Ahh there’s something so sweet and refreshing about a slow Sunday. We slept in on accident, made a big brunch and now we’re off doing our own things for a few hours before we tune into a new church we’re checking out late this afternoon.

Rest

I know rest might seem either unattainable right now or maybe no different than any other day, depending on your situation. It’s something I have struggled to commit to on a weekly basis throughout my life. But what I’ve noticed is that when I do manage to truly rest one day a week, it makes a world of difference in my attitude and productivity the following week. This period of isolation/social distancing/quarantine/lockdown/whatever you want to call it, seems to have had a unique impact on everyone. I know for me, it has made what’s important a lot clearer: quality time with Darrell & Penny, friends and family, rest, and boundaries. As we begin to navigate whatever is next, I hope I will say “no” to more so I can say “yes” to what really matters.

Brunch

One “yes” I want more of is brunch. We made a delicious breakfast feast today! I tried a recipe for hash brown casserole (one of Darrell’s favorites and something I’ve missed out on previously due to gluten) and attempted gluten free sausage gravy (FAIL - maybe one day I’ll master the art of sausage gravy like my Mom & Nay-Nay). We also enjoyed gluten free biscuits, sausage and scrambled eggs.

While I need to perfect the hash brown casserole before I’m ready to share the details on it, I do want to share the gluten free biscuit recipe I’ve been LOVING the last few months. It is so easy and it makes just two biscuits, so it’s great if you’re like me and the only person in your immediate family who is gluten intolerant!

Y’all already know I am a huge fan of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. I found this recipe on their website and have made it so many times now, so I am confident in saying you need to try it! Even better, you can double it, triple it, etc. to make more than two if needed! I’ve noticed at least one other recipe for gluten free biscuits on their website but I haven’t tried it yet because these have just been so tasty and good!

I have tried this recipe using all sorts of different baking pans just out of curiosity, and the cast iron skillet gives the best result (others tend to brown the bottoms of the biscuits more).

Weekend

It’s been such a great weekend! The beautiful weather continues and we have SO enjoyed getting outside. We spontaneously grabbed dinner at Shake Shack during our evening walk with Penny yesterday, which we took to Theodore Roosevelt Park. It’s the park surrounding the American Museum of Natural History and somewhere we had heard had an area for dogs. It seems they’re doing some work to the park but we sat on a bench and ate our burgers while Penny chased birds (as far as her leash allowed) and begged for bacon crumbs.

This morning, the sun was shining so bright so I opened all the curtains/blinds and put a few drops of “Stress Away” essential oil in the diffuser. Darrell went for a run and I treated myself to a Starbucks latte. Ah, life is good! I think tonight we are finally going to pick up some long-awaited mac and cheese from Murray’s pop up shop. We first tried this little restaurant when we were in town trying to find an apartment and I’ve been dreaming of this heavenly mac and cheese ever since. We were hoping they delivered to our neighborhood but it seems they don’t yet so we keep saying we’ll just venture down there and pick up some.

Finding a Church in NYC / During a Pandemic

Our search for a church home has been a little odd since we’ve been “visiting” churches remotely through Facebook, Zoom and other channels during the pandemic. It has made it a little challenging to get a good feel for what each church is like. We are also learning that church is just different here compared to churches in Kentucky.

We’d love to hear your NYC church recommendations, if you have any connections or go to a church here. In the meantime, we’re going to tune into a service in a little bit with a congregation new to us and hopefully we’ll be a little closer to finding our church home. It’s a huge part of what we hope will help us find community here and in such a large city we know it could take a while to explore so many options. I look forward to a time when we can visit these churches in person!

I hope you’ve had a rest-filled weekend too!

Disclaimer: I am not a dietitian or medical professional and while I share what ingredients work for me or what I choose to eat (at my own risk) while dining out, I advise you do your homework when choosing ingredients and places to eat. I highly encourage everyone to do their own research when it comes to the products they cook with or restaurant’s procedures. I do not have celiac disease but rather a gluten-intolerance and I’m not an expert on gluten or other food intolerances, autoimmune diseases, or food allergies. I simply share the ingredients I have found work for me, the places where I’ve dined and my personal experiences.