sacred

In our young couples class at church, we've been going through a study based on the book Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. The idea behind the book and the group study is to ponder the question "What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?"

That's quite a question to ponder. Particularly at the halfway point in an engagement. But I have ended up LOVING this study and am so thankful for the timing of it in our lives and our relationship. The study wipes away the romanticized notion of a marriage and instead talks about growing with your spouse and growing your relationship in order to bring God glory. Through this class, Bobby and I had many opportunities to talk with others couples, hear their insight and experiences in their marriages, reflect on our own strengths and weaknesses, and really look at how we help balance each other out and how we can honor each other. I could probably write a lot more about the study, but alas it is Sunday evening and everything I've put off doing over the weekend is now staring me in the face. Boo. My favorite thing from the whole study was a prayer suggested during class this morning: "Lord, how do I love my spouse today like they've never been loved before and never will be loved again?" I feel so honored to be the person who gets to pray that over my sweet boy.

they said it's not broken...

Buuuuut, it ain't right.

In fact, it's a bit crooked.

This is the result of changing poses in yoga-going from downward dog to warrior 1. To quote my dear friend's blog, um....seriously?! I've done that change 100 times without injury.

Sorry to those of you reading this who are grossed out by feet.

just a preview...

Yep.

Thank goodness for Photoshop (we now have a decent copy of this picture where he's actually looking at the camera...he's pretty).

Yes, there were laughable pictures of me as well, but after all, this is my blog and I chose to not share those with the world. :)

Thank goodness we did an informal practice shoot with a very patient friend...otherwise we wouldn't have known how important drinks will be before the real engagement photo session. After all, we're basically agreeing to give our photographer our first child in exchange for pictures and a wedding album, so we need to be relaxed and get some good shots.

Thank goodness for love.

ICE: you are not my friend

Well, I just got official word that there will be no school tomorrow. That would be day 3. Day 1 is always exciting and much appreciated. Beyond that, we in education start waving goodbye to those precious end-of-year holidays that are so desperately needed. Now it seems we'll also be waving goodbye to at least one summer day...perhaps more if the darn sun doesn't come out and start melting some of this ice!

Day 1:
-made muffins for breakfast (got ingredients the day before in anticipation of being home to make them)
-looked at potential honeymoon spots...this may not have been such a great idea...pictures of beaches and imagining laying there soaking up the sun with a frozen beverage in hand...yeah, that idea gets sort of ruined when you attempt to look out the window, but can't because of all the frost and condensation on it from outside
-listened to Mazie meow to go outside, only to open the door for her, have her look at the snow outside the front door, and run into the bedroom. Like 50 times. Can cats have amnesia?
-once we'd bored ourselves of the TV, we decided to try and venture to 7-11 for a movie and snacks, most importantly to get out for a little bit
-bought horrible gas station snacks (and ate them!!), adult beverages and 2 Red Box movies
-made spaghetti squash for dinner
-painted my nails
-attempted to watch Anchorman...I just couldn't do it
-watched The Social Network instead
-used only cold water since the hot water pipes are broken at the apartment complex (=no shower yesterday)
-tried negotiating with a photographer...I'd say I was 60% successful

Day 2:
-slept in without interruptions
-cleaned out and wiped down the inside of the fridge
-decided to venture to Target for some groceries, and again, to get out of the house. Realized Target was not a terrific idea because the parking lot was one giant sheet of ice. Whimpered about parking and having to back out on ice. Finally decided to park far away from all cars in an open area where I could just pull forward to leave. Shopped in the 1/2 dark for the first time (electricity is evidently a precious commodity in North Texas right now, thank goodness it hasn't affected my apartment).
-went to the gym to shower. Yes, I had all the time in the world to work out but was seriously lacking motivation. So instead I just enjoyed their hot water and hair that no longer looks liked I emerged from the Gulf oil spill.
-Signed my first child away to a photographer. Well, really more to the wedding album she'll be making for us.
-Attempted to do my taxes. I didn't like what they said I owed, so I'll try again later.
-Started calling my work phone tree peeps
-I'd pour myself a glass of wine right now if I weren't going to pick up my sweet boy from downtown in about 30 minutes

Day 3:
I'm predicting:
-an actual gym visit that includes some exercise and sweat (and probably a hot shower since I'm doubting anything can be done about the underground pipes here in the 14 degree weather)
-catching up on 3 weeks worth of People magazines
-Modern Family season 1 marathon (it's ok to be jealous if Santa didn't bring this to you)
-banging my head against the wall
-creating a list of recipes to make for an entire month in an attempt to curb my lack of inspiration cooking rut
-mixed feelings if I get "the call" for day 4

recipe revamp

Before about a month ago, I was not a fan of chicken salad. That was due to a star ingredient: mayonnaise. Mayo grosses me out. I was able to find a good recipe that used a combination of mustards, so that appeased once or twice (see: Barefoot Contessa). Then my Bible study leader brought this little ditty for our group and I fell in love:

Chicken Salad
4c. diced or shredded chicken (pull apart 1 rotisserie chicken)
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped green onions
1/2 c. chopped water chestnuts
1/2 c. sliced almonds
seasoning salt or salt and pepper to taste
<1 tsp ground ginger (I recommend using fresh ginger)

Combine above ingredients and top with dressing (see below).

Dressing (Combine the following):

1 1/2 - 2 c. Brianna's Poppyseed dressing
1/2 c. sour cream
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
dash of Tabasco (optional)

I omitted the ginger and Tabasco; I'm a fan of neither. I used 1/2 cup of the dressing and that was plenty for me; I know others like their chicken salad creamier than I do. This is a good and easy recipe for those of us who have to pack a lunch in lieu of eating elementary school cafeteria "food."

your eyes whispered how we met

Wednesday night: Bobby very casually asks if I want to go see his new office in the old courthouse tomorrow since it will be kind of quiet down there with not many people working. I say sure.

Thursday afternoon: We go to said courthouse, check out his new digs, and he asks if I want to see a really neat view of the city. I say sure. We then proceed to go through a door held open by a fire extinguisher...which kinda freaked me out since that meant the door obviously would lock if it got closed. Bobby says that it's fine, it's always there. Ok. We begin to climb stairs in what looks like attic space, complete with all kinds of furry and scaly friends and insulation everywhere. As we're climbing over pipes, I ask him if he is taking me somewhere to murder me since no one would find me in this space. We go up more stairs and across a little bridge like thing and then another set of stairs to this scene:

I stopped walking and said something along the lines of "oh my gosh" while also being acutely aware that my heart was beating harder than it ever had before. Bobby came back and walked me up the few remaining stairs and then got down on his sweet knee, said the sweetest words to me and asked me to marry him! I'm pretty sure I said "really???" about 7 times after I said yes and then about 70 more times throughout our time up on the observation deck. The little observation room/deck was so romantic and so neat! The view of Fort Worth was really amazing once I actually looked at it.

He did a great job!! I was totally clueless although I should have picked up on his ever-so-fast pace once we left his office and headed to "see the view." :) He'd set everything up earlier in the day and a maintenance fellow and a bailiff were the only folks who knew what was going on.

I kept thinking of that line from Legally Blond when Reese Witherspoon says "....and she's wearing the ring on her bony unpolished finger!" I had literally just taken my nail polish off the day before and hadn't redone them, so I did a hasty at-home job before dinner.

We went to dinner at Silver Fox to celebrate and then met up with friends afterwards. Even Margaret's sweet parents showed up to celebrate!

It's sinking in more today but yesterday was the most surreal thing I've ever experienced. I know I am beyond blessed and that this sweet man was hand-picked for me.

He told me "now we get to be a family." :)

I get to keep him!!

i could be british for this

I mean, really, could anything look more like comfort food?? This is the pic from the magazine...mine wasn't as pretty but it sure was tasty. Perfect comforting meal for the cold weather and stressful holiday times.

English Cottage Pie
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter, softened
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1 (8-ounce) package cremini or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, divided
Paprika (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine flour and butter; stir well. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and carrot; sauté 5 minutes. Add mushrooms; sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove vegetables from skillet. Add beef to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in tomato paste, and cook 3 minutes. Stir in broth and pepper. Return vegetables to pan, and bring to a simmer. Stir in parsley, thyme, and salt. Add flour mixture, and cook for 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly.

3. Spoon meat mixture into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray, spreading evenly. Combine the potatoes and half of cheese; spread the potato mixture evenly over meat mixture. Top with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

I didn't tweak this at all except to use dried thyme instead of fresh. I made some quick mashed potatoes with a few Yukon golds, milk, butter, S&P. Oh, and I bought pre-sliced mushrooms...why wouldn't you? :)

Recipe from Cooking Light

these are a few of my favorite things

I hope Santa has Internet capabilities way up there in the North Pole. If you see the jolly gent, please pass along my list...I've been very good this year! :)

How can you not want to bake with this cute yellow hand mixer?!

A Lululemon yoga mat!! It is specially designed to keep my hands from slipping when I get sweaty (which would come in extra handy if I ever get to do hot yoga again....fingers crossed).

Oh...my liking of all things owls (cute owls, not creepy ones or ones with eyes too big) might be blowing into a full on obsession. Yeah. I think it is. How cute are these note cards?? I would opt for my own name, of course, to be on the front. I think I'd also choose bejeweled and rosybrown as my two color choices from this cute website: http://www.ohlouisedesigns.com/pages/Item%20Pages/OwlsFolded.html .

How did the owl thing come to be, you ask? Do you see any similarities between the pillow and the furry:

(When she gets really crazy, her ears go back and her yellow eyes get HUGE and I am certain that one time she is going to sprout wings and start saying "whooo.")

And just because sometimes Santa's in a really awesome giving mood, here's my most favorite thing with four wheels:

Merry Christmas!!

slow-cooker goodness

Here's a new favorite recipe. It's perfect for Sunday nights or when you're craving some warm comfort food.

Slow-Cooker Carne Guisada (serves 8-10)
•2 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast or bottom round, cut into 1-inch pieces
•coarse salt and ground pepper
•2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•1 medium white onion, diced medium
•1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced medium
•1 large jalapeno, seeded and diced small
•5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
•1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
•3/4 teaspoon chili powder
•3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
•6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
•1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
•2 bay leaves
•Flour tortillas, warmed, grated cheddar, and cilantro, for serving

•Season beef with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over high. In two batches, cook beef until browned on all sides, 5 minutes per batch (add 2 teaspoons more oil for second batch). Transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
•In same skillet, cook 2 teaspoons oil, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic over medium, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until vegetables are tender, 5 minutes. Add cumin, chili powder, oregano, and flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly pour broth into skillet, stirring until liquid is smooth. Simmer 2 minutes, then transfer mixture to slow cooker, along with tomatoes and bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high 6 hours. Serve in tortillas with cheese and cilantro.

(from Everyday Food, 11/2010)

My thoughts:
-I bought already cut up stew meat...the less I have to handle raw meat, the better.
-Everything tastes even better wrapped up in a Central Market flour tortilla. :)

battle of the banana breads

While I am far from a baker, I did try out two different banana bread recipes recently. One uses one of my obsessions: Greek yogurt. The other is fairly tradition...I assume, anyway, since I'm no baker.

Cho-nana Bread
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
½ cup natural applesauce (no sugar added)
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large overripe bananas
½ cup Chobani Plain 0% Greek Yogurt
½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional) *I would use 1/3 cup*

Grease large loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl, stir together flours, baking soda, and salt.
Peel bananas. Cut each in half lengthwise and then cut each half into halves. Chop quartered bananas into 2-inch pieces. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar into a smooth paste. Add applesauce and vanilla, and mix until combined. Add eggs on at a time, and beat until incorporated.
Add flour mixture to wet ingredients, and mix well. Add chopped bananas, nuts and/or chocolate chips and Chobani.
Fold ingredients in, being careful not to break up banana chunks. Bake at 350F for 1 hour or until inserted knife comes out clean when removed from loaf.

Banana-Chocolate-Walnut Bread
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
5 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate minichips
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted and divided
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons fat-free milk

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended. Add sugars; beat until blended.
Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended.
Fold minichips and nuts into batter; pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

The winner (in my opinion, anyway): Cho-nana Bread! I liked the taste better, plus since I consider myself a bit of a health nut, I like the protein factor from the yogurt, plus the use of applesauce instead of oil. Happy baking!