My friend Rachel (who blogs through biographies of First Ladies; so interesting!) asked me what sorts of things we’re eating in Malawi. The boring answer is that we eat a lot of the same sorts of things we eat at home, sans cheese. (There’s no cheese to speak of here.) The better answer is that we sometimes get to enjoy nsima and ndiwo. Nsima is the staple food of Malawi. People here will tell you that any meal that does... Read more
Why, oh why, do discussions in the US–especially discussions that take place on the Internet–pit one side against the other as ferociously as possible? Egalitarian v. complementarian! Republican v. Democrat! Vegan v. Bacon-ist! (Is that a thing? Because it seems like a thing. I’ve always liked bacon, but then one day I went on Facebook and saw that people were putting bacon in their margaritas and in their cinnamon rolls and stuff. What’s up with that?) Anyway, discussions about all... Read more
Over a year ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing Norman Wirzba for Her.meneutics, the Christianity Today blog written by (but not exclusively for!) women, and of reviewing one of his recent books, Food and Faith, for Books & Culture. We exchanged emails about food and faith, and, at some point, Dr. Wirzba agreed to write the Foreword for my book, for which I’m very grateful. Here’s some of what he wrote: “It is hard to imagine an important human event... Read more
I haven’t been so great at collecting and sharing links—which is what I had hoped to do each Friday. So will you help me? Email me RachelMarie9 {AT} gmail {DOT}com by midnight on Thursdays with one or two of the best things you’ve seen on the web this week on any subject. I’ll try to add my own, and link to yours and to your blog, if you have one. Let the sharing/linking begin! Read more
I’m so grateful for the good words from diverse people about my new book. Here are just a few of them: Brian D. McLaren (author, speaker and blogger at brianmclaren.net) said: “I’m not proud of this, but I didn’t start taking my eating habits seriously–or seeing them as part of my spiritual life–until I reached mid-life. I wish I’d started when I was in my twenties (or before), and I wish I’d had Eat with Joy as my guide. The... Read more
This is a re-run of a recipe I posted a year or so ago. Here in Malawi, I can’t quite get all the ingredients for it. So if it appeals to you, maybe you can make it and enjoy it for me. The spirit behind this recipe is this: that in eating, we don’t have to choose between organic whole-grain everything and mac-n-cheese in a box; nor do we have to choose between comforting-but-totally-from-cans casseroles and fancy-pants cuisine. This casserole... Read more
I’ve recently received word from InterVarsity Press that my book is now in print, and will soon be shipping from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other places where books are sold–like the wonderful Hearts & Minds bookstore. As the book launches, I’ll be sharing excerpts and reviews in this space. If you think people you know would be interested in reading this book, would you consider sharing these posts? And if my book sounds good to you, but you aren’t... Read more
Did you know that one in every twenty new mothers is diagnosed as suffering from post-traumatic stress following childbirth? In her book Birth Crisis, anthropologist and birth activist Sheila Kitzinger argues that many cases of postpartum depression are attributed to “hormonal fluctuations” but that, in fact, a good many women are traumatized by the way they’re treated during labor–and many, if not most, beat themselves up for feeling that way. Other people are often less than helpful, saying things like “you... Read more
One of the most consistently popular posts on this blog has been one called ‘My Audrey Hepburn Problem,’ mostly thanks to Internet searches like “Audrey Hepburn skinny,” “Audrey Hepburn eating disorder,” “how to look like Audrey Hepburn,” etc. The post itself, of course, was on how, as a teenager, I conflated Hepburn’s talent and humanitarian efforts with her beauty and thinness, assuming, foolishly, that it was her good looks and apparent ‘self-discipline’ (because doesn’t a 20-inch waist come from ‘self-discipline’?)... Read more
From all that I’m hearing from Facebook and Twitter and, you know, good old fashioned e-mail, it’s a pretty cold winter there in the Northern Hemisphere, which to me means perfect for hot chocolate, cookies, and curling up with books. I know, I know; there’s work and school to be attended, intractable cars to get started, and so on, but six months from now, when you’re sweating and roasting, you MIGHT say to yourself “why didn’t I bake some cookies... Read more
Rachel Marie Stone
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