I recently read Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist. If you haven’t already read this little beauty, you need to get your hands on a copy. Like, yesterday. The way she writes, speaks about food and conversation around the table, shares about life and loss and the beauty of walking alongside your friends and family through it all – well, it is simply beautiful. She puts things into words that I never would have been able to speak so eloquently. Many, many times as I read this book, I found myself saying, “Yes! My thoughts exactly!” Although I’d never been able to put many of those thoughts into words before now.

The name of this blog actually comes from a quote out of Bread & Wine:

“Let’s be courageous in these days. Let’s choose love and rest and grace. Let’s use our minutes and hours to create memories with the people we love…I pray that we’ll live with intention, hope, and love in this wild season and in every season, and that the God who loves us will bring new life to our worn-out hearts this year and every year, that we’ll live, truly and deeply, in the present, instead of waiting, waiting, waiting for perfect.”

Isn’t that just beautiful? When the world tells us to be constantly on the go, competing for the top, always available and accessible, unforgiving to those who disagree with us, and constantly distracted – what a beautiful call this is to do just the opposite. A call to slow down, be present, let go of the worries of the future, love on those around us here and now. Just soak that up for a moment.

This season is wild. For us it certainly is, and for you I’m sure. My husband, Tim, and I never dreamed we’d end up back in the town I grew up in, him teaching at the high school I attended, us living in the actual house I grew up in. What a crazy life this is. This season isn’t at all what we would have chosen for ourselves, and yet it is beautiful. We’re learning in the midst of the unexpected. We’re stumbling and making mistakes and growing through the ups and downs. And even though we’re excited for what’s next, we’re also struggling and striving to see what God has for us here and now. May we all “live, truly and deeply, in the present, instead of waiting, waiting, waiting for perfect.”

Are you striving to live in the present? To just be? To allow yourself to rest and let go of your fears and worries?

Today’s recipe is a simple vinaigrette found in Shauna’s Bread & Wine. I made it for the first time the other week and feel it will become a staple in our fridge. It’s ridiculously simple to make – no whisking or blending of ingredients – simply toss it all in a jar and shake. I was actually surprised how well my dressing stayed mixed together – I always think of vinaigrettes separating and needing to be shaken before each use. Not this one though. If you like your vinaigrette a little less “puckery,” you can add more olive oil to mellow it out. I personally liked this just the way it was!

I drizzled this over a salad of spinach, red onion, sunflower seeds, and feta cheese. It was delicious! Use it however you like – I think it’d be great on a salad topped with walnut and dried cranberry as well! Come back tomorrow – we’ll be featuring a super-duper simple recipe and another use for this delicious vinaigrette!