New year, new us!

I, once again, find myself confined to the kitchen all day long!  My flock (of two) have started 2011 not with a bang...but a whimper.  My daughter spent a whopping 6 hours doing only 2 of her prescribed subjects in the homeschool course.  We just couldn't seem to get the day going well.  Was it the copious amounts of eggnog we've consumed over the last 2 plus weeks?  Could it have been the decadent chocolates that went un-ignored on every countertop?  Whatever the cause, we have lacked momentum as a family today, and I aim to get things moving at a quicker pace...tomorrow!

I have been more than opposed to starting a blog since this whole internet thing became an overnight success...but...I have finally given in to the inevitable in the whole chain of social networking.  I only joined facebook after the events of last January left me needing to connect with hundreds with a single stroke of the computer keys. (...as it turned out, I found myself landing in Port-au-Prince mere minutes before the earthquake occurred.  The internet was a stunning vehicle when my husband was requesting prayer in the hours of the unknown.) Therefore, after all my hemming and hawing, here I am.

My occupation? Housewife, teacher of two, occasional speaker in churches and women's functions...but my most favorite position of all is that of the "Kitchenary."  What's that, you say? I'm glad you asked.  A kitchenary is one who can combine all of the things she loves into one noble profession: cooking, eating, girlfriends, sharing....Jesus. I have been a kitchenary pretty much all my life!  In fact, my mother has made the observation that the people in our family tend to be obsessed with food (often not a good thing).

I have been around the world, and I have eaten my fair share of - how shall I put this - interesting foods.  Very often, I've been an ambassador of sorts and felt the need to eat up!  Oh, the stories I will share!

I spend more than half my day in the kitchen.  This is where I homeschool our children and where I express my love to my family.  We are a family in international ministry, so our home has many flavors. As I begin this new year - and this new blog - I hope that you will be encouraged to pull up a chair, fill up your plate and devour all that God has in store for you! The buffet line is open! "Taste and see that the Lord is good." Psalm 34:8

On today's menu: Miso soup!  The possibilities are endless!  If you want to try it, I have a few good tips.  Buy a miso paste that has been seasoned with "katsuo dashi".  In fact, I often add more of this smoky fishy broth to the water before I add the paste.  I boil whatever veggies I choose in the broth, add some bits of meat and then, at the very end, mix the miso paste into the soup (pressing it through a strainer so that it breaks up properly).  Never allow the soup to boil once you add the paste! (It kills the "good stuff" in the miso!) Look up a good recipe online and get healthy!