This Is Still Life

Kale, Bean, and Noodle Soup

2012-01-28T04:55:00.019+01:00

How interesting it is to read over a blog you started over four years ago. How embarrassing to note that your last post was a long, drawn-out announcement that you had returned to the blog, right before it was abandoned nearly three years ago. More shameful still is it to go searching on your computer for the post you wrote when you thought you might take this blogging thing back up, to ask your husband what became of it, and to receive the response, "I think I deleted it...that was more than a year ago!" This does not sound very promising at all, does it? Why am I even sitting here writing this at all, and why are you reading it? I won't make any conjectures, just like I won't make any more promises, I'll just get on with it and tell you about the one thing I would like to make again: Kale, Bean, and Noodle Soup. It's what we ate for dinner last night. It was easy, healthy, and tasty. I consider it a success if a meal falls into at least one of those categories, and that's three. That's pretty good. Oh, it was colorful too; that's a bonus. It's food like this that I can't keep to myself, and that, I suppose, I why I'm here.

But I'm getting into a realm I already covered in the "Welcome Back to the New and Improved Blog!" post I wrote about a year ago and never posted (we did find it after all, languishing away in an old folder in the Dropbox), in which I tell you all about what I envision for this little corner of the internet, and re-introduce myself, and announce the pending arrival of our (now-five-month-old!) baby boy, Titus, among other things. I reluctantly put that post up now, because it seems a pity to waste it, I guess. I've already made so many empty promises and set up plenty of sure-to-be-failed expectations, so what's a few more, right? Go read it for a proper introduction, if you want, but for now, on to the soup!

It’s only fitting that I should again start blogging, something I intended to do ages ago, with a recipe I bookmarked in a magazine ages ago. This recipe is from Fine Cooking, circa December 2009. The particular section of the magazine where I found it says, “Make It Tonight: Just 30 minutes to dinner, start to finish.” I don’t know exactly how long this took me, start to finish. I started around 2pm, and we ate at 5:30 or 6pm. But it should be said that in between that time I also fed a baby; put him down for a nap; prepped the kale, carrots, onions and broke the pasta with a toddler (and had I read the recipe more thoroughly, would have mixed up my Better Than Bouillon chicken broth and rinsed and drained my beans in advance too); changed a couple diapers; fed the baby some more; bundled up the baby, toddler, and myself into coats, mittens, and hats; drove to the grocery store and bought next week’s groceries (in record time); came home and unbundled; did another round of diapers; delegated the carrying in and putting away of the groceries, starting of the soup, and entertaining of the toddler to my amazing husband while I once again fed the baby and put him down for a nap; finished the soup; and cleaned up the cooking mess and set the table while it finished simmering. It seemed like such an achievement to sit down to this wonderful soup after all of that—though most days, I have to be honest, do not go as smoothly as today did, let me assure you. And I know that most of you reading this can actually accomplish much more than I did in four hours’ time. I have never been much good at time management. I would love any tips or recipes you have to share that could help me with that. (That’s an ulterior motive of mine in returning to blogging: to get advice from my more seasoned readers!)

But even if you’re an old pro at accomplishing more than one significant thing during the day and also getting dinner on the table, I hope you try out this recipe. It’s a bit different than anything I’ve tried before, but it’s not as unusual as one would expect with the combination of unordinary ingredients. Kale is a newfound love of ours; if you have not tried it, you should! It looks as if it would have a strong flavor, but it’s not overpowering. It adds a nice hearty substance to this soup, along with the beans, which are a fine source of protein. I think the brand of beans we bought was Mrs. Grimes, which I recommend. They were saltier and had a firmer texture than others I’ve tried in the past, and that equals good, in my opinion at least. They were labeled as “white kidney beans,” which are the same thing as cannellini beans, but that’s not as fun to say. Neither is “angel hair pasta,” but I looked it up, and I’m pretty sure that is the same thing as capellini pasta. The original recipe says you can also try fideo noodles in place of the capellini, but as far as I can tell, that’s just the Spanish word for the same thing. We used whole wheat pasta, which just amplifies the warm, nutty flavor you get from toasting the noodles. The lime juice sounded a bit strange to me, but don’t skip it. It doesn’t stand out at all, and gives the broth just the right amount of brightness to complement the savory broth. And the original recipe called for ¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro added at the end, but I have a big bag of whole coriander seeds I bought at Penzey’s Spices, so I crushed those up instead and added them earlier on, letting them simmer and infuse the soup with their delicious flavor. Coriander seed, if you didn’t know, grows into cilantro, and the flavor is similar, but more subtle. Feel free to use more if you like, or stick with the cilantro. The only other change I made was to use a regular white onion where the original recipe called for a red onion. I assume the red onion is mostly for appearance, but this is one soup that doesn’t need help in the looks department. I didn't get the greatest picture, but in person, this soup is beautiful. Easy, healthy, tasty, and colorful—this soup has a lot going for it!

Kale, Bean, and Noodle Soup

Adapted from Liz Pearson, Fine Cooking, December 2009/January 2010

Serves 6-8

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup broken (2- to 3-inch pieces) dried capellini pasta (I used whole wheat angel hair. I took about half a one-pound package, broke small bundles at a time into quarters, and found that to be just about right.)
2 quarts (8 cups) low-sodium chicken broth
1 small bunch kale, ribs removed, leaves roughly torn into bite-size pieces (about 6 cups)
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3 Tbs fresh lime juice (from 1-2 limes); more to taste (they will be easier to juice at room temperature)
Salt and ground black pepper
About 1 tsp. whole coriander seed, crushed with a mortar and pestle

Heat 1 Tbs of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and just golden brown, about 10 minutes. Scrape the vegetables into a medium bowl (I used the same one I used to hold them as I chopped and prepped—actually, I used a dinner plate, which takes up less room in my dishwasher) and set aside.
Heat the remaining 1 Tbs. oil in the pot over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring often, until dark golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Add the broth and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any stuck-on pasta. Add the carrots and onions, kale, beans, lime juice, ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper, and ground coriander and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the kale, carrots, and pasta are tender, 8-10 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and season to taste with lime juice, salt, and pepper. (Here is where you would add the chopped cilantro if you were using it.) Serve immediately.

Welcome Back to the New and Improved Blog! (Ha.)

2012-01-28T04:50:00.001+01:00

Welcome to the third attempt of this fickle girl to become a regular blogger. I won’t offer a big apology for my long absence, or a promise to do better that is sure to be broken. You can read that post here, written way back on October 3, 2008. It’s embarrassing, really, a post about all the things we meant to write about and then naught but a lone picture of us looking dorky in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. But I decided to keep that along with all the old posts on here, even though I’d like to think of this as a new blog. I read a handful of blogs myself, and I know it’s hard to get excited about one without a good chunk of content to pull you in. Not that the content you’ll find here is very promising on that account, but I still thought only one post would be really boring and even more embarrassing than a bunch of old ramblings, so that is what you’ll find if you go poking around in the archives. That and a few new ramblings, equally frivolous, which I wrote just to see if I could keep at this for the long haul, and not just on a quiet Sunday night after a bowl of inspiringly tasty granola. Yes, granola. That is what this blog has been reduced to, a showcase for various recipes like Chocolate Chip Granola. After all, the header at the top of the blog says “of music, photography, travel, food, and life,” but until now it has been a little heavy on the photography and travel, so I figure it’s time to add to the content involving food, maybe a little music, and of course, life. Who knows what kind of interesting subject matter that will throw our way? But don’t be disappointed if it mostly consists of granola. And roasted chicken. And things like that. Because that is the kind of thing we do now; we cook and/or eat, and it’s not exactly the fine dining of some luxurious restaurant in Europe. It’s recipes that try to strike a balance between tasty, easy, and healthy, and all on a student’s budget. Because you see, a lot has changed since this blog was abandoned. We’re no longer living in Germany, we’re back in our home state of Iowa now. Sam is going to college, and I stay home and take care of our son, William. Come August, our family of three will become a family of four. Yes, we’re expecting! So that is another thing that you might look forward to seeing here in the future: if not a bit of commentary on the new little one, then at least a few pictures here and there, I hope. It’s my desire that at some point we will have a variety of things to write about, each on a particular day of the week perhaps, but that is getting too far into the realm of promises made to be broken, which as I said was covered on October 3, 2008, and anyway, if you’re reading this now, you’re probably my mom and you’ll read anything I write with undue adoration no matter what day of the week it is.

You really should go back and read that post from October 3, 2008. I know I said it was embarrassing, and it is, but there are three links to be found within, and I urge you to skim over my drivel to find, follow, and read them. Because there is one thing that has not changed in the two plus years since that post was written. We’re still learning to be content, to live with joy, which is in some ways harder and in some ways easier than it was then. We’re learning what Paul meant when he said, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,” (Philippians 4:12). He also said, “Rejoice in the Lord always,” and “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Phillippians 4:4 and 8). We hope that this will be a blog filled with such things, and that you’ll find it minutely worthwhile to read our ramblings about them. That is, if we don’t forget to write for years at a time.

Testing

2009-03-03T09:17:00.000+01:00

If this works, you should see a picture of us in Rome, Italy.

An Explanation and Existentialism

2008-10-03T09:20:00.000+02:00

It's more of an excuse, really, for the dearth of posts around here for so long. It's a poor excuse, I'll admit. But it's something to read at least, to change the look of this page that has undoubtedly become annoyingly familiar to you faithful few, if in fact you even still exist. And it comes with hope. You see, we had a busy summer; we turned around and realized that suddenly it was October. We'd been so busy visiting Iowa, playing music, going to festivals, trying to grow an herb garden, visiting a wine town on the Rhine, camping, hiking, climbing mountains, touring beautiful churches, shopping in Heidelberg, strolling along the river in Wiesbaden, going to a medieval festival, and planning a trip to Italy that, well, blogging about it was neglected. But enough of the excuse.

I said I'd offer hope, and I will. We hope to post pictures and some brief accounts of the things that have kept us from this blog. However, we're off to Italy in less than a week, and we foresee having a camera full of pictures and plenty of stories to tell you when we get back. So we may never truly get caught up. We can only offer to do our best. Our apologies if we come to disappoint you.

And one more thing: though I said we were busy, I didn't say it wasn't any fun. It should be clear by now that this blog is used primarily to document all the fun we're blessed with so abundantly. That's not to say, lest you be jealous, that we have loads of fun all the time, but who would want to read about the boring things? We do work and sleep and do a great number of dull but necessary things. We're learning there is virtue in being content in those things as well as the fun ones, which is hard to do at times when there is so much earthly pleasure to be had. It is a dream come true for both of us to be living in Europe right now, and we're behooved to heed the advice to enjoy it as much as we can while we can. But we find that we can't enjoy anything at all if we lack one vital thing. One man calls it Christian hedonism, others call it the chief end of man, and I refer to it simply as joy. Whatever it is called, I believe it can only be found in God, and oh what frustration comes when we forget this! Do remember this if ever it seems that we're trying too hard to impress with all the fun outings and adventures we document here. Too often it's true that we are being boastful at heart, until that unavoidable (yet wonderful) truth about joy comes along.

I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing."
Psalm 16:2

A Spontaneous Adventure

2008-05-05T05:37:00.000+02:00

You know what they say about road trips: getting there is half the fun. That's especially true on short trips to Heidelberg, when you pass an impressive-looking castle atop a hill and decide to stop and explore it. You follow the signs that point you toward Schloss Auerbach, driving through a quaint little town before following a narrow road that curves around and up the hill. There are hikers and bikers (on cycles and scooters) and big black beetles, but the wooded path you take on foot is peaceful. Birds chirp and a tiny stream trickles by. At the top of the hill stands the mighty fortress. In the 13th century it was built, and in 1674 it was invaded by Scottish Highlanders by way of an underground tunnel. Today it serves as a giant playground of sorts, where the imagination can soar far above the hills and trees and modern civilization that bustles below. It's hard to confirm which view is the most impressive: the perspective from the ground looking up at the massive, rustic stone walls; the vantage point from the tops of the two towers; or the frightening drop of an ancient well (or is it the tunnel entrance?), deep and dark. After plenty of exploration, you return to your car and continue on your way to the original destination. There you take a bathroom break and buy a stuffed elephant, and then it's time to return home. Yes, getting there is definitely half the fun.

Everything a Vacation Should Be

2008-04-28T05:45:00.000+02:00

As promised, here are photos from last month's ski trip...during which no actual skiing was done by us. We did spend a lovely afternoon at Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein the only clear day during our time in Bavaria. Most of the photos here are from that day; the castles provided a superior view of the Alps and farmland around us. The rest of that weekend was spent napping as snow fell on the mountains looming outside our window, eating the best steak we've had in Europe (as well as some tasty pasta, soup, wine, and of course, creme brulee) three nights in a row at the restaurant in the hotel, playing cards, enjoying a couple pastries and lattes before perusing the shops and sidewalks of Garmisch, and working together to build the biggest snowman of our lives. It was everything a vacation should be: a change of scenery (a beautiful one at that), a little sight-seeing, a taste of the local culture, plenty of rest, good food, and lots of fun time together.

We Were Here

2008-03-13T10:08:00.000+01:00

It's been a while, hasn't it? Over a month? Oh my. Our sincerest apologies. It isn't that nothing has been happening here, and it's not that too much is happening to find time to blog. It's just that we've been enjoying life day-to-day. But yesterday something happened that doesn't happen every day. We discovered a fine new musician: Joshua Radin. That is, he is new to us, though he seems quite accomplished. He has appeared on Ellen Degeneres' talk show, his music has been played on American Idol and Scrubs, and Rolling Stone gave his album "We Were Here" four stars. Don't be distracted by all the hype, however. Melancholy but hopeful, flawless but humble, perfect for a rainy day, a summer evening, a carefree afternoon, or a lonely night, his music will make you feel completely comfortable and content, and at the same time it might make you cry.

"Winter" was the first song we heard of his. Out of all of them, if any song really does bring tears to your eyes, it will be this one. It was brought to us through Scrubs. Of course Zach Braff would be responsible for this. Yes, sometimes hype can be worthwhile, even touching.

This is my other favorite. "Everything'll Be All Right (Will's Lullaby)" is just that--a lullaby. Look up the lyrics. According to his Myspace page, Joshua values words just as much as he does notes and chords, and it shows. This song will stir your thoughts, then soothe you to sleep with the promise in its title.

What a Wonderful Day to Start The Day

2008-02-04T13:18:00.000+01:00

This morning, as I was finishing my breakfast of leftover chocolate cake, I happened to catch a glimpse of the vivid orange sky outside my window. Leaving the dirty plate and fork on the counter, I quickly changed into jeans, threw on my coat, grabbed the camera, and headed outside. The beautiful sunrise ended up drawing me to the fields not far from our apartment, but before I had reached my destination, I received the dreaded message from the camera: "Battery Depleted." This did a sufficient job of reminding me of my forgetfulness, as I left in such a hurry that I didn't bring the camera case that contains a spare set of batteries. I decided to enjoy the walk and the view with my own eyes; I could still appreciate the beauty without taking any pictures. In a spark of inspiration I remembered that the camera still has power for a few seconds after being turned off and then on again. Employing this technique, I managed to take some pictures to share with you, though I fear I missed capturing the best of the sunrise. It's clear that I need to learn a bit more about taking pictures of the sun and the sky, but I opine my little excursion resulted in a handful of pretty pictures nonetheless. The surprisingly successful ones I've posted are the work of God's creativity and skill, not mine. As I arrived back at the front door of the apartment building, the clouds above started to sprinkle. I didn't get wet, nor did the camera, and that I also owe to God.

This one is my favorite. The frosted puddle looked so cool.

Birthday

2008-02-04T13:06:00.000+01:00

My birthday was yesterday. It was the best birthday ever. I remember when I thought that 17 was be the coolest age. My dad was right; I think each year has and will just keep getting better. That eases the anxiety of "aging," though that time when I anticipated 17 with all my heart and thought that 20 was too distant to imagine seems not very long ago. I'll not fear the passing of time, though. I'd rather savor it--like we savored this Devil's Food White-Out Cake!

Photography 101

2008-02-04T11:09:00.001+01:00

There are certain subjects that I never would have thought I would take an interest in. There are others that, though perhaps I had a good supply of desire, I lacked the skills to pursue. Photography is just such a subject. When I met my husband, I was both intrigued by and jealous of his passion and skill for the art of capturing images, moments, and emotions on film. Now that we are married, I have the benefit of learning from one of the best photographers I know. First, I learn by watching him take pictures. Most of what you see on this blog are his excellent photos. He also gives me patient and loving instruction on how to use his camera; it is a joy to be entrusted with his knowledge and experience as I am utterly hopeless on my own when it comes to anything mechanical. But the most important lesson in photography I have gained from Sam is how to observe. His eyes are wide open all the time. For as long as I have known him, he has been able to see beauty in anything and everything. He daily thanks God for all that he sees--the inherent beauty of a tree, the functional and aesthetic value of a building, the endlessly unique personality of a human face--and acknowledges that everything is due to God's creativity; all is a tribute to God's glory. The ability he has to see these things is yet another gift from God, and a wonder in itself. This is why he seeks to capture pictures of the things that he sees and the events he experiences. He has influenced me to truly look at the evident glory of God that is before my eyes at any given moment. He has taught me to take the time to photograph that which I see as a product of God's vast creativity and abundant grace. He has helped me to understand that my photos are only imperfect images of the originals. Furthermore, those originals, as marvelous as they are, are still flawed and fallen versions of the initial creations, which are mere reflections of the full glory and blinding awesomeness of their Creator. Try to imagine that as you look at my most recent attempts at photography.

Letters on a Desk

Letters on a Desk II

Pears are one of the most delicious and photogenic fruits, even when, as ours have, they start to get a little too ripe.

For that reason, they are also one of my favorite fruits.

Self-Portrait

Green Tea

Green Tea II

Four Day Weekend

2008-01-22T07:55:00.000+01:00

We just had a four-day weekend, in honor of Martin Luther King Day. We have yet to do any major traveling, though we do intend not to spend all of our time in Europe close to home. We have plans to go to Normandy and Poland sometime, and to learn as much history and culture as we can first-hand while we are here. There has been a lot of that within walking distance of our apartment. I am sure this is the case no matter where you live, you just have to keep your eyes open and your brain working. On this walk we ended up at a large cemetery. We have learned by observation that many Germans like solitude and privacy. We found the cemetery to reflect this as well. Many of the gravestones were surrounded by large shrubs, creating a strikingly peaceful atmosphere. The overcast skies definitely added to the somber feeling, as we wandered along the paths in near silence. We saw only one other couple in the whole place. In Germany it is very rare to see any hustle-and-bustle on Sundays; stores are closed, the streets are nearly empty, and especially in such a place as a cemetery there is little noise or activity.

We exited the cemetery by a back gate, and followed a path which led us to these fields, a favorite place for walking and giving the dogs some exercise.

"Boot, Poop."

Q: What's for breakfast the next morning?

A: Chocolate muffins, not quite as warm as they could have been because of the Better Homes and Gardens photo shoot. See?

Catching Up

2008-01-16T06:46:00.001+01:00

A recap of January thus far (because we are not yet faithful, daily bloggers):

January 1: Fireworks in Neroburg

January 5: Hauptbahnhof in the Rain

January 6: Walking in Wiesbaden

January 10: Sam's Birthday

(We were afraid the smoke alarm would go off from all the smoke from the candles.)

January 14: Vegetables for Soup

esreveR

2008-01-07T18:04:00.000+01:00

Reverse Music Video COUNTDOWN!!!

#3: Coldplay- "The Scientist"

#2: Matt and Kim- "Yeah Yeah"

#1: Mute Math- "Typical"

New Year's Eve (Wiesbaden, Germany)

2008-01-02T13:36:00.000+01:00

Lest the previous post was a tad verbose for your liking, we offer this:

So This Is The New Year

2007-12-31T22:04:00.000+01:00

Welcome, 2008. Ushered in with fireworks, champagne, and jubilation, you seem to come with promises to erase the old and offer a new beginning. You take the place of last year with complete supremacy. Why such theatrics? Why this counting down to your arrival? What is all the fuss about; the excessive celebration, the sleep deprivation, the obligatory resolutions? Stripped of all your lights and sounds, are you not just a passing moment? Today you oppress your predecessor with obsolescence, but are you not inevitably destined for the same? You are just another unit of time, so why do you seem to offer such hope? Isn't it true that you are only a mere collection of seconds, minutes, hours, and days, that your entire significance is dependent on what events occur as you pass by? Oh, how your frailty would shame you if only you were seen as what you really are. You are a creation of Someone greater, and though you bind humankind to your limits, you yourself are bound to obey another. 2008, you seem full of possibility and unknown potential, but you are already known through and through by the One who instated you and what happens in the course of your life is no mystery to Him, and His glory will long outlive you. That Creator is the one who truly makes the moments pass by, and he alone can offer to erase the old and give new life. Let us celebrate that fact, full of gratitude for His giving each second that passes, whether blessing or affliction was contained in it. Let us live each present moment to its fullest, in obedience and utter submission to the One who made it. And let us look eagerly forward to what is to come, especially to the flourishing Kingdom of the Lord of all time, space, and existence.