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Saturday, June 23, 2007

Friends!

There isn't anything else I would rather do on a Friday night in the summertime then to spend it with my family and friends! And this is JUST what I did this past Friday night. We had some of the members from our small group over for a cookout and campfire - and what fun we had!! There's something special about sitting around a campfire with friends just doing life together! I was surrounded by several amazing people who are changing my life on a daily basis. You guys are the best! Thank you for allowing me to do life with you. Thank you for trusting me as your friend and for sharing your life with me. I know that our family's life has changed since we joined this phenomenal small group and I thank God every day for each and every one of you.

So - - if YOU'RE not in a small group where you are doing life with other families... where you are holding one another accountable... where you are free to be who God called you to be and where you are loved - flaws and all - - I STRONGLY encourage you to get in one! Once you do, I promise, you won't ever be the same again.

Friday, June 22, 2007

Recipe Friday - Chicken and Rice Casserole

This is a different spin off of the one I normally make. I made this last week and my family loved it. Even Chloe, who, most of the time, is very hard to please! :)

Chicken and Rice Casserole
2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
3 cups diced, cooked chicken
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans green beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 (4-ounce) jar pimentos (I didn't use these in mine)
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (6-ounce) box long-grain wild rice, cooked according to package directions
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
Pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat butter or oil in a small skillet over medium heat.
Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.
Add all remaining ingredients to bowl and mix together until thoroughly combined.
Pour into a greased 3-quart casserole dish.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.
Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Can I steal the phrase from Rachael Ray - - YUM-O!

ENJOY!

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Gotta LOVE a good sale!

This place is having their BIG Semi-Annual sale this week only! I was out there today and picked up some stuff for a GREAT price! I got 5 Anti-Bacterial soap pumps for only $15. They have all their fragrances off and tons of great 50-75% off items as well! Some 2 for $5 specials and lots of $1 items. It's only going on this week, though. Hurry and stock up!

These make GREAT presents, too! I usually do these for stocking stuffers, nieces birthday's, Chloe's birthday parties for give-aways, graduation gifts, Mother's Day gifts and so on... Go check it out!

Friday, June 15, 2007

Chicken Riggies

This is comfort food all the way! I made this a couple months ago for my family and we loved it! It's taken from Paula Dean, who is one of my favorite cooks in the world! Hope you enjoy!

Chicken Riggies
makes 4 to 6 servings

1/2 c butter
1/2 lb. pancetta, chopped
1 c minced onion
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/4 t salt
1/2 tomato sauce
2 t Worcestershire sauce
1/4 t salt
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
2 c heavy whipping cream
1 (8-ounce) pkg penne pasta cooked and kept warm
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
Add pancetta and onion and cook for 10 minutes, or until pancetta is crispy and onion is soft.
Remove pancetta and onion from pan with a slotted spoon, keeping as much butter in the pan as possible; set pancetta and onion aside.
Lightly pound chicken to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into 2-inch pieces.
In a shallow dish, combine flour and salt.
Dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture and cook in pan drippings over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes, or until chicken is lightly browned.
Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken from pan and set aside.
Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt and red pepper flakes to pan drippings, stirring well.
Cook over medium heat until bubbly.
Stir in cream and cook until thickened.
Return pancetta, onion and chicken to cream mixture.
Cook until heated through.
Toss chicken cream mixture with hot cooked pasta.
Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

YUMMY! I know, it's not the healthiest dish - but it is darn tasty! :)

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Still Missing You!!

Rox,

It's been 7 months ago today that we lost you. I still miss you every single day! I still wait for that phone call or that email from you just checking in on me. I miss our long conversations about everything and nothing. I miss those get-togethers, dinners, and scrapbook marathons. :) I still cannot bring myself to scrapbook anything since you left us. It's so hard for me to look at that scrapbook I was working on the last night we were together - only a few hours before you were taken from us.

I miss your smile, your wit and your laughter. I miss your creativity and your style. I miss your advice and your support. I miss your encouragement and your enthusiasm for life. I miss you, dearly, my friend!

"We can cry with hope, we can say goodbye with hope, 'cause we know our goodbye is not the end. And we can grieve with hope, 'cause we believe with hope - there's a place by God's grace - there's a place where we'll see your face again! We'll see your face again" -Steven Curtis Chapman, With Hope.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Date Night

So, Trevor was in Mexico all of last week for work. It was one of those weeks where anything that could have gone wrong (home-wise) DID go wrong. Nothing serious - - just those little things that make you SO appreciate being a part of a 2-parent household! :)

On Friday, I decided that a date night was WAY overdue - so I planned for a sitter and we declared our sacred night out as this past Saturday! Did I mention that it's been a while since we had a REAL date night? I mean, just Trevor and I. No friends, no dog, no kids... all alone in the car. A real date night. They are really few and far between these days, so we hold onto them when we can.

Well - the sitter I had originally lined up couldn't make it because she had a lot of family coming in and was going to busy do family stuff. So - I made an emergency call from my cell phone in my car on Saturday afternoon to my niece, Cortney. She could do it! I was so happy! Well - - until I got off the phone. Chloe had overheard me telling Cortney that we wanted to get away for a night for dinner and possible a movie or shopping or something. Well - - that did not make Chloe happy. She immediately began asking me why we had to go away and leave her that night. Her exact words were, "You and daddy ALWAYS go out on date nights without me!!!" WHAT?!?! Did this little girl know something I didn't? Was I missing something? My first instinct was to tell her, "FINE! We won't go!" But, really, who's the boss here? So - I simply told her, "Chloe, that is not true. Your daddy and I very rarely get a chance to go out together for date and we are going. I am sorry if that makes you upset, but we are going to go out because God wants Mommy's and daddy's to spend time together." (Good one, I thought to myself - she cannot possible argue with what God wants!) She still wasn't happy - but that was okay. She and Cortney had a wonderful time together and I'm sure she didn't think twice about us all night.

What's more important here is that we are teaching her that we love one another and care about each other in our family and we are taking care of our relationships. I pray this is the lesson she takes away from it and not that mommy and daddy just wanted time away from her. (Well - - okay, maybe some of that was true after the week I had). :)

Have you had a date night this week with YOUR spouse? Can I recommend this place? The Carolina Crab Cakes rule! :)

Friday, June 08, 2007

Recipe Friday!

I'm gonna try something new on this blog. It's called Recipe Friday. Let me just say it - I love food and I love to cook! It's no wonder that most days my TV at home is tuned in to Food Network. Heck - I've even been known to sit in front of a Sandra Lee Semi Homemade Cooking show making the same meal with her - step by step. My fav's to watch, besides Sandra Lee, include Emeril, Rachael Ray, Barefoot Contessa, Paula Dean and Tyler Florence.

Each Friday, I will share a new (or oldie but goodie) recipe with you. I know we could all use some new ideas for mealtime - so if you have one to share - - share away! :) I'm always looking for new, exciting things to create in the kitchen.

This one I actually took from this show. It's a GREAT summertime treat and goes great as a side dish at a cookout. Hope you enjoy it!

Corn Salad
5 ears of corn on the cob
1 medium red onion chopped
3/4 c Cider Vinegar
3/4 c Olive Oil
Salt - to taste
Pepper - to taste

Boil the ears of corn for approximately 4 minutes.
"Shock" the corn cobs by submerging them into ice cold water after boiling is complete.
Take a knife and remove the corn from the cobs.
In a medium sized bowl, combine the corn and the chopped red onion. Toss together.
Poor the vinegar and the olive oil into the bowl of corn and onions. Mix well.
Add sea salt and ground pepper to taste.
Chill in fridge until ready to serve.

YUMMY!

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Whatcha Readin'?

Well - - it's summer and my goal of reading 15 books over the summer has officially begun. The bad thing is - I bought almost 20 books within the last two months and so now begins the hard job of picking just ONE to start with. I am famous for starting more than one book at a time and then getting so wrapped up in both of them that I can't put one down. Then I get totally confused which book I read what in... Thank God for highlighters! Oh - and sticky notes!

Some of the GREAT reads I just finished up on are:

In A Pit With a Lion On a Snowy Day - Mark Batterson
Be Our Guest - The Disney Institute
The Starbucks Experience - Joseph Michelli

If you haven't read "In a Pit..." you are missing out on something great! Get it! Go on - - stop reading right now and go buy it! :0) Just remember to come back.

Some other books I just purchased include:

This one. This was a recommendation from our Marriage Mentor small group. Looks like a good one and you can't go wrong with Kevin Leman.

This one. I ordered this one with the 'Be Our Guest' book. It looks pretty similar and I can't wait to read it!

This one looks good too. I have had this one for a couple months now and I am looking forward to it!

Other ones I have purchased include:

Good to Great by Jim Collins
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
The Big Moo by Seth Godin

And then on Monday night my mom brought over this one, too.

This doesn't even complete my list - - but it's a GOOD start! Looks like I am going to be nose to the book this summer!

For those of you who know that I can be somewhat of a procrastinator... do something for me, will you? Email me once a week to see where I am and how I'm doing on my reading! Some times I need a good kick in the shorts to keep me focused and motivated. :)

What are you readin'??

Friday, June 01, 2007

Summer is Here, Summer is Here!

Well - - Summer is officially here. Chloe's last day as a first-grader, was finished this morning at 10:50 a.m. I have to say (and I am sure it will shock most of you readers, yeah right) I cried a little bit! There was an Awards Ceremony this morning and it knocked my socks off! I feel so blessed to be able to send my daughter to a top notch Christian school where learning about Jesus is fully integrated throughout every day and in every event we attend.

I have to ask - - what's up with ALL the stuff that has come home from school with Chloe every day this week? Just when I think I have seen it all, she brings home another bag filled with items to return to home. Gym shoes, pencil boxes, water bottles, coats, hats, BOOTS, art projects, books, binders and oh - did I mention the summer opportunity flyer's... I must have counted at least 5 of them last night! WHERE did she have this stuff stored? There were 25 children in a smaller-sized classroom this year! YIKES!! I will say - Kudos to her teacher, Mrs. Miller, who had the students helping her pack things up and clean things down yesterday morning. I now see what you were doing... You bribed them with that swimming at the Centre in the afternoon because you were a slave driver to them in the morning. :) I see how that works! (Good idea!)

Tomorrow, as a celebration for Chloe finishing first grade, we are taking her here. We went once last year and it was really cool! I just hope the rain holds off a bit so that we can enjoy a few good hours of swimming in the sunshine! :)

ENJOY THE WEEKEND... TGIF!