For the Single Ladies

It's the day of the year that can strike fear in the hearts of single ladies everywhere.  Valentine's Day. I remember, oh, do I remember.  

I'm not going to sugar coat it for you.  Being a single lady in her late twenties was hard.  Real hard.  I know what it's like to go to multiple weddings alone.....your younger sibling, your best friends, your former love.  I remember what it felt like to watch everyone else finding Mr. Right and feeling like mine must not exist.  I cried.  I prayed.  I struggled.

And on Valentine's Day, the situation often got even worse.  One time, the boy who I thought I was in love with took me for a $4 dinner and out to the bar, only to come over later and tell me he needed to drop me off early because another girl was going to come out at meet him.  Ouch.  Another, Valentine's Day, I went to a rom com alone at the movie theater.  There I was, solo, in a room full of couples out on their dates.  But I didn't stop there.  Because I'm cheap, I smuggled in food, which I then offered to share with those young couples around me.  "Do you kids want some fruit," said the old spinster.  Yep.  It happened.

But you know what?  I also lived.  I mean really lived.  I traveled the world.  Went crazy on a bucket list.  I collected cute shoes and spent too much money on football tickets.  I flew across states to surprise friends at their baby showers and saw a river dyed green and ate pizza and drank wine in Rome.  I ran half marathons and rode on ferries and have never missed a family ski trip.  I've ziplined through the jungle and prayed before relics and run with my aunts through the mud.

And all that living I did?  I have absolutely no doubt that it prepared me to recognize Mr. Right when he showed up.  Equally as important, I firmly believe that living helped me to discover the person who I am called to be.

So today.....you go live.  Do something crazy.  Set a wild goal.  Offer some dried fruit to kids at the movie theater.  Because you don't have time to sit around dwelling on what you don't have, you're too busy becoming who you should be.  Enjoy every minute.

More Than Baby Lambs

Newlywed in the Kitchen Recipe #11: Super Mom's Spitz Buban

For Christmas this year, Super Mom sent us an amazing jar of Spitz Bubon cookies.  The Boy from Texas seriously devoured them in about 10 minutes and begged for more.  Luckily, she had posted the recipe on her blog and I was able to whip  up a batch.  Not going to lie here....the prep time is not hard, but it fairly time consuming.  But the end result is excellent!  In addition to ensuring The Boy from Texas got his fill, we also gave these as Christmas gifts to a few folks.

The Boy from Texas Rating:  4

The Boy from Texas Comments:  (1)  What's in these things?  (2)  We need more, seriously call Super Mom, we need more now!  

Super Mom's Spitz Buban

To see a detailed explanation (including pictures) go to The Fisk Files blog.

1 lb. butter softened to room temperature (do not soften in microwave)

1 C. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 C. flour + more to make dough workable (I always use at least 4 cups)

2 eggs (for egg wash)

Bread crumbs  {I bought the Panko Original ones.}

Red plum jam  {I couldn't find plum jam, so I went with apricot instead.  I might have liked that even better.}

Powdered sugar

Mix butter, sugar and vanilla until well blended.  Then add flour and knead dough until smooth.  Roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thick.  Cut with diamond cookie cutter and brush the top with beaten egg.  Then dip in bread crumbs.  Bake in a hot oven (375) for 8 minutes.  You don't want them to brown.  When completely cooled, spread plum jam between two cookies and sprinkle with powdered sugar.  

{I couldn't find my rolling pin....it was in a box somewhere, so I used a glass.  I also don't have a small cookie cutter, so I used the lid off of a spice jar. I'm a regular McGueyver over here.}

Taking Stock

My friend Super Mom does a quarterly post she calls "Taking Stock" where she just sort of runs through what's been going on in her life in a number of categories.  I figured, why not join in!  Here we go.

making: Homemade soup.  The Boy from Texas and I have both felt a bit under the weather, so I think a big pot of soup filled with beef and veggies is just what the doctor ordered.

cooking: Shoot, probably should have looked at this before I answered the question above.  I'm planning on baking some apple cinnamon muffins later this week.

drinking: H20.  Always water around this joint.

reading: I'm finishing up Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist.  After that, I'm going to look through my stack and choose my Lent reading for this year!

wanting: A nap.  Why do we waste nap time on little kids who hate it?  I'd give my right arm to whip out a little mat and snooze this afternoon in my office.

looking: At the view from the new house.  We're just on the edge of town and have an awesome view of wide open spaces, a cotton field directly across the road is the perfect view for these country kids!

playing: My Christian playlist on my iPhone.

wasting: Time.  Why do I do that?

sewing: Nothing.  I literally had to cheat to pass the sewing portion of home ec in 8th grade.  Thank goodness for a kind boy who did my pillow for me.

wishing: It was the weekend again.

enjoying: Setting up the new house with The Boy from Texas.  Here's a sneak peak of a future house tour once we get a few more things unpacked.

waiting:  For a few upcoming meetings and appointments coming up later this week.

liking: Pop tarts.  I probably hadn't eaten one since I was 10, but I bought some last week and they are yummy!

wondering: How to better manage my time to get more done in a day.

loving: The Boy from Texas.  Here's photo Exhibit A of why.

hoping: For peace.....the world is a scary place.

marveling: At how much junk we own and our inability to just get rid of things.

smelling: Not a think....my nose stuffy and running all over the place.

needing: A nap.  Did I mention that one?

wearing: The $7 sweater my mom got me for Christmas from Wal-Mart.  It's seriously super cute.

following: Word on Fire Blog.  The posts are always good, but my sweet ND Friend wrote the post yesterday about Saint Josephine Bakhita is excellent.

noticing: The warm weather we've been having.....went from snow last weekend to 70 degrees this Saturday!

knowing: I am not thankful enough.  Ever.  A quote from St. Josephine Bakhita from the blog above is a good reminder.  "Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know him.  What a great grace it is to know God!" 

thinking: About what I will do for Lent this year.

bookmarking: This video discussing the legacy of Coach Dean Smith.  Wonderful stuff.

opening: My gym bag.  I'm going today if it kills me!

giggling: A couple of classic comedy routines The Boy from Texas plays repeatedly.  "It's a sad sad day..."

feeling: Blessed.

Newlywed in the Kitchen Recipe #10: Pioneer Woman Sloppy Joes

Well, our friend the Pioneer Woman did it again.  Seriously, I've never made anything of hers that wasn't awesome.  A month or so ago, we tried her Sloppy Joe recipe.  Y'all.  It was amazing.  So, so good!

The Boy from Texas Rating:  4  (I would have given it a 5 no question).

The Boy from Texas Comments:  (1)  Does this thing come with cheese on it?  After learning it did not, well we have to add cheese, that's just dumb not to put cheese on it, I'll get it out of the fridge for you.  (2)  I hate ketchup, why are you putting ketchup in there?

You can find the recipe (and her awesome photos) here.

I made very few changes:  (1) I halfed it because good grief!; (2) Left out the onion.; (3)  Used minced garlic in the jar from the store.

Pioneer Woman Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2-1/2 pounds Ground Beef
• 1/2 whole Large Onion, Diced
• 1 whole Large Green Bell Pepper, Diced
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1-1/2 cup Ketchup
• 1 cup Water
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Chili Powder (more To Taste)
• 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (more To Taste)
•  Worcestershire Sauce, To Taste
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste (optional)
•  Tabasco Sauce (optional; To Taste)
•  Salt To Taste
•  Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
•  Kaiser Rolls
•  Butter

Preparation Instructions

Add butter to a large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain most of the fat and discard.

Add onions, green pepper, and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, or until vegetables begin to get soft.

Add ketchup, brown sugar, chili pepper, dry mustard, and water. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Also add tomato paste, Worcestershire, and Tabasco if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Spread rolls with butter and brown on a griddle or skillet. Spoon meat mixture over the rolls.

What Not To Say To Your Husband During a Remodeling Project

We're 3 days into some DIY garage remodeling at the new little house on the prairie.  Here are some of the conversations that have happened.  

Me:  (After a hole was cut incorrectly for a plug in) I'm pretty sure you're supposed to measure twice and cut once.
The Boy from Texas:  *Mean glare and spits on the floor.*

Me:  What's this stuff (sheet rock) made of?
The Boy from Texas:  It's sheet rock.
Me:  I know, but what's in it.
The Boy from Texas:  Um....rock.

Me:  So when you paint with this sprayer, how will we ensure it doesn't get on the floor?  Should we buy drop cloths?
The Boy from Texas:  It's a garage.  We don't care about paint on the floor.
Me:  We should always care about paint on the floor.

Me:  (After we put up the first big piece of sheet rock.)  Wow!  Look at that, it's just the right height, how did that work?
The Boy from Texas:  Yea, how about that.  It must be a miracle.
(I realize now that there is a standard height for this kind of thing and it was not, in fact a miracle.)

Me:  Don't just throw those screws on the ground!  We can use them again.
The Boy from Texas:  They're junk.  They used the wrong screws.
Me:  There are different kind of screws?
The Boy from Texas:  Yea, we are using drywall screws, they used cheap junk screws like you'd use on a door hinge.  It's important to have a good screw.
Me:  That's what she said.

The Boy from Texas:  (After trying to drill a screw in the dry wall where a framing board should have been.)  Bunch of dang idiots didn't make the frame every 16".  Only an idiot would do that.
*10 minutes later we had to replace a 2x4 that was rotted.*
Me:  Um....that's not 16 inches.
The Boy from Texas:  Whatever, it's fine.

Me:  What kind of saw is this?
The Boy from Texas:  A sawzall.
Me:  Saws all?  That's creative.  This blade is bendy.
The Boy from Texas:  *Shakes head in disbelief.*

Me (about 17 times):  Be careful with that hammer, don't bust the sheet rock we just put up on the other side.
The Boy from Texas:  Do you think I'm stupid?
Me:  No, I don't think you're stupid, but you are kinda a bull in a China shop.
The Boy from Texas:  *Hits the wall and spits on the floor.*


We're maybe 1/4 of the way done and we've reverted to hiring someone to finish it up tomorrow. Wonder why he didn't want to keep working with me?

Confirming I Am Still Alive

After getting multiple emails checking on my well being after a week of blog silence, I want to assure you all that I am, indeed, still alive.  Here's a little summary of what's been goin' on 'round these parts.

*  Southern Dairy Conference.  Last week, I made a whirlwind trip to Atlanta to speak at the Southern Dairy Conference.  It was a really fun presentation on how to prevent and survive an undercover video on your farm.  There was a great group of dairy industry folks in attendance, and this was a fun (and important!) new topic for me to speak about!

* Bucket List Checkmark:  Meet a Blogger in Real Life.  For years I've hoped to meet one of the bloggers who I follow (and didn't already know) in real life.  I was able to do that in Atlanta when I met Dairy Carrie.  She is a huge blog and twitter sensation, so when I saw her on the agenda, I had big hopes that I could introduce myself and check this one off the list.  Sure enough, she actually raised her hand to comment during my presentation, Tweeted that I had done a good job, and we got to visit for about half an hour while waiting for an airport shuttle.  She was the sweetest person in the world and, turns out, we have quite a few things in common.  Biggest blogger regret to date....no picture was taken. What was I thinking??

*  We suspect a pregnant dog in our midst.  Don't even get me started.  Apparently the dog The Boy from Texas repeatedly told me as old and barren is like Sarah of the Bible and it looks like we will have puppies in the next month or so.  The puppy daddy belongs to my parents, so I'm on a mission to make these things half their responsibility.  They claim no parental responsibility.  Sheesh.

*  We've hit up several sheep shows.  So we've been running all over the Panhandle going to sheep shows.  Our lambs have been doing an excellent job of bringing home purple banners.

*  We bought a house!  We are so excited to have closed yesterday on our very first house together!  It's a tiny little cottage (well, not quite like that show Tiny House, but not that far from it) with a few acres.  As you know, The Boy from Texas and I are both farm kids and we love the idea of having our own land.  So the next week is going to be chaos as we clean out junk (why is it that when people move they don't haul off all of their crap??), doing a bit of work and painting, and moving in.  I took before pictures last night and will have after pics soon.....stay tuned!

Inspiration for your Friday

I've come across several great quotes and articles about faith lately, so I thought I'd share some of those with you all today.

* Nicole Kidman and Jimmy Kimmel's Story.  You may have seen the video of Nicole Kidman talking about meeting (and liking) Jimmy Kimmel years ago, who had no idea she was interested.  After watching that blog, Annie Downs wrote this amazing article.  Go read it right now (and watch the video because it's hilarious).

Her point is that God is always in control, and his timing is always perfect. In light of that, we should thank him for the missed opportunities in our lives.   A few of my favorite lines.

I needed to be reminded that God’s sovereign hand is tightly gripped around my little life.

God knew all along.

We will never know how many near misses and misunderstood stories and random circumstances all had to dance together to get us right here, with the right people, at the right time.  But He knows.

* Let Them See You.  I've had this song on repeat for a week.  I just think that it's not only a beautiful song, but such a perfect prayer.

Let them see You in me let them hear You when I speak
Let them feel You when I sing
Let them see You, let them see You in me

* Baylor Quarterback Gets It.  After Baylor lost the Cotton Bowl in terrible fashion....letting Michigan State come back from like 21 down....BU quarterback, Bryce Petty, made the following statement.

* Burn the Candles.  I think this is maybe the best New Years advice I've ever read.  I'm a total saver.  I don't wear my favorite jeans because they'll wear out.  I don't burn my favorite candles because I can only buy them in the fall (thanks Bath and Body Works).  If I'm honest, I waste days thinking they are not special enough.  Every day is a gift.  Every.single.one.  So we need to stop saving up our best candles, our best attitudes, our best things for special occasions.  The fact that we are still here on earth means it is a special occasion.  I am going to consciously work on doing better at this over the next year!


What would would it look like for you, this year, to burn your candles, to allow yourself to be as loved and worthy as the people around you believe you are? What are you hoarding away for another day, for someone else, someone more deserving or special or fancy? What have you been given that you won’t allow yourself to enjoy?

Open the jam, the journal, the wine. Slather that fancy lotion all over your feet. Put on those sparkly earrings even if you’re just going to the grocery store. Because someone gave them to you out of love. Accept that love. Burn the candles.

Newlywed in the Kitchen Recipe #9: Apple Dumplings

A couple of weeks ago, The Boy from Texas selected a recipe from "Bring 'em On Home:  A collection of recipes from famous rodeo cowboys and their families," which we got from Cousin Whitney as a wedding gift.  He went with a recipe from Cesar de la Cruz for apple dumplings.

The Boy from Texas Rating: 4

The Boy from Texas Comments:  "These are real buttery.  You should use less butter next time."  This started a minor fight where I told him I was trying really hard and comments like that made me feel like a bad wife and he needed to be more sensitive to my feelings and they tasted fine to me.  I discovered later, that when I decided to half the recipe, I forgot to half the butter.  Man, I hate when he's right.

Apple Dumplings

2 Granny Smith Apples
2 cans crescent rolls
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
1 can Mountain Dew

Peel and core apples.  Then cut each one into 8 slices.  Roll each apple slice in crescent roll.  Place in 9x13 a greased pan.  Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir.  {I think the book left out needing sugar....so I added in about 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and called it good.} Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over apples.  Pour Mountain Dew around edges of the pan.  Sprinkle with cinnamon to taste and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  {We took them out about 5 minutes early because they were about to burn.}  Serve with ice cream and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Honeymoon Recap Day 4

Honeymoon Update Day 4:   We saw lakes, waterfalls, and the Natural Bridge. Thought those were cool until we stumbled upon 5 elk in the middle of the mountains. We watched them for over 30 minutes. Amazing. The Boy from Texas has become a fashion diva. He did not approve of our waitresses skirt, which he said resembled our bath mat.  Met our friend Miss Canada for dinner at The Grizzly House, where The Boy from Texas learned he does like fondue and it is not the same thing as hummus. Got a ticket. Hope the Mounties are not after us!

As you saw, Day #3 was pretty lazy, well we made up for it with Day #4.

We decided to give our journey to British Columbia another shot after failing to make it the day before.  All went well this time.

We kicked things off at Emerald Lake--a really beautiful, tree-lined lake.  The water was so clear!

 Next up, we headed for The Natural Bridge.  This was a great recommendation from the Concierge at the hotel---it's a bridge of sorts created by the gushing water flow through the rocks.

 Then, we finally reached our destination for lunch....Truffle Pigs.  This is a tiny little restaurant in a tiny map dot. It was well worth the drive!  We both had an excellent brisket sandwich.  The Boy from Texas had homemade fries and I had a butternut squash and apple soup.  

 As we were leaving, we drove by a house with a huge cake--one of those someone can jump out of--in the yard.  The Boy from Texas insisted we turn around to go back and get a photo.  You're welcome, he says.

Then we headed back to the Bow Valley Parkway, planning to hike to a water fall and hoping to see some more wildlife.

Hiking was up first.  Frankly....it was a long walk.  We had too many clothes on trying to stay warm, so we got hot.  It was cool, but not anyone's favorite part of the trip.  Plus, when we got back to the Jeep, we had a ticket from the Mounties.  Failure to have a park pass while being in the National Park.  Crap.

 As we headed for Banff to check into our next hotel, we came upon 5 elk, grazing right along the road.  I've never seen anything so awesome.  We pulled off and watched them for at least 45 minutes.  The elk, cool air, beautiful mountains....it was something that pictures just don't do justice.

 When we peeled ourselves away from the elk, we were off to Banff for dinner with our dear friend, Miss Canada.  Getting to see her was totally a highlight of the trip! She took us to Grizzly House, an amazing fondue restaurant.  When I suggested fondue to The Boy from Texas, he said he didn't like it.  I was confused by this--its cheese and meat---what's not to like?  Finally, three days later, he made some comment about not wanting to go there because he didn't like chick peas.  Ah....he had fondue confused with hummus (which I made him try once and he hated).  Once we got that cleared up, we were good.  

The food was phenomenal.  We started off with bread and cheese fondue.  Then we had veggies boiled in  a mixture of buttery goodness.  Then we got hot stones on which to cook our meat (we were boring and passed on things like elk, moose, bison and went for chicken and beef).  We polished dinner off with chocolate fondue and a mixture of fruits, marshmallows, and bread.  

 

What a day....this was totally even better than we imagined Canada would be!