good eats, good reads

good reads:

"God is the perfect creator and was completely satisfied in what he had done in creation, He created us to be completely satisfied in Him.  Sin came into the world when we thought something else could offer more satisfaction.  God chose an innocent sacrifice so that we didn’t have to suffer the punishment for what we deserved, gave us a community of people to remind us of this daily because we continue to be deceived that there is some greater satisfaction, and promises one day that He is going to perfect us so that we can understand that He is the ultimate satisfaction!" 

Read that over and over and over and let the goodness just flow over you. Found here. 

Yes, yes, only Him — and you were the beautiful face that brought me the Good News.” She’s wrinkled and exquisite and what if she hadn’t? What if she hadn’t?  What if fear had stopped her or reaching out had inconvenienced her or she had had far more important things to do than tell a bunch of straggler neighborhood farm kids about a Carpenter and a Cross and Nails that can fix all the broken down places?  What if believing meant there’s no way you could stop telling the Good News because it’s more sensational than gossip that parades as news?

A Holy Experience. Ann Voskamp. Subscribe today.

good eats:

Sprouted Kitchen's almond date truffles? Yes, please. Chocolate and almonds are a great match.

oh. em. gee. Joy, you've done it again. Gone and read my pregnancy cravings like you are in my brain! Coke + grilled pepper jack sandwich + chips? Heaven will be made of potato chips and french fries, imho.

(new!) good listens:

Mumford's new album? Yes, yes, yes. I love them. I want to put on kicky boots, a twirly skirt, and dance around the house with my nudey children to this entire album. Buy it. Buuuyyyyy eeeeeet.

good eats, good reads

good reads:

"She who is always the first one awake pulls a book off the shelf and snuggles up next to me in silence, her nine-year-old lankiness curling up like an infant inside waiting arms. I see hope in her – and I see myself. I kick and I scream and I thrash hard against the Father’s love. I shift my focus and become a prisoner to the panic instead of the promise, and still He says, 'mine.' He looks at me, broken, and calls me daughter and ever so lovingly pulls me right back in."

Have you read Kisses from Katie? Do you follow her blog? Oh my, oh my, oh my. Her writing pulls at my heart and brings tears to my eyes. So good to know there are folks like Katie caring for orphans in places that few feel called to. In the blog post quoted above (Friday the 24th), I could so relate to the feeling of being prisoner to the panic. With so many transitions going on in our lives right now, it is easy to succumb to fear and panic when I should instead be surrendering to joy and peace.

Another of my all-time favorite authors, Ann Voskamp, has a blog. One night, as I lay upon a heating pad, I clicked from page to page, weeping silently with each passing post. I can't even begin to describe her writing. It's like a waterfall of emotion and imagery with each sentence, the kind of writing you want to slow down and savor so as not to miss anything profound. Her prayer for a daughter had me moved beyond words, to a place of silent reflection and nodding agreement.

A good explanation of the problem of grains for people with ulcerative colitis and other auto-immune disorders. A must-read for anyone wanting to understand why folks like me limit their diet so significantly. It's worth the sacrifice.

good eats:

If I were eating cake right now, I would totally be making smitten kitchen's apple spice birthday cake! It sounds like a big delicious slice of Fall. By the way, her first cookbook comes out next month and she'll be touring through SF Sunday, November 4th at 2:00. Signing plus demonstration. Anyone want to come along???

My attempt at shutterbean's vegetable lentil soup made it in the bylines of her blog today. Hooray! I love that feature on her Friday posts and it's led me to some new fun friends. If you've never clicked over to shutterbean, today's the day to do it. The girl has AMAZING recipes all week long.

I must be pregnant. Look at these recipes I'm recommending. Fried guacamole? People, do it for the pregnant girl on a strict diet. Make these cakes and crazy fried treats. Enjoy them. Savor each crispy sweet salty moment and then relay it back to me. Okay, don't actually tell me how good they are.

Happy Friday, dear readers! Have a super weekend!

good eats, good reads

good eats:

If you've been reading my blog for long, you know how much I love roost. The photography, the recipes, the writing--it's all sublime. Their recent summer squash salad post has me weak in the knees (helloooo peaches, manchego and truffle oil!) Once I start feeling better, I am SO making this.

Can't get enough peaches? How about this combination? Shutterbean has a knack for combining my favorite flavors in delicious-sounding and -tasting recipes (much like Joy the Baker, who, by the way, is shutterbean's internet BFF). 

Speaking of fresh Summer fruit, how can you pass up a refreshing glass of agua fresca? I made a pitcher of a strawberry-melon recipe a few weeks back that lasted all of two hours. Next on my list? This one by David Lebovitz.

All of my favorite food blogs are leaving me hungry, craving all sorts of flavors and textures I've been missing out thus far in my pregnancy (no thanks to you, colitis). Cabbage is a big no-no for now, but when I'm improved, you can be sure I'm going to grill up a big, juicy flank steak and serve this slaw alongside.

good reads: 

My baby girl started Kindergarten this week. It's been five and a half years in the coming, but it still hit me like a ton of bricks. What an emotional whirlwind. I cold so totally relate to the sentiments of one of my all-time favorite writers, Kelle. 

I so appreciated these comments over at Stuff Christians Like. It's something we strive for at Soma SRV, to be real, to be vulnerable, and to admit just how deeply flawed we are. The world would relate so much better to a bunch of people saying, "Yeah, we're messed up. We don't have it together. But God loves us in spite of that. And he loves you, too."

I love a good, honest writer. This post on adoption by Jen Hatmaker doesn't sugarcoat any details but also speaks the grace of the gospel so clearly. It calls to mind Ephesians 2:4-7 to me: 

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

We've been accepted and adopted in grace. We were (and are) unlovable apart from Christ. Adoption is not always an easy process, but it is one of grace, of kindness, and of immeasurable riches.

And with that, I say: Happy Weekend, dear readers!

good eats, good reads

It's been a while since we had a good ole' roundup of good things on the internet. Let's get started, shall we?

good eats:

I'd love to try these carnival cookies, grain-free, from one of my faces, shutter bean

What people eat around the world. Amazing. I could flip through photos like this all day long. via shutter bean

This ganache. By the urban poser. It is amazing. I drizzled it over sliced strawberries on almond flour waffles. I dipped banana slices in it. I swirled it in ice cream. Make it.

good reads:

Another reason to love Jen Hatmaker. An awesome post. This girl speaks truth, in the midst of crazy, Who-Are-These-People types of times.

Interesting perspective on the word "missional." Still thinking it through.

A much-awaited event, my friend Mel had her baby, Luke. I could look at pictures of him all day. And he's even more delicious in person. Congratulations to a wonderfully sweet family whom I love dearly.

Sabbath Adventures: Girls' Weekend

Two weekends ago I got away with my two besties to celebrate Kelly's 35th birthday. It had been a looong time (over four years) since we all got away, overnight, together. That's a whole other post in itself. Suffice it to say, we had a great time. 

We hung out in beautiful Napa Valley for two days and a night. We did some wine tasting. We ate some cheese. We lounged by the pool. We read. We laughed. We brunched. We toasted.

Instagrams by Suz:

We might have gone a little overboard on the cheese:

laughter at golden hour (and yes, I am wearing clothes):

my sweet, lovely, gifted, beautiful, wise, wonderful friends:

too bad we didn't have any room for dessert after the to-die-for brunch:

All three of us (in the strange yellow light cast by the restaurant's awning)!

I know that church planting can be a lonely place for many pastors and their wives. My life is SO FULL and these two ladies are a big part of that. Beyond grateful to my Heavenly Father who has given me two lifelong friends. Even though we all lead our own missional communities now, our relationships are as strong as ever. Can't imagine being on this journey without Suz and Kelly. Love you girls!

Hooray for Girls' Weekend!!!! 

(when can we go again?)

good eats/good reads

It's time for another roundup of happy things 'round the internet! Looking forward to a great weekend ahead: dinner with friends, baptism & celebration service with our church, encouraging a young couple about to get married, & meeting up with my wonderful parents in Napa for a night. For your weekend reading pleasure:

good eats

I finally got around to making Urban Poser's beet chips with homemade tzakizi dipping sauce. Oh. My. If you love beets and miss potato chips, this is the way to go. Make these soon.

It's that season where watermelon and feta recipes are hopping up all over the place. I can't eat feta or grains, but how delicious does this quinoa salad look over at Annie's Eats?

 The Vintage Mixer's recent posts on Italy make me want to crawl inside my computer and eat my way out. (Does that happen to anyone else?) But it was this gorgeous frittata in the blue enamel pan that really caught my eye. I just love a good frittata.

good reads

If you are interested in learning more about cooking with almond flour, Urban Poser did an awesome post on the how and what and when of this delicious and versatile ingredient. Check it out.

There are so many amazing bloggers out there. Sometimes I wonder how they manage to keep it all together, managing family, business, blogging, etc. Then someone like Sarah at Whoorl keeps it real with a post like this. Good to know I'm not alone.

I've got to try this. I really, really hope it works. It's a full-time job picking up after my kids (and/or nagging them to do the job themselves).

Word. That's all I need to say.

Happy weekend, dear readers! What's on your agenda for the next few days?

good eats, good reads

good eats:

I need to buy some beets ASAP and make these gorgeous beet chips! Yum!

Roost, you had me at Watermelon Mojito Pops.

Looking for inspiration for Kelly's birthday, I stumbled upon these. Oh my.

good reads:

This beautiful post is specifically about working with the poor, but the insights are directly applicable to life on mission. via Kristen Howerton

If you read my post last week about Maddie's last day of preschool, then you know how I feel about sending her off to Kindergarten. Really appreciated Kelle's post on the same topic.

Thoughtful tips on writing. Bookmarked it.

Happy Friday, dear readers! Go off and have a lovely weekend!

good eats, good reads

Check out the links below for some awesome inspiration in both the kitchen and in life!

good eats:

Joy the Baker has this uncanny ability for coming up with recipes that are precisely what I'm craving, before I could even put words to it. This week I was stopped in my tracks by both her blue cheese, hazelnut & honey polenta as well as the asparagus tart. Tune in next week to see my SCD rendition of the tart. (spoiler alert: I loved it).

My neighbor Danielle writes about her tom kha gai recipe, "This soup is my chicken noodle soup." I couldn't agree more. Have a cold? Need a comfort dish? Try this soup!

Roost has done it again with an absolutely stunning cake. Not like I needed an excuse, but both my anniversary and birthday are quickly approaching. I see a multi-layered, strawberry-studded vision in my near future.

good reads:

If I had to choose a last meal, it would be cheese. No doubt about it. David Lebovitz' post on a cheese shop in Paris had me swooning, drooling, and searching priceline for cheap cross-Atlantic flights.

I go through a crazy amount of honey each week. I'm really thankful I can buy a three-pack of organic goodness at my local Costco and don't have to climb up rope ladders in pursuit of the golden delight.

Kristen has done it again. The girl gets me going with her insightful, hard-hitting blog posts. I've seen this post making its way around fb and I hope it gets pinned a million times. It's that good.

Happy Weekend, dear readers! 

good eats, good reads

Happy Friday, dear readers! Kicking off my inaugural good eats, good reads with a roundup of all the things that made my mouth water and my heart beat this week.

good eats:

Do you know about roost? The photographs and recipes are mouth-watering, and you can be sure I went right on amazon and ordered a mini donut pan after seeing the post on cinnamon roll almond flour donuts.

I don't think free super saver shipping is going to be soon enough.

Another new site I've been drooling over is shutterbean. The internet is so amazing. Just when you start to get bored with your usual blog feed, something new comes along. For days at a time in Hawaii, I scrolled through the archives of this beautiful, inspiring site looking at food, drinks and photos that made me want to get up and dance. I made this juice earlier this week and it was so refreshing. Plus, her eye for design (and her cutey-pie house) make me wish I had endless time and money to put into decorating.

My beautiful and talented neighbor Danielle has done it again. Her recipe for fish tacos is enough to make grain-free folks the world over want to sing Mexican ballads to their loved ones. I mean, crispy coconut fish + homemade tortillas + pico de gallo + avocado cream? Si, si, si, gracias.

good reads:

I've followed Kristen's blog for a long time now. She is one of my favorite bloggers because she's real, funny, but also whip-smart. She posts some of the most thoughtful, smart and brave things I've read. She's  not afraid to talk race, politics, religion, and her "What I Want You to Know" series provides a vital forum for women to share unique, sometimes hard-to-read perspectives. But it was her recent post in response to an "internet kerfuffle" that had me raising my fist in solidarity. Sister knows how to draft an awesome, pointed response without being catty or snarky.

Kelle Hampton's blog, if you aren't already reading it, is like a breath of fresh air. Kelle, like me, is an eternal optimist. She doesn't pretend like motherhood is peaches and rainbows and unicorns but she tends to focus on the small joys and the everyday triumphs rather than venting and ranting her mommy woes all over the place. Many, many of her posts just take my breath away. Her style of writing makes me want to be a better writer. If you've never been to her site, start here. Then I triple-dog-dare you not to stay up until midnight, combing through the archives, reading blog entry after blog entry as you fall in love with her little family. I picked up a copy of her new book, bloom, and read it completely on our flight to Kauai. I couldn't put it down. (BTW, if you live locally and want to borrow my copy, let me know).

My friend Jeanine and her hubby are local church planters in the South Bay. She posts over here and always has good wisdom to share. Her recent post on pregnancy after miscarriage had me simultaneously in tears and praising God for his goodness. I'm so thankful that God has not only answered the cry of her heart to be a Mama but continues to meet her day by day in her fears and struggles. 

Happy weekend! Go out and enjoy the sunny weather! And if you want a unique and fun church experience, join us for Soma in the park this Sunday, 10:45am at Hap Magee in Danville. We'll have a time of teaching and sharing, followed by a good old-fashioned potluck! Bring a chair and something to share.