In this YouTube clip, I review Sapporo and Royce’s happoshu, Chocolat Brewery :)
Roast Beef
Roast Beef.
Dry-brined. Rotisserie roasted to 120F; serving temp 132F. Sliced with a ceramic knife.
Guest Post at CCEF : God is Awake
The resources offered through Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation have been a huge influence on my life. Their books make up a well-used section on my reference library shelf, and the instruction in Biblical counseling my mother-in-law received from their training program has benefited our family as well as a number of lives who have been touched by her personal ministry.
When Twitter friend Barbara Lane asked if I’d consider guest blogging for CCEF, I ran into my bedroom, screamed like a little girl, did a happy dance, picked my jaw up off the floor, took a deep breath, and then humbly responded, “Yes!” via e-mail. ;)
If you’d like, please take a moment to check out my post God is Awake, which I wrote after a long talk with my daughter Tabitha, about finding rest on anxious sleepless nights.
There is a place at the end of the guest post for comments, and I’d love for you to join in the discussion. What keeps you awake at night? What verses speak to your heart and help combat these fears? I’m interested to know your thoughts on how to “put off” fear and “put on” entrusting your cares to God’s infinitely strong and capable hands.
Please don’t stop there! While you’re at CCEF.org, take a moment to peruse the bookstore (their hope-giving mini books on tough topics are a handy size to keep in your purse or in a basket in your bathroom for guests), national conference information, counseling services and School of Biblical Counseling.
Last but not least, if you have been blessed by CCEF, please consider donating to wonderful and life-changing ministry.
Photo credit: “Joy of Holding a Baby’s Hand” by lifecreations via Flickr.
Craigslist Art : Missed Connections by Sophie Blackall
Found the Missed Connections blog on Twitter via @101Cookbooks.
Susan Blackall, a New York based illustrator, finds her inspiration in the “Missed Connections” section of Craigslist. Her artwork makes me want to pick up my paintbrush and watercolors like old times. Enjoy!
“Missed connections inspire me because they’re unfinished stories. I love trying to figure out what wasn’t said… what’s not there… the missing part. Since I have been reading them in this obsessive way, I see missed connections everywhere. I look at people glancing at each other on the train and wonder if they’re going to turn up the next day.
There is a danger of living in a city of millions of people that you can become invisible. There is that feeling for a lot of people that a tiny moment could set your life on a different course. There is that ‘what if’ that is honestly appealing and universal.. that your morning commute might change everything.” – Sophie Blackall, Illustrator
Review: Suntory’s Chocolate Sparkling Soda
Looking for something chocolaty but are not in the mood for candy? This Japanese beverage will quench your thirst and quell your chocolate craving all in one swig.
Slightly amber in color, Suntory’s Chocolate Sparkling tastes like a cross between cream soda and a Tootsie Roll. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this dessert-in-a-bottle is reminiscent of classic soda-shop goodness. As it is a sweeter soda, it tastes best when it’s served very cold and cut with ice.
Sure, you could enjoy this as a standalone treat while you’re on a road trip… but why not take the experience to the next level? This bubbly would make a great foundation for a decadent ice cream float, complete with whipped cream, chocolate shavings and maraschino cherry.
January Giveaway : Learning Perseverance From Making Tamagoyaki
One of the hardest things to teach children is to try again when they’ve failed their first attempts at doing something. Failure is often met with tears and protests. Tying shoes, snapping fingers, blowing bubblegum bubbles, riding a two-wheeler without training wheels, and learning the nines-family in multiplication are some of the recent examples that come to mind.
How exciting it is, though, when a child finally succeeds! They are so excited, they want to keep getting it right over and over and over….. well, you know what it’s like to hear a kid whistling the same prolonged note until you have to politely ask them to go outside and see if the birds can understand their new skill :)
Making tamagoyaki, a sweet, rolled Japanese style omelet used for breakfasts and bento, is a skill I haven’t mastered. I haven’t attempted enough times to be comfortable making it for guests, but I’ll get there! I always seem to get impatient and turn the burner up too high when I make eggs.
Representing perseverance in this month’s five-item giveaway is the bane of my existence : a 18×12 cm makiyakinabe or the “roll-bake-pan”. These deceptively cute little pans are coveted by Japanese foodies as they prove to be tricky to find in the States. This one is coated with a dark, non-stick coating. I’m also including a two-set pack of 33cm bamboo Japanese Kitchen chopsticks, two floral linen pot gloves and an adorable cotton pocket apron. At least you’ll look cute while you flop… I mean flip…. those omelets! (I’m not bitter…. really!)
To enter, in the comments of this post, please leave a story about perseverance or thoughts on encouraging others to keep trying when they feel like giving up. You must leave a pertinent comment to win!
My hope is that this giveaway will help others to keep trying whatever it is they are working on, be it making new food, learning a language, trying to pass an important test, getting published or even persevering in grace through a difficult relationship.
Want to improve your chances of winning? Add these skills to your giveaway repertoire :
Please leave your comment and complete bonus entries by 9PM EST, February 3, 2010.
The winner will need to provide their mother’s maiden name, social security number, and a valid US credit card number + three digit secret code. JUST KIDDING! I will, however, need their name and mailing address which will be kept strictly confidential.
If they’re agreeable, I’d like to interview the winner and feature them in a future post. I would consider including links in the post to the winner’s blog, favorite cause, home business, etc.
Winning contestants may not enter my subsequent monthly giveaway contests for a year following their win. In other words, if you win in February, 2010, you cannot enter again until February, 2011.
From Christine, last month’s giveaway winner: Thank you, so much, Sarah, for the origami paper and books! We are having a blast with it. I am so glad that you included book number one because that is about as advanced as my origami skills are. ;) Maybe one day I will advance to book #6. Thank you, again, so much for the great fun you sent us and for praying for my baby! I hope you are having a blessed day!