a good day that got better

The day began as the Sabbath, giving it a jumpstart of goodness. Slept in. Had breakfast in bed. Read. Went to church. Cooked lunch with my son–a Sabbath ritual that’s super special to me.

And then I found this at my doorstep. No note. Just a purple bag of yummies and purple flowers. The purple sort of gave my friend, Judy, away.

Inside the bag were chocolates from Lillie Belle and cheese from Rogue Creamery–and a large cheese cloth too (Now I have no excuses not to make my own paneer.)

The packaging of the chocolates was purple too. Almost too pretty to open.

But open it, I did; Of course, I did! Such color and presentation! Can you not taste it?

Dee-Leesh-She-Yes! Absolutely nothing was wasted. Not even the bow.

And that’s how my good day got better!

God and Hell

Reblogged from Ærchies Archive - Digital Detritus:

legs over app

Took a walk through two of Jacksonville‘s many beautiful trails today. My legs knew when it was time to turn around. But Roy, waving his iPhone and its pedometer app, insisted we hadn’t even walked half our goal. To prove him and his app wrong, at the end of the walk I made him drive the length of the road that paralleled the trail. Used the car’s odometer and . . . wait for it . . .  I was right. And the app was faulty. HA.

It was a beautiful walk, though.

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3rd grade artists

My friend, Gayle, is one of the best teachers I know. I saw these posted on her Facebook page. Aren’t they adorable? I can just imagine the kids bursting with creating energy while drawing these :)

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broiled cauliflower

1 small head of cauliflower broken into little flowerettes
1 large ziplock bag
3 Tbsp olive oil
seasoned salt to taste

Mix well together the oil and salt in the ziplock bag. Add cauliflower, zip up and shake really well. Spread over foiled tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. Broil on high for about 3 minutes.

ranch mushrooms

So easy, even a toddler could make this with a play knife and a chair to reach the microwave :)

4-6 cups of thickly-sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp  Ranch dressing
1/4 tsp pepper
parsley (optional)

Chop the mushroom and place in a wide microwave-safe bowl.

Add dressing, pepper and a bit of finely chopped parsley.

Mix well. Microwave for about 4-5 minutes.The natural juices of the mushroom and the dressing create a flavorful sauce. Save the leftover sauce for gravy for another meal.

5 vegetarian burger recipes

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Jez found these for me in the New York Times.

Beet, Rice and Goat Cheese Burgers: Make these ahead for quick meals through the week and reheat in a medium oven or a frying pan.

Curried Lentil, Rice and Carrot Burgers: Indian spices liven up these burgers. The turmeric offers bonus antioxidant health benefits, but even without it, they’re in abundance in this recipe, with all the carrots and ginger.

Quinoa and Greens Burger: Rainbow quinoa is a great choice for this recipe — because it’s pretty, and because the red, black and golden quinoa grains all have slightly different textures.

Quinoa and Vegetable Burgers With Asian Flavors: This vibrant burger is made with both cooked and uncooked vegetables.

Mushroom and Grain Cheeseburgers: Barley is a traditional hearty partner for mushrooms, but brown rice is just as tasty in this burger.

10 things airports reveal about people

I’ve been people watching at airports for the past 24 hours. Here are my observations:

1. Parents traveling with three or more children yell a lot.

2. Fathers traveling alone with a brood are like sad pandas that have given up on ever finding a succulent bamboo reed again.

3. Women traveling in really short skirts and really tall heels look like they swam out the same genetic pool.

4. The one tall guy out of every 30 tall guys would be rich if he shared his shopping secret of where to find trousers in the right length.

5. There’s an inordinate number of women who splay glitter and sparkles on their bosom and derriere.

6. There’s an inordinate number of people who have yet to embrace the deodorant.

7. The world would be a more peaceful place if there were walkways exclusively for Type A personalities.

8. Seniors from the age of the telegram panic when they can’t find free WiFi.

9. Even the most beautiful human being looks stupid when lip singing to their iPod.

10. Couples in matching clothes are cuter than kittens in bonnets.

the witness by dee henderson (tyndale)

For me, the book was just meh. Plot line was rather formulaic and predictable. And there was very little character development. I loved the author’s use of descriptive language, though.It kept me engaged despite the stuff I didn’t care for.

Maybe I’m biased because I have an aversion to books labeled as religious fiction simply because of a sprinkling of prayers or random, awkwardly placed meet-Jesus conversations. I want to meet a character who squeezes my heart with a yearning to know Jesus even more. I want a story that assures me that all is good when God’s in control–even when all doesn’t seem all that good.

Maybe I’m biased because I rarely read religious fiction. (I’m also too cheap to pass up a free book.) To me a true story of someone’s walk with Christ echoes hope and strengthens my faith in providential possibilities more than any piece of fiction could ever do.

So, considering I’m just one person, one review, and Henderson has several bestsellers while I have none, she must be doing something right :)

why we’re fat

In 1822, the average American ate the amount of sugar found in one of today’s 12-ounce sodas every 5 days. Now, we eat that much every 7 hours.

The average American eats 100 pounds of sugar a year. (Read more here.)