Food – Gospel-Shaped Womanhood

Nurturing Life in a World of Death

May 7, 2019May 8, 2019by Sarah RiceLeave a Comment

One of the most challenging aspects of my current season is the constancy with which I must feed other people. Perhaps it’s safe to say that no one thinks about food more than mothers. Even from the earliest moment a pregnancy is detected, a new mother must begin to consider her role to nourish another. When a baby is born, a mother is immediately faced with the daunting task of eight to ten feedings a day. As months go by, the number of feedings necessary to sustain life lessons, but the menu becomes more varied and complex. And the need certainly never lessens.

Preparing food is neither my greatest gifting nor my greatest enjoyment, but I have developed the skill out of sheer necessity. My boys must be fed multiple times a day, and, sadly, I often view the constant responsibility to feed them as more of a burden than a joy. But, as the Lord has faithfully strengthened my body to nourish little lives day-by-day, he has done a slow but sure work in my heart as well, showing me more of the great privilege and responsibility women have to image him as life-givers. This role is not less than the provision of physical nourishment for other people, but it certainly extends far beyond it.

A Gift, Not a Curse

When I am pouring what feels like the hundredth cup of milk for the week, I am quick to lose sight of the undeserved gift all women have received in both our calling and ability to nurture life in a world cursed by death. The beginning chapters of Genesis bring me back to this perspective-shifting truth: Adam and Eve did not deserve to live one moment beyond the moment of their sin. After all, God had promised that disobedience would lead to death (Genesis 2:17).

God would have been righteous in immediately striking his human creatures dead for their rebellion in eating fruit from the one forbidden tree in the garden. But we see a beautiful foretaste of God’s lavish mercy in the fact that he didn’t. Adam and Eve’s spiritual death was immediate, but their physical death was mercifully delayed. Although God cursed his children because of their sin, even his curses displayed beautiful whispers of his love and grace as he spoke of their continued ability to bring forth life in a world now corrupted by sin.

The toil would be hard, but man would image God as provider by working the ground to bring forth food. The pain would be great, but woman would image God by taking this food and giving it to others to nourish life–even new life within her own body! And, eventually, one woman would nourish the life of a Son who would defeat the serpent and the curse of death once and for all (Genesis 3:15)!

Before his wife ever conceived a child, Adam named her Eve, which means “life-giver.” By faith, he believed she would be “the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). As daughters of Eve, all women share her calling to image God as life-givers, and this ability to nourish both physical and spiritual life is an amazingly undeserved gift, not a curse. This is the truth our hearts need as we chop veggies and make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches day after day.

What if I can’t cook?

What if a woman hates to cook, or believes herself to be no good at it? What if she isn’t married and doesn’t have a biological family to feed every day? Do these things negate the calling and ability of certain women to nurture life by feeding others? No. As the Scriptures make clear, nurturing life encompasses more than breastfeeding babies or putting a delicious and beautifully presented meal on the table every night. Our world is full of people needing to eat, and, as women, we are called to offer this food in a variety of ways.

When a woman meal plans, grocery shops, and prepares food for her family, she nourishes life. When a woman provides a meal for an elderly widower in her church, she acts as a life-giver. When a woman orders pizzas and serves them to her small group, she sustains life. When a woman ladles up bowls of hot soup to put in the hands of the poor and homeless, she images the giver and and sustainer of life. When a woman feeds children who aren’t her own in order to give their weary mother a break, she is being a life-giver.

In all these instances, God is less concerned with a woman’s skill and more concerned with her faith (Hebrews 11:6a). Christian women nurture life as they are continually sustained by the life of Christ. As we walk by faith that leads to obedience, God grows us in the skill and strength necessary to feed others well to the glory of God. Being the best cook isn’t essential because even the most delicious of foods cannot ultimately satisfy. Whether we serve others takeout or a home cooked meal, they will always come back hungry for more. And this is by design.

Serve the Bread of Life

“Why do these children constantly need to eat?!?” I’ve said it myself, and I’ve heard other moms say it. The demand for physical nourishment is a constant (and often exhausting) part of this life, but it is a beautiful and necessary reminder from the Lord that “man does not live by bread alone” (Deuteronomy 8:3). When the bread of this life leaves us wanting, we see clearly our need for a better type of bread.

As those called to image God by giving life, women must serve up sustenance for more than this life only. Nurturing physical life affords us opportunities to nurture spiritual life. As women, we fulfill our calling as life-givers by continually feeding others the food of God’s word–the only food that leads to Christ, the Bread of Life. Those who eat hot bread from our ovens will eventually die, but those who feast on “the true bread from heaven” through belief in him for salvation will have eternal life (John 6:47-50).

Feeding others is important work. It’s God-like, gospel work. When we feed others in our wombs, through our breasts, or with our hands, we tell the story of a God who is faithful to feed his people the Bread of Life when they deserve only death. As we serve up meat and bread and fruits and vegetables, we tell others of the one who gave the bread of his flesh for the life of the world. We must call those we feed to look to him in faith, so they will never hunger or thirst again. Sisters, in our marriages, parenting, friendships, and relationships within the Body and with the lost, let’s faithfully nurture life. In world where death cannot be escaped, let’s feed others the risen Christ.

Faith, Food

Food, Fitness and The Gospel: Why Your Body Matters but Can’t Save You

July 9, 2018November 2, 2019by Sarah RiceLeave a Comment

It takes only a quick scroll through social media feeds during the summer to reveal that we live in a body-obsessed culture. Swimsuit selfies abound this time of year, but they aren’t the only manifestation of our complete obsession with how our bodies look and feel. Excessive exercise, restricted eating, binging and purging, gluttony, negligence, and substance abuse are other tell-tale signs that we have veered off course in the way we think about and relate to our bodies.

Last year, I wrote an article about my own struggle with an eating disorder as a teenager. Anything that human beings love and adore more than God Himself is an idol, and during high school I worshipped at the altar of my ideal, size-zero body. While this led to severely disordered eating for a season, my eating habits were not the root of my issue.

My ultimate problem was that I took cues about the purpose of my body from the culture rather than from God Himself. I sought to control my body as a means to my own end rather than caring for it as a means to bring God glory. I looked to the image of my body for my happiness and worth, and this left me in a mess. So, what does God have to say about the human body? How do we glorify Him by loving and caring for our bodies without simultaneously worshipping them as functional gods?

Created Good

During the first century, the heresy of Gnosticism began to slip into the early church. The Gnostics believed the human spirit was intrinsically good and the human body was intrinsically evil, but the Bible tells a different story. In the first chapter of Genesis, we learn that God completed his creative work with the fashioning of man and woman—spiritual beings with gender-specific, physical bodies. Then, God looked back over all of his material creation and declared it very good (Gen 1:31). The human body is not intrinsically evil because it was created by a good God who declared it to be good. The body is a beautiful part of God’s design and plan for humanity, but it was never meant to be our god.

Corrupted by Sin

When Eve was deceived by the serpent, she doubted the goodness and truth of God’s Word and, together with her husband, disobeyed God by eating food from the one and only tree He had declared off limits. As a result, the entire human race was plunged into sin, and all of God’s good creation—including the human body—was subjected to corruption.

While our bodies are not intrinsically evil, they are now cursed with weakness, disease and ultimately death. Furthermore, they are now agents of the rebellion and idolatry flowing from our hearts. We falsely believe that our bodies belong to us rather than to God, and this belief typically manifests in one of two ways: 1.) We obsessively control our bodies for the purpose of our own glory or 2.) We are controlled by the fleshly desires of our bodies for the purpose of our own pleasure. The first may look like like hyper-fitness obsession, self-starvation and body selfies, while the second looks more like laziness, overeating for comfort, substance abuse or sexual immorality. These are different extremes of the same root problem. In both cases, we are worshipping and serving the creature (ourselves) rather than the Creator (Rom 1:25), and when our god is our stomach, we are on a path that leads to destruction (Phil 3:19).

Redeemed by Blood

In sin, we make our bodies idols, but through blood, God transforms our bodies into the spiritual temple of His Holy Spirit. When Jesus came to earth in bodily flesh, He lived a perfect life and died a bloody death on our behalf. He bore all of our sins in His sinless body on the cross, so that all who look to him by faith for salvation might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Peter 2:24). Dying to sin means that we turn away from worshipping our bodies for our own pleasure and glory and begin stewarding our bodies as temples for God’s Kingdom purposes. The line between faithful stewardship and sinful idolatry is easily crossed, so the Word of God is critical in helping us discern the difference.

The Bible teaches that faithful stewardship of our bodies is less about health and wellness and more about godliness, purity, and sacrifice. Nowhere in Scripture will we find a list of specific foods we should or should not eat. There is Christian freedom when it comes to what we eat (1Timothy 4:4), but all of our eating and drinking must be motivated by a desire for God’s glory (1 Cor 10:31). The Bible does not outline how often we should work out for optimal health but exhorts us to focus primarily on training ourselves in godliness. While bodily training has some value, godliness has value both in this life and the life to come (1 Tim 4:8).

Does this mean we should eat whatever we want whenever we want it and sit on the couch all day? No. As those walking by the Spirit, we practice self-control (Gal 5:25) rather than being mastered by our appetites (1 Cor 6:12-13). There is value in learning what foods best fuel our bodies and consistently eating those foods. There is value in regular exercise and bodily fitness. But that value doesn’t rest in the fact that exercise might produce a more attractive body and that eating well might lead to long life. Healthy eating and exercise hold value because they enable us to expend our bodies in service to Christ and others during our years on earth. In view of the gospel, we are called to offer our bodies as living sacrifices and die daily to our fleshly desires for self-worship (Rom 12:1). Sometimes this means hitting the gym when we would rather succumb to laziness. Other times it means skipping the gym in order to better serve our families and neighbors.

Resurrected to Glory

We don’t proclaim the Paleo, Vegan or CrossFit “gospels” because food and fitness cannot ultimately save our souls or our bodies. No matter how well we eat and exercise now, our physical bodies are still plagued with weakness and are moving toward death and decay. This should not cause us to lose heart but to refresh our hearts with the hope Christ alone offers. The redemption Jesus provides through His blood is not only for our souls now but also for our bodies in the life to come because “he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus…”(2 Cor 4:4). So, our hope is not in the preservation of our frail, earthly bodies but in the One who will resurrect and transform them to perfect, glorious bodies (Phil 3:21). Our earthly bodies matter, but they are not ultimate as the world would have us believe . Christ is ultimate. He has bought us at a steep price, and we are not our own. May we glorify Him alone with our bodies, both in death and in life, now and forevermore.

Biblical womanhood, Faith, Food

When Body Image Becomes an Idol

August 31, 2017October 1, 2018by Sarah RiceLeave a Comment

During my high school years, I struggled with an eating disorder. Any weight gain was unacceptable to me–even that which was part of normal growth and development. If the numbers on the scale went up or I had to size up in clothing, I freaked out. Having total control over my body was so important to me that I restricted my caloric intake to a dangerous low while exercising excessively.

Looking back, I can put my problem in biblically accurate terms: I practiced body-focused idolatry that resulted in disordered eating. My thoughts and feelings concerning my body and food trumped what God had to say about these things in his word. I knew this was an area of my life not surrendered to God. If not for his pursuing grace, things could have gotten very bad.

Body idolatry and eating disorders are multifaceted problems. Helping people with these issues requires time, wisdom, prayer and the involvement of multiple people, including medical professionals. It requires a holistic approach that deals with both body and soul. The church shouldn’t shy away in fear.

Ultimately, it was my parents who spoke biblical truth into this area of my life and helped me see my problem as more than just physical. God used their watchful care and their faithfulness to nourish me with truth. Like me, those struggling with body idolatry and eating disorders need faithful men and women in the body of Christ to come alongside and care for them in grace and truth before it’s too late.

Awareness and Physical Care

A person with an eating disorder typically won’t be upfront and honest about it. With this issue comes hiding, denying, and often lying. To help a struggling person, you must be attuned to warning signs (weight loss, restricted eating, etc.) to identify the problem. A medical doctor needs to thoroughly examine and assess potential danger and harm. Seeing a doctor or nutritionist regularly may be a vital part of someone’s physical care and something she won’t receive apart from the insistence and help of another.

The Word’s Nourishment

Along with physical care and nourishment, those struggling with disordered eating need to be constantly nourished by the word of God. Jesus makes this clear in Matthew 4:4, “Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” For those with disordered eating, spiritual components are tightly interwoven with physical. Issues of the heart need to be exposed and confronted with the truth of God’s word. Scripture draws out these divisions (Heb 4:12) and shines light on lies the heart believes.

A person consumed with body idolatry likely won’t be feeding consistently on the word herself. She’ll need to be fed specific biblical truths about her identity, her body and food by others through consistent counseling.

The Reality of the Gospel

Body idolatry at its root is an issue of misplaced identity and worship. God tells us in his word that all human beings possess great dignity and worth as those made in his image (Gen 1:27). We’re the crown of God’s creation, and we reflect something true about his nature. But we’ve all sought to find our loveliness and worth in something other than God (something like our own bodies), and we’ve worshipped the created rather than the Creator (Rom 1:22-25). God hasn’t left us in our idolatry, though. While we were running away, God sent Jesus to die the death we deserved for our rebellion (Rom 5:8) and to restore our misplaced identity by giving us a new, righteous identity in him. If we agree with God about our sin, turn from it, and look to Jesus in faith we are forgiven and healed (1 John 1:9). This is the good news that someone with an eating disorder needs to hear over and over and over. Helping this person find her reality in Christ, rather than the size of her body or the control she exercises over it, is the foundation for helping her find freedom.

Truth About the Body and Food

When a person’s reality is rooted in Christ, it frees her to think rightly about her body and food.

The Bible says life is more than food and the body more than clothes (Matt 6:5). The body and food are not ends in themselves for us to control and worship for our own fulfillment. They’re important in that they are means to help us accomplish God’s kingdom purposes, and they should be cared for and enjoyed to this great and glorious end (Matt 6:33).

For those of us in Christ, our bodies are the dwelling place of his Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19), created in him for the purpose of good works (Eph 2:10). We should strive to eat in ways that appropriately fuel our bodies to bring God glory by accomplishing the various works he has ordained for each of us to do. For some this will mean eating more. For some it will mean eating less. For others it will mean eating differently. A person struggling with body or food idolatry needs to be trained, in concrete and practical ways, to eat to the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31).

People with eating disorders need help and care from a number of sources. The body of Christ must be one of these sources. We must be equipped to step up and address this issue head on with wisdom and confidence in the sufficiency of scripture. We need to continually speak the truth in love as we seek appropriate help for those who struggle, recognizing that ultimately one person has the divine power needed to overcome (2 Pet 1:3), and he shares freely with all who come to him.

Food

Favorite {easy} healthy eating tips

June 12, 2014June 12, 2014by Sarah RiceLeave a Comment

I am not a health food expert. In fact, almost everything I know about healthy eating has been learned from my future-MD-could-be-a-certified-nutritionist-younger sister. Jenny has definitely done her research about food and how it affects the body, and she strongly believes that eating well will lead to a longer life, or at least a higher quality of life. I know this because her eating reflects this belief. She eats so stinkin’ healthy it will make you sick and guilt-ridden in those times when you decide to pound four chocolate chip cookies at once. Because everyone else does that, right? Seriously, though, she has educated me so much on food, and last night I found myself sharing some of these healthy eating tips with a friend as we were bemoaning the busyness of ministry-life with young kids and confessing the temptation to feed them the easiest, cheapest, processed junk available.

Since most people are living in the rat-race, and most people care about good nutrition for themselves and their kids, I thought it might be worth sharing a few things I’ve learned here. Quick disclaimer, though: First, I do not follow these tips 100% of the time. Clearly, I love sugar {see cookie reference above} and allow myself splurges. Honestly, I think that’s the only way to maintain an overall healthy lifestyle. You have to allow some splurges. I try to keep my splurges outside of our home (restaurants, social events, etc), so that I’m not keeping the bad stuff at the house. I don’t buy any sweets or sodas to keep at home, but I have them sometimes when I’m out. Second, learning to eat healthy is progressive. I am constantly learning new things about food and slowly trying to wean us away from the things that are bad for our bodies and make sure I’m buying plenty of the things that our bodies need. It may not happen overnight, but everyone can make small strides. That said, here are my top ten favorite health tips {currently}.

1. Eat healthier starches. Most of the “white” starches immediately turn to sugar in your system and raise your blood sugar. I don’t buy white bread, white rice, or white pasta. I look for pastas and breads that say 100% whole wheat or whole grain (nothing less than 100%), and I make sure that the first ingredient isn’t “wheat flour” or “enriched wheat flour,” which ultimately means white flour. We try to eat lots of good starches like brown rice, quinoa and beans. Yes, my two-year-old knows and enjoys quinoa. Start ’em young on the right things, and they will already have an acquired taste for these good things when they’re old. I eat sweet potatoes rather than white potatoes as well.

2. Use fruit to sweeten oatmeal. I used to buy the artificially flavored instant oatmeal. Now, I buy the Simple Truth (Kroger’s organic brand) plain oatmeal with no sugar added. I still buy the instant (steel-cut or rolled oats are healthier) for the sake of convenience. I mix the oatmeal with a banana, blueberries, and some milk or water BEFORE cooking. Then, I microwave the oatmeal. The fruit sweetens the oatmeal without me having to add any sugar or other type of sweetener. I make this for the boys a lot.

3. Use “Fit” spray to wash produce. We eat lots of produce and can’t afford to buy organic. Fit claims to “remove 98% more dirt, pesticides, waxes, people-handling residues and other contaminants versus washing with water alone.” Of course, I don’t know for certain this is true, but my mom did tell me that she watched a special on the news that said Fit removes {harmless} fecal particles that remain on spinach/lettuce (yes, even the pre-washed bags! Yuck!) .

4. Make your own mac-n-cheese substitute for kids’ meals. For a while, I bought Luke the Velveeta instant mac-n-cheese packs (just because they are super easy and he likes them). For a less processed option, I now boil 100% whole grain/whole wheat pasta and grate cheese on it. I zap it in the microwave for a few seconds to melt the cheese. Easy!

5.Green Smoothies. It’s easy for me to get enough fruit in my diet each day, but I’m a little less motivated with my veggies. Green smoothies are a great way to sneak some greens into my diet. I usually use spinach for smoothies, but Kale is a good option as well. I blend spinach, a banana, strawberries and/or blueberries, and some almond butter, Greek yogurt, or protein powder to sweeten it. The possibilities for what you can put in a green smoothie are endless, and the best part is that you can’t taste the greens! It tastes just like a fruit smoothie.

6. Look for normal kid options with “no sugar added.” My boys eat lots of applesauce, and I make sure I buy the natural applesauce with “no sugar added.” I also buy natural peanut butter with as little sugar as possible. Sometimes, I buy fruit cups to take to restaurants, and I look for the ones that are sweetened in natural fruit juice and don’t have “light syrup” added to sweeten. You can also buy Mott’s Apple juice with 40% less sugar.

7. Avoid high fructose corn syrup. I don’t know all the scientific reasons behind it, but I do know that HFCS is HORRIBLE for you. Jenny told me that the best type of sugar is the natural sugar found in fruit (fructose). Even natural table sugar (sucrose) is better than HFCS, which is processed.

8. EAT BREAKFAST, and eat protein for breakfast. Jen taught me that eating protein first thing in the morning jump-starts your metabolism. Some of my favorite protein breakfast items are eggs, Greek yogurt, and whole-wheat toast with almond butter. {Have I mentioned that almond butter is my new favorite thing?!? It’s so good on apples for a sweeter snack. You can buy it with or without added maple sugar. I buy it without and still love it.

9. Buy frozen fruits and veggies. Frozen fruits and veggies are usually flash frozen after they’re harvested, so they lose less nutrients and are good longer than fresh veggies. Plus, they’re so fast and easy for busy families. I buy several of these Birds Eye Steamfresh veggie bags every week to have with our lunches and dinners.

I’m also loving these Simple Truth frozen Quinoa meals right now.

And if you’re going to do a frozen pizza, Simple truth or Kashi are healthier options. Our boys love these pizzas.

10. Ask for salad dressing to the side and dip salad into dressing rather than pouring it on. If you eat your salad this way, you’ll probably be surprised that you can get away with a lot less dressing. You’ll likely avoid unnecessary sugar and calories.

Bonus: Don’t be sedentary after a meal. Even if you don’t “exercise” but just take a leisurely walk or keep yourself up and moving, your metabolism works in your favor!

What are your favorite healthy foods and eating tips? I’d love to hear!

Books, Food, Real Life

A few of my favorite things. . .

October 3, 2013October 9, 2013by Sarah RiceLeave a Comment

Well, current favorites, mind you.

September has been such a whirlwind. We’ve been burning up the roads every weekend, and in between, I feel like I’m spending quite a bit of time unpacking, washing, and repacking. Have you ever traveled with two kids two and under? Packing for two days is like packing for a month. All that to say, I feel like I haven’t had much time to slow down and smell the roses. Or the mums, if you will. BUT, here are a few things I’m loving even in the midst of the hurry scurry:

1. The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert

I just finished this, and I have to say, it’s probably the best book I’ve read in a while. Rosaria Butterfield’s story of her conversion from a lesbian, feminist, english professor to a follower of Jesus (now adoptive parent and homeschool mom) is intriguing, eye-opening, and God-exalting. It demonstrates the grace and power of God to change the heart of the most unlikely person. It also painfully exposes our (scary) tendency in the church to “water-down” the conversion process by reducing it to a simple formula or common cliche’. Pray this prayer. Walk the aisle. Sign this card. Your eternal destiny is secure. Rosaria’s writing is real. Raw, even. You may not agree with everything she writes (I don’t), but Rosaria is the real deal. She will make you think, and if your own heart has been changed by Christ, her story will cause you to praise God for his grace and goodness in drawing rebellious people to Himself. Here is an excerpt from a review I found online:

How do I tell you about my conversion to Christianity without making it sound like an alien abduction or a train wreck? Truth be told, it felt like a little of both.” You won’t find any happy little stories about “making a decision for Christ” or “finding Jesus.” Those may be true stories for others, but Rosaria hated the name of Jesus and was so far from the Christian worldview that she was indeed an “unlikely convert.” Her narrative begins with an important piece of information: When I was 28 years old, I boldly declared myself lesbian. As a tenured professor in English at Syracuse University, on the cutting edge of Women’s Studies and Queer Studies Rosaria was no fan of Christianity. But “Christ claimed” her for Himself just the same.

2. Fall is in the air. . . or on the table, at least.

Highs may still be in the 80’s around here, but I’m loving all the pumpkins, mums, and fall decor everywhere! Besides Christmas, I think this is the most wonderful time of the year. I found these adorable little burlap pumpkins at, the one and only, Target for $9.99. Hard to beat.

3. avocado and grilled corn salad with cilantro vinaigrette While this is not a particularly “fall-ish” dish, it’s been one of our favorites lately. Corn, avocado, tomato, and feta are just a “magical little combination, ” as my dad would say. And I bake my corn in the oven if we don’t have time to fire up the grill.

4. I’m loving this post (What Should I Wear? By Nora Allison) over at Gospel Taboo. Nora does a great job explaining an often misinterpreted passage of Scripture, and she leads women to focus on more than just the externals by examining the heart.

5. Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers series

There are four little books in this series: The Trinity, The Gospel, The Scripture, and The Mission. Currently, we have The Gospel and The Scripture, and they are amazing tools to use with children! We are big fans of children’s books around our house….everything from Goodnight Moon to Where the Wild Things Are. But, I’m always looking for helpful resources to use in my quest to teach my children biblical truth, and these were a great find by my husband.

Happy (almost) weekend!

Food, Real Life

Hello, May!

May 9, 2012May 13, 2012by Sarah RiceLeave a Comment

Seriously? Are we already eight days into May? This train just doesn’t slow down. I do actually have meaningful thoughts in my head– thoughts that I would love to formulate into blog posts, sharing meaningful and eternal things. But our days have been busy. And so fast. And I only have time for a few thoughts right now.

One day, when I’m old and forgetful, I want to be able to remember the things I was loving in May 2012:

1. That end-of-the-semester feeling of accomplishment. It’s finals week for the hubs and myself. Feels good to have some more classes knocked out. Ok, so only one more class knocked out for me. But still. Feels good. There’s no rest for the weary, though. We have a busy summer of school {and travel} coming up. We’re each taking two classes, and OH MY WORD at all the assignments listed on my syllabi. But who cares about that? Speaking of travel. . .

2. In less than a month we leave for vacation in Colorado! Not that I’m counting the days or anything. Anyone have suggestions about fun things to do in Colorado Springs during the summer? We’ve never been to CO this time of year, but Jenny has been living there for a year, so I’m sure she’s putting together an awesome itinerary.

3. Mr. Boy’s new tub. So, I’ve been looking for a safety bath ring or something to help L transition from the infant tub {which he’s rapidly outgrowing} to the big tub. I found this hilariously creepy duck tub at Target, and it’s perfect for transition and travel, both of which we need. Mr. Boy was scared of Mr. Duck at first, but he quickly befriended him and reached up to pet him every so often. It. was. hilarious.

4. Roasted Veggies . . .so simple but SO good. My new favorite. Zucchini, squash, tomatoes, onion, olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake on a pan at 450 degrees for 15 minutes {add tomatoes in last 5 minutes}. Yummy!

5. Opportunity for a new {to me} women’s bible study. Since Mr. Boy arrived, it’s been harder for me to be in Sunday School each week. His schedule is getting easier now, but at first {with nursing and naps}, it was all I could do just to make it to the service. I’ve been trying to find a good women’s Bible study to get involved in because I really miss the community and in-depth Bible study that is {or should be} Sunday school. So, I’ve been looking for a good study to be a part of during the week. I feel like it’s crucial for me to have this in my life, especially during the years of small children. My friend Julie recently invited me to visitor’s day at BSF, at international women’s Bible study that she has been a part of for a while. I’m so excited to try it out and hopefully register for the fall! It will be an answer to prayer.

6. Green Smoothies. I realize that this looks 100% disgusting, but I promise it tastes just like a regular fruit smoothie. Fruit smoothies have been big in Rice land for the last few months, and we finally decided to try these green smoothies that I’ve been reading about. And they’re not half bad, y’all. You just blend up some spinach leaves first {I did a little more than 1 cup} and add them in with all your regular smoothie ingredients {for us it was strawberries, banana, kiwi, yogurt, and ice}. Great way to eat a lot of your colors in one big whop! I mix granola in mine for a little something sweet!7. Seeing the world {for the first time again} through Mr. Boy’s eyes. Now that he’s crawling, his world is 100 times bigger! I love seeing his eyes wide in wonder as he watches an airplane fly across the sky or watches a door stopper spring back and forth. {Its the little things, y’all.} I love listening to him babble to himself as he curiously tries to turn the pages of a board book. I’m not so much loving that he’s into EVERYTHING, but that’s just part of the process. That messy and gloriously beautiful process.

Well, this post ended up being longer than planned. But that’s how things go when I get to rambling.

Happy May days!

Food

Crunchy Asian Salad

March 12, 2012April 6, 2012by Sarah RiceLeave a Comment

This has been a favorite in the Rice household lately. I’m always looking for healthier meal options, and this is a salad that Adam and I both love. Adam says its actually pretty filling for “rabbit food.”

(2 T oil, 2 T balsamic vinegar, 2 t sugar)
16 oz bag coleslaw mix
4 green onions, sliced
2 oz sliced almonds
½ red bell pepper, sliced
11 oz can mandarin oranges, drained
½ pkg Ramen noodles, broken up
1 c chopped rotisserie chicken (I like a bit more chicken)
1 c chopped baby spinach

Wisk oil, vinegar, sugar and salt and pepper to taste to make
dressing. Combine w/ remaining ingredients. Toss and Serve.

Easy and good!