a sound mind

The older I get, the more I realize how important rest is to my well-being.   While there are plenty of jokes about the inevitable and very common state of sleep deprivation that bounce around social circles everywhere, I would like to advocate that rest is more important than the things preventing it.   I bring this up because I had a pretty intense week, followed by an even more disruptive weekend. which of course caused me to face all of the ugliness that unrest brings.   Rather than re-live all of my sleep-deprived related anxiety and emotions, I decided to start focusing on the positives of rest.  I mean, really, the advantages of being well-rested are almost limitless, maybe for no other reason than that rest nurtures a sound mind.   Balanced judgement and wise-decision making are two of my deepest values so I guess it makes sense that I do what I need to do to keep my head on straight! 

I have set this week aside as a "must rest" week which includes things like:
-spending time at the gym
-cooking dinner for myself and my friends (I have two friends coming over for dinner tomorrow and one coming over for dinner on Sunday.  I am so blessed to have friends in my life who like spending time with me in ways that are meaningful to me!)
-running errands that I don't usually make time for, such as getting my dress pants altered. 
-starting my Christmas crafting projects
-deciding which book is next up on my "must read" list.  
(last but not least)
-listening to Christmas music!

What are you going to do this week that creates space for rest in your life?

Love people, cook them good food!

Good friends are such a blessing.   In the height of my grading + car-shopping induced stress on Friday, I got a text from my friend April saying that she was in the middle of her fall organizational project, would I like to meet up at our favorite Dunn Bros for a productive afternoon?  I breathed a sigh of relief, packed up my laptop and headed to meet her for some much-needed accountability to finish my grades.  In between the tedious task of writing grades for my students, April told me about her fall organizational project: compiling all of her recipes to put together a cookbook of her own.   While neither of us are likely to ever author our cookbooks, there is something fun about the idea of making our very own anthology of recipes.    Someday I hope to be able to pull all of the recipes I have posted on this blog, organize them into a Word document and print myself a comprehensive book of all of my favorite foods.   With that said, I couldn't sign off without sharing a new favorite.   

This simple creation was enjoyed by both my friend Shannon and I for dinner earlier this evening.    There is something extra inviting about spending a brisk fall evening catching up with a friend over a bowl of hot soup.   

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Bisque

1 Medium Butternut Squash
2 Medium Sweet Potatoes
32 Ounces Chicken Broth
4-6 Cloves of Garlic
1 Tablespoon Tarragon
1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
Salt and pepper.
12 Ounces Fat Free Evaporated Milk

Directions:

Peel, seed and chop the Butternut Squash into 1 inch cubes.
Peel and chop the Sweet Potato into 1 inch cubes.
Place Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato, Chicken Broth, Garlic, Tarragon, Ginger, salt and pepper into the crock pot.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours.
At the end of cooking, use an immersion blender to puree the soup.
Add the Evaporated Milk.

Planning ahead.

It is never too early to start planning for the holidays, which is why I have already ear-marked two new recipes to be part of the Nolte family Thanksgiving festivities.   I tried both of these recipes this weekend and I am confident that my dad will welcome the addition of the herbed whipped squash to our Thanksgiving table.   As for the rest of my family, I am certain they will agree that the buttermilk-cinnamon muffins I am bringing for breakfast are some of the best muffins they have ever eaten.    I love eating good food with the people I care about the most! 

Herbed Whipped Squash

1 large butternut squash, baked (about 3 cups cooked)

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Scoop cooked squash out of shell and place in mixer bowl.  Attach bowl and wire whip to mixer.  Turn to speed 4 and beat about 30 seconds.  Add all remaining ingredients.  Turn to speed 2 and mix about 30 seconds.  Turn to Speed 4 and beat about 2 minutes.

Serving: 1/2 cup, about 107 calories.

Cinnamon-Buttermilk Muffins

For the muffins:

7 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the topping: 

2/3 cup sugar

1 Tbs. ground cinnamon

6 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted 

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line pan with muffin cups.  

2. Combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.   Add the egg and beat well until pale and smooth.  

3. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.   Add to the batter mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla.  Stir just until evenly moistened.   The batter will be slightly lumpy.  

4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each three-fourths full.  Bake until the muffins are golden, dry and springy to the touch, 20-25 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes.   Transfer muffins to wire rack to finish cooling.  

5. To make the topping, in a small, shallow bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon.  Put the melted butter in another small bowl.  Holding the bottom of a muffin, dip the top into the melted butter, turning to coat it evenly.   Immediately dip the top in the cinnamon and sugar mixture, coating it evenly.   Transfer the muffin, right side up, to the rack.  Repeat with the remaining muffins.  Let cook completely before serving.  Makes 9 muffins. 

Remembering

One thing I love about this blog is the platform it gives me to remember.  Remembering where the Lord has taken my life over both simple and significant time spans is a critical piece to my fellowship with the Lord and is often an act that deepens my faith.   After all, who doesn't love a good story?

I distinctly remember sitting in my pajamas, in late October of last year, washed in the relief of having made it to MEA - the first long weekend of the school year.   Now, one year later, I am once again sitting in my pajamas, but instead of being washed in relief, I am marveling at what a difference a year can make!   Not only did I make it past last year's MEA break, I finished the school year, moved, taught summer school, and returned to the school that is quickly becoming my second home.   Because of my move, I can now say that I live in my very own space, which I happen to love both for its style and solitude.  Somewhere along the way, I started going to a new church, which has been a huge source of blessing and rest for me.  Sometime in the midst of the final days of my first year of teaching, I turned in my lab coats to become a classroom teacher.  Holding a position where my language of instruction would be sign language has been a dream of mine since attending Deaf Culture Camp of Minnesota in 2009.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have to rise to the occasion and grow into the position this early in my career!  All of that aside, I can't help but marvel at how the Lord has grown my stamina for all of the things that life entails.

It's hard to pinpoint when exactly God grew my stamina to handle life events with more grace, but this past weekend is evidence that it happened.  I remember laying in my bed and crying on Saturday night of MEA break last year because I was still exhausted and I hated knowing that there was only one more day standing between me and my return to work.  This year, I'm not feeling nearly as fragile and because I have learned to trust God through my exhaustion, I was able to purpose my time differently.   

Unexpectedly, I spent the majority of my weekend shopping for a new car.   While I did not handle this process alone, I am surprised and satisfied with my ability to make sound decisions in the face of overwhelming amounts of information.  When I needed wise counsel, my parents were present and available, which kept me calm and far more rational then I would have been otherwise. I didn't know that I was going to need to buy a car this weekend, so in that respect I was caught off guard.  However, I have been anticipating this need for over a year, which means that I continue to catch myself breathing sighs of relief now that this is over.   Something that was once hypothetical has become tangible, which means that I am no longer preparing for this to happen.  Instead, I get to take on the active role of being a good steward of my car and shift my finances from saving for a car to paying for a car.   This is a welcomed change in my budget and my mindset.   I learned today, that sometimes the price of peace of mind is a car with a warranty!

After many cumulative hours on the phone with my parents, reading consumer reports online and chatting with dealerships, I settled on a 2012 Ford Fiesta.  This adorable candy blue car is sitting happily in my parking space underground.   One huge perk of this purchase is that I now fit comfortably into my assigned parking space at the Condo.   Praise the Lord!

Perspective.

Perspective really is everything, isn't it?!  

As of late, I have been fighting discouragement as I face long days and lots of challenges.  My job is really, really important to me.  I need time and opportunity in my life to invest in others, to demonstrate unconditional love and to be loved in return.  The truth of the matter is, my job is one of the safest and most consistent places where I know I am valued.   Kids can't hide how important adults are to them, and I can't pretend like they aren't equally as important to me.  To me, teaching special ed is about overcoming challenges for the sake of relationship.   I wake up everyday with a need to accommodate, advocate and redirect.  If my floundering state over the summer was any indication, I feel the freedom to confess that I  don't know what I would do if I wasn't doing this.  And yet, I've been fighting discouragement. 

As I was wrapping up my evening and winding down for bed, I stumbled across the post below, which for some reason was never published last year.  It echos many of the feelings I have today, which brings me to a new place of perspective.  Life moves forward, but the battles we fight are both temporary and necessary.  I am coming to believe that success is hardly ever realized without suffering. Even if I started last year discouraged, I did not end the school year that way, which means that even this discouragement will pass.    

Today I was thinking about how most Americans could classify their jobs as "high stress" because of the pressure, pace, demands, responsibility and expectations tied to employment.   Although our respective professions are hard in their own ways, the common denominator linking us as working people is stress.

Lately I have been fighting discouragement due to an overarching lack of grace from my peers.  Because my job is dynamic, demanding, fragile and new I face inevitable failures each and everyday.   Because of the newness of everything, I have to offer a lot of grace to myself.   I have found that the real challenge is holding onto that grace in the face of someone else compounding the little failures of the day with strong opinions of how things should have gone, or calling attention to the things I didn't do.   While I am still working on the strategies I need to be a generous giver of grace to myself and others, it's good to remember that in Gods economy, there is no condemnation because I am in Christ Jesus.  

food and fellowship

Sometimes I think I'm at my happiest when I am cooking for a large amount of people.   (And by large, I mean any number greater than cooking for myself).  Maybe it's the anticipation of spending time with people I care about that makes cooking for a crowd such a delightful thing.  It could also be the freedom that comes from knowing that I can cook really good food and not have the sole responsibility of eating copious amounts of leftovers for over a week.  Or perhaps it's the fulfillment of the simple desire to serve other people by meeting tangible needs in their lives. 

Why do I bring this up, might you ask?  Well, in the midst of my school-year-fatigue, I was thinking about my final days of summer and how thankful I was to spend them in Door County with my family.   My mom is ultra supportive of my never-ending experimental cooking, so I showed up with an armful of ingredients and the instructions to make the breakfast bake detailed below.   This creamy, gooey, not-so-healthy breakfast  could feed an army, so it will not be making a re-appearance in my kitchen while I am responsible for only feeding myself.  However,  it's sure to make the menu the next time I'm cooking for large amounts of people :).    

Brown Potato and Egg Bake

1/2 lb bacon, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 bag (30 oz) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed and drained

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8oz)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

9 large eggs

1 1/4 cups milk

1 container (8oz) sour cream

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon ground mustard

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 13x9 glass baking dish with cooking spray. 

2. In 10-inch skillet, cook bacon and onion over medium-high heat about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bacon is crisp and onion is tender; drain on paper towels. 

3. In large bowl, toss bacon mixture, potatoes and cheeses.  Spoon into baking dish.  In same bowl, beat eggs, milk, sour cream, salt, pepper and mustard with fork or wire whisk until well mixed.  Pour egg mixture over potato mixture. 

4. Bake uncovered 50 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  

homemade.

Every once in awhile, we all need a little boost to help make it through the day.   While I will continually advocate that a kind word is always worth sharing, it is my experience that homemade baked goods seem to go the extra mile.  In an attempt to communicate care to my fellow d/hh teachers, I grabbed my moms recipe for ginger snaps, pulled all of the ingredients from my cupboards and baked some cookies in spite of sink full of dirty dishes.  The cookies were received at staff meeting with great enthusiasm and, a whole day later, they are still the talk of the team.  Since my co-workers  have requested this recipe, I figured it had earned its place in cyberspace.  After all, I am sure you know some people who could use a little homemade pick-me-up in there day too!

Ginger Snaps 

3/4 cups shortening 

1 cup sugar 

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

cream the above ingredients and add: 

1/4 tsp salt 

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cloves 

1 tsp ginger 

2 tsp vanilla 

2 cups flour 

Mix. Form dough into 1 inch balls.  Roll in sugar, place on cookie sheet and press flat with a glass.  Bake at 325 degrees for 8-10 minutes.   Do not over bake.   Mild Molasses is best.   

freezer cooking: chicken enchiladas

One of life's simplest pleasures is sharing a meal with a friend, wouldn't you agree?  There is something natural and inviting about feeding our bodies and our hearts simultaneously.   Freezer cooking has helped me share more meals with more people on days when I wouldn't normally have time to prepare food and invite a friend to join me at my table.  One such meal has made two separate appearances in my kitchen, both times with rave reviews.   Who knew that a late summer project would create a deliciously memorable gathering point in the midst of a busy fall? 
     

South of the Border Chicken Enchiladas:

4 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 16oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 4oz can diced green chilies, drained

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

12 corn tortillas or 8 flour tortillas

1/2 cups sour cream

4 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese 

Cooking day:

Melt butter in a medium saucepan, then saute onion and garlic in butter until tender.  Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chilies, sugar, cumin salt, oregano and basil.  Simmer on stovetop about 20 minutes, until heated through and seasonings are well-blended. 

To assemble enchiladas, dip each side of the tortilla in the sauce.  Fill enchilada with 1/3 cup of chicken and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of cheese, then roll up and place seam side down on a 9x13 baking dish.  Blend sour cream into the remaining enchilada sauce.  Pour sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Cover and freeze.

Serving day: thaw completely. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted.