Zaycon Fresh

Zaycon Fresh is a company I came across in the last few months as I was roaming the internet for ways to save money. They are a company that provides meat direct from the farm to the consumer without a middleman. This means that the meat is fresh and is not frozen, defrosted and then refrozen again. The catch is that you have to buy the meat in large quantities. However, if you have a deep freezer this is no problem or you can do what we do and split the meat with other people. The meat is cheaper than the store plus I always get emails about different sales on items. My latest purchase was chicken breast for $1.59/lb. They have a wide range of meat choices ranging from ground beef to shrimp and they are always adding more. I will say that the only sketchy part about the whole thing is that you pick up your meat off the back of a truck, haha. The pick up locations are usually in a church parking lot and the truck does have the company logo on it. Unfortunately for my New England friends this company does not have any pick up locations in the region. They do have many in the south and mid-west. Here is a link if you are interested in giving it a go https://zayconfresh.com/refer/zf806535

Below is some pork I purchased from Zaycon recently. 

Buttermilk Pancakes

Growing up we had a tradition of always having waffles for breakfast on Saturday. We carry on this tradition, even to this day, when we are all gathered together. As a single person, making one waffle is no fun or worth the time to pull the waffle maker out so I would make pancakes instead. I've slowly tweaked my recipe over time and found one that I like. (Funny pancake story: I remember when my roommate in college was blown away by the fact that you could make pancakes from scratch. Let's just say she discovered a lot that year in the kitchen.)

Buttermilk Pancakes
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons (tsp) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Little less than 1/4 sugar (I always guess on the sugar)
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1-2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
Add fruit, chocolate, or spices (optional)

Your griddle should be on medium. Your batter should be thick. It should drop onto the griddle, not spread. Turn over the pancakes when there are bubbles forming on the top. 

Must Have Summer Drink

Oh summer. Summer is one of my favorite seasons because it means sun, beach, outdoor fun, fresh produce, cookouts, and my birthday. Although, it also means the most quintessential summer side dish is back....Watermelon!! Who doesn't like watermelon? It's refreshing, sweet, juicy, and brings back childhood memories. A few years ago I came across Watermelon Lemonade and decided to make some. I hadn't made any since but since now living in the south with a blazing summer heat I figured some watermelon lemonade at VBS would be just the thing. It was a hit! (Plus it makes such a pretty color) You can find many recipes for it online but I would say they one could make it without a recipe. Just make it according to what tastes good to you. I'll list the ingredients below.

Watermelon (I like the personal size ones)
Lemon Juice
Sugar/Simple syrup
Water

Put the watermelon flesh in a blender and blend for a few seconds until watery. Pour it through a strainer to separate the pulp and seeds from the juice. I would suggest to start with 2 cups of watermelon juice and 1 cup of lemon juice. You can add more of each if you desire. Then add some boiling water and the sugar. The boiling water helps to dissolve the sugar better. Once the sugar is dissolved, add cold water. Mix and taste. Add more of whatever ingredient according to your taste. If you buy lemon juice there is usually a ratio of water to lemon juice on he bottle.

Start with a basic watermelon lemonade first and then branch out from there. I've added mint leaves to mine before.

Enjoy your summer lemonade experiments :)

According to the World's Standards

Have you ever felt like you’ve failed? Especially at life? A few weeks ago I had this overcoming feeling that I had failed at what I “should be” doing in life and what it “should” look like. I felt like I wasn’t making a difference. I’m 28 years old, married to my wonderful husband of 10 months, graduated college 7 years ago with a Bachelors and two Associates degrees, and am currently a church secretary. In those 7 years after graduation I had one job that was in my career choice and it lasted for about one and a half years. I wasn’t fired, I chose to leave for various reasons. My college hammered into us that we needed to climb the ladder in our field. We needed to do all that we could to further ourselves. I saw students dropping out of one club in order to be in another one that would get them “connected” and give them experience in their field. I have seen classmates post on facebook and Instagram about their jobs in our field and to be honest, I have often thought about unfriending them because of this, but that wouldn't make me feel any better. 

When I graduated, however, I started working with the campus ministry as a semester missionary. I did that for two and a half years and then worked at a wine store (the job in my field). Which after about a year and I half I left. I started working as my church’s secretary and married my husband after a year and a half into that job and then moved to the south where I am a church secretary again. Mind you, during all of this I continued to bake on the side, trying to keep up what I had learned in school. It wasn’t that I didn’t look for a job in my field it’s that there a limited amount of jobs where I lived.

While at school I tried to join clubs that would put me in the right direction but climbing the ladder was never appealing to me. I started to become more involved in my campus ministry and that’s where I grew the most in all areas of my life. I met some of my best friends, I had a huge family through my church, I got to travel to Russia and China, and people who cared about me invested their time in me. I was also pouring into the generations that were coming behind me. I felt useful and needed. I felt like I belonged. I was happy and had something better to live for that just going to work everyday and trying to get ahead. I had all of eternity with Christ to live for.

I told my husband about how I was feeling and he helped to remind me of a few things. If I had not gone to school where I did I would never have met my friends, I would never have found the church I did, I would never have met him! “Just think of all the good that came out of you being there, what you learned and the people you met. Plus I benefit from your degree every day 😊” That’s basically what he said to me. He was right and I had totally forgot. I have often looked at the reason I went to school where I did was because of God and His plans for my life. Because let’s be honest, I would not have chosen to go to Rhode Island of all places if I had not been accepted to school.

Yes, according to the world’s standards I may be failing at life and am not where I should be. But why am I measuring myself against the world’s standards. We are told in Isaiah 40:6-8 that “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” This world is temporary. I am temporary. Everything has its time and passes away and so will this world. If I am living to the world’s standards then what do I have at the end of the day? I would never be satisfied. If I live by God’s standards, strive to be more like Christ every day, let His word be my guide, love my husband like I am commanded in Ephesians, and live as Titus 2 commands women, then my life is not wasted but satisfying. I am a vessel that God is using, even in the most minuscule ways, in this world for His glory. That is not a failed life and I need to remind myself of that daily. I need to remind myself of the gospel and what the Lord has already done in me and my life. I must remember to live for him daily and not myself. 

Quaint & Delicious, the Jefferson Diner

Monday morning was a lovely start to a gorgeous day. As usual we had to eat breakfast, so we met up with our beautiful friend Brittney at the Jefferson Diner. I'm picky about diners because of the years I spent in New Jersey, so I wasn't putting my hopes too high.

Side note: Diners started in Rhode Island, New Jersey just perfected them. But really, for a state that started diners it doesn't have that many of them. I haven't had much luck with diners in Rhode Island so far and am hoping there are still a few good ones out there.

A couple months ago LauraBeth drove past this little building, located on the corner of an intersection in Warwick, called the Jefferson Diner. The parking lot was always packed out, which means it must be good, but we just never went. Since most places in Providence are closed on Mondays (so frustrating) we decided it was the perfect opportunity to give the establishment a try and it was better than expected.

It was established in 1969, consists of six booths, a counter of stools and a very friendly staff. Decorated with brown checkered curtains, black vinyl cushions and classic round lighting fixtures, stepping into the Jefferson Diner was like time stood still. You could tell that not much had changed and with it came a feeling of comfort.

The menu consisted of two pages. One side was for breakfast, the other was for lunch. Keeping it plain and simple means they serve what they know they are good at. It also makes it easier for the customer to order because there aren't as many options to be distracted with. 

It took a little while for our order to be taken, but it was fine. Sitting there in the booth talking, I forgot we were in a society where people need things here and now. It was like a little vacation from the outside world.

  

We had one order of RAY'S "Too Good To Be True!" - Poached eggs on cornbread and homefries, and two orders of the breakfast sandwich special - An egg with cheese, tomato and bacon on a grilled english muffin with homefries.  

It was like having some of momma's home cooking. You didn't want to put it down, well at least I didn't want to put my sandwich down. The homefries were cooked perfectly, which is important because sometimes you get them and they taste stale. These were fresh and seasoned to perfection. I only wish it contained more onions.

Looking and listening to the diner around us as we ate, you could tell it was a "usual" place for many people.

With cheap prices, great food, a comforting atmosphere and a friendly staff I could see why it was a "usual" in the lives of many.

If you are looking for a new place to try or a place that will take you away from the outside world for a while, visit the Jefferson Diner. I guarantee it will be worth your while. 

The Jefferson Diner is located at 175 Jefferson Blvd, Warwick, RI, 02888

Bristol, Brunch & The Beehive Cafe

I LOVE breakfast!! 

I love everything about it and the fact that you can eat it for any meal of the day.
With this love, however, comes very critical taste buds. I mean, if you are an establishment that offers breakfast, you can't just serve a mediocre meal. You have to have flavor, creativity, and passion.

My partner in crime for most of these adventures if my best friend LauraBeth. Our goal is to try all the breakfast places in Rhode Island. We'll see how far we get.

We had been to one of our favorite little towns for breakfast before and on the drive we passed this cute two window cafe and always said we wanted to go back. You know how it goes. Well a few weeks ago we did.
In the town of Bristol, RI there is a small establishment called The Beehive Cafe. Now when I mean small, I don't mean a whole in the wall but it is a bit tight at times, which is not always bad.

As you walk up to the building, you are greeted by customers enjoying their morning meals, conversations & newspapers in the sun. As you open the door, the first thing you see is a counter and pastry case full of enticing breakfast or dessert goodies, which I'm not sure how you can resist.
All orders are placed at the counter, so grab a menu and read it outside or check out the menu online before going. It will make for a much easier time, because it can get crowded in the front room. They do have plenty of seating upstairs and they even have a little deck with three tables, which is where we sat. Outside but also shaded.

When you order your meal you don't get a table number but you get an animal figurine....a cute and quirky addition. Now LauraBeth judges a place not only by their food but also by their coffee. I on the other hand judge by the non coffee drinks they offer. I was very pleased with The Beehive Cafe. They had a very large three or four shelf unit by the counter filled with jars of tea. I was in heaven, but there were so many options it was hard to choose.

The menu was as equally enticing. There was not a plethora of options like some establishments, but they offered a bit of everything with a slight southern twist.

I chose to indulge my taste buds with the Coconut French Toast and LauraBeth went for the Lemon Cornmeal Pancakes. Oh my goodness was it delicious! Everything is made with ingredients sourced from local farms and cooked by people who have a passion for what they do. It just pours out into their food and you can tell. 

It was a warm Summer's day and so as we were leaving we couldn't not get a cool, refreshing drink. I believe I got the ginger mint iced tea, which was the perfect balance between ginger & sweet. You know that sound your mouth makes after you drink something satisfying that hits the spot? That's what this drink was. You just couldn't help yourself. 

If asked to describe their food this is what they say, "Food that busy people wish they had time to cook at home, but cannot. Comforting, recognizable, and made in small batches." 

Doesn't it send a warm feeling to your heart?

All in all I would definitely return to The Beehive Cafe any day and would suggest it to anyone looking for a cute place near the water for a good meal and experience. 

They serve breakfast and lunch every day from 7am - 3:30pm. Dinner, however is only served on Thursday, Friday & Saturday from 5pm - 9pm. 

Photo of the Week: Classic New England

When someone says New England to you, what do you think of?

When I think New England I think beaches, lighthouses, mountains, snow, history, and amazing little towns for exploration.

One of the biggest draws of New England is its amazing coastline and all that it entails.
The picture below was taken in York, Maine and to me just screams New England.

This is another one of the pictures I framed for the event at the New England Women's Conference. Once framed I fell in love with it even more and had no words to describe how classic New England it felt. The black frame makes it look sleek and causes the colors to just pop out of the picture.

Singleness, The Struggle is Real

Singleness and it's effects have played a role in my life since my Senior Year of college. I have had many conversations with friends on this topic and how they are handling their state of singleness within the church. However these emotions and struggles are not voiced at all, but are kept within.
I am among the guilty in this and when I recently read an article by Owen Strachan titled "A New Model for Living Single" I thought it might be time for the voice of someone who is single to be heard.

Where do I begin? I should start by saying that this post is a difficult one for me because I am inviting you into a delicate area of my life. I hope this post will be helpful to all those who are single and  might struggle but fear expressing it. I also hope that it will be helpful to those who are married with single friends, in seeing how they can care for them.

I am a 26 year old female who lives with roommates, is single and has never dated before. Singleness is currently the stage in my life where the Lord has me and it is not something I have control over.

Do I have a desire to be married someday? Yes.
Do I know if I will be? No.
Do I have a desire to hear the sound of kids being carried through my home? Yes.
Is singleness something I have chosen? No.

In Strachan's article he mentions that with the changing statistics of marriage over the years, the church is contemplating how and if they have cared for their singles. If you ask a single person in your church, they may more times than not tell you that they do not feel cared for. I confess that on some days that is me.
I can not say that it is entirely the church's fault in this situation, for a relationship is two sided and for one person to do all the work is exhausting. Singles have to be willing to put in the work and not take every word or action to heart, which is easier said than done.

I was pleased to see Strachan list some approaches that are unhelpful to singles; for these are some of the things that have dominated our conversations among one another as singles, especially single women.

His examples are:

* In some cases we have shamed singles. "Can't you just find someone you'd like to settle down with? Is it really that hard"

* In others, we've talked down to singles. "I want you to know that I am here to help you through this condition." We make it sound as if singleness is a disease - when the apostle Paul says it's the state he prefers. (1 Corinthians 7)

* At other times, we've simply ignored singles. Too many sermons and pastoral prayers, for example, treat only the realities of marriage. "We pray for husbands and wives for their flourishing, their protection, their happiness … and, Lord, for everyone else."

 I would like to respond to each of these examples individually.
1. I can not tell you how many times I have heard some version of the first situation. And while yes the people asking are concerned for you, the words are also hurtful, especially as a female. Other than the fact that as a female I am not the pursuer, there is no reason to give you as to why I am still single other than clearly it currently is not in God's plan for me to be married. These questions make the recipient look at themselves and wonder if maybe there is something wrong with them. Maybe they really are intimidating to guys as they have been told.
Secondly, it makes them question God and ask why not? when? is it ever going to happen? You wonder if He really knows what He is doing.
Thirdly, it creates within them an animosity toward the person asking and a desire not to engage in future conversations if they are all going to turn out the same.Yes they are just words and can not physically hurt, but they cut deeper than one thinks sometimes. So the next time you approach someone who is single in your church, please think about your words before they are said. And singles, don't get annoyed and walk away. Remember that they care for you and kindly let them know if the way they are phrasing the question is not helpful. (I myself am guilty of not doing this)

2. Singleness is not something that can be cured by doctors. The only prescription is the Gospel and love of Christ. While yes we want to talk to someone about this time, we want it to be with someone who will truly listen and not just "listen". Please do not stand there and respond with a "just be content" or say with such assurity that it will happen one day. You can not guarantee that, unless God has revealed something to you that he hasn't to me. This only frustrates us and pushes us away even further. We want someone who is willing to walk through this time with us, encouraging us and helping us to remember that our true relationship and satisfaction is found in Christ. Again though, we as singles need to speak up and make clear to others when we are struggling and what in that time is helpful or not helpful.

3. I do not fully agree with the example given in the third statement. If you are attending a gospel preaching church that practices expository preaching then the example given is not a situation you should run into often. I do however think that it is easy for singles to feel ignored among the Church body.
We are more often felt to be ignored in the events, actions and lives of the church members. We want to be involved in your lives, but if you are someone who does not include singles because they are not in the same stage of life as you &/or it's easier to engage with people who are, guess what, relationships are not easy. It forces us to be segregated and prevents us from viewing Christ centered marriages in all that they are. Also singles, do not shy away from making friends with couples & families. If they don't invite you over, invite them to your place. Invite them to the Zoo, to a festival, or something that is fun for the whole family. I know you like doing those things too.
I pose the question to both sides: how is this situation displaying the gospel to the world? We are constantly told that the church is a place of relationships that don't make sense to the outside world. But by not building those relationships how are we different?

Strachan ends his article with four thoughts for singles to help them rethink singleness. While I enjoyed these points I think there is something in them to be learned whether married or single. Ok, I promise to keep this last part as short as possible.

1. You should feel complete freedom to wrestle with your thoughts.  

Yes! Some of us are content to remain single our entire lives while others, such as myself, struggle daily with enjoying the freedoms of singleness and desiring marriage. We are constantly told to be content in our current stage, but are rarely asked how we are handling that. The struggle is then turned inward and is even harder, for we then think this is something for us to struggle through alone. This is not what the Christian life should be. It is to be lived openly among a body of believers where we are to care for one another during our times of joy and hardships. 

Singles, please speak up. Find someone in the church to meet with regularly, to read through the bible and be open with. Church, please be willing to listen and sincerely listen. Please ask those tough questions and see how we are genuinely doing.

2. If you do feel some desire to be married, pour out your heart to God. 

This is an area that I myself struggle with. So many times we run to others for our problems or just to vent our frustration, when in fact we should be going to God first. He is our creator and father. He cares for His children and wants them to come to Him in prayer. He is the one who can comfort us and fulfill the desires of our heart, but our desires should be His desires. We should be praying for the unreached people and growth of disciples more than ourselves, but when we make our requests known to God we should also be asking that our desires would match His desires. The church can participate in this with us by going to God on our behalf and asking not only for our desires to be fulfilled but that we would draw near to Him in this period and cling to the Cross in times of doubt. Pray too that we would use this time to glorify Him in areas where those who are married can not. 

3. Experience the electric satisfaction of building a family; a spiritual one. 

Singles, realize that you have a family already in the body of Christ. I don't know about you but I get excited every time we have a baptism at church, someone new is joining, or a story is shared about how they have shared the gospel. It just means my family is that much bigger. So invest your life in the life of the church. Go on a mission trip, care for their children & the widows, listen to their struggles, and be there for them in times of joy and sadness. Likewise Church, while singles make great babysitters that's not the only thing they enjoy doing. We have to shop for food, we enjoy a night out on the town, going bowling, playing golf, or a simple BBQ in the backyard.

4. You should feel complete freedom to enjoy the life God has given you. 

I do not think there is much for me to say on this section other than to read what Strachan has written. I could not have said it any better.

In conclusion I would like to end on a little reminder. Singleness does not always get easier as you get older. In some ways it gets harder, with the continual parade of marriage after marriage, followed by pregnancy after pregnancy. It is a constant struggle in those times, you are truly ecstatic for the person but also have this sense of hurt and longing in your heart. Get it out! Go to God and confess this to him, then confess it to that person who is keeping you accountable. The church is not going to know how to care for us if we are not verbal. This is something I have to preach to myself all the time. 

Also remember that you are not alone in this journey, for God has and never will leave you or let you go through a trial on your own. He has provided you with a spiritual family who cares deeply and wants the best for you.

I hope that this has been insightful and encouraging. Sorry it is so long but there is much to be said.

It's Basically Breakfast

Are you like me when it comes to bananas; you buy a bushel and then never eat them all before they are over ripe? If so do you throw them away or make banana bread? I am the latter, which my roommates and co-workers can attest to it. However I am over making just the regular old banana bread and have began experimenting with other recipes I have found while trolling Pinterest. They were all hits with the taste testers but my favorite so far has been the Strawberry Banana Bread with Blueberries from Julia's Album. Isn't her blog so enticing? The pictures and colors are what drew me in, plus she has some great recipes.

The other loafs I have made are Banana Mango Coconut Bread, Banana Bread with Applesauce & Honey, and Banana Bread with Greek Yogurt. You can find all of the links on my Pinterest Quickbreads board.

So why am I talking about banana bread. Well I had left over bananas again last week and decided that I wanted to make something other than a quickbread. So as usual I searched Pinterest and found a recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream & a Chocolate Ganache Center from Adventures in Cooking. The title alone had me hooked and after seeing the pictures and reading the recipe I knew there was no way I couldn't not make this decadent dessert.

The most important thing I look for when finding a baking recipe is if it is made from scratch or from a box mix. I understand the convenience of the box mixes but there is something satisfying about producing anything from start to finish. Also, it is just as easy if not cheaper to measure the dry ingredients yourself.

I was pleasantly surprised with the consistency and flavor. When using whole wheat flour it is easy for the wheat flavor to dominate but it didn't. You couldn't even tell that's what was used. You definitely had the banana flavor, with just the right amount of peanut butter coming from the buttercream and a few surprises of chocolate in every bite. It was like a peanut butter cup with bananas!

Some differences that I did was I used mini chocolate chips in the cupcakes and for the ganache I used Valrhona Dark Chocolate. I found the chocolate at Trader Joe's but I believe Whole Foods may carry it as well.

I had a lot of fun making these cupcakes and taking pictures to work on my photography skills. 

So why the title? Well it contains bananas, dark chocolate, peanut butter & whole wheat flour. Sounds like breakfast to me....Ok, well not quite but that is what you will be telling yourself when you eat one for breakfast.

Don't they just look delicious? It's like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup with bananas!

Guaranteed they will be a hit at any gathering you attend and will be gone within minutes. Just ask my friends. 

Photo of the Week: Vibrant Color

I am a hobby photographer and have loved taking pictures ever since I was young. I got my first digital camera in 11th grade, but had many disposable or film cameras before then. Photography is the way that I am able to share with society the way I see beauty in this world.

I recently had the opportunity to display 6 of my pictures for sale at the New England Women's Conference. I can tell you that choosing just 6 was hard! Even though only one of them sold it was a great experience; from getting them printed, to choosing frame styles, to pricing them out.

One of my favorites from the 6 was this picture of a Sunflower with a Blue Hydrangea in the background. I took this picture a few years back at the Scituate Art Festival that happens every year and fell in love with it immediately. Every time I see it I just can't help but bright up a little bit. The colors are so contrasting against each other and the blue really makes the yellow just pop. The sunflower is a little droopy and closed but feels like it is looking straight at the observer as if to say "Hello, have a bright and sun shinny day." If I could, I would put one of these in every house to bring a little cheer to someone every day.

I'm a little country at heart and so when I looked at this picture I couldn't help but see it in one of those worn wooden frames. Lucky for me that is exactly what Hobby Lobby had when I set out to get the 6 pictures framed. After hours of choosing frames and picking matte colors with my roommate we finally found a winner and I was very happy with the end result. 

What does this picture make you think of when you see it? 

P.S. I print my pictures from a site called Mpix and would recommend them to anyone looking to get great quality prints. They are awesome!

Aren't You Just A Peach?!

Now I have a little personal issue, when I get hooked on something my mind can not stop running with all the different possibilities just waiting to be explored. In order to calm it I have to research the item and that is exactly what happened this week with peaches.

I love summer for the activities, sun, and fresh fruit that is available, especially peaches. I just can't get enough of this small, sweet and juicy golden fruit. I wish that is was freshly available all year long. Peaches are one of those fruits that you can do so many things with from making jam, to ice cream, to making a marinade.

Nerd Alert!!!! I am sorry if I am going to bore you, I am a foodie and lover of history so I can't help myself but research about an ingredients' history. So here it goes:

1. Even though Georgia is called "The Peach State", peaches actually originated in China.

2. That's right, they have been around since the 10th Century B.C. and spread across the western world via the Silk Road.

3. The peach tree and blossom hold significance in the Chinese culture.

4. The importance of peaches to many cultures have been depicted across time through art, sculptures, and folk tales. One such tale is the Peaches of Immortality

5. China is the largest peach producer in the world, followed closely behind by Italy. (I am part Italian so maybe that's why I love them so much)

6. A peach contains less than 70 calories, 3 grams of fiber and is a good source of vitamins A and C.

7. "The World's Largest Peach Cobbler" is made in Georgia every year and measures 11 feet by 5 feet. (My question is where did they get the pan from?)

8. Peaches are best from June through August, so get them while you can.

As I have been thinking about writing this post for the past week it seems like every day I opened my e-mail there was a new one from Real Simple, Foodie, or Food & Wine with recipe ideas for peaches. Now if you are anything like me, one click on a post just opens up a door to a never ending black hole of link after link.

I mean don't they just look delicious?!

These are just some of the links and recipes that have caught my eye recently:

Food & Wine Slideshow: Peaches 

11 Ways to Use Peaches

Peach Crostata

Roasted Peaches with Mascarpone Ice Cream : This is the one I really want to make. Mascarpone cheese is another one of my favorite ingredients that you can use in desserts or pasta sauce. The decadent richness of the ice cream and the flavor of the peaches brought out through roasting just take the dessert to a whole other level.

Peach and Blueberry Brioche Tart

Peach Honey Ice Cream with Lemon Verbana

I could go on and on but do yourself and me a favor, find one recipe with peaches that spikes your interest and commit to making it. Try something new and step out of your comfort zone, you will be so glad you did. And don't forget to let me know how it goes.

Research found on:
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/peach-10-healthy-facts
http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/fruits/peach-facts.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach

Junk to Treasure

Someone else's junk is another man's treasure. There has been such an increase in using old windows for decorating this past year, that like you, I have desired to attempt it. Over the summer I was blessed to be able to live with my good friend LauraBeth and as I was driving down her street one day I saw a whole bunch of old windows on the sidewalk. I decided to grab 4 or 5 and see what I could do with them. I decided to give some to my mother and kept the rest for myself. I tell you, my brain went into overtime thinking of all the possibilities. Among the windows was a perfect 4 pane, thick wood window and the glass was still intact. Large plus! Since I love photography I decided that I would paint the window and sand it to give it a slightly vintage look and then blow up some of my pictures to hang inside.

On a Home Depot run one night I found some yellow paint on sale (tip: always look at the oops paint) and soon after had finished the frame. After some long months though of not ordering the pictures I finally did and they arrived last month. 

The issue now was how to make them stick to the windows. I researched online but could not find much about it. Some people used tape while others used Velcro Adhesive Dots. The dots seemed the best way to go & although they are small and easy to apply, depending on the background of the picture depends if you can see them or not.

You can see the adhesive just there in the corner

So while I am happy with the outcome, I wish there was a product out there that you could use to attach the pictures and not see what is holding it there.

Now I just have to hang it.

A New Start to A New Year

Well here it goes. My sister has been telling me that I should start up my blog again and it has gotten me thinking. If I start it again I don't just want it to be about random everyday life or things, I want it to have a purpose and be helpful to people. I have decided to focus on a few things that I am interested in & can be informational to others.  Since I currently work in the beverage industry, love to cook/bake, be crafty & love to stay fit, I have chosen to write on these topics. I may throw in a few random things here and there but you can be sure to look forward to writings mostly on the items stated above.

I am going to give it a shot & see how it goes. I would love feedback. 

Sunshine Risotto

Here comes another recent culinary adventure and get ready for more to come :)

I have decided that is enough is enough with all this talk about planning meals and decided to start doing something about it. We have a chalkboard in the kitchen that we haven't done much with and so I decided what better way to use it then to write my menu items on there so it is plainly visible to me. So far it has turned out to be a success.

This recipe is for the Sunshine Risotto from The Italian Cookbook by Fiona Biggs. I think next time I may add mushrooms or olives to it. I think green olives would have tasted very very good with the rest of the flavors.



Serves 6 | prep 10 mins + 30 mins soaking | cook 40 mins

Ingredients
12 sun-dried tomatoes
6 1/3 c. Chicken or Vegetable stock
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 large Onion, chopped finely
4-6 Garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 3/4 c. Risotto Rice
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 cup freshly grated aged Romano cheese
Olive oil for drizzling

Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl and pour enough boiling water over to cover them. Let the soak for 30 minutes or until they are supple to cut. Once ready, drain, pat them dry and shred them.

Bring the stock to a boil and then reduce the heat but keep it simmering.

Heat the olive oil in a deep pan (large enough to cook the rice) over medium heat and cook the onions for 2 minutes or until soften. Add the garlic and cook for 15 seconds.

Reduce the heat, add the rice and mix to coat in oil. Cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes or until the grains are translucent.

Gradually add the stock a cup at a time, stirring constantly, adding more liquid as the rice absorbs each addition. Increase the heat so that the liquid is bubbling. After 15 minutes stir in the tomatoes.

Continue adding the stock, stirring constantly, until the risotto has been cooking for 20 minutes or the liquid is absorbed and the rice is creamy.

Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley and half the cheese. When serving drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Union 2012

The time of year has come and gone again when we have a team from Union University, in Jackson Tennessee, come to Providence for their Spring Break Mission Trip. I felt this year was definitely different from the previous years, which I believe is due to the fact that I am no longer in school and therefore have more time to spend with the team.  It was a blast and they are awesome people. They definitely left a place in my heart and there could be some future road trip plans in the future :)

The team (10 people) this year had to be the largest we have had since I started at JWU, but with so many people we were able to reach more of Providence and spread out to other college campuses. We began the week with a little tour and history of Rhode Island, followed by a home cooked meal and conversation about the schedule and spiritual life of Providence. After a good night sleep, Sunday was spent all day with church members from Grace Harbor and ended with some much missed service review. I was very proud to be a member of Grace Harbor this day because my fellow members just swept up the team in taking them to lunch and including them in their afternoon events. I know the team greatly enjoyed the church, it's members and all the conversations they had.

Monday, they really got down to work. We didn't really ease them into into sharing the gospel, we just kind of gave them directions and sent them on their way. It was a good way for them to get a feel of the New England culture, people and spiritual environment. Over lunch we heard the stories and struggles of sharing with people in the morning, gave them a few pointers and then sent them out again for the second half of the day. You see people in New England hate small talk and if they sense that there is an arterial motive to the conversation then they get frustrated and will cut it off. They prefer straight shooting. The second half of the day I spent with one of the groups walking on Federal Hill and Broadway. They took what we said at lunch and applied it to their approach of talking to people. Yes some of them got turned away but many people were open and willing to talk. Amanda, a senior at Union, was stopping and talking to every person sitting on stoops. She even stopped to a waiter whom she returned to talk to a second time on our way back. It was a very fun and productive afternoon. That evening we went to our weekly Monday Coffee & Scripture which was great because some of them were able to answer the students' questions about the passage we read because they took theology class or were studying that as their major.

Tuesday was spent on Johnson & Wales and Rhode Island College campus promoting Christian Student Fellowship or Christianity Explored. I was at the RIC campus with David, Teala and Emilee, talking to students about the spiritual life on campus and if they would be interested in going through Christianity Explored. Teala and I talked with about 6 students. Many of them were of no religion and weren't interested or were nominally Catholic. Vanessa, was one of the girls we talked to and was interested in meeting up. I have contacted her since but have not heard anything from her. Please pray that the Lord would work on her heart. David and Emilee said that everyone they spoke to was open and happy to talking with them. After lunch we decided to play some Frisbee and see who would join us because at this time the students were on break and in clumps so it's a lot harder to talk with them. 2 guys did join us, one was Jewish and the other was nothing but he was interested in Christianity Explored because he was taking a God class for psychology. He has not shown up yet so please pray that the Lord would work on Him. We decided that since it was the first day of Spring some Rita's was in order, so we took a little detour before meeting the rest of the group.
That night the team ran the entire Tuesday Night Truth meeting, with Amanda sharing her testimony, David leading us in Worship and Joshua brought the message. Because of the work the team did earlier on the JWU campus we saw some new faces and have seen them since. This is very encouraging. We ended the evening with a very large, rambunctious outing to Pastiche, a delicious dessert place on Federal Hill.

Wednesday was their demolition day at the Providence Rescue Mission and they were so pumped for it. The Rescue Mission was given a house to use for whatever they needed and so they are turning it into overflow for the women, along with administrative offices. The team spent the entire morning and into afternoon gutting the basement of anything and everything. They returned to us so tired and dirty, but were super excited about the work they did and work the Mission was doing. The evening was spent as a group at Liz's house for dinner and relaxation. It turned into a night of jam sessions, catch phrase and fits of laughter. 

Friday was spent entirely with us and the leaders of Christian Student Fellowship. We had our regular leaders meeting, a large Coffee & Scripture and a very delicious lunch at Olga's Cup and Saucer. That afternoon the team split up all around the city just doing normal stuff, seeing who they could get into conversations with. The day followed with an evening of what started out as homemade pizza at the Reid's, a family at Grace Harbor involved in Foster Care, talking with Jonathan talk about Foster Care and Adoption in the United States and what it should mean to the Christian. We planned on making pizzas, which was going well until we tried to remove them from the pan and realized we forgot to spray them. The top of the pizza was delicious though. Thank goodness for Domino's :) Since it was our last night together we returned to our apartment for a very late night/early morning of Wii Just Dance. 

All in all it was a great week of friendships built, the gospel shared and memories created. 

 

Goat Cheese, Pear and Walnut Salad...yummmm!

I finally have all of my cookbooks in one place and am going to start making things from them...finally. I bought "The Italian Cookbook" a few years back but just never made anything from it. I was flipping through it the other day and found a recipe for a Goat Cheese, Pear and Walnut Salad. Doesn't that just sound divine? It was delicious. I even cut it in half and it lasted me for about 4 meals.

Serves 4 | Prep:15 mins | Cook: 10 mins
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups dried penne
1 head radicchio, torn to pieces
1 Webbs lettuce, torn to pieces
7 Tbsp chopped walnuts
2 ripe pears, cored and diced
5/8 cup arugula, trimmed
2 tbsp lemon juice
5 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 tomatoes, cut into fourths
1 small onion, sliced
1 large carrot, grated
9 oz/250 g goat cheese, diced
salt and pepper

1. Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the pasta and cook until done. Drain the pasta thoroughly and refresh in cold water, then drain again and set aside to cool.

2. Put the radicchio and Webbs lettuce into a large bowl and mix together well. Top with the cooled pasta, chopped walnuts, pears and arugula.

3. Mix the lemon juice, oil, garlic, and vinegar together in a measuring cup. Pour the mixture over the salad and toss to coat the salad leaves.

4. Add the tomato fourths, onion slices, grated carrot, and diced goat cheese and toss together until well mixed. Let the salad chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour before serving.

Russia Trip 2012

This was my fourth year going to Russia and it was by far the smoothest trip. We raised more than enough for each person to go and had no issues with traveling or visas this year. We were a team of 8 (including our translators) who spent time in Zavolzhy'e, Russia giving presentations at schools and speaking English with the students. It may seem like a bizarre thing to do on a mission trip, but the Church we support, Christ Our Savior Church, can not go into the school and invite students to the English Club they provide. Parents aren't even allowed in the schools and so the fact that we can enter them is huge and a great connection for the Church.

I need to give you a little background at this point. In Russia Baptists are seen as a cult who kill their babies and drink their blood. This stereotype is from the communist rule. If you were to ask anyone they would identify with the Russian Orthodox school because that's just what you are. Every year we go we meet someone who has stepped into a Baptist church for the first time in their lives. Last year it was Natalia, an English teacher at one of the schools who set up our schedule this year. Natalia had a meeting with teachers from the different schools we attended, in order to set up our time there. She had an hour to speak and for 45 minutes of the hour she spoke about how Baptists were not bad. This is awesome considering she is not a believer and just shows how the Lord is working.

We spent 4 days in Zavolzhy'e, 1 day in Nizhny Novgorod and 2 days in Moscow. We began the week by attending church, enjoying a wonderful lunch they made for us and ending the day with youth group. That Monday we went on a little tour of a nearby region with the best students from 4 different schools and then had a festival where we learned about each other's region/state and handicraft. We were very excited for this opportunity because of the history of Rhode Island. If you do not know it was founded for religious freedom by a Baptist named Roger Williams. This was a great opportunity to mention this in the school without being asked first. For the handicraft we had a little difficulty thinking of one because what they would consider handicrafts we have turned into jobs or we buy the item. After some debate we decided put our degrees to use and talk about cake decorating. It turned out to be a huge hit and the students loved learning how to pipe on a cake and eating it too. The students presented knitting, silk ribbon sewing, painting, beading and macrame. It was a fun time had by all and after presenting our handicrafts we were able to go around and attempt them as well. On our way to this festival, while taking the tour, we stopped in the middle of nowhere, got off the bus and there was a group of ladies in traditional dress waiting to great us to the region in song and the presentation of their traditional bread. It was a fun little surprise and treat to experience. At the school itself we also took a little tour of their museum. (Every school has a museum) The museum was created by one of the teachers who, coincidentally, also speaks German. They had me ask him questions in German, translate his answers to English and then our translator translated them into Russian. Very confusing, but it was fun.

One of the things I loved about this year was that the students we met on Monday we also saw the rest of the week at their schools, ice skating and pizza party we had. They were all so eager to talk with us and practice their English. Think of a person who inspires you and it's usually a famous person or parent, but for these students we were theirs. They told us how we inspired and encouraged them to learn better English and do well in school; this touched my heart and blew me away. We went to three other schools during the week, one of which had Americans for the first time at their school and were the first of the school in the region to have Americans visit. During the week we invited the students to ice skating and a pizza party at Sputnik on our last night there. This was one of the main goals of our week for the kids to come so that we could talk to them about the English Club at the Church outside of the school but also build deeper relationships with them. 

I found that most of the students who came to everything went to the Gymnasium School, for students who do well, which we visited on Wednesday. They spoke very good English and I think it was one of my favorite schools to visit because we got to sit and talk with the students one on one over some tea and cakes. They also came ice skating and to the pizza party as well, so we literally saw them everyday we were there. One of the students who remains on my mind is a girl named Lena. I met her ice skating and the next day we ended up at her school for some presentations and conversation. She is a tiny little thing who loves photography, a common connection, and was full of questions to ask. We spent the whole of tea time at her school talking. She came to the pizza party as well and just had even more questions and was so eager to show me her photography. She speaks very good English and has a desire to go to the school for the gifted to improve her English and then to go to the Linguistic University in Nizhny Novgorod. I hope to continue conversing with her throughout the year and grow our friendship. 

The school to the left is in Nizhny Novgorod, which we went to on Thursday. By the time we got there school was actually over but the students had stayed to meet us a talk with us. It was a fun experience because they gave us a tour of their school and then showed us a presentation about Pancake (Crepe) Week, which ended just as we got to Russia. They showed us a little video and then had us participate in some of the games that they would play at the festival such as walking on a circle of rope and pancake tossing. It was entertaining. Afterwards we had lunch with a group of 11th class students whose parents and grandparents prepared the entire meal for us. Everything was from their gardens and homemade. It was delicious and one of the best meals the whole week.

Our time in Moscow with the missionaries there was both an encouragement and eye opener. We spent the first night hanging out with the team eating food and playing Nurts. Each member of the team is in Moscow for the same reason, to teach English and reach Central Asians with the Gospel, but they each have their own people group they have a heart for and all those groups are in Moscow. They have all lived in various different places in Russia and Central Asia. The next day we handed out flyers for the English business and then cooked meals for the ladies study and men’s meeting. Cat, Nicole and I cooked for a ladies bible study group at the home of one of the missionaries. The ladies were from different countries in Central Asia and were believers from a Muslim background. We all shared testimonies and listened to their stories of sharing the gospel with their family members and friends or things the Lord has opened their eyes to recently. They had such passion in them when they spoke and one of the ladies was actually moving back to her home country because she felt the Lord was calling her back to share the gospel with her family. We were all very reluctant to leave but we had to head back to the United States.

Addilyn Hawks

Addilyn Hawks is the cutest little one year old I have ever seen. She is always smiling and you can tell she is going to have a spunky personality. Her mother, Krystin and I went to High School together in Germany and was always a good friend. You would never know it if you saw her but Addilyn was recently diagnoses with Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis-Type 2, a liver disease with no treatment and the only lifesaving medicine is a liver transplant. She is in stage 3 of 4 liver disease and for many people with this disease are eventually diagnosed with liver cancer. She was placed immediately on the transplant list but was recently tested for cancer and it came back negative. Because of this she was removed form the list. This just means that in order for her to return to the list we will have to get worse. Something that is very difficult to hear and deal with as a parent. Addilyn will eventually have to have a transplant and so the family has set up a fund for her through the Children's Organ Transplant Association (COTA), a national nonprofit that organizes communities to raise funds for transplant-related expenses. They are trying to raise $50,000 for the transplant and the medicine she will have to take everyday for the rest of her life. Addilyn's fund site is COTA for Addilyn Hawks. This is a very loving family and I know that they are seeking the LORD through this entire endeavor for strength, comfort and wisdom, but knowing too that it is all according to his plan and purpose. If you would like to donate just click on the link above and It will take you to the page needed. Addilyn is a baby girl who is fighting for her life everyday and her family is filled with joy everyday they see her fighting the odds. Please keep her and the Hawks family in your prayers and pray that the LORDS will would be done.