Gingerly speaking...

So the past week has been like Gingerfest 2010. I have cooked more with the little rhizome than I ever thought I would. My friend Toby had posted something about bottling ginger ale on his Facebook status, and that caught my eye. I love good ginger ale or ginger beer, not the Canada Dry or Schweppes stuff (although it's OK, too), but stuff with lots of real ginger in there, so you can feel the spice of it. So, he directed me to some good recipes and I have spent the past week whipping up some good eats. Just for the record, this is what the raw "root" looks like (not really a root, but that'll do for now):

So, after you peel it, it can be sliced and candied, like this:

This becomes a great combination of sweet and heat, although some people aren't fans. The texture is pretty chewy, though it does harden after a while, but always has some chewiness to it. So, if you look below the cooling rack, you will notice a big pile of crystallized ginger sugar. That's a lovely little bi-product that I like to toss into coffee or tea. It adds a nice zest, and can be seen in the picture at the top (the one with my name in it).

So, you have to boil the slices before you actually add the sugar, and then drain the water off of them before, as well. So, what do you do with all that gingery water? Waste it? I think not! Behold, my caramel ginger syrup. Not nearly as spicy as the candy, but it is definitely in there, and very sweet and caramely:

So, if this wasn't enough, we still have the ginger ale to get to! The hardest part of this is having to wait a few days to test the product. I bottled my first bottle two and a half days ago, and sampled it today. It tasted great, but lacked the fizz I was expecting. I'll have to experiment further with it. But I do have a second bottle going, as well. Here they both are, and never-you-mind the the labels. Neither label deserves to be on there, but at least they help me differentiate between the two batches:

There you go, my latest misadventure. It was fun though, for the most part. I still have a ways to go on the brew, but aside from that, it has been a cool--or hot--success. Stay tuned for more mayhem and merriment!

OK, so I wrote this little devotion for the upcoming TEAMeffort staff devotion book. My first time doing a devotion...well, that's a lie. This devotion is actually a rehashing/updated/abridged version of a devotion I gave with a group from church, but that is mentioned below. It's one of those messages that God put on my heart, and I hope it speaks to you, or whoever else may read it. Feel free to borrow it, if you want; just don't forget to cite your source! lol




Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-9
"...⁷The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched [Elijah] and aid, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." ⁸So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God…"

In July of 2009, I experienced my first mission trip. Not sure what to expect, I was shocked when God had me cutting massive lengths of rebar & wire, mixing & pouring concrete, and signing in tongues (ok, so it was sign language, but it was new for me)! I'll admit, I'm usually lazy, but the hard labor was surprisingly enriching. We worked hard that week, both in the construction and in spending time with our deaf friends. For the first time in ages I could go to bed at night satisfied with myself, and know I would rest well.

Jesus touched me that week, and renewed our relationship to new heights. If you've been on a mission trip, I bet you have a similar story to tell. That's the gospel of what we do. Unfortunately, there is also a disappointing follow-up we're all susceptible to. All the other parts of our lives that draw us away from our God, they don't just disappear. I came home, and life‒or death‒went on. I had never felt so close to God, only to again fall so far from my Father. I fell into a darkness and despair all too familiar, and self-pity began to take its toll on me.

Finally, I heard God calling out to me. I was asked to give a devotional during a church mission trip. I don't know why, but I turned to 1Kings, chapter 19. Elijah had just called down fire from Heaven, put an end to the 450 prophets of Baal, & summoned the first rain in years‒huge stuff! But Jezebel vows to have him killed, and guess what! Elijah tucked his tail and ran, begging God to take his life. After God had provided such victory, the man lost faith, ready to give up. But God wasn't about to give up on Elijah, renewing his strength and comforting his spirit. Our God is THE awesome God! We reach such peaks through Him, only to fall once again to our chains of flesh. But in the darkest moments, God waits for us to hear His gentle whisper, eager to lift us up as only He can.

I hope that as we depart for our summer stroll in His mission field, that you walk with Him, talk with Him, draw closer to Him. And after the summer highs, should autumn cause you to fall, and winter chill your spirit, I pray that you will remember that God is always there, always has been, and always will be. Like any good father, He does not want us to fall. But when we do, He is the perfect Father, waiting to restore and renew us.

No autographs, please!

My life has been full of weird little moments of awesome experiences. I've gotten to make music around the globe, eat snails in France, and even record music with some amazing musicians. But one moment just recently stood out in my memory. When I first moved to Nashville, back in 2001, I spent about three or four months traveling with a Christian-Rock act. Byron Keith was the guy's name. That was a pretty fun time, until September 11th struck and we started losing gigs because of the economic crunch the churches and such were feeling.

During one trip to Wilmington, I got to do something really neat. Our guitarist had a mildly unhealthy obsession with Dawson's Creek. OK, let's face it, any obsession with that show is very unhealthy, but at least it's off the air now. So, Marty decides he is going to take a promo package to Screen Gems studios in Wilmington, because he thinks it is his destiny to get on the show and meet Katie Holmes. A few hour later, he gets a call, and they ask him if he would like to do some extra work. They actually need a few extras, and guess what...the first and last episode of Dawson's Creek that was worth watching was born (and guess which one of us got the most face time). I would direct the viewing audience to the following time markers for this video: 0:45, 1:19 and 1:52. Look over the "director's" left shoulder, and behold!

And without further ado, Eli's Creek!

Time-Life is the devil!

How did those "best of an era/genre" CD compilations become SO popular and memorable? I was flipping through the TV last night, trying my best to find something to fall asleep to. Then I see a club I used to play with in Nashville, with Mickey Gilley and LoriAnn Crook pitching the Time-Life Golden Age of Country Music CD set. In typical fashion, I could not sleep, nor turn the station. The five second or less song clips, as always, kept me hooked, but to top it off, I had to keep staring at the walls of the club during the sales pitch segments to see what all I recognized. So many memories, and not just the music!

And to top it all off, my friend Kelly and I are chatting about this on Facebook, because she saw a comment I had posted there about the infomercial and was talking about watching it, too. But her favorite is the Best Of The 70's...and you know what? Guess what I asked her..."Is that the one with the guy from Air Supply on it?" Why yes, yes it was! How the hell did I know that? lol...darn you, Time-Life!

Clef Hangers, Strawberry Cheesecake, and Ye Olde English!

Tonight was a blast. Our singles' small group from church had dinner at Diane and Ventia's townhouse, and I was the only guy with four girls to contend with. But I managed. We all arrived between 6:30 and 7, and no one left until after midnight. Crazy! I tried out a new dish to take, but I wasn't thrilled with it. Everyone else thought they were OK, at least. I fried plantains, about three different ways. I fried two plantains with 1/4 inch thick round pieces, one with thin lengthwise strips, and one I cut into inch thick round pieces, fried slightly, smashed 'em flat, and fried again. The strips were my favorites, kinda crispy like a potato chip, but mildly sweet. But I also brought chips and salsa, as an emergency contingency plan.

The dish of the night has to go to Miranda, though. Dude, I have never had such a delicious strawberry cheesecake. Rather than a firm type of cheesecake, it was more of a whipped consistency. Pour that onto a gram cracker crust, top with meticulously chosen, sliced, and arranged fresh strawberries, and I had to have a second piece. Sorry Miranda, but I cannot help but keep talking about the cake. OK, I guess I can. There was a lot more that went on, and I am sleepy.

Lots of good music was enjoyed throughout the evening, and lots of gaming. We played a couple of rounds of Bananagrams--Sarah about freaked out when I said I had brought it...and she smoked us on both rounds, lucky bum! Then a lovely game of Cranium was enjoyed by all, but won by my team. We were just too good; it wasn't even a contest, really.

But I think the highlight of the evening for me was Ventia's history lesson in the English language. Good points I never really had realized or thought about. For example, after the Norman invasion and conquest of England, the nobility used French, and the English, who were at this time servants and lower class people, were the only ones to use English. Had it not been for the bubonic plague, English may have died...yay, plague! Just a little linguistic trivia, brought to you by the letter V.

And now, I'm off to bed. Early to rise, so the less late to bed the better!

Parlez-vous?

OK, so school is getting back into full swing after the December break. So far, it is going very well. Last semester was my first semester back to school in exactly ten years. Went in planning on a major in early childhood education, but mid-semester I decided I would rather major in foreign languages. Call it a mid-life crisis, but heck, I have always enjoyed picking up words and phrases in other languages, and the idea of being bi-, tri- or even somewhat-lingual has always appealed to me.

During my first semester at Gainesville State College, I took French 1002 and Biology 1102 (plus the matching BIOL 1102 lab). Both classes would satisfy requirements for the early childhood associates portion. Well, as I began to feel well about my progress in the French 1002, it struck me! I enjoy the language, I love visiting foreign countries (I miss Europe), and I don't envy the prospect of teaching as much as I thought I did (and if Sonny Purdue gets his way, I really won't envy it at all). Why not pursue the linguistic direction?

Well, I haven't found a convincing answer to that question yet, so I'm still pursuing it. Fortunately, all of the classes I took that first semester will still be useful toward satisfying the new major; in fact, it works out now to where two more courses transferred in from Troy State will now be useful toward the new degree. Hey, it is now a no-brainer, right? And I hope to follow up last semester's three A's with a repeat performance. But more on that later. As for now, I am sleepy, and this is enough for one night's work.

¡Bienvenido a mi blog!

Bonjour, mes amis, anciens et nouveaux! ¿Qué pasa? Welcome to my new blog (although if you are visiting for the first time long after I have written this, then welcome to my old blog)! Yes, there comes a time in every man's life when he must conform and become one with his people. One must learn to resist the innate urge to rebel, shed his inner-coup. Not all trends are detrimental to the unique spirit, and the fad that fails to fade (yay for triple-alliteration!!!) may very well merit some attention if I plan to make it in the modern world.

Then again, maybe I just think it's cool!

Welcome noses of all shapes, sizes, creeds, colors, and other various nasally segregating differences; my business is now officially equal opportunity friendly! This should be a good way to keep friends and family updated on my life, and into my head (should you be foolish enough to venture in there..."Don't go in the marsh!!!"). Now the only catch is getting myself to keep up with all of it. And you can let me know how you are, too, and feedback on what I may blabber on about, or about something I should have blabbered on about. I just ask that you keep it rated between G and PG (maybe PG-13, but only with parental consent), and don't be rude--even if you can't help it and you just are.

So, here you go, my online journal, my blog. Keep it secret! Keep it safe! Wait, don't keep it secret! But keep it safe. Cherish it as if it were your own. Love it like there is no tomorrow! Carry on, my wayward son...