Jambalaya Stuffing

We've often been a bit nontraditional with Thanksgiving in the past.  In fact, one year we skipped the turkey entirely and had lasagna.  Thanksgiving dinner can be a lot of work.  When we had the lasagna I was kind of hoping we'd start a new and lasting tradition but it simply taught us that we do like the normal traditions more than we thought.  Anyway, I've never been a big fan of traditional stuffing, whether out of a box or prepared the hard way so this year, as the holiday was approaching, when I saw a recipe for Jambalaya Stuffing I saved it and talked Brombeere into letting me make it.

So I checked the recipe and did some shopping.  Brombeere is a better shopper than I am.  I forgot to check to see what we already had so I ended up getting a few things I didn't need to and didn't get the rice, which we were short on - not quite enough for what the recipe called for.  But after a quick trip to the store Thanksgiving morning (the store wasn't as crowded as I had expected) I had everything and was ready to start.

So I spent a bit of time chopping up veggies and the sausage, getting everything ready to start cooking.

Then it was to the stove and things started to get hot.  I will readily admit I'm not the most careful cook to ever grace a kitchen.  I can sometimes get sloppy about the order I add things together, despite what the recipe says.  As it turned out, even though I fell down a bit on that this time as well, I don't think it hurt anything.

So I cooked the sausage and then added all the veggies and spices.  The store didn't have all the spices called for so I had to improvise a little.  And I was amazed at how expensive spices can be.  Four and five dollars for those little bottles.  Oh, well.

The cooking time was a little longer for this dish but I think it was worth it. The total cooking time was somewhere around 45 minutes to an hour.

Finally everything that needed to be cooked was in the pot and cooked.  Last I added the meat.  It was at this point that I discovered I should have held out the scallions and added them at this point.  Instead I had thrown them in with all the other veggies so they got cooked..  While it didn't ruin the dish I do think they would have been better if I'd held them out.  But in the end it looked good and tasted even better!  Didn't resemble traditional stuffing very much but it was sure good jambalaya! And I really like it.

Carving Out Some Good Times!

It was a beautiful fall day yesterday. I keep thinking these beautiful, brisk, colorful days will end soon and give way to the cold and blustery of winter but they keep hanging on.  I'm not complaining a bit.  I love this time of year.  Blaubeere and kids came over yesterday.  And Scwatzbeere and his wife came over as well.  And we all went out to a friend's home just outside of town and picked up some pumpkins.  This friend has what you'd call a hobby farm - he's got several acres and grows stuff on them, as well as raising some simple livestock, like chickens, in his case.  Anyway, he went all out this year with his pumpkins and ended up with thousands of them.  He donated enough to Brombeere's school to cover the entire kindergarten, all the classes.  The kids had a great time picking out each their own - the teachers went and brought in what they figured would be enough and then the kids got to pick the ones they wanted.  Quite the good time.
Anyway, back to the story at hand.  The lot of us all got together and went out to his place to see what he had left. He had brought a whole lot out front, by the road.  He had pumpkins of several kinds, along with plenty of gourds, big and small, all gathered together along his driveway.  So we all spent some time looking over what he had and picking out what we wanted.  We let the kids pick one pumpkin for carving and then another just for fun and decoration.  And a gourd, too, if they wanted.

Blaubeere's littlest was fun to watch.  She'd get right in the middle of the pile of pumpkins and pick one out she liked.  She'd carry it around a bit and then throw it down and pick another.  There were some pretty big ones there but the rule was they had to be able to carry it themselves.










When they had all picked out what they wanted we went out into the field behind the house because the friend had told us there were other gourds still out there they hadn't brought in yet and we were welcome to look them over and choose from them if we wanted.  So most of us spend some time out in the field looking over the selection there as well as what was by the road.

 Finally we had all made our choices and headed back to house for some dinner and the best part, carving up the beauties we'd picked out. This is where the creative juices really get flowing, to say nothing of the pumpkins innards.

As you may know, opening, cleaning out, and carving pumpkins can be rather messy.  These were no exception.  We spread newspaper all over the kitchen table, dug out all our pumpkin carving tools, include those Blaubeere brought with her, and everyone went to town.  Between the time it took to work on your own pumpkin and the time it took to help the younger kids with carving their own, we were at it for a couple of hours. As it was described later, "There's a party at Mother's, a good time was had by all!"

In the end, we ended up with several beautifully carved pumpkins and everyone had a great time! Halloween is such fun time!  Its like the year-end holiday gate-way - more holidays coming in short order and the fun goes on and on!

A Beautiful Fall Day

The weather got a little chilly there for a week or two but now, the last few days, it has been warming up and getting really nice.  Today the temperature actually broke 80 so after church we decided to go looking at the fall leaves.  The weather station says right now we are at peak, though I think they are just a little bit premature - there's still a fair amount of green out there that hasn't turned colors yet. Nevertheless, the trees are absolutely beautiful right now.  So we drove around looking for good examples of fall colors, taking pictures as we went, wherever we saw something that impressed us.  We ended up at a little nature reserve.  We parked outside and took one of the trails in from the back end of the reserve.  Really nice.

Yes, we were there.  We found a cool looking bench so we stopped and just enjoyed the scenery, all the quiet of the woods.  We actually stopped at a couple of benches to enjoy the woods. It was really nice, a nice way to spend a little time on the Sabbath, enjoying all wonderful sights and sounds around us.  Very relaxing.  It would have been nice if we could have stayed longer.  It reminded me that we never made it out camping this summer.  We'l have to make sure to fix that next year.

Conference Thoughts

And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.  And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places (Isaiah 32:17-18)

Once Again, From the Shadow of the Everlasting Hills . .

General Conference has begun.  I always enjoy general conference.  Gradually I am learning how to listen to get more out of it.  

I have heard some people express the opinion that conference is always just the same old thing, year after year.  I am reminded of something Elder Henry B Eyring said at conference, April conference of 1997 to be specific.

"In our own time, we have been warned with counsel of where to find safety from sin and from sorrow. One of the keys to recognizing those warnings is that they are repeated. For instance, more than once in these general conferences, you have heard our prophet say that he would quote a preceding prophet and would therefore be a second witness and sometimes even a third. Each of us who has listened has heard President Kimball give counsel on the importance of a mother in the home and then heard President Benson quote him, and we have heard President Hinckley quote them both. The Apostle Paul wrote that “in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Cor. 13:1). One of the ways we may know that the warning is from the Lord is that the law of witnesses, authorized witnesses, has been invoked. When the words of prophets seem repetitive, that should rivet our attention and fill our hearts with gratitude to live in such a blessed time."

Perhaps the repetition ought to be considered as much a flag of something significant being taught, as much so as when Mormon so often says, "And thus we see . . ." and perk up and listen a little bit better.  I have heard it sad that repetition is the soul of learning and I suppose in certain instances that is true.  For myself, I figure if the Lord thinks its worth saying enough that He has it repeated during the same conference or from conference to conference that its probably worth hearing and responding to. Its not always for the new guy, who has not heard it before, or for others who are more in need of whatever is being repeated.

Elder Jeffrey R Holland, speaking to a group of religious educators at a symposium held at BYU in August 2009 spoke of something Elder Boyd K Packer often did when listening to a presentation.

"President Boyd K. Packer, himself a master teacher and long-time administrator in the Church Educational System, has a question he often asks when we have made a presentation or given some sort of exhortation to one another in the Twelve. He looks up as if to say, “Are you through?” And then says to the speaker (and, by implication, to the rest of the group), “Therefore, what?”

“Therefore, what?” I think that is what the Savior answered day in and day out as an inseparable element of His teaching and preaching. I’ve tried to suggest that. These sermons and exhortations were to no avail if the actual lives of His disciples did not change."  

I have learned that one of the keys to receiving guidance and direction from the Lord is to follow the guidance and direction He has already given. A key to receiving revelation is to act on the revelation we have already received.  The Lord is unlikely to give new information if we have done nothing with the information He has already given us.  So as we listen to conference and hear a message that seems familiar because we've heard it before, maybe we should ask ourselves, "Therefore, what?"  What should we do with that piece of information?  How should we change in response to what we have learned?    It was Alma, as he was teaching Zeezrom, who said, "And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him." (Alma 12:9)

Plan Your Work and then Work Your Plan

Elder L Tom Perry passed away on May 30, 2015, just after April conference.  Elder Boyd K Packer passed away on July 3, 2015. Yesterday, September 22, 2015, Elder Richard G Scott passed away.  Over the years there have been a number of times when two apostles have passed away between conferences but this is the first time I can remember there ever being three vacancies among the apostles as we approach conference. Its unprecedented, at least in my life time. Not since 1906 have there been three vacancies at once. So there have been lots of news articles about each of these apostles and, in the social media, there has been lots of comment about who the people called to fill the vacancies might be, or ought to be.

There has been a lot of noise about how there needs to be more diversity in the quorum. Someone who isn't a white, north american (read "Utah insider"). Someone of foreign origin, like African, Latin American, or Asian descent. After all, those nationalities are very well represented among the church membership. They should therefore be better represented among the highest leadership. Or there needs to be someone called who is more "progressive", which is a political euphemism for less conservative, more "left-leaning", more liberal.  Someone with a more open mind toward gays, or women and the priesthood, or some other favorite cause.

It makes me sad, I think.  When it comes right down to it, the people that make such comments pit their own judgement against God's and find Him lacking.  Of course whoever is called will be an "insider", someone already well experienced in their church background. The Lord prepares the people that fill these positions as a general rule. I thought the Lord had departed quite from the norm several years ago when He called Elder Russell M Nelson, who was a practicing physician at the time.  Sure, he'd had plenty of church experience but he wasn't currently in a general authority position at the time of his call.  The same happened with Elder Dallin H Oaks. He was a Utah Supreme Court Justice at the time of his call.  David A Bednar had just recently been released as president of BYU-Idaho.  Elder Uchtdorft was an airline executive.  I'm not sure any of those were "insiders".  But they all had extensive background and experience in their church callings.  I guess my thought is that this is the Lord's church and He will call whomever He wants.  Whoever he calls quite possibly could end up being president of the church in 30 or 35 years.  Elder Russel M Nelson was called 30 years ago at the same time as Elder Oaks but set apart first because Elder Oaks had to clear his case load before he could leave the bench.  Now Elder Nelson stands next in line for the presidency, there because of a small detail that seemed inconsequential at the time he began his service as an apostle.

People who put up all these comments about what qualifications the people called ought to have just don't get it.  Jacob said it well, "Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works." (Jacob 4:10)  God has a plan and He's working the plan.  And it will unfold as He wants regardless of how we mortals, with our limited perspective, think it should happen.  I somehow doubt that the Lord is all that interested in a progressive agenda or cause.  He is more interested in following the plan that was determined and laid out before the world was ever created.

Me? I'm more curious as to whether or not they'll fill all three positions at conference in two weeks.  But then again, this didn't catch the Lord by surprise so there's no reason why they shouldn't fill all three.  Unless that's not in the plan.

Some Thoughts on the Sabbath

In the 1991 movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Morgan Freeman plays a character named Azeem, a Muslim from the middle-east who has escaped from prison with Robin of  Loxley and traveled to England. Robin had been in the middle-east, fighting in the 12th century crusades. In England a young girl asks Azeem if God had painted him. Azeem replies, "For certain."  She asked why.  Azeem responded that Allah loves wondrous varieties.  I've always liked that little exchange - its so indicative of the truth of God's creations. He could have made the earth plain and simple, utilitarian and purely functional, no more than just enough to sustain life while his children lived out their lives.  But instead He created a place of incredible beauty, marvelous variety and amazing diversity, filled with all kinds of color, form and type.  

There isn't just green.  There are a thousand different shades and hues of green.

And He made the eye so that it could take in the incredible beauty of the world He placed us in.  Or at least a better beginning at it than anything man has ever created.  Pictures just don't do the world justice.

 Sometimes as I go about my life, doing the myriad little chores and tasks that make up life, the beauty of the world will suddenly intrude upon my consciousnesses and I'll find myself drawn up short, amazed by the resplendent grace in the scenery around me.

 I love the look, feel, and smell of the mountains, the trees, grasses, shrubs, and bushes, even the weeds have a beauty of their own that adds to the glorious whole.

 Clouds fill the skies in incredible variety, adding to the wonder stretched out below them.

 Rocks, streams, hills, plateaus, mountains.

 Rivers that dig out canyons.

Rain falling in the distance, adding their own sound and smell to the glorious vision of the earth stretched out all around.

 Fountains of water, whether small, trickling out of the rocks,

 Or larger, cascading down a mountain side, carving out a stream.

It is all a wonder to me.  And that's just the earth itself and vegetation growing on it, to say nothing of the animals He placed upon the earth. It is yet another bit of evidence to me of the love of the Lord for us.  That He made this place where we could come, but not only made it but made it a place of such incredible beauty and wonder.  Every little detail working together to renew and sustain itself since the time of creation until now, resilient and replenishing, with such incredible power to recover and heal itself of the thoughtless abuse mankind so often heaps upon the world.

The Lord said, "And behold, all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me." (Moses 6:63)  That surely is true - the hand of the Lord is evident in a host of glorious ways in all the beauty of the earth.  The scriptures tell us that our first parents were cast out of paradise and into the world, to fend for themselves.  The expulsion from paradise must be in reference to the fact that we now have to work to get the earth to give up her bounty because the world is still such a paradise to see and experience.  So pleasing and gentle on the eye, on all the senses. This is an incredible world the Lord has placed us in. I can see why the prophet exclaimed, "Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth".

A Temple Trip

For several weeks we had it on the calendar to go to the temple in Minneapolis.  Then, the first time it came up Brombeere wasn't feeling very well so we decided to move it back. To yesterday, which at the time was the next open weekend.  So yesterday came, we got up bright and early and headed for Minneapolis, a drive of several hours. Alas, when we got there we found it was closed.  Victims of our own poor planning again.  With this temple you're supposed to call ahead and get your name on the list for the session you want to attend.  We forgot to do that but were hoping we'd still be able to get it.  However, if we had called ahead like you're supposed to we would have discovered that the whole building was closed for cleaning.  We just didn't check.  

So we looked at the grounds and flowers, which are always nice.

Then we decided that since we were in town we might as well find something to do rather than just turn around and go home.  A few minutes on the cell phone app and we came up with something.

We decided to go down town and see the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Located almost right in the city center, its a green space that includes a number of sculptures along with some seasonal gardens.  We saw the nautilus.

The Cross and Rectangles.

The molecule.

And the arbor walk.  That was nice.  It had a whole bunch of plants and flowering bushes for the whole length of it

If you look close you can see bees all over these flowers.  Big ones.

We saw the spoon bridge and cherry.  Water runs out of the top of the cherry and  flows over the sides, down onto the spoon.

I missed the name of this one.  Everything is suspended from the tripod and gently swings.

I don't remember what this one was called either but it was sure weird lookng.

I'm not sure this was a sculpture as much as just a walking bridge into the gardens.  Downtown Minneapolis has a network of walking bridges that run from building to building at the second floor level.  You can actually go quite a ways without ever going outside into the weather.

They also had a little conservatory with plants growing inside of it.  Different plants, depending on the time of the year.

There was also a big fish sculpture inside the conservatory.

The park is eleven acres and the sculptures are widely scattered so it didn't take a real long time to see most of it. Then we decided it was time to leave the downtown area and head out.

There was also a snowman we saw. Oh, wait.  This wasn't part of the sculpture garden. This was up in Maplewood, on highway 36 as we were heading back to the area of the temple to find a place to eat.

And we found a place.  We had eaten at the Machine Shed in Oakpark several years ago, when it was brand new.  At the time it was pretty much the only thing in the neighborhood but now there's all kinds of development around it.  

So we enjoyed a quiet, very yummy meal and then headed back home.

Not the day in the temple we had hoped for but still a very restful, peaceful afternoon in the city.  A good time together, even if not doing what we had originally planned.  And, yes, we are going to get batter about checking before we go.