currently reading

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With our sun room open for the season, I find myself spending nearly every evening in there, watching the sunset through the trees, soaking up the warmth that was trapped in the room during the day, opening all the windows and letting the breeze flow through. It really is every bit as good as it sounds. When Tim watches 30 Rock or How It's Made on Netflix, I no longer watch; I listen from the sun room. I just can't pull myself away.

Most of the time when I'm in the sun room, I'm reading - magazines, books, and (until my little Macbook crashed and burned a couple days ago) blogs. Last week, I worked through a stack of foodie magazines from the library, and this week I started a most phenomenal book, "Dinner: A Love Story" by Jenny Rosenstrach. I can't even remember how I stumbled upon this book, probably from a blog. But at some point in time I had it earmarked as a book I should read = good idea. It's a witty and delicious memoir-turned-cookbook that is well written, practical, and focuses on the importance of sitting down for dinner together as a family. I find myself resisting the urge to dog ear every single recipe that scattered throughout the book since the library probably wouldn't approve of the bent pages.

It's also inspired me to keep a dinner diary (which Jenny has done since 1998) of my own because, like she says in the book, half the battle of cooking is figuring out what to cook. And when you have an easy-to-please husband like mine, I usually don't get much direction when I ask, "Any food requests this week?" And although he can appreciate a good and well-prepared meal when he sees one, he honestly would be happy with Ramen and hot dogs every week, and that's just not gonna happen. But with a dinner diary, I could look back and see what we've had in the past and get ideas through that. Love it. Let's just say that this book will definitely be going my Christmas list this year.

contentment

I recently purchased the book "Keep a Quiet Heart" by Elisabeth Elliot and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I would highly recommend. It's insightful, challenging, encouraging, and relevant for any stage of life. I ran across the following passage about complaining and contentment that I haven't been able to get out of my head.

May ours be the spirit of the 17 year-old Lady Jane Grey, who prayed this prayer in her prison cell before she was executed in 1554:

O merciful God, be Thou unto me
A strong Tower of defense
I humbly entreat Thee.
Give me grace to await thy leisure,
And patiently to bear
What Thou doest unto me;
Nothing doubting or mistrusting
Thy goodness towards me;
For Thou knowest what is good for me
Better than I do.
Therefore do with me in all things
What Thou wilt;
Only arm me, I beseech Thee,
With Thine armor,
That I may stand fast;
Above all things taking to me
The shield of faith;
Praying always that I may
Refer myself wholly to Thy will,
Abiding Thy pleasure, and comforting myself
In those troubles which it shall please Thee
To send me, seeing such troubles are
Profitable for me; and I am
Assuredly persuaded that all Thou doest
Cannot but be well, and unto Thee
Be all honor and glory. Amen.

This is so convicting to me and makes me wonder, if I was about to be out-rightly persecuted would I be so strong as to consider "such troubles profitable?" I want to fear my Lord that much.

currently reading

I go through reading phases where I'll read 3 books a month, and then I won't read anything for 3 months. With all the hustle and bustle that comes with moving and getting settled into a new house plus the busyness that is summer/family vacation season, I haven't had my nose in a book for quite some time. Until now.

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Enter: "A Homemade Life" by Molly Wizenberg. I can't even remember now how I came across this book; I like to think it was destiny. It's a non-fiction, coming-of-age book about life, love, and food (seriously, there's recipes throughout the book). Can it get any better than that?! And her writing is incredible and delicious. What I love even more is that the recipes are not for big, daunting dishes that require fancy tools and spices. They are manageable, realistic, and even simple. For example, I just got done reading the chapter that includes the recipe for Red Cabbage Salad with Lemon and Black Pepper. Translation: red cabbage thinly sliced, doused with olive oil and lemon juice, seasoned with salt and garlic, and sprinkled with grated cheese and black pepper. Hello! Love it.

Please excuse me while I proceed to whiz through the rest of this book and hastily copy down each and every recipe.