"Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love the neon pink Under Armour shirt and the handcrafted earrings designed by a college art student I got for Christmas. Who doesn’t love to look cute when they work out? And don’t get me started about my jewelry fetish. But I have a little secret. My favorite gifts of 2012 weren’t under the tree. God showered me with Christmas blessings big and small that could never be found at any mall:
Did you get any pantookas or jing-jinglers in your stocking? What was your favorite Christmas gift this year?
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Let’s be honest – travel wears a girl out. Overnight flights, train rides, crowding into hostels or strange hotel rooms, long days of working, exploring and walking plus late nights making sure you don’t miss one single thing all add up to longing – craving – aching for a cup of coffee.
But no worries! Coffee is abundant and decadent everywhere you go (even abroad). You just need to know what you’re looking for and how to order it. First – when you’re on the road, ditch your Starbucks habit goodbye. Now don’t raise your fingernails at me in a cat hiss. Few things make me happier in the morning than a venti Estima with a shot of mocha and room for milk. However, when in Rome or Paris or Nashville or Atlanta. Embrace the culture! If you’re in a new town, find the local coffee shop, the one with the menu handwritten in chalk on a blackboard. Ask what they’re specialty is. Observe the locals. Are they all drinking iced coffees? Maybe you should try one on this hot summer day. Is the house specialty a chocolate monkey as it is at JoZoara in Nashville? You’ve gotta try one. It’s like a chocolate, banana, peanut butter milkshake with your daily dose of java all swirled into one. Phenomenal! At Kofenya, in Oxford, Ohio the house drink is a Walk in the Woods. They might know something you don’t. Why not give one a sample? If you’ve wandered further away from home, embrace the coffee in your new land. Most of the world drinks coffee too, but usually everywhere else it’s STRONG! Order café in France, espresso in Italy or Spain and you’ll get a shot of espresso in an itty bitty tiny white porcelain cup. It’s strong, robust and will wake up your taste buds, then your brain. If you’re used to a venti back home, you might want to order two, or drink one first thing, and another later along your journeys. Me, I’m a “with milk” kind of girl. So in France I order a café au lait. In Italy I get a cappuccino. When in Spain my daily order is a café con leche. I also prefer a little sweetness. Don’t look for Splenda, Equal, Stevia or Sweet N Low – those chemicals are bad news and hard to find in foreign lands for good reason. Use sugar. It’s natural and it’s sweet. Next -- your budget. Order your coffee TO GO – a emporter (in French), porte via (in Italian), para llevar (in Spanish). You’ll save a small fortune, and maybe even be able to afford coffee again tomorrow morning. If you absolutely can’t stand a Styrofoam/plastic cup OR need a minute to look at your map or reapply your lip gloss or text a friend, order your coffee at a counter or standing up at a café table. Don’t be fooled by the charming waiter pulling out a chair for you. He may think you’re cute, but he also knows if he gets you to sit, you’ll pay two to four times as much to drink your coffee. Who knew sitting was such a luxury? We’re a bit like coffee ourselves. Some of us are dark or light or tall or short. Some of us are strong or sweet or hotheaded or cool. God created sassy versions and frothy versions and simple and dependable versions of people. But we’re all delicious. Don’t forget that. Now that you know how to do it, go and open your eyes and taste buds to the rich, frothy sensation of a coffee, wherever you are. Sip. Enjoy. Repeat. LOVE ...
It’s a loaded word. For some reason, on Valentine’s Day we tend to focus on the “romantic” type of love, and therefore, Valentine’s Day can be emotional. But regardless of your Facebook status, you are loved by the coolest being ever, by the Creator of the Universe. God created YOU in His very image. Amazing! This means in His eyes you are perfection. To celebrate this day of love, I give my gift of love to you – chocolate. Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, (aka "the love drug) a chemical causing blood pressure and blood-sugar levels to rise, resulting in a feeling of alertness and contentment. Chocolate quickens your pulse like the feeling of love. Not to mention, it’s downright delicious. Hopefully these easy brownies will quicken your pulse or someone you love’s pulse today. Raspberry Brownies ½ cup butter 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate (I use 2 squares Baker’s) 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 t. vanilla ¾ cup flour (I bake gluten free, so I use ¾ cup brown rice flour) red raspberries (save these for last) 1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees 2. Melt the butter and chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave. 3. Add sugar, eggs and vanilla and stir. When combined add flour and combine. 4. Spread batter into greased 9x9x2 pan 5. Bake for 27 minutes 6. Lick spoon and bowl Frosting 1 cup powdered sugar ½ stick softened butter 2 t. raspberry extract 1. Mix together in bowl 2. When brownies are done baking and have cooled, spread on top. 3. Lick spoon and bowl. 4. Top each brownies with one red raspberry 5. Perfection - just like you! So, hope, faith love abide, but the greatest of these is love 1 Corinthians 13:13 How are you spending Valentine's Day? |
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