Food Network

I'm sitting in a comfy chair in the living room while the kids nap. Food Network is on and I'm being inspired, and encouraged, and taught, and . . . I'm also getting hungry (not really, but I'm telling myself that I am) and thinking that I could just let myself go for the holidays. I can count my points again. . .after Christmas, or my New's Year's party that I'm attending, or after the Koeman Family Christmas in January.

I had a discussion last week with some friends about the food network. Jodi mentioned that her husband watches and then expects her to produce dinners to impress: after all, it only takes 30 minutes. Yeah right, and I'm a size 11--just my feet are. All the prep, all the planning. . . more that what you would think. She wishes that her husband wouldn't watch so much.

I have learned a lot from the cooking shows. I love to cook. I love to experiment in the kitchen. I've only recently returned to the kitchen after our travels. We relied very heavily on meals that friends gave us and now I'm enjoying my return. Years ago I gave away my food chopper because I love to chop veggies. I mostly do o.k. with cooking, but there are flops. This week-end a batch of chicken noodle soup found its way into the garbage. How do you mess up Chicken Noodle Soup?

This spring, my sister and I were talking and we happened to mention a particular bar that we saw Ina Garden bake on Barefoot Contessa. We affectionately named them the naughty bars and would joke about them. It finally got to the point where we decided that we needed to make them, so we got together and enjoyed our time in the kitchen laughing and baking together (I don't think we've baked together since we were living in Graafschap!) The bars were amazing and they were indeed naughty.

Just watching the Food Network doesn't make me an expert, just like watching CSI doesn't make me able to solve every crime. Yet, haven't all these shows that we watch made us a little overconfident sometimes? There were times in China like I felt I was in the Amazing Race. There are days when I know I could give the Dog Whisperer a run for his money. I do know that I couldn't hold a candle to Les the Survivorman (what a great show!). If I want to succeed in the kitchen, I need to work, to experiment, try a new variation, do it again.

I've been struggling with knowledge/performance in regards to my spiritual life as of late. I'm easily able to identify areas in which God has blessed me, or gifted to me. I'm easily able to identify areas in which I need to work. Yet, some things aren't working that way I'd like. I think that it should only take 30 minutes right? Yet, I need to remember that there is a ton that goes on behind the scenes, it'll get better with time, with my practicing to be the woman that He wants me to be. . . I need to continue to tweak myself until I am holy before Him. I'm so thankful that He isn't giving up on me. I won't give up on being more like Him either. Now, about that chicken noodle soup.