Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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Place of Transformation {and a recipe}

March 16, 2016 by Kristin Leave a Comment

I don’t bake much, but one favorite recipe around here that does happen is Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. The recipe comes courtesy my high school boyfriend’s mom.

It always amazes me I can take mushy, seemingly-no-good bananas and turn them into deliciousness.

Don’t believe me? Try it yourself.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
From Jane Garcia

1 cup margarine softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 ripe bananas that I puree in a food processor
Chocolate chips

Cream margarine, sugar and eggs till light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time. Add dry ingredients and blend well. Then pour in the pureed bananas and mix until well blended. Stir in however many chocolate chips you want and pour into two greased and floured loaf pans and bake at 325 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

I’ve also discovered the bread freezes well.

I’m reminded how The Middle is a place of transformation. {Tweet that.} It’s in the middle where one thing becomes another, something is changed from the inside out with effort and time, and sometimes it takes some heat to do the job.

I’m talking about banana bread, but I’m also talking about my own heart. Food and faith are intertwined in celebration and the ordinary moments that make life sweet.

_____________________

152 Insights to My Soul

I’m excited to join Britta Lafont for her Meet Me in the Middle Project during Lent, when I’m going to slow down and notice the pieces of life I bypass in a rush. Find all the details about the Meet Me in the Middle Project here or reference Britta’s introductory post.

#ThreeWordWednesday friends, I’d love for you join in Meet Me in the Middle by linking up there and here, but the weekly #ThreeWordWednesday link up is open as usual even if you’re not participating in this Lenten project. I’m always so glad y’all are here.

An InLinkz Link-up


_____________________

Subscribe to get new posts and/or a monthly newsletter with content not available on the blog in your inbox. When you subscribe, I’ll send you a FREE #choosingJOY printable. 

“Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, or follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’.

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Five Things I Learned in February

February 27, 2015 by Kristin Leave a Comment

1. A couple random TV/movies facts ::

Amber in “Parenthood” was Bernice in “Hope Floats” years earlier. Her real name is Mae Whitman. Before he was Cary Agos in “The Good Wife,” Matt Czuchry played a college boy in “Gilmore Girls.”

2. Christina Baker Kline is an author I love.

I read the popular “Orphan Train” in January and then “Desire Lines” and “Sweet Water” in February. I enjoyed them all. This month I also read “Bird in Hand,” which I didn’t enjoy but finished reading anyway. Kline is a great story teller who spans her suspenseful plots over two time periods, which isn’t easy to do well.

3. Making homemade BBQ can be easy.

I tried one of those Crock Pot sauces that is made to just be poured on the meat. We didn’t love the flavor. So I went to a recipe my longtime dear friend Katie shared. She shared it because of my love of Dr Pepper.

And now I’m sharing it with you. Because it was delicious.

  • 2-3 lbs pork tenderloin
  • BBQ rub of your choice (We used Stubb’s BBQ rub.)
  • 12 oz Dr Pepper (I used Diet DP because that’s what I had.)
  • BBQ sauce of your choice (Again, we used Stubb’s Sticky Sweet BBQ sauce.)


DIRECTIONS :: Put rub on meat. Put meat in Crock Pot and the. Pour can of Dr Pepper over it. Cook on low for 10 hours. Shred and drain meat and then put back in Crock Pot with some BBQ sauce. I probably added about a 1/4 of the bottle and then turned Crock Pot to warm and then added more sauce closer to serving time. Most people added some more sauce on their sandwich.

Easy, peasy. And delicious.

4. Counting joys really is freeing. 

I have a list on my phone of moments, conversations, happenings that brought me joy. It’s just a running numbered list I add to when I think about them, so I’ve probably neglected a few things. Here at the end of February, I’m at #108. Talk about perspective.

5. Sometimes a book begs for discussion.

I started reading “You’re Loved No Matter What” by Holley Gerth. By the end of chapter two, I wanted to talk to friends about what I was reading. So I started a Facebook group so we can have an online book discussion. We’re going to start discussing chapter one on March 16. You’re welcome to join us! {More details here.}

How’s your month been?

________________

I’m linking up with Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky. Read previous posts: {From 2013} June. July. August. September. October. November. {From 2014} January. February. March. April. May. June. July. August. September. October. November. December. {From 2015} January.

Want more insights? “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’, or subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”

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5 Things I Learned in November

November 28, 2014 by Kristin Leave a Comment

Where has fall gone, y’all? It’s totally escaped me, although the weather hasn’t helped. It seems like it’s been either unseasonably cold or hot. And then there was that Snow Day that happened before Thanksgiving around here. Anyway, regardless of what Mother Nature is up to or how fast time flies, here we are at the end of November.

I love the Christmas season, so I’m looking forward to our traditions that come with that. But, first, before this month totally escapes me, I wanted to document some things I learned …

1. Listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving really isn’t a bad thing. I’ve always been a must-wait-until-after-Thanksgiving-to-move-onto-Christmas-music person, which really doesn’t make much sense because I buy gifts long before I eat turkey.

I blame Shaun Groves for changing my mind. His remake of Goo Goo Dolls’ “Better Days” is fabulous. It’s right up there with his version of “Joy to the World” as my favorite. My only complaint about his Christmas album is I wish there were more. But, thankfully, he says there’s more coming next year.

{Listen and learn more here.}

2. Camping is fun. I’ve been camping probably four times in my whole life. All but one of those times I slept in a tent. Everything about camping except sleeping in a tent is fun. But the sleeping part kind of stresses me out. And then we borrowed my mother-in-law’s RV and went camping with our friends. I’m sold … as long as there’s a bed for me. {Read about our camping trip.}

3. Murray is like Stars Hollow. My cousin Mary, whose family stayed with us one weekend in November, noticed. And I like the comparison. I can see it when I drive down my street that borders the park. I can see it when we’re out and run into so many people who know us and love us. And I can see it when another parade goes down Main Street.

I’ve been watching “Gilmore Girls” when I fold laundry. How did I miss this show the first time around?! I’m so glad Netflix drew me in.

4. Cinnamon Moons are delicious. And easy to make. Thanks to my college friend Alexa who posted the recipe on Instagram, these are now in our breakfast rotation. Seriously. Copy this recipe now …

2 cans biscuits
1 cup sugar
Tbsp cinnamon
1 stick of butter


1. Cut biscuits in half.
2. Mix sugar & cinnamon.
3. Melt butter and dip biscuits in.
4. Roll buttered biscuits in cinnamon/sugar mixture.
5. Cook 8-10 mins @ 350*. Makes a 9×13 pan.

5. Cooking a turkey is hard work. And I’m retiring from doing it after my one time. The meat was moist and good, so I might as well go out on top, right? {Read more about my experience.}

How’s November been for you?

________


“Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” is available on Amazon. And it’s on sale for just $2.99 for the last few days of this month. And if you’d read it, I’d love for you to leave a review at Amazon. Thanks, friends! 

I’m linking up with Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky, who inspired me to document life this way. I love these monthly posts. Read more previous posts: {From 2013} June. July. August. September. October. November. {From 2014} January. February. March. April. May. June. July. August. September. October.

Want more stories? Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’, or subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”

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About Me

Telling stories is my therapy and I love sharing them with friends on my porch.

The main characters in my stories are my entrepreneur husband, our ninth-grade girl who never forgets, our have-no-fear sixth-grade boy, and our joy-filled kindergarten girl. As we live out our stories, we seek God as the author of them all.

Learn more about my story here.

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While the big kids went bow hunting yesterday, Gra While the big kids went bow hunting yesterday, Gran-Gran, Grandmom, and I took Rachel to @countrybumpkinfarm. It was perfect for her. She fed animals, played by herself, made friends, and played some more — for 3 1/2 hours. I found an Adirondack chair and finished my third book of the trip. 

#wisdells #wisconsindells #thirdchild #momlife #choosingJOY #favoritethings #88daysofsummer #summerisbest #wisconsin
These three went bow fishing today. Cate wasn’t These three went bow fishing today. Cate wasn’t even sure she wanted to go and the shot one right in the mouth — something the guide said he’d never seen in his 20 years of bow fishing! 

#momlife #wisconsindells #wisconsin #88daysofsummer #firstborn #boymom #girlmom #bowfishing #wisdells
We are having fun — and some forced sibling love We are having fun — and some forced sibling love — at @wildernessresort in Wisconsin Dells. We’ve played at four water parks here since we arrived yesterday afternoon. 💦

#WildernessWI #WildernessResort #roadtrip #88daysofsummer #TeamTaylor #reallife #wisconsin #wisconsindells #wisdells
Nothing like starting a road trip by finishing an Nothing like starting a road trip by finishing an @elinhilderbrand book. I’d held off reading “Winter in Paradise” because the premise that a father’s death exposes his secret life hits way too close to home. But, really, fiction books can be therapeutic. 

I appreciated the raw emotions of a wife, two brothers, and others learning of tragedy and processing the ripples of that moment. Of course, who doesn’t love a story set in the U.S. Virgin Islands? AND it’s this the first in a three-book series, and I’ve got the next two ready to go on my Kindle. 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #kindlebooks #kindlepaperwhite #roadtrip
My kids had a yearbook signing party today. And ki My kids had a yearbook signing party today. And kids today don’t know how to sign yearbooks. Cate, my rising sophomore, says it’s because they have phones to take photos and text each other. She’s probably right. 

But the whole conversation and experience took me down memory lane. So much so, I got these yearbooks from my high school days off my bookshelf and read notes. Admittedly, I can’t remember a few people who proclaimed what a great friend I was and I never called some people who wanted to KIT — that’s Keep In Touch, kids — and left their phone numbers (and pager number in one instance!)! 🤣 

I also proceeded to text the three friends (well, really, five, because two girls married two guy friends of mine) with whom I do actually KIT. I have their numbers saved in my iPhone, thankfully. We have made grown-up memories together. We message and try to see each other. My husband knows their maiden names. 

Truly, how has it been 25 years since I graduated from Oldham County High School? I’m sitting on the porch now, rememebering how faithful God has been and thinking about how high school seems like a lifetime ago but also like yesterday. 💙

HAGS, everybody! 

#memorylane #highschool #livingfaithfully #yearbooks #choosingJOY #reallife
Cat nap! 💕 #catsofinstagram #thirdchild #napt Cat nap! 💕 

#catsofinstagram #thirdchild #naptimeshenanigans #PorchStories #reallife #88daysofsummer #summerisbest
A weekend mostly at home meant I read this domesti A weekend mostly at home meant I read this domestic thriller. I’ve always seen @diane.chamberlain.author’s books, but this was the first one I read. I’ve already downloaded others to my Kindle. 

Living with a secret is all Eve Elliot knows. Her life unravels when she confesses to what she knows and there are ripple effects for her husband and two daughters. I thought I had it all figured out and then there was another surprise right at the end! 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #kindlebooks #kindlepaperwhite #booklover #weekending
Little fish 🐠 big pool 💦 happy place ☀️ Little fish 🐠 big pool 💦 happy place ☀️

#poolpeople #thirdchild #88daysofsummer #choosingJOY #PorchStories #weekending #momlife
Well, COVID has changed our vacation plans. Honest Well, COVID has changed our vacation plans. Honestly, it’s hard to believe two-plus years later, and COVID is still interrupting all kinds of things. I know it’s a privilege to travel, but there’s still disappointment. Regardless, we can’t board a cruise ship in Canada on Monday to go to Alaska when my boy tested positive for COVID last night. (Yes, twice. 🤦🏻‍♀️)

But the real point of this post: we are regrouping and going to Wisconsin Dells next week. I’m excited to see somewhere new, even if it’s not what I’d been planning. Let’s be honest, the logistics to get to the cruise were already a lot, so maybe this closer-to-home trip is meant to be right now. 

Anyway, who has been to Wisconsin Dells area? We found a condo and have a list of things going, but I’m accepting all entertainment and restaurant recommendations.

#wisconsindells #reallife #covid_19 #covid #momlife #88daysofsummer #summervacation
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