In Pursuit of a Fine Mind: My Top Four Podcasts Recommendations

I will admit, I am a bit late to the "Podcast" game.  I listened to a few episodes over the years but haven't genuinely looked forward to new episodes of a particular Podcast until last Spring.  Upon finishing Shannon Ables book, Choosing the Simply Luxurious Life: A Modern Woman's Guide, I ventured to her website and was delighted to she not only had a weekly Podcast, but also a plethora of episodes I could "binge" listen.

Since last Spring, I have found several other Podcasts that I thoroughly enjoy.  Since I firmly believe that Cultivating Your Mind  can be a very fine thing, I wanted to share with you my top four podcasts recommendations that turn my daily chores, morning walks, and car rides into constant learning opportunities.

I use iTunes Podcasts to subscribe and listen to all of the following recommendations.  I am not super tech-savvy, but I'm sure there are other Podcasts apps where you may find these recommendations as well.

1. The Simple Sophisticate

This Podcast is the one that got me hooked on listening to Podcasts.  Shannon Ables shares 20-30 minutes of inspiring information, ideas, and insights on how to curate your own simply luxurious life.  Airing every Monday morning, this Podcast brings me inspiration to start my week with purpose and beauty.  The end of each episode features a "Petit Plaisir" where Shannon recommends a book, a film, a play, a recipe, or anything else she is eager to share.  Each episode, along with show notes, can be found in the above link.

2.  The Splendid Table

Lynne Rossetto Kasper hosts this delightful radio series which is then published as a weekly Podcast.  Like many of you, I've enjoyed The Splendid Table for years via my 90.1 F.M. NPR station, so I was thrilled to find I could listen to SO MANY EPISODES at my convenience.  The Splendid Table declares itself, "The Show For People Who Love to Eat," and delves deep into food through interviews of chefs, writers, travelers, any many others.  Additionally, Lynne answers questions from listeners who call in with the culinary inquiries.  

3. Financial Rock Star Scott Alan Turner

While finances is not one of my favorite topics, Scott Alan Turner presents tips to "Get out of debt, save money, and retire early," in a fun, upbeat, and SIMPLE way.  Even though budgets have been a part of most of my adult life, I never knew the difference between a 401k and Roth IRA and was completely petrified of the Stock Market.  I am not [yet] wheeling and dealing with stock market day-trading; however, I do feel as though I am much more informed (and have a better understanding) investment opportunities as well as the best ways to save and get out of debt (tip: getting out of debt doesn't matter one flip if you don't change your spending habits).  Thanks, Scott!

4. Wire Talk with Karen Stubbs

This is the most recent addition to my Podcast collection, and I couldn't be happier to have found it.  I was introduced to Birds on a Wire from a dear friend (thanks, Angela!) and fell in love with Karen and her ministry to encourage and equip moms.  I've attended several BOAW groups and had the great pleasure of taking part in the first BOAW Conference a few years ago.  Karen provides such awesome, motherly advice from discipline and boundaries how-to's to helping our children grow their own faith.  

I would love for you to check out these Podcasts and hope that you'll enjoy them all!  What Podcasts do you currently enjoy?  Please share in the comments below!

In Pursuit of Authentic French Cooking

I (along with everyone else who had not already done so) fell in love with Julia Child after seeing the 2009 film, Julie and Julia.  The movie inspired me in more than just cooking; it was the inspiration to start my blog!  Even though I knew it would be silly to copy Julie Powell's idea of cooking through Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I was intrigued about how easy or difficult Mrs. Child's recipes truly were.

A few years later, I decided to try cooking through her TV series, "The French Chef."  While her recipes didn't seem necessarily difficult, they were all rather time-consuming.  I started saving them for weekend entertaining, when I would have the luxury of a few hours to cook a meal.  While I didn't cook through every episode (sadly, Amazon gradually removed the Prime Instant Video of "The French Chef," first seasons 2-10, and ultimately all of the seasons), I did find a few "go-to" recipes that I knew were fool-proof and would always turn out tasty.

"Casserole Roast Chicken"

I was quite disappointed when I discovered Amazon no longer had any of the episodes available on Prime and decided to read Mrs. Child's biography, My Life in France.  It starts just like the movie, with her and her husband, Paul Child's arrival in Paris.  It did take me a little while to get in to it, as most of it is written as she would speak: not always coherently, and sometimes jumping around from thought to thought.  About half-way through, I started to really get into it.  I enjoyed reading the back stories of the different French Chef episodes- I could read about her traveling to to visit Professor Raymond Calvel and learning proper techniques to make French bread and follow it with the episode she filmed covering her lesson.  This was especially fun to do with the "Pressed Duck Dinner" recipe, where in the book she documented traveling to Rouen to film the ritual at one of her favorite restaurants, La Couronne.

Most recently, I was listening to a podcast of The Splendid Table's 20th anniversary show where Lynne Rossetto Kasper replays an interview of Julia Child from their first episode.  The topic is summer barbecue meals, and Julia shares her recipe for Potato Salad along with a tip about most importantly making sure the potatoes are cooked correctly.  She also expresses her preference for Ground Chuck as her hamburger meat of choice and exclaims that she "Hates fake food- you can't have any fun with that!"  Lynn and Julia then have a brief conversation on the importance of moderation and their dislike of low-fat and fat-free products. Julia proclaims
that, "People are nutty who want to watch their fat or give it up entirely.  You can't have any fun eating that kind of a diet- all you can eat is vegetables and legumes and to hell with that is what I say!"