POST FIFTY TWO - 52 THINGS...

well, this is my slightly silly, numerically appropriate, last official post. i've completed my "challenge" of 52 posts (taking a bit over a year to do so, but better late than never right?) i may be back with more posts in the future, i'm not really sure. i've had a fun time doing this- mostly just sharing things i've enjoyed and which i hope you've enjoyed too. thanks to those of you who have been reading and thanks for your comments too, i've really appreciated the feedback! i hope you all have a wonderful spring, and you may find me back here again...

so, for the post... if by chance you are looking for some ideas of things to do/try you may want to check out the 52 Series. they are decks of 52 cards with topics ranging from 52 things to try once in your life, to 52 adventures in san francisco. i've both received and given these cards as gifts and they are pretty fun. i haven't read or tried all the suggestions, but i've liked the ones that i have used, and i definitely appreciate the inspiration & creative ideas since i'm not super at coming up with them on my own. so if you're looking for a little something new, check them out!

POST FIFTY ONE - COMMON PRAYER

to be honest, this post is more about a book, and a practice that we would like to be reading & having as a family, than one that we currently are. that said, you gotta start somewhere right?

a while back some friends (thanks josh & shanna) let us know about the release of a new book entitled Common Prayer~A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals -of which shane claiborne is one of the authors. so, we went to a "book release party" a cool story for another time... and purchased a copy (which you could do here or here).

though we as a family have not used this book all that much, i really would like to be incorporating it into our daily lives on a more regular basis. there are morning, midday, evening and occasional prayers listed which include scripture, responsive readings, songs, remembrance of saints, and quotations. this approach to scripture, worship & prayer is not one i grew up with, but one that i'm coming to really appreciate, even through things like responsive readings at church. it's been neat for me to see the way that God can use different approaches to worship in my life to challenge me and make me think. so, i'd encourage you to check this book out too...

POST FIFTY - BREAD MAKING

i am really excited! i recently received the copy i had ordered of artisan bread in five minutes a day in the mail, and today i made my first loaf of bread... and it really tastes good!!!

i had seen the book mentioned several times with good reviews, and found their website here while looking for an english muffin recipe (which i have yet to try). i've been wanting to make homemade bread more, and i think this book will be a great resource in that endeavor.

the book is very user friendly. it discusses basic ingredients, tools that are helpful in breadmaking (few of which i have, but the bread still came out tasting good) troubleshooting, and has all kinds of recipes that look great! i started with "the master recipe: boule" and i'm looking forward to lots more breadmaking! so, if you are anything like me, and a bit intimidated by the idea of making bread you may want to check this book out- i really like what i've tasted so far!!

POST FORTY NINE - ED EMBERLEY

i think it's really cool to be able to introduce my kids to some of the same activities i enjoyed when i was little. i would not describe myself as an "artist" at least not in the drawing/painting sense of the word, but when i was little i remember really liking to draw using

ed emberly's books, so i was really excited to find one for sadie. these books are fun and easy to use. the one i got sadie actually uses finger prints as the base for the pictures and goes step by step adding lines to create all kinds of different pictures. the books i used were just drawing based-with the same idea of following a step by step process resulting in a picture at the end.

sadie does lots of drawing on her own with all kinds of awesome creations, and i definitely encourage her in her creativity, but i think this is another fun way to draw and create.

i found the ed emberly website here. the site seems to be under construction of some sort, but you can at least get an idea of what his stuff is like. you can also find a bunch of his books here on amazon. happy drawing!

POST FORTY EIGHT - SARA GROVES

i'm sure many of you are familiar with Sara Groves, but i figured i'd do a post on her for those of you who might not be. i've been listening to Sara Groves for quite a few years now and have consistently appreciated her music and her message. seeing her perform a few times confirmed her honest and genuine nature, which comes across in her albums. she sings about her faith, her family, the world and the struggles therein in a very open, yet hope-filled way. this is her official website, and if you haven't listened to her before, you can check out her music here. i also came across her blog which you can find here. i would really encourage you to take a listen to her music if you haven't done so already. i'm quite sure you will be blessed!

POST FORTY SEVEN - A GOOD BURGER

i should start out by saying this post is not about moose burgers. i took this picture out our window earlier this week- not a great shot, but it was pretty cool seeing a moose walking down our driveway!
i really like it when everyone in our family enjoys, and finishes eating a meal that i make. this turkey burger recipe which i found in everyday food is one of those recipes. i've been making it for a long time, and after eating one last night i thought i'd pass the recipe your way. i make them on the stove top (though i'm sure they are great on the grill) and i usually use cheddar instead of gruyere cheese. if you like turkey burgers, you should give these a try! these are great with sweet potato fries.

POST FORTY SIX - ABOUT EATING

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver, is a book i have been working my way through over the past few months. i'm nearly finished and i've really been enjoying it. i'd read some of Barbara Kingsolver's fictional works in the past, and was definitely interested when i heard about this book/adventure. in reading it, i find myself inspired to make different food choices- not that i can take on the same project Kingsolver and her family did of living off local, in season food for a year, but there are some things i can do. buying local eggs, seeking out other local sources of produce at the CSA or farmer's market, having our own little garden, just being more aware of where our food is coming from, and trying to make informed choices in that regard. growing up, we at times had a large garden, chickens, cows, goats, and turkeys. i remember really enjoying certain aspects of it as a kid and i'm excited for our kids to be able to have some of those same experiences. in reading this book i've found it to be both informative and entertaining. i've been encouraged to make some changes in our eating habits, but not in a guilt-provoking or overwhelming way, which i appreciate.

if you are interested in learning more, you can find info about the book including recipes here and you can order it here at amazon or here at better world books (thanks shanna)