Blog of the day

Somebody is probably going to think less of me for saying this, but I am so tired of seeing Obama's name in the headlines every single time I open up Google News. Seriously, if the man is flossing his teeth, someone writes an article about it. I'm starting to think that he just loves being in the media. Does the media still really love the man? The word that comes to my mind is ad nauseum. (End of complaining.)

Last night I tried to be all Julie and Julia-esqe and whip up something fabulous for my husband. I wanted to make tacos for dinner, and I thought that my grandmother's Spanish rice sounded like a perfect accompaniment. Looking at the recipe, it seems quite simple: mince some onion, saute in olive oil, add a cup of rice and two cans of Del Monte tomato sauce plus a little water, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, then uncover and stir until most of the liquid has boiled out. But since when have the words "rice" and "simple" ever gone together in a sentence for me? The Worthys bought us a rice maker for our wedding gift which has been amazing. Amazing because all I have to do is measure out the rice, fill the pot with water to the appropriate line, and push a button-- viola! beautiful, perfect rice. 

Let's make a long story short by saying that I gave this Spanish rice two hours of my life last night before tossing it into the rice maker in a fit of frustration and then ending up with something very mushy.

Meanwhile, I thought I'd try my hand at making Japanese curry. I was first introduced to this delicacy in college by my roommate Julia, who could whip a batch up blindfolded. Japanese curry is, simply put, wonderful. Aaron Brand had sent me some curry mix from Japan and I had a few blocks of it left in the package, plus the ingredients laying around the kitchen, so I was very excited. 

I have rice simmering on one burner and the makings of curry boiling on another, and life is grand. Until the rice won't soften and I add the curry to the pot of meat and veggies and it refuses to thicken. Crunchy rice and watery curry... which, as you already know, turned into mushy rice and watery curry. 

I went to bed ridiculously upset with a puzzled husband. I told him, "If crunchy rice makes me this upset, there has to be something else wrong with me."

He very sweetly quoted to me a paraphrased line from Julie and Julia. "It's supposed to be," he said,"a comfort that you can absolutely know that if you add egg yolks to chocolate and sugar and milk, it will get thick." I nodded against his chest in a complete state of self-pity and proceeded to tell him how I feel like nothing that's supposed to be working in life right now is working at all. At which point he reminded me that I am not my own project and that I am God's workmanship and God will be the one to iron out the kinks in me if I will just be still and trust Him.

I'm still disappointed about the curry, though.