Well folks, it's August in Iowa, which can only mean that it's time for one thing....

That's right. This past weekend my family made our annual pilgrimage to the Iowa State Fair, which...if you live anywhere in the Midwest or its outskirts means that you know it's KIND OF A BIG DEAL.

There are lots of reasons for this, but one of the reasons our beloved fair is famous...or infamous...is the proliferation of food. Specifically fried food. More specifically....fried food on a stick. In no other universe would anyone in their right mind stick a pineapple chunk on a wooden skewer, dip it in batter, and then deep fry it to serve to hungry masses. But for some reason, at the Iowa State Fair, this behavior is not only acceptable....it's encouraged.

Now, while it's fair time in Iowa, it's also true that something of a little more global significance is happening a little further south. What red-blooded American hasn't enjoyed watching Team USA thoroughly trounce their competitors in nearly every sport they play? So in the spirit of the Rio 2016 games, I thought I would present you with a medal ceremony of my own.

Now, of course, it goes without saying that I have not sampled everything the fair has to offer. First of all, I don't know what a "pickle dawg" is, nor do I have any desire to find out. Also, my skinny jeans just would not allow the intake of that many calories. So this might not be a true assessment of the BEST THREE ITEMS that can be had at the fair, but they are the three I'm picking today. My criteria is questionable, but hey - my blog, my rules.

The thing is this. There are many tasty treats to be had at the fair. Among the many I have tried are corn dogs, fresh squeezed lemonade, salt water taffy (this is especially attractive as you can take it home), funnel cakes, turkey legs, some decent BBQ, and the famous Cookies in a Bucket that literally come in a bucket (insider tip: they are best served fresh and warm). Truthfully, I've never eaten something there I've regretted, with the possible exception of the red velvet funnel cake which was just an insult both to funnel cakes and cakes of the red velvet variety.

However, this year, I felt the winds of change blowing. I kept hearing about the widely heralded "new foods for 2016". And I couldn't resist the temptation of something I hadn't tried before. Of course, there are also a few items that no visit to the fair would be complete without, and I've included one of those as well.

Of course, to do fair food right, you have to have a strategy. First of all, you need to download the app. This seems superfluous, but when you're wandering the grand concourse in 90 degree heat and 1000% humidity, and you can't find the stand with the deep fried Oreos, even though you know it was RIGHT THERE LAST YEAR...you'll be happy for a little direction that will keep you from hours of aimless wandering. This becomes even more critical when you have children, because their attention span when searching for a snack is usually in direct proportion to your proximity to the midway and the carnival rides of doom.

And speaking of children....they are your secret weapon. Naturally, everything you purchase must be shared, which basically means you can try OH so many more items because really you've only taken, like 2 bites of everything. Also you're walking uphill in the aforementioned heat and humidity, so it's basically like negative calories. That's what I tell myself anyway.

Now that you have your plan of attack and your partners in crime, you're ready to dig in....

So, without further ado, and in reverse order, I will commence with the medal ceremony. Behold, the winners of the 2016 Iowa State Fair Olympic Food Games (I totally made that up. That's not a thing.).

 BRONZE:

                                 CHEESE CURDS

 They aren't new. They've been around FOREVER. But they still deserve a medal because they are literally my favorite thing in the world. I think about them in the winter. I search Pinterest for recipes that promise to approximate the same level of deliciousness. I am even considering another visit to the fair this summer, JUST SO I CAN HAVE MORE.

I don't know what kind of cheese is in these and I don't care. They are warm, they are gooey, and they come with an optional side of marinara dip. For an additional $1, you can get garlic flavored ones, but why mess with perfection?

My only complaint is that I can't have more. Which....of course technically I could....but it would be a little embarrassing to purchase TWO orders of cheese curds just for myself wouldn't it? OR WOULD IT?

Ahem. Moving on...

SILVER:

                ULTIMATE BACON BRISKET GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

Here we have one of the new items. Since one of my OTHER favorite items in the world is a grilled cheese sandwich, I was intrigued. My cousin and fellow foodie Hannah confirmed to me before my trip that this was a must-try this year, so off to The Rib Shack I marched nearly as soon as we arrived.

And it was everything I had hoped it would be. First of all, it's a normal sized sandwich, so you don't feel like an ogre munching on it as you walk (I'm looking at you, turkey legs that are clearly genetically modified). The bacon and brisket work perfectly together without being too chewy or crispy, and the cheese really shines. What kind of cheese, you ask? Yeah, I don't know that. (Notice a theme?) But what really makes it stand out is that, while the bread appears to be normal white toast, it is actually THREE CHEESE bread. You literally cannot go wrong.

This sandwich will set you back about $7, but the nice thing is they appear to be pre-made, so if you've ever stood in a line that's longer than a city block for one of those beef sundae things, you'll understand the appeal of an item that can be purchased in under 5 minutes, provided you go at a non-peak meal time.

GOLD:

                              FUNNEL BACON ON A STICK

When I first heard this item announced, I will admit I was skeptical. I might have even rolled my eyes, before I relegated it to the same category as deep fried butter (i.e. pointless and kind of gross).

Just to be clear...this is bacon that is deep fried. Then it is dipped in funnel cake batter. And then fried again. And then doused with powdered sugar. And glaze. Oh mercy.

But then I started thinking. I like bacon. I like funnel cakes. I like food that is portable. Maybe I had judged too harshly. I resolved to look beyond my prejudices and be open minded to a new culinary experience.

AND I WAS RICHLY REWARDED.

Now, you're probably looking at this picture and thinking, "Really? That? That's...like....her top pick? That doesn't look appetizing, it sort of looks like they skimped on the funnel cake, and to be honest, it also looks a little inappropriate." All of those things are true. BUT WAIT.

Here's what's great about it. It perfectly hits the sweet-salty spot. If you're craving funnel cake, but don't want to invest the 1,119 calories a typical one will set you back, then this is the thing (it clocks in at a respectable 380 calories which means you don't even have to share it!). You can pick maple drizzle, chocolate drizzle, or caramel drizzle (I picked maple). ALSO, it has bacon in it and bacon = protein. BOOM. It's practically a legitimate meal.

There are really no words to describe how great my gold medal pick is. I hope that it becomes a fair staple, so that it can find its way into the annual rotation, along with cheese curds and a corn dog (or two).

Until next time....

#KimExposesTaylor: A Spiritual Lesson

Three things about me are true. Two should be fairly obvious, one less so.

First of all, I love Jesus. Secondly, I'm a mom. Third...I REALLY love music. Like, a lot. Specifically, I love me some T-Swift. My affection for her and her musical artistry has been well documented. In 2011, I even dragged my husband to see her in concert....before she became "Famous" (some of you will get that). He did not hate it. 

But those three things....when they all converge....well, sometimes it does weird things to my brain. And sometimes, the universe just presents me with a gift that the Holy Spirit uses to drop on me some spiritual truths.

The gift....of course....is the Kanye West-Kim Kardashian-Taylor Swift mega feud. Move over Hatfields and McCoys, there are some new sheriffs in town.

(For context - in case your world does NOT revolve around pop culture goings on....here's a link that summarizes the situation fairly succinctly. Beware....because this involves Kanye, there's some offensive language. http://www.vox.com/2016/7/18/12210858/kim-kardashian-taylor-swift-snapchat-kanye-west)

At this point you're like, "Jesus and the Holy Spirit have nothing to do with this and you are deluding herself if you think that They do." Stay with me. The wisdom is coming.

Now working backwards from the aforementioned things of three, we come to the fact that I'm a mom. Specifically, a mom raised by two teachers. This leads me to find lessons in EV-ERY-THING. I even annoy myself by doing this, but I can't help it. It's ingrained into my DNA and there's no escaping it. My only option is to embrace my destiny. So OF COURSE I hear about this and my mom brain immediately thinks to myself, "What lesson could my children from this?" Because if my mother taught me anything, she taught me that it is ALWAYS preferable to learn from others' mistakes when you can.

And oh, the mistakes we have here...

On the one hand, we have Kanye West and the Kardashians.  Their errors in judgement have been documented in seasons one through infinity of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. They have used their own questionable behavior to build an empire, and they revel in it, warts and all.

On the other hand, we have Taylor Swift. All that we know about Taylor Swift is what she has carefully crafted and presented for our consumption. I first became aware of this at the concert we attended, when it became immediately obvious that the entire thing was scripted. It was entertaining and wonderful and I'd pay to see her again - but not one spontaneous word came out of her mouth. And look, that's fine....I have no issues with that. You want to present an intentionally constructed version of yourself to the public - that is your right. Of course, if someone secretly records you as being less than authentic and then posts it on SnapChat...well...now you have yourself a problem.

But honestly...we all do this don't we? We use Instagram and SnapChat filters that present us in the best possible light. We lose our minds during family pictures if all of the kids aren't smiling because THIS IS A HAPPY FAMILY, DANG IT. And don't even got me started on the many family fights that magically end the minute the wheels of our cars hit the pavement of the church parking lot. That isn't the Lord doing a work in us....that's us doing a work on our image. Because as we all know, Christian families don't fight, and they certainly don't fight on the Lord's Day.

The problem with Taylor....and the problem with us, if we're being honest....is that we think we can get away with it. We want to control how others view us by highlighting the good and hiding the bad. And we think that if we do it long enough and with enough skill, that this version of ourselves will somehow become the truth. Look, it's not like we invented this. Jesus condemned the religious leaders of his day for being "whitewashed tombs" (beautiful outside, gross and dead inside). Nowadays, we read that portion of the Scripture, nod sagely, tsk tsk at the Pharisees, and go right back to our hash tagging and filtering, never realizing that we might be guilty of the same.

This brings me right back to the first thing. (Jesus, remember?) The book of Numbers is fairly clear: "...and be sure your sin will find you out." - Numbers 32:23 Simple...to the point...fairly ominous. All the hallmarks of a great moral lesson. Kidding aside, this isn't a threat. It's a warning. A warning to us that it doesn't last forever. True character is always revealed. We can allow the Holy Spirit to reveal it to us so that He can do a work, or we can let others reveal it to the world on Instagram.

Blessedly, most of us are in no danger of being exposed on social media by the great machine of doom that is the Kardashians. That doesn't mean the lesson should be lost on us though. 

Because if we as believers are to make anyone famous....it's Jesus.

(P.S. Taylor Swift...I still love ya girl. You'll make it through this. I promise.)

One Christ Follower's Apology to a Broken World

Dear World,

The Church owes you an apology. You know it...some of us know it...our Heavenly Father DEFINITELY knows it. So here goes...

I'm sorry...

I'm sorry that we've used the Word of God as a club instead of a sword.

I'm sorry we are more interested in coloring our Bibles than reading them.

I'm sorry we've closed our fists tightly instead of opening them in generosity towards those less fortunate.

I'm sorry we've turned our churches into social clubs instead of training camps that equip men and women to fight the Enemy of our souls.

I'm sorry we've confused permission with compassion and offered neither.

I'm sorry "hate the sin, but love the sinner" has come to mean "hate both, love neither".

I'm sorry we look at your sin and judge you, forgetting what dark depths we've been saved from ourselves.

I'm sorry that we have the Answer but are afraid to share it, afraid we'll be persecuted, reviled, or rejected.

I'm sorry that, because of us, you don't know Jesus.

Mostly I'm sorry that we've failed to pray. To intercede for our families, our neighbors, our country, and the world. We are responsible, whether we know it or not.

If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
 -2 Chronicles 7:14

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Disclaimer: There are four of us in our home, five if you include the dog (which we sometimes do, but not in this case). One person enjoyed this meal, and since I'm writing the blog about it, I think we all know who that one person is. Hubby has banned not only THIS PARTICULAR recipe for spaghetti squash, but all spaghetti squash in any form, forever and ever, amen. The children...well...not too surprisingly, they agreed with their father. Traitors.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let me tell you the truth. And by that I mean...I'm not going to tell you that spaghetti squash tastes JUST LIKE regular pasta and that you'll never be able to tell the difference, because that would be a lie, and there are enough of those lies floating around Pinterest. Nonetheless...if you are a spaghetti squash fan or would like to be, this is a GREAT recipe to try.

Did I mention the sauce consists mostly of bacon grease?

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Admittedly....the squash wasn't the first thing that caught my eye when I stumbled upon this recipe. Nope....it was the goat cheese. Of course it was. But then I saw spinach and spaghetti squash, and I started justifying, and telling myself it would be healthy, and before you know it, I had added it to our weekly menu.

(Funny side bar here. I've been married long enough to know that you don't spring vegetable-based dishes on my husband. You just don't. So I showed him the picture. I very clearly said it was spaghetti squash. With bacon and goat cheese. He looked at the picture and agreed to try it. Once he actually saw me making it, however, he was disappointed to learn that when I said "spaghetti squash", that is what I literally meant. I did not mean, as he assumed, cut up squash on spaghetti noodles. But I digress.)

Back to the recipe. I haven't made spaghetti squash any other way, but I did a lot of research and polled my trusty Facebook friends, and I'm still convinced that this is the best way to cook the squash itself. IT. CAME. OUT. PERFECT.

You're probably thinking that I'm going to tell you to cut it in half. But you're wrong. Nope, you're going to slice it into rings and then dig out the seeds and guts (this can be done with a knife). Once you get the squash all sliced up, drizzle it with olive oil, salt and pepper, and lay the pieces on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Like this:

Then, slide it into a 400 degree oven and 35-40 minutes later....take it out and LET IT SET. Trust me on this....you're going to take it out and think to yourself, "No big deal....I'll just shred these bad boys with a fork. I'm not going to listen to that amateur. I don't need to let them cool down."

Which is correct. You don't NEED to. But it is SO much easier to shred them up once they're cool enough to handle. They literally turn to spaghetti "noodles" in your hands. Besides, while the squash is cooling, it gives you the perfect opportunity to get started on the good stuff.

BACON.

See....doesn't that look awesome?

Now once the bacon is cooked long enough to get most of the fat out (sauce, remember?), you take it out and add red wine vinegar and brown sugar. YUMMMM! Then, because this is a healthy meal remember, you add it back into the pan along with the spinach, which looks even more delicious, if you can believe it. See what I mean?

Last but not least is the goat cheese, and once you add that and mix it all together, you get.....

THIS.

See? You want to try it now, don't you? And thanks to BuzzFeed...you can. Here's a link to the actual recipe, with much better photos (and better instructions too).

Happy squashing!

Just for a moment, close your eyes and conjure with me an image in your mind of The Perfect Church Lady. Now, as any good church lady (including me) worth her salt knows, mind reading is OF THE DEVIL, but allow me to make some educated guesses as to what you are imagining right now. She is calm and lovely. She doesn't believe in social media, but if she DOES have a Facebook or Instagram account, she only posts photos of her smiling children in sun-dappled meadows bearing the hashtag #blessed. She never raises her Southern accent laden voice, and she never uses coarse language, nor would she ever be TEMPTED to do so. The thought would never even enter her renewed mind. She embodies Proverbs 31, is sweet and soft-spoken, and is universally adored by all who meet her. She loves Chick-Fil-A and hates Starbucks and Target.

I don't know about you, but that lady is a perfect stranger to me. Not in the sense that I don't know anyone like that. I know LOTS of women like that actually. The problem...as I see it...is that none of those traits describe ME. Well, except for that bit about loving Chick-Fil-A.

Now don't get me wrong....these are all great qualities. I admire the women in my life who embody them and I strive every day to become more Christ-like in my behavior, thoughts, and words. Philippians 1:27 urges us to "...live in such a way that you are a credit to the Message of Christ" (MSG). Anything less than that is falling short of what we are called to be as Christ-followers. 

But having said that.....why, as a 21st century Christian woman, do I sometimes still feel out of place?

Somewhere along the way, we collectively have created an archetype of what a Christian woman should look like. And it goes beyond living a holy life. Don't believe me? Go to your local Christian bookstore and check out their reading materials. Men's devotionals bear images of weapons, swords, dignified eagles and majestic lions. What do women get? Floral patterns and maybe a coffee mug. The message couldn't be more clear:

MEN ARE FIERCE. WOMEN ARE FLOWERS.

Certainly there are women in the Bible who were meek, mild, and well-mannered, but still used mightily by the Lord. Mary, the mother of Jesus comes to mind. But also there are others. Deborah. Esther. Abigail. And then you have Jael...

In case you've forgotten Jael or have never had the pleasure of reading her story, allow me to jog your memory.

She's just that lady, that delicate flower, in Judges 4 who subdued the wicked general Sisera by lulling him to sleep with warm milk and then driving a stake through his skull.

Now, the Bible is disappointingly vague when it comes to the details of Jael and her story, but if I'm reading the scriptures right (and I believe that I am), she lured this hardened general into her tent, gave him something to drink, tucked him in to sleep, and then...with only one shot....she took a tent peg and hammed it through skin, bone, and brains. ONE. SHOT. That, my friends, takes courage, conviction, and brute force.

Yet, I wonder how these women would fare today in some religious circles. I can just hear it:

"I mean, OF COURSE we're THRILLED we're not slaves to King Jabin anymore. But...I do wonder...I mean, should Deborah maybe have let HER HUSBAND take care of the situation? He IS supposed to be the spiritual leader after all...."

"Was it really Esther's place to just go marching in like that to King Xerxes? It just seems so FORWARD and PUSHY."

"That Jael...she is just TOO MUCH. And who was watching her children while she's out putting holes in soldiers' heads hmmm....?"

The truth is that this kind of boldness is becoming rare among women of God these days. Not rare in the sense that it doesn't exist...because I also happen to know plenty of ladies in my own circle who would give Jael a run for her money. However, I do believe that it's rare that we witness or observe it in action. Because, as we all know, there's nothing worse than a church lady with a "strong personality". 

This, to me, is bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S. (For those of my more secular-leaning friends, yes, I did just quote Gwen Stefani. I won't tell anyone that you recognized the lyric. We can all repent later.)

Now back to the subject at hand...

Some of the most instructive and useful moments in my Christian life have come out of women speaking the truth to me WITH BOLDNESS. These are my favorite people. Women who aren't afraid to push the boundaries, go outside the box, be a little TOO MUCH sometimes. Proverbs 27:17 says, "You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another." (MSG) The whole image there is edge. Spark. Strength. That's the kind of friend that I want. That's the kind of friend I want to BE.

It's taken me a long time to be comfortable with the idea of not conforming to some people's mold. Some days it's easier to sit back than to lean in. But I'm learning. And hopefully, after this, some of you will be inspired to as well.

I guess what I'm trying to say is....in a world full of lambs, be the lion(ness). Roar.

(I'm going to stop now, before I start quoting Katy Perry). That might be going too far.

Hello...

I have a confession to make.

I don't really know what I'm doing. But the idea for this blog has been pinging around in my brain for more than a year so...

Maybe it's that I have a sneaking suspicion that some of my Facebook friends have grown weary of seeing photos of my dinner plates filled to the edge and bearing the hashtag #yummo. And maybe a different set of friends (or maybe the same ones, who knows?) weren't all that interested in what I felt the Holy Spirit was whispering to me in my (mostly) daily devotionals.

Either way....it was time for those posts to have a new home. A larger home. One where they could expand...and breathe...and become something more than a blip in a news feed.

And so, on a rainy Saturday afternoon, Foodie for Souls was born. A place where I can talk about my two Big Loves - Jesus and food. And probably some other stuff too.

I can tell you what you WON'T find here. Original recipes. Because that isn't my jam. But if I find, attempt, and execute something awesome and tasty on Pinterest, I'll want to talk about it. And if I find something equally mind blowing while reading the book of Ezekiel, I'll probably want to talk about that too.

So here goes. Stay tuned...