Tonight's secret ingredient...bacon! I know that makes no sense if you've never watched Iron Chef America. I'm trying out my own invention tonight. We'll call it Pepto-Chicken for now.
8:00pm (last night): I marinated two chicken breasts in Shiner Bock.
4:30pm: The Cardinals-Saints game has reached halftime and is effectively over. I hope this isn't Kurt Warner's last hurrah. I have an incredible amount of respect for the man and how he has used his platform. Think of the NFL ten years ago. About the only God you saw in it was an occasional glimpse of a pre-game prayer and a guy in the stands with a John 3:16 sign.
Then came Warner's incredible success story, climaxing with the Rams Super Bowl win. Most of the time we see players doing everything possible to draw attention to themselves. Kurt publicly gave God all the glory. Inevitably he, and even worse his wife Brenda, were ridiculed by countless people around the country, but he didn't back down.
Due to a number of injuries his star faded and he journeyed from team to team, essentially deemed a capable back-up who was on the decline. Then he got another shot in Arizona. History nearly repeated itself as he led another perrenial loser to within a couple seconds of a Super Bowl win. Predictably, his message is still the same, but this time I've noticed the respect he seems to garner around the league and from the press. He has made a major impact.
Not coincidentally, as he ponders retirement, Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, and Sam Bradford are preparing to join the upcoming draft. All three are fellow Bible-bangers and exceptional college quarterbacks. The potential of each at the pro level is being questioned by various experts for different reasons, but I expect big things from at least one of them. God has used Kurt Warner to pave the way and I predict one or more of them will eventually pick up the torch.
I've digressed, I went to Market street and picked up some fresh green beans and a loaf of sourdough bread.
7:30pm: Heather is taking a shower and the girls are cleaning up the day's mess. I pulled the chicken breasts from the refrigerator, flattened them with a tenderizer and butterflied them.
Next I prepared the filling. Diced jalapenos, half a dozen precooked shrimp, mozzarella cheese and a couple of strips of bacon left over from this morning's breakfast burritoes. I then folded the halves back over and sewed them closed with a needle and thread.
I cut the beans, added a strip of bacon and some water and set the pan on the stove for later.
8:10pm: The kids are playing Blokus with Heather and the chicken is on the grill. I've cracked open a Shiner
Bock. I'm barbecuing in Texas...if I get caught without a beer in my hand I could get deported to Oklahoma.
8:30pm: Oh mama! If smell is any indication, tonight's meal will be a success. Time to sprinkle on some lemon pepper and baste with some BBQ sauce.
8:45pm: Dinner is ready. We send the girls to bed for 10 minutes of quiet time before bed (in theory). Reality hits within a couple of minutes. By the sounds of it they are either bowling or chopping down a forest up there. I get to be "bad cop" tonight. I'm so tough.
9:30pm: Dinner rocked. Especially the green beans...lots of butter! My theory on food...if it won't eventually kill you it's not worth eating. We've had our family prayers and the girls are tucked in for the night. Actual alone-time with Heather (semi-alone...Jack's playing GameCube in his room). Key lime pie and some decaf coffee are on tap.
9:45pm: All are in bed...woohoo!
Sunday morning: Last night was a great! A successful creation and wonderful companionship. I might just keep her.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Date Night Chronicle 3
Tonight's meal: Vegetable Beef Soup. Open can, dump in pan, add a can of water, cook over medium heat...stirring occasionally.
My Sweetness has a sinus headache. I don't know how I should feel about this. We can't have date night, but I get to watch the Cowboys playoff game. Thanks for taking one for the team babe.
My Sweetness has a sinus headache. I don't know how I should feel about this. We can't have date night, but I get to watch the Cowboys playoff game. Thanks for taking one for the team babe.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Date Night Chronicle 2
Tonight's meal: Andouille and Chicken Creole Pasta
Spicy! Just like the Queen of the Castle and Princess #2. This recipe also comes from allrecipes.com. They have a cool feature in which they email you a "recipe of the day". The picture looks delicious. Of course the picture of a McDonald's cheeseburger also looks great on TV...then you eat one.
I'm living on the edge this week as the sauce is very gravy-like. If you read last week's post you know the current score is "Gravy 1, Marty 0". We're going to go best two-out-of-three...unless I lose, then we'll switch to a five-game series.
4:00pm: We were at Market Street. What exactly is Andouille sausage? I asked the meat counter guy for some help. Basically, it is just smoked Cajun sausage. I read the ingredient labels of a couple of different options. Note to self: In the future, follow the "Slim-Jim Rule", it will always taste better if you don't know what's in it."
7:07pm: The "Mission Impossible" theme is blaring in my head. Heather is defusing Sofie as she is going to self-destruct in five seconds. It will be an early bedtime for everyone's sake. She needs the rest more than I need a visit from CPS. I kid about her, but I LOVE my little spark plug.
7:22pm: We're subbing in Lily's Sunday School class tomorrow. I filled in a few weeks ago without bloodshed so they asked us help out again. Heather just finished reviewing the lesson as I nominated her to be "lead teacher", a role she accepted under protest. I'm going to be "the hammer" and keep them in line. I recommend subbing on occasion in order to fully appreciate your kids' regular teachers. Kim and Danny have a special place in heaven.
Heather is playing on the couch with the girls. I'm helping Jack with his science fair project and am about to begin slicing and dicing the vegetables.
8:00pm: We sent the girls up to their room to read books for ten minutes before bedtime.
8:10pm: We sang "The Moon Song", the girls competed over who Sydney would sleep with, we prayed and Heather did a devotional with the girls.
8:30pm: Jack finished working on his Science Fair Project. He has spent 6 hours on it today. Nothing like waiting until the last minute, there is no doubt he is my son. We sent him off to shower and then bed.
8:45pm: Dinner smells fabulous so far. The moment of truth has arrived. The sauce portion of the recipe silently taunts me on the counter, but I'm not scared. I MEASURE this time and follow the directions exactly. No contest. Gravy/Sauce 1-Marty 1. We'll meet again, but I'm confident.
9:00pm: Dinner is on the table. The flavor is unlike anything we've ever tasted. It is very good, but incredibly salty. I had used less than the recommended amount of Creole seasoning and selected low-sodium chicken broth. Next time I'll definitely further decrease the seasoning, reduce the amount of chicken broth, increase the water and add some more cayenne pepper. I served it over linguine as recommended. I think it would probably be better over rice.
Over the next couple of hours we discussed resolutions for the new year regarding our relationships with God, each other and our kids. We reviewed the many ways God has blessed and restored us. We've commited ourselves to listening more and talking less during our time with Him.
We serve such an indescribably marvelous God. My favorite name for Him is "I am". It is like an open-ended sentence. An infinite number of his attributes can be placed at the end and no human words can properly convey their depth. I've reached a place where I thoroughly enjoy watching Him slowly untie the bow to reveal each in his perfect timing.
The Verdict:
We had a great date tonight. The meal was good and could be exceptional with some tweaking. The conversation was even better. I am beginning to suspect that aliens have body-snatched Heather as she again commented that she was glad we didn't have dessert. If that turns out to be the case, they did a good job as the replacement is every bit as wonderful as the original.
Tonight's recipe can be found at:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Andouille-and-Chicken-Creole-Pasta/Detail.aspx?ms=1&prop25=29501354&prop26=DailyDish&prop27=2009-12-29&prop28=DailyRecipe&prop29=FullRecipe&me=1
Spicy! Just like the Queen of the Castle and Princess #2. This recipe also comes from allrecipes.com. They have a cool feature in which they email you a "recipe of the day". The picture looks delicious. Of course the picture of a McDonald's cheeseburger also looks great on TV...then you eat one.
I'm living on the edge this week as the sauce is very gravy-like. If you read last week's post you know the current score is "Gravy 1, Marty 0". We're going to go best two-out-of-three...unless I lose, then we'll switch to a five-game series.
4:00pm: We were at Market Street. What exactly is Andouille sausage? I asked the meat counter guy for some help. Basically, it is just smoked Cajun sausage. I read the ingredient labels of a couple of different options. Note to self: In the future, follow the "Slim-Jim Rule", it will always taste better if you don't know what's in it."
7:07pm: The "Mission Impossible" theme is blaring in my head. Heather is defusing Sofie as she is going to self-destruct in five seconds. It will be an early bedtime for everyone's sake. She needs the rest more than I need a visit from CPS. I kid about her, but I LOVE my little spark plug.
7:22pm: We're subbing in Lily's Sunday School class tomorrow. I filled in a few weeks ago without bloodshed so they asked us help out again. Heather just finished reviewing the lesson as I nominated her to be "lead teacher", a role she accepted under protest. I'm going to be "the hammer" and keep them in line. I recommend subbing on occasion in order to fully appreciate your kids' regular teachers. Kim and Danny have a special place in heaven.
Heather is playing on the couch with the girls. I'm helping Jack with his science fair project and am about to begin slicing and dicing the vegetables.
8:00pm: We sent the girls up to their room to read books for ten minutes before bedtime.
8:10pm: We sang "The Moon Song", the girls competed over who Sydney would sleep with, we prayed and Heather did a devotional with the girls.
8:30pm: Jack finished working on his Science Fair Project. He has spent 6 hours on it today. Nothing like waiting until the last minute, there is no doubt he is my son. We sent him off to shower and then bed.
8:45pm: Dinner smells fabulous so far. The moment of truth has arrived. The sauce portion of the recipe silently taunts me on the counter, but I'm not scared. I MEASURE this time and follow the directions exactly. No contest. Gravy/Sauce 1-Marty 1. We'll meet again, but I'm confident.
9:00pm: Dinner is on the table. The flavor is unlike anything we've ever tasted. It is very good, but incredibly salty. I had used less than the recommended amount of Creole seasoning and selected low-sodium chicken broth. Next time I'll definitely further decrease the seasoning, reduce the amount of chicken broth, increase the water and add some more cayenne pepper. I served it over linguine as recommended. I think it would probably be better over rice.
Over the next couple of hours we discussed resolutions for the new year regarding our relationships with God, each other and our kids. We reviewed the many ways God has blessed and restored us. We've commited ourselves to listening more and talking less during our time with Him.
We serve such an indescribably marvelous God. My favorite name for Him is "I am". It is like an open-ended sentence. An infinite number of his attributes can be placed at the end and no human words can properly convey their depth. I've reached a place where I thoroughly enjoy watching Him slowly untie the bow to reveal each in his perfect timing.
The Verdict:
We had a great date tonight. The meal was good and could be exceptional with some tweaking. The conversation was even better. I am beginning to suspect that aliens have body-snatched Heather as she again commented that she was glad we didn't have dessert. If that turns out to be the case, they did a good job as the replacement is every bit as wonderful as the original.
Tonight's recipe can be found at:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Andouille-and-Chicken-Creole-Pasta/Detail.aspx?ms=1&prop25=29501354&prop26=DailyDish&prop27=2009-12-29&prop28=DailyRecipe&prop29=FullRecipe&me=1
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