Sunday, December 30, 2012

Week One: Done!


We survived our first week of separation! Hooray and hallelujah!

On the home front, it’s been a rough and crazy week but sprinkled with blessings. There’s something called a “Deployment Curse” and it acts a lot like Murphy’s Law: whatever can go wrong probably will. For example, as soon as I dropped Bill off and got back in the car, our check engine light went on. Bam! When I got home the Internet had stopped working (and has been on and off since). Bam! Bam! Then waking up two days later, on Christmas, with the stomach flu…well, all of that is the deployment curse that occurs to military families when their spouse leaves. I experienced it the last time the hubby was deployed but didn’t have an actual name for it. I mostly thought it was bad luck or awful timing. But, since then, I’ve heard so many stories of similar issues that I now know it's not just me! In fact, now that I have a name for it, it’s so much easier to deal with. I can point my finger at it, laugh and shrug, while thinking to myself, “Yes, of course, this makes perfect sense!”

Here’s my week recap: surviving Christmas (thanks to the help of my friends)=check, two rounds of stomach flu=check, refilling the air in my tires=check, taking down the outside Christmas lights by myself=check, all while managing the normal day-to-day chores, errands and to-dos. After this week, all I can think is, “I am woman hear me roar!” :)

I wouldn’t be in such good spirits about it all if it weren’t for my friends, both local and far, and family. All the calls, messages and texts have been food for my heart and soul. And my local friends have all pitched in to help – from watching the kids, to delivering Starbucks and milk to my house – they have been angels in action.

Still, I’m sure hoping things ease up a bit and we can get into a somewhat normal routine with limited drama and upsets.  

All said, the first week is done, and that means we’re one week closer to having our family back together, and that is something I can celebrate!


Saturday, December 29, 2012

My Best 12 of 2012

I saw this blog post about the “Best of 2012” and it got me thinking...I think this is a cute idea and a fun way to remember some of the highlights of this past year. So I’m listing out my “Best 12 of 2012.” Some of these things are new in 2012 and some of them are new to me in 2012.

My Best 12 of 2012

1. Best movie: Lincoln
2. Best TV series: Parenthood
3. Best book: The Hunger Game series
4. Best album: Push and Shove by No Doubt (of course!!). Guaranteed to make you happy.
5. Best song: Settle Down. The lyrics pretty much sum up my life. Gwen has been writing to my heart for many, many years! :)
6. Best Christian music: anything by The David Crowder Band
7. Best hair product: KMS Free Shape Quick Blow Dry spray. Takes 10 minutes off my blow-dry time…and I need every one of those minutes!
8. Best all-purpose item: Coconut Oil. The possibilities are endless!
9. Best lipstick: L’Oreal lipstick in British Red. So fun!!
10. Best memory: It’s a tie between all the fun we had this summer in California and my birthday dinner here with all my Texas friends.
11. Best cocktail: Tricia’s magical margaritas! ** Recipe: 6oz can of frozen limeade concentrate, 6oz tequila, 2oz triple sec. Fill blender with ice, pour in ingredients and blend until smooth.
12. Best app addiction: Instagram

Please feel free to share some of your Best of 2012s! I’d love to hear them!

Friday, December 28, 2012

My Best 12 of 2012


I saw this blog post about the “Best of 2012” and it got me thinking...I think this is a cute idea and a fun way to remember some of the highlights of this past year. So I’m listing out my “Best 12 of 2012.” Some of these things are new in 2012 and some of them are new to me in 2012.

My Best 12 of 2012

1. Best movie: Lincoln
2. Best TV series: Parenthood
3. Best book: The Hunger Game series
4. Best album: Push and Shove by No Doubt (of course!!). Guaranteed to make you happy.
5. Best song: Settle Down. The lyrics pretty much sum up my life. Gwen has been writing to my heart for many, many years! :)
6. Best Christian music: anything by The David Crowder Band
7. Best hair product: KMS Free Shape Quick Blow Dry spray. Takes 10 minutes off my blow-dry time…and I need every one of those minutes!
8. Best all-purpose item: Coconut Oil. The possibilities are endless!
9. Best lipstick: L’Oreal lipstick in British Red. So fun!!
10. Best memory: It’s a tie between all the fun we had this summer in California and my birthday dinner here with all my Texas friends.
11. Best cocktail: Tricia’s magical margaritas! ** Recipe: 6oz can of frozen limeade concentrate, 6oz tequila, 2oz triple sec. Fill blender with ice, pour in ingredients and blend until smooth.
12. Best app addiction: Instagram

Please feel free to share some of your Best of 2012s! I’d love to hear them!

Sunday, December 16, 2012

The Gs New Act

Last weekend we put on a Christmas play for our friends. This was an idea Sienna had months ago and we decided to act on the thought, even if it was a little out of our comfort zones. I mean, I did take drama in junior high but that was several (ahem, many) years ago. We decided on The Gingerbread Boy story and kept the play very simple. After the play, Sienna played a Christmas song on her violin. We had a blast and I think our guests had a blast, too. This might become a new family tradition. Sally Clarkson would be so proud! :)

Ready for Showtime!



All the kids getting into the fun.


Monday, December 10, 2012

Meal Plan Monday: Winter Edition


It’s finally cold (well, colder…this is El Paso, after all) and my body is winterizing, which means all I want is pasta, butter, cream, cookies and soup. I want my comfort foods!

Here’s what’s planned for dinner this week:

Chicken Pot Pie from The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook by Paula Deen

Chicken Pot Pie


Serves 6 to 8

One 10 3/4-ounce can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
One 10 3/4-ounce can condensed cream of celery soup
1/2 cup milk
1 chicken, skinned, cooked, boned, and cubed
1 medium onion, diced
One 10-ounce package frozen green peas (or one 8-ounce can, drained)
3 carrots, sliced, cooked, and drained
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pastry for top and bottom
Butter to dot pastry

In a large saucepan, heat soups and milk. Stir in chicken, onion, peas, carrots, and salt and pepper. Cook until mixture boils. Remove from heat. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour into a pastry-lined 13x9x2-inch pan. Cut pastry for top into strips. Lay over pie filling in a lattice style. Dot with butter. Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown.

PASTRY**

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup Crisco shortening
Ice water

Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Cut in shortening with pastry blender until pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of ice water over part of mixture. Gently toss with fork push to side of bowl. Repeat until all is moistened. Form into 2 balls. Flatten each on a lightly floured surface by pressing with edge of hand three times across in both directions. With a floured rolling pin, roll out on floured surface. Roll from center to edge until 1/8-inch thick.

**I skip the homemade pastry and use frozen pie shells instead.

From Real Simple magazine:

Eggplant Parmesan Rollatini

    4 tablespoons  olive oil
    2 large eggplants (about 3 pounds total), sliced lengthwise (about 16 slices)
    kosher salt and black pepper
    1 1/2 cups  marinara sauce
    2 large eggs
    1 15-ounce container ricotta
    2 teaspoons  dried oregano
    2 cups  grated mozzarella (8 ounces)
    1/2 cup grated Parmesan (1 1/2 ounces)

Heat oven to 450° F. Divide the oil between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Dividing evenly, arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on the baking sheets and turn to coat in the oil; season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Bake the eggplant, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until soft and beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes; let cool. Reduce heat to 400° F.
Meanwhile, in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch or some other 3-quart baking dish, spread ½ cup of the marinara sauce. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, ricotta, oregano, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
Place about 3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture on one end of a slice of eggplant, roll it up, and transfer it to the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices and ricotta mixture.Top the eggplant rolls with the remaining cup of marinara sauce and the remaining cup of mozzarella. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Bake until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Bowtie Chicken Alfredo from The Pioneer Woman

Click here for the recipe with funny commentary and beautiful photos.

And, of course, something sweet! I’ll be making these lovelies for our MOPS meeting this week. Can’t wait to try them. Hope I’ll be able to share! 

Eggnog Doughnut Muffins

Click here for the recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod blog. This blog is quickly becoming my new favorite place to go for sweet treat ideas.

Enjoy!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Homemade Foaming Handsoap

I love fancy and sweet-smelling hand soap. It’s one of those little indulgences. The problem is they are a bit pricey (although, I usually only buy them on sale!) and for some reason they dry my hands out. So, when I saw a recipe for homemade foaming hand soap, I decided to give it a try. It’s super easy! And, as Bill would say, “practically free!”

 
Rinse out an empty bottle of hand soap – it must be one that has the special foaming pump. (Don’t ask me to explain the science behind the special foaming pump ‘cause I don’t know!) Then fill it 1/3 full with any type of hand soap. I use Ivory. Fill the rest of the bottle with distilled or purified water (optional – regular water works fine, too!). I use purified/distilled water only because our tap water is very “hard” here. Then add 5 drops of an essential oil of your choice (also optional). I've used Lavender and Lemon and buy it HERE. Put back on the cap and then gently roll the bottle (don’t shake) to combine.

Viola! Homemade hand soap!

And you can re-use the bottles several times.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Tis the Season


"How delightful," said Pooh, "to be so brand new."

The Advent season is once again upon us! The story of a less-than-ideal birth, a cherished baby, a Mother in awe trying to absorb it all, the promise fulfilled, a glorious message of hope…oh, joy! There’s always a huge celebration when a baby is born, how much more so when that baby is our promised Savior! I’m thankful we have the chance to celebrate that same birth, the turning point in our history, every year. I’m so in love with that little baby in a manger. 

It's also fun to reminisce about Christmas in the past, the ones that I shared with my own little babies. We got the ornament above when Grant was a newborn and I remember that precious time when I see it. Since both my kids were born in the fall, I spent two Christmases with little babies. It was such a wonderful time and gave me a new appreciate for the Christmas story.

As you celebrate the birth of Jesus, here are a few resources for your advent adventure...

A beautiful Advent prayer: “May this entire Advent season bring us back to your manger, back to your cross, back to your empty tomb; and moving forward with you into your new creation story.

We started our Advent calendars yesterday; a fun tradition we started a few years ago. As we count the days to Christmas, the kids find fun stuff like candies and coins and little toys in their numbered pockets. My friend shared an idea for a Jesus-centered Advent calendar here. 

We also lit the Hope candle in our Advent candle wreath today. For more info on how to put together an Advent candle wreath, click here.



And thanks to the suggestion of my musically inclined friend, I’ve been listening to these Christmas tunes all week.

Regardless of what craziness this holiday season brings (and there will be craziness!), I pray we all have a peace “that transcends all understand.”