A Macaroni Triumph

When I got married, I was cooking (for the most part) dairy-free and gluten-free. It made for some very interesting substitutions, especially with husband's favorite comfort food: homemade macaroni and cheese. My original macaroni and "cheese" recipe used sesame tahini, nutritional yeast, dijon mustard, and balsamic vinegar as the cheese substitute. We have slowly evolved from strict dairy-free and gluten-free to some gluten, and dairy sparingly. During said transition, I have continued to make macaroni and cheese, but with some minor substitutions, like soy milk instead of cow's milk or gluten-free flour rather than regular white flour. Results have been sadly flawed: soupy or curdled cheese sauce (or part soupy and part curdled sauce in the same batch--eek!) or completely bland tasteless paste for cheese sauce. I have finally realized that some things just have to be made perfectly by the book to work. Last week I bought a half gallon of real cow's milk for the first time in almost eight years. I also bought extra sharp cheddar cheese and real butter. I found this recipe http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/04/macaroni-cheese/and followed it exactly. And, after half a dozen attempts in the last several months, I have finally made a good macaroni and cheese. Hallelujah.

Tidy Tommy was here

As much as I like to be organized, some things just aren't on my radar. At such times, it sure is nice when handsome husband (aka Tidy Tommy) steps in when I just don't have the mental energy. He didn't just organize the pantry, like a good engineer he:

• analyzed the existing system
• identified the system's deficiencies
  
• outlined improvements for said system
• categorized the system's components and
  
• implemented defined system improvements
  

Basically, he made it look good enough for a retail display. (All the cans are facing forward with easily read labels!) And, like a good engineer, it is all in the name of efficiency, which translates into making my life just a little bit easier.

Variety Show

Along with music time, tummy time, story time, play time, bath time, walks, and errands, I have added (unintentionally) a nightly cooking show to the mix.

I host my own show and Ezra is my captive audience. He has grown out of his bouncy chair and now uses his high chair daily. It comes in handy when I need to cook dinner. He watches me intently as I chop, measure, stir, and simmer all manner of foods. He is fascinated by steam from boiling pots, dish washing, and the refrigerator. He will sit in his high chair, with an army of toys, for nearly an hour, content, as long as I am hosting a good enough "show." And by "show" I mean we have an intellectual conversation about my culinary doings. I tell him about chopping bell peppers, the importance of disinfecting the counter top after working with raw meat, how to tell when the pasta is ready, and the art of seasoning to taste. Chances are high I am raising a foodie.

One of my other hats is circus performer. Ezra, darling boy, has yet to figure out the entertain yourself bit. So, mommy is a singing dancing spectacle. I have been known to bark like a dog in order to produce giggles. All in a day's work; I love it.

O Remember, Remember

My parents gave my siblings and me a great treasure for Christmas. We each received a small leather-bound 3-ring binder with the "large and small plates" for our family. The "large plate" section of the book has records of our temporal or secular history. These include (as of right now) four archival quality compact discs of genealogy life sketches and ancestral photos.

The "small plate" section contains the sacred, spiritual records that are specific to our family. This part of the book contains a dozen or so faith-building personal stories transcribed from journals or written from memory. The small plate section is, of course, an unfinished record that will be added upon over the years.

This gift from my parents comes at an interesting time for me. I have, for about four months, felt a strong compulsion to record my own personal and family history in a more meaningful way. I think it has something to do with the new Relief Society book, Daughters in My Kingdom, and its emphasis on the organization's history. An understanding of where we came from, and who has gone before really can be an inspiration for good. I think it has something to do with the talk from David A. Bednar in the October 2011 General Conference, "The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn". I heard and felt in that particular talk my marching orders in regards to how I can bless my children. I think it has something to do with having a child and feeling a responsibility to the next generation.

Henry B. Eyring gave a talk in the October 2007 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and said the following:

When our children were very small, I started to write down a few things about what happened every day. Let me tell you how that got started. I came home late from a Church assignment. It was after dark. My father-in-law, who lived near us, surprised me as I walked toward the front door of my house. He was carrying a load of pipes over his shoulder, walking very fast and dressed in his work clothes. I knew that he had been building a system to pump water from a stream below us up to our property.

He smiled, spoke softly, and then rushed past me into the darkness to go on with his work. I took a few steps toward the house, thinking of what he was doing for us, and just as I got to the door, I heard in my mind—not in my own voice—these words: “I’m not giving you these experiences for yourself. Write them down.”

I honor my parents who have taken that thought to heart and are doing something about it. I express my gratitude to parents who have the righteous desire to inspire faith in the next generation. I thank my Father in Heaven for parents who "...talk of Christ, ...rejoice in Christ, ...[and] preach of Christ...that [we their] children may know to what source [we] may look for a remission of [our] sins" (2 Nephi 25:26).

More than Coincidental

For my birthday (2010) my sweetheart bought me an orchid. It bloomed for the first time nine months later, the week of our first anniversary. It bloomed for the second time the week of Christmas. Just coincidental? Yea, most likely, but fantastic timing, nonetheless.As I think about this last year and look forward to year 2012, I recognize with gratitude blessings received that are so much more than serendipity or coincidence. I acknowledge a merciful Father in Heaven and His gifts to our family in the following:

• January 2011 kicked off with wonderful news: I am expecting!
  
• Participation in the stake Relief Society choir for our February women's conference during the height of my pregnancy nausea. Somehow, the singing was a distraction and a spiritual boost through a difficult time.
• My brother and sister-in-law welcomed their first child in April, a perfect little red-headed girl.
• My sweetheart completed his rotation in June with a successful work campaign (the summation of months of round-the-clock preparation).
• My sweetheart began another year-long work rotation that meant we didn't have to move.
  
• I attended the Atlanta Temple re-dedication and cultural celebration in May.
• The privilege of serving for eight months of 2011 as a temple ordinance worker.
• Kuzmich 3 became 3 +1 adding their own sweet little boy in late August.
  
• Our sweet baby boy joined our family in a miraculous way in September. I thank extremely competent and inspired doctors for his safe arrival.
  
• A wonderful blessing weekend with many family members in town for the occasion.
  
• Thanksgiving and sushi night with all of my sweetheart's family in town.
• Christmas with most of my family in Utah.