Category Archives: Food for thought

Book Review: Girl Meets Change

21 Monday Sep 2015

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Girl Meets Change

As a self-described hater of change, I knew this book by author Kristen Strong would be a wise choice for me.  I am a girl who digs in her heals when change is in the air. I loathe a departure from things familiar. Girl Meets Change is such an encouraging read for anyone who has ever endured change, drastic or small. And because the seasons change….this book is a great read for all of us.

What I love about Girl Meets Change is the way Kristen ties in her own personal stories and accounts from people she has known, as well as truth for the God’s word. This book is not just a personal account full of examples of how she endured and coped with change. It is also a guide to what the Bible has to say to us about life and how we can apply it to our own personal situations.

If I had to pick my favorite quote from this book, it would be, “I can’t wring my hands if I am holding something in them.”  Kristen so gently reminds us that we need to spend some time in the Good Book before ever getting on Facebook. She goes on to say that the distractions of this life are not going away. We have to carve out time for what is most important.

Girl Meets Change is an easy five starts. I was given a complimentary copy of this book by its publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. Check out more from Kristen Strong on her blog, Chasing Blue Skies.

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The Bridge Tender by Marybeth Whalen and Miracle Chocolate Chip Muffins

26 Monday May 2014

Posted by in Books I LOVE, Food, Food for thought, Recently Read, Reviewed Books

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The Bridge TenderThe Bridge Tender by Marybeth Whalen is an unexpected journey through grief and recovery. This is not the typical romance novel where you meet the widow a year after her husband’s death and she quickly meets and falls in love with a man she hardly knows. In fact, this book is more about a woman who faces a devastating loss and slowly moves through recovery. It is heavy and emotional and I would not take it on vacation.

In this book, we are introduced to Emily Shaw who has married an amazing man named Ryan. After being married a few years shy of a decade, Emily loses Ryan to illness. He left her enough money to buy their dream home on the island of their honeymoon destination, Sunset Beach. It is there she meets new people she grows to love, including a man who understands loss.

Marybeth Whalen has a way with words. This story is unlike anything I have ever read. It is so different from many books that address the same issue of loss and loving again. The grief Emily Shaw feels in this book is tangible. It felt real and I actually cried a few real tears! I loved this book for that reason.  While it does end happily, the hope and relief come slowly. There is no instant gratification here. I would still give this book four stars, but I do not recommend this book for a fun and flirty vacation read. Seriously, you will need tissues…and a muffin.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from its publisher and BookLookBloggers in exchange for an honest review. I have not been compensated and all opinions are my own.

Speaking of a muffin, Marybeth Whalen also included recipes from the story in the back of the book! Here are the “Miracle Chocolate Chip Muffins.” After reading The Bridge Tender, I absolutely needed a muffin!

You really only need basic pantry ingredients.

Muffin Ingredients2 Large Eggs

2 Cups Sour Cream

1 Cup Milk

3 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

4 Tbsp Sugar

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

2 Cups Chocolate Chips

In a bowl, beat the 2 eggs. Next, stir in sour cream and milk. Mix dry ingredients together and then combine with the wet ingredients. Stir until moistened. Fold in Chocolate Chips. Fill greased muffin tin cups 3/4 full. Marybeth Whalen’s instructions say to bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

Muffin BatterI did so the first time and burnt mine. I think my oven is hotter! The second batch I baked at 375 for 20 minutes and they were perfect.

MuffinsBecause I am an emotional eater, I strongly suggest baking these before you read. If you are like me, you will need them!

 

Love Skip Jump by Shelene Bryan

13 Tuesday May 2014

Posted by in Books I LOVE, Family, Food for thought, Reviewed Books

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Love Skip JumpBuy this book. Read this book. Then, give this book to someone else and plead with them to read it.  This book is for you and this book was absolutely written for me. If I could give it ten stars, I would in a heart beat.

Shelene Bryan is the founder and executive director of Skip1.org.  Love Skip Jump is the story of how Skip1.org was founded. More than that, it is the story of how one woman’s yes radically altered the lives of so many. Shelene’s actions changed her own life and caused an unknown amount of ripples throughout the world.

I could not put this book down. I feel like my words may fail to convince anyone they should read this book. I wish I could adequately express how much I enjoyed reading Shelene Bryan’s story. Never before have I read a book that so exemplifies faith in action. I was so moved, so inspired by this true story of God using everyday encounters and divine appointments to accomplish his will.  Finishing this book will leave you wanting to love more, skip a few things, and jump into the adventure God has for you.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by its publisher and BookLookBloggers in exchange for an honest review. I have not been compensated and all opinions are my own.

Here is a PSA from Skip1.org to give you a small glimpse of what one yes can do!

Hello Date Night!

02 Wednesday Apr 2014

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date nightMy hubby and I have been married for more than a decade. We have two young children and very busy lives. In all of the craziness of life, Jeremy has set a side 2 nights a month for date night. And I’ll admit, at first I was reluctant. We live away from family so Grams and Gramps can’t babysit. I like to be the person who puts my kids to bed! Over the years we have continued to date each other. It is a great thing to do and I highly encourage it! What better gift to give your kids than parents who spend time together!  So, I know what your thinking. Babysitters are expensive and going out is costly. Well….here are a few ideas to help out.

Babysitting:

1. Ask the Grandparents if they are available. (if you have that luxury) Or Auntie or any family that you know loves your kids.

2. Swap out with a friend. Maybe you can’t pull it off frequently, but swap out with another friend. Trade babysitting for babysitting.

3. Do date night at home. Put the kids to bed and have an at home date.

4.  If you have a reliable sitter, set them up on a schedule. Say, every first Tuesday night of the month. Make it a regular thing!

So now that the kids are taken care of, what do you do on date night? Sometimes, we are really boring and grab coffee and wander around a book store. Often we grab dessert at a favorite restaurant. We have gone for walks by the river or even done my weekly grocery shopping. It’s fun to grocery shop together. (Although it’s definitely a more expensive trip when he is in tow.) This week we grabbed chips and salsa at a local restaurant and just talked.

When we do date night at home, we often rent a movie. However, my favorite at home date nights, we play a game like scrabble. There is nothing like a little competition to stir things up a bit!!

There is nothing like a little time away from the chaos of life to enjoy the company of the person you married.  I always look forward to it, and I never regret having spent time with my husband!

 

 

Book Review: Four Cups by Chris Hodges

07 Friday Mar 2014

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Four CupsThis book is going to bring so much clarity to so many.  Pastor Chris Hodges does an amazing job presenting God’s truth found in scripture and making it applicable to our lives. Not only applicable, but necessary for a meaningful, fulfilled life.

Pastor Hodges begins with a visit to the Old Testament where we find the nation of Israel enslaved to Egypt. It is there that God makes four promises to the Israelites: Rescue, Freedom, Redemption, and Fulfillment.  Throughout the rest of the book Pastor Hodges walks us through God’s plan for us through those four promises.

I think the most startling truth in this book is that Christians often get stuck in a cycle. We move from, “living in the truth of God’s promises, to falling away into sin and bondage, to God’s pursuit and rescue, to living in the truth of God’s promises.” Pastor Hodges details the value of moving from bondage to true freedom so that we might experience God’s plan and purpose for our lives.

This book is so valuable to those new and old to the Christian faith. I recommend Four Cups to anyone, but especially those who are feeling stuck and without purpose. As Pastor Hodges states in the seventh chapter, many Christians allow, “…fear based procrastination,” to keep them from, “living to the fullest.”  I can so relate to this!

I was given this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I have been given no compensation. All opinions are my own.

Savor the Cookie!

19 Wednesday Feb 2014

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molasses cookies

I was watching my family inhale oven warm cookies the other day and could not help but feel a little sad at the speed of their disposal.  It took time to gather the ingredients, mix the right amounts, and dutifully watch the cookies bake so they would be perfect! This family of mine wasn’t even tasting them!! I believe the reason we eat so many cookies when cookies are available, is simply because we don’t taste the first three or four we consume. It’s only when our gut protests that we slow down and taste what we are eating.

The next day, I asked my youngest son to taste his cookie. To describe what it felt like to eat. To close his eyes and take another bite. He ate it slow, and really savored the cookie. I had also forewarned him there was only one cookie to be eaten and no more!

The cookies above are a recipe I found on allrecipes.com a long time ago. It is a molasses cookie and one of my top two all time favorites. I have made a few changes like extra cinnamon.  The secret to perfect cookies is to refrigerate the dough and to NEVER over bake. Never, ever, ever, over bake. If they are almost done, finish them with the oven turned off.  A burnt cookie isn’t worth the calories.

Molasses Cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter melted

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 cups all-purpose flour (I like King Arthur unbleached)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1  1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup white sugar (set aside)

1. In a medium size bowl, stir together melted butter and 1 cup sugar. Let sit for a few minutes to cool.

2. Meanwhile. combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. (except extra sugar)

3. Add egg to butter and sugar mixture until smooth. Next stir in molasses until well blended. Add dry ingredients to the bowl and stir until completely mixed.

4. Refrigerate dough at least one hour.

5. Preheat oven to 375.  Roll dough into tablespoon sized balls and then roll each one in the remaining white sugar.

6. Bake 8-10 minutes. Tops will be cracked when they are done.

Anytime I bring these cookies anywhere, my friends ask for the recipe. I am a chocolate chip cookie girl, but these are pretty amazing. I often freeze half of the dough (already in balls not dipped in sugar) so we have some for later.

How to be Rich, by Andy Stanley

16 Sunday Feb 2014

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How to be Rich

In a world full of stuff to buy, things to collect, and upgrades to make, the topic of generosity is tough to tackle. Andy Stanley does it masterfully.  He has a gift for laying a foundation in your heart of understanding before addressing a difficult truth.  In the first few chapters, Andy Stanley discusses the reality of our wealth. We are in fact already rich! I know, hard to believe, right? Well, we are and we don’t even know it. He goes on to point us in the direction of where our hope lies. As a Christian, this book was so encouraging, affirming, and challenging. By the end, it is clear that while most of us see ourselves as generous, we aren’t at all. If anything, we are generous with ourselves.

For me personally, the idea that I give God my first ten percent and do whatever I want with the rest has been a way of life. Our family is generous, with random acts of kindness and such. However, I have realized that we must allow God to direct how we use the other ninety percent.

With stores packed full of “how to get rich quick” books, I find Andy Stanley contribution refreshing and full of much-needed truth! I recommend this book to Christians who are not currently giving or need to evaluate their giving.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by BookSneeze in exchange for an honest review. I have received no compensation other than the joy of reading a good book.

Happy Wives Club by Fawn Weaver

04 Tuesday Feb 2014

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Happy Wives ClubThere is so much about this book that I was so excited about! The cover itself is lovely and begs to be read.  The idea of the book is fantastic. Marriage advice from around the world is an intriguing thought. Who doesn’t want to live happily ever after?

The book begins in California with a brief introduction on how Fawn Weaver began to think about a journey to uniting happy wives and discovering what it was that made them happy.  Her first interview with a widow left me anticipating what other wives might have to say.

As I continued reading I became a little disappointed. I feel like the focus of the book was the travel, food, and destination instead of the inside scoop of happy marriages. There are definitely golden nuggets of wisdom in every interview. My favorite was the last with Kristine Carlson. You really get a close up look at her relationship with her husband and what made it successful. My least favorite destination was Italy. I was believing from the beginning of the chapter that God was going to provide an amazing interview. Needless to say, that doesn’t happen.

I couldn’t help but think of this book as a Christian Eat, Pray, Love.  It’s a little heavy on the Eat and a light on the Love. Regardless of my disappointment, I will probably use this book for my ladies book club. It is great for stirring conversation.  Beyond that, how fun would it be to make theme nights for discussion groups??

I was given this book free from the publisher with no compensation other than the joy of reading a book.

Picking Popcorn.

02 Saturday Mar 2013

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I spend A LOT of my grocery shopping time reading labels. If you buy food that needs a label, you should be sure you investigate what is in the ingredient list. There is a reason there is no nutrition information on say…a banana. I am sure microwave usage could be debated all day, and I have plenty of  friends who refuse to use them. I need my microwave. For coffee reheats, and for popcorn. Sure I could pull out an air popper, or a pot, but it really is easier to nuke the corn. Which brings me to the ingredient list on microwave popcorn. I have read every box for sale in the grocery store, and so far I have only found one that did not contain TBHQ (Tertiary Butylhydroquinone). This ingredient is worth a Google. TBHQ is a food additive, but is also used as a corrosion inhibitor in biodiesel. Jolly Time is the only brand that I can find that does not contain TBHQ.  So if you are like me and the thought of dirtying one more pot or kitchen devise on movie night is totally unappealing, you know which box to buy!

For the Introvert

26 Tuesday Feb 2013

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Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain is a fantastic book that is valuable not only to the introvert, but the extrovert. There are things you know about yourself, but don’t fully understand until you hear someone else describe in detail the fabric of your personality. Not only do I understand myself better, but also my husband and my oldest son. If all the noise in this crazy life is getting to you, this is a book for you. While I don’t agree with everything Susan Cain writes, she did a great service for all the “Quiet” people.