Bon Appetite!

One of my favorite things to do during the week or weekend is to look through my cookbooks and other recipe websites and blogs to figure out the next week's meals. It's okay. You can think it's silly. But I love planning ahead and preparing our menu, looking for new recipes to try and returning to older tried and true comfort foods. Then I make my grocery list and head to the store to get food for the next week.

Many people probably cringe with the thought of going to the grocery store, dealing with long lines and carts. It can be a chore.

I look forward to the grocery store, especially Costco, Publix, and my favorite Whole Foods. Love. Filling up my cart and then bringing everything home and putting it away in its designated spot. It's almost calming to me. Do I sound crazy yet?

So for this week's dinner, we are mostly sticking with delicious, fall-flavored comfort foods.

Pork tenderloin flavored with cinnamon and all-spice with goat-cheese mashed potatoes. Creamy and warm mushroom soup with carrots, celery and parmesan cheese. And the not fall-themed dinner, sunken burritos. Chicken with bell peppers, rice, and black beans. All rolled up into a burrito shell and topped with enchilada sauce, monteray jack cheese, and one of my most-beloved seasonings, cilantro. Oh snap. Deliciousness all-around.

I'm missing my grandparents today.

I like

The smell of fresh-baked goods in my house.

Yesterday was honey-walnut scones.

Today it is rosemary bread. Currently rising and waiting to be baked in the oven.

You should come over and enjoy the goodness.

A New Covenant

"When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly." Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, "Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God." ~Genesis 17:1-8

Many nights during the week, after dinner, Adam and I read a passage of the Bible aloud together and then talk about it for a few minutes. I have to confess that many nights, I come to this part of our evening with an attitude of selfishness and laziness. Or I just completely zone out. I'm usually tired after a long day at work, and I all I can think about is how I just want to sit on the couch and watch television, or read a book/magazine.

Reading the passage above last night was different. Hearing my own voice speak these words from God aloud almost brought me to tears. It is so beautiful and encouraging to hear these words that God speaks to Abraham, beginning this covenant with Abraham and his people. And these words weren't just meant for Abraham. They are meant for anyone who would believe in the one true God. And because of Jesus, we can be part of this covenant that God has promised. We can rest in the knowledge that God has promised to be our God.

I want to always rest in that promise.

I'm baaaaaaaaaack. Sorta.

Oh friends, I had some high hopes for blogging tonight. Nothing in particular that I wanted to blog about. Nothing incredibly witty or inspiring. Just something. Especially since it's been ages since I have written.

But I am tired. I don't have quite as much energy to write as I would have liked. Twelve hour shifts multiple days in a row is rough business. I get home, spend as much time with Adam as I can before going to bed and starting all over again.

So for now, I will be eating some delicious homemade Swedish apple pie, read a book, and then, sleep.

Goodnight.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Best. Weekend. Ever.

And here is a list of why this weekend was amazing.

1. It was my first full weekend off in over a month. Okay, it's already turning out to be a winner.

2. Going to the Saturday Market in downtown Greenville with my sweet husband and sweet friend Dorothy. People, you are missing out if you have not yet been. Fresh bell peppers. Zucchini. Squash. Tomatos. Rresh pasta. Basil. Peaches. Blueberries. This is just a short list of all the delicious and fresh foods you can get down there. Oh, and did I mention the fresh chevre cheese? I'd recommend the garlic and dill. Oh sweetness.

3. Haircut! It had been almost 8 months since my last haircut. There is fewer better feelings than getting a new hairdo. She straightened it, as always happens when I get it cut. I think hairstylists are scared of curly hair or something. But it looks awesome now! We'll just have to see how it looks curly, because it is short my friends.

4. Becoming members at Costco! Okay, we didn't even buy anything, but it was so fun to walk around and explor. All the cheese and wine. Heaven.

5. Inception. Amazing movie. Interesting ending. Go see it.

6. Church service at Downtown Presbyterian. The sermon this morning was about loving and praying for the church despite it being filled with sinners. Beautiful and convicting.

7. Delicious lunch with friends. Pork tenderloin. Tomato caprese salad. Wine. Lemonade. Swedish visiting cake for dessert. Sweet friends and good conversaton. Sunday afternoons don't get much better.

8. Nap! I am a terrible napper. There is always just so much I want to do, it's hard to make myself relax enough to sleep in the middle of the day. It usually makes me feel like I'm missing out on life. But today, it happened. And it was good.

9. And lastly, Barley's pizza and beer with friends. We go almost every Sunday. I love ending the weekend/starting a new week by relaxing with friends over good food and drink (yes, this is a recurring theme in my life) and conversation.

I am so blessed and thankful to have a weekend to rest and spend time with my husband and friends!

I have to share a recipe with you.

It's delicious. Fresh. Simple.

It comes from one of my new favorite magazines, Cooking Light. These magazines are filled with a wonderful variety of meals that are healthy and made largely from fresh fruits and vegetables. I'm addicted to them.

Tonight, Adam and I made this wonderful dish, chicken and guacamole tostadas. But without the guacamole. Okay, I made an attempt at the guacamole. I am just now beginning to like guacamole, and I have to admit that I had never even bought an avacado until tonight. Let's just say that my attempt at the gucamole was unsuccessful. Perhaps it started with my not knowing how to pick a ripe avacado. Next time.

Nonetheless, this meal was still delicious. We got a roasted chicken from Publix, pulled it into shreds, and then seasoned it with paprika and lime juice. For the topping I just chopped some tomato, onion, a poblano pepper, cilantro (my own home grown cilantro!), lime juice and a touch of sea salt. Top it all onto a tortilla and you have a meal. It can't get much simpler than that. I'm sure it would be so much better with the guac. Next time. This is a picture of the recipe from the Cooking Light website.

And now I have leftovers for work tomorrow rather than more of the same old gross hospital cafeteria food.

Come over to our house sometime and share a meal!

And hopefully I can get my act together and blog on a more regular basis.