yum hummus

A couple of weeks ago I had a serious craving for hummus. (Clearly I’m trying to cut back on my peanut butter intake!) I came across this great recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and it was delicious! It lasted maybe 3 days at our house. Give it try. Seriously, hummus is easy to make, promise you can do it!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients:
16 ounces chickpeas
6 ounces roasted red bell peppers
1 jalapeno, seeded, diced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons chopped onion
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon chipotle pepper in adobo
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Toasted pita bread, for serving
Directions:
Mix all ingredients, except olive oil and pita bread, in food processor until pureed, then slowly add in olive oil.

Let set up for 1 hour prior to serving. Serve with toasted pita bread.

a look in a book

Well, it's official I'm a terrible blogger. I have recipes to share, great trips to Marietta to celebrate/shower my friend Katie getting married, a retreat to NOLA, and finally finishing a good book. The pollen has painted it's yellow self all over Shreveport... including my sinuses, and I can't get enough of all of the azaleas in bloom!

My dear friend and mentor suggested to me to read this book, "Same Kind of Different as Me". In the beginning of my vision/desire for Urban YL in Shreveport, she told me, 'remember that anyone, no matter how they look or where they are from, you (I) can make a difference in peoples lives. All we have to do is look around, and the Holy Spirit will point us to them. Don't ignore who He puts in front of you', and then she handed me this book. She thought I would enjoy it, and of course I did! What makes it even more appealing, it is a true story based on a town less than an hour from Shreveport and in Houston, TX. If you're looking for a good read that you'll probably fly through, a story of God's grace, a testimony of spiritual awakening, and a reading of lives transformed... you'll enjoy this book. Maybe this is just time for those of you that still have a Spring Break! Happy reading!

the last will be first

Sometimes I think the Lord calls us to places that are a bit uncomfortable, but if we would just go where He has called us, He will provide the comfort. I have been on staff with Young Life for only a year, but I have already felt an overwhelming sense of those feelings.
Recently, the Lord has made a particular community heavy upon my heart. Within this community there are a few homes with no running water or electricity, a playground, a “convenient store”, a few churches, high crime, and of course… a high school and a middle school. It took me a whole day to really process the faces, the homes, and the schools I saw. I wept the next day as the Lord told me, “You can’t change their circumstances. You can’t go in and think you can fix and clean up everything. It’s generational. BUT, you can bring them to ME.”
Our area has felt called to start Urban YL, and even though nothing has been set in stone, I feel like He is calling us there. Ironically, this community is referred to as the “Bottoms”. A couple of days ago I was sharing this with a new friend of mine and she brought to my attention, Matthew 20:16, “So, the last will be first, and the first will be last.” I truly believe that He has called us to the Bottoms (or the last) so we can bring Him to them (so they will know Him first).
I share this with you, so you can join me in prayer. Please pray for the development of Urban YL in Shreveport, so more kids will come to know Jesus. To some this may not make sense or may sound unsafe, but I pray that your heart would break for these kids and this community as it has mine.



“Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”- 1Samuel 16:7

nike throwdown

I typically wouldn't post a commercial, but every time I see this one I can't stop smiling. I like how ridiculous each of these athletes are. Hope you can enjoy it too.

doggy bling

This is my sweet girl Biscotti… in her favorite pose. I ordered her this new collar, that she is wearing, and I had to share the website for all you dog lovers out there. After many trips to different pet stores, I said, “forget this I can’t find anything I like”! So, I did the online search, and found this store on Etsy. Now, don’t hate on the name of the store, because their collars and leashes are super cute (I found 5 different ones I wanted to buy) it’s called: Big Doggy Bling. Check them out for yourself, and look at how much Biscotti loves hers!

(Retro Plumes is the name of this pattern.)

i heart

Happy V-day! Oh the day of love. There are a few things that I really do just love. I figured that I would just share some of the things that I really am… just “loving” right now. This is totally excluding the obvious things… Jesus, my family, crushed ice, 70 degree weather, running, or even a great concert. You get where I’m going. So here are my top 5 things that I truly am loving right now.

1-Aaron got me these Toms for Christmas. They are currently on my feet, because it’s 70 degrees!

2-Garlic Expressions Salad Dressing. Ok, for real, this salad dressing is awesome. You can only find it in the produce section at your grocery store. One of my dear friends/YoungLife girls has this as a staple at her house. It will change salad for you... and you probably won't be kissing anyone afterwards!



3-I love me a hair accessory. Now, I don't own these...but oh how I love them. I have my eye on you Brocco Bobbies from Anthropologie.

4-Smashed Sweet Potatoes. I mean I had to give a recipe. I made these up, but I think you'll really enjoy them.

Smashed Sweet Potatoes

4 Sweet Potatoes (washed & cooked—fastest microwave)

1 ½ TBS Cinnamon
2 TBS Brown Sugar
Dash of Nutmeg
Dash of Thyme
¼- ½ c of OJ
2 Tsp. Maple Syrup
2 TBS Butter

I left the skins on and cut the ends off of the potatoes (this is all to your taste). In bowl mash the potatoes and add the remaining ingredients. You may want to serve this with extra butter and brown sugar on the side if someone wants to add a little extra.

5-The song "Beautiful Exchange" by Hillsong. Continues to rock my world everytime I hear it. For a few weeks now, I have had to play it at some point during my runs. I have been a hot mess singing it, and I just can't get enough of how powerful the lyrics are. You should really listen to it if you haven't heard it. It will be a wonderful break of 10 minutes of worship that you'll be thankful you took.

A great way to end my "loves"... 1John3:18-19 "My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality." -The Message

Happy Hearts Day.

free music wednesday

I have been a really bad blogger lately, but I have honestly had so much going on that I have not had time. So, I came across this band...today, and they remind me of Nickle Creek with a twist. I think you'll really enjoy their sound. They are really talented and....free (your welcome)! Check Churchill out here. Let me know what you think!