check-out this too!

i'm blogging here now too: seasonbyseason.tumblr.com

you should check it out if you care to follow any muses, quotes, video clips, photos, songs, recipes, etc. that i may be savoring at the present moment.

i think i like the format of tumblr more than blogspot...?

we'll see. in the mean time, see for yourself. : )

new year. new start. new recipe.

so far i've been a very bad blogger in the year two.thousand.ten.
this is my first entry, and today is the last day of the month.

i guess i've been unmotivated. there are really no excuses to be made. because, we all know, you make time for the things that are important to you.

so i think i've decided that sharing lil' snippets of life in the form of thoughts, questions, quotes, photos, recipes, song lyrics, dance clips, and more is important to me.

sooo i'm resolving to be a better blogger. i'll try anyway. since it's important to me to share life with people all around the world, world, world, i figure this is one tool to do just that.

my housemates, which now include my parents and my two new sisters: fern & hanna (from bangkok and berlin, respectively), and i enjoyed this zucchini soup recipe, taken from my favorite cookbook: 'extending the table: recipes and stories from argentina to zambia in the spirit of more-with-less' this week.

it is wonderful. and easy. and comes from deutschland. which i'm missing quite a bit these days.

Zucchinisuppe

*This thick, mild soup can be served hot or cold. In winter, I'd go with the hot option... maybe as an appetizer or lunch soup?

Melt in saucepan:

• 1/4 c. margerine (50 ml)

Add and sauté:

• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  

Add:

• 2 & 1/4 c. zucchini, shredded (550 ml)
• 2 c. vegetable stock (500 ml)
  

Simmer 12 minutes. Add:

• 1/4 t. salt (1 ml) or to taste
• 1/4 t. basil (1 ml)
• dash of pepper
  

Add:

• 1/2 c. white wine (125 ml) (optional)

Place soup in blender and puree until creamy. Add:

• 1/2 c. plain yogurt (125 ml)

-- From: Maren Tyedmers: Minden, Germany

one of the best.

if i have to back-it-up (no pun intended) and watch it again, then it's a dance that has really caught my attention. there were several from season 6 of sytycd that did just that, but here's one that really made my jaw drop during the finale. when jakob does that double-fist punch to the ground, i kinda' lose it.

live in the present moment.

"I try to live in the present moment, to accept reality as it is - the reality of my body and spirit, the reality of my community, the reality of creation and of our world. Today, it is sunny and cold; yesterday, it was raining and cold. Accept each day, each moment as it comes - the different seasons..."

-- Jean Vanier, Founder of L'Arche

this is eurasia.

we wanted to 'go out with a bang' for our final project with the eurasia communications team.
so here it is: our stop-motion project to show not only the diversity of eurasia but also the ways in which youth from every field are participating in the Kingdom.



it was true collaboration.
quite the labor of love. but so worth it in the end.

our deepest humanity in waiting.

If it is true that God in Jesus Christ is waiting for our response to divine love, then we can discover a whole new perspective on how to wait in life. We can learn to be obedient people who do not always try to go back to the action but who recognize the fulfillment of our deepest humanity in passion, in waiting. If we can do this, I am convinced that we will come in touch with the glory of God and our new life.

-- Henri Nouwen, The Spirituality of Waiting

soup weather.

this soup was perfect for the cold and rain (and the little bit of snow we saw!) this week. and the leftovers tasted even better than the first meal... when spices and flavors have more time to soak in to the veggies, it is a beautiful thing.

Spinach-Zucchini Soup