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Tangled Thai Salad With Peanut Dressing

September 10, 2015 • 13 Comments

Thai. Chinese. Vietnamese. Indian.

Lately that’s all I’ve been craving and eating. It’s a good thing my favorite Indian and Thai restaurants are not conveniently on my drive home, because if they were I would be spending all of my money there.

Instead, I’ve been getting crafty and creative at home. First with these Banh Mi Bratwursts, and now with this Tangled Thai Salad. Guys, I have no words for this salad. No words. Just love. This might be the most colorful and delicious salad I have ever made. And the peanut dressing? After you try it you’ll want to put it on everything.

The other thing I like about this salad is that it is honestly one of the first totally raw things that I’ve made that I (and the Mr.) devoured. I’m not going to lie … I don’t like 100% raw foods 100% of the time. I know they are healthy for you and all, but I tend to be more of a sautéed, roasted or grilled veggie fan.

This Tangled Thai Salad however, has been a game changer for me. Raw golden beets, cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, edamame and chickpeas come together to make an irresistibly healthy meal. The Mr. even ate the leftovers in his lunch the next day. This is coming from a guy who hate leftovers, so even I was amazed!

Tangled Thai Salad With Peanut Dressing

Ingredients

[b]For the salad:[/b]
1 large English cucumber
1 large golden beet, peeled
1 large carrot, julienned
¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
¾ cup cooked edamame
¾ cup chickpeas
Cilantro and lime for serving
[br]
[b]For the peanut dressing:[/b]
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons white distilled vinegar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon Sriracha

Instructions

Cut the ends off of the cucumber and golden beet then discard.
Using a spiral vegetable slicer (or spiralizer) slice the cucumber into vegetable noodles.
Place the noodles in a large bowl and continue with the golden beet.
Add in carrot, chopped red bell pepper, edamame, and chickpeas and toss until combined.
[i]For the dressing: [/i]Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl until well blended.
Top with cilantro, fresh squeezed lime juice, and dressing.

Why Jesus is the Greatest Shepherd

September 9, 2015 • 10 Comments

Last week a team of Australian animal welfare officers discovered a giant wooly sheep on the outskirts of Canberra. The merino sheep not only looked distraught, but it also struggled to walk under the weight of its enormous coat (it’s estimated he had five years of wool on him!).

Turns out some breeds of sheep, like merinos, never shed their wool and have to be sheared in order to survive. In the end, it took shearers 45 minutes to remove 88 pounds of wool from the overloaded animal, which has now been named Chris.

Whenever I see sheep, I think about our Savior, the greatest Shepherd and how many times he refers to you and I as His sheep throughout scripture. That is why, after hearing this story, I couldn’t help but notice the striking similarities between Chris and you and I. We have much in common with Chris, the overgrown sheep struggling to survive.

“All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.” Isaiah 53:6 (NLT)

Similar to merino sheep, which need a shearer to survive, we need a Shepherd to care for us and lead us through life.

When hope is lost and our spirit is downcast, we need a Savior to give us a name, just like the shearers gave Chris a name.Read More

Bánh Mì Bratwurst

September 8, 2015 • 14 Comments

Shake things up at your next cookout with these Bánh Mì Bratwursts!

Two summers ago, I had my first-ever Bánh Mì experience at Jasmine Deli, a little restaurant on Eat Street in Minneapolis. It was totallllly love at first bite. What exactly is a bánh mì? It’s Vietnamese for bread and a byproduct French colonialism in Indochina. Combine Vietnamese ingredients — pork, cilantro, cucumber, pickled carrots, and jalapeño — with a French baguette and you get a bánh mì!

These sandwiches aren’t just pretty to look at. They are finger-licking, wipe-your-plate, may-I-have-another good. Whether you’re celebrating a big sporting event or having a summer cookout, these Bánh Mì Bratwursts are a fun alternative to the burgers and hot dogs that usually make an appearance at parties.

Did I mention it’s also a sneaky way to get your vegetables in? Total bonus right there.

Lemon Artichoke Pesto Pasta

September 3, 2015 • 8 Comments

Have you ever walked through a mall without stopping in the Williams & Sonoma store?

I sure haven’t. It doesn’t matter who I am with or whether or not we are done shopping — if there is a Williams & Sonoma nearby I must go in. I want to sample the coffee and whatever is cooking in the test kitchen. I want to see the newest kitchenware. I want to make and dream about my Williams & Sonoma wish list. There’s just so much to love.

One of my favorite sections of the store is the foods section, where you can find gourmet baking blends, sauces, noodles, etc. In the Gaskill household, the Artichoke Pesto is by far our favorite. We don’t buy it every time we are in the store, but my husband points it out and talks about it often. (I’ve come to understand that this is husband code for “I really like this, why don’t you make this for us more often.”)Read More

BBQ Chicken Skewers with Homemade Cilantro Lime Ranch

August 31, 2015 • 16 Comments

Each summer, the Mr. and I bike the Chain of Lakes in downtown Minneapolis.

The lakes are undoubtedly beautiful, but they are also full of memories between the two of us, making them all the more special. When I moved to Minneapolis, I spent my first morning running around Lake Harriet. Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles also became places where I read, swam, biked and kayaked almost daily. The lakes were my safe haven — a much needed place of rest for a college intern.

When Alex and I moved here permanently in 2014, he proposed to me less than week later, on the Lake of the Isles. Three months later we took our engagement photos in that very same spot.

No matter where life takes us, the lakes will always hold a special place in our hearts and biking around them allows us to relive the memories. Once we finished biking this weekend, I knew I wasn’t going to be up for an elaborate dinner. But I also was craving meat BIG TIME to replenish my energy.
Read More

Holding Fast to the Word

August 26, 2015 • 8 Comments

It’s only Wednesday, but this week has already been filled with uncertainty and chaos for not only myself, but for a lot of people surrounding me. Friends. Coworkers. Family members. I’m amazed at the stress that many of us seem to be under lately. And while I am slightly comforted knowing that I am not the only one that experiences stress, it’s difficult to witness and sustain so much strife and madness.

In this season of life, I know many people who are struggling to make sense of their purpose. They either don’t know what they are passionate about, don’t like the current job they are in, or are under so much stress that they can’t see a way out. Even for me — someone who feels like she has a sense of God’s purpose for her life — lately the path has not been clear.

Sometimes our purpose and the path before us is clear and smooth. But there are times when circumstances muddy the waters. In these times, our flesh wants to hold fast to our grievances and problems. We hold fast to the stress, as if clinging to it will make it go away. But there is another way. A better way.

A few weeks ago, I blogged about what it means to surrender our lives to Christ. We talked about how surrendering isn’t a one and done action — it’s a daily choice. Every day we have a choice to live for ourselves or surrender to our Father.

But when it comes to tapping into God’s will for our lives … surrender is not where the action stops. Surrender is only the beginning.

When we surrender, we stop holding fast to our grievances and problems. From there we have to make another conscious effort. We have to give up our troubles and hold fast to the Word of God. We let go of our stress to lay hold of Jesus: The name that saves; The name that calms the storm; The name that has the power to lift us from the grave. One Word. One Name.Read More