As I was driving to work this morning, I was listening to an account on 105.9 about how worship music has made an impact on one particular individual. I started reflecting on all that has happened in the past year or so and how my hearts desire in the good and in the bad truly is to worship God.
This past year has probably been one of the hardest in my adult life so far. There has been tremendous loss, heart break, health concerns, loneliness, and questions of my value in others' lives. There has also recently been a heart-wrenching (but very heart-healing) adventure to encounter new freedoms from old pains. But through it all, my go-to is worshiping at the feet of the Lord.
I have said it before - transparency is hard. I try. But really, I am terribly afraid of other people's opinions and possible rejection. And so, I keep most things hidden away inside of my heart. I don't think that it is the healthiest thing for a heart - and really it isn't the easiest - but it is a process that I am working through. On my bathroom mirror I have written, "My value is not found in the opinions of other's, but in knowing who and whose I am." I need to read this each day, to keep my heart focused on the truth. So, because I think it will be good for my own soul, I am going to write about some of the challenges of my journey over the past year and a half.
Loneliness: I feel like there is a vital piece of me missing! I am alone. Most all of my friends have moved away from the Austin area over the past year. I am not "attached" to any community. My day consists of caring for wonderful children, but there is not really any adult camaraderie. I have a church, but it is not a church home. I go, I worship, I listen, I leave. I have a couple of friends, but do not feel connected or know HOW to feel connected -- it isn't organic for me. And as the days go on, my soul longs more and more for a help-mate.
Grief: As I mentioned, many friends have moved away and there has been a need to mourn the loss of having someone to be with me ... to get coffee, have a fun shopping day, cook a meal, or just hang out with. I mostly do these things alone now, and it just isn't as much fun. In addition to friends moving, my oldest sister -- my very best friend in this world -- also moved ... to Arizona. I miss her so much! Sure we talk, but I miss "Baby Sister Day", sister hugs, and lazy Sunday afternoon movies with her and her husband. And from that list, I think it's the hugs that I miss the most. To add to this sadness, in April (almost one year ago) my dear Grandfather (Mom's Dad) passed away and then less than six months later my Grandmother (Father's Mom) passed away. She was my last living grandparent, and having her pass away made my heart feel so very empty. And grief does not limit itself to the loss of relationships - I have also grieved health issues, childhood pain, and other "losses".
Health: My battle continues. 7 years ago I had debilitating migraines, severe pain, loss of ability to move properly, and a myriad of other "symptoms" that made no sense. With many doctors looking at me like I was either insane, excessively needy, or just a hypochondriac; I continued to pursue "figuring out" what was "wrong" with me. Finally, I said the right combination of things to the right doctor (who by the way had encouragingly and repeatedly told me that he would not give up on me) and a diagnosis came in the summer of 2007 -- Advanced Rheumatoid Arthritis with organ involvement (or what the Dr. refers to as Lupus Tendency). I immediately went into a rigorous treatment plan involving some horrible medications. Shortly after the diagnosis of RA, came the addition of Celiac Sprue Disease. And shortly after that, my list of food allergies began to exponentially multiply. Although this all occurred over a long period of time, my body has continued to attack itself to the point that last year the proverbial rug got pulled out from underneath me. I do not have health insurance and because of that, once I got to a "maintenance" point in RA treatment, I stopped taking most all prescription medications. There was an immense amount of provision from the Lord to get me to this point and I do not in any way want to discredit the miraculous thing that this was! However, a little over a year ago I had an injury to my neck that led to a herniated disc. Treatment began for this, but I was in an overwhelming amount of pain - which led to additional flare-ups of RA, which led to additional joint damage and fatigue, which led to a further compromised immune system, which led to an additional need for medications... And so the saga goes! I have been doing my very best to manage my health, but I feel extraordinarily limited. I am in pain - both physical and emotional - and I am weary!
Finances: Isn't it always the case that we could think of a thousand ways to spend just a little extra money? I am always very reticent to mention finances because I want to be sensitive to my readers. And even more-so, it is very important to me to have a grateful heart! The challenge is that I also want to be able to be honest about where I need prayer, support, and a greater measure of faith! This is it. And very very honestly, health is the largest financial fight that I have! I have been amazingly blessed several times this past year in the way of finances. In part because of this, I don't stress about money nearly as much as I once did. I have learned that somehow it usually works out. :) Having said that, I do still experience stress here. There has not been a single month in the past year that I haven't needed financial support in some way. I HATE IT!!! I am a very independent person AND I really do want to be a self-supporting real-life grown up! Not to mention I feel like I am not able to prepare for the future because I am so financially caught in the moment.
So where does that bring me? First of all, please do not read this and think that I have forgotten all of the good things this year has brought. There has been much to rejoice over and thank the Lord for! And that is where this started! Through all of this pain and misery, I find myself lost in worship! When my heart aches, I am before the Lord seeking comfort. When I am overwhelmed with gratitude, I am in His presence declaring His might and faithfulness!
And through it all I can smile, laugh, rest, and declare that God is good...ALL THE TIME!
Showing posts with label Friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friends. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Just a Few Notes
I have so much that I could talk about, including another recipe.
I had a friend ask me last week if I plan on turning my blog into a cookbook. Probably not...at least not anytime in the near future. But for the time-being, I will post recipes as I am inspired to do so.
This past weekend, I took a trip to Abilene. This is where I went to college...many moons ago. I still have a couple of friends who are there, but this past year my friend Wendy moved to Abilene as well. She was one of my roommates a few years ago and she became a wonderful friend. I stayed with her and we had a lot of fun.
Some of my high points of the weekend were meeting my dear friend Olivia's daughter. Long story here, but basically I don't know if I have ever been as excited to see a baby as I was with this one. She is absolutely amazing! On Saturday, Wendy and I went shopping for some new work clothes and then we went to the opening game for the Abilene Roller Derby Dames. This was the first Roller Derby for both of us. On Sunday we chilled out and played games at a coffee shop. Then on Monday, on my way out of town, I had lunch with a fabulous friend, Lauren.
In addition to having fun time with friends, this trip was also about making some space for my heart to explore some things. I needed some time-out with God and an opportunity to ask Him what He is wanting to do in my heart, mind, body, and soul. WOW! I had some treasured time with Him, and then on the way home prayed for 3 straight hours declaring all of the places in my life that I want freedom. I had an amazing time of honesty with my Maker, telling Him what I want, asking Him what He wants, and discussing what I think I am and am not ready for. Not to negate the special times that I had with my friends, but I think this was the true purpose and need of this trip.
I got back home, and pretty much jumped back in to life as normal. However I feel like I have a better sense of peace and resolve as I walk into a season where I am expecting change and healing! Just fabulous!
And now for another recipe (or two).
Last night I made an Herb Baked Salmon. I was at Whole Foods and the Sockeye Salmon (a personal favorite) was on sale for 9.99 per pound as opposed to the standard 14.99 per pound. I got a whole fillet and it was just over a pound. I cut off 1/3 of it on the tail end and pan cooked those pieces for tonight's dinner. The other portion I baked in the oven with some fresh herbs from my patio garden. So here are the recipes.
Herb Baked Salmon
1 Sockeye Salmon Fillet
Fresh Herbs - thinly cut (I used Indian Basil, Thyme, Sage, Oregano, Marjoram, and Chive)
Sea Salt
1 lime thinly sliced
1-2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1-2 Tbsp Bacon Drippings
1 Tbsp Raw Honey
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (if desired)
Drizzle of Lemon infused Olive Oil
In a baking dish, drizzle Bacon Drippings. Rinse Salmon, remove pin bones, and make certain it is cut to fit the baking dish. Place skin-side down. Sprinkle Sea Salt and herbs across top of Salmon (include Crushed Red Pepper Flakes if desired). Drizzle Lemon infused Olive Oil and Honey over herbs and then place a single layer of thinly sliced limes over the top. Thinly slice 1-2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter and layer on top of the limes. Cook in oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, until cooked. DO NOT overcook this fish or it gets dry, rubbery, and kind-of yucky.
I paired this with some baby carrots that I steamed and added a little honey, cinnamon, and cloves to. It was YUMMY!
Now for tonight's dinner:
Ok - so anyone who knows me well knows that tuna fish salad makes me gag like nothing else. I find it to be detestable!! Some may consider this is a upgraded version of tuna salad, but it is YUMMY!
Creamy Salmon Salad:
Here is what you need...
Pan Seared Sockeye Salmon (keep reading for how I made this) (about 1/4-1/3 pound)
Fresh Herbs (I used the same combo that I did the night before)
1-2 Ribs of Celery; finely chopped
1 small Apple (I used a Pink Lady; but Gala, Winesap, and Honeycrisp are all great options)
1-2 Green onions with chives; finely chopped
Raw Honey
Chia Seeds
1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
Sea Salt and Pepper
Earth's Best Olive Oil "Mayo"
Lemon
To make the Pan Seared Salmon, I took the tail end of the fish and cut it into 1 inch thick strips (with skin), salted with sea salt, and squeezed fresh lime on top. In a hot pan, I added about 1 Tbsp Olive Oil and then placed the salmon skin side down in the pan. LEAVE IT BE until it lifts itself away from the pan surface. If you mess with it, the skin will stick and the fish will fall apart. Once it will easily move, flip it and sear the top. Flip again to cook the sides. All together, the fish is in the pan for less than 10 minutes. Refrigerate and leave for the next day.
To make the Creamy Salmon Salad, heat a small skillet on the stove top and add butter to melt. Add in the celery, apple, and onion and cook until the colors are bright and mixture is just beginning to soften. Add in the herbs, a pinch of salt and pepper, and 2 tsp Raw Honey. Cook a minute or two longer. Set aside to let it cool.
In a small bowl, take each salmon piece and pull off skin and flake the salmon. Add 1 Tbsp "Mayo", 1-2 tsp Chia Seeds, lemon zest and juice, and celery mixture. Stir together and place in freezer for a few minutes to "chill".
I paired this with some pre-made rice crackers and Garlic Broccoli. I cut up four crowns of broccoli, including the rabe. In a hot skillet, I placed 1 Tbsp Bacon Drippings, broccoli and rabe, and 2 tsp chopped garlic. Stir quickly to cover all broccoli with garlic and fat. Add a small amount of water for steam. Cook for about 5 minutes so broccoli still has a small amount of bite and is bright green.
Enjoy!!
I had a friend ask me last week if I plan on turning my blog into a cookbook. Probably not...at least not anytime in the near future. But for the time-being, I will post recipes as I am inspired to do so.
This past weekend, I took a trip to Abilene. This is where I went to college...many moons ago. I still have a couple of friends who are there, but this past year my friend Wendy moved to Abilene as well. She was one of my roommates a few years ago and she became a wonderful friend. I stayed with her and we had a lot of fun.
Some of my high points of the weekend were meeting my dear friend Olivia's daughter. Long story here, but basically I don't know if I have ever been as excited to see a baby as I was with this one. She is absolutely amazing! On Saturday, Wendy and I went shopping for some new work clothes and then we went to the opening game for the Abilene Roller Derby Dames. This was the first Roller Derby for both of us. On Sunday we chilled out and played games at a coffee shop. Then on Monday, on my way out of town, I had lunch with a fabulous friend, Lauren.
In addition to having fun time with friends, this trip was also about making some space for my heart to explore some things. I needed some time-out with God and an opportunity to ask Him what He is wanting to do in my heart, mind, body, and soul. WOW! I had some treasured time with Him, and then on the way home prayed for 3 straight hours declaring all of the places in my life that I want freedom. I had an amazing time of honesty with my Maker, telling Him what I want, asking Him what He wants, and discussing what I think I am and am not ready for. Not to negate the special times that I had with my friends, but I think this was the true purpose and need of this trip.
I got back home, and pretty much jumped back in to life as normal. However I feel like I have a better sense of peace and resolve as I walk into a season where I am expecting change and healing! Just fabulous!
And now for another recipe (or two).
Last night I made an Herb Baked Salmon. I was at Whole Foods and the Sockeye Salmon (a personal favorite) was on sale for 9.99 per pound as opposed to the standard 14.99 per pound. I got a whole fillet and it was just over a pound. I cut off 1/3 of it on the tail end and pan cooked those pieces for tonight's dinner. The other portion I baked in the oven with some fresh herbs from my patio garden. So here are the recipes.
Herb Baked Salmon
1 Sockeye Salmon Fillet
Fresh Herbs - thinly cut (I used Indian Basil, Thyme, Sage, Oregano, Marjoram, and Chive)
Sea Salt
1 lime thinly sliced
1-2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1-2 Tbsp Bacon Drippings
1 Tbsp Raw Honey
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (if desired)
Drizzle of Lemon infused Olive Oil
In a baking dish, drizzle Bacon Drippings. Rinse Salmon, remove pin bones, and make certain it is cut to fit the baking dish. Place skin-side down. Sprinkle Sea Salt and herbs across top of Salmon (include Crushed Red Pepper Flakes if desired). Drizzle Lemon infused Olive Oil and Honey over herbs and then place a single layer of thinly sliced limes over the top. Thinly slice 1-2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter and layer on top of the limes. Cook in oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, until cooked. DO NOT overcook this fish or it gets dry, rubbery, and kind-of yucky.
I paired this with some baby carrots that I steamed and added a little honey, cinnamon, and cloves to. It was YUMMY!
Now for tonight's dinner:
Ok - so anyone who knows me well knows that tuna fish salad makes me gag like nothing else. I find it to be detestable!! Some may consider this is a upgraded version of tuna salad, but it is YUMMY!
Creamy Salmon Salad:
Here is what you need...
Pan Seared Sockeye Salmon (keep reading for how I made this) (about 1/4-1/3 pound)
Fresh Herbs (I used the same combo that I did the night before)
1-2 Ribs of Celery; finely chopped
1 small Apple (I used a Pink Lady; but Gala, Winesap, and Honeycrisp are all great options)
1-2 Green onions with chives; finely chopped
Raw Honey
Chia Seeds
1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
Sea Salt and Pepper
Earth's Best Olive Oil "Mayo"
Lemon
To make the Pan Seared Salmon, I took the tail end of the fish and cut it into 1 inch thick strips (with skin), salted with sea salt, and squeezed fresh lime on top. In a hot pan, I added about 1 Tbsp Olive Oil and then placed the salmon skin side down in the pan. LEAVE IT BE until it lifts itself away from the pan surface. If you mess with it, the skin will stick and the fish will fall apart. Once it will easily move, flip it and sear the top. Flip again to cook the sides. All together, the fish is in the pan for less than 10 minutes. Refrigerate and leave for the next day.
To make the Creamy Salmon Salad, heat a small skillet on the stove top and add butter to melt. Add in the celery, apple, and onion and cook until the colors are bright and mixture is just beginning to soften. Add in the herbs, a pinch of salt and pepper, and 2 tsp Raw Honey. Cook a minute or two longer. Set aside to let it cool.
In a small bowl, take each salmon piece and pull off skin and flake the salmon. Add 1 Tbsp "Mayo", 1-2 tsp Chia Seeds, lemon zest and juice, and celery mixture. Stir together and place in freezer for a few minutes to "chill".
I paired this with some pre-made rice crackers and Garlic Broccoli. I cut up four crowns of broccoli, including the rabe. In a hot skillet, I placed 1 Tbsp Bacon Drippings, broccoli and rabe, and 2 tsp chopped garlic. Stir quickly to cover all broccoli with garlic and fat. Add a small amount of water for steam. Cook for about 5 minutes so broccoli still has a small amount of bite and is bright green.
Enjoy!!
Monday, April 9, 2012
The Cool Kid is Sitting at MY Table...
Have you ever encountered those people in your life that as soon as you meet them you can just see the Lord oozing out of them? They don't think, "Oh, I have to choose my words so carefully so that this person can see Christ in this." No. They just speak and anyone around will notice that they carry a confidence, a security, a love that is rarely seen. Those of us who know the Lord, know exactly what that air about them is...it is HIM!
Well, I have one of these people in my life. I don't know her that well yet, but I would love for our friendship to grow deeper. We have a several common friends. We go to the same church. We have on occasion sat and talked or prayed about some of the less superficial things of life. But we aren't Bosom Buddies or anything; not yet at least. But we do share something pretty awesome...Jesus! We are both utterly smitten by the overwhelming love of Jesus!
When I first met her, I was instantly interested in getting to know her! But, I was uber-intimidated to even ask her if she would like to grab a coffee sometime because...yes I did say this...I had that high-school fear that I was asking to sit at the cool-kid table and I was afraid I wouldn't be welcome. Because let's face it, I'm not exactly one of the cool kids! I actually admitted this fear - out loud - to her. She laughed at me! I have since come to realized that although she definitely is one of the cool kids, she welcomes me to sit at her table - and she doesn't seem to think any less of me even though I don't rack up as many cool-points as she does.
Well tonight, to my great joy, I got to invite her to sit at my table. She is about to leave for Africa for six months and she actually took a night out of her very busy schedule to come over and eat dinner with me. How special I felt! Before she left my house I got to pray for her. Here I am, praying for this person who oozes the love of Jesus. And you know what? It was fabulous!
There are moments in my life when I know that I am in exactly the right place at the right moment and I am doing the right thing. That happened tonight. The Lord was so precious and so sweet to show me ways to pray for her and love her. And in return, I felt that overwhelming ooze of the Lord -- coming out of me! It was just so precious that I had to record it.
And I must also admit that it feels a little fun to have the cool-kid come over to my house!
Have you ever encountered those people in your life that as soon as you meet them you can just see the Lord oozing out of them? They don't think, "Oh, I have to choose my words so carefully so that this person can see Christ in this." No. They just speak and anyone around will notice that they carry a confidence, a security, a love that is rarely seen. Those of us who know the Lord, know exactly what that air about them is...it is HIM!
Well, I have one of these people in my life. I don't know her that well yet, but I would love for our friendship to grow deeper. We have a several common friends. We go to the same church. We have on occasion sat and talked or prayed about some of the less superficial things of life. But we aren't Bosom Buddies or anything; not yet at least. But we do share something pretty awesome...Jesus! We are both utterly smitten by the overwhelming love of Jesus!
When I first met her, I was instantly interested in getting to know her! But, I was uber-intimidated to even ask her if she would like to grab a coffee sometime because...yes I did say this...I had that high-school fear that I was asking to sit at the cool-kid table and I was afraid I wouldn't be welcome. Because let's face it, I'm not exactly one of the cool kids! I actually admitted this fear - out loud - to her. She laughed at me! I have since come to realized that although she definitely is one of the cool kids, she welcomes me to sit at her table - and she doesn't seem to think any less of me even though I don't rack up as many cool-points as she does.
Well tonight, to my great joy, I got to invite her to sit at my table. She is about to leave for Africa for six months and she actually took a night out of her very busy schedule to come over and eat dinner with me. How special I felt! Before she left my house I got to pray for her. Here I am, praying for this person who oozes the love of Jesus. And you know what? It was fabulous!
There are moments in my life when I know that I am in exactly the right place at the right moment and I am doing the right thing. That happened tonight. The Lord was so precious and so sweet to show me ways to pray for her and love her. And in return, I felt that overwhelming ooze of the Lord -- coming out of me! It was just so precious that I had to record it.
And I must also admit that it feels a little fun to have the cool-kid come over to my house!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
This Weekend
This weekend was a whirlwind to say the least. So much so that I am still fighting the need to just stay in bed and rest all day. But it was SO worth it! I think that I enjoyed this past weekend more than I have enjoyed something in a long time.
So what did I do??? I traveled and saw friends and family.
Friday afternoon: Austin to Fredericksburg; saw Marcie, Jeff, and Emily
Saturday all day: Fredericksburg to Lubbock; saw Anna-Maria. Lubbock to Amarillo; saw Uncle Jerry and Aunt Carolyn
Sunday: Stayed in Amarillo; saw Uncle Jerry and Aunt Carolyn, Paw Paw, Uncle Gaylord and Aunt Eunice, Clay, Becky, Colt (cousins), a lot of people from church who have watched me grow up, several people who live with and care for my grandfather.
Monday all day: Amarillo to Abilene; saw Bryan, Olivia, and Baby-on-the-way Josiah. Abilene back to Austin.
Whoa! That was a long journey.
If you're in for more details, keep reading. Here's the scoop.
This weekend was my Paw Paw's 90th birthday. Wow! I haven't been able to go up and see my extended family in 3 years, including my amazing grandfather. It blows me away how time passes! It is spring break, and since I teach I have the week off (mostly). My mother was able to take a half day on Friday and get Monday off. That meant we had 3 1/2 days to travel from one end of Texas (not quite) to the other.
We started out at about 2:30 on Friday afternoon and drove to Fredericksburg to see my sister, brother and law, and my amazing niece Emily. We stayed there for the night - and lost a little bit of hearing as a result. Man can that baby scream...happy, sad, frustrated, overjoyed...it all contains a very LOUD and high-pitched, near chandelier-breaking scream! Oh but I LOVE her!! She's the best thing in my life!! And, did you know there is another baby on the way? Yes. The babies will be 18 months apart.
Bright and early Saturday morning, we hopped back into the car to make the drive to Amarillo. You go right through Lubbock on the way...which happens to be where one of my best friends from college lives. I haven't seen Anna-Maria in about three years. We stopped off at a coffee shop near her house and met up for about an hour. I could have sat there with her talking for four or five hours, but we just couldn't since we had to get to Amarillo before too late. It was SO wonderful to get to see her and hug her and just sit and talk. I miss my friend!
Before the hour was up, my mom was pointing at the watch and thinking about how late it was getting. So we said our goodbyes, got back on the highway and finished the drive to Amarillo. We got there at about 8:00 and my aunt and uncle (who we stayed with) had waited on dinner for us. So my uncle went out and got some tacos, we sat down, and ate! It was nice to eat something sitting at a table after a day of snacking on stuff in the car! We stayed up late catching up and enjoying each others presence. When it was time to hit the pillow I was so ready to crash that I didn't even read a page of my book before I fell asleep!
Sunday morning came much more quickly than my body wanted...it really wanted to just stay in bed and have a slow start to the day. But alas, it was time to get moving! My mom and I got ready for church and then went to go pick up my Paw Paw. It was a TOTAL surprise to him that we came! My uncle hadn't said anything to him because he didn't want to upset him if we didn't make it for some reason. I walked into his apartment and he just looked at me and blinked a few times as his smile grew wider. He said, "Well Hi Melonie Lynn. What are you doing here?" It was so sweet to see the joy in his face! I LOVE MY PAW PAW!!!! We packed up, went to church, lunch, birthday party, and back to church that night. Whew! It was a LONG day!! We stopped back off at my Paw Paw's to say goodnight and he was so worn out from the day that he couldn't even keep his eyes open. It was kind-of sad, but also a little cute. When we got back to the house to eat dinner, I was so tired that I didn't even feel like chewing! 8:30 hit, I grabbed my book and sat on the couch to read for a bit. I was just about ready to climb into bed when my uncle started a movie...which I got sucked into! We didn't go to bed until MIDNIGHT! Oh, My!! That is late for this little bug! But it was SO wonderful! I could tell that my uncle was so happy to have my mom and I just hanging out with him. And like I said before, I hadn't seen him in three years, so I wanted to get as much Uncle Jerry time in as I could!
Monday morning rolled around before we knew it. We took a little extra time getting ready to go and were out the door at about 9:00. We were ready to head back to Austin. On the way, we stopped off in Abilene (where I went to college) so that I could see another one of my school friends, Olivia. She is such a precious friend! I wanted to sit and catch up with her for hours, but neither of us could. My mom and I had to get back on the road and Olivia had an appointment. But, the stop was not without some amazing moments...I finally got to meet her husband, Bryan. I felt like I knew him already, but I had never been able to meet him. Now I have! Another very special moment is that Olivia is pregnant and I was able to lay my hands on her belly and pray for this very special and intended life! There is a long story there, but the bottom line is that God is amazingly GOOD and this growing life and healthy Mama are proof! The visit was short, but it was wonderful!
My mom and I got back in the car again. My mom wanted to go find some lunch; I wanted to go drive through campus. All I can say is that it's a little like returning home! So we drove around for a bit and got some food. It was nice to have a break from driving on the highway. We didn't take long and then we finished the rest of the stretch back to Austin. We pulled up into my drive-way right around 8:30 in the evening. My poor Mom. Even after getting me unloaded, she still had to make a 20 minute drive home and unload all of her stuff!
All in all, it was a great trip! There were no major incidences, no car problems, and a lot of good time for my mom and I to talk and catch up. I learned some things about her that I never knew...and I think she may have learned some things about me, too! I got to see a lot of people that I love and haven't been able to see in a long time. One sad part was that because it was spring break, most of my cousins were away. So of the 28 family members that live near-by, I only got to see 8. But it was still very much worth it! Now I get to recover!
Yesterday, I didn't leave the house. In fact, I didn't leave my pajamas! I just rested and stayed low-key. Today I am moving slowly, but have to get myself cleaned up to go run some errands and go to work tonight. It will happen. But right now, I think I might go take a nap. =)
This weekend was a whirlwind to say the least. So much so that I am still fighting the need to just stay in bed and rest all day. But it was SO worth it! I think that I enjoyed this past weekend more than I have enjoyed something in a long time.
So what did I do??? I traveled and saw friends and family.
Friday afternoon: Austin to Fredericksburg; saw Marcie, Jeff, and Emily
Saturday all day: Fredericksburg to Lubbock; saw Anna-Maria. Lubbock to Amarillo; saw Uncle Jerry and Aunt Carolyn
Sunday: Stayed in Amarillo; saw Uncle Jerry and Aunt Carolyn, Paw Paw, Uncle Gaylord and Aunt Eunice, Clay, Becky, Colt (cousins), a lot of people from church who have watched me grow up, several people who live with and care for my grandfather.
Monday all day: Amarillo to Abilene; saw Bryan, Olivia, and Baby-on-the-way Josiah. Abilene back to Austin.
Whoa! That was a long journey.
If you're in for more details, keep reading. Here's the scoop.
This weekend was my Paw Paw's 90th birthday. Wow! I haven't been able to go up and see my extended family in 3 years, including my amazing grandfather. It blows me away how time passes! It is spring break, and since I teach I have the week off (mostly). My mother was able to take a half day on Friday and get Monday off. That meant we had 3 1/2 days to travel from one end of Texas (not quite) to the other.
We started out at about 2:30 on Friday afternoon and drove to Fredericksburg to see my sister, brother and law, and my amazing niece Emily. We stayed there for the night - and lost a little bit of hearing as a result. Man can that baby scream...happy, sad, frustrated, overjoyed...it all contains a very LOUD and high-pitched, near chandelier-breaking scream! Oh but I LOVE her!! She's the best thing in my life!! And, did you know there is another baby on the way? Yes. The babies will be 18 months apart.
Bright and early Saturday morning, we hopped back into the car to make the drive to Amarillo. You go right through Lubbock on the way...which happens to be where one of my best friends from college lives. I haven't seen Anna-Maria in about three years. We stopped off at a coffee shop near her house and met up for about an hour. I could have sat there with her talking for four or five hours, but we just couldn't since we had to get to Amarillo before too late. It was SO wonderful to get to see her and hug her and just sit and talk. I miss my friend!
Before the hour was up, my mom was pointing at the watch and thinking about how late it was getting. So we said our goodbyes, got back on the highway and finished the drive to Amarillo. We got there at about 8:00 and my aunt and uncle (who we stayed with) had waited on dinner for us. So my uncle went out and got some tacos, we sat down, and ate! It was nice to eat something sitting at a table after a day of snacking on stuff in the car! We stayed up late catching up and enjoying each others presence. When it was time to hit the pillow I was so ready to crash that I didn't even read a page of my book before I fell asleep!
Sunday morning came much more quickly than my body wanted...it really wanted to just stay in bed and have a slow start to the day. But alas, it was time to get moving! My mom and I got ready for church and then went to go pick up my Paw Paw. It was a TOTAL surprise to him that we came! My uncle hadn't said anything to him because he didn't want to upset him if we didn't make it for some reason. I walked into his apartment and he just looked at me and blinked a few times as his smile grew wider. He said, "Well Hi Melonie Lynn. What are you doing here?" It was so sweet to see the joy in his face! I LOVE MY PAW PAW!!!! We packed up, went to church, lunch, birthday party, and back to church that night. Whew! It was a LONG day!! We stopped back off at my Paw Paw's to say goodnight and he was so worn out from the day that he couldn't even keep his eyes open. It was kind-of sad, but also a little cute. When we got back to the house to eat dinner, I was so tired that I didn't even feel like chewing! 8:30 hit, I grabbed my book and sat on the couch to read for a bit. I was just about ready to climb into bed when my uncle started a movie...which I got sucked into! We didn't go to bed until MIDNIGHT! Oh, My!! That is late for this little bug! But it was SO wonderful! I could tell that my uncle was so happy to have my mom and I just hanging out with him. And like I said before, I hadn't seen him in three years, so I wanted to get as much Uncle Jerry time in as I could!
Monday morning rolled around before we knew it. We took a little extra time getting ready to go and were out the door at about 9:00. We were ready to head back to Austin. On the way, we stopped off in Abilene (where I went to college) so that I could see another one of my school friends, Olivia. She is such a precious friend! I wanted to sit and catch up with her for hours, but neither of us could. My mom and I had to get back on the road and Olivia had an appointment. But, the stop was not without some amazing moments...I finally got to meet her husband, Bryan. I felt like I knew him already, but I had never been able to meet him. Now I have! Another very special moment is that Olivia is pregnant and I was able to lay my hands on her belly and pray for this very special and intended life! There is a long story there, but the bottom line is that God is amazingly GOOD and this growing life and healthy Mama are proof! The visit was short, but it was wonderful!
My mom and I got back in the car again. My mom wanted to go find some lunch; I wanted to go drive through campus. All I can say is that it's a little like returning home! So we drove around for a bit and got some food. It was nice to have a break from driving on the highway. We didn't take long and then we finished the rest of the stretch back to Austin. We pulled up into my drive-way right around 8:30 in the evening. My poor Mom. Even after getting me unloaded, she still had to make a 20 minute drive home and unload all of her stuff!
All in all, it was a great trip! There were no major incidences, no car problems, and a lot of good time for my mom and I to talk and catch up. I learned some things about her that I never knew...and I think she may have learned some things about me, too! I got to see a lot of people that I love and haven't been able to see in a long time. One sad part was that because it was spring break, most of my cousins were away. So of the 28 family members that live near-by, I only got to see 8. But it was still very much worth it! Now I get to recover!
Yesterday, I didn't leave the house. In fact, I didn't leave my pajamas! I just rested and stayed low-key. Today I am moving slowly, but have to get myself cleaned up to go run some errands and go to work tonight. It will happen. But right now, I think I might go take a nap. =)
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Jealous???
I spent the day taking care of odds and ends and relaxing. I also spent some time on the ever famous Facebook! I got reconnected with one of my good friends from high school, and of course that led to connecting to other old friends.
As I looked at the info pages, pictures, etc of these long lost relationships, I realized that I was starting to feel a little edgy. I saw some fun pictures back from "the day" and got a good laugh. I also started remembering some of the things that I had pushed way WAY back into the forgotten corners of my memory! Not all of high school was great for me. In fact, most of it just down right stunk!
Now, I'm looking through and seeing how this person has a beautiful family and this one had a great house. This one has an amazing career. Rather than feeling really happy for them, my immediate response to some of these people was - "Why didn't it work out that way for me? Why did they get...?"
Wow! I still have a lot of growing up to do! It's amazing how I can get jealous of people that I don't even really know anymore. Oh, how I wish that my heart was good enough to just be excited for other people without wishing that I could have what they have - or want something different than what I do have!
Lord, please continue to weed out the selfishness in me and teach me to be grateful for all of the blessings that I have! Show me ways to honor you and bless my friends and acquaintances. Father, thank you for continually meeting me where I am and showing me greater depths of your heart and your goodness! Thank you for always forgiving me for my accusations and judgements against others. You are a gracious and merciful God, and I will praise you all of my days!
I spent the day taking care of odds and ends and relaxing. I also spent some time on the ever famous Facebook! I got reconnected with one of my good friends from high school, and of course that led to connecting to other old friends.
As I looked at the info pages, pictures, etc of these long lost relationships, I realized that I was starting to feel a little edgy. I saw some fun pictures back from "the day" and got a good laugh. I also started remembering some of the things that I had pushed way WAY back into the forgotten corners of my memory! Not all of high school was great for me. In fact, most of it just down right stunk!
Now, I'm looking through and seeing how this person has a beautiful family and this one had a great house. This one has an amazing career. Rather than feeling really happy for them, my immediate response to some of these people was - "Why didn't it work out that way for me? Why did they get...?"
Wow! I still have a lot of growing up to do! It's amazing how I can get jealous of people that I don't even really know anymore. Oh, how I wish that my heart was good enough to just be excited for other people without wishing that I could have what they have - or want something different than what I do have!
Lord, please continue to weed out the selfishness in me and teach me to be grateful for all of the blessings that I have! Show me ways to honor you and bless my friends and acquaintances. Father, thank you for continually meeting me where I am and showing me greater depths of your heart and your goodness! Thank you for always forgiving me for my accusations and judgements against others. You are a gracious and merciful God, and I will praise you all of my days!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Welcome to the World, Emily Loraine Curtiss
Emily made it out of her Mama's belly and into the world! She is a precious doll! A 7 lb 13 oz, 21 inch long, baby doll! Oh My! Isn't she beautiful?
I have an adorable picture of her Mommy holding her, but I'm having issues getting it to post. Here are a couple of me holding her. I also wanted to post some of our friend, Randi. I think she was awaiting this baby with more excitement than anyone! She is calling her "Little Tree Frog". Too cute! It brought me so much joy to watch her holding her and cuddling her! You can see pictures of her here: http://rmichelle.blogspot.com/ .
(And it's so not the point of this post, but don't I need a hair cut oh so badly? It's horrible! My hair has lost all ability to hold a style! I'm just too darn cheap to go get it cut, though. It's in the "wish" budget for November. Can I make it that long???)
Emily made it out of her Mama's belly and into the world! She is a precious doll! A 7 lb 13 oz, 21 inch long, baby doll! Oh My! Isn't she beautiful?
I have an adorable picture of her Mommy holding her, but I'm having issues getting it to post. Here are a couple of me holding her. I also wanted to post some of our friend, Randi. I think she was awaiting this baby with more excitement than anyone! She is calling her "Little Tree Frog". Too cute! It brought me so much joy to watch her holding her and cuddling her! You can see pictures of her here: http://rmichelle.blogspot.com/ .
(And it's so not the point of this post, but don't I need a hair cut oh so badly? It's horrible! My hair has lost all ability to hold a style! I'm just too darn cheap to go get it cut, though. It's in the "wish" budget for November. Can I make it that long???)
Saturday, August 15, 2009
My Current Obsession and The Gift of Restoration
My current obsession is getting my support letters signed, stuffed, sealed, and sent! It's taking much longer than I expected. I guess it doesn't help that I am writing a little (or long) personal note to everyone. It just seems that it's appropriate to do! So, it is taking a L-O-N-G time for me to get them out! I now have several completely done and ready to go and many other's just about there. The other thing I have learned that may have saved me some time is that I should have just made a mailing list and printed labels! I thought about it and then decided not to, because I thought it would be more personal if I hand labeled all of the envelopes. I think that when I send out my update letters, they will be machine labeled!
While I'm taking a break from the very urgent task at hand, I want to tell you a really cool story from this morning.
While I was sitting at the table eating my breakfast, a young female cardinal slammed into the window. She fell fast to the ground! I jumped up and ran over to the window and gasped when I saw her lying on the ground. She was stone-still on her back, head toppled to the side, beak and eyes wide open. I thought for sure she was either dead, or would be shortly. I ran outside and kneeled down beside her and just started crying over her. I felt like the Spirit was asking me to "bless her". So I began to pray for her through my tears.
I saw a slow rise in her chest - then stillness again. I reached over and gently laid my hands on her chest -- something I have always been taught to never do! Don't touch wild birds - if they survive, it may be difficult for them to "re-enter" the wild...so I have been told. I just felt like it was the right thing to do, though. I continued praying for her, this time claiming dominion as given in Genesis. A minute later, another rise in the chest and a quick blink of the eye! I continued praying and asking God to revive his created one to the fullness that He made her in. I stroked her head very gently and started claiming her health; wholeness; recovery from this accident. Within about five minutes, she twitched her talons and picked her head up. A few minutes later, she flicked her wing and turned to her feet; standing very still. I backed away from her a bit, to not frighten her and continued to pray.
A little murmer of a song came out of her and then she flew about 2 feet toward me and stopped about a foot away from my hand. I reached toward her to see if she would flinch, and she didn't. So, I continued to touch her chest while I prayed some more. It wasn't long after that that she flew a few feet away from me and landed on a window sill on the porch and just perched there for about 30 minutes. She was flicking her tail, adjusting her wings, and breathing beautifully! I knew she was ok! More than that, I knew that God had revived her!! He heard my hearts cry for this little bird and was moved to re-create His created that was surely lost! I gave her a name - "Mercy" because the mercy of God was shown. It was beautiful!
It served as a great encouragement to me. Not only did it remind me of the authority that has been given to me in Christ Jesus, but it also reminded me even more how much my Father in Heaven will care for me! This is such a great reminder at any time, but so powerful right now! I am letting go and leaving behind just about all that I humanly call my provision and trusting in God to provide for me. It can be very frightening! But I cling to my faith and trust that God - in His love and goodness provides for me! It reminded me of Matthew 6:26-33 (NLT) - emphasis mine.
"Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to Him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need."
Now it's back to signing, stuffing, sealing, and sending! If I don't have your address and you would like to receive a support letter, please e-mail your address and I will get it out to you - with a personalized note! Blessings, my dear friends!
My current obsession is getting my support letters signed, stuffed, sealed, and sent! It's taking much longer than I expected. I guess it doesn't help that I am writing a little (or long) personal note to everyone. It just seems that it's appropriate to do! So, it is taking a L-O-N-G time for me to get them out! I now have several completely done and ready to go and many other's just about there. The other thing I have learned that may have saved me some time is that I should have just made a mailing list and printed labels! I thought about it and then decided not to, because I thought it would be more personal if I hand labeled all of the envelopes. I think that when I send out my update letters, they will be machine labeled!
While I'm taking a break from the very urgent task at hand, I want to tell you a really cool story from this morning.
While I was sitting at the table eating my breakfast, a young female cardinal slammed into the window. She fell fast to the ground! I jumped up and ran over to the window and gasped when I saw her lying on the ground. She was stone-still on her back, head toppled to the side, beak and eyes wide open. I thought for sure she was either dead, or would be shortly. I ran outside and kneeled down beside her and just started crying over her. I felt like the Spirit was asking me to "bless her". So I began to pray for her through my tears.
I saw a slow rise in her chest - then stillness again. I reached over and gently laid my hands on her chest -- something I have always been taught to never do! Don't touch wild birds - if they survive, it may be difficult for them to "re-enter" the wild...so I have been told. I just felt like it was the right thing to do, though. I continued praying for her, this time claiming dominion as given in Genesis. A minute later, another rise in the chest and a quick blink of the eye! I continued praying and asking God to revive his created one to the fullness that He made her in. I stroked her head very gently and started claiming her health; wholeness; recovery from this accident. Within about five minutes, she twitched her talons and picked her head up. A few minutes later, she flicked her wing and turned to her feet; standing very still. I backed away from her a bit, to not frighten her and continued to pray.
A little murmer of a song came out of her and then she flew about 2 feet toward me and stopped about a foot away from my hand. I reached toward her to see if she would flinch, and she didn't. So, I continued to touch her chest while I prayed some more. It wasn't long after that that she flew a few feet away from me and landed on a window sill on the porch and just perched there for about 30 minutes. She was flicking her tail, adjusting her wings, and breathing beautifully! I knew she was ok! More than that, I knew that God had revived her!! He heard my hearts cry for this little bird and was moved to re-create His created that was surely lost! I gave her a name - "Mercy" because the mercy of God was shown. It was beautiful!
It served as a great encouragement to me. Not only did it remind me of the authority that has been given to me in Christ Jesus, but it also reminded me even more how much my Father in Heaven will care for me! This is such a great reminder at any time, but so powerful right now! I am letting go and leaving behind just about all that I humanly call my provision and trusting in God to provide for me. It can be very frightening! But I cling to my faith and trust that God - in His love and goodness provides for me! It reminded me of Matthew 6:26-33 (NLT) - emphasis mine.
"Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to Him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need."
Now it's back to signing, stuffing, sealing, and sending! If I don't have your address and you would like to receive a support letter, please e-mail your address and I will get it out to you - with a personalized note! Blessings, my dear friends!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Basil Chicken Primavera with Rice Pilaf
I made dinner the other night for a friend who was coming over. Little did I know that meal would end up serving another guest as well. The following night, I fed the left-overs to one of my sisters. Both of them wanted me to write out the recipe and send it to them, so I decided to just post it.
It really isn't too difficult to make. I gave it a medium-high difficulty level only because of the number of ingredients & steps and the multi-tasking. I think most of it is multitasking that is commonplace for dinner time meal prep, though. Please try it and let me know what you think. I am still contemplating making a gluten-free cookbook one of these days. This one would definitely make the entry. It's one of my favorite recipes that I have worked on - and it meets the criteria for not causing migraines or stomach upset for me -- two must haves but hard to finds.
Basil Chicken Primavera with Rice Pilaf
Recipe By: Lynn McClellan
Serves: 4-6 Adults
Prep Time: 30-45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 min
Difficulty: Medium-High
Sauce:
1 Cup Orange Juice
1 Cup Olive Oil
5 Tbsp (1/4 Cup + 1 Tbsp) White Distilled Vinegar
¼ Cup finely chopped Basil (can use dried if fresh is not available)
1 Tbsp Oregano
4 tsp (1 Tbsp + 1 tsp) Ground Mustard seed/powder
1 Tbsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Ground Pepper
1 tsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (add more for a more spicy dish)
2 tsp Cornstarch – this will give a thicker, less watery sauce in the end
Chicken/Veggies:
12 chicken strips or 4-6 chicken breast halves
5 Tbsp Butter - unsalted
Olive Oil
2 tsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp (a squeeze of the bottle) Honey or Agave Nectar
¾ Onion - chopped
4 Cloves Garlic (you can grate these over the pan instead of chopping to save some time)
¾ of a 16 oz package of mushrooms – cleaned and sliced
1 Zucchini – sliced
1 ½ lbs mixed peppers (Yellow, Red, and Orange) – sliced (Costco sells 2 lb bags of mini
mixed peppers for around $4.00)
2 ½ cups Carrots - grated
1 large can (28 oz) Diced Tomatoes – drain and rinse well
Rice:
1 ½ Cups Short Grain Brown Rice
¾ Cup Wild Rice
4 ½ cups boiling water or stock (reduce salt if using stock)
3 Tbsp Butter - unsalted
Olive Oil
Spice Pack:
1 Tbsp Sea Salt
2 tsp Ground Pepper
1 Tbsp Basil
1 Tbsp Oregano
2 tsp Thyme
1 Tbsp Rosemary
3 Tbsp Parsley
¼ Onion – chopped
¼ of a 16 oz package of mushrooms – cleaned and sliced
½ Cup Carrots – grated
1 Tbsp (a squeeze of the bottle) Honey or Agave Nectar
This all comes together very nicely – in good timing. You can even make the sauce the night before and leave the chicken to defrost and marinate in it. I definitely recommend marinating the chicken for at least a few hours to develop the flavors well. If you are intimidated to do the whole recipe, try making the rice by itself a time or two before taking on the whole meal.
I made dinner the other night for a friend who was coming over. Little did I know that meal would end up serving another guest as well. The following night, I fed the left-overs to one of my sisters. Both of them wanted me to write out the recipe and send it to them, so I decided to just post it.
It really isn't too difficult to make. I gave it a medium-high difficulty level only because of the number of ingredients & steps and the multi-tasking. I think most of it is multitasking that is commonplace for dinner time meal prep, though. Please try it and let me know what you think. I am still contemplating making a gluten-free cookbook one of these days. This one would definitely make the entry. It's one of my favorite recipes that I have worked on - and it meets the criteria for not causing migraines or stomach upset for me -- two must haves but hard to finds.
Basil Chicken Primavera with Rice Pilaf
Recipe By: Lynn McClellan
Serves: 4-6 Adults
Prep Time: 30-45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 min
Difficulty: Medium-High
Sauce:
1 Cup Orange Juice
1 Cup Olive Oil
5 Tbsp (1/4 Cup + 1 Tbsp) White Distilled Vinegar
¼ Cup finely chopped Basil (can use dried if fresh is not available)
1 Tbsp Oregano
4 tsp (1 Tbsp + 1 tsp) Ground Mustard seed/powder
1 Tbsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Ground Pepper
1 tsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (add more for a more spicy dish)
2 tsp Cornstarch – this will give a thicker, less watery sauce in the end
Chicken/Veggies:
12 chicken strips or 4-6 chicken breast halves
5 Tbsp Butter - unsalted
Olive Oil
2 tsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp (a squeeze of the bottle) Honey or Agave Nectar
¾ Onion - chopped
4 Cloves Garlic (you can grate these over the pan instead of chopping to save some time)
¾ of a 16 oz package of mushrooms – cleaned and sliced
1 Zucchini – sliced
1 ½ lbs mixed peppers (Yellow, Red, and Orange) – sliced (Costco sells 2 lb bags of mini
mixed peppers for around $4.00)
2 ½ cups Carrots - grated
1 large can (28 oz) Diced Tomatoes – drain and rinse well
Rice:
1 ½ Cups Short Grain Brown Rice
¾ Cup Wild Rice
4 ½ cups boiling water or stock (reduce salt if using stock)
3 Tbsp Butter - unsalted
Olive Oil
Spice Pack:
1 Tbsp Sea Salt
2 tsp Ground Pepper
1 Tbsp Basil
1 Tbsp Oregano
2 tsp Thyme
1 Tbsp Rosemary
3 Tbsp Parsley
¼ Onion – chopped
¼ of a 16 oz package of mushrooms – cleaned and sliced
½ Cup Carrots – grated
1 Tbsp (a squeeze of the bottle) Honey or Agave Nectar
This all comes together very nicely – in good timing. You can even make the sauce the night before and leave the chicken to defrost and marinate in it. I definitely recommend marinating the chicken for at least a few hours to develop the flavors well. If you are intimidated to do the whole recipe, try making the rice by itself a time or two before taking on the whole meal.
- Make the sauce. You can use a standing blender or handheld blender. Mix all ingredients together and blend until it looks a little creamy and the oil does not separate from the other liquids. The spices should be well incorporated – not “floating” on the sauce. Pour this over the uncooked chicken – set aside to marinate.
- Wash all the veggies well and chop/slice. Separate out what will go in the chicken and rice. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat a large sauté pan or skillet on Medium heat for chicken/veggies. Melt 5 Tbsp Butter. Add onion and begin cooking down until golden. Grate in Garlic and continue cooking. Add mushrooms and salt. You may need to add a bit of Olive Oil at this point. Let the mushrooms wilt down a bit.
- Start to boil the water/stock for the rice in a large pot. In the pan you wish to cook the rice in, heat 1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil on Low to Med-Low and add in the rice to toast it. Stir rice mix often so it does not burn.
- After the mushrooms have wilted down a bit (about 2 minutes), add in the zucchini, carrots, and honey/agave nectar. Cook together for a couple of minutes. Add in the peppers to start cooking down a bit.
- The rice should be toasted and the water should be almost to a boil. Add in the onions and spice pack to the rice and stir well. Add in the mushrooms, carrots, honey/agave nectar and butter. Let the veggies begin to cook bit while you get the chicken in the oven.
- Remove veggies from heat and stir in tomatoes. In a large casserole dish, ladle in about 1/3 of the veggies to cover the bottom. Pour in the chicken that has been marinating along with all of the sauce. Cover with remaining veggies. This will go into the hot oven and cook for about 1 hour - until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Measure out and pour in 4 ½ cups boiling liquid to the rice pan very carefully! Turn the heat up to high (or move back to the burner the water was boiling on). Once the rice begins to boil, stir and cover. Reduce heat to low. Cook for 45-55 minutes. When the rice is done there will still be a little liquid in it – this is ok. Turn the heat off and let it set until the chicken is done.
Meal Tips:
- When making the sauce, add a little bit of the vinegar or OJ to the cornstarch to thin it out before mixing it in with other ingredients. This will help prevent clumps.
- When measuring out spices/herbs for the sauce, I find it helpful to go ahead and make the spice pack for the rice pilaf - set it aside and it will be ready when you make the rice.
- Have a pot of liquid (water or stock) ready on the stove so that all you have to do is turn on the burner. Have some extra liquid in the pot as some will evaporate away while heating to boil.
- Take it slow and enjoy the process! Cooking is fun! =)
Friday, July 17, 2009
Dinner Mishaps!
I have two things working against me in making tonight's dinner. This has left me with a small injury.
I have two things working against me in making tonight's dinner. This has left me with a small injury.
- I am cheap!
- I am lazy!
I am making Basil Chicken Primavera, which requires 3 cups of grated carrots. I am cheap! In my kitchen are 2 Costco bags of baby carrots. I am too cheap to spend an extra $3.00 to purchase a bundle of whole carrots to grate. I am certainly too cheap to spend $5.00 on the pre-grated bag of carrots that measures out to right about 3 cups. Given the plethora of carrots currently occupying the refrigerator, I decided to grate baby carrots. FYI: it takes about 25-thousand-million baby carrots to end up with 3 cups, grated. This is where the second part comes in.
I am lazy! I have a food processor. I could get on my hands and knees and dig the food processor (and it's seven necessary parts) out of the cupboard designated for awkward kitchen appliances. That takes effort. Then, after I remember how to put the thing together right and use it for the 20 seconds it would take to grate an entire bag of carrots, I would have to take it apart and wash each of those seven separate pieces. This just seems like too much work!
So, I individually grated baby carrots with a hand-held cheese grater and stopped after skinning my knuckle twice - with about 2 1/2 cups of carrots to use for dinner. Don't worry - no flesh (or blood) made it's way into the carrots. I washed everything very well! But after all of that, I decided that it may have been worth the extra money to just buy the "convenience" bag of pre-grated carrots!
Oh well, at least I now have a legitimate excuse to wear a princess bandage on my finger! =)
Monday, June 29, 2009
An Update and Memorial
I have started writing several entries over the last few days, but haven't been able to complete one of them for various reasons. Here is an update.
On Wednesday, my best friends mother passed away. You may remember me mentioning her in a couple of my writings. She has been fighting a battle of recurrent ovarian cancer with metastasis for many years. The last few months have been quite rough! I will write more about this in a moment.
On Thursday, I had a Sozo - which had been scheduled for a couple of weeks. Sozo is the Greek word for saved, healed, or delivered. The point is to uncover places of (spiritual) lies and allow God's freedom in that place, ushering in healing. If you want more info about this type of prayer ministry, try going to http://bethelsozo.com/ I will write another entry on this at some point. Bottom line is that it was amazing! God is so great! The Spirit is so wonderful to carry us through the places of brokenness and offer good gifts for healing in place of devastation! Oh, He is just amazing!
Friday, I came back to work and had this mixed feeling - euphoria from Thursday and sorrow from the pain of losing such a wonderful woman who has impacted my life. I made it through the day. That night was the carnival at my church - it was great. My group served ice cream. It was so much fun to watch children and adult-children alike trying to decide which flavor was the "best"! It was wonderful! That must be what the first day working at Baskin Robbins feels like.
Saturday I slept in a bit and then had a slow morning doing laundry and preparing to leave to drive four hours for the funeral service. I left that afternoon and had a safe drive. I stayed the night with one of my best friends from college, Summer. I was once again reminded of the blessing of friendship! I was thinking about it - we are about to hit the eleven-year mark on when we met and became friends! How amazing! We have been through so much together and when we see each other now, we just pick up wherever we left off the last time we saw each other - no matter how long that may have been! Our friendship is a true treasure to me! That night we stayed up kind-of late and watched a movie and ate ice cream. How fun!
Then Sunday was Summer's birthday. It was so neat to get to be with her on her birthday! We went to church. The teacher in the Sunday school class had been one of my professors in college many years ago. It was so surreal to be back in a "teaching" environment with him! When I walked in and saw him I had this little flash-back to 9 years ago. It was really funny! After church and lunch, I had to leave to drive another hour further north to go to the funeral. It was lovely - if that is ok to say. I walked in and saw Lisa (that is my friend) - she came over to me with tears streaming and gave me a hug. It was so hard to see the pain that she was in, but I was very glad that I could be there to support her. After hugging her, I went to her dad to give him a hug - that was the really hard part! He said something to me that meant so much, though! He embraced me and started tearing up. Then he thanked me for being there and for my endurance in praying for Sue through this ordeal. It amazed me that this is the word he chose, because this is exactly the word (endurance) that I have been asking God for and asking others to be praying for me in this! God is so amazing to provide what we need and then to confirm that He has provided what we need! After the service was over, I shared my condolences with the family again and then headed back home.
Now, I am back home. I am tired, and I have this very odd mixture of joy and sadness still. I am very happy that Sue is no longer hurting or suffering. I am overjoyed that she is now with the ultimate love of her life! I am very sad that we did not see the miracle that we have been waiting and contending for! I am very sad that we have lost such a wonderfully amazing woman on this earth! She has not gone without leaving a legacy. She will be missed, though!
I have started writing several entries over the last few days, but haven't been able to complete one of them for various reasons. Here is an update.
On Wednesday, my best friends mother passed away. You may remember me mentioning her in a couple of my writings. She has been fighting a battle of recurrent ovarian cancer with metastasis for many years. The last few months have been quite rough! I will write more about this in a moment.
On Thursday, I had a Sozo - which had been scheduled for a couple of weeks. Sozo is the Greek word for saved, healed, or delivered. The point is to uncover places of (spiritual) lies and allow God's freedom in that place, ushering in healing. If you want more info about this type of prayer ministry, try going to http://bethelsozo.com/ I will write another entry on this at some point. Bottom line is that it was amazing! God is so great! The Spirit is so wonderful to carry us through the places of brokenness and offer good gifts for healing in place of devastation! Oh, He is just amazing!
Friday, I came back to work and had this mixed feeling - euphoria from Thursday and sorrow from the pain of losing such a wonderful woman who has impacted my life. I made it through the day. That night was the carnival at my church - it was great. My group served ice cream. It was so much fun to watch children and adult-children alike trying to decide which flavor was the "best"! It was wonderful! That must be what the first day working at Baskin Robbins feels like.
Saturday I slept in a bit and then had a slow morning doing laundry and preparing to leave to drive four hours for the funeral service. I left that afternoon and had a safe drive. I stayed the night with one of my best friends from college, Summer. I was once again reminded of the blessing of friendship! I was thinking about it - we are about to hit the eleven-year mark on when we met and became friends! How amazing! We have been through so much together and when we see each other now, we just pick up wherever we left off the last time we saw each other - no matter how long that may have been! Our friendship is a true treasure to me! That night we stayed up kind-of late and watched a movie and ate ice cream. How fun!
Then Sunday was Summer's birthday. It was so neat to get to be with her on her birthday! We went to church. The teacher in the Sunday school class had been one of my professors in college many years ago. It was so surreal to be back in a "teaching" environment with him! When I walked in and saw him I had this little flash-back to 9 years ago. It was really funny! After church and lunch, I had to leave to drive another hour further north to go to the funeral. It was lovely - if that is ok to say. I walked in and saw Lisa (that is my friend) - she came over to me with tears streaming and gave me a hug. It was so hard to see the pain that she was in, but I was very glad that I could be there to support her. After hugging her, I went to her dad to give him a hug - that was the really hard part! He said something to me that meant so much, though! He embraced me and started tearing up. Then he thanked me for being there and for my endurance in praying for Sue through this ordeal. It amazed me that this is the word he chose, because this is exactly the word (endurance) that I have been asking God for and asking others to be praying for me in this! God is so amazing to provide what we need and then to confirm that He has provided what we need! After the service was over, I shared my condolences with the family again and then headed back home.
Now, I am back home. I am tired, and I have this very odd mixture of joy and sadness still. I am very happy that Sue is no longer hurting or suffering. I am overjoyed that she is now with the ultimate love of her life! I am very sad that we did not see the miracle that we have been waiting and contending for! I am very sad that we have lost such a wonderfully amazing woman on this earth! She has not gone without leaving a legacy. She will be missed, though!
Friday, February 13, 2009
The Day
The day was a really great day! Thank you, God for such a great day! It was busy and it was hard! I got about 4 hours of sleep last night (which made it almost 2 hours later than I planned on waking up by) and did not stop once while I was awake. In fact, I just checked my e-mail for the first time all day. I didn't get everything accomplished that I planned on for the day, but I got enough that I feel like there are some boxes checked off. I still have a lot to do tomorrow - enough that I feel like I have to play the role of Super-Lynn again. It's ok, though! Tomorrow night is going to be great! Just like today was great!
I think my high today was while I was driving. I went to a memorial today for a friend that passed away 10 years ago - today is the anniversary. It took me about 2 hours to get out there, about an hour out there, and about 3 1/2 hours to get home (because of traffic). For the first hour as I was on my way back home, I was just moved by the Spirit to be praising God and thanking Him for all of the wonderful things He has done in my life! I sang a little and laughed a lot. Thanksgiving just rattled off of me without any desire to stop! It was SO precious! I thanked God for little things and big things, stuff that happened 20 years ago and stuff that hasn't even happened yet, and for the riches and wealth that He has blessed me with! I spent time praying against lies and curses of Satan and calling in the Spirit of God in place of those things. It was just a wonderful time! I am so grateful for it!
I have much more to say, but I am so exhausted that I am almost about to start crying - just because my emotions are pretty much spent for the day, not because anything is wrong. I am going to go crash and receive the dreams and blessings that God wants to speak over me tonight! I am going to sleep well!
Thank you God for the day today. Thank you for blessing me with such a wonderful time to spend with you and hear from you today! Thank you for getting me to and from safely today. Thank you for all of the precious people that you have put in my life, who have made such an impact! Thank you for this wonderful day. It is such a blessing! I thank you that you are making me sleepy, so that I will be able to rest well tonight. I also thank you for the dreams that you are going to bless me with tonight and ask that I would be able to hear your heart for me clearly! Thank you, God for being so wonderful and so good to me! I love you and thank you for the ways that you have pursued me and loved me! It is in your precious name that I lift this to you! Amen!
The day was a really great day! Thank you, God for such a great day! It was busy and it was hard! I got about 4 hours of sleep last night (which made it almost 2 hours later than I planned on waking up by) and did not stop once while I was awake. In fact, I just checked my e-mail for the first time all day. I didn't get everything accomplished that I planned on for the day, but I got enough that I feel like there are some boxes checked off. I still have a lot to do tomorrow - enough that I feel like I have to play the role of Super-Lynn again. It's ok, though! Tomorrow night is going to be great! Just like today was great!
I think my high today was while I was driving. I went to a memorial today for a friend that passed away 10 years ago - today is the anniversary. It took me about 2 hours to get out there, about an hour out there, and about 3 1/2 hours to get home (because of traffic). For the first hour as I was on my way back home, I was just moved by the Spirit to be praising God and thanking Him for all of the wonderful things He has done in my life! I sang a little and laughed a lot. Thanksgiving just rattled off of me without any desire to stop! It was SO precious! I thanked God for little things and big things, stuff that happened 20 years ago and stuff that hasn't even happened yet, and for the riches and wealth that He has blessed me with! I spent time praying against lies and curses of Satan and calling in the Spirit of God in place of those things. It was just a wonderful time! I am so grateful for it!
I have much more to say, but I am so exhausted that I am almost about to start crying - just because my emotions are pretty much spent for the day, not because anything is wrong. I am going to go crash and receive the dreams and blessings that God wants to speak over me tonight! I am going to sleep well!
Thank you God for the day today. Thank you for blessing me with such a wonderful time to spend with you and hear from you today! Thank you for getting me to and from safely today. Thank you for all of the precious people that you have put in my life, who have made such an impact! Thank you for this wonderful day. It is such a blessing! I thank you that you are making me sleepy, so that I will be able to rest well tonight. I also thank you for the dreams that you are going to bless me with tonight and ask that I would be able to hear your heart for me clearly! Thank you, God for being so wonderful and so good to me! I love you and thank you for the ways that you have pursued me and loved me! It is in your precious name that I lift this to you! Amen!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Sleepless Night
I have been trying, unsuccessfully, to fall asleep for over three hours! It is now a little after 3:00 am. I really really really want to be asleep! I just can't seem to get there though! It is really frustrating! I keep thinking about a kajillion different things, none of which do I want consuming my mind right now. I finally decided to write it out and see if that will somehow bring on the drowsiness I am longing for!
I am thinking about a lot of different things tonight.
* The boy who I really like, but have no clue if he likes me. I have it so bad that every time I think about him I get this dorky smile and start thinking about what it could be like if something actually worked out between us.
* The birthday cake that I somehow have to fit the making of into my extraordinarily busy day tomorrow (technically today) - all so it can get decorated by my extraordinarily busy day on Friday.
* Thinking through all the things I have to do on Thursday...wake up early, go to HEB - one of the ones that has gluten free cake mixes. Buy said cake mix along with the ingredients to make frosting, french onion soup, and an appetizer of some sort (that I still haven't figured out). Come home and make aforementioned cake. Let it bake for however long 4 cake mixes will take. Get everything ready for a quick trip that I am taking, go exchange cars - I am borrowing a friends car for the trip that was just mentioned, go to a meeting at the church, leave and drive 2 hours away for a 30 minute memorial service and then drive another 2 hours back home, come home and change, get communion, and head out to small group. Only after all of that will I get to eat dinner and have communion with my friends. I then have to go exchange cars back, come home and decorate the cake that was previously spoken about. At some point in time during the day I also need to call my doctor to see if I can move a doctors appointment to an earlier time for Friday. I also need to call my sister and see if I can use her mixer and somehow get to pick it up before small group.
* I am also thinking about how tomorrow is the 10 year anniversary from the day one of my dear friends got killed in a car accident (hence the memorial). Could it possibly be that 10 years has passed since I saw her beautiful smile or heard her joyful laugh? It doesn't seem like it, but it has been!
* I am thinking about how Friday is going to be just as busy as Thursday - minus the 4 hours of driving. Friday is my birthday party. I still have quite a bit to do to get ready for it, but I can't even begin to think through it all. I need to get through Thursday first - then I can think about Friday!
* I am thinking about how my head is already hurting and if I don't get enough sleep I am pretty much destined to have a migraine...which I have already been dealing with for 2 days. It is hard enough to get through the day with a migraine when I don't have a lot to do -- when there is this much that needs to get done it is impossible!
* I am worrying that I will be sleepy while I am driving...just not safe!
I have prayed through all of this. I have asked Jesus to wash over me with peace and rest. I have rebuked Satan and his demons from causing me worry, pain, sickness, and restlessness. I have welcomed in peace and joy and wellness and sleep. Now that I have chronicled the things that are consuming my mind, rebuked evil, and welcomed the blessing from my Lord and Savior I am going to go back to my bed to sleep!
I have been trying, unsuccessfully, to fall asleep for over three hours! It is now a little after 3:00 am. I really really really want to be asleep! I just can't seem to get there though! It is really frustrating! I keep thinking about a kajillion different things, none of which do I want consuming my mind right now. I finally decided to write it out and see if that will somehow bring on the drowsiness I am longing for!
I am thinking about a lot of different things tonight.
* The boy who I really like, but have no clue if he likes me. I have it so bad that every time I think about him I get this dorky smile and start thinking about what it could be like if something actually worked out between us.
* The birthday cake that I somehow have to fit the making of into my extraordinarily busy day tomorrow (technically today) - all so it can get decorated by my extraordinarily busy day on Friday.
* Thinking through all the things I have to do on Thursday...wake up early, go to HEB - one of the ones that has gluten free cake mixes. Buy said cake mix along with the ingredients to make frosting, french onion soup, and an appetizer of some sort (that I still haven't figured out). Come home and make aforementioned cake. Let it bake for however long 4 cake mixes will take. Get everything ready for a quick trip that I am taking, go exchange cars - I am borrowing a friends car for the trip that was just mentioned, go to a meeting at the church, leave and drive 2 hours away for a 30 minute memorial service and then drive another 2 hours back home, come home and change, get communion, and head out to small group. Only after all of that will I get to eat dinner and have communion with my friends. I then have to go exchange cars back, come home and decorate the cake that was previously spoken about. At some point in time during the day I also need to call my doctor to see if I can move a doctors appointment to an earlier time for Friday. I also need to call my sister and see if I can use her mixer and somehow get to pick it up before small group.
* I am also thinking about how tomorrow is the 10 year anniversary from the day one of my dear friends got killed in a car accident (hence the memorial). Could it possibly be that 10 years has passed since I saw her beautiful smile or heard her joyful laugh? It doesn't seem like it, but it has been!
* I am thinking about how Friday is going to be just as busy as Thursday - minus the 4 hours of driving. Friday is my birthday party. I still have quite a bit to do to get ready for it, but I can't even begin to think through it all. I need to get through Thursday first - then I can think about Friday!
* I am thinking about how my head is already hurting and if I don't get enough sleep I am pretty much destined to have a migraine...which I have already been dealing with for 2 days. It is hard enough to get through the day with a migraine when I don't have a lot to do -- when there is this much that needs to get done it is impossible!
* I am worrying that I will be sleepy while I am driving...just not safe!
I have prayed through all of this. I have asked Jesus to wash over me with peace and rest. I have rebuked Satan and his demons from causing me worry, pain, sickness, and restlessness. I have welcomed in peace and joy and wellness and sleep. Now that I have chronicled the things that are consuming my mind, rebuked evil, and welcomed the blessing from my Lord and Savior I am going to go back to my bed to sleep!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
A Wonderful Night
I had my Christmas party last night. It was so much fun for me! I was exhausted by the time people got here, from cleaning and cooking and getting everything ready. But, the excitement overcame and I had a blast! We had dinner together and then played games. Then we did a gift exchange and played more games. After everyone else left, my sister stayed and we hung out and talked until 5:00 in the morning! I can't believe it! It was such a wonderful night! I just feel very blessed right now!
I had my Christmas party last night. It was so much fun for me! I was exhausted by the time people got here, from cleaning and cooking and getting everything ready. But, the excitement overcame and I had a blast! We had dinner together and then played games. Then we did a gift exchange and played more games. After everyone else left, my sister stayed and we hung out and talked until 5:00 in the morning! I can't believe it! It was such a wonderful night! I just feel very blessed right now!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
More Than a Meal?
Tonight I went to a community prayer meeting at AHOP (Austin House of Prayer). It was great! I felt like I really had a chance to still myself in the presence of God and pour out a portion of the adoration that He deserves. Like I said, it was great!
But you know what I think my favorite part of tonight was? After prayer, a group of us went to Kerby Lane Cafe to have snacks and just spend time together. I loved the community! We went around and shared our high points in the week and low points in the week and just got to know a little more about each other. It was so nice to just spend time together!
The early church was very big on meeting together over meals. I think that there is something to this and they knew it. What is it that happens when friends are together with food? We are nourishing our bodies and our spirit at the same time. There is a communion of some of the basic needs that we have. Plus, it's just fun! But is there more?
I am too tired tonight to spend much more time writing, but my guess is that I am not done exploring this! Goodnight all!
But you know what I think my favorite part of tonight was? After prayer, a group of us went to Kerby Lane Cafe to have snacks and just spend time together. I loved the community! We went around and shared our high points in the week and low points in the week and just got to know a little more about each other. It was so nice to just spend time together!
The early church was very big on meeting together over meals. I think that there is something to this and they knew it. What is it that happens when friends are together with food? We are nourishing our bodies and our spirit at the same time. There is a communion of some of the basic needs that we have. Plus, it's just fun! But is there more?
I am too tired tonight to spend much more time writing, but my guess is that I am not done exploring this! Goodnight all!
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