Thirty...Er, Well, Sixteen Days of Thankfulness

It's not that I couldn't think of 30 things to be thankful for--it's just that, after awhile, they all seem to be sort of related. Or someone makes fun of you for being cheesy.

In the spirit of the "Thirty Days of Thankfulness", I posted at least one thing I was thankful for as my status on Facebook everyday for 16 days. I wanted to make myself of think of answers that you wouldn't find on a fifth grade Thanksgiving essay. I wanted to be attentive to God's provision that is always supplied to me but often overlooked. Here is my list of random--and not-so-random--things. "Sabrina is thankful..."

1. for forgiveness.
2. for the for the freedom to vote--and for 90 years of the women's vote, too.
3. for C8H10N4O2 (caffeine!).
4. for Someone who conquered death.
5. for her husband:  strong, handsome, tender, compassionate...full of integrity and laughter...someone who loves God more than he loves her--but loves her all the same for reasons she cannot comprehend.
6. that distance is no match for a good friendship.
7. for a God who works out all things for our good and His glory...for picking up right where you left off with family...and for chocolate cake!
8. for Dutch Blitz. :D
9. for having a job.
10. for the the wonderful women she has in her life to look up to (literally and figuratively).
11. to always have "just enough". Just enough to eat...just enough strength...just enough to be able to give to others. But grace? More than enough.
12. that I am who I am. I am unique. I can change and learn and grow, but there was no mistake--I was meant to be me. :)
13. for books to read...and for a love of reading, too.
14. for sleep...oh, glorious sleep.
15. for her cozy apartment with enough room to have people over. :)
16. for Old Chicago pizza and and friends. Yum! :)
17. for no snow!

For Thanksgiving Day, I will be heading down to Florida to see my dad, stepmom, and little sister and am staying through Wednesday. Jordan will be staying behind to see his family and keep working. :(  Hopefully, I can sneak in a blog post, though, with all the adventures. In the meantime, have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Jordan's homemade "Pumpkin Spice" soap

Seek to Show Hospitality

I wish that I had been taught hospitality.

There are many women in my life that model hospitality--that ability to make people feel at home whenever they are around you. Two of them are the wives of my college pastors. Another one is my amazing mother-in-law. She loves having people over, decorating her home, making tasty foods and delicious desserts, gifting, and just  plain being a servant. My husband has inherited this servant's heart, and it is one of the things that made me fall in love with him. He may not be the most outspoken person, but his actions speak louder than any conversation I have ever had.

But hospitality can be learned. The first hurdle, I think, is to be prepared. If your place is always a disaster, then you will feel more hesitant to say, "Sure, come on over!" Resign yourself to the fact that your home does not have to be sparkling clean. If there are a few dishes in the sink or the blinds sorely need to be dusted (two things that I could say about my place), know that your friends are your friends for a reason:  they want to spend time with you--not your things! And family loves you no matter what happens. If you can relax, others will relax and have a good time regardless of your state of cleanliness. Still, trying to keep things in order will probably mean that more impromptu movie nights or Sunday lunches will occur.

The second hurdle is to let go of perfection. This is harder for some than for others. I know that sometimes I want to be "Le Gourmet Chef" and wow everyone with my stunning culinary and amazing hostess skills. And while sometimes "it's all in the details", when you are showing love to others it should be about them and not about you. Do what you can with what you have in the time you have. Work hard, yes, but let your guests know that they are not a burden to you, and you enjoy having them over.

...And doesn't all this talk about hospitality and guests make you think of this guy?

Recipe Ready: Breakfast Casserole

I have really wanted to create a food/recipe post for quite awhile, and while breakfast casserole would not be my first choice, it is a simple, tasty recipe that (in my opinion) could work for breakfast, lunch, or dinner (or as they say on Scrubs, "brinner").

You'll need to make sure you have these ingredients on hand:

• 1 (2 pound) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 1 pound pork sausage (mild? spicy? turkey? your choice)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 12 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese (or cheese of your choice)

I used Colby-Jack cheese--and only about six ounces of it--because I forgot to buy cheese, and that's what I had on hand.

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with your favorite spray (I love the Crisco spray), and fill with the thawed hash browns.

Brown the sausage over medium heat in your most amazing cast iron skillet.

While the sausage is browning, chop and dice your onion meticulously by hand.

Or, bring out your handy, dandy food chopper and let it do the work for you.

Add the onions to the sausage and finish browning, then drain.

While that cools a little, add five eggs to a medium bowl.

Add your half cup of milk.

Add your spices, too. Here's where taste may differ from person to person. The recipe calls for a 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder, an 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. To me, this is a little bland next to the savoriness of the sausage and onion. I would up it to at least a full teaspoon of onion powder, a 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and a 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. But that's just me. :)

Whisk ingredients together.

And pour over your hash browns.

Layer with half of the shredded cheese, and spread the sausage mixture on top.

Then sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese on top.

Cover with aluminum foil...

...and place in the 350 degree oven. After an hour, uncover, rotate, and bake for ten more minutes.

Your result should be this:

And maybe, if you're lucky, you will also end up with cheese stalactites (you have to think of what they would look like upside down):

If you can insert a knife into the middle of the casserole, and it comes out clean, then you'll know it's done. Let the dish stand for at least five minutes, if not more--it is best when it has thickened.

While you are enjoying your breakfast-y goodness, put some yummy, delicious cookies into your already preheated oven!

Won't You Lead Me?

Today, Jordan and I were driving to a birthday lunch for his grandpa's 83rd birthday. While on our hour-long trek to "the best Pizza Ranch in Iowa," Jordan turned to me and said, "I heard this song the other day that I think you would really like."

"Oh, yeah?" I said. "What was it?"

"I don't remember. It was a song about a guy and his wife and stuff, but when you hear it, you'll like it."

Oh, okay.

On our way home, filled with salad, pizza, and birthday cake, we were just pulling into town when this song came on the radio, and Jordan started poking me. In this relationship, I am the music lover, so when a song actually stands out to my husband, I know it is worth listening to.

Product Review: Better Than Bouillon

That's right. It's time for another review! Recipe and product reviews are always my favorites; however, product reviews can be extremely frustrating. The other day, our vacuum cleaner (that Jordan bought for $60 or so four years ago for his "bachelor pad") breathed its last breath. Actually, it refused to breathe at all, which led to its promptly being thrown in the dumpster. Or promptly sitting out on the porch for a couple of days before we decided that no one was fooled--we were not going to vacuum the porch.

While looking at vacuum cleaners online and scanning through hundreds of reviews, I became somewhat agitated as I discovered the dark side of consumer reviews. It loosely relates to Newton's Third Law of Physics:  to every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction. In this case, for every positive, glowing review of a product there is always an equal and completely opposite and degrading review. For instance, the vacuum cleaner you just read about has industrial-strength suction...but is also so extremely wimpy that you might as well just buy a broom for all the good this product will do for you.

Now, on to my product review: Superior Touch's "Better Than Bouillon." 

Better than Bouillon Concentrated Stocks are made from meat (or vegetables). This gives them a richer, more robust flavor than ordinary bouillons or soup bases. Our Chicken tastes like Chicken because it IS Chicken; our beef tastes like beef because it IS beef. No Fat, Lower Sodium: Better Than Bouillon Concentrated Stocks are fat free and have 1/3 less salt than ordinary bouillons.

Superior Touch's repertoire includes their premium bases, such as chicken, beef, lobster, vegetable, or chili; organic bases; vegetarian bases, such as No Beef Base and No Chicken Base; all-natural, reduced sodium bases; and kosher bases.

I first heard of this option for stock or broth from the infamous blog, The Julie/Julia Project. We don't always have the time or initiative to make our own stock, and sometimes you just leave it off of your grocery list. Better Than Bouillon has the look and consistency of baby food and can easily be used by adding one teaspoon to eight ounces of boiling water. Or, if you are making something in the crock pot, just throw some in there with some water. :) I only have the chicken and the beef base, but I truly think that it does work wonders. My dishes have yet to come out salty, and I always have some on hand for impromptu recipes (Jordan has taken to making a lot of noodle soups). At grocery stores I have only seen the chicken, beef, and vegetable bases, but would be very interested in trying their chili or mushroom bases. Perhaps I'll find them at the new Trader Joe's that opened up in West Des Moines?