From the Vine to the Urban Stack

  • April8th

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    Oatmeal Brûlée

    Posted in: Breads and pastries, recipes | Posted By:

    If you’re like me, you’re constantly looking for ways to spice up breakfast. This recipe is great, and Adam even loves it! Its also super easy and is good leftover, which is always a plus. I have only used craisins in my recipe because I just didn’t have the other dried fruit.

    4 cups skim milk
    6 halves Apricots, dried, chopped into raisin-size pieces
    ¼ cup Currants
    ¼ cup Craisins
    3 cups Oats, old fashioned
    ½ tsp ground Ginger
    ½ tsp Cinnamon
    ¼ tsp Nutmeg
    ¼ tsp Salt
    1½ Tbsp Sugar, brown, packed

    Instructions
    1. Preheat the broiler. Meanwhile, bring the milk to a low simmer in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat.
    2. Stir the apricots, currants, and cranberries into the hot milk, then stir in the oats. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Cook, stirring, until creamy, adjusting the heat so the oatmeal does not stick but the liquid comes to a low simmer, about 3 minutes longer.
    3. Spread the cooked cereal into an 8-inch square baking dish or 6 (6-ounce) ramekins. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the top, then broil 5 inches from the heat until the sugar caramelizes, about 30 seconds. Let stand at room temperature about 2 minutes before serving. Yields 1/2 cup per serving.

    Hope you enjoy this as much as Adam did!

  • April1st

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    Edith Schaeffer

    Posted in: Books on food, faith | Posted By:

    Since Edith Schaeffer died this past Friday, I’d love to take this opportunity to highlight one of my favorite books that she wrote.

    I’ve shared one excerpt in the past here about how she could share a simple lunch with “hobos or tramps—rather derelict-looking older men, unshaven and ragged of clothing, who traveled by riding on the bottom of freight cars,..” and do so with great attention to aesthetic beauty and the Good News.   I personally praise God for her faithfulness and example since God used her at L’Abri when my mother-in-law was there and how my mother read her books through the past decades.

    She casts a vision for a home, no matter what your circumstances, that is breath-taking.   Mrs. Schaeffer wrote about living in light of our heavenly home and how that fact  gives us great reason to image our Creator God today.

    Here is an excerpt:  “As human beings made in the image of God we have all the marks of personality.  We are not machines.  We have sensitivity and creativity in some measure and in the midst of carrying out the purpose God has for us–in the midst of sacrifice of time, money, luxury, and self-indulgence, in the midst of putting God first and someone else second and self last–we can still have the fulfillments which help us to be balanced and whole creatures, rather than torn, lonely, unbalanced, splintered people.  As human beings we do respond in certain ways to certain things as well as to other personalities, and God.

    “It seems to me that, whether recognized or not, there is a terrific frustration which increases in intensity and harmfulness as times goes on, when people are always daydreaming of the kind of place they would like to live, yet never make the place where they do live into anything artistically satisfying to them.…express yourself not only in selecting things to buy, not only in your choice from many things displayed in a store, but also in what you can produce yourself, with some degree of originality, craftsmanship or artistic creativity….Your home expresses YOU to other people, and they cannot see or feel your daydreams of what you expect to make in that misty future, when all the circumstances are what you think they must be before you will find it worthwhile to start.  You have started, whether you recognize that fact or not.  We foolish mortals sometimes live through years of not realizing how short life is, and that TODAY is our life.”

    9 things you should know about Edith Schaeffer

  • March31st

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    Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

    Posted in: Main Dishes, recipes | Posted By:

    I was searching for recipes last night, needing something I could throw in the crock pot in the early morning so that we’d have something for post-church lunch. I wanted it to be a little special for Easter, but didn’t want to do well, ANY work. I found this recipe through the Year of Slow Cooking site, but made a few changes. We absolutely loved it! Obviously it isn’t as good as REAL Beef Bourguignon, Julia Child style, but it was delicious nonetheless. The recipe listed here is exactly what I did, so see her recipe if you’d like a variation.

    1 pound beef stew meat
    4 slices uncooked bacon
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 onion, sliced
    1 cup carrots, sliced
    1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
    4 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
    1 tablespoon herbs de provence (I just used Sarah’s Sea Salt Mediterranean blend)
    1 teaspoon kosher salt
    1/2 teaspoon black pepper
    1 tablespoon tomato paste
    2 cups red wine
    2 tablespoons flour
    2 tablespoons water
    Smear olive oil on bottom of slow cooker. Then lay down 2 slices bacon. Add onion and garlic. Put the meat on top of the onion and garlic, and sprinkle with spices and herbs. Add tomato paste. Lay remaining slices of bacon on top of the meat. Top with carrots and mushrooms. Pour wine evenly over everything.
    Cover and let cook on low for 8-9 hours, high for 4-5, or until meat has reached desired tenderness. Our meat was very tender after 4 hours.
    A few minutes before serving, combine the flour and water and stir until there are no lumps left in the flour. Add flour and water mixture to the Bourguignon and stir until fully incorporated and the juices have thickened to form a sort of gravy.
    I served this over Trader Joes Basmati rice blend, but it would be delicious over mashed potatoes or biscuits.

  • March29th

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    Under a rock

    Posted in: Our Life in a Photo | Posted By:

    Sorry y’all, I’ve been under an internet rock for the past month or so! Here is what we’ve been up to for the past few weeks: moved out of our apartment in Foxboro, took Adam to Thomas’ parents in NY, went to a conference in Orlando, flew back to NY to get Adam/hang out, drove to Jeannie’s house in DC to hang out for a few days, drove to NC, moved into OUR NEW HOUSE, went to GA for a conference, got back home and now we finally have internet connection. I will provide you with a few photo highlights from our whirlwind month!

    Our last load moving out of our place in New England: the crib that I refused to take apart, trash, and we couldn’t forget Adam!

    Adam had so much fun with his Nonni while we went to Florida.

    We visited Uncle Josh in New York City. It was cool to see this ministry that he works for.

    Then we went to DC and had a fun-filled 5 days with Jeannie and her family.

    THEN we finally reached our destination of our new house! It was fun to have family around to help us unload the truck, and of course Adam helped break down boxes.

    Adam just turned 11 months and is into absolutely everything: the toilet, the trashcan, the stairs, pulling books off of shelves, dumping everything out of his drawers…he leaves a path of destruction but brings us so much joy!

  • March19th

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    Rosaria Butterfield

    Posted in: faith | Posted By:

    I watched this interview about two months ago and I was very moved by Rosaria’s testimony to the saving grace of God in her life.  Apparently, a lot of other people were moved as well as it’s been viewed, shared, tweeted and blogged about a lot.

    photo by Marc J. Kawanishi/Genesis

    Rosaria Champagne Butterfield was a liberal, lesbian professor who was drawn by the grace of God through the friendship and hospitality of others and through the power of the Word of God. Today, she is a pastor’s wife and an adoptive and homeschool mom!  So her testimony seems “unlikely” but I think it should be a reminder  that any testimony is unlikely and a picture of undeserved, lavish favor from our gracious God.

    If you’re anything like me in this season of life and you’re not able to read too much, I would say bypass the book (I ordered a copy for me and a few others) and instead set aside an hour to watch the video of her interview.  I think she beautifully articulates the Gospel and the way it makes a glorious mess of our lives.

    She writes that the word conversion “is simply too tame and too refined to capture the train wreck that I experienced in coming face to face with the Living God. … Conversion put me in a complicated and comprehensive chaos. I sometimes wonder, when I hear other Christians pray for the salvation of the ‘lost,’ if they realize that this comprehensive chaos is the desired end of such prayers.”

    The key question she faced: “Was I willing to be considered stupid by those who didn’t know Jesus?” She adds, “I didn’t choose Christ. Nobody chooses Christ. Christ chooses you or you’re dead. After Christ chooses you, you respond because you must. Period. It’s not a pretty story.”

     

  • March18th

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    Mama’s Granola

    Posted in: recipes, Sides | Posted By:

    One of my favorites!

    Put dry ingredients in large bowl and stir:
    5 C oats
    1 C sunflower or pumpkin seeds
    1 C broken pecans
    1 tsp cinnamon
    dash salt
    (optional: coconut flakes, my favorite)
    Mix the following in separate bowl:
    1/2 C maple syrup
    1/4 C honey
    2 T oil
    1 tsp. vanilla

    Add to dry ingredients and pour in 2  greased cookie sheets.
    Bake 350 for 10 min and stir and bake another 10 min.  Remove.

    One option: Use less syrup and honey and instead beat 3 egg whites, add 1/4 C syrup and 1/4 C honey to oil and vanilla and proceed.

    Optional: add dried cherries, apricots, & cranberries or raisins after  baking.

     

  • March5th

    2 Comments

    What can wash away my sin?

    Posted in: life in NFL | Posted By:

    Thomas and I had the opportunity to attend Pro Athletes Outreach last week, and our time there was amazing. This is the third year we’ve gone, and we both agreed that this year something was different. Perhaps the change was within us–after being on 3 teams this past season, we needed encouragement and a reminder of why we are in this crazy business. To say that this year’s conference was encouraging is an understatement. It seemed so clear to us that God is at work through this organization. His business is about changing lives and hearts and families, and this business is being done through PAO.

    I recently read this article that says pro athletes have more influence on society today than most religious leaders. Sad, but true. I remember feeling depressed and burdened after reading the article, thinking how sad that reality is. But after attending PAO this year, I feel hopeful and encouraged to know that so many athletes are being influenced for good through this organization. Truth was proclaimed, and I feel confident lives were changed.

    I’ve heard story after story of couples who’ve attended this conference with one spouse willing to go while the other begrudgingly went along in order to avoid marital conflict. The course of these marriages and families have been altered for life after hearing the Gospel at PAO. I was reminded this year that God is truly moving among NFL families. The NFL is a nasty business that can leave you feeling hopeless and unfulfilled while the world looks on and says “look, they’re in the NFL. They must have everything they ever dreamed of.” Living up to the expectations of a watching world whether on the field or through your pocketbook can pile on unimaginable pressure. (Here is a video of Aaron Curry talking about the pressure that can be felt.) When the Hope of the Gospel is offered in the midst of this, a thirst is quenched and for the first time, desires are met that can only be met by storing up Treasure in Heaven. We are grateful for the work of PAO in our lives and in the lives of locker rooms throughout the country. It was a huge encouragement for us to see so many lives changed!

    Acts 2:37-39 “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

  • February20th

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    Vine to Stack in the snow

    Posted in: Our Life in a Photo | Posted By:

    We’ve ALL been enjoying snow.  The Old Man and South Carolina received 5 inches of snow while we were together in New England enjoying more snow!

    This photo of the Old Man gathering eggs in the snow is a new favorite of mine!

    Margaret enjoyed using her snow shoes one last time before packing up to head South.

    Our men enjoyed cutting down a tree and feeling very masculine.  Can you tell?

    Our parent’s homestead looks quite serene in the snow, doesn’t it?

    The Bush-N-Vine  enjoyed snow and our cousin snapped this gorgeous shot.  I love this picture!

    And I’ve been battling my desire to want to be in control and have the appearance of perfection in my home, appearance, children’s behavior and marriage.  This article struck a cord with me and I’m praying to learn what it means to walk in the Spirit allowing God to manage my days.

    “I’ve since given up on perfect. I faced the reality that I don’t have it all together. Instead of trying to do it all, I’ve learned to let God manage my days. Rather than mother in my own strength, I parent through my weakness and on my knees. Each day I come before God, broken and helpless. I give him my messy life as a mother and receive in return the grace of the gospel. I’ve learned to embrace my weakness and messiness, not because my failures are good but because they open the door to God’s grace. And I’d rather wear dirty clothes and have my hair a mess than pretend life is perfect. Because then I get to wear the best fashion—the priceless, perfectly white robes of righteousness belonging to my Savior.”

     

     

  • February14th

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    Coconut No-Bake Bars

    Posted in: Dessert, recipes | Posted By:

       Warning: this recipe was marketed to me via Pinterest as “healthy.” And yes, most of the ingredients are healthy, but NOT WHEN YOU EAT 8 SERVINGS. Thomas and I are officially addicted to these.

        I tried this recipe two nights ago, and we loved it. I wondered if there was a way to eliminate the butter and just use coconut oil. I found this recipe but ended up tweaking it a little bit and combining the two recipes. The outcome was perfection.

    Coconut No Bake Bars

    1/3 c. coconut oil (I use Trader Joe’s)

    1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

    2 T. honey

    2 T. shredded coconut

    2 T. wheat germ (or you could try flax seed)

    1 c. oatmeal

    1/2 c. semi sweet chocolate chips

    Heat coconut oil, peanut butter and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients and stir.

    Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spread mixture into a rectangle (see photo above). Place in freezer for 30 minutes or until set. Cut into bars and store in fridge.

    {I calculated the nutrition facts HERE for 16 bars}

  • February12th

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    Shrimp & Orzo

    Posted in: Main Dishes, recipes | Posted By:

    I was ripping recipes out of an old copy of Cooking Light and stumbled across this one. It was delicious. I added the white wine on a whim and we thought it was a nice addition. I also chopped the shrimp so that we felt like we were eating more shrimp than we actually were. We sprinkled a little parmesan on top as well.

    • 1 cup uncooked orzo
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
    • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
    • 1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
    • 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
    • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1/4 cup dry white wine

    Preparation

    1. 1. Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Place orzo in a medium bowl. Stir in parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cover and keep warm.
    2. 2. While orzo cooks, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add shrimp to pan, sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer shrimp to a plate.
    3. 3. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in pan. Add garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in shrimp, juice, wine and pepper; cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done.
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