Have Courage, Be Kind and Be Joyful

Can I say, "Welcome back to the world wide web Jenny!" I can't believe it has been nearly 5 months since I have last posted...and it's not because I have stopped cooking. But I will say that I've been really busy teaching 14 little 2nd graders all day, working out at the gym, putting little happy stars and smiley faces on their work and spending time with my amazing, handsome, and always so kind boyfriend *sigh* (insert a heart that is bursting with happiness and contentment).....that my blog headed to the back burner of my mind.

However, that does not mean I have not been enjoying cooking or eating out. I have had the opportunity to dine out with my guy many times in the past few months. From my birthday dinner of scallops and farro at the now closed North Bay Bar and Grille, to lobster and potato at The Point of Rocks for Valentine's Day to herb roasted chicken and a delectable salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing and zingy red onions at the new 406  Bar and Grill, to GF/DF pizza at Mackenzie River Pizza Co.....let's just say that my taste buds have been dancing with forgotten flavors, comforting tastes and the joys of sharing a meal with the man I am so blessed to have in my life as my partner, best friend and highly compatible music geek. 

I know, I know....you're probably wondering, "Where are all pics of these awesomely good foods?" Well my fellow readers, they are here below, waiting for your eyes to devour them. 

Birthday scallops and farro with vegetables. 

Valentine's Day lobster. 

GF/DF pizza with goat cheese, pineapple, pine nuts, basil, red pepper
and sliced tomato. 

GF/DF pizza with goat cheese, pineapple, pine nuts, green pepper
and diced tomato. 

House salad with red onions, cherry tomatoes and creamy
raspberry vinaigrette. 

Herb roasted chicken with cubed baby reds. 

On another note, I have been overwhelmed by the blessings God has poured out upon myself and my man these past 5 months. Our Heavenly Father has been so giving to us and Michael and I have found so much joy and contentment in each other, not to mention ridiculous bouts of laughter, music, singing and the comfort of eating simple meals together of tomato soup and grilled cheese or tacos or spaghetti and salad.

When I moved to Kalispell in July of 2014, I was still broken, anxious to start teaching but hopeful that this new home would bring light and love back into my heart. And you know what? By being patient and waiting on the Lord to guide me to the right church and the right man, I have so much light and love in my heart that somedays I don't know what to do with it! On those days, it's like I can't give enough hugs or say "I love you" or guide my students enough.

Recently, our pastor spoke about breaking the habits of negativity and fear and doubt. And by adapting the habit of being joyful and thankful into my daily life, I had the most amazing week with my kiddos. We sang songs and I was able to teach them about pronouns and verbs, and we wrote information pieces about birds and made Easter chick houses with the oh-so-bad-for-you Peeps and graham crackers and frosting and Cadbury eggs. 

For once I finally had the energy I had the energy to prep really neat hands-on lessons and crafts. I found myself putting up my defenses against any negativity and just deflecting those words with an open and joyful heart. And I think my kids noticed the difference. When we worked with fractions and they got to design "fraction kites", a lot of them just shouted at how cool it was and how much fun they were having. I had lots of hugs and love from those kids and it wasn't just because it was our last week week before spring break. A week filled with the remembrance to be joyful and take ACTION in being joyful and finding joy, was an inspiring moment for me and reminder that you will only receive as much as you give and release into the world. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

^" Rejoice always,  pray continually,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

And one final note. If ever you are in need of some coconut ice cream filled with childhood memories of eating grandma's chocolate chip cookie dough straight from the bowl, look on further than: 

Living Like a Local

After 3 months living in Kalispell, I have finally found a church and....two awesome local health food stores! Boo yah! Yes, I know, it's sad when my weekend excitement comes from shopping at Mountain Valley Foods. But, when my grocery list starts to become a repeat offender each week, it always pumps me up to find new foods and new places to shop. I mean, how can you not like a store that plays with it's food like so:

My does he have some fine looking legs. 

Mountain Valley Foods is just a sweet little store full of incredible local produce, including squash and apples right now...a happy heart that makes for me. Their staff is also super friendly and helpful, but it probably helps when of their employees is one of your co-workers. No matter, they still rock and am so glad they are here in the valley. Plus, they sell seafood. And I mean real seafood..scallops and shrimp...mmmhhmmm.

Another fantabulous part of their store is their grab and go cold deli case. Zucchini pasta with olive oil and basil? Yes please!!! It may also include this item: 

Pumpkin Chia Pudding....I want to try this. And make this silly little face. Let's just say that I would have an overtly amount of fun working at this store. Those of you who know me are aware of my fetish for food presentation.....after I retire I think I'll just prep food and work in health food stores all day. Heck, maybe I'll do it this summer!

On another topic...last Friday night's worship service at New Hope Church...YOWZA. Jesus pretty much rocks and filled me with such Spirit that I never knew I could be encompassed with. From letting all things go to Him, forgiving and forgetting hurt,  to making more friends and becoming part of a young adult life group....I'm feeling pretty darn blessed right now.

And this weekend..... I get to experience my first ever swing dance workshop!!! My red dancing shoes are laced up and packed and I am so ready to learn solo dancing and lead/follow technique and swing outs and the Charleston and just dance. Plus, I get to shopping at the Good Food Store and eat Tandem Doughnuts and have dinner at The Depot with my parents. :) This is one weekend when Missoula is going to be sweet.

And now...off to bed. I get to teach 14 2nd graders how to estimate the size of paper bats with candy corn and watch The Magic School Bus Goes Batty tomorrow. Yep, Halloween on a Friday in 2nd grade with awesome little kids that make me laugh and fill me with pride.... doesn't get much better than that.

The Power of Fellowship

As I write this post on a Friday night, drinking a mug of Apple Cinnamon tea, relishing in this gorgeous fall weather, and watching the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe I am beginning to be filled with a soothing peace. I am greatly enjoying my 4 day break from school just to get caught up on housework, cleaning, grocery shopping, and even a lunch date with my precious co-worker.

However, last night I attended a women's fellowship dinner with some amazing, loving and caring women from my new church. God's work was clearly evident as I came to find out that three of the women know my cardiologist and one of them works at Natural Grocers, my weekly shopping spot in town. Just another reminder that even when I feel like the sole leaf still clinging to the tree or the last snowflake to melt in the sun of spring, I am never alone and as my pastor back in Missoula said many times before: "God is always doing more than I can imagine and I am always going into a situation where God is already at work." While some days it might be difficult to remember, it is true.

My fellowship group also discussed taking time each day to count your blessings. While it may sound corny and like a line from a Hallmark movie, it is true as well. Thus, I created my own God's Gifts and Blessings Jar. Each day I will write down a blessing, no matter how small, date it, fold it, and place it in my jar. After a year, you are meant to take them all out and see how God has put together the pieces for you.

On another food note....today I had a lovely lunch with my co-worker and dear friend. We went to Bonelli's Bistro and it was such a relaxing, delicious and even elegant lunch. I ordered the Chicken Tarragon Salad with greens, candied pecans, cranberries, celery, sliced grapes, a pink champagne vinaigrette and rice chips that tasted homemade. That was my blessing for today, to converse over a satisfying and healthy meal with another wonderful woman that has entered my life, taken me under her wing and become a  trustworthy and kind friend and confidante in the world of education.

After lunch I went back to Colter Coffee and ordered my Americano and breakfast bar again. I swear, with coffee in hand I was able to plan for the coming week of school with more ease than usual ; )

I end tonight's post with a few pictures of the towering maple tree in my front yard that glimmered in the morning sun yesterday. A very good start to my fall break. 

Romans 15:13

 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Americano, a Breakfast Bar and Hope

Today on a gorgeous fall Sunday in the Flathead Valley I found hope, joy and the kindilings of new relationships and opportunities to serve. After attending a new church and indulging in an Americano and a gluten and dairy free breakfast bar at Colter Coffee, I was filled with hope and renewed with faith that I felt had abandoned me.

Walking into Hope Church this morning I felt a strength fill me and guide me to let it all go. When the pastor was speaking, he said he had a feeling that there would be a person at church this morning who felt ice cold, far from God, abandoned and alone. He then said he had a picture in his head of a sword coming down upon that ice and breaking it, letting the heat and love of God back into the human soul. He then asked that anyone feeling alone be brave and raise their hands, letting it be known that they were in need of prayer and hope.

I don't know how many other people raised their hands, but the pastor's description of feeling ice cold, away from the heat of God and alone was exactly how I felt. So, I was bold and raised my hand, my eyes spilling over with tears of release, hope and a renewing of my faith.

After I put my hand proudly in the air, I was suddenly surrounded by a group of women who placed their hands on me, praying for me...a complete stranger to their church but a daughter of God and sister in Christ. I was astounded though, for they didn't even know my name and yet they treated me like family. They told me that I was not there by accident and I fully believe that. One woman even told me she had a vision of Jesus wrapping His arms around me, filling me with God's love for me and my life. It was a very powerful experience that brought me to tears while I received warming hugs and words of comfort.

I am beyond grateful for the power God gave me to venture into a new church, just me and my brokenness, my yearning for relationships and my vacant heart. I hope to join their worship team as well, singing with a full and thankful heart.

Once again, my blog post has reached far beyond food, but my allergen free breakfast bar at Colter Coffee was so satisfying. Filled with oats, coconut, cranberries and chocolate chips it was the perfect addition to my steaming cup of coffee and lesson book as I planned for the next few weeks of school.

Yesterday I explored a book store in Whitefish and snapped a few photos of the fall colors there as well.

After the service, I spoke with the pastor's wife. She was so kind and welcoming and reminded me to just keep holding onto the words God spoke to me, the way He made me feel and the hope He gave me. Because it is easy to let the enemy squeeze between the cracks, but as difficult as it may be somedays, holding on with all your might and fighting for hope, a rich live and love is what will get you through.

I also took time to workout outside today and came upon this solitary leaf. A symbol perhaps of the loneliness we all feel, but it's bright golden color filled me with warmth, as it shone in the autumn sun, a reflection of the light back inside of me.

My New Hangout

I never thought I would be one to say this, but, I am loving going to the gym. One of my friends successfully recruited me to join a local gym and I am hooked. After just 2 days of working out on machines that make me feel like I am frolicking through clouds or trekking up a mountain side, and working my arms through a series of lifting exercises, I now understand the power that comes from a single work out. With my ear buds in, my rockin' playlists, and my head free to ponder and let things go, I am amazed at how I am able to focus on my body, my workout and my spirit and not think about school and teaching and how I am going to cover all the Common Core Standards this school year.

Granted, I am only lifting 5 and 10 pound weights, and using light resistance on the elliptical machines,  but every moment I have spent in the gym has empowered me and made me realize that I am stronger than I let myself believe. Having been born with a congenital heart defect, and always last to finish the mile run in gym class, always bringing up the rear when hiking and feeling afraid to enter a gym, I never felt that I would fit it in at fitness center. However thanks to the encouragement and help of a friend and the gym that is Flathead Health and Fitness, I now feel brave, inspired and excited to see how transformative this will be for every aspect of my health and well being.

On another note, my parents came to visit me this past weekend and.....I got to eat out at a restaurant!!! When we walked into the North Bay Grille in Kalispell I felt like a child on Christmas morning filled with excitement, joy and pure happiness. Alongside excellent service, a soothing ambience and even some good old Frank Sinatra playing above the din of conversations, my meal was fabulous. Honey citrus shrimp, grilled veggies and a baked potato lightly salted to perfection. It may sound simple but to me the meal was exquisite. I hadn't been to restaurant for nearly 2 months and when I was able to enjoy a dinner with my parents, that I didn't have to cook or shop for.....sigh. It was a little slice of paradise.

 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 "But he said to me,."My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Swinging Into Fall

I am not sure how it came to be the end of September already, or why I am writing a blog post at 10:16 on a Friday night when I should be in bed after a week of teaching my 13 second graders. However, the itch to write has returned and even though this post has nothing to do with food, it sure feels good to be writing right now.

After nearly a month of teaching school, and days filled with sheer joy and utter frustration, I have to remind myself to take it one day at a time. If I don't complete a lesson there is always tomorrow, and if just one student has a fabulous day and writes a sentence with correct punctuation and spelling, then that is a small success I will gladly take.

However, even though I love my job and feel I have made great progress in the classroom, the external transition to the Flathead Valley has still been a work in progress. While I feel so at home and in the perfect place for me at this time in my life,  I certainly have a long way to go. Building friendships and relationships takes time and I must remind myself that for everything there is a time and season. Just as the leaves of Autumn are transforming into brilliant reds, oranges, and golds that fall to the ground and crinkle under my feet, so will my life continue to transform and every stumble and celebration shall too come to pass.

I do want to say how great it was to have one of my best friends visit me a few weeks ago :) We ate delicious, simple meals together composed of hummus, fresh veggies, egg rolls and my assortment of breakfast granolas. She even brought me fresh veggies from a garden....sigh. Doesn't get any better than sweet garden cucumbers, zesty tomatoes and crispy snap peas dipped in a bowl of creamy hummus, all shared with the company of a friend.

Our time together was topped off with a night of swing dancing on a cruise ship around Flathead Lake and at the a beautiful ballroom in Kalispell. I have continued my swing dancing and I have definitely acquired quite a taste for it now. I forgot how alive dancing makes me feel, so it's no surprise that I have now started to put on my music and dance to my heart's content on my awesomely perfect for dancing hardwood floors whenever the day just seems too much.

What can I say, I may be nearing my 27th birthday but I am still very much a child at heart that might never really grow up ;)

As Ecclesiastes 3 states:

      "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:... 

       a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,  a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend..."

Sunday Morning, Swing Dance and Stir Fry

As I write this post on a Sunday morning, reflecting back at my first week in my new home in the Flathead I can't help but be amazed at the gifts God has blessed me with. From my seemingly made for me house to my new job located in a gorgeous valley complete with views of towering mountains and lush farm lands, to the new friends I have already connected with...it all feels a bit overwhelming actually. For once I have finally seen the goodness of God in the darkness and the love of Jesus when everything else seems to have faded away. While I was meditating upon these blessings, a verse from Jeremiah struck me. It is in fact the same verse that I helped children at my church's summer camp memorize, but it is fitting for everyone, at every stage of their life.

Jeremiah 29:11-"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." 

I have to say this new chapter has brought me more hope and faith than I have ever known before, and I am reminded of something my pastor at my Missoula church said a few months ago:

  I am always going into a situation where God is already at work, and God is always doing more than I can imagine. 

One of God's works that I have already witnessed in my new life is the opportunity I had to go swing dancing on Friday night with North End Swing. The teachers and other dancers were so warm and inviting and just down right fun! It was so inspiring to watch them, their bodies seeming to move without a thought, just stepping in time with the music and beat of their hearts. 

This night brought me the same joy that music and dancing always do, alongside new friendships and the rhythm of the footwork, "rock step, triple step, triple step, rock step." I went to bed with the moves still in my body, eager to learn more and expand my dancing horizons. 

With this change in scenery has also come an inspiration to experiment in my very own kitchen filled with new porcelain pots and pans and storage galore for all my allergy free foods! This week I made a rice, bean and vegetable stir fry. 

My ingredients included: 

1 cup Jasmine rice

1 can garbanzo beans

Fresh broccoli stalks

Chopped carrots

Sliced red onion

Chopped scallions

1 can water chestnuts

Olive Oil

Sea Salt 

Garlic and herb seasoning 

To make this stir fry I first cooked the rice, letting it simmer on the stove for about 25 minutes, placing the beans in the pot in the last 5-10 minutes. While the rice was cooking I chopped my veggies and sauteed them in a pan with olive oil and the garlic/herb seasoning. Once the onions became clarified, I removed the vegetables from the heat and spooned my portion onto my plate with some rice and beans. 

On a final note, yesterday I explored the Kalispell Farmer's Market! While nothing will compare to the Missoula markets, I did pick up a beautiful sweet white onion, a bag of bright red grape tomatoes, 1 pound of sweet, tart Bing cherries, and a juicy cucumber with a flavor that can not be matched by any cucumber bought in the grocery store. With summer in full swing and fall just around the corner, I look forward to even more Saturdays at the market as the crops begin to bring in squash, apples, pumpkins and more seasonal produce. 

I finish today with a quote from Henry David Thoreau that hangs on my refrigerator: "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams." 

Well said Mr. Thoreau, and with patience and faith, dreams can become reality. It just takes time and a few road blocks along the way.