Just letting you guys know that our blog is moving to a new url...you can now find us at nkespi.com.

See you there!

Happy Independence Weekend! There's nothing more American than apple pie...and apple krisp! I got this recipe from someone at work after I wandered into her office just following the smell! You may not have an expert peeling and cutting team like I did (Nick & Taylor), but it really wasn't too bad to make! And I think it could be a lot worse for you than it is! Okay here it is:

From the Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Gatzen:
Apple Krisp
8-10 medium cooking apples
juice of 1 lemon
2 cups raw oats
1/4 cup walnuts
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup walnuts (we used pecans because I thought they were walnuts, oops!)

Peel, pare & slice the apples. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice. Spread half of them into a large, oblong pan.

Melt the butter & honey together. Combine with oats, flour, nuts, seeds, salt & spices. Spread (really crumble) this mixture onto apples in pan. Cover with the remaining apples and the rest of the topping. Pour O.J. over the top. Bake 40-45 minutes, uncovered at 375. Cover if it crisps too quickly.

Notes: you can add some raisins or cranberries in with the apples. You could sub pears or peaches for the apples & reduce baking time to 25 minutes.

MMMMMMM I'm eating some of it cold right now. Initially I was being lazy, but now I just really love it cold! We fattened it up with some Blue Bell I scored for $3.50...seriously that's a steal for Blue Bell. Annnd it was at Randall's! Who knew? I normally bash them for high prices, but this time they impressed me.

On another note, I'm reading "A Woman and Her God", written by several authors, Beth Moore prob the most notable. Anyway, I was certain my sister had given me the book for my birthday a few years ago and then gave it to me again for Christmas. I mean, I was convinced! But then I recently picked it up and I couldn't remember annny of it! A wise friend told me maybe either way I should read it (or reread it) because God might have something new in there for me. Now I'm kinda thinking she really only gave it to me once. But I really still feel like I can remember opening it on that birthday... Annywayyy, it's so good! Right now one of the writers is talking about learning and focusing on the stage of life you're in now and what God wants you to learn/do. I can see myself in the examples of women jumping ahead & getting frustrated when they get an idea they can't follow through on bc this isn't really the time.  Ex. :One woman has these big career and ministry ideas and plans but is frustrated bc with little kids, she can't do what she feels like she really wants. I mean, I'm not in that sitch, but it just made sense to enjoy where you are and know that God has you there with a purpose. Our lives are never "on hold" no matter how much we think they are because our plans don't fit into this stage. Well, I'm off to read a little bit & do a little more snacking I'm sure... Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!

Ok, maybe not the world but it will definitely mark the end of email as we currently know it. Lars Rasmussen is a Google engineer who set off to create the company’s next big product. Him and his team asked themselves what email would look like if it were invented today and Google Wave is what they created, and quite honestly it looks amazing. Instead of trying to explain to you exactly what a wave is in my own words I’m going to steal a few from one of my favorite sites Lifehacker to help explain.

“What is a wave?

A wave is equal parts conversation and document. People can communicate and work together with richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more.

A wave is shared. Any participant can reply anywhere in the message, edit the content and add participants at any point in the process. Then playback lets anyone rewind the wave to see who said what and when.

A wave is live. With live transmission as you type, participants on a wave can have faster conversations, see edits and interact with extensions in real-time.”

- Lifehacker

Confused? Here is the video Google released of their keynote when they revealed Google Wave to the world. It’s long but if your at all interested in the direction the internet and communication is headed in the not so distant future I promise you it is worth it. Keep in mind that this will be released to all later this year.

Sooo, it's now been a while since we've returned from Nicaragua, and I did actually write a post about it. However, it just never made it up here & so I thought I'd start fresh...especially since Nick insisted I detail his monkey bite experience. In a nutshell, Julie, Nick & I were admiring a cute monkey at a hotel (picture Marcel from Friends) until Nick reached out his hand & then it was a blur. Somewhere in the mix I saw the monkey wrap all fours around Nick's calf & throw his head back to sink into Nick's leg like a turkey leg! Of course, Julie & I tried to get out of the way, but Nick shook the monkey off of him, the teeth didn't break skin & he just had a few scratches. The monkey wrapped his arms around me and after I got him off, he hurled his body at Julie, but his extra-long leash saved her. The image of his outstretched body as he tried to get Julie still cracks me up. The best part is that after we caught our breath, a Nicaraguan working at the hotel told us not to play with the monkey because he bites women-not men-just women!

So there's the monkey story! Nicaragua was beautiful, and we were very thankful for our awesome guides!



 

Hey dudes! We got back Wednesday from our trip to Nicaragua and were unfortunately thrown right back into our regular flow of work and business (busyness?). Our adventures were short and sweet as Dane and Julie gave us an extensive yet brief crash course of the South-West (most happening) region of Nicaragua. We flew into Managua where we were immediately exposed to the poverty that is accustomed to the people of the country. As we drove out of the city and into the country towards Gran Pacifica (the real estate development where the Thors work) we were grieved to see Nicaraguans lining the dirt roads living in itty bitty shacks made of whatever they could find. We spent a lot of the trip talking to Dane and Julie about the people as if they were a case that just needed to be cracked in order for things to get better. We found that even though they have so little they really have no aspirations for a better life. Poverty is ingrained in them, it’s just what life is. This trip was definitely a much needed culture shock that really put a few things into perspective for us. I could go on and on about the people and the conversations that we had but for now I’ll stick to our travels. After a day at Gran Pacifica we drove south to San Juan del Sur (the most touristy of all of Nica’s towns) and spent the night at La Posada Azul (The Blue Inn). We woke up to fresh fruit and some of the best french toast I’ve ever had.

After a day in San Juan we drove to Granada, which is an old Spanish colonial town, and had dinner with some of Dane and Julie’s friends. The town was very cool with a lot of bright colors making for some sweet pictures.

Then we stayed the night in a hostel at Laguna de Opoyo which is a lake inside of a volcano crater. Yes…we slept inside a volcano. We spent much of our day here swimming, lounging in hammocks, and reading. This was the most relaxing part of our trip.

Our last stop before returning to Managua was Masaya Volcano National Park. The cross at the top was put up by the natives who believed the volcano was the mouth of hell. There is an actual park rule that you have to back into your parking spot so you have an easier escape just in case the volcano erupts.

And that was pretty much of our trip in a nutshell. Of course in between all of these places we got to see a lot of Nicaragua’s beautiful landscape and small towns all with a unique feel to them. That’s all I’ve got but I’m sure Kim will be posting soon to fill in the gaps, so be prepared to hear about me getting bit by a monkey in full detail. Yes…I got bit by a monkey.