French People and Francophiles - Do Not Read this Post

I don't get crepes.

I mean I get how they're made, but why the heck are people the world over so obsessed with them??

They're just watered-down pancakes, for crying out loud.

Thin and cold and weak and pitiful.
They never hold all that stuff you futilely try to cram inside them. Not even close.

It may sound like I'm a real uncultured American swine here. But you can keep your fruit-filled tissue pancakes. Give me a leaning-tower-of-Pisa slab o' buttermilk pancakes or a wagon-wheel-sized crusty Belgian waffle soaked in syrup any old day.

Crepes are for wimps.

And now, since you're obviously ready to load up the family van and careen to IHOP on two wheels (or else unsubscribe from my blog entirely) I will put you out of your misery.

Below is the best pancake recipe I have ever happened across.

You're welcome.

They're easier to make than they look. My baby sister and I (aka The Sticky Bandits) whipped these puppies out in half an hour flat. Get you some maple syrup and get to flippin.


"Instant" Pancake Mix
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Yield:
3 batches of pancakes

Ingredients
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (check expiration date first)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar

"INSTANT" PANCAKES:
2 eggs, separated
2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 cups "Instant" Pancake Mix, recipe above
1 stick butter, for greasing the pan
2 cups fresh fruit such as blueberries, if desired

Directions
Combine all of the ingredients in a lidded container. Shake to mix.Use the mix within 3 months.

Heat an electric griddle or frying pan to 350 degrees F. Heat oven to 200 degrees F.

Whisk together the egg whites and the buttermilk in a small bowl.

In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the melted butter. Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined.

Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the pancake mix. Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together. Don't try to work all the lumps out.

Check to see that the griddle is hot by placing a few drops of water onto to the griddle. The griddle is ready if the water dances across the surface. Lightly butter the griddle. Wipe off thoroughly with a paper towel. (No butter should be visible.)

Gently ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle and sprinkle on fruit if desired. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the griddle-side of the cake is golden, gently flip the pancakes. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set.

Serve immediately or remove to a towel-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel. Hold in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes.

Yield: 12 pancakes.

Beyonce vs Jesus

All the women... Independent... Throw yo hands up at meeeee!

Don't fool yourself. The lady can sing. And dance.

And personally I thought her Super Bowl performance was rockin. Way better than Madonna. Who has a name that makes me think of Mary, Jesus's mom. (Not the person, you understand, just the name...)

Hang with me, hang with me. I'm just sitting here tonight thinking about how much our culture glorifies independence, and how much I've fallen for that lie.

That I am doing it on my own.

That I don't need help.

And that I'm gonna throw my hands up in yo face cause I pay my automobillssss, pay my telephonebillllssss, maybe we can chilllll (sorry, different song.)

But Jesus is different. He doesn't want us to do it alone. In fact, He really really wants us to depend on him alone. For everything.

Tonight I got to hold a precious little five week old baby with a head full of hair and blue eyes. She was so tiny and helpless and needy. She can't feed herself or clothe herself or teach herself how to walk or ride a bike. She needs provisions. She needs protection. She needs parents. She is just like me.

When I go to pottery class on Thursday nights I always think about how this lump of clay, mud really, gets pounded around on the cement table when I wedge it. It gets slathered with some water and pushed and pressed from every side. I can't do anything with it until its centered. Its a mess until I direct it where to go- with lots of force and pressure and persistence. It is just like me.

God can't do anything with me until I admit my neediness, my failures, my helplessness, my flaws, my inability to make everything work out.

He's holding me like a baby - protecting, giving, healing, helping, teaching, guiding.

He's centering me like a lump of clay - admonishing, directing, disciplining, refining.

The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. (Lamentations 3:25 NLT)

Now I know:
God wants to take all the women, independent, and make us into his daughters, into his most beautiful works of art.

Song Saturday #15 - Worth the Wait

A driver's license.

Summer beach trips.

The senior prom.

Your first kiss.

A college admission acceptance letter from Furman.

Really, really good concert tickets.

A job offer to teach at the most perfect school.

Roommate reunions.

National Board results.

Christmas morning.

There are some things in life that are worth waiting for. 

Big things, little things. Doesn't matter. The waiting stinks, but it makes the event that much sweeter.

You know what I'm talking about. It's the build up. The countdown calendar.  The thrill of getting to that day that you've been waiting on FOREVER!

As a single 28 year old girl in the south, I feel like my picture could be on a set of Old Maid cards. I mean let's get real. Practically all my friends are married. With babies. Did ya read that??? More than one baby. And I am so, truly happy for each of them.

But sometimes I feel like Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle when she says that a woman in her 30s is more likely to get killed by a terrorist than find a husband. And my 30s are only 2 years away. (Did I mention I paid $50 for wrinkle cream last weekend? That's fifty. 5-0.) I know I'm ridiculous.

Anyway, today's Song Saturday speaks to the kind of sentiment I am waiting for. When I finally meet the guy God has for me and fall in love, it won't be perfect.

But I know it will be worth the wait.




Hey Pretty Girl - Kip Moore

Hey pretty girl, won't you look my way
Love's in the air tonight
You can bet you make this ol' boy's day
Hey pretty girl, won't you look my way

Hey pretty girl, can I have this dance
And the next one after that
Gonna make you mine there's a real good chance
Hey pretty girl, can I have this dance

Hey pretty girl, it feels so right
Just like it's meant to be
All wrapped up in my arms so tight
Hey pretty girl, it feels so right

Life's a long and winding ride
Better have the right one by your side
And happiness don't drag its feet
Time moves faster than you think

Hey pretty girl, wanna take you home
My momma's gonna love you
She'll make me sleep on the couch, I know
Hey pretty girl, wanna take you home

Hey pretty girl, let's build some dreams
And a house on a piece of land
We'll plant some roots and some apple trees
Hey pretty girl, let's build some dreams

Life's a long and winding ride
Better have the right one by your side
Happiness don't drag its feet
And time moves faster than you think

Hey pretty girl, you did so good
Our baby's got your eyes
And a fighter's heart like I knew she would
Hey pretty girl, you did so good

Hey pretty girl, when I see the light
And it's my time to go
I'm gonna thank the Lord for a real good life
A pretty little girl and a beautiful wife 

Two Words I Hate but Need to Learn

I heard it when I learned to play guitar.

I heard it when my mom took me out and tried to teach me how to drive. 

I hear it whenever I speak in public, and honestly I wish there was someone to say it to me any time a guy calls to ask me out on the phone and I am talking faster than an auctioneer after drinking a case of RedBull. 

Slow down, Jillian.

Slow down. 

My whole life people have been telling me to slow down.

So it should have come as no surprise to me that last night during pottery class, the instructor came over to my wheel after watching me for a few minutes. 

"Have you ever done tai chi?" he asked. 

"Actually, yeah! Just a few weeks ago!" I said. (I'm in this phase of trying new hippie hobbies. I'm going back to my Asheville roots. If I stop shaving my armpits though, I give y'all full permission to host an intervention.)

"That's good. Think about that slow, controlled movement. You can't scare the clay into being centered. Slow down. Control your movements."

A few minutes later he dropped back by and told me to slow down the wheel (no pedal to the metal while you're shaping a pot, apparently. Shocker!) 

After that- what do you know?? I centered the clay and was able to throw a couple decent looking little pots.

Lately I've been doing yoga, and it's teaching me to slow down, too. Slow down and breathe. Slow down and think about nothing but holding that frappin' crescent pose until you are sure your arm is literally gonna fall off and you will look like that girl from Soul Surfer but without the inspirational story. 

The truth is, I'm always rushing into the next pose- go metaphorical with me- not just in yoga, but in life. 

It's hard for me to stand all contorted in eagle pose like a human twizzler.  My body wants to move. My mind wants to wander. But my focus has to be on resting deeper into the pose and finding strength even though I am ridiculously uncomfortable. 

Same thing is happening in the macrocosm of my life. I'm not always comfortable where God has me. In fact, most of the time I wish time away and pray for the next stage of my life to get here a little sooner. Rings and babies people. Rings and babies. 

But all these new activities are teaching me, for the millionth time, to slow down and to enjoy the process. 

I'm not very good at that, but in this case- maybe it's okay to be a slow learner. 

Now I know:

If life throws you a few speed bumps, be thankful. It's just teaching you to enjoy the ride. 

Beautiful Mess

When you think of your hometown, what is the first thing you think of?

Probably not graffiti.
 

But as I wandered the streets of downtown Asheville with my baby sister today, I couldn't help but be swept away by some pretty amazing street art.

It is random and weird and funky and bright.

It is like my hometown. Unusual. Obstinately different. Deliberately weird.

Yep. This sparkling little artsy town, nestled in the Blue Ridge mountains,

is beautiful to me.

Not just because of the graffiti or the gorgeous handmade pottery. Not even because of the insanely picturesque views or famous landmarks or trendy restaurants.

I love Asheville because it is where I was born; stories from my childhood spill out every time I drive through town.  I love Asheville because it is where I grew up, where I learned I could always, always be myself. I love Asheville because you don't feel pressure to fit in. Instead, it is cool to stand out.

Most of all, I love Asheville because it is where my hilarious, weird, funny, sparkling family lives.

So no matter how long I live in Greenville, Asheville will always be...

...my home.

Now I know: 

Asheville is a beautiful mess. And I wouldn't want to be from anywhere else.

Christmas Confession

This is a weird thing to say on Christmas Eve.

It really is. 

I hope you don't judge me for it and stop reading my blog that I just started back up. 

But the truth is...

I don't particularly like Christmas music. 

Now... If you're still reading this, allow me to explain myself. It may be because 99 percent of Christmas songs are stale and overplayed. It may be that the Charlie Brown Christmas song sounds like a dirge and gives me the heebie jeebies. It may be because no one actually feels "holly jolly" just because it's December...and have you ever actually seen anyone "rock" around the Christmas tree??

But there is one Christmas song that I absolutely love. I cant stop listening. 

The lyrics talk about Israel mourning in lonely exile. It talks about gloomy clouds of night. It talks about death's dark shadow. It talks about sad divisions and a need for peace. 

It makes me think about our country during the election this year. It makes me think of the massacre of innocent first graders in a Connecticut elementary school. It makes me think of the perpetual state of unrest in the Middle East. 

This song doesn't gloss over the troubles of this world with some tinsel and snowflakes. 

But it does say one hugely important word. Rejoice!

Rejoice, because Emmanuel will come to thee.

And, in the biggest present the world will ever receive - Jesus came!!

This is why I celebrate Christmas. Jesus came to earth as a baby, born to ransom us from our captivity to sin and our separation from God. But he didnt leave once His work was done. His spirit is still with us. 

In all of our struggles, our disappointments, our loss - Emmanuel. God is with us. 

In all of our hopes and successes and triumphs - God is with us. 

In every fear and every failure - God is with us. 

In every glittering good thing - God is with us. 

And that's something to rejoice about. 

Merry Christmas, y'all. 

The Blog is Back, People

Being up at 6:00 am on a Sunday over Christmas break means only one thing.................

The blog is back, people!!!*

*Insert cheers of two loyal devoted readers here!

I'm not too proud to admit that my teacher sleep schedule this week has been wrecked by:

1) The likes of my Pinterest-addicted self (if butter-laden recipes and chalkboard paint projects are wrong I don't wanna be right).

2) Access to Netflix movies such as the 90s classic "Sliding Doors" with Gwyneth Paltrow (remember those days when she was dating Brad Pitt and they had EXACTLY the same hairdo???),

3) And the fact that I stayed up until 4:00 am Friday night at the best Christmas/Dan's 30th birthday/End of the World party ever.

Highlights of that evening include getting to wear the gold sequin skirt I bought for the occasion, which maaaaay be my favorite purchase of 2012, playing "Would You Rather" for hours, and laughing hysterically about the selfies that my friends took on my iPhone. I toyed with writing a whole blogitty blog entry about this party, but if I posted aforementioned selfies on this blog, I would have no longer have friends.


On the note of gloriously random favorite things, I decided to write a year in review post. Are you ready for this? More importantly, are you still reading this??

Jillian's Jumbled Up, In No Certain Order, Gloriously Random

Top 10 Favorite Things from 2012:

1) Nashville - Ya'll, I can't get enough of the show or the music. It's so good. It's so good I can hardly wait until January 9th when the next episode comes on. I want to be Rayna James. I want to be Juliet Barnes. I want to be on the show. Do you think they need a tutor for the kids? I'd settle for drooling over Deacon offstage. Seriously, I would.

And on the note of the kids, check out this ridiculousness by Lennon and Maisy Stella (the daughters on the show) Thanks Katie for sharing my obsession with the show and showing this to me!!:


2) Passing National Boards - still can't believe it. Thank you to EVERYONE (especially my poor momma - I LOVE YOU) who listened to me whine, complain, gripe, moan, and panic about the beast that is the boards. Thanks to my students for putting up with the videotaping, writing, and reflecting that are such a crucial part of the process. Thanks to my friend Sara Newell for being the world's best coach. Thanks to my friends that cheered me on when I got this result. Thanks to the good old state of South Carolina for the stipend I will be receiving come January 1, 2013!!!

3) Going to Raleigh to surprise my sister Katie at her KD initiation - I will never forget seeing her face when she first noticed me in the room. SO FUN. I love surprises. And Katie. Can I come back to college and be your roommate?

4) Clemson tailgates - I now ENJOY watching football (perhaps that's what the Mayans thought when they said the world was ending??) especially when accompanied by the over-eating of delicious finger foods outside on beautiful sunny South Carolina Saturdays with the best of friends. Kenneth and Meg, I'll babysit your future kiddos anytime. Just keep inviting me to these fabulous tailgates!!!

5) Seeing and singing along to LOTS of good concerts (Needtobreathe- twice, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Little Big Town, Vince Gill, Zac Brown Band, Chatham County Line-twice, Will Hoge, and others I am certainly forgetting). God sends me friends that give me extra tickets and friends to go see shows with - one of my ABSOLUTE favorite things!!!

6) Learning to play the ukulele (banjo is next on my list) - Erin are you with me?!? PS: WHERE DID MOM PUT OUR HARMONICAS?!?!?!?!

7) Apple Picking with my Goofy Wonderful Family

We went late in the season....so it was a little tough to find apples at first.

I was the eternal optimist.

Erin....not so optimistic.

Katie wanted to give up too.

But we kept walking...and HOORAAAAAY! APPLES!!!!!

They were delightful. Moral of the story: go apple picking earlier in the season.

8)  The Color Me Rad Run - It was crazy. It was colorful. It was awesome.

9) Visit from Furman Roomies Lauren and Amanda this summer (minus Shannon who we missed TERRIBLY). This visit included a baby shower for THE MOST PRECIOUS BOY AARON FORD, Thaicoon at 4:00, a mandatory Furman visit, and a viewing of Magic Mike - which I watched with one eye open because I was so mortified yet simultaneously entertained). Love you girls forever.

10) This poem from one of my students: (You can cry after you read it. It's okay. I do every time.)


"The Bestest Lady"
A lady.
Just one lady
with eyes as bright as the world
beyond the world.
With a smile with the shining sun.
With hair that can never change its look.
A spirit that is raining with excitement.
Her heart is as bright as the coral reefs
of the fresh and salt waters.
Her knecklesses is beautiful
as the open sea.


And she knows she
can get anyone she wants.
A lady that says,
"You are the best you can be."
And this lady...
Is my teacher,
can change the world.




Now I know:
2012 was not too shabby. I am blessed by the people in my life.