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Cooking Tip #4: Beware of Frosted Cookies
My grandmother exhibited the best of Yankee wisdom. She lived out that old adage, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” Nothing around her was wasted. Everything was used and re-used until it was indeed completely used up or worn out. Like so many in her generation, she had lived…
Going Through
I had a screen saver on my computer in college that rotated through inspirational quotes. I don’t recall exactly where I got it. I think my roommate received it from someplace; maybe it came with a bookstore promotion. That part doesn’t really matter. What matters is there was one particular quote that always resonated with…
Cooking Tip #3: How to Peel a Banana
You might wonder what there is to learn about peeling a banana. The answer will surprise you. Years ago, I was taught how to peel a banana by my Girl Scout leader. At the time, she was working toward her degree and would often regale us with educational insights from life after high school. She…
The RLT Principle
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way; walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21). I call this verse the RLT Principle. This is not to be confused with the BLT, which is a delightful deli sandwich comprised of bacon, lettuce, and…
Cooking Tip #2: When all else fails…
This is a tip that I learned early in my cooking career. (Since things failed frequently, I had a lot of practice.) The tip is a single word that completely revolutionized my cooking habits. And if it could transform my cooking, it can most certainly do the same for you. Are you ready? The word…
Plow Forward
You may have noticed the last two articles seem a little contradictory. After all, the moral of Cooking Tip #1 is to consider your actions before you leap; the moral of Non-Newtonian Fluids is to leave the pondering to someone else. Leap out of the boat and go with gusto! So wait, aren’t those contradictory?…
Non-Newtonian Fluids
I had a friend recently introduce me to the wonderful world of non-newtonian fluids. (Stick with me here; this is cool.) Non-newtonian fluids are fluids that change their properties when presented with different forces. One classic example is a mixture of corn starch and water. Try this at home: mix 2 cups of corn starch…
Cooking Tip #1. Do Not Microwave Cool Whip
I had a friend in college who used to microwave her ice cream. Apparently it was too cold straight out of the freezer, so she warmed it up a bit. We laughed at this idiosyncrasy for weeks… until we all started doing it too. Such is the nature of friendship. Now it seems to me…
Cooking Tips I Learned the Hard Way
I am the last person on earth you should ever take cooking lessons from. Except for one simple fact. I’m a survivor. This in itself is proof of God’s divine intervention in my life, as anyone who has ever witnessed my cooking can attest. Cooking, for me, frequently involves large flames, explosions, billowing smoke, and…
Cracking, Part III
Click to read Part I or Part II. Paul literally wrote the book on human weakness and God’s strength – or at least one of them (2 Corinthians). But he is certainly not the only example we have. Nor, you will be happy to know, is weakness necessarily synonymous with suffering. The “cracks” that allow God…
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Meet Janet!
Janet Beagle, PhD is the founder of The Mustard Patch. She divides her time between the Midwest and New England, and if she’s not writing, she’s probably out hiking with her 2-and 4-footed friends.