Fun Monday: FOOD

Deb at 1crazystitcher is our hostess with the mostess this week! She would like to know:

FOOD. What is your favorite? What do you find most disgusting? Do you want to share a recipe?

Most disgusting is easy... or so I thought! It was a toss up between this

and

this

Ultimately the olives beat out the bleu cheese!


Without further ado allow me to tantilize my own taste buds, and maybe even yours! Since I am not Italian it is unfortunate I did not marry into an Italian family. Though I am certain my waistline appreciates this!

One of my most favorite meals is Chicken Parmesean! For this meal I do not skimp out on quality and find that fresh, or relatively fresh, ingredients is a must! My recipe is simple, it's the one on the back of the bread crumb container!

But here are a few secrets I've learned along the way:

• It is important the bread crumbs are pretty fresh- Gibbs can immediately can tell the difference on the first bite.  Add your own Italian seasonings if you desire.
• Dry your thin filleted chicken breasts first.  I use napkins or a paper towel.
• Strictly keep one hand for egg batter dipping and one hand for bread crumb coating.  Not only will this prevent a yucky mess on your hands, but it will keep your chicken superbly clean.
• This is not fried chicken--the olive oil should lightly coat just the bottom of the pan.  As you are cooking, if you need more, slowly drizzle it into the pan.
• After about a minute of initial cooking, give the pan some vigorous side-to-side shakes to keep the chicken from sticking to the bottom.  Do this again when you flip the chicken to cook the other side. 
• Place the chicken on a cookie sheet, top with cheese and place in the oven/broiler to melt the cheese. 

• While waiting for all chicken pieces to cook, resting them on a cooling rack will keep them from becoming soggy.

Serve with angel hair pasta and spicy arrabiatta sauce for added deliciousness! 

Bon appetit!

A Lesson In Allegiances

While out to dinner at our beloved Chick-Fil-A, Abby recently brought a personal problem to her daddy’s attention.  This was big.  It was a boy problem and she was seeking Gibbs’ approval or course of action.  It went a little like this:

Abby: Daddy I think there’s a problem with the boy I like.

Gibbs: What is that?

Abby: He’s a Steelers fan.

I’m rather certain there is no larger kissing cousins rival in the NFL than the Baltimore Ravens versus the Pittsburgh Steelers.  So as you can imagine, this struck a chord with Gibbs.  Oh definitely myself too, but this was Abby bringing her woe to Gibbs’ attention—not mine.  It was his turn to navigate tween drama ridden terrain.  And boy did he!

…insert a momentary pause….

Gibbs: Well Abby I think you have two options here…

Abby: Really?  I do?

Gibbs: Yes.  You can either forget about him… or you will need to convert him.

In Other Words Tuesday...

“A sentence from Psalm 101 has been both
challenging and convicting for me:
‘I will walk in my house with blameless heart‘
(Psalm 101-2, NIV).
When God speaks to me about being more loving,
this verse reminds me to make application in my family first—and then to others. It forces me to ask, ‘Am I more spiritual, more loving, or more fun somewhere else? Who gets my best—my family or others?”

by Jean Fleming
A Mother’s Heart:
A Look at Values, Vision, and Character for the Christian Mother

Living the Gospel is easy. Let's see:
reading the bible and praying with my morning coffee… check
 
putting on my cross necklace for all to see… check

smiling warmly at the mother ahead of me in line who is taking forever with her payment, while my ice cream is melting, as she wrestles to keep her children in control… check

updating my facebook status with today’s bible study topic and the number of hours volunteered at the school today… check

praying with a friend in need… check


But what happens behind the closed doors of our personal sanctuary where the masks come off, our guards are down and we exhibit our truest personality and nature?  Are we gossiping about what another mother wore while volunteering at school or the prayer needs of a friend?  Are we blasting our husbands for not putting his clothes in the hamper but rather dropping them on the floor at the base of the hamper?  After a long day of errands and chores is it obvious to our children our patience is wearing thin?


It’s easy to keep our masks and veils in perfect order to the outside world. But our actions and attitude within the walls of our homes speaks volumes and truly has a more profound and lasting effect. Especially if we are mothers, day by day, actively creating living legacies. It is us, the mother and wife, who is building her house. Our words are either encouraging or discouraging. Our actions reflect our wisdom.

As women, if we want to be blameless- with virtue and integrity, we must make our home the priority of how we are seen by truly living and being the Gospel- not just shining and waxing it. Hormones and grace, children and mercy, unrelenting schedules & chores and patience… um yea, it can be and is hard.

Our families are watching and learning about God straight from our relationship with Him by witnessing our behavior—let’s not confuse them with pretty Christianity for show-and-tell while we choose disarray behind closed doors.

See what others have to say about this week's quote by visiting: Loni

It's A Shower Thing

I am yearning for some predictability in my life.  In particular, Elle's schedule.  With no rhyme or reason to it, she either sleeps heavily or catnaps.  No inbetween.

But most of all I'm desperate for my one thing.  I think we all have our "one thing"- the item that gets you through the day.  Maybe it's coffee.  Or a hot cup of tea.  For some it may be 30 minutes to yourself before the house bustles with commotion.

Though all of those sound terrific, they aren't "my thing".  Mine is the shower.  Once I shower I can tackle and overcome anything that comes my way that day.  But here lately... not so.  Some days I shower at 9 am.  Other days I'm lucky if it happens by 3 pm.

Though I find it bothersome, I look at this sweet little face (still thinking how desperate I am for a shower) and can't help but to remind myself that one day I will miss her being so little and dependent upon me.  Did I mention I'd still like a shower?