Reading

This post got me thinking. The author stated that she was curious and was thinking of asking my wife. So, this is for her. I tend to read for pleasure. Even if the book I am reading is a "work" book, I am usually also reading it because I enjoy the subject matter. As a bibliophile, I am always reading. No matter where I go, or what I have to do when I get there, I always have a book. My beloved likes to tell the story from when we were dating, on our first date, I brought a backpack full of books, "just in case". As I told her when I got it out, "I might need a book."

So, in that vein, I am currently reading the following:
At Home in the House of My Fathers, Rev. Matthew Harrison
A Little Book of Joy, Rev. Matthew Harrison
The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
The Dictionary
Strunk and White's Elements of Style
The City of God, St. Augustine
Luther Discovers the Gospel, Uuras Saarnivaara
Achilles in Veitnam, Jonathan Shay
Walt Whitman, The Complete Poems
Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan
The Fire and the Staff, Rolf Preus
Sermon's of Martin Luther, The House Postils, vol. 1
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, Dr. Paul Brand/Philip Yancey

So, this is what is currently on my "bedside table", that I am reading. For those who do not believe me, I really am actively reading all of these books. I have never been one to read only a single book. For as long as I can remember, I have always been reading more than one book, usually closer to six. Of course, all of this assumes that I am reading three other books on a daily basis: The Holy Bible, The Treasury of Daily Prayer, and the Book of Concord!

Spiced Vegetable Dal

This is the one dish that my beloved Housemother has said is my "restaurant" worthy recipe. Our boys love this and usually lick their plates when they are done. It is taken from a cookbook titled "All Around the World Cookbook".

Spiced Vegetable Dal

1 cup red lentils (this is important. These are not brown lentils.)

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil (I use coconut oil instead.)

2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

1 tablespoon diced garlic (or if you love garlic like our family, lots more!)

1 large onion, halved and slivered

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

pinch of ground turmeric (another pinch of saffron...if you can.)

4 cups vegetable broth (use the low sodium kind. If you would rather, use the same amount of water.)

4 ripe plum tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro (or if you are us, use as much as you can!)

salt and pepper to taste (IF you like, we don't it is yummy before this point.)

1. Saute butter and oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat with ginger, garlic and onion stirring, about 10 minutes.

2. Sprinkle in cumin, cloves and turmeric (saffron, see above), stirring another 2 minutes.

3. Stir in lentils and broth and bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered until soft but not mushy, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Stir in tomatoes and cilantro, and cook another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. The flavors should be well-blended and the lentils very soft.

This cooks fairly quickly, so you can do it not that long before you are going to eat. Don't be like me and forget to make rice until it is too late!

Heard Today during MPR's Fund Drive

As is regularly scheduled, our Minnesota Public Radio is having their "beg for money" time this week. A joke I heard today went like this. "Usually we solve for x but today we are looking for u!" The integer jokes went downhill from there.