Tacos al pastor

Tacos and hamburgers are two things that I can't get enough of. I've taken to ordering a hamburger and French fries at our local Mexican restaurant. It's not that I don't enjoy their food. I do, especially the chili verde. I simply want hamburgers.

And there are no shortage of tacos near our home. They abound on Taco Tuesday. Debbie and I frequent the local take and bake pizza joint, where -- on Tuesday -- ground beef tacos are the special of the day.

This pleases my wife. She only orders three things at any Mexican eatery -- one, two or three tacos, crunchy shell, no tomato with lettuce of the side. In nearly 37 years, I've never seen her deviate.

This brings us to tacos al pastor. Cooked "shepherd style," traditional tacos al pastor are prepared by stacking marinated pork slices on a spit and roasting on a vertical rotisserie, much like Greek gyros. The meat is slowly roasted as the spit turns. Each time a taco is ordered, the cook shaves the crisp out layer off onto a handheld tortilla.

Yet, tacos al pastor can be made without a spit. A cast iron grill pan stands in for the rotisserie. After grilling the onion and pineapple over intense heat, marinated pork slices quickly caramelize on the ribs of the grill pan. The result is a wonderfully charred taco filling.

The marinade is prepared with garlic, spices, achiote paste and guajillo chilies. The achiote adds color and a "earthy, peppery flavor with a hint of bitterness" to the marinade. When combined with guajillo chilies, the deep red hue imparts an amazing bit of eye appeal, to say nothing of the rich level of spiciness. Stir in pineapple juice and vinegar and the flavor of the tacos are out of this world.

This is my new favorite taco.

Serve tacos al pastor with Mexican rice, lime wedges and a spritz of chopped cilantro. This may not be authentic, but I enjoy a side of grilled onion with the tacos.

TACOS AL PASTOR

This recipe is attributed to the Food and Wine website. I have adapted the directions to cast iron grill pan or skillet. Purchase guajillo chilies and achiote at well-stocked supermarkets or your local Mexican market.

1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more for brushing
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 guajillo chilies, stemmed, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/3 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons achiote paste
Sea salt
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 medium pineapple, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 medium red onion, sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
Warm corn tortillas, chopped cilantro and lime wedges, for serving

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Stir in the oregano, cumin, pepper and cloves and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the chilies and cook, stirring, until blistered in spots, about 30 seconds. Add the pineapple juice, vinegar and achiote paste and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and steep for 5 minutes.

Transfer the chili mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt. Place the pork in a large covered dish or storage container. Pour the marinade over the pork and turn to coat. Set the dish in refrigerator overnight.

Preheat a cast iron grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Brush the pineapple and onion with oil. Grill over high heat, turning once, until lightly charred and softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.

Remove the pork from the marinade. Grill over high heat until lightly charred and just cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the plate and let rest for 5 minutes.

Cut the pineapple, onion and pork into thin strips and transfer to a bowl. Season with salt. Serve with corn tortillas, chopped cilantro and lime wedges. Makes 8 to 12 tacos.

Red lentil, sweet potato and apple soup

I recently traveled 3,000 miles to find suitable soup weather. With no measurable rain and snow since early December, Northern California has been enjoying unseasonably pleasant days. Spring-like days have left us wondering how long this drought will endure. While the mornings often see sub-freezing temperatures, each afternoon brings a new record high.

As I prepared to fly to the East Coast to visit my mother, Northern Virginia and Washington, DC, was recovering from a week of freezing temperatures. With lows in the teens and highs hovering in the mid-30s, the city barely had time to thaw each day before nightfall. That was the week airline flights were being canceled by the thousands.

A wonderful bowl of soup certainly made sense when I arrived. My mother and I enjoyed grilled lamb and kubideh kebabs over saffron basmati rice at Café Shirez on the Friday of my visit. After running errands on the warm, rainy afternoon, we settled in for a quiet evening of soup, conversation and reading.

I wanted to test a soup with red lentil, sweet potato and apples for work. Since mom is always open to try new flavors, I felt she would enjoy it. (Click here and here for soups that mom has enjoyed in the past.) And I was also able to freeze several portions for later enjoyment.

As part of my winter job at Coloma Resort, I've been cooking soups for the Argonaut Café. I introduced the soup on my return to California to positive reviews. The café features a fresh soup each day at noon. I will post personal recipes as I develop them.

We long for soup weather in California. I want to escape a cold, rainy day and cuddle with a warm bowl of red lentil, sweet potato and apple soup. Lord willing, soup weather will return to California soon.

RED LENTIL, SWEET POTATO AND APPLE SOUP

This recipe is to feed a crowd. To serve a family, divide the recipe in fourths and proceed with the instructions.

8 ounces unsalted butter
2 pounds onion, diced small
3 pounds sweet potato, peeled and cubed
2 pounds carrot, peeled and cubed
2-1/2 pounds Granny Smith apple, peeled and cubed
8 ounces red lentils
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons chili powder
4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
2 quarts apple cider

In 10- to 12-quart stockpot, melt butter over medium heat; add onions, sweet potatoes, carrots and apples. Sweat over medium heat until onion is translucent and soft, stirring often.

Stir in lentils, ginger, cumin, coriander, chili powder, salt and pepper. Pour stock and cider into pot. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook until vegetables and lentils are soft, 30 to 45 min.

Puree soup in blender or food processor, in batches if necessary, until smooth. Thin with water or stock as needed.

Prepares approximately 6-1/4 quarts. Serves 25 (8-ounce) portions. Garnish soup with sour cream, crème fraiche or plain yogurt.

A week of walks in Ocean Shores

Laziness comes naturally when dark clouds hang over the beach town of Ocean Shores. Spending the days cooking, sitting on the couch and enjoying the company of the in-laws saps one of energy. Rain, interspersed with a south wind that runs the length of the peninsula, hinders outdoor activity.

To counter my inclination to waste away my days inside the condo, I've forced myself to venture outside for a daily walk. Exercise is good. It gives me the opportunity to instill movement into this sixty year-old body, and to clear my mind.

A new route each day keeps the walk fresh. I find new sights along each route, pleasing views that I'd never discover in front of the television. On Monday, I noticed as I walked south along the golf course in the center of town that many of the houses appear to be vacation properties. The walk also let me scope out businesses along one of the main boulevards.

Driving rain on Tuesday prevented me from walking. The family watched a movie at the local theater instead. Yesterday's hike took me north from the condo. A light rain showered down as I cut past city hall on my way to the beach. Low tide exposed the broad six-mile long beach. Other than a lady and her dog who was walking into town as I came onto the beach, I enjoyed the view in solitude.

My walk this morning led me around the upper reaches of Duck Lake. Long stretches of residential streets cut through the forest. Well constructed homes on the shores of the standout among the tall pines. Flora on the eastern side of the peninsula stands in stark contrast to the ocean side. Thick understory prevents a leisurely hikes through the forest. In contrast, open spaces, sand dunes and the lack of trees punctuate the western side.

We leave Ocean Shores in the morning. Each couple will head for home. My in-laws are visiting friends in southern Washington. Debbie and I will cross the Columbia River at Longview, Washington. Once in Oregon, we're driving south to Camp Emerald Forest to visit a friend for the evening. An evening walk around Emerald Lake should refresh me after an afternoon on the truck.


The 13th green on the Ocean Shores Golf Course was a lake after tow days of driving rain during my walk on Wednesday. Only Canada Geese walked the course as it was too wet to play.

Water drains into the Pacific Ocean to the left of this piece of driftwood. The beach should be a great venue for long walks in the summer.

I found these rental units a block over from city hall. Much of the Town of Ocean Shores in vacant this time of year.

Homes dot the shoreline of Duck Lake in Ocean Shores. The lake runs the length of the resort on the harbor side of the peninsula .

These cabins stand vacant in Tuesday's driving rain. Too wet to walk, we drove around the peninsula after going to the movies.

Albondigas soup

Debbie and I are spending quality time with her family in Ocean Shores, Washington, this week. The whole clan (my in-laws and Debbie's sister and husband) had settled into our rooms by Saturday evening. One of Debbie's brothers will join us tomorrow.

We discussed meals for the week Sunday afternoon. A trip to the supermarket after worship last night confirmed the menu. Since preparing albondigas soup last week at work, I wanted a second chance to perfect my recipe. My brother-in-law and I prepared the soup this evening.

The main cooks for the week are my sister-in-law, brother-in-law and myself. We each selected dinner entrees that appeal to the family and we enjoy cooking. The remaining dinners will consist of spaghetti with Italian sausage, fish tacos (we are on the coast) and cheesy potato soup. We may sneak in yeasted pancakes in for breakfast on morning one morning.

The family enjoyed the Mexican meatball soup this evening. With warm flour tortillas to sop up the broth, each person added in their favorite garnishes. Finely shredded green cabbage and thinly sliced radishes, along with chopped green onions and fresh cilantro leaves, let each person tailor the soup to his or her taste. A squeeze or two of lime brightened the soup.

This recipe is a keeper. The combination of caramelized onion and carrot with the roasted red pepper boosted the flavor of the packaged chicken broth. (Certainly use fresh stock when it's available.) The soup contained the essentials of a basic aldondigas soup. Meatballs with rice and a rich chicken broth with vegetables rounded out the soup. This one is going in my recipe file for work.

ALBONDIGAS SOUP

Albondigas soup easily adapts to suit your taste. You don't need to restrict the vegetables to carrots, potatoes and green beans. Use any combination of vegetables that you desire. Zucchini, chayote, fresh corn on the cob or greens are all acceptable choices. Be mindful that space in the soup pot limits your choice of vegetables to three or four. Fresh or dried chile peppers will give the soup a spicy note.

I like to brown the meatballs in a heavy skillet before adding them to the soup. The resulting crust adds texture and flavor to the meatballs and soup.

Meatballs:

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

2 large eggs

3/4 cup long grain rice

1/2 onion, diced small

1 jalapeno chile pepper, diced small

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced small

1 carrot, diced small

3 roasted red peppers, diced small

2 quarts chicken broth

3 potatoes, diced small

8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut to size

Zest of 1 lime

To prepare the meatballs, mix the beef, pork, eggs, rice, chile pepper, garlic, cilantro and seasonings. Form mixture into 1-inch meatballs. This should give you 25 to 30 meatballs. Set aside.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot. Add the onion and carrot. Slowly caramelize until the vegetables are light brown, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking an additional 5 minutes.

Add the red peppers and broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Place the meatballs, potatoes and green beans in the broth. Cook until the rice in the meatballs is done, about 20 minutes. Stir in the lime zest. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 quarts. To serve, set 2 or 3 meat balls in a bowl. Ladle the soup with over the meatballs. This recipe will serve a gathering of 6 to 8 persons as the main course. Or it will serve 15 as a soup coarse.

Provide shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, chopped cilantro, chopped green onion and lime wedges for garnish if desired. Warm flour tortillas should also accompany the soup.

Hot pepper jelly

For the last 10 or 15 years, my sister has gifted jars of her wonderful hot pepper jelly to the family at Christmastime. The recipe came from a long forgotten cookbook. Since this was the "best recipe out of the book," she let the cookbook go. I suspect that she traded it in for another cookbook.

With no jelly eaters in my house, Debbie would give our jelly to her parents. My mother-in-law frequently enjoys peanut butter and hot pepper jelly sandwiches with it. In time, she ran out of the jelly and asked my sister directly for some more (they live in the same city). Now my sister includes them in her annual jelly giveaway.

A recipe for jalapeno jelly in the food section of the Sacramento Bee prompted me to talk to Elizabeth about the jelly making process. She responded to my questions with her recipe and a detailed explanation of the process. I thought that her jelly would nicely compliment the empanadas on the menu at work on Monday.

I prepared and canned four half-pint jars of Elizabeth's hot pepper jelly at work yesterday. "The more red peppers (hot or sweet)," she said in an email Thursday evening, "the more appealing the jelly is to the eye." She lets the brightness of the peppers color the jelly.

To prepare the jelly, I trimmed, seeded and minced the contents of a 12-ounce package of sweet mini peppers. The assortment of red, orange and yellow peppers gave the finished jelly an appealing red hue. This yielded 1-3/4 cups of finely minced peppers. Eight ounces of jalapeno chile peppers yielded one cup of minced chiles. 

"Sterilize the jars and keep in the hot water until ready to fill," advised Elizabeth. "I always just add new lids and re-used rims to the hot water as well." Fill the jars with the prepared jelly. She then wipes the rim of the jars with a clean towel, place the lid on and tighten the rim. Inverting the jars helps form a seal and distribute the contents.

I enjoyed the sweet and spicy flavor of the jelly, as did several residents at work. You'll enjoy the clean pepper flavor. Elizabeth's hot pepper jelly is good when pared with cream cheese. She will spoon the jelly over a block of cheese and serve it with crackers for a quick appetizer.

HOT PEPPER JELLY

Adjusting the quantity of jalapeno chile peppers will determine the heat level of this jelly. Because I used mild jalapenos in this batch, I didn't think the jelly was too hot. To boost the heat level, use more jalapeno chile peppers and less of the sweet peppers. You can also substitute a hotter chile pepper (like Serrano's) for the jalapenos.

12 ounces sweet peppers, minced

8 ounces jalapeno chile peppers, minced

3 cups sugar

1/2 cup cider vinegar (5% acidity)

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 (3-ounce) package liquid pectin

Place sweet and hot peppers, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice in a 4- to 6-quart saucepan. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring continually; remove from heat. Remove from heat; stir in liquid pectin. Return to a full rolling boil; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Skim foam off, if necessary.

Immediately fill hot, sterilized, half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Place hot lids on jars and screw bands on firmly; invert jars for 5 minutes. Turn right side up and let cool completely. Store in the refrigerator.

Makes 4 half-pint jars, or about 2 cups jelly.

Story behind Blue Lakes split pea soup

I rarely post a recipe without telling the story behind it. I made an exception Tuesday evening when I published the recipe for Blue Lakes split pea soup. As I finished writing the story, it disappeared from my computer screen! In view of the late hour I thought I'd rewrite it later. Here's the story:

Midway through our week long vacation last month, we moved camp from South Lake Tahoe to the Blue Lakes in Eldorado National Forest. We had planned to join my sister and family for their annual camping trip to Upper Blue Lake. The lake has been a favorite for the last four years.

This trip was special because our mother joined us at the lake along with a brother. We planned to arrive at the campground a day early. I used the time to set up our camp and secure a campsite on the waterfront for them.

A large pot of split pea soup factored in as well. Long before our father's death in October 2007, mom and dad often enjoyed a hot bowl of soup in the evening. Mom frequently built a brothy soup around a chicken breast or small piece of meat and vegetables.

I thought mom would enjoy the ham enriched soup for her first dinner in camp. The soup would contribute a hot accompaniment to dinner and allow time to set camp up.

To start the soup, I lit the campfire around 11 a.m. The split peas, ham shank, aromatic vegetables and herbs went into a 10-inch Dutch oven with chicken broth. It took three pot hooks to suspend the pot over the fire.

The soup came to a roaring boil just after noon. I removed one pot hook to reduce the amount of heat under the Dutch oven. The soup gently simmered for the next three hours. All I had to do was feed the fire and occasionally stir the pot.

In my work kitchen I can prepare a wonderful bowl of split pea soup in two hours. Prepare the same soup at the 8,000-foot elevation mark and you must have patience. Cooking any dried peas or beans in camp at high altitude adds an additional hour or two to the cooking process.

A simmering pot of split pea soup is the perfect meal for a lazy afternoon in camp. You need to remain close to the pot to tend the campfire, stir the pot and cut the meat from the ham bone.

My sister and brother-in-law pulled up to the lake around 1:30 p.m. The truck was unloaded and two tents set up in two hours. We were ready to eat by 4 p.m.

Blue Lakes split pea soup

BLUE LAKES SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH HAM SHANK

At the 8,136-foot elevation of Upper Blue Lake, it takes twice as long to cook the soup as it does at sea level. You need three to four hours to cook the peas into a thick soup. I took the photograph at the three-hour point.

1 pound green split peas
5 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 ham shank (about 8 ounces)
1 yellow onion, small dice
1 medium carrot, small dice
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Wash and sort peas. Add to a 10-inch Dutch oven. Pour in stock and add ham shank, onion, carrot, bay leaves and thyme. Place Dutch oven over fire and heat to boiling. Adjust heat and simmer, covered, 1-1/2 to 3 hours or until peas are soft (depends on altitude). Remove bone and cut off meat and dice. Return meat to soup. Season with salt and pepper.

Best birthday wish

I received this early birthday wish from a shipmate shortly before midnight. Although the day is young, it's shaping up to be the best one of the day.

Roger Edison of the Cowboy and Chuckwagon Cooking blog wrote on my Facebook wall:

"At our age, there are just too many candles to blow them out in one puff. Pulling an All-Nighter means we slept with all night without having to get up to go to the restroom. But one thing for sure, we never want to trade it all in. May today be bless with family and dear friends. May somebody else bake the cake as you have done a thousand times shipmate. And remember, today, it's your cake ... you can have it and eat it too.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY SENIOR CHIEF"

May we all receive birthday greetings with as much wit and charm. Thank you, Roger.

Anniversary walk in South Lake Tahoe

Debbie and I celebrated the 30th anniversary of our wedding on Sunday. We marked the occasion by spending the afternoon in South Lake Tahoe. After an enjoyable lunch at The Getaway Cafe in Meyers, we did some window shopping in Stateline.

Later, we drove up Highway 89 to visit one of our favorite Tahoe haunts. The area surrounding Taylor Creek features a fascinating array of forest trails, beaches and historic venues. With many spring flowers still in bloom, we idled away the afternoon. It was the perfect spot to relax and soak in the scenery.

Large fields of lupines caught my eye on our drive to Taylor Creek. Soft purple flowers on tall racemes seemed to blanket both sides of the highway. I thought the flowers would grow closer to the lake.

When we turned onto the beach access road, I expected to find lupines within easy reach of the parking lot. Instead, mountain mules ears -- past their prime in the beaming Lake Tahoe sun -- and Indian paintbrush flourished under the tall stands of Jeffery Pine.

Possibly crowded out by sage and tall grasses, I figured that this wasn't a prime lupine growing area. Debbie and I strolled along the wide path to Kiva Beach. Debbie massaged her toes in the warm Lake Tahoe sand while I snapped several pictures of the lagoon.

She was content to bask in the soothing rays in the late afternoon sun. I walked through the forest on my hunt for photographic subjects.

After a respite, Debbie and I walked along the trail to the amphitheater. The cool evening air refreshed us as much as the slow pace of our stroll through the forest. We admired the majestic Jeffery Pines in quiet solitude.

I had hoped that our walk away from the lake would bring us closer to the elusive lupine wildflowers. As we came near the picnic area next to the amphitheater, I we turned off the main trail. This one would take us back to the parking lot.

Then I saw something that told me I should soon locate beautiful lupine bushes. The soil changed as we hiked. The rocky soil became more evident as the trail led us away from Taylor Creek and the lake.

Then I found a large patch of bush lupine. Set among a grove of young pine trees, the flowers enjoyed the last rays of sunlight of the day. While I last studied biology some 30 years ago, the lupines seemed to thrive under the thick layer of dead pine leaves.

I was soon on the ground taking pictures of my beloved lupine. While Debbie walked ahead, took a dozen photographs like the one below. We enjoyed a wonderful day. Lunch, a couple hikes and a chance to photograph my favorite part of South Lake Tahoe.

The best part of the day: I was able to enjoy it with my wife of 30 years.

Calflora.org lists some 142 species within the Lupinus genus. According to Sierra Nevada Natural History, bush lupines are likely Lupinus albifrons and its many subspecies.

Smokin' in Cayucos

You find smokers in the most unlikely places. When we checked in at the Cayucos Beach Inn two weeks ago, the clerk asked if we were with the "golf group." I said no and didn't think about the question until we returned from my nephew's wedding late that night.

At 11 p.m., I found several couples lounging around the picnic tables and large white tent in the parking lot. I must have missed the trailer-mounted smoker with its torpedo-shaped cooking chamber.

The motel parking lot was filled with the sweet aroma of oak when I walked to the breakfast room Saturday morning. I walked over to the smoker after breakfast and introduced myself.

Up at 3 a.m., the Texas-born pitmaster had loaded 12 full sized beef briskets into the smoker as soon as the fire was ready. Late morning found Roy, who now hails from California City, soaking in the brisk ocean air next to the smoker with the other cooks.

Roy and his companions were playing the waiting game, waiting for hungry golfers to return from the course and for the smoke to work its magic. Around 100 golfers were expecting Texas smoked brisket and simmered pinto beans at six.

Roy's mission was two-fold that morning: Give the golfers good food and tell them about brisket. No one knows about brisket in California, said Roy. When approached, most presume he's smoking tri-tip, a reasonable presumption since we were a few miles up Highway 101 from Santa Maria tri-tip country.

"Everyone asks me if I do tri-tip," said Roy. "I'm from Texas. I do brisket."

He's done well with the golfers. We're like family," explained Roy. Rightfully so. Most of the golfers are co-workers and acquaintances of his employer, a rock quarry in Ridgecrest, California. The crew gathers annually in the seaside community for a company golf tournament.

Too bad I couldn't hang around to feast on some tender Texas smoked brisket. The deep red hue invited me when Roy opened the lid to show me the meat. But a six-hour road trip called me home.

Finding a smoker may not be a standard occurrence in this beach resort. But when you mix a group of dessert golfers with succulent Texas barbecue, you have the fixin's for a good game and a great meal.

Learning to drive

My son Jacob learned how to operate a speeder car on the Placerville Branch rail line today. Jacob and I joined a work crew from the El Dorado Western Railway at the site of the El Dorado County Historical Railroad Museum in the Town of El Dorado, California.

The Camino, Placerville and Lake Tahoe Railroad No. 4 speeder rolls into the old Southern Pacific Railroad depot site at El Dorado during a November 2008 open house. Also called a track inspection car, railroads used speeders to inspect the track and quickly shuttle work crews on the rails. Pick up trucks with flanged rail wheels replaced speeders in the 1990s.

Daughter's creation

I love to hear from my children when they step outside their culinary comfort zone. Here's a photograph of a salad that my daughter created the other night.

According to my eldest, she made the salad with cranberries, avocado, bacon, blue cheese, walnuts and apples with raspberry vinaigrette dressing.

Low-key Thansgiving Day

As part of a low-key Thanksgiving Day, we're having biscuits, eggs and orange juice for breakfast. It's not like I'm now into some minimalist movement or the like. Working in a restaurant, I didn't know that I had today off until I clocked out late Tuesday night.

My prayer for next year is that my employment situation will allow for us to attend a family gathering. I miss the opportunity to cook for a large family gathering.

This will be the first Thanksgiving in many years where I'm letting others do the cooking. We're going to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at the Diamond Springs Hotel this afternoon with two of Debbie's girlfriends.

Let's always remember to:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Thoughts on Cmdr. Duane Wolfe

My father-in-law offered these thoughts on Duane's service to his country and Lord:

To a fallen soldier, first of the Lord, secondly of his country. Thank you Duane for your friendship and hospitality at the Los Osos/Cayucos spiritual gatherings of God's Family in this beautiful area; but especially thank you for your sacrifices throughout your career and finally for this ultimate final sacrifice. We thank all our fallen heros (Lalo Enriquez).

This passage comes to mind every time I attend a funeral:

A good name is better than precious ointment,
And the day of death than the day of one’s birth;
Better to go to the house of mourning
Than to go to the house of feasting,
For that is the end of all men;
And the living will take it to heart (Ecclesiastes 7:1-2)

Widows and religion

Have you read a passage of scripture that was written in the negative and thought, "How does this passage apply to my life?" Other than a brief acknowledgement of its truth, you shrug your shoulders and move on.

But these passages have a way of being elevated into your life through trials like the death of a father. Take 1 Timothy 5:8, for instance. Other than to watch my mother and father care for their mothers in their declining years, I never gave much though to the meaning of Paul's instruction to the young preacher Timothy:

But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever (1 Timothy 5:8)

The need to "provide for his own" is one truth that brings out one's faith in God. It's the manifestation of that truth this is used to reveal how thoroughly you have embraced your faith. This is especially true when your mother's widowhood is thrust upon you a little faster than desired.

I'm certain these past 18 months since dad's death have impacted myself and my brothers and sisters in different ways. We've all cried at various times since the funeral. And I'm sure that the five, along with our spouses and children, miss dad very much.

But I'm certain of one thing. We all help provide for mom with the skills that God has given us. While it's been a blessing to mom that her three sons live within driving distance, I can never discount the comfort my sisters give mom through their daily phone calls and frequent trips to Diamond Springs.

It doesn't matter if one mows the lawn, another repairs a leaky water faucet or someone leaves a dozen homemade soups in the freezer. Mom appreciates every phone call, every selfless act and every meal. She's expressed these past months that these actions -- all inspired by our love for her -- helped her cope with the loss of her beloved.

God's truth is often brought out in small ways. It's these expressions of faith that please God. James said, "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble ...." (James 1:27).

You may not be faced with the loss of a parent at this stage in your life. But you don't have to wait until your father dies to start practicing of your religion. Start by helping your mother and father today. One day, your mother will be a widow.

Crown of old men

Children’s children are the crown of old men,
And the glory of children is their father.
--Proverbs 17:6

After raising three children, our daughters have blessed Debbie and me with three wonderful grandchildren.

Being away from them most of the time can be difficult at times. Since it's always a challenge to encourage them to visit us, we travel to the Bay Area to see the children every two months.

I look forward for the times when I can see them sitting in the pew, learning to workshop God with respect and honoring His name. It gives me a smile when I watch them them holding their hands together during prayer or singing in a loud voice, "Who will follow Jesus, who will make reply, 'I am on my Lord's side, Master here am I'?"

These are times that bring a tear to my eye ...

I'll see you in six months ...

Outside of the death or serious injury of a service member, saying goodbye to family has to be one of the saddest moments for the family and sailor. I remember working in a daze for days, feeling alone and looking forward to the first mail call. On the bright side, I was one day closer to homecoming.

PEARL HARBOR (Jan. 20, 2008) -- Culinary Specialist Seaman Jeff Norman, assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper (DDG-70), embraces his wife before deploying on a surge to the western Pacific Ocean. Hopper will conduct operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet, helping protect the territory, citizens, commerce and other vital interests of the United States.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John Wallace Ciccarelli.

Measure once, cut twice

At the moment Jacob is the only apprentice volunteer on the El Dorado Western Railway. He comes to the engine house every other Saturday to help the crew restore the Diamond and Caldor No. 4 Shay locomotive and other El Dorado County railroad artifacts.

And in the process, he learns a few skills that will help him throughout his life here on earth.

Since I don't work in the trades, Jacob's visits to the engine house give him an opportunity to acquire essential skills. This’ll give him a head start when he takes an ROP class at his high school next school year.

Unlike earlier generations (myself included), boys today don’t take as many shop classes in junior and senior high school. Although I've spend most of my career working as a cook and chef, the wood and metal shop classes that I took in the 1960s have helped me along the way.

"You check it again because it's easier to check than fix," said Keith Berry, a close friend and president of the railway.

Jacob has spent the morning assisting Keith measure and cut the pieces for the battery box to the Diamond and Caldor Railbus No. 10. Once cut, another volunteer will fabricate the box.

Keith shows Jacob how much pressure to apply to the chop saw as he cuts a piece for the coupler pocket on the railbus. He is also learning how to use a powerful tool wisely and safely.

Jacob cleans the edges on the piece of tubing for the coupler pocket. This ensures a clean surface when the welder welds the piece in. And it gives Jacob a chance to learn how to control and use the grinder.

Merry Christmas

Here's Merry Christmas from the 'Round the Chuckbox family ...

I'm sitting in my mother-in-law's easy chair, watching Fox News, checking in on my favorite blogs. Until a minute ago, my granddaughter and I were the only ones up.

As with Thanksgiving, someone else will take center stage in the kitchen today. This afternoon my sister will host Christmas dinner in her Bay Area home. We'll enjoy the fellowship of my mother and family, including all our grandchildren.

I set a sponge for Dutch oven French bread last night. I'll form the dough sometime this later morning and bake the bread for dinner. I'm using the recipe that I posted last week.

As we prepare for the day's activities, please take a minute to reflect on the true meaning of Jesus Christ. One of my favorite scriptures brings a message of humility to Christians. It comes from Paul's Epistle to the Phillipians, which he wrote from a jail cell in Rome.

The apostle Paul admonishes the Philippians to display the same attitude as Christ Jesus. As we live our lives, Jesus' example of humility (He "made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men") and obedience (He "became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross") should always be on our mind.

With that in mind, here's the passage:

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:1-11).

Cousins and a friend ...

Here's my second installment ... and with it, I inch ahead of last years dismal showing of 170 blog posts.

Cousins -- and the boyfriend of a niece -- get a few chuckle as they browse through mom and dad's 50th anniversary scrapbook on Thanksgiving Day.