"If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, 

I'll bet they'd live life a lot differently. " 

- unknown

Thanksgiving creates abundance; and the miracle of multiplying happens when I give thanks - take the just one loaf, say it is enough, and give thanks - and He miraculously makes it more than enough.  I have beheld suds in sun, and I have known miracles like that.   

 -Ann Voskamp

One Thousand Gifts a dare to live fully, right where you are

a book i will read and read again . . .

want to read a book that will change your life? or even confirm maybe what you're already striving to be like?  then this is the one for you: 

one thousand gifts - a dare to live fully right where you are 

by Ann Voskamp

seriously. go buy it. borrow it. get it from the library.  whatever you need to do, it must become yours!

i can't really explain much about it without going into details, but i definitely am looking for someone to share their thoughts with me on it.

thankfulness? this book hits the heart of gratitude, the core of despair and finding the joy in all of your everyday living. for real.

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my kitchen window

“The evenings grew longer; kitchen windows stayed open after dinner and peepers could be heard in the marsh. Isabelle, stepping out to sweep her porch steps, felt absolutely certain that some wonderful change was arriving in her life. The strength of this belief was puzzling; what she was feeling, she decided, was really the presence of God.” 

                                                                          ― Elizabeth Strout, Amy and Isabelle

homemade bruschetta w/ goat cheese

alan and i love to eat at home.  and no, that is not sarcasm, i am being completely honest. we decreased our 'fun' budget and increased our grocery budget to accommodate us to eat more of the things we enjoy and splurge on steaks, quality organics and nutritious foods. it works well and since we have been so adventurous and diverse in our daily meals, we don't really even desire to eat out hardly at all.  i have to  admit (not to get too personal) but we have also noticed a huge difference in our digestion when we go out to eat.  we are bubbly, our stomaches hurt, and usually we feel more bloated than ever.  

we call ourselves 'sensitive' but i think it confirms for us even more why eating out is not the way to go.  and when you live in a small town with limited options, we in all honesty, avoid it as much as we can. 

we usually plan about 3 or 4 meals for the week and eat the leftovers for lunch and one dinner night. then on the weekends it's a bit of a free for all, a recipe from pinterest, a good last minute steak on the grill or a shmorgesborg of appetizers we threw together with ingredients we had on hand. 

one of our favorites (this recipe is much better with fresh garden tomatoes) throw together, tasty meals is homemade bruschetta. i don't keep very good track of measurements, but it's simple enough and worth tasting during your cook time to check and see if you need to add or subtract a little something.  but, since it is a favorite, and you are also, i thought i'd share with you our version of this delicious dish. you'll have to let me know what you think, or if you do anything different! 

Homemade bruschetta w/ goat cheese

serves 4 

Ingredients:

4 - 5 roma tomatoes 

4 - 6 oz package spreadable goat cheese

4 or 5 fresh basil leaves

4 cloves minced fresh garlic

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

drizzles of olive oil 

drizzles of good balsamic (i use this stuff)

salt & pepper to taste 

2 loaves of small baguette, french bread 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

chop up tomatoes, basil, and place in bowl 

mince garlic over tomatoes, drizzle olive oil to coat tomatoes and basil 

sprinkle in shredded parmesan cheese

add a couple dashes of balsamic 

add salt & pepper to taste - stir  

*reserve (flavors do absorb better if made night before, but it can be eaten right away) 

slice french bread about 2 inches thick and place on baking sheet 

toast in oven for 8 - 10 minutes, just to add a touch of crisp

spread goat cheese in light layer on each piece   

top with bruschetta mixture 

drizzle with balsamic and enjoy!! 

trust me, you can't eat just one (wait, isn't that a chip slogan? well, now it's a bruschetta slogan, so there!)