My Literary Bestie

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Do you ever just meet someone and you immediately just click? When they are talking you find yourself enthusiastically nodding along saying, "Yes, yep, I know!" Well that happened to me recently but with an author and not a person lol. This author is Shauna Niequist. I feel a pretty deep connection when I read anything by her and she seems to be speaking right to me with her written words. I love the stories she tells and how she connects everything to food. I love food! She gets anxious and worries a lot... so do I! She even talks about her struggles with having babies... once again, speaking right to me. It's like we are besties but she doesn't know it. Wow, that sounds creepy.

In Bread and Wine, she writes about how food nourishes her body and mind. I SO agree. I think food brings people together to share in experiences and connect on a much more personal level. Around a dinner table, we are able to reconnect with our loved ones, embellish on life's happenings, and laugh about the crazy things that occur day-to-day. It's not just the eating and sharing that is so comforting but the actual act of cooking as well. There's just something so satisfying about gathering ingredients  and seeing it all come together to make a meal. It's an even bigger bonus when those around you actually enjoy what they are tasting!

In Shauna's latest book Savor, she has daily devotionals (aka nuggets of nourishment for our souls) and then recipes sprinkled throughout. I made her French tart recipe a few weekends ago and I was shocked by how well it turned out. I am NOT a baker by any means, so when I bake something and it comes out half edible I'm impressed. Mark was pretty impressed as well :)

I love her dinner party ideas and I feel inspired to try all the recipes. Cooking is just another creative outlet for me. I know it sounds a little strange to say cooking is a creative outlet, but I truly feel this way. *Those of you who don't like to cook probably think I'm nuts. :) If you would have asked me five or six years ago if I like to cook I would have most likely said, "Heck no." I couldn't even make scrambled eggs and I always had my little sister make them haha. I can now proudly say I've mastered the art of scrambling eggs. Thanks Brit. :)

So where am I going with this tangent??? Basically you should go out and buy both Bread & Wine and Savor and while you're at it pick up Cold Tangerines too. Her stories are so relatable and will bring you through a plethora of emotions. You'll laugh a ton and probably tear up a little as well. Hopefully, her writing will speak to your soul and maybe you'll get why I want to be Shauna's bestie!