gnocchi with butternut squash, kale and sage

I really can't believe it, but this is my new favorite food in the cozy-but-not-soup category. And David really likes it, too! Dealing with the squash can be a bit tedious, but the actual making doesn’t take too long. In the future I'm planning to add bacon or sausage to the skillet. This time we had it with white beans on the side.

½ butternut squash—peeled, seeded, cubed

3 cloves garlic—sliced

a bunch of kale—stemmed, roughly chopped

1 t dried sage or 1 T fresh, chopped

¼ t red pepper flakes

olive oil/butter

kosher salt

1¼ c broth

17 oz package gnocchi

¾ c grated hard cheese

Preheat broiler. Concurrently, heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat and cover and cook squash until slightly soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, sage, red pepper and 1 t salt. Cook until garlic is softening.

Add broth to skillet. When it starts to simmer, add gnocchi, stirring to coat. Cover and cook until gnocchi are almost tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in kale and cook until it starts wilting, about 2 minutes. Uncover and stir in ¼ c cheese and 1 T butter. Sprinkle with ½ c cheese, transfer to broiler and cook until golden, about 3 minutes.

This is derived from a foodnetwork.com recipe.

rich

We are-- We are RICH. Thanks for the reminder, Sarah!

I think about this often when I laugh with David. When I have a friend to call. When I drive somewhere in a clunked up car—that was a gift, that we own flat-out, that works well! When I know that I am loved by my husband, my Dad & Mom, the rest of our family, our church, dear friends. When I drag myself out of the house to go to work. When I remember the adventurous adventures of my life. When I think of the gorgeous and rotating gallery of the artwork of the heavens that we get to witness every single day. When I think on beauty and hope of eternal salvation. When I remember the sacrifice of Christ and the fact that he’s given me the ability to believe and know him. When I pull food out of the pantry and it’s different from what we ate yesterday and it’s pretty and it fills our bellies and makes us strong. When I got that scary infection and the doctor had me come in right away, gave me medicine that worked. When I thank God that we can know his word in our language. When I see how God listens to our prayers and has moved. When I turn on the faucet and drinkable water comes out (or even lots and lots of piping hot water)! When I get to give neighbors tomatoes that grew in our garden.

That we can laugh and enjoy and cry and pray and run hard and sleep at night and hug each other tightly and know God and experience forgiveness and peace. Every single day. This is how I know I’m rich.

And even if I lost the car, the warmth, our savings account, the full belly, the clean water, my husband and family, this good health, O Lord, may I remember you. And in that remembrance, may I be rich.

My God will supply all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 4:19

a little log of memories: Starbucks and sweet friendships

Layers of memories flood me as I open the door, walk into coffee. David's in school and I get to sit in Starbucks for a few hours. No matter what anyone says, no matter how snobby I get about coffee or the corporate world--this place will always be a little treat.

Picking up Kindra and a short mocha when she got off at Pioneer Square. We were like 19. Yikes! 13 years ago?!

Iced drinks with the girls--Amanda, Amanda, Ligaya, Alison, Sheri--in the Portland summer.

Hanging and selling photos on Freemont.

Studying, reading, writing, laughing, talking. Summer, fall, winter, spring.

Catching up with Shannon off 99W, with Lisah Bennet in Oxnard. Ahhh...a deep breath with Nadia. And the same with Natalie. Even recently.

A job for Sarah in those early days and a Tai Chi latte.

A recess from Grandma's house when I stayed with her for a summer.

It's a reminder of a cappuccino in Ljubljana and the ease of focus in a familiar and crowded place where you can't understand a word. (I'm surrounded by Asians today.)

And yet it's also America to me. An American haven in Austria. Oh, how I love Starbucks. Makes me think of Becca and the Pitchers. And Christina, Johnny, Brooke, David & Katka and Julie. Trips to Czech, debriefing afterwards.

Pre-back-to-school road trip with Kristi's girls. And their visit to Salem :)

That fateful first IKEA trip day with the Jacksons.

David & Katka & Christina and a big cry and deep missing.

Pre-marital counseling with the Mormances.

A Sunday morning french press and restful conversation with my lover and best buddy.

I could keep going and going. There's a lot.

Oh! That six-ish hour talk...

but you...

... beloved,

building yourselves up in your most holy faith

and praying in the Holy Spirit,

keep yourselves in the love of God,

waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

Jude 20, 21

we know that--

--everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning 

          but he who was born of God protects him

          and the evil one does not touch him.

--we are from God

     and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

--the Son of God has come 

          and has given us understanding (so that we may know him who is true)

     and we are in him who is true (in his Son Jesus Christ).

He is the true God and eternal life.

Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

(1 John 5:18-21)

That's all for now. Just some verses, some things I want to understand in the core of my soul. And a pretty picture.