Place of Transformation {and a recipe}

I don’t bake much, but one favorite recipe around here that does happen is Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. The recipe comes courtesy my high school boyfriend’s mom.

It always amazes me I can take mushy, seemingly-no-good bananas and turn them into deliciousness.

Don’t believe me? Try it yourself.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
From Jane Garcia

1 cup margarine softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 ripe bananas that I puree in a food processor
Chocolate chips

Cream margarine, sugar and eggs till light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time. Add dry ingredients and blend well. Then pour in the pureed bananas and mix until well blended. Stir in however many chocolate chips you want and pour into two greased and floured loaf pans and bake at 325 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

I’ve also discovered the bread freezes well.

I’m reminded how The Middle is a place of transformation. {Tweet that.} It's in the middle where one thing becomes another, something is changed from the inside out with effort and time, and sometimes it takes some heat to do the job.

I’m talking about banana bread, but I’m also talking about my own heart. Food and faith are intertwined in celebration and the ordinary moments that make life sweet.
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I’m excited to join Britta Lafont for her Meet Me in the Middle Project during Lent, when I’m going to slow down and notice the pieces of life I bypass in a rush. Find all the details about the Meet Me in the Middle Project here or reference Britta's introductory post.

#ThreeWordWednesday friends, I'd love for you join in Meet Me in the Middle by linking up there and here, but the weekly #ThreeWordWednesday link up is open as usual even if you're not participating in this Lenten project. I'm always so glad y'all are here.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Subscribe to get new posts and/or a monthly newsletter with content not available on the blog in your inbox. When you subscribe, I'll send you a FREE #choosingJOY printable. 

"Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family" is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, or follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin'.

Five Things I Learned in February

1. A couple random TV/movies facts ::

Amber in "Parenthood" was Bernice in "Hope Floats" years earlier. Her real name is Mae Whitman. Before he was Cary Agos in "The Good Wife," Matt Czuchry played a college boy in "Gilmore Girls."

2. Christina Baker Kline is an author I love.

I read the popular "Orphan Train" in January and then "Desire Lines" and "Sweet Water" in February. I enjoyed them all. This month I also read "Bird in Hand," which I didn't enjoy but finished reading anyway. Kline is a great story teller who spans her suspenseful plots over two time periods, which isn't easy to do well.

3. Making homemade BBQ can be easy.

I tried one of those Crock Pot sauces that is made to just be poured on the meat. We didn't love the flavor. So I went to a recipe my longtime dear friend Katie shared. She shared it because of my love of Dr Pepper.

And now I'm sharing it with you. Because it was delicious.

• 2-3 lbs pork tenderloin
• BBQ rub of your choice (We used Stubb's BBQ rub.)
• 12 oz Dr Pepper (I used Diet DP because that's what I had.)
• BBQ sauce of your choice (Again, we used Stubb's Sticky Sweet BBQ sauce.)

DIRECTIONS :: Put rub on meat. Put meat in Crock Pot and the. Pour can of Dr Pepper over it. Cook on low for 10 hours. Shred and drain meat and then put back in Crock Pot with some BBQ sauce. I probably added about a 1/4 of the bottle and then turned Crock Pot to warm and then added more sauce closer to serving time. Most people added some more sauce on their sandwich.

Easy, peasy. And delicious.

4. Counting joys really is freeing. 

I have a list on my phone of moments, conversations, happenings that brought me joy. It's just a running numbered list I add to when I think about them, so I've probably neglected a few things. Here at the end of February, I'm at #108. Talk about perspective.

5. Sometimes a book begs for discussion.

I started reading "You're Loved No Matter What" by Holley Gerth. By the end of chapter two, I wanted to talk to friends about what I was reading. So I started a Facebook group so we can have an online book discussion. We're going to start discussing chapter one on March 16. You're welcome to join us! {More details here.}

How's your month been?
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I'm linking up with Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky. Read previous posts: {From 2013} June. July. August. September. October. November. {From 2014} January. February. March. April. May. June. July. August. September. October. November. December. {From 2015} January.

Want more insights? "Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family" is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin', or subscribe to receive "Insights in Your Inbox."

This post contains affiliate links.

5 Things I Learned in November

Where has fall gone, y'all? It's totally escaped me, although the weather hasn't helped. It seems like it's been either unseasonably cold or hot. And then there was that Snow Day that happened before Thanksgiving around here. Anyway, regardless of what Mother Nature is up to or how fast time flies, here we are at the end of November.

I love the Christmas season, so I'm looking forward to our traditions that come with that. But, first, before this month totally escapes me, I wanted to document some things I learned ...

1. Listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving really isn't a bad thing. I've always been a must-wait-until-after-Thanksgiving-to-move-onto-Christmas-music person, which really doesn't make much sense because I buy gifts long before I eat turkey.

I blame Shaun Groves for changing my mind. His remake of Goo Goo Dolls' "Better Days" is fabulous. It's right up there with his version of "Joy to the World" as my favorite. My only complaint about his Christmas album is I wish there were more. But, thankfully, he says there's more coming next year.

{Listen and learn more here.}

2. Camping is fun. I've been camping probably four times in my whole life. All but one of those times I slept in a tent. Everything about camping except sleeping in a tent is fun. But the sleeping part kind of stresses me out. And then we borrowed my mother-in-law's RV and went camping with our friends. I'm sold ... as long as there's a bed for me. {Read about our camping trip.}

3. Murray is like Stars Hollow. My cousin Mary, whose family stayed with us one weekend in November, noticed. And I like the comparison. I can see it when I drive down my street that borders the park. I can see it when we're out and run into so many people who know us and love us. And I can see it when another parade goes down Main Street.

I've been watching "Gilmore Girls" when I fold laundry. How did I miss this show the first time around?! I'm so glad Netflix drew me in.

4. Cinnamon Moons are delicious. And easy to make. Thanks to my college friend Alexa who posted the recipe on Instagram, these are now in our breakfast rotation. Seriously. Copy this recipe now ...

2 cans biscuits
1 cup sugar
Tbsp cinnamon
1 stick of butter

1. Cut biscuits in half.
2. Mix sugar & cinnamon.
3. Melt butter and dip biscuits in.
4. Roll buttered biscuits in cinnamon/sugar mixture.
5. Cook 8-10 mins @ 350*. Makes a 9x13 pan.

5. Cooking a turkey is hard work. And I'm retiring from doing it after my one time. The meat was moist and good, so I might as well go out on top, right? {Read more about my experience.}

How's November been for you?
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"Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family" is available on Amazon. And it's on sale for just $2.99 for the last few days of this month. And if you'd read it, I'd love for you to leave a review at Amazon. Thanks, friends! 

I'm linking up with Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky, who inspired me to document life this way. I love these monthly posts. Read more previous posts: {From 2013} June. July. August. September. October. November. {From 2014} January. February. March. April. May. June. July. August. September. October.

Want more stories? Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin', or subscribe to receive "Insights in Your Inbox."

8 Things I Learned in May

God's still continually teaching me about the beauty and joy that come when I stop to smell the flowers. Or play with the kids. Or read a fiction book. So there's been plenty of those lessons this month, during which we've transitioned from our school routine to summer time!

And I've learned other things this month too ...

1. Kroger sells my favorite kettle corn. Kroger is where I grocery shop {at least} weekly, but I just discovered the red bags of deliciousness ... in the health food aisle near another family favorite, White Cheddar Cheetos Puffs. Obviously, I haven't spent much time in the organic/natural/health food aisle, but it seems I may be there more often now.

2. May really is my favorite month, even if the temperatures fluctuated from 85 degrees to 57 degrees in a matter of days. Thankfully, we're back on the warm end now.

3. A 5K can be both physically and emotionally exhausting, but God still shows up.

4. The Amtrak train is the way to go to Chicago. And there's so much to do once you get there.

5. Online conversations can naturally move into real-life ones. Meeting my blogging friend Beth in Chicago was so much fun. She's the fourth online friend I met in person and it continues to amaze me how real these online friendships are. Ashley started a mastermind group {think like-minded people who brainstorm together and encourage each other} this month. I'm excited to be part of it and have already seen good things happen there.

6. I really liked "Justified." And not just because it's set in Kentucky. Greg gave me {us, really ...} an Amazon Fire TV for my birthday, which makes watching shows on Amazon Prime simple. Plus we catch watch Netflix and listen to Pandora that way too.

{P.S. Doesn't "Justifed" star Timothy Olyphant look like Josh Duhamel? They don't sound alike though.}

7. My newly imposed "Don't get out of your bed until 7 a.m." rule may work. I just instituted it this week, our first week of summer, but it seems to be working. Ben recognizes 7s as upside-down Ls on his digital clock. Whatever works, son. If this is successful, we'll all be nicer people around here this summer. {This rule doesn't apply to Greg, who prefers working early in the morning before his office phone starts ringing.}

8. I'm still addicted to the Pioneer Woman's cinnamon toast that reminds me of how Nanny used to make it when we were kids.

You'll need ...

• 8 slices of bread {We're big fans of Pepperidge Farm Oatmeal Bread.}
• 1 stick of butter, softened
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

It's simple, really, because I only make simple things in the kitchen ...

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Soften butter and mash any remaining chunks with a fork. Mix sugar, cinnamon and vanilla with butter. And spread mixture onto slices of bread on a baking sheet.
• Switch oven to "broil" and then cook for a few minutes. Typically takes a little less than 10 minutes, but you'll want to watch closely so it doesn't burn. 

How's your month been? Learned anything fun or meaningful?

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I love these month-end posts prompted by Emily at Chatting at the Sky. Here are previous month's recaps from 2013: June. July. August. September. October. November. And from 2014: January. February. March. April.

Want more stories? Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin', or subscribe to receive "Insights in Your Inbox."

Hello, sweet, sweet summer ...

These strawberries we picked with our hands taste like summer, even more so than the ones we bought at Walmart and Kroger the past few weeks. These strawberries have become a May tradition for my kids and me – along with friends – at The Berry Farm. So, yes, I taste community in them too.

We picked them Wednesday afternoon, taking advantage of the 85-degree sunshine that coincided with my daughter’s early dismissal school day. Courtney and I talked as we moved slowly through the rows of strawberries sprouting out of raised beds beneath plastic tarps. The kids moved faster, up and down dirt rows, then up a mound of dirt, then across the driveway to pet the dogs. It’s the fourth year my kids and I have gone with friends to pick these berries. I do think they get sweeter each time.

{See posts from 2011. 2012. 2012, again. 2013.}

Summer seems to be like that too. This favorite season of ours goes fast but we gobble it up as we go along. We swim and lunch and relax and read and vacation and catch up and slow down and make plans and play and work. And, you know, these summers are sweeter now that my girl is finished with first grade and we get a break in our routine that is built around the school calendar.

We’ll be consuming more summer foods like pasta salad, broccoli salad, and grilled burgers and kabobs when we hang out with my family at the lake this weekend. There’s likely to be swimming and boating and fishing too. And not just this weekend, but throughout the summer.

The strawberries are gone. We ate them with all three meals the past couple of days and I used the remaining few quarts to make a new-to-me strawberry cream cheese cobbler. I texted Greg a picture of the end result and suggested he come home for lunch so we could eat it together.

My girl and I kind of limped into summer.

The end-of-the-year projects and responsibilities were wearing on me, but I pressed through because I do believe we should finish what we start and do our best. I took store-bought cookies and a vegetable tray to the year-end program last night instead of the homemade appetizer and dessert I had considered making. These moments are good lessons in letting go for me and opportunities to talk to my girl about how we’re preapproved.

And speaking of my girl, this spring has been hard on her respiratory system and sinuses. She’s been to the pediatrician four times since April 2. I was jotting down yesterday’s visit in her baby book when I noticed she’d these four pediatrician visits on the sick side of the waiting room are equal to the number of times she went in for sickness all of 2012 and 2013 combined. Crazy, huh?

Yesterday’s visit was prompted by a 102.1 fever the night before her year-end program. Because sinus infections aren't really contagious and her fever had been gone since around 10 a.m., we went on to the program. I would have had a broken-hearted girl had the doctor encouraged us to stay home. We went. She said her lines and sang songs. We socialized and reminisced with school friends.

The school year came to an unexpected halt when she woke up this morning with a 103.2 fever. There was a time not so long ago in my life I would have been so frustrated that my girl had to miss the last two days of her first-grade year. And, yes, I'm frustrated today, but it's for her and not that I've failed as a mom in some way over which I actually have no control.

So, hello, Summer. We’re limping into to the break, but we’re so glad to be here – where sweet food and even sweeter community abound and hopefully sinus infections are fewer.

What do you love about summer?
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Here's a review of my friend Cathy Baker's book "A to Z Summer Fun: Ideas to Inspire Family Fun" if you need such inspiration. 

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Eight Things I Learned in July

Cousins walking through the Louisville Zoo on Sunday.

I'm sad July is over. It's not my favorite month, but it means the end of summer is approaching. My kids go back to school two weeks from today. I'm feeling a mixture of denial and mourning. I've always considered summer my favorite, and this one seemed to go by especially quickly. Didn't I just write Nine Things I Learned in June?!

Summer is like no other season. And it's filled with so many of my favorite things. Days that don't begin with an alarm. Swimming. The lake. Lunching at the park with friends. Grilled kabobs. Berries. Road trips. Did I mention swimming?

Now that I have a school-aged child who is getting ready to begin her second year of "real" school, summer has a different meaning. It's like a break from the routine. And, y'all, I really took a break from all things school. I didn't even participate in the summer reading program Cate's school organizes. I seriously hope she's not the only one who didn't earn points. She read. Really. Every night out loud to herself. Greg and I read "Beezus and Ramona" with her. She's read to Ben. She's read to me. She's read to Greg. She's read in the car. And she's stood over my shoulder and read whatever I was working on.

But I didn't write down a single book from the suggested reading list. Y'all, I don't even know what was on the suggested reading list.

So, with that. Eight things I learned in July, in no particular order ...

1. It's OK to say no and not participate in everything. Like your school's summer reading program, apparently. Oh, and, the one at the local library too. We had a few camps/Bible school weeks we wanted to do. They made it on the calendar. No other regular commitments did.

2. Dinner doesn't always have to be served at 5:30 p.m. One of my favorite summer afternoons/evenings went like this: Kids and I left the house to swim at the city pool at 3:30 p.m. I emailed my husband as I was walking out the door: We're going to embrace summer and swim. I have no idea what we're having for dinner. 

He responded: How about I come up there when I leave work? No hesitation from me: Yes! I'll leave your clean swim trunks out. {Because, you see, I may have slacked meal planning and preparing and executing, but, hey, I did laundry so my husband's swim trunks no longer had lake water on them. It's the little things, people.}

So we swam. Until 6 p.m. For kids that go to bed around 7:30 p.m., that's creeping into late-night dinner territory. But we came home, put on dry clothes, and loaded back up for Cracker Barrel because that's like a home-cooked meal, right?! AND THEN I really kept on with the "Let's embrace summer!" mentality and suggested Dairy Queen on the way home. We brought cones home and sat on the front porch eating them. {Well, OK, so mine wasn't actually cone. Mini Reese's Cup Blizzard for the win.}

AND THEN, more embracing summer. The kids rode bikes and scooters in the front yard and then I engaged my son in a game of chase in the front yard. It was past bedtime, which is admittedly looser in the summer, and everyone was so happy and content. I really had no idea what time it was.

3. I taught my husband Scrabble strategy too well. Really. I used to beat him. Years ago, I was on quite a streak when we sat down at the table and played the actual board game. Now, he wins. Of course, now we also sit next to each other on our iPhones, verbally nudging each other to take their next Words with Friends turn. Since the beginning of June, he's on a 22-3 streak.

{Do you wonder how I know the win streak? Oh, at the beginning of June I started a list on the phone. So, yes, if you've played Words with Friends with me since June 1, I've got our games tallied too. Oh, and, hey, if you want to play, my user name is KHT. I'm never one to turn down a game.}

4. My favorite passage of scripture contains encouragement for one of my constant struggles. OK, so, maybe, I didn't technically learn this this month, but it was brought to my attention in a new way, thanks to God-sized dreamer friend Mandy. I quote pieces of Philippians 4 regularly to friends having a hard day or myself throughout any given day. Yet, I realize I skip one crucial line about gentleness, which Mandy mentioned in our Voxer conversation.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. {Phil. 4:4-7}

{More on this later. I typed a bunch, but it was weighing down this post.}

5. God knows I learn by repetition. "Pray about Everything" is one of the songs from the "Kingdom Rocks" VBS my kids went to this summer at a friend's church. And we often have the CD playing in the minivan. This song taken from the New Living Translation of Phil. 4:6-7 is my favorite track. Of course, God.

{Hey, Mandy, the gentleness part there is a reminder to be considerate in all you do.}

6. Adding freelance writing work just as the busy lake house season was beginning may not have been the most logical strategy, but it worked for me. I'm a doer. In school, I wanted to write a paper, not prepare for a test. Anticipation for a presentation or an upcoming change was always harder on me than the actual event. I like to see results and progress. Had I spent too much time thinking about the timing of beginning freelance writing right as I would be managing two busy vacation rentals, I probably would have gotten overwhelmed and stressed before I even got started. But when it all sort of just happened, I was able to dive right in. Finding a balance between work and play was the hardest, but even that was alright, thanks to my kids making sure I figured out when we would swim.

7. The creators of The Bachelorette knew what they were doing by scheduling when most shows are taking a break. I tell myself I'm done, but I always get pulled back in. Really, though, is there a better show to have on while folding mounds of laundry? Not really. Yet if "Parenthood" or "The Good Wife" were on with new episodes this time of the year, I may have an easier time saying goodbye to "The Bachelorette."

So, yes, I'm watching this season. I was a Zak fan. Now I'm a Chris fan. I wasn't surprised Brooks broke her heard. {Am I the only one who saw that coming? Clearly Des didn't!}

8. I can make low-sugar, delicious strawberry lemonade at home. Jaclyn shared this recipe with me and you'll be thanking me that I'm sharing it with you.

2 cups Sprite Zero
1 package lemonade mix for a 16-ounce water bottle {I used Crystal Light}
8 frozen strawberries
2 packages of sweetener {I used Splenda. Packages are likes the ones at restaurants.}
6-10 ice cubes or 1 1/3 cup crushed ice
2/3 cup water

Put in blender and blend. I've been making two blenders full at a time because that fits in my plastic pitcher. And, trust me, you'll want more. 

I could probably go on, but I think I'll stop there. Goodbye, July. You were fun, but couldn't you have stayed around longer? Friends, what have you learned this month?
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I'm linking my list up with Emily at Chatting at the Sky. Come join us! And, yes, you may have noticed the permalink is "seven things ..." I totally came back and added one. 

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{eMeals} Food worth sharing

One of the greatest tangible blessings from my friends when life was hard or busy is a homecooked meal that they took time to prepare. When we brought our kids home as newborns, the friends who took turns bringing us dinner taught me that showing up with some food really does make a difference.

Now I like to share meals with friends who are recovering from surgery, bringing home babies, or just plain worn out from life. I have a few go-to recipes, but I've recently added a new one that people {including my family!} love.

Thanks to eMeals, King Ranch Chicken Casserole is a delicious, easy meal that resides in my cooking binder.

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breasts
2 T oil
1/2 (12 oz) bag yellow corn chips
16 oz shredded colby Jack cheese, divided
8 oz medium salsa
8 oz sour cream
10 oz can cream of chicken soup
5 oz can evaporated milk
7 oz can diced green chilies

Instructions

• Saute chicken in oil for 20 minutes or until cooked through. {I've actually been putting the chicken breasts in the crock pot on high for a couple hours. It's quick, convenient and shreds easily when cooked.}
• Layer chips in a greased casserole dish. Place shredded chicken on top of chips. Layer 1/2 of the cheese.
• Combine salsa, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, evaporated milk and green chilies. Pour this sauce over casserole and add remaining cheese on top.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

I usually make Spanish rice to go with it. With the casserole, eMeals includes a Spanish rice recipe, but I make this one that we've loved for a long time that looks nothing like the picture on All Recipes.

King Ranch Chicken Casserole isn't the only one reason I recommend eMeals. I was desperate for some meal planning help, mostly with, well, planning the meals. Nothing sounded good. I needed new recipes that didn't take a ton of time. So I signed up for eMeals. And then I realized a shopping list specified to my preferred grocery was included along with a weekly dinner plan {main dish and a side}.

I chose the "classic meals" plan, but there are several options depending on your eating habits. You can add breakfast and lunch plans too. I'm thinking about switching to the Crock Pot meal plan for the fall/winter.

And guess what? Everything I've made, we've liked. Let's just say King Ranch Chicken Casserole isn't the only recipe that made it into my binder full of recipes.

How about a deal to make signing up even more tempting? You can save 15% when you use School15 at the checkout. And here are some free eMeals printables, including a back-to-school checklist, some lunch recipes and food-inspired notes for your kids' lunch boxes.

Have you tried eMeals? Do you have a favorite new recipe to share?
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I recently joined the eMeals Blogger Network so I could have access to ideas and discounts to share with you. This post also includes some affiliate links, but my love for eMeals existed before these incentives.  

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Hey, summer, s ... l ... o ... w down. {a catch-up post}

Last week I didn't have a single appointment or play date or lunch on my calendar at the beginning of the week. Really, it's the first week of summer that's been that free. I loved it.

Yes, I had a to-do list of freelance articles to be written, computer tasks related to managing vacation rentals, and other things I didn't want to forget to do. We ended up swimming with friends, lunching with friends, working, cleaning, and playing. But I didn't have to do anything at a certain time.

Well, until I dropped off my kids at a friend's church for Vacation Bible School from 5-8 p.m. EVERY evening. They were fed dinner, taught new songs, heard Bible stories, and totally entertained.

So my husband and I had four dates last week. We ate a homecooked meal while watching "Mad Men" the first evening. We went out to dinner the next night. Then a couple I didn't know sat around our table for dinner around our table one evening as we talked adoption, diabetes and homemade Reese's dessert. On Thursday, Greg had a meeting so I got food from a drive-thru, scrapbooked some of Christmas 2011 and then got a pedicure. {I'm telling you, you can do quite a bit with three hours without kids when you're used to having a couple small helpers.} And then Friday night was double date night with our good friends Andy and Courtney, whose kids had been invited to VBS by my kids one night and ended up going the rest of the week.

And, hey, moms, I had a stroke of genius that lasted HOURS. I asked my kids if they wanted to see who could get the most jobs around the house done. So they fell for it. They put away clothes, sorted dirty laundry, carried toys and coloring books back to their places, and washed a couple windows and the front door. And Cate created a scoreboard, of course. The biggest surprise was that it even continued into the next day, when Cate asked if she could get points for doing such-and-such around the house. "Ben should get a point for napping," Cate suggested. Yes, yes, he should because I think that's the only day he napped. Yep. We're in that phase.

Oh and Cate lost her eighth tooth. She's 6 people. Only two months into being 6. She lost #7 and #8 less than a week apart. I didn't even realize the last two were loose enough to come out. Apparently she's a tooth-wiggling pro.

Our weekend included a baby shower for us girls while Greg drove Ben around to his childhood fishing hole and other places on his reminiscing journey and then an impromptu drive around Kentucky Lake, where Greg showed me some bays and camps I'd never seen. We also happened upon a playground with a nice view of the lake and dreamed of future plans, trips and ideas. We played mini golf with friends -- an outing you'll see more about because I have a blog post on that brewing my mind! We were rained out of a swimming party, but we ate pizza and played skee ball instead. And last night I managed to turn in the remaining four freelance articles I'd gradually been working on throughout the week.

Then there is this week. And, really, I love it too. Cate is at a robotics camp at Murray State. Ben is at VBS at our church. We have appointments to get our fingerprints taken for our adoption home study, which we're well on our way to updating for an agency that has piqued our interest. Of course, the fingerprints have to be taken at a location 45 minutes away, so we're going to make a mini road trip out of it. And I have some vacation rental responsibilities with renters coming and going. And I'm sure that's not all. I did knock out multiple errands while the kids were occupied at their respective VBS/camp this morning, so now we're going swimming.

So, there. An recap of sorts. I just didn't want you think I'd totally disappeared. I'm trying to get summer to slow down, but I'm failing miserably. Even so, it's been fun. And we still have month left. In case you didn't catch on, I really love summer.

What have you been up to?
________
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{No More Perfect Moms} Opening our imperfect home

My kids are like company leaches, becoming
attached to anyone who comes in our door. 

"Do you want a beautiful home? Sure, take care of the physical space you have. Maintain it, clean it on occasion, and keep it organized enough to find what you need to find. More than anything, however, focus on the people living inside those walls. When you get right down to it, it's those flawed yet precious family relationships that make your house truly beautiful." 

{From "No More Perfect Moms" by Jill Savage}

"Who's coming over for dinner?" is a popular question from my 5 1/2-year-old daughter. Pretty sure she's working on teaching her 3-year-old brother the same question. Many times I'll tell them Daddy will be home after work and just the four of us are going to eat. But plenty of other days I do get to tell her which friends are coming over for dinner.

Truthfully, we like having friends over for dinner, to watched a basketball or baseball game on TV, or to play games. Just this past Saturday, we did all three with a couple of friends. They came over to watch the Murray State vs. Southeast Missouri basketball game on ESPNU. We ate chicken fajitas with Spanish rice during the game and then played two games of Ticket to Ride after my kids were in bed.

It was a great night, but, you know, it wasn't perfect. Truth is, homes don't have to be perfect to be enjoyed and opened. In fact, it's probably better if they weren't. Take Saturday night,  for example, the kitchen did get swept, but that would have happened regardless of whether friends were coming over. {I have a 3-year-old boy who makes a trail of crumbs wherever he eats and I was tried of stepping in whatever was sitting near his chair.} And, actually, that's not even the whole story: My husband and daughter swept while I finally showered at 2:30 in the afternoon.

I made the easiest chicken fajita recipe possible in my Crock Pot {Hey, it's delicious too!} and cooked an easy Spanish rice recipe on the stove top and left it simmer once our friends arrived and we went to the basement to watch basketball. Not long after we sat down, I remembered I have a delicious {and easy ... catching on the trend in my kitchen?!} white cheese recipe I wished I'd thought of earlier when I was at the grocery store buying the ingredients I needed for the fajitas and rice.

Did I mention our friends had to walk through our laundry room to get from the kitchen to the basement? And then walk through again to get from the basement to the kitchen. And back again. And again. Oh, and there was a shirt still drying hanging in the door frame between the kitchen and laundry room. I did clear a path through the laundry room by stacking on top of the washer and dryer the three baskets with five loads of clean laundry awaiting my attention to be folded.

Immediately upon us all taking our seats in the basement as my husband turned on ESPNU, my kids literally were climbing all over our friends. They're like that. They like people. They aren't shy. And, well, really ... I don't have much other explanation for the climbing on someone else's back. But our friends are good sports. They let them climb. And then our friend Kristen read them books, taught them songs, sang said songs who knows how many times, and broke up a couple arguments between my kids. Meanwhile, us three other adults watched the game, giving Kristen replay highlights courtesy our DVR when necessary.

Sometime during the first half, we paused the game and filled our plates in the kitchen then returned to the basement, where our kids claimed {probably wisely} the only two flat table-like surfaces for their plates while us four adults ate from the plates balanced on our knees. But, hey, this way we could keep watching our beloved Racers, who struggled through the first half and then picked it up behind in time during the second half to claim a victory.

Homemaking and hospitality are kind of like that. There were {and sometimes still are} struggles for me figuring out that my home and life don't have to be perfect to invite others in. But once they're here and real life is shared I feel like I've come away with a win. And it's my hope my friends do too.
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This is yet another post in an ongoing series about how God's teaching me to embrace imperfection. You can read my previous posts inspired by "No More Perfect Moms" here. I received a free PDF copy of Jill Savage's "No More Perfect Moms" as part of the book's launch team, but I truly want to embrace this message and the opinions and experiences are really mine. Learn more about ordering the book here. I wrote this post to link up to Jill Savage's blog, but I posted it an entire week early. Ah ... embracing imperfection! So I've linked up now a week later. Want more? Subscribe to get "Insights" in your inbox. Or follow me on Twitter.

Blueberry delight

We like picking berries. The past few summers, we've picked strawberries, blueberries and blackberries. And it's not even Memorial Day weekend and we've picked strawberries twice and blueberries once. There is something so satisfying about picking our own berries.

{We discovered this blueberry patch two summers ago. And it was a much hotter day then. Strawberries are my favorite so I was thrilled last summer to discover The Berry Farm. Hopefully we'll be able to revisit a thornless blackberry patch this summer.}

Ready to pick!

 

He kept eating what he picked ...

And  now I'm off to make my favorite blueberry muffins. What would you do with almost 7 pounds of fresh blueberries?

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{Approved for You} Marble Brownies

My sister taught me about a simple, delicious brownie recipe when we were together at Christmas. It's so simple and delicious that it's worth sharing with the world.

MARBLE BROWNIES
Makes 32 servings

1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare brownie batter as directed on package; spread into greased 13x9-inch pan.
3. Beat cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Add sugar, egg and vanilla; mix well. Drop by tablespoonfuls over brownie batter; swirl with knife.
4. Bake 35 to 40 min. or until cream cheese mixture is lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting to serve. Keep refrigerated.

Nutritional Information: 32 servings. Each serving has 106 calories; 15.8 g. carbs; 1.3 g. protein.

I made these last weekend using Ghiradelli's Triple Chocolate brownie mix. {Seriously - it's delicious, and I don't usually say that about other brands of brownies.} I did use Philadelphia cream cheese, but only because the generic brand didn't come in low-fat. So, yes, I used the low-fat cream cheese. {Gotta save where you can, right?} I took them to a potluck, so they even look pretty enough to share. Although, admittedly, we were happy to have some leftovers.
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Stuffed Pattypan Squash

Thanks to our CSA, we've had lots of delicious squash this summer. And we're probably not the only ones, so I thought I'd share this recipe a friend passed along.

Stuffed Pattypan Squash
From Allrecipes.com
Makes 6 servings

6 pattypan squash, stem and blossom removed
6 slices bacon
1/2 cup diced onion
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring one inch of water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add squash, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, or until a fork can pierce the stem with little resistance. Drain, and slice off the top stem of the squash. Carefully scoop out the centers of the squash. Reserve all of the bits of squash.

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Remove bacon to paper towels, and set aside. Saute onion in bacon drippings. Chop the reserved squash pieces, and saute them with the onion for one minute.

Remove the skillet from heat, and stir in the bread crumbs. Crumble the bacon, and stir into the stuffing along with the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stuff each squash to overflowing with the mixture, and place them in a baking dish. Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil.

Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until squash are heated through.
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56 chicken breasts and a little beef

Courtney and I freezer cooked yesterday. We kept it pretty simple, but our freezers are now stocked with all sorts of meals.

Parmesan Garlic Chicken
Black Bean Tortilla Bake
Asian Flank Steak
Poppyseed Chicken
Manicotti
Chicken Enchiladas
Orange Teriyaki Chicken
Buttermilk Herb Chicken

These are from either "Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer" or "Don't Panic - More Dinner's in the Freezer." Except for the manicotti and poppyseed chicken, which are Courtney's recipes. Yes, I'll share some recipes.
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Telluride Black Bean Tortilla Bake
Makes 6 servings

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinse
1 16-oz. can stewed tomatoes (I usually use diced tomatoes)
1/2 cup enchilada sauce
1 t. chili powder
1 t. cumin
1/4 t. pepper
6 flour tortillas
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 4-oz. can diced green chiles, drained
1 cup shredded Monterey jack or cheddar cheese (for serving day, if freezing)

Brown ground beef and onions in large skillet; drain fat. Put stewed tomatoes into a blender and blend just long enough to break up large tomato pieces. (I skip that step with the diced tomatoes.) Add to skillet with meat. Stir in black beans, enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Spread one side of tortilla with cream cheese, topping with green chiles. Fold tortillas in half over cream cheese. Pour half of the cooled meat sauce into the bottom of a 7-by-11 baking dish. (We actually did two smaller ones.) Arrange the folded tortillas over the sauce, overlapping if necessary. Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas.

Freeze at this point, if that's your plan. Thaw to slush state when ready to bake.

To serve, cover dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until heated through. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese on top. Bake for 5 more minutes or until bubbly.
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Parmesan Garlic Chicken
Makes 6 servings

6 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
2 gloves garlic (I just used minced garlic)
1/2 cup olive oil

Mix together cheese, garlic and Italian mix. Dip chicken breasts in olive oil, then coat with cheese mixture. Store in freezer bag, if you're freezing it.

Thaw completely before cooking. Place in greased baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

pickin' blackberries

We picked blackberries yesterday.
It was a good time with friends.
I really liked the view of this barn.
As you can see, pickin' blackberries can be hard work.

We did end up with 4 3/4 pounds. But, hey, we like pickin' berries. This blackberry patch has no thorns. Holly introduced me to it last summer, and we liked it so much we went back this year. So I came home and made cobbler.
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Making cobbler is really easy, especially with this recipe ...

QUICK BLACKBERRY COBBLER
From Cooks.com

3-4 cups berries
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2-3 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 cups Bisquick
1 cup milk
1 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9"x13" pan. Mix first 5 ingredients, place in pan. Mix last 3 ingredients, pour over berries. Bake about 1 hour or until berry mixture is set. Serve with ice cream if you wish.

Freezer Cooking

[I started this post more than a month ago, but I'm finally finishing it now, a few days before we freezer cook again!]

I like to eat. But cooking is another story. It's not that I mind the actual cooking. I just get discouraged when it takes some time to prepare a meal, usually during the time of the day when Ben wants to eat and Cate is eager for Daddy to get home. Then we eat it and I'm left with dishes and a counter top to clean.

So the idea of cooking a bunch of stuff at once, with a friend, is completely appealing. Then I have lots of meal choices with little effort required from 4 to 5 p.m. We cooked so much this last time [our third time together ...] that I had to rearrange the freezer twice to make it all fit.

As of last week, we have a freezer! It's an upright freezer with lots of room for lots of food. I am looking forward to filling it ... or at least coming close!

But for now I thought I'd share some of our freezer cooking day last month, which involved ...

10 recipes [which we doubled and still managed to produce more than one meal each]
4 whole chickens
11 lbs. of ground beef
36 chicken breasts
16 porkchops

We cooked from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., although that time involved feeding my baby twice, changing a few diapers, feeding three other kids lunch, and a trip to Dollar General Store for the cream of mushroom soup we forgot.

Our recipes usually come from "Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer" and more recently "Don't Panic - More Dinner's in the Freezer." We also use other recipes we like that freeze well, such as lasagna, manicotti, broccoli casserole, hashbrown casserole and taco soup.

It's best to come into the cooking day with a plan. And plenty of pans. Although the more you can freeze in gallon-sized Zip-loc bags the better, at least in terms of space.

Here are some recipes we've enjoyed, but I highly recommend "Don't Panic - More Dinner's in the Freezer ...


Parmesan Garlic Chicken
From "Don't Panic - More Dinner's in the Freezer"

6 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
2 gloves garlic (I just used minced garlic)
1/2 cup olive oil

Cooking day instructions
Mix together cheese, garlic and Italian mix. Dip chicken breasts in olive oil, then coat with cheese mixture. Store in freezer bag.

Serving day instructions
Thaw completely before cooking. Place in greased baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes.


Hawaiian Chicken
From "Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer"

6 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
2 16 oz. cans pineapple slices, drained
2 15 oz. cans mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 cup cornstartch
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 t. salt
1 t. ginger
1/2 t. red pepper (or less …)
Green pepper

Cooking day instructions
Place chicken in freezer bag. Mix together remaining ingredients except green pepper and pour over chicken in bag. Freeze.

Serving day instructions
Thaw chicken mixture. Place in Crock Pot and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. Add green pepper to Crock Pot one hour before serving. Serve over rice.


Colorado Beef Enchiladas
From "Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer"

1 1/4 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 T. taco seasoning
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 small can mild green chiles, chopped
1 6-8 oz. green chile salsa
1/4 cup water
Vegetable oil, for quick frying
12 corn tortillas
1 lb. cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Sauce:
1 15 oz. can red chile enchilada sauce
1 15 oz. can green chile enchilada sauce
1/3 cup sour cream
3 T. milk

Cooking day instructions
Brown meat and diced onion in skillet on medium heat. While meat is browning, prepare sauce (see below). Drain meat and return to pan; add dry taco seasoning, salt, pepper, green chiles, green salsa and water. Mix well, cover and simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes. Check meat mixture to see if most of the water has been absorbed. The meat should remain moist. Adjust seasonings at this point, if desired. Cover and keep warm.

Sauce: In medium bowl, combine red and green enchilada sauces, sour cream and milk. Whisk together until well blended and smooth. (Add more milk or sour cream if you want a less intense sauce.)

In a smaller pan, add 3 T. oil and heat over medium heat. Dip each corn tortilla in oil for a couple seconds and promptly place on plate lined with paper towels to drain excess. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Assemble: In 9x13 baking dish, pour 3/4 cup of sauce on bottom to cover dish. Place a single layer of tortillas in sauce. Top with layer of half of the meat mixture, then sprinkle with cheese. Repeat tortilla, meat, cheese layers. Pour remaining sauce over layers and top with cheese. Cool. Freeze.

Serving day instructions
Thaw completely. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.


Taco Soup
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 package ranch-style dressing mix
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 cup water
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes with green chilies
2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans
1 can (15 ounces) black beans
1 can (15 ounces) cream-style corn

Cooking day instructions
Brown beef with onions. Then combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook a few hours on low. Freeze in Zip-loc.

Serving day instructions
Reheat in slow cooker. Top with sour cream and corn chips.

Tortellini-Corn Chowder

My house was chilly this morning, so I decided it was a good day for soup. A friend came over for lunch, so we ate this soup + corn bread. Yum.

1 tablespoon oil or butter
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
3 cups water
1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
2 medium unpeeled potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup cooked bacon
1 can (15 ounces) cream-style corn
1 can (11 ounces) whole kernel corn with red + green peppers, undrained
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Heat oil in 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion until tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir in water; heat to boiling. Stir in tortellini + potatoes. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover + simmer 13-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes. (Although, I usually simmer a little longer ...)

Makes 8 servings.

SERVING SIZE = 1/8 recipe
EACH SERVING = 270 calories; 35g carbohydrate (9g fiber); 15g protein; 9g fat
EXCHANGES = 2 starch; 1 lean meat; 1 vegetable; 1 fat
From Betty Crocker's Diabetes Cookbook

Peanut Butter Cup Pie

(It's basically fat-free and sugar-free ... AND still tasty!)

1 graham cracker crust
1 8-ounce package fat-free cream cheese
2 heaping tablespoons peanut butter
dash vanilla
2 or 3 packages/spoons artifical sweetener
1 container of free Cool Whip

1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 small package sugar-free, fat-free chocolate pudding

Mix cream cheese and 2/3 container of Cool Whip with vanilla and artificial sweetener until creamy. Add peanut butter. Pour mixture into pie crust.

Prepare pudding per package directions, using only 1 1/2 cups milk. Spread over top of pie. Use remainder of Cool Whip on top of pie.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

SERVING = 1 slice
EXCHANGES = 1 starch; 1 meat

No-Bake Cereal Bars

(Although that name DOES NOT do this dessert justice!)

1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup peanut butter
6 cups Cheerios
1 bag (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Lightly butter 13-by-9-inch pan. Heat corn syrup and sugar to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cook until sugar is dissolved; remove from heat. Add 1 cup of the peanut butter, stir until smooth. Add cereal; mix well. Immediately press into buttered pan.

Over low heat, melt chocolate chips with remaining peanut butter, stirring constantly. Spread evening over bars. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or cool completely at room temperature until chocolate is set.

Makes 36 bars.

SERVING SIZE = 1 bar
EACH SERVING = 360 calories; 12g fat; 2g fiber
EXCHANGES = 3 starch; 1/2 other carbohydrate; 2 fat

On a cooking note, has anyone baked with Splenda? Do you think Splenda would be OK in this recipe? I think I'll try it and cut out some of that sugar. But, in moderation, you should really try these. They're amazing!

Orange Dream Cheesecake

I enjoyed this light, sweet snack from Kraft Foods, and it's low on fat and sugar.

1 honey graham cracker, crushed
2/3 cup boiling water
1 pkg. (4-serving size) sugar-free orange Jell-O
1 8-ounce pkg. fat-free cream cheese
2 cups thawed lite Cool Whip

Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs into bottom of 9-inch pie pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Stir boiling water into dry gelatin mix in large bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Cool 5 minutes. Pour into blender. Add cheeses; blend well.

Pour into large bowl and gently mix Cool Whip. Pour into prepared pan. Smooth top.

Refrigerate 4 hours. Makes 8 servings.

SERVING SIZE = 1 piece
EACH SERVING = 100 calories; 3.5g fat; 10g carbohydrate; 8g protein
EXCHANGES = 1/2 starch; 1 lean meat; 1/2 fat

Tex-Mex Steak & Rice

I made a chicken/pasta recipe last night that was terrible. Greg tried to tell me it was good, but when Greg doesn't finish a plate of pasta, I know something isn't right. I never tried to tell myself it was good. Anyway, so in light of a not-so-good recipe, I'm going to share my favorite from last week. I'm definitely making this one again ... and soon!

1 1/4 pounds beef boneless round, tip or chuck steak
1 cup beef broth
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups bell peppers and onions
1 cup uncooked instant rice

Cut beef steak into 4 serving pieces. Place beef in slow cooker. Mix broth, tomatoes, cumin, salt and garlic in medium bowl; pour over beef.

Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Stir peppers, onions and rice into slow cooker. Increase to high heat. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes or until rice is tender. Makes four servings

SERVING SIZE = 1 1/3 cup
EACH SERVING = 330 calories; 5g fat (2g saturated); 37g carbohydrate; 34g protein
EXCHANGES = 2 starch; 1 vegetable; 4 very lean meat