It's New Year's Eve! While the rest of the world celebrates the dawn of 2010, Husband & I will quietly (well, four Littles quiet) toast 12 years of marriage tonight. New Year's Eve looks different for us every year. Some years we celebrate with friends, once (maybe twice) we've stolen 24 hours away alone, and on at least four New Year's Eves we've held a tiny newborn in our arms as we clang our champagne flutes and kissed at ...
Archives for December 2009
The Ass (in reality)
Not ten minutes after my mountain top prayer morning in which the Lord tells me to be an ox does the first lesson come. And remember how I joked I was just grateful He didn't call me to be the ass?!?! Well, in the very first moments of my life as an ox-in-training I very much starred as the ass of the drama. I was buzzing around the house with images of strong and mighty oxen on my mind. YES! I was an ox. My fields were fertile. My ...
An ox (in training)
Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest. Proverbs 14: 4 I hate to admit the impatient part of me is hurried to pack up Christmas and move on. The house is a mess and it's driving me nuts! I can't sweep the floor fast enough to keep up with the trail of crumbs. The laundry literally fell out of the shoot on.top.of.me. Gratefully it's soft. Heavy, but soft. Pieces and ...
Blogging Anniversary!
As luck would have it... With those first words, four years ago today, The Schell Cafe was born. I remember the night well and the first menu I blogged. Sea Bass Sauteed with Leeks & Red Pepper & Mixed Vegetable Tian At the time, I had only seen two blogs. I followed one written by a family who successfully adopted two daughters from Russia. I remember linking to their blog from an adoption forum and thinking everything ...
Merry Christmas
1 Corinthians 13 A Christmas version If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, friends, neighbors and co-workers, I'm just another decorator. If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, friends, neighbors ...
Jingle Schells
Merry Christmas with lots of love (and guacamole quesadillas) from The Schell Cafe ...
Secret Family Recipes
Do you have a secret family recipe? You know, a tried and true dish that is such a crowd pleaser you just can't bring yourself to share. I have several recipes that fall into this category. 1) Corn Dip. I have to admit the recipe for corn dip is sadly not mine to share. We are going to have to work Mia over before I can give away this crowned jewel. Corn dip has been our most carefully guarded family recipe for over 25 years. Many ...
Christmas Appetizers
One of the countless tips I've learned from Mia is to always have a tasty treat to offer friends who stop by for a visit. Of Mia's many talents, the Lord gave her the gift of Hospitality (x2!). She is the most gracious hostess I have ever known. Since this is clearly the season for friends to drop-in & pop-in, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite savory snacks to have on hand. These are easy appetizers to make ahead and tasty ...
Spice Drop Cookies
Last year about this time, I wrote about my favorite Christmas cookie. The Four Seasons' Chocolate Ginger Cookies are so good I couldn't get them off my mind. Until I tried these Spice Drop Cookies. A month (or more) ago, I was in Little Rock visiting my brother and his family. While I was there, I was fortunate enough to attend a women's retreat on Discipleship at St. Andrew's Anglican Church, where my little brother is a pastor. ...
Are you ready?
I jokingly said to one of the peeps in my village yesterday that if I punted any more of my 'to do' list to January it would end up being even more crazy than December. The comment stopped me dead in my own tracks. How did I let myself get so busy? Again. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10 Be still. Be still. Be still. As I look around, there is not much ...