I should really be doing the dishes that are piled in the sink, on my counter and in the dish washer. I should probably also attend to that pile of laundry that is in my bedroom and the laundry from last week that is still in the dryer. Maybe I should finally hang the pictures on the wall in the dining room instead of looking at them and just restacking them or perhaps finally paint the walls in our bedroom because the paint was mixed 2 months ago...
When you move, have two small kids, and a beach near by, the to-do list is endless! However, when a dear friend asks for a recipe so that they can enjoy a meal and remember how many times we shared it together, everything else goes on hold and that memory and recipe is shared.
First though, a tribute to our amazing friends, the Christians:
When Isaac and I were moving away from our Navy careers and found ourselves in land-locked Ohio, we knew practically no one and spent 6 months in an apartment as we learned about the area and searched for a a more permanent home. While walking our dog one day, I happened across another dog who loved the frisbee just as much as Paisley. Enter Julie. Our first "family" gathering was a couple of days later to carve pumpkins for Halloween and we would continue that tradition for the next 3 Halloweens slowly adding to our families with 3 more little sets of hands. When we found our home across town from the apartment and the Christian family, not only did they end up buying a home 4 minutes from us, they actually tried to move down the street. The Christian family is one that doesn't do anything half way. If you need them, they are there. If life is crazy, they stand in the crazy with you. Countless meals were shared and if we were all too crazy to sit down together, food was often dropped off at each others homes. "Hey, I made a big batch of chicken salad, James is on his way over to drop it off. If your day was anything like mine yesterday, then I know you have no plans for dinner." And amazingly, we were always right. Good friends know exactly what we need when we need it and they don't ask if you need something, they just do it.
Enjoy this delicious crockpot treat :)
Salsa Verde Ribs
(Originally found in Southwest Slow Cooking with my adaptations below)
Nonstick cooking spray
1 tsp salt
3 lbs boneless country pork ribs (I often used whatever was on sale and just pulled the bones out as I shredded it when cooked)
2 (16oz) bottles of green salsa (We often just did one large jar since there was always a lot left over)
1 (heaping)Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp garlic powder
Coat a skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Season the ribs with salt and lightly brown in the skillet, about 5-8 minutes. Combine the salsa, cumin and garlic in a medium bowl. Place the browned ribs in the slow cooker and cover with the green sauce. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours. Serve with warm tortillas (corn) and sour cream. Makes 4-5 servings.
**Guacamole is a great addition to this simple meal along with sharp cheddar cheese. I was known to put the left overs with some eggs in a burrito the next morning...if there were leftovers!
I know, I don't write. Ever. So, I don't think many of you will see this which is why I am posting it all :)
In yet another crazy crazy turn of events, we are leaving our lovely South Carolina home and headed full circle back to Virginia Beach. When I earned my Surface Warfare Pin I treated myself to a painted piece of wood that reads, "Home is where your story begins..." Well, Isaac and I started our married life in Virginia Beach and now our children will spend some time growing up there!
When we bought our home in SC we saw it for maybe 20 minutes, I wasn't overly impressed, but we liked the pond, the open floor plan and the price tag. We took a leap of faith, which at times seemed like a BIG mistake but God always works everything out, am I right? And boy has He, but that is another post.
The closing was horrible, the house was an even bigger mess than when we first saw it and we were so sad that this dirty home was where we were moving our babies to. Hopefully these photos prove that with some elbow grease, paint, a few upgrades and a whole lot of scrubbing, sometimes a pig with lipstick can be a beautiful thing. At least we like to think so :)
All photos are the before and then after!
Painted front door Red, Shutters a brighter blue, added a storm door, MAN HANDLED the front shrubs and removed one, added a flag as any good patriot does, the Texas Lonestar, and had a local company fertilize our yard and installed a fence to keep our curious kiddos out of the pond.
So, the kitchen and living room was a HUGE problem for me as we bought this home. The wall color, the lack of storage in the kitchen, the lighting, the dark counters that had melted and missing parts from years of misuse. I was SO happy with the paint color. My FIL helped us install some cabinets from Lowes to make a coffee bar and give me much needed storage for larger kitchen appliances, we changed out the light with a steal of a deal from the Ballard Outlet in West Chester, Ohio. I loved this space when it was finished...It only took us 6 months to buy a couch and we packed it into storage less than 6 months later...I digress.
We took out the old counters when the price started going up on the laminate to cover the new coffee bar. Granite was a lot more affordable than we thought and East Coast Granite would match the Lowe's pricing and they had about 3x the selection. We tiled the backsplash our selves (don't look too closely) and purchased it at Lowes along with a new pendant light for over the sink. I took down the broken and slanting vertical blinds on the door and hung a curtain rod with some home made drapes. Oh, and a new faucet over the sink with our new deep sink that came with the granite. There is that "Home is where your story begins" sign that is over the sliding doors.
I'm just not a formal sitting room kind of girl and my toddlers and carpet don't go well with food! We installed pergo floors in the dining room and entryway and painted the room BM Elephant Gray. I was going to put the Ballard light in here but the chandelier, although hanging slightly askew, grew on me and kept it's spot.
The bedrooms were just some paint and our decor.
I need storage space! We added these cabinets from Lowes and I painted the walls Sherwin Williams, Glass Slipper. It was a sample I got but decided it was too light for the entire home. It was just enough to cover the walls during nap time one day!
Sherwin Williams Silver Bullet Gray (I think). Must check on that!
We doubled the size of the deck, changed the location that you walked down into the yard and then put a good thick coat of stain on it so the old and new would look alike. We had big plans for that deck this summer and fall. The shade falls on it around 2pm in the summer and with a bit of a breeze it's perfect.
Well, that's it. Our little SC home. I know a lot of our friends and family waited for one reason or another to visit and man, did they miss out! Peaches, fireworks and bbq. Not to mention the fishing, laughing and neighborhood pool! We will miss not only the home but some great friends and some incredible loving people we met in our short amount of time there. I know SC is in the news a lot right now, but for the most part, you can't find any better people. Kind, loving, peaceful and willing to help anyone in need.
I also was sad to leave this chapter for our kids. They grew up so much in the year we lived there. Both are so much physically bigger but they are much more brave, opinionated and curious.
The frogs won't miss them though. Not. One. Bit. Well, at least those that survived!
Hi, my name is Kari and I spend obscene amounts of my free time, and my time I should be interacting with my children, pinning mostly useless pins on pinterest.
There, I said it. I waste a LOT of time, especially lately, looking at idea after idea. I mean, there are a lot of useful things on there and I have used a lot of the pins that I have pinned regarding activities with my kiddos and food to eat however, lets get real, I will most likely never use a pin from my "dream home." Unless of course I finally write the book I know will be a huge success or decide to finally buy a lottery ticket and slightly increase my odds of winning.
So, to make myself feel a little bit better about the copious amounts of time that I spend staring at my 2x4 screen, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite pins that I have actually prepared.
See, not totally wasted time...
I made these yummy to go oatmeal muffins, found here.
(all pictures from linked site)
My son can't get enough of them however little L eats about half of them and is then done...she eats every bite of normal oatmeal so I might stick to that for her for now. My only comment is that they were a bit moist after baking (apple sauce) so I would recommend the foil muffin liners instead of paper.
E has been begging for chicken noodle soup all winter and in an attempt to avoid too much sodium, I thought, I can make him some. I found this recipe here, and pretty well followed it. We found that it was really really good with some cajun seasoning sprinkled over top. I also only had to turn it on high for about 25 minutes and the noodles were cooked. Great news when you have two kids begging for dinner to be ready :) E liked it, but didn't really devour it...the hubs and I loved it.
I love eggs Benedict. For years I sort of felt like Julia Roberts in "Runaway Bride" eating my eggs however the person I was eating with ordered them. It wasn't until I was married that I was introduced to the poached egg and the glorious holandaise sauce. That being said, I made this recipe for my in-laws a couple of weeks ago and it left me in the luke warm category. Although it felt like a major accomplishment to make my own sauce, something I had never done before, I felt that it somewhat defeated the purpose of the overnight egg bake...I still had to stand over a pot, ignore people as I stirred constantly and do dishes. SO, if I were to make this again, I would totally cheat with a packet of the powder sauce instead to save some time. Just about as tasty. Also, it took about 10 minutes longer to bake than advertised...my sauce was done well before the food. I still like my poached eggs better :)
I do like my overnight casseroles though...as you are really about to find out. I made this one for a MOPS meeting and it was so easy to assemble but I would like to maybe try it with 2/3 of the hashbrowns and double the chilies. It really needed the salsa, so I don't consider it optional. I will be making it again :)
Is your mouth watering looking at this photo? I have made this one a few times now. If you were wondering how a person can run and run and not lose any weight, it is because they found a lot of french bread on clearance and have been eating overnight french toast bakes, weekly. I may know a thing or two about that...but, this is a decadent, delicious, "today must be special" kind of french toast. I typically omit the white bread and just use half a french loaf for the bottom and the other half for the top. Also, to try and justify my extra piece, I just use skim milk instead of the half and half and lowfat cream cheese. It really turns out the same...and don't forget, you are getting a healthy serving of antioxidants!
Some of my other french toast bakes I have talked about in previous posts. I told you I was obsessed.
More next time. I try really hard to get creative in the kitchen and love the inspiration I find on pinterest.
Well, as with most things, I don't get everything done in the time frame that I had hoped. So, although Christmas was about 2 weeks ago, I thought I would still share this.
I had the honor of speaking at our Christmas meetings for MOPS and shared about how the Christmas story has changed for me since becoming a mother. This is not the exact speech...I wrote out my thoughts and used them as guidelines for that day however, it is the heart of my heart on this matter. I hope you too see the Christmas story a little bit differently and perhaps find some strength for whatever challenge you face today through the faith and courage that Mary had.
I love Christmas.
I love the lights, I love the hustle and bustle, the smell
of cinnamon pine cones (side note, my husband might have staged an intervention on the
number of cinnamon pine cones I buy) and I love the peace, joy and hope that
seems to come out of most everyone during the “holiday” season.
My family has always been big on the traditions that come
with Christmas. My parents, mostly my mother, worked very hard to establish
these traditions as I grew up.The timed
delivery of Christmas ornaments, special Christmas pajamas, certain foods made
and on Christmas eve my sisters and I would all sleep in the same bed. There
are only 3 of us so most of the time there was plenty of space in the bed
however, as we grew older, this tradition didn’t die. We would return home from
college, bake cookies for santa, put on our ridiculous joe boxer ice skating
pig with a santa hat on pajamas and then pile into bed…always fighting over who
had to sleep in the middle. But after the covers settled one thing has always
stayed the same; my mom would get out her family bible and read to us Luke
chapter 2.
Luke 2 King James Version (KJV)
2 And it came to pass in those
days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world
should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor
of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of
Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem;
(because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with
child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were
accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in
swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them
in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the
field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory
of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring
you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a
Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the
heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will
toward men.
At the completion of these verses she would kiss each of us
on the forehead and wish us sweet dreams.
I heard bits and pieces of the rest of the story over the years
from church and group discussions but to me, for the majority of my life, the
Christmas story was just that. Luke 2:1-14.
I guess you could summarize my thoughts on Christmas as
such:
As my relationship with Christ has grown and changed over
the years, my love for Christmas has deepened.But it wasn’t until I became a mother that I
would dive into a new understanding and appreciation for “the Christmas story.”
I can’t speak for all of you, but I know that motherhood has
been a lot different for me than I expected.My husband and I “planned” our first child with great care and we prayed
for our child and when that little stick was finally a plus, man, talk about
emotions.But as ready as I thought I
was, I was surprised at the fear that crept in. The oh my goodness, this is
really going to happen. The worries that you try and push out of your mind
while waiting on a baby. The thrill and love I had for my husband during that
first pregnancy. It seemed moment to moment I went from sheer joy to sheer
terror that there was going to be this human being wholly dependent upon me.
Could I really handle this?
That first Christmas with our son, God touched me through a
friend. She has been a constant I could count on during some of the roughest
and most challenging times of my life and she and I both had 8 months old that
Christmas. She sent a simple email to her other “mother” friends wishing us a
blessed advent and encouraging us to listen to the song, “labor of love.”
If you have not heard this song, get some
tissues and listen to it.
You see, what I could now understand was to some
degree what Mary went through that night.I don’t believe Jesus just appeared in that manger. I believe Mary,
young, without her mother, without a bed, without a nurse, gave birth on a
dirty barn floor with her husband faithfully by her side.
Just think about that for a second. When most
of us prepared for a baby to come into our lives, we made, to most nurses
amusement, a birth plan. Our husbands, if they were smart and heeded our
urging, had a plan and back up plan to the hospital avoiding as many congested
areas and definitely roads with pot holes.We packed our bag…or the entire back seat of the car, with items we
would need for the hospital and our new, precious child would need for the
first days of their lives. No matter how prepared we all were, there was still
great fear. How is "this" going to get out of "that"?But what I learned that first Christmas as a
mother was that Mary, young, and without her birth plan, had the strength and
courage to bring into this broken world a Savior to redeem each of us.
How
remarkable.
I remember walking back and forth, back and forth rocking my
sweet little fella that Christmas eve because he, like most nights, refused
sleep no matter how tired he was.As I
walked with him cradled in my arms I sang to him “Oh Holy Night.” I thought,
probably for the first time, about the fact that Jesus was 100% God, and 100%
human. He, just like my sweet little boy, depended on Mary for life.
Now, I am
sure there are scholars somewhere who will argue that God would not have
allowed Jesus to die in infancy, but I choose to believe that God chooses each
of us to be the mother of the child he gives us because of the unique skills he
has given us.Mary was no exception. I
have to remind myself of that often, God has a plan and will hold my hand
through the crazy. And I was certain that first Christmas eve with my son that
Mary sang songs to her sweet savior and cradled him and rocked him when he had
no way of telling her what hurt and why. She alone could provide for the child
that saves us all.
Now, I still have a hard time fully grasping some of what I
have talked about…Jesus as a baby dependent on his mother like my child is
dependent upon me but it would be 2 years after that first Christmas that God
would show me again how brave Mary was.
I had the privilege of working as an administrative
assistant to the staff of my church in Ohio. There was one day that our leader,
Andy, handed me a gift I can never repay him for or really even explain to him,
but I am going to try.Andy walked
back in from his lunch break, saw me sitting at my desk with my 6 month
pregnant belly and said, "Kari, I want you to come and sit in this chair. Staff,
I feel we need to pray for Kari."
I thought he was joking at first…he and I have
a sarcastic relationship, but he was very serious. So I walked over and
thankfully, my friend Kristi had the Kleenex handy.
As they laid hands on me, my flood gates
opened and the walls I had been working so hard to build to protect myself came
crashing down.You see, I had taken the
position at the church as well as as many hours as I could get at a JCrew
because, when I was unexpectedly 8 weeks pregnant, my husband was unexpectedly
laid off from work.
We had planned so
well for our first child and our second snuck up on us when we least expected
it or were least prepared for it. As the staff took turns praying for me the words
were sinking into my soul, “Lord, we pray for Kari. That you would give her
courage and help her to be brave as she and Isaac face the unknown. Lord, we
pray that just as you gave Mary the strength to face the challenges before her,
you would strengthen Kari…” On and On they went and my mind started spinning…I
could catch yet another small understanding of the fears and troubles and
worries that plagued Mary and Joseph.They were unwed, what would people think? It was crazy to say she was
carrying God’s baby…who would believe that? They were not of royalty or noble
blood, they were commoners, why would God choose them and how could they ever
provide for this child. Now, I in no means am trying to say that what I went
through was the same as Mary but I will say this:No matter how a child comes into our lives,
planned, not planned, adopted, unplanned guardianship, we can all look to Mary
and see that nothing could be more unexpected than an Angel showing up and
saying to you that you were going to have God’s child. And sweet Mary, young
and I’m sure overwhelmed just said, “I am the Lord’s servant.” (Luke 1:38)
So wherever you are this Christmas, a first time mom, or a
seasoned mom I hope that you will listen to the words to “Labor of Love,”
because we as mom’s can understand the courage that it took for Mary to get on
that Donkey and go to Bethlehem.
Children are a miracle, no matter how they enter our lives. Some days it's a miracle they are still alive, I know I have those days... But the miracle that God did through the actual birth of Christ is no more a miracle than that sweet child you kiss every night. Mary understood the magnitude of her roll as mother and this Christmas, I pray we all realize the miracles God is doing in our lives.
So, when life gets crazy adn you are faced with a mountain listen--God gave us Mary as a motherly role-model She says, "You are not alone. I see you. I know how you feel. You are scared. You didn't plan THIS. You didn't want THIS. How will THIS work? But listen, God is bigger than the tantrum, bigger than the to-do list, bigger than the sickness. He is faithful and OH so good. He planned it. and He will give you all that you need and more."
I hope you each have had a wonderful Christmas and are creating some traditions of your own. I hope you will celebrate the reality of Christ's birth and the miracles God is performing in each of our own families.
