Thoughtful Thursday | Sewing the Seed of Bitterness

I was going to talk about this week's sermon, however, my heart is leading me to share something else.

I want to talk about bitterness. Bitterness in marriage, in particular. 

It happens in all marriages and that's the truth. Don't deny it.

This is hard to talk about because it's wayyy personal, but hey, if it helps someone else wake up to their reality 

and/or be encouraged, I'll share it.

I'd like to preface this by saying that in no way do my husband and I

Marriage is hard. It's really hard. Your spouse is going to hurt you, a lot. Often. More so if he or she is not truly walking 

with the Lord on a daily basis.

You may not like the word "bitter" or any of the words I use, so if you don't like it, you can change the words yourself. However it's said, it's the truth. We as humans easily grow bitter towards people that hurt us, especially the people we look up to.

Your spouse, he or she is going to hurt your feelings on more than one occasion. The more they know you, 

the deeper they can reach and the deeper the pain in moments. 

Wives, please do not take advantage of the fact that your husband will do pretty much anything for you! We as women can really hurt the men in our lives and make the bitterness go even deeper because we still expect to be treated as a "queen". Don't criticize him thinking it's the same thing as "holding him accountable" or "calling him out". Don't make fun of the things he loves, no matter what you think. Your approval means the world to him. You can crush him in an instant if you're not too careful. Don't laugh when he says something the wrong way. Just don't laugh AT him at all, unless he's being funny just to make you laugh. Men are not weak. They are incredibly strong and if they wanted to, they could destroy everything that you are in one single sentence...but they are also way more sensitive than you think. I think God made men sweet on purpose. He knows that He gave them a power to lift up and to destroy. Women, especially those of you with control issues, self-esteem issues, and anger issues...quit stomping on your man! 'Cause that is in a sense what is it! LOVE HIM AND RESPECT HIM!!! How do you expect him to lead and take this extraordinary role you dream of if you keep stomping him into the ground!

Wives, your husband needs you to believe in him. He is only human. He needs you. He needs you to be the woman you are. He needs you to be feminine and all that entails. He needs you to take care of him, comfort him and rescue him. He's an extremely hard worker. His every effort is for your benefit. He wants to make you so so happy. Sweetie, love on your husband. He needs your touch. He needs your kind words and he needs to hear you praise him to others.

We are to respect our husbands (Ephesians 5). Do you know what respect means? You should do an in-depth study of that word, respect. You'd be speechless. One day I will blog about the word "respect" but today we don't have time for that, but let me tell you! After researching "respect", I cried. I cried for a really long time. I definitely don't respect my husband. Not according to the definition anyway. I always thought that I did. What was I thinking? What do you think "respect" means?

RESPECT HIM! Stand in AWE of him! Praise him! Speak nothing but beautiful words of him!

Follow him because he's WISE! BELIEVE that he is WISE.
This is only part of what I learned about respect in my study. Only part. Only a little glimpse into what this means.

RESPECT YOUR HUSBAND!


My husband is amazing. A M A Z I N G! I mean it!
Let me step aside for a minute and talk about my husband...

He is...sigh...the most beautiful and kind man I've ever known. He treats me with the utmost selflessness. He puts me first (after Christ of course), always, no matter how he feels about me. He gives up so much of his own joy and preference so that I can escape the chaos of my day. He never brings up my bad habits. He just smiles and flirts with me. (Yes, flirts...he's good at that, too!) He makes me smile and giggle like a teeny-bopper with her first crush! He knows exactly what to say to make me feel better and he knows exactly what I want to ask of him when I approach him. He may struggle in some moments to pay attention, but my husband KNOWS what I need and when I need it. He is listening even when I feel like he isn't. He has HEARD me speak even when I think he's fallen asleep. He KNOWS me. My heart is shaking and only because this is TRUTH. THIS is the TRUTH I should be speaking over my husband DAILY! You hear that, Chris?

Women, remember the TRUTH about your husband or significant other. Remember why you fell in love in the first place. What made you giggle? What made you day dream about him? Was it his overwhelming love for God? That's what made me want to FOLLOW Chris. I wanted him to lead our future family! I had told my mom in high school that "if by some chance I have a child and it's not his, I want no other man to raise my child". I KNEW that this man was a leader! I KNEW that he was a powerful tool in God's hands!!! He still is!!! Are you listening, Chris?

REMEMBER!!!

Men, do not treat your wives as a tool, especially if they work at home or stay at home with your children. Do not ignore them. Do not forget them. They need you. They need everything that you are, everything that you are capable of...they need you. Men, you are to LOVE your wives (Ephesians 5). Part of loving your wife means being honest with them. It doesn't necessarily mean "get all sappy", but be truthful. Be real. Be there. Love also means speaking truth over them. (This also goes for wives.) God's truth. Remind them of God's Word and promises. They need to hear it. Hug her. Hold her. Hold her hand. LET her cry. Cuddle with her. Do not neglect her simply because you would rather be doing something else. YOU impact her heart. YOU are wanted. She thinks about you every single day, especially when you are away. If you stay up late, unless she's exhausted and already asleep, she's wishing you were with her making her smile. YOU are a leader. REMEMBER that! I can't express it enough!

Your wife is fragile. She has a million thoughts running through her head and a lot of these thoughts are things that she has to fix, change, do. She probably feels like no matter what she accomplishes, it's never enough. There's always more! It's OKAY to pamper her. In fact, I bet if it's been a while, she'll cry. She's always trying to be tough and to keep a strong face when in reality, she feels tired. Tired of trying so hard. Tired of always having to DO something. She needs your open arms to fall into. You are her escape. You are her rescue, peace and comfort. Be blessed! She is also tough enough to listen to your complaints. Treat her, not just like a princess, but as a friend, someone who can listen to you and accept your accountability, because she can.

Quit pressuring your spouse to do or be something that they're not. They are who they are and God made them that way! You fell in love with that person anyway, didn't you? Quit setting such high standards for each other! Most likely neither one of you are going to reach many of those said standards and it's just going to end up in pain.

All of these habits, they lead to bitterness in your spouse. Bitterness is a hard web to escape. It feels close to impossible. Believe me, I know. It is a long and difficult journey to being set free from bitterness. Chris and I have just realized our bitterness in our marriage. We have hidden it to the point we didn't recognize it. (That's a bad thing.) We recently had a long conversation in which we acknowledged how much pain we've cause each other over time. This is so embarrassing to speak of, after all, we are supposed to be a godly couple who holds God's love in all we do, right?? Don't be afraid to release this burden with your spouse! It set me and my husband free! ADMIT IT OUT LOUD. Say it... "I am bitter" "We are bitter" I had to say it, "Chris, we have been so bitter with each other, admit it." ...and it was truth, we were bitter with each other simply because we have both been so tired and weak. We needed God (still do) to touch our hearts and comfort us. Life has been hard, even more so since having Hannah. She challenges us in ways we never thought possible. She wears us out to the point it's difficult to provide that love to each other. Then we try to escape our stress and exhaustion in other ways. Don't do that. Don't make the same mistakes we did. Don't forget each other. Cherish each other. Make sure that you go on dates outside of the home and don't just go to a movie. If the only thing close to going on a date is star gazing in your yard or going on a walk with the kids, do it! You both need it! CHOOSE to fall in love again!



Look, I know that this was a lot of random jibber-jabber but I cannot express this enough...

FIGHT for your marriage!!!

REMEMBER the TRUTH, GOD'S TRUTH

REMEMBER WHY you fell in love! REMEMBER HOW you fell in love!

REMIND him why you fell in love with him! REMIND her why you fell in love with her!

PRAISE her! PRAISE him!

SAY KIND WORDS

BELIEVE IN HER! BELIEVE IN HIM!

LOVE

RESPECT



So often we get into bad habits of: expecting things, asking for too much, criticizing too much, saying too much, saying too little, escaping to things outside of our marriage and God...We get so caught up in just trying to survive life or avoid confrontation about personal struggles that we forget that we play a huge role in our relationships. We forget that we are needed and that every word out of our mouths is clung onto in a longing for God's truth. It's the truth. I am not that important, but God has placed me in a place of influence. God has placed YOU in a place of influence. Therefore, your words enter into your spouses heart...every, single, time. We forget that.  Let us change these habits and focus on uplifting our marriages once again. They are, after all, a gift that leads us closer and closer to Christ!

Foodie Friday | DELISH Chocolate Cake with Mousse Filling

You know you want some!!!
This cake is delicious! It's moist and ever so chocolatey!
My husband and I decided to bake a cake on our technology-free evening! Ironically we used the internet to find this recipe! ;)

For Cake

1. • 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. • 1 ½ cups sugar
3. • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4. • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
5. • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
6. • ½ teaspoon salt
7. • ½ cup hot water
8. • 1 teaspoon instant espresso coffee
9. • 2 eggs, room temperature
10. • 1 cup milk, room temperature
11. • ½ cup Greek yogurt
12. • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

- See more at: http://www.sweetandsavorybyshinee.com/supreme-chocolate-cake-with-chocolate-mousse-filling/#sthash.Z0smqBbc.dpuf

Here we go!!!

For the cake:

2     Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2     Cups Sugar
3/4 Cup    Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 1/2 Tsp    Baking Soda
1 1/2 Tsp    Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp    Salt
1/2 Cup    Hot Water
1 Tsp    Instant Espresso Coffee
2 Eggs    Room Temperature
1 Cup    Milk, Room Tempurature
1/2 Cup    Greek Yogurt
1 Tbsp    Pure Vanilla Extract

For the Mousse Filling:

1/2 Cup    Hot Water
4 Tbsp    Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/2 Tsp    Instant Espresso Coffee
1 1/2 Cup    Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
2 Cups    Heavy Cream, Cold
2 Tbsp    Sugar
1/3 Cup    Nutella

1. • 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. • 1 ½ cups sugar
3. • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4. • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
5. • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
6. • ½ teaspoon salt
7. • ½ cup hot water
8. • 1 teaspoon instant espresso coffee
9. • 2 eggs, room temperature
10. • 1 cup milk, room temperature
11. • ½ cup Greek yogurt
12. • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

For Mousse Filling

1. • ½ cup hot water
2. • 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3. • ½ teaspoon instant espresso coffee
4. • 1 ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
5. • 2 cups heavy cream, cold
6. • 2 tablespoons sugar
7. • 1/3 cup Nutella

Directions

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
2. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. 3. In a small bowl, mix together water and instant espresso coffee. Set aside.
4. 4. In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, mix together eggs, milk, yogurt and pure vanilla extract until well combined. Add half of the flour mixture for a minute, then add the remaining mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the espresso water.
5. 5. Pour the batter into two cake pans. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Then remove the cakes from the pan and cool completely.
6. 6. Meanwhile, let’s prepare the chocolate mousse filling. In a small bowl, dissolve cocoa powder and instant espresso powder in a hot water.
7. 7. In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips until nice and smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
8. 8. In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream with the sugar until hard peaks form.
9. 9. Stir in the cocoa mixture and Nutella into the melted chocolate. Add half of the whipped cream and mix everything together with folding motion. Fold in the remaining whipped cream and mix well until no white streaks remain. Refrigerate until the cake is cooled completely.
10. 10. Using a long serrated knife, slice the cakes horizontally into two equal layers. If your cakes got a small hump as pictured, just slice it off.
11. 11. Put the first cake layer into a springform pan and spread about a little less than 1/3 of the mousse filling. Then put the next layer of the cake and spread the mousse and so on until the cake is built. Make sure to leave a bit of mousse to cover the top of the cake. A very thin layer of mousse on top is all you need. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove the springform sides. Cover the cake with chocolate ganache.

- See more at: http://www.sweetandsavorybyshinee.com/supreme-chocolate-cake-with-chocolate-mousse-filling/#sthash.Z0smqBbc.dpuf

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, mix together water and instant espresso coffee. Set aside.

4. In a mixing bowl, mix together eggs, milk, yogurt, and pure extract until well combined. Add half of the flour mixture for a minute, then add the remaining mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the espresso water.

5. Pour the batter into two cake pans. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Then remove the cakes from the pan and cool completely.

6. Meanwhile, let's prepare the chocolate mousse filling. In a small bowl, dissolve cocoa powder and instant espresso powder in hot water.

7. In a double boiler (totally did this over the stove), melt chocolate chips until nice and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

8. In a mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream with the sugar until hard peaks form.

9. Stir in the cocoa mixture and Nutella into the melted chocolate. Add half of the whipped cream and mix everything together with a folding motion. Fold in the remaining whipped cream and mix well until no white streaks remain. Refrigerate until the cake is cooled completely.

10. Using a long serrated knife, slice the cakes horizontally into two equal layers. If your cakes have a small hump, just slice it off.

11. Put the first cake layer into a springform pan and spread about a little less than 1/3 of the mousse filling. Then put the next layer of the cake and spread the mousse and so until the cake is built. Make sure to leave a bit of mousse to cover the top of the cake. A very thin layer of mousse on top is all you need. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove the springform sides. Cover the cake with chocolate ganache.

What We Did Differently:

We did not use ganache. The mousse was enough for us! We just smothered it in the chocolate mousse!

I'm not sure what we did to our mousse, but it sure as heck wasn't as light as the one on Shinee's blog.

We used a hand mixer and a spatula. That was how me mixed everything. Shinee mentions using different paddles and stuff. I don't know what that means, haha. I do not own a kitchen aide standing mixer. I own a hand mixer.

We used regular semi-sweet chocolate chips (it's just what we had in our pantry).

We used instant classic roast (from Aldi) instead of instant espresso coffee.

We used Nestle Cocoa instead of unsweetened cocoa (because it's what was in our pantry).

So, our cake might be a tiny bit sweeter than Shinee's, but it was so gosh dang delicious!!!

This photo was taken via iPhone, but don't let this sloppy cake and super warm photo fool you! This cake was sooo gooood!!! It was requested three times as a birthday cake by my mother! (That's a sure sign of a good cake!) If you want to see pretty photos, go over to Shinee's Blog and check out her picture guide to this perfect chocolate cake!

May God bless you with a deliciously wonderful weekend!

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, mix togethe

- See more at: http://www.sweetandsavorybyshinee.com/supreme-chocolate-cake-with-chocolate-mousse-filling/#sthash.Z0smqBbc.dpuf

For Cake

1. • 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. • 1 ½ cups sugar
3. • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4. • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
5. • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
6. • ½ teaspoon salt
7. • ½ cup hot water
8. • 1 teaspoon instant espresso coffee
9. • 2 eggs, room temperature
10. • 1 cup milk, room temperature
11. • ½ cup Greek yogurt
12. • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

For Mousse Filling

1. • ½ cup hot water
2. • 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3. • ½ teaspoon instant espresso coffee
4. • 1 ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
5. • 2 cups heavy cream, cold
6. • 2 tablespoons sugar
7. • 1/3 cup Nutella

Directions

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
2. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. 3. In a small bowl, mix together water and instant espresso coffee. Set aside.
4. 4. In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, mix together eggs, milk, yogurt and pure vanilla extract until well combined. Add half of the flour mixture for a minute, then add the remaining mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the espresso water.
5. 5. Pour the batter into two cake pans. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Then remove the cakes from the pan and cool completely.
6. 6. Meanwhile, let’s prepare the chocolate mousse filling. In a small bowl, dissolve cocoa powder and instant espresso powder in a hot water.
7. 7. In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips until nice and smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
8. 8. In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream with the sugar until hard peaks form.
9. 9. Stir in the cocoa mixture and Nutella into the melted chocolate. Add half of the whipped cream and mix everything together with folding motion. Fold in the remaining whipped cream and mix well until no white streaks remain. Refrigerate until the cake is cooled completely.
10. 10. Using a long serrated knife, slice the cakes horizontally into two equal layers. If your cakes got a small hump as pictured, just slice it off.
11. 11. Put the first cake layer into a springform pan and spread about a little less than 1/3 of the mousse filling. Then put the next layer of the cake and spread the mousse and so on until the cake is built. Make sure to leave a bit of mousse to cover the top of the cake. A very thin layer of mousse on top is all you need. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove the springform sides. Cover the cake with chocolate ganache.

- See more at: http://www.sweetandsavorybyshinee.com/supreme-chocolate-cake-with-chocolate-mousse-filling/#sthash.Z0smqBbc.dpu

For Cake

1. • 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. • 1 ½ cups sugar
3. • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4. • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
5. • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
6. • ½ teaspoon salt
7. • ½ cup hot water
8. • 1 teaspoon instant espresso coffee
9. • 2 eggs, room temperature
10. • 1 cup milk, room temperature
11. • ½ cup Greek yogurt
12. • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

For Mousse Filling

1. • ½ cup hot water
2. • 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3. • ½ teaspoon instant espresso coffee
4. • 1 ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
5. • 2 cups heavy cream, cold
6. • 2 tablespoons sugar
7. • 1/3 cup Nutella

Directions

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
2. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. 3. In a small bowl, mix together water and instant espresso coffee. Set aside.
4. 4. In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, mix together eggs, milk, yogurt and pure vanilla extract until well combined. Add half of the flour mixture for a minute, then add the remaining mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the espresso water.
5. 5. Pour the batter into two cake pans. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Then remove the cakes from the pan and cool completely.
6. 6. Meanwhile, let’s prepare the chocolate mousse filling. In a small bowl, dissolve cocoa powder and instant espresso powder in a hot water.
7. 7. In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips until nice and smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
8. 8. In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream with the sugar until hard peaks form.
9. 9. Stir in the cocoa mixture and Nutella into the melted chocolate. Add half of the whipped cream and mix everything together with folding motion. Fold in the remaining whipped cream and mix well until no white streaks remain. Refrigerate until the cake is cooled completely.
10. 10. Using a long serrated knife, slice the cakes horizontally into two equal layers. If your cakes got a small hump as pictured, just slice it off.
11. 11. Put the first cake layer into a springform pan and spread about a little less than 1/3 of the mousse filling. Then put the next layer of the cake and spread the mousse and so on until the cake is built. Make sure to leave a bit of mousse to cover the top of the cake. A very thin layer of mousse on top is all you need. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove the springform sides. Cover the cake with chocolate ganache.

- See more at: http://www.sweetandsavorybyshinee.com/supreme-chocolate-cake-with-chocolate-mousse-filling/#sthash.Z0smqBbc.dpuf

For Cake

1. • 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. • 1 ½ cups sugar
3. • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4. • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
5. • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
6. • ½ teaspoon salt
7. • ½ cup hot water
8. • 1 teaspoon instant espresso coffee
9. • 2 eggs, room temperature
10. • 1 cup milk, room temperature
11. • ½ cup Greek yogurt
12. • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

For Mousse Filling

1. • ½ cup hot water
2. • 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3. • ½ teaspoon instant espresso coffee
4. • 1 ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
5. • 2 cups heavy cream, cold
6. • 2 tablespoons sugar
7. • 1/3 cup Nutella

Directions

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
2. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. 3. In a small bowl, mix together water and instant espresso coffee. Set aside.
4. 4. In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, mix together eggs, milk, yogurt and pure vanilla extract until well combined. Add half of the flour mixture for a minute, then add the remaining mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the espresso water.
5. 5. Pour the batter into two cake pans. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Then remove the cakes from the pan and cool completely.
6. 6. Meanwhile, let’s prepare the chocolate mousse filling. In a small bowl, dissolve cocoa powder and instant espresso powder in a hot water.
7. 7. In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips until nice and smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
8. 8. In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream with the sugar until hard peaks form.
9. 9. Stir in the cocoa mixture and Nutella into the melted chocolate. Add half of the whipped cream and mix everything together with folding motion. Fold in the remaining whipped cream and mix well until no white streaks remain. Refrigerate until the cake is cooled completely.
10. 10. Using a long serrated knife, slice the cakes horizontally into two equal layers. If your cakes got a small hump as pictured, just slice it off.
11. 11. Put the first cake layer into a springform pan and spread about a little less than 1/3 of the mousse filling. Then put the next layer of the cake and spread the mousse and so on until the cake is built. Make sure to leave a bit of mousse to cover the top of the cake. A very thin layer of mousse on top is all you need. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove the springform sides. Cover the cake with chocolate ganache.

- See more at: http://www.sweetandsavorybyshinee.com/supreme-chocolate-cake-with-chocolate-mousse-filling/#sthash.Z0smqBbc.dpuf

Work it Wednesday | Hannah's Food

I have found Hannah's favorite food! She's past all the Gerber's pick-ups and meals. She likes grown up food now. So I tried a few weeks back to make a batch of "chicken and dumplings" without the dumplings, so I could freeze it into smaller packages for her. She really likes her veggies! Anyways, it didn't work out the way I thought it would (don't ask me how, I guess it just wasn't my day). I found that she was only eating the peas and carrots and didn't like any of the other veggies I put in there. We've finally found a recipe that she likes!

I buy a frozen bag of peas and carrots ($1 at Kroger) and cook it up with some noodles. I throw in salt, butter, and some italian seasonings (this last time I added garlic). Then when it's all cooled and strained, I put it into portion-sized containers (or sandwich sized ziploc bags), toss some cheddar cheese on top, and then store it in the freezer. You can add pretty much anything you want into this meal! Other veggies, meat, sauces, etc.

They've become one of the easiest things I can make for her! When I pulled one of her portioned meals out of the freezer, all we have to do is toss it into the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes and it's ready to go! She loves it!


Have a blessed day!

Tuesday Tunes | Stay With Me

My brother and my husband have fallen in love with this man's vocals.
He has such a beautiful range and what seems like flawless vocals! This is such a popular song right now, so you've probably heard this before, but if you haven't, you are in for a treat!

Enjoy!

Monday Madness | Doctor Visits

Well, apparently we missed Hannah's check up today. Haha...what a day!

I recently came down with a rash. Gross, I know. It started behind my ears but this morning when I woke up, it was all over me! My eyes were so swollen that they were almost completely closed. My husband received permission to stay home from work, so he went with me to the doctor. My mom was awesome for taking care of Hannah for that hour and a half! I thought it was an allergic reaction to my new shampoo and body wash but the doctor said it was a fungus. Has anybody had this before? It's one of the most embarrassing things to say..."fungus"...but it really just means that my body's pH levels changed somehow. Who knows! So they've put me on antibiotics and hopefully within the week it will clear up.

My husband, Hannah and I stayed at my parents house since they were keeping Hannah's cousin for the day. I laid around like a sick woman while my mom and husband were being awesome caretakers. I watched the Croods while the little ones ran around causing trouble. It's such a cute movie by the way! We then played yahtzee and after playing two games, I took a nice nap on the couch. A few times I had kids run up to my face a scream hoping to get my attention. My nephew wanted me to hold him and my daughter hit me in the head a few times trying to get me to look at her. All in all they actually left me alone longer than usual!

It was a long day, simply because I wasn't feeling my best. I still don't, but thank the Lord, my Provider and my Rest, for family that loves and cares so much!

Now if only I can remember to take Hannah to her check-up in the morning!

God bless!

Foodie Friday | Ooey Gooey, Super Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have searched long and hard for the perfect cookie recipe.
Okay, that might be an exaggeration. :)

Sally from Sally's Baking Addiction experimented and worked her butt off to find the PERFECT chocolate chip cookie recipe! ...and she DID! Oh my goodness, these are so good!

Here's her post right here -----> Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

They are the softest, thickest, chewiest (yes, chewiest) cookies you will ever eat and they are so so easy to make!

Today I made a double batch. The last few times I made them, there just weren't enough to go around! However, I will be sharing the single batch recipe! :)

What You Need:

2 1/4 Cups of Flour

 1/2 Cup of White Sugar
3/4 Cup of Brown Sugar
2 Tsp of Vanilla Extract
1 Tsp of Baking Soda
1 Egg
1 Egg Yolk
1 1/2 Tsp of Cornstarch
3/4 Cup of Melted Butter
1/2 Tsp of Salt
1 Cup of Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Keep in mind, I doubled my recipe today! This image is of double!

Toss together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a medium size bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg, then the egg yolk. Finally, whisk in the vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft, yet thick. Fold in the chocolate chips. They may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to have them evenly dispersed among the dough. Cover the dough and chill for 2 hours, or up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow to slightly soften at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

Roll the dough into balls, about 3 Tablespoons of dough each. The dough will be crumbly, but the warmth of your hands will allow the balls to stay intact. Roll the cookie dough balls to be taller rather than wide, to ensure the cookies will bake up to be thick. See this post for more clarity and a photo. Put 8 balls of dough onto each cookie sheet. Press a few more chocolate chips/chunks on top of the dough balls for looks, if desired. Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. The cookies will look very soft and under-baked. They will continue to bake on the cookie sheet. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookies stay soft and fresh for 7 whole days at room temperature. Cookies may be frozen up to 3 months. Rolled cookie dough may be frozen up to three months and baked in their frozen state for 12 minutes.

*Room temperature egg + egg yolk are preferred for even disbursement.  Typically, if a recipe calls for room temperature or melted butter, it's a good idea to use room temperature eggs as well.  To bring eggs to room temperature quickly, simply place the whole eggs into a glass of warm water for 5 minutes. 

"In short, here are my secrets to thick, soft, & chewy Cookies: 

Under-baked cookies are the secret to softness.  Using cornstarch in the dough is another secret to softness, as well as the secret to thickness.  Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie.  Adding an extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be taller than wider increases thickness.  Using melted butter (and slightly more flour) increases chewiness. Chilling the dough results in a thicker cookie." - Sally from Sally's Baking Addiction

Now I think it's your turn to make these delicious cookies!

For more of Sally's recipes, visit her (recipe page)!
She's got tons!!!

God bless!

Secret Project | Invitation to Participate

Hi everyone!

I cannot tell you all the details just yet but I have a surprise coming your way in which I would LOVE for you to be a part of!
My hope is to have as many volunteers as possible!

If you are interested in participating or simply finding out more information, please e-mail me at sStrasburger@hotmail.com

Thoughtful Thursday | Am I Really This Selfish?

I woke up to find that my newest dress, and my favorite, was tossed in the dryer and now it's shrunk and I don't fit it anymore.

Let me remind you that it's been a rough few weeks with my little mini me! She's wearing on me!

When I was looking at my dress, a thousand thoughts when through my head! Hannah is only one and in her time here on earth she has destroyed all of my favorite things. She's broken all of my new necklaces, all of my favorite necklaces, stretched out my favorite shirts beyond repair or recognition, put stains on outfits I hadn't even had a chance to wear out of the house yet, broken my childhood dog figurines and broken my favorite book ends. She drags around our family pictures, rips all of her books to pieces, (as an infant) peed and pooped on my bed, thrown up on brand new outfits, ripped out my hair, and rubs her snotty nose on every fresh outfit I put on. The thought kept going through my head "she has destroyed all of my favorite things!" and I started to get mad. Granted, she didn't shrink my dress, but my forgetfulness was the cause (I have gotten so much more forgetful and scatter-brained since getting pregnant with Hannah). Destroyed? Could I be any more dramatic?

They are just things after all.

Am I really this selfish?

Do I really cherish my materials this much?

I think that one of the many things God teaches us through our children is that stuff is just stuff. It doesn't define us or even make us better at anything! One dress doesn't make me a more beautiful person. One necklace may draw attention to me, but not to God.

This was such a wake up call.
Have I really been so selfish to value material goods this much? I mean, I almost cried over this dress. Cried. 

I hardly even cry when my child is not feeling well!

I have so much to learn about myself. I never realized how impatient, bitter or selfish I was until Hannah came along. It's terrifying actually. How good is our God that He takes the time to discipline His children! Praise Jesus for this opportunity to grow!
 

Photo taken via iPhone.

I pray that you are blessed and overcome with a resounding peace, hope and satisfaction in Christ!

Work it Wednesday | Meal Planning - Our 6 Steps

I have struggled with this for so long and I still struggle every day. It's easy to stay on track the first week, 

or even the second week, but usually after the second week I just seem to lose track of it all. Does this ever happen to you?

I have recently been inspired by a multitude of blogs and friends that have spoken about budgeting and meal planning. There is hope! I thought that I always had to stick with pasta, rice and beans in order to stay within our monthly budget. Not so! Granted, rice, beans and pasta are still very common in cheaper recipes, but thankfully, with different spices, veggies, meats, and sauces, these dishes can give a very different experience at the table!

We used to just pick out meals that we usually like to eat (not necessarily affordable) and just throw them onto a calendar. 

That works for some people. It hasn't seemed to work for us, so this is what we did THIS round...

1.  Set a time frame for discussing meal planning

Chris and I are learning (or at least I am) that we do best when we set aside a specific amount of time to discuss things, 

like budgets and meal planning. (I keep bringing up budgeting because this is our entire reason for meal planning, to SAVE MONEY!) We are both very "black and white" in personality and sometimes we overdo things. So when we set a time frame, it helps us limit what we can do (and stay focused) instead of going all out and forgetting our original purpose. 

Does that make sense? I hope so.

Anyways!

2. Researched cheap recipes and recipes that use only what I already have

Let me introduce you to MyFridgeFood.com! This website is AMAZING!

You just check off what you have in your pantry, fridge and freezer and it will give you a HUGE list of recipes! 

How awesome is that???

Lauren of iamthatlady.com has shared with us how to make 25 (3-course) meals for less than $150.00 when shopping at Aldis!

 

3. Wrote all the names of these recipes down (recipes on a separate sheet) 

Here's my recipe list from earlier this week:

Fried Rice with Ham & Asparagus
Sausages with Warm Potato Salad
Sweet & Sour Brisket
Orange Beef & Broccoli/Asparagus Stir-fry
Cheddar Ham & Spinach Strata
Parmesan Pork Cutlets
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Apricot Chicken

BBQ Chicken
Cheesy Chicken
Simple Pot Roast

Asian Beef
Lasagna
Ham & Potato Casserole
Chili
Potato & Corn Chowder

Salsa Chicken & Black Bean Soup

Spaghetti

Shrimp Alfredo

Tacos

Hot Dogs
Mac & Meat
Chicken Noodle Soup

Black Beans & Rice
Roasted Red Pepper Chicken

Spinach Fritatta

Red Pepper & Kielbasa Pasta

Souvlaki

Marinated Grilled Chicken

Chicken Fajitas

Turkey Meatballs

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken & Rice

Chicken & Dumplings

Pancakes with Fruit

Burritos

Quesadillas

Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup

Homemade Pizza

Veggie Pasta

Tangy Grilled Chicken

Chicken & Rice Casserole

4. Had my husband pick out (at least) ten to twelve meals off my list!

5. My turn to pick out the ten to twelve meals that sound tasty to me!

6. Decide what meals to have each day of the week and write it down on my calendar! 

If you want to make a meal together, plan accordingly. My husband won't have a lot of time to help me cook during the week, so Fridays and Saturdays are good days for us to cook together!

Here's what our schedule looks like:

Thursday: Black Beans and Rice --- freeze half

Friday: Mac & Meat --- freeze half
Saturday: Homemade Pizza (Dough from scratch)
Sunday: Raven's Meal (basically whatever you find to eat)
Monday: Red Pepper & Kielbasa Pasta --- freeze half
Tuesday: Lasagna --- freeze half
Wednesday: Pancakes (from scratch) & Fruit ---freeze half
Thursday: Marinated Grilled Chicken --- freeze half
Friday: Chili --- freeze half
Saturday: Fried Rice with Ham & Asparagus ---freeze half
Sunday: Raven's Meal

Monday: Chicken & Dumplings (dumplings from scratch) --- freeze half
Tuesday: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Wednesday: Spaghetti and Veggies --- freeze half

Tip: When making your meal, freeze half for a later date!

Chris and I only picked out enough meals to cover two weeks. Like I said before, we're deciding to set a time limit for these types of things. We picked out our meals in between turns while playing Yahtzee! Haha! That's the best way to make decisions! ;)

You probably have a lot of these ingredients already! 

Noodles? Check! Veggies? Check! Flour? Check! Rice? Check! Cheese? Check!

I could give you my entire grocery list, but that would be even more boring than my meal plan for the next two weeks! I spent a total of $105.05 on my grocery shopping trip. $68.05 at Aldis and $37.00 at Kroger. This includes some other necessities.

Every one of these meals can easily be eaten a second time during the month, if that's something both parties agree to! These are not one-time meals!


Your $100.00 can go farther than you think!

Tuesday Tunes | Dance it Off!

This might be one of my favorite (secular) songs as of lately.
It's just so sweet and fun and very catchy if I might add! It's a song I turn on when I just need to dance!
It might be just me dancing in my kitchen while cooking or cleaning, but hey!
 

May your day be splendid, full of laughter and tons of giggles!
Hug someone today! ...and if that scares you, at least give them a high five and a smile! ;)