Cooking with Foods that Rot

Chris and I have been very poor eaters since we've been married.

We were broke as a JOKE when we first got married, then moved to a place that had poor appliances (the oven gave off fumes when it warmed--I was pregnant--not ok), then we had children and all their yummy box contained foods, and we're just busy and lazy.

I would call myself a good cook.  I like the science of cooking--experimenting, bringing flavors together, feeling GREAT when I deliver something yummy to my family.  I'm not Julia Child, but I'm a good cook.  I just usually don't have good ingredients or make the time to do so.  

We've had this ongoing dialogue about how we need to eat better and then we don't.

I can feel my body feeling the burn and agony of gross and poor nutrition.

A few years ago we watched the documentary "Super Size Me" and were really good about avoiding McDonald's for a while.  Then Molly discovered her love of the Happy Meal and we rediscovered the joys of not having to cook.

Blah.  Vicious cycle.

So, I, too, like Lauren and Oprah, have discovered this Food, Inc craze and I'm starting to see the value of eating well.

So, I'm starting with baby steps.  I'm going to attempt to try to cook at least one meal a day comprised of real food.  Or, in Pollan-ease--foods that will eventually rot.

Poptarts do not rot.
Cheetos do not rot.
Chefboyardee or however you spell it will never, ever rot before Jesus returns.  Gross.

Will I cook 100% organic?   Not right away, but I'm looking into it.

My goal for week one--use fresh ingredients, unboxed, unprepared, or ones that will indeed eventually go bad (my dairy products obviously will be canned/packaged) and see what happens.

I'm going to be searching for some yummy meals and if I run across any that work I'll let you know.

Today's meal:  Baked Potato Soup from scratch--IN THE CROCKPOT!!!  Perfect for a day like today!

Snowy Day and Head Colds, Hurray!

This morning we woke up to a beautiful sight!

Molly and Lily were very, very excited!  

I was just a little excited.  

Even Chris got in on the action by hurling iceballs of doom at my children (gasp!)

Unfortunately, I think I've earned the high honor of being the next Avery with the Winter Cold 2010--lucky me!  As long as I don't tilt my head (or lay down) everything stays in my head/nose/sinus cavities.  Bleck.  But, it is a perfect day to stay inside, catch up on school work, play the Wii, put together a puzzle or two, and enjoy our warm fire together.  I'm thinking of loaded baked potatoes for dinner--maybe a movie later with Christacular. 

Enjoy this snow everyone--it's not often that we are forced to stay home with our loved ones.  For those of you who have to go to work, be very careful!  Those roads are ridiculously icy!

I'm off to find my Vicks Vapor Rub and snuggle down on the couch.  Have a great day everyone!

Snooooooooow?

I would love to see some white stuff.

And by some, I mean about 6 inches or so.

Thank you very much.

Snow. . . .snow. . .snow

My children are doing the snow dance.

We'll see. . .

Your Arrogance Makes Me Vomit.

Ever been around someone who was so stuck on themselves you almost vomited?

Lately I've been around some people and I've wondered--is that confidence or arrogance?

How do you tell the difference?

I think Christians are called to be bold and courageous--but when does that cross the line into Obnoxious Land?

Some of my friends have a certain swagger about them.

I always wonder if they are THAT confident all the time, or if they are really just stuck in their pride and egos?

So, my real questions are:

How do we remain confident in the Lord without being cocky and obnoxious?

How can we share the love of Jesus without coming across pompous and unreal?

Is having an ego Christ-like?

Sick Baby=Tired Parents

Chris and I are beat.

Lily has been sick all week, and he and I have been up all hours of the night taking care of her.  She hasn't slept a full night in, oh, 6 days now.  We've traded who actually gets out of the bed and tends to her, but no one sleeps when a 2 year old is screaming, crying, calling your name, whining, or coughing up a lung.

Yea.

I feel like a zombie.  I can't think straight.  Last night I sat down to complete my homework while Chris was at the lock in.  I put Lily to bed early, grabbed my homework. . .and lost an hour or so of my time.

I don't know what happened.

Seriously, it was just gone.

I have no clue, but I didn't get my homework done like I wanted.  I didn't really sleep well last night either because I had a 2 year old bed buddy.

A kicking, coughing, potty training bed buddy.

I. just. want. to. sleep.

I feel like a mother of a newborn.  When you walk around in a perpetual state of sleep deprivation and all you can think about is when you might be able to grab a nap or even 5 minutes of alone time.

You envy those people in public who are perky.

You remember those days you used to be a perky person.

You start going into survival mode:

"If I can just make it to Sheetz I can get coffee.  And a Dt. Mt. Dew.  And some Claritin D.  That will get me through the morning. . . and then I can grab something on the way home today and maybe get a nap while the kids are burning the house down."

"Does anyone really care if I haven't shaved my legs in 3 days?  It is winter and cold as crap outside.  Besides, Chris is so sleep deprived if he notices, I'll just tell him it's a bad dream."

"How in the world does this child operate on 2 hours of sleep?"

"How the heck do people with 8 children not lose complete control?"

For all I know, I have become one of those horrid mouth-breathers.

Those of you who know me well understand my horror.

For those of you who don't, please take my advice:  Next time you are doing nothing that requires brain power--check your mouth.  Is your mouth perfectly sealed, or are you catching flies?

Having that "no one's home" look on your face coupled with a slack, open mouth is offensive to others.

It gives the impression that you are unable to multitask.

For goodness sake--SHUT YO' MOUTH!!!


Whew.



Note:  Those individuals ridden with allergies or colds which require mouth breathing are excluded from this rant and rage.  However, you better have some Kleenex or cough drops on hand to prove your condition to the public.  

New Semester. . .

I like the start of the semester--but in some ways I dread it as well.  It's a fresh start, and a scary beginning.

I always deal with the "What if I can't teach them in a way they will understand?"  "What if they have poor attitudes?"  "What if they don't like me or my teaching style?"  "How can I convince them that this information is important and that I have spent hours preparing it?"

Ugh.

I know this is an inward battle--but I do want my students to know how hard I work for them, how much I care for them personally and academically, and that there is a method to the madness of college work.

I'm still learning how to do this with college students. . .


Sigh.

Hair Cuts, Homework, and a Wedding!

This morning I got up and fixed my children their favorite breakfast to date:  pancake on a stick, sliced oranges, and strawberry smoothies.  Please don't start clapping--I merely microwaved the pancake, cut an orange, and peeled the top off of the pre-made smoothies (HT super deal--oh YEAH!).  However, my children went on and on about the best breakfast EVER.  It doesn't take much. . .

It's been an eventful week--students are back to school, classes have started, and I worked 4 days this week instead of my usual 3.  I was feeling the burn last night as I completed my homework for the week.  I made myself go to bed at regular time instead of falling into my routine of staying up later on the weekend.

This week I did ok with my daily list--towards the end of the week I found myself more distracted and more harried because I chose not adhere to my list a couple days.  I began making other projects priorities instead of sticking to the list.  Honestly, I should just stick to the list instead of bringing more work on myself!

Yesterday afternoon I came home and pulled out my coupons.  For those of you in the Greenville area, you know I'm a big HT shopper.  While I know they tend to be more expensive than FL or K, I find I always get out cheaper because I put my coupons and list to use.  I've started making my list online and either going through the Express Lane or printing my list and doing the shopping myself.  I am able to see exactly how much it's going to cost which allows me to stick to my budget for the week, and if I do the shopping myself I can apply my coupons to the current deals.  It is a little more prep on my end, but I can easily zip through the store and not be swayed by the end caps or promotional items.

Simply by sticking to the list.

Amazing, isn't it?

This morning Lily and I are getting haircuts, Molly and I need to do some homework, and this afternoon we are going to Connie's wedding.  It's going to be a great day!

Coming Soon:  Molly Defends the Honor of Fellow Classmate, Has a Sick Day, Learns about Martin Luther King, Jr., and Encourages the Music Substitute.  (She's been very, very busy this week. . . )

Lily and American Idol

Oh my.

I'm watching the auditions from American Idol--I DVRed them to watch later in the week.

Lily was innocently playing with her Barbies.

Some terrible girl comes on--Lily stops in the middle of Barbie and the Three Musketeers action.

She turns to the television in horror.

She listens to the girl finish singing.

She shakes her head and says, "Whew" and goes back to playing.

That's MY girl. :)

How He Loves Us. . .

I'm sure you've seen the links to my church's cardboard testimony from last Sunday.  Chris told me beforehand that it was not going to be pretty--he's the only person I know that cries as much as I do.  And, he was right.  It's one thing when you see the original on YouTube--it's a whole different story when you know the people and they are your friends and you've been through the dark parts with them.

Even though Chris and I weren't there holding up a sign, we were standing with the people.

We cried with them, we were afraid with them, we rejoiced with them, and we praised God with them.

It's so hard to watch your loved ones suffer like that.  I know that His divine timing is perfect, but sometimes I wonder why in the WORLD we have to go through this pain.

On a lighter note, we did get to see a lot of families we hadn't seen in a while---caught up on good memories and rejoiced about what the Lord has done in our church family.  It's incredible--absolutely incredible.  It was great to see the Holtons--I miss, miss, miss them.  Their girls were some of Molly's favorite playmates, and Chuck and Joanna were a lot of fun to talk to and hang out with.  Some of my favorite memories with them were the staff retreats or meals when we would get together and laugh and talk.

I miss those days.

But, I look at our church staff now with the addition of the Woolards and the Clarks and I can't imagine ministry without them either.  They are some great people and we are so fortunate to have them with us.

As the church gets bigger and busier, I hope we all remember to take the time to cultivate friendships and love on each other.  Yes, it's hard when there is always so much ministry to be done--but somewhere in there you have to love on the people right inside your building as well.  It's hard for me sometimes--I really just want to be with my family when I get home from church and work--but we need to fellowship with our people OUTSIDE of our church obligations.

Besides, we shouldn't feel obligated to want to love on each other, should we?

We've kicked off the new semester at MACU.  I love working there--I still have moments in my office that I say, "Wait a minute. . .this is my JOB???" I love talking with the students, working with them, praising with them.  What a cool opportunity I have.  Some of my students impress me with their wisdom and insight--they are going to be GREAT leaders one day in the church.  It's a completely different atmosphere than my days at ECU.  There are only about 150 full time students at MACU.  My goodness, we had more than that in the music building alone at ECU.  I was one of 20,000+ students.  Crazy.  I mean, I had classes with more that 100 people in them!  Anyone else take those crazy science or art lecture classes???

I can't imagine going to such a small school--but I can see how it would be nice in some ways.

Well, Lily and I have some serious business to take care of:  watching Ooh and Ahh, washing sheets, and dancing with our princess crowns on.  I hope everyone has a good day!

He Loves Us, Oh How He Loves Us!

Haven't departed the planet, just craaaaazy busy these past few days.

New post tomorrow, I promise. . .

Date Night! and Saturday Morning Rambles

My entire life I have been a list girl.  I start and spend my day making and marking items off my list.  It keeps me on track, and I feel very accomplished crossing things off my list.  When I have a long list and a lot of lines through items I feel important.  Sometimes I even put things on there that I know I'm going to do and don't need an item for (like "pick out church clothes") just for the satisfaction of crossing an item off my list (I know, I know, I'm a sick person).

Recently, I have felt compelled to be more purposeful in my life.  Worrying about all the details that I want to do without any input from my family or God has not been healthy for me.  So, I've decided a new approach.  Every morning before I created my list this week I simply prayed, "God, thank you for this day, tell me what you want me to do," and then I wait for His response.  Immediately, an average of 4-5 things come to mind, but nothing else.

The first day I tried this I was shocked that all He wanted was those 4-5 things.  I kept thinking, "God, I'm really a good multi-tasker--surely you can trust me to do more than this!"  But, I kept hearing, "No, this is all."

It was really incredible because I had just enough time during my day to complete those things, I felt the accomplishment of tearing up my list at the end of the day, and didn't feel harried to complete the remaining items on my multiple page list.

Crazy.

I was able to complete everything I wanted to do this week at work and at home AND enjoy conversations with students, friends, my family, and take time for myself.

Unreal.

So, the moral of the story is:  I need to stop trying to be God and control my time.  Apparently the creator of the universe has it all figured out anyways.  You know, since He made time and all. . .

Last night, Chris and I dropped the kids off at his mom's for a MUCH NEEDED night to ourselves.  Chris and I rarely have time for the two of us, and most of the time we like spending our weekends together as a family.  However, it has been a little while since we have had a night out and about to ourselves AND we received our $70 rebate card from my phone purchase in November from US Cellular.  We drove around Greenville, stopped in Olive Garden and promptly returned to our car after we were told it was a 45 minute wait.  Finally, we stopped at Mongolian--no wait!!! and something neither of us had had in a while.  Normally the food there requires an automatic cleanse for me (not to be too graphic, but it TEARS ME UP!), but Chris really likes it.  I really like the taste, but sometimes I don't appreciate literally flushing the cost of the meal down my toilet the way the food doesn't like me.

Ahem.

So, we ate dinner--I played around with the sauce this time and voila! the food stayed in my belly!  Afterwards, we decided to go to Target and just browse around.  Chris is a very good shopping friend when we don't have a deadline, crowds, or children with us.  We wandered around in each department, picked up a trinket for the girls for Valentine's Day, oohed and ahhed over the most divine pink fuzzy blanket in the world (and if you see Chris, drop the hint that it would be the perfect present for me), found a uniform shirt for Molly for only $2.68 (yea red sticker!!!), and a few other toiletry items.  It was nice just to look at things I never spend time looking at (like cookware or sports) because I'm an in-and-out girl with my kids.

It was nice to be together.  I adore my husband, but sometimes I forget to stop and remember why I adore him in the whirlwind of our chaotic lives.  I hate that we don't get to do these things more often.  It's so nice for our marriage to have some time to ourselves.  That isn't a healthy rut for us, and I'm trying to dig us out of it.  

After a long night's sleep, I'm relaxing with Buster in front of the fireplace.  We'll go pick up the girls in a little while, but in the meantime I'm just enjoying stillness of the morning.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Christmas Time is Gone

I love Christmas--and I'm creating a mini me apparently.  When I told Molly the tree and everything was coming down today she sighed very heavily and said, "I miss Christmas already."

Me too, little one, me too.

Today it will all come down and then go up into the attic.  I am leaving my garland on the mantle because the reds, whites, and greenery somehow looks very wintery and romantic.  I'll put it up in February after Valentines Day.

I have purchased some Valentines place mats and I look forward to putting them out.

My mother-in-law gave me a floor mat for the kitchen and I have enjoyed having a mat under my feet while I wash dishes.  I may invest in a new one that will take me through the year.

I have a cute holiday rug by the front door and I would like to get a different everyday one.  I'm not gonna lie--I'm one of those ladies who likes pink and polka dots.  I like to indulge my inner child in items that we use daily but are not major home furniture pieces or accents.

Chris and I are sort of at a crossroads with our home.  We would love to have more space--maybe add on a garage and bonus room, or possibly move.  We are so happy here and at our church, but I guess there is a part of me who is always a little hesitant to put down roots.  I guess I feel like if we moved or added on it would feel like we were saying, "Yes, we will be here for a long time."  Ministry is a funny thing as the Lord often says when we least expect it, "Ok, that was fun, but now I want you to go THERE."

And, as His servants, we will go.

So, I guess I'm hoping that maybe the Lord will send a clue bird to whisper in my ear, "Yes you will stay/go and you should do ________________."  Wouldn't that make life easier sometimes???

And for the record, we are NOT contemplating moving away from here--the house I'm in love with is exactly one mile away from our current home.  

So, in the meantime, we have decided to work on the home we currently have.  Maybe we'll move, maybe we'll build, maybe we'll stay.  The nice thing this is that we aren't in a situation in which we HAVE to decide today or tomorrow or even next week.

Chris and I are talking to his cousin (who is in the flooring business) about putting wood floors down and tile in our kitchen and bathrooms.  If you've been to our house, you've noticed the 1990s green floor of doom in our kitchen as well as the fruity wallpaper which makes me roll my eyes.  Soon and very soon it will be coming down.

Just like my Christmas decorations.

Sigh.

I No Wanna!!!

Go back to work tomorrow!!!

I love my job, but I love being home with my kids.  Thank goodness I have a job that allows me to do both.

We have a busy day ahead--church, taking the girls to the movies, and then getting ready for a work and school week.  I know that time flies between now and the end of the school year--I'll make it through and then it will be SUMMER!  What's better is that it will be summer and I should be a graduate--so I can really enjoy my lazy summer days with my family.  HURRAY!!!!!

Have a great Sunday!