Summer flew by!

Once again, my attempt at blogging has failed...

The CSA is been great! I've tried A LOT of new foods and have learned that I actually DO in fact like veggies. :) Here are a few pictures of what we've had.

If it looks like a lot of green, it is. Early in the summer season there are a lot of leafy greens, now we get lots of squash and cucumbers. I still haven't found a way to cook them so that I like them. Still searching for recipes, if you have any, SEND THEM MY WAY!

It's hard to believe that summer is over. It was absolutely incredible! In May, Brandon was commissioned as an ordained elder in the UMC (aka he's officially "REV. Blacksten"). June was full of mission trips with the church. We took the seniors to ALASKA!!!! And the 9-12th to NOLA. July was full of youth events and a quick trip to Oklahoma for a friends wedding. OH! And our 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY! I can't believe it's already been a year! We went to a B&B in Tulsa called "Cedar Rock Inn." Google it. It's adorable! August 1st meant back to school! Anywho, that's enough for now. I'll close with some pics from Alaska!

Mendenhall Glacier

The water was insanely cold! It was hard to walk back through 2 feet of water. Thought we might have to amputate!

Me and two of my coworkers.

Sea lions!

Just about every picture I took could be a postcard!

It is possibly the most beautiful place I've ever seen.

Bears!!

Our group

Icy Straight Point - another postcard photo

WHALES!!

Whale tale :)

And no joke, eagles were EVERYWHERE!

Oh, we also started making corn hole boards back in May. They're almost finished!

Ok. I'm done. Maybe I'll start updating this more often. We shall see. :)

Adventures in Eating, Part 1

Brandon and I joined the Avalon Acres CSA (community supported agriculture) for the summer. Last Wednesday he went across town to get our first pick up and came home with a box full of green stuff. Now, if you know anything about me, you know I'm a picky eater. Literally, I even pick off the kernel shell from my popcorn (it gets stuck in my teeth!). So when I saw all that green I kinda freaked out a little. Here's what the box looked like...

Our box included:

1 Kohlrabi

1 head of Cauliflower

1 head of Romaine Lettuce

1 bunch of Green Kale

1 bunch of Spring Onions (White)

1 stalk of Bok Choi

1/2 dozen eggs

1 bunch of strawberries

2 lbs of ground beef

Again, that's a lot of green. And a lot of foreign green to me. The only vegetables I had heard of were the cauliflower, lettuce, and onions. Brandon is pretty good about getting me to try new foods. He got me to try artichokes and asparagus and it turns out I like them. But this box presented a challenge for him: Courtney must try everything in the box. And thus, this post series begins. Throughout the summer, I will blog about my adventures in eating, in trying new foods that I would normally pass by in the grocery store or pick off my meal at restaurants. It's time for me to grow up a little in my eating habits and this presents a great opportunity. Each week I'll post about our meals, my reviews, and the recipe (especially if I like it!). So here we go!

Strawberries - The first thing I tried from the box was the strawberries. There is no recipe to include for them, well, except for a little bowl of powdered sugar for dipping. It's funny, when I was younger I liked strawberries, but as I grew older I no longer liked them, not even strawberry flavored things. But, as to my agreement with Brandon, I would try everything in the box. And though I'm not being a fan of strawberries, these were actually pretty darn good. They were pretty red in color, sweet with a little bit of tartness, and oh so juicy! Dipping them in the powdered sugar made them taste even better.

Green Kale - My coworker and fellow Oklahoman, Trey Wince, suggested to Brandon that we make Kale chips. You can click on the link to get the recipe but it's basically olive oil and seasoned salt, then you bake it. The taste - not too bad! I think they are better the more done they are, no wiggly kale chips! Brandon's family was in town for his graduation this weekend and the kale chips went super fast!

Lettuce - We made a nice salad for his family this weekend with lettuce, spinach, walnuts, strawberries, and dried cranberries. I've yet to try it but it does look pretty. If I had to choose one vegetable as an arch nemesis, it would be lettuce. But, I've made a promise to try everything, so, before this week is over....

Burgers - Well, I already knew I liked those but it was the first time we had ever made them on our own. We used a recipe from my bestie, Christina Mallory, and they turned out great!!

Kohlrabi - Tonight for dinner, Brandon made Roasted Kohlrabi. It kinda looks like an alien in it's normal form:

Weird... Anywho, the roasted kohlrabi was ok. I liked it, but not so much with the vinegar. It's definitely a good side dish though! We might have to make it again sometime!

Well, that's all for this post. Tomorrow night we're trying a stir fry recipe for the Bok Choy. I'll let you know what I think. But, until next time, bon appetite!

A Youth Minister's Call to Confession and Assurance of Pardon

Call to Confession:

One Voice: Through the Great Commission, Christ has called all persons into a shared ministry. Therefore, let us confess our own brokenness before God and one another.

Many Voices:

God, for the ways that I have taken credit for what you have done in attempt to boost my own ego, I am sorry.

For the ways that I have refused to become vulnerable and share my own brokenness with my students, God, I am sorry.

I am sorry for choosing power and control over intimacy and trust in my leadership position, God.

I am sorry, God, for believing that I can do ministry on my own, failing to see that servant leadership requires relationships and accountability.

For the ways that I have allowed programs and lessons to become more important than "feeding your sheep," God, I am sorry.

God, for not inviting my students into ministry and failing to recognize that ministry is a communal and mutual experience, I am sorry.

[Time of Silent Confession]

Assurance of Pardon:

One Voice:

If we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

God is gracious and endlessly patient, loving and forgiving. Our confessions have been heard and we have been called to a new way of leadership in love, vulnerability, trust, and communal and mutual ministry.

Many Voices:

Glory be to the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, as it was in the beginning is now and will be forever. Amen.