Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Rice Bowls--new recipe

So we have a new recipe in our house that I love! I stole to idea from a restaurant we have in town called chipotle. I went recently and just loved their rice bowls. So i decided the next week to try to mimic it and make it for us at home (and we can make it a whole lot cheaper at home than eating it out!). So here is what I came up with:
Cilantro Lime Rice (that is how they do it at the restaurant)
--I took just plain old white rice (but i am sure it would be good with brown rice too) cooked it like normal, but added some lime juice in place of some of the water. after it cooked all the liquid out, i added in fresh cilantro (or you could use dried).
--We then added things we wanted on top. Choices could be endless, but we did:
Black beans, homemade salsa (another easy recipe), cheese, and cooked shredded chicken seasoned in taco seasoning.
michael loved this new recipe, so it will be a keeper around our house. And the cost is so low for this meal:
--Rice--I got it free last week with coupons!
--Chicken=I used 3 chicken breast to feed 4, so it was about 1.5 lbs.--so $3.50ish
--Salsa--all ingredients i had on hand already, but cost was probably about .75 cents
--Black beans--stocked up on those a while back for .17 cents a can
--taco seasoning--was free some time back when i stocked up on it
--cheese--probably about .50 for 1/2 a bag used
total cost:
under $5.00 for feeding 4 adults! Not too bad!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Newest Sewing Project



So the most recent issue of Sew Beautiful has the cutest swimsuit pattern that I saw and decided it was a must, even though I have many other projects that I need to be working on. I must say it was pretty easy though! and turned out pretty stinkin adorable! now i must decide whether to monogram it with her initials or not....i am thinkin it would be cute monogrammed in pink :)
We also went strawberry pickin' yesterday with friends and it was so much fun! Sarah Kate loved finding ones that she could pick and filling up the baskets! plus, it was fun to get to sit down and have a snack too :)
While I am blogging, I thought I thought I would share a great coupon for dove deodorant, that you can get free (or make some mula on it!) at publix this week! Here is the link--look for the $1.50 off dove deodorant on the right side of the screen and print 2 per computer! they have it b1g1 at $2.29--so free with coupon!!!
Next sewing project--Maja is creating a Flowergirl Dress for Sarah Kate to wear in her aunt's wedding (Michael's sis, Lauren) in a few weeks. Here's the fun part--We are creating the dress using Michael's moms (Sk's Nana) wedding dress!! Her dress has some beautiful lace and we are hoping to create a beautiful dress for sk from it! Pics will come soon!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Learning to Trust

This is a hard week for me. I try to pretend i am ok, but those who really know me know that i am not a good pretender. I know God is sovereign and His timing IS perfect, but it doesnt make any of this easy. I know that there is a reason for all of this, but still not easy. I sit and think about this time last year...I was so excited to find out I was pregnant (a little nervous too). Sarah Kate was gonnna be a big sis....We announced it, and then the miscarriage happened. man, it hurts...i dont think i have ever cried so hard. Now, looking at it, it still hurts and my heart aches to see my baby that I never got to meet, but I know some day i will see that baby in heaven and he will be perfect and beautiful (We didnt know the sex, but i tend to think it was a boy..) it is comforting to know that this baby never had to see the brokenness of this world, he (or she) is living in a place where there is no brokenness, or sin, or pain, or hurt. I long to be there, that is the home that i long for. I have seen so much lately the fallen world that we live in and how jacked up we really are and how we need Christ so much in our lives. Christ is my strength, even when i feel like falling down and not getting up, He is still there. Sometimes I just want a glimse of what He sees to understand, but I know that i cant, He is God and I am definitely not. I dont understand why we had to suffer a miscarriage, and dont know if i ever will here on this side of heaven, but that isnt what is important. That Christ is glorified through all of it, is what is important. God is good, even in the pain, He really is. He has already given me so much more than i deserve. I look at sk now and am so thankful (most of the time, at least, there are times i should be more) for her. she is such a gift that i or michael did not deserve. She is such a precious gift...So maybe i just needed to ramble for a bit, not sure if i really want anyone to read this, except, maybe i do, maybe i need your prayers. please pray for michael and i this week. Mother's day was a very hard day last year for us...i miss my baby...
Yesterday i found myself looking at other stories of ladies who had had multiple miscarriages and such a hard time getting pregnant and have yet to be able to have children, and my heart breaks. I long for Christ and his return....I long for no more pain and sorrow, and having to say goodbye to a child that we have yet to hold...
i know through this whole thing i have learned to be honest with God about my hurt. for so long i think i tried to say it was ok and act like i could handle it, but i cant, I NEED Christ to handle it for me. David said in Psalm 139,
O Lord, You have searched me and know me.
You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thoughts from afar off.
You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.