And the Winner Is...

 

Congratulations, Ashley, from This Southern Girl's Heart!!

 

Ashley will be receiving a copy of the book, Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist!

You can order a copy here!

Wishing you all a lovely day and if it gets sorta rough: 

 

  

 

:)  - Liv

Win This Book!

I just finished reading Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist.   It is "a love letter to life around the table..."  And it has recipes!

This drawing has expired

This book is too good not to share, so I am going to give away ONE copy!  To enter, email me here and put your email address in the subject line.  Invite your friends to enter!  Place your entry by Monday, August 12th!  Or, you can order the book here!   
  

Shauna's love for food and people pours out from the pages of this food memoir.  It feels as if you are sitting across the table from a  dear friend, listening to her stories of travels and tastes and lessons learned.  You will fall in love with food all over again as she describes the sizzles and the smells and the joy of cooking a dish and creating a space where friends can come in, put their feet up and have more than just their stomachs filled.  Shauna makes me want to love cooking!

I tried the blueberry crisp recipe, using peaches from a friend's peach tree instead...


 

 

Yumminess!  The plan was to have this topped with vanilla ice cream, but I sacrificed that idea to three hungry girls with a sugar craving during a sleepover.  Who knew they could finish off a whole tub of ice cream by themselves??

 

It was still delicious!  Wishing we could chat over a cup of coffee and a warm slice ... with ice cream! 



Filling Up On Happy (plus a recipe and a book giveaway!)



 

I am fascinated by people who read through recipe books the way I read through design books!  Being in the kitchen is like an art to them, mixing flavors the way a painter mixes colors; swirling pans and sprinkling spices until their masterpiece is just right.  They know things like how to emulsify liquids and oils and the correct way to hold a knife.  I love watching how creating a meal is a labor of love to them.  I wish I had that.  For me, cooking is labor, period.

I do love the eating part, though!  Even more than that, there is something about sharing a meal around a table with loved ones or new acquaintances that just sits right with me.  It's a happy place.

We recently had one such evening.  Scotty and I invited three couples over for dinner.  We decided on an Italian theme and everybody brought a little something.  The eight of us gathered around our table for six, pulling up a folding chair that was too short and a wobbly stool. We had the best time! 

With Bocelli playing in the background, we had Toscana soup (recipe here), salad and homemade ciabatta bread.  Then we took a break from the eating and told stories and talked about current events.  Next was lasagna and garlic zucchini.  We pulled out Catch Phrase and laughed until our cheeks were sore.

And then ...

Sea salt and caramel cheesecake.  Creamy, smooth, heavenly yumminess.  That's all I have to say about that! 

We laughed and talked late into the night.  It was the kind of evening that still lingered with a smile the next day.  We did so much more than just fill empty stomachs that night.  We built friendship and filled ourselves up with happy. 

I am no artist in the kitchen and my home does not look like the beautiful homes from the design books I drool over.  In fact, my bathroom has been in the middle of a ceiling repair for the past few (ahem) ... years.  The carpet needs a cleaning and the couch ... well, let's not go there.  But that night it was a lovely place.  The flaws were hidden by the richness of communion. 

I have just finished reading the book, Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist.  She describes what I am talking about so wonderfully!  Read this book!  And what are you waiting for?  Don't wait for your home to look perfect!  Order pizza, pop open some soda, and invite your people over to enjoy life around the table!  Unless, of course, you're one of those.  In that case, create your culinary masterpiece!   Here's to food and friendship!  Bon appetit!

- Liv

 

 

 

 

This drawing has expired.
This book is too good not to share, so I am going to give away ONE copy!  To enter, email me here and put your email address in the subject line.  Place your entry by Monday, August 12th!  Or, you can order the book here!  



And the Winner Is:

 

 

 

The winner of the One Thousand Gifts Devotional is Jean M.! 

 Congratulations!!  Thanks for entering! 

 

 

 

Thought for the day:

 



 

 

 

 

 

- Liv

A Book Give Away!



This give away has expired.

I do love books and I also love sharing things I love with the people I love!  That would be you! 

A part of The Sisterhood moved far, far away to Utah last month.  Sadness, I know!  We miss her so much, but one of the ways we are staying connected is by doing the One Thousand Gifts Devotional by Ann Voskamp together.

I have a copy for ONE of you!

The devotional is a follow-up to Ann's NYT bestselling book, One Thousand Gifts.  I shared this beautiful trailer for the book in my last post.  The sixty devotions include a scripture, a prayer, a space to write your own thoughts and a portion to record the everyday graces you find in the middle of ... well, this crazy life!

To enter the giveaway, email me here, with your name in the subject line.  I will announce the winner next Thursday, May 16 @ 7:30 am, MST.

You can learn more about Ann Voskamp at www.aholyexperience.com.

Happy Wednesday!