I remember once when I was little, I thought it would be fun to smash a fire-roasted marshmallow in between my hands. Worst idea ever. Not only did it burn my palms, but the melted goop created a cement-like paste that kept them together. Needless to say, I did not get to eat any of that marshmallow. It was washed down the drain with a lot of hot water.

So why not take all of the mess out of the equation, and still capture the essence of a s’more in dessert form? That’s the great thing about these cookies — they are a bit thinner than the type I typically make, but you can really taste the graham crackers, marshmallow and chocolate all in one bite.

That’s right, folks. There is melted marshmallowy goodness in these cookies. Betcha can’t have just one!

Side story: These cookies were a FAIL on first bake. Thankfully, after altering the recipe, they were a success. All bakers make mistakes, so don’t get discouraged if your batch doesn’t turn out right the first time. As with everything in life, you can always try again. (:

I Want S’more Cookie

Makes: 2 dozen cookies | Author: Lauren Hardy

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
4 marshmallows
24 Hershey’s chocolate squares

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then blend in egg, vanilla and molasses. Add salt, baking soda, baking powder, flour, and graham cracker crumbs and mix until combined.

In a small bowl, microwave marshmallows for 20 seconds. Immediately transfer the gooey marshmallows into the dough mixture and stir for 10 seconds. Preheat oven too 375˚ F. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes prior to baking (this ensures that the dough will not spread).

Using a tablespoon, place cookie dough on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for five minutes, then remove and place a Hershey’s square in the center of each cookie. Bake for another five minutes, then let cool.

Photo | Jordan Richmond, Creative Commons

“Lauren, honestly, this just doesn’t sound like you. If you can tell me that five years after the fact you’ll still be happy with your decision, then I will let this go. But if not, you need to really think this through,” she said.

Before Devon knew about my plan (the topic is irrelevant to this post), I was certain I was making the right decision. I hadn’t really thought it through, but it made sense at the time, so I went with it. However, in hearing my best friend’s aconcern face-to-face, I knew she was right about my hasty decision.

I’d fallen victim to impulse. And since I hadn’t taken time to mull things over, I was killing any chance of considering another path. I was settling for second best because it seemed like the right and simple thing to do.

Relying solely on instinct to make major life decisions is dangerous.

I’m so glad I had the nerve to talk to Devon about this situation. And now, I understand how important it is to get several different opinions before choosing any life-altering course of action. I think talking with others is sometimes the only way to make sense of what you really want.

Another thing Devon recommended me to do (I skipped over this step): Pray. This is the most obvious, but often avoided, step. Ask God to clear your mind and to give guidance as you continue to follow after Him. He knows what our future holds; and He is for us! (Check out Psalm 119:105 for some encouragement to also get into the Word.)

Devon’s last piece of advice that night: reflect. “Five years from now, will you be happy with the decision you made?” she asked me. And my answer was a resounding no. My “Plan A” wasn’t what I truly wanted … I was just trying to take the easy route, instead of the harder, but ultimately more fulfilling road.

It’s OK to change your mind.

Thanks again Devon, for continuing to speak truth into my life! This is one of the many things that friends are for, to call our bluff.

Thank goodness! Someone is home! I thought.

A few minutes passed and still, there were no roommates in sight. Walking over to where the noise originated, I found the door blown open by the wind. No one was coming home. I was still

A
L
O
N
E.

Photo | Pascal Maramis, Creative Commons

I don’t get lonely very often; and when I do, I usually self-medicate by reading, whipping up a new recipe, going for a drive, or writing. But tonight was different. Being alone wasn’t something I could push away — it was my reality. Friends sent me pictures of their nights out on the town. My dad sent me pictures of the whole family at a wedding. My grandmother Facebooked “Everyone was out at the house today, except for Lauren.” All in succession.

My heart ached.

I wrote about making friends last week, but as I said before, that’s a process … not something you can force. Knowing that I had no one in the area to call who was available, I threw the blanket off my legs, put my book down, rose from the couch and went for a walk.

A few blocks into my journey, I saw a birthday party of inflatables taking place at a corner house. Children were laughing. Some parents were hugging other parents goodbye as they drop their kids off. Others stayed to watch the little ones have a good time.

Their community and experiences gave me joy.

At one point or another in life, we will all be outsiders. There will be loneliness. Hearts will ache for home. And you can click your heels all you want, but a pair of red shoes won’t magically take you there.

In these moments, there are two options: wallow in the loneliness, or, take a walk. Receive joy from the world around you by looking for beauty and community where you originally saw desolate darkness. At the end of our loneliest nights is the dawn of a new day.

There’s no fuss. No mess. Just happy noses, and full bellies.

While you might make a mess (who am I kidding, I always make a mess) with this recipe, you, too, can whip up an order of chicken curry in quite a hurry. Don’t be intimidated by the fact you are cooking something you would normally order at a specialized restaurant. You can cook something that will taste just as good — and for half the price!

The thick ribbons of onion, chunks of red bell pepper, sweet potato and chicken round out the dishes’ hearty texture atop a bed of jasmine rice.

Tip: Pour leftover coconut milk into an ice cube tray for easy storing and freezing. That way, when you need it in the future, all you have to do is plop one or two into whatever you are making. Works like a charm!

Chicken Curry in a Hurry

Author: Lauren Hardy | Total time: 30 min

1 cup jasmine rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium sweet potato, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, then thinly sliced into half moons
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 rounded tablespoon mild curry paste or 2 tablespons curry powder
2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite size chunks
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, chopped
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup coconut milk

Prepare the rice according to package instructions. Then remove from heat, cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potato to the skillet and season with salt, pepper, and curry and cook, stirring for about 7-8 minutes, or until lightly brown. Remove from skillet and set aside. In the same skillet, cook the chicken until slightly brown, about 6 minutes.  Then, add the onions, bell peppers and cooked sweet potato chunks and toss to combine. Stir in the flour and continue to cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and coconut milk and bring to a simmer, cooking for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Serve warm over jasmine rice.

Through the airplane’s windows I could see faces — the smiles of the friends I had come to cherish over the course of a few months. I couldn’t have survived my summer in Seattle without them. I was ready to move on, but felt so wrong for having been only a momentary blip in my new friend’s lives.

I felt so insignificant. So ungrounded.

In high school, many of us had consistent friend groups: people we played sports, went to church, ate lunch, or hung out with on a regular basis. On any given day, we’d be reconnected with these relationships. Our whole world could fit within the county lines of our town.

Some stay within those county lines. Then there are those who venture out into the world, where, even though there are plenty of people around, it can become a pretty lonely and fruitless place. There is a sense of uprootedness experienced in this.

So what do we do when we feel like a wandering soul? And how are new friends made in the first place?

Regardless of the amount of time spent with a certain person, friendships matter. None of us could get by without them. The people we come in contact with are inarguably irreplaceable, unique, and deserving of our full attention. But friendship is a process. Relationships are not instantaneous — they are lifelong and involve active engagement.

Sunday marks week two of my Minneapolis affair. It’s taken a bit of time, but, instead of just passing through this part of my life, I’m trying to see each new friendship as a valued opportunity to learn more about the world and my place in it. What I’ve found is that the more people I meet and talk to, the more beautiful and big life gets. 

The world can be a lonely, desolate place, even though its bursting with people. It’s the scary irony of life. But it doesn’t have to be this way. We don’t have to be wandering souls. What we can do is can make roots wherever we go the best we can, and make ourselves vulnerable to make new friends, even if we’re just passing through. We never know what God has in store, or where we will end up. But Jesus made us to make friends with others, regardless of how brief or prolonged our encounters are.

Friends are everywhere. Around every corner, friendships are just waiting to be made.

Sometimes, it gets me into trouble. Like when I set my mind on making something, only to find out I don’t have time to get all of the ingredients. Or when I’m at a friends’ house, and I feel the urge to help them finish making our meal.

However, on the days I compulsively pick a dinner idea before 5 p.m. strikes, things usually turn out splendidly.

That being said, while I think it’s healthy to go with the flow on most occasions … sometimes, you just have to make a choice; even if it means taking a risk.

This soup may look odd at first glance. I was actually nervous to ask my roommates if they would be willing to try it. But hear me when I say: this is one of the best soups I’ve made in my entire life. And if you didn’t get the hint from my last food blog, I really, really like making soup. A lot.

My new, sweet roommates, Krisi and Amanda, were gracious enough to let me try this soup out on them earlier this week. Krisi made the bread side dish you saw in this post’s first picture (which was equally fantastic). And I made the main course. Aside from a leaky blender, which spilled a lot of our chicken broth all over the counter, this was a fun and stress-free dinner to make.

Creamy Asparagus Soup

Author: Adapted from A Clove of Garlic, A Pinch of Salt | Serves: 3

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 chicken sausage links, cut into 1/2 inch cubes    
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 small red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch
6 oz. plain greek yogurt

A view of Minneapolis from Lake Harriet. I am interning in the city until August.

Whether they seem little, big, or completely out of this world, we all look forward to things in life. It’s what keeps us excited about new opportunities and adventures … even when reality doesn’t live up to our expectations, or what we have hoped and wanted for ourselves.

The bewildering part of this is, though I’m only an intern, my drive and first day on the job felt too incredible, too good to be true. It’s like I didn’t think these things I looked forward to would actually ever happen to me. After all, big breaks and happy endings only happen on TV and in movies, right?

Later in the day, I came across an interview between Miranda Lambert (one of my favorite singers) and Jay Leno. For those non-country music fans out there, Lambert took home four trophies at the American Country Music Awards in early April. Needless to say, she was shocked to receive such recognition.

“I just wanna say real quickly that last night a dream of mine came true,” she said through tears at the awards. “Because, I went from being a little girl singing into a hairbrush to watching Shania Twain with Faith Hill and Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson.”

Lambert told Leno that it’d always been a dream of hers to hang out with these women, all at the same time. And when it finally happened, she couldn’t handle — it was too good to be true.

What I learned yesterday is that it’s OK to believe that the things I look forward to in life can, might, or will come true. And if I work hard, I shouldn’t feel unworthy or surprised if they do.

Aspirations don’t have to be canned away into a fairy tale jar. They are meant to be realized.

In my book, there are few things as satisfying as a hot bowl of stew. It is the meal equivalent to curling up with a hot cup of coffee and a good book. And while a cup of coffee can be brewed too weak or strong, or a book can be just so-so, stew does not usually disappoint.

This stew is no exception. It is as the recipe title states: hearty. I originally made this during the winter months, while butternut squash was in season, but I have enjoyed it several times since.

 If you’d like, you could substitute butternut squash for 2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed. This would give the stew a different flavor, but I am sure it would be just as delicious!

Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash + Quinoa

Author: Adapted from Cookin’ Canuck | Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded & chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 boneless chicken breasts, shredded
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes
2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

1. Steam the butternut squash until just tender, about 10 minutes. Remove half of the squash pieces and set aside.
2. Steam the remaining squash until very tender, an additional 4 to 6 minutes. Mash this squash with the back of a fork. Set aside.
3. In a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, bring the chicken broth to a simmer.
4. Add chicken breasts, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate and allow to cool. Pour broth into a medium-sized bowl.
6. Return the saucepan to the stovetop and lower heat to medium. Add the olive oil.
7. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is starting to turn brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
8. Add the salt, minced garlic and oregano. Cook, stirring, for 1 additional minute.
9. To the saucepan, add tomatoes, butternut squash pieces, and mashed butternut squash. Stir to combine.
10. Stir in reserved chicken broth and quinoa. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa turns translucent, about 15 minutes.
11. Shred the chicken with your fingers or a fork.
12. Stir the chicken and pepper into the stew and simmer, uncovered, to heat, about 5 minutes.
13. Stir in parsley and serve.

If we believe we were beautifully and wonderfully made, why, then, as we grow older on the outside, do we let time steal our joy? As if age were something to extinguish joy — as if wrinkles and sagging skin were something to hide away?

Last week, I grabbed lunch with my gramma, who had received a hair cut earlier that day. Her hair looked fantastic, but it’s not what I love most about her. You see, my gramma is beautiful for many reasons; what captivates me most is her spirit, the way she lights up when she smiles, and the stories we share. Her spirit is full of so much joy, and for that she is eternally beautiful.

Gramma and I, March 2013

The same is true for all of us, regardless of age, appearance, or social class.
An uplifting, remarkable spirit is a joy to be surrounded by forever.

It’s guaranteed that our bodies will change over time, but our spirits will only grow old if we let them.

We’ve heard it said that age is just a number, and though I am only 20 years old, I could not agree more. Age isn’t something we should run from, but rather something we should embrace. The longer we are alive and the more refined our spirits become, the more joy we have the opportunity to spread around.

Like singing a favorite song while driving, we should consider ourselves timeless — a thing of joy forever. We are not entirely bound by time, we are simply forced to live within it.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” -2 corinthians 4:16 (NIV)