Kate Wood - Her Daily Bread: Inspired Words and Recipes to Feast on All Year Long

For my children.

May you come to rely on Him as your daily bread.

Snacks

Soups

Sides, Salads, and Sauces

Entres

Breakfast

Beverages

Desserts

Can I tell you a secret? Sometimes I get out of bed in the morning strictly for that first sip of coffee.

Ive long been a morning person, but motherhood has a way of making even the earliest of risers sneak out of bed before the sun comes up to capture a few minutes of solitude. When its just me, the tea kettle, and a French press full of ground coffee beans, I can gently lure my mind and body to awaken, to ready themselves for the busy hours that are to come.

For many years, I did little to prepare myself for the day at hand. After all, youd be amazed at what a girl can do with concealer and a clean(ish) pair of sweats. I was surviving, but not thriving, and it wasnt until after my second child was born that I realized I needed more than flavored coffee creamer and a fresh schmear of deodorant to make it through the day successfully; I needed real connection with myself, with others, and with the Lord. I needed daily bread, a time spent feasting on the very presence of God Himself, even more than I needed a second or third sip of caffeine. My hunch is you do too.

After a few years of dabbling in the kitchen, I found myself in a full-blown love affair with baking and began my food blog, Wood and Spoon, in hopes of becoming a cookbook author. Early on, I didnt anticipate the healing that would come with storytelling or the encouragement Id receive from readers who identified with the words I was writing, yet each week Id receive emails from women who appreciated my vulnerability and wanted to share experiences of their own with me.

As they told me about their memories of meals from long ago and the ways they used my recipes to love the people in their corner of the world, it became evident to me that food is a uniting thing, connecting us to our past, our future, and all the people we bump into along the way. At the table, theres an invitation to serve, connect, and give deeply of ourselves, and as I slowly uncovered the wealth of love available to us simply through physical nourishment, I began to wonder how it was all tied to our spiritual nourishment as well. So began this book.

Consider the coming months with this book an extended conversation with a friend. In these pages, Ive included a years worth of scripture passages, personal stories, and life lessons that Im still wading through myself. Im about thirty-something years into my own narrative, and much of what Ive learned in these recent chapters of my life as a woman, wife, mother, daughter, and friend is reflected in these pages. My prayer is that, by reading about the joys, hardships, and experiences that have brought me this far in my story, youll pause to reflect on your own. This is an invitation for us to bring our thoughts, questions, and desires to the table to share, together.

There are 365 entries in this book, 52 of which are recipes. Most of the entries are short devotionals about our relationship with God relative to themes like womanhood, motherhood, marriage, friendship, personal growth, and, of course, food. Each week, there are six days of devotionals, and on the seventh well pause for a recipe: a soup, a batch of muffins, or maybe even some crazy-delicious ice cream sandwiches. That recipe day is like a Sabbath rest in the midst of a hectic schedule, and my hope is that youll use it as an opportunity to connect with others in your own kitchen and participate in some much-needed rest.

Many of the recipes youll find in these pages are connected to some of my most beloved memories; they are dishes Ive shared with women who have fed me in ways far deeper than bread alone ever could. Most of us stand on the shoulders of the people who came before us, and thats certainly true for me; these pages are a thank-you to them, the ones who nurtured and nudged and gave so much of themselves for my benefit.

When you read the recipes and words that follow, I hope youll bring yourself along too, interjecting your own experiences to settle in next to mine. We all have a seat at Gods table, and I think it delights Him to no end when we pull up a chair to share in community around it. Hes our daily bread, and I can assure you theres more than enough to go around. So lets dig in.

For many of us, the new year is an opportunity for change. On January 1, we survey the pages of our lives like a fresh spiral-bound notebook that is ours to fill, eagerly penciling in changes to be made and vows to do better. For most of my own life, Ive used the new year as my opportunity to rewrite some of last years book too, editing pages and scribbling out plotlines that I didnt want included in future volumes.

Although many of us love the idea of reinventing ourselves in pursuit of a better life, we need to remember that God doesnt wait until January 1 to do a new thing. In Christ, there is always hope, possibility, and promise awaiting everyone who welcomes Him as the author of their life. Jesus wants to write a triumphant tale for your days on earth, one filled with adventure and growth and joy and potential. Instead of simply filling our journals or calendars with plans and resolutions of our own, we can press in to the dreams, blessings, and experiences that He has for us too.

As you start a fresh new year, are there areas of your heart you need to surrender to Him today? Maybe parts of your own plan that need to be aligned with His? Rather than settling for an ordinary year, you have the opportunity to lean in to the unimaginable story He is writing. January 1 is as good a time as any to begin walking in new life with Him, so if you havent already, start today.

ISAIAH 43:1819

The first January that my husband, Brett, and I were married, my father-in-law brought us a traditional Southern meal to celebrate the new year. I was still new to my husbands hometown of Selma, Alabama, having lived most of my life in Orlando, Florida, and the elements of that meal were a first-time experience for me. There were slow-cooked black-eyed peas, wedges of skillet cornbread, and peppery collard greens that were braised with smoked pork, for both flavor and good luck. As we shared the meal, I learned that those foods are traditional on January 1, as Southerners everywhere fill their cast-iron skillets with foods that are said to bring prosperity and good fortune.

Although we still often enjoy beans and greens on New Years Day for fun, I remain comforted knowing that God isnt the type to leave anything to a matter of luck. As believers, we dont have to roll the dice, wish on stars, or hope for something favorable in our skillets, because we have been called to rest in the promises of a God who works all things for our good (Rom. 8:28). Hes already offered grace that is sufficient for everything well face this year, and our primary job is to remain confident in it (2 Cor. 12:9).

Be encouraged: the odds are in your favor with Jesus. Spend some time in prayer today, and ask Him to reveal any areas where you can rest more fully in His provision. Commit the coming weeks and months to Him, and remain hopeful in the blessed assurance that belongs to children of God.

EPHESIANS 2:89