Food on Friday: Company Cafe

So last night, Chance, Hudson, and I went on a "family date" to The Company Cafe on the Katy Trail. It's a gluten-free, local/organic (high quality) restaurant with a bunch of amazing menu items. Chance and I both opted for the free range beef burger with fries - sweet potato for me, and regular for Chance. They were AMAZING. Chance must have said how good his burger was about 200 times. We have a stuffed portobello mushroom for an appetizer, which was equally delicious. And for dessert: strawberry cake. Oh, so good. 

We would highly recommend this place-great, casual atmosphere, spectacular food, and high quality ingredients. Plus, you can eat outside at picnic tables and get lightly misted by water-spraying fans while you enjoy your meal. That was Hudson's favorite part :)  

Food on Friday: My Take on Lentil Soup

When Chance and I first got married, I started making a staple dish of "lentil soup". Over the months, through additions and experiments, it was converted to more of a lentil stew. Recently, I began adding some greens to the stew to make it a heartier, healthier, and more colorful version. It has become one of our favorite go-to meals! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. If you make it for yourself or others, please let me know!

Ingredients
1 cup (or a little more) lentils
1 onion, diced
1-1 1/2 cups of minced carrots - I do this in the food processor
1 bunch red swiss chard (or any other chard - I like red for the color)
1-2 cloves minced garlic
1 can Italian stewed tomatoes
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 or more cups organic vegetable or low sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Recipe
Saute onions, garlic, and carrots in olive oil until softened and onions are slightly translucent. Add oregano, salt, and pepper at this point. Add lentils, tomatoes, swiss chard, and broth. Cook on medium low heat for about 20-25 minutes. The lentils should be soft and not chewy when the soup is finished cooking. The soup (or stew) will have absorbed a lot of the broth, but if you like it more soupy then just add more broth to your liking! Bon appetit!

Food on Friday: Grillin'

So my dear husband, Chance, has been perfecting his skills on the grill lately. His very first grill experience was just a few weeks ago, as he mastered the art of Rib Eyes. It was risky business for his first time at the barbecue! Thankfully, the steaks turned out perfectly and our meal was a success. 

Yesterday, we went with the classic (chicken) hot dogs and bell peppers, for the Fourth of July. Tonight, we invited a friend to join us for grilled sausages, zucchini, and corn on the cob. We added some broccoli and sweet potatoes to the menu as well. To top the night off, Chance grilled some in-season peaches which we enjoyed with [lactose-free] ice cream. Needless to say, it was the perfect end to a beautiful summer evening. 

Food on Friday: Dinner on Average

Dinner on a week night is usually planned ahead of time. I know roughly what I'm going to make in a given week, and buy my ingredients accordingly, but it often changes and I give myself the liberty to modify on a whim. Recently, Chance and I have been eating beef tacos (YUM!) once a week, but after both of us had some inconvenient symptoms we both decided that we needed to lay off the red meat for a while and eat more vegetarian dinners. I get a lot of recipe ideas from The Gluten-Free Goddess and other foodie blogs. Now when I propose to my husband the idea of making a new meal, he usually responds with a mixture of open-mindedness and reluctancy. Such was last night.

Mine wasn't this pretty, but still tasty!

I had been talking about making this quinoa recipe for dinner and when I mentioned it again to Chance he was a little less than enthusiastic. But nonetheless he was willing to try it, so after I got home from work I threw some quinoa in the rice cooker (best investment ever!) sliced some peppers and onions and put those on a baking sheet. While the peppers were roasting/grilling in the oven, I chopped up some scallions and parsley to throw in the quinoa. When the quinoa was cooked, I mixed in my add-ins along with a lemon's worth of lemon juice and some salt. Voila! Our meal was almost ready to be consumed. [While I was cooking, Chance was reading.. not sure what was going through his mind at this point, probably just hunger]. I dished up the quinoa onto two plates, along with the roasted peppers and onions, then put hummus and pesto on the table to be added if one so desired.

I put Chance's plate out first and as he took his first bite, his reaction was well... not that impressed. He made some funny facial expressions and said, "How much lemon did you put in this?" and I responded with a surprised, "Not that much!" After two or three more bites he calmed down and began to actually enjoy the dinner. I sat down and we both dove in. Hummus on roasted or grilled veggies is a-mazing, just so you know. I asked Chance what he thought of the meal (by the way, I had told him before we ate that if he didn't like dinner I wouldn't make it again). His response was that it was good. Then a few bites later the meal was "really good." Then a whole two helpings later, "That was an excellent meal Kathryn!" I love when he loves my cooking, it brings me such joy. So I would say that dinner on average, especially when I am making new recipes, always goes a little something like that.

Last night I also whipped up a soup for us to have for lunch today. Black bean soup to be exact. I have never made black bean soup using the food processor before, but now that I  have I am totally in love with the concept. I used two recipes (here and here too) as my inspiration and then kind of just did my own thing. This was my recipe:

Ingredients:
1 cup chicken broth or water
2 cans of black beans, drained
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
2 tsp. cumin (more or less to taste)
1 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
Some onion powder
(if I had had some cilantro, I'd have added about 1/4 cup chopped, but it was good without it too)

Directions:
-Combine all of the above ingredients in the food processor until blended thoroughly.

-In a medium pot on the stove, cook 6 slices of bacon (hardwood smoked was great!) that has been chopped into small pieces. Cook through. Add your soup mixture from the food processor to the pot and heat on medium-low until it begins to bubble.

Mmmm enjoy! This was so easy.. I am going to start making all kinds of bean soups in the food processor! I hope you enjoy your Friday :)

Food on Friday: FONDUE

This is where I want to go on Chance and I's postponed anniversary date (see picture below). We went there for a surprise 6 -month (of dating) anniversary, and loved it! Fondue is such a unique experience and to me it always seems more romantic than your run of the mill dinner date. So if you're looking for date ideas try The Melting Pot! You will surely not be disappointed. Or even better - try and do your own!

They even gave us an anniversary card :)

YUMMY!

So glad that now we're MARRIED!

Dark chocolate + white chocolate

See how much fun this looks.. that's because it was :)

Food on Friday: Feed on the Word

After reading this article posted on The Gospel Coalition, from Desiring God's blog about making the most of one's morning , I was challenged and encouraged to think about my daily 'food' intake. With the rush of hormones that cause a pregnant woman to be hungry at all times, I have begun to think about the necessity of being always hungry for a helping of God's Word.

When I was in college, I routinely went to bed earlier than most, and got up in the morning earlier than most (thankfully my roommate junior year was the same way). I enjoyed this more and more in the latter years of college, as my taste for the Scriptures grew and as my schedule became increasingly demanding. I would characterize my college days as a whirlwind of activities, punctuated by precious times spent with the people that I love: Chance, my dear friends, and my church family. To put it simply: I was always on the go. This meant that the alone time that I had in the early mornings (usually waking between 6:30 and 7:00a.m.) was priceless to me -- I needed it to stay refreshed and have energy to take on the day. So I made it a habit. My senior year, I was married, and having to adjust to a new routine. Chance is also an "early to bed, early to rise"-type, lucky for me, so our schedules have always worked very well together. I begun waking (most days) when he would in order to spend some time with the Lord while Chance did the same. That year was a dream because I was in school full-time and had benefit of a lot of free time. I would spend a lot of time reading, praying, and running in the mornings, and I loved it.

Fast forward a year or so to right now. I work full-time, while Chance is in school full-time. I work 8:00 to 4:30p.m. Monday through Friday. I come home and cook dinner every night. We serve our church two nights a week. Life has changed, we are still busy. Now more than ever, I covet that free time I had every morning during my senior year . There are some days that I don't want to get out of bed because I am just plain exhausted. There are other days when I jump out of bed, ready to get in the Word. It seems that as life changes, the busyness never truly goes away and so I am learning to adjust. I am learning to give myself grace and recognize that I am not earning anything by spending my morning reading my Bible. I am learning to rest in the Lord, and enjoy His presence.

The article that I mentioned above is simply an encouragement to make your soul "happy in God" by refreshing it with a generous helping of the Scriptures. Whether that is first thing in the morning, or late in the day, we should all heed the advice of letting the Word saturate our souls. David talks about this, in Psalm 63, where he says, "My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night.." (vv. 5-6) So on this Friday afternoon, let God's steadfast love which is better than life (Ps. 63:3) satisfy your soul as food does your palette. Enjoy your weekend! I am off to Florida!

Food on Friday: Cravings

About a week or two after we found out that I was pregnant, I wanted to start making a list of the foods that I craved along the way, just to document. And partly because it is so funny to me. I think that this is the first time in my life where I do not have reservations about eating a lot of chocolate, cheese or dreaming of peanut butter toast for breakfast. I am going to blame it on the hormones, while also being conscious of my tendency to idolize food. I definitely don't want to use my pregnancy as an excuse to sin! Going on week 7 here was my list:

• Cheddar cheese (lactose-free!) & crackers
• Mac'n'cheese (unfortuately I'm allergic to wheat & dairy, so it might be difficult to quench this craving)
• Dark chocolate.. haven't eaten much though
• Fruit
• Anything with tomatoes >>>>>>>>>
• Peanut butter toast
• Peanut butter on rice cakes
• Peanut butter.. on ANYTHING! The salty/sweet taste is perfect for a queasy tummy
• Grilled cheese & tomato soup - oh man I want this so bad right now (written at 9:30am, Tuesday 5/15/12)
• Red pepper flakes (spicy)

Week 8:

• NO FOOD - BLEH
• I especially did not want = salads or coffee

Week 9:

• EGGS! Scrambled & sunny side-up with GF toast, in the morning. Yum.

Week 10:

• Cherry Jolly Ranchers (weird, right?)
• Frozen yogurt - well I actually crave this even when I am not pregnant.

Week 11:

• Still a lot of fruit! Berries in particular
• Still a lot of tomatoe-y foods
• Lemon anything - esp. lemon rice, lemon tea, lemon water
• Salads are back :)
• Greek salad
• Vinegar-y salad dressing ONLY
• Hummus
• I really want some pita bread.. but I can't eat it :( Dumb gluten allergy.
• Protein - I think my body is alerting me more to my need of certain nutrients
• Any raw vegetables

Weeks 12-14:

• Back to pretty much normal.. although deli meat was yummy these weeks
• Cake pops/balls - my friend made some gluten free for me and they were so good
• Coffee in the mornings again!

• Indian food

Weeks 15-16:

• Resumed normal eating habits
• I had a strange craving for DILL PICKLES, so I bought a jar and ate them all in 3 days
• Creamy peanut butter.. as always :)

To recap: weirdest craving  all sorts of tomate-based foods: soups, stews, Other than that, since I am now into the second trimester I am trying to eat healthfully while not being too hard on myself. I have been reading that the second trimester is really the most important time to be getting all of your nutrients and to stay hydrated. I usually drink about 64 to 72 ounces of water a day, so pregnancy has just given me a better excuse to drink all the water I want! I am very grateful that thus far I have felt great (second trimester) and have been gaining weight just as the doctor ordered. Four months down, five to go.. EEK!

Goat Cheese Makes Everything Better

A memorable incident that occurred during the first year of Chance and I's marriage was the infamous purchase of a log of "chèvre" (i.e. goat cheese). We had just returned from a trip to the cold, northern parts of Michigan with my parents where we had stayed in a lovely condo, enjoyed tubing and skiing for a few days, and relaxing by the warm fire. One night my mom and I ventured out to the grocery store to collect ingredients for that night's dinner: roasted asparagus, a green salad and chicken breasts: stuffed with goat cheese. After that meal I fell in love with the stuff all over again and wanted to make the same meal for Chance and I when we got back to our little Florida apartment.

A few weeks later I made a visit to Publix (although in those days we mostly shopped at Wal-Mart) and meandered over to the gourmet cheese section of the deli. There I beheld what I had been looking for: one 4 oz. log of chèvre. I snatched it up and went to check out. I ended up making the chicken for dinner and used sun-dried tomato spread in addition to the goat cheese which was quite a hit. I don't really remember how the subject came up, but Chance probably asked out of curiosity how much the goat cheese cost. I probably showed him the receipt, not thinking much of it, and he practically fell out of his chair: $5.99 (or some amount that he deemed outrageous for a log of cheese)! This began a long conversation about our grocery budget and what my views were of spending money on food (something that would be the topic of conversation for some time to come). Needless to say, we didn't quite agree with each other but were able to laugh it off later, as I 'owned up' to my oversight and apologized not telling him before I splurged on the goat cheese.

Fast forward to today, almost a year and a half later, we shop at Sunflower Market (a natural grocer/farmer's market here in Dallas). While flipping through their weekly ad I spotted it: a SALE on goat cheese! $2.99 per 4 oz.! HOORAY! At my last grocery store visit, I picked some up and went home a happy lady to a happy husband. This past week I used the goat cheese on salads, in wraps, and in one recipe that is worthy of sharing. Chance had his wisdom teeth out on Monday (ouch!) and has been eating only soft foods, like yogurt and soup, so that left me to cook dinner for myself. I decided to do something easy (go figure) and roasted some vegetables, cooked some pasta, and tossed it all together -- topping it with goat cheese of course. And POOF - instant goodness.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta topped with Chèvre
Ingredients:
2 red peppers
2 green peppers
1 yellow pepper
1 red onion
1 small yellow or sweet onion
2 cups of brown rice rotini pasta (or whole grain if you're not Gluten Free)
2 thin slices or crumbles of plain goat cheese
1 tbs. olive or grapeseed oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:
Cut up all vegetables into 1/2 inch chunks and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Spray with either canola oil or drizzle olive oil on top of the veggies. Sprinkle with garlic powder, and any other seasoning you might care to use. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until vegetables are browning and tender. At the 10 minute mark, cook your pasta according to directions on the box/bag. When the veggies are finished roasting take them out of the oven, drain your pasta, add to a bowl or plate, mix them together, then top with a generous amount of goat cheese - to your liking.

This recipe is DELISH! I had the leftovers at work the next day and it was still good. Like I said, goat cheese just makes everything better...

Additional recipe using goat cheese - 'Paris Cafe's (WPB) "Moulin Rouge" Salad
Toss together 1) organic mixed salad greens, 2) 5-7 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved 3) A handful of pistachios (shelled) or unsalted pumpkin seeds, 4) Goat cheese crumbles, 5) a 1/2 to 1 whole avocado, diced 5) Some sort of balsamic dressing (I like Dijon/balsamic vinegar/evoo) -- this salad is SOOO good! The homemade version competes with Paris Cafe's but I would encourage anyone visiting West Palm Beach, FL to visit Paris Cafe on S. Olive Ave -you will not be disappointed! Enjoy :)

Food on Friday: I Love S'Mores

I grew up in Michigan. And every summer my family of four would go camping - at state parks, campgrounds, RV parks, etc. You name it, we went there. And I absolutely love those memories. Well, when I went off to college, we didn't do so much camping anymore. My sister was in the 'real world' working and I was all the way in South Florida. However, the summer after my freshman year of college, I worked as a camp counselor as a Christian camp in Traverse City, Michigan (Lake Ann Camp). I had gone there for many years as a camper, so it was neat to be back as a counselor. The food at camp was ... not to my liking, shall I say? (I was very picky in college!) But one food that I would NEVER pass up were: chocolate-covered graham crackers + marshmellows = Lake Ann-style s'mores! Who has never had a s'more, c'mon? Graham crackery goodness, filled with melted Hershey's chocolate bars and Kraft Jet-Puffed marshmellows -- just so good! You can tell I have my favorites.

Well, the chocolate fudge-covered graham crackers take s'mores to a whole new level. We made them this way for convenience sake, though I will forever have a place in my heart for those little guys. I am sad to say that I will probably never be able to eat one ever again because I am now a gluten-free, dairy/lactose-free dieter, but I will cherish those fond camping experience memories, that's for sure. Alas I am very sad about this prospect.

One thing that Chance and I like to do in the suburbia where we live (i.e. Dallas, Texas) is: roast marshmellows using our mini grill! It works pretty well and it is always fun for us. Campfires are better, obviously, but in the city - this will certainly do. In our old apartment we took our mini grill up to the roof of the parking garage and roast our 'mellows! (Before I was on my GF diet, we used graham crackers) As you can see in the pictures, we also added a twist to our s'mores by using peanut butter cups! Yum!

 Well, on this Friday night, we might just have to break out the grill and scope out a spot by the lake and munch on one of our favorite naturally gluten and fat free snacks: marshmellows!

Wouldn't you just love a s'more right about now?

Food on Friday: Tribute to My Healthy Husband

That is hummus.. very garlick-y hummus.

I never thought that the day would come when I would be able to applaud and rejoice at my husband's eating. But that day has arrived! I'll give you a bit of a background story and then tell you why I am so excited. When Chance and I first met, he wasn't a terrible eater. He played soccer in college, and so "Caf" meals were what his diet pretty much consisted of. He grew up in a home-cooked family, where dinner was served every night - what a blessing. But he still had his learning to do. One instance I remember well, on a trip we took to Wal-Mart together, Chance decided he wanted to purchase "grape drink". Yes, that's right "grape drink". To my amazement, Chance was unaware that grape drink had actually NO real grape juice in it, but was basically sugar and water and high fructose corn syrup in liquid form: yummy. Over the years of our friendship, dating, engagement, and finally marriage food/diet has been quite a point of contention. We have had different views on what a "healthy diet" is actually made up of, and argued about whether "organic food" is really better for you. Well in the last few months, I am proud to say that through the education of multiple food documentaries that advocated plant-based diets, showed the health risks of the American diet, and gave us a real look at what is in the food that we put in our bodies, my husband is a convert. No more will he be buying foods with ingredients that can't be pronounced, and no more will we have 'discussions' about my seemingly picky food choices. I am very happy indeed. And I think that our relationship just got a whole lot sweeter. It's great to be able to agree on what is going on the table and into our bodies. I love my husband dearly, and I appreciate the fact that (although it took some well-done documentaries to convince him) he now sees my point of view. We will still have our disagreements, but I am happy to say that our diet will likely not be one of them. Thank you Lord for good food that treats our bodies right! And thank you Lord for my healthy husband!

*Note: even if Chance continued to eat some junk food here and there, I'd still love him unconditionally, it just makes grocery shopping and cooking a whole lot easier.*

F.o.F: Lasagna for my Lover

One of my husband's favorite things about being married is the fact that he gets to have homecooked meals with his wife (aww, so sweet I know). This is one part of being married that I also thoroughly enjoy. Now because I have multiple food allergies that Chance doesn't, sometimes I end up making 2 different meals for us. The meal that I make for him is usually something that he can take as leftovers, and eat for the next few days. This past week he mentioned how he missed lasagna. I have issues with lasagna - wheat pasta noodles & heavy ricotta cheese do NOT make for a happy wife-y if you catch my drift. So I found a recipe online and modified it with what I had on hand - it is vegetable lasagna that my husband described as "SO good, and so.. light!". I never thought the word "light" would be used to describe lasagna, but with all these veggies it's no wonder he enjoyed it so much :)
I hope that you can make it for someone you love, too.

recipe taken from myrecipes.com - Cooking Light magazine 2001
 Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3/4 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 small zucchini, chopped
• 3-4 carrots, diced in the food processor 
• 1 chopped red (or green) bell pepper
• 1/2 cup  white or sweet onion
• 1 (26-ounce) bottle fat-free tomato basil pasta sauce
• 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto
• 1 (15-ounce) carton part-skim ricotta cheese
• Cooking spray
• 6 ready to bake lasagna noodles (I used Barilla) 
• 3/4 cup (3 ounce) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375º.
2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and the next 4 ingredients (mushrooms through onion); cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add pasta sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
3. Combine pesto and ricotta in a small bowl. Spread 1/2 cup tomato mixture in the bottom of a 8-inch square baking dish or pan coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodle halves over tomato mixture. Top noodles with half of ricotta mixture and 1 cup tomato mixture. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining tomato mixture over noodles; sprinkle with mozzarella.
4. Cover and bake at 375º for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.
5. Notes: To make ahead, assemble as directed; stop before baking. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature; bake as directed. For easy cleanup, assemble in a disposable 8-inch aluminum-foil pan. If you're making for a gift, deliver uncooked with baking instructions.

For gluten-free/dairy-free people:

I made my own dish that consisted of all the sauteed veggies mixed with about a tablespoon of the sun-dried tomato pesto and 3/4 cup rice penne pasta! I through some dairy-free rice mozzarella cheese on top and had my own yummy "Italian" inspired dish that perfectly accommodated all of my allergies!

(note: the photo above I took off of the myrecipes.com website for this recipe!)

Food on Friday: Green Tea Soy Latte

In high school whenever I would go to Starbucks, my drink of choice would either be a soy vanilla latte (sugar free), a Caramel macchiato, or this delicious-looking concoction. One of my dear friends would always comment on how disgusting this very green beverage looked, and I would respond, "Well have you ever tried it?" Her answer was of course always, no. Now I would ask you reader, would this matcha green tea soy latte ever touch your taste buds? Today, I decided to go grab one from the local Starbucks. And as I contemplated this strange liquid that I had just ordered, I looked around at the customers inside the store. I thought about the brevity of life. I thought about empty pursuit of status. I thought about the simple pleasures. I thought about the complexity of my Savior and his desire for me to savor Him above all things. And then I got my drink: sweet but not all-satisfying. Have you ever noticed how a craving can leave you empty even after you satisfied it? I'm reminded today that everything that is not Christ is fleeting and worthless in comparison to Him. Including my green tea soy latte*.

(*Everyone should still try one at one point, and then tell me once you have!)

Food on Friday: Best Bread Ever

Yesterday for "Precept Day" (once a week my office buys lunch from the restaurant of our choosing!) I suggested The Kozy Kitchen in Dallas. My co-worker obliged and I ordered a salad with a slice of their Gluten-Free bread. I have eaten their one and a half times before yesterday (one time for a meal, and one time I only got dessert.. to-go=a half time). I was super excited to try their bread out because I haven't had bread in a few months! Since going on this gluten-free diet, I have not yet attempted to bake anything gluten-free. Oops. I will get more adventurous soon, I promise.

So you're probably wondering if the bread met my very lofty expectations. Well to answer your question: YES! It even exceeded them. I didn't take a picture, but above is a picture of their Gluten-Free French Toast with strawberries looking equally yummy. Even if you don't eat gluten-free, this bread is still worth it (well maybe not because it's $2 more expensive). Typical gluten-free (GF) bread is gritty, flaky, falls apart easily, and bland. But this homemade bread was moist, hearty, and thick!

Next time you are in Dallas, let me know and we can go enjoy some Kozy Kitchen delicacies, my treat :)

Food on Friday: Time for Minestrone Soup

I know, I know, there are a million recipe websites, foodie blogs, cookbooks, and cooking channels on TV that could give you a plethera of recipe ideas. That is why I am going to give out recipes sparingly, but this dreary and drab Friday in Dallas calls for one of my most frequented (since being married to Chance).

Mission: Minestrone Soup

Why minestrone? My husband absolutely loves this soup--the second time around. You see I made this recipe straight out of a cookbook (and have since tweaked it) however, I did not use one very important ingredient, and the result was a very, very bland combination of some water and cooked vegetables. Needless to say: yuck!

However, when I actually used the special ingredient that the original recipe said was OPTIONAL (ugh!) the soup was an instant hit. Can you guess the ingredient? Drumroll please... BACON!

What to use:
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
About 1 lb. of hickory smoked bacon (cut into inch pieces)
1/2 c. or less chopped italian parsley
2 tbsp. minced garlic - by far my most used ingredient in all dishes in the Sumner house
3 carrots, peeled & chopped
1 sweet onion (or yellow)
2 russet potatoes, peeled & cubed
2-3 celery stalks, leaves removed & stalks chopped
1-14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (preferably Hunt's or Muir's or the organic kind from Costco)
2-3 cups vegetable or chicken stock (or water.. but stock is better!)
2 handfuls of spinach or cabbage, chopped
2 small zucchini, diced into 1/4 in. pieces
1 cup risotto rice (Arborio rice)
1-14.5 oz can of cannellini beans (Great White Northern beans)
>>Remember that you can omit any vegetable or substitute as you deem wise

How to: Crock Pot-style
1) Prep takes a while, so chop bacon first, while letting olive oil heat up on a medium skillet on medium heat on the stove,
2) Add garlic and parsley, once heated. Let cook for about 1 min.
3) Add bacon and reduced to medium-low to avoid splashing oil, cook bacon through (about 8 minutes)
4) While you are letting the bacon cook, chop your carrots, onion, celery, potatoes, spinach, and zucchini. Add all these to the CROCK POT (or if you do not own a crock pot, use a big dutch oven and cook bacon, garlic, parsley in it first, then add the above veggies and cook for about 20 minutes with broth). Once the bacon (garlic + parsley) is done cooking, you can add it to the crock pot too.
5) Add broth, tomatoes, Arborio rice, and cannellini beans. Stir to mix together. Broth should not quite cover all the ingredients. (If using dutch oven, let it cook for about 30 minutes after this.)
6) Add salt and pepper to taste - if you want to.
7) Turn crock pot on to SIMMER for 20-24 hours (or LOW for 8-12 hours).

This soup [which is really more of a stew] will literally melt in your mouth. You will win over anyone who tastes this delectable dish -- husband, boyfriend, in-laws, neighbors, etc. Be warned: it is a very rich dish, so a little goes a long way (except I almost always have seconds!). Oh, and basil is most delicious as a garnish!

Enjoy the weekend & HAPPY PRESIDENT'S DAY (I am so ecstatic because I get the day off on Monday-wahoo)!

Food on Friday : Healthy Habits, Part 1

A Moment Back in Time

This morning (when I began this post it was morning anyway), I want to discuss an issue that often goes under the guise of "healthy eating", but first let me share with you a story from my own life:

Fall 2008: I had just returned to college from a crazy busy summer of counseling at a Christian camp in northern Michigan (shout out to Lake Ann!). My diet, while at camp, had consisted mostly of Cliff bars and snow peas in the cafeteria with the occasional trip to the organic restaurant in Traverse City for some "real food".  Needless to say, I was looking very thin. Not unhealthily thin, just skinny, but normal for a diet consisting of mostly vegetables [or so I thought]. Here began my semester of the strangest eating habits I've ever experienced. I was a health food nut.. organic this, all-natural that. I racked up my grocery bills at Whole Foods and was mildly obsessed with peanut butter and carrots. My parents became worried that I was focusing so much on "healthy eating" while at the same time taking on an overwhelming amount of extra curriculars. Indeed, it was a recipe for disaster. If I didn't eat a salad for every meal, I would get frustrated. I started "cooking" for myself this semester, which really just consisted of throwing a bunch of vegetables in a bowl and calling it dinner. Ironically, as I became more overwhelmed and busy, I began exercising less and less. I became depressed and soon I was calling home wondering what I was doing 2,000 miles away from home. I felt isolated and like I had failed. I ate desserts and other foods in large amounts (i.e. binged) to try and cope with all of my stress. Most of all, I felt like I had lost control of my "healthy eating" which was terribly frustrating. I cried out to God on multiple occasions to help me to see what my problem was! I knew that how I was behaving wasn't normal, but I also didn't think it was very serious. 

After I went home for Christmas break, I had a breakthrough. I became vulnerable with some close friends who prayed with me regarding this season of depression and loss of control. During that break, I went on a retreat back to the summer camp I worked at and was confronted with the underlying issue: pride. I was too prideful to confess to anyone (let alone myself) that I was overly concerned about the kind of foods that I ate. When I became overwhelmed, the food I ate became an avenue of control and I used it to falsely believe that my life was under control. After that retreat, the Lord taught me that I needed to be honest & vulnerable with those around me, and willing to confess my sin and not let it fester. I went back to Florida with a new outlook and a readiness to fight this battle for real. 


As I began to examine my life, I noticed that this obsession of healthy eating was not just a habit but a lifestyle. Slowly, I added exercise back into my regular routine and was thankful that the Lord was giving me the desire to want to be healthy but not consumed. As God exposed my heart, He revealed to me how my relationship with food was tainted with many false ideas. I also had false ideas about my image, my body, and my relationship to exercise. I was encouraged that the Lord was showing me so many things, but I didn't really know where to go from there practically, besides attempting to "put to death the deeds of the body, so that [I] might live." (Romans 8:13) I saw the need for more specific, focused ways to battle this area of my life -- I wrote note cards with Scripture passages, had an accountability partner, and prayed often for God to help me in this area. All of these things did indeed help tremendously.


But I asked myself, "Do I have an eating disorder?". I puzzled over that question and came to the conclusion... no? So, if I didn't have an eating disorder per say, then why have I met so many other women who have dealt with the same issues? Again, I ask "Is this an ED?". Well, you will be curious to know that I have done some research on this topic of a"healthy eating obsession". I've even made a few enlightening discoveries. I would like to share those and other thoughts in a series on Healthy Habits. 


For now, let's ponder what Paul says in regards to eating meat sacrificed to idols (which may cause his brother in Christ to stumble): ""All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor... If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:23-24, 30-31)


Do you adhere to a strict healthy diet? What is your motivation behind your food choices? Have you considered that this may be more than just an eating regime, but a lifestyle for you?


Stay tuned for Healthy Habits Part 2, Food Rules - And Food That Rules [You]

Food on Friday: Grocery Store Seduction

In an attempt to entice the reader I have used the above alliteration "Food on Friday" to introduce a new spin on what I think I might write about each Friday! Although the theme will be related to food, it won't always be the same type of writing. Some days I will post recipes, some days thoughts on eating habits, some days I'll write about Biblical passages pertaining to - you guessed it - food!

Today I will tackle the idea of what our culture portrays in regards to eating, but specifically how restaurants and grocery stores lure their shoppers. Every week at work, we order out from a nearby restaurant, so naturally I look at the menu before I place my order. At one restaurant in particular the heading of their menu reads as follows "How May We Tempt You?" (see above). Now this may seem harmless considering that it refers to their delectable menu offerings and is their attempt to make their customers' mouths water once they view the descriptions of each perfectly apportioned dish. However, from a Christian perspective the word "temptation" doesn't exactly stir up in our minds 'positive' thinking, now does it? No! We are to avoid temptation at all costs! What does James 1:13-15 say?

"Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death."

So we find here that temptation lurks in our hearts, and that when we are enticed by our temptation that our desires become sin. Let me ask a simple question: Is food a temptation? Do you desire it in a way that may cause you to sin? Let's explore that.

I love Whole Foods. Whenever you walk into a Whole Foods Market you see mountains of colorful fruits, vegetables, fresh seafood, and fine cheeses. Mostly organic and so yummy. Chance and I love the fresh salad and food bar there. But one thing I notice about myself when I walk into a Whole Foods (other than shock at the price tags) is that I am enticed by the foods there. Whether it be because they look delicious, they're made from healthy ingredients, they're fresh and juicy, or whatever - I have a hard time not spending money in a Whole Foods. Restaurants, clearly, use the same tactics. They make their menu offerings look mouth-watering, scrumptuous, flavorful, and irresistable all for the purpose of convincing you to eat them. As a business major, I realize that this is great advertising, a marketing scheme that convinces consumers to buy your product - success! But as a Christian, I also realize that my heart is deceitful above all things and is easily tempted by ads such as these.

We need to think twice before we indulge in our next Venti Caramel Frappucino to make sure that are hearts are not being enticed to sin. I do not think that enjoying a tasty meal is wrong (by no means!) nor do I think that loving anything sweet to the taste is wrong - that would be way too farfetched. What I am saying is that we often overlook our heart's desires or disregard them as 'pure' when in actuality they may not be. I know for myself that the temptation to be satisfied in the temporal pleasures of this world is all too captivating. Indeed, after reading a book on this subject, I began talking to my husband about his relationship (thought life, desires, lusts, etc.) regarding food. After a couple of weeks he began telling me that he noticed an unhealthy, unholy thought pattern in regards to his desire for coffee in the morning. I have been there and still battle with these thoughts, and it is something to take into consideration because we are commanded "you shall be holy, for I AM holy" (1 Pet. 1:16).

Are we tempted to enjoy above God the temporal satisfaction of something sweet to the taste, rather than tasting and seeing that the Lord is good (Ps. 34:8)? Or can we say with the psalmist: "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you" (Ps. 73:25). Join me in considering these profound truths and what our culture (and our hearts) attempt to do to steer us otherwise.

{as always-feel free to comment or write me with your thoughts: kathryn.m.sumner@gmail.com}