Yum

A few delicious things my lunch bag has held recently:

1. Vanilla yogurt topped with frozen raspberries. I put this together in the morning and as the raspberries thaw, they create a bright pink juice that mixes with the yogurt. The result is a scrumptious raspberry yogurt with whole berries in it. Mmm.

2. Mini cucumbers. I discovered these at ALDI this week, bought a bag of five for $1.99, and LOVE them. Chop off the ends, pack a tiny container of ranch dip... it's a perfect, healthy side.

3. Sharp Cheddar with Wheat Thins. Party food? Maybe. Perfect lunch? Yes. I love this combination and it's so much easier than making a sandwich. Just a baggie of crackers, and a baggie of cheese pieces... the ideal finger food lunch.

4. Chicken Salad Sandwich. I love making chicken salad. Love it. Take a few breasts, slice them into large-ish "fingers," spread them in a baking dish and glaze with ranch dressing. Bake at 350 for maybe a half hour or so until they're no longer pink inside when sliced. Meanwhile, chop up a cup or so of red grapes. Make sure they're crisp. Chop up a few stalks of celery, maybe four or five. Limpish celery is alright, actually. Toast some chopped pecans in a little skillet on the stove. Just stir them constantly until you start to smell their hot nuttiness. That's when they're done. Put the grapes, celery, and pecans into a big mixing bowl. When the chicken is done, let it cool, then shred it with your fingers into the bowl. Add about a half-cup of mayonnaise, stir, then add ranch dressing until it's as wet as you want it. Some Original Perfect Pinch is a good addition too, or just some black pepper and basil. It's best on homemade toasted white bread, but summer isn't really bread-making season. Some multi-grain bread will work well too.

Nothing saves a wretched day like a delightful lunch in the middle of it.

A Few Favorite Things

1. I've rediscovered rice cakes. How did I forget these existed? They are the snacks of childhood. Of Pioneer Clubs and kindergarten. Yet they are suprisingly delicious, healthy, and filling to have on hand in a desk drawer at work. I love ALDI's brand, the lightly salted variety.

2. Neutrogena Naturals, Purifying Pore Scrub. I bought this for the packaging. White. Green. The word "Natural." I love it. It's a much finer scrub than I've ever used before, more like a wet fine white sand rather than a gel with beads in it. It's delightful.

3. Twila Paris's A Heart that Knows You. I think this was my first CD. I pulled it out again this week to listen to in the car on the way to work. Starting my day with songs that uplift and encourage, pointing me to God is undeniably effective. Now, more than 10 years after its release, this CD is moving my life again. The title song seems especially applicable as I fight the temptation to be dissatisfied with my life. Lyrics run, "A heart that knows You is a heart that can wait, die to the dearest desire. A heart that knows You is a heart that can still celebrate, following love through the fire. It may be for my sake, or just to help me grow. Maybe for your kingdom, Lord. I don't need to know." I am encouraged, as this song has begun to take hold in my mind and run through my brain throughout the day, that I don't need to know the reasons that things happen in my life. It's enough to know God and to trust that He will never lead where He has not been. And if my heart is fixed on Him, I can walk through anything without fear, anxiety, or need. I can set my desires aside, waiting on Him to answer every prayer in His own time and way. Ultimately, it is for my good and for His glory. What a treasured thought!

Little Things

Funny how life's small joys can make a big difference. Normally, when I arrive at work each morning, I spend a little time looking online for a new job. It's not that I hate my job - although I often say I do. It's more the dark shadow it casts over my life, a blurry grey haze. My job search is an attempt to set up shop under a new sky, in hopes that it might be less gloomy. Sometimes, though, a spear of sunshine will pierce through the gloom and brighten the undersides of even the darkest clouds, reflecting a warm glow on life for a while.

Last night I experienced such a sun spear when I went to a local coffee shop for Open Mic Night with two delightful friends. We'd never been before, and when we walked in, a tubby sort of young man in a blue t-shirt was singing an a capella version of Over My Head by The Fray. He couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, and his notes were splashing rather messily all over the shop. We paid the $3 cover charge and sat down warily, hoping the next act would be better. Aside from a few girls reading poetry much too fast, every act of the night was wonderful. I ordered a toasted marshmallow hot chocolate, and we sat in a little corner table, people-watching and enjoying the music, floating on a constant stream of girl talk.

This morning, although my arrival at the office was entirely ordinary, and my usual annoyances and boredoms instantly applied as they always do, I felt a warm glow brightening my cloudy skies. I do not feel the urge to search career websites for a new position. I don't feel my usual irritation at the failures of my coworkers, the ugly paint in my office, or the myriad "other duties as assigned" that are constantly added to my job description. Instead, I feel content about whatever this day will bring. I feel cheered by a hot chocolate and a few pretty songs. A little indulgence on a Thursday night can make all the difference on a Friday morning.

Seasons

I love spring. The sun, its vitamin D, the flowers... when spring starts to flirt with summer, though, my affection wanes. This past week, spring has been flirting hard and it's been frighteningly hot, especially in my little upstairs apartment. On my menu this week, I did a dumb thing: I listed Vegetable Chowder. I did this because last time I made it, it was fabulous. Also, it uses vegetables, which I like more than meat. And it's girly. Also, I was able to get some leeks at The Farmer's Daughter, which made me feel earthy and local, and I had a potato left over from some other meal that was just begging to be chopped up and put in a chowder. Tonight was Chowder night. The heat index today was 106.

Nevertheless, I am a stickler for following The Menu, so I turned the fan on high, chopped those leeks and the potato (also carrots, celery, & onion), and spent 45 minutes or so in my toasty kitchen whipping up a Vegetable Chowder. I threw some just-add-water biscuits in the oven. Then, I sat at my table and ate it. Cooking hot food is nothing compared to eating hot food. I sweated more just consuming that steaming soup than I did standing over the open flame on my gas stove stirring flour and broth into the onions.

All of this is to say that I might benefit from treating seasons with the respect they deserve. Spring is a time for grilled chicken. Or corn on the cob. Or pasta salad (Ooo, that sounds fabulous). Or spinach and strawberry salad. As summer swoops in to steal spring's thunder, I intend to give it what it deserves. And to give my stove a break.