There is something about cold weather that I just love, love, love!! The layering of clothes, the fun colored scarves, the jeans, the boots, the gloves, the jackets. Oh how I love these things.
I also love the way it makes me want to cook food. But not just any food, no sir. I want to make warm, toasty, feels-good-for-your-soul type of food. Soups, cookies, cakes, lasagnas...on and on and on I can go. I am not biased. I like ANY food that makes my tummy feel good. I do, however, prefer warm food in cold weather. I want stoups (Rachael Ray's version of something between a soup and stew) and nice hearty meals. And sweet stuff. Cold weather makes me want sweet stuff like no other season does!
I made Chocolate Ravioli's for my boys today (and myself). Delicious, just delicious. Hazelnut chocolate in a little fried package of dough...oh my. It had crunch, it had sweetness, it had a dash of saltiness. Perfection I tell ya. Tonight I plan on making some country fried chicken with gravy and mashed potatoes. Yum-meeeee
Did I mention how much I love cold weather?!
By the way, all this cooking is not good for my weight loss journey....but I don't mind
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Day 22-24
So I missed the last few days...oops
I am going to say the last thing that I am thankful for and I'll call it even!! Ha.
I am thankful for the love that God has for me, personally, that He gave His only son to die for ME on the cross.
That is all encompassing! His love for me permeates my life. All of my life. If it weren't for God, I would have nothing. That is the ultimate act of love and kindness that I am thankful for.
EVERYTHING else that I am thankful for comes from Him.
I am going to say the last thing that I am thankful for and I'll call it even!! Ha.
I am thankful for the love that God has for me, personally, that He gave His only son to die for ME on the cross.
That is all encompassing! His love for me permeates my life. All of my life. If it weren't for God, I would have nothing. That is the ultimate act of love and kindness that I am thankful for.
EVERYTHING else that I am thankful for comes from Him.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Day 21
I am thankful for grateful, caring attitudes. I work with people who aren't always in a good mood, to say the least, and it is hard to keep my head up sometimes. I very, very thankful for people who are caring, kind, thoughtful, and grateful for the blessings that are given to them.
And for happy attitudes as well. Happiness and Joy are great things to have and be.
And for happy attitudes as well. Happiness and Joy are great things to have and be.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Day 20
I am thankful that I have the luxury right now to go and have dinner with my Honey while he is on his lunch break. He works close to home and that is a huge blessing.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Day 17, 18, & 19
This week has been a rough one. I haven't had time, or energy, to keep up!
Day 17: I am thankful for good movies. It allows for time spent doing Day 18.
Day 18: Cuddle time with my boys. I wouldn't trade those moments for the world!
Day 19: Books. Oh how I love books. The world is a better place because of them.
Day 17: I am thankful for good movies. It allows for time spent doing Day 18.
Day 18: Cuddle time with my boys. I wouldn't trade those moments for the world!
Day 19: Books. Oh how I love books. The world is a better place because of them.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Day 15 & 16
Day 15: I am thankful for having the support at home to stand up for myself at work.
Day 16: Thankful (yet still hate it) for Facebook. It shows me how the people I thought I knew are, indeed, not the way I thought they were. It shows true colors. It shows character. It shows a lot. I am thankful for that, even though the truth does hurt sometimes.
Day 16: Thankful (yet still hate it) for Facebook. It shows me how the people I thought I knew are, indeed, not the way I thought they were. It shows true colors. It shows character. It shows a lot. I am thankful for that, even though the truth does hurt sometimes.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Day 13 & 14
I'm not very good at this, am I? I don't get on here everyday but I am trying to keep up as best I can.
Day 13: I am thankful for my church. It is far from where I live and it is always a challenge to get there on time. The kids are starting to realize that driving for over 30 minutes, no matter where we go, is not very fun. BUT my church is worth the hassle. Woodlands Point Community Church is such a great place to hear Gods word. GODS word, not some preacher throwing their own opinion in the mix and claiming it's what God says. I love the pastors and how they stick to what the Bible says. They teach what Jesus taught us. I am thankful for the NOT watered-down services.
Day 14: I am thankful for the few people I can call true friends. I don't have many, by choice, but they sure are special. I don't talk to them as often as I should or see them as often as I should, but they love me nonetheless. I am very, very thankful for them.
Day 13: I am thankful for my church. It is far from where I live and it is always a challenge to get there on time. The kids are starting to realize that driving for over 30 minutes, no matter where we go, is not very fun. BUT my church is worth the hassle. Woodlands Point Community Church is such a great place to hear Gods word. GODS word, not some preacher throwing their own opinion in the mix and claiming it's what God says. I love the pastors and how they stick to what the Bible says. They teach what Jesus taught us. I am thankful for the NOT watered-down services.
Day 14: I am thankful for the few people I can call true friends. I don't have many, by choice, but they sure are special. I don't talk to them as often as I should or see them as often as I should, but they love me nonetheless. I am very, very thankful for them.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Happiness
My house smells divine right now. I have some Holiday Potpourri simmering on my stove, creating a scent that makes my nose very happy. Cinnamon, cloves, and even a hint of nutmeg are swimming with some oranges and cranberries in a sea of warm water.
This morning I made my boys some Chocolate Pancakes, which they loved. I am going to make them some Salty Kisses in just a bit. And for dinner, they will be having homemade pizza to their liking. LOTS of cheese will be involved, as well as some olives. It's a great day for bringing smiles to my sons' faces through chocolate and cheese!! In case you are wondering, a Salty Kiss is a hershey kiss (the Hug kind, with white chocolate and milk chocolate) in between two pretzels.
I'm also really excited because I am going to have a date with my Honey tonight at home. I plan on making Corn & Cheese Chowder and Crab Rangoon. Two very different types of food for one meal but we won't mind. We are adventurous like that.
I've never made either dish so this is super, super exciting for me. I love, Love, LOVE trying out new recipes. And I know Honey loves, Loves, LOVES eating my new creations, so we will both be happy tonight!
Day 12
I am thankful for kind neighbors.
I have some really nice neighbors. They help us out all the time. I have borrowed eggs and flour more times than I can remember. I have taken care of their animals and they have taken care of mine multiple times. They let my family borrow their pool almost anytime we want. They really are great neighbors.
I have some really nice neighbors. They help us out all the time. I have borrowed eggs and flour more times than I can remember. I have taken care of their animals and they have taken care of mine multiple times. They let my family borrow their pool almost anytime we want. They really are great neighbors.
Friday, November 11, 2011
11-11-11
Day 11: I am thankful for smiles. All smiles. A smile can brighten someone's day. A smile can make my day depending on who's face it is on. A smile can make me feel better. I love smiles.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Day 7, 8, 9, & 10
I am super behind. Sorry about that!
Day 7: I am thankful for my Petrie. She is my rat terrier dog and I love her to pieces. She cuddles me ALL THE TIME and it keeps me feeling loved. She is always by my side. I really do love that girl.
Day 8: I am thankful for my passion of cooking. I used to have no interest whatsoever in cooking and now I absolutely love it. It brings peace into my world. It brings good food into my world. Sometimes, it brings GREAT food into my world. I love that I love to cook.
Day 9: I am thankful for my Prius. She has saved me lots of money, in gas, in the one year I have had her. She has made me drive slower and that has bled into my life in other areas as well. I have slowed down my way of life, in general, to enjoy what God has given me. Today's society moves too fast and misses everything. Oddly enough, my Prius (her name is Percy, btw) has helped me to slow down and I am thankful for that.
Day 10: I am extremely thankful for cooler weather. I love bundling up in layers, scarves, and jackets. Living in Houston means that this happens rarely. Lately we have been getting some beautiful cold weather. Thank you God for sending that my way!!
Day 7: I am thankful for my Petrie. She is my rat terrier dog and I love her to pieces. She cuddles me ALL THE TIME and it keeps me feeling loved. She is always by my side. I really do love that girl.
Day 8: I am thankful for my passion of cooking. I used to have no interest whatsoever in cooking and now I absolutely love it. It brings peace into my world. It brings good food into my world. Sometimes, it brings GREAT food into my world. I love that I love to cook.
Day 9: I am thankful for my Prius. She has saved me lots of money, in gas, in the one year I have had her. She has made me drive slower and that has bled into my life in other areas as well. I have slowed down my way of life, in general, to enjoy what God has given me. Today's society moves too fast and misses everything. Oddly enough, my Prius (her name is Percy, btw) has helped me to slow down and I am thankful for that.
Day 10: I am extremely thankful for cooler weather. I love bundling up in layers, scarves, and jackets. Living in Houston means that this happens rarely. Lately we have been getting some beautiful cold weather. Thank you God for sending that my way!!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
wow, i've come a long way
from not knowing how to cook hardly anything at all.
I am having another proud cooking moment. This one is just as embarrassing as not knowing how to cook gravy but I will write about it nonetheless. It's embarrassing because it is such an easy recipe/meal. It really, really is. Also, no offense to anyone to who doesn't know to cook gravy. I didn't for 30 years.
Anyhoo, today we went to church and, in the past, we would go to a restaurant afterwards. Those days aren't as frequent because we don't have the money. So today, as we were driving home, I was thinking about what to cook for lunch. We had no leftovers in the fridge and nothing that stood out in the pantry. I don't believe in microwave meals, so that wasn't an option. I didn't want to pick up anything, as that defeats the purpose of saving money (we might as well have gone to a restaurant and sat down to eat if that's the case).
So we got home and I immediately went to the pantry to see what I could cook up. I saw that I had Spinach Fettucine. I had garlic and I had olive oil. BINGO! So I whipped up some garlic olive oil and cooked the fettucine. Side note: I added anchovy paste to my garlic olive oil, it was fabulous. I topped everyone's bowl off with some freshly grated parmesan cheese and served it.
Let me tell you, my kids gobbled it up. Tristan even asked for seconds. I couldn't believe it. I thought for sure they wouldn't eat it because 1. it wasn't breaded and 2. it was green. But they did!! Oh boy, they sure did.
I am so very, very proud of myself because, truly, two years ago I would have freaked out about not having anything to eat and we would have stopped somewhere to pick up food or gone to a restaurant. I saved us at least $25 today by not going out to eat and it really was tastier than any restaurant food I've had in a long time. I have come a long, long way from when I first got married and barely knew how to cook eggs (I'm being dramatic, I knew how to cook eggs) to being able to come home, look in the pantry, find ingredients, and create a meal.
Yay me!
Here's the recipe in case you'd like to try it out yourself: I don't put measurements because it was all eye-balled
Bag of Spinach Fettucine (you could really use any pasta you want, I had this on hand and it's healthy to boot)
Olive Oil
Garlic, minced (I used about 4 or 5 cloves for a strong garlic flavor, Honey LOVES him some garlic)
Anchovy Paste (if you have it, if not then that is just fine)
Butter
Parmesan Cheese
Start cooking your pasta according to the directions.
While pasta is cooking, heat up your anchovy paste with a bit of olive oil (not too much at this point because we are just trying to "melt" the paste) in a skillet over medium heat. Stir it together to help them become one. It will dissolve into the olive oil. *When it looks like one liquid, add more olive oil and your garlic. Turn down the heat to low. Let them marry together. I added a smidgen of butter in the mix for a little pocket of extra flavor.
When pasta is done, drain it and return it to hot pot. Add some butter and stir. **Add your olive oil mixture to pasta. Stir together. Spoon into serving dish and top with parmesan cheese.
*If you do not have anchovy paste, then just heat up your olive oil and garlic together over low heat
**It is up to you but I strained my olive oil mixture before adding it to my pasta. I don't like bits of garlic in my oil. I took a little hand-held strainer and poured my olive oil right through that directly on top of my pasta
Happy Eating Everyone
I am having another proud cooking moment. This one is just as embarrassing as not knowing how to cook gravy but I will write about it nonetheless. It's embarrassing because it is such an easy recipe/meal. It really, really is. Also, no offense to anyone to who doesn't know to cook gravy. I didn't for 30 years.
Anyhoo, today we went to church and, in the past, we would go to a restaurant afterwards. Those days aren't as frequent because we don't have the money. So today, as we were driving home, I was thinking about what to cook for lunch. We had no leftovers in the fridge and nothing that stood out in the pantry. I don't believe in microwave meals, so that wasn't an option. I didn't want to pick up anything, as that defeats the purpose of saving money (we might as well have gone to a restaurant and sat down to eat if that's the case).
So we got home and I immediately went to the pantry to see what I could cook up. I saw that I had Spinach Fettucine. I had garlic and I had olive oil. BINGO! So I whipped up some garlic olive oil and cooked the fettucine. Side note: I added anchovy paste to my garlic olive oil, it was fabulous. I topped everyone's bowl off with some freshly grated parmesan cheese and served it.
Let me tell you, my kids gobbled it up. Tristan even asked for seconds. I couldn't believe it. I thought for sure they wouldn't eat it because 1. it wasn't breaded and 2. it was green. But they did!! Oh boy, they sure did.
I am so very, very proud of myself because, truly, two years ago I would have freaked out about not having anything to eat and we would have stopped somewhere to pick up food or gone to a restaurant. I saved us at least $25 today by not going out to eat and it really was tastier than any restaurant food I've had in a long time. I have come a long, long way from when I first got married and barely knew how to cook eggs (I'm being dramatic, I knew how to cook eggs) to being able to come home, look in the pantry, find ingredients, and create a meal.
Yay me!
Here's the recipe in case you'd like to try it out yourself: I don't put measurements because it was all eye-balled
Bag of Spinach Fettucine (you could really use any pasta you want, I had this on hand and it's healthy to boot)
Olive Oil
Garlic, minced (I used about 4 or 5 cloves for a strong garlic flavor, Honey LOVES him some garlic)
Anchovy Paste (if you have it, if not then that is just fine)
Butter
Parmesan Cheese
Start cooking your pasta according to the directions.
While pasta is cooking, heat up your anchovy paste with a bit of olive oil (not too much at this point because we are just trying to "melt" the paste) in a skillet over medium heat. Stir it together to help them become one. It will dissolve into the olive oil. *When it looks like one liquid, add more olive oil and your garlic. Turn down the heat to low. Let them marry together. I added a smidgen of butter in the mix for a little pocket of extra flavor.
When pasta is done, drain it and return it to hot pot. Add some butter and stir. **Add your olive oil mixture to pasta. Stir together. Spoon into serving dish and top with parmesan cheese.
*If you do not have anchovy paste, then just heat up your olive oil and garlic together over low heat
**It is up to you but I strained my olive oil mixture before adding it to my pasta. I don't like bits of garlic in my oil. I took a little hand-held strainer and poured my olive oil right through that directly on top of my pasta
Happy Eating Everyone
Day 5 & 6
Yesterday just seemed to slip by me. I was baking and cooking almost all day and then my Honey had to work so it was just me and the boys.
Day 5: I am thankful that my Honey and I have trusted in God to provide for us. He has not let us down AT ALL. It is amazing what God can do if we let Him. Even with Honey not having a full-time, good-paying job, we have managed to pay a substantial amount of money towards our credit card debt and make all payments on all bills with never being late on any payments. THAT, my readers, is all the work of my Lord and Saviour. There is no way we could have done that all on our own understanding or choices. We let God speak to our hearts and we trusted in Him to provide for us; He has and will continue to.
Day 6: I am thankful for my kitty, Sable. He is a wonderful cat that isn't like a normal cat. He loves to cuddle with me and purr in my ear. That is one of my favorite sounds. He is always with me or Honey. He does not like to be alone. He loves to play with our dogs and kids. He just a wonderful addition to our family and I am thankful for him.
Day 5: I am thankful that my Honey and I have trusted in God to provide for us. He has not let us down AT ALL. It is amazing what God can do if we let Him. Even with Honey not having a full-time, good-paying job, we have managed to pay a substantial amount of money towards our credit card debt and make all payments on all bills with never being late on any payments. THAT, my readers, is all the work of my Lord and Saviour. There is no way we could have done that all on our own understanding or choices. We let God speak to our hearts and we trusted in Him to provide for us; He has and will continue to.
Day 6: I am thankful for my kitty, Sable. He is a wonderful cat that isn't like a normal cat. He loves to cuddle with me and purr in my ear. That is one of my favorite sounds. He is always with me or Honey. He does not like to be alone. He loves to play with our dogs and kids. He just a wonderful addition to our family and I am thankful for him.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
My Mina
Mina, I just wanted to put my disclaimer on here. I don't mind if *you* put your Thanksgiving Challenge on FB. For some reason I really enjoy reading things that you are thankful for. I suppose it is because you don't do posts about being thankful ONLY on holidays. Your posts are sprinkled with thanksgivings all throughout the year.
I love that about you. I just wanted you to know that. I love you girl.
I love that about you. I just wanted you to know that. I love you girl.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Day 4
I am thankful for my job. It is overwhelming at times and has gotten a bit crazy this year with certain situations but, all in all, I am thankful. I love how I beat the traffic going in (most days) and beat the traffic coming home. I like the flexibility is allows me. Those are things I am very thankful for.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Thanksgiving Challenge
I am three days late starting this but better late then never. I will try my hardest to post something I am thankful for every day until Thanksgiving.
Side Note: I don't like the challenge on FB for everyone to see. I am beginning to really not like FB all that much. I'm not sure why I don't like it on there but I don't.
I am thankful for my adoring, kind, handsome, wonderful, very loving Husband. I wouldn't be where I'm at today if it weren't for him.
I am thankful for my shy, super smart, loving, handsome first born child, Tristan. He is so very special to me and because of him my whole world changed in every single way possible. I love him.
I am thankful for my outgoing, loving, handsome, adventurous, loud second born child, Aiden. He is also very special to me and has added so much love, and did I mention adventure, to my life. He was my cuddle buddy for the first year of his life. He wanted no one but Mommy. I will always be thankful for the sunshine he brings to my life. I love him.
Side Note: I don't like the challenge on FB for everyone to see. I am beginning to really not like FB all that much. I'm not sure why I don't like it on there but I don't.
I am thankful for my adoring, kind, handsome, wonderful, very loving Husband. I wouldn't be where I'm at today if it weren't for him.
I am thankful for my shy, super smart, loving, handsome first born child, Tristan. He is so very special to me and because of him my whole world changed in every single way possible. I love him.
I am thankful for my outgoing, loving, handsome, adventurous, loud second born child, Aiden. He is also very special to me and has added so much love, and did I mention adventure, to my life. He was my cuddle buddy for the first year of his life. He wanted no one but Mommy. I will always be thankful for the sunshine he brings to my life. I love him.
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