That figures

This morning I did not have a shower. I threw my hair in a ponytail. I did not put on makeup. I'm wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I have a pimple along my jawline.

In 40 minutes a reporter is coming from the local television station to do an interview about our mission to Ghana.

No roomie - no computer

Lesley is going to Joy Bible Camp for a week. Her volunteer services require the use of the computer. It's okay really that there won't be a computer in our apartment for a week. Because just yesterday I sent an e-mail to the Ghana mission team encouraging them to spend time in quiet reflection and not get too caught up in computers, tv, music etc. Maybe I'll be really bold and unplug the tv too. Nah - who am I kidding?

Breathtaking

A couple of my pics from Ghana. They make you want to slow down and breathe deeply don't they?


Kakum National Park


Kokrobite coastline


Full moon.... Goodnight

TWO MINUTE FUDGE!!!

2 Minute Fudge

1 lb(4 cups) icing/confectioners sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
In 1.5 qt casserole dish stir sugar, cocoa, salt, milk, and vanilla together until partially blended (the mixture is too stiff to thoroughly blend in all of dry ingredients).

1/4lb (1/2 cup) butter
Put butter over top in center of dish. Microwave at High 2 minutes, or until milk feels warm on bottom of dish. Stir vigorously until smooth. If all butter has not melted in cooking, it will as mixture is stirred.

1 cup chopped nuts
Blend in nuts. Pour into wax paper lined 8x4x3inch dish. Chill 1 hour in refrigerator or 20 to 30 minutes in freezer. Cut into squares. Makes about 36 squares.

Coffee Fondant option:
Prepare 2 minute fudge as above, except, omit cocoa and substitute 1 Tbsp instant coffee granules dissolved in 2 Tbsps milk. Before fondant sets, press "chocolate shot" decors into top.

7 Minute Brownies

I have an old cookbook called "The Microwave Guide & Cookbook", published by General Electric in 1980. These brownies, and the fudge, are both from it.

Basic Brownies
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
In small bowl at medium speed on mixer, beat together eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla, until light.

1/2 cup (1/4 lb) butter, melted
Add melted butter. Continue beating until thoroughly blended.

3/4 cup unsifted all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
Mix in flour and cocoa at low speed.

1 cup chopped nuts (or 1-6oz pckg/1cup chocolate chips or 1 cup flaked or shredded coconut)
Stir in nuts/chocolate/coconut. Spread evenly in greased 8-in square microwavable dish.

Microwave at High 6-8 minutes, rotating dish 1/4 turn every 2 minutes(if you don't have a turntable). When done, top looks dry and will spring back lightly when touched. Cut when cold. Makes about 20 brownies.

Isn't she adorable?

My niece Grace Emily is TOO CUTE!

This is a pic her daddy took, which I've brought over from his blog.

Uh-oh

I discovered something bad tonight. Lesley was making a wonderful supper (ribs and zuchini with pesto and rice and vegetables). The cantalope had gone bad, so we wanted something else to go with ice cream for dessert. I suggested 7-minute brownies (For those of you who haven't tried them - you make them in the microwave and they really are yummy). I flipped open the cookbook and the page I landed on was.......


2 MINUTE FUDGE

Yes, you read correctly. Fudge that you stir together, cook in the microwave for 2 minutes, put in the freezer for 20 minutes (or the fridge for an hour) and then eat.

I think I've created a monster.... a really chocolatey monster.....

On the other hand, I just ordered a set of TaeBo DVD's from ebay. Maybe it'll help counterbalance all the fudge I'm going to be eating.

Setting priorities

Within a couple days of being home, I've had people ask me whether I'd be willing to do things in September. My answer (as politely as I could muster) has been along the lines of "I don't know - I haven't planned that far yet".

It's really true. For the last 6 months at least, everything has centered around getting ready to go to Ghana. I've been. I'm home. There are a few loose ends to wrap up at work but for the most part it's done. The question remains "What next?"

Over the last couple years my schedule has been pretty full, with a wide variety of things. Now I have to decide what I want the next year or so to look like. I could just let things unfold as they will, but life tends to get away from me when I do that.

I am a planner of short-term things, but I've never really been a long-range planner. You'd think that coming back from a place like Ghana I'd want to be more spontaneous and less planned in my time, but that isn't the case. I learned that time is valuable because of how you choose to spend it. If you're stuck in traffic for 2 hours will you fume about what you could be doing at home, or will you have a great conversation with the person next to you?

I'm not sure how exactly I'm going to do it, but I'm thinking about being more intentional in how I spend my time. At the very least, I'll try to make conscious choices about what my ministry at the non-profit I work for, will involve.

Time for supper now.

I am home

It feels really strange to be here. To wake up in the morning and go "So what's my routine again?" It doesn't involve 16 other obruni (white man) and 10-15 obibini (black man). It's just me. My room. My apartment. My stacks of mail. My laundry. My luggage to unpack. My bills and OSAP and schedule and insurance etc to sort out and catch up on. It's good to be still in one place.... but I don't know if I'm really 'home' yet.