Sometimes my mom, after serving Sunday mornings wiping noses in the nursery like the good pastor’s wife she was (is), would pop in a tape (remember those?) of the sermon into the living room stereo system. And if my dad happened to wander into the room, he’d run away going blah blah blah so he wouldn’t have to hear himself. I so get that. It’s incredibly awkward and uncomfortable to hear your own voice, a sure indication that it’s best... Read more
Okay, maybe not now-now, as people here often say when they mean “at this very moment,” but spring is surely the time for taking up the practice of eating (at least some things) that are local and seasonal. Now’s the time to find a CSA (some of them even deliver, which can be so convenient) or plant an itty-bitty garden, if you can spare the space and effort. Even if all you’re able and willing to grow is a pot... Read more
Grateful to D.L. Mayfield for this lovely review of my book at Renew & Sustain: …how do I explain to my friends and neighbors why I shop at the co-op? Why I spend $5-7 dollars a pound on meat now (and subsequently, eat a lot less meat than before). How do I explain that I am doing this out of love for God, our world, and for them? That I feel like every dollar invested in local agriculture and economy... Read more
You won’t hear about it in the news because it isn’t news. It’s just what’s normal here. Every day, or nearly so, the clanging sound of metal hitting metal lets me know that someone’s at the gate that surrounds our home, bringing vegetables or fish or charcoal or wooden carvings to sell. It happens often enough that the sound elicits annoyance from me as I leave the stove, or my book, or the couch to answer the call. And often... Read more
Lentils are widely touted as the convenience food of the legume family since they don’t require pre-soaking or pre-cooking. However, I think pre-soaking and precooking renders them both tastier and more digestible. Make this soup while it’s still chilly! It’s as frugal and simple as you can get. Start by rinsing and soaking 1 pound green (most of us think of them as brown) lentils in fresh water to cover. Soak for at least 1 hour, then drain and rinse... Read more
The top 10 or 20 bestselling books at Amazon.com vary slightly from hour to hour, day to day, but one thing remains pretty constant: There are always several books on spirituality, often with Protestant evangelical leanings, and there are always books on diet, promising either dramatic weight loss or astounding well-being through some “revolutionary” plan. Even within the category of “Religion and Spirituality,” some of the most popular books focus on diet and bodily health, and when they don’t, they... Read more
Thankful to the good folks at Blessed Earth–an educational nonprofit that inspires and equips people of faith to become better stewards of the earth–for this warm recommendation of my book: God’s gift of food, professed in Genesis, is in need of redemption for many people. Busy schedules have reduced the number of meals we eat together, and confusing advertisements can make it difficult to choose a healthy meal option. Many of us have complicated relationships with food, feeling guilty when... Read more
I have a review in the current issue of Books and Culture that’s also available to read online. The book is the excellent Food and Feasts of Jesus by Douglas A. Neel and Joel A. Pugh. Here’s just a tiny sample of the review: A richer understanding of food in the ancient Middle East can help us understand the Scriptures better; for example, the Gospels, especially Luke, are full of meals redolent with symbolic importance. To understand even a bit... Read more
My thanks to Wes Vander Lugt for this glowing review of Eat With Joy. Here are just a few of the lines that have me pawing the ground with my toe and going “Really? Thanks so much!”– “In my mind, it combines the best of new food research with the best of biblical theology and Christian wisdom.” “…it presents an uncompromising vision for “redeeming God’s gift of food” while showing how this vision is not just a pie-in-the-sky dream for obsessive foodies.”... Read more
I have a guest post at Amy Julia Becker‘s lovely blog, Thin Places. Amy Julia is also graciously hosting a giveaway, so if you head over to her blog and leave a comment, you’ll be entered to win a free copy of Eat With Joy—the kind made out of paper! Amy Julia asked me to write on something related to eating with joy with children–and that’s just what I did, starting with my first pregnancy with my now seven-year-old son,... Read more
Rachel Marie Stone
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