This winter, unfortunately what I have been into is a tad bit more of anxiety and depression than my usual winter blues. You may have noticed that I’ve been blogging less lately and I weirdly the January what I am into was freaking me out for no reason, so I skipped it. But the days are getting longer and I can feel the hope seeping back into my veins. So asside from anxiety, this is what I have been into.
TV AND MOVIES
Gilmore Girls- I am late to the party on this one. But really, I am right on time because my sister and I have been watching it more or less together. We both love the witty banter.
Selma– I had the opportunity to watch this in the theatre by myself. Just go see it. Find a way and watch. It is really important to know our history. The ties to today are obvious and insightful. Seriously, go see it.
Empire– Some people that I did not think would be into this show started telling me how good it is. I gave it a try and binge watched the whole 8 episodes in two days. IT IS SO GOOD. So good. So soapy and dramatic. I love it.
FOOD
Cheese Burger Soup– SheLoves magazine had an article about simple hospitality and cheeseburger soup. I read the article made a huge batch of this and ate it for a week.
Gumbo- First I made it for a snow day. Then I made it for my new church small group and if they didn’t like me before, they do now. A can of diced tomatoes, a can of chicken broth, a pound of chicken, a pound of summer sausage, a bag of frozen gumbo veggies, a bag of seasoning veggies, chop the chicken and sausage dump everything into your crockpot on low for 6 hours. One hour left add the pound of frozen shrimp, at the end add the cooked rice. Season to taste with Tony’s and cayenne pepper. Be named a culinary genius.
Sweet Potatoe Nachos– These are amazing. Bake your sweet potatoe chips and then dump whatever you want on them. They will be delicious. I promise. Healthy version- blackbeans, guac, and fruit salsa, sour cream (you will not be able to understand in your brain how something so veggie full will be this good). Less healthy version- pulled bbq pork, jack cheese, sour cream, black beans, corn salsa. (You will not be able to believe that this perfect plate came out of your own kitchen.)
Bacon Mushroom Mac and Cheese– I think the title speaks for itself. This is the recipe that introduced me to smoked paprika and now my whole life is better. Smoked paprika makes my whole life better!
BOOKS
Lessons in Belonging from a Church Going Commitmentphobe- This book wrecked me. Erin Lane sent it to me and I thought, OH! What good timing with me switching churches at all. First, I am TOTALLY jealous of the prose. Her writing is perfect through the whole thing it makes me a little mad, except I am just glad it exists. Second, it is just so true. It will resonate. I promise. I finished it crying and immediately emailed her to tell her how fantastic it is. Seriously, this one is special.
Damaged Goods- I was so stoked to get this book from Dianna E. Anderson. It is a game changer in a game that desperately need changed. Purity culture managed to jack so many of us up. Whether because we did wait, or didn’t wait, or technically waited but had some slip ups. Dianna gives us a new way to think about sex and our relationships with our own bodies, and the bodies of others. I don’t come to all the same end conclusions as she does, but I really enjoyed her thought process and the discussion she is starting. It is seriously needed.
BIG NEWS
If you follow me on Instagram and Twitter you know that we GOT A DOG! Her name is Lady Luck (after the Colts quarterback Andrew Luck) but her friends and family call her Lucky. She needs walked about thirty minutes a day or she looses her mind, so the motivation to get out and around is real. Plus, LOOK HOW CUTE SHE IS!
I joined the Mud Room! Tammy asked me to write monthly for a new contributor blog and I am so honored to be writing for them. The sight is GORGEOUS and the writing is just as good. I feel so honored to be in the club (and we are totally seeking new club members. We totally want you.)
I’m headed to Minneapolis this summer! The Collegeville Institute has invited me to spend a week in the workshop Writing to Change the World. I will be totally thrilled about it as soon as I can wrap my brain around the idea of a whole week with nothing to do but write.
As always I am linking up with the lovely Leigh Kramer. Join us!
Abby Norman 
I NEED THOSE NACHOS. NEED. In fact, I want all those things.
I watched at least the vast majority of Gilmore Girls when it was on for real, but I just finished re-watching them all on Netflix. I got pretty obsessed and last week watched way more episodes per day than I’d like to exist. Even though I knew how it ended I still felt like a little piece of me had died when I watched the last episode (at one in the morning…). Although, it’s sort of good that I now have hours of my life back…
a whole week to write – for me it is spelled r e t i r e m e n t (soon six years into)
OK, I followed your link to sheloves and read about cheeseburger soup. Now if somebody doesn’t post the RECIPE pretty soon there’s going to be trouble.
Abby, I take it all back. I just followed the link to the article about it and didn’t realize there was another link to the recipe. Yay!
Thanks for the Mudroom shout out!!! And the cheeseburger soup lead. I need to get me some. Or get someone to make it for me.
Oh those nachos sound amazing. I will have to give those a try. That Lessons in Belonging book sounds right up my alley.
I want to go to Minneapolis with you!