3 Year Anniversary ● by Jon + Jess

Today is our anniversary, so we thought we'd share the story of how Jon proposed. Some bits a tad unorthodox (it happened in a cemetery), but we wouldn't change a thing.

Jess: Let's start with the day of the proposal... Hmmm... I don't really remember what happened in the morning before your proposed, do you?

Jon: Saturday morning, December 17th, 2011. I leapt from my bed--

Jess: Oh boy...

Jon:… As excited as little Jonny was on Christmas morning! But, I think it should be said that YOU had wanted to spend the morning with another dude.

Jess: What?! I have no memory of this...

Jon:  I remember because you KNEW a proposal was possible any day and I was like, 'good heavens woman! I'm about to ask for your hand!' And you were all (falsetto) “I wanna hang with the boys!”

Jess: Hmmm.... hard to get....

Jon: Yeah, you go girl... Anyway, what was the lead up? Didn't I make it sound like it was going to be after Christmas?

Jess: Psh. If you did, I saw right through it.

Jon: How?

Jess: Got a heads up from a little birdy.

Jon: What, you did? Wait! From your mom? I need to talk to Debby about keeping her darn mouth shut.

Jess: Well, to be fair she probably said something cryptic and I am just a really good guesser.

Jon: What like, “Um, someone called your dad and asked if he could marry you... but I'm not telling you who.. these lips are sealed!” 
It's called 'popping the question' for goodness sakes! Not pulling it out of the fridge and reheating it three weeks later!

Jess: (laughing) I promise it was still special.

Jon: Whatevs.

Jess: It was pretty elaborate set up though, knowing before really diminished nothing.

Jon: Hmmm, well I drove up to Boston with some pre-planned goodies in the trunk. After I picked you up, we went to Harvard because I know how much you love it and it's a beautiful campus.

Jess: And then you pulled out that jewellery I had wanted when I visited you in New York.

Jon: Yup. I wanted to take you to all your favourite places around Boston, and give you special gifts to make it the best day ever.

Jess: Aw...

Jon: So, after that we went to Longfellow Mansion (which is just across the street from your church building). It was Christmas time and I had remembered you telling me that you loved singing I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day knowing Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, had lived just across the street.

Jess:Yeah, that was lovely... and you got me that beautiful picture book about the story of the song.

Jon: Which I didn't read until years later, when I read it at a home teaching appointment. I think I scarred those children.

Jess: (laughing) Well, it was a cute gift at the time.

Jon: Then we went back to the car and I gave you a Burberry scarf.

Jess: Well, 'faux'-berry...

Jon: It kept you warm.

Jess: And then you got me hot chocolate at Burdicks. Yumo!

Jon: Yeah, we both like chocolate... and we like it hot.

Jess: …

Jon: ;)

Jess: Anyway, then the main event...

Jon: I took you to Mt. Auburn cemetery.

Jess: My favourite place in the world!

Jon: I gave you four white roses. Then we walked over to a little pond where I knew you liked to sit and think sometimes. I had arranged for our friend, Matt, to place 10 orange roses on a bench there. I gave you the roses and sang “That's all” to you.

Jess: Yeah, that was lovely. Pretty sure those people across the pond enjoyed it too.

Jon: My fans, no doubt.

Jess: Undoubtably.

Jon: Then, the big moment. We drove to the Rapunzel tower in the middle of the cemetery and I innocently suggested that we go to the top.

Jess: Innocently? There was a fairytale castle, you were singing to me and showering me with roses. Babe, I knew what was coming.

Jon: (smiling) Then we walked up the stairs-- just missing Matt, who was getting bystanders out of the way.

Jess: And then there were rose petals! It was so pretty! The inside of the tower is a stone spiral staircase, and once we were almost up to the top there were rose petals everywhere. Grah! So romantic!

Jon: I dropped to one knee, said some saucy words, and pulled out the ring.

Jess: Oh yeah, that ring! I was so scared you were going to pull out this dinky little band with a hunka-chunka diamond. But then you pulled out this beautiful antique ring (with a small stone and filigree setting). I was one happy camper.

Jon: Then she pulled out the jewellery monocle, did a quick and dirty appraisal, and said, “Okay, this will do. Yes, we're engaged.”

Jess: (laughing) Yeah sure, something like that.

Jon: Then calling to tell the fam (Debby didn't pick up)... dinner at Red House and we went to go watch Sherlock Holmes at the theatre.

Jess: Where I fell asleep... whoops. It was an emotional day.

Jon: Mission accomplished, greatest day of my life up to that point.

Jess: Me too.

Hindu Temple ● by Jess

Last week, my friend Rachel and I went to visit the Hindu temple in Neasden. It's the very first traditionally built Hindu temple in Europe and it is GORGEOUS. Because it's a sacred space, we were only allowed to take photos outside the building, but we were able to go in to observe the holy spaces for worship.

Confession: Prior to this visit, I knew embarrassingly little about Hindism, other than their belief in reincarnation. Rachel and I were pretty much flying blind as tottled into the sanctum, the heart of the temple. Fortunately, when we walked in there were a million primary-aged children (on a school trip) running around, so that took the pressure of silence and decorum away for a moment while we got our bearings. 

The carvings were staggeringly beautiful-- so intricate and delicate-- it was like marble lace. Within the sanctum is a cupola with an arched ceiling that goes up into a three dimensional mandala that sort of makes your heart hurt it is so beautiful. Around the room were stone pillars, with hand carvings of gods and goddesses in their various reincarnations.  

Around walls of the main space were smaller rooms with statues of people set into scenes. They were unnervingly lifelike (although smaller than the average person). I'll be honest, at first sight, it felt like one of those films with the dolls that suddenly jump to life. I felt a tad uneasy not knowing what I was looking at.  

Fortunately, thickly accent believer came to our aid. The man explained that the statues were sacred images of their Deities, and were the most important part of the temple (This, of course, had to be explained to me later by Rachel as I only understood about fifty percent of his words, and comprehended even less).

To their Hindu followers, these images, or murtis, are very real. Temple patrons give them food and even close the doors to their rooms to allow them to sleep. The murtis are a physical receptacle for their Deities to reside. Because of the murtis, the temple is a place for their Gods to literally live and commune with their followers.  

It was a really beautiful and I'm so glad I had a friend to experience it with me. I really enjoy living in a place that has such a multiplicity of religious and cultural experiences. I feel like learning as much as you can about other people's lives and beliefs can only serve to make you more empathic and, hopefully, a better human being.

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Old Testament + Easter ● by Jess

Easter: that time of year when the devout among us decry the pink, egg-laying bunnies-- Those fluffy fiends! 

But let's get real for a second. 

The name Easter actually comes from the Norse goddess Eōstre (shown below), whose festival celebrated the Spring equinox. In reality, we pretty much handed the holiday over the moment we merged it with a pagan deity. 

Maying, John Collier, 1900

It's sad though because the name “Easter” really undermines a deep and provocative Jewish symbolism going back millennia. It's stuff you miss if you think (as I previously did) that the Easter celebration starts at the cross and ends at the tomb.

So, let's go back... waaaaaaay back.

We're in Egypt, in an Israelite (Jewish) slum. For several generations now, your family has been enslaved by the Egyptian elite. You endure back-breaking labor everyday, building an empire to a faith you don't believe in. Each night you go to sleep, afraid that you captors will murder your children (because they have before), but know you can't leave. You have no place to go.

Israel in Egypt, Edward Poynter, 1867

Then one day, there's an echo of hushed excitement; you can feel it buzzing in the air. The late king's son has just returned; months ago he'd vanished after killing a fellow Egyptian. But now, somewhat inexplicably, he's come home and plans to go to the Pharaoh, his stepbrother, to speak on your people's behalf.

However, as a monarch, the Pharaoh remains stoic and unmoved. He knows it would be economic suicide to free your people. Angered, he only increases your workload.

But the Pharaoh's brother (Moses) has something special-- it's a gift literally given to him by God. It's a staff, endowed with a power you don't fully understand, but you know works miracles.

Moses is determined to prove God's power to Pharaoh and that it is He who is asking for the freedom of his children. Moses begins performing miracles. He turns the staff into a snake, the river into blood, and brings plagues of frogs, lice and flies.

Unfortunately, the court magicians are able to mimic the wonders, so the king remains unaffected.

The horrors begin to escalate. Moses brings painful, festering boils to the Egyptians skin, famine to the land and fire from the sky. But the plagues only cement the Pharaoh's resolve. He will not budge.

At last, God tells Moses he will send only one more plague. If the Pharaoh does not relent, He will kill the first born child of every Egyptian family. He tells your people to prepare to leave the city by making food... you must prepare it quickly so the bread won't have time to rise. He also instructs you to kill an unblemished lamb.

You are told to take the blood from the lamb and put it around your doorway. That night when Death comes to take the first-born children, it will pass by the homes with blood on the doorframe.

In the end, when the Pharaoh learns of his son's death, he breaks, allowing the Israelites to go free.

Let's take a step back now. What I've just described is the first Passover Feast (so named because the Israelites were spared or “passed over”).

Now for the exciting bit: Passover is basically “pre-Easter.” In it, we see a perfect mirror to what would come later with Christ.

Rescue of the Lost Lamb, Minerva Teichert

Take a moment to consider the parallels. A perfect, unblemished lamb (which Christ is repeatedly referred to throughout the New Testament – 1 Pet 1:19, John 1:29, Rev 12:11) is sacrificed. His blood is spilt to save us from death-- both in a physical sense (through resurrection), but also in a spiritual sense. In the end, the death of the firstborn (again, Christ – Heb 12:23) is what allows His people to be freed; freed from sin and allowed to return to live with God.

It's not a coincidence either that Christ shares the Passover Seder (the meal the Jewish people have to commemorate their deliverance out of Egypt) with his disciples the night before his crucifixion. It was important that his disciples made the connection to that dark part of their cultural history because, spiritually speaking, they were in the same place. Christ was about to deliver all of mankind the same way Moses delivered the Israelites.

Though most of us fail to realise it, Passover is an essential part of the Christian narrative of Easter. Through it, we start to see a beautiful and nuanced symbolism that connects the Old Testament to the New by making it a unified story.

For believers and non-believers alike, Jesus Christ's crucifixion is a pivotal moment in human history. However our Easter holiday is not just a celebration of mankind's transition into a new era, the ushering in of spring, or excitement about fluffy pastel bunnies (although I am rather partial to them).

We are observing a long history of pain, death, redemption and love. We are celebrating the resolution between the existential paradox of mercy and justice. We are acknowledging our indebtedness to the person who delivered us from our shortcomings so that we can find experience joy after death.

May your day be filled with happiness, family and ponderings of Christ. Happy Easter from Jon and Jess!

London's Best Toasted Cheese Sandwich + How to Make it at Home ● by Jess

Toasted cheese sandwiches and I go way back. In my preschool years, we were super tight... my mom made me grilled cheese cut into strips and called it sandwich fingers. It was my absolute fav.

Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to last. We had a falling out when a friend's mom handed me two slices of wonder bread with a piece of plastic she called american "cheese." I learned then that not all grilled cheese was created equal... and some could not be trusted. 

It was a long time coming, but we've found our way back to one other. We reunited when I finally realised that the marriage of childhood comfort food, and a grown up palate, is what adulthood is actually all about.

So, I've been in search of London's best "cheese toastie." Oh boy, did I ever find it.



There's this food stall at Borough Market near London Bridge called Kappacasein that takes the grilled cheese sandwich to a whole new level. They are famous for their Swiss Raclette, which is a potato dish smothered in bubbly caramelised cheese (you can see the half round heating up in the photo above... in a minute she'll shave the browned, melted bit over the spuds).

Still, I think the star of the show is actually their toasted cheese sandwich.



All I can say is that this was the intense sandwich I've ever eaten in my life. FRIENDS DON'T LET FRIEND'S EAT THIS SANDWICH ALONE! It's surprising because it really doesn't look like much when they first give it you, but boy is it ever rich. If you try to eat the thing yourself you'll be flat on your back within minutes (or you'll want to be...  but you'll probably still be at Borough Market, so good luck finding a place).

Still, it is all kinds of wonderful and, like any decent foodie, I had to figure our how to make it for myself.



So, let's break this sandwich down.

I did some detective work (and some interrogating at the food stand) and the original sandwich contains:

8 parts Montgomery Cheddar
1 part Comte
1 part Ogleshield raclette
Leeks, onions, garlic
all grilled between two slices of poilâne sourdough

Most of this is doable, but I wanted to come up with a recipe that people could get at their local market, and at least one of these ingredients doesn't make the cut: the Ogleshield.

Ogleshield cheese is the invention of Bill Oglethorpe (the owner of Kappacasein) and Jamie Montgomery. It is a kind of softer cheddar cheese made from Jersey cows and comes in a rind.

Blessedly, I found all the other ingredients at my local Waitrose (gotta say, impressed with the cheese selection). Lacking the Ogleshield, and also wanting to tone back the intensity of Kappacasein sandwich, because I'm American and weak when it comes to strong cheddar. I decided to go for a medium strength west country cheddar instead. Here's what my recipe looks like:



Ingredients: (Yields 4-5 sandwiches)

• 250g Mild-Medium Cheddar (I used strength 3)
• 100g Montgomery Cheddar, made from raw milk (Strength 5)
• 100g French Comte, made from raw milk
• 1 cup leeks 
• 1/4 red onion
• 2 cloves garlic 
• Butter and Olive Oil

Step One: Chop up the veg. Green onions would be a perfectly fine substitute for the leeks.



Step two: Saute the chopped vegetables in olive oil. Set aside.



Step Three: Grate your cheese. Make sure you mix it up before putting in on your sandwiches.



Step four: Butter the outside of the bread so it gets golden and does stick to the pan.



Step five: Assemble your sandwich by placing a small amount of cheese down, covering with 1/4-1/2 cup of the sauteed vegetables, then heaping another 1/2-3/4 cup of cheese on top. Because I don't have a sandwich press or panini grill, I pressed the sandwiches between two cutting boards before putting them in the pan.



Step six: I've found that until you have a professional grill, the best way to get the perfect melt + golden brown bread on a grilled sandwich is to go dutch oven style. I use a large oven safe frying pan with a lid on top. Bake at 350*F (or 180* C) for about 20 minutes.

And voila, there you have it! Ooey gooey deliciousness all there for the loving!



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Giveaway Announcement ● by Jess

The time has come! At long last it's time to announce the lucky winner of our giveaway! Whoo-hoo!Are we ready?The official winner* is: Matthew de Monte(Matthew, I'll be emailing you shortly. You have 3 days to respond with your mailing address, and if we don't hear back, we'll choose a new winner. Congratulations!) We had a whole slew of entries-- 4,559! WOWEE! So, if you didn't win you are in good company. Still, I know there are some very sad people out there that wanted to win. So, to make up for not winning, I've decided to give you a sweet little discount if you decide to buy a piece from my BRAND NEW ETSY SHOP!!!!Just use the coupon: EVERY1WINS for 20% off. Coupon will be good for 2 weeks (ending 15/4/2015).Anyway, be sure to check out the shop regardless. Every piece is custom-made (not printed), so if you see anything you like, but want a few changes (or have something new altogether in your head) be sure to let me know! While everything in my shop is London-centric, I am also taking requests for commissioned pieces for anywhere in the world. I am currently working on a piece featuring the landmarks of the Oregon coast, so anything is game. Thanks for all your support and sharing of our giveaway! It's been a huge success and I'm so pleased with the outcome :) Thanks again you guys!!*Winner is selected by PromoSimple, the app I used to host the giveaway.