So Incredibly Blessed

Life is full of so many blessings. Sometimes we have to weed through and scrape around to find them. Sometimes they are as obvious as your child's smile. Sometimes realizing your blessings are a blessing in and of itself. There have been times in my life where I have found it very difficult to thank God for my circumstances. There have been times when I have been dissatisfied with myself, when my worry has stolen my joy, and when my outside environment was allowed to wreck a great deal of havoc on my joy. I am not naive. I know that these times will come once again.
Which is why I can praise God for the blessing of realizing the blessings.
It is a great blessing to go to bed at night with a laundry list of things in which to thank the Lord. It often overwhelms me. It brings tears to my eyes. That God would allow such great gifts in my life and would trust me to love and cherish them as His own, that is a blessing.
I dine with, commune with, parent with, and worship with my very best friend. The Lord has given me a husband whom I love and who loves me in return. I will never claim that he is perfect, and he would prefer me not claim that anyway. He has his faults, and I have mine as well. Together, we are two imperfect human beings clawing our way to the prize. I encourage him, he encourages me. We are imperfect, but together we serve as a beautiful illustration of the love of Christ for His church.
And God has made me a parent. I'd be lying if I said I had no reservations about parenthood. I definitely wanted my "married time" before any other person took my husband's affection away from me. (Seriously, that was exactly my thoughts for awhile.) Though I do appreciate, and do not regret, the 3 years, 3 months - 3 days, that Aaron and I were married before Bryton came into the world, becoming a parent has been the most life - changing, and one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever encountered aside from marriage. I love being a mom. The rewards that come with seeing my sons smile, seeing his new experiences, seeing his affection for me and his dad, and having that little head lay on my shoulder, even if for a moment, is priceless. I think now of the sacrifices I would make for my children and to be a mother, and it amazes me. A year ago I had a lot to learn about parenting, love, and sacrifice. Amazingly, the "motherly instinct" (that I believe comes from God), comes quickly and fiercly. My mom saw it in me the first time Zeke met Bryton. The dog, whom we had loved like one of our own children, very quickly became a dog again when Bryton was on the scene. My mom says she could see in my eyes the, "You hurt him, and I kill you," glare as he ran wildly into our apartment. My affections towards Zeke have returned to some degree, but he is, and forever will be, the dog.
Bryton has made me take life less seriously. He, in his 11 month old innocense, has instilled in me a love for fun and spotanaity. He encourages me to laugh at myself, to rough-house on the floor, to splash as much as we want in the bathtub (who cares if the floor gets wet... it seriously takes one minute to wipe up), to have family traditions and to do and see as much as a family as we possibly can. I truly believe that he has taught me to become a better wife, better youth worker, better aide at school, and better friend. My confidence is higher than it's ever been, and though there are probably more stressors in my life than there have been at other times, I find myself less stressed and more happy.
I never want to be my kids' friend at the cost of discipline and their moral character, but I'd love if my kids could consider me their biggest cheerleader and a really fun mom.
As far as friends are concerned, I have some pretty amazing women in my life who encourage me, boost my confidence, who make me take life less seriously, and whom I really believe will be behind me and beside me regardless of what obstacles I may one day encounter. Some of them I have known briefly, some I have known for some time, both are as valuable to me as gold, and they are always remembered as I reflect on my blessings. I love them dearly.
Thank God for opening my eyes to my blessings. Even when the times seem hard and the blessings seem few, they still exist, and it is a blessing in and of itself that my eyes have been opened to see the precious gifts in which I have been blessed. God is forever worthy of praise.

Italian Beef and The Simple Things

Well, you guys probably thought I'd given up on my challenge since I've been so busy... NOPE! This week was crock-pot italian beef. I should preface this to say that this was a huge step for me.
A. I've never fixed Italian Beef. Period.
B. The reason I've never fixed Italian Beef is because I'm certain, without a doubt, that my mom makes the best italian beef in the whole entire world :) (And doesn't know her own recipe, figures.)
C. I know my mom has never fixed Italian Beef in a crock pot, so that scared me in itself.
All in all... it was okay, and I would fix it again, but it sure wasn't like momma's.
Here it is:

2 lb chuck roast

• 1.5cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 package Good Seasonings Italian salad dressing mix
• Small pouring of white vinegar

I mixed all of the dry ingredients with the water, poured it over the roast (in the crock pot), cooked on low for 8 hours. Then I shredded the meat, put it back in the crock pot on low, added the small amount of vinegar and let it cook for another 1/2 hour.
So there it is. Aaron said it's worth doing again... we shall see :)

As for other news. I absolutely love this time of year. As if it wasn't great enough to begin with, having B this year (actually in my arms) makes it even more exciting. His b-day is coming up (in exactly one month from today), which means a 1st Birthday party, (which I'm totally excited for), not to mention Halloween (he's going to be a lion), pumpkin food, pumpkin smells, chilly weather, football, thanksgiving, Christmas shopping and then CHRISTMAS! Yay!
So, I've noticed myself (and this is a good thing), going to bed at night so very thankful for what gifts God has given me now, and so here are the simple joys I find in my every day life :)
-The loving promise from a savior (had to throw that in first)
-My son's smile
-My husband's hug / touch / conversation. I don't know that he understands the depth of the meaning of those things.
-The smell and flicker of a good candle.
-Fixing a nice warm meal... to enjoy together.
-Friendships of great friends
-Cozying up in a blanket
-My favorite show on tv (currently the biggest loser)
-A nice sweet, good, warm dessert... yum
-Pumpkin pie blizzards from DQ!
-A nicely made bed (which unfortunately does NOT happen everyday)
-Our comforter... the best $34 I've spent at Wal Mart
-A clean house and clean laundry
-Right now, a nice, crisp apple
-Playing ball with my son, and even moreso, Aaron and I both playing ball with him. There's something extremely attractive about your husband and your baby enjoying each other!
-Boardgames... and I don't do it nearly enough.
-The sunshine
-Getting a good deal
-Getting sweet, random, encouraging text messages or emails
-Taking sweet pics of my baby boy
-Homemade doughnuts!
-sweatshirts
-Wearing my favorite pair of jeans... I'm getting ready to start looking for a new favorite pair of jeans
-Shopping
-Planning for anniversaries, birthdays, and Christmas ;)

Fruit and Chicken Skewers - New Recipe

Well here it is! This week's new recipe! Fruit and Chicken Skewers! This has been our favorite so far, and SUPER EASY! Scored an 8 on Aaron's scale, a 7 1/2 or 8 on Luke's (our guest taster ;) and an 8 on mine!

Marinade:

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• A dash of cayenne pepper
  
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup dry white cooking wine
  
• 3/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

Wisk together in a medium bowl.

Skewers:
1 lb chicken breasts (boneless / skinless) cut into chunks
Pineapple, cored and cut into chunks
Maraschino Cherries
Fresh Whole Mushrooms
Red Onion (cut into chunks)
Other vegetables of your liking

Toss chicken breast chunks, mushrooms, onions, and other vegetables in marinade. Let marinade for at least one hour (mine sate for 5 hours in fridge). Skewer pineapple, and cherries at both ends, sandwiching patterns of chicken and vegetables. (We used metal skewers, if you use wooden skewers make sure you soak them well in water.)
Lightly oil grill grate and grill skewers 10-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
(We also took the leftover pineapple and cherries, put them in a pammed piece of aluminum foil and tossed those on the grill as well... scrumptious!)

Making His Lunch

I've learned a lot in the past week. It's the one reason I had a passion for taing before... because to some kids, school is the best part of their lives. Any encouragement, accolade, or treat they get there could be the only they get... period. You see this is all kinds of ways, but particularly, by kids who bring their sack lunch.
Now, don't get me wrong... there's nothing wrong with the hot lunch line. And believe it or not, some of the food actually looks pretty good, but when the school is serving scoop burgers, or whatever other food a child may hate for that matter, and a parent packs a lunch for the kiddo, well, THAT, is special. While standing at the sack lunch table last week I took a peek into some kids home lives. Little notes from mom, a sandwich with the crust cut off, orange slices, an extra thing of fruit snacks, even strawberry milk in some... that's my kind of lunch. And in an incredible, indirect way, that sack lunch says, "I know you, I love you, and I cared enough to take the time for you today. I hope it makes your day better." (Of course, I never realized this until I became a parent.)
Tonight, though B may be only 10 1/2 months, I stood over his diaper bag, packing into it what he'll eat for his breakfast and lunch at the sitter's tomorrow. It's a new nightly task that I loathe on one hand (it's something else to add to my already full day), but I cherish on the other. Though this little boy will never know, nor remember, that I put the effort and care into his lunch when he went to the sitters, it was my way, as a mother, to show my child that I love him, I care what he eats, and though I'm not with him, I wish, desperately, that I could be. I make sure not to pack the same thing two days in a row, that I know he'll enjoy it, and I try to throw in a little treat... it's his little "note" from mom. So tomorrow, I hope as B eats his cheerios and pineapple for breakfast, and his green beans, cheese (portioned the way he likes it), and orange jello (there's that little treat) makes him think, if even for a second, of his momma packed that lunch with every bit of love she possibly could.

Oven Fried Chicken and the Rollercoaster Ride

Well, tonight we had a new recipe (I'll post below), it was fast and easy, but good. It scored a 7.5 on the Aaron Gregg star rating ;) I guess I'll be doing it again. More on that later.
As far as the rollercoaster ride is concerned, well, I got a job. It was a 'temporary' position helping kids who needed some special attention. Well, that started Monday, I found out today (it was obviously veeeerrrrry temporary) that one of those children who needed the special attention needs special attention permanently, and in a special classroom. My job is not happening anymore. And let's just say, after two days having him for half days, I don't think I can do it for full days... and after one day being desperately sad and feeling... almost conviction... over leaving Bryton... I'm really entertaining the thought of subbing. I'd love the opportunity to get to be in different classrooms, in different grade levels, and will love having a more flexible schedule. If Aaron and I want to get away we can (we go to his rents a lot on Thursday nights and stay through Saturdays, can't do that working full time). Also, I'll get to be with Bryton during days here and there. I don't mind to work full weeks occasionally, but I know most weeks will be 2-3 days a week, enough to get me out, B with other kids, and for me to still feel like I'm the caregiver to my baby.
Anyway - my 8 - 3 days with 1/2 hour lunch has me very tired, so I sat the chicken out this morning, put it back in the fridge at lunch, and took the 10 minutes it took to combine ingredients to "bread" my chicken tonight. It went like this:
Mix in a zip-lock bag: (for 1 lb of chicken)
1 cup of dried breadcrumbs
1 tsp of thyme
1 tsp of ground black pepper
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of garlic powder
1/2 tsp of paprika

Cut fat off of chicken (I used skinless, boneless chicken breasts). Coat with mayonaise. Shake in breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 degrees in lightly greased pan for 45 minutes.

It was a fast easy dinner for us tonight, so it'll definitely get served again. Not to mention the fact that from a health standpoint it wasn't horribly unhealthy. (I know, I know, mayonaise, but it isn't that much.) So anyway, there's the scoop. More to come about the job in a few days.

A far stretch for spiritual analogy... but I like it.

Okay, so I know God used a donkey to get a point across, but check out this revelation I had today.

Have you noticed all of the squirrels lately? I have, unfortunately. It seems like when I see them they are making a mad dash across Washington Street, making it only by the hair on their chinny chin chins or, well, let's just say that I've seen several not make it at all (for those of you who are not Du Quoinians, Washington Street is our "main street" in town... busy and four lanes of traffic). I don't really care for squirrels, but I don't exactly enjoy watching them get hit on the road either. I'm one of those who, when seeing one attempt to cross, always watches in my side mirrors to see if it "makes it". I don't know, maybe I'm a romantic or something. I want the underdog to win, and in the case of a squirrel and a 2 ton piece of steel and machinery, I'm rooting for the squirrel.

So anyway... lets just say I've seen one too many squirrels hit lately.
Fast forward to today, I'm on my way home from Wal-Mart, traveling the infamous squirrel slaughtering street, when I just happen to glance up and there is a squirrel running across the powerline over the street. I even said outloud (I'm not kidding, I really did), "Now, that is a smart squirrel."

It amazed me... I hadn't even considered that path in how a squirrel could cross the road. Run up the pole, across the line, down the pole, TA DA! It's so simple, but many squirrels choose to run and dodge 2 ton machines traveling at a measley 40 mph.

Then I got to thinking, (Here is the far stretch for the spiritual analogy,) we are so much like the stupid squirrels. ("We" as in Christians.) For those who profess Jesus with their mouth but continue living in their sin, well, they are taking the low road, crossing with dangerous obstacles, getting from point A to point B is hard, difficult, and sometimes, fatal. But for those of us squirrels that take the provided high road, who have the wisdom (think Proverbs) to so choose it, well, it may be narrow, but it gets us safely across. Matthew 7:13-14 says, "You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it."

The analogy is really two fold -- there are the unsaved squirrels that don't have the wisdom to take the high road. They are the ones crossing at their own risk, oblivious that there is a better way. THEN, and almost more scary, there are the saved squirrels, they've chosen to follow Jesus but with all of the squirrel peer pressure they choose to continue doing things their own way. They bypass the high,narrow, safer road, for the low road littered with obstacles and death.

Proverbs 16:25 - There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.

Moral of the story: Be the wise squirrel.

Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya

Week 1 of the Cooking Challenge = success. I'm making an effort to get Aaron's opinion, Bryton's opinion (whenever it applies right now), and the opinion of an honest innocent bystander, who this evening just happened to be Steffanie. (And Luke called the leftovers, we'll see what his opinion is after trying!)
I'm asking for a star rating from 1 - 10 with 1 being "You can't pay me enough to eat it again," and 10 being "that's the most wonderful thing I've ever eaten in my life."
So, that being said, tonight's dinner was chicken and andouille sausage jambalaya, honey cornbread, and fried apple pies.
Overall I thought the meal was good. I was going for a comparison to the "House of Blues" jambalaya. Though I don't think I succeeded in that area, I'd cook the meal again, and Aaron has requested it again.
Steff gave a 6 out of 10 star rating, Aaron a 7. (Bryton tried a small taste of the rice... and his face turned bright red, so he didn't get much more than that... too spicy for his pallet at the moment.)
I'll be honest and say the fried apple pies didn't fry long enough. I fried them in a fryer instead of a skillet so I couldn't watch them well. Luckily I tried first and made the others refrain from eating... so there is no star rating. I'll try those again differently.

So here are the recipes:
Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya
1/2 lb - 1 lb of boneless / skinless chicken breasts (I used 3, about 3/4 of a pound)
1/2 lb - 1 lb of Andouille Sausage (I used the Johnsonville brand and used all but one link)
One can Rotel died tomatoes and green chiles
1 cup diced white onion (or yellow, or green)
2 cups white rice
2 tbsps cajun seasoning (buy in seasoning aisle or see the recipe I used below, recipe or amount can be adjusted to taste)

Boil chicken until done. Save 4 cups of broth. Cut sausage into coins, dice onion and cube chicken. Add sausage, onion, chicken, rotel, and seasoning to broth in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Once boiling add rice and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and allow to cook 20 minutes or until rice is tender. (Adjust to the taste of your family by adding more or less cajun seasoning or substituting andouille sausage for regular.)

Cajun Seasoning Recipe:
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
5 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons salt

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Store in sealed container.

If you all try it let me know what you think!!!

-Alicia