A to Z Challenge & Six Word Saturday: Kale!

This post is part of the April A-Z Blogging Challenge. This year my theme is simply, "things I know." Some posts will be informational, some about life lessons, some about things I've learned as an author/blogger. This post is also part of the Six Word Saturday blog hop! A chance to be a little less verbose, and use your weekend for other things. Lovely :)

Kale - a versatile vegetable super food.

I know there are people who think there's a cult of kale, but really.. It's so versatile and yummy! If there's a cult I'm happy to be in it. I love to replace other greens with it in soup recipes, and to make kale chips.

Any other kale fans out there?

A to Z Challenge: Jowar flour

This post is part of the April A-Z Blogging Challenge. This year my theme is simply, "things I know." Some posts will be informational, some about life lessons, some about things I've learned as an author/blogger.

Jowar flour, aka sorghum flour, is an excellent flour for gluten-free baking. It has a slightly sweet taste that I find echoes that of wheat (yes, wheat is very sweet! Think about it the next time you eat bread ;) ). It also has a lovely texture and combines with other flours to make breads and cakes with a crumb that can be difficult to achieve in gluten-free baking.

I usually use it in a flour mixture like this one described by the Gluten Free Goddess (my absolute favorite GF baking blog). I always use arrowroot starch rather than potato starch though. Also, I think tapioca starch is gross, but that's another post! That baking mix can be used to make this Coconut Chocolate Chip cake, which I am in love with. It can also be used to make yummy scones.

I use jowar flour to make my GF pie crust, too. If you'll allow me a moment to brag, I'll tell you that I have yet to find another GF pie crust that is nearly as good as mine ;)

Here is a picture of some yummy muffins that I'm sure were made with jowar flour, in the last couple days we lived in Miami. Don't they look yummy? 

Do you use any unique flours or ingredients in your kitchen?

A to Z Challenge: Inigo

This post is part of the April A-Z Blogging Challenge. This year my theme is simply, "things I know." Some posts will be informational, some about life lessons, some about things I've learned as an author/blogger.

Inigo Montoya's dedication to accomplishing revenge for his father's death is a great model for the process of working desperately hard on something. It goes the full circle from obsessive work and fascination to that feeling of, "I don't know what to do with myself" that comes after completing a huge project. We all know that feeling, right?




He dedicated himself, learned and grew so much in the process, and then... what? He has always been one of my favorite movie characters.

What movie character have you learned from?

A to Z Challenge: Handwritten

This post is part of the April A-Z Blogging Challenge. This year my theme is simply, "things I know." Some posts will be informational, some about life lessons, some about things I've learned as an author/blogger.

I love to receive handwritten notes. Emails and electronic communications are nice, of course, but there is something about someone taking the time to sit down and actually write me something in longhand that makes me feel so special. Similarly I enjoy sending people handwritten mail. With the hope of receiving something in return of course, but the joy is in the sending. Snail mail is so much about packages from our own online orders, junk mail, and bills these days. Getting 'real' mail, even just a postcard, is a treat :)

On a related note, it makes me super sad that kids might not be taught how to write in cursive anymore. I know that typing and computer skills are super important, but I think we'd really be losing something if we don't teach our children how to read and write in cursive. How will they read letters from their grandparents? How will they read historical documents? Electronic transcriptions can have the text, sure, but there's something so satisfying in reading a photocopy of the actual writing.

Time to get off my soapbox. What are your thoughts on handwritten letters?

A to Z Challenge: Grace

I worry sometimes that being Graceful is becoming a lost art. Graceful in our movements, our forgiveness of others (and ourselves), and in the way we treat one another.

I attend an amazing exercise class called Willpower & Grace, and one of the things that I love about it is the emphasis on graceful movement and how beneficial it is for our bodies. 

There are many times that I wish I were as graceful as Ms. Audrey Hepburn...

What do you do to bring grace into your life?

A to Z Challenge: Friends like these

This post is part of the April A-Z Blogging Challenge. This year my theme is simply, "things I know." Some posts will be informational, some about life lessons, some about things I've learned as an author/blogger.

Friends like these are hard to find!

I have been blessed with some amazing friends, in 'real' life and online. I've always loved the saying about friends being the family that you choose, because that is definitely how I feel about it. My best friends are as dear to me as my family. They are kind, they are always there for me, and I wouldn't trade them for the world!

Heidi, Tara, Ari and me

I mean, how could you not love faces like these? These are my best friends from graduate school. They are inspiring to me both personally and professionally and I am thankful every day that I have these incredible women in my life.


Who are the special people in your life? How did you meet your friend-family members?

(I am away at a conference for work this week, so I apologize if I do not respond to comments in a timely manner! I will try to respond to everyone next weekend! :) ~AJ )