HDSL, v 2.0

Smuckers Simply Fruit | Blackberry Flavor: the best thing since peanut butter and jelly. I will eat this with peanut butter, toast, biscuits -- you name it. But any of those things aren't complete without this spread.

Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook | Hensperger and Kaufmann: This is on my wishlist because I know that I will need lots of slow cooker recipes when we're married and both working full time. It will be nice to make dinner in the morning, make JT's lunch, go to work, and workout and then come home for dinner. We'll see if life and all of its busyness affords me that luxury.

Reflections for Ragamuffins | Manning: If you know anything about me, you must know how much I was changed by Brennan Manning's book, The Ragamuffin Gospel. This book includes devotionals based on his previous work, and I can't believe I'm just starting to read it. This will be on my bedside table for many years, I can guarantee that!

August Rush: I'm so excited this movie finally came out on DVD! I saw it twice in the theatre and was totally inspired by it. Well, I haven't done much, but it fed my desire to find something, do it well, and be passionate about it. I recommend it for anyone who likes music or feel-good stories. Aside from Robin Williams' especially creepy role, the whole story makes it one of my favorite movies.

Long Line of Leavers | Caedmon's Call: Do you ever come across one of those CDs where you like absolutely every song? It doesn't happen often for me, but this is the latest. It's kind of ironic because right before I met JT, I started playing soccer and fell in love with Caedmon's Call and Derek Webb, one of their original singers who left the group to do solo work. Those are two of JT's absolute favorite things, so it had to have been God's perfect timing! Anyway, Derek's voice really shines in "What You Want," which is one of my favorite songs right now.

First HDSL

So what if my first Hump Day Shortlist falls on a Thursday? The way I am operating, it's still Tuesday sleep-wise and Friday work-wise so it can be any day because it's my blog! What is a HDSL, you ask? Skip down a post. but do come back! You missed one :)

Sacred Marriage | Gary Thomas: This is a book some of JT's friends told him to read with me. It talks about how marriage has the potential to bring your walk with Christ to an entirely different level and it's very down-to-earth. It does everything from trouble sheet to inspire to encourage. I have sacrificed sleep to finish chapters of this one! Please read this if you're married or seriously considering it.

500 Cupcakes: This was one of my Valentine's present from JT this year because he knows I love to bake and would love the design of the book. True and true. This is the book that contained the recipe to my wonderful volcanic Cupcake Nightmares.

Storytime! I found a recipe for Chocolate Berry cupcakes, and since I've been on a blackberry kick and JT was craving cupcakes, thought I'd give it a whirl. I made it through mixing the batter, making a fruit compote, and my chocolate gloss ganache. Then I overfilled the cupcake papers and had Cupcake Pools after the prescribed thirty minutes in the oven. I stuck them in a little longer and they turned a beautiful golden brown. They tasted wonderful topped with the chocolate ganache and fresh blackberries. WARNING: you WILL get hungry, but they were supposed to look like this. Mine were overflowing and I had to cut them from the tin with the flat of a knife, but they tasted wonderful served warm with milk!
The Reminder | Feist: They do the "1,2,3,4" song found on one of the first iPod Nano commercials. I had to add her because I have been listening to the song, "How My Heart Behaves" pretty much on repeat for the past four days. I'm torn between the gorgeous piano intro and the way her voice sounds with the backup male singer on the bridge chorus. Her voice and lyrics and even instrumentation are pretty much haunting and I love that! Haunting, eclectic, and timeless. She definitely doesn't belong in this decade.


Dr. David & Lisa Frisbie: Okay, I'm not really reading this book, but I have to plug our premarital counselors. This is one of their books. Their specialty is relationships, but they are exceptional with remarried couples, single parents, and the like. They have been wonderful with us. I went into counseling thinking that JT and I were going to experience lots of tearful accusations and other explosive situations. But they just let us explain how we did things, how we maneuvered through decisions and disagreements, what we would do in certain situations. We did a LOT of roleplaying. What would we do if we found out we couldn't have children, etc. Stuff you never think about, but are unexpected realities to everyday couples. Anyway, we love talking to them and are kind of disappointed we only have one follow-up session left. (We passed with flying colors, they said.)


The Goonies | (1985): So I never realized that this movie came out the year I was born. Hmmm. Good to know. I love this movie for obvious reasons. His name is Chunk. My iPod is named after Chunk's signature move, the Truffle Shuffle. Heck, I need to post the video.




I love everything about Chunk, from the mismatched clothes to the tearful fits he goes into and the way he befriends the ever-lovable Sloth. JT and I had Monopoly-Goonies-Turkey Dog night one of the days he was worse for wear and it was so much fun! Those kinds of nights belong to The Goonies.