Never Once

Scars and struggles on the way

But with joy our hearts can say

Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone

Never once did You leave us on our own

You are faithful, God, You are faithful

I love this song by Matt Redman.  Its a beautiful song, beautiful lyrics, and something every believer can attest to.  We serve such a faithful God.


*Cherise

Hide 'Em in Your Heart

Busy.   

Life. Is So. Busy. 

  And the bad news is, I don't imagine it will get any less busy.  Sometimes, all the busy can become an excuse for me to push God to the last little box to check off on my "to do" list.  I forget to intentionally add Him into the moments.  But the other morning when I was in the shower I had a small moment of inspiration.  A way. A start. An idea... To intentionally add more of God.  To help me be more aware of the moments. To show me how I can add Him back in, and the small ways I can begin to make a difference.

"But his delight is in the law of the LORD, 

And in His law he meditates day and night"

Psalm 1:2

Scripture Memorization.  We all know it's important.  We can use it to keep us from sin, share truth about Jesus Christ to those who don't know Him, to know God more, and to restore and refresh our hearts.  So, the shower.  I'm reclaiming the shower.

Grab your dry erase marker and do the same.  Practice meditating on God's Word day and night . . . and in the shower. 

What verse is God ministering to you through? 

LOVE

Jessica

Cilantro Chicken & Creamy Avocado Pasta

We got a table.  After almost two years of being a "Sadie, Sadie married lady" we finally have a proper place to sit down and eat supper.  Its a small thing, but we couldn't exactly fit anything larger in this apartment.  

I wanted our first meal together to be a little special.  I brought out the damask place mats, cloth napkins, and even our crystal champagne glasses that we registered for as a wedding gift despite the fact neither of us had ever purchased champagne in our lives.  I for one hadn't even tried it.  Actually my first taste of any alcohol whatsoever was on our honeymoon.  A watermelon margarita.  I gagged.  But hey, I like having pretty glasses, sue me. 

Now for the menu, it wasn't exactly fancy.  Actually it was quite simple and fast.  There were two recipes I wanted to try that had some common ingredients and I thought why not put them together.  Let me just tell you the creamy avocado sauce is a-ma-zaa-zing!  David can't wait to have it again.  The chicken went quite well with the pasta and rounded it out a bit, adding some necessary protein.

Cilantro Chicken

 from the Taste of Home website

*I halved this recipe for the 2 of us, but its supposed to serve 4

Ingredients: 

  

   - 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 in. cubes

   -1/2 tsp. salt

   -1/2 tsp. ground cumin

   -1/4 tsp. pepper

   -4 Tbsp. butter, divided (I used EVOO, its healthier)

   -2 large onions, sliced (Make sure to get mild onions and slice them small, or maybe even use less)

   -1/2 C. lemon juice

   -1/4 C. minced fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt, cumin, and pepper.  In a large skillet over med heat, cook and stir the chicken in 2 Tbsp. butter (or EVOO) until no longer pink.  Remove and keep warm.
2. In the same skillet, saute onions in remaining butter until tender and golden brown.  Return chicken to the pan.  Stir in lemon juice and cilantro; bring to a boil. 

15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta

from Oh She Glows

Serves 2

Ingredients:

   -1 med. ripe avocado, pitted

   -1/2 a lemon juiced

   -2-3 garlic cloves

   -1/2 tsp. salt

   -1/4 C. fresh basil  (I haven't started my basil plant yet, so I just used a couple dashes of dried basil)

   -2 Tbsp.  EVOO

   -2 servings of pasta 

Directions:

1. Bring several cups of water to boil in a medium sized pot and cook pasta according to packaged directions.
2. Place the garlic, lemon juice, and EVOO in a food processor.  Process until smooth.  Add in the avocado, basil, and salt.  Process until smooth and creamy.
3. Drain and rinse the pasta and toss with the sauce until combined. 

Doesn't it look so creamy and delicious? 

Then I just topped the pasta with some chicken and we were good to go!

Easy Peasy.  Make this!!!!


*Cherise

Army Wives

We recently got Netflix.  Yay!  It has proved to be the perfect distraction.  David has been pulling the 8:30pm-5am guard shift and sleeping when he can.  I have it better than a lot of people I'm sure.  I mean I'm grateful a job isn't preventing me from ever seeing my husband, but I'm not really a fan of going to bed alone every night.  Reminds me too much of deployment.  So basically I watch whatever I've discovered on Netflix until I'm too tired not to fall asleep.  

Guess what I found tonight, Army Wives!  I've only seen the past 2 seasons because  1. I didn't have cable at our first apartment  2. I didn't have any t.v. access whatsoever during college.  

I have felt that sometimes the show is a little much.  Soooo much drama yet I felt they almost romanticize army life.  I was curious to see how this all came to be (killa rhymes), so I started with season 1.  4 episodes into it and my opinion has changed.  Not about the current stuff because it is sorta ridiculous, but that first season is pretty legit (I'm not really a fan of that word, but it seems appropriate).  It has captured the speedy relationships, gossip, abuse, crazy on post rules, struggling marriages, the not so lovely side of redeployment, worry, pre-deployment stress, the waiting, never being able to plan, PTSD, bearing burdens alone during deployment.  A lot of the REAL issues were addressed.  Not that that's all to be said for Army life.  There is also the commitment the spouses have for each other, selflessness, friends being there for each other, ending every phone conversation with "I love you" because you know it could be your last, learning to be independent.  A lot of people don't get to experience those things to the same degree. 

 Being an army wife is a growing experience that's for sure.  It is very lonely at times, but I hope to come out of this a better wife, a more capable person, and closer to God than ever before. 

*Cherise            

Stuffed Zucchini

Yummy Yummy in my tummy!

 

Stuffed Zucchini
*1/2 C Bread Crumbs
*2 T grated Parmesan Cheese
*4 T butter
*1/2 C. onion chopped (hello....food processor)
* 1 Clove Garlic minced
*1 Tomato , peeled and chopped
*2 Zucchini, halved, scooped out.  Reserve shells and pulp.
*Salt and Pepper to Taste
** I added bell pepper and spinach.


Directions

Toss bread crumbs, cheese, and 2 Tablespoons of butter in a small dish.  Saute onion, bell pepper, and garlic in remaining 2 tablespoons butter until tender.  Add tomato, spinach, and zucchini pulp.  Mix well and heat through.  Place zucchini shells in a greased baking dish.  I put a bit of evoo and salt and pepper on the inside of the zucchini shells.  Fill the zucchini shells with stuffing.  Top with bread crumbs and bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Zucchini isn't really in season right now, so my zucchini were really small.  I can't wait to pick some up fresh from our local farmers market.

I also can't get enough of sweet potato fries!  My favorite condiment to dip these little guys into is a fry sauce. [Shout-out Utah]  I made my fry sauce using BBQ sauce instead of ketchup to give it an extra kick. 

Fry Sauce
*BBQ Sauce (your favorite, I really love Famous Dave's)
*Mayo
*Seasoning Salt
*Salt & Pepper


1) Stir together a combo of 3 parts Mayo to 2 parts BBQ, depending on the amount you need.
2) Add seasoning salt, salt, and pepper to taste.  Remember you can always add more, so start small!


Enjoy!

Love,
Jessica

Everything

I admit it.  I was hooked from this moment:

Colton Dixon - Everything

[watch it! WARNING:you may need to wipe a tear] 

Encouraged for his love for the Lord, his desire to share, to be unashamed.  Those hearts aren't always seen in the everyday person, let alone someone on national tv.  God's going to use him mightily.  As grateful as I am for the stage Colton has and the number of people he was/is able to minister to, remember that God has too empowered us.

"but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

Romans 1:8

Take advantage of wherever your Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and remotest part of the earth is.  Be His witnesses.  Be bold.  Be unashamed. Desire to share.  Allow God to use you mightily.  

And remember God has empowered you.

Love

Jessica

Spring Pumpkin

Who says the 2 don't mix?  I don't care if pumpkin is a fall thing, I'm gettin my pumpkin on! 

Does a gluten and sugar free cereal exist?  And if so, is it edible?  Or affordable?  
When I came across Spoonful of Sugar Free I jumped for joy.  And when I saw the recipe for Pumpkin Spice Latte granola I knew I had to give it a try.

One thing I would suggest, don't get salted pumpkin seeds.  Maybe choose a different seed altogether.  They're sorta hard chew.  I chose golden raisins which were delish in this.  

  After mixing the pumpkin with the spices and coffee it smells soooo amazing!  

Caution:  check your granola frequently!  The recipe says to bake for 45 min, stirring every 15.  My oven apparently is the only thing in my apartment that works marvelously because I ended up with a few burnt raisins.  

This was my first granola making experience and I was surprised how easy and quick it was to put together.  I would've like to taste a little more pumpkin, though adding the coffee beans at the end kicks up the coffee flavor.  If you aren't trying to go sugar free I would probably add a little honey to the mix, as the raisins are the only sweet factor.  Pair this with a bit of coconut milk and some pumpkin spice tea and you're good to go! 

I'll be trying out a lot of recipes that go along with my new diet and posting the results.  Because lets be honest, most people who always eat healthy food....well, lets just say if I think something tastes good, chances are, you'll like it too.

*Cherise

Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers

I love the internet.  It has been a lifesaver during this diet.  I have found so much information and so many recipes and blogs that have all proved very helpful.  Tonight I made some quinoa-stuffed peppers (sans the cheese on mine) for David and I.  The peppers were not the only ones stuffed, holy cow!  I made a whole pepper for each of us because I thought they looked small. Not so.  I cut this recipe in half and made some minor adjustments.  They were quite delicious and quite healthy with some hidden veggies.  Try it!

Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers

 Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 1 Med. onion, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 ribs of celery, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp. cumin
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• opt.  I added a dash or so of cayenne to spice it up
• 10 oz pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (I used fresh!)
• 2 15 oz. can diced tomatoes drained, liquid reserved (I skipped this)
• 1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained (I used this much for 2 peppers)
• 3/4 C. quinoa
• 3 large carrots, grated (Food processor to the rescue!!)
• 1 1/2 C. grated cheese, divided
• 4 large bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed

Directions:

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin, cayenne, and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.
2. Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 2 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Stir in 1 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour liquid from tomatoes in bottom of baking dish.
4. Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour. Uncover, and sprinkle each pepper with 1 Tbs. remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates, and drizzle each with pan juices before serving. 

Enjoy!

I really need to stop taking pictures with my ipod.  yuck.

 

*Cherise

In like a lion...out like a lion

Does it feel like March?  Isn't March supposed to be the crazy unstable month.  The windy one day, raining the next...snowing the day after that and then back to 80 degrees of loveliness month?  March was normal in St. George.  This month, this month of April, has  been the every-changing month.  Just today I sat outside at Starbucks sipping my cafe vanilla frapp while talking to an old college friend while we soaked in all that vitamin D.  Tonight I stood outside with my friend Margo as we stood in awe of the perfect weather St. George nights bring.  We schemed and planned summer BBQs, southern night dinners, a Hunger Games dinner party, and those late night bike rides.  I can't wait for summer!  But, the days have not been all so lovely.  Just this weekend we had four days of rain.  I honestly don't mind the rain, as it brings a much needed change in environmental dynamic.  But the wind... no thanks.  It brought back memories of the barren windy lands of Wyoming.  Here's the good: the wind and rain encouraged me to bring out a cookbook I've had for a while (Do you do that?  Buy cookbooks, look through them, but rarely use them), and cooked up a soup I had marked off to try. Here's a white chilly.  There are things I would add next time, but this makes for a great base. I paired this soup with a fiesta cornbread.  The sweet and spicy cornbread was perfect to soak up the rich white chili with all those earthy beans. 

Creamy White Chili

Janelle Dixon from Gooseberry Patch Family Recipes

 

Ingredients - Serves 6 to 8
* 1 T. vegetable oil
*1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cubed [I'll try a spicy turkey sausage next]
*1 onion chopped [is anything better than a food processor?]
*14 0z. chicken broth
*2 (15.8 oz) Great Northern beans - drained and rinsed
*2 (4.5 oz) cans chopped green chiles, undrained
*1 1/2 t. garlic powder
*1 t. salt
*1 t. ground cumin
*1/2 t. dried oregano
*8 oz sour cream [I used light to try to cut calories...you'll see why]
*1 C. whipping cream [that's why]
*2 C. shredded Monterey Jack Cheese [I used a Colby & Monterey Jack Mix]
Side Note #1:  I would absolutely add corn in the future, and whatever other veggies I have on hand.
Side Note #2:  Perfect crock pot meal, let it hang out.


1.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium.  Add chicken and onions and saute 10 minutes or until chicken is done.  Set aside.
2.  Combine broth, beans, chiles and seasonings in a pot.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
[or let it hang out in the crock-pot]
3.  Add chicken and onions, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
4.  Add sour cream and whipping cream stirring well.
5.  Top each serving with your shredded cheese.

Fiesta Cornbread

Kathryn Harris

Ingredients Serves 6-9

*1 C. yellow cornmeal

* 3/4 t. baking soda

*1/2 t. salt

*1 C. buttermilk

*8 1/4 oz creamed corn

*2 eggs beaten

*2 jalapeno peppers, chopped

*1 onion chopped

* 1/4 C vegetable oil

*1 1/2 C. sharp Cheddar cheese

1.  Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl.  

2.  Add buttermilk and next 4 ingredients, stirring just until ingredients are moistened.

3.  Heat oil in a 9" cast iron skillet; spoon half the batter in.

4.  Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese.

5.  Poor remaining batter over top.

6.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.

7. Bake at 400 for 40 minutes.

Confession:  I forgot to buy cornmeal, but I happened to have a boxed mix of cornbread on hand....so use your little imaginations and guess what I used.  Yes, the mix.  I followed the box directions with the oil and egg.  I also didn't get any jalapenos, but used some of the left over green chiles from the soup.

So I sat down with my bowl of creamy white chili and sweet cornbread and watched a few episodes of my newest addiction.  I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I started watching the last season of CMT's Sweet Home Alabama.  We all have our guilty pleasures...  Enjoy!

 LOVE

Jessica

Last night I found baby kitties hiding under a tarp in my little fenced in patio area.  I had no idea how they got there as the fence is quite tall and there weren't any holes in the ground.  I put out a bowl of milk because I figured they were hungry.  Then the mother popped out of no where and proceeded to stare and hiss at me.  I hissed back.  I mean, come on, its MY patio.  David was working the night shift, so I decided I'd let him deal with it in the morning as I am not an animal person.  He went out there this afternoon with protective gloves (I had warned him that the mother would scratch his face off), lifted up the tarp and there wasn't a cat to be seen.  Thank goodness she got her babies out of there.  I wish I had taken a picture though, they were pretty darn cute.


*Cherise

A few tidbits from today:

1. Yeast extract is a sneaky little jerk.  In order to avoid the negativity associated with MSG, companies list yeast extract in the ingredients which sounds more natural.  It is still a flavor enhancer and chances are if you react to MSG, you'll react to yeast extract.     
2. Organic toaster pastries exist!  I don't think I'd feel nearly as bad eating those as I do Pop Tarts.  Mmmm, I love Pop Tarts.  This stinkin diet needs to be over.

*Cherise

June Bugs

Dennis, Margo, Jennee, and Myself

One of my favorite nights last summer was spent with friends in my backyard having a BBQ.  We played bocci ball, which was a fun and new experience for me.  We struggled to BBQ using an electric grill that never quite warmed up (good thing we were having Greek veggie burgers).  The warm St. George night ended with an impromptu long-exposure sparkler fest.  Who knew it would work so well!  The final highlight of the evening was a drink I had been dying to make.  The "June Bug."  When I saw the recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine I thought, "Cutest name award!"  Now, couple that with the bright coral coloring and the June Bug becomes the most quintessential sip of summer.  

June Bug
* 3 Cups Ginger Ale
* 4 Tablespoons Grenadine
* 4 Tablespoons Orange Juice
* 3 Scoops Orange Sherbet

Blend the ingredients together.  Serve in a cocktail glass over ice and garnish with a wedge of orange.

 

My dear friend Jennee & Myself

June Bug in hand

What's your sip of summer?

LOVE

Jessica

Menu Board

April...spring is in the air, actually in Texas its more like summer.  And as well as bringing the heat, April is also the start of red cycle for David's platoon.  What is red cycle?  I do not know.  There are so many terms in the military and I'm still pretty new to all this stuff.  What I do know is that David has gate guard duty for the next 3 months.  Its been a little frustrating because there really is no set schedule and we just hope that he'll get at least one day off each week.  This is where not having a job is a very positive thing.  Some wives barely get to see their men.  With these odd hours and disrupted schedule I decided I needed a project to focus on.  I've been planning on getting my apartment more organized to make life and eventually moving easier.

My first and to be honest, probably the most unnecessary project is a menu board.  My mom always planned out a weekly menu and I like to as well, but putting a piece of paper on the fridge just wasn't cutting it.  I looked up some menu boards on Pinterest for inspiration and this is what I came up with....

You'll need:

• 8x10 (or larger) frame- $1
• scrapbook paper- $  .26 
• sticker letters- $2.39
• 4 magnets (6 strength level)- $1.99
• any ribbon, stickers, buttons or whatever embellishments you want
• strong glue

                   = this only cost me $5.64

Gather your supplies

  

Make any embellishments your little heart desires.  I am not an artist so I drew the best coffee mug I could and cut it out before tracing it on the fun kitchen appropriate paper I had on hand.

Figure out your layout.  I cut out the stickers so I could really see how they would fit.  To make this craft even cheaper cut out your own letters from scrapbook paper.

Before attaching anything make sure it all fits in your frame how you want it to.  I used hot glue to attach the ribbon, mug, and buttons.

 

Once you have it all put together glue a magnet on each corner of the frame.  I used gorilla glue and let it sit over night.

Get yourself a dry erase marker and plan away!

*Cherise

Beautiful Things

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

 

 All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

-Gungor 

[Thoughts about Easter]

LOVE,
Jessica

Coffee Coffee Coffee!

In my little kitchen its hard to decorate.  And its impractical to put effort and money into working with this specific space when I know we'll be moving in a few months.  My theme is coffee, so other than the matching coffee calendar my mom buys for herself, my sister, and me each year, all I've got is a a pot brewing daily.  I decided to do something cheap and practical that can be used in whatever kitchen I'll be in next.  

Tea towels.  I like to embroider tea towels.  I embroidered my first tea towel in middle school I think, and I have no idea why.  I only know one kind of stitch and my creations never turn out crazy awesome, but its relaxing and just plain fun.  I googled some coffee images to get some ideas and this is what I came up with....

*Cherise

Pizza! Pizza!

Who doesn't love a slice...or two?  

My go-to pizza is Papa John's BBQ Chicken Bacon pizza.  As of late though, Anna and I have been searching the wonderful world of pizza for the perfect Bacon Cheeseburger pizza.  I know, I know.  Do pickles really belong on a pizza?  Yes, is my emphatic answer!  My local pizza place growing up had the most delicious rendering of a bacon cheeseburger pizza.  It was the perfect combination of melted cheese, crisp hamburger, tangy pickles, and salty bacon.  Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm.  Back to the task at hand, here is a quick and fun recipe to make yet another form of this tasty American favorite. 

[It is so easy that I'm a little embarrassed to share it. But, it was just so fun I couldn't help myself.]

Pizza Pockets

Ingredients

1.  Store Bought Croissants

2.  Pepperoni

3.  Mozzarella String Cheese

4.  Parmesan, garlic salt, basil, crushed red pepper flakes

5.  Your favorite pizza sauce for dipping

 Step 1:  Line a cookie sheet with foil - clean up will be a cinch.  Roll out the croissants.  Sprinkle them with the Parmesan, basil, garlic salt, and a bit of crushed red pepper.

 Step 2:  Layer six  pepperoni at the top where the croissant is the largest.

 Step 3:  Now this is the fun part!  Take your string cheese, break it in half, and place it at the top of the croissant.

 Step 4:  Roll those little guys up.  Sprinkle with a bit more parm and garlic salt.  Throw into a 375 oven for about 11 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the bottoms are brown.  Serve alongside your favorite dipping sauce.

LOVE
JJ