When I started living alone, I promised myself that I wouldn’t subsist solely on omelets and veggie pasta dishes. For the most part, I’ve kept that promise. But lately I’ve been too busy and rushed to cook for myself, and that cannot go on. Last weekend, I harvested two surprise eggplants and decided to make a soup from them right then and there. I’ve had this recipe for a while, but had never tried it because of the long cooking time. But since it was Sunday, I could let the ingredients roast and simmer while I did other things. I’ve been enjoying the delicious results all week.

Roasted Eggplant Soup
From Smitten Kitchen. Serves 4.

Ingredients:
3 medium tomatoes, halved
1 large eggplant, halved lengthwise
1 small onion, halved
6 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth
¼ cup heavy cream (optional)
¾ cup crumbled goat cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange tomatoes, eggplant, onion and garlic on a large baking sheet. Brush or drizzle vegetables with oil, then roast them for 20 minutes, pausing only to remove the garlic cloves. Return the pans to the oven for another 25 minutes, until the remaining vegetables are tender and brown in spots. (Because I only had minced garlic, I did this in reverse, adding the garlic to the baking sheet during the last 20 minutes of roasting.)

2. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Scoop the eggplant out of its skin into a heavy, large saucepan or soup pot. Add the rest of the vegetables, plus the thyme and the chicken or vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until onion is very tender, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly.

3. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until it is as smooth as you’d like it to be. Or, if you have an immersion blender, you can do this in the pot. Back in the pot, add the cream (if using – I didn’t have any) and bring the soup back to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in four bowls, sprinkled with goat cheese.

I followed two PS suggestions from the original recipe: adding cumin, and using feta instead of goat cheese (since feta was what I had on hand). Both ingredients added a nice, subtle kick!

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I was immediately drawn to Boat Girl: A Memoir of Youth, Love, and Fiberglass by Melanie Neale. This memoir is a series of increasingly connected vignettes, starting when Melanie was very young, which together paint a larger picture of boat life. Melanie and her sister grew up aboard a sailboat, typically summering in Virginia and wintering in the Bahamas. They were homeschooled aboard, diving and meeting all sorts of interesting people, supported by the money her father made writing sailing books and articles. In the summer, sailing families congregated in Cape Town, where she met kids who would become her best friends – the only other people who truly understood her. Her family’s story is almost like an expat story, though they were often surrounded by other Americans.

I’m not a boat girl on a caliber with the Neales, but I felt personally connected to this memoir. Melanie and I are the same age, and the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area was one of her “home ports.” As an adult, she attended grad school at FIU and lived on her own sailboat at a marina in the suburb where I lived as a child. Her recollections brought back many of my own memories of boating and oceangoing. I could practically feel the ocean breeze on my face. The “salt life” never leaves you, even if you’ve never lived full-time on a boat.

Recommended for: boaters, ocean lovers, South Floridians

2 Comments + Posted in: book reviews, ocean

A couple of years ago, my friend Hillary suggested I read Ruby Slippers by Jonalyn Fincher. Hillary’s brother-in-law is a staff writer for Soulation, the ministry Jonalyn runs with her husband Dale, and she’d met Jonalyn when she came to town for a speaking engagement. I read Ruby Slippers, loved it, and started recommending it to other women. From there I got hooked on Soulation’s blogs and was taken in by the ministry’s honesty, depth, fresh perspective, and focus on “being fully human.” I appreciated that the Finchers weren’t afraid to wrestle with big, difficult questions.

Soulation holds small retreats called Gatherings three times a year in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where Dale and Jonalyn live. Each Gathering focuses on a different topic. After my friend Esther attended the White Gathering last winter, I wanted to go too. But due to cost and personal insecurity, I didn’t expect to do so anytime soon.

At the beginning of August, I got an e-mail from Soulation saying that two people had canceled for the Gold Gathering at the end of September. If they couldn’t fill the spots by that Friday, they would have to cancel the whole thing. The theme was What Is The Church? Since I’ve spent the last few years increasingly pondering how to find my place in the Church, my antennae went right up. I texted Esther, talked to a few friends, and called my dad. Their support for the idea was unanimous. Despite the expense, and the potential craziness of crossing the country to hang with a bunch of total strangers, everyone encouraged me to go for it. I hurriedly applied that night and was accepted by the weekend. As my mom loves to say, it was a God Thing.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Gathering. I hoped to be refreshed, feel closer to God, get some new insights, and enjoy nature. I got all of that in spades. Our group was made up of twelve people (counting the Finchers), all Christians but from different backgrounds and in different spiritual and life places. Many attendees were struggling with legitimate church-related issues a lot bigger than mine. Normally it would take days of small talk to reach deep topics with new people, but our group dove right into it. I loved that. Of course we got to know each other at a more surface level too, but it was great to feel like we had a common mission. Each day we had a presentation and at least one “official” discussion time, but there were plenty of free hours to hike, bike, explore the area, or just have down time at the gorgeous chalet where we were staying.

I’d been to Colorado twice before – once to ski when I was in high school (it wasn’t as fun as it sounds), and once en route from the Denver airport to visit my ex’s grandparents in southeastern Wyoming. But I’d never experienced Colorado. Just being there was invigorating for my body and soul. The changing trees, the unexpected snow, the rivers, the fresh air. To my own surprise, I pretty much fell in love with the place.

Photo by Dale

What most drew me to this particular Gathering was my feeling of isolation within the Church. I think other regions of the country, and other Christian groups, are more integrational (is that a word?). But in a conservative denomination in the South, as a single (divorced!), childless 30something, I’m perpetually out of place. Even though I don’t believe one’s marital or parental status should be the core of one’s identity, the fact remains that the American Church in my neck of the woods is designed for families. There’s no proactive path laid out, no mentors for someone like me. Rather than get bitter and complainy about it, I try my best to do positive things with that frustration, to blaze a trail for myself and for those who will come after me. But it’s often lonely and sad.

I hoped to find some answers about that at the Gathering. If I did, they haven’t fully formed yet. But I learned many valuable things that will stay with me. I was reminded that my neck of the woods is just one small section of the giant forest that is the Body of Christ. I saw the presence of God in other Christians who are different from me, and heard their stories. I felt, in the best possible way, that many of the spiritual and churchy things I worry about aren’t such a big deal. That maybe I can give myself and others a break sometimes. Honestly, I think it may take months to fully process my thoughts and feelings.

My fellow Gatherers will always be in my heart. We climbed mountains together. Literally and figuratively.

7 Comments + Posted in: faith, travel

I spent (most of) last week and weekend in Steamboat Springs, Colorado for the Soulation Gold Gathering. It was an amazing, refreshing experience. There are so many things I want to share about it, but my re-entry into regular life has been rough (after an hour back at work, I was ready to pack up my cats and flee back to Colorado) and I haven’t had time to write or even fully process everything. I’ll get to it as soon as I can. Thanks for your patience with my absence from this blog. In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite pictures from the trip.

Add a Comment + Posted in: nature, travel

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (4 stars)
A twisty nautilus of a novel that kind of blew my mind. On a cold, snowy English night several years before WWI begins, Ursula is born. Several years later she drowns… and is reborn on the same snowy night. As this pattern repeats itself, she recalls her past lives with increasing clarity and makes adjustments to save herself and her loved ones. She doesn’t always succeed. In typical Kate Atkinson fashion, these plot turns are subtle at times – you really have to pay attention. But it’s worth it!  

Boat Girl: A Memoir of Youth, Love, & Fiberglass by Melanie Neale (4 stars)
I received this one from Netgalley, so a review will be posted on its own later this week.  

The Tofu Quilt by Ching Yeung Russell (4 stars)
A friend loaned me this book of free-verse poetry about a woman’s childhood in Hong Kong. She thought of me because many of the poems are about wanting to become a writer. :) These spare, beautiful, sweet words about a loving family in a foreign place were like a palate cleanser for my brain. I’ve never been a regular reader of poetry, but this makes me want to start! 

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg (4 stars)
I read this memoir/advice book for my women’s resource group at work. Sheryl Sandberg, an executive at Facebook, shares her experiences and insights as a successful woman in the corporate world. Depending on what sort of culture you come from, you’ll probably find her advice either too feminist or not feminist enough, but it really worked for me – I must be in a sweet spot. Among her sound observations: women must learn to “sit at the table,” speak up for ourselves, and own the credit for our accomplishments; unlike men, women are usually forced to make a choice between being successful and being liked; choosing a supportive, equal-minded spouse is key to success. Overall, she emphasizes the importance of women helping and supporting one another if we’re ever going to achieve true equality, in the workplace and everywhere else!  

Self-Inflicted Wounds: Heartwarming Tales of Epic Humiliation by Aisha Tyler (3 stars)
I’m an admirer of Aisha Tyler in all her roles – comedienne, podcaster, writer, cohost of The Talk, etc. She’s super smart, funny, ambitious, and totally unpretentious. In this memoir, she recalls her most embarrassing (and hilarious) moments and what she learned from them. I didn’t love the book quite as much as I expected to, but it’s entertaining and somewhat inspirational. Warning: if profanity bothers you, you’ll probably want to skip this one (but then you’re probably not a fan in the first place).  

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (5 stars)
This alien-invasion novel is told from multiple perspectives and will keep your brain clicking and your heart pounding until the end. I read it in two sittings. It’s 50% Ender’s Game, 50% The Host, 100% awesome. I loved it.

Books for September: 6
2013 year to date: 56

2 Comments + Posted in: book reviews, reading