Accounts – Joint Checkbook App
Joint Checkbook Register Woes?
Hate sharing your checkbook because your spouse never writes their transactions in your register? Or does your spouse hound you about writing things in and you just can’t seem to make it easy enough to remember?
Amber hates Read the rest of this entry »
Chip Off The Old Block
I love this picture! Finally, one of my kids actually looks like me.
Usually, people say (and I know I am blessed) “your kids are beautiful!”
To which my reply is usually, “You should see their mom… it would make more sense.”
But… Finally… One of them looks like me… at least in a picture.
This one acts like Read the rest of this entry »
Remembering Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Many people have begun to re-explore (I know I made the word up) Central and South America. A little over 10 years ago, my Pop and I were two of those people.
Now my dad is an Ernest Hemingway or Robert Ruark type guy. He enjoys the hunt and understands the balance of man and nature. I, on the other hand, am Read the rest of this entry »
Cats and Dogs
Your day started just like everyone else’s day. Just like mine… We woke up. That is probably the last thing any of our days have in common. After that we all head in different directions guided by different thoughts, influences, and of course deadlines.
Taking a moment to think about all that happens during a day is crazy sometimes.
Moments like hearing your daughter’s Kindergarten Teacher tell you your child is amazing, but she needs to live a little. That’s the stuff to soak up. And if you’re realizing that you travel a road so often that you don’t think about how fast you’re going on it until your stopped for 2 hours because of a ten-car-pile-up.
Like these rain drops on my windshield while Gabby has her piano lesson and Evan and I hang out in the car. God is blessing us with these kids. That is obvious, but without stopping to soak it up once and a while it can seem like you are chasing your tail.
Thank you God for the rain drops to make me stop and think for a while.
Kooper 3 months
Our little angel is growing so fast. He turned 3 months on Sept 1!! We love you little Kooper!
Let it Rest
Let it Rest
You’ve heard me say it before… “Let it rest”. When you grill a piece of meat (if you are from the west coast… barbecue a piece of meat) you HAVE to let it rest to get the best flavor and texture of the meat.
Remember the last time you burned your hand and got a blister? What actually happened? I’ll tell you. You seared your flesh and your body’s response was to send it’s best cooling agent to the surface of your skin – H2O. That’s right. Your body is made up of 75% water and it can control most of that! Since your body doesn’t have and ice maker, it sends water to the most needed places. In this case, that means your seared flesh.
Well, when you cook meat you are doing the same thing. Hopefully, you haven’t been eating your own flesh. What I mean is you want to sear the outside and “seal” in those juices. Imagine the piece of meat, through osmosis, sending the water at the center of the meat to the outer surfaces to cool it down. Not too hard to imagine, right?
Now imagine cutting into the meat while the meat has all that water at the surface. Kinda like popping a blister, yeah? The water all runs out and so does the flavor leaving a dried out piece of meat behind for you and some very sad guests.
What if you let the meat rest… Let it sit and cool for a moment. As the temperature decreases or becomes more even from outer surface to inner core, the juices (a.k.a. the water) returns back to the center of the meat. That does 2 things. It helps to finish cooking the inside and keeps it moist and tender.
How long do I let it rest?
Great questions. 5 minutes is usually good. Try it and come back and comment to let me know if your grilled, hehem, barbecued meat comes out.
Restored Faith
Today my faith in the youth of America was restored a little…
As I was walking Gabby into school at Cedar Ridge Elementary in Grovetown, we passed the flag pole and two young kids holding flags. I listened keenly to them with one ear as an eves-dropper while I tuned into Gabby’s question with the other.
Gabby asked, “What are they doing Daddy?”
I told her they must be really good students and very responsible, because it is an honor to be chosen to raise the flag of the United States of America. Gabby agreed and her eyes widened at the thought of it for just a second.
She held my hand and turned over her shoulder to watch as I kept that other ear on the two kids raising the flag. I kissed Gabby goodbye and opened the school door. She shuffled in and turned back with that cute little wave and smile.
As I walked back by the kids, another had joined them. The boy that was there before said to the girl who had just arrived,
“Careful… Don’t let it touch the ground! This flag can NEVER touch the ground.”
He wasn’t being mean nor did he say it meanly. It may look that way when you read it. What I saw though, was a young honorable man passing on the respect our Great Nation deserves to another citizen.
That gives me hope. Indeed he IS an honorable soul.
In The Garage?
We found one of these in the garage. Should I say… Amber found one of these in the garage. Contrary to childhood tales, these guys are harmless. Check out wikipedia if you don’t believe me. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-tailed_Skink
Well, almost harmless. It almost gave Amber a heart attack! Ryan D McKinney
