Edamame Hummus + Finding Balance

I have a life outside of food.  GASP!  I know.  I used to be better at showing it.  Sometimes I still am.  But most of the time I just share what I have been cooking, talk a little about the thoughts floating through my head, and then press "publish".

I think I am becoming compartmentalized.  School.  Home.  Blog.  Each fitting into their little boxes, only opened when it is the right time.

This is a good thing.  For example, nobody in my everyday life wants to hear about my students all day long (except my husband, who loves to hear all about them every single day and listens to me tirelessly... or maybe he is just a good pretender. Ha!) and so I am pretty sure you don't want to hear about them every day, either.

Nobody in my everyday life wants to hear about food all day long, either.  In fact, out of all of my friends of Facebook (all of whom are truly friends on varying degrees), only about 5% of them follow this blog.  I know it's not because they don't support me (because they truly do!), but because, well, blog reading isn't for everyone.

It is a different issue on this end.  While sharing details about life, about dreams, and so on are such an important part of blogging, you have to find a healthy, safe balance.  Those of you who read regularly feel like you know me, and I feel like I know you.  And you know what?  I do believe you can know somebody and be friends long before you meet in person.  But I am also aware that anybody can follow along. Anybody.  And so you have to find that balance -- share enough to keep up a connection with your fellow blog friends, but don't share so much that stalkers and serial killers could find you.  You know how it goes...

This has led me to a place where I have been having a hard time of thinking of things to write.  Just being honest.  Writing purely about food seems so boring, and so I don't do it.  Sharing all the details of my life, well, that isn't going to happen.  It has to be a balance.  Food, life, love, observations...  Food blogging is one of those things that isn't an exact science.  What works for some doesn't work for others.  I don't know the secret formula.  But maybe you do... and that is one of the many beautiful things about blogging.  I can ask you, whether or not I have ever met you in person.  So please, tell me, how do you find that balance?

PS -- Edamame hummus.  It's good, really good.  And easy.  Try it!

EDAMAME HUMMUS

SERVES 8  •  PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES

ingredients

• 1 cup thawed edamame (not in the shell)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 cloves of garlic
• juice of 1 lemon
• sea salt, to taste
• "Unprocessed" pita bread, for serving  **I got my pita from Trader Joe's -- meaning it really came from the local bakery.  No preservatives, no colorings, unbleached flour... "safe" for October Unprocessed

directions

1. In a food processor, combine all ingredients.  Blend until creamy.  Add more olive oil, tahini, or lemon juice if needed. 
2. Serve with pita chips (pita bread cut into triangular eighths, brushed with olive oil and salt, baked for 12 minutes at 400 degrees).  

  

COST: $4.47        COST PER SERVING (6): $0.56

Unprocessed    //    30 Min or Less    //   Vegan

Apple-Cider Cheese Fondue

Everybody's into seasonal things these days.  It seems like every year there are more and more expectations about what we should do, wear, eat during each new season.  Or maybe this is nothing new.  Maybe I just missed the memo while I was busy playing at the beach year round.  And maybe I am just noticing it more today because, well, we are more share-y and connecty these days.  (I would like those words to be adjectives, so I made them so.  I am sorry to all of you language buffs out there!)

Either way, I have clearly been missing out.  I mean, besides Christmas and Easter, 4th of July and Thanksgiving, there have never been special foods around me, nor was I aware that you are supposed to change every pillow in your house each tilt of the earth.

Ok, for the food part I was missing out.  The whole super-decoration thing?  Yeah... I have Christmas pillows and I have every-other-time-of-the-year pillows.  I think I will stick with that.

But the other thing I have been missing out on?  Fall activities.

DUDE.  Apple picking is the bomb.  And corn mazes?  Well, I can't tell you much about them as I have never done one, but I imagine it is pretty cool, too.  I will let you know when I find out.  And I will find out this year.

I had two thoughts while I was picking our apples: "Why haven't we done this before???" (as the orchard is pretty close to our house) and "I am so grateful for those who do this for me everyday!" (as it is fun for an hour, but I cannot imagine being out there all day long, everyday.  My gratitude goes out to all the farmers and field workers who do this for us.)

When I came home I had some different thoughts: "What am I going to do with all of these apples?"

Well, I've figured out one thing... apple cider cheese fondue!

I would have never thought of mixing cheese and apple.  Chocolate?  Yes, most definitely.  Caramel?  Peanut butter?  Of course!  But cheese?

Yet it works.  And it is simple.

A cup of cider, a bunch of cheese, a little bit of corn starch, and a dash on nutmeg.  Five minutes from start to finish, and a perfect afternoon snack during this season that we are enjoying.  Or pretending to enjoy, as it is a nice 84 degrees outside, no humidity in the air.

Ok, so I may have missed out on some things living in California, but pleasant weather is not one of them...

APPLE-CIDER CHEESE FONDUE

From Rachael Ray Everyday, October 2013

SERVES 6  •  PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES

ingredients

• 1 cup cider
• 8 ounces yellow cheddar, shredded
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack, shredded
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• a dash of nutmeg
• sliced apples, for serving

directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the cider to a simmer over medium heat. In a medium bowl, toss the cheeses with the cornstarch. Gradually stir the cheese mixture into the cider until melted and smooth. Add nutmeg to taste. Transfer to a fondue pot. Serve with sliced apples.

COST: $6.34        COST PER SERVING (6): $1.06

Gluten Free    //    30 Min or Less    //   Vegetarian

Zucchini & Chicken Salad

I have had the worst luck with timing recently.  Well, maybe not the worst luck as I really don't believe in luck -- more like the worst list of scheduled appointments that I could do nothing about.  Between school starting again (and being a teacher that means a HUGE amount of work and life-style changes for a bit) and shooting the wedding of one of my friends (my first wedding gig EVER!), to finishing up other tasks that carried over from the summer, my time has worn thin quickly each day.  Meaning the end of my day has found me defrosting a lot of Trader Joe's boxes for dinner.

Until this week.  When life finally seemed to be back on track.  Wedding pictures were delivered, final projects from the summer were wrapped up, and my days at school didn't take an incredible amount of prepping for each day because, well, they get it.  (Ahh, sigh of relief.  I love when the routines and procedures click into place!)

Which meant I could finally schedule in time to share great recipes with you...

I took the pictures above NOT for the recipe I am sharing today.  No.  I took it for a recipe I had hoped to share last week.  A delicious fresh, summery garden salsa over grilled fish.  Perfect summer dish.  And it was going to help wrap up my summer meals that I have been holding onto so tightly (Don't steal one of my favorite seasons from me!!!).

But then the battery died.

And I couldn't find the charger.

Anywhere.

So I have no summer garden salsa over grilled fish to share with you.  Bummer for you, but it was pretty fabulous.  (Maybe I will have to sneak in a summery-dish out of season, or we will have to wait until next summer. Something to look forward to, I guess...)

Thank you, Amazon, for having great prices and quick shipping so I could get a replacement.  I may not have the rest of that recipe, but I do have a summer zucchini and chicken salad to share with you!

I know the calendar says that Autumn is just around the corner -- only three days away -- and I promise that I will jump on that pumpkin-laden band wagon at that point.  But with the weather at a nice upper 80's and the farmers' market still packed with summery produce, I am all about enjoying the good stuff while I can. Which means there is this nice zucchini and chicken salad in my belly, and I am looking forward to some fish tacos for dinner.

Viva la summer!  And then bring on the fall!

(This recipe calls for store-cooked chicken, I am not going to lie.  You don't have to do that if you don't want to, but I did want to do that, and so I did.  Do whatever you want, no judgement here!)

ZUCCHINI & CHICKEN SALAD

Adapted from Everyday Food, July/August 2003

SERVES 4  •  PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 15 MINUTES

ingredients

• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• coarse salt and pepper
• 3 zucchini, ends cut off, thinly sliced (slicing tool on food processor helps)
• 1 lb. cooked fresh chicken breasts from deli section of supermarket**
• 1 cup arugula, loosely packed
• ½ read onion, thinly sliced
• ½ cup sliced almonds
• ¼ cup grated Gruyere cheese

directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together ¼ cup oil and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.  Add zucchini; toss to coat, and marinade while you cut the chicken.
2. Slice the chicken breast into pieces with medium thickness.  Warm up in the microwave for 30 seconds so it is not cold from the refrigerator anymore.  Toss chicken with zucchini mixture.  Add arugula, onion, almonds, and Gruyere.  Serve.

**You can also cook the chicken breast yourself.  This will only add about 15 minutes to the process.

COST: $11.21        COST PER SERVING (4): $2.81

Gluten Free    //    30 Min or Less    //   Unprocessed 

Life is Like... (Caprese Chicken Sandwich)

Life is like a box of chocolates, right?  You never know what you are going to get inside.  Or maybe life is like a roll of toilet paper; the closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

How about this one?  Life is like a piano.  What you get depends on how you play it.

Life is like a turtle.  You won't get anywhere unless you stick your neck out.

My favorite?  Life is like a hot bath.  It feels good while you're in it, but the longer you stay the more wrinkly you get.

So, what do all these life metaphors have to do with this sandwich?

Nothing.  I just like them, as I like life.  And I like this sandwich.  There's a whole lot of 'like' going on.

Help me finish the sentence below in the comments: Life is like...

CAPRESE CHICKEN SANDWICH

Inspired by Everyday Food’s Pesto Chicken Burgers

SERVES 4  •  PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 15 MINUTES

ingredients

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 lb. grilled chicken breast (from the deli section – or make your own)
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• 4 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced
• 4 pieces of focaccia, halved

directions

1. In a food processor, puree basil, spinach, garlic, pine nuts, oil, and 1 tablespoon water.  Season with salt and pepper.
2. Sliced the chicken breasts into four flat pieces.  Heat.
3. Assemble sandwiches with pesto on the top and bottom slices of focaccia, chicken, tomato, and mozzarella.

COST: $11.99              COST PER SERVING (4): $2.99

Lemon Linguini with Peas & Prosciutto

I cooked.  And I took pictures.  I guess that means I'm back.

Back from where? From ten different states, 14 different beds (plus one tent), more than 40 days away from home.  From hosting seven guests from Brazil, from translating EVERYTHING, all day long... I'm back from writing math curriculum on the East Coast, being a bridesmaid in Denver, and traveling up and down the West Coast.  From attending four different weddings and shooting one -- my very first.

Yup, I'm back. My husband even said so last night when he came home to a house that smelled of good ol' homecooking... "Ahh, Babe, you're back."

LEMON LINGUINI WITH PEAS & PROSCIUTTO

Adapted from EVERYDAY FOOD, June 2006

SERVES 4  •  PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES

ingredients

·        12 ounces linguini (I used Trader Joe’s garlic-herb linguini for extra flavor)

·        2 tablespoons butter

·        2 shallots, finely chopped

·        1/2 cups of whole milk

·        ½ tablespoon flour

·        1 small package of frozen peas, thawed

·        8 sliced prosciutto, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

·        1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

·        1 tablespoon zested lemon peel

·        ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.
2. Meanwhile, make sauce: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat; add shallot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add milk, flour, peas, and prosciutto; bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer until peas are heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Stir in lemon zest and juice. Pour sauce over pasta; add Parmesan, and season generously with salt and pepper. Add enough reserved pasta water to thin sauce as desired. Serve immediately; top with additional Parmesan, if desired.

 COST: $10.45     COST PER SERVING (4): $2.61

Nutritional Information
calories 338.1   •    total fat 16.2g    •    fiber 2.8g    •    sugars 4.3g   •    protein 17.5g

PB&J Milkshake

I am a snob.

A peanut butter and jelly snob, that is.

This was told to me by a friend a few years back as we were shopping for PB&J fixings.  He reached out for wheat bread, I wagged my finger and said, "No."  White bread was what was called for.

He grabbed some Jif, and I put it back.  Creamy Skippy, no questions asked.

He didn't even bother getting jelly, but let me peruse the shelf until I found Smucker's Seedless Strawberry Jam.  It's how I roll.

And then he told me I was a PB&J snob.  I just nodded and smiled.  Because I knew it to be true.

So when it was time to make Joy the Baker's peanut butter and jam milkshake and I read the ingredients that said 'natural peanut butter' I shook my head no.  Which might be odd, seeing as almost everything else I eat is under the 'natural' category.  Ok, so maybe I have given up the white bread.  And maybe I used soy ice cream and coconut milk in this shake instead of the dairy stuff.  But don't mess with my Skippy.  There are some things I don't think I will ever change.

Because I am a peanut butter snob like that...

This is actually two shakes in one.  The peanut butter shake (ice cream + milk + peanut butter + a teeny bit of vanilla extract) is layered with the jam shake (ice cream + milk + a bit of jam + fresh fruit blended in).  When they are brought together they make the perfect milk shake combo.

Apologies + Tomato Salad

Dear Friends Who Leave Me Voicemails,
I am sorry I never reply to you.  Actually, I am sorry I never even check your messages but just delete them and call you back when I have time.  I would like to say I have some good excuse, but I don't, other than I simply don't like checking my voice mail.  Sorry.

Dear Other Drivers on the Road,
I am sorry for all the times I wished the CHP upon you when you ticked me off.  I wouldn't like it if you did the same in return... oh wait, I am pretty sure you do do it in return.  Oh well.

Dear Friends Who Invite Me Over,
I am sorry for all the times I brought lame, store bought food to potluck dinners.  I know that you expect more from a woman with a food blog, but it's just so easy to hit up Safeway on the way over...

Dear Digestive Track,
I am sorry for all the times I fed you cheese or popcorn, knowing full well that it would make you miserable, and therefore make me miserable. I apologize for thinking more about the taste buds than I think about you.

Dear College Roommate,
I am sorry that I showed up to your wedding in the wrong colored bridesmaid's dress. You said 'blackberry' and I wrote down 'black', only to find out the day of your wedding that 'blackberry' was code for 'dark purple'.  Oops.  (And thank you for still being my friend, despite that.)

Dear Husband,
I am sorry for all the times I made you sit through The Bachelor with me. I know you have about 1,287,658 things you would rather be doing, but you power through so I can have someone to comment to.  You are a trooper!

And, Meu Amor, while I am at at, I am sorry that I never feed you Brazilian food anymore.  You have given up your country and your language and all the people you knew, and I don't want you to have to give up your food, as well.  I hope this tomato salad can help put us back on the half-American-half-Brazilian track again.  Besides, with fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and lime juice it is delicious and there is no reason not to have this on our plate, regularly.  Kind of like pico de gallo as a side dish...  Yum.

Whew!  It was good to get that all off my chest ;)

// Day 13 of Blog Every Day in May //

BRAZILIAN TOMATO SALAD

SERVES 4  •  PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES

ingredients

• 3-4 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
• ½ onion, very thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• juice from 1-2 limes or ½ lemon
• salt, to taste

directions

1.      Mix tomatoes and onions together.  Add cilantro and lime/lemon juice with salt.  Enjoy!

 COST: $3.14       COST PER SERVING (4): $0.79 

Basil-Almond-Garlic Pesto + Me, in 10 words

Today I am supposed to sell myself in 10 words.  Hmmm.  This is a tricky one...

But here goes nothing.

Loyal.
Compassionate.
Creative, at times.

Learner.
Life lover.
Talker.
Sharer.

And since I am a sharer, I am sharing my favorite way to make pesto.  I don't put any cheese in it, keeping it plant based.  Almonds are cheaper than pine nuts and add a bit of flavor that is just right.  It is incredibly garlicky, so if you are sensitive to that you can cut back on the garlic.  We use it on top of pasta, in sandwiches, over chicken... there are SO MANY uses for pesto.  And as always, pesto is naturally gluten free, so even those with sensitivities to gluten can enjoy this over fish or chicken.  Enjoy!

BASIL ALMOND GARLIC PESTO

YIELDS 1 CUP  •  PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES

Ingredients

• 1 cup washed basil leaved, packed
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/3 cup almond slices
• 1/3 - ½ cup olive oil
• sea salt, to taste

Directions

1.      Place all ingredients in food processor or blender.  Run for about 30 seconds.  Add more olive oil to get to desired consistency.

2.      Use on top of cooked pasta, in sandwiches, on top of chicken – wherever you want!

 COST: $3.45           

What I "Do" + Cauliflower Mash

The question has been asked, 'What do you do?'

Well, during the day, when my name is 'Teacher' and I am surrounded by nine and ten-year-olds, I do band-aids and hugs, lesson delivery and grading.  I do encouragement. I do discipline. I do high-fives and shushes. I do parent/teacher conferences.  I do report cards and I do assistance with math problems.  I do real-life problem solving.  I do love.

When I am at home and my name is 'Babe' to my husband, I do many other things.  I do laundry and cooking.  I do dishes sometimes and toilet scrubbing when necessary.  I do long conversations over dinner and laughter, a lot.  I do sharing and receiving, compromise and support.  I do kisses and hugs. I do love.

Other times, when my name is 'Friend', I do phone calls and facebook commenting.  I do talking and listening.  I do fun.  I do movies and dinners.  I do nights out and weekend trips. I do hand holding when times are tough and silly dances when times are light.  I do love.

And then, in my free time, I do new recipes and pictures. I do blog posting and very little TV watching.  I do globe-trotting and life-living.

Ultimately, though, I hope the thing that defines me is that I do LOVE.


#BlogEveryDayinMay

CAULIFLOWER MASH WITH GARLIC AND THYME
Recipe inspired by Love & Whimsy

SERVES 4 •  PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 25 MINUTES

Ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• salt, to taste
• ¼ cup milk
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, plus more to top

directions

1.      Wash cauliflower and remove green parts.  Cut into large chunks and steam for 10 minutes with salt.

2.      Remove of pot and carefully spoon into a food processor. Add milk and butter, along with thyme. Blend until pureed.  Top with remaining thyme.

 COST: $2.00           COST PER SERVING (4): $0.50

Nutritional Information
calories 104   •    total fat 8.9g    •    fiber 3.3g    •    sugars 0.9g   •    protein 1.4g

Grown-Up Grilled Cheese

Grilled Cheese: The American grilled sandwich of choice.

I am all down for Kraft Singles between bread, and I get that that is what 'grilled cheese' usually means, but the grown-up version of me just hasn't really accepted this as actual food in recent years.  The ingredient list is quite long and well, the texture is a little odd to say the least.  And I would go for cheddar or colby, but those give me a bellyache.  And so grilled cheese became a thing of the past for me.

Until I was scrolling through Blog Lovin' the other day (which is way cooler than Google Reader ever was and you totally need to get it NOW and not later...) and I came across the most delicious looking grilled cheese sandwich I had ever seen: Avocado, mozzarella, and jalapeno-chimichurri.  OH YES.

I looked at Erin's recipe (over at Naturally Ella) and thought jalapeno sounded too spicy, and mozzarella too gooey (my stomach does not like gooey cheeses).  But the whole concept -- avocados + chimichurri + different cheese -- was a winner.

I didn't even know was chimichurri was but recently I have been seeing it pop up everywhere.  A quick internet search shared with me that it is basically an Argentinian style sauce used on top of meat, and another quick look, this time at the ingredients, showed me it is very similar to pesto, with red wine vinegar added to it.  Simple, fresh, and I had all the ingredients in the house.  Perfect.

I opted for goat cheese because (A) I had it in hand, (B) my stomach doesn't mind it, and (C) the ingredient list was goat's milk, cheese cultures, and salt -- as the ingredient list should be.  Grabbed an avocado and some bread, and went to work.

And they were fantastic.

That's the beauty of the blog world.  There are so many great things out there.  Sure, there are many that aren't going to suit your fancy, but there are some real gems.  I have tons of bloggers that I love following -- some for food, some for life, some for no real reason at all other than they share great/random/funny/deep things with me.

Today for the Blog Every Day in May Challenge, I am supposed to profess my love for a blogger, and I am having a hard time coming up with just one.  There are so many great blogs out there and even greater people behind these blogs.  Those of you who visit regularly (Cassandra / Ana / Lynna ), those who inspire me to strive for more in the kitchen ( Naturally Ella / A Couple Cooks / Happy Yolks ), and so many others...

But there is a group I would like to make a super shout out to: My Sundays with Joy girls.  Carrie over at Bakeaholic Mama started the group a little over a year ago, and I jumped in.  Little did I know that I would form true friendships from this group, with so many.  Not only do we bake together, but we share things from outside of our blogs together.  Engagements, moving, difficulties and loss... we have a group on Facebook that shares sweet treats and sweet moments.  And I love being a part of a group like that!  Wanna know something cool?  Joy the Baker is a part of our group (as it IS her book we are going through ;) ) and she takes the time to read what we write and encourage us along the way.  Let me tell you -- it means a lot to have one of the most well-known bloggers tell you that your photos are gorgeous. But it also means a lot when other 'small-time' bloggers such as myself offer words of encouragement and help along the way. What a great group to be a part of!!!  Thank you, ladies!

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

AVOCADO – CHIMICHURRI – GRILLED GOAT CHEESE SANDWICH
Recipe adapted from Naturally Ella

SERVES 4 •  PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed parsley
• 3-4 large basil leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil
• salt, to taste
• large avocado, sliced
• 4 oz. goat cheese (soft / creamy)
• 4 slices sourdough
• spreadable butter

directions

1.      Make chimichurri: In blender/food processor, blend parsley, basil, and garlic together.  Add vinegar and olive oil and blend again, until desired consistency. 

2.      Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add a thin spread of butter on the outside of two pieces of bread.  On one slice (on the non-butter side) spread half of the goat cheese, layer half of the avocado, and spread chimichurri on top. Cover with other slice of bread and carefully put into skillet.

3.      Let cook until lightly golden on bottom and, using a large spatula, flip.  Cook remaining side until golden brown.  Remove from heat and cut in half.  Repeat to make second sandwich.

(You might have chimichurri left over.  Place in an airtight container and refrigerate, up to three days.)

 COST: $5.88           COST PER SANDWICH (2): $2.94

Quick Fix: Basil and Salmon Sandwich

Some call it bagel and lox.  I simply call it a bagel and smoked salmon sandwich.  Po-TAY-to, po-TAH-to.

Whatever you call it, it simple and tastes pretty darn good.  Viva simplicity!

COST PER BAGEL (2 open sandwiches/1 serving): $4.00

Real Talk. Plus Tacos.

It's time for some real talk.

Last week my heart hurt, a lot.

It started with hearing about the Boston bombing, about the lives lost.  The limbs needing to be amputated.  The people who thought they were coming out for a day of world-wide community fun and wound up with their lives never going to be the same again.

Obviously, it breaks my heart for them. It also breaks my heart for us. Not just as a nation, but as a world. As human kind. I realized last week that in the span of this school year, Scholastic has sent me three emails out of the norm: "How to talk to children about the theater shooting in Aurora" / "How to talk to children about Newtown" / "How to talk to children about the Boston bombing" ...  What is 'getting worse' to you and I is 'just life' for my nine-year-olds.  As far as they know, that's how life goes. And that breaks my heart.

Then I realize how incredibly blessed we are that this 'only' happened three times this year. If we were living in Syria or Afghanistan or SO MANY OTHER PLACES, three times would be so few, such a relief.  And that, too, breaks my heart for those who live in this daily.

Then there was the explosion in West, Texas.  Which I hardly batted an eye at, because really -- it was sad, but I was busy grading papers and putting on band-aids and making dinner.

Until I was driving home from work on Friday and the DJ on K-LOVE said that young man, a soldier actually, had just called in to talk to a pastor there (which K-LOVE has as they are a Christian music station).  He is serving in Afghanistan and was so fortunate to get a three-day furlough to see his wife and parents.  He got on the plane, eagerly anticipating to see the look on his wife's surprised face, counting down the hours... until he arrived at his home in West, Texas, so find his home was no more, and worse -- his wife had died in the blast.  And he didn't know how to go on from there...

That's when I realized what happened. That lives were lost. I cried in the car a little, for this young man I do not know but I will never stop praying for. This nameless soldier from West, Texas, whose life will never be the same...

And then, on Saturday, I woke up to the news that one of my friends, one of my closest friends, has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. I sat in bed, still in my pajamas, with tears coming from my eyes, and asked over the phone to our friend who was breaking the news, "How long does she have?" I don't really know the answer that, and I don't know if she or the doctors know, but I know that life is hard. I have lost many I love to many things -- suicide, accidents, even violent murder.  Death can come and rob us of our lives at any moment.  It could be a bomb, an unexpected accident, an illness... and I don't always know what to do with that.

However, today I echo the words of this precious friend of mine who just found out her life has taken a turn she never expected. She said yesterday:

I know life is good, I know God is good, and I know things will get better.

And this, this, is the heart of my real talk. Life is hard. For some, it is REALLY hard. But I do still believe it is beautiful. And I know God to be good. My heart? Yes, it is still broken. But I have hope. And that's what I rest in, when things around me don't make sense, just like my friend said above.

You are probably wondering why on earth I am sharing pictures of tacos with all of this. I was thinking weekend a lot about the things I shared in post. Thinking as I was cleaning, thinking as I was walking, thinking as I was cooking. Eventually, I thought to myself, "No matter how hard, life goes on."  But there, in the kitchen, where I was cooking and baking, I realized that at the hardest times of my life -- losing my mom, losing dear friends to a brutal attack inside their home, and some other things -- time kept ticking, whether we felt it should or not. So, I bring you tacos, because no matter what goes on in the world, we still need to eat. Not going to say much about these, because really, that's not why I am here today. But they are good, and you will most likely enjoy them.

Here's to life.  Here's to hope.  And here's to love that is stronger than hate and pain and brokenness!

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MUSHROOM & BEEF TACOS WITH AVOCADO SALAD

SERVES 4 •  PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES

ingredients

• 1 ½ T. olive oil
• 10 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 lb. low-fat ground beef
• salt/pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 2 avocados, halved and then fruit cut into medium sized chunks
• ½ onion, sliced
• juice from one lemon
• Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 1 pack soft taco tortillas (or make your own)

directions

1.      Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat with olive oil.  Add mushrooms and cook until soft, about 4-6 minutes. 

2.      Put mushrooms in a bowl and add ground beef to skillet, adding salt/pepper to taste.  Cook until browned, stirring and breaking up meat chunks regularly, about 6-8 minutes, adding the chives about half way through.  Remove beef from skillet and mix with mushrooms.

3.      In a medium bowl, gently stir avocado and onion together. Squeeze lemon juice over and top with salt, to taste.  Carefully mix so that the onion and avocado are coated yet the avocado is not mashed.

4.      Assemble tacos, beef first, then avocado salad, and top with dairy. Makes about eight tacos.

 COST: $10.72           COST PER SERVING (4): $2.68

Nutritional Information
calories 717.8   •    total fat 41.5g    •    fiber 8.9g    •    sugars 2.5g   •    protein 38.1g

(Click here for full nutritional information)