Blueberry Peach Crisp

I've just started to read this book called Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist. I am only through the first chapter and I already love it! It's about how food is one of the main "gatherers" that brings us all around the table in community- to relax, to share, to love, to listen, to laugh.

It's been that way for centuries, from the beginning people have been gathering together around meals. It's amazing to me to connect to the past, to realize that you are doing the exact same thing that they did; Jesus broke bread with his disciples and many others, David gathered people for feasts, they sat and talked and told stories. When we do something that they did, it makes that time period feel more real and not so long ago.

Bread & Wine is about bread, and cooking, wine, and drinking; but it's also about THE bread and wine, the body and the blood.

I am learning so much about how gathering in community is so sweet, and important to our spiritual lives. It feeds us! It can be so encouraging to just share in the lives of others close to you. To pray with them, to laugh with them, to cry with them, to do life with them! Jesus really speaks through community- and He says: where two or more gather in His name, He is there!!

A little tangent.

At the end of the first chapter is the Blueberry Crisp (or any fruit) recipe, and it is scrumptious! So make this and gather friends around to chat and nibble! But also read the book. :)

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
- 4 cups blueberries (or any other fruit)

Crisp Topping:
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup raw, unsalted pecans, halved or chopped
- 1/2 cup almond meal (available at Trader Joe's or health food stores, or made easily by putting almonds in food processor until fine, but before they turn into almond butter)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teasoon salt

Instructions:
- Mix together the crisp ingredients.
- Pout the berries into an 8x8 pan, and then layer the crisp topping over it.
- Bake at 350 degrees 35-40 mins., or up to 10 mins. longer if topping and fruit are frozen, until fruit is bubbling and topping is crisp and golden.

Serves: 4-6

For the fruit I used frozen blueberries and canned peaches from Trader Joe's. I doubled the recipe, and used a tiny bit less olive oil than it calls for because I am a sweets person, and I wanted to taste the maple syrup a little more than the olive oil.

I had it as a breakfast bowl: some blueberry crisp, with some Trader Joe's honey greek yogurt. What a treat! And healthy, too.

I have no doubt that a hot blueberry crisp with a cold scoop or two.. or three.. of vanilla ice cream would be delicious as well.