Lauren Gaskill Inspires

Maple Flax Granola

February 27, 2013 • 1 Comment

Granola is one of those things that I like to have on hand 24/7.

You can eat it plain, use it in baked desserts (like fruit crisps), or sprinkle it over yogurt, ice cream, pancakes, baked breads or even salads!

I use it for all of the above, which is why I go through so much. It rides shotgun in my grocery cart nearly every week. And yet, as delightful as Bear Naked’s Maple Pecan granola is, I’ve finally grown tired of forking over $4 each time I need another small bag of it. Because c’mon people, it’s basically a simple mixture of baked oats, honey, oils and a bunch of spices. You can buy 15 cups of rolled oats for less than $4 … it just doesn’t add up!

Pressing On: What It Means to Persevere

February 20, 2013 • Leave a Comment

Perseverance. In elementary school, my teachers gave out monthly certificates to honor students who they felt represented certain characteristics. February was always “perseverance month,” because, although we were hardly more than halfway through the school year, summer was already on our minds. This was when learning became a little more strenuous and a lot less interesting.

In fourth grade, I received the perseverance certificate. I thought it was a huge achievement. But only now do I realized how naive I was to to think my nine-year-old self deserved such recognition, when my journey had only just begun.

running the race perserverance — Photo | Charlie Llewellin, Creative Commons

Last Sunday, our church hosted a women’s dessert outreach. While sharing sweet treats in community was nice, it was more than just the pecan pie bars and lemon meringue bites that made Sunday afternoon special. I was humbled to listen to the stories of other women of faith, whom I crossed paths with every week but never knew more than a name.

As we went around the table sharing prayer requests, I was amazed by the scope of suffering and doubt that remained a common thread among us. Though we represented about three generations of believers, it became clear to me that our need for prayer, reassurance and affirmation doesn’t disappear with age. Our need to press on doesn’t get easier with time.Read More

Peanut Butter Brownies

February 18, 2013 • 2 Comments

Last week, I promised the kids I nanny for that we would make brownies for Valentine’s Day.

We made the traditional kind, which of course were delicious. But when it came time for me to make a dessert for the women’s dessert outreach our church is having this Sunday, I wanted to do something different.

I’m not sure if I forget that I have peanut butter when I go to the store, but somehow I ended up with three jars of it in my pantry. Knowing I had plenty to use, I thought about making a peanut butter pie, but the memory of the brownies I’d had earlier in the week slipped back into my mind. So I started thinking about how I could combine the two ingredients.Read More

The Love I Never Knew Could Exist

January 28, 2013 • 2 Comments

I let go of the mic stand and lift my arms up to reach for Him, to breathe Him in.

The stage lights pierce my vision, but I don’t mind. All I’m thinking about is this moment. I want to bottle it up and carry it with me everywhere I go.

Photo | Wikimedia Commons. Source: ICF Berlin

The crowd sings in beautiful harmony, only adding to my joy. This is what it means to be loved, to belong, I think to myself.

I’ve experienced love in many forms during my 20 years of life. There is the love of a friend, sister, family members, mentors, teammates, and the more obvious, boyfriend. These relationships run from shallow to deep, in that no love is felt in the same fashion. The way I love Alex is incomparable to the way I love my sister. That doesn’t make one love better than the other, it’s just a different feeling.

Similarly, an “I love you” valentine from the fifth grade shows little resemblance to the “I love you,” verbal confirmation I get from Alex every day.

But no love I’ve experienced could have ever prepared me for the love I’ve received in Christ.

You may have heard the song “Indescribable” by Chris Tomlin. Although I like to avoid cliche, I can’t think of a better word to convey the way God’s love felt as I sang on our church’s stage yesterday. It’s the joy I feel when I wake up every morning. It’s a love I never knew could exist, never thought I could experience.

God’s love surpasses our circumstances. It doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t ask us for anything in return. There is nothing we can do to earn it. It just is.

Crock-Pot White Chicken Chili

January 23, 2013 • 1 Comment

I have exciting news for you today.

1) The weather for the rest of the week is forecasted to be warmer than yesterday!

2) I am now a contributor for Honest Cooking Magazine. This recipe was also featured on their website today.

If you love food, and you like learning and reading about all things epicurean, I suggest you go download their free iPad magazine. Right. Now.

I know soup can’t make this cold weather go away, but it can certainly warm the body and soothe the mind. This White Chicken Chili is no exception. Did I mention you can just throw everything in the Crock-Pot and walk away?

After sorting through recipe after recipe online, I wanted something less time consuming … With this semester requiring me to be on campus for 12 hours straight on many days, I don’t have time to stand over a stove and stir my soup. This recipe needed to be made easier. So I rewrote my own!

The texture of the shredded chicken is arguably the softest and juiciest I’ve ever cooked.

Now that your “I don’t have time to cook anything” excuse has been put to shame, it’s time to get to work and warm up with White Chicken Chili!

Oven Roasted Turkey, Brie + Blackberry Panini

January 15, 2013 • Leave a Comment

I almost did a backflip at Meijer this morning. However, considering the gymnastic phase of my life only lasted for a short, three months, I decided to hold my excitement inside.

You know you’re a foodie when you freak out about Brie being on sale. To be exact, it was $2 off.

It’s not too often I buy gourmet cheeses. Havarti, Gouda, goat, Brie: I love them all. But I am a college student, and typically, my budget only allows Cheddar, provolone and Mozzarella purchases … the usuals. Not that there is anything wrong with those kind of cheeses. All cheese is delightful! Some cheeses are just better.

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But no love I’ve experienced could have ever prepared me for the love I’ve received in Christ.