Favorites Right Now

I can't believe that I never posted this...it was from way back in the fall.  

A Few Favorites Right Now:

Califia Toasted Coconut Almond Milk

Sauteed squash and onions

Justin Time Cartoons

Accountability and Friends

Simply that Katie and Owen play so well together!

New Recipes

Katie's missing teeth

Owen's funny sayings

Justin's new job

Ordering online

Revival Antiques

I still enjoy blogging :)

Alas, it has been way to long *again* since I've blogged.  Its probably because of a bunch of things.  A full schedule in which it is hard to sit down and think long enough to say something coherent.  The fact that our computer is much to slow when iphoto is open. We have backed up our computer and it took a long time-read 1 week-with all the videos and photos.  Maybe next time I open up iphoto it won't slow down the computer speed to a turtle trying to get through the spring mud or walking through molasses in February.

Until I can get back into a routine of posting and downloading photos from our camera here are a few of our current favorites or topics of conversation.

Music.  Something is on all the time at our house.  I grew up listening to oldies, talk radio or classical.  But these days with Spotify we can listen to anything we want at the click of a button.  We love it all.

Sunshine.  I am amazed at how a sunny days brightens my heart.  Don't get me wrong the occasional day of rain and clouds is good and it gives me another perspective...but I love the sunshine and Carolina blue skies.

Cinnamon Bread.  Earlier this year the kids and I decided every time we make bread we will also make a mini loaf of cinnamon bread to give to someone.  And it has been so fun.  It is a joy to share with someone something homemade, yummy, and from our home.

Homeschool.  Its official, after wading through 17 choices for schooling for Katie for next year we have settled on Homeschooling for 1st grade.  It is a blessing that we have so many choices, but it took a lot to narrow it down.  But after lots and lots of prayer the Lord closed a lot of doors and opened Homeschooling.  I know it will be refining.  I know it will be good.  I know it will be fun. I know it will be hard.  But I am extremely thankful that God has lead us to this place and I know this is what we should be doing for the next year.

Friends.  We have great friends.  We really do.  I am so thankful for the people that invest in our life, that love us where we are, that push us to do more and yet speak rest and grace to us.  I wish, I really do, that we lived closer to family.  But that just isn't the case.  God has us out here and if it wasn't for our friends it would be pretty hard.  So I am thankful for those that God has provided us to do life with.  They love us.  They would love you! if you were here too.  They are neat, wonderful, loving people.

Bubble Water.  I love it.  I really still love it.

Papers.  I am overwhelmed with papers these days...they come out of no where!  Once I get behind it takes me forever to get caught back up on them.  I wish it wasn't that way, but it is.  I don't need a better filing system, I just need to be decisive and toss or file it.  But today I threw a bunch of things away.  Yay-love that feeling!

Online shopping.  I am not much of a shopper.  Why you ask?  Because I am not that decisive and therefore I go back and forth so much frustrating myself that I am spending more time then necessary!  But online shopping is great.  For example, I can look at Lands End put a couple things in my cart and then buy them.  We can try things on at home and then what doesn't work I can return to Sears.

A Few Favorites Right Now

The Green River Ordinance Band-Love the Songs, "Resting Hour" & "Dancing Shoes".

This Cheese from Trader Joe's-deliciously sharp and yet smooth at the same time.

This phone service from Republic Wireless.

If you don't know about them, you SHOULD check them out.  I've been beyond pleased with my monthly service and phone.

For those of you that believe in preventive medicine, add a medical message to your list of must do's.  

I am getting these for my headaches and have been amazed at the benefits. Though a regular spa message is good, a medical message will offer more help and try to get to the base of your struggles.

Seven Generations Medical Message in Cary with Donna has been great for me!

Three of Justin's favorite right now are:
These Lounge pants from Land's End.

And this Cardigan from Brooks Brothers

And this Magazine

Katie's Favorite Activity-

I believe she would sleep in the tire swing at school if she could.  :)

Favorite food?  Salami or Charcuterie Board

Owen's Favorite Activity-

Playing with his cars or outside.

Favorite food? Coconut Milk Greek Style Yogurt

A Few Favorites Right Now

A Few Favorites Right Now!

Snofrisk Cheese-bought this at Whole Foods and it is light and creamy. yummmo!

I have never thought to oven cooked bacon, but it is another thing I am loving right now.

Our Oreck Vacuum.  It. Is. Worth. It.  

My favorite part is that I can 'sweep' our wooden floors and carpets all at one time!

This blanket we got for Christmas from Pottery Barn. Warm, cozy and perfect for reading a good book!

I received this from Justin for Christmas-love it!  Euphoria by Calvin Klein

So, we don't live in the Northwest, but we do have lots of kids consignment sales. I am going through the kids clothes to sell the ones they have outgrown.  And my favorite part?  Getting the clothes out of the house!  :)

I have been pondering this verse in our study of Philippians.  

2:5

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men."

I am really enjoying this music.  Listen to at least the first 1.5 minutes.  Give it a try! :)

How about you, any favorites??

A few things I love right now

(all photos from google images)

My toaster oven.  Even though we have a microwave we don't use it really at all.  I love that the toaster oven can cook my eggs for smashables in the morning.  It can reheat our left overs making them toasty and not turn into rubber.  I can toast 4 pieces of bread at once.  And I can even cook some other tasty treats leaving my kitchen much cooler then if I had turned on the regular oven!

Friends and pools.  Thankful for these things as the last 7 out of 8 days have been over 100!

Still a staple in our house...ice cream for dinner anyone??  :)

Plus, if we have leftovers they make great milk shakes with a little almond milk and pb.  OH YUM!

LLBean tote bags.  They last forever.  I bought our this spring with a gift card.  I have the medium and a large.  I love both, but for a family the large bag with a zipper and handles is wonderful!  Works great as a library bag, pool bag, overnight bag, you name it, it works for anything!

(the second from the left is the large)

Cold Brewed Coffee.  Even though I am limiting my caffeine because of being sensitive to it...I LOVE some decaf coffee made this way!  It lasts in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks, is super smooth not bitter and easy to make.  All those are a winning combo for us!

Any music by Sara Grove.  

Summer Flowers bring such color and joy to our home.  I love sunflowers, hydrangeas, dahlias, daisies,   purple cone flowers, baby breath, lilies...the colors are bold and beautiful!

This amazing photo was taken in CO from google images. Breathtaking!

And Granola.  

I have finally made a good batch!  I tried a few times throughout our marriage, since Justin LOVES granola and it has always be unsuccessful.  

Here is the recipe that has worked. YAY!  I now feel a bit more confident and might try another version soon!

PB Granola Recipe.

Makes a lot!

I normally make a whole recipe then bake 1/2, saving the other 1/2 (in the frig.) for the following week to bake.   

Make sense?

1.Mix:

12 cups rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

optional-1 cup walnuts or 1 cup pecans or 1 cup sunflower seeds

2. Melt in a pan on the stove:

1 1/2 cups coconut oil, raw

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 T vanilla

2 T cinnamon

3. pour melted mixture over dry mix and blend until completely mixed and wet.

4. Bake at 320 for 20+ minutes-I usually do mine closer to 25 minutes, stirring it 1/2 way through

5. Remember when you pull the granola out of the oven it won't be crunchy yet.  After it cools it will be delicious and crispy!

6. Store in air tight container!

Thanks Beth for this wonderful recipe!!

A new favorite!

Phillips Light Touch 1 Cushion Hair Brush

This really is a great hair brush.  I've never been one to brush my hair a lot since I have curly hair.  I mostly brush it when it is wet, but with Katie's thick fine hair that is a different story.  Therefore, in light of tangles and needing to brush much more regularly I went on the search for a good brush and found it!  I bought this on off Amazon here and it was about $15.00.  Definitely worth it...less tangles (even for my hair!) and easy on either curly or straight locks!  Katie is a MUCH happier girl.  :)

  If you are needing a new one...it's worth the investment!

four things

1. This song has really hit my heart these last few weeks and I wanted to share.

Steady my heart by Kari Jobe


2. We still love Kale Chips!

3. I love my husband and kids to the moon and back!

4. Katie said she loves Palm Sunday...it is a great day...yes, a great day that the King of the Universe continued to follow the Fathers plan to stand on our place, taking our judgement and extending mercy by it-making a way to have fellowship with Him, standing forgiven and excepted.  We pray for you kiddos that the Gospel, the good new, takes hold of each your hearts.  Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Food

Food thoughts-

Over the past few weeks I have been on a mission to plan my meals, shop at the grocery store a few times a week (instead of everyday because I am not prepared) and to try new things.  So far I have been pretty successful.  Still working hard, yet living by grace.  :)

I was also talking with my sister who was in a rut about food and decided I would email some menu ideas to her that were easy and we had eaten in the last week or so. Plus, another idea that I am doing is calling a friend or two that I appreciate their cooking, asking what they have had for dinner and then adding their menu to ours!  It sure has saved me from hours of planning and also we have added new things to our plates-yay!

Below I am going to post a few things so that I don't forget some yummy new foods we tried and/or to help anyone out that is also stuck!

Oh and my friend, Kristin (thank you!) pointed me to this site-100 Days of Real Food and it is WONDERFUL.  Please check it out if you have a desire to learn about foods or get good ideas for healthy menu item or to take their 10 day challenge to not eat processed foods!  If I could have written something like this I would have!  Of course she is a much better written then I ever will be and more organized :)...high fives to the author Lisa!  A sweet site.  Go check it out! :)

Foods we have enjoyed lately:

1. Kale Chips-I honestly didn't think I would be addicted to these....but alas I AM HOOKED!  They have a similar texture and taste to potato chips, but healthier and in season right now! Disclaimer-I took one bite and liked it okay.  But then I tried another crunchy piece and they sure did grow on my taste buds.  :)

2. Anything with sweet potatoes.  These as well are in season and full of nutrients!  We have tried sweet potato biscuits, sweet potato smoothies and sweet potato cookies.  Next on the docket is sweet potato hummus and a soup!  Everything has been a delicious amount of sweet and also very moist.  Cookie recipe-I changed the pumpkin to sweet potato, flour was spelt and used honey granulars instead of sugar, cutting down the sweetener to 1/2 cup which was plenty since it was a 'sweet' potato.  :)   Biscuit recipe-yummo.  I used spelt again and honey granulars with good success!

3. Smoothies.  We've done smoothies in the past and then it just fell away.  Probably when Owen was born, I was to wiped out and so the smoothies stopped.  But after seeing gorgeous photos on Pinterest I was reminded of what a great nutrient benefit these are to our diet.  Plus it really really helps us all get enough liquid into our bodies in the winter.  We've tried this green one which is light and yummy and then have made some blueberries/raspberries ones that are tasty.   I try to add some extra Vitamin C powder, flax seeds and probiotics for our systems to have a boost.

And lastly....here are some of what has been on our menu these past two weeks!

1. Pizza, salad and sweet potato cookies
2. Taco Salad (buying and cooking extra for sloppy Joes), and dressed up Pico.
3. Pinwheel chicken, salad and sweet potato cookies
4. Left overs
5. Sloppy Joes-(seasoned with your favorite bar b sue sauce!), peas and baked/seasoned potatoes
6. Spicy Veggie Chili and sweet potato biscuits
7. Grilled DELICIOUS chicken and Potatoes from Bobby Flay-recipe below from our friends the Muses! It is SO worth putting this recipe into your 'to try' box.  Justin tried this and IMMEDIATELY he said, DELICIOUS and he said...I over ate and LOVED it!  :)  Oh and the sauce is great on subs or as a salad dressing or a dipping sauce.  Make sure you read through the directions, but know it is easy peasy!
8. Chipolte....love that place.  :)
9. Spaghetti and meatballs, bread, salad
10. Lentil soup with chicken sausage and sourdough bread

Recipe for you!

SOOOO good Bobby Flay Dinner!!!

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette and Grilled Potatoes--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ingredients:

For the roasted garlic-oregano vinaigrette: (I made this the day before)
8 cloves roasted garlic
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves-I used dried for this one
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes...-forgot this ooops!

For the grilled chicken and potatoes:
12 fingerling potatoes, scrubbed
Kosher/sea salt
Olive oil
4 (8-ounce) bone-in chicken breasts
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Keep some fresh oregano sprigs, for garnish-optional
Fresh some fresh parsley sprigs, for garnish-optional

For the roasted garlic-oregano vinaigrette
Combine garlic, vinegar, oregano, parsley, honey and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and process until emulsified. Stir in the red chile flakes.

For the grilled chicken and potatoes:
Place potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until a paring knife inserted comes out with some resistance. Do not cook the potatoes all the way through because they will continue cooking on the grill. Drain well and when cool enough to handle, slice in half lengthwise.

Heat the grill to medium. (I do think this recipe would also work baked in the oven if you don't have a grill)

Brush the chicken and potatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill, skin-side down and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn the chicken over and continue grilling until just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. A few minutes before the chicken has finished cooking, place the potatoes on the grill, cut-side down and cook until lightly golden brown, about 2 minutes Turn over and continue grilling about a minute longer. (*FYI-the chicken took about 25 minutes for me, a bit longer then the recipe says and I put the potatoes in a sauté pan on the grill to finish the cooking.)

Remove the chicken and potatoes to a platter and immediately drizzle with the roasted garlic-oregano vinaigrette. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with oregano sprigs and parsley sprigs.

EAT!

Ok that is all I have folks.  I hope someone can glean from this post...and if not, it will be a great reminder for us! 

A Few Favorite things

right now I have a zillion things going through my head and all of them are related to some current favorite things.

1. Pinterest.

Love it. I can say that it could become an addiction, but I am tailoring my expectations to only hunt for something specific. It is an amazing way to organize ideas. My favorite is that you get to see photos of the things you are searching for and then a simple description. I love that! I am on the search for Christmas present ideas, decorating for the home and school projects. Oh and new recipes...and I found some neat ideas for fashion. :)

2. Books.

I wish I had kept a list of all the books that I love to read to the kids, but two that are currently on our shelves or have been in the past weeks are these two: Little Blue Truck and Red Sled. Both really cute.

3.  A working washer and dryer.

Ours after 13-15 years finally did its last load.  We were blessed to have been given this first set after our  friend that was selling her house (our first home since we leased it from her).  It was a HUGE gift and did hundreds of mountains of clothes.

I did some research and finally settled on a set of Whirlpool.  But then I arrived at the store and the set on a super sale (pretty much buy one get one free!!) was a Samsung.  Needless to say-the sales clerk was wonderfully helpful...we got the Samsung. After waiting 1.5 weeks for it to be delivered I was SUPER thankful to have a washer and dryer.  It wasn't the greatest doing 'potty training' wet pants and undies in the bathtub.  But alas, we made it and LOVE our new set!  It's G R E A T!


4. Whole Foods Bulk Spices.

Justin just came home with some cinnamon for me, from the bulk bins for $1.08...and it filled up my bottle that normally costs $4.35!  What a deal.  :)  Plus it smells sooooooo good.

5. Mint.com

I love this site to organize our budget and accounts.  Seriously it has brought much relief to my weekly updating.  If you don't 'mint' yet, look it up!

6. Cast Iron Skillets

I use them everyday...multiple times a day.  Simple, simple, simple to clean.  Wonderful to cook with.  Keep oiled with Olive Oil and use them for years to come!  I have two sizes and am looking to get some small individual sizes so I can cook special breakfasts or desserts per person.  And finally I love that my family is getting iron in their food!  --Here is one I bought.

7. L L Bean slippers.  Still my favorite foot warmers.  They even wash well.  :)  Going on two years and still comfy cozy!

8. These guys-I. Love. Them.  Definitely my FIRST favorites!