I’ve always been told if you want to learn how to write…then read authors you want to write like. For that to be true in my life: I need to read Elyse Fitzpatrick and Shauna Niequist.
So, I supposed the same is true if you want to photograph, cook, design, create, etc…be inspired by people you want to emulate. Not copy them – but look at their work, and learn from their craft. We all need mentors in the area we want to be better in – so pick good ones!
Bread & Wine was given to me (2 copies actually) by sweet friends at our former church. I loved getting the little brown book boxes on our Rainwood front porch. Surprise! And I was then able to mail off a sweet happy package to a sweet dear old friend who loves family, wine, and food just as much as I do. That always makes me happy.
The cover of this book alone makes me want to read it – and that is a great thing. Why have a boring book cover? Don’t you want people to open it and devour its contents? I would. And Shauna’s cover makes you want to pull up in a comfy chair, have a chilled glass of wine, and settle in for the night.
This book was written – not so everyone can copy Shauna’s life, love, and pursuit of the table – but so that they can dream a little bit of their own: to happy family dinners, to good meals cooked for one – or 10, to life whether good times or bad – but learning how faith, family, and food (and maybe some wine or beer) interacts with that. One of the criticisms I read about Bread & Wine was that not many people can have the charmed life of Shauna and she seems to flaunt it. Well, can’t the same be true of Mark Twain and the Adventures of Huck Finn? Who wouldn’t want a carefree life of being always an adventure? Or can’t we say the same thing of every cookbook – thinking that every meal is going to turn out photo worthy and perfectly tasty and never burnt? Plateau status was not Shauna’s desire with this book – and nor should we be envious of any other life. God has given us our life to live, and I’m sure we never know everything about everyone else’s life.
Many of her chapters come along with delicious recipes. Here are some I want to try:
Blueberry Crisp (but I can’t keep them in the house long enough without Elijah eating them all)
Breakfast Cookies (always looking for quick breakfasts for the boys)
Goat Cheese Biscuits (hmmm, I do have goat cheese in the fridge)
Green Well Salad
Maple Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
Simplest Dark Chocolate Mousse
This book, while I didn’t agree with everything from the theology perspective, gave me many great things to think about. Here are some of my favorites:
“I feel honored to create a place around my table, a place for laughing and crying, for being seen and heard, for telling stories and creating memories.” (251)
“A heart of hospitality is creating space for these moments, protecting that fragile bubble of vulnerability and truth and love. It’s all too rare that we tell the people we love exactly why we love them – what they bring to our lives, why our lives are richer because they’re in it.” (176)
“Soup…it’s the cardigan with elbow patches.” (LOVE THIS QUOTE, 161)
So, go pull up a favorite glass, and enjoy this book. I look forward to reading more of Shauna’s writings.
Hump days are no reason not to search out fun things on the internet – so here you go! Have fun and tell me what you are finding interesting out there!
I really would love to go to this. Its not possible, but still I’d love to go.
I’m doing some series-planning in my head about boys and books. Here is a good list according to age. What books do you read to your children under 3 and how do you keep them sitting still?
All you “I have to do everything” people out there (hello, me) read this by my friend Sharon.
A girl I was briefly able to know during my time in Louisville – is such a breath of fresh air in the blog world. I love her mom-real-ness, her creativity, and everything else.
This 20-something chose to describe herself in 5 words: what would your five words be: Mine would be: introvert, creative, loyal, emotional, lover-of-my-men (1 husband, 2 boys)
I missed a great blogging conference with friends in Arkansas – but a friend posted her thoughts on food blogging.
Sharing food and getting to know new friends – what’s not to like?
I read a post from Molly about having a freezer meal party – and then a new friend posted on our Facebook group about having one. I jumped in. While the prep was heavy on the front end – we had dinner for that night and I have 4 (now 3) meals in our freezer for those busy nights or hard mothering days when I don’t feel like cooking.
A note on cooking for the freezer: I’d rather not do it all the time. Its ok. Some mothers rely on it heavily – I’m more spur of the moment in our cooking, at least weekly, and love to make things fresh and right then. I usually can get quite a bit done during nap time or we just eat later after the boys go to bed. But, for those who love do it – thanks for finding ways to provide your family healthy foods. Keep it up!
This recipe for chili is from a wife, momma, and athlete. My husband has loved it – and loves the spice in it. I’m sure you can cut back on the jalapenos if you like your chili with less heat. Thanks Delaine!
Spicy Beef Chili
Recipe Type: Soup
Cuisine: Beef
Author: Delaine Brannen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8-10
A hearty and spicy chili
Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
2 onions
4 ribs celery
4 T canola oil
2 cans tomato paste
1 28 oz can pinto beans, drained
3.5 T jalapenos, chopped
3.25 T chili powder
3.25 T cumin
2 tsp basil
1.5 t oregano
2 tsp garlic powder
2 T salt
1 can corn, drained
Instructions
Cook the ground beef. Set aside to drain on some paper towels.
Cook down the onion and celery in some canola oil.
Combine all the rest (except corn) and add 3-5 tomato paste cans of water.
Simmer on low for an hour.
Test the seasonings and see what you need to add (if anything).
Add corn right before serving.
Top with cheese, sour cream, bacon, avocado – anything. Serve with fritos, spaghetti, or cornbread.
One of the true joys about living near the mountains is picking apples. We actually picked apples in Canada on our honeymoon. So fun to do something you enjoy with the man you enjoy most in the world.
Picking apples is great exercise and you get healthy food out of it – just don’t get most of your exercise from doing squats to pick up the ones from the ground. Worm eaten apples aren’t worth it.
I also remember crab apples. My grandparent’s dirt road used to be lined with apple trees and we would run up and down the roads, getting dirty and eating sour apples. Ah, the joys of childhood.
I can’t wait to take my boys apple picking – to see their joy when they can hold what they pick in their little bitty hands and hold it up as if to say This is my apple! They love wandering around with anything in their hands, so apples will be just the treat for them!
This recipe is topped with some delicious additions to make it even better. First, I most give a shout out to the Mister. He said he would like this cake better with a caramel sauce. I’ll work on that babe. Talenti Gelato is amazing and their containers make great desk accessories – and its made right here in Marietta where we live. Their Tahitian Vanilla Bean is rich and deep. (Side note to any Talenti people reading this: can my boys and I come do a tour and taste testing?) Then I tried my hand at melting down red hots in apple juice – and it worked as a chewy magic shell. It basically made the dish pretty.
Apple Scone Cake ala mode with Red Hot Drizzle
Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Cake
Author: The Charming South Kitchen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted chilled butter (cut into pieces)
1 egg
1/2 cup (minus 2 tbsp) milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 granny smith apple, thinly sliced
3 tbsp sugar
cinnamon to taste
Instructions
Mix the dry with the butter and run it in your food processor till you get coarse crumbs.
Add in the liquid and combine.
Put half of the mixture on the bottom and side of a deep dish pie pan (that’s been sprayed). Dough will be sticky.
Thinly slice two apples and arrange on top of the dough.
Then drop the rest of the dough on top like drop biscuits. Top with cinnamon and sugar.
