Making Sense of Chaos, Robots, & Salad
Hi friend,
I know it was a hard week for our country. While I can’t explain the events or pretend to understand, I can offer a momentary respite from the chaos. If you need a break, here it is. Consider it your moment to sit back with a cuppa and to remember that there are good, and true, and beautiful things in the world too.
I’m especially grateful for our new YouTube video this week, which we filmed the week prior. Even before the week at hand, this video came from somewhere inside of me that needed to be reminded that we’re not machines: we feel, we weep, we mourn, we rejoice, we cry, we celebrate, we live.
So I hope you enjoy a few calm breaths with me here in this letter — I pray my words, recipes, links, and stories will be a blessing to you in this moment, wherever it finds you.
I found myself incapacitated by the events of this week — aimlessly wandering from room to room, grieving and praying, then praying and grieving.
Elisabeth Elliot — the wife of a missionary who was brutally killed, leaving her a widow and single mother — knows of hardship and heartache. While she may look like a frail old woman, she packs an absolute punch — often pulling me out of myself and steering me back on course. I have found her lectures incredibly helpful over the years in navigating particularly difficult seasons and moments.
Her voice has become that of a dear friend, offering wisdom and encouragement to me as I stumble through difficult moments. Perhaps you’ll enjoy some of her perspectives as well.
Not a robot…
I spent a lot of time contemplating my human-ness this week — what it means to me to be alive and so grateful for time on this earth. While the tasks I need to accomplish each day are many (and monotonous), there are moments and opportunities in between to be reminded that we are here to laugh, to explore, to taste, to dance, to play, and yes — to love.
We are human, made for far more than productivity and efficiency.
Eat with your eyes…
Remember the food intolerances I shared with you a few weeks ago? Thus far we have enjoyed such wonderful improvements from our new eating habits that I am finally feeling up to combing through each single item in our home larder.
Many everyday items are full of products we can no longer have.
In a quest to not feel burdened by the task of cooking at hand, but instead to feel excited about what we can eat, I’ve set out to compile “One List To Rule Them All” that categorizes and links to all the brands/products/items that are safe for us to enjoy.
In doing so, I bumped across this beautiful photograph of some Italian-made goods, and it got me thinking — why have we stopped making such visually beautiful products? Italian packaging is *chef’s kiss*.
Instead of being sad about what we can no longer enjoy, I’m focused on being very excited by what we can enjoy. Beautiful pasta, tomatoes, olive oil, roasted meats, maple syrup, all manner of vegetables and fruits, honey-sweetened jams, and sourdough breads. We can still nibble on beautiful cured meats, slivers of Parmesan cheese (at least some of us), and slow-simmered sauces seasoned with balsamic vinegars and flaked sea salt.
I don’t think it’s foolish to stock a pantry with food that not only nourishes one physically, but also with food that is found to be pleasurable and beautiful — by our palettes and our eyes!
I will always opt for more beauty in the world.
So yes — I will judge a book by its cover in this case. I will delight in a food that is packaged beautifully. I will delight in grabbing a gift for myself off the pantry shelf, excited to enjoy the treasure tucked away inside…
Goodbye summer…
We’ve put the last few items we have remaining from our summer inventory on sale!
Seasonal merchandise is part of the fun of a little boutique store like ours — we’re able to keep all our inventory so fresh and so clean. Here’s some of what we have to share with you at a discount this summer’s end… and stay tuned for our autumn merch drop coming soon!
Something reflective…
Like I mentioned last week, I’m beginning to see that other people are the answer.
“I spent years thinking I was an introvert. Turns out I was just exhausted from pretending. When you stop performing yourself, you discover: You actually like people. You just hate being fake around them. Social energy returns when social masks come off. The right people won’t need your performance. They’ll want your presence.”
Something simple & delicious…
Chicken Salad with Apples & Tahini
Entrée salads are a welcome treat to the autumn table, especially when a quick meal is needed. The chicken can be poached or roasted — I often keep the meat of a few chickens in the refrigerator for such purposes. Alternatively, you could simply grill a chicken breast or thigh (or two!) and slice them over top of the salad that’s made delicious by crunchy, tart apples, earthy celery, and a wonderfully flavorful dressing.
For the salad:
3-4 cups cooked chicken, torn into bite-sized pieces
10 cups roughly chopped Romaine or butter lettuce
1 large apple, cut into thin slices
3 stalks celery, cut into thin slices
For the dressing:
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon maple syrup
Pinch red chili flakes
Instructions:
Combine all of the salad ingredients together on a large platter, spreading them evenly over the top.
In a bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until completely smooth.
Drizzle the salad with the dressing and serve immediately.
Want to cook delicious food? How about not feel so alone and uninspired in the kitchen? Here’s what we’re up to this month in our Cooking Community. Come join us!
Something beautiful…
I’m still in the throes of finishing Fellowship of the Ring and stumbled across this wonderful passage. I often speak of the hopes of our home, the way in which we hope it makes guests feel, and the way it feels to those of us who live here. I think this passage captures the idea of not just building a house, but building a home, so perfectly.
“Frodo was now safe in the Last Homely House east of the Sea. That house was, as Bilbo had long ago reported, ‘a perfect house, whether you like food or sleep or story-telling or singing, or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant mixture of them all’. Merry to be there was a cure for weariness, fear, and sadness.”
And lastly… I leave you with this screenshot of mine and Stuart’s text conversation from earlier this week. He is a man who serves and loves faithfully — and this gave me a good chuckle:
Endlessly grateful for you all. And for cappuccinos.
