Family Time

I'm back! We had a fun little weekend trip to go to a family member's wedding on the beach. We actually came back Sunday night but work on Monday came really early. Followed by an afternoon of grocery shopping, catching up on laundry and cooking dinner. So no time to check in here.

Even though we didn't get any time off work it was nice to get away for even just a short weekend trip. The weather was a little chilly if you were out by the water and the sky was cloudy, but it was so nice overall. Who knew so many people went to the beach in October though?! Did you know? I sure didn't. Well, ok I mean I did, but I was surprised by how many non-snow bird types we saw. I can see why though, it's still nice and it's not too crowded either.

A few brave souls were in the chilly pool but mostly the hot tub was full all the time. We never got in but we did enjoy laying out by the pool and on the beach. The sun was out a little but not all the time. I suppose it would have been harder to leave if it had been sunny and warm the whole time, at least that's what I kept telling myself.

Now that we're back I'm already trying to figure out how and where I can go somewhere again. :)

Am I the only one who comes back from a trip and immediately starts thinking about where can I go next? Even if it's a long time away, just knowing that I'm going to get some time off and go somewhere fun or relaxing is a nice mental escape when the days get long and tiring. It's something to look forward to and I think that is good for your well-being.

Those are my deep thoughts for the day. I hope everyone has something fun to look forward to in the near future. If not, get busy coming up with something! :) It doesn't even have to cost anything. There are lots of parks and fun things to do nearby if you just look around. Just decide it's worth it to take some time for relaxing and family and then make some plans, even if it's just a day trip or an afternoon. You'll be glad you did.

Weeknight Risotto

I am always looking for new dinner ideas. I get tired of making the same things all of the time, but as much as I love cooking I need simple, easy and quick on weeknights. These yummy meatballs are some we've been making for a while now. They are based off of this original recipe I found on Pinterest. I tweak a little bit, mainly based off what I do and don't normally have on hand in my kitchen. They are not your plain ordinary meatballs, but they are still simple enough to whip up in a short amount of time.


This time around I wanted to try something new and attempt some risotto to go along with them. I've made a ground beef risotto recipe a few times, but I had never attempted any other version so this was an experiment of sorts. I looked up the ground beef version I had made before along with searching a couple of other homemade risotto recipes and then made some adjustments and gave it a whirl.


First I added the butter to a high sided pan and heated it up over med-high heat. At this point I would have added fresh chopped garlic and onion, but I'm overdue a trip to the farmer's market so there was none on hand. Instead I added some black pepper and garlic powder and stirred it around. (FYI the lighting in my kitchen is not the greatest, so unreliable photo quality below. BOO!)

Then I added the rice in and cooked it, constantly stirring, for several minutes.

Then I slowly added the chicken broth stirring constantly. I brought this mixture to a boil and then lowered the heat to a simmer and covered. At this point I turned it over to the hubby who had already taken a shower so that I could go get cleaned up myself. I left him with the instructions to let it simmer for around 10 minutes or until the liquid was absorbed. I also told him to add a little more broth if needed but I don't think it was necessary.

Once the liquid was absorbed he added in the parmesan cheese and stirred.

Overall I would say it turned out pretty good, a little tougher than I would have liked so next time I will probably cook it just a little longer. There was also the fact that the hubby and I switched places so we could get dinner cooked and both get showered and not be eating at 10pm... so I can't tell you exactly what went on when I wasn't in the kitchen and how long it actually cooked. As far as I know it was around 10 minutes. In the end I think I will definitely be adding this to the list of side dishes we make so over the next few times we should get it down a little better. :) 

Weeknight Risotto


Ingredients
1 cup rice (We used extra long grain. I think it could be better with other kinds but it worked)
~ 1 Tbsp butter
Ground black pepper
~1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1-2 garlic cloves chopped
*Onion if you have it
2.5 - 3 cups of broth (I used chicken but you could use beef too)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese


I recommend having all your ingredients ready to go when you start.


*I would have added some onion or onion powder/minced onion in, but I'm due a trip to the store or farmer's market so right now I have none.


Directions
Heat pan over med-high heat add butter and let it melt.


Stir in garlic, onion, pepper (get crazy and add some other seasonings if you wish). If you're using the real thing let it cook for several minutes. If you're using powdered spices like I had to this time you really just want to stir it in and then move to the rice.


Add rice, stir and cook for several minutes.


Add broth in slowly and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for around 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. (Note: some, probably most, risotto recipes I saw advise you to add in broth a little at a time and wait until it is absorbed to add some more. While that is probably the true way to make risotto, this is weeknight {read: shortcut} risotto so I went with the one recipe that did it this way)


Remove from heat and stir in cheese.


Serve and enjoy!

Cleaning House

I really don't like dirt. I mean I like dirt outside where it belongs, I like playing in the dirt, but I really don't like dirt in my house. Or grime, or dust. Even when we go on vacation, I'm that person that takes along cleaning supplies. Go ahead and shake your head, but it's true. I relax much better in a clean environment. I really have to make myself stop at a surface cleaning when we travel and resist the urge to scrub off the spots and stains I just know would come up with some elbow grease.

Don't get me wrong, my house is not spotless by any stretch, but I do have to keep some things done or I am not a happy camper.

I am also known among my family to be the one to call when something is in need of a deep cleaning. I have often said after tackling one of these projects "I really should have taken a before photo of that". So now whenever I tackle something extra dingy I try to take a photo before I get started and then an after one. Just for fun. Does anyone else do this for fun? Anyone? I'm going to pretend at least one of you said yes and move right along.

It may be a bit quirky, but I just love seeing something all sparkly and clean after being so... not sparkly and clean and knowing that my hard work made it happen.

Before

This was a disgusting handle on the shower door when we moved in. I took it off the door and gave it a thorough cleaning and ahh...

After

Photos like these just make me feel all happy and peaceful inside. Maybe that's the answer to some of the world's problems, we should just get the involved parties together and clean something. Goodness knows there is a lot in this world that needs cleaning. Those are my deep thoughts for the day. If you need me I'll be over here. I feel the need to go clean something now.

Reclaimed Wood Decor

Today I'm sharing a little project that I made out of scraps really. We had some small leftover scrap pieces from the hubby's larger projects (wooden crosses, state frames) so I (not liking for things to go to waste) gathered them up and started thinking of what I could make with them.

I got a lesson on how to use a miter saw (look at me learning how to use power tools!) and went to work cutting all the pieces the same length to fit on another piece of scrap wood I'd gathered up. I figured out the arrangement I wanted from the weathered looking pieces. Then I nailed it on the back piece of wood with a nail gun - a very small nail gun.

It took me a little while to figure out exactly what I wanted to make once I put the base of wood together, but then I got this idea. The first three words were relatively easy to paint. I actually painted them by hand without a stencil. I was quite proud of myself for that one! I just took some measurements and gave myself a little guide for spacing.

The state name took a little more effort to find what kind of font I wanted and then figure out how to best make it happen. I painted on one version which I didn't like and then removed it, a process in itself.

I ended up printing off the font I wanted and using some transfer paper to give me a bit of a starting point with the outlines before painting it in by hand.... with a toothpick. Yes, you read that right. The word Alabama was painted by hand, with a toothpick. Don't ask me how I thought to do that, it must have been the Lord whispering in my ear, but even the smallest paint brush I had on hand would not have worked with some of these little lines on the extremely rough reclaimed wood. Taking the toothpick I was able to gently dot it on and spread a little bit at a time. It was tedious and took some time and concentration, but somehow it worked and I ended up with this.

I was quite happy with it in the end as just a fun little project out of scraps!

Spinach and Feta Meatballs

These Spinach and Feta Meatballs are based off a recipe I originally found via Pinterest a while back. We tweak them just a little bit. They are easy to whip up and are a nice change from your average meatball. Plus added bonus you get some veggies in them.

Next Thursday I'll be posting the easy weeknight risotto we made to go with these last week.

I start with a pound of beef. We've used turkey before too but beef seems to turn out moister. You could use any ground meat you have on hand though and I think they would turn out just fine.


This is one of those recipes that has been very forgiving when we different things on hand. For the spinach I have done everything from using less just because I didn't have enough on hand to throwing in the fresh spinach leaves without steaming first because I just didn't want to take the time or energy to do it. I will say that the consistency does seem to be better if you steam it. I usually just put it in a bowl with a little water, cover and pop it in the microwave until it is slightly steamed. Then drain the water off and throw it in. You could also use frozen spinach thawed and drained.



Ingredients

1 (5oz.) bag fresh spinach, steamed, drained, and cooled

1 lb. ground beef (or chicken, turkey, etc.)

¾ cup bread crumbs

1 egg

1 Tablespoons chicken broth (can sub water)

⅛ cup dried cranberries (I really like these so I add some extra sometimes - we've also used less)

2 garlic cloves, minced or 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 small onion: VERY finely diced or equivalent onion powder

1 teaspoon oregano

¾ cup Feta cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Gently mix all ingredients together until well combined. Then roll into balls or use a scooper to form balls and place on the baking sheet. (We cover with foil for easy clean up)

You can place meatballs in the fridge to get cool before placing in the oven like the original recipe suggests, but often I go ahead and put them straight in.

I cook for about 15-20 minutes or until cooked through (this will depend on size of your meatballs). If you can rotate halfway through the cooking time go for it, most of the time I don't. :)

A state of mind

I'm excited to share this little project. I think it is one of my favorite recent creations from my talented husband. I'm not sure how or where he comes up with these ideas but they always amaze me with the level of thought, time, and attention to detail he puts into them.

He used some of the same reclaimed wood from a historic house in the area as he did for these rustic wooden crosses. This time he also used some reclaimed timbers to give it a heavy duty, rustic frame. It has what I guess you would call a shadow box effect where he built a frame, painted a black back drop which he mounted at the back of the timbers and then took the pieces of reclaimed lath with their various appearances and put them together in a pattern he liked across the front of the frame.

Then he took a template he made of the state and used it to trace the outline onto the wood he had joined together to make the front of the piece. Then he cut it by hand. Every.single.curve. Twice actually, once for the template and once for the piece itself. I told him he could have left off some of the tiny little turns and dips and no one would have noticed, but he wanted it to be as detailed as possible. I was impressed he was able to cut all those tiny little areas and that he cared enough to do so. If you look closely you can see all the little squiggly lines here.

 

So far he has finished three different states, so only 47 more to go! HA! He also has some ideas about variations on this same design that he could do. Different shapes and colors, like a nautical themed cutout with pastels and white, team colors for sports fans, different types of wood and framing. There are lots of possibilities. (I've thought of quite a few myself I could have him make.)

   

It's kind of nice to almost always see something I like and think to myself, "oh he could make that". Of course that means I wait a while on it sometimes, but it's worth it. :)

You Are Enough

It seems to be a constant battle sometimes. I know we all deal with it to some extent. The thoughts the enemy constantly throws at us that we're not enough or we're too much. Disguised in many different ways but it always seems to boil down to one of those two things.

I can't tell you how many times I've had memories come to mind out of left field, something I did twenty years ago, a time I wasn't as nice as I should have been to someone or just the dumb things you do and say as a kid, teenager, or last month. Then I immediately feel like hiding my face, pulling the covers over my head or just jumping in a hole, and there is no one around! No one knows the thought going through my head. It isn't related to anything I'm doing at that moment or where I am. Yet the shame and guilt hits you like a ton of bricks without any warning. It's not like these are major offenses either, I mean I don't have a criminal record and I was always a "good kid". I never did anything major, but I'm a human. An unkind word, an immature action, a wrong way of thinking, or just a plain old embarrassing moment where I was momentarily a dumb blonde. You know one of those "how could I have been so dumb?" or "how did I not see that?".

Maybe I'm the only one who ever experiences this blast from the past phenomenon, but I know everyone has to deal with attacks like this in some way or another. Maybe you deal with a constant nagging that your not good enough as a mom or your too much in some other way. Whatever it is the enemy will try to find a way to convince us that we are not good enough or we're too much to handle. I feel the pressure all the time. Like I'm failing and not doing a good enough job of running a home, being a good wife, keeping up with family or friends. Thinking I should have a better career or else have started a family by now and be super mom. I know in my heart that all of these things are not true, that through Jesus and what he did for us all I have been made the righteousness of God and am made perfect and complete in Him (2 Corin. 5:21). But boy does the enemy not want us to live like that. If he can keep us mired down in the "what ifs" and "I'm not good enough"s he can keep us from accomplishing the great things that God has planned.

I've been thinking a lot the last few days about the scripture that talks about fighting the good fight of faith (I Tim. 6:12). I've heard others say before, a good fight is one that you win. I know I've already won because of Jesus but there is a daily battle of the mind to keep it focused on what God says about me instead of what the world or guilt and shame says about me. I've been so blessed by the amount of teachings and music on God's grace in recent years. Having spent many years in an environment that was so much about works and doing the right thing, being constantly reminded of God's grace has been refreshing. It's freeing to be reminded that it isn't about us, which is what the devil would love for us to think. It's about Jesus and what He did for us and dying on the cross as us, in our place. Because He was and is more than enough we don't have to succumb to the feelings of guilt and shame. He already bore them all and set us free! We just have to believe it and walk in it. That is where I think sometimes the hardest part of the fight of faith is, to resist those thoughts and feelings and replace them with what God says about us. Thankfully that's why He gave us His Word, sometimes I just have to repeat a scripture over and over again to myself to remind me of who I am in Him. I'm thankful to have that "sword of the spirit, which is the word of God) (Eph. 6:17). It wins the fight every time.

I just wanted to remind myself and anyone else reading this that just because those thoughts and feelings come don't give in to them. We've got to fight the good fight and instead of letting those thoughts stay, focus on what God says about us that we've been made righteous in Him, our sins have been washed away and there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). We are enough in Him because He is enough. He took care of it all so we could cast our cares on Him. I tend to think and feel that I need to do everything myself so trying to let go and let God can be a struggle, but it's one I'm getting better at day by day. I pray this post will be encouraging to someone and that you'll continue fighting that good fight and realizing that Jesus already won it for you too.