Today Brynnen and I (finally) joined our friend Mrs. Sara and her two girls (Anna & Ella- Brynn's BFF) at the pool in their neighbor hood. Brynnen had on her floaty (suit type with pads built in, goes over her suit), but was still a little skiddish on the steps. So Sara gave her a ring floaty and she was fine. Ella had arm floaties, so both girls were covered and away they went. They had a great time, it was so sweet watching them play and swim all over the pool- with no problems. There were lots of kids there, and other friends so plenty of ppl to keep an eye out. :)
After a while Brynn had to potty so I took her floaty off and left it off, if she wanted in the big pool I would take her, otherwise she was fine in the kiddie pool. As we were walking back from the bathroom Brynnen walked to the edge of the pool, about 4' deep. I told her she couldn't jump in bc she didn't have a floaty. We opted for the kiddie pool, which was just as fun.
In the kiddie pool she would jump out on the opposite side, run over to me- throw her wet body on my back, I'd flip her over- dropping her in the water, she'd go play, then repeat the whole process. Not sure what happened, but she runs back to that same spot at the big pool, trying to get as close as possible to the edge. I said "Be careful Brynnen, let's play over here" trying to give her the option of obedience. She took a step forward and rocked back, I said "Brynnen, you are going to fall in, come here."
She was making me way too nervous, as she replied "What mommy?"
"Come he..." She fell backwards in the pool.
Instant panic, a little prayer- I really don't know it was about 3 seconds before I was over there, grabbed her outstretched arms just under the surface. I had never felt irritation, panic and shear relief at the same time. She didn't really cough, but wiped her face and started crying. As I dried her off I said "That is why you need to listen to mommy." I think that stern over tenderness probably comes from my dad, then I realized exactly that and pulled her close, saying "Are you ok baby girl? You scared mommy." She nodded, so I repeated "We have to listen mommy huh?"
We left the pool, b/c in our house you don't get to play after disobedience..and I had some errands to run before nap time. When I put her in the car she said, "I fell in the pool." "Yes you did, are you ok?" She nodded.
I opened her door at the first place, she said "I fell in the big pool?"
I said "Yes, Brynnen you did. What happened?"
"I didn't listen and fell in the big pool"
At the next stop "I didn't listen, I fell in the big pool"
Me: "Yes, honey you sure did."
Talked about it a couple more times in the store.
She fell asleep on the way home, and when I pulled her out to take her inside she said, "I fell in the big pool. Mommy, I sorry I din't listen you, I fell in the big pool." Melt. My. Heart. She might be traumatized. Sad it was a hard lesson, but thankful it wasn't worse.
How many times in life do we ignore warnings from our heavenly father? We try to test limits, going as far as possible with "falling in." More often than not, we "fall in" and will only change/listen after....Food for thought....
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
DEEE-LISH!
I like cooking, making meals from scratch, with fresh ingredients. I especially like trying new recipes, making things I have never thought to make- casseroles, soup, enchilada's, all types of fish, cobblers, sides, anything. Cooking a good meal or dish from scratch gives me a sense of accomplishment. I enjoy taking chaos and making it orderly- exactly what is done with separate ingredients combining them to make something delicious. I usually only send a picture of the finished product to my mom. BUT- this is too good not to share! So, I'm sharing this with my closest friends ;) And if you want more...I'll see what I can do (wink).
Zucchini Ricotta Galette
I saw this recipe on one of our college kid's facebook page (random, I know). The original page is here. So it had been on my mind since I saw it- perfect for a sultry summer evening. It's basically pastry, ricotta cheese and zucchini. I must say, this is NOT a 30 minute meal. Not even an hour meal (the dough has to chill). Not at all difficult, just time consuming.
Make the dough first (1 hr 45 mins- flour must chill for 30 mins, then dough must chill for 1 hour).
PASTRY:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, chilled in the freezer for 30 minutes
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chill again
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water
I didn't realize how long it would take, so give yourself plenty of time. :)
Make dough: Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Sprinkle bits of butter over dough and using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with the biggest pieces of butter the size of tiny peas. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add this to the butter-flour mixture. With your fingertips or a wooden spoon, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
FILLING:
1 large or 2 small zucchinis, sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium garlic clove, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup (about 1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded mozzarella
1 tablespoon slivered basil leaves (optional)
Make filling: Spread the zucchini out over several layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and let drain for 30 minutes; gently blot the tops of the zucchini dry with paper towels before using. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil and the garlic together; set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, and 1 teaspoon of the garlicky olive oil together and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Glaze:
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water
Prepare galette: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured work surface, roll the dough out (I used my fingers after the dough got stuck on the counter) into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet (though if you line it with parchment paper, it will be easier to transfer it to a plate later). Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the bottom of the galette dough, leaving a 2-inch border (I used 1" & was good). Shingle the zucchini attractively on top of the ricotta in concentric circles, starting at the outside edge. Drizzle/brush remaining tablespoon of the garlic and olive oil mixture evenly over the zucchini. Fold the border over the filling, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open. Brush crust with egg yolk glaze.
Bake the galette until the cheese is puffed, the zucchini is slightly wilted and the galette is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with basil, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
DIFFERENCES: I didn't have 3 types of cheese, I only used ricotta. And, next time I would add extra veggies, maybe even add squash and tomatoes.
Zucchini Ricotta Galette
Make the dough first (1 hr 45 mins- flour must chill for 30 mins, then dough must chill for 1 hour).
PASTRY:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, chilled in the freezer for 30 minutes
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chill again
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water
I didn't realize how long it would take, so give yourself plenty of time. :)
Make dough: Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Sprinkle bits of butter over dough and using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with the biggest pieces of butter the size of tiny peas. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add this to the butter-flour mixture. With your fingertips or a wooden spoon, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
1 large or 2 small zucchinis, sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium garlic clove, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup (about 1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded mozzarella
1 tablespoon slivered basil leaves (optional)
Make filling: Spread the zucchini out over several layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and let drain for 30 minutes; gently blot the tops of the zucchini dry with paper towels before using. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil and the garlic together; set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, and 1 teaspoon of the garlicky olive oil together and season with salt and pepper to taste.
 |
| Filling, Chilled dough, garlicky OO |
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water
Prepare galette: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured work surface, roll the dough out (I used my fingers after the dough got stuck on the counter) into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet (though if you line it with parchment paper, it will be easier to transfer it to a plate later). Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the bottom of the galette dough, leaving a 2-inch border (I used 1" & was good). Shingle the zucchini attractively on top of the ricotta in concentric circles, starting at the outside edge. Drizzle/brush remaining tablespoon of the garlic and olive oil mixture evenly over the zucchini. Fold the border over the filling, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open. Brush crust with egg yolk glaze.
 | |
| I sprinkled extra pepper over the top |
Bake the galette until the cheese is puffed, the zucchini is slightly wilted and the galette is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with basil, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
 | |
| YUM! |
DIFFERENCES: I didn't have 3 types of cheese, I only used ricotta. And, next time I would add extra veggies, maybe even add squash and tomatoes.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Can we move to the beach, please??
I really hate when I let so much time go by between posts, I like consistency and I am the furthest thing from it. :) Sorry friends!!
Couple weeks ago we went to the beach (St. Simon Island, GA) with Stephen's brother and his family. We had a great time, Stephen included- which was a big deal, because he doesn't care for the beach...at all. True love from him = a beach trip for his wife :) What a good hubby I have :) We really liked this particular spot. It had so many old trees with Spanish moss, a clean-non-crowded beach and not at all industrial/touristy. I loved it. I'm talking, literally reminding Stephen every day how much he was enjoying it too, so maybe we could move here?? HA Never gonna happen. So I'll settle for memories, pictures and maybe another beach trip next year ;)
A couple nights we went down to the pier. Most piers are the same, a structure for you to walk out over the water- some are long, some short, most high, and all secure (for the most part). As we were walking there was a nice strong breeze, the waves breaking on the rocks, the sun going down and the moon already in place for the night. Gorgeous. I was looking out from the safety of land (this wasn't a pier connected to the beach, where you could walk down on the sand or under the pier- there was no sand, it was land, rock, water), I saw how strong the water was. Crashing pretty brutally against the rocks. Picturing what it would be like if I was in the water-shuddering, I was thankful for the safety of land!
The closer we got to the actual pier the more I looked at the structure- the length and height of it, the wood that formed it- held in place by cement pillars diving further than my eyes could see. I don't know why, but I was pretty impressed how unmoving it was. Those waves were pretty harsh! Not sure what I expected? Why wouldn't it be strong enough to hold a hundred or so people at any one time...lawsuit, hello?! I don't know....Anyway, as I watched the relentless waves I was remind who controls the waves (God, our creator). So cliche, I know, but look how confident we are in structures, and people who make those structures. We pretend we can control the water, putting some boards high above it- as if we can say "You stay there, we'll stay here, everything is fine." Clearly, that has worked in the past- until wind & waves are stronger than the pier, house or building- then nature effortlessly pushes it out of the way.
So as I'm walking I can't help but picture (Matthew 8:23-27) the night the disciples were on the Sea of Galilee. The (MUCH higher) waves were crashing on the boat, they were afraid for their lives and woke Jesus- he (in my paraphrase) said "Waves, chill out" and vs 26 says "it was completely calm." Ever experienced that?? A few words to completely stop a ferocious storm?? Me neither. Think about it....Mind boggling right? For me it is! Then in verse 27 "...Even the winds and waves obey him." Isn't that amazing to know? The winds and waves obey HIM. As those words crossed my mind again I had a warm reminder of my heavenly father and his protection over me. Then I giggled about how silly we are for trying to control "things" - and I wasn't necessarily talking about the pier....
Couple weeks ago we went to the beach (St. Simon Island, GA) with Stephen's brother and his family. We had a great time, Stephen included- which was a big deal, because he doesn't care for the beach...at all. True love from him = a beach trip for his wife :) What a good hubby I have :) We really liked this particular spot. It had so many old trees with Spanish moss, a clean-non-crowded beach and not at all industrial/touristy. I loved it. I'm talking, literally reminding Stephen every day how much he was enjoying it too, so maybe we could move here?? HA Never gonna happen. So I'll settle for memories, pictures and maybe another beach trip next year ;)
 |
| See how much they love it! :) |
 |
| All of us! |
The closer we got to the actual pier the more I looked at the structure- the length and height of it, the wood that formed it- held in place by cement pillars diving further than my eyes could see. I don't know why, but I was pretty impressed how unmoving it was. Those waves were pretty harsh! Not sure what I expected? Why wouldn't it be strong enough to hold a hundred or so people at any one time...lawsuit, hello?! I don't know....Anyway, as I watched the relentless waves I was remind who controls the waves (God, our creator). So cliche, I know, but look how confident we are in structures, and people who make those structures. We pretend we can control the water, putting some boards high above it- as if we can say "You stay there, we'll stay here, everything is fine." Clearly, that has worked in the past- until wind & waves are stronger than the pier, house or building- then nature effortlessly pushes it out of the way.
.JPG) |
| Auntie Su-su, Ri & Brynn on the pier- looks safe right? |
So as I'm walking I can't help but picture (Matthew 8:23-27) the night the disciples were on the Sea of Galilee. The (MUCH higher) waves were crashing on the boat, they were afraid for their lives and woke Jesus- he (in my paraphrase) said "Waves, chill out" and vs 26 says "it was completely calm." Ever experienced that?? A few words to completely stop a ferocious storm?? Me neither. Think about it....Mind boggling right? For me it is! Then in verse 27 "...Even the winds and waves obey him." Isn't that amazing to know? The winds and waves obey HIM. As those words crossed my mind again I had a warm reminder of my heavenly father and his protection over me. Then I giggled about how silly we are for trying to control "things" - and I wasn't necessarily talking about the pier....
.JPG) |
| :) |
.JPG) |
| Super windy! |
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