

Remove the stencil and pins, and remove the extra fabric by trimming close to the stitching.

Now repeat for the rest of your letters!  I am looking forward to when Steven is old enough that I can use these to teach him how to spell his name.

Meditation on John 7:6

"Now"

Instant coffee
Instant rice
Fast food
Drive-throughs
Microwave dinners
Eat and run
Our time is always now.

Getting fit
Getting rich
Finding love
Owning a house
The dream job
A perfect life
Our time is always now.


"Therefore Jesus told them, 'The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right.'"
John 7:6


Dear God, you know our longings and our dreams,
And how we want them right now.
Please help us to know when to wait and when to move forward.
Increase our patience and our trust.
Amen. 
 

Fabric Boxes

Another small project I was able to try while I was at my in-laws was making fabric boxes.  I found directions on this website.  It's easy to make, useful, and a fun way to use leftover fabric.

To make a fabric box, you need two squares of material and a square of batting.  I made mine 10 1/2 inches by 10 1/2 inches, but you could make them bigger or smaller depending on what size you want the finished box to be.

Pin the fabric right sides together on top of the batting and sew around the sides 1/4 inch from the edge, leaving a gap on one side.  Trim the batting close to the seam all the way around, and cut the corners (so that it's not too bulky around the sides when you turn it right-side out.  But make sure you don't cut any of the stitching!). 

Then you turn it right-side out through the gap that you left in the seam, so that the batting is now on the inside and both fabrics are right-side out.  You can use an iron to press it flat if you are so inclined.  Then pin the gap closed so that it looks like the rest of the seam.  Sew all the way around the outside of the square, as close to the edge as you comfortably can.  This will close up the gap.

Then you need to do some "quilting".  But don't be intimidated - all that means is sewing on the square while it is flat so that the top, middle, and bottom layers stay close to each other.  One easy way to do that is sewing a bunch of squares, like I did.  But you could really make any sort of design you want.

Now we need to make our quilted square into a box!  To do that, you fold it in half, right sides in, and mark a 2 inch triangle on each of the folded corners.

Sew along the lines you marked.  Then unfold and fold it the other way, doing the same thing.  When all 4 corners are sewn, your box will look like this:

Turn the box right-side out.  If you want you can leave it like this, as a reversible box with pointy sides.  Or you can sew down the inside flaps and fold down the top flaps, using a needle and thread to hold them in place.  And that's it!  My finished boxes were 4x4x3 inches.

Lessons from a Baby: Determination

As I watch my son learn and grow, I can't help but be impressed by how much determination he has.  When he was two months old, he learned what standing up was.  From that moment on he was determined to learn to stand up.  He would grunt and strain as he attempted to hold his weight on his chubby little legs, and when we would put him down again he would fuss, insisting that we let him try again. 

Now that he has learned to crawl, a whole new world of discovery has opened up to him.  He is constantly trying new things and trying to get to new places.  He is always pushing himself to the limits of what he is able to do, and what mommy will let him do!  While it can get annoying to have to keep distracting him from his beeline to those oh-so-fascinating power cords, I can't help but admire his determination.

As we get older, I think it's easy to lose that determination.  I know there is a lot I want to do - to get outside and exercise, to practice my musical instruments, to review the biblical Hebrew I have learned so I don't forget it all.  But I just don't seem to have the determination to make it happen.  It's so much easier to be lazy, to do things that don't take much work or effort.

But I don't want to be content with mediocrity.  I don't want to let days and weeks pass by without doing the things that are really important to me.  And so I desire and pray for determination, like my baby.  Determination to act on the desires that God places in my heart - to write a letter to that person who has been on my mind, to play music and draw and garden, to build meaningful relationships, to pray and study the Bible, to live a healthy and active life, to sharpen the skills that God has given me, to live a life worth living.

Silly Stories with Andrew

As I was writing writing an earlier post, my brother-in-law Andrew joked that he could write it for me.  Well, one thing led to another and he ended up writing a post for my blog.  Because why not.

And now it's time for silly stories with Andrew.  The part of the blog where Andrew comes out and tells a silly story...

____________

I would like to start off by saying one thing:

There once was a man from perdu
He said I have some in my shoe
Some what? you may ask.
Some juice from your flask?
You never would say if you do.

This reminds me of my childhood because I had a blue cat named Hector and when he walked he leaned a bit to the west.  Why the west?  Well I can only assume it had something to do with the time he made his attempt at circumnavigating the globe using only common household toiletries.  Anyways, he was just never the same after the curling iron.  I say all this to say, if you are going to ask a bold question, be prepared to accept a bold answer.  You know, the thing I never really understood was why birds fly in the air.  I mean seriously, why not just roll on the land?  It's a much less risky mode of transportation and you don't have to worry about windows. Unless you roll into one of those basement window-well thingys.

New topic:  Allergies.  Remember what I was saying about Hector?  Well he was severely allergic to toast.  Which was a crying shame since he loved it so much.  You could always tell when he ate it cuz he would turn completely blue after.  Lizards are the best because they can walk on walls and their tongue sticks to food.

And now a poem.

trees
paper
cars
sports
deer
grouch
tilly
house
gourd
very
mapping
kilarny
weaver
sam
xray
fox
zebra
kling

Do you like it?  If you can figure out the hidden riddle, call (212) 660-2245 for your prize.  Anyways, I asked this random guy that I met the other day if he likes string.  He said there was no such thing.  I begged to differ and he plugged his nose and blew till a strange noise came out his ear.  He said that's why he never trusted leprechauns.

An Ontario Month

We have had the joy of being able to spend this month with Jesse's family.  It has been great to spend time with them, and for them to get to know Steven and be a part of his life.  Steven is eight months old now!  And what an exciting month it has been, with Steven learning to crawl, learning (and loving) to hold onto someone's hands and walk around the house, and three new teeth!

Enjoying lots of cuddles

There is always fun to be had at Great-Grandma Winger's!

Four generations of Wingers

With Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Snider at the Snider family gathering

Horseback riding!

This one is Steven-sized!

Dipping our toes in the lake

There's no stopping me now!

Super Easy Goat Cheese Lasagna

Lasagna.  It's always been a special treat.  Perhaps that is partly because making all of those layers can seem like a lot of work!  (Of course it is also because it is so yummy!)  But lasagna can actually be easy to make!  Basically, lasagna is made up of four parts.  The noodles, a tomato sauce, a cheese sauce, and crumbled or grated cheese for the topping. 

The noodles are easy - you buy them!  You need 9 noodles for a regular sized lasagne, which is generally half of a package of lasagna noodles.  And there is no need to cook them beforehand!  Putting the noodles in uncooked makes things easier by skipping a step, and they cook just fine later in the oven with everything else.

The topping is simple too - just grate or crumble cheese on top.  So the only parts that take work are the tomato sauce and the cheese sauce. 


Tomato Sauce

For this layer, you basically start with store bought or homemade spaghetti sauce.  Then just add whatever you want!  Use plain marinara sauce to keep it very simple, add sauteed vegetables for extra colour and healthiness, or add some cooked ground meat or beans to make it a heartier meal.  Season with salt and pepper, and whatever other spices you fancy.  I make my own canned spaghetti sauce, so I use a quart jar of that as a base, and then add a half pound of cooked ground beef and a cup of dried beans that I soaked overnight and cooked.  This layer can take the most work, but if you make extra you can use it for a spaghetti meal later in the week - making two meals at once!


Cheese Sauce

For this layer I use 150 grams of soft goat cheese and a cup of almond milk.  I whisk them together, and that's it!  Basically, the goal is to have about a cup and a half of soft, slightly liquid cheesiness.  So feel free to experiment with different kinds of cheeses that you like!  Ricotta cheese or cottage cheese are pretty standard.  For milder cheeses you would want more cheese and less milk.


Putting it All Together

Once you have your 4 parts ready to go, you need to layer them in a 9x13 inch casserole dish.  Here is how the layers go:

3 noodles across the bottom of the dish
1/3 of the tomato sauce
1/2 of the cheese sauce
3 noodles
1/3 of the tomato sauce
1/2 of the cheese sauce
3 noodles
1/3 of the tomato sauce
Grated or crumbled cheese topping

Then bake the lasagna in a 350 degree oven for about an hour.  The cheese should be melted and the sauce bubbling!  Let it cool just a little bit, and enjoy!

This week I made a lasagna dinner for 9 people so I made a double batch in a large pan.  Jesse was the only one who couldn't have regular cheese, so I crumbled goat cheese over his portion and grated regular cheddar over the rest of the lasagna.  It was fun to cook for such a large group!

Heading out for the day and want to get supper ready before you go?  You can also cook lasagna in a crock-pot!  Just layer the lasagna right in the crock-pot instead of a casserole dish, and cook it on low for 4-6 hours.  I tried it earlier this summer and it worked really well!

Judgers Gonna Judge

Recently, Jesse and I were discussing an important decision that we needed to make.  Jesse felt pretty strongly about what we should do, but he wanted to make sure that it was a decision that we made together.  I did agree with what he wanted to do, but there was something that was holding me back and making me feel nervous about it.  But I couldn't figure out what was making me feel that way.  After some more discussion I began to realize what it was - I was afraid of people judging me.  I explained that to Jesse and he said, "That's a valid concern.  Some people probably would judge us."  Well that wasn't very comforting!

I don't like being judged.  I don't think anyone does, but sometimes I feel like I got an extra portion of "keep everyone happy and don't rock the boat" in my personality.  There have been many times in my life when I have made decisions based on what others will think of me, rather than what I actually believe I should do.  I'm not proud of that fact, but it's hard to change.

As I continued to struggle with my anxiety, the thought came to my mind: "Judgers gonna judge".  A kind of odd phrase, but I found it encouraging.  No matter what I do, there will be people who don't understand, who don't agree, who are going to judge me.  Think of all of the people who have made a significant difference in the world.  They were constantly being judged by people for what they were doing.  Think about Jesus!  People were misunderstanding him, disagreeing with him, and judging him all the time!  If I am judged as I follow God's will for my life, I am in good company.

What is important is to live a life of integrity - where you do what you believe you should do, following in the way of Jesus and his will for your life.  There will be people that judge, but there will people that judge no matter what you do.  So live a life that you are proud of!  I don't like feeling judged, but if people are going to judge me, I would rather it be for doing what I believe is right.