3 Books to Add to Your Bookshelf

Summer is almost over, and I am devouring books as fast as I can before textbooks take over my reading time. However, even during the school year, I always keep two books with me--my Bible, and a devotional book. The devotional book does not have to be laid out as a day-to-day lesson book like most. To me, a “devotional” is simply a book written with the intent of focusing the reader on God and who He is. No matter how many textbooks and short stories are assigned to me, it is always refreshing to read inspiring words by other Christians. It encourages me to know that others have experienced walking this path that God has called us to take. The encouragement is not always pleasing at first. Sometimes it hurts, but it pushes me to go the right direction. If you are looking for some guidance and encouragement, here are three books I would highly recommend:

 

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis has been my favorite author for a long time. I have read most of his books, but this one is the most life-changing. As a former atheist, C.S. Lewis knew all the questions people had about God. He tried to disprove God’s existence, but never could. When he became a Christian, he found the answers to a lot of those questions, and he shared them in this book. His logic is extraordinarily simple and understandable. Some of it is speculation. Much of it is metaphor, helping the reader see God in a new, fresh way. All of it is a revelation, not only of God’s existence, but also of how we, as Christians, should respond to that existence. Read this book slowly. Reflect on each page. Faith cannot be taught, but sometimes we need to embrace logic. When we do, it may not build our faith, but it can help us better understand what and Whom we believe and how we should respond to Him.

 

My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers

There are different versions of this book. The classic edition is written in old English and is difficult to understand. I am reading an updated edition right now. It takes a year to go through, with one page a day (I sometimes read two a day, one in the morning and one at night). The book is a compilation of lectures and writings by Chambers, who did not intend them to be published. The first day I read this, I knew it might change me. It has challenged me every day to think about things differently. I am amazed that a man from the early 1900s could write things so relevant to a nineteen-year-old girl. He points out things in myself that I never recognized before, and he has instilled in me a passion to give everything to God day by day. James Reimann, the writer of the updated edition, writes: “I encourage you to read with this book in one hand and your Bible in the other. This book is not the Bible—it is intended to point you to the Bible.” Chambers did not intend to write a new theology. Read prayerfully, seeking discernment, and be willing to let the words change you.

The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

This compilation of writings were not composed by a great theologian, but by a humble cook in a monastery. His words gave me a new understanding of worship and devotion to God. As the title reveals, he teaches that we must practice living in God’s presence every moment. His relationship with God aroused a hunger in me for the same. Reading about how someone lived so beautifully is as affective, if not more affective, than a sermon. It makes the Christian life real and attainable and irresistible.

As I read these books, I had to remember, as Reimann said, that these are not the Bible. It is always important to read God's Word. Even more importantly, I had to remember that time spent in a book is not always the same as spending time with God. I must spend time in reflection and prayer and practice living in God's presence throughout the day.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did,

Emily

A Strange Use for Banana Peels

My last post was about a delicious way to use bananas. But why waste all those peels? Why not put them to good use and try something new? You’re about to think I’m a little crazy, but some Pinterest pins attract me because of their craziness. I have to try them to see if they actually work, especially if they are simple and involve saving money.

 
Here is the original pin:

 
I know it seems weird to rub banana peels on your teeth, but after only one treatment, my teeth were noticeably whiter! Now, I have learned that this is like brushing your teeth—it only works for a while. If I stop doing it for a day, there is already a difference. But if I do it every day, my teeth get successively whiter. The key is to be consistent. However, say you have an event coming up--like prom, for instance. This can be a perfect, cheap, temporary fix to make your smile whiter for pictures!

 
The pin does leave out a few pieces of information. For instance, please rinse the peels before use. Who knows where they have been? Also, do this before brushing and not after. If you have ever had a green banana, you know how bad it feels on your teeth. Finally, what if you don’t eat a banana every day? I have tried saving the peels in foil, but they still turned brown on the inside. It would be nice to have enough reserved that I could do this regularly. I'm going to keep trying different things, but for now my best bet is to use fresh peels, which means I have to eat a lot of bananas. I like to mash half a banana in my oatmeal every morning, so it's not too bad.

 
I hope you don’t think I’m crazy, and that you will actually try this. I promise it works! And if you’re already trying the Nice Cream, then why not try this as well?

 
May your teeth be ever white,

 
Emily

Ice Cream Just Got Healthy

I am an ice cream addict.

                                   

Almost every night, I scoop myself a few dollops of ice cream. I hold the blame, but I have to say some of it is due to my upbringing. When I was little, I was a little underweight. I went to the doctor for a physical and she prescribed whole milk and ice cream. My parents took this to heart and I grew up thinking that ice cream was actually good for me.

 When I was old enough to realize that ice cream is not a health food, it was too late. I was addicted. But this story has a happy ending, not just for me, but for all you ice cream addicts out there! You don't have to stifle your cravings! You don't have to eat an apple and pretend it's dessert! (Although that's good, too). You don't even have to spend hours (and money) making homemade ice cream (okay, you could). There is an easier, better, and healthier way to get your ice cream fix without having to do a hundred jumping jacks to make up for it!

 The solution?


Nice Cream*

 
You may have heard of it before, but you won't believe it till you try it. The first time I made it, I gave a bowl of it to my dad to try.

"This," he said, pointing to the custard-like dessert with his spoon, "Is good. What's in it?"
"Bananas," I said.
"And?"
"Um..vanilla?"
"And?"
"That's all!"
He couldn't believe it, and neither will you.

 
Nice Cream, in a nutshell, is ice cream made out of fruit. Most nice cream is made out of bananas, but I have heard of people using peaches and other fruits. But bananas are the most popular, and you'll see why.

 First off, bananas are cheap, they have a subtle flavor, and the texture of the nice cream is like frozen custard. Some people don't like the idea of using bananas because of the fat, but really, I'm sure it's a lot better than ice cream! If you are not a fan of banana-flavor, you can always flavor it with any flavorings you would use in regular ice cream. I suggest using organic chocolate nut spread or cocoa. I normally add just a few drops of vanilla and it's heavenly. You can also pop in some strawberries, or you can add a spoonful of peanut butter. I have been wanting to make it a pina-collada flavor by adding a few drops of coconut milk and some pineapple. Whatever flavor you like, go for it!

 
The directions are simple.

 
1. Slice a few ripe bananas. They can be over-ripe as well. I'm not picky about how big the slices should be, just divide each banana into at least four pieces for easy blending.

 
2. Put the slices in the freezer until they're frozen, maybe an hour or so.

 
3.Take out the pieces, put them in a blender/food processor (NOT a smoothie-maker) and blend. I typically use one-and-half bananas per serving.  If the bananas are very frozen, this may take some time. At first, you will end up with a dipp'n dots texture. Just keep blending and occasionally stirring and watch the magic happen as it suddenly turns silky smooth before your eyes. Once it's smooth, it is ready to eat.

 
These simple steps may change your life. Any time you have some extra bananas you don't think you'll eat, or Kroger is having a sale on over-ripe bananas, just stick them in the freezer for later and "indulge" on them as nice cream later.

 
Enjoy!

 
P.S. Save your banana peels in some foil with a little lemon juice. You’ll want to use them after my next post. Trust me!

 
-Emily 

 
*I don't know you decided to name it "nice cream." Shouldn't you replace the "cream" since there is no cream, and not the "ice" since there is, in a way, ice? I wanted to call it "Ice Dream," but supposedly Chick-fi-la has given that name to their ice cream. It's a shame really. "Ice Dream" has a pleasant connotation to it. Besides, one little-known fact about bananas is that they make your dreams more vivid, so it makes sense to associate it with dreaming.

 

Up in the Woods Part 1: For Dreamers

A few weeks ago, my family and I left our five-acre hobby farm to spend a few days in the mountains. Our temporary home was in North Carolina. I had my own room with a huge bed, and at night it was so dark I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face (I tried). When you step away from your life, when you jump out of the stream and sit on the bank for a moment, there is a clearing of the mind that is refreshing and inspiring. For me, this phenomena was nurtured even more by my reading choice for the week—a copy of Walden, or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau. When I opened the book, my dad looked over my shoulder and said, “That book will mess with your mind.” He added, “in a good way, that is." And it did. I got out my leather journal and a pen and began to write. These are a few of my mountain musings.

 

                                                                               *  *  *
 As I sit in a rocking chair on the front porch of a cabin hidden from society in the North Carolinian mountains, my mind is turning over new visions for my future. A few chapters of Walden by Henry David Thoreau and a light, mountain breeze kissing my cheek are enough to awaken the dreamer in me that had turned to stone—a stone etched with plans of society and this culture, rigidly marked in my generation’s Facebook statuses and Pinterest boards. It seems like everyone has the same vision, and so it is not an individual’s ideal but the ideal that the media has portrayed and made acceptable for us. Wouldn’t it be wonderful—revolutionary—if we all had our own dream?

My dream changes every day. I give myself time and space and atmosphere to contemplate it, tweak it, and play it back and forth in my mind. In my “plans", I leave myself open to God’s will. I pray that God would give me grace to desire what he desires, and not just for my life—His desires go beyond my meager existence. .

 

My dreams for my future go from broad to specific, but even the specific can change directions. An answer to prayer, a conversation, a closed door, a verse in scripture can change my course. The push-pin on my atlas can shift with a touch of God’s hands. Whatever I do, wherever I go, God is my destination and my ultimate desire. If that is my pursuit in life, then I know I can be content in all circumstances, because God grants me that desire every day.

And so the dreams I have laid out are not fixed. They are the mountain musings of today that may descend as I traverse to level ground in the morning. But ultimately what I desire is to love God and enjoy Him forever, to follow where He leads, to admire His creation, to love His people, to grow in wisdom, and to live simply and humbly on this earth.

 

This desire is the Christian desire, and it is one that many people share. My dreams for how I do this are unique. John Wesley said, "Love God and do whatever you want." If you love God--I mean truly love God with all your heart--then your desires will be His desires. Then what God wants will be what you want. I'll keep my dreams to myself for now, because I hope everyone can have their own. Sometimes it takes getting away from the world to realize what it is you really want.

 

-Emily

 

Ratatouille

 


A few years ago, Pixar made an ambitious movie about rats---cooking rats. While some were too disgusted to even walk into the theater, I was in love with the French-themed film. So in love, in fact, that I was determined to cook this lovely, visually delicious "peasant dish" that so enticed Ego that he had flashbacks of his childhood.

Thankfully, I did not have to make it up on my own. Rachel Ray actually created a replica of the dish in honor of the movie. I have copied the link here for you to watch her make it. It looks complicated, but it is actually quite simple. If you're in a hurry, I recommend using an automatic vegetable slicer for the squash and zucchini. It cuts them nice and thin. Also, I typically double the recipe for my family of six and serve it with fresh salad and French bread.

It is a great meal to make with the family. It is a little time-consuming to cut up all of the vegetables, make the sauce, and  arrange the vegetables in a nice little spiral.

Ratatouille is now my favorite food. It is mild enough that it is homey and comforting, but it also has the flavor and texture of a creative, gourmet dish. The sauce is excellent, the secret being whole roasted red peppers. Rachel Ray covers it with parchment paper, which I highly recommend after trying some other things. But if you like your vegetables less brown and more tender, you could use foil. Just make sure you take it off half way through so that the moisture can evaporate. It's almost like boiling it when you do this.

Here is the link to Rachel Ray's recipe. I hope you try it and love it as much as my family and I do.

 http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/ratatouille/

Happy cooking,

Emily

                                                                              



http://pixartimes.com/2013/04/02/the-pixar-perspective-on-the-pixar-moment-and-ratatouille/

 

Tunnel Vision

I don't know about you, but when I'm working on a project, I get what is called "tunnel vision." My surroundings go dim, my eyes are wide, and my mind is turning. I can only focus on one thing: my project. I love to have a new obsession, something to get excited about, but it can also become extremely draining and distracting.

I recently got caught up in a new obsession. I have a passion for trying new things, and this time it is crochet shoes (like slippers only with durable soles). I have made five right-foot shoes so far, all discarded as I attempt to master the pattern I am making. I finally created a pattern I really like the other day. As you can see, it still needs a few adjustments, but I hope to make more to sell on my Etsy shop soon.

But here's the problem. This tunnel vision, while it seems exciting at first, distracts me from everything else if I'm not careful. I work all day without talking to other people or getting out of the house. I get sleepy, and eventually my brain fries and I am useless creatively. Because of this, I have to work in moderation. I'll work in the garden for an hour, eat with my family, go to church, have coffee with a friend, etc. Anything to get my mind out of creative-mode. No matter how valuable something is, no matter how much you love your work, moderation is key to success. Trying too much will waste your creative juices away. Take the time to fuel your tank and remember what truly matters.

Even more importantly, devote yourself to people, not projects. I learned a tough lesson today as I met a new group of friends. We talked about what we devote ourselves to and if any of it matters. In the end, people are what matter.

Where are you going? What is it for? How can you turn a hobby into a service to others? Because tunnel vision is really another word for narrow-minded--focusing on self. Broaden your scope. There's a whole world out there, waiting to be seen and known.

Enjoy your crafting--but don't let it consume you.

-Emily