Winner Dinners

Do you ever get into a cooking rut?

Same dishes week after week?

We've definitely been in need of a dinner-makeover at my house during the past couple months.  

So off I went to the library and came home with a stack of what I had hoped to be inspiration.

Yes, as you can tell, these were pretty much quick & easy cookbooks. I still have not mastered the art of working full-time, staying on top of all the laundry and housework, AND having a wonderful full-course meal on the table by 6:00 PM. 

I tried it for awhile when we first got married, but I never got out of the kitchen until 8:30 or 9 PM, and that put me on the verge of going crazy. What I've realized though is that pre-planning is half the battle.  If I know ahead of time what I'm going to make for dinner, than I can have the meat already thawed out and proper ingredients on hand so I don't have to make last-minute dashes to the store when i realize mid-recipe that I'm short on tomatoes, beans or broth. 

"Express Lane Meals" by Rachael Ray was the biggest disappointment to me.  I've perused several of her cookbooks and I don't think I've ever actually tried any of her recipe.  They all have really strange ingredients, and don't seem economical or appetizing.  Skip that.

I enjoyed the "Hungry Girl" cookbooks and made a few good things from those.  I like "real" ingredients though (not liquid egg substitute and stuff like that), so I used her recipes as a guideline and just tweaked whatever I made. 

I like tweaking. 

T-w-e-a-k-i-n-g. 

Tweaking.

Ahem.

Then there is always the trusty Internet, filled with creative recipe, absolute disasters, and some real winners!  Some of of my current favorites are:

Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti

Mongolian Beef (crockpot)

Lemon-Herb Zucchini Fettuccini

Baked Oatmeal (crockpot)

Noodles & Co Mac & cheese

Each of these recipes I have altered to suit our personal tastes.  More or less sauce, rice noddles instead of pasta, differently seasoned meat, etc.  I use the recipes like a canvas and take my own set of colors to spice it up!  Cooking is often my outlet for creativity these days. 

Have you tried anything new lately?

Happy Cooking ~

Monday Munchies

It's Girl Scout cookie time! 

I had it on good authority (my husband's) that Samoas were the best Girl Scout cookies ever.

E.v.e.r.

However, my knowledge of this didn't occur until after GS cookie season had ended last year and I had failed to order any.  Up until my husband asked why I didn't order any cookies, I had been unaware of the amazing yumminess that was supposedly held within the confines of these chocolately-coconutty cookies. 

I mean seriously people, I make my own cookies.  Why would I buy some pre-made stuff in a box? (Oreos excepted, of course.)

This year when somebody at work was selling cookies for their daughter I bought a box to surprise him. 

A couple weeks before the cookie orders were due to come in, I found a special edition Somoas ice cream on sale and decided to give it a try.

I would consider it to be good for a spoonful, but not for a bowl full. It didn't do much to get my hopes up for these boxed cookies.

And then they arrived.

Everybody at work was tearing into their boxes as they got passed out.  Seriously, these people were going crazy over cookies.  I decided to give mine a try.

People. 

These are da bomb.

I was regretting having only bought one box...

and regretting having to take it home to share.

{But don't look at the ingredient list.

Just sayin'.}

They're also good if they've been in the freezer for awhile, but I'm not sure if I like them better that way or straight out of the box.  Either way is pretty good stuff!

So I've become a cookie-convert.

But only when it comes to GS cookies.

What's your favorite kind?

Watcha Saying?

Somebody gave me a compliment today.

There was no hidden agenda behind it; nothing for them to gain by saying what they did.

They were quiet words that caught me completely off guard.

We had all been standing there laughing together when there was a pause and these words were said. They spoke, and then this person walked out the door and everything around me went quiet. Quiet, as I let the words soak in and turn to encouragement in my heart.

It is easy to do damage with our words, but a few kind words can be used for so much good. It’s easy for me to go through my routine and not think about offering kind words to the people around me.

How you doing today?

You look lovely.

What a beautiful smile you have.

I love hearing you laugh.

Simple words that might just make a big difference in somebody’s day.  They made a difference to mine.

Try it.

It's like giving somebody a hug with your words.

The words of the reckless pierce like swords,

but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs 12:18

"There is sunshine in my soul today..."

The last few days I have been feeling a little blue. Haven’t quite been able to put my finger on why, but just not my usual self.  I love how God knows my heart and despite myself He reaches into my life bringing little moments that help cheer me up.

• An unexpected hour at home before my husband leaves for class.
• A long walk with new shoes that don’t hurt my feet.
• Making a friend when you weren’t trying to.
• Somebody making you laugh when you really feel like crying. 
• Leftovers from Mom so I don’t have a cook. 
• Planning a date night to look forward to.
• Most importantly the reminder that: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

 These little things have been droplets of sunshine to my soul lately.

What has been your Sunshine this week?

PS - Lisa Leonard is having another adorable giveaway today right HERE!

Miscellany From My Life

Looking forward to reading Core Lies from Sarah Mae @ Like a Warm Cup of Coffee.  Follow the link to download your free copy of this ebook!

Watched Amish Grace this week, a movie based on the true story of a gunman that shot ten girls (killed five) in an Amish community in Pennsylvania, 2006. 

Took one of my little sisters to see a local production of Pride & Prejudice.  Ohhh, Mr. Darcy, you make is all swoon.

Biggby coffee shops marked their 15th anniversary last week and celebrated by selling 99 cent tall coffee drinks.  I enjoyed me a Hazelnut Mocha latte.

Lisa Leonard is giving away a set of her new custom magnets!
Check it out HERE!

And what's a week without the Giz?

Happy Monday, y'all!
Hope your week if off to a great start!

Spring in iPhone pics

The local Tractor Supply store was having "Chick Days" last week 

and it reminded me again of how many fun things there are about spring.

Cute things ~

Small things ~

Fuzzy things ~

Noisy things ~

I gave up my dreams of farm life and marrying Pecos Bill long ago, but when I see little animals, goats, horses, and even the occasional cow, a part of me wonders what it might be like to live country style for awhile.  But Dee Drummond I am not, so I come back to reality when I realize that I only live five minutes from several grocery stores, the library, a mall, dozens of restaurants, and Best Buy.  So I pet the little fuzzy chicks & ducks, and went on my merry way.

I got home that night and saw that there were tulips starting to poke their way up through the dirt in the flower beds that have been left unattended since last fall. 

I can't wait until the dirt is overshadowed with dozens of blossoms and bursts of color!  The roses from my husband are still alive and beautiful on the kitchen table, and when I look at them every day it makes me long ever more for the beauties of springtime.

As I marveled at the beauties around me, God blessed our little town with a beautiful sunset -- the first one I've seen in months. 

The clouds cleared away and color was burst across the sky! 

It was as if everything around me that day was filled with anticipation of spring.  Warmth.  Sunshine. Joy.  Excitement.

I love seeing the new life everywhere!

What do you love about spring?

Weekend - Part 2

After a delicious breakfast at Wolfgang's, my sweet husband took me to the art museum to see their special exhibit:

Diana: a Celebration

It was wonderful.

Parts of it made me cry.

 Her wedding dress, with it's 25 foot train.

The tiara, full of sparkling diamonds.

The wedding processional.

The funeral.

Her favorite dresses.

Pictures in poverty, pictures in disease...
they were pictures of beauty.

Her life seemed to be tragedy and beauty wrapped into one.

They didn't allow any pictures inside the exhibit, but I still left with many images imprinted in my memory.  Learning more about Diana left me very excited for the upcoming marriage of Kate & William.  Definitely looking forward to watching that to TV (along with millions of other people, I'm sure). 

We left the museum and watched ice skaters on the pond. 



It was one of those weekends that you're still thinking about long after it's over.

Have you had any special weekends lately?

PS:  Check out Lisa Leonard's giveaway!

Hasten the Springtime

He brought me flowers

To hasten the springtime

He brought me flowers

To chase away the gray

He brought me flowers

Because he knows they cast a smile

He brought me flowers

To give hope amid the rain

He brought me flowers

Knowing how I love them

That man of mine brought me roses...

Oh, he loves me so...

Weekend - Part 1

Some weekends are set aside for special things.

Treats.  Memories.  Pictures.  Laughter.

Special things.

One snowy weekend this winter, my husband took me out for a special day,  helping to break up the winter blues. 

Breakfast at Wolfgang's.  Yes, that was a treat. 

He had been there times before, but it was a first for me. 

But believe-you-me, it definitely won't be my last!

High tables.  Delicious coffee.  Happy people.  Amazing food. 

I was in love.

We shared a grilled cinnamon roll, which was different than any cinnamon roll I'd ever had.  Made fresh in their bakery, and apparently in high-demand because there was one on nearly every table around us. 

Ohhh, so good.

And although we failed to get pictures, the rest of our breakfast was absolutely delicious.  Huge, but delicious!

I hope to visit this quaint little place again sometime soon.  

You're guaranteed to leave with a big smile on your face.