The Rosy Life: podcasts

Happy weekend friends! What are your Saturday/Sundays like in this season of your life? This is our busy time of year on the farm and at home. We are doing lots of gardening and yard work, going to church, trying to get some Sabbath rest in, and spending time with family.

A while back I blogged about a colorful spring bouquet I made. Before I'd even arranged a single flower I had all of the supplies strewn about the craft room counter and they stopped me in my tracks. Something about all that color and possibility smooshed up together just made my heart skip a beat, a sure sign that I needed to pay attention.

You may be wondering what podcasts, peanuts, and playing have in common. Paying attention, would sum it up well. In times of too much business, even if it's just in my head, I often look to the weekends as my savior, a cure-all if you will. I think something magical will take place on Saturday and Sunday that will make me feel rested and caught up and excited about everything in life once again. I'm learning that simply isn't the truth, and that by slipping little moments into my week to be fully present, my mind is clearer, my focus undistracted, my love big.

Moments like sitting at the table with the girls, cracking peanuts open for the fun of it.

Moments like teaching the girls how to make pom poms, watching them giggle and get excited about a simple ball of yarn craft. Just playing, for the pure fun of it.

Another little way I like to turn off the inward noise is by occasionally listening to a podcast.

My current favorite is Christy Nockel's podcast, called Glorious in the Mundane.

What are you listening to lately? Are you making room for bits of play?

Happy Monday! We are coming off a weekend away and full of food treats. Pizza twice (yum), cheese and crackers, and even some sugary treats. I woke up this morning giving myself a mental to-do list which included eating some better foods for my body so I feel refreshed and ready to face the week with strength. I thought a peek into the garden would do the trick.

Of course many of these are from a trickle of photography that's been streaming out of the garden all summer long. A capture here, a click there. Our cucumbers are now long gone but our pantry is stocked with pickles for fall and winter days.

My best, most intense exercise has by far come from the garden this year. Especially during potato digging times! There is something about getting my fingers and toes in the dirt and sweating buckets that just doesn't live up to the treadmill or an exercise video. I need the earth.

We've had tomatoes for days and already have a nice supply canned as well. There's nothing like a bright, red jar of tomatoes to brighten up a cold, grey winter day.

The thing I like about the garden is how easy it is to provide our bodies with food. Real food. No needing to check for ingredients, no counting calories. Just the pure pleasure of biting into a ripe, juicy garden tomato, seeds dripping down your chin.

A few other easy recipes we've enjoyed this summer are DIY snow cones. After watching Betsy's skin become so dyed with color after eating a roadside snow cone last year I decided they weren't for us. So this year we crushed ice in our food processor and then added real fruit juice from either watermelons or blueberries on top. I simply crushed the fruit, poured the juices over the top, and then added a piece of two of fruit on top of the ice. The girls love these things!

We also tried this "Nutella" spread made from black beans. Surprisingly enough, this was really good! Brett and I first ate Nutella in Italy and once we came back to the states we were totally under the impression it was healthy. Now we know better. This dip was thicker than Nutella but the flavor was fantastic. I enjoyed it with apples.

A favorite way I've been dressing up our Asian-inspired meals and adding a bit of crunch is with black sesame seeds. I simply toast them for a minute on the stove-top and add to just about any dish.