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The semester has begun and, with it, all of the inevitable syllabus shock.
This semester is different, though, because it's the last one (at least for this degree).
This means a lot of decisions are involved...
Where should I apply for my first nursing job?
What hospital?
What area of practice (I'll be doing my final internship in OB, but I'm still open to other possibilities)?
What should I highlight on my résumé?
And on... and on... and on.

The cap and gown have been ordered.
The countdown to graduation has begun: 108 days to go!

I can't wait for this next season... it's going to be FULL of transition, and I love that.
We'll have to wait and see how much I'll be around this blog in the next 108 days.
With all of the NCLEX prep questions, résumé writing, and 12-hour shifts, it may not be much.
But wow. I am thankful.
I'm going to be a nurse.

Spicy carrot & lentil soup.

I've been spending lots of time in the kitchen recently. It must be these chilly holiday weekends that make cooking and baking a lot more fun. One of my goals this year is to keep track of all our favorite recipes so that I can (finally) compile them into one pretty book so I don't have to try to remember where I found something the next time I want to make it.

This soup will make the cut. 

It's perfect for a winter day and has a bit of Mexican flavor to heat things up just a bit.

And it's not only gluten free but dairy free, too!

Ingredients: 
2 tablespoons canola or grapeseed oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 sweet potato, diced
6 carrots, sliced
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric (optional)
1 tsp chili powder (or more, if you like spice)
1 cup red split lentils
5 cups gluten-free chicken stock
Salt and pepper
Fresh cilantro, to garnish

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottom pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potato and carrots and cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the spices and cook for an additional minute.

2. Stir in the lentils and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer, half-covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the lentils from sticking to the bottom of the pan, for 25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.

3. Use an immersion blender (or food processor) and process the soup until thick and smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro before serving.

(We recommend it with Trader Joe's corn chips and a honeycrisp apple!)

P.S. I heavily adapted this recipe from a book called "Wheat, Dairy, & Gluten Free" that doesn't name an author that was purchased TJMaxx for $3.50. I can't find the book online, but I also can't really recommend it for newly diagnosed Celiacs because even though it claims to be g-free, it calls for spelt flour quite a bit (which is glutenous). But I needed to give credit where credit is due for this yummy idea!

Gluten-free cranberry orange bread.

This cranberry orange bread is as good as it gets!
Usually, I base my critique of gluten-free bread on whether or not anyone can tell it's gluten-free. And this is one of those breads that is so moist and delicious, you'd just never know. I adapted this yummy recipe to make it gluten-free, and it's quickly become one of our favorites!

Ingredients:
Canola oil spray
2 cups Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix*
3/4 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Finely grated zest of 1 to 2 large oranges
1 cup fresh cranberries, each cut in half

1. Set an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Coat an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pan with canola oil spray.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt and orange juice.
4. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with sugar until pale and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Add the eggs gradually, beating continuously to incorporate. Then add the orange zest and vanilla and mix briefly to incorporate.
6. Using the slowest speed of the mixer, add the gluten-free flour in three increments, alternating with the addition of two increments of the yogurt-orange juice mixture. The last addition should be the flour mixture. Do not over mix. Stop the mixer and finish incorporating the ingredients by folding together with a large spatula.
7. Fold in cranberries. The batter should be well combined, but do not over mix or the bread will not be tender.
8. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55 to 65 minutes.

Enjoy!

*I use Pamela's Baking Mix and buy it in bulk from Amazon. It's far cheaper than buying it from Whole Foods or another natural foods market, and it's by far the best gluten-free substitution mix I've tried (and I've tried almost all of them). It's truly the only mix that I can honestly say, "I can't tell a difference." With any other mixes - Bob's Red Mill, King Arthur, even Betty Crocker - you can definitely tell a difference in the texture or the aftertaste. With Pamela's, you can't.

When I was first diagnosed with Celiac, knowing that I had to be gluten-free for the rest of my life was quite a psychological adjustment. The first gluten-free scones I tried to make (not using Pamela's) were so terrible I cried. The only downside to Pamela's is that it does contain a small amount of dairy and tree nuts, so if you're allergic to those, it won't work. Otherwise, I can't recommend it highly enough!

Winter Sale!

Hi friends!

I wanted to let you know that there are lots of Brighter Day purses and clutches on sale right now through Monday. Just use the coupon code WINTER15 when you're checking out, and you'll get 15% off of your entire order! This only applies to the "ready to ship" bags that are already made... not custom orders.

Happy shopping!

Ode to Creator God.

It's no secret that I love cities.
I still do, even after two years of living away from Chicago.

But I have to admit that living on this gorgeous land has swayed me a little.
Ok, it's swayed me a lot.
Because on a morning like this morning, there's just nothing like it.
I've always said that Fall is Franklin's best season. But this mild Spring-like Winter we've been experiencing has wooed me and now I'm not so sure.

As soon as I woke up this morning and saw that I'd slept through what must have been a deluge of rain, I had to step outside. It was a mild 53 degrees as I stood in my pajamas in my backyard and took these photos.

And then I just stood there, taking it all in.

There's just no city in the world where the birds tweet this happily,
the sun shines this brilliantly,
the dew smells this fresh.
And I know there aren't many backyards that have the sound of running water,
horses grazing just outside their pretty red barn,
and not one sound of a car.

I breathed in deeply the fresh, clean, cool air.
I breathed out praises to this Creator God who formed every blade of grass, every bare twig, every cloud in the sky with His own hands.
And tears came to my eyes.
What beauty He has given us on this earth.
And yet, it cannot even compare to the beauty of Heaven.