april 2015 recap

It's hard to believe we're beginning the month of May. April zipped right on by in a flurry of raindrops. We had some hard, sad days at the beginning of the month. As a family in our church went through an incredibly difficult time, my memories of the beginning of the month are of tears and so much prayer as our church banded together at heaven's door for them. God is faithful, and through it all He is good and sovereign. When we don't understand His plan, and question why He allows certain things to happen, He comes to us in whispers. Gently comforting us when we face the cruel realities of life on this earth. All in all, April was a good month.

This isn't a great picture because it was taken with a phone but it's the only one I have right now. This is all of the girl cousins on my mom's side of the family. We had a baby shower for my cousin (the brunette in the middle) and her baby boy due on May 4. I love spending time with family, and it was a happy day. We can't wait to meet our new little cousin!

Easter Sunday was cloudy but pleasantly warm. As per tradition, out came the dressy spring clothes and lots of ham and sweet potatoes were consumed. We don't celebrate Easter like most people - no easter bunny! - and while we know that it's not the actual date of Christ's resurrection, it's nice to set an entire day aside to appreciate and celebrate that blessing.

Sisters! We all ended up matching - can you tell which pair of sisters belongs to each other? ;)

We celebrated the sunshine with trips to the park, bike rides, and picnics. It's still just spring here, but it's slowly getting warmer and I love it! The boys and I have lots of big plans for this summer - the  new niece or nephew is due to be here early July, so we'll be making our own summer bucket list!

I'm not sure what's gotten into me, but I cooked up a storm in April! The majority of my Saturdays have been spent in the kitchen and I'm loving it! I'm not sure if recipe posts are a thing y'all enjoy on here or not, but if you see something in the above picture that you'd like the recipe for let me know and I'll try to get around to sharing it! (They were all quite good, if I do say so myself!)

FROM THE BLOG

ending - my one and only April Fool's Day joke. Turns out it really did fool some people! 

summer bucket list - an early start on some practical plans for Summer 2015

grilled salmon & avocado salsa | recipe - a heart healthy meal with recipes and pictures included

And that was April in a nutshell. I'm playing around with the layout for my recap posts, still not sure what I like best but I'll find an easy-to-read format soon! I hope your April was beautiful, and that God was there in every day.

What were some of your favorite moments from April?

grilled salmon & avocado salsa | recipe

some facts I looked up before making this meal:

1. Salmon is one of the most heart healthy foods you can eat.

2. Avocados are great for your skin, and are also very heart healthy.

3. Carrots are good for you all around (seriously, Google their benefits sometime!).

(According to my nephews, while they're chewing a carrot they can see our church from their house. It's several miles away.)

I have been in the biggest cooking mood all month. It started with desserts. I decided to spend part of my Saturdays experimenting with sweets and so far I've had one hit and one miss. Then it was muffins. Last week we had five different types of muffins in our house and I don't know how but they were all gone by Wednesday.

Monday evening it was just me, my mom, and my sister at home so I decided to try a new recipe. It turned into two recipes, and then the final count was three new recipes. I'm always pleasantly surprised at how relaxing and enjoyable cooking is when I'm not on a time crunch and can set my own pace. This meal was much easier than I anticipated, and didn't take very long at all. I'd say about 40 minutes total - that's because there's a marinading time and a roasting time. You'll see.

I started out with the salmon. It came frozen, individually wrapped. (Nowhere around us sells fresh fish that I know of, and I wouldn't know how to pick it out anyway.) I put four of the wrapped pieces in a bowl of hot water. They were completely thawed in about 15-20 minutes. While they were thawing I made the marinade:

• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp black pepper

I rubbed olive oil on each piece of salmon and then distributed the marinade evenly between them. It took about 1 T. of olive oil.

I put the fish in the fridge and let it marinate for no less than 30 minutes. This was the perfect amount of time to prep my carrots for the final recipe.

Because we don't have a wooden plank or fish rack for our grill, I used heavy duty aluminum foil and sprayed four pieces of it really well with cooking spray. I placed the marinated salmon skin down on the foil, and then  brought up the long sides of the foil and folded them over together, and then folded up the short sides. My mom grilled them for me, and I believe it took about 10 minutes. She grilled it until it was around 145 degrees Fahrenheit, and then unfolded the top of the foil to let some of the "grill flavor" in.

During this time I was making the avocado salsa. You will need...

• 1 avocado, chunked 
• 1/4 small red onion, chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• 1-2 T. finely chopped cilantro (depending on how much you like cilantro. I think I used about 2 1/2 T.)
• salt to taste

My favorite thing about this salsa is you literally just put it all in a bowl and mix it up, and viola, you're done! It was SO. GOOD.

 While the salmon was marinating, I was slicing 3 cups of baby carrots. You could skip this step, but my personal preference when it comes to cooked vegetables is that they be as soft as possible without being mush, so I thought slicing them would help make the softening process a little quicker.

 

Here's what you'll need...

• 3 cups of carrots
• 1 T. honey
• 1 T. olive oil (or some cooking spray if you're out like I was)
• sea salt
• ground pepper

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Put your carrots in a bowl and coat generously with 1 T. oil or cooking spray, salt, and pepper (this is to your taste). Arrange carrots on a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes. Shake/rearrange carrots about halfway through so they can roast and get crispy on all sides.

Return the carrots to the bowl and add the honey. Stir to coat well and then taste to see if they need any more salt and pepper...or just put them on the table and let each individual decide!

We often have a big bowl full of salad in the fridge that we'll eat for lunch or pull out for an extra side, so I added that to this meal. My mom and Amie make an Asian dressing that they love and they added some cuties to their bowl. I kept mine simple with a few croutons and a spicy dressing that I make. 

Here's the finished plate:

honey roasted carrots | grilled salmon & avocado salsa | fresh salad | sweet tea because...sweet tea

My "dessert" for this meal was my drink. I'll drink my sweets any day over dessert or candy.

I hope if any of you are able to try this you like it! In case you were wondering - all of these recipes make exactly four servings. I couldn't have orchestrated it better! I tweaked a few things, but the general idea behind them is not my own. Maybe one day I'll be creative and come up with my own recipe, but for now I rely on Google and Pinterest!

Let me know if you get around to trying any of these!

How do you try to stay healthy?

What's your favorite spring time meal?

summer bucket list | 2015

Two years ago I made a summer bucket list and shared it with y'all. I didn't accomplish much on it, but I had a lot of fun referencing it and crossing things off when I had spare time. This summer I've decided to do that again, especially since I've already started it and have been really good at keeping up with it so far. It's a bit more practical and hopefully by mid October (hallelujah for long southern summers!) everything will be crossed off. It's not quite summer yet, and we're getting our daily dose of April Showers, but I've always been a plan ahead kind of person, so I enjoyed putting this list together early!

cook 2+ meals per month

I know, I'm 22 and this number should probably be much bigger - that's why the plus symbol is there. My mom really loves to cook, and meal time still naturally falls under her category. However, she also loves when we cook for her, and lately I've really started enjoying it. I've been putting my Pinterest boards to work, so if you want to see some of the recipes I've decided are good enough to make again, take a look at my Tried & True board. There's not much on there yet, but hopefully it'll be full soon!

try new recipes

This goes along with the one above. I really like trying my hand at something new - and who wants their cooking to be compared to "how Mama does it" every time they make something anyway? I will still learn some of our favorite dishes, but for now, the newer, the weirder, the more flavorful, the healthier (this is a BIG one for us this summer), the better!

 

 make weekly breakfast & dessert for Sunday

Who else comes home after church and has a lovely family Sunday dinner? We do, every week. We don't eat out on Sundays, and 75% of the time we eat with Jacob and his family. Usually it's at our house, but sometimes it's at theirs. My mom has really mastered the art of having a large, delicious meal on Sunday afternoon without anyone ever having to wait more than about 10 - 15 minutes before we ask the blessing. My goal is to contribute to the meal by making dessert every Saturday. It has to be either a brand new recipe, or a traditional southern dessert that I need to learn to make because I need to know those things. I'm also committing to making breakfast for Sunday ahead of time on Saturday as well. We have one family breakfast every week - Saturday morning biscuits and gravy brunch. During the week my dad leaves before Amie and I are up and we all eat pretty light in the mornings. Sunday is free-for-all, and we try to have muffins or some kind of bread sitting out and easy to grab. My job now!

(that was my last cooking item, I promise!)

learn to sew clothes

I know how to make a quilt (kind of), and an apron, and a bag, and other things like that, but I want to learn to make clothes - modest dresses (with sleeves), in particular. As part of purging my wardrobe and getting started on creating a capsule closet, I discovered I needed/wanted about 3 summer dresses that were a cross between dressy and casual - perfect for summer - and didn't require layering. (Having to wear a cardigan on a 100 degree, humid day kind of defeats the purpose of wearing a dress in the first place.) So far I have two new homemade summer dresses, and another in the making. I've been ironing the seams while my mom explains the process. I've made dresses and skirts before, but this time I want to really get it engrained in my mind. By the end of summer, my goal is to make a dress on my own - for my sister, which is a little weird, but I want to know how to tailor it well, and it's easier to practice on someone else than on yourself.

have a cookout with friends

It looks like this one will probably happen mid to late August, but I really, really want it to happen. Down here where I live, hospitality is bred in us, and the desire to entertain, host, and visit with good friends is close to my heart. Summer is very busy around here with church related things and family centered holidays, but at least once before it gets chilly again I want to have a bunch of people over for food and fun. Some of my friends are married now, and some of them are in relationships, so the bigger the group the better!

take a trip

Anywhere, with anyone. It has to be non-church related (as in, not a special meeting or camp). It has to be fun. And it has to take up an entire day. Or two. Or week.

have a yard sale

Sooner rather than later. I am a sentimental baby when it comes to letting go of things. I only recently got rid of a whole bunch of socks because having an entire toy chest full of socks I rarely wear is just ridiculous. (It was only 3/4 full, ok?) I am naturally cold natured and my feet are always freezing so I still have a ton of socks, but it was just getting silly. I had formed some strange sentimental attachments and could tell you where each pair came from. I once had a friend tell me she was going to always give me socks for presents because she knew I would love them and keep them forever. Luckily she gave quality pairs, so when it came time to purge, they stayed with me. ;) This is the year though that I realize that I'm 22 and even though that shirt I loved when I was 16 still fits, it's time to let go.

Seven things for a Summer Bucket List. It seems reasonable, attainable, and, well...perfect! I will blog along the way - be on the lookout for those recipe posts! This evening's supper will be up this weekend!

Is it getting warm where you live? 

What's on your bucket list for this summer?

ending

Dear Readers,

Since 2012, I have been sharing bits and pieces of my life via this blog. You know that I love to write, that I love my family, that I'm obsessed with my nephews and niece, and that I love where I'm from.

Most of you are my friends, a lot of you are my family, and the few of you that I don't know very well have always been so kind in your comments. Thank you so much.

These last (almost) three years have been really fun for me! I love writing so much, and sharing what I've written has been wonderful. So many of you are long-distance friends, and I'm so happy to have been able keep you up to date on our small town life here, and the growing of my family and church family.

Thank you for praying for the things I asked you to, for encouraging me to write more, and for sticking with it even when I went so long without posting. But now, the end has come.

After three years, it's time to say goodbye to my little space on the web. Life is busy, and time is very limited, but more than that, I feel like it's just reached it's natural end. I hope you understand.

Thank you for reading along all this time, and I hope we can keep in touch in other ways.

Dear readers, happy April Fool's Day! ;)

P.S. This blog isn't going anywhere!

march 2015 recap

spring meeting

Bro. Lee Cadenhead was the guest preacher, and from the worship service Sunday morning to the final message Wednesday night, everything he preached was exactly what we needed. Christ seeks us out. Be available.

As amazing as it was though, for two little boys it appears it went a little long... ;)

sunshine

The first couple of weeks in March gave a valiant effort to remain frigid. However halfway through, sunny skies prevailed and the temps soared up into the high seventies. We're sloshing around in mud, but these southerners would be willing to plop right down in it on their knees to give thanks for warmth.

boys

Boys and large farm things. We had the boys for five days last week, and this particular picture shows Tanner (3) and a fertilizer spreader that wheeled down our driveway to spend some time in our field. Supper was forgotten as the best thing since sliced bread made it's appearance.

friends

As I get older and remain single, it sometimes feels like everyone and everything but me is changing. In my particular close friends circle, we have added husbands, a boyfriend, a baby girl, and a three hour drive. But when, on those rare occasions, we get "girl time" for a few hours, it's so easy to pick right back up. We never have enough time to fill each other in on our lives, but every little bit counts, and every little bit is some brightness that carries on for days after.

FROM THE BLOG...

where God is - draw near unto the thick darkness


That's it for my March recap! I hope everyone had a wonderful month, and I'm looking forward to seeing what April holds!

What were some of your favorite moments from March?

where God is

As a girl - the very girly, ruffles and lace kind - I have my share of what you might call "dreamy days". I think any female reading this knows what I'm talking about. On these days, your head is in the clouds, you feel a mix of fullness and emptiness, your emotions war between joy and sadness, and you're overall not as productive as you are on other days.

Dreamy days. Usually for me it's after late night reading that bled into the wee hours of the morning. Reading the end of a book, falling immediately asleep and dreaming that I'm the girl I just read about. Waking is such sweet sorrow... (sorry Shakespeare, I had to tweak it to fit what I'm trying to say.)

No, I did not travel to the Holy Land last night and meet Mr. Right. I did not ride a horse along the Jordan River or pray by the Sea of Galilee. I did not spend the night at an inn in Bethlehem...but are those things on my bucket list now? Absolutely. Not that they weren't already on it, I just hadn't considered riding an Arabian horse down the streets of Jerusalem. Now that I know you can, I'll have to add it!

The thing is, I think we need dreamy days. I think God has placed a desire in my heart to be a wife, a mother. Maybe even this desire to travel is from Him, I don't know. But I don't think it's wrong for me to think of those things, dream of those days. I just have to keep in mind that while it's yet to be, He is here with me. I thought it fitting this morning as I struggled with the desire to stay asleep and finish my oh so sweet dream, that my Bible reading was in Exodus 20. We think if this chapter as the Ten Commandments chapter, but near the end, in verse 21, the people are afraid. But Moses? Moses just wanted to be near the Lord.

"And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was."

Moses drew near alone. Maybe that's all it takes. A step away from the others, another, and step by step, he became more alone. Step by step, he came closer to the One who held his heart in the palm of His hand. The One who shelters us in the clift of a rock. He hideth my soul. Lessons learned in solitude are the ones that show us our dependence upon Him.

May my desires fade into the background and the desire to be near Him rise to the surface, filling my life, making me wholly His. He seeks us out, and I want to be there, ready to be found, ready to spend time with and near Him.

The future may look a little dark right now because I can't see what it holds. But Moses drew near the thick darkness because that's where God was. As I read last night, the tears in my eyes weren't because the heroine found her hero and I haven't yet. They came when the characters in my book waded into the waters of the River Jordan. Those fictional beings might have fished in the sea of Galilee, but me? I want to kneel on it's banks and pray. The thoughts of being in the same places my Lord was warms me from the inside out. I would love to be there - alone with Him, able to pray and think and absorb. But I may never get to be where God was, my future may not hold it. But that's where God was...and I know where He is.

So I may be a little dreamy today, my head swimming in the clouds, but I want to hide in Him. I want to draw near to the thick darkness. I want to curl up in it, close to Him. Where God is.

february 2015 recap

February was here and gone in the blink of an eye. It was fairly uneventful considering all the other months in the year, but having a bit of a break was really nice. Maybe next month there'll be more pictures, but there just wasn't as much to document this month!

valentine's day
I got to spend the evening with the four cutest sweethearts ever. We made lasagna together, crafted a heart banner that now hangs over my bed, and made chocolate covered popcorn with heart sprinkles. Sometimes being single on Valentine's Day isn't so bad...especially when you're an aunt!

snow
The South finally got her snow! First there was ice...so much ice. Then it began to snow. We got maybe 4 inches, which I realize isn't that much - but it was a big deal around here! I was stuck at home for an entire week because I was too scared my dad didn't want me to drive on the ice covered roads. It lasted from Monday morning until Saturday afternoon. It was beautiful and cold and relaxing and cold and quiet and COLD.

calligraphy
My latest obsession. I started a 30 day calligraphy class and it's much harder than it looks! Two days in and my fingers are permanently stained and my right arm is sore from the elbow down. It's so much fun though, and I'm so excited to learn more!

FROM THE BLOG...

updates and changes - just a little information on what I hope to do with the blog in 2015!
and ice world | picture post - I shared some of my favorite pictures from the day we got iced in. 
gritty details -  simple obedience in everyday life.
break the fast | recipe - eating breakfast can sometimes be a struggle, here's how I deal with that!


Have a lovely March, dear readers!

What were some your favorite moments from February?