I'm just trying to walk myself home.
Currently Reading: Books about World War II in China and Russia The Distant Land of my Father by Bo Caldwell The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean In the last several days I’ve experienced World War II from the cell of a Japanese war prison in China and from the cellar of the Hermitage museum …
Little Rock Zoo Days This past fall I joined the Little Rock Zoo on one of our days out of school. I realized I only had to come one other time to make it worth it to go ahead and join, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much we’ve used it. Our favorite time …
This is the third in a series of posts about a super fun birthday cruise that was planned by my friends, Sarabeth and Rhonda. Read the first here. And the second here. The Story of 12 Women Who Went On a Cruise, Part 3: Road Trip to Our Cruise Port The day finally arrived for …
This is the second in a series of posts about a super fun birthday cruise that was planned by my friends, Sarabeth and Rhonda. Read the first here. (@whitneyloibner‘s instagram) The Story of 12 Women who went on a Cruise, Part 2: Cruise Meetings OR How I went from being a Cruise Skeptic to a …
I love breakfast foods. When the kids were out of school on Monday, we ate breakfast food all day long. I have made several frittatas lately and this one evolved from Ina Garten’s Potato Basil Frittata, which is an old standby of mine. I love the potatos on the bottom, but I omitted the ricotta …
The Story of 12 Women who went on a Cruise: Part 1, The Planning OR How I went from being a Cruise Skeptic to a Cruise Addict In the winter of 2011, I was strongly encouraging two of my dearest friends to follow through on a dream they had about something that is near and …
Warm Winter Salad with Brussels Sprouts A lot of my cooking these days is being influenced by Heidi Swanson’s cookbook, Super Natural Every Day, which I happily added to my bulging cookbook shelf this past Christmas. She frequently mixes whole grains into her cooking, so I’ve added a few more to my pantry and am …
A sweet friend who knows me well put City of Tranquil Light in my hands over a month ago and when I texted her early this morning saying I had finished it and loved it so, so much, she replied, I knew you would love it. I read a lot of books. I read stories …
Talk It Out At Fellowship North: Conversations Across Race My church hosts this class once or twice a year called Talk It Out. And I want to invite you to be a part of it. It’s a class for anyone who wants to learn more about race issues inside and outside of the church. The …
Simple Chinese Chicken Salad I’m going to interrupt the Christmas baking posts with a salad. Taido and I have been eating many variations of this salad over the years, ever since we first had Chinese Chicken Salad at the Cheesecake Factory in Chicago, many, many years ago. I used to deep fry rice noodles to …
My kitchen is covered in cookies today. If you need a few all wrapped up for gifts, give me a holler. Or you could make some yourself! They are so yummy and happy! Tomorrow I will be turning all my baking efforts solely to… the cupcakes! Over half of our cupcakes are already sold, so …
I did a demonstration on Monday for an appetizer you can take to a holiday event that requires no cooking. Just chop and assemble. So easy. And it’s Christmas colors! Shrimp Dip Ingredients: 8 oz cream cheese, softened 10 oz shrimp cocktail sauce 6-8 oz already cooked salad shrimp ½ green bell pepper chopped 2-3 …
I’m reading through this treasure of a book for Advent this year called Watch for the Light. Already I have been so blessed by the musings of Kathleen Norris, Bernard of Clairvaux and Karl Rahner. Today’s reading opened with this poem by St Thomas Aquinas. Light of lights! All gloom dispelling, Thou didst come to …
We are gearing up for a wonderful holiday season at the Chino House. I haven’t pulled the decorations out yet but I am doing a lot of preparing on paper and in my heart. We’re so excited this year because our church theme for this Christmas is the Advent Conspiracy. Since we already love an …
Chilaquiles are the Mexican equivalent of lasagna, according to Crescent Dragonwagon. This casserole is similar to making a pan of enchiladas, only easier since you just layer the tortillas like pasta. Since this version is vegetarian, if you can open cans, you can make it. Easy peasy. I served with it chips and extra …
Curried Lentil Potato Pot Pie with Pumpkin and Tomatoes Conversation overheard at this week’s football game: My mom: What did y’all eat for dinner tonight? Ben: Lentil Pot Pie My mom: Hmmm, how was that? Ben: no answer Mary Polly: Interesting. Translation: I am a filo dough amateur. My filo crust top on this dish …
I have noticed that it’s been a while since I posted a new recipe. I think there are a couple of reasons for that. One is that October is so busy at our house that I tend to get on autopilot and fix the same five to seven meals over and over again. And the …
Banff Hiking Trails: Larch Valley and Sentinel Pass On Taido’s birthday we did what was maybe the most beautiful hike I’ve ever seen. We hiked through Larch Valley up to Sentinel Pass which leaves from Moraine Lake. Moraine Lake is very near Lake Louise and is similar in that a trail runs along one side …
Happy Big FOUR! O! to the man I love most in the world! I’m so grateful for all the years I’ve gotten to spend with him and for the journeys we still have ahead together. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I cannot imagine doing life with anyone else. It is more …
Lake Louise: Plain of Six Glaciers Trail Yesterday we drove up to Lake Louise, arguably one of the most beautiful spots on earth. A path runs along one side of the lake. Towards the end you can look back at the famous Chateau at Lake Louise. My grandmother stayed there many years ago and I …