a simple life

Brown-Rice Spinach Spaghetti with Chicken & Spicy Tomato Sauce with Capers

2012-01-28T11:27:00.000-06:00

I love capers. Anyone else?

(I'm kind of depressed about how crappy these food pictures are, but I pretty much only cook in the evening during the week, so there is not natural light to work with. Any easy tips?)

This was another recipe that helped us make it through week 3 without even feeling like we were eating detox food. I am beginning to see how this could be an 80/20 (80% eating like this, 20% eating whatever) lifestyle after the official 4-weeks is over. Here's the recipe!

Brown-Rice Spinach Spaghetti with Chicken & Spicy Tomato Sauce with Capers

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp or more red pepper flakes
1/2 yellow or white onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 small can of tomato sauce
1-2 Tbsp capers
shredded rotisserie chicken breast meat
brown rice spaghetti

Get water boiling to cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile heat olive oil in a sauce pan. Add red repper flakes, onions, and garlic to the oil. Cook until the vegetables are translucent and soft. Stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer. Reduce until it is the thickness you would like. Add the capers and chicken. When the pasta is aldente, transfer it directly from the pot to the sauce with a slotted pasta spoon. Turn off heat and toss until everything is incorporates. Serve immediately and enjoy!

I think this sauce would also work well with seafood. Olives would be a nice touch as well, but Keith hates them :)

And you thought there was no such thing . . .

2012-01-26T19:53:00.001-06:00

. . . As wheat-free, cheese-free pizza.

Well friends, so did I until a few days ago. Then, I attempted the unthinkable and was rewarded for my daring conquest with a delicious, quick, frozen-pizza-craving-satisfying meal.

We're a little more than half way through this detox thing, and it has been really good. We're having fun participating with friends, trying new foods, and enjoying the benefits of putting good stuff in our bodies. I've noticed improvements in my skin and energy, and I've just generally been in a good mood. Don't know if it's related or not, but I'll take it!

We probably do frozen pizzas about once a week in our house. Even before the detox, I had taken to just buying frozen crusts and making my own sauce and toppings with whatever was in the fridge. Some favorite combos have been basil pesto with rotisserie chicken, spinach, mozzarella; sun dried tomato pesto with bacon, kale, and goat cheese; and simple, spicy tomato sauce with chicken sausage, red onions, and mozzarella, and feta. It's different every time. This time I was obviously limited by the no-cheese factor, but I used the same crust we've been using. It's awesome.

Here's the combo we went with this weekend:

Gluten-Free, Cheese-Free "Frozen" Pizza
(sorry for the not-at-all precise measurements)

Preheat oven according to the directions on the crust.

Sauce:
1/2 cup fresh grape tomatoes
1 small handful julienned sun dried tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 small handful almonds
salt to taste
a few pinches fresh or dried herbs of your choice (optional)
red-pepper flakes (optional)
olive oil

Combine the first seven ingredients in a food processor. Start pulsing them, adding the olive oil slowly until you have reached the desired consistency. I like mine fairly thick.

Toppings:
Fresh Spinach
Shredded rotisserie chicken

Spread the sauce over the crust. (It doesn't matter if the crust is frozen or thawed.) Cover the sauce with a layer of spinach, then top with the chicken. Bake until the edges of the crust are golden and the spinach has wilted. You could also try any combination of greens, onions, peppers, sausage, mushrooms . . . go crazy!

I mean, you are making gluten-free, cheese-free pizza after all.

Clean Snacking: Roasted Red Pepper and Almond Dip

2012-01-16T12:26:00.003-06:00

I love to snack. One of the most difficult things about eating healthily is finding something that will satisfy that after-school catharsis of an easy-to-reach for, satisfying snack. Unfortunately, normally some of my go-to snacks are chips and salsa or cheese dip, cheese quesadillas, tortillas with peanut butter (or all of the above). Fortunately, once you figure out some better stuff to put in your body, snacking can actually be a good thing as it keeps your metabolism going throughout the day.

Some easy and tasty snacks that are working for me are nuts, rice or nut crackers with almond butter, fruit smoothies, and veggies with hummus. I found a container of romain hearts this weekend, and I have really enjoyed making little lettuce boats with hummus and veggies to spice up the old hummus and veggies a bit.

This weekend I was called on to make a veggie tray for a baby shower and I made a huge batch of roasted red pepper and almond dip so we could enjoy some ourselves at home too. This is one of my all-time favorite dips and it was a huge hit at the party. The first time I tasted it (thanks Steph) I couldn't believe it was made out of such simple, healthy ingredients. The sum of its parts so creamy and satisfying. I've been loving it this weekend on nut crackers, rice cakes, or veggies.

Roasted Red Pepper and Almond Dip
(Recipe from epicurious)

1/2 cup whole natural almonds (about 3 ounces), toasted (I chose skinless slivered almonds)
1 cup drained roasted red peppers from jar (or roast your own by broiling them in the oven until the skin is charred then removing the skin with clean towel.)
2 teaspoons red wine or sherry vinegar
1 large garlic clove, peeled (you could also roast the garlic if you don't prefer raw garlic)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Very finely chop almonds in processor. Add roasted peppers, vinegar, and garlic; process to coarse puree. With machine running, pour olive oil through feed tube and process until puree thickens slightly. Season dip to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to small bowl. (Dip can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Greek Chicken, Spinach, and Quinoa Bake

2012-01-12T19:01:00.006-06:00

When I said I would post about some recipes later this week, I hadn't planned on coming up with one on my own. Tonight, I planned on making this recipe and adding in some chicken and black beans. But on Friday night, before my sister left and before we started this, I made a dish inspired by a recipe that I literally snapped a picture of in a magazine from the rack in Publix (is that illegal?), and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. What I made was a variation on this recipe from Clean Eating Magazine for Spanakopita Casserole. If you're not restricting gluten or dairy, you should make it this week but add some shredded rotisserie chicken like I did. It was awesome.

So, a little cilantro-ed out, and still dreaming of the greek chickeny, spinachy goodness, I devised a plan. I took the basic flavor profile of the casserole, a little of this and that from the fridge, some techniques from another grain-based casserole, and voila! This comforting dish totally satisfied my craving!

Greek Chicken, Spinach, and Quinoa Bake

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup carrots, diced (I used a handful of baby carrots)

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 9 oz bag fresh spinach

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1/2 cup feta*

2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint

1 tsp dried oregano

2 eggs

salt

pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Get your quinoa going. If you have already cooked quinoa left over, use that. You could also use brown rice. Anyway, cook the quinoa according to package instructions with the mix of chicken stock and water and generous pinch of salt.

Meanwhile, sauté the onion and carrot with a pinch of salt until the vegetables are tender and translucent, adding the garlic about halfway through. Add the spinach a handful at a time so you can fit it all in the pan and cook until all the spinach is wilted.

Transfer the vegetables to a bowl. Add the quinoa, chicken, mint, oregano, and a few cranks of black pepper to the bowl. *(If I wasn't avoiding dairy I would 100% add feta at this step.) Taste and add salt if needed. Mix in two eggs and transfer to a round or 9x9 inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until it is bubbly and beginning to brown on top. Let it cool and settle for 5-10 minutes. Serve.

Words of Wisdom

2012-01-12T10:37:00.000-06:00

From the illustrated version of Michael Pollen's Food Rules.

Isn't Pinterest Lovely?

2012-01-11T10:47:00.001-06:00

To help get me started and inspired I've created a board on Pinterest for Fresh Start approved recipes called "Does A Body Good".

A couple days ago I made Heidi of 101cookbook.com's Carrot Almond Salad but slightly roasted the carrots and asparagus rather than blanching them. I also added lime to the dressing because I have seen that in some of her other recipes.

I could use the cilanto-lime dressing on everything. It is so good. It's a simple blend of garlic, half a jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, a little salt and olive oil whirred together in the blender or food processor. I hadn't decided to blog about this at that point, so I didn't take pictures, but I'll post some more recipe reviews and pictures later this week!

A Clean Start

2012-01-10T12:54:00.003-06:00

A favorite photo from Scotland my sophmore year of college.

This week Keith and I are embarking on a 4-week clean-eating routine. One of my favorite things about being more intentional about what I eat is that I end up trying a lot of new foods and recipes, which I hope to share here. I also thought I'd blog about our 4-weeks for some accountability and mutual support. First, here are some things I'd like for you to know going into it.

My current relationship with food:

I have pretty much bought into the whole-food, clean eating basic idea for the past year or so. (My husband is an organic urban gardener for crying out loud). At this point, I don't feel particularly compelled to completely eliminate any entire food group from my diet permanently. In general, I think sugar, refined wheat, trans fats, processed foods, and excessive amounts of meat should be greatly limited, and I try to do that.

I don't think healthy eating is everything, but I do think it's important. Food is not just fuel, its also something that God has given us to fellowship around, remind us of Him, and to enjoy. Having said that, I believe it glorifies him for us to be good stewards of our bodies and our family's bodies by eating, cooking, and living in a way that aims for health and balance, not JUST pleasure. It was in the context of a meal that Jesus said "do this in remembrance of me" and I believe it honors him for us to eat in a spirit of thankfulness, joy, and self-control while putting something truly good in our bodies (not in the way that I often find myself eating: out of laziness, boredom, or gluttony).

You've probably caught on to this in my years of sporadic posting and periods of blog absence, but I tend towards phases of excitement and commitment, and then swing back to apathy, rarely finishing anything I start or really making something habit. This is true in many areas of my life, and as I focus on some true discipline in the area of eating over the next few weeks, I hope to develop healthy habits in other areas as well.

What I hope to get out of this (okay fine, let's just call them goals):

To finish something I've started
To develop some healthy true habits, rather than phases (nutritionally, with exercise, and spiritually)
About 8 months ago I started having some major issues with my skin, and without going into a long story about all the things I've tried to treat it, I'm hoping to either rule our or conclude whether the breakouts are food related.
Try new vegetables and cooking methods
Eat a vegetable with every meal and most snacks
Run 3x weekly as I train for a half marathon in April
Stick with a Bible reading plan

The basic outline of the plan: (The framework of the plan, with some of my own modifications, is from the Arbonne FreshStart plan)

No wheat, gluten, rye, barley, or refined grains (brown rice, quinoa, and millet are some grains that are permissible.)
No dairy
No soy
No sugar (small amounts of stevia or agave nectar are okay.)
No coffee (gasp!) or alcohol or fruit juice (green tea is my new best friend)
No pork, red meat limited to 1x weekly.
LOTS of vegetables
LOTS of low-glycemic fruits such as berries
MORE good fats found in fish and some nuts
Run right after school twice a week and once on weekends.
Follow the Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan

What you can do for me:

Comment and let me know that you're out there. I think it would be fun, and added motivation, to post recipes, tips, and track my thoughts throughout the 4 weeks. Maybe I'll even make regular posting into a habit! But I know myself, and feedback really helps keep me going in the blog world.

Starting the Day Right

2011-12-12T11:03:00.002-06:00

Hello Friends. If you're not interested in reading about my breakfast habits, trust me, I understand, but you'll probably want to go ahead and move on to the next blog in your reader. However, I'd love to share with you two breakfast habits that have recently entered my routine and make me feel about a gazillion times healthier. So, if you're keen, keep reading.

Mean Green Smoothies

The first recipe hands down my favorite way to incorporate more dark leafy greens such as kale and spinach into my diet. It also helps me meet a goal of eating a vegetable with every meal and snack. Plus, they seriously taste GREAT. I recently made them for my 6th grade girls homeroom and 100% of them liked it. That is a SERIOUS endorsement.

1 banana
a cup or more of frozen fruit of your choice
juice of half a lemon
fill the rest of blender with torn kale (stems removed) or spinach
2 cups water (adjust to make it more or less thick.) (I add chia seeds to my water and let them soak for about 10 minutes before adding it to the smoothie)

Blend ingredients and enjoy!

Not Your Mama's Breakfast Cereal

This recipe is quickly giving my green smoothies a run for their money as my preferred breakfast, especially now that it is so cold! The base of this cereal is a chia seed pudding. If you haven't heard about these little miracle seeds, check them out! They have more omega-3 than salmon, more antioxidants than berries, and they are LOADED with soluble fiber (which is why they turn into a gel-like substance in liquid). The soluble fiber in them fills you up for a good long while and slows down insulin absorption. According to Aztec legend, Aztec men would carry chia seeds on long journeys and only needed a tablespoon to give them enough energy and sustenance for a whole day! Now if that's not a breakfast worthy food, I don't know what is! (You can find them at any natural foods store or in the bin section at whole foods. They are also available on amazon.com)

The night before you want to eat it, make the base:

2 tsp chia seeds
2 large spoon fulls each of: rolled oats, bran flakes, shredded coconut
1-2 cups vanilla almond or soy milk (I'm sure you could use regular milk too)

Mix the first 4 ingredients in a Tupperware or jar with a lid. Cover with at least a cup of milk. Refrigerate over night.

In the morning I like to add granola (My favorite is Nature's Path Hemp Plus) and about a 4th cup of chopped, raw walnuts. SO GOOD!

Let me know if you try either of these recipes!

Spain: A Picture a Day

2011-10-26T11:04:00.001-05:00

Day 1:

La Plaza Mayor, Madrid

Day 2:

Flamenco dancer, Madrid

Day 3:

Trying on hats in the Plaza de España, Madrid

Day 4:

Cafe with Antontio in a bar that used to be a stable, Salamanca

Day 5:

Plaza Mayor, Salamanca

Day 6:

A pulpo pincho, Salamanca

Day 7:

Paseo del Prado, Madrid

Day 8:

Foot study, Madrid

PIE LAB

2011-09-28T22:26:00.000-05:00

We took a long drive one Saturday a while back and ended up at Pie Lab in Greensboro, Alabama. It was a magical day. I haven't had time to post about it because I wanted to write something magical to go along with it. But, now that it's way over due, I'm just going to leave you with this little photographic snippet and move on. You should go taste for yourselves.

A Darn Good Cup of Jo

2011-09-06T21:50:00.001-05:00

Attention coffee lovers: There's a new coffee press on the block.

I've tried several methods of non-electric coffee brewing: the two-chambered stove-top espresso maker that was the norm in Spain, french press, and the overnight cold brew for iced coffee. We've relied on french press since we decided to keep it simple and return the electric coffee maker we received as a wedding gift for cash. But lately I've grown weary of the bitter, almost muddy taste of french press as well the process of making it in the morning (clean-up being the biggest hassle).

Last weekend at the Homewood Farmers Market I consulted our farmers market neighbor and new friend, Woody, of FinerGrind Coffee Roasters. He told me about a couple different methods that he uses: the Clever Coffee Dripper, which is a pour over system, and the Aeropress. He made some pretty lofty claims about the Aeropress, something along the lines of "the best cup of coffee I've ever had" and offered us a deal that included a bag of his fresh-roasted artisan coffee, so we went for it.

Friends, we have not been disappointed. Using the press you can make a single up to a quadruple shot of pure, espresso gold in about 1 minute. Most mornings we add hot water to make an americano, but if we're feeling fancy we'll add frothed hot milk (perfect use for the old french press) for a latte. The flavor is really up there with the most pure I've ever tasted. There is very little bitterness, so you can really taste the unique notes of the coffee you brew. And, clean-up is super simple, which is no small bonus on a busy morning.

And there you have it. A darn good cup of jo. Mornings just got that much better.

Photography: John & Jamie

2011-08-29T15:38:00.001-05:00

My friends John and Jamie are back from their honeymoon to Austria. I'm glad because I missed them :)

Here are some beauties from their engagement shoot back in the Spring.

Homemade Peanut Butter

2011-08-24T22:16:00.002-05:00

We go through a large container of Whole Foods freshly ground honey roasted peanutbutter a week. Seriously. When I'm craving something sweet, I grab a spoon and feel pretty good about the indulgence because I know that it's essentially the same as eating a handful of honey roasted peanuts.

I help cook with the kids at Nehemiah's Quest, the biweekly work day that Keith runs for the kids in Rosedale, and this week we decided to make homemade peanut butter for lunch. I was really surprised by how easy it was to make at home! I'm not sure how it works that there is no oil added to the Whole Foods version. We had to add a little peanut oil to get the consistency right, but other than that, I think this version tastes at least as good.

We used it to make peanut butter sandwiches with apple (we got local apples in our CSA today!) and honey. Personally I like to keep it simple and eat my peanut butter with a spoon.

HOMEMADE HONEY ROASTED PEANUT BUTTER

1 cup plain, roasted peanuts
1 cup honey roasted peanuts
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp peanut oil

Combine in a food processor, adding in the order listed until smooth. Adjust the amount of honey to your taste. You could also get crazy and add chocolate, try it with other nuts, etc.

Also, I need to let you know that the child pictured below is one of my favorite children on the face of this earth.

This out-of-focus picture taken by his sister really makes me happy. He LOVES Paul.

Looking Forward to Going Back: October Trip to Spain

2011-08-22T10:59:00.005-05:00

Every once in a while, almost out of nowhere, it hits me. Sweeps over me in an unexpected wave that for a moment makes my heart lurch and sends a tingle of adrenaline down my fingertips and toes. A certain, perfect sip of strong coffee balanced just right with rich, frothy milk and sweetness. The face of a friend appearing on my facebook homepage. A group passing by me on the sidewalk in Highlands with an unmistakable accent and attitude. A song that instantly brings me back to a lonely bus ride, possibilities and uncertainties masked in the darkness covering an unknown landscape, my head pressed against the cold window; too excited to sleep.

It wasn't a dream. I really lived in Spain for nine months. Ate, slept, walked, dreamed, longed, grew, shared--in a country not my own. When I was there, I longed to be here. And when I am here I am happy and fulfilled. But there are those moments. Moments. When I just want to be back in a little cafe, drinking café con leche, staring out at a world older than anything I know in my world. In a place that is mysterious and other.

What is it about travel that has such potential to change us? And at the same time, make us reflect on who we are?

In October I'll have the amazing opportunity to retrace my steps, to actually get to go back to those moments, those cafes, those streets. And this time I won't just be daydreaming about sharing it all with my love, he'll be at my side, across the table, really there. And everything that was old will be new. And we'll make new discoveries together.

We leave in a couple months, but planning has begun. I really want to preserve the trip and celebrate it, reflect on it, and be able to share it.

I'm looking for a creative, simple, easy-to-carry way to help us do that. These are some interesting travel journals I've stumbled across. But of course, there is always the allure and limitless potential of the plain, blank moleskine . . .

Poketo Travel Journal

Present and Correct - Library Travel Journal

I Was Here: A Travel Journal for the Curious Minded

Abroad: A Travel Journal & Organizer

Any thoughts or ideas? How do you document your journeys?

Photography: The Sewell's at Home

2011-08-21T21:36:00.001-05:00

Another fun shoot I got to do this summer was with my friends Pat and Keri to help them celebrate their new home together (after 6 months of interstate marraige!). They are pretty awesome, and we're glad to have them both in Birmingham these days! Here are some favorites!

Photography: Allison & Joseph

2011-08-20T15:42:00.004-05:00

I've gotten the opportunity to do a lot of photo shoots since this post (thanks people!), and I have really, really enjoyed it. With each experience I feel like I grow and learn a lot about my camera, my style, and my ability (or humble lack thereof) to make people feel comfortable. This week I'll share my favorites from some shoots earlier this summer.

Yesterday I got the opportunity to do Joseph and Allison's engagement pictures. We did the session at Jones Valley. Before the shoot I did a little bit of research looking at pictures I liked on pinterest, and noting ones that reminded me of Allison and Joseph. I planned a few ideas, jotted them down on a notecard, and headed to the farm. I felt so much more relaxed and in control because I had a plan. It was by far the most fun I've had doing a photo shoot. And, not surprisingly, because I was relaxed, so were my friends. Lesson learned! I'm mid-way through editing, but I couldn't wait to share since they are so stinkin' cute. Here's a teaser. One of my favorites:

Ok, fine. Here's another one.

More to come!

Back to School

2011-08-18T22:51:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year. With 80 more students than I had last year, it has been a blur so far. But for now you'll just have to trust me that the summer was at least as busy, so things are just rolling right along. I'll try to do a recap of the summer, but until then, I thought I'd share some snapshots of the first week of school. I really do want to stop and reflect and capture moments, even with life moving at such a pace.

My classroom.

I've transitioned to planning my lessons around a lot more group work, so my classroom reflects that. I've also painted a fun chalkboard on a wall! We'll eventually write essential agreements up there and all the students will sign it.

5th grade girls at Lunch.

The lunch room is packed with all the new students. We'll open a new building in October that will house a new cafeteria, gym, and some classrooms. Until then, we're just a little cozy!

A dream for 6th grade, written by one of my girls.

I had the students and parents who came to orientation write their hopes and dreams for 6th grade and place them on my wall. This was one of my favorites. Gotta love the heart-dotted i's! Classic 6th grade girl!

Looking sharp at morning carpool.

I adore the 4 year olds. Sometimes teaching so many ages and levels is overwhelming, but the sweet cuties in K-4 make it worth it every day!

A K-4 Superstar.

PEPE THE SOMBREO-WEARING PINATA.

I'm trying to give my students an in depth look at what other cultures are and avoid cultural stereotypes and go beyond the surface ideas of the "4 f's: food, fashion, flags, festivals" . . . But this little guys jazzes up my window sill, so we'll let him stay :)

Cinco de Mayo: Crafts and Celebrations

2011-05-05T15:41:00.002-05:00

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Today is a big day for Spanish classes at Cornerstone! We've been gearing up for weeks, learning about the history, making decorations, practicing dances, and of course: making piñatas! I thought I'd share some really fun, easy Cinco de Mayo crafts for kids of all ages!

We made Mexican paper flowers, a Cinco de Mayo banner, and a piñata! Here are all the supplies before chaos ensued :)All grades did at least one of these crafts, and they did great!

My festive hallway.

Finishing the piñata.

I'll post a video tomorrow of this dance in action.

A Lunch Breakthrough

2011-04-12T14:51:00.002-05:00

I've gotten a few really great cookbooks lately. The most recent is one I pre-ordered months ago from my favorite food blogger, Heidi Swanson of 101cookbooks.com. If you don't read it, check it out, most of my all-time favorite recipes for healthy, vegetarian food come from this site. On Sunday I spent a few hours trying out some of the most intriguing recipes from Super Natural Everyday, and this one may have changed my life.

Here's the thing. Lunches are a challenge for me. I don't really like sandwiches, we don't often find ourselves with leftovers, and in order for something to make it into my bag before I rush out the door to work, it's gotta be easy. Far too often I find myself resorting to the school cafeteria out of convenience, and even if I do pack, so many things that qualify as easy don't also make the cheap and/or healthy category. Well, finally I've found something that has it all: super inexpensive, packed with protein and healthy goodness, easy, AND SO TASTY.

In the cookbook, they're called Chickpea Wraps, and I feel like you could call them Chickpea Salad Wraps, because the chickpea mixture really comes together similarly to a good chicken salad, and satisfies as similar taste. There are a lot of flavor profiles you could go with: curry, mustard, sweet--and I deviated a bit from Heidi's recipe by using cilantro in place of dill. The mix keeps, and actually gets better, for several days in the fridge. You could also experiment with wraps, pitas, and flat breads to fit your taste. I'm loving the red chili tortillas!

Here's my version:

Chickpea Salad Wraps

(for a big batch)
2 cans chickpeas rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, roughly chopped
2/3 cup plain greek yogurt, thinned a bit with water
1 tsp cilantro/lime "pesto" (1 bunch cilantro, juice of 1 lime, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 cup olive oil, salt and red chili powder to taste blended in a food processor)
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Pulse all but 1/4 of the chickpeas and all the red onion in the food processor until roughly chopped and blended. Keep it chunky. In a bowl combine this mix with the remaining whole chickpeas. Set aside. Mix together the yogurt, cilantro "pesto", and mustard. Combine 2/3 of this yogurt mixture with the chickpeas and red onion and add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Keep the rest of the yogurt mixture as a spread for the wraps. Refrigerate until you're ready to use.

To assemble to wraps, spread the yogurt mixture on a tortilla, flat bread, or pita. Top with salad green and a generous scoop of the chickpea salad. Wrap, and you're ready to go!

Lunch will never be the same.

All the ingredients, so easy to assemble in the morning.

1st Harvest: Garden Updates in Pictures

2011-04-10T20:08:00.002-05:00

Our first harvest of radishes.

Finally a wide angle view of the garden.

Stephen harvesting lettuce.

We got over 25 gallons of baby lettuce, arugula, and mustard greens!

Baby tomatoes in the "green house". A set of shelves with fluorescent lights.

Cucumbers, just peeking out.

My Songwriting Debut - Grey Haven 18 at Matthew's Bar

2011-03-26T13:22:00.001-05:00

A couple month's ago a friend of mine from church, who is also the creator of Grey Haven, told me I should play at the next show. My response was a heart felt, "I'd love to." But I've always hesitated because I don't write my own songs. Back in highschool I wrote a couple songs, which I now HATE, and therefore haven't really felt much like trying even since. When I have attempted to write, I've gotten quickly frustrated and eventually gave up. Both aspects of songwriting are completely daunting to me: coming up with chords and a melody, and pairing it with lyrics that convey what I want them to. Anyway, Caleb gave me this sound advice: "Sign up for the next Grey Haven. Then you have to write two songs." So I did.

That week the first song, "While You're Sleeping" actually came pretty easily. It was in response to an experience at school that stuck with me (which I explain more in the video), and I was encouraged. Ok, maybe I can do this. Then writer's block hit. By the time we left for North Carolina last week, I had only a vague idea of what I wanted to write about and not even a hint of a melody. Finally inspiration came while we were watching O Brother Where Art Thou, and Keith and our other friends who were up in the mountains with us helped me put it all together. It was the perfect place to have to write a song.

Last night was really encouraging. Grey Haven is such a good example of what I love about Birmingham. Everyone is so open and mutually encouraging, creative, and it's contagious rather than being intimidating or competitive. LOTS of sweet friends came out to support us and it was so nice to look out in the crowd and see their faces. Hopefully it was a positive enough of an experience that I'll keep at it!

Elaine Davis - Grey Haven: While You're Sleeping from elaine on Vimeo.

Elaine Davis - Grey Haven Walk With Me from elaine on Vimeo.

Rosedale Garden Update: In Pictures . . .

2011-03-25T09:44:00.001-05:00

Things are looking quite a bit greener!

Peas, which Keith trellised yesterday.

The farmer watering his crops

Mustard greens and arugula. Already full of flavor.

Sweet spring baby lettuces.

These were taken with my new camera! Thanks so much for the support! My new camera, a Canon Rebel 2Ti (an update from my Rebel Xti), is getting a workout this week with an engagement shoot, and big school events like the a pep rally and 8th grade field trip to Jekyll Island, GA to be captured for the Year book. I'm loving it! More about the field trip coming soon.

Verses for Meditation in the Garden

2011-03-15T07:57:00.001-05:00

Last week I got to share about gardening with some women from my church. Along with as much practical advice as I, in my second season as a gardener, could muster, I also complied a list of verses for meditation in the garden to share. I find the garden an ideal spot for meditation. Even if I don't go there intentionally to open my heart to be searched, there is always something so innately familiar to the process--whispers of ancient truth well up to the surface. Here is one that I really loved from Hosea.

Sow for yourselves righteousness;

reap steadfast love;

break up your fallow ground,

for it is the time to seek the Lord,

that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

Hosea 10:12

The call to break up the fallow ground of our hearts and seek the Lord, and the truth that though we are called to sow righteousness, the Lord, the One who rains down righteousness, is the only one who can put it in us and make love bear fruit. I think about how the ground, freshly tilled and sown, thirsts for rain. How crucial that rain is to the growth of the crops. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness . . . that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

We're off to the North Carolina for Spring Break!

Creative Financing

2011-03-04T17:12:00.001-06:00

Dear Blogosphere,

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm having some serious malfunctions with my digital SLR. Namely, that it won't turn on. If you haven't caught on to my photographic habits, this lack of camera is a serious cramp in my lifestyle. I have been thinking for a little while about a camera upgrade, but figured I could wait another year or so. Now I'm thinking maybe not.

Purchases this extreme aren't a usual occurring in the Davis household. The Lord has called us to put a concerted effort to be wise and generous stewards of our finances, and my husband rocks the household budget. I'm so thankful for him! All that to say, I'm hesitant to drop $800 on something that essentially seems like a toy.

But then, it is more than a toy. In addition to documenting our life, I use my digital SLR for the school yearbook, blogging, and from time to time, for helping friends out with family, engagement, and wedding shoots. I feel a little bit paralyzed in so many areas without it. A couple friends have talked to me recently about helping them out with some photo shoots, and that got the wheels in my head turning. I've come up with a little creative financing plan.

The goal:

Book enough small "gigs" to cover the cost of the camera before I even purchase it.

Where you come in:

If you or someone you know are interested in getting some photos done, for any occasion or non occasion; family, couple, engagement, etc., I'd like to work with you. I'd be willing to negotiate prices, but here is what I'm basically thinking. Keep in mind that I'm not a professional. I just love taking pictures, and I try to take them well. All of these would include me taking the photos, editing them, and sending you the full size files to make prints on your own.

$50 for a 30 minute, 1 basic shoot
$100 for a 1 hour more in-depth shoot (such as several set ups in an explorable location like a park)
$100 for a documentation of a child's birthday party or other comparable event
$250 to work basically as a second shooter, taking candid shots at a wedding (I know a lot of photographers have their own second shooters, but people have asked me to do this when their photographer doesn't)

If you're interested, you can reply to this post or email me at elaine.faith.davis@gmail.com!

Here are some example of things like this I've done in the past.

Another Day of Sowing

2011-02-25T17:57:00.002-06:00

Today was an amazing day for planting the spring garden at school. We're starting to develop some really great partnerships, making plans to make the garden a permanent part of the school, and I'm feeling well supported by my administration and coworkers. And on top of that, it was a gorgeous day. One of the many ways that this venture of connecting with the dirt has changed me is that I notice weather and growth around me in a new way. Like last night when our minds went directly to our fragile little seeds reaching for life right below the surface of the dirt when a torrential storm blew through and water started pouring in through our back door (which hasn't been the same since the fellow who helped himself to all of our electronics back in August kicked it in). Luckily, the raised beds hadn't washed away and we even have arugula sprouting in the Rosedale garden! But all that to say, maybe February has always been like this, but I can't remember Spring ever arriving in such force so early! A week of above 70 temperatures and sunshine, it's amazing. I'm sure it will get cold again before Spring is here to stay, but I'm soaking it up while we can.

Eight elementary classes came out to help me plant! We'll have to do a lot of thinning, but it was worth it. I can't wait to see how floored they are when the seeds they planted start to sprout. I taught them my technique of praying for the little guys as we tuck them into the soil. When I told them that only God can make seeds grow a K5er exclaimed "Are you for real!?" like it was the most earth-shattering thing he had heard all day. I'm also meditating on the seeds in their hearts, that truly only God can make grow. Never mind feeling that lack of control with our vegetable sowing, it takes so much trust to rest in the truth that God is the one who changes hearts and he is in control. I'm so thankful that He is good.

The science teacher was kind enough to snap some photos for me. But my today my camera, a Canon EOS Digital Reble, won't turn on! HELP! I charged the battery, and have tried turning it on and off, taking the battery out, etc. No luck. Any ideas?

Just please look at the stink eye I'm getting from the left as I give 2nd grade the low down.

A worm!!

Middle schoolers helping me solarize the third bed that must have had a lot of weed seed mixed in to the soil. Hopefully this will do the trick!

The Graduate

2011-02-24T21:24:00.004-06:00

The wise gaze of a puppy class graduate. We decided to invest in taking Paul to obedience classes, and they have been well worth it. After some major setbacks due our week-long absence over Christmas (several trashcans full of things he chewed, and a nice fresh pee spot on our bed waiting for us when we got home), we felt intervention was called for. Probably the most valuable thing we got out of it was an hour a week of focused time training him; our attention spans are really more lacking at home than his. Paul struggles with being very easily distracted, but when we have his attention, he's a star! He passed his final exam today on sit, lay down, loose leash walking, stay, and come when called--a big relief for his "parents"--especially since last week he let the fishtanks get the best of him and we couldn't even get him to sit. He also made some pals in the class. For Paul and Deuce, a friendly Great Dane in the class, it was BFFs at first sight. Here are all his cuddly classmates: Deuce, Sam, and Tank.

Planting Seeds

2011-02-21T22:10:00.006-06:00

Almost a year ago Keith lost his job as an accountant as at a small business. It was his second time losing his job since we were married in 2008 and needless to say it was a pretty discouraging blow. At the same time, stirring beneath the sting of disappointment and uncertainty (we had just signed a contract to buy our house two weeks before), we sensed an excitement at so tangibly being in the grip of God's graceful hands as he held us and guided us one day at a time. We continued praying for guidance, specifically as to what the future held for Keith's career. Was he being called to something other than accounting? If so, what? It was overwhelming to think about.

Right around the same time I started interning at Jones Valley Urban Farm, just because I thought it would be a cool way to spend the summer off. When Keith found himself with an unexpected summer off as well, he joined me. The more time we spent on the farm, learning and enjoying the process of growing vegetables, the more we felt our hearts being drawn to invest in the dirt for more than just the summer. We were so blessed by the beauty of the whole cycle and the friendships we developed over hot days weeding and harvesting in the field. By the end of the summer Keith was working on the farm building the children's garden. We still had no idea what the future held, but we had a strong feeling that it would involve growing things.

In the fall some friends of ours told us about a non-profit working with youth in Rosedale, a historic neighborhood in Homewood. They heard that the founder wanted to start a community garden and thought Keith might be interested in talking to him. I'll try not to make a long story too long and fast forward a bit. In December Keith began working with Simon Cyrene full time, building a community garden and working with the neighborhood kids through a program called Nehemiah's Quest. In addition to an existing program in which 50 kids ages 10-18 work to improve vacant lots and properties in the neighborhood every other Saturday, we're developing a more time-intensive program for the summer that will involve high schoolers in caring for the garden, processing the produce and selling it at the local farmers market, distributing baskets of produce to Seniors in the neighborhood, and learning about nutrition.

All that to say, today was a big day. After a couple weeks of working hard to build the raised beds and get the dirt in, today we planted our first seeds! With each seed dropped into the ground I said a prayer. It's so humbling--the seeds are SO small, and though you will work hard to care for them well, you can't help but know that you really are not in control here.

A few garden details for those who are interested: Today for our earliest planting we planted spinach, mustard greens, salad mix (a combination of baby salad greens), arugula, beets, turnips, carrots, and radishes. We planted onions from starts we ordered from Johnny's Seeds (where we get all our seeds) because onions take a LONG time to grow from seed and can be tricky. We'll plant broccoli and lettuce indoors this week to transplant later in March.

I'm planting similar things with my students in the Cornerstone garden this week, hopefully more pictures to come!

Hello there 2011!

2011-01-05T11:16:00.000-06:00

For our friend-family New Year's has become a reunion of sorts, with folks coming in from out of town and gathering for some kind of themed party to ring in the new year together. This year we got to celebrate in an extra-special way with the wedding of our friends Pat and Keri! Because the "guy's house" where we typically had the New Year's Eve fiesta had been vacated, we offered our house. I pretty much told our friends, ya'll are welcome to have the party at our house but because we were just getting in town from Christmas and I was helping out with other things for the wedding, I couldn't really do much more than open the doors. Little did I know that we would have an all-out, high-tech dance party in the basement, a grand spread of food and refreshments that I had nothing to do with, and oh, about 50 people packed into our modest casa. It was slightly overwhelming, but really fun too. For those of you who are still waiting for me to post pictures of the house, sorry, but here is an informal and very crowded tour of our home and a taste of the party, made possible by our Christmas present this year!

Scenes from a Cornerstone Christmas Program

2010-12-21T10:06:00.002-06:00

Just in case you haven't had enough Christmas spirit in your life these days, this should do the trick.

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the City of David, which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed who was with child.

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to a son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn.

And in that same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For unto you is born today in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." . . . And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold wise men from the east came to Jerusalem saying "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."

And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

The people k who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of l deep darkness,
on them has light shined.
3 m You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with n joy at the harvest,
as they o are glad p when they divide the spoil.
4 q For the yoke of his burden,
r and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as s on the day of Midian.
5 t For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.

6 u For to us a child is born,
to us v a son is given;
w and the government shall be x upon [4] his shoulder,
and his name shall be called [5]
Wonderful y Counselor, z Mighty God,
a Everlasting b Father, Prince of c Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
d there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
e with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
f The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

A Davis Family First: Photo Christmas Cards!

2010-12-12T11:51:00.006-06:00

The blogging world has been good to us this Christmas! Our good friend Rebekah, author of the beautiful blog Honeysuckle Life, is building a photography portfolio so she did a fun photo session (with the Paul-man) for us this weekend. If you live in the Birmingham area and are interested in getting family pictures taken, check her out! You may remember, she and her husband, Frank, recently got back from the mission field in Nicaragua and we love them! Even though being photogenic isn't one of the Birmingham Davises' strong suits, she made us feel comfortable and captured our personality.

We'll be using one of Shutterfly's super-cute designs to make our cards, and as you may have heard, they have a promotion right now for bloggers. Thanks Shutterfly!

I really like this simple design! And their prices are great!

Check out Shutterfly's Christmas card designs here. Their photo calendars are also a fabulous Christmas gift idea of family and friends. And if you've already sent your Christmas cards, there's always Birthdays!

If you'd like a Christmas card from us this year, reply with your address! We'd love to send you one!

Jesus Was Born

2010-12-08T11:23:00.003-06:00

We were so thankful to get to see the Davis side of the family for Thanksgiving, including our niece Catherine, whom many of you prayed for when she was born with a congenital defect called CDH. Well, she's "better" now, completely! And the funnest little thing ever! We told a lot of freinds about how one of our favorite things that she's doing these days is saying "Jesus was born. Made Cat-n better," whenever anyone talks about Christmas, and now you can see it in action!

A sweet advent-reminder that when Jesus humbled himself and came to us as a small baby, He made us "better". He made a way for healing each of us that is even more miraculous and glorious than the way he healed Catherine's tiny body.

(If you're reading in google reader, you'll need to click on the post title to see the video on my blog)

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Adventures with Paul

2010-10-12T15:14:00.002-05:00

Ahhh . . . Fall.

The temperature cools, we slow down a little bit. Visions of reading by a fire wrapped up in cozy blankets, the smell of leaves, whispy clouds of breath on quiet mornings. It all makes me so darn pensive and sentimental. Enough to make me want to come out of my blogging hiatus and do a little creating.

A lot has happened. Hopefully we'll get adequately reaquainted.

But first thing's first. I'd like to introduce you to someone.

Meet Paul.

Paul came to us via a friend from the farm. We weren't really looking for a dog, but what can I say? It was fate. Besides his obvious good looks, Paul has a lot going for him. After some enthusiastic playing, his favorite place to be is lying right at our feet. We take him to restaurants, friend's houses, and about town, and generally he has delightful manners. He can jump higher than my head. We rest easy with Paul holding down the fort a home. In his bag of tricks you'll find sit, stay, lay down, shake (with both paws), jump, speak, come, and Keith is currently working with him on turning off the light and fetching his specific toys (duck and moose) on command. We're pretty taken with him, and generally so is the rest of the world. He increases our social appeal many-fold. This weekend we took him camping, and I think it's safe to say he had the time of his life.

New Home Preview

2010-06-07T09:26:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone! We moved in last weekend and are settling in nicely. We're pretty much unpacked, we've had our first dinner guests, and we've begun to tackle the back yard. Little by little we're making it our own, and I'm trying to remind myself to let that happen at a natural pace. It's good.

However we do have very limited internet, so until we get it really up and running and I can upload more pictures, this little preview will have to do. We painted the living room, and the color turned out great!

Workin' on the Farm

2010-05-13T18:17:00.000-05:00

(photo of the Park Place farm from Jones Valley's website)

This summer Keith and I are interning on an urban farm in Birmingham, that also has a satellite campus in the 'burbs. We're really excited about learning more about sustainable organic agriculture, and especially how to farm. We are lucky enough to be participating in a work-trade agreement, that means we get a CSA bag full of farm-fresh veggies every week. Along with the general goal of learning, we've set a few other goals for ourselves, such as eating as locally as we can, and making our new home a little greener.

I've decided to set up a new blog, entirely devoted to this aspect of our lives, that will hopefully also be a conglomeration of local and national resources for sustainable living and eating, recipes, tips, and links that you might find interesting.

Check us out at urbanfarmplate.blogspot.com !

Deep Roots

2010-04-22T15:39:00.003-05:00

It's official! Keith and I closed on our very first house yesterday! A cute little house with a red door right across the neighborhood. Until yesterday, owned by our dear friends. We'll move in May 29th, allowing for Stephanie to finish up the school year with the little day-school that currently occupies the basement. And we are super excited. Garden plans, couches, paint colors . . . there's so much to think about!

Ultimately, the house is not about all that though, but steadily following after the Lord as he leads us to plant deep roots in this neighborhood, and faithfully fills up our hearts with love for this city.

"Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce . . . multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." Jeremiah 29:5-7

.weeds schmeeds.

2010-04-21T21:35:00.004-05:00

I just call them pretty. And Birmingham boasts a particularly vibrant display this time of year.

730 days

2010-04-19T14:15:00.003-05:00

. . . of waking up next to my best friend.

Rich, full, happy, musical, hilarious, sanctifying, abundantly-thankful, growing . . .

love.

Street Life in Nicaragua

2010-04-09T06:58:00.005-05:00

One of the things I really loved about Nicaragua was the life that filled the streets day and night. We were only there for a week and already we recognized many of our "neighbors," and spoke to them, if only in simple greetings, several times a day.

Ensalada del Tigre .or. Clemson Coleslaw

2010-03-28T13:15:00.005-05:00

Inspired by the delicious staple of Nicaraguan cuisine, simply called "ensalada" (which translates "salad"), I went on a search for the simple combo of cabbage, carrots, and white vinegar on my first grocery shopping trip since our return. I ended up choosing the purple head, because I have a sneaking suspicion that anything that purple must be packed with antioxidants, and well, it's pretty. When I came home and started blending, I noticed that the outcome bore a strikingly nostalgic color-combo harkening to my 4 and some years spent in the South Carolina Upstate.

This essentially non-mayo based slaw has quickly become a crunchy, tangy staple for the Davis household as well. Keith loves it, and I whipped up my second batch today. Pictured above with a veggie burger topped with buffalo mozzarella and pico de gallo, I ended up stuffing the slaw in the pita as well, and it was pretty special.

Clemson Coleslaw:

1 half head of purple cabbage, shredded

1 about 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots (I used a large handful of baby carrots and shredded them in the food processor)

1 TBSP finely chopped cilantro

1 tsp finely diced or graded jalapeño

squueze of honey

squeeze of lime juice

about 3/4 cup white vinegar

about 1/3 cup olive (or whatever you prefer) oil

Combine oil, vinegar, lime juice and honey. Toss with veggies, add a big pinch of salt and pepper to taste. It gets better (and purpler) the longer everyone has to hang out together in the fridge.

Granada

2010-03-14T18:15:00.003-05:00

We made it to Nicaragua. From what we've seen so far in Granada, the life here is pretty sweet. So far we've seen an amazing sunset over the city from the Cathedral's tower, ate some extremely tasty street food, biked several miles off the beaten track to a laguna, and enjoyed it all with our dear friends. It's hot. We're sweaty and happy.

Coming and Going

2010-03-11T18:28:00.003-06:00

Where I'm coming from:

Jekyll Island, Georgia; 8th grade trip

Where I am getting ready to go:

Granada, Nicaragua to visit these fine folks.

.quotables.

2010-03-04T16:56:00.002-06:00

Scene: Breakfast duty monday morning talking to the little kindergarten-cutie pictured above.

Me: So, Cameron, did you have a good weekend?

Cameron: (Emphatic) Yes.

Me: Oh yeah? What did you do?

Cameron: I went to church. And they be doin' the holy ghost. I love it when they do the holy ghost. (Every time he says "holy ghost" he balls his hands up in fists and waves them around at ear level.)

Me: What does that mean? How do you do the holy ghost?

Cameron: Oh, you know. Everyone be all cryin' and runnin around like crazy and stuff. (Extra emphatic) The holy ghost!

. . .

Today I tried to get a picture for you of him "doing the holy ghost," but lets just say there was too much movement involved now that he was standing to take a picture in low light.

On Sunday I head off on the 8th grade field trip to Jekyll Island, GA for 3 1/2 days. Pray for us!

.light.

2010-03-02T18:36:00.004-06:00

Cornerstone Yearbook Preview

2010-02-26T18:30:00.002-06:00

I've been busy at school working on the yearbook. Taking a lot of pictures. Here are some of my favorites so far!

Snow in Birmingham!

2010-02-14T08:33:00.004-06:00

I'm absolutely giddy and childlike about the mere possibility of snow. I check the weather forecast and the windows, oh, about every 5 minutes. And I always, always remain optimistic. When you start becoming cynical about snow, a little piece of your spirit dies. And snow visited our little ham again. In a beautiful, tree coating way. And we rejoiced. Here are some pictures, along with a few of Crestwood's finest snowmen.

Keith's Weekend Thoughts: Wild Things Have Hearts Too . . .

2010-02-02T15:36:00.001-06:00

I'm sorry that I missed two weekends ago and that I am late for this past one. As you can tell, Elaine wears the "blogging" pants in our marriage.

So I hope everyone knows that I have a new friend that lives outside our appartment. Toby is a beagle. One of my favorite things about being friends with Toby is how encouraging he is when I come home or leave in the morning. It's so great to have this great dog who is so glad to see me. He sort of looks like this...

Most Saturday mornings I take him for a walk to Crestwood park. We are working on playing catch. He can't really look up well so if I throw it up he won't chase it. We're working on it. Anyways when I put him back up after the walk is over he goes through this routine where he howls nonstop for 15 minutes. It's really pathetic but it sort of makes me feel good inside. I feel like he's saying, "I had so much fun and I don't want it to end." I appreciate that.

So that's where Where the Wild Things Are comes in. I LOVED the part at the end when the wild things howled for Max. It communicated so much that words would have left out. There is just this deep groaning that needs to get out.

All this to say that if I start howling when you say you have to go home after an evening of hanging out, know that I'm not angry at you but it's my way of telling you I think you're awesome.

Photo Friday:Guatemala meets Cornerstone

2010-01-28T23:15:00.003-06:00

I have these two pictures from our recent trip to Guatemala up in my classroom, and the kids ask about them a lot. They've asked all kinds of things, including are they my kids?, but I love getting to tell about them. I love getting to talk to my students about the opportunities I've had to travel, and what a mission trip is all about. I love telling them the ways that these kids are different than them, and how they're the same too. How the boy in the lower picture makes his home in the city dump, but is also very joyful and kind, and how the families in the top picture live in tin houses with dirt floors, but they know their needs are met in Christ.

This week with my 4th and 5th graders, we're reading about what it's like for children to go to school in Guatemala. How often, they have to walk a very long way and have class with children of many ages all packed into one room. Also, how very few families can afford to send their kids to school past 6th grade and how many of the villages only have primary schools. We also talked about how this leads to a cycle of inaccessibility to education that keeps many villages in poverty. It made my students feel very lucky and thankful for the opportunities that they have for education here, but they didn't stop there. They immediately began brainstorming about how we could raise money, like we're currently doing for Haiti, to help kids in Central America out with their education. I don't know how much of a notion these students have of their own families' struggle to provide a better education for them. What they could see is that there is need somewhere else, and they wanted to do what they could to help in the face of a need like that. And I was really proud of them.

And, by the way, these types of conversations are one of my favorite things about being a Spanish teacher.

Birmingham: Grey Haven Community

2010-01-28T22:54:00.004-06:00

Some of the most encouraging, inspiring, and optimistic things that I've observed and been a part of here in Birmingham collide in a gathering called Grey Haven Community. Grey Haven is a community for local musicians to collaborate, support, and perform with one another. I have over and over again, both as an audience member and now as a performer, been delightfully surprised by the genuine atmosphere of creativity, community, humility, and over-all good vibe surrounding this thing. And all that aside, the music is dang good. I say all the time that one of the things I love most about Birmingham is the accessibility to get involved in good things going on here, and Grey Haven is a great example of that.

So, if you're lucky enough to live in the 'ham, I'll be making my humble Grey Haven debut singing some background vocals with some really rad people (Neil and Havilah) who I just met a week ago, exclusively through this community (which is cool enough in itself). Don't come to hear me, come to hear a great variety of gooooood music, and witness something beautiful coming together before you're eyes.

Friday, January 29. 7:00@Urban Standard.

Mid-Week Quotables

2010-01-28T09:47:00.006-06:00

"Senora iz a b!%#$ from the entire 6th grade."

Yep, that's right. Scrawled into the back inside cover of one of my Spanish textbooks. And not so tactfully edited, I might add. Welcome to the not so glamourous side of teaching middle school students. I guess something like this was bound to happen sooner or later, and my reaction is mixed. It's hard not to take something like this personally, to avoid wondering, "does the entire 6th grade really think that about me?" "Golly, what did I do to make a student so mad?". But then what I realize is that it's not about me. A lot of what it boils down to is my students are constantly confessing to me that they have no idea how to maintain self control in the face of one, raging emotion: Anger. It leads to fights, both physical and verbal, causes them to become so distracted and upset that they can't concentrate in class, and I suppose leads to destructive behavior such as treating a textbook like a bathroom stall. And when I think about that I'm moved to pray for my students and I'm reminded of my own need for the Lord to prepare my heart every day to deal with my own anger and frustration in a way that sets an example for them of self-control, gentleness, perspective, and love.

Tuesday Tastes: Two Food-Blog Recipes Meet

2010-01-26T21:05:00.002-06:00

(photo from fresh365)

Tonight's dinner was a result of combining two recipes that I've been wanting to try from a couple of blogs that I read. And it was soooo tasty. I don't know If I've ever been so excited about leftovers.

The first recipe, Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter, is from smitten kitchen, and has been sited on several other blogs. I was drawn to both the simplicity of it and the hype. It contains 3 ingredients, and no chopping! All you do is throw a can of whole tomatoes, 5 Tbsp of butter, and a halved yellow onion in a pot. Let it simmer for 45 minutes, season with a little salt, and you've got a really delicious, EASY sauce! I'm not sure I'd go as far as some of the bloggers go on about it, but if you proportion the taste with the ease, it's a winner for sure!

And then . . .

I used that as the sauce for a baked penne recipe from fresh365. Instead of making a spicy garlic sauce, I kept the sauce simple and toasted the breadcrumbs for the topping with garlic and red pepper flakes. I also cut down on the cheese a lot because the sauce was so rich.

It turned out great!

Photo Friday

2010-01-22T16:49:00.004-06:00

Some of my 8th grade students on the day of the Christmas Program.

It's pixelated because I couldn't figure out any other way to post larger pictures. Any solutions out there?

Catching Up

2010-01-22T16:20:00.004-06:00

So already I'm behind, but that's okay, we just keep movin' on.

So, to combine quotables with a focus on Birmingham, and as we celebrated his life this week, I bring you a few quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail. It's amazing that so much monumental history occurred here in the city where I call home. I wish I could walk the streets and see it all happening overlaid on the life that I live here now. Sometimes I feel the scars of hatred and division and injustice as I drive past block after block of empty, dilapidated buildings, but I know I can never know the full weight of it. I think about how Birmingham was a place of change and of hope and dreams. And I feel that too. These words, written in 1963, are so relevant to our time.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

"Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection."

"We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people."

. . .

Tuesday Tastes: A tiptoe into the world of cheese making.

2010-01-19T16:01:00.007-06:00

In Kingsolver's book, in a chapter I haven't even gotten to yet, is a recipe for making your own mozzarella cheese. What could be more intriguing than that? I checked it out, and the stuff has four ingredients in it. Three that I just about guarantee are sitting in your kitchen right now (lemon juice can be used instead of citric acid). The fourth is called rennet, and I must admit that this little mysterious guy intimidated me. I'll look for rennet next time I go to Whole Foods, but in the meantime my researching lead me to discover another Italian cheese that is made with only two common ingredients.

That's right! Mascarpone cheese is made from these two simple ingredients: cream and lemon juice (although you have to be sure that the cream is just pasteurized and not ultra pasteurized).

My lovely friend and kitchen inspiration, Stephanie, came over yesterday and we got down to business. Our little bag of tricks included a large skillet, a glass bowl, water, cream, lemon juice, a kitchen thermometer, paper towels, a sieve, and another bowl.

We followed this recipe as closely as we could, and just as the author describes, we were pretty certain by the time the whole process was over that we had totally ruined it. It was difficult to get the cream up to a high enough temperature and difficult to tell if the cream actually curdled when we added the lemon juice. Just as she says, it looks exactly like a custard or creme anglaise. Then, we totally made a mess trying to use cheesecloth instead of paper towels and the liquid went straight through. (So I highly recommend using heavy paper towels instead of cheese cloth to line your sieve. )

But, in the end, it worked! I checked it about eight hours later and it was creamy, thick, sweet and buttery . . . cheese!

Basically the process goes like this . . .

You heat the cream to 190 degrees F in a double boiler-like contraption. At that point add lemon juice and stir for a few more minutes until very thick and creamy.

Take it off the heat and let it cool for 20 minutes. Then you place a metal sieve over a bowl and line it with four layers of cheese cloth or paper towel. Spoon the mixture into the sieve, cover and let it set over night. Not very much liquid comes out, but it gets super rich and creamy, almost like cream cheese.

Tada!

The hilarious thing is that I've never actually had store bought mascarpone, so I have nothing to compare it to. Try it and let me know! Hopefully we'll be trying mozzarella soon, maybe even with local milk. In the meantime, I'll be using my mascarpone to make this lemon mascarpone blondie recipe for community group tomorrow night!

Monday Musings: Good Food

2010-01-18T09:00:00.001-06:00

Around this time last year I began thinking about the connection between food and God's word. After all, scripture calls itself edible, sweeter than honey in fact, and in Revelation (10:9-10), John is even commanded to eat it. And stranger still, Jesus tells us to eat his flesh, and to remember him whenever we sit down to break bread and share drink with other believers.

I want to eat scripture. To desire it and savor it and devour it. To ingest it and have it become part of me. And at the same time, I want to think about what it means to remember Jesus when I eat. I have a sneaking suspicion that there are choices in the way we eat that will either help or hinder remembering him, and even affect the way we sit down to the meal of his Word. Fast food versus slow and savored. Seeking the welfare of the city by investing in local food. Considering where our food comes from: Were the people who worked to produce my food treated fairly or kept under the yoke of oppression as I consume ease, efficiency, and low prices? Were the sources of my meal grown or raised in a way that reflects good stewardship of the plants and animals that God created for us to care for and to eat? Are the calories I'm putting in my body a cheap imitation of real food, or lasting, healthy goodness?

These are questions that I'm thinking about in new ways all the time. I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I'm sure you'll hear more of mine as we continue together.

Two books, woven together with story and not just information, have educated me, inspired me, and kept the wheels of my thoughts turning. Eat this Book, by Eugine Peterson (author of The Message), and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (The author of several great books including Poisonwood Bible).

You're in for a treat.

2010-01-17T13:49:00.002-06:00

I told Keith about my new blogging plan, and he was so supportive that he agreed to post every weekend!

a fresh start

2010-01-17T11:24:00.004-06:00

Okay, here goes. I think my new-job hiatus from blogging has lasted long enough. I've missed sharing with you, but I haven't really known where to begin. How to blend what I spend a good deal of my time and energy doing--teaching Spanish to 220 inner-city children from the ages of 4 to 14, and the other stuff that I really enjoy writing about--food, recipes, photography, etc. The juxtaposition of a new vegetarian chili recipe and my musings on how to better serve the urban poor just seems odd.

But, this is my life. And the Gospel is the thread that creates harmony in the hours I spend teaching children, and our church's vision to deeply invest in those kid's neighborhood, and the church community that makes up our Birmingham family, and the little family that Keith and I make in our home together, and the ways that we spend our time and money in our home--all the way down to the food that lands on our plates.

So, because I want to share all of those things with you, without feeling the need to explain myself every time I jump from my latest homemaking endeavor to my thoughts on how to change the world, i've decided to set up daily themes that cover a variety of topics throughout the week. I think it will make sitting down to write a lot easier for me, and hopefully it will be enjoyable for you.

Without further ado, my plan.

Monday Musings: ramblings on whatever I happen to be thinking about that week.
Tuesday Tastes: a recipe. Probably not original, but I'll share it the way it worked for me.
Mid-Week Quotables: from my students and other interesting sources.
Local Thursday: Life in Birmingham.
Photo Friday: A picture.

This is not a new-years resolution. Just an idea. Usually my ideas flow so fast that I have a hard time keeping up with them, so we'll see how it goes.

P.S. It would encourage my return to consistent blogging if you would give me a shout-out to let me know that you're still with me. Thanks!

Merry Christache!

2009-12-26T18:56:00.002-06:00

Keith has been plotting this for quite a while now :) We hope you all enjoyed a great and meaningful Christmas day!

This says a lot of it.

2009-11-05T18:35:00.002-06:00

For the other lot of it that this doesn't say, this is a good starting point for wanting to write more about school on this blog. The funny things, the tough things, the thoughtful things . . . you know. So here goes . . .

We Are Cornerstone from Cornerstone Schools of Alabama on Vimeo.

Kids Say . . .

2009-10-21T21:50:00.004-05:00

Referring to the Pickle-in-a-bag he brought for breakfast, "Man I wish I had some cool whip to go with it." (4th-grade boy)

"Ms. Señora Davis . . ." (is pretty much my official name).

Me: Are you having a good day?

Student: No.

Me: Why not?

Student: Because my brain is tickling me and it wont stop.

(K5 Boy)

"Hey Buenos Dias Girl!!!" (K5 Girl)

Student 1: Spanish teacher, you got swag.

Me: Excuse me? What was that?

Student 2: Swag, you know.

Me: Swag??

Student 2: He mean you rockin' your clothes!

(7th-grade boys)

I want my students to know . . .

2009-10-21T21:37:00.003-05:00

That listening really, truly works better when there is no sound being made by the hearer.

That I want them to invest deeper into their contribution to the learning environment than responding to a punishment and reward system.

That I would love to see how they dress when they aren't wearing uniforms.

That there is life after middle school.

¡¡¡Ojos a-freakin'-qui and bocas cerradas!!!

That I care more that they are learning to learn, than how much Spanish they're learning.

That I will listen to them.

That they need Jesus, and that He is faithful to love and save and redeem.

Tomorrow we'll start the day with an activity called "I want my teachers to know that. . ."

I can't wait.

Update Style

2009-10-05T21:53:00.004-05:00

It seems the only time I think to post anymore in this whirlwind that I call normal life these days is when someone gently reminds me that I never post anymore. That and that it's kind of lame to leave a post about rice as the latest entry for so long. Thanks Dad.

So here's what I've been up to.

Loving fall. Especially because I love my fleece.

Ambitions to ride my bike to work which haven't come to fruition yet.

Keith finished the CPA exam and has passed 3 with flying colors. The 4th is 99.99% in the bag, so we're done with that "lovely" season!

Bought tickets to Nicaragua for Spring Break! To see these awesome people!

Camping with my hubs to celebrate no more CPA. At a campsite that overlooked a spectacular view.

Being diagnosed with Mono and dormant TB in the same week. Fun times. LOTS of doctor's appointments.

Not watching TV.

Trying to be a creative and intentional teacher, plan ahead, invest in students' lives, communicate with parents, etc. Not there yet, but praying a lot.

And seeing these beautiful faces, clamoring to hug me in the halls, calling out "hola!" and "Señora Davis!" everyday.

Baked Rice

2009-08-26T21:29:00.003-05:00

Warning: This just might change your life.

Rice. A food staple the world over. Something so simple, yet so elusive. Why is it so hard to get it right? Look no further. I've finally discovered a fool-proof way to cook perfect, moist, fluffy rice. And it's actually quicker than the stove-top method. Seriously people, why am I just discovering this?

Baked Rice Method (for long-grain white rice): Preheat oven to 375. Just like stove-top rice you use a 2:1 water to rice ratio. Start by heating a bit of butter or olive oil in a sauce pan. Add rice (not water) and cook until fragrant and a little glassy looking, just beginning to toast. Add water and bring to a boil (which will happen quickly because the rice and pan are already so hot. Season it at this point. After it comes to a boil, cover, and put it in the preheated over for exactly 13 minutes. After 13 minutes, take it out and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork (because it will be fluffy), and serve!

So good we licked the plates.

2009-08-25T21:59:00.002-05:00

It's interesting. When I was working at a desk, sitting all day, I would come home from work and sit more. Now that I'm on my feet all day, I actually come home with more energy. And I've been channeling that energy into cooking. So get ready for some food posts.

Tonight I made a delicious dinner. I modified this recipe and I want to share my version with you (because it's better ;). I served it with baked rice, which I'll share more about tomorrow and green beans. Yum!

Lick-the-Plate Chicken with Tomato Saute

2 chicken breasts
1 small container cherry tomatoes, sliced in halves*
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
salt
pepper
dried tarragon
italian seasonings
2 Tblsp olive oil
3/4 cup dry white wine
small pat of butter

*You can also used chopped regular tomatoes, I added in one of our homegrown heirlooms today and it added a lot of flavor.

To prepare chicken, take one sheet of plastic wrap and sprinkle it with water. Place the chicken breasts on top of it and sprinkle with a little more water (the water prevents the chicken from tearing by reducing friction). Cover with another piece of plastic wrap and pound out the chicken breasts into an even 1/2-1" thickness with a meat pounder, rolling pin, or the bottom of a jar.

Spoon about a half cup of all-purpose flour on a plate. Mix in a pinch of salt and pepper and a dash of tarragon and italian seasoning. Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil in a stainless steel skillet over medium high heat. Dredge the chicken directly in the flour-seasoning mixture and shake off the excess. When a sprinkling of flour sizzles in the oil, place the chicken in the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the tomatoes to the pan. Season with a little salt and pepper. As they let out juices, use a spatula to scrape up the burnt bits from the chicken. Saute for about 5-7 minutes until very soft and beginning to caramelize. Add wine and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to med-low and add chicken back to the pan for about 5 minutes. The sauce will reduce and thicken a bit. Right before serving stir in a small pat of butter to finish the sauce and ENJOY! Like I said, we like this best with rice, it soaks up the delicious sauce perfectly.

Los Niños

2009-08-21T16:54:00.005-05:00

(click to view large)

First Day/Classroom Pictures

2009-08-12T16:39:00.004-05:00

I can't believed I've crossed the first-day milestone! Today went so well. Thank you for the prayers! I start out this week with only middle school classes and will add the rest of the grades next week. The middle schoolers come separated boys and girls (GREAT idea). Today was just the tip of the iceberg, but first impressions are that the 6th grade boys are polite and eager, if not a little sleepy at 8:30. The 6th grade girls are hilarious. The 7th and 8th grade boys are chatty, but super enthusiastic, willing to use a lot of Spanish. And the 7th and 8th grade girls were very well behaved and bright! I am praying that the enthusiasm continues throughout the year. Some highlights included catching a 6th grade girl, unprovoked, taking notes on everything I had labeled and everything I said in spanish throughout the class on her name tag. Way to go above and beyond! On the flip side, another highlight was a 4-year-old baby girl telling me in the hall that "I ain't goin' to your classroom, and I ain't learnin' no spanish." Hate to break it to you sweetie . . . Adding K4-5th next week should be interesting!

Here are some pictures of the classroom that Kristen, a friend and student's mom took this morning. Hopefully tomorrow I'll snag some pictures of the kids. They are ADORABLE.

Back to School!

2009-08-11T15:28:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the long, iced-coffee-filled absence! Thanks for sticking with me. There is a good reason for my lack of blogging . . .

I've

been

BUSY!

School starts tomorrow! It has been a whirl-wind couple of weeks trying to get my classroom ready and my mind wrapped around a plan for how to teach Spanish to 4 year olds all the way up to 8th graders. There have definitely been some stressful moments, but going into tomorrow, I feel good. A surprising lack of stress. I've learned over the few months of trying to get ready, thanks to some good advice, to be flexible and graceful with myself. Now I'm just looking forward to meeting the kids. Having them in my classroom finally, will be a much needed reminded that they are what all this craziness is really about. I'll start the day tomorrow and every morning with by 6th grade boys class! What a way to start the day! So please be praying for me tomorrow. For energy, peace, and a heart that would be set on Christ's glory and loving my students.

I brought a camera to school today to take a picture of my classroom for you guys, but I forgot to take it, so it'll have to wait for tomorrow! (Rest assured, thanks to a little help from my friends, it looks awesome!)

Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee

2009-07-11T10:46:00.003-05:00

(image from google images)

I learned a new trick this week. Lately it has been just way too hot to drink hot coffee in the morning, but we all know that I get a little grumpy if I forego the morning caffeine fix. In the Davis household we use a french press, which is great, but let's be honest: French pressed coffee doesn't really make the best iced coffee, it comes out kinda grainy tasting and watered down.

That is, until I stumbled upon a wonderful little tip: cold-brew it. You follow the same process you normally would with the french press, except you use cold water. Put coffee grounds in the bottom of the press, fill it with cold water, and put the lid on without pressing it down. Then you put the whole thing in the fridge at least over night. When you're ready for your iced coffee, press the grounds down, pour, and stir in some sugar and milk, and voila! you've got yourself some really tasty french-pressed ice coffee with a really clean, strong coffee taste. (Agave nectar is easiest to dissolve, but I promise if you stir regular sugar for long enough, it works just fine)

Reinventing the wheel (at least for me)

2009-07-09T17:14:00.003-05:00

This week I started a wheel throwing class at Imagine Clay studios in Avondale. I've been wanting to learn how to throw pottery for a really long time. It was really an amazing experience. I want to kind of bask in the process and learn what it means that God calls himself a potter and us the clay. A process that is both gentle and forceful. This week was just a start, but I loved it and I'm really excited about learning more and walking through the whole process of firing and glazing. I didn't bring a camera to my first class, but I was so excited that I grabbed a few pictures with my camera phone.

My first pot, made with a lot of help from the instructor. I really like it's form:
The next one was my first solo attempt, which collapsed a bit because I let the wall get to thin. But it was a lesson learned, and a pretty cool looking mistake. I'm going to try to make a handle out of the collapse:

And this is my pride and joy. A little honey pot of love:

But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. -- Isaiah 64:8

Hazel Marie Davis!

2009-06-29T09:48:00.002-05:00

We have the most beautiful nieces in the whole world! Hazel is just a week old and tiny, tiny, tiny! We got to spend a lot of time with her this weekend and she is just so sweet. It's so amazing to think about what the Lord has in store for the little life and personality that is waiting to blossom inside of her.

Misty burping her :)

Tiny hands!

Keith is a great uncle :)

WOW!

2009-06-21T10:02:00.003-05:00

Wow! I just saw that 17 books on my wish list have been purchased! I'm totally floored. I really wasn't expecting that big of a response so fast! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You guys are awesome!

Guatemala: Village Medical Clinic Girls

2009-06-18T14:00:00.004-05:00

I finally got the rest of my pictures from Guatemala back, minus one roll of film. Also, Stephen just got back his film from the trip, so check out the Bedouins International site as he uploads so good stuff. Eventually we'll be sharing Lupita's story on the Bedouins blog, so I'll give you a heads up about that. Over the next week or so I'll post some of my favorites every day.

These shots are of some girls at the medical clinics that we did in a small village outside of Guatemala City. Tom and the interns examine the kids and dispense anti-worm pills, vitamins, antibiotics, cough syrup, and ibuprofen. The basic medicine really helps the kids avoid common but potentially serious illness. These girls were so sweet and gentle, and sat at my side for most of the afternoon.

AND . . .

As promised, I want to let you all know about a way that you can help me stock my classroom to share the joy of learning about another culture and language with the kids of Cornerstone. I've started a Amazon wish list of books for my classroom! I'd love to stock the classroom with all sorts of great books, activities, and music, and this is a huge way that you can help me accomplish that! (notice the automatically updated widget to your left.)

My New Job!

2009-06-09T15:25:00.002-05:00

It's time to finally announce on here what I've been up to for the past few months. As many of you know, and probably many don't, I just started a new job as a Spanish teacher/Development Associate at Cornerstone Schools of Alabama. I wanted to let know know what I'm up to, and point you the blog where I'll be assuming my Spanish teacher identity. And stay tuned friends, because I'm also going to let you know what you can do to HELP!

First, a little bit about this wonderful little school.

Cornerstone (check out the website) is an excellent private, Christian school in an urban area of Birmingham called Woodlawn. When I say urban I don’t mean “of or relating to a city or town,” I mean urban. You know, that word we white folks use when we try to politely describe a place that is majority black, majority poor, higher than average rate of crime, drugs, dilapidated houses, lower than average rate of opportunity, optimism, justice. That kind of urban. Which happens to be a few blocks away from my quaint and cozy little carriage-house apartment. Literally, the other side of the tracks. Well, I’m hoping to cross the tracks.

I will be teaching Spanish to all of the close to 275 beautiful children who attend Cornerstone, 4-year-olds through 8th graders. The school has never had a language program, so I’ll be developing the curriculum from scratch. In my spare time (ha!) I'll also be helping out with the development side of things by working on grants, updating the website, and such.

I have never taught before. Though I lived in Spain for 9 months, I am no where close to native proficiency. Until about 3 months ago I knew little to nothing about methods and curriculum for teaching Spanish to elementary schoolers.

Needless to say, I am (slightly) overwhelmed.

But, what matters, is that I know this is where I am called to be. Throughout the whole process I kept asking God, “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” “I really don’t have to do this if you don’t think I’ll be good at it.” “In fact, maybe I really shouldn’t be getting myself into this so, uh, you can stop this at any point, just shut that door in my face, I’ll be okay.” But he didn’t. The doors were actually pretty much flung wide open, and the peace of knowing that the Lord would not call me to anything that he would not equip me to was enough to nudge me right on through.

So that’s where I am. I'm at the school now working on development, developing my curriculum, setting up my classroom, etc. I’m learning, gleaning every little bit of information I can out of websites, online journals, established programs, teacher blogs, books, friends. And I’m praying, not just to survive as an inexperienced, first-year teacher, but that I would fall in love with each and every child who walks through the doors of my classroom; that the Spirit would produce his fruit in my interaction with each of them; that children would love to learn in my classroom and that they would leave it filled up with knowledge, discovery, confidence, and love.

I don't want to hit you with too much information all at once, but stay tuned for more details on my Spanish teacher blog, and for information about how you can HELP me stock my classroom!

.Beautiful Faces.

2009-06-02T23:56:00.004-05:00

We're back! With modern air travel, leaving a place like Guatemala and ending up in a place like Atlanta in such a small span of hours always seems so abrupt. We're having a little bit of a slow time processing it all. You really have to fight not to forget where you've been. I don't feel much like story-telling right now, though hopefully those stories will come. And I mostly used Stephen's camera, so I don't have a whole lot of pictures, but I will leave you with two of the sweetest faces you'll ever see. Zaida and Vani: there's really no other way to say it except that these two precious ones were our favorites. Zaida's mom is Lupita, the woman who honored us by sharing her story with us, and Vani's dad, Alfredo, was our faithful driver, bodyguard, and fútbol compadre. These kids are amazing.

Hola de Guatemala!

2009-05-30T12:27:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone, sorry I never posted about my trip before we left, but we're still down here in Guatemala having a great time. Only two days left. I wish I could post a picture but I don't really have a way to upload any. It's been beautiful and I can't wait to tell stories and share images when we get back. The next couple days will be filled with interviews and taking pictures for the stories we are doing through Bedouins International. We'll be making one multimedia presentation for the ministry, Hearts for the Children, to use to share about their ministry as well as hopefully helping them update the website, and we're also putting together a presentation of the amazing testimony of a woman who came from a really harsh life on the streets--drug addiction, prostitution, violence--to meeting Jesus and receiving a completely new life free from all those things, working in ministry, with a stable marriage and family. Just reading it and hearing it from her has been a huge encouragement to me and to my faith in the power of the gospel to change lives. It's been good to use my Spanish, I wish I had more time for that, and don't worry . . . we haven't been lost in an earthquake or tsunami! Although the earthquake did wake me up on Wednesday night (everyone thought I was crazy until we saw the headlines!) Keep praying for us! Hasta Luego!

Mandy

2009-05-22T09:55:00.004-05:00

This week my beautiful friend Mandy came down to Bham with her sweet son Bennett and let me take some pictures of her for an EP she's working on. It was such a fun day, both for the chance to play photographer and to hang out with my friend. Here are a few of my favorites that we took in Stephen's studio. (Click the image to view it larger.)

.The Miracle of Life.

2009-05-21T14:52:00.003-05:00

No, we're not having a baby . . .

We're having cucumbers!

We planted our plot in the Crestwood community garden last week. We started with nothing, dug up the dirt, pulled up weeds and roots, transplanted some grass, added some compost, planted our seedlings, and voila! We have a garden. It was so much fun, and it's amazing how much hard work makes you invested in what you're doing. We have been like anxious little parents, talking about our plants, visiting the everyday, and hoping and praying that they grow big and strong! We planted cucumber seeds, which I've never done, and frankly I was a little skeptical that anything would come of them. It's hard to believe that a big plant will come of a little dry seed. But sure enough, yesterday morning we went to look at the garden and a tiny, baby sprout was poking up through the top soil. By the afternoon there were about six strong and healthy sprouts. I don't mean to sound cheesy, but it really is a miracle to observe! If you live in Birmingham, go down to Crestwood park and check out our garden!

BEFORE:

AFTER: (We're planting Zinnias, bell peppers, cucumbers, squash, and heirloom tomatoes.)

Homemade Falafel and Tzatziki Dinner

2009-05-19T10:44:00.002-05:00

You may have noticed, but the blogging juices just aren't flowing too freely these days. That's okay. Maybe we'll get to the important stuff sometime soon. In the meantime, I'll keep posting about food and stuff. I hope you'll stick with me :) One thing on the radar is that we're leaving for Guatemala in a few days. More about that before we go.

Last night I had the pleasure of cooking "family dinner" for our friends and it was a hit. A few folks asked for the recipe, so I thought I'd post it on here. I didn't take any pictures, but you get the idea. It really is an easy recipe, and I tend to like the falafel I make at home a lot better than in restaurants.

Homemade Falafel and Tzatziki

1 15 oz. can chickpeas
1 handful fresh, flat leaf parsley
1/2 white or yellow onion
1 small shallot
1 clove minced garlic
*1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
cumin
red pepper
salt
pepper
2 tablespoons all purpose flour (optional)

1 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup shredded or pureed cucumber
**2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt
pepper
cumin
red pepper

* I forgot the baking powder last night and it was fine. They will hold together better though if you add it.
** I totally guessed on these quantities. Work based on the flavors and consistencies you are going for.

In a food processor combine first 10 ingredients (chickpeas to pepper). Pulse until coarsely chopped and combined. You don't want to make hummus. Heat a couple tablespoons olive or vegetable oil in a sautee pan over medium-high heat. Form chickpea mixture into small patties and if you so desire dredge in a little bit of flour before placing in the heated oil. Brown the patties for about 2 minutes on each side until medium-dark brown. Place on a paper towel to cool.

To make the Tzatziki sauce mix yogurt, pureed cucumber, lemon juice, and season to taste. Add yogurt or lemon juice to make it thicker or thinner for your preference. You could also add a little hot sauce if you want.

To serve, slice warm pita bread and stuff the pocket with two falafel patties, your choice of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, sprouts, etc. and top with tzatziki. I served it last night with a simple balsamic pasta salad. Enjoy!!!

The Kind of Day I've Had . . .

2009-05-07T13:53:00.002-05:00

It's been one of those days . . .

One of those good days. Little treats all over the place.

I'm sipping on a summer special grande cinnamon dulce iced coffee.

Today is my last full day of working in a cubicle. Hopefully, EVER.

My coworkers have been super sweet with cards, trips to lunch, etc. I feel very loved. And the icing on the cake was a little ipod nano waiting for me at my desk this morning from an outrageously too-good-for-me wonderful coworker friend. I hate goodbye's, but this is a great one!

I'm wearing a dress that I've had for years but hardly ever wear and I've got like 8 compliments on it today. Including from the barrista at Starbucks (a male) who exclaimed, "I just love your outfit. It's got so much personality! It's like . . . how do I put this? . . . like a cross between Dorothy and Raggedy Ann, but not raggedy! Just like a doll! Anyways . . . so cute!"

I had this little exchange with hubs on gmail:

me: You are awesome. Thanks for marrying me :)

Keith: You're welcome . . . in my heart . . . forever.

And it was just such a cute thing to say that I think I want to make a painting out of it.

We have stumbled upon the opportunity to have a plot in the Crestwood community garden. Yay! AND it just so happens that a coworker sent out an email today offering heirloom tomato seedlings. Perfect.

Thursdays have long been my favorite day of the week. Ever since elementary school when Art was on Thursdays.

I hope your Thursday is just as great! . . . or better!

A Very Nice Cuppa

2009-04-30T12:56:00.006-05:00

We have a lovely little thing here at my workplace. It's called the "Help Yourself" table. On mondays there are homemade rolls, during the holidays there are lots of baked goodies . . . you get the idea. Well lately, in honor of the economic downturn and our company's subsequent furloughs, lots of pantry items have been showing up . . . mac and cheese, soup, you know. Today the variety boasted soggy strawberry cake, green-pepper jelly, a few Reader's Digests, and something that has made my afternoon fragrant and wonderful.

I present to you, Good Earth Raspberry Red Tea. What a treat. I'm usually a fan of herbal infusions, but this little blend packs lots of antioxidant and a nice, subtle raspberry flavor, but it also has spicy hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, spearmint, star anise, and ginger and chicory root. So nice.

Thank you tea fairy.

But wait! There's more.

The little tab on the tea bag even had a very thought-provoking quote. I wonder what you guys think of this one:

"It's easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them."
--Alfred Adler (1870-1937)

Hello There!

2009-04-24T13:13:00.003-05:00

Hi friends! Sorry for my absence of late! I've been snowed in in Colorado and getting my face burned off made worth it by a fabulous day of skiing, and now I'm trying to organize photos so I can tell you all about it.

In the meantime, here's a treat to hold you over.

Thanks to Annie, I discovered a great website called Fantabulously Frugal. Check it out!

Today I got a new Schick Quatro Titanium razor sent to our house for FREE, AND will redeem this coupon on my way home from work for a FREE cute little lunch bag from Whole Foods!

FREE stuff is so fun! Right up there with postcards and fresh-from-the-oven chocolate-chip cookies!

AND We're getting a screen door today! Hello fresh spring breeze!

Potted Herb Garden

2009-04-10T14:51:00.005-05:00

I've been hearing a lot this year that the best time to plant a garden is Easter weekend. Which, is really kinda funny to me because Easter weekend varies a lot from year to year. But what the hey, I decided to go along with it and plant a little potted herb garden today. It'll be so nice to be able to walk out on our landing and pick fresh herbs! I don't know about you, but I always get a little annoyed when recipes call for a lot of fresh herbs. They are are so good and worth it, don't get me wrong, but I always feel silly buying herbs at the grocery store, the majority of which I know will go bad before I use them. No more! I've got all my favorites, sweet basil, cilantro, thyme, rosemary, and sage. Let's hope these turn out better than last year's garden attempts!

.Beautiful Food.

2009-04-08T09:02:00.002-05:00

(image from La Tartine Gourmande, mentioned below)

As you may note if you visit my blog in person rather than through a feed-reader, I have recently discovered a few more gorgeous food blogs--most noteworthily, The Wednesday Chef. Hers isn't the most beautiful food blog on the block (that award goes to La Tartine Gourmande probably, though her recipes kinda scare me), but yesterday I wrote down about 8 recipes from her archives that I want to try immediately. With that said, I decided to share with you a list of my favorite recipes from this year (some you've seen before), and another list of ones I can't wait to try.

My Favorites:

Wild fried rice (101cookbooks)
Chicken Chilaquiles (Cooking Light)
Chicken with dried cherries, capers, and chilies (Simply Organic)
Maple Syrup Scones (101cookbooks)
Nikki's Healthy Cookies (101cookbooks)
Mushroom and Rice Casserole (101cookbooks)
The Best Egg Salad (101cookbooks)
Jamacian Veggie Patties (101cookbooks)

The "To-Try" List:

Chana Punjabi (The Wednesday Chef)
Rice Noodle Salad (The Wednesday Chef)
Braised Tilapia with Leeks and Tomatoes (Wednesday Chef)
Molly Wizenberg's French Chocolate Granola (Wednesday Chef)
Edamame and Rice Salad (Wednesday Chef)
Zucchini Pickles (Wednesday Chef)
Hainese Chicken with Rice (Wednesday Chef)
Otsu (101cookbooks)
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes (101cookbooks)
Rose Bakery's Potatoes Gribiche (Wednesday Chef)
Basic Chocolate Cake (101cookbooks)

Yum! I'm hungry now. Today for lunch I made us this Grilled Zucchini and Quinoa salad. I'll let you know how it goes. Check out these recipes, they're healthy, beautiful, and, most importantly, DELICIOUS.

.a list.

2009-04-06T15:14:00.003-05:00

I found this list on a friend's blog, who found it on another friend's blog . . . but I couldn't resist posting it here. Keith and I have been trying to engage our hearts in dreaming (making room in our hearts, dreaming for the future, praying, imagining what ifs, brainstorming ways to love and serve, etc.) lately, and some of these definitely spark some dreams and ideas (though many terrify me). For me, they're 2, 35, 38, 39, 42, 45 . . . What about you? Which one's spark something in you? Are you already doing something like this?

1. Fast for the 2 billion people who live on less than a dollar a day.
2. Contact your local crisis pregnancy center and invite a pregnant woman to live with your family.
3. Ask your pastor if someone on your church’s sick list would like a visit.
4. Join an open AA meeting and befriend someone there.
5. Adopt a child.
6. Mow your neighbor’s grass.
7. Volunteer to tutor a kid at your local elementary school. (Try to get to know the kid’s family.)
8. Grow your own tomatoes–and share them.
9. Ask a small group in your community to meet regularly for intercessory prayer.
10. Build a wheel chair ramp for someone who is homebound.
11. Read the newspaper to someone at your local nursing home.
12. Plant a tree.
13. Look up the closest registered sex offender in your neighborhood and try to befriend him.
14. Throw a birthday party for a prostitute.
15. When you pay your water bill, pay your neighbor’s too (they’ll let you… really).
16. Invest money in a micro-lending bank.
17. Ask the next person who asks you to spare some change to join you for dinner.
18. Leave a random tip for someone who’s cleaning the streets or a public restroom.
19. Write one CEO a month this year. Affirm or critique the ethics of their company (you may need to do a little research first).
20. Start tithing (giving 10%) of all your income directly to the poor.
21. Connect with a group of migrant workers or farmers who grow your food and visit their farm. Maybe even pick some veggies with them. Ask what they get paid.
22. Give your winter coat away to someone who is colder than you and go to a thrift store to get a new one.
23. Write only paper letters (by hand) for a month. Try writing someone who needs encouragement or who you should say “I’m sorry” to.
24. Go TV free for a year. Or turn your TV into a pot where flowers grow.
25. Laugh at advertisements, especially ones that teach you that you can by happiness.
26. Organize a prayer vigil for peace outside a weapons manufacturer such as Lockheed Martin. Read the Sermon on the Mount out loud. For extra credit, do it every week for a year.
27. Go down a line of parked cars and pay for the meters that are expired. Leave a little note of niceness.
28. Write to one social justice organizer or leader each month just to encourage them.
29. Go through a local thrift store and drop $1 bills in random pockets of the clothing being sold.
30. Experiment with creation-care by going fuel free for a week–ride a bike, carpool, or walk.
31. Try only reading books written by females or people of color for a year.
32. Go to an elderly home and get a list of folks who don´t get any visitors. Visit them each week and tell stories, read the bible together, or play board games.
33. Track to its source one item of food you eat regularly. Then, each time you eat that food, pray for those folks who helped make it possible for you to eat it.
34. Create a Jubilee fund in your Church congregation, matching dollar for dollar every dollar you spend internally with a dollar externally. If you have a building fund, create a fund to match it to give away and by mosquito nets or dig wells for folks dying in poverty.
35. Become a pen-pal with someone in prison.
36. Give your car away to a stranger.
37. Convert your car to run off waste vegetable oil.
38. Try recycling your water from the washer or sink to flush your toilet. Remember the 1.2 billion folks who don´t have clean water.
39. Wash your clothes by hand, or dry them by hanging to remember those without electricity or running water. Remember the 1.6 billion people who do not have electricity.
40. Buy only used clothes for a year.
41. Cover up all brand names, or at least the ones that do not reflect the upside-down economics of God’s Kingdom. Commit to only being branded by the cross.
42. Learn to sew or start making your own clothes to remember the invisible faces behind what we wear. Take your kids to pick cotton so they can see what that is like (and then read James).
43. Eat only a bowl of rice a day for a week to remember those who do that for most of their life (take a multivitamin). Remember the 30,000 people who die each day of poverty and malnutrition.
44. Begin creating a scholarship fund so that for every one of your own children you send to college you can create a scholarship for an at-risk youth. Get to know their family and learn from each other.
45. Visit a worship service where you will be a minority. Invite someone to dinner at your house or have dinner with someone there if they invite you.
46. Help your church congregation create a Peacemaker Scholarship and give it away to a young person trying to avoid the economic draft, who would like to go to college but sees no other way than the military.
47. Eat with someone who does not look like you. Learn from them.
48. Confess something you have done wrong to someone and ask them to pray for you.
49. Serve in a homeless shelter. For extra credit, go back and eat or sleep in the shelter and allow yourself to be served.
50. Join a Yokefellows ministry at a prison close to you. Remember that Jesus said he would meet you there (Matt. 25).

.I Remember.

2009-03-31T16:37:00.004-05:00

From this episode of Speaking of Faith, in which Alzheimer's patients write as a form of exercise for their memories. The simple scenes of memory from somewhere beautiful and distant in their live's histories inspired me to reflect on similar happy snapshots from my own memory as they come to me randomly, surfacing out of the depths.

I Remember . . .

Sitting in the bucket seat of my father's bicycle riding through endless apple orchards.

Eating cherry tomatoes out of my grandmother's neighbor's garden and feeling (slightly) guilty about it.

Sitting on the corner of the counter top watching my mother cook, the cabinet doors beneath clamoring rhythmically as I mindlessly swung my legs as we chatted.

Riding through the upper-jungle in Peru, oblivious to the noise of the crowded bus as I pressed my nose up against the window. Scenes of lush green, winding tributaries, and the treasure I was on the lookout for: the seldom road-side grass hut and glimpse of life, blurred before my eyes, glowing in the fog of my breath on the window.

Observing my own grandmother, herself robbed by Alzheimer's of the memory of our names, familiar places, and the how-to of day-to-day tasks, humming along to an old hymn on the radio . . . one thing, at least, she still holds onto.

Something Different to Do on a Saturday Night:

2009-03-30T10:40:00.002-05:00

Saturday night started out as it often does in our little Birmingham community. A group gathered for a shared meal, in this case spaghetti, with plans to watch a movie. But when the movie fell through, we faced that age-old question. What should we do tonight?

Well, my wonderfully creative husband saved the evening with a brilliant, out-of-the ordinary, and very fun idea.

Recipe for fun below:

Find a lovely picture in a magazine or newspaper.
Divide into 9 equal sections, and cut.
Cut pieces of paper to larger, but proportional sections.
Let all of your friends choose one or more of the sections to reproduce on the blank pieces.
Be filled with awe and amazement as your finished masterpiece comes together, a coherent whole, that also wonderfully demonstrates the unique point of view and talent of each of your friends!(From top left, moving across and down: Eli, Lauren, Cory, Ryan, me, Jamie, Cory, Keith, Matt)
We all enjoyed this little activity so much! I highly recommend it for any group setting.

Soft Pretzels: A Quasi-Lenten Treat

2009-03-24T11:22:00.006-05:00

(sorry for the weird and unappetizing quality of the photo, I haven't figured out how to take pictures of food after dark, when I have to rely on unnatural light. And of course, the only one that remotely turned out doesn't even look like a pretzel :) But don't let the photo fool you, these were delicious.)

I love soft pretzels. So, when I saw a recipe, I jumped at the opportunity to make them myself. Little did I know that they actually have a history connected with the Lenten season. When families would clean out their cabinets of all decadent ingredients for Lent, they still had flour and water, maybe a little salt, the necessary ingredients for pretzels. Even their shape is made to look like arms crossing in prayer (apparently back in they day people folded their arms over their chests in prayer, rather than simply putting their hands together.) So there you go, a little history lesson for the day.

I must admit, my version is not as guilt free as its Lenten roots, cinnamon-sugar pretzels are just so much more fun to eat. I tied most in traditional pretzel knots, but as you can see in the picture, you can make then whatever shape you want.

1 1/2 cup warm water
1 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose or bread flour
2 cups white whole wheat flour
4 cups water
5 teaspoons baking soda
cinnamon-sugar and butter

In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water. Stir in sugar, salt, and flour until a dough forms. Knead until the dough uses its stickiness. note: I use my food processor with a dough blade to make the dough. Mix together the ingredients until the dough cleans the sides, then let it go for 45 seconds in place of kneading. A lot easier, and it works perfectly. I use this method for bread too.

Let the dough rise in an oiled bowl, covered with cling wrap or a damp towel for at least 30 minutes. Preheat over at 475 degrees. After the dough has risen, pull off golf-ball sized pieces (for small-ish pretzels) and roll into a thin rope. Shape into pretzel twists, or whatever you feel like.

Now for my favorite part. Bring 4 cups water to a boil. Turn it down to a simmer and add baking soda. Dip pretzels, two at a time, in the water and let them go for about 30 seconds, then flip them for 30 more seconds so both sides have spent time face down. This process makes the chewy crust unique to pretzels and bagels.

Arrange the pretzels on a baking sheet, they wont expand anymore, so don't worry about how close they are, and bake until golden brown (about 10 minutes). Remove from oven and place the pretzels on a plate or two. To coat them with the cinnamon-sugar, I just take a stick of butter, peal back the paper, and rub the stick over the tops of the pretzels. Then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top. (I think this controls the butter/sugar amount, but if you want to go crazy, use a dipping method.) Eat while they are warm. YUM!

.Signs of Spring.

2009-03-23T09:51:00.003-05:00

Spring has officially arrived in Birmingham, and it is so beautiful! I have always loved that my birthday is on the first day of spring, so fresh and new and colorful. Keith gave me a hammock that we can enjoy anywhere, and this weekend was a perfect time to test it out. There is something so great about hanging out in the trees, reading in the little cocoon of a hammock. I could do it for hours . . . and now I can :) I hope you are noticing and enjoying the first signs of Spring.

.Etsy.

2009-03-19T14:53:00.003-05:00

I just added an Etsy button to my blog, so I figured it's a good time to post some of my current favorite things in that neck of the woods as well. It makes me so happy to know that people all over the world are making beautiful things with their hands.

These cards, by paper+twine, and the way she photographed them.

This print, entitled "A Portrait of a Poet's Journey" by LilyMoon.

These adorable book-end bean-bag/modern poppy bookends by pillowhappy.

The English major in my can't resist the Shakespeare hair pin by PaperAffection.

And, a little ambitious inspiration for the pottery class I'm taking in June. Sunshine coffee cup by dbabcock.

5 Things I'm Looking Forward to about SPRING:

2009-03-16T16:42:00.002-05:00

On this rainy, quiet (3/4ths of the office is out on furlough) day, I'm feeling a little restless and ready for Spring, and the things it will behold, to arrive.

Emerging with our neighbors into the streets and sidewalks of Crestwood. Warm evening walks, picnics, frisbee in the park. Maybe I'll even go wild and start running again. The possibilities are many.
Keith is getting me a hammock for the ol' birthday. I'm pretty excited about lots of reading time in that thing.
Venturing to Colorado with my family in April. Mountains of the west, fresh air, skiing, reuniting with old friends . . . And another travel adventure, Guatemala in May.
Camping. We've made it a Davis family and friend's goal to go twice every Spring and Fall.
Getting rid of the glasses, for the second time, in June.

What are some things you're looking forward to??

Due time for a food post.

2009-03-12T09:52:00.003-05:00

I haven't posted about food in a while . . .

(photo courtesy of Heidi Swanson, 101cookbooks.com)

I haven't been repeating a lot of recipes lately, because there is just so much good stuff to try. Until this year, I hardly ever used recipes, and just relied on my own culinary intuition to guide me. The things I know worked out pretty well, but I've learned that using recipes and cookbooks has opened me up to all kinds of flavors and techniques that I wasn't using, simply because they weren't in my arsenal. And now that I've started, I just can't stop. Recipes are fun!

That being said, there is one recipe that I do keep coming back to. I've made it three times, twice for a crowd, and it is always a winner. Tasty, healthy, so simple, and quite beautiful, this Wild Fried Rice from 101cookbooks has awesome texture with the bite of the wild rice, big fluffy pieces of egg, and sweet peas that pop in your mouth. It's seasoned only with sesame oil and soy sauce, and is a good lesson for me of the value of simple flavors, as I often dump everything in my spice cabinet into one dish. I must admit that I omit the tofu, but you can be adventurous, or add meat if you please!

This is how I adjusted the recipe to what I have in the kitchen on a regular basis:

1 cup (uncooked) wild rice
1 yellow or red onion chopped
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 handfuls frozen peas
5 eggs, whisked (we like a lot of eggs, especially w/o other protein, but you could certainly do less)
1 Tbs sesame oil
olive oil
soy sauce

Cook the rice according to package instructions. You'll probably need to drain it and set aside. In a skillet or wok, heat olive and sesame oil and pour in eggs. Let cook as a thin layer and flip when the bottom begins to brown a little, keeping the eggs together. Remove from the pan when eggs are cooked through and slice the eggs into 1 inch strips. Add a bit more of both oils to the pan and add onions. Cook until translucent and add then add garlic. Cook for about 1 more minute and add peas (and any other veggies you want. The other day I added frozen corn and chopped green peppers. If you go that rout, add the peppers with the onion and the corn with the peas). Add a few shakes of soy sauce and stir in rice and eggs. Remove from heat and serve. Add more soy sauce to taste. Enjoy!

Speaking of tofu, I was thinking the other day about how silly it is, with all of the chemistry experiments that we call "food" out there, that we're scared of tufu, a totally natural, healthy protein. I know that I have a weird aversion to is simply because of the general wariness and skepticism against it. One of these days I'm going to go for it, but I might have to convince the person who shares my dinner table of it first :) Are there any tofu lovers out there to encourage us?

.The Farm.

2009-03-11T10:06:00.002-05:00

There's also nothing like ringing in a new season on a country farm with people you're crazy about. This past weekend we adventured up to Jamie's family's rather luxurious Tennessee farm, a favorite gathering place. The weather was warm, sun-burn inducing even, and the hours were filled with music, soccer, laughter, dutch blitz, donkey piñatas, swimming across freezing lakes, camp fires, hammocks, rocking chairs, and all things relaxing and wonderful. Whenever I visit a place like this, the peace is so good for my soul. I find myself wondering if I could trade the vibrant activity of the city for the peaceful solitude of the country. I imagine myself waking up to quiet mornings, tending to chickens and gardens, cooking everything very slowly with food grown in my own soil. Never missing a sunset. It's a romantic thought, especially when I insert all of our friends into the dream as well. Commune anyone? I think I've decided, at least for now, that the city is the place for me, but the occasional trip to the outer-places is so crucial. What about you? Do you ever wonder if life on the farm is for you?

This may be my favorite picture of Keith that I've ever taken. I love my banjo-rockin' man.

These pictures are from a past trip to the farm, but they give you a good idea of how cozy the place is.

Spring Fever

2009-03-10T08:37:00.003-05:00

Nothing says Spring fever quite like . . . a new dress. I was driving home yesterday, and some undeniable force pulled me off of 280, into the Summit, and into Francesca's Collection. *Sigh of happiness*.

Dear Spring,

I appreciate you holding off on your annual visit until Snow had a chance to show her lovely face. It was kind of you to let her have her day in the limelight. Now, please know that you are welcome here anytime.

Yours truly,

elaine

Something Positive

2009-03-05T13:21:00.003-06:00

We encountered this fellow outside of Powell's Books in Portland on our honeymoon (notice the bike rack). We asked him, "Why?"

His response? "I had some free time, and I just wanted to do something positive."

We'll take it.

----------------------

Last night my husband said something profound. He does that from time to time ;) He said, "You know, I think I need to realize that maybe I don't need to remind myself of the sobering side of life all the time, I need to remind myself of the hope."

A downward spiraling economy. Tax season. The crumbling neighborhood next door. Broken hearts. Hungry children. Disease. Hate.

There's plenty out there to worry about. And I think we are called to notice these things. To care.

But we are also called to hope. And I think part of that is noticing beauty.

In early signs of spring. Soft morning light. Sticky-faced smiles. Little girl dances. Smells of home. A hug from a stranger.

So I'm passing along the reminder to you today:

"Beauty surrounds you even in the oddest, most sterile of places. Open your eyes and notice things, and you will remain open to wonder."

-Mike Howerton, Miles to Cross

I hate to say I told you so . . . but I told you so: SNOW!

2009-03-02T09:26:00.005-06:00

Let me tell you a little something about myself. I have a sixth sense; it has to do with snow.

When I was a little girl, growing up in New Jersey, a place more well-endowed with snowfall than my current home, I could wake up in the morning with no knowledge of weather predictions and after just one inhale of morning breath, before my eyes were even open, know, deep in my bones, that magic had graced my world during the night. I'd jump from my bed, run to the window, and part the blinds with my little fingers, and sure enough--the world had changed into a wonderland blanketed with soft and glistening white.

Seriously, this happened all the time. I just knew. The air changes when it snows.

I love snow. I would trade cold, snow-frequented winters for hot, muggy summers any day. When there is snow in the forecast, I become giddy. I check the weather channel every five minutes just to make sure they haven't reneged their predictions. Don't begin calling me naive, I've lived in the south for long enough, I don't believe them every time and I laugh in the face of irrational, way premature cancelations, and the mad rush for milk and bread at the slightest "chance of flurries." But I've been tracking snow predicting verbiage for long enough to read between the lines. Chance of snow, means if the hype gets up high enough you may miss school, but forget about snowmen. BUT when you hear Snow {notice the omission of 'chance of'}, expect 2-4 inches, well then you can begin doing the snow dance.

---

On Friday I was driving to work, and the thought crossed my mind, My, it's almost March, and still no snow. But March is a great month for snow, and I'm still holding on to the hope that we'll see snow yet.

I began doing the snow dance on Saturday, approximately around 3:00 in the afternoon. But did anyone join in with me (yes, my sweet husband did)? (but besides him,) NO! Oh there were nay-sayers and "realists" (another word for pessimist), a regular bunch of doubting Thomas's. Those who wanted to squash my winter-white dream. But I just laughed in their faced and continued with my snow dance. It's all about faith.

And sure enough, as you all now know as you sit shaking your head in shame, on Sunday morning snow came to Birmingham. And this was not a half-hearted snow. This was a persistent-late-into-the-day, big-beautiful-flaked, perfect-for-snowmen-and-snowballs, thick-cover-on-the-ground, SNOW!

And it was delightful. Thanks to all who enjoyed it with me! What a fun day!

"ART.FOR.THEM"

2009-02-27T08:50:00.005-06:00

Thanks everyone for the feedback! I'll probably change the banner a lot as I am having so much fun playing with it, it's always good to see what people think of my work though. Sometimes the one the stands out is so obvious to others' eyes, and not so much to me! I've also been working on prints for Kate's art show to raise money for people to go down and serve street children in Peru.

If you'll be in Birmingham on March, 14, come check it out! And if you won't be able to make the show, but you see something you like between now and the 14th, let me know which photo you want, what size, and how much you'd like to donate to the cause, and I'll send you the print and give your donation to Kate's show. (email me at elaine.faith.davis@gmail.com)

1. something positive: take 2, 2. early view: take 2, 3. urban flowers, 4. late bloomers: take two, 5. andalucia wall: take two, 6. take two, 7. take 2, 8. stiches, 9. Untitled, 10. Untitled, 11. Untitled, 12. old stories, 13. pair, 14. sidewalk colors, 15. pretty, 16. joy

Graphic designer for a day:

2009-02-25T15:22:00.005-06:00

Today, much to the detriment of my work habits, I discovered that the new Picnic software on Flickr has some really cool features. So, I decided to try my hand at designing a banner for my blog. All of these were super easy, but I think they look pretty cool.

What do you think? Which one would you like to see grace the top of the page for a while? (Click on each to see the whole image--all the photos are mine.)

.Ashes.

2009-02-25T09:29:00.002-06:00

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise (psalm 51:17).

Today we enter into the Lenten season. I am reminded again this year that what this season is about: repentance, a broken spirit over my sin, a re-recognition of my desperate need for Christ. I want to welcome this season of brokenness in my heart, face my sin, and rejoice that by his broken body and spilled blood, I am not only forgiven, but made clean.

So I'm entering in, spelunking, if you will, in the dark cave that is my sin, my selfishness, my pride, my fear, my lack of love and compassion.

" . . . all the fitness He requireth, Is to feel your need of Him."

A place to start in the self-examination and repentance of the Lenten season: By meditating on the verses one day at a time, I hope to use this prayer as a starting point for self-examination and repentance. The words already begin to pierce my hard heart:

Prayers of the Children of God
. . . We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not forgiven others as we have been forgiven.
Have mercy on us, Lord.

We have been deaf to your call to serve, as Christ served us. We have not been true to the mind of Christ. We have grieved your Holy Spirit. Have mercy on us, Lord.

We confess to you, Lord, all our past unfaithfulness: the pride, hypocrisy, and impatience of our lives, we confess to you, Lord.

Our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our exploitation of other people, we confess to you, Lord.

Our anger at our own frustration, and our envy of those more fortunate than ourselves, we confess to you, Lord.

Our intemperate love of worldly goods and comforts, and our dishonesty in daily life and work, we confess to you, Lord.

Our negligence in prayer and worship, and our failure to commend the faith that is in us, we confess to you, Lord.

Accept our repentance, Lord, for the wrongs we have done: for our blindness to human need and suffering, and our indifference to injustice and cruelty, accept our repentance, Lord.

For all false judgments, for uncharitable thoughts towards our neighbors, and for our prejudice and contempt towards those who differ from us, accept our repentance, Lord.

For our waste and pollution of your creation, our lack of concern for those who come after us, accept our repentance, Lord.

Restore us, good Lord, and let your anger depart from us; Favorably hear us for your mercy is great.

Accomplish in us the work of your salvation, that we may show forth your glory in the world.

By the cross and passion of your Son our Lord, bring us with all your saints into the joy of His resurrection.

I want to live a simple life.

2009-02-23T14:17:00.004-06:00

I have recently passed two mini-milestones. One was sometime in early January, my one year anniversary of living in Birmingham (love it!). And on Friday, my one year anniversary of working at my current job (not quite as exciting.) Anyway, what I'm getting at, is that though the Lord is constantly teaching me new things, and opening new doors in my life . . . it seems time to move past the title of this blog, ".into.the.new."

Since our early dating days, simplicity has always been something that Keith and I have really valued. To me it represents something a little counter-cultural, simplicity in how we spend our time: in deep relationship with the Lord, each other, and our family and community, being creative and thoughtful, appreciating beauty, leaving room in our hearts and schedules for compassion. And how we spend our money: with prudence, seeking to be obedient and faithful, in ways that don't trample on "the lease of these," and trying to build up things of relational and eternal value rather than material.

It is hard to live a simple life these days. But we're trying, with a hearty dose of grace and peace.

So, with that said, today marks the dawn of a new blog title, something so small and insignificant, but I wanted you to know the reason behind it. My sweet and talented friend Erin, is helping me design a new banner too, notice the "beta version." Also, hopefully you will see more posting from my partner in this simple life, Keith! So here's to living a simple life.

The Weepies say it better:

Can I get up in the morning, put the kettle on
Make us some coffee, say hey to the sun
Is it enough to write a song, and sing it to the birds
They'd hear just the tune, not understand my love for words

But you would hear me and know...
That I want to live this
I want to live
I want to live a simple life

I dreamed you first, but not so real
And every day since I found you, such moments we steal
Like little fields, we rub our hands
And hold our hearts between them

Move on, move on, time is accelerating
Drive on, all night, traffic lights and one ways
Move on, move on parking violations waiting
Turn off the car, breathe the air, let's stay here

I'll kiss you awake, and we'll have time
To know our neighbors all by name, and every star at night
We'll weave our days together like waves, and particles of light

Adventures in Homemaking Arts

2009-02-20T11:17:00.004-06:00

I'm not sure that a year ago would have thought that I'd ever be trying my hand at knitting or bread making, but here I am, and it's a good place to be. I have truly been awakened to the "homemaking arts" by the lovely and talented women of Redeemer, and I'm loving learning and being inspired by them. I'm learning how to take what they offer and make it my own, enjoy it for the sake of creating with my hands, and not out of expectations or comparisons that we women are so prone to pile on ourselves. Perhaps more about that later.

The knitting began when Stephanie offered to teach me and Cory. I was a little impatient and first tried crocheting on my own, and then later took up knitting under Steph's careful guidance. She is a teacher at heart and explained it this way. "See, I think about this knot as the doorknob, and then you go in the door. And then wait, it's an intruder! So you strangle him, push him to the front, and then get outta there." If you are a knitter yourself, you may or may not understand this colorful instruction, but it worked for me! There's something about the rhythm of the needles, and the way the stitches feel, that makes me enjoy knitting a little bit more than crochet at this point. Hopefully I'll someday have something to show for it.

In the bread making realm . . . I've never considered myself much of a baker, as much as I love to cook. Then one day I was in Publix and saw this bread mix, which just requires you to add water, so I figured it was a good place to start (And I'll give Melissa the credit for planting the idea in my head.) I still got to experience the joy of kneading, letting it rise, etc., and it turned out really good! Added bonus, Keith LOVED it! So, I was hooked. A rabbit trail starting with Stephanie's blog lead me to this rustic baguette recipe, and I've tried it three times! The first time it was way too dense and salty, the second time it was pretty awesome, the third was kinda in between--great flavor, but a little denser of a crust than I was looking for. I think I may be addicted, and I wont stop until I get a light, airy crumb and a crisp, shiny crust the crackles when you press on it. Best part? I get to enjoy my favorite breakfast of all time every day with the added satisfaction of knowing it is the fruit of my labor.

(check out my new table cloth)

.I Heart Polaroids.

2009-02-19T10:22:00.002-06:00

I may or may not be very late in discovering this, but through a friend of a friend's blog, I found this fabulous contraption that turns your ordinary old digital photos into lovely, quirky-colored, classic polaroids! How cool!? Here are a few of my fav's.