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Where Passion & Purpose Collide

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Insalata Tuscana: Our Blend

We love us some balsamic vinegar; be it in dressing form {my hubby makes a mean homemade version} or glaze consistency. And it just so happens that I am on a bean kick right now {in an effort to eat better, on a budget, and consume less meat in the process}. The marriage of the two {beans and balsamic} is… Read More

Food

Just a Bread and Butter Post

Really. It’s about bread.  And butter. And only slightly about pretzels.  As hinted at a while back, I dug my bread machine out and have been baking up a storm throwing ingredients in it ever since.  And, as promised a while back, here are our 3 favorite recipes {so far}: * with all 3 recipes, follow your bread machine instructions…which… Read More

Food

Garam Masala & Indian Apricot Chicken

I may have become disenchanted with eating meat, but I have fallen in love with spice{s}.  And spices with quality meat equals one happy girl! First it was cumin.  Then coriander.  And I’ve always loved curry {but hey, I’m South African…it comes with the territory}.  Now…it’s Garam Masala. We purchased a little bag of this magic while away for our… Read More

Food

{Homemade} Granola

I’m addicted to granola.  Absolutely. and completely.  hooked. But I’m not a fan of the price. The solution?  I make my own.  And then eat ungodly healthy amounts of it with our homemade yogurt.  Bliss! {Divine} Granola                 Ingredients: 12 cups of old fashioned oats 1 1/2 cups of wheat bran 1/2 cup of flax seeds 1 cup of sunflower… Read More

Food

Pretty Pops for Valentine’s Day

Pretty Pops for Valentine’s Day

It’s true.  Cake pops make me happy. What’s not to love about decadent cake, all jazzed up, on a stick? Revisit my initial cake pop tutorial here…or simply get a little refresher below {while taking in all the deliciousness of my little helper who happened to turn 3 1/2 on the day we made these bad boys – she was… Read More

Food

Bobotie {Say That 3 Times, Fast}

This dish {take a deep breath}…is going to change your life. I teased it almost two weeks ago.  Remember this shot of my little garlic-peeling helper..? Finally, I’m on the ball, folks…she’s here: one of my absolute favorite South African dishes. It’s called Bobotie.  Pronounced {something to the effect} of ‘buh-boo-uh-tee’.  And it’s decadent. With it’s rich East Indian and… Read More

Food

White Lightning {& Homemade Chicken Stock}

I got this crazy good recipe from a friend many moons ago.  I have since lost the recipe {twice, in fact}…and this is what I recall of it. It has fast become a family favorite and a yummy staple during the chilly months of Winter. As is well depicted below, the little ones promptly empty their own bowl…and then go… Read More

Food

Scrumptious Roast Pork Loin {Rub Recipe}

The best pork loin in the world starts with a great rub {as do many other great things, ahem}. A rub is like a dry marinade that can be applied as little a 20 minutes before roasting, or as long as overnight.  The longer the infusion, the more intense the flavor. And aren’t the herbs and spices just so pretty?… Read More

Food

Chicken {Squashed} Nuggets

We have this cook book that inspires us to, while our innocent children’s heads are turned, sneak veggies into the most unlikely of places. Garbanzo beans into chocolate chip cookies, spinach into brownies, cabbage into armpits. Well, not really.  That last one was simply to make sure you were paying attention. It’s a stealthy health attack on standard, less-than-healthy kid’s… Read More

Food

If Santa Had A Picky Palate

…even he would like these cookies.  They’re fantasmigorical. We consider these babies ‘Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies’, but their stage name is in fact, “Everything Cookies”.  Because, as the name implies, you can put literally everything into them.  Except, maybe, the kitchen sink.  And ground beef. Or something. Thanks to the sweet momma of this little babe for sharing the recipe… Read More

Christmas, Food

Coconana Spiced Crumb Muffins

I haven’t a clue what to call these babies.  It’s complicated. “Divine” would be fitting. They have a heavy dose of smashed banana and shredded coconut, a kick of cinnamon and allspice…all topped off with a delectable crumb topping. So here you have it… Coconana Spiced Crumb Muffins {oooh aaaaah} Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour (or go… Read More

Food

Wintery Morning Motivation: Baked Oatmeal

When flakes of white start to cloak the ground, our breath fogs up the window pane, and the warmth of our bed threatens to hold us hostage until the final thaw of Spring, there’s nothing like a scrumptious, warm breakfast to woo us out from underneath our covers. Need a little wintery morning motivation? Try this deliciously simply, surprisingly decadent…… Read More

Food

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 photo Joy.jpg

Hello there! I'm Joy. Speaker, designer, author & coach, and creator of the #weROARproject. Welcome to Simply Bloom Co., where passion & purpose collide.

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I am regularly overwhelmed by the kindness of God I am regularly overwhelmed by the 
kindness of God in the small + simple.

Things like twinkle lights + Christmas jazz,
scraping out the peanut butter fudge pot
all by myself while sitting on the counter,
and walking around the corner to find my
loin fruit snuggled up together over tea.

They may fight like cats + dogs at times,
but their bond is deep and true and sweet.
Happy release day, @dralisoncook 💛 Written at Happy release day, @dralisoncook 💛

Written at the intersection 
of faith and psychology, 
this book is yet another 
soul-nourishing,
heart-healing, 
boundary-fortifying 
gift from Alison Cook
(if you’ve had a heart-to-heart
with me in the past two years,
you know how much I loved 
‘Boundaries for the Soul’). 

As an enneagram 2 who was raised 
in the church, this book was a timely
and liberating read. Pure balm for the 
weary, recovering-people-pleaser soul. 

I am beyond grateful for the wisdom, 
compassion + experience that Alison 
brings to all she shares (and it was
such an honor to be on her launch 
team for this beautiful new book).

Need a survival guide for your growth
and healing journey? Here you go! ✌🏼

#thebestofyou #thebestofyoubook #womenoffaith #healthyboundaries #healthyyou #healingjourney
Find yourself a tribe of people who will, togethe Find yourself a tribe of people who will, 
together, spend a beautiful Saturday
morning pulling this workout off:

• 20 mile run
• 340 tire flips
• 2,000 air squats
• 1,000 pull ups
• 1,500 box jumps
• 2,200 pull ups
• 600 devil press
• 3,300 sit ups

Brutal. Amazing. 
Exhausted.
So grateful for these two - their friendship, enco So grateful for these two - their friendship,
encouragement and wise counsel over the
past decade of being our pastoral couple
has been such a gift to our family 💛

Congrats on your retirement, dear friends!!
“Over the years, I have come to realize that t “Over the years, 
I have come to realize that 
the greatest trap in our life is not 
success, popularity, or power, 
but self-rejection.”
 :: Henri Nouwen

Somewhere along the journey of 
life, we start to believe the lie that - 
despite being made in the very image 
of a good and beautiful God - who we 
are is inherently bad and broken, and 
we learn to cover that deep sense 
of inadequacy (and the shame that 
accompanies it) with performance.

Because our visceral 
human response to 
‘bad + broken’ is 
‘reject + conceal’.

We think it’s the rejection of others
that cuts us to the core, but the truth
is…most of us walk around wounded 
by a constant and unrelenting sense 
of self-rejection and self-loathing.

Want to know why we feverishly seek 
out the approval and validation of others?
Why we desperately want others to like us?

Because we’re out of touch with our
inherent value and worth, and we’re
not sure that we even like ourselves.

We resent our weakness,
and abandon ourselves.

/ / /

But this good + beautiful God of ours…
He is drawn to our weakness like a
moth to a flame, swooping in to
bring strength and grace.

Paul writes in Corinthians 12:9 that 
he learned to delight in his weakness 
because it was when he was week that
“His strength is perfected in me”. 

Or, as the Passion Translation so 
stunningly puts it, “my weakness 
becomes a portal to God’s power”.

Precious ones, we can shun our tender
still-in-process places, pretend to have 
it all together, and hustle for our worth…
OR we can drop the masks, offer kindness 
and curiosity to our hurting, broken parts,
and learn to live fully seen and known.

But we can’t have both.

And yes, it’s scary.

Today may we choose
…grace over perfectionism
…curiosity over shame
…acceptance over rejection
…gentleness over judgement
…wholeness over pretense

You are loved.
And they’re off! Alathea is in 10th grade and A And they’re off!

Alathea is in 10th grade and
Aiden is heading into 8th grade.

Here’s to a year full of grace,
discovery, friendship + growth 🙌🏼
"Faith isn't the ability to believe long + far i "Faith isn't the ability 
to believe long + far 
into the misty future. 
It's simply taking God 
at His Word + taking 
the next step."

:: Joni Eareckson Tada
Day 15 | Beach Day + Travel Prep We fly out late Day 15 | Beach Day + Travel Prep

We fly out late tomorrow evening so today
has been a lazy day of laundry, laying in the
sun, a petshop visit (where Aiden fell in love 
with a cute rat + I discovered zebra finches), 
an impromptu stop for bubble tea + stuffed crepes [oh my word, were these delicious!!],
shopping [I found the best, comfiest - Joe
would argue ‘ugliest’ - romper at the thrift
store that I can’t wait to wear on our long
journey home], and Aiden is currently off
doing his thing: fishing right from the pier.
Our view from the lodge last night ✨ Our view from the lodge last night ✨
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