I missed Recipe Monday #3 because my oven broke and I’ve been eating microwavable food… hello undergraduate dorm-living. So yesterday I went to Kroger’s and stocked up on some yummy healthy options that don’t require use of the stove/oven.

I found a soup I really like in the “natural” section. It is by Pacific Natural Foods and comes in lots of all-natural and veg varieties. I got vegetable lentil and roasted red pepper, poblano pepper and corn chowder, and rosemary potato chowder… See what I mean? Yum! The soup comes in a little box which makes about 2 bowls of soup. So for $2.50 (with your Kroger Plus card) you eat 2 meals! That is delicious! Gotta share a good thing when I find it. This will keep me eating good until the oven is fixed (hopefully when the repair person comes tomorrow…)

And in other news: I’m finished with my semester! I can’t believe it! I turned in final papers and took an exam on Friday. It was super stressful for everything to be due on that day. (Thank goodness for my sweet friend Caroline who was in the same boat– couldn’t have done the late late nights without her!) However, on this side of finals, I am really glad I got to enjoy my weekend without any looming tests or papers.

Friday night I went to a traditional family Shabbat dinner at my Hebrew teacher’s house. She invited our class and several families from her congregation. We chanted blessings and ate good food and sang Hebrew songs (a few that we had learned during the semester). This was a fun way to wrap up a semester and I had some good conversations with my Jewish friends about church and Bible and what it means to be Baptist or Jewish. Very cool.

I spent the rest of the weekend lolling around the house in my pajamas, watching movies, reading for fun, going with roommate Amy to see Love and Other Drugs (Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal… speaking of… hello hot Jew!) I feel like a real person after this weekend!

This week I am working more than usual at CBF, getting some end-of-the-month things underway since I will only be back to work one day between Christmas and the New Year. We are working on a CBF Vacation Bible School curriculum, and I am having fun with that! Look out for Finding Hope: A Field Trip of Faith.

Tonight we have choir practice at church for the Christmas Cantata coming up this Sunday. So privileged to sing with this fine group! I actually get to spend a few nights this week celebrating the season with my church friends. Love them.

AND, after the Christmas Cantata on Sunday, I am hopping in my car and heading to Nashville for the Second Annual Cousins Reunion! Last year we had a blast honky-tonkin… (See picture below). This year promises to be tamer since Melissa is preggo. I can’t wait to spend time with these crazy cousins…then home to Kentucky! I got good family time at Thanksgiving, but have missed them more than usual for some reason (I think Thanksgiving was a tease) and also miss all the life-long friends I see too seldom throughout the year. It’s going to be a really good holiday. May the hope, peace, joy, and love of Christ be with you all!