Books in 2010

Apparently full-time nursing school consumes enough of my time so that I avoid blogging but not enough to avoid reading. I've never understood those who say they don't have time to read. I mean, I don't have that much extra time but how can you not READ?! Books are a priority, people. Let that suffice as my PSA for Reading for Life. Not just lifelong reading but actually for LIFE.

Martha challenged me to keep a list this year and without further adieu...I present my list for 2010.

4:50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie

Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross

Design It Yourself Clothes: Patternmaking Simplified by Cal Patch (best patternmaking book EVER)

The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonheoffer

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats by Sally Fallon

Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Greg Mortenson

Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures by Amanda Blake Soule

Bend the Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew by Amy Karol

One Yard Wonders by Rebecca Yaker and Patricia Hoskins

A Country Called Amreeka: Arab Roots, American Stories by Alia Malek

SewU: The Built by Wendy Guide to Making Your Own Wardrobe by Wendy Mullin

Making Children’s Clothes by Emma Hardy

Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest by Edward Welch

Sew Liberated by Meg McElwee

Serve God. Save the Planet. by Matthew Sleeth

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

Unveiled at Last by Bob Sjogren

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Looking for Alaska by Peter Jenkins

Wolves of the Crescent Moon by Yousef Al-Mohaimeed

Future Grace by John Piper

There is No Me Without You by Melissa Fay Greene

Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God by Noel Piper

High Adventure in Tibet by David Plymire

Waging Peace on Islam by Christine Mallouhi

Grace Abounding by John Bunyan

Wide Neighborhoods by Mary Breckinridge

Digging to America by Anne Tyler

The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkein

Two Towers by JRR Tolkein

The Return of the King by JRR Tolkein

Flat Pattern Methods by Norma Hollen (circa 1965 and excellent)

When God Weeps by Joni Eareckson Tada

Gospel in Life by Tim Keller (a must read for everyone)

Radical by David Platt

Tunisia: A Journey Through a Country that Works by Georgie Anne Geyer

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (yes, again)

All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

It looks like it was a year of sewing, faith, dreaming of Africa, and fabulous British fiction for me. What did you read?

Sutton Spring Collective on Etsy!

Well, it's been a long time coming. And by "a long time" I do mean a super duper loooooong time. I've been making stuff left and right and up and down for what seems like ages now and I think every single person I know has told me that I should just take a leap of faith and start selling things but as with every decision I make in life, I like to take my time. Probably more time than is necessary for most normal people but I digress. So I thought about this idea, then a friend told us about a boutique show we should enter, then actually did the boutique show (with Martha), then thought about it some more, then decided I didn't have any time for it, then decided that nursing school actually wasn't THAT hard and I did have time for it, then thought about it some more, then opened a shop on Etsy. 

In case you haven't heard, Etsy is the absolute best way to waste an entire Saturday afternoon. It's just wonderful! You can stare at page after page of beautifully handcrafted items of all sorts and can find anything you ever thought you might need or don't need at all and before you know it, you've wasted an entirely perfect day that you could have used for actually sewing something but instead stared at things that have been sewn by someone else. Anyway, it's brilliant.

So Martha and I have a shop. And most of what is currently in the shop is stuff that is ON SALE and needs to go in order to make room for new pretty things that we're dreaming up. The only downside is that we can't immediately put a cupcake and a cup of coffee in your hand the second you step into our shop like we would if we had a real brick and mortar store but just know that we would really like to just sit and enjoy your visit and chat about things like doilies and tomato plants and that new quilt you're hand stitching and if you happened to buy something, that would just be icing on the (cup)cake. (And hopefully you would tolerate my cheesy jokes that I think are hilarious.) So stop by for a visit! We would be happy to "see" you!

Food Friday

How, oh how, could I have not shared this recipe until now? I still contend that I know virtually nothing about Asian cuisine of any kind (other than I like to eat it, of course) but I must say that this delight of a dish is soooo good. Really, there's not much else to say about it. Except that it might cause you to throw caution to the wind and hop on a plane to Mumbai or Malaysia before you even get a chance to clean up the supper dishes. Which really  isn't a bad idea at all.

Red Lentil Coconut Curry

1 large onion, minced

1 Tbsp garlic, minced

1 Tbsp ginger root, peeled and minced

2 tsp curry powder (I use regular curry although a green, red, or sweet would probably work well)

1/2 tsp each ground turmeric, ground cumin, pepper

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

2-3 bay leaves

13.5 oz can coconut milk (or whatever size your grocery carries)

1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce

1 cup tomato sauce (an 8 oz can)

2 cups dried red lentils, rinsed (or brown, but I've tried it with both and I think red really are better)

5 cups water

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped

1/4 head cabbage, cut into chunks

1-2 cups peas

In a large pot, saute onion in a drizzle of olive oil for a bit but before it turns brown. Add the spices (everything until the coconut milk) and reduce heat. Cook for about 3 minutes being sure to avoid burnt and sticky spices and browned onions. Let me add here that I don't use the bay leaves because I don't really think they add that much and I also use a sprinkling of ground ginger instead of ginger root because who seriously has ginger root readily available in their house at all times? Ok, I could think of a few people, never mind. Moving on. Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, and tomato sauce and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes or thereabouts, stirring often. Sidenote: I find the tomato sauce a very interesting addition. While this is going, toss the lentils in the water in another saucepan and allow it to cook for about 15 minutes or until you're tired of waiting and ready to add it to the big pot of goodness. However, I don't use 5 cups of water because I think that makes it too runny, so maybe 3 or 4 and you're good. After the lentils are cooked a bit, put them (and their water) into the big pot. Then throw in the cauliflower (I seriously LOVE cauliflower) and sweet potato. Allow that to start cooking for about 5 minutes before tossing in the cabbage and peas just because I think the sweet potato and cauliflower need a little extra cooking time and no one wants soggy peas. Allow that to simmer until you feel like everything is cooked through then serve it over brown rice. 

Brown Rice + Lentils = Complete Protein. There, now no one has an excuse not to be a vegetarian. Just kidding...but I bet you didn't even miss the meat, did you. I'm telling you, someday you'll all go veggie and never look back. It's a great thing. Although sometimes you cheat and have bbq with your best friend in Kansas City and it's really good! But then you go back to your veggies and that's really good too. But in case anyone's really worried about missing out on bbq, don't worry, I found a great recipe this week for bbq tofu that I'm dying to try out. I'll let you know how it goes.

And someday I might throw in photos but that really feels too food bloggie for me and I'm really not a food blog, nor am I the Pioneer Woman, so that will probably never happen. I just like to cook and hopefully this gives you another option for the never ending what-should-I-fix-for-supper question.

Recipe courtesy of Simply in Season (the best!) with many modifications made by me.

New York City

Living in Arkansas is great but every now and then I need an escape. It seems to be happening more and more often the longer I live in America but that's another story entirely. My sisters and I have dreamed of taking a sister trip to New York City our whole lives and when we planned it for Martha's 25th birthday, somehow an entire year slipped by before we actually got around to planning it. So here's to 26, Martha! Plus it was her spring break and when you're studying things like gastroesophegeal reflux disorder and every type of anemia known to humankind, you need a good break. So off to NYC we went (sans Julie, which is also another story entirely). A couple of cups of Starbucks, one emergency landing, and a long layover later (due to the aforementioned landing), we arrived at our hipster hostel in Brooklyn which turned out to be a really good spot for us.Two invaluable tips for traveling well but on the cheap: Lonely Planet and Rick Steves (although he only does Europe). And we really loved Brooklyn. So many places that were "us" like here, here, and here.

We immediately set off for Manhattan and free Friday nights at the Museum of Modern Art. Where we saw one of the weirdest art exhibitions I have ever seen in my life. Martha found it fascinating and I found it...lacking. Yes, the idea was intriguing but the execution was less than noteworthy. Watching two people stare at each other was more distracting than it sounds and while I kept waiting for one to laugh or blink or sneeze, Martha was philosophizing about the concept of really being present with others and how just being is often more real than talking about something trivial just for the sake of talking. Like I said, I was just waiting for someone to laugh.

For us the number one exciting thing about NYC is something probably very few people even think about doing there but then again, that's just us. Fabric shopping. It's difficult to create clothing for yourself when you have only a tacky textile selection from the local chain fabric shop to work from. But in New York it was like a breath of fresh air...more variety and selection than we could ever imagine. It was a dream.

I'm still kicking myself for not grabbing more of those batiste cotton prints while I was there. Even silk prints...ahhhhh!!!!! We also attended a book discussion with Tim Gunn which was highly entertaining. All we can ever say about him is that he is just seems so nice and he really is!

Martha has a fascination with the Flatiron building that I don't really understand. So I made her pose for a touristy photo and this is probably really only funny to me but here it is. If you only knew how cheesy we are!

A stroll through Central Park before church on Sunday morning. Can I tell you how much I love diversity in the church? I do. A lot.

And a stroll through Washington Square Park. Folksingers and beatniks.

And a stop in Strawberry Fields to visit the John Lennon memorial. Do you see a recurring 1960s theme?

And Rockefeller Plaza. Which isn't really 1960s related at all but it does contain the most beautiful Anthropologie we've ever seen.

And really the best part of Staten Island was the coffee because it looked like this outside. Bummer.

And last but definitely not least, I give you my best Audrey. It was raining and not at all as Breakfast at Tiffany's as I had hoped but I gave it my best shot. Good thing I just found a pattern for a copy of that wonderful black dress she wore!

So that was my first (Martha's second) trip to New York. I leave you with Union Square which turned out to be one of our favorite open spaces/parks in New York. A great farmer's market and people giving out free hugs. Our kind of place. :)

Levi Seth

My newest nephew Levi was born in January and is making his blog debut in May. I decided this was quite appropriate for his beginning of life because he's a third child. And we all know that the more kids you have, the longer things take. In our family we always joke that Martha, as a fourth child and baby of the family, practically raised herself. This is not actually true though because I remember very well the attention she got that I lost (give me a break, I'm a middle child, ok?!). Levi and I have #3 in common so I can relate. And in true middle child fashion, this paragraph is beginning to sound as if it's about me instead of that irresistible face pictured above! He's just perfect. I mean, really, how can you resist nuzzling that little neck? Ok, or maybe the oh-so-chubby-cheeks that are beginning to hang over the neck???

We had many heart-to-heart conversations about all the many beautiful things in the world he just entered. He's such a good listener. What a guy!

Big Sister and Big Brother are generally excited to have him around but it is hard to beat horseys and baby dolls and tutus and building blocks. You don't even want to know how many photos we had to take to get this one. Of course Bear forgot to sit up for the photo but I guess we can't have everything.

"Levi! Nose!"

Ok, ok, just one more kiss! He's just too sweet for words. I love you, Levi!

Food Friday

Well, I'm back. After an 8-month sabbatical I thought it was high time to get back into the swing of things and what better way to do that but with FOOD FRIDAY! It's no secret that I'm a self-proclaimed foodie with a particular fondness for the ethnic side of things but every now and then I do enjoy getting back to my roots and eating "American" food, as my father calls it. What is American food anyway? Aren't we all just a big conglomeration of all the ancient cultures of the world? Are southern Americans really the first people to use terrible amounts of butter, cream, and eggs in everything? Probably not.

Getting back to the point, I have enjoyed two cookbooks in particular for the past several years that carry a variety of "American" food: More with Less and Simply in Season, both published by the Mennonite Central Committee. More with Less focuses on just that, living a full life with less stuff than we actually think we need because surprise! we don't actually need it. Their emphasis is on the world. Most of the world's population gets by with only what they need (if they even have that) while the West usually consumes far more than they need. The idea is to be more mindful, more resourceful, more careful about how we use what God has given us, and to make every action (especially food consumption) a spiritual act. Their contributors are working among the poor all over the world, creating nutritious recipes from what is available to them. Simply in Season carries recipes that celebrate fresh, local foods while focusing on consuming what is in season where you live. Is it really necessary to truck bananas all the way to Arkansas throughout the winter season?  Or really at all? Bananas are not native to Arkansas (although my microbiology professor would probably disagree with that, I have yet to see it proven).

So in the spirit of getting back into the swing of things, and for my one lone reader still checking my blog (MOM), I thought I would leave you with a prayer found in Simply in Season emphasizing the glory of God in all things, even food (and don't be too disappointed that Food Friday is not actually about food).

An Aromatic Prayer of Thanks

Aromatic Creator God,

I smell your glory in the just-plowed earth awaiting spring planting.

I smell your glory in the air after the rain.

I smell your glory in bruised mint leaves being prepared for tea.

I smell your glory on my fingertips after cleaning strawberries for my family to eat. 

Your glory pervades the air in fragrant blooms of hyacinth, lilac, and rose,

in freshly baked bread and Sunday-dinner roast,

in the fishy smell of the pier and the musky smell of the barnyard,

in the sweet bury-your-nose-in-it scent of a newborn babe.

For the odors of your glory and the sense of smell,

I give you thanks.

Food Friday

Well, I'm just going to say it again because even though I sound like a broken record and I'm sure it's no surprise...I loved living in the Middle East. It was challenging and I had my share of Is-it-time-to-go-home-yet days but it was also beautiful and adventurous and just plain fun. So back to the point of this post...I really enjoyed Middle Eastern cooking. Arabs believe in fresh natural foods and anyone who has any size of land around their house grows a garden of some sort, even if they live in a sea of concrete. This is one of my favorite dishes from Jordan, always so crisp and fresh.

Fattoush

Several tomatoes, chopped

A couple of chopped cucumbers

Half of a red onion, chopped

A green bell pepper, chopped (optional)

A few leaves of romaine lettuce, torn into pieces

A handful of parsley

A handful of mint

Stir together in a big bowl. Then assemble the drizzle.

A round of red wine vinegar

A couple of rounds of olive oil

A couple of rounds of lemon juice

A few pinches of sumac (super expensive in America so this can be left out, although it obviously isn't truly authentic without it...should have brought a pound of this home with me)

Salt and pepper

Drizzle the drizzle and stir around. Now for the most important part. Arabs typically use stale flat bread/Arab bread/pita bread that is slightly fried in a pan of oil (it can be stale because it's just going to be fried) but in America you can often find something called "pita chips" which serve as a quick and suitable substitute. Toss in a couple of handfuls of those and you're ready to go. Must follow with a cup of sweet mint tea.

Food Friday

One interesting thing about living in a family commune and cooking for a group of people again is trying to find recipes that everyone likes. This generally isn't too difficult in our family because we all sort of like the same things and hold the same values toward the foods we eat and allow our bodies to consume. We also love to experiment with international foods (more of that to come) and I think Martha tweaked this recipe just right for a light appetizer.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

A tiny bit of olive oil

Minced garlic

A small white onion

Saute in a pan until onion is tender, not necessarily brown.

A couple of rounds of hoisin sauce

A couple of rounds of soy sauce

One can of rinsed and drained water chestnuts

Several sprigs of diced green onions

A handful of bean sprouts

A sprinkle of red pepper flakes (if you can handle it)

Toss the rest of the ingredients into the pan and stir around until warm. Spoon into crisp leaves of lettuce and top with peanuts and cilantro before serving. Tasty!

Thoughts for a Monday

1. I took guitar lessons in high school but haven't been able to play anything but "Summer of '69" for 10 years (if you can only play one song, that's a good one, don't you think?) so I decided it was time to expand my repertoire. Martha gave me a lesson this weekend (yes, just one more thing she knows how to do...Renaissance Woman, I tell ya) and now I know 4 chords and can play "I'll Fly Away." I know you're probably pretty excited about an impromptu bluegrass concert but let me warn you that it reminds me of my days in second grade when I was beginning to take piano lessons and the only song I could play was "Here We Go, Up a Row" and I'm not so sure my family was as excited about it as I was.

2. I am a forever fan of spray paint. My friend Kim told me that she will never go back to the regular stuff so I had to see what all the rave was about. Martha and I completed a little DIY weekend project and I now have a super cute blue chest of drawers in my "office" and I have to say, it really was the easiest home project I think I have ever done. I already have a long list of things that surely need to be transformed. My Granny used to say that my Gran (her mother) would paint anything that sat still long enough (she was actually an artist) and I would like to think that even though a can of spray paint wasn't exactly the kind of art that my Gran would probably appreciate, maybe I could become a painter one day after all.

3. My parents are planning a trip to Europe this fall. Those adventurers. Always up for exploring a new country...or two...or several. It's really their fault that I'm the way that I am. I also blame Rick Steves.

4. A sure way of making it rain is to straighten my hair. First time all summer, and of course the sky falls out. Hasn't rained in weeks.

Much Given, Much Required

What if this was your life? This COULD be your life. Real women, with personalities and feelings just like you, having babies, cooking supper, having tea with friends, cleaning the house, just like you. But their lives are also very different. The main differences being an oppressive religion, a life of virtually no freedom or choice or independence and an environment of never-ending war and violence.

And it could very easily have been YOUR life.

Remember the women of Afghanistan. Pray for them. Be a voice for them.

To whom much is given, much is required...