The Good List

10. The electric foot warmer Jared got me for Christmas last year. Knowing that we were moving soon, I left it in the box and went ahead and packed it up. So it's brand new for me this winter, and my pretty much ALWAYS cold feet are loving it!

9. This crazy little wild woman flower that feels a little bit like my soul sister. ;-)

8. This tree. I mean, right? I don't feel like I need to say anything else.

7. Patriots are 8-0!!!!! (Sorry to my new KC friends... Not really, though.)

6. How to Cook Everything. Some of the best chefs in the world say this is the only cookbook you need. And I intend to read every word and try every recipe at least twice. :-D So fun!

5. Fun little discoveries in nature. See the heart? :-)

4. Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA. We were there a couple weeks past peak, but it was still absolutely gorgeous! I'd love to go back during the most colorful days of fall.

3. Health insurance. For a little over 5 years, we didn't really have any. So imagine my surprise (and delight!) when I picked up a prescription last week to the sound of, "Oh, there's no charge!" Not mad. Not mad at all.

2. The amazing people at Lancaster Bible College. Jared has been speaking at chapel services for them for 4 years now, and they already tentatively invited us to come back next year. We have developed such sweet friendships there, and the Gospel culture on campus is so special. It's already on Macy's short list of schools to visit in the next couple years. ;-) 

1. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. The Gospel. Of FIRST importance. Not a side note. Not the thing you get to if you have time. Not something you graduate from and then move on. Of FIRST importance. Always.

Beer Cheese Soup with Grilled Andouille Sausage

Earlier this week we were out having lunch with Jared's parents. Jared ordered Beer Cheese soup, which I have never made at home. But I thought, "Hmm... I should probably make some of that at home." 

So I did!

Believe it or not, I put plenty of veggies in it, but I blended them up so that even the pickiest and most veggie-averse eaters will enjoy it. It's one of the richest, cheesiest, most flavorful soups I've ever tasted. And topped off with some grilled sausage, it's easily a complete meal for even the biggest appetites. My family loved it so much, it's one of the very few soups I've ever made that had no leftovers. They scraped the pot clean! Hope you enjoy it too!

Ingredients:

32 oz. low sodium chicken broth

12 oz. of your favorite beer (I used Dos Equis Lager)

1 medium acorn squash, peeled and diced

1 cup diced celery

1 medium onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon Worcestershire

salt, pepper and Tony Chachere's seasoning to taste

12 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 lb. Andouille sausage (or really any sausage would work)

Instructions:

1. Add chicken broth, beer, squash, onion, celery, garlic, and Worcestershire to large soup pot or Dutch oven and bring to boil. Turn down heat and simmer until all veggies are tender, 20-30 minutes.

2. While soup is simmering, grill sausage (or brown in cast iron) to desired doneness. I like mine very dark and well-seared on the outside, but still tender and juicy on the inside. That nice dark sear adds so much amazing flavor!

3. Once veggies are nice and tender, remove from heat and carefully blend using an immersion blender. Add salt, pepper and Tony Chachere's seasoning to taste.

4. Add shredded cheddar and stir until melted and well-blended. Add cream and stir until warmed through.

5. Dice sausage. 

6. Serve by ladling soup into bowls and adding a handful of sausage to each bowl.

Your Friday 4-Course Meal

Appetizer (a quick bite): Paleo Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread. This sounds rather fabulous, does it not?

Entree (something to chew on for awhile): When You're Weak and Needy by Christine Hoover. Encouragement to the souls of those of us who are weak and needy every single day. (Hint: all of the humans. So.)

Dessert (just for fun): This was my Halloween costume last year. Sorta seemed not optional, you know? #don'twasteyourwhitehair It still makes me giggle. But it also makes me glad I'll be traveling tomorrow, because I have no clue how I would have topped this this year. ;-)

Coffee (sip and savor slowly and repeatedly): God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." ~Hebrews 13:5

Italian Stew

This has all the comfort, flavor and heartiness of a beef and potato stew, but with far fewer carbs and calories and much more nutritional value. We're replacing beef with lean turkey Italian sausage, potatoes with cauliflower and gravy with crushed tomatoes. And adding kale and quinoa. So, you know... we'll practically be bionic after we eat this. :-) Plus it's YUMMY! So it's good news all around!

Ingredients:

Olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces

salt 

pepper

1 pound lean turkey Italian sausage

6-8 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 large can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic (or just plain tomatoes, and you can add your own seasoning)

1/3 cup rinsed red quinoa

2-3 handfuls of kale, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces

2 tablespoons garlic paste

Your favorite shredded cheese to accompany Italian dishes (I used a blend of parmesan, asiago, romano and mozzarella)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Coat the bottom of a large Dutch oven or soup pot with olive oil. Add onion and saute over medium heat until it becomes translucent.

3. Toss cauliflower with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread onto a baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until well-browned. (Don't be afraid of some pretty dark edges. It adds so much flavor.)

4. Add Italian sausage to onions and cook until browned. Drain well and return to pot.

5. Add chicken broth (more or less depending on how thick you like your stew) and crushed tomatoes and mix well. Increase heat and bring to boil.

6. Add quinoa and allow to boil for 5 minutes.

7. Reduce heat and add garlic paste. Blend well. Add kale and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

8. Add roasted cauliflower and stir to combine well. Simmer until warmed through.

9. Serve with a sprinkling of shredded cheese(s).

The Good List

10. Royals take Game 1 of the World Series!!! (I'm really trying to like baseball. Really I am. Either way, it's fun to watch a city come together and have fun with a winning team.)

9. The Royals blue orchid Jared brought home for me a couple weeks ago. So gorgeous!

8. My new Christmas wreath that I made all by myself. :-) Because my new front door needs a ginormous Christmas wreath this year, and I wasn't willing to pay for a pre-made one. ;-)

7. Not being able to recall the last time I had to drive in really bad traffic. It's been years, and I can't say that I miss it. :-D

6. Jared has been looking for some cajun food since we moved here. Last weekend he took us to Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen. Oh man. It was the most authentic Louisiana food experience I've ever had outside of Louisiana. It tasted like my entire childhood right on one plate. SO. GOOD.  Boudin, crawfish, Pontchartrain, gumbo, beignets and chicory all on the same menu.... ALL of the yeses!

5. The KC, MO zoo. We went last Saturday on a beautiful fall day, and almost ALL of the animals were out and active. Since I have a serious problem that probably requires therapy, I took over 500 pictures. I KNOW! I CAN'T HELP IT! THE ANIMALS! I will spare you and only post a few here, but please note how difficult it was for me to edit myself so severely. ;-) I really just wanted to take them all home with me. I should probably own a zoo.

4. This guy was my absolute favorite. I could have hung out with him all day.

3. Chatting with my crazy little niece a couple days ago, who very much speaks her own language (which I adore). This was awesome all by itself, but when my sister sent me this video to show me what was happening on the other end of the phone, it took it to a whole new level. I LOVE THAT LITTLE SASS! (Also--this went on for several more minutes, but I thought I would just offer the highlights. ;-) )

2. Listening to Macy and her new BFF compare mission trip stories and go on and on about all of the precious little ones they wanted to adopt. Sweetest thing ever.

1. Noticing moments of sanctification. I love it when something happens in my heart that I know could ONLY come from God.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

I try to live by something like an 85/15 rule when it comes to food. Meaning that 85% of the time, I want to feed my family (and myself) the most healthy and nutritious foods I can possibly get them to eat. The other 15%? Well, sometimes you just need to splurge a little. :-) To be clear, this recipe is a 15%er.

But also, true confession time: I don't really get the whole pumpkin craze. I know. I know. I should probably hand over my white girl card. I just don't care for all of the pumpkin-y stuff like a good yoga-pant-wearing white girl should. Can't help it. I'm telling you this just to let you know that I didn't actually taste these cookies, but everyone in my family gave them a big thumbs up, and the container I sent to a social event last night came back empty. So. I trust that they must be pretty good. ;-) Here's the recipe in case you'd like to check it out.

Ingredients:

2-1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 package instant cheesecake pudding mix

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup (half a stick) softened butter

1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (canned is fine)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 10-oz. bag cinnamon chips

Instructions:

1. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, pudding mix, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3. In mixer bowl, combine both sugars, butter, oil, pumpkin puree and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat after each until smooth.

4. Add dry mixture in 3-4 batches to mixer bowl, and blend after each addition until well-combined.

5. Fold in cinnamon chips.

6. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto baking stone, and bake for 9-11 minutes, until golden brown and set. Cool for 3-5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pork Scaloppine with Gremolata Sauce

I love my local grocery store, because they have CRAZY sales on protein almost every week. It's usually just one or two items designed to get people into the store with the expectation that they will buy a million other things while they're there (which works on me more often than I should admit.) But since it's just 5 minutes from my house, and I have to pass it almost daily on my way to or from somewhere else, I have no problem whatsoever going in there to stock up on their one crazy-priced item. That's what freezers are for, right?

Last week, they were selling pork cutlets for $.99/pound. I may or may not have purchased every single pack they had in stock. Just don't worry yourself about it.

And then I made this. And it made me super glad that I now have a freezer full of pork cutlets. :-)

Ingredients:

6-8 thinly sliced/pounded pork cutlets (You can buy them this way or just get boneless pork chops and pound them thin with a meat mallet.)

2 large oranges (zest and juice)

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon mustard (whatever is your favorite kind--I used Dijon)

salt

pepper

1 cup whole wheat Panko bread crumbs

1 cup whole wheat seasoned bread crumbs

2 eggs

1/3 cup milk

butter flavored nonstick cooking spray

1 generous tablespoon basil paste

1/3 cup olive oil

a few handfuls of baby greens

Instructions:

1. In casserole dish or wide-based bowl, combine zest and juice of one orange, honey, mustard and a generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper.

2. Season pork pieces generously with salt. Coat with marinade and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight if you have the time. (Note: this is not a liquidy marinade, but it is very "clingy," so as long as you make sure all pieces are covered, it should be fine even though the meat will not be immersed.)

3. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

4. Set up dredging station by combining eggs and milk (seasoned with salt and pepper) in one pan and both kinds of bread crumbs in a second pan.

5. Dip each pork cutlet into egg mixture, shaking off excess each time, and then coat with bread crumb mixture. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with each cutlet.

6. Once all cutlets are coated, spray with nonstick cooking spray and place in oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, increase heat to 450 degrees and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes until pork is cooked through and nice and brown and crispy on top.

7. While pork is cooking, prepare gremolata sauce by combining zest and juice of second orange, olive oil, basil paste and salt and pepper to taste.

8. I served this by tossing baby greens with just a tiny bit of the gremolata sauce and then placing a cutlet over each bed of greens with an extra drizzle of sauce on top.

So yummy!

Your Friday 4-Course Meal

Appetizer (a quick bite): This seems worth a try. Cauliflower Buns.

Entree (something to chew on for awhile): What God Thinks About You. A glorious piece by John Rinehart.

Dessert (just for fun): I love this.

Coffee (sip and savor slowly and repeatedly): I believe with all my heart that God's Story has a happy ending... But not yet... Not necessarily yet. ~Elisabeth Elliot

Jeremiah 29:11~ "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Our ultimate happy ending. It really has nothing at all to do with what happens here on earth. It's all about the promise of eternity with Christ. Amen.

Macaroni and Cheese, Dimples, and the Beautiful Body of Christ

About this time of year in 2012, I found myself in the midst of possibly the most horrific week of my life. It's a pretty long story, but I'll skip a lot. The short version is that my (at the time) 3-year-old niece contracted a Staph Scalding infection, which literally burned off about 75% of her skin--really all of her core, sparing just some of her face and parts of her arms and legs. Sadly, that is no exaggeration at all. Below is a sketch by the nurses who dressed her wounds including blue shading of all the "burned" areas of her body. (The front of her body was just as bad or worse.)

I still get sick to my stomach every time I see that picture and imagine the pain that baby was feeling. It was almost too much for *me* to bear watching. How in the world could that little 3-year-old bear the actual pain of it? Excruciating. And knowing how *I* felt, then imagining what her Mom (my sister) must have been feeling... I mean... no words. Never before had I felt so utterly worthless and helpless. I had nothing to offer. No way to give relief. No way to help ease pain or give rest. No answers. No nothing. 

But I couldn't do nothing.

So I prayed. And I prayed. And I prayed and prayed and prayed. And then when I ran out of words and tried to sleep (which I honestly don't think I did at all that week), I just sighed and groaned and cried the kinds of prayers that only God could understand.

And while I know in my heart that is always the best thing to do in these situations, it still never feels like enough, does it? I wonder if you can guess where this is going. What do we tend to do when people are facing suffering/tragedy/loss? We bring food, right?

Yes. Food. Why? Well... I think lots of reasons, but here are my favorite three:

1. Regardless of what else is happening in the lives of our loved ones, we know that they will always, always need food. In this situation, not only did my sister Jody need someone to remind her (and sometimes force her) to eat so that she wouldn't end up in a bed right next to her daughter, she also had the rest of her family at home needing to eat. 

2. Food is something we understand and know how to handle. Rarely do I ever know exactly the right thing to say or do in the midst of tragedy. No matter how much "practice" I get, I just don't think I'll ever be good at it. But I know how to prepare a meal and let it nourish someone in ways words never could anyway. 

3. Food creates a reason for presence. I've learned that many people have trouble showing up at the home of a friend empty-handed. Dropping by just to "check on" someone doesn't seem to be a common practice. But food creates intentionality. Most of us have no trouble at all stopping by a friend's house to drop off food. And let's face it, that is rarely a 30-second interaction. Hopefully, it leads to conversation and a great big hug.

So. In my helplessness, I thought I could at least start bringing food and organizing others to bring food. But we'll come back to all of that in a minute...

Right now, I'm thrilled to report that the Lord worked nothing short of a miracle in the life of my baby niece during that week. She was miserably, gut-wrenchingly sick and in pain for about 3 days, during which we honestly thought we might even lose her. (I'm so grateful that the Lord helps us forget physical pain so quickly.) But she went from this:

to this:

in a matter of 3 days. Which still seems impossible. By earthly standards, I think it is. I will always believe this to be a medical miracle, the Lord responding to the cries of his people. We had people praying for that baby all over the world, and I believe with all of my heart that God used those prayers to save her life.

And the first thing she wanted when she woke up hungry was Macaroni and Cheese! And as soon as she got it, her dimples showed up. Biggest smile ever. Thank you, Jesus!

In the days and weeks that followed, I watched my church family and community care for my sister and her family in ways that were nothing short of overwhelming. They brought meals, they did chores, they set up fund raisers to help cover medical bills. It was non-stop, self-sacrificial and completely over the top (in the best way possible.)

And I suspect my sister doesn't specifically remember any of the food she ate during that time (although I bet there was an awful lot of mac and cheese once everyone knew it was Dylan's favorite :-D), but I guarantee she will never forget the love that was poured out on her and her family during their time of need.

So. PLEASE. Use food as an excuse to be present in people's lives. But you don't have to wait for tragedy. Just find a busy young Mom who is exhausted and bring over dinner so she can sit still for a few minutes. Or find an elderly couple and treat them to a night off from cooking and washing dishes. Everyone needs food every single day. Meet that need any time you can. Even if it's just an extra cup of coffee for a coworker having a rough day. You might be surprised what it does for your relationships.

The Good List

10. Halls Defense Drops. Yeah, I know they probably don't really do anything. But when people all around me sound like they're coughing up their pancreas, for some reason it makes me feel better to have some Vitamin C in my mouth. ;-)

9. I'm already a fan of the fact that KC, MO has more fountains than any other city in America (and it's second in the entire world only to Rome, Italy). To add a little more fun, several of them are currently tinted royal blue in honor of the Royals. I'm much more of a football than baseball girl, but this city makes it kind of impossible not to get on board. :-)

8. The smell of fresh lavender. This is the first year in at least 10 that I haven't had any growing at my house. Moving mid-summer meant I didn't have time to do any gardening of any kind this year. But I got to "pet" this plant several times last Saturday, and my hands smelled like it the rest of the day. So soothing and refreshing.

7. Kauffman Memorial Garden. Jared and I enjoyed a beautiful, peaceful stroll through here while we were in downtown KC, MO on Saturday.

6. Macy and Grace recently decided to start working out with me. SO MUCH MORE FUN than doing it all by myself.

5. And speaking of working out, I love having this as my destination when I go out for a walk/run.

4. Fall. It's my favorite color, my favorite smell, my favorite temperature, my favorite food, my favorite sport. I love pretty much everything about it.

3. Macy is bringing home a whole group of friends this afternoon to finish up a project, hang out and have dinner together. It is so good for my heart to see how quickly and easily my girls are making friends and settling in here.

2. The Jesus Record by Rich Mullins (and friends). I forget how much I love it when I haven't listened in awhile, but it never disappoints. And it makes me miss Rich Mullins so much.

1. Remembering the presence of Christ during some of the most difficult weeks of my life (in very different ways) around this time every year for the last 3 years. But not just his presence. His comfort. His peace. His healing. His provision. His miracles. His constant, overwhelming, unfailing love. And so much more. He has never ever let me down. Ever.

Ginger Shrimp Soup

It is my firm belief that if everyone would spend a little more time grating fresh ginger, the world would be a much happier place. It somehow simultaneously smells like relaxation and invigoration. I'm not sure how that works, but I like it.

This recipe calls for grated ginger. So. You're welcome!

Ingredients:

1 large onion, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2-3 tablespoons freshly grated ginger

coconut oil for coating pot

12 cups chicken broth

2-3 cups kale, washed and torn into bite-size pieces (or baby spinach if you prefer)

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half

salt, pepper and Tony Chachere's seasoning to taste

Shredded Parmesan for serving

Instructions:

1. Coat a large soup pot or Dutch oven with coconut oil. Add onion, garlic, celery and ginger and cook over medium heat until vegetables begin to wilt and garlic and ginger become nice and fragrant.

2. Add broth and kale and allow to simmer until kale begins to wilt a bit, 15-20 minutes or so. (Kale typically holds its texture pretty well and will not wilt down completely. I like that added bite to this simple soup, but you can replace it with baby spinach if you prefer something that cooks down a bit better.)

3. Add shrimp and cook just until pink and opaque.

4. Add cream or half and half and season to taste with salt, pepper and Tony Chachere's seasoning. 

5. Serve hot with a bit of Parmesan sprinkled over the top.

Your Friday 4-Course Meal

Appetizer (a quick bite): Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic by Faith Gorsky. I've seen this recipe (or similar ones) posted many times, and I'm curious, but I've never tried it. I need to try it. You try it too, and let me know what you think if you beat me to it. ;-)

Entree (something to chew on for awhile): Consumerism Keeps Us Fed and Starving by Gloria Furman. Wise and convicting.

Dessert (just for fun): This is crazy town.

Coffee (sip and savor slowly and repeatedly): Christian mothers, your child may be far away from the sheltering home, voyaging on the stormy sea, or dwelling in some distant climate beyond your voice. But he is still within the reach of the mightiest power a mother can wield – the power of prayer! And although you cannot throw around him your maternal arms to shield him from the evil of the world, you can invest him with your wrestling believing petitions, and secure on his behalf the Arm which encircles the globe, and is mighty to save. Oh that the Church of God may be filled with such praying mothers! --Octavius Winslow

Acorn Squash Soup

Ok, full disclosure: this was one of those thrown together deals that I didn't intend to tell anyone about. It was primarily designed to help me clear out space in the fridge and freezer for the new groceries I needed to get for the company we had coming in a few days after i made this. (YAY!!!)

But my kids loved it so much, they insisted I post the recipe, if for no other reason, so that I could remember how to make it the exact same way again. I'm honestly pretty surprised. But here we go. Now I can come back to it when I need it. ;-) Maybe you will like it too.

Oh, and just a note about acorn squash--it is quickly becoming my favorite potato substitute for these types of meals--soups, stews, hashes, etc. I wouldn't try to tell you it tastes the same as a potato, but it tends to serve the same purpose--having that nice hearty, earthy presence that makes any meal a little more robust. It's super flavorful and cooks up in ways that are very similar to the potato, but it has about half the calories and carbs. So there's that for what it's worth. :-)

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 leek, cleaned and minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

olive oil for coating pan

2 teaspoons garlic paste

1 acorn squash, peeled and diced

low sodium chicken broth (gonna be honest and tell you I didn't measure this at all. Just poured it in until the soup was the right consistency)

About 2 cups of cooked protein, chopped (I really think just about anything would work. I used leftover grilled flank steak, but I bet almost any beef, chicken or pork would be good. Maybe not seafood, but even that might be worth a try.)

salt and pepper to taste

a generous splash of heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Coat large dutch oven or soup pot with olive oil. Add onion, garlic, pepper and leek and saute until veggies begin to soften and turn translucent.

2. Add enough chicken broth to completely cover veggies. Add garlic paste and stir until it has completely melted into broth.

3. Add squash and then additional broth if needed to bring soup to desired consistency. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer until squash begins to soften.

4. Add protein and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer until all ingredients are well combined and heated through.

5. Just before serving, add a generous splash of heavy cream and stir until fully incorporated and warm.

I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine did!

The Good List

10. Door to door trash pick-up. This probably seems weird, but when we lived in Vermont, we had to load up our trash and drive it about 20 miles over to the next town to get rid of it. (And this process was more expensive than our current practice of rolling our trash can to the end of our driveway once a week.) So. Yeah. This is a pretty big deal actually. ;-)

9. Saturday mornings when there's nothing on the calendar for that day. We get to choose our own adventure!

8. Macy and Grace finally got their house hoodies for school. They're so excited, because now they can wear these instead of their "normal" uniforms. 

7. The new friend I met at the lake yesterday.

6. Honey Crisp apples with almond butter. So yummy. Really every other apple should be ashamed of itself for not being as delicious as a Honey Crisp.

5. Vermont October in a box from one of my favorite friends. Thank you, Tammy! Love you so much!

4. Tickets to Australia for March 2016 BOOKED!!! Jared will be preaching in various venues throughout the southeast part of the country, and I get to tag along and take all of the pictures of every of all of the gorgeousness there.

3. Truth. Grateful that it will prevail. Sometimes not immediately, but always certainly.

2. This little super stud is visiting this week all the way from Vermont. (And he brought his parents too, so that's pretty cool.)

1. A Savior who comforts and sanctifies simultaneously.

Eggs in Clouds over Seasoned Red Quinoa

So my friend who's here this week--you know, the one who loves Pots de Creme? She sent me a link to a video about this whole egg in a cloud idea. So of course I had to come up with my own version. Ummm.....

WHY did I never think of this before? It's so delicious! I love that this sort of serves the same purpose as a yummy fried egg with a rich, glisteny, runny yolk, but it's much easier to prepare lots of these to be warm and ready all at the same time than to try to fry a bunch of eggs all at once. And I super love the idea of mixing in all sorts of deliciousness into the whites before baking them. I used green onions and Parmesan this time, but I can think of at least 10 other combinations that I'm excited to try. YUM!

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 pound bacon

2 cups cooked red quinoa

olive oil

1 medium sweet onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon garlic paste

1 small jar (4 oz.) diced green chiles

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions:

1. Cut bacon into lardons and fry over medium-high heat until evenly crisped. Drain on paper towels.

2. Coat a nonstick or cast iron pan with olive oil and add diced onion. Cook until onions begin to caramelize. Add garlic and garlic paste, and stir until garlic paste is completely melted. Stir in green chiles and quinoa. Add chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder, and stir to mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

4. While bacon and quinoa are cooking, separate eggs, keeping all yolks individually set aside and adding whites to mixing bowl. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in green onions and Parmesan. Place 4 "piles" of the egg white mixture onto parchment-paper lined pan and create a deep well in the center of each. Bake for 3 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and add one egg yolk to each shell. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for an additional 3 minutes or until yolks are cooked but still runny.

6. To serve, plate a nice bed of quinoa and put the egg "basket" over the top. Sprinkle with bacon and serve warm.

Chocolate Pots de Creme

One of my most favoritest friends in all the world is here visiting this week. And pots de creme is one of her most favoritest desserts. So I made some. Hers is the giant one. I hope her husband isn't mad, 'cause he's here too, and I only made him a little one. (But I told him he could have more than one.) :-)

These are adapted from a Ree Drummond recipe, not because it needed to be adapted. Her version is perfectly delicious. But I just wanted to try a variation. This one is delicious too.

Also, this is stupidly easy to make. Like almost embarrassing to share. Don't tell your friends the entire situation takes about 3 minutes and 27 seconds to prepare. It will seem way less impressive.

Ingredients:

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

4 eggs, at room temperature (I won't pretend to be a scientist and tell you the details of why, but it's important that the eggs are room temperature so that the finished product is super creamy)

a pinch of salt

a dash of cinnamon

8 oz. strong very hot coffee

1/2 cup heavy cream

generous dash of stevia

1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

1. Roughly chop chocolate (or just dump into blender if you're using chocolate chips). Add 4 eggs (at room temperature--'member how we talked about that?) and blend until pretty well combined. Toss in a pinch of salt and a dash of cinnamon and blend for a few seconds more.

2. Remove insert from blender top and slowly drizzle in hot coffee while blending. The coffee will melt and emulsify everything together. (Oh man. So good.) Once it is all nice and melted and creamy and shiny, pour into serving dishes of your choice. (Make sure you use a really big one for your guest of honor.) Chill for at least a couple hours.

3. When ready to serve, put heavy cream, vanilla and stevia (to taste) into mixing bowl and mix at high speed until firm peaks form. Top each pots de creme with a heaping dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with a little more cinnamon. 

This is the most elegant 3 minute recipe I know. Enjoy! 

Your Friday 4-Course Meal

Appetizer (a quick bite): Roasted Tomato Basil and Rice Soup  This sounds utterly divine, especially with quinoa in place of the rice.

Entree (something to chew on for awhile): Do You Have a Healthy or Superficial Relationship with God? I found this from Erik Raymond to be both challenging and encouraging.

Dessert (just for fun): Ok. Full disclosure: I'm not even gonna pretend that I plan to try this, but it sure was fun to watch. :-)

Coffee (sip and savor slowly and repeatedly):

Shrimp and Sausage with Cheesy Cauliflower "Grits"

True story. Grace came into the kitchen while I was cooking this the other night and asked if she could taste the cauliflower.

I said, "Sure." She raved. (All I had done at this point is saute it with the onion and garlic paste.)

I said, "I haven't even added the cheese yet." 

She said, "There's gonna be cheese?"

I said, "Three different kinds."

She said, "My mind is blown." :-D

It really is that good. And THEN I put shrimp and sausage and all kinds of other deliciousness on top. So yeah. You're gonna wanna try this.

Ingredients:

For "grits":

1 head cauliflower, riced

1 small sweet onion, diced

1 teaspoon garlic paste

olive oil to coat pan

2 tablespoons butter

salt to taste

Tony Chachere's seasoning to taste

3/4 cup mozzarella, freshly shredded

3/4 cup sharp cheddar, freshly shredded

1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly shredded

For shrimp and sausage sauce:

1 medium sweet onion

1 green bell pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup leeks, cleaned and minced

olive oil for coating pan

1 (16-oz.) can tomato sauce (no salt added)

1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coconut sugar

1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere's seasoning

1 package of your favorite link sausage, sliced (Andouille is my favorite)

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

black pepper to taste

Sriracha to taste

Instructions:

1. Coat a large nonstick or cast iron pan with olive oil. Add onion and saute until soft and translucent. Add butter and garlic paste and saute until garlic paste is fully melted and evenly distributed. Add cauliflower and saute until it begins to soften and brown slightly. Season to taste with salt and Tony Chachere's seasoning.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Spray a small casserole dish with nonstick spray. Add half of the cauliflower to the bottom of the dish. Layer 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup cheddar over the cauliflower. Add remainder of cauliflower and all remaining cheese (mozzarella, cheddar and Parmesan). Bake for 30 minutes.

4. While cauliflower mixture is baking, wipe out same pan you used to saute the cauliflower and coat with olive oil again. Saute onion, bell pepper, garlic and leeks until they begin to soften and become fragrant.

5. Add sausage and saute until it begins to brown just a bit.

6. Deglaze pan with white wine or chicken broth.

7. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, sugar, Tony Chachere's seasoning, pepper and Sriracha. Simmer until well combined and heated through. 

8. When cauliflower has about 5 minutes to go in the oven, add shrimp to sauce mixture. Simmer just until shrimp is nice and pink and cooked through (about 5 minutes).

9. Serve by plating cauliflower and spooning plenty of sauce, including shrimp and sausage, over the top.

The Good List

10. Cooking all day when it's raining outside. One of my favorite kinds of days.

9. The Voice is back! This is one of mine and Macy and Grace's favorite shows to watch together. I have more fun laughing at them than I do watching the television. Good times.

8. The deer that like to play in our back yard. We haven't lived here during cold weather yet, but I'm hoping they'll be even more active during the fall and winter. Is that a safe assumption?

7. The fact that I have had to expand my expandable dining room table several times already in the short time we've lived here. And I'm just getting warmed up. ;-)

6. The Martian!!!! I read the book in a day and a half so that I could finish it before we went to see the movie. Both were SO GOOD! I would say, though, that I do think the movie will be much more enjoyable if you read the book first. The movie is very well done, but it just couldn't include everything, and there are so many little nuances you learn about the lead character through the book that can't be picked up from the movie alone. But either way, excellent book. Excellent movie.

5. Sister journals. What's that, you say? Journals that my sister Jody started circulating a few weeks ago. There are 4 of us. We get a journal in the mail. We write (or draw) something, paste in a picture or two, recommend a book or movie, whatever. And then we send it on to the next sister, and they just keep circulating. So these are essentially joint diaries of all 4 Methvin girls. I LOVE THIS IDEA! (As for the blurred parts, I mean, come on.... This is between sisters. It's really none of your business. ;-) )

4. Long phone calls with my Mom that always seem to come at just the right time.

3. Super encouraging Parent/Teacher conferences yesterday at Macy and Grace's school. I was happy to hear of how well they're doing academically, but after such a huge transition this summer, I was most pleased to hear how well they're doing socially and behaviorally. Seems like we might survive this move even with a teen and a tween. Praise be to God! (And I don't say that lightly.)

2. I have a brand new baby niece, and she is pretty much perfect! Meet Dottie Lee, born to Jeremy and Danielle Wilson Saturday, October 3rd.

1. Romans 5 and all that it means for those who are suffering.

Breakfast Parfait

Does anyone have a freezer full of blueberries at the end of summer? I hope so, 'cause this recipe is perfect for blueberries! I made this for breakfast this morning, but it would be just as good for dessert or really an any time snack. And all of the components can be made in advance so that you can build the end result any time you like in just a minute or two. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

For Lemon Ginger Blueberry Sauce:

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1/4 teaspoon stevia

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

1 pint blueberries (fresh is great, but frozen works too)

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

For cream*:

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon stevia

1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt

*Alternately, you could serve the sauce with sugar free frozen yogurt or just plain yogurt without the cream whipped in.

Recipe for granola here.

Instructions:

1. Combine sugar, stevia, and cornstarch in medium saucepan. Add water and melt mixture together over medium heat. Add grated ginger and blueberries and bring to boil, stirring frequently until blueberries burst and sauce thickens.

2. Remove from heat and add lemon zest, lemon juice and remaining blueberries.

3. Add heavy cream and 1/2 teaspoon stevia to mixer bowl. Beat at high speed to desired consistency. Remove cream from bowl and set aside.

4. Add Greek yogurt to mixer bowl and beat at high speed to desired consistency. Fold whipped cream into yogurt. (If you'd like, you can whip the cream and yogurt at the same time, but I find that each mixture gets a bit fluffier if you do them separately and then fold together.)

5. To serve, layer cream, then granola, then blueberry sauce and repeat.