Food meme!

Posted on October 8, 2007 by Barbara Harper

*Before I start, I have a question for you. A visitor who arrived at my site as a result of a search e-mailed me and said it was “so busy” it took a long time to load. I don’t have a problem with it loading on my computer except that the header picture sometimes take an extra couple of seconds to show. I do use Mozilla Firefox to view web pages, don’t know if that makes a difference. If my blog takes a long time to load for you, would you let me know? Thanks. 🙂

I saw this food meme at Melli’s, and, food being one of my favorite things, I borrowed it from her. 🙂

1. How do you like your eggs?

Most often scrambled, but occasionally I like a ham and cheese omelet or a fried egg on toast sandwich.

2. How do you take your coffee/tea?

I have to have everything decaf due to a heart rhythm problem.
Coffee: decaf with creamer (preferably the non-dairy powdered kind).
Tea: decaf, iced, unsweetened. I don’t like hot tea.

3. Favorite breakfast food?

Eggs.

4. Peanut butter – smooth or crunchy?

Smooth

5. What kind of dressing on your salad?

Catalina

6. Coke or Pepsi?

Diet decaf Pepsi

7. You’re feeling lazy, what do you make?

Some kind of sandwich or something on English muffins (tuna or ham topped with cheese, toasted in oven til cheese melts).

8. You’re feeling really lazy. What kind of pizza do you order?

I like pepperoni and sausage, a couple of my sons like ground beef and extra cheese, so we order one of each.

9. You feel like cooking. What do you make?

Oh, it depends. Spaghetti and lasagna are family favorites.

10. Do any foods bring back good memories?

This will sound really strange to some, but my mom made a spam casserole that a comfort food to me. Also when my dad was away Mom would make a simple meal of hot dogs cut up into tomato sauce with macaroni and cheese as a side dish.

11. Do any foods bring back bad memories?

Once at an aunt’s house she made me stay at the table all night until I ate the green stuff on my plate. I think it was spinach, maybe turnip greens. They made me gag.

12. Is there a food you refuse to eat?

Liver, oysters.

13. What was your favorite food as a child?

Steak fingers. There was one drive-up restaurant (like Sonic’s) we went to often, and that’s what I’d always get there

14. Is there a food that you hated as a child but now like?

I don’t remember hating broccoli and cauliflower as a child — I don’t remember ever having them as a child — but I had them for the first time in college and didn’t care for them. I earned to like them smothered in cheese sauce. 🙂 Then once when trying to lose weight I learned to like them without cheese sauce.

15. Is there a food that you liked as a child but now hate?

Not that I can think of.

16. Favorite fruit and vegetable?

Fruit — probably bananas or red delicious apples.
Vegetables — corn or broccoli

17. Favorite junk food?

Any chocolate chip cookie or Swiss cake rolls

18. Favorite between meal snack?

Chocolate chip cookies or chips

19. Do you have any weird food habits?

Not that I can think of. I used to eat hot cereals with salt and pepper rather than sugar. That garnered me some strange looks in college. Then I discovered I like them with brown sugar.

20. You’re on a diet. What food(s) do you fill up on?

Carrot sticks or grapes.

21 . You’re off your diet. Now what would you like?

The favorite junk foods listed above. 🙂

22. How spicy do you order Indian/Thai?

As mild as I can get it. I’ve only had Thai once and didn’t like it, but I have liked the Indian food I’ve tried.

23. Can I get you a drink?

Decaf unsweetened iced tea or decaf diet Pepsi, please.

24. Red wine or white?

Neither, thank you.

25. Favorite dessert?

Devil’s food cake with chocolate fudge frosting

26. The perfect nightcap?

I don’t drink alcohol. I usually have a few swigs of iced tea before bed.

Feel free to borrow this, too, and let me know if you do.

(Graphic courtesy of Creative Ladies Ministry Graphics)

God’s Word

Posted on October 6, 2007 by Barbara Harper

God’s Word is:

Given by Inspiration of God (II Timothy 3:16).

Profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (II Timothy 3:16).

A surer word of prophecy than experience (II Peter 1:16-21).

A lamp for my feet, a light for my path (Psalm 119:105).

Sweet (Psalm 19:10, 119:103).

The joy and rejoicing of my heart (Jeremiah 15:16).

More necessary than food (Job 23:12).

My delight and counselors (Psalm 119:24, 77, 174).

Perfect (Psalm 19:7).

Sure (Psalm 19:7; 93:5).

Right (Psalm 19:8, 9; 33:4; 119:128, 137, 138, 172).

Pure (Psalm 19:8; 12:6; 119:140).

Clean (Psalm 19:9).

True (Psalm 19:9; 119:160).

Righteous (Psalm 19:9; 119:138, 144).

More to be desired than gold (Psalm 19:10).

Like a fire (Jeremiah 23:29).

Like a hammer (Jeremiah 23:29).

Settled for ever in heaven (Psalm 119:89).

The sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17).

Quick (Hebrews 4:12).

Powerful (Hebrews 4:12).

Sharp (Hebrews 4:12).

Wonderful (Psalm 119:129).

Faithful (Psalm 119:138).

The joy and rejoicing of my heart (Jeremiah 15:16).

My basis for hope (Psalm 119:49).

My basis for comfort (Psalm 119:52).

Better than gold or silver (Psalm 119:72).

What I should love and meditate on (Psalm 119: 97; 1:1-3; Joshua 1:8).

The source of wisdom and understanding (Psalm 119: 98-100).

God’s Word:

Was used in creation (Psalm 33:6).

Is used to uphold all things (Hebrews 1:3).

Gives light (Psalm 119: 130).

Cleanses (John 15:3; Ephesians 5:26).

Heals (Psalm 107:20).

Quickens (Psalm 119:25, 50).

Pierces (Hebrews 4:12).

Discerns our thoughts and intents (Hebrews 4:12).

Converts (Psalm 19:7).

Makes wise (Psalm 19:7).

Rejoices the heart (Psalm 19:8).

Enlightens (Psalm 19:8).

Keeps me from sin (Psalm 119: 9,11,101).

Endures forever (Psalm 19:9; 119:160; I Peter 1:25).

She regrets having children

Posted on October 6, 2007 by Barbara Harper

A link from Amy’s Humble Musings yesterday took me to an article about a French woman, Corinne Maier, who wrote a book about why she regretted having children. One of her reasons is that children disappoint you.

Well. Duh.

Everyone will disappoint you if you hang around them long enough. And probably each of us has been a disappointment to someone else at some points along the way. We all have feet of clay, we all have faults, we’re all basically self-centered. In Bible terms, we’re all sinners. Children don’t come out of the womb with self-control and wisdom about how to act. Besides needing redemption, they need to be taught and trained. Left to themselves and their own instincts, they will cause shame.

This — the book, at least, and possibly the sentiment — seems to have been triggered by an outing in which the adults took the kids to a restaurant that the kids wanted to go to but the adults weren’t crazy about. Then the adults saw a museum they wanted to stop in, and the kids they didn’t want to be there and acted out.

Yes, that’s a normal selfish childish reaction. It’s also a teachable moment. It is through such times that children can be taught that the world does not revolve around them and that they can reign themselves in for a little while. If this kind of teaching is going all on through life, it won’t lead to a spectacular showdown as it would if you tried to teach them this all of a sudden after giving in to them all their lives.

Oddly, amongst the 40 reasons she lists for not having children is “To persist in saying ‘me first’ is a badge of courage.” She feels that a woman putting herself first (and therefore not having to deal with the “drudgery,” another of the 40 reasons) is courageous. But that same selfish “me first” attitude in her children is disappointing. There seems to be a bit of disconnection there. It’s ok, even noble for adult women to be selfish, but it is disappointing in children? The very quality she craves for herself she loathes in others.

“For the record, she has given copies of her book to both her children. Neither has picked it up, or paid it any attention.” That’s probably a good thing. I can’t imagine what it would do to their psyches. Ironically, the mother and her partner are psychiatrists.

Though she seemingly grudgingly admits, “you can have a meaningful existence having children,” her books strongly discourages other women from having them. “It is, she says, a means of shattering a national delusion, one that is damaging the lives of women, preventing them from progressing in their careers, keeping them from being creative and intelligent.”

Well, I happen to know many mothers who are both creative and intelligent, who take the time and care to raise and nurture and train little ones into responsible caring adults. Though it is often difficult and always challenging, it is a high and rewarding calling. Some would even say it is a joy.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt: Curvy

Posted on October 5, 2007 by Barbara Harper

PhotoHunt

Theme: Curvy | Become a Photo Hunter | View Blogroll

These appeared on my blog before in a post about my collection of heart-shaped things. Hearts are pretty curvy anyway, but these little shelves here have some extra curlicues. The shelves hang next to a wedding picture and a couple of plaques about marriage.

This I made last year. It’s one of my favorite things. Not only is the heart shape curvy, but the buttons are all curves.

Show and Tell Friday: Lampshade

Posted on October 5, 2007 by Barbara Harper

Kelli at There’s No Place Like Home hosts “Show and Tell Friday” asking “Do you have a something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, an antique find. Your show and tell can be old or new. Use your imagination and dig through those old boxes in your closet if you have to! Feel free to share pictures and if there’s a story behind your special something, that’s even better! If you would like to join in, all you have to do is post your “Show and Tell” on your blog, copy the post link, come over here and add it to Mr. Linky. Guidelines are here.“

I’ve mentioned that I don’t have many of the things I have made, except things for our boys’ room made when I was expecting. Most other things I’ve made have been for gifts. But this caught my eye (it should — it’s right beside my bed!! But sometimes we get so used to our things we don’t really “see” them any more) and I thought it would make for a fun show and tell.

I made this lampshade some 20 years ago at a little adult ed class at a Christian college.

This is a “cut and pierced” design. The teacher taught us how to cut out an arc out of special paper (I don’t remember what it was called. It’s firm but pliable), then center and trace a pattern onto the back side. Then we took Exacto knives and cut around the outer edges of the leaves and flower petals, then bent them back just a little so the light would show through. We had a little instrument with a wooden handle and what looked like a big needle on the end to pierce little holes in various places in the design. The we attached the arc to a top and bottom circle and glued — and we had a lampshade!

Here’s a closer look:

I’ve seen some where the designs are painted. I like those, too, but I like the simplicity of this one as well.

At the time this kind of craft was going around and we could find all the supplies at a local craft or hobby shop. I don’t know if that would be the case now, but I just did an Internet search and found kits and patterns available.

I did go on to make a couple of other lampshades as a result of this class, but this was the only cut and pierced one. I’m glad I kept it and I am enjoying it all over again.

Booking Through Thursday: Decorum

Posted on October 4, 2007 by Barbara Harper

The Booking Through Thursday question for this week is:

Do you have “issues” with too much profanity or overly explicit (ahem) “romantic” scenes in books? Or do you take them in stride? Have issues like these ever caused you to close a book? Or do you go looking for more exactly like them?

Yes, I do have issues with them. Because I am a Christian, one of my principles is to be careful of what I put in my mind, based on Psalm 101:3 (“I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes”) and Philippians 4:8 (“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”) I am responsible and accountable for my thoughts. I don’t want to trigger or feed the wrong kind of thinking by what I am reading.

I do come from a non-Christian home and I do know people “in real life” use profanity (and no, I don’t avoid them based on the above verses — I think those verses are referring to what we voluntarily feed our minds on). But I really encounter it very rarely in everyday life, so books that have a profusion of profanity are not only offensive to me but are unreal. Besides, there are so many descriptive and wonderful words, why resort to profanity? It seems lazy to me.

I do not object if a book contains a sexual encounter, even adultery — after all, even the Bible contains such scenes. But it is not explicit in its description except to some degree in the Song of Solomon. Even from a literary standpoint, it’s usually more effective to leave more to the imagination than to spell out every detail.

Blogging contests, ending soon

Posted on October 3, 2007 by Barbara Harper

I’ve seen a couple of different great contests out there today.

If you know a college student who has a blog, they could win a $10,000 college scholarship. Deadline for entry is midnight PST Oct. 6.

I’m not familiar with ProBlogger since I’m not making money on my blog, at least for now, but my son alerted me to some birthday bash contests they’re having this week. in one, you can win TWO 20-inch FlatronWide L206WU USB-based monitors provided by DisplayLink. For that you have to write up a post about the ProBlogger Birthday Bash and link to it, then leave a comment on the post at ProBlogger about it. That one ends Friday at 8am (EST). This one features 24 blogging-related prizes in 24 hours for writing a post about blogging tips and runs until noon EST Thursday. There is another contest there tomorrow.

Works-For-Me Wednesday: Backwards Day, #2

Posted on October 3, 2007 by Barbara Harper

I had already posted a question for this week’s Backwards Day version of WFMW below, then much later on I remembered something else I had wanted to ask about, so I thought since it was a different topic I’d make it a different post rather than adding on to the previous one.

Someone e-mailed me this week asking if I knew of any Christian resources for dealing with menopause, particularly the problems resulting from lack of sleep and from depression. I don’t, but since this is something I will likely be dealing with in the next few years, I’d like to have some good resources on hand, too.

Know of any?

Again, to take this opportunity to ask for tips from the blogosphere, go to Shannon’s at Rocks In My Dryer.

Works-For-Me Wednesday: Backwards Day

Posted on October 2, 2007 by Barbara Harper

There’s a twist to this week’s WFMW: we’re to ask for advice or tips rather than give any.

I know there are probably a few dozen things I could ask about, but there are only two that come to mind now that are current needs:

1) How do you get fingerprints and grime off walls without harming the latex paint? 409 and the Magic Eraser haven’t worked.

2) What ideas do you have for quick lunches or dinners? For instance, one of ours is to spread pizza sauce or Prego (or, most likely, I’ll sprinkle basil, oregano, minced onion, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese into tomato sauce and use that) on English muffin halves, add a few slices of pepperoni, sprinkle with mozzarella or provolone, and bake til cheese melts. But I need some more ideas!

To ask questions of your own, or to see if you have answers for anyone else’s questions, go to Rocks In My Dryer.