OK...

so I suck at blogging...But really, I get so inspired and then so distracted and BAM it's jan. 27th and I haven't posted since OCTOBER. Anyways here it goes.  Life got busy! I quit one job because of it's absolute wretchedness and stepped out in blind faith the the Lord would provide, and go figure...He did and within 20 mins of the aformentioned quitting of the job.  So off I went to be a nanny for two of the most precious little ones on the face of the planet! It was only temporary however and on my last day as I walked out of their home and towards my car I got a message saying "HIRED!" So NOW...I am the most BA preschool teacher in existence.   Well maybe not, but I am learning and growing and loving those little crazy bundles of joy and silly more everyday.  However this taken my 15 hour work week up to a 40 hour work week which I love and makes my life so much more stress-free in so many ways BUT I do have less time to cook...so I have to start getting creative...

Marriage with C resulted in me having to start "getting creative" in my cooking from the get go...He has what I'll call Milk Issues...So absolutely NO cheese, milk, butter or dairy of any kind which has been hard since my grandpa was a Dairyman and Cheese/Butter was in almost every dish placed on my childhood table...but I am always up for a challenge and I am getting pretty good at this no dairy thing (but I do have a secret cheese stash in the back of the fridge...I mean who am I kidding here, it's CHEESE! I NEED it!)

I have a plan for meals this week...which is new for me...having a plan of any sort (haha! I so love flying by the seat of my pants) but we"ll see how it goes...I'll let you know (or maybe I won't and I'll make you wait another 4 months)

...wish me luck!

listening...

These last few days have been in.sane.....some huge changes to my life have been made. Leaving an old job. Starting a new.   Trying to deal with the change in employment, the change in the weather, and just life! AHHH life...you are crazy and you make me crazy and I. Am. Crazy...So I had some time and I spent that time thinking about Life and Jesus and having a Good Hope.  I listened to lots of music and read a whole book in one day.  I feel good.

What I listened too...it makes me cry and laugh and go to sleep...its a good song.

And this is the book I read...It is SO GOOD

I've also been making and eating LOTS of soup...it is cold. it is raining. you eat soup...here's my favorite so far!

Recipe: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Prep Time: 10 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 1 Hour30 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 8

Print Recipe

Ingredients

            2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

            1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

            1-1/2 teaspoon Cumin

            1 teaspoon Chili Powder

            1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

            1/2 teaspoon Salt

            1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

            1 cup Diced Onion

            1/4 cup Diced Green Bell Pepper

            1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper

            3 cloves Garlic, Minced

            1 can (10 Oz. Can) Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies

            32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Stock

            3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

            4 cups Hot Water

            2 cans (15 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Drained

            3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa

            5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches

            _____

            FOR THE GARNISHES:

            Sour Cream

            Diced Avocado

            Diced Red Onion

            Salsa Or Pico De Gallo

            Grated Monterey Jack Cheese

            Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.

Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed---add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.

Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it! (The garnishes really make the soup delicious.)

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman who is the best...everything I've made has been a success.  So that is all...listening, reading, cooking and eating soup...not a bad life :)

weddings...

this summer there were just so. many. weddings.  I love all this love so boldly flying around.  Anyways...here is my favorite bridesmaid dress that i wore...thank MJ you're the best!

and the shoes...

i love weddings that are fun AND you get new clothes that you love and will wear like all the time! It's the best. Well the sun is shinning so off i go!

CARISSA LEMOS!!!!

notice anything different??? well of course you do because now my blog is the cutest thing on the internet! thanks to Carissa Lemos my super cool, extra fly, design-y friend who knows how to do just about everything. she flies through the trees, she plays and sings, she cooks, she is a super human.  Look at her blog and find out some more.

APPLES!

This last weekend I was in a wedding. It was beautiful and fun and all the thing a wedding should be.  However while I was off doing bridesmaid-kinds-of-things CIAN was in my parents orchard picking apples...

Now don't get me wrong...i love apples, maybe even more than the average person.  What i don't exactly love is bags and bags and bags of apples that need to be turned into applesauce by...someone? This one. So when Cian exclaims "We can make applesauce!" what he really means is "You can make applesauce and I can eat it!" haha...oh man.  So applesauce was made! 

Thank you apple peeler-corer-slicer and crockpot, don't know what I would have done without you.

And there we have it...apple. sauce. Take that!  It's super easy to make in the crockpot...you just throw it all in there, sprinkle some sugar and cinnamon on top and BAM applesauce.  It all just melts into apple-y goodness....Canning it was a little harder but our freezer is the size of a small mailbox so i really didn't have a choice.  

Oh my....

I am so guilty of having such good intentions and not acting upon them. Alas, it is a weakness of mine.  In my ideal world I have learned to surf, ride my bike fearlessly everywhere I go, run, sew, paint, plant, cook and so many other things.  In reality I do all of those things with less frequency and confidence than I would like.  However, a year has passed since the knot has been tied and I find myself diving into new endeavors, getting creative, and having some time on my hands.  So here is to acting on good intentions! posting on my blog! and being a girl of action!

looking for...

a suitable hairpiece/veil...Something maybe like this...  I am having a super hard time finding one that doesn't cost a bundle...so I am thinking of trying my hand at making one...We'll see how it goes.