Am I an extra step further because I was near positive the voice was Davy Flowers?  No… it’s not coming up in searches.  Maybe she’s singing someone else’s song?  Not helping.

Anyway, the lyrics are from the Song of Moses in Revelation 15:

Great and marvelous
Are Your deeds
O Lord God Almighty

Just and true are Your ways, O God
Just and true are Your ways
King of all the ages

I can even sing it for you, but I won’t.
And I just.need.to.HEAR.IT.

What if it isn’t Davy Flowers?

Why am I losing sleep over this!

Help a sister out!! GAH.

It’s a rather odd habit of mine, but I love the mystery of reading a book I know almost nothing about. — that is, “almost nothing” because the little I know I owe to vague reviews.

I heard of “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak from several sources, including the children’s library at the elementary school I formerly worked at, a co-worker, and… Jasmine Star.  Is that unexpected?  Well, it’s true.  Remember, once upon a time I used to do photography.  She’s an excellent source, not simply because her photography is top-rated, but because she is also honest and real about the business.  So I used to read her blog every now and then (plus, she’s a relatable writer), and do enjoy her Good Reads reviews.

So why, of all books, this one?  Simply put, if anyone puts a book in the same category of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and East of Eden, you have my attention.  (If you’re trying to read me too, then yes, I do love the simplicity of a child’s perspective.  And yes, I am a crier.)

My thoughts on the book: firstly, it was a quick and easy read.  I read it in less than a week, which says a lot, because I am a slow reader and this was 550 pages.  However, the fact that I knew absolutely nothing about the book initially made it a little difficult to understand the writer’s format and who were the characters. That was soon figured out.

Secondly, the characters are so identifiable.  Weaving complex characters in complex situations and presenting to make them all appear simple- this is a feat.  Accomplished.

Thirdly, (a negative note) I feel like too many a time, the element of surprise was taken away from the story.  The narrator would say “this would happen” quite matter-of-factly.  I think the emotional ties to the story would be stronger if we didn’t know what was happening.

Last notation, the poetry.  Beautiful, beautiful writing.  Reviews were right when they said it was reminiscent of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.  But I think that was also my down point.  Having this in mind, I think I couldn’t fully appreciate the book stand-alone.  Some books need reviews apart from other books.

One more note…
I’m terribly fond of post-it bookmarking favorite phrases, scenes, etc… I like remembering.

The end!

I decided to buy a lemon from work.  I responded to the curious wonders of my co-workers: “I’m making Lemon Thyme Olive Oil cookies.”  Snicker.  “Hmm… Yes…” one replied.  “I only make normal things.”

I had to laugh (at myself mostly), because it’s rather true – despite the my ability to memorize recipes for basic chocolate chip cookies, banana bread, and pudding, I don’t really make “normal things.”  Experimentation gets the best of me.

…In Baking.  But not in the realm of cooking, mind you.  Sure you’ll find a stovetop savory recipe on this site now and then, but like I said, I’m not much of a cook (hate cooking.. love baking), but I’ll do it, and the unexpected results will be as raw as ahi poke.  Experimental ahi poke.

Maybe these cookies are a way of redeeming that.  Maybe these cookies are a way of bridging the gap between experimental baking and experimental cooking.  Maybe I just wanted to make something savory, and savory baked goods was the only way of achieving this desire.

In any case, one reason I made these was because I grow Lemon Thyme.  That thing grows like a weed, I tell you.  I’m much more fond of English Thyme – one of my absolute favorite spices! But lemon thyme: it looks like English/French thyme, feels like thyme…. smells and tastes like lemon.  Reminds me of baby food.  Or frozen pizza.  Or Michael Jackson.  Looks can be deceiving.

It’s a fantastic herb to grow, especially if you like to cook fish or chicken (fish in my house).  But how often do I cook?  Yeah.  Exactly.

(Ahem.  Fish cooking = parents.)

Anyway, I’ve been hankering to make olive oil cake, but figured that instead, I’d like to make cookies.  So I found this recipe and decided that YES, it needs to be made.  The result of this recipe is a sweet lemon cookie with a warmth of pepper to comfort your mouth.  This would be perfect with a cup of tea.  Or as a nice gift.

Wait… what?  There’s no salt in this recipe?  And it calls for PEPPER?  You read right.  But OH that’s what makes it so savory!  The use of lemon thyme in this recipe means that you won’t get an overpowering herb-like taste, though if you did use English Thyme, that flavor will be pronounced.  And even if it did, the pairing of thyme, lemon, and olive oil is a match made in (the oven) heaven.

Of course you won’t get the texture of a buttered cookie.  But olive oil renders a nice crisp on the edges, and still a moist, flavorful center.  Variations to this recipe?  Try toasted pine nuts.  I’m also sure you could substitute the little bit of milk and make this dairy free!  No need for a normal recipe, right?

SAVORY LEMON THYME OLIVE OIL COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Pepper (lessen to 1/2 tsp if you don’t want a strong peppery taste)
1/2 Tbsp fresh Lemon Thyme, minced
1/2 cup Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Milk
1 large lemon, zested and juiced

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350*.  Oil a baking sheet, or use parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, pepper, and thyme.
In another bowl, whisk together olive oil, milk, and egg.  Stream this into the flour mixture, blending thoroughly.  Roll rounded tablespoons of dough in your hand and flatten on baking sheet.  Bake for 12-14 minutes or until edges are crisp and golden.

As hesitant as I was to even post in the first place, I was pulled back to the fact that I wanted to scrapbook the journey of my dreams.  So I am beginning to bind another page to this book.  Here are the threads:

Why is it that money is such an issue when it comes to doing the thing that you love?  I think because money is such a driving factor – it can easily rival against God for our hearts’ allegiance, without us realizing it.  It’s almost as though money is not just mere currency for materials, but currency for life, for sustenance.  That’s pathetic when you think about it.  So.Pathetic.  But, it’s also the reason why money is an issue when doing what you love.  Will money or love be the currency for existence?  Do you survive because you have things or survive because you are in love?

I want to survive because I am in Love.

Everything in this life is temporary.  I can’t make a claim to anything on this earth – not materials, not sustenance.. not even relationships.  No, not even the husband I marry or the children I bear, I cannot call them mine.  Their lives aren’t mine, I don’t decide the circumstances in their lives or their durations or their choices.  Nothing belongs to me, I am only to be a wise steward of the things I have.  I am to treat all things – especially people – with gratitude and kindness, for they are all blessings from the hand of Abba.

It’s the unseen things that remain.  Money disappears.  Love always remains.

I will not let money steward my love, I will let love steward my money.  Love brings forth better wisdom than money.  Money typically brings forth fear.  Fear in between money and love?  what a bad combination.

All those random thoughts to say, money is still an issue for me.  I’m a barista.  I’m an artist.  But I’m finding ways to be wise about controlling my money.  Saving my tips.  Deposit them into my savings account when I do take it to the bank.  Tips actually work wonders, you know.  I actually paid for my car registration with my tips.  That’s the other thing – I volunteer to take the coins from the jar.  You’re less apt to spend money when you have coins, instead of dollars.  And it’s way cheaper to roll your own coins versus taking them to Coin Star.  They take a tithe’s worth!  And speaking of – God does deserve our tithe and offering.  That is a whole other matter.

Yes, I could definitely use a second job.  My schedule would allow for it.  Which brings me to the next thing I want to mention briefly.  By a super random string of events (that involved the climate of Oak Ridge, Tennessee), I stumbled upon a discovery of a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop.  And wouldn’t you know it?  I might just have myself another job.

I’ll tell you more when things bloom.

In the meanwhile, please tip your baristas.

Love

My little brother is sick.

Ok, so he’s not little, but he is my brother.  These are two things I must constantly remind myself.
He is perfectly capable of taking care of himself, and I’m not his mom.
Nevertheless, as his manang, or “older sister,”  I can’t help but want to make sure he is provided with things that could help him get better.

Medicine.  A thermometer.  Soup.

Part of his illness is a dry cough.  He has congestion, but stubborn mucous won’t come out.  So I decided to make spicy soups of sorts, such as today’s feature, smoky southwestern butternut squash soup.

Butternut squash is one of those wonderful foods so full of vitamins (and low in calories! though that doesn’t matter for a sore throat).  This recipe also calls for apples, which gives it an additional texture and a subtle sweetness usually brought forth from honey or a sweeter squash.  I used what we had on hand – golden delicious.  Definitely- this looks like a typical autumn-ish food, but today seems fitting – it’s rainy, windy, chilly.  It’s as autumnal as we’d get in the tropics… yes, in April.

The measurements in this recipe are pretty rough, and like most every soup, can be customized to your palette’s content.  I like to put other things in it (black beans, corn, cabbage), and make it a chunky soup, but bro isn’t too big of a fan of black beans.  So I opted out and blended it a little smoother to get the jalapeño nicely integrated.

If you’re wondering how I attack the butternut squash, I typically microwave it for about 1:30 – 2 minutes.  Then, I do as a pineapple: cut a smidge off of the top and the bottom, then peel all the way down.  Afterwards, I chop off the neck, which is enough of what I needed for the soup.  With the bottom half, I plan to make a vegetarian chili, then roast the seeds.

I probably should’ve kept it chunky- there is no way of taking a pretty picture of this blended mush apart from embellishing.  In fact, bro’s soup bowl didn’t have any apples.  He got his straight up.

But what can I say?  I love the kid, but I’m his older sister, not his mom :)

SMOKY SOUTHWESTERN BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup diced shallots
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
2 apples, diced
3 cups butternut squash, cubed
3 cups stock (beef or vegetable)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cocoa
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)

Optional vegetables:
1 can black beans, rinsed/drained
1 can corn
1/2 head cabbage, cubed

Warm the vegetable oil.  Over medium heat, saute the garlic, shallots, and jalapeño until fragrant.  Add the apples and squash and saute for a minute or two.  Add about 1/2 cup of the broth and the spices to the vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add the remainder 2 1/2 cups of broth and any additional vegetables.  Once the soup comes to a boil, turn down the heat and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes.  Using a hand blender, pulse the soup a few times until you have the desired consistency.  Or keep it chunky, and mash about a third of the soup with the back of the soup ladle to give it some thickness.

That’s it!
A nice, spicy soup.

With a cake batter ice cream milkshake for later.

kep.