It's time to start over

redoing, remaking, rethinking (+ chicken skewers with peanut sauce)

Dear friend,

I have been humbled greatly in many ways over the years — it’s been a collection of funny, trying, and humiliating situations in which I’m reminded (once again) that I am but a human… and quite an imperfect one at that.

Any pride that I’ve held a bit too close has most certainly been stripped away throughout the beautiful (and painful) process we call sanctification. I’m slowly and painfully learning to “let go, and let God”… to not hold too fast to any version of myself or my life.

Because, inevitably, life changes for us all. (As it should.)

Here at the cottage, it’s been a season of starting over. Again and again and again and again. Can I tell you a secret? I’ve daydreamed about what a new beginning for our family would look like. Not because life is bad or there is anything to run away from, but because each new adventure and chapter changes who we are and how we witness the world.

And I like the version of life that keeps growing and evolving and learning. And I love seeing that in our children.

These changes often grow our hearts, our empathy, and our perspectives. They break our habits and comforts. They loosen the grasp that our present schedule and restrictions have over us.

Starting over can be hard… and absolutely delightful.

And while today, that beginning again looks a lot like building my vegetable garden for the 18,273 time, fixing problems that have already been fixed in our old home, continually trying to navigate new kitchen habits (ones without dairy, potatoes, or any cane sugar)….

… perhaps at a different date, we’ll be contemplating a piece of life in a culture not our own entirely. (But that’s a conversation for another day.)

The Lord has providentially brought about wilder things!

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On Starting Again

I made this week’s new video, focused on the conversation above ^, a bit longer — my hope is that it feels like you’re joining our family as we build up a garden from scratch and navigate changes in the home and in the kitchen (spoiler: it includes a few disasters as well).

Not only are we starting our vegetable garden from the ground up (AGAIN), but we’re rethinking every recipe in the kitchen and finding a new normal. Come join us — and if you don’t yet subscribe to our YouTube channel, please do!

In Case You’re Also Learning Something New

I hope this is as great of an encouragement to you as it is to me. The joy is found in becoming a part of the conversation, in spending time with your beloved treasure, in learning pieces that start to put the puzzle together. When I have a bad day with my Italian studies, I remind myself that even a bad day is still a day spent in a “place” I love.

Me in Italy for my first time, circa 2008

Something For Your Weekend Table

It’s garden season here, which means that I need to have protein cooked and ready to enjoy at all hours of the day — the family filters in and out of the kitchen, between digging in the bark piles, tossing seeds onto freshly tilled soils, taking naps in the tree fort, and tracking in endless amounts of dirt to and fro.

It’s times like this we need something that scratches a delicious-itch. Omelettes simply won’t do. But this will…

Chicken Skewers with Peanut Sauce

These can easily be made with boneless chicken thighs, chicken breasts, or almost any cut of venison, lamb, or beef. The magic lies in the peanut sauce (yum!) and grilling outdoors - they’re especially delicious grilled over charcoal. If grilling outdoors isn’t an option, bake at 475° on a baking sheet until golden and cooked through. Make a huge batch, store in the refrigerator, and enjoy having them for quick summer-meals.

For the chicken

4 chicken breasts

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup soy sauce or tamari

Juice of 1 lime

1 teaspoon black pepper

For the peanut sauce

⅓ cup peanut butter

½ teaspoon freshly minced ginger

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

½ teaspoon crushed pepper flakes

Hot water, as needed, for whisking

Cilantro, minced, for serving

1. Preheat your grill.

2. Cut the chicken into ½” strips. Add into a large bowl. Add in the olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice, and black pepper. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

3. While the chicken marinades, combine all of the peanut sauce ingredients together in a bowl and whisk to combine. If needed, add a teaspoon of hot water at a time to help the sauce come together smoothly.

4. Weave the chicken strips onto the wooden skewers. Place on your grill and cook until cooked through - the chicken should be gently charred on the edges and golden.

5. Serve the skewers topped with fresh cilantro and peanut sauce on the side. Can be served warm or cold.

Here’s The Insider Scoop on our Retreats

If you’re wondering where I’ll be in the next phase of my life, this may just be it…

Our Italian Retreats are for those who want a week where they can linger over dinners that stretch on for hours, wear their favorite sundress and oversized straw hat, take photos among the olive trees, wander through ancient cobblestone streets on the walk home, and remembers what it feels like to have nothing they’re responsible for.

We have opened our two retreats for 2027, with dates in both June and September. You can learn more and reserve your room right here.

Come, release, relax. We’ll take care of everything.

New to Cooking?

Look up “cooking from scratch” online, and you’ll get thrown straight into complicated recipes that assume you know the basics. That’s why so many beginners feel overwhelmed or give up entirely.

We’ve created a course that is different.

Instead of focusing on perfection or fancy photo-worthy meals, you’ll learn simple, foundational skills that actually make cooking feel doable for you and your family.

You’ll learn how to work with ingredients, build meals without stress, and feel confident in your kitchen — with experts you can ask questions to as a backup!

The Beginner’s Guide to Cooking From Scratch is designed for real life, real schedules, and real beginners — so you can finally stop guessing and start cooking with ease. If you’re new to cooking, I hope you’ll consider joining me. Soon, you’ll see the magic that can happen in your kitchen when you learn just four methods and begin to implement them in delicious ways!

Our weekend will be filled with folding laundry, rerouting pipes, and pulling weeds — glory be! I hope you have a blessed weekend.

Love,

PS: We are humbled and grateful for each of you.