"From Your Freezer to Your Family" E-Cookbook

If you have been paying attention lately, I have been singing the praises of Stephanie from Mama and Baby Love. I first discovered her blog thanks to Pinterest and her original post about freezer cooking only using slow cooker recipes and I kind of fell in love with her. She is a rock star in about a million different ways and she has sort of become my new P-dub! Her writing touches something in my heart and soul and I hope someday I can meet her "for real."

Recently, she published an e-cookbook with lots of her great slow cooker freezer meals. I purchased my copy immediately and I'm super-excited about finally trying some of these great recipes, especially the barbeque chicken. As if I wasn't enough in love with her and her stuff, she goes the extra mile to include grocery lists and printable labels for each of the recipes (and we all know how much I love organizing, lists, labels, and printables!

One thing that characterizes her recipes, and that she explains really well in the introduction to the cookbook, is the use of "real food." This is a very new concept for me since pretty much every meal I have consumed most of my life included at least one element that was processed. I am trying to baby step my way into some of this, and her recipes are a great introduction to this idea in a way that seems very approachable and pretty darn easy!

Right now you can get her e-cookbook for only $5.99. The price will be going up in a few weeks, so I would recommend getting it now! If you still need a last minute Mother's Day gift, this would be a great solution - you could put together a cute little basket with a new slow cooker (or even a cute serving bowl), a pot of fresh herbs, a couple of wooden spoons, and some cute towels.

You can get the book by clicking the new button on my sidebar (can I just say buttons excite me more than they probably should!) or by clicking here to visit Mama And Baby Love.

Book Review: Still by Lauren F. Winner

Remember when I first posted about Still? I read it throughout Lent and finished it shortly before Holy Week. Today, the RevGalBookPals are sharing lots of different reviews of this book, so I thought I would throw mine in there since I finally finished.

I'm not going to lie, this book took a long time for me to read. It's not because I couldn't get into it. In fact, it was quite the contrary. I was SO into it, it wasn't just a mental exercise, but was a very emotional experience as well. I get really into books. I identify with characters and will laugh out loud at funny stuff and tear up at sad stuff. But this was a whole new level of experience for me. When I write reviews, I try to be as objective as I can while still claiming my own experience. But there was no objectivity in this reading so there can be no objectivity in my writing about it. Just consider that my disclaimer.

"Middles"

Beginning on page 60, the chapter about "Middles" seems to have particular significance to me, especially now as I enter my Season of Sabbath and a new middle of of my own. Ms. Winner says that "middles are often defined by what they are not" which definitely hooked me. This idea of the middle defined by what it isn't is how my first theology class at Vanderbilt Divinity School was taught, and it really threw me for a loop, but has become an important part of how I think, and I'm pretty proud of it! The connection to "the spiritual equivalent of middle school" was quite painful, but something worth thinking about. The fact that she claimed her own dislike of the same idea was quite comforting to me! The idea of the middle game as the beginning of creativity was a new one to me, and gave me a lot of hope for my own middle, and this new journey.

Later, on page 132, she states "this is a condition of the middle: you take wisdom where you find it" to which I wrote the comment "A thousand amens!" (Which I decided would be a great subtitle for this post, because that has generally been my response to this whole book!)

"Anxiety, II"

The writing about anxiety definitely hit home with me (as if everything else didn't!) because anxiety has been a huge battle for at least the last 10 years of my life, maybe even more. I'm finally getting to a point where my life isn't as controlled by my anxiety, but that produces its own anxiety because it's such a new and foreign thing to me. The second chapter on anxiety, beginning on page 88, had me underlining and writing probably more than any other chapter. The idea of "living by quarter hours" gave me a very concrete suggestion for a way of being in the world. While I haven't actively practiced this yet, the idea stays with me and I think it will be lived out and lived into at some point in the not so distant future.

When I came across the line taken from the desert fathers, "after noticing a thought, replace it with prayer." I immediately thought of the phrase "wrap it in prayer" which has always been a little uncomfortable for me. But as I turned this phrase over and over in my mind, this is what I came up with and wrote in my book:

"Wrap it in prayer" - not trying to hide or smother whatever it is, but to hold, comfort, or protect it. Sort of like wrapping something (or someone) in a quilt or in a hug.

Let it go. It doesn't mean that whatever it is will leave, but it does mean that because you aren't holding on to that thing, you are free to hold onto something else.

In a slightly unrelated note, I appreciated that, when she made reference to "the Jesus Prayer," she wrote it out! I have often heard of "the Jesus Prayer" and read about ways people use it or times they say it, but I never knew exactly what it was! That simple gift of not making assumptions was especially touching to me, and a good reminder about why it's important to not make assumptions about what people, even life-long "church people", know!

I'm going to read this book again, but not for a while. I'm already thinking of the idea of using this as a sort of Lenten devotion for next year because I am expecting to have my mind and heart in a very different place as a result of my Season of Sabbath and time at the Academy. Check back with me this time next year to see what else I have to say!

And if you want the short version, YES I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO EVERYONE!

The gift of "Still"

Early in February, RevGals posted about a giveaway of a new book, "Still" by Lauren Winner. And somehow, I didn't see the post. Thankfully, I noticed a "reminder" on facebook and was able to get in just under the wire and get a copy of the book. I'm all about new books, especially free books so I was super-excited. I figured this would be a nice addition to my lenten observation.

I got my book on Friday the 24th. It wasn't until I had the physical book in my hand that I saw, under the author's name, "author of Girl Meets God" and I literally did a little happy dance in my kitchen! That was definitely one of my favorite books in college (I think i got it within a week of its release) and I fell in love with the book and the author because I felt such a kinship with Lauren. In fact, it was because of reading Girl Meets God that I decided that I needed to read the Mitford books by Jan Karon (which also became favorites!)

As I went to Vanderbilt I sort of forgot about Girl Meets God and my imagined friendship with the amazing Lauren Winner, but not about important parts of what I read. Every single lent, I think about how she gave up books one year, and how I keep thinking one day I'll be able to make that stretch but I haven't been able to do it yet. In spite of my "forgetting" there's always been a little part of my brain and my soul that felt that, even though our backgrounds and experiences were different, there was someone somewhere who understood me and my story! After we renovated our basement and I got to unpacking lots of my books, I found my copy of Girl Meets God and it was a much-needed reminder of all of these things.

Anywho, back to Still ... I got the book and was doing my little happy dance. I actually almost cried when I saw the note that came in the envelope with the book. It was drawn with a sharpie on copy paper and looked exactly like something I would do. It said, very simply, "Thank you for your ministry and your interest in Still." That was it, but just that simple "thank you" was incredibly nourishing to me. I needed that right now. The book sat on my kitchen table for the whole weekend because of Jeff's birthday and the fact that we were gone. I finally sat down with it on Sunday night.

I started to not write in it - my name or notes or lines or anything, but as soon as I turned the page and saw that it was autographed, I knew it wasn't going anywhere and picked up my pen. I started underlining in the preface, and when I got to the end I found myself not just making a note, but journaling a paragraph IN MY BOOK! That's not anything I normally do, but I did it this time. This is what I wrote...

I want to skip ahead to section three. So much of me knows, instinctively, the first two because they are my story up until recently. In many ways, they are like a wound I know has begun to heal (and heal well) but which I am still afraid to fce. But face it I must. So here goes. I'm ripping off the bandage and taking a peek...

That first night, I read the entire first section. I was engaged and in love. Yet, after an hour and forty-five minutes of reading and absorbing and reflecting, I was utterly exhausted. Monday I read some more. Again, as much as I loved it, it was exhausting and after an hour I needed a nap. As much as I would love to fly through this book, and as amazing as it is, it isn't really a "fly through" kind of book. Maybe this is just my opinion, but if you can and do fly through it, you are missing something pretty major. I'm still working on it, and I'm looking forward to the experiences and understandings that I know are yet to come.

One of these days I want to meet the amazing Ms. Winner. As much as I would like to eloquently thank her for her books and what they have meant to me, I know deep down I would probably only babble like a star-struck idiot or burst into tears and hug her (or a horribly embarrassing combination of the two!)

But yeah, "Still" is an amazing book and you should read it! I would say you could borrow my copy, but it may be a while...

Friday Five - Books

I am not digging this whole working on Friday thing (and thus, not getting my Friday Five done in a timely manner!) I think I'm going to have to start taking my laptop to work with me on Fridays and working on it over my lunch break. But enough griping...

Today's Friday Five touches on another of my all-time favorite topics - books! I generally can't get enough books, and it's been this way for as long as I can remember. Even when I was young, my brother and cousins would get toy airplanes and other stuff for Christmas, and all I would want is a stack of books. My grandmother would usually feel bad that I didn't have any toys, so she would get me the same thing she got the guys, but it usually went un-touched (or the guys would take it after one of theirs broke!) because all I wanted was my books!

What books have you recently read? Tell us your opinion of them. Unfortunately, I haven't done a ton of pleasure reading lately, most of it has been my texts for CPE. One fun one I found as a free Kindle download that I've really enjoyed was "Stuck in the Middle" by Virginia Smith. It's a little bit cheesy and predictable, but doesn't require a whole lot of mental investment to enjoy it. It's the first of a trilogy so I will probably get the others soon.

What books are awaiting your available time to be read? The newest one by Jan Karon, the new one or two by Joanne Fluke, the second of the "Miss Julia" books, and anything Janet Evanovich might be coming out with. Also, the next two of the Virginia Smith trilogy. I'm keeping a good list of stuff I want to get before vacation in April! I have a few leftovers from my last beach vacation in September that I haven't gotten to and one of the Mrs. Murphy mysteries my step-mom gave me, but none of them are really tugging at me right now. Harry Potter is somewhere on the radar, but I may put that one in my audio book list!

Have any books been recently recommended? The Resilient Practitioner, which is a guide for self-care for those in the "high touch" professions. It's more work reading than pleasure reading, but I enjoyed what I saw of it and am looking forward to digging into it more in the weeks to come.

Also, Hinds Feet on High Places. It's not something I would have chosen for myself, but I'm enjoying it none the less. It's going to take me a little time to get through it because it's not "fluff" and it's very thought provoking, but I can see this becoming an important part of my personal library. I still haven't decided if I can say I am enjoying it or simply appreciating it.

What genre of books are your favorites, along with some titles/authors you enjoy? I don't know if I necessarily have a favorite genre, but I classify them as "fluff" because they are typically fiction and don't require a whole lot of attention or intentional engagement. Right now my favorites are Jan Karon, Janet Evanovich, and Joanne Fluke. I'd love to get back into reading some stuff by Beverly Lewis and maybe even more Nicholas Sparks. But for now, I will stick to whatever I have the time and/or funds for (which right now is not much on either account!)

What have you read lately that you have a strong urge to recommend? Nothing really jumping out at me right now. Like I said, most everything has been pastoral care texts. If you need some thoughts on those, let me know!

Bonus thoughts: Are you a book purist or do you embrace the digital? I got my Kindle about 3 years ago when they were brand new. And I have really loved it. My husband loves the fact that it's that many less books he has to try and find a home for or move! I have since gotten the Kindle app for my computer (not ideal, but it works) and my iPhone. I ADORE having it on my phone because I always have something to read. Waiting just about anywhere doesn't really bother me anymore because I am never bored! Have to sit for an hour at the restaurant waiting for a table? No problem! Gonna be 45 more minutes at the oil change place? Fine! Stuck in an elevator at work? Doesn't bother me a bit! The only down side is that I can't (ok, won't) use it for professional stuff. I like to be able to make my notes in the margins and put my sticky notes in and spread it out in front of me while I work. I still love beautiful, classic hardback books. And children's/picture books MUST be "real" books, but for my own stuff, digital is the way to go for me!

Self Care for the Week - Therapy on Wednesday. This week was good, but hard. I'm curious about the way next week will go. It sort of feels like watching a wreck on the highway. You know it's going to be messy but you can't help but be interested!

Friday Five - Comfort Media

Today's Friday Five invites us to share about favorite forms of media that bring comfort and peace. This was a more difficult exercise than I expected it to be because I go through phases in my "comfort media." And since this is supposed to be the "Friday Five" rather than the "Friday Fifty" I decided to go with things that currently bring me comfort and peace.

Books by Jan Karon - I believe I started reading these books early in my college career and I absolutely fell in love with the setting, the characters, and her writing style. I was absolutely heartbroken when the first series, The Mitford Years, ended. But I do love my occasional return trips to Mitford. And I am especially thrilled that there is now a new series (and now a brand new book!) Everything she writes seems to become an "old favorite" even after I read it the first time! The picture today is of the newest book that I am going to see about acquiring this weekend!

Music by Chris Rice - I have not kept up with much of his stuff after about 2005, but I adore what I have and would love to get more. My favorites have always been "Smell the Color Nine" and "The Living Room Sessions - Hymns" but hearing his voice is just amazingly soothing to me. If anyone out there is searching for Christmas gift ideas for me, I'd love to have "The Living Room Sessions - Christmas" eventually!

The Wemmicks books by Max Lucado - I don't care that these are "children's books", it is wonderful to be reminded in such a tangible way that, "You are special!" I currently have two of these sitting on my desk at the hospital and I have found myself reading them about every other day. Good stuff!

Casino - Ok, I know this doesn't seem like a typical "warm fuzzy" movie, but it is for me. Mostly because when I am watching it, I am curled up on the couch with my husband! Now that I've seen it several times, I don't have to use my brain a whole lot when I watch it and it lets me re-charge!

The Golden Girls - Whether it's a re-run on tv or my DVDs (I have the entire series!) I love to get a giggle at Dorothy, Sophia, Rose, and Blanche! I can probably quote most episodes but I love that they still make me laugh! This is also a special something I like to share with Jeff because he had never seen them until we first started dating but it didn't take long before he was hooked, too. Now we usually watch at least one re-run somewhere before we go to bed!

What kinds of things give you comfort and peace? Share away, I'm always looking for more!

So, um...

I was all set to post a lovely entry tonight on the Southern Women's Show. I had a wonderful time last year and have been looking forward to it. I was actually pretty stoked when my hospital schedule worked out for me to be off Friday and I figured that would be the perfect chance. My mother-in-law wanted to go with me so we were all set to have some girl time, but sadly other things got in the way. Plus, I felt pretty awful Friday and really didn't get off the couch much.

Saturday I was on-call at the hospital. It was a really great, affirming experience that I absolutely needed at this point. I cam home after my 12 hour shift very tired, but the good kind of tired. Not the "oh I was miserable and now I'm exhausted" kind, but the "I worked hard and was very productive and now I need to rest and re-charge" kind. I like being that kind of tired.

Today I figured we'd re-schedule girl time after church. It would be a good way to keep me in town because tonight I had *dum dum dum* CHARGE CONFERENCE! Well, by the time we finished with choir practice (because I had to run the sound board) and were starving, Jeff wanted to grab lunch. We did, and at that point it was almost 2pm so I really didn't feel like fighting my way around the civic center and paying for a ticket to the show since I wasn't after anything in particular, didn't really have money to burn for myself, and knew all the good freebies would be gone anyway!

I decided to waste my afternoon at Books-A-Million instead. It's been a long time since I wandered into a bookstore and made myself at home on the floor in one of the aisles, but it felt really nice! I probably spent a lot more time than I should have with the children's books, but I didn't give a rip. I relived a lot of great memories. I've got to get a new copy of the Pokey Little Puppy! I also decided to be productive and get a few more Christmas gifts. I'm almost done!

Charge Conference went well. Still, I'm glad it's only once a year!

So that's been my weekend! Hope yours was a bit more exciting!

Beach Reading

I absolutely love to read for pleasure. I really haven't done a whole lot of that lately, so going to the beach for several days was the perfect excuse for scooping up some new reading material. For the 4 days I was there (more than half of two of them, I was traveling!) I took 15 books. 6 were scooped up at the thrift store, 5 were free kindle downloads, and 4 were old re-reads that I took as my "backup" material in case I somehow finished everything else! It was an interesting mix of mindless and thoughtful material.

Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind by Ann B. Ross - I believe my family made the rounds through most of the Miss Julia books as they were first coming out, but somehow they never got to me. They appeared on my radar a couple of years ago, but I never got around to them. And I'm one of those folks that HAS to start at the beginning of a series. So when I saw this one hanging out at the thrift store, I scooped it up! I was surprisingly disappointed by it. It wasn't especially entertaining, and although the characters were pretty multi-faceted, it didn't grab my attention right off, and even when I thought I was getting into it, I wouldn't stay in very long before I was asking myself "is it done yet?" I admit to skimming a lot in the middle. I did finish the thing (although I kind of had to force myself!) and I'm glad I did because it ended well. I will probably try to read the next one at some point, but I'm not just busting a gut to get at it and if it drags like this one, I'll be done!

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant - This one was highly recommended to me by my friend and former pastor Diane Luton Blum. I had seen it at the hospital and meant to borrow it, but never got around to it and I think it went home with someone because I haven't seen it recently. I was thrilled to find it at the thrift store, too! In a word, AMAZING! Unlike Miss Julia, this is one of those that I couldn't (or wouldn't) put down. Even making a snack or attempting to do something else, I had my nose buried in it. I will probably keep this one and read it again and again at various times throughout my life.

Murder Makes Waves by Anne George - This was a re-read I came across when we were cleaning out the shed. I know I've read it but don't remember anything about it, so I figured it would be perfect for the beach. The Southern Sisters mysteries are always wonderful fun. Even though they're technically a "mystery" they are funny and relatively mindless, although not necessarily predictable and even though they're a series, you don't necessarily have to read them in order.

Montessori: A Modern Approach by Paula Polk Lillard- This one was not my typical genre, but it was something I couldn't pass up when I saw it at the thrift store. I am really getting curious about alternative educational options, and although I've read a few brief summaries about how the local montessori school "works" I wanted to explore a little more. I suppose I should have been paying a little more attention, and I will tell on myself. I absolutely made a judgement about this one based on the appearance of the exterior. It was in good shape and not obviously worn or dated. Turns out, it was first published in the 70s and part of me wonders if this wasn't someone's dissertation that had been published. Because of the age, the "modern approach" is a matter of opinion. I had a really hard time getting into it, so I put it aside for a little while. It required a little more thought than I was willing to give it. At the end of the day, I think I want to simply get Dr. Montessori's work and read it for myself!

Somewhere to Belong by Judith Miller - This was a free Kindle download. The summary sort of reminded me of some of the Beverly Lewis books I used to read (and would like to read again) but with a twist because it was set in a "colony" of communal Christian living and with the plot circling around a girl transitioning into that world. I was expecting it to be slightly more modern, but overall I've enjoyed getting started on it. I think it will be good.

Full Scoop by Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes - This book is the precise reason I like to read books in order. I picked this one up and read it circa 2006, but the whole time something felt a little "off", like I was missing something pretty important. Turns out I was - about five books! Now that I have some of the back story and a framework for the majority of the characters, it was a much easier re-read.

The Florabama Ladies' Auxiliary & Sewing Circle by Lois Battle - This is another one that sounded vaguely familiar to me but I had never read so I scooped it up at the thrift store. As a general rule, I'm a sucker when it comes to books set in Alabama. I didn't get to this one, but I will soon enough!

My Favorite Things - p.26

It's hard to believe that I have done six whole months of this! I want to see if I can keep going for a whole year, so suggestions for topics area always appreciated.

These are a few of my favorite children's books. I love children's books because the pictures are beautiful and the simplicity of the language is refreshing. Plus, I have lots of happy memories associated with books.

The Country Bunny and the Little Golden Shoes - this is a great story that combines a lot of my favorite things. First of all it has a great moral/message. It's not just about having physical abilities, but about having the mind and heart to go with it and having the drive and determination to try and to keep going in the face of adversity. Secondly, it's about a girl keeping up with (and even doing better than) the boys! Thirdly, it's about an amazing working mother who proves that your life and your dreams don't end when you have children! And of course it has beautiful pictures of a sweet little brown bunny who saves Easter for one child! I guess that is a not-so-hidden (but also not so obvious) message - that it's not about just doing for the majority, but about the fact that every life and every person matters. Just trust me, you should read it.

Once Upon a Potty - educational and entertaining. Although I would venture that most people reading this really don't need the instructional part of it, it's still a cute book. There is even a "his" and "hers" versions. And there are lots of pictures of poo, which every kid likes!

The Polar Express - this was my family Christmas Eve tradition rather than reading "the night before Christmas". I was very disappointed with the movie. I understand why they added a lot of stuff to it, because it's a short book and you had to fill in more of the story to make it long enough for a movie. But they changed the climax, and I didn't like that at all. I had a good time riding the ride at Sea World last year, but the book will forever be the "right" way to hear this story. It's a nice reminder about the importance of believing in magic, even when you "should know better".

Peter Rabbit - actually, I love everything by Beatrix Potter. I think the thing I love best (now) is that none of the characters are furry humans, their homes, foods, and activities are largely those of the animals you would observe in the English countryside. However, the way they often go about these things has a distinctly human twist that makes it relatable. They also have wonderful interactions with great things to be taught. They are well over 100 years old, and still doing great things in the world of literature.

My Favorite Things - p.6

Because I love series and can't pick just one favorite book, these are some of my favorite authors.

Jan Karon - Not only has she written the amazing Mitford books, she has also written a bunch of absolutely favorite children's books. If you haven't read anything of hers, you should. They're all absolutely brilliant but still easy to read and don't make you think too hard. They are sweet and you may cry a little, but it's a good thing, I promise.

Joann Fluke - I like her murder mysteries because they aren't scary mysteries. They aren't always predictable but they are fun. And there is a romantic element, but they aren't romance novels. It's a nice balance. And they come with recipes!

Janet Evanovich - I have literally read everything of hers I could find. I love it all. The Stephanie Plum novels are hilarious, but I think the Alex Barnaby books were my favorite. There's only two of them and I wish there were more. I would like to re-read "Full Scoop" because I read the full series out of order (Full Scoop was actually the first of her books I ever read). At one point I had two copies of that one and now I can't find either of them! And if you don't want to get sucked into reading a series, try some of her re-released romances like Thanksgiving or Manhunt! Jeff calls these my "red shoe" books, but I have caught him reading one on my kindle before.

Anne George - Her books are called the "southern sisters" mysteries. They're very funny murder mysteries all set in and around Birmingham (which is probably why I love them). The author was a retired English teacher from Birmingham and the former Alabama State poet and I'm all about supporting my local folks, too! I never really read the books in order and it didn't matter too much, the story lines aren't totally dependent on one another, but I do want to go back and read them all in order some day. The series feels sort of incomplete because she never intended it to end. You could tell it was leading up to another book, but she died before it was ever written. Part of me would love to do a few more myself just because I want to know what happens next! She does have one book not related to the series that I haven't read, so it's on my list!

C.S. Lewis - The Narnia books are awesome. If you haven't read them do it now. I'll wait. And while the movies do a good job of telling the stories, it's still not the same thing. His other stuff is also good. I'm not a big sci-fi fan so I haven't read those yet, but I am very partial to The Great Divorce and The Screwtape Letters. Read those too, while you're at it.

Alton Brown - I know he's not a "traditional" author, but he is an author of cookbooks. I really like his books because they focus more on technique than on particular recipes. I don't think I ever realized that's why I liked them until recently. I'm currently reading "Think Like A Chef" by Tom Colicchio which is shaping up to also be excellent. And yes I do just read cookbooks. You learn a lot that way.

So topic for comment today is obviously what are some of your favorite books and/or who are some of your favorite authors and why?