Merry Christmas, guys! What a great day it is. Jesus has come! Bringing us hope and peace and changing everything! Our King came to transform our hearts and save our lives this day.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices! 

I love you, Jesus! Thank you for coming! 

I'm signing off for the holidays, everybody! Our Christmas break officially begins today. I'm headed out to pick up Grant for a little date- they only have a half day at school. (yaaaay!) We're going to the city for a matinee and some shopping. I'm SO excited to see The Hobbit! 

We'll be starting our Christmas traditions this weekend, including caroling with the Harms clan, taco eating, camping out by the Tree, and a special breakfast! I'm also planning to make a grand mint chocolate birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas Day. I'll be back in with the recipe after I bake it, polish it off, and enjoy every minute of the holidays. 

Have a merry weekend, friends! Let the festivities begin! 

 a Sunday dinner at our table

Before we all pack up and go our little Christmas ways, I wanted to leave you with something that I've been thinking about a lot lately. Here comes a long post. Are you ready? Maybe you're snowed in and you were just waiting for something extra to read today.. I hope so! So, at the beginning of December a few of my sisters-in-law and I spoke about hospitality at a little Girls Night Out event. You guys would've loved it. In this post, I'll give you an idea of how it went. 
When I found out the topic for the night was hospitality, a few things came to mind right away: 

I knew from the get-go that this "talk" I was going to give to encourage other girls was really going to be a lesson to myself. And I learned a lot as I got my little 5-minute speech prepared. I found this definition that I really loved and became my main point:

HOSPITALITY: True hospitality simply entails receiving someone as they are and generously extending whatever it is you have to share. -Kristin Tennant

image source 

My ideas about hospitality have become a bit confused, because we live in a world with Martha Stewart. Who I think is super talented and inspiring! I love her cookie recipes and craft supplies and her 500-odd wreath ideas! For Martha Stewart Living, hospitality is an industry. It's also, in reality, a lot of "entertaining." Not the same thing. When I'm flooded with those dreamy images from a Martha Stewart magazine or Pinterest (honestly, I barely spend any time pinning, which is probably a good thing for me.) it's easy to start feeling like any efforts I make simply won't measure up in today's stylish world. It's not bad to have a beautiful home,  but it is bad if that becomes my requirement and motivation for having people over. Jesus showed us true hospitality when He simply gathered people (not always the most desirable guests either) around a table and made them feel welcome, and feel like they mattered. (paraphrased from a great article Hospitality Outside of Pinterest) Following His example, I want to remember that hospitality is an attitude- an approach to other people that you have to practice. It's being kind, open and welcoming. It's a generous desire to serve others and spread the love of Christ. So I don't have a luxurious living room for you to sit in, my house isn't perfectly decorated, and I hardly ever set our table. That's okay! In Romans 12:13, we are called to practice hospitality and I believe He will provide us ways to be generous and hospitable, no matter what our circumstances and however simple the offering may be. Whether it's a glass of water (a perfectly good thing to offer) or a gourmet meal, I have the freedom to be hospitable in whatever season of life I'm in. 

Another thing: Yes, I admit, I'd love for you to find me pulling something sumptuous out of the oven the moment you arrive at our house. For me, it's relatively easy to be hospitable when everything is all nicely planned out and I have time to prepare an "impressive" meal and clean my house before any guests arrive. In other words, when I'm good and ready. But if I find out someone is going to drop by, I start to freak out a little bit. Although there's nothing wrong with wanting to make your home a pleasant place for guests- if you love to do it, do it! I truly enjoy cleaning and planning fancy menus- there comes a time when my perfectionism just gets in the way and results in me being flustered. My house stays relatively clean  because I enjoy keeping it that way, but if someone is coming over, you will always find me rushing around dusting random surfaces, throwing things upstairs to get them out of sight, and making sure not a single thing is in my kitchen sink. Why? Why do I do this?! I need to just stop. And realize that all I'm trying to do at that point is impress. The only person who would be bothered by some streaks on my bathroom mirror is me. And me having a happy attitude, not worrying about some visible clutter, would set guests more at ease than a spic-and-span house. My mom encouraged me with some wise words on this subject: It's okay if your house looks lived in. Let them see your life going on. People who come over are going to feel more at home and relaxed if they see you being relaxed and being real. 

So, you don't have an immaculate house? Me either! Let's be friends! 


image source

Lastly, if you have guests coming to your house for Christmas, here are some practical ideas to put your hospitality to work. (and if you don't have guests coming, maybe you want to invite someone spontaneously!)

Only 5 more sleeps until Christmas, guys!! Have fun cramming in as much fun as you can. See you tomorrow for a Christmas Break sign off!

Unbelievable Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies 

(made with toasted almond meal! gluten and dairy free.)

1/2 cup coconut oil (or palm shortening)

3/4 cup coconut sugar 

1 egg

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup almond meal*, toasted (350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly golden)

1/4 cup rice flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life brand)

*To make the almond meal: I pulsed blanched, slivered almonds in my food processor until they were very fine. 

Pre-heat oven to 350º. Toast the almond meal. In a small bowl, cream the melted coconut oil and sugar. Stir in the cocoa powder, egg, and vanilla until well combined. In a separate bowl, sift together the toasted almond meal, rice flour, baking soda, and salt. Add this to the wet ingredients and just before the mixture all comes together, add the chocolate chips. Stir until well combined.

Place spoonfuls of dough on a cookie sheet lined with 2 sheets of parchment paper. Leave 2 to 3 inches of space around each cookie because- watch out! They spread. Seriously. My first batch turned out giant, each cookie was bigger than my hand. Pictured here is the second batch, where I scaled back a bit. 6 cookies per baking sheet was perfect for me. Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes, or until just golden around the edges and center is still a bit unset. Cool for a minute, and eat a couple of them warm.

These big slabs of cookie are my little Christmas gift to myself and to you! When you have a minute- go grab that pretty apron that you never wear, turn on some carols, and get baking. Eat at least 3!

hand lettered book cover from angel b lee

As I was reading, I kept thinking how wise Marmee was. I love that she loved Jesus and taught her little women to go to Him as their best Friend. I adored every noble speech she made to her girls. Full of simple, applicable truth. For sure, she must be the smartest mom in all literature. I want to be just like her! This book made me even more thankful for my invaluable gift of a daughter. A little lady to mold and enjoy and be my sweet companion. She already has such delicate, careful little ways and is a delight to our home. I made a whole bunch of highlights to remember the great things Mrs. March told her girls. Here's just a few of them...

 "Keep cheerful as well as busy, for you are the sunshine-maker of the family, and if you get dismal there is no fair weather."

 "There is not much danger that real talent or goodness will be overlooked, even if it is, the consciousness of possessing and using it well should satisfy one, and the great charm of all power is modesty." 

 "Have regular hours for work and play, make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well. Then youth will be delightful, old age will bring few regrets, and life become a beautiful success, in spite of poverty."

 "Rich or poor, we will keep together and be happy in one another."

Can't wait for the mothering ahead of me. 

I hold in my hands the last 5 little white envelopes with some pretty cute gift tags.

Who's going to get them!?!

They're all ready to go out and I'd love to send them to YOU! 

They're even prettier in person. 

GO GRAB THEM, QUICK!

showandtell.bigcartel.com 

ps. I'll be back later with more fun Christmasy posts! Up next... holiday hospitality, chocolate peppermint cake, a few of our traditions, wisdom from Mrs. March, my top Christmas songs this year, and more! but just had to let you in on the shop status! I'm so excited to sell out!!!

Baby, it's cold outside! .... and sorry, baby, but it's cold inside too. 

Here in our rustic little 1940's house in Minnesota, although it's cozy, things are rather brisk. Especially if you're over by the front door, near the drafty windows... in the spare room... upstairs in our bedroom.. laying on the hardwood floor.. pretty much anywhere unless you're on the couch under a blanket. But I don't mind too much. This is my 5th winter up here and I've learned how to warm up without hobbling over to the thermostat every time I feel shiver-y. Here's my checklist for keeping warm as we get used to the wintry air again:

1. TWO long sleeve layers at all times.

2. Smartwool socks. 

3. Slippers with a sturdy sole. 

4. Silk undershirts for maximum warmth.

5. Thick, soft, non-itchy scarves for all-day wear.

6. Space heater. What we do: Before bed, turn it on for 30 minutes to take the edge off the chill in your room. So nice for early mornings, too!

7. Steamy mug of tea, cider, or coffee.

8. Get sweaty. Climb the stairs, jump around, do push ups! 

9. Eat. A plate of piping hot scrambled eggs or a bowl of sweet rice always helps me warm up fast.

10. Chicken Soup! and with cornbread?! Can't dream up a cozier meal. I can almost feel it toasting my insides just thinking about it. I always feel pretty balmy after a bowl of soup.

We've been making old-fashioned chicken soup a few times a week lately. Here's how I do it. 1 whole chicken + veggies/herbs + water. It makes such a rich, clear broth all on its own. (The easiest way ever! And I can't believe this is my first time ever posting a recipe for it!)

Classic Chicken Soup

1 whole chicken (4-5 lbs)

8-10 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 medium red onion, chopped 

1 to 2 T. sea salt

4 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered 

rosemary to taste

3 quarts of water or more 

Add all ingredients to a large pot and pour in water until it almost covers the chicken. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer all day (or at least 4 hours). Remove chicken (it will probably fall apart on you- a very good sign) and pull the meat off the bones, then add meat back to the pot. Serve piping hot! Optional: stir in cooked rice, beans, or noodles. 

AND nothing goes better with soup/chili/a cold day than a cake of cornbread! Here's my simple gluten-free version.

Gluten Free Cornbread

(it's also dairy free)

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1 to 2 T. honey

1 large egg

1/4 cup coconut/almond/rice milk

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder

Blend together all of the wet ingredients, then stir in the dry. Don't over mix. Add batter to a greased baking dish (something small like an 8x8 or smaller). Bake at 350 degrees for 12-16 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Makes one small cake or a few muffins- perfect for me because I'm the only one eating it right now. Feel free to double it!

**I always add a little vinegar to make it more like buttermilk. I love the taste of buttermilk.

This cornbread is crazy moist and soft and wonderful. I hope you can try it sometime.

Have a great day guys, and please do stay warm- wherever you are!

Happy Tues, guys!! Show & Tell has been a lively little place lately, so I thought it was time to introduce a new print! Thanks so much for your word of mouth work and links all around and supporting my little venture! It's been going so well and I'm loving that I get to play elf with my packages and post office piles. You guys are the best!

This print came about one day as I was thinking about a line from an old hymn.. "whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say it is well- it is well with my soul." It is well. Such a calm trio of words.

I hope this print will remind someone to think about their circumstance and find that it's swell.

Some days I really do need to be taught to say "it is well." Like, yesterday. Yesterday I was not content with my lot. I wanted more of my husband's company, less commitments, more sleep, less runny nose, and way more time to get things done. I wanted more contacts because I'm tired of my glasses. I wanted clean hair. I was being silly and selfish. The tiniest burdens or changes from my normal happy I get so ruffled! The last thing I was ready to do was say everything's swell- unless I was being sarcastic. Thankfully I settled down after praying and thinking over my laughable "problems." I looked around and realized, oh, everything actually is swell. Because I have a ton to be grateful for. Because the Lord is in control and never asks too much of me. Because He is my helper and Savior. 

Thank you, Lord, for giving me that kind of a day. Help me to bear them, enjoy them, use them. 

So the lesson I'm learning like all the time: whatever my lot, it is well with my soul.

What lesson have you been learning lately?

Dairy Free Raspberry Hot Chocolate

single serving

1 cup coconut milk 

1 raspberry tea bag

1 T. cocoa

1 T. honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. almond extract

Warm milk until steaming, reduce heat to low and steep raspberry tea bag for about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients, except the vanilla and almond extracts. Warm through. Remove from heat, add extracts, and serve.
*If you are using the full-fat coconut milk (which I do) this cup of cocoa will be crazy rich. I diluted mine with a little water.


PLEASE TRY THIS.
Love, Summer
Cheers! From my lights-everywhere house to yours!

P.S. When do you do your Christmasy baking? Do you set a date? Do you wait until the perfect moment pops up? Do you bake several things at a time? Tell me! I need ideas. 

Today I'm talking about stocking your fridge- your pantry- your kitchen cupboards.

I've been asked about ingredients that are always in my kitchen / meal planning a few times on formspring and those are the questions that I'm always excited about and never have time to respond to!  I've been planning to post about it for months and am finally getting down to it. It's Christmastime and our thoughts drift toward food even more often this time of year. We usually spend a little more on groceries during December because we get some luxuries and "grocery store gifts".. how about you guys? Is your fridge full of goodies around the holidays?

Well. Let's begin. 

First I should explain that I'm the wrong person to ask about meal plans right now because we basically eat the same meals every week. We're currently working through some food intolerances for Grant and are suuuuuper limited on foods that sit okay with him. I'm talking like a handful of ingredients, tops. To be honest with you, he has eaten chicken, beef, carrots, squash, and zucchini for about 10 months. The awesome part about that is that our meals are so simple! I've actually loved the challenge of making delicious meals with such restricted ingredients. It's been going well so far and they've kept us happily fed for almost a year!

I guess my advice for planning meals would be to:
1. Have some meat thawing. Or figure out (in advance) whatever protein you're going to use.
2. Have "regulars." Have breakfast for dinner once a week, or tacos, or soup, or stir fry. 
3. Keep it simple. or else you won't feel like making it. It's so easy to stick some chicken in the oven, or flip a burger, or cut up some carrots, or make rice.
4. At the beginning of the week, sit down and assign a main dish to Monday-Friday. You can figure out the side dishes (if you even need them) and the weekends as you go. 
5. Have a standard grocery list. If you buy the same things, you'll always have the supplies you need to make your favorite meals. 
*for lunches: we like to have leftovers, soup, or a rice salad (for me)  

Ingredients that are always in my kitchen:
protein: chicken breasts/thighs/drumsticks, whole chickens, grassfed beef, organic beef hot dogs, ground turkey, farm eggs, sometimes salmon or other fish
fats: coconut oil, olive oil, sometimes grass-fed ghee or butter, sometimes raw cheese, rice milk/coconut milk/almond milk or organic raw milk, homemade chicken broth
grains/legumes: rice, quinoa, brown rice pasta, black beans, lentils, white beans, cans of organic baked beans, sometimes a loaf of store-bought sprouted bread
veggies: based on whatever is in season-- carrots, red onions, garlic, squash, kale, zucchini, lettuce, red bell peppers, turnips, parsnips, broccoli, sauerkraut, asparagus, cauliflower, potatoes, corn, celery, and Muir Glen organic tomato sauce (their cans are BPA-free)
fruit: apples, bananas, lemons, plums, sometimes oranges or a pineapple, or whatever is in season
snacks: almonds, dried fruit, almond butter, peanut butter, Larabars, avocados, organic corn tortilla chips and salsa, baked treats
baking supplies: coconut flour, sprouted rice flour, sprouted oats, sprouted cornmeal, cinnamon, vanilla, coconut oil, dates, nuts, cocoa, honey, coconut milk, baking soda, Enjoy Life chocolate chips
seasonings, herbs & spices: sea salt, garlic, rosemary, sage, thyme (my chicken seasoning)
cumin, oregano, cilantro, pepper, raw apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, red curry paste

With these you can make...
Roasted whole chicken with root vegetables, chicken chili or beef chili, thai red curry over rice, burgers with a ton of toppings (no bun), pasta dishes, stir fry with chicken/veggies/rice, chicken soup, broccoli soup, roasted cauliflower soup, squash soup over rice and lots of other soup options, burrito bowls, hot dogs with caramelized onions and sauerkraut, roast beef, scrambled or fried eggs, roasted salmon, veggie quinoa bowls, banana cinnamon quinoa, salads with homemade dressing, cilantro rice salad, meatballs, stuffed squash, garlic lemon chicken drumsticks or thighs, carrot fries, roasted zucchini... etc. 

So that's a glimpse into our current food life. I realize it might not be a super helpful answer for you guys because of our current limitations, but maybe there was an easy meal idea that encouraged you or an ingredient that sparked your interest. I hope so! I really love everything we eat. There are things that I am excited to cook with again (butter!!!) but right now I'm content with this kitchen stocked with the simplest stuff. I know someday we'll be having more variety. Well. You made it through! That was quite a bit of food talk. But for me, I could talk about food all day long. So I'm here if you want to chat! What's your go-to meal?

It's an old fashioned thing. 

A Christmas tradition from auld lang syne. 

And I am in love with it right now.

I first read about clove-studded fruits in the book Little House in the Big Woods, and that little piece of literature has stayed with me for years. Laura's aunt brought one as a Christmas gift. "A large, red apple stuck full of cloves. How good it smelled! And it would not spoil, for so many cloves would keep it sound and sweet." I have always wanted to try making one of those old-world air fresheners myself, because I knew it would just be like smelling Christmas.

Finally, this year, I did it. I picked up a bottle of whole cloves and some oranges at the store over the weekend and poked them in while I watched Little Women. It only took me 5-10 minutes. I left my spicy fruit on our table and the next morning when I came downstairs I could already smell the rich, warm aroma hanging in the room. It was the best! I love this smell! I think I'm going to make it a new tradition. I keep going across the room just to have a big sniff. You have to try this. Make your home even more Christmasy cozy. Such a simple yummy Christmas craft/gift. I'm giving one to Grant to put on his desk at school.

Christmasy Clove Oranges

An old world air freshener scented by clean, bright orange oil and heady mulling spice.

Hang them on a knob, use them as a centerpiece, place on a desk, or near your favorite spot.

What you'll need: oranges, whole cloves, something pointy (a toothpick or needle- I used my meat thermometer), string or ribbon

1. If you're wanting to hang your orange or give as a gift, tie it up with string or ribbon, making a loop at the top.

2. Poke orange rind all over with your something pointy. 

3. Stick cloves into pre-poked holes. Wear gloves if you want, the cloves have sharp corners.

4. Enjoy your new Christmas perfume.

Hey guys! Hope you're having a lovely eve. A quick bit of shop news...

A lot of orders came in over the weekend and there are only a handful of gift tag sets left in my holiday shop, so if you were hoping to get one please order soon!!

SHOW & TELL