Life & TravelPaul Shetler Fast

Our Bookshelf

Life & TravelPaul Shetler Fast
Our Bookshelf

We've received many emails from readers asking for cookbook recommendations. Just in time for the holiday season, we put together some of our current favorites: cookbooks we come back to again and again, books we give away as gifts, books we'd buy over again if our copy got ruined, and if you looked at our bookshelves, the books with well-worn dog-earned, food splattered pages. Our opinions are our own and we have received nothing from the publishers. Click on the book covers to read more.

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Prayer For Haiti

Hurricane Matthew, a category 4 storm, is on course to hit Haiti in the next 24 hours. The rain and wind has already begun.

We pray tonight for Haiti. We pray for the those without a safe place to sleep, without a place to brace against the coming storm. We pray for those with leaky roofs and mud walls, those still under tents and tarps and cardboard. We pray for those who fear their only belongings may be washed away. We pray for those who are sick and cannot travel to seek care. We pray for those who were hungry before this storm, and those who will see their crops washed away. We pray for compassion and helping hands. We pray for pastors opening up their churches to provide refuge from the storm. We pray for friends and neighbors helping people get to safety if they can. We pray for our staff and their families, for our partners and the communities we serve.

We pray for Haiti. 

Life & TravelPaul Shetler FastComment
Prayer For Haiti
Life & TravelPaul Shetler FastComment

Birthday Joy

I turned 31 today, ate cookies, watermelon pie, and ribs, and I had to change my clothes three times because our daughter's outdoor play got unusually messy! It was a great birthday. Two years ago on my birthday, Rebecca and I were living and working in Pittsburgh. Last year we were new parents, in a new country, in new jobs. And this year we are expectantly waiting. Rebecca is pregnant, and due to a complication in the pregnancy, we are both working remotely from the US during this last trimester. If all goes as well as it can, our baby will be joining us about a month ahead of schedule towards the end of June.

Life & TravelPaul Shetler FastComment
Birthday Joy
Life & Travel, Whole Grains, Quick, DessertsPaul Shetler Fastoats, blueberry, coconutComment

Blueberry Coconut Baked Scottish Oats

If you are following Haitian news, you may have seen that the country is currently in political crisis; with violent and unpredictable protests shutting down normal life and movement. For our family, this has meant that we are in day eight of sheltering-in-place at our home in Port-au-Prince with our two little kids. We are safe, grateful, and praying for a peaceful resolution soon. As we pass the time and try to keep everyone’s moods up, and without access to stores or markets, we are digging deep into creative kid-friendly back-of-the-pantry cooking. Thanks to a recent family visitor’s gifts of dried blueberries and various breakfast grains, we were in luck. This morning’s raging success…Blueberry Coconut Baked Scottish Oats! This easy and adaptable dish is hearty, moist, delicious, nutty, and not too sweet. The Scottish oats and coconut give it a more chewy, dense, and moist texture. The kids were in heaven. And as parents…we earned 45 minutes of sweet, sweet peace and quiet together as they contentedly marched around our courtyard singing and stuffing their faces. So even if you don’t find yourself stuck at home for an 8th day of protests, consider this pantry-inspired take on classic baked oatmeal.

Life & Travel, Whole Grains, Quick, DessertsPaul Shetler Fastoats, blueberry, coconutComment
Blueberry Coconut Baked Scottish Oats
Life & TravelPaul Shetler FastComment

Our Bookshelf II

Our most vivid cooking memories center around our parents. With Mother’s and Father’s Day on the horizon, we wanted to share some of our current favorite cookbooks, cookbooks we come back to again and again, books we give away as gifts, and the ones with the tattered, food splattered pages. We have included links attached to each cookbook review for easy online viewing. To find a brick and mortar independent bookstore near you, visit Indie Bound. Our opinions are our own and we have received nothing from the publishers.

Visit Our Bookshelf For cookbook reviews

Life & TravelPaul Shetler FastComment
Our Bookshelf II
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Cooking as a Couple: 10 tips

Even for people who love to cook, cooking as a couple can be a uniquely unappealing proposition. Many couples find the kitchen too crowded, the opinions too many, the timing too tight, to share the reins with someone else. Becoming a well-oiled machine in the kitchen takes practice, patience, and strategy. We've found it well worth the effort. We've been been cooking and eating together for over 10 years now, and since we have just about a month left before we leave our galley kitchen in Pittsburgh for Haiti, we thought we'd share the top 10 things we've learned about cooking together as a couple [...]

Life & TravelRebecca Shetler FastComment
Cooking as a Couple: 10 tips