Faith, Family, Food - Everything a woman needs.

Eat More to Weigh Less.... What?

2010-09-15T14:54:00.000-05:00

Sounds counter intuitive, right? How in the world can eating more food (which in turn means more calories) result in weight loss? A year ago there is no way in the world you would have been able to convince me this was true. I was a faithful 1,200 calorie a day girl. But I wasn't losing weight!

Several months ago I came across a website that several online friends had suggested for calorie counting. The Daily Plate became such a useful tool for me. See, calorie counting was something that I had to be pretty strict about for a while. I had to do it to be honest with myself about what I was eating and to hold myself accountable. I also have to measure my food. Portion sizes are so skewed in our culture. You would be surprised exactly what a 2 Tbs portion of peanut butter really looks like. As healthy eating became second nature I've been able to back off strict counting, but I definitely still do it every now and again to keep myself in check.

The first thing you do is establish a daily calorie goal. Your body burns a certain number of calories just existing. For my height, weight, age and lifestyle (not including exercise, we'll get to that) I should consume around 2,100 calories per day to maintain my current weight. Since I'm still looking to lose a little body fat I can cut back on my calories to create a deficit. A 500-750 calorie per day deficit keeps you on track for a safe and sustainable 1-1.5 pound per week weight loss.

So this brings my daily NET calorie goal to 1,600. The net part is very important.

Another key to being healthy, both physically and mentally for me, is exercise. I'm so glad that I actually enjoy exercise. I would hate to view it as a necessary evil and have to force myself to do it anyway. When you exercise and burn calories.... YOU GET TO EAT THEM BACK. Seriously, I think this is the best thing ever. I love eating more than I love running... and that says a lot. This part of the formula is something that a lot of people overlook. You need to fuel your body properly for the exercise that you do.

My average workouts burn 350-550 calories. The Daily Plate has an exercise tracking function that helps you determine calorie burn, just be sure not to overestimate. So on any given day I'm eating 2,000+ calories and still confident that I'm on track to lose weight.

Eating less calories than your body truly needs will not facilitate quicker weight loss. In fact, your body is more likely to hang on to fat reserves if it feels that it isn't getting adequate fuel to function.

I still overhear ladies talking about their 1,200 calories and I want to reach out to them and tell them there's a better way! There is life beyond rice cakes and baby carrots! Ok... so I eat baby carrots all the time. I like them! Seriously, I've found such a passion for healthy living (and eating) and never knew that I wasn't eating enough. I can't help but think that there are other women that don't know either. Of course, every woman and metabolism is different, so even if we are the exact same height and weight our needs will be different.

I hope that someone out there somewhere found this at least a little bit informational and helpful.

Less than two months to go.....

2010-08-24T14:39:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that in less than two months I'll be running my first (but most definitely not my last) half marathon! I'm running the half at Chosen: Marathon for Adoption in New Braunfels. I've really enjoyed the training so far in spite of the brutal heat and humidity. I've learned so much these last few weeks/months and thought I would write some of it out here so that I can come back after the race and see if it still holds true and how my perspective might have changed.

1. The only way to run faster is to run faster. I read somewhere that the only way to increase your speed is to do speedwork. It's definitely working! I do one tempo run or interval run a week. Nothing formal, but I like to see just how fast I can run the 5K distance, or I'll set out to do 2-3 miles of sprint/jog intervals. The other day my Nike+ said that I was running at a sub-9 minute per mile pace for the first time ever. I'll never be the fastest but it's so rewarding to see a definite improvement. Last year I was running anywhere from 13 to 15 minute miles. This year I'm averaging 11:45ish. I have a theory that once the weather cools off I'll see a huge difference as well. We shall see.

2. Long runs are NOT scary. My number one fear when I put together my training schedule was the weekly long run. My farthest distance up until then was 6 miles and that was only a couple of times. So far I have run 7, 8 and 9 mile long runs. I'm always careful to go slower than normal so I don't burn out before the end. Right now I'm all about the distance on the long runs and not the speed. We'll see how I do with double-digit runs. My first one is coming up this weekend!

3. It's hard to lose weight when training for a race. I heard this and thought PSHAW, I can do it. I'll just keep maintaining the same calorie deficit that I have for a while now. No Way! I learned a new word from a blogger that I follow. Runger. It's the hunger that you get from running more and upping your weekly mileage while training for a race. This is some serious business I tell you. The scale hasn't moved in weeks and I'm perfectly fine with that. I'm feeling great about my body and how strong it is becoming while understanding that it needs fuel to do so. I do try to make sure that I stuff my face with smart food choices but I can't say that I'm 100% successful. We'll see if this weight loss plateau continues.

Some other random thoughts about running:

- When I'm stressed I want to go for a run. This beats feeling the urge to hide under my bed with a box of Little Debbie treats.

- I have learned that while it's cooler in the mornings it is more humid. So I get to choose, heat or humidity? Well, I don't really get to choose. My schedule is pretty much dictated by my husbands work schedule and when he is home to be with the girls.

- Why did it take me more than a year to learn that I need water DURING my runs? Maybe this won't be the case this winter, but it definitely is a neccesity right now.

That's all I have for now. I'm sure I'll think of more stuff and be back to blog about it. If you read all this, Yay! If not, I don't blame you.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

2010-07-28T18:13:00.000-05:00

The summer temperatures here in Texas can be brutal. There's nothing like a chilly treat to beat the heat. This fun to make twist on the ice cream sandwich earns bonus points as a great way to get the kids in the kitchen with you. I used the classic Nestle Toll House cookie recipe, but these would be great with any of your favorite cookies, even the refrigerated dough kind. Mix and match your ice cream flavors as well.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 batch Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookies

Half gallon of your favorite vanilla ice cream, softened

Mini chocolate chips or sprinkles

Directions:

Prepare cookies according to recipe. Cool completely.

Place a heaping tablespoon of ice cream on flat side of 1 cookie; top with flat side of second cookie to make a sandwich. Place morsels or sprinkles on plate. Roll sides of sandwiches in morsels or sprinkles. Serve immediately or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze.

Crustless Quiche

2010-05-07T08:43:00.000-05:00

Quiche is another extremely versatile recipe. In this lighter version I have reduced the carbs, calories and fat by omitting the crust and making some healthy substitutions. I made it two different ways and you can definitely add anything else that you think would be yummy.

Crustless Quiche

Basic Ingredients:

5 large eggs
1 cup 1% milk (or whatever milk you have will be fine)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground mustard
black pepper to taste

Additional Ingredient Options:

1 cup sauted veggies - spinach, asparagus, onions, anything you like
-or-
1 cup cooked meat (bacon, sausage, etc)
-and-
1 cup shredded cheese - any kind of cheese you love - be creative!

You can definitely mix meats and veggies. Really... anything goes here.

Carmelized onion, spinach and sun dried tomato-
Slice 1/4 yellow onion very thin. Using 1 tsp olive oil, cook over medium-low heat until very soft and carmelized (this will take a while, just be patient). Remove onions from the pan and turn heat up to medium. Saute 1 tsp minced garlic and 2 cups baby spinach until spinach is wilted (about 2 minutes). Allow spinach to cool and remove as much water as possible by squeezing it. Roughly chop the spinach. Chop 3-4 sundried tomatoes. I used muenster cheese with this quiche.

Bacon and cheddar-
Cook six slices of bacon until crispy. Drain well and chop. (I cut mine up before I cook it. It cooks much faster that way).

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray glass pie dish with nonstick spray. Place meat or veggies and cheese in the bottom of the pan. Whisk eggs, milk and seasonings until well combined and pour over the top. Back 35-45 minutes until set. Cool a bit before serving.

Homemade Granola Rocks!

2010-05-03T14:52:00.000-05:00

I love a recipe that you can change up to suit your tastes and what you have on hand. You can use any dried fruits or nuts that you like in this basic granola recipe. I've been eating 1/4 cup of this with a low-carb yogurt for breakfast. It's so good!

Fruit & Nut Granola

Ingredients:

5 cups steel cut (or course) oats

2 cups nuts (I used almonds and pistachios)

2 cups dried fruit (I used raisins, cranberries, cherries, blueberries)

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup agave syrup

1 Tbs cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir well to coat. Spread into a large pan and bake 30-35 minutes, stirring frequently. Cool completely and store in an air tight container.

Creamy Guacamole

2010-04-29T11:42:00.000-05:00

Avocados (and anything derived from them) were on the list of foods I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole for most of my life. Pregnancy cravings with Brooke (now 10) turned my dining world upside down and luckily this was one of them. Not long after, a coworker at the time showed me how to make guacamole at home. It's so easy and this one has an extra ingredient that gives it a creamier texture.

Creamy Guacamole

Ingredients:

3 ripe avocados*
Juice of two limes
1 roma tomato - seeded and diced
1-2 fresh jalapenos - seeded and finely diced (or not seeded if you like the heat)
1/2 red onion - finely diced
2 cloves garlic - minced (or 2 tsp minced garlic from a jar)
handful of chopped cilantro
1 Tbs chile powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 c. Miracle Whip
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Seed and chop ingredients 3-7 and have them ready to go. Remove pit from avocados, scoop out the pulp and smash in a bowl (potato masher works great). I like mine pretty smooth. Combine remaining ingedients and stir well. Adjust seasoning as needed.

To keep guacamole in the fridge, cover bowl with plastic wrapped pressed onto the surface of the guacamole. This will keep the guac form turning brown when exposed to air.

* A ripe avocado is relatively firm, but will yield to gentle pressure. Also, the small knob at the stem end should come free easily and when removed the spot should be green, not brown.

Black Bean and Roasted Corn Salsa

2010-04-27T08:09:00.001-05:00

As a native Texas girl one of my favorite cuisines is Tex-Mex (is that even a cuisine?). Unfortunately with all of the tortillas, cheese and sour cream it often isn't the healthiest meal. In an attempt to add flavor to my fajitas I decided to throw together a non-traditional salsa. You can always adjust the seasonings to your taste and even leave out any ingredients that you just plain don't like.

Also, the recipe calls for roasted corn. I love to roast corn on the grill! Buy the corn unshucked. Soak the ears of corn in water for an hour then grill over high heat, 5 minutes per side. If you have any left over this is great way to use it. If you don't (or don't want the extra step of roasting it just for the salsa) just used frozen (thawed of course) or even canned corn.

Black Bean and Roasted Corn Salsa

1 15oz can black beans - drained and rinsed
1 ear of corn - roasted, cooled and kernels cut away from the cob
2 roma tomatoes - seeded and diced
1/4 red onion - finely diced
1 jalapeno - seeded and finely diced
Handful of fresh cilantro - roughly chopped
juice of 1 large lime (or 2 small ones)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbs chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Seriously the easiest instructions ever. Combine everything in a bowl. Cover and chill for at least an hour. The longer you let it chill the better it will be. Serve with chips, on tacos or fajitas.

I bet it would be awesome the next day.... but it didn't last that long at my house.

Temptation

2010-04-23T11:06:00.000-05:00

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. - 1 Corinthians 10:13

Last night I was drawn to the last of the children's Easter candy. I know there's a chocolate bunny or two hiding out in their rooms. But I resisted.... I had pickles instead. lol.

Nights when my husband is gone are pitfalls of temptation where healthy eating is concerned. These nights are fairly frequent since he works shiftwork that includes two sets of graveyards a month. I'll go through the evening routine and we'll probably even have a healthy dinner. But once the kids are in bed all bets are off. I'm confessing right now that I will lay in bed by myself, watch TV and eat anything and every junk food I can find. I feel so disgusted with myself afterward, but it's a habit I've had a hard time breaking.

This morning I was proud of myself for resisting the temptation of candy last night, but I DID eat something. And that's still not completely breaking the habit. I got to thinking about a discussion our ladies Bible study class has had quite a few times.

When you remove anything from your life it leaves a hole. You MUST fill that hole with God, or satan will slip in and fill it for you.

Trying to overcome my emotional eating habits without God's help is impossible. Taking away that comfort (although temporary) of food and not filling the void with something with never result in success.

I'm committing right now to READ MY BIBLE during that time after the kids go to bed that I would usually use to raid the cabinet. With His strength all things are possible...... even weight loss for emotional eaters.

I did what......?

2010-04-20T12:12:00.000-05:00

It seems that I could possibly have maybe sort of agreed to run the Aramco Half Marathon next January...... I think.

Seriously!

I've been very lazy the past few months with my running. I use the excuse that my schedule changed, but honestly..... I've been lazy. I've become complacent in quite a few areas of my life and I'm bound a determined to get back on track. My eating habits and lack of exercise are two areas that will see an immediate improvement.

In order to improve the way I eat I must improve the way I cook. I love, love, love to bake and cook using all manner of butter, sugar, oil and countless forms of processed carbohydrates. That's not going to do me or my family any good in a quest to become healthier. So I'm giving my cooking habits a makeover. I think I'll look at it as a challenge.... can I prepare tasty meals that my family will eat in a way that is healthy?

I'll blog about the good, the bad, and the disastrous (you KNOW it happens in my kitchen!) and hopefully along the way I can build a collection of good-for-us recipes that work for my family.

My Big Helper

2010-03-08T09:03:00.000-06:00

It's no surprise that I spend lots of time in the kitchen on the weekends. I have loved cooking for as long as I can remember. My mom always told me that I started following recipes when I was pretty young. She did the parts that pertained to fire or the oven, but the rest was up to me. As I got older Mom was very supportive of my cooking endeavors and more than once allowed me to experiment on the family with new recipes. Some were hits, others were definite misses.

I try to share my passion for cooking with my girls as well. Brynne and Brooke always help in the kitchen and it's such a joy to show them new skills as they get older. They have grown from simply following my instructions to reading recipes on their own. Brynne even gets to use the "good knives" and it working on knife skills.

This weekend it was me and Tori at home. The past few weeks she has become very inquisitve and independant. "I'll do it BY MYSELF." is her new motto. Something else I head many times this weekend was, "Let me help you." So I did.

She got to use her little toddler knife to cut up Velveeta (that I had already cut up) for chicken and rice. She also got to brush the egg wash onto the loaf of french bread. She was so proud of herself!

Sunday afternoon her ZeeZee stopped by for a visit. We were all hanging out in the family room when Tori disappeared and got very quiet. Anyone with a small child knows this is never a good thing. When I called out to see what she was doing she yelled that she was doing the dishes. Sure enough, she had pulled up her stool and was scrubbing away at the loaf pans I had soaking in the sink. This was the best picture I could snap before I had to rescue my counter from being flooded.

I love my girls so much! I'm so proud to be their Mom.

Thin Mint Cupcakes

2010-03-01T10:58:00.000-06:00

My thoughtful husband brought home ten, yes I said TEN, boxes of Girl Scout Cookies from work Saturday morning. This should keep my emotional eating habits supplied for at least the next week or so. But seriously, I had to think of something to do with some of them so they didn't end up taunting me from the cabinet. I needed to make two dozen cupcakes for a church event and knew this would be the perfect time to experiment. They were for the youth group and everyone knows that teenagers eat anything! So even if they weren't great they wouldn't go to waste.

I took a shortcut here and used boxed cake mix. I had it handy and I'm not ashamed to admit it. :-) You can definitely used your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe.

Thin Mint Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 box chocolate cake mix, prepared, or your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe.

1 box Thin Mint Cookies

Double batch mint chocolate buttercream icing, recipe to follow.

Directions:

Prepare cake batter according to box or recipe and preheat oven as specified. Line 24 cupcake tins with paper liners. Chop one sleeve of thin mint cookies into course pieces. The other cookies can be cut in half to garnish the frosted cupcakes.

I usually use an ice cream scoop to measure out cupcake batter for uniform cupcakes. In this case, you want the cookie pieces in the middle of the batter. So put half the batter into the liners, sprinkle with crumbs, then finish filling in the batter. Bake according to the recipe/box and allow to cool completely. Frost with Mint Chocolate Buttercream and garnish with cookie halves. I use a pastry bag and this tip that I ordered from Bake It Pretty to make the pretty swirl of frosting.

Mint Chocolate Buttercream adapted from Wilton

Ingredients:

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

3/4 cup cocoa or three 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares, melted

1 teaspoon clear peppermint extract

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)

3-4 tablespoons milk

Makes: About 3 cups of icing.

Instructions

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa and extract. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

No More Hiding.

2010-02-26T09:32:00.000-06:00

I feel like I've spent the past few weeks in hiding. Not physically, of course... physically I've been busy with family, home and work. I've been planning vacations and travelled to Las Vegas for a long weekend with my husband, sister and brother-in-law. (It was fabulous and I promise to write a post about it when I can get the pictures sorted.) I've been doing the things that I always do.

Emotionally I've been shuttered up inside my own mind, locking myself away from my family, friends and even God. I've holed myself up in a prison of my own making with my fears and anxieties until I feel like I could burst from the pressure. But why? Why do I do this? I know that God's word tells me not to be anxious.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." ~ Philippians 4:6

And I know that the Lord wants to provide me with the strength that I lack on my own.

"..For this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

But Satan still whispers lies to me.... lies that tell me I am too small and insignificant for God to care, that I am alone and friendless, that who could possibly want to be bothered with my trivial issues. And I let myself believe these lies. It is far easier to hang on to my sack full of ashes and carry it around with me than to lay it at the feet of Christ. These ashes are MINE, they are a part of me.... what happens if I let them go? Who am I then?

Starting today, I'm saying it out loud..... SATAN, I'M FINISHED HEARING YOUR LIES. My LORD, my God is my strength and my peace.

"Peace that Jesus gives is not the absence of trouble, but is rather the confidence that He is there with you always." Pastor Phillip Crossman

Valentines Day Cookies!

2010-02-12T08:22:00.000-06:00

Pardon the excruciatingly, terribly horrid picture! It was taken with my phone. Holding the camera and supervising a 2 year old in the kitchen just wasn't possible. Tori and I made decorated sugar cookies for her Valentine's Day party at daycare. I've always been very apprehensive about decorating (or even baking) cut out cookies before. Royal icing has not been kind to me in the past.

Several months ago I started reading Bake at 350. The blog is written by Bridget (a fellow Texas girl and the neighbor of another of my favorite bloggers) and she gives great step by step instructions on how to make your own super cute sugar cookies.

I used her recipes for Sugar Cookies and Royal Icing just as written. Read through several of her posts and the FAQ's and you'll quickly pick up on her helpful hints. Here are a few that I found especially important.

Cookies:

1) You CAN use cold butter and skip the step of chilling the dough!

2) Thick cookies and a well floured surface to roll them on (wax paper) are the way to go.

3) Parchment paper lined cookie sheets.

4) Freeze each batch for 5 - 10 minutes on the cookie sheet before you bake them. They held their shape perfectly.

Icing:

1) Do NOT overbeat. I did and it made the icing very hard to pipe the outlines.

2) Using plastic craft bottles for the flood icing was brilliant and so easy!

3) Stir thinned flood icing gently and let it set for a bit before you use it to reduce the amount of bubbles.

Decorating the cookies was much less intimidating than I had expected. They turned out super cute. Unfortunately, because of the humidity and the fact that I did them pretty late last night they hadn't had time to dry completely before I had to package them early this morning. There were a few smudges. I would suggest a 24 hour drying period after you finish decorating.

Through the Trials.....

2010-02-04T12:53:00.000-06:00

I missed WFMW this week and I haven't really given much thought to writing a blog post. I'm going through some trials right now that are really leading me to dig deeper into the "Faith" portion of my blog. I'm still cooking up a storm (baking = therapy for me) and I'll post some recipes soon, but right now I want to share a note I posted on Facebook a while ago.

I love looking back on postings here or on other websites and knowing that I was led to write those specific words so that I could go back a read them at this specific time. I posted this note months ago.... and boy do I ever need to read it now.

Does God give us more than we can handle?

Often during times of trial we hear that God will not give us more than we can handle. But is that really true? Will God give us a burden that is too heavy for us to bear?

Some people look to 1 Corinthians 10:13 as assurance that God will not place more upon us than we can deal with. I don't believe that is what the passage means at all.

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

Paul is writing in this letter to fellow Christians in Corinth. If you look at the entire text he is warning them about getting comfortable in their faith and succumbing to the temptations of sin, as the Israelites did before them. In verse 13 Paul reminds us that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to resist.

There are storms in our life too strong and violent for us to weather alone. There will come a burden too heavy for our shoulders to bear. We will be put through trials that are more than we can handle. The fact is because of the first sin of Adam and Eve all of mankind will suffer during their lifetime.

So what do we do now? If we are too weak to endure these hardships alone what possible hope do we have to make it through this life?

The glorious news is that we have God! If we choose to accept it we have a love and hope in the Lord that will endure any trial, weather any storm. While God will give us more than we can handle, He will never leave us to handle it alone. He wants, even requires, us to turn to Him for assistance. He is an ever present strength, a deliverer and our shield in the storm (Psalm 144:2).

My dearest friends please know that whatever your burden is, no matter how great or small, how heavy or light, that the Lord will willingly carry it on His shoulders if you will hand it to Him.

It was easy to write this when I wasn't struggling, and now that I am having a hard time it is great to read them... and to know that I know that I know that they are true.

Cheesy Chicken Pasta Bake

2010-01-28T08:06:00.001-06:00

This is my version of chicken spaghetti.... only without the spaghetti. I just do not like spaghetti noodles. Fettuccini, sure. Angel hair.... maybe. But not spaghetti. It's one of my weird quirks. So I decided to make a version of chicken spaghetti using an other type of pasta. I made a few other slight changes to the recipe and the family loved it.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, boiled and the meat shredded (I used a rotisserie chicken)
1 box Mezze Penne pasta - or any shape you like
1/2 large block of Velveeta (I used the 2%), cubed
1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom
1 can reduced fat cream of chicken
1 can Rotel, drained - I used mild but you can use any variety
1 jar mushrooms, drained
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed to fine crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450. Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with non-stick spray. Boil pasta according to the directions on the box. I boiled mine a minute or two short because I can't stand mushy pasta and it will continue to cook a bit on the oven. While the pasta is cooking combine the Velveeta, soups, Rotel and mushrooms in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 3 minutes at a time, stirring between, until the cheese is melted. Stir in the shredded chicken.

When the pasta is done drain and place in the casserole dish. Pour in the cheese and chicken mixture and stir well to combine. Top with cracker crumbs. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crust is golden.

Too bad I didn't have any frozen broccoli. It would have been great in this dish. Just thaw, pat dry and stit into the casserole dish before you put the crumbs on.

WFMW - Favorite Kitchen Tools

2010-01-27T15:54:00.000-06:00

I'm at a loss today for anything worthwhile to contribute to WFMW. Yes, I'm taking the easy way out and spotlighting some of the tools I use most often in the kitchen.

I'm a sucker for kitchen stuff.... utensils, dishes, pots, pans, gadgets, appliances. You name it, I need it! I didn't realize how acute this had become until my husband and I had the opportunity to stroll through the mall last Saturday without any real purpose (or any children). I couldn't care less about any of the department stores. The clothing and shoe stores hold no power over me. In fact, I really don't enjoy shopping much at all. But then we stumbled upon Williams Sonoma!

I believe we spent almost an hour perusing every corner of the store while I ooohed and aaaahed over an assortment of culinary "necessities" that I have neither the funds to buy nor the space to store. Then we hit up Home Goods and World Market! By the end of the afternoon I had a list a mile long of various things that I just must have for my kitchen. But until the day comes when a money tree sprouts in my backyard and my kitchen magically doubles in size I'm going to rely on the same trusty tools that have brought me this far. I'll share some of my favorites.

Food Processor

It took me years to break down and buy a food processor. I thought that anything I needed could be accomplished in my trusty (cheap) Oster blender. Oh how wrong I was! I use this more than any other appliance in my kitchen except my coffee pot. Not only for the typical pureeing and grinding, but it grates a pound of cheese in SECONDS. The fresh grated stuff is so much better (cheaper) than the preshredded bags but for convenience I have been buying them for years. Not anymore!

Don't even get me started on pie crusts! Who knew they were so easy?

Oh how I wish I had this when I spent months making baby food. I can only imagine the time it would have saved.

Mesh Strainer

As a baker I'm almost ashamed to admit that I do not own a sifter. I'm a firm believer in the sifting process and I know it makes a difference in the texture of baked goods, but I'm not a fan of the sifter itself. They are a pain to clean and my mesh strainer works just fine. It serves double (triple?) duty as a sifter/strainer/sieve in my kitchen.

Flexible Cutting Mats

I use these mats instead of cutting boards. It's easy as pie to transfer veggies or meats from the flexible mats to a bowl, pot or pan. The labeled set of four allows you to use a different mat for each type of food and lessens the risk of contamination.

For more tips (on everything under the sun) visit Works for Me Wednesday and We Are THAT Family.

Afternoon at the Park

2010-01-25T10:19:00.000-06:00

Yesterday afternoon the weather was gorgeous! After weeks of colder than normal temperatures we've had quite a few mild days. The weather was perfect for a trip to the park. We fed the geese and spent some time on the playground. We'll have to do it again soon when the older girls are home to play with us.

Tori isn't scared of the geese at all. She tries to get them to eat out of her hand. I'm a little more cautious. I remember being chased by them as a kid.

You're never too old to swing! It really was a beautiful day.

It was a little windy though.

I'm definitely going to need Botox in a few years! :-)

Slides are even fun for the big kids. :-)

WFMW - Homemade (read "inexpensive") Body Scrub

2010-01-20T08:56:00.000-06:00

Before I get to my WFMW post I want to take a moment to remind everyone to continue to pray for Haiti. A magnitude 6.0 "aftershock" hit the area this morning.

There's just something about spa treatments that make a girl feel better. But venturing to an actual spa for an actual treatment requires not only the time (and babysitting) but the money. With this body scrub you can pamper yourself without breaking the bank.

Maybe it's the baker in me that loves this scrub because it smells so delicious!

Brown Sugar Body Scrub

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup olive oil (canola oil can be substituted)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blending Procedure:

Pour the brown sugar into a bowl and pack it tightly using the back of a spoon. Add the olive oil and mix together to form a paste.

Add the vanilla extract last for a hint of scent. Mix well.

To use, scoop some into the palm of your hand and massage gently from limbs to torso, avoiding broken skin and face. Rinse well.

Store in a jar in a cool place. This also makes a great gift! Use mason jars and ribbon to dress it up. Don't forget the recipe so your friends can make more.

More WFMW tips can be found here!

P-Dub's Apple Dumplings

2010-01-18T15:48:00.000-06:00

Actually, these would be correctly title Pioneer Woman's Momma's Apple Dumplings, but who cares what you call them. Just make them! But make them when you have a few people to feed them to. They are by no means anywhere close to healthy (look at all that butter and sugar!) and are also so, so good that you'll be up sneaking bites in the middle of the night. Don't ask me how I know.

Apple Dumplings from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients

2 whole Granny Smith Apples

2 cans (8 Oz. Cans) Crescent Rolls

2 sticks Butter

1-½ cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Cinnamon, To Taste

1 can (12 Oz.) Mountain Dew Soda - Both PW and I only used about half a can. I accidentally bought diet and it was fine.

Preparation Instructions

Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.

Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Prayers and Assistance for Haiti

2010-01-14T11:01:00.000-06:00

Unless you've been living in a hole the past few days you have heard of the 7.0 earthquake that struck the already impoverished nation of Haiti. The loss of life is estimated to be upwards of 40,000. This nation, these people.... THEY NEED OUR PRAYERS!

They also need assistance. I know that economic times are hard and you might not feel like the five or ten or even one buck you can contribute can make a difference, but it will. Everything helps. I've noticed that the blog world has shown an incredible outpouring of love, prayers and ways to help. I'm providing links to a few and you can check out their suggestions for where/how to provide monetary assistance.

CakeWrecks - Doctors Without Borders

Run the Earth, Watch the Sky - Harvest International

The Pioneer Woman - She's having a giveaway and donating 10 cents for each entry. That might not sound like much, but she's got quite a following and it really adds up.

Serious Eats - How to help send food.

If you want to donate actual items, Charity Chicks Houston posted this.

The Haitian Association of Houston is accepting donations of canned food, water, clothing, blankets, medical supplies and money from 7am-10pm through Friday (Multi-ethnic Community Center of Southwest Houston, 9819 Bissonnet St.). They will still be helping after Friday, but those hours are not confirmed past Friday.

The Houston Chronicle and KSBJ also have lists of places/organizations that you can donate to.

An unusual way to help - text "HAITI" to "90999" and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts and the charge will appear on your cell phone bill.

I hope you choose to make a difference! Please keep praying!

Works For Me Wednesday - Speedy Softened Butter

2010-01-13T08:09:00.000-06:00

This is the first time I've participated in Works For Me Wednesday (WFMW). It's a blog carnival hosted by Kristen at We Are THAT Family. If you don't read her blog..... START! Every Wednesday participating bloggers post a tip on their blog and a link on We Are THAT Family. There are tips for EVERYTHING there, saving time, saving money, cooking, homeschooling... everything. I think this is going to be fun!

My first WFMW tip is pretty simple. I'm always hit by a sudden urge to bake something.... and it never fails that what I choose to bake calls for softened butter. But who wants to wait hours for butter to come to room temperature? Maybe you have the patience for that, but I'm still lacking in that department. So here is my solution.

Set your oven to begin preheating to the lowest setting. Let it heat for about 5 minutes, then turn it off. You may even need to leave the door ajar to let some heat escape. You want it to be warm in there, but not hot at all.

Cut butter into small cubes on a cutting board. The smaller the cubes, the faster it will soften. This has to do with increasing the surface area of the butter that is exposed to warmer temperatures, therefor decreasing the time it takes to raise the temperature of the butter. (Thanks Alton Brown for being a food nerd!)

Place the butter in the warm oven and check it after five minutes. If it's not soft continue to check it every few mintues. You do NOT want to melt the butter so make sure the oven isn't too hot and that you don't forget about it.

I hope this tip works as well for you as it does for me!

P.S. It also works for cream cheese.

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

2010-01-12T09:28:00.000-06:00

Most if the time weeknight dinner at our house must be two things - super quick and relatively healthy. Last year Troy asked if I would start cooking more fish. Fish? Seriously? I eat fish two ways - batter fried with a side of hush puppies or wrapped in a nori sheet with sticky rice and plenty of wasabi. Either way... the fish is prepared by someone else. Cooking fish isn't something I do at all, not to mention well. But I've never been one to turn down a challenge in the kitchen, so if Troy wanted me to cook fish, I would cook fish. This recipe has been the most successful by far.

Tilapia is a mild, inexpensive and readily available fish. You can find it in the frozen seafood section. It's usually sold in individually frozen fillets. This recipe is flavorful and crispy on the outside, flaky and moist on the inside. It shouldn't be mushy or fishy at all.

Parmesan Crusted Tipalia

Ingredients:

6-4 oz. tilapia fillets
1 cup breadcrumbs (you can use store bought or make your own. In a pinch I have run croutons through my food processor.)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (Grate your own, preshredded, even the powdered stuff would be okay.)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp cajun seasoning (Use more if you want. Use whatever dried seasonings you like!)
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray, or if you have baking racks set them on the baking sheet and spray with nonstick spray. Using the racks will keep the fish crispier on the bottom as well.

Place breadcrumbs, cheese and seasonings in the blender or food processor and process just until everything is combined.

Place olive oil in a small bowl and the breading on a plate.

Rinse each fillet and pat dry with paper towels. Brush both sides with olive oil and coat with breading, pressing to make sure it sticks. Place fillets on the baking sheets or racks.

Press a bit more breading onto the top of each fillet and let them rest for about 5 minutes.

Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serve with steamed or roasted veggies and a salad for a quick, healthy dinner.

Dealing with Anger?

2010-01-08T11:26:00.000-06:00

Until now, most of the time this blog has been used for general musings, pictures of the kids, and of course recipes. But today I've decided to talk about a subject a little close to home and personal for me..... anger. Writing a blog post about it forces me to dig deep into scripture to uncover what God has to say about the subject. And I get to share what I find with anyone out there interested in reading it.

I will be the first to admit that I struggle with anger on almost a daily basis. Then I struggle with guilt over being angry. I mean.... the Bible says that anger is wrong, right?

Well, yes and no.

Psalm 37:8 says "Cease from anger and foresake wrath; Do not fret, it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land."

Anger can lead us to do evil. Anger, the emotion is not evil but it can give the devil wiggle room in our minds and our hearts. If unchecked it can lead to wrath and fury, causing us to sin.

In Ephesians Paul gives Christians a set of standards to live by. Among them are refences to anger.

"Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." - Eph 4:25-27

Also, verses 31 and 32 - "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

Anger is a naturally occuring emotion. What we do with our anger is our choice. God tells us not to STAY angry, not to let our anger evolve to WRATH and cause us to sin.

"A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control" - Proverbs 29:11

"How much more grevious are the consequences of anger than the causes of it." - Marcus Aurelius

Anger itself is not a sin. The Bible contains accounts of times when Jesus became angry. (Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 3:5) Jesus was without sin! Therefore, anger is not a sin, it is neither wrong nor right (or for a more grown up word we can say it is amoral). The anger displayed by Jesus is true righteous anger. Jesus was angered not at a personal attack on him. And He handled His anger in a appropriate way. To learn how to deal with our own anger we can look at how Jesus dealt with His.

Got Questions Ministries lists the following six traits of Jesus' anger.

1) His anger had the proper motivation. In other words, He was angry for the right reasons. Jesus’ anger did not arise from petty arguments or personal slights against Him. There was no selfishness involved.

2) His anger had the proper focus. He was not angry at God or at the “weaknesses” of others. His anger targeted sinful behavior and true injustice.

3) His anger had the proper supplement. Mark 3:5 says that His anger was attended by grief over the Pharisees’ lack of faith. Jesus’ anger stemmed from love for the Pharisees and concern for their spiritual condition. It had nothing to do with hatred or ill will.

4) His anger had the proper control. Jesus was never out of control, even in His wrath. The temple leaders did not like His cleansing of the temple (Luke 19:47), but He had done nothing sinful. He controlled His emotions; His emotions did not control Him.

5) His anger had the proper duration. He did not allow His anger to turn into bitterness; He did not hold grudges. He dealt with each situation properly, and He handled anger in good time.

6) His anger had the proper result. Jesus’ anger had the inevitable consequence of godly action. Jesus’ anger, as with all His emotions, was held in check by the Word of God; thus, Jesus’ response was always to accomplish God’s will.

If we keep these in mind we can deal with our own anger in a way that is pleasing to God instead of letting it become a destructive force.

My prayer for today is that I have the strength to let go of my anger and the selfishness that I use to justify it, to replace it with the love and forgiveness that God has shown to me.

Have a blessed Friday everyone! Stay warm!

Better than the Best Hot Chocolate

2010-01-07T08:45:00.001-06:00

Since the weather man forecasts a 25 degree drop in temperature today I figured now was the perfect time to post this dreamy hot chocolate recipe that my sweet friend Karen shared. Actually, my oldest girls whipped up a double batch of this in no time flat last night so it's super easy to make. A double batch was a really baaaaad idea since it's also very, very (almost too) good and I now have quite a bit of it calling me from the fridge. I meant to try it my coffee this morning, but (luckily for my waistline) I forgot all about it.

Here's what you need:

1 can (14oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 pkg (6oz) Chocolate chips

1 tsp Vanilla... See More

1 cup cool whip

Here's what you do:

Combine Milk & Choc chips in bowl, cover and microwave 2-3 minutes, stirring twice, or until most of chips are soft. Stir until choc melts. Stir in vanilla and let cool. Fold in Cool Whip. Cover & store in frig for up to 2 weeks.

To serve, spoon 3 Tblspns of mixture into mug & fill with hot milk (or do what I do, put mixture in mug with cold milk and heat in microwave, stir and enjoy!)

It was such a wonderful treat last night topped with a spoonful of the extra Cool Whip! Some sweetened, whipped cream would be great if you have that handy or mini marshmallows and chocolate shavings! I bet the fat free sweetened condensed milk and Cool Whip would work fine if you wanted a less guilt inducing version..... but where's the fun in that?

Thanks Karen for the great recipe!

Baby, It's Cold Outside - Chilly Weather Chicken and Dumplings

2010-01-06T08:23:00.000-06:00

We're in for record setting lows this week here in Southeast Texas. While much of the country would laugh at our lows in the 20's, we're just not used to that here. It's time to wrap the pipes, cover the plants, build a fire, and have a warm, hearty dinner.

This isn't the chicken and dumplings recipe that I grew up eating. It's not even close, but it's quick and tasty and the whole family enoys it. A friend's husband made it for us once and then lost the recipe. I've recreated it as best I could and let me just say, it's pretty darn good. It makes enough for two big meals, but I'm not sure how well it would freeze. Also, this is definitely more a semi-homemade recipe than from scratch. But sometimes we need all the help we can get in the evenings.

Ingredients

3 stalks celery
1/2 medium onion
2 carrots
1 Tbs butter or olive oil
1 whole chicken (I used the rotisserie chicken from the grocery store)
1 large can cream of mushroom soup
1 large can cream of chicken soup
1 large carton (32 oz.) chicken stock
1 1/2 - 2 cups milk
2 cans regular sized refrigerated biscuits (not the Grands, the little cheap ones are great)
salt & pepper

Directions

Chop celery, onion and carrots pretty small (fine dice). They should be about 1/4 inch pieces. You want these to cook thoroughly so be sure they aren't too big. Or if you want crunchy veggies in your dumplings (eww) make them bigger.

Melt butter or oil in a large stock pot and saute vegetables on medium heat until the onions are translucent and the vegetables all begin to soften.

Add chicken stock, bring to a simmer and cook for about 10-15 minutes.

While the veggies are cooking, remove the chicken from the bones and shred it. Save the bones and the trimmings from your vegetables to make chicken stock if you want.

Add both cans of soup to the pot and stir thoroughly (or wisk) until it is smooth. Stir in the milk until it is the consistency you like. You might want to add more milk after you add the dumplings, as it will thicken up a little.

Bring the pot to a boil and cut or tear the biscuits into small pieces. I like to have smaller dumplings, so I cut them into 10-12 pieces per biscuit. You can make them bigger, just be sure to cook them a bit longer.

Turn the heat down so that the pot is simmering and drop in the dumplings one at a time. You might have to stir a couple of times to get them all in the pot. Stir in the chicken and let everything simmer for 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

This is perfect with a warm, crusty bread and even better as leftover for lunch the next day!

Goodbye 2009 ~ Hello 2010!

2009-12-31T08:26:00.000-06:00

I can hardly believe that today is the last day of 2009! This year has flown by. The girls are all a year older (they just never seem to quit growing), we've been in our house for over a year now, and so much more has happened in the past twelve months.

This is my official "Goals for 2010" post. Mostly, in the months to come I want to be able to check this post and see if I am keeping myself on track. Hopefully, putting my goals out here for the world to see will keep me motivated.

Goal #1 - To read my Bible EVERY day, be it 5 minutes or an hour. And not just to read it, but to actually give thought to what I read and apply it to my life and to share it with my family.

Goal #2 - To run a 10K on my 31st birthday in March. That's 6.2 miles. I've got two and a half months and a training program, now to get some stick-to-it-tiveness and get me behind in gear. I know March is early in the year, so I will absolutely have more running goals throughout the year.

Those are my two big goals for 2010. There are other lifestyle changes that I want to make, such as relaxing a little more and stressing less, leading my family in a healthier lifestyle and getting them to be more active, and making time to enjoy things.... my husband and kids, running, reading, cooking and so on.

My prayer today is that each and every one of you, my family, friends , and myself can look back on 2009 and give praise to God for his mercy and blessings. And may we make the most of what He gives us in 2010, for His glory!

Holiday Recipe Recap - Sea Salted Smoked Almond Bark

2009-12-30T08:49:00.002-06:00

This Christmas season I had the opportunity to get together with a few friends that I hadn't seen in quite a while. This treat was was on the table and I kept going back for more. I knew that I had to recreate it. The combination of sweet, smoky and salty is wonderful. It's incredibly easy to make.

Sea Salted Smoked Almond Bark Adapted from Elles New England Kitchen

8 oz semi sweet chocolate
8 oz milk chocolate (you can by all means use all semi sweet chocolate if that is your preference)
1 1/2 cups smoked almonds - coarsely chopped (I used more)
1 tsp flaky sea salt (I used more)

Line 9 x 13 pan with wax paper. Melt chocolates in double boiler or microwave. If using the microwave, microwave on 50% power for one minute at a time until melted. Stir in 1 cup of the almonds. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining almonds. Tap the pan several times to spread the chocolate and settle the nuts. Sprinkle liberally with sea salt. Chill for one hour or until firm. Break into pieces.

* I added Craisins to some of mine and it was a hit!

A Message from God.... through Dora the Explorer???

2009-12-29T08:34:00.000-06:00

I have always believed that God speaks to us in a way that we will best understand and accept. I think few people would be able to grasp the magnificence and meaning of a spoken word from God Himself. Instead messages come through sermons, scripture, songs, friends.... and Dora the Explorer?? Maybe I've been a little stubborn lately, a little resistant to what He's been trying to tell me. Maybe He finally decided to get down on my level.... and that seems to be a cartoon meant for a preschool audience.

It could be stress, it could be exhaustion, it could just be that I'm a little strange, but the episode of Dora that Tori was watching in my room this morning while I got ready for work really spoke to me. We've watched it a hundred times on dvd, but it happened to be airing on tv this morning as well.

In this episode Dora is faced with a problem, a crisis even. To resolve the crisis she has to overcome three obstacles and reach a goal. How many times have we been in a similar situation. How often does the solution to a crisis contain more than one obstacle or hurdle? It makes it look like such a daunting and impossible mission. Not to mention the evil one (in Dora's case, the witch) making the journey harder all along the way and just waiting for you to give up and give in.

As Dora overcomes each obstacle and completes each task she is given a magical tool that can be used at the next stop. This is where the wheels in my head really started turning. I was bothered that Dora was teaching children that there are magical tools that will just be handed to you. Really, when was the last time someone handed you a bag of sunshine or a magical hair brush that would make your life easier?

Then it hit me. I do have tools to conquer any crisis. They don't necessarily come from friends and acquaintances, they come straight from God. He has given us His Word to guide us, to use as a map. The tool of prayer is a mighty one, a lifeline straight to God Himself. His love, mercy, and grace can carry us through any obstacle. Not over or around them, we will still have to endure them and overcome them. But we never have to do it alone.

Dora's tools can only be used once. She has to carefully choose when that time is. Unlike Dora, the tools we are freely given never run out, their energy can never be exhausted. No matter how many times we need it, God's grace can never be used up. We are not given a set number of times we can call on God through prayer. Everything He offers us is unending.

Have a blessed and wonderful day!

Nutella Cake..... Oh my!

2009-12-17T14:49:00.000-06:00

Flourless chocolate cake is one of my absolute favorite decadent, indulgent desserts. And once you realize how simple they are to make at home you'll wonder why you've never made one before. They are dense and dark.... and just BEG for a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

What could make this simple dessert better...NUTELLA! What is Nutella, you ask?!?! I highly recommend that you march right down to the nearest grocer and grab a jar and a spoon. The chocolate-hazelnut spread can be found with the peanut butter and it wonderful on just about anything.

I made this recipe for a work pot luck and I must say, the addition of fine ground nuts and nutella made it so unbelievably yummy if you're a fan of rich chocolate desserts.

Nutella Cake with Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache

I could not find hazelnuts, so I used ground almonds and garnished the cake with white chocolate snowflakes sprinkled with decorator's sugar.

Adapted from Nigella Lawson

Cake:

6 large eggs, separated

pinch salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 13-ounce container Nutellla

1/2 cup finely ground hazelnuts

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Ganache:

4 ounces whole hazelnuts

1/2 cup heavy cream

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; butter a 9-inch springform pan. In a large bowl (preferably metal), whisk the egg whites and salt until stiff. In another bowl, cream the butter and Nutella, then add the egg yolks, and ground hazelnuts. Fold in melted chocolate.

Add a blob of beaten egg whites to the chocolate batter, and mix gently until well-combined. Fold in the remaining whites, one-third at a time, very gently but thoroughly. Pour into springform and bake for 40 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting tester, which should come out mostly clean; lightly pressing finger into top to check for a slight bouncing-back; and observing edges beginning to separate from pan. Let cool completely, in pan, on a rack.

Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet, or toaster oven shaking them around frequently. Do it for about 4 minutes, or until they are lightly browned, then let cool completely. If hazelnuts came with skins on, put them in a towel after toasting and rub around; this will remove most of the skins.

Chop chocolate, and add to sauce pan with heavy cream over medium-low heat. Once chocolate is melted and components are combined, whisk until mixture reaches desired thickness, then cool. Remove rim of cake pan and pour cooled ganache over, spreading lightly to create a smooth, shiny surface, and apply hazelnuts all over.

So Far Behind! Playing catch up.

2009-12-16T08:28:00.000-06:00

I've been a very bad blogger! Things have been so absolutely crazy that I haven't posted anything in weeks. So here is a catch up post on what's been happening so far in December. I have some recipes to review and other stuff as well. I'll get to working on those later this week.

It snowed in our area for the second year in a row! We also set a record for the earliest snowfall and the lowest temperature. It was great! The kids got to play a while before it all started to melt away.

Tori also got to visit Santa. She's been fascinated with him for weeks now and whenever we're at the mall she wants to see him, but she was also too scared to approach him or talk to him. She finally worked up the courage to sit on his lap, and despite the look of apprehension on her face, she really liked him.

And last, but definitely not least, the girls and I got the tree put up and decorated while Troy was at work on night. It's lovely... now I just need a free moment to wrap some gifts to put under it.

I hope everyone is having a relatively stress-free Christmas season so far. Through it all I'm trying to keep my focus on the real reason to celebrate, the birth of our Savior!

Tis the Season: Boodell-Blaker Bakeapalooza!

2009-12-02T11:30:00.001-06:00

After Thanksgiving comes my all time favorite time of the year. Christmas-time is here! I love so much about this season. The cold weather, the pretty lights, the family time, ansd especially the cooking. Above all I love celebrating the birth of Jesus. He really IS the reason for the season.

Saturday my sister and I got together for phase one of a ginormous Christmas goodie endeavor. We're on a mission to fill ONE HUNDRED boxes with an assortment of nine different Christmas-time treats.

We each thought of several treats that we wanted to include. Here are the final treats on our list.

Orea Truffles
Spice Cake Balls
Snickerdoodles
Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
Fantasy Fudge
White Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
White Chocolate Chex Mix
Holiday Rice Crispy Treats
Pumpkin Bread

We started with the Oreo Truffles and Cake Balls because they freeze well. We each prepared 400 of our designated type and had them ready to dip. We spent more than six hours dipping more than EIGHT HUNDRED little balls into melted bark coating. At the end of the day it was a success and the whole goodie box task doesn't seem so overwhelming.

This weekend it's time for fudge! I'll be sure to post recipes and

A Time for Thanks Giving - The Finale

2009-11-25T08:01:00.000-06:00

This is the final entry in my four week series of things that I am thankful for. I saved the best for last, of course.

Absolutely, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the thing that I am most grateful for in my life is a loving, saving, grace-giving God.

God loves me and you with such passion and protectiveness. You can even go so far as to say that God is jealous for us, for our affections and our allegiance. He desires an intimate, personal relationship with each and every one of us.

For me, this means that I can put aside trying to be perfect, trying to do enough, be enough and accomplish enough. He loves me AS I AM... sometimes weak, sometimes needy, and always imperfect. I am made perfect through Him, through the sacrifice of His Son. How many people are you willing to sacrifice your own child for. I'm going to say no one. I couldn't even bear the thought of it. But God did.... He sent His only Son to atone for the sins of a lost world, for everyone who was, is, or ever will inhabit this earth.

Deep stuff, huh? I understand love.... I love my husband, my children, my friends and family. But take that love (and it's a whole lot of love) and multiply it by a million and still, you're not even close to the love that God feels for all of us. How can I ever express how thankful I am for that?

When we receive God's love we are expected to show that love to others around us. There are endless possibile opportunites to serve others and spread a little love. Ask around.... at your church, your job, on the internet. All For Good lets you search for volunteer opportunities by location. Take your kids! What better way to teach them to show God's love than by teaching them to serve.

I hope that each of you has a wonderfully blessed Thanksgiving!

Pear, Gorgonzola and Walnut Salad

2009-11-24T13:07:00.000-06:00

This past Thursday our department at work had a Thanksgiving potluck. By the time I signed up all of the desserts were spoken for, so I decided to bring a salad. I've had a salad similar to this before and I really enjoyed it. I thought that the flavors would be a great compliment to the traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

Lots of folks don't enjoy salads. I, on the other hand, could probably live on them. I like them all.... leafy salads, layered salads, pasta salads, chicken salads, fruit salads.... the list is endless. I look for salads that aren't "boring". Something that's more flavorful than just a bag of lettuce and a bottle of dressing. This salad has so many flavors that mesh so well together. Honestly.... I could have just this salad and some warm bread and butter and call it a meal.

For the salad greens I used prepackaged baby field greens from the local supermarket. Since I prepared the salad at work this was the easiest option (and what I would have done even if I had prepared the salad at home). You can use any salad greens that you like.

The original recipe called for toasted walnuts. I chose to make candied walnuts instead and they were so good! I did not use all of them for the salad, so I snacked on the rest of them for a couple of days.

My favorite part of the salad is the gorgonzola cheese. Now I knowwhat you're thinking... it's somewhat pungent.... and it looks funny.... but have you ever tried it? It's good, I promise. If you just can't handle the gorgonzola you could substitute feta cheese, but it won't be as tasty.

Here is the recipe with the modifications that I made. It presents beautifully and tastes even better.

Pear, Goronzola, and Walnut Salad adapted from Inn Cuisine

For the salad:

1 regular size bag (your choice) prepared salad greens

2 fresh pears, either French Butter, d’Anjou or Comice, peeled and cut into 1/4″ wide slices

Note: To prevent the peeled, pear slices from browning, I quickly swished them in fresh lemon juice and set aside.

5 ounce package (or container) of crumbled Gorgonzola (or feta)

3/4 cup walnut halves or pieces, candied (see below for recipe)

Optional – dried cranberries &/or dried cherries for extra color, flavor and texture

For the vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon-style prepared mustard

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

coarse salt

freshly ground pepper

Assembly:

Put prepared lettuces in a large salad bowl. Add pear slices, Gorgonzola and toasted walnuts.

To make the vinaigrette, combine red wine vinegar, prepared Dijon-style mustard and salt in large measuring cup. Stir to dissolve salt. Mix in the olive oil. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or small, wire whisk.

To serve, mix the vinaigrette again and pour over the salad, tossing gently with your hands. If necessary, add additional salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to individual salad plates or bowls, arranging pears, Gorgonzola and walnuts as you find visually appealing.

If desired, serve with warm French bread.

Candied Walnuts from SimplyRecipes.com

Candied Walnuts Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups raw walnut halves

1/8 teaspoon coarse salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Use middle rack in oven. Lay walnuts out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 5 minutes. Test for doneness. If not quite toasted enough, toast for 1 or 2 more minutes. Be careful not to burn. Remove from oven and let cool in pan on a rack.

Pour sugar into a medium saucepan with a thick bottom. Have walnuts nearby, ready to quickly add to the pan at the right time. Cook sugar on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon as soon as the sugar begins to melt. Keep stirring until all the sugar has melted and the color is a medium amber. As soon as sugar is melted and the color is a medium amber, add the walnuts to the pan, quickly stirring and coating each piece with the sugar mixture.

As soon as the walnuts are coated with the sugar mixture, spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet, lined either with a Silpat non-stick mat, or with wax paper or parchment paper. Use two forks to separate the walnuts from each other, working very quickly. Sprinkle the nuts with the salt. Let cool completely. Try not to eat them all before you make the salad.

Enjoy!

A Time for Thanks Giving - Part Three

2009-11-18T09:50:00.000-06:00

The Thanksgiving holiday is fast approaching. My first Thanksgiving celebration is actually a potluck lunch tomorrow. How crazy that we're starting the Thank-feasting a full week before the actual holiday arrives! That just goes to show that it's never too early to give thanks. In fact, giving thanks shouldn't be a seasonal gesture at all.

In this installment of my weekly posts of gratitude leading up to Thanksgiving I want to say just how thankful I am for my family. In my life family means so much more than just those to whom I am related by blood. I am blessed to have had in my life both a loving mother and a caring step-mother. Troy has step-family as well, which means that my children are growing up with a wonderful over abundance of aunts, uncles and grandparents galore! I have more sisters than some people have first cousins and it makes for great (though loud and sometimes rowdy) times when we all gather together.

These past few weeks have been rough with Troy working five or six nights a week. Without the support of my family I don't know that I would be sane enough today to be writing this post. I have the utmost respect and admiration for single parents who do this every.single.day. You are super-heroes!

In additional to traditional familial ties I have also been blessed with a church family in which the members care for and love one another. There have been a few storms in my life that this special family has helped me weather. I am so thankful to have them in my life and they hold a special place in my heart.

I know without a doubt that my family isn't always sunshine and rainbows. We have our share of drama and trials, but in the end we're always there for each other and I'm so eternally grateful for them!

For this weeks Thanksgiving craft I want to share an easy, tasty treat that my girls enjoy making at Thanksgiving.

Marshmallow Pilgrim Hats from Disney FamilyFun

Ingredients

24 chocolate-striped shortbread cookies

12-ounce package of chocolate chips

24 marshmallows

tube of yellow decorators' frosting

Instructions

Set the chocolate-striped cookies stripes down on a wax-paper-covered tray, spacing them well apart.

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave or double boiler.

One at a time, stick a wooden toothpick into a marshmallow, dip the marshmallow into the melted chocolate, and promptly center it atop a cookie.

Using a second toothpick to lightly hold down the marshmallow, carefully pull out the first toothpick.

Chill the hats until the chocolate sets, then pipe a yellow decorators' frosting buckle on the front of each hat.

"For, after all, put it as we may to ourselves, we are all of us from birth to death guests at a table which we did not spread. The sun, the earth, love, friends, our very breath are parts of the banquet... Shall we think of the day as a chance to come nearer to our Host, and to find out something of Him who has fed us so long?" ~ Rebecca Harding Davis

My Running Saga

2009-11-17T08:41:00.000-06:00

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:1-2

I haven't posted much about my running here but I thought it was time that I shared my running story. It's something that I really enjoy and something that has become a part of me. Running is also something that I truly believe anyone can do if they put their mind to it.

If you've known me in real life for any period of time you know that I am by far not athletically inclined. I've struggled with my weight my entire life and have always been the picked-last-for-the-dodgeball-team kind of girl.

Several years ago someone on The Nest (an online community for newlyweds where I met and made friends with a great group of gals) posted about the Couch to 5K program. I gave it a shot and quit after no more than a week. It was hard and I hated running. Fast forward to three years and one baby later and I needed to do something, anything to get into a regular fitness routine. I'm not trying to be supermodel skinny, I just want to be healthy.

I decided to try the Couch to 5K program one more time. My fabulous friend Kasey had been doing the program with great success and was recruiting people for the Race for the Cure on October 3rd. With exactly nine weeks until the race I had just enough time to complete C25K. In a moment of insanity I registered for the race!

I cannot say enough good things about C25K. Anyone on any fitness level can do it. I'm not saying it's not hard and I'm not saying it doesn't hurt some days.... I'm just saying it works! I believe the one thing that made this a success for me was realizing I was not alone. A friend said to me the other day when I was nervous about something, "I see Jesus right there holding your hand." How right she was! Knowing that God was with me through every step, stumble, and gasping breath and that HE WANTED ME TO SUCCEED made the hard parts so much easier.

Now, on a good week I run most mornings. My runs range from two to five miles depending on the weather, time constraints, and just how I feel in general. I'll never be an elite runner or even a good runner by the worlds standards, but I AM a runner none the less. Most days I listen to some great upbeat worship music while I run. Other days I just listen to God and the world He created. Every day I thank Him for giving me the ability to be out there.

In another post I'll share some of the tips, tricks and websites that I've come across these past few months. But I do want to share this site with you. Shelley at Running for Christ is following God's pull in her life to use her running to minister to others. She is sending me a few Running for Christ shoe charms that I'll be glad to share. Just let me know if you're interested and I'll get one to you.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline - 2 Timothy 1:7

Mini Weekend Recipe Review

2009-11-16T10:03:00.000-06:00

My life is topsy-turvey crazy right now, so I'm making this week's recipe review a short one. I made PW's Chocolate Sheet Cake for a get together Saturday night and it was AMAZING.

Photo courtesy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks

It's every bit as moist and rich as I remember my grandmother's chocolate sheet cake being. It brought back great childhood memories. Give it a try! Head on over to The Pioneer Woman Cooks for her very, very, very detailed instructions. You won't be sorry you did.... or maybe you will be if you're like me and eat cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner for two days.

A Time for Thanks Giving - Part Two

2009-11-11T08:18:00.000-06:00

This is the second post in my Thanksgiving series. Before the big turkey day feast in a few weeks I want to continue to focus on being sincerely grateful for the blessings in my life.

I am so very thankful to have a great group of friends. What I lack in quantity of close freinds is more than compensated for in their quality. They are the kind of friends that a girl can laugh with, cry with and tell her darkest secrets to... usually all in the same conversation. The common tie that binds us all together is our love of God and our desire to be strong women of faith. They are my encouragers, my prayer partners, and are there to hold me accountable when I stumble. Without them I don't know where I would be.

A simple and easy idea to get the family involved in the spirit of gratitude is a Blessings Box like this one found on Blissfully Domestic. A simply box is decorated and placed in an accessible location with slips of paper. Throughout the year family members write downtheir blessings and tuck them away in the box. Then on Thanksgiving they can be read aloud.

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow." ~ Melody Beattie

Weekend Recipe Review - Ham and Cheese Crescent Ring

2009-11-10T10:28:00.000-06:00

This was such a hit at the soup swap and so yummy that I made it again for dinner that night along with the tomato soup that I got.

Ham and Cheese Crescent Ring adapted from Cooks.com

1 c. fresh or frozen chopped broccoli (uncooked) - I omitted this.

1/4 c. chopped parsley (or 2 tbsp. parsley flakes) - I used chives.

2 tbsp. finely chopped onion

2 tbsp. prepared mustard - I used dijon mustard.

1 tbsp. butter (softened)

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 c. shredded Swiss cheese

1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

1 to 2 c. cubed cooked ham

1 (8 oz.) can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook and drain broccoli. In large mixing bowl, combine parsley, onion, mustard, butter and lemon juice; blend well. Add cheese, broccoli and ham; mix lightly. Set aside. Separate crescent dough into 8 triangles. On greased cookie sheet, arrange triangles, points toward the outside, in a circle with bases overlapping. The center should be about 3 inches in diameter.

Spoon ham filling in a ring evenly over basis of triangles. Fold points of triangles over filling and tuck under bases of triangles at center of circle.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot. 6 servings. To make ahead: cover and refrigerate up to 3 hours. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.

A Fun Fall Idea - Super Duper Soup Swap

2009-11-10T09:49:00.000-06:00

Sunday I hosted my first ever Soup Swap. It's a great way for you to stock your freezer with six different types of soup without having to buy ingredients for and prepare all six. I used SoupSwap.com for guidelines.

Basically, each person brings six quarts of the soup they prepared and goes home with six quarts of different soups. We only had five ladies attend, so we each got two quarts of one soup.

The Soups-

Tomato Spinach & Basil Soup
Creamy Turkey & Wild Rice Soup
Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup
Beef Stew
Beef Taco Soup

So far I have tried the tomato soup and the turky and wild rice soup. Both are delicious! It's great to know that on nights I'm short on time but still want to feed the family a "home cooked" dinner we have a variety of soups to choose from.

I also prepared a few snack foods for the ladies and their kids. The biggest hits were the ham and cheese crescent ring, the cheese ball, and the gingersnap bark.

I consider the soup swap a great success and hope to plan another one before the end of soup weather.... maybe in January.

A Time for Thanks Giving - Part One

2009-11-04T08:50:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It brings together a few of my favorite past times.... cooking, eating and spending time with family.

This year during this holiday season I really want to focus on being truly thankful. In a world where so many go hungry, thirsty, and without the basic necessities of life, I (and all of you reading this blog) have been provided with an overabundance of blessings. When is the last time we showed sincere appreciation for them?

Each Wednesday until Thanksgiving I will post about something I am truly thankful for as well as an idea of how to get our children and families actively involved in giving thanks.

Today I give thanks for my husband. Genesis 2:18 tells me that I was created with the purpose of providing companionship and help to my husband.

The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Gen 2:18

God not only provided my husband with a help-mate, but He provided me with a husband who 99.99% of the time willingly shows his appreciation of my help. He does not intentionally take me for granted as a wife and mother. I am blessed that he strives and sacrifices to be a good provider, husband, father and friend.

Kristen from We Are That Family posted this Give Thanks Countdown Calendar on (In)Courage. It looks like a fantastic way to get every member of the family to share what they are thankful for.

In closing I leave you with Hannah's Song of Thanksgiving from 1 Samuel 2:1-10.

1 Then Hannah prayed and said:
"My heart rejoices in the LORD;
in the LORD my horn [a] is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.

2 "There is no one holy like the LORD;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.

3 "Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the LORD is a God who knows,
and by him deeds are weighed.

4 "The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.

5 Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry hunger no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.

6 "The LORD brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.

7 The LORD sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.

8 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.
"For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's;
upon them he has set the world.

9 He will guard the feet of his saints,
but the wicked will be silenced in darkness.
"It is not by strength that one prevails;

10 those who oppose the LORD will be shattered.
He will thunder against them from heaven;
the LORD will judge the ends of the earth.
"He will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed."

What's Up for the Weekend?

2009-10-30T15:00:00.001-05:00

This weekend it's just the Doodle and me again. I'm sad that Troy will miss seeing Tori trick-or-treat for the first time.

Let's talk about Halloween for a minute. This is always a touchy subject in the Christian community. Personally, I think there is nothing wrong with dressing up in cute, fun costumes and going to HallowHim at our church or even trick or treating. I'm not a fan of the gory or worse yet skimpy costumes. I also don't judge those that choose not to celebrate.

Speaking of events at our church, beginning tonight and carrying on through Sunday is Baytown Bayou Blast. You should check it out!

Tonight I'm headed to a friends house to make Pizza Mummies, carve pumpkins, decorate cupcakes and watch Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. Sounds like a perfect evening!

Saturday, my sister Stacie may be coming over to work out the details of what she has named "The Boodell-Blaker Bakeapalooza". Can you say that ten times fast? No? Me either. We're planning a weekend in December to bake and fill ONE HUNDRED boxes with holiday goodies. Sounds like a daunting task for two full-time-job-working-child-rearing-ladies but I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!

In between this and weekly domestic duties I hope to have some time in the kitchen this weekend. I don't have specific recipes that I want to try, or more honestly I have too many that I can't pick just a few. It'll be one of those last minute decisions I'm sure.

Have a wonderful, blessed weekend and safe and happy halloween!

P.S. Don't forget to set your clocks back an hour Saturday night!

Girls Only Wilderness Weekend

2009-10-27T11:00:00.000-05:00

I don't recall exactly whose idea it was, but several months ago one of my friends suggested a camping trip..... girls only! That was all I needed to hear to go into OCD-camping-trip-organizing mode. I researched locations. Our first, second, third and possibly fourth through tenth choices weren't available. October is prime camping season in Texas and the only available site within 200 miles was at Double Lake Recreation Area in Coldspring, Texas.

After weeks of planning, Camping Day finally arrived! We loaded down the minivan with a tent, grill, bedding, firewood and enough food to feed a small army for the weekend. A few people had expressed concerns about our ability to start a fire and our sanity for tent camping with forecasted lows in the 40's on the first night.

From left to right, Hope, Genn, Cory and me. Genn and Cory were only able to stay Friday night so Saturday it was just Hope and me.

The four of us got the tent up in about 10 minutes. Who doubted us?

And a fire wasn't far behind.

Friday night was COLD. We should have realized that putting the rain fly on the tent, while obstructing the beautiful view of treetops and stars, would have held in the heat. The others had snickered when I said I was bringing an electric blanket. By the next morning they weren't laughing anymore...hehehe.

Saturday morning was clear and cold. We had a fire going by 7 a.m. and after a few cups of coffee we were ready to set out and do a little exploring. It was near dark when we had arrived the night before so the farthest we had been was the bathrooms.

The mist rising off the lake was beautiful. We took the Lakeshore Trail, which was an asphalt and boardwalk loop around the lake.

By the time we got back to camp we had worked up an appetite. We whipped up bacon, egg, chorizo and cheese tacos. They were delicious!

After breakfast we needed to head into town to get more ice and fire wood. We decided to try Coldspring and hoped that they had a few antique stores to check out while we were there.

We were in luck! It was Trade Days and the town square was lined on one side with merchant booths and on the other with antique and gift shops. I bought a few cookbooks from one of the antique shops and then we decided to try Crystal's Patio and Grill for a bite to eat and a place to sit.

Boy was that a wonderful decision! The spinach, mozarella, garlic, goat cheese and sun dried tomato pizza was yummy and the atmosphere was fun. They tell you straight up that they are slow and to enjoy yourselves while you wait.

Hope obviously needed a canvas to display her artistic side.

I was contemplating something deep and meaningful, I'm sure. Probably if I would have room for dessert after the pizza. I didn't.

We finished up in town and headed back to camp. Cory, Hope and I headed out to check out a different trail before Cory and Genn headed home that evening. This path was less developed. It ended at a trailhead for the Lone Star Trail system and we decided to leave exploring that to Hope and I the next morning.

Saturday night was much warmer. We would have slept well had it not been for a visit from some racoons in the wee morning hours. They were treating themselves to the Snickerdoodle Cupcakes and White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Blondies that I had brought for us to snack on. At least they had good taste.

The next morning Hope and I packed up camp and decided to explore the Lone Star Trail. It was beautiful! There is nothing like being smack dab in the middle of the woods to make you realize the awesomeness of God the Creator.

We had probably hiked about 2 miles in when we began discussing the fact that we hadn't brought anything other than my cell phone and her camera. Maybe not the best planned hiking adventure. A loud noise in the distance brought us to our senses and we decided to head back. I would love to spend an entire day, possibly more hiking the trail. That's an adventure for another time.

All too soon it was time to head back to civilization. I missed my dear husband and my babies, but I can't say that I missed the traffic, concrete, and hustle and bustle. I can't wait to do it again!

Weekend Recipe Review - White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Blondies

2009-10-26T09:02:00.002-05:00

This past weekend three friends and I loaded up and headed to Double Lake in the Sam Houston National Forest to get away and spend some girl time together. It was a wonderful time that I know will become a regular thing. I'll blog more about that when I have pics. Since my camera isn't working I am dependant upon my friends to post their pictures for me to borrow. :-)

I wanted to bring along some home baked treats for us to enjoy. I had a dozen snickerdoodle cupcakes (Martha's recipe) that I had frozen from Brooke's birthday but I wanted something more autumnal to go with the beautiful cooler weather we would be enjoying. I chose Pumpkin Blondies after seeing them on several blogs.

They were deliciously moist, with the fall taste of pumpkin and spices and the consistency of my favorite blondie recipe. The addition of white chocolate chips just put them over the top. We really enjoyed what we ate of them...... until the racoons got them on the second night there. They also ate the entire dozen cupcakes. They must have really good taste!

White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Blondies adapted from Annie Eats

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. salt

16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1¼ cups brown sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with foil. (I used an 8.5x12.5 disposable aluminum pan with lid for travel purposes).

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Stir together and set aside.

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan and stir in brown sugar until the mixture is smooth. Cool slightly then stir in the egg, vanilla and pumpkin until well combined.

Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined then fold in the white chocolate chips.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting.

To serve, lift the cake from the pan using the foil and transfer to a cutting board. Peel off the foil and using a sharp knife, cut into 24 squares.

Old Testament Truths - Hosea

2009-10-22T12:53:00.000-05:00

I am not ashamed to admit that I consider myself a relatively "young" Christian. Oh, I was saved and baptized as a young girl, but my faith never really grew until the past few years. For years I would read my Bible occasionally and think to myself... "what in the world is that supposed to mean?" This was most especially true about the Old Testament. Even if I did make it through the "begats" I could rarely see how the stories applied to my life.

Not too long ago, as if a veil had been lifted from my eyes, I see the value and truths in much of the Old Testament scripture that seemed so antiquated and irrelevant to me before. I can get downright giddy when the stories come to life in my head and I realize that what God spoke to the Israelites so long ago is still His Word today. I have come to realize that I need to write this stuff down, so here is as good a place as any to do it. I know that my ramblings may seem so simple and less-than-profound to those that may read this (if anyone does read it...lol.) but I want to be able to look back and see what God spoke to me on this day.

This morning I read through the book of Hosea after hearing a little about the story of Hosea and Gomer on the radio. It is an amazing look at God's love for the Israelites and for us, no matter how far from Him we wander.

In Hosea, the Israelites have turned from God.

Hosea 4:1-2

1 Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites,
because the LORD has a charge to bring
against you who live in the land:

"There is no faithfulness, no love,
no acknowledgment of God in the land.

2 There is only cursing, lying and murder,
stealing and adultery;
they break all bounds,
and bloodshed follows bloodshed."

Hosea 13:2

2"Now they sin more and more;
they make idols for themselves from their silver,
cleverly fashioned images,
all of them the work of craftsmen.

It is said of these people,
"They offer human sacrifice
and kiss the calf-idols."

When I think about the world that we live in today I can see so many of these very things present, even in my own life. While we may not be sacrificing one another to false gods and kissing calf idols, how many idols have I made of my stuff, my very own silver?

The Lord was angry with the Israelites! They were His people. He had cared for them and brought them out of slavery.

Hosea 13:4-9

4 But I am the LORD your God,
who brought you out of Egypt.
You shall acknowledge no God but me,
no Savior except me.

5 I cared for you in the desert,
in the land of burning heat.

6 When I fed them, they were satisfied;
when they were satisfied, they became proud;
then they forgot me.

7 So I will come upon them like a lion,
like a leopard I will lurk by the path.

8 Like a bear robbed of her cubs,
I will attack them and rip them open.
Like a lion I will devour them;
a wild animal will tear them apart.

9 "You are destroyed, O Israel,
because you are against me, against your helper.

How often do we forget what God has done for us? Do we take the blessing he provides and become proud?

Despite His anger, God loved the Israelites deeply and wanted so much for them to repent and turn to Him. God never quits desiring for us to come back to Him, no matter what we do, no matter how far we go. We can never get too far from God that He isn't asking us to come back!

Hosea 14:1-2

1 Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God.
Your sins have been your downfall!

2 Take words with you
and return to the LORD.
Say to him:
"Forgive all our sins
and receive us graciously,
that we may offer the fruit of our lips.

Despite His anger and the punishment that Israel deserves God proves that He is a compassionate and merciful God. He can't bring Himself to destroy the Israelites with His wrath and fury.

Hosea 11:8-11

8 "How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I treat you like Admah?
How can I make you like Zeboiim?
My heart is changed within me;
all my compassion is aroused.

9 I will not carry out my fierce anger,
nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim.
For I am God, and not man—
the Holy One among you.
I will not come in wrath.

10 They will follow the LORD;
he will roar like a lion.
When he roars,
his children will come trembling from the west.

11 They will come trembling
like birds from Egypt,
like doves from Assyria.
I will settle them in their homes,"
declares the LORD.

Despite everything the Israelites did, all of their sin, the Lord still had plans for them. He has the same plans for us. One day we will be betrothed to Him in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion, and in faithfulness! God still holds this promise for us just as He did for the Israelites of Old Testament days.

Hosea 2:14-20

14 "Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her.

15 There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will sing as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

16 "In that day," declares the LORD,
"you will call me 'my husband';
you will no longer call me 'my master.'

17 I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips;
no longer will their names be invoked.

18 In that day I will make a covenant for them
with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air
and the creatures that move along the ground.

Bow and sword and battle
I will abolish from the land,
so that all may lie down in safety.

19 I will betroth you to me forever;
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
in love and compassion.

20 I will betroth you in faithfulness,
and you will acknowledge the LORD.

Happy Birthday Brooke!!

2009-10-21T09:49:00.000-05:00

Today is Brooke's TENTH birthday! I can hardly believe it. She's grown into such a sweet, beautiful girl and I'm so proud to be her Momma.

This was Monday night at her birthday dinner. If I can be so bold.... Aren't they the bestest girls ever?!?! I'm so blessed.

We celebrated with friends a little early.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROOKE!!!! WE LOVE YOU!

Weekend Recipe Review - Part 2 - Gingerbread Pumpkin Bars

2009-10-13T12:27:00.000-05:00

The only thing that I got around to baking this weekend was Gingerbread Pumpkin Bars. Well, I did bake a coffee cake for breakfast Sunday morning that I promplty dropped in the church parking lot, so we're not counting that.

Joelen mentioned these bars last week and I just knew that I had to find that recipe!

Gingerbread Pumpkin Bars from Bakespace

Bars:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1/3 cup rolled quick oats

Filling:

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 3/4 cups mashed pumpkin

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2 large eggs

Drizzle:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon butter, softened

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350

Bars:

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugar and molasses until creamy.

Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

Reserve 3/4 cup of this mixture and place in a small bowl.

Scoop the remaining mixture into a 10 x 15 baking pan lightly coated with nonstick spray.

Add the oats to the reserved mixture and mix until combined - set aside.

Filling:

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.

Add pumpkin, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves - mix until well combined.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing just until combined.

Scoop the mixture over the uncooked base and use an off-set spatula to evenly spread the mixture over the top.

Crumble reserved oat mixture over filling.

Bake until the topping is a golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.

Remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Drizzle:

In a small bowl, mix together confectioners sugar, butter and vanilla.

Mix in just enough milk until the mixture will easily flow from a spoon - drizzle over cooled bars.

They came out prefect and were so "fall" tasting. After the first day I knew they had to leave the house, so I sent them to work with Troy.

Weekend Recipe Review - Part 1 - Caldo Gallego

2009-10-12T08:37:00.003-05:00

I only managed to make one out of the three soups on my wish list this weekend. And boy am I glad that I did! I made a few changes to the recipe and the result was a hearty, spicy soup that any meat and potatoes person would be happy with.

Unfortunately my camera seems to be dead, so no pictures (again).

Caldo Gallego
adapted from Crepes of Wrath

1/4 pound pancetta or slab bacon, cut into 1/4-inch slices - I used bacon.

1 15-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium onion, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes

1 large baking potato or 1/2 pound smaller potatoes, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces

1 large turnip, peeled and cubed into 1/2 inch pieces - I ommited this, but only because they didn't have any at the grocery store I went to. I will add it next time.

1/4 pound ground chorizo

1/2 pound turnip greens (or other dark leafy green, such as kale or spinach), washed, stemmed and coarsely chopped - I used kale.

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large soup pot, bacon and chorizo over medium heat for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is just crispy.

2. Add onion and cook until translucent.

2. Add potato and turnip to the pot along with enough water (I used vegetable broth because I had it) to cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes until almost soft but not falling apart.

3. Add the beans, greens, and red pepper flakes and continue simmering until the greens are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with crusty bread. Serves 8-10.

Sometime in the near future I'll post the recipe and review for Gingerbread Pumpkin Bars.

What's Up for the Weekend?

2009-10-09T09:57:00.000-05:00

"There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God." - 1 Samuel 2:2

I've had this verse marked in my Bible for a while and it's really been drawing me lately. I thought I would pass it along. I know that here recently there have been times (and still are) that I really need a Rock to anchor myself to. I'm so glad that we have one!

This weekend may be the first real feel of fall for our area. I may be jumping the gun a little on this, but it sounds like soup weather to me! Troy will be working nights and Brynne and Brooke will be at their dad's so it will just be Tori and me. I plan to try out three new soup recipes.

Ina Garten's Cheddar Corn Chowder - This has been on my list for a few years now and I just haven't gotten around to making it.

Caldo Gallego - I think I can get Troy to eat it if I don't tell him about the turnip.

Leek, Broccoli and Potato Soup from The Crepes of Wrath - This blog has one of the absolute best layouts for recipes. She makes everything look so simple! This will be my first time cooking with leeks.

And of course I'll bake something as well! I hope to bake Gingergread Pumpkin Bars.

I'll post reviews and hopefully pictures next week. I say hopefully because my camera appears to be on the fritz. I have another one somewhere... if I can just find it.

To celebrate the Autumn season I'm hosting my first Super Duper Soup Swap next month. If you want an invite, leave me your email and I'll pass it along. It's going to be a great time!

Goodies for the Guys - Snickers Surprise Cookies and Spicy Snack Mix

2009-10-07T09:09:00.000-05:00

Some Tuesday nights Troy meets up with some of the ~~guys~~ overgrown teenagers from church and they play video games. Who am I to judge though, I have a bunco group. :-) I had told him that I would make snacks for him to take this week. So despite a killer sinus headache I kept my word. I'm glad that I did because I love to eat when I have a cold and these made for great snacks while the girls and I cuddled up on the couch to veg.

I wish I had been able to take pictures for this post, but the batteries were completely dead in my camera. You'll just have to take my word for it that it all looked delicious!

Spicy Snack Mix aka Trash

This is something that Joyce, my stepmom, makes by the bucketful during the holidays. It's easy, versatile, and HIGHLY addictive. Mix up the cereal, add-ins, and seasonings to your taste.

Ingredients:

2 cups each - Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Cheese Nips, Bugles, Pretzels
1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
2 Tbs worchestershire sauce
1 Tbs garlic powder
1 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs cajun seasoning (Tony Chachere's)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250.

In a large bowl combine cereals, crackers, pretzels and nuts.

In another bowl combine melted butter and remaining ingredients.

Pour over cereal mix and stir thoroughly to coat.

At this point I usually end up adding a bit more of whatever seasoning I want and stirring to coat.

Spread onto 2 sheet pans and bake for 1 hour, stirring at least twice.

It's going to smell amazing so be sure to let it cool enough that you don't scorch your tongue before you start eating it! This will keep in an airtight container for just about forever.

Surprise Sugar Cookies

This recipe was inspired by the Snicker Surprise Cookies posted by Joelen the other day. Candy bar inside a cookie! What a great idea! But I knew that I would be pressed for time and didn't want to make cookie dough. I just happened to have a roll of sugar cookie dough in the fridge.

Ingredients:

1 large roll sugar cookie dough or your favorite sugar cookie recipe
18 fun size Snickers bars

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. It's okay if you don't do this step, just don't grease them!

Cut each candy bar in half.

Take one piece of candy bar and cover it completely in cookie dough. I cut the log of dough into 36 equal portions because I'm nerdy like that.

Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges just start to brown. A little underdone and chewy is better than overdone.

Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. This part might not be necessary if you're eating them as soon as they cool enough to handle, like I was!

These were yummy, but next time I will cut the candy into 3 parts and make smaller cookies. They were bigger than I liked.

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!

What a wonderful weekend!

2009-10-05T09:39:00.002-05:00

This weekend was packed with activities!

Saturday morning my friend Laura and I ran our first 5K together. We participated in the Race for the Cure My personal goal was to finish in less than 40 minutes and I did it! My unofficial time (using the stopwatch on my iTouch) was 39:20. Not the best time, but I have great starting place to improve from.

I will have pictures from the race photographer soon, but until then here are a few that troy took.

The start of the race. I'm on the other side of the lady in the pink cap. On the other side of me is Laura, representing with her maroon A&M top. You can barely see her.

After the race! We Did It! I'm very sweaty and my hair is WILD from the humidity. We celebrated with a yummy lunch at Olive Garden. I'm sure I consumed way more calories than I burned during the race. :-)

And of course.... the obligatory picture of Tori. The kids were great while I ran. They also enjoyed the bananas, apples, and oatmeal cream pies that were handed out after the race.

That evening we took a group of Brynne and Brooke's friends to the Galleria to ice skate to celebrate their birthdays. The plan for the corn maze was scrapped due to inclement weather. We couldn't have made a better decision. They had a wonderful time!

The entire group on our way in.

Everyone did great! In this picture there are actually a couple of exta girls. What can I say? They make friends quickly.

And nothing makes for a better ending to a great day than a little ICE CREAM!

I hope that everyone has a wonderfully blessed week!

Hellooooooo, hello, hello, hello.

2009-10-02T07:26:00.000-05:00

It's been approximately a million years since I've written anything in this blog. Well, it's high time I started! Here's a quick run down of the past year.

- All of the kiddo's are a year older. Tori is now TWO, Brynne just turned eleven, and Brooke will celebrate her tenth birthday later this month. We're headed to Dewberry Farm tomorrow evening to celebrate the olders girls' birthdays with their friends. It should be great fun and I'll be sure to blog about it.

- I've begun leading a Wednesday night Bible study and prayer group. I am so blessed and thankful that God has chosen to use me for this. I have learned more and grown closer to Him through it. You will never hear me say that I'm teaching, since most often I feel I'm learning so much myself.

- A few weeks ago I successfully completed the Couch 2 Five K program and will be running my first 5K TOMORROW morning. Three months ago I would have thought this impossible. Seriously folks, if I can follow this program anyone can! I have big fitness and running goals and I promise to keep everyone posted.

- I've been cooking up a storm and have been stalking, I mean following, many wonderful food blogs. I'll be sure to share those blogs and their wonderful recipes with you.

There, that should just about cover it. And I promise that it won't be a YEAR before I post again.

Have a blessed weekend!

Happy Birthday Mom.

2008-10-03T10:07:00.000-05:00

Today would have been Mom's 55th birthday. She's been gone for 15 months now and I still miss her every day.

Your Mother Is Always With You

Your mother is always with you...
She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street.
She's the smell of bleach inyour freshly laundered socks.
She's the cool hand on yourbrow when you're not well.

Your mother lives insideyour laughter.

She's crystallized in every tear drop...
She's the place you came from,your first home..

She's the map you follow with every step that you take.

She's your first love and your first heartbreak....

and nothing on earth can separate you.
Not time, Not space...

Not even death....

will ever separate you from your mother....

You carry her inside of you....

- Author Unknown.

The road to recovery.

2008-09-29T10:12:00.000-05:00

Hurricane Ike took it's toll on Baytown and the surrounding areas. We were so blessed to have had no major damage at our house and only minimal discomfort from being without power for several days. We stayed with Troy's dad and stepmom and then his mom and stepdad once they had power. I'm so thankful to have all of them in our family.

It has been more than 2 weeks since the storm and the kids are finally returning to school today. Life has returned to normal for the most part, but the piles of debris and the few businesses that remain closed serve as reminders that there are still those in need of our prayers.

I'll add a few post Ike pictures when I can.

There's a storm a brewing...

2008-09-11T10:21:00.000-05:00

We're preparing to the best of our ability for Hurricane Ike. It's forecasted to hit the Texas coast early Saturday morning.

Our zip code has been instructed to evacuate as of noon today due to a close proximity to Galveston Bay. We're not going far. Troy is boarding up the two larger windows today and we'll head over to his Dad's house tomorrow afternoon to ride the storm out with them. They at least have a generator.

Brynne and Brooke will be heading to Cypress with their dad and should have a good old time with their cousin.

My prayers are with everyone as we prepare for the worst and hope for the best! Stay safe and God bless!

Counting my blessings

2008-09-04T07:46:00.000-05:00

The past two nights have been rough. For some reason that she just can't communicate to me, Tori seems to have trouble sleeping between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. This makes for a long night.

During these middle of the night times when the house is dark and I'm forced from my warm snuggly bed by a little girl that wants to be held I find that I can easily be quite grumpy. Unfortunately Troy takes the brunt of that most of the time.

To keep from being a bear I try to use this time to focus on God. A little quiet time with Him is a sure fire way to improve my attitude. And when I find that I'm already in that foul mood and a little too quick with a sharp comment to my still sleeping husband I realize it's time to count my blessings. Nothing softens my heart toward my dear husband like counting him at the top of the list.

Another of those blessings is a couple from our church family that Troy and I have depended on more than once for guidance and wisdom. Wayne and Verna celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary yesterday. They have a relationship focused on Christ, built with a deep love and respect for each other. Verna is the woman I want to be when I grow up. I pray for many more wonderful, love filled years together for them.

I could get used to long weekends.

2008-09-02T13:14:00.000-05:00

I could definitely adjust to having a three day weekend every week. This would give me an extra day to get around to those weekend tasks that I tend to put off the most.... mainly cleaning and laundry. I'm mighty proud of everything I accomplished with just one extra day.

I also took advantage of the cool(er) breezy morning to take the kids to the park. We don't make it to the park very often, especially when it's 90 degrees outside.

Tori absolutely loved it! Brynne and Brooke spent most of their time playing with her. They dote on her and it's obvious that she loves them to pieces. I've been blessed with three magnificent children!

Here are a few pics from our time at the park. It was cut short by the mosquitoes and my lack of enough forethought to pack bug spray.

My first blog post.

2008-08-26T14:10:00.000-05:00

Blogging seems to be the "in" thing to do, so I thought I would give it a shot. But what to blog about?

My life revolves around a few very simple things.

My faith. I don't think I could make it through a single day on this planet without the knowledge that God loves me and will never give up on me. He loves me so much that He provided for my salvation with his only son. As a mom, I can't imagine making that sacrifice. On the hardest of days it's His strength that gets me through.

My family. I have a wonderful husband and three beautiful girls. Brynne is soon to be 10, Brooke will be 9 shortly after that, and Victoria just turned 1. I couldn't ask for a better bunch to call my own.

And finally there is food. I LOVE to cook. I enjoy preparing meals for anyone that will eat them, but I have an absolute passion for baking. Feeding people, especially a sweet treat, is the best way I know to show them I care.

I'll get the hang of blogging eventually and I hope to share with everyone my favorite things in life.