Take about 30 minutes out of your day for some truth....
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Humbled
This was our view on the west side of the car today as we drove back up from Amarillo. We got to see Carson again by sonogram... he is SO close to being here. It's amazing to watch the tiny but fearfully and wonderfully made handiwork of our Creator through a monitor screen in a doctors office. Then, on the drive home, we see the massive beauty of a distant thunder head collapsing into a prairie shower.
Carson, our Son, is so small and precious to us, but he's a really big deal to our Heavenly Father, and this massive cloud so huge and almost indescribable to us is probably just another little whisp of vapor from our Holy God's view from the throne.
God of Wonders.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Any day (or week) now....
Now for an update on our Pregnancy. We are 37 weeks and 4 days in.
Yesterday we had a bit of a scare. Carson, who is usually quiet active, stopped moving. It was especially odd because he stopped shortly after his and mommy's favorite lunch bite, the PB & J. About three hours with no movement sent Amber into a bit of a panic so we were off to Amarillo's Baptist St. Anthony's Hospital (yes a Baptist, Catholic Hospital ....Babolic? Cathtist?) Anyway, almost 4 hours into the ordeal he started to move a bit. We got to the Hospital and half the nurses were smearing ash on Amber's head and the other half were trying to feed us Jello salad left over from pot luck from the fellowship hall.... kidding, actually, they hooked Amber up and we got to hear a very strong heartbeat for about 45 minutes as they monitored little C.J. So all is well, the diagnosis by the way is that Mom is having early contractions and the boy has the tendency to be a heavy sleeper... wonder where that came from.... ?
Amber is doing GREAT ! If she is half the mother she is a baby pod/beautiful pregnant woman Carson will be very blessed Son indeed. I have no doubt she will be a great one. She has been a real trooper these last 8 months and it has been incredible to see my wonderful wife move gracefully (though I tell her she's walking like Fred Sanford these days) into motherhood.
I love you Ber' !
- Jud
Yesterday we had a bit of a scare. Carson, who is usually quiet active, stopped moving. It was especially odd because he stopped shortly after his and mommy's favorite lunch bite, the PB & J. About three hours with no movement sent Amber into a bit of a panic so we were off to Amarillo's Baptist St. Anthony's Hospital (yes a Baptist, Catholic Hospital ....Babolic? Cathtist?) Anyway, almost 4 hours into the ordeal he started to move a bit. We got to the Hospital and half the nurses were smearing ash on Amber's head and the other half were trying to feed us Jello salad left over from pot luck from the fellowship hall.... kidding, actually, they hooked Amber up and we got to hear a very strong heartbeat for about 45 minutes as they monitored little C.J. So all is well, the diagnosis by the way is that Mom is having early contractions and the boy has the tendency to be a heavy sleeper... wonder where that came from.... ?
Amber is doing GREAT ! If she is half the mother she is a baby pod/beautiful pregnant woman Carson will be very blessed Son indeed. I have no doubt she will be a great one. She has been a real trooper these last 8 months and it has been incredible to see my wonderful wife move gracefully (though I tell her she's walking like Fred Sanford these days) into motherhood.
I love you Ber' !
- Jud
Sunday, July 6, 2008
"That'll be the day"
"Someone once asked me where I thought music would've taken Buddy. I said 'you're asking the wrong question. Where was Buddy gonna take music?" -Waylon Jennings
Yesterday we made an impromtu drive down to Lubbock with Amber's parents to visit with her Aunt Penny and Uncle Jerry who are in the process of relocating there. I had never been to Lubbock, but had always hoped to one day visit the Buddy Holly Center. I don't know if there is anyone that made more joyful music in rock and roll. The music and it's lyrics has an innocence and exuberance that transcend the era it was made in. I really didn't think I'd get to fulfill this dream yesterday since it was such a down and back trip. Well, It turns out the Holly Center occupies an old train depot and was directly behind the restaurant we had lunch at.
The Center is very small, not a whole lot of memorabilia but that lends to the fact that his life and career were so relatively short. Of note, the famous glasses/frames he was famous for. They were recovered from the wreckage of the small plane he died in that fateful night in Iowa. The late 50's Fender Stratocaster that didn't make that flight but was on the band's bus, it was functionally restored in 1999 and a pick was found in between the pick guard and the body. He was known to slide his extra picks in along the edge of the pick guard. Other items included the Gibson Accoustic Guitar he wrote a number of his soon to become hits before he headed out on his last tour and a number of other personal effects. What a remarkable life that was cut short in tragedy. His career only lasted 18 months... but he accomplished much more in that short span than most do in their lifetime. He even toured Europe!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
BEEF: It's what was for dinner....
Besides thanking God for the certified Black Angus cow, I would like to dedicate this blogpost to all of the evangelistic/militant Vegans, Vegetarians and PETA Members out there. I thank you for your lack of market participation which makes my grilling experiments somewhat less expensive. You also add to the anticipation of a nice steak by your sprinkling of guilt, which makes firing up the grill a guilty pleasure, further enhancing the meat preparing/ eating process. The photos are for you.
For the rest of us, I am attempting the grilling of a better steak by using a "dry-aging" technique in the good ol' fridge and thought I'd document the process with the camera and our blog.
-First things first. Selection of Meat! I'm going with USDA "Prime" Filet Mignon. It can be hard to find a "Prime" steak at your corner grocery store. If you do find one it'll probably cost you. You'd might as well fire up the car and head for a Ruth's Chris. Most of the time, in this cut, you'll find USDA "Choice" or maybe "Trimmed Prime" not the stuff you got that time in a restaurant. Sam's or Costco carry the USDA "Prime" filets and at a fairly reasonable cost ($6 - 10 per steak). Our Sam's usually cuts them @ 3 inches thick give or take.
-This next step is new to us. As I said above we are dry aging our filets. From what I understand this should lead to maximum flavor/ tenderness. We'll see. It is supposedly best to leave the meat in the fridge on a wire baking rack uncovered, but with something underneath to catch any moisture for 3-5 days. The idea is that the the moisture inside will retreat to the center of the meat as the surface dries to form a light crust. It is common for the meat to shrivel a bit and even discolor. Below is my photo log of the process.
24 Hours (no significant drippage, only a few drops)
48 Hours (yep, a little shriveling and discoloration)
72 Hours (eight hours till they hit the inferno!)
80 Hours (Do I smell smoke?...Yes)
***It is very important to note that you need to rinse your steaks in cool water, then dry them to the point of only being a little damp before you add the salt, pepper and garlic. If I were you I would rub them with minced garlic first, then remove as much of that as you can before you hit them with salt and pepper.
Alrighty, Here's a brief explanation of my grilling theology when it comes to steaks.
1) It's a steak! You don't need a special sauce with 57 flavors, you don't need to cover up the natural flavor of the beef. In this case, with the Filet Mignon most people wrap it with bacon. This is one of those fleeting rare moments in life where you don't NEED pork...It's a Filet... you don't put racing stripes on a Bentley!
2) So What? Salt and Pepper, That's what. I like Sea Salt and cracked black pepper, a little ground black pepper is also a good thing. A little minced "gah-lic" won't hurt. Don't over do it.
3) Plenty of Charcoal. You want a hot, consistent heat. Don't skimp on the bricks.
4) Heat Zones. I go with three, Hellfire, medium heat and cooooool.
5) I like to sear the steaks on Hellfire for three-four minutes on each side, this seals in the juices and gives the meat that certain crust. Finish them over the medium heat to desired doneness. Turn them as little as possible.
6) Never cut the meat on the grill to "take a peak". Do you really want to lose the juices you've so fiercely protected?
7) But how will I know? A firm steak is a well done steak, a springy steak is a medium steak and a spongy steak?... Well, "There will be Blood" ... so, I'll take my straw and.....
8) NEVER over cook it. Better to hear it moo than moan. Besides in the 5 minutes you let it set while your saying Grace it is still cooking.
9) Butter. One pat, per steak, as you bring it off the grill. I suppose olive oil could work.
10) At this point Justin Wilson would recommend "a little red wine" I usually go with a hand full of spicy grilled shrimp (with a squirt of lemon) spicy green beans, a baked tater (mmm hmmm, I like a big un') and a nice salad.
Get you some.
"Medium"
"Medium Rare"
The Verdict on "dry aging"? This Steak was right up with the best I've ever had which would be the one from our wedding reception dinner at the Hermitage Hotel's Capitol Grille back in Nashville. About a month ago we bought the same deal but marinated them with salt and pepper for about 36 hours and they were very, very good. I expected these dry aged steaks to be even more tender and juicy and they were, very much so. What floored me though was the depth of the flavor of the beef all the way to the center. This was a very successful experiment so I will highly recommend this technique. I don't think we will grill steaks ever again without dry aging them. For @ $7 each it makes for a superb evenings meal.
-Jud
For the rest of us, I am attempting the grilling of a better steak by using a "dry-aging" technique in the good ol' fridge and thought I'd document the process with the camera and our blog.
-First things first. Selection of Meat! I'm going with USDA "Prime" Filet Mignon. It can be hard to find a "Prime" steak at your corner grocery store. If you do find one it'll probably cost you. You'd might as well fire up the car and head for a Ruth's Chris. Most of the time, in this cut, you'll find USDA "Choice" or maybe "Trimmed Prime" not the stuff you got that time in a restaurant. Sam's or Costco carry the USDA "Prime" filets and at a fairly reasonable cost ($6 - 10 per steak). Our Sam's usually cuts them @ 3 inches thick give or take.
-This next step is new to us. As I said above we are dry aging our filets. From what I understand this should lead to maximum flavor/ tenderness. We'll see. It is supposedly best to leave the meat in the fridge on a wire baking rack uncovered, but with something underneath to catch any moisture for 3-5 days. The idea is that the the moisture inside will retreat to the center of the meat as the surface dries to form a light crust. It is common for the meat to shrivel a bit and even discolor. Below is my photo log of the process.
24 Hours (no significant drippage, only a few drops)
48 Hours (yep, a little shriveling and discoloration)
72 Hours (eight hours till they hit the inferno!)
80 Hours (Do I smell smoke?...Yes)
***It is very important to note that you need to rinse your steaks in cool water, then dry them to the point of only being a little damp before you add the salt, pepper and garlic. If I were you I would rub them with minced garlic first, then remove as much of that as you can before you hit them with salt and pepper.
Alrighty, Here's a brief explanation of my grilling theology when it comes to steaks.
1) It's a steak! You don't need a special sauce with 57 flavors, you don't need to cover up the natural flavor of the beef. In this case, with the Filet Mignon most people wrap it with bacon. This is one of those fleeting rare moments in life where you don't NEED pork...It's a Filet... you don't put racing stripes on a Bentley!
2) So What? Salt and Pepper, That's what. I like Sea Salt and cracked black pepper, a little ground black pepper is also a good thing. A little minced "gah-lic" won't hurt. Don't over do it.
3) Plenty of Charcoal. You want a hot, consistent heat. Don't skimp on the bricks.
4) Heat Zones. I go with three, Hellfire, medium heat and cooooool.
5) I like to sear the steaks on Hellfire for three-four minutes on each side, this seals in the juices and gives the meat that certain crust. Finish them over the medium heat to desired doneness. Turn them as little as possible.
6) Never cut the meat on the grill to "take a peak". Do you really want to lose the juices you've so fiercely protected?
7) But how will I know? A firm steak is a well done steak, a springy steak is a medium steak and a spongy steak?... Well, "There will be Blood" ... so, I'll take my straw and.....
8) NEVER over cook it. Better to hear it moo than moan. Besides in the 5 minutes you let it set while your saying Grace it is still cooking.
9) Butter. One pat, per steak, as you bring it off the grill. I suppose olive oil could work.
10) At this point Justin Wilson would recommend "a little red wine" I usually go with a hand full of spicy grilled shrimp (with a squirt of lemon) spicy green beans, a baked tater (mmm hmmm, I like a big un') and a nice salad.
Get you some.
"Medium"
"Medium Rare"
The Verdict on "dry aging"? This Steak was right up with the best I've ever had which would be the one from our wedding reception dinner at the Hermitage Hotel's Capitol Grille back in Nashville. About a month ago we bought the same deal but marinated them with salt and pepper for about 36 hours and they were very, very good. I expected these dry aged steaks to be even more tender and juicy and they were, very much so. What floored me though was the depth of the flavor of the beef all the way to the center. This was a very successful experiment so I will highly recommend this technique. I don't think we will grill steaks ever again without dry aging them. For @ $7 each it makes for a superb evenings meal.
-Jud
Friday, June 27, 2008
Sasquatch of the high plains?
Amber is fascinated (and perhaps a bit ticked off) with how much her feet have swollen during the pregnancy. I don't know, they don't really seem THAT big to me.
38 days to go... yee Ha !!!
-Jud
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Grandpa Barack? Uh, no. The "audacity" of a quote ...
The supposed lesson the American Church was supposed to have learned in the last few election cycles is to stay the heck out of politics. Now it seems many of those who hammered this lesson home the for last 6 years or so are now rushing to the popular and charismatic campaign of one Barack Obama, even to the point of presumtuosly anointing him as a sort of "savior" for our nation.
What we have is yet another candidate who speaks "Christianese". Lifting, this time, portions of scripture to support a mission of social justice. Justice for whom may I ask?
"If (my daughters) make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby" - Senator Barack Obama
Please read the above quote out loud three times (it shouldn't take that many to get you really creeped out).
To many this cements this man's views as extremely Pro-Abortion. While that may be true, to stop there would be missing the point. This man, by this irrational quote, exemplifies the humanist/socialist mentality of "someone else is going to have to pay my bill". This statement is extremely IRRESPONSIBLE for anyone who has the aim of any form of democratic leadership to make.
Irregardless of how you judge George Bush and his presidency, or John McCain and his un-conservative conservatism it it crucial not to weigh a decision to support or not support Barack Obama based on your displeasure of his counterparts.
It's crucial to NOT vote for Barack Obama for the right reasons, for which there are plenty. For a reminder of just one of those reasons...
"If (my daughters) make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby" - Senator Barack Obama
..... he is a socialist without a conscious for the weakest of our citizens.
"Social Justice" SENATOR Obama?
Justice is certainly not proposing the taking of the life of your very own Grandchild.
-Jud
What we have is yet another candidate who speaks "Christianese". Lifting, this time, portions of scripture to support a mission of social justice. Justice for whom may I ask?
"If (my daughters) make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby" - Senator Barack Obama
Please read the above quote out loud three times (it shouldn't take that many to get you really creeped out).
To many this cements this man's views as extremely Pro-Abortion. While that may be true, to stop there would be missing the point. This man, by this irrational quote, exemplifies the humanist/socialist mentality of "someone else is going to have to pay my bill". This statement is extremely IRRESPONSIBLE for anyone who has the aim of any form of democratic leadership to make.
Irregardless of how you judge George Bush and his presidency, or John McCain and his un-conservative conservatism it it crucial not to weigh a decision to support or not support Barack Obama based on your displeasure of his counterparts.
It's crucial to NOT vote for Barack Obama for the right reasons, for which there are plenty. For a reminder of just one of those reasons...
"If (my daughters) make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby" - Senator Barack Obama
..... he is a socialist without a conscious for the weakest of our citizens.
"Social Justice" SENATOR Obama?
Justice is certainly not proposing the taking of the life of your very own Grandchild.
-Jud
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