poor leetle blog

My poor leetle blog has been lonely. And truth be told, I don't have time (or anything that would interest you) to give to my leetle blog right now. So I am telling you about all ze leetle things in life that make me happy. One ov them s speakin in a poor french accent.
Yes, speaking in a french accent makes me happy. So does this man. I married the best man EVER! He is amazing and handsome and funny and sooooo witty. He definitely keeps me on my toes and gives me tons of grace to be my quirky self. (see french accent note)

Fresh baked bread makes me so happy! I love everything about it. I love baking it. I love forming it. I love the way it smells. I love when it is warm and I can put butter on it and it melts and it's amazing and I love it and it's the best. ever.
Unfortunately my husband is in love with Orowheat... so I have to keep testing recipes until I can find a bread that will actually make him say "aha! This is better!" and then I will say.
"I know." But it'll be in a french accent so it'll make me doubly happy.

Tomato soup makes me happier than leetle poppies do... and by poppies I mean puppies. Is my french accent (which I turn on and off at random) confusing you?
Anyway, I love LOVE LOVE tomato soup.
Again, Mikey is left wanting with this soup. He needs meat, vegetables and more importantly noodles in his soups.
Maybe tomato alphabet soup would work? Or spaghettos? ha ha ha I'm being gross now. I'll stop!

Crocheting also warms my heart.

Being related to this handsome man is also something that makes me beyond happy. I love that God has blessed me with good roots. I love that when I make something as simple as potato salad, I think "I bet my grandpa would have wanted a bowlful of this." And I love that I make Mikey try my salad out like my Grandma made Grandpa. I love that there is more to me than what you see... I am a product of my family!

I love fall. I love pumpkins. I love Pioneer Woman. I love life.

I love that to this leetle girl, riding a horse like this is normal. Again, I love that she is my blood, my family... but seriously, how can you look at this and not laugh for three straight minutes. This picture makes me SO SO happy! I want to squeeze her, get a horse and ride alongside this littl... oh wait, i mean leetle daredevil!

I love that these two are my parents. I love that no matter how long the time or far the distance, we will still pick up right where we left off.
I love my family.
I love you, my beautiful friends! I am so blessed by the Lord in my life.

sarai

In the bible's book of Genesis there is a story of a man named Abraham who at the start of his journey was known as Abram. Abram was married to Sarah who was also at the start, Sarai. Many fine messages and interesting facts have been collected, passed down and told about Abram but something occured to me about Sarai... but wait, I'm getting ahead of myself.

In Genesis 12, God calls Abram to leave his home, pack up his bags, and move into a place God is going to give him. So in their 70's Abram and Sarai pack their bags, their nephew and uproot.

The cool thing about Sarai is that Abram was called, it does not say that God spoke to both Sarai and Abram, but just Abram. I think this is so important to point out that Sarai not only as a trusting relationship with God, but also with her husband.

Why am I bringing all this up?

M and I have a very important decision to make. As a woman, I have felt every emotion of this decision. I have felt fear, excitement, adventure, worry, happiness, sadness, fear, fear and fear.... whew, did I mention fear?

But my girl, Sarai, well, she's been ministering to me. Reminding me that at 27 or 72 I better have a solid trusting relationship with the Lord and with M because He might just speak clearly to M and not so clearly to me.

Do I tell you this without an ounce of fear in my heart? Nope, as I write this hot tears threaten to roll down my cheek that communicate to me that life is scary. Marriage is scary. Trusting someone other than yourself is scary. But it's only in truly letting go that you realize you're the most "in control".

I'm so thankful that Sarai was a woman. And that as a woman now, I can learn from her life.

I don't want my children to be happy...

Read This!

Celebrating Life

**Quick Note: the recipe above is for 20 apples aka a large family portion!! Below I give you the portions that I used for 3 people. If you are interested in the above portion sizes, shoot me an email, otherwise I used my own portions to go with serving 3 people.**

My Grandpa Schupbach died a year ago March 7th. Mikey and I have had a whirlwind of life happening and so on the day, I wasn't able to take any time to thank God for the Grandpa that He had given me. I definitely had some tears of joy and remembering how my Grandpa lived but I wasn't able to really stop. and get away that day.
But yesterday my cousin Josiah came into town and so I decided we were going to celebrate my Grandpa's life together... in style.
With food.
To celebrate my Grandpa you can do one of the following: 1. eat a bowl of popcorn and an apple and call it dinner or 2. buy two quarts of Dairy Queen ice cream; one quart for your family and one quart for yourself... to be eaten in one sitting or 3. you can make a swiss dish

I opted for #3 and decided to make apel kuchli or "apple fritters".
My Dad explained to me that his Grandma used to make them once in awhile but he mostly remembers his mother (my Grandpa's wife!~ following this) making the apel kuchli for special occasions. He said they did not get them often but only on really special occasions.
I couldn't decide if I wanted to pass this recipe on... because to be honest, I'm feeling homesick and when I'm homesick, I get selfish.
But I know my Great-Grandmother the lovely Swiss woman that she was would want me to share this with you, as she shared it with the generations after her.
So this post, is in celebration of life... my Grandfather's rich life, the stories I've heard of my beloved Great-Grandmother Marie and their family... those who are with us and those who are waiting for us to join them.
To Life! (Mazol Tov)

I took 3 apples for three people (and that was puh-lenty!), peeled and cored them.
Now here is a little secret I'm going to share with you...

I do not know how to core apples. So in the midst of balancing about three knives, watching the hot oil heat up I decided to add in balancing my cell phone and I called up my Poppy asking him for directions on how to core an apple.
Needless to say he advised me to peel them after coring. Oops!
Guess I'll have to make apel kuchli again so I can practice. Mmmm

Whether you can core or not, take heart... they still taste good even while they look like alien babies... or something like that.

Speaking of aliens, this is my hand not a distorted, disfigured alien hand mixing the flour.
Now you take about 1 c - 1 1/2 c of flour
mix it with 1 tsp of salt, 1 egg and 1/2 of milk until you get the right consistency of batter. You make it thick and sticky!
My Great-Aunt Rosella said Great-Grandma Marie always used her hands so I forgo-ed the measuring cups and went by my feelings and eye-balled everything.

Hey! It's a Life Celebration... what better way then to seize the day and throw out your measuring cups, am I right or am I right?
Or am I right?

then, stir! stir! stir!

then coat the apples in the batter

drop the apples in the batter and allow to "float". I know we're all health-conscious and you don't want to use too much oil but listen to me, honeys, you don't want your apel kuchlis to stick to the bottom. no no no!!! you want them to float. So go ahead, use up your gallon jug of oil.
It's a Celebration of Life... I'm not saying you should eat these every day. But once in awhile we forgo (again that word) the oatmeal which keeps our hearts pumping and give our hearts something to really jump for joy about!
Apel Kuchli! Celebration of Life...
are you catching my helpful hints that somedays you just need to let your hair down and shake it loose? Live a little! Celebrate YOUR life!

Moving on.... keep flipping the apel kuchli, you don't want one side to get darker than the other.

This is my handsome cousin Josiah... my Grandma gave him the best "well-wishes" when he left Illinois... but that's another story for another day!

When the apel kuchli are golden brown have your handsome cousin take them out, place them on paper towels to drain (we want them to be semi-healthy, don't we?) and then while they're still glistening sprinkle some sugar on them.
Oh what the heck, we only eat apel kuchli once in awhile... really sprinkle the little cuties!!

and then bask in their loveliness.

Even handsome cousin is basking in their loveliness... and the warmth of California sunshine.

Then eat your apel kuchli somewhere fun... Celebrate your Life, celebrate the lives of your friends and family.

Mikey tries his first apel kuchli!

He's so glad he married a Swiss Miss!

I'm so glad my Grandma taught my Dad who taught me to make apel kuchli.
I'm really thankful for my family.
I really miss my Grandpa. I really hate death. But it makes me feel better that Jesus hates death too. I know death wasn't a part of His plan and that's why He gave us a way out.
I'm really thankful I have Jesus.
Micah 6:8

to mikey

Almost a year ago you were seeking God whether or not to marry me, this crazy, half-wild, totally passionate aka often unspoken woman who made you laugh but also made you wonder, "What is going on in her mind?"And God gave you favor and you proposed and six months ago, we had a beautiful wedding where surrounded by friends and family I promised to not only keep you laughing and guessing at what would happen next... but I promised to love and utterly respect you.

I thought I knew you and loved you six months ago...
but my sweet husband, I have never loved you as much as I do now and hope that in sixty years we can say the same thing... that love has not grown cold between us but that God has continually kept the fires burning.
You are a gift to me. God's precious gift. You keep me grounded. You keep me laughing. You compliment me. You remind me that God is faithful. You eat my burnt chicken dinners and my bread that looks like a large mouth bass. You graciously accept my boasting when I beat you in Scrabble and don't gloat too gloriously when you beat me in just about every other game. You've run out to get pepto when I thought I was dying of heartburn and
loved me even though I repeatedly have eaten too much ice cream and gotten a tummy ache and then repeated the whole bad choice fiasco the next night (baby, i loooove ice cream, I'm sorry but this may be a lifetime habit)!
You've become not just my husband but the person that I love sharing my life with.
I can't imagine a world that didn't have you in it, Michael Wang.
You are a blessing to not only me but to everyone you meet.
I love you!
Thank you for choosing me, the wild, unspoken, kind of crazy girl that captured your heart with her fabulous knowledge of Japanese... (or at least that's how I remember it happening)!
Happy Anniversary!

February 2010

The end of February came with some tears, to be honest. Mikey and I had been hosting our niece Waveland, my brother Jordan and sister-in-law Rochelle... and not to forget, Baby Brother who has yet to be named and make his arrival. As we dropped them off and said our goodbyes I couldn't help but feel the distance between my family even greater at that moment than usual. Sometimes being far from my family just plain stinks! But it is also a reminder for me to be conscious and deeply connecting in small ways to my family even though we're long distance I shouldn't let that long distance keep us apart.

So for example, I sent lemons to my parents and grandparents so that they could also enjoy the fruits of my lemon tree.

It's been so much fun to have my lemon tree because it pushes me to explore and try new recipes that include lemons. I've never been a "tart" for dessert kind of girl. I'm more of the "chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips and possibly a chocolate chip cookie" kind of dessert eater. Just being real here people! But I've found some amazing lemon recipes that I've been gaga for! It's been too much fun. I told Mikey that no matter where we move to, we'll always have to have a fruit tree of some sort. I'm loving my lemon tree.

Some of those recipes include; lemon glazed bread which you can find here and a very yummy recipe for Lemon and Thyme muffins which you can find here. Seriously, people! My husband went gaga for the lemon cakes! Try them! You won't be sorry!

I made Julia Child's "beouf bourguignon" for a dinner party and should have doubled the recipe. It was so good. I was so glad I went for it. Her cookbook scares the heck out of me but I'm slowly working my way through reading it and perhaps after awhile I'll cook from it.

February Mikey and I celebrated Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year together. We had dim sum with his mother and then he made me temaki sushi (handmade) for dinner. It was SO much fun. I continue to learn so much from our marriage. He keeps my feet on the ground and I remind him to dream. I keep him laughing and he surprises me with his quick wit and sense of humor. I love learning new things every day about my husband and learning how to love my husband well.

In February, I read two books: The Wounded Healer by Henri Nouwen and my collection of Dorothy Sayer's short stories. The Wounded Healer was a much needed read for me. It took me a long time to get through but I am so thankful I endured and finished it. I love love loved it! Nouwen makes his point that as humans we try to avoid any pain, suffering or loneliness but he says, it's those things that make us relateable to others and able to minister to them through our woundedness. If you've ever been wounded by life, people or circumstances and confused as to how God could ever use it in your life, I would highly recommend this book. In fact, just read it no matter if you think you need it or not. It's small! I finished Coleman's Master Plan of Evangelism and passed it on. And I feel like I read another book but I can't quite think of it at this time. Hmmm...

In February, I bought yarn to finish my crochet project and think I could possibly finish my first project by the end of March! I'm also contemplating another painting project....

I'm working my way into a healthier lifestyle. February was a wave of highs and lows... somedays I'd be really good about things and then I'd forget to eat lunch, have a ravenous stomach and eat all the cookies in the house... okay, not really but I would do similar things. I triumphed over disappointments and finished a running training schedule I was doing. Now I'm on to my next training schedule for a 5K. It's been good to have a goal!

I'm currently reading through the bible in a year chronologically and read through Exodus, Leviticus and part of Numbers. I had some moments of "Lord, what should I be learning here" but also some moments of "wow, You did all this, Lord?". It has been good for me to review and remember what God has faithfully done for His people and is doing today.

So, I'm ready for March to be here. February was a blast and I loved having my family here. If you haven't scrolled down to see their posts/pictures, please do so! I think you will love seeing their visit and all the fun things we got to do. I was completely challenged to work-out after we toured the Queen Mary and my quads hurt for two days afterwards. The Queen Mary was so special as we stood on the same deck where legends like Clark Gable, Bob Hope, Bing Crosy, and more stood. It kind of reminds you how quick life is and how life (in general) is so much bigger than we realize.

There is a lot to be thankful for and look forward to in March, of course, life with my husband, cooking victories and disasters and lessons from the Lord.