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Something Quick

So I made this yummy Salmon Chowder last night for our small group gathering, but I don’t have the recipe as it was a do it as I go sort of thing. The greatest part to me was the pureed celery root, which if you’ve never tried it you truly must and this is the season to do it. Quick, go do it before time runs out.

Aside from the salmon chowder, I have to say that I love my small group and how it’s made up. We are in this transition period. You know the transition of figuring out how to meet together, have adult conversations, while seven little monkeys all under the age of 3 are running, crying, & shouting around the house. Nonetheless, we’re figuring out our rhythms and it just might be working.

We meet twice a month as a large group where we share dinner. I make the main dish and everyone brings something else to share. It’s this beautiful meld of hospitality at it’s finest. We see each other as we are, much like the dishes we bring. The food doesn’t have to compliment one another, be exquisite, or honestly, it doesn’t even have to taste the best. What it is is that we are simply taking time to breathe, love, & enjoy one another.

Our meal last night was salmon chowder (which I took inventory of what I had and threw it in the pot), leftover salad from the previous night and some corn thrown in on top, freshly picked blueberries with sliced strawberries, and sliced watermelon from the day before. Then, there’s our group, a campus pastor, stay-at-home moms, linguist, financial advisor, nutritionist & physical trainer, baker & cook, horse instructor, engineering, & economist.

There is a realness and understanding that we don’t have it together, that we might come grumpy and distraught, that marriage isn’t easy when you have toddlers and babies, and we might even say some stupid, “why did I just say that?” sort of things. It’s not perfect, it’s not polished, and sometimes it’s not always fun, but I would say that there is a mutual appreciation, respect, honesty & love, which permeates through our gatherings.

Here’s something quick you can pull out with company, your family, or give to someone who needs it. It’s a combination of sweet, tangy & crunchy.

Cabbage-Apple Salad (printable recipe)

This recipe is adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:

half of green cabbage, sliced thinly

2 apples, sliced thinly

1 cup chopped pecans

2 teaspoons butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

pinch of cayenne pepper

pinch of kosher salt

1/8 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

2 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Prepare:

Put butter in a skillet over medium-high heat till melted. Add pecans and stir to coat them. Cook while stirring for about one minute. Add brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne & salt; stir till nuts are coated, about 1 minute. Transfer nuts to foil or parchment paper to cool.

Combine olive oil, rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, & dijon mustard. Stir to combine & set aside.

Put your sliced cabbage & apples in a bowl. Add your nuts and pour dressing on top. Combine and serve.

How ’bout them cookies?

Okay here’s a challenge, go to all of your cookbooks (including magazines) and see how many different chocolate chip recipes you come up with. I know if I were to go through all of my magazines & cookbooks I would easily have 25-30 chocolate chip cookie recipes, all with some slight variations. This leaves me with that feeling of “where do I begin?,” especially since they can’t ALL be the best, or the most chewy, or the softest, or the…fill in the blank chocolate chip cookie.

Some people are fortunate enough to have a chocolate chip cookie recipe handed down to them from their mother or grandmother, but that’s not the case for a huge chunk of us. I remember thinking as a young girl that chocolate chip cookies are just not that good, because they always had to be dry, hard, and slightly burnt on the bottom. Well, that’s how my mom made them for the most part (she didn’t always make them like that–sorry mom!). As a kid, you tend to think rather concretely with black and white glasses on, which makes it hard to think outside the box. It’s like my sister-in-law thinking spaghetti was a disgusting food, until that is, she went to college and realized it was only the kind she ate as a kid wasn’t the best. We have these ingrained tendencies that stay with us, even when we become abstract thinkers. That was my case with the chocolate chip cookie.

Luckily, I’m way beyond that stage of my life and know better. I know that a true chocolate chip cookie was destined for something grand & wonderful. It is meant to be crisp when you first bite in, then soft & slightly chewy on the inside. It should be buttery with complex notes of butterscotch & nutty aftertones. And definitely have a good ratio of chocolate chips & toasted pecans throughout. Well, my friends, I do believe I have found that cookie. It doesn’t require a hand mixer or a kitchen aid, but simply your trusty arm strength. They will be gone quickly after baking. You’ll easily have put on 2 pounds once you’ve devoured five in one sitting, but man they’re addictive. So make them and let me know what you think.

**Disclaimer: I’m not going to say they are the BEST, because everyone claims that they’ve found the one recipe. However, I will say they are the best of all I’ve made and are definitely multi-dimensional when it comes to a chocolate chip cookie…so what are you waiting for?

Superlative Chocolate Chip Cookies (printable recipe)

This recipe is taken from Cooks Illustrated. I have not adapted anything and find it best to do exactly as the recipe says, as there is a science behind the whisking 30 seconds and letting it rest 3 minutes. As it rests the sugar rests in the liquid, causing more of it to dissolve; thus, a caramelizing effect takes place, creating a broader compass of flavor. Melting the butter, instead of creaming, lends the chewiness factor, along with the addition of one egg yolk.

Makes 16 large cookies

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter

1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar

3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) packed dark brown sugar (don’t be tempted to use light brown sugar & make sure it’s moist or your cookies will dry out)

1 teaspoon table salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18-by-12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet (don’t use nonstick, because you need to gauge when your butter is browned) over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.
Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 ddough balls per sheet. (smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches).
Bake cookies one tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Rootbeer Cake & Comfort

I have been thinking lately about Sabbath. Some of this is due to being asked to give a talk to a group of college students about the Sabbath. I’ve been reading, listening & meditating upon what Scripture and various authors/speaker have said about the topic.

There’s a lot to be said about this exhaustive topic, but I think the best way of understanding so far has been to do. I have to insert that I have practiced a Sabbath for a while, but I don’t think it’s been very intentional or thoughtful. Yesterday was one of the firsts. We as a family started our day of rest on Saturday night. On Sunday morning I sang on the worship team, which was wonderful to be able to walk into practice (then the services) feeling a sense of security and rest in my Lord like never before.

It was also great to come home to a house full of toys strewn around the floor, dirty dishes whispering, “clean me,” and a cell phone & computer left cold, because I was invited to rest in the midst of disarray. I was invited to lay aside my worries of what would come the next day, because all I had to think about was knowing my Lord, my Papa God would carry me through to Monday. I was resting in the rhythms of His unfettering grace & mercy, as we lay on the park grass watching our oldest find courage & strength in her ability to climb a once unknown rock wall. All I had to do was lavish in the invitation to rest.

In the busyness of our lives and our culture, we’re taught to only slow down when we take a vacation, or when we get sick. But why wait for a vacation that only comes a couple times a year to rest? Why wait for a sweeping of the stomach flu to rest? Yesterday was like my vacation a couple weeks back, where a sense of abandonment flew over the lake and up into the air. The sun caught hold of it as it poured down upon my body to invigorate me; while, the lake sucked it up and restored me as I swam through it. In the evening, it came through us feasting on good food and laughing. Sabbath, it’s a slice of Earth redeemed.

Rootbeer Cake (printable recipe)

This recipe is from Baked cookbook and I baked mine in two small pans. Since we were at Ben’s grandparents cabin, I used what was available. One gelatin pan and one small angel cake pan, but it worked out quite well. Plus, they were deliciously moist.

Ingredients for Cake:

2 cups root beer (not diet)
1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs

For the Root Beer Fudge Frosting:

2 ounces dark chocolate (60% cacao), melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup root beer
2/3 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

To Serve: Vanilla ice cream

Make the Root Beer Bundt Cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously spray the inside of a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray; alternatively, butter it, dust with flour, and knock out the excess flour.

In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder, and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until just beaten, then whisk them into the cooled cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy–do not overbeat, as it could cause the cake to be tough. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a small sharp knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and turn it out onto the rack.

Make the Root Beer Fudge Frosting: Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts utnil the frosting is shiny and smooth. Use a spatula to spread the fudge frosting over the crown of the bundt in a thick layer. Let the frosting set before serving, with the ice cream on the side.

Not All in the Name: Part 1

Last month, Ben and I were able to attend a public lecture at Regent College in Vancouver, B.C.. I was browsing through the college’s website when I stumbled across a lecture entitled, ‘Food, Culture, & Formation of Christian Identity.’ I thought, “Oh, I totally want to go to this!” So I immediately emailed our sitter to see if she was available and checked with Ben if he would want to go with me.

We’ve both been to a couple of these public lectures and they’re really fantastic. You get to listen to a theologian or an expert in their field of study (but they weave it with theology) lecture for 50 minutes on their topic and then questions. I have always gone away from these events a bit more enlightened on the way the world works. This time it would be on food and what better way to glean about food than from a theologian who will most likely exposit a text, then apply it hermenuetically. The lecturer was Dr. John Barclay. If you google him, you’ll find that he studied under N.T. Wright (an Anglican bishop of Durham and one of the most influential theologians today of the New Testament), which is quite impressive and made me more excited to hear him speak.

So when he got to the platform and began to speak I was ready to take notes. However, some of the first words out of his mouth were not what I expected in the slightest. He said that although his lecture was entitled, ‘Food, Culture, & Formation of Christian Identity,’ his goal was to address global warming. What! What!!! Seriously, how can you title your lecture this and then talk about something so far fetching? Well, I wasn’t about to get up and leave, since we did drive an hour with a border crossing just to get there.

What he said was he proposed to argue that due to our food consumption we could either help or make worse global warming. However, I felt like it wasn’t solely on global warming, but also about how we as Christians consume in regards to food. How do we lead the way when 20% of the world is taking 80% of resources from the world, especially considering we live in the 20%? I will break this up into two posts, as to avoid being long winded. There are lots of thoughts, so please add your input. Ultimately, I believe this topic is about hospitality, because as you read on, you will see that it raises the question, “how do I care for my brother and sister with thanksgiving to God?”

His topic of outline went as the following:

Setting the Scene
Food does not matter — or does it?
Food and the Challenge of Multiculturalism
A Call for a contemporary Christian Food Taboo

He spoke of how many of the major religions have food taboos. When you look at Judaism, you see many food taboos given to them, which made it hard for others to enter into their community. Food taboos create boundaries of sorts in any of these religions; thus, it restricts who can come in and who cannot. However, the one major religion which breaks away from these food taboos is Christianity.

In the first century church, there is an “abolition of food taboos as a symbol of social boundary-crossing.” In Acts, Peter is told in a vision from the Lord that he is to eat unforbidden food. Peter argues with the Lord, but Jesus continues on to tell him to eat of this food. It was at this moment we can see that the food taboos put upon the Israelites were being reconstructed for the new church.

However, we see in I Corinthians the dilemma of whether a brother or sister should eat (or serve) unclean meat if it makes their brother or sister stumble in their faith. The apostle Paul at first makes it sound as if it does not matter if a brother or sister eats meat used as a sacrifice to an idol, because it was created by the Lord. He cites Psalm 24, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it…,” as a means to back up that this food was created by God, so it cannot be bad, even if it had been sacrificed to idols.

In spite of this, Paul speaks of the danger of eating any food in context of worship of daimonia, which is food under that of idols and gods, or moreover, the issue is not the food but context in consumption. It’s the orientation of food consumption, which means if it’s oriented to daimonia (food under that of idols & gods), than it’s blasphemous, because it’s not under Psalm 24. And Psalm 24 is about thanksgiving to the Lord. Key note here is that everything for the Christian is at stake in orientation, which is, “whether it’s directed in thanksgiving to God?” This was one of the main points throughout the whole lecture, “what is the orientation?,” and “Can this action be given in (Psalm 24) thanksgiving to God?”

Hence, why Paul raises the concern for the weaker brother or sister, because he knows their loyalty to Christ could be weakened by partaking in these daimonia meals. Paul’s ultimate question is that of Christ’s found in the gospel, which is to care for their brother & sister. Are there food substances we enjoy which inhibit or place a barrier between us and them? This is why Paul says, “if food is the cause of my brother’s falling, I will never eat meat.” He is willing to refrain from meat, in order to give thanksgiving to the Lord and care for his weaker brother or sister.

We then see the Lord’s Supper as the epitome of both of these principles: orientation to the Lord and concern for the weak (Note: Dr. Barclay would also call the weak, ‘the hungry’). Christ invites all to come to his meal. He invites all to commune with him and partake of the bread & the wine, in order to find true life. Although the Lord’s supper is an open invitation for all, the wealthy Christians in Corinth were becoming drunk while the poor were left hungry. This infuriates Paul, because they have defiled the very essence and spirit of the Lord’s Supper, which is inclusivity and made it about exclusivity. How than am I like the wealthy? Am I making it easy for all to come, or am I leaving the hungry outside left to their own devices?

Feta-Mint Corn on the Cob

I forgot to take a picture until after it was already packaged up.

As an Arizonian native, summertime rings a different tune than the one Washingtonians hear. We hear temperatures in the 100 degree range, skin melting off when you run across the blacktop, air conditioner is a way of life and the life of a vampire sounds appealing (not the blood sucking part, just the coming out after dark).

However, there are certain tunes that ring true whether in Washington or Arizona during the summertime. Swimming, even if the temperature of a pool in AZ is in the mid 80s come noon. Watermelon, it is one of those refreshing, cool, crisp fruits that make a summer evening complete. And corn on the cob. It’s a summertime icon as far as I’m concerned. I prefer the traditional “cook it in a big pot of boiling water” method over grilling any day of the week. And keep it simple by smothering butter over the kernels & sprinkling salt on top. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.
Then, there is the way in which one eats it. I never thought much about it before I married Ben and observed how he ate his corn on the cob. It’s borderline blasphemy. I will eat it right to the core–leaving no trace of a kernel in sight. I’m the same way with oranges (eat it to the pith) and melons (to the rind). So the first time we were eating corn on the cob after being married I noticed that he still had chunks of kernels left on. I couldn’t bear it and then did what any self-respecting wife would do…I ate the rest of his corn on the cob.
I know I’ve lost some of you about now, because you’re probably thoroughly disgusted that I ate and sucked off the rest of my husband’s chewed on cob; but, all I have to say is I was preparing myself for motherhood (not for the faint of stomach).

Well, back to the point of the Feta-Mint Corn on the Cob. While we were at the cabin last week I came across this recipe in my Gourmet magazine and thought it would be nice to branch outside of the typical butter & salt. Plus, I had this wonderful feta cheese from the Farmer’s Market and some fresh mint from my house. And I must say it was wonderful!

Corn on the Cob with Mint-Feta Butter (printable recipe)

Recipe from Gourmet Magazine. When you make it (as I know you will), there is no way around getting messy. So, fully embrace it and make sure you go to the bottom of the bowl with your cob and scoop out the buttery, salty cheese goodness with complete abandon.

Ingredients:

1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
7 oz feta, finely crumbled (1 1/2 cups) **I had a bit less and it was fine
1/4 cup finely chopped mint
8 large ears of corn, shucked, each cob cut crosswise into 4 pieces

Directions: Stir together butter, feta, mint, and a rounded 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl.
Cook corn in a large pot of boiling water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer with tongs to butter mixture and toss until well coated.
**Mint-feta butter can be made 2 days ahead and chilled.

My Soul Finds Rest

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Have you ever walked through a trial wondering if you could make it through to the other side? It feels as though you’re swimming in the ocean sea and you’re barely able to keep your head a float. It’s the feeling of pure hopelessness. Your heart is wretched right from you. You can barely breath. When you finally muster some words up, all that comes out are tears. Or when there aren’t tears, there is anguish, anger & pain.

Recently my family has gone through this sort of wretched pain. The kind that makes you wallow with those deep guteral sobs of relentless agony type of pain. And then the things in which normally give me solace, like cooking, talking, coffee, reading, or writing, barely scratch the surface of healing the wound.

Then, I think about hospitality and I think of all the four letter curse words I want to yell out at people who complain about how their technology isn’t serving them well, or how they’re uncomfortable in the heat, or some other half-assed reason to moan about how their lives aren’t exactly perfect. I don’t want to serve these people. I don’t even want to serve my own family, because my soul feels as though it has been ripped from me and then smashed down with a sledgehammer. Even trying to make dinner last night was impossible, as I stared aimlessly into the fridge then sat on the floor and started to sob.

And without going into details about the nightmare my family is going through (specifically my brother & sister-in-law), I began to realize a lot as I sat there crying with my fridge door wide open. I was carrying this burden of disaster upon myself and it was way too huge. I was listening to my mother grieve, listening to my sister-in-law grieve, and trying to help my mom make sense of it as well. The reality of this nightmare finally hit me a couple days later as I sat with the cool air rushing out of the fridge hitting against me. I couldn’t listen to another ounce of troubles, or I would explode. I needed to let it out, and the best seat in the house was my kitchen floor.

I realized that hospitality is about giving a voice to people, through listening to them when no one else will, but there are times when it’s good to stop listening. I found myself hearing this song, “My soul finds rest in God alone, My Rock & My Salvation.” What I realized is I kept trying to listen and help, while bearing the brunt of the burden on my shoulders. Finally, my shoulders gave way and the floodgate of tears began to pour, along with my heart. I kept singing this one line from the song (because that’s really all I knew) and understood that God was calling me to rest in Him. Well, what does that look like–right?

It dawned on me that I needed to take a Sabbath from listening and dealing with the pain. I could take a day to rest in God alone and not deal with being a hospitable daughter, sister, and friend. I can take a day, in order to be a host who guides my guest to the cross. So today as I rest in God alone and in my Sabbath of rest, I can walk confidently in knowing that there is hope for the future. I can sit and cry on my kitchen floor, but it won’t always be a puddle of tears, but a puddle of spilled milk will come in the future. I don’t think it will necessarily be tomorrow, or maybe it will be a mixture of spilled tears and milk (because I do have a 2 1/2 year old running around) for a while. But for the current moment I have to rest in knowing that my soul finds rest in God alone, in order to stay a float.

Vegan Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I lived in a house in college where I lived with 9 of my best friends. Well, no, they weren’t my best friends, but I did live in a house full of girls (10 of us total) for two years. The second year I lived there, one of my housemates had a gluten & lactose sensitivity. I remember thinking, “well that’s not fair that she can’t enjoy baked goods!” (at that time gluten-free products were not nearly as common as they are now). Part of my make up is creating food that people like, enjoy & can eat without irritability.

I have since become acquainted with words, xanthan gum, teff, quinoa, buckwheat, millet & so many more sources for gluten-free living. I find that this is a way I can contribute a portion of my hospitality to my non-gluten loving friends. They need some baked yummies–dontcha think! Well, tonight I made these cookies from my new cookbook The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook. I wanted a something sweet like chocolate chip cookies, but I didn’t have any eggs and I didn’t want to have cookies leftover in my house. So, I had the ingredients to make them, I could eat a couple and give the rest to my friends Laura (gluten, egg & lactose intolerant) & Tina (gluten intolerant).

Vegan Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (printable recipe)

These are gluten-free, egg-free and if you use coconut oil than they’re also lactose free. And as for a non-allergic individual, I find them to be pretty darn good. Note: I wouldn’t call these chewy, but still good.

Makes about 1 1/2 dozen cookies

1 cup medjool dates, pitted

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup melted virgin coconut oil or organic butter

1/4 cup whole cane sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups brown rice flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon xantham gum (I used 1 teaspoon agar agar)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup (or more–I used 1 cup) organic chocolate chips

I also added 1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place pitted medjool dates into a small bowl, cover with boiling water. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Then place soaked dates and water into a blender and puree.

3. Scoop out date puree with a rubber spatula and place into a bowl. Add melted coconut oil, whole cane sugar, and vanilla; whisk together.

4. In a separate bowl, mix together the brown rice flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and sea salt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix together with a fork or wooden spoon. Fold in chocolate chips.

5. Drop by the spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet. Gently flatten each cookie with the back of a spoon. You don’t want to flatten them too much, only slightly.

6. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes. Baking time will depend on what size the cookies are. Larger cookies need a little extra time and smaller cookies a little less. Let cool slightly then enjoy! Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Beyond the Reflection

Do you ever feel like you’re at a loss for words? You feel like you’re not really in existence, but just an observer in your world? As a little girl I had this shirt of Ernie from Seasame Street where he was looking at himself in a mirror and there happened to be a mirror behind him, so it was series of reflections of him that bounced back and forth. I would stare at a hand mirror, while standing with my back to the bathroom mirror. Then, I would focus on the reflection beyond the reflection. I would always wonder how far it could go, but I could never see that far and it gave me a glimpse of what infinity meant.

It’s like that in my life right now. I keep looking at all the reflections beyond the reflections searching for some semblance, but feel like I won’t find it anytime soon. Whether it’s the endless pile of laundry, constant trail of toys scattered about, never ceasing broom employment, and then I go beyond the household stuff and look at my girls feeling like I have nothing left to give. My creative juices run short come 7:00 p.m. at night, which means I hardly have anytime to do anything of consequence.

I have all these thoughts and ideas stirring in my head, but as a result of being a mom of two younger children, I have little time to really convey them or turn them into reality. Does this sound familiar for some of you? Some of it could be due to the heat, or the fact that as I write this at 10:40 at night my oldest has woken up crying for me. It would seem as though there is never a spare moment for myself. The idea of having alone time sounds superb, but the reality is when I do have it, it is spent cleaning, prepping dinner, or some other domestic activity to keep a rein on.

However, there is one way for me to unwind. Bake! It allows me to relieve tension, be creative, and I get to bless someone with the end result. It reminds me of my friends asking how I made raspberry sorbet. Of course, I begin with, “Oh it’s not that hard…”( then realize it is a little more complicated for someone who doesn’t spend as much time in the kitchen). I was telling them how to make a raspberry puree, which requires to constantly push the blended up raspberries through a sieve, and told them it’s actually quite therapeutic (especially after the umpteenth tantrum, whiny voice & all together sour puss attitude). You should try it! With that said, here are some great nummies that never fail me.

Peanut Butter Scotcharoos (printable recipe)

I was making all the desserts for my friend Jessica’s Bachelorette party a couple years back, my oven completely shut down. This was my back up peanut butter chocolate concoction made all by stovetop.

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups rice krispies
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Lightly grease a 9×13 pan. Combine sugar & corn syrup in pot over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once the sugar has dissolved remove from heat. Add peanut butter and mix into sugar syrup until smooth. Add your rice krispies and stir till completely coated. Pour into your greased 9×13 pan and smooth out.

In a small pan combine butterscotch & semi-sweet chips over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Pour over the rice krispies in pan. You can either let them cool at room temperature or in the fridge. The chocolate will set at room temperature. Cut & serve.

Heirloom Tomato & Watermelon Salad

There is so much going on around our house, well actually not really right now. It’s more like there’s so much going to happen within our family. My little nephew Lucas will be going in tomorrow to have an MRI to check the growth of his brain. At his six-month check-up the doctor was concerned about the growth of his head, because it was on the small side. She reassured my sister-in-law that it was either because he simply has a small head or his skull is already fusing together. If it was the later, then they would do surgery to ensure proper growth.

Well, he went in for a cat scan last week where the news wasn’t either of the possibilities. The technician reported that the scan showed there was some sort of pressure (I hate the ambiguity from doctor reports), which means he has to be sedated to have an MRI. Not as if that’s not enough stress, anxiety, & fear to put on a mama, but his appointment isn’t until 2pm. If you’ve never experienced an MRI than you might be a little lost as to why the appointment time is a big deal…bear with me. Our oldest had an MRI when she was 14 months, but it was first thing in the morning. They make you fast, but not just an hour beforehand–it’s much longer. So for dear Lucas, he won’t be able to eat anything after 7 am and then only clear liquids from that point until 11 am. After 11 am he isn’t allowed to eat or drink anything! I thought it was hard for my 14 month old, but for a 6 month old this really is difficult.

The good news is my brother, sister-in-law and nephew will be flying from AZ to see us on Wednesday. I get so giddy when family, friends, or guests come to stay with us, especially if they’ve never (or hardly) been to our neck of the woods. I think of all the food I get to make, the lazy morning Americanos or lattes to drink, walks by the water, and evenings on the deck while the kids go to sleep.

Even though I’m super excited to see them, I’m wearing a heavy heart for Adrienne as a mama who’s going through this with her little boy. I know the heart strings that get pulled when it comes to your child–it’s personal and we mothers can’t think logically. Our minds wander into that pit of fear and “what if’s?” Plus, they’ll be here when they get the results back from the MRI. If it’s good news than we get to rejoice and celebrate. But what if it’s bad news? We’ll embrace one another and cry, question God and ask him why is this happening to this young life?

The thing about it is I’m remaining hopeful for dear, sweet Lucas. I truly believe the MRI will come back as nothing. That the doctors will call on Thursday with positive news. That the only thing they found is that Lucas simply has a small head and the CAT scan was incorrect. It’s like the ultrasound at 19 weeks with my first and the doctor reported that there was a shadow under the left ventricle of the heart, which meant a possibility of Down’s Syndrome. I knew that everything was fine with my baby–I had a peace like on a warm summer day when there’s a gentle breeze ushering in from the water as the sun kisses your skin. There’s no threat of rain clouds or fear of a storm approaching. And I see Lucas sitting between his daddy & mama right next to me on the grass in that peace.

Heirloom Tomato & Watermelon Salad (printable recipe)

So come Thursday, I hope to make this wonderful salad again in celebration of good news!

Ingredients:

3 lbs variety of heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges (try the Green Zebra)
1 small watermelon, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 red onion, cut into 1-in slices
1 or 2 avocados, cut into chunks
2 sprigs tarragon, take off stem (you can also add chopped basil)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
Kosher Salt & Ground Pepper

Combine tomatoes, watermelon, avocado, & red onions in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and mix with hands. In a measuring cup or large cup combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste. Dump onto fruit. Mix it up. Grab a bowl and fork and dive in.

Rhythm of Grace

You know that phrase from Jesus where he said, (and I paraphrase) “When you gave clothes to the naked, when you visited the prisoner in jail, when you gave food and drink to the needy, when you visited the sick and needy…you were doing it to ME!” When I think of what this looks like in my life, it makes me wonder a bit. First, because I don’t have much time to do much outside of taking care of my two young girls and tending to family life. Second, it’s so easy to get caught up in an idea and envision what you’ll do; rather, than actually follow through with a plan, because life happens, it’s complex.

But even though life is full of complexties, I still am not, nor cannot be satisfied with either number one or two standing as an excuse to not love through tangible means. It’s not part of my design. I think it goes back to who God designed me to be and what does that mean. What does that practically look like in my current situation? Do I put certain things on hold? What are non-negotiables, regardless of station in life? How do I dance in the rhythm of God’s grace while teaching others the dance?

I think this is where hospitality can come in for me. And as I’ve realized more and more over the years that this notion is far reaching and more all-encompassing than we let it be most the time. It’s beyond the food. It’s beyond an immaculate house. It’s beyond a perfect picture family. It’s beyond answering the “right” way. In my small part of the world, at this moment in time, it means walking alongside someone and making them feel more dignified upon leaving. It’s like Jesus said, “it’s giving the very thing that the person you encounter the thing they need most at that moment (paraphrase again).”

So for some it may be a cooked meal (family with a new baby), for another it could mean watching their kids (single mom in desperate need to get some personal time), while for another it’s simply looking at them in the eye and acknowledging their presence (the beggar on the side of the street). I do think hospitality can include food, because food really does bring people together, but if I simply serve food without love–it’s a lost cause. In fact, this reminds me of a time when friends came over many years ago and there I was bustling about serving our guests and ensuring their needs (more like their bellies) were tended. By the end of the evening, while I was thinking I had been a great hostess, one friend said something to me that pierced my heart and forever made me question the true meaning of hospitality. He said, “Kamille, thanks for the food. Ben, thanks for your hospitality!” Ouch!

What? I prided myself in hospitality. I WAS hospitality. I mean, when people thought of me they think hospitality–right?! Well, not that night and possibly not many nights before that. I started to ask myself why he said that to us. And it dawned on me that I wasn’t being hospitable. What I was doing was more like being a waitress, but I wasn’t stopping to inquire and draw out our guests. However, Ben was doing just that. So at the end of that night began my journey in this very expansive word hospitality.

So, how is it played out at this point in my life? Well, I’m still searching for some more tangible ways, but I do know this. I have been given a great task & call on my life to parent two girls. And I know those two girls have been welcomed into our home, so I ask myself this, “how do I show them the hospitality of Christ in the ordinary goings of life (potty-training, nursing, playing, conversing, etc)?” I’m not 100% sure, but I do know this, I’m trying to move to the rhythm of God’s dance and I think that’s a great place to start.