the very best of both worlds

Saturday night has arrived, marking the end of our team's Focus Week of spending time in the Word. The conclusions I'm drawing about the week so far are:

- I feel like spending my extra time digging into the Word (we were focusing this week on the Psalms) really renewed my hunger both for the Lord and the Bible....and that is a good thing, something I've been praying for for quite a while. I guess this week's extra push was just the nudge I needed. I'm thankful for new insights into His truths, and the extra moments just to delight in Him and to revel in His delight for me. It was a great week, and I look forward to doing it again.

- I cannot believe, truly cannot believe, how productive I was this week! I guess it really showed me how much of time time is wasted in small little increments - a few minutes on the internet here, reading this blog, reading that news article, mindless surfing facebook and foxnews, watching tv - all that really adds up to take away good hours that I could be doing other things...like playing with my kids, doing little things that josh has been wanting me to get done for a long time, and all sorts of other things. I felt like my time was maximized this week, and I was surprised at how little I missed the internet (though I do realize I'm behind on all my favorite blogs!)

Anyway, in other news...
I've been wanting to make an Apple Pie for a long time now. I've never made one, never even seen one made from scratch. I figured it couldnt' be hard, so I tried it this weekend. There's nothing quite as American as apple pie, right?

Well...I was amazed at how well they turned out! I read and re-read Joy of Cooking's suggestions on apple pies and used a classic recipe. The crust turned out perfectly crusty, full of flaky butterness...the middle turned nicely cinnamoned and chock full of apples. Thanks to Joy of Cooking, we avoided any spillage and avoided all manner of burned crusts. I was SO pleased, and thoroughly enjoyed ny very american apple pie. It didn't have chocolate in it, so emma and samantha weren't quite as keen on it, but I will keep trying. The best of Americana in one flaky bite. Yum.

then, later on this evening, we and some friends had dinner at a local restaurant. (This actually doesn't happen very often - the eating out part - but emma specifically asked us so eagerly this morning to go to dinner at a restaurant with her friends, so we obliged.) This restaurant's specialty? Peking duck.

We've been to this restaurant several times before, but tonight, maybe it was the company or just the best of this country, it was SO great! Our duck was so tender and crispy on the outside; I couldn't resist having helping after helping! Peking duck is served by rolling up slices of duck, garnished with sauce and onion, in a little tortilla-type thing. We ate until we were stuffed and then just couldn't keep from commenting how great it was. If you're ever in town, you're coming to eat Peking Duck with us! I think it's truly the best our city has to offer!

So apple pie at lunch, peking duck for dinner. That really is the best of both worlds!