Pesto- from the farm to the freezer in less than a day

My good friends Anna and Vince have a farm near here- they grow amazing veggies and I am more than addicted to their organic grown goodness! So every week we invest less than $20 in a cornucopia of home grown healthy veggies. This week we went out to the farm to hand pick our veggies and even though it was wicked hot, the trip was well worth it. 

One of the great things about such a trip is the opportunity to try something new- and this week I decided to try to make my own pesto and freeze it to use later.  Anna picked some beautiful basil for me- the traditional green and some purple Thai basil. 

I brought it home and began with the basic ingredients; olive oil, fresh garlic, salt and of course the basil. No pine-nuts, as I didn't have any in the house.  After combining those, I added parmesan cheese and BAM- pesto.

From there I added it to the ice treys and placed it in the freezer. Once it is frozen I will move the blocks into freezer baggies and try to think of tasty fun ways to use them!

Now I realize that this is not my normal blog, but hey I have many layers...like a parfait ...I think it is important for you to see them all! Plus I like to keep you guessing!

If you're local and interested in some good organically grown veggies check out the Caruso's blog:

http://carusofarm.blogspot.com/

The Heat

Though I already consider myself a JV blogger, I would be remise if I didn't write about the brutal heat we are having in the Northwest right now. 

100 degrees is not hot for those of you who live in the Sahara, but for those of us who love the temperate weather usually found in Western Washington, this weather is a nightmare!!! I am an Alaskan kid, who would much rather have it cold than hot. Here's my philosophy- when it is cold you can always put on my clothes, when it is hot, well there is a limit to what can come off!!! And trying to sleep in this weather is brutal, for the last two nights I have slept on the couch mostly related to the ceiling fan in the living room. The only way I can sleep is by snuggling the rice bag I have kept in the freezer all day...it is a sad site. 

All this being said, there are some good things that have come from this heat wave; we have spent a lot of time on our deck, which offers shade. And that time spent visiting with family has been incredibly precious to me.   The heat has caused me to slow down (because I can't help but not) and enjoy the simplicity of a nice night in my backyard with family.  I have experienced the pure joy of watching my dog try to figure out how to eat an ice cube and the amazing beauty of a sunset over Whidbey Island (which you can see from my backyard). 

So while I sweat away the pounds (here's hoping!) - I am trying to enjoy the slower pace this extend Africa heat is bringing to my world! 

Motives

This morning I was reading John 12:1-8 and found myself deeply challenged. In this passage we see the story of Mary pouring costly oil over Jesus and being rebuked by Judas (you know it is a bad day when it is Judas who rebukes you!) because that oil could have been sold and the money used to help the poor.   What nailed me today was the next verse:

John 12:6 "This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it." 

If we were not given this insight by John, we would be quick to think Judas is right. Clearly this is waste of money and God wants us to use our money to help the poor. But when given a chance to see the truth in Judas' heart we see his true motive.  We see that Judas talks a good game, he says the right words, the ones that would lead us to believe that his a heartfelt follower of Christ.  He spent three years with Jesus, walking, serving, seeing miracles, hearing parables, he had the resume of a God fearing man; and yet he sold Jesus out.  This brief insight into his heart reveals so much that I think we can quickly over look about the what it means to truly be a Christian.

Being a Christian is a heart issue. It is much easier to act like a Christian, by that I mean, have up the cross in your house, attend church and small group, listen to Christian music, avoid the obvious sins.  In theses ways we can create our own Christian resume, that we outwardly present to those around us. But Christ ask so much more of us, he asks for our hearts. He wants our hearts to be his, our goals, our desires to be about him. We must constantly check our motives, search our hearts and work to keep them aligned with Christ.  We spend too much time worrying about what people thing about us, be it our neighbors or our friends at Church. We concern ourselves with looking the part and fear that if others see us fail or see our struggles they will think less of our or our faith.  This is where trouble begins, because our focus is on ourselves and not on Christ. Worry less about looking like a Christian and more about loving Christ, if we can do this, we will be motivated by our love for Christ and  people will see him in us and that is all that matters. 

How to know if you are really from Western Washington.

I have lived in the Seattle area for the better part of 8 years now and I have come to love this area. The beauty is unmatched. But, in those 8 years I have come to see some traits that are particular to the residents of this region.  I have been pondering the nuances of those of us who reside on the Western side of the mountain...and these are in no particular order....

1.  You loath to admit that a gloomy day in the middle of the summer is a relief. Even though you love the sun and complain about the rain, when it comes down to it a nice drizzly 60 degree day in the middle of July makes you smile.

2. When the temperature is above 80 degrees for more than 2 days in a row you rush out to buy an air conditioner that you will use 1 week a year.

3. You feel obligated to drive in the HOV lane if you have 2 people in your car, even if traffic to the right of you is going 10 miles an hour faster than you.

4. You have no real understanding that the far left lane of traffic is for passing not meandering. 

5.  You only care about the Mariners, Seahawks, Sounders and/or any Husky sports when they are doing well. When they are not, you view them as a waste of time and taxpayer dollars.  You're not sure who the Storm are...

6.  You are not willing to pay the price for light rail but you constantly complain about traffic issues in King County (population 1.8 million).

7.  You elect political officials to make laws and then vote for initiatives and referendums that override those laws. You then complain that our government is ineffective. 

8. You complain about gas prices but pay $3.50 for a cup of coffee and $50,000 for a military grade vehicle to take little Johnny to soccer practice (which cost you $100 to fill).

9.  You think an income tax is unreasonable but a 10% sales taxes makes sense.

10. You want schools to hold students to higher academic and personal standards but when little Johnny or Suzy fails the test that measures their basic ability to read and write at the age of 16, you complain that the test is too hard and the bar should be lowered.  You want schools to be safer but when your precious child is found with drugs at school you want to call it a youthful indiscretion and want it kept from his file because he is going to UW. Here's some insight- if little Johnny can't make it through the 6 hours of school without a hit...he's probably NOT the type of students UW is looking for!

Just my insight on the community I live in...I love it here...really I do! :)

Lessons from Camping

I consider myself a decent planner. I like to have a blue print for my days, for my trips, for my classroom- and yet if I have learned anything this summer it is that my best laid plans can be pointless as I have no control over the rest of the world (much to my  chagrin).

Case in point: our 4th of July Camping trip. I had spent weeks planning this trip, searching out campsites, planning meals, watching the weather channel to ensure perfect weather. We planned to leave on Thursday afternoon when Theresa finished work as I knew timing was everything. I had chosen a beautiful camp site tucked away north of Roslyn, Wa (yes that is where the filmed Northing Exposure), the only down side of the site was you could not reserve a spot, it was first come first serve. I knew it was a risk but I also knew it was worth it. So as we set out exactly at the appointed time (a minor miracle) I was hopeful for this well planned weekend. The drive went smoothly and we arrived at the site plenty early. The site was amazing, nestled on the banks of an alpine lake which was surrounded by beautiful mountains. It was breath taking, which is exactly what all the people who had beat us to this spot felt. As we wondered about hoping to find an open place to camp it became clear that we had missed our window of opportunity. It was full.  My heart broke and my attitude took a nose dive.  The most frustrating part, it was clear that we had missed getting the last site by about 30 minutes.  I was not pleased. Theresa, in her endless patience, tried to assure me we’d find a place to camp and it would be fine. I was not hearing that. Inwardly I spiraled into a place of self deprecation and anger.  I had worked so hard to plan this, I read all the online sites, I packed the car, prepared the food, I did all I could to make this weekend a great and much needed vacation and here we were driving away from paradise. As I turned my eyes to myself and quietly festered, Theresa drove us out toward some other site’s we’d seen on the drive. I was convinced they’d all be full (I am seriously a pain in the tail sometimes...) so I sat and sulked in the passenger seat. 

While I continued to focus on myself, Theresa eye spied an area that looked like a campground but had no signs to indicate that it was an actual camp site.  We pulled in to check it out and my spirits rose (not greatly as I am generally pretty selfish). We saw clear signs of a sanctioned campground (parking spots and fire pits) but no signs, no check in boards, no dumpsters, no picnic tables, no bathrooms. We found a couple opened spots with fire pits but were still quite confused. Was this a day use area? Was this a campground? Where are the bathrooms? I jumped out of the truck to lay claim to one of the open sites (over looking the river) and Theresa doubled back to get some information from other campers. It turns out this was a campground- first come first serve!  There were no bathrooms, no tables, no dumpsters, so it lacked the basic comforts most campers are looking for, but it did over look an amazing river and offer a quiet solitude that could not be passed up. The downside: pee in the woods for two days. The upside: no fee camping! 

With a humbled attitude and a new outlook on the weekend I adjusted to the new plan. Was this perfect, no, but it was pretty close. Beautiful view, solitude, a place to build a fire and time to relax, that’s all I was looking for anyway (Thanks T, for reminding me of that!)

As I sat drinking coffee (yes I take a coffee press when camping!) overlooking a beautiful river, I couldn’t help but be hit by the clear lesson here: just because I don’t get what I want doesn’t mean I won’t get what I need. I knew that the lake site would be amazing and it was want I wanted. I was convinced that anything less would be ruin the weekend and when we didn’t get it, I turned in to a selfish child.  Pouting because I didn’t get what I wanted, in my mind I would only be happy at that site- anything else wasn’t worth having. Now, do I believe that God ordained this river site for us? Honestly, no. I am not convinced that is how God works. I think God is more worried about my heart than my camp site.  I believe this was an opportunity for me figure out what really matters to me. 

What happens in life if we don’t get what we want? How do we react and what does that reflect about our priorities?  My pouting and surly attitude reflected my selfishness, my intrinsic belief that I need something, somewhere, someone to be content.  When Christ died on that cross, I received everything I would ever need, the chance to have an eternal relationship with God. His sacrifice gave me the thing I could not gain on my own- salvation. This is a perspective I easily loose, especially when my plans fail.  I am quick to forget in my pursuits of this life that all that really, eternally matters is Christ. Contentment comes form knowing regardless of the situation I have all I need because I have Christ. This world offers so many bright and shiny trinkets to take our eyes off of this truth. No campsite, no car, no house or job should ever be more important than my relationship with Christ.

Philippians 3:8

“What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”

How do you measure your life?

Recently I was able to see the stage production of Rent. This play took Broadway by storm in the late 90’s - challenging how people viewed the AIDS epidemic and giving the world a challenge that we should not be quick to forget. The play’s creator, Jonathan Larson, died tragically before the show’s opening making his now famous theme “no day but today” even more poignant.

The story follows the struggles of young artists in New York City struggling through a life affected by AIDS and the ever encroaching yuppie upper middle class mentality. The characters represent a collection of people from all areas of life, from a recovering musician facing the death sentence of AIDS related to his drug use to homosexual drag queen facing the same sentences related a promiscuous past. The story’s depth challenges many preconceived notions but I believe the most important question posed is one that Christians (and all people) should be asking themselves every day: How do you measure your life?

Do you measure you life in your accomplishments, in your possessions, in your bank account or some other tangible source? Sadly, it seems that as Christians we are not that different from the culture around us, we find our worth in what we have. Be it our big cars, tv’s or Church buildings, we are striving for the same sense of American prosperity as those around us. We even have an entire branch of Christianity prompting “prosperity” - the idea that the more devout your faith, the better you will do financially; amazing how far we have come from Christ’s most basic teaching.

So how are we to measure our lives? I think Larson had a better grasp of the Gospel than many Christians (note, I have no clue where Larson’s faith was and do not claim to know if he were Christian or not) when he said in his song Season’s of Love -“measure your life in love.” As Jesus was preparing for his death he gave his disciples (and us) a very clear directive: love each other (John 15:17).

In John 15:9-17 Jesus clearly lays out the path of obedience, remain in love and remain in him. Not just love, but love as he loved (verse 12). So how did Jesus love? He loved sacrificially, giving of his life for ALL of us. He loved beyond peoples short comings (PETER), he invested his time in people (generally the people popular culture ignores), he taught of God’s love with truth and compassion not with hate and condemnation.

Jesus often uses imagery related to being a shepard when speaking of his ministry and the ministry we are to have. In John 10:1-18 he reminds us that sheep will follow the shepard because they know his voice, they trust him because they know him. This is a relationship built between the sheep and the shepard over time. The sheep must learn that the shepard will protect and provide for them. Sheep do not follow a shepard they do not know. You or I could not walk into a field of sheep and start yelling and expect them to follow us because we went to Shepard College (I think that is located somewhere in Iowa...). A good shepard puts the sheep first, provides, protects and feeds all the sheep, not just the ones with a Jesus fish branded on their back bumper! When Jesus was preparing to ascend to heaven he left the disciples with another commandment , one that is clearly an extension of his first, feed and take care of his flock (John 21:15-18).

We must feed and take care of his flock, it is a matter of obedience. If we wish to remain in Jesus, we must remain in love, a love that he modeled. Jesus always pointed to God and we should always point to Jesus. His message of love is ours to share, nothing else. People will only listen when we focus more on loving as we are commanded to, then on being right. Loving is a difficult and filthy endeavor. Loving means getting past what you disagree with, because what you think does not matter! Loving is dangerous because you may get hurt, worse yet loving may change how you see the world! Love is sacrifice, love is pain, love is confusing and exhausting-and love is our command. It is much easier to tell someone they are wrong and walk away then it is to see past what you don't know, understand or agree with and walk beside them.

Love is a relationship. It means really knowing and investing in people. Love is expressed in long talks over coffee, in a meal delivered in a time of need, listening to a struggle you don't understand with a compassionate ear, in time spent enjoying people for their many and varied gifts. Love is not picketing a clinic, blasting a group of people who live differently then you, removing your children from the public school system, or spending millions of dollars on a political agenda while people are starving and homeless.

When people experience the love of Christ through us they will be drawn to Him and Him saving grace. And that’s really the point isn’t it?

Regardless of what doctrine you want to hide behind clearly our lives will be measured in love. This was and is Jesus’ commandment, thank you Jonathan Larson for reminding us.