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Sweet & Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

My friend Laura shared this recipe under the name "The Absolute Best Pumpkin Seeds Ever." I'd have to agree. I'm posting this at my sister's request as she pickles a pumpkin and roasts the seeds.

1 C pumpkin seeds
5 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
pinch cayenne pepper
1 1/2 Tbs peanut oil (I use olive)

Heat over to 250. spread seeds out on non stick surface and bake until dry, about 1 hour. Combine 3 Tbs sugar and spices in bowl. Heat peanut oil in large non stick skillet over high heat. Add seeds and 2 TBS sugar. Cook and stir until sugar melts and starts to caramelize, about 49-60 seconds. Pour seeds in bowl and coat with spice mixture. Spread on paper towels to dry. You will not regret making this recipe, TRUST ME!

10/07/05:
I just made this recipe again and realized there are some modifications that I like. First I use about half of the oil than is recommended in the recipe (and I substitute olive oil for the peanut oil.) Also, I prefer the pumpkin seeds with shells on, rather than the "pepitas." Personally, I prefer the recipe with a little less salt and definitely including the pinch of cayenne (which I don't have on hand today.)

September 27, 2005 | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

Ezzo Debate Board Closing

The Parent's Place Ezzo Debate Board is somewhere I lurked when I was still using Ezzo's materials and thought all the nay-sayers "just didn't understand."

When I first started questioning Ezzo parenting, the Ezzo Debate Board was where I was able to ask my questions and be treated with respect and get thoughtful answers.

As I left behind Ezzo parenting, it was a place where I vented and dealt with a lot of the hurt and anger and confusion that came with having believed something and then seeing how unBiblical it was.

And the Powers That Be have decided to close the board.

Sure, the traffic hasn't been that high on it lately, but it really is a unique place online. The other Ezzo-related resources just don't fill the same niche.

Unprepared for Parenting isn't a "debate board" though discussion on various aspects of Ezzo's teachings is welcomed.

Awareparent.net does encourage dialogue and discussion, but it isn't as public as the Parent's Place board has been.

The FreeFromEzzo Yahoo group is focused on "recovery" from Ezzo parenting, not debate.

Ezzo.info is an amazing and well-documented clearinghouse of Ezzo related information. But no debates are hosted there.

So. . . I'm sad. . . And I really appreciate the people who spent so much time with me and other Ezzo mamas, gently and patiently challenging our assumptions.

Key threads from the archives:
Ezzo Parenting Controversy 101
Evaluating Biblical Arguments
Evaluating Ezzo's Logic
Logic Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

September 26, 2005 | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

Thanks, Mr. Rogers.

What Do You Do? By Fred M. Rogers

What do you do with the mad that you feel
When you feel so mad you could bite?
When the whole wide world seems oh, so wrong...
And nothing you do seems very right?

What do you do? Do you punch a bag?
Do you pound some clay or some dough?
Do you round up friends for a game of tag?
Or see how fast you go?

It's great to be able to stop
When you've planned a thing that's wrong,
And be able to do something else instead
And think this song:

I can stop when I want to
Can stop when I wish.
I can stop, stop, stop any time.
And what a good feeling to feel like this
And know that the feeling is really mine.
Know that there's something deep inside
That helps us become what we can.
For a girl can be someday a woman
And a boy can be someday a man.

Listen to the song. Thanks to Camille. Mr. Rogers was a good Presbyterian.

September 26, 2005 | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

What I'm. . .

Drinking: French Market Coffee and Chickory
Reading: Common Ground, the book
Thinking: About the nature of sin and sanctification
Cross-posting: Heart to Hearth
Watching: My kids making paper airplanes
Playing: Suduko, (Thanks, sparkling Barbara)
Cooking: Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Waiting: For my sister to call, announcing my nephew is born
Cleaning: Walls & fingerprints

September 24, 2005 | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

Pick Your Prize!

Not only does Tim Challies have a great blog, write insightful book reviews, and design creative websites--he also likes to pass along great resources via his monthly Challies.Com giveaway.

This month, choose a Bible and choose a book from a wide selection. (Oh--and real people actually win this drawing. I did!)

September 22, 2005 | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

Free Admission! Selby Botanical Gardens

Sept. 17 – Sept. 23, 2005
Free Admission Week at
Selby Botanical Gardens
811 S. Palm Avenue
Sarasota, FL
Hours: 10am-5pm

(Via Eileen at Sarasota Christian Moms)

September 20, 2005 | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

Bye-bye, Technorati!

Most everyone who blogs is familiar with technorati, and the great service they've provided the past several years in searching blogs and links. Great service, that is, until the past few months. I don't know what's going on there, but whatever it is hasn't been good. . .

Pyro-guy has lamented technorati's increasing lameness. The Rough Woodsman suggested icerocket as an imperfect alternative. (And at that time I mused that it would be great for Google to jump into this niche. . .)

And Google has met the challenge! I just found out, thanks to gid. I'm again impressed with Google's tools and innovations. We'll have to wait and see how effective it is when used regularly. Check out:

Google Blog Search

Hmmm. . . After playing around with it a bit, it doesn't quite seem to be up to the technorati-in-its-heyday level at this point.

September 17, 2005 | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

Call Me -- Skeptical

This is a comment that was recently made on a previous thread here. It brings up some very interesting points. Welcome, Skeptical. I hope you don't mind me highlighting your comments. I believe they will stimulate some interesting discussion.

I surfed over here from a parenting board, and I just have to comment. I'm everything people like you despise - politically progressive, committed to attachment parenting, and extremely wary of people who call themselves "Christian."

I have to ask, in the spirit of respectful inquiry - what responsibility do Babywisers *themselves* bear? I hear so frequently now from former Babywisers who deeply regret their abusive parenting practices. They blame the man, the book, the principles, the schedule, their church. But what about *them*?

I can tell you that there is no book, no man, no group, no "groupthink," that could EVER make me starve my children, ignore their nighttime cries, physically bully and intimidate them, and teach them that relationships are all about domination and emotional violence. I'm so weary of former Babywisers who want to abdicate all moral and ethical responsibility for their actions. Maybe the program is ill-informed and harmful. So what does that say about the people who follow it to the letter?

Sorry, but formerly abusive parents don't get my sympathy. That's reserved for their grievously wronged children.

--Skeptical

And to continue the discussion, from Skeptical. . .

Hmm. Okay, that comment came out sounding meaner than I intended. I truly don't want to be unkind to parents who genuinely regret their prior behavior, and who seek to become better, kinder, more gentle caregivers. So I apologize for sounding like a *insert inappropriate word here*. But my initial confusion still stands. If someone told me to turn my heart away from my children, I'd tell him to go *blank* himself. I cannot imagine any such hateful doctrine taking root in the community of which I am a part. So why has it taken up residence in yours?

Now I'm verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves.

Tags: GFI / Ezzo / Babywise, Babywise, Gary Ezzo, Ezzo.Info, groupthink, abusive, Parenting Discussion

September 14, 2005 | Comments (25) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

Let a Woman Learn. . .

"Christian wives tend to leave the "fat books" and theology to their husbands. While this may look "submissive" to some, it is actually disobedience. It is not enough that we know Proverbs 31, Ephesians 5, 1 Peter 3, and 1 Corinthians 11 & 14. We have to know more than how to be a good wife.

"Afterall, our first calling is to be a good Christian, and if we are good Christians, we will be good wives and mothers. We musn't be afraid to study topics other than those which are related to being a wife and mother. We see in Scripture that women became disciples along with the men. What is a disciple? It is not a mindless follower. A disciple is a student -- someone enrolled in the class.

"This can even be seen in passages of Scripture which some have sinfully misunderstood and written off as "anti-women." When Paul prohibits women from teaching men, he (in the same breath) requires Christian women to be students of the Word. Let a woman learn . . . (1 Tim. 2:11).

From "Being a Woman of the Word"
by Nancy Wilson

September 11, 2005 | Comments (14) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

With a Heavy Heart

Remembering 9/11.

September 11, 2005 | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

Songs of New Orleans

Even before the hurricane and flood, Aaron Neville's Louisiana 1927 brought tears to my eyes.

Listen online to Songs of New Orleans, thanks to NPR.

September 09, 2005 | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

Bliss.

Sitting in a local coffee shop. Comfy arm chairs. Hot latte. Classic jazz. Wifi. Solitude.

September 09, 2005 | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

A Hymn After the Hurricane

Stephen D. Lawton of Mitchell Road Presbyterian Church in Greenville, S.C. (PCA) has written this hymn in response to Hurricane Katrina and its impact on the Gulf Coast States.

God of Nature, at Whose Voice

God of nature, at whose voice the waves and winds must now obey,
Give your people words of comfort, acts of grace to share today.
Yours the pow’r of devastation, yours to gather, help and heal;
We know not your ways of wisdom; let your light our paths reveal.

Shelter Lord, the homeless, helpless, young and old with pity see,
Give their daily food, supply their needs with perfect equity.
Grant protection, strength and patience to their rescuers, we pray;
Fill with hope the laboring workers, grace to serve both night and day.

Bring your people ever closer, sharing pain of grief and loss,
Motivate us, loving Savior, with the love shown by your cross.
We, your Body, long to serve you, serving others in your name,
And when sorrow washes o’er us, Gracious Spirit, heal the pain.

Call our nation to repentance; gather us that we may see
You’re the God of love and mercy; rescue us and set us free.
Let our deeds announce redemption, saving grace for all our days.
Let your song go forth to cheer us, lifting heart and hands to praise. Amen.

Beach Spring, 87.87.D (Come All Christians Be Committed)

© 2005 Stephen D Lawton, all rights reserved

Permission is hereby granted for credited use, unaltered, only in public worship.

(Via ByFaithOnline, e-mail updates)

September 07, 2005 | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice. It was comfort food, as well as a staple, as I grew up. My Mom tells me how they had it every Monday, as is traditional in New Orleans. Monday is wash day, perfect for having a pot of beans simmer slowly on the back of the stove all day. Even better, if there is a leftover ham bone from Sunday dinner.

I rinsed and started soaking my red beans last night. Here is a rough recipe for New Orleans Red Beans and Rice--it's one of those recipes that becomes better as you tweak it over time and adjust it to suit your family.

2 pounds dried red beans, sorted and rinsed
Water
1/2 pound lean salt pork, bacon, or ham, diced (veggie friends--you can leave this out--but honestly, a little bacon adds a lot of flavor!)
2 medium onions, chopped
1 cup celery, finely chopped (opt.)
1 green pepper, chopped (opt.)
1-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
TABASCO Sauce, to taste

Hot cooked rice
Hot french bread, butter

Wash and soak beans overnight. Drain beans, and cover with fresh water Add meat and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover. Add onions, celery, garlic, and seasonings, either directly to the pot, or saute first, then add to pot.

Cover, simmer 1 1/2 to 3 hours longer, until beans are tender enough to smush easily with a fork. Add water while cooking, as needed. If you like, take some of the beans out, smush them and add them back to the pot for a thicker consistency.

Serve over hot, white rice wtih french bread and plenty of butter.

September 06, 2005 | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

Something Postive

From Musing Rebecca

September 03, 2005 | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

Maw Maw's Pralines

2 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
1 c pecans
1/3 - 1/2 stick butter
3/4 - 1 c milk
1 tsp vanilla

Heat all except vanilla--stir constantly until sugar is dissolved. Let it cook to a soft ball--medium first, then low heat. Take off heat and add vanilla. Cool without stirring. Beat until almost losing gloss--don't overdo. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper laid on newspaper to help pralines from cracking.

(My Maw Maw makes this recipe from memory, and dictated the directions to me as she cooked it. I think I wrote down this recipe when I was about 12. My pralines are never quite as good as Maw Maw's.)

September 02, 2005 | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

Old Times There, Are Not Forgotten

The Pontalba Apartments
My first home that I remember.

Jackson Square Art Colony
Where I was nurtured by my artist mother.

Jackson Square
Where I rode my tricycle and fed the pigeons.
The ice cream man was my friend.

Le Petit Theatre-Vieux Carre
Where I had my fourth birthday.

Cafe du Monde
Breakfast of beignets, with cafe au lait for Mom and chocolate milk for me.

Metairie, Louisiana
Where Grampie and Maw Maw live, my second home.

Waveland, MS
Where we went crabbin' and had our little pink house on the corner.

Gumbo and Crawfish and Pralines
Food of my childhood.

September 02, 2005 | Comments (12) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

Dirges in the Dark

So, Bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee
But the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

September 02, 2005 | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

Comparing Gas Prices , Take 2

Yesterday a friend mentioned to me she heard that gas prices were going to be hitting $3 in our area. So, I went and filled up the car and was thankful to be paying "just" $2.69. Later that day, the same gas station was at $2.79. Today the sign at that one read $2.89--but that station was out of gas.

I did fill up today at another station for $2.89. And these are all "regular" prices listed--the higher end gas is already over $3. My father-in-law travels alot and filled up his tank in North Carolina for $5 a gallon this week.

Here are some helpful sites (which I found a few months ago) for finding the most economical gasoline in your area--if it's still available. It's also great for the curious among us who want to compare prices around the country.

GasBuddy: Good site, links to local state gas price sites.

GasPriceWatch: Good potential, but not useful for our area.

This really makes me miss the well-developed public transportation system of Kyiv. That, and living in a city where groceries, church, and friends were within an easy walking distance.

September 01, 2005 | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0) | Permalink

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