Korean BBQ Meatballs and Carrot Noodles

6 Trader Joe turkey meatballs

2 TBSP TJ Korean BBQ sause

2 servings angel hair pasta cooked al-dente

sprinkle of TJ everything bagel seasoning

sprinkle of Thai spice blend

1 bundle of green onions, sliced whites and greens

1 tsp olive oil

half package of frozen TJ carrot spirals

few splashes of soy sauce

 

1. While noodles are cooking saute onions in oil until soft and turning brown
2. Heat meatballs according to microwave directions. Add BBQ sauce and toss together, heat 30 more seconds.
3. Add frozen carrots to the onion pan to thaw and cook covered according to the directions, adding a few splashes of hot pasta water can help with thawing. When they start to brown add soy sauce and cook to reduce (just a few more minutes)
4. Toss drained noodles with bagel seasoning and Thai spice blend, top with carrot and onion mix, and then the meatballs.

 

 

 

A game of serendipity: Fun Stuff on the Internet

So there is a cool new game where you get a random image from Google maps and you have to guess where you are in the world.  From when I heard about it I knew that it would be my thing. Yeah it is totally great.  You get points based on how close your guesses are to the actually location.  The first on I got was low hills with cat tails by the road, no buildings at all and a traffic sign on the right hand side.  I guessed USA because of the traffic sign and I think cat tails are in marshy areas, but it had the hills.  My guess was somewhere in the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia.  Turns out it was Brazil, oops.  Then I realized you can actually navigate around to get a better sense of the location not just the single snapshot.  The next one was a fancy shopping area.  Seemed obviously Japan. I guessed Tokyo; it was actually Osaka but my score definitely got better.  Then there was a plain-y area with modern metal buildings and farming equipment.  I guessed Amarillo Texas; it was in Kansas.  Number four was on an inland waterway.  The signs looked like they were in Spanish.  I navigated around a bit more and saw a number of signs that said Ponte (I think.)  Then I found some signs that had .br web addresses. Brazil again, Portuguese not Spanish.  My last place was basically this:

AH HA! Got to be Russia! So I pan around and see this.

Looks familiar… Like Yekaterinburg, but what are the chances?

I went exploring trying to figure out the Cyrillic alphabet and find a clue.  Pizza Place, Movie theater, a Botanical Garden, this crazy place…The tower reminds me of something in St. Petersburg and I know St. Petersburg has a famous garden I was about to guess when I saw a sign in English, you guessed it… Ekaterinburg.  I found it on the map, made my guess, and got my score.  Less than 2 km from correct.  Cool.  You should try Geoguessr.  It’s really fun.

Erin is a nerd… GC 2012 edition

Watching General Conference videos the other day. YouTube suggests… Russian Floorball.  I don’t know what that is but it sounds exciting.

Good Friday

What a Good Friday… insanely delicious weather, my street smelling like flowers, my house smelling like bananas, and I-10 smelling like onions, a flower picture from Nick, visiting my client’s new apartment on a lake!, Sharing Tree fulfilling my Reading Rainbow fantasies, a huge orange sunset and a huge yellow moon rise, new ways to think about the atonement, new music from Tyrone Wells, puppies that are happy to see you, and being home

 

 

In reply

So that happened

Teas of 2012: A journey through my drawer of teas… and more

1/1 Twinings Earl Grey
1/2 Wilkinson’s of Norwich – USA Holiday Blend
1/3 Republic of Tea Fair Trade Blueberry
1/4 Adagio Cranberry
1/5 Plymouth Tea Golden Monkey

1/6 Special Teas Coconut
1/7 Bigelow Raspberry
1/8 Wilkerson’s of Norwich Berry Blend
1/9 Republic of Tea Good Hope Vanilla Red
1/10 Tazo Joy

1/11 Church Mouse Black
1/12 Lipton
1/13 Republic of Tea Mango Ceylon
1/14 Adagio Earl Grey Bravo
1/15 Archer Farms Chocolate Berry Earl Grey

1/16 Lipton White Tea Blueberry Pomegranate
1/17 Twinings Pumpkin Spice Chai
1/18 Ashby Assam
1/19 Metropolitan Nutcracker Roobios
1/20 Harry and David Chocolate Raspberry Tea

1/21 Celestial Seasons Madagascar Vanilla Red
1/22 Ashby Darjeeling
1/23 Wilkinson’s Of Norwich Assam Tarajulie
1/24 Twinings Lemon Twist Black
1/25 Adagio Chestnut

1/26 Twinings Lady Grey Cold Brew
1/27 Adagio Pumpkin Spice
1/28 Adagio Candy Apple
1/29 Adagio Passion Fruit
1/30 Tropical Tea Company House Blend

1/31 Plymouth Oktoberfest Blend
2/1 Twinings Peach
2/2 Metropolitan “Across a Crowded Room”… turns out it’s vanilla/pomegranate
2/3 Stash Chocolate Hazelnut Decaf
2/4 it’s a long story… I drank copious amounts of generic iced tea with dinner, had a sample of Peppermint Vanilla Chai at Spice and Tea Exchange, then I got a cup of British Breakfast at Panera, but I throw it away because it tasted like coffee residue (get it together, Panera)

I find this odd, Netflix

The things that have happened

In no particular order…

• I have another new job… well a seventeen month old new job
• My sister and I went on a road trip
• and we went to Epcot Food and Wine
• and I went to visit her again at her new house
• I barely did any theater
• I took a seminary class
• I preached one of the last nights of our departed Evening Vespers service
• I had minor surgery
• that let me gain back most of the weight
• Ryan Bradley won the US Championship
• Many hours of “So You Think You Can Dance” were watched
• More youth got confirmed
• I agreed to help with Youth Sunday School
• so I am going regularly to the contemporary service at church
• I cut my hair short
• I cried my eyes out too many times
• I took a 12 week Biblical Greek class
• I put up a half done online dating profile… then took it down
• I applied for about 20 jobs… got one phone interview and no jobs
• I finally turned some acquaintances into real friends
• Visited Lakeland to go to FTC see old friends, waive at FSC, and see my beloved drama teacher get a distinguished career award
• I got lots of books
• I nominated myself to be a delegate to General Conference and did not win the vote
• I saw the first national tour of the Hair revival
• I spent holidays at home
• I picked up a bad YouTube watching habit
• I got asked to speak at next year’s Women’s Retreat
• I rode lots of roller coasters
• I went to the PCC reunion
• I went to my ten year HS reunion
• I help organize an emergency cold weather shelter for homeless people
• I got a new car
• I had a Seder meal at my house
• and more… can’t decide if that’s a lot or a little

Seventeen months later…

Shall I pick up where I left off?

Sermon: “Ask Your Father”

Luke 11:1-13 NRSV

He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.” And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.” So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

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Audio MP3: saintpaulsumc.org

My dad worked as a manager at Kmart until I was in middle school.  There is a sweet story that my family tells about a time when my mom took me to see him at the store.  They were having a family festival and were giving out balloons.  My favorite color was brown when I was in preschool, so I’m sure that I had to settle for a red one.  Well sometime after leaving the store and saying goodbye to my dad, my balloon popped.  I’m sure the tears flowed.  Well my mom called my dad at work and asked him to bring home a new balloon for me.  When my dad came home, I saw the balloon in his hand (a red one of course).  I ran up to him and exclaimed, “Daddy, you fixed it!”  To me, he just knew what I needed and he took care of it without me even asking.  I think that God does that for use more times than we can count.  But today’s lesson is about how we ask our heavenly father.