joyinthemidst

[joyinthemidst]

just do it

I recently returned from three weeks off work and largely off the grid. It was a time of rejuvenation in my beloved outdoors, a combination of hiking, rafting, camping, eating well and exploring. Some of it I did alongside others, other parts I did with my pup, Leo. As I was enjoying a Chomps stick and marveling at the lava landscape in the Sisters Wilderness off the Pacific Crest Trail in Central Oregon, I was struck with these realities I've listed below...obviously there are so many more, but these were the ones I recorded while I was basking in the sunshine.

Jump off the rock

Swim in the alpine lake

Kayak down those rapids

Go, even if you have to do it alone

Sing your heart out

Tell him how you feel

Invite someone to share your pain, even when it scares you to reveal some vulnerability

Recognize and relish natural beauty when you witness it

Do what you love

Keep searching for your passion

Don’t settle for meh in any category of life

Belly laugh until it hurts - don’t be afraid of goofiness

Articulate your wants

Exercise your talents

Don’t hide who you are

Accept compliments with an open heart

Live the version of your life that gives room for continual growth and lots of grace

Turn your phone off

Get lost in a great book

Rewatch that movie for the 100th time

Don’t let someone else’s expectation of you limit your dreams and pursuits

Try it out

Catch yourself smiling

Fight for your people

Cherish your family, even when it’s hard

Forgive quickly

Love extravagantly

[joyinthemidst]

a thankful heart is a hopeful one

As a part of a Christian business women’s group called 4word that I’ve been a part of now for a couple of years, I recently was given the opportunity to reflect on gratitude and positivity. This is what I wrote for their blog, which was published today. 

The silence in my empty condo was crushing. Buses had been running with barely any passengers for days, downtown Seattle was eerily quiet. I returned home from work with an unsettledness that felt foreign and unwelcome. I scurried to Trader Joe’s and came back with more frozen foods than I’d purchased in a year’s time. I felt really alone. Fear can make uncertainty feel exponentially more weighty, and combined with an isolation that you didn’t ask for (or plan for), this evening in mid-March had me asking what to do and where God was in the onset of COVID-19 in the U.S.. In the next 24 hours, I packed things up and left, fleeing the city to find comfort and safety in the arms of my parents and in a state less populated.

I never thought I’d be back living with Mom and Dad in my mid-thirties. The shift in location, pace, even in my daily interactions was significant. The first month home certainly wasn’t easy for any of us, but I responded in a way that was completely opposite to how I’d been raised and how I’d been functioning up to that point, foregoing a thankful heart, opting to shrink inward rather than look out and notice all that I’d been blessed with, despite the state of the world around us. I tried to fend for myself, like I was trying to do when I was back in Washington, and it served no one well.  

Looking back, this reaction was human, it was natural, but it’s not what we’re called to as believers. We serve a Savior who died for us to give us freedom, a hope, and a joy in knowing the battle is already won and we are called to be lights in this world.

A thankful heart gives us that hope, and fuels us with that message.

Within a couple of months of adjusting to life with my parents, I began recognizing that there was something missing—my propensity to notice God’s hand in little and big things had faded. In what had become rare moment in Scripture, I was struck with Paul’s words for the Colossians: “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” I was neglecting my Lord, my Savior, and there was no overflow of anything, much less thankfulness. I decided something needed to change. Following a clarifying conversation with a friend who had been searching for a job for a long time who was living in uncertainty, far from her family, and in the world’s estimation, adrift, she mentioned to me she had been taking time daily to record what she was thankful for.

My first response was, ‘I’ve done those gratitude journals before, I don’t need to do that.’ She challenged me to think about how I could begin being more deliberate in noticing the bright spots and the reasons to celebrate and express gratefulness, regardless of whether it was in a journal or not. I’m thankful for her persistence; the return to a rhythm of grace and a thankful heart has changed my attitude drastically.

Now, months later, I’m realizing a couple of things about a positive attitude and how that deeply correlates with a thankful heart:

Thankfulness takes us on a journey of awareness. Expressing gratitude demands we step back, see with a new lens. We must slow down enough to notice what is worth celebrating, recognizing, praising our Father for. If we’ve created a world where we’re in control of every aspect, not asking for direction from others, for discernment from God, ‘thank you’ fades from our vernacular. We risk assuming that we don’t need others and we deny that every good and perfect gift is from Heaven.

When things get difficult, gratefulness becomes even more important, and counter cultural too – why lift your hands in thankfulness when things aren’t going your way, or life is hard? Because we serve a God who will never abandon us, gives us everything we need, and knows the long game. A thankful heart is a hopeful heart. In the same way that a prayerful posture welcomes God to take control (or more realistically, return to the position He already is sitting in), thankfulness is an active acknowledgement that any provision we receive is from God – not of our own doing, but out of his great love and care for us.

Thankfulness transforms relationships. When Paul wrote to the many churches he visited in Asia Minor, he spoke of his constant prayer for them, and mentioned time and time again how crucial it was to surrender his fellow believers to God. How can we use thankfulness and the hope in God’s ever present provision and protection to undergird our friendships, relationships with coworkers, and with family members?

Is the ‘be thankful and joyful no matter the circumstance’ conundrum solved with a single moment of clarity? By no means. But in recognizing this important reminder that we have control over how we respond to what happens in life, we have a responsibility to see the good around us. What are you thankful for today?

[joyinthemidst]

SAVOR

Instead of listing out goals at the start of this year, I chose a word to focus on and let be my underpinning: SAVOR. Little did I know what impact setting that mindset would have on me in 2020. 

Though not all self-imposed (thanks, pandemic), I slowed down this year. I localized my outdoor adventures and travels. I swapped the morning bus commute with egg white omelettes and sunrise tennis matches and bike rides. I mourned the loss of a full social calendar but cherished the rarity it was to share conversations and life with my parents and with a couple of friends. I read more books, but not just for the completion factor, because I was relishing getting lost in them and learning for the sake of learning, not applying it to my next project or mountain to climb. I started watercoloring landscapes and letting my steak dry cure in the fridge for hours on end. 

I also had plenty of instances where I found myself fighting this mindset and pace, angry at what was happening in our world and unsettled at the selfishness various restrictions revealed about my own heart. But, after coming off the adrenaline and hustle addiction and going through more withdrawl than I’d like to admit, I realize that it’s in this present state, soaking up mountain views on a trail, gazing on a pale orange sunrise from a kayak, watching the sun set and letting tomorrow be tomorrow, standing knee-deep in a river, or surrounded by ripe dark purple huckleberries that those are the places my soul is rejuvenated. From these places and habits of seeking peaceful environments, I am able to better engage with my friends, coworkers, family, myself authentically, to listen better, to receive encouragement, to give generously and live with a freedom that isn’t tinged by scarcity of time. 

Savoring has led to abundance and in this quarter ahead, I’m hopeful for continued clarity about how to seek this healthier pace for myself and what I’m called to do in this world. Life has drastically changed for all of us - now what will I do with new eyes and greater appreciation for the simple and important lessons the natural world has to teach me? 

[joyinthemidst]

My church family in Kirkland sent out a call for ‘things you learned in COVID’ and while I was on vacation, I spent some time reflecting on this last couple of months. While it’s brief, I think it’s important to record this as this chapter continues to unfold and to remind myself of the truth that I cling to daily. 

No matter where we are physically, emotionally, spiritually, God remains constant - He is steadfast, He is gracious & He is at work.

Patience - "The moment we get tired in the waiting, God's spirit is right alongside helping us along...we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." Romans 8:26, 28 MSG

Provision - God provides for us, in ways we least expect it, if only we slow down to observe it & receive it. Gifts I've received include deepened friendships, days of simplicity, moments of clear headedness, a slower pace, and special time with my immediate family. There is a renewed importance of encouragement (both giving & receiving) - "worry weighs us down; a cheerful word picks us up.” Proverbs 12:25 MSG

Perspective - "Be brave, be strong. Don't give up. Expect God to get here soon." Psalm 31:24 MSG

[joyinthemidst]

Words matter. In conversations, in our heads, and in writing. Lack of words also convey meaning, either in choosing to stay silent or in keeping a message concise and impactful. 

When I process the world around me—both real and perceived, my words often spill out in journals no one else sees that I’ve filled now for over 15 years. In seasons of turmoil or distress, I wait to write until I have a conclusion. In light of what our country is experiencing and what people of color are daily enduring, I feel it's important to share even if I don’t have a solid path forward or an idea of how I can be a part of the change. But, it’s no longer okay not to share something externally. 

As a woman who is college educated, raised in a household with two loving parents and two amazing siblings, white, a homeowner, I personally have not experienced bias against me as described by friends of color or been limited by socioeconomics. My own safety and the safety of my family has never been something I have had to factor into planning adventures around the world or living my everyday life. I approach jobs and applications without acknowledging that the barriers I encounter are often of my own creation, not of a systemic nature. 

I have no right to speak of what I do not know, so I’ll share what I do know and believe, and what I am going to center my responses upon: 

God created us uniquely and tenderly with attention to our brains, personalities, appearance, and capability. He did that out of love. He sees us as his children who he knitted and molded and promises never to abandon. That's the model by which I will treat my fellow humans. Oversimplified? I don’t think so. 

I don’t know the right way to move forward. In times when I have been uncertain about the next step to take, I’ve learned that being still and listening is crucial. New perspectives emerge in reading, in changing my rhythm, and in stepping back to discover that what I have deemed as normal might not be for others. Listening also looks like genuine curiosity about others and seeking to understand—not solve, not draw a conclusion nor opinion. Listening is action-oriented and also not time bound, refusing to be satisfied with a single conversation. Listening well means sensing the nuances. Listening is a posture of humility and an acknowledgement that what we hear may be more important at this juncture than anything we say. In that vein, I won’t use this platform to postulate or preach, but simply to say I am committed to pay closer attention and listen with intentionality, even if what is shared makes me feel uncomfortable and sad. 

And, as I remind myself of these things, I cry out to my Savior who chose to die for me, an undeserving and prideful person. In that act, He gave me freedom to be generous, compassionate, free of guilt, and full of light to represent his unexplainable and utterly transformative grace and love. 

[joyinthemidst]

What’s the good of living if you don’t try a few things?

Charles Shultz

[joyinthemidst]

Back to the basics

Don't get me wrong--I like strategy and a plan, but sometimes the details can become the only focus and therefore act as stressors; like fireants in your tights. 

A long-term plan is a good goal (and one not to ignore) but when every waking moment goes toward professional development, continued ed, and 'justified,' 'productive,' and 'qualified' reading, a creep of over orientation or hyper intentionality enters the picture. 

It's a common reminder for me--am I remembering to have fun? What's making you laugh? What's bringing a smile to your face? Not to say that work doesn't answer those questions, but work all the time ekes out space for the grin-inducers for me.

[joyinthemidst]

#covidcampcooking

It’s been a long while since I posted here, but had the opportunity to write for our company newsletter and it fit the bill for this arena too. Maybe this time in quarantine looks like some more writing here too...tbd. 

On my fridge, I have a magnet that reads, “love people well; cook them tasty food.” It’s a mantra I like to live by and in these last three weeks, I’ve had to interpret the phrase a little differently as it has become harder to cook for people. But I can inspire and equip others to give it a shot in their own kitchens, and in turn, provide some needed nourishment and creativity to our meals. I hope this blurb gets your mind working and maybe stomach growling!

Here are some ways you can go about preparing meals for yourself (and ignite your imagination in the process):  

Take the mindset of a traveler – what parts of the world are you dying to go to, or return to? Use those locations to come up with your meal. Craving some sunshine on a Baja beach? Whip up some tacos with a fresh pineapple salsa. In a mood to wander the streets of Paris? Cook down some onions and fill your kitchen with the aroma of French Onion Soup.

Embrace Spring Fever – here’s a list of what’s in season right now – let those ingredients shine in your meals and support a local farmer if you’re able.

Channel your inner Julia Child (or Yotam Ottolenghi or J. Kenji Lopez-Alt or whatever chef you admire) – give a challenging recipe that might take a little more effort but might be worth it. A recent resource I’ve been enjoying is ChefSteps (both their YouTube channel and website), but there are plenty of ideas on Serious Eats, from the kitchen of Ottolenghi and some beautiful stuff on Half Baked Harvest.

Take the Pantry Challenge – look what’s in your pantry and create something from what you find (let this guide help a bit too). Need accompaniment to the three types of mustard in the door of your fridge? Try baking a soft pretzel! How about what to do with all those cans? It’s amazing how easily a side dish comes together when you throw some cumin and cayenne on those black beans.

And a couple of tips:

Spices + herbs do wonders – if you don’t have a good selection, I’d encourage you to pick up a couple to transform your meals.

Recipes tend to get finnicky – don’t let all those details overwhelm you – if there’s an ingredient you don’t like (or have), be flexible.

Home cooked meals don’t have to be full of fat and sugar; there are many ways to lighten up meals and dishes – take a cue from Cooking Light.

Give yourself some room to make mistakes and develop your own versions! Last night I tried a shredded sweet potato waffle and it scored -3 on the 1-10 aesthetic scale, but I thought the flavor was okay, and I laughed it off and made it into a crispy pancake for my kale and poached egg to sit on. Not too bad.  

Have fun with it. Choose recipes that you’re excited about, not those that will take you hours, especially if you’re just diving into the world of home chef-ery. Consider FaceTiming/Google Duoing with a friend while you each cook or to eat together.

Bon appetit! 

[joyinthemidst]

Peak of Summer Blackberry Jam Muffins 

I’ve taken a long break from this blog but with the bounty of berries across from my front step and need for some hiking bribes snacks, this recipe had to be shared. 

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of white whole wheat flour 

1 1/2 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp ground cardamom 

4 Tbl unsalted butter 

3/4 cup granulated sugar 

zest of one lemon 

2 large eggs 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1 cup Greek yogurt 

1 1/2 cups berries - fresh or frozen will do - blackberries, raspberries, or blueberries would work well here

1 Tbl turbinado sugar (to top the muffins)

Steps 

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl, set aside 

Using a stand mixer, cream butter, sugar, and lemon zest 

Add eggs to the wet mixture, then yogurt and vanilla 

On a low setting, add flour and stir until moist 

Fold in berries with a spatula 

Chill in the fridge for 1 hour 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, divide out batter into greased pan, approximately 1/4 cup per muffin. Top muffins with a sprinkle of turbinado. 

Bake for 22 minutes - if you have lots of berries, the juice may burn on the pan - don’t be alarmed - the yogurt helps to keep these puppies moist! Test if done if a knife goes in the center and comes out clean. 

Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, and then remove the muffins from the tin to sit on the wire rack for a little longer. 

These are best warm and eaten immediately, but then you won’t have any for the aforementioned hike, so I’d recommend freezing them for later. Nothing like that middle of the summer flavor on the trail!

[joyinthemidst]

"I have thought of it while riding my bicycle."

Albert Einstein

[joyinthemidst]

2 years and counting

I’m unpacking from another move, but this one was not across the country, just across the lake, trading the city life for a little more space and a new zip code. A new season has begun literally, with trees now full of bright green leaves, lilacs fragrant, and sun warming the ground. Another season figuratively has also begun as I celebrate 1.5 years at Vertafore, and settle into another neighborhood. 

To try and sum up these last two years in WA concisely is going to be difficult, but I’ll give it a shot--it begins, ends, and continues because God is faithful. Through long periods of silence and waiting, in the days I felt utterly defeated and foolish for thinking I could pick up and move across the country without a job, in the elated state in which I took new opportunities presented to me, and in the contentedness of sitting at the head of a table filled with laughing friends enjoying a meal, this has been quite the journey. I’m stoked to be on it. 

Uncertainty used to be a word that evoked anxiety, disgust, fear--at all costs I would avoid it, and certainly any state of being that was associated. Now, I embrace it because I have realized the resounding truth that I am not in control. The certainty is that my Father will care for me in all circumstances; He loves me in all chapters, whether or not I feel worthy, accomplished, tired, confused, distressed, ecstatic. 

I ran myself ragged in pursuit of recognition, to keep up an image, forbidding myself to believe anything other than a productive day was acceptable. I now have seen the value of being present, available, the beauty in slowing down, and dialing it down, ultimately so that I don’t require myself to be at high performance mode all the time. While I still only catch glimpses of that, and have a long way to go, walks instead of runs, fiction over non-fiction, quiet unplanned weekend mornings, solo trips to the movies show me that I can give Jesus permission to define me wholly rather than the length of my completed to-do list and goal sheet. 

This transformation has begun, and I trust God will continue to refine me as He accompanies me into new seasons, neighborhoods, and corners of my heart. I’m thankful for the chances to try new things, to get out of my comfort zone, and share these days with dear friends and family. I am forever grateful for the people who He’s graciously brought alongside me. Praise be to Him for it all, and may my attitude be modeled after my Savior in patience, pursuit of truth, and ferocious dedication to justice. 

[joyinthemidst]

Lessons from the Global Prayer Gathering

Sometimes a change of scenery opens your eyes to new ways of seeing and processing the world. You can get this renewed perspective on hikes in quiet mountain ranges, on retreat, or on trips like this one I just had the chance to take this last weekend to International Justice Mission’s Global Prayer Gathering in Washington, DC. 

Initially, I was mildly eager for the trip, a 5 out of 10, more for being with family than the content of the conference. However, what we experienced in our brief but powerful exposure was both thought-provoking and convicting.

For those who don’t have much context, or aren’t familiar with the International Justice Mission, it is an organization that exists to change the rule of law worldwide in developing countries to end human trafficking, bonded labor, right communities ravaged by police brutality and land grabbing cases, and care for the victims of these injustices as well as prosecute the perpetrators. Annually since 2011, IJM has hosted the Global Prayer Gathering to place the goals, big challenges, and victories in God’s hands, where they remain as they carry out this work. All glory for successful rescue missions, convicted task masters, and protected widows goes to God; all cries for provision, opened commission and lines of trust with government officials, and children who can live without threat of abuse go to the Father as well.  

While I have known the work of these faithful servants for over 10 years, I was honored to be a part of this event to partner in person in prayer. I was stuck by a couple of characteristics of prayer that I witnessed that are causing me to reassess how I pray with regard to other aspects of life as well as these issues: 

Prayer is consistent. “...since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you.” (Col 1:9) Time and time again, we heard how these field officers and staff pray over the notecards written by the attendees of this conference year round. IJM’s vow to stop and pray 2 times a day for an hour total, no matter what, speaks powerfully to the essentiality of God’s hand, will, and sovereignty before, within, and behind every endeavor here.  

Prayer is specific. “{We ask} that you may grow in the knowledge of God...” (Col 1:10b) In each of the sessions, we heard stories that spoke to the details, not just high level ‘issues.’ It wasn’t ‘please pray for work in Kenya,’ rather it was ‘give children courage and protection while sharing stories of abuse’ or ‘bring about evidence to convict exploiters in court.’ My prayers tend to swing generic from time to time, and often land in the ‘umbrella’ generic category, but God asks us to be bold and specific, to speak directly to a heart’s desire, a pointed request, or the situation at hand. The best part about it is that He sees the bigger picture and will intercede when appropriate, but he asks us to lift up our concerns and our whole selves.  

Prayer is honest and authentic. “You have searched me and you know me.” (Ps 139:1) Speaking of our entire selves, God asks us to come fully transparent, to acknowledge that we aren’t completely able to enact change if we keep pieces of ourselves hidden or cordoned off. He knows us in and out, as he does the world that is broken and in need of his rescuing and redemption. We get to be honest and acknowledge we need Him to be the one to change hearts, circumstances, and the course of history. From this place we acknowledge our need for our protector and redeemer to break through. In honest prayer, we are given the freedom to pray boldly and give praise and honor to whom it is wholly due. 

So as I return from this last weekend, I am thankful, humbled, encouraged; my understanding of the power of prayer has been refreshed, and I am spurred to keep my eyes peeled for His hand in the world more so. I also am so excited to see how God continues to change my heart and show me how faithful He is. I pray for a revived attitude of trust and hands that no longer clench the important things I hold close, but that I would release them to the creator and orchestrator of it all. Amen. 

[joyinthemidst]

pace

I walked the lake with a friend recently and learned a valuable lesson--pace matters. This idea has been steeping for a while in my heart and mind, and it struck me when our default walking speeds came up in conversation. 

If we go at life at such a breakneck speed, we miss out on the nuances of conversation and personality, on glimpses of the season at hand, on the opportunity to enjoy the quietness of a misty Pacific Northwest morning. If we don’t take in the natural rhythm of our surroundings and rather fall victim to the unsustainable expectations of our immediate gratification society, we will rob ourselves of the richness of life. 

I’ll admit that I’m the one who will speed walk my way to the next errand, meeting, scheduled social activity, and this is going to be a challenge to heed this observation. But, if productivity trumps connection with others, and with the world around us, then I’ve got my priorities out of order. 

[joyinthemidst]

the freedom of ‘no’

I’m learning how to say no...it’s not easy, but it’s been teaching me how valuable the things I say ‘yes’ to are, and how I can more vehemently commit to a few rather than too many. ‘No’ frees me from the pressure I place on myself, and allows me to declare that the ‘shoulds’ will not dictate my steps and decisions. 

I choose to say no to: 

mind-consuming to-do lists, the rewriting and reorganizing of them

the insatiable need to produce and accomplish at all times of the day

nagging whispers of self-improvement 

evaluating myself based on others’ life stages and how I compare

Rather, I get to say yes to:  

friends: unstructured, unplanned conversations that range in topic, oscillating between goofy and heart wrenching

recreational reading: stimulating my mind with ideas I rarely let percolate without closely followed action 

creation: be it in the kitchen, with collaged cards, or recording my thoughts in prose 

meandering by foot: in no rush, exploring and walking for enjoyment, not exercise 

true rest: catching myself at ease, without letting the to-dos loom ominously 

While items still get crossed of my list, the way I go about my day can be relaxed, smooth, enjoyable, not rigid and dictated by the musts. It is a process, as I realize that I still find that my worth and the assessment of the day in how effective and productive I’ve been, and know it will be an act of courage to lay that notion aside and let the truth of Psalms resonate that I am beautifully and wonderfully made.  

[joyinthemidst]

My parents celebrate 30 years of marriage today, and I am so thankful for their model of a healthful, intimate, and lasting relationship characterized with honesty, lots of laughs, and bike rides. 

We grew up watching them demonstrate hospitality, teaching us the importance of generosity, and how much more fulfilling it is to give than receive. They have based their trust on the Lord, and rely on Him for guidance as they have made decisions for each other and our family. I realize now how precious and rare it is to have a family so tightly knit, and it is certainly attributed to the fierce commitment my parents have to each other and how they impart the importance of rich relationship to each of their kids. 

A couple of weekends ago, our family had the opportunity to visit where their marriage proposal took place 31 years ago, on a rock overlooking the Victoria, British Columbia harbor. Watching them relive that moment spoke to the beautiful way that love deepens and sweetens with decades. 

Words won’t adequately describe this couple--I am ever thankful for their wisdom, their dedication to work through communication challenges and difficult chapters of life as well as celebrate the traditions and joyous times, and for their unceasing love for us. Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad: you are amazing people. I may be biased, but, I have the best parents in the world--you’re my inspiration! 

[joyinthemidst]

cranberry carrot muffins

Hate to break it to you, but we’re at the crossroads of another changing of seasons. For some of us, it’s a breath of fresh air, a chance to slow down a bit and enjoy the rain, for others, it’s a little disappointing that the summer sunshine fun is behind us. Let me make it a little easier to transition and propose a renewed appreciation for your oven and suggest a muffin recipe perfect for this season with fresh cranberries and grated carrots. 

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour (I used half white, half whole wheat) 

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground allspice 

1/2 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp ground cloves 

1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce 

2 eggs 

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups grated carrots 

3/4 cup fresh cranberries (keep them in your freezer for easy access and guaranteed tartness whenever you want) 

1/2 cup toasted & chopped walnuts

2 tsp turbinado sugar (optional for topping) 

Steps

Preheat oven to 375, spray pan with cooking spray in preparation for this thick batter. 

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt in a medium bowl. 

In a large bowl, mix together eggs, sugar, applesauce, and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients above, and mix until combined. Add in carrots, cranberries, and walnuts, careful not to over stir.

Spoon into muffin cups, top with turbinado sugar if you want, and cook for 15-18 minutes, or until a knife stuck into the middle of the biggest muffin comes out clean.  

These freeze really well, and also are nice gifts. The colors of orange and deep red work really nicely together, and would be a hit at a brunch you host (or attend)! 

[joyinthemidst]

simple chile basil slaw

For a little something that can accompany several Asian dishes, and adds a bright and fresh burst of flavor, try this slaw. Inspired by Cooking Light, which recommends it alongside a flank steak marinated in a ginger soy sauce. I had it with a simple mushroom and kale soba noodle soup, which was delightful. 

Ingredients: 

1 Tbl rice vinegar

2 tsp sweet chile sauce (you can also use Sriracha) 

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp soy sauce 

3 cups Napa cabbage, thinly sliced 

2 peeled and grated carrots

3-4 green onions, finely chopped 

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

Combine first four ingredients in a small bowl, whisk together. Chop and toss the four final ingredients in a larger bowl, adding the dressing at the end. The cabbage and carrots are hearty, so this salad will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge and is great as a leftover or lunchtime option. Feel free to add more chile sauce if you want more of a kick, or add a minced jalepeno or hot pepper you have around.