Now What?

It looks like we're going to be living here (Vancouver) thanks be to the LORD for the job Alan has. So now what?

Living arrangements.

At the moment we're still living in the parsonage at our church. This place has been a HUGE blessing. Not only is it rather convenient to the 50 times a week we're at church, but it came furnished and with the invite to stay as long as we needed. :)

This is especially helpful when we remember that we sold IT ALL when we left five years ago. We did keep a few things in a storage unit for one year but frankly, after a year of paying for storage and living without those things, you begin to re-evaluate how much you need that stuff. So we went through it back then and got rid of even more.

So we're left with those odd ends and bits of life that only make sense to you as a person or your life up to that point. Pictures, wedding books, baby clothes, family heirlooms and china. So, bless my parents' heart - they let us store some things under their house and saved us a bundle.

We've culled through even more of that 'stuff' as we've been here. Man - do things go to pot quickly in storage....just saying. Yet some of those bits and pieces have been fun to have back again. Although the china is staying under the house though until we wind up somewhere permanent.

Permanent...hmmmmm....I don't even know what that looks like or feels like anymore. It's an okay thing but I will admit to feeling somewhat gun shy about making decisions that seem like they would be permanent.

Yet, here we are. For our family's sake, at some point we will be moving to a more permanent place of residence.

Not for a while though. A couple of weeks ago we met with someone about finding out where we stand financially with our options. Well....it seems 5 years on the mission field doesn't exactly show up in the work history, so we need to wait a bit longer to be legit.

Oh well. If there's anything I've learned over the past years it's that God has His own timing. It never looks like my expected either. For me now, it's enough to know that He will provide. I can look back and see that one quite clearly.

Faith

Foodie Friday

Okay - so I get asked this question all the time.

BEANS.

Yes, we still eat them. Yes, we prefer them to a lot of things. The fact that they are cheap and easy only adds to their flavor for us. :) I am in love with the bulk food section at WinCo.

Here is my tutorial on how to cook beans. Or lentils which are another staple at our house. note: lentils don't have to be soaked overnight.

Do you have a crockpot? That is BY FAR the easiest way under the sun to cook any and all legumes I have found. I used a pressure cooker for a long time (boy is that fast!) but I need to replace a seal in the thing and switched to the crockpot vs. buying a part.

Rinse dried beans and put to soak in the crockpot.
Go to sleep.
In the morning, rinse again and cover with water.
Add one chopped onion, at least one jalapeno, a heaping spoonful of bullion (I use chicken but have been known to use whatever was available and we're still alive), and about 6-10 cloves of chopped/minced garlic.

Don't pass out. Garlic is your friend. BELIEVE ME. If you cook them without any seasoning - you'll never get the flavor up.

Turn on high for 6-8 hours and there you go. The longer they cook - the softer they get.

NEVER add tomatoes to beans before they're cooked. They won't get soft. Also, if your water level gets too low, don't add COLD water. Your beans will shrivel. I always cover with at least a couple of inches to start with and that's usually plenty to last through the whole cooking process.

I cook at least 2 kilos of beans a week. They freeze great (although ours never last that long) and are used in 90% of our meals.

You can use this method for any and all kinds of beans. Garbanzos are another really great one!

Buen Provecha....

Faith