Taco Bake

Looking for an easy dinner recipe?
Sick of the usual taco (how could you -- ever)?

Made this today.

Here's the recipe.

You're welcome.

What are you doing RIGHT NOW...

... that requires faith?

This is a question that has been haunting me lately. It is from Francis Chan's book, Crazy Love.

I read it a few years ago, but that is one of the questions that has got me thinking a lot lately.

There is something to be said for plugging away, being debt free for a year now (yea!), having the flexibility to say yes even to last minute things like going to Haiti last year.

But right now I am irritatingly comfortable.

It frustrates me... 

I have been a planner my entire life.

Yet life has never worked out exactly how I planned.

I was asked recently where I see myself in a year.

I laughed.

No joke, but my years have been ones of constant change. 

What I thought life would be ten years after graduating college has not been the case for me.

No husband.

No kids.

I really want a family and if it's in God's plans, it will happen.

I just figured it would have happened by now.

Life is quite the adventure. 

Here's to many more years (God willing) and many more "interruptions" in my life plan.

Parent's Guide to Understanding Social Media

This video is 20 minutes of helping parents understand what kids are doing/facing with the issue of Social Media.

• SnapChat. Kids are on it. Available on every device.
• Talking to your teen about Internet usage might unveil unhealthy Internet habits YOU have.
• Everything online is recorded and could come back to haunt you as an adult.
• Setting boundaries (checking texts, open door policy) -- earned increased privacy
• Media is always changing, so next year it will be something new. 
• Be prepared; be educated.
• A principle you could use is using devices only in public spaces in your house. Protect yourself from the temptation of looking up stuff you shouldn't on the computer/your phone. Porn is going to find them... you don't have to look for it.

Buy the book at the youth cartel or amazon.

Jamie Oliver's peanut + crisps cookies

A few weeks ago I found a recipe for peanut + crisp cookies from Jamie Oliver's food tube youtube channel. It's a great recipe for the end of a bag of chips (crisps as they call them in England).

Here's the video:

You can get the recipe (and print it) here. You may notice that the measurements are in metric, but I will just share with you what I used. Mine made 16 cookies as well and I chose not to use the chocolate at the end.

Preheat to 350*. (It's actually 356, but I just left them in 2 minutes longer than the recipe says).

Butter: 7 Tbsp
Brown Sugar: 1 cup
2 eggs
Flour: 1 cup
baking powder: 1 tsp
Crunchy peanut butter: 1/2 cup
vanilla (I used pure vanilla): 1 tsp
Peanuts: I just bought a Planter's jar of peanuts and used those.
Crisps: I just used the rest of my chips leftover from SuperBowl Sunday... good for the bottom of the bag

Caution: if you are watching your salt intake, this might not be the best recipe to make, but I thought it was pretty great and creative with chips as a main ingredient. :)

Enjoy.

Matthew 8.2-3: Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. “Lord,” the man said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.

A few years ago I went to the doctor. It was amazing to me because my doctor touched my hand. She was so gentle and reminded me of how Jesus was not afraid to interact with people. 

I was reminded of this again today as I went to my apartment for a little bit to pick things up since I'm dog sitting for a while. My roommate has a highly contagious norovirus. 

I am glad that Jesus came for the sick.

I am a sinner and need Jesus.

Thanking Jesus for His unconditional love today.

off to a better start...

2012 was a rough year for me.
2013 is already so much better.

take time to be quiet enough to listen to what God is saying to you.
you will NOT regret it.

Two Christmases...

As much as I love Christmas, sometimes I feel like this:

Now, granted... I am not married, but two Christmases is enough to juggle. I miss the good ole days when my brother and I would wake up ridiculously early. We were all in one house.

I really miss my grandma around the holidays. She died over 10 years ago and holidays just have never been the same without her.

Now  I am living on my own, waking up on Christmas alone. I do love Christmas and all, but that does not mean I am not lonely during the holidays.

I went to lunch last week with our staff and had a hard time coming up with a Christmas tradition. All of our old ones no longer exist due to the fact that we're not in the same house anymore. Being an adult child of divorce can really suck sometimes, but here's to blazing a trail of new traditions... and maybe going on a Christmas cruise someday to just relax during the holiday season!