Lauren Gaskill Inspires

Giving Thanks + A Gratitude List

November 25, 2015 • 7 Comments

I walked into the church service with a weary, burdened heart.

On top of just moving to a new state with no friends or family nearby, I’d woken up with a full-blown cold and partially locked jaw. And as the morning progressed the pain only intensified.

Once we found a spot to sit in the sanctuary, I silently prayed the words of Luke 22:42 as the worship band began to sing. “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me.” But my heart was not in the right place. For when the worship leader said, “won’t you stand and give thanks to our great God with me this morning?” the only thought that entered my head was yeah, right, like I have anything to be thankful for with all the pain I’m going through.

Ouch.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the selfish, ungrateful, ugly side of me. The side where my spirit gives way to my flesh. The side where I let lies overtake truth. Because of my faith, it’s a side that comes out rarely. Nevertheless it is a part of who I am and I cannot hide it. We all have a human side to us, a dark side that can be easily clouded by sin. Maybe your dark side is jealousy, maybe it’s materialism … or maybe, like me, it’s an ungrateful heart.

But God is so full of grace, and in my moment of ungratefulness I heard him whisper to me, “dear daughter, my grace is sufficient for you.” His words instantly reminded me of all I have to be thankful for. I prayed once again and asked the Lord for forgiveness for my ungrateful spirit.

Even if nothing in life is going as we want it to go, we always have a reason to be grateful because Jesus died for us and showed us grace! Maybe you can’t run as fast as you used to run, maybe your boyfriend broke up with you unexpectedly, maybe you can’t afford those shoes you want oh-so-badly, but Jesus died for you so that you may experience life to the fullest (John 10:10). And that is reason enough to give thanks.

We have breath. We have life. What a precious gift this is!

A few months back I stumbled upon a post on gratitude by author Jeff Goins where he encourages readers to create a gratitude list. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, I want to encourage you to do the same this week as we celebrate Thanksgiving. Make a list of 10 things you are thankful for in life. Then, tape it somewhere so you can be reminded of it often.

Hopefully after making the list you can see, like me, just how blessed we are. We are blessed to be a blessing and given much so that we can give back. Let us not forget just how blessed we are and let us share the grace our Father extends to us with everyone this holiday season.

P.S. Here’s my gratitude list to help get you started.

1. I am thankful my heavenly father lavishes me with His love and grace everyday, even when I am ungrateful.

2. I am thankful for my loving husband, who supports me in cultivating and following my passions. (And who also let me get a dog!)

3. I am thankful for a faith-filled family, who taught me the importance and power of prayer.

4. I am thankful for friends who have stood by my side through thick and thin.

5.. I am thankful for finding a new job in Des Moines even before we moved here.

6. I am thankful I have the opportunity to maintain this blog and write on a daily basis.

7. I am thankful for chocolate in all of its forms.

8. I am thankful for our puppy Reese, who makes me laugh uncontrollably — even when he’s misbehaving.

9. I am thankful for all of you readers, and the online community of writers and food bloggers who inspire me and the world on a daily basis.

10. I am thankful for the wonderful gift of love — like chocolate, in all of its forms.

Toasted Muesli with Cashews, Coconut and Cherries

November 23, 2015 • 24 Comments

I crave all kinds of food but what I crave most often — other than chocolate, of course — is cereal.

Whether it’s morning, afternoon or night I am always game for a big bowl of cereal drenched in almond milk. As a kid I favored sugary cereals like Lucky Charms and Berry Berry Kix, but these days I prefer the hearty, healthy varieties like oatmeal and muesli.

If you’ve never heard of muesli before, it’s like a healthier, lightened-up granola. Before you make your own at home, I would highly recommend trying a store-brand version to see what you think of it! Most muesli recipes us plain, raw oats, but in my experience the toasted muesli varieties taste better.

I love muesli for two main reasons: 1) It tastes delicious and makes me feel good. And 2) Most days, it keeps me full until lunchtime.

The best thing about homemade muesli is you can use pretty much whatever flavors you want to. In this toasted muesli recipe, I use chia seeds, cashews, coconut, cherries and golden raisins. But if you’re not a cherry fan — no worries! Just swap out the cherries for another kind of dried fruit you enjoy. Same thing with the cashews. If you prefer pecans, almonds or hazelnuts, feel free to make this recipe your own. There are no hard-and-fast rules to making muesli — just tasty fun!

Muesli can be enjoyed like granola, over yogurt, or eaten like a bowl of cereal with your choice of milk. Some people even heat it up or soak it overnight for a heartier texture. As for me? I like it how I like all my cereal: cold and drenched in almond milk.Read More

Loaded Mediterranean Sweet Potato Skins

November 18, 2015 • 17 Comments

I can’t wait to share this recipe for sweet potato skins with you, but first … I have a terrible confession to make.

It’s almost December and I have yet to host a football party. {Gasp}

I know it’s sad! Between selling our home, me looking for a new job, getting a new job, and oh yeah, moving to a new state, there just hasn’t been time for entertaining lately.

As born and raised Hoosiers my husband and I still root for Notre Dame. A couple of weeks ago my husband actually had the game on, and when I walked into the room all I could think about was how I wanted to have a football party. You know, the kind of party with ridiculous amounts of appetizers, beer, games and laughter.

Coincidentally, Snap Fitness contacted me a few days later asking me to make a game-day sweet potato skin recipe for their blog. It was the exact kind of motivation I needed to start planning a future football palooza.

Everything Bagel Quiche

November 16, 2015 • 30 Comments

Good morning friends and happy Monday! Time to rise and shine for another awesome week. 🙂

This week is a VERY exciting week for the Mr. and I because this morning we packed up our cars with what was left of our home (the movers already took most of it), and are headed to our new home in Des Moines.

If I had a word or two to sum up the last two weeks of our lives I’d have to describe it as crazy lovely. It’s been a crazy time of tears, see-you-laters, transition and waiting — but it’s also been a time of lovely gatherings with friends and last-minute adventures in Minneapolis. We are blessed to have so many friends from the places our lives have connected us with.

Needless to say with all of the commotion happening lately, I’ve need quick, healthy and delicious meals more than ever before. This bagel quiche is my most recent quick cooking obsession and I know you are going to love it to once you try it!

The caramelized onions take a little bit of prep and cooking time but beyond that this bagel quiche is about as simple as it gets. Tear bread out, pour egg mixture in, wrap in foil, bake and eat! The cherry on top of this wonderful quiche? You get to eat it with your hands. Total win win here. 🙂Read More

10 Must-Have Thanksgiving Side Dishes

November 12, 2015 • 16 Comments

When it comes to Thanksgiving, I think turkey and pumpkin pie get a little too much attention.

Don’t get me wrong I love a good hunk of roasted turkey and a creamy slice of pie to top things off, but there is so much more to love about Thanksgiving — especially when it comes to side dishes.

My parents are visiting us in Des Moines for Thanksgiving this year, and I’ve been working diligently on the menu for weeks. The hardest part about the menu planning process was figuring out which side dishes to choose! There are so many delicious recipes out there I couldn’t make a decision on which ones to make, so I made my mama pick for me.

Today I want to share a few of my favorite Thanksgiving side dish recipes with you. Some of these made our Thanksgiving meal cut, but I’ll let you try to guess which ones. 😉

Roasted Carrots with Green Tahini Sauce and Pomegranate
This is one of my favorite dishes from the Blogging Over Thyme blog. It doesn’t get much better than oven roasted carrots smothered in a creamy, dreamy tahini sauce.

Pumpkin Swirled Mashed Potatoes
Speaking of creamy and dreamy, let’s talk about these A-MAZ-ING potatoes from Amanda of Heartbeet Kitchen. Anyone else want to dive face first into this bowl with me? Mashed potatoes always get me in trouble at Thanksgiving because I cannot stop eating them. But it’s worth it every time.

Thanksgiving Salad with Wild Rice and Lemon Dressing
When Lindsay of Pinch Of Yum posted this (pictured above) earlier this week, I was absolutely speechless! Between the arugula, red onions, cashews, dried cranberries, wild rice and lemon dressing there is so much to love about this salad!

Caramelized Onion, Squash and Ricotta Tartines
I have a confession to make: I am obsessed with caramelized onions. So obsessed that sometimes I eat them as an afternoon snack with carrots and hummus. I just can’t get enough! These caramelized tartines are a favorite side dish of mine. I use gluten-free bread and swap the ricotta for dairy-free cheese to make it fit my dietary needs.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Who says soup can’t have a place at the Thanksgiving table? This thick, sweet and savory soup is a perfect for eating on its own or dunking your turkey, rolls and stuffing into. It’s healthy comfort food and won’t leave you feeling too stuffed after enjoying a full bowl.Read More

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

November 9, 2015 • 21 Comments

When it comes to soups, stews and chili, I’m typically in the camp of eaters who likes things chunky.

If I can’t have a soup be chunky, then by golly it’d better be thick. I don’t know about you but I like to feel like I’m actually eating when I’m eating something. And for whatever reason, runny soup just doesn’t leave me feeling satisfied, like EVER.

My experience with butternut squash soup outside of the 1-2 times I’ve made it in my home kitchen has not been the best —it’s either too runny or too sweet. Seriously, I think Panera must put 1/4 cup of sugar into their soup because it tastes like you are drinking a savory dessert!

So when a friend recently invited me over to her house to cook butternut squash soup with her, I was excited to make something better.

The sad thing was while we were cooking, I got carried away with talking and forgot to write down the ingredient measurements for the recipe! After one bite of the soup we both agreed it was the best Roasted Butternut Squash Soup we’d ever tasted, and so I remade it later that week in order to share the recipe with you.

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