Rollups and menu post

I like easy things I can fix for lunch. Wraps, sandwiches, leftovers, something quick to fix, but also filling. So, when I got this recipe from The Pioneer Woman last week, I instantly wanted to try it.

I love rollups! And yes, I do love the fruit kind, but I'm not talking about that here. These are tortilla rollups, and the thing I love most about them is you can put just about anything in them, healthy or not-so-healthy. You know me, I love something that's versatile and easy (and can either be healthy or delightfully calorie-filled)!

First, I used the Mission Artisan Multigrain tortillas. I have yet to make my own tortillas, but I will do it someday!


I got started chopping fresh parsley and basil to go in the cream cheese spread and mixing it in...

                                                      

And spreading it on...

And putting it together....

I put turkey, tomatoes and spinach leaves on mine. I wanted to slice up a green pepper and put it on there also, but I couldn't find it...and incidentally it ended up being right in front of my face. I didn't find that out until after I made it, though. The story of my life...in the kitchen. Where did this go? Oh yes, there it is...hours after I need it.

First of all, I have decided that I hate chopping fresh herbs and I have no idea why anyone would ever do it. Second of all, the rollup wasn't very good. I think the error was in the cream cheese spread because it just didn't taste right. I am more than completely sure that it was something I did wrong, because cream cheese spreads are usually good. Maybe I'll try this again sometime...in a different way, although I'm not sure. It was an awful lot of work (chopping, mixing, etc) for it not to turn out well.

What are we eating this week?

Thursday
Homemade pizza

Friday
Ross and I are going out for our anniversary, so we're doing something easy before we leave: Roast beef sandwiches and roasted veggies

Saturday
We're having a cookout earlier in the day at my aunt's, so for dinner, I wanted to go easy: (Local) Beef stroganoff and bread

Sunday
Chicken pasta pesto (bumped from last week) & spinach salad

Monday
Steaks and baked potatoes

Tuesday
Beef stew over rice

Wednesday
Possibly group night? Or something easy

New toys!

Men love their toys, right? We've heard this over and over, and for any woman who's been married longer than five minutes, we've seen this in action. They love gadgets, electronics, and if they're able, sometimes that includes even big toys (boats, RVs, whatever does it for them). But girls, let's not fool ourselves. Men are not the only ones who have this problem. We love our toys too. 

Right? It may look a little different than what the men love, but we have our little things that make us giddy too. Maybe it's a kitchen gadget, a new tool to straighten or curl your hair, something to make your life easier?  I have a long wish list of "toys" that I would like to have someday, but for today, I wanted to share a few of my favorite toys that I've gotten recently that I love.

First, this knife:

My sweet husband knows how I've been desperately needing a new slicer, and because he loves me, he got me a super slicer by Wusthof. And let me tell you, the term "super slicer" doesn't do this thing justice. It is definitely super, and slices so clean...I am in love. (I will also *cough* mention that it slices so well, even through skin, and I have a cut already to prove this, ouch!)

And my second relatively new toy:

The Shark Navigator Professional...best.vacuum.ever. I've had several months to use this and I still love it. It has kept me from hating vacuuming, in fact, I've even started to like it a little. That alone deserves recognition right there. 

And I thought I would give this a try:

I like it okay, but honestly I don't know if I really like it any better than the other normal dishwasher detergent. I do like that it doesn't have a scent, and it does clean my dishes really well.

While I'm on the subject of house things, I am on the lookout for a decent mopping system, with natural products (like vinegar) that don't cost a ton and doesn't use the spongey type mops. Any suggestions? 

Short ribs and menu post

If you've never tried short ribs, you are missing out. Big time. I have cooked short ribs a few times now and every time, I fall in love even more. I would have never even thought about buying that kind of meat if it weren't for The Pioneer Woman, so I will be forever grateful to her.

I tried a new recipe for short ribs this week and while it was a flop, the meat still was tender and yummy. My favorite way to cook them is in tomato sauce for several hours in the oven and pour that over linguine noodles. However, I cooked short ribs and chicken that way one too many times and Ross has forbidden me to ever even think about making that for the next year or so. There are some really fabulous short ribs recipes out there (a list of great ones HERE), and The Frugal Girl just posted one HERE. However you cook them though, whether grilled, baked, braised, whateva, you will be a happy camper...if meat is your thing (which, of course, it is mostly definitely my thing), then you will love this.

What are we eating this week?

Thursday
Fish and roasted zucchini, broccoli and cabbage (bumped from last week)

Friday
Crockpot lasagna (bumped from last week)

Saturday
Pork chops and beans & cornbread

Sunday
Homemade pizza

Monday
Going to my Mama's for a little Memorial Day celebratin' with burgers on the grill (is there anything yummier than burgers on the grill?!)

Tuesday
Chicken pasta pesto and bread

Wednesday
Small group, easy dinner night

Fun things

Do you know what magazine I love these days? Highlights. Yes, I love a preschoolers magazine. My sweet sister got my boys a subscription to this magazine as a gift, and they love it! Jude loves just about anything I read to him, but even I like this magazine.

There's tons of pictures, reading in Spanish, picture finding games, learning about all sorts of different things, crafts to do, it's really great. I don't even know what the cost is, but I am really glad my kids get this every month.

We have been doing less formal learning and more life learning, just learning as we go about our lives. I do think that things kids learn in preschool is important, but for now, we are just sticking to free play at home and on field trips with our friends, hands on science stuff in the backyard playing with bugs, running around outside and doing lots of reading, oh and music. Who can forget about music?

The kids' new favorite musician is Michael Jackson. Random, I know. But as far as kids go, they have pretty good taste in music and I am totally on board with their recent interest in MJ. His old stuff is great and watching him dance in videos from the 80s and early 90s leaves me in awe.

With the temperatures rising and summer right around the corner, I suspect we'll be doing a lot of outside watery type things, and cookouts. Cookouts are always fun. I am going to try to think of more intentional ways for our family to spend time doing things together and with others. I really love THIS idea. Simple and fun!

What about you, what fun summer type things will you be doing this year?

Today

The last few months have been a hard road. It's still hard, even right now, and most days, I am weighed down with discouragement. But the latter part of this week, something changed in me. 

Today I am grateful and hopeful. Grateful for the things that are currently going on in our life and hopeful about our future, even though it is unknown. 

Today, my heart is light and not heavy for once. I am grateful for sweet friends, for visits to the library and nature center with friends, and for words of strength from those closest to me.

Today I am encouraged. I see my boys' hearts changing. They are more caring, more loving, more sharing. I am letting go of the guilt that comes with being a mom, the feeling of inadequacy and feeling like I am constantly failing at it. I am surrendering that lie, that struggle. I feel that I am a better mom for it.

Today I love my husband. I love him every day, but I am just thinking of how hard of a worker he is for us, and much strength, love and silliness he brings to my life. I am a blessed lady.

And even though my house is messy, my life is completely out of control at this time, I am exhausted and discouragement is trying to fight its way to the top of me, I am choosing joy. 

And hey, it's Friday! 

Stroganoff and menu post

I am a day off on my menu posts...life is extra extra busy these days. I wanted to share a recipe with you that was originally given to me by a friend of mine and regiven to me by my sister last week. I had received this meal from a friend when Ezra had just been born, and for some reason, thought Ross didn't like it. So, I never made it.

My parents came last weekend and I couldn't think of anything else, so I whipped it up for them, and I have to say, it was really yummy! And easy. Easy and yummy are my two favorite things! Even Ross liked it, and he is hard to please when it comes to cooking. :)

I did add the local beef that I bought from the farmer's market last weekend, which also makes me super happy (but the price had gone up from last year, which is a bummer. I still think the beef is worth it, though!)

HERE is the recipe.

Now for our menu:

Thursday
We're just going to have leftovers tonight, and I may cook up some sides to go with them.

Friday
Steaks and baked potatoes (or pork chops, depends on how I am feeling!)

Saturday
Homemade pizza


Sunday
Breakfast for dinner

Monday
Homemade chicken pot pie

Tuesday
Grilled fish & veggies

Wednesday
Small group night

Great reminder for me today

We've been sticking close to home lately. Not for any particular reason, other than I have 450 billion things to do, and most of them are things I have to do at home, so staying home makes sense. Life has been a bit hard lately, and I'm finding myself wishing there were more hours in the day.

I have been stretched further these last few weeks than I ever thought possible. I will have to save the details of that for another post, but stressful, yet extremely faith-building, is how the past few months have been. It's not been easy, or particularly fun, but in times when I want to give up, curl up in a ball and cry myself to sleep, I remember the verses in James that talk about persevering under trials, that how perseverance produces maturity...and in Psalms, how God is our refuge and strength. I cling to these truths so many times a day when I want to give up and throw the towel in.

I read this awesome blog called Chatting At the Sky and the writer is gifted, after all, she is a published writer. She says these things that breathe small breaths of life into my day when I need it the most. This is what I needed to hear today:

"1. Remember that productivity is not your god

We need to recognize our own uselessness sometimes. And not just recognize it and know it’s there, but actually live it. To still the hands and close the eyes and know that really, we have nothing to offer alone. If we are unable to still and to close, sometimes the Lord is gracious to quiet us on his own terms in the form of a useless day. It seems a waste to me, but I believe he loves me enough to spend a whole day reminding me that productivity is not my god."

I struggle with this so often. I want to be productive, feel productive, and so much of my joy and life is wrapped up in whether I got all of my things done for that day. When I'm not productive and haven't gotten anything done, I am sad, joyless, and I feel like that day is pointless. I need to be reminded that that is not true! Productivity is not my god.

Lately, it feels like I'm struggling just to make it through each day, much less get anything on my list done. Its in my weaknesses where I am able to rely on God the most, and that is exactly where I need to be.