A New Season

As I have attempted to put the pen to paper (or finger to keys) I found myself with a case of the very familiar writer's block. Or maybe a more fitting description would be, "I have 8 million thoughts and don't know how to organize them or make them cohesive and the chance they are actually interesting for this blog are slim..." It is both tempting and easy to just tell you about my day or what I did this weekend. But quite honestly, that is already happening on Facebook and Instagram and Twitter. I don't care to tell you about the inter-workings of who Mike and I had dinner with and how I felt about waking up 5 times last night to pee (yes, that happened) or what my latest pregnancy emotion is; that could be a new blog post twice a day! ;-) So you'll forgive me when a little time goes by with no post, as I think on meaningful things to include here. Or at least, meaningful to me :-)

It seems I have taken on the underlying theme of "seasons" on the blog. Over the past couple weeks it has felt to me that I am again transitioning into a new season. One that has married the practice of reflection with the emotion of anticipation. 

Yesterday I was 35 weeks pregnant, with 5 weeks to go until life as I know it will never be the same. Mostly this brings more excitement and joy for me than anything else. All I can ever remember wanting to be when I grew up was a mom. Of course that answer isn't acceptable for the fifth grade school project or your high school Spanish teacher, so I came up with a few "professional" answers and went to college and then became a nanny. I loved it. (Well, except for one family I worked for that confused the meaning of nanny with house slave.) But there is a sense in which I feel like I finally get to do what I've always wanted and my senior-itus can only last for 5 more weeks. In just 5 weeks I will have graduated and gotten my dream job. For me, that means the dreaded for some of you. Those 4 little controversial words that our society is so conflicted over, that moms are so conflicted over, that I have dreamed about: Stay at home mom.

**Very important side note: do not mistake my dream for an opinion. We are all different and have been gifted in a variety of ways. This is MY dream, not my opinion regarding the ways all mom's should raise their children.

With all this anticipation has come a great deal of reflection, too. As I think forward to what my son's life will be like, I hope and pray that in some ways it will be similar to mine. Abounding in great thankfulness, I can look back at the 25 years that make up my life and see that God has been good to me. I have not faced much suffering or hardship. I have known and felt without a shadow of a doubt that I have been loved every second of my life, despite my shortcomings or mistakes. All that I have ever needed and more has been provided for me. Sure, there have been seasons of difficulty and pain and minor hardship, but compared to what so many endure, I can see that I have been blessed. I am confidant I will face these times ahead, as the complications of life only increase with age. However, this is a reflection of the past, not a looking-glass into the future.

And so, as I continue to anticipate the future and reflect on the past, I am met with a myriad of emotions: Thankfulness, gratefulness, joy, eagerness, anxiousness. It is by God's grace alone that my reflections are met with a perspective that life is full and sweet. And it will be by God's grace alone that my anticipation will also be met with fullness and sweetness.

With Love,
L

Menu Monday: Butternut Squash soup w/ Brie and Apple Grilled Cheese

Once again, Happy Monday! If you're reading this than you already got through the hardest day of the week and are hopefully cuddled up on the couch with warm cider or a glass of wine. So let the unwinding continue as I tell you about our super yummy (always in my opinion) dinner tonight!

I'm not sure if naming it "Butternut Squash Soup" actually does this soup justice. It really is a medley of fall favorites including sweet potatoes, pumpkin and apples! If you are looking for your traditional Butternut Squash Soup then look away, this is not it. It is, however, one of my favorites! I first cooked this soup last fall and have since lost and forgotten much of the recipe. What I could remember, though, were the main ingredients. So tonight I experimented and I think it was a winner! To go with the soup I made a brie, apple and (turkey)bacon grilled cheese. Sooo gooood! Would have been even better with real bacon...

Butternut Squash (and sweet potato, pumpkin and apple) Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash, halved and roasted and seeded
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, baked
• 1 can plain pumpkin puree (could just buy a pumpkin but I was getting lazy)
• 2 granny smith apples- peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 tsp ground Thyme
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2/3 cup beer (I used Sam Adams Boston Lager)
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 bay leaf

Directions:

Cut squash in half and roast flesh side up for 40 minutes at 400. Make sure flesh is soft when done, otherwise keep baking. At the same time, bake sweet potatoes wrapped in foil. While those are roasting, chop onion, garlic and apples and saute in olive oil (butter would be better!) until apples are soft. Scoop flesh of squash and sweet potato and add to the pot with onions and apples. Add butter and cook for a few minutes. Add in stock and stir. When mostly combined add brown sugar, milk and thyme. Cook 3 more minutes. In food processor or blender blend in batches entire pot of soup. Soup will be thick, transfer back to pot. Add in beer and bay leaf. Salt and Pepper to taste. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, green onions, crumbled bacon, or whatever your heart desires!

Do you have any tried and true butternut squash soup recipes? This recipe made a huge batch, so we will have it for dinner on Wednesday night, too! If I have leftovers after that I will freeze it in individual batches to pull out for lunch. Enjoy!

With Love,
L

Craving Confessions

Do you know anybody who is pregnant? Are you or have you been pregnant? Then you most likely know what I mean when I include in the title of this post, craving confessions. I have no doubt had my fair share of cravings in my first pregnancy. I would even say that as the weeks go by, the cravings have become stronger, more intense, give me what I want right this second! Like the time I bought chocolate milk while grocery shopping and was so impatient to get home and pour a glass that as soon as I got to my car I sat in the trunk and chugged a bunch right there in the parking lot! Things really hit the fan at the 32 week mark. The exact day I graduated to 32 weeks Mike and I were on the way home from my doctors appointment and I demanded a McDonald's chocolate dipped cone. This was my first official pregnancy demand. Later that night I found myself experiencing a bout of insomnia. This insomnia led to another first in my pregnancy... middle of the night snacking. The peanut butter cheerios that I had discovered at the store earlier that week were calling my name. It was 2am. I was tossing and turning and those darn cheerios kept calling my name. So I did it. I got up and ate a big bowl of peanut butter cheerios. I almost look forward to waking up in the night again to eat a bowl of those cheerios. Food tastes so much better at 2am.

32 week picture, also modeling my awesome new snow boots :-)

Did you have any crazy or weird cravings while pregnant?? Here are mine!

First Trimester:
Coconut, Scooby Doo Snacks and fruit.

Coconut: I don't know what it was about coconut, but it was one of my sister's cravings too! I wanted coconut yogurt, coconut ice cream and popsicles, almond joys and coconut sweetener in my latte. It even got to the point where I was putting coconut extract in anything I could imagine.

Scooby Doo Snacks: they look like dog bones and I felt slightly salty eating them in public. However! They are basically graham crackers in the shape of dog bones only 100 times better than graham crackers. I carried the whole box in my purse for like 15 weeks!

hey look, they're whole grain!

Fruit: no fun stories here. I just wanted fruit all the time. Especially coconut ;-)

Second Trimester:
Chocolate Malts, Jalapeno Poppers, Almond Milk shakes, anything sweet!

Chocolate Malts: On any normal day of my life, I usually can't eat ice cream. I have some tummy issues and frozen yogurt will have to suffice for the rest of my life. BUT for whatever reason, while pregnant, my tummy struggles have ceased and I have been able to indulge in some of the foods that I can never normally eat. (ie, ice cream!) I come from a malt kind of family. Forget the milkshakes, we do malts. Chocolate malts to be exact. This summer Mike and I were in Atlanta for his work and I think on two different occasions I made the couples we went to dinner with drive us around to look for chocolate malts. Y'all, they are hard to find in the south! When I decided that I should stop consuming chocolate malts on a regular basis I went to the store and bought malt powder. I tried to make a healthier version of a chocolate malt using frozen greek yogurt but Mike requested I never make it again. Just as I did with the Scooby Doo Snacks, I also carried the malt powder around in my purse. I would order vanilla bean frappuccinos from Starbucks and have them add malt powder. Major props to Starbucks for being so accommodating!

thanks ebay, for the picture!

Jalapeno Poppers: To be clear, cheddar jalapeno poppers. Might as well throw cheddar cheese curds in the mix too. Another type of food I normally cannot consume, so I have been thoroughly enjoying the downing of jalapeno poppers with no stomach ache end game. Normally I am a sharer. If I really like something I order I want everyone to try it. I do not share my jalapeno poppers!

Almond Milk shakes: Often times my friends and I share food ideas with each other, especially when we start to feel like we're cooking/eating the same recipes all the time. My friend Rachel recently shared this recipe and I have been making this shake at least 4 times a week!

1 cup almond milk
1 frozen banana
1/4 cup peanut butter (or almond butter, or whatever kind of ....butter you use)
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
a handful of ice cubes

That's it. Blend it up and you have yourself a yummy, protein packed lunch! I have seriously been obsessed!!

Third Trimester:
Entenmann's Cheese Danish.

No need to crave anything other than this sinful treat. It takes every ounce of self control not to eat the whole thing, honestly. Who needs homemade baked goods when you can find the most delicious tasting food in the world at almost any grocery store or gas station?

Just so nobody thinks I am neglecting the health of my baby, I should probably include that in addition to these cravings I eat a well balanced diet almost every day! I can't get enough roasted broccoli these days!

With Love,
L

Menu Monday: Garlic with a side of food

Happy Monday! I am struggling to gain an ounce of energy on this beautiful day. So, I'm officially declaring this Monday my Sunday. Mike and I had a SUPER busy weekend that started early Friday morning and didn't end until late last night. I knew I had reached the point of utter exhaustion when during worship at church Sunday morning I ran out of breath while singing Holy Holy Holy. (that's of course also thanks to the growing baby boy in my belly) It was then that I resolved to get at least 5 brisk walks a week in until this baby comes. I will maintain some level of fitness, gosh darn it!

BUT, let's move on to the food. To the juicy, garlicky pork tenderloin I'm going to tell you about. And the creamy mushroom risotto sitting next to the slightly crispy roasted broccoli. I want it right now. I could it eat every night I think! If you don't like garlic, then don't waste your time reading on. We love garlic. I cook with it almost every night. My husband has been known to grab a slice of it right off the cutting board before I have even started cooking it (gross, I know) and he actually likes it like that! One time last year I arrived to work in the morning, hugged my boss and was told I wreaked of garlic. Also gross, I know. But let's focus on how GOOD it is :-)

Garlic, Herb and Wine Pork Tenderloin: Serves 2 with a few slices leftover for lunch tomorrow

This is the *easiest part of the whole dinner! You know those handy dandy Grill Mate seasoning packets that my friend McCormick makes? Well he should be your friend, too! And invite your crock pot to the party while you're at it!

Ingredients:

• 1 pork tenderloin
• 1 packet McCormick Grill Mates Garlic Herb and Wine Marinade
• (need olive oil and vinegar to mix marinade)

Directions: Follow directions on marinade packet and dump in crock pot. Tip: the last time I made this I accidentally poured equal parts olive oil and vinegar. So I added a little extra water in fear the vinegar would completely take over. It didn't. AND this mistake is worth repeating. Let cook in crock pot for proper amount of time, check with meat thermometer to be sure pork is done. (cooking time will vary depending on your crock pot setting) Over the course of cooking time, I turned my tenderloin and coated with juices.

Garlic Roasted Broccoli: Serves 2 (we really like broccoli)
(I probably should give credit to someone for this recipe, but I don't know where I got it and have adapted it since. So just know, you can find variations of this all over the internet)

Ingredients:

• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• 5 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 lemon
• olive oil
• salt and peper
• optional- parm cheese for sprinkling when done

Directions:
Line baking sheet with foil and evenly spread cut up broccoli. Sprinkle garlic slices all over broccoli. Lightly coat tray with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix all together with fingers and spread broccoli back out evenly. Pop in the oven at 350 for at least 25-35 minutes. Be sure to watch that your garlic is not burning. May have to turn florets half way through baking time. When done, squeeze half a lemon and grated cheese over broccoli. Return to oven until cheese is bubbly.

The star portion, Mushroom Risotto: Serves 2, generously
(Another recipe I don't know who to give credit to? Lots of these recipes out there. I adapted mine from a friend)
If you have shied away from making risotto because of the time it takes or the amount of steps it requires, then now is the time to get out the calendar. Schedule a night this week, next week or next month. I don't care when, just do it.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Arborio rice
• 5 cups stock, give or take
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup Chardonnay, any white wine on hand will work, but don't skip it!
• 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper

Directions:
In olive oil (or butter. butter is better!), saute onions, mushrooms and garlic until soft. Add rice and allow to sit in pan 2 minutes, stirring. Pour in wine, I usually make it a generous 1/2 cup. When most of liquid is cooked out, start adding stock 1 cup at a time. Stir frequently, but not necessary to stand over the stove constantly. Each time majority of liquid is absorbed and rice starts to look creamy, add another cup of stock. I cook mine until just passed al dente. Squeeze in lemon, add salt and pepper to taste.

There you have it. A wonderful, balanced, soul warming dinner. A few things to note- McCormick grill mates marinade packets come in lots of different flavors. We like most all of them and they make for a super easy no-think dinner. You could skip the broccoli and risotto sides and just throw a bunch of veggies and potatoes in the crock pot with the pork tenderloin and have yourself a super easy and delicious dinner. Also, the risotto recipe is so versatile. I made it last week and swapped out the mushrooms for bacon. You could really do anything!

With Love,
L

Menu Monday: Healthy(er) Pumpkin Muffins, Eddie Bear Approved

Open the newspaper, scroll down your fb news feed, gaze on pinterest and you cannot miss the very important detail that is is officially FALL! Or as I prefer to say, Autumn. I think "autumn" sounds lovely, sophisticated, heart-warming.

In honor of autumn, I have created a pumpkin muffin that I not only feel good about eating, but enjoy eating! Baked goods can be a challenge in our house. My husband has the metabolism of an Olympic runner. I, on the hand, have a very normal 25 year old female metabolism. This means I'm by no means overweight, but my self esteem mirror can show me fluctuating images of myself ranging from a beached whale to a decent figure, or on a really good day I might have skinny thighs and a smaller booty. So, if I keep chocolate chip cookies and banana bread stocked on the counter (the way my hubby likes it) my mirror is never nice to me. Hence the effort to create a muffin that includes the flavors of autumn, heart healthy ingredients, and of course figure friendly modifications.

meet my helper and nephew, Eddie Bear

Healthy(er) Pumpkin Muffins

• 1 1/4 cups sifted whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pumpkin spice
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup flaxseed- if you are new to this ingredient, I highly recommend trying it. It sounds unappealing, but I think it adds pure goodness- for the taste buds and the heart. 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie puree)
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional
• you could also add nuts. we do not add nuts in this house

Directions
Mix dry ingredients. In separate bowl mix wet ingredients. Combine dry and wet ingredients, do not over-mix. Over-mixing reduces muffins moist factor.  My recipe made 2 batches of mini muffins. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Tip: keep in ziplock bag on counter and they are even better on day 2 or 3.

I think my photography skills are improving, don't you?

15 minutes later...super moist pumpkin muffins and perfectly sweet without the guilt! Your definition of a healthy  muffin might not even include 1/2 cup of sugar and chocolate chips. To you I say, no offense, but your muffins are not yummy. This is a treat after all, just a healthy(er) one :-)

Eddie-Bear is my toddler-approved proof that these are indeed yummy. Also, I gave him these without the "too much sugar" look from his momma AND won the affections of his heart. A win-win. Whoever said food was the way to a man's heart was... well, right. But food is also the way to a toddler's heart. And this aunty wants to be right at the center of Eddie Bear's heart!

Finger lickin' good!

As my southern friends say, Happy Fall Y'all!! (in this case, I love to say fall)
With Love,
L

The Seasons are Changing: Charlotte to Milwaukee

The seasons are changing.

On a day like today, when I get THREE amazing email updates from seminary friends about their new lives in three different parts of the country, my heart feels warm. They are doing good, they are settling into a new life with new friends and churches and new homes. Their husbands are working in ministry and thriving- so neat to see how the Lord is using these men to bring the gospel forth and expand His kingdom. And I am SO happy for them.

And then I remember how just three short months ago our Charlotte lives were so intertwined. Dinner tables filled with each other, weekends at parents lake homes and condos, husbands who just could not stop talking theology and wives who just could not stop talking about babies and decorating. Now, I would give anything to hear about Mark and Mark and Bradford and Crawford and Brent talk theology, to be back around those dinner tables pouring another glass of wine and soaking up just one more hour. Often, and usually true, seminary is associated with a time of sacrifice; financially, of time, moms having to work who want to stay home, loneliness and isolation for others, the list goes on. We each had our own struggles along the way, some much more significant than others. But for Mike and I, seminary was a season of abundance in so many ways. We certainly made sacrifices, but we were so abundantly blessed. By our family, by our friends, and mostly by our God. Our families took care of us and provided for us in ways we cannot say enough Thank You’s for; taking many financial burdens off our shoulders and buying endless plane tickets and sending care packages with $20 bills that were sweeter than candy. Our friends. Well, our friends became our family. I don’t know how to say it any other way. Our church supported and loved us in countless ways. I learned so much from that community of people; lessons I didn’t want to necessarily learn, but am incredibly grateful for now. Just three months, and so much has changed. We graduated and have taken jobs in all different states all over the country.

I’m okay with the change though. I can see that our next season will look entirely different than the last. I think that helps as we transition into a new season, knowing it will be nothing like the last and allowing our expectations to be totally different. In less than three months we will have a son. We are making new friends, and settling into a new church. And exactly like last season, we are finding ourselves yet again abundantly blessed. I hope you are finding yourself in a season of abundance! I hope your perspective on life is much wider than it is narrow, and that you know the love of Christ and His rich graces each day. 

As the weather starts to turn and the windows stay open all night long, when the leaves are found in the grass and crock pots make their seasonal debut, I always start to reflect on the things I am thankful for. I am so thankful for the places I have lived and the friends along the way. Let's start the season of Thanksgiving now. Let's turn the dinner conversation from the tedious daily grind of the same old into counting the endless reasons we have to be thankful.

Today I am thankful for a healthy baby, whose kicks remind me that God has truly formed a miracle inside me. I am thankful for a husband who buys me dollar ice cream cones from McDonald's to satisfy a craving. I am thankful I get to keep the windows open all night. What are you thankful for in this season?

With Love,
L

Menu Monday: Succotash Sausage Soup

Fall is here! Or maybe it was just for the weekend, we will see. Either way, this very gray and rainy Sunday was the perfect day for a hot bowl of soup. Sometimes I prematurely introduce the flavors of fall into my kitchen, forcing down hot chili and pumpkin pancakes on lingering summer days. Not this year- I have practiced great restraint and am thrilled to see the weather rewarding me for it.

Also, I thought it might be a good idea to let you in on some of the ways I think about and approach food. I’m not a recipe follower, per se. I attempt to meet the fancy of my family's taste buds. My hope is that you will attempt these scrumptious recipes and adapt them to the liking's of the hungry bellies around your table. Substitute meat for tofu, or veggie stock for chicken stock, even swap out the variety of veggies you want. Omit and add whatever sounds good to you or suits your dietary restrictions. That's how we do it in our house. 

Noteworthy point: I’m not afraid of canned goods (after all, they are goods!) or some moderately processed foods. Granted, we all have different definitions of what is “moderately processed”, but the point is, sometimes I cook 100% from scratch and other times I don’t. We eat meat and are not gluten free, dairy free or basically any kind of “free” for that matter. Sometimes I splurge, like how I sautéed the veggies in butter for this recipe, and sometimes I modify with healthier ingredients. Usually that depends on my mood and how snug or loose my jeans are fitting for the day. Without further ado, Succotash Sausage Soup! (Recipe adapted from "300 Sensational Soups" by Carla Snyder & Meredith Deeds)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 lb kielbasa sausage cut into thin half moons (we used turkey kielbasa)
• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 tbsp flower (we use whole wheat)
• 1 tbsp fresh or ground thyme 
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups lima beans, frozen or canned
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 can cream style corn
• 1 can white corn, or fresh!
• 1/2 cup whipping cream (i omitted this)

My ingredient additions:

• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1 russet potato (i have to add hearty ingredients wherever I can for the sake of my husband's larger than life appetite)
• 2 cups extra stock
• top it off with a dollop of sour cream and the famous ingredient, green onions!

Directions:
1. In large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, sausage, leeks and red pepper; saute until vegetables are softened and sausage is browned. Sprinkle with flower and thyme, saute 2 more minutes.
2. Gradually whisk in stock. Add lima beans, salt and pepper; bring to a boil, stirring often. Add cream style corn and corn kernels; simmer for ten minutes or until lima beans are softened. Stir in cream. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Allow to simmer at least ten more minutes.

Serve it up with a dense, dark beer and you have yourself something good. My husband indulged in this local Minneapolis brew he received as a gift. I stole a few sips and savored the flavor. Just three months until I can enjoy a brew of my own. I. can't. wait!!! My intended plan was to pair the soup with some cornbread muffins (the soup is slightly smoky and the muffins slightly sweet) but my plan failed miserably when I didn't have the necessary ingredients. So I did something you should never do, I found the Bisquick and made drop biscuits. It tasted like paper. Plain Awful! No one likes to slice and dice with a glass of wine and some Amos Lee for hours in the kitchen more than me, but sometimes the day does not allow for hours of cooking. That's part of what makes this soup so great. I started the soup at 6pm last night, and we were done eating by 7:30.

Also noteworthy: My friend Jenni just started a blog and she is launching a meal planning series. She is an AMAZING cook. Like makes you giddy to think about an invitation to her dinner table kind of amazing cook. You can follow her here.

With Love,
L