Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Pressure Cooker Adventure


Inspired by the Parable of the Pressure Cooker I set out to make a pot roast. 

First I had to FIND a recipe.....Janelle had mentioned 15 minutes but all the ones I found said 45 - 60 min. She has since confirmed her recipe was at 15 lbs of pressure for the longer time. Since my pot doesn't have rings or pressure gauges....I decided to go for it. 

The You Tube videos I watched showed the women poking and prodding the meat - so I did.  This is what two vegans look like when preparing a slab of meat.

Things were going along well. THEN it was time to open it and add veggies. As it was heating back up the pressure rocker (black thing) looked strange. I kept commenting on it. Michael was working in the kitchen on my computer.....and was a bit distracted or I'm SURE he'd have paid more attention to my comments...but Whamo - the black thing blew off.....see it there on the counter?

The other part of it was in the pot somewhere....

He found it! 

When dinner requires a socket and wrench to prepare - you know you're in for a special treat. ::snort::

The veggies were a bit over done and the meat didn't quite get as done as they like...but I'll try again later. 

So.....my additions to Janelle's parable....when you totally blow your top.....our Father digs around for your blown pieces and loving puts them back together with heavenly tools. 

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

First Days Back Are BEARS


Everyone knows FIRST DAYS back can be bears!  We raced  back in time for me to attend PWOC's packing party. We weren't sure the kids would be back for their Christmas party.  I woke up EARLY even for me - TX TIME...and decided maybe I'd just go to PWOC, say hi, drop off the gifts and come home to continue the settling in that needs to happen after a trip.  The younger two woke up and KNEW it was PWOC day.  Off we went.  When it's all said and done, I was glad I stayed as well. I've been traveling pretty much since Thanksgiving and it was nice to connect with some in person. 

Two major happenings will make this PWOC day stand out in my mind for years to come. Zander (known as Alex to all but Mom and Krista) got into a physical altercation over football. This led to our realization we need to download some touch football rules and help him learn the game - just isn't something we've done in our homeschool....and it also led to a discussion on what is socially appropriate now that he is growing older....when pushed, one shouldn't pick up the other player and move him to a new location. This is humiliating. It wasn't really Zander's goal and he could have just as easy moved himself! It also led to him being hit - and to him pushing the other boy.....so...both moms have talked...boys have apologized we're all good.... We hadn't realized with his growing size there are new areas of appropriateness we need teach him. All's well....we just have to REMEMBER that this one needs us to anticipate and train what others of our children have instinctively known. 

The other major happening was prompted by Janelle's devotional, "The Parable of the Pressure Cooker." This was an excellent devotional and I'll not do it justice...the verses spoke peace and challenge. We sometimes get in situations where we look shiny on the outside but burned on the inside. God has to scrub us. His hands are intimately involved with our mess. He has to use a variety of methods to get the stink and gunk off us. It was a great devo. 

During the course of the talk Janelle mentioned she can do soups in 7 minutes and a roast in 15 min. An idea was planted. I use mine mostly for artichokes.

Our outreach this year is to Courage House - which is a house for girls rescued from sex trafficking. April is doing a great job  sharing very practical ways we can bless the house and the girls it houses (mostly the girls you know?).  This month we had leaves with items on it to purchase which would allow us to create baskets for the girls for Christmas.  Today we had fun assembling the boxes...and then they were wrapped in tulle and ribbon.  I indulged myself and snapped a few shots...two new friends....Rachel and Cheryl. 

And Valerie....

I checked in at home after PWOC. Michael was working on my computer - which seems to be working now. The kids and I hit the commissary and filled the van up with gas - wowzer! 

While at the commissary I decided a pressure cooker pot roast would be about right for the day - dinner in 15 min. THAT will deserve a separate post.

I had mentioned to Stacia I thought it would be fun to have Rachel's kids over to make ornaments and decorate cookies. She seemed to think that meant she should make an ornament NOW, TODAY, this very AFTERNOON. We had the pieces to make ONE of these so I let her give it a shot. It turned out to be good I did as we discovered we need glue before Friday....modge podge did work.  It has been in my mind to let Stacia make some ornaments. We realized when we unpacked Christmas stuff the older kids have all made some for the tree - but Stacia hasn't. They made them in Sunday School....and her Sunday School classes haven't. So - though I am NOT crafty - we went with it. 

 I  used the toaster oven to make some yummy squash for Arielle and me; while the pressure cooker worked wonders on the hunk of meat. I need to find a chart to convert standard oven times to convection. 

Dinner FINALLY was served and consumed. We had an abbreviated family circle and Arielle took a whack at Michael's hair. It turned out well.  Love his expression here....I thought I had managed to leave myself out of the shot. LOL 



Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...