Ivar got an Easter basket this morning with seven eggs, each filled with one teddy graham. He loved it and delighted in each one. We did too.
happy easter!
Ivar got an Easter basket this morning with seven eggs, each filled with one teddy graham. He loved it and delighted in each one. We did too.
holy week
Defeated, he turns off the light in the barn, closes the
big door and begins to walk back in his house saying aloud, “if only I was one
of them. If only I could be one of them so I could show them the way.”
And just then the church bells ring for the Christmas Eve
service and he understands why Jesus had to come. Why Jesus was born into this
mess, God with us, to show us the way to eternal
life.
Good Friday is harder to understand. I feel like yearly I
have to wrestle through these questions again. Why did Jesus have to die? Really.
If God is God and this story could have played out any way he pleased, why did
Jesus have to suffer so. It’s so graphic. It’s so gory. The flogging, the blood
in his eyes, the nails (nails!) in his flesh.
This Holy Week I have been thinking about death and
resurrection a whole lot more intimately than usual. Aunt Jan continues to
suffer. Her dying has been long and her suffering great. It is so hard to
watch. It is hard to understand. She will die and this reality is still
impossible to swallow. Because she hasn’t lived out all of her years yet. Her
grandkids are still young, her husband is ready to travel another few decades
with his best friend by his side.
Death stings. It hurts so much and leaves you so, so heavy and sad.
Two thousand and twelve years ago Jesus suffered a terrible death. He was so fully human, that even he did not get to escape the terror of that last earthly breath.
In the midst of attempting to process Aunt Jan’s dying, I feel a certain clarity in understanding the rest of Jesus’ story and why He absolutely did have to die. Because this whole three day period of waiting, during the time Jesus’ body was laid in the tomb to the glorious morning when Mary Magdalene met him outside on the path, Jesus was conquering death. He was triumphing over the grave. He was going head to head with Satan one final time and won our mortal battle. Because we were meant for eternity.
We were created to live forever. And because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we now own that hope.
Aunt Jan will die. We will all die. But because of her belief that Jesus truly is the son of God, her belief that this is not merely a story but is the truest truth to be discovered here on earth, then she too will be resurrected to new life.
And when she is, she will meet Jesus face to face. She will be welcomed into the most perfect and wonderful home. She will be greeted by her mom, embraced by her dad, surrounded and cherished by her great cloud of witnesses.
Jesus had to come to earth. And Jesus had to die. And though it is so cliché, let these words sink in. His whole life, death and resurrection was all so that you might live forever.
crock pot meal #2
Another hugely successful meal.
Biggest lesson learned this meal: A slow cooker is extremely slow when you neglect to plug it in for the first two hours of cooking.
Thankfully Rory found it in the kitchen, realized nothing was smelling yet and put the cord into the socket. Things went better after that.
We loved this meal. Easy as pie (took 8 minutes to assemble in the morning) and very tasty.
Pulled Pork Tacos from this crock pot cookbook
2 pounds boneless pork roast
1 cup salsa
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies (use them all! Don't be afraid of flavor!)
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
flour or corn tortillas
shredded cheddar, sour cream, salsa, sour cream
1. Place roast, salsa, chilies, garlic salt and pepper into crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours (I cooked mine for five hours)
2. Remove pork from crock pot and shred with two forks. (After shredding I put it all back into those yummy juices) Serve on tortillas. Top as desired.
This was really good. And I'm not going to say that about every recipe. Because the wild rice casserole I made tonight was terrible. Except that Rory and Ivar had seconds and thirds and loved it. But believe me, it was not delicious. More on that "meal" another time...
crock pot week
Monday began with a bang. After reading some helpful tips on proper crock potting, I realized I had too big of a crock pot. If I ever want to do an Easter Ham, I am set. The one I have is huge. But for the best results for the recipes I was trying, I just needed standard size crock pot.
Target sells a red 3 quart Hamilton Beach slow cooker for $14.99. Sold. Bought mine Monday morning.
Monday was Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches and they were fantastic. This first recipe is a keeper. The steak was tender, the whole sandwich super flavorful and the bread and cheese all broiled together gave a bit of crunch that any crock pot recipe so desperately needs.
All of my recipes are from the Rival Crock Pot Best-Loved Slow Cooker Recipes cookbook. We just ate our second meal from this cookbook and it was also a winner. So far, two for two.
Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches:
2 lbs round steak, sliced
2 tablespoons butter, melted (I never added this. Just forgot, I think.)
4 onions sliced (I used 3 small ones)
2 green peppers sliced
1 tablespoon garlic-pepper blend (I did 1/2 T garlic powder and 1/2 T pepper)
salt, to taste (I left this out because of the bouillon)
1/2 cup water
2 tsp beef bouillon granules (I used five cubes and melted them in the water in the micro)
6 crusty Italian or French rolls, sliced in half
8 slices Cheddar cheese (we used Havarti)
1. Combine steak, butter, onions, bell peppers, garlic-pepper blend and salt in crock pot. Stir to mix.
2. Whisk water and bouillon and pour over meat and veggies.
3. Cover; cook on LOW 6-8 hours (I cooked ours on LOW for 4.5 hours)
4. Preheat oven to broil (move rack to the top). Cut rolls, (we put mayonaise on ours), pile high with meat and veggies, cover with cheese, place on tray and WATCH CAREFULLY as they toast to perfection.
We liked this meal a lot. Hearty, tasty and our house smelled homey all day. A serious perk of the slow cooker.
free ice cream!
Thanks to my former youth director, Dawn and her blog for the heads up on Free Cone Day! You can click here to find your nearest Ben and Jerry's. The deal goes until 8 pm tonight. And the lines weren't bad...no one pays and everyone is getting a single scoop. The trickiest part is deciding what flavor to get!
25 weeks
I have had some awesome cravings over the last month. One night I got back out of bed at 11 pm, made Tuna salad, and then assembled a tuna melt loaded with pickles and cheddar cheese on toast. I brought it out to the couch where Rory was watching tv and he laughed hard. It was almost too cliche.
And yesterday I got the supplies to make those pickle rolls with a sweet pickle, wrapped in salami and cream cheese. My grandma bredberg used to make these and once I started thinking about them, I couldn't let it go. And let me tell you, they did not disappoint.
Check out this blog post of me at 24 weeks with Ivar. It's hard to tell with different clothes, but I think I'm showing pretty much the same...
growth spurt
And guess who was nearly his equal for hours in bed? Me! I think the little baby in me must be growing a whole lot too. And now it's nearly 8 pm, and with all the outdoor time wiping me out, I think it's time to hit the pillow again.
self actualization/ it's okay not to be all things
Recently someone wrote a comment to her about the freedom she has found in realizing who she is and who she simply isn’t. She used the illustration
of fashion. This reader wrote of how she
can admire fashion blogs, see a nice outfit on another person, but when it
comes to her own wardrobe she neither enjoys the process of shopping or the daily task of picking out an outfit to wear for the day.
I read this comment and for some reason I felt ten times
lighter. I might have even said an Amen. Her illustration fit me nicely. I, too, am
not a lover of clothes or accessories. And that’s okay. I greatly appreciate a
put together outfit on another. I can see it on others. And I love that others
love clothes. I just happen to love sorting a junk drawer. We’re all quirky.
I am starting to realize the same may go for me and cooking.
I loved Nancy's comment on Wednesday in her desire to write an "I hate to cookbook." Ha! For me, I love the idea of loving to cook. I adore cooking shows. I love the thought of preparing daily meals
with happiness in my heart and pride in my culinary cuisine. But the real truth
of the matter is that I don’t really love it. I can handle it, but my heart
doesn’t skip a beat with excitement to get a meal on the table.
When I was a freshman in college my friend Heidi and I did a
devotional by Donna Partow. I think it might have been geared at 50 year old
women, but we loved it and used to make fun of Donna’s illustration in the book
that making a casserole to bring a friend in need might not be your thing.
Your thing might be in words of affirmation or offering to babysit. I think her
point was that you don’t have to be all things to all people all the time.
Heidi and I have made fun of this illustration by telling each other many times, “well, don't expect me to bring you a casserole, okay? It’s just not my gift.”
And guess what? It’s really not my gift!
But I’m starting to realize this is all okay. I have gifts
in other areas. I don’t need to shine in the kitchen. Or in my ability to put a
great outfit together. I just need to look presentable and fill the bellies of
my family with something wholesome to eat.
It's good to recognize this I think. Better than fighting it the rest of my days. I'll just keep buying cardigans from Target and get fired up for crock pot week!
It's good to recognize this I think. Better than fighting it the rest of my days. I'll just keep buying cardigans from Target and get fired up for crock pot week!
oh Patina.
98% of the time I feel like there is not one more thing I could ever need in this world. My needs are met. I have a lovely home, a sweet family, food in the fridge, good friends, loving neighbors...all the best things. There is not one more thing I could ever need.
And then Ivar and I walk into a store like Patina. And it turns out, there are like five hundred and thirty seven things that I still need. Like a journal for lists, the kelly rae couch, paper globes that make me so happy and a special book just for funny things my kids will say.
This store makes the line between "needs" and "wants" very, very hazy.
First Quarter Report Card for 'Kitchen Table'
I wanted to give a quick quarterly update on how my meal planning, table setting, home making and general attitude about suppertime have improved (or not improved). So here is my report card for Quarter One.
Name: Rebecca Ann Groves
Class Subject: One Little Word for the Year: Kitchen Table
Meal Planning Letter Grade: C+
Rebecca began strong in January and showed serious promise.
All in the family noticed and wondered what switch had flipped. Comments were
made by her husband like, “I love this. For real, why did it take 6 years to
figure out meal planning and prep. You are making it look easy.” Unfortunately
the train was derailed by the end of the month. Pregnancy sickness would be the
biggest excuse, lots of traveling and lack of routine from week to week also
took a toll.
Table Setting: B+
Rebecca has done a very nice job of providing some edible
substance at the table each night. It
might not be fancy, but this family breaks bread together. Or should I say,
cuts frozen pizza together. And really enjoys a good waffle.
Home Making: B
Rebecca owes a lot to her husband Rory for keeping the dishes
and laundry in circulation. She seems to run out of steam easily. However, Ivar
is always superbly cared for and there is a lot of love and laughter in this
home. She also got her Birthday thank you notes out in just one weeks time and
is pretty good about keeping the house tidy and organized.
General Attitude about Suppertime: D-
Rebecca seems to resent Supper Time again. It seems to sneak
up on her as if she is surprised that she is supposed to have a game plan by
5:15.
Action Steps for Rebecca:
Well here comes the good news! Rebecca found a crock pot
cookbook she was about to give away. She started thumbing through the pages and
it dawned on her. All of her best hours lately are before lunch. By 4:00
she’s sort of spent and supper feels overwhelming. So what if she made her meals after breakfast? What if she
called the first week of April: CROCK POT WEEK!
Well, that’s the plan. And Rebecca is excited to see how this new
plan of attack works. The idea of getting supper-in-motion during her son's
morning nap seems to absolutely delight her. I think this might work.
End of Report Card.
We have to wait for Crock Pot week to begin on Monday
because our grocery budget is depleted this month and I need to get creative
with the food already in the house before I go out and buy my chuck roast, chicken and
turkey chili ingredients.
But this is the new plan, for now. I am beginning Quarter
Two with wind back in my Kitchen Table sails!
bonnets and mary janes
My sister and I spent some time on Saturday going through all of her 0-12 month girl clothes. She's ready to pass them along and just-in-case this baby is a girl, I am the new lucky owner of two huge bins of adorable bonnets, mary janes, tights, skirts, matching sweater and hat sets and all things sweet and wonderful and pink.
I came home and said to Rory, "Just a heads up. We'll be popping out babies like the Duggers until I have a girl I can put ruffle-butt tights on."
And he replied, "Just a heads up. You had then better figure out how to fund such a family through a TLC reality tv show."
I came home and said to Rory, "Just a heads up. We'll be popping out babies like the Duggers until I have a girl I can put ruffle-butt tights on."
And he replied, "Just a heads up. You had then better figure out how to fund such a family through a TLC reality tv show."
school projects
So, with her help, we popped popcorn, spray painted it pink out in the garage, hot glued it to a tree branch, and stuck the branch in a coffee can filled with rocks.
When I walked in to my classroom the next day, there were lots and lots of Washington Monuments. There was a clay Lincoln Memorial and one out of play dough. There was a Lego White House and another made out of cardboard and glue. There was a replica of The Mall and the Vietnam Memorial.
But there was only one Cherry Blossom Tree. Because only one girl had a mom as clever as Margaret Harrington.
I know we have a picture of this somewhere. I may have to spend my weekend digging through family photo albums to find it. Until then, I hope you are enjoying the real thing this spring. The tree pictured above is our neighbor's across the street. I think it's a magnolia and everytime I look out the window I think of the popcorn we glued to that tree branch.
my aunt jan
Do you remember when you first learned to wrap a hotdog? Oh you don’t? That’s funny. I totally do.
My mom taught me how to unfold a napkin, start the hotdog at one corner, roll the hotdog all the way to the opposite corner and then fold in the sides in order to fit it into the microwave. You know why I remember this so vividly? Because my mom was so proud of me and told me that I should be sure to show Aunt Jan that night when we were at her house for dinner. So in the midst of dinner preparation, I got out a napkin, a fat highlighter (playing the part of the hotdog) and told Aunt Jan the big news, while demonstrating my skills with the highlighter marker.
My Aunt Jan was very impressed.
This was pretty typical growing up. If something big happened in my life, big, like learning how to wrap a hotdog for the microwave, mom had me call Aunt Jan to tell her the news. I called often. If I moved up a chair in band, if I did well on a spelling test, if I had a funny story from my day…I was always told to “go call Aunt Jan.”
Aunt Jan is in her final stages of cancer. Ivar and I spent the morning with her admiring the art from her grandkids on her walls, throwing a ball up on the bed over and over, writing our conversation on notebooks back and forth. About two years ago Aunt Jan was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue and since then it has made its way into her esophagus, throat, lymph nodes and now everywhere it can. It’s mean. Cancer is so mean.
There is a real cruelty that my Aunt who bakes the best banana bars with cream cheese frosting can’t eat anything now. The woman who spent her career speaking up for the voiceless doesn’t have a voice.
But she wrote today of how these past weeks have been filled with all of the most important things: her husband, her sons, her grandkids, her sisters, her nieces and her very best friends. She has been working hard on writing life stories, and with the help of her sons and Uncle Don, she is going through all of the family slides and photographs. Her bedroom walls are covered with bright artwork from her grandkids and her window looks out over Lake Minnetonka. She wrote that the TV is never on, and her life is full of the very most important things. It made me aware of how much “filler” we pack into our days. Aunt Jan’s days are stripped down right now to the very most meaningful people and tasks. The things that actually matter.
Hardest is watching the people around her who love her so much. My mom is at her house as often as she can. I can’t fathom losing a sister. To share an entire lifetime of memories. Thousands of anecdotal stories could be written here, the little things that make sisters sisters. You can't really sum up those stories though.
My uncle Don works so hard to make sure the love of his life is comfortable. That breaks my heart too. He has been steadfast in his caregiving, faithfully serving his wife in every way imaginable, walking this road that neither one of them chose to travel.
I had a really nice visit. I left feeling glad that I have a sweet boy who can bring joy into a room. Glad that my mom is sharing so much precious time with her sister. And pretty overwhelmed by the whole thing. Sometimes mortality has a way of hitting me over the head. But I’m still having a hard time believing this is all actually playing out. It’s hard to wrap my head around it all. Hard to go there.
maple syrup at murphy's landing
Did you know it takes 40 gallons of sap from a high-producing sugar maple to make one gallon of syrup? Some trees don't have as high of a sugar content in the sap and it may take 80 gallons of sap from those trees to produce just one gallon of syrup! Suddenly the fact that pure maple syrup costs so much made a lot more sense.
They had live music and storytellers to tell of how they tapped trees in the past. They showed how they boiled the sap in large kettles over a hot fire during pioneer times. And most interesting was how Native Americans boiled their sap to make sugar. Without metal pots or pans, they hollowed out a tree into a trough...kind of like a canoe and put the sap in there, and carried hot stones from the fire and put those into the sap to evaporate the water. I was so impressed by this process to make maple sugar!
We had this event on our calendar for months and all of the promo materials had everyone bundled in their boots and mittens, but we were in tshirts and flip flops. The early warm weather was great for us but has been terrible for maple syrup production in Wisconsin and Minnesota this year. The local news just aired this story on Friday night about the Maple farms that are calling this season a bust.
my 31st birthday
But then Wednesday rolled around, and the five day forecast looked very, very promising. And so a picnic party was planned.
I got to Lake Harriet over an hour before everyone to ensure I got the best picnic tables, and as it turns out, I was the only one in the twin cities who had planned a lake harriet picnic yesterday. So we got those awesome tables, the ones I look at all summer long filled with families and food and footballs and frisbees and franks. (And other things that don't begin with the letter f.)
It was perfect. And so windy. Crazy windy. Both families were there, my mom made my chocolate bunny cake, we had lots of pregnancy craving foods of mine like deviled eggs, store-bought potato salad and ruffles with french onion dip, and the lake literally opened up during the course of my party.
I would love for this to be a tradition. My father-in-law Madison said he'd be there next year, snow or rain. So look for us. It might just be the two of us huddled on that hill next March 18th, but my hope is to have another picnic party for my 32nd.
Two things to note from the pictures: The one of my sister Annika and Rory with Ivar walking was a super funny moment as Svea, Ivar's big cousin by 6 weeks was trying to help him walk by pushing him from behind. You can barely see her. Second thing: Look at that second to last picture. I have always thought Annika and I look very different for sisters, but something is happening as we get older. I can't get over how alike we look!
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