Spring Cleaning in February + 2 recipes for what you have on hand

 

It was such great weather here since Friday that I decided to start my Spring Cleaning.  I know it's crazy, but I still have a few days until my peeps come home and when they get here I just really want to hang out with them eating ice cream and listening to them tell me about their grand adventure.

This is them on their way to their destination.  I bet that they will be a little more tired looking on their way home.  They started the journey home this afternoon for me, but around 4am for them.  I'm glad that they are on their way home.  They are going to stop in Manila for a day or so then hop on their plane.  Then it's just a hop, skip and a jump to HOME.

I got to the kitchen cabinets Sunday afternoon.  While wiping them down I also wiped the kitchen hood and came across this guy.  Kirsten gave it to me.  She gave it to me one time when she went around and got orders from our family for either tacos or burritos or both.  She put the paper on the hood with this guy. Since then it has stayed up there as a cook order holder.  I love it.

At the top of this picture you'll see that my husband graciously put my old nameplate on the top of my kitchen hood.  When he did this I asked him about it.  He said the kitchen was where we all gathered and that I made it home.  He melts my heart.  It's true though.  When everyone is home and I'm cooking that's where everyone ends up.  It's kind of lonely these past few days.  That's probably why I haven't cooked a lot while everyone was gone. 

From our house to you...2 recipes from what I got at Bountiful Baskets.  Please note that I cook a lot of the time by what it looks like so I'll try to remember the amounts, but these won't go wrong if your measurements aren't exact as these recipes are also to the taste of the one who will be eating it.  ENJOY!
  

Skillet potatoes adapted from a recipe that I got from a farmer at the Meridian Farmer's Market when we first got to Idaho. serves 1

2 small potatoes diced, 1/8 head of cauliflower, 1 branch of broccoli (or 1/8 head), 1/2 small onion (or equivalent)
salt & pepper to taste
couple of dashes of smoked paprika 
coconut oil (I used 1 teaspoon)

Dice the veggies while oil is heating in a medium skillet.  Sauté veggies until lightly browned.  Salt and pepper to taste (I use freshly ground black pepper).  Cover skillet and reduce heat to low.  Cook on low heat for 20-30 minutes.  Check about 15 minutes.  You are waiting for the veggies to be thoroughly cooked.  If you want the veggies a little crisp, take off the lid and crisp up the veggies for another 5 or so minutes. 

Chunky Guacamole

1 avocado, diced
1 large tomato (or equivalent of the smaller tomatoes), diced
1 small bulb onion (looks like a large green onion), sliced
splash of lemon or lime juice
small handful of cilantro.  Chop as fine as you prefer.
salt to taste

Mix all together and enjoy.  

I made it for me and ended up sharing it with Dave. 

"Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters.  Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers." Hebrews 13:1-2a NLT

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.  Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise."  Proverbs 31:30-31 NLT

Sunday Musings...On Being Forgetful

source: trueinnernature.blogspot.com

 "A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer.  Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken." Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT

 I'm forgetful.  Today I left early from Sunday School because I remembered that I might have left the stove top burner on.  I left quickly, after excusing myself, and rushed home.  It's nice that I live right next to church.  I was able to get home quickly.  

Source: Ecletic Blue Vintage etsy site

I was on my way to a game the other day and I thought I'd left the kettle on before I left.  I turned around and went home to find that I hadn't left anything on.  I was late to the game and I was embarrassed.

I am easily embarrassed by my memory.  I can keep a lot of facts in my head, but I don't always remember the basic stuff, like where  my keys are.  It frustrates me.  I feel like a fool.

I have almost burnt our house down when I left a kettle on one night after a bunch of late night grading.  After that incident we got a kettle with a whistle.

Source: Milk & Honey etsy site

When we first moved to Idaho, my husband had an incident with a pot and pinto beans.  Let's just say we have a lot of stories from that incident.  We also get kidded about it even though it's been 6 years.  It embarrasses me.  I try to joke about it, but it hurts my heart.  I guess I take it too seriously, but the perfectionist in me wants to just hide.  I can't hide though.  I life in a fishbowl of community.  For better or for worse that is what a community is like.  If I want to live an authentic, transparent life then I need to not hide.  I need to come clean.  Even if I'm embarrassed I need to take a risk and live my life in community.  

What day is it?

This is the day the Lord has made;

    let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

This is my desk this morning.  I had some back paperwork that I needed to finish this morning.  I need to spend time studying God's word before I start anything else, so I got up really early.

It's now 6:40am (hey, I know that's too early already).  I won't tell you what time I got up, but my friend Kelly was up for some of the same time and she'll agree that I'm going to have a long day today.

Sheila Wray Gregorie asked on facebook today "Is anyone else feeling overwhelmed this Monday morning?"

I was feeling overwhelmed yesterday for today.  Yesterday was Sunday and I don't work on Sundays so any work that I didn't get done by Saturday night I put on Monday morning. 

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:33-34

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

So I got up early this morning to get what I needed done.

I made that calendar on my desk based on a similar one I saw on Pinterest.   At the top of each day I've put a reminder of how I need to think about that day.  Here's my list:

Sunday: a day of rest
Monday: a new week
Tuesday: a long day of investment
Wednesday: a day of ministry
Thursday: a day to catch up
Friday: a day to play
Saturday: a day to give

So, since Monday is the beginning of a new week, I will rejoice today and be glad in it!

How do you think about each day of the week?

God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food...

Did you know that the children's meal time prayer is longer?  I didn't.  I had learned this part:

God is great, God is good.  Let us thank Him for our food.  Amen.

Here is the whole meal time prayer:

"God is Great, God is Good.
Let us thank Him for our food.
By His hands we all are fed, give us Lord our daily bread.
Amen."  (source: world prayers )

I've been thinking about my dilemma of eating from my freezer and my pantry.  I really want to do this...why is it so hard?  I keep looking at all the new things that I could make and then I'm discontent with what I already have.

I've found that it comes down to contentment.

So, I'm brought back to my dilemma.  I can show my contentment through getting back to eating from my pantry/freezer.  I can be reminded that by God's hands I am fed.

So, I'm up and running cooking from my pantry/freezer/fridge.  Last night I made a great shredded pork in the Crockpot and today we ate it as taco salad.  I want to defrost my freezer by Spring break so I better stop shopping at the store and get stuff from my freezer.  :)
 
I'm thanking God for His daily provision of not just food, but for His word, my family and friends, getting me up each morning, and His great love for me.

balance

Keels provide extra stability
by providing a weight low enough
to significantly
 lower the centre of gravity.
(Source: Wikipedia)

  Finding balance is hard for me.
             I know that I need it....balance....
                                 I go to extremes.
                                           Maybe I'm just a little too tired today.
                                                           Maybe December was full of
                                                                     transitions and good chaos.

  Here's what keeps me balanced,
                   what keeps me level in my tossing turning world:
                              Like a keel on a sailboat is God's word to my life.

I don't run.  Well, I'm attempting to condition my body to run a 5k using the "couch to 5k running program".  (It's an app and I like it...it tells me what to do so I don't have to think).  I bike though.  So I understand this verse from the book of Hebrews in the New Testament of the Bible from my bike riding.  It is easier to ride with less weight.  It is also easier to keep my balance when going up a hill when I have less weight on my bike. The verse reminds me to take off the things that are just there and are hindering my life.  It reminds be to take off the things that are just wrong.  Both will weigh me down.  Both will find me out of balance.

"...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1b)

Eating from my pantry from 2012 overview

So I didn't do too well with that initial try.  I learned a few things: 

1)  I am blessed to be a blessing.
2) I can be content with what I have.
3) I should only buy things I love, not just what looks interesting.
4) Food is food and is there to nourish our bodies, time with family and friends is there to nourish our souls.  Don't get them confused.