Wednesday, March 17, 2010

What Do I Know of Holy

Sung by Addison Road

I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all No
If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life "its" name?
What do I know of Holy?
Of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above
What do I know of this love?

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?

What do I know?
What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of Holy?

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Definition of fear: reverential awe, esp. toward God.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Rollerblading fun

We've had super mild temps and our snow is a meltin'! We chipped a bit of ice off the driveway and now it's mostly clear.

We were outside Sunday afternoon and the little ones wanted to get out their Rollerblades. Here are some video clips and pictures.

Shelby was skiing with a friend for the day. She came home totally exhausted from a busy weekend. Her friend, Emily, stayed Thursday and Friday night with us because her parents were out of town and then Shelby went to her friend, Sophia's house on Saturday and didn't return until Sunday evening. So, that's the long reason why she isn't in these pictures! :)





Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Fried Chicken and Gravy

The other night, I made possibly the best fried chicken and gravy that I've ever made. I followed a recipe from Taste of Home - April/May 2009 issue.

My father is from the south and he taught me how to make gravy. It's not difficult but you can't rush it either. The past two times I've made gravy, I burnt it because I was trying to rush the thickening part. Doesn't work. You just have to stand there stirring it until it decides to thicken on it's own. The other part is fat. You have to have some kind of fat. I use bacon fat mostly and keep a jar of it in the fridge for this reason. Last night, I used a couple of tablespoons of the drippings from frying the chicken. I also scraped all the little "scrunchins" out of the fried chicken pan and put them in with the gravy. OMGoodness, it was heavenly!

Nothing screams comfort food to me like fried food covered in gravy! :) I guess that's why we can only enjoy it once in awhile lest we look like the broad side of a barn.

The recipe called for a whole chicken with skin on. I used chicken breasts minus the skin. It was still wonderful and I saved a few calories by omitting the skin.

In a large, resealable bag I combined these ingredients.
1 c flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp pepper

Add chicken a few pieces at a time and shake to coat.

In large skillet over medium high heat, heat 1/4 inch of oil. Fry chicken until browned on all sides. Reduce heat and cover. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until juices run clear. Remove chicken to paper towels and keep warm.

Gravy
2 Tbsp flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/3 c milk

Pour off the excess fat from the skillet and reserve 2 Tbsp. drippings and browned bits. Stir in flour and salt until blended. Gradually add the milk. Bring to a boil; cook for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. (this part usually takes longer for me and once it starts to boil I turn it down a bit so I don't burn the bottom.)

We have no pictures of the food as we inhaled it as quickly as it hit the table. I fried up 3 lbs of chicken and there were no leftovers for Dan to take to work the next day. Apparently, the kids liked it too. I served fried potatoes and coleslaw with the chicken and gravy, the perfect southern meal.

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I wanted to show you this great little pitcher I bought at a silent auction last week. I served the gravy in it the other night and it looked so pretty! It's a pottery pitcher that a friend of mine made. She has her own kiln and makes some really neat pieces. It's silly how much pleasure I get out of setting a pretty table and having nice dishes and plates.









The little ones learned all about clouds, snow and ice in school yesterday. We made paper snowflakes and taped them to the front window. I forgot how fun they are to make and what great designs show up when you open up the paper.




It's time for school. I'm fighting a headache and a restless spirit today. I would like to be on the road to anywhere. It would be fun to be able to put the family in the car and go. Friends are taking their spring breaks this week so that doesn't help. Oh, well, buckle down girl. Get something done.