In sickness and in health

I always thought that your wedding vows, the part that says you'll love the person in sickness, meant that you would love them even if they got some debilitating illness. But after being married for awhile, I now realize that it means that you will lovingly care for your partner even when you want to avoid them at all costs so that you don't get their sickness. And you will do it without being resentful.

Needless to say, Ryan is sick. And today I am feeling sick as well. Liam seems to be OK--but he is probably fighting something also (he seems very tired).

I live in BS

(Berrien Springs, that is.)

Liam now eats spinach, it's his latest food. He likes it a lot, plain or with apple. He's also eatting carrots now and loving them. Also his thrush is gone so that's wonderful. We ended up having to medicate. It never got really bad, but it wouldn't go away on its own either. He is getting more and more interactive and really enjoys playing with his toys while on a blanket or in his highchair. He also likes to sit in his highchair and watch me cook and do dishes. He has dimples now, just like Jessica and Sean. They are cute, but hard to photograph since they only show up when he smiles really big. :)

Ryan is trying to keep up with homework while also fitting in time with Liam, Jenn and let's not forget disc golf! He's been playing DG with the neighbors once a week or so at the new course on AU campus. He also just finished editing a wedding video for our friend Leanne who got married last summer. Busy guy.

Jenn is trying to keep up with life! Work is busy, home is busy. In my spare moments I've been designing some cards for baby announcments (Cas and Becky) and also for a ministry thing for our friend Dan. I'm also fighting a sore throat, maybe allergies? My throat has been sore for a couple weeks now, but it never gets really bad--I think it's pollen and lack of sleep. I hope I don't get sick!

Thanks for your emails, phone calls and prayers!

Romanian Apple Cake

(For Cas and Adina)

• 5 apples, peeled and cored
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan or use a small spring form. Cut the apples into 1 inch wedges. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until blended. Mix in the baking soda, oil, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir in the flour, just until incorporated. Fold in the apples.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, it takes about 10 minutes longer in a spring form pan to cook in the center. Allow to cool slightly. May be served warm or at room temperature.

More pees please!

Liam enjoyed a lunch of pees and peaches after a tough time getting shots at the doctor's office. He is now 18.5lbs, 29.5 inches.

Michigan Update

This just in:

A huge mosquito was squished dead after taking up residence in the Kilgore home sometime late last night or early this morning. "I hunted it down," Jenn Kilgore says, "and found it in the corner of our bedroom." At first she thought it was a spider or other typically larger insect, but upon close inspection, she realized that this was the object of her hunt and squashed it with a Kleenex against the wall. A lot of blood was on the tissue.

Before the kill, seven-month-old Liam Kilgore was bitten in the face by the winged creature. Jenn, his mother,  is beside herself about this casualty, "I feel terrible because I can tell it's itching and the topical Benadryl doesn't seem to help," she says. Jenn is also suffering from a larger, welt-like bite on her forearm--likely from the same source.

In other news:

The Kilgore's car is still not functioning properly. It would not start on Tuesday morning, causing Jenn Kilgore to reschedule Liam's doctor appointment (again) for next week. "He will get his shots at some point!" she says.
After testing and replacing a bad battery, Ryan Kilgore thought that the problem was solved, but by the end of the day the car was once again dead. It was towed this morning to the local mechanic for repair. The Mechanic told the Kilgores that the problem was the alternator, an expensive, but simple fix. They should have their car back early tomorrow.

Jessica Kilgore will be joining her brother, sister-in-law and nephew for a visit next week. This is Jessica's first home leave weekend and she is choosing to drive to Michigan to visit before the weather gets bad. All are very excited about the reunion.

Jenn Kilgore made tomato sauce from scratch last night to use with manicotti. Judy and Bruce Wright gave them the tomatoes from a friend's garden. The sauce was rich and flavorful! They also enjoyed fresh green beans, steamed with butter. Cafe Ladro coffee and sorbet were for desert.

Stay tuned for more updates from Michigan!

Indian curries: Korma and Masala

A few people have asked for my curry recipes now, so I'm just going to post here. Here are two of the ones I make a lot. I'll also post vindaloo and my thai curry later. These are approximate because I don't really use recipes... Just add the spices to taste, I think I use a little more than I've listed here perhaps. These recipes serve 2-4 people depending on what you make for sides and how hungry you are!

These recipes are for the curries themselves, you can add whatever vegetables, proteins and starches you like. Sweet potatoes do not taste good in the korma.

For Garam Masala

I like to add chick peas, sometimes with tomatoes,peas and carrots to make a dish called Channa Masala. If you are going to add meat or tofu, add it to the onion spice mix before you add the broth for best flavor. Also, tofu must be baked or pan fried first.

Ingredients:

1/4C diced onion (sweet is best)

1 tbs curry powder (I use Andy's brand, which has turmeric, salt, pepper and onion powder in it)

2 tsp garam masala (ground spice blend)

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp cardamom (ground)

1-2tbs olive oil or melted butter

1C vegetable broth or 1tsp bouillon paste with water

Directions:

Saute the onion on medium to low heat (depending on your range) in the butter or oil until it is coated, then add the spices. Stir continually until the onion is soft. Then add tomatoes. Next add broth and vegetables, tofu, chicken, potatoes or whatever! Simmer until the vegetables are all soft adding water as needed to maintain the right viscosity (it should be thick like porridge.) Serve over rice with flat bread like pita or naan and hummus on the side.

For Korma

I like to add cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, and peas to this. See Masala recipe for protein instructions.

Ingredients:

1/4C diced onion (sweet is best)

2 tbs curry

powder (I use Andy's brand, which has turmeric, salt, pepper and onion powder in it)

1/4C cashews (raw, unsalted)

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp allspice

2 tsp cardamom (ground)

1 tsp sea salt

1-2tbs olive oil or melted butter

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

8oz coconut milk or half and half (do not use fat free)

1 tsp bouillon paste or 1 Tbs bouillon powder

1 Tbs plain yogurt (I use goat's milk or soy)

Minced cilantro for garnish

Directions:

Saute the onion on medium to low heat (depending on your range) in the butter or oil until it is coated, then add the spices. Stir continually until the onion is soft and add nuts. Then pour the coconut milk or cream into the mixture and add bouillon paste or powder. Stir in yogurt. Next add tomatoes and and vegetables and simmer until soft, adding water to maintain viscosity (it should be smoothie-like in thickness). Top with cilantro and serve over rice with flat bread on the side.

The difference an hour can make

Today for an entire hour I sat in the coffee shop (yes, there is just one here in town) with a new friend and talked and commiserated and laughed. Ryan watched Liam so I got to go by myself. It was fabulous. I came home in such a good mood and with renewed energy that allowed me to get an enormous amount of housework done in a short time. It's now the end of the day and I still feel the affects of my morning out--not too tired and full of energy. This is the affect that an hour of talking can have on an extravert who lives with an introvert! I also work for an introvert! No one wants to talk to me all day :/. So thank you to Emily for the fun hour.

In other news, Liam is now eating peaches and took all his naps today. However, I think he might have a little thrush. So I've been dosing him with apple cider vinegar (just wiping out his mouth with it) and am regularly sterilizing everything that goes in his mouth (including myself :P). Then giving him water to drink. It doesn't look too bad, and he isn't bothered by it at all. Also he has a doctor's appt. on Tuesday, so if it's still hanging out then, we'll get some drugs to fix it. In the mean time, no sweet potatoes for him! (sugar + starch + milk = happy yeast!) We'll stick to peas for a bit.

What else. Let's see--I've been happily designing baby announcement cards for friends this week. That's right, friends. I seem to have started a trend. So in my spare time I've been creating cards for them. I just finished the third one. Yay! Anyone need a card designed? I'm having a lot of fun with it.

That's it for now. Stay tuned for more exciting adventures. If we had a theme song it would be playing now.....

Happy Family

We're into the second week of classes now, and our family is doing well.

Our schedules are weird. The Seminary operates essentially on a 3-day week (Tues-Thurs), so it has been an exercise in creativity to cram all 16 hours of class and still have time for Jenn to work in the afternoons. Who has ever heard of a 3-day school week? I do have one class on Mondays, Spiritual Formation, from 8:30 to 11:20. It's a required class for new students that is only offered on Mondays in the fall semester. Tuesday through Thursday at 8:30 I have Development of SDA Theology. The 9:30 period I have free. The 10:30 period is reserved for chapel on Tuesdays and other committees and special meetings. At 11:30 I have Issues in New Testament Theology: Matthew. At 12:30, Inspiration, Revelation and Hermeneutics. On Tuesdays from 1:30-3:20 is Issues in Origins. On Thursdays in the same two hour slot is Doctrine of the Sanctuary. So Tuesday and Thursday I have no lunch break. Jenn makes me a lunch and I chow down before my 12:30 class starts.

I am enjoying my classes so far. Many of the lectures and discussions are interesteding, but a lot of it seems to be review of material I already know. Many things I learned in my undergraduate program. Thank you Walla Walla for preparing me well. Now I'm bored in class. I keep wondering, Can't we move on already? This was not something I was suspecting in a graduate level program. I suspect that it will lessen as we get farther into the semester.

Back to the family. I've been enjoying spending my afternoons with Liam, even if it means I can't really get any studying done. Liam has been eating solid food regularly now with most meals except early in the morning and just before bedtime. He's getting the hang of it and it's fun to watch his reactions to new flavors. When he gets too crabby and won't take his naps, we end up going on long walks around campus.

Jenn has been cooking more often recently. It's been really nice to have good breakfast every morning. And good lunch. And good dinner. I think during the past couple weeks she has made every meal except for maybe one or two. We've had things like stew with fresh corn on the cob, vegetable fajitas, pancakes, sandwiches, all kinds of fresh fruit, waffles, mandarin tofu, and pureed peas. (The peas are my personal favorite.) Jenn is pretty much awesome. Liam and I sing her praises when we eat the good things she's left for us in the fridge. Good food makes for a happy family.

But what makes for an even happier family is God's presence. And we've been having a lot of that lately.