Edie Wadsworth

Blissdom ’09…..I’m ready y’all

February 6, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 13 Comments

Tomorrow is the day we leave to go to Nashville to the Blissdom Conference. I’ve been tackling a very long list today. And fighting back tiny little butterflies as I ponder what my new friends will be like in real life.

So first imagine that I put this pretty little apron on to help me check off all the items on my ‘list of things I must do before Blissdom’. Why? Well, because when you’re wearing an apron like this, you’re not just a SAHM who has on lounge pants and a stained hoodie…..you’re a goddess. And second, when you’re wearing an apron this cute, you do not have chores to do….you have dragons to slay.

It has always been my firmly held conviction that leaving the family for a day or two goes by much smoother for all if you leave goodies. This morning I baked a couple loaves of chocolate chip banana bread.

And for the men in my life, I cooked up a little chicken-sausage gumbo….that will taste even better tomorrow. Yes, I do love them like crazy!

Then I marched my superhero/dragon-slayin’ skillz to the laundry room. I took down four loads of laundry. Just like it was nothing. Don’t hesistate. Just do it.

I then began my own personal packing. And let’s just say….that’s gonna take a while.

And because I am supreme multitasker extraordinaire, I thought I’d whip up a few felt flower pins to give as sweet love gifts to my friends. Let’s just say, I will not have an ETSY shop anytime soon. Neither will my friends have felt flower pins. I don’t know if I need sharper scissors, a more colorful vocabulary, or a tutorial from Kimba; but this is one jacked up felt flower pin. And I’m wearing it anyway.

I thought I should clean this out….lest I spend all my time at Blissdom digging in here for stuff, and thus not getting to meet all of you. And can I just say, when did Hobby Lobby decide they would be the expert on purses too. How can I concentrate on yarn and scrapbook paper when cute purses are lurking around?

And then there were several batches of these…..

And on my excursion to town to look for the cutest and warmest socks ever, my girls found the cutest stapler ever. Old school. Vintage. Heavy duty. Red. But alas, no socks. Maybe I’ll staple a pair of my hol-y ones together.

And since Leigh Ann has been so kind (and wise) to offer to drive us….which means I didn’t have to clean my car out, I did a little work in my closet this week. Trust me, it’s better. You can walk and see the floor and not feel scared when you walk in. And my outfit for tomorrow (with the felt flower attached) is ready to go.

My final thoughts on Blissdom as I make my last few ‘slayings’:

1. I have a similiar excitement to the night before I left for college the first time. What will my roommates be like? Will I sleep okay? Where will I find coffee?

2. I feel blessed to be able to do this. Thank you Stevie for encouraging that part of me that needs to write and glue fabric to the wall and talk about theology all day. I am grateful that you ‘get’ me.

3. I am so excited to be going with my friends Leigh Ann, Kelly, Denise, and Kate. Your IRL girlfriends, who see you without your make up on, when your house is uninspiring, in your lounge pants are the ones who know you and love you anyway.

4. I have a funny feeling that my love for writing and creative living will be deepened when surrounded with this group of talented women. I already have to restrain myself to one post a day. I may be blogger on steroids when I get back.

5. I’m really bummed that karaoke is the 2nd night (in which I’ll be back home blogging in my lounge pants). I love karaoke. Jamie Knoxville and I have done a few numbers together over the years. I’m especially fond of the karaoke version of “Did I Shave My Legs for This?”

6. I love the Blissdom posts that I’ve read today about being warm and welcoming and inclusive. I’m a hugger….so if you have personal space issues, steer clear of the girl with heavily applied eye makeup and too much lip gloss.

7. I can’t wait to meet you all!!!

Christless Christianity and Pietism

February 4, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 15 Comments

Pietism began as a movement in the 17th and 18th centuries in the Lutheran church as a reaction to strict orthodoxy. Pietism emphasizes the subjective, individual experience of the christian with less emphasis on doctrine and the objective work of Christ on our behalf. Pietism is so rampant and pervasive in American christianity, so a part of the wallpaper, that we hardly notice it. I grew up as a full blown pietist and didn’t even know it. The emphasis for me was always on ‘my christian walk’, ‘my testimony’, ‘evidence in my life that I’m a christian’, and so on. Back in those days, pietists had a much different face than today. We abstained from tobacco, alcohol, secular music, dancing, secular movies and often participated in programs such as The Victorious Christian Life, Bill Gothard’s Institute of Basic Life Principles and whole host of Bible studies whose primary focus was on the christian and his experience of faith. Pietism may have had a face lift but as a movement and an epistemology, it is alive and well and very influential in American christianity. Today, it is manifest in various forms and seems to have loosened it’s strict model for morality. Most of the above mentioned ‘sins’ are now loosely tolerated if not accepted but there is still a profound emphasis on obedience to the law as the method of growth in Christ and on the subjective experience of the christian in worship and in evangelism.

There is an assumption that there are levels of spirituality; that we are somehow ‘climbing’ a ladder of holiness, which makes it dangerously easy to look ‘down’ on the ladder at who’s has not yet achieved your high status of moral and religious excellence. I know full well the ladder of sanctification lifestyle because I ‘climbed’ these rungs for years. Until I fell off the ladder and came crashing to the ground and saw my life ‘shattered’ right before my very eyes. Very few people came to my aid…..because it’s hard to help someone on the ground when you’re holding so tight to your own ‘holiness’. I don’t blame them either. I’ve done the same thing many times to others and I heartily repent for the how my pietism obscured the pure gospel of Christ. Pietism makes it easy to judge those who don’t seem to be showing the ‘fruit’ that our lives are producing.

Pietists are often very mission minded; certainly in and of itself a good thing. But often what they offer to the lost world is ‘a christian life like mine with my lifestyle of integrity and prosperity’ ; the emphasis being on the practical advantages of being a christian. Pietists are often characterized by tight fellowship and accountability groups and offer that ‘fellowship’ to the world as another benefit of becoming a christian. It is often a very Christ-less movement in that most of the ‘benefits’ that are offered to the world do not hinge on the redeeming work of Christ….but instead on the sanctified life of the believer.

Pietistic worship is often centered around emotional and heartfelt responses with the preaching often focused on the making the life of the christian more….holy, moral, sanctified, and righteous. A common phrase heard in a pietistc bible study would be “What does this verse mean to you?” This movement in christianity always drives us back to ourselves instead of to the One who can truly teach us and feed us, with his Word, His body and His blood. This shift toward looking inward for meaning is a dangerous shift away from the all-availing work of Christ on our behalf and His alien righteousness which is imputed to us freely. Craig Parton, a lutheran apologist, wrote,

“Thus the greatest threat to the church today is not from the ACLU, Martin Scorsese, The New Age Movement, Gangsta Rap, Planned Parenthood, Time-Warner, Madonna, Congresswoman Pat Schroeder, or Hugh Hefner. The greatest threat is a crossless pietism that has been given luxury-box seating within the walls of the church militant. It is a crossless pietism with confidence in the old Adam and in the life-giving power of the law. “

Pietism is alive and well, in our churches and in our own lives. And even though I’ve learned what ‘name’ to call it, it rears its ugly head in my life all the time. The old Adam in me wants to trust in my own subjective experience of Christ IN me versus the objective work of Christ FOR me. Christ came and died in my stead, fulfilled the law perfectly in my place to set me free; to rescue me from the all the climbing and to set me on the sure footing of His perfect atoning love and grace. And tomorrow, when I construct another ladder of my own works and my own private spirituality and righteousness, He will again come with His Word and sacraments to remind me that there is one type of christian: the one saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

For a more clear presentation of this subject, try this article written by Craig Parton or this online radio segment from Issues, Etc. featuring host Todd Wilken and guest Dr. Larry Rast.

And just so you know, I am so thankful for you my blog readers. For those of you who are so kind to send comments and emails and to read my sometimes ‘wayward’ rantings. I pray for you and thank God for the encouragement you have been in my life.

Best Ever Beef Stew

February 3, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 73 Comments

I write about this beef stew in my memoir, All the Pretty Things. I had just given up my practice as a family doctor and I was trying to figure out what people do when they stay home. So I taught myself to cook. When I was first trying to figure out how to regularly put dinner on the table, I watched the Food Network like it was MY JOB. This was back in the day when food tv was new and it felt like I had my own personal tutor in the kitchen. I decided I was going to find a way to make the perfect pot of beef stew. When Stevie tasted the first bite, he looked at me with that certain twinkle in his eyes. This is the dish that made me a wife. You’re welcome! I also have a free ebook on my favorite soups, which you can download here!

Pick a day this week, gather your ingredients by noon and by six you’ll be queen of the world! This is like a love letter in a pot. I call it the best beef stew ever because I am a self professed drama queen, but this is no hyperbole. Make it this weekend for your people and they will swear their allegiance to you forever. Amen and amen.

I know I’ve been promising you a beef stew tutorial video, which I went to the trouble of making. Thankyouverymuch. And it’s horrible. Or ‘hahrrible’ as I would have sounded on the video. I’m not so fond of my video’d voice. So I give you the limited pictures I took and my very granny-ish instructions.

The Best Beef Stew Ever

Ingredients:

2-3 pounds of beef stew meat
Steak seasoning (I use Montreal)
1/2 cup flour
beef stock (I swear by Kitchen Basics and usually use a whole box, by the time you add stock several times to the stew)
1/2 red wine (I use it if I have it, but good beef stock will do)
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 bag baby carrots (about 20-30)
4-5 large red potatoes, cut to bite sized chunks
1 package of cremini mushrooms
crushed red pepper, a few shakes
salt and pepper, all along the way to add layers of flavor
3 T. worcestershire sauce
2 T. good honey
2 T. garlic/herb seasoning (I buy mine from Sam’s)
optional veggies—I often add fresh brussel sprouts (halved, I usually parboil them for a few minutes to release the bitter flavor, then add to stew), parnsips (chunked), sweet potatoes (cut into chunks) cabbage (cut into quarters, if I’m not using brussel sprouts), frozen peas

How I do it:

Start with a package of boneless stew meat. I usually buy a large package for my large family (I’m guessing 2-3 pounds). Coat it with Canadian steak seasoning or 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe’s and salt it well. Then dredge it in flour. In a very hot dutch oven with a generous amount of oil added (you can also use some bacon fat, which I HIGHLY recommend, along with your more sensible oil), brown the meat on all sides. Once browned, add 1/2 cup (or so) of red wine (or a bottle, which I’ve been known to use if I’m making a double batch) and then enough beef stock to cover the meat and place the cover on the dutch oven and place it into a 250 degree oven. Let it cook for 3-4 hours. Three’s probably enough, but if you leave it for four…that’s okay too. After four hours, take it out of the oven and it will look something like this.

Then chop the following items into bite sized pieces: 4 carrots, 1 large onion, 4 large red potatoes (don’t use russet: they turn to mush), and a package of cremini mushrooms (often I go an extra step and hold the mushrooms until the end, at which point I cook them in bacon fat and oil and then add them separately to the stew at the very end. If I’m not short on time, I add them now). At this point you can just add all these veggies to the stew or you can go the extra mile and give these a short saute in some olive oil to release some of their natural sugar. I think the extra step is worth it but I’ve done it both ways based on time. Generously salt and pepper the veggies and then add more beef stock so that most of the veggies are covered. Don’t totally submerse them though or there’ll be too much liquid. Also add a few shakes of red pepper, a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce, 2 T. of garlic-herb seasoning, and 2 T. of honey. Put back into the oven at 250 for another 3 hours.

When you take the best ever beef stew out of the oven, the veggies should be soft but not mushy. Now for the part that makes my family think I’m a superhero: Add 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 t. sugar, stir and then taste it. It may need more salt, pepper, honey, whathaveyou. To finish it, thaw a half bag of frozen peas in the microwave and add those to the stew and then add 2T. of tomato paste. Put it back into the oven until your ready to serve. You can turn the oven off and just let it bask in the warmth. Serve with southern cornbread and prepare for lives to be changed. I forgot to take a picture just as it came out the oven, but here it is after 7 hungry people devoured it!

Enjoy!

Note to parents: The flour that you use to dredge the meat in is what will thicken your stew so be generous.

Like this post, check out some of my other awesome soups!

Swedish Meatball Soup (just as AMAZING as it sounds!)

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Or just peruse the list and find one you want to try!

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ps. In case you didn’t know, this family doctor took the plunge into the world of natural health and essential oils and these oils are BLOWING MY MIND. If you want to feel better, sleep better, strengthen your immune system, reduce your stress, and clear some of the common toxins out of your life, I’d love to walk with you as you get started.

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Young Living is giving away a free bottle of Christmas Spirit (my ABSOLUTE favorite Christmas scent and SO GOOD for mood!!) with every starter kit purchase, so it’s truly a great time to join!!

Click here to read more about it!!

To Do List…..

February 2, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 16 Comments

This is what I’m wearing for the ‘cocktail’ party’ on Friday night at Blissdom. I’m not a fan of cocktail dresses per se. I am, however, a fan of layering and boots and accessories. Even better news, I’ve had the outfit for a couple of years and bought the dress at Forever 21 for probably 14.99. At least I’ll be warm! Visit Big Mama’s site for other fun Friday fashion tips. And no, I do not own a ‘snuggly’…..although Stevie does vow to buy me one everytime the commercial come on.

Things I need to do before my writer’s workshop (*wink*Blissdom) on Friday

1. Clean out my car so that Leigh Ann doesn’t lose all respect for me.

2. Or at least clean out the front seat and throw the shoes and clothes and petrified french fries to the ‘way’ back.

3. Personal grooming items including but not limited to:

4. trim and polish nails

5. should I use ‘Oh to be 25 again’ or just clear polish

6. pedi….should I indulge or just do it myself?

7. shop my closet for some fun ‘looks’….I know there are things buried in there that I haven’t seen in a while….if I can just find them.

8. make my ‘cheat sheet’ list of bloggers I want to meet….and look back through emails to see if they gave their real names.

9. buy birthday gifts that the girls will need for parties they will attend while I’m gone.

10. plan a couple of make ahead meals to leave for the family for Friday and Saturday….they miss you much less if you leave good food.

11. Make a master list for Stevie of where girls need to go and when…..to make it easy, I’ll lay out clothes ahead of time. This will all be in vain because they will reject being told what to wear and will leave for their various events in sweat pants and tshirts with stains and mangled hair.

12. Should I bring my lap top or not? I know you say yes but Stevie uses it too and may need it desperately while I’m gone….and all my blogger friends will be with me….so they probably won’t be blogging, right?

13. should I Refuse to eat another bite of food and lose the 10 pounds I’ve been trying to get off.

14. Or have another creme de menthe brownie and make use of the slimming effects of black.

15. Print out the schedule for the workshops and back them with scrapbook paper and laminate them.

16. Just kidding.

17. I was thinking of making some kind small little love gifts for a few blog friends. Maybe a bookmark or felt flower pin. It’s the thought that counts, right?

18. I’m not a person who normally does girls’ weekends or anything much away from home and I’m a little finicky about the following items: coffee, pillows (I’ll just bring my own), mattress, bedding, diet pepsi (where and how will I find it), hours spent in real clothes, and real shoes, and the heartache that goes with missing the family.

19. That said, I can’t wait!

20. So what’s on your list? What did I leave off?

21. I’m working on a guest post on homeschooling. What do you love/look for in homeschool related posts….what do you hate…..do you even care? Should I just submit my king tut video and call it a day?

Hi-i-i-i-stayin’ alive…stayin’ alive

February 1, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 10 Comments

I may look like I’m scared…..or about to fall. But really I’m just singing and groovin’ to ‘Hi-i-i-i-i stayin’ alive’. Like my shirt? I thought so. My personal tribute to times gone by.

So Christine and Sue and I took

some big kids

and some little kids

and one really crazy kid
Photobucket
to the second most germ infested hangout in town……second to the bowling alley of course.

the teen girls bonded while trying to not knock over very small children…..

Taylor and Andrew took first place in the scooter race…..while Emme and Morgan finished strong in thirteenth…..

and then of course there’s the hokey pokey….my personal favorite….

and apparently a favorite of Marcus as well.

Most of the afternoon, this is what I looked like. Not because I kept falling, but because I skated so fast that I was a blur to everyone around me. I’m going back next week. I have plans to ‘dominate’ (Taylor and Andrew’s word) all the 13 year olds in the races.

BTW, Marcus can skate. I mean really skate. Those darn hocky players.

7 Quick Takes…….

January 30, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 15 Comments

~~~~~~~ 1 ~~~~~~~~~~

We bought a crucifix as a ‘love’ gift to each other. (early Valentine’s) Steve’s been wanting one for a long time. Did I mention we’re not Catholic? We are Lutheran however, and Lutherans tend to embrace and appreciate the historicity of christian symbols. We just hung ours up and I’m just a tad bit, I don’t know, squeamish or something, about it. And maybe that’s the wrong word. ‘ Not totally comfortable yet’, might be better. I grew up in various Protestant churches, mostly Baptist, and although we embraced the ‘bare’ cross, most rejected having the crucifix. I think Protestants in general are way too ‘against’ everything that resembles Catholicism. The common phrase was “We serve a risen Lord”……yes, one who was first a baby (and we have no trouble displaying a manger scene) and then lived the perfect life (it’s okay to enjoy art that depicts the various parts of Christ’s ministry) and died a sinless death on the cross (the crucifix ‘issue’). I read a great article about the history of the cross and crucifix which you can download here. So, do you display the cross or crucifix in your home and why or why not?

ours is made of alabaster in Italy

~~~~~~~~~~2~~~~~~~~~~~

I learned this fun project from my mother, who’s birthday is tomorrow, and who will enjoy her birthday in Key West. She’s been there for a month now and we’re beginning to wonder if she’s ever coming back. She’s always starts her tomato plants, green peppers, and herbs indoors about this time of year. Last year was my first try at it and it was so much fun. The girls and I bought different kinds of tomato seeds and a few different herbs and planted them yesterday in the premade window box planters. Steve was home and helped us with our ‘seed’ discussion. They usually sprout in about a week and then in a month or so will need to be replanted into bigger pots. The whole process is fun and educational. You should try it.

~~~~~~~~~~~3~~~~~~~~~~~

Where is this year going? My son Taylor graduates from high school and I’m starting to panic. I wish you could meet him. He is so kind and funny and caring and smart and talented. He’s just easy to be around. I know that he’s sinful and depraved just like the rest of us. I know he will fall and fail, but I can’t help well up with mommypride just a little. I was listening to his CD on my iPod and marveling at how talented a songwriter he is. You can listen to his music here. When the actual CD comes out (not until end of Feb) I’ll let you know.

~~~~~~~~4~~~~~~~~

I have recently taken the Facebook plunge. Which has resulted in many phone calls to my sister to say, “Do you remember suchandsuch? Should I remember suchandsuch?” Apparently my long term memory is failing me. My short term memory is not all that stellar either. My daughter gave me a tutorial on FB last night and rolled her eyes and snickered 76 times. Then she sent me a piece of flair that said something about laundry. It’s not a bad way to communicate with your teenagers who happen to be upstairs. Turns out, I can type faster than I can walk. And ‘Bring your laundry downstairs’ doesn’t necessarily work better face to face.

~~~~~~~~~~5~~~~~~~~~

I’m planning my Superbowl eating extravaganza. I’m gonna make several yummy appetizers including chicken wing meatballs and queso dip. I’ve decided to try my hand at homeade philly cheese steak sandwiches. (although I’m definitely cheering for Arizona) I’ve done my research and now need to head to the store. I can’t decide on dessert. Any suggestions?

~~~~~~~~~~~6~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is the inside of our santuary at Our Savior Lutheran Church. Many of you have asked questions about Lutheranism which I am slowly trying to answer. One thing I love about the ‘design’ of the sanctuary is that the cross is central as is the altar (the Lord’s Table). The ‘pulpits’ or lecterns are off to the side. The message in that—-Christ-centered, cross-focused.

~~~~~~~ 7~~~~~~~~

Baby dog Hank is not so little anymore. He’s taller than Scooter (the maltese). Weighs 25 pounds and is 12 weeks old. And I can’t imagine our lives without him. He’s so smart and loveable and floppy. He still falls down a fair amount—which is hysterical–and has learned the ‘sit’ command. Steve just said “It’s a good thing they can’t smell him through that blog”. Yeah, he’s gets VERY stinky after dinner, if ya know what I mean.