The Simple Things of Summer

Day Trip to NYC with my Caregroup--July 8

Java Junction for iced-tea after the market with my Mom...
This little girl was at the market today...so precious...
The market has so much--corn, apples, peppers, wild honey, blackberries, tomatoes, apricots, peaches, plums..it is right in Old Town G'burg on Thursdays from 2 to 5pm
Lauren and I posing at Ikea...
Yes, only one hydrangea has bloomed, but i am proud of it!
The wild blackberries that I picked on my walk the other day

During the last few weeks, I have begun to see the benefits of simple summer days. Our family decided not to go on vacation this year for a variety of reasons, and I have been pleasantly surprised to find that there are so many great things you can do when the calender is not filled up (surprise, surprise!) Long times of reading my Bible, studying spanish, seeing movies like Superman and Lady in the Water late at night, reading Counte of Monte Cristo at the pool, organizing my room, and going to the weekly local market on Thursdays with my Mom have proved to be so relaxing. And then there have been other things: going to Ikea to help Lauren Minard, one of my closest friends, pick out house and wedding decorations, enjoying my one lonely pink hydrangea that my bush produced, (my Dad pruned it last winter and he wasn't supposed to!), getting iced tea at this cute little cafe called Java Junction in Old Towne Gaithersburg, (this was today's activity), making ginger granola, cooking for family dinner (the other night was Greek style pork gyros on toasted pita bread with cumin-lime yogurt sauce, arugala, and red onion), doing Pilates and Sports Conditioning classes at Fitness First, picking wild blackberries on early-morning walks in my neighborhood, and hanging out with my family and friends.

We have also been eating dinner out on our deck a lot as of late, and then we sit and talk for a while, which is usually pretty entertaining =) The other night my brother Peter was re-filling his water glass and had quite the little surprise: he took a huge gulp, and then started loudly choking and gagging because it was actually carbonated seltzer water with lemon, and he thought it was regular filter water! He then proceeded to blame it on me because I had made dinner that night...and following the usual ranting that the boys give me whenever I make something unusual (I have been known to come up with my own recipes), he went straight to "the chocolate chips". "Chocolate chips" is a term Peter and Brett use whenever they tease me about some weird dish that I make--they say, "What, are there chocolate chips in the salad tonight, Em?" I won't defend myself...but just to get the record straight, Brett was responsible for the seltzer water that night.
The second funny family time was a few nights ago when we were attempting to have family prayer. To make a long story short, we pretty much all took turns falling asleep when it wasn't our turn to pray, and only got through about a quarter of our prayer list...but hey, it was the spiritual bonding time that mattered, right? =)

Cheese, anyone?

Did you know that Holland is the largest exporter of cheese in the world? In 1991 alone, the Dutch produced over 600 million kilos of cheese, which was sold to various Western European countries, as well as the U.S. and Japan. Kind of crazy, huh? But what amazes me the most is the selection--Gouda and Edam are two of Holland's specialties, and then there's Leyden (a dry, nutty cheese with cumin seeds in it that our family grew up eating), Leerdammer, Smoked Gouda, Friesian, and Kernhem to name a few. When I went online, one store had 700 cheeses to pick from...wow.
I would have to say, cheese is not just a delicacy to me; it's a staple of life. Cheddar, sharp or mild, pepper jack, monterray jack, brie, parrano, feta, ricotta, swiss, blue, boursin, gorgonzola, parmesan, Chevre, Gruyere, Camembert...the list goes on and on.
Yep. The variety is pretty much amazing.

I Scream for Ice-Cream

Vanilla Ice-cream with chunks of Reese's peanut butter cups and dark chocolate

(Clockwise from top)
Pink Grapefruit sorbet, low-fat Peach frozen yogurt, and Coconut yogurt custard

My handy-dandy Cuisinart base!

Ever since I read "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" when I was 15, I have always wanted to make homemade ice-cream. For the last 5 years, I have been putting it off simply because I thought it would be really expensive to buy an ice-cream maker. Well, thanks to my sister's example, I decided to go onto Craig's List (craigslist.com) last week to hunt for one. Result: a Cuisinart professional maker for $12 from a guy who lives in Fairfax, VA but works in Gaithersburg. He dropped it off at our house late last week, and ever since then, I have been busy in the kitchen. My first results have been pretty good--most of the recipes include less than 4 ingredients, in 30 minutes it is ready, and the only thing you really have to think about is putting the ice-cream bowl in the freezer the night before to make sure it is completely frozen. Of course the Vanilla one with the heavy whipping cream and whole milk turned out the smoothest, richest, and generally the best =) All this to say, if you are ever out running errands and need a little ice-cream to cool down on a hot summer day, please feel free to stop by! Happy Fourth of July everyone!

God Moves

As one of the songs we sang in church yesterday that reflects on God's sovereignty, I was personally blessed by one thought: God is smiling from above even when His providences seem to frown. Every providence, every detail, every event in my life is controlled by my loving Creator. Trials, difficulties, and 'the season of waiting' as a single are all hard at times, but I can trust that God never has a "slip-up"--what He withholds is for my good, and what He gives is to bless me. It is always His loving will at work for His glory and my good. As one of the dads said in Mexico when we got hit by the Roto virus, " This situation first passed through the heavens before it came down to us". This is so comforting to recall to mind. As a single, I can be encouraged that no matter what happens, it always is subjected to God's wise plan before He allows it to come to me. He will only give good gifts to His children. All my 'days of waiting' are perfectly planned out by a heavenly Father who knows all the details--the perfect time, the perfect person, the perfect story.

"God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm
Deep in His dark and hidden mine
With never failing skill
He fashions all His bright designs
And works His sovereign will

So God we trust in You
Oh God we trust in You

Oh fearful saints new courage take
The clouds which you now dread
Are big with mercy and will break
In blessings on your head
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense
But trust Him for His grace
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face

So God we trust in You
Oh God we trust in You
When tears are great
And comforts few
We hope in mercies ever new
We trust in You

God’s purposes will ripen fast
Unfolding every hour
The bud may have a bitter taste
But sweet will be the flower
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain
God is His own interpreter
And He will make it plain

So God we trust in You
Oh God we trust in You"

Summer Reading

Every summer brings much excitement to me by way of book lists. I love to pick up a good story on a rainy day, by the pool, or at the beach, and enjoy the simplicity of literature over the TV. July is almost here, and I am just now on #2 and #3; nevertheless, the list can continue into the fall, so I'll probably end up taking my time and not doing my typical "5 books in a week at the beach" speed-reading. What's on your list?! Here's mine:

1. Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen (I just finished it--this has become one of my favorites!)
2. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (a third of the way through...)
3. The Power of the Cross of Christ by Charles Spurgeon (on Chapter 4 in my quiet-times)
4. My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok--author of The Chosen; a national bestseller about a young Jewish boy who is an aspiring artist growing up in post-WWII Brooklyn, NY.
5. Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer
6. Spiritual Depression-Its Causes and Cure by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
7. A Call to Spiritual Reformation-Priorities from Paul and His Prayers by D.A. Carson
8. Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis--a re-read...it's incredible, really.
9. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini--a New York Times bestseller about two young boys who are friends in Afghanistan...
10. Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende--set in the 1850's, a story of an Chilean orphan who encounters the allure of the California gold rush as a young woman.
11. Hiroshima by John Hersey--a short set of stories from the Japanese people compiled by Hersey in an attempt to recount the memories of the August 6, 1945 bombing.
12. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller-a fictional story relating to the emerging new church of our day...

And last, but certainly not least (now don't laugh):

13. How to Be A Domestic Goddess-Baking and the Art of Comfort Food by Nigella Lawson. (This will be an interactive form of reading because I am going to use it to cook with on my designated Thursday night!)

Still More Pictures!

More Pictures...

Roto Recall

Well, home at last. Ally, Elise and I were quite happy when we landed and very excited to see our family and friends...although our trip was incredible by way of memories, serving opportunities, and blessings and surprises along the way, we all agreed that home was sounding better than ever by the middle of the second week. For those of you who haven't heard yet, the Week 2 team got some sort of flu bug/Roto virus epidemic that hit our guys, girls, and parents randomly starting on Wednesday morning, June 21. I won't go into unnecessary details, but one thing's certain: it was not a pretty sight! Sending many to the hospital with 104 fevers, and others to the hotel in El Paso to rest and get re-hydrated, our admin. team had to actively think on our feet and trust God for His grace in each moment to do all that needed to be done. To make things worse, one of the girls had 2 very serious asthma attacks between Wednesday and Saturday that were very scary because her lungs were collapsing. Then, by Saturday morning, June 24, both of our pastors--Adam Malcom and Matt Maka--had come down with the Roto bug. We couldn't believe what was happening! Yet, as always, the Spirit of God provided sufficient strength and wisdom.

On a personal note, I learned so much on this trip both through spiritual and physical challenges. The theme verse that I felt became my prayer throughout the trip was Philippians 3:7-11:

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ...I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him...I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."

For sure, I felt like I learned how to share in Christ's sufferings...but what is so amazing to me is the fact that these truths became a reality to me--they are no longer solely Paul's words from scripture--they have become my own. I have experienced the reality of gaining Christ through losing myself for the glory of His kingdom. Not having enough time in the day to think about myself was freeing; hitting my pillow late at night, having exhausted myself for the Lord's service, was totally satisfying; and dying to my preferences and desires by putting others above myself brought a new joy to my heart. Praise God for His work!

Other memories:
1. Special Admin Dinner at Cattleman's Steakhouse--a Top 10 steak place in the country, at which I ate the best piece of flank steak I have ever had in my life.
2. The Rainbow Eclipse on Sunday morning June 25--like the promise from God to Noah of His covenant to His people even in the midst of trial...
3. Covenant Life church vs. Juarez church Soccer Game--We won 2-1! Go Sam and Julie!
4. MOW card games till midnight--who will ever forget the caramel on the face as the penalty?
5. Nora and Travis surprising me on Saturday after having driven 6 hours from Queen Creek, AZ to visit with me!
6. Taco Tote--an authentic, simple taco place which people either love or hate: I loved. The picture above is of all the fixings...
7. The adventures of cooking 3 meals a day for 70 people! Thanks to Tim Pyle for grilling bacon on 3 old charcoal grills for 4 hours. =)
8. Hiking up to the "Cross" in the mountains and spending time in prayer at 5:30 in the morning...the picture of the sunrise is the view from the top...
9. Cooking pasta for 2 1/2 hours with Elise and quoting Anne of Green Gables the entire time
10. Making fun of James Maresco for losing more water bottles than anyone the entire trip, and watching all the consequences he had to endure because of it!! (the push-ups)

Vamos a Mexico

Just wanted to let you know that I'm off to Mexico for 2 weeks to serve in the Rancho 3m orphanage as an admin. team member under our CLC youth pastor Dave Brewer. Check out our general Mexico website for updates throughout the trip! It is: http://www.megustatacotote.blogspot.com

The Pure-Bred, The Norwiegan, and The Half-Breeds

Well, it is now June 10, and I have finally had a quiet Saturday morning to figure out how to post pictures onto my blog...so finally, I can introduce you to my family (from left to right): Nora (25) and her husband Travis Shank, my Mom and Dad, Brett (15), Peter (23 in four days!) and me. This is our family beach picture from last August in Bethany Beach, Delaware. My Dad is a Dutch pure-bred...100% all the way. The proof lies in the fact that he loves cheese, cleanliness, California, choir, clipping things (like hedges and bushes), etc. He is a very meticulous person. On the other hand, my Mom is Norwiegen and just about a bit of every European country. Even though she has the white silvery hair that most Norweigens get by the time they are 30 years old, she is still very young at heart. We call her the Pilates Goddess. The rest of us kids are half-breeds: 50% Dutch and generally speaking, a mix of my parents in physical features and personalities. However, unlike my sibs, I proudly own my Oma's middle name: "Jacoba" (pronounced Yaa-ko-ba with the stress on the "a"). It is the female version of Jacob in Holland. Gosh, back to pronunciation! Dutch is a hard one. Oh, and just for the record, when Nora and Travis first started going out, we discovered that his Mom--Janis--had Dutch in her too! So we knew it was fate.

Cinco de Mayo? Not just a Mexican celebration.

A few days ago, people celebrated Cinco de Mayo, which is the Mexican celebration that commemorates the victory of General Zaragoza's forces over the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. With the help of the tenacious Southwest terrain and a stampede of cattle set off by local peasants, the Mexican troops stopped the French from invading their land.

Interestingly enough, my Dad (being the loyal Dutchman that he is) informed me a few days ago that the Mexicans aren't the only ones who celebrate May 5 as a people. The Dutch also take time on this day to celebrate the end of the German occupation in Holland after World War II in 1945. This holiday, aka Bevrijdingsdag, was declared a national holiday in 1990 and is celebrated all over Holland with street festivals.

Thanks to my Tante Nel, (Dutch for Aunt), I was able to make some small, humble attempt at the pronunciation of this word: ba-vri (swallow the "r")--dins-daa (clear throat sound)g. It was not very successful.

I Am In Love

Well...not really. Just with a neighborhood. What makes this neighborhood so cool is that it is unlike all the other communities in the area, and it is unknown to many. This makes for a quiet, still area where the only thing you can hear is the sound of the birds singing. In fact, I predict that someday, this hole-in-the-wall community will become the next, "old-money" Kensington. On a practical level, the surrounding roads and areas have already been built into, so there could never be an ugly 10-story apartment building that suddenly got put right next to this neighborhood. But on a more sentimental note, every house is different, the trees stand old and tall, most of the "roads" are narrow, winding, grassy paths and there are more wrap-around porches than I can count. To say the least, I really would love to buy in there someday. I like to pick out in my mind the One I might buy and fix up someday, or raise my children in. But even more than that, I pray and thank God for such a picture of Himself as the God of details---every old brick chimney, every small little bud creeping out of the ground, every beam of sunshine streaming through the edges of the tree-tops. Sometimes, these things are more inspiring than the neighborhood as a whole.

Eat to Live, or Live to Eat?

...That is the question. This week has been marked by really good food, and I'm becoming more and more convinced that I could easily eat my way through Europe or the U.S. some day, in search of the best restaraunts and markets. Nora and I had an entire Sister Day on Friday on which our entire agenda was centered around where we were going to eat. After a close to 2 hour hike in the San Tan mountains, we had acquired a large appetite and were ready to go. First stop--"My Florist Cafe" in downtown Phoenix. We shared Blackberry Sage tea, a fresh asparagus, artichoke, tomato, feta, argula, and romaine salad, and a small plate of assorted breads with sage butter to go with it. Yumm...next stop was a little bit further downtown to a place called Pane Bianco, an urban, chic restaraunt/bar where we shared a fresh toasted pita, fresh spinach tuna sandwich. The tuna had come from a local Washington guy who sells 10 unique twists to canned gourmet tuna...so good. The last stop was the Lux Coffee Bar, where we each got a small double-shot espresso with foamed cream and cinnamon on top and 1 small homemade caramel nougat that was incredibly chewy and sweet. We thought that we could have died and gone to heaven...isn't food amazing?

Visiting Sunny Arizona

Visiting my sister Nora and her new husband Travis in the South-East corner of Arizona has inspired me this week to start my own blog. Not that I really have time, but hey, I like to write and comment on life. Why Dutch Days? My Dad is one of five siblings who are 1st born generation in the U.S. His parents, Tom and Cobie Jansen, both came to the states in their teens. Heritage is sort of a big thing for me, and as I am 50% "orange", I wanted to incorporate this aspect of my background into my blog. I hope to write something small about Holland, the Dutch, etc. whenever I can...hence, Dutch Days. Happy blogging everyone.