A new spin on the most classic cookie recipe. Indulge with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk. Either are sure to satisfy.

A Time To Pause

Wow. What a crazy last few weeks. It’s amazing how quickly the world can come to almost a complete stand still.

In this time of uncertainty, I have found there is a wide spectrum of emotions people are feeling.

The most common feelings I’m noticing are of anxiety, isolation and fear. People are losing their jobs, some temporarily, some permanently. Others are watching their life savings dwindle away. And thousands are finding their health being compromised, some watching loved ones passing away.

I work in healthcare, primarily with elderly people. There is a very real concern at work of whether or not we will be able to keep our patients from getting the virus. Our protective equipment is running low. The tension is definitely palpable.

Although this is a season of generalized anxiety, I can’t help but feel incredibly enlightened and grateful. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not grateful for the virus, far from it. I am grateful, though, for what this season of life is teaching me.

A Refining Season

These past few weeks have seemed to bring life to a screeching halt. Before that, it seemed to be moving at a million miles a minute with little space left for intentionality. In these moments of quiet, I have been given ample time to reflect on the lessons I am learning during this season:

Service

A big lesson I’m learning is how to be more attentive to the needs of the community around me. Why all of a sudden, am I thinking of ways to help fight hunger, make sure people have their basic needs met, etc? As a Christian, shouldn’t this be my heart’s focus in every season, not just during a pandemic? That has been incredibly convicting.

Prayer

Not surprisingly, I have a lot of down time on my hands. A space for forced quietude. During this time, I have relished longer moments spent in prayer, refreshing my soul and maintaining my anchor in God’s perfect peace, when the world around me seems to be spinning out of control. Prayer has never been a gift of mine. I get restless, impatient and distracted. I am so grateful to be given the time and space to cultivate this spiritual discipline. Goodness knows there is plenty to pray about, especially during this time.

Self Restraint

As movement throughout the community is limited, I have been learning to make greater use of the things I already have. For example, instead of rushing to the library for a book I want to read, I am trying to make my way through the several unread books currently sitting on my bookshelf.

I am learning how to play songs from the various piano books in my possession that I’ve never played before instead of running to the music store to buy new sheet music every time I hear an new, exciting song.

Instead of getting ingredients from the grocery store for dinner every day, I am thinking of new recipes using the ingredients already in my home, thus reducing waste.

I am cultivating a greater contentment and thankfulness for the things I have instead of needlessly indulging every flight of fancy.

Dreams

To help ride out the storm, my best friend and I have dedicated an hour for creativity via video or phone call. Today, this ended up being about four hours. We dedicated this time of day to pursuing the dreams we had placed on the backburner for too long. For me, it’s creating a cookbook and working on ideas of how to bake birthday cakes for children in low SES families. For her, it’s pursuing her passion of bringing hope to people through writing and capturing other people’s personal stories.

I think it would be a shame to come out of this season of life the same person I was going into it. It is my sincerest hope that the lessons I’m learning in this time of life stay with me in the years to come. I don’t want to get so caught up in routine that I become blind and callous to the needs of those around me. I hope my prayer life remains strengthened and I hope that I will always have the drive to actively pursue the dreams God has placed on my heart.

Espresso Chocolate Chips

When the social distancing and stay-at-home orders went into effect, I became desperate to get out of the house (a common feeling I can imagine). So, I went to Target. That technically counts as a grocery store, right? As I was aimlessly perusing the baking aisle, I came across something that completely blew my mind:

ESPRESSO CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Why these never existed before, I’ll never know. God bless Nestle. So in true apocalyptic style, I bought a couple bags (in the apocalypse, there will be a run on espresso chocolate chips, mark my words).

When I got home, I threw a handful of the chocolates into my mouth just to see if they were as good as I was imagining. Guess what, they were.

When baking with coffee before, I found I was never able to quite get the flavor to stand out. It always seemed to get lost in the shuffle. However, I soon discovered that these chocolate chips brought the espresso flavor to a whole new level. They quickly made the coffee the star of the show.

After thinking of ways to use my newfound treasure, I thought, why not put a spin on the classic chocolate chip cookie? After a couple trial batches, I came up with, what I believe, is a solid espresso chocolate chip cookie recipe. Chewy and chocolatey with a kick of espresso.

Final Thoughts

In this time, I have become more acutely aware of my need for hope in Jesus, reminding myself that this life is just a brief moment compared with an eternity spent with Him.

I hope you are able to find rest in the midst of these uncertain times. In these moments of general stress and anxiety, I pray you are able to find peace. Stay well, stay healthy, stay hopeful.

Blessings on your home and table,

~Natalie