Tag: books (Page 1 of 3)

Cozy Soul Food for a Winter Weekend

February 4, 2022 / Laura Crosby

When I think cozy winter thoughts I think candles, soup, and books. I love lighting a candle in the morning to remind me of God’s presence. Anyone else? Even though it’s not typical winter weather where we’re currently living, I thought I’d share some soup, Sabbath, and book ideas this weekend. Hope they are encouraging to you!

Soup

I’ve often quoted a mentor of mine who said, “If you don’t have enough margin in your day to take a pot of soup to someone in need, you don’t have enough margin.” As a general rule, I agree!

“Soup is cold-weather-dark-sky food. Soup is peasant food – odds and ends, bits and pieces, a way to stretch a piece of meat or a handful of rice… Soup is the wool sweater, not the little black dress. It’s the cardigan with elbow patches, not the pressed shirt and tie.”
shauna Niequist

Here’s a really easy soup recipe I give away a lot, and I posted another one on Instagram on January 17th if you want to look there.

My very flexible recipe for Chicken Tortellini Soup:

Sauté 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped celery, 1/2 cup (or more) chopped carrots in 1/4 cup butter.

Slowly stir in 1/4 cup flour and 4 cups chicken broth (box of Swansons).

Add some rotisserie chicken (I buy it chopped up at the store) and a package of cooked cheese tortellini. I also usually add a teaspoon of “Better than Bouillon”.

Years ago a friend gave me the idea of picking up baskets at garage sales to give away meals in!

Books

I have never used a book journal, but I feel like this one has enriched my life! If you’re a reader, I highly recommend “My Reading Life” by Anne Bogel!

It has so many great features, with suggestions of books in every genre, quotes, guidance for book group discussions, and of course a great format for recording your thoughts about the books you read.

I really hesitate to recommend books, because everyone’s taste is a little different. That’s one of the reason’s I like that Anne differentiates between your rating of how much you enjoyed the book, how well it was written, and your overall rating.

For example, I recently read Anxious People by Fredrik Backman – the same author who wrote A Man Called Ove. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed reading the book (the characters were really annoying), but it was well-written and it provided good insight into people very different from me, so I was glad I read it.

If you are looking for a creepy thriller, I’d recommend The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware. If you want WW2 fiction about strong women, check out The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan. These books are very different, but I liked both of them!

And two more very different books… Live No Lies by John Mark Comer (non-fiction about culture, lies, our souls and Satan!) took me forever to get through because there are so many insights I wanted to think about.

And I’m halfway through Phillip Yancey’s memoir, Where the Light Fell

One Last Thing

I’ve shared here before that Sabbath is a challenging spiritual discipline for me, but one I think is important. On Instagram last week I shared that one way it helps me to think of is is this:

But that takes intention and preparation, right? And it’s going to look different if you have little kids from if you’re an empty nester.

Do you Sabbath? What does it look like? How do you prepare beforehand? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

An Abundance of Soul Food for a Time Such as This

April 9, 2020 / Laura Crosby

Here in Minnesota our governor has just extended our “lock down” til May (something new), and snow is predicted on Easter (something old).

It’s an understatement to say that this Easter will be different than any we’ve ever known. I was struck by this image from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which I have visited many times. It marks the site of the crucifixion and tomb of Jesus.

I’m reminded of this verse:

You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.
MATTHEW 16:18 MSG

Maybe having the trappings we have become accustomed to stripped away will help us to pay attention in a new way to the work of Jesus on the cross and in our lives!

Where will you be attending church online? Share in the comments!

As we carry on and look for the things Jesus wants to form in us during this time, I hope some of the following will make you smile or encourage you.

This warmed my heart.

And this…Instead of Boarding Up, Businesses Are Painting Their Storefronts With Uplifting Messages

I loved these ideas: 57 Things to Do With Friends When Social Distancing Beyond “Catching Up”, but 57 was a little overwhelming, so here are my favorites.

Do a morning WFHOOTD (work from home outfit of the day) photo call-out in your group chat.
Organize a remote game night; this spreadsheet has a bunch of good games for multiple players.
Have a night where everyone utilizes the same ingredient (probably beans) or cooks the same recipe and then shares photos and/or eats together.
Do a book club, or podcast club.
Learn the same TikTok dances and show them to each other.
And this one I’d add – memorize a passage of Scripture together.

You guys know that I love hanging out on Instagram because I try to follow and post images and stories that highlight beauty, goodness, and truth. Most mornings during the pandemic I’ve been posting a two minute devotional thought on my Instagram stories that I pray may encourage you.

Durning this time when we’re homebound (and even when we’re not!) I love to travel vicariously through the following Instagram feeds. I feel like I “live” on a farm in the mountains of Virginia and birth baby lambs with Sweckerfarm, and stroll the English countryside with Suddenjourneys! Both post delightful Instagram stories every day – highly recommend!

I’m awed by the beauty of God’s creation with earthpix and usinterior

Here’s the current stack of books I’m reading
but one of my go-to’s for recommendations is Anne Bogel – check out this post.

If you want an uplifting series that embodies honor, and integrity, I highly recommend The English Game on Netflix! It’s by Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) and is about the creation of soccer in England in the late 1800’s and the clash of classes at the time.

I don’t know about you, but these days I’m doing more slow cooker stuff that I can also split and freeze. Tonight I’m trying this from my friend Tonja of Tonja’s Table!

Easter meals are going to be really weird this year, amiright?? Is anyone sharing a meal virtually with family??

This egg bake (sorry I don’t have a picture) is our favorite for holidays. You make it the night before. Although it may sound strange, the two keys to making this great are English Muffin bread (From Great Harvest if you can), and Velveeta cheese (yes, you read that right!)

Cheryl’s Egg Casserole

1/4 cup green onions sliced
mushrooms sautéed (if you want)
1 cup ham diced (I just ask them to cut one thick slice of ham in the deli and then I dice it, but you can use bacon if you want)
15 eggs scrambled (yes, cook them)

Make a cheese sauce like this:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups whole milk
1 cup (or more) Velveeta cheese added slowly in chunks to melt

Mix everything together and put it in a casserole. Refrigerate overnight.

Melt some butter and toss torn pieces of English Muffin bread with it. Cover the egg casserole with the bread crumbs and bake at 350 til bubbly.

Have a blessed, joyful Easter everyone and remember to share where you’re going to church in the comments!

Soul Food For a New Decade

January 11, 2020 / Laura Crosby

Peace. Understanding. Lack of division. 2019 was a rough year in these areas. Or did it just seem worse than usual?

Monday I wrote about building bridges with people different from us. Next week I’ll be posting more on complicated relationships, but until then, our friend Matt Norman wrote such a helpful article on The Number One Principle in Relationships and Influence. Check it out!

Two well-written, engaging books I read over the holidays?

Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher, about a variety of people whose lives intersect one Christmas at an old house in snowy northern Scotland. Loved it!

And Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon. I love the Mitford books with all the characters – quirky, gentle, kind, hopeful. I had read this, but rereading it at Christmas was perfect.

Trying to get organized? Here’s a good article I read: Got a New Planner? Here are 7 Things to Write in it Now

And lastly some grins and inspiration from Instagram.

As always I’d love to hear from you in the comments! Have a great weekend!

Soul Food Books and a Recipe

June 28, 2019 / Laura Crosby

Happy Friday! Hope you are savoring summer – getting outside, grilling good stuff, biking, swimming, doing chalk drawings with your kids…whatever! I am just so content and grateful to be back at home in Minnesota for this season. It’s my favorite!

Here’s the pile of books I’ve been reading (or re-reading). As you can see, there’s quite a variety. The last time I read The Hiding Place I was in college! It, and Kisses from Katie (not pictured) are wonderfully uplifting reads. We need more redemptive stories like them!

I hesitate to endorse books, because everyone’s taste is so different, but the book I read that was probably the most engaging is not on this pile because I got it on kindle. I thought Maybe You Should Talk to Someone was fascinating and well-written!*

I posted this with some thoughts about community on Instagram today, but I thought I’d share the recipe here.

Quay’s Mexican Appetizer

Layer:

8 oz. cream cheese softened and spread in pie plate
Pineapple salsa
Shredded Mexican cheese mix (Cheddar/Monterey Jack)
Chopped green onions
Can add chopped black olives if you want.

Microwave for 1 minute (or so) and serve immediately with Tostitos bite-sized tortilla chips.

Happy 4th of July!

*Contains some language that may be offensive.

Books, Recipes, and Resources To Refresh You This Summer!

May 28, 2018 / Laura Crosby

Woohooo! Summer finally arrived in Minnesota! April 15th we had a blizzard, and May 25th we had 90 degree plus temperatures. Oh Minnesota, you keep us on our toes! When summer finally arrives, cabins open and church attendance drops by one million percent because no one wants go go indoors ever. And it’s all good. We play hard while we can.

Summer is my jam. I feel more fully alive than any other time of year. Summer is lakes and biking and picnics and good books and refreshment. So I thought I’d share a few of my favorite things from the past month.

First, books. But even before that, a disclaimer: I find it really hard to review books because we all read through the lenses of our age, experience, and current circumstances. Something I think is “Meh” you may think changed your life. Ok, onward…

Summer Soul Food

July 26, 2017 / Laura Crosby

Hey Friends,

I know I’ve been MIA on the blog recently, but I’m guessing you’re out seizing summer joy and don’t mind a little less in your “in box”! As a result, this is a looooong post!

I’ve been prioritizing speaking, prepping a new set of devo cards, and another writing project I only recently have had the courage to call a “manuscript”. Yikes it’s scary to say that, and yet I also feel total peace regarding what happens with it. If God can use it “out there” I trust it will get published. If He has other plans I’m fine with that. I’m thankful for friends and mentors who have been coaching me along in this process!

Speaking of needing each other… John and I always do a lot of hosting in the summertime because our back yard provides a great space for gathering folks. We have had a big tent I told you about before, but it’s so old it started to leak when there was rain, and since rain was predicted last week when we were hosting 32, we bought another tent. Here was the problem. It was a LOT more complicated to set up than our previous one (I am so thankful for a husband with infinite patience!).

It was super hot with one million percent humidity as we struggled to get it set up. At one point I asked John what time it was, and he said, “No worries, they’re not coming tip 6:30.” Imagine the look on our faces when we had just finished the job and were sweating like pigs and our guests walked around the corner of our house at 6:00!

Anyway, one of the benefits of hosting a lot of potlucks is GOOD RECIPES! My friend Michelle brought this amazing salad and was gracious enough to give me the recipe, so I thought I’d pass it along. It is delightfully different!

Wheat Berry and Fruit Salad

1 Cup wheat berries

Dressing:

3 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs water

1 ½ Tbs cider vinegar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp each salt & pepper

¼ Cup dried cranberries (craisins)

1 large apple cut bite size

1 Cup seedless grapes halved

½ Cup diced cheddar

Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan.

Add wheat berries; reduce heat, cover and cook for

45-55 minutes until tender. Drain well.

In a large bowl, whisk oil, water, vinegar, mustard, salt

& pepper. Add dried cranberries and warm wheat berries.

Toss to coat. Let stand 10 minutes, tossing occasionally,

for flavors to absorb and wheat berries to cool. (If you want

to make ahead and serve cold, cover and refrigerate up to

1 day).

3. Add remaining ingredients to bowl; toss to mix and coat.

Serves 4 (Can be served on a bed of lettuce.)

I preached at CPC on Jesus and the feeding of the 5,000 a couple weeks ago, and I wish I had thought to use this video! With Jesus everybody’s welcome, nobody’s perfect, and anything can happen!

I’ve been reading a lot this summer, but I really hate to review books because I think personal taste, values, your current season of life, and circumstances can skew how you feel about a book.

However, my talented friend Steve Wiens has a new book coming out August 22nd called “Whole”.

The description of this new book is: “For Christians who lament the brokenness in themselves, their neighbors, and the world around them, Whole offers a rallying cry to pursue wholeness together.”

I think Steve’s strength is in the questions he asks – the 5 questions of restoration he addresses in the first half of the book, and the discussion questions at the end of each chapter make this a read that would be good for group discussion. Steve models a commitment to self-reflection and vulnerable sharing throughout which will encourage others in your small group.

If you like considering the different meanings behind the original Hebrew text, looking for new connections, you will like this book. If you like contemporary retelling of ancient stories that highlight the movement from brokenness to wholeness, you will like this book.

If you are into spy novels, I recommend this complicated, intriguing book, ” I am Pilgrim: A Thriller”. It’s excellent, but be forewarned…there is some graphic violence and the pieces don’t start to come together til about page 245. I can’t imagine the time that went into researching this book!

One last thing…I’ve been doing more on Instagram, and recently posted this quote. I have several friends who are in very, very hard places where it seems their thoughts and prayers kept spinning in a circle of despair. Can anyone else relate?

I’ll close with part of a blessing from Suzie Larson:

May you be honest with God about the hurts in your heart. May you discern the difference between grief and self-pity. May you be okay with not always being okay. God will one day wipe away every tear from your eyes, but until then, He wants to help you walk this journey with peace in your heart and assurance in your soul. He is with you.

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Soul Food to Spring it Up!

March 3, 2017 / Laura Crosby

Monday I wrote about an experimental mutiny against the month of March and invited you into our Spring it Up challenge.

I really hope you’ll join in for part or all of the days. You can still print up an attachment of all the prompts and put it on your fridge. Send me pictures and/or post on Instagram or FB with the hashtag #springitup!

Here are my adorable friends Ally and Kit dressing pink on Day 1.

We had our small group on Tuesday night and did 2 of the challenges at once. I encouraged everyone to wear pink, and we brought things that made us think of spring.

I made the recipe that has been our little family’s go-to for spring.

D.C. Spring Ham and Asparagus Sandwiches

Brace yourselves because the directions are a bit complicated.

6 slices of deli ham (a little thick – 1/8″?? I don’t do math)
6 slices of swiss cheese
a bunch of asparagus
a package of dry Knorr Hollendaise sauce mix
2 tubes of Pillsbury crescent rolls

Cook the asparagus to tender crisp.

Open the crescent rolls and pinch together every two triangles to make rectangles.

Layer a slice of ham, a slice of cheese, and 3 stalks of asparagus on each rectangle. Roll up and pinch dough to seal. Put seal side down on cookie sheet.

Bake according to crescent roll instructions.

Mix up hollandaise sauce and drizzle on top of finished sandwiches. Bam! Done!

Heather brought sparkling pink lemonade, Cara brought tulips, Cathy brought a late Valentine gift wrapped springy, and Molly made a wonderful easy salad – berries, goat cheese, spring greens, and raspberry vinaigrette dressing!

This past weekend John preached on stewardship of our bodies, and included an interview with our friend, Lee Blum, who has a powerful story of overcoming an eating disorder and continually wrestling with the question of “How do we live out of our true self, not how the world says we should be or look or act?”

(If you can’t see the embedded video on your email, click on the title of the post and open in your browser)

Lee Blum Interview (short version) from Christ Presbyterian Church on Vimeo.

Lee has also written two gripping books, A Table in the Darkness,* her memoir, and Brave is the New Beautiful *, in which each chapter is focused on a different characteristic of courage. Lee “weaves reflections from her own journey with inspirational stories from everyday women who chose to take off their masks and live authentically.” It also has great discussion questions at the end of each chapter. I highly recommend both books and suggest you consider “Brave” for a small group if you’re looking for some honest discussion.

If you’re reading this on email or on your phone and want to comment, just click on the title and then scroll down!

*Some posts on this blog contain Amazon affiliate links – I receive a tiny commission on any purchases you make from links, but I’m not paid to recommend any particular item. I’d never include a link to anything I didn’t own or feel great about endorsing.

Soul Food Favorites For a Birthday Girl

January 27, 2017 / Laura Crosby

Today is our daughter, Katy’s birthday. She is a thoughtful follower of Jesus. She is kind, loyal, soft-hearted, intelligent, driven, responsible…The short version of her job description as liaison between USAID and the Hill is “to make congress care about global poverty.”

In short, she’s amazing. And no, I’m not prejudiced at all. In honor of her, I thought I’d devote this post to some of her favorite things.

First, like all Crosbys, she is a West Wing groupie. Our family speaks in West Wing dialog, and watch the episode “Shiboleth” every Thanksgiving.

via GIPHY

Second, like her father, is a VORACIOUS reader. Here are two books I’ve read recently that I know she’d love. I recommend them to her and to you.

Small Great Things is an amazing fictional account of a black labor and delivery nurse, a white supremacist who accuses her of killing his baby, and a public defender. Picoult writes chapters alternately in the voice of these three characters – an incredible challenge! I thought the book helped me better understand racism, white privilege, and stereotypes. Great read!

Third, she is a foodie. She is beloved by her co-workers and interns because she is always bringing them treats. She shared this recipe that she tried recently and loved from Half Baked Harvest.

Cream of Mushroom Chicken Wild Rice Soup.

prep time: 15 MINUTES
cook time: 45 MINUTES
total time: 1 HOUR

yields: SERVES 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
Coupons
kosher salt and pepper
6 ounces cremini mushrooms
2 ounces wild mushrooms
1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup wild rice
1/2-1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup grated parmesan

Instructions

Melt the butter and olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring often until the onion is soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cremini mushrooms and the wild mushrooms, cook another 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are caramelized. Stir in the thyme and cook another minute longer. Remove the pot from the heat and ladle out half of the wild mushrooms. Transfer the remaining ingredients to a food processor. Add 2 cups broth and pulse until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Return the mixture to the soup pot and add the remaining 4 cups broth plus 2 cups water. Bring the mixture to boil and stir in the rice and chicken. Cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender and the chicken has cooked through. Shred the chicken in the pot. Stir in the milk and parmesan. Season the soup with salt + pepper. Simmer the soup for 5-10 minutes until warmed through.

Lastly, her love language is cute dogs. She knows the names of every one on her walk to work and befriends them everywhere.

So Happy Happy Birthday Sweetie, and the rest of you, have a delightful weekend with glimpses of God’s grace!

Soul Food for Memorial Day Weekend

May 26, 2016 / Laura Crosby

We started Memorial Day weekend off a little early last night with a spur of the moment dinner out, soaking up the beauty of our town. So full of gratitude!

Whenever you start it, I hope you all have a delightful weekend, perhaps sharing the sentiment of one of my favorite Instagram posts:

And if it’s been a bad week, just shake it off!

I want to spend every minute I can outdoors, but our forecast has a bunch of rain in it so I may get into some of the books I want to read…

Unfortunately, my friend Michelle won’t be getting outside. I went to see her in the hospital today where she’s on bed rest waiting for her 3rd baby to arrive. She’s longing to be outside this weekend, but is doing the important work of growing a baby!

As hard as it is to be patient, she shared encouragement she got from the Lord on a hard day (she’s already been in for 3 weeks!). They did an ultrasound and not only did it show this clear, tiny foot…

but God brought to mind Proverbs 16:9 which she wrote on the back of the picture.

In their heart, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

What a great reminder for anyone waiting for anything this weekend!

Summer’s almost here and that means salads, so here’s a new recipe I like… I found the original on Pinterest.

Ingredients

1 bag spring salad mix
1 bag romaine
I made my own bacon bits but burned them so ended up using a 3 oz bag of Hormel real applewood smoked bacon bits
1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1 large granny smith apple, chopped
1/2 cup toasted pecans or almonds
5 oz Gorgonzola or blue cheese crumbled

Directions
Clean lettuce, place in large bowl and top with ingredients – toss.

Tips

You can add more or less of each ingredient – do what you prefer.

Chop the apple right before serving to prevent it from browning.
This salad is great with grilled chicken tossed on top for a meal.
I’m thinking I might try a variation and replace the fruit with blueberries and add red onion

Mary’s Sweet Balsamic Dressing

Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil or canola
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard (or a little squeeze of Grey Poupon mustard)
- Few twists of fresh cracked pepper Or use 1/8 tsp of reg ground pepper

That’s a little bit of what has delighted me this this week. What about you?

Soul Food Friday

May 12, 2016 / Laura Crosby

Sharing some “soul food” that brought me joy this week…

First, a little Instagram delight for all you mamas limping to the finish line of the school year.

Oh my gosh, we all need some good news and uplifting stories these days, right? This first video was sent to me by daughter Maggie and brought tears to my eyes. Such a beautiful picture of community and caring.

And this one…Wow, what a Jesus-like picture.

I read Secrets of a Charmed Life this week and loved it! It takes place during World War 2 in London and is totally engrossing. I couldn’t put it down as the author weaves the stories of two half sisters and their unmarried mother through the Blitz and beyond. Such a great story that keeps you guessing to the end.

I took dinner to a new mama this week and had small group dinner too, so it was a great excuse to try out this new recipe. Holy buckets! Definitely a winner! (I’m not very good at cutting or food styling, but trust me…yum!)

SNICKERDOODLE CHEESECAKE BARS (original recipe here I always change them)

Ingredients:

FOR THE CRUST:

1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full size grahams)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING:

2 packages (8oz each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon

FOR THE SNICKERDOODLE LAYER:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon

FOR THE TOPPING:

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

Spray Pam on a 13×9 baking dishPreheat oven for 350 degrees.
In a food processor, pulse graham crackers with sugar until fine crumbs. Add in melted butter and pulse until combined.
Press crumbs into bottom of prepared baking dish. Using palm of your hand (or bottom of a cup) press crumbs firmly until they are pressed into the bottom of the pan.
For the cheesecake filling, beat cream cheese with sugar, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon using the whisk attachment of an electric mixer. Beat until fluffy and smooth (about 3-4 minutes). Pour over graham crust.
For the cookie dough, beat butter with sugar for 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat thoroughly. Add in baking powder, salt, flour and cinnamon and beat until fully combined. Scoop dough by large spoonfuls onto the top of the cheesecake layer. Try to use your fingertips to spread gently until cheesecake layer is fully covered.
In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon topping. Sprinkle generously over the cookie dough layer.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, middle may still “jiggle.” That’s okay. You want the cookie layer to be completely cooked and browned. Remove from oven and cool completely. Once cooled, cover with foil and refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight. Cut into squares and enjoy. Keep leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
yield: 24 LARGE BARS

Happy, happy weekend friends!