Potluck

Can I make a confession? A confession that could potentially alienate my friends or at least cause them to roll their eyes and say "Really? Get over yourself!"

I am a competitive potlucker. It is sort of like my own mini version of 'Throwdown with Bobby Flay' or 'The Next Food Network Star'. Oh come on, don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about! Either you do this or you know exactly the woman at your church of whom I speak.

There's a church potluck tomorrow and I began mapping out my strategy early this morning. (Yeah, I'm a lightweight. A real competitive potlucker starts the moment the potluck is announced.) Should I bring one dish or two? One dish allows me to pull out all the stops and really give that dish my full attention. But if it fails then I have just brought one really bad dish that no one likes. Two dishes means I must divide my time and attention, but there is greater chance that at least one of them will be a rousing success. OK, two dishes it is. Best to do a main and a dessert, there's just not as much glory to be had in a really well done salad. But it IS summer and pushing 100 both outside and apparently in my kitchen as well, so I'll do a salad-y sort of main dish. Risky, but necessary.

Once the courses are decided on the searching begins. Go with a tried and true recipe, or find something new off the internet? Take a risk on a recipe on a food blog that doesn't come with a rating or use a site that has handy stars or forks to rate how highly recommended a recipe comes. Stars are always good, preferably from several hundred people or more. Nine hundred people can't be wrong, right?

Hmm. Blueberry zucchini bread? Interesting. Summery, should hit about the right note. Do I go for the full sugar that I know earned it a lot of those rave reviews, or follow my instincts and the advice of the more health conscious reviewers and reduce it by half? Ah, health consciousness, I hope you won't be my downfall...half the sugar it is. Oh, one reviewer added streusel topping; should I do that? Nah, I think I'm going to aim for the 'simple knockout' strategy on this recipe. Into the oven it goes.

Whew, it's getting hot in my kitchen!

Salad time! Did I mention that there are bonus points to be had from knowing that some people love the lack of highly processed ingredients? Yep, there are. Hmm. The ramen noodles may take me down a peg, but the dressing is all homemade. And once again the heat wins out as I chop up a rotisserie chicken instead of preparing my own.

When the day of the potluck dawns I will cart my offerings to church and lay them out on the altar of fellowship. I will sample the foods that others have brought, I will watch the dishes to see which item disappears first. (It's always the pizza and KFC, but I'm not counting those.) Did someone just take seconds of my dish? Point! Did someone at my table just say "Wow, this bread is amazing? Who brought this?" Double point! Triple points if a short conversation ensues between several parties about how good it is. Bonus if I get asked for the recipe after humbly declaring my ownership of the item in question.

Yes folks, I am indeed competitive about my potlucks. But in the end, whether I succeed or fail the truly wonderful thing is gathering with my church family. Some of them can't cook worth a hoot, bless their hearts, but I couldn't think of anyone I would rather have fellowship with, no one I would rather laugh with, chat with or drink powdered lemonade with. So bring on the potluck, and may we all go home satisfied!

Disclaimer: This is slightly tongue in cheek, I'm not really THAT competitive. Maybe.

Skirting the issue

I have a new love in my life. It steals my time and I love every minute of it. I tell myself that it is worth it because it will somehow magically unleash the creative side of me. My love? Pinterest.

Yes, I've been sucked in and I'm only slightly ashamed to admit it. I did make a decision at the outset that I wasn't going to let it become a catalyst for being dissatisfied with what I have, that I wasn't going to let it become a source of a 'gimme' list. You will find very few gadgets pinned to my boards. Instead, it's a place of inspiration for crafting, thrifting, home decorating on a budget and oh yes, lots and lots of food. (There may also be a board dedicated to my love of all things geeky and sci-fi/fantasy related.)

The other day I was browsing some boards and came across this tutorial for making a skirt out of a men's t-shirt. Immediately I decided that I had to make one of those. The only problem was that none of my husband's t-shirts were long enough to cut into and still have a skirt of sufficient length, and I wanted it for this weekend.

No big deal, I thought. After all, what is a t-shirt other than a tube of stretchy fabric? So I hit the fabric store, bought a yard of techni-colored t-shirt fabric for three dollars and started sewing.

Here's how I modified the original tutorial.

First, I measured my hips at the biggest part, added in one inch for seam allowance and one inch for ease, because the last thing I want is fabric stretched tight across my rear. I kind of wish I had added another inch...the amount of ease you give it can be up to you, limited only by the width of your fabric. Fold your fabric in half with the stretch running horizontally. (You want it to stretch over your hips, unless you have no hips in which case I do not like you.) Stitch a seam along the open side.

OK, you can't really see it that well, but you've just ended up with a tube of material. I played with my machine and found an interesting new stitch that I used to finish off the edge of the seam.

Once you have your tube of material, start shirring from the top as explained in the original tutorial. (You will need elastic thread on the bobbin for this part.) I did about fifteen rows of shirring. I made the mistake of trying it on after only eight rows and resigned myself to hating it, but after fifteen the fit ended up just perfect.

I finished the hem with my new funky little stitch (which makes my sewing machine sound like it is going to explode), turning the hem under one inch and sewing a double row of stitches.

The entire project took me one afternoon, but part of that time was spent cursing my old machine because the thread kept breaking. And obviously if you start with a t-shirt you cut out several steps. In the end you will have a cute knit skirt that will hopefully help you weather those 100 degree days with just a little more style. Although it must be argued that plastering my lower half in bright tie-dye colors probably doesn't qualify as style. But it looks cute on the hangar and will make an awesome cover-up for going to the pool.

So, there's my justification for all the time spent on Pinterest. Who knows what I'll create next?

Book Review - The Muir House

Link to Amazon

When I received The Muir House in the mail I jumped in and began to devour it in my typical 'Let's read this book as fast as I can because there are more books to be read and I don't have time for them all' fashion. And then I slowed down, because this book is just too good to rush through. Unlike many pop Christian authors Mary DeMuth writes with nuance and with symbolism that invites the reader to slow down and savor her books, mulling over characters, pondering thematic elements and sinking into the sense of place that often develops in each book.

After finishing I sat down to write my review. And then I got up without writing a word. The next time I think I got about three sentences on screen before giving up. Because the truth is, I loved The Muir House so much and want everyone to read it that I'm afraid a less than polished review won't do it justice. Sigh. Apparently I have taken the entire weight of DeMuth's career upon my own shoulders. Yeah, I have an overblown sense of my own importance like that.

But enough about me, on to actually reviewing the book. Did I mention it was good?

Willa Muir has just been proposed to by the man she loves. She walks away with the ring on her finger but with her future with Hale the green smoothie-drinking quasi-hippie boyfriend still in doubt. (Oh, how I love the descriptions of Hale!) Because Willa can't say yes, can't move forward with her life until she answers the one burning question that has consumed her for years. Events transpire fairly quickly that thrust her back to the place she does not want to go, the only place that still may hold the answers she is looking for. Questions of what defines home and how one finds it when what you have had is less than perfect are central to the story in The Muir House. Walls, houses and building become symbols for the internal journey even as they relate to the plot of the book.

Can I just be honest for a moment? There are times I wanted to smack Willa for refusing to move on with her life because of questions in her past. This is, I think, what makes this such a good book. Because after I think about smacking some sense into her I start to think about how much I may do something similar in my life. This is the beauty of DeMuth's writing, the flawed character with whom we can identify. I quickly tire of characters who solve every problem with perfect Christian composure and the scripture to back it up. I can relate to a character who is unavoidably messy, incredibly real, and DeMuth's books always have their share of messy. Even the perfect Hale deserved a little shaking at some moments.

Although neither a suspense nor a mystery book, this book contains enough questions to satisfy a mystery lover. Characters are introduced, past conversations are alluded to and gradually we piece together the story of who each person is, how they fit into Willa's life and the role they play in shaping her memories.The conclusion is neither saccharine sweet nor forced into a reality-defying turn of events that requires suspension of all common sense. It was, in fact, a satisfying conclusion that left me hoping for the possibility of a second book focusing on other characters in Willa's story.

Mary DeMuth gets better with every book she writes. Old fans will no doubt love this book as much as the others, and I hope that new fans are created who will then go back to seek out some of her past writing. She is well worth the time.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in hopes that I would provide a favorable review. All opinions expressed in my review, however, are 100% my own.

Farm day!

Summer is for heading down to the in-law's farm with the boys for a day of relaxing. Indy especially loves it there...the tractors, the 4-wheeler, the riding lawnmower that he can drive himself, the rope swing...

Oh, and the mulberries.

I picked some myself, a task that included mulberries falling down my shirt and branches poking me in the eye. But I got enough to fill the dehydrator.

The light ones are white mulberries which are THE BEST. This winter I shall have mulberries to toss onto granola or into trail mix. Yum. If Indy doesn't steal them all out of the dehydrator, that is.

And since I remembered my camera, you finally get some shots of my garden! (Can't you just feel the excitement building?)

All 30 or so tomato plants, which feels more like 300 when you are trying to prune the suckers off and the sweat is running down your back and mosquitoes are biting the corner of the eye that wasn't poked with a stick. But it is worth it when you see the little babies growing.

This might finally be my year! The year that my tomato growing is actually successful and I have enough to can sauce and salsa and pizza sauce and juice and the dried tomatoes that seem like such a good idea that I always forget to use.

And then I got so excited about the tomatoes and so hot and sweaty from tending them that I didn't take pictures of the corn or potatoes. Which pretty much look like corn and potato plants should, only with lots of weeds interspersed.

So...did I say relaxing? OK, it was a day pretty much filled with a lot of sweat and effort.

Except for Gates.

Other than a few brief stints on the rope swing he hung out in the air-conditioning, apparently planning a cross-country road trip.

Life is good down on the farm.